Meds

Because of all of our ear issues over the last year and a half, Colbster is on a daily preventative antibiotic and has been since October. Might seem like overkill to some but after the ear ordeal we went through the doc suggested we not take any chances this winter and we completely agreed.

Thus, the little man has become quite accustomed to taking medicine. Mornings are the nebulizer treatment and evenings are the antibiotic. We do our best to not make it a big ordeal, just a part of normal life to us and he's actually quite good about both his "nebi" treatments and taking the liquid antibiotic. I suppose this is our version of a family who has a food allergy, without even thinking about it they just avoid places that might have that as a main ingredient and make sure to tell the waiter when they sit down to order, or even someone with diabetes, it's nothing to them to stick a needle in their thigh while everyone around cringes. To us, it's just another part of our life. "The mask" goes with us everywhere we go and our cabinets are fully stocked with parts, tubes and meds to go in it. Several months ago actually I bought a new pediatric nebulizer since we'd be using Scott's old one. No more boring white box compressor ... Margo Moo goes in her barn whereever we go! I should sign her up for frequent flyer miles!

Considering he's drinking from a cup and officially growing up. The little man now takes the antibiotic all on his own. We fill up the measuring spoon and he drinks it down.

Not too many toddlers I know do this!

More puzzling

Definitely some good visual spacial skills brewing for this boy!

Between this and his love for legos and we've got an architect or engineer on our hands for sure :)

If you listen carefully you can hear him repeating the letters.

"I" = eyeeeee

"J" = jaayhhe

And same here with the words for the farm animals and other happenings.

"Stuck" = tuk

"Duck" = Dukh (you can't see it in the video but he's signing duck too)

"Quack" = cak

"Horse" = quors

"Cow" = cahh

and then there's the very obvious "Mooooooo"!!

"Goat" = goot

"Help" = hep and he's signing it while he asks too!

"Oink" = ink

These are just some Colbyisms from this snippet of video. I'll put up a post at some point of other words and how you might interpret them!

Things like "Please" = peeez and "Doug" = Duggie or Dug Dawg, in general he's quite the chatter box between his hands (in signs) and his words.

In love with pockets!

Cman loves to put his hands in his pockets.
Too cute!
He looks like he's a teenager struttin' his stuff when he walks around like this!

Cool, calm and collected!

Sunday Spud

Duck-bill Pirate!


For info on our Sunday Spud weekly photo update check out this post.

To Here... From There!

And the Seussing goes on!

Not many exciting pictures here, just a few updates to show you we made it all the way around the room the other day. The background color is completely up and so much more to be added soon.

Having already shown you "One Fish" and "Red Fish" and "Blue Fish", we now officially also have "Two Fish".

Scott continues to make his way with the sky blue around the room.

Green grass has been added to the mix as well as a large tree trunk!

Hmmm... rolling hills.

Anyone ready to begin guessing what might wind up here?



And how did we get from water to green grass?
Via a cliff of course of which "High Foot" stands upon!





And we continue to go "From Here... To There" with our paint brushes!

It's Time

You know it's time to ditch of the paci's when this is what happens to them!


Clearly Cman is not using his pacifiers for sucking and soothing, but appears to be chewing on them instead, probably out of boredom just before he falls asleep or because those 2nd molars are on their way in. The chewing may be his way of soothing, but that is definitely not safe. All those bits and pieces are going to break off and either he's going to swallow them, yuck, or worse, choke. Luckily he's not what I would consider a "paci kid" anyways and really only has ever taken one in his bed at night.

I had planned to start this transition so that when Sheldon arrived he no longer has a paci. Perhaps this is his way of showing he's ready. I've put him to bed and down for his nap the last few days without it and so far so good. There is a stray still in the crib should he look for it at night, but that one too will be gone soon enough. Plus, I think when he hunts for it in the dead of night he's not chewing as this stray paci doesn't have any teeth marks... yet!

We'll see how the little man takes it. Here's to hoping he doesn't follow in his mom's path on this one and go from paci to thumb!

Colby's New Wheels

You may remember that Scott and I got our new wheels back in September, thus it seemed only fitting that Colbster get some "new wheels" too.

Well, his wheels aren't exactly "new", but we happily told him that everyone's first car is always just used "new to you". I prefer to call it happily loved by a prior owner. Makes 'used' seems a little less harsh!

So yes, he has 'new to him' wheels and where might they have come from?
Frugal and Free at it's best - the town transfer station aka "the dump"!

We have a fantastic public works department in our area, the typical "town dump" and so much more. Of course there is the place to dump large bulky waste you couldn't normally put out by your curb, wood, contruction debris, brush, oil, old refridgerators, all those typical 'dumpy' items. There is also, however, a whole area where they have composted and created good fill/dirt and you can take as much as you can haul out. Or the area where the brush pile has been chipped and they will load into your truck as much FREE mulch as you want. Mulch isn't cheap so we frequent here many days in the spring to get our fair share of mulch. And then there is an entire section where you can 'leave an item' or 'take an item'. Things that have been used, but aren't quite ready to be trashed yet. You know the saying "someone's trash is another person's treasure".

Last week we had some pallets and other typical dump junk to drop off so a fun family outing it was. I never thought the dump would be so much fun, and then we moved here! It's like an adventure almost. ha ha. This coming from a "Jersey" girl!

So anyways, we pulled into the dump, showed our yearly pass (we're there enough to definitely justify the $50 yearly pass!) And out of the corner of my eye, I spot the signature bright orange and yellow top of the "Cozy Coupe". Scott saw it too! We didn't say anything until we got to that section and he pulled over. haha We both jump out and go inspect the car... no dents or dings, just a little dirt, wheels all in tact, nothing a little elbow greese won't fix. She's Ours! And into the back of our truck came home a new (well, gently used) Cozy Coupe for the Colbmeister to enjoy.

While Colby was down for his nap, Scott and I went to work. Scrub brush, the hose, some spray stain remover and a lot of scrubbing muscle. Sure it's got a broken horn, but that's what imagination is for right? We can always strap on one of those silly bike bells, he'll never know the difference. And just like that...

She was just like new!

Sure, we could have gone out and bought the $50 version of a brandy new Cozy Coupe, or the $70 convertible Coupe , or even the firetruck version complete with sirens, but I'm not sure that would have been as much fun. In a time where a few extra bucks aren't exactly lying around for spontaneous spending, I think this works just perfect and it'll do for a few months or years to come.

So, Colby got up 3 hours later (no it did not take all 3 hours to scrub the Cozy Coupe) and we had a big reveal for his first set of wheels. He was thrilled!!! In and out of the door, around and around the driveway he went, feet peddling a mile a minute. I think it was a definite hit. And he didn't know nor care in the least that it was gently used, just that it was there to play with!

Perhaps this is a lesson to us all. Doesn't matter where it came from, just that it works for me for now!

