It's Been Pretty Busy Around Here

It has definitely been busy around here! And I love it!

Friday was the last day of work for both Brian and me! We are so excited to start our very first summer off together since 2008! Brian is planning on working at the movie theater he used to be assistant manager at - just this time as a part time employee. And I will have 9 piano students throughout the summer. We'll be busy, but still be able to enjoy time together and with Lydia - and with our family. 

Monday was Memorial Day. We spent the day at my parent's house, swimming, playing games and visiting. My friend, Brandy and her son Noah came over to swim, as did another couple from our Sunday School class and their two little girls. Lydia looks super cute in her swimsuit and loves being in the pool (although she still loves the swings best - I asked her "Do you want to go in the pool?" and she said "No, swing").

Today is Lydia's 2nd birthday! I cannot believe she is now two years old! Where did the time go?! She is so big now! 

Her verbal skills have taken off recently. Really only Brian and I usually understand her - you really have to concentrate on the context of what she's talking about. But, she's pretty clear and can get her message across. She has recently started talking in sentences, which is awesome! Today, she pointed at an Elmo ball in the store and said "Ball, please". I love asking her what she dreamt about in the morning - yesterday she said, "Mimi a dada" - her mimi (pacifier) and her daddy. Super cute!

This morning she woke up at 7:30 (which was super nice). I went off to the preschool to help the teachers clean up. Brian took Lydia to Home Depot to get plants for the front yard. She "helped" him plant in the front yard, went on a walk, ate lunch and went down for a nap. I got home around 1:00 and Lydia woke up from her nap at 2:00. We cleaned the house and then headed off to Party City. Brian bought a DJ Lance Rock hat to match the T-shirt I made him, and we bought a bubble machine for Lydia's birthday party, and a few Gabba decorations. I can't wait for her party on Saturday!

Lydia was in such a goofy mood all afternoon. We stopped off at Culver's to visit with Nellie and to get Lydia some cheese curds. It was not very busy, so she got to dance and run around for a bit. Super cute. When we got home, she got to facetime with her grandparents in Austin - she loves doing that and had fun talking with them.

There is so much joy and happiness when I think of Lydia. Despite the circumstances before her birth - which are hard to forget - she brings me more joy and I am constantly thankful for her.

Only When You're There to Catch Me

I had my second piano recital on Saturday and Brian celebrated his 26th birthday on Sunday. Here's a breakdown.

On Saturday, the house was cleaned and readied. Al and Karla Pfeiffer arrived around 2:00 to help me get ready for my recital. I only had 5 out of my 10 kiddos for the recital, which was actually good, since it was a bit crowded! I had the chairs set up in the front room, facing the piano. My kiddos started arrived right before 3:00 and we were able to get started just about on time!

All my kiddos did great! For three of them, it was their very first piano recital ever! I made my two "veterans" go first and they did great! My newbies did awesome, too! I just love watching them play and show off their skills. It always amazes me that it was ME who taught them to do that! How did I manage that?! They're all such hard workers and really enjoy showing off.

My game didn't go too well, but we still had fun!

Sunday started off great, since Brian let me sleep in to 8:15! We got ready and headed off to church for the 9:45 service. When we got home, Lydia had a quick lunch and then went down for a nap. We ate small lunches and started preparing for Brian's party. We had chicken thighs, bacon-wrapped chicken, bratwursts and corn on the cob to prepare. Nellie brought Culver's onion rings and cheese curds. We had queso and chips. Fruit salad (in the shape of the American flag), watermelon and carrot cake. We had a TON of food! Loved it! And most of it was eaten!

We had 17 people over at the house and we had a blast. Everyone showed up around 3:00 and started eating and chatting. The kiddos had a good time playing together in the yard. Lydia surprised me and chowed down on the cheese curds! Sara and Michael gave Brian some yard games and we started playing it. I have no idea what it's called, but it's a ton of fun. When I tried (I'm not very good - no surprise there), I have the funniest look on my face!

Leah, of course, was a pro immediately. Everyone had a blast playing and Brian and I enjoy playing on our own, too. I need to practice to work up my skills!

Brian got lots of good presents and had a blast. He received a dehydrator to make his own beef jerky from his parents (they tried it out Sunday morning). The American flag-shaped fruit platter was from my mom, plus a pineapple, peaches, and more beef jerky. Lydia and I gave him two new cups to take to school (one with Super Dad written on it). Leah and Jessie gave him a shirt that says "Bacon Makes Everything Better" - so funny!

