Sledding

Today was a spectacular day for sledding! Sunshine. Fresh snow. Not a lot of people out on the hill.

And of course, it's always more work for me because one of us doesn't want to walk back up the hill.

The snow was pretty fresh. And sometimes we crashed.

By the way, that should be a PSA for not using your cell phone while sledding. Usually I put my hand down to keep us stable, but that time I didn't because I was holding my cell phone.

Later, he lost interest and decided he would bury the sled in the snow.

Instead of saying "cheese" he said "snow ball" when I took a picture.

And then we went for hot chocolate to warm up.

Like Peas and Carrots

Isn't it weird sometimes, the combinations that kids come up with? The other day I asked Colsen what he wanted for dinner. He said, Jamba Juice and pizza! So here he is drinking his Jamba Juice. I'm proud of him for making a healthy choice (somewhat, depending on what you get - the juice, not the pizza). I was driving by a McDonald's at the time, hoping he would want to eat there (I've decided a good parent won't suggest fast food, but won't deny it if the kid specifically asks for it, which he didn't do - sad face for me, though I don't need it either).

Another weird thing was he wanted to play dump trucks and airplanes. I got the dump truck and I drove around on the floor while he flew around. Still don't know what the purpose of that game was. There was hardly any interaction between my dump truck and his airplane.

By the way, do peas and carrots really go together? Peas and corn maybe. At least corn comes in small kernels, kind of like peas. But carrots? You really have to chop them up to eat them with peas. I don't like peas though. So maybe that's why I don't get it.

I finally got my dishwasher working...

He doesn't really put any elbow grease into it, but it's a start.

I've been trying to teach Colsen to do chores. You have to get them started young, right? Plus, Fred Meyer was selling those dish scrubber things buy one get one free and Colsen really wanted one.

After washing the dishes, he cleaned his room and the living room. This is why people have kids.

Global Warming?

It was -7 degrees when I woke up this morning. Ridiculous. I did not leave the house today. That would have required several layers of warm clothing, scarves, hats, etc. Why is it so cold? Why do I choose to live in a place that gets this cold. I should be in a tropical zone right now. Basking in the warm sun, sipping cocktails on the beach, laughing at people like me that live in Idaho.

Colsen and I went sledding this past weekend. On our first day, we only went down the hill twice before he started crying because of how cold it was. We spent more time driving around town looking for a sled than we did actually using it. (Side note - if you don't already have one before next winter, buy a sled before it snows. Those things disappear from store shelves quick style).

Despite the frozen tears of the other day, Colsen likes the snow. He gets pretty excited when it starts snowing and he can try to catch snowflakes on his tongue. I once felt the same way. Playing in the snow used to be the best part of winter. I liked to sled, make snow men, throw snow balls... What part of getting older makes you focus on the temperature outside rather than the potential fun factory of a snow covered yard?

By the way, day two of sledding was a much bigger success than the first. We spent at least an hour on the hill. Colsen came up with a new game called, Daddy Pull Me Up the Hill as Fast as You Can. Needless to say, I got quite a workout. The best part of course was seeing Colsen's smiling face as we zoomed down the hill in our sled. Priceless.

Minefield

Colsen has been a bit sick, so the other day I let him stay home instead of going to daycare. I get pretty wrapped up in my work and didn't really pay much attention to him as he turned the living room into a cluttered mess. I've been trying to teach him to put away toys he was playing with before bringing out new toys, but we're not quite there yet.

Anyway, I didn't really have time to clean up after him. Today while walking to the kitchen I managed to step on what must have been the sharpest toy he brought out, a little plastic cone for his Hot Wheel cars that jabbed right into my foot, causing some excruciating pain.

This is the second time a toy has broken skin on my foot. I'm going to have to invest in a sturdy pair of house shoes or something. You know those toys are never going to get cleaned up right away.

So if you ever come around here, beware! Keep your shoes on.