Soccer Sundays

Yesterday was soccer game #3 for our season.

I had a blast!

In game 2 I tried to play a little too hard, or maybe I didn't stretch long enough...

either way, I pulled my quad muscle and thought I was dying for a good 2-3 days.

I wasn't sure I would even be able to play yesterday, but I made it through the whole game.

Good thing too, since we had no subs and just enough to play!

I've finally found a no slip solution for my hair.

I'm a picky girl about the headbands or hair apparatuses that are used.

I don't want it to slip. 

Like, at all.

And I don't want to have to mess with it.

Like, AT ALL.

So I got Brady Bands.

And my life is now complete.

If you don't have these you need to go order some now.

We played a Gwinnett Soccer Association team in Lilburn yesterday.

I drove allllllllllll the way to the other side of Atlanta, past Stone Mtn, and finally arrived at the fields.

Literally across the street from one of our friends' schools.

Porter coaches wrestling at Parkview and was totally thrilled to see his school.

Such a nice campus and located across from really nice fields.

Our game seemed like a really long game, but it was a good one.

The other team didn't appear to be in great shape, so they were easily outrun.

They only made it to our side of the field offensively once or twice.

Our sweeper is amazing and I'm so thrilled that she's got my back, especially since I'm still crippled.

Our offense is awesome as well, and very young, compared to the rest of us....

So they play well together with lots of energy!

The first couple of sprints and kicks for the ball reminded me that my leg was still recovering!

I was in liveable pain for a good 30 minutes before my leg finally let me play!

I can still feel the injury this morning but I know I'll survive.

I wore my heart rate monitor and tracked my calorie burn for the game.

1400 calories friends.

1400.

I need to play soccer every single day so I can eat 400 brownies, ok?

Geeeeze Louise.

 

Our team is undefeated, yay!

Hoping to continue that streak this weekend.

This weekend is the first game on our 'home' field and I won't be able to play.

I've got sister duty (that I'm pleased to assist with) at a bridal shower.

I can't wait to spend some time with the bride to be and her maids this weekend.

Saturday mom and sisters came to play at my house.

It was a nice thing before life gets crazy with spring stuff at school and wedding madness!

We had Chick fil A (duh) and then a cupcake buffet.

I had one whole cupcake and 1/4 of another one.

They were worth every.single.calorie.

And then I ran 5 miles.

Boom.



My goals for 2013

I finally nailed some goals down for sure last night.

I started with this idea that I found via pinterest.  

I mean, it's pretty basic and should be easy right?

Then I thought about all the things I wanted to do,  as I have a list of about 250 things I'd LIKE to do...

And this made me think of my sister Leigh Anne and her swift ability to decide, well, nothing... ever....

via pinterest as well

I am hoping that my resolutions will stick a little bit better than this picture indicates.
Bleh for getting older and not following through with commitments.

Found this gem via pinterest as well, alarming and so sad!
I vow not to be the old people who accomplish nothing this year!

So, its 2013.
I vow to complete at LEAST 13 tasks.

1.  Run one race a month.  Half marathon, 5k, 10k, something.  Every month.

I'm going to need a small loan to finance all those races.

2.  Pay off all the medical bills.

Between the summer of ear infections and Daryk's gall bladder... we have a handful.

Thankfully, we also have jobs to pay for them.

And auto pay through our bank which is all set up and should be done paying in August.

3.  Pay off Daryk's truck.... and buy a minivan.

There, I said it.

We're buying a minivan.

Daniel says I should make Daryk drive it.

I think he would do it with pride.

And he would rock it.

4.  Learn to focus on the task at hand.

Stop spending time trying to accomplish 14 things at once, do one thing.

Finish that task and move to the next one.

This will be the biggest struggle for me.

5.  Grow a summer garden consisting of tomatoes and herbs.

I love tomatoes in the summer.

And I'd LOVE to be able to cook with fresh herbs all summer.

6.  Create or craft something new every month.

Doesn't have to be a HUGE craft or creation, but something,  nonetheless.

7.  Play soccer with grown ups.

And have fun.

This should start around spring-ish.

8.  Read one book every month for fun.

Grand total of 12 books.

If I read MORE than that, I'll make myself cupcakes.

