The Doo Game

Our son is, for the most part, very well behaved. So when he makes bad choices or is being a brat it's kind of surprising. Today he's been both...to the fullest extent. This morning Rob had gone upstairs and a few minutes later was yelling for me and P to come up there. P beat me up there and as I was walking up the stairs I heard Rob ask P what he had done wrong. As I cleared the top stair I immediately saw the problem......P had pooped on my treadmill!! (Yes, you read that correctly) I know that this is not uncommon for preschool aged children nor is it uncommon for siblings when mom is expecting a baby. BUT, it was surprising none-the-less. Maybe it has to do with the Doggie Doo Game that he was given for Christmas and is fascinated with. Maybe it's just a developmental thing but it's unacceptable regardless. After lunch we put him in his room for a rest/nap time. Since I had been awake since 3:45 with contractions I was looking forward to resting. But P made that impossible by throwing things at the door, yelling for us and wreaking havoc in his room. Once rest time was over Rob had a long talk with him (I'm still too mad to talk to him rationally) and we thought that our sweet son would surface again. Wrong! P gets bopped on his cheek as one of his punishments when warranted. So, out of the blue, he comes over to me and bops my cheek then glares at me. I about lost it. Thankfully Rob was here and intervened, telling him to go in his room so I could calm down. If this continues it's gonna get ugly around here because I'm uncomfortably pregnant and don't have the patience for dealing with an ornery 3 year old. I'll be glad when it stops snowing so he'll be able to get outside and get his cooped up energy out. In the mean time I'm praying that things get better before they get downright ugly.

Update on Life

So here's the latest from NV............Yesterday I thought I was going to have Easton because I had some pretty intense contractions and some other things going on (we'll leave it at that). But, much to my dismay I didn't end up even making it to the hospital. When we went to bed I told Rob that I thought I'd have Easton this weekend, most likely today. Well, the day is close to being over and other than a few contractions I don't have anything to report. I am happy to say that I have found a solution for sleeping a little better at night though. My arms have been numb and tingling a lot, especially when I sleep. Actually I don't sleep because it hurts so much. But I researched solutions and found that a wrist brace I was ordered when P was born would help. It has!! It's so nice to sleep at night without pain searing down both arms and into my fingers.
So, with a good night's sleep under my belt and no baby in sight we had a nice family day together today. We started out by going to Cabelas where I ordered our new comforter and the boys played. We were there so long that by the time we got home it was lunch time and nap time. P had worn himself out and took a very long nap. (Rob and I might pay the price for his long nap at bed time) Once we finally woke up we went outside for some fun in the snow. I thought by moving to the valley we wouldn't have to contend with very much snow but we easily have a foot from the past week. It's made for some fun the past couple days now that the sun's peaking through occasionally. Once we were sufficiently worn out from throwing snowballs, walking to the mailbox and eating icicles we came inside for hot cocoa. The boys wrestled and played while I "nested" some more. Now we're watching "Frosty the Snowman" and enjoying a nice quiet evening together. Life will be chaotic soon enough so I'm enjoying these quiet family weekend times together.

Here is a pic that Rob took of Mt. Rose with his camera phone....

Christmas Day

I can't say that I was worried about being away from our families on Christmas or that I lost sleep over it but I did wonder what it'd be like. Well, yesterday I found out. Since Rob already wrote a beautiful blog about it there's really nothing I need to add. Although we weren't with family, we had a nice time with some friends. My favorite part of the day was when P first woke up, seeing his surprise and excitement at all the presents under the tree. It's always fun experiencing things through a child's eyes!

