Spring Breakin' It

To me, there is no better place to be than on the beach.  I love the sun, the water, the waves, the sand, the breeze, and the easy laid back flip-flop lifestyle.  The past few times I've gone without Carter, and I spent the entire time missing him and thinking about what a great time he would have.  I knew I couldn't let another year go by without taking him, although I have to admit there is always that uncertain fear that he'll be a total pansy and never step foot in the water.  But it turns out he loves the beach {and the water} just as much as I do.

It was the most excited I've ever seen him!

We found seashells, flew kites, built sandcastles...you know the drill.  And it was fantastic. 

We rented a 3 story beach house with my family in an area right outside of Panama City Beach, and while it's always a bit stressful to house 7 adults {i'll fill you in on my family dynamic some other time}, 2 toddlers, and 2 newborns under one roof, we had a good time.

Speaking of newborns...how did Charlie like the beach?

This picture sums it up.  He was pretty easy going, and slept a lot. 'Cause he's a rock star baby like that.  No, really, he's amazing. 

We all took turns sitting with him and Ella {my sister's 4 week old daughter} on the beach and keeping them happy.  My parents were good at that and didn't seem to mind...but let's be honest, even if they did mind...we would have made them do it anyway. 

This trip really stemmed from the end of my husbands busy tax season.  He works 6 days a week for 4 months and only makes it home in time for bedtime most nights.  His quality family time is sparse during those months.  So vacations are like gold to me.  I get him 24/7 and Carter does too.  He is such a good dad and it makes my heart smile to see them play together.  He ran in and out of the waves more times than I could count laughing with Carter and having a good time.  Love it.  Nothing hotter than a man who loves his family.

Daniel's sense of humor is one of the most attractive things about him, and vacations always bring that out in him.  And laughing is my favorite thing to do, so it works out :)

The temps took a bit of a dip one day, so the boys took that opportunity to visit the aviation museum in Pensacola.  Open cockpits, endless buttons and switches, simulators, and did I mention buttons and switches?  yeah...my son's dream come true.

But, honestly, I'm not sure who enjoyed it more.  Carter, or my dad!

P.S. we are working on my dad's "fashions."  I'm hoping to remedy the white tube sock look soon. Although I'm pretty sure he would think ankle socks are ridiculous.

It's been a while since my last vacation with my family, and it was good to spend time with them.

  Especially my overworked hell-of-a-painter brother.  He sees hot rods and paint guns more than he sees any of us, so I'm glad he squeezed out a few vacation days.

Springtime brain dump

I haven't blogged lately because I've had lots of partial ideas floating around in my head, so I'm just gonna dump it all out here in this blog. 

-Easter was pretty fun this time around.  It was pretty laid back, which was a good change of pace.  Also, Carter is old enough to appreciate an Easter basket full of fun things, and there are really no words to describe introducing your child to Play-Doh for the first time.

I cheated a little and gave it to him on Saturday, because I knew we'd be out and about on Easter Sunday, and it just seems torturous to give a kid gifts he can't play with right away.

Next year my goal is to start a tradition of a Good Friday dinner here at our house.  I'm looking to bring Easter to us instead of traveling to-and-fro...also, I'd like an excuse to buy all things rabbit.

-I've been getting out with the boys, and it gets easier each time.  Granted, it takes twice, if not three times longer to actually leave the house, but I make it happen at least once a week.  I got the Mobi wrap

 in the mail the other day, and I'm working up the nerve to go to the grocery store with both boys now that I have a way to carry Charlie.  Dear Publix and Target, you should have carts that can handle both a toddler and a baby carrier...just sayin.

-Breastfeeding is for the birds.  That's all I have to say about that.

-Both boys are in super cute stages right now.  Charlie is learning to smile and coo, and Carter's personality is starting to bloom.  He's pretty funny, and makes me laugh all the time.  He's been a great helper, and loves his baby brother.  They make my heart smile.

-I've been having some good girl time with friends lately.  I have a few different circles, but I got to have most of them all in once place for my birthday and then the baby shower, and it's great when that can happen.  All together or separate...love you, girls!

