Mid-winter break!

Confession:  I have not worked a full 5-day week since mid-December.

From the beginning of January to the beginning of February, I had 6 snow/cold days off of work, no students on Martin Luther King Jr. day and no students on Records Day (coincidentally on our anniversary this year).

So, where as normally our mid-winter break is a much anticipated four day weekend, this year it was just another couple of days off.  Don't get me wrong!  I'm not complaining.  It just didn't feel as special as it usually does come 6th hour on the last day before break.

But, no worries.  I made sure to plan some really fun and exciting activities with the boys.  Specifically Sean this break.  With Evan on the mend from a cold and then a stomach bug, he stayed home all weekend long and just enjoyed being able to play.  He was spoiled with "Mickey cookies" and Elmo videos, much to his heart's desire.

Sean, on the other hand, was go, go, go!  We started with soccer class on Saturday morning.

He started off real strong, scoring some goals and running after his crazy coach.  But, after they sat in the circle, he was content on just "hanging out".  Translation:  It took multiple trips to the middle of the field for me to bribe, beg, and plead with him to stand up and do what the other kids were doing.  If anything, I feared he would get hurt sitting on the ground while everyone was running and kicking soccer balls around him.

I guess all it really took was him getting to play the "alien in outer space" with the hula hoop.  I guess that's the kind of mood he was in.

A quick stop for lunch and we were off to Gabby's (a friend from school) birthday party at Jungle Java.  I was a little worried that we had to park in the back of the building where the employees probably park.  This place has a tendency to be packed and completely overwhelming.  More so to parents, I think.  But, surprisingly, the full parking lot must have been for the gym next door.

Sean was quite the popular guy at the party.  In fact, he was the only "guy" at the party, but all his little girl friends ran around with him and made him feel quite at home with Doc Mcstuffins cupcakes and princess tiaras.  What a trooper!

Sunday was the day I was worried about the most.  Sean's first ski lesson in ski school.  Did we make the right decision to sign him up at such a young age?  Was a 3 hour lesson too long?  We could only wait and see.

A little unsure of walking in the "heavy" boots, he managed to pose long enough with his skis before parking it on the snow until his class started.

At first it was only him and his buddy, Peyton.  But, 3 other little ones joined in last minute to the lesson.  Five 3 year olds all born in October and 2 instructors.  You do the math.  Chaos.

There he is at the bottom of the hill on the right.

I was shocked that after maybe 15 minutes of getting used to their skis, they were on the "magic carpet" and going down the hill.  And he did it!  Multiple times!  I met up with him about two hours into the lesson as they were going in for hot chocolate and he had reached his limit.  I gave him a big hug, took off his gear, handed him some peanut-butter crackers, and we were on our way.  He told me his favorite part was riding up the "magic carpet" and that next time, he wants me to ski with him.  No problem, buddy!

The rest of our weekend was spent relaxing at home, grocery shopping without kids (oh.my.gosh!), watching the Olympics, and washing piles of laundry.  Scott and I were even able to watch two movies and get caught up on the DVR!  And now we're back to the grind of work with no break in sight until end of April.  And...a dreaded 5 day work week!

In the meantime, we'll just have to load up our weekends with exciting plans like Scott's birthday this upcoming weekend and a night out!  Then we have our overnight trip to the Great Wolf Lodge in a little over two weeks!  Plus, a 40 degree day today really helped cheer us up!  We actually got outside, played in the snow, and took Bailey for a walk.

Spring is getting close....

Valentine's Day with my loves...

Happy Valentine's Day!!

Sean was waiting for this day all week with bated breath.  It was his Valentine's Day party at school and I was lucky enough to have started mid-winter break that morning so that I could come and sneak in on some of the fun in both of their classrooms.

It sort of reminds me of Halloween.  They come home and can't wait to tear into their bags to see all the cards and trinkets that their classmates gave them.  This year, both boys made out like bandits.  From bubbles and tattoos to puzzles and pencils, they are loaded.  As much as it's difficult on the parents to not be allowed to pass out Valentine's that include treats, it's nice on the receiving end to not have to start World War III over what they can and cannot consume in one day.

The boys were spoiled by mommy and daddy as well.  A new Thomas the Train for Sean and an Elmo book for Evan.

Love was in the air in the "F" household yesterday!  Heart shaped pasta for dinner with homemade garlic bread, snuggles, dancing, and belting out tunes from the Frozen track, my Valentine's Day was complete.

Our February Frenzy!

For most people the winter is a time of solitude.  Staying inside, keeping warm, and reading a good book.  Or something like that.

