Flashback 02 10 2013

I haven't posted for the 52 project because I have temporarily misplaced my photos. Has this ever happened to anyone?  I've been searching all the photo files but can't find what I just uploaded. When I hit "Delete" did I really delete my photos? (What?!)

While I was searching for my recent pics, I came across a file marked, "02 10 2013." Realizing that was a year ago today, I  clicked on it.  Big mistake. I was then sucked into a time warp, viewing photos of my preshus baby:

Swoooooon.

I think he's saying, "Hello! I'm losing my balance because I can't sit by myself yet..."

That mouth.

Double swoon...my two boys.

Back when Bode used to call him Nicoras, with an R instead of an L.

That baby hand. And those two feet together.  Sigh.

I hope that you've enjoyed all this babypie goodness on this dreary Monday morning.  All things are still shut down here.  The schools are closed and businesses are operating on an as-needed basis, due to rain/sleet. Our street is still closed, but RWF ran out for milk and bananas. Unfortunately, he did not pick up ingredients for dinner. This means that we're having a whatever's-in-the-fridge dinner tonight.

Tomorrow, things will be back to normal (I hope). I need to replenish supplies and honestly, I just need to get out of this house.

Happy Monday.

xo

Snowmageddon 2014

Ai yi yi!  The snow here is unbelievable!  It is so beautiful outside, with the snow falling steadily and the wind (!) blowing it around our house.  I'm so glad that I don't have to be out there...though really, the city has shut-down completely. Everything has been canceled and everyone is asked to stay off the roads during this winter storm. Thursday night, RWF sat in his office forever (even though everyone  else left at Noon!) because he wanted to avoid all the traffic.  Late that night, after he had been home for a couple of hours, he got a couple of texts from colleagues, stating that their trip home from the office had taken over 4 hours!  That is some crazy drive time.  

Portland is not set up for this kind of weather, so everything has been pretty much shut down since Thursday.  RWF worked from home on Friday (as I'm sure most of Nike, Intel, and other businesses did).  Access to the main road from our neighborhood has been barricaded (because it's on a hill).  I had to run out to the store yesterday for milk & other essentials (I had taken a longer route around and gone to a store I normally don't shop at).  There were very few cars out and even those were creeping along so slowly. We still have snow tires on our 4 wheel drive car, so I felt comfortable driving (but was still safe, and I refused Bode's request to come with me, for safety reasons). The store had been ransacked, and had very little milk (!) and no bananas.  It just seems crazy.  (When I talk about this shut-down like, "I just can't believe how everything's shut-down, it's just a little snow...." RWF laughs at my know-it-all, "been-there, done that" attitude. Ha ha)

We are having fun though.  We have a steep hill in our backyard (it's actually a roadway/drive to the last house behind us) and we've broken out the sleds!  It has been so much fun sledding down the hill, over and over, with Bode and Gianna.  RWF and I both have taken turns going out with them.  Nico doesn't have any proper footwear, so he can't go out. I also don't want Nico out in the cold, It's not anything that he needs to be out in right now. 

Last night, I made chicken enchiladas, black beans (in the slow cooker), and rice for dinner.  We sat at the dining table in front of our big window with candles lit, enjoying the snow scene, each other's company and food, in our warm house. It was a very nice evening.

These pics were taken when it first started snowing. Bode was so excited and could not wait to go outside.  Priscilla was a very happy, bouncy dog, running around and enjoying the cool temps, too!

These photos were taken Friday afternoon:

Bode, my little dare-devil, would scheme all kinds of ways to go faster down the hill. Gianna went down by herself a couple of times, but preferred being with me. I felt like a kid, laughing and whooping it up as Gianna and I flew down the hill in the red sled. We got going pretty fast, and I would take my legs out to brake just as we neared the fence. Exhilarating!

Our only plans for the rest of the weekend are to stay home, stay warm and enjoy the slower pace of life.  We're not going out. There will be no skiing this weekend, either, because of the roads. I have enjoyed having my little family home together, "grounded" for the time being by the city and the weather. Life will be back to its regular pace on Monday, when the snow melts and everything goes back to "normal."

