With Lee’s T-Ball season officially coming to a close, our nights have finally freed up again. Which is something I thought I would be excited about. However, instead, I find myself a bit torn up about it. I really loved watching him play. I loved his excitement for the game and his dedication to the…
THE BIRDS AND THE COFFEE
While standing in the kitchen this morning trying to figure out how to fit a gallon of iced coffee into my 30 ounce tumbler, Lee came bounding in. As I stand at the island struggling with my current predicament, he leans back against the counter opposite me and watches silently for a few seconds. “Hey…
The Short Years
Every weekday morning when our alarm goes off, I get up and do a 30-minute workout. It helps me to get my day going and in the right mindset to actually take on the day ahead. This morning, I pushed my blankets down and right as I was about to swing my legs over the…
Three Little Words
It happened. Those three words. I thought I had more time (dramatic voice). I thought we would make it well into the teenage years before I heard them, honestly. But no, 6:45 on a Friday morning, they were thrown at me by my 4-year-old. Lee was sitting on the floor of the living room playing…
Well Well, What Do We Have Here?
In a slightly embarassing turn of events, I just recently found a folder of emails from my “readers”. Full disclosure here.. while I have glanced at my blog’s stats a few times over the years, I typically operate under the assumption that only my parents and in-laws read it. So, now that I’m aware that…
Eavesdropping At The Barbershop
I have had the same hairdress for about 14 years now. Some visits we chat, most visits I just relax and let her do her thing. My son, however, takes a slightly different approach. It is what one might refer to as interrogational. Yesterday afternoon, I ran Lee into town for a quick trim. Once…
Thick As Thieves
“Are you Evie’s mother?” asked the cute lady in navy scrubs standing right inside the doorway of the kids’ school as I walked in after a hectic Monday at work. I nodded, instantly curious and (honestly) slightly worried as to why I was being asked this question. “This is my son, J,” she said, inclining…
She’s two! She’s two!
It feels like just last week, I was big pregnant with Evie and lying on the couch with Lee, with his head on my belly. I remember getting tickled because he suddenly sat bolt upright and told me that he could feel her moving. “Well, why don’t you tell her to come on out, then?”…
Park Friends
As I have admitted numerous times in this blog, being a parent is the hardest journey I have ever been on. And, about 87% of the time, I feel like I am completely failing at it. But every once in a while, one of my children will do something that knocks me into that 13%…
A bad day, not a bad life
I’m not putting it lightly when I say, in NO WAY, did the “Terrible Twos” prepare me for the “Freaking Fours”. My kids are generally pretty good, behavior wise. They have bad days, just like everyone else. And they have their moments of crazy, also just like everyone else. I’ve seen serious attitude and tantrums…
Crazy little thing called love
We’re rolling right on over to Valentine’s Day folks, and you know what that means.. it’s time to get sappy. If you’re not feeling it, I got you, just scroll to the bottom, soak up a few recent pics of the kiddos, and see yourself out! But 2021 marks ten years of D and I…
Ramblings of a 4 year old
With Evie beginning to talk more, Lee has taken it upon himself to start monologuing. Actual monologuing. He will spout out full paragraphs at a time without pausing long enough at any point for you to answer or respond. Here are a few examples.. Today is Friday, which means yesterday was Thursday, which means yesterday…
A constant battle of wills
What is more challenging than one strong-willed child? Two strong-willed children. I’m stubborn, painfully so. And D is stubborn, even more so than I am, some might say (me). So, in all honesty, I suppose our children never stood a chance in that department. The other night, we had breakfast for dinner. Both children love…
Birthday Boy
Yesterday, Lee officially turned 4 years old. Which seems wild and completely unreal, but, nevertheless, it happened. I had him complete a quick survey (which he was annoyed about) because I thought it would be fun to see his answers, but also fun to be able to look back on in the years to come….
