E-I-E-I-O

Zane’s favorite “episode” from the Little People: Discovering Animals DVD is called Trading Places. Farmer Jed’s animals are a little confused. The cow is baaing, the sheep is mooing. In the end the animals discover that they are happiest being themselves.

Zane’s favorite part is when they sing “Farmer Jed, he had a farm. E-I-E-I-O.” He sings along as loud as he can. He requests this video by saying, “E-I-O Mama! E-I-OOOO!”

Here’s a little video of him singing. He also has strawberry icing on his face from the Valentine cupcakes we made together. Someone ate all of the sprinkles that were supposed to go in the cupcakes. I’m not naming any names, but he’s short and weighs about 25 pounds….

Snowy day randoms

Not a lot of excitement going on here. Just more and more snow!  Zane is still loving it and wants to go ‘ah-ha’ (outside) all the time. Unfortunately, it was 16 degrees here this morning, so I held him off until after lunch. By then it was a balmy 26! Usually snow in Arkansas is a HUGE deal, but we’ve had so much this year that I think Zane is no longer impressed by it.  I guess this is good practice for me getting us both bundled up and out the door!  I’m sure we’ll be doing a lot of this in Wisconsin next year!

Some of these pictures were taken with my phone, so they’re a little blurry.This boy really loves the snow! As soon as we step out the door he starts rolling around in the snow! He just laughs and jabbers and has a great time!  Kind of reminds me of the way he acts in the swimming pool…just jumps right on in! He LOVED the neighbors’ sled. It had a rope attached with a handle that was just perfect for me pulling him around. It was so much easier to pull than I anticipated.He loved riding with “Kin Kin”.

I thought he was going to fall asleep riding on the sled because it was a little, ok a lot, past naptime.

Speaking of it being past naptime, here he is throwing a little tantrum in front of the neighbors’ door. I’m sure they wondered what all the commotion was going on outside their door.Here’s my cute little snow bunny.Yesterday when we came in, Zane’s hands and feet had gotten wet and were freezing! They were so red and I felt horrible. Today I tried something different. I kept him in his footie pajamas under his snow suit. Then I put a pair of my really long, thick socks on his feet and up over the snow suit. I also put a pair on his hands (over his mittens) and pulled the socks up under his snow suit. This kept his mittens from falling off and snow from getting down in them. Worked like a charm! His hands and feet were completely dry and warm when we came back inside!

Finally, here are a few pics from my camera from the last two snowed-in days.

  

Technorati Tags: snow in Arkansas

It’s a good thing he likes it….

The SNOW, that is! It would be a long three years in Wisconsin if he didn’t. As you can tell, that’s pure joy on his face!This boy loves playing in the snow. In fact, it’s quite the challenge to get him back inside where it’s warm.It’s a good thing his snow suit from last year still fits. Yup, it’s a 12 month. So was the sweater he wore to Wal-Mart this morning.

We braved our way to Wally World this morning…not because I was freaking out about bread and milk, just because we had NO groceries. Worst Wal-Mart trip ever! Not because there were a ton of people, but because Zane had a crying, screaming fit for about 30 minutes! He was yelling something about Sponge Bob. I dunno? If I could’ve figured out what he wanted, I would’ve happily given it to him. Just to shut.him.up. I felt like all of Pulaski County was staring at me. Oh, yeah…back to the fun stuff. He sure was happy to be out playing in the snow!

And he looooves eating the snow! Not sure why he crawled around in it for a long time.Then we came inside, changed clothes, and got cuddly on the couch.  Here’s hoping for a long winter’s nap!

twenty-five months and discovering little people

 Someone challenged me to take Zane’s monthly picture until he is 20 years old. I said I would do my best at chasing him around his college campus with a camera on the 27th of each month, but also made the correction that he would not be 20 years old, but 240 MONTHs.Today he is 25 months and actually wanted his picture taken. No, really. He pointed to my camera and said, “Cheese, Mama!”  So, I quickly jumped at the opportunity!And by ‘little people’ I mean Fisher-Price.  Zane got a Fisher-Price farm set for his birthday and it came with a free DVD called Discovering Animals. I really didn’t think much about it until I found it in a drawer in his room on Sunday.

We just might start referring to life in terms of Pre- and Post-Little People.  It’s a 25 minute video, consisting of 5 short episodes. IN CLAYMATION!, which totally creeps me out! I don’t even like the Rudolph movie because claymation is creepy! Back to the LP. The episodes have the little people characters…….If you’ve ever wondered, their names are Michael, Maggie, Sonya Lee, Farmer Jed, Sarah Lynn and Eddie. Zane watches it over and over and over! It seriously haunts my dreams. And, get this, Aaron Neville sings the theme song and an intro about the main character in each episode. Youtube it. See what Zane’s obsessed with.He refused a nap today. He REALLY needed a nap. I REALLY needed him to nap. When naptime comes and goes and he’s still awake…..uh, he turns into this:A devil in disguise?  I dunno what happens in his little head, but he starts whining and crying and pointing but never using words and i have no idea what he wants or what’s wrong with him and it drives me crazy! And then he becomes so clumsy. It’s like he forgets how to walk, trips over things, flips his rocking chair over and falls out, etc.

