FFF-U Pick

  I love this picture of Collin. I love it so much I have it as my profile pic on Facebook right now. He has finally figured out how to wink and has added it to his repertoir of "funny faces" that he makes when I take pictures of him. Click here for more FFF.

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I was commenting on a friends blog yesterday that I feel really guilty about the fact that I can find time to get on Facebook but I can't seem to find the time to update the blog!! I tried to rationalize that I can facebook from my phone anytime but that's not true because I can post from my phone too- like I am now. It's definitley not as user friendly for typing but I guess short updates are better than no updates. I've managed to get so far behind that I don't even know where to begin!! The blog was supposed to chronicle Collin's life, kind of like a scrapbook but if I can't find time to blog how in the world would I scrapbook.

I think the problem is when I am home with Collin in the morning I feel bad if I'm on the computer because that is the only time I have with him. When I get home at night if I am on the computer I am neglecting Wyatt because that is our only time together. I've also found that I consistantly neglect myself- I don't exercise everyday like I should, I don't take time to eat or pack my lunch or really even cook anymore. I rush constantly and live on very little sleep and the "me" stuff is the first thing to go out the window when we are short on time-which seems to be always!

I guess that is the life of a mom. I want to be healthy and live long for Collin but I also love the quiet moments we can share together. It seems they are so few and far between and he is getting big so fast. Before I know it he will be in school and I'll never see him. He will have his friends and mama wont be mama anymore. It will be Mom or some other name that wont be said with the loving affection of the little boy who thinks his Mama is the best thing in the whole world. I'll wish we had these busy days back again so I guess I better quit whining and enjoy them!!

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Collin insisted that if he has to wear big boy underwear, so should everyone else! It's an underpants party! It seemed to work though- BIG #2 on the potty! We are getting there!

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While mamas away the boys will play!!

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Baseball season has begun!! Daddy bought a new base set so Collin can practice running bases. He's gonna be a baseball playin' fool!!

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Cuckoo clan at bob Evans saying bye to brylie and Jessie. 

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Enjoying a shower while shopping for tile. Such a ham!

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Mama and Collin having a little special time at Tim
 Hortons after dropping daddy off at the gym to get big muscles. 

FFF-We are Family

Since our computer is out of commission I have a limited number of pictures to choose from but we are still on time for FFF-AGAIN-YAY!! This was the picture we used for our Christmas card last year. I love getting all of us together once a year to get a family picture!



To see more FFF click here

First Trip to the Dentist

We finally made it to Collin's 3 year check up at the pediatrician-only a month late! Collin is now 35 inches tall and 25 pounds.Yep, he's a little guy but we are on the charts now!! 10th percentile for height and 5th percentile for weight. They keep saying that he is on track to be taller than Wyatt-about 5'10. I'll believe it when I see it! The doctor also told us it was time to go to the dentist!! Oh Yay!! I am trying very hard not to relay my dislike for the dentist on Collin.The thought of going to the dentist is like voluntarily subjecting myself to torture. Fortunately as you get older you realize it is a necessary evil but it is still one of these I would rather not have to do. I distinctly remember my first dental experience and it was far from pleasant!! My grandmother ran a dental office so that is where we had to go. I remember the smells and the sounds and most of all a big fat belly leaning on me like it was going to smother me which always sent me into a panic. Needless to say each trip to the dentist was a fight!




Luckily today they have pediatric dentists that cater to kids only-so that is what we chose. So, off we went to Collin's first dentist appointment.



The office was nice and had play rooms for different ages of kids and a big aquarium which Collin loved. He was having a great time playing and wasn't really interested in stopping when it was his turn but we made it back to the room fine. Getting into the chair was another story. NO WAY! Finally he got in the chair but he wouldn't lay back and eventually it got to the point that we got the ultimatum-go with the program or mom has to leave. I went along with it for his benifit but there was no way in hell I was leaving him back there alone. If anyone is going to bear hug my kid and pry his mouth open it's ME! Been there done that and I'm not leaving him-No Way!



Luckily, that didn't happen. He finally laid back and let her look at his teeth. They really were very patient and explained everything to him. She let him feel all the tools on his fingers and hold the mirror-which seemed to totally fascinate him. He chose strawberry tooth polish and did pretty well with that part. He was ready to go after that but we still had to wait for the dentist to come in. We had to start all over when she came in but once again we made it through! When he was done he was out of there! He got his goody bag, picked out his prize and got his picture taken. I can't post it because our computer is down so I can't scan but I'll post as soon as we are back up.

They didn't seem to think he was nearly as bad as I did-or they just didn't want to tell me-LOL! They said his teeth look great and we are doing a great job brushing! Hopefully he will be blessed with good teeth-one less thing to deal with!!

When we left I asked him if he had fun and if he wanted to go back and he said "yep"! At least we ended on a high note! Off to fufill my part of the bargain-a sucker and lunch at MCL!

Winter Fun 2010

FFF-Fav Feb Foto

This weeks theme is Favorite February Foto. If you want to see our friends favorites click here. Remember, March is right around the corner and you know what that means...SPRING IS COMING!!!

