BLIZZARD 08

So for any of you that read in Cole's blog that we were supposedly going to have Blizzard 08, and that I called the weather people a bunch of drama queens...well okay we really did have Blizzard 08. It pretty much snowed from Friday through Saturday night. When all was said and done we had 20 + inches of snow. It was some kind of record...I won't mention that I think it is ridiculous to get snow when it should start getting all nice, but anyway.

Saturday afternoon we took both boys out. This was Jack's first time to really get to play in the snow. Both Spencer and I figured that he wouldn't care for it much, but we were totally wrong. HE LOVED it. The snow was deep enough that we just dropped him in and he could "stand" there held in place by all the snow. He loved playing in the snow. He also loved to go on the sled with mom and Cole with dad pulling us down the "hill" in our back yard. We had so much fun. I think the only reason that we ended up going inside was because I was freezing.

Family fun snow day.

10 of my Favs

So I was blog snooping the other day and I got this idea from a friend's friend's blog. I thought it was a fun post and I decided that I would got through our pictures and pick my favorite 10. Yeah, if you know my picture taking addiction you know how hard this was for me. I am still debating while I am typing this sentence if I picked the right 10. To be fair I did 5 of Cole and 5 of Jack. Some I knew right away, and others made me giggle or smile as I saw them. I am sure this will be the first of many, my favs installments. You should go through your pictures too.

This was from our first Christmas Card. I happened to get just the right smirk from Cole.

No I am not a bad mom for liking this picture. This is from Cole's first major injury, Cole vs. a ceiling fan. This was the next morning, imagine my shock to see this shiner.

Do I really have to explain why I like this one of COLE (i know looks like Jack huh!)

Aww, my gap baby and his big brown eyes...let us not also forget the trucker hat.

This is one of my all time favorites. It captures the eyes, the lashes, and those blond curls, which are no more. Boo hoo.

New born Jack, all jaundice and with the binkie that would become a permanent fixture. This picture was in his birth announcement.

I know this has both kids in it, but I just love this kissing picture.

Every time I see this picture I giggle. To this day he still loves drinking out of my water mug.

This was from a pumpkin patch, which is one of my very favorite activities all year. He was so happy to be there.

I know I have already blogged this picture, but really who would not love the pathetic look on his face.

Crash and Burn

So funny story...it involves me, mud, ice, a double jogging stroller, and a combine 60 pound weight of my kids.

It has been wretched weather here and that makes outside jogging with kids not very possible. I have way too cooped up with inside exercising. Well on Saturday it was projected that Monday would be in the mid 60's. AHH sweet relief. Right away I started making plans to take the boys out in this double jogging stroller that I had bought from a friend. I bought it a couple of weeks ago, so I hadn't had time to try it out. She had told me that the front tire was a little low and had given me a new inner tube for it. Well Monday morning rolls around and I tromp down to the basement to get it, check the front tire and it seems fine to me, so I break the beast down to fit in my car and tromp back up to put it in said car.

Cole was so excited, and he had picked out a couple of books the boys could read while I was on my run. We pack up the car and drive to a local state park that had a jogging trail that I like to use. Once there I unload the boys, strap them in, get my ipod all ready and start huffin' toward the trail. It was only once I had set stroller and foot on the trail that I suddenly remembered, "oh wait this trial is all dirt, so melted snow and day old rain make mud!" So yeah, I realized I was going to be not only jogging in mud, but pushing a massive stroller with 60 pounds of children in it. Not even a minute into I was having a hard time keeping the stroller on a straight path, and my arms were dying from pushing the thing through mud.

But did I give up? PSHAW! Not likely...do you know me at all? I figured the boys were happy, and i have my tunes blaring, plus this way I will just get a double workout. About a mile into it, it wasn't getting any easier because now I was hitting spots were the trees were shading the path and the snow had only partially melted and then refroze...so yes I was basically ice skating in running shoes, oh and still pushing 60 pounds. Did I give up then...again no!

Accepting the difficulties I decided to plan out a new route. I decided that I was going to cut out the back 1 1/2 mile loop, turn around and then cut through a park and hit a paved road that runs through the actual park...where I might add everyone else was running. Relieved with my decision I turn around and headed toward the path leading to the road. Not more than 10 steps into it I hit another patch of ice...this one got the better of me. YEP that is right I completely biffed it. I went down pulling the stroller backward (probably scaring the pee out of my kids), of course right in front of this guys, who did not offer sympathy or help, just laughed (I know nice!).

I pop right back up, now covered in mud, water, and bruises. Did I stop now, yeah no, I mean I had to get back didn't I, so I might as well have just run it back. But now I encountered a couple of problems with stroller. My fall had popped a bar out of place, so the boys were now laying backwards instead of sitting, don't worry I fixed it. Then I had to give Jack my cell phone to play with so he would stop screaming. Then the front wheel would not run straight. It kept pulling to the right, so I had to use all the strength in the left side of my body to keep it straight. Yes I am still running at this point, but now to add well injury to injury, my shins keep hitting a bar at the back of the stroller while I run so now I can feel extra bruises coming to life.

Eventually I make it back to the car. A little deflated from my earlier joy at an outdoor run. I hurt and I am dirty. But it was all kept in perspective when Cole hopped out of the stroller and said, "Momma that was fun!" And ya know what, I guess it kind of was.

Kee Squared

"Kee" is what Jack says for both his blankie and his binkie. He is a little attached to both. The blankie he is allowed to have whenever as long as we are at home. The binkie is only for limited use, basically for naptime and for nighttime. He always tries to manipulate the rules after his nap, earnestly requesting it, like he is hoping I forgot this time. However, in the morning he cutely looks at us takes his binkie out of his mouth and throws is (literally) down and then reaches up to be taken out. I really don't want a two year old with a binkie and hopefully we will be able to take it away soon enough. Right now he is still cute.

We Might Be 80

SO last night after putting the boys to bed, at about 7:15 in the pm, Spence and I went and lay (ps I am not sure the correct grammatical choice for that lay, laid, etc.) down on our bed for a little chat. No sooner had the chat started then we both started drifting off to sleep. I remember thinking, "I better no be falling asleep, because that would be super lame." The next thing I remember after that is Spencer waking me up at a quarter to nine saying that we should probably get under the covers. THAT's right we basically went to bed at 7:30. LAME. The extra lame thing is that when Jack woke up this morning at 6 I still didn't want to get up with him, so I popped his binkie back in and went back to bed for another hour. SO YES everyone we slept 12 hours. My sister Natalie says that everyone needs a good 12 hours sleep from time to time...I am not sure if she was just mollifying me or if she was justifying it because her and my sister Kenzie just did that like a week ago! So now I should be fully rested. FINALLY!