lonely days and vacation countdowns.

Today is November 19.  That means that we are closer to the beginning of December than to the beginning of November... and that is crazy... and exciting.  December means Christmas, baking, family, and if I'm lucky, actually getting to spend some time with the man that I'm married to.  

In the past month, my poor husband has had 2 days off... yes, 2 measly little days to spend with his family.  He's spent the majority of his time working out of town, leaving our little house feeling a bit empty.  I've said it before and I'll say it again... I have so much respect for single parents.  Taking care of my little monster solo is a lot of hard work.   It has always been tiring, but now that she's a toddler with tantrums and naps that are few and far between, I yearn for Ryan to come home at the end of the day and take over bath and bed time duty.  My house in in such a state of disarray that I'd rather endure being lonesome than invite friends over to see the chaos. How can one little person make so much mess?  Why does she have an obsession with emptying bins and cupboards instead of putting things back in them?  How come she doesn't understand that food has to cool off before I feed it to her instead of screaming like a crazy person as she clings to her high chair?  Why do all of her molars have to come in at the same time? Why must we read the same book 27 times a day instead of adding some variety?  Because she's one, that's why.  I love every stubborn little personality trait that she possesses, despite the occasional inconvenience.  I'm exhausted and slightly deprived of sanity but there is no way I'd rather spend my days. I love my little person, but it's safe to say that I could use a vacation. We could all use a vacation.  And so, a vacation we shall have.  

Not that I'm counting down or anything, but in only 4 sleeps we'll be jetting off to our most favourite place... Playa del Carmen, Mexico.  We are going back to the same resort that we got married at for some family time in the sunshine. 

Ryan needs this vacation. He needs to relax, forget about work, and enjoy our amazing, goofy daughter.  He needs a cerveza in his hand and no emails or alarm clocks in his vicinity.

I need this vacation. I need to breathe in the ocean air, spend time with my family, binge eat at a buffet, and enjoy a few free moments while Ryan chases after Aaralee.  

Her life is as stress free as they come, but I like to think that even Aaralee needs this vacation. She needs to run barefoot and splash in the water, play outside without a snowsuit that is too puffy for her to walk in, and most importantly... spend 9 full days with both of her parents.  

I couldn't be much more excited.  Starting making those pina coladas, Mexico! We will be there soon!  

Aaralee can't wait.  

Trick or Treat!

Trick or treat!  If you're anything like me, you woke up this morning with immense regret over the amount of candy that you consumed the day prior, only to unwrap an Oh Henry bar for breakfast.  Why I buy so much candy when we've never had more than 4 trick or treaters, I'm not sure.   Will I ever learn my lesson? Doubtful.  

This was my second Halloween since becoming a mom and I have to admit.... Halloween with a toddler is so much more fun than it is with a newborn!  Sure, it was adorable to dress her up in a tiny costume last year, but at less than 2 months old we really didn't make a point of celebrating the day.  Yesterday was a different story. We had such a busy, busy day and Aaralee loved every minute of it. 

Auntie Carley took the day off of work just to hang out with us.  We headed to the swimming pool for  a couple hours of splashing and fun.  It had been a few months since we'd been in a pool and now that she is a crazy active toddler she is able to actually play a bit, rather than just sit in her baby seat and float.  She fell asleep in the car before we got home, taking a nice nap to prepare for the long evening ahead.   

Grandma Char (my mom) drove up from Red Deer to spend the night with us.  Ryan has been working out of town for 2 weeks now, so I appreciate any adult interaction that comes my way.  

We put Aaralee in her Dorothy costume and set off to the mall for some trick or treating!! 

Let me start off by saying that pre-parenthood I vowed to never go trick or treating at a mall.  Honestly, had my mom not driven up we probably would have stayed home, but I'm glad that we didn't.  Why the mall instead of door to door like real trick or treating?  Well, for starters, it was cold outside. Mild for October 31st, but rainy and cold for a toddler.  She would have been so bundled up that you would have never seen her adorable costume. Not only that, but I take Aaralee on walks to the mailbox several times a week and more often than not I have to carry her the entire way because she has an obsession with trying to escape the sidewalk and walk on the road.  Something about that just seems unsafe...

So off to the mall we went.  We had to leave the other half of her costume at home because dogs aren't allowed in the mall and Toto (Niko) is a dog. I also realized halfway to the mall that I'd forgot to bring her tutu.... the one that I spent most of Wednesday evening making. She didn't seem to mind, despite me apologizing for being the worst mom ever.  

Once we were at the mall it was time to collect candy!! It didn't matter that I'd never let her eat it, once she caught on to the fact that people were standing there giving her things to keep, she was thrilled. The fact that she was allowed to roam freely around the mall probably increased her excitement levels, as she's normally confined to a wrap or stroller due to her runaway tendencies.  She raced around giggling and grinning like the happiest little girl in the world.  

Although she's still a bit too young to understand the concept, I loved watching her enjoy herself so much and I can't wait for all of the years to come... things will only get more fun from here!  

I hope that you all had equally as awesome Halloween evenings and that you are recovering from your sugar hangover this afternoon.