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!

Happy New Year!

2012 has been a great year, filled with lots of new friends and experiences-- our first full year living in Massachusetts! I've said it a lot, but we really do love it here. It was a huge change, but one that has been really good for us all. And 2013 promises to be even more exciting! Both kids start ice skating lessons this week. Nikos will start kindergarten (!!!!!), and Maya will be on her own at preschool for the first time. Not to mention everything else that we don't even know about it. It's going to be a good one. Happy New Year, everyone!

More snow fun! And Man vs. Driveway

Yup, it snowed last night-- probably another 5 inches. Crazy! This is more snow than we got TOTAL all last winter, and we've only just begun. As everyone keeps telling me, this is shaping up to be a "real" New England winter. Lots more snow than before. Which presents some new challenges, which I will get to soon enough. I am just glad we had a nice, mild "transitional" winter last year. We couldn't have timed it better if we'd tried!

Anyhow... We didn't really have any plans for the day, aside from clearing the driveway. But a local friend really wanted to go sledding, so I invited her and her kiddos over to enjoy our perfect slope! Seriously, we bought a house with the ultimate sledding hill. It is so cool to be able to just go out back and sled to our hearts' content! At any rate, she came over after lunch, and the kids had a great time. The four of them play together really well-- her kids are the same age, but switch the genders. Nikos and her daughter will be in the same grade, while Maya and her son will be together. Through all the same schools, too! A convenient friend to have, indeed!! Anyway, here are a few pictures from their snow adventures...

And one from when they came back in. These two love each other! I sense future blackmail material!! Perhaps in high school?

Meanwhile... Gus was working in the driveway. Allow me to back up a few days, to the last snowstorm. On Thursday morning, Gus had cleared the driveway before leaving for work. However, it was still snowing-- another two or so inches fell after he was done. I should have gone out and cleared it before he got home. Hindsight is 20/20! But I didn't, and figured it was shallow enough that driving on it wouldn't be a problem. Gus thought the same thing. No biggie. He drove on it on Thursday night, and again on Friday morning. And Friday afternoon was when I realized two things. One was that our driveway was now covered with hard-packed snow and ice. The second thing was that the forecast didn't include any temperatures that were above freezing, for as far ahead as I could see. Soooo... the ice had to go. And thus began the battle of Man vs. Driveway (or, in my case, Woman vs. Driveway).

I spent about 2.5 hours out there on Friday, shoveling and salting and chipping away at the mess. I got maybe a quarter of the driveway clear. It was 27 degrees, and I was SWEATING! It was a ton of work! I took a break at one point and did some research. I decided that we absolutely, positively NEEDED a chipper/scraper tool (this exact one). I was literally hacking away at the ice with a garden hoe. It was not very effective!

First thing yesterday morning, the four of us headed to the store in search of better equipment. We got a new shovel, a chipper/scraper thing, a salt spreader, and Gus got a pair of Yaktrax (impulse buy--they were on sale! They are very cool, though!). Then we came home, got the kids settled inside the house, and got to work. The chipper/scraper/whatever-you-call it tool was the BEST. Seriously, we should have just gotten two of those. It was still slow-going, but would have been impossible without that tool. By the time the snow started falling, we (mostly Gus!) had gotten this far... Remember, the entire driveway had been covered! And there was an icy snowbank at the end of the driveway from the plows going by!

When we woke up this morning, the driveway was completely covered-- but it was with light, powdery snow. Gus made quick work of it with the snowblower, and then set to work on removing the rest of the ice. And he did it! The sunny weather helped a bit, though today's high temperature was still only 26 degrees. He also cleared out the little parking pad we use to turn our cars around. It looks SO much better now! And I feel a lot less stranded, seeing as how my car doesn't have all-wheel drive OR snow tires!

The plan now is to just keep on top of the driveway-- and never drive on the snow, unless there are warmer temperatures in the immediate forecast! It just packs it down and turns it to solid ice. Which then, in turn, is VERY difficult to remove! Lesson learned! We are going to be pros by the time this winter is over. And also, I think we are going to be getting a lot of exercise. Not necessarily a bad thing!

Snoooooooooooow!!

It snowed, it snowed! We got about seven inches last night. And while the weather forecast had me afraid that it was going to rain all day and turn everything to slush-- it didn't! It was right around 32 degrees-- perfect for playing outside! We stayed out for a few hours in the morning, came in to eat lunch, and then went out for another few hours. We are wiped out! But in a good way. It was a ton of fun, and we should get some more this weekend. Woohoo!

Merry Christmas!

From our family to yours!