For us, this month is always crazy busy.  Partially because Scott coaches two middle school basketball teams and their playoffs are one week straight with games every night.  Partially because Scott's birthday and Valentine's Day occur during February.  So, add in making 25 preschool Valentine's, 15 toddler Valentine's, 4 teacher gifts, and gifts for the boys.  Plus, birthday shopping for Scott during some of the coldest days we've had in several winters.  And that's just the start.

We managed to survive from just before Christmas through the entire month of January germ-free.  Seriously.  This is huge for us.  No doctor's visits (except for Evan's vaccines).  No prescriptions.  No ear infections.

Until January 31st when I noticed drainage coming out of Evan's right ear.  Apparently, that's the new sign that he has an ear infection, no thanks to his ear tubes.  Luckily, he only needs prescription ear drops instead of an antibiotic.  And we have those on stock, so should I notice this drainage again, I can avoid a doctor's appointment.  And of course, just when I'm feeling like we might get through this winter without any other major illnesses, Evan gets some random stomach bug this weekend.  It's either a stomach virus or we're getting payback for using Kroger brand soy milk instead of his usual Silk brand.  Washing loads upon loads of laundry and mopping the floor have made for an extra long weekend.

But, on the positive side, Sean started his first class of indoor soccer!  With Scott coaching, I was on my own taking both boys (including Evan who was sick with the stomach bug) to this huge sporting complex, but we survived.

Sean was a little hesitant at first to get started.  Especially since I didn't get to participate.  But, once coach John started running around with him, he was totally engrossed in it!  He ran over a few times for a water break, for a high-five, and to ask if he was done yet.  But, he looked like he was really enjoying himself!  And lucky for me, Evan was content just watching his big brother and watching Elmo on my phone.

Impossible lighting and juggling an umbrella stroller, winter coats, and a toddler holding my new phone made for some crappy pictures, but this one with the smile on his face is by far my favorite!  I can't wait for Scott to be able to see him play in a few weeks when basketball is done.

This week starts playoffs for Scott, evenings on my own with the kids, a day off of work on Friday for me (thanks mid-winter break!), the kids' Valentine's party at daycare, and a weekend full of activities.  Sean's soccer class and a birthday party at Jungle Java for a friend of his at preschool on Saturday and his first time attempting to ski on Sunday at Mt. Brighton.  So many firsts this winter for Sean!!

A midst all this February fun, we are also stoked to have booked a one-night get-away at the Great Wolf Lodge in Sandusky in March with Scott's family.  Considering how much fun we had last year at Zhender's, I'm loving this new tradition of going to a new water park in the winter each year.  Also, we are about to book flights for a week in June to take the boys out to Portland to see my brother and sister-in-law.  Scott opted to stay home to work on some home projects (or to have an excuse to have a week completely to himself).  So, my parents are going to come with me and the boys.  We are so excited!

At least the one benefit to being so busy this month is that it's kept our minds off this miserably cold weather.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Wordless Wednesday

My boys today after school...

My Pitbull Pup!

Miss Bailey Boo turned 7 today!!  Hard to believe our boo berry is 7 years old.

In true doggie birthday fashion, we forced her to wear her pink birthday hat like every year.  I rushed home from work, quickly picked up a #7 candle, some yellow cake mix, and a tub of chocolate frosting (for the kids of course).  Two hours later, we were ready to sing Bailey happy birthday!

Since our four-legged friend can't blow out a candle, Sean gladly stepped up to do the honor.

Ahhh I love puffy-cheeked, candle-blowing, birthday faces!  Sean licked the chocolate frosting off his cupcake, Evan smashed his and then devoured most of it, and Bailey scarfed down her peanut-butter frosted cupcake with a dog treat on top in one bite.  That's our girl!

Yes, we celebrate our dog's birthday with hats, cupcakes, and singing.  Don't you??

Happy birthday, Bailey!!! xoxoxo

Life keeps on moving!

Despite the 30" of snowfall this month (did I mention that breaks a Michigan record for snowfall in January?) and despite the "polar vortex" we've been living in with windchills as low as -25, we've still managed to get out.  If I mentioned cabin fever in my last post, it's even worse now.  They're already predicting two days of school cancellations this week.  So, we've bundled up with numerous layers and braved the snow-covered, icy roads for our own sanity.

Take this morning, for example.  The roads were horrible and the snow just keeps falling, but Sean and I escaped to meet up with my sister-in-law and her family to take the kids ice skating for the first time!

While we only lasted a few times around the rink, most of which was me holding up the weight of Sean's entire body as he glided on the ice in front of me, I'm still thrilled he was brave enough to get out there and try something that was a passion of mine for years!

The trick will be getting him to go back and try it again.  I figure if I can con Sydney into going, then Sean will probably follow.  And man, did she take off!  Skating on her own!

