13 Random Things We Did in December 2013

Guys, it's almost 2014. Can you believe it!?

I managed to do only one post in December. 

ONE.

And that was our Christmas card which really doesn't count.

What kind of blogger does that? I know, I know. I'm a horrible blogger.

 But you should know by now that I always have a good excuse.

Aside from talking my husband into dressing up like Buddy the Elf (keep reading, there's evidence), we've been busy doing lots of Christmasey things and celebrating a special someones 2nd birthday!

For reals, every weekend in December has been consumed by parties, shopping, wrapping, baking, and stuffing our faces with cookies, popcorn and truffles.

So, I now offer you the most random post ever of our recent adventures.

It's OK, Random is good, right?

Simple. Short. To the point. Lots of photos. Go!

1. We attended four Christmas parties in three weeks. 

Ugly sweaters, photo booths, and one classy photo for the grandmas, of course.

And...a themed house party. Christmas movie characters 
Leg lamp from A Christmas Story | Buddy & Jovie from Elf | The Wet Bandits & Kevin from Home Alone

2. We took Big Boy to see Santa. Carson no likey Santa.

3. We celebrated two special little people's birthdays.
(more to come)

4. We celebrated FIVE years of marriage. 

An intimate dinner Cafe Provence in Prairie Village (highly recommend).
Followed by store-bought French silk pie. We were home and in bed by 11:00.
We're old. 

5. Drove to Wichita in an ice storm (with a 2-year old).

Colliding semis and shut-down highways didn't stop my crazy hubby. It took us five hours.

Wichita then got 6 inches of snow. Yipee!

6. We went to Big Nana's farm and enjoyed the Kansas wind. 

7. Carson sealed the deal with his girlfriend.

8. We went to leave the house and found a surprise.
Smack dab in our driveway.

9. Carson learned how to do "duck face."

10. We gained a family member. 

Sully goes everywhere with Carson these days. And gets diapers just like him.

11. He's still obsessed with shoes.

12. And now glasses.

13. We Celebrated Christmas at home for the first time.

And enjoyed first-time traditions.

(more to come)

The END.

Welp, it's been a while.

It's been more than a month since I posted last. A month and a half to be exact. Embarrassing.

However, I have managed to post 42 pictures to Instagram since my last blog post. But I can't seem to find any time for my little ole blog. Sigh.

I'm pretty busy at work. We're still doing projects to get settled into the new house. Weekends are never long enough because they are always jam packed. And Carson of course, keeps us on our toes.

There's been other things that we've been up to. Like dealing with a dog I've threatened to get rid of.

Yep, I said it.

He's not taking this whole new house thing very well. I keep telling him that this change is awesome, but he's just not getting it.

Maybe if I find some time here soon, I tell you guys more about that reject hunting dog of ours...that's about to become a reject family dog.

I kid. Sort of.

Speaking of changing, my baby is so BIG. I can 't believe he will be 2 in two short months.

He's just as ornery as he was two months ago, but a bit more adventurous. Phone calls from his school about him falling and cutting his lip or bumping his head barely phase me anymore.

I never thought I would be so relaxed about blood, but this kid is too accident prone.

Every day, he says a new word or phrase that just shocks me. He's literally repeats everything we say, so we really have to watch it.

My favorite is when he repeats expressions, Oh no, Alright, Yeah Right, Oh Yeah. It's so funny how he uses the same tone as we do, and holds out specific parts of phrases. Ohhhhh yeah.

Yesterday, he dropped his vitamin in his lap while eating breakfast in his highchair. He had to fish for it under the tray to find it, but once he did, he held it up and said "I got it!" I thought it was the cutest, of course.

He still loves adult shoes, but it has expanded into socks too. If you are wearing socks, he will ask you to take them off or reach down and do it himself.  Kid goes after what he wants.

One of his newest obsessions is playing in the car when we get home (while it's off and in park of course). He climbs from the front seat to the middle seats, to the very back, and then repeats. He then puts the key in and tries out the windows, the wipers and the lights. Next is the middle console and glove box. He also loves to open and close the car doors. It seriously keeps him entertained for 30 minutes straight.

While we're talking about doors, he can open every unlocked door in the house. Yikes.

I've got plenty more to tell you about this stinker, but I'll spare you and just post the 42 photos I've already posted to Instagram in the past two months.

I'm telling ya, I lead a really exciting life with this toddler.

Seriously, I do.

Makes me smile every single day.

Friends, you can follow me at kutterchaos.

 Greek Yogurt. Never seen anyone eat so much yogurt.

 That's my kid in the dryer. No judging. He crawled in there himself.

The only way he'd wear the plastic bibs. Sheesh.

His favorite. Wagon rides.

 I'm already looking forward to next year's pool trips. C is looking forward to spraying people with the hose.

Child labor.

 This is what I get in return for child labor.

 Cousins. They are exactly one year apart.

Carson's very rad rocking zebra.

More proof of his shoe obsession.

 The Bill.

 Time at Grandpa's on that fall day in August.

Begged to ride again, but we let him play on the germ-infested park equipment instead.

 Yep, still hates haircuts.

Future tattoo artist? Or catholic priest?

A face of a future wildcat headed to Manhattan for a game.

 I admit it, comb overs are handsome.

 Mowing with Uncle E.

 Bridesmaids Reenactment.

His first science experiment.

 Sucking on peanuts. Oops.

Wagon ride while holding mommy's hand:).

