(Great) Weekend Wrap Up

Monday...we meet again.

Before I say another word, I have to say HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my MOM, the greatest lady I know. Mom, you are everything I hope to be. There are not enough words to tell you just how much you mean to me. I hope your 60th birthday is 60 ways of wonderful. I LOVE YOU.

Also, CONGRATULATIONS to the newest newlyweds in my life; Dave and Brianna Bush!!

Saturday (Wedding Day) was absolutely gorgeous, in every way. I could go on and on with details and the such, but I'll just share some amazing photos of these two beautiful folks, and the rest of my drop dead gorgeous friends!

Our first glimpse of the blushing bride!

I mean, are they not just a drop dead gorgeous couple?

It was a beautiful ceremony, and their venue was ahhhhhmazing!!! 

The new Mr and Mrs Bush!!

Ummmm....do wedding cakes get ANY more phenomenal? Holy wow!

This is Jon, the tallest dude in the world (at least in my world). Jon was Dave's college roommate, and we had lots of good times together up at Ferris State University during my visits. So much fun catching up with him!

Not only are they both stunning, but they are also both optometrists. Their decorations included adorable "eye" related props, as the beautiful Jacquie is modeling for you here.

My hot date and I!

The first dance! Side note: Look at that room! Seriously, breathtaking!

Probably one of my favorite shots of the night (great job, Hubbs). Please everyone, check out Megan's face, and mine as well. I'm dying to know what Brianna was telling us all at this moment. But what's most important, is that this is the most amazing group of friends a girl could ask for. We have all been together since middle school (some of us elementary school!!), and no matter what, we all always come together for big life events. And it doesn't matter how long it's been, we are right back to being our crazy selves together. I am so blessed to call these girls my best friends, actually "Best Good Friends"; if you are a Forrest Gump fan, you'll understand that reference ;)

The BFF and I!

Even better than the candid shot above, this is, hands down, theeeee best picture of my night. Love all you girls to the moon and back. I'm so proud of the friendship we all share!!

It must also be said, that these girls bring out the very best in me (or maybe the worst, you probably weren't there to be the judge on the dance floor, but hey). Well, them, and my good friend Captain Morgan. If you know me at all, you know that the dance floor and I generally only meet during slow songs. Oh no, not Saturday night. My bare feet and I were out there jumping around like a total idiot, but ya know what, I don't even care. It was such a blast, I HOPE I looked ridiculous. I think Jeremy was even a little intrigued, wanting to know what got into me (besides the alcohol). I think it's fair to say he now knows the effect these gals have on me. I'm at my best when I'm with you, ladies!!

Needless to say, it was a fabulous night full of laughter and love. Brianna, you sure know how to throw a wedding, girl! Next up.....BABIES!!!! ;)

After Saturday's craziness, yesterday was a lay-low, sweat pant kind of day. But, of course, I don't know how to stay idle for long, so I was up early crafting.

Through my blog perusing, I stumbled across some ADORABLE handmade necklaces by some VERY talented ladies. I instantly fell in love with them, but their $40 price tag made me a little weak in the knees. As much as I want to support these lovely girls, I also want to support my growing child, so I started to think. I convinced myself that I could do this, and on the cheap. I didn't need to go buy fabric, my husband has mounds of old t-shirts in our closet that he never wears, and never plans to wear again (so why do we have them still, you ask? Because he's kind of like a girl in that regard). So I started digging, found a few that he said I could cut up, and got to work. Then I headed to my moms house, where craft supplies go to live. Even though I couldn't find the ribbon I was lusting after, I did find the felt I needed, which saved me another, what? 54 cents? Hey, it all adds up! I did end up at Michael's for the ribbon, and (I'm very, very proud of myself for this) I left with ONLY that! AMAZING! So in the end, my new necklace ended up costing me only $4.23!!! Of course, it is no where NEAR the caliber of the other ones I found online, I'm still pretty proud of it! Take a look! :)

Looking at it now, I realize that it looks like it's missing one on the bottom row. I'm still trying to figure out how I can fix that issue.

