Thoughts on love...

Nothing says "love" from your two year old more than sharing a piece of half chewed up chocolate. He even brought it to me and said "Wuv you mama...share?"

How do you say no to that? You don't. So, you mentally block out where that chocolate has been, and you let your son feed it to you. And you chew it, and swallow it, and tell your child you love him, too. And he wipes his chocolately hands and face on your shirt. :)

Unofficial Mom Job #49823: Hair cuts

As I stumble my way through this thing called motherhood, I've learned that we moms have many jobs that aren't included in the manual. Like needing to clean out the cracks of your couch on a more regular basis. And checking the tiny hole on the booster chair when no matter how much you scrub, it still smells like something died in the vicinity of your dining room. And haircuts.

I love a good haircut. I crave a good haircut. There is nothing more relaxing in the world to me than having someone else cut, dry, and style my hair. My son does not feel the same way. He hates it. We've tried going to the barber, but when even the sweetest of old man barbers rolls his eyes when you walk in, you know you've got problems. So I started cutting Sam's hair here at home. I'm a decent scissor-wielder, and it's less stressful for me to do it here than for me to watch with wide-eyed horror as my son has a very public meltdown.

So here's my haircutting tip: Chocolate. Go buy it. Lots of it. I happened to have a box of Valentine candy a few days ago when I snapped and decided that Sam's Chia Head needed a trim. He still cried the entire time I snipped away at his mop, but he sat still, and didn't try to claw my eyes out. And because of the chocolate, he forgot that I nipped his ear. Oops.

I chalk that up to a Mommy Victory. Never underestimate the power of a good box of Russell Stovers.

Before: Scraggly. Verging on Bonnaroo hippy.

After: Neat. Ivy League prep. Mama likes.

Random Sunday thoughts.

Here's what's on my mind today. Enjoy a laugh at my expense. :)

1. If you really want Wheatfields bakery for breakfast, but you think your kids are going to be holy terrors, you should go anyways. You'll get a delicious breakfast. If you happen to have beautiful kids like I do (and let's face it, we've all got purrty kids), you'll also stumble upon a few friendly elderly strangers that want to hold and pinch your beautiful kid's cheeks long enough for you to shovel in your delicious breakfast. Win-win, my friends.

2. If someone tells you it's an awesome idea to wear a belt on your head Rambo-style, and you've had a fair share of wine and vodka...it is indeed the most excellent idea ever. Rock that belt. Take pictures. Dance like a fool. Call a taxi home. It makes for excellent conversation at your next dinner party. :)

3. Today is the Super Bowl. I have no idea who is playing in it, and I do not care. What I do care about is that I've got 2 fun parties to hit, and I hope my kids aren't in Red Alert: Meltdown mode for any of them. *Please sweet baby Jesus, let them be good. Amen*

4. Sloane Elise, if you could please start acting like you like your food again, that would be super. You liked squash yesterday, what gives? I dont slave over a hot steamer for my looks, little darlin'.

5. And finally, thank you Sam for taking a nap today. It decreases the chances of Red Alert:Meltdown mode later. You get a pony. :)

Have a terrific Sunday friends! If we don't, you'll be sure to hear about it. ;)

A visit from Grammy Lindsey

I am one of the lucky few people I know to still have living grandparents. A lot of my fondest childhood memories revolved around visits to grandma and grandpa's house. I was also lucky to have such awesome grandparents. My grandma taught me how to drive, and how to cook, and how to sew. She also taught me how to laugh, how to love, and how to treat others. She is pretty much the bee's knees.

A few weeks ago, we were delighted to have her come for an extended visit. She doesn't drive anymore, so my aunt brought her up from Dodge City. The kids and I had three weeks of grandma bliss. She kissed boo boos, gave snuggles, spoiled kids, and helped me perfect my pie crust. She gave me reassurance that I was a great mom, wife and friend. We talked a lot about her childhood, my mom's childhood, and my childhood. She also got some much deserved rest and pampering, which I was happy to provide for the small price of having someone to talk to amongst all of my life's craziness. I cried when she left, just like my great-aunt Lola used to when we left her house. Our house has been missing something since she left, and we look forward to stealing her away again very soon.

