Countdown to the move - Day 14

Friday - Day 14 - was the day after our big snow storm, and my general exhaustion trumped the alarm clock, preschool, and getting out of the painter's way. I slept until the kids woke up, then brought them into my bedroom for a slow morning.

Ellie poked around in my toiletries closet until she found what she thought was a bandaid. She kept trying to open it and put it on my foot. It was highly entertaining.

I fed Maddie her breakfast (where else) in our bed. I would consider myself a pro baby food feeder at this point. Unless she sneezes or coughs her food across the room, I have yet to spill a drop of it anywhere.

Ellie pulled the cord belt out of one of her really cute dresses and while I'm not happy about that, it provided entertainment for us as she wrapped it around everything in sight.

Well I know this is all sounds fantastically fun, *and it was, but once I laid Maddie down for her morning nap I got the rest of us ready so that we could get out of the house when she woke up. Being in the house and not really being able to function in it was a little maddening.

*sarcasm.

We ate lunch in the van while we drove through the Arboretum. It is so peaceful there in the winter, I love slowly driving along the frozen paths and soaking in the quiet.

I love this little tunnel with its vines.

Winter is so beautiful here, and that makes it a little more bearable.

The Thornhill Annex - I'm sure it's run down and just a small functional office inside, but doesn't it make you want to renovate the inside and turn it into something gorgeous and cozy? Guests could come inside with a hot drink and tuck into a good book.

The frozen lake, which always makes me think of Robert Frost's poetry.

This is Auntie Cheryl's beloved tree by the lake. Which made me realize - friendship is being in an Arboretum full of hundreds of trees and knowing exactly which one is your friend's favorite. We think of her whenever we pass by it, and Robbie is on the verge of being able to point it out without my help.

After one trip through the Arboretum, we needed a few groceries so we stopped at Whole Foods. Which was a bold move, especially just before nap time. The older 2 had to be allowed to walk, which meant they insisted on pushing the kid-sized carts. I have to be firm and attentive and quick with the shopping in this scenario or else we risk knocking over towering displays, pulling the bottom apple out from under the carefully stacked pile, and threaten the vast collection of fragile wine bottles with our battering rams, I mean kids' carts.

Their behavior was nothing short of stellar. I was so proud of them.

No thanks to the random woman working there with a name tag that said "Visitor" who was holding a stack of little papers (?) and kept trying to make small talk with us in various aisles. I'm not sure what her agenda was. Had she been particularly attentive to my crew, I might have stopped and chatted. However, she kept asking if Maddie was a boy (dressed in pink and purple, and clearly looking feminine) and was oblivious to the fact that my 3 year old and 2 year old were in fact 3 and 2 and therefore ticking time bombs in a grocery store that could explode.

We came home for the girls' naps, and Robbie played while I tried to clean up a little bit.

Then it was meal time again for Maddie, in the living room.

And she was being so cute I couldn't help but put up each of these shots of her. Robbie was making her laugh and anytime he is near her, she's captivated.

A little standing at the front window as the kids walked home from the school down the street.

She was getting a kick out of feeling me blow on the side of her face and leaned back into it.

And then the witching hour hit and I was rendered useless as far as providing snacks or dinner or an appropriate craft area was concerned (as all require the kitchen). So we took turns melting.

I texted this picture of myself to Rob after the painter told me he'd have to come back for a 6th day (the job was supposed to take 3 days total) and had spent 2 whole hours trying to get the cabinet doors back up in our kitchen and they weren't fitting right. Underwhelmed.

I raided my own kitchen, dodging pools of paint on the tarp, and found Teddy Grahams and Puffs.

Not at all entertained by the current situation.

I did finally catch Maddie's "EEEK!" face, this time with flapping arms:

Sister got a Puff stuck to the bottom of her foot and was absolutely disgusted by it.

"MOM! I HAVE A CRUSTY ON MY FOOT!"

She kills me.

Daddy needed to work late again so I fed the kids a living room picnic dinner that looked more like a lunch. Thank goodness 2 and 3 year olds don't know any better and could care less.

We skipped baths but brushed teeth and hair, and wrapped up the evening with a little Bible reading before everyone was tucked into bed.

Maddie was especially cute after falling asleep, as she signature-snuggled her stuffed animal. Those shiny things on her back are silver little angel wings on her pj's... how fitting!

Once the kids were asleep I was able to finally put things away in the kitchen (it's nearly dry and almost finished), clean the countertops, and fold baskets of laundry. Rob brought home Lou Malnati's at my request (sometimes you just have to eat your feelings of frustration! ha) and we settled in on the couch for some quality time with our neglected DVR.