Of course, my crafting was not without incident. I decided to use my Grandpa's old glue gun, which is probably from 1940 something (figured it would add a little vintage to my necklace???). Bad idea. Apparently, in 1940 glue got much hotter than it does today. The result? Multiple blisters.

OUCH! All in the name of being creative. 

 Jeremy also got crafty, and put together the wine rack that we bought for my parents for their anniversary, which then resulted in a late night delivery to them (and by late night I mean 8PM, but since it included a bathed baby, in pajama's, past his bedtime, it qualifies as "late night").

He was happy to go for a night ride, that ended at Grandma and Grandpa's, and with a visit to his favorite crazy pup, Scout.

All in all, a very good weekend. I'm contemplating taking him back in to see his pediatrician today, as a recheck on his ears, and because his nose is STILL running. Just want to make sure his antibiotic is working, but I really don't want to expose ourselves to even more sick kids. Oy.

We have to pick up my mom's birthday cake, and maybe a little somethin' else for her, and then tonight is birthday celebration time! So excited to celebrate with her and her closest friends! And...Landon has an adorable outfit, so I'm even MORE pumped (stay tuned for "oh my God, it's too cute, I can't even handle it" pictures). 

Oh, actually, I have some more of those right now. Again, if you know me, you know my obsession with my cat is....pretty serious. But she is also very timid, and generally only comes out for Jeremy and I, and on average, is terrified of the toddler running at her, screaming. Yesterday morning however, for whatever reason, she was willing to play along. The following resulted:

My two biggest obsessions together. Really, can't even handle it.

Giving her KISSIES!!!!

Hugs :)

Ok, ok. I'll stop. But really, you can't deny the cuteness that is happening there. 

I'm off to join Landon in eating Strawberry jelly toast (which, is also courtesy of the Bush Wedding....strawberry jelly as favors with signs that said "Spread the Love". TOO CUTE.). Good start to our day!

Wedding Day Thoughts

It's wedding day!!

Obviously, not mine. Duh. But a good friend of mine is getting married today, and it has me thinking.

While out running around like a mad woman this morning, buying birthday gifts for the two birthday parties we're missing today (and just for the record, all of these gifts would have already been purchased had I had not been sick all week and still had a million other things to do), and buying some things for myself (because my husband rocks), I heard a song on the radio that sparked some serious emotion. (Sorry for the longest run on sentence in the history of man!)

The song was "True Believers" by Darius Rucker. I've heard it before, several times, but I guess I never really listened to the words. But I was reflecting on my own wedding, since it's wedding day, and I was really madly in love with my man since he let me loose to do some shopping and told me to score some things for myself too. Anyway. I want to share a few of the lyrics, because I feel like they truly speak to my marriage, and the life we've made.

Church bells ringin' on our wedding day

Climb in that limo and we rode away

Guess you'll always hear some people say

They're never gonna make it

We settled in and we settled down

In this quiet little seaside town

You were the rock I built my life around

And life won't ever break it

We are one heartbeat in the darkness

We are one lasting answered prayer

We are one unbroken promise

We are two true believers

It wasn't easy getting here today

Sometimes you stumbled, or I lost my way

But every roadblock was a chance to say

Take my hand, I'm here beside you

We worked and made it through the toughest parts 

Now every day is another chance to start

To look around and see that where we are

Is where we were trying to go

We are one before our God in heaven

We are one road when the going gets rough

We are one now and forever

We are one name, one life, one flame

I feel extremely fortunate to say that our relationship was never one that was met with much resistance. I think everyone knew from the very beginning that he was the one for me. From the night I met him and came home telling everyone I had just met my husband (It's a true story: it DOES happen in real life). I'm also incredibly grateful that our "struggles" have been nothing compared to what some couples go through. We have been beyond blessed with amazing families that have helped us through anything and everything, and our hardest times have been during my pregnancy, in regards to all the health problems that presented themselves. But through it all, I had an amazing, strong man next to me, and I swear, I feel like this song was written for us. 

