I know, I know...

...where have I been, right? Before my last two posts, my kick off to blogging in 2011 was...well...weak would be a major understatement. I did figure out how to get a really cheap calendar, though: steam through January as an unorganized mess and then order a new calendar for a fraction of the price on February 1st. Yes, I know that I have a calendar program on my computer, but it's just not the same as having one hanging obnoxiously next to my head screaming my appointments and obligations into my ear.

So, anyway, the recap...

Since my post on Christmas, we:

• spent a week in MI visiting family and enjoying the holidays.

• came home and organized the house to donate the old, unused toys and make homes for the new toys that were gifted by Santa, Mommy and Daddy, and a whole slew of family in MI.

• took down the Christmas decorations. I'm totally feeling the absence of our Elf on the Shelf, Astro Lester. Can't wait for him to return in November!

• experienced fairy tale week at dance class.

• went away to a cabin in the Natural Bridge area for one night. This was my Christmas present to Kris and it was our first time getting away from everything by ourselves, without kids, with no agenda or major life event taking place. If only off-season rates applied year-round (and the babysitter for 24 hours didn't cost more than the accommodations!)...we'd totally be there once a month for the quiet and absence of work.

• celebrated Kris' 37th birthday!

• watched Sam start his first ever basketball season. The kid can shoot! Well, he can shoot in practice and make basket after basket...we're still trying to get him to take a shot in a game! Total team player, though...loves to pass that ball around! :)

• noticed that our little girl has moved on from jealous, needing-mama's-attention-at-all-times girl to helpful, I-love-to-help-mama-babysit-the-neighbor-baby girl. Yay! :)

• had a couple of nice, impressive snows for Kentucky.

• learned all about Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. as interpreted by Sam after talking extensively about him at school. I'm continuously fascinated by the way my boy's mind thinks beyond what he is taught which leads to impressive questions from such a little man.

• went on a hunt for Jessie and Bullseye Toy Story medium-size figure for Owen for his birthday. In case anyone is wondering, that is a near-impossible feat just three weeks after Christmas. We did manage to score a Jessie, but Bullseye had to be replaced with a little green martian, complete with a CLAW! :)

• attended family night mass and activities to kick off Catholic Schools Week.

• had two kids on antibiotics...twice...for strep throat.

• celebrated Sam's 6th birthday (kind of obvious from my last post).

• hosted a small Super Bowl party.

I'm also working on a fun wedding invitation suite right now, which makes me a little homesick since the couple wanted their invitation to resemble a map of Michigan.

So, I think that gets everyone caught up to today. I plan on elaborating on some of those bullets in separate posts, so, fear not. You will not miss out on the photos! :) I also plan on doing a few "toy reviews" so I can show some photos from Christmas and try and mask the fact that it took me over a month to update the blog with them. (And because I need the separate posts to boost my post numbers. My total number of posts for the year right now is down-right embarrassing...and, let's be honest...that "we are alive" post in January shouldn't even count.) That will still work, even though I told you what I'm up to, right?