O Christmas Tree

Black Friday marks the beginning of the Christmas shopping season, but for us the Christmas season truly gets under way the day we bring out the decorations and set up the Christmas trees.  We usually wait until December for all this, but with work schedules we decided to do it the weekend after Thanksgiving.  Mason was quite the little helper with the big tree - getting the bead garland all tied in knots and trying to take off ornaments I'd already put up.  I remember "helping" my dad set up the fake tree every year, and now I wonder if I was actually helping, or "helping." 

Anyway, Mason actually seems to understand the holidays this year, and was enthusiastic about decorating the tree.  Mya helped me with the little tree by watching and cooing from time to time.  We (I) inadvertently "organized" the big tree this year too by putting my ornaments at the top, Mason's at the bottom, and Adam's and Grandma Welsh's in the middle.  Organizing the tree is a running joke in my family.  One year I thought it would be a good idea to separate the tree into quadrants, one section each for mom, dad, Megan and myself.  I went so far as to take string and section off the tree.  Every year since, this is brought up at the family Christmas.  I don't think I'll ever live it down, but at this point I won't mind - it's such a fun family memory. We're all looking forward to making even more memories this year.

Our Little Blessings

It's this time of year when you start counting your blessings.  There's so much in life to be thankful for, but we are most thankful for two healthy kiddos.  We are fortunate that they get along - Mason adores his "sisser" and Mya genuinely seems happier when he's around.  They consume every waking of hour of our lives these days, but we cherish the time we have with them.  Busy schedules, home-ownership stresses, work stresses - they all melt away with a smile from Mya or an "I love you" from Mason.  We are truly blessed.

Wishing you and yours a very happy Thanksgiving!

The Slaying of the Diaper Monster

It took what seemed like forever, but Mason is finally, officially potty-trained!  We tried and failed (and gave up) many times over the past six months, but finally (at the encouragement of daycare) decided it was time to try a little harder.  A few weeks ago we put Mason in training pants because it was obvious he thought Pull-Ups were the same things as diapers.  The first week in training pants was accident after accident after accident.  There was lots of laundry and tons of frustration during this phase.  In spite of all the incentives we had in place for trying (M&M's from the giant M&M dispenser), going peepee (army guys), and going poopoo (Matchbox cars), Mason didn't even want to try.  Slowly things started getting better.  He started going at daycare from time to time, but still had accidents there and always had accidents at home.  Eventually we had a breakthrough - one peepee.  From there it got better, and got better fast.  And now we've gone a full week without an accident! 

I remember when Mason stopped drinking from a bottle and I thought at the time that being bottleless was such a wonderful accomplishment.  Mostly because I didn't have to wash them anymore!  But this is so much better.  It's not so much the expense of diapers or trying to change them when Mason would rather be doing something else - it's the sense of pride we feel every time he has a success. 

No potty pictures to share, but here's a fun one of Mason in the bathtub, with a "beard like daddy." Does Adam have a beard? No, but he gets awfully burly after just one day of not shaving.  :)

Kids Say the Darnedest Things, Part 3

Mason said so many cute things this weekend that I just had to post a new edition of Kids Say the Darnedest Things. At dinner last night Adam said we should really be writing all these cute things down - lest he forget that's exactly what I'm doing on this blog!

Masonism #1: Adam's new TV addiction is the AMC series The Walking Dead.  As I was cleaning up in the kitchen last night, Adam flipped over to watch a few minutes of this show.  Mason looked up at the TV and told Adam matter-of-factly, "Daddy, this isn't for me."  My smart little boy! 

Masonism #2: Adam made a delicious chicken and gnocchi soup for dinner, and used half potato gnocchi (that are white) and half wheat gnocchi (that are brown).  So Mason sits down to eat and looks in his bowl, and exclaims, "Gnocchi!" Yes, our child has quite the food vocabulary already.  But he scooped up a brown gnocchi and asked what it was.  When we told him it was gnocchi too, he said, "No, that's Hundley."  Anyone who watches Curious George with their kid knows what he meant by that.  (George is friends with a white cat named Gnocchi and a brown dog named Hundley.) 

