New Site

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https://wekeefers.wordpress.com

All the same us, with a different feel.

School's Out for Summer...

I have an end of the year report due tomorrow.
I have a presentation on Thursday that I still need to put together.
I have to write my performance evaluation by the end of the week.
I have to schedule all 45 sections of my class on Friday.
I have to write someone else's evaluation by next Tuesday.
In between are all the other random daily tasks we all have to get done.
For it being summer session, I'm weirdly busy. And it is for PRECISELY that reason that I am procrastinating like crazy. It's nice outside, the flowers are blooming, and I have spring fever.

So here are some of the things that have been going on lately:

• Evvie has Hand Foot & Mouth Disease. AGAIN. There are lots of strains, so you can get it over and over. And then apparently, on top of that, she had the stomach flu the past few days. Poor poor baby. But ENOUGH. Seriously, daycare germs. We're DONE for the summer, kay? Thanks.
•  Bonus of the above: I got to find out that the quilt my mom made is washable! I had to remove kid puke and was so worried it would fall apart. Instead, it just got really soft! So, yay!
• following treating TWO kids with splinters, Drew has decided to seal and repair the deck and patio. It's turned out to be a large-ish undertaking, but it's looking good so far!
• we're having family pictures taken this weekend. the first professional shots since Evvie has been born! Hoping the kids cooperate...
• Drew has finally worn me down and convinced me to get rid of our bar (because Evvie is CONSTANTLY trying to smash wine glasses) and our china cabinet (because it is just too big for the space). I am very sad about both. He DID find me acceptable replacements, the downside is that I now have TWO china cabinets in my living room until someone freaking buys our old one on CraigsList
• CraigsList, as it turns out, is a blessing and a curse.
• My grandma was in town last week, so I got to take the kids over to see her. For her age and all she has gone through, she looks AMAZING and acts so young. I hope I grow old as gracefully. I'm glad I got to spend some time with her, and that the kids got to see her again. At this stage in life, you never know how many more of those visits you get to have.
• Evvie has started visiting in the toddler room! She'll be moving up by the end of the spring. I cant believe it. I really cant.

And, of course, other things too. But I suppose now it's time to start crossing off some to-dos!

Birthday

Griffin isn't the best at expressing himself when he's angry. When he doesn't completely melt down, he generally either refuses to have a conversation, or he yells something completely random. I remember when he was really little and he screamed "eat lunch, mommy!" and it wasn't lunchtime. He just wanted to tell me my business. Later on he'd say things like "throw you in the trashcan". Lately his go-to, however, has been "you cant come to my birthday". Can you imagine anything meaner?

Last weekend, several ladybugs had, apparently, done something to offend him. I caught him squatting in the garden yelling "go away, ladybugs! You cant come to my birthday." Then this morning when he was in trouble for refusing to do ANYTHING I asked of him, he told me I was no longer invited to his birthday either. I blame Drew. This is totally his arguing tactic as well.

Little does Griffin know that *I* am in charge of his birthday. So maybe HE is the one that isn't coming.

the glory that was Mothers Day

Yesterday morning I slept in. And then when I woke up, I got myself a cup of coffee and snuggled back in bed with a book. Once I got bored (and sufficiently hungry) I went to find my family. Oh, what a beautiful morning!

Time alone was definitely one of my biggest gifts yesterday. I love my family more than anything in the entire world, but it is SO RARE that I ever get time to myself, or time to accomplish what I want to. Drew (and the kids) gave me lots of time yesterday and I haven't felt so relaxed in a long, long time.

I also got lots of other good stuff! They took me out to breakfast at one of my favorite places. I got a Belgian waffle toppled with strawberries, whipped cream & maple syrup- perfect Mother's Day decadence. Griffin was... not the best behaved at first. But Drew had a little chat with him outside and he was much nicer afterwards.

after chat

Griff and Evvie both made me awesome gifts:

I know every mom gets this one, but I had tears none the less

Griff made the frame!

And then they all "chipped in" to get me this GORGEOUS bird bath. It matches the house perfectly & I've had my eye on it for awhile.

