Play Cafe

A few days ago we spent some time at a nearby park. It was Calvin's first trip to a park since he had learned to walk and he was more than ready to enjoy this rite of toddlerhood. He loved it- no surprise there. Cal ran around like a total fool, stumbling over himself with excitement and climbing onto anything he could reach. I've never seen him so happy. 

Then it was time to go home. 

Absolute devastation. 

The poor guy finally got to enjoy some quality park time outside and then Mother Nature decided that she would throw a few more weeks of freezing winter at us. Ugh. Thankfully, I thought back to a few friends who had mentioned bringing their little ones to a "play cafe". Whoever thought up the idea is an absolute genius. Endless indoor entertainment for Calvin and a bottomless cup of coffee for Mom. Seriously- genius!

1. Calvin and Matilda carefully playing in a burning home (and by "carefully" I mean almost killing themselves climbing a ladder to enter the home and then exiting by literally shooting out of a slide so steep I had to hold my breath as they went down)

2. Sending love letters the old fashioned way

3. Putting out a quick fire before lunch

4 & 5. Whipping up a little somethin' somethin' in the kitchen

6. Creeping

7. Channeling his inner "Schroeder" on the mini piano 

8. Playing with light switches and doorbells, aka: toddler heaven!

Thanks for saving the day, play cafe. 

As for you, Mother Nature, my boy is waiting to get back to the park so get your act together and show us some spring!

Snow Day

It just so happens that we have had non-stop snow since the moment I hit "publish" on the last post. I'm loving it! 

Today, Calvin and his girlfriend Matilda patiently stood at the window staring out at the falling snow. They spoke to each other in a language they both obviously understood (although I could not make out a word) and pointed out every single car that passed by to one another- such buddies!

Adorable.

Calvin has become so social lately. This weekend he spent some time hanging out with the "older kids" at church. (I say "older kids" in quotes because the cutoff for being an "older kid" is 18 months.. haha!) The school-aged kids were playing tag and running around in circles for much of the morning. At one point, Calvin found himself standing in the eye of the chaotic circle, carefully taking it all in, totally mesmerized by the running children. I wanted to cry as I watched him muster up the courage to toddle after them- unsteadily running as quickly as I've ever seen him go- in an effort to run in their circle and join the crowd. 

My heart was so happy. 

My boy is getting so big. 

Most days I wish that Calvin would grow up a little more slowly. It hurts a little to see less and less baby in him as he enters the toddler world. On the other hand, I must say that this new stage of exploration and curiosity is one I am so excited to enter. I find myself laughing at him daily as he talks my head off and looks at me waiting for my response to his latest inquiry. He's such a joy to be around lately (let's be honest- he wasn't the world's easiest baby!) and I must say that watching him socialize with others and make new friends has got to be one of my favorite parenting highlights to date!

Hope you are enjoying winter- now that it's FINALLY here!!

My Day

My morning started off looking like this..

That's right, someone pulled down the shower curtain in an effort to get to me during our 2.5 minutes apart this morning. My sweet boy has hit the stage I've been dreading. The whiny, "up-y hands", stage five clinger stage when separation anxiety and stranger danger are at an all time high. He clings to my legs whenever we are together and throws a fit when I leave the room. I'm over it. And it's only been a few weeks.

We have also been working on developing some better sleep habits around these parts. While he has been a great sleeper at night for several months now, naps are a difference story. The routine of taking random 20 minute naps several times has got to go! He is tired and cranky, I am tired and cranky. Better sleep habits are better for all of us. We are going the "cry it out" route which means I am going the crazy route.

The math is simple.
1 crazy/cranky Mom + 1 overly tired/clingy baby = meltdown x2.

Thankfully, after 48 hours on the verge of a meltdown three incredible things happened. A bit of divine intervention if you will.
1. Without prompting, my bestest, most wonderfullest friend in the whole wide world Kirsten came over, stole Calvin, and gave me an entire quiet morning of baby-less errand running. Let's just say it was amazing.
2. I received a call from work cancelling me for the day. Unexpected day off when I needed it most?? Yes please!
3. Calvin went to bed an hour early. 'Nuff said.

