Wheels

Our boy, for as long as we can remember, has loved all things with wheels. I remember watching him "vroom" a car across the ottoman in his bedroom, shortly after he learned how to pull up on it. And so it began! Cars, trucks, motorcycles, bikes, wagons... you name it, he loves it. And recently, he added roller skates to his list of wheeled obsessions.

Gus' parents sent each kid a pair of skates for Christmas. Maya was pretty good at using hers, because her pair had a speed control on it-- basically, we could make it so the wheels didn't spin as easily, making it less likely for her to lose her footing. Nikos' skates, however, did not have this feature, and he really couldn't stand on them for more than a minute before his feet flew out from beneath him.

Fast forward to yesterday... he figured them out! To quote him: "LOOK MOMMY! I got my balance now! I'm SKATING!" haha! The rest is history. He has barely taken them off since then. He wears his skates at the dinner table, to the bathroom, etc. All day long! After lunch, I suggested we all go outside for a bit so the kids could run around. Nikos was so excited! Why? Because he could skate on the porch! That's right, our son roller skated on the porch when it was 35 degrees outside. With his snow jacket and mittens on. It was hilarious!

When Nikos said he wanted to skate outside, Maya instantly decided that she wanted to ride her tricycle outside, too. Gus went down to the basement, got it for her, and set it on the porch. "Nooooo! I want to ride it OUTSIDE!" Commence crying. Just so we're clear, the porch IS outside. It was freezing! But Maya wanted to ride her tricycle on the grass. And whatever, it doesn't hurt anyone... so I let her do it. I think she was a little disappointed in her ride, though, haha!

Back inside, our boy continued to skate around, and really had a great day. Made even greater by our new arrangement! Back up for a second to Friday morning. We were heading out on our playdate, and Nikos threw a fit about getting dressed. This has become a frequent battle for us, and I was sick of it. He was also complaining, saying he didn't WANT to go to this friend's house. He wanted to go to our OTHER friend's house because her son had a toy he wanted to play with (a racetrack, of course-- in keeping with the "wheels" theme of this post!). That's when it hit me: marble jar! I'll set up a jar, let him put a marble in it when he listens well or does something generally good and sweet and nice. Then, when he gets enough marbles, he can earn that toy. Everyone wins! Sounds great, right?

Except... I didn't have any marbles. I thought I did, but I couldn't find them. And he was continuing to misbehave throughout the day-- I was desperate! So, on a whim, I wrote "Niko's Points" on the kitchen chalkboard, and put a tally underneath when he helped me clean up the living room. The effect on his behavior was IMMEDIATE. The next time he earned a point, he asked if he could write it on the chalkboard himself. Sure, why not? So... not only is he behaving better and working toward a goal, but he's getting some (very limited) fine motor practice! Win!

I took a picture of the chalkboard to show where his points are. And to show how much neater I wrote out this week's menu, hehe! Funny thing is, Nikos does NOT understand why I put the diagonal one in there. I tried to explain that we were grouping them into fives, and how the diagonal line means that we have a group. He mostly just thinks I messed up. And, if you ask him, he will argue that he only has four points. sigh!

One final picture. This one has absolutely nothing to do with wheels, but it's exciting nonetheless: our dining room light! The old light was in the strangest spot, and we were constantly bonking our heads on it. This is much, much better! We had to run the wiring through some electrical conduit, because we didn't feel like cutting into the ceiling, but I think it looks pretty good! Let there be light!

Odds and Ends

We had an energy audit today! After some Googling and a phone call yesterday, I learned that every homeowner in the state of Massachusetts is entitled to one free energy audit per year. It's actually paid for by a tax on everyone's utility bills. Sweet! Our heating costs have been pretty high, so we wanted to see if there was anything we could do. I have to admit, I was terrified... I thought for sure he would tell us that the walls were poorly insulated, etc., and it would cost thousands of dollars to repair.

Well... I looked through the infrared camera myself, and our wall insulation is great! Woohoo! Really, the only issue he saw was our attic. But attics are MUCH easier (and cheaper) to insulate than walls are, so that was fantastic news. Even better news was that the work to completely insulate both our attics (front and back) and "air seal" them will only end up costing us a few hundred dollars out of pocket. That's because this same program helps subsidize some of the cost for energy improvements. 75% of those costs, in fact! So, we will definitely be having that done. He also went around and switched out all our lightbulbs with the compact fluorescent ones... Well over $100 worth of light bulbs, all paid for by this program! I am so, SO glad I called!! We will also call out an oil company to do routine maintenance on the boiler, and make sure it's not "running rich" (sucking too much oil). But that's a routine sort of thing, and not terribly expensive-- our boiler is in good shape. WOOHOO!!

Anyway, that was most of our day. Gus finished getting our dining room light fixture installed, I vaccuumed the whole house, Gus installed weatherstripping on the door to the garage, and is now out getting his table saw set up properly. It was over 40 degrees today! Still chilly, but definitely bearable. The energy auditor was wearing a short-sleeved shirt, haha! Maya and I also made butterscotch brownies this afternoon, and now the kids are relaxing and watching a little TV before I start dinner (yummy pork chops, mashed potatoes, and green beans... a big hit with both kids!).