Happy weekend.

xo

The weekend

Dude, I am so sick of the snow and crummy, crummy weather. Everyone is talking about SPRING! "Spring!" "Spring has sprung!" "New Spring clothes,"etc. People are posting ridiculous pictures of themselves in short sleeves, with the sun blazing above them. Pictures that make me grouch. No Spring here. Not here!!! After a big snow dump last week, we are still covered in snow and experiencing temps in the 30s and wind. Wind, you are not my friend.  Upstate New York, you are not my friend.

And then I read this Tweet: Spring: Winter Part 2.  I'm sorry, but I do not know who authored that Tweet. And if you could review my "History" in my iPhone and Mac, you'd understand why it would be a long process to find that source.  I do not take credit for it, so hopefully that will suffice.

I've been trying to figure out why I've hated this winter so much. Why have I struggled, and moaned, every single day over the weather?  I've decided that it is very hard to have a baby in this type of weather. I don't want to bring Nico out in the cold. Therefore, I'm 'stuck' inside a lot. A LOT. Yesterday, after arguing with RWF about whether it was too cold for Nico to be outside, I brought Nico out. It was a bit windy, but Nico was warm in his down snowsuit. I took him out for 15 minutes, which I thought was long enough to get a blast of fresh air but not so long that his little eyeballs, nose and mouth would freeze. (If you must know, RWF was "for" bringing Nico out, and I was "against")  The other thing I'm struggling with is the lack of sun.  It is crazy how the sun does not shine here. I never minded overcast days WHEN I LIVED IN TEXAS or CALIFORNIA.  Because in TEXAS and CALIFORNIA, overcast days are few and far between. But here, it is a regular occurrence. And it really is a drag.  

But enough about me. 

Keepin' it real with the (clean) laundry in the background

Bode is such a great big brother to Nico. He plays with him and makes him smile.  And I like that Bode will entertain Nico in the mornings while I make my much-needed coffee.  

The boys, before they go skiing. I guess that this is one reason we live here? Skiing? Wait. We can live on the West Coast and ski, too. 

Hope that your weekend is lovely, and that you have sunshine in your corner.

xo

Promises, promises

Today is a snow day.  Bode's school is closed. So Bode got to do what Bode loves most:  hang out in his Lightening McQueen pajamas all morning doing whatever strikes his fancy (cars, cars, and more cars).

I actually took charge of the morning and suggested a few activities. The first thing we did (by unanimous agreement) was to bake banana bread. We found a great new recipe last week, and I've been dreaming about it ever since. Today was the perfect day to whip up a loaf. After Bode, Gianna and I had mixed up the ingredients and put the loaf in the oven, it was only 9:39 AM.  "Oh, boy," I thought. "What now?"

We have used up all of our plain art paper. But I had set aside some packing material used in one of our recent shipments.  So I pulled it out, taped it to the floor, and then pulled out some of our art supplies.  The children had a blast painting and coloring for over an hour. By then, our banana bread was ready to be eaten.  We enjoyed a small snack of banana bread and milk. The banana bread was delicious.  We toasted our success.  Bode suggested that we shout "Teamwork!" together. So we did that a few times. 

Then we read a few books. After that, I put both Nico and Gianna down for a nap.  Bode is currently coloring in the playroom.  I love listening to his little narrative while he plays. He has dialogue between cars, dialogue between himself and his little body, or he will just sing a happy little tune.

After naps, we are making chocolate chip cookies.  I promised. Hopefully that will eat up most of the afternoon.  I have a goal not to turn on the television today. Lately, I have overheard Bode saying "PBS dot ORG" just like on TV. Ooops. How embarrassing. It would feel nice to not resort to a cartoon educational program to entertain the children. But I am making no promises!

Don't forget to leave a comment here for the giveaway! There's some fun little stuff in the mix to brighten your day, I promise!

Happy Wednesday.

xo

First preschool meeting

Doesn't he look ready for school?