Currently half way through my personal bottle of wine. Ready to tackle tomorrow. Okay, maybe not so much on the tomorrow thing but I am feeling like I can put the meltdown off for another day. Baby steps.

First Time Camper

This past weekend, we traveled to Wisconsin with a large group of our church friends for some quality time outdoors. I have to be honest, the idea of camping with an 8 month old made me more than anxious but we had a blast. Marshall was in heaven. Cal licked explored every thing Mother Nature had to offer and we enjoyed relaxing outside on a beautiful fall weekend. Great conversation. Great food. Great. Great. Great. 

And then came the night. And the night was cold. And the night was long. And we were up. Every hour.

And then came the morning and the greatness resumed. 

Overall, I would say that the weekend was a success and everyone enjoyed themselves. I dare say we will even be back next year for the annual event- with earplugs in tow for all of our fellow campers! 

After trying out dozens of others, this pine cone won the taste test.

 

Nothing better than a nice nap outside on a fall day.

A little quality time with Uncle TK

and Dad

and Marshy.

We may have a future Cub Scout on our hands.

Crabby Boys

I think it's time for Carter's to get a new boys line. Apparently, for a little boy, there are very few choices outside of sports, trucks and an occasional monkey. Three times now Heather and I have discovered that our boys have identical outfits in their wardrobes. First up was matching nautical themed one pieces, then came the neon guitar jammies, and now these adorable crab ass outfits. This time, both Calvin and Grayson showed up wearing the exact same outfit at the same time- how embarrassing!! Of course, the event called for an impromptu baby photo shoot. 

Cutest crab assess I've ever seen!

Play Date

This week, Calvin hosted his first play date. He called together a few of his favorite small friends to an environment where nobody is offended by drool, snot, or temper tantrums. Toys, music and snacks for the "littles"- some sangria and adult conversation for the "bigs". Everybody wins! 

The morning started out nice and controlled. The toddlers kicked back with a book. (Yes, Matilda was actually looking through photos of animals on her mama's phone- there really is an app for everything!)

The little ones bonded over their love for eating. Bottles. Boobs. Each other. Whatev.

As the afternoon progressed, Marshall joined in on the fun and control gave way to controlled chaos.

Okay, maybe not so controlled.

But that is what the sangria is for. 

I must say, it really is such a blessing to have so many great girlfriends with little kids. It's nice to feel that I still have a social life with a three month old, even if that social life includes changing poopy diapers during lunch.

Here's to many more days of fun filled chaos for the whole crew!

Best Friends

From the moment they met..

we knew it was love. Okay, okay, maybe not love but more of a cautious friendship.

That eventually gave way to love. I must say that introducing Marshall to his first non-furry sibling was a bit nerve wracking. Were they going to get along? Was Marshall going to become overly protective? Or worse- not protective of his little bro at all? My worries have quickly diminished over the past few weeks while I have watched these two interact. So far everything has gone very well. Marshall remains interested in the baby yet very gentle with him. And as for Calvin, he remains tolerant of Marshall's sloppy kisses and pacifier chewing obsession, which is really all we could ask for of a three week old. 

Here's to hoping this is the start of a beautiful friendship. A friendship that will begin with Cal pulling on Marshall's tail in exchange for Marshall knocking him over as he takes his first wobbly steps, and end with a little boy and his best friend. 

A Very Merry Christmas

It was a lovely little Christmas indeed. 

We began our day by sleeping in knowing full well that Christmas mornings will be coming much earlier in the coming years. We sipped on hot chocolate and opened our stockings, exchanged gifts by the fire and enjoyed brunch with our best friends and my sister. Phone calls and video chats were made to the ones we love and miss most this year. It was perfect, just the way Christmas should be. A day spent with those we love with ample time to relax and reflect on the beauty and true meaning of a seemingly chaotic season. And while this year seemed less "eventful" than Christmases past, I think it was exactly what we needed. A day to enjoy the company of one another, in a warm quiet home, with the sun shining through decorated windows. A day to be thankful for our countless blessings and God's abundant love and grace. A day to celebrate our Savior's birth. Perfection I tell ya.

