Roman planted some beans in a cup in his preschool class, after reading Jack and the Beanstalk. He’s been taking very good care of them at home, while they’ve been sprouting up…watering them and finding just the right light for them. He was so excited to help me plant them in the garden this morning…
We got to go camping over spring break which was so much fun!!! On Thursday, we got settled in, walked down the dry creek bed, gathered wood for a fire, filtered water from the creek, checked out Tom’s survival gear, put together a peach cobbler (in the Dutch oven Grandma and Grandpa gave us for Christmas), grilled hot dogs, ate a yummy dinner and dessert, sat around the campfire, and tucked in for the night. On Friday, we ate breakfast, went exploring, hung out around the pond (Petra swam for the very first time in her life!), and headed home.
Yay for camping with all of the Seyfried boys!!!
The boys and I had fun at the indoor pool this morning with Jordan…playing monkey in the middle, diving for dive rings/sticks, and enjoying the water.
The boys and I went to the Adventure Science Center this morning. They could spend forever in there playing and checking everything out. The favorites today were: the light board, the plasma globe, the rocket launcher, and the water table.
We spent the first day of spring break with Jordan at the zoo!!! We fed the lorikeets, checked out the fish and reptiles, pet the kangaroos, fed the turtles (Roman got bit…ouch!), rode the train, and played on the playground. The boys loved hanging out with their cousin, and I loved spending time with my niece.
The boys LOVE playing in the woods behind our house…they get stocked up with snacks and walkie talkies and build forts.
Roman had a special Dinner with Dad at his preschool tonight…
I was so excited to finally run the half-marathon today that I’ve been training for for three months now!!! It’s been a great way for me to keep my spirits up over the winter (spending time alone, listening to music, being in the great outdoors, boosting serotonin, and having a goal to work towards). I’ve had good days and bad days…fast days and slow days…feeling good days and feeling rough days…running through all of them. I’ve been learning how to pace and race myself. I even felt like Rocky a few times…haha…running in the freezing cold, crossing over snow-covered bridges…and running in the pouring rain, finishing up those last few miles. I felt somewhat young while I was running and really old when I stopped.
The last (and only) half-marathon I ran was about 14 years ago. My goal after Roman was born was just to get back to where I could run 3 miles 3 times a week. This fall, I started bumping up the mileage on the weekend a little bit just to see if I could do it. I’m so grateful to my chiropractor, Dr. Todd Smith, for inspiring me and encouraging me at that point to “resurrect the dream” and try to run another half-marathon!!!
It ended up SNOWING the day of the run. Crazy. Tom was so great and set up a course for me at Crockett Park, where I did the majority of my training. He and the boys met me at different points along the way with precious signs and exuberant cheers which really helped…especially past the halfway mark and beyond. It was so beautiful running in the snow…even though at times I could hardly see for all of the snowflakes blowing in my face. I was surprised but not to see quite a few other runners out there on the trail, grinning from ear to ear. Tom even set up a finish line for me, complete with dear friends and family cheering me on and a medal!!! So fun. So grateful.
Xander was chosen out of his class to receive a Cardinal Pride Award this morning!!! Students are awarded based on their behavior…being responsible, showing respect, giving 100%, and doing the extra. It was so sweet for me to see all of the kids in Xander’s class and in other classes holding their hands up to high five him. Way to go, Xan-Man!!!
I can’t believe my baby boy is 5 years old today!!! Preschool ended up being canceled due to a power outage, so Roman and I celebrated his birthday at Goofballs (one of his favorite places to play) and at Cracker Barrel (one of his favorite places to eat) this morning/afternoon. We are looking forward to a celebratory dinner and dessert with Tom and the boys tonight and a birthday party with a few of his best preschool friends later on this weekend. Happy 5th birthday to Roman Cole!!!
Jonas (explaining things to Tom): “It’s a world of complications, Dad.”
