Stylin' and Profilin'

Yesterday we went to Champaign to shop, which is a HUGE event in our house.  The last time all 3 of us went somewhere other than Bloomington to shop was this time last year.  Jacob wore his new sweatshirt and polo- and popped the collar!  He also wore the black Nikes that Aunt Rachael and Uncle Garret got him for Christmas. 

It's interesting now that when we go out, instead of planning my outfit in advance, I plan HIS outfit.  I kind of have issues with this because I don't want to look like someone's ugly mother, but if there is only time for one of us to look good, I would rather it be him. 

At the mall, we ran into a former co-worker- and very good friend- of mine who reminded me that when we first met several years ago, I gave her a hard time over all of the money she spent on her daugher, an only child.  She gleefully pointed out to me that I was now doing the same thing!  Busted. 

Further proof that we're busted.  This is Jacob eating Frank's ice cream.

Little boys' clothes have been a learning experience for me.  I've come to the conclusion that it's difficult for me to buy clothes for him because I think the clothes should suit his personality, and his personality is still changing..  For instance, the clothes in Gymboree right now are cute, but Frank and I agreed that they just don't look like him.  I'm a member of www.zulily.com but I have yet to buy anything, mostly because his size is always sold out by the time I check the site.  We have the best luck right now at Old Navy and The Children's Place. 

Mamas of little girls have nothing on me, because when boys clothes are cute, they are CUTE!  We found some cammo pants, polos, and t-shirts yeterday, so Jacob is getting a jump on his spring wardrobe. 

Speaking of spring, after the mall we went to Prairie Gardens, one of my favorite places on earth, and I found this:

This is a lipstick plant that blooms in Thai pink!  Love!  The blossoms actually look like little tubes of lipstick, and I am so excited for it to bloom. I'll be sure to post a picture so you can see it. 

Hope you had a great weekend!

Behind the Scenes

Lest anything think it's all fun and cupcakes around here, there is a bunch of stuff that goes on behind the scenes, as it does in every home, that I don't blog about.  And won't blog about.  Because honestly, who wants to read it? 

However, in case you need a good dose of "behind the scenes", I will list some of the "blech" things that have happened this week.

1.  I hope this isn't on the top of my list for the next 15 years, but my child is a lousy eater.  He would be fine if I let him eat ice cream and pasta for every meal, but I just can't do it.  (Stubborn Jacob, meet your Stubborn Mama)  He eats some sort of grain, fruit, veggie, and protein each day, but it is a tremendous struggle.  Mealtimes around here are not fun.  I worry that he will be malnourished and little;  I worry that he will have food issues when he grows up.  I spend so much time thinking about what he eats and how to get him to eat more, that this really should be its own blog post. 

2.  The fact that, with the exception of two pairs, all of my socks have holes.  Easily fixable, but I keep forgetting to pick up socks whenever I'm out. 

3.  On Monday night, Frank and I were watching TV after we put Jacob to bed.  We heard a weird, scratchy thump which I promptly blamed on the cat.  After hearing the noise again and finding the cat asleep, I calmly asked Frank to see if there was something in the basement.  It turns out, a mouse had fallen into the basement window well and was not happy about being trapped there.  Mice = My biggest fear.  Even though it was NOT in the house and logically I knew there was NO way it could get in, I proceeded to have a major meltdown and had nightmares about mice all night.  It died of cold during the night, and Frank thew it out in the morning.  It was Very Very Scary. 

Yikes.  I'm still freaked out.  Anybody want to go back to seeing pictures of Jacob now?  Thought so. 

TGIF!

Blizzard '11

Well, we got the blizzard they were forecasting. It brought 13 inches of snow, but the worst part was the wind- the wind was insane! We spent most of Tuesday preparing to be snowed in on Wednesday.

We bought flashlights, which turned out to be fascinating new toys.

We baked cupcakes. (Note to self: having a 1 year old help with cupcake-baking is less charming than it sounds.) Jacob thought the cupcake liners should be part of the batter, and I couldn't convince him otherwise.

We cleaned the house.

I'm especially proud of how he knows to clean in the corners! :)

We did all the laundry and made some beef and noodles and then just watched the snow.

Not sure if you can see them, but those better be the tracks of sweet, fluffly little bunnies because those are the ONLY kind of creature that I want in my yard!

I was just sure we were going to lose power, so I turned up the thermostat, thinking it would make the house nice and toasty before the electricity went out. The wind was so strong, though, that it was coming through the windows. At one point during the evening, the temp in the house was 66 degrees!

The best part of the blizzard was that Frank got a snow day- the first he has had in 11 years of working! The timing was great, because it allowed me to work on Wednesday like usual.

On Wednesday evening, we made snow ice cream... why have I never made this before? It was so easy and sooo good! Jacob loved it!

