I Double Dog Dare Ya!

It seems that I've misplaced my sweet, mama's boy of a toddler these past two weeks - all I can find in his place is a stubborn, independent little boy, who insists on doing everything himself without help & wants to have a say in everything. Might I say that I am just a smidgen proud of him though? Although some of our days have been a bit more tiring (for Mom) with all of the time that it takes to "do things by one's self," or for Mom to simply trail behind & clean up the messes that are created in the process. However frustrating I find this on some days, I can't help but smile to myself when I walk into the kitchen to see 8 cups on the counter, teetering dangerously close to the edge & overflowing with water, and a grinning toddler at the fridge water spout greeting me with "Are you thirsty Mom?"

Which brings me to my next point...with all of this new found independence, surely my son can learn to drink from a cup or water bottle like a "big kid." We have been taking to it quite well, but when offered a sip of this water yesterday at lunch, I respectfully declined.

Today I Feel Blessed

Today I am thankful for so many things - the gift of life, my family, and for our health & happiness. We are truly blessed.

A reminder to take some time today amongst all the craziness to stop & enjoy all the things that you are thankful for...

What I am Thankful For

Upon picking Wyatt up from preschool, I am always interested to see what art projects & such make it into his tote bag to come home. Usually it is a picture with a scribble or two on it (Wyatt takes after his buddy Linus when it comes to all things crafty), or a finger painted masterpiece to hang in the playroom.

Imagine my surprise when I opened his tote bag to find a specially made Thanksgiving card, addressed to Mom & Dad. "Happy Thanksgiving" it read, with a turkey on the front made out of his hand print. I opened it to find the following text:

I am thankful for...my zooming motorcycle!**

Well, a mother could have only hoped that it would have said "My family, my parents or better yet - my mommy," but after all he is only 2. Maybe next year :)

**Said "zooming motorcycle" is not something we own. It is something that we rode once at Toys R Us & has made it's way to the top of the Christmas list. Little does he know, the scooter that we so desperately wanted just a few months back is what will be under the tree, not the "zooming motorcycle"...we'll see if he's still thankful!

Monday

Hello Cleanliness! My, how I have missed you!

Watch out! I am on a serious roll here cleaning & de-cluttering at our house - if it gets in my way, I may just toss it! My newest motto is "If you are unsure, GIVE IT AWAY." After my fourth & final drop off at the local Salvation Army yesterday, I joked with an employee that I wouldn't be able to shop there for months, because the entire store could quite possibly be filled with all of my old goodies - and knowing me, I would repurchase them in a moment of weakness. In fact, each time I have driven past the store this week, I have looked to see if one of the manikins in the window is wearing one of the new, with tags, suits that I donated.

You see, our house seems to be constantly filled with stuff, and having a toddler has only made the problem worse - toys, clothes, baby gear - there simply isn't room for it all. Add to that a family with a fondness for the great outdoors & all the activities one could do outdoors (and need gear for) & we simply must purge. Of course I have been nagging my husband for years to help me clean our crap out of the attic, only to get up there this week & realize that the one box up there that is his is neatly organized. I kid you not when I tell you there were 6 large moving boxes filled with my #$%@. Rolling Stones & Entertainment Weekly's from 1999? Glad I moved with those, TWICE - what? I simply have an avoidance issue when it comes to these things - if I open a box filled with crap, I promptly shut the lid & tuck it away (PS - Don't ever look under my bathroom cabinets).

The past two weeks I have met my issue head on & have tackled some great projects. As cheesy as it sounds, at the end of the day I really have a great feeling of accomplishment. There is something about throwing things away that is simply liberating; Not to mention helping stock the local Salvation Army in time for the holidays. For those that have visited my house & always wondered what was behind door #5 in the upstairs hallway, allow me to introduce to you my guest bedroom:

This room used to be filled with unpacked bags from travel & all sorts of other useless things that would get shoved into a corner when a guest would stay. I would find myself apologizing each time, and promising it would be cleaned up for the next visit. When I tell you that I literally gave away everything in this room, I mean it - took the prints from the walls, the bed skirts & comforters from the beds, the mirror from above the dresser - It was awesome! After the organizing, I headed to Target with some cash I had tucked away for a project such as this & purchased some new bedding. The print on the wall & the mirror above the dresser, which I made several years ago, were already at our house. So I may not have the ultimate decorator's eye, but for a gal on a budget with simplicity & cleanliness in mind, I think I did pretty well.

