++Already Failing++

1. I already failed week two.  I was sick last week.  Stay-at-home moms don't get sick days, but bloggers do.  Ok?  It wasn't the flu.  Just a cold.

2. There won't be any photos today.  I'm way behind in my leisure time because I was washing dishes.  Yep.  My dishwasher doesn't seem to be working.  I'm trying to rule out every different angle of human error before calling in the experts.  Mark is gone so I can't even get a second opinion.  Good thing we have a Home Warrenty.  Now if I could only find the paperwork.  Ugh. 

3. I'm also worried that it just might be cold.  As you may have heard it has been COLD here.  Not just a little chilly but take your breath away cold.  Like high temps not above zero.  After getting one of those semi-annoying "I don't miss those days" from my mother, I reminded her we only have a few days like this a year and you just treat them like a day that's pouring rain.  You just stay inside or run from your car to the building.  Now if it's causing my dishwasher not to work, that's another story.  That wall of our kitchen tends to be cold.  We joke that if you pulled the cabinets off the wall you'd see the back side of the exterior paneling.

4. When it's only sort-of cold (which for us hearty Minnesotans is 20s), we've been doing our best to get engaged in some winter activities.  We took the kids ice skating for the first time.  I only have iPhone photos because there is no way I'm taking the big guy out on the ice.  They were both surprised by how hard it was.  Wyatt got the hang of it after not so long.  Claire preferred watching from the sidelines.  Ironically, over the weekend we went skating and it was too warm for good conditions.  Over 30 means slushy ice! 

5. The kids and I went to the Mall of America this afternoon.  I'm still trying to navigate the complexities of having that place in our (sort of ) back yard.  We were there on business and I successfully avoided paying for any rides but we did make "browsing" visits to the Lego store and Disney store.

6. Wyatt spent the entire car ride home trying to figure out all the ways he could come up with the $70 he would need to buy the new Lego museum heist set.  It was a decent lesson in money math.  "So mom, how many pennies would it take?"  He knew he had some cash left from Christmas but would need to find about $30 more.  I suggested chores. He told me he would dry my dishes tonight for $30.  I told him for that I could buy new dishes.  My suggestion?  Call Grandpa.

7. One of the reasons for our trip (the other being an upcoming birthday in the family) was to exchange two pairs of jeans I ordered online for Wyatt.  I bought him new size 6s when the school year started and somehow he has become that kid with too-short jeans that I swore I would never be the parent of.  I accidentally forgot to order slims and the regular jeans, even with the adjustable waist pulled in, would not stay up.  Am I the only one disturbed by this?  He's not fat but he isn't exactly super skinny either.

8. Mark and I are splitting Gopher basketball tickets with some friends of ours who has great seats.  We've been having lots of fun being back at Williams Arena.  I love that place.  They are actually really good this year which makes it all the more fun. 

9. We're planning an "Art" birthday party for a certain soon-to-be 4-year-old.  How is she 4? Last week I enrolled her for her last year in preschool, ever.  Seriously. 

10. That's about all I have this week.  I need to get going with some photos as they sure do add a little interest to my posts.  Oh well.  Better than nothing.