Happy New Year 2014!

Age four has got to be the funnest age. Oliver was able to understand what the new year is, and he got so excited to celebrate! We went to Target to pick out noise makers and hats. He told everybody, "Happy New Year!" After his daddy got home, Oliver told him that we were going to have a party. The kids helped me dip strawberries into chocolate (strawberries are Jo's favorite). We also made deviled eggs and stuffed mushrooms. I picked up a pomegranate to eat tomorrow because it's supposed to be good luck to eat pomegranate on New Year's day.

Jo's wearing a mitten and eating a strawberry, as expected. Oliver's figuring out the noisemakers.

Andrew & Joanna

We drank sparkling juice in fancy glasses. Oliver made sure we all drank juice.

Jo wasn't too sure about the hats... at first.

We waited until 7:30pm, and then we counted down the new year! Andrew pulled up a countdown from YouTube. It was from last year, but oh well! We yelled "Happy New Year!" and then Oliver banged the pots & pans.

The aftermath:

A video of Oliver's countdown:

                       

Happy New Year!

Chinese New Year

Happy lunar new year! Oliver enjoyed playing with the red envelopes that my best friend, Phuong, brought us from Taiwan.

Happy New Year: 2011

Happy New Year 2010!

Happy New Year! Andrew, Oliver, and I rung in the new year by sleeping through it. Honestly, I wouldn't have wanted it any other way.

This year, most of my resolutions deal with my fitness level. I've already lost my "baby weight," but my body is out of shape. To deal with my sagging stomach, I resolve to do a minimum of 50 crunches 5 days a week. Crunches are easy for me to do because I can get them done and count aloud to Oliver as he plays.

I also resolve to extend my running. In 2008, I ran a 5k without walking for the first time. I also completed my first 10k. In early 2009, I completed my first half marathon. Now, post-pregnancy, I can't run more than a quarter-mile. I know it's going to be slow moving, but I'm determined to get my distance back up. It's my goal to complete the Cherry Creek Sneak 5k (April 25), even if I have to take multiple walk breaks to do it.

To work on my distance, I'll continue going to the gym. It hurts to run still from delivery, but it doesn't hurt to "run" on the elliptical. Once I'm healed, I'll move to the treadmill, and, once it's warmer, I'll take Ollie for jogs in his jogging stroller.

Speaking of Ollie, my last resolution is to be a patient mother. I need to relax and enjoy Oliver in this infant stage and not be as concerned with what I'm not getting done around the house. If I have to, I'll use my weekends for cleaning. I only get to enjoy these moments once! Before I know it, he'll be complaining for me to put him down instead of pick him up, and then I'll miss these days.