Everyone is so over this long and freezing cold winter, and we are no exception. It is so hard to want to go anywhere lately when the high is -2 degrees. Weather like that means we haven't had many chances to play outside. But we are grateful that we have still managed to keep quite busy and healthy this winter.
We've been playing lots of games and reading lots and lots of books. The privilege of screen time has been all but revoked in our house this week, and that time has been replaced with loads of imagination play, crafting, and silly stunts like couch handstands and endless rounds of chase and hide and seek. I generally dislike screen time, but this never-ending winter combined with my need for the kids to be extra quiet while sick baby Noah is sleeping has made for some days that have been filled with far too much screen time. I just can't wait for spring time when "go play outside" is an option again!
We spend lots of time in front of the fireplace. We've been eating like bears going into hibernation- I love cooking just for the sake of turning on the oven and heating up the house, and can always find time to make cookies or bread or pretzels, even if I just can't find the time to make an elaborate dinner.
Adam started a low-key gymnastics class last week. He was extremely hesitant to join the class at first- I often forget that he is capable of being shy about anything, but he hid behind my leg at first and was ready to go home. I was proud of him for joining the class after a few minutes, and as soon as he recognized an old friend from preschool (who also happened to be the cutest girl in the class), he was ready for some fun. His bear crawls, log rolls and somersaults were awesome, and, now that he knows what to expect, he loves it.
His reading is taking off, too. I am often unsure if he is actually reading something or just has it memorized, but he is really trying to figure reading out!
Noah and I got to attend Leah's music class last week. It was fun to see a bit of how Leah spends her days at school. She has some great teachers this year and especially loves music and library class. She is always sharing facts about wild animals and is known in her class as the girl who never has to turn a card.
Leah is losing teeth like a shark. Number 6 came out this week, and she was devastated that it didn't come out at school, despite her careful efforts to not wiggle it at home. She was not at all interested in putting her tooth under her pillow for the tooth fairy, and instead decided to write a note to her (check yes or no style) asking if she could please leave her a tooth locket like the ones they hand out at school for safe keeping of lost teeth . She was thrilled to see the response the next morning stating that the tooth fairy had left a tooth locket in her desk at school!
This was her teacher's account of the discovery- Leah came in quickly today with a friend. They were both whispering “ok let’s go look quick”. They opened the desk and a big smile and gasp came out of both their mouths. “ Look she put it in there like she said”. They were so excited. Leah told me that she lost a tooth last night and the tooth fairy left her a tooth box in her desk. Kids kept asking her what she had and she was so excited to tell them. We put her name on a tooth under March on our tooth graph. Leah was very excited!
She and I got haircuts this week. I think she would like to have curly hair like this every day. And violin lessons are going very well- her teacher often comments on Leah's natural ability for the violin and music concepts in general. Leah has told me that she is determined to succeed and that she will not give up. "If I get stuck," she said, "I know I can just ask Mommy for help and I'll be okay."
Emma is just getting too big too fast. Our little Fraggle Rock (nicknamed as such because her long wispy caramel-colored hair fluffs and flies around like one of Jim Hanson's puppets of our youth) seems to have a personal mission lately to be as LOUD as possible at all times. I am constantly amazed at how quickly she can get a rise out of her big brother, as well as how tender she can be with her baby brother. She is slightly obsessed with Mulan and likes to pretend to cut and hit and kill. She has to spend a lot of time in the car with me taking Adam to and from his new preschool (about 13 minutes one way, making a total of nearly an hour in the car each preschool day) so she's watched that movie a LOT lately. I tried to switch it out for 101 Dalmatians in hopes of calming down her soldier-like persona, but she was completely terrified by Cruella DeVille. "I don't like dat woman! Hers too skeeery!" She also has a hilarious vocabulary and says things with complete enthusiasm. "Dat's AWE-some" or ""So SPARKLY!" (after cleaning a toilet). She is totally two.
And Mr. Noah is just so sweet. He still commands most of my attention, but he has small spurts each day where he is content to sit and watch the craziness swirling around him. He caught his first cold this week, and it has been miserable for both of us. But his intense eye contact, huge smiles and occasional "coos" and "goos" keep us all happy.
Jason and I are still around, too. Jason has finally- finally!- wrapped up his winter of traveling and is getting ready for a busy spring at work. He's been at Dow for nearly a year and he has received very good reviews about the work that he's been doing.
And tomorrow is my birthday! So I'll be back with more about me soon. In the meantime, given the amount of smiley mommy paraphernalia I am finding around the house, I'd say I'm pleasing my bosses, too.
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