My favorite thing about birthdays is that it is a chance for everyone to get together and show how much they love Brian. The birthday boy (or girl) should be surrounded by people who love them! And Brian definitely seemed loved!

Tomorrow is my last day of work until September! Brian's last day of school is tomorrow, too! We can't wait for summer! It's our first summer off together! Leah and I plan on losing 10 pounds each (will keep you updated on that), we plan on purging/deep cleaning our house (and perhaps having a garage sale), and just relaxing and hanging out as a family.

More pictures:

I've Been Dreaming of a....

Today was the first day this week that I had Lydia all to myself - all day. I had been looking forward to a day with just Lydia - not having to leave her with anyone else. Monday, I worked in the morning, so I dropped her off at Leah's at 7:30 and picked her up at 1:30. Tuesday, we went to MOPs, so she was in child care from 9:30 to 12:00, took a nap, and then I dropped her with my sister in law at 3:00 so I could teach piano. Brian picked her up and took her to Wal-Mart, since I had lessons until 6:30 that evening. Wednesday, I worked in the morning and then had piano lessons until 4:30, so Brian picked her up from Leah's house (Lydia went to BSF in the morning - and even to a Switchfoot concert!).

So, finally, Thursday came a long and it was just me and Lydia! And I loved it! Until about 5:00, of course (Brian's normal time in coming home - he stayed late tonight and then ended up not feeling well). I first heard Lydia at 6:30 this morning and sent Brian in to give her her pacifier and settle her down. She seemed to settle down, but when my alarm went off at 7:00 and I turned the monitor back on, she was talking to herself. She happily played and talked to herself until 7:45! She hasn't done that in a while! Usually she is crying when she wakes up and wants out of bed right away. I listened to her playing while I lay in bed and played on my iPhone. When she finally started calling for me, we got up and had breakfast.

Lydia was great and let me get my makeup on and dressed without any fussing. She happily watched the Top 10 Funniest Baby videos on YouTube (her favorite) while I got ready. We headed out the door by 8:30 for HEB. Brian and I had made the grocery list last night, so it was easy to get out the door this morning. Lydia loves going to HEB and really loves it when she sees other babies at HEB. She brought her baby doll with her today, and the baby sat next to her in the cart, with it's own seat belt buckled - so cute! The guy at the checkout somehow recognized me from Oak Hills Church! He helps with communion every Sunday. We talked about church and he thought Lydia was so cute (she was "talking" on my phone - to no one), so he gave her a ton of Buddy Bucks!

I had wanted to go to La Cantera right after HEB (after I put the food away), but I was worried Lydia wouldn't want to get back in the car. Luckily for me, Lydia never wanted to get OUT of the car! She wanted to stay in her seat, playing with the seat belt. So I quickly put away what needed to go in the refrigerator, got Lydia a drink and a snack, and put her stroller in the back and we were on our way to La Cantera! We were able to get almost exactly what I wanted for Brian's birthday, and then we played at the little park there. Lydia loves that park - it's nice and small and in the shade. She played at the park for about 45 minutes. After we got there, a few other kiddos arrived, and Lydia loved watching them and interacting with them (she calls everyone "baby").

After the park, we headed to Chick-fil-a at La Cantera. I got Lydia her own meal, but she didn't eat a lot of it - she was too busy drinking the apple juice and being goofy. The A/C in my car isn't working it's best right now, so I rolled the windows down a bit for Lydia. She was a bit fussy in the car, but quickly passed out from being so exhausted! I had definitely worn her out this morning! We got home and I put her in her crib at 11:40 and she slept until 2:00! Perfect!

After she woke up, she wanted to watch Wiggles and eat a snack. I snacked with her for a bit, and then I was able to clean the living room and front room and even got to vacuum! We then made blue jell-o and then painted paper plates that will become umbrellas. Lydia had taken off her diaper and then claimed that she needed to pee. So, I rushed her into the bathroom and sat her on her potty. After almost an hour of sitting on the potty (or walking around the bathroom) Lydia STILL hadn't peed! I only let her out of the bathroom because I had a piano lesson at 4:30. As soon as I put a diaper on her, she pees! UGH! If only I could have stayed in the bathroom with her until she peed!

My student arrived for her lesson right on time. I had set up Lydia in the living room with the Wiggles, a snack, juice and new toys. But, of course, she wants to hang out with us. She actually did really great, but this particular student is very distracted by just about anything - especially Lydia! But, she still managed to do a great job and at least Lydia wasn't throwing a fit.

