Conversations With My Two-Year Old

My 2 year old is still in speech therapy and I think still slightly delayed a bit in speech. Nothing drastic, but there's a delay none the less. He speaks in two word phrases as opposed to three word sentences. He's still learning how to answer questions instead of just repeating you. I'm so proud of his progress and I know he will continue to do so! Check out that positivity and go on an get some!

Anyway, here's a conversation I had with my oldest a month ago. He was finishing up some Chic-Fil-A nuggets and fruit.

Me: Are you all done eating?

Drew: Done.

Me: Or do you want more?

Drew: More.

Me: Sigh. Drew are you all done?

Drew: Dooooonnnnnne.

Me: Okay, so no more?

Drew: More.

Me: Drew, are you done or do you want more? Which one?

Drew: Two. 

He was learning to count to 10 at the time. Mentally, I was like "WTF" but I thought it was hilarious and genius. I'd say his speech is going to be caught up by the summer time. Okay, well that's my hope.

I hope everyone is having an awesome Tuesday.....if not, treat yourself to one of these!

Mmm...merlot!

Yes please! Don't mind if I do!

Suze Says Don't Buy

Speaking of houses.....

We have been looking and looking and looking....like every other weekend. Have I mentioned that I am not a fan of shopping (except for shoes)? I have limits on my shopping excursions and I tend to go by myself. Anyway, I digress. We couldn't agree on a house layout. We couldn't agree on new construction or already built. My husband could look at a million houses. To me, that's shopping....and breaking all kinds of limits I have.

So, we decided to rent a house instead. Right now, we are in a townhouse and its too small. My youngest, newly turned 1 with 7 teeth, gets into everything except for the bright colored things scattered everywhere. You know, TOYS. Sigh. And he looks at you crazy if you tell him to stop. He's not walking yet, but if he was, everything would be on its way to being broken. We. Need. More. Space.

Another reason we decided to rent is because it took us forever to sell our house when we relocated down here. Its easier for buyers to want to purchase a foreclosure next door than your market-priced house. So seeing that there are maybe 25 out of 50 houses for sale in our as well as neighboring subdivions that doesn't make us want to jump in and buy again.I'd say the market is still down though and something tells it still will be a year from now, I just hope we can agree on a house then..... and maybe have 20% down like Suze suggests.

Sidenote: I loved our old house. It was a prebuilt home and beautiful. Sigh. One day we'll own again!

Toddler Birthday Party Planner

For the past week, I was busy planning a somewhat last-minute birthday party for my boys. I made it a joint party for the two of them since my oldest turned 2 on Christmas and my youngest turned 1 on the 14th. They are literally 2.5 weeks apart. Sounds like a joint party kind of thing right? #Duh. :-)

I kind of don't believe in having a birthday party for a 1 year old......only because the 1 year old has NO idea what's going on. Heck, the 2 year old barely knows what's going on. I mean, they do....but then again......they don't. They don't realize "cake and presents for me because I'm one year older." That concept is understood completely at the age of 3 though. I know some people do it for the sake of the celebration and pictures, but honestly I already take a gazillion pictures. Last year, we celebrated my oldest's birthday with just the 3 of us at home.

Well, since we've been to at least 4 birthday parties since we moved here last October (all for 2 year olds), my hubby said he wanted me to put something together for our boys. Since we are still new to the area, we're still renting (luckily there are gorgeous houses leasing in this tough economy), we had to have the party somewhere else so we had it at an (safari-themed) indoor park and all the kids had tons of fun. I made the cake and cupcakes and they were freaking delicious! I can't wait to share what I did! But I have to tell ya.......it wore me out!

I can say that now I thoroughly enjoy baking and making creative sweets!

An tasty treat that is my new favorite treat are mini oreos dipped in candy melts. Hmmmmm!!!!

Strawberry Champagne Punch & 2012 Resolutions 2012

My New Year's Eve drink!

Do you have any New Year's Resolutions and how did last year's turn out?
I think I have some, but I haven't taken the time to write them down yet. Ho hum.

Today, I'm participating in Mama Kat's writer's workshop. Her blog is extremely fun so check her out when you can. I think you'll have fun with her workshops as well.

Anyhow, last year I didn't make any resolutions. My only goal was to make it through my pregnancy successfully while carrying a 1-year old that wasn't walking. Both of my boys were at least 8lbs and I'm barely 5 feet tall. Can you imagine the pain and discomfort I was in???? I was not in a state of mind of making resolutions but instead was in a survival mindframe, lol. I'm saying all that to say that I had no 2011 resolutions to look back on and see how they turned out.

But honestly, I've never really been the resolutions type. Not because I'm too cool, but because I'm too lame, lol. I am never creative enough to think that far into the future that wasn't career-related. But another reason is one that was stated perfectly by Arnebya, because, if I fail them because I am just too damn lazy, then I don't want anyone knowing about that failure.

Sooooo, for my resolutions for 2012, I'll be taking a page out of her book and sharing my resolutions once I am close to accomplishing them. For example, I said I was going to get my body back BEFORE Christmas, well now I have to move that goal to my birthday (the end of February) because I was losing too much weight on Insanity and have been too lazy to re-gain the healthy weight I lost but still toning my stomach.
Ugh. See!

Sidenote:
My New Year's Eve 2012 drink of choice was the easiest and most delicious drink ever! Its for light drinkers (because its diluted down like a mimosa) so heavier drinkers will need to make more than 1 batch. I was so upset I only made one batch!!!

STRAWBERRY CHAMPAGNE PUNCH

Take 1 bottle of your champagne of choice and mix it with a 2 liter bottle of ginger ale. Throw some frozen strawberries in and voila!!!!

What are your resolutions? And what do you do to KEEP them?!? I need some motivation ideas!

Life Update

Well, we had a good holiday. No in-laws/out-laws drama. There were only one or two comments that annoyed me but all in all we had successful visits. My boys had fun EVERYwhere we went......which makes me miss "home" and being around family and dear friends. But for now, our home is in Tey-haas.

Anyway, thanks so much for everyone's lovely comments and thoughts and prayers! I didn't have real access and time to blog while we were out of town, so I couldn't respond back but I surely do appreciate the wonderful messages left. I think it helped give me a mental hmph to "fake til I made it" ha ha!


{More Randomness}
 - Our dear friends had their son on Christmas....which happens to be my oldest boy's birthday! How ironic is that?!? Two friends with boys born on Jesus' birthday. I'm still shocked!

- I got micro braids a week or more before we left to go home and took them out this past weekend. They were in for a total of 3 weeks and 2 days. I shouldn't have gotten them in the first place, but I was having HAIRCUT-ACCEPTANCE issues. Seriously.....what was I thinking???

-My oldest boy has been talking up a storm lately. Its usually clear words in the middle of gibberish-filled sentences.

-Literally a few days before Christmas, our camera broke, so we didn't take any pictures our whole holiday except for with our phone.....but our friends and family took some, so we still have it documented! We just bought a new camera this past Saturday, woo hoo! But really......2.5 weeks without a camera (on Christmas and New Year's Day) is NO BUENO!

-We got back from our trip on the 28th and did nothing but take out their toys cars, remote control cars and airplanes and play, Play, PLAY!!! My hubby took off a week and a half from work and now we are FINALLY back into our normal groove.

If we go home next year for Christmas, I think it should just be over an extended weekend period. That 'one whole week' stuff is just too long and besides there's nothing like being in your OWN house. Its a lot easier to get back into your normal routine from a holiday or vacation when it doesn't include traveling.

I hope you had a great Christmas and New Year's Eve/Day! Any random things take place for you over the holiday weeks?