back home now

Hello,We had a good holiday down in Abbotsford. We were there from the 23rd to the 27th.We stayed with Andy's folks and his entire family was sleeping in the house (James in the garage in the bowler trailer) on Christmas Eve. Since there was so much snow many Christmas Eve services were cancelled including the one we planned to go to.

On the 23rd we had just started out on the road, travelled about 5 min. when we caught the edge of the road and spun around and ended up stuck in the snowbank facing the opposite direction from the way were were headed and on the other side of the road too. We were completely stuck and rejoiced when a logging truck came by in about 5 min. and pulled us out. He had a full load too. That was so amazing.

We had a lot of good time with Andy's family and it was really special Josh, Heidi and Tristan were there from California. They had been turned around because of weather the first flight they tried getting here (to Bellingham).

Boxing Day was spent at my Moms and that was nice too...a small intimate gathering with Steve and Courtney, my Moms parents, my parents and Andy, Sarah and I.Carolyn was having her little baby...or working on it, during out gathering.

Since being home we've enjoyed some down-time and also the warmer temperatures. Yes, Naomi, Andy put some plastic on our bathroom window upstairs and it works great.

Today we went to town and Andy did errands for work. Sarah and I picked up mail and went out for coffee. We hardly ever do that. She worked on an activity book she got from Christmas and I was working on some journelling ideas from this book I'm reading and really excited about right now. It is "Shyness Breakthrough: A No-Stress Plan to Help Your Shy Child Warm Up, Open Up, and Join the Fun" by Bernardo Carducci. In the book she talks about how kids often do not grow out of being shy and they need someone who loves and cares about them to guide them through breaking out of being shy so often. She talks about how it is good to not label your child as shy as they may start acting out their label. Also she simply explains that children who expericence shy feelings quite often simply have a longer warming up period then their peers and how you can work with them to shrink that warming up time over time. So, the journelling activities from the book help me to think about what to talk to Sarah about and to solidify what I've read and think how that relates to our situation.

Sarah has been eating a ton since we got back...must be a growth spurt. It almost makes me tired...how much food she needs...preparing it all, but it's ok. Yesterday she sat at the breakfast table eating or waiting for me to make food for her for a full hour... and last night she only got to bed at 9pm cause it took a long time for her tummy to fill up during her snack and I thought she wouldn't need one because we'd had a late dinner during which she ate lots of chicken etc.

Mom A., Sarah has been enjoying the Raffi CD very much and is dancing to it this morning and has me pause it if she needs to get a scarf to wave around or different clothes on. The CD is a compilation of many songs we've heard before (but don't own) and some new ones. Bannaphone is excellent...talks about a bananaular phone :)