It’s Always Snack Time!

Slice of Life: Day 31

It is always snack time in our house! We literally just finish a meal and my daughter almost always turns to me and says, “Momma, can I have a snack?” with her pretty smile, innocent eyes and hands nestled under her chin.

“No, we just ate!”

“Oh. Can I have a snack?”

“NO!”

She has also mastered her pouty face during this time.  Arms crossed, head slightly down, eyes moving side to side, furrowed brow and super pouty bottom lip.  She is a pout master!

She also knows how to pry her little tiny fingers into the crack of the pantry doors and open them.  There are all the snacks she’s been dreaming of: popcorn, fruit snacks, crackers, cereal, endless possibilities!

If the pantry doesn’t have what she is craving it is on to the fridge.  She gets her step stool places it in front of the refrigerator and yanks open the doors.  Ahh, fruit, yogurt, cheese… so many things for little hands to grab! I am about ready to break out the refrigerator and cabinet safety locks to prevent the endless snack times!

I can’t really blame them, I snack too more than I normally would, but I just don’t do it when they are around otherwise the snack time inquiries will ring out. I may need someone to start policing my snacking too!

Thanks to everyone who read my posts and stories and shared their insights and words of encouragement with me.  This is my third year blogging and I get so much enjoyment from writing down the tidbits of my day and recounting my time with my family.

All the best to you in April and look forward to meeting again next March!

I Miss…

Slice of Life: Day 30

It’s Monday morning and I miss my routine. I miss my yogurt and coffee in the car on the way to work. I miss my morning radio show banter. I miss putting my makeup on in the car every morning. It is a challenge that I have mastered. I miss opening my classroom door every morning while juggling my bag, phone, keys and water. I miss walking into my classroom and seeing everything just as I left it. It is my second home. I miss clipping my badge to my pocket every morning. I miss my Paper Mate colored click pens and colorful Flair pens. I miss my brown chair in the front of my class. I miss teaching math at my table and writing upside down for my students to see. I miss my desk calendar and assignment page on my Smartboard. I miss my schedule on the board. Mostly, I miss my kids. I miss greeting them every morning. I miss their stories. I miss their creative excuses. I miss their laughs. I miss their drawings and doodles. I miss the noise in my classroom. I miss my kids falling off their wobble stools. I miss my kids questions and insight. I miss my kids endlessly using the bathroom and not having a pencil, but an abundance of colored pens. I love teaching. I love my kids despite how much frustration they may bring at times. I miss my school day. I miss my classroom. I miss my kids. I look forward to when my routine goes back to what it was. Until then I miss…

I Do Work.

Slice of Life: Day 29

Being home for the last two weeks my kids have picked up on what my husband and I do all day.  Meetings, computer work, telephone calls, video calls…

My daughter has recently announced within the last few days while I am on my computer that she needs to do work. She takes my computer and starts tapping on the keys.

” I do work.”

I have to close most of the tabs, but she still manages to get into my email, my taskbar moves, sticky keys pop up… I don’t even know what sticky keys are!

But she enjoys doing her work!

Today she announced, “I have a meeting.” She slid off the couch, grabbed her purse and rounded the corner.  She was gone for a little while and then returned.

“How was your meeting?”

“Good!”, she smiled!

I am glad that even with a stay at home order she can be so productive in finding ways to pass the time with her new occupation.

Mini Spa Day

Slice of Life: Day 28

This morning as I was getting ready my daughter joined me in the bathroom.

After noticing my newly painted toes she said, “Mamma, paint?”

“Sure baby, I will paint your nails.”

She crouches down about to open the cabinet where my box of colorful nail polish is kept, but I quick grab the pink bottle off the counter and declare, “Let’s use this one.”

“Match Momma?”

“Yes, you and I will match.”

She holds out a fingernail and says, “Paint this.  No, paint my toes like Momma.”

She gleefully pulls off her socks and shows me her toes.  Usually I only paint 1 or  2 sometimes 3 fingernails and they are usually in an array of colors, but today we were moving on to the toes!