After lessons, I took Lydia outside but she started throwing random fits over just about anything and threw herself down on the porch and hit her head. So, I took her inside and had her rest in her crib. I sat in the glider and fell asleep. Brian called me at almost 6:00 saying he was heading home because he wasn't feeling well. His stomach was upset. I got Lydia up and we had a simple dinner and then Abram came over to play. They played outside really well for awhile, took a bath, and then watched TV. By 7:45, Lydia was cranky and not sharing, so she went to bed.

Abram watched as I made graduation caps out of paper and paper bowls and now he's playing with every single toy in the living room! He is good a messing up my newly cleaned living room. Brian is already asleep in bed - hopefully he's feeling better tomorrow, although I wouldn't mind if he stayed home tomorrow.

All in all, I loved having Lydia all to myself today! She is so much fun to watch, play with and is so goofy! I just need that break at 5:00 that Brian usually gives me.

This weekend we're looking forward to my student's piano recital on Saturday and then Brian's birthday celebration on Sunday!

I'm Handsome Even When I Sleep?

Today is Day Four of Lydia's bad cold. Lydia is not a fun patient to take care. Lydia is tired and I am tired.

How Lydia Handles a Cold:

- She plays and plays until she's too exhausted and then clings to me, while her nose is running and she's starting to feel warm

- She lets her nose just drip down and rarely wants it wiped

- She wants to have her pacifiers with her at all times

- She wants her mommy with her at all times

- She will actually sit on my lap for a whole episode of Sesame Street

- She will only fall asleep if I am holding her or lying next to her

- She wakes up at night about every 2-3 hours, whether I am with her or not (but it's easier to just sleep with her than have to get out of bed)

- She ONLY wants her mommy

- She doesn't eat or drink very much

- She doesn't mind when boogies get on her pacifier

- She's very cuddly

How I Handle Lydia's Cold:

- I sleep with her at night (letting Brian sleep, uninterrupted, in his bed) in the guest room, so I don't have to continually get out of bed

- I let her have her pacifiers throughout the day (although I managed to keep them from her for about 2 hours this morning)

- I give her Tylenol whenever she starts getting fussy (usually within the 4-6 hour range)

- I rock her to sleep

- I sit in her room until she falls asleep for nap

- I sit on the couch with her, watching Sesame Street, instead of cleaning the house

- I hate hearing her cry, so I give into her - constantly

- I don't get anything done around the house, because Lydia wants me with her at all times

- I take a super long, hot shower with Lydia, trying to clear up her nose with the steam from the shower

- I left her with Brian Monday night so I could go to Mentoring Moms

- I left her with Leah Monday so I could go to work (sorry Leah!)

How Brian Handles Lydia's Cold:

- He goes to work and then takes over (to the best of his ability - whatever Lydia's allows) when he comes home

- He sleeps, alone, at night

- He wipes her nose with napkins because he can't find the Boogie Wipes

- He helps me get things I need to take care of Lydia, since Lydia won't let him take care of her

Hopefully Lydia's cold will be gone soon! She seems a bit better today. Her nose isn't as runny and her eyes aren't as watery. She hasn't had a temperature today, although I've given her Tylenol to just make her comfortable. Her cough seems to be getting better. I thought she'd take a great nap this afternoon, but I put her down at 11:45 and she woke up at 12:20! I tried resting with her, but this just woke her up more, so I ended up letting her cry it out, which took about 30 minutes (that girl can cry!)!

Let's hope after a night spent with Lydia coughing and sneezing in my face that I don't catch this cold!

This Idea Was Invented by Woman

Lydia turned 23 months yesterday!

I meant to weigh her and measure her today...but I forgot. And she's already in bed.

The best thing Lydia's been doing this month? Singing! I LOVE to listen to her sing! She loves singing "Jesus Loves Me" - she says "know" and "Bible" and babbles along to the rest of the song. She also loves, loves, loves "Elmo's Song". She sings "la la la" and then says "elmo mo". So cute! She will be playing and will randomly start singing to herself. Funny story: Lydia was under her crib (her new favorite place to be) with a music toy. The song is about answering the phone and saying "hello" and "good-bye". Lydia started singing along by saying "hi" and "bye bye"! Super cute!

