Saturday, August 20, 2011

Toddler Bed!

Well, Sunday August 14 was the big day.  Ethan got his toddler bed as a present for his birthday back in May.  We didn't want to put him in it yet (enjoyed the comfort of having him safely stuck in one spot).  A few weeks ago he actually fell out of the crib! he was fine, just scared.  The good news is he hasn't tried to do it again.  We knew that we would have to make the transition to toddle bed sooner rather than later though.  He sleeps on a mattress at daycare, and he has slept on bunks in our trailer and when we went camping in Minneapolis (post to come later on that trip).

I had planned a trip to Minneapolis for us, and there is an Ikea there, so while we were down there we picked up the remaining items we wanted to put in his room so it would be ready for the transition to a "big boy room".  We picked up a dresser and night table to replace the change table and storage shelf we have in his room right now. (Mike took the room apart before I had a chance to take a before picture, and I am not sure if I took one before Ethan was born so don't ask for one).

We still have to put the dresser together, but it is a Malm dresser from Ikea, like the night table.


Ethan wasn't too sure about the bed at first.  He went in once Mike had it all set up, climbed on the bed, laid down, then sat up started crying and said No sleep" and took off.  We couldn't get him to nap in it, I guess it was all too new and strange for him.  We were heading out to Mike's parents for supper anyway, so we asked him if he wanted to nap on the way to Grandma and Grandpa's and he said yes.  So off we went (it takes 1.5 hours to get there so I knew he would have a decent nap).  Our afternoon was SO busy that he fell asleep 2 minutes into the car ride home, and didn't seem to care that he slept in his toddler bed.  He slept through the night.

On Monday the big test came, he was wide awake when we put him to bed that night.  We did the same old routine - brush teeth, get pajamas on, read story, then we assured him he wouldn't fall out and put Tad (his night time music frog) on, said "good night" and left.  He went to sleep, and slept through the night!

One more milestone reached.  Is it just me, or did it just seem like yesterday that Ethan was a tiny little baby who looked tiny in a bassinet, let alone a crib?  And now he is sleeping in a "big boy" bed.  Sigh.  Time really does fly.





Sunday, August 14, 2011

Time to blog?

I have been trying to get more into blogging, so that my son has at least some record of his young years, as well as letting my family follow his life since most of them live in different parts of the country.  I am trying to find the time to upload pictures, write some nice prose to go along with the pictures, and make the blog entries beautiful and meaningful.  I am also trying to work full time (with a 2 hr round trip commute in there), be a good mom, spend time with my family and cook and keep the house relatively clean.  Oh and keep up with my interests too, like Twitter, Facebook, reading, visiting family and friends.  I haven't even mentioned how I should try to get in shape/lose weight (or just how to stop getting colds all the time would be fine right now too).

I love my life, as tiring as it is.  I think summer was the wrong time to try focusing on getting more into blogging, because we are hardly ever home in the summer, so it makes it even harder to find the time and energy to sit down and blog.  Plus I haven't even had the time to sit down and read all the blogs I love to read.  I barely have time to call my relatives and chat.

I know, it's the same story for pretty much every Mom out there.  If any of you Moms have any tried and true advice for me, I'd love to hear it.  In the meantime, I will go back to my hectic life and let everyone else go back to theirs.

Monday, August 1, 2011

Busy Summers

Wow! I can't believe it is August 1 already!  Summer is flying by really quickly this year.  It is hot this year, which makes it feel a bit more like summer, and Ethan is older now, so he is experiencing a lot of firsts in regards to activities, even if he did them last year when he was 1.  He went to his first local fair. He went on his first real life steam train.  He went to the beach last year, but this year it was a whole new experience.  We also went Camping for the first time ever with Ethan(the same time he was brave enough to walk on the sand and go in the water at the beach). 

We are headed to Maple Grove, MN to stay at the KOA there (in little one room air conditioned "Kabins").  Mike and I went to Minneapolis last year, but left Ethan at home with his grandparents.  This year we are taking him and hoping he will enjoy it. So far we are planning to go to the Mall of America and Ikea.  I found a place called Como Zoo that looks like fun, but it is in St. Paul and I am a little nervous about driving on regular streets (off the interstates) where I can get lost more easily.

We are even going to be crazy enough to try Chuck E Cheese.  I know it will be crazy in there, but I kind of want one meal where Ethan can run around and be himself at a restaurant, usually we are trying to make him sit down and wait for dinner, and that is almost like punishment for a busy 2 year old (and really stressful for us too).  Are we crazy for willingly going there?

If anyone has anything else fun to do in Minneapolis and surrounding areas, please let me know. We aren't going to Valley Fair because it is for kids over 3 and Ethan is only 2.  Plus, we really don't have the money.  The amusement park at the Mall of America will be enough for Ethan.

It is a long weekend here in Canada (for anyone not in Canada reading this), so in theory we should be getting lots done and be all packed for our trip later this week, but of course we're not.  I am an avid bookworm, and two books that I ordered online came in on Friday, so I had to read one.  I chose the smaller, 477 page book to start off with.  I finished in two days, which is amazing because it was a typical weekend with grocery shopping, spending time with my hubby and son, going into Winnipeg for some errands, having my dad and step-mom over for dinner and of course, cleaning.