Jonas (building with Roman): “Roman!!! Do you want me to build this?!? I’ll build it the way I build it. And I won’t regret it.”
Xander (trying to get my attention): “Dude! I mean…Mom!”
Xander (loving his new found ability to snap): “God gave me a new power…I can snap both of my fingers!”
Roman (consoling me for messing up): “You have to get stuff wrong to be the specialist Mommy.”
Roman (discussing his ongoing cold): “I think the bacteria is winning.”
For as much as they fight, they do love each other…
We had our first snow day on Friday!!! The boys had SO much fun playing in it…they were in and out all day…sledding, playing with friends, scooping and piling up and eating snow, and enjoying our first winter wonderland this year.
Roman and I visited the Adventure Science Center with some friends several weeks ago and LOVED it. So, when Aunt Jean gave the boys some money for Christmas, I knew one of the best gifts ever for them to enjoy would be a membership to the Adventure Science Center. We went today, and I practically had to drag them out of there to go get some lunch…haha!!! They were all over the place like pinballs in a pinball machine. Jonas had the great idea of bringing walkie talkies…so, in case we got separated, we could find each other…it worked brilliantly. Among the favorites of the day were the rocket launcher, the parachute pulley, the play structure that goes all the way to the top of the pyramid and looks out over Nashville, and the water table. We can’t wait to go back and explore some more. Thanks, Aunt Jean!!!
We spent Christmas in Virginia this year with Grandma and Grandpa Seyfried, the (Northern) Seyfrieds, the Longs, and the Paccassis. The boys had a BLAST playing with their cousins…exploring the woods, playing pool, decorating Christmas cookies, playing Wii games, going to mass, and opening and playing with their Christmas presents. Highlights for me were: catching up with everyone over after meal conversations; learning to sew a pair of pajama pants from a pattern with Sherri; watching all of the kids play together; family prayer time; continuing my half marathon training by running my first 8 miles in 13 years; and seeing Gabe, in his little man Christmas pajamas, hug Joseph and kiss baby Jesus in the nativity.
For more pictures, click on the “Christmas in VA 2016” picture page to the right.
We have LOVED visiting with Uncle Darren, who is here from Norway for the holidays. He spent a day and a night with us for which we were so grateful. I enjoyed having some one on one time with him before we picked Roman up from preschool and before Jonas and Xander came home from school on the bus, kicking off the Winter Break. I loved sharing our daily life and catching up with my big brother and watching him spend special time with each one of the boys. His rousing rendition of “Ooey Gooey was a worm…what a worm was he…he climbed upon the railroad tracks…the train he did not see…Ooey Gooey” was just as much of a hit with Jonas, Xander, and Roman as it was for me when I was a child. Yay for Uncle Darren!!!
This morning, Roman and I joined the other four and five year olds from his preschool and their moms in the sanctuary at church for a reading of the Christmas story and singing of Christmas carols, followed by a favorite preschool holiday tradition…decorating gingerbread houses!!!
Going to the Breakfast with Santa at our church has become a holiday tradition. We eat breakfast, help the boys with crafts and games, and snap a picture of the boys with Santa. This year they stamped treat bags, made Santa puppets, played Christmas bingo, and loved on the dog (sheep) in the live nativity. So sweet!
Roman’s Christmas pajamas crack me up…”Dear Santa, Define Good”.
We are so blessed in Nashville to have not only a beautiful library but a second to none children’s library and program downtown as well. Roman checked out the climbing wall, the courtyard fountain, and the craft room this time before the Holiday String Swing Show. It was an AMAZING show…complete with a swing string band, Professor and Library Pete and Mary Mary, Cedric the Dragon and Tommy Dog and J.J. the Lamb, a reading of the Night Before Christmas, marionettes from the 40’s and 50’s and 60’s including Santa and Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer, and mini lessons in instrument identification and tempo…not to mention it was my first real feeling of the Christmas spirit this season. Bravo!!! Encore!!!
