A New Year

It's been a quiet start so far, which is welcome. I like to enter the New Year with a sense of calm and routine. We had a wonderful Christmas holiday, full of early mornings, and late nights, visits to the mainland, gatherings with friends, good food, and one heck of  New York New Year's party. The holiday blessings were many, but I won't lie, there is something nice about getting back to the routine of work, school, normal bedtimes, normal meals.

Here are some January snap shots:

Uncle Jon had the good fortune of spending his first days of the New Year in hawaii; the proof is in the t-shirts. Amelia was very happy with her turtle shirt. 

We ate quite a bit of decadent, probably not so healthy foods over the holidays, so I am trying to make a different vegetable soup at least once a week. I find soups are the best way to get almost any vegetable into my kids. I puree their portions, but to be honest husband and I prefer a chunkier soup. It feels more satisfying somehow when there is something to chew. This was a basic vegetable soup but I am going to try a wedding soup this week. I'll keep you posted on how the pureed meatballs go over with the kids. 

Two new things have been implemented into our weekly routines: treat Fridays and video game Mondays. It probably sounds like exactly what should be eliminated from a weekly routine, but husband and I are tentatively trying these special days out as a way of actually cutting down treat and screen time around our home by confining those things to these two specific days. So every Friday Jakob and Amelia get to choose one treat, any treat, of their choosing to share after dinner; and every Monday after Amelia goes down for her night Jakob and dad play a few rounds of a video game. It's only been three weeks, but so far the kids have adapted surprisingly quickly and impressively well to the new routine. It has benefited us in more ways then we thought so for now we are sticking with it. 

And a few from the holiday baking that went on in December (I couldn't resist. Our holiday baking was abundant this year!) 

Amelia really took to cookie baking this year. In fact, anytime I do anything in the kitchen she is right there behind me dragging along her stepping stool...

Pistachio cranberry crisps, cherry dreams, mint chocolate crinkles, mint chocolate chip and good old kid decorated sugar cookies!)

 I hope you have all had a great start to the New Year - may it be a happy and healthy one for you all!