St. Patrick's Day 2016

St. Patrick's Day has always been one of my favorite holidays growing up, and each year I love being able to include Jayden in the festivities. This year I kind of dropped the ball on the lead up towards it, but we still managed to have the necessities: corned beef, lucky charms, and a little leprechaun mischief.

A few days in advance we bought Lucky Charms at the grocery store, and Jayden kept asking to eat them (even though he didn't really know what they were). We told him he had to wait until St. Patrick's Day, so of course every day he asked for it to be St. Patrick's Day. After a few attempts explaining that it didn't work like that; that St. Patrick's Day was a holiday like Christmas or Halloween he finally started to understand a little better.

Kelly, Jayden and I built leprechaun traps together and we tried explaining to him what exactly leprechauns were and why we wanted to capture them. Unfortunately he didn't quite understand the whole "capture them and force them to grant you wishes in return for their release" aspect of it and instead picked up popsicle sticks and announced that he was going to use them to "beat the leprechauns". Luckily for those leprechauns, they were able to get away from our traps or I'm not sure what fate would have awaited them.

I showed Jay a few different trap ideas and he chose a park theme, so we made a little leprechaun park filled with hidden gold and a pit full of lucky charms, with a trap door underneath the slide to capture them. Kelly built her own trap (which looked much better than ours), of a gold vault with a hidden section on top that they would fall into while attempting to steal the gold.

On the night of the 16th, after Jayden went to bed, Kelly and I decorated the kitchen and staged the leprechaun breakouts. The two of us dyed random things in the fridge green: milk, cottage cheese, apple sauce and juice. We put green crate paper all over his chair in the kitchen, and I wrote a note to Jayden via the leprechauns taunting him, yet congratulating him on an attempt well done and hinting at a hidden treasure they left for him as a reward.

Using the website I mentioned in my Valentine's Day blog, I made "magic leprechaun rocks" also. Once he woke up the morning of the seventeenth, I put silly string all over the door handles and then sporadically placed the "rocks" out for him to find. When we went hunting for the treasure he found them, and when he put them in the water to "clean them" the baking soda came off to reveal gold coins inside each one. Mine didn't quite turn out like the original poster's, but it worked out in the end.

Jayden was upset at the lack of leprechauns, but enjoyed having everything he consumed be green all day (and of course for the next couple of weeks until he finishes off all the food).

For breakfast we had lucky charms and green milk, obviously. It also should go without saying that he was crazy about the cereal. I mean honestly, marshmallows in your cereal, what's not to love? After Jayden's nap we made Lucky Charm Krispies for us to enjoy after our corned beef and potato dinner. It was incredibly sticky and also didn't turn out anything like the pictures in the recipe, but delicious nonetheless.

Even today, he loves his milk still being green and finally being able to have lucky charms for breakfast whenever he wishes. I'm pretty sure Jayden is also appreciative of the extra park time I keep giving him in order to get him tired enough for his naps with all the sugary goodness he is now consuming.

There were a few things I wish I would have had time to do, but at least next year I will attempt to be better planned. As Jayden gets older I hope he becomes more invested in the activities and grows to love the holiday as much as we do.

I remember each year trying to think up new ideas with my parents. My favorite is when my dad and I rigged a PVC pipe to knock out the leprechaun if they attempted to steal the pot of gold. I am pretty sure that was the same year I woke up to a huge HA HA spelt out on the living room floor in candy when the leprechauns were able to escape.

Even after all these years, I am pretty sure it is more fun for Kelly and I to build the traps and the resulting breakouts than it is for Jayden, which gives us even more reason to continue the traditions. One day hopefully he will be staying up late secretly setting the scene for his children as well.

Valentine's 2016

Well as we all know, yesterday was Valentine's Day. I have never been a supporter of the holiday, but like I have mentioned in the past, since having a child I am trying harder to pretend I like things I don't... Valentine's Day is one of them.

This year was Jayden's third one. Year one he was only about 3 months, so we didn't do much. I did want to commemorate it somehow though, so I dressed him up as a baby cupid and made him let me take pictures of him. Last year Jayden, Jesse and I went to Olive Garden. It's a special place to us since that is where our first date took place, and this year we went to Yard House for dinner.

I woke up to Jayden rambling in his crib as usual, and when I went to get him we talked briefly about what day it was and what that meant. We had painted pieces of paper and cut out hearts earlier in the week, so while Jayden was finishing up his breakfast I assembled the Valentine's day cards. Besides that though, our day carried on as usual.

