A Team Week 120: The Bitter Cold

This week was COLD and with Christmas over and nothing but Spring to look forward to (a long ways away) it seemed kind of long and depressing.  By the time the weekend came, the cold must have gotten to us because it became cold inside our home as well and all I personally wanted was some time to myself.

On Thursday morning (the coldest morning of the week) I had to brave the temperatures to do a site visit for one of the projects I am working on (a home near Sheboygan, WI).  Outside the home the temperatures were around -12 degrees with the windchill, and inside the home the temperature was somewhere in the single digits but thankfully with no wind.  It was painfully cold but I made it through and was pleased to see how things are coming along.

This is a pipe INSIDE the home.

When I wasn't at work, the boys and I did our best to fight the bitter cold by staying warm in side...which for us means sitting by the heat register in the basement (it is heavenly warm there!).  This has always been my favorite winter spot in the house and now I have to fight Emma, Asher and Avery for it as well.  The new Ninja Turtle activity books that the boys got for Christmas are perfect for this as they allow us to stay in that one (very warm) spot while we color together.

Saturday morning yogurts.

With my own personal coldness to deal with, I will admit that I wasn't the most involved Mom this weekend.  I really just craved time to myself (selfish I know) but with two littles that is a rarity.  Even so, the boys were forced to play with each other for much of the weekend and enjoyed a few games of "Hide & Sneek" (what Asher calls Hide & Go Seek).

Avery came up with this spot all on his own and I was pretty impressed!...even more so after I watched Asher walk right past him without noticing!

Video: Avery's Christmas Words

Along with the bitter cold outside, and my cold spirit inside, Avery also suffered a yucky cold of his own and was a snotty mess.  That isn't what this video is about, but you will have to ignore the snot in his nose during it!  :P  What the video is actually about is the cute little words/phrases that Avery said during Christmas and how I will miss them.  When Asher was Avery's age he LOVED the Christmas lights and would say "they blinkin', they blinking'", which made for one of my all-time favorite videos of the boys.  With Avery the same age this year I had hoped that he would love the lights as well and do something similar, but what I forgot is that he is NOT Asher.  Avery is his own little boy and does his own cute things.  Instead, Avery loved to point out "Da-ta" (santa) and say "ho-ho-ho" making me smile.  Even cuter still though was his love to point out "baby gezus".  For a while I had no idea what he was saying, but then one day he handed me the Fisher Price baby Jesus when he said it and then I knew. After that, we noticed he said it pretty much every time he saw a nativity or even an actual baby.  This weekend I was thankful that the holidays were over and life could start getting back to normal, but I will miss these cute little words from our two year old.

On Saturday afternoon, Asher and I braved the bitter cold outside to attend Asher's friend Elias' birthday party.  Asher and I had fun, but poor Elias was fighting a bitter cold of his own and not feeling very well.  :(

The poor little birthday boy. :(

All of the kids sitting around the table talking like grown-ups.

During the (Transformers) party the Decepticons stole the presents and the kids had to get them back, but the kids had to find all of the hiding Transformers to get their help to battle the Decepticons.

The kids running around and finding the hiding Transformers.

After the kids found the Transformers they had to sneak into the Decepticon lair and crawl through the laser beams to get there.

After the kids broke into the Decepticon's Lair they defeated them by popping balloons with their pictures on them all over the room.

Video: Fighting the Decepticons

Once all of the Decepticons were defeated the kids got the presents back and then celebrated with some cake and Energon Jello.

By Sunday I was pretty much mentally, physically and emotionally spent and looking forward to a new week.  I did my best to finish out the week and prayed that the next week would be better.

Asher & Avery eating their chocolate tools from Grammy & Gramps

On Sunday afternoon Asher wanted us to do puzzles together, which we did.   A couple of hours later, Avery came into the living room and dumped all of the finished puzzles out onto the living room floor so that I could separate them and put them all together again...on my own.

A long cold week required a warm comfort-food dinner.

A New Year

At the end of the Christmas week, we wrapped up the holidays by driving to the U.P. to spend the New Year's Weekend with my parents...

After we enjoyed lunch at Qdoba with Eric's parents and said our goodbyes on Friday, we made our way North.  It didn't take long for the boys to fall asleep and after they woke up we stopped for a potty break and then let them watch the Minions movie for the rest of the way.  They were both very good little travelers and the trip went by quickly.

Fast asleep in the van.

Avery's photo-opp with the gas station dinosaur.

Asher wanted a picture with the dinosaur too!

We made it to the Upper Peninsula by late afternoon and then met my parents in Stephenson, Michigan for dinner where the boys were spoiled by the locals with random freebies including some squishy toys, change to win candy at the vending machine and free bowls of ice cream for dessert!  From the restaurant we headed to my parents where we were able to play for a bit and watch Michigan play in the Orange Bowl before bed.  

