Been a Long Time

So I have a million blog posts running around in my head, but no motivation to write them...B, I hope you don't hold it agains me when you get older, as I still want to leave you a complete chronicle of your first year. That said, I have more than a few updates that I hope to at least get out over the next week or so.

B's 8 month updates are coming first, followed by an update on our move and new house and our transition to our current time and space.

All is going very well though and I am just constantly amazed at these two little boys. I won't mention the COMPLETE meltdown that J had literally ALL DAY yesterday though. Let's just leave that in the past.

So I guess the whole father's day thing has brought me to blog today. I can't stomach facebook right now with all my friends posting the obligatory picture of their dad while taking some time to publically extoll praises. Yeah, I get it. I just sit and wonder how many realize and cherish what a gift their fathers are. I just really want to be able to hug my dad or pick up the phone to hear his voice. And now that we are in the same city, I would give anything to have him in my life and teaching my boys all the stuff he knows. I would have loved more than anything for him to see, hold and love baby B like only he would. But I won't get that chance and for lack of a better way to explain it, it just plain sucks. Two plus years later, I still don't understand why he's not here. I still have a hard time accepting his death and I still find myself mixed with anger and sadness daily. Uhhhhh! I am thankful for friends like Amina and Kristy who traveled this path before me, LaShara who walks with me and Katoiya as she's going through all the "firsts" without her dad. I just find it so tough to celebrate life sometimes when I'm still in the midst of mourning.

At the same time, I put on a happy face today and try to keep the tears at bay. After all, I do celebrate big J and the dad he is to my boys. I appreciate what he is to me and to them. He does an amazing job with the boys and steps up more than most. One look at the boys and their interaction with him and you know that he's their hero. Though I could do with a little less wrestling in the house, I know that he's perfect for them :)

So I guess I'm back to blogging so to speak. Let me see if I can get things going this week.

Thanks for hanging in there with me!

6 Months Old...Edited with correct height

(Just act like I posted this on April 12th :)

Baby B, you are now 6 months old...I guess that means I can't technically call you a baby anymore. You are growing and changing every day right before our eyes. I pulled out a few pictures of you to decorate my new work space and wow, it seems like you were just a tiny newborn curling on my chest. Now you are a big boy who keeps us all smiling.

Your personality is starting to show. You are lovable and as sweet as can be. You love attention and are happy when you are playing and observing your brother. You also like your quiet time to just sit and absorb the world around you. I think your dad calls that "processing" and just like him, you process when you are in a new environment or around new people. You are extremely vocal and talk and talk and talk. It's actually pretty funny. You hold conversations with us and the tone and inflection in your voice change along with your facial expressions.

As for the milestones, you can sit up on your own for a little bit, but we still have to prop you up if you are going to stay sitting for any length of time. I know that if I just put you down or quit snuggling with you so much, you'd be an expert sitter (and roller by now). Oh well, it'll come. Speaking of rolling, you can go from tummy to back and I think back to tummy, but you haven't quite put it together that if you continue moving you can actual roll somewhere. Once you put two and two together--well, let's just keep things simple while you aren't mobile for now, LOL. You haven't had any teeth to pop through yet, but if the drooling and chewing of the fingers (and hands) is any indication, you are sooooo close. I can't yet feel any teeth right under your gums though, but they are there. Recently, you even discovered that your toes can reach your mouth (yes, it's comedy as well...up until you bite down on your toe too hard and have a fit). Your latest obsessions include cell phones, remote controls and your brother's iPad. You are a technology geek already. If any of those three things are within your reach, you go to town and enjoy yourself with them more than with your own toys. And don't let us take one of those from you, you will yell and swing at us like you are upset (and yeah, um, it's cute for now, but let's not make that a habit, okay?).

In the sleep department...well, you are still winning that battle. But I have to give you props, you are showing signs of promise. After your visit to the doc (more on that below), he encouraged us to step it up with the sleep training. He said no feedings AT ALL at night, but I am not that mean. So you go down for the night between 8pm and 9pm. You wake up around midnight for your "final feeding" and since you are stuck waking up every 2.5 or 3 hours, the past few nights, you have been up around 2:30am or 3am looking for food. We put the pacifier in your mouth, pat your back and let you whine (or cry) for as long as possible. Sometimes you fall back asleep for a few hours like you are supposed to. But alas, when mom is tired and your stomach is growling, I feel guilty and I will feed you. But I do try to make you wait as long as possible. So technically, that's one time a night that you are up as you will eat and sleep until 6 or 7am. So we are making progress...slow and steady I guess.

