Thankful on Thursday

- For so very, very many reasons I have never been more thankful it is almost Friday. Such a tough week on so many levels. Peter has been gone all week, I got some wierd food poisoning or something Monday night which made the snow day rough, I had to move my whole classroom, I had a sub 1/2 day today because of appointments (because they couldn't pin down a move day earlier) and the weather has just been icky. Pleeeaaase weekend. Come to me!

- My mama is the best! She has come over every night after dinner to stay with her scardey cat daughter. Helps my anxiety for sure. 

- My classroom is moved! Y'all, it was one of the most bizarre things I have ever done. Who has ever heard of moving your room in the middle of the year? I cannot lie, it sucks. But my parent of course kept the kids after school a couple hours yesterday which helped and today I got a lot done. My brain cannot handle the clutter!

- I had Logan's parent-teacher mid-year conference this morning. Where I learned he is the most fabulous 5 year old ever of course. Love that kid!

- Aubrey was WAY overtired tonight (um, at 6:45). But that made for some extra snuggles from the snuggliest kid, so I handled it. 

- FaceTime. Good stuff. 

HAPPY ALMOST FRIDAY!!!!!

Wednesday Randoms

Serious conversations at the play space. I love these 2 together. 

Who doesn't love random cupcake day? (Ahem - this mama, who couldn't have one. But the kiddos approved!$

Daddy, fixer of all things - including stuffed monkey tails. Surgery was a success!

Snow Day!

So we had our second snow day today! They were nice enough to call it last night. We got 1-2 inches, you could still see grass. But there was some ice under there, so I'm not complaining (not that I would anyway!). 

I woke up and felt awful, my stomach was a mess. Luckily my mama held down the fort for a few hours so I could rest a bit. She even took the lovelies outside! Logan was very serious about shoveling.

She said he really did shovel the whole driveway, he was on a mission (good for him, I would have let it all melt 3 hours later!). 

We watched a movie, played, and luckily I recovered from whatever was ailing me. I got to do carpool line for Logan at school too! 

When he got back in the car he was determined we were going to make a Gingerbread man. They've been reading tons of gingerbread stories at school and apparently today they really talked about the dough. I'm a sucker for wanting to continue learning from school, so off we went! We did indeed make a gingerbread man. 

Whew, he didn't jump out when we opened the oven (a Logan observation). 

I know, it looks like a snowman. I think maybe we weren't supposed to ice him! But he was super cool and very loved. Until they are his head. 

We also made a few Valentines...

And had general crazy fun. Very snow day like. 

But I feel unfinished. I'll take another one soon please! 

Jump Around

Apparently all we do at our house is jump. These are from last weekend. Clearly I like them to get their energy out? 

And apparently I am included in that jumping and regularly jump out of planes because here's the picture Logan drew at school today: 

Yep, that's him skiing and me parachuting. 

For real. Best skis ever. I kind of want to frame this now. 

And um, PS - WOW what a difference a year makes with drawing abilities! Just - wow. 

Adventure Time

Today I decided to take the kids to an indoor playground I had heard about. 

Sometimes I think I've lost my mind. I mean, why? Yes, lots of screaming children! All together! Yay!

But, of course, they loved it. And I was really happy with the place. It really was just like a big playground, with toys thrown in! 

The downside is it was very, very hard to get a clear pic on my phone. But that means lots of fun was had of course. 

Like this - just, well, bouncing. 

And there was a whole little playroom area, with things like we have at home that are much more fun other places!

And, the one toy I really regret not ever getting...

Why yes, I'm still sad we never got a train table. 

Aubrey was super nervous at first. Like, I had to go in everything with her. My climbing skills were tested! But them she got braver (with the help of her brother) and was all about it!

And Logan, well, he loved it. I think he jumped on the trampoline thing for 30 minutes straight. He made some friends and had a blast. This was the closest I came to getting him to stop for one darn second so I could take a picture. 

One good picture did miraculously appear!

It took 45 minutes to get there. Worth it? Absolutely. While I wouldn't do it weekly I can see us going quite a bit this summer. It works well because of their ages. Logan is old enough that he can just go crazy. The place is small enough that he can't get lost. I could just kind of follow Aubrey around. And there's only one entrance and exit for the big climbing structure, so when they were both in there I could just position myself right at the exit. If they had been like 18 months and 3 it would have been impossible with one adult. But almost 3 and 5 was fabulous. 

We finished up the outing with lunch from Chipotle - a successful day for sure!

Whoops...

Um, mommy fail. 

Can you spot it? I'll zoom in...

SERIOUSLY kid? This hole can only mean one thing. 

He's a big kid. I did not know there was a hole because he doesn't need my help putting shoes and socks on. He just does it and bam, it's done, I don't question it. 

Clearly we need a sock intervention here. And how does that happen? See, more proof - he's been the same size long enough to get holes in his socks! Babies grow too fast for that kind of thing.

I register my giant child for kindergarten in 2.5 months. Hold me. 

Thankful on Thursday

- BABY!!! Baby Bestie Jr. is here! She is soooo snuggly. I am so thankful all are well and that I already got to snuggle her (yay for no sickness, I would have been so mad at the germs!). 

