"Excuse Me"

Our little miss has become such a love bug at bedtime.  One of her favorite books is Giraffes Can't Dance.  It was given to her by her babysitter.  Both Scott and I have the book completely memorized front to back (well, I have it memorized.  This book is so well loved it is missing it's first page due to toddler reading habits.  Rather than tape the page back in Scott discarded it in the garbage.  He was bragging he didn't need the page, but turns out only ONE of us really has the book memorized... and HER name starts with an S and rhymes with Barah.)

Anyway! Back to the point.  The story is about a giraffe who gets made fun of because he tries to dance with his gawky legs.  He befriends a cricket who teaches him that everyone is special in their own way and amazes the jungle animals with his fab new dancing skilz.

Scott does a great cricket voice for the following passage:

"Excuse me" said a cricket who'd seen Gerald earlier on.
"But sometimes when you're different, you just need a different song"

As I was putting Audrey to bed the other night she snuggled down with her stuffed beagle and her blankie.  Her new routine is to say "Good night. Love you mama (or daddy, depending on the chosen one)"  After that she rolled over and got her own cricket voice and said "Cuse Me. Sometimes different, different song" then got a big grin, rolled over, and closed her eyes.

What a precious little girl we have!

The geese thought Colorado was a safe place...

They haven't met my toddler and my husband!  I went running around a lake near our house and saw hundreds of geese resting for the winter.  I also saw a little girl chasing the geese with her grandma and thought Audrey would get a huge kick out of that.  We went out to lunch and on the way home made a quick stop to chase a few hundred geese.

I have to say that it was considered a success by all involved (except perhaps by a few hundred geese)....

Errrr... Day 21

Oopsies.  I had every intention of thinking of frivolous and overlooked things to be thankful for this November but turns out I'm actually quite thankful for some sentimental things as well, and so I've spent the past week being thankful for my loving husband, my wonderful family, my precious daughter, my co-workers, my friends, and my cozy home.  Sigh.  Not sarcastic at all!  That just won't do.

But today, my faithful followers.  Today, I found something frivolous and fabulous to be thankful for that everyone must dedicate a moment of silence to such fabulousness.

Ready for it?

Pop2k on Satellite Radio. 

It's the real deal.  It's music from the 2000s to 2010 and it's full of all my favorite jams.  I had forgotten just how wonderful Pop2k is because Scott hogs the satellite radio in his car and rarely lets me behind his wheel because that means he has to take my ride and let's just say my ride is not up to his standard of cleanliness.



Today, I was doing him a favor, so I got to drive the black stallion to Fort Collins and back, jammin' out the whole way. 

Normally I am harrassing Scott about the satellite radio because, as usual, he found a way to ask for a Christmas gift that keeps on giving.  When I ask for gifts it's something like new shoes, new clothes, a designer calendar, buy it once and done.

Scott, on the other hand, asks for gifts that keep giving year...after year... after year.  Satellite radio was the first of such gifts.  Sure, the original purchase is the contraption itself but for the past 5 years we have paid a monthly bill to XM to enjoy this gift.  Another example, his one cup coffee maker.  It takes special coffee cups that save more than buying a cup of coffee at Starbucks each day, but who has the budget to do that? 

Today, I was thankful for Scott's cleverness, and for the awesome musicians that dominated the turn of the century.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Day 12

Today I am thankful for FRO YO!

 

Life has been busy the past few days at our house.  Scott's busiest times of the year are November and February, and we are, as a matter of fact, in the middle of November!  Scott's working crazy hours and in and out of the house which makes things unpredictable for peanut.  Tonight we celebrated all being home (while Scott worked from the living room) with Fro Yo.  

I think it's a telling sign that we said nothing to Audrey about the treat and when Scott came in carrying the TCBY cups she squealed "ICE CREAM!" and started dancing and laughing around the living room.  

We took it easy tonight and enjoyed our treat in the living room.  As you can see, Audrey was very relaxed with her delicious dessert.  She and I "shared" a cup, and you KNOW how hard it is for me to share dessert.  Just goes to show you how much I love my daughter.  

She's so big she feeds herself bite after bite.  It's amazing how when she's trying to use a spoon to eat dinner nothing manages to stay on the utensil but when it's ice cream there's not a problem.  I spy a squirly bird...

Can I also reiterate how much I'm thankful for Shout???

Day 9 and Day 10

 We had a surprise wintry blast today! When I looked at the weather on my phone this morning I knew we were expecting cold temperatures and rain storms but what we got was a LOT of snow!  Audrey and I took advantage and went outside.  She played while I shoveled.  Last year we got a snow like this and she wasn't so sure... This year she was all about it!  It's amazing how much she can change in one year.