Kelly and Jay had made me a surprise that they were waiting to show me until after he woke up from his nap, so once he did she came in and grabbed him. They made me an adorable card that said "Part One" of my present was to go watch tv or something and have a few minutes to myself until they came to fetch me. Then they sent me away. It worked out perfectly anyway, and I used the time to finish getting ready for dinner and watch the end of How to Get Away with Murder. A little bit later Jayden came running in: "MOMMY WHERE ARE YOU?!" And then immediately grabbed my hand and started running towards the kitchen saying, "have to get mommy; bring her to the kitchen. Come on Mommy".

Once we got there I saw the pan of sugar cookies they had decorated for us... and also noticed the slight smear of red frosting along Jayden's mouth. It was super cute, and they actually tasted quite good. (Not the best for my diet but, eh, its a holiday right?) Jayden was in love with the sprinkles, and asked for more to eat just by themselves once we removed the cookies from his reach.

Kelly and Jayden convinced me to let them finish their movie together while I got ready, so once Jesse got home we were all pretty much ready to go.

Obviously restaurants fill up like crazy on Valentine's, but since Jesse and I didn't really have any set plans we didn't make any reservations. His boss was kind enough to give Jesse a Yard House gift card a while back, so he called as he was leaving work and put our names on the list. The wait time was about an hour, which was actually perfect for us.

It was busy and loud, which is great for a two-year-old and their neurotic parent. Jayden got a little fussy, but once his fruit and french fries showed up he was good to go. Jesse and I were able to have a couple of drinks and talked a little bit during our meal. It was nice to get out of the house, nicer to not have to cook, and the best being able to spend time with my two loves.

Once we finished our meal we came home, where I had a beautiful bouquet of pink and red roses waiting for me. Apparently they had arrived shortly after we left (our luck, of course). It was a very sweet surprise from Jesse. They're set up now so that I can see them from pretty much any point in my room (but grabby fingers still can't get to them). Each time I look at them I smile, and remember how lucky I am to have the things that I do in my life. I am thankful for where I am at and what I have.

Happy day after Valentine's, everybody. Go kiss your significant others, and remind them that they are loved every day, not just when society says you should.

Fizzy Painting!

A few days ago my dad sent me a link (http://www.giftofcuriosity.com/science-activities-for-kids-page/) of a bunch of science related learning activities for children to do. I scrolled through quickly since I was at work, but briefly saw a few that interested me. (The leprechaun rocks especially, which we will definitely be doing for St. Patrick's Day this year.) Yesterday I had to run a few errands, and since The Dollar Tree is close by, Jayden and I walked there as well to get a few crafty things and try to attempt something on the list. The "Valentine's Heart Fizzy Painting" seemed easy enough, and I wanted to see if he would enjoy it as much as I assumed he would.

After his nap I asked if he wanted to do some painting. *GASPS* PAINTING?! Meant yes, definitely. I had to adjust the instructions a little bit (which can be found here: http://www.giftofcuriosity.com/valentines-heart-fizzy-painting/ if you're interested) since I didn't have everything it called for on hand, but it worked out great and even cheaper than it would have been buying the recommended items. Since Jayden's attention span isn't the longest, I also cut down on the amount of paint we were using. Also we didn't do it as a Valentine's Day thing, though since he enjoyed it so much maybe we will revisit the activity on the 14th as well.

We used red solo cups to mix the paint. I let him choose three colors. He helped me by holding the cups (apparently the counter wasn't reliable enough) while I spooned a tablespoon of baking soda into each one. Afterward I put a teaspoon of paint into each cup. We took turns mixing the paint. It clumped up a lot more than I had anticipated, so I squeezed another bit of each color into their corresponding cups just to give it a better consistency.

Once they were mixed together we put newspaper on the floor and sat on top of it to paint. Regardless of the baking soda being necessary for this particular activity, it also helped prevent a few would-be spills when Jay scooped up too much or took too long going from cup to paper. This held his attention for a good 40 minutes or so, until he started painting himself more than the paper and we were running low on paint. At this point, I asked if he was ready to move on to "phase two" of our activity.