- We have another very good friend whose little one is in the hospital. It has been a rough week for her parents and I am so glad she is stable, but want her to be all better! Winter is scary!

- Peter is home, I can return to just normal levels of anxiety now. 

- Surprise 2 hour delay today! Out of nowhere. I mean, have you ever heard of freezing fog? Apparently that's a thing. I'll take it!

- Tomorrow will be day 20 of Whole 30. I cheated by accident when I didn't realize there was bread in this egg thing, but life goes on. Everyday I say I'm going to quit, but that seems silly when I'm at Day 20! I haven't seen the skin results I was hoping for, but it has been an awesome reset for my habits. 

Happy almost Friday!

Cultured

We are oh so fancy around these parts. Logan went to see his third play yesterday - Little Mermaid, Peter Pan, and now, Aladdin! 

They've all been youth theater productions, but they are so good! There is one company around here, Pied Piper, that does an incredible job. One of the teachers on my team who I've worked with for 10 years has a 16 year old who has now been in 15 of their shows. This one was special - it wasn't just in a local high school, it was in a University Auditorium, all fancy like! 

At first Aubrey was going to go and I recruited Grandma F to go too, just incase. But, Aubrey started panicking about it a few days before and decided to stay with daddy. 

Logan however, was quite content to have us both to himself! 

And here he is with the actress we knew - the Flying Carpet!

He was so adorable cute the whole time. It was one of those moments where I was blown away by how big he is. He noticed every little thing and was a perfect audience member. He's ready for the next show!

Though, not ready for the stage "I would be way nervous" he said. He'll stick with swimming and soccer, thank you very much. 

Winter Wonderland

This is really what winter looks like. Forget snow. Indoor play because of rain and cold results in this:

I mean, really. Because pulling it all out at once is really the only way, right? 

Then apparently I went crazy and we did playdoh. 

Then we really did go crazy and take THE gate down. The one that's been up for 3 years, sealing our children into the back of the house. It's gone. 

Yep. Winter has clearly driven us mad. They are now free to roam. When they ask nicely of course. 

(PS - don't worry, gate will still go up for little visitors and dogs. We know some corralig is a very, very good thing. Especially if parents want to actually talk during play dates with children under 3.)

 

Thankful on Thursday

- I'm so thankful that my dad watched Aubrey yesterday so I could go to school with Logan. 

- Um, yet again I'm thankful Peter and I can switch off duty at night. Sleep here SUCKS lately.

- Surprise snow days!

- Aubrey's long stories. That girl could just keep going forever. I adore her little voice!

- For January/February I get jeans FOUR days a week (3 with designated t-shirts). 

- Monkey salad: banana, cashews, and coconut. Guys, the truth is I hate eggs. I mean, without cheese. So I'm glad I found something that tastes good in the mornings. 

- Whole 30 Day 12 done!

- I am thankful that Pico is listening to her mama already (shout-out to my favorite 9 months pregnant bestie. I can't wait to get some newborn snuggles!). 

Happy almost Friday!

Wordless Wednesday: Messy Superheros

Oh good grief, mommy fail, these were clearly taken after dinner…but, superpowers are on!

PS – SNOW DAY TODAY! With um…1/10 of an inch of snow. So I got to go to Logan’s school for the afternoon and Aubrey stayed with Pa Pa. It was fabulous!

Blast From the Past

Occasionally a picture pops up and I just can't believe how fast time goes. These are almost exactly 2 years ago. Remember these little faces?

I mean, oh my goodness. My itty bitty babies! 

We have DEAR time everyday at school. Everybody has to read, including teachers. It works best for me to read non-fiction because I save my stories for bedtime, and I can't be trusted to remember to take a book back and forth.  I've been reading Hands Free Mama. At first I liked it. Yep, makes sense! Spend time with children! I'm on it! 

And then it got a little holier than thou for me. Like every single moment of breath I had to be ON. I'm not perfect. I mean, she wants me to not zone out in the car or listen to my music. If you've been in my car you know my kids can jam with the best of them. And you know what? I'd like to think that's a pretty good memory. Even if we aren't having an indepth discussion. Which we also do, because my child also asked how babies get OUT of your stomach while in the car. Car conversations may be overrated! 

But try so hard to be present and take it all in. I hate not quite remembering. I can't exactly remember what their little newborn cry sounded like. But I do remember their soft little heads. 

Oh, you know me. Rambling about time going to fast and hoping I'm seizing it all enough. We do the best we can. 

And wow, I hope that's enough. 

January Goal

 I thought that instead of big goals for the year is have a little micro-goal each month. 

This months is no small feat. I'm doing Whole 30. If you don't know what it is you can google, but it's basically no grains, no legumes, no dairy, no alcohol, and no added sugar (including artificial sweeteners and even natural things like honey or agave). It's a barrel of fun up here I tell ya! You do it for 30 days. 