We had a lovely, laid-back day at home. The kids were spoiled rotten, but loved every single gift they received. Strike that-- Maya complained exactly once, about a sweater I got for her. She took one look at it, made a face, and threw it on the floor. At which point I told her I had picked that sweater out just for her because I thought she would like it, and how it hurt my feelings that she acted that way. Next thing I knew, she was at my side, telling me how much she loved it. And how she had always wanted one just like it, and that she loved me. Awwww!! She's a quick learner, that kid.

I took hardly any photos, since I preferred to just enjoy my time with my family. The snow was falling outside all morning, the fire in the pellet stove kept us all cozy, and we all stayed in our pajamas all day. We had French toast and strawberries for breakfast, and a yummy ham for dinner (with snowflake rolls, green beans, and scalloped potatoes). And pumpkin pie for dessert, of course!

I did get a few pics, though, which I will share here. Merry Christmas, everyone!

'Twas the Night Before Christmas...

And the kids were CRAZY hyper! They are actually nestled all snug in their beds now, but they could barely contain their excitement earlier. Maya asked me to leave her blinds open so she could look for Rudolph (and Santa's sleigh, obviously). Nikos tried to negotiate an earlier wake-up time (we said 7:00; he countered with 5:00. Not happening!). They can't wait to see what is under that tree. Can you tell?

(by the way, Nikos is holding a plate with cookies for Santa and a few carrots for the reindeer. Maya is holding a glass of milk.). Now Gus and I are just watching "It's a Wonderful Life" and waiting for the snow to start falling. Merry Christmas to all-- and to all, a good night! :)

White Christmas

Well, we still have a few days until Christmas. The shopping is done, the presents are wrapped, and the menu has been selected. All we need now is some snow on the ground! 

We've actually had snow the past few days. And it has been beautiful! Sadly, it never sticks around-- most of it melts on contact. But it was, in fact, snowing today, and we were feeling particularly festive. AND, since I just registered the kids for ice skating lessons last night, we thought it might be fun to go skating at an outdoor rink in the nearby city. The kids loved it!! It was freezing, though, with the temperature dropping down to around 27 degrees by the time we left. And there were times when it actually snowed on us pretty hard while we were there. As the only member of our family who does not own fleece- or flannel-lined jeans, I was dying! I should have worn my thermal pants underneath my jeans! Oh well. We didn't stay too long, because it was REALLY cold (for us). But I did get a few pictures, at least!

Then, at dinner time, we went out to one of our favorite restaurants and gorged ourselves silly. In lieu of a company Christmas party, Gus' company decided to reimburse everyone up to a certain amount to go out to a nice, family dinner. Such an awesome idea! So this dinner was on their dime, and we enjoyed every bite. Plus, the ambiance is just perfect... warm fires burning in the fireplaces, perched over a rushing stream, with unpretentious decor and a big, beautiful Christmas tree. It was perfect!

Rawr!!

As of today, the kids are on winter break! They both had a blast making gingerbread houses at preschool this morning, and some of their buddies (who normally attend on different days) were there, too. So it was a super fun day!

Nikos has been giving me a rough time getting ready in the mornings, though. I think it's just a control issue, since he is very happy and successful at preschool (I was informed the other day that he is one of the best "cutters" they have, hehe!). And it's really only been over the past two weeks. But I made him a deal yesterday: if he didn't give me trouble this morning, we could go to the science museum to see the new dinosaur exhibit. Guess who was a little angel when he woke up? :) Both kids loved it. And they thought it was especially funny that Siegfried the Stegosaurus had on a scarf and mittens. (Personally, I was just thrilled that he was moved closer to the building, as opposed to being way out across the parking lot. Since we ALWAYS have to visit him, no matter what!)

While we were looking at another exhibit inside, a hallway door opened and an employee came out, carrying a plastic wading pool. As we scooted to get out of her way, she invited us up to the second floor to watch her do an enrichment activity with their hedgehog. It was just us, plus one other little girl and her dad. So cool! We sat right up front and watched the little hedgehog run around looking for hidden grubs. Both kids really enjoyed it, and we learned a lot about hedgehogs. Good times!

In other news... I did a huge clean-out of the kids' playroom today, in preparation for the onslaught of new toys they will be receiving. I have a bunch of bags all set to donate. And you would think the kids would have noticed that there were some toys missing... but they haven't said a word! I guess that just proves that they had too many toys to begin with, haha!

Ice, Ice Everywhere!

I have to say, my new phone is probably at least partly to blame for my recent blog neglect... I'm just not on my laptop as much, now that I have an even smaller computer that fits in my purse. But, it's also a really busy time of year. It is what it is!

Anyway... We experienced another "Massachusetts first" two days ago: ICE! Sure, we had a few snow storms last year. But never an ice storm! This was crazy! It started on Sunday afternoon, as we were driving back from a holiday open house. I couldn't believe how many car accidents we passed on the freeway. Everyone appeared to be uninjured, but their cars had just slid off the road and ended up stuck in places they didn't belong. One car was straddling a guard rail (upright). I have no idea how it got up there! But yes. It was scary. And it was a very slow drive home, for obvious reasons!