9.  Use my food dehydrator for fruit and such.

New adventures for healthy snacks for me and the kiddos.

10.  Blog at least four times a week.

11.  Print pictures of my kids every month to give or mail to my family.

12.  Paint and decorate.  this.  house.  

Starting with the kitchen.  

Like, yesterday.

13.  Organize the bleeping garage.

Will be the death of me and a never ending task, but alas, it must be done.

And these are the others that are floating in my head....

clean out the closets and storage areas of my home

reward my fitness efforts with yoga pants, not for yoga, just lounging because I love those pants.

potty train Libby James late summer

I shall update you all every month on how the list is coming along and what I get done, or not...

Obviously, some of these things will not get done until later in the year.

They are my goals.

My tasks to complete.

Stroke Progress: 1 year out

My mother in law had a stroke almost a year ago.

We had a really scary Christmas because of it.

She has diabetes, COPD, and doesn't take care of herself the way she should.

We acknowledge that, but cannot change it.

Last year around Christmas we noticed she was acting a little slower than normal.

I think most of us attributed that to her COPD and likely bronchitis.

It was the season for sickness and that was usually how she started.

On Christmas Eve we were celebrating at my grandmother's house and we got a call.

My husband rushed around gathering things to throw in the car and just kept repeating to me,

"We have to to go to my mother's house."

I was very angry with him because he wouldn't explain and I was having to leave my family celebration.

Once we arrived, I noticed that we had called an ambulance to assist her.

Thankfully, my children were asleep in the car and didn't see any of this.

Inside the house were my brother and sister in law and the paramedics.

Her blood sugar was alarmingly low, so they gave her medication for that.

Everything else seemed okay.

As we attempted to move her from her chair we noticed that she had an accident in her chair.

I knew immediately that she would be mortified at that fact and I also knew that was NOT normal for her.

She was coming to with the medication for her blood sugar and KNEW it was Christmas Eve.

She did NOT want to go to the hospital.

I can vividly remember the look on Sean's face when he realized that she had an accident in her chair.

He was terrified and his face said so much in that moment.

My husband played it so cool that day and I wouldn't know anything he thought or felt until much later.

Anette did not want to leave her house, but I insisted that she go.

Daryk and Sean were very hesitant to send her to the hospital that day, and I felt like the bad guy for insisting upon it, but I did.

She pleaded with me not to send her.

I remember her crying when I told her that she had to go because she was sick.

I held it together until I got in my car.

On my drive home I sobbed.

I took my kids home and Anette went to the hospital.

I don't remember much else from that day. 

I don't think Daryk was there much.

I do remember going to the hospital late that evening.

I sat with Sean some while he was with her at the hospital.

Mom (that's what I call Anette, my mother in law) was very quiet at the hospital.

Anette and quiet and two words that should never go in the same sentence.

She was unusally quiet.

Multiple tests later and they were all inconclusive.

She was sent home on Christmas Day. 

Christmas was very chaotic and we had Taco Mac for dinner.  :)  Yummo!

But she was home.

It didn't last long.

A few days later the same thing happened, back to the hospital she went.

At this point I was scared.

Her family has a very strong history of cancer and several instances of brain cancer.

She was transferred twice to different hospitals to receive treatment and have tests.

The initial diagnosis was a brain tumor, so we prepared for the worst after we were given news that she had 6 months to a year to live.

Thankfully that diagnosis wasn't accurate. 

She had a stroke.

A slow moving, weird, not normal stroke.

That went misdiagnosed and untreated for too long.

A stroke is the stoppage of blood flow to brain: a sudden blockage or rupture of a blood vessel in the brain resulting in, e.g. loss of consciousness, partial loss of movement, or loss of speech.  SOURCE

This seemed to fit her much better.

But she hasn't been the same since then.

I cannot believe it has been a year.

She is strong and has made a great recovery, considering it took almost a month to diagnose her.

I think if she had been diagnosed appropriately closer to the incidence of stroke she would have been able to recover better.

She still doesn't talk as much as she used to.

She isn't as active as she used to be.

She doesn't leave the house as much as she did before the stroke.

Her movements aren't as steady and her endurance is not what it was when she first moved up.

