Friday Update #1 (1/9/15)

Well, here we go! A new year!

We were really grateful for the week and a few days between Christmas and the beginning of our January schedule. Since we were sick for a week plus right before Christmas we didn't get to do many of the Christmas-y things we had planned originally or get to spend time together (I'm not counting several days on the couch with fevers and coughs as "quality time"). Seth took a few days off of work and didn't have basketball practice, so it was so great to see him! We went to Zoolights and celebrated his birthday and played with some of the toys and puzzles the boys got for Christmas.

Monday morning dawned bright and early and I left the house while it was pitch black to head off to my new early morning swimming lessons at the YMCA. The boys have been taking swimming lessons at the Y for months and since I'm in the pool with them so much (and since classes are included in the membership fee) I decided to take the beginning adult class. It's been 15-20 years since I've taken lessons and I wanted a refresher. We'll see if it's a good fit!

Mondays are usually our day at home, but this week Seth took the morning off to play with the boys while I tried to get some things done. I'd started several organizing and purging projects at the beginning of our Christmas break... that I didn't get to finish and my half finished piles everywhere were severely cluttering up our house. I was able to get most of the boys' clothes sorted and their too-small clothes packed away. I have a growing pile that needs to go to Goodwill on my porch. I also caught up on the bare minimum of bill paying and paperwork, but I still have a stack of Christmas and birthday cards that I need to open! My goodness. It helps so much when Seth is able to spend some time with the boys while I get to be home.

Tuesday is our longest day. We have the Y from 10:40-12:35 and then I leave the boys with my dad and rush off for piano lessons. I am still trying to figure out my exact schedule for this semester, but I should have most of my lessons on Tuesday afternoon. Tuesday is also usually a game day for Seth (until mid February when the season ends).

Isaac is a big fan of reading books. He'll go find a blanket and drag it over to whoever he has decided to victimize and as "book me? book me?" until they succumb.

Wednesday we have BSF until noon, which the boys are really loving. They get to do some pretty fun stuff - always a story and art and snack time and singing time and often a special project. And then we just came home and crashed on the couch and read a bunch of books. I was worn out from the day before, haha! I guess I also felt like I'd hardly spent any time with the boys Monday or Tuesday, so I needed to rectify that.

Thursday is another kids swimming lesson and gymnastic class day at the Y. We're trying to get our money's worth! And then we got to go to our friends' house for lunch and play time! Ezra really enjoys Joel, who is six months older than him, and they do a pretty good job playing with Isaac too. I've really enjoyed getting to know Joel's mom and she's qucikly becoming a very good friend.

Seth's hair is almost as long as it's ever been and he keeps saying he's going to get a hair cut. I'd be surprised though, if it really happens anytime soon. I took a few pictures of him and Isaac, though, to document their identical curls and then Ezra wanted in the photo too.

Ezra rediscovered his stuffed cat (now named "Butterfly") and made a bed for the cat by the furnace. But that turned into a bed for all of us, so we camped out on the floor for a few hours. I don't know why, but Ezra tucked Butterfly in next to Seth and I had to document the cuteness.

Friday we have another gymnastic class, but this one is pretty free form and the boys get to run all over the gym and play on the trampoline or foam pit or swing. And then we go to church to play with a group of moms and kids that are about 1-4 years old. We started the playgroup in October or so and it's been really good for all of us to spend more time together.

Saturdays are usually Seth's busiest day and usually "everyone" is usually busy because it's the weekend or it's so crowded because it's the weekend so we often stay at home. But I did sign Ezra up for a soccer skills class at the Y (yes, that's six days of classes at the Y. It might be really crazy but we also really appreciate the exercise... so we'll see how this session goes. We might need to cut back a lot.) This week he actually had to take off work and go to Ocean Shores for basketball. He didn't get home til midnight. And, sadly, the games were scheduled during the Seahawks game, so he didn't get to watch the game! He's going to try to watch a recording of it, but I'm kinda doubtful that will happen. =(

So that's just a long list of what we did this week. I need to figure out exactly what I want these emails to be. I want to document our activities and what the boys are learning and doing, but I don't just want a long list of activities either. I also haven't been able to spend much time on the computer writing so I feel like I need to get back in the swing of things again.