I’m grateful for helping hands.

No picture today as it was another busy day and sometimes the things you are most grateful for can’t be summed up by a picture.

I’m grateful to have had a lovely visit with my dad today, even if the surroundings weren’t ideal. I’m grateful for a two-year old who is more interested in hiding in the curtains than in causing mischief. And I’m grateful for dry roads, clear skies, and a napping toddler that made the drive do-able.

Despite the blowing snow today, this particular chunk was purposefully placed on her nose to make me laugh. And it did. I’m grateful for her sense of humour.

I’m grateful for blankets and hot chocolate today.

As I was schlepping my kids around the other day in the sub-freezing temperatures, I realized that it’s been just over six months since I left my job to stay at home with my kids. Six months without a cubicle. Six months without meetings, conference calls, or time sheets. Six months of looking only at English (and the few Spanish words required for Dora the Explorer). Also six months without a data plan. And six months without pay. 😉

Quite a bit has changed over the six months, not the least is that I went from two kids down to one when Abby started school in September. So really I’ve had two months of two kids, and just over four months of one kid – or 1.5 kids if you consider that “full day” school isn’t really full day, but really just slightly more than half a day that happens to be in the middle of the day. By the time we get back from dropping Abby at school in the mornings, we have just enough time to squeeze in a few things and then we start the lunchtime/pre-nap routine. Afternoons are usually a write-off since there’s napping/attempted napping and then we’re off to pick up Abby again!

I thought that Evelyn had adjusted to Abby being at school during the day, but having Abby home over the Christmas break I think really made Evelyn realize how much she misses Abby during the day. The three weeks since the break have been a bit of a challenge but we’re adjusting (again). Hopefully March break won’t throw her off as much. On the other hand, it really is amazing to see Abby flourish at school! She’s learning so much and really enjoying it. And although I’m not with her during the day, I love that I get to be with her until she walks into the school and again as soon as she gets out. I’m sure that she would have adjusted to an extended hours program, but it really is nice that she didn’t have to. I love that I get to hear about her day in detail while we munch on snack and not in a rush as I’m trying to get dinner ready.

I think the only thing that hasn’t really changed is that I still don’t get enough sleep! 😀 But at least it is a bit easier to deal with it when I don’t have to go to work on 4 hours sleep. And at least when I’m tired, Evelyn is too so we can be tired together.

I am amused that many people continue to ask me every time they see me whether I still like being at home with the kids. Yes. Yes, I do. They drive me absolutely crazy sometimes, but they drove me crazy when I was working too. The huge difference is that now I get the good times along with the crazy times. Before I felt like I was just getting the crazy (and going crazy as a result).

And the good times are pretty darn good.

I’m grateful that I’ve only had to leave the house today to go to Starbucks. It’s cold and so snowy that our penguins are half buried.

Shortly after Abby started school she was talking about “popcorn words” (very small words that “pop up” often) and pointing them out to us in signs and books. Last week she came home with the first of these “sight words” (and, as you can see, we dutifully hung them on the fridge, as instructed). Last weekend she came home with a borrowed book and read it to us. Granted, it was pretty repetitive and she’s been “reading” books to us for a year or more by remembering the stories and then relaying them back to us, but now she’s asking me to slow down when reading new books so that she can try some of the words!

One part of me is so proud of her, one part of me is screaming “Where’d my baby go?!?”

But I’m grateful that she is excited about finding the words.

I can’t help but smile when Abby wants to have a dance party. Especially when she’s wearing butterfly wings. Tonight I mostly functioned as the DJ because I wasn’t feeling great, but I’m grateful that she wants to dance with me at all.

Today was a busy day and I ended up not being able to snap a picture.

Evelyn’s new thing is swishing her drink around in her mouth. I’m not a huge fan, but it doesn’t bug me that much and I figure it’s just a phase. When we were out earlier today, she was swishing her water around in her mouth and ended up accidentally spitting some out on her shirt – it was just water, no big deal. Later tonight, as she swished her milk around in her mouth I thought of the earlier incident and almost asked her to stop so that she wouldn’t make a mess, but instead I stopped myself. We’re at home, it’s just milk, so why is it any more of a big deal?

I’m grateful that she’s learning new things. Even if it’s a little gross and sometimes makes a mess.

I seem to have stalled at 90 seconds in our a “30 days of planking” plan. The 90 seconds has gotten much easier at least, and I even made it to 2 minutes yesterday, but I’m not at the 2 1/2 minutes that the plan calls for. And it goes up to 3 minutes tomorrow. I know it’s mostly a mental block, but it’s hard when the mental is also blocking the physical.

But I’m grateful that, even though I’m falling short of doing the full planking time, I did manage to put myself back into the plank today to finish the time. Baby steps, baby steps.