Monday, September 26, 2011

Another Busy weekend

We got home late last night after another busy, busy weekend!

Friday night, Don's team played in Memphis.  Since we were coming to town for my reunion anyway, Ellie and I came after work Friday so we could go to the game!  Here she is in her game day outfit before we left.  Doesn't she look so big in those jeans?
She was really cheesin' it up for the camera, too.  I don't know what it is with her eyes these days, but she can't say "cheese" without squinting!  Silly girl.

I let Ellie sleep in until almost 9 Saturday morning, then we headed off to tailgate at the Tiger game with Peeps, DeDe and friends!  Let me just say, they know how to tailgate!  They've got it all.  I joked and told them all they lack is a chandelier for the tent.





It was soooo windy.  That's why my hair looks so beautiful!


After the game, it was time to get ready for my TEN YEAR class reunion.  Am I really that old?  Just for fun, I found a couple of old pictures that I thought I would share.

Freshmen cheerleaders in Orlando for nationals

 Snowflake committee our Senior year

My BFF Autumn and me at Ole Miss cheer camp.
 Some really good guy friends at my parents house before Snowflake our Junior year.  SO sad none of them were at the reunion!

 Skycoaster rides in Orlando!

And here we are...ten years later!

We met a group for dinner at Bahama Breeze and showed up fashionably late to the reunion.  It was a lot of fun, and I am so glad I went.  I was pretty tired all day yesterday.  This old momma can't stay up that late anymore!  Fun, fun weekend!

Thursday, September 22, 2011

20 Months old

I am 3 days early on this!  Can't believe it.  Above is a video Grandonna filmed while Ellie was visiting last week.  You can hear a few of her new words!

Ellie, you are 20 months old. Is your 2nd birthday really in 4 months?  Okay time.  You can really slow down now.

Unofficial weight: approximately 30 pounds
Clothing size: 24 month, 2T and some 3T t-shirts
Shoe size: 6!  2T socks
Diaper size: 4
Favorite toy: Puzzles, babies, Barney, books
Favorite foods: Chicken nuggets, grapes, strawberries, yogurt, apple sauce, string cheese, gold fish, mandarin oranges, occasional mac-n-cheese.




Least favorite foods: Veggies:(  She eats tons of fruit, so I guess that's better than nothing!
Words: You are a little parrot! You pretty much repeat everything we say.  Newest words:  doctor, purple, Knox, Ellie (and you point to yourself!), Granny, BB (for Aunt B).
Teeth: 11 total.  One new bottom molar.
Daily Routine: One good 2 hour afternoon nap a day.  You sleep from 8:00 pm until 7:30-8 am.


We went to the dermatologist and FINALLY figured out what the mystery rash is.  Yeast!  It probably started from your paci months ago and is just having a hard time leaving.  So we have a different prescription cream that should clear it up for good.  YAY!  Let's just say that trip was an experience.  Two dirty diapers, spilled goldfish, and hands in the Bio Hazard trash can.  I was exhausted by the time we left:)

Tuesday, September 20, 2011

Another iPhone picture post

I am lacking in blog content and time these days!  I was scanning through my phone pictures earlier and thought "well, I could write about this, and when we did that, and how Ellie did this..." so here it goes!

This weekend we went to the fair on Saturday night and attended Travis Cottrell's Album Release concert at church on Sunday.  The fair, well I wasn't impressed.  Let's just say we could have gone out to a nice dinner for the price we paid on admission and a corn dog.  Ellie didn't even ride any rides.  I was kind of bummed, but at least we can say we went.  The concert however, was awesome!  It was long and made for 3 hours of playtime in the nursery for E, but Don and I got a mini (free) date night!  We both loved it.  I know I always say this but Englewood is SO lucky to have Travis all to ourselves every Sunday!  Sadly I didn't take any pictures of either event.

Aunt Jenny always brings home fun treats for Ellie from her travels.  She brought her back this chef set as a thank you for feeding the cats while she was gone.  I thought it was too cute!

Don worked until after 8 last night so I took this pic of us and sent it to him so Ellie could tell him good night.  I look like poo, she looks sweet:)

Last Thursday Ellie's MDO held a Grandparents tea!  De De was coming to get her and take her for the night anyway, so she just came a few hours early so she could attend the tea.  Ellie was so happy to see her!  We missed Maw Maw, but she had already made 2 trips to town that week to babysit so we completely understood.

Don's team won BIG this past Friday!  We didn't go...I just didn't have it in me to fight the crowds and a rowdy toddler, but we did cheer him on from home!  I had this little shirt made and thought it turned out pretty cute.

And lastly, we have a crib jumper!  I really thought we had avoided this whole situation because Ellie has done so well in her crib for such a long time.  Two Sundays ago, she was in NO mood for a nap, so she decided she would just climb right out of her bed!  When Don and I heard the big "thud" come from her room, we both went running and found her in the floor next to her basket of stuffed animals.  It about gave me a heart attack!  Needless to say, the remaining bumpers immediately came right out!  We were overdue on this anyway,  but I just love her bedding and was trying to keep them in as long as possible.  It is certainly never a dull moment with this girl!


