3 years old...

We celebrated Wild Man's birthday on Saturday. I have to say that having a December birthday is a lot harder for the parents than the child. Every child invited to the party showed up to celebrate--in my house. That's the hard part. If it were May or even October we could attempt to have a wonderful OUTdoor celebration. But it is absolutely not happening in December. (Unless of course we move to FL, which by the way is not such a bad idea) Anyway, it was a huge success. He is very into dinosaurs right, hence the theme. The cake was a stegasarus, and it couldn't have been cuter! If you ever need a cake lady, I've got her number.

Yesterday after church we headed to my grandparent's house for our first Christmas gathering. It was pretty uneventful as far as family functions go. We had a fabulous dinner! Have I ever told you how much I LOVE HAM! Well, I do. Wild Man got his 2nd scooter of the weekend, and he's becoming quite the pro. But it's a good thing it came with a helment and knee/elbow pads because we'll need them!

Suge and I are headed way down south the day after Christmas to enjoy some time with friends at the beach. I think it's well deserved US time. I can't wait.

And I'm going to get to posting those pictures soon. I promise... (Picture posted! Wildman in the dino dig!)

Let the Parties Begin

As much as I love Thanksgiving, I love this time of year for totally different reasons. I love parties, dressing up, entertaining, and celebrating my baby's birthday! We kicked off this week with the Christmas parade and will end it with my office Christmas party. Can't wait!

Oh, and I AM GOING TO GET MY TREE DECORATED if it kills me.

Pictures soon to come, I promise! (Finally, picture posted! Suge and I at Office Christmas Party.)

Thanks on Thanksgiving

Well friends I did it. I ran the race on Thanksgiving Day and never had to walk or stop! Can you believe it? After I'm finished with this post I am going to look back at week 1 and see how far I've come. My time was 34:30, which is not fantastic but it's alright with me. QT and her man came in to town to show support, she's been such a motivator. Suge and Wildman came out to cheer me in too. I'll post pics soon.

We had such a great relaxing Thanksgiving. The #1 reason it's my favorite holiday!

On to Christmas though...

The Christmas parade was last night and it was great! The kids enjoyed themselves even if it was FREEZING! It made it feel like Christmas ****

In other news, 12 years ago today Suge and I had our first date (what we mark as the beginning of our relationship, anyway). It was the beginning of 12 happy years together. Love you Suge, hope there's many, many more!

I'm just busy loving life. How 'bout you?

Where has the time gone?

Well the days are dwindling, the 5k is officially 1 week away. This is my Week 9. Tuesday night I decided I had to run 3.1 if I was going to get this thing done so here's what I did: a 5 minute warm-up and then I ran until I had gone 3.1. It took 38.38 minutes. Tonight I'm going to be sure and run the whole 3.1, but I really think I could have done that anyway, I don't cover much ground during my warm-up. So anyway... the only other thing that really has me worried is the course, it's UPHILL! Whose idea was that? I'll be sure to report on how it goes. Thanksgiving may have a whole different vibe to it, if I pass out first thing.

Last Thursday-Sunday I spent time with girlfriends camping and riding. I must say it was wonderful. God's glory was really shining on that trip. The weather was absolutely perfect as was the company, food and everything else about the trip. Suge and Wildman had a great weekend too! Our Friends Thanksgiving was Saturday night and I back for that and then went back to ride on Sunday. The whole weekend was just fantastic and much needed.

Don't know much else, just getting excited about the holidays. I know Wildman is going to be so much fun this year, if only I can get him to stick with 1 birthday party theme. Oh well, we'll see...

25 minutes! Say what?

I'm sure lots has happened in the life of my family since I last posted, but I'm sure I won't be able to remember it all. But here goes:

1. This is Week 7 of my running plan and I think I may be running by myself at this point. QT has hurt her knee among other complications, but she gave it the old college try. Last Saturday, the 3rd day of Week 6 I was to run 25 minutes without walking. Hmmm... thought I. But I did it, and so began Week 7. Running 25 minutes without walking all 3 days! So far so good. Tonight I think I was more proud of myself for not looking at the time until 15 minutes in, than I was for running the whole thing. Anyway, I sure hope by Week 9 I'm up to the 3.1 miles. We'll see.

2. Halloween was a success around here. Wildman didn't get crazy scared of anything or puke from too much candy, so in my book, that's a pretty good Oct. 31st.

3. We've had some set-backs on our potty training, but this week has really turned around. I say that only to get a call from his teacher on Tuesday during lunch to say--He's a ring leader in this circus we call a class and he's got to get some listening ears. So... today was better, and not just because I threatened his life. ;)

4. Suge's back has been hurt for like a month now. That's all I have to say about that.

5. I've had a headlight out for like a month now. That's all I'm gonna say about that.

6. Wildman and I are headed to Nashville this weekend for a friend's baby shower and I can't wait to see everyone. It's been a while.