I just love that everything is so straight-forward with children.  Things either are or they aren't, and everything is one or the other.  Someday he'll develope a gray area, but it's kind of refreshing to see the world in black and white through his eyes.

Pumpkin Hunting

Last year we took Mason over to Gull Meadows and decided to do the same this year, but earlier in the season to avoid the massive crowds this time. It was a chilly Sunday morning, so we had to bundle everyone up. Mya was so cute with her Julia hand-me-down coat - her fat face actually fills up the hood! Everyone had fun, and the trip was a poinant reminder just how quickly kids grow. Last year we didn't let Mason do many of the activities - he was too young to do things alone and we were too big to do some things with him. This year he did it all!

I think his favorite part was riding around the farm in this little "train" pulled by a tractor. We didn't even bother to walk along side the train, just waited for him back at the start. He also had fun on the giant tube slides, which he didn't go on last year because the line was too long, and the jump pillow, which he didn't go on last year because we were afraid he'd be smooshed. The highlight of the day was when we sat down to eat iced pumpkin donuts and after one bite Mason proclaimed, "This is the best bagel I ever saw!"

The First Sign of Fall

Adam has been jonesing for fall - cool nights, hoodies and football season. It's finally here, and our newest Spartan is ready to go! She wore this little number for the MSU vs. Notre Dame game, but it apparently didn't work as we lost. It was a rare year in which we didn't make the trip to South Bend, but Adam's dad only got two tickets this year and we decided not to buy any separately - mostly for childcare reasons. But we still had fun by inviting over Adam's cousins (Derek & Emily - Mason's godparents) and their kids. Derek has always been a mild Michigan fan, but we've helped to intensify his rooting interests with our anti-Michigan mentality. We usually get together with them to watch the MSU vs. U of M but they couldn't make it this year so we had to switch weekends. They were the surrogate Irish fans for the day and luck was on their side. Thankfully we followed up the loss with a trouncing of Central Michigan (sorry mom & Megan!) but next week we start a nasty stretch that includes games against Ohio State, Michigan, Nebraska and Wisconsin. While we're hoping MSU wins them all, as long as we win the Michigan game we'll be okay. :)

Whirling Weekend

This past weekend was so jam-packed full for fun, it's hard to know where to start. On Saturday we went down to Edwardsburg to celebrate Adam's cousin's marriage. Colin and Christina had a little one in May, so we got to compare chubby babies. :)

Then on Sunday we kicked off the day with Mya's baptism. She was such a good little girl during church, but when it was time for her baptism she cried and cried. (St. Ambrose does baptisms after the normal mass.) We finally got her calmed down for some pictures with Fr. O'Leary and her godparents - Megan and Dan. Yes, she is shoeless in this picture!

After the baptism we returned home for a birthday celebration for Mason, Adam and Colin. Of course the star of the celebration was Mason. He was such a happy kid opening his gifts, especially as he opened more and more Thomas trains! After everyone left and we were getting him ready for bed, he told Adam "I want to say thank you, but everyone's gone already." A moment that makes a mommy's heart melt to be sure. It is hard to believe our little guy is three already. The time just flies and flies.

Summer Wrap Up

We wrapped up the summer by visiting Grandma & Grandpa one weekend and Nana & Papa the next.

Mason was in train heaven (and so was Grandpa) the entire time we were in Bridgeport. The train-lovers hid in the basement a few hours and played with Grandpa's model train set on Saturday. Then on Sunday we all went over to Junction Valley Railroad to ride the trains.

For Labor Day weekend we went down to the lake for the last time of the summer. In a Pure Michigan moment, we went from the searing heat of summer on Saturday to the crisp winds of autumn on Sunday. Yes, summer was officially over. And as you can see from Papa's shirt, football season is upon us. The highlight of our trip to the lake was Adam's luck with fishing. Within 30 minutes he caught three 16" bass just fishing off the end of the dock, and cleaned and cooked them too.

Adventures of Maternity Leave

Adam may have gone back to work weeks ago, but we've managed to pack a lot of fun family activities into my maternity leave. Mya has been a complete trooper through all of these adventures, even when most people believed we were crazy for taking her with us. To start we went to Michigan's Adventure for the day. Mason is 36 1/2 inches, so just tall enough to go on a bunch of rides with us, and some by himself. The day had its ups and downs, but overall it was a fun trip. On the rides that go in circles, he spent most of his time on them looking at the center. "How's it work mama, how?" Maybe we have a little engineer on our hands?



