Noticing {Day 18}

{Yesterday}

LOOK WHAT WE FOUND!!

Yippeeee!! We got our first egg yesterday. I found it, and ran (galloped, skipped...) to tell (squeal to) the girls that we had an egg. They came running (squealing) outside to see. K wanted to be the one to "collect" it. 

We are so eggcited (new level). 

One of us was too excited to get a clear picture.

 (I didn't wash it--my hands are wet from being outside.)

It was small, but perfect. I have no idea which girl laid it (layed? Huh?)

We scrambled it up when Daddy got home:

Clearly that is a posed picture ("Everyone put your forks in like you are taking a bite!") Truthfully, Jeff is weirded out - he'll get there - and Austen wasn't really interested. But what a fun pic, eh? ;) The girls get scrambled eggs for breakfast every weekday morning, so we are hoping this continues and rubs off on the other three!

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We got to pick up Michaela at school yesterday. I met her at the day care I worked at in the summers, when she was four months old. Her parents asked me one day if I'd be interested in babysitting, and the rest is history.
I hardly recognized her when we saw her. I haven't seen her in a couple of years, and she has grown into the most beautiful young lady. The girls absolutely adore/idolize her.

We tried out a black bean brownie recipe. Not bad!

And the girls got their school pictures back:

Noticing {Days 15, 16, 17}

Both girls have had Croup in the past week. Kaitlyn is better, and Austen is on the upswing. There has never been a better week to notice the small, enjoyable moments. I needed those desperately between the bring-out-the-worst sick sleepies and not feeling wells. We went up and down all week and Jeff and I were handed some challenging attitudes, but I managed to stay (mostly) calm throughout. Only one meltdown on my part, and it was brief. ;)

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Jeff and I got to have a date night on Friday while the girls had a sleepover at Grammie and Papa's. My dad come to pick us up, in the mini van, to drop us off at Bingo. You read all of that right.

(The girls have been really into chewing gum. Austen has a three minute time limit - this is about how long she can make it without swallowing it - and Kaitlyn about 10 minutes. They are showing me their gum here.)

 BINGO! I didn't get any Bingos (beginner's luck my bum), but I did think I got one. Called out Bingo, very enthusiastically, during Speed Bingo. The regulars may not be inviting me back.

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Austen woke up a couple of hours after going to bed the other night, and I didn't like how she was breathing (croup). I brought her down to the couch with me for a while. She wasn't feeling well but was fine, and I got some quality snuggling.

Jeff got this one of both of us passed out on the couch, which was actually earlier - around 6:00.

The next day, Kaitlyn wanted a picture of us sleeping. So we pretended while photographer Austy snapped a pic:

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Yesterday, we headed over to Grandma and Grandpa's to make Lefse and watch the Seahawks. I was introduced to Lefse when I first started dating Jeff, as it has been a tradition of Bonnie's for a long time. It was fun to join in this year and learn the ropes!

Noticing {Day 14}

I didn't have a chance to post last night. Well, I did, but I got home from three back-to-back tutoring sessions and decided to dye my hair and read in bed instead.

Only took a few pictures yesterday, but did some reflecting (a daily occurrence over here). I am happy with myself for sitting down a few weeks ago and doing that same reflecting ^^ about what I could make better. I have successfully turned my rut around and am enjoying, noticing the small things that get me through the challenges moments, and am (more) relaxed. Life is good.

We skipped school this week because Kaitlyn was sick (Austen went on Wednesday). It seemed to be a pretty mild virus, so in between a few movies there was a lot of play, and maybe a trip to Target. 

The girls' imaginative play continues to be one of my most joyful things. Sometimes I sit and watch, and more often I let it happen around me while I do housework. What better background noise than that??

K tied two of their chairs together with a scarf, and Austen boarded the "monkey carriage" with her ponies and was off to Disneyland. 

I am so, so lucky to be home most of the time with these two. I know how lucky I am and feel that more and more as they get older. I am so grateful to Jeff for working his butt off while I take time off. He never complains; never makes me feel guilty that he is working overtime while I'm home spending this precious time with our kids. His work is so stressful and exhausting right now, and he still comes through the door, arms open wide, huge smile on his face and an excited greeting for his girls. He was born to be a daddy, and he is most definitely my rock. 

Noticing {Day 13}

What gets you up in the morning? Me: Coffee and oatmeal (with a dab of brown sugar and splash of almond milk). A Christmas mug doesn't hurt.

Kaitlyn was still under the weather today -- enough to keep her out of school, but not so much that she couldn't enjoy outings with Mama. I get one-on-one time most weeks with Austen while K is in school on Thursdays, but I got to spend this morning with my oldest. We dropped little sis at school then went to the doctor to get her rash checked out (viral -- why can't I get my mind out of the black hole that is my anxiety and just believe that she's okay and that they are right? I always assume the worst), and I asked her what she'd like to do special with me. She wanted ice cream. I'm almost positive that one of those Facebook articles now has me pegged as the bad mom because my kid must associate being sick or something special with sugar or sweets or whatever. She was so excited that I couldn't worry about how I was screwing her up (where's the sarcasm font?) I'll tell ya how I really feel later...

Costco! (K made a wand out of the receipt and was Bippity-Boppity-Booing everything in sight):

This just makes me smile:

Another evening outside. Crisp air, perfectly chilly. I got Kaitlyn this bike off of Craigslist about a month ago and we are just now breaking it in. She had trouble the other day getting it going, fell off and scraped her knee and made a half-hearted attempt to get back on. Today, she was determined. She and I talk about being flexible. Her in-her-own-words definition: "It means you just shrug and say, 'Oh well.'"

She got a little huffy at first, but mastered the pedaling by the end of the block. Proud. I'll put Jeff in charge of taking off the training wheels...

 "Austen, gimme a pose!" Don't know where she got this:

She watches what I do, then does it herself:

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A few more from the other night: