Tommy and I have a record of imperfect Valentine’s Days. No matter how hard we try, something always happens. There was the year we met each other in Asheville during college only for me to get the flu and be unable to leave the bed in our hotel all weekend. Or the year where Tommy got food poisoning in Nashville. I’ve had to work overnight in the hospital several Valentine’s Days and we’ve been otherwise apart countless times for one reason or another. This year, however, we had a whole hour in the morning before work/school to celebrate with chocolate and presents. And then, you know, Tommy flew to Boston for two days and Kaya spent the evening with intractable vomiting. But the morning was great.

This is a picture of Kaya asleep (actually asleep) at the kitchen table with the vomit bucket I borrowed from the hospital during my first trimester. (She was at the table because although she didn’t eat dinner, she didn’t want to be alone so she came to the table to watch Laney and I eat). Poor Kaya!

Kaya is really interested in learning to read lately – and she is surprising me daily with her progress. English is quite difficult to read/explain at times – she keeps asking me, for example, why the “E” is not pronounced in words like “game” and “cake.” Not such a simple concept because then you also have to understand that vowels can have different pronunciations based on the context. Spanish seems much easier to learn! Anyway, here’s a cute picture that Grandma Baba sent of the girls reading on MLK day at her house.

This picture was taken a couple of months ago, but I refrained from posting it so I could frame it and give it to the grandmas for Christmas. But now that it’s been gifted, I present to you my beautiful 4-year old Kaya. Please take notice of the large white ribbon on one ponytail and the small red ribbon on the other – a Kaya fashion original. Happy preschool!

We had a semi-legitimate snowstorm here in North Carolina on Friday night with 4-5 inches of actual snow (instead of our usual ice). And it’s stayed cold so the snow is still on the ground 5 days later (although will all melt today with the warm weather). The girls had school cancelled Mon-Weds and we actually went sledding (and by “we,” I mean Tommy, Kaya, and Laney). And many thanks to Joy and Baba who helped watch the girls during the snow days!

Kaya got her cast off a couple weeks ago  – and this makes bath time turn back into a fun and stress-free activity (instead of a lot of screaming, “Kaya! Stop putting your cast in the bath!”). Bubbles make it even better. And the girls are looking (and acting, for better or for worse) more like sisters every day!

We finally got the opportunity to go up to Virginia and visit my dad for New Year’s – he’s got a great house on the lake and the girls love running around his dance floor (which is usually filled with toys thanks to Leighton – Kaya and Laney’s step-cousin). We even got to enjoy the outside when the weather warmed up a bit! And Yoya and Dylan joined us as well. My highlight of the trip was sleeping until 9am on January 1 after a magical morning where the girls found awake Yoya and Dylan and decided to let mommy sleep. Happy New Year indeed!

Our weekends were so jampacked during the fall that I fear our trip to see Thomas never made it on the blog. Trains + fun characters are clearly preschooler heaven, although the NC Transportation Museum was a bit of a haul from the triangle for a short train ride. Kids had a good time though – and I am missing the short sleeve weather now!

Back in October, we were a little bit sad to hear that Kaya’s elementary school doesn’t do a Halloween parade. And then we had to dig out her costume several weeks later for their “costume day.” I’m still somewhat confused by their desire to reschedule Halloween and change its name, but today I discovered a picture posted on the wall of her classroom with the oh-so-adorable class in their costumes. Thought I’d share.

We stayed home for Christmas this year, but soon traveled to Philadelphia, Maryland, and Virginia to visit with all sides of our family. The girls had a blast and got many wonderful memories and gifts from family and friends. Merry Christmas to All!

Daddy has the pleasure of celebrating his birthday in the middle of Christmas mayhem and got the added benefit of single parenting the kids this year while I worked. He even got to make himself a (delicious) cake! We love you Tommy! Happy Birthday.