Phoning-in March

March is almost over, which is strange since the ice is not gone.  However, here are some pictures from my phone camera that have been taken since the last update.  They pretty much sum-up the life and times of the Orelove on-goings for the past few weeks.  Enjoy.

Violet going stir-crazy on Audrey's giant stuffed dog, Mallow.

Audrey in front of a dinosaur skeleton at the Children's Museum in Indianapolis.  This place is one of my favorite centers for Children ever!

Chihuly Glass at the Indianapolis Children's Museum

Daddy's clay unicorn and Audrey's clay bunny.  

I registered and ran in the Holy Half Marathon on the Notre Dame campus.  The run was nice, but the organization and finisher's medal were disappointing.  However, I am happy that my body allows me to continue to run this distance and I have another half in a couple months!

Finisher's Medal:  basically a Cracker Jack medal with a sticker on it.  Glad to have run the race, though!  

Audrey and Violet dying Easter Eggs with Granny.

Thawing

The sun is out, and the remaining patches of ice and dirty snow act as stubborn reminder of the winter that will not release us from its clutches.  We look out the window each morning, hopeful that the wind will not bite at our faces when we open the door to begin another day.  Slowly, the temperature is learning to find its way above freezing and we find comfort in knowing spring is truly at the doorstep.

Our little family has been more active in the last few weeks due to these temperature increases.  Dog walks around the block, pulling the girls in the wagon, are a new item on the activity menu.  There are more opportunities to go out and play, and we have also had a birthday or two to celebrate of friends and family, so this gives the girls more opportunities to move and see people and enjoy getting out more.

This almost reanimation of activity after a long winter makes me think about other animals and things in nature that begin to renew their lives when the sun shines longer and the mercury rises.  This renewal is important.  There are some moments when I don't feel like returning to full movement, and would rather remain frozen in a state of sleep or buried under the blankets on a brisk, dark morning.

So here we are, a quiet Sunday morning, enjoying a little time on the couch before the temperature warms and we start to move outside for a bit of play.  I hope that I can continue to move and awaken into life outside of our house walls.

Audrey with her cupcake from the grocery store.

Audrey showing-off her fantastic fresh fruit salad.

The girls check out the fish tanks at the store.

Audrey and Violet take turns riding Sandy, the mechanical horse at the store.

Violet with her cupcake she helped make.

Audrey and her homemade cupcake.

Violet holding a 1998 1st place Gold panning trophy won by my father at the state gold panning competition.

The girls watch Frozen for the millionth time.  Shhhhhh, they're getting along.

Audrey makes birthday cookies for the Corcoran Family.

The girls at Chuck-E-Cheese birthday party for our neighbor!  Violet was very excited.

Shared Moments

Sunday morning, sitting on the couch with my daughters, watching Ghostbusters.  Not the cartoon, but the actual, original movie Ghostbusters.  There are moments like these that are extra special to me, because we are sharing in an experience that is dear to me.  This is one of my top five movies of all-time, and being able to share it with them is a treat.  While Violet does not really watch for too long, Audrey is fascinated by the 1984 special effects and the variety of ghosts.  Most of the dialogue is over her head, which is good because some of it is not completely child-appropriate, but it is all silly enough for her to find enjoyment in.

Finding these moments and things from my own life to share with my children is a thing I look forward to continue doing for the rest of my life.  I know that there are movies and music that my own parents have shared with me that must have been the same way when I was a child.  Elvis, The Blues Brothers, The Big Chill, James Bond, sports in general....a lot of different things transcend the generations and appeal to people no matter their age or generation.

The rest of the day will consist of a trip to CostCo, laundry, and naps.  The sun is shining and spring seems to be knocking on the proverbial door.  Thoughts of playing outside and taking the dog on walks that last more than 10 minutes seem almost too good to be true.  I know tomorrow we will all feel the effects of daylight savings when we must wake-up an hour earlier...but I know the lighter evenings will make it all worthwhile.  Today truly feels like a transition into a new phase of the year, where warmer weather and a change in schedule will bring us closer together and open-up more opportunities to be active and find new things to enjoy together.

What's it all about?