Dad, sprucing up the Cozy Coupe


Hose her down


Waxed and shining brightly


Colbster's first set of used new wheels!



Stay tuned for photos of the little man enjoying his car.

Painting goes on!

I know you've been anticipating the next reveal and I'm sorry I'm way behind at posting these pictures.... but, be assured the painting has continued.

Scott was away for a few days so I've had a chance after Colbster went to bed to catch up on some of the details and characters. I'd say we are coming along as 2 walls are now almost totally finished. Sheldon's room has a wall that is 'kitty cornered' so there are actually 5 to paint instead of just 4. When we designed the house we purposefully angled the wall in this particular bedroom as it gave a more defined spot for where a bed would be located. Guess it was our attempt at being a little more "riskaye" in the architechtural department! :0)

And now onto the photos...

This is "Sam"!

You know... Sam I am from Green Eggs and Ham :)

Above "Sheldon's" bed is Horton just still sitting while he waits for the egg to hatch.

This is the 'before' picture - before details, just a lump of grey.




I think Horton will be happy now that he has a face when his egg hatches.
"Horton Hatches the Egg" was a must have since we simply love to say Hoooorrrhhhhtunh!

The completed boat scene, nest, egg, flag, portholes and more!

Speaking of flag...

We thought it only appropriate to put the "boat's owner's name" on the flag flying high above it.

Yes, my friends "Sheldon" does already have an identity.

Our new baby boy will be named Parker!

Parker what? Well, those details are for another post of course!

Here my friends is the S.S. Parker.

The painting is beginning to come together, the characters each have a place and seem to be interacting with each other yet creating a unique space all their own!

Why the strange body emerging from the ceiling?

Well, this is "High Foot" from "The Foot Book", seemed to fit right in perfectly up high!

Stay Tuned... more reveals coming soon.

Colbmeister LOVES Graco!

When we were pregnant with the Colbster we, of course, partook in the traditional right of passage for new parents - creating a Baby Registry!

In case you haven't had the pleasure of doing this, there are actually several steps to the process...

STEP 1

--->First and foremost you MUST become a Giddy Expecting Parent, without this, there's no hope for a good registry!

---> Go and scope out the stores - top choices are usually the famed Babies R Us, Baby Depot (part of many Burlington Coat Factory stores), Target, Walmart, etc. Roam the aisles and soak in all that will become your life in the coming years! And of course if you're a planning jot some things down.

---->Go home and do your research. Talk to people you know that have young children, hunt the internet for the best reviews, check out blogs and forums for the latest and greatest incites on what people are doing these days... ya know, arm yourself with as much information about baby gear, products and stuff as you possibly can.

---->Pick an day part way through your pregnancy where you have NOTHING, absolutely nothing on the calendar and dedicate it to Baby Registry Scan Day! Seems like overkill, but it WILL take an entire day to get through the store.

STEP 2

----> Pick your store or stores of choice to register at... go there... and arm yourself with the scanning doohicky (yes, that is my overly technical name for the zapping scanning device).

----> Zap here and zap there, scan this and scan that - the more the merrier, gives people lots of choice. If your doing this as a "team" (you and your hubby or significant other), which I highly suggest, then I'd advise giving the man figure the zapping device. Why? If you had previously created a Wedding Registry you'll know why! It's an electronic and they simply think it's cool. Might not give 2 poops (or 3 in the case of a newborn) about the bouncer you think is totally adorable and has the best features, but find that barcode and whammo he's likely to be totally engaged! :) Plus, you know that being the one carrying the growing critter you've probably been doing the researching so you'll be carrying all the notes and reviews and have "the list" of top picks so might as well give him the scanner to get involved in the decision making process. Plus, when he snaps out of the baby coma you can't be blamed for having picked all the babyish and random patterns since he was officially the one doing the scanning! j/k :) And of course then there's the totally random items that wind up on the registry because he was zapping away and saw this 'one thing' and with the pull of the trigger onto the registry it went - ya know what, funny as it is, those are probably the practical items and ones you'll use the most. So scan away my friends.

----> Return the scanning zapping device and go out for dinner. You'll need a meal after all that work and it's fun to sit and chat over all the things that will soon consume your life!

STEP 3

----> Wait and wait and wait some more for things to show up on your doorstep or get ready to be totally and completely overwhelmed at a shower!

STEP 4

----> Realize you do actually need a bigger vehicle now that baby is on the way!

----> Realize once you get home that you actually need a bigger house now that baby is on the way!

----> Sort through the duplicates, triplicates and get the laundry started because the gear has arrived. Arrange and re-arrange the furniture attempting to down play that you will soon have a child in your home as primary or pastels have taken over.

Last, but not least - STEP 5

----> Hunker down and wait for the big day!

Ahhh yes, the stages for deciding on, choosing and receiving all that is necessary for 'bringing home baby'.

I specifically recall a moment when we had zapper in hand and were making our way through Babies R Us when Scott said to me... do we REALLY need 1 of these things from every aisle?!?? Having taken Step 1 in the process seriously (aka the giddy expectant parent part) I eagerly resounded, absolutely, this thing is for this and that is for this stage and this is when you need to contain the now mobile critter, etc, etc, etc. But what the heck did I know, we were totally flying by the seat of our pants in the parenting gig and so this was just another part of that process. And then our Fishy arrived ... and about 6 or 7 months later, we had passed the Boppy, Bouncer, and Bumbo stages and were on to the Jumperoo, Excersaucer and Playmat phases and sure enough as the gear came in and out of storage, it was at that point that Scott happily announced he now knew WHY it was that we did actually need 1 of those things from every aisle. :)

And here we are now 2 years post Baby Registry making day and still continuing to put and bring the gear in and out of storage. The potty, the gates, and parts and pieces of our high chair are the most recent in the switcheroo.

But, of course, despite all that research, there is really only 1 thing that can totally 'sell' you on a product, brand or design - experience. No one's oppinion will be quite like your own and thus until you've tried it yourself all that info should be taken with a grain of salt (probably sea salt since that's far bigger)!

I had done my hours on end of research and in some cases it proved completely worthwhile, in others a total bust.

Where did I succeed? Where did I choose miserably? Geeez, as I hope you can guess from the post thus far we own far too many pieces of baby gear to review them all in just 1 blog entry.

I will say this...

the bottom line is...

I Love Graco!!!!!!

It was throughout our many "baby gear use" experiences that I started really getting involved and proclaiming my trust and love for Graco products. I even began following their blog as soon as I found out it existed. The company is like none other I've ever known, they value their employees, promote a family environment and have unique products that always seem to be on the forefront of technology. Somehow they manage to combine innovative ideas with great fabric choices and pull it all together in an affordable way. Between the highest standard of safety, fashion and style for all kinds, useability unlike any other and quality customer service - what more could you want? It was because of all these wonderful qualities that I signed up for the Graco Nation Ambassador Program... what's this mean? Simply said: I LOVE GRACO... and I'm willing to shout it from the rooftops! :)

Why do I have such a passion for this particular company as opposed to the hundreds of others that create and sell baby stuff?