....Ok, off-topic, but we've been calling that the Kermit face.  See the resemblance? 

Ha!

Think Spring

With all the snow forecasted, I'm trying to find my happy place by thinking about Spring. It's February, so it really isn't that far off, even if the weather doesn't agree. So today, I'm focused on...

and

(red, of course)

And how about a cute little sundress?

(Anthropologie)

Oh, and Easter decorations! Since Easter is so late this year, not much is in the stores yet, but I did find some cute stuff at Pottery Barn...

Who doesn't need Easter egg vase filler? I am a sucker for the Easter chicks and bunnies and sweet little pastel decorations. What about this as a centerpiece

(PB Kids)

with these cute little plates:

(Pottery Barn)

Love, love, love. Ok, snow, bring it on. I'm moved past you, and I'm ready for Spring!

STL Recap

On Saturday morning, we left for a quick weekend getaway to St. Louis.  Jacob thought he needed to wear his Cardinals hat for the occasion!

We met Grandma Anna and Grandpa Gary at Zia's on The Hill for some lunch.  After that, we went to the Magic House. 

Balloons on the ceiling as you enter the Magic House

It was a great place for Jacob to be able to run around and explore!  His favorite exhibit by far was this garden, and he was particularly interested in the carrots. 

Future farmer, perhaps? 

He also liked all of the trucks and got to meet Bob the Builder.

They had a real Bob the Builder, but my picture with him didn't turn out very well, so you'll have to settle for this picture.



There was also a ball pit that was a big hit.  Guess who likes to look at himself in the mirror? :)

After that, we made a quick stop at Pottery Barn and said goodbye to Grandma and Grandpa.  We were exhausted when we got to the hotel, so we decided not to get out again.  We ordered pizza and then went swimming! 

Showing off his new swimming trunks!

All smiles!

Jacob LOVES the water!  We splashed and played Mama Shark/Baby Shark and Daddy Shark/Baby Shark (Fortunately, we had the pool to ourselves- there was a lot of silliness going on!).  I'm making a mental note to buy water wings for the next time we're in the pool.  Aparently, having your parents hold on to you is beneath him. 

Not much was open on Sunday, but we made a couple of stops before we went to lunch at Flannery's Pub.  Great food but no high chair so it made for a interesting lunch..  (In my head, I was hearing the line from Sweet Home Alabama, "You have a baby... in a bar...") 

This was my entertainment on the way home:

Little Baby Stevie Wonder!

As we were leaving, we heard about a huge snowstorm coming our way in the next few days.  Fingers crossed that it misses us!!

Books and Brooms and Stairs- Oh My!

Lately, Jacob wants to play with "real" things- the TV remote still being one of his favorites.  He loves throwing things out of kitchen drawers and playing with plastic containers, spoons, and pans.  It's like a little tornado hitting the kitchen.  We do have some cabinets locked, but most childproofing requires drilling a hole in or putting adhesive on the cabinet, and I'm not willing to do that-  yet.  Here he is in all of his tornado-glory...

Fortunately, he will sit still for stories.  He loves to be read to!  I think reading is so important, and I hope he always enjoys books.  For Christmas, he received a St. Louis Cardinals book from Aunt Rachael and Uncle Garett, the kind that has pictures and words like, "Busch Stadium."  Adorable, but way above his head, right?  Nope!  It's a new favorite, and I have to admit, I've learned some stuff about the Cardinals! 

Notice the bare feet?!

Another new favorite book is Starry Sky Songs, a Sesame Street book that my Uncle Art and Aunt Susie bought for him.  It plays music, so of course, he's obsessed. 

Despite his destructive tendancies, he does like to help me clean.  (Finally, an area where he takes after me!) He dusts and vaccuums like a pro!  For the last few days, he's been walking around wtih a child-sized broom that Grandpa Gary and Grandma Anna bought for him.  Unfortunately, I don't have a picture of him with his broom yet, but soon- promise. 

Yesterday it was all about the stairs.  He's been crawling up the stairs since summer but has only recently learned to slide down.  Then he discovered that if he crawls up a few stairs, he can turn on the lights in the stairway.  He knows he can get our attention if he starts climbing the stairs...

There's never a dull moment!

Numero Uno

Everyone has been telling me I need to start a blog.  I love reading blogs because they give me ideas and inspiration on kids, home, and- um, which TV shows I should be watching- but I've never really had the time to devote to a blog.  I'm still not sure I have the time to devote to a blog. 

Then I thought about all of the stuff Jacob says and does (well, mostly does... he's not much of a talker) on a daily basis and realized I will never remember this if I don't write it down somewhere.  And ya'll  know he doesn't have a baby book; nobody remembers when he started crawling or cut his first tooth.  We were kind of too busy living it to write it all down. 

So here's to the beginning of a fun, informative blog, and a glimpse into Our Normal Days...!