Scholastic Happenings

I've decided that x22022 is my lifeline. I call Izzy's classroom no less than 3 times daily to check in. Her teachers are probably pulling their hair out from my persistent mommyness, but they sure act nice about it! Today is her best day so far (3rd day's a charm?). Even though she wails for a few minutes at drop off, her primary teachers- Ms. Jenna ("Nennah!") and Ms. Mandi- tell me that she does really well after about 5-10 minutes- hooray!

Isabelle's "quiet spot" is in the book corner- shocking- our little bookworm! I guess she likes to read when she's sad, and that couldn't make me happier! Let's see... what else?

Oh, this morning was the first time it was warm enough to play outside. Mandi said she liked being outdoors, but got sad when it was time to come in, so she trotted off to her book corner for a few minutes to collect herself. Today is also the first day she didn't take a morning nap... might've had something to do with the fact that she slept 11 1/2 hrs straight through last night... :)

In any case, life is good for Miss Izzy, and it will be even better once her molars are fully in, her congestion dissipates, and her Amoxycillin is all finished. Woohoo!

We love you, Daddy!

We'll let the video speak for itself. This post is dedicated to Daddy, who is in CO right now. We miss and love you, Daddy! xoxoxo

Off To School

Day one of day care: 6.5 hours down, 1.75 hours to go. Whew. The umbilical cord is officially stretched.

7:35 a.m. Drop off went remarkably well-- the little bean toddled her way right over to the huge blue bunny on the floor and gave it a good, tight squeeze. Then she made her way over to a new friend, Addie, and introduced herself by patting Addie on the head (pics to come). Good start, Iz!

8:30 a.m: Call #1 (What?! It had been almost a whole hour!) I could hear her wailing in the background, but Ms. Kalynn assured me it was only because she got up to get the phone that Izzy was "a little bit sad." Fair enough.

10:05 a.m: Call #2. Ms. Kalynn reported that she was sleeping peacefully in the nap room. Apparently at 9:30 she decided she'd had enough, and crawled into the lap of Ms. Kathy, curled up, and went to sleep. That's our girl.

1:01 p.m: LUNCH! Picture me at a full sprint across the parking lot to my car. Yep, it's true.

1:08 p.m: Peeked around the corner of Izzy's classroom, where she was being cuddled next to her cot by her teacher. Her eyes were getting sleepy, and I got to just stand there and spy on my sweet girl for a good ten minutes while she drifted off to piano lullabies. Like mashed potatoes for my soul, I tell ya. Once I looked at the time and abruptly came back to reality, I hustled out of there and zoomed back down the highway, to arrive at my desk only 2 minutes late. SWEET!

2:17 p.m: I am one proud mama. Our girl is being so brave and so big at her new school! My heart is bursting, my eyes are watering, and only 103 more minutes til I get to pick her up. Not that I'm counting, or anything...

Sunshine On My Shoulders....

Ahhhhhh. The first taste of spring is always SO refreshing- the tulip bulbs, the GREEN blades of grass, and even the mudpuddles (better than ice patches!). We have taken every opportunity to soak up the glorious sun this week-- in the evenings after I get home from work, in the front yard exploring tree bark with Daddy, on a walk-run Saturday morning, at the playground this weekend... It's been a long winter, weather-ly and emotionally speaking, and we are more than ready to delight in the sunshine and new life that accompanies spring. Also, perhaps it's coincidental, but Isabelle seems spunkier than ever recently... she now struts down the sidewalk with glee, exploring each blade of grass, tree trunk, and twig. She still insists on holding on to somebody's finger while walking, but I have a feeling that, with all the new things to explore outdoors, she'll be on her own any day. Craziness.

Speaking of change, we've had an abrupt shift, well, acceleration in our plans this weekend. Reg got a call last night asking if he could come interview for a management position in Fort Collins this week. After some thought, prayer, and a lot of discussion, we decided it would make sense for him to drive out there this week, and spend some time interviewing and networking. Isabelle and I look forward to joining him as soon as possible... In the meantime, I will continue to work, and Izzy will make her entrance into the world of preschool. Again, CRAZINESS. How is our little girl ready to march off to school by herself every day? (Okay okay, it's just the one-year-old room at daycare, but it feels like she's getting on the school bus with her lunchbox, or- GULP- walking into her freshman dorm. I need to go get a tissue!).