Well, I suppose you could say it started with some research for determining which infant car seat we were going to buy. As I've written before in this post about keeping Colbster rear facing as long as possible, I found that the Graco Safe Seat Step 1 infant car seat was, at the time, the only "bucket" seat that held a larger baby longer. Safety was clearly the top priority for bringing home and carrying our 'fishy' around for many months to come. It appears that Graco hit a home run with that move as many other car seat manufacturers have also recognized that higher weight infant seats are desired. Graco has even since outdone itself and now has the SnugRide 32 - when I thought the SafeSeat held a baby long (30 pounds and 32 inches), the SR 32 now holds a maximum of 32 pound and 32 inch baby. Colbster is only 28 pounds at 20 months old, imagine if Scott and I were short people how much use we'd have gotten out of that seat! He finally outgrew his infant seat for height at 15 months, but I can't imagine all those other 'extra chunky' babies (and of course their parents) that would benefit from products like this. We, of course, have been ever grateful for our fantastic car seat. Not only did it protect our little man for many months while traveling in the car (that's my niece next to him on our road trip last summer), on a plane, on a boat and a bus and a train, heck even the monorail, and to meet Mickey for the first time, BUT it also served as his bed (no, not usually covered in his hat and mittens) for 7-8+ months. Colbster's reflux was so bad, he had to sleep sitting up, therefore we owe a big Thanks to Graco for keeping him safe for naps and to sleep at night, too!

And then there's the 'must have' baby swing... side note, any parent that comes home from the hospital without a swing waiting is clearly living in the stone age. We had, at the time, thought it was cute to have a collection of products that were all matchy matchy and with a fun theme. Boy would I do things differently now?! I definitely was looking at form and function as well and therefore opted for one of the few swings that 'went both ways'. Our Fisher-Price Rainforest swing went both forward and back as well as side to side so we thought it was the latest and greatest. Yes, it did serve us well, depending on his mood the Colbmeister preferred 1 way vs. the other. Getting figity after 15 minutes and turn, he was happy again. And then... sure enough Graco goes and outdoes the competition once again. You have to know how truely disappointed I was that we were already 3 months into this new parent thing when the Graco sweetpeace arrived on the market. I couldn't come up with a good reason to run out and buy this when we already had a swing, but hmmm maybe now that baby #2 is on the way.... hmmm. They call it a newborn soothing center - go to the website yourself because any words I use simply cannot do it justice. And to top it off, our infant car seat could be popped into and out of the frame for even more practicality!

Sure, do I wish that Graco had a double jogging stroller with a similar form and function of our new Phil & Ted's? Absolutely. Do I wish they made mobiles and bath tubs or even clothing. Yep. But the areas they do have products are, in my mind, far superior than the competition. So I'll take it where I can get it. Who knows... leave it to Graco engingeers they always seem to have something up their sleeve.

Speaking of which... then there is our highchair situation. We registered for and picked the Eddie Bauer High Chair, why, it was wooden and we wanted to make sure we had one that was going to last. Those plastic chairs just don't seem to be nearly as sturdy, plus plastic just didn't seem to fit well in our brand new cherry cabinet kitchen. The one we picked seemed to be just right. And then Graco came out with their Classic Wood Highchair. I HAD to have it. The features were just what we were looking for when we were registering, plus it was a Graco, I knew it would last. Luckily, timing was everything for my spur of the moment need for this highchair as my m-i-l (mother-in-law) was ready to get a highchair to have at their house for our visits. I happily sent the Eddie Bauer seat her way (I figured I could deal with it for sporadic use) and went out to get our Graco! I'm quite glad I did, not just because the new highchair was exactly what I was hoping it would be, but the Eddie Bauer, which is used like once a month - if that, has since begun to break. The top is pulling apart from the bottom legs and the slats on the side have half fallen out. I can't imagine the beating it would have taken if we'd used it every day, several times a day until now. I'd be buying a new one for sure!

And here we are today... happy that we ran out to get the Graco highchair - why? Colbster has recently graduated from baby highchair to big boy seat as we've removed the big front tray and pulled him up to the table. Still don't get why our Graco is so wonderful?! We have a 'bar top' height kitchen table and so his seat pulls up and fits perfectly right in with us. Our old highchair would definitely have been too short and no plastic chair would have ever worked either. We are certainly going to get our money's worth out of this seat! And again just as I continue 'shouting from the rooftops' how much I love Graco and how awesome our highchair is, they have outdone themselves. The Blossom 4-in-1 Seating System would have totally worked for us too. With "Sheldon" on the way, I'm almost certain we'll go out and buy another Classic Wood highchair to match our set since Colby will fit in this one for years to come. The Blossom would have been great for our family, it's a highchair, a booster, an infant feeding seat and more... we've joined other "baby bunchers" and thus we'll need 2 highchairs for sure, unless we had the Blossom! ;0) Once again way to go Graco!

Big boy at the table... can't even tell which seat doesn't match can you?

We've always made it a point of eating together as much as possible, but because of the big tray he was just tucked in next to the table. I think he actually feels more a part of family meal time now that he's sitting at the table.

Didn't believe me that this chair is different did you?

But... there is it... the fantastic Graco logo!

Colbster definitely Loves Graco too!

Pretty soon, we'll be diving head first into the tupperware storage bins, dragging out the infant bathtub and teenie hooded towels, getting ready to start over in the Boppy, Bouncer and Bumbo stages.

Armed with our Graco products we're definitely in the process of 'gearing up' all over again!

Sunday Spud

For info on our Sunday Spud weekly photo update check out this post.

HAPPY 1st Day of SPRING!!!!

We made it... to the first day of Spring!

Now get out and get yourself a FREE Rita's!!!

Rita’s, the nation’s largest Italian Ice chain, will hold its 17th annual First Day of Spring Italian Ice giveaway - TODAY!

Afternoon at the park!

A town near us recently spent ooodles of money, collected donations and had lots of fund raisers to create a HUGE brandy new 'all inclusive' park in honor of the town's 300th anniversary. It opened in the fall and hasn't really had many visitors because of the cold winter months. Last weekend was definitely the first hints of spring around here so we opted to give the new park a whirl. Wasn't the warmest afternoon, but the sun was shining and the birds were chirping so that was nice enough for us! After a surprisingly short nap (1.5 hours and yes that's short for him), I knew this was the day of all days to get out of the house or the Colbster was going to whine and just be a little 'off' from his overtired state.

This is a mock up of what the park was going to look like after completion. A few pieces of the equiptment and the gazebo are in different spots.

