Saturday Sweet

 Long Saturday.

Laundry, football, RV re-parking, dinner, and homemade sweet treats.

I wanted cupcakes and decided to try and make an impromptu cherry frosting.

We all feel sugar sick.

Time for AFV on TV and then bedtime.

Walk-A-Jog-A-Move-A-Thon

North Beach Elementary held its annual Walk-A-Jog-A-Move-A-Thon.

I volunteered to buy all the concessions from Costco yesterday and boy did people judge me.  So what if my cart had 9 tubs of licorice, 250 chip bags, 250 fruit snacks, and 8 cases of vitamin water (plus two kids in the front of the basket).

Here are the mommy volunteers setting up:

My kids stretching it out:

Blake moving his body:

I helped man the water station:

Blake all done for the day.

Reade joined his brother for the last few laps.  When two minutes were left, I put Piper in my arms and ran beside them.  Reade fell and reopened a scab on his knee so we were covered in blood by the end of it.  He cried all the way to the car because he was bummed he didn't do the complete last lap.  I cleaned him up once we got home and now he is out like a light on the couch.  

Exercise + Blood = Fun.

Fast to Slow

Earlier today there were errands with a minor goose chase thrown into the mix.  A nature walk with Blake's kindergarten class slowed me down to calm.  I continued that pace at home with some popcorn, cherries, and new books from the school book fair.

Track Day

 Andrew traded in his Prius for a Porsche a few months back.  Seattle doesn't quite lend itself to lots of open roads so Andrew signed up for a High Performance Sport Driving Day at Pacific Raceways racetrack just south of Seattle.

This is the lineup of some of the cars (Lotus, Porsches, BMWs, and cars you can borrow from them to drive).  Andrew's is the white one closest to us:

Blake loved hearing the stories of the racetrack so he immediately went upstairs and put on his race outfit.  This is motivating me to get back into Monster Trucks.  How fun would it be to drive our RV out somewhere to watch a Monster Truck show and sleep in the parking lot.  Just because my husband drives a Porsche doesn't mean I have to let go of my suppressed redneck.

Well then...

Back into the swing of things.  I took these two children to the park today and Reade was happy to bring home some sticks, leaves, and broken cement as treasures.  He made a baby bed for Piper's dolly in the backyard.

I took this video a couple of days before I left for Sacramento:

Kindred

My visit with my Nana is nearing its end.  Reade loves visiting his grandparents and his aunt, but his Great Nana's facility has been the highlight of the trip for him.  They give him candy, stuffed bears, and bacon for lunch.  What more can a kid wish for?

Getting In and Out

Spring night out.

Lesson

Reade's preschool held their last Parent Meeting night for the school year and I am so happy I was able to attend.  They discussed Montessori education beyond preschool.  It was perfect timing for me to regroup my thoughts about my children's "home education" led by me!  Summer is coming up and I can't wait to get a start on fostering independence for each kid while setting aside some quality mom attention time.

Here are some fun worksheets that give you jumping off points for kids at any age.  I cannot believe that Blake slipped into the second plane without me even noticing.  That was quick.

Happy

I wanted so bad to pull my house back together yesterday, but was faced with more sickness clean up in my car and a terrible detergent spill thanks to the UPS man throwing my Walmart.com package on our porch.  The one time I smiled was when I was driving to pick up Blake from school and saw the patient sailboats in our cove.  They reminded me to keep sailing with the wind.

Slow and Meaningful

I am a huge fan of Montessori principles.  Here is a fun video if you want to know what Reade's day is structured like.  They call each activity "work" and really grows a child in fabulous ways.  It was kind of hard to get through the picture/video format, but worth it for the feeling.

Andrew finally got home last night from his business trip back to the Bay Area.  Yup, I was heading up this norovirus household all by myself.  Andrew was the real angel though because I requested he take the day off from work so I could finally take the time to help myself heal.  He did just that and I stayed in bed all day.  For some reason I couldn't sleep, but just resting quietly has made me feel a bit better.  What I loved the most was the interactions I had with my kids in a quiet bed.  I don't wish illness on anyone, but it was almost more special than those screen-free days.  Day-in-bed day.  The only hang up is you need someone else watching your kids!!!

Around my house (only one person has proper sheets on their bed):

Solids

This is the first time trying to eat real food.  I haven't eaten for 2 1/2 days.  Please let this stay down.

I have the stomach flu (technically gastroenteritis).

I am going to muster up all the energy I can to stand upright in the shower and then crawl into bed and feel sorry for myself.

Please Lord, let me sleep.

I Am My Kid's Mom

Oh, that title makes me miss listening to Dr. Laura.  I will have to try to find her again.  That and Howard Stern.

Today was kind of like any other day, and I liked that.  My time will come when I can whisk away and sleep in on my own in some hotel room in some other location.  Three young kids and a traveling husband are wonderful enough for me right now.

Reade made this wax bowl for me at preschool.  We got to plant a pea plant together also:

Blake attached Reade's note onto his gift from school:

This is my first clay creation from school.  Blake is a "North Beach Seal Who Models Excellence" so his class made seals in art class for their mommies.  Blake said he decorated his in Christmas colors for me with a pattern.  I am excited that I get to bust this beauty out every Christmas.  Go Seals!

Angels

How do you envision angels?

I met two angels today who came into my home (without judging me) and sucked up the horrific throw up stain on the floor next to my son's bed.  

This stomach thing is starting to get expensive.

Mother's Day Tea

A sweet Mother's Day Tea put on by Reade and his preschool:

Paid Off

My neighbor hates one of our chickens because she keeps honking loudly like a duck.

Etsy

So I tried to pay him off with some eggs.

Is it enough?  I hope so.

Etsy

Plywood Art

I am a bit tempted and inspired by plywood art.  I have a great idea, but let's see if I can bring it to life tastefully.

Lowe's

Paul Baden

Dishfunctional Designs

Stomach Bug

It all started at 12:45am last night.  Blake woke up crying out, "Mom I threw up."

I slept a total of 45 minutes between 1:00am-6:00am.  Now, the laundry is going and I have a few "sanitary" chores to finish.

Blake was up every 15 minutes throwing up in the night so I am very happy he is crashed out right now.  I am so happy we have a guest bedroom where I can crawl into bed with him and help him out.

I am counting down the seconds until Piper's naptime so I can crawl into my own bed and make up one hour of the five I didn't get last night.

Date Brunch

I highly recommend a date brunch if you need a little time with your sweetheart.  It is less pressure than a date night and it is super fun to know your kids are awake and being entertained by someone else (oh, I will miss that babysitter Sunny).  We got to walk around town a bit and enjoy the air of Seattle.

Local 360

ID

I tried out a new babysitter today so I could go to Reade's parent/teacher conference.  She is from China and came to Seattle for a two year school program, but is sadly returning to China in a few weeks.  She came to Seattle because she watched movies about Seattle and heard it was romantic.  Her time will be cut short because she found Seattle to be unfriendly and unwelcoming (boo Seattle).  She has inspired me to tour Seattle's International District and gave me tips on where to eat authentic Chinese food:

From the International District website:

The Chinatown-ID is the only neighborhood in America where Chinese, Filipino, Japanese, Vietnamese and Southeast Asians live and work together, side-by-side.Whether you're looking for unique gifts, hard-to-find specialty groceries, ethnic-specific social services, Asian art and culture or the best cluster of international restaurants on the west coast, we have you covered! 

Double Tuch

Right now I am loving my daughter's tuchus.  She has a double bottom.  A line where it should be and another one right under it.  She is only 23 months, but needs size 4T underwear for that adorable squish.