Ahh... it's been a long time since I posted. I've had a lot of ideas rolling around in my head the past couple of weeks, but I haven't been able to make the time to post them.
Not that anything earth shattering was going on... Christmas came and went, and it was good for all. The kids got just a few things from us and a shitload from everyone else. At least it was less stressful than last year, in part to the fact that I lied a little lie to my in-laws about my Christmas plans. I let them think that I was driving up to my parent's house on Christmas day (I wasn't. They came on Christmas eve instead), which left me most of Christmas day to just hang out with the kids at home. We watched 'The Polar Express' and drank hot chocolate.
I have been trying to get my eating habits back on track after the holidays... I am struggling more and more with the effects of the monthly hormone roller coaster, and the havoc it wreaks on my appetite (among other things). I gained about two pounds over the course of the holidays, so I didn't feel too intimidated about getting rid of that, but I feel that I am teetering precariously on the edge of a major backslide. Each month for about two weeks, my appetite goes through the roof. It's like being pregnant, but not. I'm trying to increase my calcium intake to see if that helps, otherwise I guess I'll just have to go to the doctor.

Coralie turned 5 on the 26th of December. Turning 5 has magically turned her into a 'big kid'. Now she wants to take showers, only use 'grown up' silverware, and go to 'big kid school'. I've had to explain numerous times that she has to finish preschool before she gets to go to big kid school. Of course, she has been getting sent to her room a lot for trying to act like a grown up LOL.

I hired a housekeeper. Probably seems weird, that I'd hire someone to clean my house when I'm a stay at home mom. I spend a lot of time during the week doing chores- laundry, dishes, laundry, picking up after the kids, laundry, making the bed, etc. but somehow the basic things like mopping and cleaning the bathroom never really get done. (Well, except when the bathroom gets really gross) So I hired someone to come in and do those things. It doesn't get me off the hook, since I have to make sure that the house is tidy before she gets here so she can actually clean. It has been *awfully nice* to have the floors, counters, and bathrooms done on a regular basis. I always feel so relaxed after she leaves and I can just look around and see *clean*. Normal clean, not OCD-scrubbing-the-baseboards-with-a-toothbrush clean.

I have been forcing myself to go to bed at a decent hour. Now that I have a DVR, I don't have to stay up to watch TV (yes, I said *have to* LOL). It has been easy to get sidetracked into doing 'just one more load of laundry', but I feel so much better when I go to bed early. Besides, it isn't like the laundry won't be there in the morning... not that it would be all bad if it wasn't...