We also took the family over to the Calhoun County Fair. More rides for Mason to enjoy, and more time for Mya to sit in her car seat. Mason's favorite ride at the fair was the train of course. We did walk through the animal barns too, thumbs up on the horses, bunnies, goats and sheep; thumbs down on the cows and pigs. He especially did not care for the hog that was being bathed and sounded more like he was being slaughtered. But another trip on the train and he was happy again.



We've also been able to spend a couple weekends at the lake. Mason just loves splashing in the water with daddy and papa. I love relaxing on the pier or the swing with Mya.



Speaking of Mya, we bundled her up in what must be the most uncomfortable life vest invented and took her on her very first boat ride. Like Mason did when he was little, the rocking motion put her right to sleep. Unlike Mason, Mya isn't a fan of going fast on papa's new boat. I think the wind in her hair startles her awake, but once we slow back down she falls right back to sleep.



It's been so much fun that I'm really glad we unintentionally timed out Mya's arrival with a summer break. I never thought I'd feel like a college kid returning to campus in the fall again, but I'll find myself in just that position in less than two weeks.

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Big Brother, Little Sister

I suppose the fear of ever parent with a second child on the way might be how will the first child react to having a sibling. Let's just say we were mildly concerned about Mason. Even though he gets plenty of interaction with other kids at day care, he has major bouts with mine-itis and hasn't developed an understanding of the word "gentle". Throw in Mason's need for stability and routine plus the usual backlash from the changes a new baby brings, and we thought we might have our hands full.

Thankfully Mason has been an excellent big brother from day one. When he came to the hospital to meet Mya, he seemed to understand what had happened, acknowledged her, and then proceeded to find the buttons on my bed far more interesting. Since then he can't get enough of her. If she's lying in her Boppy on the couch, he wants to lie next to her. If we're holding her, he wants to hold her too or at least hold her hand or kiss her. Before he leaves for day care, he has to give her a kiss just like us. He has, of course, had several melt downs and has been little too rough with her from time to time, but overall it's been a wonderful transition.

Before ending this post, I have to share one big brother Mason story. The first time we took Mya into day care with us to pick him up, another little boy stood and looked at her in her carrier. When Mason noticed this, he put on his "angry eyebrows" and told the other little boy "Hey, that's not your sisser! That's my sisser!" Yes, we know that's the mine-itis sneaking up again, but we couldn't help but believe he was trying to protect her too. I can almost imagine him saying the same thing to a different boy in about 15 years.

Welcome Little One

She wasn't early, she wasn't late, she was right on time. Our due date was June 27th, and I went into labor at 8pm on June 27th. In my last post I talked about how different my pregnancies were - the labors were complete opposites as well. My water broke at home with Mason, and didn't break until we were at the hospital and I was 7 cm dilated with Mya. The contractions with Mya were frequent and fierce, and slow and spaced out with Mason. Finally, and thankfully, labor with Mya lasted only 4 hours, while it lasted 12 with Mason. About the only things that were similar were the epidural and the joy we felt when she arrived.

Mya Carolyn Mattens, born June 28, 2011 at 12:17 am. She checked in at 7 lbs 2 oz and 20 inches long. A full head of brown hair and the requesite steel blue eyes. She actually looks just like Mason when he was born. Can you tell who's who?
















Mason is the top picture, Mya is the bottom. Adam and I feel so blessed to have these little sweeties.

Happy Father's Day

Yes, yes, I know it's not Father's Day yet. I'm writing this a tad early, in case by some stroke of luck Mya decides to be en early bird.

Mason has been such a mama's boy that the past few months have been spent trying to make him into an equal-opportunity parent-lover. We both know that Mya will be relying so much on me when she arrives that Mason will need to get used to Daddy doing almost everything. It hasn't really worked - Mason will almost always pick me to do things for him over Adam. But even when he's asked for me to give him a bath or change him or put him to bed, Adam's done it anyway. I guess that's the definition of a good daddy - a man that takes care of his child even when the child is kicking and screaming for mommy.