My grandma is very special, and I cherish these moments she gets to spend with my kids, and with me. Each day we have her is a gift. And, because of her last visit, I no longer have to do the walk of shame down the pasty aisle of the grocery store for pre-made crust. :)

Yes, I'm still here.

Hello out there. It's been a while since I've come to jot down some thoughts and give you all a few cute pictures to oogle. Well, my friends, the stuff of life has been keepin' us hoppin. Some of it fun stuff, some of it sad stuff...but all of it life.

JT and I took the kids to see Grandma Lolly and Aunt Marg one weekend. We think we finally got everyone their presents from the "Blizzard Christmas of 2009." Oh wait. I see a few more boxes upstairs. Darn. Well then, we're almost done. It was good for the kids to see grandma and their aunt, and Sam and Sloane got lots of grandma love. I'd like to show you a few pictures, but I forgot my camera that day. Bad mommy.

Let's see...what else is going on....OH! Sloane is walking. Everywhere. Up stairs and down, across rooms and down hallways. All while giving her mother a heart attack in the process. It's all bittersweet to me, since Sloane is my last baby (99.9% sure on this one)....and she's not a baby anymore. Pretty soon she'll be asking Daddy for that pony we've been promising her if she'll sleep through the whole night.

Sam continues to improve his language skills. A light clicked on in his little mind a few weeks ago, and he's begun saying tons of new words and phrases, one of them being "I love you mama." Makes my heart melt. Aside from the sweetness and words, his favorite thing to do lately is to run away when you're trying to dress him, change him, or get him in the car. You know, typical almost 3 year old stuff.

John continues to work too much, but we're still thankful that he's got a place to go to work, so I won't complain. :) We've been having fun planning out summer vacations, since this seems to be the year that all of my friends are getting married, all over the US. We look forward to some adventures in the coming months.

So, that's been our life in a nutshell. I promise to get back here more often and write, and of course supply the masses with darling pictures of my spawn. :)

Wintertime blah blahs

We've been laying low this winter. I mean waaaay low. We love the snow, but there is too much out there right now for tiny legs to walk in. We haven't been going to open gym because of what I like to call a "hygeine problem" with some of the equipment. There is still tons of funky illness out there. And so, I have been doing my best to make home fun. We camp out. We color. We put on crazy hats and go for adventures. Here's some photos.

Eating takes a lot out of you. That's why Sloane naps while dining.

All smiles from the pretty girl. Mama figured out a new function on her camera.

Sam and I were on an adventure with the Wonder Pets.

Sam the Monkey Monster. Scary stuff.

Christmas

Sorry I haven't updated for a while! The holiday rush got to me in a big way this year. Next year I must not procrastinate. (yeah right). Anyways, here's a few pictures from our Christmases this year.


My family Christmas is the weekend before the actual holiday. My parents got sick of having to share all of us with in-laws and outlaws, so they sacrificed spending the actual day together for spending more than an hour with each of us. It's worked out beautifully the past few years.

John's family Christmas was interesting this year. A blizzard dumped 8+ inches of snow in our part of the country right over the holiday, so many of his relatives came in shifts--when they could get out of their own driveways and down the highways safely. Some were unable to make it at all, including Grandma Lolly. :( Thankfully she was well taken care of, even if she was alone this year. We'll make it up next year, I hope!


Happy Holidays to everyone. I hope they were great for all of you!

Sloane looking at the tree

Aunt Kathy snuggles

Sam playing with his St. Louis cousins

How do you like your pizza, Laszlo?

Johnny shovelling after the blizzard.
Just a little bit of snow...

Sloane and her Uncle Justin

Sam unwrapping a gift from Nana and Papa

Daddy and his Cardinal girl

Sam decided to take a nap. In the middle of the dining room. At dinner time.

Sloane with her Aunt Megan and cousin Emery.

Emmy giving Sloane a snuggle.