Like Riding a Bike...Sort of.

Last weekend Billy and I got the chance to go skiing with some friends from church. I was 1) ridiculously excited to be kid-free for an entire Saturday, 2) Reeeally nervous that I was going to look like an idiot since I hadn't been skiing in 12 years.

I only looked like an idiot a couple times I think, (like the time I went down about 1/4 of a black diamond slope on my butt) it was really easy to pick back up, even though it's been so long. I am definitely a little sore today though. (Mostly from a few bruises from said slide down the slope, though.)

Billy did really well, too. This was only the second time he has been, and the last time was also about 12 years ago. We both were pretty much in awe of the little kids whizzing past us, headed straight down the slopes. We decided that Merrick and Tirzah need to try it sometime soon, and I'm sure they will put us to shame in no time.

I recently got a fitbit, and realized that skiing is obviously a good workout. We are planing to go again with my family this coming weekend, so I'm hoping all the soreness has worn off by then. ;) Those boots are no joke...I couldn't feel my toes until about halfway back home after we were done.

We have been really having a blast hanging out with this group of people lately (plus a bunch more who aren't pictured). I think for the longest time I have been pregnant or had a brand new baby or Billy's been working on weekends and I was just too tired to even make an effort to be social. My introvert gets even worse when I'm tired and overwhelmed. So now that we are kind of settling into a rhythm it's been nice to get out of the house and hang out with people who aren't asking me for a sippy cup or a snack. I mean, I love filling sippy cups and everything...but adults are kind of cool, too.

Flat Cheese, More Cheese, and Chocolate

Tirzah LOVES what she calls "flat cheese". Come to find out, that is actually sliced cheese. She was not impressed with the blocks of cheese we usually buy, and apparently made her Mamoo feel so bad for her that she bought her an entire oversized package of sliced cheese to take home with her recently. I have started letting the kids make their own lunches sometimes, and Tirzah almost always picks the flat cheese. No peanut butter and jelly for this sandwich snob.

I admittedly am not always paying 100% attention to what they are making for lunch until its already made. One particular day I realized, after they had sat down, that Tirzah's lunch looked like this:

I mean, not exactly a well balanced meal. But I'll give her an A for effort, or maybe a C for cheese. She didn't even bother to include bread this time...just the beloved flat cheese, cheez-its, and dark chocolate kisses. I'm also going to go ahead and admit that I let her eat it. But she definitely had baby carrots for her snack later. 

Attention Hog

It seems like ever since she was born, Amaryllis is determined to steal all the attention. She was determined not to fall into the typical "fourth baby" spot where you might get lost in the shuffle. She has definitely gone out of her way to leave her mark, and make herself heard, every chance she gets.

She's also following in her older brother, Jericho's, footsteps it seems when it comes to being a lazy baby. She still doesn't seem to care to sit up, although she can somewhat. She does roll over but would rather not. She just likes lay in the floor, or sit in her bumbo, and have her minions wait on her. Which they all do, readily. This may be part of the problem. ;) In her defense, however, I don't think the first few months of having to keep her propped up on her back at all times due to reflux helped with her laziness. She has taken that pickiness and run with it. Fancy pants fo sho.

This kiddo can't even sit and watch TV (what, you're 7 month old doesn't watch TV? oops) without putting on a big show and screeching every few minutes to make sure everyone is looking at her and not the TV. She makes SO much noise, happy or sad. Loudest Barron baby ever. (And that's saying something with as loud as they all are...and I thought Tirzah was loud.)

I think her being an attention hog isn't all her fault, though. I mean, look at that face. We DO kind of go overboard with heaping it on her. After she got the screaming sorted out, she's really turned into such a chill baby that we just can't help raving over it. She might get really far with this, ya know. If she keeps reminding us that she doesn't scream anymore. Now if we could just get her to sleep through the night, we might be willing to give her all kinds of stuff. Cars, diamonds, iPhones...what's it gonna take, Fancy Pants?

Bleached.

Sometimes it seems like certain seasons do that. Bleach you, in a sense. That's not necessarily a bad thing. We usually bleach things to get rid of grime and leftover stains and dirt. So, just different, maybe. You don't come out looking like you did, but you come out better, cleaner, brighter. I'm kind of looking at this winter that way...as we treck through the cold and the gray, and we work through the long stretch of school and Billy's long hours at work. Excited to see how we come out on the other side.

This year and last have been much easier on our family, and for that I've been grateful. We have been making an effort to make this be "the best year yet"...not saying trials won't happen, but we've realized that a lot is changed in the handling. We are planning to leave a lot of grime and stains that have gotten stuck in our souls as we move through this year, and letting the grace we know be the bleach that makes it happen.

Snow Day(s)

I haven't ever actually let the kids have a snow day. (I know, I know. So mean.) I just didnt see the point when we were stuck in the house anyway...might as well save the days off for warm weather that I actually want to spend outside. This time, however, I broke down. ;) We ended up spending the day sledding at a nearby park with some of our good friends from church. The kids had a blast...and I even went out in the snow. You guys should be so proud.

They spent hours going down the hills at the park. They also ended up in briar patches, ran into trees, they ran into each other, ate snow, and generally had a blast. I don't think they missed school one bit. (Neither did I, to be real. Even moms need snow days I guess.) They were highly upset with me when it was back to normal today. But they were sure to finish their school as fast as possible so they could spend more hours out in the backyard.

I'm amazed at how they can stand the cold for that long, but typically when they are in the house they are fighting like cats and dogs over sitting by the space heater. I think they are a little tougher than they let on, maybe.

There is still a load of snow in the yard, and we are going to have lows of 7 degrees, -4 degrees (what the world) and another 7 degrees. So I'm thinking it's not going anywhere. There will be lots of after school sledding happening this week. I'm also hoping this means that we will have an extra warm spring and summer. I mean, to keep things fair and all.