We are in the process of moving. It's bittersweet. Of course, it's wonderful because we are so excited to be in our new house. But, at the same time this is the only home we have ever known as a family. This is where Matt and I lived as newlyweds. This is where we brought our babies home. I can still remember pulling into the parking lot with 2 day old Jackson in the car. Now, I watch him bound up the stairs. It's defintely surreal.
But, it's time. The boys need a yard. And we need a space to call our own. And the tax credit didn't hurt either, lol. While I know that we will have many years to make memories in the new house, it will be sad to close the door on this chapter of our lives. But, I know that with the closing of one chapter begins the journey of another.
By the way, how in the world did we get so much stuff? And why do I feel the need to bring it with us?
Friday, May 7, 2010
Thursday, May 6, 2010
Stop cursing, Damn it!
Let me start by saying that most of the time Matt and I are pretty good about watching our mouth. Neither of us really does much cursing...but of the two of us he definitely has more slip-ups. Regardless we're works in progress.
Painting the new house was quite the project. I choose to paint the dining room a bright red. It's really quite beautiful, but the red paint just about drove Matt crazy. It was all well and good until we started to pull the tape off. And the red paint came with it. Yeah, good times. That is where Hunter picked up the phrase, "Damn it". Thank you, honey. As if that weren't bad enough Hunter doesn't just say it once, he says it over and over again.
Just like he did today when we were visiting my Grandmother. In her retirement community. In the public Cafe. To another resident. Is it all starting to come clear? Yep, my little Rock star told another one of the residents,
"Damn it. Damn it. Damn it."
It was painfully obvious what he had said. To her, to me, to everyone within earshot. But, still she asked me, "What did he say?". My answer....
"I have no idea. But, my husband might."
Painting the new house was quite the project. I choose to paint the dining room a bright red. It's really quite beautiful, but the red paint just about drove Matt crazy. It was all well and good until we started to pull the tape off. And the red paint came with it. Yeah, good times. That is where Hunter picked up the phrase, "Damn it". Thank you, honey. As if that weren't bad enough Hunter doesn't just say it once, he says it over and over again.
Just like he did today when we were visiting my Grandmother. In her retirement community. In the public Cafe. To another resident. Is it all starting to come clear? Yep, my little Rock star told another one of the residents,
"Damn it. Damn it. Damn it."
It was painfully obvious what he had said. To her, to me, to everyone within earshot. But, still she asked me, "What did he say?". My answer....
"I have no idea. But, my husband might."
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
Baby Shoes
I love shoes. And I love babies. Put them together and I am in my element. I bought my first pair of baby shoes when I was sixteen. I didn't have a baby for another seven years, lol. They are a pair of tiny pink Weeboks. . I have two sons, they have gone completely unused.
I always imagined having a daughter and putting them on her. Confession alert...Both of my boys have sported the pink shoes in the privacy of their own crib, Matt has no idea. But, I don't have a little girl. I probably never will. And that is okay with me. God will bring my daughters to me in a different way. They will come to me through our sons in the form of a daughter-in-law. I already pray for those young women. But sadly, they will already be out of the pink Weebok phase by the time they come into my life. So, I'm back to my dilema...what to do with these little shoes.
About a year ago, my best friend gave birth to a beautiful baby girl. I hemmed and hawed about the shoes. Maybe I should pass them on. My friend's daughter would look precious in them. I even got them out the night before her baby shower prepared to wrap them up. I sat in my closet holding the little pink shoes and the tears began to fall. Matt came in to find me (have I mentioned what a good and patient man he is) and he understood the problem. He told me that those shoes have come a long way with me, they might as well stay in the family. I am so thankful for him and the way that he gets me.
I love having two little boys. I love their honesty, their resilience, their sense of humor. I'm even starting to cringe a little less when one of them laughs at bathroom humor. I love my life. But somehow I can't close the door on the Weeboks. Maybe someday I will have granddaughters. I know they will look good in pink ;)
I always imagined having a daughter and putting them on her. Confession alert...Both of my boys have sported the pink shoes in the privacy of their own crib, Matt has no idea. But, I don't have a little girl. I probably never will. And that is okay with me. God will bring my daughters to me in a different way. They will come to me through our sons in the form of a daughter-in-law. I already pray for those young women. But sadly, they will already be out of the pink Weebok phase by the time they come into my life. So, I'm back to my dilema...what to do with these little shoes.
