In February...

We shared our round of sick days and busy days. Thankfully it’s not a one man show operating the life on Alice Ave. Rather it’s been more of a partnership which has been life saving. It will be nice to know that life will chill after spring break and hopefully we will all recover! 

You guys are growing and keeping me in the kitchen for 2 hours a night. This month you are still interested in friends more than each other, but have done a great job acting like little angels when you are waiting with me at school! Thank you. I get it though, life is more fun with friends...but it’s also great to just plop down and enjoy not much of anything too! (Just enjoy someone sitting and cuddling...which has happened a lot this month) 

Family Valentine’s night minute to win it challenge. Let’s just say you handled your sister beating you very well Jacob. Her smiled beamed across the whole room. 

Even though Dad went to the store to pick up healthy stuff...he still managed to bring the sugar too. Stupid donuts. My mouth must be bigger now, because I swear these things got stuck in the roof of my mouth every Sunday morning before church growing up! 

In between sicknesses I still managed to get out of the house and expose you to the rest of the world! 

You were inspired to have dance parties in your room on your skates with an added bonus of ribbons...taking after cousin Shelby? 

A snow day, a box and a couple of friends. I survived! 

The coloring gifts from Christmas is getting the most revisited attention (I hope it will come in handy on the beach too)

And after a round of recreational basketball...this sport is getting the most attention from you. In fact there is even talk about getting you on a third grade boys basketball team! I think I’m ready for this. I can’t remember what age I was when my dad would take me all over west county to play and practice at an elementary school once a night. Looking back, I think basketball was my favorite sport. I think it would be a good fit for you because you have already confirmed baseball is too boring! 

Your dad enjoyed basketball too. It’s the sport that brought us together and is fun to watch you do so well at such an early age. 

February flew by. For the most part it was filled with love and constant reminders to be kind. Seeing you at school on a daily basis has been a treat. Watching other students show kindness melts my heart, but  when I see you show kindness or simply answering me right away...well, that just takes my breath away! 

Here’s to the little guy that gives me a side hug when I see him in the hallway...not sure how long that will last, but someone knew I needed to be at Hansen for 5 weeks this year. I couldn’t agree more! 

In january

Just looking back to the start of our year, and it seems like forever ago! 

January was crazy and it went fast! New year, birthday celebrations, ear infections, Super Bowl, Kindergarten bible, surgery and visits from Pa and grandma will be one that we won’t forget. 

Once again you two were spoiled. But hopefully you learned something by being so loved! 

Half finished coffee and a cold beer at night

My days of cold coffee and warm beer are on a little vacation right now. Currently life is more like a half finished mug of coffee left on the bathroom sink, and a cold draft beer halfway finished on the way up from downstairs. 

I sure hope I appreciated those days at home when I wasn’t rushing off to school for a meeting or staying late to get some planning done. 

After two weeks in on the job I haven’t been able to complete a whole week! Snow days and sickness have slowed things down for a bit, which is just fine. Your dad has really had to do extra duty with extra laundry in the middle of the night or a kid duty for two kids who weren’t  quite ready to go back to school. 

On the brighter side, I get to check in with you when I have recess duty and hear a “Hi mom” when I see you in the hall. 

Tough Julia

On Tuesday we made it to the pre-op party just in time to check out the facilities where you will be having your procedure on Friday. I think we all left there feeling pretty good about what was going to happen. However, I don’t think any of us left knowing anything about what recovery would be like. If we did, I’m pretty sure one of us would not have gone back. 

I wasn’t prepared for the extended wait in the morning prior to surgery. I wish I Would have brought books to read to you because you aren't really a fan of Disney (another reason not to take you there) or pbs cartoons. Luckily we found the Animal Planet station and you were distracted by the dog shows!  Well over an hour after you were admitted, they were ready for both of us to walk back to the room. Not sure I was ready for that either. They gave you some gas and 5 knock knock jokes later they were ready to get to work. I barely had time to get comfortable in my seat before they said you were all finished and in post op! 

The doctor talked to us longer than the procedure and we thought for sure he only put tubes in. 

You handled everything so well. You did it with a smile. Then...that I don’t feel so good moment came and we just had to slow down the recovery pace and get some things out of the way. Thank goodness you are good about making sure you have a container to do it in. 

You were a champ...in every single way! You took your medicine, told them you preferred your privacy and figured out how to get the show moving! 

You later told me you really felt like a three but she said when I feel like a 2 I get to go home! Home sweet home. Thank you for being so tough and for tugging at my heart strings so we could get Pa and Grandma up here for some TLC. 

100th day

How could I keep you from the day of school that you have been looking forward to all year long? Thank goodness we were able to move your procedure to Friday, because I’m pretty sure you will remember this day of school more than any other 2300 days of school! 

The eve before this monumental day, you decided to wish you had a shirt for the hundredth day! Thank goodness I waited for you to help me in the morning with drawing the 100 on there because you knew just what you wanted. Dad even made it extra smooth by letting you iron it! You also decided a bun with baby powder would be the perfect statement with a bathrobe and dad’s reading glasses!

How did we get all of this done and catch the bus? That is because you will get out of bed for snowdays and special days! I hope surgery days are the same. 

So glad you have this memory. So thankful you know your numbers and have some sense to them!

Even though you only had a few strands of licorice to eat while counting them at home, you were set on bringing 100 pieces of licorice to school. Not sure why? I couldn’t even talk you into saving $3 and bringing something from home that we already had!  So instead of a $3 expense I had to buy another bag! If I’m lucky I can  tuck these away for the road trip to Florida! 

Happy 100th day. I can’t count the number of times you thanked us for making it possible! It was done with the cutest smile and a heart full of appreciation.