Well, finally the cold snap is over (at least for now) and today February 15, it is 65 & I am feeling sooo much better. Work has been pretty lean over the last few weeks. We have had several late start days in the schools, and one day I had a job an school was canceled. In addition, I have been having dental work done - two root canals with one to go, and then fillings when the root canal is completed, because they are in crowns. Guess what I am spending my money on!
In late January I went to Los Alamos for a visit while Devin was in Holland giving a presentation an going to meetings. It was great to have time with the kids and Becky, but I always miss Devin, cuz we do like our wine! Logan was a bundle of energy and so excited about the train he got for Christmas. Becky took him to Trader Joes one day when we were in Santa Fe. He asked so many questions at the check-out stand that the clerk let him scan their grocery order! Becky said it was so crowded, but the clerk was awesome. Now Becky will have to backtrack with Logan and make sure he knows that he won't always be able to scan groceries. The other day Becky told me that Logan introduced she and Laila and himself to people they met. Devin was not there, but he told them that, "our husband is Devin". I guess that makes sense. Laila asked me if I got my ring at my wedding, and I said no, then she wanted to know if Shep was my husband, and I had to explain that we were just friends. Hmmnm - so much explaining. We went on a great hike where Logan and Laila could use their bike/tricycle. Logan rode most of the way, and Laila ran nearly the entire 1 1/2 miles. She hardly quit the whole time. Amelia does the same thing! Near the end she said "my legs hurt". I can't imagine why. At home the next morning Laila was running around in circles in the living room, too. I think she takes after her mama - in training for a half marathon maybe. We went to the Children's Museum in Santa Fe and it was closed, but we played outside and build Fairy houses! Much fun. They kids had a great time.
We went to Wyatt's birthday party in Colorado Springs. He got a kitchen for his birthday from Mom and Dad, and the rest of us got him a variety of food items. I found a Moon Dough food making dealie. He and Owen played with the kitchen for a long time. We get lots of pizza. Owen is such a great big brother for Wyatt. They were so cute with Molly, too, who slept most of the time. She looks a little more like Wyatt now, but it is hard to tell yet.
Ben, Brenda, Amelia and Cavan spent mid February weekend in Colorado Springs to see little Molly. Amelia was recovering from Pneumonia (poor little thing), but we enjoyed our time together. Owen and Amelia had a great time playing and Wyatt just joins in like he is a big kid, too. We took everyone to the gym at Josh's school for a couple of hours of running and chasing balls. I was really tired by the time we finished. Those kids have much more energy than I do! We played outside and used the sidewalk chalk and entirely covered the driveway with animals, trails and many other great things. The kids had fun, too, with bubbles - they are always a big hit. In fact, the Easter gifts this year are going to be bags with several bubble toys! Mostly we enjoyed each other and watched the kids interact - nothing better than that!
Beck, Devin, Laila and Logan came the end of February to leave the kiddos with me so they could ski together at Monarch. Their ski passes to Paharito in Los Alamos are also good for Monarch. They never get a chance to ski together, so the headed up to the mountains for the weekend, and stayed a night in Salida. Logan and Laila were really fun! The weather was pretty cold, so we went to the Library. Shep asked Logan to find out of the library had any train books (he is crazy about trains, to put it mildly). He went up to a lady and said, "are you a librarian?" When she offered to help, he said he wanted some train books, but not Thomas the Train, because he didn't like that one. He is amazingly friendly and polite to adults, and not the least bit afraid to ask for help. The good part was having books to read, but the technical train books are a bit beyond me, but he and Laila enjoy them. Laila loved the myriad of animal puppets, the library probably has about 50 of them. We had them scattered out all over the place. There is a little tent that Laila loved to play in. We even went up the elevator and explored the view from above. We went to the park the next day, and walked over to the college to get out of the house. The kids seem to love my crazy assortment of toys and junk. Becky and Devin came home Sunday night and left on Monday AM.
I am now working 20 hours a week at Bessemer Historical Society, or Steel Works Museum and CF&I Archives. They got me a computer and I am set up in an office kind of like a warehouse. I really like working for Julie (from CSU-Pueblo Foundation Office). She is a great boss and has really an awesome personality - she's fun to work for! The environment is great with dedicated people and a relaxed atmosphere. I get to wear jeans every day. Sometimes I organize supplies and clean stuff up, and sometimes I do mailings and work on the database and spreadsheets. I love the variety of duties. Twenty hours is about all I am up for at this point. I can work Tue, Wed, Thur and vary that if I need to in order to accommodate the grandbabies needs! They come first in my book. I have been able to sit for Wyatt while Owen goes to Dr. appts. in Denver, and I always like that. I am so lucky to have any work at all! I am not going to do Secretarial Sub work the remainder of the year. Next year I might put my name in the hat, but the 5:30 a.m. calls are a drag.
We celebrated Owen's 5th birthday in March and really enjoyed the kids. We got him a bug vacuum which he was delighted with! Molly wasn't feeling very well, but she still had a few smiles for us. They all are so entertaining. It is so nice to be close to them and keep connected.
On April 2 I am going to Bailey to stay with the kids through Wednesday while Ben and Brenda enjoy a much needed vacation to San Diego. They are excited about getting away and I am more than happy to get Nana time. May 21 I will to go Los Alamos to see Logan's Ballet Recital, and Shep's sister Nancy will be here May 25 for a few days.
We have been going out once a month or so with our neighbors and having some great social interaction. They are a couple of great people, and we seem to have a lot in common with them. Last weekend we made the rounds of three restaurant/bars and ended up finding a great place called The Hangar. Of course, Shep, the aviator loved the decor and the food was great! It's probably our favorite so far.
The yard is coming along this year. I need to replant grass where the grubs had a ginormous feast last year! I have lots of bulbs blooming, which makes me happy. I love getting outside, but the weather in March has not been the best.
Make sure to check out the kids blogs to the right. They have some great new posts.
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