This Morning....

So, I got up earlier than Hubby & Gage....made some coffee...did a few things around here....

then Hubby got up & off to work.
He took a nice tall go cup with him....

I just went to pour myself some coffee: two sips.
That's how much he left me.

So, I call up to Hubby's work. I'm certain his secretary hates me.
"Hi. Can I speak to Hubby?"
"He's on a call right now, can I take a message?"
"Yes, & I'm sure you'll have fun delivering it too."
"Go Ahead."
"Tell him that he ought to be ashamed of himself for taking all the coffee." (then I told her what he did.) "and the last part of the message should be 'You are a selfish, selfish, ASS."
....she just laughed.
But, I'm sure that she is like, "Is this really my job?"
Whatever...it's fun.

....teach him to take MY coffee.....

My Little Boy.....

Gage, you're 3 years old. And you say the funniest, sweetest, most random things sometimes...

The way you say "Yellow" = "Lellow". I love it. And, I know that someday it will change. For now, it's mine, all mine!

The other evening, after a particularly rough day, you said, "Hold you me." Of course, I scooped you up. As you hugged my neck, you said in the sweetest little defeated voice, "I don't want to be a good boy. It's toooooooo hard. And it's no fun."

Recently at the mall, we were playing "I spy" with colors. You spied something red & I was trying to guess what it was....you told a complete stranger, "Stop! I spied you!" Turns out, she was wearing a red shirt & that was your red item that I was supposed to guess, and she was about to be past us...she was young---likely had no children given the expression on her face when you said what you said...and the fact that she paused momentarily, but then kept walking... whatever...

A while ago, Daddy was out of town. I let you stay up a little late, but the deal was: straight into bed when it was time, no stories, no maby-pambying around. So, I put you to bed a little later than usual, and went to bed myself. I heard you open your door, slam your door, stomp down the hall, open my door, slam my door. You stood in my room tapping your foot & exclaimed "NO-ONE ROCKED ME. ARE YOOOOUUUUU GOING TO ROCK ME?" While I should have gotten onto you for that tone & attitude---it was just so darn cute. I laughed & said, "Of course I am." We rocked & then you went to bed. Little-Mister-Get-Your-Way!

You love Maggie & The Ferocious Beast, and you always tell me, "Don't forget Hamilton!" You love Little Bill & told me that you were going to be Little Bill when you grow up. When you learned that Little Bill is black, you said, "Then I'm going to be black when I grow up." I told you that you can't be black, and it broke your heart. I explained that each of us just IS the color that we are born being. And so, we talked about Little Bill & how great he is...and how you are great too. I love the way you don't see gender differences and don't see racial differences, and just seem to accept that people are people.

You don't really say your "cr" sounds. It always comes out as a "tr" sound. This too will fade over time. You used to not say the "gr" sounds either, and they came out as "tr" too. Grapes were "trapes", but that's changing now.... We've still got:
cry = "try"
craisins = "traisins"
crickets = "trickets"
...and although it's not only a "cr" sound, Captain Crunch (your favorite...) is "Taptain Trunch!"

You recently thanked God for someone in a prayer. As sweet as it was, sadly, it was not me (you know, I carried you in my tummy & have saggy boobs & stretch marks because of you...someday you better name ME in a prayer!) But, we were thanking God for Gagie, Mommy, Daddy, grandparents, the dog, etc. And you chimed in, "And Thank You God for Sadie-Bug." It was very sweet.
[she's really cute. Maybe you guys could grow up & fall in love, and get married, and have lots of babies! I'm just sayin'.... Her parents would NOT be bad in-laws, and then Leslie & I could plan your wedding, and baby showers, and take the grandbabies on playdates.... okay...you're right, I'm getting carried away...she's not even a year old yet....]

There's so much more that I could add to this post....but, you're calling me away from the computer to play trucks on the living room floor. I already know how this is going to play out. I'll sit there with you, and you will say, "Mommy, you can be this one"....and then a few seconds later, you'll change your mind. You may eventually let me have a cast-off car that has at least one wheel missing, and then when I try to play with it, you'll tell me that I'm doing it wrong, or it can drive there...etc. I'll play by your rules. I don't mind....

Um...I may or may not be stupid.

I'm too stupid to know if I'm stupid or not.

