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Tuesday, June 30, 2015

Hair Part Deux

This is it, peeps. The moment every curly hair sufferer has waited on. The day that you find your hair god and he makes you over.

I met mine today and he was amazing. I mean, you could feel the heat from his flames but he was still awesome!

His hero is Dolly Pardon (collage of pictures in his cabinet) and he played Celine Deon on the radio system over the salon. He talked about old things that I remember from when I was a kid and really made me feel comfortable.

The best part? "One Sweet Day" by Mariah Carey and Boyz II Men came on and I was instantly reminded of riding in the car with my sister when she got this tape. I think I'll download it.


This was the final result. I know it doesn't look like much but it is actually a huge change. He took off tons of hair and cut it dry instead of washing it first. 

Then he did a crazy styling procedure that I'm almost certain I'll never be able to reproduce even on my best day. 

This, people, is Walmart hair. That is, you look so good someone has to see it so you go to Walmart. Oh and you get a peach milkshake.

-Big Hair

Monday, June 29, 2015

Hair

Tomorrow I get to see a new hairdresser that "specializes" in curly hair.

Why does it matter, you say? Well, because my last hairdresser does this to me...


Good times.

-Curly And Proud

Sunday, June 28, 2015

A Family That Runs Together...

... Poops out together.


That's right, peeps! The B clan pounded pavement together this past Saturday to benefit our hometown's rec department. 

I'm so proud of B for running his very first 5K and he even pushed the jogging stroller. Unfortunately, I embarrassed myself. The hills were killer and I was pretty sure they told us there would be a margarita station half way through. Much to my disappointment, it was just water. 

May parents also ran/walked it as well. I'm also proud of them. They had a goal of finishing in an hour and finished in 48 minutes. Way to go Maw Maw and Paw!

We even got medals!!! B finished 2nd in his age group and I finished 3rd. Here comes Negative Nancy. There were only 3 people in B's age group (the first place guy was first place overall with a time of 18 minutes) and there were only 3 in mine. 

I know what you're thinking. "They look so sweaty!" Well, you're wrong. As soon as we started running, the bottom fell out and it rained the entire run. It helped with the heat and kept things interesting. 

Thanks for keeping me going, B!

-Sore

Saturday, June 27, 2015

Why?

I couldn't get my post to go through last night. Enjoy..... A day late.

Why do 5k's have to be so early? 7:30 am. ARE YOU SERIOUS?!

Why does B think I'm even remotely interested in driving a minivan?

Why is my mom way nicer to J than she ever was to us as kids?

-W

Thursday, June 25, 2015

Wednesday, June 24, 2015

Magazines

I bought a magazine a few days ago in the store and got another in the mail the same day. To date I've only barely read one of them and I think I need to repeat it because I can't remember what it talked about. I flip to random pages and find something new. 

#momlife

-W

Tuesday, June 23, 2015

Our Day

"Potty training" has been a focus in our house the last few weeks. J has been giving us signs that he's getting ready to start and we don't want to miss our window so we've been introducing him to the potty slowly. Today, he wouldn't keep a diaper on so he ran around in the buff. Only a handful of potty accidents on the floor but I was impressed with him. Here are a few pictures to sum it up.


I moved the potty in the living room as a plan to get him to stay on the potty long enough to finish his business.


But he eventually wanted to play with one of his outside toys and this little creature hitched a ride. Imagine my fear when my coffee deprived brain saw this from a distance.


Then Grandma came to have lunch so it was only appropriate that the potty be moved to the sitting area off the kitchen. 

He was so wound up with all the excitement that nap time was a full on fight. For the first time in probably a year, I held him while he slept. If I had know that the last time I did that was actually the last time, I would have taken a moment to breathe him in, remember the feel of his little body rising and falling with each breath and listen to the little noises he makes in his sleep. But today, I got the chance one more time.


And boy, did I soak it up.


Good luck to the daycare staff with him tomorrow!

-W

Monday, June 22, 2015

Father's Day (the fun version)

Yesterday, we celebrated B. He doesn't get that chance very often so we went all out for the occasion. We started the day with french toast casserole and Bloody Mary's. After church, we met with my parents for a Father's Day fiesta and then napped when we got home. We ended our day out on the boat for a dinner on the shore.

But more importantly, I got to see my little fish coming out to play! Literally, J has become a little fish in the water and I couldn't love it more!









Gosh. That is a beautiful face if I do say so myself. And he's getting more precious by the day. We practiced Happy Daddy Day for a solid 48 hours before we needed to say it but we kept getting stuck on daddy. He felt like he needed to point out who daddy was and call him each time.




