Mr. Independent

Two nights ago Little Guy moved up to the toddler bed. He had heaved himself over the crib rail twice the night before, so we thought it was about time. It has been rough.

First of all, he doesn't ever want to go to bed so since nothing is physically keeping him in there and he gets as he pleases. Secondly, he knows how to control all of the electronics in his room, so he can turn those on and off whenever. LG makes me weary. Night one went horribly and I ended up sleeping in his bed with him for a couple of hours. Keep in mind this is just his crib with the side taken off. Not exactly big enough for an adult and a toddler who likes to spread out. Night two went better, but there were many tears shed. With that in mind, I was not looking forward to naptime today. I stick LG in his bed, we read some books, then I left. The yelling started out as "Noooooooo, Mommy! Open door!" and then simply to "I cryin'!". Then nothing. Complete silence. I listened on the monitor as I began to hear sounds of playing. One and a half hours hours later I finally got him out of his room! He never took a nap. Ugh. At least he was happy the whole time, but that is definitely not a habit that I want to start.

Little Guy has also discovered how to open the freezer drawer. It started out as just bringing me popcicles to open for him. It has now evolved into him getting out ice for the dog to eat, and frozen broccoli and fishsticks for himself. Isn't that nasty? I'm annoyed that this is even a problem. I have decided that since he is so happy alone in his room for hours and since he likes his food frozen I can just throw a box of fish sticks in his room and go out for a few hours. Right? OK, maybe not.

Oh no...

So, today I am getting ready for our weekend trip to see extended family. I have been running around the house like crazy all morning because once lunchtime hits I rarely get much else done. I went out in the garage to put the dog's stuff in my car so we can drop her off at the boarder. Then I came inside and double checked my packing list and fiddled around with my big pile of stuff that we are taking with us. Very faintly I hear a little "Mommy..." It is really far away sounding, which is weird because I thought Little Guy was sitting on the couch watching cartoons. I look on the couch. No Little Guy. I call "Where are yoooooooou?"
"I here!"
"Where?"
"I HERE"
He was in the garage. You know, the place with all the dangerous tools, chemicals, and creepy crawly creatures. Poor guy, his own mother closed him out in the garage. He wasn't upset at all. His tricycle is out there, so I am pretty sure he was happily riding in circles the whole time.

Hopefully I can go the rest of the day without losing him again.

Weemer the Worm

We had a fun afternoon planting some plants that have been sitting out on the back deck for way too long. At first, Little Guy wasn't too sure that he wanted to hang out next to the house when there was a whole yard to run around in. Then I started digging. There were lots of worms right under the weed barrier sine the soil was very damp. I handed one to Little Guy to occupy him while I got the plants ready. He loved it! Of course, after about 30 seconds of holding it he got squeamish and threw it on the ground. "Weemer jump!" I couldn't help but laugh! He can say "worm" just fine, but I guess this one's name was Weemer. Then he wanted a new worm. We repeated this several times until I was done digging holes. In case you were wondering, they were all named Weemer, and they are all very good at jumping. I can guarantee we will be outside looking for more worms tomorrow!

