Wednesday Hodgepodge

February ended with an extra 24 hours in 2016. What did you do with your bonus day?

Well, it was just pretty much a regular day for us. Eli and I did go on a little jog in the afternoon, and I got in bed by 8:00 p.m. to do some reading.

What's something in your life that's grown by leaps and bounds in recent days, weeks, months, or years?

My two little kids are doing that recently. I think they have each grown at least a couple of of inches each in the past couple of months. My mom has been in Florida since mid-January. When she comes home I think she is going to find that Eli is now taller than her. It's crazy.

Do you read reviews about a film before deciding if you'll see it? Did you watch The Oscars this year, and if so your thoughts on the program? How many of the Best Picture nominees had you seen prior to the broadcast? (Spotlight, The Martian, The Big Short, The Revenant, Mad Max: Fury Road, Room, and Brooklyn) If you watched The Oscars who gets your award for 'best dressed'?

I never read reviews of movies. Chances are my opinion of a movie is the opposite of any review I read. I haven't seen any of these nominated movies, but I have read both Room and Brooklyn, and loved both. Honestly, I had never even heard of Spotlight. I didn't watch The Oscars so I can't comment on the fashion.

When did you last have overnight houseguests? Give us your top three tips on being a good houseguest.

Dawson has houseguests pretty often, usually his friends from Oklahoma. My actual last houseguest was my brother- and sister-in-law. They are the perfect houseguests. I am not much of an entertainer, so I guess a good houseguest is someone who just wants to relax, eat some good food, and makes themselves feel at home. I want my home to be a place where guests feel as comfortable as if they were at their own home ... wear your comfy clothes, help yourself to the refrigerator, sleep when you want, that sort of thing.

March 2nd is Peanut Butter Lover's Day. Will you be celebrating? If so, would you prefer a home made peanut butter cookie, a Reese's peanut butter cup, an old fashioned peanut butter and jelly sandwich, or shall I just hand you a jar and a tablespoon?

Peanut Butter Lover's Day happens around here pretty often. So, sure, I'll celebrate today! I think it will be with a peanut butter and jelly sandwich ... and chips.

Why is failure important? Or isn't it?

When I think of failure for me, I think of all of the times I get lost when driving. We like to call those little detours "adventures". There have been times when I have seen or experienced some pretty cool things on those adventures. If I hadn't failed, I would not have had those experiences. That translates into the other failures in life. Those failures oftentimes take us on some pretty extraordinary detours, to places we never even knew existed.

Share with us one fun thing on your March calendar.

March is filled with the usual calendar items ... speech therapy, enrichment class, 5k training, doctor appointments, appoints with the accountant, etc. I guess the most fun things on the calendar at this time are the basketball tournaments Brynne has to finish off her season. It has been so much fun watching Brynne's basketball team grow and improve this year. We are hoping for some wins in the tournaments. But, honestly, if they just play as well as they have been, the wins don't even matter.

Insert your own random thought here.

Kyndal is 12 weeks pregnant today. That means she has officially made it through the first trimester! She is starting to show a little bump, and the heart rate of the baby is strong and steady. Today she has her first trimester screening and ultrasound. It's always fun to get a glimpse of the baby.