I know, I know, all of this because he let me go shopping? But really, yes. It was a big deal. Especially since yesterday I had a day. You know the kind. The kind of day filled with "Are you freaking kidding me???" moments. I had several of them. Most of them from my toddler, but sadly, a few from adults too. It was just.... a day. And a good friend of mine was having a day too, when her daughter fed herself and her little brother extra vitamins. A call to poison control and a quick chat with me later, I think we were both feeling at least a little bit better about ourselves as mothers. I hope so, at least. Because, Stacie, you are an AMAZING mom!!!!!

It's funny, because as I was telling her how great she is, and how kids are just going to do these things, I was wondering why I couldn't say the same things to myself. Why was I having a meltdown over the fact that my kid just WILL NOT stay out of the cat food? Or that he has now discovered how to get all our light socket covers off, and it's probably only a matter of time before he electrocutes himself? Kids will do these things (ok no, not get electrocuted, and I assure you, we are taking every measure necessary to ensure that that does NOT happen, please don't go calling CPS on me), it does not reflect me as a mother. Even though yesterday, and almost every other day, I find myself wondering, "What am I not getting?" or "Why can't I make him stop? Am I bad a mom?". No, no I'm not. And I'm not missing anything. Except maybe a few hairs on my head, because I'm sure he's making me go bald with all his shenanigans. 

Anyway. It's wedding day, and that means we get to get dressed up, and get out together for a few hours. A few hours where we don't have to be mommy and daddy (although, rest assured, I will be missing him like crazy the whole time....I even tried making him as a date for the BFF), a few hours where we can just laugh and drink and eat and drink and dance and drink with our friends. (No, I'm really not a lush, but did I mention that my kid has nearly electrocuted himself several times??). So bring on the fun! And monkey, we'll catch up on all our snuggles tomorrow ;)

A Grandpa Obsession

Today I have a major need to write about Grandparents. Mostly Grandfathers. Why? Because on our way home from the grocery store (yes, I was forbid by both my husband and my mother to leave my house today. However, our food arsenal had run dry and we were hungry), I saw a Grandpa and his Granddaughter walking down the street, hand in hand, both of them with unmistakable smiles on their face.

I know that smile. I was that girl. My Grandfather was my absolute best friend in life for 11 years. There is not a day that goes by that I don't think about our walks, our snuggles, our time. I could sit here and talk forever about how horribly I miss him each and every day, and how I will never know a love quite like the love him and I had, ever again. But....it would take me days to say it all, and I would most likely definitely have an irrational meltdown that would cause a mood I wouldn't be able to get out of for a few days. I need to kick this cold before I can deal with that...again.

Besides, I have had, unfortunately, 15 years without him, to cope and grieve, and somewhat deal with the fact that he isn't here anymore. Not that it makes it any easier, and when I see those little girls and their grandpa's, it still stabs an overly sensitive place in my heart that will obviously never heal.

But here's a confession: What I haven't ever exactly dealt with, is the death of my Papa, a year and a half ago. I have valid reasons for not really having closure, but it's like I keep pushing it off, like I'll deal with it another day, and yet I never really do. He died rather unexpectedly while I was on bed rest with Landon. In fact, two days before his funeral, I was admitted to the hospital and missed the entire thing. Which is why I feel like I never really dealt with it. I didn't really deal with the emotions when he was in the hospital, because I was focusing on baby. And then I missed my chance to say goodbye to him properly because I was laying in a hospital bed. And I hate the fact that the only time I was able to get to the hospital was AFTER his stroke, when he was in a state that makes me wonder if he even knew I was there. If I was him, I would be SO upset with me. Why didn't I get there sooner? I know, I was instructed to stay in bed. But he was my Grandfather. And he was the one who had called me just weeks prior to talk and make sure I was following the rules, staying in bed, and letting Jeremy take care of me. To assure me it would all be worth it in the end. So in reality, I know he's not mad at me, I was doing exactly what he told me to do, but I still can't help but wonder if he was secretly thinking, "Why hasn't she come to see me?". There will never be another feeling even close to what I felt laying in that bed while my whole family was there saying goodbye. He has no idea, but my cousin Nick is the one person who gave me comfort that day. I had texted him earlier in the day to say I was so upset that I couldn't be there, and he replied with a simple, "Kelly, he would be so pissed if you were here and not in bed". It made me smile, and made me realize, yes, he WOULD be pissed. So Nick, if you're reading this, thanks. You got me through one of the hardest days ever.