Christmas

as i sit here enjoying some silence after the morning chaos, i starting thinking of my family back home. this is the 2nd year in a row that ive been away from them for Christmas and yes, it sucks. it is my favorite time of the year. family, food, happiness, hunting. the rut is in full gear back home, the weather is cooling off, family is gathered together and talking about football, hunting, and babies. i come from a very big family and although half of em aint right, they aint all that wrong either. i miss my grandparents every single day, but the holidays are always tougher. i miss my aunts, uncles, cousins, brother, mom, dad, and friends that are family. i do not regret moving away cause if i wouldnt have, i never would have met jen and been a father to preston or easton. however, i got to say i sure wish i lived there now. i hate that preston doesnt have the opportunity i had with spending time with a big family. i hate that every weekend he isnt sitting in a deer stand with his grandpa or in a turkey blind with his mimi. maybe someday he will. i hope so at least. after thinking all of this, i began to feel a little selfish. there are families this morning sitting in a quite house and filled with sorrow because their kids were recently taken from them. there are soldiers fighting for the very freedom we enjoy that wont be with their families this morning because they are standing a post to ensure i can spend it with mine. so, even though i am missing my family somethin fierce this mornin, there are those that have it way worse than me. im sitting here watching my kid play with all of his toys that we were blessed enough to be able to afford him, i smell cobbler in the oven that my wife is baking, there is a foot of fresh snow to enjoy. all in all we have it pretty good. sometimes we get caught up in the gifts and the hustle and bustle of the holidays. i know i do. the real reason for the season is the celebration of the birth of our savior the Lord Jesus Christ. it is about family and being thankful for what you have and not envious of what you dont have. it is about creating memories. earlier i was complaining about having to assemble preston's toys and my mom said, "someday you'll wish you could be doing that". She is right. as she usually is. so, i will enjoy what we have and try to remember those that dont have it quite as good. yall have a merry CHRISTmas and a happy new year.

The Difference a Day Makes

The funk I've been in seems to have passed. Today was a great day! Despite another snow storm, we got out of the house a lot and while we were inside we didn't sit in front of the TV non-stop like we have been doing. The day started with a family breakfast at our favorite place and then church. Unfortunately, Rob got called into work a few minutes into the sermon but at least I got to enjoy the Christmas worship time. After P and I woke up from our naps we played games and did Christmas crafts. I let him watch one short cartoon before we left for a Mother/Son date night. (Rob will be at work well into the night.) We went to BJs for dinner and then to Walmart, where I bought a new vacuum. Most people probably don't get excited about a new vacuum but I hate dirty carpets so I am thrilled to have a vacuum that actually sucks up dirt...especially before a new baby arrives!
The best part of the day was hearing about a Christmas miracle. A guy that goes to my parents' church has been down on his luck as far as finding employment. For various reasons he has not been able to find work, despite pounding the pavement to find a job. His wife found out a few months back that they were expecting their 3rd child, adding to his financial stress. Well, this week he was offered a job! According to my mom, he was thrilled beyond belief to share the great news during the church service. What an answer to prayer! Between our fun day at the Herrington household and Wayne getting a job it's been a great day.

A Weird One Indeed!

When I lived in CA, although I wasn't professionally diagnosed with it , I felt like I suffered from SAD during the Winter months. Since moving to NV I haven't had those symptoms to which I am so thankful. Maybe because it's not foggy and overcast here often or maybe because I have a family to care for. I don't know but it's been nice not to deal with depression and always wanting to lay in bed.
That being said, the past couple days I've had one big pity party and I'm the only one invited. I've been bummed that Easton didn't make his arrival mid-December as hoped (by me). I'm bummed that we haven't been able to go look at Christmas lights or spend much time as a family because Rob keeps getting called out to do storm work. (Although the paycheck will be nice in a couple weeks as will the vacation time he's accruing) I'm bummed that for the first time in my life I won't be with family on Christmas day. And I'm really bummed that my edema is getting so bad that my arms and hands fall asleep, tingle, and/or hurt almost 24/7.
Today was such an "off" day for me and all I wanted to do was stay in bed. But, being a mom, I forced myself up and around out of a labor of love. I met with some friends at the kids museum so P could play and have some social interaction with peers. We were going to stay a couple hours but, between the storm, me feeling light headed and my feet so swollen it hurt to stand, I cut our trip short. I was hoping that a nap with P would help and then Rob could take over this afternoon since he had some quiet time this morning. But shortly after P and I got up Rob's phone rang and he was back at work. If it had just been me I would've crawled into bed, read and watched TV while in between catnaps. However, I couldn't do that so I tried to make it a fun evening for P. We played games and he "wrote" a list of groceries I needed to get (2 of which items were sushi and Starbucks...I love him!). I made him a simple dinner that zapped me of all my energy and caused him to refuse to eat (Loaded potato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches sounded good-and easy-after such a cold day!) Now he's taking a bath and I have a feeling that as soon as he goes to bed I will too. I'm praying that tomorrow I feel 1000% times better and that Rob gets to be with us all day. I'm enjoying all the snow that's dumped but it's wreaking havoc on family time!