For my part, there's no man I'd rather be taking this journey in parenthood with. I love you Daddy-Boo. :)

Almost There...

We're now just two weeks away from Mya's estimated arrival, and I got to thinking how little I'd written about her on this blog. Part of the reason I've been mum is that this pregnancy has been a complete 180 from my pregnancy with Mason. I know it could have been much worse though, so I don't want to complain too much about it. Whenever I'm having a bad day, I like to tell myself that she's just preparing me for the teenage years.

Mya's room is now completely ready for her. She'll be inheriting the bedroom Adam and I have used the past six years in this house, and we finally moved up to the master suite on the second floor. It was much more eventful than just moving some furniture - we also had to run cable upstairs and replace some really old wiring in Mya's room when switching out the ceiling fan for a new light fixture on a dimmer. Thankfully my dad is a regular Mr. Fix-It.

It's probably not too noticeable from these pictures, but Mya's room is a pale shade of blue (we left the color already on the walls). Her bedroom furniture is the set I had growing up (with a crib added to the mix), that has a green trim to it. So we had to find a pink bedding set with green and blue to tie all the room elements together. I fell in love with this Love Birds set, and so the room has taken on a bird theme. While she's won't be big enough to use it for a while, we even put her future twin bed in the room. With both kids being on the first floor, I decided the twin bed is really for me at the beginning - so I don't have to go up and down all night long.

Tick, tock, tick, tock... each second brings us closer to welcoming Mya into our little nest.

Kids Say the Darnedest Things - Part 2

Mason is probably one of the most polite toddlers I've ever met. I have to attribute this to my dad and his constant quotes of Emily Post. Mason says please and thank you with regularity, but possibly the cutest thing Mason says these days is "excuse me". Okay, I know it doesn't sound like anything special, but the cute part is the way he pronounces it - "schmoo-me". He uses it in the appropriate context (like while we were waiting in line at the zoo), but thinks (like please) that once he says it he'll get his way. Unfortunately we're the only ones that really understand what he means by it so people rarely move out of his way. Still, it makes us smile each time he says it. I've really got to get it on video one of these days because this description doesn't do it justice.

A not cute thing Mason has picked up is "stupid." Adam and I are so careful with our words, but some things he figures out on his own anyway. He may have picked it up from daycare, but the more likely cuplrit for this bad habit is the TV. We were watching Toy Story the other day and I heard it a couple times. I suppose there's no way around it - kids are going to learn these words one way or another - so it's up to us to teach him what it means and why he shouldn't say it. Parenting 101 right?

Julia's Baptism

This past weekend we headed up to Bridgeport to visit my parents, and on Sunday went up to Midland for baby Julia's christening. Megan and Dan asked Adam and I to be Julia's Godparents, and of course we were thrilled. Julia is such a sweet little baby - I don't think I heard her cry once while we were there. She thinks about it from time to time and sticks our her lower lip to express her displeasure. But overall she seems like such a happy and easygoing baby.

The dress Megan found for her was just adorable, and of course her pink tights had a ruffle butt. Before the kids changed, we snapped a quick picture to remember the day. Mason was so gentle with Julia, I really think he's going to such a good big brother.

Mother's Day Love

Adam had to work/sleep on Mother's Day, so it was just Mason and I for most of the day. Since mom's get in free at the Binder Park Zoo on Mother's Day, we (I) decided we should head over for an animal filled-afternoon. Little did I know that almost every other mom in Battle Creek decided to do the same thing. We waited in line for half an hour just to get in, and fortunately Mason behaved the whole time. It might have had something to do with the lunch I packed for him. He still doesn't take much interest in the animals, especially the ones that are just lying around. He did like the snow leopard (he claims he heard it meow), the wallabies, and the monkeys. But his favorite was the giraffe, who we fed "salad" (a romaine lettuce leaf). Trumping even the giraffe, his happiest moments were riding the train and the tram out to Wild Africa. I doubt we'll do the zoo on our own again, so it was fun to just spend time with my special little man.

After we got home, we got to wake up Adam and the boys got to work on my Mother's Day feast. Not that this was much different than every other day of the week, but it was fun to be there to watch them interact in the kitchen. One of the cutest moments was when Adam shut his tongs in the grill (to sanitize them while he went back in the house). Mason did the same thing with his tongs and told me "just like Daddy."