Exactly a month and a day later, Landon was born. He was a month early, and had to spend 5 days in the NICU, but aside from a few minor obstacles, he was FINE. I know, to this day, it was my Papa who made sure of it. I know he had help from my other Grandfather, and from my Nana, and from Jeremy's Grandparents as well, but he was the one who got us through that, I know he is. Nobody will ever convince me otherwise. And he's the one who got me through all the issues that happened with me during that time too. Part of me will always ache when I think of what Jeremy said to me one day while sitting in the NICU holding Landon. He looked at me, looking at my gorgeous son, and said "You know, maybe your Papa had to go so we could have this healthy baby". I know his sentiment, and where he was coming from, but I can't let myself think that. I can't think that I took my cousins grandfather, my Dad's father, my Uncle's father, so that I could have a healthy baby. Even though, I also know, deep in my heart, Papa would gladly have sacrificed himself had he known that it meant I would get a perfect baby boy after all the struggles we had to get him here. But still. I need to tell myself daily that it was just a coincidence. And while it was so nice to have another angel up there looking over us that day, I still would have loved to hear my dad call him up to tell him he was a great grandfather.

This is what I mean. I don't deal with it. I just go back and forth. I can never settle on what I want to think or feel about the situation. And so often, Landon will do something random during the day, and I will think to myself, "Man, Papa would get SUCH a kick out of that". And it's little things. And I don't know why I associate them, I just do. For some reason, I just hear him laughing when Landon attempts to do a somersault but just can't quite make it. Or when he throws ANOTHER handful of food over the side of his high chair, and I'm ready to lose my mind. He would just laugh. I know he would. And it pains me SO much to know that he was SO close to meeting him. That I was so close to seeing one of my grandfathers be a great grandfather to my son. Of course, my faith assures me that he's with us everyday, they all are, and they're all watching, and laughing, and wishing they could be here with us. But really, they have the best seat for watching the little guy grow, and if they weren't up there helping me every.single.day, I'm not sure I would get through some days. So thanks, fellas (and lady!). Love you to the moon and back.

I want to make it clear that I know EXACTLY how lucky I am that I had a grandfather until I was 11, and another until I was 24, and a grandmother until I was 13, and that I STILL have a grandmother, today at 26. I know so many who aren't lucky enough to EVER know their grandparents, so please don't think I am taking a second for granted. But we would all be lying if we said we didn't all wish that we could have more time with those we've lost. No matter how selfish it is.

But I am a lucky ducky to say that my 90 year old grandmother (91 in just a couple months), is still full of life and laughter, and lights up when she sees Landon. And that Jeremy's 88 year old grandmother is the same. And that Landon had a few months with Jeremy's grandfather, whose smile I miss each day. I don't know what it is about me and Grandpa's, I just can't get enough of them. And it is clear that I've passed this trait onto Landon, who loves my dad with such abandon that it makes me tear up just thinking about it. And it lights my heart to see my dad as a grandpa. Yes, I'm a daddy's girl, so what greater joy to see my "hero" with my little man? I only hope that one day I can give him a grandDAUGHTER too. Because I KNOW he would rock that.

A couple weeks ago, after dinner, my in laws were sitting in our kitchen, and we were all just talking. Landon walked right up, and crawled onto Jeremy's dad's lap, and just melted right into him. Cue my heart's explosion. I'm telling you, it is RIDICULOUS how much I love Grandfathers.

