Catching Up

BOY, am I behind! Oops!! I got really busy with photography, but then I just didn't feel like blogging... despite having lots and lots to blog about. So I think that this post is mostly going to be a story in photos, because there is just too much to cover. Ack!

As of my last posting, the snow in our yard was finally starting to melt away, and we were able to play outside without snow boots! Woohoo! The timing was perfect, because it meant that we were able to actually *hide* the Easter eggs on Easter, as opposed to just scattering them on the snow. The kids had a great time, looking all over our yard for them. With nearly an acre to explore, the hunt lasted quite a while!

Backing up, though... The day before Easter, we took the kids to yet another egg hunt, this time at a local nursery! The eggs were hidden in and around all the plants, so it was a bit of a challenge, too. And it was SUPER crowded! The kids had fun, though, and enjoyed getting to pet the soft bunny inside the greenhouse.

In the afternoon that day, it was SO nice and warm... I noticed that there was just a tiny bit of snow left on my planter box, and I decided to go out there and make it disappear. Within minutes, I had two little helpers who were VERY eager to help till the soil! So we did that, and added some more, and just got everything ready for planting. I still can't plant most of my stuff, since we are still anticipating some nights with below-freezing temperatures. But I am ready to go!! A few more weeks! The day after Easter was April 1st... Also known as my birthday! It was somewhat unfortunate that it was on a Monday, but I had a pretty good day nonetheless. I dragged the kids shopping with me, and then out to lunch. It was another semi-warm day, at least in the morning, and I was able to roll down the window and enjoy the sunshine. Later on, the sky clouded over and the wind picked up... so it was the perfect chance for the kids to try out the new kites they got in their Easter baskets! We ate leftover Easter ham for dinner (yum!), and then followed it down with this amazing chocolate chip cookie dough cake made by my buddy, Miranda (the professional baker). It was SINFULLY good. Oh my gosh. I loved my cake! Not a bad way to begin my first day in a new age demographic! On Tuesday and Wednesday, the temperatures dropped back down again... We even had flurries of snow! It was so depressing, after getting a tiny (and very belated) taste of spring. It was so unfair! We were stuck back indoors. I did get a cute picture of me and my sweet girl, though! Later in the week, the temperatures starting climbing back up into the mid-40s again-- even into the low 50s on Friday! We got back outside and took advantage of it, at every possible opportunity!

Then, this past weekend, our busiest day was on Sunday. Nikos had his last day of ice skating lessons. He is now a graduate of both Pre-Tot and Tot 1 levels! He definitely wants to continue so that he can become a hockey player, but we've got t-ball starting up any day now... so he will be taking a break for a while. But really, he has gotten SO good. He's really confident on the ice, and can get around pretty easily. I'm so proud of our little skater!
Maya, on the other hand, was a little bored watching his class. haha!

Directly after the class ended, we headed over to my friend Caryn's house, to attend her daughter's birthday party. We had a great time, as always-- maybe even more so now that we really know a lot of their family and friends. Nikos was hilarious, driving their Big Wheels Gator around the yard (look at that face!). And I'm adding a picture of me, with Caryn and Miranda (the cake baker). These are probably my best friends in MA! Three Musketeers!
And that brings us to this week! We're only two days in, but they have been the BEST days of the year so far-- by FAR! We hit nearly 70 degrees for two days in a row, and I have been in heaven! I get as much done as possible in the morning, so that we can spend all afternoon outside. And that is where I do a lot of this, while the kids play on the swings, or use toys to chip away at the last remnants of snow and ice in the shadow of our house. Heaven!!!! My bones finally feel warm again. I had all the windows open! We haven't had to heat the house in over 24 hours. HALLELUJAH!!!

My little seedlings are also bursting at the seams. Spring is here! I just need them to hang tight for another two weeks or so, and then they will find their new home in the garden. This may not look like much, but these plants are going to fill up my little planter completely in just a few months. I can't wait!!!!!