Olivia sat contently oohing and aahing as I painted her toes in a sparkly fuchsia pink color.  I knew the paint would get smudged and her wiggly toes would smear the paint before they dried, but she was happy and so excited to be like mom!

“There all done.”  I leaned back to admire my handy work.

“Now this one.”  As she splayed her unpainted toes from the other foot out in front of me.

“Ok on to the next.”

Hehe.  Ooh.  Aah.

“So pretty!  We show Daddy!”

“Ok, I will carry you down so that they can dry.”

So, there bundled in my arms, feet outstretched our mini spa day ended and we went to show off our newly painted sparkly toes!

I look forward to the day when she and I can go get an actual pedicure together and the glee and excitement can continue because who doesn’t like a little pampering!

Morning Alarm

Slice of Life: Day 27

Everyday is the same in that I set my alarm, I get up early and I am ready before the kids get up.  Because of this, I am always the one to go get the kids when they wake up! The kids waking up has now become his alarm and the start to his day.  Just once, I would like to sleep in late, I would like to use the kids as my alarm clock to signal I can wake up and take my time getting ready because someone else is managing the kids!

But, there is no one else aside from the sleeping one next to me, snuggled cozily under the covers… I wonder if he can feel me glaring at him or sense the disdain oozing from my fingers as I blog about him… Somethings may never change, so I will wait for the sound of my name to signal me to go get the kids, get them dressed and to start breakfast.  Only then more than halfway through breakfast will he appear to the giggly delight of the kids! My glee does not seem to match theirs…  maybe tomorrow will be different, I mean it is the weekend.  One can hope!

Easter Prep

Slice of Life: Day 26

Today we made it seem like everything was normal.  I had ordered some Spring and Easter decorations online.  First, it was the bunny, carrot, Happy Spring door hanger on the front door.  Then, my kids found the yard signs.

“Baby, you get two and I get two.  That’s fair.”

No protest from the little one.

Out we headed, “I know where this one should go!”, he yelled as he ran down the driveway.

The first sign plunged into the ground under the mailbox.  Next, they both head to the tulip bed where the green leaves have begun to reach up and out of the ground.  Two get smooshed in the ground there.  Last, the flower pot next to the front door.  They both work together to put it in just right.  All in hopes that the Easter Bunny will find our house and an egg hunt will be had.  I also bought plastic eggs and chocolate shaped eggs and jelly beans to fill them with.  Along with bunny rabbits, a small toy for each of them and new spring outfits.  I really don’t think the Easter Bunny is coming nor do I think we will be celebrating with extended family, but in our house the dreams and hopes continue and Easter will be had- baskets, colored eggs, egg hunts and all!

The Power of Chocolate

Slice of Life: Day 25

Today I didn’t expect a small act a kindness or something my husband says is being so considerate to make such a difference.  Today, I had to make a trip to the store because we go through milk and fruit so fast that I decided to swing down the candy aisle.  I picked up the last bag of the darkest dark chocolate squares they have for my husband.  When I returned home he was already in a good mood because his new computer monitor had arrived for his current home office! He helped bring in the grocery bags and then left to continue tinkering with his new  and improved work station.  As I unpacked everything, I filled a bowl for us of colorful Easter themed M & M and then cut the top off his bag, removed one square and put the rest in the pantry.  Oh, those chocolate morsels tasted so sweet and good.  Oh I have missed you as I think I gained a little bit of sanity back in that moment.  I walked down the hall to the office and held the chocolate square out to my husband.  His eyes lit up and he snatched it before I could even blink.  “Oh my God, I love you so much!”

“I thought you may be needing some.”

“You’re the best!”

A kiss to his cheek as his tore open the package and bit into the bitterness of the chocolate.

“Oh, it’s so good.  I think I need another one.”

And just like that the simplicity of chocolate brought us the happiness and pick me up we were needing.  Ahh, the power of chocolate!