January

January was a good month for us.  We didn't do anything terribly exciting, but I've made playing with my kids my #1 priority.  (Funny how that makes everyone in the house more happy).

I have a new routine.  Not a cleaning routine, or new schedule... more of a personal rule.  A surprising personal rule.  Every night I write a list of things that I need to do the next day.  Then I decide which 2 chores (not counting dishes) are most important, and erase the rest. Then I convince myself that nothing else needs to be done the next day.  As the day goes by, I look at my list and realize that I really do have time to play another game of Candyland, Monopoly, Hide and seek, or build a fort.  We really do have time to paint, make cookies, or sing and dance around the room.  It's really helped me keep my priorities straight and spend more time with the kids, and less time cleaning.  Plus I'm not nearly as stressed.  My mind isn't on something else when I'm playing with my kids... they have my full attention.  I'm not always good at it, and the house is messier, but we are all a lot happier.  And guess what?  The chores are still getting done.  Most of them anyway.

Several months ago we started an allowance system.  It's inspired by the book The Entitlement Trap, this blog, and a few of my friends.  It took several months for my kids to actually get enough check marks on their charts to get paid.  I almost gave up.  Several times.  Then someone wanted something bad enough that they did all their chores and got paid.  And the other kids caught on.  Dakota had to save up to get the snap circuits he is playing with in this picture.

January was unusually warm this year.  One day the girls and I walked to the park after Kindergarten.  Bridget tripped and fell, scraped her nose, and got a bloody nose.  Blood was splattered all over, and of course I didn't have a tissue.  I used my shirt to stop the bleeding, and we walked around the park, decided there was too much snow on the playground, and walked home.  I'm glad I didn't see anyone before I could wash all the blood off my face.  We haven't been back to the park since.  (And her nose is finally starting to heal!)

Our new favorite craft.  I tape something on a canvas, give them 2-3 paint colors, a paintbrush, and let them paint.  My girls love to paint!  We still haven't decorated our bedrooms, so we are doing more canvas art for decorations.

Apparently it did snow (a little) in January!

Testing out my new tripod.

It's been 2 1/2 years since we've had a professional family picture taken.  And while I was making a 2013 picture book for Adam's grandparents, I realized we had a grand total of 2 pictures of our family taken the entire year.  So, I decided to buy a tripod so that I can take some pictures of our entire family.  They won't be great, and I still want to get professional pictures, but at least we'll have something.  (I took one today, but it's February now, so you'll have to wait for next months post to see it... if I decide to put it on the blog).