Sweat Fest

This handy dandy thermometer thing came with our apartment. Jealous?

That reading is pretty typical. When I took this picture it was probably high 20's or low 30's outside and we had windows open. You see, we have no control over our heat (we also don't pay for it which is great). It's a boiler system or something or other and we live right next door to the boiler room. So, short story long: while it's cold outside, we wear shorts inside and sleep with a light blanket at the max. Windows open. Fans on. Sweat fest. Minnesota. November. Who would have thought, right?

Celebrating non success

We've been busy the last couple weeks. Dave had a lot a lot (I meant to put it twice) to do for school while working his 30 hours/week at the hospital and I was real busy with Young Women's. Thursday was the day we would be done with it all, and we designated Thursday as our day to celebrate and just go do something and spend time together. After all, it would be Thursday and we would be done with our big long lists of things to do and stresses to get zits over-- wouldn't you celebrate? Would you celebrate even if the things you were stressing over and making lists for popped like those big, fat, bloody zits on your face? We did.

Non Success #1: Dave's last test in his conglomerate of school work/projects/presentations. He studied all the wrong material and thought he didn't do well and was super chip cheery that he wasted all that time studying everything that wasn't on the test. Gotta love it.

Non Success #2: A few weeks ago, I found out that the youth in our ward at church put on a Thanksgiving dinner for everyone 50 and older every year. It's a big tradition and a big to do . When I first found out, I sorta wanted to go TP the home of the crazy that started that tradition, and then complain to someone that a little more notice may have been a good thing. But, I decided to just let it play out as it would and roll with the punches.

There are 2 young women in our ward. Yes, count them: 1, 2. Lucky for us, there are lots more young men so they took on all the food with the exception of pies and salad. The responsibility of the young women boiled down to invites, decorations, salad, and pies. Definitely the good end of the stick.

I don't really know what I was expecting, but ever since Wednesday night and the absolute chaotic, unorganized, horribly executed, bloody disaster the dinner was, I shudder when I remember what it was like and immediately try to erase the memory from my brain. It was the kind of night where I was like, "Hm, ok. Here are the knives, BUT WHERE ARE THE GUNS???????" Horrendous. So much for rolling with the punches. Lesson learned.

Celebrate good times, c'mon! (sing it, you know you want to)

We did just that. First we got really creative. Then (is the suspense killing you?), we made the decision to splurge and.... went out to eat. And, I'll be darned, in spite of the geographical location of the state of Minnesota and the horrid accent found from the people residing within, there is some pretty darn good Mexican food! La Casita. Miles wouldn't have his chips without salsa. After his first bite his eyes got all big and he shuddered at the heat and then pointed to the salsa with gusto and absoluteness and ate it on every chip. Train them young, right?

Anyway, that's the story of the time we went and celebrated our non success.

Learning Time!

Since Miles has always been such an easy going kid, I haven't had to always have something for him to do or a change of scene, etc. So in the past we just did whatever we wanted whenever we wanted, with the exception of meals and naps which were generally at the sameish time every day.

I instituted "learning time" a few weeks ago hoping that a little more structure would help the no nap series. It didn't really achieve that purpose, but it has been successful on every other possible account. As Miles says, "Yay, learning time!"

I don't really know what I'm doing and I've been too lazy to look up some good ideas on the good ol' world wide web. So for now we do letters, numbers, shapes, music, etc. And for the big hit: Play-Doh. Prior to these recent times, Miles has really only experienced the joy of play-doh at the nursery at church. I know, I know. Poor Miles. Not so poor anymore! Thanks, Mom and Pops for sending the play-doh-- he loves it!

I made this face and Miles had so much fun removing one facial feature at a time.

He would giggle himself silly as I'd say in a high pitched, squeaky voice, "Oh no! My ears!"

"Oh no! My eyebrows!"

It took one second before he was all in on the "Oh no! [insert removed feature here]!"

He loved it.

Then he made his own faces:

A job well done!

Anyway, Miles loves learning time and he loves the play-doh. Yay learning time!

It's upon us

The first snowfall is always so pretty. These pictures aren't really pretty. I opened my door, poked my head out and there you go. But it's real pretty.

And so it begins.

We're in Business

We found a great spot down by the Mississippi to throw rocks. We all remember how much Miles loves to throw rocks and that he could do it for days at a time. So I guess we are set for next summer. Six months from now maybe? Seven? It's 65 today. Go Minnesota!

I can't help myself

Guess what?! There is another little boy in this world who is as cute as Miles!

His name is Abe.

My friend Melissa needed some pictures for her Christmas card and I have a camera and this picture of Abe was so freakin cute I just had to share. Right now.

The end.

We should have named him Abe

As in Honest Abe. The no nap sagas continue. Sometimes I get a nap and Miles doesn't. The other day I was sure he went to sleep because I never heard him. But after his "nap" he looked exhausted so we had a conversation:

A: "Miles, did you take a nap?"
M: "No."
A: "What? Miles? Miles. Miles. Miles, look at mom. Miles. Did you go to sleep?"
M: "No."

I was totally baffled. I didn't know whether or not he understood what I was asking and how he was responding, but he did look wiped. Pre nap I had promised him that he could watch something of his choice if he took a nap. So, I was talking to Dave saying, "I told Miles that he could watch Woody and Buzz if he took a nap, but he said he didn't go to sleep. What do you think?" And Miles, being the super big eaves dropper he is, piped up and starting saying, "Nawp (Nope)! No Wooey eh Buzz, no Elmo, no ockey (hockey), no beeball (baseball)..." and on and on the list of all the things he was banning himself from. So, he dug his own grave.

And that's why we should have named him Honest Abe.

In other news, Miles loves to play in the car. Like, loves it. He requests it any time we are getting in the car to go somewhere and would stay there all day if I'd let him.

So many buttons, what 2 year old could resist?

Here is a video of the fun:

Play Car from DAM FAM on Vimeo.

Also, I had a birthday last Saturday. I'm a half of a half of a century. I don't feel old at all.

Me on my very birthday.

Me and Miles at the Original Pancake House, my birthday breakfast of choice and easily my favorite breakfast place to eat. Wait...yep, I think it is my favorite.

Some of the best memories of my 25th:

-Miles singing "happy birthday" out of the blue
-My date with Dave
-The food on my date with Dave
-Dave's patience whilst I did a little shopping at the no-tax-on-clothes zoo that was Mall of America the day before Halloween
-The breakfast
-Barnes & Noble

Thanks for a great birthday, Dave!