Things I've been doing lately, in no particular order:

1. Being hooked on The Pioneer Woman's blog.  Oh.  My.  Goodness.  This woman is awesome.  I totally love her!  I was poking around online looking for some new recipes, dinner ideas, etc.  Somehow that led to my finding her blog and spending a ridiculous number of hours (yes, hours...not all in one sitting though, OK?) reading her story of how she met her husband.  I have never read such a romantic love story in all. my. life.  Seriously.  You have to read this. 

2. Reading  The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin.  (I know that's supposed to be underlined but I don't know how to do that!)  I'm actually venturing into something a little new...a college friend (from Furman!) got in touch with me (gotta love Facebook) and asked if I'd want to contribute to the website he works for, as in, do I want to write some book reviews?  Uh............sure!  :)  This is new for me, I've never written a book review.  Only book reports, like in middle school, when I'd basically skim the book the day or two before the assignment was due, then summarize the back cover or inside flap and call it a report.  I don't think that's going to fly this time.  So I've actually been reading the book.  Well, procrastinating on reading the book.  Little did I realize that once I agreed to do this, I'd be thrown back into high school, with that same feeling of "oh, man.  I have to do this assignment."  Or like those dreaded summer reading lists that I always used to put off until the last two weeks of August.  (Not that I'm complaining; I really do want to do this!)  It's just funny how it has that distinct "homework" feeling to it.  Well anyway, I devoted this past weekend to getting down to business and READING the book, which, once I got started, went quickly, and now I'm looking forward to the writing part.  I think that will be the easy part; we shall see.

3. Contemplating life.  Seriously.  Ooops, that's the second time I've used the word "seriously."  I don't know what's going on with me, but I have been seriously deep in thought lately.  Distracted during the day, lying awake with my mind racing in the wee hours.  I guess that's all I'll say because...there could be strangers reading this blog!   Or worse, people I know!

4. Various and sundry mom-related activities - my favorite kind!  This week, when/if the rain lets up, we'll be going out to do our second annual Easter egg tree.  That was great fun last year and it reminds me of Mam-Mam.  Abby & Nolan will both be playing tee ball this year - fun!   A little nervous about how Nolan will do with this 4-year-old attention span, but it's tee ball for Pete's sake. 

Let me see if I can rustle up some pics...

 Abby figured out how to cross her eyes...

Nolan, not so much.

OK, now I remember how I got my (self-appointed) title of Mother of the Year.  This is just pathetic!  These are all the pics I have to offer?   I promise to get my camera out and do better next time around.

But, in my own defense, it has been late winter/early spring in western PA.  I'll paint a little word picture for those who have never experienced such a time in such a place: dreary...cold...cabin fever...we're all driving each other nuts...we've done all the creative indoor activities that we can think of all winter long, and now Mommy is just fresh out of any more ideas, and soooooo looking forward to summer it's not even funny....OK.  Can I be off the hook now?  A little?  ;)

Well, in order to not end on a whiny, complain-y note...let me do a little bragging on my kids...consider this your "spoiler alert" - if you don't want to hear me get all obnoxious about my wonderful, super-smart, super-awesome, funny, adorable, intelligent kids, then stop reading now.  You've been warned.  I'm serious, it gets bad.

Our dear little Abby, her kindergarten teacher informed me, is reading and writing on a second grade level.  Yep!   I was only a little surprised at that.  You should see the things she does around the house.  She writes messages to all of us, she makes herself little "to-do" lists before she goes to bed each night - for the next day.  In her dresser drawer, I found a detailed plan for an April Fool's joke she's planning to play on me.  She just finished reading her first "chapter book" - 100% by herself.   The girl is freakin' smart!

And then there's her brother, who at 4 years old, can count by ones, twos, fives, and tens...to well beyond 100.  Trust me, I've been privileged to hear it, number by painstaking number, MANY times.  Oh, so many times.  We figured out one day that the little thermometer in our car can be switched back and forth from Fahrenheit to Celsius.  Our little Nolan kept asking me to "push the button" - F to C, C to F.  OK, Nolan...let's give the button-pushing a rest?  So one random day, the temp was on Celsius, and from the backseat, I heard Nolan tell me what the temp was in "F."  Fahrenheit.  I was like, whaaa?  I pushed the button, and sure enough.  The kid is freakin' smart.  Oh, AND he can also read large parts of books - especially Dr. Seuss books - pretty much by himself.  AND he's starting to write.  Did I mention he's 4 years old?  (Hey, I told you it was going to be obnoxious...)

So that's that.  For now.  I have to get myself and the little guy dressed & ready to go play with a friend this morning...then who knows what.  I have a list of "nagging tasks" to do that's a mile long, maybe I'll try to knock out some of those today.  It's cold & rainy (shocker!) so it's a good day to do it!