Easter Eggs and a Sugar Rush

Have I ever mentioned that I have the best family in the world? Well, I do. That fact was reaffirmed this weekend when my sweet sister-in-law planned a fun, sugar-filled Easter egg hunt for Asher! 

Asher is finally getting old enough to enjoy holidays. Thank goodness! I love anything holiday-related, and having a little one is the perfect excuse to go all-out. This was Asher's first Easter egg hunt - and let's just say he is a BIG fan! Aunt Kylene hid 48 eggs - yes, 48 eggs - around her house, and each one was filled with chocolate. We gave Asher a basket in which to collect his eggs, but it was hardly needed - he ate the candy as fast as he found it! After the hunt, Asher paused from his candy-eating frenzy just long enough to paint eggs with Aunt Kylene. And to top it all off, Aunt Ky made fun Jello in Easter shapes. Needless to say, Asher had a great time at his aunt and uncle's house! What's not to love about a chocolate-induced sugar rush!?

This is how you do an Easter egg hunt ... use one hand to find the eggs and the other to pack away the chocolate! 

Asher painted an egg for Mommy and Pai. I love that his face is still covered with chocolate in this picture! 

The finished product ... Faberge has nothing on these eggs! :)

Does this kid look hopped up on chocolate or what?!

Another chocolate-covered smile with his lovely Aunt Kylene

I'd say he liked his first Easter egg hunt!

Dear Asher

Dear Asher, 

We got to spend some time together today, just you and I. You needed a haircut, so we decided to make an adventure of it. Our first stop was Coldstone for some ice cream. You decided on the flavor and the mix-ins - and you even remembered to say please and thank you! While we ate, you asked me questions about how my ice cream tasted and told me about how you got to play cars with Aunt Becky today. There was an arcade right next door and you kept eyeing the games while you enjoyed your treat, so that was our next stop. You "played" each game in the arcade - and by "played" I mean you checked the slots for loose change and made car noises while you pretended to drive. Then it was time to chop off some of that hair! You weren't crazy about the whole thing until the stylist offered you not one but TWO suckers. Yes, you ate ice cream and two suckers before supper tonight. I deserve a Cool Mom award, right? On our way home, you and I sang along to Mumford and Sons. I think it's pretty cool that you belt out "I Will Wait" at the top of your two-and-a-half year old lungs. And just like me, you make up words when you're unsure of the lyrics. 

Asher, you are my little buddy. You make little things - like haircuts and ice cream on snowy days - an adventure. 

Love, 

Mommy

Dear Asher

Dear Asher,

Do you know that Pai and I watch you sleep at night? Well, we do. Every night.

Every night, we listen for you to drift off to sleep. You usually talk or giggle for a few minutes in your crib. Every so often, you call out to us as we sit downstairs, just to see if we're still paying attention to you. We answer with reminders that it's time to sleep. And we tell you that we love you - so much. Then we wait.

Pretty soon, we notice that we haven't heard a peep from your room in awhile. That's our cue. When we're sure you've slipped off to dreamland, we tiptoe up the creaky, squeaky stairs to your bedroom. We pause in the doorway to make sure you're really asleep. And then we just look at you. We admire the way your long eyelashes rest on your chubby cheeks. We marvel at how tall you've gotten and the way that you take up your whole crib - it's almost time for a big boy bed! We lean over the railing of your crib - so far that it feels like we might fall in - just to kiss your sweet little cheeks. Sometimes you catch us. You open your sleepy eyes - just a crack - wondering what all the fuss is about. We hold our breath until you roll over and fall back to sleep. As we tiptoe back down the creaky, squeaky stairs, Pai and I sigh contentedly. Asher, you make us so happy - even when you're asleep. We are blessed to call you our son.

Love,
Mommy

One of the Cool Kids

Last week was exhausting. Like "go-to-bed-at-8:00-on-a-Friday-night" exhausting. I'm not sure why the week dragged on. Maybe it was because it was our first full week of school since Christmas break ... gotta love FIVE snow days! Or maybe it was because my students - who are usually little angels - couldn't seem to get along. Whatever the reason, I was tempted (but too tired) to do a happy dance by the time Friday rolled around.

After a blissfully uneventful Friday night, Will and I headed downtown on Saturday for LaughFest. What a blast! We got to see Bill Burr perform at the beautiful Fountain Street Church. Let me tell you, Bill Burr is hilarious! I don't think I stopped laughing from the moment he took the microphone until he walked off the stage. After the show, we met my brother-in-law and sister-in-law for dessert, and talked into the wee hours of the morning ... 1:30 to be exact! Yup, I'm pretty proud of the fact that I made it past midnight. I felt like one of the cool kids, hanging out downtown until almost 2:00. :) (I won't tell you how difficult it was for me to wake up on Sunday morning because that would ruin my cool kid status for sure.) There is nothing better than laughing with the love of my life and losing track of time with two of our favorite people!

2013 Goal: Be Present

I'm a sucker for to-do lists. When I arrive at work each morning, the first thing I do is create a list of the things I hope to accomplish that day. It only takes a few minutes to record my daily goals, but the time is well-spent. My to-do list provides a clear focus for the rest of my day. And I LOVE the feeling of crossing things off the list! (Sometimes I add a task to my to-do list even after it's completed just so I can cross it out. Weird? Yup.) My to-do list helps me make the most of my time; it helps me be intentional.

This year, I want to be a more intentional wife and mommy. How am I going to do that, you ask? By making a to-do list, of course! I've decided to focus on "being present" in my relationships this year. I have LOTS of ideas I'd like to try on my quest to be more present. The to-do lister in me is itching to record ALL my goals, but I don't want to overwhelm myself (and you) by listing them all right now, so I'll just share one idea today. You're welcome. :)

Dates: This year, I want to plan regular dates with my husband. When I was pregnant, Will and I made a commitment to go on one date every month. Then our son was born. Babies have a way of changing everything, don't they? Needless to say, we don't go on dates every month. Or even every other month. I want this year to be different. I want to get better about spending one-on-one time with my husband. After all, my marriage is my most important relationship, and I want to spend time strengthening that bond. Since babysitters (and money!) are sometimes hard to find, I want to try some of these great stay-at-home date ideas this year!

I also want to start taking Asher on mommy/son dates. One of my goals as a mother is to raise a gentleman. A mommy/son date is the perfect opportunity for me to teach Asher little lessons about how a gentleman should act. It is also just a great way to enjoy quality time together! I found a fun list of mommy/son date ideas here. Can't wait to try them!