23 months.

I have to admit, month 23 with Emmett has been the hardest one yet. For me. He is everywhere. Into everything. Extremely picky with food. And like fire and ice. Yes, he throws tantrums. Sometimes multiple times a day. This is all new territory for me. I think when Ethnie was a toddler she threw maybe five tantrums. Ever. She was a very easy toddler. Emmett is not. Maybe when he starts talking more things will be less frustrating...

I tried to capture some of the things Emmett does on a daily basis:

trying to empty the box of tissue. this happens with wet wipes as well.

spilling his snack all over the floor and deciding to play in it

and eat it

 

making a MESS of toys

 

always wants to be naked

getting completely soaked almost every time he plays with the sand/water table outside

 I love dis face!

It's okay buddy, I still adore you. :)

grand old day 2012.

 One of the best reasons to live 5 blocks from Grand Ave? Grand Old Day. It's basically like having the State Fair take over Grand, except for the rides. Did you know it used to be Grand Old DayS? It used to be both on Saturday and Sunday, but now it is just for one day. Maybe because the residents got sick of it. We lived on Grand for 3 years so we got to experience it in our front yard. Needless to say, it was a bit hard to take naps on that weekend. But we loved it! 

This year, we only had time to check out the morning events. Here are some fun pics from the parade:

some Wedding Shoppe brides

having fun!

Emmett HAD to wear his rain boots :)

flower shop

US Bank

state fair mascot

Ballet Minnesota! we were happy to cheer them on!!! 

ovarian cancer alliance

Irish on Grand

 winter carnival royalty

 

all I could think of was how hot this lady must have been!

if you haven't experienced Grand Old Day, next year is a great year to start!

choo choo bob's.

 Choo Choo Bob's is a well-known toy and model train store in St. Paul. I'm sure many moms out there would agree that it's much more than that. For me, it's a lifesaver when it comes to a grumpy toddler. Emmett would not cheer up the other day. He was throwing tantrums and I could tell he was bored. So, we hopped in the car and took the 2-mile trip over to Choo Choo Bob's. This place has toy train set demo tables set up in the back of the store for kids to try out the toys. Genius. You are welcome to stay and play as long as you want. Ethnie and Emmett love it. They even have a party room to host birthday parties.

 

 

so grateful for places like this!

this is how i feel today.

 

yep, this about sums it up.

mud run sneak peek.

 These are a few pictures that a couple of the hubbies took. :) Thanks guys! These pictures are just from the start and finish of the race. 

 

the mudder muckers! 18 of us moms. 

on our marks 

I'm off!

 

into the first "hot mess" obstacle

out in one piece

  

 the last mud pit. we each ran the course at our own pace and then waited at the end to cross the finish line together. :)

 so gross

last hill to the finish line

 What's really cool is that there will be many more pictures on the race's website one week from today! So I will post those when I get them. More mud to come!

my latest milestone.

So, the 5K mud run was today and it was awesome!!! I have always wanted to run in some kind of race. I loved every minute of it, except for stinking like farm mud. I'm sure you can imagine what I mean. I finished in 45 minutes and was very satisfied with that! My goal was not to stop running and to try all the obstacles and I accomplished that. I felt really good when I was done and wasn't even tired. Unfortunately, at this time I only have 'before' pictures but I assure you, the 'after' ones will be worth the wait! I will post some as soon as I get them.

leaving the house
 

my racing number

ready to run. in mud!

The 5K mud run is tomorrow and I am ready! I am very excited and proud of myself for doing this. Our team is going to be great! There are officially 17 of us moms running. The course has 12 different obstacles throughout the race. At the finish line there will be a party with a free drink!

This is what the course looks like

 

 

I'll let you know how I do!!