savannah (again) (day 1)

A few weeks ago, my aunt that lives in Texas let us know that she was going to be in Savannah the weekend after the Fourth. Then, the little brother and his family decided they would also be making the trip down. So of course the three of us decided that we would make the trek down for the weekend.

We packed everyone up on Thursday afternoon to head on down. I am so thankful that our pups are great travelers and that since the purchase of the portable dvd players, BG has also been a great traveler. This was another big road trip post big girl pants so I was a bit nervous about how it would go. I shouldn't have worried. BG was a champ and let us know every time she needed to go.

Even if it was ten minutes after leaving the gas station. And leaving us to find a random driveway to pull in. Whatever. It works.

We pulled into town just in time for bed. And thankfully BG agreed as she hit the hay almost immediately after we got there.

Which was nice when she was up bright and early.

We enjoyed a nice quiet breakfast and coffee with my aunt and granddad until Mr. P woke up. Then, it was time to suit up and head out to the water.


I tend to plan way too much to do on any visit home, but I was determined not to do this this time. And I did well. I made dinner plans for one night but other than that? it was time to relax. To read books, to play with family, and to spoil BG with a new water table.


My brother and his family didn't make it into town until later that afternoon so we had the whole afternoon to just hang out and play with BG. It was perfect. And she ate up every ounce of attention.

Why does she look so big?!


It was an afternoon spent in one of my favorite places on the planet. An afternoon full of laughs, boiled peanuts, and learning that my child's hair curls at the bottom just like mine does in the Savannah humidity.


Then, Uncle Marine and his clan finally rolled into town. And there was another baby to love on.


It sucks that my parents live so far away because it was really nice having so many of our loved ones in one area. Makes me wish it could happen more often. I love visits like this.

Clearly BG wasn't having it. Sigh.


The absence of my Grandma was right there in my heart the whole time. I so wish she was there. But it wasn't until we headed to our regular eat in town that her absence brought me to tears. As I sat looking at the menu, I could practically hear her asking us what appetizer we wanted. "Look, they have fried green tomatoes" ran through my head so vividly that I couldn't breathe for a second. Man, I miss her.


We wound down the night with a visit with the bestest. Yet one more reason I do miss Savannah. I've been friends with this girl for eighteen years. Love her.


Finally, after a very long day, it was bed time. And time to get ready for day two.

on tolerance.

My Facebook timeline is blowing up over this Chick-fil-a thing. Amazingly, my Reader is much more tame which is nice, but at the same time, I feel like maybe we're all playing it a bit safe and avoiding this little topic.

Which, is usually my preferred method but... not this time.

I'm a bit baffled as to why this statement from the owner of Chick-fil-a is shocking? We are surprised that a company that is strongly ran with a Biblical guideline is standing up for what they see as the biblical definition of marriage? We're surprised that a Christian ran company that everybody knows is Christian ran (ya'll they're closed on Sunday), gives money to Fellowship of Christian Athletes and The National Christian Foundation?

Really?

The owners of Chick-fil-a have never shied away from their faith. They run the company in a way that aligns with their faith and they do it loudly and proudly. They always have. It's surprising now?

What baffles me more than that, is that most of the people up in arms over this are the ones screaming that we should be more tolerant and that everyone has rights and blah blah blah, but the minute that a Christian states their views? well, heck, we don't need to be tolerant of them. They don't have the right to say that.

Double standard much?

Both sides are fighting a losing battle. True story. You aren't going to argue long enough or bully someone long enough to get them to believe what you believe. That's the problem folks. If you want to preach tolerance, then you also have to act out tolerance. Simple.

I have very strong Christian beliefs. Ask me about them, I'll tell you about them. As a Christian, it is my job to live by those beliefs. Because I follow Jesus, I am called to live by the Bible.

What I'm not called to do is be mean. To ostracize groups of people. To hang in my comfort zone and not invite people of every walk of life to church with me. Jesus wasn't afraid to get His hands dirty; why should I be?

Perhaps this business owner is doing what he feels he needs to to "let his light shine" which as Christians, we are called to do. And y'all, he lives in America where he has the right to live and breathe as he wants and can say what he wants. Where you have the right to do the same thing.