No, actually, it's been pretty good! I'm finishing day 9. My only cheat so far has been diet soda, for caffeine. Yes, I realize that's a cheat. And technically the rules day I have to start over. But um, I am not in a competition where I have to follow things to the nth degree or else. Since I don't drink coffee and my child is not sleeping - I had soda. Life went on. For me it's a lot better than cheating with ice cream or pizza, or even a stray Goldfiah cracker. 

I'm doing this to try to help with my asthma and eczema, and my skin in general. I'm curious f I can find a trigger. But also because - we eat a lot of crap. I don't mean donuts and takeout every night, but just a lot of stuff that's well...from the middle of the grocery store. And I'd like to steer away from so much processed stuff. So, for 30 days? I've got this! I shall be a pioneer in my little family! It doesn't mean I'm never having it again. It means I'm opening my eyes to what else is out there and seeing that life does go on without cheese. Kind of. 

Already the kids are eating more veggies, so, win! And everyone has eaten most of their dinner meals just like mine, more winning! 

I started January 4. So I should be done February 2. I'll be back to report!

Weekend Update

Nothing fun, like Saturday Night Live. We did...nothing. And it was pretty much fantastic.

Well, we did do something. I went out for girls night on Friday and Peter had a guys night Saturday. I can say we both needed it and were quite happy to have a chance to relax. And, we each got a night of bedtime duty alone, all was fair! 

Yesterday was COLD. I did drag the kids to the grocery store. I mean, it was sunny, so that helped. But still. Cold. 

Today was still cold in the morning but the littles (and me) were getting stir crazy, so we ventured to ge most exciting place on earth. The mall play space. 

Aubrey hugged this bird for like 37 minutes. 

Them she was appalled when Logan wanted to hug the bird. 

Logan just wanted to jump off This very important UVA looking building. As he has done since he was 3. 

Them they ride in one is the little cars and they LET ME PUT MONEY IN. This doesn't happen often with my scardies. I love how Aubrey is holding on to him (and it is super loud!). 

Aubrey's bravery knows no limits. She rode an airplane too. 

She has a wicked cough. Like, ugh. No nap for her at all today because she literally couldn't stop coughing. She won't cough for 3 hours then bam - no stop for 30 minutes. Good times!

And now we are having one of those great nights where the weather is doing the unknown. Fingers crossed for a 5am text! Closed? Delayed? I'll take what I can get!

Thankful on Thursday

- Two hour delays. Three in a row! Tomorrow too! I absolutely love working part time. It suits me very well. 

- My principal. I am so lucky to have both am AP and Principal this year who really respect us as teachers and also understand we are people too. I mean, I still panic when she walks in my room, because she's the boss, but, that's me. 

- I'm so glad I have someone to share Aubrey's nighttime coughing fits with. I am not cut out to do it alone!

- Jeans FOUR days this week. Awesome.

- Logan's vocabulary. The kid totally blows me away sometimes. And now he's got Aubrey saying things like, "this is a disaster!"

- Baby snuggles. Amid all the coughing, there are still snuggles. 

- Girls Night Out!!!

Happy almost Friday!

Bad Choice!

I talk a lot in my classroom about poor choices. Kids are not "bad" but they sometimes make poor choices. This morning? Someone made a bad choice. 

It snowed. And no, it was not a blizzard. It was really very little, 2-3 inches or so. But wow, it fell fast and it was super cold, and roads were not treated. It all stuck and it hit right at rush hour. Just as predicted. People who grew up in PA and western NY were saying it wasn't good snow to drive in - because it froze.  

**I got 2 paragraphs into this last night when Aubrey's coughing started and I had to abandon it. Let's try again!**

I literally opened my garage and said, "This isn't a good decision." When my road is covered? We shouldn't be going to school. 

Bare in mind, we do not have the equipment other places have to deal with this. We just - can't. We also have insane traffic on a good day. Plus a huge county and 90,000 kids. 

It was BAD. 12 bus accidents. 18 others stuck and blocking traffic. Kids waiting hours outside. At some schools half their staff couldn't get in. Crazy. 

So. We came home after a long, crazy day and had hot chocolate. Well, the kids did. 

All the major school systems have since issued huge apologies. So, yeah. Hopefully there will be no more "poor choices" this winter! 

**Bonus: Wednesday and Thursday we got a 2 hour delay for cold. So sorry for everyone who has to battle it at 6am, especially M on the Metro! We will be thinking about you!**

All Good Things

Must come to an end. But I don't wanna go back to work! Think I can throw a temper tantrum and stay home?!?! I want to love in vacationland forever - which wouldn't be realistic even if I didn't work because then I'dhave to do all the STUFF. I've learned that from summers. 

Anyway, a few randoms from break...

Kind of blurry, but for real. She thinks she is an actual princess in this dress. Because princesses sit on counters to help cook!

I don't know how it happened but one day (after the Building museum morning actually) Logan fell asleep on me. Ah. Love. 

Superhero capes in full effect. One of my favorite presents we have them this year (they have an L and A on them and have mathig eye masks!). Love me some Etsy. 

Another favorite - marble run was a big hit!

And we played outside I the cold so much - because we know I hate staying inside the house! 

So that's that. 2 long weeks were so short! Here's to lots of snow days and summer getting here fast!