Where did the week go?

Seriously, where did it go? I feel like we were super busy all week, and then had a lovely, restful weekend that still went by way too fast. I suppose this is to be expected as the kids get older, but wow! Crazy!

Let me think back to this past week... On Monday, we had an impromptu playdate with some friends. The boys (twins) are both in kindergarten, which means they are only available in the afternoons. And it turns out that Mondays are the only days that their mom (my friend) doesn't watch other peoples' kids. Nikos had been BEGGING to play with the boys for a while, and they really had a great time! Plus, the weather was warm enough (50 degrees!!!) to play outside for a little while. It was fantastic! And then, to totally negate all the positive effects of playing outside, they came in and played video games. Doh!

On Tuesday, the kids went to school, as usual, and I continued my 5K training. As things currently stand, I could finish in about 40 minutes, I think. Maybe less, depending on the adrenaline! So it's not hopeless. I'm starting to feel a little more confident about actually being able to finish!

That same evening, I went to a Zumba class at the local community center. I convinced a group of friends to go with me. I was so nervous! I had never, ever participated in a group exercise class. But BOY, was it a workout! Oh my gosh! I haven't laughed that hard in a long time, either. We are going to go back again tomorrow night, and sign up for an eight-week block of classes. I was also amazed at how many people were there. It was in an old multipurpose room, and there were probably forty or fifty women there, ranging in age from about 30 to about 70! A pretty diverse group! And some of those older women really put me to shame... Oh well, I am doing my best!

Wednesday morning, we woke up to about four inches of snow on the ground, with more continuing to fall heavily. I dragged my achy post-Zumba body outside to clear the driveway, since both kids had dentist appointments that we needed to get to. I didn't want to use the snowblower, since the snow was still falling, so I decided to shovel two paths, just for my tires. I even managed to stay on them, for the most part, haha! The drive through our town and the next was fine. The roads were cleared, salted, and sanded, and the drive wasn't bad. It was actually very picturesque, as evidenced by this picture I took with my phone while stopped at a red light.

Once we got down the hill and closer to the dentist's office, it was a different story. The roads were slippery and packed with snow... I did, in fact, skid at one point, and it scared the bejeezus out of me! The parking lot was pretty bad, too. I was a major stress case by the time we sat down in the dentist's waiting room! HOWEVER... both kids did GREAT at their visits, and got a perfect bill of dental health. The dentist predicts that Nikos will need braces at some point to close the gaps and correct a minor crossbite, but he thinks Maya might actually not need them. That would be awesome! I am okay with that! :)

And, by the time we left the dentist, the roads in the area had been cleared much better than before. The drive home was uneventful. Though I spent the next two hours wrestling with the snowblower and snow shovels, getting the driveway clear. I was sore for days after that! Really, I wanted to take a nap that afternoon. But Caryn and her kids were expecting us to come over and play, so I sucked it up and we braved the roads again. I did, however, sleep REALLY well that night, haha!

Thursday was another preschool morning, and a chance for me to breathe (whew!). I ran two miles on the treadmill while they were gone, and then cleaned the house. It was actually sunny and fairly warm-- close to 40 degrees! Caryn and her kids came over to sled in the afternoon, and it was perfect weather for it! We had to drag the kids inside when it started to get dark, but they would have gladly stayed out for hours and hours!

Friday, I was crazy and decided to paint the coat closet door and all the trim in the entryway. This is not terribly exciting to most people, but it looks SO much better now! :)

Saturday, we went shopping for a new car seat for Nikos. Again, not very exciting, unless you are Nikos! He is very happy with his new seat, although Maya is less-than-thrilled to be moved into his old one. But he is getting too big for it, and Maya's seat (originally Nikos') is about to expire. So it was time for a change! And when we got back, Nikos and Gus played baseball outside for a while. Maya even joined in for a little bit! Someone is VERY excited for t-ball to start up again!

Then, on Sunday, we had ice skating lessons, as usual! They did so, so well! This week, they worked on moving backward across the ice, which was a very slooooow process. But going forward is getting a lot better. Look at them go! Niko is at the front of the group in the black sweatshirt and jeans... Maya is near the back in her pink sweatshirt and jeans, with the pink helmet! When we got home, Nikos really wanted to play baseball outside again, so we got our warm clothing on and headed out. Maya and I hung out together, playing with stomp rockets and going "exploring" in the woods. It was a perfect day for it!