About a year ago, my best friend gave birth to a beautiful baby girl. I hemmed and hawed about the shoes. Maybe I should pass them on. My friend's daughter would look precious in them. I even got them out the night before her baby shower prepared to wrap them up. I sat in my closet holding the little pink shoes and the tears began to fall. Matt came in to find me (have I mentioned what a good and patient man he is) and he understood the problem. He told me that those shoes have come a long way with me, they might as well stay in the family. I am so thankful for him and the way that he gets me.
I love having two little boys. I love their honesty, their resilience, their sense of humor. I'm even starting to cringe a little less when one of them laughs at bathroom humor. I love my life. But somehow I can't close the door on the Weeboks. Maybe someday I will have granddaughters. I know they will look good in pink ;)
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
Sometimes Mom needs the lesson....
I am not a fan of grocery shopping. I am definitely not a fan of grocery shopping with the boys by myself. In fact, since Hunter was born, Matt and I have made it a family sport. It works for us.
But, sometimes we find ourselves short of certain items that can't wait...Milk, bread, cereal. Items that don't require a family trip. And so, I go. I venture out into the great unknown of Food Lion. Just me and my boys.
I'm not going to lie. I bribe them. Animal crackers, juice boxes. Skittles. I'm not above it. And usually we do pretty well. But, the other day I had to make a quick grocery run and I had an epic fail. Things were going smoothly, until we came upon...(insert Twilight Zone music) The Cereal Aisle. Every Mother's worst nightmare. Boxes upon boxes of sugary goodness promising trinkets in every box. That is where we came upon the Cinnamon Toast Crunch.
The box boasted a Shrek water squirting tox inside just waiting to be claimed. I gave in and said we could get a box. Then came the kicker. They each wanted one. Of course, two children, two toys. The only problem was we didn't need two boxes of Cinnamon Toast Crunch. Lord knows we didn't need one. So, I decided they could share the toy inside the box. I decided I would teach them a lesson. The lesson that sharing is not the worst thing that can happen to two brothers. That we can take something and make the best of it.
Here is the problem with that...When we got home they opened the box. And of course, the toy was ridiculous. Tiny and half working. And of course, they had to battle over it. Our box contained "Donkey" the character made famous by Eddie Murphy. And I stood there watching them. Take turns squirting each other with water, exemplifing the lesson that I had wanted them to get. That's when it hit me. Maybe sometimes I need the lesson. The lesson needs to be that sometimes it's okay to be silly, okay to buy two boxes because that means twice the toy.
Wouldn't it have been wonderful to watch them tear into their respective boxes and watch them squeal with joy over which character they got? Then enjoy having a front row seat to their water fight? Maybe sometimes the lesson is Mom says yes. The lesson is even if we don't need two boxes of cereal, we do need two toys for two very special little boys.
I hope that in the future I can see the moments when these little boys have more to teach me than I have to teach them. That is my prayer.
But, sometimes we find ourselves short of certain items that can't wait...Milk, bread, cereal. Items that don't require a family trip. And so, I go. I venture out into the great unknown of Food Lion. Just me and my boys.
I'm not going to lie. I bribe them. Animal crackers, juice boxes. Skittles. I'm not above it. And usually we do pretty well. But, the other day I had to make a quick grocery run and I had an epic fail. Things were going smoothly, until we came upon...(insert Twilight Zone music) The Cereal Aisle. Every Mother's worst nightmare. Boxes upon boxes of sugary goodness promising trinkets in every box. That is where we came upon the Cinnamon Toast Crunch.
The box boasted a Shrek water squirting tox inside just waiting to be claimed. I gave in and said we could get a box. Then came the kicker. They each wanted one. Of course, two children, two toys. The only problem was we didn't need two boxes of Cinnamon Toast Crunch. Lord knows we didn't need one. So, I decided they could share the toy inside the box. I decided I would teach them a lesson. The lesson that sharing is not the worst thing that can happen to two brothers. That we can take something and make the best of it.
