Movies We Watched - Instant Family

I watched Instant Family last night on Amazon Prime.  I had heard good reviews.  I really liked it.  It was funny and touching.  I loved that the parents did so many things wrong which is relatable.  There were definitely things I have heard before about adoption.  That part wasn't only true about adopting foster children.  With so many choices, sometimes, it's hard to settle on something to watch or read, but I'm glad I made this choice.

Podcasts - Fake Doctors Real Friends

We started a Scrubs rewatch and listening along to the podcast, Rake Doctors, Real Friends with Zach + Donald.  It's been so nice rewatching and listening to some behind-the-scenes.  It is one of our favorite shows and good comfort viewing.  If you are a fan of the show, I highly recommend rewatching and listening along.  

Movies We Watched - Fleabag

After obsessing over the tv show, Fleabag, we jumped on the chance to watch the one-woman show of the same name.  I loved that it was still new and funny and touching.  Phoebe Waller-Bridge is just a gift to humanity in her humor and subtlety (and sometimes by not being subtle at all).  She brings such a softness to a brash character and humor to solemnity.  

I will definitely be rewatching the tv show again.  

Quarantine Life

Whelp, the novelty has worn off.  Or life with a pre-teen has hit a valley, or peak.  I don't know.  

It turns out, Captain really likes to have a schedule and a plan.  He gets frustrated with writing and not being perfect which hinders him trying.  He prefers staying home.  Even when we've offered him to go get the mail or take a walk, he prefers to stay inside.  There was some chalk painting on the balcony, but that's about it.  Today, we got a little creative with lessons.  Even though it's Spring Break, I still like to keep him busy.  Today, he got to watch some Penguins of Madagascar and then had to write about his favorite part.  In the afternoon, I had him write a letter to his great-grandparents.  

Little Miss has been super great and making cookies for the family by herself or super emotional.  So, 12 is fun.  She gets a little cooped up and does like to get out to run around the block or walk down to get the mail.  She has been allegedly working and keeps in contact with many of her friends.  

All in all, I can't complain.  They've been good.  It's hard to keep them learning and motivated, but I think they (at least Captain) like the interaction and being around us.  

Husband and I have been having Zoom calls with family.  We've started Schitt's Creek.  I've watched Glow Up, Next in Fashion, and Making It but having trouble concentrating on finishing an actual book.  We've also been listening to the Scrubs podcast and doing a rewatch along with it.  So, that's been fun.

So, we're hanging in there as I hope you all are as well.

Movies We Watched - Onward

We watched Onward yesterday.  We all enjoyed it.  As I expected, it was a little sad mostly at the end.  There wasn't anything questionable though - Captain wasn't scared at any part.  There were some funny moments and some sweet moments.  I think Little Miss liked it the most out of all of us.  I promised the kids I would take them earlier in the year.  Then, Captain got the flu and then the coronavirus kept us home so I didn't feel bad at all buying it and watching it at home.  We popped popcorn and ate some leftover candy.  It was just like being at the theater... but in our pjs!  If you didn't promise to take anybody, I think it'll be fine when it hits Disney+, no need to watch it as soon as possible.

Hanging in There

So, this has been a fun month.  I hope this isn't "going out like a lamb."  We've all kind of adapted ok so far.  

We wake up.  The kids start school work around 10AM.  Little Miss has set their room up with two trays as desks and two chairs.  She guides him through his lessons and does her own work.  They come out for lunch.  Normally, this is when they are done for the day, but the work load has ramped up this week to be more interactive so they went back to work after lunch time.  We've been very consistent with bedtime which has helped at least.  

They've been pretty calm.  There are some questions here and there.  In general, they've been more active with us though.  You'd think close quarters would make them crankier, but it hasn't really.  Maybe it's the extra sleep.  Little Miss has been getting up 2-3 hours later than her usual school schedule.  We've played some board games, watched movies, popped popcorn.  We've had some interesting conversations about guns, politics, passing on germs.  Captain has a lot of interesting perspectives.  For example, he may need a gun to protect himself from bad guys... or just a shield.  So, maybe he just thinks he's actually Captain America.  

January 2020

January was a fun month.  In the beginning of the month, we celebrated a belated holiday with the In-Laws.  We had dinner out and then went back to our apartment for dessert and presents.  I can't even handle the cuteness of all the kids together.

The very next day, Captain and I took the Metro to The Kennedy Center to see the play Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus.  He used to be scared of the Metro and is no longer!  Because I'm an idiot, I bought 4 tickets to the play because I can't work the Internet.  So, I gave two of the tickets to Sister-in-Law and Nephew.  We met in between the two performances for lunch.  After lunch, Captain and I did the fun virtual tour of The Kennedy Center with Pigeon on the app.  The wifi was a little spotty so we didn't complete it, but we did get a pin and had a lot of fun.