Here's a list of all the words (I can remember) that Lydia says regularly:

no 

yeah

dada

mama - yes, she's finally started calling me mama!

baby

bubble

bottle

Elmo

Gabba (for Yo Gabba Gabba)

thank you

bless you

please (and she signs it)

me

mine

more

beep beep (for cars and for the microwave)

hot

meow (for cats - she doesn't call them a cat, she calls them meow)

she barks like a dog (more like a grunt, though)

tweet (for a bird)

she makes an elephant noise

oh man

bye bye

hi

me - me (for her pacifiers)

all done

That's all I can think of right now. Her vocabulary is definitely expanding, and she's even starting to attempt repeating words. She comprehends EVERYTHING. Just today, we were watching Adah and I asked Adah if she wanted a bottle. Lydia pointed out to the front room (where Adah's bag was) and then ran to get Adah's bottle. I told Lydia we needed Adah's formula. She looked confused for a bit, then ran off and got the formula container! It's amazing what she understands and how well she can follow directions.

Lydia has really started enjoying her Sunday School class and going to MOPs every other week. She doesn't cry when dropped off and has a blast with the other kiddos. Her teachers have even commented that she's goofy during class and will talk to them. She's not at all shy, which is great. She will talk to everyone and anyone. She loves waving hi to everyone we pass in HEB (good thing there's not many people there at 8:30 in the morning!). I love that she's outgoing and energetic! 

She loves playing with friends her age. We have two new friends that we see often who are just a little bit younger than her. She calls them both "baby" and gets really excited when we visit with them. She loves hanging out with Adah (who she also calls "baby") and with Abram. She loves watching older kids play and will even talk with them - even though the older kids have no idea what she's saying.

We went to the Saturday night Fiesta Flambeau parade with Lydia and she had a blast! She was very well-behaved. She sat on my lap most of the parade or stood on a chair. She loved the marching bands! I was worried she'd be afraid of the noise, but when the bands marched by, she would start dancing. She would almost fall asleep, and then get up and dance when one passed by! I was very proud of how well she behaved and how much she enjoyed the parade.

I cannot believe she will be two at the end of May! The time has flown by so fast!

No Elephants?

I am home alone and I am bored!

I always enjoy staying at home with Lydia and playing with her, going on walks, playing in the backyard, watching Yo Gabba Gabba, painting, cooking, etc. But, when I know I won't get a break at the end of the day (to cook in the kitchen by myself, to play piano, to be by myself in the bathroom), I get antsy and frustrated and bored. I love hanging out with Lydia, but I also love having Brian home at 5:00 to take over so I can get a few things done without a toddler following me around everywhere.

Brian is heading to Wisconsin to attend his grandmother's funeral. He left this afternoon and will not return to until Saturday late afternoon! What am I going to do with myself while he is gone?! At least Lydia and I are on a pretty good routine so that we know how to fill the hours during the day. The only hours I have a hard time filling are the hours between 5:00 and Lydia's bedtime. Brian usually helps me during that time.

Enough complaining! I'll be leaving him a few times over the summer to take care of Lydia by himself, so I guess we can call it even. Tomorrow I'll figure out something fun to do in the morning - maybe go to the pet store to look at the animals and walk around Target. Then it will be lunch time, nap time, and then Lydia will go over to Abram's house while I teach piano. After I pick her up, it will be time to get dinner ready and watch some Gabba. Maybe I can get Leah and Adah to join us on a walk.

Wednesday I have work and then piano lessons and Lydia gets to go to BSF. I'll pick her up from Leah's house around 4:00 (or maybe 5:00) and then it will be time to get dinner ready and eat. Thursday we're meeting friends at McDonald's to play in the morning (after our early morning HEB trip), then nap time, and then piano lessons in the afternoon. And Friday we have Fiesta to enjoy, pretty much all day! Saturday is the Rummage Sale in the morning, Daddy comes home in the afternoon, and then more Fiesta that evening. So, Lydia and I will be able to keep pretty busy without Daddy. I just pray she doesn't drive me crazy before Saturday!

So, I've been trying to teach Lydia to play independently (at least for a little bit) and it's not going so well. She is so used to being entertained by me, that she expects me to follow her around and sit on the floor and interact with her constantly. Unfortunately, I can't do that all day, every day! And sometimes, I just want a break! The main reason I'm trying to teach her to be independent is so that she can entertain herself during piano lessons and won't think that she needs me constantly. When I first started lessons, she was pretty good - she would keep to herself in the living room, watching her movies and playing with toys, only coming in to check on me every once in awhile. Now, she's use to my students and wants to check them out and talk with me and get me to hold her and get me to give her more juice and more snacks. She wants me to play with her. And I want her to play by herself.

