Happy New Year!

The snow has been such good fun for the boys. They have spent the last few days sledding, making snow men, hanging out with friends, making snow forts and more sledding. Daniel has eaten his weight in snow. We spent one evening at the zoo lights and I must have said "Daniel stop eating snow" 1,000 times.

Jack & his school friends. How cute is this picture. 

Yesterday Char & Jan arrived for a few days. Craig cooked a lovely pork roast dinner and we had a sit-down meal. Jack joined us but Danny just ran around showing us his muscles and his dance moves.  We also had dinner with Yorkshire Puddings! And I made them. Look at these beauties! My friend from Yorkshire sent me a hilarious and very good recipe  - if anyone wants to get a copy let me know.

I am the Yorkshire Pudding Queen 

We'll be meeting up with C&J tonight at our friend  Eric's New Years Eve party. We are only going for an hour or so and then ringing in the New Year at home with our lads. Perfect.

An effective way of getting Danny to look at the camera!

So tomorrow brings 2013. There will be lots for us to do: A trip to Disney World. Visits from my mum & Tom and my dad & Sheila. Lots of teaching and new things to develop and learn at work. A boy turning 4 and a boy turning 7.  And my resolutions? Well here is last years list and the outcomes:

* To lose weight again. I am fully aware that this will require a change of lifestyle but who knows, maybe I'll get to that this year! FAIL

* To be a diaper and sippy-cup free house. After five years and a couple of grand worth of diapers I cannot wait to be done with them. FAIL. He still uses diapers at bedtime and refuses to drink out of anything but a sippy cup. 

* To refinance the house (yes), pay off my car (2 more months!), roll in my English pension with my American one (nope) and officially start college plans for the boys (yes)

* To go home to England (this will require new passports for us all too) FAIL, but we do have new passports

* To get my mojo back at work. Since having the boys the passion for my career has not burned as bright as it used to. I want to go to work dressed to impress, with new ideas and the energy to see them through. FAIL, but I do have new responsibilities. And I have a job. Phew. 

* To help both boys succeed at school, even if it means sitting with them each day to do academic work (not an enticing idea I admit). Success

* To find a babysitter and have adult time with my husband. I have said this every year for five years and not done it. I will this year! Success

* To redecorate the boy's room (yes) and get a breakfast bar in the kitchen (nope). And build a kitchen pantry (nope). And make a new front path and step (nope)House & garden projects never end do they

* To have fun with our English visitors (Craig's mum, dad and nephew) and make sure they have fun, Great Success on this one. 

* Maybe this will be the year we seek US citizenship. Maybe. Maybe Not. Maybe 2013. 

So there you are, I'll be tackling what's left on the list. 

Happy New Year to you all. I hope you are all healthy and happy in 2013.

xxx