Intentions for 2016...

Today was not the New Year's Eve I'm used to -- or expected. It began with my Dad having a minor procedure, my Mom being exhausted due to her sick dog keeping her up all night, and Will being particularly demanding. My parents were exhausted most of the day (understandably so), and they -- along with Will -- were in bed by 7:20 pm. 

Rather than sulk and wonder why I'm not with my hubby (first NYE we've been apart since we met in 2001), I decided to attempt productivity: another walk, laundry, packing for tomorrow's flight, veggie tray consumption, and, of course, Shark Tank. Yes, I'm obsessed and have watched it for 2 hours every night since arriving here.

While I am ready to go home and get back to life with all 3 of my boys (Dex included), now would be a great time to set some intentions for 2016. I dislike the term resolution, as I associate the term with a promise you will not keep to yourself after the 2nd or 3rd week of January. I would rather set intentions to live more purposefully and with no regrets.

Here are my 16 personal life intentions for 2016:

1. Be kind, even when I don't want to be.

2. Listen fully to others.

3. Stop saying "yes" out of a sense of obligation. When you're busy trying to please everyone else, you often lose yourself in the process.

4. Stop feeling guilty for not being able to please everyone.

5. Be more open minded when meeting or working with people.

6. Continue to make daily ME time.

7. Be present for those who truly matter in my life. Show up. Be there, physically and emotionally.

8. Let go of the past and any guilt or regrets. Aim to see regrets as nothing more than lessons learned.

9. Be grateful daily.

10. Make music, movement, and writing part of my daily routine.

11. Reconnect with the church. I miss it.

12. Get to know my neighbors more. 

13. Continue to find joy in teaching and mentoring others.

14. Practice mindfulness in every aspect of my life.

15. Tell my loved ones just how much I love and appreciate them. Constantly.

16. Be OK with the fact that I may never feel utterly and completely happy or satisfied. -- I recently (finally) finished Carry On, Warrior: The Power of Embracing Your Messy, Beautiful Life. I love the author, Glennon Doyle Melton's, writing and especially the following:

"I think one of the keys to happiness is accepting that I am never going to be perfectly happy. Life is uncomfortable. So I might as well get busy loving the people around me. I'm going to stop trying so hard to decide whether they are the 'right people' for me and just take deep breaths and love my neighbors. I'm going to take care of my friends. I'm going to find peace in the 'burbs. I'm going to quit chasing happiness long enough to notice it smiling right at me."

Here's wishing you and yours a 2016 filled with laughter, love, health, and endless joy, Warrior Women. You deserve nothing less! 💞💞💞💪🏻💪🏻💪🏻

How to "vacation" with a toddler...

Lessons learned today about coexisting peacefully and "vacationing" with a toddler:

1. Always give your toddler enough "warning time" before transitioning to a new activity, especially when hand-held technology and Bob the Train is involved. 🚞🚞🚞

2. Even with such warning time, your toddler is still likely to have a tantrum. 💥

3. The possibility for such a tantrum increases exponentially when in any public location. 💥💥

4. Especially in a restaurant. 💥💥💥

5. And even more so if the restaurant is already packed, loud, and over-stimulating. 💥💥💥💥

6. Never underestimate how long a seemingly boring game of throwing bath toys into a pool can last. 🏊🏻🏊🏻🏊🏻

7. And your toddler will not forget about this game, even after an afternoon nap. 🌟🌟🌟

8. It doesn't matter if you no longer have your swimsuit on and cannot easily retrieve the bath toys your toddler throws into the pool. Get your suit back on, go in the water with your clothes on, or find another creative, quick way to get the toys (i.e.: with a net). 💦💦💦

9. Should you fail to find a way to fetch these toys in exactly 0.5 seconds, your toddler may lose it. 😩😩😩

10. Completely.😡😡😡

11. Your toddler doesn't care if your boobs hurt or if you are carrying another child. He will still feel free to climb, walk, slap, and physically "attack" you, especially if you lie on the floor. #mybad 😱😱