--------------------- P.S. How could I forget??? There was a cardinal checking out the grass under our bird feeder this weekend! I took this series of pics from all the way across the yard, since he flew away when I got closer. But still! My best cardinal picture yet! They DO exist! :)

Spring? Could it be?

At the risk of jinxing things... Today finally felt like spring!! It was 53 degrees, the warmest it has been in a long time, and sunny!!! We still have snow in the shady parts of the back yard, but I walked outside this morning and was amazed at how comfortable it felt. I quickly got a shovel and cleared off our second-floor deck, and we ate lunch outside! It was GLORIOUS!

And, shortly after we sat down, a CARDINAL flew out of the woods and landed on my new bird feeder! I was beside myself-- the cardinals are the main reason I bought my feeder last year, and then another one this year. I have been trying to lure them out of the trees for a while now. And there was one, right in plain sight! And I didn't have my camera!! I ran back inside to grab it, but it flew away the minute I came back out. I did see where it went, though, and got this really terrible picture. Yup. A red blob in a tangle of branches. But it's the only cardinal photo I've gotten so far! I think I am going to sit out there and watch the feeder tomorrow, haha! I got lots of chickadee pictures, though. They were very happy with the feeder! While I was trying to take photos of birds, the kids were enjoying being outside without the need for hats or mittens! Maya wore a hat, but she ALWAYS wears that hat these days. She even sleeps in it. So it wasn't because she was cold or anything! They had to wear their rain boots because of the snow around the swing set, but most of the yard was grassy. I brought out our picnic blanket and basked in the warm sun. It felt SO good!
(and yes, Maya's boots are on the wrong feet. I told her, but she wouldn't hear it. And Gus had the day off work for Good Friday)
Oh! And I nearly forgot! I registered for another 5K this morning, and signed Nikos up for the corresponding kids' race! It's a 1 mile race, right here in town, and he is SO excited! But I wanted to get him some decent athletic shoes, so we went shopping this morning. He was instantly drawn to this pair, mainly because they had the letter N on them! Of course, it's the logo for New Balance. But in our boy's mind, it stood for Nikos! He is very proud of his new shoes, and wore them all day (except when I made him wear his rain boots). He also insists that they make him run extra fast. I can't wait to see him run in this race!!

Just a little update...

All is well here! I've been busy with photo sessions, and editing has consumed most of my evenings, which is why I haven't been posting. But things really are going well. Busy, as always, but good!

This past weekend was pretty laid back, for a change. We had the town Easter Egg Hunt on Saturday morning, which was hilarious. We got about 6 inches of snow last week from winter storm Ukko and, while it has melted quite a bit, there was still a lot on the ground by the community center! It made hunting for eggs less-than-challenging. Can you see why? It was also VERY cold that morning, and the hunt itself really only lasted a few minutes. We had a few flurries of snow, even! But the kids were very happy with the candy they got, and are excited for another hunt this weekend (and another in May, when Orthodox Easter rolls around! They are really far apart this year). I snapped this really quickly before we ran inside to get warm. Not exactly your typical egg hunt, haha!
The rest of the weekend was spent mostly lounging around. We ran a few errands, and Nikos had ice skating yesterday, but he and Gus spent a lot of time playing Lego: Star Wars together (a gift from yiayia and papou this past week). I think that's one of my favorite games for the Wii, now. It's so fun!!

