100

This week, my class celebrated the 100th day of school. It was actually supposed to be the week before, but we had three snow days in a row which threw it off.

I have never done anything special for the 100th day because I have never counted the days we've been in school. But this year in my math group, we are keeping track and making a number line of the days we are in school. So, since I knew when it actually was, I decided to do something special.

I made a door sign and hung streamers for the occasion. Fancy, I know.

Students started the day by decorating, cutting out, and of course wearing some 100 glasses.

We did several activities such as counting 100 items that students brought in, writing their own "Before I'm 100 Bucket List," and writing what they will be like at 100 years old, which were hilarious.

And we ended the day with a little treat.

It was a lot of fun celebrating the 100th day of school. Not just for students, but for me too. It was cool to have something to look forward to (in the dead of winter when nothing really happens) and do something a little different for the day. I will definitely do it again next year. 

Brotherly Love

I'm not gonna lie. Having two boys 22 months apart isn't always butterflies and rainbows. They bicker and wrestle over toys. They fight for my attention. They just don't always get along perfectly. I guess I don't know any siblings that do, but I think the closeness in age sort of makes it a little more intense at times.

But as they get older, their relationship gets better and better. As the days pass, I can see their friendship growing.

Right now, they're both really into dancing. Well, Leland as always been into it, but now Alden enjoys it too. A few days ago, I turned the radio on for them while I was making dinner. They both wanted me to pick them up and dance with them so I did. And then I had to get back to cooking. But right when I set Alden down, he reached his arms up to Leland. And Leland promptly grabbed his baby brother's hands and the two of them danced around the kitchen.

Excuse the (lack of) clothing. It was a snow day. Anything goes on a snow day, including mismatched pajamas and/or no pants.

My heart melted. It's moments like this, which are happening more and more often these days, that make me so happy. I love to see my boys becoming friends.

And in case the pictures aren't enough, I got it on video too.

Life in the Tundra

We've had some crazy, frigid temps here lately. Our wind chills have been down to 20-30 degrees below zero. That is apparently too cold for school, because we had two "cold" days on Thursday and Friday and then another one today. Which means, with the weekend, we've been off school for five days! It's like a mini vacation, only completely unplanned. We have had a few outings, but we're also just hanging out at home. And, surprisingly, we're not going too stir crazy yet.

On Friday, I took the boys to a local gymnastics place for "preschool open gym." They both enjoyed running around and jumping on the big trampoline. And they both LOVED the foam pit. Leland's favorite was to walk on the balance beam and then jump in it, while Alden's favorite was sliding down a mat into it. There was also a slide that went into it, a rope swing over it, and trampoline to jump into it as well. The foam pit was definitely the hit.

Other than that, we spent some time at the library, went grocery shopping, and went to church. Cabin fever is occurring in spurts but we're surviving with these mini outings and playing in the basement. Today, I considered going to the mall or somewhere that they can play. But that would involve us all getting dressed, and we're pretty comfortable in jammies today. So we're just going to stay home.

With all this time at home, Dave is a little annoyed. Ha ha, he's jealous of all my time off, and I don't blame him. But he did tell me the other day that life is a lot less stressful when I'm home with the kids. There's not as much rushing around - no hurrying to get the kids ready in the morning, making dinner is a lot less chaotic, and it's just calmer in general. I asked him if that meant he wanted me to be a stay-at-home-mom. He said no. It was worth a shot. (Side note: I'm not really sure I would want to stay home full-time. I enjoy my job and the socialization and special relationships my kids get in daycare. But if I had a choice, I might just work part-time. Maybe someday.)

It seems that much of our country is experiencing colder than normal temps. Hope you're all finding ways to stay warm and cozy!

Whole30, 5 Days In

On Sunday, I started my whole30 journey. To say I was incredibly nervous about starting it would be a gross understatement. In general, I enjoy healthy meals. But I also enjoy lots and lot (and lots) of sweet treats. I honestly didn't know how I was going to get through 30 days without them. Which is exactly why I needed to do this.

Everyone says day one is easy because you're all "I'm gonna do this and it's gonna be awesome." For me, day one was the hardest. I was working at the coffee shop, so I was surrounded by delicious-looking baked goods and food all day. We have several healthy options there, so I enjoyed a nice egg breakfast and a chicken-avocado lettuce wrap for lunch. But I was starting to get depressed about all the things I couldn't have: bagels, soup, hot chocolate, etc. And after dinner, I got a killer headache that sent me to bed at 8:00 (would have been earlier but I had to get the kids to bed).

So day one completely sucked. I wasn't sure I could make it through the remaining 29 days.