She still does everything she did before the stroke, it is just slower.

Her brain still processes things slowly and her response to questions isn't always what you expect. 

Oh, and she's mean as hell... but I'm not sure that's new.  :)

But she's here.

And she's mostly healthy, all things considered.

I know most people don't absolutely love their mother in law.

And I don't love everything about her.  She drives me crazy most days.

But I wouldn't trade her for the world. 

She loves my kids with a force that only God could stop.

She loves me and has taken me as her own.

She loves her own children with a love that makes them choose her time and time again.

I pray every day that my own children feel that same kind of love from me.

Watching her choose to live every day is remarkable.



A wee bit too excited...

This is happening Sunday night.

I love my girlfriends at school and we love the Bachelor & Bachelorette series on ABC.

We faithfully watch every season and offer our own commentary for every single episode.

Often we gather for the season premieres and finales and celebrate with our favorite snacks.

Usually we wear pajamas.

We have had a party or two that was themed.

I've seen Team Emily and Team Chanel t shirts.

We all know how well that went for Brad.

We also got together to watch Emily choose between Arie and Jef. 

Just one 'F'.

And that went so well for Emily. 

I believe we are excited to witness this happily ever after and hope that they make it the long haul.

There aren't very good odds for the couples who don't even make it to the altar.

But hopefully JP and Ashley can help curb the naysayers with their love.

The odds are definitely not in their favor...

Last Sunday with Santa

 We went to see Santa.

We waited a little over an hour in line to see the man in red.

They were champs.

They played with each other.

They played with their 'phones'... aka:  old ipods we bought just for them....

Old iPod saves my iPhone.

You can see that they both had smiles on their faces the majority of the time.

And baby girl surely has a cheesy grin for the camera.

 Just before you climb onto the giant green chair with Santa you go through a tunnel.

It plays music and it is surrounded with this giant tree.

Lights, garland, and those holly berries.

My children were fascinated.

 And.... Santa went much better this year than last year.

If you saw those pictures you know this is a huge improvement.

Praise Jesus for that.

Although, those pictures surely made for a GREAT story.

 I believe that Kitty has a segment of our Santa video that contains some booger picking.

Hayes opted to continue the tradition.

Elizabeth just marveled at the man.

She was quite taken by his beard and glasses.

I love these little guys.

So much.

Free Stuff Friday

Let me just preface this post by letting you know that I love coupons.

I love clipping them, but only when I plan to USE them.

I love the fact that I can save money, get stuff I need & use, and save money.

Wait, I already said that?

Crap.

Well, still... I love to save money.

I love being able to get food and misc other things that we need at a discount.

Here's my story of savings today... 

Scored these today at Publix. 

They are $6.99 each.

I have to shave.

I am a hairy beast.

Though I will not complain, because I will likely never be a bald adult lady.... praise Jesus.

I was actually at the end of the good part of the current razor I have.

I was waiting for a sale with coupons.

JACKPOT!

I had a Publix coupon from their sales flyers for $3 off 2 packs of razors.

I love I heart Publix for coupon deals at Publix.

I also found 2 manufacturer's coupons for $2 off 1 pack and $1 off 1 pack.

So, basically I got a free pack of razors today. 

4 razors for $.99.... deal.

And my husband will appreciate that I shave my armpits and legs!

I also planned a trip to Target.

I used Totally Target to coordinate my store and manufacturers coupons.

I also use that site to see what deals are offered with gift cards when you purchase goods!

So, the diapers are $34.99. 

I had a Target coupon for $2 off and Pampers coupon for $2 off.

Plus there was a $25 coupon booklet inside the box of diapers!

AND, Target was giving you a $5 gift card with each diaper purchase.

Score.

I knew Dunkin Donuts coffee was on sale, so I used $.75 off coupons for those too.

Got those for $6 each.  Expensive, yes.  But SO good.

Starbucks coffee was $7.99 each. 

I had 2 Starbucks coupons for $3 off 2 packs.

AND Target was giving you a $5 gift card with a purchase of 2 packs.

So.... I got 4 packs of Starbucks coffee for $26. 

AND I got 2 $5 gift cards. 

Hello, Christmas gifts for my cousins!

