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!