The next weekend, Husband was out of town on an annual trip.  So, the kids and I did some cooking and baking and had a movie night (101 Dalmations, the original animated film).  We did dinner out with the In-Laws.  It was a lot of fun.

The next weekend, Little Miss had a Latin party which is a total thing.  She won second place in a costume contest.  I went to a Housewarming party and a couple of happy hours.  Overall, it was a pretty relaxing long weekend.  Our Sunday Family Movie was Star Wars (A New Hope).  I did not fall asleep once through this viewing, too.

The last weekend, the kids and I went back to The Kennedy Center for Lunar New Year (China).  I think I'm going to have to skip Korea this weekend.  I just need to do some things at home.  The lanterns were beautiful, and the kids had a blast with crafts and costumes.  We also completed the Virtual Tour and got certificates of completion!  And then everybody melted down, and we came home.  

Food front:  I bought myself an Air Fryer for Christmas so we used that quite a bit.  In January, we air fried everything from veggies (butternut squash and broccoli and brussels sprouts) to pot stickers, chicken tenders and onion rings.  The kids and I made chocolate donuts in the oven, homemade baked mac and cheese, parmesan chicken tenders, chicken romano and lemon pasta, broccoli cheese soup, champagne cupcakes with champagne buttercream, the yummiest vanilla cake, and circus cupcakes.  There were also brownies and sugar cookies.  You can find our updates and recipes here on our Cooking/Baking Instagram page, @A4MinimalEffort.

Update

We've been busy just like every single other family during the holiday season, but here's a quick update.

We managed to put up a tree and decorate it.  We purchased presents for everyone (and then purchased a few more).  We did cooking and baking.  

Captain is teething and getting those wretched canine teeth in.  It's resulting in either a cold or congestion.  He is also badly constipated this week so the combination is rough.  He hasn't slept and has been an emotional mess.  Last night was better than nights before so I think there is a light at the end of the tunnel.  His vocabulary is finally increasing.  He can say mama, dada, baba (for drink), his sister's name, bus, car, ball, girl, and now he says cracker, thanks, and good.  He's slow to talk but so was Little Miss.  Because of the age difference, it's like having a first child all over again.  He doesn't have to talk because there's no need to - he has 3 people catering to his every need.

Little Miss is wise beyond her years.  She enjoys mindless YouTube videos and reading Harry Potter with me.  She's doing extraordinary in school.  She hasn't mastered third grade level work yet, but she's never gives up.  She's well above her grade level in both math and language arts.  She speaks Spanish and sign language at home.  She's learning coding on her school iPad.  She knows pretty much what I knew in middle school.  She's incredibly helpful around the house.  If anything, her only fault is not being a good eater, but she eats.

Status quo with Husband.  He freelances from home.  I, however, got promoted this year which is exciting.  I love where I work, and it's nice to receive encouragement back.  

Here's to a happy and healthy 2016!

November 2015 Weekend Update

The first Sunday in November was spent at a first birthday party! They're always fun. Captain even managed to nap there. Little Miss loved being the oldest one there. After Little Miss was going to have a sleepover with her cousins. We stayed at the birthday party a little longer. Husband, Captain, and I had dinner in the city before heading home. Little Miss called on our way home and said she did not want to have a sleepover so we swung by and picked her up.

It's your day, Birthday Girl!

A photo posted by @princessapr on Nov 7, 2015 at 11:20am PST

The next day, Husband's family watched the Jets game and ate way too much food. All the kids had a really great time together. The younger ones are not too happy with being younger and not allowed to do what the big kids get to do. Captain spent the entire day eating. And then he ate some more. It was a good napping weekend for him. He did a great job napping in other people's cribs. Usually, on the weekend, he does his best to avoid naps.

It's hard being the younger siblings.

A photo posted by @princessapr on Nov 8, 2015 at 11:05am PST

The second weekend of November, Husband and I belatedly celebrated our anniversary. We went to Clyde's and to a basketball game (Wizards/Magic). It was a fun, relaxing night out. The Wizards won - though we weren't very invested in the game. It was nice to get out and have some couple time. The kids slept over the In-Laws' apartment so we also got to sleep late which was as nice as you'd think. The next day, we did Christmas photos with the cousins. We got one really good one, and we only marginally held onto our sanity.