I poured two fingers of vinegar into a plastic cup, and gave him a tablespoon to scoop with. Then I told him to pour it over his pictures. I was met with a look of disbelief: mom, actually encouraging me to dump liquid? After a split second pause, he did it. We watched the paint fizz and expand, We listened to the sounds it made. We watched how the multiple pools of water moved and joined another to create a longer chain of bubbles. Jayden asked me for a refill, and I let him pour the small scoops until his papers were soggy and pictures were unrecognizable.

It could also be a good opportunity to occupy your toddler for a little while so you can get some cleaning/cooking/anything else you can never seem to find enough time to do, since it held his attention so completely. I was completely engaged during the painting portion since I am not too fond of scraping paint off the tile, but after about 15 minutes of watching him pour the vinegar I was able to tidy up the rest of the kitchen a bit. He continued to talk and tell me what he was doing, but wasn't at all upset that I wasn't completely engaged with him. However, I do not recommend you do this unless you trust your tot entirely, or are willing to clean up a painty, vinegary mess.

He had a ton of fun. I would highly recommend this as any "busy activity" for pretty much any small child. From start to finish, it probably lasted about an hour and a half.  Even though he wasn't able to really understand why it did what he did, I did my best to explain it to him anyway. We also talked about the different colors and shapes and textures. It was a good learning experience that didn't really seem like one at all. Plus it was nice bonding time for me, which I fear will happen less and less now that he's growing up and rapidly gaining his independence.

My 23rd!

January 5th, 2016 was my twenty-third birthday. Normally, I am not a fan of my birthdays. This year, however, I wanted to take Jayden to the snow. It would be his first time, and the first time in way too long for me.

I love the snow. Every single thing about it. The beauty. The cold. The way it feels and smells and falls from the sky and gathers on the ground. It's my favorite, obviously, and I wanted to share that with Jayden. So what better day than my birthday? Thankfully, Jesse was able to get a girl he works with to switch him days so we could all go together.

We woke up at our normal times, and left the house around 11:30. My boss suggested we go to Blue Canyon, so that's what we did. It took roughly an hour to get there, and for a while I was worried it was too warm (you know, being 40 degrees and all), but about 20 minutes from our destination I saw it. I don't think I could ever get sick of the snow. Scared to drive in it? Yes. Annoyed when I trip and fall? Yes. Want a small warm vacation every now and again? Yes. Wish I wasn't surrounded by it? Never. I would adore living in a place where it snowed regularly, instead of having to drive an hour minimum to get there. But, I digress.

The three of us were all a little hungry and there just so happened to be a Burger King in the parking lot across from us, so we got a snack before going out to play. Jayden looked freaking adorable in his three years too big snow pants, and somehow Jesse and I were warm enough or happy enough not to mind the moisture seeping into our clothing.

The best part? It was actually SNOWING. Like in the process of. I haven't been snowed on in as long as I can remember. Sure, it probably happened when I was younger and in Wisconsin for Christmas or something, but in my actual memories, I have no recollection of it. The little white flakes were all around us. I made Jayden stick out his tongue with me, and we caught the falling snowflakes on our tongues. (Maybe not the best decision in hindsight, seeing as he eventually picked up a handful and ate it, but oh well!)

We made snowmen (which Jayden promptly kicked or pushed over). We had snowball fights (where Jesse accidentally hit Jayden square in the face). We even loaded the bed of Jesse's truck up with some snow and brought it back home. It was a tradition he had when he was younger, so we wanted to do it for Jayden as well. Unfortunately the heavy rain on the drive home melted most of it, but there was still enough to make a small pile on our front lawn.

After about an hour we decided Jayden was probably secretly frozen to the bone (and already going to be late for his nap), so we called it a day and headed home.

After a short nap for Jay we went grocery shopping (super exciting, I know, but our cupboards were getting a bit bare and Jesse and I rarely have days off together). Before that, though, my mom and Donny stopped by to bring me a present and visit for a little while. It meant a lot that they stopped by to see me. And on the way home from Wal-Mart my wonderful sister texted me a picture of my birthday present and a little cake she had picked up for me on the way home. It was a super sweet surprise.

We had corned beef sandwiches (my favorite) and fries. Then cake for dessert. Kelly lit all 23 candles, and all three of them sang "Happy Birthday" to me.

It was a good day, and a good birthday.

It also made me realize that every day has the capability of being a good day. It wasn't a good day simply because we went to the snow or I got presents or any of that. It was a good day because I decided it was going to be. Jayden wasn't any less stubborn or argumentative. My house wasn't any cleaner. I didn't have more money or less worries. Nothing had changed that day except for me: waking up that morning determined to have a good day. So that's what I am trying to do every day.