We found the perfect beach to sit on and have our Father's Day dinner. It was a little island outside of a camp ground so we were able to bring Dog with us. She was a different kind of fun.


Oh yeah. She chased the ducks and swam almost across the cove chasing this guy. Eventually she gave into defeat and came back. But that's when the fun started.

We were standing on the shore getting dinner together when we heard something large and heavy running through the woods above us. I quickly took a peek around B and saw Dog standing beside me. I then met a very concerned look on B's face. We both knew the dog was standing behind us and there was something else making a threatening sound. 

We were still trying to wrap our heads around what was happening when a deer barreled off the side of this cliff and fell into the water.


Then the deer proceeded to swim the entire way across the cove but she didn't escape Dog's ears. Oh no. Our trusty coonhound, having spotted what probably looked like a large swimming hotdog, felt the need to go catch the deer so she too swam all the way across. We stood in disbelief and began to laugh. It was then that B decided he should probably drive the boat over and fetch the dog from the campsite. Luckily, she didn't follow the deer too far and met B on the other side. 


Never a dull moment. We had a great time. J loved the water and I think B did. The fish kept "biting" him. He said it was because he thinks he looked like a pasty white worm to them. Who knows.




Watch out! Pasty Worm is on the hunt!


Happy Father's Day, B! I'm so happy to have chosen you in this adventure.

I also have to say Happy Father's Day to the original man in my life, my own dad. He's been so amazing throughout my entire life and has always supported me in everything I have done. And most importantly, to keep on smilin'.


-W

Sunday, June 21, 2015

Father's Day

I would post a long and sappy post about the men in my life and how awesome they are but they already know that and we just got back from the lake. 

I'll share all the details and pictures tomorrow.

Happy Father's Day to my own dad and the one I have the privelage of being partnered with. 

-W

Saturday, June 20, 2015

Weddin'

A cowoker had a wedding today. I know I've said it on here before but my coworkers are very much like family. We support each other in both what we do at work and outside work. 


You know what's impressive about this picture? This isn't just nurses. Some are secretaries, techs, lactation specialists and even our unit manager! 

I love my work family and I loved this wedding. The first and only one I've ever cried at and that includes my own!

Congrats, H. I hope you and T have a happy life together. 

-W

Friday, June 19, 2015

A Tip

I asked B if he had any good ideas for a blog post tonight. He came up with this...

Things to know when driving a boat.

Don't hide your empty beer cans in the ski locker. And if you do, scatter them or shove them to the front.

That concludes our Wise Words With B.

-W

Thursday, June 18, 2015

Bites

I have 1,437 mosquito bites on my arms and legs. Ok. Maybe I only have 30 but when they get flared up, I feel like my entire body is on fire. I have a wedding to attend on Saturday. People are going to think I have a disease.

But all this work for this...


Well, imagine a lot of tree/weed/annoying thingies along that fence. I tore them down while J was napping.

That's what you call a wise use of time.

-Itchy Itchy Spots (remember that book?)

Wednesday, June 17, 2015

The Rain

We played in the rain today. When it started, my first thought was to bring him inside but then I remembered that I danced in the rain at my own wedding. Why not dance with J in the rain too. We had a blast!


Then the thunder started.


And finally, lightening struck about 2 feet from us so we went inside.


Oh well. It was fun while it lasted.

-W

Tuesday, June 16, 2015

Monday, June 15, 2015

Boring

No exciting, poop filled post here because I got out of the house for the night and went painting.


I bet I could make some money off of my painting. 

-W

Sunday, June 14, 2015

The Incident

Tonight there was an incident that I would like to share.

B and J went to a pool party at a church friend's house. J had a great time and ended up loving the water in his life jacket. From what I understand, he jump, splashed, swam and drank more pool water then they probably want to admit to.

Needless to say, when they came home, they were both pretty pooped. After a very quick dinner, J and B hoped in the shower to get squeaky clean before bed. I assisted B with getting J out and dried off. We did our usual fighting to get him into his diaper and eventually, his pajamas.

I set him down on the floor to let him run around the house. Sometimes he needs to get that last burst of energy out before we attempt to get him to lay down. While he was running around, I thought we may try to get him on the potty before bedtime.

"Poopy in the potty, J?" I yelled as he was storming past me like the little tornado he is. We stopped dead in his tracks, flung around to face me, grabbed his crotch and started screaming, "Potty! Potty! Potty!"

We quickly ran into his bedroom and I took his little shorts off. I barely got his diaper off and he had started looking around his room for his book.

