New Year . . . New Day

It's the New Year! Happy New Year everyone. It's been a whirlwind of a day. This morning Kurt and Denise left (again) to get home. It was very emotional, especially watching Zachary in his footie pajamas and flight jacket running outside to Uncle Kurt, who was packing the car. Denise and I exchanged tears, and they were off. Just like that. Zachary was whiny and cranky a little while after they left, I know he was sad to see them leave.

Ryan had to leave this afternoon to go to Birmingham, so I made the traditional New Year's Day lunch for us. Joanne came over bearing Christmas photos to have lunch with us. I made black eyed peas (for luck), steamed collard greens (for money), sweet potatoes (for health), ham and cornbread. I don't know what the ham and cornbread do, but they compliment the meal nicely. It was all so good, even Zachary enjoyed some collard greens. He didn't care for the cornbread too much, he kept asking for garlic bread! Who's kid is that??

All day long we've had college football on television. I LOVE bowl week - but it sure seems longer than a week. Auburn won today (woo-hoo), Wisconsin won also (my mother in law's team), and now OU and Boise State are playing. There is nothing quite like college football. I love all the stories and the drama.

Ryan left this afternoon, and both Zachary and I were sad to see him go. Fortunately I called Michele and she cheered me up (as usual). Zachary got very involved in his toys, so I turned on the Cabaret music and began working on choreography for "Money." I got so much done this afternoon, and finished it tonight after Zachary went to bed. I am so pumped now to have this behind me. Now only FIVE more numbers to choreograph. But getting started is the hardest part. This week I'll map out two more songs and begin putting steps to them. I suppose I should be more careful what music I'm playing because tonight during dinner Zachary was singing "Money makes the world go around, the world go around, the world go around . . " complete with the German accent like the musical. That cannot be good.

Zachary is going through some changes with the new year. I'm going to start toilet learning. Yes, it's way passe to say potty training - now they learn to use the toilet, they are not trained like dogs. Besides the semantics, not much else is different. At least I don't think it is. I don't really know what I'm doing, but fortunately Michele has just been through this, so I'll just do everything she did with her triplets. That way if I screw up Zachary can just blame Michele! Tomorrow we're going to the bookstore to pick up a couple of books about using the potty. I bet we leave there with another train engine. It won't be Zachary's begging, it'll be my weakness. I love playing with the trains as much as he does!

Which leads me to my New Year's Resolutions. Ok, I'm not so organized that I have enough to list. But getting organized is at the top of the list. I mean it. I'm really going to do it this time. I really need my friend Sandra to come visit again and help me. She's got the cleanest counter tops known to man, she's got to be very organized. Plus she's wicked good at laundry. Sandra, please mentor me! I am going to get with it this year. I'm cleaning out closets, organizing files, paying my bills on time (a real weakness on my part), and I'm even going to work on photo albums. Yes, I'm finally going to print and organize my family's life in pictures. Ooh, the prospects of being SO organized makes me so giddy! Of course I've got to get through Cabaret first, but my energy level is high (especially now that all the Christmas cookies/brownies/chocolates/cakes are gone and I'm back to eating right). This is going to be a great year.