You are eating more food and definitely let us know what you like and what you don't like. Squash was your first food and you loved it two months ago. But now, well, let's just say you cry if it hits your tongue. You do the same with green beans. So yes, none of those things for us now. But you LOVE carrots. I mean, you love them. You can't get enough. You also like sweet potatoes and peas okay. As for fruits, you now eat apples, pears and prunes. You still have rice cereal on occasion but more often you are eating oatmeal cereal now. You are up to two full meals a day and you like meal time.

Maybe that's why you're tipping the scales and off the charts ;). Though you are smaller than J was at that age, you are still over the percentile in height and weight. You are weighing in at 21 pounds 6 ounces and I think you are 23 inches tall (I need to double check that). *Well, I was off...you are 26.75 inches now*

You had your first well baby visit with a new physician last week. Ironically, he used to be one of my pediatricians when I was a kid. I was actually treated by his uncle who was my main doctor, but when my uncle wasn't available, he checked me out. How cool is that. It was great to see him again and he's an awesome doc, so I know you are in good hands. Anyhow, the doctor was pleased with your health and your progress. You escaped shots this time around since your medical records haven't arrived from your old doctor, but you did have an oral vaccine. Dad enjoyed the lollipop that you would normally receive for being a good patient (and he almost broke the doctors scale, but that's another story for another time).

So I think that's it for month 6, baby B! You are doing amazingly well and are the happiest baby in town!

Field Trippin'

Breathe in...now breathe out...Inhale...Exhale...And repeat!

I have to keep reminding myself of that today. J, it's your first field trip today. You are heading to the zoo with your class and then to Ryan's for lunch. I didn't get to drop you off at school this am, but I am told that you were ready to go though you did want Mimi to tag along with your class. So you should be pulling up to the zoo right now. I know you will have fun and enjoy the animals, but I wanted to go too. Dad had to remind me that we have to let you go and let you fly...but that just doesn't sound right, or fair right now. You need us to go with you and hold your hand and make sure you see all the animals and that you can buy a treat in the store. You still need me to explain why everything is as it is, right? Alas, maybe you don't. I mean, of course you do, but it's okay for you to go and explore without me sometimes too. Geez, this is hard. I know I sound crazy, but you'll understand one day. In the meantime, I am counting down the time until we can pick you up from school, hear all about the zoo adventures and know that you're safe. Yeah, that's right, while you on your field trip, I am field trippin' over here! Don't laugh.

And B, next time you decide to party from 3am to 5am, be sure to invite your daddy!

Hope yall have a good weekend. It feels good to be back in blog land. I would love to hear from yall...so please, comment :)

So What's Going On????

Well, that's a great question...Throw in the following and see what you get:

-Two active little boys

-Packing up a 4 bedroom house

-A move four states away

-A 700+ mile ride in a car with said boys

-A stop over night in a hotel after 400 miles because said boys (and a Mimi) had car fever and wanted OUT

-Saying goodbye to a job after nearly 11 years

-Getting acquainted to a new (old) city

-Becoming a statistic and moving back in with mom (LOL)

-Finding a preschool, summer camp and kindergarten for J (and getting him accepted, yay for a smart kid)

-Still searching for childcare for B

-Storage, a new home and all that madness

...and you get the recipe for an insane mommy. But I have been holding it together better than I thought. Moving onward adn upward has been the theme for the past few weeks as we have totally transitioned our location and our life. The boys have been taking things in stride and though J asks to go home to Florida sometimes (wait, every day), I think he's getting used to this. He's doing well in school and I know he will LOVE camp.

And B is the BIG 6 months old today. Whoa. His 6 month post will come shortly :)

Thanks for hanging in there with me while I have been away from this blog, but I think we have returned to our regularly scheduled program (at least for now).

Hugs and kisses!

Mommy of Brown Boys

No words needed...Well, maybe one...Justice...that is all!

