Spring Break: Cabin Fever Edition

Last night, we got snow.  It's the middle of March, and we got measurable snow.  Since we've been tempted with multiple 70 degree days, this bout of cabin fever is a little more severe.

To fight this Cabin Fever, we tried finger painting for the first time.  I'm not sure we have a future artist.  She quickly figured out it didn't taste good.  After trying to get her to play and draw, she picked up the paper and threw it off in disgust.

Apparently, books are her thing.  (Trying to pretend this doesn't make me burst with pride.)  She saw her new Dory book on the island after I cleaned up all the paint.  She pointed at it and said, "da" as in "that."  We snuggled in the big chair while she read it, upside down.

Pointing the all the pictures and telling me what is going on.

Then, you moved to your chair and continued to read it aloud.  Turning pages.  Pointing to pictures and words.  Studying everything.  

Babies, movies, and snuggles rounded out our morning.

THIS FACE!!  My heart just melts. 

She slowly taps her baby's back to soothe her.  I love when she does this to me when she gets up in the morning.  

If we have many more snowy March days, we will need to increase our Disney movie collection...for Mom's sake.

Wordless Wednesday

Sunny and 65 degrees on Saturday.

And three to four chances of snow over Spring Break. 

Mila's First Snow Day

An unplanned, surprise day to snuggle my little sweet baby?  I will never say no.  

Of course teachers love snow days, even more so than the students.  On Monday, even though the temps were in the mid forties, the impending possible blizzard had the school buzzing.  In true Iowa-weather fashion, the amounts kept changing.  The predictions were anywhere from twelve to eighteen inches at one point to six to twelve inches to five to eight inches.  True Iowans know this could mean we could be dumped on or we could be missed completely.  We ended up with two inches.

Because of the hype for the last week from the weather, we all - teachers and students - agreed, if we did have to go to school on Tuesday, we would pout, stomp, whine, and more or less throw a fit.  My temper tantrum would rival them all.  How dare you tease me with a possible day with my Mila bug and then take it away.

To ensure it would happen, Mila wore her "Let it Snow" outfit on Monday.

Like many teachers and students across the state, I woke up with my alarm, instead of hitting snooze. I immediately hopped on KCCI and anxiously waited for the site to load the hundreds of school closings.  I scrolled the list clear down to the "U's" searching for Urbandale Schools only to be let down.  Then comes the never ending task of hitting refresh every two minutes until I get the answer I want.

Impatiently waiting for any metro school to close, I checked the radar and my worst fear was confirmed.  There was snow to the north and south with a big empty clearing right over Des Moines.  Figures.  I didn't give up hope and went back to the school closing list to watch it grow.

Finally, the call came at 5:35am.

And I knew this smile would fill my day:

Mila is obsessed with the television.  Whether it's cheering for the Hawkeyes or Daddy's video game, she will stop eating, playing, and talking because she gets sucked into whatever is on.  We know it is the bright lights and noise, but we are already jokingly telling her, "No more screen time, Mila."  This is her literally straining to watch: 

Mila was a little clingy and wanted to be held while she slept.  This meant I didn't get the grading done I had hoped, but, this was by far more important:

Had the snow hit at any other point of the day, we would have had school.  The roads were clear by 10am.  But no complaints here.  There is something so special to cherish about an unplanned day off.

A New Kind of Date Night

This time, the cocktail selection included a bottle.  

This time, the dance in the living room added a new partner. 

This time, the conversation changed ever so slightly.

This time, the snuggles weren't just reserved for us. 

And it was our new happy.  

When the temperature hits record highs in November, Iowans know they must take advantage of it, no questions asked.  Because, all too soon, winter will creep in and never end.  So, when the forecast called for upper 70s, I didn't have to convince Casey to grill me some steak and shrimp.  

And, by turning off the television, turning on the music, and focusing on each other, we could create our own date night right at home.  

Pandora created our tone and mood for the night with Jack Johnson's radio station.  It was as if Jack and Pandora had planned it for us.  

"Everything" by Michael Buble popped on and demanded we dance.  This was the first song we danced to as a married couple.  We scooped Mila up and told her the story of Mom and Dad's first dance and wedding day.  

Then, as if on cue, "I Won't Give Up" by Jason Mraz came on as we sat down to eat.  The song from our wedding ceremony.  The song that immediately makes me think of my husband and our love.  The song that captures our relationship perfectly.  It could not have been planned better.  Mila gave us twenty uninterrupted minutes to enjoy cocktails, food, and each other.  

And we were reminded of the love that created our precious little girl. 

This Summer I Will.... (2014)

Even though it was the longest winter in recent memory, summer snuck in.  One day, it is a brisk 30 degrees with a roaring wind; the next, it is raining and dreary all day; then, out of nowhere, it is sunny and humid.  Oh, how quickly Iowans forget about the humidity when the wind chills are at record lows.  

Not only the weather, but also the events of this past season made it feel longer than most.  As good friends of our said, "you are becoming pros at grief."  Not something I ever aspired to do. 