Oh, and on a random side note... I learned from Pinterest that if you save the bottom part of a green onion and put it in a cup with water, it will regrow. So you can have never-ending green onions! I used two green onions in a salad last Friday, and decided, on a whim, to give it a go. I put the bottoms in this lovely Zion shot glass with a little water. Um, wow!!! It's true! This is only a week's worth of growth. I will definitely keep doing this. I might even get something nicer than a shot glass to put them in, haha!

And, some daffodils. Daffodils and tulips are my favorite flowers of all time, and I bought this pot of mini daffodils at the supermarket a week or two ago. I love them! I can almost pretend it's springtime! Hey, there's no snow! That means it's spring, right?? :)

Playdates, Preschool, and Projects-- Oh My!

Actually, the subject of this post sort of sums up my entire life right now. Well, maybe add in some playing outside, and of course the neverending cooking and cleaning. But still, that's pretty much it!

Our playdate yesterday was a lot of fun! We had a lovely drive up to the New Hampshire border (about 40 minutes), but I didn't end up crossing over. So, I still haven't actually been there. But I was pretty darn close!

This friend that we met yesterday is another person from my mommy message board. When we first started looking at houses here, she suggested we meet up with her mom, a realtor in the area. So we did-- and the rest is history! We spent many hours driving around and checking out houses with her mom... but I had never met her daughter in person until yesterday. She was super sweet, which I expected, and our kids all got along really well. Nikos cried all the way home, because he wanted to continue playing with the little boy's toys. Really, I think he was just tired. Once he stopped crying, his thumb went straight into his mouth-- which ONLY happens when he is really tired or stressed about something. Meanwhile, Maya was conked out in her carseat. A sign of a successful playdate, for sure!

And then today was another preschool day. Maya and I ran some errands while Nikos was at school, and we got back into town just in time to pick him up again. I was so excited to see that his backpack contained his first-ever "report card"! Ok, it's really not a report card. But this preschool is nationally accredited, and part of maintaining their accreditation means that they have to do annual assessments. And we got here just in time to participate, apparently (they did the assessments last week). It was so fun to see all the things he can do listed in front of me. They tested gross motor skills like balancing on one foot, jumping, etc. They looked at his fine motor skills (tracing, writing his name). They assessed his behavior in class, social skills, and self-care things (getting his jacket/shoes/mittens on, etc.). And our boy is a rock star! He did awesome at everything on their (long) checklist, with the one exception of "alternating feet when going down stairs." He alternates feet when going up, but is very cautious when going down... I attribute this to the fact that he has never really had to deal with stairs until recently, haha! So really, he did fantastic. The teachers' comments said that he's really friendly, loves to participate, and is starting to make some friends. YAY for such an awesome transition into his new preschool! He loves it there, and so do we! :)

The afternoon was spent making another quick trip to the store, and working on my project. What project is that, you say? My super duper chalkboard project! It actually sort of morphed into this whole wall of stuff. But I think it looks pretty good, even though it's not completely done yet. I am loving it!

Basically, the chalkboard is where I will write our weekly menu (nicer than how I did it this time, ha!), reminders, etc. The boxes at the bottom will be for sorting mail, though I haven't decided exactly how I'll do that yet. And then there are the hooks up top for keys. I'm going to add some more of those. Then, the curtain rods on the left are going to be for a gallery of the kids' art projects. I have lots of them in a box that I can't wait to display! I just need to get some clip-on curtain rings.

And that was our day! We have another playdate tomorrow, but I am hoping to paint either the office or the guest room in the afternoon. We'll see how much motivation I can find!

So Long, Snow!

For a few days, at least!

It was WARM today! Nearly 50 degrees, which felt downright balmy after some of the days we've had lately. We didn't even wear jackets outside-- just sweatshirts. The high temperature, plus the fact that it rained almost all last night, meant that the snow was disappearing rapidly when we woke up. You could practically watch it receding during the day. As of this evening, our entire front lawn is visible again, along with most of the back yard. No sledding today!

We took this opportunity to go exploring, though. Nikos had preschool this morning, but as soon as he was home and everyone had eaten, we headed out to hike in the woods. Honestly, I just wanted to take pictures of them where they weren't all bundled up in their snow gear! They weren't super cooperative, though they DID enjoy our explorations! Here are a few photos I got. I had hoped to get something I could use on a Valentine card, but I don't think I did. That will be a mission for another day, I suppose! Still, I thought these were cute! They had to wear their snow boots, since there was still some on the ground (especially in the woods):



After our adventure, I spent the afternoon doing the usual: cooking, cleaning, cleaning, cleaning... and then cleaning some more. This house is HUGE! I also, on a whim, decided to paint the long wall in the kitchen. I am in the middle of working on a cool chalkboard-thing (like this) for the kitchen, but realized that I should probably paint the wall before I put it on there. I will eventually paint the rest of the kitchen, of course, but this wall was sort of imperative for my little project. I also painted the chalkboard, and will get some molding to go around it, too. It's going to be so cool!

