Today I'm thankful for...
1. Temps above freezing and the sound of snow melting. For a few hours this afternoon the sun was warm enough to melt the snow off the roofs, sidewalks, streets, and everywhere else. It was music to my ears to hear the drip, drip, drip of melting snow! I saw the wood floor of my balcony out back for the first time in over a week. On our way to the bus stop to get Lillian after school I noticed that the snow pile on the edge of the sidewalk is taller than Liam! Temps are supposed to hit 60 later this week. Hopefully that will do a doozy on the snow. It's pretty and all when it's freshly fallen and there's a magical white blanket coating everything with a sparkly shimmer.....but in my opinion there is nothing magical about this much snow. Nothing.
2. Play dates. Sydney spent ALL DAY at a friend's house across the street. For nearly six hours, her friend's mom said they played so well together and had a great time. I missed her, but I was able to get so much done while Liam napped in the afternoon! I'm so glad we have awesome neighbors who are friends with my kids.
3. My clean desk. All the clutter and paper piles have been removed (or relocated). I am now ready to tackle our 2013 taxes. Hooray for me.
4. The 2 hour school delay this morning. We got more snow last night. I was not so excited about that, but it was nice to have more time to get up and going before Lillian had to be out the door for school. I stayed up WAY too late last night watching the Olympics, then I got sucked into watching Jimmy Fallon's first night as host of The Tonight Show. I'll admit that is was more U2 than Fallon that kept me watching, and it was mostly worth it, but I wouldn't be able to sustain and nightly ritual of watching The Tonight Show...do people really stay up that late every night?? Ha, listen to me...I'm looking at the clock and it's midnight. Time for me to get my beauty rest.
Wednesday, February 19, 2014
Monday, February 17, 2014
Grateful Despite the Snow
Today I'm thankful for...
1. The Olympics. They are so fun to watch! And it gives me something to do while I fold laundry at night. :)
2. Cousins! My mother-in-law and sister-in-law came to visit with her five kids this afternoon. It was fun to watch all the kids play together. I'm grateful that we live close enough to family for frequent visits and that our family takes time out of their busy schedules to spend time with us. Can't wait til we live even closer to them.
3. Calls from Bobby. He called four times today- every time he had a break between cases or was getting into his car to go somewhere. I know he's thinking about us during the day and I'm glad he takes the time to check in and see how we're doing. He's been away for the past six weeks and we only get to see him on weekends. It's hard for everybody, but he's helping to keep us connected across the distance.
4. My children's smiles. It warms my heart every time to see their faces light up with a great big grin. I never get tired of it.
1. The Olympics. They are so fun to watch! And it gives me something to do while I fold laundry at night. :)
2. Cousins! My mother-in-law and sister-in-law came to visit with her five kids this afternoon. It was fun to watch all the kids play together. I'm grateful that we live close enough to family for frequent visits and that our family takes time out of their busy schedules to spend time with us. Can't wait til we live even closer to them.
3. Calls from Bobby. He called four times today- every time he had a break between cases or was getting into his car to go somewhere. I know he's thinking about us during the day and I'm glad he takes the time to check in and see how we're doing. He's been away for the past six weeks and we only get to see him on weekends. It's hard for everybody, but he's helping to keep us connected across the distance.
4. My children's smiles. It warms my heart every time to see their faces light up with a great big grin. I never get tired of it.
Thursday, December 5, 2013
Thankful Thursday
Today I'm thankful for . . .
1. The opportunity to pay it forward. Last night a friend of mine did me a huge favor by coming over after the kids were asleep so I could go grocery shopping. Bobby has been working nights, I babysit 2 little girls during the day, and everyone got sick over the past week. It's been hard to get out and do the essentials- like buy milk and bread. It was so helpful to be able to get out for 45 minutes on my own. I was very grateful for her time and service.
Today I had the opportunity to help out another neighbor. She has two kids, a 5-year old girl S and a 2 year-old little boy E. Our kids are friends. She is currently in school for Occupational Therapy and she's in the middle of finals week. She texted me in a panic this morning because her babysitter fell through at the last minute and she needed to study for a practical exam in the afternoon. Could I watch her 2 year-old for a couple of hours so she could study, she asked. I had been planning on running a few errands in the morning, but after I had been helped in my time of need last night, I didn't feel right saying, "I wish I could help, but I'm busy. Sorry." I told her to bring E over for as long as she needed. I can't describe the look of relief on her face when she dropped him off. It reminded me of my own grad school experience and how stressful it was, especially during finals. There were times when all I could think about was studying, eating, or sleeping. It was hard enough, and that was before we had any kids. I can't imagine being in school now with little people who need my time and attention. I commend my friend for her efforts; she is doing a very hard thing.