It was definitely a good plan, the park is absolutely fantastic, and the Colbmeister shook off his funk. The park has swings for all sizes, playground equipment and slides for all ages, rocking boat type structures that you can even wheel a wheelchair on to, tube slides and climbers abound and even the cushy squishy playground 'carpeting' to keep it all a little safer. What a wonderful addition to an already great area. It truely was a fully inclusive park as there's even a gazebo in the middle for the oldies (aka grandparents) to sit and watch the children laugh and play!

We had a blast and played for over an hour. The little guy was definitely thirsty, starving and exhausted after playing so hard. Here's some great pictures I snapped (I was camera happy that afternoon) of all the smiling and of course fun adventures of the sunny day.

Start off with some swing time to soak up the sun!


And then head over to this straight slide.

Head back up and...

...go down the twisty slide!

Pause to watch a few planes go by.

And then check out what the other kids are doing.

Climb up the block of stairs.

To go down the roller slide.

Weeeeeeeeee!!!!

That was bumpy.

Try out the giant rocking boat.

Sometimes it's just fun to poke your nose in a hole!

And get ready to jump!

Through the tube.

Stop to learn some Braille.

When you're done learning a new language, decide if you are about to cross this...

So we go across the really fun crazy stairs!

Up the big boy climber.

Hold on tight... he's a climber!

Watch mom demonstrate how to go down the tube slide.

And finish off all by yourself!

Our Little Man is Growing Up!

Happiness is...

...swinging at the park!

Day 2 of painting

And painting has continued several evenings this past week. It's certainly a slow and steady process as we've been doing most of this after the Colbster goes to bed. Not really fair to take family time away from him for painting details, so when he's up it's Cman time and when he's sleeping, it's Seuss and Sheldon time.

I tackled quite a few characters while Scott was away one evening... it's my form of relaxation and a way to pass the time when I miss him, too! So we've come a ways for only 2 or 3 days of actually hands on work. Still plenty to do though!

"...I do like them, Sam I am..." from Green Eggs and Ham

As you can see, I've got my very technical paper plate pallet and the book for inspiration... not much else except a brush and some creativity from a steady hand.

(on the left hand wall is the beginnings of the boat from Horton Hears a Who!)

Oh and yes, that is my small baby bump hiding under the sweatshirt!

Scott is getting in on the 'painting action' with the "Red Fish".

Nice work for a lefty :) j/k

Want some green eggs and ham??

Can you believe this guy is 'unnamed' in the book.

The fish and Gertrude McFuzz are coming along!

In the book the "Blue Fish" is leaning on a rock, so I thought it would be cute to have him leaning on the outlet.

And in case you are trying to figure out what other characters might be sneaking up in the next few posts on the other 2 walls of the room. Here's a sneak peak of some brainstorming sketches I've put up. You probably have to enlarge the picture to see better. Below is a picture of the baby bird from Are You My Mother? Not a true Dr. Seuss book, but part of the Beginning Reader collection hosted by none other than Cat in the Hat, so I thought it would be ok to toss him in as an extra! An honorary Dr. Seuss character I suppose. :)

So this photo was just a tease. Guess you'll have to wait to see the real other Dr. Seuss characters to come.

You know your pregnancy is progressing along when...

... your boobs start leaking randomly!

And yet you just laugh because the only thing you're frustrated with about this interesting predicament is that you are wearing the only green maternity shirt in the closet and refuse to change despite the very obvious stains located in very obvious spots.

Sorry, TMI!

You said you wanted to stay informed :)

St. Patty's Parade 2009

Yet another Irish tradition kept in our house - A St. Patty's Day Parade to kick off the festivities for the week! Last year we met some friends for the parade on a Saturday. Scott had some work things to attend to this year during that parade so we opted for the Sunday parade in a different city this time around. It's supposed to be a 'big' parade as it's the 6th largest in the nation... oh, here's some St. Patty's Day trivia - What city has the biggest St. Patrick's Day parade? Get it right and I'll send you a yummy piece of my green cake! Ha, might be really green for another reason by the time it arrives though.

There was a TON of people at the parade, so I guess it must be pretty well known. Perhaps we'll put it on the list again for next year. And big it was, we were watching for over 2 hours and the parade was still going on... wonder how much more there was we missed. Colbster wouldn't have made it home for dinner if we'd stayed until the end so we opted to miss the exit traffic and scoot out before the end.

The little man LOVES parades and is absolutely thrilled when all the bands go by. He was sitting on Scott's shoulders totally mesmorized and bouncing and dancing to the music. Looks like every parade will make the must-do list for Disney this year! Another big favorite is when loud bangs go off from the guys with old muskets! He starts clapping - very funny. If he likes that, I think he'll really like our trip to Colonial Williamsburg.

All in all another fun family outing - Bag pipes, step dancers and all!

All good parades have police on horseback!

And military trucks!

Parade fun in the sun!

And of course bag pipers.

Appropriately worn green sweater!

The picture of a parade loving boy!

Stay tuned for possible photos from St. Patty's Day 2009 parade #2. We're planning to go to another next weekend, not sure if we'll make it though as it is smack in the middle of naptime! We'll see how the day goes.

HAPPY ST. PATTY'S DAY!

Go Green!

Everyone is Irish on St. Patty's Day!

I'm too sexy for my pants...

Do you think perhaps it is totally coincidental that the same person who sent Colbster these 4T girlie Halloween pants also sent me these worn and oversized leprechan pants?!?! I suppose you could tell I wasn't about to sport clothing that clearly is too large for even Scott - and over his jeans I might add.

Stylish and totally sexy, ehh? We thought so!

Appears to be a trend. Maybe I'll call TLC's What Not to Wear in honor of the sender with hopes no more items like this appear on our doorstep.

Grandmother Famous Pistachio Pudding Cake

So I mentioned last week when I was ranting and raving about my great deal on milk that I needed 2 boxes of Pistachio Pudding for the world famous, ok, grandmother famous Pistachio Pudding Cake. It was a tradition in my family growing up that grandma made this cake every year on St. Patty's Day. It's green so it definitely fits perfect. I've continued the tradition in our house (and even in college) every year... it is far too yummy to pass up.

So here's the recipe... give it a whirl, you will LOVE IT!

If you are a "baker" there is a "from scratch" recipe, if not, there is a "Quick Recipe" that uses a box cake mix, you pick, I think they are both just as tasty!

Grandma's Famous Pistachio Pudding Cake

From Scratch:

- 3/4 cup of Crisco

- 1 and 1/3 cups sugar

- 1 box pistachio pudding mix

- 1 tsp vanilla

- 1 and 1/4 cups water

- 2 and a 1/4 cups Flour

- 2 tsp baking powder

- 3 eggs

* Cream crisco, sugar, eggs, vanilla until light and fluffy

* Add water, pudding mix, flour and baking powder

* Beat at low speed until blended

* Beat at medium speed 2 minutes

* Grease bundt pan generously

* Bake at 350 degrees 35-45 minutes

OR

Quick and Easy Recipe:

- 1 box pistachio pudding mix

- 1 white cake mix

- 4 eggs

- 1 and 1/2 cups water

- 1/3 cup oil

- 1/2 cup club soda

* Mix all together

* Grease bundt pan generously

* Bake at 350 degrees 35-45 minutes

Icing:

- 1 box of pistachio pudding mix

- 1 cup milk

- 1 cup heavy cream

* Beat until there are peaks

Let cake cool and then ice!

