Since That Moment...

Sweet Treat

2012-02-15T06:58:00.000-05:00

I hope you had a lovely Valentine's Day! Ours was perfect. We tried Vietnamese food for the first time and had delicious cupcakes from Blondies for dessert. Calories don't count on Valentine's Day, right? Well good thing because we certainly had our share.

The night before last, Matty and I made gooey pink cookies in honor of this day of love! It was a simple recipe that allowed Matty to basically just dump and mix. The batter is very sticky so he had a hard time rolling them into balls, but otherwise, it was the perfect toddler friendly recipe. The main ingredient was strawberry cake mix. You can read the recipe here. The cookies were yummy, but very very sweet!

my funny valentine

2012-02-12T22:17:00.002-05:00

Making valentines with an almost three-year-old little boy and his four-year-old cousin seemed like a good idea at 8 a.m. I happily gathered art supplies and set up our "studio" on the dining room table. I envisioned smiling children coloring, stamping, glueing and glittering away their Sunday afternoon as I played art teacher and sang "All You Need Is Love." {I swear my morning coffee was not spiked!} A girl can dream right? The prettiness of it all didn't last long and my dreams were dashed by bickering and tantrum throwing not even ten minutes in, but fun was still had and memories were certainly made. I even got to make a card for my valentine ;)

Super Weekend.

2012-02-06T22:18:00.000-05:00

This past weekend was beautiful in so many ways. We spent much of Saturday just being silly and playing in our living room fort:

NOTE: Perhaps you noticed that Matty has big boy underwear on in picture #3. This was pair #2 of 3 in only a matter of a few hours. Potty training = not so successful, but we'll keep trying :)

Saturday night, I started cooking for my grandma's 70th birthday party which was the next day. When the phone rang around 11:15, I immediately thought "who the heck is calling this late?" and then I thought of only one person it could be and I was right....it was my bff letting me know she was in labor and on the way to the hospital. I didn't get much sleep that night as I anxiously awaited updates on her progress. I headed to the hospital around 6:30 a.m. and at 7:46 a.m., little Ivy Maye was born! Such a beauty she is and I am so happy she shares a birthday with my grandma!

After meeting Ivy, I headed home to get ready for grandma's party. We had a wonderful time celebrating, but soon after arriving home, we all were visited by the stomach bug. I didn't even get to watch one second of the super bowl, though I hear that I won $25 in the office pool and hubby won $150 in another pool!

Despite the sickness, it was a lovely weekend filled with many blessings. Have a great week, everyone!

Music Monday

2012-01-23T21:14:00.000-05:00

My son thinks I don't know his name.

It happened like this:
Matty: Mommy! Me: Whatee? Matty: I'm not Woody, I'm Matty!

He thinks I am calling him Woody from Toy Story! Oh my goodness, I love this kid.

So tonight, here's a song I'd like to dedicate to my boy, Woody. It's a great tune from Toy Story by Randy Newman, "You've Got a Friend in Me."

first snow, first post.

2012-01-21T20:30:00.000-05:00

Overnight, we had our first snowfall of 2012! First one this winter actually. For the occassion, I thought I would write my first blog post of 2012. I am failing miserably at my 2012 goal of writing more, but we're only 21 days in; plenty more year to make up for it.

It was a special snow day because hubby got to enjoy it with us! He used to plow in the winter, but a job change back in May means we get to spend snow days together from now on. Hubby being home for a snow storm also means that I didn't have to shovel our walk or clean off my own car for the first time in years. Good deal!

After we thawed out with some homemade chicken soup, we decorated salt dough hearts.

The best part of today was a little convo between Matty and myself this morning:

Me: You're my best friend, Matty. Matty: You're my best friend too. Me: Forever? Matty: Yes. I'm going to take care of you, Mama." awwwwwww!

Saying Good-Bye to Christmas and Hello to 2012

2011-12-31T09:49:00.005-05:00

Did you see that? I think it was Christmas that just blew by us! Truly, it's a bit of a blur. It always is though. Each year, I am amazed by how quickly it passes, but I think life in general is like that.

I had the week leading up to Christmas off from work and needless to say, there was not enough time to do everything I wanted to do. I had an idea in my head of a perfectly balanced vacation; just the right amount of sleeping in, playing, singing, dancing, kissing, baking and visiting with friends and family, coupled with some "me" time and of course, some cleaning and organizing too. The cleaning and organizing didn't happen, but at least the important {fun} stuff was accomplished :)

My vision included some art projects, three specifically, but only one really came to fruition. We made salt dough ornaments. We simply painted them with glitter paint, but you can get fancy and stamp them before you bake them to give them a pattern and texture. You can even glue beads and buttons on them. The possibilities are endless. We passed them out as gifts from Matty:

I didn't have time to decorate my own, but I plan on doing this project again in the coming year, because they really can be made for any occassion. I think hearts for Valentine's Day will be next.

The other two projects were for me. Pretty little bits that I fell in love with on Pinterest. This yarn wreath...

{Source}

...and snow globes...

{Source}

{except mine were going to have deer like the ones here by Ashley of Under the Sycamore.}

Well my yarn wreath ended up barely touched, but it amused Matty:

And because I waited until the week before Christmas, Hobby Lobby was all out of deer and chopped snow, so the trees I purchased for my snow globes ended up on the Island of Sodor:

Oh well. Now I have plenty of time to get them done for next year!