Here is the problem with that...When we got home they opened the box. And of course, the toy was ridiculous. Tiny and half working. And of course, they had to battle over it. Our box contained "Donkey" the character made famous by Eddie Murphy. And I stood there watching them. Take turns squirting each other with water, exemplifing the lesson that I had wanted them to get. That's when it hit me. Maybe sometimes I need the lesson. The lesson needs to be that sometimes it's okay to be silly, okay to buy two boxes because that means twice the toy.
Wouldn't it have been wonderful to watch them tear into their respective boxes and watch them squeal with joy over which character they got? Then enjoy having a front row seat to their water fight? Maybe sometimes the lesson is Mom says yes. The lesson is even if we don't need two boxes of cereal, we do need two toys for two very special little boys.
I hope that in the future I can see the moments when these little boys have more to teach me than I have to teach them. That is my prayer.
Monday, May 3, 2010
He hit the wall.
Some people have a soft spot for puppies. Other a weakness for a good sale. My soft spot has fluffy blonde hair and chubby little cheeks. Yep, my weakness is Hunter. You see, he is the baby that I wasn't sure I would get to have. From the time that Jackson was born my husband felt pretty secure that he was done having children. He said he just couldn't imagine loving another child as much as we loved Jackson. And I could see his point. But, I was willing to try. I will save the story of how my prayers were answered for another day.
So, back to my point. Hunter. He cries, I come running. Literally. If he wakes up from a bad dream, I just about break my neck to get to him. Matt says it's very entertaining to watch. I don't really know why I feel such an intensity to get to him. I just know that I feel it's MY baby and he is crying for ME! End of story.
The only problem with this is, I don't really wake up until I'm already in his bedroom. Take last night for example...Hunter cried. I came running. I scooped him up out of his bed and made our way into a spare bedroom. I was planning to calm him down and put him back to bed. Until....I smacked my sweet baby's head against the wall. Yep. Say it with me in your best Rudy Huxtable voice "I hit the wall". OH MY GAWD!
I don't know who began to cry louder. Probably me. And the worst part is, Hunter wasn't even really awake. So now he is groggy and his head hurts from what could be a concussion because I totally just rammed his sweet baby head into A WALL. What is wrong with me? See, I told you I don't get awake enough!
I screamed for help! Because what rational adult Mother doesn't scream for help in the middle of the night? Poor Matt. He thought I must have interupted a home burglary or intercepted a killer. He found me and Hunter sobbing on the floor. . .Somedays, I'll bet he wishes he married a History major. He put us back to bed and assured me that tomorrow we would both feel better.
So, I layed in bed with Hunter. Listening to him sniffle. Every sniffle cost me a tear. I know that we are both going to have to toughen up a little. But, (sob) Hunter is my baby. He is my weakness. So, you can have your good sales and cute puppies. I'll keep my blonde fluff and chubby cheeks.
By the way, He TOTALLY has a goose-egg on his noggin today. Yep, that is courtesy of his Mama. And her crazy ways.
So, back to my point. Hunter. He cries, I come running. Literally. If he wakes up from a bad dream, I just about break my neck to get to him. Matt says it's very entertaining to watch. I don't really know why I feel such an intensity to get to him. I just know that I feel it's MY baby and he is crying for ME! End of story.
The only problem with this is, I don't really wake up until I'm already in his bedroom. Take last night for example...Hunter cried. I came running. I scooped him up out of his bed and made our way into a spare bedroom. I was planning to calm him down and put him back to bed. Until....I smacked my sweet baby's head against the wall. Yep. Say it with me in your best Rudy Huxtable voice "I hit the wall". OH MY GAWD!
I don't know who began to cry louder. Probably me. And the worst part is, Hunter wasn't even really awake. So now he is groggy and his head hurts from what could be a concussion because I totally just rammed his sweet baby head into A WALL. What is wrong with me? See, I told you I don't get awake enough!
I screamed for help! Because what rational adult Mother doesn't scream for help in the middle of the night? Poor Matt. He thought I must have interupted a home burglary or intercepted a killer. He found me and Hunter sobbing on the floor. . .Somedays, I'll bet he wishes he married a History major. He put us back to bed and assured me that tomorrow we would both feel better.
