Wow- I'm not even averaging one post a month anymore! I can't even say that I've been really busy; Kyle has been on holiday for the last 2 weeks and we had his folks come and visit and entertain the kids. I could spin a tale about how I'm not the type of person that writes "journal-style" about everyday happenings and say I wait for really impacting events to report... but in truth, I procrastinate. Plain and simple. None of my children have a completed baby book or picture album (where is that shoebox anyway??), I only reorganize seasonal clothing when it all can't be all stuffed together in the drawer anymore, and I usually decide what we're having for dinner at around 4:52 pm. I have tried by sheer will power to change, but I think it will take deliverance of a different kind to nip this one in the bud (what does that expression really mean?).

Anyways, life is good on holidays. It took a good 10 days to gear down from the hyper pace I didn't realize I was at. Karen and Stephen came for about 2 weeks which provided Kyle and I with an opportunity to go out together a few times. That's always double edged. While it's absolutely fantastic to have some time to ourselves, it's hard after company leaves to realize that you won't get to taste that pleasure again for possibly months!

The weather has been getting progressively better. We have plus temperatures everyday again and the sun won't stop shining. Kyle and Lily have been going out on bike rides to the local villages and all of them play outside once again. The other day we all walked up to Manjitan to see if any stores were open (most shut down for a week around Chinese new year). It was quite a nice day so I let the kids wear their polar fleece jackets with hats and gloves and running shoes. We had just arrived at the edge of town when we noticed a woman following us... well actually, I think she had grabbed a hold of Kyle's arm. She began (in a concerned way) to talk about how "tung"(cold) it was and that she believed out kids were missing a whole external layer of clothing. She actually walked up to Lily and lifted up her pant leg to prove that she didn't have long underwear on. Well of course Lily pretended that she didn't exist and stared off into space probably wondering if there was a dessert island where everyone would just leave her alone. John was next... she lifted up his pant leg as well and continued to tsk tsk us. I thought it was hilarious... she was really concerned. Kyle explained that we were from Canada and things were different there. She didn't really care about that and then proceeded to lift Lily's pant leg up again to show a random stranger on the street what she was in a flap about. "Tung!", (Cold) she kept saying. "Well she sure is going to get "tung" if you don't quit it" I thought. I couldn't stop Laughing. Lily wasn't amused. The only one who was left off the hook was Zoe. She had left the house wearing a bizarre assortment of skirt over pants with boots and scarf. I thought she looked like an orphan who was wearing all of her worldly possessions. This kind old lady thought she was the only one with any sense.