Basketball. (@Rob_Sawicki)

A photo posted by @princessapr on Nov 14, 2015 at 5:23pm PST

The third weekend of November, we finished cleaning our apartment for Thanksgiving. I can't say we ever really finished, but it's better than it was. I bagged toys and clothes for donation. Things were really tidied up - except our bedroom, but no one really goes in there anyway. That Sunday, my sister and I had photos with the other side of the family. I mixed up the times, but the photo studio was so backed up, no one noticed. My parents met us for lunch, and then we head home to call another weekend to an end.

Just hanging out. (@Rob_Sawicki)

A photo posted by @princessapr on Nov 15, 2015 at 11:55am PST

Thanksgiving week was a lot of fun. The night before, I got a massage when my office closed early. Captain had his 18 month well child visit. He weighs 21.5 pounds, finally weighing over 20 pounds! He's pretty healthy and doing well. He got his flu shot. He still doesn't say many words, but this was typical of Little Miss, too. He makes sounds and says Mama, Dada, Baba when he wants his cup. He's been known to say Little Miss's name. He also says ball, doggie, girl, tree, and other words. I think he said cookie recently. He's a big fan of cookies.

Gingerbread turkey. More work than it was worth. #happythanksgiving

A photo posted by @princessapr on Nov 26, 2015 at 3:44pm PST

On Thanksgiving, we got up and stayed in our jammies for awhile. We watched the parade. Husband made the turkey and prepped the stuffing. Once those were done, I made roasted veggies (butternut squash, potatoes, brussels sprouts, and red onion). It was a simple meal, but it was pretty good. We had cookies for dessert. My parents enjoyed hanging out with the kids. Captain ate early and then napped when we ate which worked out best. During the weekend, we did as little as possible. I took Little Miss skating. Then, Little Miss and I went to see a movie the next day. My friend and I went to see another movie on Sunday. It was a social time, but I managed to avoid many of the Black Friday sales which is a high accomplishment for me! Onto Christmas!!

Skating (@Rob_Sawicki)

A video posted by @princessapr on Nov 27, 2015 at 11:39am PST

I'm Not Surviving 7

Little Miss.  She is becoming so mouthy and hyper.  She either wants to lose herself in YouTube or ignore adults.  We've been cracking down lately because we can't handle the attitude.  

Lately, she's been also mentioning that she's fat.  Of course, we tell her she is not.  She can see that clothes hang off her body and never fit her waist.  Her eating has become a little more difficult than usual, but then she'll turn it around sometimes.  She eats a decent lunch, but it's mostly fruits and vegetables.  I worry that it's not filling her up, but she seems to be good.  I pack her a lot.  Her lunch today was cucumber, grapes, crackers, pretzels, and a peach.  I threw in a granola bar, too.  She'll buy her lunch occasionally.  Last week was chicken and waffles which is crazy to this northern girl, but Little Miss loved it.

Little Miss still loves her brother.  She entertains him, calms him, and reads to him every night until he falls asleep.  It helps get her reading in and helps him fall asleep so it's win-win.  They eat dinner together.  He's a much better eater.  Last night, he was going through plate after plate after plate of food and, when Husband sat down, Captain let him know he was still hungry.  Husband said, "How are you out of food already?"  Little Miss looked at him and said, "He's insane, Bro!"

I can't even.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

We're not an Irish family or a family that owns a lot of green, but I dug some out.  Little Miss thinks her shirt is too blue/green, but it's the best we could do.  She has a necklace, a bracelet, and a crown.  I think she's covered.  Baby has his shirt and bib.  Little Miss protests his bib because he's not Irish so I reminded her that she isn't either.

 Then, Little Miss begged for a selfie so we made that happen.  She also told me I didn't have enough green on and pinched me.  She's a strict one with the rules.

Weekend Updates - Three for the Price of One!

Quickly catching up on weekend updates.  The weekend after the baptism was a low-key, quiet one.  That Friday, we were discharged from the hospital.  We stayed close to home.  Little Miss went camping with my parents at Hershey Park.  She had such a great time, she only called home to talk to us once. 

The first weekend in October, Little Miss and I ran some errands.  We had to buy a birthday gift for a friend of hers and a baby shower gift.  Then, we went to her friend’s birthday at a nearby park.  She had so much fun, she wouldn’t stop playing to eat.  On Sunday, she had a playdate with a friend and didn’t want me along.  So, she was gone all day long.  They all went into the city to the Air & Space Museum, had a picnic, and did all sorts of fun things.  In the meantime, I tidied and did no fun things.