7. I think there are only 7 weekends until Christmas at this point. What can you say about that?

8. This picture was too cute not to post. Enjoy!

The Evidence

I keep meaning to post these pictures of the Race for the Cure. There's Wildman running the last few yards with me! And then there's me huffing and puffing to death. I still can't believe how cold it was. Anyway, here's the only evidence I have so far that I'm actually doing this whole thing. Man, I should have had Suge get a picture of the clock. WHY DIDN'T I THINK OF THAT?

Anyway, hope all is going well with your latest challenge. My next challenge-well besides the lying thing, must be cutting back on the sweets. But I think I'll wait until after Halloween and use those few weeks between Halloween and Thanksgiving to fast =) I'll let you know how that goes...

Week 5 is over. Let's Celebrate!

I don't have much time, but wanted to let you know I finished week 5 on Saturday, even after walking around at the flea market for 4 hours! Anyway, I start week 6 today and am very curious to see how this week goes.

I'll let you know...

Oh and P.S.--Thanks Suge for pointing out I was breaking my no lying rule. It was for a good cause though, right?!

What am I turning into?

Last night I tried to pass barbeque off as chicken. I must think he has the memory of fruit fly, because I had already told him they didn't have chicken, but as soon as he decided he didn't want to eat the barbeque I said, no it's chicken. He said, "It looks like barbeque."

I've decided to try a no lying approach (well except for Santa etc).

I'll let you know how that goes...

Race for the Cure

Week 4 ended just right. I did my program Saturday during the Race for the Cure. I finished in 40 minutes and raised $500! Not too bad, considering I thought it'd be atleast 45 minutes and $100. Anyway, Suge and Wildman were waiting for me at the end with a sign! How sweet is that?!?!!? Too sweet. Wildman ran the last couple yards with me to the end, also VERY sweet. All in all, I'm shocked I don't have shin pain, since that was just my 2nd time to run outside and after my outside run last time I had shin pain for 2 days. Anyway, so far so good. Don't get me wrong, it's not easy (last week I had to run after 8:00 p.m. twice!), but I like having a goal.

So, hello week 5- this should be interesting. I'll let you know...

WEEK 3, No problem

Just a quick update on my running. I made it through week 3. I'm beginning to wonder if I'll actually be running 3.1 in 30 minutes when all is said and done, but nonetheless I am running and I'm not stopping. Every week the challenge is upped, but we are going to do this-(the we is me and QT-code name of course). We actually got to run together on Tuesday and that was nice. I wish we could every time but alas, it's only a dream.

Monday is my 7 year wedding anniversary. It really doesn't seem like it's been that long ago. Just wish I could remember more of the actual day. I need to break out the video. Where's the VCR? Wait what? I guess it has been a while.

Hugs and love Suge. You are the best!

Blah Blah Blah

I've got to get over this funk! I broke down today. What is wrong with me? I had a fantastic lunch with a friend I don't see often enough, and I still feel blah-blah-blah.

Maybe my last run for the week will change the way I feel. It's a perfectly pleasant fall and I'm ready to enjoy it! Apple cider and all.

I'm going to run/walk in the Race for the Cure next weekend. If you are interested in making a donation to my goal let me know. We all know someone that has been affected by Breast Cancer. I'm on a team organized by a friend whose Mom has Breast Cancer, but she's going to be there to WALK! Praise the Lord! I'm going to just run/walk my program for the day, so hopefully I won't be dead at the end. I ask Mom to come up so she and Sawyer can wait for me at the end with the wagon. I'll be sure to let you know how that goes...

Now, I'm going to go start enjoying this fall with a load of laundry. Wait, what?

7 weeks/7 years

So I finished my 2nd week of couch to 5K and it went pretty good. Who am I kidding? I was so discouraged after Tuesday (my first run of the week) I felt like giving up. The beauty of this whole thing is I do have 2 people that am accountable to. So...I did it. All three times this week I pushed through. I am worried about this week as my shins are really hurting after my run on Saturday but I must press on. I'll let you know how that goes.

Suge and I have our 7 year anniversary coming up. It seems like yesterday, but it seems like light years ago. In December we'll be celebrating 12 years together. Wow! Just to say it seems weird. I think I'll break out the wedding dress this year and see if it fits. I'm really doubting it. Maybe I'll just break it out right now (having second thoughts, it's hanging in Wild Man's closet and he's asleep). I'll get back to you on that. Anyway, our church just started a series on marriage and it could not have come at a better time. We all need reminders, wake up calls, and the knowledge that we all go through the same sorts of trials. We also need to be reminded of what God's plan of marriage was all about. It's amazing that 2,000 years ago someone wrote that men need respect and women need love. Like the pastor said today, that was WAY before psych 101 came along. I know I got some real reminders today. I love you and respect you Suge, and I know I don't show it or say it like I should, but I'm going to work on that...

