Well, not actually being brave, but feeling like you have to be brave.

We’ve been talking a lot about bravery at our house lately, and I’ve been reminded how in some situations as a parent I have to put on a brave face even though sometimes I don’t feel like it.

I feel I have to be brave when my husband isn’t home, and I have to tuck the kids in at night with all their fears and insecurities about the dark, open closet doors, etc…trusting that nothing bad will happen to us and we’ll all wake up the next morning, safe in our own beds.

I feel I have to be brave when there is a spider…or a frog…or really anything else that I’m scared of…and I have to deal with it. Heaven help me if it’s in my house…(okay, so the frog thing only happened once…but according to my daughter I screamed like a little girl).

I feel I have to be brave when my kids get a bit sad about moving. No that it’s not okay for them to show emotion about it – I surely have…and think it’s healthy. But let’s face it, if we’re getting through this, mom can’t be a blubbering mess.

We’re all excited. We’re all apprehensive too. It’s hard for me to explain to people when they ask if we’re excited about our new adventure. Of course we are, but at the same time we’re leaving behind 18 years of memories in Waverly.

I find that even though we’re starting something exciting, I have to remind myself not to think about it too much. Although my time for not thinking about it is coming to a close…as I pack up everything in our house, pay final bills in Janesville, and say so-long to friends who live here. (not goodbye mind you…just so long for now…)

I’m afraid even though we know people close to where we’re moving, and even though we have family near there, I’ll be alone. My husband will have this great new job, my kids will make friends in school and I won’t find anyone who understands me like my friends do here.

But I put on a brave face and I tell my children it will be an amazing adventure. I can’t tell who I’m trying to convince more…them, or me.

This post is not meant to be sad…It’s just a way for me to process the new and different we’re coming up on. It’s also a way to let you know if you see me out and about in the next week or so before we leave, and I look a little bit sad, nothing is wrong (and I’m completely excited for the new adventure) it’s just my brave face slipping a bit.

We managed to make it through all of our January dates without canceling any of them…a good way to start off the year!

We had our second kid date day a couple of weeks ago – so, it was Ellie’s turn to help mom make cookies (even though technically I could have driven us somewhere by then)…and Evan and dad went to play at the public library, since they are honestly never there for any extended period of time. Obviously, I only have pictures of the date I was on…

We started out making two different kinds of cookies:

pumpkin chocolate chip and rolo cookies (or what we like to call “chocolate surprise” cookies!)

And while we waited for the cookies to come out of the oven…we played a little garbage. We didn’t end up finishing the game…but when we ended, she was leaps and bounds ahead of her mama.

She really liked the pumpkin ones. But…she LOVED the chocolate ones! I wasn’t fast enough to get a picture of that one!.

Another raging success…and now to decide what to do in February!

With a little LCR?

A couple nights of family fun.

And a good start to the “dating our children” resolution.

Our plan…we choose 4 nights a month.

One night a month is family night.

One night a month is date night for mom and dad. This month – the Olive Garden. (Thanks to a gift card from Christmas!)

Two nights a month are reserved for the kids. Dad takes one. Mom takes one.(i only worry they’re both going to want dad…at least until I can drive, my date nights are limited to the house unless I can get dad to drop us off somewhere.)

We’ve chosen all of January’s nights, and written them in pen on the calendar!

We usually spend the holiday there and take in a local parade. This year, due to the extreme heat, we decided to skip the parade and just stay and play at Grandma and Grandpa’s house.

What is the 4th of July without a little water fight??

The kids had the best time getting each other all wet…they were even begging for us to throw buckets of water at them…who am I to say no to that??

And afterwards…popsicles.

Now, just about every time we go there, my kids ask if we brought the squirt guns and swimsuits. It’s definitely a memory they’ll have for a long, long time!

The one where he introduced himself to Jack.

Yep…I think they’ll be fast friends.