12. Never tell a toddler he cannot read the book you currently are enjoying. He will take the book from you, "read" it himself, and then place it in his basket of personal books. Good luck trying to read it in peace. 👏👏

13. Always find a way to distract your toddler while changing his diaper. You may end up singing the same "Wheels on the Bus" song 30 times. Deal. 🚍🚍🚍

14. Your toddler will always prefer to eat what you're eating, even if the same exact food on already on his plate.🍔🍔🍔

15. You need to master mind reading to attempt to fully understand what your toddler wants, especially with food. Good luck. 🍕🌭🍟🌯🌮🧀🍗🍖🍤🍳🍞🌽🌶

16. Your toddler may behave like an angel in public yesterday, but anything goes today. Two days of sanity in a row?! Haha!! 😂😂😂

17. Be prepared to master your toddler's own specific language, which evolves daily and where 30 words may sound the same but mean entirely different things.🎖

18. Please gain the ability to access milk immediately, anywhere, anytime. 🍼🍼🍼

19. When things start to get thrown, they're about to get ugly. 😳😳

20. Brace yourself for the ride of your life EVERY day! 💪🏻💪🏻💪🏻

And I wouldn't have it any other way. 😍😍😍

Loving our time in FL!

Yesterday was a long day. Door to door equaled over nine hours of solo travel with Will. And we survived! He was even excited when he woke up in a strange new house this morning and rearing to go. 

Some things that made me happy and grateful today, our first full day in FL with my parents since April:

1. Will's ongoing obsession with dogs transfers over to my parents' Maltese, Sophia. He follows her around everywhere and tries to ride on her. Poor girl. 🐶🐶🐶

2. Will loves his grandparents, especially the new construction trucks Poppy gave him this morning for Christmas. 🚚🚚🚚

3. Will loves the pool again! Just in time for his new set of swim lessons to begin in a little over a week! Yay!! 💦💦💦

4. Keeping Will in his normal sleeping and napping schedule while traveling = Mommy win. 💤💤💤

5. Will's intense love of peanut butter like Mommy. 👏👏👏

6. Will's intense love of pasta like Daddy. 🍝🍝🍝

7. Having time to actually sit down and read a book, this time in and then by a pool. #bliss 🏊🏻🏊🏻🏊🏻

8. A nap outside while Will napped = mmmmmm. ☀️☀️☀️

9. Will behaving like an angel at an Italian restaurant = a belated Christmas miracle. 🌟🌟🌟

10. Bob the Train and The Wheels on the Bus song on my iPhone = a miracle while traveling with a toddler. 💞💞💞

Let's aim for another awesome day tomorrow! I may not want to leave on Friday!! 😘😘😘

Oh, winter!

My in-laws ended up leaving a day earlier than expected yesterday in order to beat the impending CT snowstorm arriving tonight. Is it sad that I'm a TAD bit jealous?!! ☃☃☃

We are continuing to have a blast hanging out with Will at home. Greg took today off to take us to the airport later today, and we are loving this special time with just the 3 of us plus Dexter. Will is such a joy and sponge. He learns so fast, and it's a lot of fun picturing him as an older brother. I think he will be great!

I also get really nostalgic this time of year because I have absolutely no desire to put away our tree or other Christmas decorations. I LOVE this season. Taking them down only symbolizes the potentially long, dreary winter ahead. Positivity, Kay, positivity!

So, I head off to my Pure Barre class in search of mental clarity and inner peace. Both are great in general, especially in preparation of flying solo with an overly active toddler. Ahhhh!!!! 😜😜😜😜

Big picture!!

As I've mentioned many times before, I've certainly chilled out and mellowed over the years. Parenthood has definitely assisted in this process. 

Case in point -- I can watch my living room, bedroom, and basically entire house get torn up by a toddler throughout the course of a day and be completely fine. I even caused some of the mess in our bedroom today with all of my clean laundry. Instead of letting it drive me insane, I smile at it. I see it as progress.

It's OK, gigantic pile of laundry. You can wait until tomorrow. The world will not end. In fact, I will get more sleep, and the dog will get to sit on the pile happily for a few minutes.

