Hebrew

 Today I taught my two classes and then came home.

Starting at 3:30 I had online tutoring and classes until 7:15.

Noah had Zoom Hebrew with Grandma today and I taught a new Hebrew class on Outschool.  The one last semester went well, so I listed another beginner's one this semester.  I have 7 students signed up for the 8-week class.  

For dinner, we had pork tenderloin and couscous. 

Then, Morry, Chewie, and I went for a walk.

Last Week Before Winter Break

Hello everyone, this is Morry.

Today is the start of the last week before winter break.  The boys have off Friday so they just need to make it through Thursday.

I left earlier than normal today for HomeAway after dropping Noah off.  I had some things I wanted to do to get done before taking all next week off.

Rachel went with someone to do some charity work for Charles Maund Toyota today.  Then she went into school to teach.

Rachel picked Noah up because every other Monday is my late day at HomeAway.  Then Rachel went to tutor.

I got home around 5:15 after both boys were home.  Evan left to go to Grandma's.

For dinner, we had hamburgers on the grills, couscous, and Rachel and Noah made Brussels sprouts. Noah came up with the recipe. 

Rachel, Chewie and I walked to get Evan.

The boys are upstairs playing video games.

Until next time...

Parent-Teacher Conference and the News

Hello everyone, this is Morry.

The boys didn't have school today for Columbus Day.  They were able to sleep in.  I slept in a bit before I had to get up and feed the animals.

With it being a teacher in-service day, the parent-teacher conferences are held.  It's not really like a one-on-one.  The child shows you their work and you can talk to the teachers for a bit.  I took Noah in and saw his work.  His main teachers like him and had really nice things to say about him.  They talked about how happy and how laid back he is and how smart he is.  I spoke to his math teacher about making sure he's challenged and we talked about having Noah in Algebra by seventh grade.  It was a good conference and Noah is doing well.

The Fox 7 Morning Show came to our house to do a follow-up on Rachel and talk about the BRCA 1 Gene Mutation.  So they came to our house and interviewed Rachel and then took some shots of us in the house including Chewie.  They had already arrived by the time I got home with Noah.

I went into HomeAway after that.  Rachel left to tutor.  The boys stayed home.

For dinner, Evan went to Grandma and Papa's.

Rachel, Noah and I had grilled chicken and couscous.

The boys are upstairs and will be getting ready for bed soon.

Until next time...

Mid Week

This morning we walked to school.  Our neighbors, the Marquarts, were walking at the same time, we we walked with them.  They have a cute little puppy that walked too and it was very interested in Lizzy.  Lizzy seemed really happy the whole walk.

I took it easy at home and did some work.  Morry went into Aaron's.

We walked to pick up the kids from school.

Morry and Evan left for baseball practice around 4:45.  The plan was for Noah and I to go get him a haircut.  He didn't want to go. He threw a fit and insisted we not go today.  I just didn't feel like fighting any more.  I tried to convince him and gave him reasons on why we should go today, but he just didn't want to go.  Obviously, I'm not very happy about that.

For dinner we had leftover ham and couscous.

The boys will be getting ready for bed soon.

More Rain

We got even more rain last night and it was still lightening and thundering this morning.  We drove the boys to the front of the school this morning.

While the boys were at school I went to HEB.

We drove to pick up the boys too.  It was misting a little at the time.

For dinner we had rotisserie chicken and couscous.

The boys are playing video games now and in a little bit we'll get them ready for bed.

Our Day

This morning I drove the boys to school.  Evan had to finish his homework and it was taking a long time. 

During the day I cleaned the house.

Morry and I walked to get the boys after school.

A little while later I left to tutor.

When I got home we had hamburgers, couscous, and fruit for dinner.  We ate outside.  The weather was really nice today.

The boys are ready for bed, but not asleep yet.

Inside Day

We stayed at home today.  It was still cold, but not as cold as it has been.

Evan, Noah, and Morry watched the Steelers game at noon.

The boys played and cleaned up this afternoon.

For dinner we had Coke ham and couscous.

In a little bit we'll put the boys to bed.

Walk with Lizzy and Evan

We stayed at home this morning.  After lunch the plan was to take a walk, but Noah didn't want to go.  So, he stayed home.

Lizzy, Evan, and I went to the school.  It was fun.

I got a lot done around the house today.

For dinner we grilled chicken and had couscous.

After dinner we took a walk.

The boys are ready for bed now.

Texas-Style Sledding

This morning both boys slept lats.  Noah woke up a little before 9am and Evan woke up about 9am.  That's pretty late for Evan.  I think they were still recovering from New Year's Eve.