Rules of Reality

If you've seen the news lately, you have no doubt heard of the case of a little black boy who was gunned down by a "neighborhood watch" leader for no reason at all other than a perception of suspicion. If that weren't enough, the man who gunned down the little boy has not even been arrested. Where's the value in human life? Where's the justice for that little boy and his family? Police are saying that there isn't enough evidence to arrest the man, but after hearing the 911 tapes that have surfaced and the accounts of the witnesses, I have to question that. My heart goes out to the family of Trayvon Martin, who by all accounts was a good kid...and who definitely didn't deserve to die in that manner.

This case has brought to light some of the harsh realities of parenting black boys. Of of my mentors who is an amazing example of a wife and mother penned a post that says it better than I could. Here's an excerpt:

I mean......does anyone care about Trayvon Martin? Or about what it means to any African American parent when horrors such as this one occur????? As I reflect on how many times I have to tell my African American son to take his hoodie off lest someone white "get scared" or "think the wrong thing"???? Tired of this shit! Tired of always having to take the offensive every damn day.......every time there's a burglary or crime in my neighborhood, folks looking at my son and my husband as if they may be the one! This is the problem! And got the same shit in all the gated communities we've lived in too....all over the country! How am I supposed to believe in this society and trust that all is OK when my African American son could be next on the list. This is deep folks. It really is. The mindset out there from the majority of folks is terrifying. I feel like I'm living in the 50's - having to issue warnings to my children every damn day - don't go here, don't wear this, take the hood off.................even though their white counterparts don't have to understand these same codes. They're free to be kids! Had to get on my son for essentially walking through a store with his hands in his pockets. Mind you, he was doing nothing wrong, and he seems to just feel comfortable with hands in pocket......but I am looking at what THEY might think when they see the hands in pockets. A thief? A gun? Every damn day!!!! Just like I must prove that I'm really in Nordstrom to shop and truly purchase something....not lift it!!!!!!!! WTF! It breaks my heart every day when I realize just how it is, and ain't never changed. Black folks, please teach your kids. They need to know how treacherous some of these folks can be! They need to understand what they must face, what they must to do survive, even if it isn't fair. LIke, maybe they can't walk to the convenience store, maybe they can't go out to buy some Skittles and ides tea like Trayvon Martin, not like white kids can !!!!!! Sorry for the rant, but I am really reeling and, I suspect, most of Black America is too....unless we're too caught up in watching stupid ass reality shows or Basketball games to care or even know what time it is!!!!!!!!!

Very harsh reality right now to face as the mommy of two brown boys. In our age where they now see a black president and hopefully understand that they can achieve all of their dreams, I just pray that they grow up with a more tolerant society that believes in them as much as we do...

Lord help us!

So Is This What the Duggars Feel Like?

Okay, so maybe it's not 18 (or 19, I can't keep up) kids and counting, but yesterday, I had 5 and it felt like 18. So with my friends three girls (N--age 6, L--age 4.5, A--age 18 months) and my two, the house was FULL. The chaos reigned and I was running from one room to another trying to keep it all together. During a moment of pause I had to ask myself how people do this. Then I recalled my days as a preschool ballet teacher and a kindergarten substitute teacher. So I think institued school in the house. So with structured activities and an emphasis on taking turns and directions, the chaos transitioned into an event filled fun day. B stayed on his schedule for the most part and the girls and J had a lot of fun.

And then I got daring and decided to move the party to the park. So I packed up our lunch and filled the truck with the kids and we headed out to the neighborhood park. The outing was successful...everyone was fed and B napped while the other four played in the park. It was great because except for one little girl, we were the only ones there so I could sit back and take in the view of everyone without distractions.

So whew, we (well, I) made it through the day with five kids under 6 years old...and it was kinda fun, maybe we will do it again soon...now, if they were all my own, I don't know that I'd be this calm and live to write about it all the time, LOL.

I tried to snap a few pics, but needless to say, my hands were full. These two were all I could capture on my cell phone...

Happy weekend!

Laissez Les Bon Temps...

Yeah, well, if you know the rest of that line, you are probably from Louisiana. There are so many things unique about HOME and so many reasons why I am grateful to have grown up there. So today, on Mardi Gras / Fat Tuesday / the day before Ash Wednesday, I celebrate all things Louisiana!