Let it go. Put it in perspective. Don't sweat the small stuff. Spend more time focusing on what is RIGHT in your life and what you are blessed with all around you. 

For me, all it takes is looking at Will. He's my main reason, and he could give a s*** about how neat or tidy the house is. He wants my presence and to share the joy of life with Mama and Dada. What a true gift.

#soblessed #bigpicture #lifeisgood 😍😍😍

Merry Christmas!

Sometimes, a picture is worth a thousand words. Today was a truly beautiful Christmas, and I hope your day was just as special.

This exhausted mama says once again, "Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night!" 💞💞💞

Twas the night before Christmas...

''Twas the night before Christmas, and all through the house, not a creature was sick, not even Kay. I'm finally back to life, and it's a Christmas miracle!

It's Christmas Eve, and I feel beyond blessed to finally be feeling back to normal. I even have an appetite again!

Here's my list of things I've learned and observed during and after my illness:

1. Velcro dogs are the best nurses.

2. Full-calorie Gatorade -- and lots of it -- is a must.

3. Not puking = total win.

4. Being able to sleep without having a fever or chills = bliss.

5. My in-laws are here and rock.

6. 68 degrees and rainy on December 24 in MD = just plain weird.

7. 70 degrees on Christmas = even weirder.

8. Will's smile continues to be ridiculously infectious.

9. I'm obsessed with photo Xmas cards. You should see our fridge!!!

10. Getting to take Dex for a walk for the first time in 5 days = exceptional.

11. The vet says Dex is a bit overweight. Guess I will need to have a sit-down with Will to discuss breaking his habit of sneaking food to the dog when I'm not looking. 😉

12. I need to stop calling Dex "Fatty," but it's funny. 😜

13. Food tastes SO good again.

14. Greg makes mean scallops. Mmmmmm.....

15. The cleaning service we have biweekly = a godsend.

16. I would hire my MIL as our full-time cook if I could. 😘

17. Mindy Kahling's book = awesome. 

18. Santa needs bourbon, not milk. See below. 

19. I made cookies for Santa. They are delicious.

20. Will's obsession with trains and books knows no bounds.

21. Will now knows how to blow kisses. Simply adorable. 😍😍😍

22. Christmas will be a lot more fun once Will understands the concept of Santa and believes in him.

23. Santa is real.

24. And his gifts are awesome. I can't wait for all of us to open them tomorrow morning!

Merry Christmas Eve to all, and to all a goodnight. ☃☃☃

Sick day madness!

I hate taking sick days but am SO glad I did today. What a necessity! I rested. I saw the doctor. I rested some more. I made ME a priority.

So, on this 22nd day of December, here's a list of things that brought me gratitude, amusement, or intrigue today:

1. My loyal nurse Dexter never leaving my side today. What a loyal sweetheart!

2. Greg really stepping up with Will so I could rest and heal. He's the best. 💞💞💞

3. Tylenol. Without finally caving and taking it, I doubt my fever would have broken.

4. My chills ending. Scary stuff.

5. My doctor mama friend encouraging me to go to the doctor to ensure I haven't put stress on the baby. I listened to her.

6. No fever and blood pressure and vitals perfect but have a severe sinus infection. Thank goodness for Augmentin, a pregnancy-safe antibiotic. I'm hoping to feel at least some relief by tomorrow.

7. Buying Ginger ale, soup, and saltines = a sick time necessity.

8. Finally being able to keep food down again.

9. More rest.

10. Panera's chicken noodle soup. Part of Operation Hydration!!

11. More awesome Christmas cards in the mail.

12. More sleep.

13. Hearing from my parents, who are on a Christmas cruise and currently in Colombia. #luckybastards 😜😜😀

14. No more fever.

15. Looking like a hot mess picking up Will this afternoon. See below.

16. Cold compresses. See below.

17. Will's clear pronunciation of "doggie" now. It's so adorable seeing him and Dex together. See below.

18. Will "reorganizing" my shoes. What a helpful boy. See below.

19. Will dancing to classical music in the kitchen. 

20. Will being in a good mood all night and going to bed easily. #allelujah

21. My bed.

22. Being in my bed currently. More rest ahead!! 😀😀😀  

Evil trifecta!

