Grace in small things, January 2, 2017: Car Wash Monster edition

1. Daddy had the day off and we started it with breakfast and then a trip to the car wash where Sis made Daddy into the Car Wash Monster, complete with her playing terrified...
2. Hot springs with no timetable, and kids to play with, and lots of big fluffy snowflakes falling...
3. The library by myself (which is so much less hectic than the library with kids)...new books for everyone in the family and small fines paid so we can start 2017 off with our obligations taken care of...
4. Catfish for dinner and my picky eaters LOVED it...Sis had thirds...
5. Work day today but getting eased slowly back into things...very relaxed...
6. First day of the Whole 30 has been pretty dang easy (and is almost over)...

XO

New Year's sunset

Sunset from our balcony, with the moon and Venus brightening...

XO

Grace in small things, December 31, 2016

1. My husband had to work this evening, but he brought the kids back snap-together glow-in-the-dark bracelets, which they mixed and matched and had an absolute blast with...
2. Lots of organizational stuff today, cleaning things off my computer, making lists for January, really thinking about what's important and what's doable, how I want to spend my time and what I can skip so I'm not so overscheduled all. of. the. time...
3. Sis napping curled up next to her Daddy...so cute...
4. Put a bunch of books on hold at the library, so I have new books to look forward to...
5. It wasn't a very warm day, but it felt wonderful sitting in the strong sun on the porch at noontime in just a sweater...
6. Feeling pretty sad today, which is unusual...but not after the kids smothered me with hugs and kisses... :)
7. And we cancelled our plans (both kids and I for early evening and my husband and I for later, I just felt like I could not deal with the crowds tonight), and the kids and I snuggled on the couch while Daddy worked and we had snacks and watched Big Hero 6 and after that I felt much better...

Loved you 2016! Can't wait for the new year, too... :)

XO

Grace in small things, December 30, 2016

1. As the kids explain it, it’s when “Terror Kitties” show up that a pristine room turns into this, lol…
2. I can build anything with the marble maze set! And I thought I couldn’t do it…
3. Able to do some nice things for a dear friend today…
4. De-Christmasing the house…I love the holidays but it always feels so good to get back to normal…
5. A little work today on a project that has been brewing since August…nice to get some forward movement on it…work has been so light, it’s been a great break but also fun to work again, especially when it’s something creative which isn’t always the case…
6. Pintrest this afternoon too. I love it but never make time for it
7. Thinking about what I want to focus on in the coming year…I’m so excited about 2017!
8. Zo is suddenly afraid of monsters (specifically E.T.) and Luke is spending the night in her room making sure she feels safe. He is the sweetest…

XOXO

Grace in small things, December 29, 2016

1. Zo very thoughtfully painting the decorate-your-own-piggy-bank she got with her Christmas money...she's got such an artistic streak...
2. Some time on the mountain this afternoon with two women I really like...and apres ski after...such fun, I usually snowboard and then go home and make dinner and/or work (not that I'm complaining about getting on the mountain for a couple of hours being part of my regular day...) but today felt like a little vacation... And, I forgot my jacket but it was a good day to do that...blue skies, no wind...I was pretty comfortable even though today's high was 25 degrees...
3. After dinner the kids and I met friends at the hot springs...so fun...again with the vacation vibe I am loving it...
4. Kids are doing the slumber party thing again tonight, sleeping together in Zoey's room...it's so cute...
5. And tonight they were tapping balloons in the air counting how many times they could do it before the balloon fell to the ground...I was hanging up wet stuff from the hot springs and half paying attention until I realized they had counted from 1 all the way up to 47 and were still going...where and when did they learn to do that? They're getting to be such big kids, it blows me away...

XOXO

Grace in small things, December 28, 2016

1. Super fun playdate this morning...sledding and snowman building and trying to drive a play car in the snow and kids crawling under a tree into a little kids-only tree fort...love playing outside in the snow...
2. Got stuck in the driveway going home but my friend's husband and cousin and uncle got me out...they were awesome...
3. Luke: "Mommy, you carrying me is like a hug with walking."
4. Kids got some money for Christmas and had such fun picking out toys at the toy store...they considered pooling their money to buy a bigger ticket item but ended up doing separate things...they were really good about staying within budget...we were talking about allowances today, too...they might be ready...
5. Sis putting together a tea party with her lambs and bear and her new red-and-white polka dot play tea set...
6. Luke starting to engineer his own marble mazes...
7. Luke and Zo, looking at a wildlife picture Papa sent from Costa Rica: "Is that a capybara?" I love that my 4-year-olds know what a capybara is...ah, the power of books and reading to them...

XO

Grace in small things, December 27, 2016

1. Snowboarding with my new friend Meghan (that's her in the pic) this morning...cold day but the snow was good and we had such a fun time...
2. ...Followed by cleaning and organizing the upstairs...it's been a disaster and looks amazing now...
3. Before cleaning Bubs and I made a marble maze...pretty complicated but I (we) did it so pretty proud of myself for that bit of engineering...
4. Reading (Wheels on the Spooky Bus, Mummy Cat) to the kids on the couch upstairs, it's been a little while since we've done that...
5. Kids snuggling with their daddy after dinner...

XO

Grace in small things, December 26, 2016

1. Luke got this book--Applesauce Season--from the library this fall and has been talking about making applesauce ever since. And he got me a food mill for Christmas so we could finally do it! First batch = big success!
2. Cold cold cold cold powder day on the mountain first thing (I heard reports between 0 and 10 degrees)...super fun...weird conditions from the heavy wind we've had though...
3. Hot springs for an hour right after the mountain with the kids...it was divine...
4. Work is very light this week...it's so nice to snowboard and hang out with the kids and cook and etc...
5. Leftover enchiladas and the movie Pete's Dragon tonight...and snowboarding again first thing...life is good...

XOXO

Grace in small things, December 25, 2016

1. Reindeer plates for cookies for Santa and carrots for reindeer and a reindeer mug for the milk...I've had these dishes since San Francisco days and still love them...
2. Kids having such trouble sleeping last night, so excited about Santa coming, and then up super early this morning jumping and dancing about, checking out all the packages that magically appeared overnight...
3. Sis loved her dollhouse...and also especially the sheep from Grammy and Papa...it was so cute, she brought her other stuffed sheeps down (she has a little collection at this point) and had them hugging and kissing the new one and said, "They all like the new sheep Mommy! They're going to be great friends!"
4. Luke: "Santa totally crushed it this year!"
5. Coloring whale pictures with Zo in her new "Mommy and Me" coloring book...
6. Me: "Luke, I'm not sure I can set up your marble maze, it looks pretty hard and complicated. Maybe you should have Daddy do it." Luke: "You can do it Mommy. You just need to read the directions and focus, and not let anything distract you."
7. My husband spoiled me with gifts this year. Especially loving the pretty pajamas...I haven't really had any pajamas for a while...makes me want to stay in and relax lots of days this winter...
8. Facetiming with my mom and dad who are down in Costa Rica...
9. My husband and I splitting dinner duties, me making fruit cup and a pumpkin pie, him beet salad and turkey enchiladas (a tradition since our Albuquerque days) and rice...delicious...
10. Crazy blizzard-y snow right now...and I've got kid coverage to be in line for the gondola at 8 AM...

Merry Xmas!

XOXO

PS I'm really really really really missing my brother Luke this Christmas. Want him in the powder with me tomorrow. Or to hear stories of him tearing it up surfing in Costa...

Bluebird day...