MAN COLD!

Does your husband act as though the world is coming to an end with the sniffles?

Does he act as though the strain of the "sniffles" he got is worse than anyone else in the house?

Does he moan and groan until he's blue in the face? (or until you are blue in the face)

If you answered yes to more than one of these questions above, then your man could be suffering or has suffered from what is called THE MAN COLD.

What is it with men and colds or any sickness? I just don't understand. There must be some sort of genetic mutation that causes men not to be able to handle a case of the sniffles as well as a normal human being.

I've told Kevin that if the baby isn't fussy, then he can't be either.

Do you dread your husband getting sick more than your own children?

I do. 


No, really, I do. If my husband has a cold, it is not unlikely that I hear about it less than 20 times per hour. You know, comments such as "My snot is less" or "I am not sneezing as much" or "I think I am losing my voice" or "I have only blown my nose 2,324 times today" or "I am going to get some ice cream to soothe my throat" - the complete play by play of the disease  illness - almost like you were watching a football game - Every.Single.Detail. 

As I type this post, I am reading it to my husband. He is not pleased. But it is the truth. I am sure we have all fell victim to THE MAN COLD. Ya just gotta laugh.

Why is it the mothers have to suck it up, continue to run a household, but the men get stopped cold in their tracks. Laying on the couch moaning and groaning, expecting to be waited on hand and foot because they have a little runny nose? Or love to talk about just how horrid they feel?

Okay, Okay. Maybe I am being a bit overly dramatic...or maybe I am not. But, the truth is, men handle sickness a lot different than us women.

You see. Our kids have had a little cold over the last week. Nothing horrible, thankfully, but the last day or two, Kevin has seemed to acquired this disease "cold" from the kids.....and I have had a bit of a runny nose and sneezy today. Kevin has mentioned it a few times today, but just now he told me he didn't realize I also had been "suffering" from the same exact cold.

Ah. Man cold.

I am not a fan. Are you?

Little Valentines

The last few days have all been about "celebrating". On Monday, it was my birthday....ugh, 33. It's really starting to pinch a little, and yesterday, Valentines. But, I take solace in knowing Kevin is several years older than I am...so, it doesn't quite hurt as bad.

Me and my crew on my birthday

Kevin made my cake!!! Impressed? Yes, I was.  We only had those candles...sure, I'll pretend to be 22, but he was nice and wrote "33" on the back side of the candle! 

Kevin and I aren't really big Valentines people, so on Sunday night we had a date night to kill two birds with one stone - my birthday dinner and a valentines dinner. We went to this European restaurant in search of good Spanish tapas - we left fairly disappointed, but it was just nice to get out, have quiet conversation without kids. I joke around with Kevin saying he gets off easy because he can "group" Valentines and my birthday together - thanks to my parents for screwing me from getting two distinct days all to myself ;)

My birthday was quiet, but nice. Kevin took the day off, and the girls really wanted to go to the American Girl store. Yipeeeeeeeeeeeee! Exactly what I wanted to do on my birthday, but at this point, watching the smiles on their faces was good enough for me, birthdays aren't about me anymore really.... We had lunch and Churros out, and enjoyed a nice dinner together - we saved the big dinner for Valentines!

Valentines day was a great day! Usually on Tuesdays we do "Tidy Up Tuesday" before gymnastics class, but instead, the girls made valentines for all the kids in their gymnastics class, I guess my messy house can wait, and honestly, I'll take any excuse I can make up not to clean my house. Mairead and Lilah were so excited to pass them out to everyone! The kids were all decked out in their pinks and reds and looked so freakin' adorable. I love that they're finally getting why we are celebrating these little "holidays"!  While the big girls were at gymnastics, I took Clara and Callum out and got our fondue, lobsters, filet mignon, steamers (clams), dessert and of course, wine! This is our 2nd year that we celebrate Valentines night as a family and make a special dinner together. It's a lot of fun for everyone.

