Winter

Winter has finally showed up in Michigan.

At least, it showed up and stuck around for about a week.

Then a few nights ago, we had 40 degree weather overnight, and a rain storm.  The snow is gone now.

But we enjoyed it while it lasted.

When we had our first big snow storm, we headed to the hill I used to sled on when I was little.

Luckily it is a small hill, and I could yell from the bottom.  Putting a stop to my husband's plan to send the {almost} 2 year old down the hill by himself.

Karson loved every second, I could hear him giggling from the top of the hill.

And this is the exact reason why the {almost} 2 year old wasn't allowed to go down the hill by himself...

 Sometimes I don't know who is having more fun...

Daddy or Karson...

We go sledding at the local elementary school, that I went to when I was little.

Karson spotted the slides, and decided they were more fun than sledding.

He talked about playing on the 'side' in the 'noooowwww' all weekend!

The next day it was absolutely gorgeous!  We spent all afternoon outside in the snow!  It was sunny, and relatively warm, with no wind.  It was beautiful!

Karson helped Daddy shovel the driveway...

...and laughed and laughed when Moll chased after the snow.

We played outside for a few hours, then put Karson in his sled and took a walk to Nana's.

I love that we live so close.

InstaFriday

Happy Friday.

And although it has been MONTHS since I did an InstaFriday post...I am linking up with Jeannett from Life.Rearranged today.

 

Baby Sister's room is almost done.

This picture makes it look like everything is pink... it isn't.

The top of the wall is really light pink

Benjamin Moore: Pink Cadillac to be exact.

The paneling we DJ painted tan, and all the bedding is going to be white.

Super simple!

 He loves bubble baths...loves them!

Occasionally, he gets more than 1 a day.

Just because.

He has had a cold this week.

He is also cutting all four iteeth.

Sad Munchkin.

Sad Munchkin that takes medicine HORRIBLY.

As in...you have to pin him down and pry his mouth open...and hope he doesn't spit all of it out.

After this process...he took the dropper, laid down, and started sucking on it.

Really?!?

Karson is obsessed with Thomas the Train. 

We don't have cable.

I don't know where this obsession came from.

I don't like Thomas the Train, but in an attempt to be a good Mom, and encourage his interests, he got a Thomas movie for Christmas.

He is now more obsessed.

He spotted this book...that came with trains..from 3 isles over at Costco and was so excited.

He had some Christmas money...so I got it for him.

Have I mentioned I really don't like Thomas the Train movies?!

A plate full of strawberries and yogurt....his favorite snack!

Ps...I took this picture right after he woke up one morning.

at 10:45

He skipped his nap the day before, and went to bed at his normal time.

This is exactly why we are so strict about his naps!

I love my new house.

It was extremely well taken care of.

However...the appliances are old.

Our hot water heater is super finicky...it can heat up the water, but it can't keep it hot.

So every morning, we have to drain the hot water heater (that is  full of kind of warm water) and let it heat back up, if we want to take a hot shower.

And if you want a semi long hot shower, you have to use the first tank...or you get a 2 second hot shower.

So when this pregnant Mama wants to take a bath in the evening to relax, I have to boil pots of water to use.

Because otherwise I have to take a cold bath.

And that defeats the purpose.

 We took his crib down in December...when he was 20 months old.

When we put it up in Sister's room last week, we caught him climbing in it.

Busted!

Nothing better than snuggle time!

If he would let me, I would still rock him to sleep.

But he won't.

So I take advantage of as much snuggle time as I can!!

He spiked a 102 fever on Sunday night.

I thought he was being fussy because of his 4 teeth trying to come in.

I was wrong.

The good news...he had it for a few hours Sunday night...then it went away and never came back!!

When Munchkin is sick all he will eat is smoothies.

I am super anti fast food, but he hadn't eaten all day, and I knew a smoothie would taste good to him.

So I sent DJ to McDonalds to get him a strawberry banana smoothie.

He downed the whole thing!

ignore the super gross nose

Karson's cousin came to play with us this week.

The two of them completely melted me!

It was just the three of us.

Karson LOVED playing with Gavin, and has asked about him all week!

Two of Karson's very favorite things....his 'B' and 'Mowee.'

I can't count how many times a day he yells at 'Mowee' for being too close to his 'B.'