I decided to take it a step further and I doubled the recipe for chili and cornbread that I was making for dinner. Bobby dropped off the extra batch for her and her family, and she later texted me, "Oh my gosh Amanda, thank you so much!! You probably felt that I'm not cooking anymore lately!! Thank you, this is so much, thank you!" I'm glad I was able to lift that burden for her. Service is good medicine.
2. My guardian angel. I definitely had one watching over me tonight. Our schedule got kind of crazy around 5 pm. The girls had a birthday party to go to and a rehearsal at church for the Christmas pageant tomorrow night. I was running way behind for everything, and when I was parking on the street for the birthday party I nearly took out the rear headlight on a sign post. I didn't even see it behind me until it was right next to me- literally centimeters from the side of the van. I don't know how I missed it, but I'm glad I did.
Later, when we were running [late] to get to the church, Sydney started complaining that she was hungry. I explained to her that was because she refused to eat anything at the birthday party and I hadn't packed any snacks so I couldn't do anything about it to help her. Then, in a moment of compassion, I realized that we would be driving right by the house in order to pick up 2 youth on the way to church. I told Sydney that I would run into the house to grab something for her to eat. As soon as I opened the door and stepped inside I smelled gas. I ran into the kitchen and saw that the front burner, the one with the pot of chili on it, was turned to the HI position. There were no flames, just gas coming out. It had probably been like that for about an hour- if it happened right before Bobby left, which I suspect it did- I think he bumped it on his way out the kitchen door to get to his car that was parked in the back. In any case, I quickly turned it off and opened the window to air out the room. If I hadn't gone into the house, it would've been another two hours at least until I would have returned home. I can't imagine how dangerous that would've been. Someone was definitely looking out for us.
3. Liam's ABC's. He sings the song over and over and it just gets cuter and cuter. At the end he says, "Now I know my EFG's, next time won't you sing with me!" I can't bring myself to correct him.
4. Sticky notes. Bobby could tell that I was in a bit of a rush and a funk when I herded everyone out the door this evening. When we got home Lillian and I found sticky notes all over the bathroom mirror. Bobby wrote a little note to each one of us. It brightened up my night. He's a sweet guy.
1. The opportunity to pay it forward. Last night a friend of mine did me a huge favor by coming over after the kids were asleep so I could go grocery shopping. Bobby has been working nights, I babysit 2 little girls during the day, and everyone got sick over the past week. It's been hard to get out and do the essentials- like buy milk and bread. It was so helpful to be able to get out for 45 minutes on my own. I was very grateful for her time and service.
Today I had the opportunity to help out another neighbor. She has two kids, a 5-year old girl S and a 2 year-old little boy E. Our kids are friends. She is currently in school for Occupational Therapy and she's in the middle of finals week. She texted me in a panic this morning because her babysitter fell through at the last minute and she needed to study for a practical exam in the afternoon. Could I watch her 2 year-old for a couple of hours so she could study, she asked. I had been planning on running a few errands in the morning, but after I had been helped in my time of need last night, I didn't feel right saying, "I wish I could help, but I'm busy. Sorry." I told her to bring E over for as long as she needed. I can't describe the look of relief on her face when she dropped him off. It reminded me of my own grad school experience and how stressful it was, especially during finals. There were times when all I could think about was studying, eating, or sleeping. It was hard enough, and that was before we had any kids. I can't imagine being in school now with little people who need my time and attention. I commend my friend for her efforts; she is doing a very hard thing.
I decided to take it a step further and I doubled the recipe for chili and cornbread that I was making for dinner. Bobby dropped off the extra batch for her and her family, and she later texted me, "Oh my gosh Amanda, thank you so much!! You probably felt that I'm not cooking anymore lately!! Thank you, this is so much, thank you!" I'm glad I was able to lift that burden for her. Service is good medicine.
2. My guardian angel. I definitely had one watching over me tonight. Our schedule got kind of crazy around 5 pm. The girls had a birthday party to go to and a rehearsal at church for the Christmas pageant tomorrow night. I was running way behind for everything, and when I was parking on the street for the birthday party I nearly took out the rear headlight on a sign post. I didn't even see it behind me until it was right next to me- literally centimeters from the side of the van. I don't know how I missed it, but I'm glad I did.