   Fall is here.

Problems

If I said we were settled in the new home, I'd be lying.
We've been scrambling every single night,
and staying up WAY too late in an attempt to get our home in order.

Unpacking, organizing, contemplating, rearranging, arguing.
You know...all the joys that come with moving into a new house. 

Sure, we have all the necessities put away.
But we're talking about an over-analyzing, nag-the-husband, perfection-seeking, want-everything-done-right-now human being.
I have no clue who would act like that.

I can't stand having my life out of whack.
The same reason why I can't handle one thing in my house being out of place.

Let me give you a little insight.

I can't go to bed with dishes in the sink.
Clothes are never lingering outside of my closet/dresser.
I pick up my house every night so that the little things don't pile up.
If Carson's clothes aren't laid out for the next day, I consider myself behind.
I can't sleep if things aren't "in order."

Y'all. I'm anal. A fast-paced, organized freak. A perfectionist. A worry wart about the details.

So, when I tell you that I still have unpacked boxes in the basement,
and things not hung on the walls,
TV remotes not programmed correctly,
and garage tools still laying on my kitchen island,
dust bunnies, and cabinets, and bathrooms, and blinds that have yet to cleaned,
and Carson's toys everywhere,
just know that I.am.going.absolutely.bonkers.

However, we do have one amazing kitchen (more to come on that). Finally.

But, we still don't have a kitchen table. I just cringed.

Oh! In other exciting news (not), Carson is now climbing out of his crib. How fun.

Lately List

Hey y'all! Did ya miss me? I didn't think so.

Well, I've missed you guys.
And blogging.
And having five measly minutes to sit and reflect on what's been going on.
Which has been a lot.

My mind is mush and I can't wait to get back into a normal routine!

I could wrap up the past two weeks in about 10 posts, but I'll save you some time and give you a quick list of the first 10 things that come to mind. Apparently, lists are all I know how to do these days.

1. We moved. Yep, we did it. We left our first home. And didn't even really get to say goodbye because our buyers showed up on the doorstep five minutes before they were supposed to take possession. We're ecstatic about the next chapter, but the first home will always hold a special place in my heart.

I did learn at least one thing from this experience. I don't ever want to move again. Ever. Isn't it the worst? I also don't want to look at another box ever again. Crap, I still have about 40 boxes sitting in my living room and basement to unpack. Sigh.

2. We are living in shambles. We can't utilize our kitchen right now. At all. Not the microwave, not the stove/oven, not even the counter top. Heck, we can't even access our kitchen without going through the garage because it's separated off with plastic.

We're eating from paper plates and cutting strawberries in the basement. Weird, eh?

We decided to have the kitchen cabinets transformed from a light oak to a creamy white and it's a process not to be hurried. With that said, boxes are everywhere and our living area is our makeshift kitchen. Oh yes, the refrigerator, coffee pot, toaster, Carson's highchair and pantry food are all currently in our living space. It will all be worth it of course, but I'm ready to toast my bagels in the kitchen.

3. Our shower has a seat/ledge. Seriously. Everyone needs one of these. How have I lived this long without propping my leg up on a ledge to shave my legs? Oh, the little things in life.

4. We've been without cable and Internet for more than two weeks. We canceled ours early at the other house to focus on packing and have just been too darn busy to get it set up at the new house. How on earth does one live without TV? Or let's be serious here, the Real Housewives? I'm missing my Orange County drama! Every night, we stare at each other in confusion not knowing what to do with such quietness. While my booty appreciates the activity, I'm excited for the return of reality TV. Thursday is big the day! Wahoo!

5. I completed my 4th triathlon. The day after moving. Am I crazy or what? It was the hardest it has ever been in all four years. Even harder than eight months post-baby last year. That's what I get for my lack of training and only an hour of sleep the night before. I had new house nerves! Nonetheless, I finished.

6. Jake's tummy has seen better days. We have walnut trees at the new house and Jake likes to eat them. And then get sick. All over our freshly cleaned carpets. Fantastic.

7. My son is gross. I knew having a boy meant gross things, but I was never prepared for this. It's happened twice now. When picking him up, his teachers have notified us that after going No. 2,  he has stuck his hands down his pants in the back and proceeded to wipe it on the front of his shirt. Awesome. I have the gross kid.

8. My best friend gets married in a week and a half. I'm so excited for the soon to be Mrs. Ilten I could scream!

9. Our carpet cleaner guy told me I was pretty. He stopped mid-sentence as we were discussing the carpets to say it and did it in front of our cabinet painter, who happens to be a friend. Said friend didn't find it to be funny. I too, thought it was a bit weird. What do you think, inappropriate or just nice?  

10. I went to the New Kids on the Block/BoyzIIMen/98 degrees concert last week. It was girls night and it was oh oh oh-ohhhhhh, the right stuff. I had a Jordan Barbie as a kid and I was disappointed to see he was no longer rockin' the rat tail. Not gonna lie, the songs I used to sing when I was 10 went through my mind all.last.week. What can I say? I'm a born again fan.

My little, Old Man

There's something so old man-ish about a baby wearing a onesie with jeans.

(in a cute way of course)

 In this case, a little, old man wildcat.

Or maybe it's the beer potbelly.

Or the loafers.

 

"C'mon mom, Vans are so not old man-ish!"

I remember he wouldn't give me a real smile on this random day.

  Instead, I got a screaming, little, Old Man. 

Oh, to know what they are thinking at this age.