Anyway... This morning, I finished editing and uploading my most recent client gallery, so I was all caught up. I made it my mission to get the kids outside. This crazy-long winter has kept us cooped up more often than we like, and it was definitely time to get out and run around! Half of the yard was covered with snow, and half wasn't, so I made them wear their snow gear-- knowing full well that, if they didn't, they would wind up falling in the snow and getting soaked/freezing. Of course! I think it ended up being a good idea, particularly since it clouded over and got chilly while we were out there. I blew bubbles for them to pop until my fingers went numb, but then they were left to their own devices so I could put gloves on:
Meanwhile, I did some birdwatching. In the year that we've lived here, I have become mildly obsessed with all the amazing wildlife and plants that thrive here. The birds are my favorites! This little chickadee started visiting my window feeder this weekend, and I had gotten a good picture of him this morning:
While I was outside with the kids, I heard chirping, and followed the sound... only to find a good ten or more chickadees, talking to each other in the woods next to our house! I snapped this picture of one on a branch, but they were all over the area. SO CUTE!!
I had also planned to get some pictures of the robins that have overtaken our yard. A real sign of spring, even if we still have snow on the ground! They are the silliest birds! They're like pigeons! They just like to poke around in the grass for bugs, or worms, or seeds, or whatever it is that they eat. But of course, they flew off as soon as we went outside, and came back the minute we went in. I snapped this photo from the dining room-- which is also where I realized that the robins weren't the only birds poking around out there!
I sent this picture to my bird-nerd friend, who informed me that the little birds I saw were Juncos, or "Snowbirds." They aren't generally seen a lot in the spring/summer, so it is funny that they were down there foraging with the robins. Goes to show how mixed up our seasons are this year, haha!

Anyway... the forecast is looking nicer for the upcoming weeks, and I am looking forward to the real arrival of spring. It should be over 50 degrees on my birthday-- one week from today! I can't wait to feel warm again!! ------------------------- Oh! And while we're on the subject of birds... I don't think I shared this one from a few weeks ago! A mating pair of bluebirds, splashing in our rain gutters. SO CUTE!

Niko's First 5K

So, despite the fact that I am still sore from really pushing myself last weekend, I did another 5K this morning. The original plan was to drop the kiddos off at my friend Caryn's house during the race, since Gus is out of town, but they both rejected that idea completely. They were mad that they didn't get to go to the race last weekend, and REALLY wanted to go today. Nikos swore he was going to run, but I didn't know if he would actually do it. So I borrowed Caryn's double jogging stroller and hoped for the best! There were a few differences in this morning's 5K. For one, it was FREEZING. Well, technically, it was below freezing. It was 21 degrees when we started, and there were icy patches on the ground. Absolutely frigid! And the course for this race wasn't flat, like the one in the city was. Nope, this was pretty much the exact OPPOSITE of flat-- I don't think there was more than a few feet of flat road along the entire course! It started on a slope, and there were probably three or four good-sized hills before we had to turn around and do them all over again. It was BRUTAL! My legs simply did not want to go.

About half a mile in, though, Nikos threw off the blanket and hopped out of the stroller, ready to run! I quickly took a picture, since I didn't know how long it would last. But he ran the rest of the race!!!!! More than two miles! It was a jog, but I was so totally impressed and surprised. And you should see the look on his face when he talks about it now-- he will tell you that he WON, and that he passed TONS of people! The truth is that we were at the back of the pack, pushing strollers and dealing with various kids melting down (mostly my friends' kiddos). It took us 50 minutes to finish, but it was absolutely, positively EXHAUSTING. Nikos is really eager to run another race, so I am going to look into finding a 1K kids' race for him-- he will love that! As for me, well... As much as I love my kiddos, I don't plan to push them in the stroller in any more races, haha! Everything was twice as hard! I am just as tired, if not more so, than I was after the last race. I am ready for bed, and it's not even dinner time yet!

Once we crossed the finish line, a teenage volunteer handed Nikos a bottle of water, which he will tell you is the PRIZE he got, hehe! We went into the hall (it was at a church) to get some food, but poor Maya was just DONE. So no corned beef for me, sadly! And I will never know if I won any raffle prizes, because you had to be present to win. Oh well! I took my babies and got them treats at Dunkin Donuts, just for being so good. And Nikos practically inhaled them. The kid worked up an appetite! So proud of my little runner!!

My First 5K! And... Theia's First Visit!

Ok, so, since I last posted... Winter storm Rocky snowed on us a bit, but not much. And then winter storm Saturn was expected to bring 4-8 inches of snow. We ended up with almost two feet (and much deeper in some spots!) Of course, the worst part of the storm came through on Friday morning, just as Gus' sister's plane was landing in Boston for a weekend visit. What should have been a three-hour round trip quickly turned into an over-5-hour epic drive through blizzard conditions on slippery roads. I was so, so worried, as I waited for them to get home!! It didn't help as I watched cars fishtail down the road in front of our house! But they made it safely, though they had to park across the street because the driveway was blocked again (and Gus had already cleared it before he left). It was crazy!