"Book! Book!" All I saw was a frantic hiney zooming from one side to the other.

I was able to locate his "potty book" and he proceeded to his throne. He realized his potty wasn't flush with the wall and bent over to push it into position. And that's when it happened.

Let me remind you of all the pool water he drank earlier at the get together. What goes in, must come out.

As he stood up and began to assume the position, I saw a very watery brown spot on the floor below him. I immediately freaked out and put him on his potty. The potty situation is very delicate. I don't want him to feel like this is a scary place or he's ever in trouble but he had already start the evacuation process on my floor and I felt the need to quickly get him to his place.

Happily seated on his potty, J opened his book and began to look at whatever it is he looks at when he's pooping. He had been sitting there for a solid 10 second when it literally sounded like a water spigot opened up somewhere between his booty and the bottom of the potty. J, naturally being happy with himself, stood up and proudly exclaimed "POOPY!".

What he didn't realize was this poop was so runny, it was still dripping from his hiney. Dripping onto the floor, the potty and, unfortunately, his freshly cleaned body.

"B! Please come help us!"

B came running in the bedroom and found me on the floor trying to contain J to his potty. He stopped when he hit the door as if he ran into a wall.

"What's that sm... What's on the floor?!" It took him a few more minutes of thoughts and half sentences to realize what he had just walked in on.

"Can you please put his towel on the changing table for me?" It was taking him a little longer than normal to come back to Earth. He must have been delirious from the smell because he grabbed the towel and stood in the middle of the room and stared at me like he was frozen to the spot.

"No, please lay it on the table and I'll clean him up" I said as J was jumping up to start the potty dance.

A very weak stomached B said "Way to go! Poopy in the potty!" and ended with a small gag.

Holding J out at arms length, I was able to secure him to the table and begin the clean up process. What I wasn't thinking about was B beginning his part of the clean up as well.

He started by picking up the potty insert and shouting "Oh my God! Look at how much there is!" It really is impressive to see how much comes out of such a little body. He cleaned up the poopy mess that was on the floor and dumped all the cloths in the potty.

I guess the smell was a little overbearing because he sprinted to the bathroom and grabbed the apple cinnamon air freshener and fogged us in J's tiny bedroom.

"You're going to give him a headache", I reminded him.

"It's better than smelling that the whole time."

I was finally able to get J cleaned up and redressed so I could help my queazy husband. I walked into the bathroom and found him gagging his way through dumping the cloths in the trash. Next he moved on to the poop in the potty. As he was standing there, arms stretched as far as they could and hanging onto the potty with his finger tips, I reminded him that the water from the sprayer will splash out of the bucket and on to the floor if he wasn't careful. A tip I learned the hard way.

"Mmm hmm", he moaned without opening his mouth. I knew what he was doing at this point.

"That was a little dramatic but I'm so excited he pooped in the potty again!"

"Mmm hmm", he moaned again.

"You aren't talking because you don't want to breathe it into your mouth, aren't you?"

Small gag. "Mmm hmm".

You've gotta love that hubby of mine. He was successful in cleaning up the potty bucket and was able to decontaminate himself. At that point, we started the true celebration of what had just happened. Like before, we danced the potty dance and high fived and fist bumped our way around the house. J was still dancing before I put him to bed.

But when it was time for him to go to bed and he was saying his good nights, B was a little reluctant to go in his room for fear of the smell.

Seriously, it smells like a mug of apple cider exploded in there.

Just another night at the B's.

-W

Saturday, June 13, 2015

Sleep

Tonight we had to drag J to bed kicking and screaming after an already failed bed time attempt. That doesn't happen often. But I do wish we had these days again...


He didn't even care if he had both socks on. Those were the days.

-W

Friday, June 12, 2015

Enjoy The View

Date night again! I promise, we're responsible and loving parents but grandma has a tendency to want to love him just as much.

Tonight's date night consisted of a ride to the mountains. B got a new bike and has been itching to take me for a ride. He said he chose it because he thought I'd like it too. 

Sure.

I was trying to get a good picture of my view but I've decided that without a wide angle lense and some yoga positions that would put my life at risk, those shots just aren't happening. But this did...


You're welcome. 

You would think I'm usually left staring at the back of B's head but I actually enjoy the view from the back seat. I get to take in the scenery without having to focus on driving. I have my own a/c system that I can control for my liking and if I want music, well then, I sing to myself without worrying about what others think. 

Your senses are all so aware on a bike. For example, tonight on the way home, we were given the pleasure of a lightening show in the distance but as we got out of town, the smell of wet pavement pierced our noses. Never something you want to smell two up on two wheels. But we made it without a drop of moisture. 