It's a Mystery

Today I found a squished Fig Newton on our new carpet. First, we don't have any Fig Newtons in the house and second, no food is supposed to be downstairs. I happen to know that my parents, that babysit Collin, have Fig Newtons at their house so someone must have squirelled it away somewhere and smuggled it in. Upon finding said squished fig Newton I asked the most obvious (and only) suspect...Collin. His response?? "Bosley did it"-that is the dog!! Now Bosley may have stepped on it but I'm certain he is not responsible for its presence. After employing a few of my secret interrogation tactics I thought I had him on the road to a full confession! This is the little boogers reply..."I don't know Mama, It's a mystery". What could I say???

Collin Updates

Every once in a while I have to update some of the things that Collin has done or said recently. I like to look back at his development and it helps me to remember those moments that he says something funny or does something that gives me a little pause. I try to write things down so I don't forget. Of course, a little gets lost in translation from the actual event to the written word but it will keep the memories fresh in my mind when I read it again. He does so many new things that I look back and try to remember when he started that or figure out why he said something.



The other night we were driving home from the rodeo and out of the blue he starts saying "I'm Ian", "I not Collin (or Cowin as he says it), I Ian". Of course it took us a while to figure out what he was saying but then we were all totally confused as to why he all of a sudden decided he was no longer Collin but now he was Ian and who the heck is IAN?? The only Ian I could think of was "Uncle Ian" on the Chipmunks but he squashed that one real quiick! Hhhmmm? Then he told Wyatt he was Tommy Ian, Peyton was Christine and I was Zebra??WTH???



It was driving me crazy where this whole Ian thing came from?? He told us Ian was a ghost but he wasn't scary. I was beginning to wonder if he had an imaginary friend and maybe I should be worried. After lots of questioning he mentioned Noggin so I assumed he must have seen this on TV somewhere. I knew I could count on my Facebook friends to help me out so I posted and asked if anyone could tell me anything about Ian the ghost. Wouldn't you know within a couple of minutes I was told that Ian was on the cartoon Olivia and there was a show about a haunted house where Ian dressed up as a ghost-AH HA! I then remembered that a while back my mom told me that Collin had gotten scared when watching a cartoon because one of the characters dressed up as a ghost. This was at least a couple of months ago-what in the world made him think of that I have no idea. The mind of a child is an amazing and confusing thing!!




At least that mystery is solved.



Out of the blue the other day while Collin and I were playing he looked at me and said "Let's be best friends". AAWWW! Sure, I'll be your best friend!!



Collin is obsessed with the hospital lately. I'm not sure why but whenever I tell him not to do something because he might get hurt he will say "and I'll have to go to the hospital". Well, yes, maybe???



Some of my favorite "Collin-isms"
" It will be alright, It's safe", "it's dewishis (delicious)", "that's AMAZING", "I wanna put on comfy pants", "let's play a little bit", "I do it all by myself"!! "I want some poptorn (Popcorn)". The kid could eat popcorn day and night! I just bought an air popper because the bag popcorn is not exactly healthy!!



We emptied out Collins piggy bank and took him to open his very own savings account at the bank. We tried to explain that we were going to put his money in the real bank and every time he filled his piggy bank we could go back to the bank and put the money in the machine to count how much he has.

The other day Wyatt was saying how he hoped he won the pool for the Indianapolis 500 because he could use the money. Collin said "sorry guys, I put all my money in the real bank". LOL!




All in all Collin is very helpful and a pretty good listener. We have out moments of course and he seems to be in the hitting phase that I remember people talking about-which is driving me insane, but that is a post of its own. He is definitely becoming his own person and expressing his own opinions! He can get dressed and undressed by himself for the most part. He is in his big boy bed now and goes to bed pretty easily. He gets up early and climbs in bed with us then goes back to sleep-which I love! I don't have to get up to get him and he is a little cuddle bug!! He loves getting in the hot tub with the boys. He helps me put the dishes away and sometimes helps in the kitchen. We made our first batch of cookies last weekend-they we DEWISHIS!! He still LOVES puzzles and is up to the 24 and 36 piece puzzles. He struggles a little with the 50 pieces. He gets frustrated very easily when he isn't able to do something and throws a little tantrum where he yells and jumps around-we are working on that-lol! He is very focused and concentrates heavily on everything he does-some may call him anal retentive, I'll call him thoroughand detail oriented!!He loves maps, I actually pick up maps for him wherever we go. He will stare at them and examine them forever! He still loves baseball and football and pretty much any sports. We have been watching the Winter Olympics-doesn't really hold his interest for too long but he will watch it for a bit.



Well, I am getting the "Mama what are you doing, lets play" so gotta run and play with my little best friend. =0)

Collin the Snowman

With all the snow Collin and Wyatt decided to make a snowman (Collin's 1st) which is now known as "Collin the Snowman"!! They got all bundled up and headed out to create a masterpiece that would draw crowds from all across the neighborhood!