8 weeks to go

I finished week 1 of the couch to 5K plan. I have to say, I'm pretty proud of myself. By my 3rd run it was easy to finish. Who knows how this week will go. I'm not even sure yet what the pace is this week. I'm just running with God on my side, right?!

I have to give a plug here for Uncle C's suggestion of running shoes. He knows his New Balance. I also have to say that this program has proven to be easy enough for even the biggest of non-runners. Check it out on www.coolrunning.com. But I have to say the very best part of the whole thing was finding a pod cast that has music and verbal cues. That makes my life sooooo much easier, no watching the clock!! I'll be sure to report back at the end of week 2. We'll see how it goes...

I may be singing a totally different tune!

I had a moment of weakness...

So I agreed to do the stupidest thing ever. Train to run a 5K. Yes, you heard me. I don't think I've ever run more than two miles ever in my life, ever. I'm not really sure what I thought would be different this time. I just knew I could use the distraction and the exercise.

We are going to use a training program called Couch to 5K in 9 weeks and that's exactly what I'll be doing. I've been out of exercise commission for about 2 months now. No, nothing is wrong, just a mini-vacay. So the shoes are on order and my ipod is ready. I hope I can do this. Say a little prayer for me over the next 9 weeks I'm gonna need it.

This is probably going to really cut into my dessert & coffee habit. Well, we'll see...

Chew on this...

It's a lot like nature. You can only have as many animals as the ecosystem can support and you can only have as many friends as you can tolerate the bitching of. --Randy K. Milholland

I don't think this applies to women, but it made me laugh first thing this morning. I've been struggling with a lot of things lately so pardon my absence. One is gossip. Once, I heard in a sermon, if you aren't part of the solution, then you're part of the problem. This is true with gossip. Don't get me wrong, I'm not making things up about people, but what I'm doing is not containing the wildfire. What made me evaluate my problem? I realized one day I need to find better things to talk about. Why am I not lifting up God during all these conversations? Good question! I'm going to work on it! We'll see how that goes...

I'd love to hear your comments on this, I know it's a pretty touchy subject.

This picture is from May, long before potty training, but you can't deny how cute that little booty is in Thomas underwear!

Heisman Trophy Bound

So Wild Man has informed us that when he grows up he's going to play: Basketball, Baseball and Football. And when told he needs to pick two he says: Baseball and Football. Well, I can tell you right now that's not gonna fly. Suge is a huge basketball fan and I think football is fun to watch but I can't really imagine my child participating! Regardless, here's his new pose--

I guess we'll see...

Yard Sale = No Sofa

Hello Friends! Sorry I have neglected you. We've had a really busy couple of weeks. The lake house trip was a success. Boating, fellowship and tons of good food was had by all. The weather was absolutely perfect! Speaking of weather, this is some crazy weather we've been having, but you know I'm always ready for fall, so no complaints here.

This weekend I hosted a Yard Sale. Yes, I said hosted =) A couple of friends joined in the fun. I must say it was the most successful one I've ever had. I made some money and promptly spent it shopping on Saturday and Sunday! But thankfully I didn't bring home too much to take the place of what I just sold. I did sell our sofa. Now what? I have NO idea. I did go look at one in person on Sunday, that we had seen online and it was terrible. Not surprised. I don't know how people shop for furniture online. It's too difficult to see all the details.

I also went with Sweetheart to purchase her wedding gown. It was beautiful. She's going to make a show-stopper of a bride. I'm so excited for them.

On Sunday we went to church with the Yellow Family (code name). Sunday afternoon we went with them to a concert on the lawn at the Carnton Plantation in Franklin. Uncle C and Sweetheart joined us. It was SO much fun. The kids had a blast and so did the rest of us. It was Eagles music--you just can't not enjoy that.

We made it home about 9:45 and I was exhausted. But this morning when I let the dogs out and I felt the cool autumn-like air on my legs I knew today was going to be a good day! Can't wait for fall ya'll.

Now, I've got to do some thinking on this sofa situation. We'll see how that goes...

Give Me an Hour and a Half, $200, and the Pouring Rain

So I went grocery shopping tonight. That's probably all I need to say about that.  Thank goodness Wild Man was NOT with me.  On to more fun things...