Today I was told I looked like a zombie and that I've never moved more slowly at work. This would be correct. 

"Morning" sickness (ha!) + sinus infection + stomach bug = evil holiday trifecta. If I could just get well, that would be grrrrreat. 

But alas, let me share some pics and thoughts that made me SMILE today because like any challenge or adversity you face in your life, this too shall pass. 

Oh, Sunday nights!

Oh, Sunday nights. The time where you ask where the hell the weekend went, try to mentally prepare for the week ahead, and curse in the process.

I haven't posted in a few days, making this list of things that brought me mirth, vexation, or gratitude this weekend even more fun to write. So, on this 20th day of December, here goes nothing...

1. The cold is finally here, and I can't find my favorite winter coat anywhere. #fail 😡😡😡

2. 4 different Christmas parties. Had a blast!

3. Too bad Will decided to break a nice glass ornament at one of the parties. I owe you a replacement, Melissa. So sorry! 😩😩😩

4. Not knowing what on earth your toddler wants to eat when the only thing he says over and over again is "ba!" So, we bring a ton of food over to him. He shakes his head and starts to scream uncontrollably. Oh, toddlerhood.

5. Greg's successful trip to a used bookstore and record store with Will, until Will decided to remove all of the books from the shelves. 😂

6. Pure Barre 4 days in a row. #addicted

7. A headache that will not go away. I know I can take Tylenol, but I'm stubborn and don't like to take anything during pregnancy. 😩

8. Addressing 130+ Christmas cards in one sitting early Saturday morning in order to get them mailed at the post office yesterday.

9. Running around town delivering cards to the vet, Dexter's groomer, and my amazing nail salon. Greg thinks I'm crazy. He is correct.

10. Target. Avoid it at all costs until after the new year.

11. Our 2nd new chair being delivered. This is especially impressive, considering the estimated delivery date was 3/22/16.

12. Finding the perfect gift for our White Elephant Gift Exchange at work tomorrow.

13. The smell of gasoline. I've always loved it.

14. Will still not destroying any of our ornaments.

15. Catching up with my awesome MIL. Looking forward to seeing her later this week!

16. Propel. I could literally drink it all day. Oh wait, I actually do.

17. It's our 17th week of pregnancy! Our baby is now 3.5 oz and the size of my palm!

18. Only puking once this weekend. If it could stop entirely, that would be grrrreat.

19. Not finding out the baby's gender until January 13 = not conducive to my planning ways. It can't come soon enough!

20. I want snow. I know, I know. But I'm a New Englander at heart and always will be. Plus, I heart snow days. 💞

Did I mention it's going to be 75 on Christmas Eve?!!!!! Insanity!!! 😳😳😳😱😱😱 

Ode to Winter Break

Because winter break is on every single teacher's mind right now, today I offer you 17 things standing in my way before such a respite....at least until I run out of things to write. Ha!

1. Our Christmas cards finally arrived today. Please have a robot come over and address all 150 envelopes. #thanks

2. Covering an endless amount of classes for colleagues tomorrow who will inevitably be out. Not complaining, though. I generally love students. #fridaysindecember

3. It must be mentioned, though, that middle school students are particularly impossible this time of the year.

4. And moody.

5. And dramatic.

6. And refuse to do any work.

7. Of any kind.

8. Lord, help us now. 😱😱😱

9. Whoever thought a 3-day school week before winter break begins was a good idea needs to be punched. Hard.

10. Why on earth is Wednesday a full day of school?

11. A student asked me the above question. My reply, "To torture us all."

12. Managing not to kill any of the indoor plants before my in-laws arrive.

13. Ensuring all glass is actually removed from the carpet after yesterday's snowglobe explosion. Apparently, I failed at this last night, causing Greg to get shards of glass stuck in his hand tonight. Luckily, he removed the glass carefully and is fine. #whoops

14. Staying positive with my colleagues, several of whom are very stressed and sick right now. #tistheseason

15. Will's 18 month appointment next Tuesday. He LOVES doctors. Ha!! 

16. Ensuring Will remains uninterested in the tree...or ornaments. #goodluckmama 😂

17. Killing the last of the damn fruit flies if it's the last thing I do.

Smashed snowglobe!