Thankfully, it won't be EVERY day, as Saint- I mean Uncle- John has volunteered to spend 1-2 days a week with his niece here at our house. Hopefully this will ease the transition for her, although it will still be a HUGE change, as she's been with her dad almost every week day for the last 10 months. Hopefully she'll be more adaptable than her mother. My Grandma Shirley says the Norwegian in us hates change. I have found this to be comically and painfully true in my own life... Norwegian though I may be, it's one trait I am not proud of! But, I read a quote recently that said, “Life is change. Growth is optional. Choose wisely." So onward we march, and I will try to pry my heels up out of the dirt and put one foot in front of the other as we enter this new phase. And I know that no matter what time zone we are in, tomorrow the sun will rise just like it did today, and we will be blessed with love, and emerging tulips, and God's grace.

Museum fun!

Last weekend we had a playdate with our friend Kean from church, and Kean's momma, Anna. We decided to check out Impression 5 Science Museum, which has a baby area called First Impressions. SO FUN!!!! The babes got their first experience at a water table, where we spent over half of our time! We all left fairly damp, but it was so worth it! They also had some pretty cool manipulative toys, and a fun book area. We had a blast exploring!! Our friend Kean is 7 months, so for the first time, Izzy was the "big kid" and it was so strange/awesome to see her in that role! It was seriously cute to watch her get toys off the shelf to "share" with Kean, and watch her do laps around him on the floor. She has also taken to giving all sorts of smooches, pats, and rubs, namely on Kean's bald little head.
It was during those blessedly work-free days I took off while Reg was away, and I got so spoiled- not only by being with Busybelle every day, but by getting some awesome fellowship and quality time with other mommas. Spending time with some new friends and their kiddos definitely made me realize how much I need to stay connected with other moms. The support and connectedness I felt last week was AMAZING! And don't get me wrong, I have a great husband and great family, but gosh, to have contact with other moms was beyond wonderful. I am making an April resolution to seek out more time with friends... Anyway, a short post, but just wanted to document the fun we had checking out one of the 'hot spots' in the hot spot that is Lansing, Michigan. Hooray for play dates!

Less Clutter + More Time = Happy Mama

Last week, Reg flew out to CO to spend a few days job hunting, and a few days skiing with his bro, Ethan. Isabelle and I were left to our own antics, and I had the delight of taking a few days off work to accompany Busybelle on activities such as Storytime at the library, Mom2Mom group at church, a playdate at a local science museum, and lots of time to just BE, here at our humble abode. The quiet, computerless evenings prompted me to deep clean and organize our house, and led me on a mission to make our lives simpler, less cluttered, more financially responsible, and hopefully more ecofriendly. Enter cloth diapers and no more paper towels. Huh? That's right, we've

gone paperless (except in the TP department, in case you were worried), thanks to these cuties I found at Ikea, 10 for $3.99. A pack of these babies + a $1.49 Command Hook = an endless supply of hand towels for less than a $8.99 value pack of paper towels (and we go through at least 10 a year, making a savings of roughly $90-100 a year)... waHOO! Who would've thought that putting a little loop of ribbon on a simple white washcloth could be so novel? Needless to say, I'm relatively, well, thrilled with the discovery. We also switched over to cloth diapers, which should save us somewhere between $800-$1000 in the next year or so until we move on to the big girl potty. Think of all the money that can go toward other things now- groceries, paying off debt, date nights, the 529 fund, etc. Hooray!

The other big accomplishment of the week started as an attempt to create some order (read: SANITY) out of a cleaning routine, or lack thereof. I came up with a master schedule that I can easily tweak each month. Basically, each day has the same 5 basic tasks: wiping counters, doing dishes, sanitizing toys that get flung out of the Pack-n-Play, doing one load of laundry, and general decluttering of surfaces. Then each day of the week is also assigned a weekly task (i.e. Monday-dusting, Tuesday- trash, Wednesday-refridgerator, Thursday-vacuum, Friday- weekly menu, Saturday-bathroom, Sunday-groceries).

Finally, each day also has a once-a-month "deep cleaning" task such as cleaning the freezer, disinfecting light switches & doorknobs, or cleaning out the car. The list is taking about 30-40 minutes of each day, which is doable so far, and SO worth it just to know that it WILL all get done. I don't have to flip out today that the microwave has grease spatters on its walls, because I know they'll be gone on Thursday. Whew. The moral of the story, and the reason I'm doing a whole post about this on a blog devoted to Isabelle Grace, is that these simple changes have made vast improvements in my stress level, time management, and general demeanor, meaning I have more mental/emotional capacity and time to spend with my sweet girl (and, as an added bonus, less waste and a cleaner house). And now that Reg is home to assist with The List, it means even more time for family time... Yesssss!