Snow much Snow!

We've had a quite a bit of snow the past couple of weeks here down south.  I have to say I've really enjoyed every single minute of it, even if it has resulted in a few extra minutes added to our school day and a few holidays we've lost from now until the rest of the year.  While we've had our fair share of stir-crazy moments stuck inside the house I'd like to think we've made the best of it with mornings of snow cream, hot chocolate - and afternoons filled with snowflake sugar cookies and crafts.

Chloe enjoyed the first small batch of snow we had last week and "ice skating" around in our backyard, but after that she was quickly over it and it was too cold for her.  She prefers staying inside, drinking hot chocolate and snuggling up on the couch.  Yates, however, loves the snow and can't get enough snow cream, snowmen  or snowball fights.  He runs and giggles and tramples around in the snow tickled at the sight of his own footprints.  The sight of him so happy makes me even happier.

It's going to be hard to go back to reality once springtime really does come... but then again we will just have more to celebrate with our vegetable garden, flowers blooming and picnics outside at the park.  Until then we will spend a few extra minutes snuggled up to stay warm in the bed and eat a few extra cookies because after all, it's nice to slow down every once in a while and be snowed in with my most favorite people.

Choo - Choo Yates is Two!

// Choo - Choo, Yates is Two! //

This little man is two.

He is the sweetest, most tenderhearted, stubborn but yet loving boy in the world.  He's the coolest kid ever, and such a typical boy who would rather be outside making motorcycle sounds, playing with rocks and riding his 4-wheeler than anywhere else.  He loves his big sister, and to follow her around - but he is a leader as well and holds his own easily.  He'a got a cool, calm and collected demeanor about him and I have to say he does remind me so much of myself.

Lately he's been stuffing his face with pancakes, sausage, lollipops and strawberries - which he cannot get enough of.  He's putting together words to phrases, and even sentences which is so much fun to hear.  The best part is when he agrees with you.  He never says "yes," because he's too cool for that, obviously.  "Yes" is stated by a grunt as if to say, "um yea, that's it, you got it."  If you ask him the mornings of preschool if he's ready to go to he clearly says "no," and then replies with "home." If you ask him "why" it's because he wants to play with Papa, because Papa comes over about once a week and Yates loves, loves, loves his Papa.  He also loves everything orange- orange lollipops, orange cars, orange legos, orange crayons, orange popsicles.  And he has to have two of everything, two poptarts, two cups, two trains...  two means more than one and that makes anything better,

My little man is growing up.  And while I remember when he was a little baby boy like yesterday, I also am so proud of the big boy he is growing up to be. So much like his Mama, yet so much like his Dada.

// 37 weeks, 2 days before Yates was born //

Each one of my children were born at 38 weeks.  My water broke with both, which is extremely rare so I'd like to think they came into this world a bit unique.  My epidural didn't work well with either one, but especially with Yates, and I remember being in quite a bit of pain.  He came pretty quick into this world and knew he was ready... he knew what he wanted, which fits his (and Dada's) personality.

Fast and furious.  And precious... really, really precious.

// 1 day old, and completely perfect in each and every way //

// A wild 1 year old //

On his first birthday he wouldn't have anything to do with his cake.  He's a texture type of eater and didn't understand why the cake was spongy.  He now loves cake, but loves icing even more (again, just like his Mama).  I can't wait for him to taste the train cake Mama has made him this year!

We love you to the moon and back baby boy, and so much farther... much, much farther.

// xoxo //

Addicted to Love

Sometimes I wonder (worry) if I need my kids more than they need me.  I am that mother who goes in for a head sniff every once in a while (okay maybe two or three times) when they are napping just because I need an extra fill.  They both sleep in our bed most nights now, and while hubby sometimes complains of not sleeping well, I don't mind it- not one bit and worry about the time when they sleep in their own beds, in their own rooms, and we have our nights apart.

I have really rough and tough moments too just like every other mother of losing my patience and wanting to pull my hair out because having two toddlers is no joke.  But I blame the fact that I am so needy of their attention because I am a working mother and I can't help but envy those who get more time with their children- because if I am honest, early mornings and late afternoons aren't enough for me.  Chloe has so much to say now, and we have elaborate conversations about how much she likes the color pink and unicorns.  Yates is starting to learn his colors, Chloe is starting to learn her letters and I desperately want to have the time to teach them these things, to have some say in their learning and creating their own character.  To think I only have two more years with Chloe and three more with Yates before they go to kindergarten scares me, and I want to bubble wrap them and keep them tucked away in my arms forever and ever.

The fact of the matter is my family isn't just important to me, it's my everything.  I am so fortunate to have a husband who feels the same way I do, who is addicted to our children as much as I am and who shares my same feelings about the importance of our time together as a family.  I have never felt so complete as I do now with the four (five, including our first-born, bulldog Coach) of us, and for that I am extremely grateful.

Wild Thing

Valentine's Day has a special place in my heart.  Not only is it my and hubby's wedding anniversary but a designated day where you get to tell the people in your life how special they are to you?!  I'm in love.

I love to craft, and I've told hubby with all seriousness that in our forever home I need a crafting room, complete with white walls, a big huge butcher block table in the center and storage bins underneath.