Suge and I are anxiously awaiting Friday at noon for our annual lake house trip with friends. The countdown began oh... the moment we left last year.  Anyway, it's a fun weekend with good friends, food and relaxation.  Children need not apply.  This year we took a leap and booked the house for 3 nights (well, they made us) and I couldn't be more excited.  This is really the only group activity we do without children all year, so it's very much deserved.  On to other things...

I'm getting ready for a yard sale and I have to say this has been very liberating. I'm really getting rid of lots of things this year, furniture included. It's time we move on--get that new couch we just keep talking about.  We may not have a couch come Christmas, but oh well, we'll just put the tree in the middle of the room.  If you're in the area August 29th stop by! You know what they say about one man's trash...

I had to post this absolutely adorable pic of Wild Man. These p.j.s were passed to us from a friend and he wore them for the first time the night this was taken. 

For some reason he just thinks they are the gravy.  Oh, and you know, he knows, he looks like he could be sopped up with a biscuit. 

Come on now, that even made me laugh...

(P.S.-Couldn't get urban dictionary to load. Would it be "the gravy" or just "gravy"? Suge?)

Now's the Time

Just letting my friends and family know that now is the time to shop for next summer. I know you don't want to think about it, but I ordered shorts and tees for Wild Man. Old Navy and Children's Place are having great sales. I got 4 pair of shorts and 1 pair of swim shorts for $22.00 total at Children's Place. At Old Navy I got 4 pair of shorts and 2 tees for $35.00. I really need to find a place to get some more tees, but I think that's a great start. 10 items for 57 bucks and I didn't pay more than $3.99 for any item. These types of shorts and tees are great for school, where he's bound to get marker and lunch on them EVERY day.

FYI: I do this every year and have always been pretty successful. I just cross my fingers and hope he doesn't grow TOO much.

Happy shopping! We'll see how the rest of my hunt goes...

Brush Your Teeth, Comb Your Hair

Why do I love the fair so? It's dirty and expensive. Those two adjectives should never go together (they do quite often, but shouldn't). I just love the smell of cotton candy, fresh vegetables and corndogs. I know I'm one of the few adults that actually likes it. I'm trying to accept that. I need a 12 step program.

Wild Man has been to the fair every year thus far. I'm trying very hard to make sure he understands what it's all about, and no I don't mean the expensive rides and cheap prizes. Last year we went to the cattle show. The year before he saw the horse show and every year we tour the canning, vegetable and sewing entries. Tonight we plan on taking him to see the motorcycle racing. He's become interested in the X games, Suge seems to have ESPN on 24/7, they'll watch any sport put in front of them. Last weekend we watched skateboarding (Wild Man calls them scooters), motorcross and bike flipping (?). He was loving it! What am I going to do with these two?

Included this pic of Wild Man from a year ago, just couldn't resist. It's about to be apple season again!

Can't wait to sit on the dirty bleachers and eat my $15.00 corndog. See you there...

I'm No Angelina

Last night I had dinner (in) with friends. There were 4 kids there, ages 5 months, 20 months, 2 1/2 and 4 1/2. I had this thought this morning after remembering the chaos--those could have all been mine. WHAT?!?!? I can't imagine. We all know there are Moms out there mothering kids like this, but why and how? It was crazy and I just had to share some of that craziness with you. The baby fell asleep in my arms, one was crying because he didn't feel good and 2 were trying to eat apple slices while sitting/jumping on the couch while watching t.v. while wrestling and secretly trying to wake the baby. Folks, that's chaos and I thought trying to get one to eat, bathe and sleep was a challenge. Not any more...

Life's Little Luxuries

As I sit here and sip an adult beverage (that's what we've taken to calling them) I'm thinking about a phone conversation I had today. I just smiled when I hung up. I love long phone calls. They make me feel all mushy inside. To talk about everything and nothing-just because you have the time. (FYI: the boss is in France somewhere)  I know I've vented about the evil that is texting before, so I won't go into that again.  The phone call I'm referring to included everything from health talk to relationship talk to money talk to... well you get my point. It was so nice to be able to just relax and talk.  That's one of life's luxuries that some people hate, but I cherish. Another being-

Coming home to clean dishes.  Lately Suge has taken it upon himself to keep the dishes clean. Yes, we have a dishwasher, but there's always those pesky dishes that just can't go in there.  The more we cook, the more dishes turn up.  I appreciate his effort. Little things make me smile. Tomorrow I'm going to see if I can come up with some little thing that makes someone else smile. Let's see how that goes...

Vacation from Vacation

Isn't it funny how we live weekend to weekend. When I titled this post I meant I needed a vacation from my vacation last week--it was exhausting. But then I started thinking about how we live holiday to holiday, weekend to weekend. It's true the older you get the faster time goes by, it's because we live like this. Kids have fun EVERY day, they don't need holidays or weekends, but adults think they do. I'm gonna try to change that. Make my days at work more excitable and fun, look forward to going to work and coming home to spend time with my boys. I feel like my next sentence should say turn that frown upside down...hehehe.

