Future stylist?

Twice today Luke brought out my hair dryer and hair brush.  Twice today he's held up the dryer to my head and wanted me to make a "vrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr" noise while he held it there.  Then he switches over the the hair brush and brushes my hair with the back side of it.  You know, the hard part.  That feels like I'm getting whacked. 

Back and forth.  Back and forth.  Dryer and brush. 

At least he didn't try to flat iron my hair too.  He'll walk around with it and snap at his own head, but he didn't get it out today. 

It really was sweet though.  I'll let him fix me up any day.  Cause I would do anything for that boy. 

While he wasn't giving me a new hair do, Luke was making a mess with his toys.  I mean a MESS.  All of his toys.  Everywhere.  Before I would let him eat lunch I told him it had to all be cleaned up.  He really thought that running and hiding would help the situation.

Of course he didn't want to do it, but I didn't let that stop me.    I forced toys into his hands and then gently encouraged/nudged/pushed him towards the toy crate.  One of the toys was Kayden's alligator that makes this silly laughing sound.  I handed it to Little Man and told him to go put it with Baby Kayden's stuff.  Instead of putting it WITH Kayden's things, he put it ON Kayden.  Because babies look like excellent diaper bags.

Missed my anniversary

Soooooooooooo......at the beginning of the month my blog turned one.  And I missed it.  I forgot about it.  I'm so sorry blog.  Please don't change my password without telling me so I can't get in.  I had an email account that did that. 

No lie.  I opened my very first email account when I was a freshman in high school.  I pick "little_blue_fish" not because I was a depressed freshman (someone asked me that once and it didn't even occur to me that it could mean that), but because it combined my maiden name and two of my favorites.  When I got married I opened a new email with my new name and used the old one as a junk email.  Anytime a company wants an email to verify things, send me coupons, or whatever, I use the junk one.  It's worked out quiet nicely to keep my actual email from being annoying.  I check the junk email once a month or so to make sure nothing important has come through and delete everything else. 

One day it wouldn't let me in.  One day it denied me of my password.  I tried everything I could think of.  Now, there is a slight chance I really did forget what the password is, but I'm more convinced that the account got mad at me for using it as junk.  This all meant that I was forced to make up a new junk email.  I named it lost_little_blue_fish.  Not because I'm a lost and depressed freshman, but because I LOST the origional little blue fish.  Get it? Get it?  I'm so clever. 

Hmmmm.   Good times. 

But back to the origional topic.  We've turned one my friends.  I really didn't think I'd last that long.  I thought for sure I'd piddle out after a month or so.  But this has been more cathardic than I gave it credit for.  I think I've grown a lot in the last year.  I know you are supposed to grow every year, but lets just say this has been a bumper year for the crop 'o Lindsey.  While it hasn't always been a fun year, it has been a blessed year.  I've been a stay at home mom for a year now.  My baby had his first birthday too.  Been to a couple of places.  Watched my sister graduate from college.  Apparently made around 24 different things (those are all listed on the side label). 

I've laughed, cried, learned, and learned more.  I wonder where I will be this time next year.  Will I still even be keeping up with this old thing?  I hope so.  It's been amazing being able to document Luke's life this way.  All the crazy things he's done.  All the things I would have forgotten over time.  So thanks for walking with me over the last year.  I really appreciate those 18 little squares over to the side.  Here's to another year of growing!

No rhyme or reason

Yesterday I had an amazing Dr. Pepper.  And it got me to thinking about how to preserve the wonderfulness so that it wouldn't go flat if I didn't get to finish the cup (fat chance.  The entire large soda was gone before I got home 2 miles away).  Then I got to thinking about this special vacuum cork my mom gave me that seals a bottle of wine and allows it to last for weeks after you open it.  What if I took a clean wine bottle, poured in my DP, and then sealed it.  That would keep it fizzy right?  I asked Dad at lunch today and he said wrong.  It would actually make it flat faster.  The vacuum cork sucks all the air out of the bottle and carbonated beverages actually need air pumped IN to up the pressure to keep it fizzy.  Who knew?  Good thing I didn't try it out.  So someone needs to come up with a special bottle lid that you could pump air through to repressurize the bottle and keep the coke fizzy.  Please and thank you.

