Happy New Year!

It's 2009, and I decided to get with the times.  My younger cousins are way better at this than me, but at least I am going to try to keep up a little bit.  Here's my attempt at a chronicle of our little family this year, 2009. 

It's January 10th.  Henry is 3 and a quarter years old, Agatha is four and a half months, and I'm ... well, I don't even like to see it in print.  Today was a great day.  No tantrums, no freak-outs, good food and lots of time together.  We didn't even leave the house today, because a snowstorm was predicted (although it never really arrived).  Aggie woke up at 5, happy and smiling, and we groggily started the day.  Michael made the fire in the kitchen wood stove, and started the oatmeal.  Henry was thumping down the stairs at 6 am.  I read the Elmo book to him at least 3 times today, the first time with my coffee.  Henry's first idea of the day was that the fish were cold and he needed to go outside and break up the ice on the pond, which he did, with his miniature snow shovel.  After breakfast Henry and Michael worked on stacking the wood we'd just had delivered.  We did lots of house chores today-- dusting and wiping and tidying and organizing.  Michael did loads of laundry, too.  Agatha took a real nap at 7 am, then again at 10:30 am, each time for about an hour.  Then she napped again in the afternoon, from about 1:15- 2 pm.  She continues to be an easy, by-the-book baby.  I realized today that I haven't put her in the Bjorn to fall asleep in several days-- I think that phase, that newborn phase, has now passed.  She now falls asleep nursing or even can be put down awake.  Henry also napped today, for about 2 and a half hours.  What an improvement in the mood from Sleepless December!  In fact, there was about 30 minutes when all four members of the family were quiet in their beds, if not quite all asleep.  When he woke up, he and I made a cake, and we ate white beans with tuna and kale for dinner with our chocolate cake for dessert.  We watched the first part of The Incredibles, and then laid both kids in their beds by 7 pm.  So mundane, but such a triumph at the same time!  A simple triumph to have an orderly, quiet day with lots of playtime, household tasks done well and together, good meals and rest.  

I am so, so grateful for this simple, boring, wonderful life.