A funny story that wasn't so funny at the time...

Clark was sick last week, so I was behind on some work. I usually wait until his Daddy or his Nana can keep him while I make a Post Office trip to mail packages, but since I was already behind, I decided to be brave.

I got to the Post Office in Blythewood, which is about the size of my closet, and got in line. There I was balancing 2 packages, a toddler, and trying to keep up with my keys and my purse. We were probably the 5th or 6th people in line, and there was no room to move. I was feeling like luck was on my side. A spot opened up on the table in the middle, so I sat the packages down, and Clark was standing still beside me.

I guess I was feeling a little too cocky, because Clark started squirming. He wanted to be held, so I picked him up as the line inched along. We were probably the 2nd or 3rd people in line, when I felt Clark’s tummy tighten. OH NO!!! Are you seriously going to use the bathroom right now, or “stinky poo poo” as we call it around our house?!?

Well, he didn’t poop, but he ripped one. I’m talking a man-sized one. I hurriedly covered his bottom with my hand to try to muffle the sound, and Clark giggled. I think he was a little embarrassed, because everyone in the closet-sized Post Office not only heard, but smelled it as well! I guess the embarrassment wore off quickly, because as soon as I moved my hand, he did it again!

That time, he looked at me like he was totally surprised and announced to me, “Mommy, I stinky poo poo!”

“Yes son, I think we all know!”

Exhausted, much?

I don't remember being this worn out since Clark was a newborn, and I LOVE it!

I spent the last 2 weeks preparing for my Open House for my business, Little Miss Creative. And it was great! The open house was from 2-5 yesterday, and at 2:15, no one was there yet. My mom, my husband, and I were sitting at the kitchen table. I was totally nervous. What if no one showed up?!? And if they did, what if they didn't like anything?!?

Well, about 2 minutes later people started to show up, and I was stuck at the "check out" table for about an hour! It was so crowded I didn't even get to tell some people "Thank you" before they left. My last customer left a few minutes after 5, and like a child, I ran to add up my total :)

I was so pleased with how I did, it was totally worth all the hard work. I think I deserve a nap with Clark today, but for the next 3 weeks, I'm going to be slammed trying to fill all these orders!

I wonder if Clark is old enough to start working?!?

I'm back, again...

Yeah, so it's been a while, huh? Little Miss Creative has been keeping me so busy, but after talking with my friend Lindsay today, I was encouraged to write again!

We have had so much going on the last few months. I have been so blessed to have my business take off like it has! I have been working hard during nap every day, and then trying to finish my work after I get Clark to bed at night- I'm so thankful for LMC, but I'm looking forward to slowing down a little after the Christmas season!

Clark has turned 2, and a lot has changed with him, too! Funny story...So I was getting dinner in the crock pot during nap one day and I heard a THUD! Uh oh, so I ran upstairs and Clark was sitting on the floor in his room just smiling. He started crying about 2.5 seconds later. When I asked why he had jumped/fallen out of the crib, his response was, "Get paci, Mama!" Oh geez....

Then later that night, he set off the burglar alarm at our house, causing Evans and his friend Brian to speed over to our house since Clark and I were home alone! Thankssomuch!

That doesn't totally catch you up on everything since my last post, but if I tried to catch you up on everything, I would have to sit here for hours :)

Lessons Learned

Since I found out I was pregnant 2 ½ years ago, I have learned so many things. Here is a list of a few of them.

I have learned…

- that it’s okay to eat ice cream everyday when you are pregnant. I mean, there’s a good chance you’ll gain 50+ pounds like I did, but you can still do it!
- that it really is okay, even good, to nap when your baby naps. Mommies need their rest, too.
- that there are pros and cons to each “stage” your child goes through. Enjoy each of them, because there will always be something great and something tough about each stage. Don’t wish for them to grow up too fast, because they will.
- that it’s normal to get peed, pooped, and thrown up on. If you’re having a really great day, they could all happen to you at once 
- that no one can understand what it means to love someone more than anything in the world, until they become a parent. The love for a child is totally selfless, like no other love you have ever had for another human being.
- that wine can either be your best friend or your enemy, depending on whether you are enjoying a glass, or waking up with a horrible headache!
- that it’s important to have other “mommy” friends. It’s nice to be able to talk about what’s going on with the kids to someone who is in your same position.
- that your child may not care if you take a shower, put on make-up, and attempt to look cute every day, but your husband probably does!
- that no matter what, even on my worst day at home with my son, I am so thankful to have the opportunity to be a stay-at-home mom. Getting to be here for every step is much better than having to leave him and go to work!

Time to relax...what is that?

I was having a party at my house last night, so my Mom offered to take Clark for a while so I could finish getting ready. We made plans to meet for lunch, and to just let Clark go home with her for the afternoon. I ended up getting tons of stuff done before lunch (thanks, Clark, for waking me up at 6:45 AM), so by the time I met her, I really didn’t have too much left to do. We talked during lunch about the few little things I had left to do, and as we were leaving, she said, “Well, just go home and relax for awhile!”

WHAT?!?!

I don’t even know what that is anymore. Seriously. I’m not trying to be dramatic. I have learned so many things in the last 2 years, and one of them being that a mommy is always busy. Literally, you always have to be “on call.” Between mealtimes, diapers, baths, playtime, and everything in between, there is always something to do, even if it’s just watching him play. Because, let’s be honest, I can’t let him play without keeping at least 1 eye on him because there is no telling what he’s going to get in to. And kids don’t “take off” on the weekend. I’m talking, this is 24-7.

So to have an afternoon with nothing to do was ah-mazing! I laid around for a bit, watched a little trashy TV (Jersey Shore on DVR, not porn!), and even had a whole conversation with my husband! It was wonderful!

So another lesson I have learned since having a child, to always appreciate time you are given to “relax” no matter how long or short it is!

And, we're back....

So, it's been a while, huh? I know, I know, I'm totally slack. Clark is into EVERYTHING now, I have been working really hard on getting my business started, and my husband and I have started teaching a young married couples class at our church! I've been super busy. I am having to learn everyday what it means to multi-task, which is totally not my strong-suit! Anyway, I'm kinda glad that I'm back on a Thursday, so here goes Thankful Thursday...

1. I'm thankful for my parents! Evans and I had soooo much to do last week to get our room at church ready (including a new coat of paint, or two), and Mom and Dad were so great to watch him several times for us. Okay, and they also kept him while we went to the Carolina game last Thursday night so we could have some time with our friends, too!



2. I'm still thankful for the chance we had to go to San Antonio! It was a WONDERFUL time, and I wouldn't have traded it for the world!



3. I'm thankful for our church! Evans and I have had a great time getting ready and studying for our new Sunday School class. I think we did pretty well for our first week, we'll see how it goes next week!

4. I'm thankful for great friends. We had a great time at the game last week with some awesome friends and I get to see lots of my friends next weekend at a bridal shower. Not to mention all my friends that I don't get to see very often. I'm so thankful to have wonderful friends in my life :)

5. And, as always, I'm thankful for my wonderful husband. I love him for so many reasons, and I am so thankful that he's mine :)





That's right, he's my prize!

Special moments

This last few weeks have been filled with special moments, which is part of the reason that I haven't posted in so long :)

We had the opportunity to go to San Antonio to see my brother graduate from basic training for the Air Force. It was AMAZING, and we got to do and see lots of cool things while we were there. We got to see the Alamo, take Clark to his first IMAX movie, and spend lots of time with family.

We also got to spend time with Evans' brother and his wife and son last night. He is home on leave from Iraq, and it was great to just relax and spend some time with them. I could not believe how big Clark's adorable little cousin has gotten!

Then today, before nap time when Clark was calming down, he crawled up on the couch and cuddled with me for a while. It was great after all these busy special moments, to have a calm quiet one with my little man!

Okay, enough sappy! I hope everyone has an AWESOME weekend!

I think I have lost my mind!

No, seriously! We are packing up the car, and heading to Texas today. Well, we're not literally going to Texas today, but we'll be traveling in that direction.

I mean, am I totally crazy by putting my 21 month old in the car for that long?!? At least Granny will be with us, and it will be great to have her help with Clark :)

And we really are looking forward to the trip (Once I can get past the stressing that I'm doing right now). We're so excited to see and do some new things. We are going to try to make some stops if possible while traveling to see a few places on the way, and to break the trip up a little bit.

I'm not gonna lie- I'm also a little excited about the 40 oz. margaritas on the Riverwalk! I will post some pictures of that :) Don't be jealous!

Well, I guess I should go finish up the packing, and probably take a Xanax! Just kidding :) I will post some updates of our trip soon!

Thankful Thursday

Today I'm thankful for early bedtimes!

Since Clark was about 5 months old, he has been sleeping from 7 PM - 7 AM. Well, about a month or two ago, he all of a sudden decided that he didn't want to go to bed at 7 anymore, but like clockwork, he started going to be at 8 PM. He quickly adjusted into his new routine and started waking up between 7:30 and 8 AM.

