Snow

Today it snowed again. I thought it was a lovely, nice fluffy snow. I actually shoveled with no gloves on because it was just barely cold enough to snow and not windy at all. Remember when you were a kid and shoveling was fun? It used to be for me. I love things that I can see a clear change in my efforts. Mowing a really long lawn, shoveling clear paths in the snow. Things like that make me happy. Since we live in a townhouse and have an association, we have snow clearing service to the door...so I don't have to shovel. Because it isn't my responsibility or job, it is still fun. I am sure the day we move and lose that service it will no longer be enjoyable at all.

Ava finally got to make her snow angel. I just really don't think about letting her play in the snow all that much. It is a lot of bundling up for her to be outside for 10 minutes. She made it about 40 since it wasn't that cold and I was ready for a mitten change when they got too damp and cold. I don't know what it is about the girl and snow angels, but apparently in her mind, that is the greatest thing you can do in the snow...or in the grass. I think she misses the whole "snow" aspect of it.

Currently reading: Lace Makers of Glenmara by Heather Barbien.
Next up: Father of the Rain by Lily King

Am I the only one?

When I find something I really enjoy whether it be a movie, a book, a hobby, a shampoo, a cleaning product, some type of make up, I feel compelled to tell people about it so they too can experience the greatness. I have thought to myself why do I do this? Why do I reveal all my secrets? Like I know if I ever hire someone to clean my house, I will be sure to inform everyone that I didn't clean. I don't want to take credit for something that I didn't do. So I apparently always feel the need to share my own personal fountain of youth, metaphorically speaking. I could just keep my mouth shut and let people think my house just always smells amazing and I am naturally thin and beautiful.

A while ago, I mentioned ebates. I got my first rebate check about a week ago. It was almost $25. I did quite a bit of online shopping for Christmas and just generally buy things online. I prefer shopping for kids clothes online because it is easier for me to find their sizes. I just make sure I go through ebates first and I get credit for my purchases. I also get a percentage of my purchase back from Barnes and Noble when I buy books for my nook on the computer as long as I go through ebates first. I only get paid once a quarter so I really do have a chance to build up a pretty decent payout. See look...I just couldn't stop myself from sharing, once again.


We have had the stomach bug that everybody that I know has had, well almost everybody. I am the only one in this house who did not get it. I thought I did but I just felt bad. It is over and I have washed all the bedding and towels and clothes...

I started a new knitting project. It definitely won't be one I finish right away, but it will provide a nice change up here and there. I am almost done with Ava's slippers. I want to finish them today, I just need to get off this computer and start. I put in my 2 hours of cleaning already this morning so I am hoping to just hang out and do whatever I feel like until work. What ever I feel like as in what Rhys and Ava will let me do.

Traffic

I just thought I would acknowledge the blogs that somehow have sent people to my blog.

Munchkin Mom

Terra Talking

Everyday Mom

Visions of Lilacs

Grocery Shopaholic

Frugurl

These are just in the last 2 months so if was before that, I do apologize. Even though I know who all of you are in real life, I didn't reveal your true identities.

Side note: Should I change my layout? I am kind of bored with it but not really wanting to try to fix it all (though I know it needs some fixing).

Do Not Disturb

Today is Justin's last day of vacation. He has been off since the 23rd. It has been awesome. We have had just enough to do to keep busy, but not too much that we feel crazy. The kids have been totally occupied with new toys and a change in routine and having 2 parents at all times. Everybody has been sleeping in late. It has seriously been like living a surreal life. The shine is definitely starting to wear off though. Yesterday there was a lot of fighting between Rhys and Ava. I am sure it doesn't help that Rhys wasn't feeling well. We are going to attempt to get the house all in order today so it will be like I have returned from a vacation too tomorrow. "Look no big messes! Just normal cleaning!" The biggest project will be the kids' room. We need to reorganize all the toys and get rid of some that are no longer age appropriate but taking up space.

What do you do with old toys? Do you save them for garage sales? Do you just take them to Goodwill? Some toys will come with me to work, but we aren't supposed to take "used" donations. Usually I can get away with bringing things in because I know what condition they are in but I know there isn't room for all the toys to be for the baby age.

I didn't set any resolutions. I have some goals for myself, but that is about it. I would like to finish 12 projects in 12 months. I am leaving it loose like that on purpose. I am going to focus on the counters being cleaned off before bed every night. This is going to take some team work though (Justin will learn of this goal when he reads this post.) Pepe is turning into a nice cat. If the counters and tables aren't temping him with things to knock off then maybe I won't be forced to hate him...as much. We definitely want to take the kids to Disney by the end of the year. Ava is saving her pennies, literally. Every time she finds any bit of money she says, "Money for Disney!" and puts it in her piggy bank. We actually aren't going to use her change for the trip, but she can cash it all in and use it for souvenirs. So we are focusing on setting money aside and earning little bits of extra money when we can. That is about it. Nothing big, nothing major. I will toss out posting once a week. If I ever go back and write the posts I have been meaning to and back dating them I will NOT count it to my goal. Watch out, sometime there will be like 5 posts in one day all dated sometime in December.

