1. In the past several weeks, I have been practicing the piano regularly. This is something I haven't done since before college days (ack! just stopped to count and that was nearly nine years ago). I am actually pleasantly surprised I have picked it back up as easily as I have, but no, I won't perform for you anytime soon. Stephen, on the other hand, plays fabulously, and one of my favorite times of day is after dinner when I sometimes persuade him to entertain us.
2. We created a play area in our kitchen, and I'm loving it. The $30 rug I bought from Wal-Mart in early January was one of the best investments I ever made. We pushed our table against the bar, allowing for a designated, cozy play area for the kiddos. We can easily change it when we entertain a larger group, while keeping a more family-friendly arrangement for our daily routine.
3. Stupid high-schoolers steal our time and money. Over a week ago, someone placed a can of orange spray paint under one of our tires. Then we ran over the can. Then construction zone orange spray paint splattered (funny word, no?) onto our driveway and car. We paid to have the car professionally cleaned, but the driveway is still as pictured below after two DIY attempts with store-bought cleaning products. Ideas? Maybe we could keep it and become the house the bright orange splot (btw, we love that book Thomas).
4. Joseph moved from the 50% to the 75% percentile in weight from November 2008- January 2009. I don't really put much stock in the the whole percentile system, but that fact does highlight our little man's recent bulking up. I think when we went to IN over Christmas and ate all his grandma's good cooking, he discovered that eating could be a fun experience. And thankfully, he didn't revert to his former pickiness with our return to TX. He even ate chili and ham and cheese sandwiches in the last week. "Yeah" for no longer having to make peanut butter and jelly sandwiches EVERY SINGLE DAY.
5. I have a new wake and bedtime. For the past two weeks, I've been retiring by 10:30pm, and waking at 5:30am. As a long-self-proclaimed night owl, I never thought I would say this, but I love my new schedule. I feel like I get more done in a day because even though it is more natural to stay up late, as a mom, I would be too tired to do anything really productive at night anyway. So, I ended up just wasting a lot of time. I also have enjoyed being able to wake up slowly with some "me" time rather than being woken up by a child and having to jump right into the day. So, for any young mom readers, I recommend trying it, and seeing if you're not surprised, like me, by how great 5:30am can feel.
6. Stephen and I have become green tea fans. We rediscovered how satisfying a night-time cup of green tea (we especially like the orange flavored type) is. I sometimes also brew a cup in the afternoon lull when I am tempted to eat junk.
7. Stephen and I pass the pigs. Thanks to Anna, we own this hilarious game. Imagine playing a dice game with plastic pigs rather than dice. When you throw the pigs, each position has a different name and scoring scheme. I take enjoyment at beating Stephen and having him challenge me to a rematch when I again beat him with my snouter and double leaning jowler.
