Another year older

Today the man of my dreams, is another year older. Is it me or do the years just fly by now? I swear I don't think of him as a day older than thirty, which means I am not a day older than twenty-four. Oh yes a girl can get used to that.

At thirty I threw him a surprise party at Hooters in Nola. At thirty-six I threw him a birthday dinner at home with friends, family and the kids. It's funny how things have changed and how much we love the change that has happened.

In the past 6+ years that I have known this wonderful man I have seen him grow and change and age so gracefully. He went from a resident wearing shirts that said "I have friends you just can't see them" to a devoted husband and father. He went from sleeping in on his days off to never sleeping past 7am. He has learned how to make donut runs and do one of the most romantic things ever night after night....the dishes. He has learned how to fix everything from a scratched knee to a broken heart. He has learned to play princess and dollhouse along with trains, plains and automobiles. He easily learned how to speak toddler-ease and differentiate cries, he has perfected his diaper changing skills and hair washing skills during bath times. He has grown into one of the best hands on fathers around.

Happy Birthday to the man that makes my dreams come true day after day and who loves me and my children more than anything. I hope you had a fabulous day.....you definitely deserved it! Here is to many more......I love growing old with you grey hairs and all.

what she says - a baby sister

Tonight I was babysitting a friend's two pouty princesses. Meredith is love with the baby princess and wants one of her very own. As she was helping me give Marion her bottle here is what she said....

"Momma I wanna go to da store and get one of deese babies tomorrow....okay?"

"Um, baby it doesn't quite work like that."

"No momma I want one of deese.....a girl baby.....just like marion"

"Would you rather a girl or disney world?"

a few moments to ponder this question

"A baby....a girl baby....okay....tomorrow!"

**By the way there is NO baby sister on the way, but we may see about one day. Disney world may happen soon though.

Happy Friday

Oh internets, my days of blogging regularly seem to be long gone. I'm not going to apologize again or explain where I've been, because really it's just excuses after excuses. Right? But it isn't just blogging that is taking a back burner. I took that extensive week off because we went to the beach and while I have many things to blog about at the beach, like how much fun we had. It really wouldn't work without the pictures, but since they are still on the camera I guess that post ain't happening. Go here to check them out.

Then their is that fancy smancy remodel I kept moaning and groaning about. Yes, that too seems to have been left on the back burner. No, not by me. I am so ready for it to be completed, the man in charge of it, that is a different story.

This remodel has led to a massive headache that has lasted for well I don't know 2 months now. Would you even believe me if I tell you the damn thing is not finished? It's not. Close, but definitely not complete. I didn't forget about the pictures either. I will post them, but I just want it to be complete. Don't you? Hell maybe I will give up on completion and just post pictures anyway. What do you think?

And to answer your question, yes I am about to lose my mind of the never ending job that was quoted as taking 2-3 weeks max. Please don't make me curse on the blog again.

I also shut down Regrets Only Stationery for a month because I couldn't get one creative juice flowing when my house was covered in dust and invaded by men who smelled badly, left doors open for the paid for air to escape and left a bigger mess here then they would at their own momma's. But the men are gone apparently and the business is now up and running again. I have to say thanks to all my customers for showering me with orders the day I opened and the month continuing. I have to admit I was a little afraid I wouldn't get anymore business, but I am right where I left, busy.

Then their is the matter of children. We all know how busy being a mom can be, well a stay at home mom trying to navigate through a remodel, run a busy home based business and still make sure my kids don't miss out on one iota of summer fun is super busy. But I love the job what can I say?

Then you may wonder how I am blogging such a long post at 8am, well the tikes had a slumber party at their Mimi or Nanna's (as Noah has come to calling Mimi) house. Josh and I went out to begin the week long celebration of his 36th birthday. We went to dinner and a movie. We had two glasses of wine, an appetizer, meal and a dessert and for once I didn't have to threaten anyone with their life to stay in the chair or high chair. I also didn't have to do a massive clean up before leaving the restaurant and pick my mind up at the door.