I've been trying to "train" her by not letting her join in when I'm doing something I need to do - like put on makeup, cook dinner, etc. The one morning I didn't let her sit on my lap while I put on makeup (she likes to put my eye shadow on her belly, plus it takes longer to get my makeup done with her in the way), she stood by my side and screamed and cried the whole time (about 8-10 minutes). I had tried setting up the shower for her to play in - put her toys in there, the tub mat so she won't slip, and just turning on the water a bit....but that didn't work. I had her favorite TV shows on with her breakfast and milk in the living room....nope, she wanted to be with me. I tried "training" her again when I was cooking dinner. She wanted me to hold her and I told her "no", that she needed to go play with Daddy or by herself. She cried...for awhile.

I love playing with her and being there for her, but I also enjoy taking a shower and going to the bathroom and putting on my makeup, by myself! I also enjoy giving piano lessons when I can fully concentrate on my students and not on my toddler who has everything she needs, yet still insists on fussing. This will take a lot of practice.... a lot of practice!

Lydia has been showing all the signs of potty training, yet refuses to actually go in the potty! Just this afternoon, she was walking around naked (no diaper, nothing....she loves being naked). She started acting like she needed to pee, so I took her and sat her on the potty. After a little bit, she wanted to get up. She never peed on the floor, but I knew she needed to go. I'm not yet ready to force her to sit on the potty for long periods of time, mainly because I can't consistently get her to sit, yet (we're waiting for the summer). As soon as I put her diaper on, it fills up immediately! Why couldn't she have gone in the potty?! She knows what it feels like to need to pee...she can even hold it in! Yet, she won't pee in the potty! We have a stubborn girl on our hands!

Et Cetera, Et Cetera, Et Cetera!

Wow, it's April already and Easter is over. March flew by and now April seems to be doing the same. I had had Easter all planned out. I was going to buy a cute pink cardigan that would match the dress I wore two years ago to a friend's wedding for my Easter outfit. I'd have my hair done nicely and Lydia all dressed up super cute. We'd head off to church as a family and have a blast! Unfortunately, those plans never happened.

First, I never managed to make it back to Ross to buy the pink cardigan. Thursday I met with a few friends at Chick-fil-a and watched my nephew, Abram, all day. He and Lydia had a blast all day and all the toddlers had fun at Chick-fil-a. We had a pre-Easter celebration Thursday night at my parent's house since my dad left for Africa on Saturday. We had yummy grilled food and Lydia, Abram and Adah hunted for eggs in the yard.

Friday Brian and I were both off of work, so we headed up to Austin around 10:30. I had noticed that Lydia was getting her bottom left molar in, but it didn't seem to bother her too much until Friday. She was a bit fussy in the morning, so we gave her some Tylenol and she seemed a bit better. She slept all the way to Austin, so I thought she'd be in a good mood. But, she wasn't. She was pretty fussy the rest of Friday and didn't want to eat anything and only wanted to go outside in the swing. She was clingy and sleepy all day.

And Saturday wasn't any better. She played well with Grandma Pfeiffer in the morning (so Brian and I could sleep in) but then was pretty fussy the rest of the time. She enjoyed being outside - it helped her forget her teeth hurt. She's been addicted to the pacifier. When she takes it out, she will point to her teeth and start crying. It's very heart breaking. 

We were going to go to church Saturday night, since we got back from Austin at 4:00. But, Lydia went down for a nap (since she didn't sleep on the way home and was exhausted) and didn't wake up until almost 6:00! And we had to leave super early to get to the service at 6:30. Oh well. Sunday morning comes and Lydia woke up at 6:00, so I went in to sleep on her floor so she'd go back to sleep. She slept until 7:30. Brian was rushing me and we were both getting frustrated with Lydia's fussiness and having to hurry. Lydia gets herself so worked up, she throws up. So, going to church was a no-go.

Lydia and I chilled on the couch and Brian headed off to HEB....but HEB was closed for Easter. We watched the service online and then Lydia went down for a nap at 10:30 (and I slept with her until 11:30). She woke up around 12:00 and was in a good mood. She finally ate some food - 3 small bowls of cheerios. We headed over to my mom's house around 12:45. Everyone was meeting there for Easter lunch and fun in the pool.

Lydia was pretty fussy most of the time - she just wanted to sit in the swing. Brian got to have fun in the pool with all the boys, which was great. Lydia just ate cheese and applesauce for lunch (she cried when she put a hot dog in her mouth). She went down for a nap at 4:00 and slept until 6:00. After that nap, she was in a great mood! She actually got down outside and played with Abram, was babbling and having fun. So, hopefully tomorrow will be better.

