Hellooo?

Hi! Anybody here? :) All is well here. Very well. Our little family is all happy, healthy and busy. My last post was about the snow days that we experienced. The weather is finally better (it is mid-April after all) but it was a long hard winter in that respect. And - for those of you who don't know - we think the weather was just a gift to us to prepare for our move "up north".

Yes - Blake has accepted a job offer at a small, liberal arts college in upstate NY and we'll be moving this summer. We are very excited and very proud of how hard he has worked to get to this point. I think the little town will be a great fit for our family. It is very different from where we are now...but I think some of the things we like about Nashville will actually be present in our new community as well.

As we prepare for and embark on our next chapter - which will eventually include a change in career for me - please keep up with us by visiting my other blog. I am combining my small biz/project/craft/sewing blog and my personal stuff. Our kids and Blake inspire (and HELP with) so many of my projects that I think it will be fitting and fun to have the whole journey in one place.

I went back and read some of my firsts posts on this blog. It's crazy. Brother was 3 and LB was 1. They're 7 and almost 5 now! Yet, as I read about our daily activities from a few years ago -their personalities were already so clearly shining through. They've come so far, grown so much but - they're still the same Brother and Little Bitty. Slimmer cheeks, longer legs, larger vocabularies, new interests, new schools, new houses...none of it changes who they are. Thank Goodness.

And thank you for following along on our journey!

www.projectanthologies.com

Snow Days and more snow days

We've had at least 8 or 9 snow days this year. I'm sure a better mom knows the exact count - but I can't remember at this point. In some ways snow days are easier for us than for a lot of families - because I work from home and don't have to take the day off. However, this also means that I end up with two kids home all day while I'm trying to work. It's not perfect - but it could be worse. And I guess because of my years of school, I still cheer a bit inside when I hear that schools are canceled for the day.

In the meantime, the kids have gotten very good at finding non-TV things to do (even if it does mean a little too much time on the iPad). They've also gotten very good at refusing to get dressed if it's a snow day. I don't know how that assumption came about - but they act like I've lost my mind if it's not a school day and I asked them to get dressed.

Little Bitty loving on her "good boy".

Brother googling some stuff to make sure he doesn't get too far behind in school.

And this is what we have to do to encourage the kids to actually get ready when school is actually in session. Five smileys and you get a treat.

So, everyone hope for those smileys to start adding up. We need a little more schoolin' up in here.

Wha?! Is it January already??

So. The longer you're alive, the faster time goes by. It's the "time is relative" theory, right? I recognize this to be true because I can't believe I haven't posted on here since October. It's because I'm 38 now.

So, anyway, we are all well. We are all healthy (well, Blake just found out he has Strep. Bummer.) but overall we are healthy. We are all happy too. Overall. Little Bitty may disagree depending on the day minute. But, we are.

The holidays were wonderful. We spent a week in Florida over Thanksgiving, which was delightful. I always like to take the opportunity to tell people how lucky I got in the in-law department. LUCKY. I spent 10 days with my mother-in-law and was sad to see it end. My father-in-law is a one of a kind as well. And Zia and Uncle Awesome? The best. Anyway, I had some rather lovely pictures just waiting to be posted to the blog. But, my work laptop died and the Thanksgiving pictures are temporarily lost. We hope "temporarily". But, back to the trip...we even squeezed in some beach time. Ahhh. It soothes the soul, right? Blake and I talk a lot about how we used to want to live in a beach town. It was one of our priorities on where we'd like to settle. We'd still love that for the geography...but not sure due to other circumstances that come with living in beach towns (shark attacks and whatnot). It's very complicated once kids are in the equations. However, we also know that wherever we end up, our stellar parenting will overcome any challenges that are brought our way due to the town we live in. Heh. Yes, that is a tad sarcastic.