The next thing I wanted to tackle was organizing our Playroom/Office. After sorting through the toys to put away what was no longer age appropriate, I picked up a few fun items at Target & the like to decorate the walls - I even got Wyatt's help with a few of them:

I am still working on the attic - it has been a HUGE one to tackle, but actually a great "escape" from my day-to-day routine. I have found countless boxes filled with old high school & college memories and it has become a daily trip down memory lane that I truly look forward to. Sometimes in all of the hustle & bustle of being a mother, I tend to forget my old self - looking through pictures & reading old journals has sort of reminded me of where I came from & reflect on where I am now - I am thankful that where I am now has put me in a more fashion forward place than I was whenever I was wearing the shimmery halter & crystal body art tattoos that I found, but that's beside the point. So, I may not be clutter-free for long, but for now it feels great to clean, organize & redecorate.

Master of the Lens

Wanted to share some of my favorite pics from our recent photo shoot with Jennifer, of J.B. Haygood Photography. I realize he is my child, but I just cannot stop looking at these - I love them! We can't stop singing her praises around here.

Dental Defiance

I am quickly learning that toddler's take everything you say quite literally - for instance, take this conversation I had with my son this morning who has developed a fear of the dentist, although never having been to one. What is even funnier was how this conversation got started. A few months ago, we ran over our Yellow Lab in our driveway. Yes, I said we - Wyatt & I were both in the car, and at the time I felt better having someone to share the blame with. It was chaotic, no doubt, but we got him to the vet & he got by with a few stitches & nothing broken - amazing. Keeping all this in mind, here's how breakfast began this morning:

Mom: How are your Cheerios?

Wyatt: (staring out the window in wonder) We ran over Scout in our driveway?

Mom: Yes, we did.

Wyatt: He's okay though - we took him to the Vet?

Mom: Yes, he went to the vet & they fixed him up, remember?

Wyatt: I don't have to go to the Vet?

Mom: No, just animals.

Wyatt: I go to the dentist?

Mom: Maybe one day - would you like that?

Wyatt: (look of paralyzing fear crossing his face) No, I don't want to go to the dentist

Mom: Well, you don't have to go anytime soon

Wyatt: If I get too much candy in my mouth? My teeth would fall out? Then I would go?

Mom: (trying to suppress laughter) Yes, then you would have to go

Maybe this will curtail the requests for "special treats," at least for today.

Time Keeps on Slippin'

Just a quick post to let you know that all is well here! We seem to have been so busy since the start of school - I have had so many ideas for posts & they have just never made it to the keyboard. But, hopefully with my new iPhone & constant contact with the web world, I should be able to update with a little bit more frequency.

Wyatt is loving school & really enjoying going every Tuesday & Thursday. When I pick him up, in his own little toddler language he tells me about his day - seems like each week he will elaborate a bit more. However, his teacher helped elaborate just how vocal he is, when she told me in the carpool line just last week that Wyatt essentially taught the class the word "penis" - ahh, motherhood moments to be proud of!

As of late, we have become quite fond of the film Toy Story. It all started one afternoon when we made Rice Krispie treats together & watched. He was immediately drawn to "Buzz & Woody," which is what we now call the movie around here. The part that cracks me up though, for those familiar with the film, is that he is MOST drawn to the evil neighbor kid Sid! Not because he tortures his toys & likes to blow them up (I hope!) but because he has braces!! The other night I caught him in the playroom holding a small piece of train track up to his teeth saying "These are my braces" and had a little chuckle to myself. He also LOVES this thing, which he refers to as "The Spider" - have you seen a scarier toy people?? It ends up having a good heart, but come on - if I came across this in our playroom now at night I would probably be frightened.