My favorite part of my time off was sleeping in with Matty. We camped out in the living room one night...hubby took this picture early in the morning before he left for work:

Before we knew it, it was Christmas Eve. After family left, we set out cookies, candy and milk for Santa and cheerios and carrots for the reindeer. On Christmas morning, Matty woke around 630. He still isn't at the point where he woke up and realized that "Santa" had visited. Of course I don't want him to grow any faster, but I am excited for the day when he wakes up and runs into our room full of excitement, wanting to go downstairs and see what Santa brought. This year though, we had to remind him that we should go see if Santa ate his treats...he's not really a morning person...

The wonder sets in.

He decided that he should eat what Santa didn't finish.

Next up: presents. It can be summed up in one word..."woah." That was Matty's reponse to almost every package he opened. His facial expressions, his every ooh and ah, were my favorite part of the day. There is nothing like Christmas through the eyes of your child...

Now it's all over and I am dreading the process of putting the decorations away. Mostly because I despise pulling the totes out of the garage, but also because I love the way the house feels so magical at Christmas. On the otherhand, I am looking forward to organizing and brainstorming some fresh new house decor diy projects for the spring. This one has already caught my eye:

{Source}

Today is New Year's Eve! Can you believe it? I think 2012 is going to be awesome. I have a lot of personal goals, but I really need to write them down and organize them on paper because my mind tends to be a bit of a mess. I will easily end up overwhelmed with no motivation to complete any of them if I don't narrow them down and focus.

How do you plan on ringing in the new year? This afternoon, we are attending a family oriented nye party at a local arts campus and then probably grabbing take out and watching movies. Whatever you do, be happy and safe. Happy 2012!

Wordless Wednesday

2011-12-21T06:32:00.002-05:00

Yesterday we prepared the dough, rolled it out and cut out our shapes. Today we decorate our salt dough ornaments :)

Wordless Wednesday

2011-12-07T18:54:00.002-05:00

Twinkly lights are one of my favorite things about this time of year. We took a walk around our neighborhood earlier this week to admire the pretty scenery. Matty was thrilled and in awe.

It's beginning to look a lot like....

2011-11-27T23:07:00.000-05:00

Thanksgiving is over! I cannot believe it. It saddened me to take down my autumn decor this afternoon, but I am getting excited about replacing it with pretty Christmas items. {Although I am already making mental notes on what I want to do next Thanksgiving, e.g. a thankful tree, which you can see here, here and here.} There are so many things I am thankful for this year, one of them being that I have a vacation day tomorrow and plan on spending much needed cuddle time in pjs with my handsome toddler!

Although I hate saying adieu to all things fall, I look forward to welcoming Christmas.

Here are some pretty Christmas images I found on Pinterest for inspiration:

{Source}

What is inspiring you this holiday season? Have any toddler friendly Christmas craft project ideas? Please share!

Wordless Wednesday

2011-11-16T05:08:00.001-05:00

Peeling carrots before 5 a.m. at my two-year-old's request. This is a first.

Come Back Here

2011-11-06T21:24:00.001-05:00

Matty likes to run. And he likes us to chase after him. He also saves us time by yelling "come back here" as he takes off running. Too cute. I know one day that I will reflect on this and hear my little two-year-old mocking me and part of my heart will be calling "come back here" to those moments that passed way too quickly.

I love the sentiment expressed in Ashley Campbell's diy here. I definitely want to make it and hang it in our home as a reminder that "this too shall pass." As comforting as that statement can be in troublesome times, it is equally as important in regard to embracing all of the positive in your life. After all, that's what gets us through the tough times.

Today we "gained an hour." Nonetheless, I still have an unfinished to do list. Life can be overwhelming and busy, but I don't want to miss the moments that matter most. I want to be present. Easier said than done. It's hard to not feel guilty about not checking off as many items as possible on your to do list, but playing, kissing, hugging and loving should be at the top of that list! I constantly have to remind myself of this so that I don't just "go through the motions" of spending time with my guys. I want to devote quality time to them, shut off my mind and just. simply. be.

Wordless Wednesday

2011-11-02T22:13:00.001-04:00

My Wordless Wednesday posts aren't normally very wordless and tonight's is no exception. I think tonight's will be even wordier than usual. I'm just not good at posting a photo with no explanation, guess that's why I love writing!

Tonight, I'm posting a series of photos that I've named "Accidents Happen." For those of you familiar with Thomas the Tank Engine, I'm sure you know the tune. Perhaps you hate the tune. I'm quickly starting to.

Haha, actually I love our little routine that has recently developed as a result of the song. Matty makes me sing it while he gives each of his trains a chance to crash off of the bridge...

Unfortunately, we recently had a real life accident situation. Hubby was in an accident during that crazy October snowstorm this past Saturday. He was fine, thankfully! And the funny thing is that he just admitted to me tonight that as his truck was towed away, in his head he was singing none other than... "accidents happen now and again, just when you least expect...if you don't concentrate on the thing that you're doing, accidents will happen just like that!" Gotta love that cheeky train and all of his pals. They sure now how to embed themselves in our brains {and our hearts too}!

Music Monday

2011-10-31T21:47:00.001-04:00

{source}

Last night at bedtime, Matty started singing along to "you are my sunshine" with me...we sang it over and over and it was just one of those emotional firsts that I will never forget. His cute little "...how much I lub you" got me all choked up <3

so tonight I give you one of my favorite versions of a sweet little tune that I can remember my own mother singing to me....

31

2011-10-13T23:57:00.000-04:00

I'm one week into my 31st year and it's been a good one!

Although I had to work on my birthday, everyone made my day special.

I had lunch at one of my new favorite places, Blondies, complete with candle lighting and happy birthday singing.

When I returned to the office, I found flowers waiting for me from Matty; what a nice surprise!

I also received the prettiest vintage birthday card and handmade vintage flowers from my coworker and dear friend, Mary.

I ended the day with a family dinner and cake.