On the 16th day of Christmas, life gave to me...many things to feel happiness, vexation, aggravation, or sadness over!

1. Will had his first real nightmare last night. Poor baby. 😓

2. The fruit flies continue to die. I am winning. 😈

3. Amazing staff holiday luncheon at work. #eatallthefood

4. Getting to see many awesome English and reading teachers in action today! #mypeople

5. The thrill of crossing items off a to-do list. Sometimes, I write down things I've already done just to be able to cross them out. #ihaveproblems 😜😜😜

6. Being forced to wait for your doctor for what seems like 10,000 years. 😡😡😡

7. Having the doctor finally come in, say you look awesome, and then listen to your baby's heartbeat and proclaim it to sound "wonderful." #score 

8. I think Will is getting sick. 😩😩😩

9. Giving my hubby a guys' night out in DC = he owes me later. 😇😇😇😈😈😈

10. Popcorn.

11. Drinking water. All. The. Time. 

12. Our students did an incredible job with their art show and winter concert tonight!

13. Taking advantage of heavy traffic to catch up with an amazing friend. Love you, Mary! 😘😘😘

14. Will smashing a snowglobe with his bare hands, water going all over him, and him crying hysterically. The bright side? No bloody fingers or cuts! Thanks for the gift, Auntie Anne! Lol 

15. Evening naps rock.

16. So do Modern Family and Blackish. I really need to watch normal TV more often. Nah. I can't sit still long enough. 😂😜

Oh, this debate...

I wonder if this Republican debate will go until 1 am.... It looks to be that way! 

As I sit here watching it and wishing I could have a proper drink, I once again have some serious and sarcastic comments for my potpourri list today, the 15th day of Christmas:

1. Thank you to Amanda for the amazing fruit fly trap! They are already dying by the dozens. I told them I would win. Buwahahaha...

2. My loyal lapdog.

3. Even though I had some puking this morning, Will had no tantrums this evening. Thank God.

4. My leadership team meeting ending 11 min. early after school. #itsthelittlethings

5. The cluster that was the Germantown Target this afternoon. With their electronic system continually shutting down and all of the self check-out lanes being closed, the store  resembled something from Black Friday. What a joyous end to my workday.

6. Proceed with caution when trying Potbelly's Mac 'n cheese, particularly when you add chili and bacon to it. #toomuchofagoodthing

7. Some great one-liners from this debate.

8. My Pajamagram finally being delivered. My order was placed on 11/8. #businessfail

9. Baby only wanting to eat cheese and pasta. Very bad. Watch Mommy turn into a whale. 😂😜

10. Will's new adorable obsession with Elmo. He even proclaimed DURING his nap (while not waking up), "Elmo, Elmo, Elmo!!"

11. Evil pastries. Pure evil.

12. Killing one of the damn fruit flies in the shower. What on earth was it doing there?!!

13. One of my favorite lines from the debate so far -- "If you want something talked about, ask a man. If you want something done, ask a woman." Amen.

14. Our neighborhood looks so beautiful with all the Christmas lights!

15. Can someone tell me why I'm still up watching this nonsense?!!!

18 months?!!!

It's hard to believe that Greg and I have been parents for exactly 1.5 years today. And we survived relatively unscathed. That's a win in my book.

On this 14th day of Christmas/December, I offer you a mixed bag of things that either annoyed, pleased, or made me feel grateful today. I'll let you decide which is which.

1. The fruit fly infestation in our house as a result of having the back door open on Saturday, since it was 70 freakin' degrees. All of these flies must die painful deaths immediately. They enrage me.