I'm surprised at the outrage this has caused. I surround myself with people of all different types; some Christians, some atheists, some straight, some gay, some Conservative and some wildly liberal. They don't all agree with me on most things, but we are still able to get along. Because we listen to one another. Because we love one another.

I'm a Christian. But you won't see me deleting my Facebook because Mark Zuckerberg is an atheist. I don't care what Mark Zuckerberg does. I just like Facebook (most of the times).

Now granted, I would love a chance to share my faith with him but that's not what this is about.

We're all raised differently. We all believe differently. We're different from one another. And that's awesome, because if we were all the same, well, that would suck. But we have to learn to be tolerant of each other's views.

Even if they're different than ours. You don't have to like what everyone has to say, but you do have to tolerate their right to say it.

And if you don't want to eat their chicken because of their views, well don't. That's also your right. But I'll be having a Spicy Chicken Sandwich for dinner now. All this talk may make me need waffle fries too.

project 366: weeks 29 & 30

WEEK 29:
Sunday, July 15th: Taking an early morning walk with my girl. Love when she holds my hand.
Monday, July 16th: Our nighttime must read.
Tuesday, July 17th: Giddy toddler. Literally two seconds before this she was crying her head off. Toddlers.
Wednesday, July 18th: Playing Princesses before school.
Thursday, July 19th: BG and her bff hanging out after a run.
Friday, July 20th: My other sweet girl.
Saturday, July 21st: The girls having a blast at the outlets.

WEEK 30:
Sunday, July 22nd: She woke up not feeling so hot, but still looking mighty adorable.
Monday, July 23rd: We gave up on the potty chart. She keeps her stickers now.
Tuesday, July 24th: I had dinner with a Princess this night :)
Wednesday, July 25th: Hanging out with Mary Brooks.
Thursday, July 26th: She wanted me to wear her crown she made. Melt my heart.
Friday, July 27th: My silly girl being the class clown at school.
Saturday, July 28th: "Take my picture Mommy. NO!!! No take my picture Mommy!!!". Kid you not. Toddlers are bipolar.

words. and a cry for help.

I tend to write a post like I did on Wednesday and then have things kick my butt for days afterwards which is always so dang fun.

So someone remind me to read that post after nights like last night and days like today okay? Remind me that this is just a stage.

BG clearly isn't napping at school. For a child as dependent on sleep as she is, this is a disaster. By the time I get her at 5:30, she is as close to meltdown as one can possibly be. And then the first time she hears "no" or doesn't get her way, all hell breaks lose. For real.

I picked her up early on Wednesday and was told she didn't nap at all. I get a little pissy hearing that because she's two, I feel like you should make it happen, but, I'm not there all day so I don't know what happens. Anyways.

We had plans to meet up with Anne and her kiddos for a bit and I was determined to make that happen. Rookie. Having heard the "no nap" news, I should have immediately aborted said mission, but I didn't.

Y'all, there are no words. I was so embarrassed at her behavior (especially compared to Anne's sweet kiddos) that I just wanted to crawl in a hole. Nothing I like more than chasing her down in a food court and then having her pee in her stroller out of pure spite at being locked in there. Such good times.

*Me with sweet MB, trying to get a pic of all 3 kiddos but someone wasn't having it, 10 minutes after I got her in the car. Fun*

Yesterday was much the same. Once again, she clearly hadn't napped at school and was out of her mind tired. I took her on a run and she promptly cried the entire time. Obviously we cut that run short.

She hasn't had a proper bath in two days. After dinner, we reach crisis mode where she cries and just wants to be held until she goes to sleep. Add all this to the fact that Mr. P has been working ridiculous hours lately and it's been all me with her, and I'm spent.

I get the no nap thing. I mean, I get why it makes her so tired. I hate that our evenings are like this. Every single day. It exhausts me and it kills me. I feel like all my time with her is spent with at least one of us in tears (and by all my time, I'm clearly exaggerating but bear with me).

Add to the fact (keeping up with this crazy train?) that we're battling a little issue of her not listening to me, and I am completely overwhelmed. This morning, we were both in tears over whether she would wear one of two ponytails. Yes. I know, ridiculous.