I know what you are thinking....wow Josh is getting up there. We both are, last week at the beach I found my first grey hair. The shock and disappointment were unreal. I mean I am thirty for god's sake. Then yesterday I found another....what do I even do for this? I told you life has been rough internets.

Anyway that is where I am now, stuck in remodel hell of never being completed with grey hair. Happy Friday.

In true second child fashion

Tonight I had the rare opportunity to rock my Noah man alone for a few minutes. Alone as in, before his sister came barreling out the tub to join the snuggle session. It is rare for several reasons. Now that Meredith and Noah are on the exact same nap schedule I never get time alone with him while she naps anymore. Meredith is also out of school, which means we are all home every day, all day. The rare instance Noah and I are alone he rarely sits still long enough to be rocked, tonight he did though.

So as we were cuddled in the overstuffed rocker that I purchased just for him, that has barely been used thanks to his inability to sit still, and I started singing him lullabies. And like a brick wall it hit me smack in the face. The guilt. He doesn't get enough alone time, he didn't get his 19 months of being the only child. Of being my only priority. He didn't get all of my attention. He didn't get rocked to sleep every night for the first 19 months of his life. Am I a good mother to him? Did I give him enough time at all? Or am I so tired at the end of the day that I read them both a book, say good night and dump them into their beds. '

It made me really sad and I have to admit I felt like a horrible mother. So I started rocking away and singing my all time favorite song to sing to my tikes. A song my mother sang to me an I am sure her mother sang to her. A song I still hear my mother singing to my kids.

Rock a bye
Na-na-na
Go to sleep my little Noah
Doo doo dooooo
Doo doo doooo
doo doo dooodoooodo dooo dooo

Yeah I know you can so follow it right....I am not crazy it makes total sense in my head.

Well as I am sitting there singing all of a sudden on the right part Noah chimes in "na na na....dododo"

So yes, I am sure he gets ample of my time, he just gets what she never did....a more experienced mother and a big sister.

What she says....priceless

Tonight Meredith was playing "doodlebops." There is no specific game, it's just where each member of the family gets to be a different doodlebop. Tonight Josh was Rooney, Noah was Mo and Meredith and I were both DeeDee.

All of a sudden Meredith ran up the stairs to get something and on her way down she tumbled and went down head first. I saw it in slow motion and I knew she wasn't hurt badly. She hit the floor and was stunned in silence, this is one of the few if only time she has fallen down the stairs. After a few miliseconds Josh and I reacted so she did too, she started sobbing.

"Meredith are you okay....did you hurt yourself....Meredith, baby are you okay?"


sobbing, sobbing sobbing "I'm not Meredith.......I'm DEEDEE!" in the most pitiful sobbing voice ever.

Is it friday yet?

Did I mention we are going back to the beach? Well we are, because after multiple weeks of remodel hell....I lost count.........the kitchen is STILL not finished. I'm not sure it ever will be. Part of my daily routine is waking up, getting two kids up, making sure everyone potties and is changed, making oatmeal, calling the contractor to bitch, calling my husband to bitch about said contractor, then making my husband call said contractor back to get the job done.

Yes, I fear my morning routine or daytime routine will never be the same. The new daytime routine involves cleaning after kids and workers, patrolling the kids and the workers, fussing at the kids and workers and at the end of the day losing my mind.

It is no longer strange when my 3 year old says out loud in public, "momma da men STILL at my house?" Because we both know what men she is talking about and for the sake of all things holy in the world, yes they are still at our freaking house.

I'm not sure they will ever leave, which is better than them leaving before the job is done. Although the hefty balance of money we owe them is also a key factor in that, but that is NOT incentive enough for them to move their asses faster. No way. I am convinced men have one speed and it is not my speed, that is for damn sure.

So I am hoping that the week after I come home from the beach, the kitchen will be finished. Yes, you heard that right, not that when I come home it will be finished, but that it will get finished the week after the beach. Because in this process of remodeling or renovating, I have learned a very valuable lesson, do not let them work when you are out of town. For several reasons...
1. they don't show up on time
2. sometimes they don't show up at all
3. they never do what they are supposed to do and will only have to fix it when you get home
4. chances are they won't even fix it correctly and you will have to wind up fixing it your self
5. no one respects your stuff, so make sure you are there to demand the respect.