But right now, I have a toddler who is throwing his "Old McDonald" book (from his great grandpa Beier, mind you) for me the millionth time, so I think I should probably appease him and read it to him. For the 12th time today. E-I-E-I-O.

Mom's Don't Get Sick Days...

It's only 12:13 PM as I start writing this, and I have already encountered enough in my day to make for a very long, very rant filled post. If you aren't in the mood for a sick mom doing a lot of venting, turn away now. Otherwise, please, come join me.

My day started at 2:13 AM when I woke up having a coughing attack like no other. This cough was a monster that could not be tamed by anything. Not drinking, not coughing, not sucking on a cough drop. Nothing. It just wanted to last 10 minutes. 10 minutes of me feeling like I would never stop coughing for the rest of my life. Dramatic you say? Perhaps. But it was 2AM, I felt like CRAP, and I was AWAKE. Coughing. I'm allowing myself to be dramatic.

Landon got up at 7, feeling much better, thank goodness. Still in dire need of boogie retrievals every 5 minutes, but other than that, just about good as new. I know this because he took great joy in pulling every.single.tissue out of a brand new tissue box that I left sitting on our end table. My mistake, I know. I chose to take a second to make a cup of something warm for my throat. Dang it, Kelly! You don't get a second!!! Lesson learned, life. Lesson learned.

Luckily, my wonderful hubbs showed back up after leaving for work early with a bag of sick mama goodies. DayQuill, NyQuill, cough drops, tissues, and of course, a Skor bar. That's a good man. That was about the only happy in our morning.

Let's discuss getting ready for a minute. As any mother of a toddler knows, it's never an easy experience. As the mother of MY toddler, it is always accompanied by being pushed out of the way so he can pull every single hair product I own out of it's place, stepping on him multiple times, finding little treats scattered all throughout the house (my favorite thus far? The maxi pads that he dispersed throughout the whole house. Awesome.), and the eventual screaming when I finally start to pick up the mess he made. Today, add to that a mama who could not have wanted to get ready ANY less, and a toddler who has been down for a couple days, and is dying to use up all that stored energy. Mommy meltdown. THEN add to it that as I'm blow drying my hair, I realize that yesterday's dye job really made it a dark shade of RED. RED!!!! I didn't want RED hair! I really should have added whiskey to my morning drink....

We move on with our day. We somehow get out the door (a bag of cough drops, and a wad of tissues in tow), I'm able to make an appointment this afternoon to get my hair fixed, and we get to the bakery to order my mom's birthday cake. Now if you're wondering why I chose to do this TODAY, it's because it was my mother's ONLY request for her birthday, and I needed to do it before I either a.) forgot and it was too late or b.) got even sicker and couldn't get myself there. Thank goodness for a NICE woman at the bakery, who gave Landon a FREE baseball cookie. Lady, I love you. Partly because you got me in and out of there at lightning speed, and with a happy toddler, and partly because I shared that cookie with him and it was delicious.

And then. It all went down hill.