 I guess that's about it for now.  We have a dermatologist appointment (finally) to get to the bottom of this mystery rash that keeps re-appearing on Ellie's face.  I'll be back with details from that soon!

Thursday, September 15, 2011

Blogging

I have had quite a few people ask me how I find the time to blog and commented on how I have kept up with the blog so well.  First of all, I don't really advertise to many people that I blog.  They all just somehow found it and every time I hear another person reads, I blush a little bit!  Sometimes I write on here like no one reads so when I find out they do, it's a little embarrassing:)

To be honest, I don't really know how to answer those questions.  I guess my subject is just so cute and sweet and funny that I don't look at it like a chore, but more like a hobby that I really enjoy!  I never thought I would have done so well when I started this blog right after we got married.  When Ellie was born, it was a fun way to document every little thing she was doing and now I am hooked!

I gave in to Twitter toward the end of February and I think that has really fueled the "blogging bug".  I have been able to chat with other mommy bloggers and get ideas and inspiration and encouragement from all of them.  They made me feel like I am not he only crazy mother on this planet and helped me realize that we are all in this together.

I just wanted to share a link to one of my favorite bloggers, Erin from Blue Eyed Bride.  She has a writing style that I love and puts my exact feelings in to words that I only wish I could express.  She has two adorable little boys that dress just the way our little Pierce will one day (ha ha ha) and I just loved reading her posts every morning.

She has written quite a few posts recently that could seriously have come out of my own mouth.  It's like she reads my mind.   Here is a link to a few of those posts in case you are interested.

http://blueeyedbride.com/2011/09/15/the-evolution-of-a-mom/
http://blueeyedbride.com/2011/08/29/super-mom-whos-that/
http://blueeyedbride.com/2011/08/23/i-dont-know-how-she-does-it/

Also, have any of you seen the trailer for the new Sarah Jessica Parker movie that comes out tomorrow, I don't know how she does it?   Don is TOTALLY taking me to see it, he just doesn't know it yet!

Wednesday, September 14, 2011

Super random

Hello there!  Just thought I would pop in for a quick update.  Work has been crazy lately so there has been no computer time for me (which is probably a good thing).

  • Last weekend Don's team was off...and what do you know?  He was in a wedding!  So after the rehearsal Friday night we just had to stop by and scout out a local team that we will be playing in a few weeks.  Ellie ran around like a wild girl and had a ball.  Yes, I realize her bow is ridiculously huge but I am slowly upgrading to a medium sized bows and some are just bigger than others.  I really just need to learn to sew ruffled pants (since it seems she will be wearing a lot of them this fall) and make bows and she'd have the perfect size and color for every outfit.  Maybe one day.
  • Speaking of fall, is it here yet?  I am so ready for a closet/wardrobe change around here.  This in-between weather makes me crazy.  I have been scrambling for work clothes for me and school clothes for E...and her foot grew 2 sizes over the summer!  She jumped from a 4 to a 6 in two months.  Talk about throwing me for a loop!
  • My 10 year class reunion is next weekend.  I wasn't too excited up until recently.  Let's be honest...with social media we already know EVERYTHING about EVERYBODY!  There are no surprises anymore but it will still be nice to see people face to face.  Some I haven't seen since graduation day!  Should be interesting:)
Sorry for the lack of pictures.  My camera battery is dead right now and it would take all afternoon to charge so this will just have to do.  Happy Wednesday!


Friday, September 9, 2011

A Typical Day

If there is anything I have learned in the past 19 months, it is that parenting is a constant juggling act.  From meal times, to nap schedules, to personal commitments and work schedules, the juggling never ends.

Yes, my job is flexible...to a point.  Yes, working from home is FANTASTIC.  Yes, I spend more time with Ellie than the typical working mom does (and I am so thankful for that).  However, there are times when my job is not so flexible and I have to travel 2 hours away for one appointment. Other times counselors may call last minute and ask me to speak at their evening parent program.  This is where it gets tricky!

A "typical" day in our house is far from the normal 9-5 work day that most experience.  Each day is busy and hectic and no two days are ever the same.  After the past few weeks we have had, I decided I needed to document the craziness so that one day I could look back, be very proud of myself, and ask "how in the world did we do that"?

I chose to go with yesterday because it was one of our busier days.

