Snow Graffiti

Pinterest success!  You know those Pinterest posts that make you feel like a bad parent because someone hand stitched their own cloth diapers with organic Egyptian cotton, built a toy box out of upcycled toilet paper rolls, and pureed a months worth of baby food in one day with heirloom root vegetables from their winter gardens?  Well.  This isn't one of those posts.   This little project is cheap and kid tested to be 100% awesome sauce.  Spray bottle + food coloring + water = hours of entertainment...if you can stay warm that long!  I bought little squirt bottles from Tarjay for .97 because I thought they would be easier for H to handle.  Of course you could use whatever you have around the house.  Sadly, our snow is melting away today, but they're calling for more tonight.  I'm crossing my fingers, because "spray" painting the grass isn't nearly as fun. 

Snoooooow.

Hey now, ATL.  SnowMageddon, CarMageddon, IceMageddon...whatever y'all are calling it...y'all are stuck!  I am so glad that our family and friends in that area made it either home safely or at least had a warm place for the night.  I just cannot imagine having to leave my child on a school bus!  Hopefully, you didn't have to go anywhere today and you got to at least enjoy a little of the snow. 

Speaking of snow.  We still have some residual flakes sticking around from a system that pushed through a few days ago.  On days like this, I like to take Henry to the Tot Gym at the Aztlan (try to pronounce that one.  yeah.) Community Center in Old Town Fort Collins.  He loves it.  I love it.  We're both happy campers when we go because he gets to learn how to share (not really his forte) and I get to talk to other adults about how bad our kids are at sharing.  It makes me feel normal. Win-win.

I will tell you something that is not 'winning' though.  Opening your sunroof on the way home because it's actually pretty nice outside and you think you'd like some fresh air, but you forgot that there's still four inches of snow on said sunroof.  Yup.  So as we're driving down the road singing Raffi songs and minding our own business, an avalanche of snow rudely barrels down into the car and onto our heads.  I immediately start laughing, turn around to see Henry wiping snow out of his eyes and he says, "uh-oh".  Yup.  Uh-oh, indeed. Thank goodness we were close to home. 

We were heading up the steps to the house when we had to make a pit-stop to play with chalk.  And then snow.  And Lightening McQueen.  We're all about the pit-stops right now.

Here We Go

If the first month of the year is any indication of what the rest of this year has in store for my family, then we'd better hold on to our hats.  It seems like the hurdles are coming closer together and higher with each jump.  What doesn't kill you only makes you stronger, right?  Well, in my case it's also opened my eyes to the importance of slowing down, taking my time, and drinking in the blueness of my little boy's eyes.

Because what's important right now is the way Henry says "choo" for tractor and the way it took him nearly two years to call me Mom.  Not Mommy, or Mama....noooo, we're way too sophisticated for that.  It's Mom, with a long "m" on the end.  Mommm.  And the way he counts, "two, nine, two, nine!"  Or the way he fake snores when he's pretending to sleep.  Yep, that's happening right now.

These are some of the things that I hope to share with you by leaving Facebook behind and entering a world with more conversations and fewer status updates, less dilution and more concentration, and more love and less "liking".  Kinda like those Home Depot commercials...More Saving. More Doing.  Or something like that. 

Thank you to everyone who has taken the time to send me a message of support and encouragement.  I'm blessed to call you my friends and I'm so excited about the conversations that I've had with some of you over the last 24 hours.  I'm honored that you are coming on this journey with me.  

I took these this morning while He Man enjoyed some of his birthday gifts.  Enjoy.  

Catching Up, Slowing Down

It's been a minute.  It's been lots of minutes.  Sorry about that.  I'm pretty sure I warned you that I was not very good at keeping this here blog dusted off.  But I'm back, for now, and hopefully this time it will stick a little longer. 

It's my kiddo's 2nd birthday today.  This day brings back so many memories of happiness and fear.  If I close my eyes, I am right back in that birthing room.  It was the longest and shortest 20 hours of my life.  A complete blur.  And when it was all over at 15:17mst, there was a baby boy.  There was a 6lb 4oz, 19 inches long little boy.  And there was his Dad with tears in his eyes.  And there was me. And all of a sudden we were a family of three.  This is my favorite day of the year because it's the day where all of my dreams came true. 

In the days leading up to his birthday, I have been doing a lot of reflecting.  Thinking about what to "get" him for his special day made me think about what he really needs.  Christmas was just a few weeks ago and his grandparents did plenty of spoiling, so I was having trouble coming up with something that he either A. Didn't already have or B. Something that he really "needed".  When my thoughts circled around "nothing", it hit me.  He really doesn't need anything, except for me to be present.  I will be his present.  I will quit spending time on Facebook, I will quit playing games on my phone, and I will be more present for him.  We can't get all of the time back to make them small again.  We only have the now and I forever want to remember all of his tiny features and idiosyncrasies ...not what my high score is on Candy Crush. 

So.  For my buddy on his birthday, I am giving him the gift of time.  I'll be quitting Facebook and starting up the 'ol blog again.  Here, you can keep up with photos of Henry and follow his adventures.  I'll be sure to keep this updated (while he naps!) so all of our friends and family can continue to watch him grow. 

In the new year, it is also my goal to focus on my photography and grow my business.  I will be keeping both personal and professional blogs, and I hope that you follow them both!  Your support over the last year has been so encouraging, and I'm really looking forward to what 2014 has to offer.

See you on the flip.