Start your engines....

The renovation begins tomorrow. But before they could start we needed brick......and low and behold look what showed up today.

This was a dream come true for a Noah, an 18 wheeler parked in front of his house with a tractor on it too!

Noah watched as the man unloaded the little tractor thing and he was amazed!

Then we watched as it drove the brick all the way up the driveway, we even walked over and peered around for a closer look.

At one point, Meredith came and squatted in front of Noah blocking his view of the "Vroom, Vroom!" He didn't fuss, he just got up and moved over for an unobstructed view.

Oh my beautiful Old Chicago brick.


Telling the truck "Baahh!" or bye....but if you use the Mississippi twang, it is more of a Baahh! This was a sad moment for Noah. It isn't everyday an 18 wheeler pulls up to your house. And for you Noah, I made sure I documented it!

She rocked it!

Today was Meredith's end of the year performance for her little school. Picture 24 two and three year olds on stage, singing! It was too adorable for words! While most of the 24 children sat there wide eyed or confused (check out the little guy next to Meredith....I think he is trying to figure out why all the mom's and dad's are at school)....Anyway most of them sat there, but not my girl. She totally rocked it! She sang every song, she did all the motions and was great! Her and about 4 other little girls were the only ones! My baby has come such a long way this year. She loves school, she loves homework and she loves Mrs. Jenny.


Rocking it during the Alligator song

Still rocking it!

One proud mommy!
Meredith sitting with her little class mates

A gymnast in the making....maybe

Last week, Noah started gymnastics. Every week for 17 months now, Noah has been dragged to the gym to watch his sister tumble, run, swing and play. Every week for the past 8 months Noah has beat on the glass begging and pleading to be able to join in the fun.

Last week he did just that. He didn't join his sister's class, but we joined the Mom and Tot class. When we walked into the gym last week without Ta-ta, he lit up. He walked in with a smile from ear to ear and joined right in on the fun. No hesitation, no hanging back with momma, no brief second to even think about what he was doing. He joined right in.

The kids start by running around like wild animals, he did great at this. They hold onto little discs and pretend it is a steering wheel and they are the cars and say "beep, beep!" Now whenever he runs he says "beep! beep!"

They then sat down and did stretches by pretending to make pizza and smell their toes, this part was more of a challenge for my Noah. While he can keep up with the other kids with running, his following directions skills still need some work. I mean he is only 17 months old and significantly younger than the other kids. So the stretching routine involves me herding him back to the group, while he arches his back and screams at the top of his lungs for me to let him go.

This week, I changed my approach on the stretching and just joined in with the others while he stood and watched and often wandered away. His teacher and I would do our best to get his attention and he would wander back over to the group occasionally.

Then comes the fun part....the part he is a pro at or at least tries damn hard to be... the crawling through tunnels, climbing over mats, climbing up arches and ladders, walking on the balance beam, jumping on the trampoline, jumping in general and jumping into the "pit!"

He loves this class, he thinks he is a big kid and for one hour he wears himself and me out! After he completes each task he stands and yells "YAY!" Now all the kids yell that when they are finished too.

Next week I will try and bring a camera to catch this little gymnast in action!

I think it lasted a month....maybe...

After reading all of my friend's that live in my town status' on facebook about their children having a fever virus I had two thoughts....

....wow we have been well for what seems like a while now
.....shit, I'm sure we are going to get this virus now.

And I was right on both accounts. It has been a while since the kids were sick....me not so much....have you read about my kidney stones, my birthday hangover and my ER trip? Yeah me not so much, but the kids have been just great! Until yesterday....

Meredith woke up with a low grade temp. She stayed home from school and was quite ornery and miserable. Her fever went away but was back that evening.

Noah is great, he doesn't have a fever and hasn't slowed down a bit. Although he did lay on my lap this morning for about 30 minutes to watch Sesame Street. This is a record, the boy never sits still. EVER. But my boy is generally very healthy aside from those pesky ears.

So yes, we are down with the illness again. Josh and I actually have a dinner to go to tonight and when I texted our baby/big girl sitter, she told me she didn't mind taking care of my Mere with a fever. And honestly when I told Meredith I'd stay home tonight and take care of her....she cried for Ms. Carrie.

So we are going to try and venture out tonight.

In other news the renovation is scheduled to start next week. Did I tell you about it? Yeah I'm having walls torn out, walls put in, loads of brick work, a fireplace ripped out, a brick one built in, floors ripped out, floors put in, cabinets and granite ripped out, with more cabinets and granite put in. It should be a fun time. They estimate I will be out of the kitchen for at least 4 days. I will also be without a washer and dryer for about 3 weeks. Thank goodness I have a new friend moving in the neighborhood and my mom is only a hop, skip and jump away.