Eyes

Ava had a pretty early eye appointment this morning.  It actually probably isn't that early for most people, probably closer to midmorning, but for us, it was early, especially since we had to leave 45 minutes before the appointment started to make sure we got there on time.  So both kids were dressed and mostly groomed.  Rhys' hair typically has no hope.  It always looks like he just woke up so I just let it go.  I get it wet, he puts on a hat and it all ends the same.  I was neither...barely dressed all the way as it turns out, since I found out my zipper had been down the whole time when we got home.  I am on a roll!

Anyway, for once there was no wait.  We were in and out of the rooms like nobody's business which is nice when it turns out to be an hour and a half long appointment.  Rhys was a little out of hand, so Ava sat up in the exam chair all by herself.  I will pretty much let her do this all the time from now on because she did amazing.  There was no silly baby talk or pretending to be shy.  She called out the pictures on the wall with enthusiasm, she held still, she cooperated with three different sets of drops (though she did wipe the yellow dye ones on the sleeve of her white sweater).  She even let them do pressure checks with the tonal pen

and the Goldmann applanation tonometer

The doctor decided she did so well that he wanted to get a picture of her optic nerve. So We got to do that test too, which is look into a little lens with a tiny green light in it and stare straight ahead and hold still while the computer takes a bunch of pictures of the back of her eye. She managed to do this too. The eye doctor said she was probably the first 4 year old he has ever seen that has been able to actually get a picture.

Anyway, the end result of the appointment was her pressures were up a tiny bit in her left eye, with a slightly more noticeable cupping of the optic nerve in the left eye and some slight difference in the nerve based on the fancy picture. Her left eye has always been the "good eye". I vaguely remember when we had our surgery consult at Children's the doctor wanted to do surgery on the left eye first. We were confused as to why she wanted to do the good eye, but I guess it does make sense now. We are adding a drop of xalatan to the left eye at night, instead of just doing the right eye.

I knew it

During preschool orientation, the teachers did a little skit, to show parents the rules of preschool. They kindly mocked common arguments that take place to get out the door, mistakes parents make, like being late to pick up their children, etc. One of them was forgetting to send things to school. I was thinking to myself, "That will never be me. I have this whole involved parent thing down." I already had every school day, day off, special event put in the calendar. I signed up to be a room helper and had it planned out in my head what I could do with Rhys on those days. I was ready. And then Monday happened. I go to pick up Ava and the teacher pops her head in and instead of a fun little fact of the day I heard, "Ava was the Special Person today, but don't worry, we had back up snacks. Do you need a calendar?"

I am a horrible mother. On Special Person day, Ava gets to bring in a snack of her choice, something for show and tell, and lead the class in every line or special thing they do. The thing that made me bitter was the whole "do you need a calendar?" comment. I have the stinkin calendar right on the fridge. I know everyday what the theme will be. I know if she needs to wear a certain color or bring in an item. The schedule for Special Person is on the back!!!!!! I didn't flip it. I knew Ava was the special person one of the days, I just really thought it was next week. I even thought about it before we left the house. We had been discussing what she would bring in (her picture book from San Diego) and what her snack will be (cheese sticks). I apologized profusely to Ava. She is told me over and over again that it is fine. Then she will say, "Remember, when you forgot I was the Special Person?"

I knew this day would come. Soon I will show up to school in my bathrobe and slippers. Since this is often how I spend the morning, it is a distinct possibility.

snippets

I am planning this whole advent craft thing for Ava. So far it is slow going because it is December 1st and I haven't gotten around to wrapping up all the individual projects. I have collected most of the supplies though. Maybe her advent will start on Monday. She doesn't really know that it is supposed to be 25 days right?

Ava has planned a vacation to Disney. She clearly doesn't get the concept that she has to pay for this vacation. She decided it would be for Justin's birthday next year. Turns out she will have a full week off of school for Thanksgiving so we could try to make the trip Saturday through Wednesday and still be back for Thanksgiving. She managed to keep this a secret from Justin for about 3 weeks. Which is good for her because she tends to blurt things out when she gets really excited. She talks about the trip just about every day so we are definitely going to try to make this happen. All spare change is going in "Ava's family vacation" jar.

The school year is just about halfway over and that is insane to me. I feel like she just got started. It is definitely going by fast and we are in a routine. I can now see how moms look forward to school starting up again after breaks, just to get back to the normal routine. Ava can now write almost all of her letters and is figuring out the sounds. She isn't reading yet, but she is definitely recognizing some words.

I finished one slipper. I am on to slipper number 2. It isn't the matching slipper to the first one. It is for Ava instead. I like to delay my sense of accomplishment apparently. I really just wanted to have to finish at least 2 pairs. And I didn't have enough yarn to make the full 2nd adult size one, so I wanted to be able to finish another slipper before I had to buy more.