All I told her was to sit still so I could do the second ponytail and she would not do it. She kept jumping around and moving and I lost it. It seems so simple to me; do what your Mother says yet we struggle daily.

I'm new to kids. I didn't have tons of younger siblings or cousins running around. I was never big on baby sitting, so I have no clue what I'm doing with her. How much can I expect of her? Telling her to "sit still" for five seconds should not be a big deal right?

I'm at my wits end y'all. I was sobbing by the time I got her to school this morning and it's put a damper on my whole day. I'm frustrated with her for not listening, I'm frustrated that I always feel like I'm on my own because of Mr. P's work, and I'm frustrated that she's always so tired.

I'm completely overwhelmed.

And this is no one's fault, in fact I hate to even place too much blame on her (except for the no listening thing), this is just my head right now. I know this is a season (hopefully a short one) and I know we'll get through this, I'm just overwhelmed. Freaking big time.

Tips on working with her on listening? Tips on keeping my patience (or finding some)? Tips? Anyone? Bueller?

Aka, help a sister out. I'm done son.

good days.

When BG was a newborn, I seriously thought I may not survive that stage.

Somehow in my exhausted haze, it felt like I was the only Mom that had ever gone through that and my child was the only one that never wanted to sleep and I was the only person who had ever been this tired.

I wasn't, but it felt like that.

Then she started sleeping and crying a little less and I could tell other new Mom's that it would get better and that we all have to fight that bear for a little while.

Then she hit ten months old and oh my gosh everything was a tantrum. She wanted to feed herself but couldn't and would lose her mind. She wanted to walk but couldn't and would lose her mind. Daily I thought "I'm never going to survive this", but then I did. And it got better.

Around eighteen months we hit another spell where she wanted to communicate so much more than she could and she would end up so frustrated at my lack of understanding that most of the time, we both ended up in tears. She fell down a lot and fell off of couches and stairs and was constantly in a bruised up crying state and I thought "we're never going to survive this". But we did. And it got better.

Now my days are usually filled with the "questions". The "what's that Mommy?", "what's this?" and my personal fave, "what's this song?" to every song that comes on the radio and at least ten times during said song. As I answer her question for the fifth time, I can usually feel my frustration rising and can feel a shout of exasperation on my lips. It's for sure trying and sometimes I feel myself wishing we could just fast forward through this stage.

But then I stop and think; all those other stages? they are blurs already. Those times flew by so fast that I actually have to stop and really think to bring them back. Sure I remember the newborn days, but now I remember a little less crying and a little more baby snuggles and that sweet, sweet smell.

I remember the frustrations of that ten month old, but more so I remember her figuring out how to crawl and her giggles at the discovery. I remember how at nine months I felt like "this is the best stage ever" because she was so loving and sweet and loved to give kisses.

At eighteen months, she really started becoming my little sidekick. So while there were tons of tantrums, we always understood each other when it came to a good dance party, or a fun trip to the library, or a walk around the park. There was no trouble communicating that those were fun.

Someday, I'm sure in the not too distant future, my first memory of this stage isn't going to be the trying questions. It's going to be how she loves to jump, off of anything and everything. How she likes to watch tv curled into my side. How she squeals when "Call Me Maybe" comes on. How she dances so hard in the backseat when she likes a song.

These are good days. No matter how trying, they are really, really good. And all too soon, they'll be gone and we'll be navigating a new stage with new difficulties. But I'm ready. Because you get the the good days with difficulties. And I'm a big fan of the good days.

on potty training

Potty training is a doozy no?

I know I've said multiple times during this phase of parenting that if one is ever feeling a bit too big for their britches, they should attempt potty training a toddler. There is pretty much nothing on this planet quite as humbling.

True story.

As seems to be the case with most toddlers (at least from what I gather from Twitter and blogs), BG started going though cycles of being really interested in the potty and then losing interest back around 18 months old. It may have even been before then, not sure. But they were always phases.

However, as each phase came, we entertained it; letting her sit on the potty when she wanted, buying her a potty of her own and setting it up before she was two, and answering any questions she might have had about what went down in the oh so fun bathroom.