The obsession came to a head yesterday when we ventured to the theater for the 3D double feature of Toy Story & Toy Story 2. No part of me thought we would stay for even an hour of the first movie, let alone a double feature, but Wyatt managed to sit in my lap & enjoy a little popcorn for the entire first flick. Imagine my delight as he snuggled in my lap (I did have the blankies there for backup support - I mean, I was alone!), ate treats & watched a movie - one of my favorite things in the world & it truly was awesome to share this experience with him. Don't think we'll try it again anytime soon - saving it for special occasions seems to be the best idea.

Until we post again...

wyatt.i.am

For your viewing pleasure

Let the Crafting Begin!

I have always LOVED arts & crafts, so naturally it is something I have looked forward to sharing with my own child. Now that Wyatt is 2, it seems a little bit easier (read: less messy) to complete a few crafts. This past Sunday we got some new paints, stickers, feathers, glue sticks - all the good stuff for a toddler art project. After smocking up in one of my old A&F shirts, Wyatt took to the painting right away! Here are some pics of the fun:

From Boredom Comes Bliss

A little boating

Captain Wyatt aboard his helicopter

We must have done the tube slide 20 times

What better way to enjoy the awesome weather

A Slush Puppie treat

Four wheelin'

The carousel, which was the best 75 cents I've ever spent - the thing last 15 minutes!

Our wonderful Sunday at the park courtesy of Burlington City Park - people have been telling me for a long time that we should check it out. We found ourselves napless & bored this past Sunday - who knew that within 30 minutes of our house we would find so much fun! The best part about the 75 acre park was the reasonable prices and the friendly people working there.

School Year Resolutions

I always mark the end of summer after the passing of Labor Day. For some reason, although I have not been in school for many, many years, I still seem to think of the calendar year in semesters & school breaks. So, I am delighted for Wyatt to head off the preschool in just a few weeks, so I will have a valid reason for thinking that way.

It has been a crazy, busy summer - much more hectic than I thought back in May when PMO & other activities ended & I thought "What am I going to do this summer?" My resolution for the Fall is to become more organized & try to do a few more things for myself - that's right, I said myself - Me, me, me... there! I have a list a mile long of the things that I WANT to do, but often times an even longer list of the things I feel I need to do. With Wyatt in school 2 half days a week, I am hoping to use that free time to get back to my old self a bit - find a hobby, start a project - heck, maybe just sit home & drink coffee & watch The Today Show, you know? I think as mothers, it is important to find breaks for ourselves whenever we can, and feel okay admitting that there are plenty of days when we just want to scream. Hopefully this occasional free time will help me make it through those evenings when my hubby calls to say he won't be home till 8:00.

On my list for this Fall - here are a few things I am looking forward to:

1. Sitting somewhere with 1 of the 20 magazines we get at our house & a coffee (preferably a Pumpkin Spice Latte) for at least one hour, uninterrupted

2. Practicing the guitar

3. Catching up on my favorite morning programs for the first time in possibly 2 years

4. Window shopping & browsing at ____________ (fill in the blank with ANY store)

5. Having a chance to call & catch up with old friends that I have been meaning to get in touch with forever (I often say I will do this during naptime & then just either want to nap myself, or get caught up in household chores & the like)

Here's hoping that you all will make a list for the Fall & get breaks for yourself, whether you have children or not, whenever you can! In the meantime, enjoy the rest of your summer!

Bubblegum

Yes, that's me

... whose child is calling to me from the chalkboard in a crowded neighborhood yogurt joint "Mommy, draw a ding-dong, draw a ding-dong!" (Too bad only he & I know what he is trying to say is a "ding dong bell - aka a doorbell)

... who has the greasy hair & workout clothes on at The Little Gym, and not because I just came from the gym

... whose son "toots" in the bathtub, giggles & follows it up with "Mommy, pull my finger!" (Thanks Dad!)

