Playground and Nature

Zac and I had the morning off together, so we decided to take a trip to the park and hang out with our kiddos, complete with snowballs and bicycles.

77

I saw a doe and her fawn yesterday... Isn't that crazy? They were just walking around outside the apartment parking lot. I think the driver behind me took a photo because he patiently sat there while I grabbed a shot.

Dad celebrated his 77th birthday today. I called him this morning to let the kids wish him a "happy birthday", but he was so very grouchy. I felt guilty telling him I was about to fix breakfast and help Leah practice the alphabet. He was unaware that I was actually trying to get my "travel bag" together and get the kids in the car so we could drive to the house and surprise him.

Mom played along, telling Dad, "Wayne, I have a big surprise for you, but you have to sit on the sofa and close your eyes." I could tell Dad was still in his bad mood since this morning. He had told me how much he misses us and wants us to live nearby again. I felt sad. But when he opened his eyes and saw the kids standing there, he was so overwhelmed and actually cried as he hugged them. I haven't seen him cry since he had his heart attack over ten years ago.

Our visit was short, but great. Dad liked his cake and we ate at Fernando's. Mom drove us to see her new house. It's absolutely gorgeous and huge. I'm a little envious of Carlton and Rachel for being able to live with them, ha.

Cakes from this week:

Playground

I brought the kiddos to the park today. We haven't been to this park since before we moved to Mississippi. I used to play at the same park when I was little.

Zac applied for a job in Tennessee. I'm trying to contain my optimism because the chance of him getting a job out of state (that isn't Mississippi) is pretty slim. I'm not saying I wouldn't absolutely love to live in Tennessee, but if I'm extremely hopeful, I'll be extremely disappointed.

Random Update

Mom and Dad have been looking for a bigger house, but haven't found one that "suits everyone's needs" yet. Carlton and Rachel are going to move in with them, so they're looking for a lot of space. I'm sure it's stressful for them. They have to be out of their house by the end of the month.

Zac and I went shoe-shopping for the kids and it's startling how big their feet are now. Jac is already in a kid-size 1 and Leah is almost in a 10!

Zac has been working so much this week, every day. I barely see him and while I'm waking up without him, I'm definitely not waking up alone, thanks to my nuggets. I hope things can get back to a regular schedule because it's lonely without Zac.

Other changes, besides my little girl learning her entire alphabet almost overnight? Jac lost yet another tooth today!

Father's Day 2013

This week has been slow. I've been playing Animal Crossing: New Leaf a lot and love it. When Zac and I first started dating, we bought a GameCube together and Animal Crossing was one of the first games we played on it. It's sort of "our thing", like Resident Evil. So, I decorated Zac a Father's Day cake with the Leaf logo.

Father's Day cakes have been pretty popular at work.

I crocheted myself a 3DS case. Zac thinks I'm on to something...

I haven't minded having so much time at home. I've been spending quality time with my kids and we've been reading a ton of Dr. Seuss books and watching Disney movies. It's awesome and I miss being a stay-at-home-mom.

Hot Summer!

Summer is crazy hot. We've been biking in the evenings before jumping in the pool to cool off. In Louisiana, summer feels exaggerated. And it lasts forever. I think we get one cold month in March or April and then it's hot again.

Selfies

I thought I lost my phone today. I searched all over, unable to have Zac call or text me for assistance. The phone usually stays on "vibrate" so alerts don't wake anyone at night. I was frustrated and getting irritable when Leah came to me with it in her hand. I asked her what she's been up to with my phone, without permission, and she said, "Nuthin'."

New Bikes

Zac bought bicycles for the kiddos as a late birthday gift. I've never seen them so excited! I feel bad to admit it, but these are their first bikes ever. When we lived with my parents, we bought the trailer and just pulled them with us wherever we went, so they never learned to ride on their own. At our current apartments, we have a path behind our building so it's the perfect place to learn.

Leah is Four!

Happy 4th birthday, my sweet Leah!

The birthday party was nice and the weather was sunny, but cool. The Slip N' Slide wins again.

Hibachi with Parents

My parents are in town for the weekend. It's been a really nice visit. They took us out to eat and brought us shopping. Dad figured out how to use Netflix and has enjoyed watching some of his favorite movies, like Shining Through and Once Upon A Time in the West, to name a few. I think he even likes Adventure Time!

I decorated the kids' birthday cake tonight. Stacey and Ryan both really liked it. Mom and Dad watched me as I decorated and I decided to let the kids see the cake. Both loved it so much. I love that I can make them that happy. I'll post a pic tomorrow.

Swimming and Cakes

I think I posted a while back about wishing for cooler weather once my wish for warmer weather happened. I made that wish more than once today! It is so HOT. I'm glad we have a pool. These kiddos don't know how to swim yet, but Mom has offered to pay for swimming lessons next year. It would definitely ease my mind knowing they'll be confident in the water. 

I'm trying to get better with my decorating. There's room for improvement!

Jac is Seven!

Happy birthday to my Jacaroni!

Great American Cookies

This little she-devil has been begging to play my ukulele. The proportions remind me of a tiny Sheryl Crow.

I started training at Great American Cookies (GAC, for short) Wednesday as a cake decorator. I spent the last three days in training to learn oven temperatures, batter weights, decorating techniques, and customer service etiquette before the store opened today. The job is alright, even though I'm having doubts about staying on. The managers really like me and want to keep me. My hands are so sore, though. I roll refrigerated cookie dough out by hand because a roller would break the chocolate chips. My wrist and thenal areas are covered in bruises and my finger joints are killing me from squeezing out frosting. I really like the decorating part, but my hands are strained. I'll get used to it, I'm sure, but right now it hurts.

Zac also got a new job at Game Stop as a keyholder, so he's excited about that. He gets to try out new games and has his employee discount.

Crochet Addict

I'm so obsessed with yarn as of lately. I've been crocheting things all week! I spent today rolling all of my yarn into little "cakes" with my yarn ball winder from KnitPicks. It's amazing. Unfortunately, all the crocheting as caused calluses to form on most of my fingertips, so I'm unable to play my ukulele for a while. It's also a little painful to type, so this entry will be short.