Little Man Miles & the White Stuff

What to do when you don't own a sled, part 2

Yep, that's a piece of plastic. Not a snazzy as the wagon.

What to do when you don't own a sled, part 1

The White Stuff has arrived!

This is the day where we watch the world turn white, whilst hiding inside, in all of our snugly warm glory, swilling coffee and cocoa. Tomorrow, once the giant bottle of White Out has stopped spilling, we will be turning Little Man loose in the white stuff. We don't really have snow clothes for kiddo- just haven't needed them- but his Dada just scored some teeny boots (think they were made for little ladies) and a sled, so there is no turning back.

All in all, it's been a quiet and peaceful day. Watch Serena pound her way to another Slam victory. I've set the DVR to capture the men's final- which airs live at 3:30 am. So before our frozen water frolicking commences, we will have to watch the match. I think I might be pulling for Murray this time. Nothing says winter wonderland like watching the Australian Open.

Update on the wild child's night

Someone did indeed get bitten, but this time it was not me. Woo-hoo!

After Miles' performance in the high chair, we all went to his room to play a little toddler soccer. In the heat of the moment, after successfully blocking Dada's cross-room goal shot, Miles raced over to Dada's backside and bit his butt.

Seriously, I don't know what has funnier: (1) Jesse howling over his injured fanny or (2) Miles evil laugh in response to his dad's reaction. To ensure that order and justice remained in our house, I gave Miles a yellow card and Jesse a warning for show-boating.

From now on, I will discipline my child using sports methods. There will be fines and penalties, maybe even a penalty box if there is left over wood from our huge kitchen overhaul (will show you soon). Clearly, my work here is done.

JUST KIDDING!!!!!!!

He's off his rocker.

All play and (little to) no nap makes Miles ka-ray-zee! You'd think he'd been at a rave, twirling glo-sticks and chugging water. But noooo, this is how my little, somber angel is acting these days. I hope he crashes tonight; Lord knows that space shuttle Discovery Miles is rapidly headed for re-entry, and we (the crew) are getting a little anxious about his landing. I'm hoping that I can make it through the night without a bite mark.

Blogging

So, if you are a blogger, are you supposed to blog daily? Are there some rules out there that govern the "blogosphere"? Heard on NPR this afternoon that the Pope is contemplating writing a blog and that he already has a facebook page. I'm not trying to set my bar to the Papal standard, but clearly I need to start posting more often.

Zombie Mama has returned.

The only thing light about me these days is my sleep. Omniscient is the best way to describe my "restful" states, in that I hear every squeak and creak the boy makes. Typically, I am exhausted from my middle schoolers enough to sleep 2/3 through the night. Sadly, last night was an exception.

Like my car, I will coasting to work on fumes. My tank is empty; I will be operating on 90 minutes of sleep. On the flip side, Miles should be well-rested. He needed snuggle time from both mommy and daddy. I was able to get him down for the count at 3:30 with extra blankies, soft music, a binkie and back pats. It took me another 30 minutes to unwind.

And then it happened...

My alarm goes off. I woke up half an hour ago and start the drip on my coffee IV. Now I am off to find some tape; seems like the best way to ensure that my eyes stay open.

Miles pulled another all nighter on Friday, kind of. He went down at 8 pm but was ready to boogie at 2 am- and he stayed up through breakfast. Jesse covered that stretch, so guess it is only fair that I am pooped today. Ahhh, the joys of parenthood.

Chez Thomas, round two

Last Saturday night...

Last night...
We are cooking at home so much more often, primarily because what we are fixin' up is amazing! Feta, garlic, broccolini... being bold and frugal is delicious. I have always wanted to learn how to cook, but have been pigeon-holed as the "salad maker." Though I can't take any credit for the afore-posted meats, that the hubs' domain, the sides and salads are all me. If you like what you see, please join us for Taco Salad night tomorrow. You just missed soup and grilled cheese night. Clearly, I am having too much fun turning everyday into a food night. And yes, there is typically a plate of chicken nuggets off to the side for my tiny diner- but to his credit, Miles now digs lasagna and chicken noodle soup.

Another good weekend with Uncle Dude

2010: A Toddler Odyssey

First, soak in the new development: STANDING UP SOLO!!

Then, follow this link . It will begin automatically.

If you chuckled, then you get where I am coming from.

Who you gonna call...in the Target parking lot?

"WE GOT ONE!"

Enjoy, this is my moment of Zen for the day. Had to capture it with my phone; surprised that Miles' thumb isn't blocking the punchline.

A real mover and shaker

This is what we've all been waiting for! Captured is pure bliss- the joy of a young man, a tad older than 22 months, unencumbered by pants, nary a worry in the world, and doing laps around his room. Never have I seen Miles more proud of himself, and that includes the time when he figured out how to turn his CD player on.

My kid rocks.