Anyway, I did take lots of photos last week so here's two that turned out cute! We had tons of fun that brought on tons of exhaustion. Still worth it though!

Oh and side note: I'm getting ready for a Yard Sale soon and it has been so refreshing to just clean out. Don't you just love getting rid of things? How and why do we have all this stuff? This post sounds like a couple of New Year's Resolutions in the making. We'll see...

Here's a Toast to my Summer Holiday

I'll report back in a week or so. This coming week I plan on having a glass in one hand and my camera in the other. Hope the pictures are of something/someone resembling my family. We'll see...

To Text, or Not to Text

I told a friend I was taking to my blog to get this off my chest. Here goes...

Texting has changed the way we communicate. There's no doubt about it. You want to send someone a message who can't get a phone call? Bingo--just text them. But I'm afraid it is changing the very dynamic of our relationships. For instance, should you text to tell/ask someone about a lifechanging event?

Perry: I'm breaking up w/ u.

Shelia: What? I thought we were getting married?
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Carla: John, I'm pregnant w/ ur baby.

John: OMG, I'm so excited!
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Adam: Ur grandmother just died.

Tara: C u @ the service.
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Larry: Dude, can I borrow ur car this week?

Mike: R u kidding me?

Doesn't this seem ridiculous? What warrants a phone call or a face to face chat anymore? I'm beginning to wonder. Call me old school, but where has the respect gone? I think I deserve to hear some conversations, not read them. Is that so wrong?

Yes, I text. But maybe now, not so often. We'll see...

One is Silver & the Other Gold

I was so excited to see an old friend on Thursday. The circumstances may have not been ideal but it was great nonetheless.  I like it when you are able to pick up with a friend like no time has passed.  That's happened to me several different times, with several different friends over the last few weeks. It's nice.  As I write this all I can think about is that song we learned in Girl Scouts all those many years ago. 

Wildman has been with my Mom since Thursday night. Suge and I have gotten some serious quality time together. We needed it! I was just saying tonight how we've neglected our alone time these last couple of months. We needed this weekend! Note to self: Don't let this happen again. We'll see how that goes...

Trust and Understanding

Something to chew on:

I listened to a sermon last night titled Does Prayer Change Things? It cleared up a lot of things for me, but the one thing that really stuck out, (probably because I'm really struggling with this right now) is- understanding God and trusting Him are NOT the same thing. The analogy was very clear--As a parent you decide what is best for your child. Your child may not always understand it (why can't I have a cookie for breakfast), but they must learn to trust you and your judgement. As the parent you know what's best for them overall and in the long run. It may not make sense at that particular moment but you know them, you know if you give them a cookie for breakfast one time, they'll want one every morning and that could lead to cavities and/or sugar overload etc. etc.

I guess right now I just really needed to hear that God knows me better than I know myself. Hopefully that will make what I'm going through a little easier, I do feel better already. We'll see...

3rd 4th

This is my baby's 3rd Fourth of July. Can you believe that? His first year he was still nursing and I remember watching fireworks with him in my lap. He didn't have a care in the world. Last year we left before the fireworks began and we saw them from the end of the driveway and I can't remember if he was asleep or awake. So this year I'm really anxious to see how he'll react. He won't be missing them this year! (Pic is of him and Gramma from 1st 4th)

Thanks to all the men and women who help keep our country free!

Wild man has been going to swim lessons for 2 weeks now. Boy, that's been kindof weird. He did great the first week. This week he's decided if he cries he might not have to do what they ask. This isn't like him. (maybe a little) Next week he better get serious and learn the back stroke or there will be no Gold Medals in our family.

I want to take a moment and thank Suge for being Suge. We've witnessed some very emotional marriage issues these last couple of months and I just can't be more thankful for him.

Lots more has gone on these last couple of weeks but for the life of me I can't remember what. Oh yeah, got together with some girlfriends from high school last weekend and had a BLAST! I miss those girls and outings like that are too few and far between! Note to self: Get together more often.

Hoping to get a ride in this weekend. Maybe I'll take some pics to post so you can see my boys. We'll see...

Hey You Non-Followers

If you're gonna read be a follower--you know who you are.  

Now that I got that outta the way. We had a great weekend! Swim party on Saturday and the lake on Sunday. Suge gave himself a Father's day gift of sleeping in and skipping church. Wasn't that nice of him? Anyway, we headed to the lake to meet friends and I almost didn't get in touch with my Dad. I was wondering all day what Suge was thinking since this is his first Father's Day without his Dad (Poppa).  He seemed to handle it ok, but I know it wasn't easy.  

