Snow Day!

Last week we had our first official Snow Day in North Carolina. I waited impatiently for the snow to fall ALL DAY and it didn't arrive until late in the evening. I honestly did miss snow and I was excited to see it again and of course, excited for Miss A to see it! She was barely sitting up last winter, we weren't sleeping, and I was in no mood to go out and play in the snow with a five month old. This time around it was so much fun!

Luckily my husband didn't have to go to work at the crack of dawn and was home that morning to experience the snow through his daughter's eyes. We went out back first and as you can see by the look on her face she was very confused! 

Here I am, at 8:30 in the morning, with no makeup on, in a sweater and pants thrown over my pajamas. :)

She liked being out in the front yard better and started to explore. She walked down the driveway and into the street, like she always does when we're out front. 

She was amazed by her footprints in the snow and did NOT want to go back inside. There were many tears. I was sad to pull her away, but it was really cold! I thought we would go back out to play in the afternoon when it was a little "warmer" but she suddenly developed a slight fever (?) and I didn't think going back outside would be a good idea.

We had plenty to do indoors though! Since I knew the storm was coming I went to Target before it, searching for something new/crafty/exciting to do at home. I found the cutest Valentine cookie decorating kit, for $3.99 that I couldn't pass up.

It came with three colored icings, three different kinds of sprinkles, and four heart shaped sugar cookies. We were busy for quite a while!

I tried showing her how to decorate her cookie with icing, but of course, all she wanted to do was eat the icing.

Can you guess who decorated this one? ;)

Cookie decorating on a snow day isn't complete without some hot chocolate. I made it lukewarm for Miss A and I to share. It was her first time trying hot chocolate (or any kind of chocolate milk) and she loved it. 

Oh yes, it was straight to the bath after this. Her face, hands, and neck were SO sticky. Not to mention she picked up the mug and tried to drink it, spilling milk all down her shirt!

Messy messy!

All the snow is gone, it melted the very next day. See, now this is a winter I can handle. A little bit of fun, snow, and snow day activities, perfect! I couldn't ask for anything more...except..Spring!? What can I say, I'm a warm weather girl at heart.

What We Ate Wednesday

I'm loving linking up every week for What I Ate Wednesday. It always amazes me how much of my day revolves around food every time I snap a picture of what we're eating. Since my pictures were just terrible last week I whipped out the real camera so that you would actually find our meals appealing! I hope these posts give you inspiration on what to eat for breakfast, lunch, or dinner, along with some new ideas for your kids. Miss A has had quite the appetite lately and I'm loving it!

Breakfast: 8:30 am

I ate: my favorite- whole wheat toast with peanut butter, bananas, honey, and granola

Miss A: toast with applesauce and banana slices

Snack: 11:00 am

We've gotten into the habit of having a snack right before nap time. Miss A will walk over to the pantry when she's ready, grab a yogurt, and wait by her high chair.

I ate: pumpkin pie yogurt with granola and chocolate chips

Miss A: two banana cookies with yogurt

This is what happens when I allow her to "feed" herself. She's insisting on being more and more independent while she eats, but of course, she hasn't gotten the hand of holding a spoon and feeding herself that well. She can manage fairly well and there are plenty of bites that make it in- but...this is what happens sometimes. Yogurt gets EVERYWHERE. And banana cookies make great dippers!

 Lunch: 12:30pm 

I ate: leftover white bean chicken chili that I made the night before with cheddar cheese and crushed tortilla chips. So good!

Miss A: ham and cheese wrap with tomato slices, which, she didn't eat, but she LOVED them a few days ago.You never know with this girl. 

Afternoon snack was on the go. We attempted to tackle some Christmas shopping but failed miserably. Why are men so hard to shop for? She ate some Mum Mum's, a granola bar, and cheerios. 

Dinner: 6:00pm

Dinner was early since I was starving and didn't take a handy dandy snack cup for me!

I ate: slow cooker ranch chicken over brown rice and roasted carrots, which I'll be adding to our dinner rotation, it was that good!

Miss A: the same, which she devoured and begged for more! I love when she's a good eater.

What good eats have you had recently?

The Toughest Job

There are some days you want to rip your hair out. The screaming doesn't stop. The tantrums continue for longer than they should. A nap doesn't happen.

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Then are there days filled with laughter and sunshine. You play, run, explore the backyard, watch the leaves fall off the trees. These are the days you'll remember.

Yesterday was not one of those days. It was a hard day. I'm going to blame it on teething because I have nothing else to blame. I swear her teeth take FOREVER to come in. Her top right tooth is almost all the way out (am I the only one with a fifteen month old with three teeth!?) but her left one is taking it's sweet ol' time. I know she's in pain.

Distraction is really the only way to get her through it. At night, Tyenol lends a hand. We went to story time, out for a walk, and to run errands. You might think I'm crazy to take a screaming teething child out in public but it actually seems to help. She likes to people watch and "help" me shop. She also likes being in the car (thankfully) and since she was refusing to take a nap I knew she'd eventually fall asleep in the car. I grab a book to take with me so I have something to do in the car because I can't take her out of her car seat once she falls asleep. She's not one of those babies who will go back to sleep if you wake her. So in the car I wait and enjoy the peace and quiet.

Yep, sometimes being a Mom is hard. You have to take a breath and count to ten. You have to drink lots of coffee. But then you have to think of all the wonderful things that happen every day. Her face lighting up every morning when I come to take her out of her crib. Hearing her say a new word. Watching her learn imaginative play. Following close behind as she learned how to walk. These moments I take in and breathe in deeply, because I never want to forget.

Baby, you are a handful sometimes. But you are so worth it.