Update

"This... is Berk. It snows 9 months of the year and sleets the other 3. The food is hardy, tough, and tasteless; the people more so."

This is one of the closing lines of "How to Train your Dragon," and pretty much all of the descriptions - minus dragon slaying - you can apply to the area my parents are currently located in. To many southerners chagrine, we haven't settled in any one place long enough for me to say with confidence that I'm 'from' there.

But be that as it may, my most formative years were in California and New Mexico, so apparently I have the driving skills of a maniac and the social skills of one who is scary yet endearing at the same time.

I've been home since November, and its been fun reconnecting with family, reading what I want, when I want with no assignments or quizzes following, cooking up a storm (my mom keeps asking why and how I've gotten so 'domestic.' I think it comes of having a myriad of friends from various cultures who all have exotic spices and fun mixtures, and wanting to combine them and see how they turn out. The plus is that, since they are from developing countries, they require healthy foods. A little more pricey than the usual menu my family has been keeping, but not so much that they discourage me when I start banging pots and pans around), having small people to tickle whenever the occaision calls for it, and observations to swap with mom and dad.

We went rock climbing as a family and then toured "Falls Park' and their annual Christmas-light display on the 23, went to a candle light service then did advent on the 24, Christmas morning as a family and then a friend from Dad's bible stuy who is also from the Ivory Coast for lunch/dinner.

The 26th we celebrated my birthday, and the fun thing was ont he 27th mom found more presents stashed away somewhere so I had a second birthday :-)

It snowed and snowed and snowed, which has been fun, but it got warm, which was nice. HOwever I didn't realize it was nice and warm outside yesterday. "Ah, no worries. I'll just go play in the snow tomorrow." HOwever today is tomorrow and I am looking outside to PUDDLES as the darn RAIN clouds assist in melting away the playing material. The forecast for the next 3 days is sleet and rain. I am not happy.

Ethan has a whooping-ish cough so he and I are home today while Mom and the others go grocery shopping. When we have several-day-storm-forecasts, we stock up and burrow. Rather fitting, as Ethan is reading "Redwall" and all about mice and moles and rabbits stocking up and feasting. *sigh*

Speaking of which, I should go refill his tea and drag him out of the world of talking animals and into the land of human interaction of some sort. He likes it when I read Redwall outloud, as I like to do funny voices and accents for the various characters. The trouble is I have to START the books so I know which voice to assign which character, and he hands me a half-devoured tomb of Jaques'. When I tell him this dilemma, he grins endearingly and says, "Oh I'll just TELL you what voices to give them!" Great. I am now your own, personal, 'do it at home' radio theatre. I think not! I choose my own voices, sir!!

Just over one more week of break before I head back to the 'Ville for Jterms and a new semester. I'm excited about all my classes, just not about diving back into the grind of working 15 hours a week and taking 5 classes. But it must be done to graduate on time and pay the bills. So I grind away.

New Years resolution is to be ORGANIZED this semseter, and have a healthy balance between homework and socializing. Thats it. Its a big one though, so waggle your fingers at me not. I made last years resolution which was to start working out. Again, no schedule, but I do it regularly, special thanks to my friend Emmanuela, who is from Cameroon, and a work-out-addict. :-)

The boy has roused. I'm listening to "The Last Samurai" soundtrack, and he is bouncing around making battle noises and taking Samurai pozes and stances, waving an imaginary saber. *sigh* Must off to smack him back down into resting towards healthiness (not literally!!)