And they gave me a Cricut! I'm giddy thinking about all of the lovely projects I can now create!

During my 30th year, I learned that life with a two-year-old is challenging, yet absolutely the most rewarding experience. I am excited to continue walking this path with Matty and discovering who he is, as well as who I am, though I could do without the temper and the tantrums...and yes, I do mean from both of us. Mama can be just as ornery at times!

This Is Mine

2011-10-04T23:10:00.000-04:00

We have been away visiting friends and family for the past ten days or so, but I am trying to get back into my "normal" groove, whatever that is. While away, I spent a lot of time hanging with Matty, and my three-year-old, neice, Vivi. I heard a lot of "this is mine," staking claim not just to toys, but to things like doors, stairs and even me!

Well to all you admirers out there, I just want to say, this is MINE :)

One of my favorite moments that I captured while away. More to come.

Music Monday

2011-09-19T21:11:00.002-04:00

"Now the sky could be blue

I don't mind

without you it's a waste of time"

Wordless Wednesday

2011-09-14T21:44:00.001-04:00

Life is Peaches and Cream

2011-09-04T23:22:00.001-04:00

I spent the day with my mom, sister, niece and of course, Matty! We started off at Strawberry Acres, a nearby farm, to pick peaches and ended at a newly discovered local gem, Blondies, where we had the perfect combo: hot dogs and cupcakes...who knew?! In between, we stopped at Toys R Us, Matty's first ever trip there. I need to take him more often. Or never again. Not sure which yet, but he certainly made his terrible two status be known.

Here are some pictures of happier times in the peach orchard :)

Happy Birthday, Mom and Music Monday

2011-08-22T19:29:00.003-04:00

My mom turned 50 on August 12, and we celebrated this past Saturday with a Coney Island themed surprise party!

During the planning stages of the party, I went through a lot of old pictures for a poster board I was putting together and a dvd that a friend created as a gift to my mom. It was fun and emotional. I saw deep, unconditional love in my mom's eyes for my sister and I. I recognized it because I possess the same look now in my own eyes for Matty.

A few days before my mom's party, I was listening to Taylor Swift's, "Never Grow Up" {which makes me sob every time.} All of the previous occasions when I had listened to it, I only thought of how I felt about the song in regard to Matty. This time, I put myself in my mom's shoes. And my grandma's shoes. I imagine that my mom's 50th birthday is bittersweet for both of them. It's sad yet so incredibly amazing to watch our kiddos grow up.

As much as I may want Matty to remain my little boy that I can always protect, I would never want to deny him the the joy that he has brought me. If I never would have grown up, I would have never known love like this.

Happiness is different things at different stages in our life. Some days, happiness is sitting back and watching others take the main stage. As parents, we do that from the beginning. I'm sure it gets harder as our children get older and we become less integral as they make their own way and build their own families. But I have to think the ability to do that symbolizes the greatest degree of love and selflessness and is a sure sign of your own contentment; to be genuinely happy for them and to know you had some sort of hand in creating the love they have in their own eyes, for whatever it may be that gives them that sparkle! And if we never completely let go of the simplicity and innocence of our own childhood, it will make it so much sweeter as we watch our own children grow up. Of course we all have days where we wish we {and they} never would have grown up, but the truth is, the circle of life is a beautiful thing.

Here's to you, mom! Thank you for letting me grow up, even when it was hard to do.

Wordless Wednesday

2011-08-17T06:25:00.004-04:00

Meet Italia, my beautiful bff. I am ecstatic to finally share here on my blog that her and her husband are pregnant with their first child! 15 weeks. Words cannot describe how excited and happy I am, so good thing this is a Wordless Wednesday post!

My greatest work.

2011-08-09T21:16:00.001-04:00

"All art requires courage."

Came across this quote today. As a poet, I completely get it.

As a mom, I can relate even more. I have written some very personal poems, but my heart has never, ever been more vulnerable than it is since I became Matty's mom.

Dinner at Eight: Picnic Edition

2011-07-26T21:57:00.002-04:00

11. That was the start time of our at home date on Friday night. Matty had trouble falling asleep and hubs and I dozed while trying to put him down. I woke fully expecting it to be 2 a.m. and ready to give the middle finger to my afternoon efforts of preparing our picnic dinner, but it was only 10:30 so I jumped up, left hubs snooze, and began to create our pretty picnic setting. I planned to have an indoor picnic because temps were over 100 with like a million percent humidity on Friday, so at least the late start didn't ruin any romantic notion of an outdoor picnic {though a picnic under the stars would have been amazing!}

I quickly threw a checkered table cloth over the cocktail ottoman in our living room, lit some candles, and

set out our meal: Mexican black bean quinoa salad, caprese salad, heart shaped chicken salad sandwiches {I swear the "salad" theme is purely coincidental}, sweet and spicy jalapeno chips, watermelon, brownies and blood orange European soda.

Hubs came down just as I finished setting everything out. We snacked and watched Daniel Tosh do stand up.

Then I cleaned up while he fell asleep on the couch.

Romantic? Not really. But still nice to have put aside some "us" time. Many times we plan to watch a movie or play a board game after Matty goes to bed, but by the time the evening chores are complete, we are pooped and just call it a night. I was proud that on Friday night we stuck to our schedule {schedule sounds so unromantic, but really, most times, if married with children couples don't consciously carve out time for each other, it never happens and that is the purpose of Dinner at Eight. I love that it holds us accountable for our date nights...it would be so easy to be lazy and not have our dates if it weren't for this project. Our first Dinner at Eight was imperfectly perfect and I can't wait to see what August's theme will be. Also looking forward to our "outside of the house" date night this Friday night: we're seeing Lisa Loeb in concert :)

Dinner at Eight...ish

2011-07-22T20:02:00.000-04:00

So excited to participate in this! You can read about it by clicking on the lovely logo below:

We're running late as usual so 8 is not going to happen, but as soon as we get Matty to bed, it will be time for our date night :) Post to follow on how it went later this weekend. Wishing you a great night with your special someone!