FYI, because of the heavy cream and milk in the icing this cake needs to stay in the fridge. Totally worth the extra space it takes up, plus, it won't last long enough for you to notice things are cramped in there!

SOOOOOOOOOOOO YUMMY!

Sheldon's Room Painting Day 1

We finally got our act together, had a day with nothing planned and thus Sheldon's room is being prepped for paint!

What do you think of when you see pale yellow up top, sage green on the bottom, and a border in the middle ... typical baby room = BORING!!!!!!!!! Totally NOT our style. Not to say that it doesn't work for some people, just not us. The typical "baby"ish nursery that once the baby has grown up to a toddler you quickly realize a repaint, redo and redecoration is immenint in a matter of 2-3 years. There is not 1 single Kindergartener that I know that wants yellow up top, pale green in the middle and a "baby" border as a bedroom to bring friends home too for their 1st sleepover.

So we opt for a little less traditional "theme" rooms.

You may have already read in this post from January that the Colbster's room is an "under the sea" theme - Finding Nemo, meets, a trip to the aquarium, gone fishin' sort of motif! Unfortunately this blog didn't exist when we were in the midst of painting and creating a home for our "fishy" or else you would have gotten a sneak peak of the progress in blog format. Luckily digital photography did - so head over to "Our Pictures" - here, and here and here or here to see some snippets of the creation of his room. Complete with lobster trap end table and boat with a propeller hanging from the ceiling (a perfect addition hand made by Scott), the room is truely a masterpiece. Most of the characters, fish and other sea items on the walls are hand painted, only a scattered few are decals that we found. We thought it would be fun to toss those up on the walls for some interesting texture change to the room. Speaking of texture, it just so happens that the carpet in Colbsters room was beige so a perfect fit for the sandy ocean floor. We brought that up a bit on the walls and hot glued seashells, crabs and a plastic lobster along the bottom. He loved exploring, touching and feeling those items when he was beginning to crawl. The room really because interactive.

OK we may have a bit of an edge on some other expectant parents as I enjoy painting, muraling, and crafting so these types of projects are right up my alley. Plus Scott is extremely creative and quite handy... roll that all up into some parental nesting and we have some awesome kids rooms if I do say so myself.

When we found out "Sheldon" was on the way, we immediately began brainstorming for our next room creation. Some ideas initially were... hot air balloons and flying through the sky, a frog pond, Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, sailboats, a cabin in the woods on a lake, playing on the beach, etc, etc... we knew it was going to be another room that would last several years, had to be able to have additional textures added and live up to the high standards we set for ourselves with Colby's room. Of course those were just ideas and we were searching for inspiration rooms, ultimately the painting and decorating, muraling and creation would be done by us.

Hmmm...

We decided to wait until we knew boy or girl to make our final decision. The hot air balloons probably weren't going to be a big hit for a little boy. Airplanes, maybe, but frilly balloons probably not. And the cabin in the woods was probably really boy unless Bambi played a big role for a little girl. So we brainstormed some more and waited!

And another boy it was.

Then one day, I was reading to Colby and it just hit me. The gears started churning and a vision was beginning to develop. After I layed him down for the night, I couldn't contain myself, I ran downstairs and called Scott who happened to be away - I've got it! Safe to say Scott thought I was out of my mind because I was so excited, but he didn't know about what.

I've got it, I've got it... Dr. Seuss!!!

And there you have it. Sheldon's room is a Dr. Seuss theme. (No coincidence to the fact that we just celebrated his birthday March 2nd.) We'll be scattering many characters from several different Seuss books throughout the room plus we have a few textured ideas up our sleeve, can't wait to show you that part!

And thus begins our journey "From Here, To There"!

Some sky to get started.

Big brother, Colby, couldn't be left out of the painting process.

Very good technique!

And to wet your appetite for some characters to come. (What you see is just the beginning developments of these characters. Definitely not a finished product yet... can't forget all the detail!)

"One Fish" from One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish, the other fish will join soon, too. Then there is "Gertrude McFuzz" from Yertle the Turtle and Other Stories

Stay tuned, there is definitely more to come. This was just a taste to get you as excited as I am about our new painting adventure. Hopefully, Sheldon will enjoy his Seussical room as much as Colbster loves being a "fishy in the sea" and our guests head to their carribean paradise when they visit. Heck, my laundry room is even a whimsical way of feeling like you are "in the wash"! So perhaps someday I'll get my act together and make a business of my pleasure. Anyone want to be the first client?

Sunday Spud

Paparazzi, perhaps?!
(See the video camera in his right arm! Ok bad joke.)


For info on our Sunday Spud weekly photo update check out this post.

Chooo Chooo...

Fun with Friends

Some friends of ours were headed to a basketball game last weekend and so we happily offered to watch their 2 children for the afternoon. Lily and Dylan are a lot of fun and they absolutely adore playing with Colby. So why not, Brandon and Cindy got to enjoy some time alone, go to the game, and the kiddoes got to play outside on a beautiful Saturday afternoon. We'll swap again at some point and then Scott and I will have our afternoon alone. Don't think it'll be like this day back in August as I'm not about to sit on the waverunner at 7 months pregnant in the the frozen ocean! But, dinner and a movie or something would work too.

I like the "friends swap" babysitting option - we get a few hours away, know the kiddoes are well taken care of, there's no extra money spent on a babysitter, plus it's another excuse to get together with friends where as you might not have done that otherwise.

A fun afternoon had by all...

Colbster was napping when Lil and Dyl first got here, so what else would you do on a 65 degree day with a 4 and a 7 year old? Wash the cars of course! Scott even got squirted with the hose by mischievous Mr. Dylan, it was very funny! They loved it!

Both cars were squeaky clean, so what next?
A hopscotch tournament!




And like clockwork at 3 PM the little man got up from his nap.
Of course he wanted in on the fun outdoor play action. So for the next several hours, cheerful giggles and silly voices could be heard in the backyard doing lots of

this...




and this...

and then more of this...

Ok, so not everyone was cheering all the time, but instead making use of the great afternoon, melting snow and cleaning up the yard. Scott spent some time doing this unfortunate post winter clean-up job...

Mr. Pooper Scooper did get some play time too. The kids squealed with glee when he took them for a "real ride" in the wagon!

And before heading off to meet Brandon and Cindy for dinner, the kids decided to put on a concert for us!

