The Bits: January 22nd through February 1st

The Big Bits of January including a first day of work and a happy, wonderful visit from Jen!

When the sun comes out after a snowfall, we live in a beautiful world of sparkly white.

Tommy wanted to add some affirmations to his ceiling, so I let him use my phone to look at some pictures that I had saved of quotes I have liked.  He chose a quote by Elder Jeffery R. Holland and worked diligently to make his sign, even adding cute little smileys in all the letter holes.  He's such a darling!  "If it was right when you prayed about it and trusted it and lived for it, it is right now."

I went and did something crazy.  I got a job!  It may have been a little impulsive, possibly a "my baby is going to kindergarten and my oldest will be in high school and I don't know what I'll do all day" brainless move, but it is what it is!  I am now one of the two recess duties at the boys' elementary school.  I saw the listing on the district website, which I've checked from time to time over the year, and just went for it.  Three days later, I was hired!  I figured the the time frame of the working hours during the day were good for our schedule now, right smack in the middle of the day.  Plus, preschool overlaps a lot with the time I'm gone, so Tommy isn't home too long without me to play with (Adam is home, but working).  It allows me to be home in the mornings and afternoons, and if, for some reason, one of the kids needs to be home from school, Adam is still here.  So, I'm employed outside of the home for the first time in a LONG time.  And I'm a little conflicted about it now that it has all settled in.

Ahhhhhhh....

Just sitting by the fire with my baby while he reads his book on a Sunday afternoon.  These are the best moments!  He's decided that he HAS to read a chapter book (an idea probably planted by the big brothers), and "Stink: The Incredible Shrinking Boy" was the chosen one.  It's a great beginner chapter book, but he doesn't know how to pronounce a lot of the words nor their meanings, and I don't want him getting discouraged and deciding he doesn't enjoy reading anymore, but he is insistent, so I'm letting him have at it and hopefully he goes back to age-appropriate books soon. 

I started working through the Young Women Personal Progress book back in 2011 after I was called to serve in the Young Women's organization.  After all these years, I finally finished and was awarded the Young Womanhood Recognition Medallion--which is available to all, young women and {ahem} old, who go through this fantastic program of spiritual and personal development.  It is a real blessing in my life and I feel like every step I took towards completion made me a better human, woman, mother and wife and helped establish patterns that will benefit me for a long time to come.

Another day, another sick kid.  Thankfully Luke had a new book series he's been enjoying to get him through the fever days.  Origami Yoda to the rescue!

This Bits started out with snow, but the sun has been a frequent visitor in the latter part of the month as well.  We've even had days that reached nearly 70!

It's official!  We survived kindergarten registration!  Full-Day Kindy, here comes Tommy!  You are lucky to have my best little buddy this fall, and you had better treat him great, because he is amazing!

And this is also official!  I had two days of work before Jen came to town, and I will have my first full week next week.  I can't say I love it.  I am exhausted by the time it ends, but it's still new, so I think I'll adjust.  It was a pretty hasty, probably not-well-thought out decision to do this. {sigh} But it is really fun to see my elementary boys when I'm there, and they are thrilled.  And bottom line, I am no quitter, and will stick it out for the school year and then see what other opportunities lie ahead for the next.

Cami and Tommy have been pen pal-ing since the Grandma and the Franklins came to visit in the fall.  They are too cute!  Tommy gets so excited when a letter arrives, and can't wait to write one back.

A nice, fat, whipping-cream-banana-strawberry-protein smoothie for Ben who broke the five-years-standing 6th grade record for the mile at the middle school, running it in a speedy, unbelievable 5:56!

I have been looking forward to Jen's visit since she scheduled her flight a few months back!  It is always so good to my soul when she is here.  She just becomes one of us Conlins.  We had a wonderful visit and talked for three days straight--with breaks only for sleep.

It was time to break my sugar fast so Jen and I could share a treat or two during her visit.  After 29 days of no refined sugars, added sweeteners and few simple carbohydrates, I broke my fast in the best way possible: with home made chocolate chip cookies!  I have to make sure my reasoning behind my sugar-free month is reaffirmed.  As I've become older, I feel like my tolerance for sugars has decreased.  I've always had a mega sweet tooth and crave sugar like crazy.  I love sugary snacks, but I've recently found that I don't feel very good after I've had them, and sometimes I even get dizzy or a light-headed feeling.  Because of this, I think I need to keep my refined sugar consumption under control for the foreseeable future.  A friend of mine once said that she is more of an "all or nothing" kind of person when it comes to healthy eating, and that kind of stuck with me.  It's easier for me to not eat treats at all rather than try to limit my treats on a daily basis.  So I decided to cut them out completely for a bit, and it really made me feel better.  That said, I firmly believe in a nice, varied and moderate diet that includes all food groups.  The only reason I can think that I would exclude certain food groups is if a doctor told me I needed to for health reasons.  I can't imagine that on my death bed I will regret having some extra pounds versus the times I have spent enjoying good food.  When it comes to eating, health, strength and energy are my goals.  I tend to get my protein from vegetarian sources, like eggs and dairy, or chicken, just because I don't really like meat, especially red meat (odd exception: SmashBurger).  I try to stick to hearty whole grain breads and pastas, but as an athlete, I feel carbohydrates are an integral part of my diet.  If that means I am 135 instead of 128, so be it.  OK, off my soapbox.  The cookies were delish!  

Fresh toes with Jen: Celebrating the Seahawks Super Bowl appearance and Valentine's Day!

Soul sister night out!

We did a bit of shopping with the little boys tagging along.  The boys just love Jen, and Jen loves my boys!  Although they all missed having her kiddos visit with her this solo trip out.

Drippy, gooey goodness at the food court!

After visiting the mall, we took Luke and Tommy to a "Magic of Chemistry" presentation at a local little Mom-and-Pop toy/school supply store in town.  It was fantastic!  The presenter was one of the chemistry professors at the Air Force Academy and he had such a great rapport with the kids.  The boys loved it!  Tommy's favorite experiment was a red, white and blue liquid reaction; Luke's was 'elephant toothpaste' (highly concentrated hydrogen peroxide reacting with yeast).

Jen headed home early on Sunday morning.  Boo!  Summer feels too far away!  But we had church and then the Super Bowl ahead of us to keep the missing feelings at bay.  The kids were so excited about all the party foods we had planned for the day, especially the footballs made of chocolate dipped peanut butter balls.

It was such a great game!!!  Until the final moments....  So unbelievable and heartbreaking.  Really.  Ug.  But we are still big hometown fans and love our Hawks.  We are already looking forward to next football season!  Go Seahawks!!!  (and Broncos too!!!)