post holidays

I didn't make a resolution to blog more this year.  Did you notice?  I have an additional excuse for not blogging besides the fact that the girls are conspiring to eliminate my alone time.  Jill and I were using our down time to read Hunger Games, the trilogy.  The series was unlike anything I had read before:  a mix of brutal violence and teenage romance.  [To be clear, I don't read books in either genre, especially the latter.]  The main character has a fascinating blend of bravado and massive self-doubt. I'll leave it to Jill to write the full review.  In short, the story telling was excellent, but the gore made me ill.

We spent the holidays at Jill's parents' place near Nashville.  Except for Jill getting the cold the rest of us had previously, the week was a relaxing time of playing with the kids, visiting some sights (mansion of the Maxwell house coffee people and a children's museum), and resting.  And eating.  

 Ricky and Enoch are quite good sports with their bossy, nosy cousin.

 I grew my first mustache for Christmas.  I felt very proud, but Jill did not love it.  So it's gone.

Quick updates for the kids:  Janny can walk behind her push toys and has a tooth.  She wakes up once per night to yell, drink milk, and go right back to sleep.

Clara likes to say '2 minutes' whenever bedtime, naptime, or dinner time is announced.  She's eating slightly better now (albeit oddly.  She at hot dogs for breakfast twice during our trip.), but she's still crazy skinny.