snow & sun

as i type this, it is snowing outside AND the sun is shining...so the snow looks like glitter falling from the sky & adeline is simply entranced by it. she was looking out the window & had many many 'ooh & ahhs' about the situation. sort of like when it is raining, but sunny. i am not going to go outside to check for a rainbow, though. anyway, yet another reason i love winter. i love snow b/c it makes people slow down a bit in everything (driving, walking, going out, etc). i love the cold b/c then i can wear scarves & hats & fleece sweaters. i love getting into a warm bed (from the other love of my life, the electric blanket). i love winter food: chowders & potato based stuff & gravies & breads (comfort food). one layer of snow can even make our composter look fancy & pretty. simply stunning.

adeline slept in this morning until 8:30. i had to wake her up! well, technically, i went to check on her b/c i had this fear that she had somehow smothered herself b/c she never sleeps in anymore. & while checking on her, woke her up by just opening the door. true confessions. then she realized that wes wasn't home & had a little meltdown during breakfast (wes usually gives her breakfast) so i apparently wasn't doing it right. then she was a bit pissy & somehow knocked over her entire cup of milk, spilling it all over herself. which made her even more upset. i really don't get worked up over spilled drinks b/c she really does them accidentally & i don't want to make her feel any worse than she already feels. but she cried & cried & cried over this spilled milk. i think she really was just a bit miffed that wes left for work without waking her up. she has been infatuated with wes for the past few months. let me tell you: i don't mind one bit! she has even turned down both grandmas to put her down for a nap & bedtime in favor of wes.

this is a picture of her this morning after the whole breakfast meltdown. see, she recovers well. if you can read her shirt it says "daddy's sweetheart" & that's the only one she wanted to wear today (she chooses her shirt based on what the writing or animal or whatever is on the shirt). as soon as i read it to her, she nodded her head YES, which apparently means 'put it on me immediately'. then she took it from me & put it on herself. 'i do it!!!'. okay okay!

& little millie. she is napping right now. addy is watching veggie tales & playing with her maracas. i love that she is now watching tv! she didn't like it for so long & now it can occupy her for nearly 20 minutes! amazing. millie likes tv already...she becomes engrossed in a matter of seconds. which is okay with me. a mama needs some free minutes during the day, ya know! below is a picture of amelia's first hair up-do.

a great shot of adeline sitting on the potty & playing with my cell phone. seeing this now reminds me that i should probably sterilize it...adeline is really having a tough time with potty training. she did wonderful for about a week...& now is totally uninterested in doing any sort of business in the potty. WHHHAATT?! this is totally frustrating. but i am backing off. which means that i am cleaning up about 3-4 messes on the floor daily. DAILY. ugh. it's like she knows that she has to go & then will start to go in the underwear, pull up or diaper & then halfway through, will try to take them off, getting the pee or poo everywhere. like i said, frustrating. i ask her at certain times throughout the day if she has to go potty, then when she says no, i still put her on the potty & she will comply & sit there. then she'll get off & do the aforementioned business. then i get out the vinegar water & do the clean up job. grr.

millie just loves her seat lately. she just really loves a lot recently; she's full of smiles & laughter.

this is me trying to find out how far amelia will lean back before she breaks her neck. she's a contortionist!

i have no idea how some moms are able to write anything of substance on their blogs...since i started this post, adeline has realized i wasn't paying 100% attention to her & has sat on my lap about 10 times, tried to put stickers in my hair, dumped a tablespoon of sugar into my coffee cup, climbed onto my back & jumped several times, given me 2 packets of oatmeal to make for her, & then has begun crying saying 'mum mum mum mum'...which either means 'mama' (pay attention to me') or 'grand-mum, grandma' (please come play with me). one of the two. now she is off with a box of cereal, well, that's what my ears are telling me.

this month i want to do several things: make home made cinnamon rolls (if i can ever get ahold of my grandma's recipe...until then i will have to use another from allrecipes.com) & then valentine's day cut out cookies. & biscotti for play group on friday morning, which is at my house. which means i should probably clean the bathroom & mop the floor (read: officially clean off all pee & poop spots from adeline). i also want to start a puzzle for me. i love puzzles, love them, love them. in my job before adeline was born ("psycho-social rehabilitator for the therapeutic learning center") we had a puzzle table all the time. sometimes, when very frustrated with a student or all of them, another worker would take over (i was 'in charge' of the high school classroom) & i would sit down for 10 minutes to let my blood cool a bit & work on a puzzle...it's just very soothing to me. apparently it is for adeline as well; she can spend an entire hour doing nothing but her toddler puzzles (& read books).

from the sounds of it, honey bunches of oats is now being poured out onto something (hopefully into a bowl or at least onto the table) & amelia is waking up. which means this mama has to clock back in.