Category: Ryan

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Activities Family & Friends Health Ryan

Winter Birthday Party Ideas- UPDATE!

After all the great suggestions, and ideas, (thank you everyone who e-mailed and posted ideas), we decided to have Ryan’s party at a kids indoor amusement park “in the big city.”  It is about an hour from where we live.

We went to another kiddie amusement park (outside) not too long ago, and Ryan just loved, loved it.  He has already stopped talking about Christmas, and now just wants his birthday to come.  As he was falling asleep tonight, he said, “Mommy, I’m going to dream about my party.” 

Now the hard thing is deciding a theme- Ryan goes back and forth between wanting trains and construction, so I think we may just do both- have Thomas plates, and construction truck cups.  I guess it will all work out in the end.

The only down part to having the party so far away, is it is not a convenient location for our friends in our town.  Fortunately, the place doesn’t have a time limit, so if people do make the drive, they can stay as long as they want- they won’t just get there, have an hour, and then have to turn around and drive home.   

We have quite a few family members “in the big city,” so it should be a fun time.  Now if I can just get everything done between now and then, and hopefully, cross-your fingers that no one is sick on the big day.

Here is the original post on Winter Birthday Party Ideas if you missed it.

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Activities Cole Holidays Ryan Work

Let It Snow

It started snowing last night and it hasn’t stopped all day.  Not counting all the snow that melted as the snow first hit, we have about 8 inches.  The weather didn’t forecast this at all…why is that not surprising!

Last night we went to a Santa’s Workshop, and an outdoor light walk.  I was a little disappointed.  A lot of the booths were empty, and the lines were really long for the train ride.  Inside, at the workshop, it was arts and crafts for older kids, really.  The kids that were having a lot of fun all looked about 8 years old and older. 

But Cole enjoyed being outside, but Ryan, who came down with a fever last night, obviously was starting to feel sick, so he didn’t have a very good time.

Tonight we braved the weather again to go to our town’s holiday parade.  We have always gone in years past, and this year it was a little disappointing too.  Seeing how it was snowing, and about 20 degrees, I am sure a lot of the floats and performers backed out.  In years past, there were always at least three of the high school bands- this year there was only one- and it was a small private school’s band.  Usually the parade lasts about an hour, and this year it was under 45 minutes.  Cole again had a blast- but Ryan and I went into a store, and watched about half of the parade from the window.  He is feeling better, but still isn’t 100%, and I didn’t want him to get chilled.

I realized last night that Ryan’s boots from last year, didn’t fit him this year.  So I stopped off at a kiddie consignment store today, and picked up a pair in his size.  He wore them tonight, and when we were outside, he was standing in about 2 inches of snow.  After the parade we went to eat dinner, and Ryan said he wanted to take his boots off in the restaurant.  I took one off, and his foot was SOAKED!  Poor little guy- his feet must have been freezing.

I knew he would want to play in the snow tomorrow, and he needs boots when he goes to preschool on Tuesday, so we did a quick dash over to Target, where we got him a brand new pair of boots, that hopefully won’t leak.  I also got a pair for me.  I don’t own boots- I haven’t had boots in about ten years- we just haven’t had that much snow, or it always melts in a day or so. I have been getting away with wearing Dansko clogs, that I never slip in, but standing there tonight- my feet were freezing, and in deep snow, they just don’t work. 

I figured since I have two active boys, who love the snow, I will be spending more and more time in the snow, so a nice warm pair of boots, sounded like a good idea. They were so warm- I didn’t want to take them off, and wanted to wear them home like a kid!

In other news, my Christmas dinner / party went well.  It was a very long night, but it was amazing. 

Tomorrow, Joe has to start working very long hours until Friday, so I am figuring on kind of being a “single” parent for the week.  I am going to try to get all my baking done for the cookie exchange I am going to next Sunday, this week.  We went to the grocery store today and got everything, so I wouln’t have to make any late night runs to the store for sugar!

One of the recipes I am making is really fast and easy, but the other one is really complex.  I wanted to do something special, and I hope the group likes it.  I’ll post pictures when I get them done!