What is it really all about?  Lately it's been the big questions on my mind.  There is so much focus on the little things most of the time, but looking down the road is also an important component to life.  Yes, I try to enjoy every little thing, and remember the details....but what about creating a vision for a few years....or even decades down the road?  It's not about the money, because I am a teacher...so that is not something I obviously aspire to make a lot of.  It is not about the ownership of property, although our own little house would be nice...what then?



What goals do we have as a family?  Personally?  What things are there to accomplish?  What is a perfect scenario?  What happens if we don't achieve or can't?  These are all the questions that have been weighing on my mind lately.

Where do I see our family in a few years?  Audrey will be starting school next year, and Violet is growing-up so quick!  I envision our family in a new house, with more space and near a community that we can really become submersed in.

What about career?  I would like to still be involved in education, although I don't know if teaching is my lifelong goal.  Administration has a lot of positives, but also a lot of drawbacks in terms of time consumption and dealing with a lot of negativity, which I don't handle well.  Summers are some of my most cherished times, and it is difficult to imagine a life where I don't have afternoons and weekends off to spend with the family....however, impacting lives on a larger scale is something I aspire to, and fining a platform for doing this seems to by my goal here.

What about the kids?  Audrey and Violet are quickly becoming brilliant little souls.  They will be able to determine their own lives as they grow.  However, I want to provide them with an environment that encourages their learning and allows them to experiment and safely fail and use their experiences to grow and learn about themselves and become successful.



Personally, I want to continue living a more active lifestyle, where I am in constant motion and learning to strengthen myself as I age.  The prospects of getting older and transitioning into "middle-age" is strange and overwhelming at times.  I feel like a little game piece on a giant game board that is moving through the levels and advancing along the board....but I'm sometimes not sure what the objective of the game is, or how I am doing compared to the other players.



Family remains an important piece of the puzzle that is the Orelove family.  With family all over the map including (but not limited to) Alaska, Washington, Arizona, Oregon, D.C., Virginia, and Indiana, we want to maintain strong relationships and have more opportunities to visit as the girls get older and become better travelers.  We love getting the opportunity to visit or have family visit, but hope to create more time for this, especially during vacation and summer time.



Overall, the next "block" of time will involve moving the family to a position that allows us to grow as a unit, but will also encourage personal development and achievements.  I see us living somewhere with enough space to welcome guests in a comfortable fashion, yet not take too much more time to vacuum and clean!  Maybe a yard and close to a good park and running.

It is fun to think about the future without having to commit, but it is also important to really imagine and contemplate the things we want to accomplish every now and then.  I can't imagine that anyone has lived a "complete" life where everything was accomplished and they left thinking, "Yup, I did it all and am satisfied."  That is not my goal, but I do want to make sure we get the big things checked off the list and do the most with what we are fortunate enough to have.

Sunday Tinkering

The morning is going well.  Audrey is watching Scooby Doo and Violet is coloring and playing in the home living play kitchen.  Today promises to be a typical Sunday, with coffee, cartoons, and CostCo.  Laundry is ever present upstairs, so some pairing of socks and folding of tshirts also appears inevitable.  The breadmaker has some raisin-walnut challah baking, and the coffee maker is finishing its production of steaming hot coffee.  These are all of the things that indicate it is Sunday in my home.

It was special to have my mother visit and spend some time with her grandchildren.  It is still a strange and amazing thing to see my own children and my parents in the same room.  Watching generations interact really brings home the importance of family and making time for the little things in life.

I often think about the future and enjoy making guesses as to what it will be like.  Sometimes I think about the girls being in school or what things they will find enjoyment in.  I think that creating environments that allow them to explore their worlds will always be my challenge as a parent.

  As everyone gets moving on this lazy Sunday, we look forward to the day and its possibilities.  We will enjoy the little things, as they often end up being the most important.

The fresh bread is done and cooling on the rack.  The laundry is folded and awaits final placement in drawrers amd closets throughout the house.  Fresh bedding and new pillow cases make our bed a luxurious landing for an afternoon snooze.  Visions of a pasta dinner play on the outskirts of my mind, but lazing on the bed with no particular place to go prevents me from any further productivity at the momemt.

The cold bites at us from the other side of the window, but we armor ourselves with blankets and snuggles.  Perhaps a family movie tonight?  The setting sun warns us all of the inevitable rush of Monday morning, but we pay no heed, choosing rather to live in the moment and savor this day that is ours.

