Happy Birthday Papa!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DADDY/PAPA! WE HOPE YOU HAVE A WONDERFUL BIRTHDAY WEEKEND!

WE LOVE YOU SO MUCH!

Brad, Shelby, and Henry

Boyness

Hanging out with Graham on his new john boat....The Tilla!

Having the MOST fun!

Trying to jump down!

It took about 2 seconds to convince Henry to pick up this worm and about 5 for his daddy to convince him to chase me around the yard with it.

You may notice the band aids on his little fingers, but they are just for fun. They are spider man and he loves 'em!

Contemplating eating it?

Today was a day of pure T boyness! Breakfast at a local diner, dropping in our our single male buds at their bachelor pad, working in the yard, and digging in the dirt for earthworms.
I could not ask for more!

Crawling Outta the Trenches

We're finally starting to see a little light at the end of the tunnel in our household. Henry and Brad were stricken with the awful stomach bug that is invading the state. Henry started Wed. afternoon with the throwing up and is still battling terrible diarrhea. Brad started up Thursday in the middle of the night and was srugglin' for a day or two, but is feeling much better now. As for this mama, by the grace of God, I've been spared so far. Now that I've said that I'm sure I'll be "bitten" tonight. Keep your fingers crossed! Here are some numbers below:

• 12 loads of laundry in scalding hot water
• 6 baths in 3 days for Henry
• 3 times sheets have been changed and washed
• 1 loaf of bread for dry toast for the boy
• 4 bananas
• 15 gallons of water (this is all he would drink and normally only wikes juice
• 1 time given milk by mama and very soon after yacked on my head and pillow....ROOKIE MISTAKE!
• 2 nights sleeping with a 2 year old in the bed. the wiggling not so much fun, but the snuggling I could get used to;)
  

Bradley's Birthday Party

Little 1 year old Bradley's mommy reaaallly knows how to throw a party! Sarah thought of EVERYTHING and all of the little children had so much fun! And so did the adults!

Henry (23 Months), Conner (17 months), Bradley (12 Months)

Valentine's Day Weekend

Henry and I headed to Nana and Papa's in Greenville for Valentines Weekend. Poor Daddy was left all alone on 'heart' day, but we celebrated when we got back on Sunday night.
Henry loved some one on one time with Nana, Papa, and Nana the Great. He got a brand new set of his very own golf clubs and enjoyed "learning" some of the rules of golf with Papa.

Jean, Ernie, and Conner came over before we headed to Bradley's party. The boys got to each lunch and play for a while and I got to love on Conner some!

Headed to the course!

Thanks so much for having us this weekend! We had so much fun!

Mother of the Year

It was bound to happen sooner or later. I've been know to be a bit of a scatter brain. I get it honestly for sure. I can remember times from my childhood that my own mom did some pretty bone headed things from time to time. Like backing into SEVERAL of my friends basketball goals. Or taking out a handicapped sign or two in a parking lot. Or sideswiping a tree in our driveway while applying mascara. Or putting diesel fuel in our Suburban...in the middle of the ghetto. The list goes on and on, I'm sure.

Well, it happened to me yesterday as Henry and I were leaving Publix. I ran into a friend of a friend in the parking lot. We had made our acquaintance a few years ago and it was so funny to run into each other again. She is so cute and nice and pregnant as can be with her second child. We were talking about church and daycare and work, etc. We even exchanged phone numbers. My little wiggle worm was itching to get down and run around, so I decided to give him a cracker and put him in the backseat to play while we talked for a minute. When it was time to go our separate ways, she jumped in her car and me in mine. I am cruising down Sam Ritten*berg Blvd. at rush hour traffic when all of the sudden Henry's head POPS into my rear view mirror. He was standing on the backseat with juice in one hand and a cracker in the other! HOLY SH#$T, I had forgotten to strap him into his car seat. And he was happily oblivious to what a MAJOR NO NO his mommy has just committed! All I could see was BIG trucks to my left and right. I was praying out loud to please get me out of this mess and I would NEVER do it again. I oh so gingerly whip the car into the nearest gas station, pop it in park, and jump out as quickly as I can to strap my little lad in. WHEW! No harm, No foul. Right?

I can imagine the sweat is forming on my father in law's brow right about now as he reads this. And, I'm sure my dad's neck is hot just thinking about all the times he's dealt with this sort of incident. I told Brad about it last night and luckily he was very understanding.

So, here's to you mama! And thanks for passing down that gene to me:)

Happy 1st Birthday Bradley!

HAPPY 1ST BIRTHDAY TO YOU BRADLEY! WE HOPE YOU HAVE A PERFECT DAY!

We love you,

Uncle Earnst, Aunt Shelby, and Henr-o!

On the Brink of 2!