... who thought it would be a good idea to zip into HT at 8:00 PM with my 2 year old. Sorry again to the other patrons in my checkout aisle who had to witness me wrestling Blow-Pop's away from my son.

... who seemed to be one of only 3 people (and the other two were with me) dancing and carrying on at the recent Coldplay concert. Come on people, how can you not move - at all - to music? I kid you not, it was a sea of stiff bodies that this Widespread lovin' hippie was not used to seeing.

... who might have a bit of trouble controlling the volume of my toddler's voice at the local library - what can I say? The kid gets excited about books & it's just too damn quiet in this place!

Life with a toddler has definitely gotten a bit more hectic - I now have a little person on my hands who is a total sponge. Each day has it's ups & downs - lately the downs are full of emotional tantrums & tears, but I know we will survive. I have to try to laugh as much as I can at even the worst moments because I know one day I will miss this little 2 year old ;)

Many "Speedy" Returns

**This never got posted, but I am putting it out there now & hope to have some more posts about our recent adventures soon! This has been one crazy, hot summer!!**

Well, this will be brief. My head is sort of spinning - we have been in Hilton Head for 5 days & have returned for 36 hours only to head down to Emerald Isle tomorrow morning. I had to throw in a few highlights from our trip down south though. Wyatt & I left on our road trip last Sunday & managed to make it down there in about 7 hours total (stops & all). Wyatt was an amazing companion on the road (even with no nap) - he brought some of my own childhood excitement back to stopping at McDonald's with play areas & going into big, colorful gas stations with all sorts of treats. We had an amazing visit with Miss Jean - we took in all the sights, sounds & playgrounds that the island had to offer - Mom & Jean even got a night off to see moe. Of course, if you asked Wyatt, the highlight of his trip would be seeing Speedy - Speedy is Jean's classroom pet hamster & it was love at first sight for Wyatt. Each morning he would check on Speedy & give us the play-by-play narration of what he was up to. I could ramble on & on, but thought I would post a few pics for now & one day I will catch up on here (I know I still owe a few birthday pics!)

Two Year Stats

When I think about how much time we spent at the doctor in the first two year's of Wyatt's life, with all of the baby check-ups, it seems hard to believe that the next time we have to go back for a visit is at the 3 year mark! Everything was great this morning, with the exception of a quick shot - we got over it quickly (yes, I do mean WE...do you know me???). Here are the updates:

Weight - 30.5 lbs (75%)
Height - 35 1/4 in (75%)
Head - 50.75 cm (90-95%) :)

'I Don't Like Those Babies..."

It's official! Wyatt is now 2 years old, and we had a big celebration to kick off age 2. Our backyard party seemed to be a success with lots of friends, family & of course BIG fun! I swear Wyatt didn't slow down for one second! We have lots of great pics, which I will post this week, but here is a favorite that I snagged from my friend Corrina's blog:

This morning when Wyatt got up, all he could talk about was going in the playroom to look at his new presents again - the child practically fell asleep with a golf club in his hand last night!! When I informed him it was time to head to The Little Gym to play with friends, he promptly rolled his eyes & said "I don't like those babies!" Ahh, they grow up so fast :)

Turning the Big T-W-O

I realize this is so cliche, but time flies when you have a kid - man does it ever! The first year seemed to sort of drag on a bit - not in the "is this ever gonna end" sort of way, but more in the "when will my baby (fill-in-the-blank with said milestone)" sort of way. This second year has absolutely breezed by in what seems like a heartbeat, and it is with great delight, but also much shock that we get ready to celebrate Wyatt's second birthday. In honor of the big T-W-O, here are a few of my favorite things from this past year:

1) Sitting at story time with my sister Carrie & her daughter Lily at the Southwest Branch (we miss you, please re-open soon!!). We were all in a circle, Wyatt was approaching 15 months & still not walking. All of a sudden he let go of my hands & just took of running towards the hand puppet the librarian was holding in the middle of the circle. He took 8 steps, and Carrie & I both literally shrieked with delight! Even the librarian knew they were his first official steps! It was of course touch & go from then on, but he did eventually get the hang of it!

