Snow Day

I really wish I enjoyed winter more, that I had a winter hobby like skiing or snowboarding. I wish I looked forward to the first snowfall and every snowfall after that. Instead, I dread snow. Snow reminds me of no summer, less light, no warm walks outside. It reminds me that I have to warm up my car for 15 minutes and then have to spend twice as much on gas. If it wasn't for family and the relative lack of bugs, I'd pack my bags in a heartbeat. Winter is just not my thing.

Yesterday, though, after we got a note from the postman telling us to shovel the walkway (oops!), we bundled all of ourselves up and headed outside. We spent half an hour shoveling (Taylor), eating snow (Nora), and realizing that coat pockets weren't zipped and everything inside them was getting wet (me...ugh). We pulled out the sled and Nora had so much fun getting pulled around the cul-de-sac. When our noses were bright red and our cheeks a little too cold, we had to call it quits. And all I heard while I pulled Nora in the sled back up to the house was "No...no...nooooo!!!" She was soon distracted by all of the snow on the kitchen floor, got on all fours and started to eat it...?! She won't hardly eat food, but she'll jump at the chance to eat snow fresh off the bottom of someone's boots...

I haven't played in the snow in so long. I guess winter isn't always so bad. :)

This Week (or Two)'s Bests, 4th ed.

Less than a week left in February, what the...??  I seriously am in shock that a sixth of 2013 has already come and gone.  I only have 10 weeks left of the semester.  Taylor is sick but still kicking butt at work.  Nora is cutting two teeth and growing up a storm so she's an emotional rollercoaster, but I still see that sweet baby peeking through sometimes, like bath time tonight. :)

And I know I have been seriously slacking in the blog department, so here are the very best things from the past week (or two, or three...)

• Toddler Bed: It's not perfect yet, and there are many nights where I wake up in the middle of the night and wonder how Nora got into bed with us (am I the only mom out there this happens to?). But there were two nights this week where she slept all night in her bed.  The best part was when she got out of her bed in the morning and came and woke me up with her sweet little "Hey!"
• The Bachelor: Oh, baby! Love this show.  I've never gotten into it before, but for some reason, I'm hooked this season. Let's go Lindsey!
• Avocado: We have lots of avocado at the restaurant right now, so I've been eating some just about every day with my lunch.  Yesterday was a B.L.T. with avocado, today a Turkey Bacon Avocado melt.  If they'd let me, I'd just eat the avocado with a spoon, yum!
• Good Grades:  I have been very pleasantly surprised with a semester that so far has been easy-peasy.  I sometimes go days, seriously, DAYS, without having to do any homework.  I can't remember the last time I've had a semester like that...middle school, maybe?  Two online classes--one has a lesson a week, one has a lesson every two weeks.  Stats homework only comes around occasionally, and with just a couple problems a night for accounting, it's been mostly smooth sailing. The best news? A on my first Cost Accounting exam, A on my first Stats quiz.  And I have my second Cost test tomorrow which I probably should go study for right about...now.

And In That Moment, I Swear We Were Infinite

After a normal day of work and school, sleepiness and an aching back, diaper changes, fits and kisses, I sat down with a glass of chocolate milk and watched (and cried to) The Perks of Being a Wallflower. I loved it.

And it makes me realize how much I love my beautiful, simple life.

"Enjoy it. Because it's happening."

Nooooooo!!

My sweet little "oooohhh yaaa" angel has turned into the "Noooo!!" monster over the past week.  And it is NOT cute.  Luckily, she doesn't say it all the time, just when she's hungry, or tired, or wants something she can't have, or walking around...  I'm hoping it will be a phase, cross your fingers! In the meantime, here are some sweet pictures to help me remember that she's still my baby girl.

Friday night was Cold Stone night, yum!

Napping in the big girl bed :)

Nora had been waking up at night because she'd been rolling into the bars of her crib, so we thought it might be time to try a toddler bed.  After Taylor put together all the hundreds of tiny pieces, we gave it a go...and it did not go so well haha.  She woke up every hour or so, seemed confused about where she was, then we'd get her calmed down and back to sleep.  Then, at around 3:30, I woke up and she was laying next to me in bed.  I don't remember taking her in there at all...? I'm chalking it up to tired mom problems.  We've tried the last couple nights with similar results, I think this is gonna take quite some time to adjust.

