Around Here: Week Two 1/9-1/15

A weekly review of what it is like to live in our home right this second.

Intentional Hours Outside to date:  3.43 hrs (of 1000)
So, I did a little bit better than last week (barely, but whatevs) I had a mixture of walking/exercising outdoors this week and getting out with the kids.  Violet had her first full snowsuit experience and I thought for sure she was going to be miserable...turns out - I was the biggest baby!  We went out on the super windy, snowy day this week and I was the first one whining to go in (!!hahah)  I got out this morning with the girls today too and I need to find a way in my mind to settle my heart and see that it IS time well spent, just following them around and not doing anything else.  I'm always trying to find the most efficient use of my energy and I'm not yet (in my mothering? in my life experience?) to see that not doing anything else is an efficient use of my time.  Being aware of it though is the first step, right?  right?!

Reading:  Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert with our Inspired Readers book club and listening to Tell the Wolves I'm Home on audible while walking.  Thank you guys all for the suggestions last week on a light, fresh read for bed!  I'm awaiting my most recent Amazon purchases now ;)

Recognizing the differences between Violet's bringing up compared to Greyson's bringing up...yoi, the cliche difference between the first born and the (current) baby!  I think we had Grey off of a bottle at like 12 months exactly - like on his first birthday we were like, 'Dude!  You're big now, on to sippy cup full time!' and with Violet we are so lax about it that at almost 16 months she still takes a bottle (along with sippy cups, but still).  Greyson, both sorry and you're welcome, little man.  Violet, you too, sorry and you're welcome.

Cheering for the Blue Jays!  We had three basketball games this week (one tonight) and so we are full on basketball season right now.  It has been kind of hectic here this week, between Bud's work schedule and basketball schedule we get to see him for approximately 30 waking minutes a day, unless of course we are counting Violet screaming "DADDA!" while pointing at him in the huddles during the game (hah).  It's a busy time, but we love it and are grateful to be a part of it all.  Shout out thank you to all the people (there are SO many) that help us during the games!!  Grandparents, friends, players' families, players' girlfriends, other coaches' kids....If 'it takes a village,' you all are certainly my basketball season village.

Thankful to see the resurrection of multiple items that have been randomly reborn again this week.  Gemma's old pink rainboots have been brought down from the attic as they now fit Violet - she's so happy to be able to slip on her own shoes!  We brought the little jungle gym in from the cold to put in our living room (hah, basically has taken up the Christmas tree space that has freed up).  The kids love having it inside and it's been used traditionally and creatively (as a tent! as a reading nook! as a lunch picnic spot!) in a big way.  AND I brought the Mickey table down to the dining room from the playroom where it's been discarded for the past few months.  The girls had breakfast and lunch there and I was shocked how much easier it was to clean up afterwards.  That's it, they are all staying around for at least a little while!

Celebrating, and celebrating, and celebrating finding out that we are expecting a new brother!  I really went in the absolute calmest I've ever gone in for an ultrasound.  Maybe because it feels like the last one and I'm really just so grateful to feel like we're all together now...who knows, but I was relaxed about it being either a sister or brother.  As soon as the technician said, 'yep, it's a boy!' Brandon let out this huge sigh of relief that I started cracking up!  He said he was so happy for Grey and he also thought it would be so awesome to see what another little Studer dude would be like.  We've been talking a lot about finding out the gender with the kids in advance, explaining to them that no matter what we get (bro/sis) we are lucky because we get a new baby at all.  We were most excited to tell the kids and we let Grey read the ultrasound paper.  Gem was disappointed, mostly because she didn't 'guess right' and Grey is super duper excited.  I'm honestly just so content to know that this is our family, all together and I just feel peaceful.

Eating all the toaster strudel because we have it.  Seriously, if toaster strudel is in the house, my kids are eating every.single.morning until it's gone.  There's no alternating breakfast choices, if it's here, that's the only thing they want.  So, the three boxes we got on sale on Wednesday are down to only four toaster strudels left.  (but seriously, so yum).

Confused why the children have so many toys but they only want to play with things that aren't toys.  Like our shoes, and my make-up drawer contents, and the party paper dishes and cups from the built-ins, and my serving utensils, and (sweet Lord, why) the scotch tape, and also my sharpies.  Patience, please, always in need of patience.

Laughing about the kids' current favorite phrases.  Gemma says things are "fab-lee-ous" and she wants me to "Pinkytail promise" (we also call pigtails/pony tails 'pinky tails,' but that's been going on forever).  Violet is very into crowing when she sees any birds outside (and sometimes when she just looks outside even if there aren't any crows or birds) and screams "CAW! CAW! CAW!" and thinks it's hilarious if we act like we think she's a real bird.  She also still puts everything possible in her mouth just so that we'll make her take it out.  New worst thing she's put in her mouth this week (beating tiny hair elastic bands): a opened safety pin!!!

Taking a hit on our bank account as we had to choke down purchasing four new tires for the truck when I was flat out stranded at the bus stop this week after the snow/ice hit.  Luckily, our new neighbors came to our rescue to get us to the house and then B spent two hours that night getting the truck out of the ditch and up the driveway (sideways!?)  So, four new tires it had to be for the price of safety, and that seems a little fair I guess...but still, ouch.

Having the best day of Gemma's whole three and a half years of life.  We went to see Aunt Uch try on her wedding dress and then headed to Alfredo Angelo to try on flower girl dresses.  Gemma was over the moon...you guys, I can't even tell you how obsessed she was.  She picked seven different dresses (thank you salesladies for your patience) and absolutely loved showing them off; standing on the little pedestal, and then discussing each dress with Uch about how they felt and how they twirled and how much Gemma liked them.  Spoiler alert: she'd like all seven of them, 'Next week, we'll pick them all up and bring them home, right Mum?' thank you very much.  It felt like a real moment in wedding planning for Uch's wedding (our babyiest sister!?) and I loved every second of it and now I'm all hyped up on wedding planning koolaid #obnoxiousbutdon'tcare