Easter 2016

Finally getting around to sharing about Easter! 

Christian was SO into it this year which was a ton of fun! 

He actually really got how to dye eggs. Last year he was more interested in the "kerplunk" of dropping the eggs in the dye and watching them splash. This year he actually had the patience to set the eggs in the dye fairly gently and let them sit for awhile! 

Braxton, on the other hand, slept through all of the egg dying... 

I don't think there were really any that were too cracked this year either! 

I only made a dozen, but should have done more. He asked for more when they were gone...and asked again the next day if he could dye Easter eggs again!

Braxton made his first "craft". Christian's attention span was definitely stretched with putting on the cotton balls on, but I sure have 2 cute little bunnies!

We do one Easter basket for each of the boys and fill it with things they are into or need. Unfortunately, I ordered a pottery barn basket liner for Braxton and when I went to put it on his basket I realized they embroidered his name on it upside down. Huge bummer! Even more so when I called to get it replaced and they told me they were out of that liner! We tried a different one only to be disappointed in how little his name "popped" so hopefully we have better luck next year! 

On Easter morning Christian came into our room and we told him the Easter bunny came and hid Easter eggs and an Easter basket. He was SO excited!! 

After finding eggs and his basket and eating lots of jelly beans, we got dressed and were off to church! 

Braxton slept through the service...

Luckily Christian did fairly well with his bag of toys...but I couldn't tell you what the message was about but HE IS RISEN! 

Our handsome boys in their Easter best! Too bad my big boy refused to wear his tie...

So fun watching Christian start to really learn and grasp the Easter story this year too!
Here is his take on it! 

Making a Gingerbread House with a Toddler

Happy Christmas Eve! 

One last quick Christmas Bucket List activity to share with you -- Making Gingerbread Houses! 

There are plenty of Gingerbread House making kits out there that you can buy {and those are legit gingerbread houses!!} but we went with this super simple, easy, and toddler approved gingerbread house! In fact, you just might have everything you need around your house right now! 

Supplies: 

Frosting

Piping bag and tip

Paper plate

Graham crackers

Various candies -- gum drops, candy canes, mints, m&ms, etc

Small milk carton (my mom is a teacher so she got us one from her school but maybe a gas station sells them like this still??)

Step 1 -- Frost the bottom of the milk carton so that it sticks to your plate 

Step 2 -- Add frosting to the sides of the milk carton and stick on half a graham cracker sheet. Do this to each side and then the "roof" as well. Fill in the edges and openings with frosting. Also add frosting to any where else on the house that you will want to put candy and decorations. 

Step 3 -- Add your candies and decorations! {sneak a few to snack on too! -- note Christian's chocolaty face!} If decorating with a toddler you may need to help direct the candies so that more end up on the house than in their mouths...or maybe that's just my toddler :) 

Step 4 -- Admire your hard work! 

And try not to eat the house before others can admire it too! 

Merry Christmas Eve! 

Now...help me and my hubby clear something up -- is there a step 5 of eating the house?? I say no, he says yes. Do you eat your gingerbread house? What are your favorite house "decorations"?

Cookie Decorating with Christian -- 2014

With Christmas only 2 days away, we have put a pretty good dent in our Christmas Bucket List! 

{At least as much as we could without snow!!}

Last week at our weekly play date at our house, we decorated Christmas cookies! The kids {most boys!!!} really got into it! A lot more than I was expecting. 

The kids ranged in age from about 15 months to 3 years old. 

Lots of frosting was eaten and plenty of sprinkles were sprinkled {on the floor too!} but surprisingly enough, each kid probably frosted 4-6 cookies! 

I pre-baked the cookies so all the focus during the play date could be just on decorating. 

There was plenty of homemade frosting {of all colors} and the kids ate it by the spoonful! But they also did a pretty good job of actually getting the frosting on the cookies too {some with more help than others}.

The little squeeze tubs of frosting were a bit of a hit, as well as the sprinkles! I should have gotten a bigger variety of sprinkles. The kids kept asking for specific colors or kinds that I didn't have! ha ha! 

Through all of the fun and chaos of the event, this was the only picture I was able to snap of Christian -- green frosting up his nose after shoving a cookie in his own face to eat the frosting ha ha! 

And of course -- Christian's own masterpieces! 

Did you decorate cookies with your littles? What is their favorite part? Do you have any favorite "decorations" for your cookies? 

One and Done?

Wow. There sure are a lot of things no one tells you in life! Amiright????

From pregnancy to parenting, I feel like there is a lot that got left out. At least for me.

For example, I thought pregnancy was going to be a walk in the park! All "glowing" and fat in a cute way.

For starters, that "glow" that they talk about isn't a "glow" at all...It's more of a sweat like sheen that your face takes on as your skin goes CRRAAAZZZYYY from all those pregnancy hormones and you start sweating your butt off because growing a baby sure makes you heat up!