Anyhow, the kids kept themselves busy playing while I was spontaneously painting-- because clearly, they have gotten used to my impulsive home improvement projects! They were giggling and running around and reading books. Then, next thing I knew, they scooted through the kitchen like this, giggling like fools:

So, obviously, I grabbed my camera. I love love LOVE this picture! It's so "them"!

Tomorrow, we have our playdate with some new friends, which should be interesting! We'll be practically at the New Hampshire border-- I am tempted to go across and do some tax-free shopping! But we'll see!

Dirty Job

Well, we didn't have any fun playing outside today. Or even running errands, for that matter! Last night, I told Gus that we were running low on oil in our tank. I thought we had about an eighth of a tank left, which isn't a whole lot. And, as it turns out, I was reading the gauge wrong. Oops!! We must've been running on fumes, at that point! We managed to make it through the night just fine, and Gus even got a hot shower this morning. It got cooler towards the end, though. And then he went downstairs for breakfast and realized that there was no heat. Not good! The house is insulated reasonably well, but it's winter. In Massachusetts. And it's pretty darn cold outside!

Anyway, he called and scheduled an oil delivery for today, which was great. Even better was when the delivery guy arrived at 9am. Nice and early-- hooray! We had kept warm by hanging out in the living room with lots of blankets and the space heater turned on. But really, it was in the mid-fifties throughout the house, and that is just too cold to be comfortable unless you're wearing a jacket.

So the delivery went off without a hitch, which was to be expected. But then came the fun part... I needed to get the boiler started up again. Which meant that I needed to bleed all the air out of the system. And, let me just say, that really, REALLY sucked. It will be a thousand times easier, if I ever have to do it again. It would probably only take a few minutes. But I had no idea what I was doing this morning, and it took forever. Lots of hunting for various wrenches, looking at internet tutorials, talking to Gus on the phone, etc. But... I DID IT!

Sure, I ended up getting oil all over my hands, but I did it! ha! And really, that was my big accomplishment of the day. I spent the rest of the day trying to get the stench off of my hands (it's really awful), and then doing my usual chores (washing dishes, doing laundry, cooking, etc.). Actually, my smartest move was to make orange cookies. I used the leftover orange zest, and scrubbed it all over my hands! It got rid of most of the smell! And, bonus: the cookies were excellent.

Tomorrow is another day! Let's hope it doesn't involve any dirty work!

Sickies

So... Gus was sick first. Then it became clear by yesterday morning that Nikos had joined the club. Today it was my turn. Maya seems okay for now, but she was particularly cranky this afternoon and I fear she's next. Ugh! It's just a cold, at least. I'm actually surprised we haven't really been sick before now! I think the kids and I probably have pretty awesome immune systems, after all our exposure to germs (them in daycare since they were babies, and me teaching elementary school for a billion years). *knock on wood!*

Still, we didn't let our stuffy noses stop us from enjoying the beautiful powder left by yesterday's storm. Gus inflated our new innertube-style "sled," and we took it out back after lunch. I can't get over how much fun it is to just walk out into the yard and go sledding. No driving anywhere... it's, like, right there! Super fun!

Anyway, both kids loved the new tube... to the point where they were hogging it, and Gus and I were only allowed on the other sleds. Fine with us! Gus loves zipping down the hill head-first on the blue sled, seeing how close he can get to the dropoff (he was actually hanging over the edge at one point... brilliant). I was content to slide down on Maya's zippy pink sled and just throw the powder around, making it "snow" on the kids. It really was fun to throw/kick around. It was horrible for building snowmen or making snowballs, but amazingly light and sparkly in the sun!

At any rate... Here's a video of the kiddos on one of their first rides down the hill. Maya loved stretching out on it and pretending to sleep as she glided down. Silly girl!

And look! I am actually in a photo! Me and my babies:

One more... Nikos sitting on the remnants of our second snowman, may he rest in peace.

Tomorrow is supposed to be rainy and quite a bit warmer, so all this lovely powder should turn into quite a slushy mess. I doubt we will be getting outside to play, so maybe I will go run errands instead. Boo!

Ice Ice Baby

So, it snowed today. I should probably stop reporting this, since it looks like winter has finally arrived and, well, the snow is here to stay. But it snowed nearly all day, and it was such pretty snow! Light and swirly, but constant. I could almost hear the sleigh bells outside! It was nice to watch, even if we didn't get out to play in it today. It never even got warmer than 20 degrees out there, and the kids would have turned into popsicles!