Cody was still on the sick bay today, which meant another day of laying in bed moaning.  It also meant I had another long day of single parenting today.  First we went to church, where Luke looked extra cute.  I let him wear his jeans with his navy blazer and it was PRECIOUS. 

When we got home I put him down for a nap and then headed back up to the church for Brandy's shower. 

This is what I couldn't show you.  I made a big/little brother set for Zane and Jacob/Jack/Caleb/Chewbacca (don't ask).

After the shower I went over to the Coulter's so that Terry could diagnos my new "check engine" light that came on in my car three days ago.  Turns out it's emissions. 

Then I went home and suprise!  Luke was awake.  That's when the weird started happening.  I found this hair on my head. 

Have you ever seen anything like it? (yes, I have grey hair.  And I love it.)

He tired to put on my sandles but got them stuck on his ankle.

Luke found something under the entertainment center that he wanted and when I looked to retrieve it I found a sippy cup.  I can't remember the last time I looked under there.  Before I cracked that puppy open I thought it was wise to shake it.  A liquid sound would mean that it was probably juice and safe to open.  No sound or a thumping noise would mean it was milk gone past the point of no return.  It sounded liquidy, but when I unscrewed it enough to just barely see darkness inside it an overwhelming puke smell hit my nose, and I slammed the lid shut.  TOSS.  And I had to stick my nose in Luke's banana he was eating to get the toxic fumes out of my nostrils. 

Eventually I got bored and went in to the bedroom to bother Cody.  Luke went into the bedroom to bother my bed pillows.  Fort anyone?

And for some reason I've been labeled the hold-it lady.  Every time Luke decides he doesn't want whatever is in his hand, he gives it too me.  Here Momma, hold my sandwich.  I know my plate is only THREE INCES away, but you look like you need a job to do.  And that Willow Tree figure you like to put on the entertaiment center shelf?   I think you should hold that too.  And my cup.  And a fence peice from my farm set. 

Not even kidding.  All of these items are right here in my lap.  (*edit* they were....I wrote from there up late this afternoon, and obviously this last part about dinner when I got home.  Just thought I would clarify.)

I put the child to bed about 20 minutes early so that I could go grab some dinner.  I ended up eating at the bar of a local sushi place, and it was utterly wonderful.  The 40 minutes that I got to sit there, all alone, eating my favorite roll in the whole world, drinking something that didn't come from a plastic bottle or the faucet, compeletly refreshed me.  Bring it on, Tomorrow.  I'm ready for you.

Tryin a new thing

I went to Target today.  Cody is sick and he needed Tylenol.  I know, it's a travisty that we didn't have any on hand.  It just shows you how often we get sick.  Anyway, back to the point.  I went to Target today.  And I found something I've always wanted to try but never felt I can pull off......

There, I did it.  I showed you.  And I really like it.  I've always loved these kinds of hats, but I never felt like it was "me".  This one called out my name.  I feel like it's a much classier version of the baseball cap, and won't scream out "This lady is out doing errands without showering!" so much as it's baseball cousin does.  I might just have to restrain myself from wearing it every time I go out.  And the picture isn't more of a close up due to unruly hair, an almost naked face, and the glasses.  So, pretty much like if I was doing errands without taking a shower.  But I promise I did today.  Really.  Plus here is another reason you can be proud of me, besides the fact that I stepped out of my comfort zone.  I didn't realize that there wasn't a price tag on it, so the dude checking me out asked me how much it was.  I told him the real price of $14.99 instead of $9.99 like the other ones were.  I love Jesus enough to pay the extra $5.  

This afternoon I finished all the sewing I had to do, but this is all that I can show you today.  

I'm thinking the m's need another round of brown stitching on them so they'll pop a little more.  Or I'll just ask Ashley (Kayden's mom, not my sister) on Monday what she thinks since she's the one buying them for a shower next weekend. 

