The Post Before the Upcoming Post about Our Weekend

Thank you all SO much for your thoughtful and detailed replies on my Disney post. It was so helpful to have read them before talking with our Disney Planner yesterday. I got to say things like, "oh yes! my friends highly recommend that" and "yes, my research [blog comments] let me know we definitely want to do that." Also it verified what I already thought which is our Planner knows her stuff and understands our vacation style and goals because nearly everything she said lined up perfectly with what you all wrote. High fives all around. I'm going to continue letting everyone else do my Disney work for me, though I did lose a few hours of my life last night researching adorable do-it-yourself autograph books and looking at Disney shirts at Gap and Old Navy. I have never bought a Disney shirt in my nearly 10 years as a parent and now there's like 6 hanging out in my shopping cart. Shit's getting real and we're still 6.5 months out. We are for sure not done talking about planning and packing for this trip.

Chin stand!

[Totally irrelevant fun with the 10-second camera at the studio last week. Pretend I'm wearing mickey mouse leggings; I'm certain they exist.]

Moving on! It's 11:45 p.m. and we have a big day ahead of us tomorrow. But first! A few Easter-themed pictures I didn't post before Easter and then I posted WAY too many pictures about Easter and couldn't add these. It's Cora at her school egg hunt!

Except not really because we missed her class's designated hunt time AGAIN. Two years running I have read the times, thought Cora had one teacher only to find out when we arrive at school that NO. She's in the OTHER class. The one that JUST FINISHED. I can't even explain it. It's like my brain breaks when looking at an egg hunt time schedule and then my heart breaks when I miss it. I love toddler egg hunts and I have been denied two of them. This is why we needed a fourth baby.

Luckily, Cora's hunting instinct kicked in just fine on her own and she had a great time.

Picture taken by a parent who isn't us

Even more luckily, while she was delighted to see us when we crashed her classroom while that other non-Cora class was doing its egg hunt, she just gave us each a hug and then raced right back to her table to continue her work. Cora takes her schooling VERY seriously.

And speaking of breaking brains, I broke mine after brunch on Sunday. Around 12:00 I could feel the beginnings of a headache. I got water, took medicine, and laid down immediately, but it was not daunted. Quite the opposite, it was intensely painful for the next 27 or so hours. I could barely move. Each time I dared to try to even turn my head to the side, while still reclining, it felt like a bomb went off in my skull and the whole room would go black. It was... really bad. Scary bad. I had to miss a full day of work on Monday and it wasn't finally fully gone until Tuesday evening.

Because of this, we spent all of Sunday in the TV room, sitting in various chairs, watching various screens. We never do that outside of road trips and it was just the treat that everyone needed. Cora, of course, did it in high style.

The week did move on and I even taught barre and crammed in a whole bunch of other extra workouts I needed to use up before their expiration dates. The kids had swimming, Claire had soccer, Landon had practice for his literary team competition at school. Tonight, in the midst of all the scheduling madness I was reflecting on how good we've been about not eating out since Christmas. We've had the occasional date night, but we haven't eaten out with the kids more than once or twice since December. Feeling very proud of our hard work and resolve, I immediate texted James and said "we should go out tonight!"

And so we did. Back to Americado, where we went on our last date night, this time with children who could fully appreciate the grassy knoll that is part of the restaurant's grounds.

Claire had so much fun she forgot that touching grass makes her skin swell up, but she remembered quickly when she got home and looked in the mirror. Oops. Luckily we are never without Benadryl for our sensitive Bear.

But it was a lovely night and break from cooking all the things, with a side of frozen cucumber margarita and beautiful spring evening.

Back to our big day tomorrow - we're headed to Houston for my old firm's 100 year anniversary prom party! We're sending the kids to school for a few hours and then leaving here at 10 a.m. My rented dress and jewels arrived today (and the dress fits!!!), my sparkly shoes are packed, my hair appointment is confirmed, and the manicure I got yesterday barely looks chipped yet. We are so ready to fake some fancy.

Preview from a dimly lit closet!

We're staying in a hotel downtown that night and then on Saturday morning my parents are meeting us downtown with all the kids because right next to our hotel is the Houston March for Science! Houston has such a huge scientific community, I'm looking forward to a large and enthusiastic gathering. There is even a house band! Named Tulipfinger and consisting entirely of neuroscientists, I don't even care what they sound like- I'm just delighted to know they exist. As most of you know, my mom is a science teacher, with an undergraduate degree in microbiology and a masters in biology and we are super proud to walk with her and all our scientists, future scientists, and science/earth-enthusiasts on Saturday.

(The best part of the march so far is following the facebook page and the delightfully earnest and adorable science humor that it brings to my life. I pink puffy heart them and all their puns and nerdy jokes.)

James and I have been working on our posters tonight. We have... different approaches. I just jump in with a marker and color over my letters until they look somewhat even. James painstakingly free-hands perfect block letters that look like they were done with stencils and a ruler. I've done three signs. He has yet to move past the pencil outlines on one. He would make the better scientist.

Hope all of your weeks are going well- I'm off to get some beauty rest so I can live up to my gown tomorrow!