Wordless Wednesday

2011-07-20T21:20:00.002-04:00

Music Monday

2011-07-18T21:43:00.002-04:00

Oh my...it's been over two weeks since I posted last. I attribute this to the fact that Matty goes to bed later because it stays lighter longer and by the time I get him to bed, I am exhausted! I also get to catch up with hubby at this time, so my writing has taken a backseat to quality time with my boys. No big deal really, except that I like to have this blog to record and reflect on the many precious moments and milestones that our family experiences and time is simply moving way too quickly. I can't keep up with it! In my last post, I mentioned that I couldn't believe June was gone, and now we're over half way through July already. Matty has made progress with potty training, frequents time-out, likes to tell me that my cooking is "deewishis" and has sort of replaced his love of Thomas with a love of the Disney film, "Cars."

While coloring tonight, Matty came across a Christmas coloring book which sparked a tantrum because he wanted me to pull out the dancing snowman that I display for Christmas and throughout the winter. {He settled on watching a video from my phone of himself dancing with said snowman in December.} It made me think of Christmas in July and so I googled it to see what I could come up with for Music Monday.. and here you have it..enjoy!

bye bye June

2011-07-03T22:16:00.000-04:00

I don't know where June went! Our Great Wolf Lodge trip came and went, tomorrow is the 4th of July, Wednesday is our 9 year wedding anniversary...before you know it, we'll be talking Christmas...ha!

My favorite June moment happened just this past Tuesday after we arrived home from our mini vacation. I ran to the store, while Matty and Dada stayed behind and played. When I returned, Matty climbed on my lap and I asked if he missed me. He replied that he did and then he looked at me at said, "Mama, I am happy to see you!" He repeated it several times. My heart was a melted mess! Tears rolled down my cheeks, and Matty cupped them and with concern said, "Mama's crying." I assured him they were happy tears. It was such a precious moment that I will always remember.

I have been reminiscing June tonight and came across this photo among the many that I snapped this month...

One of my favorites. It captures a quiet little moment between my boys right before bedtime. I can see the sleepiness in Matty's eyes and the love for Matty in Matt's. I love them both. So so much.

"But this picture will remain always young. It will never be older than this particular day of June."

Father's Day

2011-06-24T19:14:00.000-04:00

Unfortunately, I didn't see my dad for Father's Day because he has been working in China for the past three months, but he is on his way home and I will be going on a mini vacation with him and the entire fam at Great Wolf Lodge on Sunday! So looking forward to it, but first he needs to get here! He was supposed to arrive this afternoon, but his plane was diverted to Bejing. He should be taking off at around 10 p.m. est, so thankfully he'll make it home in time for our little getaway. Safe travels Papa Yang!

Even though I didn't spend Father's Day with my dad, I did get to celebrate my hubby and his dad. What was just supposed to be breakfast turned into a 6 hour shuffle board tournament. It was a blast! Matty had a great time playing with his cousins and was pooped by the end of the day since he missed nap time. Here's a recap of the day in photos...

Music Monday

2011-06-13T22:48:00.001-04:00

Lately, being Matty's mama means never tiring of singing "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star." He requests it over and over again at bed time. He also throws "You Are My Sunshine" and "The ABC Song" into the mix, but mostly, it's just "twinkle star" as he calls it. Although I am getting slightly sick of this classic children's tune, I do cherish these moments. When I'm in a rush to get through our bedtime routine, I remind myself that this will be over all too soon and why the heck would I be in a hurry to tuck my baby in when all I'm trying to get to is laundry and dinner dishes! Those things can wait :)

My recent bedtime repertoire inspired tonight's Music Monday choice...Bad Company's "Shooting Star."

slow down sunday

2011-06-12T21:52:00.004-04:00

Yesterday was all about chores, but today was rather lazy and perfect. We started out at Target where we purchased a Diego potty seat so we are all set for potty training now {tonight was the second night in a row that Matty pee peed on the potty before bed!} Oh and we also bought him water shoes for our upcoming trip to Great Wolf Lodge.

Matty went down for his nap by noon. I did a little tidying up, ate lunch and hubs and I were just about to choose a movie for an impromptu afternoon date on the couch, when Matty woke up earlier than usual. A little disappointed at first, but that's ok because I got to play logs with my love instead:

He gets really excited when he accomplishes something these days and starts crying out "I did it, I did it" in the sweetest little voice. It is the cutest thing. He does also get frustrated when he thinks he can't do something, which we experienced a few times this afternoon when he had issues getting the logs to stay together. I tell him to calm down and encourage him to keep trying. He loves to "try." That is one of his most used phrases these days..."I try it, I try it." He wants to try everything he sees mama and dada doing, especially when it comes to cooking and fixing stuff with tools. It's amazing. He is just amazing.

Now that the boy is in bed {we struggled a bit tonight, I think because he was overtired}, it is finally time for that date on the couch with big Matty ;)

Hope you all had a fantastic weekend. Night!