I can't say enough how much I love being a mom. It definitely has its trying moments, but the smiles and giggles and hugs and kisses make it all worth while.

The Last Horrah!

A while back Adam I decided we should take Mason on a mini-vacation before Mya arrives. I had wanted to go to Michigan's Adventure (for the water park) but we were running out of time so an indoor water park would just have to do. We decided to go to Zender's Splash Village in Frankenmuth and ended up having a blast. Adam and Mason drove up to MSU and picked me up on a Tuesday afternoon. Of course we had to feed the ducks outside my office and then make a pit stop at the Dairy Store. (Blue Moon for Mason, Buckeye Blitz for Erin, Hoosier Strawberry for Adam)

After that we headed up to Frankenmuth, checked in and met my parents and brother for dinner at Zenders. Just thinking about it now I'm craving their noodles.... mmmm. We'd had what seemed like weeks of cool, rainy weather, but fortunately the skies cleared after dinner so we could walk around the main strip. Mason was pointing out things left and right - there's just so much for a little guy to take in around there.

And now for the recap of the best part - Mason in the water park. He was so excited that I could barely get a picture of him. That is until the bell started ringing and warned that the giant bucket was about to dump all over us. The first time we heard it, we didn't know what was going on and unknowingly ended up getting splashed. From then on, Mason was petrified of the bell. Eventually he was able to get past it and enjoyed the little tyke slide and operating the water cannons and whatnot. But he still talks about the bell when we mention swimming at the water park! We can't wait for the summer to be here so we can enjoy some more water time at the lake.

Growing Up

It's already beginning - Mason is growing up and his world is extending beyond Adam and I. On two occasions we've been out in Battle Creek and have run into Mason's friends from "school." About a month ago we were eating at Chili's when another family was seated near us. Mason started pointing at them and jabbering on about "Chris", and we just assumed he was talking about Adam's friend Chris who we'd been talking about. So we told him no, that wasn't Chris and continued to eat our dinner. A little bit later the mom at the other table asked us what day care our son went to, and from talking to her found out that her son, Christian, was in Mason's class. Yes, he had just recognized one of his friends from school. The remainder of the dinner was a wash as the boys stared and giggled at each other. I'm sure Mason was thinking, silly mommy and daddy, I knew who that was.

Then this weekend I took Mason to the mall with me, which means we had to stop at the book store to play with the Thomas train set in the kid's section. Just as we were arriving an older woman and a little girl showed up to play too. After a few minutes of the kids playing quietly together, the woman asked me if Mason went to CDC, because her grand-daughter never plays with other kids at the bookstore. Sure enough, they were in the same class too. Mary and Mason ran all over the kid's section together, we probably let them play for over an hour. When Mary and her grandma left, the kids gave each other a hug.

Neither Christian nor Mary had ever come up in conversations with him about his day. Christian was younger than Mason but Mary also turned 2 1/2 in March, and goes to school two of the three days Mason is there. It made me wonder why he's never talked about her. I would guess there are between 16 and 20 kids in his class, including the part-timers like Mason. Of those kids, he usually only talks about a handful: Chlo-Chlo (Chloe), Parker, Anna and Beckett. It's as if they already have a little clique (although Beckett is now "naughty" and "not my friend"). It reminded me of times during middle and high school when you'd run into someone in your grade outside of school, and you'd actually hang out together because you were the only other person the other one knew. You'd end up having a better time than you thought, but when you get back to school you never talk to that other kid again. I hope that doesn't start already. I hope now that Mason has played with Mary at the bookstore, he'll play with her at school too.

Smarty Pants

I just love the spring. Especially now with Mason, it feels so good to get him out of the house and let him play to his heart's content. This weekend we took advantage of the beautiful weather and got the front yard taken care of - raking, pruning, etc. Mason was quite the little helper (and sometimes un-helper). We have a couple smaller rakes that he can use, and he spent a lot of time with a little garden rake. When Adam started picking up the piles of dead grass and leaves, Mason went over to help him. But a few seconds into it, he realized his little rake just wouldn't pick up as much as daddy's big rake. So he ran up to the garage, grabbed a dust pan, and used that to scoop up the leaves and dump them in the yard waste bin.