Fortunately, the snow stopped pretty much right when the forecasters said it would, at 1pm. Shortly after that, we geared up and the kids got to show their Theia just how much work it is to walk in deep, freshly-fallen snow. haha! Really, it was exhausting. It's so much nicer to play outside when it's just a few inches, and packed down more. Poor Maya will tell you that she "had a lot of problems" out there-- her boot kept coming off, and she just had trouble moving in the deeper parts. Still, I think everyone had fun! And it was warm enough (above freezing) that we could play outside pretty comfortably for as long as we wanted.
By Saturday morning, the roads were pretty clear and the sun was shining-- it made it up to almost 50 degrees! Such a gorgeous day! After I cleared the driveway, we gave Theia the tour of the town, capped off with lunch at Friendly's. After that, we spent a few hours at the kids' science museum. Obligatory picture with Siegfried the stegosaurus: At that point, we were all pretty wiped out. So we had a quiet evening at home. No complaints!

Yesterday, despite the time change, I was up early. I was so nervous! I had never run any sort of race before, and I knew that I was woefully unprepared. I hadn't run in a few weeks... and I had NEVER run more than 2.5 miles at a time. So I had no idea how this 5k would go. And we were stressed out about parking, which ended up being super easy. We (my friends and I) got there sooooo early, haha! We parked pretty much right at the starting/finish line. I'm glad we got there when we did, because it ended up being the largest race ever in the city of Worcester (the second-largest city in MA). Just look at the video from the starting line! We are on the camera side of the street, just after the 1:30 mark. I have a purple shirt, black jacket, a green scarf, and a goofy grin. Click here to see a screen shot! :) So... it was a lot longer than I thought! And the three of us separated pretty quickly, so I was on my own. And there was a hill! Plus it was chilly (32 degrees when we started, and the road was wet and sandy from all the snow removal. BUT... I DID IT!!! I was aiming to do it in under 45 minutes... My official time was 36:44, which SHOCKED me. And I am in agonizing pain today. But, I DID IT!!!!!!!!! And I was also part of setting a record: largest race to ever take place in the city of Worcester. Kind of cool!!

The city's St. Patrick's Day parade started immediately after the race, on the same route. So we walked to a bar on the parade route, where we could stand outside, drink some beer, and watch the parade go by. By that time, it was in the 40s and very sunny-- it felt great! Except I actually got a little sunburn. In Massachusetts. In March. With snow on the ground. haha! Still, it was great. Here's one quick pic from after the race. We were feeling pretty accomplished! After the race and the parade, I came home to a house full of resting people. The four of them had gone to Nikos' ice skating lesson together. Maya was asleep on the couch, leaning up against Theia. Gus was asleep by the fire. And Theia and Niko were watching TV. I was so, SO tempted to fall asleep, too, but I resisted the urge! I took a nice, hot shower, popped some ibuprofen for my aching muscles, and we eventually went out to a lovely dinner at one of our favorite local restaurants.

Today, we spent the morning at home, then headed to the mall after lunch. The mall is halfway between here and the airport, and has become our usual stop when we are saying goodbye to family. We took two cars, so the kids and I could go home while Gus took his sister back to the airport. They had fun at the mall, but the kids literally cried almost all the way home. Even Nikos! Maya would cry for a bit, then feel better, then remember that Theia was leaving and get upset all over again. It was pretty much the saddest thing ever. I think they are both finally old enough to realize that they can't see their family as often as they used to. ugh! It breaks my heart!!!!!!!!

Before we left the house, though, we took a few REAL (non-cell phone) pictures for posterity. So here they are! All in all, it was a great weekend. The kids love their Theia! We hope she comes back again soon!

Busy Winter Days...