Talking to a toddler (Pt. 3)
D, Lee and I are sitting on his bed after story time. Lee: My teacher was being silly today. Me: What do you mean bud? Lee: She put me in time outtttt. Me: Uh-Oh, what did you do? Lee: Nothing really. I just threw a bulldozer at Caysen. It hit him in the head, but…
My three humans
My husband. The man I never saw coming. My Lee. My first baby. The boy I begged God for. The boy who stared straight into my eyes after I brought him into the world. The boy who fills my world with Disney songs and Transformer fight sequences. The boy whose sweet tooth is as deep…
For my sister
My baby sister got married this past Saturday. For whatever reason (ha!), my emotions were running high when it came time for me to toast the bride and groom. As my voice caught and I started stumbling over my words, I cut it short. But, Dakota, this is what I wanted to say: “The love…
Almost 18 months of Evie
When you think about raising a little girl, you think you’ll need pastel-colored everything and loads of barbie dolls. You think you’ll be seeing a sweet little thing setting up her stuffed animals for a tea party and wanting to play dress-up all of the time. I mean, at least, that’s what I thought it…
Taco… Wednesday??!
For the first time since February, we brought our children into a restaurant. While navigating the bumpy and pitted road that has been parenting during a worldwide pandemic thus far, D and I have gone out of our way not to bring our children into public places. The weekend before last was their first time…
15 months and fabulous
Evie is at that fun age where it seems like we are at the doctors office every few months just to keep her properly vaccinated. It literally seems as if they are due for one or two shots every three months from the time your child is born until they hit 2. Not that I’m…
I’m a cool mom
So…. I work. I work my happy little butt off. And my husband still brings home more bacon than me. Rightfully so. Everything that man calculates, he does in his head, standing on the side of a busy highway, cars zooming past him, while arguing with someone else who thinks they know better than he…
Take me away… to a green island!
I have become obsessed with the color green. I want it everywhere in our house. Everywhere….. Let me start by saying, I love our kitchen. There are countertops as far as the eye can see. But, in recent weeks, the island has started to bother me. There’s just so much darkness. Black and brown,…
Groceries, groceries, groceries
Lee Thomas has not been to the grocery store since March. And my boy LOVES the grocery store. Or, “the blue store,” as he calls it. This morning, with D already gone for work and Evie still snoozing, I plopped down on the couch beside Lee with my laptop and started building a grocery pick-up…
A LITTLE CRAZY
As we were walking up the sidewalk towards the front door of the kids Daycare this morning, my kids were on a whole other level of crazy. Evie was holding my hand and trying to keep up with her brother, who was a few steps ahead of us. A Daycare Dad, Will, had just walked…
Talking to a Toddler (Pt. 2)
Scene: Pulling into the Daycare parking lot. The building beside the daycare was having a new roof installed. Lee: Hello up there! Lee: (Louder this time) I said, hello up there! Man on roof: Hey down there! Lee: What are you doing up there, my man? Scene: D, Lee and I are laying in bed…
The Crazy Days
I know, I know.. it’s been a while. But ya’ll, I’m tired. Evie is absolutely crazy right now. In the mornings before school and in the afternoons until dinner is served she wants to be on your hip. Lee is going through some type of regression (probably because of Evie) and has just completely lost…
The Great Outdoors
Due to a teething fever of 100.4 on Monday afternoon, sweet Evie got herself and her brother kicked out of daycare for 48 hours (per the new COVID guidelines for daycares in our state). In an effort to get the munchkins out of the house (and ready for naptime) I brought them to the park…
My Wild One
There’s something raw about having children that no one ever warns you about. People will tell you that you won’t sleep for the next twenty years and you won’t be able to go to the restroom by yourself ever again. You’ll be warned about how much food toddlers and teenagers consume and how much pee…
Just a lot
I yelled at Lee this morning. I had Evie on my hip, a spare change of clothes for Lee’s cubby in one hand, a cup of coffee in the other and my purse and work bag on my shoulder. Evie and I were standing in front of the door, waiting on Lee so that we…
What a Wednesday
I love my job. But, some mornings, I feel like I’m making a choice and it isn’t an easy one. Every single working parent alive has felt this way, so I know that I’m not alone. But that doesn’t make it sting any less. Normally, when I drop my kids off at school, they both…
Happy birthday to babe!
