Match made in heaven

For my birthday my sister in law gave me a giftcard to Bath and Body Works. I LOVE giftcards because they force you to buy things for yourself whereas you would normally just spend your own money on useful things you need.

Pathetically I haven't had lotion in a long time so I was excited to find my own scent. After testing every scent in the store (dont judge, I was living up being in their without kids), I walked out with this gem.

I LOVE the smell of the lavender and chamomile but it was after I got home that I noticed what it was named.

Ahh sleep. Ever elusive, the mistress in my life. One day we will see each other for long meetings. Until then, I will wear you proudly.

Spontaneous boy heaven

Yesterday Pat had to work from home so I promised to have the boys and I out for the morning. I was drawing a blank on where to go since we couldn't spend money and I thought it was cold. I decided to just go hang out at my parents house but on the way I saw a huge construction site with HUGE mountain like hills of dirt and construction vehicles of every type. And the place was deserted. I did a spur of the moment (maybe dangerous) U-turn in the middle of the road and pulled into the construction site. The place was like boy heaven. I unloaded them, found random sweatshirts in the car and told them we were going exploring and to climb mountains. Fin so boyishly excited.

I had no idea CAT vehicles are so huge. The tires were much taller than me. I would call them by their names but I have NO idea what they each was except some had a scoop and some had a shovel.

Cole was pretty impressed.

I couldn't believe how big the shovel was compared to Fin. He thought he was cool stuff climbing inside of it.

Pre-gaming our mountain climbing by climbing a huge mound of dirt.

In order to get Cole to the top I had to carry him on my hip. Note that this is the one day I was not wearing exercise clothes. So up I hiked those huge hills with Cole on my hip in my boots and dress. I didn't realize how hard it was until Cole started imitating my huffing noises. Smart aleck.

View from the top.

Fin at the top of one of the hills. I can't tell you how huge they really were. He was so proud and a little scared.

Showing his muscles.

Cole was unimpressed by the hills, but he did like tasting the different samples of rocks and dirt.

The fact that they had just had baths be darned, they had a field day playing in the dirt. It was like being at the beach, only so very dirty.

New favortite picture. Love my sweets.

Fin was dead out from all that climbing. I'm thinking of having the boys do sprints up the hills everyday before naps. It's worth it :o)

It's so funny to me having grown up with girls to now see life through boys' eyes. It is SO much fun and I love the spontaneous "playground" we stumbled upon. The construction supervisor may not agree with me.

New Year, New Blog Design

Let me start out by saying I'm pathetically technologically challenged.
Like I couldn't even figure out how to survive 'Oregon Trail' when I was young. I would just keep throwing supplies off my wagon/raft when crossing a river until I had nothing less except some ox and then I would die of diphtheria. Everytime.

That being said I wanted a new blog look but didn't want to bug anyone to do it so I had to do it myself. And it was hard. And I HATED putting up a pic of myself so I just chose one of me eating a dessert because that pretty much sums me up. Except lately I've tried to be healthy and have been scaling back on chocolatey goodness and increasing sprints and and bouncing around on an exercise ball at the gym. This half makes me happy and half makes me want to smack myself and yell "sell-out".

All this to say...The blog looks different. Likey?

Finisms and Coleisms

Just some little tidbits I want to record to look back on one day...

Fin
- Yesterday morning we allowed Fin to have a bowl of Lucky Charms in the living room with the warning that if he made a mess, he would have to eat it at the table from here on out. As predicted there were little Lucky Charms sprinkled all about the floor and on the couch (no marshmallows were found though..hmmm). I told Fin that because the Lucky Charms made such a mess, he couldn't eat there again. He indignantly responded, "Well we need to call the police man then and tell them that the people that make Lucky Charms make a HUGE mess, cuz mom, Fruit Loops DON'T do this". He was so mad and felt so wronged. Never occured to him that he was the culprit.

-Today he was asking about heaven and I was trying to describe it to him in preschool terms. I told him you feel no pain there and nothing hurts. He thought about it for awhile and then said, "So if someone throws a sharp gumball at me, it won't hurt at all?"
I assured him it wouldn't and then he replied,"So in heaven, if someone puts a lion on me to eat me, that won't hurt?".
Umm come again? Before I could answer he quickly said,"Oh, never mind! I'll just punch him in the throat to get him off".
Note to Pat: Stop watching Youtube videos with Fin and plotting how to take down the animal kingdom.