If you decide that I'm "Debbie Downer" and that all I do is complain I don't blame you if you stop following our blog. I wouldn't want to read about all my complaining either. especially when others have it SOOOOO much worse than me. I hope that in the next couple weeks, once Easton is born, that will all change. I won't be swollen from head to toe but will be enjoying holding our wonderful son in my arms....and Rob will be happy because hopefully it'll mean I don't keep him up with my new found snoring issue anymore. :) One can hope!!

Oh Sweet Freedom!

One doesn't realize how nice it is to have the freedom to leave the house, run errands, do housework until it's been "taken" from you. I made up for lost time by starting the day making it about P. I took him to Toys R Us so he could use a gift card he was given as an early Christmas present. From there we met Rob at the "jump place", where P got his extra "extregy" out by bouncing and playing for over an hour. While he rested this afternoon Rob and I watched a Christmas movie. Rather I fell asleep on Rob's lap while he watched the movie. Once I felt rested I was able to get the groceries for our Christmas dinner, finish my 2nd load of laundry, make dinner, do craft projects with P and address the rest of our Christmas cards. I think I did a pretty good job of being productive yet listening to my body. When I felt like I had done enough I sat or laid down for awhile. I'm pretty tired and will most likely drive Rob crazy with my snoring tonight (another pregnancy perk) but I will go to bed knowing I enjoyed my sweet, glorious freedom to do what I chose to do all day!

Pins N Needles

I don't do well not knowing. Not knowing the plans. Not knowing the details. Not knowing what's going on around me. That's why Easton's birth is wreaking havoc on me. I am thrilled to be adding to our family but this pregnancy has been so different from P's. Part of it is because I didn't have another child to worry about. Part of it is because, other than being born around my favorite holiday, I didn't have to worry about P's birth impeding on anyone's plans. I feel horrible that we can't be in MS for Christmas this year. I feel horrible that I can't truly enjoy the holiday season because I'm constantly on pins and needles, wondering if today's the day. I feel horrible that Rob has to worry about me and cancel plans when I'm having an "off" day. I feel horrible that my parents dropped everything in the midst of getting ready for hosting my brother and sister in law to get here last week when it looked like I'd be on bed rest for awhile. I feel horrible that my MIL is sick and most likely won't be here for Easton's birth as originally planned. But the thing I feel the most horrible about is having these feelings when 20 parents just lost their young children when they innocently sent them to school last Friday. So I will do my best to enjoy our time as a family of 3 before our family expands to 4....either before or after Christmas, either before and after the New Year. One day at a time, one moment at a time......

