Happy...

Lately I have been really happy. I don't know quite what it is but I've just been really, really happy. I guess it's because I have been making more of an effort to spend some real quality time with my boy and my man. In the morning and later when Carter comes home from school I am all his until bedtime. We play games, read, go for walks, and find excuses to eat a lot of yummy treats. After Carter goes to bed, my full attention goes to my hubby. We relax, talk, and spend time cuddled up watching our favorite shows. I am making a more conscience effort to be present. It has been absolutely wonderful and I can see and feel changes not only in myself but my guys as well. 
I've been taking a lot of time away from blogging, thinking about what I really want in terms of this blog and other life decisions, and getting my priorities in line and let me tell you I am feeling SO refreshed. I am slowly letting go of the guilt I have been feeling about not being able to keep up and remembering that I blog first and foremost for ME. In a way I hate how selfish that sounds, but it's the truth. And if this is something that I want to make last it has to be enjoyable and refreshing...not stressful.
So I thought that I would share with you a few things that have really made me smile over the past couple of weeks. Things that maybe I would have overlooked or not fully enjoyed while I was wrapped up in other stuff. Proof that it really is the little things in life that make me the happiest.
Rain. We haven't had much of it lately, but I absolutely love watching it rain. And there's something about the freshness after a good rain that I love...kinda feels like a fresh clean start.

This face. Need I say more? Perfection. I swear I could stare at him all day. It's been awhile since I just sat and took in how precious he really is. It never ceases to amaze me that he is mine. He's the combination of me and the hubs love brought to life. He's all that I could ever ask for and so much more. I love him more than I could ever express. I am so blessed.

Splurging on something for me. Yeah I know it's just chapstick but trust me, spending $3 on chapstick is a splurge in my opinion! But I LOVE it!

Shaved ice. After school one day, hubs met Carter and I for this special treat. It reminded us of being in Hawaii...one of our favorite places.

Getting dressed in clothes other than sweats. Yup, since we are all finally feeling better it's so nice to actually put on a real outfit, shave my legs, and put on make up! Feeling like a hobo is only fun for so long ;){p.s.- please ignore the unmade bed in the background}

Star Wars. It's a big deal in this house. We took our little Jedi to see it over the weekend and had a blast.

This man. He is the breath of fresh air in my day. My safe place. My comfort. I am so incredibly blessed to be his wife and to be sharing my life with him. Nobody else would do, only him. 

New iPad games. Carter and I have been playing a lot of games together on the iPad. He's a little obsessed with the latest game I downloaded for him, Tap Tap Muppets. Watch and see, I think we may have a little DJ in the making...

And something that I just discovered today thanks to Kristine over at The Foley Fam...Birthday Cake Oreos.

MY LIFE IS NOW COMPLETE. 

Dear Oreo, if you are reading this please make these a regular flavor. Making these a limited edition item will only force me to be on the next episode of hoarders as a troubled cookie hoarder. I could possibly then die due from being buried alive by a cookie avalanche in my own home...or diabetes, whichever comes first. 

So until the next post my peeps...I hope you find joy in your day and lots of reasons to smile.

XOXO

Sleep deprivation...and other "joys" of motherhood.

Here's a little rant for ya...

{please note that when I am sleep deprived I am extremely sarcastic. Ok that's a lie, I'm sarcastic pretty much all the time but sleep deprivation only makes it that much more dramatic.}

I only got about 4 hours sleep last night {I normally need about 8-10 to function properly}. If you follow me on fb then you know that my little man is sick with an ear infection and what I like to call "goopy eye" yes, I do believe that is a medical term.

I gave him the prescribed amoxicillin yesterday only to find his poor little body covered in hives a few hours later! I tired not to freak out and scare him but inside I was seriously FREAKING out. After talking to the doctor and coming to the conclusion that he was allergic to amoxicillin, I did the next illogical thing and googled "allergy to amoxicillin" to try to find something I could do to relieve his itchiness.

WHY don't I ever learn my lesson when it comes to googling stuff like this???