The first installment has been paid, the brick and sand will arrive Monday and an exact start date will be given Monday as well, but tentatively they will begin in the latter part of next week. I already can't wait until it is finished.

Josh and I are also discussing starting another major renovation project, adding a huge bonus room over our garage. I guess we will see how our kitchen/living room project go first.

Well that is my life right now in a nutshell. I'm hoping to have a weekend soon to go relax at Mimi and Poppa's new beach condo....we all know I need it! Also if you are interested in renting a condo in the lovely Gulf Shores, email me for the friends and family rate.

When did this happen?

18 months ago he was in my belly, how did we go from there to here so quickly? Isn't he such a serious, little handsome man?

What she says....At least she's honest

Meredith and her little friend Adalyn in a private conversations....

Adalyn - "My house is always clean."

Meredith - "Well my house is NEVER clean"

We are officially country now

Today at witching hour, I decided to do something different from our normal drive way play. You see at 4pm everyday (or witching hour) I go outside and lift all three garage doors, pull out my lawn chair and let the tikes drive their various bikes, scooters and power wheels. Yes, we have enough to invite the entire neighborhood over and every child ride on something....it is obnoxious. We normally sit out there until Josh pulls up and relieves me.

Today though I took a walk on the wild side and proved just what living in Mississippi for 3 and a half years can do to you. I left the ride on toys in the garage, stripped the tikes down to their diaper and panties, turned on the faucet that sticks out of the side of the house and shoots water onto the driveway and called it a sprinkler.

At first both tikes looked at me like I had lost it. This is not something I normally do. I am one of those moms that thinks you shouldn't get wet if it is too cool or the water is too cool, because that makes you sick and all that. But then I thought, hell we are sick all the time anyway let's just cut loose. Noah wasted no time on taking advantage of this very unusual situation, he jumped right in and my very cautious Meredith followed suit.

And for those of you that know me, don't just assume I have lost it, I think this decision was based on the fact that I wrote a fat check today as the first installment for our major renovation, that or I am losing it.....I mean it was sort of chilly today and the water was frigid and no one in our neighborhood plays in the faucet that the hose normally attaches to, to wash a car. I had a red-neck sprinkler and it didn't cost me a dime.

But trust me it gets better. Josh was home and we were sitting in the lawn chairs watching our kids have the time off their life when Meredith informed us she had to potty. She was soaked, her panties were soaked, her hair and her naked little body. It was chilly inside and so I told her just pull down her pants and go squat in the grass in the front yard and make quick tinkles. Then she truly looked at me like I had lost it. Perhaps she knew this behavior was against the neighborhood covenants. Julia, I promise this doesn't happen in this neighborhood often. So my little rule followerer was not very sure.....

"What momma? I no tinkle in da grass! I NEED A POTTY"

So I explained that it was okay in certain situations and this was one of them. Later on I will also explain the whole Mardi Gras thing as well. So she did as she was told and walked over, squatted and tinkled then she asked how she should wipe. I told her to just go rinse off in the water and she did. I wonder what that implies about my mothering skills? Oh well, it saved us from drying off to go inside in the cool house to tinkle....what the hell right?

The fireman and the princess

Today we went with a local playgroup to the fire station. I thought Meredith might be into it, but I knew Noah would be. I was right, I just might have a future fireman on my hands. He loved the big trucks and the sirens and he was pretty fond of the firemen and fire dog too.


Mom I suggest you step back, this is a pretty big truck I'm driving here.

And while Noah was very into the fire station visit, Meredith Aurora was not. She didn't want to hear the sirens, she was indifferent about getting to go inside the fire truck, nor did she care that much for the fire dog. Her real concerns were making sure to poof up her dress like a princess when she sat down and whether or not her fire hat went with the dress.

Hey there fireman....how old do I have to be to get a gig driving this thing?

Really mom, does this hat go with my dress?

Me and the tikes in the fire truck. Notice my hands acting like a restraint on Noah, the minute the picture was snapped he was up and trying to get in the drivers seat.

This place is so cool, now if that momma lady would just let me go where I want!

Hmmm I wonder if those words say "Noah's truck"......how should I go about getting up there.

Here is the only picture of both of my kids together. I literally was running around chasing Noah who just wanted to get into the fire truck.

Here he is scoping out a fireman to put him back in the truck. He had no time for Sparky the fire dog.

Hi Mom, I told you I'd find a fireman willing to put me back in the truck. You can go home now, I'm staying with these guys!

As we were leaving I told Noah to tell the firemen bye. He turned and looked at me and said "Bye" with his Mississippi twang and then walked back over to the firemen. I pretended to leave to see if he would cry or get upset. He didn't, in fact he didn't get upset until I made him leave with me. I'm sure we will have another visit to the fire station in our future!

