Random useless tidbits

Christmas was good. I felt a bit Lowly Worm and so I felt like I had to kind of fake-it-until-I-make-it and that, even now, kind of bums me out. But what can you do.

The baggies of aquatic animals and the squid sub were a huge hit with Ezra and Iris. T loved his iPad Air. I got a lovely gold watch, a gift card that Ezra told me is meant for a "pretty dress," and continued efforts towards finding a fridge that will fit in the current space. 

Here is Iris shouting on Christmas morning, "I GOT OCTOPUSSESSSSSS!"

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T has been home and off work for the last three weeks and I was home all last week. The kids were home, too. Back in the day, this was a recipe for me counting down the days to the return to schedules, but this year I really enjoyed myself. I felt relaxed. I enjoyed them. I didn't feel cagey. 

This could be because the kids are old enough to play on their own and together and without my constant attention. It could be because I'm maybe hitting my groove with being home more. It could be because I was so damn tired I was content to go days without showering. It's anyone's guess, really.

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Since we were home, I was able to do some putzing. 

I straightened and rehung pictures that were looking wonky (yay plaster. no.). I organized T's closet. I hung some new prints in the stairway. Hung two new cork boards in the kitchen. Purged a bunch of toys from the playroom and Ezra's closet. And we finished the entryway. 

Ole!

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Might I recommend that you buy these cozy shoes?






They are like cute, gold, warm slippers you can wear outside. Also, they're only $10.00 right now + another 20% off. And you can ship free to a store.

Buy them.

No, really, do it. 

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Iris and Ezra had their last set of swimming lessons on Saturday morning and they received certificates saying they could go on to the next level.

Iris told me that hers states, "I a GOOD SWIMMER, Mama." What Iris lacks in formal stroke training, she makes up for in enthusiasm. 

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Chewy Sprees will be the end of me and my teeth.

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What is random with you?

Twinkle lights in the jungle

On Sunday we did our annual outing to the botanical gardens to see the Christmas trees from around the world and to just generally enjoy the humidity in the tropical rooms. Iris' hair curled right up when we were in there which made me laugh.

Of course, the kids had to touch everything in sight because why not?

Consumerism at its finest

Here is what Ezra and Iris are getting for Christmas.

Background whatnot: 

• I try to keep the amount of what they both get pretty even both in number of gifts and money spent.
• Since Ezra and Iris are so close in age and have similar interests, I usually try to buy things that the other person--more or less--would have interest in playing. They both do Legos, crafts, superheros, books, puzzles, instruments, pretend play, etc. 
• I donate a TON of toys that they no longer play with or have outgrown. I used to try and hide when I did this, but now I straight up explain why. I like to save my ninja parenting/motherhood lies for when the ante is higher than the no longer used Fisher-Price Farm.
• We don't buy gifts for many people, but I maybe used an Excel spreadsheet to track everything ordered and purchased. I am phobic about forgetting a present for someone.
• Mama and Papa give the gifts under the tree; Santa does the stockings. This lets me wrap and stash things under the tree without additional lies being pedaled.

Okay!

This is what we picked out for Ezra (all images lovingly heisted from Amazon):

Matchbox Mega Rig Shark Adventure

I found this on Amazon by a fluke and am pretty jazzed about it. The whole Mega Rig line can be used together (Iris is getting a different one) and I like that it's more involved imaginary play. Plus that shark looks pretty fierce.

Wild Republic Polybag of Sharks

To accompany the rig above. This arrived from Amazon yesterday and the sharks are really good sized; not too teeny or anything.

Legends of Chima Lennox watch

Ezra is super into a) watches and b) Legends of Chima. I can't wait for him to wear this.

Legends of Chima book

Gears! Gears! Gears! Super Set

Transformers Beast Hunter Beast Fire Predaking

This is the the creme de la creme of Christmas gifts. The one he can't stop talking about. For the life of me, I couldn't remember the name (ya think? damn.) but T found it, confirmed it was the Chosen One and I ordered it. Bullet dodged.

His stocking will then have a Santa tumbler I found at Target, new paint pens, new crayons, one of those candy canes filled with M&Ms, and Mary Poppins the movie.

Iris!

Matchbox Mega Rig Squid Sub
The Muffin is super into squids and octopuses, so this just seemed like a logical choice. Although! I had to score it off eBay because it's an older/sold out toy and so the price was randomly crazy high ($120? Negatory) on Amazon.

