We began the new year by kicking off our landscape remodel, as contractors began demolishing the existing foliage and pergolas, letting through sunlight that we did not know existed. It left our yard looking rather bare as we hosted our lab holiday hot pot party last week. We had initially planned for board games also, but the food preparation and logistics of running two pots on our kitchen island was more than enough to keep us occupied. Melody’s division holiday party was less hectic, although the mood was solemn due to a recent patient complication at work. My MLK weekend call was spent volunteering at Paul Hom and helping the TEAM Make-A-Thon. This year’s project was to design an eye drop assist device, and I got to serve as as client, mentor, and judge. Meanwhile, Westley appeared to have a newfound passion for jigsaw puzzles, but also seemed to have misplaced his potty skills. With him starting in the intermediates class at school, we hope that he will recover his bladder control soon.