2) Wyatt heading off to Parent's Morning Out in September - having a rough morning or two, but then becoming so attached to his great teacher there that he never hesitated to say bye each & every Thursday. (Did I mention how much I am missing this Thursday free time over this summer??) He really had so much fun there & picked up on so much - he wasn't even walking when he first went!! Seems crazy!!

3) The constant chatter that has surrounded me my whole life (have you MET my family??) has now been passed on to Wyatt, and it has been just truly amazing to watch him vocally turn into such a little person. My favorite recent example of how far we have come in a year - when he was first learning to talk, Wyatt used to look up at the duck decoy on our mantle & say "quack" - it really was one of his first words & ways of communicating with us. Over time Seth taught him that it was a bird, a duck, and furthermore it was a decoy. Well, fast forward to a recent trip to the Little Gym during 'Pirate Week.' Wyatt wonders off, as he often does during circle time there once the bells are put away, and next thing I know he's got his eyes fixated on something up on the parallel bars. Over the sound of Teacher Brooke singing I hear a faint little voice shouting "It's okay - that decoy won't scare you Mommy (repeat, repeat, repeat)" I follow his line of sight, only to see a fake stuffed parrot poised up on the bars...I almost cried with laughter.

4) Wyatt has become awfully fond of his playgroup buddies, and rightfully so - he has known most of them since he was a mere six weeks old. Every now & then he will ask me what one of them might be up to, or even recall a memory that he has shared with one of them - "Eat ice cream with Cadence at Bulls game," "See Abby Linus at Local Yogurt" (okay, so my kid's memories all currently involve sugary treats...oh well) I would be a much less sane person without some other mom friends to vent to, and it has become so much fun to watch all these babies grow & change :)

I could ramble on & on all night, as I am sure most parents could about their children at any age. Just wanted to share a few happy memories with you all, and it really was time to post something new on my blog :) Hopefully this will spark some fond memories of your own...

I Give Up

Yes...I am one of them. One of those people that has caved under society's pressures. As I type this post, I am sitting here for the second time today in my Crest Whitestrips. I also just applied Renova cream to my face, and just a few short weeks ago I covered my grays. I am 31, and I am caving to the pressures. But come on - My husband sent me bathing suit shopping the other day & I had a moment in a department store looking through suits where I thought "Why do I have to wear a "mom" suit? And furthermore, why do "mom" suits have to be so heinous?"

I guess you could say that recently my toddler is making me feel a little bit older than I am, and lately I am feeling a bit rundown. I mean, let's be honest - I certainly don't spend time on myself like I used to and if we are being really honest, there was a time in my life when I would shower each & every day. With showers sometimes few & far between now (sorry friends), and haircuts & the like happening with less & less frequency I have decided to at least take a few matters in to my own hands. If nothing else, it has made me feel like I am spending a little more time on me for now, which is never a bad thing, right?

You Wanna "Do It Yourself?" Fine by Mom...

Mom: Would you like a drinkable yogurt?
Wyatt: Yes please! Yes please!
Pause for 1 minute while he slurps the entire contents...
Wyatt: (furiously shaking empty yogurt container)Put this in the motorcycle! Put this in the motorcycle!
Mom: What motorcycle?
Wyatt: That motorcycle! (Pointing towards garage)
Mom: Ahhh...put it in the RECYCLE?
Wyatt: Yes please, yes please - RECYCLE! Put this in the recycle!

In addition to being handy with the recycling, Wyatt has begun to claim everything as "mine." This goes for the bagged salads in the grocery store when we are shopping, and for everything in the dollar area of Target - so watch out for us if you see us out shopping! The other day I was washing his breakfast dishes & he kept saying "That's my tray, that's my bowl" I finally broke down & said "Okay, if it's your stuff, why don't you wash it!" Which he did, proudly...