At first I thought, awe, how cute. Then I realized what had really happened - he problem-solved! His little brain actually figured out a solution to make the process more efficient for him. The more I think about it, the prouder I am. I think we've got a little smarty pants on our hands!

Kids Say the Darnedest Things - Part 1

I keep thinking that I'll always remember all the adorable things Mason says, but as his vocabulary is growing exponentially I realize I've already started to forget some of the earlier phrases. I'm hoping this series of posts will help me remember these seemingly unforgettable moments.

It turns out Mason is the class comedian at daycare. Who knew my child would be funny. The term that gets the teachers going these days is "doozie." As in that poop "is a doozie." I think Adam must have mumbled something to this effect after cleaning up a particularly messy diaper, and it's stuck with Mason ever since. He proclaims his own poops to be doozies as well as the other kids' and each time I think the teachers laugh a little more.

For Valentine's Day his class had a little party, and Adam made Rice Krispy Treats for him to share. Mason was so proud to bring them in and told his teacher to "share treats." She took the treats and put them with all the others for their afternoon snack, but Mason wanted to share his treats now. It took some explaining, but the teacher and Adam finally convinced him that he could share his treats after his nap when they would have the party. Apparently when he woke up he exclaimed "come on guys, time to party!"

The most recent comment he made I know I'll never forget, but it's worth documenting a hundred times. On Sunday mornings I'll have the Food Network on to get ideas for grocery shopping later in the day. We usually watch Rachel Ray's Week in a Day followed by At Home with Giada. When Giada comes on he always mentions that she's the "otha lady." Known for being the most attractive TV chef on the network, I asked him "is she pretty?" He looked right at me and straight as can be he said, "No, mommy pretty." My heart melted, and he was instantly forgiven for all the naughty things he'd done that weekend.

More quotes to come later - and hopefully with pictures the next time around.

Leap Month

When Adam tells me I need to update the blog, you know it's been too long. I can't believe I "leaped" right past the month of February. (Sorry, I am my father's daughter, it can't be helped.) We've actually had quite a lot happen since last I wrote.

We were finally blessed with our new neice, Julia Lynn Burr, on January 10th. Due to a round of family sickness, it took us almost two weeks to actually meet her. Mason seemed to really like her and hammed it up in all the pictures he took with her. He also didn't seem to mind when either Adam or I were holding her. It made me pretty hopeful that he'll behave the same way when number two arrives in June.

Speaking of number two, we got our first picture taken of the little one. And we found out it'll be a girl, who we will name Mya Carolyn. Everything is going well so far, though our due date did get pushed back to June 27th after reading the ultrasound. That's fine by us - Adam says the closer to the Fourth of July the better (so he can still be on leave) and I'm personally shooting for June 24th. Mason was born on my brother's birthday, and if Mya is born on June 24th she'll be born on my sister's birthday. It's too crazy for it not to happen right?

In between all this frenzy, we had our main bathroom remodeled. The before was pink, pink and more pink. I love pink and this was always too much for me. After our toilet finally gave out and the mold under the grout in the shower over me, we decided enough was enough. It was definintely a long and stressful process, but in the end it really was worth it. For someone who watches too much HGTV, it was hard to see the builder leave when there was still so much clean up and decoration that needed to be done. I thought for sure that this process would lead Adam to drop the idea of us building our own house, but he's actually still interested in us doing this at some point. It only took us six years to remodel the bathroom so who knows if building our own house will ever really happen. A girl that always enjoyed sketching house plans can only wish. Before and after pictures are below, though neither quite capture the extent of how awful it looked (before) and how nice it looks now.

Little Chef

Adam calls it the worst time of the evening. The time before I get home, when he's trying to get dinner around. Mason wants nothing to do with sitting in his high chair, nor will be play nice all on his own. Our kitchen is not baby proofed, so Mason isn't allowed to wander in an out while Adam's cooking. And when we gate the room off, he can't see Adam in his prep area so won't go play out of daddy's sight. As a special treat this week (mostly because he wasn't using the stove or oven), Adam pulled up a chair and let Mason help with the "cooking." He loves using tongs, as you can tell from this picture. I hope that he continues to love cooking with daddy. Too bad the Cafe is gone... I could see Mason following in his daddy's footsteps - manning the grill and "babysitting the pitas."