Last weekend was our 15^th anniversary.  We went out to dinner and had a very pleasant evening and then came home with Baby and rented a movie.  Little Miss had a sleepover with the In-Laws where she got her birthday presents early (a little shopping spree).  She got a mix of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle toys and Frozen dress up clothes.  On Sunday, it was a lazy quiet day.  I would have preferred a little lazier, but I got talked into bringing Little Miss out with her bike.  So, I wore the Baby while Little Miss rode her bike.  We were out for a couple of hours.  She made friends at one point.  Then, we went home, and she made her birthday party invitations.  She really wanted to make them this year so I just made them on printer paper and she cut around the printed section and glued onto orange and black construction paper and added a sticker or two.  It wasn’t a big deal, but she had fun.  It was cheaper than buying invitations, and I have a billion sheets of construction paper left for future crafts.  This is partially because I misordered, but we’ll use it.

October is probably going to be our busiest month all year.  During the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays, I go out of my way not to overplan so things aren’t so busy, but October is crazy.  Plus, it’s a month that culminates in bags and bags of candy.  Nutso.

Weekend Update - Absolutely Nothing

Little Miss left last Thursday to be with my family for a week and a half.  She went with my parents and Sister and Nephew to Maine where they all will meet up with my grandparents, aunt, uncle and cousins.  It sounds like she's having a great time.  

In the meantime, on Saturday, Husband played golf.  Baby and I walked to the library.  I have three books that are due in rapid succession.  I read one with a small fine and had to return it.  I'm in the middle of the second and will have to work really hard to finish the third in time for its due date.  After the library, I took myself out to lunch while Baby napped.  I had some tacos and a margarita.  It was delightful.  Then, Baby and I sat in the park while I read for a little while.  Then, he decided he was a bit hungry as well so we walked home.  Then, we took a nap together until Husband came home and cooked dinner.  The evening was quiet.

On Sunday, Baby woke up very early and then it was just feeding and playing with him.  I did take a nap in the afternoon.  Then, Husband cooked a yummy dinner and then we watched a movie.  

Weekend Update - Why Does July Want to Leave Us So Quickly?

I mean, seriously.  July is 3/4 over already.  That is ridiculous.

Last Friday, I got my hair trimmed.  It's generous to say I got it cut.  It looks the same though.  I picked up the kids, and we just kind of had a good night.  We got a donut and just had a relaxing evening.  

On Saturday, we had our morning dance of responsibilities.  Then, I met friends for lunch and a movie.  Lunch was delicious, and it was good to catch up.  It had been months since the three of us got together though I'd seen both separately since then.  I took a quick power nap when I got home and stayed up late doing nothing.

On Sunday, I had grand plans and ended up just doing nothing.  I napped a lot.  That was it.  I got to nap with the baby which was very satisfying.  I had lunch and dinner with Little Miss while the baby slept.  She's turning into quite a young lady so it was nice to have some conversation time.  I love those moments where she just lets me in or we ask questions and discuss things.  I love that she has opinions or is shaping and forming her own opinions now.

Little Miss and I have been reading Matilda together.  I've never read it, but I'm a big fan of Roald Dahl.  The dialogue is a bit rough around the edges, but it's one of the first longer books in which she's shown interest so I don't want to discourage that.  We read it together, sometimes I read and sometimes we take turns.  We discuss what happened in the previous chapter, what happened in the chapter we are currently reading and what we think is going to happen.  Little Miss is actually interpreting the cover and wonders why the cover shows particular art.  I don't know.  We'll find out together.  It's been a lot of fun though the reading is slow-going.  

Real Life

I'm back at work. It had to happen eventually. With Baby needing surgery some time this year, I wanted to conserve my allotted time off. I'm better immersing myself with work versus splitting my time. I don't feel that's fair to either my home life or my work life. Husband is at home with the kids for the next couple of weeks. 

I'm sure it's a great time, but Little Miss does know how to feed the ego. Every day, she tells me that she wishes I was staying and that she misses me - which is what she did when Husband stepped out for an hour last night, but that's not the point. Today, Husband emailed me the above photo. Totally cute, and it does make me miss the little munchkins.

Also, excuse Pinkalicious and her inappropriate behavior.  You give that girl one too many Pink Lemonades, and she's lying down with her dress up over her head.

Weekend Update - Back to Routine

We are settling in finally.  Two weekends ago, we had a fairly normal weekend.  We are still getting family visiting and scattered friends, but things are eater thing down.

On Saturday, it was our turn to bring snack to Little Miss's baseball game.  Then, on Sunday, Little Miss, Baby and I went to the Taste of Arlington.  We tasted some good food and played some games.  It was a lot of fun and the weather was beautiful.  Then, we had skating practice.  In between, we had some napping and cleaning.  Husband has done a ton of laundry.  So, fairly normal weekend.