M&Ms... they were $2.79 a bag.

I had 2 coupons for a total of $2.50 off. 

Basically, free chocolate.  This is a no brainer.

Dark Knight Rises is a gift for the hubs for Christmas.  FREE with all my gift cards and coupons...

Oxi Clean wasn't on sale, but I had a Target coupon and an Oxi Clean coupon.

So I got 2 stain removers for $1.99.  Basically, 1.5 for FREE.

We needed the Target brand Pedialyte.

And the Huggies wipes.... on sale for $8.99.

I had a Target coupon and a Huggies coupon. 

I got wipes for $6.99.

Yippee!

OH! 

Target also had a coupon on their website and you got a $10 gift card if you spent $50.

Shoot, I got that done!

I saved a total of $47.15 with the various Target sales & coupons.

I got $25 in gift cards to use on another purchase later.

I spent $107.89.

Between my savings and the gift cards I got back I spent a total of $35.74.

That's just a smidge more than the diapers cost at the beginning of the whole trip.

So thank you Target & Totally Target for the massive savings today.

Pianos and Solos and Tears

Yesterday I was jamming to Christmas music on Pandora.  

My station had just wrapped up NSync's version of Merry Christmas/Happy Holiday.  

I had just revisited every Christmas event from all 4 years of high school and giggled a lot.  

Then I heard the very familiar beginning of one of the greatest songs ever.  

Amazing Grace.  

In piano solo.

Immediately tears crept into the corners of my eyes.  

And I smiled.

I listened to the resonating notes as the verses led into each other and I let the tears roll down my cheeks.  

It is such a simple song.  

Simple melody and nothing complicated lyrically.  

But it strikes a chord deep in my heart and soul and it makes me happy, 

but I cry tears at the same time.

And it makes me think only of my Papaw.

As the holidays approach I get a little bit more sad that my sweet Papaw isn't here anymore.  

I miss him a lot more often.

I wish he was here to see Hayes and Elizabeth in action.

More than anything, I'd love to call and hear his voice.

'Hey Sugar.'

Oh, how I long for the day when I'll see him again.   

Facebook=Grown Up Show and Tell

Did y'all ever go with your parents to work when you were a kid?

I know that experience for my sisters and I was always an adventure.

And always embarrassing.  

Dad always had pictures of us on his desk that were at least 5-7 years old.  

So naturally our hair styles were awful and we had gap toothed grins.

But he was so proud.  

Often there were newspaper clippings, mostly of Kathryn, who was our softball star.

There is still a newspaper clipping of Kat on my grandparents fridge.  

Some things never change.

My dad displayed those photos with a huge smile on his face.

No doubt that he had a story for each picture and that he told that story to every person he met.

Bless them for having to listen... multiple times I'm sure....

Going to see those photos at the office and going to see him at the office was just another way he could participate in grown up show and tell.

It was always like being on parade.... and so embarrassing.

We always took a lap (or two) around the cubicle jungle to meet all his buddies.

They knew our life story.

We knew they worked with Dad and looked like nerds.

Now when we go to visit Dad at work there are photos of us, the kids, and our spouses (or soon to be spouses)...

Things change, but those photos remain.

Sometimes the old photos are still there... but we have new additions as well!

 

And thank goodness for the invention of Facebook.

Photo sharing at its finest.  

I can email a photo to Dad and he can print it out immediately for display.

I don't worry so much that those folks are seeing my gap toothed grin anymore.  

Thankfully, I haven't lost a tooth in a while.

I have also learned that hairstyles aren't such a huge issue.

But then again, I don't have giant 80s bangs anymore.  

I'm sure a good bit of Dad's colleagues have a Facebook and they see plenty of us that way.

Less pressure for the parade around his office that way...

Did I mention that it was embarrassing?

Baby not feel good.

Can someone tell me WHY they make kids wait to get the suckers/stickers/treat at the dr's office until AFTER the appointments!?

I went to steal one, just to see what she would do if I gave it to her.

She spent most of our dr's visit screaming.

I knew she was sick, but I didn't know it was THAT bad.

This was her mugshot after leaving the dr on Monday afternoon. 

Official diagnosis:  ear infection right ear.

