Living in Munchkinland

It snowed! Real, fat snowflakes! It started with sleet, then ice pellets, then rain, then sleet again. Then snow. It came down thick and fast. I had just picked up Sam from school, but I turned around and drove back to town to get Davis. Of course I did! Neither boy had ever seen it snow and I wanted to watch them experience it. I knew Ms. Spaulding would take the children outside to see it, taste it, feel it, but I wanted to be part of it too. When we got home the boys stayed outside and made tiny snowballs, scooped up snow with their tractors and ran around trying to catch it on their tongues. And then it stopped snowing and began melting. Our hour of snow day was over. We came inside and I made mexican hot chocolate and we all sat down and drank it out of real tea cups. It was really awesome. Short, fast and not much, but totally awesome.

If you call me, and I don't answer, I'm at the gym. I used to work out from home. I had my videos and I just did them when I could. Then for a while I just ate really carefully and didn't work out at all, so while I was thin, I wasn't in shape. Last spring I won a three month membership to World Gym at Davis' school fundraiser. I decided it would be worth it for the childcare. I signed up and began trying out classes. I fell in love with yoga and began practicing three times a week. I also tried to do a little on the elliptical before and after when I could. When my three months were over I was totally committed to my yoga and so I signed a year contract. Shortly after that Sam started school and I started going to the gym every day. And then my yoga teacher was let go and I decided to try spinning while they looked for a new teacher. I loved the class and my teacher and after a few weeks I started trying other classes. And then more yoga classes were ad...

My mom, my friend Cheris and I all decided that we would try and celebrate a different world religious holiday a month this year in order to learn more about different religions and different cultures. Last Monday we celebrated Nirvana Day . Cheris and her kids were sick, but the rest of us were ready to celebrate! We all colored Mandalas and read a book on the life of the Buddha. We all practiced meditation for a minute and the put our mandalas on the altar. Then we ate chocolate pie (not a traditional dish, but very tasty). And then Davis threw up everywhere. So that stopped the party short. But it was still fun while it lasted. Stay tuned for March and it's Wiccan celebration of the Equinox. Any other suggestions for ones we can't miss?

Happy Valentine's Day to you! XXOO, Amber

Let me try to recap the last few days for you. Here's my life on a roller coaster. Friday Go out for Girls Night with new Gym friends- up, up, up! Feel sick and come home early-down Saturday Hike with friends- back up Go have mini-vacation with family in downtown condo- Woooo HOOOOO! Swim in indoor pool-up higher Shop at Whole Foods!- and higher Go out to eat Thai food- getting to the top Davis melts down and we leave with boxes of food in hand- down Super Bowl party at my parents' house! New Orleans wins! - Back UP! Monday Davis wakes up in the middle of night burning up with fever- Way Down! Weeeeeee, but not in a good way. Fever all day long, I feel miserable too- Down Make decision to keep kids in Montessori- UP!!! Tuesday Davis wakes up with more fever, we visit the doctor. It's still an ear infection, needs even more antibiotic that will cause diarrhea- Way Down Get recruited to promote my Dad's band online. Yay! Up! Wednesday Davis and Sam both go to scho...

I'm obsessing about school right now. I have to decide whether to keep Davis in Montessori school or put him in public kindergarten next year. The details: We love his Montessori school. It is everything I want it to be. I love the teacher, and the kids are absolutely flourishing. The work they do there is amazing. The school culture is wonderful. Davis is learning to read real books, do math, learn geography and science, music and Spanish. It's a small historic house with only 32 kids ages 3-7. He goes to school with his brother and I love it. LOVE all of it. But it's not free. And public school is. Davis is zoned to go to DeZavala Elementary which is okay. Not a blue ribbon school or anything, but it's not the worst school in the district either. I spoke to the principal last week and visited it today. It's huge. There are K-5th graders there. I checked out the Kindergarten wing today. Some of the work they seem to be doing right now seems right o...

It's probably my fault. I was on the phone to my mother in law and had all the regular interruptions, I changed their shoes three or four times, got them a snack, stopped them from playing kick the refrigerator magnets in the kitchen. I finally told them to get out the kitchen and play. I finished my conversation after about ten more minutes and went to find the kids. I found them in the bathroom soaking wet and covered in bubbles, soap, water and sand. The kids had dumped half a (BIG) bottle of liquid soap in the bathroom and playroom in order to "clean" up the sand they dumped out of their shoes all over the place. Then they turned on the water and found it made soap bubbles. They added more water! This was fun! Bubble party! Rags were used, towels, more towels! I found them and yelled at them and sent them to their rooms. I got down on my knees and started scrubbing while shouting at the top of my lungs over the running water and closed doors so they could hea...

This week's menu plan is here. (a day late) I loved hearing about what you guys were making. Please share with me! Sunday: Spiced Braised Beef with Sweet Potatoes, Chickpeas and Spinach Monday: Coconut and Cauliflower Soup Tuesday: Going to a party so probably some soup out of the freezer. Wednesday: Pesto rice with roasted vegetables and roasted chicken Thursday: Black Bean Chili with Cilantro Avocado topping Friday: Curried Lentils and Brown Rice Saturday: I think we're eating out. What are you making?