Oh internets won't you be happy when this is all over with and we can go to more trivial post about breakfast and pottying or something. I can't wait until I am out of remodel hell. So that is it in a nut shell. You may get before and after pictures before the new year, but don't count on it.

What she says.....lesson learned

One morning this past week, I was getting dressed and as usual the tikes were in the playroom. I heard talking and squealing and "vroom, vroom'ing." Then all of a sudden I heard complete silence, which was completely unusual. It took a few minutes to figure out that all I heard was silence and then put two and two together.....silence meant trouble.

I walked to the playroom and peaked my head in and low and behold there was green paint everywhere. The floors, the tikes, the toys, the dresser, the bookcases. And in the middle, there they sat.....studiously painting everything with paint brushes and utter concentration on their faces......in complete silence.

"Uh-hm"

Two very big brown eyes and two happy blue eyes, stared up at me with a look of terror and joy, respectively. I didn't say a word.

"I'm sorry Momma"

"Do we paint without permission?"

"No"

"Then why are you and Noah painting right now?"

"I dunno"

"Who got the paint"

silence and the lip came out

"Mama mama mamamama"

"Did Noah get the paint out of the top draw"

A fearful head nod no. I picked up the paint and paint brushes leaving the room and tried not to lose my cool. As I walked out, Meredith was apologizing and Noah started screaming, he was not happy that his art lesson was over. I tried not to let the daily grind get to me. On top of getting ready and having to get two tikes ready to head out the door, now I had to clean up a gigantic mess in the toy room. You would be surprised what two tiny tikes could cover in five minutes with a large container of forest green paint. But just as the steam started to come through my ears and the frustrated growls were about to creep out, I heard this while washing the brushes and getting wet rags.

"No-wee don't cwy, it's okay......don't cwy no-wee we will play with someting else......okay noah we can play someting else......ssshhh.......here noah, here play wit dis."


"WAAAAAAAAAAAAWAAAAAA"

"Shhh it's okay Noah, here play wit dis, play wit sitter"

And at that moment the steam evaporated and the growls turned into a smile. While I was not happy about the green mess and green tikes to clean, it really wasn't the worst thing in the world, actually not too bad at all. Not bad enough to ruin everyones day at 8am. Life is way too short for that. Instead I walked in and said it was okay and cleaned up the mess with two very eager helpers. Don't get me wrong I have moved all the paint from the top drawer in the toy room, see I learned a very valuable lesson.

Look what we have been sporting all over town

Yes, a big, black eye!

The other night we were all in the back yard being thoroughly entertained by the new bubble machine, when all of a sudden Noah was no longer sitting on the step but was now lying on the ground screaming. It took .02 seconds for him to reach over and try to grab the bubble machine and go tumbling down the two brick steps.....apparently he scratched his face and hit his eye on the way.

It sounded as bad as it looks and trust me it was bad.
His eye is starting to look much better. People still comment everywhere we go and he just smiles and plays it up for them. I think he loves the attention.

I am fairly confined that an ER will find us there soon......good grief this boy makes me nervous.

The dance recital

So after spending hundreds of dollars all year for dance lessons, costumes, recital fees, pictures, and other miscellaneous stuff.......guess what.....she didn't dance. She did go on stage and watch the little girl next to her cry for the first number and then she went ahead and cried herself for the second number. I mean being three and on that big stage can be pretty freaking scary. Overall Iam very proud of my girl.

The day before was the dress rehearsal and I must say she did great that day. The audience was only half way filled, but there was a crowd and that day she danced her little heart out. It was precious. I just wish her daddy could have seen her that day too.

Here she is getting ready. Meredith and Adalyn, unfortunately Adalyn was in a different class, but Meredith loved the fact they were at least in the same recital.

Getting ready to go on stage!

Here she is with her friend Grace. The girls came up with these poses on their own, I was super impressed!

At the end of the recital her daddy gave her a dozen pink roses. Her first flowers!

