Very Mary: 4 People, 12 Times: January

Ironic that we took our family photo outside this month since most of us really didn't spend a lot of time outside during the chilly days of January. (And when I say "chilly," I mean in the negatives.) There were a lot of those days. But, if I were to "make some lemonade," as we say around here, it meant those few sunny days were very much appreciated.

Derrick turned 33 this month. We celebrated with a simple dinner at home: Sage Risotto with Fresh Mozzarella and Proscuitto. Followed by the Peanut Butter and Chocolate Masterpiece that I have renamed the Ugly Cake. Sadie made Derrick a birthday card, and I bought him several new books: Life, Bob Marley: The Untold Story, and Fight Club. (He likes to read about musicians, and the last one I just picked up on a whim.)

For me, this month marked the beginning of several new projects, most of them photography-based. I'm excited about all of them, but I'm still trying to find that happy balance between projects and priorities. My immediate priorities are not necessarily my projects, but I still need that creative energy I get from challenging myself. I'm feeling really good right now about what I've been able to accomplish this month, but there are always things I feel like I need to work on: spending more quality time with Derrick, playing more with the kids, and doing organized activities (crafts,etc.) with Sadie.

Sadie used to be somewhat quiet about her adventures at preschool, but this month, she's started telling us about her little friends, the snacks they had, what they did during "gym time." I love hearing about the part of her day that she doesn't share with me at home. One of the other mothers told me that her little boy told his Grandma that "Sadie is his girlfriend." I wasn't sure if I should say "Awwww" or freak out, but it's probably a little early for the freak out, right?

She's really started to enjoy ballet, and it was a fun experience to actually see her dance at Viewing Day. She is a true performer, which I knew all ready, but she's also turning out to be quite the dancer. She was intrigued with "costume measurement day," and was excited to learn that she gets to keep whatever costume they come up with for the recital. I hope it's a good one, but if not, we have a set of princess dress-ups to fall back on. Speaking of which, they were well-worn this month. Every day was dress-up day.

Caleb started crawling shortly before Christmas, but he really figured things out this month, and he can move. He follows Sadie around as much as possible, but he's also started playing by himself for short periods of time. It didn't take him long to learn that he could use both of his parents as "guided walking devices," and now he's all ready pulling himself up to standing position all the time, everywhere. He gets a little frustrated, though, when he can't figure out how to get himself back down. He has two teeth, and two more arriving shortly.

Until next month...