Winter Rewind

 Looking back at my pictures I'm thinking what did we do this winter?  Of course I took 75 at Elmo but other than that not much documented.  I did get an iphone 5 and have joined Instagram, which I am obsessed with!  So plenty of pictures and stories to tell from my phone.  The year started with my store closing that I still haven't gotten over.  They keep sending me catalogs that pours salt back in the wound!  The free weekends have opened up all sorts of fun stuff, going back home for the entire weekend, yard cleanup, even a family grocery trip.

Made his own bed after
a big day of yard work.

D is coming into his own.  We've realized why people pop out babies back to back, once you get a crazed toddler how could you throw a baby into the mix?  He's becoming very independent, hanging up his coat when we get home, putting his shoes in his closet, even grabbed the milk out of the fridge!  (Good thing I was close to catch it before he dropped it.)  He's getting so smart, clever yet still able to throw fit with the best of them.  While making cookies for my social workers (in honor of National Social Work Month) D came in while I was icing the spring themed cut-outs and said, "Dada wants uhnudder coo-coo, I take it to him."  I yelled into Andy, he did not ask or want another cookie.  I have a feeling if I would have given it to our little cookie monster it would not have made it to dada, but been eaten in route.

60 degrees in Jan!

We had some 60 degree days in January!  It was great to get out and open the windows.  My grandparents celebrated 61 years of marriage so awe got together to celebrate at the Hartville Kitchen.  D is recently obsessed with my grandpa and Aunt Ang, he kept tabs on them during the whole meal.  One weekend home, Andy and I were able to sneak out for a date night out in downtown Canton.  We attended our annual Night at the Races for the local little league.  Brionna came up again and we had a blast.  We already can't wait until next year!

I attempted to make butternut squash ravioli for our meatless Fridays.  Spent the 3 hours the night before making a TON to freeze for the next night and hopefully many Fridays after.  They looked good, I was pretty proud of myself.  Then I tried to cook them...  I must have made them too thin, I lost over half of them because they opened up while boiling.  All that hard work lost in boiling water, I'll be honest I cried.  Andy reassured me there are worst things that could happen.  The ones that stayed intact were delicious.  You haven't seen the last of me butternut squash ravioli!  Now we are hoping the weather turns warm and are counting down the days until opening day.  Happy Spring!

Andy and an avid Nosy Rosie reader

A Mama's Reflection: Elmo Live

My mom got the boys tickets to Elmo live for Valentine's Day.  Last Saturday my mom, sister in law, nephew, D and I headed to his first live show.  When I saw the line to get in my heart started to race.  Kids EVERYWHERE!  D has been such a "wildcard" lately, I was worried...

Side story:  Took him to one of my favorite stores the other day, Barnes and Noble.  Needed to purchase a gardening book (more on that later!) and a potty book.  I could spend hours in there, I just love the smell of a new book.  I dreamed his eyes would light up in the children's section and we would forever share the bond of going to the bookstore together.  Not so much...threw the beautiful books on the ground, then threw himself on the ground for a couple minutes which was probably the best he was the whole trip.  The dreaded "trip to the bathroom" was out because it was so far away I figured by the time we got there he'd forget why he was in trouble.  I stuck it out, found my books, received dirty looks and left thinking how do people have more than one child??

2nd Side story:  D and eating out hasn't been successful lately either.  He just doesn't want to sit that long.  While out with my parents, we opted out of the usual highchair and sandwiched D in a booster between my mom and I in the booth.  All of a sudden the man behind us started violently elbowing the back of our seat.  It scared me and I ask what was wrong, he screams, "SOMEONE IS KICKING THE SEAT!"  I had no idea.  I don't know if it was the mom in me just ignoring it or scared it was me cause I tend to have a nervous leg shaking twitch.  Well, this irate man awoke papa bear!  Andy looked at him and said, "Sir he's two!"  By this time D is crying, I'm about to cry so I swoop him up and run to the bathroom.  By this time irate man realizes this might not have been the best approach and says, "Oh no he's fine."  Andy responds, "Apparently not, but we'll take care of it."  Needless to say I was so distraught by the whole situation I could hardly eat and have told the story to everyone I've seen since to have them reassure me I'm not a horrible parent.

So for the Elmo show I feared of how he would do, would he last, would he scream?  He will not sit through a whole show at home, he's all over the place stopping from time to time when something of interest comes on.  It was a good thing our seats were at the end of the row.  The show kept his attention for a while, then he wanted to go up the stairs, wanted a snack, wanted Aunt April and so on.  Through the darkness, loud music and flying confetti I could see NO ONE else's child acting up but mine.  Just a lot of "that guys" wearing the shirt of the show they were going to see. (Who knew Elmo had a line of puffy vests?)  I was physically and mentally exhausted by the end of the show.  The next day I ran into a high school friend's mother, who told me her daughter took her toddler the show and she too felt she had the only restless child there.  Eureka, that's why it's so dark in there!  We did survive, we had fun, he is still talking about it and loving the Elmo souvenir grandma bought.  But next time I think I'll wait until he's 3, 4, 5, maybe 6....