Last night, Gus and I actually dropped the kids off at Caryn's house and got to go out to dinner. Alone! An actual DATE! It was lovely. We tried a place we had never been, and had the entire dining room to ourselves. Everyone was in the bar part of the restaurant, watching the Patriots play the Ravens. But the food was great, and so was the service. We will definitely be going back!

And today, we went to go see Rise of the Guardians at the local second-run movie theater, along with every other kid in the area. It was packed! But we all enjoyed it, and Nikos always loves getting popcorn, haha!

And... that's it! By the time we got home, snow was starting to fall again, and the next few days look like they are going to be VERY cold. Maybe I will actually find some time to post, since we will be stuck inside! ------------------------------ On a side note... I don't think I picked up my actual camera all week! My phone is sort of liberating in that way. The pictures are definitely not NEARLY as nice, but it is kind of nice to take a break from lugging The Beast around (said with affection, since I do love my camera!).

Little Skaters

Today was week two of ice skating lessons, and I have to say-- I was SHOCKED at how much improvement all the kids showed. Seriously! They really are little sponges at this age, I suppose. But last week, Nikos spent most of the time down on all fours. Maya, while doing a little better, still had some big spills that left her in tears by the end. And to be fair, poor Maya did end up with with a bruised booty last week. Still, both kids resolved to try their very best today, and they absolutely did! They did SO WELL! And they kept smiles on their faces the entire time. Seriously, I was so proud and so impressed! We went out to lunch with our friends (also in the class) afterward, as a treat for trying their best. I think we are all looking forward to week three... these kids might really be skating around by week eight!

Catching Up

It's amazing how life can get in the way of maintaining a blog. Seriously. haha!!

Anyway... we've been busy the past week or so! The kids went back to school last Thursday, and were very excited to tell their friends and teachers about all the things they got for Christmas. I spent the day cleaning like crazy, getting all the Christmas decorations down and put back in the attic.

The next day, Friday, I felt the need to compensate for essentially neglecting the kids on Thursday, with all the cleaning (during which time they were really good!). It was really cold, and I had absolutely no desire to go out anywhere. So we made a plaster volcano and did all sorts of science/craft activities that the kids got as Christmas presents. We even went out on the front porch for a very short time so that they could "paint" the snow with colored water in spray bottles-- fun!

The weekend was good, as usual. We made a family outing to the home improvement store to pick up some paint and other things for painting the master bathroom (finally!). That was our big event of the day, which was fine-- Maya was actually sick last week, and I wasn't feeling too hot on Saturday. So we got the stuff, and then just hung around the house. Oh, we went out to play in the snow a bit in the morning, but Maya wasn't into it. And to be honest, I was relieved that she wanted to come inside! So us sickies came in and let the boys stay out and have a snowball fight. Of course!

Then, on Sunday, both kids had their very first ice skating lessons!!! It was so cute, and they did so well! The primary focus was on how to fall down and then get back up to a standing position. This class is meant for kids who have never been on the ice before, and they don't use any sorts of walkers or other aids. So it made sense to focus on falling and getting up, since they had to do a lot of it! Maya actually did very well, but was hard on herself for falling-- she had a little meltdown at the very end of the lesson. Nikos fell more often, but thought it was hilarious. And both kids enjoyed the fact that they got to be in the same class as their good buddies Natalie and Jamie. I am looking forward to next week!

One little story... Immediately after class, Maya was in tears because she didn't like falling. And Gus said something to the effect of, "These are lessons-- you are still learning!" At which point she looked up at him and, very seriously, said, "But I ALREADY knew how to fall, BEFORE the lessons!" Poor thing! She really did do so well, though. I showed her the pictures, and it seemed to cheer her up. I am hoping she will feel more confident after the next lesson!

Yesterday (Monday), I spent the day painting the master bathroom. It is the smallest bathroom in the house, but it was a HUGE pain to paint. I'd been putting it off for so long because the existing paint job was just awful-- lots of bumps and peeling spots, requiring a lot of prep work. But I did it! And I even refinished the existing light fixture, too. It took all day, but I did it. And then I ran two miles in preparation for the 5K. And then I took a shower, and then sat down and was basically unable to move again. ahhhh...

