Happy New Year!

The title of this posting may be deceiving. I am not planning to report on our new year's celebration (which was fun, I just won't be writing about it). I just feel like Christmas was so long ago now and I am ready for something new to pop up on my blog when I look at it 18 times a day. If you are a blogger, I think you know how I feel. I just got my internet connection back after 3 days without it. Our wireless connection worked still so I wasn't completely shut off from the world, but I am glad to be back online on our trusty desktop. We seemed to lose the connection during a huge rainstorm we had last Friday. Another cool thing that happened from the rain was that our balcony flooded and subsequently flooded into the kids' bedroom though the sliding door that's in there. Or maybe it was from beneath the frame of the door. Either way, it was a real stinky mess in there these past few days. Thankfully we had carpet cleaners here to take care of it today. I don't know if it's right to complain about the rain when we really need it, but it can be a real pain in the you-know-what.
Also on Friday, we had some friends over for a playdate. It was super fun! We need to do it more often. The cuties are L-R, Kalia, Porter, Dallin, Madeleine and Ian. The kids had a great time breaking-in a few new toys, but I think the all-time favorite is the Busy Ball Popper we got last Christmas. That toy is amazing. I have never seen kids stay so interested in one toy for so long.
Ian has been putting boxes on his head lately and walking around and into stuff and we of course laugh and think it's really funny, so Madeleine has to get in on the action. Doesn't she realize that she does cute and funny stuff all the time? I guess we need to be better parents and stop making her think we like Ian better than her. Just wait till he starts talking back. Then she'll know how it really is. Ian is just so hilarious. Yesterday, we were playing with a few balls he got for Christmas. Now, let me tell you that the balls I am referring to are two mini basketballs and one soccer ball. You've all held one. They are light as air. He will go to pick them up and grunt as though he were lifting a boulder. It is so funny! If I get it on video I will post it. We think he must have learned it from me being a bit over-dramatic when I pick him up. But I have to say it's only a little exaggerated because he is HEAVY! He may be trimming down though since he has had some nasty digestive issues the past few days, if you know what I mean. You know the kind when you check on him in the night and find him to be in a state that requires a bath at 12:30am. Or at dinner when you hear him making some noise and you hope it's jus gas, only to take him out of his booster seat and find it WAS NOT just gas and he again is going straight to the bath. It's been pretty gross and we've been doing a little extra laundry, but such is the life of a parent, right?