MLK weekend

This weekend was gorgeous. The cold front we had been experiencing left us in favor of weather in the upper 60s/low 70s and no wind to speak of. It was the perfect weekend to be outside - and so outside we went.

Saturday the kids went to my parents for the night. They spent a significant amount of time at the beach, looking for seashells, and falling in the water. Bryan and I took advantage of the time off by working (ok, he worked, I baked). We were also able to eat out without having to order extra napkins or wipe boogers from someone's face.

Sunday Bryan went to play a pick up game of hockey and I had a coffee with a friend. The kids came home and we spent the rest of the day playing outside, cleaning house, and reading lots of books. We also made a Lego house using all the Legos we own... I think we need more Legos.



Today was packed. Bryan had to work, so I took the kids & the dog to the beach. It was beautiful. Mid/upper 50s, clear, and perfect. We built sand castles (and I use that term loosely, since everything we attempted to build was immediately destroyed by Griffin Kong). We played tag (I totally won), and chased the dog all over the beach.

Here's our happy picture


Our toungue out picture


 And our super silly face picture



Both kids fell asleep on the way home, which never happens. Penelope rarely takes a nap anymore.



After lunch we headed out to Devon & David's house for some Ultimate Frisbee. The kids alternately played on the playground, practiced playing frisbee with each other, and ran up and down the field with us.

By the end we were all sapped. Penelope told us that her "tentacles hurt" (she meant her feet). Post dinner time, early baths and a movie were in order - Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs. And I wouldn't be surprised if Griffin crashed out halfway through.

This week is a busy one for us all. The next two months are actually going to be pretty hectic. I'll feel good once we get through February and are well into March.

Scooters

For Christmas this year both kids got scooters from my parents. Penelope had grown out of her trike and while we contemplated getting her a 2 wheel bike, my dad, the bike guru, said that a scooter would be the best way to transition her as it would give her a chance to learn balance before the big girl bike.

She's also in between a small 2 wheel and an actual big-girl bike - like the kind elementary school kids have. I tried to measure her the other day, but I can't find the tape measure. Her size 6 jeans are close to being floods. *sigh* She's going to be six feet tall by the 7th grade.

Anyway. It took a bit, but they're starting to get really good at it. Penelope has learned to turn, slow down, and stop. She's pretty fast - faster than on her trike, which isn't super surprising since when she attempts to ride the trike she practically knees herself in the mouth with each pedal turn. She has waaaaaaay outgrown the trike.

Griffin is working on turning and he's pretty fast too. He has no desire to learn how to stop. In all honesty he probably enjoys running into people too much to learn how to slow down.

I tried to take some video today, but every time I pull out the phone they stop and say "cheese!" Which is cute but also annoying since I want to get candid shots every now and then. Obviously I have them trained for pictures a little too well.

Hopefully I can be a little sneakier tomorrow and actually get video.

Confessions of a Co-Sleeper

I have written a lot about sleep since I started blogging, especially since Griffin is a terrible sleeper in comparison to Penelope.

Most of our parenting struggles with the Bubs have revolved around his desire to watch the moon track across the sky at night. The angriest I have ever been with him was in the middle of the night during a Sleep Suck (click the link above if that confuses you). But I have a confession.

I love cosleeping.

I know. Of all the problems we have had with his sleep, you would imagine that I would have sworn off cosleeping and would now be shouting from the rooftops about how it's best to sleep train your children as soon as they're born.

Only I don't think that at all. And should baby #3 happen in our future, I'll be advocating for another round of co-sleeping. Even though every single one of these things has happened in the last 6 months:

I've:
*been hit
*almost been given a black eye
*been kicked, in my surgery scars
*been peed on
*had the covers stolen
*been farted on
*woken from a dead sleep by snores (but let's be real, this happens when Griffin isn't in bed with us *cough*Bryan*cough*)
*gotten up to get water for a child who has been tossing and turning for an hour
*had a child roll over and sleep on top of my head
*had cold feet wiggled in between my thighs, pressed against my back, shoved into my belly

Bryan has experienced these as well, although has come to different conclusions about co-sleeping. Maybe that's because he gets most of the violence, and not as much of the lovey-side that comes with sleeping next to an almost 3 year old.