Well, I'm not sure what has gotten into him the last few days, but by 5 PM, even after a 2+ hour nap, he has be MISERABLE! I'm talkin', laying in the floor crying and screaming. I'm sorry, what demon has taken over my child?!?

So, for 2 nights in a row, Clark has eaten and early supper, taken a bath, and is back to a 7 PM bedtime. Hooray for more Mommy/ Daddy time in the evenings!

I'm not sure if this is going to be long-lasting, but I'm thankful for it as long as it lasts!

Soaking it up...

It seems like Clark is learning new things by the hour. This is great(most of the time)!

Yesterday alone he learned how to make "pretty hands" while we said the blessing, starting saying "Amen", got my parents dog's name correct, and started feeding himself with the "airplane"!

Then today he repeated a not-so-great word from his Daddy :)

It's just amazing how much he's learning, and it make me so excited to see what he's going to learn next!

Thankful Thursday

Today I'm thankful that I got to spend time with Melissa Morgan!

Since she moved to California a few years ago, I don't get to see her that often. I had the best time eating lunch and catching up with her. Not to mention talking about her wedding plans and her GORGEOUS diamond ring! Evans and I can't wait to head back to California for her wedding, and some BJ's pizza, of course!

A new adventure

So, who knew that starting a business would be so much work?!?

Yeah, that was stupid :) I should have known, but it has been worth every minute of it.

I started my own business last week, Tuesday to be exact. In that time I have put together samples, gotten some of my stuff set up in a retail store, applied for my LLC, created order forms and price sheets, and organized my "office space." I have created a Facebook page to promote my business and started a blog! I've even made a little money already :)

Wow! What a week. Now, I'm at the point where I'm ready to better organize my time. I have most of the groundwork complete, now I can schedule most of my work during naps and in the evenings so that I'll miss as little time with Clark as possible.

I sure do feel like a Super Mommy today!

Strange Looks....

We were out running errands yesterday afternoon when I told Evans we needed to head home because I had to get dinner ready still, and I really wanted Clark in bed a little early. Evans suggested just going to San Jose instead, and of course I agreed. The San Jose in Blythewood is our absolute fave! I needed to meet up with my Mom to pick some things up, so I called and we made a plan to meet at San Jose around 6:00.

Well, we got there first and I headed for the bathroom while Evans and Clark got us a table. I came out and found them at a booth, and when I sat down we decided it would be easier if we moved to a table. I gathered up the menus and Evans went to pick the high chair up with Clark in it, and accidentally smooshed Clark's little fingers.

I didn't know what had happened until Evans told me, but I sure heard it from Clark as did the rest of Blythewood. He screamed at the top of his lungs while we tried to get him out of the high chair. I didn't glance around until I stood up with him in my arms, and noticed everyone looking at us.

I mean, of course they were looking at us, our child was showing off his amazing vocal cords. But it wasn't like, "Aww.....poor baby" looks, it was like, "How could you do that to your child?!?" looks.

I rushed him off to the bathroom to take a better look at his fingers and to run some cold water on them. By the time we got to the bathroom, he was all better! As we walked back to the table, I noticed people were still looking. I seriously thought about letting the redneck come out, but I refrained. I mean, do people really think we would have done something like that on purpose. They must not have children if they think that accidents never happen.

Oh well, we moved right along to our margaritas, and everything was great!

Thankful Thursday

Today I'm thankful for new opportunities! I have started working on a few things this week, and I am possibly going to open a little business. We'll see how it goes, but that's what Evans and I are talking about now! I absolutely LOVE doing creative things, and if this opportunity works out, it will give me the chance to work on some creative things, to work from home, and to work on my own schedule (meaning nap time and in the evenings after Clark is in the bed)! For now, I'm just keeping my fingers crossed that everything works out, and then I'll share more details!

Am I really getting that old?!?

We decided to work in our yard this past weekend. It really needed some attention, so we got outside bright and early (okay, at 9 AM) on Saturday morning. We borrowed the pressure washer from my parents, and after Evans cut the grass, we started washing.

I absolutely love pressure washing! It gives you "instant gratification" as my Dad says. We pressure washed our driveway, and I have to say that it looks ah-mazing! I didn't even know it was supposed to be that white :)

We also worked in the back yard some. Evans pulled up a few little trees, and I tamped down an area where one of the trees had been, and laid out some pavers, so we could store the herbie-curbie and our wheel barrows there.

By the time we got back inside Saturday afternoon, I was HURTING. And it still isn't any better. My neck and back are killing me. Like, I can't even turn my head to the right...I feel so old! I mean, I kinda expected to be a little sore Sunday morning, but not 4 days later. Evans and I can't wait for Clark to be old enough to put him to work in the yard. (Yes, gasp! We will make our child do physical labor when he's old enough, and it won't hurt him!)

Until then, I guess it's just me and Ev! And lots of Goody's powder and heating pads!

A trip to a government office!

Yesterday, I had to go to the Vital Records office at DHEC to get a copy of Clark’s birth certificate. I guess I had forgotten how many different types of people come into government offices (I used to work at the Assessor’s office- WOW!)

I walked in behind a lady who had no business wearing the pants she was wearing. I’m talking, you could see parts of her body that you shouldn’t have been able to see through a pair of pants. Now, I’m not trying to knock anyone’s style. Everyone is entitled to their own choices, but please don’t wear clothes that show places of your body that would have to be covered by little black boxes if you were shown on TV.

After I was assigned a number, I took a seat and got out the book I brought with me (Yes, even though the form online said to expect a 30-minute wait, I knew to expect longer than that). I guess I got there at a good time, because the too small waiting room quickly filled to capacity, which didn’t stop others from piling in, making me claustrophobic in the process. I glanced over at the lady sitting to my right, who was talking very loudly on her cell phone (while she was sitting underneath the “NO CELL PHONE” sign, mind you) and was covered in tattoos. Once again, I have NOTHING against tattoos, at all. But I don’t want to see your tattoos of inappropriate “things” if they are in inappropriate places. Once again, someone was showing places on their body that really should have been covered up.

As I sat there looking around the room, I was so thankful that I didn’t have Clark with me, and that I wasn’t having to explain to him that he should cover his eyes. Just when I thought it couldn’t get any worse, in walks a little family of four. A mom, a dad, and I’m assuming the two boys with them were their sons. One of them was about Clark’s age, and you could tell he was ALL boy. He was wearing a t-shirt and shorts, and was covered in dirt from head-to-toe. Literally. There was dirt underneath his toe nails. And how did I know that, oh yeah, he wasn’t wearing any shoes. Now, there were lots of times when Clark was little that I wouldn’t put shoes on him, but that was when he would be in his carrier the whole time. This little boy was walking around barefoot. My germaphobic self just wanted to scream, “Seriously, you’re going to let your sweet little boy walk around barefoot in here, how unsafe is that?!? He could step on something, or contract some kind of disease!!!”

Luckily my number was called. I tucked my book back into my purse, and stood to move to the window I was assigned to. The people standing in the waiting room looked like a group of vultures waiting to fight for their prey (the prey being my empty chair). I seriously thought a fight was going to break out in that waiting room before I could even gather my belongings and move out of the way.

Once I got to the window, a cute little blond girl quickly made the copies I needed, and I was on my way. I was so glad to be out of that office! I don’t think I’ll attempt to take Clark anywhere like that with me anytime soon.

Thankful Thursday

So, this is going to be a very short post tonight. I have had a very long and stressful week, so tonight I'm thankful for spending some quiet time with my husband.

He's putting Clark to bed now, and we're going to watch a few movies. Well, maybe only one because I'll probably fall asleep early since I'm exhausted!

Night y'all!

"To fly or not to fly, that is the question!"

So, I think we have decided to fly to San Antonio next month. Our original plan was to drive, but the more we considered the long drive, flying seemed to be the better option. I mean, 40 hours in a car in one week is a WHOLE lot of bonding time!

Now, this is causing a little stress within the family, though! Evans doesn't like to fly anyway, and I'm trying to plan every little detail to make the flight as smooth as possible. I mean, the fact that I'm super organized anyway sometimes stresses me out more than just flying by the seat of my pants. I'm already reading every checklist I can find with Tips for flying with Toddlers!

I'm really thinking I should just get a prescription and a drink! No, really. Or at the very least, I'll just let Clark sit on his Papa's lap :)

I'm excited to see how he does, or at least excited to be done with the stress of worrying about how he's going to do!

"You need to sleep when he sleeps!"

I heard this all.the.time when I was pregnant, and soon after giving birth, I totally understood what that meant. I was finally able to grasp the idea of letting go of some of the housework (gasp!) and actually trying to make up for some of my missed nighttime sleep by napping some during the day, when Clark napped, of course!

Well, I have to admit that 20 months later, I'll still occasionally nap when he naps. Okay, okay, I actually nap a lot when he naps. Now, this isn't an everyday thing, but I do admit that I probably nap at least twice a week. Sometimes I'll even nap three or four times a week :)

Now, I'm not talking, I nap all three hours with him, I'll get some work done, do my Bible study, and then lay down for the last hour of his nap. I have always LOVED my sleep, and sometimes I just feel like I'm not going to make it though dinner/bath/bedtime unless I get in a little nap, too!

