The last time I wrote about what I was up to was in late January, at the mid-point of my sabbatical. Oops. Today is actually a bonus day off – I have thought for the entire three months that I was going back to work today, but I’m actually going back tomorrow. My last day off is today. Score! I sure was smart way back when I requested my time off. I was pretty bummed when I realized I was going to be going back to work right after Mardi Gras break, with no down time from the boys being home from school for a week and a half. So it’s nice to have some quiet time today to straighten up the house and get some things done and just to chill.

SO. What have we been up to?

A lot, actually.

Let’s see if I can remember it all.

First, I want to say that I really thought my sabbatical would fly by. I guess to everyone else it has, but to me, it really hasn’t. It felt like three months. It felt like a nice long stretch of time. Mid-December feels like a long time ago. I think maybe it’s because I didn’t try to fill it with too much stuff. I really did relax and laze around a bunch. 😀

On the other hand, I didn’t get everything I wanted accomplished, but I don’t care. I imagine if I had, it would have flown by. It’s a fair trade.

I wanted to get my house organized. Did I? Well, a little bit. Not nearly as much as I wanted to. Thanks to Kiki, my kitchen is much much better, and I did my bathroom and laundry closet on my own. However, my bedroom and linen closet is still a disaster, and my dining room remains unpainted. Oh well.

Laundry before and after:

I wanted to work out a bunch. I was going to go to Orangetheory like 4 or 5 times a week. I…did not. I went 3 times a week, probably. Most weeks. That’s cool. I still have muscles.

I wanted to sew a lot. That I did! Though mostly scarves and bags. Not as many clothes for myself. That’s okay, though. Sewing is sewing. Oooh, and I got a new (to me) sewing machine at a garage sale. A fantastic electronic Elna for only $40 that has all sorts of great features and it sews like a dream. And I had to get a new serger, so I have lots of fun new toys right now.

I wanted to rock babies in the NICU. Mission accomplished! I have done that approximately once a week. Some weeks I haven’t been able to make it, but I will continue to go in once a week for a few hours, and I’m lucky my job allows me that flexibility.

Okay, now let’s get back to what else I’ve done.

Soccer started up again, so there was lots of this.

I watched Oliver snorkel.

And then Miles.

Each of the boys went to the dentist (no cavities!) and then I kept them out of school for the rest of the day so we could have some one-on-one time. We all went and had coffee, then to the dentist, and to lunch (sushi each time) and did something fun and went to see the new Lego movie. (Oliver and I went to the aquarium, Linus and I went to the zoo, and Miles and I went to the Insectarium.) (And yes, I saw the Lego movie three times.)

Ollie’s and my day:

Linus and me:

Miles and me:

Also in February was the school fundraiser, mostly notable because AMY SCHUMER showed up. She’s been hanging around in New Orleans a bunch and she did a short stand up set before one of the musicians (who is a parent and I guess she’s friends with.) Random and completely awesome.

And then we had Mardi Gras, which was a blur of parades and so much fun. We marched in a parade and I high fived John Goodman in another one and Oliver caught me a purse at Nyx and a friend’s daughter got me a shoe at Muses and we went to our neighborhood parade and we were Frida Kahlo for Mardi Gras day.

Also in the middle of that I went to the Muses afterparty again with my friend Jen (I bribed her with childcare) and we saw Pat Benatar and also Patricia Clarkson was there and that was pretty dang cool too.

And finally, we rounded out the week with a trip to the car dealership where we traded in my van of eleven years for a shiny new Kia Sorento. I got teary cleaning out the van, but boy do I love my new car! Just gotta personalize it. Look at all that blank space just begging for magnets and stickers…. 😀