I wake up most mornings with a warm, mostly-sweet smelling child curled up next to me. Most mornings he turns over to see if I'm awake, then grins, wraps his little arms around my neck and whispers "I love you mama" in my ear. Most mornings he snuggles up next to me and we cuddle for a few minutes before he finally turns back over and says "can we wake up now mama?"

Then we get out of bed and he helps me make coffee.

What's not to love?

What's not to love about waking up in the middle of the night (which I do 10,000x regardless of who is sleeping in the bed) and having a warm body who wants to snuggle?

Co-Sleeping is not for everyone. And sometimes it's not fun. But I do love it.... and if we have #3, we'll probably get a co-sleeper so Bryan isn't so crowded, because he really does get the brunt of the boy-child's kicks.

Sometimes I write poetry

I used to write a lot. I had various nicknames in high school that referenced my affinity for poetry (and Edgar Allan Poe) and that's perhaps why one of Sissy's nicknames is Poe (although I'm the only one that calls her that... I'm the only one that calls her a lot of things and now that I think about it, the poor child has a ridiculous number of nicknames.)

Anyway, I wrote a poem about Griffin and you can find a link to it here as it's on my 'author' blog and not my 'mommy' blog. Since the poem is about the wee babe (say that with a Scottish accent) I figured it belonged on both blogs.

Briefly speaking of the novel, I haven't written anything since mid-November in spite of my personal pledge to write over break. While I could probably use the gallbladder surgery as an excuse as to why I didn't write a word, it's actually because I had forgotten I'd started a novel in the first place. Oops.

It will be finished one day. Just not any day soon. This now gives me the opportunity to say "Oh yes, I'm in the process of writing a novel" at parties, which is something I've always wanted to say. Not really. But now I CAN say it, so I will. Apparently one of my New Years Resolutions was to become a pretentious bit *ahem* person.

Poetry has been on my mind recently because Monday begins my student's poetry project (woot!) and this year I've titled it "Rodgers' Ridiculous Rhyming Requirement" although only one poem requires rhyme. I like alliteration.

The students have to write a free verse, ode, and a poem using a rhyme scheme (of their choice). Each poem has secondary requirements like alliteration, allusion, assonance, symbol, metaphor, etc. It basically gives them the opportunity to create/work with the lit devices I've been teaching them since the beginning of the school year. Sounds fun, right? It all culminates in a 9th grade-wide poetry SLAM which is actually (hopefully) going to take place between all 9th grade English classes. Fun?? Yes!

And for more fun, here's a short list of all the names I have for Penelope:
Pen, Poe, Miss, Miss Moo, Sissy, Squishy, Squisherella (think Cinderella), Delpi, Sweets, Lovey, Squisher-oo, Baby Girl, Girl Child, Robot Pen, and Princess Pea.

There are probably more.

Here are Griffin's: G, G-Funk, Dude, Bubs, Sir Bubs-a-Lot, Bubby, Bubba, Boy Child, Griffideon, Baby Bubs (used around my brother, since my brother is Big Bubs), Duders.

Here's Bryan's: B

Poor Bryan. I need more names for him.

2013

So it's a new year and it's time for the obligatory New Years Resolutions post.

Here are links to the past two years of resolutions

As you can see, the last 2 years weight (losing) has been a part of my New Years Resolutions. Not this year. While in an ideal world I'd be able to lose 5 more pounds, I do not live in an ideal world and would have a really hard time maintaining that kind of weight loss.

So instead, my goal is to be more active. To walk. To take the kids out to the school's track and run with them. To ride my bike more often around town.

I want to be healthier overall. We eat (mostly) healthy but I can tweak our diets to include more fresh (less canned) vegetables.

I'd also like to find a place where I can take the kids to volunteer. Maybe a park clean up or beach clean up.

And that's pretty much it. I want to keep it simple this year. Be healthy and give back.

So here are some recent pictures of the kids!

Penelope at her friend Teagan's Tea-Party themed birthday:




Kids at the zoo with Daddy


A Hippo!


Hippo Conquered!


A Rhino!


 Spider-Bubs


Peacock Penny


Hope you all have a wonderful New Year!