Domestically Disabled

This past week Mr. Bo, Baby Bo, and I were snowed in for an entire 24 hours. Back in the day, a snow day for Mr. Bo and I would have been spent sleeping off a hangover sleeping in, enjoying a leisurely cup of coffee around noon, followed by more sleeping. A snow day with an active one year old looks a little different however. Needless to say, we were all stir crazy by around 10:30 a.m. To cure our boredom, I decided to hone in on a few of my domestic abilities, only to be reminded that I don't have any.

Long story short, I made Jello that never jelled, and oatmeal cookies that turned out more like oatmeal chips. I also made it a goal to have the whole house vacuumed by the end of the day, but after cleaning up messes that looked like this....

Yes, that really is the Golden Girls on TV, and yes, I really do watch it that much

this....

 and this...

Does't seem to mind his un-jelled Jello

....I never quite got around to it. 

I did manage to get some laundry done. But I have to admit, I had a little help...

As Of Late

Every few months I feel like I go through a bit of a dry spell when it comes to keeping up with the blog. Not surprisingly a dry spell such as this usually occurs at some point during the long, drab, winter months of January-March. For this reason I feel it is necessary that I give you all a quick update, just so you know that we are in fact alive and well.

I have been back at work for a little over a month now and am enjoying it. Baby Bo is still adjusting to his new child care routine, but overall I think it is going well. He is always in such a good mood at home, and we all appreciate the time we get to spend together as a family. The hardest part for me has been overcoming the feeling that I have become an absentee mom. I literally went from being with BB every single day, from the time he woke up to the time he went to sleep, to spending 10+ hours a day away from him. Mr. Bo gets him up and to the sitter's in the morning, and most of the time I don't get off work in time to be the one to pick him up. 

Needless to say, I really enjoy my one day off a week. BB and I usually spend a lazy hour or two at home in the morning eating breakfast and playing, before getting out and doing something fun. This past week we went to a local toy library, where not only do they have a room full of toys and books that you can check out to take home, but also a huge play room that is open for a few hours each day where children under the age of three can play for free! BB loved the gross motor room they had, and spent a majority of the time climbing, sliding, and throwing balls. 

They had snacks too!

This weekend Mr. Bo continued our Valentines Day/week tradition of helping out at a local candy shop, making delicious chocolate covered strawberries. While he has been doing that, BB and I have had some fun of our own. On Saturday morning our local Parents as Teachers program sponsored a free activity for 1-year-olds. They had lots of gross motor activities set up, and their free playroom was open as well. 

He loved crawling through the tunnels

We also ran a few errands. BB got a new pair of shoes, and then helped me pick out new curtains for our living room and dining room.

Those aren't toys; Those are accent pieces

On Friday night Mr. Bo and I had a fun night with friends, when we got to see Keller Williams in concert. It was so much fun, and we stayed out way too late! Saturday morning was NOT easy. Tonight Mr.Bo and I will end our weekend with our favorite meal (it's taco night!) and a movie on the couch. I may also get around to finally baking the oatmeal chocolate chip cookies I bought the ingredients for weeks ago. This coming week my day off is on Friday, and the week after that my day off is on Monday....four day weekend! Holla! On Friday I plan to take BB to visit my grandma, and since President's Day is that Monday, Mr. Bo will have the day off too! I'm hoping that at some point in those four days we will be able to go on a Valentine's date, but we shall see. If not, a bottle of wine and a cozy night on the couch suits me pretty well these days. :) 

Oh, and for your viewing pleasure...BB found his old strap-on sunglasses from last summer, so of course we all had to take turns trying them on...

Have a good week!

Grease is the Word

Busy, Busy, Bo's

Whew! It has been an exciting/fun/exhausting/stressful/crazy last few weeks! Right before Christmas I got a job (yay!), but did not begin working full time until after the New Year. After four Christmas celebrations (one of them being  4 days long and 10 hours away), BB came down with the flu (so much for the flu shot). Luckily we caught it somewhat early, and he was back to his normal self within a week. However, most of that week was spent looking like this...

Unfortunately, as his flu was letting up, mine was just beginning. That was on a Friday. Since I had to be at work full time the following Monday, I got a prescription for Tamiflu, and was quarantined to the bedroom for the rest of the weekend. Since the flu can be especially dangerous if you catch it twice in a row, I took special care to not be in contact with BB at all. Therefore, this is how I communicated with him most of the weekend...