More Adventures with Little Guy

Tonight Little Guy and I made baked corn dogs. He dumped ingredients in a bowl and stirred, and I chopped and measured. We are quite a team! It was all going well until he accidentally flung a spoonful of the dry cornmeal up in the air. Little Guy tasted a little of it and decided it was "dross" (gross) and lost interest in cooking. The corn dogs turned out pretty good! And while they are most certainly not health food, they are not nearly as bad as regular corn dogs. I used fat free turkey dogs so that made them a little better. With fruit salad and chips, it was the perfect summer dinner.
Today I did a very mom-ish thing. I tried to put my groceries in someone else's trunk. Granted, it belonged to a car that looked exactly like mine, and was parked directly next to mine, but still. I felt really stupid when I realized why my keys were not working in the lock. I don't think that there is any experience that can compare to finally getting out to your car with a cart full of groceries after spending an hour in the store with a toddler who likes to run away. The sheer relief is immeasurable. Speaking of which, Little Guy did run away last Friday. He frequently makes attempts, but has never gotten too far. This time he did. He slipped in front of our cart at Walmart and went running down the front of the store before I knew it. I seriously panicked. He never left my sight, but he was way too far away for my comfort. A checker caught up with Little Guy before I could and scooped him up in her arms. "I'm a pretty good grandma, huh?" she said with a laugh. I felt rotten. Partly because I was so freaked out by the situation, and partly because someone else had to be the one to grab my kid. The cashier was very gracious about the whole thing, but honestly it didn't make me feel much better. I wish I had the option of not even taking him shopping with me any more because it is really becoming an unpleasant task.
Has anyone lost their kid in a store, or remember getting lost as a child? I remember being really afraid of getting lost as a little kid, so maybe that adds to my anxiety.

Little Treasures

Since Little Guy is so into the ABC's I thought that I would gather up his alphabet magnets so that he could play with them. This meant digging under the fridge. So I got a stick and slid it under there a few times. This was not easy considering that there were huge chunks of dust clogging everything up. All of a sudden, something plastic shot out from the left side of the refrigerator. I assumed it was a letter and kept digging. Then I looked at my little pile. Among the alphabet letters and dust chunks there was something else. They were little Perler Bead projects. Four of them. Considering the fact that the previous owners of this house have children in their late twenties, it is safe to assume that they had been under there for a loooong time. Like at least 15 years. I couldn't help but laugh. Maybe this is a sign that I need to clean a little more often.

Ta Da!

I got something HUGE done last night! I have been trying to decorate/organize my kitchen for over a year now, but it is finally done. Last week I started to repaint my kitchen wall that I had so much trouble with. Coincidentally, Claudia over at Highlowaha challenged her readers to work on an area of their house for 15 minutes a day this week. Well, that was just perfect! Here are my results.
This is the little wall that has been so annoying for so long. I still have to paint some of the white trim and fix the irregular area where the wall and counter touch, but otherwise it is done. I guess I need another apron too, huh?This isn't very impressive looking, but it would be if I had thought to take a before picture. The bottom shelf is all of Little Guy's dishes, and the rest is just junk that I didn't know what to do with. Organized junk though. Before I cleaned it out, things were literally falling out when I opened the door.
This is my spice cabinet. Again, not too impressive, but a big improvement. It is so much easier to find stuff now.

Twoishness

Little Guy must lay awake at night thinking of ways to test me, and then get up early to figure out how he can act cute to make up for it.

-I have had to tie my dining room chairs to the table. Literally tie them. Little Guy was constantly dragging them into the kitchen to get into things he shouldn't, and I was going batty trying to keep him away from them. In his quest for bubbles, cookies, and jelly beans he was willing to do whatever it took to get them. Even if it meant rearranging furniture while whining "I waaaaaant!"

-Today he was watching Ernie and Bert (or Burp, as he is known at our house) and they were talking on a banana like a telephone. He got up, crawled up on a chair, got a banana, and started talking on it! It was pretty funny. I only wish that I was able to understand who he was talking to!

- Little Guy has also started to not ever want me to sit down. He grabs both of my hands and starts whining. "I help you" It was a little cute the first time, but I am so over it. I already have to hide to eat and use the bathroom. I don't need any more "help", thanks.

- As a proud momma, I need to brag for a sec. Little Guy knows how to identify most of his letters! It is so fun to read his alphabet books with him and then have him "read" them back to us. I know it is just memorization at this point, but I think it is kinda cool.

Bummed

This has been a crappy weekend. I am trying my best to have good attitude and see the good things in life, but ugh, it doesn't always work. Why do kids always get sick on the weekend? And why must it happen on a weekend that we have plans? I am annoyed right now.