All is calm. All is bright. 

Hoping your day was merry and filled with Christ's love! 

MN Love

Last weekend we traveled to Minnesota for a family and friends baby shower. The drive was beautiful with just the last of the fall leaves hanging on to their branches just for us. We listened to Christmas music while Marshall slept (he is truly the best road tripper ever!) and discussed how different road trips are going to be from here on out with Baby O in tow. The idea that life is about to change in a big way is really starting to settle in and while we are getting nervous we are also getting crazy excited! 

So back to Minnesota. We had a great time lounging around with our family, taking chilly walks and talking about the holidays and the baby. On Saturday, my sweet Aunties threw the baby and I an adorable shower. It was so fun and such a great excuse to get all of my favorite Minnesota girls in one room to catch up and spend time together. It was perfect and I felt beyond blessed to have been showered with gifts and love from my favorite family members...

and friends that I love like family.

Lastly, I had to throw in this pic of my current little family. I can't even begin to tell you how thankful I am for these two...

The loves of my life I tell ya.

Iced Halloween Cookies

It has been a Halloween tradition of mine to make iced sugar cookies for 10+ years now. It started off as something I did with my high school friends and then became a tradition my college friends and I carried on. It has now become a fall ritual that we plan for every year. Everyone looks forward to a full day of rolling dough, icing cookies, and making a certain unmentionable "bonus cookie" with the end of the cookie dough remnants. This year was no exception.

It starts off with some simple sugar cookies. I have 20some Halloween cookie cutters.. Frankenstein, haunted houses, creepy cats, ghosts... the list goes on. 

 This year Kirsten and I decided to keep it simple and stick with pumpkins and leaves. How very fall-ish!

My Favorite Sugar Cookie Recipe-

1 cup sugar

3/4 cup butter or margarine (I use a combination of both)

1 egg

3 Tbs whipping cream (milk will work just fine)

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp almond extract

3 cups flour

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

*Combine sugar, butter, egg, whipping cream, vanilla, and almond extract. Beat at a medium speed until light and fluffy. Add flour, baking powder and salt. Mix until a soft dough forms. 

*Cover with plastic wrap and cool for 1-2 hours (this step in a must in working with rolled dough!)

*Heat oven to 400 degrees. Roll dough out on a floured surface until 1/4" thick and cut with your favorite cookie cutters. Transfer to a cookie sheet and bake for 5-7 minutes until the edges are golden brown.

For a change this year, we decided to make glossy icing rather than my favorite buttercream icing. While it's not quite as tasty as buttercream, the glossy icing makes for a really cute final product. The colors are brighter and the icing hardens a bit more for easier storage.  Plus, you can actually pipe the glossy icing onto the cookies which is a little more fun than using a plain ole knife if you ask me!

Glossy Sugar Cookie Icing-
3 cups powdered sugar
2 Tbs milk
3 Tbs light corn syrup
1 tsp almond extract
assorted food coloring

*Mix sugar and milk until smooth. Add in corn syrup and almond extract. You may need to add additional corn syrup until you get the perfect thin glossy consistency.
*Divide into small bowls, add food coloring, and pour into piping bags.

 Ice away!  Decorate with your favorite cookie decor. Sprinkles, etc.

Share with your friends!

After a l-o-n-g day of icing cookies, promise yourself you will not make sugar cookies again until next Halloween. That is unless you are crazy, which I most definitely am. I'm planning to make these babies again with the buttercream icing this weekend with another group of dedicated Halloween cookie decorators. We may have to pull out the cats and ghosts for a little change though- I don't think I can decorate another leaf for a while :) 

A Fine Tradition

One of our favorite fall traditions is heading over to Lincoln Square for the annual German American Festival (aka: North Park reunion). No joke, German Fest weekend is the one weekend of the year where I get to catch up with all of my fellow North Park alum friends- something I always look forward to.

Year 10 did not disappoint. While this year was spent sans large German stein, I was still able to catch up with everyone and enjoy a beautiful fall night outside with friends and family. Mission accomplished.

Cheers to another 10 years of great memories!!