Bringing it back to the blog...

It's hard to imagine that my boys don't or won't have the connection to Louisiana that big J and I do. It's such an indescribable affinity for a city and a state that truly are like no other. We do it big, we celebrate, we eat, we love and we spend time with family. We cherish all things sacred and whether it's the band at our universities or going make groceries or simply spending time with your mamma 'nem--we love every minute of it. The culture is like none other and of course the food is top notch. I want my boys to love Louisiana as much as we do. I want them to appreciate the immersion of the French culture in all things that we do. I don't want Mardi Gras to be a foreign concept or something they see on the news in passing. I want them to live it, breathe it and love it. Ahhhhhh, my Louisiana!

So today, from 1000 miles away, I salute my home state! I proudly wear my purple, green and gold and won't let another Mardi Gras pass without my being there (God willing). I want to be in that number!!!!! For the past two years, my brother and I have been in the Zulu parade. Can I say it's the opportunity of a LIFETIME. So much fun...So HAIL ZULU!




So boys--you will learn to say it with me...Sur Le Pont D'Avingnon....Je suis allez la bas au zoo...Ayyyyy la bas....LAISSEZ LES BON TEMPS ROULER!!!!!

Now, somebody send me some king cake :)

On What I Didn't Know I Needed

Now, I have to admit (*standing and raising right hand*)...My name is Nikki and I am addicted to all things baby. For some reason, the fixation on baby gear hasn't waned in the four plus years since I went crazy getting things for J. If anything, it has only increase. I LOVE baby gadgets, the latest helpful items for mom, soothing items for baby and useless items that look good. I happen to pride myself in knowing all the latest and showing off my baby in the cool stuff. If I were being really honest, I'd admit that I had four different strollers for J. As of now, I am on two (different from the other four...new ones) for B. I know big J must look around the house sometimes and wonder why we need a swing, two bouncy chairs, floor play mat, and an exersaucer all in our living room. And yeah, so we have a bouncer and two other more "mature baby" items still in the box in the play room. So between all those goodies, my baby carriers, stroller collections and other stuff, I love my baby playland every day. I like to think the boys enjoy it too, but that could just be my justification :).

Well, yesterday, I got one of the coolest gifts ever from my friend over at Kurlylicious. It's called a bath bib and I am #1 upset that I didn't invent this thing and #2 upset that I didn't know about it. Such a simple thing, but in a day it has revolutionized our bathtime. Okay, that's me being dramatic, but yeah, I love the thing. We got an awesome green one with B's name on it (#monogrammingmommy). And after I figured out who sent it (LOL...that's another story), we put it to use. And whoa, how easy was getting my wiggle worm out the tub without being drenched. I'm telling you, this is a game changer for me. Love, love, love the thing. I am sure some smart mom somewhere invented this in a moment of frustration. I need to start doing that. It's just the small things. Welp, so if you're my friend IRL and you're expecting, you can just about guess what your gifts will be from now on. Registries be damned, this is the best!

Adding it to the list of my cool baby stuff!

Thanks Kurlylicious (and to Alanda now that I feel like I know who you are...thanks Dr. Google)!!!!!

It's Official

....I am a t-ball mom! Now all I need is a minivan to complete the transition...NOT!

First t-ball practicen went well. J enjoyed it more than I thought, so now if we could get that whole hit the ball and run to first base and not third base thing down, we'll have a winner :).





B had some new fun all his own this weekend as he took his first few spins in his exersaucer. By all accounts, he loved it.

It Was a Little Struggle

...and it took quite some time, but I did it y'all...I put my jeans on :)....while at face value, that doesn't seem like a big deal, but trust me, it is! We all have THAT pair of jeans--the ones that have been with us through some of our craziest and most fun moments...the ones that comfort us and no matter what, just make us feel good. Yeah, those jeans...now I have to admit (full disclosure) that I am a jean hoarder...and not just any jeans mind you, but only the nice branded (read: too expensive) pairs. So I have a closet full waiting on my attention, ready to hug my curves, but one step at a time.