The next morning, however, the entire world was encased in glassy ice. It was so beautiful! As soon as I finished my coffee, I threw on some warm clothing and my boots, and went out to take photos. Of course!

It took Gus a long time to get the ice off his windshield when he left for work in the morning, but he assured me that getting out of our driveway wasn't a problem. But... it was. As I learned after lunch, when I NEEDED to go to the grocery store...

I tried walking on the driveway, and quickly realized that it was one solid sheet of ice. I couldn't walk on it-- at all! So I thought I would be clever and throw some road salt down. Except it did absolutely nothing-- it was still below freezing, so the ice would melt and then re-freeze. Lesson number one! I loaded the kids into the car, anyway, and backed out of the garage very slowly. So far so good. We have a pad off to the side of our driveway that we use to turn around, so that we can go out onto the road head-first (since it's a busier road). I backed into that... and got stuck. In the middle of the sheet of ice. With both kids in the car. Joy!

Long story short, I got out of the car, walked along the side of the driveway (on the grass) up to the house, and then had to walk across it to get to the front door. That was where I ended up on all fours, with my butt up in the air. I'm sure I provided a good deal of entertainment to people driving by. I eventually managed to get the bag of salt and make it back to the car, where I piled it around each wheel until the ice was melted and slushy. And then, I managed to pull forward and get out of the driveway. The whole process took about half an hour, and was so stressful!!! The good news is that the roads were nice and clear. And the better news is that I was able to get back into the garage without too much excitement. But the best news of all was that it poured rain all night and washed it away. Goodbye, ice! For now, anyway... sigh...

New Phone!

So, yesterday was horrific. I don't really want to talk about it, except that the school in Connecticut was just two hours away. But really, it could have happened anywhere. I feel sick to my stomach as both a mom and a (former) teacher. And that is all I can say about it right now.

In completely unrelated news, I got a new phone yesterday... an android! I am finally joining the twenty-first century. This post is actually bring typed on said phone. We shall see if it works...

Finally, pics of my babies. I can't imagine never being able to cuddle with them again. It hurts my heart. :(

Still Alive!

Life is great, just hectic! This time of year is especially busy, between activities and shopping and all that good stuff. Here's a super quick recap of the main events since the last time I posted...

Last week, we went to Caryn's house and made gingerbread houses. The kids had a blast, as did the adults! If you remember, this playdate last year was our very first one in Massachusetts, and it was the first time I met Caryn in person. I had no idea our families would become such a good friends. I mean, we see her several times a week EVERY WEEK, haha!

And then we went back on Sunday to celebrate the second night of Hanukkah with them. Niko ended up being a superstar at spinning the dreidel! This was after he repeatedly told us he couldn't do it. I think he was trying to hustle everyone!

I've also been taking care of Christmas shopping, of course. I think I am officially done shopping for our family now, though things still keep popping up (dance class adopted a family, preschool is collecting canned food, my women's club is doing a toy drive, etc.). Lots of little things this time of year. I am also hosting a huge holiday party this weekend for the club I'm in... At least thirty people will be here. At least the house is looking good! :)

And that's it, for now. I feel like I've been incredibly busy, and I can't remember half of what's been going on. Oh, I talked to the post office about possibly getting a mailbox at the end of our driveway (as opposed to having to drive over to it), and it looks like it might be a possibility! It's not a huge thing, but I am very, very excited about it, haha! OH, and I've been working on turning the past two years of this blog into a book... I'm about six months in. sigh. Lots to do! I will try to post more this week!

What a difference a day (and a year) makes!

Before I go any further, I can't believe that I forgot to mention our one year Massiversary! This past Saturday, December first, marked the one year anniversary of the kids and I waking up in our new house for the first time. It's been an amazing year, and we feel really lucky to call this beautiful place home. At some point, I will do another walk-through video of the house, just so you can see everything we've done in the past year!

But a single day can make a huge difference, too! Last time I posted, on Saturday night, it was soooooooo cold! It had been snowing all day and was in the low twenties (but felt even colder). So it was very odd to wake up the next morning and see that the outside temperature was already at 39 degrees! We made it to 50 degrees yesterday! All the snow on the ground? Gone. And today, at 8:42am, the temperature is already in the mid-forties. It feels like spring, only without the hints of greenery poking through. So weird! I think we will be playing outside today and taking advantage of this!