But my BIGGEST gift was from Evvie- she decided to walk!! It's just a few steps here and there, but she's gaining confidence! She'll be running around with her brother in no time.

The weather was actually awful yesterday- cold and SNOWY. IN MAY. WTF. So we didn't do much- which actually turned out to be a blessing. We did a lot of relaxing which, as it turns out, is what I REALLY needed.

So it was an amazing day, with my awesome family. And now I'm looking out my office window at this:

Insanity. Especially since it was in the 80s last week!  I hear that this is our last freeze danger of the season & it's "really spring" after this. We'll see!

Action Packed

We had a busy but SUPER fun weekend! On Friday night, my friend/ colleague, Jenn and I took our incoming and outgoing Lead Peer Mentors out to dinner. It was awesome! We handed out gifts and funny awards to our graduating seniors and celebrated a job well done. The Parmesan truffle fries definitely helped the experience.

I love these people!

After dinner, I ran home to put the kids to bed and then I changed into pajamas and went BACK to work for Moonlight Breakfast. Every semester faculty and staff come to serve late night pancakes to students who are up studying for finals. It was SO. FUN. The students loved it (as they do every semester) and my coworkers and I spent the night laughing our asses off. It was great- even if I WAS in charge of the gross scrambled eggs. It was also my last evening work responsibility of the year! Even better!

On Saturday, we got some yard stuff accomplished. We started out by going to Echter's- the most amazing gardening store EVER. The kids had a blast running around and chatting with their resident goose:

I got a pretty new flowering shrub for the front, and Drew installed a new gate in the way back part of the yard!

honeysuckle!

This gate will allow me to access the upper tier of the back yard where I will be planting my veggie gardens this summer. So excited!

Griffin also had a grand time planning a birthday video for his cousin, William, (including alerting him to his newly scraped knee- VERY important). Griffin is VERY much looking forward to seeing his big cousin in a few months.

That evening Drew took the kids (AGAIN. Good man.) so that I could go out for dinner for my friend's birthday. We went to an awesome place near my old hood, so it was fun to see how much it has changed! And I had the most INCREDIBLE meal- Roasted Squash Milanesa. I HAVE to figure out how to make it. I could literally eat it every day. Ohhhh, dreaming of it...

Then yesterday we took the kids to the zoo, which they LOVED! We went super early so we were home by 2 which allowed us to get stuff done, relax, and play outside before dinner time!

Such a great weekend! Something we REALLY needed. Already looking forward to the next one!

(Z)en

It is officially May which means that technically, my blogging challenge is over! I got a day behind, but this is my last A-Z post. I fully intend to keep writing though! Maybe not *as* often, but close! The process has actually been really positive for me. Writing allows me to think about things on a deeper level than I normally would. In many ways it let me put certain things to rest, and relax. I am a calmer, more positive person because of it! I also enjoyed the added challenge of coming up with topics outside of just what happened that day, so I think I'll look for similar methods of looking for topics in the future!

(Y)ellow

Coldplay is one of me and Drew's favorite bands. We own every CD (yes, we still have CDs!), we sing along to every song that comes on the radio, our first dance at our wedding was even to a Coldplay song.

The first I ever heard of the band was hearing Yellow on the radio back in 2000. It was different, haunting, stunningly beautiful, and heartbreakingly romantic. I heard that song and imagined what my life would be like with my soulmate.

At the time, I was single. It would still be nearly 3 years before I would meet Drew.

Fourteen years after hearing the song for the first time, I still feel the same feelings that I did then. It moves me, it inspires me. Only now I hear it and think of Drew.

Today is our nine year wedding anniversary. So much about our lives is different than when we met. So much is better, bigger, filled with love and light, and meaning. So much is yellow.

Drew isn't perfect and neither am I. But together, we are exactly what we are meant to be. I am so proud of the man, husband and father he has become. I am proud of the woman, wife, and mother he has supported me in evolving into. So it's true- look at those stars. Look how they shine.