Trading in realtors for contractors

So since the house is now off the market and some place we plan on staying for a VERY LONG time. (I am saying those words with a very exaggerated voice, in case my husband is reading this, I need him to pay for the renovations after all.) So since we are planning on "hunkering down" as Josh would say, I have decided to make a few changes.

I do love my house, I love the yard, the location, the kitchen, I just want to change a few major things with it. Short of taking out all the cabinets I am giving it a complete overall. I can't wait to post the before and after pictures, hopefully that will be soon. As each contractor comes my detail and vision grows drastically. Josh was able to meet up with the latest contractor to come by and as I was explaining in detail what I wanted, Josh didn't realize I had made several plan changes along the way. Thankfully he likes all my new plans and has agreed to at least hear the estimates for the work.

The tikes are helpful as always. I have had multiple contractors and brick layers in and out the past three days. Measuring floors and cabinets and spaces where I want walls and arch ways. Noah follows them around with his own tape measure and Meredith follows them around asking "what are dey doing to our kitchen" in her most worried voice. While I pester them all with details of what I want and what I most certainly do not want and with the most important question of "and exactly how long will this all take?"

My answers on that last one are pretty comical ranging from 3 days to 2 months. I know, what the hell? But in the end I am hoping it is all worth it. Heck, I don't have to clean a damn thing for the contractors to come by so things are already better than they were last month.

So now you can travel with me through my renovations, won't this be fun?

You make me smile

Today we were playing outside in the driveway with bubbles and buckets of water when you turned over one of the buckets on top of yourself. You never cried or moved, you continued to pour it out on top of your legs. You sat there for a while in the cool water and then started splashing in the puddles. You had a smile from ear to ear and you never fussed.

Today you got a wash cloth out of the cabinet and you lifted up the toilet seat and started dunking it in. You did this over and over while laughing and squealing and making sure you had my attention. When you were sure you had my attention you lifted the wet wash cloth to your mouth and started sucking on it. I screeched and took it away and you just smiled. I was completely grossed out and you were so happy. You had a smile from ear to ear and never fussed.

Yesterday you were watching your sister play with her little ponies. You wanted to join in so bad. You walked over and got one of your own, mimicking her actions and sounds. You were playing ponies just like she was. You were so proud. When she saw what you had, she threw a fit and marched over and grabbed it out of your chubby little hands. You then went and got a different pony and started playing again. You never cried or yelled or bit her. You had a smile from ear to ear and never fussed.

Last week I dragged you in and out of various stores running errands while you sister was in school. We picked up stuff for Easter and her birthday and groceries. You sat in the cart like a big boy, waving to everyone who passed us. You said "hi" and "bye" to everyone who would listen with your little Mississippi twang. You were adorable and made my heart melt over and over. You got in and out of your car seat at least 8 times. You had a smile from ear to ear and never fussed.

The other night we went and got ice cream cones. You got your own. It was in a cone and quite the mess. You tried it and thought it was very cold and were a little hesitant. You watched as your sister devoured hers and then began to eat with gusto. It was all over your face and hands and in your lap. You were sitting in ice cream soup. You loved it. You had a smile from ear to ear and you never fussed.

I'm not sure what I did so right to deserve you. Your easy going personlity is so very different than my own. You smile never wavers, you hugs are always available, your laughter is contagious. You melt my heart over and over. There is nothing in life like a little boy. I love you so much and count my blessings daily that you are mine. I love you my little Noah.

Look at this face...

Does this look like a little man that could get into trouble? Of course not!

Where's the logic....what she says

Tonight I was tucking my exhausted tike into bed. We were talking all about the Easter bunny coming tonight and how she had to go to bed so he will come to her house too.

"Go to sleep bug, the Easter bunny will be here soon?"

"Where is he?"

"Right now he is at Grace and Adalyn's house and if you go to sleep he will be here next?"

And then she sings "here comes peter cotton tail, hopping down da bunny trail...hippity, hoppity, Easter's on it's way.....he's got jelly beans for noah, colored eggs for Merediff too.....Momma I no want da jelly beans, I want da colored eggz"

"That's right, now go to sleep, I think I hear him"

listens intently to the noise the "bunny" is making downstairs

"Mom is dat him?.....I wanna go see him....les go!"

"No bug, you can't go down and see him, you can only see him at the mall"

Then she looks at me puzzled "but why momma, why I can't see him tonight....why only at da mall?"


You know kid, it makes no sense to me either, it's just the way it works. When you have a brand new three year old and a 17 month old and are exhausted from a day of birthday party festivities, an easter egg hunt and a crawfish boil, then you will see the logic too!

