Super smarts!

In the aftermath of being overworked for months, this past week was a pleasant surprise.  Is this what it's like to leave at a decent time each night?  And to sleep in until my alarm goes off (as opposed to waking up at 3am and working for hours before leaving for work)?  It was amazing!  And most likely short-lived, but I will enjoy it while it's here!

We had Ava's conferences this past Wednesday, but she wasn't feeling well, so Scott stayed at home with the kids, while I trekked over to her school and met with Mrs. M.  We had a fantastic discussion about Ava, kids, life, etc.  There was a 15-min break between our conference time, and the next session, so we were able to extend our discussion for a few extra minutes.  And then I made an impromptu stop at the book fair, and picked up some new books for both kids.  Ava's moving into chapter books, so that's a big jump - and it opens up so many new options for reading material!

A few fun facts from Ava's conferences:

• The next family that came in belonged to the little girl with whom Ava has been getting into trouble.  It was nice to meet the parents, and we both agreed that the girls should stay far away from each other.  Sounds like they are both fairly smart, and end up feeding off of each other.
• Speaking of smarts...Ava took a standardized test in December, and she scored so high on it that she is going to start attending an enriched/gifted class once a week.  Just Ava and one other little girl were selected to attend from her classroom, and it sounds like some classrooms didn't have any children chosen to attend.  We are so proud of her!
• Mrs M. was describing how Ava is very matter-of-fact when it comes to doing things...and during her description, I realized that's exactly what my work style is.  "These are the facts, and if you don't like them, too bad."  I've been stretching myself at work a bit over the last year, and have discovered that awkward conversations with clients don't bother me anymore.  It is what it is.  And I'm glad to see that Ava is gravitating toward that style, naturally.  (Ok, that's more of a fact about me, but it's funny to see how children inherit our traits, without us pushing them in a certain direction.)

So, Wednesday ended on a high note.  But, remember that I said Ava wasn't feeling so great that night?  She was cold and shaky, had a headache, and her throat hurt.  Our guess?  Strep!  On Thursday morning, I kept her home from SAC (they didn't have school on Thursday, Friday, or tomorrow) so she missed out on the skating party...she was pretty bummed about that.  But, good thing I didn't take her...we went to the Minute Clinic, and she tested positive for strep.  We should be doctors! :)  Ava learned first hand how the pharmacy works, and also how you can spend a lot of time shopping in CVS!  We ended up heading home with new lip gloss, blush, nail polish, and penicillin.  That's my kind of shopping trip!

Ava's doing much better, and ended up enjoying the Reptile exhibit that came to SAC on Friday.  Initially, she had no interest in the exhibit, but it turns out she touched a snake and a turtle.  This is a huge step for her...you have no idea how much she dislikes reptiles!

Little G has been doing really well...his newest thing when he's hungry is to walk over to the high chair and tug on the tray, or head to the pantry and try to open the door.  Makes it easy for us to figure out what he wants!  He had his first shower last night (Scott gave it to him) and it sounds like he did pretty well.  He didn't completely freak out when the water hit his head/face, so at least it was a positive experience.  G gets so excited when he sees our dogs, Ava, me or Scott...he squeals and gets this huge grin on his face.  He's such a fun little guy, and I hope that his happy-go-lucky attitude stays with him.  I figure that since Ava was sassy since birth, and continues to be that way, maybe G will remain easy-going and happy.  We have all of our fingers crossed!

Scott had to work yesterday, so the kids had ample opportunities to play together.  When Scott got home, we enjoyed a great lasagna dinner (he said it was the best one I have ever made) and a nice evening together as a family.  Scott skipped the flowers for Valentine's Day this year, and instead bought me a bulb garden.  I'm pretty excited to see how it does.  (I have no idea what to do with these plants, so I'll have to find someone who can give me some guidance.)

Fun on a lazy Saturday afternoon...

Such happiness in this one - love it!

Love this pic, even with G's stuffy nose!

Ava has been picking out her outfits lately...they certainly are colorful!

I am feeling very blessed to have such a wonderful family.  Things are very good!  Scott and I have a few neat dates lined up over the next month, and I just registered for an Irish 5K in March with a few friends.  It's nice to have fun things to look forward to, and not just endless amounts of work.  Hoping that it stays that way for a bit!