Wild Republic Polybag Aquatic
More squids!



Lego City: Where's the Pizza Boy?
Iris loves search and find books and Legos, so this seemed like a good choice.



LeapFrog Scribble and Write 
She is starting to want to learn about letters and associate them with sounds and words, so I thought this might a low key way to foster that interest. 



Planes DVD
She hasn't seen it yet, and I think she'll like it.





Fisher-Price Octonauts Octopod Playset
While at Target last night, J helped convince me to get this for Iris and now I'm super jazzed to give it to her. I also got the Kwazii, Peso and Shellington figures to go with it.

Iris' stocking looks similar to Ezra's with a snowman tumbler, new paint pens, new crayons, M&M candy cane and the movie Annie.

Woohoo!

Can you dig it?

Ezra's school regularly has roller skating parties at a nearby rink (that I had no idea still existed--I mean, how are they making any money?) and last night Ezra turned into Lil' Roller. 



Earlier in the morning he informed me that he already knew how to skate. I tried to gently remind him that he had actually never even worn roller skates, but he countered with, "I know IN MY HEART." Hard to argue with that kind of conviction.

I picked him up after Math Petathlon (after school math league which is kind of hilarious at five years old, yet also awesome) and after dropping our bags off at home, drove to the rink.

When we walked into the rink, folks, that business still kind of smells the same--like years old funk and concessions and dreams of a missed couples skate.

The music was a tick loud and the lights disco-y, but Ezra was keen on all of it. We grabbed our skates and the poor buddy quickly realized how humans were not really meant to maneuver on eight wheels.

He fell and fell and fell and fell. It took us forever to make one lap around the rink. He fell maybe every few steps, and I constantly worried about his wrists and head and knees. I mean, damn. He went down hard every single time. But you know what? Ezra never said he wanted to quit. Never said, "I don't like this!" Never cried. Never complained. It was persistence at its absolute best.

One of Ezra's friends from his kindergarten room was there and so he and Ty skated around and around together. When they called for races and started with the kindergarten and 1st grade, Ezra shouted, "I wanna race!" And so he did. He was still making his way around when the 2nd and 3rd graders started, but he finished the loop. 

We skated to Katy Perry's "Roar" and Taylor Swift's "22" and we sang the lyrics together. Ezra even threw in a hip shake (and then fell) and some arm movements (and then fell).

Ezra cried when we left but I think it's because homeboy was smoked. Two hours of trying to skate and he was just done. After a quickie shower and a book, he was in bed and asleep by 7:30pm. 

This morning he asked when we can go back. 

Peace

There is a boy in Ezra's classroom who early on revealed himself to be...squirrely. I talked about Jerry (not his real name) a few times on Twitter and maybe here. 

I've been in their kindergarten classroom maybe half a dozen times--before field trips or after, helping out at lunchtime--and his behavior is something I've not really seen before. Kind of naughty, seems to be seeking reaction, very at odds with the rest of the classroom and especially the kids in it. 

On Monday when I picked Ezra up from after school care, we walked to his locker to get his things. Jerry was at his locker with his dad. We could hear his dad yelling at him before we even got to the lockers. Yelling at him about how he wasn't putting his gloves on correctly. Ezra stared but I tried to distract him with getting his coat on and his backpack together. Iris kind of flitted around the hallways.

It was so intense that I wondered if I would have to say something; wondered if it was about to turn physical. Jerry's face was crestfallen, and his voice was sad and little and he kept saying, "I'm trying."

They eventually started walking down the hall and his dad started yelling at him again about leftover snacks in his backpack and, "I'm tired of excuses."

As we walked out, I asked Ezra what he thought about seeing Jerry and his dad together. Ezra is awfully astute and I wanted to see what registered. Ezra said that Jerry has a new stepmom and that his stepmom doesn't come to the school. Also, I had to explain on the fly what a stepmom is and I'm not sure my explanation was very fluid.

After explaining on Twitter what I saw and that I wouldn't be talking about Jerry anymore on there as his squirrely behavior didn't entirely seem to be without explanation (or to be joked about), my friend J suggested I talk to the teacher face-to-face; explain what I saw and what the situation felt like to me. J is a teacher and one of the most kind, unassuming souls around and I trust her judgement infinitely.

