Parties, Fun Run and a Snowy day

January is almost over and it kept us very busy. I spent many, many extra hours at work and will leave on a business trip in a couple of hours, Daddy spent a whole week in South Carolina and there were freezing temperatures. But the children were also invited to several birthday parties, participated in some fun school activities and we cuddled up at home together. 

A couple of Sundays ago, Amelia attended her classmate's birthday party at a Bowling Center. This was her first time ever bowling and she did great: one strike and a spare. Amelia and her friends also played some other arcade games, had pizza and cake and celebrated Aleea. 

The boys stayed home and relaxed: 

The next weekend, while I was solo parenting, Elliot was invited to two birthday parties and we made a day of it, bouncing away. First up was Elijah's 5th birthday bash at an indoor bounce place. There were bounce houses, bouncy balls and a football goal, which of course was Elliot's favorite. 

Happy Birthday, Elijah!

Then we went home for a nap and to change our sweaty clothes, just to leave again for the next party for Elliot's best friend at preschool. This one was held at a gymnastics hall and both children really loved it. Even the adults, myself included, bounced on the trampoline and braved the high jump in to the foam pit. By the way, it looks way higher from the top then from the floor. 

 Where is Elliot???

 Balancing Act:

Happy 5th birthday, Oliver!

The weather has been all over the place lately. In one day, we went from rain and 61F to snow flurries and freezing temperatures of 20F within 12 hours. On Sunday morning, we woke up to a good dusting but unfortunately it was not enough to build a snowman. It also took us longer to get dressed than the time we actually spent outdoors as it was freaking cold. 

We warmed up with hot cocoa and entertained ourselves with board games, learning activities and some tv. 

On Martin Luther King day, Amelia visited my office again...she looks like a pro!

This little boy played me well last night at the store and now he and his sister own a new stuffed animal . And no,it wasn't planned as ewe have already way too many stuffies but I couldn't resist his cute face asking me about buying this Jaguar for him. Plus both stuffies were on clearance at Marshall (#winwin). 

Someone woke me up and moved in with his entourage in our bed. Loving those early morning cuddles and storytelling with my boy.

Daddy was in South Carolina to help out while Grandma had a surgery. Luckily, all went well and recovery is going great. Love seeing those two smiling faces!

As soon as he got back Friday afternoon, his boy wanted to play football in the yard. We all missed Daddy!

Elliot Pre-K 4 class visited this week the Kindergartners and he was so excited. He is ready to start Kindergarten in the fall.

Amelia had her annual Boostherthon and it concluded with a FunRun on Friday. My girl finished the 35 laps easily and it was a joy to cheer her and all her friends on. The donations collected all go to the school for technology upgrades and half of the donations from her class go back in to her classroom. Thank you for Grandma and Uncle Lee and Aunt Bahar for supporting Amelia's school. 

I leave you with this gem: Amelia in old age. Her teacher used an aging app for the 100th day of school on all the children and the results are kind of creepy: 

Now I'm off to the airport for another European business trip. This one is short though, only a week. 

My goals for 2019

It is the time of year to review my goals from the previous year and come up with some new ones for 2019. In 2018, I had 6 personal goals you can read about here but I will also summarize the accomplishments of these goals next. 

1. My most important goal was to spend time with my loved ones and focus more on my relationship with God, to SAVOR more of what we receive.  Despite more work, I was actually able to spend more quality time with my family and we truly enjoyed being together. I enjoyed more often the simple things in life and learned to be thankful for anything that comes our way. 
2. Friendships are very important to me and being there for friends and getting together to spend time with each other is something I truly care about. Last year, I was able to actually spent more time with my friends, even though it didn't seem that we met as often as we wish we could have but the times we did see each other, were full of laughter and good talks and that counts more than anything. Also,  being there for each other at a second's notice is what real friends are made of and not only in the good times but especially in times of tragedy and despair. 
3. This past year, we had quite a few house guests and while all of them were family members, I would have liked for more friends to come and stop by. On the other hand, we also realized that we need to get our guest bedroom in better shape. 
4. I surpassed my goal of reading 30 books. I read in total 42 books, of which 8 were audio books. For what I read, see my 2018 book review. 
5. I definitely found my way back to running, albeit some minor illnesses. I was able to complete a 5 mile and a 5K race this summer and ran a total of 212+ miles during the year. 
6. I truly enjoy my job and have progressed significantly and because of that, I will take on a new role within the company in the next few weeks. 

