So it's been a while...

I remember one of my cousins used to keep a blog - and I loved checking it for new pictures of her kids and more in-depth stories than Facebook could hold - and then she got busy, and the blog fell by the wayside- and I was bummed when it wasn't updated anymore.  Well...to anyone who actually reads this, looks like after a whopping 4-5 posts per year, I haven't posted at all in 2017!  Here are some highlights & resolutions as we head into 2018:

Highlights

Took the kids to Disney World for the first time!  This was so fun, if stressful to plan.  Disney has changed a LOT from when I was a kid, and even from a decade ago when I used to bring high schoolers and they had the paper fastpasses, now it's all computerized, there's pressure to book things like popular rides and dining months in advance...took some of the joy out of planning...as did David finding out because I neglected to log out of the Disney planning website and telling his sister - I'd had dreams of surprising them.  BUT - all that said, it was a wonderful week, Corey came down for the beginning (Epcot & Magic Kingdom) and Nancy was there the whole time.  Her friend Karen also joined us for the first few days - and let us stay in her upgraded hotel room the last few days!

Thunder Mtn RR - Corey was busy getting sick :(

Short trips to Gatlinburg & Birmingham

Nancy bought a house to rent out in Gatlinburg TN, so of course we had to go up right at the beginning of the summer to check it out!  I had not been up there in a long time and enjoyed seeing it through the kids eyes - we had a nice combo of time in the cabin and looking at some of the touristy stuff. 
We also took a 'spur-of-the-moment' trip to Alabama - it was what I decided I wanted to do with the kids for my birthday. We drove over and spent all afternoon in an awesome 4 story science center.  After a night at a hotel (always a highlight) we watched a play at the children's theater and checked out the art museum before heading home.

Great school years so far

I'm having another wonderful year at my school - not that last school year was bad, it was just not wonderful in comparison to the mountaintop year that was 2015-16 - TOTY, big numbers, etc.  Last year I had small 6th grade numbers (but based upon behavior of that grade level as a whole I have come to realize that was not a bad thing!) and just felt a little bit in a rut - or at least, didn't feel like I provided many new opportunities to the kids.  This year I have another big 6th grade class (although a lot of them are doublers in band & chorus), and am trying to get the kids out in the community more.  Currently trying not to stress about taking 100 kids to the symphony and Varsity in January. 

David and Sara are both having good years too - Sara is in LOVE with her teacher, Mrs. Poole - who is a technology guru and you can just tell genuinely loves those kids and hates how much standardized testing she has to put them through.  David is still thriving in the gifted program, joined the chorus this year, and is starting math club when we go back.  He's also trying out wrestling as a sport, but may be like his parents in that he is not all that athletically inclined.

Resolutions:

Finish Crafting projects:
a) Christmas table runner for a church friend
b) memory quilt for David
c) new pocket smock for Sara

Health
a) loose weight - always on there, but am at an especially unhappy weight after not exercising & eating whatever I want all semester
b) take care of my knee(s) - early onset arthritis diagnosed, the first few treatments (physical therapy, cortisone injections, viscosupplementation injections) have not really provided relief.  Loosing weight will help, but I also need to follow up/advocate for myself. 
c) take care of my teeth - I have bad teeth/soft gums, so I need to be more religious about flossing/rinsing/etc, and get the rest of the cavities filled.

Read more/be on screens less
I know I have my face in my phone too much, and it's also bugging me how much the kids ask for screen time, so I'm hoping to resolve for all 3 of us to read a bigger variety of books and be on screens less in the coming year. 

Happy New Year!