My baby bug is 2

Ugh, breaks my freaking heart. No way is this kid 2, no way. Why does their growing up have to hurt so bad? I'm going through a mini mid life crisis friends, I kid you not. Between my turning 30 and Drake's turning 2, I just have a constant pit in my stomache. These years are flying by, I am blinking and they are gone and I can never get them back. I know they say the next phase is great too, I know we all grow and age and its the way it goes but I will admit I love this stage with my kids. I go to bed exhausted every single night because of the physical toll it takes to mother young children. I never, ever feel as if I have one single moment to myself. Life is hectic, and crazy and not always pretty but oh the joy they bring me. Their innocence, their goofy little toothless smiles, the way they smell straight out of the shower, the way they still love to be held and snuggled, the way their little hands fit in mine. the noise, the toys, their sweet little cartoons. I wish so badly it would all just slow down. I guess I will just love it for all that it is, live in this moment, never take them for granted and soak up every little ounce of them I can get. Oh, geez....TWO!

This is a two part blog post. His actual birthday and then the day of his party. Started his day with his favorite breakfast, I am such a sucker....he woke up later than the other two and missed breakfast so I stopped for my Mcdonalds coke after dropping off Carson and got him a hashbrown. He loves those things.

We had a totally slow, quiet morning... him and Lincoln layed around watching cartoons and playing while I got ready for the day. It's real rough being two.

Cutest little 2 year old. As much as I hate that he's two...he sure is a fun one. He has the most delightful little personality.

We didn't do a whole lot during the day. It was the day we had that crazy ice storm and I got in one two many fights with my driveway that day. Our house faces north and our driveway is on a huge slant and it was seriously a death trap. Like an ice skating rink. My 4 wheel drive car could not make it up. I had to spend an hour out there trying to break up some of the ice, just so I could get in. Crazy. So besides that, I also helped in Carson's class and then we ran a few errands getting stuff together for his birthday party that weekend.

Once Carson got home from school and Thiago got home from work, we braved the crazy roads to go out and have some fun. Crown Burger was our first stop. Birthday boy ate his hotdog and fries. Couldn't have asked for more. He loves that dinner.

I think I mentioned on here that my boy lost both of his front teeth that week. Here is his first official picture without them. Haha. Can't believe I am a mom to a kid old enough to have a toothless smile. Isn't loosing teeth just the weirdest thing when you stop and think about it. Ha, just weird. His new smile cracks me up, love it!

We then went to Boondocks. It was a Thursday night, and a stormy one at that, so we basically had the place to ourselves. We joined the birthday club thing so Drake was totally free and the other two are easy to please. About an hour of the kid mini bowling and then another hour over in the fun house and a quick trip through the arcades. It was a cheap and fun night.

One of our funnest nights. The boys had been so excited all week to go. They were in the best moods. Getting along so great with each other and really looking out for one another and just being all together sweet and so appreciative of the activity. Love when they act like that. Me and Thiago just kinda set back and watched them, smiling the whole time. Just doesn't get much better than that.

And that brings us to his party Saturday night with family. Of course I worked that morning, so it's always kinda crazy for me those few hours that I get home and trying to get everything put together. I thought it all turned out great though.

He was obsessed with his cake. See him here, checking it out. Appearantly, nobody makes a Jake and the Neverland Pirates cake, so we had to improvise. Had Harmons make the cake and just put the border on and then me and my sister added the little guys to the top. I liked it, so did Drake. Kept trying to get him in the shower and he was pretty upset when I pulled him away from it.

Birthday boy!

Party time! Didn't get any pictures of our dinner, but it was yum! We did barbeque pulled pork sandwiches with chips and dip, baked beans, a fruit salad, potato salad and layered salad. Thanks to our families for all their help. And for all the love and support they always show me and my kiddo's. We are so blessed to have so many people in our lives that love us.

He got so many great presents this year. Some fun new wooden food sets for his kitchen, a scooter, a bubble lawn mower, a lego set, an angry bird set, a bunch of stuffed angry birds and some outside toys. Everything was so different and fun and he loved it all.

It was a fun little birthday. Love my little two year old.

January...January

Well, it's January. Oh January. You really are quite the month. Good thing mine and Drake's birthday falls in there, otherwise I would just call the month a complete loss. Its just so dark, and cold, and gloomy. Especially this year. Our weather has been harsh this winter. Weeks of tempratures below freezing, so our snow never melts, takes your breath away cold out there, my garage is a filthy mess, don't even get me started on my car. Kids boots, shoes, gloves, coats are always wet and soggy. We have had three weeks worth of inversion, our air is just horrid. We can't get a decent storm to blow it out and once we do, it comes right back. Not to mention the other nights freezing rain storm. So cold that the rain froze instantly on the roads, driveways, sidewalks. We face north, with our driveway on a slant. It was seriously a skating rink. Treacherous. Found myself out there with a shovel for over an hour trying to break up the ice, so we could get the car into the garage. Cars did nothing but slide. Ridiculous. Anywho, amongst all that....is a few events. Just a few. Thought I would get them on here before the birthdays. Drake's was yesterday, his party will be tomorrow. Mine is on Monday. So here we go...