Words like: anaphylactic shock, difficultly breathing, monitor closely, and call 911 pop up. Tingly sweat begins to form under my arms. My heart begins to race. HOLY CRAP this is serious!! I finally come across some advice to give him some Benedryl. I run to my pharmacy of a medicine cabinet...CRAP AGAIN! No benedryl. Thankfully I have the most wonderful in-laws ever who brought some over at 10:30 at night {hubs is in Arizona for work...I love how this stuff only seems to happen when he is gone}. I gave some to Carter and he fell peacefully asleep about 20 minutes later.

I, on the other hand, couldn't get those scary words out of my head. So again, I did the logical thing and sat on the floor next to his bed and listened to him breathe with 911 preset to dial in my phone and my iPad to keep me company. Once I was somewhat confident that he wasn't going to go into shock, I went to my bed and tried to become animal-like with my sense of hearing. My ears were perked up and tuned in to hear even the slightest sounds of "difficult breathing." I swear I could hear my neighbors across the street snoring. I continued to check on him every half hour thereafter.

 This, friends, is the part of motherhood that no one ever seems to tell you about. The sleepless nights due to endless worrying. The constantly running scenarios through your head of what you'll do if something bad happens...

What if he stops breathing?

Will I get to his room fast enough?

I better sleep on top of the covers so that I don't become entangled in the sheets and waste precious seconds of oxygen not getting to his brain!

Will I even hear him?

I better set my alarm to wake me up every 30 minutes!

What if I trip over something and break my ankle and have to army crawl down the hallway AGAIN wasting precious oxygen to brain seconds???

It's 3 am...I better get up, clean the house and make sure I have a clear path!

Seriously people, THESE are the joys of motherhood??? I think not. 

 ANYways...he woke up hive free and full of spunk again this morning...thank God. We are off to go pick up a new prescription that the pharmacist said could make him have the same reaction...REALLY? Then WHY are we giving it to him? UGH. I guess we shall see.

BTW, if you're wondering where Part 3 of the Bringing Sexy Back series is...so am I. I've been meaning to work on it but it just hasn't happened. Haven't been that motivated to talk about fitness since I haven't been to the gym since Friday. I promise I will just as soon as things return to "normal" around here. I will, however, post a yummy healthy recipe later today for you all to enjoy so keep an eye out for that! 

Take care and stay well everyone!

And thanks for humoring me this morning ;)

xoxo,

Lacee

Never Grow Up...

This song brings me to tears every. single. time. 

~Never Grow Up by Taylor Swift~

{Lyrics edited by Lacee}

"Your little hands wrapped around my finger

And it's so quiet in the world tonight 

Your little eyelids flutter 'cause your dreaming

So I tuck you in, turn on your favorite night light...

To you, everything's funny

You got nothing to regret

I'd give all I have, honey

If you could stay like that...

Oh, darling, don't you ever grow up, don't you ever grow up

Just stay this little

Oh, darling, don't you ever grow up, don't you ever grow up

It could stay this simple...

I won't let nobody hurt you

Won't let no one break your heart

No, no one will desert you

Just try to never grow up, never grow up...

Take pictures in your mind of your childhood room

Memorize what it sounded like when your dad gets home

Remember the footsteps, remember the words said

And all your little brother's favorite songs...

I just realized everything I have 

is someday gonna be gone...

Oh, darling, don't you ever grow up, don't you ever grow up

Just stay this little

Oh, darling, don't you ever grow up, don't you ever grow up

It could stay this simple...

Won't let nobody hurt you

Won't let no one break your heart

And even though you want to

Please try to never grow up...

Don't you ever grow up

Just never grow up...

xoxo,

Lacee

Why I Love Having A Boy...

So I've seen this thing in bloggy land called "Wordless Wednesdays." Basically you post pics on your blog and let them tell the story. Well, today is not Wednesday and I'm starting this post off with words sooooo...ya...ummm call me a cheater or a rebel or whatever you choose. Here is my version of "Not So Wordless Thursday" teehee ;)

Why I Love Having A Boy...

Little man suits & ties

Random objects stored in underwear

If a doctor ever comes at you wearing his stethoscope around his waist...RUN.

You always have a super hero around to protect you...even if he is in his undies.

Uncontrollable belly laughs usually due to farting.

Dead dandelions saved for mom because she is special.

AND

last but not least, I love having a boy because he's not afraid to bring back a classic.