Impressions in the snow

I was outside with the Colbster the other day, the snow was mostly melted and it was 50+ degrees out. So we decided to start picking up the yard in hopes of springtime coming soon. Well, I pulled a branch out of the snow that must have fallen at some point this winter and when I did it made a neat impression in the snow. It almost looked like a big tree, but was really just the outline of the branch. So in my best attempt at being a photojournalist... haha... here's the picture I snapped of the impression in the snow. I thought it was cool looking so thought I would share.

Meatitarians

So you already know this house is never going to contain a "veg head" and I won't deny that we do stock quite a bit of meat in our freezers. Not because we have it every day or because I'd consider us 'meatitarians', but because we only buy it on sale. When a good deal rolls around, why wait - stock up, it certainly saves in the long run. I know so many people that say they've moved away from eating beef or chicken regularly because it's just too expensive. Well, my friends, not when you know the secret to finding soo good inexpensive meat.

How do we do it?

Twice a year we take the hour and a half trek (each way) to the butcher! Sounds silly, but when you are headed in that direction for other reasons it really works out fine. Even still, twice a year for the amount of savings, the distance wouldn't matter. Scott grew up coming to this particular butcher shop with his family, so luckily we had the insiders scoop on where to find great cuts and lots of it for a good price. The best part is they'll cut whatever you want to the size you want before you leave. Want inch and half strip steaks... done... while you wait.

So what's the big "deal"?

How about boneless and split check breasts for 99 cents a pound!
5 pounds of drumsticks so we can indulge like this evening for $3.99!
Beef tenderloin for $3.99 a pound!
Strip steak or Siloin for $4.50 a pound!

and don't forget about the deli...
$3.59 a pound for Viriginia Honey Ham!
Where have you been able to buy American Cheese for $2.50 a pound lately? At the grocery story it's now like $5.99 a pound minimum.

And more!

The specials change each week so we really have to be picky and choosie for which week we decide to go. Otherwise, we'll pass up on some huge deals. Several years ago we realized how much we were saving by doing this and ultimately decided it was cheaper to haul the meat home and go buy another freezer than spending the extra at the grocery store each week. So that's what we did.


And here it is -- a happily stocked freezer FULL of meat for only $100!




And of course it is organized by type. You wouldn't think my anal retentive self would just toss in the items. GASP... NEVER!!!!
Top shelf is all types of chicken on the bone, middle is boneless chicken and pork chops, bottom is steaks, ham, bacon, etc... So where's the ground beef for tacos and burgers - well, we had a little overflow, so that wound up in our regular fridge/freezer along with the standard stuff you keep there. Bread, rolls, muffins, french fries, shrimp, frozen veggies, shredded cheese, etc.

And yes, this should last us many many months!
Add another good deal to the list!

Pants Schmants!

So you may recall back in July, I was inspired to keep the "potty" out after Cman's birthday party. We had dragged it out that day for other's who would be coming to the party, and it has not left since.

For the next few months after the party we weren't really hard core making sure the Colbster sat on it every day. He knew it was there and I do believe he understood what it is for. He would periodically go in and sit on it with his clothes on so we would strip down and hang out there for a while. Water running, books abound, snack, etc. A few successes randomly, but not anything that would be considered dramatic "potty training". So we happily kept exposing him to the potty, when we were going, when it was bath time, when he would investigate and sit down, but because he was only 13-14-15 months old, I wasn't going to force it. I'd say we had a good jump on the situation as it is.

About 2 or 3 months ago, something clicked and the little guy started becoming much more aware of his bodily functions. He would point to his diaper as soon as he was wet, he would point just after having passed some major gas - this would cause some laughter amongst those around and we would kindly 'excuse him' - and finally he is quite "regular" in the BM department if you know what I mean. I could nearly set my watch by what time he's got to go and have also been able to determine the moment he begins to think about this process based on body language and where/what he's doing.

So we have since started making the potty a much more prominent idea in the house. We realized, he knows when he's gone, so now all we have to do is help him figure out when he has to go. Why hold back what appears to be coming early naturally. The child is interested in sitting on the potty, he gets that he needs to be changed, does not like being wet, so all things for a positive transition to underwear to me. Heck, we even brought the potty with us last time we went on vacation! Now that's dedication :)

We realized that he knew he had to go before he was actually wet, but by the time we got to the bathroom, stripped down his pants, off with the diaper, it was just too late. Too many layers to get through for success - I kept feeling really bad about it too, because I wanted him to be rewarded (by pee peeing and hearing the singing - yes our potty sings) (side note: for us the little potty chair works instead of having him sit directly on the big toilet, I don't think he likes the sensation of feeling like he was going to fall, and I actually think he prefers being able to plant his feet on the floor instead of having them dangle. Another transition, yes, but I'd rather have more success now then have him totally turned off by the experience all together. Sorry tangent.) for having known when it was time. Of course we would reward him for telling us and for sitting on the potty and for those small steps toward success, just didn't seem the same. I didn't know if it was him or I that was getting more frustrated by the process. So enough with that, when something is not working, you have to fix it! And that's just what we have done.

What's the secret now?
Lots of time spent in the house "going commando"!

The problem wasn't whether he knew he had to go or that he didn't want to sit on the potty - he did know and he would happily "pop a squat" for 5, 10, or even 20 minutes at a time. So now, whenever we're home, we've been turning up the heat or turning on the fireplace to keep little bums warm and going pantless. We don't have the layers to compete with should he feel the need to go and try (like every 12-18 minutes, but what seems like every 3) and he doesn't have the distracting rubbing or warmth which means he accidentally would go in his pull-up or diaper before we can get to the potty.

It seems to be working thus far for when we are home. He's in his shirt and socks, but no diaper or pants. We go about our normal life in the house, playing or reading, crafting or cleaning or whatever else we may do through the day and he just is "hanging out". Makes no difference to me, less diapers to change and less money spent on them too! And he doesn't seem phased by it either. I think he might be happy with this idea as it's helping him get a much better idea of what happens when and how to anticipate the pee pee.

Sure, we've had several sprinkles on the floor, but oh well, that's just another avenue to teach him how it felt when he knew he had to go. Plus, I feel quite strongly that it is teaching him not only when to know he has to go and how to use the potty, but it's also teaching him how to hold it. If he realizes he has to go and a little sprinkle starts coming, he gets that signal and has now figured out how to pinch it off to stop the stream, we quickly jump up, with lots of praises and head straight for the potty. Several minutes later, his body figures out it is OK to go now and success! Other times, he can't quite figure out how to re-start the stream and so we sit and wait, nothing happens and so we go back to what we were doing. At least he was able to stop the initial drip and since he didn't go after sitting down, that says to me, he didn't really have to go a lot, so he's just teaching his bladder how to hold more than it has in the past. And yes of course, he is a toddler so sometimes he just isn't in the mood or is playing intensely with a toy and it is time to go sit and try, but he'd rather not... so my strong willed boy, just holds it. Again, in my mind holding it is better than not figuring out what your body can do and peeing all day long without realizing it. Heck, one day last week he held it for 3 hours. I can't do that sometimes... granted I'm 25 weeks pregnant, but that's a whole nother story.

