All three children are napping, my house is clean, and I'm on track for the twins' birthday party on Saturday. Everyone is healthy and I'm doing well on many of my resolutions. Meal planning is done for February and I've done the grocery shopping for all but some of the meat. (We get "happy meat" from Fresh & Natural Foods in Shoreview so it's a special trip each month.) I've been finding time to get some pre-school type things done with the oldest to see if homeschooling full time in the fall is feasible. I'm feeling really good physically and more than a little capable mentally. Overall, it freaks me out since I haven't felt this "together" since I was just dealing with one child full time. Don't get me wrong - I'm grateful for the turn around. I'm just suspicious and on alert for potential monkey wrenches in the gears of my well oiled family machine.

I'm having some difficulty with the twins turning two tomorrow because I can't even pretend to myself anymore that they qualify as babies at all. I can't say that I miss having twin infants but they were SO cute that it's hard not to mourn that stage of our lives just a little bit. After all, they are the last of the babies that we'll have.


(I hardly remember them being this small...)

We're celebrating by ourselves tomorrow with Daddy taking the day off work and we're going someplace special. We aren't sure exactly where that is yet, but Chuck E. Cheese or the Como Zoo Conservatory are two of the front runners. The kids are pulling for grease and games so it might be both as I'd really like to look at some flowers to remind myself that it can't be winter here forever.

Saturday brings family & friends over for a party at our house. I'm making tater tot hotdish and we'll have a Pooh Bear & friends themed cake from Target. I'm thrilled to be able to actually eat a piece of birthday cake since I was feeling completely miserable at the oldest child's birthday party in September. I suppose we could have frozen a piece or something but I was sick for over twelve weeks and I've never attempted to freeze cake that long. (Heck, I'm lucky if I make a cake and it lasts for more than a day or two over here.)

Speaking of baking, I really do recommend monthly meal planning to all of you. It's daunting and stupid irritating while you're working on it but the pay off is unlike any other. I bitched and moaned my way through planning February and skip into the kitchen every night now because preparation is a breeze. I know what I'm making and know that everything I need to make it is just sitting there waiting for me. It's almost magical, the ease with which supper comes together now. It went over well with the husband because we tried all kinds of new recipes last month and several new things already this week. I fed my father-in-law for two nights (cheesy meatloaf and cheddar corn chowder respectively) while my mother-in-law was out of town and he seemed to appreciate my culinary attempts at variety as well. If you've never tried it, give it a shot. Seriously. It saves time AND money both of which are extremely valuable commodities once you have children.

I'd like to spend some time on an entry specifically reviewing my resolution progress but I'm working on getting through a book that I need to mail for Paperback Swap by the 8th so this is it for now.