Um... Goodbye, February

Before our mystery dinner date.

I have slacked off on posting recently. I don't have an internet connection during most of the day, so that's part of the reason. This is mostly an apology to my grandma, who I suspect is the person who cares the most.

Anyway, February has been a busy month for us. It's so short it just flies by! This month Patrick and I went on a date outside of our usual Friday-night date rotation. We went to a mystery dinner date that my mom got us tickets to for Christmas. We enjoyed the company at our table and loved going out together. And we also knew that the kiddo was in the best of hands with our friends Timi and Eddie.

I also baked my first loaves of bread ever. It was sort of on my "list of things to do before I die." I was at a Relief Society meeting at our church with two friends where a friend of mine was teaching us how to make homemade bread. I told the two friends at my table that I would like to learn to bake bread before I die, and one of my friends exclaimed, "Oh, Keegan, don't wait that long! Let's bake bread before March." And we got together and did it. So there's one thing off my list, and now I plan to do it pretty regularly.

The kiddo helping my friend mix her dough.

My dough before I split it in two, and two of my bread-baking buddies.

Also, the kiddo used his kiddy toilet. Both times it was a fluke, but that's the beginning of learning right? It's nice because he is interested in it and he has now used it successfully, so as he gains the control he needs, I'm hoping these experiences will help encourage him in the process. I haven't read anything about potty training, so I don't really know what I'm "supposed" to be doing, and I'm just making things up as I go along. I'll let you all know how that goes as we progress.

I also made a funny discovery this month. I am always eager to help people, but I have realized recently that it takes someone else to help me to help someone. A good deal of the time, the help people need requires that I find someone to watch the kiddo, so it has amused me to be eager to help and then to be in need of help myself. Seems a bit ironic. Fortunately, I have some awesome friends who are very supportive and tolerant of my enthusiasm even though it makes more work for them.

I have also gone for lots of walks. I have two friends who recently had babies and I have enjoyed going with them and remembering what a life-saver it was for me to go walking with my friend Libby when I was a new mom. Sometimes when I am waiting for my friends or on days that they don't make it, I just go to Colonial Williamsburg and watch the kiddo run around. It's great because there are often people there (but at this season it certainly isn't crowded), and cars aren't allowed on the streets, so it's a very open place to run around and there are lots of things to notice and talk about.

And now we are concluding the month with me being sick. I am staying home from church at this very moment because I feel lousy. I already took a nap and I expect Patrick and the kiddo home any minute. The great thing about being sick is that it has made me grateful for all the things I can normally do and all the help I get, especially from Patrick. He has been so patient this weekend and lent lots of extra help watching the kiddo so I could rest. This will be the first time Patrick has ever gone as a solo parent to church, I think. And we both know it is not an easy thing because the kiddo is on a sort of nap schedule now that involves sleeping right around the time church is starting, but I am so grateful that they both went so I could lay in bed for the morning and sleep, as well as the fact that it's the best place to be, of course.

That's my not-very-exciting update on our lives this month. Though it wasn't riddled with laughs and entertainment, you can be assured that we are doing well and feeling happy.

Dad and the boy at the top of the slide.

My two favorite people in the world!