Elsa Photoshoot

Lisa just whipped this dress up in a day. It still needs a zipper, but a couple safety pins and we were good to go. There is a shocking lack of ideas for photoshoots for this particular dress on Pinterest, so I had to resort to my own lack of creativity. I know she's holding a basket in the movie, but the only ones lying around the house are all the wrong shape or color (seriously, there are two pink baskets around).

Then I saw the bookshelves in the living room. It's not a library, but pretty darn near it. With the baby content in the high chair and Elsa eager to take pictures to show Samuel, we started. Oh, also bribery by form of candy if she was good and watching the music from the movie, we started taking pictures.

I wish a couple would have been clearer, but overall, considering that I just did a 20 minute photoshoot with a toddler and taking care of a baby, I'd say they turned out pretty okay. 

This is by far my favorite Disney dress. Like out of all the dresses every, this is the one I would wear and want in an adult size. Not even kidding....

Working Out

A few weeks ago, I started doing push ups. I started out with twenty-five a day. Nine days later, I was doing thirty a day. Now I'm doing thirty five. I haven't missed a day yet. I'm getting stronger, but some days, like today, I'm pretty sore and tired...

Today was a huge victory. Since I've been here, there hasn't been a lot of time to workout properly. I've fit in push ups, crunches and squats, but nothing else... Until today. After the first week of work was complete, I knew it was time to get going and make working out part of my afternoon routine. So I did. I know that with the nap scheduling, I have thirty minutes to work out and shower before Elena will probably wake up. That's with ZERO procrastination on either one. Today, I started jogging on the treadmill.

It's been a goal to "run" a mile for a very long time. Today, I did it. I ran a mile on the treadmill. I pushed myself. I don't know if I could do it again, but I did it today and that's what counts. I can only get better from here, faster, stronger, more stable. I'm excited to see myself come this far and it thrills me to know that the hard work I put in will pay off in so many ways.

It's a Monday

This evening reminded me that today, indeed, is Monday.

Like normal for this time of evening, Elena is in the front pack. She drank the bottle, but now is crying for literally no reason. My back is sore. I rock her back and forth continuing where I left off in Persuasion. It takes time, but she soon sleeps. So I stand and read, making sure that I keep my posture correct.

And so I thought the last half hour of Monday's work day would pass peacefully. Then I hear. "I have to go potty!!" closely followed by "I'm peeeeeing."

Running down the hall, baby still sleeping in the front pack. "Let's go, let's go." I'm trying to guide her to the bathroom, literally three feet away from where she's standing. THREE FEET. She's refusing to move and pulling away from my grasp, I pulled her hair gently and grabbed her shoulder, I can't bend down without waking the baby, I want her at least on the hardwood floor and not the carpet, resigned to the fact that I'll be cleaning the floor. Elena's now awake and crying, Elsa's standing next to the toilet, still peeing, down her legs and onto a puddle on the floor.

I run for paper towels. We're out in the kitchen. And in the pantry. The only paper towels in the house are upstairs in my bathroom. I grab a new outfit, forgetting a towel and run back down. I start cleaning up the floor making my way to where she's standing. It's hard to clean with a baby screaming at you, so I put her in her bouncer and rush back. I was snippy and sharp at first and then I couldn't help but think it was amusing, almost hilarious.

Bath started, stubborn toddler refusing to sit down in the most definitely not-too-hot water, cleaning the floor. Toddler finally in the bath, baby crying again, so she's back in the front pack. And at this moment, Lisa shows up...

Summer Conflicts

I sat on the couch sifting through websites with bulk recipes and Pinterest ideas for breakfasts for a crowd. Some much needed planning for a possible activity this summer. How crazy am I? It's only February and already I have conflicting summer camps. I'm in another pickle. It seems to happen semi-frequently, this fight to decide which activity and sibling to support. Or do I pick the one that seems most fun for me... The dilemma of choosing - I don't get to wait and choose closer to the time, no, they want responses now.

I'm torn. Between being the director of food services in a field kitchen for a week or being a training officer. I've done both. One's close to home, the other's not. Both are physically taxing and I'm guaranteed to get very little sleep and have sore feet but a lot of satisfaction.  Ah, the next few days will be lists of pros vs. cons for both activities as I try to decide which one to support. I find it irksome that these two camps hosted by the same program are in the same week. Had they been back to back, I would have been exhausted, but participated in both.

Superbowl Sunday

As per tradition in the Little Fuji household, Superbowl Sunday is an excuse to make good food and watch a good movie. Until yesterday, I didn't even know who was playing in the Superbowl... So instead, potato wedges, buffalo chicken and a plethora of mini cookies were "made" and consumed before and during watching Far from the Madding Crowd. It's a good tradition.

Rain

Rain: somewhat of a rarity in comparison to Washington. The rain is coming down outside. I can hear the drops hit the window to slide down. It is a glorious sound. I'm lying in bed, thankful for the roof above me. Clean sheets and warm blankets. Fully content with life right now.

Ordinary

Yesterday, I made myself a cup of coffee. I turned on my Thumbprint station on Pandora and got to cleaning. It felt good to clean. Sometimes I feel overly lazy. It was one of those days however, that I stayed in my pajamas until the evening... Can't have it all. :-P

I went out last night to play volleyball. Driving through the snow/rain that had been falling for a few hours and was starting to accumulate. Turns out they only do volleyball on Tuesdays and hadn't updated their Facebook. Fine by me. I needed to stop off and get watercolor paper anyway. Still a bit of socializing and being in the busyness of Walmart made my cabin fever cease up a bit.

Today was a half day, strange, but nice after the week. I'm working a minimum of 11 hour days in combination with staying up way to late because of the time change and that's the only way to really get to chat with people. So no wonder I'm a bit tired.

Anyway, glad it's the weekend. It should be fun. It's been fun already, drawing with Elsa, painting the afternoon away while watching a movie. Looking at retro style clothes and wishing I could buy them. Writing and reading... Fabric shopping and then dinner with Lisa and the girls. Leadership, training and personality type conversation with Lisa, which was fascinating. Strangely, it made me want to take leadership classes...