2016

Anna posted a great blog reflecting on her year and it got me thinking about our year. A year that included very little blogging, sadly. But, I was thinking this could be a good way to start again. Maybe a way to reset? Like, a start to a goal? Ha, just kidding. I'm not going to talk about New Year's resolutions.

2016 was a busy year for us.

+ Nick started his first year of nursing school. It's the first start to his dream of being a nurse practitioner. It's great, but it means that we're juggling my job, Nick's job, Nick's new class schedule, and our kids. I'm glad we live in a house with other family members (more on that someday).

+ Nick also became a vegan (by choice). This was a big deal at the beginning, but now that we're about 6 months into it, it's not that bad. I eat less meat and dairy because of it, which is something that I've been wanting to do anyways. But, I can't get over some of the foods he eats now. Cooked spinach...lentils...seitan...yeah. They're not my favorite.

+ Oliver did all of his firsts. He turned one, went from crawling to running, and has been the first child to get into EVERYTHING. Seriously. He's figured out how to pull off the outlet covers - baby-proofing fail. He gets into everything he shouldn't, even after being told no 43 times AND being put in time out. And, he's the most persistent little boy I know. You can move him away from the potted plant and he'll pretend to walk away, but after about 5 steps he'll turn around and run back for it. Every. Time.  Can I just say that I'm incredibly nervous to go camping over the summer? That's not being over-cautious, right?

+ Ellie started dance class and she has been rocking it. Okay, she was the worst jumper, leaper, and tip-toer, but after 3 months she can now jump with BOTH feet off the ground and is starting to run and jump over things. This is huge! Her gross motor skills weren't very coordinated before. We'll see what happens when we make her try out soccer.

Yes, we are the parents that are planning to let our kids try a little bit of everything. Why not? Maybe she'll find something she's really into. And if she hates everything, that's fine too. She's a bookworm already so she's got that going for her.

+ Speaking of bookworms, I read a lot this year. I read a great handful of historical fiction and finally jumped on the Harry Potter bandwagon. Yup. I don't know why i didn't to jump into those books when they were first popular. I enjoyed the movies, but man do the movies get better when you read the books. I know everyone says it, but the books are so much better. There's just so much more there! And each book is better than the previous. I'm just finishing book 6 and it's probably one of my favorites so far.

+ We binged on some great shows this year. WestWorld, House of Cards, Stranger Things, Mozart in the Jungle, Vikings, This is Us (okay, Nick didn't watch that one), and we just started Lemony Snicket's show on Netflix. All of those were so good.

+ I finally got myself to the gym and even joined The Sisterhood (no, that's not a cult). It's taken awhile to get back at it because my kids don't like to really sleep in or sleep at the same time AND I work during the day, but, one step at a time, right?


Maybe this year I'll write a blog post not written with bullet points. Goals, right?

Oh, hello...

I've been meaning to jump back into the blogging world. I'm lagging in adult conversations and I miss rambling through my fingers.

Every time I start a blog post or think of a good topic to write about, something comes up. One of my 2 kids is in need of something, my teaching job requires lesson planning (weird, huh?) or I'm just wanting to sit and watch House of Cards or Westworld with Nick because we're too exhausted to do anything else.

So, let's get caught up.

+ Ellie is 3 and a complete three-nager. Occasional attitude and sass, non stop talking, and random unexplainable crying. I don't know whether to fear the teenage years or pray that all emotions will be gone from all the crying that happens over wanting to do things herself.

+ Oliver is 1. I now have two toddlers. And one is much crazier than the other. Actually, I take that back. Ellie is crazy emotional and Oliver is a crazy explorer. He puts anything and everything into his mouth, opens all cupboards and drawers, senses open doors and baby gates and will cheetah crawl his way to it (seriously, he's too fast) and never closes his mouth. But, he loves his sister, books,  and laughs a lot. It's awesome and tiring. 

+ Nick is in nursing school. It's actually quite nice, despite the mass amounts of homework and studying. He no longer works the awful night shift at the hospital, is awake during the day (!), and gets to have dinner with us almost every night!

+ I drink coffee now. Okay, I did before BUT I have advanced from frappuchinos-only, to mochas, and now to lattes and straight coffee with creamer. We have a coffee maker in our kitchen that gets used a lot. What's next?!

+ Toddler dance classes are adorable. Watching a bunch of toddlers in leotards jump around a room is pretty darn cute. It's even more cute when your daughter is an expert leaper. Just watch.