So for Day 9 I am thankful for this lovely purple hand-me-down snow suit that fit Audrey perfectly.  Without hand-me-downs we wouldn't have been prepared for this snowy adventure.  We would have squeezed into last year's snow suit made for a 6 month old (and believe me, we prob could have made it work.  Audrey's not known for her large stature...).  It's amazing how you think you've got everything covered, pants, shirts, socks, shoes, skirts, sweaters, a coat, mittens, a hat, but you can completely overlook something as important as a snow suit!  Thank you, friend of my mom, for buying this snow suit for your granddaughter and for her outgrowing the snow suit after only wearing it a couple of times when she came to visit and for passing it down to us for our enjoyment.  We will make it last!

Day 10 piggybacks onto Day 9.  For Day 10 I am thankful for the pizza delivery men who have to deliver pizza when I'm too scared to get out on the roads myself, and heaven knows I don't cook on the weekends!  Audrey and I were so very happy when the delivery man showed up in his snow-covered non-4-wheel-drive car delivering our one large peperoni pizza.  Part of me feels very guilty putting someone else on the road while we are warm in our house, so please, everyone, when you say your prayers tonight, pray for all those delivery men and women who carry on through inclement weather.  They definitely don't get enough credit. 

Happy Snowy Day everyone.  Now.  To find the candy bowl and wash the pizza down with something chocolaty and delicious!

Day 7 & 8

As I began typing today's post I realized something I am VERY thankful for, that I was not prepared to write about yet.  I'm going to make you hold onto your britches in anticipation.  The thing that you're waiting to hear about is the reason I'm combining two posts into one..  I BET YOU CAN'T WAIT!

The theme for today's post is: Surviving Toddlerhood.  For all you new parents out there who want to know the two things that make the most difference in our daily lives?  HERE THEY ARE!

Day 7 - I am thankful for pretzels.

Day 8 - I am thankful for Shout.






















These two household supplies are what make our little life go round.  Living with a toddler means that things can go from extreme happiness to terrible tantrums in a matter of seconds.  The culprit?  HUNGER.  Our little love bug goes from being perfectly content to being besides herself with hunger and the one food that can tide her over until a suitable snack/meal can be ready... PRETZELS.  I keep them in the car, in my purse, on the counter, in the closet, and since we eat them so much around here I'm sure at any moment you could reach between a couch cushion if you were desperate enough (What about the dog you say?  Shouldn't he find all of the pretzel shards that are wounded on their way to toddler battle?  Our hound dog is not known for his ability to locate crumbs.  He is known for his ability to leap through the air and remove food from your hand just as it is about to enter your mouth, but put a pretzel piece on the floor in front of him and he's clueless).  Things are looking up as Audrey becomes more verbal.  We now have at least a 10 second warning, as she bellows SNACK to start preparing sustenance.  Poor pretzels, they may one day be a legend of lore.

Shout is the second household item that we use on a daily basis.  We keep it on Audrey's dresser next to the diaper cream and the q tips.  You'll notice I purchase the Economy Size - at $2.50 a pop it's some the best money I spend.  I spray it on Audrey's clothes, on my clothes, the carpet, you name it, we've probably sprayed it because it's been covered in some unidentified toddler goo.  Tonight was no different.  After a nice long bath we went into our routine of getting lotion, putting on jammies, and doing the nightly check for a douse of Shout. 

Want to know something I'm not thankful for?  That my sweet peanut is waking up at 4:00 am after the time change.  So on that note... good night :)

Day 6: Eating with a Fork

Tonight I would like to relieve some stress and let you know what I am most thankful for on this day.

Today, November 6th, I am thankful that as adults we do not take noodles off our plates, rub them on our noses, stick them in our ears, and then eat them with our fingers.

Can we all just give a shout out to the toddlers of the world?  Without them we might not know just how disgusting eating a meal can be.  Scott and I are constantly laughing at the thought of adults having toddler tendencies.  The above is just one of many examples.

Can you imagine a group of adults sitting at a table, one leg on the table, one leg kicking underneath screaming PEACHES!

Or imagine a race amongst runners who run while wiggling their butts in that way that only a toddler can do.

When Audrey gets in the car the first thing she does is get rid of her shoes - that could be a smelly situation.

So tonight I am thankful that we leave our toddler tendencies behind.  (That is, until we argue at our house, then all bets are off!)

Day 5: Super Why

Spend two minutes in our house and you will know all about this toddler show on PBS.  We have so many episodes DVRed we barely have room for Keeping Up with the Kardashians (and we all know how important it is to keep up with them!). 

