Wordless Wednesday: Boys Will Be...

...in trouble when left alone with 3 girls at playgroup!

Wordless Wednesday: Wish We Were There (Again)

Got Cucumbers?

Wordless Wednesday: Like Father, Like Son

My Thumb Turns Green

I'll just start by saying this - I had NO idea how difficult gardening was for one person to tackle. I will be the first to admit that when we moved into our new house & I spotted the garden bed, I envisioned myself out there with the hose, cute garden clogs & adorable hand painted signs for all of my plants. Fast forward a few short months, and I sit here at my desk after 1 1/2 hours of weeding, dripping with sweat & covered in mud, dirt & the occasional bug...

Let me make it clear though - I have really enjoyed gardening. In fact, it was last night that I first realized it. We have been in & out of town for the past few weeks and that, coupled with the enormous amounts of rain we have had have all put a bit of a damper on my garden plans. I am thankful for the rain, but when plants grow, so do weeds (at am alarming rate I might add). It had been several days, if not a week, since I had been able to get in there & it was a mess!

I'll spare you my sob stories about being 26 weeks pregnant, in the hot sun, and at Home Depot trying to find ANYONE who could help a lady with child (and with toddler) get a few tomato cages free from their shelf...(as a side note, lately I feel chivalry is dead). Back to last night - my husband & I are sitting on the sofa & here's how the conversation goes:

Seth: "Have you looked at your garden today?"

Me: "Earlier, but not up close"

Seth: "It looks like some deer ate your cucumber plants down to the nub..."

Me: silence

Seth: "They seemed really short"

Me: (did I mention I am 26 weeks & hormonal?) "No..(tears)...really...(crying)...but...(full blown sobbing)

Seth: Silence, as he realizes just how attached I am to said garden, and maybe he should have used more sensitivity in bringing up it's destruction

We then took a flashlight down & checked things out. Turns out there was one plant that had gotten some nibbles, but the rest were okay. I am learning that there are certain odds that need to be taken into account with gardening as well - for instance, I planted 8 tomato plants. 2 died as soon as I transplanted them to my garden, and now 4 more look a little weak. Even if I only get one little green tomato out of all of this, I will be pleased. But, don't mess with Mama's garden - there are a lots of blood, sweat and yes, tears that have been put into it!

There are only a few veggies in there, as I am still very much a first timer at this - here are some updates on how my garden grows:

Tomato Plants

Pepper Plants

Carrots

Mint

Cucumbers

Go On, Get Out There!

This past weekend the family & I ventured out on our first camping trip. It was supposed to be Mother's Day weekend, but a stomach bug postponed the trip. My hubby & I had been anxiously awaiting this trip, and had talked for a few years now about when the right time would be to take a rising 3 year old - we could not have timed it better!For starters, we are huge fans of the NC State Parks system, and now that you are able to make reservations online & via telephone, instead of "first come, first served," it makes planning that much easier. We selected Hanging Rock State Park for it's proximity from our home (less than 2 hour drive west) & the activities. They have plenty of well appointed family campgrounds & very easy access to water, bath houses, hiking trails, etc. For those that are feeling a bit more inclined to stay closer to the indoors, they even have cabins to rent!

We have always been avid "outdoors people," with our most recent trip to the Canadian Rockies being a 5 day ultralight backpacking excursion. This trip was a serious change of pace, and a real luxury when it comes to camping - coolers, air mattresses, real food (not the dehydrated variety) - this preggo was in heaven ;)

All in all, the trip was a total success with just the right mix of downtime & adventure. After heading to bed fairly late Friday night, Wyatt slept until 8:15 on Saturday morning! Slept through all of the other kids at the campground riding around past the site on their scooters & bikes, and the early morning sounds & smells of campfires & breakfasts being made. A hike lasting a few short miles on Saturday to a waterfall kept us busy, as well as story time up at the Hanging Rock Visitor's Center. Of course there was plenty of time set aside for enjoying a campfire, as well as roasting first marshmallows.

No matter what your level of camping/outdoor experience is, I think anyone would enjoy a camping trip to one of the awesome State Parks in our system. Here are some tips I can share after going with a toddler:

1) Get them their own flashlight - we selected one that was both a lantern & a flashlight. This way, we had the ones we needed, then he had his own to play with all night. We also grabbed a few glow sticks from the dollar bin, which were both entertaining & can serve as a night light in the tent.

2) We purchased a family tent that divides into 2 rooms, which definitely made it easier for all parties to sleep through the night. Wyatt knew we were right next door, but we didn't have to feel like we were right on top of each other. The tent we selected has plenty of room for more than one child on each side, plus each side had it's own door making it easier for Mom & Dad to come to bed after everyone else was asleep without disturbing them.

3) The other purchase we loved for the trip was a kid's Aerobed. Wyatt is still not in a bed, but even so, this mattress has 4 inch sides to it, so throughout all the tossing & turning each night (and there was plenty of it) he never rolled out onto the ground. It came with a fleece sheet, so all he needed was a blanket over top, or even just some warm footed PJ's this time of year in NC. I am already looking forward to using the bed again on vacations & hotel trips.

4) Although being away from all the things we rely on everyday - cell phones, PDA's, Internet, TV, etc - it was such a nice break for us. Wyatt absolutely loved all the undivided & uninterrupted attention from Mom & Dad, as any child would. We were also able to put him to task on quite a few things that he seemed to find pretty rewarding - finding different sized sticks to help with the fire, holding the tent stakes for Dad, helping hammer in the tent stakes & most importantly how to roast a good marshmallow.