We dropped Noah off at school (his first day back), and Evan came with me to tutoring.  The house where I tutor has a little girl in kindergarten. 

At my tutoring, Evan started out just playing with their Legos while the girl played in her room, but later they went outside and next thing I knew they were playing baseball.  I'm sure that was Evan's idea.  It seemed like they had a good time and the family said they would like me to bring the boys tomorrow too while I tutor.

I told Evan we could get a special snack after tutoring if he was good. He wanted to go to Rita's but when we drove up they were closed (not open yet).  We went across the street to a frozen yogurt place and Evan picked out his on concoction of sour apple frozen yogurt, fruit, and a few candy pieces. 

We can home for a little while, but I could tell Evan was bored.  He kept asking what/where we could go.  I decided to take him to the park and try sledding down the dry hill on cardboard.  I had done that before as a kid and thought maybe he would enjoy it.

He loved it!  We did that until it was time to get Noah.

After picking up Noah we went to the bank so the kids could put their own money into their bank accounts.

At home Evan and I ate lunch while Noah played Wii.

We took it easy this afternoon.

Morry got home around 6:30 and we made dinner.  We had pork tenderloin, couscous, and veggies.

Morry and the boys are reading now and then they'll go to bed.

Here's a picture and video from today.

Busy

This morning Noah came with Morry to take Evan to school.

I took Noah to school and then got things done around the house.  I had a hair appointment at noon in Round Rock. 

After the appointment I didn't have enough time to go home before tutoring, so I ran some errands and made a Starbucks stop.

While I was gone Morry picked up both kids from school and Gabby came over.

I tutored and got home around 6:30.

For dinner we had chicken and couscous.

The boys are in the rooms now, but not asleep.

Sports Class and Cole

Grandma drove back to Dallas around 9:30am today.

Morry, Evan, and I took Noah to sports class.  He had fun there and seemed to be feeling better.

When we got home Noah's friend Cole came over.  The boys had fun playing together and Cole didn't want to leave.

I worked on cleaning out the garage today.  I got one shelving until done.  There's still a lot more to go.

For dinner we had chicken and couscous.

We took a walk after dinner.

The boys are almost ready for bed.  Noah's throwing a fit about something and doesn't want to brush his teeth.

The Mall and Sports Class

This morning Noah and I went to the mall.  While we were gone we had our gutters cleaned.

After the mall we went to sports class.  Noah had fun and then we ate our picnic lunch outside at the park behind the little gym.

We came home for a little bit and then it was time to get Evan.

We rode the bike to get Evan, came home again for just a little while, and then went to get haircuts.

I took the boys to Cool Cuts 4 Kids.  That's the place we went last time where they get to play video games during their haircuts.  They were good there.

For dinner we had leftover chicken and couscous.

After dinner we took a walk.

The boys are ready for bed now and will hopefully go to sleep soon.

Oh, the Tooth Fairy is coming tonight.  Evan lost another tooth last night, but he wanted to bring it to school today.  That is his 3rd tooth that he has lost.

Evan - Back to School

Today was Evan's first day back at school. Morry didn't sleep well last night so I got Evan up and took him to school. Even though Evan was tired this morning he was in good mood. We walked to school and he ran most of the way.

When Noah woke up he was upset Evan wasn't there. He threw a little fit.

At 12:30 we went to sports class. They did basketball today. Noah had fun.

Blanca came over at 3:15.

I had a physical therapy appointment in Dripping Springs, about 40 minutes away. This lady was highly recommended and I was able to get a spot after she had a cancellation. When I tried to make an appointment earlier, she was booked for 2 months. I had a good session. She showed me some exercises and stretches. I also got a therapy massage. She was very good. I go back in a few weeks for a follow up.

I got home around 6:45.

For dinner we had flank steak and couscous.

Morry is reading to the boys now.

Going Going Going

Today was a busy day. I got a lot done.

I dropped Evan off at school and then took Noah and Lizzy for a run. I ran about 2 miles.

When we got home I started really cleaning the house. Lauren’s (my cousin) shower is this weekend at our house and we will be having a lot of people staying here.

Around lunch time I heard the garage door open. I was a little worried at first, but then Morry and Dmitriy walked in the door. Morry wanted to bring Dmitriy over to show him how to give Mottel his medicine. They only stayed a few minutes.

I cleaned more and then Noah had lunch and I made a smoothie for the 2 of us.

We went and got Evan and came back home. Evan and Noah played in the backyard while I cleaned more in the kitchen. I could see and hear them through the window.

