The Treat of the Trade

You know how it goes. Its the weekend...the Dr's office is closed or your Dr isn't the one on call. They send you to an Urgent Care Center where they don't know you. The wait time is 3 hours even though there's only 3 people ahead of you. Your child who was sick for the past 2 1/2 days is now as hyper as can be. For a second you really wonder if the fever and sleepless nights were fake. Did you dream it all? Because he doesn't look sick as he runs around and hides from you and doesn't want to sit still. But yet at home I couldn't even go to the bathroom because all he wanted from me was to be held. You know how it goes. You wonder why nothing over the counter has worked for him when you can get a prescription with the same ingredients as the over the counter stuff. And 2 days into taking that medicine hes better. Hes himself. He plays. He eats. Hes better. That is another one of my joys. That i have a spot in the kitchen cabinet for all this medicine and dro...

Tan lines start to disappear. The summer toe nail polish makes its way to the bottom of the bag. Flip flops get thrown to the back of the closet. Socks make their way back into the drawer. Hot concrete wont touch your bare feet for a while. The water sprinkler gets put away. The ice cream truck is parked. The snocone stands close. Bathing suits are put up and jackets are brought out. Swimming pools are cleaned one last time and close. Everyone tries to get that one last BBQ in. Football season officially starts. You can start to smell the crisp fall air....when summer starts to fade. Until next time summer...i will be day dreaming of you alot this winter. We have big plans for you summer....come as quick as you left!

Exactly one year ago today this is our little one. Man how he has changed! All the milestones we have crossed. All the wonders he has learned. He went from a wee little one still in a bib, drinking out of a bottle, sucking the fruit thru a net, babbling, not walking yet, barely crawling, making messes, learning to give kisses, still being carried around...to this..... Our 21 month old! Who in his own big boy way...talks alot, runs everywhere, tells us he loves us, freely gives kisses and hugs ( with a squeeze) loves Elmo, loves baths, makes messes, helps me do housework, is learning his colors, his numbers, and ABCs, laughs uncontrollably, loves unconditionally!

Jaxon was sick this week. Which meant some of the following: Sleepless nights for both of us. Cranky mood swings for both of us. Alot of medicine consumed by him. Not wanting to eat, again him ( i eat all the time!) Wanting to be held but not wanting to be touched, mostly all him but sometimes me (on the days i didn't get to shower :) Nothing seems to go right when you are sick. Then one of the mornings he woke up at 4am he had gone back to sleep about 7am and woke up again at 11am! HOORAY! I remember saying when I too woke up! We both got some sleep that day! Him still not being in the mood for anything to eat..i whipped up some pancakes for brunch and he ate 1 1/2! I was excited! Until that afternoon when another cranky mood swing set in and he didn't want to take a nap. Therefore I didn't get to take a nap. Plus we had both not gone anywhere for 3 days and I think we were getting a little stir crazy. Just my guess. Because as soon as daddy got home we hopped in the car....

This cat comes up out of no where one day and is starving. Hes still a kitten. Poor thing...you could see his ribs. We leave him a little bit of food and water outside and he comes by to eat and lay in the shade. But one night Josh just had to bring him in to eat. "To make sure he eats" ...so josh says. We have a cat. I am not a fan of getting another one while we have Annie only because she is a very territorial cat. She likes her space and no one else in it! So lets bring the cat in yet again. And name it! Yes he named the cat. The stray cat. That I was OK with leaving some food for. That I was OK with him just hanging around. Now Jaxon calls for him if he doesn't see him outside. We were adopted. He is a sweet cat. Needs a good home. Well I can loan him the garage for the time being. He really doesn't want to get on Annie's bad side...just yet!

All the pillows from my bed and one blanket = One Movie Fort so we can watch a movie in the heat of the day. He smashes down the pillows with his feet. Good thing they always smell good and they are always so clean! :) What a life. What a way to relax. What a way to watch a movie. What a great memory to have captured!

...Strollers are for dump trucks. Did you know that? I, unlike some I know, am not against my son pushing around a stroller. A pink stroller. They don't make them in blue or camo or green or anything else boy. They make them in pink. With flowers. To go with the baby doll that smells like baby powder and comes with a bottle. His 5 year old sister has out grown this and as much as me and dad would love to throw it out...I cant. He enjoys it to much. I tell him he will make a good daddy one day. Because in reality...boys do push strollers around. Even if they are pink. With flowers. With a little girl inside that smells like baby powder. For the rest of the time this stroller will be around it will seat dump trucks, transformers, Elmo, Mambo, and blocks...because well....that's what little boys push around in pink strollers!

Finally I should add! :) We have been together almost 4 years and of course we have a beautiful son together. We have talked about getting married even before Jaxon was even thought about. But this was a nice surprise. Jaxon brought me the ring Josh ask me to marry him and of course i said yes! the wedding date is set for Oct. When it cools down a bit. All his girls will be in the wedding and we will have our close family and friends in attendance!

GG loves to come and see Jaxon. She cant go one week with out seeing him. If for any reason she cant make it over she at least calls to "hear him laugh" over the phone! They have some of the best play dates!! Jaxon started off the date by reading her a story. Then he quickly brings in the cars! She loves playing cars with him...which means she has to sit on the floor...although hard for her to do...she does it without a complaint! They made up their own game. They made up their own noises and they had alot of fun! Until next time she comes over to play...he will be patiently waiting for his GG!

