Two hands up and all my marbles

This week at school was the best yet. Tuesday's drop off went without a hitch. He went straight to the coloring table and got busy. He asked me if I was going to be back, I said 'Yes, I will be back very soon.", and I even got a kiss good-bye.
Thursday was pretty much the same. Yippee!

The latest art projects are related to the cold weather and primarily focused on blue and white. They made a hat with 'mittens' and then painted with marbles. He's mentioned the marbles a few times, so I think that one was a big hit. He's also been singing a lot more lately, notably 'twinkle, twinkle little star' with hand gestures and also the alphabet song. May have to work at getting that twinkle on video.

Sushi Shower

Sunday afternoon we celebrated Paula's new little life on the way. It's a girl, but you'd never know it based on all the hip and cool gender neutral stuff she registered for. I'm with ya sista.

She's hip, she's gorgeous, she's soooo laid back, and she's joyful. She's just infectious and I like spending time with her...soothes my soul.

Speaking of hip and laid lack....when was the last time you went to a baby shower with sushi? She's also shy, at least in front of the camera.
Learned that one today.Mel's house was inspirational, decorated with various forms of art with every turn. (Note the side table above.) It was still elegant and simple, but creative, fun, and beautiful in many ways. Some pieces were really unusual. It just inspired me further to put more of my creative self into my home. I wanted to capture it with my camera, but I felt odd since I hadn't met her before today. I did tell her though, how I much I enjoyed it.

Since the weather has been too cold to play, it was nice to hook up with some of my tennis gals....sorry I didn't get everyone.Ryane, and Allison and KristenMy gift always includes a tennis ball somewhere on the package.The cat was so beautiful lounging on the zebra pillows.
She got a little love from Paula.Congratulations, Paula. I'm looking forward to meeting your little girl, and sharing this new experience of being a mom with you.

Movie Night

This Saturday night was a movie night. It was a little different than last week's staying in and cuddling together with the little man. Grandmama came over to cuddle with the little man, while I got to go out and cuddle with my big man.
Good stuff all the way around.

Ellis' 2nd

Ellis' 2nd was a walk on the wild side. It was an African theme including entertainment by Boitumelo, a South African couple who played music and sang. I absolutely loved it.I loved the unique idea, the creativity, and the African garb worn by many of the party go-ers. As we sat, clapped, and sang to the music, I thought about the people of Africa and their struggles...my heart aches for them.Some folks have traveled there recently on mission trips and another friend is working to open an orphanage. The pictures and stories they shared are both beautiful and heart-breaking. The travelers talk about the impact the trip had on them, not about how much they have here at home, but how little they truly need. That's exactly the realization I came to on a mission trip to Costa Rica several years ago. Working to keep life simpler continues to be a goal of mine.Reece enjoyed the music, but said several times that it was loud. After a while, he climbed into my lap.Ellis, on the other hand, stood the entire time and had some serious dance moves. I haven't seen any 2 year old dance with more enthusiasm and variety.
Her momma must know how to really shake her booty.And then cake...still Reece's favorite part of birthdays.
Ellis and Danijela seem to like it too.And presents...who can resist Elmo? Reece asks to watch Elmo every day, usually it is among the first things he says in the morning. This one is my favorite.
Oh, Ellis, you are a beautiful girl. I love your blond pigtails, gorgeous blue eyes, and husky little voice. I truly felt honored to celebrate this birthday with you.

Your mother...she's hilarious, she's real, she's gorgeous and she tells it like it is. She and I have a lot in common. ; )
Although we don't get to spend much time together, I feel like we were always meant to be friends. Thanks for including me, Devra, and I hope we can get together soon.
Happy, Happy Birthday, Ellis.

Making Pizza

Lisa, inspired by a 3 pack of mini pizza crusts, invited the kiddos over to make their own pizzas. What a great idea.Each kiddo had their favorite topping. Bailey piled on the cheese, Olivia snacked on the tomatoes as she added those, and Reece stacked the sausage.It was a great idea and a nice evening together. Thank you so much, Lisa. Next time, our place.

I'm truly thankful I had enough energy tonight to be there. I think my allergy or cold (which hasn't bothered me much at all) has finally turned into a sinus infection. It beat me down pretty good later this week. On the other hand, Reece has been doing great.

No class (Day 6)

There actually was class on Thursday, but none for Reece. Not fever free for 24 hours so I kept him w/ me today.

He showed a fever Tuesday afternoon, then fine, again Wednesday afternoon, and then fine last night and today. And by fine, I mean, the same ol', same ol'. Reece and I have had a nagging cough, itchy eyes, and a runny nose for several weeks now. It is old!

Yesterday when neither of us were feeling so great, we ventured out for a little while, and Reece rode a tow truck. He was really excited about it, but once it came on, he seemed a bit unimpressed. This first one is the result of asking him to smile.

