Slacker, slacker. January.

I know, no one probably noticed. :) Blogs aren't as big of a thing anymore. But I still really like reading them and I miss people blogging instead of doing everything on Facebook! (guilty.) I like to read what people are up to and hear what they think about it all. So I'll try to keep blogging, but I may not get everything written down. And that's okay. Some record is a lot better than no record!
First, some documentation of the week the flu overtook the Kerrigan household. I wisely didn't allow any pictures of myself, and also wisely agreed not to post any of my darling husband.

We rang in the New Year in style. Only recently recovered from the plague, we opted for a quiet evening at home. Sparkling cider and scrabble. It doesn't get any more exciting than that.

January is a bit of a blur. One of our good friends watched our kids one evening (Jeremy was working) so I could go to my "little" brother's surprise birthday party. After being shut-in for most of the last two weeks, it was so nice to get out! It was actually really funny because they had given us a big room and it didn't look that full when Phil and Sophie were showing up (he was blindfolded) so her brother asked a full table of people visiting from Kansas to come in and yell surprise with us. And they were all in front, so when he came in it was to a room of virtual strangers wishing him Happy Birthday! Pretty entertaining.

Katy enjoying some of the ice cream cake I brought back from the dinner.

All through the month the weather oscillated (it's always fun to use that word) between super cold and really nice days. We checked out our local library for the first time (Main Street is an interesting library experience compared to what we're used to in VA and back in IA...) and used on of their "Culture Passes" one cold January morning. With the Culture Pass you can get two people in free to lots of the attractions in the area (even the Phoenix Zoo, but you have to be in line pretty much 1st one morning when they're handing them out!) The day I happened to be there at the right time the zoo pass was already gone, but I got one to the Arizona Museum of Natural History, which is pretty close to us. Jeremy and I went to it once back in 2007 when we ended up staying in Scottsdale (instead of at Disneyland) for our 2-year-anniversary. I was unexpectedly pregnant and rather sick, and we decided to stay closer to home and find interesting things to do. This museum was one of them.
Jeremy had the morning off and kept Katy (who would have semi-enjoyed it, but mostly I would have been chasing her) and I just took the older kids. That was fun! They don't often get my attention without Katy in the mix. They enjoyed the museum, especially the craft/activity room. A fun visit for $6. At $22 (without the culture pass) I would have been underwhelmed. It took us a little less than 2 hours, which was perfect for getting Reilly to school by 12.

Just a week later it was really nice outside one afternoon and I walked with the kids over to the little fenced yard with a swingset. We somehow ended up doing an impromptu photo shoot and I got some real gems. :)

And I'll change my background soon, too. If I'm not slacking again.