Hello all!  Things are better in the Kassel Household.  We are all feeling better (knock on wood).  Yay!  John went to the doctor last week for his 18-month well-child exam.  He had to get one vaccination, but now he’s done until he’s 5!  Yay again!  I’m still amazed at how big he’s gotten especially when thinking back to Laura and realizing that he is as big now as she was at 2.  John is 32 inches tall and weighs 27 pounds, 3 ounces.  He’s a big, strong boy and he’s doing great.  Laura is going through a growth spurt at the moment.  Her 3T clothes now fit perfectly.  She’s right about 3 feet tall.  I think she decided to grow more just so John wouldn’t catch up to her.

January has passed pretty quickly for us.  Between taking down Christmas decorations, cleaning, mounds of laundry, more cleaning, daily life, even more cleaning, and Uncle Jeremy and Miss Chaley dropping in for a few days, we’ve been moving at lightning speed all month.  I also decided it was time to stop making excuses and do some exercising because I’m tired of my pants being tight.  The only person who can fix this issue is me so exercise and controlled eating it is.  I had to realize that the only time I can work out is in the mornings, so it’s up at 5 am every day for me.  I try to get in 30-45 minutes of good exercise and then get ready for work.  I’ve got an exercise ball and a resistance band.  I’ve also been trying to get in walks when the weather cooperates.  We will be buying a Wii soon (Tax Refund FTW!) and are going to get the Wii Fit as well, so I’ll have lots of options.  It will be a slow process to lose inches/weight because I don’t have a solid hour every day, so I’ll just have to maximize the time I do have.

This weekend will be busy and crazy.  We have to take John to get his hair cut again.  For anyone who remembers our story from the first one, this will be traumatic.  He screamed bloody murder through the whole thing.  Cross your fingers that haircut #2 goes better!  Laura also needs a haircut though she’s quite good about them.  Andy has a meeting on Saturday morning and then on Saturday night, we have a date night!  Both of us are looking forward to a few hours out of the house sans kids.

It’s been a rough start to 2010 so far.  It seems as though one of us has been sick since the new year started.  The kids seem to be doing better now minus some residual coughing and Andy and I are hanging in there.  I’m hoping this round of illness is almost over.  Cross your fingers for us!  I would really just like to have a week where I can actually go to work all week.  I will say that, fortunately, the tubes in John’s ears are working.  No ear infections makes for a happy Mommy, Daddy, and most of all, Johnny.

It’s been a great couple of weeks in the Kassel home.  Grandma Marilyn and Grandpa Ken arrived about 9:30 am on Christmas Eve.  Laura was very excited to see them!  We spent the day just relaxing and hanging out.  Grandma Marilyn and Laura made cookies for Santa.  Laura essentially refused to take a nap.  While she stayed in her room for about 1 ½ hours, she just couldn’t nap.  I think she was simply too excited.  For dinner on Christmas Eve, Marilyn brought her yummy Lasagna.  After that Marilyn headed off to church and we put the kids to bed.  Andy and I then went to church at 9 pm for one of the Christmas Eve services.  It’s always a nice service and I’ve missed going the last few years.  Andy took me back home and then he returned to church for the 11 pm service.  Santa visited not too long after Andy dropped me off at the house!  The cookies were quite tasty and the Christmas Tree and Stockings were full of presents.  I went to bed around 11:30 and was just falling asleep at midnight when Laura wandered up the stairs.  I’m pretty sure she was not fully awake because she never even noticed that Santa had visited.  I pulled her up into our bed and off to sleep she drifted.  Andy returned her to her bed when he got home from church.

This is a list of some of the more interesting fortunes I have received in fortune cookies in Chinese restaurants.  When you read them, be sure to add the phrase "in bed" to the end!

• Your lucky number for this week is the number five.  (5 was NOT listed on the back)
• Now is the time for you to explore.  Take a vacation.  (clearly should have been in an "advice cookie")
• Your respect for others will be your ticket to success.
• Your judgement is a little off at this time.  Rely on friends.
• You discover treasures where others see nothing unusual.
• A four-wheeled adventure will soon bring you happiness.
• You will attend an unusual party and meet someone important.
• You have an active mind and a keen imagination.
• Need some adventure and enjoyment?  Take a vacation.  (another advice cookie)
• Tomorrow your creative side will shine forth with exceptional ideas.
• An enjoyable vacation is awaiting you near the mountains.  (I see a pattern)
• You will soon bring joy to someone.
•  A nice cake is waiting for you.    (yes, the smiles were included, but I was hoping for *pie*)
• Don't underestimate yourself.  Your social skills are needed by others at this time.
• You will be the guest of a gracious host within the month.
• Soon, you will receive pleasant news.
• You will soon receive help from an unexpected source.
• Treat yourself to something of quality.  You deserve it.
• You should be able to undertake and complete anything you desire.
• Investigate new possibilities with friends.  Now is the time!
• Now is a good time to finish up old tasks.
• Do something unusual tomorrow.
• You will have good luck in your personal affairs.
• You shouldn't overspend at the moment.  Frugality is important.
• There are lessons to be learned by listening to others.
• You will have gold pieces by the bushel.  (I suppose this would be great in WoW or D&D)
• You will obtain your goal if you maintain your course.
• Your hard work is about to pay off.
• Your path may be difficult, but will be rewarding.
• Things are not always what they seem.  It's not that bad!
• Investigate new possibilities with friends.  Now is the time!