Life as Usual

Hi friends!

To start things off, I have to say Thank YOU! I have received so much positive feedback from my last post. Writing about my journey with depression was not an easy thing to do and I can't say enough how much it meant to hear that my words were appreciated and actually helped some. I also received a lot of "me too" and although it saddened me, it further showed just how common mental illness and depression in particular are common and all around us. 

Now how do I move forward from such a tender topic? Thankfully life isn't filled with those big moments. Life is filled with the small days. Days that drag for some, race for others. That is

where I want to park for a while. I want to talk about the things that make our existence whole. 

So a little catch-up on what's been happening in my life...

E is half way through her kindergarten year and loving her school. It took her a bit to get there though. For the first couple of months she insisted that I walk her all the way to class, each day. Then, one day she took the yellow ribbon from her Jessie (Toy Story) doll's hair and proclaimed that it was going to give her courage enough to be dropped off in the car line. She carried that ribbon in her backpack for about two weeks. Then, one day, she took the satin ribbon out of her backpack and threw it on the floor of our car. She professed that she was now brave enough to do this on her own. I almost cried with joy. How profound that moment was for her. My little girl grew up a little bit that day.

H is shooting up like a weed and as sweet as can be. She still prefers to be cuddled over playing independently, but when big sister is home she is her shadow. Potty training is in our near future and I'm avoiding it as much as I can. I am enjoying the sweet words that only a two year old can get away with. The most recent phrase is "why 'cause".... I'll tell her no, she can't do a particular activity, like stand on the table, and her response is "why 'cause?" The inquiries have started and although I know I will probably tire of their relentless presence, I am enjoying this season of her life. 

 I am once again Room Mom for Ella's class, I am in a playgroup, that I greatly enjoy, and I've been making friends. We found a gym we love and have been spending a little time there almost every day. We greatly enjoyed the festivities that engulfed the metroplex during the Christmas season and we even had a chance to go to a hockey game, since we've moved here. Lots of visits with family. Yard work, cleaning, and the usual mundaneness has filled in the spaces. 

Walking the neighborhood with Aunt Grace

At the Gaylord Texan visiting their ICE! exhibit

H's first ice skating trip... Look at the camera kid!

The month of December was a whirlwind of bugs. Yes, the seen and unseen kind. It all started with E and the stomach flu. Husband had that a few days later. We thought all was clear and then the two littles and man came down with terrible colds. Then E got sent home from school with non other than LICE! My worst nightmare. That same night I had to take her to urgent care with a super high fever, incontinence, and just all over yuckiness. Turns out the poor girl had a UTI. A couple of days later we found out H had RSV and pneumonia. Then we got another round of stomach bugs and another round of hair bugs... again!! Whew. 

Soaked these little girls down with olive oil for 8 hours, hoping to kill whatever might be living in those hairs

Christmas was wrapped up in all this sickness, but by some miracle we were all well the weekend of the big day. My mom, step-dad, brother, and sister all came to visit and we had a glorious weekend. Lots of food, relaxing, laughs, and of course Santa came. The girls had fun, but not near as much fun as the rest of us did watching them open their gifts. 

I managed to make Christmas dinner for the family and was pleased that there was very little chatting around the table. This meant bellies were being filled and I welcomed the silence. Husband's favorite dessert is Key Lime Pie and I made my first one this year. This recipe was a hit, but I will say that squeezing 30+ key limes takes patience and hand strength. It was worth it to see his face though. 

Since I was out of the blogging scene during all this, I failed to take any pictures. I know, I know. We had baked ham, fried turkey breast, sweet potatoes, green bean casserole, and roasted potatoes. I made my first apple pie, key lime pie, brownies, and rice crispy treats. Not all of these are considered traditional food, but its what we like so it was a hit. FYI, if you've never put cheese on your green been casserole... well, you are missing out!! Click the link to follow the recipe I use, but I add mozzarella cheese, instead of cheddar. Definitely not something your scale will love, but if it's the holidays who cares? Am I right?

I did take a couple of pictures on Christmas and this one is a favorite. E had begged and begged for make-up for Christmas and wrote Santa countless letters. I had told her Santa doesn't always bring everything on our lists, but after the 5th or 6th letter I decided maybe Santa would, in fact, bring a little makeup. She was, of course, overjoyed, and I caught her giving Nana a little makeover. 

I don't know what its like to be a grandparent. I can only imagine the love. I do, however, know what it's like to see your parents become grandparents. My girls couldn't ask for better grands. They are so loved and I so enjoy seeing my parents love them. 

That's it. Life as usual. Boring days, fun days, and just regular old life has been happening. I look forward to more writing and sharing my normal life with you. I hope you'll stick around. 

Cheers!

Sarah 

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