Time Flies-My baby is 3

          Where does the time go?  My baby girl turned 3 today.  She was so excited to have a birthday she couldn't fall asleep for her nap.  All I could think was "Oh my what fun she will be - NOT!".  When she was supposed to be sleeping she first put ALL of her hairbows in her hair.  I will have to post that picture.  I told her that I needed her to sleep so she is ready for her party and so that I could wrap her presents.  I managed to keep her upstairs long enough to wrap her presents.  She came down stairs and was so excited and ready to open them.  She also wanted to have her cake.  It was killing her to wait another hour for her friends and family to come over!  For a little girl without a nap she actually did very well.  She only melted down once and that was when she was told to blow out her candle on her cake.  I am not sure why that made her cry but she did.  Daddy to the rescue - he hugged her then encouraged her to blow the cake out and helped her.  Calleigh had so much fun I don't think she knew what to do.  She flew through opening her presents - barely looking at what she got before opening the next one.  That's what 3 year olds do, right?!  My friend Manny, her Godfather, was the last to leave and boy she has him wrapped around her finger!  She had him getting her a hot dog, juice, letting her play in his van, and who knows what else!  I loved watching her with him.  He truly is an "uncle" to her.  What a blessing to have such a wonderful friend in my life who my children adore!!  Calleigh loves people but tends to get shy, especially around men.  Not with Manny.  She was upset when it was time for him to leave.
        Every year on my kids' birthdays I reminisce about the day they were born.  Terry often laughs at me for doing this.  This year he did it with me, reminding me of some little things I had forgotten.  The one this year was that he reminded me how Calleigh "meowed/cooed" constantly for the first day of her life.  It was a constant sound she made.  It was the cutest thing.  I think that was our clue that she would be a talker!!!    
        These last 3 years have gone as quickly as she came out!  The doctor wasn't ready when I was ready to start pushing.  He kept trying to get me to wait while he put on his shoe covers.  I said I'm pushing!  He realized I wasn't playing.  Calleigh was a fairly easy delivery - as easy as 9lbs 8ozs can be!!!
        As I get older and my children get older, I realize that I need to savor every second that I can.  I always have appreciated the time I get to spend with them but I don't feel like I get enough of it!  When I am with my family I try my best to enjoy every moment and not lose my patience at little things.  That part is hard because after working all day and having things I know I need to do at home (and being hormonal!) little things the kids do can set me off.  Times like these I have to remind myself that I won't have these moments for long.  Before long they will be all grown up and not needing me anymore.  They won't be asking me to open their juice box, watch them play family, sit in the bathroom with them, etc.  These moments are precious.  Time is precious.  I love my kids and my husband with all my heart.  I don't know what I would do without them.  I am truly blessed.  If only there was a way for me to spend EVERY second of EVERY day enjoying them!!!

 

Where Were You?

What a day.  10 years ago I was in the bus lane getting my kids off the buses (I taught special ed).  One parent drove by telling us that a plane hit the World Trade Center.  We were all a little confused so just kept doing what we were doing and listening as parents came through.  When we got to the classroom I turned our TV on.  All we could think was "Oh my ghosh!  Is this real?".  We were told to turn tvs off because there were students in the building with family in New York or parents who travel, were pilots, flight attendants, etc.  We still had a radio so had that on because it was too hard to get to our library to watch the tv in there.  I rushed home after school and was thankful my dad was in town.  I was glued to the TV.  I just kept thinking that they would find people alive and that it couldn't be that bad.  My positive thinking I guess.  Of course I was wrong.  It was an emotional day that I don't think anyone alive will forget.
Today, the 10th anniversary of 9/11, I did the same thing.  I sat in front of the TV for most of the day watching coverage.  One channel actually showed about an hour of Good Morning America from that morning.  I wanted to hear the stories.  It seems more have come out.  Again I was emotional and in disbelief.  Did this really happen to us?  It did.
I thank our military, firefighters, police and all service personnel for what you do to keep our country safe.  God Bless the USA!  Never Forget.