Just look at that! Winter storm "Q" passed over us all day yesterday. It made the drive to the kids' last ice skating lesson harrowing, to say the least, but the reward was this beautiful six-inch carpet of snow, and snow stuck to all the trees. Throw in blue skies and sunshine, and it was an absolutely gorgeous view to wake up to. Have I mentioned how much I love our back yard? Because I really, really do. It's my happy place. :)

My unhappy place, however, was driving through the snow yesterday. Once we left our town, the roads were awful! Gus was driving, and I was trying not to look... the snow was falling heavily, and the roads weren't being plowed very well (with the notable exception being our town, which was in great shape!). I was scared! This was the view out the windshield in the next town over: However, it was the last ice skating lesson for this session, and it wasn't cancelled due to the weather, so we plugged along, slowly, until we got there. And most of the other kids were there, too, which was impressive! Our kiddos earned ribbons for completing the first level of ice skating lessons. Maya is done, for now, but Nikos will actually be continuing to the next level-- starting next weekend! So no break for us. He is very excited, and has big plans to become a champion hockey player. And all champion hockey players need to complete at least the second level of ice skating classes, right? hehe!

In other news... I talked Gus into taking a free curling class at the outdoor skating rink in Worcester on Saturday. And he had a lot of fun! It was put on by a local curling club... because hey, they have those here, in the frozen north! We joked that it's a shuffleboard club in the off season, haha! Anyway, at the end of the lesson, they had a little scrimmage, and Gus' final throw ended up winning the match for his team-- so he was in high spirits! Meanwhile, the kids kept warm by running around in the large plaza outside of City Hall, and running up and down the steps. I should have copied them, since I was feeling a little numb by the time the whole thing was over! Today, however, was much warmer and more pleasant. Gus took the day off of work, since I had a doctor's appointment (annual physical) that I really didn't want to bring the kids to! The appointment itself went very quickly, and I got a clean bill of health (yay!). After lunch, we went to the store to look at some things for my garden (we started seeds yesterday), but were sorely disappointed by the dripping-wet-from-melting-snow garden section, haha! Another day!

When we got back home, Nikos didn't really want to go outside... but I reminded him that Gus would be back at work tomorrow, and that this would likely be his only chance to play outside with Daddy this week. So we got all our gear on and headed out... and had a blast!!! We sledded, threw snowballs, and built a giant snow t-rex (well, Gus and I did). It was warm enough (mid-30s) that nobody got particularly cold, and the snow was wet enough that it was really good for packing. It was a PERFECT snow day, and I am so glad that my doctor's appointment forced Gus to be home and share it with us! That, and the fact that he didn't have to plow the driveway in the dark this morning. I'm sure he appreciated being able to wait until 9:30 or so! And that's the big stuff from the past couple of days! I'm sure I'm leaving things out, but that's okay. It's been a while since I last posted, mostly because my photography business has been picking up. Which is great!! I had two sessions last week, with another one this week and more to come-- including a few newborns I am waiting on. I am loving this niche, but every session I have means more evenings devoted to business, and not to this blog. So when there is a gap in posting, that is usually why!

Lovies

I was just playing around with settings on my camera earlier, and needed some subjects to photograph. The kids were unwilling, but their lovies weren't! I just wanted to share this pic of their favorite stuffed friends, Bear and Pink Bunny. These guys go pretty much everywhere with us, and are showing quite a bit of wear and tear. And yes, that is as clean as they get! But, they are very, VERY loved in this house. I think I will miss them one day, when the kids don't "need" them anymore (*sniff!*).

A few quick things...

I just wanted to share this video of Nikos at the end of skating lessons today. He is doing so AWESOME! He's at the head of the class! We only have one more week, but he is already asking us to sign him up for the next level. He is bound and determined to play hockey! Maya has done great, too, but isn't as driven as her brother is. She's smaller, and skating is a lot of work! She will probably take a break before resuming lessons... maybe next winter!
And then, after skating, we went to the pet store and picked out some new friends. It was kind of impulsive, actually, but we had bought all the accessories when we were out shopping yesterday. The blue male was Nikos' pick, and Maya insisted on getting a "tiny" fish (the red female). They are in a divided tank and can't see each other, which is good-- or they might try to kill each other! The kids are very excited, and can't wait to feed them again in the morning! :)

Happy Valentine's Day!