Anyway... we have a few spots on our roof where a previous owner installed warmers, to prevent ice from building up and causing damage. These need to be turned on during any significant snowfall, so I went down to the basement and flipped them on this morning. No big deal. But what I didn't realize at first is that the parts of the roof with the warmers get awesome icicles! The snow melts off, and freezes again before it hits the ground. These were on our side porch this afternoon. They had kind of a gnarly shape, and I thought they were so cool! I was not dressed to be outside in sub-freezing temperatures, so I only took a few photos, but I can't wait to grab my macro filters and try some more.


And one more photo, just for kicks. Gus gets bonus points for going grocery shopping today. He didn't even clear the driveway, he just drove through it! There's no way my car would have made it. This was him, clearing his car off before he left (he's actually hidden by the car, but he's there!). He was so focused that he forgot the shopping list. Doh!

Oh, and we also put up our new dining room chandelier today. Let there be light! We also removed the old, strangely-placed light that we repeatedly bonked our heads on. The wires aren't completely covered yet, so stay tuned for a photo of the fininshed product! But it is SO much nicer eating in our lovely, bright dining room now!

Friends

So we had another playdate with my friend and her kiddos today, and we are all officially wiped out! It was fun, though, and I always enjoy getting to have some adult conversation. We actually have another playdate with a different new friend and her three kids next week, so our social calendar is starting to get a little busier. I love this place, haha! :)

Anyway, they had a blast, as always. They all played with Play-Doh for a bit while my friend and I had coffee and chatted in the kitchen. And they were playing so nicely together that we were able to actually have a conversation! Crazy!

The boys eventually disappeared upstairs into the playroom, where Evan (the other little boy) was very excited to see that Nikos had the Whack-A-Mole game. So guess what they played? Meanwhile, the two girls continued to play peacefully with the Play-Doh, compensating for their wild big brothers.

Eventually, we got all our snow gear on and headed outside. With four small children and two mommies who needed to get into snow pants, snow boots, snow mittens, hats, and jackets, it was quite a production! We managed it, though.

The two boys grabbed the sleds and took off! We just stood and watched them as they slid down the hill over and over again, running into each other and racing and just generally having fun. Maya went down once with me, but was more concerned with "finding a snowball." Sadly, last night's snowfall was very powdery, and didn't stick together at all. So mostly she dusted snow off of the back steps and hung around her friend Paige, who is younger and even more wobbly on the snow. They didn't seem to mind too much, though.




And that was the majority of our day! It's pizza-and-movie night tonight, and we don't have any firm plans for the weekend, except that we want to go to the library and get library cards. Sounds good to me!

Trouble in the Tundra

That sounds like the title of a mystery novel or something, haha! But seriously, yesterday kind of stunk. We woke up with great plans of how we were going to spend our day: Gus would fininish plumbing the sink in the laundry room, I'd touch up the living room paint, and we'd go play out in the snow. Except... I went to get Maya from her room, and it was FREEZING! The back of the house had been comfortably warm, but not her room... The thermostat was set to 65, but it was in the mid-fifties. Brr! Then, it was the same story downstairs. The front of the house was freezing, and the back was warm. Not good.

After scouring the internet and trying everything we could think of, we finally gave in and called an HVAC guy. He was going to come around 4:30, which meant we still had time to work on our projects. Except... he managed to come just after 1:00. And, shortly after he arrived, so did all the new mattresses we bought. Chaos!

So... A few hours and $160 later, we had functioning heat again. It turns out that the hot water lines had frozen! You read that right. Our house is heated by a hot water baseboard system. Basically, the boiler gets messages from the different thermostats, heats up water, and sends it to that zone... As it passes through the baseboard, the heat rises and warms the room. I had NO IDEA that they could freeze. And normally, they wouldn't-- the hot water takes care of that. And our basement is pretty warm, thanks to the boiler that dominates the room. But our heat was set low enough overnight, and it was an especially cold one at that (below zero). There are a few spots where there are vents/openings in the basement wall, and the icy air was hitting the two pipes that bring heat to the front of the house. So the guy ended up using a heat gun and slowly warming the pipes until the ice broke up. Crazy! And after that, Gus went to the hardware store to get pipe insulation. So we should be good to go now. We're just lucky the pipes didn't break!

Anyway, that ended up consuming our entire day. We didn't play outside or complete our projects. Boo!

We did, however, get a guest bed out of it. The room isn't done yet (I need to paint, get accent furniture, etc.). But there is a bed! We just need some guests! :)

We also had some more snow last night. It wasn't much, but it was enough for Gus to need to clear the driveway for me, since I don't have four wheel drive or snow tires. It was fine by the time I had to take Nikos to preschool. And what was left on our driveway had melted by the time we had to go pick him up.

Funny story... I walked in to get him. Usually, his class is sitting there, reading a story. But today it was just Nikos, doing a puzzle with one of his teachers. I thought maybe this was one of the assessments they're doing this week, but nope! I also thought I might be late or something, though I had no idea how. Nope! He was the only morning program kiddo who showed up today! Crazy! I guess the schools were delayed for two hours because of the snow, and most of his classmates have older siblings in school... so their parents just decided to keep them home. There were still other kids there from the full-day program, so he wasn't alone or anything, but he was the only one who went home at 11:30. It was so weird!!