Needed a few things from Target (when don't I need a few things from Target? But it was legit this time, honestly), so we stop in. Landon was getting restless, it was past nap time, and his runny nose was making him crazy. So, I did what ANY mother would do, and found a bag of animal crackers, opened them, and gave him a couple. Problem solved. The rest of my needs were found, loaded in the cart, and I was happy. Get to the check out line. Normally, I love every cashier I get at Target. We have a particular favorite who knows Landon's name (yes, I'm there too much, I get it, thanks), and is always happy to see us. She was no where to be found today. Today we got evil cashier. I hand her the animal crackers to ring up and Landon starts to fuss, she rings them up, hands them back to him and says "You're going to turn into a cookie monster!". Friendly enough, right? I thought so. So I play along and say "Turn into one? He already IS one!!". Big mistake, mama. I was then informed that he was going to turn into the statistic that she heard on this mornings news. Deep in the back of mind, I knew what was coming, but in my clouded, stuffed up head, I did the unthinkable, knowing it was only going to make me feel worse. I said, "Oh? What's that?" (STUPID, STUPID, STUPID!!!!). "Half of America is going to be obese by the year....." I stopped listening. Wait. You're telling me because my kid is eating animal crackers he is going to be obese? Listen lady. This kid started at 5 teeny tiny pounds, a month early, who wouldn't eat anything unless it was put through a tube in his nose. And today, he is a HAPPY, HEALTHY 16 month old who loves to eat. I will give him as many damn animal crackers as I want. Besides, come on. You have never been in a store with your toddler who is getting anxious and did whatever you could to get through the trip and out the door? I don't believe you if you say you didn't. Every mom has. Hell, we left Target with a life size Dora pillow a few months back. I'd say the animal crackers are minimal.

As if that's not bad enough, I did the NEXT unthinkable thing, and SNEEZED. You know, because I have a cold. Oooooh my. Well, cue bitch behind me (if you don't like my language, leave now. I told you this was going to be a rant, and you decided to read until this point. It ain't gonna get any prettier from here on out). Evil #2 says, "And you're the reason everybody is getting sick. If you are sick you should stay home, not be out at the store". Ok. That did it. Now this Mama is tired of being attacked, tired of feeling like crap, so it's game over for you, little lady. I put on my nicest smile, and softest voice and said, "Are you a mother?" With pure and utter disgust she says "No". Smile again, Kelly. "Then you don't understand that mom's don't get sick days. I would much rather be at home in bed, getting better, but life goes on, and I have things to do, and a child to take care of." Of course, she rolled her eyes, which should have infuriated me more, but I was so damn proud of my protest, that I didn't let it get to me. We got our bags, said "Thank you" as politely as I could, and walked out the door.

Not surprisingly, I got to the car and started shaking and could feel the tears coming. Why do people have to be SO disrespectful? I know I'm sick, I know I'm spreading germs, and I'm sorry. I really am. I am doing the best I can. If I had the choice to stay home, curled up under the covers, high on cold medicine, believe me, I would. But I don't have that choice. This mom gig is not one that I can call in to when I'm having a bad day. Good day, bad day, healthy day, sick day, every day, I'm a FULL TIME MOM. And damn it, I AM doing the best I can. Lucky for you, Evil #2 (and you too Evil #1), if you DO catch my germs, you get to call in sick and stay in bed. Enjoy that.

Thank goodness for mom friends who let me call and vent and listen to my stuffed up voice and nasty cough while I run through the events that just made me want to curl up in a ball and cry. And thank you for letting me realize that crying will get me no where. It'll only make my nose run more, and it won't solve a thing. Instead, I'm choosing to laugh at this day so far. Because in a few minutes, Landon and I are going to lay down and take a nap together. And then I'm going to go have my hair fixed. And then my awesome husband is going to come home and take over toddler duty, and let me go to bed, with my NyQuill. And let's be honest, Landon, Jeremy, my Mom, my mama friend that lets me vent (cough *Natalie* cough), they're the only people that I've encountered today that really matter. And the cookie lady. She's a good seed too.

Why I Love Moms....

I was just checking in on Little Miss Momma, and read her latest entry. This goes to show why I love moms so much, and why I love Little Miss Momma's blog.

She is another REAL mom, struggling every day, and I find so much comfort in her posts. Even though she has no idea that I even exist, I am quite possibly one of her biggest admirers.

If you haven't already, check out her blog, especially you moms. I promise you'll fall in love. At the very least, check out her latest entry.

That's all I have for right now. Just some more loving on moms. As I'm about to head out into the cold, dreary, rainy weather with a massive cold and horrible sore throat, to chat it up with another one of my favorite mama's. That, and the Starbucks I'm going to pick up on my way, makes all the rest ok.

Weekend Wrap Up

Monday again!