Now completly changing the topic again, I  found a new vegatable at Target today.  It's called Sweet Baby Broccoli and it's a cross between broccoli and Chinese kale.   Not even kidding, that's what the tag says.  And I've never even had kale.  You know what?  It was pretty good!  I don't really like broccoli, it's flavor is to overwhelming to me (plus it's just yuck), but this was waaaaaay more of a mild flavor that I could actually get down without smothering it in something else.  It's by Green Giant, so if you see it in the produce section try it out.  It's not bad.  And that's coming from someone who ordered in enough food for dinner last night so that I wouldn't have to fix something for lunch today.

Oh, I almost forgot!  I've found it's become amusing to find where Luke's created a massive pile up of his cars, and today's lucky winner was behind the digital picture frame.  After he found the remote to it and walked around the house "talking" to someone, then turning the frame off and on and off and on. 

Rainy with a side of crafts

Holy moly did it rain this afternoon.  Like R.A.I.N.  I could barely see the house across the street.  The best part was that it came during nap time, so I was able to enjoy the down pour to all of it's glory.....not intrupted by a dog snarling at a little boy who pulled her off the couch by her front leg.....or wailing from a toe that may or may not have gotten stubbed but definitely needed a kiss. 

The gloomy day got me in the mood to create.  There have been several things brewing in my head over the last few weeks, and I was kind of waiting until I had a chance to get it all done at once to drag out the sewing machine.  I only got a couple of things finished tonight, the rest will have wait until tomorrow to get their stitches.  And I won't be able to post a few until Sunday night because a certain someone is having her shower Sunday afternoon and I happen to know she's a reader.  ;) 

In my obsessive oogling of Esty and my out-of-control love of jewelry, I've finally put the two together.  I made a necklace I saw on Esty.  Shhh..... don't tell anyone.  The beads are actually an iridescent olive color that goes from green to brown.  They are so pretty!

And a close up......

Then I finally made the decorative towel to finish out Luke's bathroom transformation.

It coordinates with the footstool I painted for him.

And finally, a friend approached me a couple of weeks ago about doing monogramed coasters.  I can't believe I hadn't thought about that myself!  You know how I am about monograming.  Only obsessed.  So I told her I'd piddle around and see what  I could come up with.  Whaddya think?  I may or may not have used it as an excuse to replace the coasters I made last year.  They had gotten a little.....discolored.  At least we use them!  And I know, I know, it's the same fabric as before, but I love it.  So there.  I'm not ready to switch it up yet.

And just so you won't think I ignored any boys today, here's what Luke was doing. 

The cars have managed to expand from one lane of trafffic to five.  I hope they got where they were going faster on a wider road.  And that the big bug got out of the way quickly, cause that would leave a nasty splat on one of those tiny windshields.

Much better day

Whew.  I don't think I could have taken the screaming much longer.  Not only did Luke's fever break, but it dipped down low all day.  Like stayed at 96.4.  Is that normal? 

Whatever the answer is, my happy boy was back.  Which meant there were matchbox cars every where.  What's that thing you're sitting on?  Oh, excuse that truck.  The item that you stepped on in the hall and is now causing you extreme pain?  Oops, it was a monster truck.  So instead of all the trucks being here like they should be:

(their empty box)

they are here:

(do you see how there is one line of nicely lined ordered cars, and then a pile up behind it? Does that mean anything?)

But you know what?  I love having a boy.  I love having trucks everwhere.  It makes me giggle with happiness when if feel little wheels on my leg and hear "kkkkkkkkkkk kkkkkkkkk kkkkkkkkk"  (that's his car noise).  I love it when he makes a big pile out of pillows and laughs hysterically as he timmmmmbers down into them.  Love.  It.

