Our Weekend + My Birthday

We a pretty busy weekend (for us, anyways!) and got out with the kids quite a bit.

On Friday night, we drove up to Costco where we found a Morgan-sized Minnie Mouse and a Minnie Mouse costume for Halloween.  Why is it so hard to say NO? (Mo didn't even ask for it, I just threw them in the cart...clearly I have a problem!)  It's been an all out battle, complete with screamy tears to get that dress off her.  I always wished she'd get over her obsession with her birdie shirt...well...be careful what you wish for, right?  After the Costco run, we went out for Mexican food.

 I'm totally addicted to this creamer for my coffee...and it's much cheaper than Starbucks:

On Saturday, we hit up our local Merchants & Music Festival.  It was fun because there was a big kid's zone that had bounce houses and all sorts of fun stuff for little kids. We picked up a few handmade bows for Morgan and had fun just walking around, looking at all the vendors. We sat and ate pizza on a bench in the park while the kids ran around (and one of us chased them, of course.)

 Also on Saturday....big news in our house....we converted Morgan's crib to a toddler bed.  Our Ped recommended (as had everything I'd read) to wait until she started crawling out.  She hadn't been doing that, BUT she had been waking every morning around 3am, screaming for me.  When I'd go up to check on her (because she was NEVER going back to sleep on her own), she begged to sleep with me in "Big Bed".  So, we felt like it was time.  We were right, she LOVES IT!  So far, we haven't had a problem with her getting up during naps or at night, so hopefully she stays put ;-)

 On Sunday, Joe and I went to the Reds game - it was their last home game of the regular season.  Once again, we were lucky enough to be invited by someone who had Champion level tickets - I always joke that I'll never be able to sit in regular seats without access to all the food, haha.  It rained, so good thing we were inside.  We went with a guy that Joe works with and his wife - she is a nurse with young kids at home too, so we had lots in common!  Yay for a sliver of a social life!

Sunday evening we got home from the Reds game, grabbed the kids and went out to dinner to celebrate Joe's Grandma's Birthday.

 I still get to pick out clothing for one of my children, I'll let you guess which one.

All in all, a great weekend that went by too fast.

And today is my birthday.  I'm still working on admitting, truthfully, my age.  I keep punching the current year minus my birth year into the calculator just to be sure.  It hasn't changed.  I feel like such an old lady....welcome 37.

Joey 15 Months

Even though I've stopped doing the monthly updates after Joey turned 1, I wanted to be sure to keep a record of what he's been up to.

First of all:  He is never still.  NEVER EVER EVER.

 Which is probably good because he EATS like there's no tomorrow.  He can eat more than both Morgan and I in one sitting.  He'd pretty much prefer just meat and cheese.  And the occasional cracker.

Loves to share his food with you.  But loves to steal food too! Especially Morgan's.

 He's such a happy guy.  Always laughing or trying to make us laugh.

 Loves to be chased around.

 Loves climbing on furniture (or anything he can scale for that matter).

 Will lie down, pop his thumb in his mouth and take a break just about anywhere.

 LOVES books.  He will back his little butt up and plop right down in my lap with a book for me to read.  Or he'll go off on his own and "read" to himself ;-)

 Gets in to EVERYTHING.  EVERYWHERE.  If it doesn't have a lock on it, its free game.  I need more locks.  He drags every spice and canned good and bowl and utensil all over the house.  Last week I couldn't find the remote and it was at the bottom of a dirty laundry pile in my bedroom.

He's saying SO many words lately.  Most recently it's been "OT! OT!" for hot, when he comes near the stove or his food is too hot.  Also kept saying "Stuck! Stuck!" last night in the car ride home because he couldn't get out of his car seat.  Joe kept telling him "You're supposed to be stuck, sorry buddy!" haha.  Also says "Me" and "Mo" for "More".  "Ball".  "BaBa" for Bottle.  "Wah-Way" for "water".  "Tee Too" for "thank you".  "Hee Doe" for "Here you go".

