March Update

Due to getting off Facebook, I guess I'll need to blog more again! Things that happened in March: my 33rd birthday, Will's first marathon, Will started up swimming again, Emma took a school field trip to the library, Will school field trip to a play, snow snow snow that finally melted off (mostly!), and Jered and I started an exercise/weight loss plan to get back in shape.

I've been super excited about that last part, and have lost 5lbs in the last 2 weeks. Jered has also lost a few pounds. He has a regular time set aside from his work day for PT, but I haven't had a regular workout time in almost 8 years! So it's been fun getting back into shape doing 6 days a week cardio (walk or bike 2.5-3miles a day), strength (100 crunches, etc), and using MyFitnessPal app to track calorie intake. I was inspired by a close friend who really got into shape in the last year. Jered was all for it because he has to stay in shape for work anyway! Since Will is in the school's 2nd-3rd grade running club, he has to run at home, so he and Jered do 1-1.5 miles running a few days a week, and then he goes bike riding with me also. Emma rides in the back of my bike most of the time, and I can tell you the extra 45lbs really gives me a workout! Since I'm going back to work this fall, I'm trying to get set physically now so I just have to maintain. It's even more fun doing it as a family. We can't wait until it gets warmer out, so we can spend more time outside. It's still in the 40s this week, although we had a couple warm days last week and a couple coming up this weekend I think.

Will has been continuing his piano lessons, and is doing well. Emma has a natural ear for it, and has been picking up some things. She asked me to write out the note names for Twinkle Twinkle Little Star since she can't read the music, and she started playing that! She also can show you a minor chord (it sounds sad) and a major chord (sounds happy!). They are also doing well on their chore charts and helping out at home. They love earning their chore bucks.

Emma's ballet class is gearing up for their recital in June. They showed us the costumes and they are darling. Will elected to take more swimming lessons in lieu of soccer this Spring. He loves swimming. He goes twice a week at the rec center, and his first day was last Tuesday. He took American Red Cross levels 1 and 2 last summer, and they started him last week on level 2 again at the rec center, but he's almost ready after 2 review lessons for level 3. He seems to really like non-contact sports - running, biking, and swimming.

Will has also been reading a ton. He's just like me - a super fast reader, a mystery lover, but he also enjoys non-fiction like Jered.  He's been getting into some harder 5-6th grade chapter books. Emma started reading a little bit recently! She was sounding out street signs, so I got out the primary phonics readers that Meemaw had given us a few years back for Will. She is so proud to be reading by herself! She's also coloring much better, enjoys making pictures for people, and Will has been working on his handwriting and a little bit of cursive.

 

Birthday flowers from Abby

 

Birthday dinner at Olive Garden (thank goodness for that saved gift card from Christmas!)

 

Emma's school trip to the library

 

Will all dressed up for his school trip to the performing arts center to see a play.

 

Emma's coloring

 

Will's first cursive practice

 

 

 

Watching the new Cinderella movie

 

 

Swimming lessons!

 

Pretty ballerina practicing her moves (she's very serious about her dance!)

 

At the Shamrock Marathon (Will ran Operation Smile Final Mile)

 

Playing Dread Pirate as a Family!

 

I don't know why this is sideways! I can't make it straight on here, lol. It's an adorable picture too.

 

 

Sledding Videos February 2015

Snow Day!

Last night we got about 6" of snow, unfortunately followed by ice! But we still had lots of fun playing today. The ice made the sledding hill in our neighborhood really fast. We all took turns going down, but Jered and Will went down the most. Will was tirelessly up and down with the sled, then stayed out to have a snowball fight with his school friends after we went inside.

Valentine's Day 2015

Valentine's Day this year was much better than last year, but almost ended up the same! Will had the stomach flu from Thursday until Tuesday, when he was able to return to school. Then Emma had a high fever Wednesday night and Thursday and had to miss her tea party at school. It was very sad because she had been counting the days for the last two weeks, and was just devastated to miss it. She asked me to email a picture of her party dress to her teacher. However, she was better by Friday morning (and never threw up, yay!), and was able to go the class pizza party on Friday. Will's class also had a Valentine's pizza party on Friday. Tuesday night the kids wrote out their Valentines to every kid in the class. I was especially proud of Emma, who wrote all her own Valentines. When Will was her age, I still had to help him, but she enjoys writing more (and has better handwriting!). On Saturday, Emma's ballet studio had a Parent's Night Out Valentine Party for the kids, so Jered and I were able to drop them off and go on a date. We ended up going to Keagan's Irish Pub and Restaurant at the Virginia Beach Town Center. It was good food, and a fun date! We also enjoyed a nice snow storm this week, although we are not enjoying the highs in the 20s, and the wind chill below zero!

 

 

 

First Snow of 2015

The big snow storm that hit the Northeast Coast Monday night brought us just enough snow to have a snowball fight and make a teeny snowman this morning.