Just down the street...

It's been one of "those" weeks around here. Nothing in particular has been terrible, but nevertheless, we've been swamped with life and stuff. First, my biggest boy caught himself a nasty case of pink eye, which he so generously shared with the baby. And his daddy. Then, between administering eye drops 'round the clock, our calendar somehow became so booked that every night of our entire week has been spent running here and there and back again!
This morning, we woke up to a drizzly, gray day--when I wanted nothing more than to get the boys outside in the yard to run off some of their energy! (And, of course, because being outside means that I can't clean up the mess that is this house today!) The kitchen sink is full of dishes (a few might even be from last night's dinner!), the dining room table has been overtaken by projects and lesson plans, and the rugs are in desperate need of a vacuuming. I wanted nothing more than to curl up on the couch with a cup of coffee and a good book, but those days are the things that dreams are made of when you've got a toddler and a baby to care for daily. After a few hours of our usual daily grind, I spotted a break in the clouds and decided we should get outside for a bit. No matter that the grass was wet; we would head down the street for a walk!
I wrangled Levi into the Ergo carrier, and we spent a good 20 minutes hunting for a pair of little blue Crocs that mysteriously disappeared overnight. One more trip to the potty, a pair of socks crammed onto wiggly feet, and another weather check. The dog was jumping around barking, and the baby was getting restless on my back. But, just as I was beginning to think that my idea was more crazy than productive, we were finally ready to walk out the door.
And, as I'd hoped, the moment we stepped outside, our moods lifted! I think we were only about 20 feet away from out driveway when both Nate and I were laughing out loud at the dog's goofy antics. A cool breeze carried away all of our grumpiness, and the sunshine peeked through the clouds. As we made our way down the soggy street, droplets of rain blew off of the trees onto our faces. "Rain get on me!" giggled Nate. Even Levi immediately stopped fussing as the breeze ruffled his hair, and he waved around his fists in approval.
Our walk wasn't long, but it was exactly what we'd needed! A breath of fresh air, a peek of sunshine, and a few minutes outdoors with my littles were so much more rejuvinating than any old cup of coffee or book could have been. It's naptime now, and I hear thunder rolling into the area. Our evening might consist of stormy weather, but at least I've finally got enough motivation to wash enough dishes to make dinner!

Spring Lovin' Days!

Suddenly, within the past week, it's as if the world has woken up and agreed with the calendar that IT'S SPRING! We've had the most gorgeous weather--perfectly suitable for open windows, and grilling burgers, and transplanting little plants, and bare baby toes! Daffodils are beginning to bloom, trees are growing tiny buds, and I am in love with it all!
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We've been busy getting our much-needed Vitamin D fixes, and planning big projects for the outside of our home. We visited the zoo, celebrated a lovely Easter, and are getting excited for sweet summertime! I'm up to my elbows [in a good way!] in bridal shower plans, new window treatment ideas, and spring cleaning. Eric and Nate have been recovering from the nastiest of colds (we're crossing our fingers that it's the last one of the season!). Levi has been keeping himself quite busy exploring all that there is to be explored in this big new world--starting with the dog food bowl!

I know that, as usual, I've abandoned this blog, and I apologize. We've just been busy recently, and I don't get much time to myself these days--and, I'll totally admit that the time I do get is often spent on Pinterest! I hope that you and yours are enjoying a spring as lovely as ours!

May Day!

Today is the first day of May. I can hardly believe how quickly April flew by, and now I'm hoping that May takes its good old time! In the past, May has always been a bit of an exciting month. In elementary school, May was a month of field trips and rediscovering the backyard. In high school, May was the end of the school year and the beginning of summers full of friends and late nights. During college, May was finals and clearing out of the dorms. Twice, I've graduated during the month of May. Once, I eagerly anticipated moving home for a summer with my new boyfriend. Once during May, Eric and I were moving back to the USA and happily planning our wedding. Two Mays ago, we were settling into our new house and unpacking a new baby's nursery. This year, May means that we only have three more months until our second baby is due (!!!). It means that we only have three more months until Nathaniel turns TWO YEARS OLD!! It means that Eric is almost finished with his first full year of teaching high school. It means that I can finally get more plants into our ground here in Zone 6. But, best of all, May of 2012 means that our summer is on the brink of beginning! Our weather today is gorgeous--sunny, 74 degrees, and just a bit of a breeze rustling through the trees. It's a perfect May 1. Happy May Day!

Quick Update.

We've been busy around here! First, I decided to transform Nathaniel's bedroom from a baby nursery into a big boy room. Not a huge deal, right? Then, we thought we'd just get an early "start" on the baby's nursery by moving the crib across the hall (from Nate's room, to Baby's room). Nathaniel, in preparation for being the best big brother ever, helped Daddy put the crib back together!

Needless to say, all of this led to painting both rooms (blue for Nate, and yellow for Baby), carpeting both rooms, and beginning to sort though our loads and loads of baby things! We still don't know if we're having a little boy or a little girl, but the nursery is already well on its way to being finished! Though I feel a tiny bit silly about having an almost-ready for Baby nursery at 18 weeks pregnant, I am happy. I am a planner, and I like to get things done early; my original goal was to have the nursery completely finished by June. At this rate, it will be completely finished by the end of next week!

Then, while we were working, spring came! We have been having the most amazing weather this month--warm (borderline HOT!), sunshiney days, balmy nights, and highs in the upper 70's. Nathaniel loves running around outside in the yard, playing at the playground (we've already been twice this week!), visiting the ducks at the park, and taking evening walks around our neighborhood.

Springtime?

I feel that I must preface this post with the fact that I love winter. I've missed the snow this year, and I've woken up more than once a grump because the weather man was wrong, and we didn't get 4-6 inches overnight! I want to take Nate outside to play in the snow, and I want to see our "winter wonderland" last for more than an afternoon.
All that being said, I am loving the abnormally warm weather that we've been having recently! Long walks outside, trips to the playground, and blooming flowers in February? I'll take it!

We took our first family walk of the year last week, and Nate walked down (and back!) our entire street! When did this kid get so big??

We took our first trip to the park of the year today, and we had a blast! It was a little breezy, but, c'mon, it's February! We visited the ducks, which Nate loved. He waved to them and said, "hi", then quacked back at them when they answered!

My little daredevil wasn't much interested in the playground swings (which he loved last summer!), and only wanted to climb up and slide down the sliding boards!