Now I know that once someone has a fever you are supposed to wait 24 hours after it breaks to consider them non-contagious.  Which would have ended tonight.  But I just couldn't wait.  Sonic happy hour was calling my name.  And Hobby Lobby was too.  I got some more ribbons to trim out baby gifts, coasters to try out a new idea, and some jewelry making items to try out another new idea.  That's what happens when you've spent an entire day listening to a baby cry and are attempting to distract yourself.  I also go the rest of the laundry done (the laundry I started on Monday and have NOT been able to finish) and made a crock pot dinner tonight.  It was a sweet potato/black bean/chicken thigh dinner that Cody loved  but I felt was a little too spicy.  I think if I make it again I'll use a little less cumin.  That's spicy right?  But that's not the point.  I've made TWO dinners this week that were THOUGHT OF AHEAD of time and PLANNED.  I'm getting good baby.

Worst. Day. Ever.

All you really need to know can be summed up in two words:  Sick Baby. 

Am I going to leave it at two words?  No.

It all started yesterday morning.  I was going to take the boys to the park so of course I had change Luke out of his jammies into play clothes.  That's when I noticed the rash.  His entire torso was covered in thousands of tiny red dots, front and back.  I called the pediatrician to see what they would say, and I took his temperature.  Turns out it was 102.3.  So we didn't make it to the park, and we did make it to a 2:45 doctor's appointment.  Fun way to spend the afternoon. 

They ended up telling me is was just a little virus and they couldn't really do anything for him.  That was after they swabbed him for strep throat.  My poor baby.  We got home and his temperature spiked up 102.9.  I feel that is scary high.  And don't laugh at me, but the only thermometer that I owned was the one the hospital sent home with me, so I have always taken his temperature rectally.  He actually endures it just fine.  Don't judge.  I gave him some medicine and we waited to see if it would come down. 

When I took his temp again an hour and a half later it had only come down to 102.1.  Booooo.  I had dinner plans with my girlfriends and was actually headed out the door at that point.  I did feel guilty most of the night for leaving him, but he was with Cody and I knew that it was very close to bedtime.  So I went.  But after dinner I stopped at Target and stocked up on a new ear thermometer (OMG how did I live without that thing!), generic Tylenol and Motrin (because of the recall), rubbing alcohol, and hydrogen peroxide (I was just out of those).  When I got home I took Luke's temp with the new thermometer and I didn't have to wake him up!  Amazing!  It was still above 101 so I gave him more meds (yep, I ended up waking him anyway). 

I set the alarm and woke up at 2 to check his temp....it was back to normal!  So when the alarm went off at 4 to check his temp I didn't get up.  Then a little while later I heard him chit chatting to himself.  I figured he would go back to sleep and let it go.  A few minutes later I realized that the talking was from a different direction than his bedroom.  I got up to investigate.  I sure did find him at the back door, staring out the window, talking to the stars or God or himself.  Oh my.  All I could do was giggle as I scooped him up and up him back in bed. 

So that novel brings us to today.  Are you still with me?  You'll be glad to know that there isn't much to say about today besides that it sucked the big one.  I took his temperature every 20 minutes (because I can!) and it bounced from normal to 101 all day.  Up and down.  Up and down.  Which made him horribly emotional.  My precious boy screamed for at least 75% of the day, and I had to hold him the entire time.  The one time I tried to give him medicine to get the fever down he got so hysterical that he threw it up.  I didn't try again after that.  Thankfully he is in bed now, resting, with a normal temperature.  Lets all pray he sleeps it off tonight. 

Popsicles, family, and UPS

This morning I decided to make a roast for dinner.  What's that?  Lindsey cooking?  Why yes, I did.  But Cody and I don't do left overs, and you can't buy a roast for just two people (yeah right, like Luke would eat any of it!) so I thought why not invite someone over?  Nothing like putting someone on the spot like that!  I called up Cody's cousin, Tara, and invited her and her husband over for dinner. 

