Randoms

More freezing rain and icy streets this week. Local schools were closed yesterday. Our driveway is like an ice luge - one misstep and you could slide all the way to the street!

I've been to the chiropractor twice this week after I threw my back out last Friday. I was in a hurry to meet Risha for coffee and a little shopping, so when I bent down to pick Boyd up before I left I didn't bend with my knees. I could feel something just snap in my lower left back. It was excruciating. I couldn't move or sit down at all for an hour. It took a whole day before I could get off the couch. These were my first-ever chiropractor visits and it's a little disconcerting to have someone jerk your neck around. But I definitely felt looser and much improved after the alignments.

In other Boyd news, he is refusing to go to sleep at night - basically screaming for me after about 10 minutes of laying down. I am hoping this is a SHORT phase and he goes back to falling asleep in his own!

Awesome sunrise a couple weeks ago. This is the view from my mom's front porch.

When it's cold here, it's COLD!

A friend of mine at work has this "Dammit Doll." I think I need one.

We sort of house-sat for Rish and Gabe while they were in Hawaii. I saw this photo in Risha's dressing room and took a pic of it with my iPhone. I remember being in love with that fishing pole - it was Snoopy!

Little Dude is slowly growing his hair out after his annual shave.

Boyd - 21.5 months

It's pretty amazing to see how far Boyd has come since a year ago. I'm just in awe of how much hair has grown since last December! Here are my posts from this time last year. 

• Through numerous books, Boyd has discovered that walrus have whiskers. He feels his face to see if he has whiskers (no), then mama's face (I hope not!) and then he says "Dada!" and I say "yes! dada has whiskers!"
• Sometimes Boyd will hang out in our bedroom while we take get ready. For the last month, I've caught him with a white washcloth on his head after I step out of the shower. I finally figured out that he's been imitating me with the white towel wrapped around my hair.
• Quite a bit of jibber jabber coming out of his mouth. I feel like he may be regressing with his speech a bit though. We'll ask him to repeat something and many times he'll say "yeah" instead of the word. As in, "can you say toothbrush, Boyd?" and he'll respond with "yeah."
• In gymnastics, Boyd has been trying to (hilariously) jump - which basically consists of him bouncing on his feet and sometimes lifting one foot in the air. My mom attended class with us on Monday and he actually participated in parachute time, which is great because the parachute is one of my favorite parts of class!
• This kid gets the biggest belly after meal time - HUGE! We're talking major pot belly. 
• Lately we have reading the same books over and over (toddlers love repetition apparently) while tucked in to the glider with Boyd's favorite blankets. We get "cozy" (ze-ze) and relaxed while snuggling with "Mama Do You Love Me?" and "Where the Wild Things Are." Then he goes into his crib - surrounded by the owl and ladybug pillows, cow and lamb lovies, and covered with his warm blanket.
• Boyd begs to be lifted onto the bathroom counters so that he is able to rifle through the medicine cabinet and flip on the hot/cold water taps. All he wants to do is wash his hands. Over and over and over. He'll lead us over to the sink and rub his hands together with glee. Which is super cute until we pull him away from the sink and a full scale tantrum erupts.
• "Applies" lotion and cream to his face
• Last month he was under the weather with a nasty cold and we discovered that he loves taking liquid Tylenol. He BEGGED for it before bed. 
• I have never seen a more adorable expression than when Boyd's face lights up after we give him something he really wants.

At an event a few weeks ago for members of the construction industry and their families. They offered food, games and prizes. Boyd will love it next year!

Boyd went down for a nap one day and was coming up on 2.5 hours asleep. He rarely sleeps that long and almost always wakes on his own. I went in to get him and found him still passed out and posed like this.

Cruising around Home Depot.

This pose and smile of his is giving off a politician / news anchor vibe.

Selfie. He is surprisingly good at manipulating my phone.

Looks like Superman forgot to ditch the glasses during his costume quick change.

Shoveling Grandma Ann's driveway.

"He did it!"

MUSH, puppy!

He had a huge happy smile on his face throughout the duration of our walk. He was loving this sled ride!

Drift was a good sport as D pretty much buried him under the soft, fluffy snow.

"Helping" daddy make dinner.

Our dog and cat are the sweetest, most patient pets to ever live. They endure kisses, hugs, pats, squeezes, tumbles, costumes and everything else that Boyd heaps upon them. And not once have they ever bit or hissed or barked at him. Here is Boyd applying a cupcake liner to Little Dude's head - it stayed there for at least 5 minutes.

Planking!

Sideways hand washing.

Thanksgiving! It was delicious.

Again, a great example of the extreme patience of our pets.

Another selfie. Why do kids love taking photos like this?

"Cooking."

At least we know he's good at stacking.

At gymnastics class.