But since then, it's been just fine. I am loving all the different meals I'm making. They have so much flavor! It's kind of insane how much better things taste. And I really, honestly, don't feel like I'm depriving myself of anything.

The first two nights, I had a hard time not having a sweet treat after the boys went to bed. It's a terrible habit of mine. I still want sweet treats, but the desire is lessening already. I'm sure I will have some difficult days in this process, but for now, I'm glad it's not completely awful and unbearable like I thought it would be.

I promised myself I wouldn't post food pictures every single day. Instead, I have decided to post collage pictures of my food. So people only have to see a few food posts a week.

This week, I made...

Clockwise:

• chipotle-glazed pork chops - photo from the recipe webpage because I forgot to take one
• meatloaf minis - from Against All Grain
• burgers - Dave and the boys had buns and cheese, I had bacon & avocado and it was SO GOOD!
• chicken-tomato soup
• taco pie

They were all delicious. Some recipes, I had to change a bit because they called for honey or something else that isn't whole30 approved.


I made these for dinner and took leftovers for lunch. Breakfast has actually been the hardest for me, since I don't love eggs and there aren't many quick breakfast options. I have some new ideas for next week that I will hopefully enjoy more than my egg muffins.

Saturday, I am going to make a cod dish. This one, I am nervous about, because I am not a fish lover. But I am challenging myself to try new things. Who knows, maybe I'll discover some new favorite foods.

So...5 days down, 25 to go!

Valentine's Day 2015

For my kiddos, Valentine's Day is like a mini Christmas. I like to get them little gifts and treats. Nothing huge or expensive or fancy, just some fun little things that they I know they will enjoy. Something to make them feel special. It's our tradition.

This year, Leland got a cement mixer, Windlifter (from Planes: Fire and Rescue), two books, some fruit strips, and Hershey's kisses.

And Alden got a dump truck, an excavator, two books, and fruit strips.

They had fun checking out their goodies when they woke up. Surprisingly, Leland didn't even ask for the fruit strips or chocolate. He's usually all about the food, just like his mama.

Later, we braved some nasty weather to visit my Grandma. I'm glad we went, but I had no idea the roads were as bad as they were. Usually I think people are just being wimps. Ha ha.

We spent the rest of the day just hanging out and reading our new books.

For their valentines, Leland gave Cars cards with fruit strips, and Alden gave puppy and kitten cards with fruit snacks. I gave their leftover cards with cookies and chocolates.

And we gave a new book and puzzle to our daycare friends (and chocolate for Julie).

Dave and I don't usually do anything for each other. I'm not really sure why, but we've never made a big deal about it. But this year, I got Dave some of his favorite treats: m&m's, Mike & Ike candies, and lots of turkey jerky. And Dave got me the new mixer I wanted (not the Kitchenaid stand mixer, but a hand mixer I've been eyeing). My hand mixer broke almost two months ago and I hadn't replaced it. He also got me some Larabars that I can have on my whole30, and a giant Reese's candy bar that is now sitting in the freezer until March 17.

It was a lovely Valentine's Day spent with my most favorite people. The people who have my whole heart.

Bed Boycott

A few months ago, when Leland got his big boy bed, he was so excited. He loved his bed, and whenever anyone came to our house, he wanted to show them his bed.

A few weeks ago (maybe a month?), he decided he wanted to sleep on the floor next to his bed.

I thought it was funny, and I didn't argue. Really, as long as he sleeps all night and doesn't crowd my bed, I don't really care where he sleeps.

Well, he continued to sleep on his floor for weeks. Every night, and every nap, that's where he wanted to sleep. It made our snuggles before bed a little difficult because it's a very small space between his bed and his dresser, but we made it work. Again, I really didn't care all that much. After the first few nights, I realized this was becoming a "thing," and I laid a sheet down on the floor so that it would be slightly more comfortable than sleeping on the carpet.

But I did wonder why he didn't like his bed anymore. Was it because he had a couple of night-time accidents on it? Was it tainted now? Was it more fun/less scary sleeping on the floor where he could see under his bed? It couldn't possibly be more comfortable, could it? I was completely baffled and wondered if this kid would ever sleep in his bed again.

And then, just a few nights ago, as suddenly as he had stopped sleeping in his bed, he started sleeping in it again. Dave went to tuck him in as I was laying Alden down, and instead of lying on the floor, Leland crawled into his bed.

I'm not sure if the sleeping-on-the-floor phase is over or not. Maybe he'll revisit it. But for now, he's enjoying his bed again. And I have to say, it's a lot more comfortable for our snuggle sessions.

