Seeing Red

This week was Teacher Appreciation Week. Aside from being like second moms, their teachers ensured that every child came home with amazing Mother's Day projects, which I for one appreciated immensely! It was also Game Day in Aurora's GT program (Chuck attended).

We spent the first part of the weekend marking the end of babyhood in this house, as we transformed Clark's nursery into a big boy room. We have officially outgrown the crib/daybed and rocking chair that got us through two babies/toddlers. They've been replaced with the coolest bed on the planet. Clark hasn't wanted to sleep in his room lately, but last night he had no problems.

This morning I made breakfast, headed out for a quick run, then got ready for a girl's day out with Aurora. We brought cheese, crackers, strawberries, chocolates, and wine to Painting with a Twist, Mommy and Me edition. I painted the big tree and Aurora made the little one. It was very sweet, and Aurora's glad to have something new (and red) to go in her room as well.

By the time we came home the boys had finished the food shopping, complete with flowers and cheesecake. What more could a mama ask for? Being a Mom at this stage is nonstop, but it's such a blessing. Being a working mom has been incredibly fulfilling, but these last couple of weeks have been especially hectic and I'm not sure our moms (or the kid's teachers) got as much appreciation as they deserve. We love and appreciate you, today and everyday. Happy Mother's Day!

Forward and Back

This weekend has been unusual in that we've had NOTHING ON THE CALENDAR. Honestly, I think we all needed a bit of downtime. It's been quite a week. On Monday I went to a luncheon with my HR Team from LIVESTRONG circa 5 years back. It was great to see Mona & Bailey!

On Thursday my manager from Travis County took me out to lunch. It was my last full day in the office. I have sincerely enjoyed working with Dianna and didn't intend to be such a short-timer.

Friday morning I took a 5-mile run, then used the locker facilities one last time, said my goodbyes to the team at Travis County, and headed to LIVESTRONG for my first day back as Director of People Programs. It was a week filled with a LOT of hugs (and lunches!).

The minute I arrived at the Foundation I felt right at home. I have a new desk, a new title, some new responsibilities, and a whole new outlook moving forward - but was glad to see so many old friends. I was afraid I might feel uncomfortable or regret the decision, but honestly I'm more excited about my work and career than I have been for a long time. 

As for this weekend, I've been reading, prepping meals for the week, doing laundry, caring for a 3-year old boy with pinkeye, and watching Aurora apply the makeup she got for her birthday. When she's ready, I'll give her some pointers. Until then...

Big Spender

This week Chuck traveled to California for work. Luckily, we were able to spend the evenings with my parents and Finley before they headed back to Florida, which was great - but our bedtime routine was all off. The kids coped by having sleepovers in Aurora's room.

This weekend we didn't have any plans so we took Aurora to use her birthday gift cards. She had gift cards for Claire's and Amy's Ice Cream and felt like such a big spender!

It is clear that our big spender would rather spend time with her family than any amount of money. Chuck and I are both going through job transitions this week and randomly, it looks like we're both going to be working for our previous employers again! The kids are big enough now that if either of us has the opportunity to travel for work in this next phase of our careers, we can do it. I'm sure it won't happen often, but if it does, these two will cope just fine...

Mid-week

I know I said I would only be posting on Sundays, but the kids recently brought home their SCHOOL PICTURES and I say that calls for an extra post! Aurora is just as sweet as ever - and Clark, well, let's just say the kid knows how to pose for a group photo.

This week Aurora also submitted a poster for Travis County's Healthy People, Healthy Planet fair. It was a fun event and I was so excited to see her art on display! It's been a completely crazy week on the job-front for both me and Chuck, but I think I'll save that for another post. Perhaps even another mid-week post. We'll see!

EIGHT!!!

I must be in denial about my little girl getting so big, because when I went to put candles on this awesome stack of cake donuts, I stopped at 7 and it took me awhile to figure out I had it wrong! We've been planning this beautiful donut cake and party for MONTHS. Aurora always plans her birthday way in advance and amazingly, she never changes her mind. I think her Build-a-Bear (er... Build-a-Bunny) party was totally worth the wait.

