Diversity Training

This past weekend Hannah set to work making this family of penguins.  As she made the first one, I came up behind her and asked what she was doing.

Hannah: "I'm making diversity penguins".

Me: "Diversity?"

Hannah: "Oh, yes.  Diversity means different, Mom".

She has always got a marker, a pencil, a crayon, or a pair of scissors in her hand.  She ALWAYS leaves behind a giant pile of scrap paper.  Everyone says we need to get her into art classes, but when asked if she's interested in art class, she just shrugs.  She really just wants to do her own thing.  I'm good with that.

On Sunday morning I realized that I needed to help my small group (the 2nd and 3rd graders at church) to make crowns.  Crafting?  Not my gift.  Naturally I turned to our resident artist.  She was thrilled to demonstrate.  I wish I had a video of how lovingly she taught me how to do it.  She mentioned not long ago that she might like to be a teacher.  She'd be incredible.  Love this girl and her piles of construction paper scraps.

Even when she continually harasses me to provide cups and syrup for "snow snacks" introduced to her by her friend, Maddie last year.  We woke up to a little snow on Saturday.  Sarah does not consider it "real" snow as she said, "When you move it, you can see the  grass Mom".

And move it they did.  They worked on building their own igloo and tunnels both Saturday and Sunday.

Daddy put in some shovel time before he left for Belgium.  He left snowy, cold Michigan for rainy, cold Belgium.  Not such a great trade off.

Here Nathan had recovered from his most devastating basketball loss yet 22-21.  They haven't won a single game so far, but most of the losses have been by much more than one point.  I would think those would be more devastating, but clearly I was wrong.  He's really gotten good this year and it is so fun to watch no matter what the outcome.  The girls are less enthusiastic about watching, but so far they've only had to attend 2 out 4 games. 

The girls both started taking ice skating lessons a couple of weeks ago.  Hannah, of course, is adding on to last year's lessons, but it is completely new for Sarah.  The first day she cried a little before she even got onto the ice.  Then afterwards, she was fine.  The second week she complained a little, but did well.  This last time, the night before she was adamantly refusing to go.  I let her sleep on it and again, she did fine.

She was most excited that she learned to skate backwards.  She never smiles out there--very serious.

This week is spirit week at school.  I thought I'd take pictures each day, but somehow completely forgot about "sports day" yesterday.  Nathan almost always wears a sports' team shirt of some kind so he was good.  Hannah wasn't the only one who forgot.  Today is pink and red day in honor of Valentine's Day.  Not a problem for Hannah (or Sarah for that matter) and Nathan is wearing his "All I Do Is Win" shirt--happens to be red, if not so much Valentiney.  Tomorrow is crazy hair day.  I need to do a little Internet research and get up a little earlier than usual to manage crazy on purpose hair--we are often a family of bed heads, but I don't think that is what they mean.  Twin day on Thursday--started causing drama in our house last week and I'm not even talking about the girl.  Even though we have since worked it out, I think twin day is a bad idea.  I don't like anything that has the potential to leave kids out.  Ick.  Then pajama day on Friday. 

I've been forced to think about my career (rather the lack there of) lately.  My nursing license is up for renewal next month and though I've had two years to complete 25 hours of continuing education credits, I've completed 10.  I started last week.  I've never procrastinated like this in my life, but I am so unmotivated to renew something I'm not even close to using.  We've had lots of conversations about me going back to work, but honestly it just isn't in our plan for the moment.  Last week a friend strongly encouraged me again to join her in a work from home venture, but (again) I said no.  I really do like being a nurse even though I know better than to think that was all fun and games--especially while trying to care for two small children, gestate another one, maintain a home and do all of that without any childcare on minimal sleep.  When I first became a stay at home mom, it was the most mentally taxing thing I have ever done.  Now, though, we have gotten through the completely dependent years and I am really just enjoying this part of my life.  I do go through periods where I feel like I need something outside of this.  When the most challenging moment of my day is organizing a sock drawer or cleaning out a fish tank, I can start to question my contribution to society.  Sometimes I think it is hard to explain to a working mom exactly how I feel.  I did like my job.  I think that if we hadn't moved to Belgium that I would still be working at least very, very part time.  I do miss certain things about it and I do get lonely for adult interaction, especially when my husband is traveling so much.

BUT...I really love being at home too.  I know that there are plenty of times that I'm not as mentally  present as I would be if I were working and away from my kids more than I am just with their school schedules--I admit it, I check out.  I was able to essentially function as a stay at home mom most of the time I worked as a nurse by working at night and weekends, but I was exhausted from the lack of sleep I missed a lot of family time.  The tag team parenting thing was really hard and I think that is one of the main reasons we have chosen for me not to go back to work.  I'm very blessed to be home and thankful for that.  It isn't all fun and games, but nothing is.

I started this post hours ago with about a thousand interruptions that make up my day.  I had written some little paragraph about how I don't really like Valentine's Day because I think it is weird to just be romantic one day a year.  It has never really been my thing.  I did text a picture of some conversation hearts to my traveling husband when I woke up this morning.  Lame, but it just isn't my holiday.

Since I sat down to write that little bit about the thousand interruptions, one has been a flower delivery service and the other a phone call from the one who sent the flowers.  Now he's off to bed and we're off to dance class.  They've had entirely too much Valentine's candy and no dinner yet--which probably explains why the youngest child is standing in the kitchen holding her Winnie the Pooh box of tissues sobbing over a Mickey Mouse lollipop.  I'm listening as they sort it out.  We've come so far from the days when I had to intervene with every single disagreement.  Sounds like it is safe to round them up and head out the door.