Anyway... We came home, ate lunch, and then our new desk arrived. In about five billion pieces, requiring assembly (obviously). I was tempted to start working on it, but the kids were really getting stir crazy from being inside... so we got our gear and played in the new snow! It was so nice and powdery and perfect for snowball fights and snowman-building. So, that's what we did!

Then I came back in and built the desk. It literally took me four hours. It looks good, but my knuckles are all scraped and raw and my muscles ache. Insanity! And it's not like this is my first time assembling furniture, either. It just had SO many pieces! Ugh!

Anyhow, it's bedtime now. I am wiped! Tomorrow I get to assemble the lateral file cabinet. Here's hoping it's not quite as bad as the L-shaped desk!

More Snow Fun

Maybe it's because snow is still such a novelty for us, but we have so much fun playing in it! Today was made even more fun by the fact that Gus was able to join us. As soon as we were done with lunch, we piled on the snow clothes and ran out to the back yard!

We haven't had any real snowfall since Thursday's storm, so the snow that's still out there is getting a pretty thick crust of ice on top. This means two things. One is that it is a lot harder to walk on, particularly if you are a little girl who doesn't weigh very much. Maya wasn't heavy enough to break the crust, so she was sliding everywhere! The second thing is that the sleds go a lot faster when it's a little icy. Wheee! I'm not sure who had more fun-- Gus or the kids. Gus actually got up so much momentum at one point (going headfirst down the hill) that he had to stop himself from going over the dropoff. When we eventually came back in, he said he wanted to go back out by himself later. haha! He didn't want to share the sleds! He also confessed that he wants it to snow some more so he can devise some sort of elaborate luge run that winds down the hill. It sounds fun, as long as he's the one making it and not me!

Anyway, I took pictures, since that's what I do! The kids were so happy to have Daddy back in town, and loved playing with him. Can you tell?



Oh, and I totally bribed my kids to come inside by offering them cupcakes. I am pretty sure I am the Mother of the Year. But look at Maya's face! Totally worth it! (and Nikos has MAJOR hat hair, haha!)

Once we were frosting-free, we decided to go and run some errands. This took longer than expected, and we ended up going out to dinner, too! I am pleased to report that Maya did not have a SINGLE accident today. Not one!!! This is a first! She's typically had at least one accident a day so far, though she certainly has a lot more successes. My one complaint was that she told me she had to go potty like five times during dinner. She actually went one time. Thankfully, we were seated near the restroom, but sheesh! My dinner was cold by the time I got to eat it! Even Nikos went to the bathroom twice, which is unusual. Our waiter would laugh when he came by, because the four of us were hardly ever there at the same time. So, yeah... we've had better dining-out experiences. But that's life with a newly potty-trained kiddo! We will survive!

Adventures in Sledding

I am pleased to report that, while it snowed on and off through the night, there was no additional accumulation on the ground this morning. Our driveway didn't require clearing, which is great considering my entire upper body is sore-sore-sore from yesterday! Between operating the snowblower, doing some shoveling, and playing outside with the kids... Well, I could barely move this morning. Fun!

Anyway, today's agenda included cleaning, baking cupcakes, and sledding! Sledding was originally just "playing in the snow," but Nikos was adamant about trying out the other sleds they got for Christmas from Uncle Grant and Aunt Melissa. We used one sled yesterday-- the one big enough for two people, so I could ride with them and sort of steer. I was nervous about them using the other sleds, since they are kind of for older kids and they go a little faster. My fears were unfounded, though. They had SO much fun! And they both got the hang of the sleds really quickly. I think this video was taken on Maya's second time down, but she was doing a lot better by the end:

I even set up two different runs side-by-side so they could race. Nikos kept cheating and leaving early, but Maya didn't seem to care. I suggested other things we could do outside (build a fort, build another snowman) but nope! They just wanted to sled. Good thing we have the perfect back yard for it. Seriously! I was originally worried that they would zip down the hill and right over the small dropoff at the bottom, but it turned out to be a non-issue. It's flat enough for a long enough stretch that they naturally come to a stop well before the edge. Perfect!

Anyway, it was a fun day, except for the part where Nikos threw a tantrum about going inside. Maya was cold, but he did NOT want to go in. Seriously, I haven't seen him throw a fit like this in a long time. Screaming, crying, throwing himself on the ground in protest, etc. Fun times! He calmed down very quickly once I carried him inside, but wow! Major meltdown! I think everyone was a little bit tired from all the playing, but sheesh!

The good news is that Gus is home now for a three-day weekend, so he can help lighten the parenting load a bit. Mommy needs a break!

Oh, and a few pictures from our sledding adventures! Look at poor Ned's face! He got rained on last night, resulting in some facial disfigurement.

REAL Snow

So... Gus has been gone this week on business, and I've kept a very careful eye on the weather forecast. And it was very unexciting, which was fantastic! No snow in the forecast. And then, yesterday morning, it changed, saying we could expect from two to four inches overnight. Not too bad. And by the time I went to bed, they had downgraded the storm, saying we'd get maybe half and inch and there would be "no significant snow accumulations." Perfect!