Now, I live for comfort clothes...sweatpants, yoga pants and leggings are my staples...and yes, I even wear them to work. But something came over me today and I just wanted to test out my jeans. So I am about seven pounds away from my pre baby size, but I was on a good track of loosing weight before I found out that B was baking in there. Anyhow, I wasn't naive enough to think that my Rock and Republics or my fav CJ by Cookie Johnson's were ready to make their debut on my backside. So I pulled my ole trusty fav pair...along with my sheer will, utter determination, a few beads of sweat and many wiggles and deep breaths, the jeans were on!!! Yay me. Score one for the home team! And after another few minutes and more of the aforementioned drama, I actually buttoned them and ventured out for the afternoon feeling a little bit better about myself and my added chunkies :)

So here's to the start of a good weekend! We've got a fun filled weekend on tap that I will update you guys on Monday. But first, I am hoping to sleep in tomorrow (send sleep vibes my way for B please).

Love and hugs!!,

16 Weeks Does Not Equal Four Months

We go from counting days to weeks to months and it can get confusing. I mean, B, right now, you are 16 weeks old, which in my book is four months, but you're still 3.5 months old. Crazy, right. I remember counting your life in hours and in what seems like only a few short days, you are growing into your own. You have the most awesome personality and are seriously the happiest baby I have ever seen. I mean, J was happy, but he had to study the world and take it all in, but B, as soon as anyone makes eye contact with you or talks to you, you turn on the charm and smile with your whole face. It's the cutest thing and you have actually started making faces now that make me laugh and don't make it so bad when you have a horrible night of sleep like last night. The crazy faces make the midnight, 4am and 6am wake ups a little more bearable...but let's not make that a habit, okay? Thanks!

All is well on the homefront and J is doing well in school. I was told by his teacher that he only missed two questions on his kindergarten readiness assessment test...TWO! And get this, those questions were meant for 2nd grade comprehension. Smart boy--we are so proud!!!! J doesn't know it yet, but this weekend will be his debut into team sports. Well, he's been taking swim lessons since before he could walk and is a little fish now and he's on the bowling team at school, but that's not the same. So J is the newest memeber of the Countryside Little League Rockies. I am so excited as I know he will love it. We will go to pick up his gear after school today! Pictures and videos to come soon, I am sure it'll be comedy.

That's all for now. I am glad this week is winding down, still lots to be done, but taking it all in stride :)

What's in a Blog?

Just some thoughts in my head over the last few days concerning this blog (and others like it)

I started this blog to document our days as a family welcoming our new addition, baby B. I initially had the intent of writing about all things baby including his milestones and overall cuteness and to document J's journey as a preschooler. For those who have "followed" me or know me IRL, you know that when J was born, I had a baby site that I updated daily. That was about four, almost five years ago and blogs weren't as widespread and weren't free. But I did a good job at it. It allowed me to share our special moments and pictures with my family and friends far and wide. At the end of two years and tons of updates, I retired the babysite. Before I did that, I managed to print out all the updates and the growth chart that kept track of J for those 24 some odd months. I have saved those posts in PDF form and also have them printed out. I think that's better than any baby book, though the pages are now secured in his book. Anyhow, before I digress too far, I want these pages to be cherished by B just as much. I know it's not a babysite, per se, but it's still about our journey with him. So at the end of the run of this blog, when I feel it is appropriate, I will retire this blog as well and print out the contents for him to have as he grows up. I am hopeful that the mirror it provides for him will be one of great memories and love. So while it's not a chronicle only about B or his milestones, it will be all about him. Does that make sense? At the same time, I am hopeful that J will find these words just as fitting for him as we discuss the growth and development of his life as an awesome little boy.

So what's in this blog? I hope a lot...a lot of love, a lot of life and lot of laughter...for B, for J, for Big J, for my mom, my brother and myself. It's all those things and so much more.

Words from my heart...

Fill-In-The-Blanks Friday

1. My favorite place I've ever traveled to is Athens, Greece. I had an amazing time there with Amina visiting with Sarah and her hubby Mike. The site, the sounds, the FOOD and the people were all amazing. Not to mention the night life...and beach life when we toured the island of Mykonos. And the historical significance wasn't too bad either, a wonderful trip of a lifetime!

2. Egypt is somewhere I'd love to go someday. I want it to be safe first though...but I'd love to see the great pyramids in person one day.


