
Pool construction continues, but it is slow-going.
This month flew by didn't it?! As I write this, I have officially completed half of my Ed. D. program. I am also behind on this update, so this update will be brief! A highlight of the month was bringing my Dad home after he was hospitalized since 1/13 with COVID. After a lengthy stay, he was moved to a skilled nursing facility which he, understandably, did not like and called frequently asking to come home. It was wonderful to bring him home on his 77th birthday and celebrate with a cake and presents. He is back home at his place in Yucaipa.
The pool is progressing! My husband has had to manage the project daily to ensure that it is right and I'm so thankful that he is on top of it! He is also great about holding the line when they try and sneak in extra charges, adding up to tens of thousands of dollars. At the end of the month, they added the shockcrete, which needed to be watered twice a day for two weeks. Next up, plaster!
We celebrated Valentine's Day as a family, with a nice dinner out. The kids received their gifts, which included chocolate, silly string and some warmies, which they love to cuddle at bedtime. They also received cards from their classmates, grandparents, Uncle TJ and Auntie Bex and Jeri, my best friend's Mom. They also had a ton of class Valentine's and a delicious cookie decorating kit from their cousins, made by Aunt Brittany!My loves, on Valentine's Day! |
This month we also attended their newest cousin Benedict's baptism, as well as a Pirate Dinner Adventure with the Goss family!
For our week off (known as ski week in our district), the children and I flew to Oregon. We had a direct flight which was just over two hours and much better than flying up to Seattle and then taking another plane back down. My husband made the 14+ hour drive so that all four dogs could come and they had a blast. It really is like a doggie vacation for them, and I love nothing more on a walk around the lake than hearing the sound of their paws pass us as they gallop ahead, in a full sprint. Anna and Elsa were in the lake every day, even though it dropped as low as 15 degrees at night and the lake partially froze. As we say, the cold never bothered them anyway (sorry, couldn't help myself!).
My hubby bought a new truck and the kids were so excited to go off-roading on the property, where his previous (non-4x4) was stuck a year ago.
While husband received a new truck, I received a speeding ticket while in Oregon. Apparently, I was on a "Connector" which looks exactly like a freeway, except it has a 55 mph speed limit. Coincidentally, it happened on the very day that I had moved Cha out of a car seat and into a booster, and taken Aut out of anything at all. "Not to get another ticket...but would you mind checking to make sure the kids are safe, I asked?" After inspection, he gave them both the thumbs up. Pro-tip: if you're too busy to take your children to the police office for a safety check/inspection, they can come to you, if you just drive fast enough!
This all happened when we were on our way to spend a zoo day with Uncle Ben in Portland. And we still had a great day! Uncle Ben was excited to buy Aut a swaddled baby otter that she was eyeing on our December trip, and she proudly wore it around all day.
This month we continued cheer, gymnastics and Girl Scouts continue and Aut has leveled up in swim, as we continued our Saturday morning gym routine. I love sitting in the sauna while they have their lessons because I can still see them. Then, they love going to Kids Club after while my hubby and I work out.
Dig day! What child labor laws? |
On the trails behind our home. |
I love the beach in winter! |
Instead, I ordered these on Amazon, which are only $13 for 16! That means I can get more than I need for only $26. I like that they are gender neutral, so it doesn't matter if she passes them out to boys or girls. I'll do the same for Cha's class as well.
I have some cute tags which I'm happy to share. Email me at megan26.2@gmail.com and I'll send you the file.
Planning ahead for holidays fun events takes the stress out of celebrations for me. And yes, I already have her 7th birthday booked for the end of May. This one is going to be the best yet, and involves a few different destinations and a limo ride! Now, to start taking down all of our Christmas decorations at home...my goal for this weekend!
