Layton Update

We decorated for Christmas on Monday night. It was fantastic fun. I put out 6 of my nativity sets this year and I'm so excited! I love being in my house at night with the tree lit up - well, I guess I should be honest, I've closed all the blinds so the house stays dark so I can keep the tree on all day long! I'm really enjoying the change. I had book club at our house last night so I cleaned and cleaned and cleaned, and it's so nice to have a clean house! I'm trying hard to keep it that way...we'll see how long it lasts!

Church is busy, and life is busy as always, but we're healthy and happy. We're looking forward to Steve becoming "Master Steve" (the end is in sight!) and we're looking forward to our trip to Texas for Christmas.

I made homemade chicken/noodle/vegetable soup (without a recipe) for the first time EVER today and it turned out so wonderful I can't wait to make it again. I even made homemade noodles (whole wheat)!

I lost 4.2 pounds last week (YEAH!) I'm finally on the losing weight band wagon again...I know it's been too long in coming. So - weight watchers - here I come...again.

Yesterday I switched around the kids' rooms. I put Daniel's bed into Caitlin's room. Caitlin has been having a very hard time going to sleep alone, and she pines for Daniel. Those 2 have been playing so well together lately, it's so fun! Last night Steve ended up sleeping in the queen bed and both of them were in the twin bed when I came in after book club. :) Tonight Daniel fell asleep when we dropped Kenneth off for piano (5:30pm) and I put him straight to bed and Caitlin went to bed next to him happy as a clam. We'll see how tomorrow night goes.

We're still spending lots of time at the park and today we ended up having lots of friends over to play today as several of my friend's kids are battling illnesses and needed to go to the doctor and/or ER. I'd rather be the one home with the kids than be the one with the kid in ER! : )

Kenneth's soccer season is over and we're not signing him up for basketball. I need a break. He's OK with it, I think. He's been doing amazingly well lately and I'm really enjoying being home more. He goes to GATE (gifted and talented education) 3 times a week at school and last week some guy from the school district called me and said he had been referred for the Highly gifted program or something and he scheduled a 2 hour test for Kenneth. He took it, and we haven't received any results yet back. Kenneth reads a LOT. I'm pretty sure he's read every Harry Potter book (except 7) at LEAST twice...if not more. He likes to read star wars and my sister got a bunch of Hardy Boys books, so we'll see how he likes those.

Daniel's speech improves every day and he's enjoying learning (finally!). He asks me how to spell things when we're driving in the car and he is trying to sound words out here and there. He now writes his name 1/2 in upper case and 1/2 in lower case. It's very cute.

Caitlin's speech is also very very good, and she's 100% potty trained! Hallelujah!!! :) Her vocabulary is expanding exponentially now and she's become my little cooking/baking pal. Anytime I'm in the kitchen she goes and gets a measuring cup and "helps". She's actually pretty good at not spilling when she pours things into the pot. Today I was making Macaroni and Cheese for her (her current favorite) and she was trying to open the box. She wasn't being very successful so I reached down to assist and she wrenched the box back and said, "No, mom, I'm HELPING!" in an angry tone. It was so funny.

We got some devastating news yesterday. Suzanne Lopez (Artie's wife) called to tell us that her mom had a massive heart attack last Friday and passed away on Saturday. She is now without a mom, dad, and husband. They've all preceeded her. She seems to be handling it amazingly well. It was good to talk to her, but I just feel awful. Please keep her in your prayers.