But, summer is like the start of a new year.  Renewed energy to get things accomplished that have been put off since last summer.  Fresh start with fresh air and opportunities.  Blank slate for stories to be made and experienced. 

This summer I will...
Discover the joys of being a homeowner

~ create an office oasis: Right now, it's a disastrous catchall.  There are piles of papers, mounds of books, and random decor waiting for attention.  I want it to be a productive and creative workspace.  It has long way to go.

~ organize a laundry room: This isn't a priority in Casey's book, but he doesn't spend as much time there as I do.  Mom has offered Doug's services to help put cupboards and hanging bars to make doing laundry as fun as it can possible be.

~ plant flowers: I really just want someone to do this for me.  I do not have any sort of green thumb or even have any idea where to start.

~ splash color on the walls: A few weeks ago, Casey said we need some paint on the walls downstairs.  A casual statement implying little to no effort.  Our downstairs is more or less one room.  You paint one, you are painting everything including the hallway upstairs.  I think I will be showing Casey how much an accent wall can add.

~ order wedding photos: I once read you can't hang a memory disk on a wall.  So true. Our amazing photographer, D&orfs Photography, has overwhelmed us with memories from one of my favorite days.  I will relive this day through these photographs and try to select some of the nearly 2,000 photos to print.

Encourage my literary mind

~ fly through some of the latest young adults hits
~ write about all the blessings
~ attend my first "EngCamp" in Cedar Falls
~ take a class, or two, or three
~ read some things that let me escape this reality
~ reinvent the look of my blog to reflect me
~ host another book exchange to learn new titles and find great reads
~ finish writing about the hard things from the first half of the year
~ find inspiring works to read and challenge me
~ share more, post more, photograph more

Learn how to relax

~ sit on our patio and sip sangria
~ bask in the sun and work on my tan
~ listen to music with my feet in Casey's lap
~ sip and dip with family in Okoboji with a "final, final"
~ binge watch an new show on Netflix
~ get addicted to running again
~ spoil myself with manicures and pedicures
~ savor long lunches with good friends
~ patio hop downtown one afternoon
~ become a yogi at StudioB
~ enjoy pool dates with my favorite ladies
~ jam out at outdoor concerts
~ go to Key West!

Polar Vortex Causes Weekend Hibernation

A no school day because of cold temps feels different than snow.  Neither make me want to leave my house, but on a "snow" day, it's because I'm trapped.  A "cold" day, it's because I'm a wuss.  Maybe mother nature knew the Smittys needed to hibernate.

A Polar Vortex has settled over the Midwest.  At first, I thought this was a cleverly named weather event for the frigid temperatures we are experiencing, much like "Snowmaggedon or Snow-pocolypse"

Then I learned it is an actual climatological feature, and soon flashes of scenes from The Day After Tomorrow invaded my mind.  Dennis Quaid and Jake Gyllenhaal will soon appear and tell me how to survive in the New York Public Library.  After some research, I realized it bears much resemblance to what actual occurred in the movie: an Arctic cyclone spinning cold air from the North pole down to the Midwest.  Thanks for the delayed gift, Santa.

The timing was good.  We needed an excuse to be lazy.  Our weekend consisted of football, movies, blankets, and snuggles.

Sunday started with some baking.  We do weekend breakfasts right in our house.  Whether it is meeting my parents at our new local favorite, PerkUp Cafe, or making a mess of our own kitchen with eggs, pancakes, and bacon.  This Sunday, I wanted to make the house smell good, so to Pinterest I went.  These Apple Streusel Muffins were calling my name:

They melted in our mouth and shocked us both at my baking skills.  Casey asked, "Did these come from a box?"  Nope, all me.

We watched a lot of close football playoff games.  I know more than I ever thought I would about Pro Football and often impress my husband when I shout at the television, "Come on, even I knew Kaepernick was going to run that; he always runs!"  Casey smiles with pride from across the room and mutters a "You're right, baby."  I guess I'm not doing too good at convincing him I don't want to watch football four days a week, seven months of the year.

All of this while the wind howled outside.  More ferocious than I have ever heard, it felt like the wolf was literally trying to blow our brand new house down.  Living on a corner lot seemed like a great idea when we were looking for houses.  We only have neighbors on two sides of us, giving some privacy we desired.  To the north of our house is a farm field that is gorgeous on a summer night providing peace of the country side.  This translates to a vicious northwest wind ripping the side of our house off in the winter - which just happens to be our bedroom.  The wind vibrated the gutter so loud it woke us up.  Casey had to rig it to stop or the dog (and Casey) would have been barking at it all weekend.

I grew up in a cold house where the answer was, "Go put on more clothes."  Ever since winter arrived, Casey walks around in two or three layers to my t-shirt and no socks.  When this happened, Casey simply stated, "Don't tell me it's not cold."

The temps this weekend are supposed to be in the upper 30s.  That will be a 80 degree difference from the feels like temp of -50 we experienced Monday morning.  I'm sure I will feel like walking around without a coat.