My Take

When tragedy hits I either have a knee jerk reaction or I take a few days to process it, read about it, before sharing my opinion. And, as with all my blogs, they are my opinion, food for thought.
While reading about the school tragedy in CT I couldn't help think about my teaching profession, our sons going to school one day. When 9/11 took place I can honestly say that was my worst day of teaching because I kept thinking, "The kids are supposed to feel safe here. They're at school." Yet I knew there was 1 of me and almost 20 of them so keeping them all safe was close to impossible. Since that day, whenever I've been in a Code Red (lockdown), I think about what I would do if an intruder came in the classroom. Who I would save, how I would do it, etc. It's a scary thought to be faced with.
Is there an answer? In my opinion there's not. I do not believe that teachers should have guns in their possession in the classroom for many reasons (although I am not opposed in the least to civilians having a gun on their person). I do believe that it's our responsibility, as a society, to stop glorifying everything children do. I don't believe that all kids should be on a sports team. I don't think all students should be praised 24/7, especially when a student is making bad choices, being a brat. I don't think kids should be given an award if they haven't truly earned it. I think "tough love" builds character, teaches kids how to cope with difficulty, shows them how to deal with rejection. This in turn helps them become more adaptable adults. I'd love to say that I have the musical ability that my brother has but anyone that knew me in Jr. High/High School could testify that I couldn't play the saxophone to save my life. I also never tried out for sports teams because I knew I didn't have what it took. Did I ever think about going to my school and killing people because of it? No!! I just learned to find the things I was/am good at. I think today's society tries to fluff up kids' self esteem so much that kids lack coping skills.
Now throw in the mental health issue and that's a whole new ballgame. I took 2 years off from teaching to work with adults with disabilities. There was 1 lady that I worked with that I feared. She attacked me while I was driving because I told her we didn't have time to stop at a store she wanted to go to. From that point on little things would set her off and my staff learned to fear her as well. Did she deserve to go to jail for attacking staff? Not in my opinion. But, putting her back in her group home every afternoon and returning to our agency the next morning wasn't the option either. I believe that insurance/medical assistance needs to be modified so those that need to access it can readily do so. I think people with mental health issues need to have more advocates to fight for them instead of family members that write them off because they're a "problem". Then people with mental health issues would hopefully get the help and/or medication that is needed.
This is a tragedy with no easy answers. I think it starts with the home and with changing the education system but past that it gets sticky. I know everyone has their own opinion about the murders that took place, everyone has their own solution but all I really have is no answers and a heavy heart. I can't imagine losing one of our boys in such a hateful, senseless attack. I can't imagine our sons losing their innocence at an early age when having to witness something so violent. So, without answers, all I can do is pray. Pray for the victims' families, the survivors and their families, and all the people that had to be a part of this tragedy. Hopefully someday the answers will be easy and the world will become a better place. Until then all I can do is pray and raise our boys in the way we see fit.

tragedy

well, it's been a hell of a week. a living hell for many families, especially those of conneticut. what a shame, what a waste. ya know, it amazes me beyond belief how our society has changed. when we were kids, we never wore seatbelts, helmets, had cell phones, or anything of the sort. now, we need to worry about the type of bullet proof vest we need to purchase to send our kids to school in. it saddens me to know that preston and easton have to grow up in a world that has no regard for human life. it is now the law of the jungle and not the law of the land. i do not know the answer to all of this, but i do have my opinion. i believe the first step is putting prayer back in school. i believe it also begins at home. i believe these video games, cell phones, ipad's and such are crippling our kids and our future. i grew up in a time when if we found 20' of rope, and a cool lookin stick we could make a whole day of it. kids are not raised anymore, they are just born. the other solution is spending time with your kids. by the time i was 9 years old, i was allowed to take a high powered rifle, capable of killing any living thing, all alone to the woods to hunt. i grew up in a home full of guns that were not locked up in a safe and my brother and i turned out just fine. one thing my dad taught me that has never left my mind is, " once you pull that trigger, you can never bring that bullet back". whatever that bullet hits, it will forever destroy. we were taught that human life is a precious gift and that life is to be honored and respected. in my opinion, teachers should be armed and trained on how to use their weapons. maybe im wrong, maybe im not but thats my opinion. the only thing that can stop a bad man with a gun is a good man with a gun. the really sad part is that this is even a concern that needs to be addressed. i cannot fathom in my deepest of imagination what could be so bad in your life that you feel the need to kill an innocent child. it makes me sick. you shouldnt have to worry about sending your kids to school. however, today we do have to worry. noone is safe. movie theaters, shopping malls, schools, whereever your kids go there is a risk now a days. hug your kids, pray with them, talk to them. raise your children! i believe if this kid was raised in the outdoors, hunting, fishing, spending time with his parents, this wouldnt have happened. maybe it wouldve, but again thats my opinion. please take a moment to talk with the kids and let them know what life is all about and how precious life is. right now there are a lot of good people that are no longer with their families all because of one bad person. times are changing and not for the good. please pray for mankind and for the destination of this country. im not a very vocally religious person. i talk to God in my own way, privately, and that is just my way. whatever your way is, just do it.