-A

Violet in her blue artist phase.

My mom and the girls during this special visit.

Big slide on a Saturday.

McDistance

Audrey and Violet show-off their matching doll pajamas.

There is more sun in the sky each day, and it is helping with the constant barrage of snow and ice and freezing temperatures we continue to face.  Next week promises a string of days with temperatures above freezing, which is the first I can remember in quite a while.

Here are the girls playing with snow in the kitchen, as it was too cold to go outside and play.  At the time of this picture, they were also listening to the  Frozen soundtrack.  Brrrrr.

My mother is visiting from Alaska.  She is making a journey from visiting her brother in Central America and then taking some time to see my sister in Washington, DC.  She took the train from DC to us, so I am happy to let her have the chance to sit and rest and see her grandchildren.  We haven't seen her since this summer when Audrey and I were in Haines.

Audrey and Violet still demand a ride on Sandy, the mechanical horse, every time we are at the grocery store.  Rid 'em cowgirls!  

The last week or so has been filled with watching the Winter Olympics and trying to muster enthusiasm for the events.  I have little tolerance for commercials, so the way these games are edited and presented for public consumption have been frustrating, to say the least.  I truly believe that watching mainly events where the United States is in contention for a medal is beyond egocentric and really does not present an accurate or fair portrayal of the Olympics.  I am all for cheering one's own country, but I also like to see the best in the world perform and compete, no matter what their nationality.  Oh well, I am sure McDonalds and all of the other sponsors will take it into consideration after another four years.

Making cookies at Granny's in South Bend.

The girls are enjoying spending time with their grandmother.  It reminds me that we live far away from my side of the family, spread across the country.  There are both positives and negatives about this.  Of course it is difficult to not be able to visit whenever we like or have family over.  The holidays are also difficult, as there is a feeling that there are only so many pictures of our daughters we can send.  It is nice, though, because seeing family makes us appreciate how special it truly is to be in the same room together, even if it is only for a brief time.  As time moves forward, I realize more and more the importance of being able to reach out and take the opportunities to spend time together, or to find the time to visit or communicate.

Audrey and Violet watch a movie with Attle on her first day of visiting.  

Either way, I find myself here, on a Sunday morning, surrounded by family.  I am happy...content.    The coffee is brewing and the day that lays ahead of us is endless in possibilities.  It is ours for the taking, and whatever we decide to do is just fine by me.  The thing about it is that we are together, now, making the most of the opportunities that surround us...maybe some McDonalds later when we watch the Olympics and cheer for the USA.  :-)

-a

Audrey sporting her fake teeth Attle brought as a gift.  I'm glad to have a dental plan through work!  

The girls on Valentine's Day with some little gifts.  

A Violet among the Roses on Valentine's Day.

February Freezing

Audrey reading.  Violet calling Granny on her phone.

We are in February.  The snow is high, plowed into mountains around our block.  This is a time of year that I find myself and my family sort of..."stuck".  Not in a bad way, mind you.  We are just in this wintry time of year where outside is not an option and the great indoors fees somewhat limited at times.  I do love a good movie, and baking is always its own sweet reward.

Violet rocking the Portillo's Hat during the Super Bowl!  Thank you Grandpa Ted and Lisa for the great food!

The girls have been enjoying playing with legos, dolls, and magnets.  Countless art projects cover the walls and refrigerator.  We roll on tricycles and toy cars as we push foam blocks and pillows out of the way.  Soft caves created with blankets and couch cushions are a place of solitude or a hideaway from Daddy Troll.

Audrey thought the Portillo's hat was military issue.

The sun is shining now, but the cold remains.  Sometimes I need to be thankful for the light, even though it does not always equate with warmth.  At times of such bitter cold, it is easy to complain and think of warmer climates.  Jimmy Buffet makes the occasional rounds on the CD player and we all take a trip to Margaritaville and dance as if on a beach somewhere next to a blue ocean.

The girls playing with snow, at 0 degree weather outside, while listening to the Frozen movie soundtrack.  Brrrrrrr.

I know that the days of sun and sweat will come eventually, and then I may wish for cooler temperatures.  So while the chill bites at my face, I smile despite it all, happy to still feel the cold sun on my skin and know that I get to come home every day to my own little slice of paradise amidst this expansive land of ice and snow.