Music Monday

2011-06-06T20:52:00.001-04:00

After a slight hiatus from these types of posts, tonight I'm happy to bring you Music Monday again. Matty's been watching a show called "Oswald" on nick jr and it features an octopus, so I thought it would be fun to listen to "Octopus's Garden" by The Beatles. For Matty, I hope it stimulates his imagination and for me, well it provides a cute little creative escape...
enjoy!

turn that frown upside down

2011-06-02T22:42:00.001-04:00

Both Matty and I have been a bit cranky lately and I am not sure which of us is worse {actually, I am positive it's ME}. Matt's been dealing with both of us, plus the stress of a new job, so kudos, kisses and hugs to him! I am going to blame some of it on the fact that it's been hot {though today was absolutely perfect} and although we have central air, the bedrooms are upstairs and do not cool properly, so I haven't been sleeping well. Plus Matty has been waking up in the middle of the night, probably because he is hot. We're also going through a stage where Matty pretty much wants to do things his way and only his way. Frustrating.

Admittedly, I have been a word that rhymes with witch and as much as I hate it, I can't seem to stop it.

Looking back at the photos from our holiday weekend, I feel like I wasn't really ever there in the moment and that makes me sad. My mind was wandering about all of the items I wanted to check off my mental to do list. I hate that when I am completing chores and errands, I am thinking how all I want to do is just RELAX with my boys and when I get the chance to relax, I think about all of the work that needs to be done. Ugh. I also have a ton of writing/crafting projects in this brain of mine, which I can't find the time to work on. My framed poetry for my Etsy shop that I refer to in my about me section is far far far from becoming a reality!

I feel better writing it all out. I believe life is about balance, but it is not easy to achieve with only 24 hours in a day. I will keep striving toward it and will definitely be working on my attitude which has been sour lately. I 100% agree with the quote "happiness is not a destination, it is a journey." I just need to snap out of it. That said, I leave you with one of my favorite photos from this past weekend. It totally sums up how I want to feel about life every.single.day. Carefree and cherishing the simple things. Even though Matty has been a handful lately, he always manages to bring my heart back to a peaceful and happy place and reminds me of the person I want to be...

Sunday Night and I'm still Awake...

2011-05-29T23:48:00.001-04:00

As I begin this post, it is almost 11:15 p.m. Normally, I would be asleep by now because 4:45 a.m. on Monday morning requires an early bedtime, but in honor of Memorial Day {BIG thank you to all who have and do serve our country}, the office is closed so I can stay up past bedtime and blog!

Later in the week, I will be posting about our lovely long weekend. It will be complete with photos from our new Nikon D5000! It's our first digital slr and I am super excited about it. Stay tuned for that, but for tonight, I just wanted to share one of my favorite vintage possessions {blackberry pics leave much to be desired}...

It was published in 1968 by Hallmark Cards, Inc. Isn't it amazing? The artwork is breathtaking and the sayings are simple, yet true. I can't wait for Matty to appreciate it.

A few of my favorites...

The world is so full of a number of things,
I'm sure we should all be happy as kings.

If a task is once begun,
never leave it till it's done.
Be the labor great or small,
do it well or not at all.

The little cares that fretted me,
I lost them yesterday
among the fields above the sea,

among the winds at play.

Potty Paranoia

2011-05-21T13:19:00.002-04:00

Potty training has been on my mind for a while now, but I haven't taken any specific approach...or so I thought. Being that Monday through Friday I am away from Matty for over 8 hours a day, it is not on my priority list when I come home. We would rather play! Plus, Matty is not overly enthusiastic about using the potty and I quickly become discouraged when he try and fights it. Needless to say, I feel like a slacker.

I do talk about the potty and try, albeit inconsistently, to put him on it. Matty also talks about the potty and will often point out that he has gone in his diaper. Occasionally, he tells me he wants to sit on the potty, but usually when he does, it is only for a few seconds. I've been overwhelmed at the thought of adhering to a strict training routine, mostly because I had no idea where to begin. I have been meaning to Google some advice and I finally did so this morning. And I found that there just may be a method behind my madness after all.

The Readiness Method is apparently the most popular these days and it is based on just what its name implies: the readiness of the child. hmmm...I have been following along at Matty's pace. See, I knew what I was doing the whole time ;) Seriously, knowing that allowing the child to guide the pace of the process is a real method does comfort me in regard to our progress {lack of it actually.}

This a.m. when Matty woke up, I asked him if he wanted to go potty and he said "yes, potty on the toilet." Hooray! Turns out he didn't mean what he said, but he has the reading in the bathroom thing down pat...

In my search for advice, I discovered that in the 1930s, the normal age to begin potty training was 3 months...wow!

If you're interested in learning about other potty training methods, check out the links below... (The Readiness Method is definitely for us, but I did get a chuckle at the Bare-Bottom Approach aka Naked & $75.)

Bare-Bottom Approach
The One-Day Method
Baby Toilet Training

Music Monday

2011-05-16T23:06:00.001-04:00

"this life is a beautiful one
and though I've seen it coming undone
I know most definitely
that it's gonna be you and its gonna be me"

It's an exciting time in the Leluga house and tonight, I dedicate this song to big and little Matty ♥

lucky girl. that's me.

2011-05-08T21:39:00.003-04:00

I hope you all had a Mother's Day weekend full of family, love and whatever else it is that makes your heart happy. Mine was fun and relaxing, the perfect combo. It was also overflowing with hugs, kisses, and two-year-old cuteness. {see below for evidence}

Yard sale-ing on Saturday yielded this beauty of a Mother's Day present which I am head over heels in love with ♥

Today we had great visits with both of our mamas and then spent a quiet afternoon at home. Dinner consisted of porterhouse steaks and grilled eggplant...fabulicious.

I also learned today that we'll be taking a mini family vacation to Great Wolf Lodge for a few days at the end of June {thank you mom and dad!}

It's my third Mother's Day and I still sometimes feel like I'm winging it. Intense is the only way to sum up motherhood, though we all know it is so much more than just one word. It is love, fear, hope and a million other pieces to a puzzle that are all contained in this little person we created. A person whose embrace has the power to make your heart smile and cry simultaneously.

