Keeping Busy.

Initially, the title of this post was supposed to be "Staying Sane", but then I recalled having used it already and I wouldn't be surprised if it was last winter. I think a more appropriate title would be "Keeping Busy in Order to Stay Sane", but it's just too long and who has time for reading my novels again? So, I'll proceed straight to the pictures.

We invite friends who cheer us up and who almost always get sick after getting in contact with our kids ... sigh.

I notice when feeling helpless, I start knitting. The time goal for this shawl was 10 days, but it took me about 12 days to complete it. I think two of these nights I couldn't stay up past 11:30 pm.

I'll blog about the next picture sometime next month, but I've been keeping myself really busy with this project. I saw a link to it on my friend's blog and thought that even I could sew it.

My yarn is being used in other ways too. I helped the kids build paper castles. Then Julia asked me to make her a prince and a princess for her castle. I recalled playing with the dolls made out of yarn when I was a little kid, so I improvised and made Julia a boy and a girl dolls similar to those from my childhood. She found them amusing and actually has been playing with them since then.

What really helped me through the winter blues was David's teachers' positive report on his academic progress in school (according to Seth, positive behavioral progress ain't happening until David's in college). They showed me a pile of beginner books that David has been easily reading through and the list of sight words that he memorized. He's very stubborn at home and lately his favorite phrase has been "I do whatever I want", so it was hard for me to convince him to do much work. Once we realized what he's capable of, we ordered dozens of "easy reader" books from the library and he loves reading them especially before going to bed. Instead of us reading to him now, he insists on reading a few books to us for up to an hour every night. These books are very easy, but at least it's a beginning.

So, what's on my needles now? Here's a clue below. All I can say is that it's going to be a very challenging project. I'm setting the deadline for May. Stay tuned.

First Day of the New Year.

Eager Preparations for a Christmas Morning.

Disney Trip.

My 4 and 3 year old punks somehow convinced Seth and I to take them to Walt Disney World earlier this month. We had last visited the "happiest place on Earth" by ourselves after we just got married and I can say for sure that traveling without the kids is much more fun. This time, we went on the rides that we could barely fit into, missed going on the rides for people over 40 inches tall, and didn't set foot in Pleasure Island or see a Cirque du Soleil show. By the end of the trip it felt like I needed a hip replacement surgery from carrying a sleepy Julia around the parks every night.

As I was browsing through the pictures, I was very surprised to see David smiling on the pictures with Disney characters, especially when his meal was interrupted by a princess. According to him, only girls like princesses; not the boys. What he was really into were fast car rides, roller coasters, some amazing parades, live shows and the fireworks.

Julia's first day at Disney went something like this:

Julia: I want to go back to school.
Me: Julia, don't you like the Disney World?
Julia: No, I want to go to school and see Ms. Linda.
Me: Julia, go to the bathroom.
Julia: I am not going to the bathroom in a hotel. I want to go to a bathroom in my home.
Me: *sigh*

I knew it would all change the next day when she'd see Mary Poppins during breakfast, and I was not disappointed - Julia was star struck. She forgot all about her meal (which never ever happens) and clung to Mary Poppins' dress and would not let her go.

Anyway, here's our kids' vacation in pictures.

On our way home, our plane was delayed because of the aftermath cleanup from a blizzard, so I spread out papers, markers and crayons on the table at the airport to keep the kids preoccupied instead of letting them run around like crazy and risk them getting lost (as Julia did in the Magic Kingdom.) Oh, yes, my energetic boy was an angel on our trip, very independent and well behaved whereas my wonderful girl turned into a demon and refused to listen to a word we were saying.

David drew a picture of a plane in the clouds and asked if he could give it to the pilot. When we landed in Newark, David was able to show the tired (but very friendly) pilot the picture. Seth asked if David could take a look at the cockpit and the pilot agreed, inviting David inside, adding that he could press buttons if he'd like (since we were on the ground.) It was an exciting end to a long vacation.

Although the kids definitely had fun, Seth and I came back very exhausted. Now if only we could go on our own vacation to relax from this one!