Right Now

Drinking lots of hot drinks. There was a lot of tea and hot coco drinking this weekend. Love Fall!

Decorating the house for Halloween. Fall has always been my favorite season because I love the cooler weather, it always gets me in the mood to read a book and snuggle in for the winter. 

Wearing my hoodies again. I have a nice collection of them from the years past. I think it might be time to retire some of them, the pockets/front pouches are starting to come off or have holes in them. I guess it is only fair, I have had some of them since college and one I've had since high school. They all hold a special place though.

Taking lots of pictures with Instagram. Below is a picture that I took yesterday and used several different filters to alter it. I love it. Can't decide which one is going to go into my Project Life album...maybe all of them. 

LOVING my new iPhone 5. It is just so much faster then my 3GS and the camera on it is just awesome.  I'm so glad I did the upgrade. My husband is the one that set it all up. Thanks Tim!

Thankful for an awesome husband who took care of pretty much everything this weekend so I could get some scrapbooking, sewing, "me time". Seriously, he cleaned the house, took care of Max, and when I came home from running a few errands (without Max) he was putting up my Halloween decorations.

Cooking lots of warm meals. We had chicken soup and chili this weekend and tonight I think we are going to have taco soup.

Super Excited for Christmas this year. I'm almost done with my shopping and just need to make a few more things and just get them in the mail. My sister and brother in-law are done, seriously, their gifts are already wrapped.

Still finding it unreal how much Max has grown. I was watching him yesterday when we were outside and I still can't believe how big he's gotten. He'll be 3 in January. THREE!!

Listening to Max's speech finally coming along. He is really really trying to talk more now and I'm thankful. It has come with a lot of worrying on whether something was wrong with him and why he wasn't talking. But patience, relaxing, and non displayed stress have paid off. Keep up the good work Max.

Anticipating new things. There are a few things are are coming up (not quite ready to share yet) that I'm mentally and financially preparing for. They are good for us as a family and hope that everything will work out the way I plan on, but preparing for all options, just in case.

Enjoying life right now.

BETTER : My 2012 Word

My goal this year is to be BETTER. Better about everything.

A BETTER wife.
A BETTER mom.
A BETTER person about completing my list of things and following through on things.
BETTER at eating healthy and exercising.
A BETTER photographer.
A BETTER blogger.
A BETTER scrapbooker.
A BETTER person all around.

I didn't write a New Year's resolution because I never follow through with them so I thought the word BETTER would kind of be a blanket effect on all that I want to accomplish this year. There is one thing that I want to do here on the blog to make myself more accountable and that is my Project Life posts. I did do Project Life last year but kind of fell off the wagon in September/October time frame. I am going to complete that project this week but with that being said, I do not want to fall behind with this years Project Life. So if I said that I'm going to post the weekly layouts here it might make me more accountable in doing them. I still really love that project and want to play with some different ideas that I have recently seen on other people's blogs and/or scrapbooks. So I think Tuesdays or Wednesday will be PL day. I'm excited because I think I'm going to print more pictures at home this year as Tim got me a new printer for Christmas. A printer specifically for photos. YEAH for pictures.

Okay, so with that being said, I'm going to download my cards and print my pictures for this past week's PL.

Here's to the New Year and to being BETTER!!

Around Here

Around Here - We are doing a lot of looking out the windows. It is so hot here now, it has been in the upper 90s all week with the UV index at 11 on a few days. The UV index is a 10 point scale.

 Around Here - My tomato plants are about 2+ feet tall and I already have some tomatoes growing. Looking forward to not buying tomatoes this summer and whatever I don't use I can can so I can use them this winter. Love the idea of fresh tomatoes in the winter and the best part, I grew them and they were FREE!!!

 Around Here - This little boy is growing up so fast. From the looks of this picture we may have to lower the crib down to it's lowest level. It makes me sad, I wish he could stay this little forever. He's an awesome kid. Love you Max!!

 Around Here - Max is into everything. He is now tall enough to reach in the drawers that he can open and he just starts rifling around to see what he can grab. He can also now reach stuff on the counter tops. We have to make sure that all items are pushed as far away as possible, if not Max comes steals it and runs in the other rooms with it.

 Around Here - Max is into playing and laying in the light that is around the house. This strip of light comes in through the skylight at about 1 p.m. Max thinks it is funny to run in and out of it. He is also into laying around on the floor. Most times he is kicking and screaming because we are at that age where when he doesn't get his way he throws a little fit. Awesome....NOT!

 Around Here - This is Max's new favorite spot since we finally cleaned out the front room to make it a daycare room for me. Hopefully all paper work will come through and I can up and running by August. I already have a kid waiting on me.

 Around Here - Max thinks the dog are big pillows when they are laying around. He likes to run up to them and tackle them, except they aren't moving. Both dogs are really good about not getting mad but they are getting older, as is Max, so I don't want them to get hurt. Max is better but not great at being "nice to the puppies."

 Around Here - He is really into his matchbox cars. Loves to run them over the window sile and put them between the blinds, or on top of the trash can, or any where there is a flat surface.  