I never truly knew the depth of love until I met you, Matty. Before you, I was searching. I questioned who I was, what I wanted, where I was going, but now I know where I am is the only place I ever really wanted to be.

My Cinco de Mayo Date

2011-05-05T21:49:00.000-04:00

I prepared a taco bar and yellow rice for dinner tonight to celebrate Cinco de Mayo. Unfortunately, hubby worked late and couldn't join us, but we saved him some, which he is enjoying as I type this. Matty inhaled his taco and then wanted to just pick at the toppings, especially the cheese. He LOVES cheese just like his dada! Tacos and two-year-olds are quite messy, but it was fun!

Mama's Bed, Movies and More

2011-04-30T19:27:00.000-04:00

Let me tell you a secret.

Matty slept with us last night. All night. Shhhhh.

But it was at hubby's request so he can't nag me about it...ha.

It's the first time Matty has spent the whole night with us; we normally transfer him to his bed if he falls asleep in ours.

Last night, hubby worked late, so Matty and I fell asleep in what he refers to as "mama's bed." Too cute. When hubby got home, he wanted to keep Matty in our bed since he hadn't seen him all day.

I know there are folks who are totally against it and others who are completely for it. Truthfully, I'm not passionate about it either way. I love watching him sleep next to me, but I also like my alone time with hubby and the ability to stretch out and get a really restful sleep. Because with Matty in bed with us all night, I woke up a lot and it was cramped. Plus, he woke a little earlier than usual, but it was worth it to see his sweet face smiling at me as the birds were chirping outside our window this a.m.

Thoughts on letting your child sleep in your bed?

So both last night and this morning, I tried to get Matty to watch Where the Wild Things Are. We didn't get very far. He's still too young to be content for very long with anything other than cartoon type stuff I guess. We did get far enough into it that I got to hear one of my favorite quotes from the movie...

"I have a sadness shield that keeps out all the sadness, and it's big enough for all of us."

Love it.

And as a mom, it so completely conveys how I feel about my little family. I want to protect us from all negativity, and though I'm not delusional enough to believe that it's all sunshine and lollipops out there, I do want to try to make the best of the bad and make the good even better :) Life is Beautiful comes to mind...Roberto Benigni knows the perilous situation that they face at the concentration camp, but he makes it into a fun game so that his young son won't be scared. It is absolutely one of my all time favorite movies.

Today was gorgeous. Got to spend some time outside on the deck blowing bubbles with Matty...we could hear dada inside getting angry at those Philadelphia Flyers, lol. Other than the Flyers losing, it was a pretty nice day :)

Tonight I'm off to see Water for Elephants with my sister. Girls night! Should be fun!

Music Monday

2011-04-25T21:39:00.001-04:00

Israel Kamakawiwo'ole's version of "Somewhere Over the Rainbow/What a Wonderful World" is simply beautiful. One of those tunes that makes me smile as I wipe away tears. It came to mind while I was tucking Matty in tonight. There was an amazing breeze coming in through the window and I just started humming this song. It's also in one of my favorite movies, "50 First Dates" and more importantly, it reminds me of my best friend walking down the aisle to marry her love!

I hope it brings a smile to your face. It surely brings one to mine!

Wordless Wednesday: Bath Time Edition

2011-04-20T06:26:00.000-04:00

This was one of Matty's first baths! He has since learned to love bath time, however; the past few times I have attempted to give him a bath, it has not turned out very well. I tell him it's bath time and he starts to climb up the stairs like he's all for it. He's fine with undressing and even gets in the tub and starts playing with his toys, but after about a minute, he starts crying and begins to climb out...I hope it passes quickly. I had to get hubby to come in last night and help me keep him the tub so that I could wash the soap off. After that, he was fine, and sat and played for a bit. He has never liked getting the shampoo rinsed from his hair, and I think lately he is anticipating that part of bath time and perhaps he is trying to avoid it! Hopefully, he gets over his fear soon!

Vacation Day

2011-04-15T23:07:00.000-04:00

Matty had his 2 year check up this a.m., so I made a vacation day of it and got to spend extra time with my love. As we walked into the Dr.'s office this morning, I suddenly got choked up remembering the first time we ever brought him there when he was just a week old:

Oh my! It's crazy how quickly time is passing and how Matty has changed, but one thing remains the same: he is a beautiful, healthy boy!

After the appointment was over, we met up with Nana and cousin Juliana and headed to the Lehigh Valley Zoo. It is very tiny, but it is perfect for a 2 and 3-year-old like Matty and Juliana. It was a little stressful in that Matty will not stay in the stroller for very long and also does not like to hold hands for any extended period of time. He just takes off running in the direction he wants to go, which makes for a very tired mama tonight. I definitely decided that we will be waiting another year to visit a major zoo like the Philadelphia Zoo. I would never be able to keep up with him in those crowds and restraining him in his stroller the entire time would just lead to a screaming toddler...who wants that? No thank you. I'll stick with Lehigh Valley Zoo until next year.

We have a busy weekend ahead: an Easter egg hunt tomorrow morning as long as the rain holds off and a kid's fishing tournament on Sunday afternoon. Also, wanting to do some organizing, cleaning, crafting, reading and writing. And fingers crossed that I'll have a new nephew to meet!

Enjoy your weekend family time everyone!

ten on ten

2011-04-10T22:34:00.000-04:00

His presence was requested at nap time.

Hubby's lunch.

Grocery shopping sans child and husband...so boring ;)

Nap time is over!

Doggie dinner.

Roasted veggies.

Dish washing with a view.

Toes resisting sleep.

Mama cleans up.

