PHLD

I think I have a case of PHLD.  (Post Holiday Letdown Disorder)  I get it every year.  It starts the day I finally give in and take down the Christmas decorations, then it lifts somewhere around springtime.  I think it's the end of all the holiday excitement, then you realize you won't see any of your family again until summer (or spring break, at the earliest), plus it's so hard getting back into the routine of things with everyone going back to work.  Sigh.  

But I am trying to focus on all the positives...and all the wonderful blessings God has put into our lives!  Such as this little gem (see picture below-note title of book).  My parents ran across this book and asked if I was interested.  Reid has been such a toot (literally and metaphorically, hahaha!) lately that I'm willing to read whatever.  Ironically, he hands the book to me every time he goes past the coffee table.  And the other day, he used it as a parking lot.  You can't help but laugh!

 I also made the mistake of showing him starfall.com during the last few days of Christmas break.  Obsessed?  That's an understatement.  We literally built pumpkins, rather, built the same pumpkin ("tall punkin, fancy eyes, mustache nose, scary mouth") for two hours one day.  He can't independently manipulate the mouse yet, so I downloaded the app to my phone, but his fingers and the tiny screen aren't the best match either.  We're wondering if Santa should have brought him an iPad or tablet...

Santa did bring him Cars slippers, but he's had no interest whatsoever, until I put his Elmo slippers halfway on my feet and did a little dance.   He wore the slippers for about three steps and that was it.

 It's been so cold lately that we've had to do a lot of playing inside.  On Tuesday, it even sleeted and then snowed about two inches.  Did we get a day off?  No.  I slid three times on the way to work (with my snow button on in my car AND going 20 mph, mind you) and Reid was wailing, "No work, Mommy!!!! NO work!!  Play in snow!!!"  I felt like the worst mom in the world.

Driving Finn McMissile (from Cars 2) on the wall while watching the fish eat, a new favorite.  He also loves to watch Dixie eat and drags out the bag of cat treats/brushes at the most inopportune times, such as when we are literally walking out of the door.

He also likes to give Dixie other things, too.  When I was packing up the Christmas ornaments, he insisted that Dixie have his harmonica.  He took it out of the box, demonstrated how to play it, and gently set it right in front of a mildly amused Dixie, slobber and all.  "Dixie, play!"  I guess he wasn't impressed with her lack of enthusiasm, so the next day we found Lightening McQueen and The King trying to play his harmonica.  They looked a little more excited, but we never got to hear any tunes.

 He has been really interested in music lately.  If I dare to skip a song on a cd in the car, I suffer the wrath of Reid's, "No, Mommy!  More music!!!"  If we sing along, he gets mad, but he is allowed to sing along himself.  The only song he'll really sing with me is "The Wheels on the Bus," but only if he's in the right mood.  And as soon as the camera comes out, that's it.  No more.  So I was surprised when he actually requested "Thank You, God" (one of the songs they sing at Junior Jam during Sunday School) and sang along.

 

 The kitchen center Aunt Lala gave him has been a hit.  But he doesn't really cook in it.  He'd rather climb on it recently...

...or through it...

...or squat on the table...

 Our crazy boy!

Thankfully, Grammy and Grumpy sent Reid some car stickers in the mail (which helped us pass some indoor play time during the witching hour) this week.  I was kind of surprised...he was actually more excited about seeing his own name on a piece of mail than he was about the actual stickers, which of course he loved.  Not surprisingly, he wants to check the mail every day, sometimes multiple times a day.  

And we finally made it through a haircut without screaming bloody murder the whole entire time.  How, you ask?   I fed him mini M&M's the whole time.  Bribery works!  I don't normally do his hair like this, but it was a cute little faux hawk.  The cut is VERY short, but I'd rather go longer between haircuts!    I think it also made him look older.  People lately have had the "What?!" reaction when I say he's just 2 1/2.