The Evlolution of "Mom"

Apparently I'm getting boring.
Milo is no longer referring to me as mom.
He constantly makes up something more exciting and calls me by that name.
It started with him calling me, "Milo's mom", then it moved to "Bob's mom" (after Bob the Builder), then "Aliyah's mom", and then progressed to train driver, kitty, panda, Jessie (from Toy Story), fox, and my personal favorite, donkey.  No joke i'll wipe his snotty nose and he'll say, "Oh thanks tractor man".  Where has mom gone????  I would like a little credit for the menial tasks. 

It's also how he'll minipulate me.  He knows that if he asks mom to come play downstairs, I will often have to say, "No, mom's helping Tay, or Mom's cooking"...So he'll just follow up with, "Kitty come.  Come play with Milo."  How am I supposed to explain that "kitty," is pretend and that I am actually not kitty I am mom, and that mom really does need to get some laundry done.  I am exhausted just thinking about how you logic that out to a 2 year old. 

But in some respects it's nice.  He may fight mom on going down for a nap, but if caterpillar asks him to go to sleep he's all smiles.  Gotta love that goofball.

Kind of a BIG Deal

My baby girl is on the move!

I am constantly so proud of my kids... It's kind of ridiculous how proud of them I am. Especially as tiny babies, they do so little, that you kind of have to milk the smallest accomplishment. I remember thinking, "I'm so proud of Taya for pooping without having to use prune juice." and, "She smiled when I sang the alphabet... I bet she's going to be really smart!" Well this post may seem like another one of those silly things, but at our house it is BIG news. Milo never crawled... even at 2 it was painful to watch him try to drag himself across the floor. I held his hand all day long so he could walk around... But obviously that wasn't an option with Tay, so she's showing us how this whole developement thing is "supposed" to work.   She has been so frustrated because you can tell she is just ready to run around with the big kids.  She thinks her brother is the greatest thing in the world and is constantly try to get close to him.  She's been rolling and flopping to try to get the job done, but she's been mad. Finally on January 31st.  At exactly 8 months old, she has figured it out. She did one of her first really good "runs" during the superbowl. We were all cheering her on; not even watching the game. It was the coolest thing in the world.  I seriously had butterflies just watching her. Atta girl Tay.  We love you little peanut.  Way to get it done!

Can't Blame the Kid

In trying to teach Milo independence, I have started letting him pick his own clothes.
....
He may have become a bit too independent.

All he wants to wear are, "Sylvester pants (snowman), Orange pants (as pictured), and dog pants".   He was sick for so long that I didn't try to get him out of P.J.'s for a while. 
The first morning I tried to put jeans on him he just ran away and said, "no, no thanks".

I always put him in a normal shirt thinking that somehow I'll get regular pants on him... but instead he just ends up horribly mismatching all day.
On the flip side,
For Christmas I got some new ugly Walmart sweats. I asked for them.  When my Aunt gave them to me, she said, "I just shuddered buying these for you".  In my mind I thought, "Why? What else would I wear around the house".  Then I thought of my son... Learning from example.

Sick Kids and the Countdown to Summer

Happy to report that Milo is fever free and has FINALLY started eating again. . . Which means, if he can stay healthy for the next couple of weeks, he'll be out of the "concerning" category. Now I've just got to fatten him up.

Chris always talks about how much he hates winter.
Well, me too!
Sick kids have made me hate the winter cold.
So instead of continuing to complain, we are just going to start our countdown to summer.

126-days until the pool opens!
90-work days till we can try out camping with two kids
18-weeks until Milo can mow the fields with papa Mike.
10-pounds I'm holdin on to so I can run them off outside (that's the only reason I'm hanging on to them).
4- Months until we live on our front porch and eat popsicles.
3-white butts (Tay is pretty tan), that can't wait for more sunshine!
2-Motorized toys that will be so much fun to drive on our lawn.
1-Winter that had better be over right on schedule!

January 9, 2013

Oh, what a day we have had today.
You have been sick, so so sick. Again!
I know that it is serious when you don't even want to play excavators with daddy.
I took you to the doctor for what feels like the millionth time in the last three months. 
I heard my hearts greatest fears, fears that I have been thinking over and over for the last three months, but thought if I kept them silent they would disappear.
The Dr. said that somthing just doesn't add up. 
Four days.  They are giving you four days to get over your fever and be 100% healthy or they are going to start searching.
They want to test you for Leukemia and other immune deficiencies.  I know it's just a test and that nothing is for sure... But wow mom has never been so scared of anything.  My mind races ahead to what our life would be like if it comes back positive.  I try to stop it, but it pushes on and I think, what if we lost you. You are the sweetest little boy, and my heart breaks at the thought. 
Calm down I tell myself.  It's only a test.  Then I think of your smile.  The way that you say, "snickywoodle" (snickerdoodle). Your tractor dance.  You are my heart and soul little guy.
I want you to know I am trying.  I am trying so hard to get you healthy.  You cry when I try to get you to eat, and I hate doing it, but I have got to try.  I even made your favorite muffins. 
We are all praying sweetheart.  Praying that we don't need a miracle and that we have just had really bad luck.  That this is just the worst cold and flu season ever and that nothing is really wrong.  I'm clinging to that right now.  With all of my heart I'm clinging.   

Christmas 2012

Christmas was busy and crazy and so much fun.  Sometimes I wonder if holidays are too much running around.  We talked about cutting out some of the chaos... but instead, we did it all... and I must say it was all really fun.

Santa came to our house on Christmas morning.  It was awesome.  I procrasitnated getting my manditory "santa" picture this year, so we had to improvise. Milo was very scared of Santa at first, but was quick to share his new excavator and garbage truck.  He even hit Santa on the head with his new crane truck... It was pretty priceless.

            Taya got her very first doll.  Mom was really excited for her.

What didn't this kid get?  Grandmas and great-grandmas spoiled him.  Every present that you put in front of him, he said, "A tractor?"  And lo and behold most of them were.  He loves them all and has had so much fun playing with all of his new stuff. 

I was surprised how much he liked the dog pants that Grandma bird gave him.  He wore them for 4 consecutive days after Christmas.  I was going to fight him on it but I thought, "Ah, it's the holidays, let the kid live a little." I was also surprised how much he loved his, "Grandma Vicky blanky."  He almost went to sleep without his regular tattered old one because he was loving his new one so much.

         Holidays are kind of confusing for babies.  But Tay quickly embraced her Hanukkah breakfast.

She was lovin it, and lovin playing with her daddy.

Christmas always passes so fast, but we tried to make the best of every minute.

 

Yarding Gems

This summer I became a yard sale freak. My brother always says, "One man's junk is another mans...junk". Maybe that is true, but I bought a ton of "junk" that we have really enjoyed. Here are some of my favorites finds from this years yard sales.

Sand table: $5

Rocking Chair (that I refinished): $5

 Scoop, which worked great for Milo's Halloween costume: $3

Glider with footrest: $10 -Kind of a splurge, but it was for charity.

Christmas reindeer and sleigh: $4

Sick bike: $10 -I pride this as my best find.  It's a schwin and someone tried to snake me out of it right after I bought it by offering the seller double.  I almost had to get pissed.

Flats: $4 *There are common sense rules at a yard sale.  Never buy a mattress, and never buy used shoes... It's just weird.  However I broke this rule because they still had the tag on them.   

 This gem was 40 bucks and wel worth it.

 Can't wait for spring!!!