So, I layed in bed with Hunter. Listening to him sniffle. Every sniffle cost me a tear. I know that we are both going to have to toughen up a little. But, (sob) Hunter is my baby. He is my weakness. So, you can have your good sales and cute puppies. I'll keep my blonde fluff and chubby cheeks.
By the way, He TOTALLY has a goose-egg on his noggin today. Yep, that is courtesy of his Mama. And her crazy ways.
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Friday, January 15, 2010
A laaaaaazy blogger
It has come to my attention that it does little good to have a blog if you are never going to update it. So there, lol! Happy now, folks?
Aaaaah, 2010! Where did time go? Since we last spoke, Jackson has turned seven and Hunter has turned two. My babies! I feel like Hunter was just born. And then my sweet Jackson has turned into a young man. Who told them it was okay to grow up? Lord knows, it wasn't me. But, you know. The strangest part of watching my boys grow up is....I don't feel any older. I still feel like the same seventeen year old girl who was sitting by the phone waiting for a boy to call. Luckily, now I'm sitting by the phone waiting for a different (and much cuter, thankyouverymuch) husband to call. But, deep down...I don't feel any different. I wonder if that is how life will always be....Does my Grandmother feel this? Is there any truth to the old adage, you're as young as you feel? Because if that's true, I hope I look rockin' at prom this year :)
But, life is truly still very sweet....or suite! Hotel life is good. We're in the slow season, which is a blessing! I have loved having Matt around more. We were even able to go with him to Charlottesville for a few days while he filled in for a General Manager there. And I loved it! We were right in the heart of UVA country. Beautiful! And of course, it didn't hurt that the city had a good snow right before we got there. God's decorating. Truly the world looks more beautiful covered in a blanket of snow. We had a blast together, even taking in a UVA women's basketball game. From a box seat. With guards at the door. To make sure you were "cool" enough to mingle with people of our kind. Cause that's how we roll. Lol! I hope you know I'm kidding. But, we were definitely given the VIP treament. I could get used to it!
Well, it's about time for me to wake Hunter to go pick up Jackson. There is something evil about waking up a sleeping child. Goes against my very nature. But, alas there is something more evil about leaving your seven year old standing outside his school in the cold. So, wake up pretty baby. I promise to blog more and facebook less. Hey! I saw those eyes roll. What-ever :)
Livin' the suite life,
Jill
Aaaaah, 2010! Where did time go? Since we last spoke, Jackson has turned seven and Hunter has turned two. My babies! I feel like Hunter was just born. And then my sweet Jackson has turned into a young man. Who told them it was okay to grow up? Lord knows, it wasn't me. But, you know. The strangest part of watching my boys grow up is....I don't feel any older. I still feel like the same seventeen year old girl who was sitting by the phone waiting for a boy to call. Luckily, now I'm sitting by the phone waiting for a different (and much cuter, thankyouverymuch) husband to call. But, deep down...I don't feel any different. I wonder if that is how life will always be....Does my Grandmother feel this? Is there any truth to the old adage, you're as young as you feel? Because if that's true, I hope I look rockin' at prom this year :)
But, life is truly still very sweet....or suite! Hotel life is good. We're in the slow season, which is a blessing! I have loved having Matt around more. We were even able to go with him to Charlottesville for a few days while he filled in for a General Manager there. And I loved it! We were right in the heart of UVA country. Beautiful! And of course, it didn't hurt that the city had a good snow right before we got there. God's decorating. Truly the world looks more beautiful covered in a blanket of snow. We had a blast together, even taking in a UVA women's basketball game. From a box seat. With guards at the door. To make sure you were "cool" enough to mingle with people of our kind. Cause that's how we roll. Lol! I hope you know I'm kidding. But, we were definitely given the VIP treament. I could get used to it!
Well, it's about time for me to wake Hunter to go pick up Jackson. There is something evil about waking up a sleeping child. Goes against my very nature. But, alas there is something more evil about leaving your seven year old standing outside his school in the cold. So, wake up pretty baby. I promise to blog more and facebook less. Hey! I saw those eyes roll. What-ever :)
Livin' the suite life,
Jill
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