Here is a brief (well, kind of) look at life in the Cousino home during the past year...the important and the trivial, the serious and the amusing...the best of us and the worst of us...Enjoy!

January:
~We began the second semester of home-preschool with Gene, Lucy and Norah Mitzel...Jane
began staying home instead of going to the Mitzel's
~Kids built lots of "houses" for their animals

~Jane was just getting steady on her feet (walking!) and her hair was straight!




~Hannah and children began the second semester of Community Bible Study (CBS)
~Lucy came with the other kids and I to the gym at the Rec Center and had so much energy that
she ran a whole mile on the track around the perimeter...in socks!
~Jane proudly learned to identify the toothbrush of everyone in our family.

February:
~We finally got our act together and hung some family pictures on the family room wall
(arranged on the carpet first).


~Janie learned that she could take Gene down (well, if he started on the floor...)

~Gene "said Mass" alot since it was the off-season for every sport he was interested in. Began to
include the Prayers of the Faithful (time at Mass when we pray for different things) and
prayed for President Obama and President Bush "down in Texas".
~Gene learned to dial the phone, and soon was calling to arrange his own playdates at the
Mitzels.
~Lucy learned to blow her own nose (thank goodness!) She had a cold every other week or so
throughout the winter.
~Jane started saying "Mama" when she wanted me to pick her up. And when Brendan wanted
her to say "Papa".
~Jane started using the potty (but we haven't gotten much farther on the potty training front, a
whole 10 months later!)

March:
~Jane learned to say "no"...and put on her own hat and mittens
~Jane was officially deemed "not allergic" to milk, despite having gotten hives from merely
touching the stuff a few months ago. We took her to the Allergy Doctor and had her drink
milk straight from the cup, and then observed that nothing happened. Thank you Lord! We
were advised to wait on peanut butter, but she could begin having diary products, and eggs as
well.
~Brendan learned to throw pizza dough, and Hannah improved her pizza-making abilities:)


April:
~We all enjoyed celebrating Easter, especially because of the beautiful weather that day.

~Gene and Lucy had a miraculous day at the pool, where they both improved their swimming
skills by about a hundred percent!
~Gene began biking around the neighborhood (but not crossing any streets) independently, and
loved it. Still on training wheels...
~Kids had Spring Program at CBS, and both Gene and Lucy participated and enjoyed
themselves.
~Janie really got comfortable walking, and began walking aimlessly around the house, just for
the fun of it.
~And she was introduced to our "stone box"




May:
~Gene learned to take a bath by himself, and tie his shoes!
~We all went to the Memorial Day parade in Saline. Gene rode his bike the entire way there (a
few blocks, some uphill), and Janie enjoyed sitting on the curb with the big kids.



~Gene started his summer t-ball league

~And played lots of baseball at home


~Lucy began using the starfall.com phonics program on our computer (she faithfully watched
Gene use it for a whole year and a half, and her time finally came!)
~We put in our garden this year, using a lot of advice from a book Hannah found- Weedless
Gardening by Lee Reich. We did have a drastic reduction in the number of weeds in our
garden, and the best harvest yet. Highly recommend the book!

~Janie's excema began to flare up again, despite the weather turning warmer. Seemed to get
worse in the heat.
~Hannah took the kids to Niles to visit Grandma Lucy (H's grandma).


~Brendan and Hannah ran their second 10 kilometer run.

June:
~Gene learned to hit a whiffle ball from a tee at the far edge of our yard all the way over the
fence into the street.
~Jane learned to strip off her pants and diaper in the middle of a nap...so I would go in to check
on her and she'd be half-naked, sound asleep.
~Jane moved in to the big kids' room, so all three kids began sleeping in one room.
~Brendan and Hannah finished their 2nd triathlon! And beat their personal bests by a long shot!
~Gene and Lucy got terrible coughs and I gave them "terrible" medicine (in their own words...it
was really just honey).



July:
~Gene learned to hold his breath underwater for a long time (15-20 seconds).
~Went to Long Lake with the Cousino clan.



~Lucy learned to take apart Grandpa Ken's mechanical pencil and put it back together again
~Jane learned to sing the ABC song and talk in complete sentences.
~Hannah's sister Kate came to visit for Chicago, and we celebrated her birthday.


August:
~Gene found a friend down the street who shares his obsession with sports (both outside and on
the indoor "field" with little people.
~Lucy began riding Gene's old training wheel bike (he "borrowed" the new one that Grandma
Hendricks bought to keep at her house)
~Jane learned how to run, to jump on Grandma H's trampoline, and to climb up to the top-bunk.
~Gene participated in Saline's Safety Town week-long program.

September:
~the kids all got surprise flu-shots, and learned to mistrust me when I said we were just "going
for a check-up"...oops!
~Lucy began a gymnastics class...and is still loving it!


~Jane turned 2

~We all got the swine flu (pretty sure anyway...)
~Both Gene and Lucy learned to make toast...this was helpful since they took turns making it for me when I was sick on the couch
~Lucy learned to fasten her own seatbelt- yeah!
~Took the kids to the Saline Fair, which included a Gemini concert, some rides, and lunch. We all
wished we could have stayed longer...
~Jane memorized her first book, and read it about 50 times a day to anyone who was interested.
~Enjoyed a huge tomato harvest...the kids liked picking them, and Gene learned that he could
eat a whole tomato just like an apple...
~We picked great, enormous raspberries and a ton of blueberries.


~Gene and Lucy began the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd (Atrium) program at Christ the
King.

October:
~Gene turned 6


~And he became the proud owner of a Michigan football program, and began reciting stats to
anyone within earshot.
~Brendan and the kids carved pumpkins while Hannah ditched out to go to class.







~The kids dressed up for Halloween and went trick-or-treating in the neighborhood with a
bunch of friends





November:
~Gene moved into the little bedroom, Lucy moved to the top bunk, and Jane to the bottom. All
kids fairly happy with the arrangement:)
~Janie learned to completely dress herself...down to her socks and shoes.
~Lucy turned 4, and was the proud recipient of her own nail polish (thanks Aunt Bekah) along
with numerous other gifts.






December:
~Gene started a gymnastics class after watching Lucy's class for a few months...Jane wishes she
could take a class, too.
~We are still homeschooling...and enjoying it. Most of the time:)
~The kids have learned all the words to O Come, O Come Emmanuel and are worried that our
shortest purple candle on the Advent wreath won't make it till Christmas...
~Got a tree and put it up, decorated the house, bought presents (haven't wrapped them yet),
have plans to make cookies, made gingerbread houses, and are eagerly awaiting Christmas
morning!


Life goes on, and Life is good! Merry Christmas everyone!!