Later, when we were running [late] to get to the church, Sydney started complaining that she was hungry. I explained to her that was because she refused to eat anything at the birthday party and I hadn't packed any snacks so I couldn't do anything about it to help her. Then, in a moment of compassion, I realized that we would be driving right by the house in order to pick up 2 youth on the way to church. I told Sydney that I would run into the house to grab something for her to eat. As soon as I opened the door and stepped inside I smelled gas. I ran into the kitchen and saw that the front burner, the one with the pot of chili on it, was turned to the HI position. There were no flames, just gas coming out. It had probably been like that for about an hour- if it happened right before Bobby left, which I suspect it did- I think he bumped it on his way out the kitchen door to get to his car that was parked in the back. In any case, I quickly turned it off and opened the window to air out the room. If I hadn't gone into the house, it would've been another two hours at least until I would have returned home. I can't imagine how dangerous that would've been. Someone was definitely looking out for us.
3. Liam's ABC's. He sings the song over and over and it just gets cuter and cuter. At the end he says, "Now I know my EFG's, next time won't you sing with me!" I can't bring myself to correct him.
4. Sticky notes. Bobby could tell that I was in a bit of a rush and a funk when I herded everyone out the door this evening. When we got home Lillian and I found sticky notes all over the bathroom mirror. Bobby wrote a little note to each one of us. It brightened up my night. He's a sweet guy.
My List
Today I'm thankful for . . .
1. The Christmas tree in my living room that is sparkling with lights and hanging with years of memories in ornaments.
2. Christmas songs- can't get enough of 'em! Yay!
3. My wonderful neighbor friends. T came over after the kids were asleep so I could do some much-needed grocery shopping tonight. I'm grateful to have milk in my fridge again, and for friends who are so supportive.
4. Only one [and a half] more shifts of night float this week. Bobby has been working the night shift since Sunday. He comes home in the morning and sleeps all day until he has to get up to go right back to the hospital. It's a pretty miserable schedule. Tomorrow night will be the last shift- wahoo!- until he has to do it again at the end of the month. :-/
5. Antibiotics. Liam got a wicked ear infection over Thanksgiving break and had a high fever for five days. His antibiotics are finally starting to kick in and he's getting back to his normal self. Thank goodness. Now I'm ready for my head cold and sinus pressure to go away.
6. My new nieces!! Bobby's sister had a baby girl a few days before Thanksgiving. Her name is Piper and she's adorable! Then, on Thanksgiving day, my brother and his wife welcomed the long-awaited arrival of Baby Jane into their sweet little family. I'm grateful that everyone is healthy and doing well!
7. A clean kitchen. Unfortunately my kitchen is NOT clean at the moment. There are dishes piled in the sink and dried up apple peels from lunch on the counter. But when it is clean I always take an extra moment to enjoy it. Because I know it won't last very long. Now I'm going to leave my messy kitchen and go to bed. Maybe the cleaning fairy will visit while I'm sleeping.
1. The Christmas tree in my living room that is sparkling with lights and hanging with years of memories in ornaments.
2. Christmas songs- can't get enough of 'em! Yay!
3. My wonderful neighbor friends. T came over after the kids were asleep so I could do some much-needed grocery shopping tonight. I'm grateful to have milk in my fridge again, and for friends who are so supportive.
4. Only one [and a half] more shifts of night float this week. Bobby has been working the night shift since Sunday. He comes home in the morning and sleeps all day until he has to get up to go right back to the hospital. It's a pretty miserable schedule. Tomorrow night will be the last shift- wahoo!- until he has to do it again at the end of the month. :-/
5. Antibiotics. Liam got a wicked ear infection over Thanksgiving break and had a high fever for five days. His antibiotics are finally starting to kick in and he's getting back to his normal self. Thank goodness. Now I'm ready for my head cold and sinus pressure to go away.
6. My new nieces!! Bobby's sister had a baby girl a few days before Thanksgiving. Her name is Piper and she's adorable! Then, on Thanksgiving day, my brother and his wife welcomed the long-awaited arrival of Baby Jane into their sweet little family. I'm grateful that everyone is healthy and doing well!
7. A clean kitchen. Unfortunately my kitchen is NOT clean at the moment. There are dishes piled in the sink and dried up apple peels from lunch on the counter. But when it is clean I always take an extra moment to enjoy it. Because I know it won't last very long. Now I'm going to leave my messy kitchen and go to bed. Maybe the cleaning fairy will visit while I'm sleeping.
Wednesday, September 4, 2013
Back to School!
Note: I meant to have pictures in this post, but it's not working. Stay tuned for a photographic update!
Today was the first day of school, and Lillian hit the ground running!
I, on the other hand, was not with the program. I mis-read the bus schedule and thought that the morning bus would arrive TEN minutes LATER than it actually did. I thought I was so prepared, with Lilly's lunch all packed, the stroller ready, and my "time to go to the bus stop" alarm on my phone, but by the time we started walking down the side walk we saw all the other moms and dads walking back to their houses! We totally missed the bus! A nice neighbor friend offered to watch Liam and Sydney while I drove Lillian in to school.