Snow and Sickness

Today's post is brought to you by the letter S!

Maya and I have both been knocked down by the cold that Nikos had last week, which he so generously shared with us. I feel horrible, but I think Maya has it the worst. Poor thing! I kept her home from preschool yesterday, even. And she didn't even fight me on it-- surprising, considering how much she loves school! But she's exhausted and stuffed up and just generally unwell. The good news is that she seems to be on the upswing. We're actually going to go to dance class this morning. Her nose isn't running nonstop like it has for the past few days, so this is promising!

Anyway... she and I had a nice morning together yesterday, while Nikos was at preschool. She colored in her new coloring book, and I cleaned up the kitchen. Then she told me that she wanted to wear her purple summer dress, and said I could take her picture. So random! But I am in love with this photo. It's so Maya! I did, however, have to Photoshop her poor nose, which is red from being wiped so many times. Poor, sweet girl!

Later, after lunch, I finally mustered up enough energy to take the kids outside. Maya seemed to be feeling a bit better, and I knew we needed to take advantage of the perfect conditions. The snow that fell in the blizzard was very light and powdery. Great for shoveling, but horrible for sledding, snowmen, snowballs, or even walking. Nikos couldn't walk in it at all! But we have had a few "warm" days since then (in the 40s!), as well as some rain. So the depth of the snow has decreased dramatically, and it's also much more wet/sticky. Perfect for playing in! And since it was almost 40 degrees outside yesterday (again, that feels WARM to us!), I really wanted to get the kids out for a bit to enjoy it. We didn't stay out too long, but we got in some good sledding runs, and I built an awesome snowman!

It was fun! I practically collapsed from exhaustion when we came back in, but it was worth it. I'm really proud of my snowman, haha! I kind of want to try to make an even bigger one... maybe this afternoon! :)

Nemo, in review

So, it's pretty much over! We're still getting occasional flurries, but the sun is peeking out and the statewide travel ban will be lifted at four o'clock. Gus went out and cleared the driveway this morning-- it took him over two hours, and it really tested the capabilities of the snowblower, but we're all clear now! All total, we got right around 30 inches-- with some spots deeper and some shallower than that. Nikos and I went out to see if we could play in it, but it is just too powdery. It will be good for sledding in a few days, once it gets a little icier, but it's really not good for anything right now.

And without further ado, here are some pictures!

Blizzard Update

So... tons of snow fell last night! It was crazy windy, too. I just took this quick video, to compare with the one I took yesterday afternoon: We haven't lost power at all, thank goodness (*knock on wood!*). Everyone slept well except for me. I got up at about 2am just to make sure everything was okay. And just in time to see a posse of guys on snowmobiles pulling into the convenience store down the road (which was still open, despite a state ban on driving after 4pm yesterday... I feel horrible for those employees!). It was quite odd to see snowmobiles driving down Main Street, but I'm sure it was safer than being in a car! The plows were running all night, too, though the roads are still in bad shape. We won't be going anywhere today!

Anyway... I stuck a stick out on the front porch yesterday morning to measure the snowfall. And, of course, the snow started accumulating everywhere BUT by the stick! Ha! It was so windy that there are huge drifts everywhere, and it's hard to really know how much snow we got. However, we have 1.5 feet by the stick, which is just about the most shallow spot. I think it's a safe bet that we have at LEAST 2 feet (maybe 2.5?) covering the driveway. And it's still falling steadily!

And here is just one quick pic from the back yard. I think the snow is deeper there, but won't know until we go out there!

Live from Nemo

Still not too crazy out there, but the worst is supposedly yet to come! It's been a pajama day around here! :)

Hunkering Down

Today was a great day! Blue skies, lots of sunshine, and we got the last of our plumbing issues resolved (hooray!). The kids went to preschool. I baked a cake. I also went to the grocery store with the rest of New England to stock up for the blizzard that is about to nail us!