Each December, the nostalgia of Christmas combined with the approaching new year stirs in us a wistful feeling. Since the children have been born, I have diligently filmed every precious moment that I could capture. I imagined that one day, I would lovingly relive them, warm smile on my face and mug in my hand. But, I think it has sll been for naught. Just seconds into the video below taken five years ago in Christmas day in Italy, and I feel just like Chevy Chase in Christmas vacation. Not the jovial, fun Chevy Chase but the sad one, when he's sitting in the attic watching the old reels of his childhood and bawling his eyes out. And, this video wasn't even taken that long ago! I imagine the nostalgia will only compound over the coming years, and doubt that it will be any good for me at all. Time, you are a thief!
Okay, that's enough melancholy reminiscing for one blog post; let's get back to the present. Truly, this is the most wonderful time of the year, even if it does make us all a little wistful. About ten days before Christmas, I tired to slow down and focus on enjoying the moment. But that doesn't mean not going anywhere; we can still slow down and enjoy while we are out and about at Knott's Merry Farm, Disneyland, Irvine Regional Park or anywhere else! To me, enjoying the moment means putting my phone down and noticing the small things that the kids say or do, smiling and not worrying about things beyond my control, all the presents that need to be wrapped or wondering how it will all get done. It always does, right? It means choosing joy, and realizing that as long as everyone is healthy and happy, we are truly blessed. Life is good, and God is good. And when it seems like He's not? It's only because he has bigger and better plans.
We started the month with my husband's (and his twin's!) surprise 40th birthday party. Thank you to the Leach's for hosting and to everyone who came out! It was fun, yet stressful, keeping it a secret, since that's not my style. Since we were not able to coordinate the twins arriving together, they each arrived separately for two different reveals...within minutes of each other. The kids had a blast running around with sharp objects on the side yard, and no one was injured. It was a late night for this non-drinker but it was worth it. The kids slept in one of the spare bedrooms without protest, and just after 3:30am, we scooped them up to go home.The kids each had a Christmas performance through their school. We were driving to church for Aut's Christmas pageant and I was explaining that the event was going to be live-streamed. Realizing that she did not know what this was, I explained that her Grandma was going to be watching her do everything right when she did it. It wasn't a recording that would be watched later, I explained, but Grandma would be viewing her live, and in real-time. Suddenly, she understood, and sweetly stated "Oh, I understand: My Grandma in Heaven will be watching me on stage." My heart. It was both humorous and heartbreaking. "No baby, I meant your Grandma in Oregon. But, your Grandma in Heaven will be watching too...I suppose that is just like a livestream..." My father and brother (collectively known as GrandpaGlennie) came to church to watch the performance.
This month, we discovered a game-changer book for our girl! She came home very excited about this Gerald and Piggie book, which I ordered from Amazon. When it arrived, I gave her to it for the drive to school and it was the first time that she read on her own without any prompting and was truly excited! She also needed very little help. Other than the humor in it (same author as Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus!), I think the fact that there is only once sentence per page makes it less intimidating for her, as she is able to progress through it very quickly.
The kids were fortunate to see Santa a few times this season. They are now aware that Santa is so busy that he has special "helpers" that are often placed at the mall and other places to help him out since it's such a busy time of year for him. She could tell that the Santa they saw at Disneyland was once such helper, but we were able to locate the real one a few weeks later.
Aut asked Santa for "A real live hamster" and Cha asked for "tools." We were not sure if he would be able to deliver on the live animal, especially since we were at Grandma's. Aut was consumed with wondering what was in her Santa gift, and realized that it felt like a cage when it was moved and she was told she couldn't open it just yet. The anticipation had been building and her little heart must have sank when she opened the cage and saw the worst thing imaginable: A STUFFED, FAKE, NON-LIVE HAMSTER. She must have been extremely disappointed, but tried very hard to conceal it. She seemed to be in shock and was very quiet until we realized that there was was hope; there was a letter! As soon as I started reading it to her and she realized that he had come through for her, she started crying tears of joy and relief!
We were blessed with a white Christmas; our first white Christmas! The snow actually stuck on the ground for Christmas morning and only continued over the next few days. It was so beautiful and we loved watching it fall. Grandma bought sleds for the kids, and they had a blast playing with the neighbor girl and renter's granddaughter. We even pulled them behind the gator on the volleyball field!