Worker Bees

As if we haven't been busy enough the last year, we decided to start finishing our basement this winter. When finished, it will add just under 1000 sq feet of additional living space for us. It is our project for when the weather is too bad to go out. Thomas LOVES to work in the basement. We are in the framing stages of the bedroom, bath, storage, and living room. He is always working on something when we are in the basement. Monkey see, monkey do. He LOVES tools and is amazingly proficient in using them for someone of his age.


On another note, Alan has had some good news at work. He is now on the advisory committee for his school and is the lead 6th grade teacher. He'll have to go to Cincinnati for 4 days the end of February for training. In addition, he will be participating in the extended day program. He'll be working some longer days but will compensated greatly for his extra efforts in making his school a better place for learning.

Alan's New Toy

So, here it is - Alan and Thomas' new toy. Our new truck was delivered yesterday. We thought it was going to be black, so we were a bit surprised, but like this color just the same.

Shoppin'

So, is it bad that Thomas now pretends to shop? When we go to the store I am constantly telling him, "You can't eat/open/play with/take home ________, until we pay." To which he normally demonstrates a mini-toddler-tantrum in the checkout. When I was unloading the dishwasher he was pushing his cart around and filling it with all his favorite toys, then he decided to "pay." So, he's using his picinic table as the checkout and "paying" for all his stuff. Like mother, like son. If only I could use the money out of his Fisher Price Piggy Bank toy like he was.

Oh yeah, we're home today because it's a snow day. The third one this week. I feel kind of guilty that I'm not really working but still getting paid - is that how welfare works?

Peer Pressure

The ladies at work have been pressuring me to join Facebook. After months of their "Facebook talk" about all their new friends and the cool games they are playing, I have joined. So, I hope I can keep up with 2 guilty pleasures at the same time (the blog and Facebook). So, if you're cool like me, come find me on Facebook. If you're not cool, like the me of yesterday, don't. LOL!

We have our fingers crossed for a snowday - a blizzard is forecasted...

Enough Already!

It has been snowing on and off since Friday. I've had about all the snow I can take, and it's only January. I have a feeling it is going to be a long winter. It's not the snow that I despise, it's the bitter cold, windy days. The forecasted high of 8 degrees for Thursday has me waiting in anticipation. (Picture me rolling my eyes) Today wasn't too cold, so Alan took Thomas out to plow. Yeah Daddy! Thomas was thrilled to help. I was thrilled to have the house to myself for half an hour. While I was lying on the couch relaxing I heard noise coming from the deck. I was pleasantly surprised to find Alan making snow angels in the 12" of snow on the deck. Thomas was using his shovel to throw snow on Alan's legs.

On another note, our perfect little sleeper has hit a snafu. He has been in a big boy bed since he was 18 months old. Since that time, he would wait on his bed for someone to get him upon wakening. Not anymore. He came to visit for the first time Friday morning after hearing Alan's alarm. Not such a big deal. The past two days he has come down by himself after his nap. Not a big deal. This morning he came for a visit at 4:30am. This is a big deal. Being lazy, I thought I would invite him into our bed. Didn't work. He wanted to talk. So we took him back to his room at 5, put a baby gate on his doorway and left. I think he went back to sleep, but I can't be positive. All his lights were on when I went to get him at 6:15. The icing on the cake was the dog throwing up and Alan trying to get him outside as quickly as possible at 5:15am. Ugh.

It's amazing how quickly we can forget the nights of getting up every 2-3 hours for feedings and what not and how quickly we can get annoyed with being woken up once.

Crazy Bounce

Since Thomas doesn't get to see his best bud, Jack, every day anymore, we made it a point to get together for some fun over the holidays. Crazy Bounce was just the place! Crazy Bounce is essentially a warehouse full of blow up slides, obstacle courses, ball pits, and moon bounces. Thomas can't get enough of the jumping, climbing, sliding, and running that is offered at Crazy Bounce. The higher the better! The faster the better! He has little fear when it comes to these places, which means mom and dad get really tired out chasing him around. Unfortunately, he isn't quite big enough to climb up the slide ladders by himself, so we end up carrying him up- all 34.5 squirmy pounds of him.

Mom's turn to carry Thomas.

Here we come back down. I think I'm having just as much fun as he is!

Daddy and Thomas enjoy a trip down the slide!

Hanging in the ball pit with Jack.

Thomas and Mommy with Jack, Beth, and Troy.

Rounds 2 and 3, finally...

Thanks for the prompt, Cecilia. Having so much time off has been hard! I realized over break that I like to blog to wind down from the stress of my job. No work, no blog. So, here we go...

Thomas had a great Christmas. Grammy came down to partake in the Christmas morning festivities. Santa brought Thomas a play house. He loves it. Occasionally, he will go in and play house. More often, he fixes it. I guess that's what Santa gets for buying the house when it was on clearance at the end of summer.

Calling "Key" (Kathy) from his new phone.

Openning his stocking with daddy.

Making sure the structure is level. Yes, we are keeping the house in the living room. It will make it's way to Thomas' outdoor play area when the weather improves.

The day after Christmas was spent with the Asiala clan. Thomas got more great toys and had a great time playing with his cousins. Alan and I enjoyed the company and conversation of his parents, sister and brother in-law while Thomas was playing with his cousins.

Thomas and his cousins - Mike, Chris, Laura, and Josh