Like I said, it was a nice day! So it is hard to fathom what will be dumped on us tomorrow. Just look at this map! We're in that dark blue (24"+) section. So weird, considering there is absolutely no snow on the ground right now. Tomorrow, it will look like a different world out there!

Anyway, we have plenty of food, and our gas cans are full. The generator and snow blower are all set to go. Gus' work is closed tomorrow, along with all the local schools. Basically, everyone in the state is on blizzard watch. Now we just wait!

In the meantime... I wanted to share a few pictures from today. While I was busy dealing with various repairmen, the kids were VERY busy drawing many, MANY pictures. I can't even tell you how much paper they went through today. But when I had time to help him out with spelling, Nikos was very interested in labeling all his pictures. My reluctant writer wanted to WRITE! I was so happy! The first pictures he labeled were his Ninja Turtles:

Later in the evening, he ended up making a book! It was a collection of Star Wars-themed pictures, and he wrote a little caption on each page. Things like, "I will defeat you!" or "Darth Maul is a rotten egg!" haha! We stapled them all together, and he insisted that we read his book at bedtime. He was SO proud. And so was I! It just reaffirms what I already knew: he CAN write, when he wants to. I think he struggles a bit with his fine motor skills, partly because he's a lefty, and it's hard work for him. I couldn't believe how much he wrote today!

And, speaking of writing... Our baby girl is finally starting to write her name properly! She's known how for a while, but she has never felt the need to, uh, follow society's rules. She likes to write the letters in different orders, or even flip a letter or two upside-down for kicks. It's completely intentional, and it drives me a little insane. But I looked down at her work earlier, and saw this! She did it all by herself-- I wasn't even in the room. Hallelujah! Progress!! :)

Big Kids

Yesterday was a big day in the P. house... I registered our baby boy for kindergarten! I did it while the kids were at preschool, so they weren't part of the process, but Nikos was actually very excited about it (surprising, since he has told me numerous times that he doesn't want to go to kindergarten). He wanted to drive by the school and check it out, so we took a little detour on our way home. His favorite part, so far, is the playground ("They have BASKETBALL HOOPS, Mom!!!"). I think he is going to love it there. However, I still can't believe we are at this point already. Just yesterday, he was this little baby...

...and now he's this Big Kid (who needs a haircut)! It blows my mind!!!

So I guess there will be an orientation in May, and then another one later in the summer, right before school starts, where he will get to experience his first school bus ride. I repeat: I can't believe it. It makes my heart hurt a little, thinking about sending him out into the Big Wide World. But he's a good kid. I think he will be just fine. siiiiigh...

Anyway, I don't have much else to report, except our boy has a cold right now. His nose is running like a faucet, so we are skipping Maya's dance class today. I don't think the other moms and kids in the waiting room would appreciate being exposed to his germs, and it is VERY obvious that he is sick. Maya is a little bummed, but she understands. She is currently playing dress-up, as usual. She is so funny! I snapped this photo of her the other day, per her request. I was just photographing my new backdrop color ("bone") to see how it looked, but she grabbed the chair and insisted I take a picture. Crazy kid!

Today's agenda includes cleaning, caring for my sick kid, and probably a quick run to the grocery store. We have snow coming on Friday, though nobody can seem to agree on the amount. Some forecasts say 2-4 inches, others say 30 inches! Big difference! Better stock up on food, though, just in case...

Wait, it's FEBRUARY?

And the last time I posted was on January 21st??? WOW! That's some sort of record for me, and not in a good way! But I can explain, I swear!