Mr. Independent

Leland is in that super fun toddler stage where he wants to do everything himself. He wants to pour his own cereal and milk, pick out his own clothes and put them on, brush his own teeth, wipe his own bottom (which still needs some practice), and do all the things on his own.

For the most part, I am all for it. Sure, some things are messy or take some extra time and it would just be easier if I could do them myself, but it's definitely important for him to do things on his own. It's a good lesson in patience for me as we go through this stage. And it's also a good lesson for him that, while many things he can do on his own, there are some things that require help and it's okay to ask for it.

Since Leland has been potty trained, he's been wearing a diaper at night, and over the last couple of weeks, he's been getting up during the night to go potty. He is able to get himself up and use the bathroom by himself, but he struggles to get his diaper back on. And, being three, he wants to do it himself without any help, but in his still-half-asleep-state, he can't do it himself and he winds up screaming like a crazy person.

So I decided to give in and buy some Pull-Ups (Target brand) for night time. I debated about whether to try them because of the cost and the fact that they don't hold very much. But I thought it would be better, overall, if he could be independent with his middle-of-the-night trips to the potty.

They have been nice because Leland can get them on and off by himself. I still usually wake up and ask him if he needs any help, but he seems to handle it fine on his own.

He is appreciating his independence, and I am too. As much I want him to stay my baby, I love seeing him grow up and do things on his own. And there are always times when he still might need a little guidance. Like when he puts his Pull-Up on inside out.

Jesus Love Us

Leland has been asking to go to preschool since he's been potty trained. He hears about it at daycare because his friend Sal is going now that he's potty trained. Technically, Leland could go to preschool now, but I don't think he really knows what preschool is, and I don't think he's quite ready for it yet. In some ways, yes, but in some, no. And he's already going to have two years of preschool, so I don't think we need to rush into it.

So we're not planning on starting preschool quite yet, but I think we found something that will satisfy Leland's desire in the meantime: the preschool room at our church. He's been in the nursery until now. We told Leland that he could start in the preschool room this week, and he talked about it for days. He was so excited to go to "preschool."

When I dropped him off, he walked right in and didn't care that Dave and I were leaving. I thought about him during the service, wondering what he was doing and how it was going. When I picked him up after church, he was enjoying a snack.

He said he had fun and didn't want to leave. And now he's excited to go back next week.

He made this picture, and when we got home, I put it up on the fridge.

Later, while I was prepping dinner, Leland looked at it and said, "Jesus love us." And then my heart exploded and I got all teary. Our church has an amazing youth ministry program and I have always looked forward to my kids being a part of it. This is just the beginning. I can't wait to see what the future holds for my kids at West Side Community Church. I can't wait to see them learn about, know, and love God.

Bath Fun

Life has been kind of a whirlwind lately. Every night is packed with dinner, baths, stories, bed time, and then prepping for the next night's dinner. And every weekend lately has been full, full, FULL.

I haven't had time to blog. Or to scrapbook. Or to play with my camera. Or even to watch my favorite shows. It's just a crazy time.

But the other night, Alden was taking a bubble bath. His first one. And I decided to grab my big girl camera and snap a few pics of my sweet littlest.

Oh, how I adore his sweet, silly little self.

Oh yeah, and approximately 30 seconds after I put my camera down, he pooped in the tub. The joys of parenting...they just keep coming.

Super Bowl Sunday

It's no secret that Dave and I are not sports people. While I love playing sports, and I enjoy watching people I know play their favorite sports, watching sports isn't my thing. And Dave is even less into sports than I am. Usually, on Super Bowl Sunday, you can find us watching a rented movie or trying to find something good on TV. But this year was a little different.

This year, my friend Magi (Leland's buddy Fischer's mom) invited us over for a play date/Super Bowl party, so we actually took part in a little bit of the Super Bowl.

Leland was beyond excited to hang out with Fischer. These two were instant besties when we met at the park last summer.

Magi and I were both cracking up at Fischer's expression here.

Otto, Fischer's little brother, is just a few months younger than Alden. They're not quite buddies yet (since they still play so independently), but I did see Alden feeding Otto some Goldfish crackers.

Alden put himself in time out and then enjoyed chasing cars around the floor.

I always look forward to our play dates with Fischer and Otto. Of course, because the boys get along so well, but also because Magi and I get along so well. I call her my "mom BFF." We see eye to eye on many aspects of parenting and we just have similar personalities.

We had lots of fun at our Super Bowl play date. Really, we didn't watch much of the Super Bowl. Dave had to leave early to work (packing up the home show that MAC was in this weekend), and I got the kids home before half time. But still. The Nowaks attended a sports function.