Happy New Year

It's hard to believe New Year and 2009 is here. I'm sitting here watching the American Ballroom Dance Challenge. Jeff is singing Santa Claus is Coming to Town to Eli and Furby is barking either because Jeff is singing or because of the fireworks that are going off every second since fireworks are legal here in Texas. Maia and her friend Kaytlin are upstairs. They're having a sleepover tonight, and Evan's in Eagle Pass with Mike until Sunday when I pick him up in San Marcos.

Sunday is Eli's birthday. Spiderman and Batman are hard to find, so I initially settled for Thomas the Train at Kroger, but after talking to Jeff decided to see if the local HEB (another grocery store) had Spiderman or Batman. I was in luck and ordered a Spiderman cake. It's hard to believe that he will be three! His vocabulary is incredible. He loves for us to tell him stories, mostly about Batman, Spiderman, the Green Goblin, Joker and Catwoman. We were at a holiday party last week and the hostess' mom who read books to Eli and decorated gingerbread men commented how bright she thought he was. She is a former teacher. I'm not sure where, but they are from Waynesburg, PA. I will say he does know his colors, body parts and numbers through 10 very well.

The kids go back to school on Tuesday. I'm not looking forward to waking up at 5:50 a.m. to get Evan up again, but it will be nice to get back into the routine. I'll start going to events again next week, and my spring issue goes to print at the end of the month.

The country as a whole may be in a financial recession with banks being taken over, the car industry at the brink of financial ruin and people losing jobs at every turn, however Houston is it's own economic entity. Not to say that people aren't losing their jobs here. At Jeff's company at least three people lost their jobs just before the holidays. Luckily it wasn't Jeff who doesn't seem in too much danger of losing his job. People are shopping, eating out, spending (although probably not as much as usual), building and buying homes. Our realtor who got us this house said it was the best year she has ever had! Jeff and I will start looking for a new home this spring.

Okay, so enough about that. It's already new year on the East coast, but we still have about a half an hour. It's a drink of the bubbly, toast to a new year, and I'm off to bed! Here's to 2009!