Does this one come with instructions?

Just when I think I have things figured out, the universe slaps me in the face with a doozy of a day.  This cute face would be the culprit...

He never ceases to remind me that all children are different, because he is NOTHING like Carter was at this age.  He is a major cuddler, unlike his brother, and yesterday I held him for nearly 9 hours straight.  It was the only thing that worked, and the only perk was the bicep workout I got.  Who needs a shakeweight when you have a fussy 10 lb newborn to bounce?!

It also reminded me of a bone I have to pick with God.  All babies should come with their own personalized instruction manual.  Period. 

New moms go through enough, we don't need surprise attacks waged against us by the very offspring we worked so hard to bring into this world.  Heck, yesterday I'd have been happy with a customer service line. -Hello, you've reached Yourwhitsend Hotline.  If you're calling, your child *Charlie must be throwing you for a loop.  Press 1 for blood curdling screams that never end.  Press 2 for brightly colored poo or vomit.  Press 3 if you have dropped your child.  Press 4 if you are concerned you've ruined your child for life. Or stay on the line to speak with someone who knows what in the heck to do-  Although, it'd probably get outsourced like everything else.  But come to think of it, maybe outsourcing wouldn't be so bad in this situation.  The more remote the country the better.  Because if anyone knows how to effectively and efficiently manage a newborn it would be women who had to walk miles for water or food, balance laundry baskets on their heads, or live in constant fear of tribal attacks, right?  Surely they have secrets I don't know about because I can barely keep things under control here, and I have running water, a washer & dryer, frozen meals that require zero hunting or gathering, and a car to get me from here to there.  So, yes, let me talk to those women! 

Sometimes, we just need a reminder that our children aren't robots.  Or that we are good moms, and we are doing the very best we know how.  Or that some days are just tougher than others, and that God has already given us the grace we need to get through each one of them.  Or that maybe, today, the kid just needs to cry for whatever reason, and nothing you do will help.  He will tucker out and fall asleep eventually.  So when he does, have a glass of wine, get some sleep, and tomorrow will be better.

Favorite Moment Friday: Let's Play Ball

Okay, don't judge but I occasionally watch Keeping Up With The Kardashians and Kloe and Lamar.  And by 'occasionally' I mean I sink into a reality tv coma anytime there is a marathon.  And believe it or not, I was actually inspired by something they do at the dinner table.  They call it "highs and lows," and they share their highest or best moment of the day as well as their lowest moment of the day.  Sometimes, it's just good to stop and take stock of things, ya know?  While it's unrealistic for me to blog everyday about it, I can totally do it once a week! So, I'm starting a section to document my favorite moment of the week. 

This week's winner...

I introduced my oldest son to baseball!! 

 Carter has recently become quite the indoor golfer.  While he enjoys using various club-like objects to send assorted balls flying, mommy enjoys dent-free walls.  So we took the fun outside.  I found a wiffle bat and ball in the garage and out back we went.  I tossed the ball up and knocked it across the yard to show him how it's done {Don't be fooled by this sporty fluke. I secretly couldn't believe I made contact on the first try and did a happy girly-girl dance in my head}, and took my home run lap, which he thought was funny.  Probably because my run looks more like a hobble due to my recent overzealous workout regimen.  Then I stood behind him and helped him do it himself.  He was so excited that he hit the ball, so we tossed the bat-okay, maybe he threw it straight up only to have it hit me in the face on the way down- and ran the bases as we counted "One, Two, Three, Home run!" 

I love being a mom of boys. Period.

Feel free to link up and blog your favorite moment of the week, and be sure to add the FMF button!

2 is better than 1...sometimes

This week the 2 boys and I packed up and headed to Alabama to visit my sister and her soon-to-be family of 4.  Her and her husband Frank have a daughter Anna, and another, Ella, on the way.  She is 38 weeks pregnant {yes, we've been pregnant together...twice!} and needed some last minute cleaning done, which is nearly impossible at her juncture of pregnancy, so south we went.  I was glad for a change of scenery, and for Carter to have a playmate for a few days.  He and my niece Anna were born 2 weeks apart, and it's been a blessing to see them grow up together.  I've also decided that toddlers are similar to dogs in that 2 is {sometimes} better than 1.  You see, you can use one to manage the other.  One toddler can be used to bait another, for example, into taking a bath, or cleaning up toys.  Two also creates instant running races....often to nowhere in particular and with no obvious winner.  Just running for the sake of running.  And where there is running, there is screaming.  This is when 2 is not better than 1.  So, I took advantage of the gorgeous Spring day and took the running balls of loudness outside for some fresh air and open space.  And {I say this with the biggest smile in my heart} I got to teach them the joy of blowing dandelion seeds.  I showed them once, saw their faces light up, pointed them towards their own and around the yard they went.  I sat watching them find joy in something so simple and thought to myself moments like these make motherhood worth it. I get to relive the wonderment of the world all over again, one dandelion moment at a time.  And then I snapped out of it and realized I would have no pictures to remember it by if I didn't run and get my camera.  

Lucky for me there were plenty of dandelion seed...things{what is the name for those, anyway?} to keep them busy and give me time to shoot. 

 Unlucky for my brother-in-law Frank that he will have unlimited dandelion weeds in his back yard now.