My husband may jokingly give me a hard time about it, but I know that is he was home and able, he's be napping right beside me!

So there it is, my confession-of-the-day! And I'm sure that I'm not the only Mommy out there who likes to get in a good nap when she can :)

Picture this....

a screaming 20-month old gagging and crying with crocodile tears running down his face. No, he wasn’t hurting, he was just being super dramatic about not wanting to eat his lima beans.

I have been working really hard this week to get Clark to eat more vegetables. I’m talkin’ the kid won’t eat ANY. He used to do so well, but over the last month or so, he has gotten to where he won’t even touch them. Well, that’s not entirely true, he does enjoy picking up the beans between his fingers and smashing them, or using the celery sticks to dip in the ranch, then lick it off.

This has become such a serious issue to me, especially since he has been constipated several times lately. And frankly, having to put on gloves and manually help him “do his business” is not really my idea of a good time.

I know he needs to learn to eat the veggies on his own and develop a liking for them, yada yada yada, but right now, my job as his mommy is to make sure he consumes them. Even if that means literally putting them in his mouth and making him swallow (which is easier said than done, BTW)!

I have been racking my brain and searching for ideas on what the best option is. Since my goal right now is just to make sure than he is consuming the amount he needs, I have decided to start pureeing the vegetables and cooking them into other foods that he does like. My sweetie pie husband went out and bought me a cookbook full or recipes using pureed vegetables, and I’m not gonna lie, I think it will be great for me and the hubs, too!

We’ll see how this goes, but either way, I’m hoping for a more relaxing dinner time!

Thankful Thursday

Today, I'm thankful for the very special people in my life.

Obviously my husband and my son, my boys, who I love very much. I can't imagine my life without them! They have, each in their own way, allowed me to become the person I always wanted to be.

My Mom, Dad, and brother who always support me in every decision I make. I always know that I can come to y'all with any problem or concern and you know just the way to handle it.

My friends. Now, I'm not listing names, but each of you is so special to me. I am thankful for all the memories we've had, and all the new ones to come!

My amazing church family! Y'all are so supportive and welcoming. Evans, Clark, and I love getting up for church every Sunday morning because we know without a doubt that CCBC is where we are supposed to be.

And I'm even thankful for all the people in my life that drive me crazy. I know that God put you in my life for a reason, and I'm looking forward to figuring it out :)

I know everyone feels this way....

but I really think I have the coolest kid EVER! I mean, I think he's adorable, and can be really sweet when he wants to be. It is the most amazing thing to watch him grow and learn new things.

We haven't been to the zoo in about a month, so my Mom and Granny headed to the zoo with us early yesterday morning, trying to beat the heat. (The beating the heat part didn't really happen, but we still had fun!)

We've been to the zoo lots of times before, but Clark was so into everything yesterday. He would point at the animals and say, "I see cow" or "I see bird." Then we could ask him what sound the animal makes, and he would make the sounds. How cool is that!?!

We got around to the giraffe and they were doing giraffe feedings. We got Clark some lettuce, and held him up to let him feed them. Now, you're supposed to lay your hand out flat with the lettuce laying on it, and the giraffe will lick it off of your hand. Well, Clark decided it would be cooler if he shoved his entire fist inside the giraffe's mouth. The giraffe didn't seem to mind, but his mommy did. When he pulled his hand out of the giraffe's mouth, it was covered in giraffe slobber! EWWWWWWW! And yet, still pretty cool!!!

Anyway...not that I'm done rambling about my kid's awesomeness, I love hearing stories from other mommies about amazing things their children have done. So, share away...

A weekend with friends

It's not very often that I get to see my close friends from college. We all live in different places, and are all very busy with our lives. So this weekend was such a treat!

On Friday night, my friend Jen came to town and brought some to-die-for cake! (I'm talking, it totally rivals Cupcake, and I needed that like I need another hole in my head!) On Saturday, we decided that we needed some sun (well, Jen thought she needed some sun, but she is way too tan already) so we laid out on my driveway while Clark played in his pool. (This was a sight to see!)

We headed down to Charleston on Saturday afternoon for Mandy and Wayne's engagement party. Evans was supposed to go with us, but he wasn't feeling well, so we decided it would be a great girl's night! So not only did I get to see Jen and Mandy, but a bunch of other friends from school, and we had such a great time.

It was such a great trip, and I had a wonderful time celebrating an awesome couple! I can't wait for the wedding this fall!

Spending time with my LITTLE

So my little sister (as in ZTA), Mandy came to visit last night. She is a CPA (yawn!) and had a conference to attend in town today on preparing tax returns (yawn again!) so she decided to come up early and spend the night with us.

I was so glad to spend some time with her, though. I feel like I haven't seen her in forever, even though it's been just a month or two. I have lots of great memories with her, and she cracks me up every time I see her.

We got to look at some old pictures last night, watch part of the Carolina game, and talk about her wedding! She's getting married in November, and I get to be a bridesmaid- WOO HOO!

Hanging out with her reminded me of how different life used to be. Not that I would change my life AT ALL, but it's crazy to think of how young and stupid we used to be! Oh how times change! We've come such a long way from our sports cars and night's out in Rock Hill!

Even though our lives are totally different now, that doesn't mean we won't have even more fun memories to look back on one day! Here's a few of the old pics we enjoyed looking at last night. Just don't laugh!

Happy Birthday to an Amazing Husband

Dear Evans,

I can’t believe you are turning 27 today. It seems like just yesterday, we were 17 and dating. 10 years has really flown by!

I remember celebrating your 18th birthday, the summer you went to Paris. I remember celebrating your 21st birthday with Freddie and Angie, even though you may not remember that one  I remember celebrating your 23rd birthday, your first after we were married. I remember your 25th birthday, after just moving into our house and preparing for our son. And I remember your 26th birthday, your first birthday as a Daddy.

I just wanted to take a minute to remind you of how special you are to me. Words can’t even describe what you mean to me. I cannot imagine my life without you. You continually amaze me with the things you do and say, and the person that you are. I am so grateful for all the memories of the birthdays we have had, and I cannot wait to make even more memories with you.

You are the love of my life, and I hope you have an AMAZING day. You deserve it!

Love always,
jcd

I don't know how you do what you do
I'm so in love with you
It just keeps getting better
I want to spend the rest of my life
With you by my side
Forever and ever
Every little thing that you do
Baby, I'm amazed by you

Thankful Thursday (on Friday)

As usual, I have lots to be thankful for this week (Even though you wouldn't always know it by my attitude)!

1. I'm thankful for a new playgroup that we joined this week! We met today and had lunch and went to the pool. It was so wonderful to spend some time with some super mommas, and to let Clark spend some time with their kiddos. He had so much fun that he pooped out on the way home, but luckily he stayed asleep when I transported him to his crib!

2. I'm thankful for some new opportunities for my family(They have to be kept secret for now though)!

3. I'm thankful for getting to spend time with my husband last night while we watched Carolina send home the #1 ranked Sooners (U-S-C GOOOOOOOO COCKS).

4. I'm thankful for a great Bible study that I'm doing this summer. Hopefully I will pay attention and learn lots!

There are so many more, I really could go on and on...but we'll leave it at that for today!

Happy Friday, y'all!

Why I have a Love/Hate relationship with the South

Okay, so I love the South.

I love that when you order tea at a restaurant, they bring you sweet tea.

I love how friendly everyone is, even the people you don't know.

I love how everyone acts like family (and since lots of people seem to marry their relatives, they really are)!

I love fishing and hunting (GASP! Yes, I think it's okay to kill animals, especially when you are using the meat to feed your family).

I love THE Carolina- Go Cocks!

I even love trucks (Yes, My Daddy drives an F-150 and has a .30-6 (that's pronounced 30 ALT 6) just like the song!

I love BBBQ's, low country shrimp boils, and any excuse to eat cobbler.

One thing I hate about the south, is the HEAT! I hate walking outside and not being able to breathe. I mean, we expect this kind of heat for August, but in June!?!

So, we have this tree/plant thingy in the backyard that we wanted to take out. Well, being the super great wife that I am (Wink! Wink!) I decided to tackle this project so that Evans' wouldn't have to spend his time this weekend doing it. The only problem is that I can only work outside during nap time, and Clark naps from about 1:00 - 3:00 PM.

I barely got my part done (Ev is going to have to pull out the roots) before I thought I was going to pass out. (I guess that will be a project for early Saturday morning!)

Just picture me limping into the house, grabbing a Gatorade from the fridge, and laying down on the cold tile floor. Laying on the floor didn't help me to accomplish anything except realizing that I need to sweep!

Oh well, I can handle indoor projects year round!

We can't just let Mommy have all the fun!

Disclaimer: Do not read while eating!

After giving us an eventful Mother's Day morning, Clark didn't want to disappoint for Father's Day!

We made it to church without a hitch, where Evans sang an ABSOLUTELY BEAUTIFUL solo. There wasn't a dry eye in the entire church. After church, we headed back to my Mom and Dad's for a cookout with both of our families.

