February First

If I write a post this evening, I figure I can squeak in two posts within a month's time!  Either that, or I can consider February's post completed and I'm good until the end of March. 
Things here are plugging along, without too much new to report.  I thought I could rely on some pictures to boost up the post, but it turns out I only took 16 pictures in January, which must be some kind of all-time low for me.  I'll post a bunch, but they won't exactly be the "cream of the crop". 
The kids have been doing well, keeping busy in between fighting with each other and having hilarious amounts of fun.  We've been happy to avoid any major sickness so far, besides the way-too-long cold that I finally got over after the middle of January or so.  Aaron had quite a grumpy morning this week.  The reason for his grumpiness?  God hasn't given him a wife yet.  Slow down, my dear, you are THREE!  I think he's a little jealous of his older brother, who has had his wife all picked out for a little while now.  They've had a few Sunday afternoon visits at our place, and he even gets to go to her birthday party in two weeks!  Funny kids.
I've been forgetting things left right and center.  I don't know if it's because I'm tired, losing brain cells, or just getting old.  Of course, I can't remember all the things I have forgotten recently, but two things stick out in my head (only because I wrote them down, so I guess they don't really stick out in my head after all).  The other day Mike was wondering why I needed so much cream in the fridge.  Apparently, I had found it necessary to purchase THREE litres of coffee cream over a few shopping trips.  Good thing the stuff has a pretty long expiration date!  Won't have to buy it for a while.  And poor Nate has been the recipient of my other new forgetful tendency.  In the last month or so, I have put him to bed and forgotten to turn out his overhead light... four times.  The first time he was up talking for quite a long time, and I could hear him from the living room and was wondering why he wouldn't settle down.  He wasn't upset or anything, just very chatty and singing songs like "Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep" and "Holy, Holy, Holy" to himself. Finally at 10:00 I went in there to find the lights on, and him cheerfully sitting up looking at a book.  "Hi Mommy!"  You think I'd learn after one time, but I've done it three times since then.  It seems that a young child can quickly get used to falling asleep at night with the lights on.
I'm not feeling very literary this evening, so I think I'll wrap it up here.  On to some mediocre pictures! 

He sure likes doing puzzles, but he's not too good at them.  Or we could  just say that he likes to be creative with them perhaps?  

All three boys love playing Lego.  It usually stays downstairs at the Lego table but occasionally pieces migrate upstairs to threaten our feet in the middle of the night and take their chances with the vacuum cleaner. 

 Temporary preaching station.  Whenever these boys get a hold of our little psalter hymnals, they love to play church and sing at the top of their lungs - an interesting mix between heart-warming and ear-piercing.

 Cuties!

First robin of the spring?  I think we can claim that all year round.  The robins have stuck around every winter we've lived in this neighbourhood.  Sure is strange to see this guy picking at the crab apples in our front yard on a -14°C day! 

Mike brought Peter to school on Wednesday morning, and had to leave for opening staff devotions.  He left Peter with permission to write or draw whatever he wanted on the whiteboard.  Peter was pleased as punch to meet Dad in the hall on his way back, letting him know there was a surprise waiting for him!  

"Dad I love you, he is my Dad".  Sweet kid!  

He wrote a somewhat-less-spontaneous note for me the next day (hey, I needed something new for my fridge :)  )  when I was helping him turn a cardboard box into a snowplow.  

"I love Mom, You're my Mom, Best Mom in the world"

It's exciting to see him learning how to read and write!