Of course, I had this epiphany and then woke up January 6th after 5 hours of sleep to a crying baby who refused to go back to bed and then the two of us were grumpy and sleepy all day yesterday... hence why writing this blog was pushed to today.

But I'm not upset about that. I know not every day will be perfect. And I don't expect that. I have a two year old-- there's no such thing as a simple day with him involved. But I can do my part to be in a good mood. To not snap at him. To not expect more than he has to give. I can do my best to show him what people should act like, instead of expecting him to just know. Sometimes I get overwhelmed with the hassle of every day life, and I forget that I am in control of my situations; they don't control me.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Today was Jayden's third Thanksgiving. The first one he was only about a month old so he didn't really have a clue what was going on, and the second one he was barely one and basically wandered around stealing food from people. This year he was able to be much more involved.

Since Jayden, Kelly and I are all sickos we were politely shunned from our original Thanksgiving plans, so we had our own low-maintenance one at home. We stayed in our pajamas all day and basically just lounged around together.

Before Jayden's nap I wanted to do some Thanksgiving related crafts. After a quick Pinterest search I found one I liked: the Thankful Tree. After donning a few extra layers of clothing the two of us headed out to our backyard and started our search. We looked for some sticks and a handful of colorful leaves. Once we found them we brainstormed things that Jayden was thankful for. That was the hard part, believe it or not. I got the answer "cat" and "candy" a few dozen times. We explained a few times what "being thankful" meant, and eventually got a variety of answers. Each time he gave me an object I wrote it in sharpie on a leaf, then taped it to a branch. Once we were finished I place them all in a small coffee cup and placed it in the kitchen for everybody to look at.

Jayden's Thankful Tree listed the following: Candy, Cats, Pandora, Dump Trucks, Mom, Dad, Kelly and Nature (which was really just "leaves" but I took the liberty of changing that one). I thought it was a cute idea and I will be continuing it into the future. I am interested to see how his list will differ throughout the years.

Once Jay woke up from his nap he helped Kelly prepare a baked ziti dish for dinner. Since none of us are fans of turkey and we weren't really up to cooking a full Thanksgiving meal (or even a scaled back one, to be honest) it was the perfect simple dish. The Packers played tonight so Kelly prepped it beforehand and put it in the fridge until we were hungry later on.

Jesse was able to leave work a little bit early tonight, which was a huge change from last year when they were busy prepping for the ridiculously early Black Friday sales and dealing with all the madness that includes. He surprised us by being able to hang out and watch the game at home.

Since Jayden and I don't care much for football, we did some more crafts to pass the time. I figured handprint turkeys were both a staple of Thanksgiving, and simple for prep and clean up. After we went on a paint collecting hunt around the house, we sat down in the living room with the others and began smearing paint onto his hands. I had to remind him more than a few times to "keep your hands straight" and "don't touch anything", but somehow we got a few good handprints without getting paint all over ourselves and the furniture.

We played a bit more-- doing random things to entertain ourselves and keep him out of Kelly and Jesse's hair while they were watching the game. Once our paint had dried we drew little faces on the turkeys. Jayden seemed excited enough to be allowed to cover any part of himself with paint, but besides that he probably wasn't too interesting or comprehending of what we were actually doing. I explained a bit but it probably went in one ear and out the next. I, however, have no complaints. Pretty much every day I beg him to do something crafty with me and almost always get a resounding "no". I was just thankful to have any sort of willingness on his behalf.

As a surprise last night Kelly bought two small pies, so after we ate dinner we had dessert: apple for Kelly and Jesse, and pumpkin for me. Since she's the best big sister ever and all, I also had a heaping portion of whipped cream to go with it. (Fun side note: Two years old may be slightly too young to spray whipped cream into your child's mouth. I thought Jayden would find it funny so I sprayed a tiny bit out of the can into his mouth and he looked at me with wide, panicked eyes before spitting out his entire mouthful. With a combination of mom and fat-kid reflexes, I caught some on my hand. Once I assured him I wasn't going to spray any more, I convinced him to lick a bit off my fingers and he loved it.) Somehow without having a multiple course meal, I still managed to completely stuff myself.

Although I do wish we could have spent the day with the rest of our family, ultimately it was a nice, comfortable Thanksgiving with the people I am most thankful for on a daily basis.

Happy Birthday, baby.