-After more than a year of feeling restless {for no good reason}, I think I've finally settled in to life.  The sleepless newborn nights are behind me, for now, and my body{and hormones} seem to have bounced back.  The light at the end of my husband's busy tax season tunnel is in sight, and things are goooood on the marriage front.  Miscarriage, the pressure of trying to get pregnant again, pregnancy, and a tax season newborn tend to put a damper on things.  Sometimes marriage can be all business...marital auto-pilot. Communicating the necessary amount between life's distractions.  By the time you've done a day's work, scarf down dinner and get the kids in bed it's easy to lay on opposite sides of the bed and zone out...but we're back, baby!

-I am leaving for a family beach trip next week and I'm real excited.  My parents, brother, sister and her family are joining us, and we've rented a big house on the beach!  I used to see those big beachfront houses and think "one day..." and next Friday is that day!  The last time Carter was on the beach he wasn't really old enough to be excited, so it should be fun to dig in the sand and play in the waves.  I'm sure I'll blog about it...but until then

that is my springtime brain dump, people

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.

Mommy Confessions: pitchin' a tent

Ever have a day or three when you just feel a little blue for no good reason at all?  Well, that's where I am, and there are probably a few reasons, but as I said...none of which are good enough to warrant a three day slump.  None-the-less, I'm here, and today I should probably have taken Carter outside or done something productive, but I just didn't want to.  What I really wanted was to get out of my head and live in some other story for a while.  I usually read to do that, but I haven't found a book good enough to hold my attention lately.  So I decided to watch one or two of the 15 movies that have been sitting unwatched on my DVR, but alas, they do not include brightly colored animated characters, so I knew Carter wouldn't be interested in watching with me.  And I hate the idea of me being a bum while he has nothing to do but get in to trouble.  Solution?  A tent.

Because even the most ordinary things are more fun in a tent.  So I, with as much excitement as I can muster, announce this morning that we will have a tent day. I made his lunch picnic style, grabbed the iPad, some blankets, Charlie's bottle, a little debbie for myself {because what's a down day without junk food?} and upstairs we went. 

It was just enough to make the day exciting for him, and it kept the mom guilt from creeping in on me while I watched Secretariat in bed.  After he ate, he pulled in some trucks, a puzzle, and a flashlight, and was very pleased with himself. 

I'm allowing myself this last day to be blue, because really, enough already.  But I never want Carter to suffer because of my stupid mood.  That just adds to the already ever-present mom guilt and makes things worse.  So I'll put the tent in my growing trunk of tricks for the next down day, rainy day, or toodanghottoplayoutside day.

I'm planning to suggest coloring in the tent after nap time.

Back to the movies for me.  Now Showing: Red Riding Hood   

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.

5 Things Only Moms Know

1. Applejacks and/or Fruitloops go in the bowl with milk as an air-puffed cereal, but appear later dried and adhered to flat surfaces as a shriveled shrunken version of itself.

2.  Cartoons, no matter how "educational" they claim to be, will never be rational.  ie-2 year old Max will always outsmart 5 year old Ruby.  If Ruby would learn to listen to Max the first time he speaks, she'd save herself a lot of trouble.

 Dino Dan's friends and family are enablers.  He clearly needs an imaginary dinosaur intervention. 

No, Diego, magical mermaids {or the "heroes of the sea" as you'd like to call them} were not once manatees, and I've never been able to fit a life boat in any bag or carry-on.

3.  Mom's bed is no longer just a bed.  It is the family room, the office, the conference room, the hospital, the breakfast, lunch, and dinner table, the movie theater, the laundry folding table and the gymnasium.

4.  When looking for misplaced items such as a remote, cell phone, or car keys, always search from bottom to top.  Never top to bottom.  This is a bi product of living with short people.  First, scan the floor of each room-most will stop after this step because said item will be tripped over or stepped on. Second, look under the furniture...even unrollable objects seem to magically roll themselves right out of sight.  Third, check in or around toy boxes and lower kitchen & bathroom cabinets. Fourth, lift couch cushions and pull back bedspreads.  So on and so on.  You get the idea.

5.  The gelatinous insides of an exploded diaper are much easier to vacuum/wipe up after having a minimum of 2 hours to dry.  But let's be real...who's gonna remember it's still there in 2 hours?