+ I can't stop reading. Technically I'm listening because you have to have something productive to do when your commute is 25 minutes both ways, right? I've been on a WWII kick lately. Ruta Sepetys' books, The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah, All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr, and Lilac Girls by Martha Hall Kelly are a few of my recent favorites.

I did, however, decide to take a break and am FINALLY starting the Harry Potter series. I've watched the movies, but never read the books. I know. I'm getting on it!

+ I can't stand Facebook and social media right now. I'm not getting political on here, but every side and then some is being shoved into my face and I'm done.

+ I can stand LuLaRoe. I absolutely love their clothes. The leggings are like wearing clouds all day and the shirts are all pretty flattering - which is a big selling point when you are a mom fighting the terrible post-2 kids body. The only problem is that it's so expensive! I can only justify buying one thing every few months so I don't go broke. But I want them all!! 

+ Each month I post a joke of the month on my bulletin board outside of the music room. Enjoy this one from last year:

Life x2

 

Life with two kids is a whole 'nother beast.  I thought just one was crazy and exhausting.  I also thought I'd never give into the whole TV thing.  Let me tell you, when you're trying to put a 2 month old to sleep and the 2 year old sister is being noisy... you play an episode of something just for a little peace and ease.  It's also such a great relaxing activity when all you want to do is melt into the couch at the end of the day, but bedtime is still an hour away.  Yes.  I've become a TV allowing mom.  At least my daughter is watching educational shows.  Little Einsteins is probably the best.  And Super Why.  She's even started learning her alphabet sounds! Yes, we have a child genius on our hands. Ok, maybe not, but at least she'll be somewhat ready for preschool.

Speaking of preschool, we're thinking of doing it next year.  HOW DID THAT HAPPEN?!  We're potty training right now (60% success rate right now and going on day 7) and we're talking about gymnastics class in the summer and preschool in the fall  *cue mommy sobs and grown-up baby wails* 

But really, preschool is expensive.  I could buy two round trip tickets to Hawaii for the price of preschool.  Ellie needs some good socializing though.  That's our only reason for putting her in preschool this next year and not the year after.  Somehow we created a book-loving introvert.  Well, hyuk hyuk, the acorn doesn't fall very far from the tree. So it makes complete sense.  But, we're pretty set on making sure that she at least has the chance to not be a super introvert.  Only slightly introverted.  We'll see.  Oliver may just take over for her and be the crazy one. 

Oliver is adorable and so much different than Ellie.  He has the cutest smiles and coos.  Ellie didn't smile as much as he did at this age or at least I'm pretty sure she didn't.  Seriously, everything just blends together because it's all a phase and then that turns into another phase.  The whole first year is a blur and just a phase.  It's hard to remember most of Ellie's first year.  Even Oliver's first few weeks are starting to blur together.

Oliver is taking a bottle like a champ, growing into 6 month clothes (thanks to his long bodied relatives), and sleeping better than his sister.  He only wakes up, on average, twice a night.  It's a miracle!  Ellie woke up at least 3-4 times.  It drove me crazy.  Bonus: I can get both kids nap at the same time in the middle of the day.  It's pure mommy bliss and I love it.

I get the chance to binge-watch something (before I head to work in a month), read a book, or...SLEEP!  I've seriously enjoyed reading some good books (check out my goodreads) and watching some new shows.  The Man in the High Castle (Amazon Prime) was an awesome show and now Mozart in the Jungle is winning me over.  I love the silly musician puns.  I may have watched the Office and Parks and Rec all over again.  Totes awesome sauce.

Now I need to put in time to exercise.  Post-natal body is killing me.  I forgot how terrible and annoying it is to wait for the jell-o stomach to become "normal" and the stretch marks to not feel like weird ripples.  Also, that c-section scar is killing me.  I did a 15 minute Pilates workout and my wound hurt afterwards.  Ugh. AND shopping afterwards is amazing and terrible all at once.  I may have bought 2 pairs of yoga pants just so I didn't have to wear uncomfortable jeans.  Maternity jeans sag like no other and pre-pregnancy jeans won't button.  What an awkward time.  /endrant

I think it's time I left to eat my 2nd dinner.  Breastfeeding stomach is 10 times bigger than pregnant stomach. True story.  At least I get to eat whatever and not worry about it not liking me.