The Sweet Things.

I have about seven minutes left until I start hearing some little one start leaping off his bed with his blankie in one hand and Abby Cadabby in the other. And by leap, I mean actually taking a running start with the three feet of mattress he has to work with and then jump as high as he possibly can off the bed... over and over again... until I pop my head in the room and he stops mid-leap with quite possibly the biggest smile ever to give me a "Hi, Mommy."

And so, with six and a half minutes left, let me give you a run down of some very February-sweet things going on right now.

Cold stinkin' weather. Ok, not so much loving this one. Down slide? Go swing now? I hear every time Jacob stares out at our swingset. Not yet, Little One. Still too cold. The cute winter clothes, knit hats, snow boots, and snow pictures were just adorable but we are over this phase and ready for spring. Who is with me on that one?



Stickers.

He loves them. And if I happen to give him a brand new sheet of stickers after picking him up from school one day, I win the World's Best Mom Award.





Elmo Slippers. I used to hear funny stories about kids going to school wearing bizarre things with mommas saying, "there was absolutely no way he was coming without wearing it" and, now, I totally get it. Little Man would wear these all day, everyday if I let him. Luckily, a few stickers and some fruit snacks still does the trick when putting his other shoes on for school.





The Countdown to the Big Day. It's hard to believe it's almost here... my little one is almost two. And thank goodness he now has the most perfect shirt from our new sponsor, Kookoo Kids, to tell everyone about it. Check out more details about these ridiculously cute shirts here.











But the biggest hit so far this month?

Homemade Valentine's Day Sugar Cookies.




With Homemade Pink Frosting. I'm sure you all are quite aware of the fact that I am by no means a seasoned baker (or cook). But thanks to my dear friend, Martha Stewart, I whipped up a batch of the most delicious sweet treats.



So delicious, in fact, that my dear sister could not stop eating the raw cookie dough. Take a look at the little ones watching her every move.



So, of course, Little Man thinks he must try a taste too. Caught in the act.



Oh, they were good little bakers.







Cousins. My goodness, do these two love each other.... they give each other the biggest hugs when they see each other and are sad to have to say goodbye. So you can imagine how excited Jacob was when Jackson got to spend the whole night at our house.







And while our creations baked in the oven for seventeen minutes (Martha Stewart must have had a typo in her recipe because there was no way they were done after just ten minutes)...



.... my sister and I set the stage for the third part of the cookie making process.... decorations.



Until she couldn't keep her paws off of this part either.



I give you, Frosted Fingers. And yes, of course, I had to try this right after she did. And yes, it was an amazingly scrumptious idea.



And when the cookies were finally ready and not-so-much cooled down, the little ones were so very excited to dive in and taste the goods.



No, they weren't the prettiest things in the world.



But oh, did they taste yummy.





My minutes are up and I've just heard the first leap off the bed. Many more exciting things planned this week...and I do believe they are even calling for some sun this weekend.

Oh, the sweet things in life. But the sweetest thing of them all? This almost-two-year-old.



Happy Wednesday to you!

Hello, Snow.

It was forecast to be one of the most historic snow storms we would see. And so, like any good mother, I headed to the store Monday morning and stocked up on milk, bananas, Cinnamon rolls, and fruit snacks. And as we tucked into our home ready for the big bad storm to hit, I couldn't help but find the absolute laziness of the forty-eight hours so entirely peaceful.

Perhaps it had something to do with walking upstairs to find these two in deep conversation about Daddy's current read.



And no, I'm not lying. Here, Daddy is having Jacob practice saying "Nixon" and "Mao."



Or maybe it had something to do with being able to soak up these last few weeks with my twenty-three-month-going-on-four-year-old... who has become Mr. Independent these days, putting on his pants by himself.



Love the bed head.



And while one of our outings this week was going to be another hair cut, I'm thinking I just might let him rock this new do for a bit longer.



And speaking of rocking at things, this kid totally rocks at building things. He studies how to do it better and attempts things again and again until it turns into complete tower perfection.



Only to find absolute enjoyment with how he will knock it over... with his hands, his heads, his feet, or his belly.



And with the onset of the wintry mess, we have pleasantly welcomed in a rapidly developing speaker. Now stringing three words together ("I found Elmo!" "Where Daddy go?" "More fruit snacks please!" "Bee on block!"), little man has become quite the conversationalist. And I love this stage in his life. This new stage where communication is increasingly easy and we continue to be surprised by the things that come out of the little one's mouth.



And when we grow tired of reading books and building towers, we welcome in a staple of any child's development. Hello, play-doh.



And hello, gingerbread family.



And hello, my mini me. Who of course had to stand on a chair like his momma was doing to get a better shot of the family.







Yes, it was quite the peaceful forty-eight hours.



And although little man might be dreaming of the days when he can go play outside again, he's hanging in there rather nicely.



He's quite simply the most amazing part of my day...and I believe that holds true for all children. They make us love better, smile more, and dream bigger.



They allow us to forever look at life with a positive spin, always remembering to not worry so much about the petty things, but rather love even deeper the little things.



The beautiful things... like a not-so-historic-snow-storm that we still loved every minute of.



.... or the single blue jay in the freezing cold seated so calmly on the branch enjoying his moment (can you find him... little man had no problem spotting him).



...or the view from the outside when momma braved the cold for a few quick shots.



Yes, it's about the little, beautiful things. The moments that take your breath away, the moments that make you love even bigger, and the moments that you know will forever change your life for the better.



Happy Groundhog's Day!!