the day to day

When blogging is slow, it means the rest of life isn't.  Work has been very busy for both me and Kyle this past week (2, 3 weeks?)  For me, a lot of this has to do with making up work that couldn't be done due to snow days while juggling all the normal work that still has to be done on schedule.  But, I'm really not going to complain.  Sometimes my busiest days are my most fulfilling, and I like what I do.

Still, we've been burning the candle at both ends a lot and you get worn out.  The good news is that I have one more week to go before I get February vacation.  And the better news is, because of all the extra hours I've squeezed in lately, I'm going to go on vacation all. caught. up.  (quick, everybody knock on wood, right now)  I can see the light at the end of the tunnel.  In fact, By the first week in March, I may actually be marginally ahead of where I need to be.  (I know, THAT did it for sure ;)

So, my days right now consist of getting up and going to work.  I come home and usually have an hour or so to myself before Abby wakes up from nap.  Once she's up, we play or we go on errands.  Eventually, we get Kyle and either take him to school or bring him home.  The day ends with dinner, cleaning, and bedtime.  Then I usually watch some TV to relax and/or work on actual work for the next day.  On Mondays, I take Abs to the library.  On Tuesdays, we have playgroup.  On Wednesdays, we stay home (mostly), on Thursdays, we go to Target or the indoor playground, on Fridays we take it easy.

We have a schedule and it works.  Anyway, I realize none of this is interesting - but maybe one day I'll look back and read this and remember what things were like.  *shrug*

Here, have a picture.

On superbowl sunday, we told Abby she could have a "special" dinner and eat in front of the TV while we watched the game.  She was really excited about that.  She talked about her special dinner for another day or two afterwards.

I never get tired of watching her sleep - she's so peaceful and cuddly. :)

Let's see, what else to report?

Abby has been working on her manners lately.  She's usually pretty good - especially at home.  But, because she doesn't spend a lot of time with other kids - she sometimes has a difficult time generalizing those beautiful manners across settings.  So.  Now, on our way to playgroup or on our way to the playground, we talk about how to be nice and how to say Hi and how to share.  

It works great.  And it's funny.  Abby will go up to a kid and look at them.  I'l prompt her "Abby, be nice" and she'll tell the kid Hello.  Then, she'll run to me and tell me, "Mama!  I was nice!"  Or if a kid at playgroup gives her something, she'll run up to me and say "Mama! I said Thank You!"  She's so proud of herself.  The thing is, sometimes she forgets to *actually* say thank you and, instead, just comes to tell me that she did.  Good intentions.  

I don't mean to make it sound like she's a behavior problem or anything - she's really good, but just like everything else, we have to teach her how to act in all different situations.  

Also?  Her little neat freak thing is still going on.  She likes things organized and in their place.  She cleans up her own toys everyday without being prompted.  She'll come up to me and say "Uh-Oh, I made a mess.  I'm gonna clean it up, ok?"  And she goes about putting things exactly where they should go.  I mean, again, it's GREAT.  But...weird, right?  At play group, the other kids were playing with some of those leapfrog fridge magnets - the alphabet ones.  The moms commented on how they're constantly losing the pieces because the kids hide them, throw them, etc.  Abby?  No.  Abby likes to put all her letters in rows and columns.  If I take one off the fridge and put it on the floor - she runs over and puts it in line with the others.  Love it. 

All righty.  That's probably enough random stuff for now.  These are the kinds of posts that are really just more for me to relax by typing "out loud" than for reading value.  But, nonetheless, thanks for stopping by.  ;)  

Hope everyone has a good day.  And, if you're in Arkansas with your crazy snow - I hope you're having fun!