We had a pretty good weekend around here. Friday night I worked, and was able to spend some time chatting it up with some mama's, which is always a good time. Saturday night I got to do the same, but without the working. Just got to sit around and chat. Have I said lately how much I LOVE moms? Because I really, really love moms. Let's face it, we're all in this together. We all need the same reassurance from each other, we all need to be able to laugh at our daily struggles, and to be honest, we all need a glass of wine from time to time. Did I mention there was chocolate too? Because there was.

Saturday night, I came home to a husband who deserves a little bit of praise here. I apologized for being so late, I didn't plan on staying as long as I did. He was so quick to tell me not to apologize, that he knows I needed the time away. He then proceeded on to put our son to bed, and then grill us hamburgers at 9 at night. I have myself a good man. Then we crawled into bed and laughed our butts off at "What to Expect When You're Expecting". A not so subtle reminder of what I'm in for when we decide to do this all again. As bad as my pregnancy was, I feel like I blocked out some things, of course not the worst things, just the merely inconvenient things. (Like....the pimples. Oh, the pimples)

But of course, our joy was short lived when our munchkin woke up screaming at 12:30 and pretty much didn't stop until day light. Runny nose, fever, cough, the whole nine yards. Pure misery for all involved, although of course, poor Lando got the raw end of the deal. So instead of a nice relaxing Sunday, we spent 2 hours sitting in urgent care waiting to find out that he has a double ear infection and upper respiratory infection. Ugh! I honestly am shocked as to how he even contracted this. With the vitamins he takes, and the amount of fruit he eats daily (it's really ungodly amounts.... even if we owned our own fruit farm, we'd probably still have to make trips to the grocery store to satisfy him), I thought we were building an awesome immune system. Of course, we were in the pediatrician's office last week for shots, which is basically a cesspool of germs. Gross. I need a doctor to come to my house like in the olden days. THAT would solve a lot of issues.

The rest of our weekend consisted of a LOT of snuggles, a LOT of tissues and boogie wipes, and a LOT of force feeding my poor, sick toddler medicine. Newsflash: he's not a fan, of any of it. Not the tylenol, not the advil, not the antibiotic. Which means every four hours = a major anxiety attack on mommy's part, and a major tantrum from Landon. By 7:00 last night, after being sneezed on an immeasurable amount of times, my throat had begun to hurt like a beeeeeetch. So I went to bed, after having a popsicle with my sick boy, and let the hubbs put him to bed. Again, he deserves praise. The rest of the night, Lando and I were on our own, while hubby slept peacefully. Landon did pretty good, only got up a couple times, and somehow amazingly, right at the four hour mark when he needed his next dose. But, I had taken Benadryl before laying down, so I was in a haze, and I think Jeremy sensed that, as he came into Landon's room at 2am to make sure I was giving him the right thing. Ha! Now that's team work.

Today, my monkey is doing better, still a little fever, and lots of coughs and snot, but better. He's currently playing with his blocks like the champ that he is, and I couldn't be more thankful, as I sit here popping throat drops like it's my job. I HATE this time of year and the gross illnesses that it brings. Boo.

But I better be feeling better tomorrow, because it's salon day, and every mama knows how much fun a  couple hours at the salon is, especially when you come out with a new hair color, and maybe a new spin on your hair cut. Stay tuned. This mama still isn't sure how she's going to come out tomorrow. And....panic.

Soccer Success!

Landon's first soccer game was a huge success!

The game was a success, as our all star Aidan came away away with a win!

But Landon's greatest success was....just about everything else.

You'll be glad to know I was able to keep him off the playing field, although it there were far too many close calls. Luckily, the coach took pity on me, and let him kick the extra soccer balls all over the place. Win number one for Landon. Win number two came when all the dogs started showing up. For those of you who don't know, my son currently believes he IS a dog, or a dog whisperer, whatever it is that causes him to bark at any living object, and draws him to dogs like a moth to a flame. He spent a very large portion of his time sticking his face directly in their face to receive kisses. Thank goodness these dogs were not as free flowing with their affection as my parents dog, Scout, who covers Landon's face with his whole tongue at any given opportunity.