Happy Birthday to babe! Happy Birthday to babe! Happy Birthday to baaaaaaaaaaaabbbbbbbbbeeeeee… HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO BABE! In honor of D’s 28th birthday, here are a few fun facts you might want to know about the man who has chosen, of his own free will, to be married to me for eternity: He is the biggest…
9 Months of Evie
Evie is 9 months old now. Though, actually, she is closer to 10 months at this point. A friend of mine came into my workplace last week and mentioned that I would be planning a first birthday party soon. The tears were stinging my eyes before I realized they were there. My Evie. My sweet…
One-man swat team
Kids. They keep you on your toes, don’t they? Lee is in a little phase right now where he is afraid of everything. He heard a sound in the bathroom last night and wouldn’t go in until D went and checked it out. He randomly tells me that there are monsters in his closet, behind…
Decade Roundup
“I have another friend who has a Video Blog and she did a decade roundup, you should do one of those!” said my only friend who gives me blog post ideas. I mean, I don’t remember what I had for lunch yesterday, but sure, let’s see how this goes. 2010: Junior in high school, I…
Through smiles and tears
I’m alone in my car on my lunch break. I just picked up my favorite smoothie. I was planning on walking around a store to stretch my legs, but I can’t make myself get out. The song “Drowning” by Chris Young came on the radio on my drive to the shopping center from Juva and…
Ladies and Gentlemen..
We have a three year old! Lee turned three on Saturday. This is a fact. This is a fact that I did not accept until a few days later. How could he be three? How is that possible? My little nugget. The itty bitty seven pound and thirteen ounce baby man I met on a…
Mom brain on a Thursday
Mom brain. You hear about it. You make fun of your fellow moms about it. But then.. then, it happens to you. D was duck hunting this morning, so Lee and I were on our own getting the household up and running. Lee joined us in our bed pretty early this morning. He is starting…
Let’s hear it for the Dads
We need to give Dads more credit. The good Dads. The hands on Dads. The Dads who get in there and change the diaper. The Dads who nudge you out of the way and take over the dishes. I was standing in the front hallway of the kids daycare this morning, quite possibly asleep on…
Thanksgiving Week in review
We had a wonderful Thanksgiving. Actually, we had a wonderful Thanksgiving week. Here are a few of the highlights: 1. New carseats!! Lee got a new carseat and Evie inherited Lee’s old carseat in each vehicle. We had quite the operation going on. Also, on the same day, we had gravel delivered and D made…
Parking lot panic
I was “that mom” this morning. I was the mom in the Daycare parking lot trying to teach her kid a lesson. You see, Lee has this new thing that he likes to do… not listen to me in public. Like this morning, when I got him out of his carseat, I told him to…
Midnight Musings
(**UPDATE 11/22: It was just a bout of food poisoning. Back to normal now!) I’m tired, I’m so tired. Its 1:30 A.M. and I’m sitting on my bathroom floor, waiting to see if I am about to get sick again. I’ve been here for a while. Trying not to make too much noise, trying not…
Six months of Evie
Evelyn is six months old today. And I am not okay. I mean, okay, that’s dramatic, but I’m just so… surprised. I feel like only two weeks ago I was waving positive pregnancy tests in D’s face, dumbfounded. For about a year, I did not think I would be able to have children. But then…
Talking to a Toddler (Pt. 1)
Scene: Walking down the front path at Daycare, towards the parking lot. A middle-aged man is walking towards us, coming from the opposite direction. Lee stops and puts a hand on his hip. Lee: Are you Catherine’s dad? Man: Yes, I am. Lee: Hmm. (walks away) Me: That’s Lee. Man: Oh, I know who that…
The girl of my dreams
Evie will be 6 months old on the 30th. Now, I know what you’re thinking.. how can this be? How did this happen? And I honestly don’t have an answer because I feel as if: a.) I literally gave birth to her two days ago and also b.) She has been a part of our…
Sweet Morningtime
On a typical weekday, our morning routine is simple and relatively smooth. Lee will wake up between 4:00 and 5:00 A.M. and crawl between D and I. D’s alarm will go off at 5:00. He gets up and goes to the bathroom to get ready. I get up, grab Lee a cup of milk from…
Dogs & Diapers 