On the mend; on the go

Thanks to modern medicine, the sweet side of Miles is rapidly returning. He must have been in some serious pain because I came home to a different child this evening.

Some exciting events are on the horizon. Miles starts his first KinderMusic class today. The program is entitled Musicgarten and is quite popular in our community. In fact, I already know one of the former local board of directors, but I didn't know she had done that until I mentioned Miles' enrollment yesterday.

I've got a 3 day weekend coming up. Woo-hoo! And not just any random 3 day weekend, it one of my favorite holidays: Martin Luther King, Jr. Day! When I was little, and I am sure my mother will attest to this, I baked him a cake to mark the occasion. Not sure where I got the idea, but I had learned about him in school and felt compelled to celebrate his birthday. To this day, I believe that Dr. King was a true visionary, a bright spark to our nation, and a I also feel that the time has come to bring Miles into the tradition. Perhaps kiddo and I will spend Monday working on a strawberry cake in honor of Dr. King's birthday.

(Triple) Ugh!

1. Double ear infections**

2. Cold

3. Teething

We've got an unhappy camper on our hands.

**The pediatrician said not to use the antibiotic ear drops, that his canals are too small and too clogged. Well, fooey. That was the whole point of getting ear tubes, so that he wouldn't have to take so many oral antibiotics. The ENT is getting buzzed today, for we need some back-up advice. But yes, we started the oral meds as soon as we found out because little man is super crabby these days. I'm baffled; why get tubes if they don't make a difference? I knew that going in more infections were possible; it's just that seeing Miles in pain is getting really, really old.

Man in the Mirror

Same day, now we played a little outside of the tunnel. Miles' fascination with his reflection is unyielding, which in turn, makes for unending photo opportunities.

Tunnel Vision

Cool new Christmas toy, a tent 'n' tunnel combo. Kiddo and I both are enjoying the new feel of the nursery... though it's not really a nursery anymore. The room is more akin to a romper room-meets-Warhol Factory-meets IKEA warehouse. To me, that says home!

I really, really, really want him to take a (supervised) nap in the tent. And if that works, I can start dreaming up our first ever family camping trip. Now that would be an excellent way to celebrate my impending/ looming/ hovering 30th birthday.

When reality comes a callin'

Today is my last day of winter break, and I am slowly coming to grips with that reality. Ironically, a major component of my job is assisting students with transitioning, and I truly struggle with it myself. Just when I have settled into the new routine of sleeping in late, not showering until noon, and feasting on cookies, the daily grind has reared its ugly, predictable head. And its return has left me bluer than Cookie Monster. The holidays typically run me through the emotion ringer, but this particular year has been more taxing than most- I guess because I've had some pretty special events occur. Unlike most folks (I assume), I do not easily swing back to center after exciting events. In fact, I tend to swing into the negative before centering- that's if I am ever in center to begin with.

The whirlwind associated with all of our traveling certainly left me disoriented. And oddly enough, watching all of Miles' progress (like the fact that he is walking!!!!!) is making me sad about spending more time away. I know I'm typing like I am being sent overseas, but when I am working, I miss a huge chunk kiddo's life. Huge. On a good day, I see him for four hours. With this in mind, I tried to soak up as much Miles time as I could over break, snag as many snuggles, power through numerous shoulder bites (goes with the turf now), and take a bazillion pictures. So that's what I did. I filled up my proverbial Miles tank; let's pray that it holds until Spring Break. That, my friends, is a long stretch of time.

One of the deposits I made into the mommy memory bank.

A slice of paradise

Walking around Granddad's yard. I see my grandmother in all of the details. I wish she could have met Jesse and Miles.

Off to Great Grandfather's House We Went

For the second Christmas break in a row, we packed up our toys and headed south. Way south, about an hour south of Tampa. Last year we made in the drive in one very long and tedious drive. This year we wised up and boarded a plane, or four. Much better. Much faster. And Miles is a phenomenal flier. Waiting during layovers is another story.

Her is Great Granddad's house. His new family name is Old Man Weigel. This is Florida, and a Hemingway nickname couldn't be a better fit.
That's a 92 year age difference right there. Amazing!
Yep, still amazing.
Hanging out in the backyard. Miles is saying, "Zee plane! Zee plane!"
Kiddo and Dada
Kiddo and me
Our favorite uncle of all time, Clark.
Walking practice at the hotel. Miles insisted on walking from our room to the car. Watching him navigate the elevator was hilarious.
Kiddo and Uncle Clark
The world famous (at least family famous) Brag Board. This is only a small slice.
Grapefruit = Balls. Like we didn't see that one coming!
Why yes, that does look natural Uncle Clark.
Grand kids and a great grand kid.
Homeward bound and couldn't be more excited. He's asked that we take him to Egypt next, or at least that is how I am interpreting "aaaa-oooo-aaaaey."