Arts and Crafts

So, yesterday we decided to do a painting craft at our house. It was my first time to paint with Robby though not his first time to paint. I had always held off from this particular type of craft due to my aversion to large messes. So, why I decided it would be fun to make googly eye glasses last night is something of a mystery. Nonetheless, we gathered our egg cartons, cut to resemble glasses, pipe cleaners, and acrylic paint. We stripped Robby down to his underpants, and we gave him a paint brush.

Order of business 1: break up half the glasses so that they became individual cups. Mommy is not excited. Her plan is not going well. Now Mommy, Daddy, and Robby are down to one pair each if no more are broken.

Order of business 2: paint last remaining pair in a LOT of black paint. So much black paint that 24 hours later they will still not be dry. But seriously, are any sunglasses cooler than all black shades?

Order of business 3: spend the rest of the time dipping the paintbrush in the various colors of paints and then cleaning it off in the water. Rinse. repeat. Rinse. repeat. Mommy figures out what is going on (she was distracted by her own efforts to create super cool purple and silver shades). Mommy attempts to stop such shenanigans. Rinse. repeat.

Order of business 4: Mommy has finally convinced us that the object is not to muddy the water. So, we happily move on to painting ourselves and the furniture.

Order of business 5: Craft time has now ended. Suddenly. Apparently painting the white furniture is not what the doctor ordered. Instead, time for pictures and then upstairs with Daddy for a bath while Mommy tackles the downstairs.

She is glad to report that all paint traces appear to be gone. Just don't look under the table. She says painting with Robby is fun. It might be more fun to do outside next time. But, at least there will be a next time.

Look at my body paint!

A brief moment of calm is captured on camera

Daddy's lookin' fly in his new shades

Um, Mommy, you look weird!

I have a feeling we are gonna be trend setters with this new fashion :)

Reasons Why Being a Mom is So Worth Any Sacrifice!

This weekend we basically just hung out at the house and relaxed (though I have been fighting some sickness due to side effects of a medication). There were several moments where I was forcibly hit with just how wonderful being a mommy can be!:

1. When Bryan got home on Friday evening, Robby just about flew into his arms and would not leave his side for the rest of the night. (Bryan works late several days a week and so doesn't get to spend time with Robby every evening any more). It was so sweet to see how much he loves his Daddy, but it is always sad when he refuses to come to me. But then...

2. On Sunday, we went for a short walk in the neighborhood where Robby rode on his new tricycle and Bryan and I walked next to him. For much of the walk, Robby wanted to hold my hand. This was very special because on the whole, he is not much into hand holding, and usually only when he is scared. It was a clear sign of affection for me, and it made my heart swell to whole new proportions.

3. Then, after his nap, we all wanted a snack, so I popped some popcorn and put some plain M&Ms in it. We all sat on the couch (Robby between us) and ate popcorn and watched the Steelers blow out the Chargers (yay!). When Robby found the M&Ms it became like a treasure hunt to find them and eat them as fast as possible. But, he apparently noticed that mommy was doing the same thing (well, I can't have him eating too much sugar--it was a parenting tactic I tell you!). So, he started feeding me the M&Ms when he found them instead of eating them himself. That, my friends, is true love right there!

4. His vocabulary and grasp of what we say is just exploding, and he learns new things every day. Right now he is very into finding planes in the sky to show you and to show you his and/or your belly button. So, this morning, he was a little fussy as we got ready, so I thought we would work a little on learning our body parts. I asked him where his ear was, and he pointed to his ears. Surprised (he has not been that consistent with body parts outside of nose and belly button and foot), I asked him where my eyes were. He obligingly showed me exactly. Boldly now, I asked him where his mouth was. No surprise at this point, he pointed to his mouth. While this was no declaration of love, it was just amazing to see how quickly he has gone from sometimes knowing these words to having a very clear grasp on them.

Oh yeah, and update on the daycare situation--when I went to pick him up the day I posted they said after I left he had a great day, and each day has been even better than the last. Today was the first day that he did not cry at all when I left. I think the move was the right decision after all!

12 Great Things about the 2008 Holiday Season...

In no particular order:

* Sweet Mafia games with the Sloan clan where I proved to be a genuis cop (sweetie, remember listen to me and the game will be won) and an idiot townsperson (who knew that if you say "Fine, kill me," they actually will??)

* The ability to now print pictures from the comfort of my own home office (thanks Mom and Dad!!)

* Learning about lots of new family members to be added to the family in 2009 (two sister-in-laws and a niece/nephew!!)

* Building a gingerbread house with my brother's fiancee while watching one of the best girl movies ever--Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood.

* Watching Marley and Me with my sisters-in-law and unabashedly crying through almost all of it. Seriously, I loved this movie, but don't go see it without plenty of tissues, and I think you might skip out on the mascara just to be on the safe side.

* Getting to eat lots of my favorite holiday goodies (can we say peanutbutter kiss cookies, monster cookies, snickerdoodles, oatmeal cookies, sausage balls, cheese balls...)

* Two full weeks with no work involved. I'm not kidding. That actually happened. True story.

* Meeting my new good friends Ted, Barney, Marshall, Lily, and Robin. For the uninitiated, I am speaking of How I Met Your Mother. In the span of three short weeks, we have now watched the first three seasons. And they are Legen...wait for it...dary!!! (Thanks Curtis and Jenna!)

* Saying goodbye to 2008, a very bittersweet year, and ushering in 2009 in the arms of my best friend who still rocks my world 6 New Year's Eves later.

* Lots of sweet new jewelry, especially necklaces. My favorite piece Bryan picked out for me from ChinaBaroque. Check it out. She is amazing!

* Robby's First Tricycle (see pic above). Okay, so he can't reach the pedals yet, but he loves his bike. He "helped" me put it together, and he fully comprehended what it was long before all the pieces were on. I had to physically move him off of the bike to add the seat because he was trying to sit where he knew the seat would be. {note: Putting together the tricycle does not make the list of best things about this holiday season.}

* The Ball Pit. In our bedroom we now have a 6 foot soccerball pit filled with 300+ balls that we romp around in. It is AWESOME!! (Thanks Toloallaro)