snow adventures

A two day holiday winter storm brought 10 inches of wet snow to our area. Places a couple of hours north of us were hit with twice as much. We were lucky in that the temperatures were warm enough that it was raining (RAINING!) for much of the last half of the storm, which cut down on the amount of powder. Christmas eve day we took Miles out to play in the stuff. He didn't want anything to do with it. Despite the fact that he was bundled warm and dry, he couldn't get over the fact that the snow reaching up to his knees was spoiling his idea that his boots should be snow-free at all times. Um, yeah. That's not really going to work here.

See those tears? For whatever reason, he just couldn't handle being out in all that snow.

Determined to get the little guy out of the house (so much built up energy from being out of school for a week) we tried again the next day. We managed to stick him in his sled before we even left the house and just pulled him right out the back door. By the time he realized what was happening, we were on our way. He figured out that in the sled, he was a safe distance from all that snow. Clean boots too.

And then we made a snowman. And it was all happy, happy from that point on. There was even some snowman snuggling, initiated by Miles. Progress.

the trouble with kids these days...

...is that they go and do strange things, like kiss rocks...

...or they make monster faces when you're trying to capture a keepsake photo...

...or they just move too quickly so you're never able to get the full shot...

Good thing kids are cute.

Oh, and an update on Santa's diet:

Evidently, Miles has changed his mind about what type of snack to leave Santa on Christmas Eve. He informed me that Santa no longer wants milk and cookies. What Santa really craves is tapioca pudding. Well, all right then. Pudding he shall have.

holiday thoughts

The snow is falling. Six inches predicted. The long and crowded commute home from work bearable only because of the sheer beauty and softness of the snow. The lights are twinkling. The tree adorned. The house smells like fresh pine. More christmas shopping to do. Thoughts of how to buy intentional gifts, local and handmade. Inspired by Michael Moore. No kidding. (Still pondering Capitalism: A Love Story). Also kicking around the idea of picking up a new tradition. Celebrating Three Kings Day, or El Dia de los Reyes, a festivity that my husband observed as a child. Trying to make sure that we are raising Miles in an environment influenced by each of our cultural traditions. Observing this holiday consists of putting water and grass in a shoe box as an offering to the camels on the eve of los reyes. Also encourages night singing attacks where groups kindly wake their neighbors with loud and spirited caroling. Not sure we'll be able to find green grass in Minnesota in January. Don't think the neighbors would appreciate the late-night singing. But, we'll think of some way to participate in this tradition. A certain little someone is looking forward to leaving milk and cookies for Santa on Christmas Eve. So looking forward to celebrating the holidays with that little guy.

weekend

Our weekend in photos (and a few words).

A very happy little wizard with his own cape and wand. Just one of the many fun and thoughtful birthday gifts he received this year.

A music-themed birthday party for Miles, entertainment provided by El Arco Iris, a non-profit arts group that David's family has been involved in for years. Of course, I have no pictures of the details of Miles' party, like the hand-made invitations, the matching music-themed cake, the decorations, etc. I was too involved in the party to get many decent photos, but here are a few...

Remember Brooklyn? Here she is now, all grown up, and giving her auntie a look.

Playing the guido with daddy

Drumming with Nana

Titi Shey drumming in the performance

Miles has seen this group perform several times, but he's always mesmorized by the dancing, drumming and singing.

Still enjoying the birthday balloons the day after the party

Despite what you see in this photo, I'm really not a terrible mother who has no regard for her child's safety. It took about five verbal attempts to get Miles to stop pressing his face against the balloon. He finally moved on to another activity. No harm done, he's just fine.

And a little helper who loves to sweep

two!

A yummy birthday muffin breakfast, a birthday treat and celebration at school, time spent at home with daddy, and a birthday gathering planned for tomorrow.

Happy Birthday, Miles! We love you so much!

xoxo, mama and daddy

a big first

What a weekend! Miles spent his first night away from home, away from us, and with his nanna on Saturday. It went so well, almost like he had done it a million times before. While Miles spent some quality time with family, David and I had a chance to interface with the world again. We went out to dinner and to a show at a local comedy club with friends. Before going out for the night we found ourselves stopping by a convenience store for yummy specialty coffees (at half the price of starbucks), buying a powerball ticket (that's David, not me) and taking our time getting dressed and ready for the event. I actually had time to try on a couple of outfits, both that were clean (hallelujah!) and go through the full make-up routine. Yowsa! That was exciting. Then, to top it off, we made our annual trip to the christmas tree farm today to pick out our tree, and I was able to take some photos of the cousins together. Grandma, here is your sneak peek. We'll be sending more photos of your Minnesota great-grandbabies to you soon!

pretend play

One year ago, November 2008

I've noticed lately that Miles is starting to engage in some pretend play with us. In my opinion, this is one of the best things about little kids, the endless possibilities of their imagination, the amazingly creative and fun stories and games that they come up with, and the fact that this gives you, the super-serious-all-responsible-adult, a chance to let loose and be as silly as you want to be. Today we played "cafe Miles" in the bathtub. Miles is keenly aware of the fact that both his mama and daddy make it a priority to brew, serve, and drink coffee in the morning. The word "coffee" has been in his vocabulary for quite some time. Tonight, he started pouring his bathwater into a small cup and saying, "mommy's coffee". After giving me the cup I asked "should mommy drink the coffee?" "yep" said Miles. "May I have the coffee with sugar and cream, please?" I asked. "Yep, coffee with sugar and cream, stir it up" he said, followed by a "please". "Please", I said, and then "thank you". "Yep" he replied. This went on for a good 5 - 10 minutes of him serving me coffee and me pretending to drink my java (soapy bathwater). Just one of the cute examples of how he is starting to use his imagination.

even lions get sick

Our plan was to take our little lion trick-or-treating this evening, even if just for a quick trip around the block. But, it seems as though our lion might have a case of croup. Last night was our first night out alone together in a very long time. Dinner and a theatre performance were lined up with a new babysitter at home watching Miles. We made it through a lovely dinner and half of a mediocre dance performance before we left to go home to find Miles wheezing and coughing like a barking seal. He's better today, and was even cheerful enough to dress up in his costume and pose for a few photos. But, he was ready to settle down for the night right around the time we lit the candles in the jack-o-lanterns and started handing out candy. So, a mostly quiet halloween evening for us here at home. Happy halloween!

autumn in a day

pumpkin patch

Unlike last year's search for pumpkins, this time Miles and I had company, my mom and her friend Val. The extra hands were helpful when carting around two giant pumpkins and a basket full of other autumn harvest decorations, not to mention that Miles really enjoys spending time with both his grandma and Val. The snow today spoiled my plans to do some yard work and fall decorating, but hopefully it was just a fluke and we'll see warmer weather again before the real winter season begins.

first snow of the season

Our morning walk, chilly and white