Carter doing his version of the Robot...

{he definitely gets his dance moves from his momma *wink*}

xoxo,

Lacee

The Little Things...

Yesterday I had the opportunity to attend a culminating event at Carter's school. It was a time where momma's and daddy's could come to school for about an hour and be "taught" by our kiddos. It was their chance to show us all the things that they had been learning in school so far, a chance to "show off their skills" as Carter put it. As soon as I walked into class Carter ran up to me and gave me a huge hug. The smile on his face said it all, he was SO happy to see me there.

To start, the teacher had all the kids line up and they started off by singing us a song. It's still stuck in my head...

"R-E-D red, R-E-D red, I can spell red, I can spell red..."

It was precious. Whoever thought that a song about the color red would actually make me tear up!  About a minute into the song, though, a little boy in the front row started to cry. I looked around to see why his mommy or daddy wasn't coming to his rescue only to realize that he was crying because his mommy and daddy were not there. The teacher scooped him up and did her best to comfort him. I felt so sad for the little guy.

Once the song was over we moved on to some activities. The kids were all so excited to "teach" us what they knew. As we walked to the table I noticed another sweet little girl with red eyes and a fist full of kleenex. Her mommy wasn't there either. My heart broke. It was all I could do to keep from crying myself. I asked if she wanted to come play with Carter and I and she reluctantly agreed. When I told Carter that his friend would be playing with us I could tell he was a little jealous. He wanted me all for himself that day and of course, I wanted to be all his. I took him aside and explained to him why his friend was so sad and how part of being a good friend to someone means that we try to cheer them up when they are sad, and he agreed to share me. I was so proud of him. Finally after a few games, the little girl's smile returned. We bonded over her awesome pink fuzzy boots.

There was a total of 4 kids in class whose mommy or daddy did not make it that day and my heart literally broke for each of them as I watched the tears stream down their little disappointed faces. Amidst all this I learned a lesson that will stick with me forever...

It's the little things that matter most to our children. It's coming to school to hear them sing about the color red. It's listening to them count to 100. It's playing blocks with them and showing them how proud we are of even their smallest accomplishments. It's being there for them.

Being present.

Being proud.

Being involved in what is important to them.

That day will stay with me for a very long time. I will never forget the smile on Carter's face when I walked into class and I will never forget the crying faces of those kids who had no one there for them. I realize that maybe those parents had to work. Maybe they wanted to be there so badly but couldn't. Maybe they felt extremely guilty. I realize that at some point we are all going to let our kids down and disappoint them, after all we are all imperfect. But it really impressed upon me the fact that our kids really ask so little of us. All they really want is our time, our attention...us. 

I hope that I will never be the momma who lets her son down or makes him feel unimportant.
I hope that by always being there for him he will know how proud I am of every single one of his accomplishments no matter how big or small they may be.
I hope that he will always feel like he can count on me to be there to support him and cheer him on.
I hope he'll know that every sacrifice I make for him is worth it to me.
I hope that in my presence he will always feel the unfailing love that I have for him.

xoxo,

Lacee

Cherished Moments

Little did I know that this morning when the volume on the T.V. wouldn't work and Carter was ticked and whiny because he couldn't hear his cartoons while eating breakfast before school, that this would all actually become a blessing in disguise. 


You see, normally when we get home from school, the T.V. goes on, Carter plays while stopping occasionally to watch, and I am usually busy with numerous household chores and such. But because of this mornings fiasco, things went quite differently after school today...wonderfully different. 


Today instead of spending the afternoon watching the boob tube and doing endless chores...


We sat.
We cuddled.
We talked.
We read stories.
We laughed.


It was precious. It was sweet. It was relaxing. It was just what we've both been needing. 


Sometimes I get so busy with this, that, and the other thing that I forget just how important these times are. How much I need these simple yet unforgettable moments...how much he needs them. 


All to often I let the T.V. act as a babysitter while I strive to get just a "few" more things done, when really I ought to be striving to spend more days like this one, cherishing these fleeting moments when my little "underwear only" boy sits snuggly in my lap, cuddled under a blanket, "reading" to his momma. These moments are too far and in-between and that needs to change...NOW. Someday this will all be gone. Over. And all I'll have left are the memories.