Here are some favorite pics from the trip - I hope it inspires you to get out & enjoy the great outdoors with your little one(s) this spring & summer!

This post was cross-posted at Triangle Mamas as well - stop by there for a few more pics!

The Luckiest Boy

Wordless Wednesday: So Proud

Garden Update

Things are moving along, although slowly, with the new garden. Wyatt & I started with the seeds that needed to begin life inside, and plan on putting the others in this weekend. This was going to be a mother/son project, but I broke down & had to enlist the help of my hubby for some of the grunt work & weed pulling. We have laid down our soil & manure & this morning I bought some paint for the garden signs we are going to craft - if nothing grows in there, which is highly likely, at least it will look cute, right? If the inside plants are any indication of how things will turn out, it appears I will need to open a tomato stand in front of the house, but should not count on eating any peppers this summer ;)

Things Are About to Get Uncomfortable

Why do I say this? Last night, hubby & I were discussing how it's about to be time to switch Monkey from the crib to a big boy bed, and from diapers to the potty. We have constant discussions about where we should start first, and with a baby coming in September it would be excellent to have both things worked out in plenty of time before #2 is here. Our problem? Things are very comfortable for us right now...don't hate me when I say this (please), but my kid sleeps in his crib from 7:30 PM until almost 8:00 AM every night, and naps from about 1:30 PM until typically about 4:00/4:30 most days - and has never tried to get out of said crib. Yes, you are thinking you wouldn't change anything either, right?

So, I have decided to tackle potty training first, at least for now. If things go south, I can move onto the bed situation. Wyatt has shown a definite interest in the toilet, and even selected some big boy underwear at the store this week. We have had a lot of talks about it, read about it, etc. So, now I am opening it up to some advice. If anyone has tips or tricks that have worked, or not, please share...we probably won't give it a go until the weekend.

He's ALL Boy

Homegrown

One of my favorite things about our new house was the garden in the front yard that was nicely laid out by the previous owners. My husband would tell you that after years of nagging him about helping me put together a garden, I finally gave up. So, imagine my delight when we looked at this house & I saw that a lot of the work had been done for me!

The garden has railroad ties around it, as well as a small fence (that I will probably have to raise, considering the wildlife around this place). There were even some herbs in there, sort of on their last leg, and asparagus, if you can believe it!

I decided that this would be a project Wyatt & I would take on together. Surprisingly for a 2 year old, he is really interested in it. For the past 2 afternoons we have shopped for the necessary supplies - letting him pick out some seeds & talking about what vegetables will begin to grow in there. Yesterday we even pulled the weeds & old existing plants, tilled the soil a bit & got ready to put down some new soil & manure - again, he was very intrigued.

I can only hope that this fascination will last (and I secretly wish he was strong enough to hold a larger rake & hoe). We'll begin planting in a few weeks, with a few of the plants beginning their life inside, like the peppers & tomatoes. I'll keep the blog updated with photos, and let you know when you can drop by for a salad!!

Have you started or maintained a vegetable garden? If so, I would love any tips or advice!

Routine Reminder

After almost 2 1/2 years of the same bedtime routine with Wyatt, there are evenings when my husband & I just go through the motions because we are all so used to what comes next. I remember hearing somewhere that whatever habits you begin for bedtime at 3 months will stick with your kid, so at 3 months we started giving a bath, putting on PJ's, reading a book, turning lights out, singing a song & going to bed. Of course with age, we have added in time now for brushing teeth & selecting books.

As Wyatt approaches the age of 3, bedtime seems to have gotten more & more fun (for us at least!). He knows his routine, and often reminds us of what will come next - "We're brushing our teeth, then getting our race car PJ's on Mama." Every now & then he makes us laugh with his book selection, throwing in comments like "I'll pick this one, it's not too long," when he knows it's a later bedtime than normal or "Are you sick of this one Mama?" when he senses I might be tired of reading one for the 25th time that week.

The best part though is how the routine changes with age. Now, we read Wyatt a book and he gets to have a turn "reading it back to us." Books are not simply just listened to, there is plenty of time allotted for questions & answers on any given page - "What's he saying?" "Where are they going?" We sing that same bedtime song that we have for 2 1/2 years - Baa, Baa Black Sheep & now Wyatt sings along.

Just in case you should forget part of the routine, don't worry about Wyatt reminding you. My father was here babysitting the other night without the help of my mother, which he would admit he often takes for granted. When we arrived home, he mentioned to us that in the midst of the bedtime routine, he had forgotten to brush Wyatt's teeth. I told him no worries, Wyatt probably didn't even notice. Fast forward to the next morning - I hear Wyatt get up, and after several minutes go into his room. The first thing he blurts out to me in a panic?

"Papa forgot to brush my teeth!!"

A New Outlook on Life

I had this long, droning post about how miserable it has been packing, unpacking, moving & dealing with a toddler who has been sick, but then I looked out my back window this morning & decided that things weren't so bad.

Hippity Hop

I must apologize for my lack of blogging - instead of yammering on & on about how we are trying to pack & move, etc, etc I just thought I would share an old photo that I came across tonight. Someone just said to me tonight at The Home Depot "They grow up so fast" - it really is true!

And, in about a week or so, I promise to be back in the blogging world with a few funny stories I have saved up & some great pics I have snapped with me new camera! Until then...

Wordless Wednesday: Young Love

Courtesy of http://pageuponpage.blogspot.com/

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

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