And now (drum roll, please), my 2019 goals. Somehow, every year, there are less personal goals but the ones I do chose to focus on, are near and dear to my heart: 

1. This year, we did something different and chose a word as a family: GRATEFUL. We want to teach our children to be more grateful for all they receive and live more intentionally. It is easy to forget that we live a truly great life and some perspective will be good for all of us. So at dinner time, we are talking about for what we are grateful that day, who did we help and how it is making an impact on others. 
2. Further develop in my job while ensuring that I still have enough time for my family. This is a tough one to balance, especially since the children have more activities scheduled, need more help with homework, Elliot starting Kindergarten in August all while I will take on another role within the company with the prospect of working full-time by the fall. 
3. Travel more as a family instead of just business related travels. We have already planned a couple of fun family vacations and I'm looking forward to exploring new places with my loved ones. But this also means less travel to Europe, where I will miss seeing my family and friends. 
4. Working on how I respond to my children when something is not right as this sets the tone of how they will react. It all makes sense in theory but then when everyone is frustrated or we are late for school, it is a tough one to remember. So I want to focus on this more to make it a habit.  
5. Read 40 books. While I exceeded this goal already last year, I want to be realistic that I have a goal I can actually achieve without losing the joy of reading just because I need to finish another book. Thus, 40 sounds like a realistic number for me and no one prevents me from reading more than that. 
6. Run 400 miles in 2019. Lots of miles to cover but I'm working on increasing my mileage so hopefully this goal is attainable. Of course, not being injured or sick for over two months during the year, will be very important to achieving this goal.  

Amelia, together with us, also made some goals, which she signed. That way, she feels more responsible and hopefully can achieve the goals we set. 

Christmas Break Highlights

Today was the first day back to school after over 2 weeks of Christmas break. While it was fun and enjoyable to have the children home, they were also ready to get back in to their regular routine. I was a whole week off from work between the holidays and so we enjoyed a couple of lazy days while on other days we had to run errands and get a bit of house work done. The children surely enjoyed the fact of staying at home and mostly were clothed in only pajamas. 

We did had our friends, Everly and Caroline, over for a play date while their parents had a lengthy doctor appointment. All 4 of them played very well with each other and it was a joy having them.Time flew by that day:  

While the weather was fairly mild on some days, Amelia and Elliot played out front for a quite a bit: 

The first week of January while Amelia was still on break, she came to work with me one day. She does very well with keeping herself occupied (as long as there are snacks for her to eat) and so you almost don't notice her. 

After a 4 week, involuntary, break from exercising due to my bronchitis in December, I'm finally back up and running again (pun intended). So far, I even braved the cold weather and went for my runs outdoors. This is a big thing as I don't usually breathe too well in cooler weather but this time around I'm doing good.

For me to just sit still is a chore, so I relax best when I either read or do something else. In winter, I like to puzzle. I completed a 500 piece puzzle in a few hours but the 1000 piece one is taking me longer due to the fact that my helper needs her 20 hour cat nap :)

There were also lots of cuddles with Linus (Squeakers) and Lucy (Snickers). Both of them settled in very well and are a joy to have around.

Both guinea pigs are very interested in reading books:

Our little boy almost finished his 100 lessons of reading and does very well. The first video clip is him reading the story for the first time and the second one is only a few minutes later during his second reading: 

Amelia Santa:

Amelia and I finished Christmas break with a ...bahhhhhh! We wanted her to try some yoga for her posture and what better way than to have a goat yoga class!?! Goat yoga is exactly what it sounds like...yoga poses while 6 baby goats run around, jump on your back or want to be cuddle. We really enjoyed it, especially the goat cuddling part.

 Goats are natural climbers:

Tree Pose:

Amelia and the smallest goat got quite cozy:

Boys will be boys:

This was a fun way to try some yoga poses and don't worry: no goats were harmed in the process. They actually seemed to really enjoy being with all the people as these are bottle fed goats.Other than joining yogis, they graze for a living. 

And with that, Christmas break was over. Now it is back to the grind, but we are all ready for it. Hopefully, winter will return to Middle Tennessee soon and we will have the chance for a snow day in the next few weeks. 

My 2018 Book Review

In 2018, I have read 42 books. I like to read fiction but there were also some autobiographies, Christmas books, and quite a few historical fiction books. Of these 42 books: 

• 8 were audio books
• 3 were read-aloud to the children (of course there were many more books were read to them but these are longer chapter books): The Wizard of Oz; Pippi Longstocking; The One and Only Ivan
• 8 were historical fiction: Orphan Train; Winter Garden; The Zookeeper's Wife; I was Anastasia; Yellow Crocus; The Book Thief; All The Light We Cannot See; Als wir unsterblich waren
• 5 were autobiographies: Sister's First, Confessions of a domestic failure, Three Cups of Tea, Lion: A long way home, Hourglass
• 6 were Christmas stories : Winter Stroll/ Storms/ Solstice; Christmas Masquerade; Winter in Paradise, Catching Christmas
• 7 were psychological thrillers/ suspense: Not that I could tell; Behind closed doors; An unwanted guest; The Chemist; The Couple Next Door; Nine Perfect Strangers; The Girl Before
• 12 novels/ fiction: After You; Still Me; A Man Called Ove; Britt-Marie was here; Us Against You; The Alchemist; The Great Alone; The Next Person You Meet in Heaven; The Good House; Uncommon Things (by Tom Hanks); Little Fires Everywhere; And Every Morning...
• 1 Teen Novel: 13 Reasons Why 

From the following authors, I read multiple books this year and often, I have read them in the past years as well: 

• Fredrik Backman (fiction)
• Elin Hildebrand (Winter Stroll Series)
• Jojo Meyers (romance novels)
• Shari Lapena (psychological thriller)

My top reads of the year 2018 are as follows. As you can tell, I like to read historical fiction, mostly about WW II and women who gave their all for their loved ones. 

