The End of Winter...

The culmination of this dark, dreary, mushy season is upon us. I, for one, am thrilled. Nate tells me to stop complaining. I suppose I should. The temps rarely dip under 30 degrees here in Denver and whatever snow we get generally melts within a week. But for some reason, this winter has been harder to handle than any other in my 32 years.

It's not difficult to understand why. The darkness is more all-consuming this year than ever. For the past seven years, I've had a very flexible schedule. I could take a walk or run during the day and was often able to spend a couple of hours in the daylight. Working full-time, however, does not give me that luxury. I drive to work in the dark and I drive home in the dark. I'm stuck in cubeland all day, so any opportunity to go outside is usually tied to a Starbucks run. And sometimes I make a Starbucks run with the sole purpose of soaking in some rays.

Benny is another factor. He's two. He's active. He doesn't like to be pent up in the house for hours on end. I can't say that I blame him. Sometimes I wonder if part of the terrible twos he's experiencing have something to do with boredome. I've found myself thinking of creative ways to engage his mind. Whether it's having him help "make" dinner, playing with play-dough, reading, jumping on the bed, running around the house, or starting laundry, it's difficult to keep his little mind occupied in positive ways (i.e. not throwing tantrums).

But, the good news is that spring is right around the corner. The sun is coming up when I enter my building at half past six in the morning and it stays up for at least an hour after I get home. It's not getting warmer, yet. But it will. And then winter will be a distant memory, forgotten with evening runs, yard work, fresh garden vegetables, and other outside activities. I can't wait!

I'm Helpful

Big boy bed = big boy shovel.

Crazy Brown Boys (and Spaghetti)

These photos are a bit old. They're from a post-Christmas visit from Papa Knucks and Kat. We went out for Italian food one night. Benny was in heaven!

During (90 Percent Complete)

The kitchen is taking a tad bit longer to finish than originally anticipated. Painting cabinets, as it turns out, takes a lot of effort. Because they're oak, they have a very deep grain. We don't want the grain to be visible through the paint, so Nate is applying a thick putty to the bases and doors. Then we have to sand, reapply, sand, prime, sand, paint. Hopefully this picture gives you an idea of where we're going.

Nate's been a trooper throughout this process and given up many a night to make this dream kitchen a reality. Props to him. More updates as they're available.

Before

Big Boy Bed - Going on Night 5

The first two nights of the big boy bed were a breeze. He is slowly, but surely starting to understand what the freedom means. He is also adjusting the fears that come along with a big boy bed.

For example, he wants the door left open when we lay him down. This has never been a problem before. But, before he couldn't really see any light from the hallway because his crib blocked the light. We're hoping a night light remedies this. If we do leave the door open, we have to be quiet. Otherwise he hears me talking and starts calling for me.

Also, he's been waking up super early in the morning. This has never, ever been a problem in the past. Benny would sleep until 8 if we let him. Now he hears me in the morning and wants to get up. The result of both situations is that he doesn't fall asleep until after 9 (10 last night) and wakes up by 6:30. Not ideal for a 2 1/2 year old. As a result, he's been in a very bad mood the past few days. I can't say that I blame him. I'm tired when I don't get enough sleep. I'm just hoping that this transition period doesn't last too much longer. No one likes a grumpy bear.

After we all get used to the big boy bed, we have to move to get this big boy potty trained. That will be another adventure, I'm sure. It already has been!