The big thing that's happened over the past few weeks is a major shift in my photography business. I hadn't been working very much, mostly because of scheduling issues. And motivation issues. I got to talking with my buddy Miranda, who owns a custom cake business, and she had suggested we partner up to do cake smash sessions for one-year-olds. This got me thinking. I have this (small) home studio. It's really not big enough for family portraits or anything like that. But it's perfect for babies! And it's IN MY HOUSE, which solves a lot of scheduling/childcare issues. Best of all, my main competition here in town (who happens to be a friend's husband) absolutely hates photographing babies. So it all clicked! Focus on babies! But I've been hard at work completely changing my website, getting the studio set up even better, drumming up business, etc. It's been pretty exciting, actually! I feel like everything just magically fell into place. It's just been a lot of work (in a good way)!

But the kids are, in fact, still here, and we have been plenty busy with other things, too! Just yesterday, our town rec department hosted a Family Skate Day at a local ice rink. Free entry and skate rentals for all town residents! We went, and it was a lot of fun! A few of Nikos' buddies were there, along with their moms, so it ended up being a social event, too. My Zumba instructor was also there. Ah, small town life, haha! Here's one quick pic I snapped of Gus and the kids with my phone. Maya was not in the best mood, but Nikos ROCKED it! He was doing so well, and he was even going pretty fast! I was so proud! His confidence on the ice is amazing!

I actually just went through the photos on my phone to find that one, and was reminded of another event from the past two weeks. One that was rather unpleasant, actually, and I can't believe I forgot about it already!! Last week, we had a few days of negative temperatures. Even with the sun high in the sky, the temperatures were still hovering around zero. It was COLD. Suddenly, our dishwasher stopped working. I thought it was just a glitch or something, and went to bed. The next morning, the hot water in the kitchen sink wouldn't work. Same in the kids' bathroom, which is directly above the kitchen and must share a water line. Then we realized that three of our four heat zones were also not working (we have hot water baseboard heaters). Yup, the pipes were frozen. Great.

We ended up finding a plumber on CraigsList, and he was awesome. I think he will be our go-to guy if we ever need anything again! He was just so competent and rational. He let us borrow his construction-grade heater, which we set up in the basement aiming towards the crawl space where the frozen pipes had to be. A few hours later, we had hot water in the sinks/bathroom again-- HALLELUJAH!!! But still no heat. We weren't freezing to death or anything, since we have the pellet stove, but we didn't know if the pipes had actually burst. We found out the answer to that question later that evening, when we suddenly heard rushing water in the mudroom. Ack! Thankfully, the plumber had showed me exactly what to do in that situation. We got it cleaned up, and left the water shut off to that one zone. A few days later, after a few warm (almost 60-degree!) days, the heat suddenly kicked back on in another zone. And we still don't have heat in the final zone, but that one has most likely been frozen since November. We never use it. So we will see what happens in the spring.

Anyway, the plumber came back on Friday to fix the broken pipe, and then put antifreeze into our heating system so that this doesn't happen again. Smart!! Wish we had known about it before! Anyway, he fixed the broken spot in the pipe. The pipe actually looked like this. Amazing!

So then he tested the system, and it seemed to be working. He put the antifreeze in. And then we heard a bad noise. The same pipe had burst in a different spot! Oh my gosh!! We hustled to turn off the zone and clean up the mess, and then he fixed that part of the pipe. And, wouldn't you know it, the same thing happened AGAIN when we tested the system-- a third break in the same line. All were in different spots, about 8 feet apart, and they were all along the same north-facing wall that never gets sunlight. It was just too darn cold. In the end, the plumber ended up being here for over five hours. I was really nervous about how much he would charge us, but he was VERY reasonable. And I liked the guy! He's local, is a dad to two kids (a boy and a girl), a former firefighter, and he helps coach football at the high school. Most importantly, he did a good job and didn't rip us off. We lucked out! And now that we have the antifreeze in the system, this shouldn't ever happen again. *knock on wood*

Anyway, between our plumbing woes and my photo business, I don't really remember what else has been happening! We enjoyed those gloriously warm days, though they were very foggy because of all the evaporating snow. Now it's back to normal winter weather here. We had a light snowfall last night, temps in the twenties today, and we have had flurries off and on all evening while watching the SuperBowl. Such is life in New England, I suppose!