2. Starting my day with flowers and a beautiful thank you card from a colleague.

3. Toddler temper tantrums. Tonight, Will had the WORST one ever. 😡😡😡

4. Greg getting home before 5:30.

5. Sneaking in an awesome OT workout at night thanks to my dear hubby.

6. Continuing to get Christmas cards from our friends around the world.

7. Tiny Prints hasn't even shipped our cards to us yet. #christmasfail

8. Bringing in a ton of leftover veggies and hummus to work and having healthy snacks to munch on all day.

9. Tortellini. Baby wants this constantly. Mmmmm.

10. This year's White House ornament from Greg.

11. When Will tries to say "fish," it sounds like "s***." 😂😂😂

12. The past 18 months with Will = best and happiest times of our lives so far. We can't wait to see what the future holds. 😍😍😍😍

Weekend gratitude!

What a weekend! So much to be happy about and grateful for, so I think a proper gratitude list is in order. Here goes nothing...

On this 13th day of December, I give you 13 things I am most grateful for over this past weekend:

1. New red sparkly nails and toes for Christmas. #itsthelittlethings

2. Dexter still smelling so fresh and so clean after his grooming yesterday. 

3. An awesome holiday open house yesterday. 

4. Fun times at a friend's holiday brunch this afternoon.

5. Will holding it together well during both events. #hallelujah

6. 3 days in a row of Pure Barre. #addicted

7. CRAZY warm, beautiful weather! 72 degrees on December 13?!!! I'll take it!!

8. Greg finally starting to feel a bit better. Thank you, sleep and antibiotics.

9. Will being exhausted and sleeping until after 9:00 am this morning. #wearelucky #besttoddlerever

10. A friend's son seems to be OK after biting into an ornament yesterday and the family spending the day at urgent care and then Children's. Thinking of you, Becca!!

11. Will's bright eyes and keen ability to observe and take in so much of the world around him. He is SO like Greg in so many ways, including his passion and love for pasta. See accompanying photo. #trueitalianmen 😜

12. Feeling surprisingly on top of my game for this time of the year, which is the polar opposite from last year. I'm just trying to savor this now, as I know next Christmas with a toddler and newborn will be a whole different ballgame. Ahhhh!!!! 😳😳😳

13. Friends who you may not see for a while but with whom you can just pick right up from where you left. I'm grateful to have seen so many of these treasured people this weekend! 💞💞💞💞💞💞

Fun party!!

Despite Greg and I not feeling well, we still got another successful holiday party in the books, #9 since moving down here! 

It was more low key this year, with a steady stream of guests from 3-8 pm. There was never a huge amount of people at once, which worked well for Will and allowed us to really visit with everyone individually. It is insane the amount of food we still have leftover, though! No cooking for a few days = total win. Thank you to everyone who came out!

It's crazy to think about how our parties have evolved, from crazy  drunken festivities in DC in our 20s to family-friendly, laid back events scheduled around our toddler's nap schedule in the suburbs now in our early 30s. Things may look different now, but one thing is still for sure -- we are blessed with incredible friends, near and far. For that, we are truly forever grateful.

On the sinuses front, I am going to try the Neil Med sinus rinse tomorrow morning. I was able to take a 24 hour loratadine allergy tablet today, which already seems to have helped. Fingers crossed that the rinse will help too!! 

Pet Peeves...

This has been an insane day. I basically facilitated meetings for 10 straight hours, first at school and then for the advisory board I serve on for the union. 

In honor of my exhausted and sarcastic state, I offer you something different, a list of 12 personal pet peeves, in no particular order:

1. Slow drivers.

2. Distracted drivers. 

3. Drivers with absolutely no idea where they are going and thus lose all ability to maneuver their vehicles safely or sanely.

4. Being late.

5. Ferrets as pets (long story).

6. Complainers.

7. Miserable people who will always be miserable, even if you gave them a million dollars, a chauffeur, and a lifetime supply of chocolate.

8. Messes or disorganization of any kind, minus anything to do with Will. 😉

9. Stupid people.

10. People who are scared of dogs, particularly my 15 pound dog.

11. Not having a schedule or expected routine, at least some of the time.

12. People who blame others when they really should look in a mirror. 

BONUS: Dirty keyboards.