Inspiration

Maybe Edward Cullen is his idol.

"Vampries are all the rage mom, just ask the ladies!"

The vampire and the witch

Today was their first real fight. It was bad, they both drew blood.

I was always afraid that my sweet Meredith would never be able to protect herself...from the vampire or other bullies. Her normal routine is to scream in agony as the little vampire sinks his teeth in. Then I come running in to save the day and correct the little vampire and he is made to apologize..... with a big grin on his face the whole time.

To try and stop this little vampire from attacking, I finally instructed Meredith to bite back. She was very excited with this instruction however when teeth came to skin, so to speak, she just could never bring herself to actually bite back. So the routine continues, screams....tears....me saving the day....vampire apologizes and the big grin. Always the big grin.

Today was different. The vampire and the princess were both laying in my bed watching a movie. It had been a long day of swimming at Mimi's pool and everyone was tired and in a mood. So there they were laying calmly in my bed and so I took the opportunity to sneak off and quickly make dinner. I ran to the kitchen where I pulled out the ingredients. Before I actually got my hands full of ground meat, I ran to check on them one last time, and they were both still laying quietly. I knew at any moment their worlds might collide so I quickly headed back to the kitchen and dug my hands into the meat to roll the meatballs.

When I was halfway through I heard the scream. The loud, piercing scream from a little girl's mouth letting me know the vampire had just went in for the kill. I would normally run back to get the vampire's dead lock grip off, but today my hands were full of ground meat and so I decided to finish up the meatballs and let them work it out and correct him later.

Well the screaming continued and a few seconds later it was joined by another equally loud, piercing scream, but this time it was coming from the vampire. It was heartbreaking to hear. I rolled the last meatball, threw it in the pot, quickly washed my hands and then ran to my room.

The scene was bloody and full of tears. The vampire did go in for the kill right on her thigh and blood was drawn. However when the princess realized that help was not on the way she turned into the witch and scratched the vampire (with her nails she later reported) on his cheek and also drew blood. The fight looked deadly, however both walked away with minor injuries and there were no casualties.

I made both the witch and the vampire apologize. There were very tearful "sorrys" full of sobs.... but, today there were no grins..... not even from the vampire.

I thought this incident may have finally taught my little vampire his lesson, however not even two minutes later he again went in for the kill. This time I was there to stop him, I have no idea what I am going to do with my little vampire.

My little boy

Dear Noah,

This month you are 18 months old. In baby terms, that is an accomplishment. These days you are all boy, no mountain is too tall, no danger is too dangerous. If it is possible you will do it and if not you will still try and find a way. I am fairly confident we will be in an ER sometime before you second birthday.

Almost two years ago, I found out that you were going to be a little boy. I have to say I was very excited. Although I told everyone who asked that I didn't care what gender you were, I did. I wanted a little boy. See I was raised with a sister. We knew all things girly. There were no footballs, trucks, mud, or dirt. We did Barbies, babies, school and house. We were girls.

You are very new to me and I am learning quickly. However, please grade me on a curve, because like I said you are my first boy. When you were born I have to admit, I was very scared of your little penis. Not because of the fact that you could squirt that little thing 4 feet in the air and at least 4 feet across the room, even at the tender age of two weeks.

No, I was intimidated by it for other reasons. I had no idea what to do with a little boy. I was very content with your sister because I could do babies, barbies, and all things pink. But now I was entering a very new era for me. I made a promise to you on your birthday in that quiet, dark hospital room as I was nursing you that I would learn all about t-ball, dinosaurs, trucks and sports.

I would be the best baseball, soccer, football mom around. I would learn to do ballet and baseball. Gymnastics and football.. I vowed to let you be a rough and tumble little boy and yet teach you to be respectful and gentle with little girls.

And at 18 months you have been the best teacher. I have learned to perfect my dinosaur growl, I know that I have to pass the 18 wheeler that is always parked in the lot by Target every time we go there. I know to acknowledge the big trucks on the road and practice the rumble they make with you. I know that every plane in the sky deserves some recognition. I have learned that no matter how much I correct you, you are still going to climb on everything you can. I have learned that when you fall you will get right back up and don't always want or need a big production. I know that you get mad or upset when your sister or another child take something away, but get over it just as quickly as you got upset.