We'll see how things progress and how quickly he's on the potty full-time. At this point we're just attempting the diaper free zone at home, but have moved to pull-ups (or rather the Pampers version Easy Ups because we are Pampers groupies) for other outings. He is still in a diaper for naptime and bedtime but that's a whole nother bag of worms to tackle in the future. The boy is drowned up to his elbows when he gets up in the morning so no diaper at night is at this point - not an option! The little rubber feet on his winter feetie pajamas are usually a pool in the morning. Lovely.

Lots of praise and cheering and several potty dances later, thus far our new method has seemed to have lots of success. We also have begun rewarding him in other ways, he loves pretzels so if he goes on the potty he gets a pretzel. Some kids reward is best in the form of candy or tv or treats, he's not into any of that, so we found what worked for us. Plus, a sticker. Visual representation and something to work for. He loves that he keeps them on his shirt and when on the potty asks for a "icker". Yes, Colby, you will get a "sticker" if you go pee pee on the potty. Scott, Nanny (when she's here) and I have even begun rewarding ourselves with stickers when we go on the potty too. I figured it might help ingrain the reward system and the cause and effect process a little better if everyone got involved. Seems to be working as last week Colbster earned 4 stickers in 1 morning before we left to go to the store. And then another on a different morning before heading off to school.

For now we'll continue to go pants-less and then see how he does around the house with just undies/boxer briefs instead of a diaper. My goal, obviously not to be forced, but certainly to be hopeful for, is to have the Colbmeister out of diapers (during the day) when baby #2 arrives. Helps the budget, helps the routine, something to strive for.

Stay tuned!

Sunday Spud

A duck spud of sorts.




For info on our Sunday Spud weekly photo update check out this post.

A boy and his dog!

Somehow Doug became the race track to ZOOM ZOOM the racecars on,


he doesn't really care.



As long as there is...

PUPPY LOVE!

Thousands of dollars on bones and diapers...
Grooming bills and sippy cups...
Dirty paws, toys and books...
A boy and his dog...
PRICELESS!
INSEPARABLE!

69 cents a gallon

Have you ever bought a gallon of whole milk for only 69 cents?
TODAY - I did!!

How did I do it?

I had a coupon for "$1.00 off any gallon of milk when you buy 3 Jello puddings".
Jello pudding here I come - 3 into the cart.
Townhouse crackers were Buy 1 Get 1 Free this week. We're still in soup season and so crackers are a must in our house!
Each box had a "$1.00 off a gallon of milk when you buy 1 box of crackers" coupon stuck to the box - 2 boxes into the cart. 2 coupons pulled off the box.


Thus, I paid for...
- 3 Jello puddings (needed anyways for my world famous - ok, maybe not world famous, but it's my grandmother famous Pistachio Pudding Cake for St. Patty's Day - stay tuned for this delicious recipe soon to come)
- 1 box of crackers
- 69 cents for a gallon of milk


SWEEEEEEET!


I love being thrifty, I love couponing ... I love Big Y! (our awesome grocery store)


In case you're wondering these weren't the only items in addition to Colby in the cart today. Actually, it was another GREAT week of deals and I came home with a full cart of groceries for just about $50... Between "deals", weekly specials, and coupons my savings = 55%!!! I aim, and so far have only missed my goal twice, for a minimum of 35% savings. Luckily the % savings prints on the bottom of the receipt so it makes calculation easy :0) Perhaps I'm ready to up the anty and lower our weekly budget for groceries or raise my minimum % of savings. Interesting.

Why is Big Y so awesome... I think I only paid full price for the following few items.
- Margarine
- OJ
- Jello pudding (but the savings on the milk was good enough for me!)


What were some other things in the cart to make my GREAT deal of a week?!
- Vegetable Oil on special (we were out after our awesome Superbowl wingy yumminess)
- Fabric Softener Sheets - Buy 1 Get 2 Free
- Townhouse Crackers - Buy 1 Get 1 Free (and don't forget those great coupons)
- 9 6 packs of coke products - Buy 1 Get 2 Free
- Freihofer's Family Size bread - Buy 1 Get 1 Free
- 3 5lb. bags of Russet potatoes - Buy 1 Get 2 Free
- Bananas - on special for 60 cents a lb.
- Paper plates - Buy 1 Get 1 Free (I keep these on hand for quick and easy meals or for picnics. Spring and summer are coming soon enough)
- Yogurt - Buy 6 Get 1 Free plus I had a coupon for 50 cents off 6.
- ETC, ETC, ETC... (The bottom of my receipt says "Total number of items purchased - 40)
- and of course my nearly free gallon of milk!



Yes, some random items here, this was a fill-in and stock up week and not a "standard grocery" items week. In order to keep on budget and get the best bang for our buck I select items based on the deals of the week, specials in the store and coupons I have in my stash. Just doing my part to make every dollar go as far as possible!


To top all that off, another "$7 off your next purchase of $50 or more" coupon printed out at the bottom of my receipt = BONUS!

Did I mention that I love Big Y!

Deep in Thought!

200 miles offshore

Have you ever had a time in your life when you feel like your 200 miles offshore, the waves are building, the boat isn't yet taking on water, but you're not really sure when the seas might calm or if they could continue to build? At what point do you surrender to the ocean, don your survival suit and head for the life boat? Do you jump ship before anything has actually happened or simply 'wait and see'? While always hoping and praying that something might change, some questions will be quickly answered and all this happens sooner than later, whatever this is.




Well, maybe you've never had this exact feeling or sensed this exact senario in your life (because you're not familiar with the possibility of a rogue wave 200 miles offshore at any point), but I think you get the idea. Uncertainty, somehow always on the brink, possibilities being endless, choices, places, people, things...




We've had quite a lot of 'outstanding' questions in our lives the last several months. If I think back, it was just about October or November that so many changes, so many possibilities, so many happenings were all going on, weaving themselves through our lives simultaneously. And with each different situation, we weren't always the ones in total control - a cause and effect which may snowball and become this cause and then that effect, what happens if and then what when. All snowballs rolling at a different speed, all rolling in different directions, all at the same time.




Feel like you need to duck?! We've sort of been dangling in the midst of this all for several months now.




A choice or a decision that someone else could make prompts a choice and a decision that we should have to potentially prepare for... or do we just wait? Ever feel like your always on the cusp of a new tomorrow, not knowing whether that was the beginning or the end? Then the tables turn and it is our possibilities, choices and decisions that may effect others, some not so much, others dramatically... but mostly just us. Will it change our lives momentarily, or for a lifetime, could we wind up somewhere else or right exactly where we are? We think forward to calmer seas...




I'm not about to talk specifics. Just some thoughts on change, luckily how open we are to it, yet the unknown which causes those wee bits of hesitation. Some answers were supposed to come today, will we know more then? Others we continue to wait on, will we know more then? More thoughts and discussions to be had, some grand ideas for the future... near or far, short or long, who knows for now.


