Ryan & Erinn's Family: January

On New Year's Day, Ryan took the kids to Pasadena to look at the Rose Parade floats. This was the first time they've done the daytime paid option. The kids got all kinds of promotional swag, but it was crazy crowded and expensive. From now on, we'll stick to New Year's Eve. I stayed home with Celeste, since we were both too sick to wander around all afternoon.

Every now and then I take a bunch of kids to the store, then remember why I shouldn't do that. Anyway, they all still get $2 a week in allowance, which they generally spend on candy, so I have to keep track and delete the money out of their accounts before I forget.

We attended Corinne's friend's birthday party at Two Strike park. There happened to be leftovers from a "snow day" activity the day before, so we drove home to get some sled-like devices. My poor, deprived Los Angeles kids absolutely loved it!

A few days into January, Celeste and I got sick again, but this time with the flu. It was the second sickest I can remember ever being (July 2017 was worse.) We had fevers for about a week, then slowly started to improve. The other kids eventually got it, too. They weren't quite as sick, but had fevers and bloodshot eyes. Pitiful. Somehow, Ryan avoided catching anything.

Sick Baby

Sick Connor (His eyes never did get bloodshot.)

During and after being sick, Celeste was in love with our new bathtub. It was so nice to be able to just put her in there and wash her, instead of trying to make do with a shower and a storage bin! Also, I learned that kids get a lot cleaner in a tub; I guess it soaks the dirt off!

One weekend when most of us were well, we drove up to the Mount Wilson Observatory and had a picnic. It's such a great place to enjoy nature without much effort. Poor Elise threw up just trying to walk the stairs to the pavillion, so I think she ended up waiting in the car.

Our remodel was officially done! It was totally worth the money and inconvenience. Nana wanted to see pictures, so Ryan walked around the house and snapped these.

Ryan made a workbench from an old door.

The kids really like the workbench. They even got permission to use power tools.

Evan attended Great to be Eight at church! He was so excited to be getting ready for baptism. I had to leave after a short while because Celeste just wasn't having it.

The much-loved Irwindale Speedway had their "last ever" event one Saturday night, so we had to attend. It was pretty awesome, but when they torched an RV with a rocket car, Celeste decided the end of the world was commencing, and totally freaked out. Ryan and I had to take turns walking around with her, back by the concessions stand. One-year-olds, right? Oh, and it turns out it wasn't their last event. Irwindale got a one-year extension after all.