-Fin was dwaddling before naps and I had to reprimand him...
  Me: Fin, when you disobey it makes my heart sad because you're not listening and Jesus wants you to obey.
   Fin: Did Jesus say that?
  Me: Yea, there is a whole verse in the Bible that says, "children obey your parents in the Lord; for this is right", so if it's in the Bible, it's a rule and a big deal.
   Fin: Well I'm going to write a book then and say, "Don't slam the potty seat down loud when you're done peeing".
OMG HOW do you parent with a straight face??

Cole
- Cole has taken to throwing things away and applauding himself for it. He's so quiet about it, but when I hear a loud BANG (b/c our trashcan lid is stainless steel) and then a baby voice saying "Yay!!" and clapping, I know I've got some treasure hunting to do. So far amidst the trash I've found socks, balls, the remote, wooden cars, various toys, a rubber ducky, utensils, and my toothbrush. Think I"m going to splurge and get myself a new .99cent one. Too gross. He is SO proud of himself.

-Today at the doctor while she was examining him, Cole kept singing in a gravely throaty voice, "Maaamaaaa". She laughed and said, "I'm not your Mama!". I had to explain to her that he was pretending to be Animal from the Muppets and singing a part from Bohemian Rhapsody. Seriously, WHO's 15 month old does that??

These boys definetely keep me on my toes.

Winter.

It finally caught up to us. Yesterday I felt it through the bottom of every door and heard it in the crackling of the window panes against the wind. I lit all our candles last night, and turned on the fire as well. One door is broken on the fireplace and keeps swinging open and while that normally bothers me, this time I swung the other one wide open as well and immediately felt warmth.
    I padded down the halls in my new slippers and crept in to check on the sleeping babes like I do every night. Kissing their cheeks to make sure they're warm enough, inhaling their sleepy smell, breathing the same prayer over them I pray every night. Help them to know You. Help them to bless others. Keep them safe. Guide us.
    I added an extra quilt to Fin's bed not so much because he needs it but because if he stirs in the night, he can burrow down and feel safe in the weight of his nest. The same way I do in mine. I toss a light blanket over Cole, knowing he's already warm enough in his footie pajamas but needing to know he has a blanket on him. For my sake. And I know he'll kick it off within five minutes. My wild sleeper.
    I want to take a hot shower for the warmth, but I don't want to feel the cold when I get out. So I add layers, crawl into bed, check the monitors and turn on my fan. Not for the cool air but for the comforting noise. I burrow down and drift off listening to the angry wind and my husbands' soft puffs of air as he breathes.
     I know at the end of February I will be restless. Dying for chlorine hair, sun-kissed skin, rasberry tea. But for now I'm content. Content to nest.

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They say it's your birthday...

So I turned 27 on Friday. I wasn't excited, I wasn't dreading it, I was just kinda "eh". But then I remembered there is much chocolate, and presents and love on that day that adding another year onto the ol' time clock isn't too bad. Plus I totally don't feel 27. If we're being honest, I feel 19 at all times. Just a little sleep deprived, hips-wider-from-childbirth 19 year old in charge of 2 kids. Sometimes it's scary :o)

My mom spoiled me by cooking me a delicious brunch and then the boys spoiled me by taking long naps so I coud nap too!

My neighbors across the street brought over this gem midday which I was more then happy to indulge. My Aunt Cathy always says calories don't count on your birthday.

Pat suprised me by coming home early and he and Fin gave me my presents. Fin picked out some candles for me which Pat assured me, Fin smelt every.single.one in the store before choosing :o) Then Pat had me close my eyes and brought in this...

An Old-fashioned bike!! I was so so excited. We live near a lot of little restaurants and a grocery store and I often walk there if we need just a gallon of milk or a pack of diapers. A coupe of times I mentioned that it would be fun to have a bike like in the 50's with a big basket on the front I could use. I NEVER dreamed I'd get one. Pat totally suprised me and I love it. Just gotta fasten my basket to the front and I"m in business. I shoud have been born in the eary 1900's. I'm much better suited for it.

Then Kier came over so Pat and I could go out for date night. The best gift of all!

The night ended with an awesome birthday cake my friend Jamie made me. I started out modestly with one piece and let's just say within 24 hours that sucker was gone. I woud blush but I'm not ashamed.

If the goal of your birthday is to feel loved: mission accomplished. Kinda wish I could do it all again sooner then a year. Thank goodness for Mother's day :o)

Hooodie Hooodie Hooodie

To understand the title you have to say it like the Swedish Chef. And if you still don't get it, then you should stop what you're doing and watch 982 Muppet movies.

This is a shout out to the Johnsons and Howes for the adorable matching hoodies they sent the boys for Christmas.

To me there is nothing cuter then baby cheeks in a hoodie.

And add in that they're matching...and I swoon.

Thank you so much you guys. We love them. Too bad they didn't have them in Pat and my sizes :o)