School - Day 5

Day 5 was good. Play-doh was our friend again, and he even kissed me good-bye. Ms. Shepherd said he seems to be adjusting. He came out confident and looking for his mommy. I was there with arms open!

On the way home I asked him what he did today. He said 'Ummmmm. I washed my hands.' It's so strange the things that stick. I asked about his snack and he said "I ate sandwich." Yep, a ham sandwich to be specific.

Tonight was taco night, and as is often, Reece helped mommy cook. He stands near me with his own bowl, spoon and an empty spices container (reuse!). He always asks for water in his bowl and I know he's whipping up something pretty awesome.When daddy got home, Reece excitedly told him that he was cooking and that we were having tacos. YUM!

Recycling Time

I recycle. Pretty into it...I break down boxes (including kleenex which we've been using entirely too much of lately), take in printer cartridges ($3 a pop at Office Max), crush cans, rinse out containers (butter tubs, ketchup bottles, etc...), stack all mail, shop at resale shops, gladly accept hand-me-downs, and take all plastic bags including dry cleaning and the bag the newspaper comes in (oops, newspaper). Heck, I even smash the toilet paper rolls.

This year, I'm taking recycling to even another level. I was inspired by the Story of Stuff, and highly recommend you carve out the 20 minutes and listen to it.

So, I'm bringing my own bags to the store...not just the grocery store but even those quick errands. Thanks, Becky, for getting me started with a cool Zebra striped one for my birthday. Whole Foods has great ones for 99 cents, or just grab an old tote you have lying around...like team building exercises '99 from your old work. You know what I'm talking about, baby. It's recycling time.

It took me a few trips and several 'dohs' until I remembered to bring the bags into the store. But, now I'm on a roll. You'd be surprised how many bags you get when you start paying attention. And some stores like Whole Foods give a small discount for bringing your own. Hey, that's awesome, b/c I am cheap!

I'm also bringing my own Starbucks cup. I know it's small, but every little bit DOES help. I'm not religious about SB, but once or twice a week maybe, I get a treat. Mom often supplies a gift card, so it's rarely out of pocket. Saves $.15 on my decaf tall no whip mocha. I know...decaf, but the real stuff makes me a jittery fool.

I look at things so differently. No longer buying as much bottled water and individual packages of things (like applesauce) seems like a no brainer and pretty easy to do. I'm cutting back on my plastic ziploc bags too, and try to use the containers I already have that can be washed.

It's been so much easier than I thought to take it to another level...and I see more of what I can do every day. (Diapers...what a waste! Sorry, I'm not switching that one now.)

Our new dining room set was new, but rubberwood is eco-friendly. So, we got that going for us.

I believe it is making a difference both in my mindset about 'stuff I need' and in taking care of where I live.

My next move? Reduce mail.

Assembly Required

Good weekend.
Saturday night was movie night. I got the TV, DVD player, and receiver all talking to each other, and we finally have MOVIES again!

We watched CARS, a gift for Reece's birthday from Aunt Michell, Uncle Damon, Damon and Dylan. Oh, it was sweet quality time, as we three cuddled on the couch and watched the movie together. We will be doing this more often. Love, love, loved it.

Sunday we got a new dining table and chairs. We didn't expect to get one so quickly, but the deal was fantastic and just what we were looking for.
I'm so excited as this is a new era for us. It's been a process of opening up the wall, removing the old Coke signs, selling the pool table and now replacing it with a family dining table. It may sound depressing to some, but it's not to me. I'm one that always wanted a game room and pool table. Now I yearn for something different for that space, sitting down at the table together as a family talking about our day. It's almost become old school these days, but it's also all too easy to sit down in different spots at different times watching tv and zoning out. So, assembly required it is for this family.

And a little assembly was required for the new furniture. Thankfully, we had some great help. He brought his own tools and got straight to work. ; ) It was a team effort.

Day 4

Update of our 2nd week of school.
Much, much better today. At drop off, he didn't want me to leave, but the playdoh was an AWESOME distraction. I played with him for about 30 seconds and then left with him quietly sitting at the table playing with the other kiddos...no tears!

He got a quiet, cooperative, busy on his report card. Ahhh, yes, much improved.
However, my poor baby's mommy didn't pick him up from school. Ms. Kirsten did, and he cried. Kirsten talked it down and said it was only for two minutes and then he was fine once in the car with his paci. But still, how it hurt my heart that he cried when he realized his mommy wasn't there to pick him up.

I had a Building Blocks event and then a doctor's appointment so Kirsten graciously offered to help. She said he was hilarious in the car talking about the BIG cars and trucks with excitement and saying 'YAY' when she talked about what they were going to do next. That's my cutie pie. And, thankfully Reece did great the rest of the afternoon and went down smoothly for a nap in Grayson's old crib. Thank you, Kirsten!

I didn't want to leave you with nothing, so here's a few day old pic of Reece (aka Wendy) in his jammies and new hat.