We started swimming lessons on Monday night. That was a sight. I just want Wildman to feel comfortable and to learn to KICK HIS FEET. When you wear a life jacket that's a must. He did well, can't wait to see what tomorrow night brings.  

I'm really looking forward to getting together with some high school girlfriends this weekend. Some I haven't seen but once or twice since. I can't wait to hear all about their lives and their babies. A night out full of new and fun stories is a dream! 

Oh and one more thing, the potty training thing seems to be going well. It really has been amazing. I can't say enough about the book. You must check it out! Google Lora Jensen. 

What else? OH how could I forget, Uncle C and Sweetheart got engaged over the weekend.  I'm so proud of him. He really found the girl of his dreams and she is a complete doll and the ring is to die for.  Can't wait to hear wedding plans, we'll see how that goes...

Summer's Not Messing Around

Summer Soltice is this weekend and as of today Summer has arrived. The date may not say it's so, but it is, trust me. I'm so thankful I don't have to work out in it. How do those men and women do it? My Dad does it and I have NO idea how. Whew! Where's the kiddie pool? Oh yeah, it's on my back porch full of leaves and dead grandaddy long legs...Think I'll just stay inside.

Update on Potty Patrol: Still no #2. But he didn't have any other accidents at school yesterday. I am so PROUD! Can't wait to hear how day two at school went.

Here's something to chew on: I was doing my daily blog reading and found this quote on the refineus site listed over there ----->

Do not be surprised that what God asked of you yesterday is insufficient for your journey of faith today. With Moses, God parted the waters, and then the people crossed over. With Joshua, the leaders were required to begin crossing first, and then the waters parted. In my life journey, I have found time and time again that God changes the parameters of my faith. He increases His expectation of me. What it means to live on the edge as your faith begins to develop is not the measure of faith when you walk in maturity. You should expect and desire that God would move from parting the waters while you stand on the shore to calling you to step out into the waters and experience the miracle happening around you. In the first, you watch the miracle. But in the second, you become a part of it. --Erwin McManus.

I'm reminded of this almost daily. Waiting for God's miracles and actually being a part of them are two very different things. I've matured in the past year, but I'm light years away from where I want to be. I want to jump right in. How? Well, I'm going to work on that and I'm sure He'll help me. We'll see how it goes...

Clap Harder!

Well friends, this is day 3 of Lora Jensen's 3 day potty training, and I have to say, I'm pretty impressed. We went from nothing to telling me he needs to go in just 2 days. Mom is staying home with him today and I hope all goes well. I will give a full report after I find out how today goes (we've been keeping somewhat of a journal). Funny happening: On Saturday we PRAISED him for going in the potty with a little song and clapping. By the end of the day Sunday he wanted us to clap harder if we weren't clapping loud enough. He wanted a standing ovation. He's no showboat that child of mine. We'll see how today goes...

Failure to Report Back

So, I got in trouble this morning for not blogging. My excuse was "It's been a slow week." But truth is, I forgot all about the fun that was had last weekend! The triple birthday extravaganza--how could I forget. So Sweetheart was able to go with me! And Uncle C came too (hence the pic). There was lots of fierce cornhole competition! Who knew there was such a thing as cut-throat cornhole. Anyway, we had a blast. I think everyone enjoys an early afternoon party just for the simple fact that you are home in bed by 10.

Wildman had a BIG weekend! He was very busy with Mom and Priss (my niece). Almost forgot that we got to see Uncle C and Sweetheart play softball. I wish you could have heard Wildman telling his guy friends at school on Monday, "Hey guys, Uncle C hit it over the fence." PRICELESS. It's the beginning of guy talk. Another example: Suge said to Wildman on Tuesday night, "Hey come here and sit on the couch with me, I want to talk about something." (Sounds bad doesn't it) So Wildman goes over there and Suge says, "So what do you wanna talk about?" (If Wildman was older he would have probably rolled his eyes) Wildman says, "Parker's football game." MORE GUY TALK! Thank goodness I like sports.

Suge is at Bonnaroo and Mom is coming into town. Wish us luck on the 3 day potty training this weekend. I'll be SURE to report back on that. We'll see how it goes...

2 in 1 Day

I know, two postings in one day, right! Well, I just have to say, I almost lost it over an ice cream sandwich tonight. A mental health day is in my near future.  