I heard over and over that this was something you couldn't push, so we decided to do just that. She was going to lead this little adventure.

At the beginning of June, she was showing big time readiness that it was time to get serious about all of this. But we had so many trips planned and would be out of town so much that truthfully, I wasn't up for the task. So I tried to put it off some. I kept her in diapers while we traveled to the beach and to Charleston and other places, but we also packed her little potty and stopped when she said she needed to stop for multiple potty breaks.

I can't even tell you all the random places we stopped and set up that potty. There was the time we pulled into an abandoned farm/slaughter house thing, or the time we were hanging out in some random driveway praying no one would shoot us or our naked toddler hanging on the tailgate, or the time time I sat on the dash while she did her business in the passengers seat. Good times. All in the name of potty training.

She was getting it. Her teacher told me to start sending her in Pull-ups to school to help the process, so we did.

And then we backslid.

I honestly think BG thought of those things as diapers and for some reason, she went back to just going in them even more than she had been doing in diapers. I was frustrated because we were flying through Pull-ups and they are not cheap. So I made the decision it was time to switch to "big girl pants".

*I should insert here that most of our issues were with peeing in the potty. She's been telling us she needed to, ahem, poop in the potty for months. She doesn't like a dirty diaper, but a wet one, doesn't phase her. I realize this is completely backwards, but it's how she works. Back to my story*

The weekend of June 23rd, I decided to buckle down and potty train. I went and bought tons of stickers, M & M's, and made a fun little potty chart for her to earn prizes for successful trips. I was totally ready to spend the weekend at home and have a potty trained toddler by Monday.

Ha.

She fought me every inch of the way. She would cry when I tried to make her sit on the potty, she'd tell me "no!" when I asked her if she needed to go, and then she'd promptly pee on the floor. After she peed on literally the only rug we have in the house, I could feel my frustration hit epic levels so when I literally landed on my back in a puddle of pee in the kitchen, I was done.

We marched right into her room, both of us sobbing, and strapped a diaper back on. Not so fun.

It was not my best moment, but I was out of my mind frustrated. Give me a dog. I can potty train a dog. But you can't rub a child's nose on the carpet as punishment and you also can't throw them in a crate and allow them only to come out to pee (well not legally).

I was back at square one.

The following Friday, I got a text from BG's teacher with a video of BG telling me (with her teacher's prompting) that she didn't want diapers anymore. Only big girl pants (I loathe the word p*anties). To which I promptly replied that Miss B was more than welcome to come to my house for the weekend and train her.



So that was that. I decided to take BG's excitement in those videos and run.

Saturday morning, we woke up, put on our big girl pants, and she promptly peed on the floor in my room. But we just talked about why we didn't pee in our pants, put on dry ones, and went on about our day.

And there were no more accidents.

Her potty chart was quickly filling up and she was excited about it. I should say though, that the whole take them every 15 minutes thing did not work for us. Asking her that often made her frustrated and mad so I quit and only asked her every half hour or so. If she told me she didn't have to go, I let it go. If she did have to go, she went.


The next morning, we went to church, her in big girl pants. She had zero accidents and received a special lunch afterwards. I was on cloud nine.

We haven't been in a diaper since. She naps in her big girl pants at school and has only had one accident while sleeping there and one at home. She's only had two accidents awake at school and both involved her not being able to get her shorts down fast enough (send her in dresses Mom). The accidents at home have been related to us not getting her there fast enough, or being in the car with nowhere to stop. She now will go on her own if we don't come fast enough. In the potty I mean.

The transition has been easier than I could have ever imagined. We went to Savannah the week after we made the switch and as nervous as I was, we only had one accident. It was in the car after she drank way too much at dinner. I can handle that.

My only advice with potty training is the exact same advice I was given; let the little one lead. Honestly, BG just up and decided she was done with diapers and she was done. We haven't looked back since. She sleeps in a diaper at night and that's it. Most of the time she wakes up dry, but sometimes she doesn't and that's okay. She gets up in the morning and immediately puts on big girl pants. She knows diapers are just for sleeping and she's still supposed to holler for us if she needs to get up at night and go. And she totally will do that.