When everything else fails….bring out the Little People! I was looking at the cover of the DVD and realized it said ‘Volume 3’. Ah ha! That means there are more of these creepy things out there! I decided to get online and try to find the other videos but kept getting interrupted with, “Mama, UP! Ane’s room. Mama, MAma, MAAAAma, MaMAAAA, MAMAAAAAAA!”

So I  Youtubed it and sat him on the couch.  I think it worked a little toooo well. Because now it’s 5:30pm. Too late for a nap, too early for bed, and he’s asleep. Now what???

He looks so cozy. And he totally uses the fact that he’s so darn cute as a defense mechanism. Cause watching this little angel (that’s right, no longer a devil) sleep melts my heart.

discipline?

Sunday night we all went to dinner to celebrate Tyler’s birthday and my birthday.  Me, Matt, & Zane, Erik & Lindsey, Tyler & Lacey, DeeDee & Skeet, and Mama Doot.

Happy Birthday, Uncle TyTy! They are so cute.Afterwards, we all came back to our house for made-from-scratch red velvet cupcakes with made-from-scratch cream cheese icing.  Made by my husband, not me. Oh, so delicioso.

Zane thought that wearing glasses would help him read the kids’ menu.  Now, Zane is a really sweet boy. He rarely gets into trouble…..however, he does like an audience. And showing off.

With the whole family at HIS house, he thought it was the perfect time to show his Nascar skills on his Handy Manny Truck. This includes getting it up to stop speeds (Flintstone style) and then coasting straight into the walls. Over and over again.  I had already told him to stop, so on crash number 4 or 5 mommy decided it was time to really get stern.

I got down on his level. Got a really good grip on his arm. My nose inches from his nose.

“Zane Bell! Mommy has asked you to STOP running your Handy M……..”

At first he gets this really guilty look on his face. Then he looks up and gives me a big ole kiss on the lips!

I was done. Whatever. Do whatever you want. How do you discipline something that cute?!

********************************************

Here are a few pics from the past week or so. He looked so cute this day and I wanted a pic. He was NOT having it!

Still cute, even with ketchup-face.

These are from my phone, so they’re not great.

This is what we spend a LOT of time doing: Playing Fuhfuhs in Ane’s room! (tractors)

His “fuhfuh” shirt from Aunt Lindsey

After he ate a pancake and banana for breakfast, he put his sheep in the high chair and ‘fed’ it a donut and banana (the banana is in his hand). Then he threw his hands in the air to let me know that the sheep was “all done!” I love seeing his imagination play out.

my two year old

               It’s hard to believe that it was just two years ago that Baby Zane came into our lives.  While his ‘birth’ day played out totally different than I had ever imagined it would, the result was the most beautiful baby boy that I had ever laid eyes on. I fell instantly in love with those big brown eyes.   

His first birthday was a definite milestone, for him and me! It was the hardest, most challenging, sleepless, yet rewarding year of my life.  

So, here we are….two years old! At first I didn’t want to accept that he isn’t a baby anymore.  And then I decided to EMBRACE it! Two year old Zane is so much easier and more fun than Baby Zane.

When I think back to Baby Zane, I remind myself that he was SO unbelievably cute and sweet and perfect. And cranky. And cried 90% of the time. And never let me put him down. And NEVER slept. And that I had to do everything I possibly could to get that kid to crack a smile. And NEVER slept. Did I mention that he never slept?

On a good night, Zane fell asleep in the car or the swing and was successfully transferred to his bed.  And, not to beat a dead horse, but he was up every 2 hours. At least.

On a bad night, I would rock him, sing to him, walk up and down the hall bouncing him for HOURS while he fussed and cried. He would eventually crash around 11.  It really seemed like fiction when I would hear other parents mention watching a TV show or movie, or doing housework after their baby went to bed. I couldn’t run to bed fast enough when Baby Zane went to sleep!  I had to hurry and get my ‘nap’ started!

Let’s compare that to Two year old Zane.  He’s happy. He’s funny. He’s smart.  He’s still unbelievably cute. And he sleeps!  While still not the most consistent sleeper….I’m not walking a hole in the floor at night anymore.

The other night I got home at 10pm. We thought he was asleep….until we turned on the monitor.  He was sitting up in bed playing. I went in his room to tell him good night. He said, “Hi Mama! Up, Mama?”  So I picked him up. “Mama room?”  And, well, Matt was working all night, and while Zane never sleeps with us, I thought it couldn’t hurt just this once.  “Mama, TV?” 

Oh, alright.  So, he was up late.  But we were snuggled in bed watching cartoons. And he would occasionally reach over with his little hand and rub my cheek or my arm and say, “Oh, mama.  Hi Mama.  Ooohwah, Mama.” He is my bestest little friend.

A few more…

 Christmas pictures!

Zane was a little attached to Maci :) 

I don’t what this face is about, but it’s cracking me up!

Zane and his Aunt “Zindsey”

Zane opening presents & zoned into Toy Story 3!