I'm mostly used to writing "2016" on Cedric and Dashiell's daily sheets at daycare and to typing out the year at work. With February it feels like the year is really getting underway and I welcome it. Hopefully this month we will once and for all kick the one-thing-after-another sicknesses being shared around our family. Even this evening we were remarking how Cedric seems to have definitely turned a corner (RSV last week) just as we heard Dash begin to cough in his sleep. And we started comparing work calendars to see who has flexibility this week.  

We are enjoying chilly weather in the mornings and evenings but bask in the mid-day sun at the park, on bike rides or in the backyard. I bought a new hummingbird feeder for one of our ash trees in back and we have several consistent visitors. Cedric signs "bird" and points "dah!" and Dashiell says, "Hi!" We had winter grass overseeded in the back for the first time this year and the thick, green lawn has seen a lot of play time.

When I'm in the back I can't help but think of all the changes and improvements I wish we could make to create a backyard retreat. Perhaps putting a few more plants in this spring would quell my eagerness. Spring is right around the corner here, I know, but for now I'm trying to stay in "winter" just a bit longer (not that the picture above from a recent weekend looks wintry at all).

 Big things happening this month:

+ Plan a big celebration with my sister-in-law to celebrate my father-in-law's birthday and my in-law's 49th anniversary!

+ My mom comes for a long weekend visit!!

February goals:

+ Go on a creative field trip. Going on creative field trips is one of my 2016 goals.

+ Brave the 4 AM hour at least once a week. 

+ Catch up on my snail mail correspondence. I love snail mail and try to be prompt with thank you notes or notes of sympathy and well wishes. I have several things in queue to put in the mail and I'm behind. If I can finish these things up I'd also love to send a few notes to my best gals for Galentine's Day. 

Recurring monthly goals:

+ Exercise at least twice per week. I'm feeling strong and fit going to Orange Theory twice per week. I'd really love to fit in a third workout but I'm just not sure where yet!

+ Publish to RISING*SHINING on Mondays and Wednesdays.   

+ Record and produce new episodes of The Girl Next Door Podcast and Matrimoney on schedule. 

+ Download photos from my phone and collect photos for the 2016 Team Wharton photo book.

Happy February!