Then, I took the boys upstairs on the patio and gave them haircuts. They insisted on taking off their shirts so they got hair all over their bodies. I gave them baths after the haircuts and then put Noah down for a nap.

I was finally able to eat lunch. Evan watched TV.

For dinner we had some leftover chicken I found in the freezer. We had couscous to go with it and I also had a salad.

We just put the boys to bed. They both seem a lot better today in terms of their colds. Noah’s nose is not as runny today and Evan was hardly coughing.

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More Rain

This morning we hung out at home for a little bit and then I took Evan and Noah to Alena’s so I could get some stuff done.

Alena said they were good and had a nice time. Noah ate hotdogs at her house for lunch, but all Evan wanted was a banana. When we got home both boys had a little to eat and then I put Noah down for nap.

During nap time it started raining hard again. Evan wanted to turn all the lights on downstairs. It got really dark out and I think he was a little afraid. Noah slept though most of it.

When Morry got home it had stopped raining so he grilled a flank steak and we had couscous with it for dinner.

Evan and Noah are running around playing right now. In a few minutes we’ll get them ready for bed.

Ice Skating

This morning Evan, Noah, and I went to the gym. I ran for 3 miles on the treadmill. Evan and Noah did well in the childcare. The didn’t fight going in and they seemed happy when I picked them. Evan wanted to spend more time there playing on the computers.

We came home at 11:30 to meet Gabby. I asked Gabby to come over to watch Noah so that I could take Evan out and do something fun. When Gabby got here, Evan wanted to play with her so I let him play outside for a while before we got going.

On the way out we stopped to pick up some clothes. I posted an ad on Freecycle that I was looking for some smaller clothes since many of mine don’t fit anymore. A few people said they might have some clothes for me. Anyway, this one lady put together a whole bag full for me. I met her husband at his work and he gave me the bag. There were some really nice dresses, jeans, and other clothes in there.

I asked Evan if he would like to go to the ice skating rink. He got really excited. He has not been ice skating before. He thought it was so cool when I put on his ice skates. He seemed pretty comfortable walking around in them on the floor. Then we got to the ice… he was very whiny at first and didn’t seem to like it. We came back to the seating area and I let him pick out candy from the vending machine to share. He picked the package of red skittles. When we finished the candy he said he wanted to go ice skating again. He would not let go of the rail. He held the rail with one hand and my hand with the other. As time went on he seemed more comfortable. He didn’t want to leave and threw a mini-fit as we were leaving. I asked him what he wanted for lunch, but he was so involved in his tantrum he said he didn’t want lunch so we just came home.

When we got home Gabby left and I put the boys down for naps. Evan started out in the game room, but ended up sleeping in his bed. I think the ice skating really wore him out. It wore me out. Evan after Morry got home, Evan did not want to get up from his nap.

For dinner we had couscous and burritos we made and froze a few weeks ago.

After dinner we went to HEB. We saw a woman from the Pink Ribbon Cowgirls there with her husband and little girl.

We just put Evan and Noah to bed, but since Evan napped he’s not sleeping yet. He keeps coming out of his room.

Sunday Starbucks

This morning Riley came over at 9:45am. Evan woke up early and Noah got up a little before Riley got here. Morry and I went to Starbucks. Morry had a donut and smoothie. I had a coffee and yogurt parfait. It was nice sitting there and relaxing a little bit. When we got home we did a bunch around the house while we still had Riley there. Morry unpacked the boys’ clothes while I boxed up baby stuff to put in the attic. Morry got all the boxes and baby stuff (swing, exersaucer, etc) in the attic just in time for Riley’s mom to come and pick her up.

We ate lunch with Evan and Noah and then put them down for naps. They both slept well.

After naps we went to HEB. It was very crowded. Usually, we try to avoid grocery shopping on Sunday, but we desperately needed food in the house.

For dinner we made bacon wrapped pork tenderloin (already prepared and skewered) and couscous.

We just put Evan and Noah to bed.

School. Then Ice Cream

Evan woke up early this morning while Morry was getting ready for work. Morry got Evan set up in the gameroom and I stayed in bed a little longer. Around 7:45am Evan came in my room and asked to get dressed. A little after that Noah woke up.

I fed and dressed the boys and took Evan to school. Noah and I got gas for the car and then came home. Around 11am Noah got really cranky so I put him down for a short nap.

Noah and I ate lunch and then went to pick up Evan.

When we got to the classroom door I left Noah go in first. He immediately ran in to try and find Evan. Everyone was saying, “Hi Noah.”