Three years, two trips to the hospital, two very different outcomes

On April 9, 2009, at 10pm I told Josh that we needed to go to an immediate care. They were closed, so we wound up in the ER. I woke up yesterday morning feeling really off, nauseated, stomach cramps, totally not myself. By 1pm I had thrown up and let me tell you it wasn't pleasant. For the next 9 hours I continued to vomit, with no relief. I couldn't hold anything down and was so weak and felt awful. Josh gave me some nausea medicine and it did nothing for me, so that is how we found ourselves in the ER where I was treated for dehydration and given some meds that took the edge off the nausea.

On April 9, 2006, at 6am I told Josh that we needed to go to the hospital because my water broke. It definitely did, well at least it had the second time I told him. We jumped in the car and headed to the hospital. There I was admitted and began to wait for the arrival of my first child, my Meredith.

On April 10, 2009, I came home at 1:30am still nauseated and the only thing I got from that trip was a pink bucket to vomit in and some prescriptions.

On April 10, 2006, at 12:03am I welcomed the most beautiful baby girl into the world. She was tiny, she was loud and she was perfect.

Today my baby girl is three. It seems like just yesterday she was born. However, yesterday I was sick and she was so sweet and wanted to take care of me.....where does the time go? I don't know how we got to this point. Sometimes I wonder what I am doing? if I am doing things right ?and then I look at her....her manners, her kindness, her personality, her positive attitude, her little quirks and I know that I am doing something right.

Happy Birthday my sweet girl!

It only took 2 days

of my house not being on the market (and actually I think it is still listed with MLS) for my house to explode! I kid you not. We were slobs just busting at the seams for the past two months. No wonder I was always on edge and ready to break down in tears. I was exhausted from all the Cinderella-ish type work I was doing. And by Cinderella-ish I don't mean dancing in a lavish gown at the ball.....no not that type of work.

I would show you pictures, but I am so embarrassed I just can't. Here are some updates on the kids....

Meredith
- is going to be 3 in 2 days...sniff, sniff
- knows her entire tap dance for the dance recital
- can open all the doors in the house and let herself in or out
- can dress herself and put on her own shoes - hallelujah
- wears short sleeves on occasion
- loves school
- insist on blueberry pancakes or pop tarts for breakfast and then eats her brother's oatmeal
- loves to sing and dance
- is into my little pony right now
- is getting way to big for her britches
- is starting to write some letters
- can recognize all of her letters and numbers to 10
- is in LOVE with the color pink
- thinks space chimps and doodlebops rule the world
- still loves woody and jesse
- thinks her momma is a princess


Noah
- went up a whole shoe size in 2 weeks
- is saying lots of words
- loves balloons and says "boon, boon, boon" all day long
- loves to find and point to the moon while saying "mooooooon"
- will bite his sister and then walk and put his hand out for me to slap and then do the sign for "sorry" to his sister
- is still a biter
- also plays with my little pony, when his sister doesn't loose it and lets him
- loves to play with his big sister
- loves to ride in the stroller
- will eat anything you put in front of him
- can easily polish off a bowl of instant oatmeal in the morning
- can identify his belly, eyes, nose and mouth
- points to the top of his head when you ask where Noah is?
- has no fear
- is still a climber
- thinks he can orchestrate the choir at church
- loves to drive his sister around in the barbie pink jeep
- loves oreos
- is so lovable and gives the biggest bear hugs
- is such a sweetheart
- knows his momma is a princess

Has it been a week?

Has it really been a week? I just needed a break....know what I mean? I mean sometimes you just have to kick back with a drink and let the world go round while you watch in la-la land. That was me, but in my break here is what happened....

I turned 30
I got a blackberry
I had lithotripsyI got violently ill from coming off pain meds
I got violently ill from tequila
I ate 3 different birthday cakes 3 days in a row
I celebrated a birthday for the first time in 4 years without being pregnant or nursing
I got some awesome birthday gifts
I fell in love with my own house or the prospect of never having to show it again
I took my house off the market
I had dinner with friends
I celebrated my birthday with my 91 year old grandfather
I cried
I laughed
I reminisced....alot....I miss you Rocky....I didn't know that until I was stupid drunk...I think Josh misses you too!
I mopped my floors...this is a BIG deal!
I ran errands
I lost my mind
I found it, but it is still not working correctly
I realized how much I love my children
and my mother
and especially my husband


But the good news is I am back! I am going to blog again, because now that I don't have to keep the house constantly ready for showings I can sit on my ass do other productive things like blog.

So internets did you miss me? did you even notice my absence? Yeah yeah, you could just make me feel good and say hello!