He would have absolutely flipped if he saw Molly laying ON his 'B!!'

But it also melts me...because Moll and Karson are best buddies.

Karson was sleeping...and Molly missed him...so she slept on his blanket.

My Mom made Molly, and Maggie (her dog...but we basically share dogs) some toys for Christmas.

My weird dog, that doesn't understand she is really a dog, sucks on hers.

Then falls asleep...and continues sucking on it.

 

Do you know how hard it is to find plain white crib bedding?!!!

Seriously...it doesn't exist.  Unless I want to pay a WHOLE LOT of money...which I don't.

I wanted simple

I found the white bumper at Berlington Coat Factory....which I think is funny.

The crib skirt...my Mama made it for me this week.

I LOVE it!!

It is absolutely perfect!!

Linking up with Jeannet from Life.Rearranged.

Last Night...

karson is cutting 4 i-teeth and has a cold...he hasn't slept though the night since last week. 

My babies double teamed me last night.

Sister very rarely moves.  At least she moves a whole lot less than Karson ever did!  Every once and a while, she makes up for her lack of moving.  She chose last night to do so.  I go to bed when Karson goes to bed....between 9 and 930.  I laid down to go to sleep, which she made very clear was not going to be happening, so I got up....until she finally decided to go to sleep...around midnight.

Went to bed, and crashed. 

Two hours later....
Munchkin started playing in his room.  We are not CIO parents, and after a while, he started crying for Daddy, so we got up to get him.  He had sad eyes, and wanted to snuggle.  I tried laying him back in bed a few times, but he wanted nothing to do with it.   

{yawn...i had only slept for maybe 2 hours at this point} 

Karson and I had a waffle...at 5am.   At 5:30 I finally told him he HAD to pick a toy to take to bed because Mommy HAD to at least get a little sleep.  Guess what he picked?!     

"Mowee, Mommy!  Mowee."  

I was desperate and exhausted...so we got the poor sleeping dog off the couch, Karson grabbed her collar and led her down the hallway.   I locked my {almost} 2 year old and dog in Karson's room together.  I was sure Molly was going to want out, and Karson was going to flip because 'mowee' wouldn't stay in his room...I went and looked on the video monitor.  

Within 5 minutes, they were curled up together on Karson's bed...out cold.  

...and then we all slept until 9:30.

My babies double teamed me last night...but that is ok...because I am blessed to have babies to keep me up....and Molly earned her keep for another year for being the only one that could get Karson back to sleep last night.

...and now I'm going to go make myself another cup of coffee.

{Did you know, DJ and I used to have a pit bull?!  After too may aggressive behaviors, including chasing me across the back yard, DJ put her down.  What I am trying to say is...I have done the 'mean dog' thing, and I would never lock Molly (a lab) in with Karson, unsupervised, if I didn't trust her.  I know what dogs can be capable of...but I also know Molly. :)}

Basement Play Room

Our old house was tiny.  Think the smallest house you have been in.  It was smaller.

I am not kidding.

And while we were great full to even have a house to call our own, it was too small.

There wasn't enough room for us to begin with, let alone extra room.  We had a full basement-but it was gross, and when feet of snow melted in a day, or when we would get flood rains, little 'rivers' came up through the cracks.  And it stunk in the summer...and we had to pay big bucks for a ventilation system.

Did I mention it was SMALL.

And old....and small.

I walked into our unfinished basement at our new house this week to find this....

I realized how truly blessed we are to have this house...

...because on a cold rainy day, my Munchkin has a huge room to run around in...with all of his outside summer toys.

Molly ran around in circles.  Karson giggled. DJ & Molly wrestled.  Karson giggled more.  He rode his big wheel, he put his bears in his cozy coop, he rode his tractor around, and played basketball with daddy.  He bounced around on his big ball, and pushed his tractors & lawn mower around.

 

It has ugly carpet....and I may never understand why it has two different kinds of carpet.

It has cement walls...ok I don't really know if they are cement...but they aren't drywalled.

It will be years and years and years before we can finish it!

But it is absolutely perfect for our little boy!!