Seeeeee.....Gage told me that he's finally down with Halloween & Trick-or-Treating & wearing a costume, etc.
So, he tells me that he wants to be a ROBOT for Halloween.
Okay....cool. I can handle this.

So, I find this cute little robot costume online at Pottery Barn Kids, but I don't want to pay almost $40 for a costume. And, that's the SALE price. For my kid to wear for just a few hours? No thanks.

So, I decide that with my mad-crazy-sewing skills, that I'm going to make one.

Well....when I got to the check out at JoAnn's...let's just say---this bad boy wasn't cheap. Let's see....after the fabric & notions, I saved myself a WHOPPING FIFTY CENTS!

Oh wait---that calculation doesn't include the two sewing machine needles I broke when I got carried away doing the hem. Who can blame me? I was in the home-strech, you know?

But----$39.50 & 4 hours of labor later...(yes, it took me 4 hours. I am not a super-seamstress you know....)


And, yes, I did feel the need to use the iron on letters to spell out "ROBOT". Otherwise, people would assume that my kid went trick-or-treating dressed as an oven mitt.
(you have to admit---that fabric is very oven-mitt-ish.)

The biggest kicker of the day? I had to bribe my kid with a "suckie" to get him to try it on. Yes, he was all excited while I was making it...but when it was finished, mmmm....not so much enthusiasm anymore...
We'll just have to wait & see if he even wears it for Halloween!

WHAT Happened In Here????

Well, I can tell you what happened....
Saturday morning, I was cleaning out old papers....bills that get paid online but we still get the paper copies...junk mail, etc.
So, while I was doing this, Gage was also playing with his big ol' "Mean Green Recycle Machine"/Garbage Truck.
Well, he wanted some paper...so I let him have all the old junk mail that I'd torn into bits.
WHAT IN THE WORLD WAS I THINKING?

So, Sunday morning....he decided that it was more fun to spread the paper bit (& everything else) all over the living room floor, as opposed to putting it into the little piles & picking them up, like he had been doing the day before.

So...I can say that during his naptime today, clearly, I had my work cut out for me. Lucky me.

Pumpkin Carving Time!

Saturday was filled with me working on a paper for school...(which I still need to print!!!)

And just prior to that, Hubby, Gage, & I went & bought some pumpkins.
Hubby reeeeeally likes to carve pumpkins. So, I think we went home with 3 large pumpkins & one medium sized pumpkin.

Saturday late afternoon/evening was filled with pumpkin carving...


The pumpkins....




And of course, I fried up some pumpkin seeds in butter & then just coated them in salt. I used Smart Balance, so that makes it better, right? I hear that some people toast 'em instead, but that seems very...un-Southern. I say, fry 'em up!


Afterward....we all piled into Mommy & Daddy's bed to watch Scooby Doo 2.
I fell asleep before Gage's bedtime. I was tired!

:)

What Have I Started?

Well, Gage doesn't care for Diego in general....
But, he had an especially good day at the Mother In Law's on Thursday...so, after work, I had to return some movies, and I popped into Game Stop right next door.

So...um, I found this Diego game for PS2, which is what Hubby has.
I got it & according to the salesperson, we had 7 days to take it back if he didn't like it....But, um....he loved it.

Sh*tty Longhorns & Chicken Bites.

Wednesday was a long, but great day!

I failed to get my car registration thing in the mail in a timely manner. What does that mean? Well, it means that I got to take Gage to the Records Building in downtown Dallas on my day off. Not too bad. I really enjoy just being downtown, so it was nice. I wasn't too sure about schlepping a toddler in a stroller all around down there with the bumpy & crowded sidewalks, curbs, & crosswalks....but whatever.

We get down there, get parked, & get him all strapped in...

(Why, yes, that IS an orange tootsie-pop in his hand. We had to stop at the ATM in a convenience store just prior to parking---you know, so I'd have some cash. So, I bought him a little treat.)

So, as I am navigating my way to & around the Records Building---for the LIFE of me I cannot locate a handicap accessible entrance. Every entrance I encountered (you know, until the last one) had exterior doors, and just beyond that---you have to immediately go up stairs. Fun with a 40 pound toddler in a stroller, right? mmm...not so much. So, finally, I am working my way through the crowd & find a ramped entrance. Sweet.
Back up: did she just post "crowd"? Yes, I did.
Come to find out----we made it just in time for the Texas Stampede!
What's that, you ask??? It's a big Longhorn Drive down the streets of downtown Dallas. They've done this for the past few years to kick off some rodeo that is hosted once a year. They march 100 head of cattle down Main Street.







