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

Growing up-we didn't have any extended family in Michigan, and we never traveled for holidays.  Which meant, my Mom had to work extra hard to make holidays special.  She succeeded.  I want Karson Christmas to be just like mine were.  Spending the day in his jammies, in his house, playing with all of his new toys.  DJ and I agreed last year on one of my favorite family rules....if you want to see Karson on Christmas, you have to come to our house.  This year, it worked out perfect.  We had Christmas Eve & Christmas at our house...but it will get harder.  Our family is transitioning to a new normal for Holidays.  We all have littles, we all want to be home for Christmas.  I told my Mom it is her fault...we all want our babies to have the Christmas Memories we have.  But this year was perfect. 

I was feeling horrible on Friday, and didn't get anything done, other than laying on the couch.  I didn't sleep Friday night, and was up early Saturday.  I have learned...holidays as a Mommy means going on no sleep.  By Saturday afternoon, I felt 100% better, and was ready for all things Christmas!   DJ and I raced around the house during nap time, to put the finishing touches on the house, and make the last of the h'orderves.  Plus...I may or may not have sent him to Panera to get me a smoothie-pregnancy craving. 

Aunt Katie & Uncle Shawn stopped over, and gave Munchkin a Christmas present.  I love how close we are with our friends, and I love how they treat Karson as their own.  My Mom & Dad came over, with a car full of my favorite Christmas munchies.  My Mom helped put the finishing touches on the table, we made the last of the food, and we started our holiday ritual of stuffing ourselves.  Christmas meat balls...I only get them once a year...and they are amazing!!

 

 Karson loved that he could reach the table...and wasn't being told no.  He had a lot of crackers-and plates-and pretzels-and cups in the living room!!

After munchies...Karson made reindeer food, for Santa's Reindeer of course!  What I had thought would be a 5 minute activity that he would loose interest in, turned into a very long and messy activity that ended in a bath, and finding glitter and oatmeal all over my house for long time...

It started out innocent-I gave him a container of oatmeal, a jar, and a measuring cup. 

I showed him what to do, and he loved it!  Then we got out the glitter....and more glitter...and more glitter..and gave him a spoon to stir his reindeer food up with.

It got out of control long before we actually stopped him-but it was Christmas, and it was about making a memory.

 the floor had to be vacuumed mid activity because Maggie was eating it

And in June when I am still finding pieces of glitter all over my house, I will laugh.  

And this was the moment we decided it was time to put a stop to the Reindeer Food...

Karson got deglittered in the bath tub and we all piled in the car to go see 'the lights.'   Just down the road from us is a house whose Christmas lights are set to music.  Karson loves them!  He sat on my lap looking out the window in a trance.  He kept saying 'wights wights. oh wow oh wow.'  We came home and sprinkled our reindeer food all over the deck.  Daddy was thrilled about this...

Rick & Melissa came over with Gavin, and we put Karson to bed.  DJ got out the presents (mistake #1) and my Mom and I got out the stuff to Fondu.   My Mom told us to wait to get out the presents until after we fondued...we didn't listen (mistake #2).  We all sat around the table for hours, stuffing ourselves with amazing fried foods.  Apparently, we got too noisy...Melissa thought she heard Karson.  In 2 seconds he went from a whimper to an all out sob.  (remember mistake #1 & 2?) I ran to him, while everyone else ran all the presents from under the tree to our bedroom.  He just needed some snuggles-and was back out in a half hour.  I think we made it to bed by 1...

Christmas morning my parents came back over, bright and early.  I had gotten up extra early to have everything ready by the time Karson woke up.  The coffee was on, the coffee cake was in the oven...and then Karson decided to sleep in.  Apparently he forgot Santa had come!!

Maggie on Christmas Morning waiting for Karson to wake up.

We ended up having to wake him up at 8.  He walked straight to his presents and started to open them...

A new bottle of bubbles...and a still half asleep baby...

 

It took us hours to open gifts.  He would open a toy, and want to play with it.  When we asked if he was ready to open another, he very adamantly said 'no!' and went back to playing.

Karson got spoiled-exactly the way it should be.  

Christmas breakfast: coffee cake, egg casserole, and Mandi's orange juliuses.

We put Karson down for a nap, cleaned up, and got ready for my brothers and their families to come over.

Someone got caught taking a nap...

cary-don't get me in trouble...please :)

The rest of the day was spent visiting, cooking, and playing with Munchkin.  Who, again, thought it was too cool that he was allowed to steal food off the table...

We attempted a picture of the 2 babies...

It obviously went extremely well.


...and this is how Karson spent his Christmas.  In his jammies, at his house, playing with his new toys.

DJ parents stopped over, and after everyone left, we crashed on the floor, and put in one of Karson's new Caillou movies....

 my living room still looks like this.

We all went to bed early, and slept in yesterday.  I put Karson down for his nap, and went to check on him on the video monitor and saw he wasn't in his bed...

I think Christmas officially tired him out!!

Christmas is over, my tree was down yesterday before 10am...not because I'm a scrooge...but because Karson got a lot of toys, and we needed the room.  We are still catching up on sleep, my house is a disaster, and I still haven't finished this years entry into our Christmas Memory book.  But our Christmas was absolutely perfect! 

Next year....Christmas with 2 little ones.