These Dean Days: January 2020

Things did not slow down in January! The first quarter of every year is always brutal for poor Matt's travel schedule and I had a big filing at work due at the end of January, so we were all busy.

We started the year off with a quick trip to Waco. Lara, Breyer and I have been trying to coordinate a weekend forever and, with Matt out of the country, it seemed like the perfect opportunity for a little bonding time with my old buddies. I love Waco and have so many good memories from my time there. It was an interesting time in my life where I really got to know myself and what I was made of. I was happy to introduce the kiddos to the town I called home for 3 years. And, as it always is with good friends, Lara, Breyer and I picked right up as if no time had passed at all. I love these girls who stood with me during some of the hardest days of my life and it was so great to watch our kiddos have fun together! We played games, ate good food, visited the famous Silos, checked out the Children's Museum and generally had a LOT of fun!

Both kids fell asleep on the drive up

Our hotel was right by a fun park

Breakfast at one of my faves - Olive Branch

The Waco Children's Museum was so amazing -- they had a traveling Doc McStuffins exhibit which both kids loved!

And, I couldn't pass up a chance to take them to the law school

The Silos were very fun too!

I always say Eric had a cuddle quota he has to meet with me during the day, and since he is in school most of the day away from me, he takes his mornings and evenings very seriously. He will usually wake up between 4-5:30 and he wants mamma and, specifically, he wants me to "hold him." And by that, he means he wants to lay his body on top of my body while he drinks milk and then I turn on a show for him. And, at 4:30 in the morning, who can really say no to that?

Then when he gets home, he wants to only sit on the couch (on top of me) to read or floor (on my lap) to play. (Obvi this is why I can't make dinner. Because again, who in their right mind is capable of saying no to this face?!)

He also has stopped calling Olivia "Yah Yah" and now usually refers to her as "Livia." It happened all on his own, which is sad because I thought the Yah Yah was cute, but Olivia had really started to hate it (she thought it sounds like, in her words, an old grandma lady).

Olivia has been busy with cheerleading, girl scouts and her usual schedule of birthday parties and play dates. We also went to see a live show of one of our favorite podcasts, Story Pirates.