High Five for Friday (2.6.15)

1. Thank you, thank you, thank you to everyone who has in one way or another supported Chasing Roots this week. The virtual hugs and high fives have given me a much-needed boost, and as I closed my computer last night I felt better about what I'm doing and where I'm going than I have in quite a while.

2. Tonight Tom and Hallie have a date scheduled to attend our local children's museum's annual Daddy Daughter Dance. Last year their theatrical spins and twirls and dips landed them on the front page of the newspaper, so this year the dancing stakes are high…so high, in fact, that rehearsals have been underway for more than a week.

While Tom and Hallie attempt to impress local media photographers with their legendary "special moves", Will and I have our own date scheduled. Our plans are still hazy at best, but hopefully by this evening we'll have figured out how we want to spend our three hours together, just the two of us.

3. I finally got my act together enough to visit a bathroom remodeling showroom, schedule a consultation, and collect enough pictures of how (I think) I'd like our master bathroom to look to make getting estimates possible. It only took me three years.

I don't actually have the estimate yet, but I'm crossing my fingers for a number that will bring about another high five next week.

4. The University of Iowa Dance Marathon hosts its 21st annual Big Event - an actual dancing marathon, during which students dance (or at least remain standing) for 24 hours straight WITH NO CAFFEINE - starting this evening at 7pm. The goal of Dance Marathon is to "create and sustain special projects to provide emotional and financial support for pediatric oncology and bone marrow transplant patients and their families treated at the University of Iowa Children's Hospital", and since its inaugural year Dance Marathon has raised more than $14 million.

I found this organization, or rather this organization found me, at a time when I desperately needed a reason to stay at the University of Iowa. My crushing homesickness left me lonely and depressed on my best days and barely able to function on my worst days. The perspective and purpose I gained as a member of Dance Marathon helped at first to slow my downward spiral, and eventually gave me the good, swift kick in the pants I needed. I witnessed and began to understand a pain greater than that which I felt, and as a result I could finally redirect my energy and emotions toward something bigger than myself.

Every year on this day I think about the current dancers, families, and volunteers and wish for them the same incredible experience I had. Every year on this day I reminisce about the dancers, families, and volunteers I met and came to know and love throughout my five years with Dance Marathon. And every year on this day I remember Sebastian. There'll be a candle lit for him in my home tonight.

5. Happiness Highlights:

My dad sent me a picture of the "artwork Hallie
made me over Christmas break" display in his office.

Curled up with my kiddos on Saturday
morning. Striped pajama pants, anyone?

Though just the four of us watched the Super Bowl (we 
were bitter about the Pack so we didn't invite friends over),
we still held our annual prediction contest. Everyone scored
terribly, but Tom scored least terribly and therefore won. His
prize was me not waking him up to tell him that he'd won.

I took the kids to a snake birthday party...and I survived!
We left before cake because we had tickets to a basket-
ball game, but I'm not sure I could have eaten this cake
anyway - that snake looks a little too real...

Both kids earned two tickets to a TAMU basketball game by
reading a certain number of books/pages, so we cheered the
Aggies on to victory over Vanderbilt last Saturday afternoon. 

We enjoyed the game from the upper deck, which oddly
enough kept Hallie more engaged in the game. Score!

On Saturday we conducted a controlled and blind study to determine
which kind of pizza - Cici's or Little Caesar's - we prefer. Even though
Hallie had trouble landing on a rating for pizza "B" (she changed her
rating from 5 to 1 to 9), we determined that as a family we like LC
best. Which works out well, because LC is closer and costs less. 

 We also guessed which kind of pizza was which, and everyone
except Hallie aced this one. We are so, so nerdy. I blame Tom. 

The kids baked and decorated a cake, made a card, and wrapped
a gift for their favorite babysitter for her birthday. It was so sweet.

Happy Friday, friends!

Linking up with High Five for Friday!

Thank you to everyone who has already visited, "liked", and/or shared the new Chasing Roots Facebook page. If you haven't yet had a chance to check out the page, click here!