Thank Goodness for FaceTime

Did I mention that throughout all of this, Mr. Bo and I were on a frantic search for good, quality, affordable childcare for BB? Last night we had (hopefully) our last caregiver interview, because I think we finally found the one! I was unwilling to settle AT ALL on anyone that I had even the tiniest reservation about. And after being home EVERYDAY for the past 13 1/2 months with him, it was a really hard decision for me. This week BB has been with a temporary sitter who we trust completely, but who isn't able to keep him long term. I wasn't sure how he would react to being with someone else all day, but apparently his first day went great! I believe the phrase "He is a delight!" may have come into play as well. :) Today didn't go quite as smoothly, but I am hoping that it was just because he was tired. Waking up at 6:15 every morning is a bit of an adjustment for him, especially since he just recently dropped his morning nap. He will begin with his permanent sitter next week, and I am anxious to get him started somewhere that will hopefully become a familiar, fun place for him to spend a couple days a week.
My new schedule is great, because I am working four, 10 hour days a week, with a floating day off. That, along with the two days of help a week I will be getting from my mom and Mr. Bo's mom, BB will only have to be at the sitter's two or three days a week. I am praying that everything works out, because I really like my new job! As much as I loved being a stay at home mom (and let's be honest, still would be if we could afford it), it feels good to be out of the house and working again. BB and I were both getting bored being at home everyday... BB especially, since he never sits down for even a second! I think it is going to be great for him to have a new routine, with some variety, and even some new kids to play with!

Must. Climb. Table...OR ELSE!

Here's to a new chapter!

New Year, New Hair

Before..

During...

After...

Merry Christmas?

Somebody's getting a lump of coal this year...

Thanksgiving Tidbits

Our Thanksgiving started a little early this year, when we celebrated on the Sunday before by sharing a meal with my grandparents and cousins. It was a beautiful day outside, and BB enjoyed playing in the back yard, and practically ruining the new shoes he got for his birthday. Luckily, this Chuck Taylor fan was on it, and ordered him a much sturdier, real pair of Converse All Stars on Amazon the next day. Unfortunately when they arrived they were a size too small. I am anxiously awaiting the arrival of the new pair, while also trying to decide if I should consider those his one Christmas present from us, or still get him something else (Lucky for us, BB is too young to understand what "we're poor as dirt, so Christmas will be slim pickins' this year" means).

Cousins

 

On Wednesday Mr. Bo, BB, my dad, and I drove the hour it takes to get to my other grandma's house so that we could spend the day with her. We loved being there, and she loved having us there. She was more than thrilled to see BB, who she had not seen since he began walking. 

On Thanksgiving Day, Mr Bo, BB and I traveled two hours to spend the holiday with Mr. Bo's extended family at his aunt and uncle's house. Lucky for us, my sister lives not too far from there, so that evening we joined her and my parents for dessert at her house. Also lucky for us was the fact that the following Saturday some friends of ours would be getting married in the same town, and my sis was generous enough to share her home with us for three nights so that we could stay in town until the wedding! The best part was, she also kept BB for us the night of the wedding so we could enjoy the evening with our friends. During our extended stay I was able to take BB to my aunt's house for a visit (she also lives close), and do some black Friday shopping with my mom. I got a great pair of boots from Charming Charlie. BTW, if you have never been to a Charming Charlie before, you are missing out. They have awesome stuff that is very reasonably priced, even when it's not black Friday. Of course we all snacked way too much on leftovers that weekend, as well as Dunkin' Donuts breakfast, and ungodly amounts of Chinese food.

Sitting at the Big Kid Table

There was a photo booth at the wedding!

Helping his Aunt K decorate

This Holiday season I am thankful to be a part of a family that, in the midst of big changes (some good and some not so good), is still filled with love, generosity, and forgiveness. I am thankful to have been blessed with wonderful in-laws and their extended families, who have never made me feel like anything less than one of their own. I am thankful for a beautiful son, who is filled with so much curiosity, energy, and passionate emotions, and who keeps me on my toes 24/7. I am thankful for a supportive, patient, generous and loving husband and father to our son, who is so much better to me than I am to him. I am thankful for a home that I complain about too much, but is more than sufficient for our little family. I am thankful that even though we can barely afford to live paycheck to paycheck, at least we get a paycheck and always find a way to make ends meet. I am thankful for the time that I have been able to spend at home with BB, and also for the job I know God has waiting for me. Most of all I am thankful for a loving Lord and Savior who has not let me down yet.

Happy Holidays, everyone!