Her oxygen levels were super low and her blood pressure was crazy high.

We coudn't decide if her stats were all crazy because she was sick....

Or because she was upset and crying like a fool.

Dr. Nguyen wanted us to check back in on Tuesday just to be sure.

We picked up the antibiotics and went home to nurse sick girl. 

PS--I'm a crappy nurse. 

I have no patience and I don't like needy people.

This was Tuesday at the dr's office.

She wanted to color and I had no child safe color tools.

Red pen it is.

Note to self, put crayons in diaper bag.

Official diagnosis:  bronchitis and potential to develop asthma eventually.

She still had low oxygen levels, but her blood pressure was better.

We did an in office breathing treatment and her oxygen levels got better.

They sent us home with breathing treatments and steroids.

Don't forget we still have the antibiotic for the ear infection....

OH!

She also has WRETCHED diaper rash because she's getting teeth.

On top of all the other business we have butt issues.

So we also got some burn cream for that.

I decided that I would just let her wander around the doctor's office diaperless to let her booty air.

I buttoned her onesie up over her shoulder so it wouldn't get dirty.

Mom of the year!

Aaaaaaannnnnnnnddddddddd..........

when we were leaving the doctor's office I left the paper with the prescriptions in the room we were in.

So I got alllllllllllllll the way to the car without, realized that I left them, and then had to go back inside.

Freaking awesome.

$43 later, we have meds for baby who is sick.

Yes, this is what she's doing while she is sick.

She acts just fine.

This is why she gets so sick and we have no idea!

And when you ask Hayes how Baby is doing, he replies...

"Baby sick.  Baby not feel good.  She go to the doctor."

My baby is all gone

He is.  

He's all gone.  

Occasionally I catch a glimpse of him in a picture I snap.  

Like this one.  

See those chubby fingers and that fat little boy hand?

Those are things that are left from my baby boy.

But there isn't much left these days.

After all, he's almost three.

**gulp**

Three.  

Golly gee.

Is this real?

How is this possible?

When did my baby get to be almost three?

My sweet boy that arrived 22 days earlier than I had him scheduled into my busy life...

The little guy who was determined to get here before I was ready...

The one who was a 'premie' weighing in at 7 lbs. and 12 oz... that one?

He's halfway to high school these days.

Telling me what to do and where to go and what he wants to eat.

He even orders his own food at the restaurants lately.

Granted he's usually yelling at the drive thru mic or the lady at Chick fil A, but still.

He's all sorts of independent these days.

He goes potty without being told.

And he doesn't need my help to eat anything anymore.

He can color and talk and tell you all about his day at school.

He is well on his way to prom king with the list of friends he's acquired.

I think the worst part of being a mommy to an almost three year old is letting him get a hair cut.

Those haircuts just remind me that the baby is slowly fading away.

Every trim is just a reminder that he's not a little one anymore.

Mind you, he'll always be MY little one, but he's not so little lately.

I'm a little bit sad to watch my baby go.

My week is over????

The break is over.  Saddddsssssss.

Let's recap Thanksgiving break shall we...

Monday--The day I broke my phone and I couldn't even blame it on my toddlers.  Just me.  I dropped it about 3 feet ish from the couch to the floor.  Death to my iPhone.  Thankful for insurance.  I figured I wouldn't get it until Saturday or so, being that it was a holiday week.  I was thrilled to see it at the house on Tuesday!

Tuesday--We went to see my sister at Cow Headquarters.  Hayes got an ice cream treat after his lunch.  And he ate sprinkles off the floor.  Awesome.  Elizabeth disturbed a whole entire business meeting with her squeaky shoes.  We had a BLAST.  :)

Wednesday--Daryk went to coach wrestling all day long.  Typical.  I had brunch with my sister and my friends at the house.  We had a blast and talked about all sorts of girly things.  Plus, Leigh Anne learned how to make gravy.  I ran errands for a bit with the kiddos and then went to pick up our Thanksgiving Day ham.  I got to stop by Marcy's gender reveal party, witness a hilarious joke, and find out she's having a boy.  Yay for baby Beckett James.

