January

January has been a blur. It has been a bit of a blur kind of like this foot portrait Molly took of herself with my phone.  I can't believe January is already halfway over!  Ahhhhhh...

So, the main reason that January has been a blur is because this other kid, Jack, has decided to stop sleeping.  It's exhausting.  He has always been the superstar of going to bed until just before Christmas when he started waking up in the night.  He'd usually wake up once, drink a bottle, then go back to sleep.  This went on for a while until he was waking up more than once and refusing to go back to sleep at all.  This was then compounded by the fact that he figured out how to climb out of his crib (and fall out of his crib).  James took the front rail off and replaced it with the toddler bed rail.  This created two new problems: 1) he refused to go anywhere near his crib and 2) there was no way to confine him to let him "cry it out." There were a few nights in row when we got him to lay down on the floor and go to sleep, but otherwise it has just been a war of attrition to outlast mom or dad on the couch.  

With two working parents, it is important for little children to go to sleep.  Once that event happens, the parents then have a couple of hours to do everything else they are supposed to do, much of which is work related.  Due to the nature of our recent nighttime routines, the parents fall asleep in random places, wake up at crazy hours, and don't get their work done.  Sigh.  

Finally last night we tried a few things different.  I made him run around outside before his bath.  I didn't give him a bottle of milk, but made him drink juice instead, we put his playpen in his room, we drugged him, and we let him "cry it out."  It took him about a half hour (which is more crying than I'd like, but we had to do it) and he finally fell asleep.  Then . . .  he slept all night!!!!  Woo Hoo!!!

 

On Thursday of last week my mom was able to come get the kiddos from school while I stayed late into the evening to try and catch up.  It was a productive night, but I hate doing that.  James was working late, too, and then just went home to finish up there.  I was late enough the the kids fell asleep on the way home and we avoided the go-to-bed-wrestle with Jack (though he still woke up a few hours later).

The next night was Friday and the Binggeli's came down to tend the kids while we went to James' work party (always held in January).  It was Olympic themed and involved some spirited ribbon twirling choreography by some of his coworkers.  The Binggelis stayed overnight and the kids had a lot of fun.

We've spent some time at the Hunstman Center.  The kids have been pretty good this season, though Jack and I end up walking the concourse during the second half.  This photo was taken at the Oregon game when the Utes lost in a dumb turnover with seconds left.  It was a gut-wrencher.

Willie took out his own endowment at the Jordan River Temple a couple of weeks ago.  We went for pizza afterwards.  Miss Bethany (or Beffany, according to Molly) tended the kids and they had a fun night.  

One night we had milkshakes at my mom's house and all the kids wanted to help.

That is the report.  Tomorrow is the end of the term and my mountain of papers will be moved if only one shovel of dirt (or one paper) at a time.  Next week starts the second semester, teaching on my prep, and teaching a class I've never taught - Math 1030.  Let's just hope Jack can sleep!