Parties and Post-Holiday Chubbiness

I think I must have just blinked or something. It's 2010. Amy is 2. Hannah is nearly 2 months old. Last I remember, I was struggling to remember to write 1996 instead of 95 on my papers at school. This year will mark ten years since I graduated from high school! I'll pursue that thought in a few months. Yikes.

So we're only a few weeks into the year, but already we've had a major holiday and two birthdays. I love January. It's a let-down for many people, but for me it's another month of the Holiday Season. Starting with New Year's Day, lasting through Amy's birthday, and culminating with MY birthday! And boy, what a birthday it was! Kevin threw up more times than I can count!

But we'll start with New Year's Day. We went to the Exploration Place for their New Year's at Noon celebration. The highlight of the celebration was a balloon drop at noon. It was actually quite frightening--they dropped those darn balloons on a writhing mass of screaming demon children who immediately began stomping on as many balloons as they could (lest some of the smaller children get any balloons) after they had scored one for each hand and one in their teeth for good measure. And over the sound of screaming young ones there arose the shrieks of the frantic mothers who were all convinced that their own young ones were going to be stomped along with the balloons. Add to that the actual sound of the balloons popping and the mash and shove of the crazed bodies, and you have a real sweet party! It was insane.

We also visited all of our favorite exhibits and had a jolly good time playing in tornadoesand exploring the caves.
About two weeks later our young friend Amy decided it was time to shed her potential to fly for free, so she turned 2. She plays the part well. She is a happy jolly thing who completely lives up to her middle name: TERROR!!! Just kidding, her middle name is Joy and she is a joy 100%. I don't know who came up with the phrase "Terrible Two," but I think it must apply more to the parent's reactions to the 2-year-old than to the actual 2-year-old. I have yet to have a terrible 2-year-old. They're adorable and so so fun. At least mine are. (Most of the time, anyway.) (I suppose if Amy were awake and stealing the mouse right now instead of napping I'd be singing an entirely different tune.)

She had a great birthday and got lots of girly stuff (4 dresses, 4 hairbows, a purse, and a My Little Pony, among other things). It is so fun to have a little girly-girl! I love Amy so much!!

Ten days later we got to celebrate my birthday. And for the first time in about 8 years or so I didn't have to make my own birthday cake! Rob suggested a Dairy Queen ice cream cake and I was only too happy to agree. But even better than that was dinner. I chose, strangely, to make dinner myself instead of going out to eat. And what a dinner: BACON-WRAPPED CHICKEN!!! And mashed potatoes! And salad! (Salad is not exciting, but it helps balance the bacon-wrapped chicken part.) It was PHENOMENAL. And I hate the word phenomenal, but I must use it in this case. (The only other time I've used the word phenomenal is in connection with the Broadway musical "Wicked.")

I was also spoiled with a breadmaker and a beginner's glass bead making kit (I am so excited about that one!!!). Woot!

And now that my birthday is over, the holiday season is officially over and I am left with a vast amount of post-holiday chub compounded further by post-baby fat, and with the new breadmaker in the mix I have no idea what to do about it. Exercise, I suppose, but it's too late to make New Year's resolutions now. Ah well. I guess I'll go upstairs and eat some bread while I contemplate this conundrum.

In the meantime, enjoy this priceless picture of Amy and Hannah. Thanks for reading and have a happy day!