So - on to Christmas. We celebrated as just Team T first (Santa came and did not disappoint) - and then we headed to Alabama to see my family. There were cousins and aunts and uncles and grandmas and mums and papabobs. It was wonderful. My mom and all her little chickens under one roof. It doesn't happen too often. My mom always puts on a great holiday and everyone feels relaxed and thankful. I also got very luck in the my-side-of-the-family department. ;)

After Christmas we took a visit to my home state of Indiana. Just a quick day trip to my grandparent's house. I don't see my dad's of the family as much as I'd like and it's always great to get to catch up with everyone. I should really do an entire blog post on this side of the family. But, I'm afraid I wouldn't or couldn't aptly describe or give enough history and dynamics to really make it accurate and as fascinating as it really is. Anyway - I'm very glad I got to see my dad and everyone else!

Blake's parents came to see us after Christmas and spent a few days. This overlapped with a week that my brother (also from Florida) was here. We have a small house - but even so - it's always fun to have family here and part of our every day lives because we don't get to have that full-time. We didn't do a lot of anything (other than eating). Just hung out together, played games and relaxed.

So, that brings us about to now (New Year's was in there but it was a non-event this year. zzzz.) Today Brother and Little Bitty went back to school. PHEW. Brother went back with his hair neatly combed, shirt tucked in, and a sweet (if a little hesitant) smile on his face. Little Bitty went back with days of begging and pleading to not go back, threats, screams, refusals, and finally the bribe of a treat from Walgreens if she would PLEASE JUST GET DRESSED AND NOT CRY.

She goes through phases where she makes me wrack my brain and try every parenting skill in the book to just get through the day. Seriously, the last couple of days have made me reconsider things I thought I firmly believed regarding parenting - and to question if I have somehow completely failed her already and just created a miserable little anger ball of a being. And then - as ferociously as the phase comes - it will pass quietly without event and I'll end up thinking to myself "wow - she is sooo sweet. How did I get so lucky?!" I know this to be true. I also know that she manipulates and tests her limits and that she's just FOUR - it's just sometimes I forget all this in the heat of the moment and want to curl up in a ball. Or to start drinking.

Today...I actually left her smiling in her classroom doorway today as she waved and yelled down the hallway to me, "Run, Mommy! Run like the wind!" Believe me... I am, Baby!

But - I'll be back at 3pm excited to see her, looking forward to spending the evening together. It's good that it works out like that.

So - bring it on 2011.

Halloween 2010

This is what she was going to wear. In fact, she wore it to her school party...but then she said she didn't like how everyone looked at her.

So, for Halloween night - she looked like this. This is my new dog niece. She loves me but she lives with my sister.

This is my strong seven year old ninja.

My two characters.

My non-dog niece and Little Bitty. Best buddies- except when they aren't.

It's That Time of Year!

Found a new pumpkin patch this year. It was awesome. Except for the part where Little Bitty pitched a big ol' fit for having to let her pet lady bug go free. I didn't capture it on film.

Our little dude and his little pumpkin.

Our little Bitty and her huge pumpkin.

Back home (actually weeks later) carving a pumpkin.

Brother planned the face. Which is nice. I like a happy pumpkin.

Happy Halloween. I'll try to get pictures of the kids - including the little one in a horse costume made by yours truly.

Happy Birthday to us.

Well, we've had a couple of birthdays up in here. First Blake and then moi. We are both a year older and wiser now. ;) I love this picture of me with my two best gifts ever. Blake made the cake all by himself. Did I mention what an awesome husband I have? I do. He can also do a mean chicken burrito.

A lovely fall weekend.

We went camping last weekend. It was perfect. The weather was amazing and we were with some good friends. Brother fished for hours on end with his buddy - and with Little Bitty and Daddy for much of the time too. Me? I don't enjoy the sport of fishing quite as much - but that's ok because I had a friend to chat with and a baby to play with. He's yummy. The rest of the time was spent roasting marshmallows, cooking out, and enjoying being outside.

In other news from the weekend - Little Bitty scored two goals during their soccer games. She's proving to be a little athletic squirrel like her brother. I'm very proud of them both. They are happy, healthy and just so darn lovable.

Are you ready for some futbol?!

The new soccer season has started and it's Little Bitty's first time playing. We're trying out a new league this year and today was the first game day. The highlights are below.

Little Bitty and her coach getting ready.

Brother getting ready.

Brother not afraid of the 10 year olds they were playing!

