I am still alive

I just wanted to update and say that I am still alive! We moved from VA in mid December and have been jumping all over the state of GA since then. I have been writing a little everyday and will post very soon! I hope everyone had a great holliday season and everyone that is back at work have a great day!

Handprint Ornaments

So many people saw my pictures of these on Facebook and have since sent messages and text asking me how to make them or what supplies I used. So here here goes:
Supplies: Non shiny Christmas balls
White acrylic paint (I used Americana b/c it was on sale!)
Paint pens to "dress the snowmen"...you can also use Sharpy pens too!

Step one: Paint kiddo hand

Step two: Place kiddo hand on the ornament. This is so much easier with a second person! Quickly remove hand before they have a chance to smear the paint

Step three: Let paint dry and then decorate the snow men!

Very easy and super fun to give!
Who knows you may be getting one from Clayton :)

keeping a toddler entertained on a cold day in a small apartment

Last Saturday Clayton was being a hand full and we decided that is must be the same thing that was driving us crazy driving him crazy...the walls to our tiny apartment are closing in! Plus it is really too cold for us to play outside too much and there is too much furniture for him to really run around in the house. So I tried to come up with some activities that would keep him busy. Here are some pictures of our busy as to not be crazy Saturday. 

We made applesauce bread...Clayton helping Jason mix the dry ingredients

Clayton hand painting. Trying to get him to just finger paint was a loss!

Overall the activites were fun and did take up some time... oh there was another art project but it requires its own post!

Getting Cold...for like a day!

It finally got cold enough in VA to bring out the hat and coats...and then today we were back to no jackets...what is going on. 

 At least I got some cute winter gear pictures!

How to put Humpty Dumpty together again

Normally my post are about what we have done the current week or something cute Clayton has done but today I need to post a negative post. I am really struggling with mommyhood today. I think the problem started a few weeks ago when Clayton started having the night terrors I wrote about a few weeks ago. They are getting better but now we have the 12:30 wake up issue. Before C was having the terrors around 12 or 1 and would go back to sleep and be fine until morning but lately he has been waking up around 12 and SCREAMING until someone comes and gets him. I have done everything I know to do, everything every website, book, or other mom has told me to do and nothing is helping. The other night I really broke donw and just begged him to go back to sleep, unfortunatly the only thing that works is to let him lay with me or for to sleep in his room. Neither of which are working. I am tired which makes me ill and grouchy which brings me to the next part of my day. Becuase C is not sleeping well he is not well rested (duh) and therefore very hard to handle. I hate to say this but I am afraid if I dont figure out how ot get control of the sleeping issue we are going to lose our minds. What could a 19 month be doing that is so bad? Let's so he now hits me and his father and I am afraid anyone who would try to show authority (ie nursery at church...I am not looking forward to the morning). When he has ANYTHING in his hand and is told something he doesn't like he throws said toy usually at soemthing that belongs to me or Jason (today he threw my phone into a glass cabinet because he couldn't reach his cup...This may be the terrible twos coming on but I just feel out of control and like somehow he has slipped into one of those children no one wants to be around. He really is sweet child and it is breaking my heart that I am writing these things about him but the truth is the truth. My fear is that before we get to California (we move on the 18th and spend time in GA until the 1st of Feb) he is going to be so far off of his schedule...which makes these behaviors so much worse...and so far away from my rules that I am not going to get him back! That may sound like an irrational fear but finding stability in a life like ours is hard enough and then we throw in a struggling time in toddlerhood and we are looking at what could be a serious monster....Please just pray that I find the answer or the right way to handle this "stage" and that I don't lose sight of that little boy I know he is :(

Washington DC

On Thanksgiving J, C and I left for DC with the intent to come back home on Saturday but the trip turned into so much fun and just the break from routine and reality we needed. We decided to stay until Sunday! It is so unlike me to change plans especially on a trip but I am so glad I did and we quickly ajusted everything needed to stay the extra day and hade another day of site seeing. We saw all the war memorials and all but Jefferson of the presidential momuments. The Natural History and American History museums and Union Station. Oh and Jason's favorite Arlington Cemetery and the changing of the guard.  The weather was so cold and kind of rainy on Friday so we opted to take o of the hop on hop off tour buses. I have to take a moment to brag on Clayton. He was so well behaved! There was only one melt down and the main cause was pure exhaustion. Overall it was the best trip we have taken since our honeymoon and I'm glad we went. We were a little concerned that right before Christmas and a big move a big trip like this might not be the best idea but we stayed with in budget. I found an efficincy suite with a full kitchen and huge area for Clayton to run in Arlington for half the cost of a normal room inside of DC and the hotel was 2 blocks from the Metro which was great. Speaking of the metro I think it was Clayton's favorite part. He would scream CHOO CHOO when he saw it coming, so cute! There are so many picture I thought linking to the Facebook album would be easier.

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2075449&id=51100448&l=c8404def1b

Oreo Turkeys

As our activity on Monday I decided we should make turkeys out of Oreos. So easy! You need Oreos, candy corn, Whoppers, icing and creativity! That's it

Clayton did not help at all he only wanted to eat the supplies

Finished product

He was trying to put the turkey back together with the pieces he didn't eat!

Happy Turkey Day!