...in my head I mean! This song is pretty catchy. I know when the time comes to take the potty training seriously I will be singing this everyday and everywhere we go. I know its right around the corner. It may take a day..it may take 4 months. I will try not to hold my breathe for it to happen though. After all...he started walking by him self after 25 minutes of walking around with me. He started crawling within a day or 2. Held his bottle by him self ...really just out of the blue one day. So i am hoping for the day where he rips off his diaper uses the potty and pulls up some underoos! WOW! what a daydream!!

My late grandmother used to make what she called her "Farmers Market Dinner" every summer. Complete with fresh green beans, sweet corn, okra, squash and sometimes black eyed peas and new potatoes. The only difference in our meal and hers is that we made meat. My mom and Jaxon getting the green beans ready. Then Jaxon took over and did it all himself! All the food now ready to cook! Looks very yummy!! We grilled the corn and cooked out some chicken and ribs. Everything was so good and fresh! New potatoes and green beans cooking and the okra frying. This was a great meal complete with some great people! I cant wait until next years meal. To me this dinner completes the summer. Brings back old memories and allows us to also create new ones!

That I have a son that acts just like his father? They both eat cake right before bed. They both sing the same songs. They watch tv the same. Daddy cuts the sleeves off his shirt and they both wear them on their head! So silly my boys are!!

First we colored...he colored a page and i made a page for him Then this show takes over. I do have to say i love this show. since then he has picked up a few more words just by watching this. so props to word world! and when its time to build a word....that means its time to dance. sorry for the quality of the picture but it was taken quickly and he was dancing...it was sweet. i love catching moments like this!

This was quit a trying effort on both our parts. If I could have a camera follow me around, I would. Just to snap a few pics that I cant here and there. He did good after a few tries. He actually allowed me to be in the picture with him! He is such a camera hog sometimes! This was the first attempt. He was trying to look under the camera. He moved right in front of me as I snapped this one. Silly!! I told him..." LOOK! I want to be in a picture with you! OK?" to that i get this.......and sooo glad i caught the moment....it was the sweetest thing!! I love him!

SIT DOWN!! SIT DOWN!! He tells me as I had just started to relax one evening. That is one order of his you cant ignore. And I am glad I didn't because we had alot of fun rolling his cars around. He was jibber jabbering about the rules of the game here right after he lined his cars up. I love evening plans like this!

Enjoying a nice afternoon on the porch...watching birds...watching the cars go by...enjoying the breeze. Crossing legs like daddy. laughing like daddy. looking like daddy. i never knew what the term really meant..Like Father Like Son. Now I know....i have a son who is just like his father!

Because shes her. shes real. shes giving. shes understanding. shes been thru alot. she knows alot. I admire her. shes patient. she works hard. she plays harder. shes a rebel. She lets me take pictures of her like this. shes silly. shes serious. she laughs. she cries. shes a great aunt. shes a pack rat. shes a great baker. shes an awesome student. shes a better teacher. i have loved her since the day i met her. i have never wanted anything or anyone to hurt her. she has seen me at my worst and she has seen me at my best. she doesn't hold anything against me. she has seen me cry. she has seen me laugh. she has seen me crumble. she has seen me dust off and stand up again. she has loved unconditionally. she has left her mark on alot of peoples hearts we have alot of good times. we have had some bad times. we are the sisters that everyone wants to be like! :) we see the good in everything. we see humor in everything. i love her with all my heart. she will make a good mommy one day. sh...

And we are back...to the Discovery Center. I will say it time and time again this place has become our second home this summer and it never gets old! Daddy hasn't been with Jaxon yet so we let daddy come out and play....and that he did!! He was just playing the way his son was showing him...going up the slide instead of down. Then we attempted to put him in a bubble. With fail. They are opening a toddler area soon..for all things toddler and I am more pumped about it than i think anyone else is!! Until next time...because in all honesty...we may be at the Discovery Center in the mean time!!

He's not even 2 yet and he has 31 hot wheels. And there are some missing in action. He is laughing at me here because i am teaching him to crash the cars. Good idea? not sure yet. But this is how i spend most to all of my afternoon...in his room...playing hot wheels in his desk. Not sure yet why that's the only place he wants to play them...but they are his cars..his room...his rules. Momma is just his play date.

Our favorite beer is Miller Lite. We were at the annual Harley Party back in July and well the Miller Lite girls were there so I had to snap this one up! It was 101 degrees that day. All you can eat from about 25-30 restaurants. All you can drink. Plus a chance to win a 2010 Harley. This is my aunt and uncle trying to stay cool. This is my other aunt and uncle also trying to stay cool. Have to get there early to find the good shade and make sure you don't lose it. Our clan. With mini fans, cold water in the spray bottle, and iced cold beer. It was another great family get together. Shared with a couple hundred other people!

Its been a while since I have posted anything and this summer is about to pass me by! I have been taking Jaxon to the Discovery Center alot this summer and on one of the trips my grandma...his GG went. And she played and played and played! I also took Jessie and my cousins little girl as well. They love this place and I loved taking all of them....even his GG. She acts like a kid when he is around and I love that about her. She isn't a grandma or a great grandma when the kids are around..but shes a kid herself! She says Jaxon keeps her young and her heart glowing. She makes me smile! :)