The Bryant Family: January 2009

We have been very busy it seems so far this year. Here we are on day 19 and it feels like we are a couple of months in.

We went to visit Kevin's Grandad who is 96, it was a very good visit. Laney always takes a second to warm up, but by the end of the trip she was putting stickers on him, just like she was putting on all of us!

nother big step at the Bryant house was a new big girl bed. It was exciting and bittersweet all at the same time. Kevin and I both were good with her moving into a real bed. Instead of being sad, we rejoiced and celebrated this big step in her life. She really loves it! We did have that odd transition where she had room for us to sleep with her so she kept coning us into watching movies with her. Which we quickly found out was a bad idea. So we decided to start a reward program where if she slept all night in her bed by herself for 5 days she would get a candy bar of her choice (we are marking the days with stickers on a calendar in her room) and after a month she will get a trip to Playtime Pizza in Little Rock. She has done really good and she got her candy bar yesterday. However, last night was the first time she didn't do great and didn't get a sticker and was sad, so hopefully tonight we will be back on track. But the point is she loves her bed.

Minnie is still trying to learn and we are trying to learn how to have a 2 year old, puppy and a 10 year old dog. It is a totally different experience this time around. We did come to a conclusion this weekend that we are going to have to put out more effort in all things puppy. But Laney loves her very very much and I love Minnie even more for that. As we speak she is saying over and over to

Minnie, "Because I Love You!"

This weekend also ushered in the 2009 Racing Season. Kevin LOVES the ponies and I do too. So Mike and Shelly stayed with us this weekend and we went to the Jockey Club on Saturday and didn't win any money. But it was fun!

And today to celebrate MLK the Chamber was closed for the first time. First we had a nice long morning with Laney and took her to school late and then Kevin and I had a day date ... it was fun. We ran errands, had lunch and went and saw Grand Turino (very good) and then picked Laney up from school early and played outside.

And finally the biggest thing to happen so far this year is NO MORE PACI'S!!! As Laney would bite them she would say they were broke and we would have her throw them away. A little more than a week ago the last one broke and we have been paci free every since, with no troubles!!! YEAH!!!

Be always at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbors, and let each new year find you a better man. ~Benjamin Franklin

Happy New Year to you and your families! A New Year is always ushered in full of optimism, full of resolutions. I always do really well for a few weeks, sometimes even months and last year was the first time that I had really completed my resolution, I ran the Little Rock Half-Marathon in March. This year I have decided I will make resolutions again ... its what we do for New Year's and then I will work had to keep them. I have to speak them aloud or I will not keep them. My main resolution this year is to run the St. Jude (Memphis) Half-Marathon in 2009. Hold me to it:)