A Beautiful Day!

Today was gorgeous! We went outside and enjoyed the sunshine and breeze. Little Guy had a blast blowing bubbles, "mowing", and throwing around a football. Today is not only St. Patrick's Day, but also Robert's birthday! I surprised him with a new shirt (green!) to wear to work today. As an extra surprise, I cleaned out our office! Few of you have any clue how bad it was in there! I didn't totally take care of it, but I did get it 90% done. This is a huge gift to Robert, who hates for anyone to see that room and frequently makes feeble attempts at cleaning it up. He just stood in the doorway and stared for several seconds trying to process why the room looked so different. It was a great reaction after all of my hard work! Then we ate enchiladas with green rice and green jello. Now we are all just chilling out with the windows open. It is great.
Here are a couple of pictures of our fun outside this afternoon.

Just Checking!

Here is a conversation that Little Guy and I had this morning.

Little Guy (yelling across the room)- Moooommmyyyy! You ok?

Me- Yes, I'm ok. Are you ok?

Little Guy- I fine.

Ok, so maybe it isn't as funny to everyone else as it was to me. I am just loving how I can actually talk to him now instead of just listening to him ramble incoherently.

Spring must be here...

Two days ago we found our first tick of the season, and today the ants arrived in my kitchen. I wish there was a way to get rid of them without having to poison our whole yard and both the animals. But there is not, so I will just need to invest in a flea collar and some Frontline. Robert has some fertilizer/insecticide that worked great last year, so we will do it again this year. Ugh. Why did God make ticks? They are one of the grossest things that I can think of. Also, why is our yard so full of creepy crawly stuff? What about it is so appealing?

Life Imitating Art

I should know that something is going on when it is too quiet in the house. Ironically, Little Guy has been requesting "The Very Hungry Caterpillar" lately.

And it begins...

The last few days have been full of ups and downs! Little Guy turned two on Saturday. We had a little party for him and it was so much fun! He was thrilled to be the center of attention. It was good to see family and friends. Then everyone left and the "twoishness" kicked in. Little Guy has tested every limit that I have ever set for him. He has been whiny and demanding and doing things that I would have never dreamed that my little angel would ever do. Yesterday, he kicked over a tub of toys and immedietly blamed it on the dog! Sometimes we have to try so hard to not laugh!

I have been trying to do different things with Little Guy recently. Most of the time I just let him play with whatever or do whatever he wants and I just follow his lead. Usually that means that we read books, play with blocks, play outside, or color. Those are the main things that we do together. But I am starting to realize that he sometimes has more fun if I pick an activity that maybe he wouldn't think of. Today we went outside and blew bubbles which was a nice change from the regular stuff. We played with playdough the day before. Sometimes I feel dumb when I have little realizations like that. Little Guy is also really interested in cooking. Frequently when I am in the kitchen I hear, "I cook?" Then he pushes a dining room chair over to the counter so he can help me. It is so cute!

So depressing

So, as many of you know, we had a crazy ice storm down here. We were without power for 6 1/2 days, 5 of which were spent at the in-laws' house. It was great to see them , but we are very happy to be home. Little Guy loved spending time with Nana and Papa, and he kept us on our toes by showing us what was and was not babyproofed at their house. Some people around here still don't have power, so we are counting our blessings. The one thing that makes me so sad though is driving through town. The trees are all torn apart and there are piles of brush everywhere. I hope that in the next few days they get things cleaned up a little more. Our yard isn't too bad. We have mostly evergreens, which you would think would deal with weather. They don't. The two oaks in the yard lost a few branches, but the pines took it somewhat harder. Oh well, it smells really good! As of now, there is a ban on burning, so that complicates things too.

In addition to all of our trees looking rough, businesses in town are dropping right and left. Our favorite pizza place is gone, the Goody's at the mall is going out of business, a family owned shoe store is in the process of closing, and a cute little fair trade store is gone. It is so depressing to see "Going Out of Business!" signs everywhere.