Soon after eating lunch, Clark starting pushing, like REALLY pushing. We decided to wait until he finished his business to put him down for a nap.

Well, he pushed, and pushed, and pushed. For close to an hour.

It became obvious that he was going to need some help, um, getting it out. We tried sitting him on the potty, massaging his tummy, and carrying him around. My Granny went up to her house and brought back some suppositories. I totally felt like a Mom when Granny pulled one out of the bag and I wasn't even going to hesitate to shove it right in. (I didn't have to though, because she took care of that for me! That's why I love her!)

We waited and waited and waited, and still nothing. We decided to go ahead and put him down for his nap, hoping that stretching out and relaxing would help him. He fell asleep and when he woke up 2 hours later, there was still nothing. We could tell by this point that he was completely uncomfortable.

We headed home about 7:00, and as soon as we got him out of his car seat, he started pushing again. We ran him upstairs, stripped off his clothes, and plopped him down on his potty seat. He gripped the handles on the seat and with one push, he got it out! We cheered for him, and were so excited to see that instant relief on his face!

Fast forward 2 days....He started grunting this morning, so I ran him upstairs and put him on the potty again, this time he did a #1 and #2 on his potty. Now, I don't want to jinx us, but I'm kinda hoping for an early potty training. If not, that's fine, too. Who knows though, maybe all this "practice" the last few days will encourage him to use his potty seat more often!

Double Date? Yes, please!

Sounds kinda like a night of middle-school fun, huh?!? Well, it wasn't like the girls met the boys at the front of the movie theater or anything, but we did get to go out with some friends this weekend.

We had a dinner at church for the VBS workers from last week, so we headed out after to grab a few drinks.

Our first stop was Wild Wing Cafe. I LOVE their food, but we weren't hungry, so we ordered our drinks after waiting 10 minutes for a table. Not that the wait was bad, but we were surprised that there was a wait a 9:00. The drinks and the company were great, but about 30 minutes into the conversation, the band starts, and they are like RIGHT beside our table. Now, this may show that I'm getting older, but we really weren't interested in trying to yell over the band to hear each other, so we paid our tab, and headed for a quieter spot.

We went to a nice little restaurant called Blue Fin, and decided to sit outside since it had actually cooled down below 90 degrees! We started talking, and had the BEST time. We literally sat there for hours, but it was so great to talk to another couple who we have so much in common with. It was great to learn that we're not the only ones going through what we are going through.

It was 1:00 AM before we left, which was was past my curfew :) We can't wait to do it again soon, though!

Let's be real for a minute...

I’m currently doing a Bible Study called The Search for Significance by Robert S. McGee with some ladies from my church. We are only in the second week of the study, but I feel like I have already learned so much.

Everyone, especially women, since that’s all I know from experience, all feel these emotions we are studying about. Dr. McGee lists these common emotions as The Fear of Failure, The Fear of Rejection, Guilt, and Shame.

I know that all of you have felt at least one of these at some point or another. (Yes…even those of you who always act like you have it all together and look perfect)

My point for writing about this today is to let you know that you are not ALONE! As Mommies and Women, we have so many expectations put on us: whether it’s having a perfectly clean house, doing exactly what we should with our children, or planning the perfect party! (Not to mention looking good while doing all this!)

As I have been doing my “homework” this week for the study, I found it extremely hard to write down examples from my life of times that I have felt these emotions. It almost felt like I was admitting defeat. After I wrote them down; though, it felt like I had a weight lifted off my shoulders. I wanted to stand up and say, “My name is Jamye, and I am a perfectionist!”

I LOVED the section entitled “God wants us to be real.” I don’t consider myself fake, and I can’t stand to watch people who act like they are someone that they aren’t. If you don’t have everything you want, if you don’t live in the best neighborhood, if you aren’t a part of the best clubs or organizations, or if you just don’t have it all together…SO WHAT!

Just be yourself, and be proud of who you are. No one is perfect, so none of us need to act like we are. I believe that God put each of us on this Earth for a specific purpose. So don’t worry about the rest of it. Admit your shortcomings (I know, I know….that will be more difficult for me than anyone else)! Just know that we ALL have them, even those people who act like they don’t!

I really believe the more we share our experiences with other women, we can work to empower each other through the truth!

I hope everyone has a great weekend!

Thankful Thursday

Here are just a few of the things I am thankful for this week:

1. My brother's safe arrival to San Antonio. I know he has a rough 9 weeks coming up, but I'm thankful he got there safely.

2. I'm going to get a pedicure today! Not only am I thankful for a little time to relax and enjoy a pedicure, but I'm thankful for my Mom watching Clark for me while I go!

3. I'm so thankful that Clark is really enjoying VBS this week. Last night he walked through the fellowship hall with his class while Evans and I were in there, he ran over and gave us each a kiss, then went right back with his class and took off down the hall! Evans and I are both thankful for his wonderful teachers, and the fact that Clark loves being with them!

4. I am thankful for my husband's job which lets him work from home sometimes. He was working from home on Tuesday, and went and picked up breakfast from Panera, then drove through Starbucks and got me a Caramel Macchiato!

I hope everyone else takes a minute to think about some things you are thankful for today!

Kinda sad, but excited at the same time!

We went to the airport this morning to see my brother off. He's headed to San Antonio for basic training.

Before I left this morning, Evans asked if I was going to cry. I told him, "No, he's only going to be gone for 9 weeks!"

I was wrong. I did cry. Not a lot, but it was sad. I mean, he's my little brother. Even though he's bigger than me, he'll always be my little brother. I remember the day he was born, I remember him carrying his paci's around in one of my purses, I remember his first days of school.

I have no doubt in my mind that he will be fine. Actually, I think he'll do great! And the great part is, we are planning to go to San Antonio for his graduation! We've never been, but we are so excited to see some new places.

So even though today is sad, it's already time to start planning a trip, and that part is exciting!

Some INDOOR activities!

With the HOT weather we have had around here lately, I’ve been looking for some things to do inside with Clark, without just letting him destroy the house! I came up with a few things we tried today, some worked, some didn’t.

- Homemade play-doh: I remember making this when I was little, and I thought Clark would really enjoy this. I searched on the internet for some recipes, and plopped Clark up on the counter beside me, and we got started with the mixing. Unfortunately though, it didn’t turn out  I’m going to search for a few other recipes and we’ll give those a try later this week.

- Coloring/ Sticker Books: We have found a new activity that Clark LOVES- sticker books! I found some that only cost $1 at Wal-Mart (gasp! I know, I dislike going to Wal-Mart, but it really was the quickest option the other day!) Clark will play with the stickers for as long as we will let him. We also colored for a while this morning, he’s still learning to color inside the lines though.

- Summer Reading Program @ the Library: Clark is doing the summer reading program at our local library. Basically, he gets little prizes for the number of books we read to him this summer. We had some “story time” this morning, and read a few more books for his list- we’re almost to 15!

- Crafts- We have VBS at our church this week, and they take up a penny-offering from all the kids. It’s a little competition between the boys and the girls, so I thought Clark could help the boys out. I pulled out an old formula can that I had saved, and we took the label off and decorated it, then went around the house to search for pennies. We checked the couch cushions, drawers, and Daddy’s desk. I think we’ll keep the can, even after this week is over, and let him gather change to take to church as an offering every week.

Since it’s only June, and the weather is already so hot, I’m sure we’ll be looking for some other fun indoor activities this summer! If anyone has any they’d like to share, please do!

Can I get a break here?!?

We have be incredibly busy lately, between cookouts, trying to get stuff done around the house, helping my brother move, and entertaining a 19-month old who wants to get into everything.

I looked at Evans the other night, when we finally sat down for a minute alone and asked, "How did we get so busy? It wasn't like this before Clark was born!"

Even after our busy end-of-the-week and weekend, we started full-steam-ahead last night with Vacation Bible School at church. Evans and I are both teaching classes, so in addition to the 3 hours each night, we have to spend some time during the day getting things together. I am really grateful for the opportunity to teach, and I truly hope that the kids in my class learn a LOT this week, but it is exhausting!

We have another busy weekend coming up, but I think we're going to sneak out of town the following weekend to get a little break :)

"The only thing that seperates Columbia from Hell is a screen door!"

So, I just stole that from one of my friends, because it is ridiculously HOT here! I thought spending the day at the zoo on Thursday, when the high was 96 was crazy. This weekend, the heat index has been closer to 110 degrees!!!

It has been so hot, that I haven't even wanted to attempt any outdoor activites with Clark this weekend, even in the mornings. We helped my brother move out of his apartment this morning, and when we got in the car at 9:00 AM, it was alreay 80 degrees. I think we'll be looking for some fun, indoor activties this week!

This weather kinda makes me want to vacation somewhere farther north....where you can at least breathe outside!

I've been slack....

I have been SUPER slack this week with new posts. We have had such a busy week, and every time I get ready to sit down and make a post, something else comes up!

Our next door neighbors gave us a WONDERFUL kiddie pool this week that's bigger than the blow up one we had, and Clark has played in it EVERY day!