Tropical Storm Lee

Call us crazy but Labor Day weekend we went to Destin, FL even though a tropical storm was coming!  We had made plans with friends back in June to go for the weekend.  We were not going to let a little weather stop us!  What a National Lampoon Vacation it was!  It took the one family 9 hours to get there (We made it in 5 1/2 hours) due to lost GPS signal, incorrect directions, baby diaper changes and basically everything you could think of happening.  I felt so bad for them.  Preston kept asking when they were going to be there.  The other family that went with us made it a little after we did after passing a sign that said "Your GPS is wrong.  Turn around!".  Gotta love that and the fact there were about 10 cars going the same way!
Saturday we hit the beach.  Waves were crazy and it was a double red flag.  We didn't care.  We just weren't going to let the kids get in past the knees.  They were all so excited to be at the ocean.  Preston even laid on his belly in the sand and water.  I was so excited for them even though it was windy.  Then along comes the beach patrol telling everyone to get out of the water.  Bummer.  So we went closer to the house and let the kids play in the sand there.  One family was smart and brought an inflatable pool that we blew up and filled up with the hose.  The kids loved this - it wasn't the same as the ocean but they got the sand and water, right?  Problem only came after about an hour when they all started to get cold!
It rained off and on the whole weekend.  Luckily it wasn't a constant rain but enough to drive you stir crazy.  Our house had leaks so we had about 4 buckets in the living room catching the drips.  I meant to take a picture of it and just never got around to it.  I actually didn't get nearly as many pictures as I wanted (those that know me know I take pictures of everything!)  Part of the reason is my camera battery died 1/2 way through Sunday.  I had my charger.  Until the following week I didn't realize that I put the battery in backwards in the charger therefore it didn't charge.  I blame pregnancy head!
Sunday we looked for some indoor activities to do that would get us out of the house.  Everyone else had the same idea I guess.  We landed on a little Kids' Science Museum.  I mean little too when you have all these people coming and going and it is set up like a house with lots of little rooms!  The kids seemed to really enjoy it though.  We were then off to an early dinner.  Great restaurant.  Dewey Destin I believe was the name.  The kids loved the outside area where we waited.  Afterward the men decided that they were no longer going to let the tropical storm win.  Out to the ocean they went.  Preston, Calleigh and I watched as Daddy went in the ocean.  Preston got scared and kept saying he didn't want his Daddy to get lost.  I think this came from the fact that the majority of our time we were laughing at the people going in the ocean and calling them crazy.  Now it was us!  Calleigh couldn't hold back any more.  She ran to Daddy and went in with him.  Terry said she had a ball.  I had to go inside with Preston who after some time playing in the sand had a bout of diarrhea that needed to be bathed.  Calleigh was just adorable though when they did come in - "Mommy, the ocean pulled down my pants!".  I let her go in in her clothes and apparently one of the waves pulled her pants down.  Where was I and my camera?!!
The kids hated to leave on Monday, mainly I think because they really didn't get the time they wanted/needed in the water.  We went to IHOP for lunch then all left our various ways (I say various because we all live within a few miles of each other we apparently each get different GPS directions!).  Traffic was a little crazy but the National Lampoon Vacation continued.  We ignored GPS when it told us to get on 10 to go through Dothan.  NO!  That was the long way.  We ended up on 10 because we came to a T intersection and I was 1/2 asleep so we turned right instead of left.  UGH.  Dothan and Eufaula were just a bunch of cars in small towns.  Took us 6 1/2 hours to get home.  One family made it in the 5 1/2 hours.  The family that took 9 hours to get down there - went the short way home but their luck hit in Montgomery.  They stopped for lunch and when they looked at their tires, one or 2 were bulging.  Off to Walmart and a new set of tires.  3 hour wait.  Another 9 hour trip.
I think we all need another trip with actual relaxing and sunshine!  I must say, if I have to be stuck out of town in a tropical storm, we were stuck with some great friends (and great cookies!).  Can't wait until next Labor Day for our next beach adventure together!

 

Family

My kids crack me up!  The last two nights they have played family.  Preston is the Daddy and Calleigh is the Mommy.  Yesterday Preston moved their kid table to be next to the loveseat so that the "baby" could be sitting on the couch next to them and at the same level!  It was such a smart idea - he had the baby bouncy seat first and realized the baby would be on the ground.  They apparently were at a restaurant on the "big truck road" (that is what Preston calls the highway!)  Tonight they played again.  Preston was driving and Calleigh was in the backseat with the baby.  It is so cute!  I love watching them play so nicely.  Of course we do have our moments of fighting but overall they are sweet.
I was talking to my Dad the other day and told him that I am so thankful for my kids.  I have awesome kids.  They are so sweet and well behaved.  We never had to baby proof the house - no cabinet locks, outlet covers, things off shelf, etc.  They never tried to really get into anything.  Once out of a crib, they didn't try to leave their room.  Calleigh does get books occasionally and put them in her bed but that's ok.  She doesn't leave her room and she is quiet!  As infants they were (and still are) good sleepers.  Of course as I was saying all this to my dad, I patted my tummy and told Peanut that I hope you continue the trend and is good!!
Tomorrow we get to go to the beach with some friends.  We are all excited.  Now we have to hope that this Caribbean wave that is coming doesn't turn into a tropical storm and we have rain all weekend!  No matter what, we will have good friends and good times!!