so what wednesday

One of my fave reads, Shannon, hosts a weekly blog link up that I've actually never been a part of. What better day than today to change that?

So today I'm saying so what to...

-So what that I discovered that I haven't organized my pictures since June when I went to upload some to Shutterfly today. And who cares that I almost had a panic attack when I had to upload out of order to take advantage of a one time deal.

-So what that that little painting fail project I mentioned is still taped to my front windows. And has yet to be touched again.

-So what that I just got birthday cards out today that should have been mailed last month. What is my problem??

-So what that I realized I didn't mail said birthday cards because they were buried under half of creation on my passenger seat. Oops. And no, I didn't clean up the seat I just happened to see the bright corner of the envelope.

-So what that I ate an entire box of Girl Scout cookies in two day.

-So what that BG has learned how to say "shake your booty!" while promptly doing just that.

-So what that my streak of getting up early has come to a very untimely end. Le sigh...

That actually felt kind of good to get off my chest. Be sure to link up with Shannon!

georgia's on my mind.

I find that I am quick to escape to Savannah the minute the opportunity presents itself.

I've gotten comfortable enough up here and am in love with our little life here enough that I no longer long to be there every single second, but when something fun arises back home, I'm there.

So when I got a wedding invitation in the mail months ago, I quickly penciled "SAVANNAH!!" in my day planner faster than you can say road trip.

And road trip BG and I did.

A phone call with my girl Jess, some loud music, a sleeping toddler, and five hours in the car later, we pulled up to my grandparents (Papa's? ouch) house for the weekend.

Saturday was full. There was consignment shopping, mall shopping, lunch, and then my Papa and aunt offered to watch BG while I went to the wedding. Fun for me, but I warned them, it might not be as much fun for them.

See BG is not a nice toddler when she's super tired. And the fact that we got to town very late, followed by a mini party when we got there, and a days worth of shopping, leads to a not so pleasant BG.

My poor granddad was already worn out from chasing her around the consignment sale that morning. And by chasing I mean running after her after she found a car and a ramp and a good spanse of cement floor. Yes, it is every bit as bad as your imagining.

However, they insisted. So I packed up and went to watch my old buddy marry the love of his life. ::cue "awww"::




I returned home a few hours later to find a still wide awake and balls to the wall over tired toddler. Yay. And then, as if I haven't been a mother to this child for two years, I agreed to go out to eat with her. Sometimes I still act like a rookie.

We survived despite the fact that they didn't have high chairs and wild child had to sit in a booster seat on a cushioned bench (yes, there was a lot of bouncing and even more Mom not eating going on).

Then, just because I do love a challenge, I decided that BG and I should run by my best friend's house to hang out with her and her girl for a bit. Best decision ever. Not.

BG was asleep by the time we got there and was not impressed with being woke up. Not to be outdone, KP's daughter was also mighty unhappy about our 8:30 pm playdate.

Not my best decision.

However, the girls put their game faces on and rallied and KP and I got to talk a bit while they played with K's fish, played with baby dolls, stole K's Daddy's sherbert, and put on quite the concert.


None too impressed with the picture taking huh BG?






They took his spoon at first. Then he decided it would be best if they all three had their own.

Umm yeah.. No idea where that came from. Mom fail.



We got home late. Too late. So late that my now beyond tired child was in what I affectionately call "meltdown mode". So this happened..


After quite a bit of rocking and cuddling, she gave up and we hit up Dreamland. Only to hit the ground running again the next day.

I know better than to do too much with her. I do. I know she's almost two and in full blown tantrum area and yet, sometimes I can't help it and I push her too hard.

Trips to Savannah? I always push her too hard.

I told Mr. P that going home is becoming a trip that needs more than a weekend. I miss it so much and there's so much I want to do and so many people I want to see that I cram too much in. That always backfires.

And backfire it did. In the middle of Macy's. When my once upright, trugging through the mall toddler decided that she was done. That she simply wasn't going to take one more step. And then she laid down in the middle of Macy's and lost her everloving mind.

Good times.

Needless to say, our shopping trip got cut short.