 Around Here - Maggie is still playing with a broken ball. She has ripped a hole in it but refuses to stop playing with it even though it doesn't squeak.

Around Here - He is using his "Easter Basket" from Auntie Chris as a hat. The funny part is that he always seems to have trouble getting it off.

Yup, today I was that Mom

Tim and I waited a long time to have a kid. We were married over 7 years by the time Max arrived into the world. Before having him I was a little (ok more than a little) judgemental on how everyone else raised/treated their kids. I would see a mom in a store and their kid is just screaming and kicking and throwing a fit and the mom just continues to shop.

I would look at Tim and say, "Who lets their kid act like that?"

Other times you would see the mom that would have an arm full of items to include but not limited to her purse, diaper bag, cell phone, while holding on to about 3-5 shopping bag with her keys in her mouth and holding her child's hand who is doing the "I don't want to walk so I'm going to let my legs go limp and let my mom drag me to the car by my arm as I scream" thing.

Today was that day for me. Max is at the age where he doesn't want to sit in the cart anymore. No matter what toys or type of entertainment I try and give him, he just doesn't want anything to do with it. What he wants is RUN (not walk) around the store and touch and put everything on the floor.

Today we had to go to Hobby Lobby to get some items for a Father's Day project. I knew exactly what I had to get and where it was located. I decided to just bring my wallet and coupon book instead of the whole diaper bag. I put Max in the big part of the shopping cart so he wouldn't feel so restricted.

We walked around for me to get my items. He was getting irritated because he wanted to run so I gave him my wallet and coupon book to play with and that entertained him for all of 5 seconds. He was standing up and getting frustrated, he hit his head, slammed his hand in the part of the cart that folds up all the while he was starting to throw his little fit.

I got all of my items in a record 10 minutes (could have stayed there for much longer looking at everything) and went to check out. I was lucky enough when I came in that there was a cart in the parking lot (rare for Hobby Lobby) and I did not want to push him out in that since I only had 1 bag, my wallet, and coupon book, so I put Max down to walk himself.

Again, he is a runner right now and doesn't want to hold my hand. So of course as soon as we get to the sidewalk to cross the street he does the "limp leg" thing while screaming as I'm crossing the street holding him up by his arm. Awesome!

All those memories and judgements came flooding back on what I use to think of "that mom" and her "terrible kids". I just want to say that I understand now and I'm sorry for all the judgements I use to make. I get it now. You learn to adapt and overcome and to pick your battles. Had this been a grocery store and we were going to be there a while, I would have taken him home. I'm not blind and know when enough is enough. Why do you think we bring an iPad loaded with movie and TV shows when we got out to dinner. We want to enjoy dinner just as everyone else does.

And just some FYI out there to all you non-moms, if you see a Mom or person with multiple things/children going on, help her. Offer to carry bags or take her shopping cart over the cart return place. Don't look at her and say, "Wow, you look like you have your hands full," (uh, DUH, OBVIOUSLY) or "Your kids must be tired." It isn't always the case. Just because they are crying does not always = tired. There are a million (well really only about 10) other things that could be going on.

So again, I'm sorry for my judgements and don't worry, if you give me a funny look when my child is screaming and I'm continuing to shop looking unbothered by it, I won't judge you. I was you once. But know this, you too will do the same thing when your day comes.

Right Now

I should be showering and getting ready for bed but I'm here writing this blog post.

I'm tired from crazy Vicky at the YMCA Boot Camp class she gave tonight...but it does feel great to work out again.

I need a new pair of workout shoes.

I'm about a month behind in my Project Life album. I don't like this, trying to catch up.

My household has a case of the sniffles.

I have a pile of dirty dishes from last night that will probably sit there again tonight because I chose to do other things today.

I hope the grass seed works so my yard does not look like a blind person gave it a hair cut.

I'm thinking I really need to call and get my dress altered for my sister's wedding, it is only a few weeks away.

There is no Diet Coke in my house, both a good and a bad thing. I'm down to one a day (most days).
I need to figure out how to use my movie software so that I can make the video of all of all the video clips I took of Max his first year and start his second.

I'm a little worried about hurricane tornado season. Never had tornadoes before.

I'm going to bed.

Just Another Sunday

Max flying high!! The weekends around here have been very low key as it has been a little cool and we are trying to get the yard ready, since this year is the year of the yard. We are doing a few gardens, a new deck, and we would like to paint the outside of the house. But I just thought I would share our lazy Sunday afternoon as a family.

Nothing is more entertaining then a broom stick that is twice the size of you for you to swing around and try and hit stuff with.

The daffodils coming up. Love spring and all the pretty flowers that come with it. Wish it would stay this temperature all the time.

My boy playing in the yard. He is walking everywhere and wants to explore and shake everything. Love him!

Lately.

Lately...
...I have been enjoying small things, like peppermint mocha coffee at Star Bucks.
...I have been trying to get some pictures of Max crawling by my point-and-shoot camera is to slow so I get pictures like this. It is one of my favorites right now.

....I have been watching Max get faster at crawling and quicker to stand up.

....I have been watching him learn and grow, it is my most favorite part about staying home.