For the Birds

Bed rest is for the birds! Some people would love to have an excuse to lay around but I'm not one of them. For one day? Maybe. But, more than that? Absolutely not! I don't know what God is trying to teach me but I'm not enjoying the lesson in the least. After being cooped up in the house for 48 hours while my parents bought the groceries, Rob and my dad took P to breakfast with Santa and I.....did nothing....I begged Rob to let me ride along with him to pick up the pizza tonight. What I really wanted to do was have all of us go drive to one of my favorite neighborhoods to look at Christmas lights but Rob said absolutely not. My parents agreed with him so I settled for riding to Papa Johns. For the most part all I've done is lay around and read. As much as I love reading, I'm getting kind of sick of it. But the discharge nurse must've known what she was talking about because I haven't had any contractions since about 3am this morning. I've had them off and on since I left the hospital on Thursday but today- knock on wood- I haven't had any. I did have a very vivid dream last night, however, that my water broke and everyone was rushing around to get things ready for me to get to the hospital. Maybe it's an omen but in the meantime I'll just....lay around. Fun times indeed!

The Baby Scoop

So, to keep from repeating the same story time and again, I thought I'd put it out there for everyone to read. Earlier this week we went to my dr's appt with the intent that Easton was going to be born via c-section on Wednesday. But at the appt my dr informed me that, no, he was not and that the new plan was to wait until after Christmas. Apparently, Easton proved today that he is much like his daddy and has a mind of his own because I would never go against what the dr says and be a stubborn control freak who wants things done my way. (Insert laughter) Let me take a step back....Tuesday night I had such bad back cramps that I seriously thought we would be in the hospital before sunrise but at about 5am the cramps subsided to a bearable pain. All was good until about 9:30 this morning when, not only did the back cramps return, but I got abdominal contractions as well. (Holy Guacamole those things hurt!) I called my OB but she was not returning my call. Since I had taken P to his dr appt right across the street I thought I'd just pop into her office to see what I should do. Within 5 minutes she had me out the door and on the way to the hospital to be monitored....with a 3 1/2 year old in tow mind you. After getting strapped to all the glorious machines and finding a movie to entertain P the contractions subsided quite a bit. But, an hour later they were coming back fast and stronger than ever. The nurse came in to check me and said I was in active labor. She was going to call my dr to see about having me stay over night for observation. This was music to P's ears because, between graham crackers, apple juice and movies he was being treated like a king and thought he got to stay too. (I don't know where to put this part....to his credit he was being remarkably well behaved. I was so proud of him!) But awhile later the discharge nurse came in and said because I'm only 35 weeks they won't deliver until next Thursday unless something major happens (I guess extreme pain that makes you want to slap your mama isn't major enough). The bummer part is that the nurse told me I need to basically be on bed rest until next Thursday. WHAT? She obviously doesn't know me! That is nearly impossible but my family and friends are quickly stepping up to the plate to help in any way necessary. My parents are coming tonight or tomorrow morning to hang out with P so Rob can still make his business trip to Vegas tomorrow. Even P is getting into the action. When we got home he said, "Mommy, you remember what that lady said? You need a nap so let's go take one." Ah, the advice from my 3 year old doctor! Easton will be here before we know it and in the meantime I'm going to (try to) relax. What a fun week this should be!