Thursday--Thanksgiving.  I ran a 13.1 race in Atl.  And then I died.  Well, almost.  I literally ran 6 miles straight without stopping.  I ran/walked/jogged the last half of it.  I took a shower after I got to mom's house to get the kids.  Trust me, I needed the shower.  I took a nap and then got up to assemble the family dinner.  We had a GREAT time and I really enjoyed having the family at our house.

Friday--We stayed home.  It was glorious.

Saturday--Went to the mall and got to see Zoe at Chick fil A!  YAY!  The kids played and then we all came home to take a nap.  Also glorious.

Day Two. Post Half. I'm functional.

Well, today is day two after running the 13.1 miles on Thanksgiving Day. 
I think running that far gave me a new meaning to Black Friday, as I could BARELY walk yesterday.  Going to the potty, forget it. 
I could barely walk from the bed to the couch. 
And steps, fuuugetttaboutit. 
Not happening. 
Have you ever tried to explain to sweet babies that you can no longer pick them up and walk, because you can barely walk yourself? 
Carrying a 26 or 37 lb toddler isn't on the agenda since I can't move....

Yesterday Elizabeth scared herself to death because she climbed up about 3-4 steps and then fell down them towards the gate. 
I was downstairs wallowing on the couch and Daryk had just gone upstairs, thus the gate being open was his fault (just remember that) and NOT mine. 
She was trying to climb to get the nail polish basket, which my sweet baby sister left downstairs again, after using for the SECOND time this week. 
PS--she's not allowed to paint her nails at my house EVER again after this week)
Elizabeth fell, scared us both, I almost died trying to jump/hobble to her rescue. 
And Daryk wanted it to be my fault, I could tell.
No verbal cues necessary... it was the death/guilt stare and I just knew it. 
Clearly not my fault.  Maybe Daryk's and Leigh's fault... again, nail polish basket.

Also, today I'm better.
I can walk a little bit faster and the stairs aren't impassable anymore.
I just got the last of the DVD binge from Amazon today.
I ordered about 10 ish Christmas DVDs week before last.
What?!  We didn't have enough Christmas movies.
One cannot survive on Elf and Charlie Brown alone!

I am ready to decorate NOW. 
Going to wait for the kids to go to sleep tonight and then get it done!

Debating this photo for the Christmas cards?  Thoughts anyone?
Anyone?
.:crickets:.

Ok good. 

The Joy of Christmas

Momma brought me to The Fox to see Martina! Be jealous!

Atl Half

I finished. I didn't die. The end. Here are my pics, more about the race later!

So it happened....

Last night marked the 2nd time ever in our marriage that Daryk cleaned the shower.  

Write it down folks. 

 2nd time in a whopping (almost) 4 years. 

 Mind you, he cleans everything else.  

He does the dishes and cleans the kitchen almost every.single.night.  

He vacuums the floors all the time and he helps fold the laundry too.  

So thankful for all that help, trust me.  

But there's just something about scrubbing toilets, tubs, and sinks that wears on you.  

I warned him a few nights ago that his time was coming. 

He tried to worm out of it saying that he'd just cleaned the kitchen, blah, blah blah....

He asked me if I'd ever used the lawnmower...

I replied, "We pay someone to cut the grass, nice try."

He finally scrubbed the shower and I will say it looks really nice this morning.

Wonder what I can con him into next...

Just in case you wanted to laugh out loud this morning....

Go read this blog.

I snorted a few times.

You know it is good if I snort.

Thankful

Days like today I love my job.

I was stirred from sleep by the sounds of birds fussing outside.

Shortly after that I heard a little boy calling, "Mommy, Mommy, Mommy, Mommy"...

He requested the usual berry milk and I quickly ran to get it for him!

It is SO cold in the house in the mornings!

He snuggled between me and Daddy in the bed for a little while and watched Mickey.

When he grew restless we woke baby sister up and headed downstairs.

Breakfast for Hayes was cereal and Elizabeth had a waffle.

Now we're watching Frosty the Snowman (for the 9th time--thanks Dad!)...

And I'm enjoying my cafe mocha coffee.

I love all my jobs.

I love the one that pays the bills.

And I love the one that lets me play house all week with my babes.

Second Child Syndrome

Top ten reasons I know Elizabeth isn't my first child...

