Sprucing Things Up

When we moved in to our house it certainly didn't have curb appeal - there were a few over grown bushes, crumbling steps near the front porch, and a front door with green accent paint that remains a bit of an eyesore. The front door is on the docket soon (I hope) but over the past few weeks we have had our landscaping friends that did our patio and side steps come back to give us a new front path, some receding walls, and some evergreen love. Bryan and I replaced the outside lights next to the door and garage and we also switched out our lamp post. I am so excited at how things look (just picture green grass and some flowers soon!) and once that front door gets replaced, the outside of the house will be just about perfect in my eyes!

The First Tooth Fairy Visit

We learned Noelle's bottom tooth was loose at the kids' February dentist appointments. The first week of March she bit in to her cucumber at lunch and it went from a little loose to practically pointing sideways in her mouth. It literally was hanging by a thread but she refused to let me do the yanking! On Thursday morning, March 5th, Noelle let daddy do a gentle tug for tooth removal before we began our snowy day adventures. Now she has a huge hole as we wait for her first permanent tooth to take its place.

Noelle got a tooth fairy pillow for her birthday and she proudly put the tooth inside at bedtime. In the morning she got a shiny quarter and a certificate from the fairy and she was super pleased. We really debated what the correct fee for a tooth would be in 2015, and decided that her obsession with change meant we could get away with a quarter. That and the fact that the snow made a trip to the bank for a silver dollar or something more impressive impossible! Bryan thinks tooth price should be based on tooth type - molars earn more than canines, canines earn more than incisors. We'll see.

Noelle already has at least one more tooth that is pretty loose. Our nickname for her, Toothless Wonder, may be even more apt soon!

So proud. 

The Toothless Wonder in all her glory. 

Hmm, that Tooth Fairy has mighty familiar writing...

Early March Adventures

I rarely get stressed, especially seriously stressed. But lately I feel like a wound up ball of craziness. One look at the breakouts on my face is enough to tell anyone I know that life is crazy. The blog is suffering my friends - but turns out I just can't do it all, as much as I try. The family and work come first so if I only get to 2-3 blogs a month these days, so be it. Maybe the tides will change. Maybe we'll win the lottery. Maybe I'll just go off the grid and live in the castle at Disney World - we'll see!

In the meantime here is my post for the first half of March.

The first week of March was rough. I turned a year older which was fine but the kids missed 3.5 days of school due to snow and ice. Right when everyone was so desperate for spring it was like, bam, just kidding! The kids had fun playing out with some of our neighbors and Bryan did most of the shoveling so that was nice, but afterwards we were done! And all the goodies I have been baking and eating during storms has to stop now also!

Sledding is better if you stick out your tongue :)

Noelle lost her first tooth. I will devote an entire post to that since it is a major milestone and I long gave up on the idea of baby books for my children. Noelle got about 7 months. I didn't even purchase Kellen one, I swear I love him just as much.

We played with friends at the Science Center one last time before our membership ends. The kids had an amazing time up until the end when a very tired Kellen decided that the dinosaurs were suddenly much too loud and scary. I'm hoping living social does the special membership deal again so that we don't end his experience there with him being totally traumatized!

We went swimming - something I have been promising all winter but the idea of going out in to the fridgid temperatures after has deterred me before now. Noelle did some great swimming on her front and back and Kellen played like a crazy man at the local indoor pool. Noelle wants to do swim team this summer so we'll need to go back a few more times to practice before Memorial Day weekend.

I flew to CA super early in the morning for a series of meetings with my new site in San Mateo, just south of San Francisco. It is gorgeous there and I almost am looking forward to going back for a week in July. It did not provide for a relaxing night away from home with the 3:45 am wake up for the airport and the time difference after daylight savings.


I quickly moved on to Chicago for the annual National Science Teacher Association conference. There I helped spread the word about CTY with colleagues in the exhibit hall and presented to elementary school teachers on some of the STEM curriculum I have worked on. It was great and even not freezing, but still tiring! I did get to see an old friend for dinner, had a traditional Chicago deep dish pizza, tried wonuts (waffle donuts) and got to see the dyed river for the St. Patrick's Day festivities. On the way home, my colleagues and I did a voluntary bump from our flight to get southwest credits (Disney was calling!). I got in at 8:15 am instead of 10:30 pm and my other solo hotel night was spent getting up at 4:00 am. It was worth it for the $422.10 Southwest travel voucher.

Veggie goodness for my Lenten Friday. That's sauce on the top - crazy stuff!

We sampled mexican chocolate, red velvet, blueberry lemon, and chocolate caramel wonuts. They were all yummy, even if the guy did say they were already several days old.

Top of the afternoon to you! I think I look exhausted in this picture - I feel exhausted thinking about this trip.

The weather has been much better the past week and a half with temperatures in the 50's most days. The kids have been enjoying the daylight after we get home from school/work and have done bikes, walks, and playing with friends. I am so eager for it to be warm for good - it better not snow Friday as they suggest it might!
 

So that's about it for our March thus far! Hope everyone is chugging along too!