Finally, I scored a really, really, nice Christmas present for Joe.  Shhh…it is a surprise (if you know us in real life).  He doesn’t read my blog, (at least that I know of,) but just in case I can’t say what it is.  I was surprised I was able to get it, but it is something that I know he will absolutely love.  I had to get on the computer today to get it, and told him not to come in, while I was on the computer.  After the purchase was complete, I told him it didn’t work out.  So he has no idea, and hopefully he doesn’t suspect anything.  After Christmas, I’ll spill some of the beans on what it is.  🙂

I hope everyone is having a nice weekend, and getting all those names crossed off your Christmas shopping lists. I still have some gifts for cousins, and our family exchange to get, but I don’t feel rushed or under the gun- yet. 

Since we don’t have anything to do tomorrow, like the song says, for now, let it snow!

Categories
Activities Cole Family & Friends Parenting Ryan Work

Super Busy Week

This will probably be the only post I have time to write this week- as we are having an unusually busy week, well for us anyway!

Yesterday I worked all day, and Joe took the day off and stayed home with the boys.  We had a role-reversal for the day, and it went well.  I had a somewhat stressful day (trying to learn something new, and the computers and software were not cooperating!)  I was tired when it was time to come home.  I had two boys, who missed their mama, jump on me the second I walked in the door, and they didn’t stop until bedtime!  I have a new appreciation for Joe; it is hard to be 100% at work, and on top of it all, and then have to be energetic, and happy for your kids when you come home.  I also missed them- I guess I’m not used to being away from them on this particular day!

Joe’s day went well- the boys were really good for him.  I think he got a taste of how my days go though, when he decided to replace our bathroom faucet.  It has had a leak for a few days, and he said he learned his lesson in never trying to do a plumbing project with the two little monkey’s around!  He said they just wanted to see everything, get into everything, and he had to keep stopping what he was doing, to watch what they were doing.  The highlight was when Cole picked up a wrench, and pounded it down with all his might on Joe’s knees!

 But, despite all the stop-and-go’s, he did get the faucet in, and I told him now he knows how triumphant I feel when I can get a few things done around the house in a day.  He also told me we were going out to dinner, because he hadn’t had time to cook anything.  I’ve been there before too!  🙂

Today Ryan was supposed to go to preschool, but he woke up with what sounded like a bad cold (I know, NOT again), and we had wind blowing about 70 miles an hour.  They go outside for most of the day at school, so I decided to keep him home.  I didn’t want him to get anyone else sick, and I didn’t think it would be good for him to be in all that wind.  About 10 minutes before school started, he said he felt fine and wanted to go to school.  Figures.  The wind also died down, so Ryan and Cole played outside in the back yard all morning.  I am happy to say, that his cold seemed to disappear too- he just has a bit of a runny nose.

Then this afternoon, we went to see a pretty famous concert band play.  Joe came home, and Joe’s dad came with us too.  It was really good! This was the first concert either boy had ever been too, and they were wonderful!  The concert was about an hour and a half, and Ryan was fine during the entire time.  Cole loved the concert for the first 45 minutes…he was clapping, singing, tapping his hands on his legs to the music, and dancing.  He was thrilled.  During the last half, Joe and I took turns standing in the back of auditorium with him- he was getting a bit restless.

After the concert was over, Santa was on the stage, so Ryan and Cole got to meet Santa.  I don’t think I ever saw Ryan’s eyes so big.  He asked later if that was a pretend Santa, or a real one, and of course we told him that was the real Santa.  He said he had a lot of hair in his beard!  🙂  We also got to meet some of the musicians- Ryan and Cole got to touch and feel a French horn, and a trumpet.  Of course as we got home, Ryan and Cole played band all night, with Ryan as the the conductor, complete with a baton.  They were imitating some of the acts they saw, which was neat to see.

Tomorrow, I have the longest day ever!  I work all day, and then it is my work’s Christmas party.  Since it is a very small firm, the owner decided to take us out to dinner after work, and then to another very, very, famous show that happens to be in town.  It starts around 7, and I am sure by the time it is all over and done, I won’t be home until 11pm.

Thursday, it is back to work for me, for half a day, and then we have another follow up doctor’s appointment for Cole, so the doctor can see if Cole’s lungs are finally clear. 

Friday night we are taking the boys to Santa’s Workshop, complete with reindeer, lights, train rides, hot cocoa, and of course, Mr. Claus himself.

Saturday night, there is a holiday light parade that we are going to, and then on Sunday, Joe has to start putting in some very long hours at work all week.

I have four projects I am trying to finish myself for work, and have been trying to get some of them done at home, at night, after the boys are in bed.  (I am playing hooky right now from my stack of work.) 