This list was so much fun to write that I'm going to think of even more specific, annoying things for tomorrow. Get excited! 😜😜😜

Energy is returning!!

A very full but awesome day indeed! So much to continue to be grateful for and appreciate!

8th day of Christmas gratitude list:

1. Getting Will to school a bit earlier than normal to sneak in a Pure Barre class before my AM training. I'm addicted!

2. My healthy protein balls. They are seriously the perfect snack!

3. Only puking once today.

4. Rolling out my foot on the massager I have....mmmmmm.....

5. Committing at least 3 random acts of kindness today. I can do better, though! 

6. My crazy but awesome new leggings. 

7. My leadership meeting after school getting cancelled.

8. Shopping for Will's teachers and scoring an amazing deal in the process.

9. Still being able to drink my fave Starbucks beverage, a grade nonfat Oprah chai latte.

10. KT tape not keeping me from my nightly walks. Will happily joined us tonight.

11. Instead of wanting to bathe the baby dolls at school with his peers, Will opted to wash some cars and trucks. Sounds about right. #pureboyallthetime

12. My crazy energy seems to be coming back. Thank you, 2nd trimester, and watch out, world!! 😜😂😜

Monday Funday!

I've decided to start calling Monday Monday Funday. Everyone hates Mondays, so I figured I would rename them to lighten the mood and get people smiling more. I have to say that it worked at school today too!!

Today's gratitude list (Day 7 of Christmas):

1. The KT tape is truly making it less painful to walk, and I even forgot my plantar fasciitis was there a few times today! #score

2. Still finding my sense of humor after puking up my breakfast. The baby just wants to remind me that he or she is there. #troublealready

3. Will's intense love of the animal figurines at school. #allanimalsallthetime

4. Will rejecting playing with the fake snow (They're working on textures) in favor of going back to the animal figurines. #shocker

5. Discovering my principal's sense of humor is still intact after his long absence from school. 

6. A Chipotle lunch to benefit our school. Hopefully, no E. coli there.

7. Chocolate cake in honor of a great colleague's birthday.

8. 55 degrees and sunny on December 7. #nottooshabby

9. More Christmas cards in the mail! Yay!!!

10. Will and Greg dancing together. #tooprecious

11. A brisk evening walk with Dexter.

12. Being in bed by 9 pm. #mommywin

Sunday barf day!

Sunday Funday! 

It was more like Sunday barf day thanks to my little baby, who obviously didn't get the memo that we are now well into our second trimester. Silly baby!

Despite not being able to hold much down, much got accomplished, and I continue to have so much to be grateful for. 

1. Meeting and connecting with a friend of a friend over brunch currently struggling with infertility. We meshed right away, and I think I gave her some tips and suggestions to move forward with. Women are NOT alone in their journeys to have children, and the more we can connect and talk about it, the better.

2. Actually sticking to a list at Target. #win

3. Master of None. I highly recommend this original Netflix comedy.

4. William is seriously the sweetest boy in the world. We are beyond blessed.

5. Taking it easy with exercise this weekend to help relieve my plantar fasciitis. NOT easy for me to do, but I'm glad I did.

6. Finishing a heart-warming novel, Carry Her Heart.

7. Reliving my childhood and making my Mom's chicken noodle soup. SO good, despite having to use parsley instead of celery (Silly hubby can't follow grocery list lol).

8. Getting to spend time and this dinner with an awesome colleague and friend.

9. Hearing that one of the teachers I've worked closely with over the past 3 years accepted a position to teach history in Colombia for next year. This is a dream come true for him, and I am so proud of how far he's come!

10. KT tape. Love this stuff to help my foot.

11. Keeping down a quality slice of NY style cheesecake for dessert...so far!

12. Will's joy at life, especially when eating blueberries tonight. He is beyond obsessed with fruit.

End your weekend with inner peace and gratitude, WW!!

Joy!

Even though my foot still hates me, I have a plan in place to ease its pain and suffering. Thank goodness.

Today was a full and joyous day, full of plenty of time and laughs with my boys. I am grateful.