I couldn't wait for dinner! The big girls chowed down on their steamers and Kevin and I loved the fondue. As much as our kids love cheese, they don't like fondue???? I think they must be crazy!?! They are stuffing themselves with CLAMS but will not eat cheese and bread??? Weird. The lobster was fab, wait, everything was just oh, so good!

Callum just loves his sisters. In this photo, Clara was making Callum laugh hysterically! 

My favorite things! For surviving parenthood...

So, I thought it might be fun to do a "favorite" things post to highlight a few (lifesaving) things I think make my life easier with four kids who ultimately rule my life...



1. Kangaroo Korner Pouch - unfortunately, they've gone out of business (I do not know why...). I will be honest, I almost cried when I found out they had closed. We've been using their fleece and cotton pouches since our oldest was 7 months old. So, you can't buy a new Kangaroo Korner pouch, but I highly suggest buying an adjustable pouch if you can find it, and if you can find a fleece one, grab it! The pouch is ideal for the wee ones - easy to keep warm, snuggly and very easy to nurse in, too. Once they get a bit older, the hip carry is one of my favorites. Baby wearing for me didn't start in full force until my 2nd daughter was born, then it was an absolute necessity for reasons I could go on and on for. I am on the search for a pouch that is as amazing and high quality as these ones were for us! Let me know if you find one or know of one!

2. Ergo Baby Carrier - by far one of my favorite, life saving items. If you are a mom, then you must purchase one of these. I've had my original one since Mairead (purchased in early 2007) and now onto our 4th child, it is still in perfect condition with lots and lots of life left in it. It has made shopping with my four kids by myself easier than you can imagine. The ability to carry a child on my back gives me the opportunity to do things like clean my house, shop, go for walks, hike, etc. I don't use the hip carry very often - I use my pouch for that, but have friends who do, and say it's great! I would say the ergo is ideal for babies 5 months and older unless you have an infant insert! I have used the baby bjorn (very briefly with baby #1) and honestly, I found it very uncomfortable once baby hit about 10lbs, and I don't think the baby looks that comfortable just hanging there. With the ergo, I've carried my 2-3 year old toddlers on my back before quite comfortably, actually!




3. Aden + Anais Muslin Wraps - Having worked as a labor & delivery nurse before kids, I swaddled like a pro, which was a lifesaving ability having children who loved swaddling. After three kids, I was always on the look out for a lightweight, stretchy swaddle blanket for my babies, especially since all four of them were obsessed with being swaddled! I heard of Aden + Anais and thought it would be a great thing to try! And let me tell you, I wish I had learned of these before my forth child. They are awesome! They are big, lightweight, stretchy, breathable and cute! These are even great if you have a spring/summer baby who is loving swaddling but you're afraid baby will get overheated - not with these! Go check them out!

4. Brookstone white noise machine - I don't know about you, but my kids have turned me into a white noise junky. With our 2nd daughter, Lilah, she was an amazing sleeper, but it had to be quiet. She didn't want to hear a thing. At first, we used a fan, but then, it didn't seem loud enough. So, I did a little research and came across this one. Now, we are still using the same one with our 4th child. It is great because it is compact, and works with a plug or with batteries, which is great for traveling! It has white noise and various other "baby soothing" sounds. The price is a little steep ($69) but, it has worked very well for our family, and we've used it for 3/4 of our children, and has traveled all over the place with us! I'd surely say we've gotten our money worth out of this!

5. Zutano Cozie Booties - I am not quite sure how I missed the boat on this product. After Clara was born, my parents had given a pink pair. I had never seen them before, but I knew they would be just perfect since she was a small infant in the winter in Maine, these were probably the best thing anyone had given Clara. They are soft. Cozy. and they stay on....and most importantly, they keep the tootsies nice and warm! They are machine washable, and they come out super soft and clean! I had always used robeez, but these I have to say are far superior to them, and they just look comfortable! Now with baby #4, zutano cozie booties are an absolute must. Callum has a pair of brown and creme, and he wears them everyday. No joke. I am also a fan of zutano because they are a Vermont based company that takes pride in good products. My children have worn zutano clothing and it is always high quality, comfortable clothing. The one thing I wish they would do is add some non-slip grips to the bottom of the bigger booties for the new walkers and walkers!