Yesterday, we had a great time at the zoo with some friends from church. We ate lunch, saw lots of animals, got to feed the giraffe, and Mommy got to spend some much needed time talking to grown-ups!

We are also really excited for Vacation Bible School that starts at our church this weekend.

With all this fun we've been having around town, it's really making Mommy and Daddy ready for a vacation! We would love to take Clark somewhere for a night or two just to get away by ourselves.....any suggestions?

Hope everyone has a great weekend!

Check it out!

Sooo....I just came across an amazing giveaway on one of the blogs I read.

Visit Southern Belle Baby for the giveaway from Hayneedle. They are giving away a Radio Flyer Voyager Canopy Wagon, a must have for the summer!

My new favorite thing!

While Evans was at his sales meeting in Vegas, he had the opportunity to visit lots of vendors who had set up booths to try to persuade him and the other sales reps to sell their products. Now, Evans doesn't sell these, but since all the divisions of his company were there, the Purex vendor had a booth and was attempting to gain some support in the home care division.

Evans thought it looked like something I would be interested in, so he decided to check it out. (I guess all my talking actually sank into his head a little, because I have been talking about wanting to try these out!) The rep was trying to promote the Purex Complete 3-in-1 laundry sheets. Evans put his name on a list, and one week later, we had a bunch of samples delivered to our house.

While I was catching up on laundry this weekend, I decided to try one out. As soon as I opened the packet, it smelled GREAT! And it was super easy to use. I dropped 1 sheet down into the washing machine, transferred it over to the dryer with the clothes, then tossed it in the trash when I folded the laundry.

How easy what that?!? As a Mommy, I love things that not only make my job easier at home, but this will make my job easier while running errands. Instead of having to buy a huge thing of detergent, a bottle of fabric softener, and a box of dryer sheets, all I have to buy is 1 box of these laundry sheets! Isn't that super!?!

Now of course, Evans wanted to know how much these were going to cost. Compared to detergent alone, it costs about $.05 more per load (BUT....that doesn't include fabric softener and dryer sheets). Now, I didn't go out and do a bunch of research, but once you add in the cost of the two other products, just buying the Purex Complete sheets would be cheaper in the end.

Cheaper and easier- who doesn't love that?

Now, I was not paid to review this product, so it's of no benefit to me, but I would absolutely recommend it to anyone! Trust me, as soon and I run out of the samples, I will be running to the store to stock up on more!

Ladies and Gentlemen, I would like to introduce.....

The TERRIBLE TWOS!

That's right, the terrible two's have officially taken up residence at our house, or rather, have taken over our son!

I'm not sure what happened to our sweet little man, it's like all of a sudden, he's cranky and moody, and he's willing to pitch an absolute fit when he doesn't get his way. Now, this isn't all the time, he was super sweet this morning when he crawled into bed with us for a few minutes when we all woke up. He still has those moments, but more and more often, he's willing to lay down in the floor and scream until he feels like stopping!

So, being the super organized and controlling person that I am, I went to the library and checked-out (yes, I'm also frugal) some books on child development, and getting through this stage of life.

I just started the book this morning, and have already been relieved to hear that this is normal, and that it can start as early as 18 months (Clark is 19 months)! At least I know I'm not alone, now I'm just going to have to keep reading, and come up with a good plan on how to handle all that comes along with the terrible twos, so that Clark comes out on the other side being a well behaved child!

Now I think I'll go get suited up so I'll be prepared to fight this demon that has taken over!

Thankful Thursday

I've seen several other people doing a Thankful Thursday on their blogs, and I thought I would do one of my own.

I was thinking this morning about what to write, and of course there was the usual: my family, my home, our health, yada yada. Don't get me wrong, I am EXTREMELY thankful for those things, but I tried to think of something else.

So today, what I am thankful for are the freedoms that we have. I did a lot of thinking this week with it being Memorial Day and all, about all the things we are so lucky to have, that we wouldn't have if it weren't for the sacrifices that others have made. I am so thankful to have the ability to go to church where I want, to wear the clothes I want to wear, to eat whatever I want (usually as soon as I feel hungry), and to be able to walk around without the fear of being attacked by a terrorist.

I know that last one seems kinda harsh, but there are so many people in the world, who live with that fear every.single.day.

So today, I'm going to try to remember these things when I get frustrated, and try to remind myself that I am very lucky to be in the place I am, and that little frustrations really aren't that important.

REMEMBER: Head over to Exploits of a Military Mama and check out the awesome giveaway for Sullivan&Sawyer Baby Co.!

Memories

We went to my brother-in-law's graduation last week, and he was graduating from the same high school that my husband and I graduated from, and things have totally changed. I mean, the school we went to literally isn't the same. They have torn it down almost completely, and have rebuilt with newer/better buildings, we didn't know any of the administration who were sitting on the stage, and they have changed the colors of the robes to a RIDICULOUS shade of blue.

As we were sitting there reflecting on our graduation 9 years ago (my husband actually sat in the seat right behind me), and everything we have accomplished since then, we realized that we didn't miss it one bit. I know there are people who LOVE high school, who are still best friends with their high school buddies, and who cannot wait for the reunions. We just don't feel the same way. It's nothing about our school, or any person or event in particular, we have just moved on from that.

I'll always love the fact that I met my husband in high school, even though I don't consider us high school sweethearts since we didn't start dating until January of our senior year. The more I look back on my life though, the more happy I am with where we are now.

The past is important because it has lead us to where we are now, but I'm so much more excited about our future!

I couldn't find a picture of us from graduation, but here's our prom picture from 9 years ago- Yikes!

Ah-mazing giveaway!

Head over to check out an amazing giveaway that Mrs. Trophy Wife is having at Exploits of a Military Mama! She is doing a giveaway for a product of your choosing from Sullivan & Sawyer Baby Co. They have some of the most adorable stuff!

Ugh..... (and Happy Memorial Day)

Has anyone ever had a day when you just feel like crap?!? I mean, not even the whole day, but it's like all of a sudden, out of nowhere, everything just sucks (sorry Mom) stinks?

I feel like I'm pregnant all over again. I was in a perfectly good mood earlier, we had a great time grilling out with my parents today, we got home and after I bathed Clark and got him in the bed, I just sat down and felt like crying!

Maybe it's the fact that Clark was Mr. Crabby Pants all day, and he really just wore me out, but now it's time for a very large glass (or three) of wine, and some horrible reality TV to make me feel better.

Days like this sure do make me wish some of my girls were closer, because let's face it, Evans does not understand!


On another note: A BIG thank-you to all members of the United States Military, past and present, for all the sacrifices you have made/are making for our country. Along with that thank-you, goes one to all their families as well. Because of the sacrifices you all have made, my family was able to be together today and enjoy spending time with each other. I can't thank you enough for all the freedoms we have because of your willingness to serve. My thoughts and prayers are with you daily!

A new creation

I absolutely ADORE doing creative things. I love making all sorts of things. Clark ran out of gift tags recently, so I decided to play around and create some of my own. Here are a few pictures of the ones I made for him (obviously, the ones I made for him have his name on them, but you get the idea)!

A new crockpot recipe

I mentioned a while back how difficult it is now cook dinner in the afternoon, since Clark isn't really willing to stand beside me and wait patiently while I cook. Well, I have finally gotten off my tushie and found some new crock pot recipes to try so that my family doesn't have to eat take-out, or dinner-from-a-box meals.

I knew before that it was cheaper to buy a whole chicken, rather than buying b/s chicken breasts. But.....I didn't really want to deal with cooking a whole chicken. I came across the recipe that I'm going to share with you today, and decided that it seemed pretty easy.

Today is the 2nd time I'm using the recipe, but I'm not using the whole chicken as my dinner. I'm just cooking it to use the meat in other recipes. I should have enough for my chicken-pot-pie tonight, some chicken salad for lunches for the rest of the week, and possibly a buffalo chicken ranch dip for this weekend.

I found the recipe in a crock pot cookbook, but have changed it to suit myself, so please feel free to do so if you like!


Crock Pot Chicken

4-5 lb. whole frying chicken
1/2 onion, chopped
1 rib celery, chopped
1 can chicken broth
salt to taste
pepper to taste
1/2 tsp. poultry seasoning
1/4 tsp. dried basil

Unwrap the chicken, and pull the giblets out (Clark was a little confused as I showed him this part! Then I made the chicken "dance" on the counter like my Dad used to do, and he LOVED that part!)
Sprinkle the poultry seasoning, salt, and pepper inside the chicken. Fill the chicken with the onions and celery, then tie the legs together.
Lay the chicken in the crock pot, and sprinkle with a little salt, pepper, and the dried basil.
Pour the chicken broth around the chicken, and you're done!

I cook mine for 4 hours on high, and then another hour or 2 on low. Your cook time may vary depending on how fast/slow your crock pot cooks, just keep checking on it! This makes it super easy to get this part out of the way in the morning, then I can throw the rest of it together during nap time, and voila!

Hope you enjoy! If anyone tries it, let me know what you think!

Here's how it's looking now, still a few hours to go!

