Q and U Wedding

Oddly, we had a really nice Valentine's Day. Something about having kids actually makes it so much better. No romantic pressure. Just cheesy, goofball fun. Our kids treat it like Christmas and go absolutely nuts opening their cards. And the candy! Oh, the candy this year! We have been sheltered at a hippie preschool the past couple of years. I had NO idea the volume of candy (and homemade cookies, for which I am quite grateful) that we would find upon opening the kids' Valentine boxes from school. (Oh, and that was weird for me too. I always remember ripping into the bag/box of Valentines in class, but the kids' boxes and bags were all sent home sealed.) It's a lot of candy.

But that aside, the highlight of the day was going to Ree's class. (Having a valid excuse to skip work and hang out with my children is never bad either.) They did not have a simple Valentine party. In fact there was no "party". Instead, we attended the wedding of the letters Q and U. Because those two letters always go together when you are reading, they decided to finally get hitched.

It was a formal affair. The invited guests were all required to wait in the lobby of the school until it was time to be seated. Then we were escorted back to the classroom. The boys in the class were ushers, all dressed in shirts and ties, some with vests and jackets, and the guests waited patiently while the ushers seated everyone. The last to be seated where the families of the bride and groom who, of course, got to sit in the first row.

The ushers then processed in, followed by the girls in the class who were serving as bridesmaids. (Rumor has it there was some good-natured "fighting" among the girls over which bridesmaid would wear the fanciest dress.) Some of the boys had boutonnieres, and all of the girls carried bouquets.

Then it was time for the bride and groom to enter. The groom came in first, looking awfully nervous. Then everyone stood as the bride, dressed in a full length white dress and veil with her hair in an updo, processed in.

The teacher, dressed in a black robe, officiated, and Q and U exchanged vows and rings.

The ushers then escorted the bridesmaids out.

 Then it was time for the reception which began with Q and U cutting the wedding cake together.

And really, is there a better way to spend Valentine's Day than at a wedding?

Happy Valentine's Day

The kids got make-a-face Valentine's cards. Natalia had A LOT of fun making hers. I think this says it all.

Happy Valentine's Day from Pabla Picasso (and the rest of her family)!

In Sickness and in Sickness

Normally, we are pretty healthy people, but this winter we can't seem to catch a break. This week it finally dawned on me why. Leon and Michael started preschool. We have a whole new set of germs swarming around the house.

We haven't been this sick since the year Ree started preschool. Among other ailments, that winter we got a nasty stomach bug. Normally, viruses sweep through the house taking us down one by one. Not this one. Within 24 hours, all five of us came down with it. Jeff was so miserable he locked himself in our bedroom, and I spent the night in the living room with the three kids. Ree slept on the couch while the boys and I slept on the futon mattress on the floor. We couldn't keep up with the laundry and were out of sheets and towels, so I had layers of receiving blankets under everyone to deal with the inevitable doom.

We thought that was pretty bad, but this week we've found a new twist on the joys of being sick. The kids have been sick on and off since Christmas, with Michael having some crazy 24-hour flu bug last Sunday. His best friend and her family came over to watch football with us Sunday night, and he still excused himself and went to bed early. A few days went by and no one else got it, so we thought we were okay. But now Jeff and I both have the flu. The good news is the kids still feel good and are full of energy. The bad news is the kids still feel good and are full of energy.

This is when I am so grateful we live in a place that I can just send 'em outside to play, even in February. (And this picture is actually from a trip to the park a couple of weeks ago, but I haven't been too motivated to take pictures in the backyard this weekend. I still like this pic!)

Things I Loved About Breastfeeding

 

Just a warning - I'm joining in the breastfeeding blog hop again, and the subject says it all!

 

So when I was thinking about the things I loved about breastfeeding, I gotta admit, the first few that popped in my head were totally superficial. And totally true.

1. Getting to eat ANYTHING. I. WANTED. Anytime.

2. Boobs! I had boobs!

3. A built in excuse to sit on the couch watching bad reality TV, reading trashy novels, and skimming TMZ for hours on end.

4. An excuse to hide from people - gotta go feed the baby!

5. No bottles to wash = less work for lazy mama.

6. Exercise? Who needs to exercise? I got my little metabolism booster in my lap. 500 extra calories a day, baby!

But then there were the other benefits. Like getting cuddles from a soft, squishy little one and having a way to calm a baby down on even the worst day and everyone being super healthy. Those were pretty darn great things too.

Sleeping Beauty?

I suppose it's a bit of an inside joke, but Jeff regularly sends me pictures of all the crazy places Natalia falls asleep during Daddy Time, since (it feels like) she doesn't sleep at all when I'm around. (Yes, it's time for some more awesome, from-the-old-phone pics.) May I present, Sleeping Beauty?

She really likes sleeping on our couch.

Sometimes she doesn't even bother to lay down.

She didn't like eating in her high chair, but it was a great place to nap.

Her grandparents' couch is comfy too, even when there aren't any blankets around and she has to wrap up in a beach towel.

But sometimes ya just have to stop what you're doing and lay down right where you are.