I will always treasure the times we get to spend on a bike. Our intercom system doesn't always work but when we get where we're going, it's like we had a conversation the whole way. 

-B's Passenger

Thursday, June 11, 2015

Something Big

Today something big happened in the B house. No, M, we didn't find out we were expecting. Sorry for the disappointment. Let me tell you all about it.

First of all, I had a lunch date in the driveway with my little man.


He was so precious! He was so chatty and talked the entire time. About what, I have no clue but at least he's talking to me. We're off to a good start.

Next, I was able to sneak to the basement and work in the craft room.


Yeah. Looks like nothing new but behind the scenes is a new outlet for the antenna plug in. All by myself. It make me want to smash a beer can on my forehead. 

I let the little guy sleep in just a diaper for his nap. When he woke up, I found him with half his diaper pulled off. I decided to take advantage of my moment and set him on his potty.



He has to have a book to read. But it must have worked because when he stood up, there was poop and pee in the potty!!!! I was exstatic! We made up an impromptu potty dance and fist bumped and high fived our way around the house.

For dinner we headed to a neighboring town for a food truck and corn hole evening. 7 food trucks. My inner foodie went nuts! Food truck parks are great, aren't they? Where else will you get to eat a shrimp taco, curry chicken and grilled cheese sandwiches for dinner and not risk losing your table? My kind of dining.

When we got home, I stripped down a very tired J and placed him on his potty to see what happened. Poo in the potty is what happened!!!! That's right, folks. The potty dance is making an entrance in the B house. The best part? He knows when he's finished and when he isn't. He kept trying to get up but when I asked if he was done he said no and sat back down. I'm so proud of him but I hope it continues.

-W

Wednesday, June 10, 2015

Cicadas

I asked B tonight if it felt like it was summer or close to it. He responded with a no and we began the discussion of why. For me, it's the missing cicadas and lightening bugs. B, being the researcher he is, looked up a little info on cicadas. Allow me to drop some knowledge on you.

Cicadas usually come out in July or August when the days are hot and very humid. Have you been to Georgia? That is basically the definition of summer. Cicadas are divided into two types; annual and periodical. 

Annual cicadas (also called dog day cicadas because they come out during the dog days of summer) have a typical lifespan of 2-5 years. Every year, when the temperature is warm and the humidity is right, they come out of the grown to shed their outer layer and continue to mature. They feast on leaves and plant juice. They are the ones that sing their songs every year in the back yard.

Periodical cicadas are pretty neat. They only emerge from the ground every 13 or 17 years depending on their brood number. They will also come out earlier in the year when the temps hit 64 degrees. Georgia is expected to receive their next periodical cicadas in 2017 which will be brood XIX. This year the Mississippi River Valley is receiving a brood and our family in Oklahoma and Missouri are receiving their 13 year brood. From the sounds of the articles, these particular cicadas are smaller than the annual ones and actually make a different noise. 

So there. That's why it isn't summer yet. I took a peek at the temps this week and we're expected to have temps in the 90's all next week. I think I'll sit on the porch and welcome our woodland neighbors.

-Me and B

Tuesday, June 9, 2015

Moms and Daughers

I can't post about my job due to privacy issues. I'm a postpartum nurse and get to "play" with babies all day.( All of the nurses I work with are laughing hysterically right now.) One of the most special things I do get to see is the relationship between a mother and her daughter. I'm not talking about a patient and her new baby. I'm talking the mother that is now a grandmother and the daughter that is now a mother.

The sweetest moments are when I get to see a new mom learning to mother her new baby with the help of her own mother. Sometimes it brings tears to my eyes to see a new grandmother helping her daughter get out of bed, walk down the hall or even feed her baby. It reminds me of how strong the maternal bond actually is and that no matter how hard someone tries to "grow up", they'll always be their mom's little girl. They'll always be the one that their mom tries to coddle and help in any way possible.

I have a mom that would go above and beyond for any of her children. She was there when I had J and I can't thank her enough for that. She came to my house every Tuesday (she had every Tuesday off) and helped me with household chores. I was too angry at the time to cherish that but looking back on it, I understand her urge to be there for me. I understand her yearning to come to my house and provide me with the help she never had. For that I will be truly indebted to her each and every day of my life.

Thanks, Mom. Love you more.

-W

Monday, June 8, 2015

A/C

Tonight is the first night of the season that we are turning on the A/C. There is a part of me that is pretty proud that we've been able to live with the windows open since April but there's also a part of me that will kill someone if I have to sleep in the heat again. I broke out in a sweat while getting ready for work this morning.