Hey Party People

It's Tuesday and I found out this morning that Wild Man will be going to Mom's on Wednesday night! I also found out that I will be going to the beach in July! And, I've known this for a while- our group of friends is celebrating 3 birthdays this Saturday afternoon (with no kids)! Now, if that doesn't get you in the party mood I don't know what will! (As you can see I am already in the party mood with my exclamation points and all!!!) Suge is gonna miss the party on Saturday for his full court basketball tournament. It's gonna last all day. Well, if they win. I hope he makes it through alive. I'll miss him at the party, but maybe I can come up with a date. I've asked my brother's (Uncle C) girlfriend to stand in. (Let's call her Sweetheart, because wild man loves her almost as much as Uncle C does.)

I added this pic because it's an old favorite and it looks like he's settling in to watch the playoffs. Suge and Wild Man love watching games together, I hate that Wild Man will miss the first game Thursday night. I doubt Mom will let him stay up that late! Wild Man says he's for Kobe Bryant but his daddy would and will disagree. We'll see...

Potty Praise!

Guess who pee peed (?) in the potty last night! You guessed it, Wild Man himself (well the whole family probably did, but I didn't think you'd care to know about that). I think it was actually his first time. Mom and I had already planned to do the 3 day potty training method while Suge is out of town in 2 weeks-so I think this is a good sign. If you haven't read about Lora Jensen's book or method- check out her site at www.3daypottytraining.com I ordered the book, it took about 20 minutes to read, and hopefully it's gonna work. It really just make sense. She has 6 kids and it's worked for all of them, plus thousands of others. I'm excited. This method doesn't include pull ups, it's just straight to big boy underoos! It's all positive reinforcement and staying by their side for 3 days! It will be a long 3 days but then that'll be it--he'll be using the potty! We'll see how it goes...

Parties, Naps and a Long Overdue Ride

A 3 day weekend two weeks in a row. Wow! I'm exhausted. Can't say I'm too unhappy about getting back to work today. A great weekend was had by all though. We attended an art-themed birthday party, which was fabulous! What a great idea Mama F! We also got loads of yard work done. Suge seems to kindof be getting into it. =) Grilled hamburgers on Sunday night--also fabulous, as was the company. Red wine and a board game seemed like such a good idea at the time. Maybe men against women was the bad idea~ Wildman decided he wasn't going to nap for me this weekend. That really makes it tough. That's MY down time too. He did decide that he'd nap for Suge on Sunday though while I went on a 3 hour ride! YES!!! It was long overdue. It felt so good to see the boys and smell that horsey smell. We rode by the lake which was so nice, the weather held out and it wasn't blistering hot. What more could I ask for? I do know a certain part of my body that I'd prefer wasn't hurting, but oh well, it won't last long and it WAS WORTH IT! Wonder what the week will hold? We'll see...

Seinfeld says...

I saw this Seinfeld quote yesterday and it made me laugh “There is no such thing as fun for the whole family.” and I thought to myself, YES there is! We found it- (although, I guess I probably would have agreed with that statement pre-trip) it's that crazy indoor waterpark! It was so much fun, wild man LOVED it, I had a great time and Suge had fun too (there were concessions for adults, what more could you ask for?). Anyway, if you are looking for a good way to spend a couple of days I would recommend it. We also visited the aquarium while we were there and wild man really enjoyed that. He was a little scared a time or two-it looks like those piranas are coming right at you! The dads went to see Star Trek on Sat. night and the moms went to see Obsessed on Sun. night. If you haven't seen Obsessed (the one with Beyonce') I'd recommend that too-what a thriller. All in all, it was a great four-alarm family weekend. Now, on to what this weekend holds. Hope the rain gives us a break. We'll see...

Working Out & Swimsuits...

On Tuesday I started a program at the Y called 3N1 Fitness. A Wellness Coach sets up a plan for your workouts. The plan changes every 30 days for 90 days, and of course there are variations throughout the month (you have lots of choices). I'm hoping to get these guns in shape for summer (hehehehehe). What I'm really hoping to do is to be more healthy! I did the strength training workout for the first time last night and it was really tough. I don't push myself near as hard as I should, so this should be interesting! Oh, about the swimsuit... We are going with some friends this weekend to Wilderness in the Smokies, it's a hotel with an indoor water park. I hope the kids love it, because I'm not a huge fan of water parks. But I am looking forward to a weekend away. This will be the first time I've put on a swimsuit this year and I decided it would probably be a good idea to get a one-piece for time spent at a water park with a couple of two year olds =) I was very proud of myself, I went swimsuit shopping on my lunch hour and had two swimsuits tried on and bought in less than 30 minutes! It was my lucky day! Now if I could only be so lucky as to have wild man love the water park and be a complete angel all weekend~ we'll see...

SIDS ALERT!