Once Landon realized that the dogs were done being poked and prodded by a toddler (and when I say realize, I mean, once Landon was pulled away screaming from the dogs because them and their owners were over it), we ventured off to find some other pass time. I forgot to mention that the entire parking lot / park road was gravel. Gravel = millions upon millions of rocks for the rock lover to examine, carry, attempt to eat, and just generally enjoy. I am quite certain that he would have stayed in the land of the rocks forever had I let him. Or, had he not discovered win number 3. The giant hill.

And when I say giant hill, I mean....really, really big hill. Even for an adult, so for a toddler, I'm pretty sure giant is an adequate description. Ok, so maybe I'm being a little dramatic, the hill itself wasn't THAT huge, but the incline was fairly sufficient. But then again, I'm the one who nearly died twice while trying to ride my bike, so maybe it wasn't that big at all. But either way, Landon loved it. I have to say I was beyond impressed when he was able to climb all the way back up by himself, without crawling, just walking like a real human. Alright, I really am making this out to be more than it was, I'm sure. Let me just stop talking and show pictures instead. That's more fun anyway.

He was able to stay contained long enough to finish his dinner, then it was game over. He wanted to play with the big kids! But still, what better way to eat dinner then outside on a gorgeous night watching a soccer game?

Enter the land of rocks. I really don't know which is bigger: his obsession with rocks, or with dogs.

Up and down, up and down, up and down.

Pure joy! This mama loved watching how much fun he was having. So nice to see him enjoying the simple things. No electronics, no fancy toys. Just a hill, his two feet, and lots of energy.

Of course, there was some soccer watching too. Here's our all star watching his teammates intently.

My two favorite boys of all time. Best back seat ever.

He LOVES his big cousin. And I love the giggles that filled the whole car all the way home. And hearing Aidan say "I love you, buddy" before he got out of the car. Melted this mama's heart.

All in all it was a great night! Landon had a blast, Aidan won, and I got to spend some time with the two best little dudes in all the world. It was a winner for everyone.

I'm a working mama tonight, as I run the first Scentsy party of the new catalog season! So excited to see how people receive all the new products, and of course, to get out and mingle with some other mommies! Let's face it, besides selling a product I'm truly passionate about, that's the best part of the gig. 

I realized what a mommy lover I am the other day while we were in the grocery store. I truly, genuinely LOVE moms. I think every mom is a super hero in her own right, and I love seeing them in action. I love the moms that stop me to tell me how cute my kid is (duh, who wouldn't love them), and then tell me how they miss their own child being that small. I love the moms who are just trying to get through the aisles without knocking over entire displays. I love the moms who have it all together. I love the moms who have kids screaming because they "REALLY NEED THOSE COOKIES!!!!!". I love them all. Because you know what, at the end of the day, we're all a team. We're all in this together. All struggling with the same things, and all loving the same things. I have your back, and you have mine. And it's a good team to be on.

Who I don't like are those people WITHOUT children who look at us moms like we aren't doing our absolute best. Like we are "bad moms" because our child is screaming, or crying, or throwing. If you don't have a kid, you aren't entitled to an opinion. End of story. And even if you do, and you are just a naturally judgey person (yes that's right, I used the word "judgey"), leave us alone. We ARE doing the best we can. No mom out there isn't. Our best may not add up to your best, but that's ok. Our best is best for our children.

Side note: Current annoyance is my ding dang baby monitor that keeps beeping and telling me it's "Out of Range". Really? Because you are sitting in the same spot you always sit in. CUT IT OUT!!!!! I just want to watch my cute kid sleep!!!!

Also, my apologies to the two phone calls I just ignored while typing this. I'll get back at ya as soon as I wash this face mask off. Oh, did I forget to mention that I was typing this with a crazy, all white, gooey face mask on?  Not so hot mess.