for snow blowing around

for warm blankets and books

for breakfast for dinner

for Magic Fort building

for Star Wars (in 3-D no less!)

for popcorn and Curious

for apologies

for periodicals now available through the library

for the Gingerbread Man and Berenstain Bears

As we chomp on magic frackers before dinner, Emmy and I gave each other a little kiss. I said, “I love you, Little Girl.”  Emmy countered with” I love you, Little Big Girl.”  Just the sweetest (after a challenging day). 

Coming back from Christmas break, we have started a weather unit.  Today we discovered that crickets can be used to estimate the temperature!  Since grasshoppers and crickets are Lily’s favorite insects ever (NOT), she was tickled by this…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mGff9GkTlX0

And the question is…how many rounds and how many different antibiotics has Emmeline had since the beginning of December?

Today she started her third round to try to finally eradicate the never-ending ear infection.  And as each round progresses, the medicine gets just a little more yucky.  This one smells-and tastes–terrible and she has to take it three times a day.  She tried it twice today and after each little gulp she could manage, her body shook with the “that was totally gross” shivers.  Lily and I are bribing her with chocolate chips but I am sure by the end of ten days and 30 doses, the ante will go up.

Poor baby {who is still just as happy as ever!}

Do you know what a B-Hag is?  Probably those among you with MBA’s and such do.  I think it comes from the business world.  I was only introduced to it through some reading.  A B-Hag is a big hairy audacious goal.  And I might have one for the first half of 2016.  Marnie issued a challenge…well, more like an invitation.  And I am seriously considering it.

The Broad Street Run is in May.  Ten miles through the streets of Philadelphia.  Ahh-I can almost smell the truck engines and cigarette smoke now.

Now, while I know this will take coordination and lots of help from you, dear readers, I am actually, probably pursuing this without any guarantee that I will be able to run.  But I think I would like a goal to work toward and it would be fun to do it alongside Marn.  She is far ahead of me as far as training miles but she did just have surgery, so maybe I can catch up to her.  🙂

Whether I am running down Broad St with Marnie in May or not, I think imagining the warm weather mid-spring will put a bounce in my step and smile on my face.  And some miles on my feet.

A new year and a new school semester!  We got hooked today on all things weather and specifically all things tornado.  As well as all things Magic TreeHouse.  The next 4 weeks should have us reading about weather patterns, observing them, taking various measurements with tools we build and having a lot of fun.  I love when a plan comes together (and everyone buys in!).

Its a clean slate around here; save for the Christmas tree, now stripped bare of all decorations, we are holiday-free.  I keep the snowmen up a little longer though Emmy is arguing that snowmen are Christmas decoration and moving them to a box herself, so that might be a sno-go this year. (ha!  did you see what I did there?)  Instead, we are ready to move ahead into January and speed through to spring, please.  It is snowing right now and when we wake it will be white.

We have made every dish in our first Raddish subscription!  Gramma Lissa and the kids made Winter White Chicken Chili.  Thumbs up:  would especially be good as a burrito or enchilada filling.  After Christmas we baked a breakfast strata and ate it for dinner; only Ollie and I liked it. While we won’t make the savory one again it did provide inspiration and tomorrow we are trying out a sweet type with apples, cinnamon and sugar.   Our final dish was three different flavors of fondue–dark and white chocolate and cheese.  I’d say every one was a hit.  January’s theme is Cozy something or other.  Looking forward to some more delicious fun in the kitchen.

• a blog a day
• art projects for kids
• walking in the mornings before school
• our summertime
• travel to Birdsboro early in the summer
• read aloud time first in our school day
• the Yes/No sign for neighbors
• going out to eat as a family (just recently)
• walks with friends instead of going out
• pre-planning spending and using cash
• hot tea at night instead of wine (much improved sleep!)
• spiral notebook planning for school
• a stopover on our flight to and from CA
• leaving kids for a few days 🙂
• chicken and rice in any iteration

Now…for what didn’t work:

• running errands wily-nily; many days I felt like I was running without a plan in place
• booking our Wednesdays
• allowing play in the basement without guidelines
• negotiating with a 3 year old
• trying to sneak in gym workouts without a plan

I’m still deciding on my word of the year.  It is hard this year because I know how I would like it to look and how I want to feel and what I will choose to focus on but not how to sum it up in one word.  Mostly, I would endeavor to:

• NURTURE my relationships especially working on listening
• BE STILL for some time each day instead of the usual go-go-go
• ELIMINATE the unnecessary in my schedule, day, house, diet
• learn to really feel the ENOUGH point in life
• focus on the ESSENTIAL of my day to day that then nourish myself and those around me.

so, you know, not very ambitious or anything.  I am sure if I continue to ponder this I will find a word just comes to me that encapsulates the whole darn thing…until then, a list!