It started out so nice...

Wednesday morning we woke up to a fresh coating of snow.

Enough snow to close schools and work. My car is in this pic somewhere...

Young Ish was quite impressed with the snowfall.

When he realized we weren't going out, he decided to dig into his toy bins.

Clearly there was nothing exciting to do here.

He did manage to find his buddy Plex. They had a nice conversation about the weather.

I lost my mind at some point and gave Ish crayons. Crayola should make hardwood floor colored crayons. Would make my life a little easier.

We ventured downstairs for a bit so that Ish could re-connect with his friend Mr. Monkey. Insert "monkey on your back" joke here.

Of course it wasn't all fun and games - Ish had some serious work to get done on his Bob the Builder laptop.

He was also very focused in building massive block structures (with a little help from mommy of course).

Late afternoon I decided we should venture outside. Ish had no idea what to do in the snow.

So he kind of just stood around. Doing a whole bunch of nothing.

But he looked really cute standing around in his new snowboots!

After what seemed like an eternity of just standing in the snow, I made the executive decision to bring us back into the warm house. Ish did not get a vote. He clearly would have voted "no"

So, after starting the day so nicely, we ended it like this. Full-on-terrible-twos-tantrum.

And today, I am back at work. Though I will admit, I secretly said a little prayer last night for just one more day in the snow with my little (cranky) buddy!

Danger Zone

Ish was being particularly cute last night. Lining up his cars under the kitchen cabinets.

He was having a good time lining them up, taking them away and then lining them up again.

And he discovered that the cars roll differently on the floor mat - that seemed to intrigue him.

Then he realized that not only was I watching him, but I was also taking pictures.

He gathered all his cars up.

And he took off.

So I decided to be sneakier about taking pictures. I laid down on the floor and pretended to just watch him.

He quickly caught on to my trick and decided to punish me.

This is what a Mega Blocks truck looks like right before it smacks into your face.

I tried again when Ish moved on to playing with his Teletubbies.

This is what a Teletubbie looks like right before it gets jammed into your forehead.

Being stubborn myself, I gave it one more try.

And so did Ish. Here he is ramming a dump truck into the camera.

Then daddy came home and Ish acted like he was an angel the whole time and loved the camera.

I'm glad I have photographic evidence of the abuse I take from this kid! He is SOOOOOO lucky I love him.

Post Game Post

While it would have been nice to see the Giants in the Super Bowl, it was kind of nice to not have a dog in the fight/horse in the race/whatever the correct slang is. Super Bowl Sunday was nice and low-key for us.

When we woke up we started our little art project - Super Bowl Cupcakes. Some white frosting, some food coloring and some sugar footballs were all we needed. The Colts blue was pretty easy to make.

The Saints gold was a little tricky. Matt spent a lot of time trying to get the right mix.

It seemed to be either too yellow or too orange.

Here's the before shot of the cupcakes fresh from the oven.

The football cupcakes were easy.

We put in some time on the team cupcakes - and, of course, we had to have a referee in the mix!

Then it was off to Grandma and Grandpa's house for a Super Bowl party.

There was lots of yummy food there waiting for us.

Aunt Roe and baby Maryann were among the first to arrive.

We made sure the Puppy Bowl was on at least one of the TVs pre-game.

Matthew settled in for a pre-game meal of chicken tenders and macaroni and cheese (just like the pros!).

Cousin Ashley didn't seem too impressed with Matthew's chair-standing abilities.

Cousin Alex brought a guest - Taylor seemed to enjoy the Puppy Bowl this year.

Matthew predicted the Saints would win - so he devoured a Colts cupcake in support of the black and gold!

CONGRATS NEW ORLEANS!!!

Lazy Town

Ish has taken to a new play style - the "I'm tired but don't want to go to bed yet, so I'll just lay on the floor and play with my toys"

He gets a little annoyed when said toy rolls just out of reach.

When he's really tired he just gives up and stares at the toy.

Usually he's in the bath and off to bed just minutes later!

Wishlist Wednesday - Shady Business

Last summer we had to take down a lot of dead and dangerous trees that were on our property (And not a moment too soon - the day before the contractor showed up to do the work, a large heavy branch fell onto our roof and landed behind Matt's car!). We have a big beautiful backyard now. The only problem now - too much sun exposure. Our deck gets very hot and the kitchen/family room can get quite warm. Those lovely trees gave us some nice shade (you know, before they tried to kill us).

So my wish today is for the funds to install a SunSetter Shade. You've seen the commercials - pretty people with perfect families enjoying their shady, comfortable deck. I want us to be those people! I need a nice cool place to plop down on a deck chair while I watch Ish run around like a lunatic in the backyard. I think the navy would look nice - seeing as we have navy shutters. The Saddle would look nice too.

And since we're talking about decks - ours stinks. Really, it does. The previous owners did not properly install or care for the poor thing. It needs to be put out of it's misery. It's suffering - and it's making us suffer right along with it. I would love to install a nice new deck using Trex - easy to clean and care for, and it would provide a nice surface for young Ish to play on. This picture from Google not only looks like how our house/deck is situated, it's also got the features I would like - a fence and gate (to keep a certain short person from escaping).
So, people from SunSetter and Trex, on the off chance that you are reading this, I would love to be a spokesperson for your fine products in exchange for granting my wish today!

Mommy's Little Mets Fan

Dear Ish,

I am writing this letter to warn you of the long road you have ahead of you. It is the path less traveled. It is a rocky road filled with many potholes. It is the journey of the Mets fan.

We start this journey sometime in February with hope in Spring Training. The journey ends in the fall - hopefully with jubilation in October, most likely with sorrow much sooner. These Mets will fill your summer days with unbelievable highs and heartbreaking lows. They will make you believe in the underdog. They will lift your spirits and crush your dreams. They will come ever so close, but still too far away. You will love them and hate them at the same time. But you will always be a fan.

Now, this road is filled with many obstacles - most of them being arrogant Yankee fans. But you have to be strong and defend your team. You have to believe there is a chance, even when there is no chance. You have to believe up until the last day of the long season - because even if they are mathematically eliminated from post-season play, they can still be a spoiler. It ain't over till the fat lady sings.

So, my young Ish, I wish you luck on your journey. I hope you will see a World Series Championship at Citi Field in your lifetime. One day I will tell you about Shea Stadium, Mike Piazza and a time when Mr. Mets head was even larger than it is today. Until then, always remember these words - words that will comfort you on your long journey to October: THE YANKEES STINK!

Love,

Momma