We did manage to get lunch and check out the fish at the aquarium before we hit the road.

Only to stop on the way out at C's house. Like I said, cram too much in.


Fortunately, once we left C's, BG was comatose in the car and we made it home in only four hours. I'd almost forgotten what it was like not to have to stop on a trip. It is bliss.

Next time though? we're staying longer than a weekend. Although maybe we shouldn't because this weekend about did me in. Better rest up for St. Patty's when we do it all again!

keeping focused.

I put a lot of effort into my relationships.

But sometimes not enough into the right ones.

My family and my friends are very important to me. I don't ever want them to forget that or not realize that.

The social media world is insane. Everything is right freaking there. At your fingertips. Literally. You can push a button on your phone and pull up Twitter or Facebook or a blog in less than 3 seconds. Truth be told, if it takes longer than that, I start getting antsy. Addict much?

This weekend BG and I headed down to Savannah for a bit. It's always nice to go home and reconnect with my pals down there. I love spending time with them. But I noticed something; I was doing way too much "checking in" on my phone. Checking in on my Twitter gals for updates or logging in to post a picture on Facebook of all the phone we were having instead of just. having. fun.

I get overwhelmed like whoa from blogs and Twitter. I spend way, way too much time catching up with you ladies. And I love it, because I love y'all, but some of my other relationships take too much of a backseat. And that is not okay.

I find that the energy that I used to pour into my friends and family around me, is now having to be divided so that my blog and Twitter friends get some of that energy. And that's okay, if it's a healthy relationship.

In ten years, BG and Mr. P will still be around. My best friends will still be around. But how many of my Twitter/blog friends will? I do think some will as I have managed to make amazing friends through this crazy world, but I know for a fact some won't. Shouldn't I be spending more time building the relationships I know will last?

It is easy to get your feelings hurt in this world. When one blogger gets 30 comments on a post and you get 1. When your other blog "friends" quit coming around or quit reading. When your tweets/emails go unanswered. It can hurt.

I'm ashamed to admit it, but there have been times where BG has been screaming calling my name and I have put her off to finish sending a tweet. Or finish uploading a picture to Facebook. That is not okay. My focus is clearly on the wrong relationship there.

I need to refocus. I need to remember what is important. Truth be told, I get there are people out there that don't like me. Heck, I'm sure there are people on Twitter that follow me that don't like me. That's okay. But at the end of the day, I want to go to bed happy in my relationships. Not feeling let down, or ignored, or like I keep putting myself out there to be knocked down. That's not healthy. Or fun.

I adore this world. I adore the friends I've made and I am thrilled with how much support and all I've received over the years. I'll never forget all that. And it's important to let y'all know that. It's important to give as much as I receive. And quit barking up the trees that give nothing in return. It's time to refocus on who and what's important.

park day FAIL.

Somehow I think BG hacked into my email and read one of those parenting emails on two year olds and tantrums. And then she decided, "I'll show her a tantrum" and has begun to do that. Good grief y'all. Proof? On Monday I took BG to school for a few hours so that I could get some stuff done on my day off. It was a gorgeous day out, so I decided to pick her up early and take her to the park.

Only the toddler I picked up clearly wasn't my sweet Baby Girl but some Chucky type demon child in a sweet BG body. Good times. She was already upset about her juice (yea, no idea), but I kept driving to the park. Then she saw her blanket on the way out of the car and. oh. my. stars. the meltdown. Once she calmed down from that, we headed to the lake and the ducks but she saw something different and wanted that.

"Miiinnnnneeee!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" is all she would scream. She planted her feet and refused to move. I had her hand, but she was practically horizontal as she put all thirty three pounds into pulling me backwards.

I was mortified. No lie, I immediately started pitting out as I racked my brain for the best way to handle what was happening in my life at that moment.

Want to know a truth? Before BG, I was so the girl that would have given the mother with the screaming toddler "the look". You know, the look of disdain as I try to send her mind vibes of "can't you control your dang child woman?!". I know. I'm not proud. Now that I am a Mom, if I see that scene, I'm all "that poor woman... thank God it isn't me (this time)".

