Friday, December 2, 2022

5 Things Friday

 Hey hey! It's Friday! Here are 5 things on my mind today. 

1. We got a ton of snow on Tuesday - over 8"!! It was really pretty - like living inside a snow globe. We got home from work/daycare pick-up after 5 so it was already getting dark but  we let the kids play in the snow because we knew it was going to be much colder the next day. Paul was super into it. It was too deep for Will to really enjoy but he loved riding in the sled! Their enthusiasm for the snow was contagious for me - less so for Phil who had to dig our car out after it got stuck and did all the snow blowing/most of the shoveling. We live on a pretty steep hill and have a corner lot so it's a lot of work to clear snow. I did shovel our front side walks so contributed somewhat! And I managed the kids which is no easy feat! 



He was watching Phil use the snow blower in this photo. He was delighted by
 it!

2. I do look forward to a time when both kids can put all of their snow gear on by themselves, though. Paul is at that stage - I just have to zip up his jacket. Getting Will in snow gear is like dressing a cat. I mean, just getting out the door on a regular morning can be challenging. One morning this week, he would only let Paul put his boots on. #toddlerlife My mom talks about a stage of toddlerhood where I would only let my older sister feed me. Apparently I was very stubborn. Perhaps Will's strong feelings are payback/karma. 




3. You know how I said that my NYC trip last month was my last work trip of the year? Nope. Turns out I have to go to Chicago next week for a couple of days. I'll get to see coworkers from 3 different cities so it will be a productive trip but it's adding to that "I'm really busy" feeling that comes at this time of year. My next trip is LA in January. The flight out there is long so it will probably be a 3-night trip to make it worth my while. We'll see how sustainable this "traveling once/month" goal is! 

4. Tonight Paul and I are going to the light show at the local arboretum. He's been talking about this for months! Last year it was so bitterly cold the night we went but tonight it's going to be pretty mild by Minnesota standards - it should be around 20-30F. 

Inside an apple with the apple of my eye in December 2021.


5. Will turns 2 tomorrow! Some days, it doesn't feel like he's been our lives for 2 years. But in other ways, it's been a long 2 years... Time is funny when you have young kids. We are having a low key celebration with some of Phil's family. I'll make chicken enchiladas, Spanish-style rice, and chips/salsa/guac. I use a rotisserie chicken to make the enchiladas which makes it extra easy. For dessert, we will have a GF cookie cake since Will loves cookies! So that is 2 weekends in a row of hosting people. Younger Lisa would have been so stressed. Almost 42yo Lisa approaches hosting so differently. I think about what I focus on when I am guest at others' houses. I am not looking at the cleanliness of their homes. I am focusing on enjoying time with people. Our house will not be spotless and that is ok. We just make sure the bathroom is clean. I used to stress about food and wanting everything perfect. Now I know to not try any new recipes and to just focus on things that are a lay-up for me. Like Mexican food. And chips/salsa/guac. Everyone loves these foods, in general! 

Here are some flash back photos of Will!

Will's first birthday - we had banana cake with cream cheese frosting

Mama & Baby Will the day he was born
So tiny! Another first day pic!

Paul and baby brother when they met for the first time!

What's on your mind today? Does hosting stress you out?

12 comments:

  1. Awww, happy birthday to Will!!!

    You summed snow up perfectly: so much fun to play in, so much joy for the children, so awful for anyone having to commute anywhere. I feel your pain. Believe me.

    Your once-a-month travel sounds both exciting and kind of exhausting! LA in January would be a nice break from the cold though.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Oh my goodness, look at those snow bunnies! And at brand new baby Will -- what a sweetheart! Happy birthday to him, and to you!

    I love your hosting philosophy. It sounds so sensible and stress free. I am going to try to channel that energy the next time I host!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Awww. Such sweet pictures. Adorable.
    Time can both fly...and drag...simultaneously with young kids.

    We haven't had any real snow storm yet, but I'm more than okay with that. The kids do love it, but I find is SUCH a hassle.

    Hope the hosting goes smoothly; a great approach.

    ReplyDelete
  4. So much snow! I'm glad the boys had fun. At least they WILL eventually be able to put their own clothes on. (The dog will just never learn!) What a day when you realize that you don't have to wrangle boots or help with jackets. My SIL has three and the youngest is 6 and over Thanksgiving she sent them all outside to play with their older cousins and she sort of mused that it was kind of sad that she wasn't need to find shoes/zip jackets/generally wrangle.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Two years. Wow! That's amazing -- seems like it has flown to me! I sure hope they can learn boots soon! Or at least Will. Well done, Paul!

    Boy, you have a TON of snow. I can't believe it. Please keep it there!

    ReplyDelete
  6. I enjoy hosting…I try to do as much ahead of time as possible, so I can be present with my guests and not stressed out. Also, if someone offers to bring something, I let them! That’s a big help.

    My mom used to say that grandchildren were payback for things we did. She said that in a similar situation to yours, when my daughter was doing something I had done as a kid. HA!

    Happy Birthday to Will, he’s adorable. And I think LA in January sounds wonderful if you’re coming from MN.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Happy Birthday to Will! I hope that you guys are having a really good time. I think that when I go to people's houses or they come to mine, more often than not it is about spending time together. No matter the dust or the crumbs! Now, I am not a fan of slovenliness but I think a bit of dust or a misplaced boot are not a huge deal. We have even started leaving the dishes for a couple of hours! (but not overnight, that is just too long for me. :)

    ReplyDelete
  8. Happy Birthday, Will!!! I hope your low-key celebration is fun. And I hope you and Paul enjoy that light show- it looks incredible. So much excitement for the boys with all the celebrations and the SNOW!

    ReplyDelete
  9. Aww, Will and Paul look so cute playing in the snow! The whole idea of wrangling into snow boots/jackets/etc is so novel to me.

    I can't believe Will is 2! Time flies.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Oh, snow is so much fun for kids (not so much for adults who have to shovel the snow).

    Hope Will had a great birthay - so nice to see some earlier photos and how much he has changed :)

    Hosting definitely stresses me out. We don't have much space and so it's hard to have people in our space. I am constantly moving stuff around.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Happy birthday to your kiddo! So fun to have so much snow to play in just before Christmas.

    ReplyDelete