And so, while I would love to say that I'm the super cool mom who planned this outing for her child...well, that just wouldn't be the truth. The truth is: we just happened to be at the right place at the right time to catch it.
And, what did Gage take away from the experience? Well, first I might mention that I was proud that he actually recognized live cows/cattle/longhorns when we saw them. THAT was a good thing. Obviously the little urbanite retained some useful (??) information from our last outing to the wild, wild, wilderness over the Summer. But the best thing that Gage pointed out at this event: "Mommy, they poooooop A LOT!" Seriously---he couldn't get over how much these things shit. I couldn't get over it. I dunno....maybe they thought they were on some death march to the slaughter house & all of their stomachs got nervous...I really don't know what triggered it---but each one of them probably pooped 80 times down Main Street. Then again...the whip that cowboy was cracking was ummmm....well, it was long & loud. It would make me crap too if he was crackin' it at me! They had these clowns who follow behind the herd, and their job is to shovel up the poo. .......and you thought your job sucked. How'd you like THAT job?

But, we had a good time with that.

After that---off to G-town to meet up with Zephra (http://chroniclesofanexhaustedmom.blogspot.com) & Ginger (http://thesmallmoments.wordpress.com) for a little play-date at Chick-fil-A!
Garland has changed soooooooooo much. This entire area where we met---yeah, NOT there way back when I lived there. Some areas that used to be nice---not so nice any more. Some areas that used to not exist---now they do. Wild.

But, more importantly, it was nice to meet face-to-face, and gab with gals, and the kids had fun playing together. Zakary & Gage are very much alike in that they need a bit to warm up to the other playmates, but in the end, they seemed to have a good time.

Happy Boys...


Silly Boys...


Gin & Emory


Zephra (Stephanie) & Emory

(aren't those little Halloween outfits sooooo cute?)

It was a great day. I swear, we probably could have all just sat there for 2 more hours chatting...but, the weather got windy, cold, & wet, and we all had to get going. We hope to do it again soon. Gage just LOVED playing with Zakary...and of course, I've gone away from the whole gathering just hoping that Zakary had as much fun playing with Gage.

After that....on to the casa. Gage asked for a cupcake. You know---those chocolate ones with the white swirly squiggle down the top... Hostess, I think. So, I gave it to him in a little bowl & I carted laundry down the hall. He came to the back of the house & found me. "Don't go in the living room." (or, "riving room" as he calls it.) So, of course, I ask, "why?"
"Just don't go there."
I cut through the dining room, into the kitchen, and enter the living room from the backside, to find the entire floor covered in chocolate cake crumbs. How my child can manage to eat the top icing & creamy filling without eating a single crumb of cake---well, that's just completely beyond me.
And yes, THAT was a fun mess to clean up.

Mom Lesson #6479: don't give your kid a cupcake & then just walk away, even if he CAN feed himself.

Spaghetti for dinner last night....watched a movie when Gage was off to sleep, and then I watched "Private Practice" after the whole world was asleep. I shouldn't have had all that tea at Chick-fil-A. The caffeine kept me up. My eyes are stinging tired today!

Fall Festival @ the Arboretum

Today, we went to the Dallas Arboretum. It's close enough to my house that we could walk there....except....how am I going to cross Garland Road with a stroller? Um, I'm not.

So, we went early....well, relatively...Gage slept late today (which hardly EVER happens), so we didn't get there super early....but, relatively early.

Tera & Aubri took a raincheck on this outing. Tera works on Tuesdays now, so she would have had to scramble to get there, get home, get ready for work, etc.

So, it was me & Gage, & Leslie & Sadie-bug.

It was kind of cool when we left the house, but it was soooooooooooo hot when we were there. Leslie & I were miserable. Luckily, I dressed in layers, so I could take my sweater off. Totally looked like trash with my bra straps showing with my tank top. So what? It was more important to prevent myself from heat-stroke than it was to be fashionable...

Anyway.....pictures from today....








