Renovation Progress

Slice of Life Day 5

We started a renovation of our house yesterday and it so exciting to see the progress and things getting done.  It started with the big box truck yesterday pulling up and unloading all of the lumber to frame our basement.  I would forget they were even here until I was jolted by the slamming and falling of wood on the basement floor.  Inconvenience is a small price to pay for this long awaited renovation.  Taped paper on the floor and plastic covering the carpet to make way for work boots, dust, and construction materials.  Today a panel of the wall cut out, molding removed, and a partial hole in the wall!  I am giddy with the possibilities of what the room will look like when the hole lets light in from the other side.  The basement already framed all around, makeshift workbench remains, tools, and sawdust lay scattered.  I can’t wait to see the progress that is made today! 

A Day Off

Slice of Life Day 4

Throughout this pandemic there have been very few times that I have been home by myself.  I honestly could probably count the times on one hand.  There is something about sending the kids off to school and the hubby off to work and then there’s silence.  No one needing something, no being responsible for little people, no chores or to-do’s that need immediate attention.  It is that chance to sit down with my coffee and watch the morning news show by myself with no judgment of just sitting and enjoying the slow start to my day.

Today I have a day off!

Now, the hubby is still working from home and I will hear his constant alerts of meetings and his bellowing voice from the office, but the kids are off to school!  I still get gitty just knowing I have some sense of solitude! It made getting up a little easier.  I climbed back into bed waiting for the kids to get up.  Just nestled back under the covers with no sense of urgency.  No rush to pack lunches, or backpacks.  I can just wait until the house wakes itself.  It is this silence and peace that I most enjoy! My pandemic days at home look different than a year ago, but I will take this day and so appreciate all it has to offer!

That Kind of Morning

Slice of Life Day 3

I am the first to wake up in our house.  I love getting up knowing everyone else is sleeping and everything is quiet.  I usually have 30 minutes by the time I finish getting ready to when I need to get the kids up.  Today I didn’t even make it downstairs before the little one started yelling for me! Maybe she needs to go to the bathroom or just needs to be covered up.  I walk in and she’s standing on her head with her butt in the air. Never a good sign.  

“I wanna wake up.”

“No baby, it’s not wake up time. Let me cover you up.”

“No! I. Wanna. Wake. Up!”

Still standing on her head with her butt in the air. Don’t engage.  

“Ok. Let’s cover you up and get all cozy.  I love you. See you when you wake up.”

I quickly run for the door. Momentary silence… she’s thinking how to play this. Screeeeaaaammm! Yup, not this morning! I gently close the door as to not wake the big kid and head for the stairs.  As if her banshee cries won’t wake him.

Trying to go through my morning routine listening to the far off cries are nothing short of irritating! I can already feel the headache setting in. Just as I drown out the noise, I hear THAT sound. The belch followed by a wretching, churning noise! As I left the screaming child upstairs, I stepped over the dog laying at the top of the stairs. If the belch is any indication of what is to follow I envision a waterfall of bile and whatever else she is trying to get up cascading down my carpeted stairs.

“No, No, No!” I scream and run!

There she is standing at the top of stairs, head hanging in shame looking at what just came up!

Ugh! Another sock that used to belong to my son and something else that as my husband put it, something out of a scene from Alien vs. Predator! I don’t even want to know what that used to be and which child is to blame for leaving it strewn about the house!

“Get downstairs!”

Ugh! Screaming child, yellow bile coating my top three stairs, and a husband still sleeping! Why does my husband always sleep through these moments?!

“Well, we all might as well wake up now!” I yell to anyone and everyone who may hear me!

Friends Reunited

Slice of Life Day 2

Two friends separated by winter’s cold and mounds of snow finally reunited!  Squeals of glee with anticipation of what to do first! Scooters? Running circles? Looking at rocks? Coloring with chalk?

“Chalk! Chalk! Chalk!” chanted the girls.

Winter coats, boots, and mittens will not stop them.  First the end of the neighbor’s driveway. 

“That’s too far.  Come draw in our driveway.” 

They both spring up and awkwardly clunk toward the house in their boots bucket of chalk in tow.  Sprawled on a blanket atop a still frozen driveway free from snow they color.  Talking about nothing and everything, sharing the silence, and just enjoying being together again!  I pull out the pop up chair that has been collecting dust and pushed further to the back with ever needed snow shovels, blowers, and sleds.  I make my way back to the girls, pop open my chair, and nestle in.  Ah, I look forward to the many spring and summer days I will spend sitting in the driveway watching the kids play just enjoying the day. Oh how I have missed this!

The Possibilities of Spring

Slice of Life: Day 1

There is something about that first day when the weather turns and it’s just warm enough to crack the windows and let the fresh chill air into the house.  The shining sun makes the cloudless blue sky look even bluer and the sun reflecting off the melting snow makes the day even brighter. 

Enough snow has melted to unwrap the Christmas lights from the branches making way for buds.  Swap out the red heart shaped wreath for the yellow spring branches.  Doors open, windows cracked letting the sunshine brighten up the house and the fresh air brings hope for spring and warmer days.  Goodbye dreary dark days keeping us inside, hello bright sunny days waiting to be enjoyed outdoors!

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!