"Enjoy them while they're little, before you know it, he'll be off to college!"

I hear this ALL THE TIME! While I know it's true, and it's hard to believe how fast he is growing, it still surprises me sometimes.

This morning, I needed to take a quick shower, and since Clark has learned how to climb out of the pack-n-play, my choices are to put him in the shower with me (don't judge, sometimes you do whatever you have to. It's not likes he's starting saying "BOOBIES" or anything), or let him play on the bathroom floor while I shower.

I opted for choice #2, and put some toys on the floor for him and hopped in the shower. I was talking to him and listening to him play away, and would peek my head out the door every minute or so just to make sure he wasn't using my flat iron (again, don't judge. It wasn't plugged in or anything!)

All of a sudden I hear him say "bye bye!" I thought he was just being cute, but I opened the door and he was headed out of the bathroom, waving at me as he left.

"WHAT!?! When did you learn how to open the door!?!" He stuck his head back in the bathroom and looked at me like, "You're so slow Mommy, I learned that a whole hour ago!"

I convinced him to come back into the bathroom and shut the door behind him until I could quickly finish.

I guess my only option now is to get up super-early and shower before he gets up, since he doesn't nap until mid-afternoon, and this nappy hair cannot wait until mid-afternoon to be washed.

Oh well, who knows what he'll get into next. I'm just waiting to turn around and see him pulling out of the driveway in my car! He really is growing up too fast!

Having a sick baby stinks :(

Clark woke up from his nap yesterday running a 101.5 fever.He was congested, had a runny nose, and his eyes were watering. Now, this isn't the first time he's been sick, but it literally breaks my heart everytime.

I'm assuming that's common among Mommy's. The whole, wishing-I-could-be-sick-for-him thing.I hated seeing him try so hard to sleep last night, and then everytime he got comfortable, he couldn't breathe. I ended up spending most of the night holding him in the chair in his room so he could sleep sitting up.

It took me back to those newborn days of being up all night, and it's catching up to me this morning as I'm drinking every form of caffeine I can find!

On a side note: I was also reminded why my husband and I didn't talk during the night when we were exhausted with a newborn. (It's best to just keep your mouth closed sometimes:))

Well, here's to hoping for a better day today. Otherwise I'll be at Dr. Taylor's as soon as he opens the door tomorrow!

I'm ready for my husband to be home...

Evans has been gone to Vegas this week for his sales meeting. He usually only has to travel every once-in-a-while for work, and he’s not usually gone more than a night or two a month.

We are a couple who really likes to spend time together, so this week has been kinda tough. I mean, I know there are people out there whose husbands travel a lot for work, and those super-tough military wives who deal with their husbands being gone on long deployments. This week has been really tough for me, since I’m not used to being away from him.

I have literally felt like a part of me has been missing this week. I have been thinking a lot about our relationship, how much I miss him, and the things I love about him.

Here are a few reasons I love my husband:
1. Since the first time I met him, he has always been one of the nicest people I have EVER met. He truly cares about everyone, and wants the best for them, even if they have done him wrong.
2. He is very protective of me, even about things that happened long before we were together.
3. He is such a hard worker. He always has been. I can remember him working in college, even in high school, as hard as he needed to in order to pay for things he needed or wanted.
4. He is willing to do anything it takes to help me live out my dream of being a stay-at-home Mommy.
5. He is absolutely the most handsome man I know.
6. He reminds me of my Dad.
7. He is such an amazing Daddy. He took half of the night shifts when Clark was a newborn, and doesn’t mind changing stinky diapers.
8. He is so incredibly talented. He has an absolute gift when it comes to public speaking!
9. Even though we are totally different people, he balances me out!
10. He truly is my soul mate. I knew since we first started dating, that we were supposed to spend the rest of our lives together.

Love you Ev, can’t wait to see you soon!

Seriously? Y'all sound like a bunch of girls!

So yesterday, Mom, Clark, and I went exploring. We went to look for some new cool places to take Clark this summer, and ended up in Cayce. We ate at the Kingsman since we hadn't been there in a while, and soon after we were seated, a group of well-dressed business men, probably in their lates 40's or so, came in and sat at the table beside us.

I was listening to their converstaion (yes, I LOVE to eavesdrop), and realized they were talking about baseball. The more I listened, it didn't really seem to make sense. They were talking about some guy that was only batting .200 (I think that's how you write that!)and how he pulled the guy out of the game. Now, I knew it wasn't Ray Tanner, but I thought maybe they were high school coaches, but high school baseball is almost done for the season. Then I realized they were all sharing stats that they were reading off their blackberry's.

Are you kidding!?! These grown men were in such a deep discussion about their FANTASTY baseball teams! I really don't have a problem with fantasty baseball or football or whatever, it just cracked me up how intense these men were about trading their players, and what their plans were for the rest of the season. They were still talking about it 45 minutes later when we got up to leave!

My husband doesn't understand how women can talk about shoes, handbags, and celebrities for hours on end. I; however, don't understand how men can talk about FANTASTY baseball for hours.

To each his own...

A much needed girl's night!

My sister came down to visit last night! I was so excited for some much needed girl time and getting to see my sweet little nephew! (Well, he’s not so little anymore. He’s 13 months younger than Clark, and he weighs only 5 pounds less than him!)

I had planned to make a few appetizers, have a little wine, and just relax and catch-up on gossip  That is of course not exactly how it went. Between trying to get 2 kids fed, bathed, and in the bed, we ended up being exhausted by the time the house was quiet. (Well, it never was really quiet, between the noise machine in Sullivan’s room and the radio in Clark’s room, but you get the idea!)

My mom, MIL, and GMIL came over and we finally settled in around the table at about 8:00. Between the 5 of us, we polished off 3 bottles of wine, and devoured most of the food. Everyone headed out a little later, and Sally asked if I wanted another drink. I decided to mix a little of everything we had together (which I would NOT recommend) and we headed to the couch to talk some more.

We ended up finishing those drinks, which kicked our butts, over-sharing about frustrations, our futures, baby names, boobs, and stretch marks! We finally crawled into bed at about 11, and the boys were up-and-at em’ by 7:00 am.

By the time we got downstairs, and consumed a good bit of coffee, we were feeling better. We had a great lunch before Sally and Sullivan got on the road, then Clark and I took a much needed 3 hour nap 

All-in-all it was a great night, and can’t wait for another one soon!

Family Fun and a DATE!

Since my husband will be on a business trip next week, he took the morning off to spend some time with me and the little man! We woke up around 7ish, and Evans suggested heading to the zoo. We jumped up to get ready so we could be there when the zoo opened at 9.

We pulled into the parking lot at 9:01, and looked at each other like, "HOLY CRAP!" It was PACKED. There were probably 100 schools buses (or maybe it was really more like 15), kids everywhere in their little matching shirts, and there was a super long line to get in. We decided to be brave since we had already driven across town to get there.

We ended up moving right through the crowd at the gate since all the schools were still trying to line up and pair kids with chaperones. My mind raced back to teaching days, and I thought about what a gigantic nightmare those teachers were about to have. Especially since it looked like some of them hadn't even put their students into groups yet, but that's their own management problem!

Thanks to their lack of preparation, there was hardly anyone inside the zoo yet. We made it through in about an hour, and didn't really have to wait in any lines!

Clark is peacefully napping now after walking all over the zoo, and once he wakes up, his Nana is coming to pick him up so that Mommy and Daddy can have a date night! I'm so excited to actually get dressed up for dinner and wear my new dress! I'll post some pictures later!

Hope everyone has a great weekend!

New Sleep Habits

We have been VERY blessed to have a son with great sleep habits. Let me rephrase that: He has had great sleep habits since he was about 10 weeks old. He did go through the newborn weeks-from-hell, but easily adjusted into the Baby Wise plan, then later into the Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child plan.

He has been sleeping 12 hours a night since he was 6 months old, and now at 18 months, I'm feeling that he's getting to the stage where he's going to need less sleep at night. His doctor told us at his 15 month check-up, and again at his 18 month check-up, that he'll start sleeping less.

I expected a gradual change, easing into a later bedtime, maybe even taking a shorter nap, but that obviously isn't how Clark wants this to go down.

Over the last 3 or 4 days, he has decided that he doesn't want to nap until mid-afternoon, then wants to go to sleep 2 hours later than usual.

Yesterday, I tried from 12:15 to 1:30 to get him to nap. At that point, I gave up, and we headed outside to play. I put him in his high chair around 4 for a snack, and he immediately fell asleep. Knowing that it was too late for a long nap (unless I wanted him up half the night), we let him sleep for about 30 minutes, then got him up.

I'm not complaining AT ALL, because I know we have been very lucky with a child who loves to sleep, but I'm still dreading this change!

"Mommy, I made you a special Mother's Day Present!"

Even though Clark can’t talk, I’m pretty sure that’s what he would have said.

We were almost done getting ready for church yesterday morning, and Clark was getting into everything. Evans put him in his pack-and-play to give us a few minutes to get dressed. As soon as I was done getting ready, I went into the bonus room to get Clark so we could dress him.