Not to mention trying to keep up with the house, (Joe did clean the bathrooms and vacuum yesterday, so that was big help!), go grocery shopping, do laundry, trying to figure out and plan Ryan’s birthday, trying to fit in some Christmas shopping, and some baking for a cookie exchange I’m going to next week.  Whew…

So check back in with me in a few days- I’ll be blogging again as soon as things slow down a bit. 

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Activities Cole Family & Friends Ryan

It’s Begining to Look a lot Like Christmas

Tonight we put up our Christmas tree, and decorated it as much as possible.  Since we have a little munchkin- aka- Cole, we had to decorate the top 3/4’s of the tree, because nothing would last within his grip.  We put a few non-breakable ornaments at the bottom, and Cole is having fun taking them off, and putting them back on. 

Ryan and Cole were so excited; Ryan would look at an ornament, say he wanted to hang it up, and then dive into the next box, deciding what ornaments he wanted to hang.  When I got to my special boxes of glass ornaments, boxes of highly breakable ornaments, I held one up which is a glass snowflake.  I put that at the very top, and Ryan said, “Oh, that one is adorable.”

We only had one tragedy in only one ornament got broken.  It was from my vintage set that my mom got for me a few years ago, and I was bummed because it was a cute little blue car-Ryan was sad too, because that was the first one we hung up.  Surprisingly, neither boy broke it, it was a total accident.  When Joe was plugging in the star at the top; it just fell off the branch. 

Tomorrow, we will hang our stockings with care.  Joe’s mom is a wonderful cross stitcher and seamstress.   She has made all four us beautiful, cross-stitched, one of a kind stockings. (I’ll post a picture of our stockings when we get them hung.)

Ryan is very excited about hanging his stocking this year.  We got a Little House on the Prairie book at the library, Christmas in the Big Woods, where all the children get a piece of peppermint candy left in their stocking by Santa.  He just knows Santa is going to leave him a piece of that candy that he left for Laura and Mary.  🙂

Here is a picture of the three of us, taking a break from all the ornament hanging (you can click on it to see the image larger):

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After the boys were in bed, I went outside to put some recycling materials in the bin, and it was snowing!  A light snow, but it feels like Christmas and winter is here.

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Activities Ryan

Winter Birthday Party Ideas

Ryan is going to be four in January (just a little more than a month away!)  Since he is  “winter” baby, I have always struggled with what to do for his birthday.

Sometimes we have nice weather in January, but sometimes we don’t.  That makes it very hard to plan something outside, because it could be 60 degrees and sunny, or it could be 20 degrees and snowing.  Currently our house doesn’t have enough space to have an indoor party, so that doesn’t leave us with very many options.

To make it a bit harder, there really aren’t too many places in our town for kids Ryan’s age to have a birthday party indoors at.  There are lots of places about 50 miles away- in the big city- but I don’t expect his friends’ parents (all of whom have young children as well- oy!) to make a trip that far away for a two hour, at the most party.

When Ryan turned one, we had our family and a few friends over for pizza and cake.  It was nice-crowded-but nice, and none of our friends had babies with them, so that made a little more room in our house.

When Ryan turned two, we had a swimming party in the afternoon at the rec center.  We had a room for an hour, where the kids had snacks and cake, and then they got to go swimming.  It was OK, but at that age, Ryan didn’t really care who was there, or what the activities were.  It was nice for ME though, to visit with my friends while our kiddos were just a few arms lengths away, playing in the shallow water.

Last year, Ryan was insistent that he didn’t want a birthday party, so we took him to a neighboring town, about 20 minutes away, and let him play at one of those bouncy inside places.  It was really crowded though, then we went and got lunch. 

Ryan is getting excited about his birthday, and since it is so close to Christmas, I always find myself two weeks away from his birthday, trying to plan something.  I am hoping to get a jump on it this year, but I am really at a loss at what to do.  Ryan says he doesn’t want a party, but he wants to go see trucks and big rigs.  Where are you supposed to do that at?  There *is* a truck stop off the highway from us, but we aren’t about to go ask a strange truck driver if we can see his truck. 

Part of me really wants to have a fourth birthday party for Ryan with his friends, games, silly hats, and cake, because I think Ryan would like a party, once all the action started.  The other part of me is leaning towards just doing something like we did last year.  Part of the big problem is I don’t know where to have it indoors, and our house really is too small to have a party like that here.

So, does anyone have any great ideas for me?  If you live in a colder area, and have a child who has a winter birthday, what do you do?  I appreciate any and all suggestions.  🙂