Around Here Eleven - 03/10-03/16

a glimpse into what it is like to live in our home just this minute

Intentional Outdoor hours: 24+ hours (of 1000)
ugh.  too cold. I was out for under 10 minutes the other day but I'm not even including it because I was miserable and the wind made my eyes water.  The kids are doing a lot better than me and have been out almost daily for at least a half hour.  Their little skin is tougher than mine!  I can't wait for it to warm up a little bit so I can get back to running.  I'm a wimp, but that cold air hurts my throat and lungs to breathe it in!

Reading The Gift of an Ordinary Day by Katrina Kenison and loved this bit: "It occurs to me that perhaps I don't have to push at life quite so hard after all, that sometimes the best thing we can do is allow our lives simply to take us where we need to go." -pg.86

Buzzing through the weekend with lots of plans and places to go. The kids are down to their final two weeks of soccer (Grey played three games back to back on Saturday for an hour and half! He loved every second of it). Then Gem and I headed out to a baby shower for our cousin while the little two kids spent the afternoon at my parents' house.  Grey and B headed out to watch a jr. high basketball tourney and then attended BBgun shooting league.  Sunday buzzed by with teaching CCD and attending church, then indoor baseball practice for Grey and then he got to go ice skating with cousin Caleb (thank you Heather!) By the time Sunday night rolls around, we're tired again! hahaha, so much for relaxing weekends, but I supposed that's how life goes with kids, amirite?

Giddy to watch Rusty work on his baby sign language.  He's up to three consistent signs now (All done, More, and Sleepy) and we're working on 'Play' and 'Bath.'  He looks downright relieved and proud to communicate to us too.  He had the biggest, sweetest smile the other day when I asked if he was done and instead he signed More and I gave him a few more marshmallows. (his super favorite).

Cozied up with our whole family for two snow days in a row!  Now that B works in education, he was home with us too and we spent the days lounging around, making enormous messes (the kids), cleaning up (all of us), and trying to get healthy again after letting common winter viruses make homes in our sinuses for the last few months.  It was glorious to all be together and to have not a literal thing to have to do or a place to go.  We did not leave the house in 48 hours and it was amazing.

Completing our March Madness tourney brackets.  My sister organized a family poll for the kids and I found these awesome kid-friendly mascot March Madness brackets from Simple Play Ideas that they are having so much fun with.  All three were excited to circle the real winners after yesterday's games and were so engaged in those final few moments of the Northwestern/Vandy game (our house was split on that one!) B and I filled out ours to compete against each other (100 small things list goal!) and he will not stop teasing me about Winthrop which I chose to be a Cinderella team making it all the way to the elite8! (oops!)

Making crockpot three pack roast, Rich man's Ramen, this slow cooker general Tsao's chicken and jalapeno popper chicken wraps for Bud and I (while the kids had the never-fail chicken & gravy over mashed potatoes).  Grey and I have been on a poached eggs for breakfast kick (random but delish). The girls also helped make these cream cheese chocolate chip cookies (literal best cookies I've ever made in my life), and the two big kids helped make green shamrock shaped Spritz cookies for St. Pat's!