Wheeeeeeeeeeeeere's Gage?
There he is! And just so you know, right after this picture was taken, he rolled all the way down the hill just for fun.


They had a maze erected out of bales of hay. Gage had a blast. We started the day with maze, and we ended the day with the maze. Even after Leslie & Sadie went on home---we remained at the maze. At one point, I got so hungry, that we ventured over to this little eating cart/place, but they were cash only. I'm so not a cash kind of gal! So, that's when we went back to maze to finish up our playing...


The maze was seriously Gage's favorite thing there.

And then---I ran into Taylor. I went to high school with her. I was friends with one of her big sisters, Kenzie. I found her blog some time ago, and what a small world to run into her & her little girls. She was there with some of her friends & their kids. We all went to high school together.
:)
And---she's a photographer, so if you live in the DFW metroplex, and need a photographer, check out her website...
www.taylormademessages.com

It was a good day!
After that, lunch via drive-thru at Boston Market...came on home...and Gage went down for a "rest". I can't call it a nap because he NEVER went to sleep.

It's a Major Award!

Thanks Steph, for the blog award.
:)
http://stephsdailyhappenings.blogspot.com

Wedding Weekend Recap

So, we attended a wedding on Saturday night for a dear ol' high school friend, Jason Folks.

They're all lovey-dovey, getting used to new words like "husband" & "wife". So cute.

....and then there's us...
"Are you really that stupid?"
"I'll kick you in your teeth right now."
Yeah....it's been almost 5 years. We express our playful love in a whole different way. "Idiot" really is a term of endearment.

______________PICS OF WEDDING________________
Well, here are Damon & I BEFORE the wedding...


The reception was held in the downtown/West End area at a place called Level Two

I'd never been there before. Loved it. Very lofty, and surprisingly---not on the 2nd floor of any place. Hmmm....

The bride's cake...


The groom's cake(s)...


Jason & Samantha (who, I only just met for the first time on Saturday, and is a total DOLL, by the way!)

And yes, sadly, that is the only pic I have of them in the same frame.
:( I ran out of camera space at the wedding because I hadn't unloaded the memory card...

Anyway...it was just wonderful to get to go & I really can't wait to hang out with them again in the near future.
:)

What else did we do this weekend?

Hubby got my car inspected....

Hubby took Gage to the mall so they could buy his new love: Billy Jealousy Hydroplane shave gel. You know the boy's in love if he will make a special trip to the mall for anything...

Ate dinner out on a date. How fun. We went to a restaurant called "The Butcher Shop" in the West End. The whole place needs Gordon Ramsay's help. Yes, it does. The bread was good...the spinach & artichoke dip was okay (still, to me, the best spinach & artichoke dip is at Copeland's). The garden salad was good. My main course was the salmon with crap & shrimp. Mediocre at best. Hubby's filet....he gave me a bit, and I believe my response was: "I wish I could pay someone to finish chewing this bite & swallow it for me". Yes, that's how UN-good it was to me. And his "twice baked potatoes" were a heap of luke warm loaded mashed potatoes. But--ya know--if you run a steak house, don't skimp on the sides. Splurge & buy real bacon for your potatoes. The bacony-taste of Bak-Os is soooooo not the same. In fact, I love bacon, hate Bac-Os. And for the price of a steak house---I give it a big "WTF" for our entire meal.
Now, let's talk decor: are you a restaurant? are you a nice steak house? or, are you a sports bar? The painted walls with old English paintings...paired with the flat screen tvs & the Texas-Mizzou game.....really? it was just...very incongruent. And for a minimum of $22 a plate (that was the cheapest price I saw...), I just expected a nicer experience. I'm just sayin'..... And, I told my mom about this whole experience, and she was surprised, saying it used to be a nice place. Look, if I bothered to get dressed up for dinner---I don't want the table next to me to be filled with 3 guys wearing bluejeans & rooting for the home team, mmmmkay?

Moving on....
Saturday & Sunday were spent doing a paper. I have a 20 page paper due at the end of the semester. The babysitting professor is having us turn it in at various times throughout the semester in various parts. I have a 10 page policy analysis due in my Monday night class. So, I went to the Mother in Law's house for peace & quiet while Hubby stayed home with Gage. And, I got it done.

Not much else to report at this time....

Marriage is so much fun.