I also have again run out of steam for blogging more often because I have been answering the questions "What's in there?" or "What's that?" ALL DAY - no exaggeration people. Ahh, the joys of motherhood :)

Ode to Dad

As I think all mothers & wives are guilty of at some point in the marriage, I often kid my husband about how the Mom is the one that does it all - cooks, cleans, takes care of baby, etc, etc...we've all been there. It wasn't until I have found myself all alone this week that it dawned on me what 'Dad's' biggest job is - moral support for 'Mom.' Who do I vent to? What about when I need another adult to make me feel sane?

I am lucky enough to have a husband that does much more than just come home at night & listen to me bitch, but for simply doing that I am thankful - it might be the best thing my husband does for me & my sanity!! So, until you return hubby, i will try my best to keep my sanity in check & our household in order ;)

Do It "Big Boy"

Besides the words "Mommy pick Wyatt up," which usually comes out sounding like one big strung together word, especially when we are cranky, Wyatt's latest favorite phrase is "do it big boy." "Do it big boy" can mean anything from drinking a drink with no lid on it, to trying to go pee in the toilet, to climbing the stairs holding onto the railing & not my hand. Needless to say, he has been keeping me on my toes, and hence the reason I have not had a lot of free time for blogging lately. In a quick recap, here is what we have been up to lately:

Strawberry Picking - I picked, Wyatt prepared for a future in competitive eating. I swear the child ate a pound of berries out there & had the red beard to prove it!

Water, Water Everywhere - Wyatt has become quite fond of water - running through the sprinkler with Mom & Dad has become a new favorite, as well as splashing in the baby pool. Most recently, Wyatt enjoying wading into the ocean at the beach - the child has no fear!!

Grocery Shopping - We had our first test drive with the child-sized cart at Food Lion the other night, and Wyatt was quite the shopper. He went for the produce & the fruit - even putting his own items on the scanner at the register & asking the lady to please "beep it" (that's how he knows we have paid for something)

Dancing - Wyatt has really become fond of dancing - maybe because his two cousins do it all the time, but this kid loves music! Any time there is music playing, you can count on him to cut a rug...

Being like Daddy - Now that Wyatt is almost two, he wants to also try to do a lot of the things that Daddy does. He has enjoyed a couple of trips with Pop & Dad up to the hunting cabin for fishing

"Mommy Back" - Getting better about learning that Mom always comes "back" when Wyatt goes somewhere on his own, whether it is PMO, the nursery at church or even my guitar lesson. The book 'Mama Always Comes Home' has been great too!

Snip, Snip

It was time, as much as it saddened me...

Watching Planes & Sipping Coffee

This morning we ventured into Beaufort, NC with Nanny & Papa. It was an exciting morning looking at the boats on the water, the planes in the sky & then stopping for coffee (chocolate milk). Wyatt was thrilled to meet both a large kitty cat on the docks (which he yelled "Pickles" to, Amy) & then a dock hand's Jack Russell!

Always Have a Camera Handy

Gettin' Our Groove On

After being cooped up in the house all week with bathroom renovations going on & with Seth out of town, Wyatt & I decided to venture out this afternoon to check out the Shakori Hills Grassroots Festival in Silk Hope, NC. We had a great time - I felt like my old self at a hippie music festival, only this time responsible for a small child of course... Here are some pics from our adventures!

Wyatt's favorite part was riding into the festival on the trailer being pulled by a real farm tractor!

Enjoying some bluegrass by Big Fat Gap

Looking at the wooden carvings for sale - this one looked a bit like Santa

Wyatt spotted this chicken behind the food stand!!

Enjoying some delicious festival food

Rolling in the grass laughing...doesn't get much better than this

Very intrigued by the people hula hooping

Enjoying an ice cream cone from a local creamery