Want to head south?

Just a glimpse of the foreboding, dreary, and grey skies that are Michigan today. (And yesterday. And probably tomorrow too.) It is cold, and windy, and rainy and......


COLD!

And today I am REALLY missing Arizona.

I am sitting on my couch in my softest cashmere sweater. (Which I bought back when I was a single working girl and every cent I earned was used to purchase necessities, like cashmere sweaters. And big screen TVs. But that is a whole other post entirely...)

On top of my sweater I am wearing a lovely yellow and brown University of Wyoming sweatshirt (the only sweatshirt I own) that my mother often wore at least 15 years ago. I stole the down comforter from my bed, because we don't have any other blankets, and I am just beginning to feel slightly less cold. Once the temperature in our house reached 65, I just gave in and turned on the heat.

I know what you are thinking. Believe me. I am thinking it myself. I lived the first 18 years of my life in Wyoming, and the next 5 in Utah. I am used to the cold.

No.

I WAS used to the cold. But Arizona ruined me. And now I am the person my Wyomingite family would laugh at when strolling down the sidewalks of Evanston in July, wearing a coat.

Except that I don't have a coat.

This sudden fast forward to Fall/Winter caused me to take stock of all the warm winter clothes I had in my closet. And except for my sweater I invested in about 8 years ago (that's the beauty of cashmere!) I don't have anything. And I started to panic.

But after a little online browsing, I am happy to say THIS is on the way:

I so wanted to feel stylish and throw caution to the wind by choosing the coat in a fabulous shade of winter white. (which sounds so much better than "cream", Don't you think?) But alas, my practical side won out. I envisioned my beautiful winter white coat smeared with tiny fingerprints of melted chocolate, orange flecks from fishy crackers, and red sticky mess from half chewed fruit snacks which were spit out at me when a certain little someone didn't want to get into his car seat.

So I bought Charcoal.

It is amazing how quickly the purchase of a new coat can help you feel better about the inevitably approaching cold season.

And hopefully, these will be following my coat shortly.


Or maybe these????
I can't decide.

And, if I can catch my husband in a really good mood, maybe even some of these little pretties:

And if I can't catch him in a great mood, perhaps this makes a very conspicuous Birthday wish list???

Michigan Love #1

There are more than a handful of things I love about being a Michigander. (Aside from the obvious appeal of saying the word "Michigander". )

Try it. You'll want to move here too.

But seriously. There are some pretty wonderful things about living here, and I am finding more every day. ANDDDDDD.....because I have taken it upon myself to convice my friends and family that they should move here too (but only for the next 4 years), I will be regularly sharing (in no particular order) those things that just might get them out here. At least for a visit.

Do you love shopping? And more specifically, shopping for your kids? I do.

And what about saving bags of cash? Do you love that too?

I do, I do, I do!

And if you do too, then you will LOVE this!

EVERY weekend of the year, you can find moms (and some dads too) all over the state of Michigan, rising early and gathering at local churches, schools, businesses and vacant buildings. They rise and gather and wait with baited breath for the doors to open. What are they waiting for you ask? Well I'll tell you.

a Mom2Mom sale to begin. You know, just 100 or so moms who set up at least that many tables, fill them with all of their children's things they wish to sell, mark them at dirt cheap prices, and wait for the early risers to take all those items away. Think garage sale/swap meet filled to the brim with ONLY things for kids. I am one of those early risers, and I look forward to it every weekend.

Today I drove a couple miles down the road. I am in need of winter clothes for that child of mine. And I have to say, I think I struck GOLD!!

I bought: 1 Osh Kosh coat (new with tags), 1 pair snowpants (new with tags), 3 sweaters from the Childrens Place (new with tags), 5 long sleeve shirts that LOOK brand new, 1 Detroit Lions jacket, because we support our local athletic teams (no matter HOW bad they may be,) 2 pairs of jeans, and a comfy sweat suit for snow playing in the not so far off winter.

The price???

$19

And if that won't convince you to move here.....well, I just don't know what will

Lonely?

Not at our house. At least not for my Miles.

Here he is. With his prized posessions and comfort items. All of which are an absolute necessity before getting out of bed in the morning. There are 4 balls (2 tennis, 1 football, and 1 small basketball), 1 large stick horse, 1 small knit horse, 3 bears, a "woof woof", 2 books, a plastic golf bag, a stuffed dolphin, and 7....yes SEVEN blankets.

This is our morning ritual.

1. Mom wakes up, hears Miles throwing things in his room
2. Mom goes into Miles' room only to find everything he insisted on sleeping with last night is no longer in the crib but strewn about the entire room
3. Mom tries to put the toys away, but gives up when the disappearance of any of his beloveds gives rise to tears and the saddest little face you have ever seen
4. Miles makes no less than 4 trips, hauling everything he owns into the living room where he watches his "GRRRRRRRRRs" while mom makes breakfast. (And in case you don't speek Milesese, GRRRRRRs are dinosaurs, as in Ice Age 3)
5. More tears when the little guy has to eat his breakfast at the table, (Mom insists) and must leave his prized posessions behind
6. Happy boy again when they are finally reunited

And that is how I spend my day.

Hauling toys from room to room, to outside and back. Putting them in the crib for naptime and picking them up after naptime. Our lives revolve around those darn things.

Miles Birthday is in one month. I'll bet you can guess what he WON'T be receiving.

Here's a hint......It rhymes with "Annoy"

For Grandma:

Even though we haven't posted any photographic proof

We have been having lots of fun!

Your little boy isn't so little anymore, and will be TWO next month. Just ask him, and he'll tell you.

We have singing time everday, and he is a PRO at "The Wiseman Built his House Upon the Rock." He can slam that "rock" down on his flat palm, and scrunches his fingers when "the rain comes tumbling down." I'll try to get video

But our newest adventure is this:

Fingerpaints at the dollar store fill almost a full hour of fun on rainy days when we can't go outside. He doesn't like his fingers to be "messy," so he usually just uses one finger.

We love you and miss you, and will post more pictures and video of all the cute things I do soon.

Buh-Buh, Nana.....

Love Miles