Nothing too thrilling to post here today, but just popping in to say hello and ramble about some randomness. 🙂
Snow/Cold:
After a pretty non-snowy winter so far, we got a bigger snowfall on Wednesday. This caused Ethan’s school to start earlier and end earlier (they normally have a late start on Wednesdays) and Asher’s swim practice after school to be cancelled.
I’m not opposed to some snow, but I am NOT feeling the extra cold temps that are here and lingering around til next week. I don’t enjoy being outside in frigid temps, and I literally cannot walk Charlie when it’s that cold. He’s too little and sometimes it actually hurts his paws. (He’ll lift them and whimper!! I don’t have any of those little boots for him, which I suppose I could get (if he’d even leave them on..), but since he’s smaller anyway, I think it’s just best to mostly keep him inside in single digits or below.)
He is used to walking every day though, and doesn’t understand when I tell him, “It’s too cold!” We have our normal routine and he knows it by now, so after Ethan leaves for school, Charlie always runs over to the drawer where his leash is and dances around like, Okay, time to go?? Let’s go! LET’S GO!
In more positive news, the evenings are getting noticeably lighter, later. I have never been one to be too bothered by the dark evenings in winter. But this year, for some reason, I have found it to be a real drag! I just find myself not having motivation to do much of anything (or especially, go anywhere) when it’s dark and cold out… but this includes basically all of my post-work hours. I don’t know, it feels like someone has dropped a big veil over us and I am really looking forward to it starting to lift.
Back to the negative side, I am also very, very sick of everything feeling so DRY!!! My skin and lips and everything is just dry. I static shock poor Charlie like 50 times a day, lol. I want to just go sit in a tropical rainforest or something.
Ivan in Mexico
Other news this week is that Ivan flew to Mexico late Wednesday night…. on the same day as the snowstorm. Of course!
Fortunately, he made it to Chicago via very snowy roads in one piece, and his flight was late enough that most of the snow had tapered off by then.
His parents didn’t know he was coming! So it was a super fun surprise. His dad had been in and out of the hospital in the past few months (doing well now!) plus it was just his dad’s birthday last week. He tries to go home alone at least 1-2x/year and since he has off work for President’s Day on Monday, this was a good week.
He’ll be there through next Tuesday. Mexico is truly his “happy place” and I think it’s just so sweet how much he loves heading home to his family/ culture/ food/ etc. 🙂 (Though I know he really likes it when we’re all there, I think he not-so-secretly loves going on his own, too. It’s just different! Which I totally get!)
Weekend plans
Weekend plans include… more swimming! Asher has Sectionals tomorrow (and it’s supposed to snow) and then there is a parent potluck dinner at someone’s house after. (I signed up to bring tortilla chips and pico de gallo. Reminder, need to run to store to buy stuff to make the pico tonight! And squeezable applesauces for the whole team as my contribution to the pre- meet breakast… jeesh! All these swim meals get $$$!)
I have also not-so-secretly been kind of looking forward to Ivan being away. 😁Hear me out. We are lucky in that neither of us travel for work, so we really very rarely have extended time apart. Which is fabulous!! I don’t think I would like that, to be honest.
But now and then… it’s nice to have a few days to just totally do whatever I want. Of course the boys are around, but they’re easy at this point, and I’m looking forward to tackling a few personal projects and just having a little extra down time, hopefully.
A couple “momento mori” snippets I saved:
I will say, I don’t aspire to have my husband sit awkwardly on my lap wearing all white while we fish together 🤣, but I appreciated the sentiment. hahaha.
Also, Jodi Wellman, author of You Only Die Once (read in 2024 and loved!), posted this nice visual the other day to remind us… we gotta live it up!!
Okay, time to go seize the day! Which today, is going to look like: taking a shower, feeding the dog, attending a probably sort of boring virtual conference all day, and then hopefully working out and stopping at the grocery store. Ohhhhh yeah, CARPE DIEM BABY!!! 😂🤟
Oh, and Happy Valentine’s Day!! We’re not celebrating, nor do I really care much about it, but I’m sending you all some extra love today. 😘😘
Daily Gratitude:
I am grateful for Ivan arriving safely to Mexico and for the big smiles on his parents’ faces.