Do I want to look back and remember all the chores I was able to accomplish in a day? Or how soft his skin feels when I rub his belly?
Will I look back and be proud of how sparkling clean all the toilets were? Or will I be proud that I helped teach my son to read?
Do I want to look back and regret how much time I spent on the computer? Or remember all the silly conversations we had about superheros and "why did the chicken cross the road" jokes?
Do I want to look back and remember what it feels like to have my arms filled with laundry? Or do I want to remember the feeling of him in my arms?


I need to remember to be present. In the moment. Soaking in every precious second that I have with my little man...while he's still little.


I need to stop being so wrapped up in every day tasks that I forget about what's truly important. I need to be more thankful that I have the opportunity to be a SAHM and that I don't have to miss out on moments like these. I need to remember to create these special moments. To turn off the T.V., put down the phone, step away from the computer and leave unnecessary things for another day.


Today was wonderful, simple, beautiful and perfect. There needs to be more days like this. There WILL be more days like this. I promise.

I love you Carter. Spending time with you is the most important thing to me. But sometimes busy mommas need to be reminded to slow down too. Thank you for being patient with me while I learn this whole motherhood thing. And thank you for showering me with hugs, kisses and "I love you's." I'll keep each one safely tucked away in my heart...forever.

Linking Up Here

xoxo,
Lacee

All Drains Lead To The Ocean

On Saturday September 10, 2011 we said goodbye to one of our family members. 

Goldie Griffith

2010-2011

Carter asked if I would please take pictures and write a blog about Goldie {lol}. So with a little input from my son here goes... 

Goldie the beta was such a happy fish always swimming around his tank with his big orange tail streaming behind him. He brought many a smile to our faces and many laughs when he would puff up his face when we would tap on the glass of his underwater oasis.

But now, the kitchen counter where he used to reside is empty. 

I knew Goldie hadn't been feeling well for a while now and I had been preparing Carter by telling him that I thought Goldie might be getting sick and that fishies don't live for a long time so we have to make the time we do have with them special. I think our moving Goldie from the old house to the new one was a bit traumatizing for him. As we drove Goldie over to the new house he sloshed around in his half filled tank while Carter held him in the back seat.

Carter kept getting mad every time we would go over a bump in the road. He said, "It's not easy to move a fish in a town with such bumpy roads!"

Words of wisdom.

The day we found the deceased Goldie floating in his tank, none of us were really surprised but we were all a little sad. Guess he couldn't "just keep swimming" any longer. Carter had asked previously what we would do with Goldie if he died. I told him we would flush him down the toilet. He actually thought that was kinda funny and then quoted the movie Finding Nemo and said with a smile, "All drains lead to the ocean mom!" I couldn't help but laugh too. 

So that day, the three of us gathered around his porcelain grave and each said a few words about our little Goldie. Then we sent him back to the "ocean" where he belongs.

RIP Goldie.

And hopefully the sharks will remember, "Fish are friends, not food."

xoxo,

Lacee

The BIG Day

I wonder what you're doing right now,

And if everyone is treating you kind.

I hope there is a special person,

A nice friend that you can find.

I wonder if the teacher knows

Just how special you are to me.

And if the brightness of your heart

is something she can see.

I wonder if you are thinking about me,

And if you need a hug.

I already miss the sound of your voice

And how you give my leg a tug.

I wonder if you could possibly understand

How hard it is for me to let you grow.

On this day know that my heart breaks,

For this is the first step in letting my baby go.
{poem via Pinterest}

xoxo,

Lacee

Linking up here

The Night Before Kindergarten

'Twas the night before kindergarten,
and as we prepared,
Carter was excited 
and a little bit scared.

He tossed and he turned
about in his bed,
while visions of school supplies 
danced in his head.

Erasers and crayons
and pencils galore
were stuffed in his backpack
and set by the door.

His uniform was hung
in the closet with care,
knowing that kindergarten
soon would be there.

Mom packed his snack
and then with a sigh,
topped it with an I love you note 
that made her start to cry.

Everything was packed
and ready you see,
everything that is except
for me.


Kindergarten Meet & Greet

{poem adapted from the book The Night Before Kindergarten}

xoxo,

Lacee