So... Imagine my surprise when I woke up to this:

I took a video, too. This was actually after the storm started to ease up. It was what they call a "wintry mix." Sounds lovely. Except it's snow mixed with rain and, sometimes, ice. It was wet and heavy and coming down non-stop.

Oh, and did I mention that today was a preschool day? It was. I took one look at our driveway and panicked. I have never shoveled snow before. And our driveway is LONG. And we have a snowblower, but I was majorly stressed and couldn't figure it out. So... I called Gus, at 4:45 his time, in tears because I didn't know what to do. He walked me through how to use the snowblower. The rest is history! I cleared the driveway just fine. It was definitely a learning experience, though. I am sure I provided good entertainment for the people driving by as I got blasted in the face a few times. But it was kind of fun, once I got the hang of it. I was completely drenched and covered with snow by the time I was done, but I wasn't at all cold. My new snow boots (Christmas gift from Gus' parents) were awesome! Success!

Once the driveway was cleared, I had to load the kiddos up and take Nikos to preschool. It was a scary drive. The traction control light kept flickering on and off, letting me know that it was slippery out there. I don't think anyone was going over 15mph. Luckily, the preschool is really close, and it was still a quick drive. Once I got there, there were no parent cars in the parking lot-- I was worried that school was canceled (even though it didn't say so online). Nope! The teachers were all there, and most of his classmates ended up arriving at some point. We must've just been the first ones... probably since we live so close, ha!

Anyway... I had to clear the driveway again before picking him up, because it had already filled in again. I am pleased to report that I was much more efficient the second time, and didn't get as much snow blasted in my face. Maya found the whole process very entertaining, as she watched me from the living room window. The drive to get him was also a lot better, as the actual storm had died down and the roads had been plowed numerous times. Much, much better.

Once we were all home for the day, I was able to relax. More so once the storm stopped. That was when it was time to actually ENJOY the snow. And enjoy it we did! We got all bundled up in our snow gear and spent an hour and a half out back, doing every snow-type thing we could think of. They made snow angels. We sledded down the hill (fun!!), we threw snowballs, we ran around, and... (drumroll please!) we made a snowman! The kids' very first one, ever. They named him Ned, after the snowman in the book Snow, which we've been reading at night. And both kids have said, repeatedly, that he was the best part of the day. They love Ned! Can't you tell?


Ned also happens to be the first snowman I have made as an adult. I am kind of proud, haha!

Anyway, I am bone tired, and am hoping everyone sleeps well tonight. And I'm grateful that we don't have to leave the house tomorrow, if we don't want to. If my muscles aren't totally sore, we might attempt to build a snow fort. And I might bake some bread. Stay tuned!

Busy Busy Busy

Today was a preschool day for Nikos, and it was another great day! The more I talk to the different teachers at his school, the more I know it's the right place for him. And listening to him go on and on about his day as we drive home is my favorite part of the day. Today, they made letter W's using "the things you put in your ears" (q-tips). They learned about penguins! They played with SAFARI ANIMALS! And, like the other two days, it was the BEST DAY EVER! haha!

Anyway, Maya and I were busy while he was gone, whipping up a batch of banana bread (with bananas expertly smooshed by my favorite girl) and folding four loads of laundry. I also cleaned up our laundry room, which is still a "work-in-progress," took measurements, and drew up some plans for the storage that I need Gus to build. I also removed the painter's tape that had been up for over a month. I knew it would be tough to get down, so I brought an Xacto knife. I don't even know why it was still up, since we usually remove the tape as soon as we're done painting. But Gus did it just before the kids and I arrived, and I think it just sort of got forgotten in all the shuffle. Still, it's down now! And my dream laundry room will be a reality sometime in the not-too-distant future!

We took a break to get our boy and eat some lunch, but then I got back to work... I put the living room back together, after painting it yesterday. I finally put some things on the walls! It's starting to look like we actually live here!

Then we played outside for a bit, until Maya got too cold. But I took this picture for my grandma (Hi, Grandma!). She had this wooden bear forever, and now it's moved across the country to live with us in the forest, hehe! Both kids think it's an Event to go onto the deck and see it. Nikos is a little scared of it, but Maya actually got down on her knees and was patting it on the head. Once she confirmed that it was not real and didn't talk, of course!

After that, it was back to home improvement. I worked on getting the blinds up in the guest bedroom. I bought all the blinds for the bedrooms and bathrooms a month ago, but hadn't put them up in this room yet. Why? Because I hate doing it! It's miserable, trying to screw brackets into woodwork above my head. I can't tell you how many times I jabbed myself with the screwdriver (regular AND electric). And working with your arms up like that HURTS! At any rate, I am embarrassed to say this, but I finally figured it out. Drill the holes first using a drill bit slightly smaller than the screws. Yes, I am a genius. I got all four blinds up in less than half an hour, compared to the hours I spent in the other rooms. I felt really, really dumb!

