Happy New Year!!!

Is it bad that I'm glad New Years Eve falls on Friday night this year because it's a great excuse to not stay up or otherwise "celebrate" it? I must be getting old, but staying up till midnight just doesn't hold much appeal these days . . . maybe it's because I'm often up AGAIN by midnight with Little Miss Never Sleeps . . . hee hee.

Oh, and a small, thing. Over a year ago, A1 went through a brief phase where she wanted to be called by her full name, which starts with an A, rather than the nickname we'd used for her since birth. At that time, on this blog, I switched from calling the twins L & A, to calling them A1 & A2. It was a brief phase and now she's back to going by her nickname. I think a new year is a nice "neat and tidy" time to switch back to calling the twins L & A on the blog. So, L = A1,  and A = A2.

ANYWAY . . . I've never been much for resolutions, maybe because I never stick with them anyway, but I did want to share a "plan" we've developed for the new year.

I'd been thinking about several things for awhile now. Figuring out a way to  get one-on-one time with each kid when I have a toddler who doesn't sleep and a husband whose job keeps him from being home very much. Figuring out a way to have one-on-one time with my husband once in awhile. While I don't see a need to "separate the twins" significantly (as is considered necessary in some schools), I think at this point it would be good for them to occasionally have an hour or two away from each other.

I already have a book club that I attend on the 2nd Tuesday of each month. Little Bit comes with me (though at some point I suspect they're going to want me to leave her home, we'll have to rearrange things then (or quit the book club). So, that week was pre-determined as "Mommy/Little Bit" time and "Daddy big girls' date night".  We fit everything else around that and came up the following (other than book club, we didn't assign a specific NIGHT, just a week, which night it is that week will vary depending on Rodney's work/travel schedule and occasionally our travel as well):

First week of the month = Mommy & Daddy date night. This will require a baby sitter. I'm assuming between various friends, we'll be able to find someone willing to watch our three monsters-I-mean-blessings one night a month

Second week = book club as already mentioned

Third week =  A's week.  On the determined night, she will get to choose to go on a "date" with either Mommy or Daddy. The other parent will stay home with L & Little Bit.

Fourth week = L's week. Same as A's week only for L instead of A.

The girls are SOO excited about this. They love the idea of having a "babysitter", they love the idea of going out with a parent. They already love Daddy date night on my book club night. When we presented the idea, they said "we get something fun EVERY WEEK" so that's a good thing :)

We already have a babysitter lined up for next Thurs night so Rodney & I can go out, woo-hoo! The big girls are excited (they adore Miss Starla).  Fingers crossed that Little Bit does well with it. She did great when she stayed with Judy (our neighbor and the girls' "adopted grandma") for our anniversary but she doesn't know Starla as well. I'm counting on the fact that her sisters will be with her to make it ok.

So that's our main "resolution" for the new year.  I'm also hoping to move us toward more healthy eating. I purchased a nutrition curriculum that we'll be starting in the next couple of weeks and my hope is that, as the girls learn WHY we should limit sugar, eat more vegetables, etc. They'll be more "on board" and it won't be "Mean Mommy" saying we have to eat whole wheat bread instead of squishy white bread, it will be their own choice because it's healthier.  We shall see . . .