6. Britax B-Ready Double Stroller - Strollers are one of those things I have a love hate relationship with. Being a huge advocate of attachment parenting, I am not a huge stroller person, but with four kids who are all close in age, and a mamma who prefers to be on the go, a good, easily maneuverable double stroller is vital to a successful outing! We started life off with the Zooper Tango double, and that was just not good. It was hard to steer, it was hard to shop with, and storage was difficult. Then, we saw this one. I ordered it after reading great reviews (I never even laid hands on it before purchasing), and I have to say, all the reviews were right. It is a great double stroller! It can be pushed with one hand, it's like having a single stroller, but easily suits two children with ample storage space! It is a bit heavy, but it folds very easily. I love the versatility with this stroller, allowing Callum (the baby) to face forward to me or face outward. The big girls love to sit in the "jump" seat as we call it. The fabric is easily cleaned. The storage is big enough to store one of my kids. This stroller is awesome in a mall or any tight spaces, it really is like using a single stroller. I get stopped frequently by people asking what I thought of it, and honestly, I think it is great as far as strollers are concerned. Of course, there are negatives, but there are negatives with every stroller I have owned, but the positives far outweigh the negatives. I will be honest though, there were a few little "annoying" problems, like the back wheels squeaking, so I called customer service and Britax and without any serious questioning, new wheels were in the mail - free. Then, the jump seat wouldn't close, all I had to do was send in a photo, and the wheels still squeaked, so what did Britax do?? They sent me a completely brand new stroller and jump seat! We've had the new one since September, and we haven't had a single issue with it. So, A+ for customer service from Britax! So, if you're like me, and hate to drop a pretty penny on things like strollers, have no fear, because you know Britax is going to stand by their product 100%.



Stay tuned for more reviews of lifesaving products and a few other fun things I have in store for my blog - this could get exciting!

A Lesson: Making others feel good

Today we visited a local assisted living facility with other homeschoolers. We all made our own valentines and handed them out to the residents of the facility.

Growing up, my mom worked as a nurse at a nursing home. I used to love volunteering there and spending time with the residents. I have fond memories of the many people I met during that time, and I remember always leaving feeling good about myself. When I found out about the opportunity to bring our girls into a facility, I jumped. I love the elderly, and I feel like there is nothing like watching them interact with the little ones.

This afternoon, me and the big girls (Lilah & Mairead) made some valentines for the residents. Kevin was able to come home a little early so I didn't have to drag Callum and Clara with us - though I know the residents would have thoroughly enjoyed them, too. I didn't want the little ones to take away from the big girls first experience.

Before we left, I sat down and explained to Mairead where we were going. They were a little confused, but I knew they would enjoy their experience. When we arrived, the faces of the residents lit up when they saw all the children (about 10) all their just to hand out valentines. We watched their faces light up, and some were just so delighted that we were there to spend time with them.

We walked around the facility to see if there was anyone we missed. We came across this one woman who was so delighted to see our children. When I told her why we were there, she had a big smile on her face, and started to tear up as she said how thoughtful we all were for coming, and thanked us for making her day. Another women told Mairead that our visit was the highlight of her day and she would hang all of her valentines on her board in her room. Anther told her just how much our visit meant to her as "we don't get special visitors like this" very much. Who doesn't feel good after hearing things like this?

As we said our goodbyes and walked out, I asked the girls what they thought. Mairead said she really enjoyed it. I asked her why. And her response?

"because I made people smile..."

Yes, Mairead. That is why we are here. To make others feel good and do good to others.

And this is what life is all about. Giving. Making people feel good. Because in turn, it makes us feel good.

