Wow. This is my first post for the month of November. That...is...pathetic. I have a few posts I started writing but never got the chance to edit or publish. Story of my life. Here's why I haven't been posting:
1. We got a piano! Brian's mom gave us theirs. And it's awesome. I don't know how to play. I wish I did. Brian is the only one of his siblings who can really play so he was the obvious choice for this gift of inheritance. Playing the piano is one of Brian's top favorite things to do of all time. So I was a bit surprised when he protested as I was setting up logistics. I picked the spot in our house. I set the ground rules for the kids. I hired the piano tuner.
And when it was all said and done, he stood back and said, "Wow, that looks awesome."
And it really does. I'm so delighted that my kids will grow up in a home with a piano. And to be honest, the worries we had about the kids banging on it and waking up nappers, hasn't really been an issue at all.
1. We got a piano! Brian's mom gave us theirs. And it's awesome. I don't know how to play. I wish I did. Brian is the only one of his siblings who can really play so he was the obvious choice for this gift of inheritance. Playing the piano is one of Brian's top favorite things to do of all time. So I was a bit surprised when he protested as I was setting up logistics. I picked the spot in our house. I set the ground rules for the kids. I hired the piano tuner.
And when it was all said and done, he stood back and said, "Wow, that looks awesome."
And it really does. I'm so delighted that my kids will grow up in a home with a piano. And to be honest, the worries we had about the kids banging on it and waking up nappers, hasn't really been an issue at all.
2. We got our pictures taken! With a real photographer. Who happens to be a dear friend. Instead of trying to get the perfect formal shot (with four kids it ain't happening) I just had her follow us around the house on a normal Saturday morning. We did get a few posed shots at the end but mostly I wanted her to catch my kids in their element because that's what I want to remember when this season of my life is over. She did not disappoint. There are a few sneaks on my Facebook page if you're interested but I'm saving the rest until Christmas cards are signed, sealed and delivered. One thing that surprised me is how the pictures made me fall in love with our way-too-small but character-filled home all over again.
It's never the right time. There's never enough money. No one ever looks just perfect. But I'm so glad we did it anyway. So worth the time and energy.
3. We've been running marbles! What's that, you say?
A couple weeks ago while Katherine and Bobby were napping and I was just finishing my lunch I went into our porch to tidy up a bit before William and Lucy came home from school. Earlier in the day Lucy had drug out the Marble Run box and started putting some pieces together. We got the toy for William for his birthday last year. It was played with quite consistently for the first few months but has been forgotten about recently.
3. We've been running marbles! What's that, you say?
A couple weeks ago while Katherine and Bobby were napping and I was just finishing my lunch I went into our porch to tidy up a bit before William and Lucy came home from school. Earlier in the day Lucy had drug out the Marble Run box and started putting some pieces together. We got the toy for William for his birthday last year. It was played with quite consistently for the first few months but has been forgotten about recently.
As I was picking up the beginnings of Lucy's construction I thought to myself, "Well, if I just stick this turn-y thing here, and the twist-y thing there..." And before I knew what was happening I blew away 45 minutes BY MYSELF putting together a massive marble run project. I was pretty proud: I used every single piece.
When the kids got home from school I was like a little 5-year-old: "Come look what I did!" I got Coolest Mom Award that day.
We played with it all afternoon and have been building new runs almost every day since. If you have kids ages four and up, stick it on their Christmas list. Good fun had by all.
4. I've been workin' out! When the cold blew in, as it does every year in Minnesota, my running legs turned into big fat cry babies. I knew I couldn't go the whole long winter without running and let all my good training go down the drain. So I tagged on to Brian's gym membership. I love it. Well, kind of I love it. I like that I'm getting my workouts in. But I have found out that I loathe the treadmill. It gets the job done but it's boring. And hard on my joints. Brian is trying to convince me to give the elliptical a chance but I'm not sold. Is it the same as running? For some reason it seems a bit like an easier way to say I ran 3 miles. I like that I can set the pace on the treadmill to "force" myself to run faster and so that's why the elliptical doesn't seem like an equivalent. Gym-goers, what say you?
Regardless of my running dilemmas, one thing the gym is providing me with is an outlet to get back into yoga. I haven't done serious yoga in quite some time. Yoga isn't for everyone but I have found that it plays a key role in my overall well-being. I just can't find the quiet, the stretching, the strengthening that yoga provides all on my own.
5. We've been being awesome! Things are getting better around here. And what I mean by that is that when I sit down to write a post I don't immediately think about all the things I want to complain about. (Except Halloween. I still hate Halloween.) Bobby has been sleeping better and has, to be frank, become rather delightful and, dare I say, easy. This month has been a blessing in that the weather has still been decent enough to get out and play and yet the sun is down early which means my tribe is in bed early which means I have more down time before Brian and I go to sleep. It's a win all around.
4. I've been workin' out! When the cold blew in, as it does every year in Minnesota, my running legs turned into big fat cry babies. I knew I couldn't go the whole long winter without running and let all my good training go down the drain. So I tagged on to Brian's gym membership. I love it. Well, kind of I love it. I like that I'm getting my workouts in. But I have found out that I loathe the treadmill. It gets the job done but it's boring. And hard on my joints. Brian is trying to convince me to give the elliptical a chance but I'm not sold. Is it the same as running? For some reason it seems a bit like an easier way to say I ran 3 miles. I like that I can set the pace on the treadmill to "force" myself to run faster and so that's why the elliptical doesn't seem like an equivalent. Gym-goers, what say you?
Regardless of my running dilemmas, one thing the gym is providing me with is an outlet to get back into yoga. I haven't done serious yoga in quite some time. Yoga isn't for everyone but I have found that it plays a key role in my overall well-being. I just can't find the quiet, the stretching, the strengthening that yoga provides all on my own.
5. We've been being awesome! Things are getting better around here. And what I mean by that is that when I sit down to write a post I don't immediately think about all the things I want to complain about. (Except Halloween. I still hate Halloween.) Bobby has been sleeping better and has, to be frank, become rather delightful and, dare I say, easy. This month has been a blessing in that the weather has still been decent enough to get out and play and yet the sun is down early which means my tribe is in bed early which means I have more down time before Brian and I go to sleep. It's a win all around.
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| Wake up, Dad! |
And for the first time in two years, I'm looking forward to a winter and holiday season without a newborn. Newborns are so amazing in their own way. But they are tricky. And time-consuming. And they don't play well with others. As Bobby nears his first birthday, I'm really starting to feel like our family is one unit. Bobby doesn't rely on my boobs every two hours just to survive. Instead I can make dinner, while William dishes out Cheerios and Lucy and Katherine belt out some tunes on the piano. We still have outbursts and meltdowns daily. That's right, I said daily. And that's what it really is all about. Setting the proper expectations. But now everyone can play a part in making this family run and that's lifted a lot of weight off my shoulders.
Glad you're back! :)
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