Farewell, January.
I wish I could say it was all that and more...but...ummm...
We spent more than half of it sick and/or recovering.
So yeah...best laid plans and all that.
Despite that, we did manage to check off a good portion of our January Bucket List and I'm totally ok with rolling some of these unchecked boxes over into February, without a backward glance.
And, to be fair, our tangle with the 'Tripledemic' might actually have created time/opportunity for us to check off few boxes we might not have, such as:
~dessert for breakfast
~sleeping in and eating breakfast while watching cartoons
~and having breakfast for dinner...which happened frequently at the height of my illness!
We had just a few sprinkles of snowfall, here and there. Not enough to settle in and hunker down, but one day afforded us just enough snow to get Henri on his little blue sled and race him and down the hill...before the rain melted it all away. I'm hopeful that February will bring us a good dollop of the white stuff and we'll be able to really enjoy some outdoor play.
A few trips both at the start and at the end, meant we got in our fill of both thrifted treasures and mouthwatering eats! I've been quite lucky, lately, at the local thrift stores...miraculously finding just the right thing or a pretty good replacement...particularly when it comes to therapeutic aids (pt/ot) for my youngest.
We went to the Morris Museum, which was both a win and a loss: the current rotating exhibitions were definitely not our scene and the permanent exhibitions seem to have lost their luster. But, the train display did not disappoint! Henri's deep in his train phase (a standard of boyhood, I should think) and couldn't get enough! Afterwards we tried out a new-to-us Morristown restaurant, Town and were blown away by our appetizer feast! Gorgeous platings of fresh, decadent flavors. Pricey (by our budget), but well worth it for a delicious food adventure!
New signs! Communication, in any form, is a win!
The kitchen was my playground this month, as I tried a few new dishes and made up others to use our pantry leftovers. I did treat myself to a new cookbook...Danielle Walker's 'Healthy in a Hurry', to add to my collection of her work. Great gluten-free and dairy-free options for this family!
If the kitchen was my playground, it was Johannes' prison-yard. Still working on getting him to be more confident with tools and with heat!
Now granted, we're regular thrifters...but we did take time out to visit some new ones and brought along our lunches for the road. Something for everyone: new toys, new books, and a treasure-box jammed full of pieces of my vintage glass collection! The best part? We more than made back what we spent, on eBay.
We had the perfect day, hiking along the South Mountain Fairy Trail and on to the waterfall...a first hike for Henri, who enjoyed almost every moment! The fairy homes are beginning to really decline, but somehow that makes them more magical....I think...as they disappear into their surroundings.
Johannes and I stopped off at Echo Lake Park, for another meander down to the falls, and a frantic gathering of pinecones just as the first raindrops began to fall.
We had quite the mess-making adventure the following day, slathering our pinecones in almond butter and birdseed. Neither boy can tolerate sticky hands, so you can well imagine not only the mess, but the angst as we rolled sticky cones in seed! The birds and squirrels have made their thanks known!
Henri's scissor skills still leave much to be desired, but he's making good progress. I still can't get a handle of which handedness he prefers.
Johannes and I had THE BEST NIGHT...just the two of us, at Outback. The food? Eh...as expected. The conversation? Next Level Awesome! What a delight it is, to be able to drop our designated titles/roles...and just sit down to a meal together as genuine best friends.
The freezer is well stocked (minus cookies!) with all manner of goodness for those days when we're running. I love batch cooking, and filling up the larder. This month, I made two different chilis, pulled pork, and 3 different soups. We're definitely stocked for the month ahead!
Henri and I have been enjoying evening storytime at our local library this month. We'd begun going early in the fall (after attending virtual programs for the past few years) but gave up and gave in to feelings of defeat, when he couldn't sit still for the program. He's definitely a mover...and a shaker! I resolved to go back and just let him experience it in his own way. Thankfully, the librarian who leads the program is very understanding of littles who need to move. Phew!
~~~
Okay, I'm out of time.
I have to say (or write) that this recap format does NOT work for me, but it was the best I could do in the little time I had available.
We've had a really hard time getting back to any semblance of a predictable schedule, which means I don't have time to write. :(