And these are the things that I really enjoy about homeschooling our children. Life lessons that truly make an impact.

10

Today, our sweet, amazingly strong little Callum John is 10 months old. And boy, has he come a long, long way!

I am so not ready to sing Happy Birthday to our little boy. It just does not seem feasible he could be only two months shy of his very first birthday. And honestly, I am not ready to relive all those sad moments we had, and how I still wish I could have those first few hours of his birth back again without all those scary moments. I still yearn for those 'newborn moments' I was able to have with our girls. Holding them, nursing them and staring at them well into the night when I should be sleeping but can't. I don't want to relive all those scary feelings all over again, and I will try not to think about the bad things, but the good things, the amazing things, like how he is growing and developing into a normal little boy. He continues to remind us how strong he is in every way of the word.

I am not going to dwell into the past and think about the negative. I need to look at our boy today and think of how very lucky we are to have him with us as healthy and feisty as he possibly could be. I want to act so very thankful to each and every person who prayed for our family, helped our family in one of the most difficult moments emotionally for our family, and it is because of Callum that we were shown the true meaning of family and friendship.

Today, Callum continues to be the easiest going baby. He is happy and smiling every day (even after a little stomach bug we all had, he'd puke, look at me, and go back to sleep). He loves to snuggle, loves his mamma and loves to explore all the new surroundings independently. He is crawling, sometimes on all fours, but with all the wood floors, it is difficult for him because he slides. He can pull himself up pretty much anywhere. He is not really into his exersaucer anymore, as he does not want to be confined. He.Is.Everywhere. I am having to vacuum and scour the floor for small pieces of whatever may be found every second of the day - have I mentioned how much I hate crawling???  He can get into a sitting position from a crawl, and can sit on his knees like a big boy. He seeks out his big sisters more and more, trying to find where they are, and starting to spend more time in the room they are in. After all, they are much more exciting than I am!

And if this trait doesn't scream BOY, I am not sure what does - He cannot be held by me without him sticking his hand down my shirt. I am not sure if this is a boy thing or what, but his big sisters never did this. He loves them. And he will even squeeze them multiple times when he is really wanting to nurse and he can squeeze HARD. He loves to nurse, but has also taken a lovin' to table food, too. He is eating two full meals per day, and starting with a small snack at lunch time in the last few days. He loves fruits of all kinds, eggs, waffles and yogurt for breakfast, and will eat pretty much anything for dinner - steak, chicken, fish, pasta, you name it - he loves it. He loves to drink out of a cup, too. Will scream and smack his lips if he sees me or anyone near him drinking from a cup. Orange juice? He loves it.

His sleeping waxes and wanes - and I am getting ready for him to nurse less and sleep more at night! He takes one really good nap in
the afternoon, about 2.5-3hrs, sometimes a cat nap in the morning, but those are becoming less and less. He is asleep before 8pm at night, and will wake up anywhere from 12am-2am - I am a much happier mamma when it is 2am, and not 12am. He will usually be up around 4-6am, and then for the day around 730-8am. I can't complain. He can put himself to sleep, he loves his cribby and he is a very happy, easy baby....so for now, I will be patient. After all, he won't be a baby forever...I am trying to enjoy all of these baby moments with him...

He has no teeth and no signs of any, but, I know it could be anytime. The girls were between 10-13months when they got their first teeth. He loves to play outside and be wheeled around in his little tykes car. He loves to swing at the playground. And he loves to dance! I joke around with Kevin that Callum will be our "tiny dancer" ;)!  He isn't saying mamma yet, but he is really close - he can say baba and babbles a lot, just no mamma or dadda yet. The girls said mamma first. He loves to clap at himself and at his sisters when they're swimming, and has just started signing 'more', too! He is changing so fast. He is starting to look more and more like a little toddler than an infant. I am not ready to not have a baby in the house...So not ready...

One of those days

Today was one of those days.

You know...where everyone gets together. The kids behave. And we are all enjoying each others company. I wish all days could be as good as today! 

