PUDDLES AND SNOW?

The last couple of weeks have been crazy busy! It's been report card time, so I've been spending my evenings and most spare time coming up with creative ways to tell parents how great their kids are doing...or not! The other day, I realized I was spending more time trying to come up with creative phrases to convince my almost two year old that, Yes it is time to change that poopy diaper NOW, than I was spending on creating phrases for my professional job! Yep, negotiating a diaper changes has become very challenging around here. It almost always includes tears. What I can't figure out is, why is the toddler crying when it is I that has to get that close to someone else's poo?? LOL 
Anyway, aside from the diaper change tantrums, we've been doing pretty good lately. There are still a few good ones, like the other day when the sun was actually shining and we decided to go play in our sandbox. We have not been in the sandbox or seen the sandbox diggers and dumper trucks since September. It was a big deal! Ryder was pumped!!! He has gotten significantly better at shoveling sand (the stuff that was loose enough to scoop) and driving his trucks through the mostly frozen sand.  When it was time to come in the house, an epic tantrum began. I could tell that Ryder's hands were frozen, that he has sand in his pants, shoes, socks and everywhere else, but he did NOT want to come in the house!!  It was bath time, so he had too, but it was a LOUD, ugly process.  The next morning, he showed up at my bedside at 5:30am, yelling: "Wake up Mommy! Sandbox! diggers!!! Wake up, Mommy!!" Hilarious...well it would have been if it had not been 5:30am!!! I wish I could wake up that excited to start my day!!  Unfortunately that night it snowed and our sandbox visits have been SHORT since then, but he's come inside without a fight everynight since the epic tantrum! Yay!

Night one: kinda chilly out, but sooo excited to be in the sandbox!

 

Shoveling! If only the sand weren't so frozen!

 

Sandbox toys we haven't seen in sooo long!

 Night two...wanting badly to be outside even though it started snowing just after this pic was taken!

Scout, loving having the family outside to play with!

 Around here, it's pretty common to go from snowy days to sunny days to puddle hopping days to snow suit days and some days are a combo of all of the above!

On our walk the other day, we saw a snowdog!

 We have to bring a truck on every walk. Sometimes it's a big truck, sometimes not, but Ryder insists on being the one to carry it almost the whole time!

 Puddles!!! We need to see more of these more often. Ice sucks, Puddles are awesome!

 Stopping to drive his hummer on the brick wall.

 

Saint Patrick's day began with a blizzard, but ended with sunshine! We wore green and bounced on "bouncy horse!"

Kiss your babies, count your blessings and splash in as many puddles as you can find, even if you are wearing a snow suit and winter boots!!