Where did January go?

I am not entirely sure where January went. We cheered on the Badgers in the Rose Bowl. This time from the comfort of our home with great friends but they still lost. Boo. Then we celebrated Ethan's birthday in Madison with his college friends and some new friends. We had dinner at the Nitty Gritty, so birthday boy could drink free all night. After dinner we headed to the Kohl Center to watch the Badger men's hockey team play RIT. They won! Afterwards we enjoyed more drinks, laughs, basketball and darts at State Street Brats. After Ethan's birthday I thought things were going to start to slow down but they didn't seem to.

Go Badgers! Rose Bowl Party

Birthday Morning with Dad

I may be a stay at home Mom but I am not at home much until its nap time. Training runs have started for the Cellcom Green Bay Marathon and Half-Marathon on Saturday mornings. Emma has basketball on Saturday mornings. Katherine has swimming and gym class (although that ended on Jan. 17, so sad). I go to a bible study twice a month, a group called MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers - a christian based group) twice a month, a book club meeting once a month, a school parent meeting once a month (I am the secretary), volunteer at school at least once or twice a month not including every Thursday after school selling scrip. Plus, other appointments filled in throughout the weeks. And not to forget the Emma started selling Girl Scout cookies in the last two weeks of the month.

Oh yes, another highlight of the month was another football game. I was able to go to the Packers/Giants Playoff game at Lambeau Field on January 15 with my best friend, Liz. Another bad ending. I was there four years ago when these two teams played with the same result. I don't think I am going to anymore Packers/Giants playoff football games at Lambeau Field. In addition to all of this I have still been running, cycling, swimming, and doing yoga. Now I just need to fit in weightlifting.

Intently watching the Gamblers

We also fit in taking the girls to a Green Bay Gamblers hockey game the second to last Saturday of the month. They enjoyed it.
The end of the month finished with us traveling to Minnesota to run the Securian Half-Marathon winter run, visit with family, and for the girls to go to The American Girl store at MOA with their new dolls. For being early in the year and in my marathon training I ran a great half on Saturday. 2:01.35. I am hoping this is the spring/summer I can PR and break 2 hours by a few minutes.

In addition to all of this going on there is more great news from January! Katherine aka Monkey decided on January 11 that she was going to go potty - all the time on the big potty. We weren't so sure she was serious because she has teased us before. But no way, this time she seemed a bit more serious and kept telling us "I am going to do this all the time." The first and second day she pooped many, many times on that big girl potty. I reminded her you have to pee too. "I know Mom." So finally on Friday the 13th she also peed on the potty. We started wearing pull-ups everyday and just like that diapers (except at night although she has been keeping them dry most nights) are just about gone from our house. Then yesterday the last day of January she asked to wear underwear because we were down to 1 pull-up and I agreed. So for two days Katherine has been wearing underwear! She loves it and we love it. We still have to remind her to go but she goes plenty on her own as well. In two weeks my little girl is going to be 3 and potty-trained. She is going to go to preschool next year (twice a week for 2 hours), and I can't believe it! I need another kid. Mine are growing way too fast. So I am hoping in honor of February being Katherine's month that I can post some fun facts about Katherine and her growing personality (oh boy, does she have one!) Stay tuned...

The girls enjoying some mild January weather before the snow came.