That left me T-minus-8 hours to get the house in order.  And it needed it, due to a little boy playing mountain goat with the couch cushions and lining every single matchbox car up in a row in various locations.  Not my idea of decor.  I didn't end up really doing much, just got the dirt off the floor.  And I mowed.  Well, I didn't so much mow for Tara and Drew as more for the city.  I am NOT about to get another notice.  The Branches just offered one more penny in the jar as to why I should get out and bite the bullet.  Is that a saying?  Hmmmmmm.

Anyway, I got my two chores done and I had a lot of time left over.  Several weeks ago I bought some frozen strawberry fruit bars as a snack for Luke and I.  Except I've never pulled them out of the freezer.  Today I changed that.  I introduced Luke to the popsicle.  He wasn't too impressed.  The bar was rather big for him, and the stick part was too short for him to hold onto properly.  He wanted nothing to do with stickiness on his hands.

He got about a fourth of the way through, put it down on my clean floor, and walked away.  It took me a few seconds to choose whether to chase after the stick fingers and clean them, or clean the popsicle off the floor before the dog got to it.  Decisions decisions.  I chose the fingers. 

Then in mid afternoon the UPS man showed up with my long awaited second set of toddler sheets!  Do you know how annoying it is to only have one set of sheets for your child.  YESTERDAY we had our first in bed peepee accident.  I had gotten comfortable and thought he didn't need his sleep shorts yesterday at nap time.  WRONG.  When he woke up I went in there and he was butt naked with his entire bed wet.  Now did he take his diaper off before he fell asleep, peepeed in his sleep, and SLEPT IN IT, or did it all go down after he woke up.  We may never know.  But I do know how annoying it was to strip his bed (I made a big deal about having to clean it up.  Maybe he got the message?) and then remember to put it in the dryer before bed time.  Which I didn't.  So at 8:30 we were scrambling to find something for him to sleep on.  Why couldn't the sheets have gotten here one day sooner?
Dinner was a success, they were very compliementary of my roast, and we enjoyed visiting.  It had actually been a few months since we've talked at all, so it was good to catch up.  Isn't that sad when they only live 30 minutes away? 

And if you didn't see our weekend adventure, you can read about Thursday, Friday, and Saturday too.

Mother's Day, of course

Where have I been all weekend?  In Arkansas, watching my sister graduate and moving her home.  I've got the post started on detailing it on Friday, got interrupted, and am JUST NOW having a chance to sit down at the computer again.  So later on today I'll be wrapping that up and sharing it.

But for now, Mother's Day!  Luke slept sooooo very little this weekend that I decided to let him dictate what would happen this morning.  I didn't set an alarm for church and figured if he was up early enough, fine, but if he wasn't, that was fine too. 

At about 7:15 there was a knock on my bed room window.  Not freaked out in the least,  I peeked out and it was my mother.  Yes.  My mother.  See, it had started to rain at some point, and half of Ashley's belongings were in Cody's truck in our drive way.  So they wanted the keys to take it over to the storage unit RIGHT THEN before it all got ruined.  Fine.  I handed them over and stumbled back to bed. 

Around 7:30 I hear Luke start babbling to himself.  By 8:00 the room was quiet. 

At 9:00 the front door opens and my mother in law drops off the dog (they kept Daisy while we were gone) on their way to bible class and I barely can lift my head up off the pillow.  Cody throws the covers over himself. 

By 10:30 I wake up and lay there, marvelling at how tired Luke must have been.  At 11 he's wimpering, and when I go in there he's still asleep.  So I sit on the floor and watch him.  Is there a better thing to do than absorb a quiet angelic moment with the person who made you a mother on Mother's Day?  Nope.  Eventually he peeps open his eyes, shuts them again, and then starts babbling to me with his eyes close.  Silly boy.  Cody gets up, we all get dressed, and then head out to lunch (I had wanted brunch, but it ended up being so late it was lunch time!)

We head down to Cracker Barrel, and the wait list is 50 minutes long!  Yuck.  So I put our name down, and then we head to the mall to pick up Mom's present.  I know, what a loser to get her Mother's Day present ON Mother's Day, but in my defense I knew what I wanted to get her and we had been so busy the last week I just didn't have a chance.  We let Luke ride the escalator, and he LOVED it.  I mean, giggle like a fool the whole time.  It was cute.  At the top of the escalator there just happens to be a cookie place, and Cody got us some.  I said "Cookies right before lunch?"  He said to live a little, and he was right.  I let it go. 