More action shots - he went on to score 2 goals! Yay!

Little Bitty getting ready for a kick-in, taking in the advice of her coach.

Action shot - the photos are a little heavy on the Little Bitty side because it was her first game ever. Luckily their games were side by side so I ran back and forth. I was almost as sweaty as the players.

I love her.

I love them all. For anyone who doesn't recognize - that's my niece on Brother's other side. She's on Little Bitty's team.

Bike Rides and Fireflies

Yep, she rides on two wheels. She's cool like that. Yesterday evening we took a little pajama bike ride. Mighty Boy came along showing off his fall hair do. He also got a new halter top.

The return leg of the bike ride was interrupted with some firefly catching. It was very exciting and fun...so much so that the kids kept jumping off their bikes in the middle of the street to run and grab another firefly. And then I yelled and threatened them because that's how I like to ruin a special evening. BUT - not before I snapped some sweet pictures of the event with our new camera. Yay.

p.s. Our children do own actual sets of pajama tops and bottoms that match. They do not tend to wear them that way.

Summer Chronicles of My Big Boy

This has been Brother's first summer as a school-age kid - which has meant that we've entered the era of summer camps and finding things to keep him busy. Things that don't include the TV.

He attended Basketball Camp. I hope it was more exciting than this picture suggests. He did seem to enjoy it - although - he was beginning to come down with something (missed one day due to fever).

Here he is a couple nights later in the ER at 2:30am. When your Big Boy wakes up saying he's having trouble breathing - you just take him to the ER no questions asked. It was Strep. He's has a tendency towards reactive airway disease and after a HUGE shot of penicillin and some albuterol - all was well.

This, in fact, is a short 48 hours later or so four states away in Pennsylvania enjoying the Country with Little Bitty. They spend hours searching for salamanders and other creatures in this creek.

My Big Boy even learned to ride a dirt bike by himself. I have to add...this is something that I'm quite sure I have said he would NEVER do with my permission. Someone once told me to never say "My kid will never..." because you'll always prove yourself wrong. And she was right.
We camped out. Brother is becoming very skilled at all things camping. He has a great teacher (Daddy - not me). Little Bitty is not too shabby either.
Speaking of Little Bitty, she taught us all a new and improved way of enjoying a pinata. You cut a hole in the top and carry it around, inviting everyone to reach in and grab a handful. This is a much preferred version to the old-fashioned bashing with a stick - which is both dangerous and sad when your beautiful pinata gets broken.

After the Strep recovery and trip to the Country for the 4th of July. Brother and Little Bitty headed to Alabama for horse camp. This was (I think) the favorite camp so far. I haven't mentioned Art Camp and Spanish Camp because I don't have any fun pictures of those. And - true - this picture of horse camp doesn't do it justice but the kids LOVED it and we'll definitely try to do this again next year. Brother didn't even freak when this horse tried to eat his hair right before I snapped this photo.

The afternoons after horse camp were spent at my sister's house where Brother surprised me with his bigness yet again and started jumping off the diving board and swimming the length of the pool all by himself. He's awesome.

We're rounding out the summer with Brother's first loose tooth. FINALLY (he's been hoping for one for about a year now). He also just had his first sleep-over. It was at our house...but still...sniff sniff - my little dude is getting so big. I wouldn't have it any other way though. I love him and he's making us proud. Good job, Brother!

Little Bitty had a Party

So - our precious young one is about to turn four years old. We had a party for her at home this year - because we are always out of town for the 4th of July. We kept it pretty small with just family. Here are some highlights...

Little Bitty and her two girl cousins. These three are all within a year and a half of each other in age. I see TROUBLE in a few years. But how stinkin' cute are they right now?!!

We had a pony come to our house for the party. Little Bitty got to ride first (which, at this age, being first is apparently about as great as a pony ride).

About to dig in to the gifts.

Opening one of her gifts. I think she liked it.

Brother and one of my nephews. They are great buddies. Oh - and Brother doesn't really have a mustache already. It's juice.

Look! Baby Gus is on the pony!

This is my grandmother with her youngest great-grandchild. She's nearly 95. Isn't she sweet?