A New Year and A Birthday

Our New Years Eve celebrations were tame this year compared to many years past.  We invited the Loveladys over to celebrate and we had a low-key night of playing and visiting.  Elizabeth asked me to make brownies the moment she walked in the door and of course I obliged!  Kate brought a "Happy New Year" necklace for Chad and he boys had such a fun time playing with it.

At one point Carter decided he was done wearing pants for the evening!

Riley had a lot of fun playing with blocks and swords!  What a face!

We told the kids that 11pm was the new year and we celebrated with everyone in New York!  The kids did not have a problem staying awake until 11pm, but us adults had a harder time of it.  At 10pm, I made coffee to perk Kate & I up.  Thankfully, the next day the boys took stellar naps!

Chad & I went back to work on Monday.  The boys' school was closed so they spent the day with Nana & Papa.  Wednesday was Chad's 32nd birthday.  I took him to lunch that day at Jazz Cafe and then I made dinner for us and we invited Nana & Papa over.  I made ranch pork chops and parmesan mashed potatoes and we topped it all off with Katharina's German wine and Black Forest Cake from Swiss Pastry Shop.

The birthday boy was frustrated with the photographer posing pictures!

But he finally decided to play along!

In other news, Carter moved up a class at school and can now play on the big playground with Riley.  I think he's enjoying himelf!  Also, we found out there is going to be another Carter in his class in about a week, so I've been trying to come up with a nickname for them to use for Carter at school.  I think they are going to try CJ and see how that pans out.  There is a Jake in the class also, so Carter Jake wouldn't work.

Riley also really wants to go to work with Chad or I.  He keeps asking me when he will be able to be a boss.  I don't think he quite understands that Mommy is in no way the boss at her job!  But I have high hopes that one day he will be the boss somewhere!