These were made with kraft cardstock, letter stamps, red and black ink, red and white ribbon twine, and plastic safari animals (try Hobby Lobby, Target, or maybe even the dollar store).   Tie the animals to the cardstock by punching holes, threading the ribbon through and tying a bow.  Easy to make, and I have to say since we had a few "wild things" left over- Chloe and Yates haven't wanted to stop playing with them, even adding animal sounds to add to their animations.

Make sure you seal them with a kiss and a "roar!"

// XOXO //

Wild and Free

// Wild and Free //

I'm a Sucker...

 I'm a sucker... for this little Mama's boy.

He has a slight obsession with lollipops.  As in... wakes up in the morning asking for them and it continues throughout the day.  I'm a huge sucker for him, and anything that he wants.  Hubby calls me out on it all the time.  He's our last child and I constantly hold on to the fact that he's still my baby although I do realize he's growing up right before my eyes.

He will be two in just a little over a month, and there are so many things that make him sweetest little guy you'll ever meet...

He replies with "huh" when you ask him a question and his reply is yes.  He's really gotten really good at giving you the reply straight from his big ol' belly with emphasis on the first h of the "huh."

He loves "lunch."  Let's be clear, 'lunch'' does not mean lunch, lunch means food.  So when he wakes up for breakfast, it's "lunch," when he wants snack, it's "lunch," when he wants dinner it's "lunch."

Speaking of, recently his favorite "lunches" are sausage, pepperoni (with cheese that he picks off of pizza but does not eat any part of the crust), ranch with a side of carrots, syrup with a side of pancakes, and strawberry anything - yogurt, poptart, breakfast bar, or fruit snack.  He also loves popcorn and thinks anything in the microwave is going to come out as popcorn.

He still loves choo-choo's but he equally loves monster trucks, diggers and lawn mowers.  In fact, when Dada gets his lawn mower out he goes crazy and insists he needs to help him by screaming and crying until he gets to go outside.

He's rough.  As in, he plays rough, tackles and wrestles Chloe and Coach around all.the.time.  And that he has gotten honestly, all from genetics - because I assure you Mama, nor Chloe play rough, tackle or roll around on the floor all the time.

He has a thing for shoes.  He must have them on at all times unless he is sleeping, and has named his favorite pairs.  The ones with green laces he calls "football" (since everything green is, of course, related to Daddy's football team) and his crocs he calls "Dada" because Dada has the same pair of shoes.

He's a snuggler.  All I have to do when it is time for bed is to pat the pillow beside me and he scoots over as fast as his little bum can.  He presses his body so close and stays that way the whole night as he sleeps.  While it makes it hard to move and get comfortable at times, I love waking up to his little nose pressed close to mine and his eyelashes tickling my cheek.

Growing Up

I can't believe she really is three, and Yates turns two next month.  While things have gotten easier since they were younger, some things get harder.

A few things I miss about them being so little, and a few things I don't...

I miss...

1 // Naptime.  While Yates is a good sleeper, Chloe resists her naps, and has for quite some time.  There was a time when Yates was a newborn that Chloe still took both a morning and an afternoon nap, while Yates slept most of the day too. I watched a lot of Downton Abbey, and drank my coffee while it was still hot, and thought it was the hard life (and it was, at the time).

2 //  Quiet.  Babies can't argue, or insist on wearing their pajamas to school, or shoes to bed.  And they can't argue with one another about who had the book first. The car was a quiet place too, but now we discuss (and argue about) every plane, train and automobile we encounter as we drive down the road.

3 // Dinner.  When they were younger Chloe and Yates would eat earlier, and Mike and I would be able to actually eat (taste) our dinner later together, and without having to get up to get someone juice, an extra napkin, pick something up off the floor, pick a booger...

4 // Sleeping... with only one child in our bed.  Chloe has always slept in our bed.  From the time she came home from the hospital she has been in our bed at night.  Yates has been a great sleeper and has preferred his own bed, but now sleeps in our bed 5 out of 7 nights in our bed (he finally realized what he was missing).  So there are usually 5 "people" in our bed on any one given night- Chloe, Yates, Coach and of course Mama and Dada.

5 // A clean house. Before when I only had one toddler things weren't quite so difficult to pick up.  The messes weren't so big and there weren't so many toys. The toys were also much smaller and didn't require so many pieces with each one. Now puzzle pieces and hot wheel cars can usually be found in at least 15 different places around our house, and in shoes as we are getting dressed in the mornings.


I don't miss...

1 // Naptime.  Because I get to spend more one-on-one time with Chloe.  And she is always so happy during this time when she doesn't have to compete with Yates's attention.  I also get to spy on Yates and watch him sleep. I love the way he always sleeps in the same position every time, with his blue blanket and his hands folded behind his head.

2 // Quiet.  Now we can have conversations and their personality shines.  They constantly make me laugh and my day even better than I could ever have imagined.  Chloe usually sings at some point while we are in the car together and hearing her sing "Jesus Loves Me" is the most magical thing I've ever heard.

3 // Dinner.  Because having dinner together as a family is priceless, and we can have conversations about what we have done that day and say our dinner prayer together.

4 // Sleeping.  It is overrated, or so I'd like to think.  And waking up snuggled next to my babies warm and cozy is the best way to start my day.

5 // A clean house. My house is now filled with toys, toys, toys.  Which leads to happiness, giggles, and... happiness. So I've learned to accept the fact that I might find cars in shoes, and lipstick on walls, but I will also find two happy children... and that my friends, is what makes me truly happy.