Bed time routine.

Going to give it a whirl...

2011-04-10T12:51:00.001-04:00

Last month, I discovered "a bit of sunshine" and the ten on ten photo project. To join the project, all you need to do is take a picture an hour, for ten consecutive hours on the tenth of the month. I was too late to join in last month and I just remembered today so I'm getting a bit of late start, but I will take my first photo at 1 p.m. and finish up at 10 p.m. Stay tuned!

Saturday, Sunday and Sundae

2011-04-03T22:58:00.002-04:00

Sunday night, ah. A great time to unwind with a glass of wine and relive the weekend...

Saturday was the first day of trout fishing in our area, so we packed up and headed to the pond bright and early. Matty is still not old enough to really focus on fishing; nonetheless, a good time was had. Matty helped dada reel in a few fish (and gave them each a kiss), rearranged Pop Pop's tackle box, dug in the water at the pond's edge, explored the premises and ran around with his cousin, Juliana and the other children.

We got home around noon, took a bath and attempted to nap. Matty just would not sleep so after a while, I gave up on the nap and set him up on the living room couch where he was content to watch Curious George.

In the evening, my fam came over. Hubby and my dad stayed back to play cards, while the girls (+Matty) headed to a local outdoor mall, The Promenade Shops, to get the kids some new shoes at Stride Rite. Matty got sneakers and a pair of sandals, but for awhile there it appeared as though he might take home Thomas rain boots. I saw one on display and for some silly reason, I thought it would be a good idea to let him try it on. Well then he didn't want to take it off to try on any other shoes. He happily stumbled around the store in a size 10 boot. When it became apparent that I might have to buy the boots, I asked the saleswoman to bring me out an 8.5. She looked, but the only pair they had in the whole store was the display, so she brought the the matching boot out. The one that had been on display was discolored and she offered a discount, but Matty could not walk around for any extended period of time in them without falling and doing some serious damage. That said, we needed something to distract from the Thomas boot. Enter Thomas raincoat.

Nana ended up buying it to keep us all sane :)

Today, hubby was not feeling well, so he rested, while Matty and I headed to the park with my fam:

We spent lots of time outside this weekend and I feel rejuvenated!

And did you know that today is supposedly the 119th anniversary of the first ice cream sundae being made? Of course our family has celebrated this occasion being that we are still finishing up leftovers from Matty's birthday party last weekend! Happy ice cream eating!

The BIG 2 and Music Monday

2011-03-28T21:46:00.004-04:00

Well it's official: Matty is 2!

The big day was on Saturday and we started Matty's birthday off by introducing him to his Thomas big boy bed. He loved the Thomas face, but was not impressed when Dada started assembling the rest of the pieces to it. I think he thought he was just gonna have a gigantic Thomas head to carry around. He did get used to the idea and even slept in it all night, but only after a lot of carrying on. We tried the bed: he wanted to play. We tried the crib: he wanted to climb out. So we resorted to leaving him in his bedroom, closing the door and putting up a gate. This resulted in a screaming toddler. Eventually he found his way to the bed and when we checked in on him a little while later, he was all cozy in it. I was not quite prepared for Matty to reject his crib so quickly after getting the bed. Another one of those bittersweet moments, but I'm really happy he likes it!

UPDATE: I've been working on this post for a few days and Matty has slept in his bed since Saturday night, including naps, but tonight for whatever reason, he wanted his crib, so that's where he is. Guess we'll be leaving it in his room a little bit longer. Yes, the part of me that wants to keep the "baby" in my baby is happy about this!

After showing Matty his bed, we came downstairs to the living room where Matty found a Thomas train table; needless to say, this pretty much occupied the rest of his morning. This first pic pretty much sums up Matty's feelings about it:

{hooray!}

{peek-a-boo}

{which of my boys loves it more?!}

Now with all of this train talk, you would think that would be the natural theme choice for Matty's party. Nope. Matty's first love used to be Curious George, but now George has taken a backseat to Thomas. That's not to say that Matty doesn't still love George. So mama made an executive decision and decided to have a Curious George themed banana split party. I figure the train stage will last a lot longer, so there will be plenty of opportunity for a Thomas and Friends party in the years to come.

We woke Matty up extra early so that he would nap early and be ready to party at 2 p.m. Our master plan failed and Matty went napless. {He was a trooper, but eventually it did catch up with him...}

Gift opening began as soon as guests started to arrive. Try and tell a two-year-old that he has to wait!

The banana splits were fun, but we have way too much leftover, so if you're in the mood for one, you know where to come! We ordered the cake from Wegmans and as usual, it was excellent! If you have a Wegmans in your area, I highly recommend their cake. Ours was half vanilla cake, half chocolate with chocolate pudding filling throughout and whipped cream icing. Scrumptious! And it looked awesome too!

When we began to sing "Happy Birthday," Matty got shy for a second. He stuck his fingers in his mouth and buried his head in my shoulder. It was such an "awwwww" moment!

It was a fun, happy time. Matty had a blast and we are so thankful to our family and friends for making it a spectacular day. We look forward to what year number 3 will bring for our family!

In sticking with the "Curious George" theme from Matty's party, I chose yet another song off of the soundtrack {can you tell I love me some Jack Johnson?!} It's a beautiful song, that to me, shows us that our curiosity just may lead us right back to where we were. Where we were always supposed to be.

Wordless Wednesday

2011-03-23T23:09:00.001-04:00

Only two more days!

Music Monday

2011-03-21T21:56:00.001-04:00

Jem's "Just a Ride" conveys an attitude we all need to adopt. It's an upbeat, fun tune about the highs and lows we all experience and that we should take it all in stride whenever possible. Minor mishaps should not sour our entire day; laugh, adjust, move on!

