I’m a tad too utterly exhausted tired for photos tonight and I’m going to mix the two days together. A catch- all if you will. Kids with nightmares = little sleep for this mama = perfect excuse!

Over the last two days I’ve become keenly aware that if you aren’t taking care of your basic needs {warmth in weather like this being pretty high up the agenda}, you may feel a “need” to spend. I’ve realized, while we do stick to a budget, I’m often craving grabbing a coffee on the run when my need for sleep hasn’t been met, or I’m cold. Today I actually packed a full thermos of tea when taking the children tobogganing, but someone knocked it over {and er, sadly, it doesn’t have a lid – another thing for the list!}. It took every ounce of strength not to pop to the coffee store around the corner and warm up!

Back to yesterday and today.

The 25th was filled with school, a gymnastics program for my wee boy who is working so hard to catch up with his gross motor skills, a medical appointment for me and an evening spent cuddled up reading, playing games and wiping the tears away.

Today was spent weekending. We slept in (darling girl woke up at 8:30, and darling boy at 9:30! He slept for 14 hrs - he certainly was processing yesterday, so it makes sense!) and enjoyed a lovely breakfast while imagining we had a fire place to cuddle up with. Next we clapped for wee girl at her dance class then returned home for our Saturday lunch {same thing every Saturday!}, good radio, crafting, math {we do math and reading 7 days/week}, reading and then tobogganing. Oh, we had fun! After that we finished our weekly shop and I was ready to sleep. Of course, motherhood means you never sleep (Ahem!), so instead I made cookies – quadrupling the recipe and coming out with about 120 of them. Then the littles played games while I made dinner (salmon and leek pie with scallop potatoes!) and then we read and relaxed and I sipped more tea. I have never drunk so much tea in my life!

I did something radical today. One of my goals for the year is to take the children on a little holiday. A few days away in a remote area, to unplug completely, swim in natural bodies of water, hike among tall trees and just be. A bit like this:

Well, through someone at work I found a very rustic teeny tiny cabin on a lake in northern Ontario that is very reasonable and lets you pay three weeks before arriving {or cancel}. So come Feb 1st I’m provisionally booking a few days this summer and then we will begin collecting any and all change to pay for it.  And while I’m sure many people wouldn’t need to balk at a few nights in a frugal little cabin, it will be quite a feat for us. But it will be something I think good for our mental health and well-being; we are already excited!

And now hundreds of dishes await me. As does the recycling which needs to be put outside, a basket full of laundry which needs laundering, a bathroom which desperately needs cleaning and four cats who want new litter and more food. I’m hoping two solid hours of work and by 11:15 pm I’m tucked up in bed. Goodnight, friends!

{Thank you for all the lovely offers on this post, I do plan to return every single comment by email on Sunday.}