And then today, the kids went to school again. I drove to the store and used a gift card to get some running capris and a shirt. And then zipped home to get the kids. They were having a blast playing "Star Wars" out on the snowy playground with their friends. Niko told me that he was Luke, Maya was Leia, and then a few other kids were Han Solo, Darth Vader, and Darth Maul. I think it is so funny how into Star Wars he is lately. One day, he will think it's really cool that I helped with the PR for Episode I. And have been to Skywalker Ranch multiple times. One day. haha!

One little story, though, that is worth sharing... Remember in my last post, how I talked about resolutions? I made a resolution for the kids, that they would wipe their own butts. And they have been doing it!!!!!! Seriously, I am really impressed. Nikos, especially, has finally embraced this change. We're still working on efficiency and effectiveness, but the desire and effort is there. Hooray!

So... he came home today, and was pleased to announce that he had wiped his butt at school. Fantastic!!! I asked him if he got it all. He told me that Chloe checked, and she didn't see any poop on his butt.

You might think Chloe is a teacher at the school. Nope! That's one of his friends, who he will be in kindergarten with next year. Yes, my child asked his friend to check his butt for poop. And she DID it! Oh my gosh!!! I was laughing so hard. But we also had the talk about personal boundaries. While Niko is shy around strangers, the kid really has no shame around people he knows. It's one of his many great qualities-- he is very confident and doesn't ever feel insecure about things. Including his potentially poopy butt. Oh boy. haha!!

We spent the afternoon at home, relaxing. I felt like crud, so Maya took care of me. Dressed in her Cinderella gown, she brought me a blanket, a pillow, and her lovey (Pink Bunny) so I could rest by the pellet stove. I was shivering, so it was all much appreciated! And later, Maya told me that I was the best mommy ever, and that I needed to wear the crown. I amused myself by playing with my phone and taking pictures...

And that's what we have been up to!

Resolutions...

So... it's a new year, and time to make some resolutions! I made mine a few weeks ago, and have actually gotten a head start. A few summers ago, I decided I was going to do the Couch to 5K running plan. I was off to a good start, for a few weeks... but then we went to Las Vegas for a long weekend, during which time I slipped on a wet sidewalk and hurt myself. I could have started back up again, but I didn't-- it was too easy not to. And I haven't run since.

Anyway... My buddy Caryn and I decided that we are both going to do it, and we have been keeping each other accountable. I told my other friend, Miranda, about it the other day, and she wants in, too. The original goal was to do the Color Run in Boston in July. And that is still a goal. But then Miranda suggested a local St. Patrick's Day race. Which is a lot sooner, obviously. And we are signing up!!! ACK!!!! Now I actually have to train! I know that a 5K isn't a lot for "real runners," but it is for me. I am excited. And feeling a little nauseous. It's really going to happen!!

In other news... I have developed a shared resolution for both kids: they will be wiping their own butts in 2013! I am sure that this is oversharing, but my five-year-old has been VERY resistant to this. He had one bad experience over a year ago that really set us back. But after thinking about it for a few days, I came up with a new approach involving actual lessons on technique, involving peanut butter and a few of Maya's baby dolls. Yes, it is completely ridiculous (more so, since I had to examine all her baby doll's butts and find ones that wouldn't be wrecked with peanut butter! haha!!). And we laughed. A lot. But you know what? Both kids wiped their own butts today. They are fully capable! I am looking forward to a time when the only butt I have to wipe is my own. And, dude... Nikos is going to kindergarten in the fall. Time to master this skill, stat!

Speaking of going to kindergarten... our boy had his long overdue five-year doctor visit today. And he did great! He had hearing and vision screenings, which he passed easily (whew! he has two practically-blind parents!!). He's right around the 75th percentile for both weight and height. And he got four shots, but didn't cry! He said "Ow!" and was a little mad about it, but continued to hold still and let the doctor do her thing. I was so proud of him-- he really held it together!

So... now I just need to schedule an appointment to enroll him in kindergarten. I have already completed the paperwork, located his birth certificate, and now I have the medical paperwork I needed. I can't believe it is time to do this already! And, while I'm thinking about it, I need to get him signed up for Little League again, too. Oh, and ice skating lessons start this weekend. And Maya got measured today for her dance recital costume. How did we get to this point??? Oh my gosh!

But being busy is worth it, especially for these two awesome kids. Who played Guess Who? for over an hour this afternoon. I love them so much!