I started a post last Sunday - almost a week ago now. We had a very sub-par beginning of the week health-wise, so I'm just glad that it's Friday.
Right now the boys are singing to themselves while they have some rest time in anticipation of tonight's preschool fundraiser. Evelyn is napping to fortify her little self for a big night out. It's a pasta dinner. With the teachers there. And a magic show. And dessert. Does it get any better? I don't think so. They've already made some artwork to present to their teachers when they see them tonight out of sheer love and happiness to be back doing what they're supposed to be doing: playing at preschool.
This weekend I want to scrub the car, scrub the house, and start looking towards spring. Maybe we'll plant some seedlings and set them in the front window to sprout.
* * * * * * *
Here's that post which was abandoned last Sunday:
There are snowdrops that seem to have sprung overnight (really - they weren't there three days ago, which is crazy-amazing), and little daffodil greens are standing at attention, poking up out of goopy, gloppy mudslicks all over the neighborhood. Today the temperature is supposed to get up to 70. What?! It's madness.
Yesterday morning Mike spotted the first red robin of spring. March 15. Right on time.
I sang a church job and lined up a few more Sundays. I felt terribly out of shape and give myself a 6/10 for my technical portion of the presentation, but I tried to be all heart and deliver 10/10 for musicality. Later in the day I went for a run and, once again, felt a bit out of shape. It's true that we just have to start somewhere.
We've sporadically enjoyed the park and reconnecting with our neighborhood friends, but the weather can't be counted on just yet. Maybe by the end of the month.
Friday, March 20, 2015
Tuesday, March 10, 2015
Sounds of spring
The weather has warmed (just a bit, but enough to make us all feel sparkly and alive again), and the sun has been shining. I think Spring might just come back someday, after all.
I recorded a little audio clip on our walk home from preschool drop off on Monday morning. I just listened to it again with memories of this afternoon fresh in my mind. We had the windows open and muddy boys sloshing in and out of the house: snow + sun + 50 degrees = mud! And icy puddles for toy boat sailing! Did you know that the (very cold) Amazon River was in our backyard today? It's true. Evelyn and I crawled around in the sun room, scrubbing the lower parts of the walls, the boot bench, the window sills... spring makes me want to scrub everything.
As I listened to my little clip of our walk, I noticed three things in the following order:
1) We're outside... walking and not in the car! You can hear the stroller shocks squeak a bit, the whoosh of a car that drives by, my rhythmical footsteps... it all sounds like outside. This is so wonderfully different from the inside we've had for the last 3 months.
2) Birds! Tweeting their little hearts out!
3) A chatty, happy baby girl.
Yes. I changed the blog banner to tulips. That's what happens when you give me clear skies and temps that won't freeze snot. I start to get all excited for flowers and bare toes. I've got a ways to go before either of those things happen, but humor me, people.
I recorded a little audio clip on our walk home from preschool drop off on Monday morning. I just listened to it again with memories of this afternoon fresh in my mind. We had the windows open and muddy boys sloshing in and out of the house: snow + sun + 50 degrees = mud! And icy puddles for toy boat sailing! Did you know that the (very cold) Amazon River was in our backyard today? It's true. Evelyn and I crawled around in the sun room, scrubbing the lower parts of the walls, the boot bench, the window sills... spring makes me want to scrub everything.
As I listened to my little clip of our walk, I noticed three things in the following order:
1) We're outside... walking and not in the car! You can hear the stroller shocks squeak a bit, the whoosh of a car that drives by, my rhythmical footsteps... it all sounds like outside. This is so wonderfully different from the inside we've had for the last 3 months.
2) Birds! Tweeting their little hearts out!
3) A chatty, happy baby girl.
Yes. I changed the blog banner to tulips. That's what happens when you give me clear skies and temps that won't freeze snot. I start to get all excited for flowers and bare toes. I've got a ways to go before either of those things happen, but humor me, people.
Tuesday, March 3, 2015
My funny Valentines.
Evidence that Valentine's Day breakfast at our house was pretty awesome.
*This post was never published! Hmmm... I'm guessing I was distracted by something or someone...?!