Weekend Update - Still Waiting on a Baby

Baby was still in the NICU.  So, we had a long weekend.  On Saturday, we dropped Little Miss to the In-Laws.  She enjoyed hanging out with them and then went to baseball.  We visited the Baby but made it to the last inning of the game in time to see Little Miss score a hit and a run.

On Sunday, we drove Little Miss to my parents.  My dad did public skating with Little Miss and then they watched her skating lesson.  We caught the last 10 minutes of that.  

Little Miss has been awesome about dealing with us being with the Baby all the time.  If anything, she's just jealous that we get to see him everyday and she does not.  

Baby has been doing well.  Each day, he meets all the goals set.  We were hoping to possibly being him home today, but it is looking like tomorrow so fingers crossed!  He has been a great eater and sleeper, but he hates being unswaddled.  He screams his head off until you swaddle again.  He's also loves to snuggle which is great.  I hope he transitions to home well.

Weekend Update - Last Weekend of Three

I worked from home Tuesday through Friday last week.  On Thursday, I had some pretty strong contractions, but they never became more frequent than 30 minutes apart.  The doctor recommended rest and fluids.  On Friday morning, everything seemed back to normal, but the doctor still told me to stay low to make it to the scheduled c-section time.  

On Saturday, I did very little except travel to see Little Miss play baseball.  I declined an invite to see a movie with Mom and Sister.  The evenings have been very tiring for me, and my entire body has been achy for the last week.  I cleaned the bathroom and put some clothes away though.  

On Sunday, I met with my friends for lunch, and it was nice to sit and relax.  The three of an he haven't gotten together in months due to busy schedules.  The restaurant took a picture of the three of us which was really sweet.  Plus, lunch was delicious.  Then, I took Little Miss to skating.  She's learning to skate backwards and is getting really good.  We are so proud of her.  She was a little extra cuddly, but she's excited for her brother to arrive.  She was a little cranky over the weekend, but she did an awesome job pulling herself together.

So, provided the next 10 hours are uneventful, we are prepared for the fourth member of our family.  See you on huge flip side blog!  No 39th week update though the baby is measuring the size of a mini watermelon and, as someone who bought a mini watermelon this week, it seems about right.  We shall see how big he is for sure in a handful of hours!

Weekend Update - Easter

Easter weekend was super busy.  I had a doctor appointment on Friday morning, went to work for a few hours and the office closed early.  I went home and took a brief nap, and it was glorious.  After, Little Miss and I went grocery shopping.  I figured I'd cook and freeze some food for after the baby is born, and I've been putting it off since forever.  

On Saturday, I actually did some cooking.  It was our job to bring appetizers Saturday night and Sunday so I did one batch of cooking and split it all up.  I'll put recipes in a separate post.  So, Saturday, we celebrated Easter with the In-Laws at Brother-in-Law and Sister-in-Law's place.  It was relaxing especially after all the cooking earlier in the day.  I may have overdone it a bit and my body kind of hated me, but it had to be done.  We got to bed very late, but that's how I've found I can sleep through the night.  I stay up late so I don't wake up repeatedly.

On Sunday, Little Miss woke me up by whispering, "There are eggs everywhere!"  The Easter Bunny had visited and left eggs everywhere and presents (Frozen, a big girl watch, popsicle molds and a popsicle "cookbook" and lots of chocolate).  We made quick work with presents and, while Husband made us French Toast, Little Miss and I snacked on some Easter chocolate.  Then, the entire family watched Frozen while we ate breakfast.  After, Little Miss went for some quiet, resting time while I did some more cooking and baking.  Then, we went to my parents' house for dinner.

We came home relatively early because it was a school night, and we all settled down for the evening.  It was a good weekend if not a little too busy.

Little Miss

As the baby gets ready to join the outside world, Little Miss is on Baby Watch all the time.  She's always asked how big he is and is interested in his status, but now that we're closer, she is much more vigilant.  Every little twinge, movement or Braxton-Hicks has her running to get Husband.  She is so excited.  She's tried out all his toys and stuffed animals and deemed them acceptable.  She picked out his Coming Home Outfit (though there is a back up in case it doesn't fit). 


We're still trying to adjust her expectations, but it's nice that she's so excited.  She's already taking her responsibilities very seriously.  She's kept up with all her cleaning and tidying.  Her room has remained the cleaned of all.  Husband and I aren't naive though.  We know there will be adjustment for all of us, but it should be short-term and, as with many things, the good will outweigh any of the inconveniences and mood swings.