I know that you will never be as dramatic as I was growing up, but that you will still have your moments. I know that one day your room will smell like dirty socks. I know there will come a time in your life when you leave home and go to college and will only come back when you need your laundry done. I also know you probably won't call home from college all that much.

I know there will come a time in your life when you love another girl or woman as much as you love me and one day she will become your whole life. I hope that when that time comes, I was a good mother to you and taught you how to take care of her and respect her.

You, Noah, are my little boy and always will be, thanks so much for the lessons so far.

I love you,
momma

The Beach....and not the beach!

Yes, we are home! I would say it is good to be home, but if we are being honest, it sucks. Not because coming home is not good after 7 nights away, but because when I was in Destin, I woke up to this every morning.....

And this is just a small, and I mean small, sampling of what I came home too....

And in case you couldn't see the layers upon layers of dust in that photo look at this one.....

Yes, that dust covered every square inch of my first floor and probably most of the second floor too. That my friends is why I haven't posted pictures like this one......

or this one from the beach.....

No instead we have been cleaning up dust and shit since Saturday, today I can finally see the light at the very far end of the very long tunnel. That and I called Servpro to come and finish the stuff I just can't do anymore, because really do you know how to clean out air conditioner vents.....yeah me either. Yes, it all has to be cleaned, because the people working on my kitchen floors have NEVER heard of visquine and when they ripped up over 500+ square feet of ceramic tile with a jackhammer, they never covered up anything or any opening to the rest of my house......but this is a rant for another day.

So yes internets I am home, happy about it? Not really, but home and starting to get life back to normal, that and plan my next beach trip!

Oh yeah and here's a teaser.....I promise to put up the before and afters, but since the 2 week job is now carrying into it's 4th week and may never end....I'm not sure when that will be. Enjoy! I promise more destin news and pics to come shortly....if I can find my sanity in a suitcase somewhere.

Oh and you better tell me what you think....I've been living in hell for weeks....please for goodness sake tell me what you think about it so far.....oh and it isn't near completion.....SERIOUSLY!

Congrats to the new lawyer in the family!

After 3 years that seemed to fly by very quickly, well at least to me, my sister finished Law School! '

Congrats Leigh Ann, we are all so proud of you!!!

My parents could not have been more proud, there is me a genius and speech therapist and my sister a Lawyer! What can I say we are pretty good kids!

what she says...the beach

"I don't wanna go eat, I wanna play in da snow some more!"

From under the rubble...

I just wanted to say, Happy Anninversary to my husband. Four years ago today, on Friday the thirteeneth, we said "I do" in front of 200 of our closest family and friends. Today we are blessed with two beautiful children, what used to be a beautiful home, and now a lot of dust and mess. I couldn't be happier....Cheers to Josh and I!

Important Announcement

Due to the disaster zone being much worse than I ever anticipated, the tikes and I are relocating temporarily the rest of this week and then heading to the beach on Saturday for a week of no dust, dirt or brick. Josh will be here to supervise.

That being said.....Regrets Only Stationery, will be closed effective today until June 1st!

Thanks so much for understanding. And if I am not blogging, it is because I am crying in a corner or ringing someone's neck. (and no it isn't my husband's)

What she says......thinking

"Momma I wanna snack"

"What do you want?"

"I wanna snack pwease."

So I open the box of Brownies and petit fours and turtles....well what's left of them.

"Pick one!"

"No, pick three?"

"No, I said pick one"

"Pick two?"

"Meredith, pick one or I will put them away"

After a few seconds and a lot of deliberations, she chooses one of the two remaining chocolate petit fours.

"I wan dis one"

"Good choice"

I then go about wiping down the dust from the counters for the 875th time this week. After enough time to consume a chocolate petit four....

