No Pumpkins.

At the beginning of the month we went to our first Pumpkin patch of the season. We usually go to as many as we can but unfortunately because of the fires that occurred in Napa and Sonoma that are currently still being put out the air quality around us has been terrible and everyone was told to stay indoors as much as possible. Luckily we decided to go right before the fires started, this year we decided to go to ones we've never been to before and ones that are closer to us. So far we've been to two. We ended up getting no pumpkins on our first trip but our second trip was a success. Ian was able to pick out his perfect pumpkin which we have already carved. I'm thinking maybe one more pumpkin patch and a few more pumpkins for us to carve and we will be good for the season? Maybe.

I found a few pages that have huge lists of information and links to where and how to help those who were affected by the fires in Northern California: http://www.sacbee.com/news/state/california/fires/article180136626.html  /  https://www.winecountry.com/wine-country-fires-how-can-you-help-fire-relief-efforts/  http://www.sfgate.com/local/article/how-to-help-north-bay-fires-napa-santa-rosa-12264095.php

He turned 3!

I'm not going to lie the days leading up to Ian's birthday I was a complete mess. I could cry at the thought of him turning 3. Surprisingly on the day of his birthday I was beyond happy and excited I woke up at 6 got ready and started trying to get things ready for when he woke up. He usually wakes up maybe 15 past 8, 9 the latest? On his birthday it was past 10:30 and he was STILL sleeping! Although he did wake up to cake for breakfast and he was surrounded by balloons and gifts all day I honestly don't think he thought it was a special day. He did have a blast and I think overall it was a pretty great day for him. We weren't able to fit everything we wanted to do for his birthday in one day therefore we are pretty excited for the upcoming weekends because we have a few more surprises for him. 

A few things I want to remember: 

Ian's response to what his name is, is still baby but knows his name is Ian. He is the kindest little guy. He will not punch or hit another little kid even if it is pretend without permission (he is aware I do not like fighting so he always looks back at either myself or his dad and makes sure it's okay to play fight). He likes everything clean and if we go anywhere and there is garbage on the floor or something out of place he will pick it up and make sure everything is where it is supposed to be. He isn't a fan of feeding himself because, crumbs. Pancakes for breakfast, lunch, and dinner with a side of "birthday cake" would be his dream come true. He loves cuddling and likes when we all fall asleep at the same time. If one of us goes to sleep earlier than the rest or is still asleep in the morning he yells "AWAKE!", so there's that. He isn't the biggest fan of candy but the ones he does like are all my favorites. Also, still not a fan of sparkling candles.

ps. don't judge my poor attempt at drawing Ian's favorite dinosaurs, they didn't turn out great but he thought I was pretty cool for a few minutes. I'm taking it as a win.

Morning routine.

Our morning "routine" is pretty much the same Monday-Friday. We wake up, we cuddle and somehow I always end up with either a foot by my face or two little legs resting on top of mine. Then we go make breakfast. We always have green juice with whatever it is that Ian wants to eat in the morning (he usually asks for pancakes) and I'll either have banana pancakes or an acai bowl but he won't ever try it because he only eats the ones we buy from the juice shop...except the ones I make taste the same, only better. He just started asking for "red juice" every morning which is cranberry juice. I think I just started drinking cranberry juice like a year ago because I thought it smelled gross but this guy can drink an entire cup like a champ. After breakfast we usually stay in our pjs or in my case whichever shirt of babes I find and we play and we read and we watch cartoons until around 12 when we finally decide to bathe and actually start our day but I wouldn't have it any other way. 

PS. Ian turns 3 tomorrow! We have a few fun things planned for him and I cannot wait! He asked for donuts so I guess we're having donuts for breakfast.

Easter Eggs.

Growing up Easter was definitely one of my favorite holidays. It was a day full of fun activities with family and friends. My favorite part of it all was the baskets full of goodies. Ian on the other hand isn't the biggest fan of sweets and I'm pretty sure he gets that from his dad. If it's sticky, chewy, messy, or smells funny he won't go near it. Inside his easter eggs he only had Chocolate caramel bunnies because that's the only thing he sometimes likes. On Easter Sunday it was cold, dark, and raining all day so going outdoors wasn't an option for us. I have been wanting to dye eggs with Ian since before he was born and this year he was finally big enough to want to help and do things on his own. He loved it! He did get a bit too excited taking the eggs out and cracked one but I think they turned out pretty amazing considering it was or first time and bubs did do most of the work. I can't wait for next year hopefully this becomes a little tradition.

We used blueberries, red cabbage, and brown onion skins. We boiled each item in water with a tiny splash of vinegar. Strained and poured in separate containers. Then when a bit cooled let the hard boiled eggs sit in the mixture for a few hours.

Books.

