friesenfam.net

Friesen family blog

February 5, 2013
by janette
0 comments

how we make breakfast fun

Some days getting my kids to eat breakfast in a timely manner is like pulling teeth. I’d love to let them sit there as long as they’d like and just take their time. Sadly, unless I wake them up earlier (which I vow to NEVER do unless absolutely necessary), there is only so much time to get them dressed, get breakfast, take morning medicine, and get so we all look presentable enough to RUN out the door at 8 a.m.

So…breakfast.

We took a break from the standard breakfast choices last week and threw in some snowman heads.

Not the healthiest breakfast…but let me tell you…I didn’t have to push anybody to finish it!

February 3, 2013
by janette
0 comments

kid date day #2

Our plan to date our kids (and each other) more this year has started off pretty well…

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!

January 23, 2013
by janette
0 comments

This is why we do it…

I finally got to return to doing my storytime visits at in-home daycares yesterday after my 4 month hiatus.

When I logged into facebook in the morning…this is what was waiting for me with the caption “waiting for Janette”

Adorable.

How nice to be missed. What’s even nicer was seeing their cute faces and having them sing songs with me. :)

Ahh…it’s good to be back.

One of my co-workers asked me yesterday if the novelty of driving had worn off yet…absolutely not! I feel like I’m 16 again. Loving the freedom!

I will admit though that the first place I had to be somewhere without someone else being responsible to get me there…I was late. Apparently I had to be more “with it” when it came to my schedule when I was dependent on all those other people!

January 16, 2013
by janette
0 comments

so long…farewell…

These will no longer be a permanent fixture by my side…

Neither will this…

I’m now down to a very attractive orthopedic hard soled shoe. Ok, it’s really quite unattractive…but after the past four months of very limited mobility, I will take it!

I’m not ashamed to admit that when I put this shoe on and was told I could drive, I cried right there in the office. It was a moment.

What a lesson in patience…What a lesson in humility…What a humbling experience.

I think I’ve gained a lot of perspective through this whole process…4 months gives you a lot of time to think. I undoubtedly will be more patient with people when they are frustrated with their own mobility issues, and I completely understand now how some elderly people feel when they’re told they cannot safely drive anymore. How hard to give up that freedom.

I’m hoping that we all take what we’ve learned from this and continue with it. The kids are amazing at getting themselves ready for school, out of pure necessity, and I am way more patient than I have ever been with them…and time schedules…when you have no control over when and where you can be, you have to learn to let it go. I’m hoping that lesson sticks around! (I think I’m a much more pleasant person now…)

And…after I quit throwing a pity party for myself, and got back to work on the diet and workout regimen, I’ve started to see better results in that department too. When I first broke myself, I decided I was going to eat whatever I wanted because it wasn’t like I could workout anyway. Silly girl…silly attitude. So, after completely letting go…I found myself 14 weeks later, 14 pounds heavier, and with pants that didn’t fit so well. (obviously)

The first of the year dawned…and I found a renewed purpose. 1) I have a goal of 307 workout days to achieve, 2) i have really cute pants that I want to fit in again, and 3) I can workout…just not like I used to.

I’m proud to say that in the past 2 weeks I’ve taken off 6 pounds of that 14…well on my way to fitting into those cute pants again. :)

I’m also hoping that after sitting and dreaming for 4 months about the possibilities for our house…rearrangement…what we need to get rid of…new projects…that now that I can spring (slowly spring as to not re-injure myself) into action, we can get some things accomplished around the house.

So, with the new found freedoms, and finding the girl’s lost red mittens, yesterday was a very good day! (In answer to the burning question i know you all have…yes, I bought a lottery ticket…stay tuned to find out if today is a good day too! If so…my next post could start off looking something like this:

Now wouldn’t my orthopedic shoe look sexy there??

January 8, 2013
by janette
0 comments

some family fun

What do you get when you combine a little Ice Age:Continental Drift

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!