Sean has a busy schedule starting next month when he begins indoor soccer.  He's old enough to be in a class with 3-4 year olds without any parental involvement.  It's just him, a few other kids, and a teacher.  We've been pumping it up at home and practicing a bit with the soccer ball, but I'm curious to see how he'll do.  He hasn't shown much interest in sports at home yet, so it's been hard to tell whether he'll thrive and enjoy something like soccer.  Not to mention it's an 8 week commitment.  His track record has been 50/50.  Loved swim class, hated gymnastics.

He'd much rather spend his time doing puzzles, building monster trucks on the iPad, and using his imagination to play with empty 18-gallon bins lined up as a train.  I mean, come on.  Didn't you know that Huggies boxes can be used to fly an airplane using the flaps as the wings?  That's my Sean.

Evan, on the other hand, seems very interested in sports.  The kid runs around the house.  Yes, runs.  He has to have a ball with him all the time and he's got quite the arm on him already.  So many people have commented on how well he can throw overhand at his age.  I can tell Scott is grinning on the inside about his potential in sports.  Just yesterday we spent at least 30 minutes at Detroit Kid City in the back throwing soft plush balls back and forth.  I didn't think we'd get to see the other parts of DKC, but he managed to find some time to make a pizza and ice cream.

We are thrilled that he's finally starting to talk!  While it was just "dada" for a long time, he's finally saying, "mama", "doggie", "duck", "please", "thank you", "bye-bye", "hello", "nose", "bubble", "up", "more", "vacuum", "ball", and a few other words.  Some of them are crystal clear.  Others are his interpretation of the word.  Take "ball" for example.  He says, "dalllllllllllllllllll".  It's not perfect, but I try and keep it in to perspective that a month ago he was hardly saying anything.  We've been enjoying working on the words with him and showing him picture books to help him learn.  He can point to certain body parts like nose, eyes, ears, hair, and tummy.  He can sign words like more and please.  He will do things that you ask him to do.  He's learning and growing so much every day.

Making heart shaped stamps with a toilet paper roll.

With only five days remaining in January, I'm excited to report that the boys have only had colds this month.  No ear infections with Evan!  Can you believe it?  Are the tubes working??  I'm thrilled.  2014 is definitely off to a strong start on many levels.

And of course, one of my favorite winter outings is the bowling fundraiser our school district puts on.  The organization helps give grants to students and teachers in our district.  In fact, I was just awarded a $1,400 grant to purchase two touchscreen laptops for my classroom to use with my projector and document camera.  I cannot wait to enhance my lessons with this new technology.  That being said, I joined a team with 5 other co-workers, we named ourselves, "Livin on a spare", and decked ourselves out in 80's attire to win best costume and 2nd best team name!

I had a blast last night!  It's always fun to interact with your co-workers outside of work.  They definitely know how to have a good time!

This week we'll be celebrating Bailey's 7th birthday (how is she seriously 7 already?!) with peanut butter cupcakes, we'll be taking the boys to Elmo Live, and I'll hopefully be taking Sean skiing over the weekend for the first time!  Here's to keeping busy and staying healthy!!

Snowed in!

Snowpocalypse 2014?!  That's what we were welcomed back with as we returned from our Caribbean escape over New Year's.  We literally landed in a blizzard with zero visibility.  Sounds like a fun flight, right?

With the foot and a half of snow that's fallen over the past two weeks and three snow days in a row, it's easy to feel like Jack Nicholson in The Shining.  Cabin fever, anyone?

So, it was only fitting that the Ice Festival coincided with all this snowfall.  We managed to put a million layers on the kids and go out for an hour in the evening to get some fresh air and take in the sights.

Aside from this outing, mandatory trips to the grocery store, work, daycare, and the gas station, we've tried to stay home, stay healthy, and stay warm.  Translation:  I consulted Pinterest for winter crafts and made the most of our staycation.

First up:  Snowflake paintings using Painter's tape in the shape of a snowflake and blue paint.  Pull off the tape afterwards and there's a beautiful white snowflake!

Next:  We brought in snow from outside in a huge Rubbermaid 18 gallon bin and let the kids play inside with towels around it, gloves, and squeeze bottles filled with water and food coloring so they could "paint" the snow!  It was so much fun and kept Sean entertained for over an hour.  Take that temps in the negative with wind chill!

A little lounging on the couch and watching Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and Planes!

Finally, a snowman made out of mini-marshmallows, pretzels, chocolate chips, graham crackers, and cheese.  Evan was along for the snacking and Sean did the crafting.

With more horrifically cold temps on the way this week and February around the corner, it's time to break out the Valentine's crafts, projects, and daycare treats to keep us busy.  Fingers crossed we have a mild enough weekend with snow still on the ground to take Sean skiing once at Mt. Brighton and ice skating downtown in Detroit.

In the meantime, we're staying inside and bracing ourselves for these chilly temps.  Stay warm everyone!