Mairead having a blast! 

This morning we got dressed and headed out for a drive to the Algonkian Playground. Before we hit the swings and slides, we drove around the park to see the countless deer roaming the area. The girls love to see the deer roaming around in their habitat. Mairead says "Mom! I can tell that one is a girl because it does not have a p.e.n.i.s!" 

Yep. Never mind that it doesn't have antlers ;)

Here is SuperCAL on the swing! He didn't like it or anything ;)

After our little exploration, we hit the playground. We were the only ones there. It was peaceful. The sky was a deep February blue. The sun was warm. And the air a little brisk. 

Clara & Callum on the swings

Callum and Clara had a blast on the swings together. It was Callum's first time on playground swings and he giggled every time he was pushed! 

Cutie pa-tootie Lilah

The girls played happily together for well over an hour. I wish we had brought our lunch because the kids did not want to leave! 

Stair Jumping! 

After we arrived home. The girls had a picnic lunch outside. And Lilah finally figured out how to start on her own with riding a two wheeler! She has been riding two wheels since fall, but has been struggling to start solo - but she's doing it! She also learned how to stop, which is pretty important around here with the hills! 

Monkey'n Around

Then we came in, had a rest, and did a little bit of school! Mairead was super focused today and did great with her telling time and counting coins worksheets. Lilah did an awesome job with her cutting and sorting activity, too! 

Beautiful February Sky

Now, us girls are sitting on the couch watching a video on Valentines day enjoying a little quiet time before we head off to swim school later! 

Homemade chicken soup for babies

When Mairead was starting off on solids, she refused anything pureed. She insisted she feed herself. So, after a few frustrating weeks of figuring out what to feed a 7 month old who refused anything pureed, I stumbled upon the baby led weaning approach to introducing solid foods.

As a first time mom, I was amazed that babies this young could eat anything and everything without ever buying a jar of baby food. It was so cool! But it seriously works. No joke.

One of Mairead's favorite foods to eat when she was little (under 1) was chicken soup. It was the only thing she would let me feed her with a spoon! I was new at making homemade chicken soup, but I thought it was the perfect meal for when Kevin and I were having something that didn't suit her well enough (which was a rare event) or when Kevin and I had soup, but wanted to use bigger ingredients or different ingredients.

Now, three babies later, the baby led approach is the way we start our littles on solid food. No purees. No baby food maker. Nothing. And it is easy. And they love it. To this day, our kids eat anything and everything. At 10 months, Callum has no troubles eating any kind of meat, fish or steak.

The other night, we cooked an Organic roaster chicken. I bought an additional bone-in breast because I was going to make some homemade soup, and this time, I would be making a separate soup for Callum. Cooking a roaster chicken is great because it is cost efficient and if you plan it right, can make several more meals.

For us, I never make a separate broth for the baby. They get everything we do - basil, garlic, rosemary, pepper and all the good stuff in the broth. Nothing like starting early with developing a taste for all different things. No bland food for our little fairies and prince! Who likes bland food anyways!?!?

I boil the carcass for several hours. You can either put it in the fridge or freeze to make another day or do it once it cools. Turn off the heat and let the broth cool down. Once that happens, I separate the broth from all the meat, mirapox (Trader Joe's brand that has celery, onion and carrots) and seasonings. I take several cups of broth and put it into a smaller pot for Callum's soup, and the rest of the broth is for us. Depending on how "strong" the broth is, I may or may not add a little bit of water.

When our babies first start eating soup about 7 months, I will shred the chicken very fine, and sometimes will put all the veggies into a food processor to really get them tiny, but not pureed. Now, Callum is about 10 months old, and I will just dice them up for him. Once they cook, they'll get super soft, so they'll be perfect. As they get older, it's the perfect meal for them to attempt to eat with a spoon. It's mushy, and perfect for little spoons.

Going through broth for chicken

Small chunks of chicken

I will put the remainder of the chicken into our broth.