The only solution was to get the heck out of dodge. And fast.

So I picked up my now limp as a sack of potatoes toddler (who is still screaming mind you) and bolted back through the parking lot to the car.

She was beyond reason, beyond consoling. And so was BG.

Ha.

Seriously, there was no figuring out the problem, the issue, nothing. She was done.

So I put her butt in the car and we left.

No sooner did we get five seconds down the parking lot than I hear a tiny little whimper from the back seat; "I sowwy Mommy".

I looked back to see the biggest, saddest blue eyes and the poutiest little lip ever.

"I park?" she asked.

But I couldn't. I couldn't give in. Which sucked because I so badly wanted to go.

I knew though, that I couldn't give in. A point had to be made. She acted the fool and lost park privileges.

So did Mama. Boo hiss.

Sometimes this parenting thing is super hard and not much fun.

wordless wednesday: she makes me smile

**Disclaimer: There were at the most TEN Goldfish in that bag which is why we have it. We don't endorse binging over here. End.::

toddler tuesday

One of my favorite's, Jennifer over at Life in the Green House, hosts a fun little link up for toddler activities on Tuesdays. Usually I just check out her other entries as I don't tend to be too crafty myself, but this week is different.

Craft fun for the win!

Shannon tweeted a picture the other day of an activity that she had her little one do and I knew that I had to try it. So on Sunday, when the weather was ridiculous gross and we'd been inside and awake for an hour and had already exhausted three other entertainment options, I pulled this little activity out.


On Pinterest, they used much bigger bags, but I went with what we had in the house which was these little ones. It's just small ziplocs filled with kids paint. Painting with no mess? Awesomesauce.

Also please ignore the messy windows. This window is where two dogs like to press their noses to watch all the neighborhood activity. Poor thing can't stay clean.

I'll be honest; this is a pretty neat idea on paper and from what I've seen on Twitter, some of the kiddos have loved it. Mine? Not so much. Her interest in it lasted about 0.325 seconds. Le sigh.


I did leave them up to find her later in the day punching the mess out of them while hollering "RAWR!!". So there's that.


But we did crafts and survived. And it was kind of fun for those 0.325 seconds so I suppose I can attempt the crafty Mom thing again. Hopefully I won't get the "that's the best you've got Mom??" look next time.


Love her dearly. I do.

glory days.

I have to admit; I am sucker for a teenage/high school tv drama.

I own every season of Dawson's Creek, I tend to watch episodes of Glee numerous times each, Gossip Girl and 90210 clog up my DVR, and now that the hubs gifted the household with Netflix instant, my queue is blasted with old episodes of Friday Night Lights and One Tree Hill. I cannot get enough.

But I have to admit, sometimes watching these shows gives me a tinge of the sadness and brings out my emo side. I can't quite put my finger on why.

Maybe it's the fact that they're overcoming all these obstacles and shining in basketball games or at state regionals. Maybe it's the young love fresh with all those giggles and "does he like me?"s that only new love comes with. Maybe it's the group of best friends that you get to see all day every day while at school.

When I was in high school, I was told "everyone says that high school is the best time of your life, but they're wrong; college is". Then in college I heard "everyone says college is the best times of your life but they're wrong; your twenties are". When I was in high school, I was pretty sure that the life I was living was the best it could be, my glory days if you will. I would later find out that the best was still yet to come, but seventeen year old me had no clue that was the case.

It's not a good thing usually when someone is described as "peaking in high school". It tends to mean that those were your best days, the ones you still want to be in and therefore usually forfeit some of your present by living in the past. And while I definitely wouldn't say that I "peaked" in high school, I do tend to think of them as my "glory days".

Let's face it; I'm never going to rock a soccer field again. Numerous knee injuries, a hip injury, and way too loose ankles have killed that. I'm probably never going to walk the halls of a building and have nine out of ten people know my name and say hi to me. I had that time. It was freaking awesome, but it's done.

