January ReCap

The last day of January is here so I figure I better catch up with things on the blogging world. I have started up "Project 365" for this year again so I will share some of my favorites from this month to give a glimpse on what we have been up to. Prepare yourself for photo overload!

Working on Staying Warm at the start of the month

My New Scrapbooking Buddy

Increasing my workout routine
Last week was my best week yet with 2 swims, 3 runs and one outdoor ride. Still need to up it a bit more but it is a good start for January.

Doing the mundane day to day stuff
Matching socks

Learning dishwashing skills from the master

Piano Fun

We have all been enjoying our "new piano" (brought it back from Montana at Christmas, it was my childhood piano). Madison is enjoying playing the few songs she knows and is looking forward to starting lessons. She enjoys holding "concerts" for us complete with admission tickets. Tom is transferring his musical knowledge to the ivory. I am dusting off my skills and find it very relaxing to sit down and play a few songs. And Nora enjoys singing along and playing chopsticks!

Basketball

Madison has started her first season of basketball and is making good progress but there is ALOT to learn! I think Tom and I are having many flashbacks to our playing days. I know the first game she had when I walked into the school gym, the smells and sounds brought back a rush of memories.

Fort Building

I am becoming a master fort builder as Nora requests one almost everyday after school. I build them in whichever room I am working in and then she sets it up with lunch, comfort items, books, toys and coloring items. She can often spend the rest of the afternoon in them. The key to good fort building? Tom's woodworking clamps from his workbench. Daisy Club

Madison has started a little craft club with a group of friends. We had our first meeting this week and each girl made their own sewing kit complete with pincushion and needle book.

Mad Science

Madison has been studying chemistry at school and this has spurred lots of expirements in the bathroom

Ooh - La - La Nail Spa Cupcake Decorating

I LOVE this cake decorating tool that Madison got for Christmas so much that I bought a second one. It makes treat decorating very easy for the girls with very nice results.

New Reader

Nora is really transforming into a reader and it is so fun to watch. It is a much different process than it was for Madison and it is great to see and hear her progress.

I am obviously in a bit of a blogging funk lately. Not sure where this blog is heading or what my future plans are with it. I have been at this for almost 3 years now and am not feeling too inspired. I have lots of posts started in my head and even a few started on the computer but just don't feel energized to get them completed. It may be a bit of January blues so we will see what happens in the next month. Not sure if anyone but my mom is missing my posts, so I dedicate this one to her:-)

Bookless in Seattle

Help a lady out! The last six months I have caught the reading bug and have probably read more over that time frame than in the last 3 years combined. It started with The Hunger Games trilogy and moved into The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo trilogy. The last 2 that I have enjoyed are these: Have thrown in a few mysteries and other random finds but need help coming up with a new one. I like most anything, probably prefer just a good dramatic type novel I guess. So please share, what good books have you read recently?