Whew!

I meant to write about Christmas. I really did. I meant to write about our awesome trip to Colorado after Christmas. I think I even have a draft saved where I started, and it just didn't get finished. But I will! Maybe even right here, after all.

Clever girl

What happened? Well, I started a new job, which is amazing, but involved some big changes for us. I have to wear pants to work, and the kids are now going to Mothers Day Out three days a week, and staying with their grandmas one day a week (this morning when I dropped them off, Eleanor jumped into my mom's arms and waved insistently, "Bye mom! BYE MOM!" Okay, okay, I can take a hint...), and they're just thriving. It took Steven a few days to adjust to being dropped off at MDO, but it didn't take long before they'd both run in to their favorite toys and not look back. Most days, when I get there to pick them up, they're running around holding hands. They're learning SO much, and they're so bright - their teachers say Eleanor picks up everything they say and parrots it back, while Steven listens silently all day long, until it's time for naps, and then he sits with his head against the side of the crib and talks. And talks. And sings. And talks. Everything they've taught them, all day, all week, comes pouring out while all the other kids are (or are supposed to be) asleep.

Helping me organize my garage sale pile

So, Christmas. Was pretty amazing this year. We had a pretty low-key day with family, and the kids had a great time baking with grandma:

And checking out Christmas cards:

And generally spending time with our family. The next day, we embarked on our epic adventure: the kids' first vacation! We packed a huge van with two car seats, two toddlers, 7 adults, and about a ton of luggage, and drove to the YMCA of the Rockies. It snowed the first night we were there, and we woke up to this wonderland:

We all had a great time playing in the pristine snow.

We stayed in a cozy cabin, and the kids (for some reason) really loved playing in the hallway where the bedrooms were. I think because it went right off the living room/kitchen, so we could always see them, but they could feel like it was their own little space. They'd race cars down it, and have little dance parties where they flipped the lights on and off (their favorite feature of the cabin: low light switches), and generally work themselves into hysterical laughter every 3 minutes or so. My mom made all 3 kids snuggly fleece sleep sacks, and they love them - they call them their "cozies" and still beg for them every night now that we're home. 

We were only there a few days, but of course we had some opportunities to walk around downtown Estes and eat great food. 

And of course there was just a tiny bit of goofiness (...um, all the time. The whole trip. Pretty much every minute.):

We didn't want to leave, but we were happy to get home. Although heaven help us if Steven notices we have a fireplace at home too - we might have to start using it.

Bonus frog song that I get to hear all the way to work and all the way home now (sorry, my voice is really loud):