5:15 am:  Don's alarm goes off for the FIRST of at least 3-4 times.  That boy likes to sleep:)
6:10 am: Don leaves for work
7:00 am:  Ellie is up, so I am up!  (Yes, she's still my alarm on mornings when I work later.  I just can't get up before her unless I absolutely have to).
7:15:  I change her diaper, fix her morning milk, turn on Barney, and get her breakfast together.  This morning she had a cereal bar, yogurt and some strawberries.
7:30:  While Ellie eats, I get ready.  On mornings when I am working from home, you can pretty much guarantee that I am in jeans and a t-shirt.  On work days, I get ready before school.
8:00:  I check email, check my calendar and work phone, and gather up my work materials for my work day.
8:30:  I get Ellie dressed for MDO.  Today I squeezed her into a size 12 month romper she wore last winter.  I am just dying to get one last wear out of all of these clothes!  The pants were a little short but she still looked cute in my opinion:)
8:45:  We leave for MDO.  I pack her bag and lunch the night before so we just grab those on our way out the door and head to school.
9:10:  I get home and get back to my computer. I correspond with a teacher and a counselor about a meeting next week and a problem they were having on our website.  I also chat with Aunt Jenny over the phone while I email:)
9:50:  I get dressed for work,
10:15:  I heat up leftovers for Don's lunch.  I am working at his school today so I told him I'd drop off his lunch on my way to the counselors office:)
10:30-12:30:  I work in the computer lab with 3 school counselors.
12:40:  As I am getting ready to leave the school, the counselor mentions parent/teacher conferences that night (which I already knew about, Don had to be there!) and asks if I could set up a table to speak with parents from 3-6:30 or however long I could be there. Of course I said sure, but in my head I am thinking about  the logistics of picking Ellie up from MDO and finding someone to watch her while I am back at work.
12:45:  I get on the phone.  First, I call DeDe.  She is my voice of reason and logistics guru:)  She can't meet me because she volunteers in the church office which is TOTALLY fine.  I don't expect her to always be available.  She suggests I call Brittney, our babysitter that watches Ellie in the mornings when I work early.  She sits with Ellie, feeds and dresses her, and drops her off at school a few times a month.  She has been a huge help!
1:00:  I call Brittney.  She is available! She will meet us at home at 2:50.
in between this time, I eat lunch and breathe for a couple minutes before I leave to pick E up.
2:20:  I leave to pick Ellie up from school.  She had a great day!  Took a 2 hour nap and ate all of her lunch.  After chatting with the teachers and office ladies, we don't get home until 2:40ish
2:40:  We get home and Brittney is there waiting!  Lifesaver.  We chat about getting Ellie a snack and I go through my calendar with her about a couple days next week I will need her help.
2:55 I leave to head back to work.
5:00 I am home!  Brittney has night class so I left work in time for her to get to school.
5-7:30:  I fix Ellie's dinner (mac-n-cheese, applesauce and grapes), our dinner (Italian Casserole) and then we play, take a bath and read books.
7:30:  Don is home after parent/teacher conferences.  He eats dinner and plays with Ellie.
8:30:  Ellie is in BED and we are not far behind her!  I do try to catch up on the DVR and watch Big Brother and Project Runway and Don watches a little bit of football.

Whew, I am tired again just reading through that.  I am sure most of you have days like that every day or some that are even busier.  I just found this day to be the best example of the juggling act I find myself constantly doing.
The cheesy term "it takes a village" is SO true when it comes to raising children.  We get a lot of help from family (that don't even live in the same town) and we couldn't do it without them!  Needless to say, we are ready for the weekend!

Tuesday, September 6, 2011

Labor Day weekend

We had a fabulous weekend!  I feel like we spent a lot of time in the car, but that's what happens when you live an hour from each set of family.  We try our best to be at every holiday/event/party that we can, so if that means driving a lot...that's what we'll do!

Friday started off with football.  Even though the final score wasn't what we had hoped, Ellie was very well behaved and had lots of fun with her buddies Will and Elam.

Saturday we ran a few errands and just stayed around the house.  It was nice!  Sunday, we headed to Memphis for a cook-out at Uncle Matt and Aunt Rachel's house.
To occupy Ellie in the car, Don let her play with one of his (ridiculously priced) duck calls to keep her happy. We had to wake her up from her nap so she was a tad bit grumpy:)

Matt and Rach were great hosts and we had lots of fun visiting.  Excuse the picture overload!

 Four generations!




Granny and her girl.  They read books all night.  Ellie loves her Granny and can even say her name now!


Since we were in town, we decided to make the most of our Zoo membership and go for a quick visit.  Each time we go back Ellie loves it more and more.  She had so much fun! Peeps and DeDe even joined us this time.  They had not been to the zoo in years and were really impressed at how nice it is.  Memphis is so lucky to have such a great Zoo.  It was crowded, but the weather was nice so it was a perfect day to go.







After the zoo, we hit the road to head home.  Mammie, Aunt B, and Uncle E met us soon after and even surprised us with some fall treats for Ellie!  Thank you so much again.  It was like Christmas at our house last night!

After Don stopped by work (he just can't stay away!) we hopped back in the car and headed to Greenfield for a shrimp boil.  Ellie was pretty tired but was still really good.  There are always plenty of cousins to play with when we go to Greenfield.





So yes, our weekend was jam packed...but packed full of family and fun.  I bet Ellie will take a looooong nap at school today:)