I am officially the mother of a two-year-old. Yesterday was Jayden's second birthday. Because we already had a party for Jayden a few days ago, plus the three of us are working our way through being sick, Jesse and I decided to have a family day to celebrate.

Jay has always loved the water, so we chose to take him to see the ocean. Jayden woke up around ten so we did our normal routine: cleaned up the house a bit (me), ate some grapes (Jayden), played outside (the three of us), drank some coffee (Jesse), etc. Then we got dressed and packed and headed out. Unfortunately there aren't many beaches nearby to choose from, so we settled on San Francisco. The traffic wasn't bad at all and we ended up making it in only about an hour and a half. Once we got there we ate lunch and then walked down to the ocean. As we had hoped, Jayden loved it.

He ran back and forth to the waves and the shore. He picked up fistfulls of sand and threw it into the ocean. We built sand castles and dug holes. He fell in the water and thought it was hysterical, and even asked for it to happen again. We all held hands. We put our footprints in the sand. We had fun. We enjoyed each other's company. Ultimately we were only in the water for about an hour or so since Jayden was now soaking wet and it was pretty chilly out. So we cleaned up to the best of our ability, changed our clothes, and walked around the shops for a little while. Jayden picked out a small cable car ornament to get as a keepsake, then we headed back to the car.

The drive back took much, much longer than we anticipated. Traffic was pretty much stop and go for about half the drive. He slept for about an hour since we postponed his nap (which he takes every single day at 2 o'clock) to four. Once he woke up, he was not a happy camper. Eventually the traffic cleared up a bit and we were able to make it to Applebees. It is one of my favorite restaurants, and since there isn't an open one nearby yet Jesse brought us there. Thankfully it was relatively empty and we were able to have our dinner and even some dessert for Jayden.

Our server brought out a miniature sundae complete with candle, which Jay blew out all on his own. He then ate the entire sundae, minus about two bites that he kindly shared with Jesse. It was more sugar than he has had in probably his entire life, and definitely more than he has ever had in one sitting.

Once we got home he was still a tad crazy, but we opened up the rest of his presents from Jesse and me, and then settled into his bedtime routine.

It was a pretty low key day, and I am thankful. I was happy to spend it with my little family since we rarely get a chance to all be together for extended periods of time. Throughout the day I would ask Jayden if he was having a good day, and he would tell me his favorite parts. For most of the day it was "fell in the ocean", but after dinner that changed to "ate ice cream".

My little baby is growing up into an amazing little boy. He is kind and infuriating and spunky. He is smart and stubborn and sassy. He is my best friend, and I am having a wonderful time watching him grow up.

Jayden's 2nd Birthday Party!

Yesterday my mom threw an amazing party for Jayden's second birthday. Most of the people who will read this blog have already seen the pictures we have all flooded Facebook with so I will make this a quick recap.

Last year we decided to throw his party on his actual birthday, but not everybody was able to make it since it was during the week. This year my mom offered, so we chose a Sunday because that would work for most people.

Most of both of our families were able to make it which was great. My father and his girlfriend came, along with Jesse's mom and grandmother and his two nephews. Donny and a lot of his family was there as well. Not only that, but two of our friends from work were able to make it out also. It was wonderful having everybody around at the same time. Our family and friends were able to interact with each other and got to know each other a little better, and Jayden had tons of love coming his way. It was such a great experience for me to see him so happy and interacting with everybody. Even though he can be shy and a little withdrawn at first, he always comes out of his shell and I love seeing him proudly show off for everybody.

Everybody got him incredible presents and we have had such a great time playing with them so far. He is an incredibly spoiled, and very lucky kid.

Mom went all out for the party. It was absolutely adorable. She chose a construction theme, and found a ton of things to decorate her house with. Kelly went up there the night before and they spent most of Sunday setting up for it.

Mom even made a cake that looked like a digging site. Even if Donny did question why there was a "hole missing", most people seemed delighted by it; I know I was.

We had a plethora of food and there was something for even the pickiest of us to eat (meaning mostly me and Jayden). Being the wonderful mom she is, she even made me my own deviled eggs with no mustard and burgers cooked to everybody's individual preferences.

Even if Jayden's favorite part of the party was probably that his pig friends were able to make it, I appreciate all the trouble that my mom went through prepping for it. I know that she enjoyed it as well, which made it even better seeing her so excited.

I am so thankful that I have such incredible family and friends who love my son as much as they do.