But, speaking of the guest room... We will actually be set up for guests soon! I ordered this queen-sized bed a few days ago, along with a mattress and some bedding (please note that this is the catalog photo... our room will be better!). I am so excited! Who wants to come visit first?

Anyway, it was a busy day! I'm tired! Tomorrow, we have a playdate in the morning, but then I'll probably try to sneak in some more home improvement/decorating. It's a never-ending process!

Potty Training: Days 3 and 4

Ok, so technically, the method I use is called 3-Day Potty Training, but I forgot to post last night and we didn't go anywhere today... so four days it is!

I just have to make one observation about potty training. It is SO hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel on the first day. I remember that with both kids. I thought I'd be spending weeks or months cleaning up accidents all the time. And I wanted to just forget the whole thing and go back to using nice, convenient diapers. However, now that I have potty trained two kids, I can say that I'm glad I stuck with the three-day plan. Hallelujah! I survived!

As for Maya, she is AWESOME! She had two back-to-back pee accidents yesterday morning, but then that was it. She was dry all day, and made lots of successful visits to the potty. And most of the time, she used the real toilet (not the little plastic potty).

Today, though, we were technically "done" with the three-day training. Which meant that I didn't need to stay glued to her side all day, like I did the previous three days. I had to trust her to tell me when she needed to go, and it was SO hard! I don't LIKE cleaning up messes! So I chose to distract myself by painting the living room. Most of the time, Maya was upstairs in the playroom-- not exactly by my side! But she DID it! She'd call to me, and we'd make it to the potty with time to spare! She had one "oops" where we almost made it in time (but not quite). And that was early in the day. After that, it was smooth sailing. She'd announce she had to go, we'd run through the house to the nearest bathroom (with her giggling the whole time), and the rest is history. GO MAYA!!

Tomorrow will be our first "road test," since we have to take Nikos to and from preschool. It's only a 5-minute drive, but I am still worried that she might have an accident. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that she stays dry the whole time!

And although the big focus lately has been potty-training, we HAVE done other things. Like painting the living room, yay! I can't wait to see it in the morning light. And we played outside quite a bit, in short spurts since it was pretty cold. Both kids love collecting pine cones from the forest behind us and stacking them in a pile (a "nest," according to Nikos). Actually, it was funny. Nikos was very concerned last night that a moose would come and ruin the nest. I told him that moose were shy animals, and besides, I would protect it. That seemed to appease him. Still, he ran shrieking across the yard when he spotted his "nest" this afternoon, ha! Silly! And yes, there are moose here, but I have yet to see one!

OH! But then he announced he was a Power Ranger, and the pine cones were bad guys. So he took a stick and knocked them all down. And Maya cried. So much for worrying about the moose, sheesh!

Anyhow, here are a few pics from our outside time yesterday and today. This yard will be so awesome, once we get a swingset for the kids. Just having all this open space is amazing! And can you believe that we still have semi-green grass? In Massachusetts, in JANUARY? Not that I'm complaining or anything, but it's so weird!


And, for fun, here's a pic of the back of the house, from the far end of the grassy area. We eventually plan to put in a patio/deck around the back door. And the porch off to the right needs new screens, but will be a lovely place to sit on spring and summer afternoons. And if we ever get any real snow, we are going to have the most awesome yard for sledding, ever! And please note the little white potty next to the door, haha!

Ok, one more, I swear! I debated whether or not to share this, since Gus is difficult when it comes to posting pictures of him. Still... too bad! I LOOOOOOVE this picture of him and our baby girl. I only wish I had taken it with my "good" camera. Love!!

Potty Training: Day 2

Day two went pretty well, all things considered!

She didn't go to the bathroom as often, so there weren't as many opportunities for success. She did have a few accidents earlier in the day, but she (again) showed improvement after lunch. Actually, today marked a few milestones! One was that she use the "big" potty, without a training seat or anything. That was mostly a matter of timing and proximity, but she thought it was funny and clung to me for dear life while she did her business. She also pooped in the potty for the first time-- woohoo!! And, I'm pleased to report that there were no poop accidents today. Hallelujah! Finally, she impressed me tremendously by announcing mid-bath that she needed to go. With no prompting or reminders! Gus put her on the potty and, sure enough, she went. Yippee!!!

Anyway, I am proud of our little Potty-training Princess (she likes when I call her that, haha!). She even took an unexpected two-hour nap on the couch this afternoon, and woke up dry. Progress, my friends! I can see the light at the end of the tunnel!

And, just because I think it's adorable... our Sleeping Beauty during her nap. *sigh* I love her!

And yes, she is sleeping on top of a waterproof bed pad and underneath an old towel. The joys of potty-training, haha!

Potty Training: Day 1

I know I said I was going to paint the living room today, but I totally forgot that I was planning to potty train Maya this weekend. It's amazing how many times I have forgotten, actually. Perhaps because I was trying to block it out? At any rate, it was time. She's the right age, she shows lots of interest and, well, we have to do it eventually. So today was the day. The day I've been dreading, after our failed attempt back whenever-it-was (April?). sigh.