Snow-Mow-Mow

Mason spent all summer mowing the lawn with Daddy. When we pulled the snow blower out for the first time, Mason thought it was the mow-mow again. We tried to explain that this is the snow blower, it's for the snow. Mason, in the most honest voice only a child could have, said "oh, snow-mow-mow." And so it has remained the snow-mow-mow all winter. He gets so frustrated with me when I make him stay in the house and watch Daddy snow-mow-mow in the evening. But sometimes Adam will do it during the day, so we'll all bundle up and snow-mow-mow together. Mason grabs his mow-mow (which has miraculously converted itself into a snow-mow-mow too) and goes up and down the driveway next to Daddy.

This past weekend, after snow-mow-mowing, we headed across the street to the sled hill. Mason wasn't nearly as excited about sledding as he was last year, so we took him over to the park and let him go up and down the slide. He seemed so happy to be doing this - like it was something he missed about the warm weather. Afterward we came inside and made some hot cocoa. Mason beamed from ear to ear and looked so grown up with his very own "hot cup". We'll try sledding again this weekend with a bigger sled that fits both Mason and Daddy, and hopefully get more fun pictures.

The New Years Post

New Years has become an annual tradition of heading over to Plainwell and celebrating with Adam's cousins. This year was quite strange in that Mason mostly played with his second cousins and didn't need much oversight from us. I kept hovering for a while until I realized he didn't need me around, and that the big cousins would let me know if he was up to no good. I mentioned as much to a tipsy Adam, and we sort of reveled in the temporary freedom.

Mason was quite the trooper again this year, staying up till midnight to watch the ball drop. He even blew his own tooter. He and I hit the pillows by 12:30 - though he wasn't too happy about it since the other kids were still just getting ready for bed.

New Years Day is also quite a tradition - but all about football instead of family. We got home from Plainwell with just enough time to set up some snacks and turn the tv on to watch MSU take the field in the Capital One Bowl. In spite of all our green and white, take the field was about all the Spartans did right this day. The game was over quickly (when will there be a mercy rule?) but we had Nana and Papa over to keep our spirits up. What a bad day for the Big Ten this turned out to be, but at least the Rose Bowl was worth watching until the end. All well, it's just a game right? And there's always basketball season... oh wait, that's not going so well either. Okay, so maybe there's always next year.

The Christmas Post

As with every Christmas, we end up taking a lightening fast family tour. We began this year by spending Christmas Eve in Bridgeport. Mason finally began saying Gramma and Grapa, which was an improvement over "Ding Dong." We had Great-Grandma Welsh's egg-bake for dinner, went to Grandpa's new church, and wrapped up with the night by opening gifts. Mason loved his Elmo camera from Uncle Colin, and his Tickle Me Elmo from Aunt Meme and Uncle Dan, and his "store" (shopping cart) from Grandma and Grandpa. You can't tell from his smile how much he enjoyed these gifts can you?

When it was bedtime, we packed up the car and headed back home. Adam likes waking up at our house on Christmas morning, so that's what we did. I didn't include this picture, but when we first woke up, Mason wanted nothing to do with his gifts and mostly cried whenever we sat him down near the tree. Eventually he figured out what was going on, and had fun opening his Melissa & Doug wooden puzzle and wooden kebab set to cook on his birthday grill. He seemed to take the most pleasure in the little gifts in his stocking though. A slinky, of all things, seemed to be his favorite. Who needs expensive gifts when you can give a kid a slinky?

After a big breakfast, we headed over to Nana and Papa's house for more family, food, and presents. Mason got a Sit and Spin, some Playdough, and Chuck the Truck over there. And what does he do? He plays with Nana's new magnetic measuring cups and his favorite pots and pans. After a long day, we all headed home again, ready to start the process over again the next day with the Mattens Family Christmas over in Plainwell. We woke up with a feverish little guy so Adam was the lone BC Mattens that went. Thankfully he was fully recovered for New Years...