Egg Salad, Yummy Yummy

These 2 yahoos are slightly obsessed with making and eating egg salad.  It is sure one messy adventure.

Dallas Arboretum and A huge Hockey Parent Fail

We started off the morning heading to a hockey camp for Thomas.  It was his first time on ice in months and it was without his Daddy.  It ended up being a horrible flop for Thomas, he was terrified, cried the whole time and Mike and I both lasted about as well as Thomas did.  He was on the ice for maybe 10 minutes and then we rescued him.  About 20 minutes later, hockey was “super awesome, but he already knew how to skate so he didn’t need to go back anymore!”  The next night, we headed over to public skating so he could head out with Mike and shake the jitter bugs off.  That went much better and all was well again.

After our non successful attempt at hockey, we headed over to the Dallas Arboretum.  We had lunch walked around the pumpkin village.  We only covered about 1/3 of the arboretum before we called it quits and headed back home.  Can’t wait for our next trip. 

Grandma and Grandpa McConachie in Texas

Grandpa and Grandma McConachie came in for a long weekend to help us around the house and see the kiddos.  We were able to get more unpacking and organizing done.  We also painted 2 bathrooms and the laundry room.  The guys worked on organizing the garage and my dad hung some new lights as well.  That along with a lot of play and kiddo time and before we knew it it was Sunday and time for them to head home.  

Little Lizard

One new thing about living in Texas is we have the little itty bitty lizards that live alongside us.  They like to hang out in the brickwork in our entry way and eat the bugs when the light is on at night.  It has become a fun little nightly sighting for us. 

With them living in the entry way we have also found that sometimes they sneak inside…once on a box and this little guy who knows how.  After I caught it Thomas happily held it before letting it go in the bushes. 

Pudding Painting

Mike was out of town for work and I was feeling oh so exhausted at the end of a long day….enter bathtub putting painting.  It is a great way to occupy the kids time and energy at the end of the night and clean up is a breeze.  

Thomas was very into painting the wall and Elin was more interested in painting Thomas and herself. 

Special hand me downs…

 

We got an unexpected package in the mail with some very special contents.  My aunt had sent some costumes for dress up to the kids, they were sent from my cousin’s Noah, Avery, and *Josie*.  The kiddos immediately put them on and the accompanying letter had me in tears.  Josie, was given this fairy dress by a teacher after she was diagnosed with Leukemia.  For her mom to send it to us was very touching.  Seeing my little girl wear a dress that she should have been wearing was both heart breaking and awe inspiring.  I could picture Josie playing and dancing just as Elin was doing.  Life is bittersweet. 

Fire Trucks at Thomas’ Preschool

The fire fighters and fire trucks went to Thomas’ preschool today.  You will have to forgive the horrible picture quality above, but they are pictures of a picture his teacher took and posted.  Anyway, Thomas was so excited about all that he learned today.  He learned that when there is a fire you “stop-drop- and roll” and to dial “9-1-1” although sometimes he says “8-1-1.”  He also couldn’t stop talking about how the fire fighters “outfits might look scary but they are just like you and I would wear a cape to save people, and they keep them safe to save people in fires.”  A great learning experience for Thomas!

Band-aids

If there is one thing Thomas is, it is certain of the things he likes and doesn’t!  Up until this point, Thomas has adamantly refused band-aids.  When I say refused, I am talking totally freaking out, screaming, crying and acting like they are causing more pain than said “owie” that needs a band-aid.

Up until he switched his mind, this week and has decided now, like most kids, that band-aids contain magical powers.  Now he is band aid obsessed as you can see in the picture.

Settling in…

The pile of boxes being sent to be recycled/composted shows what we have been up to.  We have also tried to return to “life as a new normal.”   The kids and I have tried to balance unpacking and working in the house with normal activities such as art projects, story time and trips to the park.  The kiddos are doing pretty well.  Elin will inquisitively say some friends names like Dalhia, Reier, Ruby or Gabe and “sleeps” meaning they are gone.  I can tell she knows that life is different but as long as we are around,  she has been dealing with it fine.  Thomas on the other hand is still working through some big feelings on moving.  He is missing his friends and our old house.  It is heartbreaking to listen to him talk about what he misses.  Even thought Mike and I know he will be fine and in the grand scale of life this will be a small blip, right now to him it feels huge.  I have scoured my resources to ensure that we are hitting all our bases.  So far letting him ask questions and talk thought what he is feeling is helping him immensely, as is getting out of the house and meeting other neighborhood kids.  He has also been carrying around his super hero “things” and like lovies he never lets them out of his sight. 

Mike flew back to Seattle on Tuesday night to drive Stella home.  He had an epic road trip with some camping and fly fishing planned, through Washington, Montana, Wyoming, Colorado and Oklahoma.  The weather had a different plan.  The start of his trip went smooth and he was able to fish one day in Montana catching a brown trout.  After stopping in Bozeman for the night and checking the weather he revamped his plans.  A major snow storm was coming and he knew he needed to hop on the road and skip his planned am fishing.  Instead of stopping in Casper, WY to fish and chill with a buddy he pushed on to Denver a day ahead of schedule. It was a long travel day day for he and Stella and thankfully good friends, a beer, and his brother and future sister in laws place awaited them. 

The next morning they again were on the road early to beat the storm as it was moving through Colorado.  Mike and Stell were on the road for 14 hours and finally pulled in front of the house at 9:30 p.m. we were all finally together as a family in Texas.

Smorgus Board of Our Life

Love this picture at Gas Works Park

Our Begonias in the back yard

Scrubbing the toy box for its trip to Texas

Lil Snugglers

The perfect snack table

My latest obsession makes waking up so easy

Picture outfits

Daddy’s Graduation present from the kids and myself

Stylin’

Tough guy with a poke and no tears

No I didn’t dig a bone in the dirt Mom

 

Loving some veggies for lunch

Found the first picture Mike and I have together while packing

Learning at the zoo

Sleeping Angel Face

Love this selfie of our family