10.  I went to the mall with her on a Friday evening.  At 6 p.m.  By myself during the holiday season.  This has got to be close to legal insanity??
9.  We took her to dinner on a Saturday night at 7 p.m.  And we weren't worried about bedtime at all.
8.  She didn't get a bath all weekend and she didn't die, nor did she smell too bad.
7.  I rejoiced about her allowing me to fix her hair in a sprout, with a bow!  Why do I care?
6.  We let her eat whatever she wants to eat, which is pretty much everything.
5.  She walks around with a snotty nose most of the time and wants to wipe it herself.
4.  She eats stuff off the floor; maybe a little too often.
3.  She is allowed to drink out of a straw and our grown up carbonated drinks.
2.  Her vocabulary is astounding and we have her big brother to thank for that!
1.  When she sleeps in until 9 a.m. on Sunday morning, we sleep in too!  I don't freak out and check on her... I just enjoy the quiet...

Post 'sprout and bow' hair.

It is like a super awesome mohawk.

Bow and sprout.  

I AM SO EXCITED!

Crap balls. I forgot yesterday.

Welp, call me a slacker.  I totally forgot I was supposed to write a blog yesterday.
Oops.
Lemme just fill you in about our weekend!
Friday we decided that Hayes could go with my parents to the deer woods and play with his cousin Lucas.  Dad came to get him after school on Friday and I sent him on his way.  Dad and Sheila decided not to go to the deer woods and just hang by the lake instead.  Lucky Hayes--either way.  Saturday he got to play hard with Lucas and then they went to the B'ham Zoo.  I've heard all about the monkeys, alligators in green water, and elephants he saw.  He was thrilled to see his cousin and go visit with his grandparents.  I was thrilled to know that he missed me and asked for me on Saturday night!  .:Made my heart swell:.

Friday night I took Elizabeth to the mall for dinner and some girl time.  We played, well, she played on the Germ Village (as my mom says) Playground and had a GREAT time.  She ran around for a good little while before I loaded her up into the one kid stroller and we went shopping for Christmas gifts.  I got a few gifts for teachers and various family members before we left the mall.  We saw BeBe and Jack one more time before we left and she had a meltdown.  It was fun!

Saturday morning we played around the house until 9 and then got ready to go see Daddy at the ALX Duals.  I dressed her in her best red and black for the big match!  We got to watch about 2 hours of wrestling before I had to head home to get ready for my basketball games.  I met my sitters at the house and left baby girl with them.  I drove to Cambodia, on the other side of the county, for THREE everloving basketball games.  Longest.games.ever.  Girls won, boys won, 9th boys lost.  Long day!  I got home around 6:30 and debated with Daryk about dinner plans.  We decided to go to Gumbeaux.  Unfortunately they were PACKED and we ended up at The Pub instead.  Elizabeth was a trooper and ate like a champ, nothing new! 

Today our little girl slept until after daylight and we enjoyed sleeping in too!  We served at church in the last service and then went to Kohl's and Target to shop.  Elizabeth passed out on the way home from shopping and we all took a nap.  Daryk and I went exploring behind the house and we can't wait to show the kids!  Dad and Sheila delivered Hayes around 5 p.m. and we got baby girl up to see her brother.  Her hair was CRAZY when she woke up and we all got a good laugh. 

Grocery store run, chicken quesadillas for dinner, and then bathtime for the babes.  Everyone was in bed by 7:15 and we folded laundry.  Aren't we a load of fun!?

It was a feast!

Blurry, but at least he's looking AT the phone camera and sorta smiling. 

Smiling like his father... that awful fake 'cheese' smile.

He was sooooo concerned with his feather hat.

Again, fake smile.

I'll take it, if its the best I can get. 

This kid loved his frosting and the pumpkins that went with it.

He's related to Aunt Kitty, has a DEEP love for the candy corn.

It was the best day to just go see him at school.

He was so excited to see me and I was thrilled just to get to spend a chunk of my morning with him!

Days like that make me sad that I can't be a stay at home mom, except I would hate it every other day.

Victory, you are so sweet!

This is a TEENY TINY clip.

But take note, that it is officially IN her hair.

Small victories people.

I'll take it!

I'm going to buy her a whole pack of them today.