Sorry for being such a downer. Maybe I'll have something fun next time I post.

Still here

We have had a crazy last couple of weeks. No time to post now, but I wanted to let everyone know that I am still out here!

Super Lazy Day

Today was a good day. I didn't feel like doing anything, but the one thing I wanted to get done was to go to the thrift store. So Little Guy stayed at home with his daddy, and I went out alone! I ended up making it to the thrift store and an antique store. I only got two little things, but it was a nice time by myself. One of the things that I bought was half of a really old dishcloth that was originally a sugar sack. It has "Tuesday Iron" embroidered on it with a little lady ironing. I thought it would be cute framed in my laundry room. I won't even feel bad cutting it to size since someone else already cut half of it off. I also bought a CD. Here is a word of advice to all the 12-year-olds out there. If there is a CD that your mom won't let you get, just wait, oh about 15 years or so and then you can buy it yourself for only a dollar! Good money saving tip, right? The rest of the day was spent watching a movie, playing the Wii and napping. Ahhh, it was so nice to just a have a day like today. Tomorrow is another crazy Sunday, but fortunately Robert has the weekend off from doing the sound, so we will actually sit together in church. Hope everyone is having a good wekend like we are!

Great-Grandma would be proud!

In the evening, I sometimes have Wheel of Fortune on TV. It's mostly just something to listen to while I clean up dinner. Evidently, Little Guy has started to enjoy it too. If a contestant calls out a letter, he will yell it back at the TV!
Contestant:"T!"
LG:"T!"
Who knew a game show could be so educational?

Tres Magnifique!

So, the Creme Brulee French Toast was pretty good! I altered the recipe enough that I am just going to post what I did here. The original recipe is from All Recipes. Next time I would use a denser bread and leave it out for a while to get a little bit stale. I used Texas toast and it was too moist and fluffy which made the French toast a little soggy for my taste. Ididn't put the Grand Marnier in, but I would next time. Also, you could use cream, but I used skim milk 'cause that's how I roll.

Creme Brulee French Toast

• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons real maple syrup
  
• 6 slices of bread (or more if they are small)
  
• 4 eggs
• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon orange liqueur (Grand Marnier)

1. Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Mix in brown sugar and maple syrup, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Pour into a 9x13 inch baking dish.
2. Arrange bread in the baking dish in a single layer. In a small bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, vanilla extract, and orange brandy. Pour over the bread. Cover, and chill at least 8 hours, or overnight.
3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Remove the dish from the refrigerator, and bring to room temperature.
4. Bake uncovered 35 to 40 minutes in the preheated oven, until puffed and lightly browned.

Super yummy and easy! Let me know if you try it!

My Little Guy is going to be two in just one month! I can't believe how quickly the last year went by. He is talking more and more every day and always surprising me with the stuff he comes up with. He has been trying to call me Kat for the last week or so. Ignoring hasn't worked. So now I just remind him that my name is Mommy. So he calls me Mommy Kat sometimes. What a goofy kid.

We have been playing with buttons a lot recently. I am sort of wanting to sort them all out by color and display them, but I'm not quite sure how yet. Anyway, Little Guy is really into them and is asking for "butts" a couple of times a day. The only problem is the putting away. I need to make it into a game or something because he does not like putting them up.

Tonight is the premier of Lost. Robert and I are really into it and so excited! We are having breakfast for dinner while we watch. I am making Creme Brulee French Toast and sausage patties with some fruit thrown in there for good measure. Mmmm. I'll let you guys know how it turns out!

So here I am

I didn't plan on starting a blog today. Of course, some of the best things are unexpected, right? I am hoping that this will be just a collection of some of the fun things that I do with my son, great recipes I find, and all of the other things that I come across as a stay-at-home mom. Mostly, I am on here to communicate with friends and make new ones, so feel free to comment on anything you see!