3. I pass the time on a plane (or bus, or car ride or train) by reading or playing on my iPad. Between that and caring for the boys, the time goes by pretty quickly.

4. My three must-haves when I travel are my phone, my ipad and my boys.

5. My favorite travel companion is well, more than one...I love traveling with J and B and making sure they are exposed and see different places and cultures (even though they are probably too young right now to remember it all)

6. The craziest thing that ever happened to me while traveling was hmmmm, I have no idea...A few missed flights here and there, crazy lines at customs, random celebrity sitings. Nothing that excitingly crazy.

7. The most exotic food I've ever tried while traveling was probably something in Greece. Though I love shrimp, when they brought out the platter of shrimp with their full faces and eyeballs on, I had to do a double take. But hey, it was tasty!

8. If I could live anywhere else, I'd in New Orleans, love the food and the culture!

9. I have been to probably around 20 states in the U.S. I need to count one day.

The Circle of Life

Today I am reminded about how fragile life is and how sometimes it just doesn't make any sense. I have talked before about loosing my father almost two years ago and some days I still can't come to grips with that. Then yesterday, one of my best friends suddenly lost her dad too. Just like that, life is changed for her forever and it will never be the same. My heart aches for her, but more than that, it aches for her two young daughters. Some days, the hardest part of loosing my dad is that J misses his Pawpaw and that B will never know him. That rips my heart out. And then I just know that my dad would love nothing more than to sit in his recliner and talk to B for hours on end. Yep, B would be spoiled by him beyond measure. But alas, he was cheated of that opportunity and it sucks. I know all the "PC" things that my dad is here with us, he's watching over us and all that, but it's not the same and it doesn't make me feel better. Just like for my friend...there's no words that can ease what she's going through and nothing that makes it okay. I know that all too well. So that can leave you asking what's the point of it all. And really, all we can do is live the best that we can and love each other to the fullest. My dad and her dad were among the best men around. I was blessed to have my dad and blessed to have her dad in my life as well. I just wish we had more time...especially more time for our children to know and cherish these men as much as we do!

Here's the article about her dad

And a quick google search of my dad only gives you a glimpse of the great man he was. (SN: he is the "Jr." my brother is the other great man in some of the articles)

Man, my heart is sick right now :(

The Balance of it All

Some days I struggle to find balance in everything. Especially now that I am back at work, I find it increasingly more and more interesting to walk the line between doing it all and realizing that I can't do it all. Last night as I was cooking dinner with one hand, had B in tow in the other arm, picked up a towel off the floor with my foot and got J dinner from the microwave with my teeth (yall didn't know I was that talented, right), I just had to stop and laugh at myself. Overachiever at heart I guess. So I had to take a moment, assess the situation and talk to myself. Self, you can't do all this at once and continue to be fully present (my resolution yall). So I quit...I took dinner from the oven and moved it to the refrigerator. I grabbed a snack for myself since J was more than happy with his noodles and sandwich (his nightly request for dinner) and I SAT DOWN...Though only for ten minutes, I took a break. Then of course, the madness that is our bath and bedtime ritual ensued, but still I took a break to breathe and collect myself. And that breather was good for me and for the boys. I don't want to be the mom who rushes through the day checking items off the list just to get done and move on to the next thing. I find myself hurrying J along to move faster, do things quicker and in his own way, he's just trying to go through the process and he should have the freedom to do that. I shouldn't have to make him move faster or encourage B to drink his bottle quicker so I can move on to the next thing. I just need to take a deep breath, even if that means I start dinner tonight with half cooked food from yesterday...it'll still be good when we get to it!

So we enjoyed the rest of our night. Bath time with the boys is one of my favorite times. J shares the tub with B and I put B's baby tub across the big tub. So while J is in the big tub, B is in his baby tub that spans the with of the tub (I'll have to post a pic one day so yall understand what I am saying). Anyhow, it works. It gives the brothers time to bond and enjoy some quiet time together and it let's me get them both in and out at once. I know I said B loves his baths, but yall, he LOVES his baths. He kicks and slides all around the tub and it's just funny. It reminds me of when J was little except that J was a kicking machine. Once he learned that he could splash, J would have water EVERYWHERE...he even managed to get my hair wet. B hasn't gotten to that point yet, thank goodness.

