The first week of March

For the first time in a long time I feel like I'm "over" blogging.  It's a terrible combination of being really busy all of the time, but not busy with fun stuff that makes for good posts.  It's just normal busy life.  Jeannette and I were talking about this problem and I think it's also because my kids are getting older.  They aren't changing as rapidly as they once did and not everything feels like it's important to capture.  But then I re-read my old posts and I'm so glad that I wrote about the simple everyday stuff too because you very quickly forget what life was like last year or two years ago or five years ago.  

So, for now I will press on.  I will press on with a mostly boring post about last week.

On Tuesday, March 1st, Elliott and I made silky play dough with hair conditioner and corn starch.  It feels and smells really good.

On Wednesday I took new profile and cover photos for Facebook.  I had to crop my shorts wearing legs out of them, because nobody needs to see that.

Spencer had a slow start getting ready for school on Thursday.  Thursday morning is our earliest and most hectic morning because I have to get ready for work, and unlike when I work on Friday, Michael is not home.

Elliott played with blocks that afternoon.  Why is he looking so tall?  And where is his baby fat?  What is going on here?

I bought this flower pot last week.  I like it.  I still haven't decided how to paint the red wall above the mantle. 

My mom spent the night with us on Friday and I left her with the kids on Saturday morning while I went to go pick Michael up from Aamco where he left his car to have an oil leak fixed.

They all had some quality time on their individual devices (Kindle, Kindle, iPad).

Once we got Michael's car back we broke up and each took a kid to brunch.

Michael and Elliott went to Wildflower.

Spencer and I went to Cracker Barrell.  I have to say I was disappointed with their breakfast menu.  No omelet?  What kind of breakfast place offers no omelets?

I got him a hot chocolate after.

Then we met up at a Police and Fire community event.  We watched the handsome firefighters cut open a car and pretend to rescue someone inside.

We went in all sorts of swat and emergency vehicles.

And tried on gear.

The kids hung out in this ambulance with a paramedic for a while. It was one year to the day that Elliott and I were in an ambulance being taken from urgent care to the ER.  This time was much less "medical crisis resulting in hospitalization".

We went inside a little two story house that simulates a house fire.  I am not claustrophobic and the fake smoke was not concerning, but it was so tiny inside and with so many kids that I could not wait to get out.  I couldn't stand up straight because the ceiling was so low.  That was a big problem.

There was a classic car show with police, fire and non-police, non-fire automobiles.

This was rather creepy.

And, scene.   Cut!

Leap Day 2016

Spencer was born in September, 2007 so he had his first Leap Day in 2008 when he was almost 6 months old. 

I must have had premonitions of future blogging and future social media, because I decided to put him in the crib and take some photos of him to commemorate the day.

Elliott just so happened to be a newborn when the next Leap Day happened in 2012 so it was plain luck that the crib was up once again.  I put Spencer in the same corner and took his second Leap Day picture.

And Elliott got his first Leap Day picture.  I thought he looked so good at the time, but now I think he just looks sickly.  Ugh.  Liver disease.

They had their first brothers Leap Day picture together.

In 2012 my mom told me that it was too bad that I took the pictures in the crib because I would not be able to continue recreating them once the kids outgrew the crib.  I only know that because it showed up as a comment I made in my Facebook memories on 2/29.  Sometimes Facebook can be downright handy.

Well, my mom was wrong.

The crib converted to Spencer's full size headboard and footboard, so as long as we keep this bed, the photo tradition will continue.

Spencer- Leap Day- 2016

Elliottt- Leap Day- 2016

Brothers- Leap Day- 2016

Spencer's collage

I think it's interesting that Spencer's three pictures were all taken in different houses.  2020 will be the same as 2016 though.

Elliott's collage

Brothers collage

After we took the pictures I gave each kid a cookie for their participation and sent them out to the backyard  to play.

We'll see you in 2020 Leap Day.

Family dance and kid dates

Spencer's school hosted a family dance on Friday night.  They did it last year as well, but the kids were either sick or we were out of town.  I don't really remember.

There was a luau theme for the dance.

We dressed accordingly.

And threw in a silly picture for Elliott.

The dance was held under the big ramada outside of the cafeteria, on the playground.  I was happy to see a good turn out.  These things are always more fun when more people are there.  Oh and lest you worry about a dance being held outside in February, the high that day was 85 degrees and it was in the 70's the whole time we were there.

There was a snow cone truck, so we bought two for the kids.

See the guy in all black?  That's the principal.  It's so nice that he dressed up/dressed for the theme of the night.

Spencer spent most of the night with his friends running around being crazy, so there aren't many pictures of him.  I did get a few of him participating in the "surfing" contest.

Elliott was the only preschool kid to go up for the surfing contest for preschoolers so he won a prize by default.

He also GOT DOWN on the dance floor.

A family dance is not my number one choice of activity for a Friday night, but it was only two hours long,  the kids had a total blast and it was reasonably fun for the adults, so I am glad we went.  Spencer already asked if we can go again next year.

On Saturday morning we split up and each parent took one kid on a "date".  My two sons have done nothing but fight for months now and we thought that breaking them up and giving them some individualized attention might help.  We're planning on switching kids this upcoming Saturday.

Michael and Spencer went out for breakfast burritos and Starbucks.  They came home after they ate and played video games.

Elliott and I went to the Gilbert Farmer's Market.  We saw Mr. Chad and bought food from his food truck.  Then we went to Ross to look for new shoes for Elliott.  We didn't find any.  Well, we did, but not in his size. Then we went to Walmart and bought shelf liner.

After our kid dates we stayed at home for the rest of the day except for a quick family trip to Trader Joe's.  I needed ingredients to make a nibbly, snacky type dinner for the date that Michael and I had on the couch that night.