"Oh no.....I dwopped it!!! Bwownie ate it!!!! OH NO!!!!" no tears though, it was kind of a weird, very calm reaction from my daughter who supposedly dropped her cake and watched the dog eat it. Normally that is followed by tears and uncontrollable sobs.

"Did you drop it?"

"Yeah I get a-nudder one?" reaching for the last chocolate petit four

"Sure get another one"

This time I watch as she eats all the chocolaty goodness and makes a bigger mess all over her hands and face. As she finishes the last bite....

"Oh no Momma, I think I dropped it again."

"You think you dropped it?"

"Yes, I think I dropped it and Bwownie ate it"

"Oh yeah" looking at her with those eyes....we have had a lot of discussions about Pinocchio and fibs lately

"Well......I think I ate it, yeah I think so momma"

"Yeah me too" And a big mischeavious grin crosses her face.

Open house

Hi welcome to my hell house, come on in. Sorry there is no where to sit and please forgive the mess. And remember wipe you feet before you walk on anything not covered by visquine....
Ignore those tools and empty box of cracker jacks, I just can't make people pick up after themselves, even the ones I am paying.

Snuff......no we don't do snuff here.....not sure why that is lying around.

Oh you love my fire place, isn't it fabulous?

Yes, let's go get that glass of lemonade this way to the kitchen.

See the fireplace is looking a little better?

For those of you thinking WoW.....go ahead just look at that.....actual mud inside. I have officially lost it.

.......and more mud......

......and even more mud, oh and don't worry that brick does not look that dark, if it did I would seriously cry.

It looks more like this, but my photography skills are about as good as my housekeeping.

This is a thin layer that covers my entire house, those are my Brazilian cherry woods underneath it. The snuff guys didn't do a great job of covering the floors. I wonder what they are good at?

That is a mixture of dust, muck, mud and cement, in my kitchen and on my wood floors, do you see why I have lost it?

The only thing helping me keep my sanity over the weekend was this is how it looked on Friday, which means not too much longer.

Oh and the fireplace was finished Friday..........thank gawd!

The rest will be completed today, I don't know exactly what completed means though. I'm not sure if completed means they will finish the brick and leave the scaffolding, mud, muck and snuff for me to clean up, or if they might do that before they leave. Either way I'm not holding my breath did you see how good they were at covering up my floors. Exactly.

So yes, today the brick wall and fireplace is finsished, but.......tomorrow at 7am, the floor guys will be here. To remove all of my kitchen appliances and washer and dryer for at least 2 weeks. Then they will begin to rip out of the 500+ square feet of tile. Fun times, fun times, anyone want to join me for a drink? Or two, or ten? Wait don't leave......come back soon!!!!

Seriously I'm going to make you wait until the house is back together before I post anymore pictures, it really helps my sanity and anxiety if I don't have to look at the mess, even on the world wide web. Again thanks for stopping by! Next time wipe you feet so you don't make those white tracks everywhere. Damn house guest showing up before the job is finished!

Mother's Day 2009

Today is mother's day. I am blessed, with two beautiful children, a fabulous husband and my own wonderful mother. What else could I need on this mother's day that God hasn't already given me.

Nothing......well except for my house not to look like this when I wake up in the morning.

But even though my house did look just like that, I was woken up by the two cutest faces in the world....screaming "SAH-PWISE! Happy Mudder's Day!" And then I was given this beautiful handmade bouquet of flowers! My husband is amazing he did this with the kids. He thought of the idea, he bought the materials and then he made it with them. Well actually he and Julia's husband, Jeremy, got together and made these while we had our girl's night. They also enlisted the help of the babysitters, Carrie and their babysitter Emily. I heard it was a wild time. I couldn't have been more thrilled with this gift, I will cherish it always. The kids were very proud of their work and I was very proud of their dad's.


So today we headed to Mimi's house to spend the day in the sun and cool off in the pool. We were very sad Mimi and Poppa weren't there to swim with us, but their pool sure was fun!


Noah loves the water and is a little fish!

Meredith was happy to spend the day with her new neighbor and best friend Grace. The girls had a lot of fun.

This mother's day was very low key and very relaxing. Thank you Josh, I love you so much!