So, on this 5th day of December, here is a proper gratitude list:

1. My boys. They complete me.

2. Maintaining a sense of humor while Will cried and screamed at Santa. Poor old man.

3. Breakfast with Andrew and his family before screaming at Santa.

4. Fleet Feet Sports in Gaithersburg. They are seriously THE best with any kind of running issue. Jennifer spent a great deal of time with me, and I walked out with much better-fitting running shoes, inserts, special sandals, and a roller. My feet will thank me. Merry early Christmas to me! Take that, plantar fasciitis!!!

5. Getting a short nap in while Will napped.

6. Baking my fave Christmas cookies.

7. Managing a walk with Dex without TOO much pain thanks to my new shoes and inserts.

8. Ms. Roseanne baby-sitting. She's the best, and we always feel at ease when she is with Will!

9. Our amazing dinner at Firestone's in Frederick. Loved the sweet potato gnocchi! 

10. Downtown Frederick in full Christmas spirit.

11. My hubby's sense of humor.

12. Christmas cards have started to arrive! I LOVE this season!!!

I hate plantar fasciitis!

It's Friday, and I'm grateful.

It sucks that my plantar fasciitis is flaring up for the first time in 5.5 years in my left foot, but I will deal. This too shall pass. I posted this on my main FB page too, but feel free to share your best tips for helping relieve plantar fasciitis issues below!

No formal gratitude list today but a simple collage of 5 things and ideas that kept me staying positive today, even though it is beyond painful just to walk!

Here's to an awesome weekend ahead, WW!! 😘😘😘

Gratitude abounds!

So much to be grateful for today!!

Day 2 of Christmas gratitude list:

1. 8.5 hours of sleep last night. A new recent weeknight record.

2. Supposedly, the rain is over after today. Thank God.

3. Surviving leading 6 consecutive teacher professional development sessions today. Only one person really irked me too. #win

4. Coaching teachers who truly want to do best by kids.

5. Indulging in a Pure Barre class after school. Best way to end a workday.

6. A few kind drivers on the cluster that is 270N during rush hour. Shocking.

7. Will can already read 2 words -- dog and no. Is this kid brilliant or what?! Lol 😜

8. A beautiful handwritten note from a beautiful, longtime friend, Molly. 😍😍😍

9. Greg making it home in time for me to head to prenatal yoga. Two awesome classes for ME in one day?! Yesssss.

10. Nutella. If only it were calorie and sugar free.

11. My parents arriving safely back in FL this afternoon.

12. Our Christmas photos by Bruna are done, and they are AMAZING! I can't wait to share some of them with you!

Hope your Hump Days were nothing short of fabulous, Warrior Women! 

Yay December!

Happy December, Warrior Women! With all the rain and relatively mild temperatures we've been having, it certainly doesn't feel like winter is around the corner. 

In the spirit of the season, I've decided to expand my daily gratitude list for this month to 12 things per day (some serious, some fun, and, of course, some sarcastic). Gotta honor the 12 days of Christmas somehow, right?!

1. My awesome hubby staying home with our Will and his friend Andrew today while daycare was closed. He had BOTH toddlers by himself for over 8 hours and did a fantastic job! I'm proud!! #daddyoftheyear

2. Taking advantage of an all-day training's later start time by hitting up a 7:05 am Pure Barre class beforehand. Awesome.

3. Being reunited and getting to work with my third-year Staff Development Teacher cohort all day today. I've really missed them. They inspire me to do better and lead for change and equity at my school! #equitywarriors

4. Lunch with said awesome people. Chicken fajitas at La Laredo Grill rock.

5. Receiving happy updates from Greg all day about how well the boys were doing.

6. Training ending 30 min. early, allowing time for an extensive Wegman's run.

7. Getting to buy a beautiful poinsettia plant this year. No cats = can't be poisoned by this plant. Score.

8. No puking today. Score.

9. No weird cravings today. Score.

10. Being OK with a little pregnancy weight gain. Score.

11. Will having absolutely no interest in our Christmas tree. Neither did Andrew. Score.

12. Will loving to sleep and go to bed. Score.