The Nelson Narrative

One thing I really want to start doing more consistently this year is set monthly goals.  I set some for January but haven't gotten around to posting them yet (surprise, surprise) so here they are: Lose 5 pounds.  I had already lost 6.2 as of last Friday but I gained a little back this last week, with all the football parties (the Seahawks are headed back to the Superbowl!) and what-not.  As of right now I'm at the 5 pound mark (well, 4.8), so I just have to not gain any more back before the 1st. Exercise 3 times per week.  I have not done this.  I get up at 6:00, get myself ready, get the girls ready for school, go to work, get home at 6:30, eat dinner, clean up dinner, read with the girls (they have to read/be read to 20 minutes every night), get them ready for bed and put them to bed and by then it's 8:30.  I really don't want to work out that late and then have to go immediately to bed after.  But I need to either start using the g...

I survived my first Christmas as a working mother.  I didn't bake much, didn't finish my shopping until the weekend before Christmas, barely got cards out in time (at least I got them out!) and didn't finish wrapping until the 23rd, but I survived.  Actually, that was usually the case even when I wasn't working, so I guess it didn't make much difference. It was my family's year to have us so we went to my one of my brother's and sister-in-law's house in Mount Vernon on Christmas Eve.  I actually had to work that day but got off around 1:00.  The girls had a blast playing with their 2nd cousins, as always. On Christmas Day we did gifts and stockings with just the 4 of us, and later Paul's parents and sister, who was visiting from Colorado, came over. Elsa and Barbie styling heads Paul and I both had to work the next day so the girls went home with them and stayed there until Saturday and then we all met back up at some friends of thei...

Wow.  I haven't posted in THREE months.  Almost every Saturday morning for the last few months I have started a post or thought about it, meaning to come back later in the day but I just always run out of time because there is always so much to do.  I'm working full-time now so all of my errands, grocery shopping, cleaning and sometimes cooking ahead for the week are done on the weekends which leaves very little time for anything else.  It's been very stressful but I was finally starting to acclimate, only now to be in the throws of the holiday season which is throwing everything off again. Anyway, I'll just do a quick rundown of what we've been up to since I last posted. The girls did a mini-cheer camp in late September/early October which culminated in a performance at a high school football game.  Several of their friends did it also.  They loved it and are looking forward to doing it again next year.     In O...

Last Thursday was my first day off from work since the girls started school.  When they were in Kindergarten and I enjoyed having 4 hours every day I couldn't wait until they were in first grade and I would have 7.5, even though I knew it would be short-lived because the plan all along has been for me to go back to work once they were in school full time.  But as you know, a job opportunity fell in my lap back in April (well, late February, but it was mid-April by the time I started) and I've been working part time ever since, but will probably start increasing my hours soon.  And due to the Labor Day holiday and leaving early one day for Meet the Teacher, I ended up working at least half days every day of their first week, so last Thursday was the first day I was able to enjoy having 7.5 hours to do whatever.  I had a huge long list of things I wanted to do but I mostly just ended up cleaning because I was so behind.  I had Friday off also and ma...

Today was the first day of first grade for the girls.  They are in the same class again this year.  We considered separating them and Olivia didn't care but Kayley wanted to be together and we decided it would be fine because they are really good about doing their own thing and not being too clingy with each other. I had to go to work right after they got on the bus and Paul gets home right before they do so he met them at the bus stop.  I was sad to not be there but since I couldn't work Monday (Labor Day) I really needed to work today.  It's good that I can go in late enough to put them on the bus in the morning and Paul's home when they get back so we don't need any kind of childcare now, except for breaks, conferences, etc. Signs say "1st" and "Grade".  Love the Band-Aid. Olivia, neighbor Geet, neighbor and BFF Abby, Kayley

So I've mentioned on here that we haven't hardly done anything fun all summer, other than our usual 3 or so trips to Crescent Bar and a little camping that got cut short due to extremely hot weather and heat related illness (Kayley), but last week Paul took Thursday and Friday off and we finally got out and did some fun things. On Thursday we took the girls out to lunch at The Old Spaghetti Factory and then to the Pacific Science Center.  They had an awesome butterfly exhibit, and we saw a cool 3D IMAX film about lemurs in Madagascar. The girls ordered these Cotton Candy Limeade drinks.  They ate the cotton candy but didn't like the actual drink.  Total waste of $2.75 (x 2)! On Friday we rented kayaks and paddled around Lake Washington near the UW.  It was so fun.  Paul and I had done it before when I was pregnant with the girls and I'd been wanting to do it again for a few years now so we did.  The girls love it, too. Last night they...

This has been kind of a weird summer.  Here we are 8 weeks in and I have yet to DO anything with the girls, like the spray park or a beach or whatever.  Every single one of my 2 days off per week have been spent either packing to go somewhere or already being somewhere (that, of course, counts as doing something but I just mean I have yet to take them anywhere while we're home, other than going out for frozen yogurt after their dance camp performance), with the exception of week 2 when I had a bad cold and couldn't go anywhere.  Tomorrow and Friday will be the first time all summer that I can finally take them somewhere!  I don't know what we're going to do but I'm just glad we can finally do something! Week 5 The girls had Frozen Dance Camp.  The girls danced to some of the songs from Frozen, made a cape and a tiara, and listened to the Frozen story (as if they didn't already know it like the back of their hand!).  They had an awesome ti...