Superhero

We had a great weekend with friends but before I can share that post I have to post about our superhero!

Logan was named superhero of the month again! So exciting and so proud of him for his kindness! 

He also got a character award in an awards assembly on Friday. Many thanks to my parents for attending and to one of our friends for some great pictures! 

With his teacher assistant, who we adore (his teacher was sick). 

With some happy grandparents! 

Happy boy, proud mama! So lucky to have him at school with me - can't quite explain how special that is. What a fabulous little guy!

Thankful on Thursday

Oh my word, 5 day weeks are just too much! Bring on a blizzard! But I'm thankful we have had a few good snow days this year. 

Um, I accidentally banged into a kid with a stapler today. Gah! Luckily it was a teacher kid, so she was totally cool with it. Soooo thankful for that!

Fairly quiet weekend coming up here. I'll take it! 

My mom having good sub days! 

My dad filling the volunteer duty and having lunch with Logan. 

These crazies! And the hubs too! 

Happy almost Friday!

Parenting 101: Tornado Warning

When phones start screaming at you, then kids start panicking and cats are trying to escape the basement, you give up and do this. 

And you do not win any parenting awards but you do keep your sanity in a situation that is completely out of your control. So, um, winning? 

PS - Aubrey's outfit is yet another awesome one. Because she WILL find a way to wear that sundress in winter, thanks very much. 

I've got...Not a whole lot

Um, warp speed! Can you feel it? 5 day weeks are overrated. There are no cute pictures. My daughter decided to wear paisley leggings with a polka dotted dress and flower print rain boots. I was going to take a picture, but, nada.

We seem to have broken out streak of being sickness free. Logan has a yucky cold and even had a fever with it last night so he spent the day with grandma and pa pa today. So super appreciative of how lucky we are there. 

Disney! Bands came today! Luggage tags! 

Sleep. Maybe if I sleep I will remember to take a picture of some inevitable hold cuteness tomorrow. 

 

Weekend in Review

Friday Night...intense Bingo night at school! 

It was a late night for this bunch! Aubrey hung in there pretty well, but got a little restless at the end. We did win a raffle, so worth it for sure - and fun!

Saturday morning = ballet of course! 

One more class left (I am not a huge fan of these rec center classes but she has enjoyed them so that's all that matters!). 

Saturday afternoon Logan got to go to a party for one of his classmates at the local pottery painting place. So fun! He decided to paint a monster canister.

Saturday night we used our raffle prize - dinner for 4 at Potbelly. The kids had never been and oddly I don't think Peter and I have been since our second date! It was a nice (FREE!) time. 

Today we relaxed, ran errands, and the kids got to go to the pool with grandma and pa pa F to get out of going to the grocery store! There was also some serious Lego building. 

Peter has turned a big corner and we are SO thankful! Because in 27 days, well...Disney! Eeeeek! 

Brace yourselves people, I think we're about to have a 5 day work week. We can do it! I think. 

Thankful on Thursday

This guy having more good days! We had a fun Valentines date night and I'm so glad he puts up with me!

My parents for keeping the kids overnight for that fun date! They really had them for 24 hours so there was time for child free errands, relaxing, and the date!

This kid. He made this this morning while I was working. Love he creativity! He does well with the life of a teacher kid!

The other kid, well, she's just adorable. 

Time with the Bestie! We got to have a fun play date and do some much needed catching up. 

Happy almost Friday!

Snowday Fun

Because, you know, we haven't actually had enough inside time! Today we actually got outside, but yesterday we found a few more things to do inside. 

We did an experiment with fake snow, because we didn't have enough real snow...

We of course drank hot chocolate when we came inside!

And, we made biscuit pizzas for lunch!

We stayed in pjs all day yesterday, because we wear pjs under our winter gear outside. Who doesn't love pjs? 

Today we ran lots and lots of errands, including a Starbucks trip that had been promised for a while, using a gift card I got.

These fabulous children also amused each other without any electronics for 45 minutes while I worked out. Big kids for the win! 

And tomorrow...school! 

Snow Day...Again!

We had another round of snow today! And I busted out the good camera to take some pictures because a wonderful neighbor took care of the little shoveling there would have been.

 

I'm not quite sure what the sad face is there at the end...they were playing on the swing set because they said it was their snow fort. Apparently someone was just about done with the snow at that point!

 

I think we got about 6 inches, but it'll all be gone very quickly with temperatures rising into the fifties tomorrow. But, we still get a day off of school, and there will be no complaints about that!  

 

Thankful on...Friday

Oops! 

- The successful surgery and health of our M! 

- While we're at it we also get to be thankful that B is doing better too!

- Being 35. Living life and just...doing it. 

These are the pants I wore to school today. Valentine's leggings. Because it's "school" Valentine's Day and I teach first grade. Two other teachers had them too. Then a few people were like "I could never wear anything that loud on my lower half." You know what? I am so proud that I wore it and loved it. Because I've also learned that really it's about how *I* feel in my clothes. When I wear yoga pants and a t-shirt to the grocery store I know I'm not trying to win any awards...but I also feel relaxed. Today I felt good (and comfy!). So really, that's all it's about. I'm thankful I'm getting to that point. 

