Our first Snow Day.

Yesterday morning I woke up startled around 5:30am, imagining I heard my phone ring. I reminded myself it couldn't be, though, because we were supposed to be getting snow and even the custodians at school were predicting a snow day. When they're talking you know its going to be pretty bad! So, I got up and as my bare feet hit the carpet I immediately got a chill. I walked to the windows and sure enough, white everywhere. I turned on the television, hit the mute button to try to avoid waking my husband, and watched as more towns than I knew existed scrolled across the screen. Even as a substitute, I've been getting called enough to be excited for this: a snow day!

I had told Collin's daycare provider that if we had a snow day I'd be keeping him home. So, I got an extra, unplanned day with my little guy. I was so excited! Those are the best because, as far as I'm concerned, I'm left with a lot of time and little plans since I had figured on working. As soon as he got up I told Collin what was up and I am sure a little smile crept across his face. After a diaper change we went downstairs and I told him to look out the window. Once again he was in awe about that white stuff falling from the sky.

We spent the time before breakfast watching Super Why and drinking juice. Collin loves Wyatt and his gang, but we don't get to watch too often since we're not home during the week a lot, and his weekend choice tends to be Handy Manny. I cooked up some waffles for both of us and we enjoyed them together. Collin loves syrup and this is probably the first time he didn't manage to get it all over himself, including in his hair!

After breakfast, while we were both still in our pj's, we went and played blocks in the playroom, then ran around like maniacs playing a mixture of tag and hide-and-seek, which made him laugh and scream in delight so much that my heart was melting the whole time and I just couldn't stop! We also filled our morning up with an episode of Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, playing trucks, diaper changes, and playing with Brady.

Here's Collin, just loungin' around!

We had lunch (still in our pj's!) and then it was nap time for Collin. I got some cleaning done and then took a shower and got dressed, and by this point Brian was home and attempted several times to clear our driveway (two snow blowers and a plow truck later he was finally successful!). Once Collin was up we had snack, played more trucks, then he played in the playroom by himself for a bit while I worked on a little craft project.

Eventually our day off came to and end, just like the snow storm that gave us the chance to stay home. It was a wonderful day and I am already looking forward to the next!

Is there anything you want to share, that gave you JOY this week?  The best moments, the treasured memory, the answered prayer, (the new shoes!)?   Share them with every body!

Oh the sights we've seen...

We've had a lot of time over the last ten years to go a lot of places. I know a lot of people say that they want to "travel together" before they have kids. The decision to have a child so soon (8 months) after getting married was an easy one for us partly because we had been together so long and had done so much traveling already. I say definitely travel, there is nothing like exploring new places with your loved ones! However, don't prioritize your life in such a way that you are convincing yourself and your significant other that you can't have a family and travel, because that can be done too!


Our traveling days started when we had only been together for a year. My mother allowed me to invite Brian on a road trip we took from NH to Baltimore, MD. Brian came along with myself, my mother, and my brother. It was during a school vacation and we had a great time. We stayed in a somewhat sketchy hotel, but spent a lot of our time in the downtown area, near the harbor. It was beautiful there.


We have been to Orlando, FL on our own, Denver, Snowmass and Aspen, CO, with Brian's family, and on a cruise of the Western Caribbean with both of our families. We took week long ski trips together to Sunday River, ME, and Mont Tremblant in Quebec, Canada. When I was pregnant we took a "babymoon" slash 1st anniversary roadtrip to Atlantic City, NJ, and our honeymoon was a cruise to the Bahamas. All of that was beautiful, inspiring, and fun. There is one trip I haven't mentioned, though, because I wanted to save the best for last.

One year my mother gave us the gift of a week long stay any place we wanted if we paid the airfare. We chose to go to Mazatlan, MX, a little city on the western coast of Mexico, and it was amazing. This is the trip that stands to be beat. That one place I'd go back to over and over again if I had the means. Gosh, it was beautiful, and relaxing, and slow paced, and just perfect. It was nothing like any trip I'd ever been on. We had no schedule, we had nobody we had to answer to, just the two of us, there, enjoying everything, and each other. 

Do you have a trip like that? One you know would be very hard to beat? We've seen all of these things in just ten years together, I can't wait to see what the next 10, 20, and even 30 have in store for us!

Wordless Wednesday - Sixteen Months!

Happy Sixteen Months, Collin!

All my love little boy <3

For more WW click here to visit Wordless Wednesday dot com or here to visit 5 Minutes for Mom.

Merry SITSmas!

Its here! SITSMAS!

(you can see this bigger if you click on it)

Merry SITSmas to all my SITStas and anyone else checking this out today! Don't know who a SITSta is?! What are you, crazy? Just kidding. Really, though... go check it out: [thesitsgirls]. Only one of the best ways to meet new bloggers, get comment love, and read some really great tips about blogging. Oh, and for SITSmas they're giving away prizes, and lots of 'em!

I hope everyone has a wonderful day, and Merry SITSmas!

I've seen better days...

I am so very aggravated with myself. I had such a wonderful day yesterday and today it was all ruined. I am in a horrible mood, I've had a headache all day, and I'm exhausted. I feel like I need a redo, a mulligan... I need to find the place I was in yesterday and get myself back there, because I do not like where I am today.

I was a substitute for a school secretary today, which is fine, but I have a busy mind and it really stinks quite a bit when I am left absolutely nothing to do. It isn't anyone's fault, it is just frustrating. I had too much time to think today and that got me a little down on myself. I am on this roller coaster all the time, rising and falling between wonderful happiness and complete despair. I am mad at myself for letting my current situation take over, again.

I had this moment today, as I hit the copy button for page 53 of 170, where the only words my mind would think are "How did I get here?" Specifically, how did I go from having a wonderful, albeit difficult, job with my own classroom, with friends at work, and a routine - something I could count on every day, to being a substitute secretary, or teacher, or aide, or whatever, on an inconsistent basis, just doing what I can to get by? Where did my life veer so far off course that I just cannot find my way?

It is a daily occurrence that I debate what I need to do with my life. I have six more months of this subbing thing. What if I don't find a job for next year? Do I continue subbing? I don't know if I could handle that. But what in the world else would I do? I don't even know what my options are! How crazy is that. I am frustrated about having no direction, I am frustrated that I don't know what I am going to be doing from one day to the next, and I am especially frustrated that this problematic situation creeps into my thoughts on a daily basis and spoils things for me.

This season of cheer and well wishes upon us is a wonderful reminder to be happy for the things I do have, the amazing friends and family that surround me. I can only hope that as this month progresses more positive, warm thoughts will flood my mind and these sad sorrows will be forced out for the time being.