Last night I went in to check on wild man before retiring for the evening (it might have been 10:00), and this is what I found. I was quite amused as you can imagine, so I rushed to get the camera to document this severe violation of all things SIDS. I know at his age it's not really a threat, but it makes a mama nervous. How, you might ask, did I not know about these snuggle items, well... Suge put him to bed and you know a daddy can't say no. Anyway, he needed two blankets, a pillow, a spotted dog and a farmer's hat just to get a good night sleep. Looks like it worked. I might try it tonight, we'll see how it goes...

Teacher Appreciation

As I was writing notes to wild man's teachers for Teacher Appreciation Week, I found some great quotes. I could relate to most, even though I taught for such a short time, I was in school forever! This one made me think of wild man's wonderful teachers, "The art of teaching is the art of assisting discovery." ~Mark Van Doren The teachers at his school are fantastic and boy do they work hard, I still have no idea how they do it! This next one made me think of my stint as a 2nd grade teacher, "If you promise not to believe everything your child says happens at school, I'll promise not to believe everything he says happens at home." ~Anonymous Teacher. This last one is just for kicks and giggles:

"If a doctor, lawyer, or dentist had 40 people in his office at one time, all of whom had different needs, and some of whom didn't want to be there and were causing trouble, and the doctor, lawyer, or dentist, without assistance, had to treat them all with professional excellence for nine months, then he might have some conception of the classroom teacher's job." ~Donald D. Quinn

Be sure to tell a teacher (past or present) how much you appreciate them before their one week is over. I'm going to try to tell them every week, we'll see how that goes...

Mothers are fonder than fathers of their children because they are more certain they are their own. ~Aristotle

I spent my lunch hour cramming down a sandwich and picking out a few Mother's Day gifts. I have 3 to buy for. Yes, you heard me. The one I was born to, the one who took me on when she married my father and the one that took me on when I married her son. There are plenty of others out there that helped raise me, (you know the saying) but I can't buy gifts for all of them--although that'd be a surprise for them wouldn't it? I found this quote, (btw I love quotes and sayings) which so reminded me of my own mother and then of course of myself and what I'm experiencing as a mother: "When you are a mother, you are never really alone in your thoughts. A mother always has to think twice, once for herself and once for her child." ~Sophia Loren, Women and Beauty Wow! Doesn't that say it all. None of us, and I mean Bill Gates included have enough money to repay our mothers for what they have done for us. How do you repay someone for giving you life, love and the recipe for mud pies? Hope the three of them love their gifts! We'll see...

That Time

This weekend was pretty uneventful. We did attend a Spring Fling sponsered by some friends. It was a fundraiser for their school. It was fun, like an old fashion carnival. They had the ring toss, pick up ducks, dunking booth, frisbee throw, well you get the point. Good clean fun. Wild man was WILD. He had a blast. I had a good time, but was longing to be riding with friends. It's that time of year, and I've had a really hard time finding time, to make time, for some riding time. Know what I mean?! Some friends camped and rode this weekend, or I assume they did--in between rain. You always hope for some riding if you pack up and go. The pic is from fall sometime when wild man rode for the first time! I sure hope he enjoys it later. Today I vow to cut out the time. We'll see how that goes...

A Lizard on a Hat

Wednesday night we took wild man to an exotic animal sale. It wasn't his first time, he's become somewhat of a pro. We aren't in the market to buy, it's just a free zoo. We saw goats, foxes, mice, peacocks, turkeys, camels, zebras and watusi cattle, the list goes on and on. The whole watusi thing was interesting, look those things up, they are amazing. Anyway, there was a man there walking around with a huge lizard on his head, well on his hat. He ask if wild man would like to touch it, and of course he was less than excited about that. Mama and Suge had to touch it first (there's a first time for everything). We did and so did he. He'll try almost anything if someone else tries it first, including most vegetables. I still think he's a leader, but hopefully just a cautious one--we'll see.

A New Baby

A friend of mine had her 2nd baby yesterday and all went well. She said he practically fell out (which is what I've heard from more than one second time mom). He's a doll, who looks just like his big brother. Boy, it's times like these that really make me want another one. Then it's times like this morning when I'm trying to get just the two of us ready for work and school and think...well I know I could do it, but it would be an adjustment. I just really want wild man to have a sibling. I love mine! Suge (derived from Sugar) (my husband) is just not so sure. Well, we'll see.

Sticking my little toe in...

There's nothing too special about today, except I'm alive and well- all thanks to God. Well come to think of it, I guess that is pretty special. I just thought I'd give this blog thing a try. I love to read others, it's so easy to follow the ups and downs of people's lives. Sometimes I find myself laughing at them, sometimes (like yesterday) I find myself crying. It's weird to think I'd cry about someone's blog that I don't even know, but it happened. It was worth crying about no doubt, I guess that's no different than crying during a commercial. Except this was REAL life. We'll see how this goes.