Along with the glorious weather is the lovely sickness that comes along with winter. Us, as well as the rest of the country has got the nasty bug going around. Somehow I was the only one to dodge it. I seemed to have it first but mine was super mild compared to everyone elses. Poor Carson, Drake and Thiago were the worst. Drake had it over New Years as mentioned, then Thiago had it, left, and came back again and Carson got it the day he went back to school from winter recess. Typical, right when he is supposed to go back. He went that first day and then I had to keep him home the next 2. Poor kid. There goes our perfect attendance. Bummer.

One thing I do love about the start of the New Year is the cleaning binge I go on. Inspires me to get into all those corners and cupboards and just go to town. I always start with a massive toy makeover. Spent 36 hours reorganizing every toy area in our house. Thiago had a couple days off so we sent the kids back to school on that first day and he and I collected a massive pile to donate and another to just plain throw out. Kids are none the wiser. Out with the old, in with the new.

It all looks so lovely...my little heart just skips a beat thinking about it.

Also starting in on my spring cleaning...started with the unfinished part of our basement. It needed some major love. Kinda my collect all for junk and things I don't want to deal with. Looking much better now. I don't want to cry everytime I walk into it, so that must be a good sign.

My babies just kinda hang out, playing with new toys.

And another one of Drakey-bug...just cause he's a cutie pie.

My mama stopped by one gloomy, blah day with a little plate of happiness. She made the kids some snowman cupcakes. Ooh yum, they were delish. I get a big charge out of sprinkles, I love the little crunch they make. And these were the little crystal kind of sprinkles, my favorite. Thanks mama!

In other exciting 7 year old news, my boy is losing teeth left and right. Both of his top front teeth have been loose for what seems like an eternity now. They were both barely hanging on by a thread. There was no way I was pulling those things, freaks me out...Thiago tried multiple times and Carson about had a hernia. We decided it wasn't worth traumatizing the kid so we just left em be. The first one finally came out this past Tuesday. He and Linc were fighting about who knows what, Linc whacked him in the face and out came that tooth. Carson was so glad to have it out he immediately forgot about the fight. Haha. Good job Lincoln, I guess. The next one came out 3 days later at school. Bit into a strawberry shortcake roll and out popped that tooth. This pic was taken before the other had come out, as you can see it is jetting out there pretty good. I will have to take an updated picture of him now without both of them. His new smile is cracking me up.

Me and my boy snuck out for a date night earlier in the month. My mother in law was taking the boys to a birthday party in Salt Lake one Saturday night, so we found ourselves with a few precious hours kidless. Lovely. Olive Garden and "Zero Dark Thirty" were just what we needed. Ahh, the braised beef tortellini. Wish I had some right now. If you guys go to Olive Garden, please get the braised beef tortellini. You will not be sorry. My friend told me about it and I have not gotten anything else there since. Dreams are made of that stuff. Yum!

Speaking of food...January always leaves me wanting to try new recipes. The craziness of the holidays are over and I start to crave home cooked meals. So I start scouring blogs and such for new recipe ideas. This was a philly cheesesteak. Yum! And so easy.

Cinnamon toast crunch muffins I made for an afterschool snack one day. Turns out my weirdo's don't like them. Only ones to eat them were me and Drake. Well whats a girl to do with 12 muffins....I guess eat em all. And share with Ashley!

Can't go wrong with good old fashioned apple crisp. Warm, right out of the oven with a good ol' scoop of vanilla icecream. Pure comfort.

And last but not least....a cousin sleep over. No school on MLKJ day so we gathered up our Lance for a little overnighter.

It was a short little sleepover, just the one night. Popped some popcorn and put on a movie with some other treats.

The next day I was going to meet up with my mom and sisters for lunch and a few errands, so I knew the boys wouldn't have a ton of time together but I wanted them to have something that would stand out to them and make the time fun. So I planned this little muffin tin breakfast picnic for that morning.

They got the biggest kick out of it. Best breakfast ever according to Carson. So it was totally worth it.

After a whole lot of playing with new Christmas toys and a little x-box play it was time to meet up with Lancey's mom.

And there you have it.....til next time friends!