Marriage and Technology

I've been thinking about marriage a lot lately, mainly because several of my friends are struggling with theirs. Some of my friends are working hard to salvage theirs while others are throwing in the towel. Each marriage difficulty is different from the other but one thing that I think they all have in common is communication...or lack thereof. The reason for this? I truly believe that technology is to blame. Now that Rob is home every night I realize how much we (mainly him) spend on our phones, Kindles or computers. When I first wake up in the morning I spend about an hour on the computer, checking email and FB, while P watches his shows. Then I check my phone or computer throughout the day when I have a few minutes. When Rob gets home from work I'd say he's on his phone (mainly) or the computer 80% of the time. The TV? Don't get me started on how much TV he watches on a daily basis. I think this causes parents to lack creativity with their kids and spouses to lack communication skills to talk about their day, their feelings, what they're thinking, etc. After awhile we, as a technological society, get so used to communicating via technology that it's hard to communicate personally. Technology makes communication so superficial that it seems to seep into marriage, in my opinion. It's no wonder that couples under the age of 55 seem to be doomed for divorce from the beginning. If everyone banned technology for even a week I bet people would see a difference in their life, relationships, etc. But would we survive? Just food for thought.

12-12-12

This date ended up not being significant for 2 reasons. The first one is that it was supposed to be my last day of work but obviously that happened awhile ago. Now that I know Easton won't be coming this week I THINK I could've made it until today at work. On second thought, no I couldn't have. The stress probably would've put me into early labor. Plus, yesterday my back was hurting so bad that I was in tears. So I'm glad I ended my contract when I did. The other reason today is not significant is that my dr had originally said I could have Easton today but then changed her mind. Before I left for MS she thought I'd be lucky to have him after 34 weeks. Then, just like she did with P's birth, she said I was good to go until probably 37 or 38 weeks. Today would've been a cool birthday for him to have but not at the expense of him being on oxygen from a pre-term birth. So, although 12-12-12 means something to some people, it's just another cool date in my book.

Rough N Tumble Kind of Day

Although P lacks grace like his mama, he doesn't really get hurt much and...knock on wood...has yet to get hurt seriously. By the end of the day, however, I felt like I needed to bubble wrap our poor son. We were at a store this morning and he was just standing next to me, not goofing off, when he lost his footing and slammed his eye into the sharp edge of the counter. It's times like that when I feel bad that I can't just swoop him up to console him. But he was fine with me kneeling down and hugging him until the tears stopped. We got home and when he went to climb into his booster seat at the table he slipped and fell, hitting his knee and head pretty good on the way down. Once again I held him until I knew he was going to be ok. After our nap we decided to take Holly for a walk to the water house up the hill. All was good until we started back down the hill. He usually runs down it but because of all the mud we were just taking our time walking down it. He tripped or something and fell, rolling down a few feet on his head. That fall had me worried more than the rest because of all the rocks and being on his head most of the fall. When it was all said and done, it scared him more than anything. I checked him over, held him and then we made our way home. To top it off, our poor kiddo has dealt with diarrhea for about 10 days now. Tonight when we were playing with him, we kept teasing him that he was stinky, thinking it was him passing gas. When he got ready for bed I found out why he was so stinky. Although he is fully potty trained, he must've thought he was passing gas. But he wasn't. It was quite a mess to clean up! He is now in bed and we can put this day behind us. I pray that tomorrow is not such a rough and tumble kind of day because this mama can't handle all the hang ups and bang ups!

A Photography Type of Day

I had a fun day not being a mom or wife but being a photographer. I started out doing a friend's family portraits, including her 2 year old's pictures.

From there I got to take part in a special photography shoot, Reno Help Portrait. It's a day where local photographers get together to take pictures of people in need. The people get to get dressed up, have their make-up done and get professional pictures taken....for free. I didn't stay long because it was a little unorganized and I was pretty worn out from my previous photo shoot but it was a fun experience. I hope to take part in it next year after it's up and running more and more families are involved.

 When I got home I opened our mailbox to find our photo CD from our maternity/family pictures last weekend. It's been fun to delve into photography because I feel like I've been lacking enthusiasm in that area of my life lately. Once Easton is born I look forward to getting back to my passion of photography on a more consistent level.

We're Ready!! I think.