As soon as I walked in the room, he stood up and had a very mischievous look on his face. As I got closer, I saw why. He had taken off his diaper and used the bathroom (#1 and #2) in his pack-and-play! Not only had he done that, but had decided it would be super fun to play in it!

OMG! Are you kidding me?!?

“Ev, come and see what your son did!” I screamed across the house. Evans came walking in, excited to see what cute thing Clark had done. He quickly changed his attitude, and we came up with a game plan in about 2-point-5 seconds.

Evans took Clark straight to the bathtub for bath #2 of the morning, and I worked on cleaning and disinfecting the pack-and-play!

Amazingly, we managed to make it to church only 5 minutes late. We laughed about it the whole way to there, and then enjoyed watching people’s faces as we re-told the story to our friends and family.

Needless to say, Clark managed to make my second Mother’s Day absolutely unforgettable, but I wouldn’t trade him for the WORLD!

Also…Happy Mother’s Day to the best Mom E-V-E-R. My mom has not only been the most amazing mom to both my brother and I, but has lovingly treated Evans as her third child from the start! I had been so lucky that we have become best friends, and now I am blessed to watch her enjoy being a grandmother to my little man. I love you, Mom!

Another shout-out to my super sister-in-law, Sally, who I will not just refer to as my sister (b/c we have become as close as sisters, and typing sister is also a lot quicker), on her very first Mother’s Day! Love ya!

Don't try this at home!

Evans made an appointment at the last minute to get his and Clark's hair cut, but I had already had plans that I really needed to take care of this afternoon. So Ev decided he was going to be "Super Daddy" and take Clark by himself.

Now, I wanted to stop him right there and ask if he was crazy?!? I mean, I wouldn't even try to take Clark to get his hair cut by myself.

I decided not to open my mouth, and sent my sweet, unknowing husband on his way.

Their appointment was at 2:00, and my phone rang at 2:10.

It was Ev, and he had walked out of the salon, leaving Clark there, and told me that Clark was freaking out! (Disclaimer: The girl who cuts his hair has been a family friend of ours for 30+ years, he didn't leave him with a stranger)!

Missy did the best she could, but she said he just wouldn't sit still, imagine that! It's still a little longer than I would like, so I'm taking him back in the morning (with my Mom in tow) to get it trimmed up a bit more.

Moral of the story: Don't try to take your child to get a hair cut without at least 2 adults to hold them down!

Trying to Plan a Girl's Weekend

Since our first year out of college, my friends and I have gotten together for a girl's weekend. We started as a group of 8, now we're down to 6 (as Mel has moved to Cali and Ashley has moved to Cuba, yes that Cuba)! We are trying to work out a weekend soon to get together, and it is crazy how hard it is to find a weekend that works with everyone. We have all gone in such different directions, which makes it hard for us to all get togther!

Anywho- I was thinking this morning about all the incredibly stupid things we have done on these girls weekends! Here are just a few:

1. A bar fight in Johnson City!
2. An argument outside the Wild Wing in Asheville with a "slightly" intoxicated couple who had "lost their dinner" on the sidewalk.
3. The oh-so-bright idea of getting a ride home with the owner for Sully's in Asheville.
4. Jen riding in the back of the truck down the intersate in #3.

I'm sure there are many more, but it is so great to think about all the fun things we do these weekends. Like renting a boat at Lake Lure, even thought we managed to be 30 minutes late for our hour long rental!

I have happily moved on the dirty diapers and butt paste, but ABSOLUTELY love getting together with my girls!

I absolutely love Saturdays when we can spend the whole day together! The only thing we had planned today was a birthday party, so after a workout together this morning (which literally kicked my booty!) we headed over to the Palmetto Athletic Center in Lexington. We weren’t sure how much fun it would be for Clark, though. We thought it may just be activities for older kids, but we were excited to go and see some friends that we don’t get to see very often. Not only did Clark have a good time, but so did Evans and I!

The first part of the party was free play time, and the kids were allowed to play anywhere in the gym. We started in the pool filled with those squishy foam cubes. (You’ll have to excuse my wording. I’m not down with all the gymnastics lingo!) Clark liked that okay, but had a hard time moving around, so he got frustrated pretty quickly.

We moved over to a larger open space, and let him run around and play a little soccer, which he LOVED. I think he would literally run non-stop from the time he gets up in the morning, to the time he goes to bed, only stopping to talk to himself, or some of his toys.

After the playing, we moved into another room for pizza and cookie cake. Clark was so exhausted from playing so hard that he downed a juice box in about 2.5 seconds. He scarfed down an entire piece of pizza, and then shared a piece of cookie cake with his Mommy and Daddy.

After saying our good-byes, and suiting little man up with a dry diaper (remember the entire juice box he just downed), we snapped him into his car seat, and he was asleep soon after pulling out of the parking lot. We took our time driving home, hoping to let him get as long a nap as possible.

We ended up at San Jose, and enjoyed a margarita on the patio, then decided that since we had totally blown our diet anyway, we might as well enjoy some dessert. We shared some ice cream, and the most delicious piece of Red Velvet Cheesecake!
We came home and ended our day sitting on our butts and watching a movie! I’m looking forward to our day tomorrow, but not Monday 

18 Month Check-up!

I can't believe my little man is 18 months old today! He's growing so fast that it makes me a little scared. As soon as I get used to something new that he's doing, he's off to something else! My husband and I sat in bed last night talking about all the cute little things he used to do, that we are already missing. It almost made me want to get pregnant again, almost! Here's my little man as a newborn...

"Would I be a lush if I had my mimosa without the Orange Juice?"

asks Rachel yesterday at the "Women of the Wedding Party" in Charleston for Mandy!

We were supposed to be at the store at 12, but got there and the owner of the store wasn't there, the doors were locked, and it was super windy outside!

We waited a few minutes, tried here cell phone, waited a few more minutes, and tried again! We finally got in touch with her, and found out that we would have to wait a little longer (actually and hour and a half longer) before she could get there, since she had totally forgotten about the party!

While we waited, everyone's hair completely ruined, we decided to go in the restaurant next door and get a round of mimosas to pass the time. Luckily Mandy had purchased the supplies for mimosas for the party, so once our first round was done, we popped open the bottle of champagne and made another round while standing outside the store, like a bunch of college kids!

A few rounds later, we decided to pop open the tray of fruit and cheese, and the box of cupcakes (yes, the same calorie-packed ones that I so enjoyed the day before) and had a little party outside while we waited.

Once the lady finally showed up, we were ready to get down to business. Mandy tried on her dress for us first, and it is GORGEOUS! Then, bridesmaids started trying on various dresses that had been pulled, and once we found one that we all liked, Mandy had us each try it on so she could take pictures! (I also had another cupcake after we got inside, but don't worry, they were mini-cupcakes!)

All-in-all, it was a GREAT day. Even if we didn't get in the store until 1:30, we had a great outdoor party while we waited, and I truly enjoyed the "girl time"! I was so happy to have a day to catch up with some of my friends that I don't get to see as much as I would like, and I really hope to see them all again very soon!

A Family Fun Day

We had a very busy, but very fun, weekend! I had forgotten how much fun it was to have NOTHING planned on a Saturday! It was rainy, but Mom and I got up and headed garage selling at 7:00 AM! I know, we are a little insane, but it was fun. We saw some very interesting things (and people) and had a great time just hanging out. We also got Clark some great outdoor toys!

By the time I got home (at 9:30) Evans was about to pull his hair out! We decided to head out for the afternoon with our little man. We had a great lunch at Moe's and did some shopping around Sandhills. As we were walking around, Evans' suggested we head downtown and try out Cupcake! Before he finished his sentence, my tail was headed for the car!!!

We decided to get 2 different cupcakes, and share them so we could try both. We got a Vanilla and a Black Bottom, and they were to die for! I'm talkin' I didn't even want to share with Clark! I did though, which is why I think he had a hard time going to sleep that night!

After finishing our cupcakes, we waddled out to the car, and headed home for a much needed workout to burn off all those cupcake calories.

Even with all the calories, we had a much needed family fun day!

A New Favorite

When we decided to move back to the Columbia area from our first little home in Tennessee, we had mixed feelings about where we wanted to live. We considered downtown Columbia, Forest Acres, Lexington, and Blythewood. We loved things about each of these places, but ultimately decided that Blythewood was the place for us.

When we first moved back, we lived with parents (and survived that experience, very happily I might add), and we both fell in love with Blythewood all over again. I mean, who wouldn’t love a place that you can run all your errands (grocery store, gas station, bank, post office, and library, in less than 30 minutes- I kid-you-not!)

Of course, after growing up here, I knew off all the usual places to eat/ hang out that have been here FOREVER! (San Jose being our favorite spot!) There are lots of new places we have found though that we are LOVING!

One that I wanted to share with you today is Maggie’s Market. It’s a great little restaurant that serves everything from hamburgers and hot dogs, to sandwiches and salads, and some southern favorites. (They even have Peach Nehi, which Evans was super excited about! He looked like a kid in a candy shop drinking that thing, probably because it tastes like a liquid Jolly Rancher!)

