build some momentum

I kept meaning to write something about Christmas and since I can't manage to do that, instead I post nothing. So, to break this trend, I give you a bulleted list. Hooray!

• We had a nice time visiting both sides of the family over Christmas, with the exception of the hideous cases of "garbage belly" contracted by almost everyone. Ellis especially enjoyed seeing his cousins, and Bridget hosted a lovely Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. We had a brief stay in Ann Arbor, too and managed to catch up with many people in Trey's family (including a lunch at Grandma Audrey's and nice visits with Grandpa Hank, Aunt Lindsey and her friend Jen, and the Hughes clan). Flying with the two kids, though, ugh!
• The winter back in Vermont has been a little lackluster. We had a week or two around zero, but it's been strangely warm otherwise. And completely inadequate snow.
• Ellis started doing a basketball camp on Saturday mornings and turns out to be a left-handed kid who shoots right-handed. Who knew?
• Our chickens are doing well and we acquired a rooster after Christmas (free on Craigslist, naturally). Egg supply is slowly outstripping consumption. Trey proposed a make lemon curd once a week to alleviate this "problem".
• Maddox and Ellis have been really cute with each other. Yesterday at school pick-up Maddox rushed right over to hug Ellis's leg with huge smile. And this morning Ellis "read" him two books during his potty trip. Maddox loved it so much that he screamed and shut the door on me so he could continue hearing the story and sitting on the potty (which he usually hates of course).
• Other times, though, the two of them fight and scream so loud and over such silly things that knocking their head together until they both pass out seems kind of reasonable.
• Maddox still isn't talking much, but his tantruming skills are coming along swimmingly! We started taking a sign language class at the library and he's been signing pretty well for many things over the past few months. His frustration doesn't seem to be so much about expressing himself as the fact that he's not allowed to eat 15 lbs of raisins a day or play with a screwdriver.
• Fin.