Catching up...

So Tuesday was Halloween. It was pretty much a no-contest kind of decision when it came to picking what Jacob would go as. Do you even have to ask?

Bob the Builder and his companion for the evening, Cinderella, happily tagged along in the van to Grandma's, Aunt Nancy's, and then back to my sister's neighborhood for some old-fashioned trick-or-treating. As a special bonus, Daddy joined us, fully decked out in his Carhaart overalls, flannel shirt, tool belt, and ear muffs. I do believe this was Jacob's favorite part.

Anyway, this was the first year that he really 'got it' about Halloween, so we had a good time going from door to door for a while. Then it was time to pack it up to go to Nana's, and we had another stop planned after that. We got Jacob settled into his carseat and I gave him a cheese stick (aka dinner). He'd actually had a nap that day so I totally thought we were safe (he actually took a nap everyday since his birthday, except for today - and he's pretty much not napping anymore). No such luck though. He fell asleep probably 5 minutes into the drive and that was it for the night. We still made the stop to Nana's, but Jacob slept through it. We skipped our last stop (sorry Jen & Dan) and headed home. And that was the end of Halloween '06.

The next day was Jacob's 3 year visit to the doctor. Pretty uneventful. He weighs 30 lbs and is 35 inches. I forgot to ask where he stands on the charts, but I'm curious. I don't really care about the stats, I just think it's funny that he sometimes doesn't even make it onto the charts. The doctor did have a little talk with us about safety and I've been using that to my advantage all week. Jacob is not one of those kids who doesn't respond well to authority, he's such a good boy and really listens (you know, if he's not in one of those 'phases').

Thursday, I think, is the morning we woke up to snow? Jacob stood up in bed and looked out the window that's at the head of the bed and looks out over the backyard. He stood there clapping and gasping in awe that there was actually snow on the ground. "I so happy that it snowed!!" He's been waiting for this, I mean really waiting. Asking everyday when we will be able to go out and build snowmen, and he's been so patient about it. But he never actually said anything about going out in the snow, so I didn't really offer because, well, it was cold out. But I think there was this assumption on his part that we would be going out in the snow at some point, I guess I was just riding the morning out, hoping he wouldn't ask, and assuming that when the snow melted it would be forgotten.

How horrible a mother am I? After a couple hours went by and Jacob realized there was no snow left, and we didn't get to go out in it, he was crushed. I felt like and ass. I have to be better for him and stop trying to do 4 things at once. Just settle down and be in the moment of whatever 3 year-old thing is happening at the moment. I'm still going back and forth between beating myself up over the snow thing and letting it roll off my back. Jacob's pretty much forgotten about the part where we didn't get to go out in the snow, and I think he was happy with the close second - where I went outside and gathered as much remaining snow I could from the corners of the yard for him to play with in a bowl, in the house. But on the other hand, I'm feeling very sorry about the missed opportunity, the memory that could have been. And in the meantime, I'm resolving to clear my schedule, slow down and really have a good look around at the important things.