And I never really felt cute. I just felt huge and swollen. Ain't nothing cute about that.

Oh. And there's something called morning sickness that doesn't just happen in the mornings...and it's not much like what they show in the movies. For real. Why don't they just be honest and call it 24/7 sickness? Does anyone ever just get it in the mornings?

I thought life wouldn't change until AFTER having a baby. Boy was that thought wrong. Pretty sure our lives changed abruptly right after we found out I was pregnant.

I finally had a reason for being SO tired all of the time...which meant I started to give myself permission to go to bed at like 6pm...ha! And to take several naps throughout the day and not feel guilty in. the. LEAST!

And then of course there was the puking which started around 6 weeks and lasted for at least 22  weeks but the constant nausea lasted all 41 weeks. Yep. 10 months of feeling sick.

That's right...10. You didn't misread that. 40 weeks is actually 10 months. Not sure how they get off saying you are only pregnant for 9 months... Do the math...4 weeks in a month. 40 divided by 4 equals 10 last time I checked. Not 9 ;)

And then once said baby is born, you have to start thinking about when you might want #2! No one told me that!

I thought, okay, we will have a baby and just enjoy parenthood and our growing little squishy boy!

And then BAM!

Christian turned one and everyone is all like "When you going to have #2?"

Whaaaaat???

#2? That wasn't even on my radar yet ha ha

I mean, I've always known I wanted more than one little munchkin, and hubby too, but shoot. Time is getting away from us. We have friends with kids Christian's age who have already popped out #2 or #2 is on their way soon! And friends with kids younger than Christian already expecting #2.

Whoa, whoa, whoa.

Time to step off the comparison train, though. We don't all have to do life on the same timeline.

Yes, I've been pinning to my baby #2 board on pinterest. But really, who actually reads all the things they pin?? Wait, you do? Oops. I guess that's just mean who only pins...

Anyway, this post is getting super ADD...Back to one and done.

We went to see some friends a few weeks ago who recently had a baby boy. SUPER cute little man. Wish I would have remembered to take some pictures. Christian gave him kisses and it was so cute!

Both hubby and I thought we were setting ourselves up for major baby fever to begin to set in.

But guess what???

It didn't.

Yes, he was super cute and cozy and fun to snuggle. But man I love this toddler stage so much more. I love the ability to interact. That Christian is starting to have such a little personality with likes and dislikes...that he isn't afraid to let you know :)



That on top of loving Christian so much more than I ever thought possible...I left loving other people's newborns, but unsure if I want one any time soon.



I mean, I don't want to lose any one on one time with Christian and I seriously just love him so much. I can't imagine loving another that much! Although, I hear this is a common mom fear of future second time moms.

But wow. I never thought I could ever even THINK about being a "one and done" mom.

Don't worry. I want more. Hubby wants more. There will someday be more cute little Foote's running around this house. But when, I don't know. I mean, can I even handle all that pregnancy is with an active little boy running around?

How did you decide it was time for #2? Or are you a "one and done" family?

Fall Fun!

I had made a "Fall Bucket List" of sorts at the start of September. Basically just things I wanted to be sure to do with Christian. As October is coming to an end, we have been checking things off left and right! 

Our "Fall Bucket List" in pictures

"Riding" the tractor at Applewood Apple Orchard

On the hay ride at the apple orchard. 

Heading out to pick apples!

Picking apples! So fun to see the joy on this boy's face as he experiences things for the first time!

Local High School Football Games

How cute are these two walking together?!!

Getting in lots of time outside by going for walks...Christian HAS to walk Baxter :)

Doing fun fall crafts...like making a paper plate apple! 

Visiting my hometown and going for a long walk to enjoy the fall colors!

Visiting Great Grandma Charlotte and playing with the baby kitties on the farm

Playing in the Corn Pit at Pahl's Market. We didn't go to Sever's this year...I don't think Christian minded...

Walking through the hay bale maze at Pahl's Market

Peek a boo!

Christian says "I'll take this one dad! Load it up!" 

Only 2 more days and we will be having our FIRST Annual Toddler Halloween Party! 

I'm SO pumped! 

The kids will be eating mummy hot dogs and mummy pizzas, pumpkin oranges, witch hats, witch brooms, and much more Halloweeny food! 

They will also be playing Ghost Toss, Witch Broom Races, Pin the Nose on the Pumpkin, playing with slimy "worms" and pumpkin play dough! #youknowyouareparentswhen 

Oh. And Christian will be dressing up like a cute little cow and saying "Moo" all.day.long. And probably screaming about wearing his costume despite "practicing" wearing it for weeks...

so there's that.... :) 

What has been on your "Fall Bucket List"? How will you be celebrating Halloween?