Today was spring and class pic day for J. I hope he smiles big time. We have so many pics of the kid...what do I need with more? I can't resist! And even B has more pics that a normal person would in a lifetime. Memories...

Well, I think that's it for today. Taking a deep breath and tackling the rest of the day!

We Love Kurlylicious

Hop on over to my friend's blog to check out some pics from her trip to our area.

We had a great time visiting with her and hope she comes back REALLY soon, for good (LOL).

The boys make their blog appearance on her blog

HERE

Click the link and enjoy :)

For the Kids?

Hello all. We hope you had a great weekend...it's back to reality for us and we are on the grind...Monday=Fun Day...YEAH RIGHT!

Anyhow, our weekend was great, filled with family time. It's a rare occurrence that big J has both Saturday and Sunday off, so we all hung out.

Saturday, we went to the Gasparilla children's parade. It's the area's version of Mardi Gras so to speak, though we know that it doesn't even come close. Anyhow, the boys had a good time. J got some great throws and even caught a football from one of the floats. He was more excited about his corn dog and cotton candy though. B took in all the action before falling asleep in his favorite place, the baby Bjorn (thank God for that thing).

One thing that struck me about the parade though I will never understand. As J was trying to get a closer look at the floats and the action, several "adults" were telling him to go to the back since they had been there since 9am to reserve a spot at the parade. Um, really, excuse me!!!??!?!? So when did I miss the memo that a child can't stand in an open spot on the grass at a parade as an observer? WTH? In an effort to keep the peace, we walked away and moved several times since those who came and decided to get boozed up all day before the "kids'" fun were too blitz to realize the stupidity in their actions. I am thankful that my sons know the value in people and the value in fun. J doesn't let much bother him at all and I am thankful for that. So despite that foolishness, we had a good outing. Those folks were just lucky that things remained civil. After a warning from law enforcement in their direction, it was amazing how things calmed down...

Yesterday was another day to lament the Saints loss as I know they would have made it to the super bowl...oh well, next year boys...

We've got a couple of things shaking on the horizon that I hope to blog about in the very near future. Just keep your fingers crossed for us as we continue to make moves and navigate the world of parenthood.

Now that my qui is balanced and I am back in my zen mood (thanks Christina), let me get back to work...Chat with you guys later. Feel free to leave me a comment to let me know you're out there in cyberspace :)

Good Morning...In the Afternoon

Okay, so it only took me six hours since this am to finally have this video post. The point of it was to say good morning, but now, hey good morning--good afternoon--good night--and good weekend.

We shall talk to you next week :)

Enjoy the video. My lil man is so proud of his song!

Getting my feet wet?

Yeah, well, not so much here...try jumping in with all my clothes on at the deep end of the pool...That's the analogy for how it's been getting back to work. I guess the idealistic part of me thought that I would have a few days to unpack these (numerous) boxes left over from fall events, clean my desk, sort through (too many) emails and return voicemails for a few days before the madness resumed, but yeah, not so much. Not at all...not even a little bit. I guess the work never stopped while I was gone and I appreciate all the support I received while I was out. My co-workers covered my events well and everything got done, so for that, I am grateful. But DAMN, do I have to be innundated with so many conference calls right now? Okay, so I know the budget reforecast is due, but I can't remember if I brushed my GD teeth this morning, so how do you expect me to know why I budgeted for office supplies the way that I did? Hell, that was back in July...Geez...I guess I should insert the qualifier here about ranting about work when I should be thankful for having a job and all that other BS. Of course, I am grateful for the job and for the three and a half months away that it allowed me to spend with my family...but yeah, so I guess I just wanted to come back and maintain a little of my sanity by dipping one toe in the pool at a time. Oh well.

At least the boys are doing well and adjusting fine. J hasn't missed a beat in school and since yall have sent tips and commenced to praying for him, the boy has only had positive reports in school #prayerworks! B is being loved on during the day and I am getting awesome text messages and pictures throughout the day that put me at ease a bit. Yes, just a bit, yall know moms always worry regardless. I am thankful that I don't have to work and worry (too much) about them. I don't know how I would handle that.

So yeah, that's where I am today. Lunch meeting and more conference calls on tap. Yay me! (sarcasm yall...)