Happy New Years!!

...and happy New Years Resolution: Day 1.
My resolution this year is to give up FB for at least one month. If I go back in February I will be on a max of two hours per week or something, cause in 2010 I was on for more than 2 hours a day. I need to be a better Mommy than that! However, Nod is sleeping right now, and Im *craving* my FB fix!!! EEK! I can do anything, and I know I can do this, but I have had to make a concerted effort to NOT think in status updates all day!!

Gratitudes today? I was so spoi... erm... 'blessed' this Christmas. I got presents that I needed, and some that I simply wanted (and some I didnt even know I wanted until I got them)! Today I got to spend my Body Shop gift card, which was super fun! I love being able to shop for myself, and it doesnt happen often! I got to shop with my sister in law Kay, and man is she ever great! She looped her arm in mine and we wandered down the halls of the nearly abandoned mall. It was a small gesture from her, but it meant a lot to me! Thanks Kay, and Thanks to everyone who contributed to our fabulous Christmas!

Favorite Christmas gifts (in no particular order)? Painting of the Eiffel tower, The game of Life in French, Piano Lessons, my picture frames filled with photos, Nods little rocking horse and owl. Thanks guys :)

Favorite Christmas memories? Dancing with my little-big brother Jack. It was actually at the New Years eve dance. He had seriously offended me before Christmas, and well, our relationship has been rocky since D introduced him to the anti-religionist ways, and since Jack itroduced D to drugs and alchohol. I know both things were bound to happen, but it hurt me nonetheless. Well, someone crazy suggested we dance, and grudgingly I said yes... until... He apologized. it was a Christmas miracle. I know I *should* have forgiven him without the apology, but Im not perfect yet! Anyways, that was nice.

Another favorite (though it srsly annoyed me at the time) was when little Nod chased Grampa around the house saying MAMAMAMA! Haha, we're trying to teach her to say Pa, she loves him so much!

and a little about Nod. She sure is growing fast, she walks, and says a few words, and signs a little. She can sign 'more', and 'all done', and sometimes she'll do 'please' and 'thankyou'. She waves hi and bye. She understands more and more of what I say, like "where is the such-and-such" "where is so-and-so'" and "do you like that"... She nods for yes and shakes for no, she does some actions for "if youre happy and you know it" and dances anytime music is on, even just the TV, she loves to sing along with the radio, or even without it. She says Ball, and Book, though they sound very similar. She says animal sounds like quack, and arf arf, moo, and grr. She doesnt sleep through the night, but she does sleep, so thats good! She knows how to unscrew things like lipgloss, and how to open lotion bottles (yes, very messy!), and she loves to fish around in the toilet (so I like to shut that door!). Just today I showed her how to fold her arms for prayer, and she began to walk around the house with her arms folded! Oh, and my favorites... She gives hugs and kisses and pets your head when asked to be gentle! She hasnt learned to say Papa (my Dad) yet, but it does sound like she says Ammy (Grammy for my mom), and she hasnt figured out Dadda... well, okay, not true, she said Dad once, but it wasnt to D, and Im fine with that! He hasnt put in much effort to be a Dad financially, and one day she will have someone else to call Dadda.

Uh oh, Nod just ate a hot pepper... *back to life again*

xo
Wink