While I realize that my last post painted a rather grim picture of what life with an almost 2 year old is like, it certainly is not all bad. In fact, 95% of the time I am either laughing hysterically or in complete disbelief at the things that comes out of my child's mouth. Henry is one FUNNY little person and incredibly smart. And yes, I am a just a wee bit biased, but he really is! I have to document these things as they happen b/c these days my thoughts are so fleeting i'm lucky if I remember to brush my teeth. You see, I have what they call the "mama brain". There is so much info floating around up there that I can hardly contain one thought to the next. So here goes! And remember, he has a lisp (which I love), so bear with some of my attempts to portray that.

• Anything and EVERYTHING is: Whassis or Whassat?
• Every Wed. we have to sit by the road and wait for the BIG DUMPTRUCK to come by to pick up the weebth (leaves).
• He still says that the airplane is going to the airporch. The other day he had the nerve to say it correctly and I quickly corrected him...in the wrong direction. I can't bear the thought of the day he'll stop saying airporch.
• He calls those nutrigrain cereal bars a nack (snack) b/c that's what I called it once or twice and even if he's having it for breakfast it's a nack.
• If he doesn't like a particular food, he shakes his head back and forth and says: wike it, wike it!
• Every meat is chicken
• When I went in to pick him up from the nursery on Sunday he was playing with a little girl named Emmy. I must have said Emmy's cute at one point, because as we were riding down the road later that day he goes Emmy's cuuuute in a real doe-eyed way. Precious!
• I tend to say "dadgumit" quite a lot since trying to curb my sailor mouth and yesterday Henry repeated it just as plain as day. But, I guess that's better than some other things he could repeat:)
• The boy LOVES canewote (cantelope) and would eat an entire melon if I offered it.
• He loves to give chuga (sugar) and hasn't figured out that you're supposed to close your mouth when doing to so.
• He refers to himself as Henny and I hope he always will!
• He loves to sing chinkle chinkle little sta
• He's still obsessed with the moon and when asked how you get to the moon he yells Rocketship!
• He calls Lucy woothie
• The other day we were sitting around and out of the blue, Henry goes "poor baby" in a real nurturing motherly way. We cracked up!
• He's had a little cough this week and when we go "aww, do you have a little cough" he totally sucks up the sympothy and says all sad "yeah".
• His answer to EVERY questions is "YEAH". I quickly remind him of his manners and to say yes ma'am and yes sir. And he say's yes sir like yes thoa.
• He sometimes will say Mama doin' or Buthsa doin' or whoever doin'. I think he's means What's so and so doing.
• Last week we attempted to take Henry to the local Hibachi grill for the second time b/c he really liked it a few weeks ago. Well, this trip wasn't so much fun! He was terrible with a capital T! Throwing chopsticks and cucumbers at fellow patrons and insisting that the poor waiter continue to bring him bowls of cherries. Well, he keeps asking to go to Biabi's (it's really Miaybi's) and we go no sir! You didn't behave when we were there. This morning he asked again and goes I HAV (behave).

I'm sure there are a ton more that I can't think of right now (remember the mama brain), but if I think of any more i'll add them on.

NO & MINE

It seems as though my little darling has learned every use of the words NO and MINE. You know, those two words that make toddlers so...hmmm...endearing and irresistible. If I say: "lets go outside and play." 'He say's: "NO!" Even though he reaaaallly wants to go out and play. If I say: "would you like a big bowl of yummy chocolate ice cream?" He replies "NO!" And not just NO. It's more of a "nnnOOO!" Sort of drawn out at the end to add just a bit of drama. And when he really means NO, he gives me his trademark flick of the wrist hitting motion. NICE!!! Where in the H#$% do they pick these things up?

And then, there's the MINE. Most recently, he's into "MY MOMMY" anytime anyone new comes on the scene. So please, if he does this the next time you see us, just ignore it. He'll give it up in a couple minutes! We've got: my baba, my book, my suppa, my nack, my slide, my raisies, etc, etc. You get the picture. He loves to proclaim that an object is MINE as he tucks it ever so forcefully under his arm.

Oh, the joys of motherhood!

Hampton Park

We decided to skip church on Sunday and instead went to feed the ducks at Hampton Park. We picked up KFC, took our big picnic blanket, a bag of stale bread, and plenty of balls for the boy to play with. He had the most fun running all over the park and Brad and I were a nervous wreck with the water all around. We were running interference all day trying to keep him outta the duck pond!

I was taking this picture from afar b/c the NASTY seagulls would swoop in every time you threw a piece of bread to a duck and about land on my head. Completely freaked me out! But, it was such a fun day spent together with my family!

Visit with TT

After work yesterday afternoon, I picked Henry up and we headed out to Seabrook to visit with TT and some of my mama's cousins. They have a Hook Counsins weekend every year and I was so glad to get to see all of them. We braved the beach and I swear Henry would have stripped naked and been in the water in 2.5 if I hadn't been there to stop him. It was FRIGID on the beach and so windy!

Best Buds

Our weekly play dates with Olivia and Chase have become one of Henry and my most favorite things to do! Henry and Olivia love each other to death and have their own little weird language. They even beat up on each other a bit like brother and sister:)