Blogger won't let me post any pictures tonight. I went to the help website and there was a report that there is a problem with picture quotas. Even my Calvin blog (which has no pictures) says I am over the quota. So, I'll write a few things and not get to put any pictures up! bummer!
Jo is so delightful. She is 17 months old! It is such a fun age. She is learning new words and new tricks daily. Lately when Dave gets home she runs to the top of the stairs and yells "daaaaad" and leaps into his arms for a hug. It is sweet. She also started hugging Clare when she gets home from school. She doesn't like to hug Calvin and Lexey. They are not as gentle with her so when they reach for her she says "stop" or "no"! She loves to play peek a boo and tag and loves to dance to the music, especially with Clare and Lex. It is fun to have a little person budding out of the sweet baby she was.
Jo is a cuddly baby. It is such a treat to have her lay her head on my chest and hold me! Jo has had a couple of colds the last month or so and this has made her especially cuddly, especially at night when she can't sleep but is too tired to move. She loves to get in bed with me and lay on top of me. Not next to me, but on top of me! She has probably done this 5 times in the last month on nights when she was really not feeling well. Sweet moments with what is probably my last baby in the house.
Clare and Dave started geocaching. They are having such a good time. Clare is quite a hiker and can go out for miles plus climb through bushes and over rocks. She considers scratches battle wounds that she wears with pride. It is a great activity for the two of them. It all came about when Dave got his new fancy phone which has GPS. Clare has pretty good endurance and will often go out walking the dog with me as well. In fact, today she did both a walk with me and geocaching with dave. She probably got 3-4 miles of walking today!
I love having Dave home for his research year. It is so fun to be able to talk to him everyday. I have been so spoiled this year and will probably have a really hard time adjusting when he goes back to full time busy resident work in June! That being said, we miss Dan terribly. We used to be able to go out on dates pretty often (mostly when the kids were in bed, we'd slip out) and we really miss that.
Lexey is into writing notes. She writes Dan and Dave love letters all the time. It is darling. Recently Lexey has been interested in playing games with me during the day. I usually let her win if I can help it or at least let us tie. However, in Candy Land (which see calls Candy Cane Lane after our Christmas show we are learning this year) there is just luck! Sometimes she'll get way ahead or draw a card with a character near the beginning. She cannot handle getting behind in this game. She'll throw the board on the floor and scream at the thought of losing. It is pretty funny to see how competitive and feisty she is. I am sort of the same way. Okay, I'm exactly the same way. I totally get her! It is fun to see that she has a competitive drive. Hopefully she can learn to be kind too!
Calvin ... things are fine for him. He got the nicest bus driver and things have been going well there. We always have our challenges. He is excited for the Pointsietta Bowl here in SD during the holidays. BYU plays SDSU. He has opened two Christmas presents. (neither were for him). So, I'm thinking we'll have to keep everything put away until Christmas eve. Calvin has been excited to get gifts for his sisters and cousins this year and it is fun to see that.
I started a new Christmas tradition this year. Dec 1st I wrapped all of our Christmas books and put them in a book basket (I left a few board books out for Jo unwrapped). Each night we take turns opening a book and reading it together. Some are fun and about silly Christmas things and others are very special heartwarming stories. Last night Dave read The Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey to them and they were so touched. A few nights ago we read The Giving Tree. It has been a great tradition.
This year I'm also starting another new tradition. Santa is going to bring sugar cereal and leave it out with the stockings on Christmas morning. Mom only buys Cheerios and makes home made granola so it will be a special treat to get coco puffs and cinnamon toast crunch and crispex on Christmas morning, plus I don't have to cook anything!
Laundry for 6 people is a lot. Even though I only had one more baby, I feel like I have laundry for 2 more people because with Dave being home this year he exercises a lot more which adds laundry + and wears a lot of clothes that I have to wash instead of just scrubs which he should return to the scrubs service at the hospital!
Oh, speaking on Dan, he is doing so well on his mission to Spokane. I love getting his emails each Monday. He is down to 210 lbs (from 300 when he started losing weight in the Spring). His goal is 200 lbs by Jan 1st. He fasted on Thanksgiving so he wouldn't have to eat junk. I can't wait to talk to him at Christmas time! Lexey asks me every day when we can go pick up Dan and bring him home. Though Dan was probably closest to Calvin, Calvin is definitely an out of sight, out of mind kind of boy and it is Lexey and Clare who ask about him most.