I think it's normal to miss those feelings. To miss the high you get after scoring the winning goal or acing a Calculus test. To miss the butterflies you got when the most popular boy in school wants to take you out on a Friday night. To miss the camaraderie of a group of friends that spend every day together at school but then want to be together on the weekends too. I just don't think it's good to dwell on it so much that you miss out on what's right in front of you.

Personally, I can't wait for the day that BG is old enough to listen to some of my stories. When I can tell her that her Mom was a pretty darn good soccer player and people knew it. How when she tore her knee just a couple of games into the season and was out the rest of her senior year, the coaches and other players' parents knew our shot at the championship that year was over. How I dislocated my shoulder in a game, ran to the sideline and had the trainer pop it back in and was back in the game in less than five minutes. I'll tell her about being prom queen and how much fun my best friends and I had living in our small town. Oh yea.. she's going to have to hear the stories.

While I'm glad I didn't "peak" in high school and while I did go on to college and play soccer a few more years and had even more fun than high school, I still think high school might have been my "glory days".



But were they? Just for grins and giggles, I set out to Goog*le myself the other day. It took hours (I do have the most common maiden name on the planet) but eventually I found the old articles about my soccer games and academic achievements and all that. Know why it took so long? Because they were in the archives of the paper y'all. The freaking archives.

They don't really matter anymore. Let's be honest, if you see me walking down the street these days, you're never going to think, "Heck, she looks like an awesome athlete!" or "man she must be super smart!". My soccer stats and my GPA will never be on my tombstone. They just don't matter anymore.

So were those my glory days? Or are they now?

Are they in how I raise BG? Are they in how I share Christ with others? Is this my glory days?

While the past was a blast (ha), it is just that; the past. It doesn't matter anymore. Yes, it helped shape who I am today but at the same time, if you spend too much time looking back, you'll miss something these days. That is not what I want to happen.

I had a good time. I did what I did well and was proud of myself. I'm still proud of myself. At the time, they were my glory days. But now? this life? this raising my child and forming a family with Mr. P? this is my glory days. And I fully intend to rock these as well.

Project 366: Week 7

Sunday, February 12th:



We decided to go to the evening church service on Sunday so we had a VERY lazy Sunday morning and it was glorious. BG was at her very own little "drive in" tv show. She's nuts.

Monday, February 13th:



I stayed up way too late making these Valentine's and cookies for BG's school party the next day, but I loved the way they turned out.

Tuesday, February 14th:



Checking our her stash from her party.

Wednesday, February 15th:



Visiting Daddy at work and checking out his way cool shades.

Thursday, February 16th:



Mr. P got BG this monkey for Valentine's Day and I got her this doll stroller. She has decided that they obviously go together. She pushes this poor monkey all over the house now.

Friday, February 17th:



BG's teacher sent me this picture of the girls on their morning walk. How excited does BG look?! Love it!

Saturday, February 18th:

I'm afraid I've started a bad tradition as the little one now seems to think this is a Target "tradition" and wants and ICEE the minute we walk in. However, it's a "tradition" that lets me wander the aisles aimlessly so it just may stick around.

Valentine's Day 2012

I've said it before and I'll say it again; this girl? is a sucker for Valentine's Day.

I freaking love it.

My girl AP said it best and hit the nail on the head with everything I think about this day in this post. Read it. Seriously.

Now moving on..

Yesterday was Valentine's Day. Duh.

BG had a school party and I had a mini "who the heck am I?!" moment as I sat on my couch on Monday night making Valentine's for her class the next day.  But craft I did. And dare I say I think they turned out amazeballs. Thank you Pinterest.




We did cards and stuff with the little before school. Mr. P hit the ball out of the park with a stuffed monkey and a balloon. She loved it. He so knows his girl.

After we got her off to school, we did some stuff around the house before heading out for a nice, childless (holy heavens thank you God) lunch. The first one we've had since, well, I can't even remember. It's been that long.


We nixed our movie plans in favor of an afternoon on the couch watching Netflix.

AKA, this girl ate too much at lunch and wanted her yoga pants back. Mr. P sure is lucky he got this one I tell ya.

While we ate lunch, BG enjoyed her party with her classmates. A lot judging by the looks of the text I got from her teacher.



