- When we got our swingset the summer before last, I knew that I wanted to take an annual photo with the kids (and Abby, of course) to show how much they grow every year. However, August rolled into September, September into October, and suddenly it was January 2020 & I still hadn’t taken the photo yet! So, during an abnormally warm winter day, I made that photo happen (because, once I get an idea in my head – I just can’t get rid of it!)
Of course, one thing leads to another & here we are in January of 2021 & I’m taking this photo again! I know it’s a weird photo to take in the middle of winter – but it’s now officially “a thing”, so there it is.
(A few things to notice that have changed since last year’s photo: we replaced the main beam that the swings hang off of – the old beam was rotting – and we changed the swings around! Also: this photo shows off Braelynn’s new “climbing” skills – how she thinks she’s a ninja who should climb the treehouse instead of playing inside of it. This photo also features one of her favorite Christmas gifts: Lotso the Bear from Toy Story.) - Braelynn’s birthday was OFFICIALLY on Monday & we’ve been celebrating all week long (most of last week too!) We made Monday as special as possible with special food, special activities, and of course: special dessert. And then the rest of the week – she had a different friend over almost every day for the afternoon. It was SO much fun & I have to admit, quite delightful. Yesterday was our first “quiet” day & it definitely felt kinda lonely without the revolving door of friends coming & going!
- Leander has been waking up super early all week. Braelynn has too – but since she is typically a very early riser, I just assumed she was waking a bit earlier than usual because she was excited that her friends were coming over. But, I really don’t understand why Leander has been waking up crazy early too.
To put it in perspective: Braelynn typically wakes up between 6 & 6:30am. Leander typically wakes up between 7 & 7:30am.
This week: Braelynn has been waking up around 5:30am and Leander has been waking up around 6am.
Just writing that out & reading it in words suddenly gives meaning to why I’ve been SO TIRED all week. Go figure. - The trick to them waking up so early is that it throws our whole morning schedule off. Typically, Braelynn & I get up by 6:30am, I get her settled downstairs with a show & I go up to the 3rd floor to exercise. By the time I’m finishing up & taking a quick shower – Leander is waking up & I can bring him downstairs & we can start our morning routine.
However – with the kids waking up SO early, that means they are both awake while I’m trying to exercise (which has turned into a nightmare – either they are up on the 3rd floor with me, interrupting, or they are destroying the living room – I came down on Friday to every single toy being dumped out of their boxes and strewn around the living room floor.
Needless to say: this early rising stuff better come to an end soon or else Mama might go insane. - This week has been VIDEO week for me – I’ve been working on finishing up a highlight reel of our 2020 amusement park travels & I also filmed a new wedding advice video! I used my brand new camera & some new lighting equipment I got for Christmas & I must say: I’m SUPER impressed! The quality is just SO beautiful & I’m so thrilled with how much better this new video (of my face, talking to the camera) looks – over how the videos I made last winter/spring look! Both of those videos should be finished up this weekend & published next week – have you subscribed to my YouTube channel yet?
- We have snow in our forecast for tomorrow & Monday – who’s excited?!
[…] So, if you’d like to go back & see past versions of this same photo, you can do that here: #336, […]
[…] if you’d like to go back & see past versions of this same photo, you can do that here: #391, #336, […]