Kalasek Kiddos: Month of Love

Well Feb. brought us our first real snowstorm of the winter. Easton couldn't wait to go outside and help dad shovel and play with his sled. We spent 30 minutes bundling him up (making sure he didn't have to go potty before we got all the layers on) and of course took some pictures. Below is my favorite. Captures this lil mans personality perfectly. He is quite the ham!

He spent all of 2 minutes outside. Brian pulled him around on the sled, they hit a snow pile and he tipped over into the snow, and decided snow in his face and the chilly wind wasn't his idea of a good time. Better luck next year perhaps. In his defense it was a bitterly cold morning....he is like his mama~ we stay inside by the fire and drink hot cocoa!

Ill just stay inside where its toasty warm

Ben talking to daddy through the window....he wants in on the action

Brian and I went to Aruba for an entire week. It was a much needed get away for the both of us and it also allowed me to meet his co-workers and their wives whom I adored and had a blast with! Part of Brian's new role at Mutual is that he plans all the incentive trips that the brokers have to qualify for so there will be many more fun trips in our futures which is exciting. Now planning to be gone for a week takes a heck of a lot more work these days with 2 kids. We have to get ourselves packed and ready, but we also had to make sure we had a letter giving both sets of grandparents rights to take our children to the doctor and have them treated in our absence....and you have to get that letter notarized (we found that out the hard way when Brian's mom had to call us in Mexico last year from the doctors with Easton so we could give them verbal permission to prescribe him something for a rash...we had a note but it wasn't notarized...ugh!). I finished pumping/breast feeding the week prior to our trip (insert angels singing hallelujah here) we have enough frozen to get Ben through a year even a couple months after. I feel like I have so much time given back to me now that I'm finally done and I am still able to have breast milk for him past 12 months. I did the same thing with Easton but honestly wasn't sure if Id make it the entire 12 + months with Ben. I pat myself on the back though bc I did it! It was definitely time consuming and sometimes stressful but my body allowed me to do it for a very long time so I took it as a blessing and stuck with it. That being said we had to thaw out enough milk for him to take to daycare for the week as well as have in our fridge for our parents to feed him. I wrote a lengthily set of instructions about their schedules and helpful hints to try to make things easier for everyone (I'm Type A making lists is what i do :) Now we could've simply just packed and left and the kids would've been completely fine as our parents watch them all the time, but I think it made all parties a bit more relaxed to have something to refer to. Ben of course just got over being very sick so his sleep schedule went back to being awful. I always hate thinking of other people having to get up with him. We are used to never sleeping through the night and of course lil Ben delivered. He got up at least once (sometimes more) for them each night! He just sits up and smiles when you come into his room so you can't help but melt at his cute little face. He falls asleep the second you rock him or lay with him and he nuzzles into you and after a bit you can put him back in his crib. Easton on the other hand crawls into bed around 7:30 and you have to wake him up the next morning if you want him to get out of bed.

Luckily my parents and Brians parents have a carseat already for Easton, so all we had to do was put a base in each of their cars for Ben. My parents had them over the weekend so they took them to breakfast each morning and to the library to pick out books and play. They had a blast and so did the boys. Sunday Brians parents came over to relieve my parents and take their own shift with the kiddos. They had a great time as well. Everyone is very impressed with Bens eating habits. The child eats table food like its his last meal. He will shove everything and anything into his mouth. You have to really portion it out on his highchair tray or he will try to put as much in his mouth as he can at once. LOL!

Aruba was such a beautiful place and we were able to relax (and sleep through the night!!!!) knowing that our parents had the boys and everyone was having such a good time. The first night we got to Aruba there was a welcome dinner. Mutual flew in a Maui Jim sunglasses rep to fit us all for our own pair of designer Maui Jim sunglasses and they brought in a Cuban cigar roller to roll cigars for people and we could take some with us at the end of the night as well. The second day Brian golfed and I did the spa and then that night we went on a booze cruise and had dinner at a restaurant on the water. The 3rd day we took a boat to a private island that they rented out for us and drank, laid out, and some people did water activities (scuba, snorkeling, banana boat rides etc). I stuck to laying out lol! That night we had a very nice dinner. The final day Brian and I both did the spa, went into the town to shop, and hung out at the pool all day and then that night was the farewell dinner with karaoke. I don't have the video personally but if anyone has Facebook check out my page and watch Brian's video of Ice Ice Baby. He was the hit of the night. Him and I also did a duet to Sonny and Cher "I got you babe" and me and some of the other ladies busted out some Tina Turner as well. Its a great group of people and I can't wait to do more trips with them. Everyone left that Sunday and Brian and I stayed a couple days after so we could have our own vacation without work stuff. It was very nice and relaxing. A lot of pool time, fruity drinks, and naps!

It was very nice to be home (3 flights to get home....boo!). I couldn't wait to wake the boys up the next day (although Ben woke me up instead at 3am but I was happy to see his lil face regardless of the time). Its definitely nice to get away and have no responsibilities but at the same time its so refreshing to come home to the routine and my baby boys!

Papa and Easton selfie

TV time.....aka nap time with Papa

Village Inn breakfast (My parents got brave)

Benny and Grammie watching big brother play in the snow

Easton likes the snow if the sun is out at the same time!

beautiful Aruba

our hotel at night

feet in the sand!

view from our room of one of the pools

there was a sandcastle contest

We also came home to discover that Ben will no longer drink out of bottles. Only sippy cups for this kid now. So funny how different my boys are. Easton wouldn't drink out of a sippy cup tip around 18 months and he would only use one type (I spent a fortune trying to find the cup he would use). Ben will drink out of any type as long as the nipple part is soft. He grabs the cup, tilts it back, and chugs away...its hilarious! The kid kills me!

big boy now!

chug chug chug

This past Friday we had a quick play date with Scotty Sherwin. My dear friend Kim brought over her 5 months old to play with the boys. He is so stinking cute and my boys loved having him over. Ben just wanted him to crawl after him...soon enough little Scotty will be on the move. Its so fun having friends who have kids so we can have these fun play dates and us Mommy's can catch up!

adorable!

Easton sharing with the little guys

Ben and Scotty checking each other out

For Valentines Day we did what I think most parents of young ones do...nothing lol! Friday night my parents had us over for dinner so they could celebrate Brian's birthday and give the boys their Valentines gifts. Saturday we just got a pizza and hung out at home as a family. Neither Brian and I wanted to be away from the boys after being gone for a week, and we didn't want to fight the crowds at a busy restaurant since Valentines fell on a Saturday. Sunday was Brian's birthday so we took him out to breakfast at Le Peeps and then he got a nap with Ben in the afternoon. All he said he wanted for his big day was to go out for breakfast and have a nap (and get the taxed done lol). His wish was our command. Food, breakfast, and he did end up getting the taxes done later that afternoon.

I have today off (Brian doesn't and is very bitter lol). Ben's teething so his usual up once a night has now turned into up 2 ago 3 times a night and since we have been home Ive been up with him each night so I figured I earned today to lay around in a quiet house and catch up on my DVR shows :) Hope everyone had a lovely Valentine Weekend with your loves big and small XOXOXOXOX