Getting all the warm clothes on is a job in itself!!





Ready to go!





Teamwork!





Putting on the finishing touches!





TaDa!!! Introducing Collin the Snowman!

The perfect ending to a great long weekend!

Wyatt and I were off for about 11 days. I had been super busy at work the last month or so and I was really feeling stressed about not having any time with Collin. Of course, the fact that we were taking an "adult" ski trip to Vermont with some friends didn't really help the situation either. Quite frankly, I seriously considered backing out and spending the time off at home. But, I knew I would never hear the end of it if I didn't go so I sucked it up and went.




Collin got to have his first overnight with his Grandma Patsy which made me a nervous wreck of course-not that she's not capable-but because it was something new for him and I was going to be 12+ hours away if something happened. Then he went to my parents house for the remainder of the time.

The guilt was killing me! What kind of horrible mother works for days on end only seeing her son for a few minutes a day if at all and then leaves him and goes out of town to party?? I guess I do?!?! The trip ended up being extremely relaxing and enjoyable. I got to catch up with friends that I don't get to see as often anymore, spend some quality time with the hubby and a little quality alone time with myself-which I guess I really needed!!




For 3 days I got to wake up to a quiet house, get ready at my leisure, sit in the tub and drink Mimosas, go to the spa, read and shop with no schedule and no obligations. It was fabulous! Everyone came back to the house around 4pm and we started our evening festivities!

I came back home feeling refreshed and relaxed and still had 5 days off to spend with Collin. We had a great weekend at home relaxing as a family. We got lots and lots of snow-actually more than they had in Vermont!! I think we are at about 2 feet now!! I haven't seen this much snow for a long, long time!

On our trip we talked a lot about teaching Collin to ski and snowboard next year. Of course, you hope your kids will enjoy the same things that you do so that you can take family trips and do things together that are fun. I feel so lucky to be able to offer Collin these type of opportunities. Wyatt and I don't come from families that took ski trips or annual vacations. Our parents were too busy working their butts off to keep their family in food, shelter and clothing-which we of course appreciate greatly!!




It was really nice to be "snowed in" and get to spend some quality time together! The snow is so beautiful and we have the perfect sledding spot that not too many people know about so we decided to bundle up and hit the hill!!




This was Collin's first time sledding and he loved it! I was shocked! He went down with us a couple of times then decided he wanted to go all by himself! I thought for sure it would scare him to death but no!! The kid is a little dare devil just like his father!!




Wyatt was joking around trying to stand on the sled while he went down the hill so of course Collin had to try it. It was hilarious and I know he made his daddy really proud!




Usually after a few days at home I am ready to go back to work but this time was different. I wasn't dreading it but I sure would have loved to a couple more days and a couple more runs down that hill!!

February Playgroup

Some of the families from our COFLAC group decided to start our own playgroup that gets together once a month. The kids really seem to enjoy it and it's nice to get to know the other families on a more personal level. While our COFLAC group doesn't seem to be quite as stable this is a really good group of people that I hope will stick together for quite a while. I think these friendships could prove invaluable to our kids as they grow up together.




Everybody seemed to have fun dressing up in all of Sophia's cool dress up clothes! We had some beautiful brides and fairies as well as a visit from Brandon...I mean, Buzz Lightyear!



Collin found some takers to play one of his favorite games, Hungry Hungry Hippo!




And he may have found yet another calling in life...the band leader of TBDBITL of course! He loves wearing crazy hats and now he seems to love the cymbals!Next we will work on the baton or whatever they call that stick thingy-lol!


The boys had fun in the kitchen.




And he was very excited to pass out his Valentines to all of his friends!!

Every Cowboys Dream-THE RODEO!

In case you didn't know, Collin is a Cowboy Wannabe. He was a cowboy for Halloween last year, he has a cowboy hat that he has been wearing for as long as I can remember. So when we told him that we were going to see real life cowboys he was very excited.


So, we put on our best "Cowboy" clothes and headed to the arena! And what do you know...a real life cowboy came up and introduced himself!! Collin wanted his camera to take a picture but unfortunately he took a picture of his own feet. We are still working at perfecting the whole point and shoot camera thing-lol!



He did manage to capture the cowgirls barrel racing though!

It was a really fun night and I think he enjoyed himself very much! He cheered and clapped and yelled the whole time! As a matter of fact, he rarely sat down!

Pinball

We have a pinball table in the basement that Collin likes to play every once in a while. The other day he pulled up his little upholstered cube to stand on and asked me to turn it on. Much to my amazement, the kid is good! I asked Wyatt if he had been playing pinball with him and he said that he hadn't. I have no idea how he figured it out all of a sudden. He gets the concept of using the flippers and he actually hits the ball on purpose! I know all parents think their kids are the greatest beings to ever walk the earth and that they are good at everything but quite honestly Collin seems to be good at just about everything he puts his mind to! That may sound just a slight bit arrogant but, hey, it's my blog, I can be whatever I want-LOL!