A fun conversation from the weekend:

me: "Please don't use up all my windshield wiper fluid."
Hubby: "We can refill it."
me: "Do we have some at home?"
Hubby: "You can use water and it's just the same."
me: "I don't think so. The other is blue. It's got Windex in it or something."
Hubby: "Well, then you can take the Windex, mix it with water, and pour it in."
me: "I think you should do that. You're the one with a penis."
Hubby: "Well, then, I think you should cook me dinner because you're the one with a vagina."

Ain't love grand?

My child, or what?

So....night before last, I agreed to let Gage stay up a little later than normal.
But, the deal was: when it was time to get bed---straight to bed. I didn't go through the rocking & story routine. It was just: into bed. Night-night, and I went to my room.

...and then I heard the door to his room open, and the door SLAM shut. He stomped his little feet to my door, opened the door & SLAMMED that door too. While tapping his foot he exclaimed, "NO ONE ROCKED ME! Are YOUUUUUUUUUU going to rock me?!"

While I probably should have gotten onto him for slamming doors & talking to me that way....well, it was just...so damn dramatic & funny that I said, "Yes, I am!" & I of course acquiesced his request.

Oh....I just CAN'T IMAGINE where he gets this behavior.... I just can't imagine where....

"Mommy"

"Mommy". Quite possibly the first word a little boy will say, the beginning of a lifelong conversation with his mother. In between childhood and adulthood many words will pass between a mother and a son, some in love, some in anger, some in sadness, and others in joy. Their bond will forever affect the way he'll view women. But it's in a mother's eyes that a son will remain forever young -- and forever cherished.
~ from a description of the book Mothers & Sons, A Celebration in Memoirs, Stories, and Photographs by Jill Morgan



Today is October 15th, Pregnancy & Infant Loss Rememberance Day. I don't need a special day each year to miss Masyn, but it's nice to have a day just to recognize our situation, because we're not alone. It's been almost 15 months now since our pregnancy ended. Our life as a family has gone on. I trust that there is a plan for us, and that for now---this is the plan. A mommy, a daddy, and a son. For now, this is us. And although at times I still struggle with the understanding of our loss of Masyn & all that we missed out on---today I'm going to try to focus on my blessings, the blessing of my son, and the great privelege it is to just get to be his mom.

Tuesday....

Well, it's almost 1 in the afternoon, and I still haven't gotten dressed for the day.
We're going to have to run our errands soon & get back home....

I've got little new today.
I need to update the blog about my Saturday in the big town of Corsicana.

Got a call from Dr.B's office today.
cysts.
it's cysts in my breasts.
No big deal to me. They are a bit larger than normal, but not obscenely large, and I don't want to venture down the path of aspiration since all the pain is gone.
Good times.

....and um, WAY TO GO HUBBY ON THE RAISE!
Hubby got a raise yesterday. Yippy!

Friday Night Fun...(LOTS of Pictures)

****************************
So...I came home from work Friday evening...and this super-cute little boy asked me to take him to the park. So, I said yes. Daddy was in the process of making my favorite: mom's recipe for porkchops & rice. So, he turned the electric skillet cooker thing to low, and we headed down to the park...



And then, who did we run into?
Only Stephanie, Matt, & their little boy, Justin...
And Olga & her husband, & their daughter, Victoria.
Good times!

We headed back home & ate dinner.
Then talked to Mark & Pam & we all met up over at Tera & Nathan's for a night of kids runnin' around & gal-pal-hang out time.
By the end of the evening, I believe I was shouting about "I'm 30 & I've still got it" & accepting the challenge of doing the jump splits. Why, yes, I'm 30 & I can still do the jump splits. They may not be as airborne as they once were, and that back leg may not have even been all that straight---but whatever. I believe I got a "TEN!" from the crowd present that evening.

Gage & Aubri had a great time playing....


Tera & Aubri...


Me & part of Gage...


...Gage did NOT want his picture taken, and he quickly turned into this:

yes, THAT was fun. He got pretty whiney....

Know what helps with that??? Oh, a little game of "Hide & Scream". Yes, a lot like "Hide-n-Seek", but instead of running to base & catching each other, you just hide until the person who is "IT" gets close enough to your hiding spot that you jump out & scream & startle them. Yes, it's Gage's own version of "Hide-n-Seek" with a rule book that was created by him, stored in his little mind, and is also subject to change at his whim. But, Friday night---the game was ON!
Counting with Mark... (and yes, Mark, your picture was blog-worthy! You know, because my gosh-darn kid was standing next to you...)

