Welcome Spring!

While so much of the country is getting spring weather, here in MI, we get snow.

And more snow.

Until this week.

In between days of snow and rain, we had 1 sunny afternoon.

Karson didn't even have to have a coat on while the sun was out.

I got this Little Tykes house for Karson at a garage sale last summer.

He loved it!

He kept going in and out, and in and out.

 

I brought out his lawn mower he got for his birthday.

He pushed it up and down the driveway.

Sometimes he got it stuck in the snow bank, on the edge of the driveway.

He would just leave it there, for me to get for him.

When the sun went behind the cloud, the coat had to come back on.

I had put a blanket down for me to sit on, but the dogs quickly took it over.

Maggie

 Molly

She is not as innocent as she looks...believe me!

Karson discovered the rocks, and only tried a few times to put one in his mouth.

He loved putting them in a bucket, then dumping the bucket out.

If you noticed, these pictures are not in our front yard.  We moved out of our house much quicker than we had expected, and have bombed in on my parents until we find a house we like.  I am absolutely loving not living in the country!  I have a new love for city water, paved driveways, and being close to town.  I was even able to take Karson, Molly, & Maggie on a walk.  Something we couldn't do in the country.  The only draw back so far, is keeping Molly in the yard.  We had a huge font yard at our old house, and no one ever walked by.  Our back yard was fenced for her, but if we were with her in the front, she was never leashed.  We have some boundary training to do here!

10 Things to Never Say to a SAHM

1. When the kids are older, do you think you’ll get a real job?
 thank.you.very.much.  Being a SAHM is a real job!  You just don't get paid for it!

2. How June Cleaver of you!
huh?

3. Oh, so you don’t work?
Nope.  I just change {cloth} diapers, make meals, do laundry, plan activities, clean the house, grocery shop, etc...  But nope, I don't work...

4. Since you have extra time on your hands, could you whip up a few dozen brownies for the bake sale tomorrow?
Obviously you have never met my son.  What extra time?  And if there were extra time, I would gladly make brownies for your bake sale.  With Karson. Sounds like a good science lesson and memory maker to me!

5. All day with your kids? I can’t even imagine.
Yes, I spend all day, every day, with my kid.  What a concept... 

6. I’m jealous. I wish my husband were rich so I wouldn’t have to work either.
 Makes me more frustrated than anything!!  Just as bad as 'must be nice.' Have you seen our teeny tiny house?  Have I mentioned we are living at my parents to save money for a better house for Karson?  Have you noticed we don't go on extravagant vacations?  We make huge sacrifices for me to be able to stay home with Karson.  Every one of them so worth it!  So no, my husband is not rich.  But we make do with what we have, and every one of Karson's smiles makes it worth it!

7. So what do you do all day, anyway?
Refer to #3

8. Don’t worry; I’m sure you’re not the only one who’s ever wasted money on a college degree.
Actually, I never got my degree.  When I found out we were expecting Karson, I dropped out of college to take care of him.  Good try though. :-)

9. That explains why your son is so clingy!
I will take every one of his snuggles when he is uncomfortable. Love that he wants to always be with me.  And really, he isn't clingy at all when he is surrounded by people he knows.

10. Weird. I assumed your house would be super clean.
Weird.  I would rather make memories with Karson than clean my house.

{source}

Karson's 1st Birthday Party

Some pre-party play time with Uncle Shawn and Uncle Brian

Loving from Aunt Katie.

He kept running to Aunt Katie because she always gave the ball back.

He was wired!

Signing more.

The kids loves pizza.

A lot!

Dancing to The Snack Rap.

 Yaay for the Snack Rap.

aka: funniest baby rap ever!

 Singing Happy Birthday to Munchkin!

A baby after my own heart.

He picked at his cake, as to not get his fingers dirty.

And when we pushed his hand into the cake, he refused to do anything until I cleaned it off.

Sounds like a Mama Trait to me!

Feeding Mama some cake!

We were fading fast...thus the paci while we quickly opened gifts.

Thank you to everyone that came to Munchkin's party! It was so much fun to watch him. He loves being the center of attention.  He was exhausted by the end of his party.  We had to give him a cat nap at 6:00.

Birthday Decorations

I had so much fun planning decorations for Karson's Birthday Party.

We went with a dog theme, since he LOVES his Molly & Maggie.

Molly is our chocolate lab & Maggie is my parents.  In case you were wondering.

All the decorations were different shades of brown and blue.

The flag pendent above Karson's highchair was brown and white fabric with paw prints on them.  

The middle blue flag had a '1' on it.

I have zero to minimal sewing skills, so my Mom helped me out.

 I punched out circles out of brown card stock for Karson's name.

The letters are felt stickers from Hobby Lobby & the paw prints are from a puncher I also got at Hobby Lobby.

 The circle garland hung on the fan in the middle of the room.

This is as far as my sewing skills take me.

Sewing paper circles.

And I couldn't tell you how many times I had to call for help, because I jammed up the machine.  

Sorry Mom!

 Behind the cake table I hung a picture from each Month.

Aunt Katie hot glued matching ribbon onto the clothes pins, and my dad hung the ribbon across the slider for me.

Karson's 'Smash Cake.'

My Mom helped me make it.

I think it turned out super cute!

This was the cake for everyone else to eat.

This flag pendent hung into the livingroom.

I attached the dogs to the blue flags with heat transfer paper.

Again, my Mom sewed it for me.

On the end tables in the living room I had Mason Jars with animal crackers and pretzels in them.

I had planned on making sugar cookies, and using a cookie cutter to make dog bones.

But they were a fail.

They tasted yummy, but they turned into a big rectangle.

I also had photo albums out from his first year. 

 The majority of the ideas I found here.

I actually didn't realize she had also hung pictures for each month.

I thought I had come up with that one on my own. 

Guess not.

I will share more about his party in a few days.

A Riddle...

How many guys does it take to put together a Cozy Coupe?

 

1 Grandpa

1 Daddy

1 Uncle Brian

&

1 Uncle Shawn.

Just a Heads up...

...if you read this post.

Munchkin finally has a tooth.
It started popping through 2 days before his birthday.
And although he has a tooth-you still may not stick your fingers in his mouth.
1. He will bite you.
2. It is gross.
3. Mommy will cringe. :-)


As soon as I get a picture of it, I will post it.

Bringing Munchkin Home

At some point, I will get over the fact that my baby is 1.  Until then, you will have to deal with my 'remember when' posts. :-)

One year ago today, we packed up our hospital room, got Munchkin in his coming home outfit, put him in his car seat for the first time, and headed out the hospital doors to head for home. 

I tend to get a little sentimental about things.  Especially, in regards to Karson.  

That car seat we brought him home in.

It broke. 

We sent it back to Graco for a refund.

The car we brought him home in.

Sold it.

The house we brought him to.

Sold it.

We have 1 month left in it.

The one thing we have, that I refuse to get rid of.

The thing that I would be most heartbroken over if it broke.

The one I have made clear, I am never selling or giving away.

The one baby thing I that made me to cry to take down?

His cradle.

I refuse to even put it in the storage garage when we move.

Nope.  Mom, its coming back to your house.

That is until we find a house, then it is coming with me.

Because I'm not parting with it.

The car seat.

The car.

The house.

Fine.

Whatever.

I don't have those any more.

But the cradle I put him in 2 seconds after we walked in the door.

Exactly 1 year ago today.

Not parting with it.