After school we went to get ice cream. I got a free ice cream coupon from Baskin Robbins because it’s my birthday month. I chose a scoop of chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream. Evan got a vanilla soft serve cone. Noah had a little of ours, but he was more interested in walking around the store. Evan ate his whole entire ice cream, cone and all.

We came home and I put Evan and Noah down for naps. Neither of them were napping. I let Evan play in the gameroom and eventually it got quiet in Noah’s room. Evan played in the gameroom while I got dinner ready.

For dinner we had pork tenderloin, couscous, and black beans. Evan didn’t eat very much at dinner. Noah ate his hot dog, but that’s about it. Morry was trying to get Evan to eat his broccoli, but said banana by accident. That got Noah all excited about bananas and we had to give him one. It was the last banana we had in the house.

After dinner, Evan and Noah were running around playing. Evan put his underwear on his head and was acting very silly.

We just put Evan and Noah to bed, but Evan has already come out of his room.

Swimming

Evan woke up early again this morning. He started crying around 6:30am this morning.

Blanca came over at 10 to help me out. Last summer she came a couple days a week so I could get stuff done or take one of the boys out. I decided to just take Evan out and leave Noah with Blanca. I gave Evan a few choices and he decided to go to the pool.

We got to the pool around 10:30am. There were a ton of cars parked at the pool and we had to park way down the street. I was worried it would be too crowded. It wasn’t too bad. They had a lot of swim lessons going on, but it didn’t affect us. Evan mostly played in the baby pool. The pool has a very nice baby/small kids area. There is a shallow pool with slides, spraying water, and dumping buckets from above. Evan and I went in the big pool for a little bit, but he preferred the baby pool where he was more independent. We saw Sonya and Avery (from playgroup) there. Evan and Avery played a little. We left the pool around noon.

At home I put underwear on Evan. He went in the potty twice. Once with Blanca. He told her he wanted to sit on the potty.

Blanca fed the boys lunch while I cleaned around the house.

Blanca left and I put Evan and Noah down for naps.

Evan did not nap, Noah did.

For dinner we had leftover chicken rolls that I had frozen from last week and some couscous.

I really needed some help cleaning up the house. The game room was mess. Downstairs was a mess. There were toys everywhere. Morry cleaned up around the house while I took the boys to Barnes and Noble. I needed to get them out of the house so Morry could clean up all the toys. I’ll do real cleaning tomorrow while Riley is here, but I needed toys picked up and things put away so I could clean. Morry did a good job!

Evan and Noah are in bed now. Let’s hope Evan sleeps better tonight.

Parent Teacher Conference

I dropped Evan off at school. It was our turn to bring snacks to class. I cut up apples and brought a drinkable yogurt for each kid. Evan insisted on carrying the bag into to school. It was pretty heavy.

Noah and I went to Target. I wanted to get some containers to organize all the toys we have at home. I feel like we have toys all over the place and the gameroom was a disaster. I bought 5 of those big plastic containers with lids and 6 stackable cube shelves to put in the gameroom.

Today we had our parent-teacher conference with Evan’s teacher. At 12:20 Morry, Noah, and I sat down with Wendy. She had really nice things to say about Evan. She talked about how much she loves his sense of humor. It sounds like he is right on track and doing all the things he should be doing for his age.

Our meeting ended at 12:40. Pickup is 1:15-1:30, but I decided to go ahead and get Evan early since I was there and it didn’t make sense to go home and come back again. Evan was very excited to see Morry. Natasha told us that at one point Evan looked out the window and saw Morry’s car and said, “That looks like my daddy’s car.” It’s pretty impressive that he recognized Morry’s car. We don’t go in his car that often.

At home I tried to clean up while the boys played. Blanca came over around 1:30 and only stayed until 2:00. The boys really needed naps. I cleaned while she played with the boys outside.

Noah feel asleep right away, but Evan did not nap. I was hoping to nap too. I was starting to not feel well. I think I’m getting a cold or something. Since Evan wasn’t napping and he playing pretty loudly in his room, I knew I couldn’t nap. I let him play in the gameroom while I cleaned. I went through almost every toy and filled up 4 of those plastic containers. I also put together the cube shelves. I put books on the shelves. My plan is to just rotate the plastic containers of toys. I’ll have one out at a time and keep the extra in a closet or the garage. We’ll see how that works. It was getting too hard to clean every night when the boys went to bed. They would just dump and pull the toys off those little shelves we had.

I was absolutely exhausted by the time Morry came home and I still wasn’t feeling well.

For dinner we had brisket and couscous.

After we put the boys to bed, I had planned on going to Alissa’s to help her get ready for a garage sale. I just wasn’t feeling up to it. I’m really exhausted right now and need to get to bed soon.