This n' That...

So I happened to remember that I have a few pics in my handy dandy phone that could paint a tiny picture of what life has been like for the past few months. Here are just a few things that have been keeping us busy this winter...

First of all, I finally bit the bullet and went back to work full-time at Kohl*s as an Assistant Manager, overseeing Children's Home and Footwear. This is just how insane I am...my first week in this new position included Black Friday!!! Needless to say, I was just a wee bit overwhelmed! I mean, I've bought a LOT from those departments, however i have never merchandised or sold toys, sheets or coffee makers! BUT, not much of a surprise...I love my job and learn something(S) new every day! I have fantastic department leads who have been teaching me all about various non-stick surfaces, memory foam and every thing in between! It's been great through the winter, but I gotta tell ya...not so sure how I'm going to like spending my summer inside while my kids get to play in the warm sunshine all day!

Yes, work has been getting in the way of my life, but we've still managed to have some fun...

Napping in the tree-tops...

Surfing on the front of the ole mini-van... Walks through Forest*Park still include Fitz*s Rootbeer at The Boathouse... We found a new playground...(Brady still hasn't given up his beloved "Mi-mi and ewwy blankie") We got a little excited for spring in February when it had been over 70 degrees for a few days and thought a bike ride/walk around the lake would be a lot of fun, good exercise, excellent source of vitamin D etc... We were a bit surprised to find the 4" of snow still present around more than half of the 3.7mi path! Sometime into the 3rd mile or so, I began to wonder if i would ever make it to the end. I like to think that I'm in decent shape and can handle just about any kind of physical challenge that comes my way, but this...pushing my 39lb 3yr old in his stroller through 4" of snow was no walk in the park (oh that fit so well there!) I discovered a new, deeper empathy for those unbelievably strong and faithful Pioneers who pushed their (much heavier) handcarts through (much more) snow for much more than 3.7 miles! And they certainly weren't wearing any kind of running shoes! The big kids were on their bikes and managed to get through it much easier than Brady and I! They trudged through the snow, then zoomed through the last mile of clean pavement to the finish line about 20 minutes before my weary legs, back and shoulders got us there! We've discovered that the big Rec Centers offer one free visit each year, so we grabbed some buddies and went for a dip in the pool. .. We have a new favorite treat, Fro*Yo! This self-serve frozen yogurt place is great! You fill up your cup with as much and as many kinds of yogurt as you want, then hit the topping buffet before weighing-in! You pay by the ounce, and it's worth every penny! We particularly enjoy the one at the Loop, where we can sit at the window counter and watch all the interesting (for lack of better term!) people walking by! We've been know to indulge ourselves up to 4 times a week, and sometimes, one cup just isn't enough! In other news...

Kacey is now our big actor and has been taking a musical theater class all year. She absolutely loves it and participated in Mary Poppin*s a few weeks ago (more about that when I get the pics!) She also loves her hip hop class and will be joining them in the Bridgeton 4th of July Parade...but won't show me a single move she's learned...stinker!

Dillon is brilliant! Of course all my children are!!! But he has been fortunate enough to get accepted into the Gifted program at his school! This has been such a fantastic opportunity for him, and he absolutely loves it. He is one of 2 kindergartners from our school that goes to the Middle School for half a day once a week (how he wishes it were every day!) to be challenged in math and science in such fun ways! He has also been diagnosed with ADHD, and we're working with his pediatrician and a counselor to learn how we can better deal with all of that!!! Soooo, we might not get as many entertaining stories out of him now, but our lives have all been much calmer since we've taken these steps!

Brady has mastered the art of "tinks-ing" in the potty, but still loves to poop in his pants! He's spending a lot of his days at the babysitter's and at pre-school and his mommy misses him very much! (Darn work..really getting in the way of my fun!) He also loves getting his nails painted by Miss Nancy at the nail salon with mom! The big, massive, super-fun highlight of the past 6 months was SPRING BREAK!!! But you'll have to wait for more on that cause I'm tired and need to get up early for work :)

Ok, so that's the update! See ya in 6 months...