Counting Down

So, Gram has 2 and a half days of school next week and my school ends today. I guess my daddy leave is over and my winter break starts today. Above is my favorite current photo of me and the kids.

Rhythm Interrupted

So, Mo and I had settled into a pretty nice rhythm for awhile there. We would walk together in the morning, usually heading to the Y where I could work out and she would hang out in the kid room there. Well, the last week has seen some actual winter weather starting and our morning walk is not happening now. Today the wind chill is in the teens and I can barely stand it, I am certain that it would be too tough on her. So, we have been in the car and in the living room more than either of us would prefer to be.

First Snow of the year

So, we finally had our first snow day here. After a drizzly morning, around 1:30 PM today we started seeing some of the rain turn to snow. By 2:30 it was a full-on snow and it has not stopped yet. I originally thought that none of it would stick because of the early rain, but we are covered outside right now. I'll take some photos in the morning and post them soon. Beth and Mo never made it out of the house today, so it was a tough day for Mo. She was pretty cranky by dinnertime. We started a new family tradition. On Fridays when we are home we have pizza and movie night. Gram gets to pick the film (this week it was Garfield- The Movie) and he eats some white pizza. Beth and I had some buffalo chicken pizza and did our best to pretend to be amused/interested in the movie. Tonight we had family game night. We played BINGO with a game Gram bought from a local Goodwill type of store. It is called Caged BINGO and has a cool spinning ball that you use to select the BINGO numbers. We also played a card game he learned at school which helps him with his addition facts. A pretty fun night for the family on a snowy evening.

Settling In

So, after a few days of winterish weather we had temperatures in the 60s today. Word is we'll pay for it with our first snow this weekend. By this time last year we had already had a few snow days off of school.

So, Mo and I have settled into a pretty nice routine. We leave the house around 9 and walk to the Y. I pick her up from the kid room around 10 after I work up a sweat and then we walk our way home, stopping in a few downtown shops on the way. Today I had the chance to chat with the indie kid who works at the local record shop while Mo just smiled and gurgled. We usually get home around 11 and Beth gets home noonish. The afternoons are tough since the sun sets shortly after 4 these days. She's fine up to the point where we go get Gram from school. The stretch from 4 on is pretty rough.

Tomorrow's another day...

December - Winter is Arriving

A cold day today as Mo and I went for our morning walk. Here are some photos, finally. The top two photos are from Halloween and the bottom two are from a beautiful day drive we took recently to a cute nearby town.

Thanksgiving Day

Last year it was cold and we hosted our pals Doris and Christopher. We brined our turkey in a garbage can (with a liner, don't worry) outside our kitchen window on the roof so it stayed cool overnight. That would not have worked so well this year as winter has not yet arrived here. We had already had a few snow days by this time last year, but I don't know if we have been below freezing yet.

This year we are spending the afternoon with local friends and thinking about not so local ones and family spread far and wide. It's been a big year for us. As I was leaving the Y yesterday (I have still made it to exercise every weekday since I started my daddy day care routine) someone looked at Mo asleep in her stroller and said, "You sure have a lot to be thankful for this year." She's right, and Mo is only part of the story. We hope that all of our friends and family (who we don't see often enough and don't speak to often enough) have a wonderful holiday and that they know we are thinking about them.


Photos up soon, I promise!

One Week In

So, the early results were mixed on whether Mo was going to be at all happy with me being home. On Tuesday last week she cried non-stop from 1 until 4 in the afternoon when she finally passed out from exhaustion. Since then, she has spent less time each day crying. On Friday and today she spent less than an hour each day yelling at me. Progress, for sure. I have to figure out when she will get hungry and make sure I am in a place where I can feed her before the frustration sets in for her. I have to mix that need with the need to keep her moving and to change scenes often enough. Taking her for a walk is pretty much a sure thing everytime, but it makes it hard to feed her. I feel weird not working and being across the street from the action, but Mo is keeping me busy enough that I don't feel like I am on vacation.

I have also made it to the gym every weekday, plus playing ball on Saturday mornings, so I am keeping my word to myself so far. I fully intend to be in MUCH better shape when I return to work. My body is complaining a bit about weight lifting, but I know it'll get better. I need to be stronger and have more endurance in the spring when I get back to work and we begin the real craziness of balancing two jobs, two kids, day care for one, after school care for the other, my dissertation work, church commitments, etc etc etc