Grandma's Swing

 The boys LOVE the swing hanging from the big tree in my mom's front yard.  And anything that keeps them busy is a win in my book.  Plus, I always get super cute pics of them on it. :)

Rollerblading Fun

Today was the perfect day to practice our rollerblading skills.

We may have had a few falls here and there...

But with a little help, everyone was feeling much more confident by the end.

Dottie and I did our part as a solid cheering section.

Disney Countdown

 Counting down the days until vacation is always so much fun.  One year we tried having it be a total surprise, and it just wasn't the same.  We wrapped up our Disney magic bands as a gift, woke the kids up that morning and had them open it.  I pictured screams of joy, crying, jumping around...nope.  Don't get me wrong, they were definitely excited, but just not the fireworks I imagined.  From then on I decided letting them getting excited and count down with us is totally the way to go.  

So each time we go to Disney I try to come up with some fun countdown to help us all get excited.  One year we made a paper chain.  Another time I put a bunch of balloons on a poster board to make it look like the house from the movie Up.  Each day they popped one of the balloons until there were none left.  They were both fun and served their purpose, but it takes time putting them together.  

When looking at different ideas for this trip I decided to get something we can use year after year.  I looked on Etsy and found the perfect thing.  It's super cute and the boys can take turns changing the number blocks.  I love it!

E-learning Buddies

 I think the one who is most excited to have the boys home e-learning is Dottie!  She always has a nice warm buddy to snuggle with. 

Science with Miles

 Today Miles decided he wanted to recreate an experiment they tried at school.  You take Skittles, put them in a circle on a plate and then pour water in the middle of them.  The colors from the candy bleed into the water and make a really fun rainbow pattern.

Awesome job Miles!!

Cheshire Cat Tails

 One of our all-time favorite treats at Disney World is the Cheshire Cat Tail.  It is a croissant like pastry with chocolate in the middle and a sugary icing drizzled on top.  At the parks you get them and they are warm, gooey and DELICIOUS!!

Sarah found a recipe she sent my way, so I decided to give it a try:

They turned out so good!!  The parks are obviously still better, but this is a great stand in when we have a craving and need something to get us by until our next trip to Disney!  :)

COVID Vaccine - Dose #1

 Since most of the high risk people have had the opportunity to get their vaccines and things have started opening up a little bit (if you are willing to search on the computer or go stand in line), I was determined to get vaccinated.  And once I put my mind to something, I will do whatever I can to make it happen.

I heard that if you go stand in line at Triton University at the end of the day, they give out any extra doses they have so they don't go to waste.  Yesterday I decided to try my luck.  I drove over around 4:30PM and stood in line for about 45 minutes.  As I was waiting for someone to come out and let us know if there were any doses left, I saw my friend Tamayo calling me.  

Tamayo is a doctor and works at a clinic where they give out the vaccine.  Up until this point, there really hadn't been an opportunity for any extras at her clinic.  But when she called me twice in a row, I had a good feeling. I answered and she told me they had once dose left at her clinic in Melrose Park and asked if I could get there quickly.  I was literally 5 minutes away standing in line at Triton.  I ran to my car, drove to her clinic, and the rest is history.

This girl is officially (partially) vaccinated!!  I didn't realize how much it had been weighing on my mind until they gave me the shot.  I felt a huge sense of relief and it made me so happy!

But now that I had it, I couldn't stop there.  I got on my computer this morning at 6AM and searched and searched until I found an opening today for Ryan.  He went at 11AM and got his first dose as well.  He got the Pfizer vaccine and mine was Moderna.  

And with all the good luck, I had to keep going.  I told my friend Rachel I was coming to pick her up this afternoon, drive her to Triton and stand in line with her.  It was rainy and St. Patrick's Day, so I figured we had a good shot.  We waited in the rain for about an hour, but they finally came out and had lots of extra does that day.  Not only did Rachel get vaccinated, but they asked if we knew anyone else we could call.  I called Val, she drove right over, and she got her first dose as well.  :)

It's not like I was super terrified that we were going to get COVID and have something terrible happen, but its nice not to have to worry about the "What if's" anymore.  I worry enough the way it is under normal circumstances, so having one less thing on my mind is a win!  

Zoo Adventure

 While the older boys are away, Mommy and Miles will play!!

Today's adventure....a trip to the zoo to check out the dinosaurs.  It's super cool.  There are 40 different animatronic dinosaurs throughout the zoo that move and make noise.  Add that to all the other things to see at the zoo, and we had ourselves a great morning!

I'm going to miss these little adventures once he's in full-time Kindergarten. So for now I'll soak up every minute of it.  Love you buddy!

Meet Flash Kalita

 Today the boys got to meet their new cousin, Flash!

Tim and Val finally pulled the trigger and got a puppy.  Super cute!!  Not only were the kids happy, but Dottie is going to be so happy to have a new playmate!  :)

Welcome to the family Flash!

Heat Lover

 Dottie is a lover or all things warm.  Not only does she love basking in the sun, but when there's no sun to be seen, she finds the next best thing...a cozy spot right in front of the heat vent.

Friday Scone Ritual

 Someone, aka Jen Mathis, made the mistake of introducing me to the scones from Rare Bird Preserves.  On certain mornings of the week they make them fresh and have them ready to go when the store opens.  They come in a little box, STILL WARM, with a side of one of their amazing preserves and fresh whipped cream.  Needless to say, I am hooked and it has become my weekly Friday treat.  I drop the kids off at school, and walk over there, typically with another friend in tow, to grab some for Ryan and I.  SO GOOD!!

Siblings

 

Window Watching

 Dottie LOVES laying in the sun!!  It doesn't matter where, or even if it is the tiniest sliver of sun...she will find it and lay with it directly on her.  Lucky for her, I love her and like to spoil her, so I set her up on a chair in the front window, with a huge fluffy blanket, so she not only has the sun, but also a view of everyone walking by to keep her entertained.

That's of course when she's not being entertained by one of the 5 people in our house.  ;)