And my favorite lately?  He'll come up and give me a kiss (open mouth, but we're working on it, haha!)  If I ask for kisses he'll smile and take off running.  Little stinker.

Loves his Mama....but is a BIG Daddy's boy too! We love this little boy with all our hearts.

AH Kiawah

We just returned from a nice little trip to Kiawah Island, SC.  It. Was. Magnificent.  We stayed at The Sanctuary and I was wowed every second we were there.

The view from our room.  I didn't really think I'd get an ocean view when I booked it...but hey!

 I'm lucky my husband doesn't like to golf because the 2012 PGA Championship was held there and it was a golfer's paradise.  The beach was amazing as well.

We like to bike, so we rented bikes most every day we were there and rode for hours.  Had to negate all the food we were eating somehow!  (Seriously, HOW are there any thin people in Charleston???)

 Riding on the beach was so smooth...the sand was packed hard and it made for an easy scenic ride.  We also rode the bike path all the way to the tip of the island.

I got to do a little light pleasure reading (thanks for the recs...this was a great one!)

  Lots of beach lounging & more reading:

Every night was date night.  Glorious.

This guy....*swoon*

I would hate myself if I didn't elaborate on the food there...I'm not sure there are words.  There's a reason the Charleston area gets such praise for having some of the best food around.  And I got to taste it!  A BIG thanks to Amy from BabyMamaJuice for all the recs!! You were spot on.  (And I didn't come stalk you & your gorgeous house, but I thought about it.)

Anyway, back to the food:

The Vanilla Bourbon French Toast at Jasmine Porch with Chicken Apple Sausage

The Butternut Squash/Goat Cheese salad at La Tela Pizzaria in Freshfields Village.  I wish I had a picture of our pizza...but it was inhaled.  Possibly THE BEST pizza either of us have ever eaten (and that's saying a lot...my husband has lived in NYC & we both lived in Chicago, so he knows his pizza, lol)

They also served my Octoberfest at La Tela so a glass was necessary

My room service oatmeal.  Even it was amazing.  I think they put crack in it.

Our final night we drove off the island and into Charleston to Trattoria Luca.  I had the swordfish that was done up with crab, fresh tomatoes and basil and peanut potatoes all in a lemony-butter sauce.  If I'm ever on my deathbed, this will be my last meal.  It was so incredible.

Oh! And I made a new friend.  He was kinda quiet though...

We were careful not to get eaten by the gators

I got to take full showers, put on full makeup AND do my hair. All without interruption.  It's the little things.

We got to see some pretty spectacular homes right on the beach (and plenty of others way out on the end of the island...just WOW is all I could keep saying)

It was an incredible opportunity to get to go.  We really enjoyed the time alone together - it was so good to relax and reconnect.  I felt awful leaving the kids, but even more so because Morgan had come down with a virus right before we left that left her with a fever for 5 days and a nasty rash.  The only way I was comfortable leaving her was knowing she was in the very capable loving hands of my MIL ("Nana").  I'm told she slept a lot, didn't eat much, and could barely hold her head up.  We FaceTimed and I was more than ready to get back and love on my babies.  I missed them like crazy!!

Funny Mo

Morgan is pretty conversational these days and I have to admit -- I love it.  She says the funniest things that I don't want to forget.

Last weekend...(After we'd been up from midnight til 5am and I went to get her up for the day at 7:30am)
Me:  "Good morning Babygirl, how about we get dressed and go downstairs?"
Morgan (in a really slow, deep, sleepy voice): "Yeah....I need some coffee Mama"

We have read - and know by heart - the entire Llama Llama series, so I tried to focus on the one where Llama Llama goes to school (Llama Llama Misses Mama) and there's a line in which the teacher tells LL that "When the day is through, she will come right back to you!"  So whenever I drop Morgan off at school she always says "Mama...she will come right back to you!"