Although it was a first day of school blunder on my part, it turned out to be fun. I enjoyed the extra time with Lillian, and it gave her a chance to watch the video text that Bobby sent for her late last night (that I had forgotten to show her earlier in the morning). We held hands as we walked across the front of the school to the first grade line-up area. As she was getting in line she saw her BFF from kindergarten and they shared a very exuberant reunion. They are in the same class together, which makes me so happy for her.
Lillian was so excited that I don't think she even noticed when I left. What a big girl!
While she was busy learning and making new friends at school, Sydney got her teeth cleaned at the dentist. Another cavity-free visit for her (much better than her older sister)! She sat in the "Muppet/Sesame Street Room" and got to watch Epic while the dental hygienist and the dentist checked her little teeth. Liam wanted to watch, too, so he climbed right up into the chair with her. He's such a cheese ball!
This is Mama Fox's second visit to the dentist. (See this post here for her first visit!)
After a quick visit to the grocery store afterwards (which, by the way, is much easier with 2 kids rather than all 3) and some lunch at home, Liam took a nice nap and I painted Sydney's nails on the front porch. Good mother-daughter bonding time. At some point between all that I managed to knock out some of the heaping pile of dirty dishes in the kitchen sink.
I got my act together by the afternoon and we made it to the bus stop to pick Lillian up with PLENTY of time to spare. She bounced off the bus and ran to give us all hugs. She had a big smile on her face and she said her first day of first grade was, "Perfect!!!" Her teacher is really nice; she sits next to two boys in Row 3, but they are really nice and they don't bother her like _______ did last year; she got to read a book about birds before she got on the bus; there is another Emma in her class, but not the same one that was in her kindergarten class; she showed her friend A where her cubby is; and she has gym class tomorrow so she has to wear tennis shoes. Did ya get all that?
To celebrate the momentous day, we walked to the 7 Eleven down the street with a friend and got Slurpees for everyone.
I'm much more prepared for tomorrow. We shouldn't miss the bus again.
Today was the first day of school, and Lillian hit the ground running!
I, on the other hand, was not with the program. I mis-read the bus schedule and thought that the morning bus would arrive TEN minutes LATER than it actually did. I thought I was so prepared, with Lilly's lunch all packed, the stroller ready, and my "time to go to the bus stop" alarm on my phone, but by the time we started walking down the side walk we saw all the other moms and dads walking back to their houses! We totally missed the bus! A nice neighbor friend offered to watch Liam and Sydney while I drove Lillian in to school.
Although it was a first day of school blunder on my part, it turned out to be fun. I enjoyed the extra time with Lillian, and it gave her a chance to watch the video text that Bobby sent for her late last night (that I had forgotten to show her earlier in the morning). We held hands as we walked across the front of the school to the first grade line-up area. As she was getting in line she saw her BFF from kindergarten and they shared a very exuberant reunion. They are in the same class together, which makes me so happy for her.
Lillian was so excited that I don't think she even noticed when I left. What a big girl!
While she was busy learning and making new friends at school, Sydney got her teeth cleaned at the dentist. Another cavity-free visit for her (much better than her older sister)! She sat in the "Muppet/Sesame Street Room" and got to watch Epic while the dental hygienist and the dentist checked her little teeth. Liam wanted to watch, too, so he climbed right up into the chair with her. He's such a cheese ball!
This is Mama Fox's second visit to the dentist. (See this post here for her first visit!)
After a quick visit to the grocery store afterwards (which, by the way, is much easier with 2 kids rather than all 3) and some lunch at home, Liam took a nice nap and I painted Sydney's nails on the front porch. Good mother-daughter bonding time. At some point between all that I managed to knock out some of the heaping pile of dirty dishes in the kitchen sink.
I got my act together by the afternoon and we made it to the bus stop to pick Lillian up with PLENTY of time to spare. She bounced off the bus and ran to give us all hugs. She had a big smile on her face and she said her first day of first grade was, "Perfect!!!" Her teacher is really nice; she sits next to two boys in Row 3, but they are really nice and they don't bother her like _______ did last year; she got to read a book about birds before she got on the bus; there is another Emma in her class, but not the same one that was in her kindergarten class; she showed her friend A where her cubby is; and she has gym class tomorrow so she has to wear tennis shoes. Did ya get all that?
To celebrate the momentous day, we walked to the 7 Eleven down the street with a friend and got Slurpees for everyone.
I'm much more prepared for tomorrow. We shouldn't miss the bus again.
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