January 7

Snow falling softly in the backyard.  Early dismissal today.

January 6

People say to me all the time, how do you feed your growing family on such a tight budget?  I currently budget $125 for food and extras every week - and most weeks I stick to it!  Well, here is one cheapo meal that my family loves.  Pasta Fagioli!  Cook pasta according to directions.  Meanwhile in a skillet, heat some oil and garlic, add one can of tomato sauce and one can of water.  Add one can of cannellini beans and heat through.  Blend everything together and serve with hot pepper flakes and some parmesan cheese.  I believe my girls can eat their own weight in pasta fagioli.

And for the people who couldn't care less about cheapskate suburban recipes, here is a gratuitous cute baby picture from this morning.

January 5

Routine.  Many nights, Tony and I like to watch a little TV on hulu before going to bed.  I usually knit something to keep from snacking.  Right now I'm working on a little pink scarf for one of the girls.

January 4

Here's a picture of Will and my grandmother as I was leaving to take Claire to her neurologist appointment.  Will loves his Nana and I'm very lucky to have her to watch him when I need it.  My parents are also usually around to help out.  I'm very thankful for family living nearby!

January 3

The scene from my kitchen counter this morning.  Lunch boxes packed and ready to go for the first day of school for 2011.  Bittersweet.  I know the girls were excited to return to school, to see their friends and get off to a fresh start.  I miss them though.  I miss their energy, liveliness and constant chatter.  Will is wandering around the house, a little lost without his big sisters.  I'm a bit lost myself. :)

January 2

We cut some forsythia branches from my grandmother's yard the first week of December, put them in a vase with water in a sunny spot and then waited.  It took about 3 weeks for them to bloom.  Over the last week, little yellow blossoms have been coming out, a couple each day.  It is so nice to have a little bit of springtime inside the house, even when you can see the snow outside.

January 1

Day one of the 365 Day Challenge and I already failed.  A new record, even for me.  I spent January 1 sick in bed except for brief intervals where I rushed to the bathroom to vomit.  So luckily enough I took some pictures on December 31 which will have to count for my Day 1 entry. 

Our New Year's Eve tradition is to make sushi.  I do ALL the prep work, from shopping for everything to cooking the rice to chopping everything.  Then Tony swoops in and makes the rolls.  And gets the glory.  The kids LOVE sushi.  They look forward to it every year.  In the picture, Will is stuffing himself silly with California rolls.