We're ready for Christmas...or Easton's birth...whichever comes first. OK, maybe not 100% ready but pretty darn close. This weekend I will wrap the rest of the presents that are in our possession. I have one more family member to buy for. Our photographer has our family pics in the mail as I write this so Christmas cards will be addressed and mailed out Tuesday...I hope.
As for Easton, P's carseat has been washed and sanitized and will be installed by the end of the weekend. The diaper bag has been cleaned out and Easton's stuff will be put in there by the end of the weekend. Pacifiers and toys have been sanitized. All of his clothes and blankets have been washed. Diapers and wipes have been supplied and put away. The hospital bag has been packed and P's overnight bag has been stuffed (if it's needed). I had my last prenatal massage last night (Yes, I like to be a diva in my testosterone world sometimes!). I have 2 minor things left to buy but if I don't get them before Easton makes his debut we'll survive.
All I have to do is get through the weekend. I have a family photo shoot in the morning and a charity photo opportunity tomorrow afternoon to take care of. Then Sunday, after church, we're going on the Santa Train as a family. I may take P to a Christmas party my friends are having Sunday night but other than that all my commitments will be taken care of. Then we can enjoy Easton or Christmas...whichever one comes first!

Let me introduce.....

Shooby, our Elf on the Shelf.

 

For those that don't know about the Elf on the Shelf, it's something that started a few years ago (to my knowledge). The elf is named by the child (hence Shooby's name) and watches the child throughout the day to report back to Santa every night.

 

Some elves are mischievous but we were lucky to get a well behaved one. (P doesn't need anymore ideas on how to make messes!)He leaves at night to report to Santa, which really hasn't had much effect on P's behavior as of late, and then "hides" for him to find each morning.

 

He has magical powers which supposedly dissolve if the child touches it. Not the case at our house. P plays with Shooby every day and has yet to wear the magic off him. Maybe next year he'll be more magical after hibernating for 12 months.

 Either way, we've had a lot of fun looking for Shooby first thing each morning. I'm sure P will be sad to see him go Christmas Eve but come Christmas morning he'll be glad that Santa got SOME good reports!

Winter Wild

It never rains here 3-4 days in a row....until we live in a house that lacks a huge downstairs playroom. Monday I set up a playdate with a girlfriend who has 2 boys that are P's age. Yesterday I let him run around the mall play area to get some energy out. Today I just ran errands. And I paid the price. Actually I can't tell much difference in P's behavior at all the past few days. He has more energy than Rob and I combined so we try to get creative in wearing him out. Today was the worst. He took a super long nap and woke up with energy to boot. So I tried to channel that energy by doing some craft projects that he has asked about. Between that, running the stairs in our house, wrestling with Daddy and working on a counting book that Mimi sent him I think he MAY go to bed tonight. Thankfully we get a break from the rain for a few days so he can play outside with the dogs tomorrow. All day. Every waking moment. :) 

Baby, Baby..... Ducks!

As I write this, I am sitting with my feet up, something that I've unfortunately gotten accustomed to. :( The more I sit with my feet propped up the less "elephant feet" I get. Yesterday I didn't have a chance to prop my feet up for more than 30 minutes and I paid the price. By mid afternoon I could only fit into my slippers. But I was willing to pay the price for the fun day we had. It started out with maternity/family pictures. We were supposed to do them a few weeks ago but had to reschedule due to Rob getting called to the East Coast. Luckily our family photographer is great and was able to reschedule for us. After we spent a fun hour in the studio with her, my mom and I rushed off to my baby sprinkle that two of my good friends were throwing for me. A group of my friends and I enjoyed a nice lunch together and then Easton got spoiled with lots of fun new stuff (He won't have to wear his big brother's hand me downs every day!). I was able to prop my feet up for a few minutes before we rushed off to meet the Archery Family. We were in the Parade of Lights, representing Ducks Unlimited. Rob, P and I rode in the truck where it was warm. Rob drove and pulled the DU float while P and I threw out candy and DU hats. We topped off the night by  going to some friends' for a quick bite to eat. By that point I was so exhausted I could barely put one foot in front of the other and my feet were so swollen they were unrecognizable. Although it was a fun day I was more than ready to call it quits by the time I crawled into bed. But, like I said, it was well worth it and today I enjoy the Sabbath by observing it and relaxing.