• A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman - Ove: a curmudgeon—the kind of man who points at people he dislikes as if they were burglars caught outside his bedroom window. He has staunch principles, strict routines, and a short fuse. People call him “the bitter neighbor from hell.” But must Ove be bitter just because he doesn’t walk around with a smile plastered to his face all the time?
• The Book Thief by Markus Zusak - Death is the storyteller, which is quite a different viewpoit to get used to. But since it is 1939 and Nazi Germany, Death is very occupied until he meets Liesel Meminger. 
• All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr - The story of a blind French girl and a German boy whose paths collide in occupied France as both try to survive the devastation of World War II
• The Chemist by Stephenie Meyer (author of the Twilight novels, which I do not care for) - A gripping page-turner about an ex agent on the run from her former employers, who must take on one more case to clear her name and save her own life.
• The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate - Inspired by the true story of a captive gorilla known as Ivan, this novel is told from the point of view of Ivan himself and how he became friends with an elephant, a dog, and a little girl.
• Winter Garden by Kristin Hannah - Heartbreaking novel that illuminates the intricate mother-daughter bond and explores the enduring links between the present and the past. 
• Yellow Crocus by Laila Ibrahim - The story of Lisbeth and her enslaved wet nurse, Mattie, a young mother separated from her own infant son in order to care for her tiny charge. 
• Als Wir Unsterblich Waren by Charlotte Roth (German author) - The great German family saga: brilliantly researched, perceptibly authentic and full of passion. The story of the clever and brave Paula, who fights for women's and workers' rights in the 1920s - and falls in love with an immortal "comrade" from an upscale family. Many decades later, her granddaughter unravels the secret of her grandmother's story. 
• The Zookeeper's Wife by Diane Ackerman - A true story in which the keepers, Jan and Antonina Zabinski, of the Warsaw Zoo managed to save over three hundred people from the Nazis by hiding refugees in the empty animal cages. 

Honestly, I really enjoyed the following books as well and often times, thoughts about these books still linger many months after I read them:

• Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson
• Behind Closed Doors by B.A. Paris
• Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng 
• Us Against You by Fredrik Backman (Sequel to Beartown)
• Britt-Marie was here by Fredrik Backman
• The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah
• Sisters First by Jenna and Barbara Busch
• The Girl Before by JP Delaney
• I was Anastasia by Ariel Lawhorn

I also read/ listened to a couple of books that were not horrible but scored the lowest on my chart: 

• Lion: A long way home by Saroo  Brierley - it was too slow moving for my taste and the book started with the ending, so what is the point of reading it???
• Hourglass: Time, Memory, Marriage by Dani Shapiro - autobiography that jumped everywhere and was repetitive in a lot of ways

I also have an ever-growing list of books to read and I hope that this year, I will be able to finish at least 40 books. For some this does not seem a lot but given that I had a couple of months were I only finished one book, this goal is achievable for me. Reading is a pleasure and should never become a must-do thing. This also does not include any children's book we read-alouds around the breakfast table. If you have any great book recommendations for me; please let me know. 

HAPPY READING, EVERYONE!

Happy New Year 2019

New Year's Eve was warm but very rainy. So, we just went to the gym in the morning for a last run in 2018 and then spent the rest of the day at home. This entailed a lot of cuddling of the guinea pigs. Lucy and Linus adjusted very well and even the cat doesn't mind them: 

We had planned to spend NYE at home with the kids. So, the children and I made some delicious brownie bites for dessert and served up a buffet style dinner. Of course, there had to be some decorations, kids champagne and poppers too: 

We had an early countdown with King Julien (thanks to Netflix) before heading outside for some sparklers and fountain firework.

Last family picture of 2018:

Overall, 2018 was a great year for us and we are looking forward to what 2019 brings for us. Our focus will be on less travel for work but instead more family getaways. So grateful and blessed to be spending the last day of the year and the rest of my life with these crazy 3 people, especially my husband who always has my back. 

After saying Happy New Year at midnight EST (as I was to tired to stay awake for another hour), we all slept soundly in to the new year. This morning, the temperatures dropped from 67F to mid 40s F with a breeze and we bundled up for our New Year walk around the neighborhood. 

The rest of the day was spent relaxing, watching football, doing some puzzles, playing games and preparing for work tomorrow. 

Even the cat "helped" with my puzzles: 

Hope everyone has a joyful, healthy and prosperous 2019!!!