When we woke up on Saturday morning, the ground was covered in about 4 inches of fresh powdery snow and Asher was quick to take advantage when Papa asked him if he wanted to help him plow the driveway.  Avery followed a little later when Eric took him outside.

Asher & Papa plowing the driveway.

Avery's turn to plow.

When we realized that Aaron, Erika and their boys would not be able to join us for the weekend Eric thought it would be the perfect time for Papa and Asher to have some one-on-one bonding.  When we go to Eric's parents house, his dad (Asher's Gramps) often takes the boys to the workshop to build some random projects, and since my Dad is also very much into woodworking and has a great shop Eric thought he could do something similar.  Thus, when my parents were down visiting before Christmas, Eric suggested to my dad that maybe he could come up with a simple project that he and Asher could build together.  My dad (who never takes the easy-out) stepped up to the challenge and came up with a very cool little wood dump truck for them to build together.  Asher was super excited and the two of them spent several hours together out in the shop bringing the truck to life.  It turned out awesome, and it seems they both had a great time.  Wonderful memories that they will both treasure for years to come I'm sure!

Dad gave Asher his own pencil to keep in his toolbelt.

The prototype that my dad made in preparation for this project.  Now you know where I get it from! ;)

Asher made sure his tool belt was loaded up with all his tools before heading out to Papa's shop.

My little carpenter...saggy pants and all!  <3

Asher showing off the finished product!  The snowplow on the front was an after-thought..as in After Asher helped Papa snow plow the driveway, he insisted that the truck have a snow plow!  :)

He was one happy boy!!

Since Saturday also happened to be New Year's Eve, we headed over to our friends the Strietzels' home to celebrate with them and some others.  We had a fun evening of visiting, eating yummy food (the boys both LOVED their slush), watching the traditional tree burning (cause us Yoopers do that!) and meeting the adorable twin baby girls of some other friends that were there.

Avery drinking his slush on the floor (because I didn't trust him enough to let him drink it anywhere else)

Slush is good

Asher looking like he's getting away with something!

The tree burning was a success!  A big thanks to the Strietzels for donating their tree and not watering it after they put it up to make this happen!  :P

The boys & I.  They were in pyro awe!

Avery made a new friend.

At a little after 10 that evening we decided it was time to call it quits and head back to Mom and Dad's house.  We put the boys in their pajamas before we left and assumed that they would both be asleep soon after we left.  Instead, they were both awake and kind of buzzed (and grumpy) for the 30 minute drive back and since it was almost 11pm when we arrived at the house we decided to let the boys stay up a few minutes more to watch the New York ball drop and celebrate Eastern Time New Years!

On Sunday, it was New Year's Day and other than going to church in the morning, we spent the day relaxing at my parents' house.  For lunch my Aunt Bonnie and cousins Rachel, Brandon (& Caroline) came over to visit and enjoy brunch with us and then we spent the remainder of the day napping and watching a movie on the couch together.

Video: Boo!

Finally, Monday was our last day off before going back to work which also meant that it was time to head back home.  We enjoyed the morning painting and playing in the snow with Grandma while Papa had some appointments and then it was time to pack up and say our goodbyes.

Avery getting a push from Grandma.

Since the newly fallen snow was very powdery, it unfortunately made for terrible sledding.  We couldn't get the sleds to go very fast so we decided that we needed some help.  Eric headed to the garage and got some rope and the Gator and gave the boys and I some rides around the yard.

When the van was packed up and it was time to give our hugs and say our goodbyes, Asher was heartbroken.  He had apparently had a very good time at Grandma and Papa's house and did not want to leave.  That combined with the excitement of the week and not enough rest made for a very unhappy boy who cried for the first hour + that we were in the car on our way back home.  :(

Despite Asher's unhappiness, we did make it home by the afternoon and with a few hours before bed and the Christmas season officially behind us Eric and I spent the remainder of the evening taking down the Christmas tree and packing up the decorations.  Before we did so though, we had to get the official photo of the boys' new ornaments for their ornament book (I am compiling the photos each year so they know what they got when and why)....

As I mentioned on the Christmas Morning post, I found the PERFECT Shoebox ornament for Asher this year: An elf with tape and scissors which pretty much sums up life with Asher for the past year to (& beyond) the present.  He is our little creator and LOVES to make things with whatever crafting (or garbage) supplies he can find around the house...or in my desk!

Avery's ornament this year was a mini Tonka truck as he is ALL BOY and loves all things trucks, balls and dinosaurs.  He was thrilled with his new ornament and desperately wanted to play with it rather than hang it on the tree.

The boys also got new ornaments from Eric's parents which were very appropriate for them.  Avery got a football (which is perfect after his football party this year and his love for all things football) and Asher got a Maize and Blue penguin (which is perfect as he loves to help us cheer on our team!).  

So that was our New Years and the end of our holiday season.  We had several wonderful celebration and memories made but were ready to get back to "normal" life...or as normal as it gets when your two year old insists on sleeping with his new football!  ;)