I am thankful for this show for so many reasons. 

First, the catchphrase "This is a super-big problem" comes in handy when Scott or I have minor disagreements -

Scott:  It's important to use only one dish towel at a time.  Never two or three.
Sarah: This is a super-big problem.

Second, I love the rhyming song that Red sings.  It's very catchy.

Third, hearing the super-big problems the Super Readers have to solve really puts life into perspective.

And finally, it's a show that keeps Audrey entertained while I make dinner, make a phone call, or just relax after a long day.

I wish I could say she likes to snuggle while watching, but my little one is not a snuggler (a trait she got from her mother I'm afraid).

It really is a cute show, and less painful than many others (hello... Pokoyo anyone? Yo Gabba Gabba?  YIKES!). 

(Don't judge me for letting Audrey watch t.v.  We are a family of t.v. toads.  It is in her blood.  Plus, we also read to her from time to time, and have been known to play with her on occasion as well.)

So, for the moment:

"Hip Hip Hooray! (HOORAY!)
The Super Readers Saved the Day"

Day 4: Syrup

I've written before about our love of pancakes on Sunday mornings.  I don't know how it happened, but we have managed to reproduce a child who does not share our love for pancakes.  Each week I make her a pancake with berries mixed in and she proceeds to pick out all the berries and eat them, leaving scraps of a pancake behind.  It's a sad sight, made even more sad by the fact that SHE DOESN'T LIKE PANCAKES!

However, she does LOVE syrup.  She thinks any sauce is syrup (ketchup, ranch, jelly, they are all the same).  We have done our best to link syrup WITH pancakes but to no avail.  You can see in the picture we have put syrup on her pancake and she then dipped her finger in the syrup, licked it off, and left the pancake behind.  Now, if we were to put syrup on a pile of cheese and black beans, I'm sure THAT would be eaten with gusto.  Silly girl. She and I are complete opposite.  I will scarf a pile of pancakes and leave the syrup behind.  It's not my favorite condiment.

Still, I am thankful for syrup.  It's the glue that holds our pancake Sunday tradition together.  As Scott and I dig into our pancakes Audrey is singing about syrup and picking the berries out of her pancakes.  It's a pretty awesome way to start a Sunday. 

Day 2-3

Disclaimer:  The purpose of my 30 Days of Thankful is to bring a little laughter to your days.  Please, know that I really value reading about all the serious things people are thankful for.  I do not mean to make those things trivial, I only mean to bring to light some of the things in life that often get overlooked!

Day 2:  Today, I am thankful for the ability to create human life so they can grow up and start carrying their weight around the house!  Sure, Audrey's sweet, sure she makes life better just by being born, sure it's amazing to watch her grow, but the REAL reason we had kids is to lessen the work load (ha. Ha hahahahaha). 

After visiting with a friend and seeing how awesome her 2 Year Old was able to carry out his nightly duty I decreed it was time for Audrey to start earning her keep around here!  Tober is a big fan :)

Day 3:  Today, I am thankful for running tights.  Full length, warm, slimming running tights.  Sara and I decreed we would run through the winter and not give up after we finished our half marathon, and run we do!  Nothing is more important on these Colorado winter runs than being warm, and my running tights do just the job.  So, thank you, running tights.  Thank you for keeping my legs warm and for making my tushy look good.

Day 1: Thankful Thanksgiving

Last year many of my friends posted something they were thankful for on their Facebook status each day of November.  I caught on too late, but really enjoyed reading everyone's updates.  Instead of posting on Facebook I thought I would put my blog to good use and get into a little more detail.

Before I begin I feel it is important to state that I am most thankful for my husband, daughter, parents, and siblings.  I could write about how much I love them every day.  They are my number one.  I don't think that probably comes as a surprise to anyone though.  I also think it is important to note that I am thankful for my house, my job, my friends, and my freedom.  All of those things rank top ten for sure.

But that's so obvious, right?  So, without further adieu, let's get to the meat of this post.

Day 1: I'm thankful for Frozen Orange Chicken from PF Changs in the frozen section of Target.  Not only can I go from no dinner to complete dinner in under 15 min. it's completely delicious.  On nights, like tonight, when I'm exhausted and trying to find something to eat that's not Kraft mac and cheese (we were out... that's my number 1 go-to...) I am so thankful that someone else has prepared a full meal, flash frozen it, and sold it in bulk at my neighborhood Target. 

So, thank you, frozen meal, for providing sustenance for my family.  You even include vegetables, an added bonus!