Happy New Year!

I am TIRED. Why do I start every new year feeling tired? Oh yeah, I have four kids. That might have something to do with it. So how did you spend your last day of 2007? Randy and I spent some time giving thanks for good friends, as we were granted an opportunity to have a "Date Night" while the kids enjoyed a pseudo-New Year's Eve party over at the Spears' house, complete with pizza, popcorn, a movie, a Wii tournament, the whole nine yards! They had a fantastic time, and we knew they were in good hands.

For our part, Randy and I used one of the gift cards that I received for my 40th birthday to go to Olive Garden (Bonnie, if you're reading this, I'm sorry I deprived you of the chance to baby-sit like you had planned!) and then went to see National Treasure: Book of Secrets. What a great flick! We had such a good time, but all good things must come to an end. We picked up the kids around 8:30 p.m., just in time to catch the tail end of all four of our kids competing in a bowling tournament. Maybe it's just me, but Sawyer appeared to give everyone quite a kick with his unique style of lining up and letting go of the ball. If you're familiar with the Wii, there is a specific way of holding the controller, pressing the buttons and letting go that must be adhered to if you want your character to have any success at all.

From what we were told, Sawyer was actually IN THE LEAD before we got there, but all I can figure is that the other three must have been wearing blindfolds and facing the wrong direction in order for that to happen! I mean, when Sawyer actually let go of the ball at the right time he didn't always do too badly . . . but then he didn't do too goodly either. Can you say "gutter ball"??? What I found so cute, though, was his little victory dance that he would do every time he knocked down even one pin. That boy has got some serious rhythm!

I have to admit, I did not stay up to ring in the new year--give me a choice and I'll stay up 'til midnight any day of the week (hmm, maybe THAT'S why I'm so tired!); but TELL me I have to stay up 'til midnight and I'll be yawning by 9:00 p.m.! I was sound asleep by 11:00, as were four other members of my family. Only Randy, who was watching the Auburn game on the computer (we don't have cable TV), had any intention of being awake the moment the new year was ushered in. At the last minute (or at the last seven minutes, to be exact), Tyler woke up hacking and coughing, looked at the time and figured since he was awake anyway, he might as well say hello to 2008.

Speaking of Tyler, he and Darcy start private school on Thursday and Peyton and Sawyer will start homeschool (again) the same day, so our l-o-n-g winter break is about to come to an end! If you'd asked them two or perhaps only even one week ago if they were ready to start school they probably would have said "no," but I honestly believe ALL of them are ready for that structure to be back in their lives. And now that they go to a church that has provided them with instant friends, Tyler and Darcy are expecting more of the same at school and are eagerly anticipating their first day. We had so much fun today, organizing and packing school supplies, checking and re-checking to make sure nothing was forgotten or missing. And tomorrow I'll do the same for Peyton, checking to be sure that all of her school books have been unpacked and shelved. As for Sawyer, he'll listen in to all of Peyton's readings and my plan is to ease him into reading at his own pace.

He asked me back in August, I believe, if I would teach him to read so I pulled out the book I previously used to teach the other three. We made it through the first few lessons with no problem but then he sort of lost interest, so I decided to put it aside for a while. I know it's not unheard of for a three-year-old to learn how to read but it IS rare, and he was only three at the time. (I actually believe that Darcy was reading on her own by the age of three, but if you know Darcy then that should come as no surprise to you.) Now Sawyer is four years and two months old and if he learns to read anytime this year that would suit me just fine. Heaven knows we've got no shortage of books to bring him up to speed!