The Nelson Narrative

Our area was hit with a bunch of snow and freezing rain last week, causing lots of power outages.  Ours went out Thursday morning around 8 AM, and we didn't get it back until sometime between 5 and 10 last night (we weren't home when it came back on so don't know for sure).  While it was a major inconvenience to be without electricity, at least we had heat from our gas fireplace and we still had hot water.  Those two things were a major lifesaver! To make matters worse, I couldn't go anywhere Thursday or Friday, because there was too much snow to get out of our driveway.  Paul managed to get to work by shoveling his way out, but I wasn't going to bother unless it was absolutely necessary.  The girls and I subsisted on cold cereal and cold sandwiches, mostly.  Friday morning I actually heated frozen waffles over a candle flame!  It kind of almost worked. Friday evening I thought Paul would have to work most of the night (he works for the power ...

Someone posted something on Facebook that prompted me to write this.  She said, "I'm going to miss this.  I'm going to want this back.  I'm going to wish these days hadn't gone by so fast".  She's right, and I need to remember that. Not a day goes by that I don't find myself thinking, or even saying, multiple times, "I can't WAIT until they're OLDER!"  Like, every night during dinner when Olivia decides mid-meal that she has to go potty, and needs help washing her hands, and lately with all the snow when I'm spending what feels like an eternity getting them all suited up in their snowpants and boots and gloves, etc., I find myself dreaming of the day they can do all that themselves.  I always remind myself that I will miss these days, but the thought of the freedom that will come with their increased independence overrides that thought.  I'll be helping them do whatever and thinking, "I SOOOOOO can't wait until the...

It's been snowing tons here the last few days.  It started slow with just a little bit on Sunday, making us decide to skip church and me wishing I could do nothing but snuggle up with a fire and watch movies all day, but of course I couldn't (I did bake chocolate chips cookies, though!).  Yesterday was a work holiday for Paul and we got a little more and took the girls to the park for sledding, but there was barely enough on the ground to sled on.  Then overnight it snowed more.  And more and more.  And kept snowing most of today.  I think we have about 10 inches, give or take.  Paul went in to work late, after shoveling his way out of the garage/driveway, and I took the girls to the park for more sledding.  This time there was plenty of snow on the ground and the sledding was better, but it's not the same without daddy there, too.  We were going to go back after he got home but I sent him to the store for milk and by the time he go...

The girls' birthday is coming up at the end of February so it's time to start planning their party.  I bought two Groupons to a party supply store in Redmond that I have to use on two different days (but I'll end up getting $40 worth of stuff for only $20, whereas the same $40 worth of stuff would have cost me $30 if I'd have only bought one Groupon), so we went today for round one.  The girls of course chose two different themes:  Tangled (Olivia) and Spongebob (Kayley).  Interesting combination, but letting them each pick whatever they wanted was the only fair thing to do.

Two of my New Year's resolutions are going pretty well so far (although I realize it's very early in the game).  First, I'm down 3.4 pounds!  Plus the 1.4 I lost right before Christmas (that is, the 1.4 of the original 2.4 that I didn't gain back), for a total of 4.8. Secondly, the girls are getting to bed and waking up earlier.  I started waking them up a little earlier each day, and the last few days they have gotten up on their own a little earlier still.  For instance, Sunday and Monday I woke them up at 8:50.  Tuesday it was 8:45.  Wednesday they got up at 8:30 on their own, and Thursday Olivia got up at 8:20 on her own and Kayley got up at 8:30.  Today they both came in my room and woke ME up at 8:08 (I had been getting up between 7:00 and 7:30 until today). So, it's working!  No more sleeping until 9:00 or 9:30.  And as a byproduct of getting up earlier, they are going to bed a tad earlier, also.  Last night I had th...