This whole thing really brought out my bad side because I don't handle frustration well, but in the end, it was ridiculous easy. She did all the work. I just had to supply the M & M's and the big girl pants. My part was simple.

I'm so proud of my girl. She hit this head on and tackled it. It also makes me sad to see that little butt running around in big girl pants. She's definitely not a baby anymore. Sad...

some letters..

Because who doesn't love a good link up?

Clearly I do, so I'm linking up with Ashley today to spit out some letters. This is a new one for me but it seems kind of fun which is right up my alley so let's do this.

Dear South Carolina: I love you, I do and I'm falling in love with you at an alarming pace but can you give it a rest with the insane weather? It's hot, then it's not. It's sunny and five minutes later I'm in a down pour. Make up your mind much? I don't like wearing a bathing suit and a raincoat in one hour. Es no bueno. K thanks.

Dear Jobs: I'm over working for a living and I need a vacation. I know I should be thankful we have y'all, but just once, I'd like to be unemployed and young and horizontal on a beach again. Le sigh...

Dear people who think their $hite don't stink: It does. It's not my job or anyone else's job to make your life easy. I'm not bending over backwards to help you when you can't help yourself. End scene.

Dear those people on Facebook that like to cause "the drama": Before you start spouting off, make sure you're educated on what you're spouting off about. Or I will feel inclined to correct you and then you'll feel inclined to get your feelings hurt and then you'll feel inclined to have to delete your obviously well researched post. I'm just saying, know the facts before you speak. Simple. Or just don't speak and use the book to post pretty pictures. Not everyone needs a forum to air their every though on.

Dear Friday: Thank you, thank you, thank you for finally showing up. I was beginning to think you would never get here but once again, you've done me good. I missed you all week. Now let's hang out with our pal Weekend and drink ze bubbly. Good? good.

wordless wednesday: water park fun

Such a fun day. Simply awesome.

blogger 411 {a link-up }

Today I'm linking up with one of my newer favorites, Becky from over at From Mrs. To Mama for a fun little blogger link up. I figured what the hey, I'd answer all the questions for inquiring minds (aka, I have nothing to say today so yay! prompts!).

Anyway.. head on over and check out some of the other link ups. And go link up yourself while you're there!

1. How long have you been blogging? And what got you started on blogging? Has your blog changed?
-I started this blog back in November of 2008. On a whim, the bff and I decided to start a blog. Three and a half years later, mine is going strong and she quit five entries in. So there's that. The blog has definitely changed since we were just a boring (ha), old married couple when I started and now the toddler runs the place, but it's still just ramblings about life. The good and the bad.

2. Did you go to college? If so where, and what did you study?
-I did. I went to good 'ol Georgia Southern University in Statesboro, GA and studied Biology. Too bad the college years are all kind of a haze. Sign of a good time right?! Sorry Mom and Dad.

3. Where have you traveled?
-Tons of states although some were just passing through and many more I want to see, and then Mexico and Paris. Would kill to go to Greece, Ireland, and back to Paris. Lets see if we can make that happen Mr. P....

4. If you won the lottery, what would be the first thing you would buy?
-a new car. Hands down. BG and I have so outgrown mine it isn't even funny.

5. What are your 3 biggest pet peeves?
- 1) people who are constantly negative
2) bad drives
3)getting in my personal space. Or five feet from the outer rim of my personal space. Step away. Freaks me out.

6. What is your favorite movie?
-So many but if I had to name one, I would choose Steel Magnolias. Slays me every time.

7. What is your drink of choice; wine, beer, or liquor. Or Water, Soda, Tea?
-coffee followed closely by water followed closely by wine. Basically the only three things I drink.

8. What is something you enjoy to do when you have me time?
-curl up with a good book, go for a run (this recent love just returned and I'm thrilled), listen to music, shower in peace, take pictures.. Never enough time these days though. sigh....

9. If you could have a $10,000 shopping spree to one store, which store would it be?
-ummm Target? How lame am I?!

10. Share with us an embarrassing moment of your past? Or present.
-I'm a complete and total klutz so there are a ton. There would be the time I went in for a header on the field and creamed into the goal post; right in front of the baseball team. That sucked. Or more recently when my shoe got stuck in the bottom of my chair at work and yep, made the chair roll out from under me leaving me on my face. Good fun.