Anyway, the morning was full of, well, messes. Lots of pee. It's kind of funny, actually. The 3-Day Potty Training booklet recommends keeping kids in just their undies (no pants) for easy access and clean-up. That wasn't really an option for us, since it's cold here and Maya gets cold more easily than her brother. So she wore leggings, which were just as easy to get on and off. Bonus: the leggings kept most of her pee accidents from ever actually reaching the floor or furniture. That was a lovely surprise, haha!

But the morning was a nightmare. She'd tell me she had to go after she'd already gone. No good. She was visibly upset every time she had an accident, which was an improvement over our last potty training attempt, and I KNEW it was only the first day, but I couldn't help wanting to throw in the towel.

Fortunately, though, I kept on going! After lunch, she had two more accidents and SIX successful potty visits!!! I was SO proud of my little girl! The day isn't even over yet, but I am optimistic that this attempt will be "the one." I can see everything starting to click in her head. Amazing!

I won't lie, though-- I am exhausted! I have been glued to her side all day long. I need a nap!

Our 'Hood

You have been warned: this post will contain a lot of pictures. I was feeling inspired today, haha!

Anyway, today was Nikos' second day of preschool, and it was another big success! It was warm enough for them to end the day playing outside, and it was so fun to see him running around all rosy-cheeked with the other kids. And as we walked to the car, he kept saying, "I sure love this place! I'm going to miss it so much!" And in talking with one of his teachers, it sounds like he's transitioned really well into the group. Hooray! I couldn't be happier!

While our favorite boy was at preschool, Maya and I met up with my friend and her daughter for some coffee (for the grown-ups) and pastries. It was nice to just sit and chat, and Maya had fun sitting with her little buddy on the couch and watching the cars go by on Main Street. It was a lovely way to spend the morning, and we might just do it again next week!

After our coffee date, we still had a little time before going to pick Nikos up from school. I drove by the house to get my camera, and then Maya and I went on sort of a photo-taking tour of our neighborhood. Have I mentioned just how beautiful it is here? Well, it is. Allow me to show you the neighborhood, hehe!

Where we live is essentially an old farming community. One minute, you are surrounded by dense forest... the next, it opens up onto these sprawling New England farms. Or lakes. There are lots and lots of lakes (though the locals seem to mostly call them ponds. They're lakes to me!). Our town's population is very small... under 10,000 people. All the kids here go to the same elementary school, middle school, and high school. And yet we have a good-sized city only about 20 minutes away, with all the conveniences that affords. Not bad, I say!

Anyway... the pictures! We live on a corner, and this is the road on one side of our house. No joke.

If you keep driving along that road, these are a few things you'll see... a frozen creek:

A horse farm (along with several other farms)

The "pond" that is less than a mile behind our house

More farmland, with a stone wall. There are stone walls EVERYWHERE!

And much more of the same! It really is so rural and peaceful. I just love it!

A little farther away (a few miles), there is a really cool-looking old farm that I couldn't get a decent photo of. I did, however, hold up my camera and snap a quick photo of the Highland cattle they raise there. Highland cattle are furrier than standard cattle, and do well in the cold climate. I think they're cool! And they like to hang out right by the road. :)

Anyway, that's all I was able to get for today, but thought I'd share. I'll have to do it again in the spring/summer when everything is green again. And there's plenty more, too... lots of neat farms, huge old houses, churches, cemetaries, etc. I can't get enough!

Back to our day, though. We got Nikos, came home for a quick lunch, and then headed out to run some errands. And on the way back, it really started to snow. We'd seem the occasional flake throughout the day, but it started to really come down. It was light and fluffy and swirly, and very exciting! As soon as we got home, we ran out in the back yard to try and catch some on our tongues, haha! The kids were a little amped up and somewhat unclear on the concept, so they mostly ended up running around like chickens with their heads cut off. No real snowflake-catching occurred. But they had fun! And I did catch one picture of my crazy-happy boy. With a snowflake on his head. Yay!

So, then I got the kids inside and grabbed my macro filters. I love trying to take pictures of snowflakes, but BOY is it hard! I have an incredibly shallow depth of field to work with, and the slightest movement of the camera sends everything out of focus. Factor in the wind, the cold, and the weight of my camera (it's heavy), and getting a decent shot is really tough! These aren't perfect, but I like them nonetheless!


And one last one for the night! I just thought this was funny. Maya was whining at me for a while, and I couldn't really hear what she was saying. I told her I'd come up in a minute (figuring she was upstairs in the playroom). I walked around the corner and saw this. And no, she wasn't stuck-- she can work the gate just fine. Just lying on the stairs and whining, haha! She wanted me to help her find Boots (Dora is on the steps there). Funny girl! And yes, these stairs need carpeting... one of these days!

And that's it, for today! Tomorrow's mission: paint the living room!