-Cool and Dry

Sunday, June 7, 2015

Worries

Isn't it funny what you worry about as a parent? J has taught me so much since he's been born but the number one thing is to not worry so much. For example, I'll never worry again about when a baby rolls over. J was never interested in rolling over until he learned to crawl and even then it was because he was on his back and knew he needed to be on his tummy to really get places.

Tonight was another worry that popped up. J was taking an obnoxiously long time eating his dinner so me and B were left with staring at him while he ate. Then B said this...

B: He doesn't blink a lot.
Me: Ok. Well, you don't blink a lot either.
B: I blink more than he does.

...

I guess the worry never ends.

-The Sane One

Saturday, June 6, 2015

That Was Today

I got up at 6:30 this morning to run a race. Let's not talk about the results, k? I did decent but not as well as I could have. But as I was hoofin' it down Main Street, an older guy passed me. This isn't unusual because people are always passing me but this guy stood out. I see him all over town running. I fact, I've never seen him not running. Not even when he's waiting to cross the street. This last winter when we had some ice and I had to go to work, he was running with his winter gear on. Crazy, right? I made a mental note to find him later on and introduce myself.

After my dead body crossed the finish line, I found the mystery runner.


I know I sounded crazy to him but I was so honored to meet him. His name is Jim Merritt, he's 67 and lives in Buford. This is the back of his shirt...


That's right. Today was day number 4969 of consecutive running. He has run every day since October 29, 2001. There is a website dedicated to "streak running". http://www.runeveryday.com/lists/USRSA-Active-List.html go check it out. Jim is number 130. The guy at the top of the list has been running for 46 years!! Jim started in 2001 as a way to help him quit a 30 year addiction to cigaretts. He said that his physicals the last two years have been so good that his doctors tell him he's healthier now than he was back then. How amazing!! 

Maybe I don't run every day nor do I have the fastest 5k time but at least I got my butt out of bed this morning and did something healthy for myself. Take that, world!

After a busy morning and a well deserved nap, we headed to the lake...


My sweet little man!

Have a great Sunday!!

-W



Friday, June 5, 2015

Friends

Me and B have been blessed beyond measure with a lot of great friends in our lives. The latest ones to shake up our world is our church friends. When we bought our house, we made a goal to find a church before J was born. That didn't happen and we continued our search. We finally found our church after a year of searching and the second we walked into the service, things just clicked. The service was just what we needed to hear, they had a strong youth program and there were tons of families our age that attended. Not to mention, we felt at home. 

We then found a Sunday school group and loved our decision even more. It was a group that was our age and in the same place as us. They had kids, a mortgage and a job with a benefits plan. I know, we had high standards. Either way, they've been such a breath of fresh air.

Tonight we spent an evening on the lake with them and had fantastic time. But I'm pretty sure they think we pawn off our kid on someone else. Everytime we get together J happens to be at grandma's house.

Oh well. They accept us for the child abandoners we are and we thank them for that.

-W

Thursday, June 4, 2015

Cars

You know what's fun? Car shopping!

You know what isn't fun? Car shopping! Especially when you know you'll need to cram an infant car seat in there at some point in time.

I'm not needing to get rid of my beloved Lucy just now but one day I want to haul around J and company and my tiny car just isn't going to do the trick. It didn't even fit J, B and myself all at once. 

I've researched reviews, tech specs, towing options and I have even found a website that installs car seats in every vehicle and gives a rating. 

It's all very overwhelming. 

If only I'd choose a minivan and our problems would be much easier. 

-Minivan Hater

Wednesday, June 3, 2015

Guess Who

Guess who forgot their camera in the rush to pack up and leave for the beach? So guess who doesn't have proof of all the funny and cute things that occurred? Yeah, all of those are me. 

The beach trip is an annual trip that my family has done for almost 20 years. We started with a girls trip when I was in elementary school during spring break. That evolved into two trips with one being in the fall with the men folk. After I graduated high school, my mom started taking the grandkids. Now I get to go with my little guy and watch him brace the beach the same way I did when I was little. I hope we always make the Redneck Riviera an annual trip for my kids as well. 

Great trip overall. The ocean was like bath water, J really warmed up to swimming by the last day and I was able to finish one book and start another. Expect a summer reading list to come your way soon!

But like all good things this trip has to come to an end. The ride back home from the beach is always a quiet one. No one wants to go back to endless loads of laundry, work and long commutes but at least we have the memories and can look forward to next year. 

Until then...

-W