(On the car ride home after pre-school pickup she leaned her head back and closed her eyes)
Morgan:  "Mama?  I need a nappy when we get home.  It's time to take a rest."

(When picking her up from school one day and she first saw me at the door)
Morgan: "Mama!!!  I'm SOOO Pwoud of you!!!!"

(Joe will go behind the kids and hum the theme song from Jaws - the da-duh da-duh getting faster & faster until he grabs them and kisses or tickles them.  He did this all the way up the stairs one night while following Morgan up to put her to bed.)
Morgan "Daddy...that's enough.  THAT'S ENOUGH DAD!"

(She is constantly crawling up onto the chair & table to get on my laptop, which is where I do all my school work)
Me: "Morgan, get down."
Morgan: "I just gotta look at sumfin quick."

She's very particular about pink everything these days.  She will only use her pink Abby plate or pink Piggy plate to eat off of.  Pink bowl.  Pink spoon.  And will only wear pink, sparkly, heart clips in her hair.

Every age is fun - but 2 1/2 is proving to be hilarious!  I love this sweet, smart, spirited, curious girl so very much.

I'm Rebelling

This week... *sigh*.  I don't even know where to pick up or start -- in every aspect.

The house? Shambles. School work? Mostly neglected save for two papers I pounded out during naptime yesterday.  The kids? Sick.  And right when we're supposed to be leaving town.  I think they have a 6th sense about these things, like "Hey, Mom & Dad might be ditching us....let's get sick and make them worry! Yeah!"  Clean Eating & Exercising? Pffft.  I inhaled a box of glazed donut holes...so I'm gonna go with a "NO" on that one.

Nothing major, but both kids have had runny/snotty noses, and now Morgan's on Day #2 of a fever.  Her Ped's office says it's a virus they're seeing a lot of right now and to expect 3-5 days of it.  Oy.  I feel as if all I've done this week is run back & forth between the two kids putting out mini fires and cleaning up a whole laaaaa-hot of poo.

Husband is finally finishing a 12-day call stretch in which he was gone 4 evenings as well.  My babysitter canceled on me once and then called me home after an hour the other day because things got a little hairy on the homefront.  Every time I feel sorry for myself, I remind myself to suck it up.  There are people whose spouses are gone a LOT longer and some that aren't in the picture at all.  I'm lucky.

So all that is why I'm rebelling.  How exactly, I'm just not sure yet.  Probably shopping.  It's very therapeutic, lol.

Let's talk about some good things:

First up, congrats to my Bro & Sister-in-law on the arrival of my new baby nephew (who has yet to be named)!  He was born at 35 weeks and was only 4lbs 10oz.  Like me, my SIL is unable to stay pregnant til the end, lol.  I'm told he's healthy but just doesn't want to eat.

Can't wait to get my hands on him!!

And speaking of Cute Baby Nephews...I can't believe my sister's little man is almost 2 months already.  Little Carter Boo...I really gotta get back to MN to love on these guys:

There aren't many cuter things in this world than baby jeans!

I had a 2nd opinion consult today about my broken nose.  Long story short, the first Plastic Surgeon didn't call me back to schedule after 2 phone calls and I wasn't thrilled about the facility where he practices.

The surgeon I met today was an actual ENT Surgeon (not plastics) and VERY throrough - took an HOUR with me - that is UNHEARD of.  He stuck multiple scopes up my nose and sprays and lights and all sorts of fun stuff.  He thinks he can fix me up and make me symmetrical again.

Hopefully I will have my toes in the sand on the beach of Kiawah Island very soon if these kids of mine can keep it together long enough to sucker my MIL into staying.  Even though it's fall and I'm not really in the beachy mood, I need a little R&R.  It's going to be hard being holed up in this shack while the Hubs is at his conferences:

But I'm gonna persevere and manage somehow ;-)  Have a fabulous fall weekend!