Once the chicken is done, I will get together my veggies. Today, I am using carrots, summer squash, zucchini, sweet potato and peas. The possibilities are endless here. Sometimes I'll use regular potatoes, or whatever you can think of, add it. Just make sure you have enough broth to support the amount of veggies/extras you put in.

Diced veggies - squash, zucchini & carrots (peas & sweet potatoes added next)

Cook the veggies until they are nice and soft for baby. Once the veggies are super soft, add the pasta.

Chicken with veggies in the broth

For the pasta part, I use pastina, orzo or star pasta that is really tiny. I use about 3/4 of a cup. Don't use too much or it will leave you with no broth! Once the kiddos get a bit older and eat the "adult" soup, I will use tortellini or egg noodles.

Soup cooking with the pasta & veggies

Once it is all cooked up, I will let it cool a bit. I have the glad tupperware containers that are the perfect "baby food jar" size. I will separate the soup into these containers, cover them up and throw them in the freezer! With the older kiddos, I like to use the bigger containers, like lunch size ones, and freeze them.

They are perfect for those nights you order pizza, go out to dinner or are having a meal that doesn't quite suit baby or kids (which is not very often in our house)!

And if you're looking to sneak some veggies into your toddlers, make the soup, and just really puree different veggies into the broth so they don't even know they are there. Our girls are not big potato/sweet potato fans, so I will mash up the potatoes super soft, and voila! The vegetables disappear and They love the soup.

Surely not the model parent

I am surely not the poster parent for safe sleeping.

Here is Callum sleeping like a baby in his crib.

Yes. There is a crib bumper. And yes, I've heard the memo.

Yes. There is a blanket. Yep, heard about that memo, too.

And Yes. His face is planted firmly into his 'lil pup. Never wake a sleeping baby, right?

Please. Don't report me. And I may or may not be the person to ask for sleeping advice :)

Adult Decisions...

Sometimes being an adult isn't that much fun. And sometimes making adult decisions isn't any fun either. And sometimes no matter which decision you make it won't be the right one. And I hate having to choose between which crappy decision is best.

If you remember back to my posts last spring and summer,  Kevin and I went through a period where we considered staying in Maine while Kevin worked in DC. But after everything we went through with Callum and then the ease of renting out our home, we thought we should be together and move. And so we did.

We've been here in Virginia for six months and I have to say we regret our decision to move to Virginia. Kevin and I are both unhappy. We miss our home. We miss our life there. It's just not the same. We feel as though we are not truly enjoying life here in Virginia, and no matter how busy we are, no matter what we are doing, it just isn't good enough. And to all my Virginia friends who may read this, we love you, and appreciate all that you have and continue to do for us. We love spending time with you, but we miss our home.

When we moved to Maine in 2008 we didn't realize what living there would do for us. Kevin and I found ourselves there. We found a place we believed in for our family - it defined us. We were incredibly happy there in all aspects of our life and our children thrived happily there and so did we. We were welcomed by the community with open arms and we felt so lucky to have stumbled upon such amazing people.

Waking up to the smell of the ocean or hearing seagulls in our very own backyard reminded us frequently that we lived in vacationland. In the final six months that we lived in Maine, we could rarely go anywhere without running into someone we knew - a friend, a co-worker, a teacher, the doctor who help save Callum, the respiratory therapist who worked on Callum. I miss going to the store and running into a friend, or chatting with the grocery cashier who remembers my kids names (and she actually cared to know our children). I miss having to drag my kids inside because they have to eat, instead, I am dragging them outside because the "backyard is boring" and they don't like to be outside anymore. They want to ride their bikes outside, but are afraid of the hills, or I am afraid of the cars that fly around the corner, and suddenly helping my kids learn to ride their bikes isn't fun anymore because I am worried about one of our children or dogs being hit by a car.