If you live anywhere in the Blythewood/ Columbia area, or if you’re passing through, you should totally check it out.

You can take a look at their menu at www.maggiesmarket.net!

A good read...

I ABSOLUTELY love to read. I love all different kinds of book, and lots of different authors, but I hardly ever have the time to sit down and enjoy a good book!

I did carve out some much needed time this past weekend to read because it was the first weekend we didn’t have anything going on in a loooong time. My mom had checked out Jenny Sanford’s book, Staying True, from the library, and it wasn’t due for another week, so she asked if I was interested in reading it.

I took it home with me, and decided I’d read a few pages before I went to bed. I couldn’t put it down! I ended up reading the whole thing before the weekend was over! Whether you are a fan of Mark Sanford or not, a Democrat or Republican, or don’t even know about their story (which I’m sure most everyone does thanks to his mysterious trip to Argentina, I mean, hike on the Appalachian Trail) it really is a good read.

Hearing about everything she has gone through, from working on Wall Street, to moving “south”, successfully running her husband’s campaigns, and raising 4 boys, it kinda inspired me to get off the couch and get crackin’!

I guess my next step is to try to convince Evans to run for governor? I totally think I could live in the Governor’s Mansion. Sounds like a good location for a Crown Ball! (Although I guess anything would be better than the Holiday Inn, huh!?!)

Has anyone else read any good books lately that you would recommend?

A First Time for Everything

I was watching Clark play in the bathtub a few nights ago, happily splashing water around, accidently swallowing some, then I heard it, and my heart dropped.

He was grunting! (Red faced and all!)

NOOOOOO! I screamed to Evans, who was in the other room, to come and help as fast as he could. I tried my best to quickly get him out of the tub, but I was too late.

He squeezed it out before I could wrap him up!

Evans got Clark out of the tub, and I promptly clean and disinfected both the bath tub, and all the toys in it! I fully expected poop in the tub at some point, but was still kinda grossed out since it was the first time it’s happened!

As I was scrubbing away, I sat there wondering, “How did I get from sorority formals, to this?!?”

As soon as I walked into his room, and saw him sitting there with a big smile on his face, I thought to myself again, “I wouldn’t trade this for the world!”

This isn't exactly what I had planned...

From the time I found out I was pregnant, I knew I wanted to be a stay-at-home mom. I could think of nothing better than spending every day with our little man, not missing out on any of the amazing little things he does, and not having to get up and get dressed to go to work!

I had visions of drinking my coffee in the morning and watching FOX News, pajama days, play dates, and plenty of time just enjoying our son.

Our son was born in October 2008, and I was still teaching at the time. I had the option to take up to 12 weeks, but knew I would only get paid for the sick days I had accrued. Well, having only taught for 1 school year, I only had about 3.5 paid weeks, but decided to take 7, which would have me returning to school after the Christmas break. There were several times during my maternity leave that my husband encouraged me to not return to school. As much as I wanted to, I knew that the best thing to do was to finish out my contract with the district.

I went back to school in January, just as sad as I could be. I remember telling my husband, with my tear-filled eyes that I would rather have an epidural every day, than to have to deal with the pain of leaving him. Luckily though, my mom and husband have very flexible work schedules, and were able to bounce him around between the 2 of them from January till June, when I could finally stay home!

I remember just squealing with joy as I walked out of school on June 6th last year, and hurried right home! We had a busy summer with traveling, Vacation Bible School, and get-togethers with friends. Once school started back in August, things started to die down. Everyone was busy with their own things, and I started to get lonely. Now, I was more than excited that I wasn’t starting a new school year, but I began to realize that things weren’t going to be exactly as I had planned.

Some weeks we have so much to do that I don’t even have time to think, but some weeks, like this one, are pretty slow. I LOVE getting to play outside with our son, cooking dinner for my family, and having a nice clean home, but sometimes it gets lonely. Most of my friends aren’t stay-at-home moms, and the ones who are, aren’t close enough to come over for a quick visit.

I do miss having adult conversations, and I really wish I had a close friend nearby who is in the same situation I am. There are 2 houses in our cul-de-sac for sale, and I selfishly pray every once-in-a-while for another stay-at-home mom to move in!

Are there any other stay-at-home moms who feel the same way, or am I just crazy?!?

A Big "Thank you!"

While thinking about my brother- and sister-in-law today (who are currently going through a 12-month deployment), I thought I would make a post about them, and everything they are BOTH sacrificing for our country.

I have known my brother-in-law for 9 years now, and he is a wonderful person! He truly believes in our country, the fact that he is overseas for a reason, and that he is doing exactly what he is supposed to be doing. He is a great husband, and a wonderful father. I personally can’t wait to see him with his little man again! He is sacrificing so much to ensure that all of us have to ability to enjoy the rights that we have as American citizens. He is missing out on birthdays, their 2nd anniversary, his son’s baptism, and an entire year with his wife and son.

My sister-in-law is equally wonderful! I talk with her often about what she is going through, and she is truly one of the strongest people I know. Since their sweet little boy was only 2-weeks old, she has done an amazing job of taking care of him by herself, and never once complaining. She has tackled sleepless nights, the joys of breastfeeding, trying to tackle a schedule, and cloth diapers! There are days she doesn’t even get to talk to her husband, and some days when she only gets a minute or two.

I have watched these 2 in amazement the last few months, and pray for them daily. I am so thankful, not just to my brother-in-law, but to all other troops who are serving, or have served, our country. YOU are the ones who have given all of us back home the opportunity to see our spouses every day, to live without fear, and to have the rights that we do.

I am also thankful to all the spouses of these soldiers. These are the women/men who “hold down the fort” while their spouses are away, who take care of children, and are the stronghold for their soldiers. Thank you for sacrificing everything you do! There are people out there who know that you are going through a lot, too.

Please say a prayer for the troops’ safety, and for the strength of their spouses today!

Seriously!

The longer I am out of college, the more I look back at the things I did and think, “Did that really seem cool then?” Evans and I joke all the time about the silly things we did and said. The stupid things we thought were such a big deal then, we wouldn’t even waste time thinking about now.

Generally, you graduate from college, get a job, become a part of the “real world,” and grow up. Generally! It still amazes me to this day how some people choose to live their lives through their college years.

I ABSOLUTELY love my college friends! I would not trade them for the world. We still have a girl’s weekend every year, keep in touch through Facebook and over the phone, and get together for weddings and special events. So I don’t think there is anything wrong with keeping those friends, and talking about special memories you have.
It’s really sad though to see someone post things online and to have her little clique join in taking jabs about something that happened 5 years ago! That’s right 5 YEARS AGO!

So I have written a special note to the “girl” this post is written for:

Dear Skank,
It’s one thing to joke with your friends about silly or stupid things you did back in the day, but it’s totally different to call someone else out, when it’s actually YOU that should be called out for the way you were acting. Just because you’re jealous of the place someone else is in their life, or the fact that they are truly happy, and have made good choices, doesn’t give you the right to act immature. Maybe if you weren’t dating a high schooler it would be a little easier for you to grow up. So I hope you have gotten the message that when you mess with one of us, you mess with all of us!
Love,
Jamye

"Mommy Time"

When I was in college, my friends and I used to show up late to make an entrance. We called it being on “Zeta Time.” I didn’t show up to classes, work, or internships late, just some events. It didn’t bother me to show up late then, because even when I was late it was on purpose, and I was probably walking in wearing a cute outfit (without drool or food on it)!

Well, it bothers me now.

No matter how early I get up, or what time I start getting ready, I can’t seem to get anywhere on time. Take Sunday mornings for example. We need to leave our house at 9:15 in order to get to Sunday school on time. 9:15 NEVER HAPPENS. It’s usually at least 9:20, but more often closer to 9:30. And that’s after I get up at 6:30!
I have to get up at 6:30, so that I can shower and get myself ready, so that when Clark wakes up, I’m ready to tackle the exhausting task of feeding, bathing, entertaining, and dressing him before we leave. (Now, usually after all this is done, I could really use another shower, but no time for that!) Only after he is ready, am I able to put my clothes on (which have to wait until last b/c there is no telling what may end up on them while getting Clark ready)!

In order to make it out on time, we have to be downstairs by 9:00. There are bags to be loaded into the car (which I have already spent time packing the night before, in order to save myself that time in the morning), possible last minute diaper changes, sippy cups to be filled, a husband who may need a shirt ironed, and a dog to be fed/watered.

Needless to say, even if we do get out the door on time to wherever we are going, I usually need a nap before we get there. (Not that I could nap in the car, because there is almost always a Veggie Tales movie playing that Clark tries to sing-along to!) For a while, I kept thinking to myself, “It will get better when he’s older, and can get himself ready!” I need to just quit trying to fool myself, that’s not how it’s going to be. I’m sure by that point there will be other things that keep me from getting ready on time, but I don’t even want to guess what those “things” might be.

So basically, I think I’ll just acknowledge the fact that I’ll be forever late, and if anyone has a problem with that, they can just get over it!