Cruisin'

Welcome home, Betty and Rog.

AJ is glad you're off "That big boat."

This is a picture of "that big boat" the Ruby Princess a la Google Images

Paint. In a Bag. Brilliant.

I made AJ a bag full of paint. It's cool.

Hanging out

The weather has been warmer than average for a while, but the yard is a mess and it smells like rabbit poop out there, so we have been inside doing "Skoowerks". AJ has decided he shall write his name. So write it he does. And he also decided he shall pee standing up, but that is another post for another time.

We like magnets.

We like glue.

We like scissors. But AJ tells me very seriously, "Mama, scissors NEBBER go by your hair."

Enjoy your mild winter while we wait for the other shoe to drop. After all, it's IL in February, and you know it will.

Pinteresting

So I joined Pinterest. If you haven't, you need to. I mean, you should join only if you REALLY LOVE AWESOME STUFF. Here is some of that awesome stuff right here.

My family will be doing a Valentine Family Project that is a combo Family Celebration/Pinterest find that I thought was really cute. AJ will pick a heart on a straw Feb 1-14 and we will do the activity together. Then on Valentine's Day, I will make a special dinner (and by make I mean order Lou Malnati's pizza) and we will eat on red plates. Or at least use red napkins because I already have those.

Thank you, Rev. Brian and Mrs. Sally Cope for lending me this book!

I am back on the weight loss wagon. Well, I am waiting at the station for the wagon. Then I will haul my big butt on it. And the wagon will slowly go forward. With me on it. Hanging on. Mike will be on the wagon too. His jar of rocks is the short one. Mine is the tall one and there are 20 some rocks in there. The one that says, "Pounds Lost" represents my loss so far and I can't ignore those pounds. I earned them. There are 30 something (I know exactly how many) in there, by the way.

I am also using menu planners to make my family decent food. Some of it is downright yummy, in fact. We will be eating them in portion controlled fashion and with lo-cal ingredients. I haven't told Mike that part yet (Shh).

Happy #1 B-Day!

We had the PLEASURE PLEASURE PLEASURE of celebrating Ms. N's first birthday with her p's today. Watching them be parents this year has been truly an honor.

It Finally Snowed

After creepy warm temps this winter, snow was finally dumped on us last night. I raced as fast as I could to Melba's (my usual 7 minute drive across the SP took 20 minutes) to jam AJ in his coat, boots, hat, and mittens. I got him into the car and we FINALLY left the SP at:

Apparently no one who is responsible for removing snow in any of the 7 towns we travel through on the way home heard the weather reports I had heard for three days prior telling the IL people that there would be snow las night. So our car joined the 10's OF MILLIONS OF OTHERS on the drive home, but the plow companies took the night off.

Here's what we did:

1. I listened to Gary Meier (although I am not a regular listener, I enjoyed it very much)

2. We ate the emergency snacks

3. We rationed the water (bathroom issues, you know)

4. We looked for trains

5. We complained about the snow

6. We looked for plows

7. We felt bad for the guy who had to be towed off of Irving Park Rd.

8. AJ threw his toys on the floor

9. AJ took his boots off

10. AJ complained about his feet being cold

11. We saw a train

12. We whined

We pulled into the garage at:

We ate crock pot food and played Chuggington.

However, the snow made for some fun play time outside this morning and the hellacious drive home was a distant memory.

I have to give props to Acres Group and the guys who clear our snow. They had our association cleared and our walks, drives and mailbox areas shoveled by 10:00 pm last night. They always do a great job!

I Couldn't Let A Week Go By Without A Train Post

We fed AJ's obsession with trains again last weekend by attending the Train & Hobby Show at the Conference Center. Mike bought Union Pacific and Santa Fe hats. AJ was thrilled with the train viewing opportunities but not with the crowds. We will be attending again next year.