This morning we got up and had a family scramble as we got ready for an early preschool meeting. As usual, I was the last one to get ready and the only one who was NOT ready when we had to jump in the car.  RWF, Bode and Gianna all looked nice while I looked like...well, like I had just rolled out of bed. It's like that picture puzzle captioned, "Which one of these does not belong?"  It's not like my little family is not used to it. The children are used to seeing me with wild bedhead and yoga pants. And RWF does a double-take every time I do make an effort to look pretty.  So I guess it's really best that I went as I usually look, so as not to confuse my little family. It would have made for an awkward meeting with the preschool if my family could not stop staring at me, like, "Who are you again?"

Honestly, I really dislike not being able to get myself "pretty" before we go out, especially for a family outing. I guess that means that instead of lazily sleeping until the last possible second, I need to get up early before everyone else wakes to get myself ready!

I did not sleep very well last night.  I was so consumed by thoughts of Bode going to school. I'm really not comfortable with it but I know that it is best for him.  And that is what is important.  I also know that I will have plenty of time with Bode. We will both grow to enjoy the time apart, and love our time together more. 

The first preschool meeting was really just a getting-to-know-the-school for us.  We haven't made any decisions and are still shopping around.  So it's not like Bode is leaving me tomorrow. But it was our first real, big step and it was a lot harder for me than anyone else in our little family.  Deep breaths. I will get through this.

Bode found a bookshelf containing some wooden cars. He played with them while eyeing the school director thoughtfully.  When she spoke to him, he'd smile at her shyly.   Later he would tell me that school was "fun" and that we should go again.

Gianna made herself at home immediately and began poking around in various classrooms. The school director that we met with made the comment that Gianna looked like she'd be ready for school much sooner. No surprise there.  She "owned" the preschool while we were there. So naturally she wore herself out and was pretty tired by the time we got home. 

I put Gianna down for a nap.  Then Bode and I went outside together for some snow fun.  I love his little snowsuit and the fact that it keeps him warm and dry.  He loves playing in the snow. We were outside for an hour, enjoying the sun and snow. We made a miniature "Frosty" and threw snowballs at each other.  Bode climbed and walked the snow bank that the snow plow made in our driveway. We also chased Priscilla around. Later, Priscilla found a "frozen treat" (ahem. can you guess? euuw!) and didn't want to play with us.  It was nice to spend time alone with Bode, especially after this morning's meeting. 

Our miniature Frosty

Priscilla finds a frozen treat (euuuw!)

Do you have any special plans for the weekend?  I have a salon appointment (yay!) and hopefully a date with a mocha at Starbucks. I also plan to run outside if the weather cooperates (fingers crossed - the treadmill is getting old real fast!).  Bode has ski lessons. I'm sure Gianna has several fun plans in mind, that I don't know about yet.

xo

Snow patrol

Snow today. Here is how the snow looked, according to our very own snow patrol:

Bode sez,  "It was fun. And I crimbed up dere and I --daddy's gotta get me da ski mittens. And da (long pause) Frozen bur rub prurl durrrprrrrrrbbb."

Gianna sez, "NA-NA! UNH!  UNH! Bah! NA! NA! Mama! NA! (pause) NAAAA!"

Rough translation:  Like, I'm a Cali girl?  And like, I don't like the snow?  Cuz it's like, cold? And wet?  And I can't walk in it. Such a bummer, cuz like, I just started walking a few months ago! Yeah. And like, my mother? She bought me this rad pink down jacket and it has these matching snow pants. And check out my pink snow boots. I look totally bitchin'.  Like, TOTALLY! (pause) My hat's kinda dorky though. 

Hope you have a happy Friday!

xo

It's snowing

So this morning we woke up to beautiful snowflakes coming down. We went out before naps and nothing was sticking. But we enjoyed the snow "shower" all the same.

Priscilla found a deer leg to gnaw on. Merry Christmas, P!

Bode really wants to build a "Frosty" today. I think he's going to be able to when he gets up from his nap.  The snow is still falling and starting to accumulate. Me, I'm feeling oh-so-lazy in that all I want to do is sit inside and watch the snowflakes fall. Hope you're warm and happy.
xo