Yay sugar. ::insert sarcasm font::

Eventually I drug myself off the couch to pick up my sugar highed out toddler. We spent the afternoon dancing with that balloon, opening her Valentine's cards from her classmates, and getting really excited about each individual piece of candy.





I forgot to take a picture pre-cupcake painting, but how cute is her outfit?!? Thanks so much Ashley!!







Loving her cards. Like loving loving. And ignore the laundry in the back. K thanks.


All in all, a great day. A total win.

Like I said, I pink puffy heart Valentine's Day. It doesn't need to be super special and over the top, but a day where I get to focus on my absolute favorite people and eat lots of chocolate? I'm so there.

Our Love Story

So I've seen this floating around le blog land for a while now and being in the spirit of Love Day and all, I thought I'd give it a whirl. I'm linking up with Becky from Mrs. to Mama for this link up. Without further adieu, our love story...

1. How long have you and your significant other been together?

Mr. P and I met way back in September of 2004 so almost eight years ago. I feel like that makes me old..
2. How did you meet? {What's your "love" story?}

I had a job working for a big retailer at the time and was chosen to go help open another store in Myrtle Beach. After a few days there, I got into an "argument" of sorts with one of the new stores managers. Turned out, it was Mr. P. Apparently that argument caught his attention. We went out one time while I was still at the beach where he took me on a tour of some of the more haunted areas in town (right up my alley). I left the beach not really expecting to hear from him again. And I didn't. Finally I got the nerve to call him and call him out on not calling. He ended up driving the four hours down to Savannah with his buddy that very night and spending my birthday weekend in town with me. The rest is history.

3. If married, how long have you been married? If not, is this the guy you hope to marry? {do tell}

We got married in May of 2005 so we've been married almost seven years.
4. If you are married, where did you get married at? Big or small wedding? If not, where would you like to get married? And will it be big or small?

We got married in Savannah on the bluff overlooking the river at my grandparent's house. I didn't have a church home at the moment and honestly couldn't think of another place I wanted that memory to be held at. It was a smallish wedding. Just family and my closest friends. It was perfect.

5. Do you have any nick-names that you call one another? Do share!

I mainly call him "B". There's the occasional "babes" and stuff like that. Nothing too crazy.
6. Name 3 things you love most about your honey.

He's an amazing family man. Family comes first. He's a great spiritual leader for us. I know that he's doing his best to lead his family the way God has called him too. Oh, and he's hilarious. Love me a funny man.

7. Tell us how he proposed? Or your ideal proposal?

So funny story. About a month after we started dating, we were rearranging some things in his closet when he asked me to marry him. It just happened. He says he knew right away that he was going to marry me and at that moment, he already had a ring. I said yes, but then told him that it was very important to me that he ask my Dad first. So he did and then we got engaged "for real" on Christmas Eve. Quick? absolutely but just plain right.

8. Is he a flowers and teddy bear kind of guy for v-day, or strawberries, champagne, and rose petals?

He's a card and some chocolates kind of guy. And it took me years to train him to realize that a gift is basically null and void without a card (I LOVE cards). I don't do flowers so he knows better than that.
9. Are you a sunset dinner on the beach kind of girl, or pop a movie in and relax on the couch?

Completely a movie in kind of girl. Occasionally I'm for going all out, but most of the time I want my comfy clothes and my couch. I'm a homebody.
10. Tell us one thing you'd like to do with your significant one day. If you could do anything? Go anywhere?

I'd like to travel overseas. Greece or Ireland preferably. But I don't really have too many crazy travel dreams. I really don't. Someday I want to just be sitting on my wraparound porch with my babe and absolutely no worries. Oh, and grandkids running around. Duh.

11. Tell us what you plan on doing on this Valentine's Day.

We had a special lunch while the kiddo was at school. Then we skipped the movie we picked in favor of an afternoon on the couch watching Sons of Anarchy. Seriously obsessed.
12. Are you asking for anything this Valentine's day?

I wasn't. But I got chocolate. The way to this girl's heart...