We got back to Cracker Barrel and there was only one name ahead of us.  Hallelujah!  Within minutes we were seated and I had coffee.  Mmmmmmmm.  Coffffeeeeeeeeeee.  It was a good breakfast/lunch, and I even remembered to get a picture.  (You'll see in my post about the weekend that remember pictures is not my strong suit)

After Cracker Barrel we ran over to Mom and Dad's to drop off her present and say good bye to Gran, Grandy, and Aunt Patty.  Now I'm home, relaxing, and thinking about making some more coffee.  It all adds up to a grrrrrrreat day!  Not quite the sentimental post that most people are writing today, but I'm just not in a sentimental mood (odd for me, I know).  I guess all I have to say is that I LOVE being a mom.  I wouldn't have it any other way.

Graduation Day!

So graduation didn't start until 10, but the place that they hold it isn't big enough to hold everyone.  That means you have to go early.  Dad and Grandy left at 8 to get us seats, and Dad said that there were already about 100 people ahead of him when he got there.  We left at 9 to make sure to get a parking spot.  All this would have been overwhelmingly early except Luke thought 6:45 was a good time to get up. 

It was held in the athletic center, and let me tell you, it was a TIGHT fit.  I'm talking knees in stranger's backs, elbow to elbow, and tailbone on a very hard wooden bench.  Luke lasted all of 6 minutes in there, and Cody had to take him out.  I think secretly Cody didn't mind because then he didn't have to sit through a long boring ceremony.  (But he did find a side door and got to watch Ashley walk across the stage)  As soon as her little class of 9 got their diploma's I went out to "relieve" Cody of daddy duty.  Well, that and to get the feeling back in my bum. 

I know it's dark, but that's what happens when the flash went off.  She's in the middle of the picture, the short one. 

I took Luke out side to run around.  At first he was running around alone, but then he made a friend.  A Chinese friend.  A 20 year old, Chinese friend who barely spoke English.  About 15 minutes later Cody comes out to check on us, because he's seen some strange guy carrying his son around.  Don't worry, I was right there.  And we laughed at the poor sucker who was chasing around our kid.  Apparently this dude didn't get to play with many kids because he was clearly loving it too.  Eventually the ceremony was over, people started pouring out, and I reclaimed my stinky boy. 

What do you mean I have to stand here and be still while you take my picture.  Fine.  But I don't have to look happy about it.

If you get a Christmas card from my mother, chances are (according to Ashley) this is the picture you will get.

This image just melts my heart.

After the pictures and the congratulations and the hugs we went to get our luggage, some lunch, and the rest of Ashley's things.  By 3 we were back on the road...this time with the whole family!  Ashely drove her loaded down car,  Cody drove his loaded down truck, Gran/Grandy/Aunt Patty were in Grandy's loaded down truck, and Grandmother and I got stuck back in the backseat with Sir Screams A Lot agian.  We didn't even make it out of Ashley's neighborhood before he fell asleep, but he only stayed that way for an hour.  The other 5 he was up and ready to be entertained. 

The trip was pretty uneventful and we didn't even eat dinner till we got home at 9.  We went to Rosa's to eat and we joked about how we were THAT family who had the kid who should be in bed.  Do you ever think that?  We do.  I've always been bothered before when I see kids up and running around when it's clearly past a decent bed time.  But the motherhood thing is teaching me not to judge.  You don't know what they've been doing.  Just like those people didn't know we were coming in from a 6 hour drive.  And I was so tired I forgot to order Luke dinner.  Isn't that terrible?  I forgot to feed my kid.  When the food came and I realized the situation I just figured he could eat off of our plates.  It's a good thing I didn't waste money on his food because he wanted nothing to do with anything but the ice in a cup.