(If I were a good mom, I'd have probably cropped that beer bottle out of the shot...)

"WHERE'S NATHAN???"


So, "Hide & Scream" was fun... Playing "Chase" was fun...But, Little Einsteins & Dora the Latina Harlot helped the kids wind down.
And let me tell you something....when those cartoons get turned on, Aubri gets in the ZONE.


But you know....that Swiper really contributes to the action-packed adventure where Dora & Boots often wind up....
Watching Aubri watch Dora is a lot like watching a sports fan watch a football game. At times, she is the official Dora-Boots-Swiper-Rocket-&-Little-Einsteins Couch Coach:


We all ate yummy dip & chips, and ice cream was offered all around. My kid passed on ice cream. So weird....

(and, I'm sure Tera will correct me if I'm wrong...but that may not have been ice cream...it may have been some fat-free-flavor-free-yuckola-ice cream or frozen yogurt that she bought...I told her to get the Ben & Jerry's frozen yogurt that's chocolate fudge brownie...but she bought some Blue Bunny bullsh*t that is so clearly not the B&J I suggested.... I'm just sayin')

Soon after the cartoons got the kiddos settled down, Gage was FAST asleep on the couch...


And Aubri was fast asleep in her crib...


And that's when the gathering gathered outdoors so as not to disturb our sleeping beauties.

We all had fun with the camera. I believe Mark took this picture...

(Tera, Pam, Me)

WHAT are they looking at?????

Oh, they're just watching me mix Mimosas...
....in my mouth.
(and no, I'm not posting that picture....my son may run for political office some day....I can't be his skeleton in the closet...know what I'm sayin'?)

But um....Mark has no offspring that I'm aware of...so pics of him double-fisting beers are so not off limits yet.


At one point, Tera took over as documentarian of the evening...She was GREAT with the camera.
She took a picture of Nathan...


She also got a perfectly timed shot of Pam (sorry Pam...)


Now, in her defense, she says that she normally wears glasses.
....and apparently those glasses let you see through big planks of wood that when assembled together are known as a swingset.

This post wouldn't be complete without a picture of me doing the splits, so....we'll just have to call it incomplete.
I will post this though: me, all crazy & pumped b/c I could actually still do them!


And what was brought up after reviewing the pics from Friday night?
"Laine, you really talk a lot with your hands."
"What? Do I really?"
Let's review, shall we?
Exhibit A:

(I'm not sure, but I think I may have caught a fish that big once...)

Exhibit B:

(judging from my facial expression....maybe it's better to talk with my hands to give people something else to look at. sheeeeesh.)

There IS an Exhibit C, but it has Tera's license plate in the picture, and so I'm not going to post it....

Exhibit D:


So, yes....all evidence seems to indicate that I am a hand talker.

Sadly, there were only 2 pictures taken that night that included me & Hubby in the same frame. One is....not going on the blog....and the other didn't turn out so well... (way to go, McElwain. [hey, Mark, read that in Pam's voice. I can hear it now, and it's so her.])


All in all, it was a good time.


...oh, and it was productive too.
Mark & Pam turned into these human infomercial people, and went on & on (seriously, it was like a 20 minute discussion) about this shaving cream/shaving gel stuff called Hydroplane by Billy Jealousy. (www.billyjealousy.com)
Um....we were curious about it based on how much they raved about it. They brought us some samples on Sunday. Damon tried it....LOVED it. I shaved my legs with it. Um, LOVED IT. And the little shampoo sample....It was peppermint scented, and OH.MY.GOODNESS, I ***loved*** it.
The shave gell is about $20 for an 8 ounce bottle---but, the cool thing about it: you get a tiny bit, and somehow, the more water you add, it just gets slicker & slicker [hey, is "slicker" a word?]. It was just really neat to see how very little you actually use, and how great it was. I can't remember the name of the shampoo, but I will be going to Nordstrom in the near future to check out the shampoo & definitely buy some of that shave gel for us.
****yes, I know----they started out as the human infomercials, and now it's me. I can't help it. The stuff rocks.