January-in review

Didn't take a lot of pictures over January. Never seem to do. But, just wanted to take a step back and look at our month. Getting back into a school routine after the holidays was a bit tough. We never can seem to be on time. Have tried enticing the kids with picking out their own music or watching a movie in the car if they get in the car in a timely fashion. Not getting dressed until after breakfast does not help matters, but we have completely taken away the TV watching ability in the mornings they go to school.

We stayed busy this month! Had lots of time with friends and as a family. Got to go swimming at Chanhassen lifetime (after a failed attempt on a Saturday at 11....doesn't open until 12!), skating and fit in some just laying around. Paul and I have been trying to keep up with going to lifetime and have found going on Thursday nights after dinner generally works well. Paul was able to go to vegas over Martin Luther King weekend, but thinks he's getting too old for the loud clubs and staying up all night :). I had a fun weekend planned with Brooklyn's birthday party, a sleepover with Maren, Docia & Colten and a play/lunch date with Aly and Courtney.

Alex was abandoning his naps pretty regularly and getting into lots of trouble starting before Christmas. Taking things off the walls (his letters, the quilt my mom made,etc.) and taking apart books. Not a good combination for a mom who just needs her quiet time. He got into a better routine at the end of the month. Free time with the kids is spent playing with legos, playing in our boxes from our new lights, watching TV, dancing/singing, reading, and doing puzzles. Alex has taken a LOVE of doing puzzles. He is "schooling" all of us and tells us who gets to do which Toy Story character. Anna's frustration over puzzles has increased a lot this month. But, we give her bite size pieces and she goes to it. Thinking she may be more interested in princess puzzles versus Toy Story too! She continues to go to piano, dance and swimming lessons with her most favorite being swimming. Had her first piano recital at the end of the month. Didn't make it through her whole piece, but she got up there!

Our biggest concentration this month was deciding what to do for kindergarten for miss Anna. We have the option for 1/2 day or full day in English or immersion offered in Chinese or Spanish. We looked at both the school we get bused to (which has Chinese) and another school that offers Spanish. Ultimately, we decided on Chinese extended day at our local school. It was a tough decision and one that requires a huge leap of faith by us. Thankfully, one of the other families we know at our school is doing the same thing so we'll have a support network. Paul also has co-workers that speak Chinese and co-workers that have their kids in a Chinese program as well.