Yesterday, though, I was so thankful for the suddenly "warm" weather. We went back to the Festival of Trees, and the kids got to enjoy all the other activities. We rode on a horse-drawn carriage down Main Street, took a spin on an antique fire truck, and did some holiday crafts. The kids had a great opportunity to see Santa... but they wouldn't, as expected. Note to self, though: That event is the best place to see Santa, if we can ever convince them to do it! The setup they have is impressive, the lines are short, and the official photo is only $3! Much better than the mall!

Anyway, here are a few pics from the carriage ride. I took this one as the carriage was pulling up. Our ride!

And this was the view as we rode down Main Street. You should have seen the line of cars behind us, haha!

We ran into quite a few friends while we were there, including my buddy Miranda, who went on the carriage with us. She snapped a family photo for us-- a rare thing these days!

Anyway, it was a lot of fun, made all the more enjoyable by the non-freezing weather! Now that I know what the festival is all about, I plan to drag the kids to even more of the events next year. It's so cool!

Later on, we went to get more Christmas decorations for the outside of the house. I actually haven't seen them in the daylight yet, so I might need to go out and take a picture later! We got wreaths to hang on all the front windows of the house-- I bet it looks awesome! In the meantime, here's a picture from the front room last night. Between the toasty-warm pellet stove and the Christmas tree, this is my happy place! ahhhh...

Let It Snow!

When we woke up this morning, the ground was covered with a thin layer of powder, and big flakes were still falling steadily from the sky. It was so pretty! I expected to hear sleigh bells any minute! And, of course, I couldn't help myself. I bundled up and went out to take a few pictures. This was in the back yard:

And then I was admiring the snowflakes on the bumper of Gus' truck, so I ran in to grab my "poor man's" macro filters. I love snowflakes!!! This picture is spotty because of the metallic gray paint on the truck, but just look at how many little snowflakes there were. And they really are so unique! Awesome!!

A little while later, I decided I would go over to the post office to mail out our Christmas cards. But... my car wouldn't start. I took the truck instead, but when I got back, Gus and I talked about my car. It clearly needed a new battery, after failing to start twice in one week. We looked into it, and learned that AAA would come out to the house, test the battery (for free), and install a new one for a very reasonable price if it was necessary (as we knew it would be). So now my car has a new battery. Yay for not being stranded in the tundra!

After lunch, Gus needed to get a few things for his next business trip, so we took a family trip to the store. I got some more Christmas decorations-- hooray! One day, I will have enough to adequately decorate this beast of a house. We didn't have that many decorations to begin with, and our old house was a third of the size as this one. And the cold weather/snow really puts me in a festive mood. I needed more decorations!

On the way back, we stopped off at the Festival of Trees. This is quite an event in our town! I wish I had known about it last year! It began last night, with a bell-ringing concert at the church. I wanted to go, but was outvoted (sigh). And today, the library was opened up for the festival itself. Upstairs was where Santa and Mrs. Claus were set up, so kids could visit with them. There were elves, games, and assorted treats. None of which I got to look at very carefully, since the kids were dragging us away from there at full speed (they're both scared of Santa... sigh.). Downstairs, we looked at all of the Christmas trees and gingerbread houses that people had decorated. My friend, a baker who owns her own cake business, sculpted a bunch of cupcake ornaments for her tree. Another favorite was the "B.L.Tree," where all of the ornaments were large pieces of bacon, lettuce, or tomato (and the topper was a large B.L.T. sandwich). It was so funny! We also bought raffle tickets and entered to win six different baskets of goodies. So, we'll see!

From there, we zipped home and I got started on dinner. By the time we were done eating, it was time to leave again. We wanted to see the lighting of the town's official Christmas tree. It was SO COLD. I guess 25 degrees isn't that bad (it will get a lot colder than that, soon), but standing in it for half an hour was BRUTAL. I thought I was dressed warmly enough, but I wasn't. I should have opted for my snow gloves instead of my Isotoners, and I should have worn my thermal pants under my jeans. BRRR!!! But I was surprised at how many people were there, despite the weather. I mean, seriously... look at this picture. This was taken with the flash. I quickly learned that the flash wouldn't work, with all the tiny snowflakes/mist around us! These were invisible to the naked eye, by the way... but you could feel the ice in the air and on your face!

Finally, 15 minutes later than the scheduled time, they came out of the church (pictured on the right) and lit the tree. Hooray!

It was neat to be there, and the kids enjoyed it, but it was even MORE awesome to zip back to the car and try to warm up again! We drove home and promptly stood in front of the toasty pellet stove for a bit to defrost. Ahhh... I love that pellet stove. So, SO much! It really puts out an amazing amount of heat. Anyway... the kiddos went to bed shortly thereafter, and I wrapped Christmas presents. Now I'm drinking cocoa. It's the most wonderful time of the year!! It's also surreal to think that we were in California only a few days ago, haha! What a difference!