In other news, I got an A on my first test of the semester, pulled my free credit report for this year and was pleasantly surprised with my score (everyone gets stoked about this, right?!) and had some great lazy time this week that I filled with tickle fights with Nora and crocheting a new scarf.  If I have some more weeks like this, maybe this semester won't be so bad after all!

Anchorage!

I don't know why I like Anchorage so much, maybe it's because it's warmer and bigger and more Nordstrom-y than Fairbanks?! It was a great day trip, starting with a rambunctious plane ride with the boys...

My sweet little big girl :)

I tried for five minutes to get a picture with them all looking...

First stop, Gwennies! Stuffed with an avocado and cheese omelet with home fries, we left for the happiest place on Earth--NORDSTROM :D After a quick walk through the shoe section (still on the hunt for boots that don't make me look even shorter than I am, I'll find them someday!), I went upstairs to BP and got the best salesperson I've ever met. After finding me the exact jeans I was looking for, she filled up my dressing room with the best clothes that I never would have found on my own.  Sadly, I had to pick just three things--a chambray button-up, floral scarf, and dark-wash skinnies--and had to leave the purple skinny jeans behind. :(  I stopped upstairs at the food court for a peach-pineapple-strawberry smoothie and we were on the road again.

Nora and I took a nap in the van while Gloria and the boys watched the J.V. game, we'd both had a very exciting day. ;)  And then we all watched a really good (but unfortunately, losing) Monroe Varsity game with Taylor's cousins and their kids/niece/nephews.  After the game, Nora got to play with all the kids while I was entertained by Kolter, the budding gymnast, and Taylor talked basketball with Grandpa Bob and Van.

Quick trip to Arby's and then back to the airport.  It was a long, busy Saturday, but it was so nice to get out of a town for a little while.  Glad we'll get to go back for a few more days in March, crossing my fingers that those purple skinnies will be on sale by then. :)

This Week's Bests Volume 3

Wow...crazy week! I feel like I've been running nonstop since Monday morning, and not enough sleep + baby with a cold = mommy with a cold. :( Thankfully I feel much better today after waking up feeling like death on Wednesday. I don't think I could have handled much more sniffling and blowing my nose and sounding like I've smoked a pack a day for twenty years. And even though it was a busy (and sickly) week, it was pretty great because of:

Toddler Benedryl: I hope I don't sound like I enjoy drugging my baby, but this stuff saved my life this week. Nora hadn't been sleeping well because she was so congested. This stuff dried her up and made her nice and drowsy. :) Even on a good week I'm lucky to get three full nights of sleep in a row, so to get that when we were both sick was a Godsend!

Certified Volunteer Tax Preparer: It's the nerd in me that is really excited about this :) After spending three weekends studying about filing statuses, deductions and credits, qualifying children, etc., and passing the test that was a whole lot harder than I'd expected, I have my basic certification for the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program. Come see me at the University next Saturday and I can do your return for you!

I even got a certificate, thinking about framing it... ;)

The Vampire Diaries: CAN'T. STOP. WATCHING. It's driving Taylor crazy.  Whenever I have a chance to sit down and watch something, it's all I want to watch (unless there's a new episode of The Bachelor or Scandal, of course!).  And it's silly, but it's soooo good! I'm probably much more emotionally attached to this show than is healthy.  And for all you other vampire lovers out there, I'm definitely on Team Damon. :)

How could you not be on Team Damon??

Spontaneous Trips: We're going to Anchorage for the day tomorrow! Robby has a basketball game that should be really good, and who passes up a day out of town with the possibility of good food and a little shopping?! I'm putting my vote in for Olive Garden, but if I know my brothers-in-law, we'll be eating at Moose's Tooth (almost as good!).

And now I'm off to bed... or to watch Vampire Diaries... tough decision! ;)