So, where do we go from here? We've made the decision to be together, but we are both unhappy. Do we continue living an unhappy lifestyle or do we move back home hoping living in a place that has made us all so incredibly happy and fulfilled the better of the two crappy choices? We made the right decision and came together, we know that. We've tried to put our life together here, but it continues to leave us wanting more. Our schedules are filled with fun things and play dates and get togethers...but for some reason it just isn't good enough. I've thoroughly enjoyed homeschooling the big girls and we've met many amazing people!

On a larger, more important scale, The icing on the cake came around Christmas when Kevin received a phone call saying he'd be going (no choice in the matter, but a great opportunity career wise) into a Commander position (still in DC) and would be working/traveling a ton more than he is now. Another huge reason to move home. The thought of us being here without family is daunting, I'd much rather Kevin be traveling while I have to support of family close by and friends. This was the moment when we looked at each other and said something has to change...all the other reasons were dreams of a life we had, but when this additional life change came to be, we put the entire picture together and made a very difficult decision for us. To move home.

The thought of living in Maine while Kevin works here in DC makes me incredibly sad. But the thought of us all being happy in a place we love speaks loudly, too. The times we would be together on the weekends could be spent feeling happy - quality over quantity as Kevin puts it. Kevin can focus on his job more and focus on family when he is home.

There have been events leading up to these thoughts that make Kevin and I think this decision is the best one we could make for our family. Sacrificing a little to be in a happier place. We'd have our home back. The girls would have their friends back. The girls would attend school. We know the grass is greener on the other side because we have been living that life for the last three years. Although the new Maine life would be a little different, we feel that all the positives outweigh living here in Virginia.

It's times like these I could use a little crystal ball to look at our life a year from now to see if we were happier or sad.

And what's the worst that will happen? We move back to Virginia.

Practice is tiring!

About a week ago, Callum figured out how to pull up on the furniture! He is certainly moving right along in that department.

Kevin put down his crib. And the next day, he was pulling himself up in there, too.

For the last few days, his afternoon naps have not been stellar. I am not going to complain though. And here is why...

When the girls all learned to stand up in their crib, they couldn't get down, but instead of practicing during nap or during the day for that matter, they all felt the need to practice in the middle of the night. I remember many nights with all three girls who were determined to stand up in their crib. The problem? They didn't know how to get down!

With Callum, he doesn't practice during the night (yet) but practices during naps. He will sleep for 30 minutes then want to stand up to play. The best thing about Callum is that he doesn't care about falling, and he has figured out how to sit down pretty quickly.

I guess he got so tired practicing pulling himself up over and over again (how do I know? I watch him on our video monitor) that he fell asleep just like this? I guess he was too tired to lay back down! :)

........and I guess I am a bad mamma for having the crib bumper in there!

A little snow goes a long way...

Living in Virginia, snow either happens or it doesn't. The last few years living in Maine, the girls had been spoiled with having somewhat "real" winters, but this year, we aren't as lucky.

The last few years in Virginia have been record setting winters, but definitely not this year (and not in Maine either!).

Last weekend, we finally got some snow....about an inch. Nothing to write home about, but it was sure enough to get the girls excited!

In the morning, we headed to skate lessons and as soon as we got home, the girls went immediately outside. No questions asked. Honestly, this was one of the first times since moving to Virginia that the kids had been excited about going outside. Clara was a bit weary, and it took some tears to get her snowsuit on, but once she realized how much fun it was, she was all smiles!

The girls played on the deck together pretending they were at the beach. They were building "snow-castles" and having lots of fun together. Later that afternoon, our friends came over and everyone went back outside - two times in one day!?! Another record, maybe ;)

First thing Sunday morning, Clara was begging to put her snowsuit on. Yep.  You guessed it! Another record. I felt like we were back in Maine again with our kids begging to go outside by 9am! Kevin and I were so happy to see the kids so excited about playing outside.

Who knew an inch of snow would have provided so much excitement and smiles!

I just hope there is a LOT more snow to come than this! I am ready to get buried here in Virginia...I love seeing all the southerners squeal about a little snow fall...