The Valentine's lead up: Many afternoons of Edward Scissorhands-like paper crafting with plenty of sticky glue and tape. Chocolate hearts and sugar cookies piped with cutesy messages.
On Valentine's Day: A bouquet of flowers bundled head-to-toe in pretty florist paper. A light snowfall and a slow braised, silly-simple dinner. Oh, we are so far from being vegetarians in the winter time. Maybe if we lived somewhere warmer? No gift expectations, but lots of making and delivering of handmade valentines to friends and family.
Yep. February wins again.
Well, at least it's March now.
We just survived the coldest February on record for the Chicago area! That's the coldest winter recorded since 1875, people! Please don't point out how deliriously stupid we must be for living here. We're already quite aware and I'm sure all of my neighbors could hear me swearing about it this morning as I shoveled the sleet from our sidewalk (on our corner lot... think about that) wearing Evelyn in the Kelty backpack this morning.
Oddly enough, my first thought as I stepped outside ready to do battle with the ice-covered snowfall was, "it's actually kind of warm out here." And it was a whopping 28 degrees. That's what has become of me. There is no more California left within me. It's. All. Gone.
Evelyn is 11 months old today. Why does it fly so fast?
Christopher's head comes up to my armpit. Let's take bets about how much longer it'll be before he's taller than me! He announced this week that he wants to take gymnastics until he's as old as I am. That is, he'd like to continue doing gymnastics every Monday afternoon until he's 36. I told him that he's going to be in great shape.
Colin is starting to try to write his name (he's been singing it since he was 2, thanks to a little jingle Mike taught him) and is the most endearing 3 year old on the planet. He can carry off a purple playsilk cape, construction goggles, and the scariest "mad" face you've ever seen. I made him corduroy pants with a purple fleece star on the leg this week. He intends to wear them everyday until I sneak them away to wash overnight. That's not happening tonight, so I guess he'll be a little grungy tomorrow. No biggie.
Mike has a nasty virus and went to bed before the kids last night. Gotta get that guy a few more boxes of Kleenex tomorrow or he'll have to start using rolls of TP...
I can't wait until the weather turns. I can run in rain and freezing cold, but I can't (won't?) do black ice. I want to cheer on spring's arrival, but I know that once it's here, my baby girl will be 1. And that's one thing I'm not anxious to speed up. I want to snarfle up her sweet babyness enough to last me forever.
We just survived the coldest February on record for the Chicago area! That's the coldest winter recorded since 1875, people! Please don't point out how deliriously stupid we must be for living here. We're already quite aware and I'm sure all of my neighbors could hear me swearing about it this morning as I shoveled the sleet from our sidewalk (on our corner lot... think about that) wearing Evelyn in the Kelty backpack this morning.
Oddly enough, my first thought as I stepped outside ready to do battle with the ice-covered snowfall was, "it's actually kind of warm out here." And it was a whopping 28 degrees. That's what has become of me. There is no more California left within me. It's. All. Gone.
Evelyn is 11 months old today. Why does it fly so fast?
Christopher's head comes up to my armpit. Let's take bets about how much longer it'll be before he's taller than me! He announced this week that he wants to take gymnastics until he's as old as I am. That is, he'd like to continue doing gymnastics every Monday afternoon until he's 36. I told him that he's going to be in great shape.
Colin is starting to try to write his name (he's been singing it since he was 2, thanks to a little jingle Mike taught him) and is the most endearing 3 year old on the planet. He can carry off a purple playsilk cape, construction goggles, and the scariest "mad" face you've ever seen. I made him corduroy pants with a purple fleece star on the leg this week. He intends to wear them everyday until I sneak them away to wash overnight. That's not happening tonight, so I guess he'll be a little grungy tomorrow. No biggie.
Mike has a nasty virus and went to bed before the kids last night. Gotta get that guy a few more boxes of Kleenex tomorrow or he'll have to start using rolls of TP...
I can't wait until the weather turns. I can run in rain and freezing cold, but I can't (won't?) do black ice. I want to cheer on spring's arrival, but I know that once it's here, my baby girl will be 1. And that's one thing I'm not anxious to speed up. I want to snarfle up her sweet babyness enough to last me forever.
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