My Dream

A little back story: I got married young.  I was 21 and DJ was 25.  I may have been young, and we may have both still been in school, but we both had  full time jobs, and could support ourselves.  DJ has had his career job for years, he owned his own house.  The idea of waiting until I was older to get married, would have simply been for the sake of waiting until I was older.  A week after our 6th month anniversary we found out Karson was on his way.  Not exactly what we were planning, but we couldn't have been more excited.  


I have always been a rule follower.  I did well in High School.  College wasn't even a question.  Of course I would go. I went to a reputable college, for 4 years, studying to be an Elementary Special Ed. Teacher. I knew I wanted to stay home when I had kids, but, of course, I needed a back up.  I loved teaching, so getting my teaching degree made the most sense.  I could teach for a few years, stay home when my babies were little, and go back to teaching when they were in school. 

Except, I didn't finish college. 

I am a college drop out.

A few weeks ago, I was at the store with Karson & Aunt Katie, and ran into someone I had not seen in years & years.  He obviously didn't know I was a Mommy, and was a little lot taken back by it.  To be honest, our conversation infuriated me...which is difficult to do.  In front of my almost 2 year old, I was insulted about being a Mommy.  His daughter is single and has a career, and is seeing the world...and ...and ...and...she is living the dream.   In front of Karson...


I am thankful he is little.  I am thankful, it all went over his head.  I am thankful...and hopeful..he didn't understand the conversation, where it was implied kids are a burden.  


I dropped out of college...because being a teacher wasn't my dream.  Being a teacher was my back up.


My dream was to be a Stay at Home Mom.

I spend my days making pretend cheese sand witches, hearing about 'choo-choos,' and racing cars on the wood floor, and snuggling.  I pick up toys, change diapers, make meals, and fold the laundry.  I always have an almost 2 year old running up to me to give me a huge hug, or to tell me 'mowee' is on his 'b,' or asking me to put on the 'ho ho' song and dance with him. 

I got married young.
I became a Mommy young.
I may not have a college degree.
I may not travel the world.
I may not have a career.

But, I am living my dream.

please don't think that i am saying that you shouldn't get a degree, or travel the world, or be a working mama.  that is not at all what i am trying to say.

SNOW!

We live in Michigan.  Where there is supposed to be snow.  Except, there has not been any measurable snow this year.  Frustrating.  We were in a winter weather advisory over the weekend and were supposed to get a bunch of snow.  We got enough to just cover the ground.  Mother Nature needs to be reminded that this is Michigan.

Karson runs to the slider every morning and checks to see if we have any snow.  Finally, after his nap yesterday there was enough to get out his sled.  He had SO MUCH FUN!

I was so excited to take Karson out, and had everything ready when he woke up.  Getting an almost 2 year old ready to play in the snow, when your 6 months pregnant, is a task!!  I sent Karson out with Daddy, and gathered all of my snow gear on...another task when your 6 months pregnant!

After squeezing into my much too small snow pants,  Daddy took Karson and I on a sled ride.  Karson yelled '1, 2, 3, GO!' the whole time!

After our sled ride, we got out the shovels.  Karson helped Daddy clear the driveway...

 ...while Molly stopped running just long enough to catch her breath.  She loves the snow too!

 Karson still fits in his little sled from last winter.

I think DJ and I walked around the house with him 20 times each.  Every time we would stop, Karson would yell '1, 2, 3 GO!'

I am so glad we finally have a little bit of snow.

I love that Karson loves the snow!!  We are going to take advantage of the snow while it lasts!!  Hopefully we will get a blizzard soon!

Karson's Snowman

Before I had Karson, I worked at a Day Care, as the head teacher in the 2's room.  I have tons of art activities and lessons plans from my day care days saved to do with Karson.    Karson loves the Frosty the Snowman movie, and loves looking for snow each morning. Before Christmas, he was having a rough day, and we need a filler activity to get us through until nap time.  I got out some paint and a cut out the pieces of a snowman.

He had never painted before, and thought it was so much fun!

I wasn't sure what paint brush would be easiest for him, so I gave him two.  After explaining we don't eat paint brushes, he was back on task...

After he spread around the paint, I gave him the hat, eyes, nose, and mouth of his snowman and let him place them on his snowman wherever he wanted to.

He had so much fun making his snowman, and is very proud of it!  I love when DJ gets home and Karson runs to show him what he made while he was at work!

Karson's finished snowman....

 

sorry...phone picture