11. What day would you love to relive again?
-I want to say BG's birth day but it was super tough so if I could pick the part where I met her and skip the rest, then I'd say that. But honestly, probably the day we found out BG was a girl. Mr. P and I were on cloud 900 that day. We couldn't stop beaming. It was hands down one of the greatest of my life.

12. If your life was turned into a movie... what actor would play you?
-Hopefully Mila Kunis because she's awesome and hilarious and sarcastic. And clearly we're twins duh.

Whatever. ;)

13. What are the jobs you had in high school/college/the early years?
-I worked as a Sonic car hop in high school and then in a church nursery in college. Then it was off to Bass Pro Shops for years until I finally got the heck out of dodge retail.

14. Show us a picture from high school or college.


15. If you could travel anywhere in the world, all expenses paid, where would you go?
-Ireland. Hands down.

16. Show us the most current picture of you or you and your family.

Us on the Fourth this year. Only not. It's actually the week after the Fourth however when I realized we didn't actually have a family pic on said holiday, I packed everyone's "holiday clothes" for the trip to Savannah to ensure we would get our holiday picture. So here it is. Happy 4th of July 2.0!

17. Where do you see your life 5 years from now?
-Good grief, do we have to? I can't handle BG being five minutes older let along five years! But.. let's see, hopefully in a home of our own with a new job (on my part) that I actually love, with BG in school, and maybe one more kiddo in the mix?! I don't know. Nothing much different than now. Just with a bigger bank account. ;) And bigger house. And bigger car. No big deal.

on meeting the baby.

When my new little niece was born, we trekked down to Myrtle Beach to be there for the birth. We made it and then that evening, Mr. P and I were able to meet her and hold her before we had to leave to head back home. BG, however, didn't get to to do that but got to check her out from the nursery window.

We ended up leaving the night she was born because the hospital they were at wouldn't let BG back and I knew it would upset her to have everyone meeting the baby when she couldn't. So we decided to head on home and then come back the following weekend when they were settled in at home so the girls could meet.

So the following weekend, BG and I packed up and headed back to the beach to spend the weekend with my Aunt and the new family of three.

She wasn't too thrilled about giving up her cradle..

I managed to snag that sweet baby pretty early and as I cozied up on the couch with her, BG was already at my side asking to hold her. She loves her some babies. So we got her all settled in and gave her the baby. To say she was thrilled would be putting it mildly.


We were able to spend a good deal of time with them just helping out around the house and even supervising the first bath. I'll admit that BG was quite the little wild thing running around, but she was out of her mind excited about the baby. She didn't quite understand the screaming and crying thing though. That baffled her.


We spent the entire day with them and then headed out for dinner (four hours after we attempted to head out for "lunch". Oh the going anywhere with a newborn thing I do not miss!), and to do some shopping. We really did have such a good time with all of them.


BG and I spent the evening back at the hotel with my aunt where she quickly discovered the hotel pool. Unfortunately, a middle school baseball team had also discovered the pool so we stuck to the steps. Although she was not a fan of that idea and kept diving in. Good times.


The next day we headed back over to Uncle Marine and Aunt Kiki's house for a few hours before we had to leave. I was determined to squeeze in as much tiny baby time as possible. And still leave without "the fever". Hard task.


I think it's safe to say Baby Girl is a huge fan of her new cousin.



When Kiki woke up, we snapped a few pictures of the family of three but then I couldn't keep Baby Girl away any longer. I don't know who she's a bigger fan of; baby AK or Kiki. She adores her Aunt Kiki. When the girls snuggled up for a little couch nap, we had to laugh because BG was right there. She was not letting them get away from her!

I'm sure this is one of the points where she almost gave Kiki a heart attack ;)


Too soon it was time to go home and we were off. It sucks living so far away from them but it just makes the visits tons more fun when they happen. Of course, BG asked for "baby Adlyn" for days afterwards so we were quickly planning another trip. But that's another day.

I realize this is total picture overload but it's for the books. And they were all too cute not to post. So there's that.