GRATEFUL KAE 
happy Valentines Day! Although… I don’t celebrate either. It’s one of my least favorite holidays for reasons I can’t quite explain. ANYWAY- I know what you mean about liking a little time alone (actually, now that I think about it, your post is funny- It’s Valentines Day! Oh good, Ivan’s not here, lol.) It’s nice to be able to do your own thing every once in a while. Neither my husband or I travel for work, but he does work some very late nights, and it’s nice to watch whatever I want and read in bed without the book light (I know- I really know how to live it up.)
Poor Charlie! Maybe you should get him little boots- but then you’d feel obligated to walk him in the freezing cold, so maybe that wouldn’t be good after all.
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I am right there with you on the cold. I am so “over” winter. It has been colder than usual and just the thought of going outside into a cold vehicle right now makes me want to run and hide under my covers.
That is so fun that Ivan’s parents didn’t know he was coming! That’s so sweet. And I totally get the enjoying some time to do your own thing. Travelling together/being home together has a very different pace than doing things solo and somethings a change is as good as a rest! (Speaking as someone who DOES routinely spend time apart from her spouse – which can get very, very old, but there are perks too).
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I totally get it to be secretly happy to be alone for few days with the kids while husband goes to visit his family. it’s special for him and for me too.
I’m so over zoom calls.. I had a 2am call this week and I was yawning in front of camera of 10 people because I was tired and bored. I want face to face meetings back!
How do you deal with dry season? Brasilia will be dry, very dry 10% humidity, for few months. I’ve been been in places that dry. please share your tips.
oh… I totally forgot about Valentin day too, it was husband that reminded me but we didn’t celebrate it. I did take lizzy for an ice cream “date”.
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I am always here for a random post!
It’s tough when it’s too cold for the dogs. We’ve never tried dog booties – I know that Stepdog would have wanted nothing to do with them and I can’t imagine Doggo putting up with them either. Our cold weather strategy when we know it’s too cold is to limit walks to less than 10 minutes and to stay close to the house so that the dog can bail (or more likely that we can bail on the dog’s behalf). Stepdog was a die hard walker, and it was hard to get her to give up. When her paws got too cold she would just start walking on three legs! Doggo’s method is to flop on her booty and start licking her paws to warm them up. Luckily Doggo is more flexible about walks and will settle for a quick run in the yard when it’s really bad outside.
Everything was great about FL last week, including the humidity! I could feel my skin drinking in the moisture. The weather was terrible at home while I was away, and guess what? It’s even worse now so I’m glad that I had the week of warmth.
I’m a big fan of time together as a couple – and also of time apart! It’s good for us to have our “side quests” – Boy Scouts for Hubs and long weekend travels for me. How cool that Ivan got to go down and surprise his dad for his birthday.
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I’m glad that Ivan was able to go home to visit his family on his own. Then he doesn’t have to worry about his gringo wife being tired and extroverted. Lol!!! Hopefully you weren’t offended by my use of the word gringo. Ha. We are also so over the extreme cold. It seems like every time I leave for a work trip. It gets extra cold here and it’s going to happen again next week, although I’ll catch some of the cold weather on Monday
We are in the stage of life where Phil does not like it when I’m away since solo parenting is quite challenging! I am rarely in the house alone when I’m not working, so I will say I do enjoy when Phil goes out to his moms with the boys on the weekend and I have the house to myself to do whatever I want. Not that I’m limited in when I can do normally, but we only have one TV and Phil and I have very different interests in TV so it gives me a chance to watch shows that he wouldn’t like.
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I use Musher’s Secret paw wax for my pup! It only takes a minute to put on, and our medium-sized container has lasted through a few winters. Her paws get bothered by salty roads and below-zero temps, but using the wax makes it so she can go at least half a mile or so before wanting to turn around. She’s bigger than Charlie at about 45 pounds, but I do see other small dogs walking around the neighborhood with coats on. 🙂
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Ha – the fishing cartoon and your comment about it made me giggle.
I too am so sick of everything being so dry! I typically only apply lotion when I get out of the shower, and then hand lotion before bed. But I have to slather myself head to toe at least twice a day or I get so itchy and uncomfortable!
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Annabel will walk in the cold happily– I’m the one who wants to come home LOL. It’s a good thing, too, because she REALLY needs 3 walks/day to feel satisfied.
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