13. Give us one piece of advice of keeping a relationship strong and full of love.

You've got to talk to each other. One secret, one bad thought; it can boil and fester until it's a disaster. You're going to argue. Not every argument is cause for dismissal. Basically make the decision that it's going to work and then make it happen. Oh, and laugh. A lot. Don't lose yourselves in your kids. You were two first.
14. Show us a picture of what love means to you.

22 months

Well it's official.. you are almost two. Sigh..

While it kind of stinks because you are growing up so dang fast, it's pretty awesome at the same time because you are just such an amazing kid. I know, I know, everyone says that about their kid, but BG, you really, really are.

You have such a distinct little personality. Even at such a young age, you know what you like and what you don't and you are emphatic about these things. You have an attitude the size of Texas, but fortunately, a heart that large too. You are just so fun to be around. Not kidding, you're the coolest kid I've ever known.

So what are you up to these days...

You are obsessed with writing. You walk around with a pad of paper and something to write with all the time. Apparently you get this honest as I've been told I did the same thing at this age.

You are sort of bossy. Good thing you're adorable.. You love to tell the dogs to "stop it!" or "hush!". You've recently started telling them to "go!" as you push them out of the way. Endearing no?

You talk non stop. NON STOP. Like I can't even explain how much you talk. It must be seen.

You have a new obsession with Blue's Clues. I hear "I want Doggy" and "I want Steve" way too many times a day.

You are still a pretty great eater. Not so much a breakfast fan anymore but you get that honest in this house.

You have zero fear. You jump all the time and your new thing is just to jump off things; stairs, the couch, you don't care. It's not a thing at all to you. You even drove your car down the stairs the other day and couldn't figure out why we wouldn't let you do it again.

You still love to dance, and girl.. you've got some moves. You did not get those from me.

You've taken to calling your Dad by his first name. It cracks me up. He is not as big of a fan but I remind him daily this is just a phase.

You really like to ask where people and things are. But you say "ah" instead of "where". Such as "ah Zoie go?" for hours after we leave school in the afternoon. Or "ah cat go?" when he runs from you for the fiftieth time that day.

You are still an amazing sleeper. I will never be able to thank you enough for this. Ever.

You like to sing. You sing your "ABC's" and can sing up to E by yourself as well as W, X, Y, Z. You like to sing the "tickle song" (Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star) and you're learning "Jesus Loves Me". You are getting better about recognizing your letters although you lose interest before we tackle too many. You are also learning to count and can say up to ten and recognize some of them as well. You are starting to attempt to draw your letters as well, but they're still pretty unrecognizable. :)

If we ask you how old you are, you say one but then we say "and you're almost.." and you holler TWO!

You've started asking for nose kisses and I think it is just about the sweetest thing ever.

Every night when we lay you down, you like to holler out "I love you Mommy!" and "I love you Daddy!" loud enough for us to hear as we walk away. When we holler back, you bust out laughing and then we do it a few more times. That might actually be the sweetest thing ever...

You like to carry around your purse or your bookbag. Then you get your keys and say "Ella go!" as you walk off to your next adventure.

You love your school friends. You talk about them all. the. time.


You are so fun to be around. You make us laugh non stop and then you get all excited and scream "Ella funny!". Yes, sweetie you are.

We love you so much little one. While the tantrums aren't fun and sometimes you make me want to pull my hair out, I can think of no person I love the way I love you. You're my little pal. You're my heart sweet child. No matter how many gray hairs you give me, or how many anxiety attacks, you will always be my heart.


STATS:

Height: 34 ish inchs

Weight: 33 lbs.

Sleep: 7:30 pm to 8:30 am and a two hour nap around noon.

Teeth: still waiting on one eye tooth. It might even be there. I'm not sticking my hand in there to find out!

Clothes: 2T some 3T

Favorite foods: avacados, cheese, yogurt, applesauce, ice (yes, weird), Goldfish, cereal bars. You are in a dipping phase. You like to have something to dip your food in at all times.

Favorite toys: you like carrying around bags and purses, Elmo, Violet, Abby, your Cozy Coupe

I love you so big sweet girl.