I do know this - It's the 5 of us (can't forget Doug) and thus all is well!


Regardless of what happens, we will continue to embrace the journey. Forever realizing the sea may be deep or shallow, rough or calm... much like life...
Always a beautiful place. Just depends on what angle you look at it from!

24 weeks n growing

24 weeks.

162 days.

5 full and completed months.

Numbers to mark the day!

16 weeks.

112 days.

less than 4 months.

Numbers we're counting down!

Just another pregnancy milestone.

Not like I have to really count milestones, luckily...
Luckily, I've never marked the day that the morning sickness went away, luckily...
Luckily, I've never marked the day that my ankles stopped swelling, luckily...
Luckily, I feel great, luckily...
Thanks to blessings from above.


The baby is quite busy so no need for me to do "kick counts" with this boy and for the record I'm completely convinced he's going to be a soccer star. This blog didn't exist until Colbster was ready to pop and nearly overdue so unfortunately I don't have the "on the record" of his kicks and punches, but based on in utero action both boys are destined for something sporty that's for sure!

So, sorry folks, I guess it's bad news for those of you looking for some grand update, but as far as I'm concerned it's great news that I have nothing to report at 6 months pregnant! Without this growing belly, ginormous boobs, and oh yeah the constant boxing ring that comes from within, I'm not sure I would know I was pregnant. And funny enough, just this past week at church, a family we see on a weekly basis who also happen to be our neighbor finally realized that we were expecting #2! ha. I'm still not huge because I'm chasing a toddler around, but I'm not that small. Guess when everyone hibernates in the winter and coats are abound because of endless snow, simple things like prego pants and empire waist shirts just get overlooked.


Stay tuned for more uneventful updates from the world of big boobed pregoville.

A Clean Thought

So here's my random thought for the day.

I began pondering this earlier and thought perhaps I'd blog about it as to gain some clarity or see if you, too, were also stumped by my very thought. Thus here it is!

So I was wiping our counter with some Lysol wipes, doing my daily clean-up, wipe up and spick-n-span... the typical happenings for a neat freak such as myself. Clorox and various other companies have a similar products, I happened to have Lysol wipes in the cabinet this time due to a large number of coupons on hand and some very good sales!

The DOW was down again, I've got to be Thrifty, thrifty :)

Here I am scrubbing, watching the grime and dirt disappear... germies - off with your heads - be gone or I shall flip the lid, pull out another wipe and swipe you away. (Did you like the drama portion of this show?!) Enjoying some good cleaning fun, yes, somehow cleaning is fun in our house.

Upon completing the task at hand, tossing my icky, wipes into the trash and happy to sniff in the lemony scented cleanliness; I see the countertop glisten and check off my list that another room has received its weekly "freshen-up".

Hmmm....

thought. thought.

Ok here it is... are you ready?!

So....... do I wash my hands now? Seems simple right?

Maybe!

Maybe NOT!

Lysol wipes in fact are a tool invented (by a genius who was probably a mother) to "clean" things - countertops, toilets, schmutz on the walls, etc, etc, etc, etc - countless items and crevaces to disinfect. Thus, by the sheer fact that I have just used the so named wipe to CLEAN my counters and sinks and toilets with, now that I have a job complete are my hands then already clean??? Or because I have handled the germ infested cloths do I then need to disinfect my hands as well? Should I use another wipe cause that's just what I did to the surfaces, rinse with soap and water or because the wipe contains soapy solution can I simply rinse?

See not so easy to answer.

What would you do? What do you think about the pondering question of the day? Would this bother you nearly as much as it is bothering me now... enough to the point where I can not believe that I have just blogged an entire post about cleaning and the wipes with which I sometimes do it with. What is this family blog stooping too?

Or... is this a GREAT question!

What would Lysol or Clorox say?

Have others thought about this too? Am I not alone with this clean thought for the day?

So now you're probably wondering... What did I do?
-Whip out another wipe, why not, they did the job for everything else?

-Suds up so much that Colbster thought I was running the tub for a mid-day bath?

-Quick rinse and off we go with the rest of our day? Heck, I'll be using my forearm to swipe up snot (sorry for the graphic) sooner or later so why bother with a big clean now anyways.

hahahahaha, nope.

I'm convinced that this is exactly what Purell was invented for! :)

I'm up to my elbows...

...in snow!!

LITERALLY!

My Snow Angels

2 of my 3 snow angels - the other is obviously hiding behind the camera with me! :)

March Madness...

Not we're not March Madness basketball people, we're snow birds!
(Side note: despite being big time sports fans, basketball is actually both mine and Scott's least favorite sport. I'd rather watch Curling than basketball.)


Spring has NOT sprung in our town, that's for sure... we welcomed in March with LOTS more snow! 14 inches+ much.
Wooo hoooo!!

We needed 1 more good snow and crazy sledding extravaganza, besides, I'll take a snow day on a Monday - anytime. Means more family fun time and that we got to play with dad 3 days in a row - All Day Long!

After at least an hour of shoveling and having only done about a 10' x 10' area (the snow was just that deep and that heavy) we decided to throw in the towel shovel and just go sledding. Sure, we went back to the snow hauling later that day, about 4 more times in fact, but why worry about the small things in life like getting out of the driveway tomorrow, when there's time for some good 'ol fashion sledding fun.




On your mark...

Get Set...



GO!!!!

And the big jump at the end, thanks to the not yet plowed street!
(In fact, the plow didn't even come until 11pm last night)

WINNERS!!!!!



No, we did not crash... just a good camera angle!

Winter Surfing!

Come on guys, forget the shoveling... let's go surfing sledding!!!

Nice pose!!

Gym Class

On Thursday mornings, Colbster and I go to "Gym class". A toddler run, jump and play free-for-all! With mats, slides and trampolines, balance beams and everything else you could think of for toddlers to climb on, it's a fun way to get out of the house and burn some energy for an hour. He definitely likes the slides and crawling through the tunnels, but pretty much loves all things to climb on since he is 'all boy!'.


Last week, I finally remembered to bring my camera... here are a few photos of the little man in action!

Crawl up and in...

Or under...

or up this way...

...before I go

down the slide.

And then...

across the bridge...

through the tunnel...

and down face first!

About half way through the class the instructor (aka supervisor) brings out something new for the week... giant balls, hula-hoops, basketball nets, parachutes, etc. After we've burned off the energy and put the "new toys" away, a short circle of singing wraps up the class - just in time to head home for lunch!

If I bring the ball up here... I can definitely toss it further.

All that running, jumping and playing usually means a good nap on Thursday!

Sunday Spud

Perhaps a Buzz Lightyear potato wanna be!

Yes, his hat is the hat from the ginormous bucket 'o' parts!

For info on our Sunday Spud weekly photo update check out this post.