After a few rounds of BINGO and donuts in the food court, the kids picked out adorable bunnies, bears and puppies, found cute outfits, then sang Happy Birthday to our sweet girl. She heard that song several times this weekend, including during her family birthday dinner at Mesa Rosa.

Tomorrow's her actual birthday so I'm sure she'll be treated to an extra special day at school, but as far as I'm concerned this eighth birthday is in the books and I'm pretty sure Aurora thought it was the best birthday weekend EVER!

Hey Hey!

Last year Aurora's Girl Scout troop went on a weekend camping trip to Inks Lake. Our family had camped at Inks Lake the year before, but Clark and I weren't quite ready for a weekend apart. We ended up going on another little family camping trip to Jellystone Park instead. This year's Girl Scout camping trip ended up being at Jellystone Park! And this year, we were ready. Aurora and I packed our bags after school on Friday and carpooled over with Presley and her mom. We spent 2 nights camping in cabins with 12 other families, and it really could not have gone any better. Our troop leader did an amazing job planning group meals and activities, and one of the dads kept the camp fire going just right for every cookout. I even found another mom to go on a 6-mile run with and we had a chance to explore Canyon Lake while the girls were on a nature scavenger hunt.

The girls helped with meal prep and cleanup. They did arts & crafts, jumped on the huge bouncy pillow, took a Hey Hey Ride, and told scary stories after dark. We didn't get a ton of sleep, but it was an awesome weekend and the troop earned "Camp like a Girl" badges. Aurora cried when it was time to leave, but we were both happy to get home and see our boys.

Cousins

This weekend ended the way it started - with a lively game of Apples to Apples. Julian, Hansen and Lillie are visiting from Seattle and we've really enjoyed hanging out and exploring Austin together. The weather has been perfect for a boat tour of Townlake, an outdoor concert at the Hill Country Galleria, and several leisurely walks with Finley. We've had pizza, burgers, Tex-Mex, and Amy's Ice Cream. They've been to Half Price Books (twice), visited the Stevie Ray Vaughan statue, and we even had time to do nails and bake cookies!

Aurora absolutely adores having her grandparents, uncle and cousins around. The last time we saw the Slane family, Lillian was closer to Aurora's age, Aurora was Clark's age, Clark wasn't even a twink, and well... I don't think we saw Preston on that trip either. It's a bummer that the time and expense of travel make trips like this so rare.

Julian, Hansen and Lillie are on Spring Break and will be here through Thursday morning. I'm not sure if this will call for a mid-week post or if you'll just have to check Julian's blog once he's home for the full scoop, but there is definitely more in store.

Easter Weekend

When I first started this blog, it was simply meant as a way to chronicle my personal thoughts and adventures into motherhood. It quickly became a place for family and friends in every corner of the country to watch Aurora grow, and now that I've been at it for 8 years (!!!) I feel like it's sort of morphed into something else; a family blog where nearly almost every post starts with "This weekend..." So, this weekend I'm changing the name of the blog. My intention is to post every Sunday night, but I may sneak in a mid-week entry here and there where birthdays, holidays and vacations are concerned. I realize readership has declined in recent years, but I hope my loyal readers like the new concept! On to this weekend with the Wadeys...

Aurora's been having sleepovers for years, but Friday night she went to her first slumber party. I don't have a ton of awesome memories from slumber parties when I was younger (aside from Katie's house, where they'd make homemade donuts in the mornings), but it sounds like this one was a huge success! I'd say her friend Melody has very brave parents.

The rest of the weekend was all about Easter (well, and taxes, laundry, running, shopping... eh, let's just call it all Easter). The kids got awesome baskets from their Grandma & Grandpa, we dyed eggs, made cute cupcakes, and were thrilled to discover that the EB made a stop at our house! We also enjoyed a petting zoo (REAL BUNNIES!!!) and another egg hunt at a friend's house.

Aurora says Easter is her favorite holiday because she loves the colors and bunnies and candy and, well let's face it... because it means it's almost her birthday. We have a few more awesome weekend adventures planned before we get to that. See you next weekend!