Also, um, someone told me last week that they talked to their therapist about me and how someone could be so happy like me all the time. Um...I just really didn't know what to say. She said it as a compliment, but I was kind of taken aback. She said she's floored that someone could work in the same profession as her, have young kids, and still seem happy all the time. Do you know what her therapist said? "You never know what her life was like before and what it took for her to get there." 

Amen to that. I just laughed and said, "yep!" Because she doesn't need to know my life story, but let us all remember that we never know the path someone has walked to get where they are. 

And I'm thankful for those of you that are on the path with me now and those of you that have been on it with me for 35 years or 24 years. Because wow, that path is some insanity!

Wordless Wednesday: My Buddy

Watching the bro at TKD...love this smile!

Throw Back...Tuesday?

Look what came up on my Timehop today! 

How totally and awesomely appropriate. Love you lady! 

Plus two favorites of the lovelies from three years ago. Now that's wild! 

Courage

Do you know what it means to be brave? It's a word I have to define a lot in first grade and with Logan too. Being brave doesn't mean you aren't afraid...being brave means you are afraid but you do it anyway. 

Tomorrow one of our best friends goes to be brave. To do, I think, one of the bravest things I've ever known someone my age to do. And she's doing it for the second time. She is a rockstar. I mean, she was awesome before she did the big brave things, but now she's like the awesomest awesome. 

So, for her...some reminders. 

We love you dear M! Go kick some butt and do your brave and courageous thing. We couldn't be more proud of you and honored to have you in our lives. Thank you for being a role model for true courage and bravery for all of us. 

 

Love.

Now that is a reason to blog on a Saturday!

Thankful on Thursday

I'm pretty much thankful for all of you reading this. I've been doing this for almost 7 years. Insanity. You guys all have to deal with the random junk that crowds my head and wow, you still read it! Or, come to see cute children. 

My mama for making copies for me today! 

Logan bought lunch for the first time today. I wanted him to try it because occasionally a kid who is a packer forget his lunch, or lunch falls on the ground; and whatever. And kids LOSE THEIR MIND. I am desperately trying to help him be a "go with the flow" kid. Bahaha! So he was ready to give it a try today and was super excited to have pizza. Only they didn't have pizza. Because well, pizza shortage I guess? And the other choices...ick. However, we had prepared for this catastrophe and he was ready with a backup...yogurt. Yes, they serve that as an entree. He had yogurt, banana bread, pears (fresh!), and carrots. And while apparently he was sad at first, by 3:30 when I saw him lunch was "so awesome and when can he buy again?" I love that pretty much everybody in the building knew it was Logan's first day buying lunch and flipped it with me when they realized the choices had changed. Whew, long, sorry! 

I'm thankful for independence. As much as I hate them growing up, both kids came into my room dressed already this morning. Ahem. What? That is kind of awesome and life hanging right there people. 

Leggings are awesome. You should buy LuLaRoe right now, preferably from blog reader Ashley. No joke guys...SO comfy. They feel like butter. I am thankful for pants that feel like butter. 

And my bed. I like that too. 

Happy almost Friday! 

Milestones

Logan got a stripe at Tae Kwon Do! His POWER stripe. Hi-YA! 

And Aubrey read this book. It is pretend reading but it is so adorable. This is precisely how reading develops and why kids who come from homes without a lot of literacy happening come to school already so behind. Looking at pictures, pretending to point to words, knowing that print makes spoken word - that's early literacy. And it is so cool to watch in my own kids! 

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=T5OLJmjbkow

And now I'm done being all teacher-y, until tomorrow. 

Who Me? Tired?

 Hamster wheel time! I mean, that was a nice snowcation and all, but reality is harsh. I mean, in the sense of first world problems along the lines of I'd rather stay in my pjs all day. But I would not rather shovel 28 inches of snow, so there's that to remember. 

But, you know, this: 

There is someone at school who tells me at least once a week I look tired. I wouldn't call her a dear friend, or even sane, because she clearly isn't since she feels like saying this is okay. I look tired? Yep. Probably true. Because yes, my children are older and generally sleep. But I put them to bed tonight at 8 (after Tae Kwon Do, crockpot dinner (thank goodness), books, and showers) worked out until 8:45, did prep for the day tomorrow for the family until 9:15, did my very small volunteer offering of entering the monthly book orders for Logan's class until 9:30, worked on school stuff until 10:45, took a shower, and now at 11:07 I'm writing this lovely note. Someone will likely come into my room in the middle of the night or a cat will start meowing or a husband will snore (love him) or my anxiety will flare, and I will toss and turn. Then I'll get up at 6am. So yes crazy lady...I look tired!  It is life, and I'm used to it and I don't even really notice it until you tell me and I feel bad then. Gah! 

But, you know, I have the most fabulous children ever and get way too excited and take ridiculous pictures like this at the bounce house while they wait in line, because THIS is why tired is okay and I barely notice it: 

I love how in the first one she's gripping onto his hand out of fear, but in the second one he's holding onto her to reassure her. LOVE them. See? Life is pretty wonderful, tired and all.