These teeth are crazy! She hasn't had this much trouble with any of her other teeth. And this is only one molar - she has 3 more to go! She has no appetite at all and doesn't drink as much as she usually does. She is fussy and clingy. She is always tired. She just wants to have her pacifier and sit with me. My poor baby! I really hope she'll do well for Leah tomorrow. 

I think the hardest thing about parenting a toddler is when she's sick. I hate it! I hate seeing her upset and not feeling well. I hate that she can't yet voice what is wrong with her. Does her throat hurt? Does her tummy hurt? I wish she could tell me! It makes me want to cry every time she's pointed to her mouth and started crying. I hate seeing her in pain and not being able to fix it right away. How will I handle worse situations with her? I guess I'll figure that out when we get there!

Hiding under her bed!

Painting with Cousin Abram.

Swimming with her floaties!

My pretty baby!

Playing at the park.

Oh, There's Nothing Wrong with the Children

Lydia left for Key West, Florida yesterday morning at 6:00! I had her all packed up the day before (Leah had to limit the amount of clothes and things I wanted to have Lydia bring) - she shared a suitcase with Adah and Leah. Her old, big diaper bag was used as her carry on...extra diapers, a change of clothes, books, small toys, DVDs, and lots of snacks. We woke Lydia up at 5:40 and brought her over to Leah's house. She was wide awake by that time and in a good mood. We kept her in her pajamas (Leah eventually fixed her hair and put clothes on her at some point). My mom said Lydia did really well on the flight and was well behaved and in a good mood.

Today I received pictures of Lydia at the beach and having fun! I'm so glad she's enjoying herself and is being good for my parents and sister.

Yesterday I worked half the day and then taught piano lessons. Luckily for me, I only had two lessons yesterday. Brian and I enjoyed an evening to ourselves - baby free. We went to Wal-Mart to get dessert and soda. We watched Justin Timberlake's movie, On Time - which was pretty good, although kind of silly. We went to bed late, despite Brian having to work in the morning.

This morning I woke up at 8:30! It was so nice being able to sleep in on my day off! I stayed in bed until 9:00, playing on my iphone. Then I walked on the treadmill for 20 minutes while watching The Tale of Desperaux (pretty cute movie). Then I was able to really clean the house. Usually, with Lydia, I can get the kitchen and maybe the front room cleaned before she starts wanting my attention. On Thursdays, I usually get up around 7:30, give Lydia breakfast and clean while she eats and watches her morning shows. By 8:30 we head off to HEB. Then I'll clean a bit more and play with Lydia before 11:00 lunchtime and then 12:00 nap time. Today, I didn't have to worry about anyone but myself. So, I didn't head off to HEB until 12:00!

You know you have plenty of time on your hands when you have time to organize your tupperware cupboard! I organized the tupperware and the pictures on the refrigerator. I took all the old photos of Lydia off and replaced them with brand new ones. I also took off all her old artwork and put up some new artwork. I need to find something that will hold her artwork, so I don't have to throw it away and it will stay nice. This will probably be my summer project (along with making her a photo album). After cleaning the whole front of the house (everything but bathrooms and bedrooms - that will be tomorrow), I made the HEB list and headed off to HEB. I spent less than 40 minutes shopping and spent a lot less than I did last week!

When I got home, I ate lunch and watched my shows on hulu. I also researched some teaching aids for teaching the grand staff to my students. I really want them to memorize the note locations on the staff, instead of just guessing or having to figure it out. I e-mailed Brian links to several worksheets I can do with the students - he printed them off and made copies at school. Hopefully these ideas will be fun and educational for my kiddos.

I had piano lessons at 3:30-4:30, which went amazingly well. My two new boys are so smart and eager to learn the piano! It is a joy teaching them.

Brian was home by 4:45. I played some Josh Groban songs on the piano while Brian relaxed. We made beans and dogs with rice (our favorite meal) for dinner, and Abram arrived around 6:00. I love that it is lighter later so that Abram could play outside in the backyard. Brian was able to pick more loquats from our tree and he cleaned off the porch.

Tomorrow I have work until 1:30 and then I'm on my own again. I plan on cleaning the bathrooms and bedrooms and starting laundry. Brian is staying late at school, but when he gets home, we're heading downtown to walk around the Riverwalk and watch Mirror, Mirror at the AMC. We have a gift card to Red Lobster to use up this weekend, and I want to go shopping. It'll be a nice baby-free weekend for us! But, I can't wait until Sunday evening when I get to see my baby again!

Before baby trip to the Japanese Gardens.

Before baby in New Braunfels.