This morning I talked to Mrs. M and simply told her the bulk of what I've shared with you. Her response, as I mostly expected it to be, was kind and understanding and pretty clued in.

She shared that she is careful about what she shares with Jerry's father about his mis-steps at school because she worries about how it will be handled at home. That she understands the root of his behavior in the classroom stems from what has happened and is happening at home. That she already keeps an eye out for anything on his body that would indicate physical harm. She knows.

I feel like Jerry has maybe a long road in front of him. And at only five years old, that breaks my heart.

No actual ginger or bread was harmed in the making of these homes.

This weekend was the third annual Tenement Gingerbread House Creating Extravaganza. 

I'm not going to lie, these houses kind of turn out more and more awesome each year. Similar to how Frank Lloyd Wright built Taliesin into the land and its plains, so did Ezra's house work with the landscape that was the cookie sheet.

Pictures!

Already pleased with herself.

Donde esta tu chompers?

Oh. Oh my.

I have snack neeeeeeds

So I took tomorrow and Friday off work because a) I wanted to and b) I wanted to.

It's my birthday on Friday and T and I are going on a daydate, but I super wanted a day on the couch, zero things "to do" (as I am the to-do queen on a I'm not at work), every single trash Bravo show on the DVR and a mega crap ton of snacks. No, really. A TON of snacks.

I'm going to take Ezra to school, take Iris to preschool, and take myself to the grocery store to buy the snacks. I'm going to wear stretchy pants, grab my phone and the remote, and spread the snacks next to the couch. And there I shall rest until I either get scoliosis from our very unsupportive couch or feel the need to exercise my right to personal hygiene.


Back to the snacks. What should I buy? My list so far includes:

• Ruffles
• french onion dip
• Red Swedish fish
• Chocolate cream pie (actually already in stock)
• Grapes (I like grapes)
• Minty Ghirardelli holiday squares
• A ginormous Starbucks mocha
• Other?

Don't hold back, folks. Help me add to my snacks list.

Closet confidential

This weekend someone on Instagram posted a picture of their closet and I for real leaned into the phone to peek at it better. Man, I love seeing inside people's homes and rooms and closets. Probably more than is appropriate but whatever.

My own closet is small. Super duper small. I stretched my arms outs to see if it was wider than my "wingspan" and, no. It's not. Damn. Anyway, I use the closet in Iris' room--her clothes stay folded in her dresser--since T has so many clothes and uses the larger closet in our bedroom. 

But the smaller closet isn't such a handicap. I love to shop, but I also am a notorious purger. If I put something new in, I'll make sure there isn't something I can't take out--and there usually is. There's a drive-thru Goodwill on my way to work and I'm forever dropping off something of mine or the kids. I hate clutter.

Also, everything in my closet fits. Maybe two years ago I did a mega purge. My weight and body shape had stabilized and I both accepted that I was never going to be a size 6 probably ever again nor would I be as big as I was post-child. Give or take 5 pounds, I can wear everything that's in there. It's kind of freeing to let go of the hopes tied to that smaller size and to let go of the possibility to be the larger size again. Removing the option of clothes fitting, for me, keeps certain habits in check.

I don't do a "seasonal shift" with my closet because: a) I wear a lot of my things year 'round and b) there is no where else in the house for me to shift it.

I keep things pretty organized since the space is so small. I group blouses together by short sleeves, 3/4 length sleeves, long sleeves. Then all pants together. Tunics. Suits. Skirts--winter ones together, then summer. Dresses--casual/weekend dresses, summer work dresses, year 'round work dresses, fancier dresses. 

I also try to keep the folded items together by type: cotton shirts, 3/4 length sweaters, long sleeve sweaters, cardigans. 

Jeans and corduroys get folded beneath everything, and my workout clothes go below them.

I keep all of my shoes in their shoe boxes and just stack them all on top of one another. That helps saves space, too, and let's me see what I have without digging.

So yeah. I still buy a lot of things ("a lot", I guess, being relative) but there's still room for it. Thumbs up to that.

Closet evidence.

Staring it all in the face.

Things that are new
that I haven't worn yet
I just hang on the outside. That
way I can keep track of them.

To the left: dresses, skirts, suits,
tunics and pants.

To the right: more pants, blouses.

Scarves, jeans, workout clothes. I
use an old IKEA nightstand
to hold everything.