We don't live in a big place so Ian doesn't have much room to play around in or enough space for all his toys. It's safe to say that there are always a few toys on the bed, on the bedroom floor, and all over the place. He has always had a little area where he can keep his books and some of his favorite toys but it never seemed to stay tidy. We are slowly starting to figure things out. I was on a hunt for some type of bookshelf or somewhere where Ian could keep his books. I didn't want them to be in any way hidden or out of view. Ian has tons of toys. We donate the clothes he outgrows with a bunch of the toys he seems to no longer care for a couple times a year but his toy collection only seems to grow. For a while he didn't really care for his books which I understood they were always under all his toys and it was a struggle to pull them out. We finally figured the book situation out! We still have to buy a basket for the rest of his books but since we put them in display like that Ian now grabs his books all the time and insists on reading. A few days ago we went to target and he usually likes looking at all the toys and sometimes we have a difficult time trying to get him out of there but that day he ran to the book section from the toy aisle. It's actually happened twice now! That's huge guys! I would much rather he have 100 books over 100 toys. Now to figure out his toy situation...

The "bookshelves" we used are actually picture ledges from Ikea. They were under 10$ each. They have them in two sizes and two different shades I believe. They are pretty sturdy, easy to mount on the wall, and hold up tons of books. 

Bliss.

Lately I have been feeling very appreciative of the life I live. Where I am now compared to where I was a few years ago. I lacked motive. I lacked direction. I'm a mother now. I have a family. Things aren't as simple as they once were. I cannot sleep all day even if I had a chance to. There are days where I look around and I feel so full of joy. I can sit and watch my son play with his dad or we can all be in bed watching a movie before bed and it is the best feeling. 

You know when people say take a step back and learn to appreciate the things you have and focus on that rather than on all the things you do not have. Well, I can finally say that is an amazing saying. I've been making time each day even if I'm beyond stressed out, especially if I am feeling stressed out, to slow down and look around and really appreciate everything that we have. It truly helps and it makes me feel so good about where we are as a family.

Feb 7th.

A few months back I realized we celebrate birthdays but we don't celebrate each other as much as we should. With everyone working and having different schedules and living far away we don't make the effort to get together and celebrate one another more often. My fathers birthday was a little over a month ago and Ian and I decided to surprise him with a few cupcakes and cake when he got home from work. It wasn't anything big but it did bring a huge smile across his face. Ian was terrified to blow out his candle for his second birthday but for his grandpa's birthday he wanted to help blow out all the candles. We bought trick candles and he had a blast helping blow them out. Ian also picked out a card for his grandfather (a dinosaur card, obviously.) and wrote all over it. He waited so patiently by the door for his grandpa to get home and he looked so proud when he was finally able to hand the card to him. It was the cutest thing. 

2 Days with B.

I had completely forgotten about this little free library by the park. I have a few books I think I will donate soon. They also have a kids section on the other side but none are in a language I can read.

One of my friends came to visit us last week. His visit was perfect timing it did not rain one bit when he was here, which was amazing. We haven't had a full seven days without rain since the year began. Normally I would not mind but having a toddler who seems to never get tired and having very limited places to go, kind of sucks. We went for a walk around where we live and can I say, every time we go for a walk around here I remember why I love it here so much. We went to a little park nearby and we also went to a park in SF which I had never been to and it is only a few minutes away and so big! We ate lunch and walked around a bit. It was a short but really needed visit for us, it made us go out an explore after days of staying in due to the rain.

Snow.

When you find the perfect nose for your snowman, you do not let go.

I hope this Tahoe trip becomes an annual thing. Last year we drove 3 hours to let Ian play with snow for the first time. We drove up for just a few hours and came back home that same day. That short trip was planned the night before but it was so much fun that we decided to do it again this past weekend. This time around we made sure to have the appropriate clothing. Last year both babe and I were wearing chucks and had to buy snow boots when we got there (babe still didn't wear them this year, *eye roll*). It was the end of February when we decided to go all the snow gear in our sizes were not available in stores. We did however buy Ian a full outfit to keep him warm. He wore the same outfit this weekend that he wore last year. Last year it was a tad bit big, this year it all fit perfectly, he probably won't fit into it in a month but it was just right for this trip.

Ps. Can we talk about how this little guy is starting to pick and choose what he wants to wear? Like that batman beanie? I think he'd wear it everyday if I let him. I have let him pick his shoes and beanies for a while but now he knows what he wants and will not compromise. I don't have a say anymore, some days he looks like a rainbow but he loves it. 

VVV Last year 

January so far.

So far this year we have spent a lot of time indoors since it has pretty much rained every day since the year started. Which hasn't been bad except Ian seems to never get tired. He hardly takes naps and seems to have energy at all times. I have no idea how he does it. He started making so many silly faces and I'm trying to capture them all on camera because they are just the cutest! He got a little ride on car which he likes riding himself but prefers when his dad rides it with him. I took a few pictures while they were playing. He was having such a good time until his little car died, or so we thought. Ian was so upset that it would no longer move but once his dad got off Ian took off so fast. It was the funniest thing. Also, can I point out how much my son loves anything with wheels and dinosaurs. His collection his huge! I have no idea where to put things anymore. We gather up a few of his toys he no longer cares for multiple times a year for donation but no matter how many times we donate, his toy collection just seems to grow. I am making it a point this year to grow his book collection instead of his toy collection. If I don't we will be living in a toy box.