Matty and I had our own little dance party tonight while watching this numerous times. In fact, he started crying when it was time to go to bed and kept yelling, "again, again, dance." He really enjoyed the music and when he's old enough to "get it," I will definitely be playing it for him in the hopes that it will help him not sweat the small stuff. Listen to it and during your day tomorrow, remember Jem's advice:

Out With the Old

2011-03-19T22:55:00.001-04:00

One week from today, Matty will turn two. TWO. Not two days. Not two weeks. Not two months. Nope. Been there, done that.

Two years.

How did we get here ALREADY?! Of course it is bittersweet and I've come to terms with the fact that probably every birthday will be for some time. A child's birthday is an entrance that leads to new milestones and memories, but also acts as an exit for the previous year and its firsts that will all too quickly turn to lasts, the new that will soon turn to old. It's a reminder that this sweet little child will grow faster than you'd like and you'll wish you could just stop time. It's a little sad, a little scary, but a lot exciting. It's definitely a reminder that not one single second can be taken for granted.

Speaking of new turning old, it seems like just yesterday that we were preparing for Matty's arrival by painting his nursery. Well today, hubby began giving Matty's room a makeover. The transformation of nursery into big boy bedroom has commenced. Jungle green walls will give way to Thomas the Tank Engine blue. Stay tuned for more pics of the complete makeover, but here's a peek at the color. We bought two cans of it months ago because they were $5.00 each, not knowing where we would use it, but couldn't pass it up. Hubby remembered it while he was at Lowe's this afternoon to buy the paint for Matty's room. He called, told me to grab Thomas and compare to see if the paint we had would work. It is perfect!

As emotional as it is to see Matty's nursery go, I can't wait to see the look on his face when he sees his room's new do!

Wordless Wednesday

2011-03-16T06:41:00.000-04:00

Music Monday

2011-03-14T21:30:00.001-04:00

"Without you I was broken, but I'd rather be broke down with you by my side."

The lyrics above are from tonight's song, Jack Johnson's "Broken." It's from the Curious George soundtrack and is on my mind after watching the movie this evening. It's a mellow, happy song as is most of Jack's music and it makes me think of my Matty. And hubby too, of course!

Curious George is such a fun, touching movie, full of great tunes. George and Matty are a lot a like: little explorers that often get in trouble, but their cuteness usually prevails ;)

Enjoy!

Our Organist

2011-03-13T12:49:00.003-04:00

Matty is loving our newly acquired Baldwin organ:

sweet dreams

2011-03-12T22:57:00.000-05:00

On the weekdays, I hardly ever see Matty in the a.m., which his a major reason why bedtime has become such a special time for us. A few times this past week, I let him fall asleep in our bed and then transferred him in the middle of the night. There is just something indescribable about these moments! We play for a bit and as he gets sleepier he gets sillier. When he gets a bit out of hand, I say to him, "ok, we're going to Matty's bed" and he immediately lies down and says "go night night." A few seconds later he is back at it again, I tell him we're going to his room and we do the same routine a few times. After he finally settles down, he'll turn to me, grab me and says "hold you, hold you." Complete mush is the only way to describe my heart at this point. I love the sleepy smiles I get as he drifts into slumber, and I can only guess it's because his heart is so happy! I know mine is!

This past Tuesday was a rare occasion, but I was gone before he woke and came home after he was already asleep! It was really hard on me. That said, I made sure that we had mommy and Matty time before work on Wednesday. Here are a few shots from our morning. I'm really smitten with this sweater I thrifted a few weeks ago...he looks like such a big kid in it!

And yes, I am fully aware that he is in major need of a haircut!

Music Monday and A Mother's Gift

2011-03-07T19:53:00.004-05:00

With Matty's 2nd birthday a little less than three weeks away, there is a lot of thought going into presents and party prep, but I also often reflect on the gifts I want to give him that he will keep for a lifetime. The kind he can't play with, but the kind that will make him smile anyway. The kind that will comfort him. The kind that he will turn to when faced with a dilemma. The kind he will teach his children...

I strive to be a person he can be proud of and look up to; one who instills morals, strong family values and traditions and optimism to name just a few. God willing, I will be around for 60+ more years, but when the day comes that I am no longer physically with him, I pray I'll know that I have done a good job and that Matty will hold close to his heart the many gifts I will have given him. The ones that do not have a price tag attached.

My friend, Joy, lost her mother two years ago and she recently shared a post about their last Christmas together. You can read it here. It is a beautiful display of what every mother wants for her children: to leave footprints on their hearts. Her mom was obviously a lovely lady, as is evident in Joy!

And her mom was very wise, especially when it comes to the Miami Dolphins. Hehe.

In keeping with the mother/child theme, for tonight's song I chose Carole King's, "Child of Mine."

Oh, The Places You'll Go!

2011-03-03T21:14:00.005-05:00

Happy birthday {yesterday} Dr. Seuss! Matty doesn't appreciate your books yet, but I'm sure he will in the future. This past Saturday, we took him to the Dr. Seuss story time at Target. The setup was cute: a colorful rug and Pillow Pets were placed on the floor for the kids to get comfy. There were goodie bags with snacks, juice, crayons and coloring books and bags of popcorn. Employees took turns reading.

Matty sat in the cart for a while. He didn't pay too much attention to the stories and when the newness of the goodie bag wore off, he wanted out. I stalled and walked him around the store for awhile because once Matty gets out of the cart, it's all over. On our stroll, we picked up a new Thomas the Tank Engine movie. Eventually, we made our way back to the story time area and I finally caved and let him out of the cart. He walked around showing all of the other kids his Thomas movie and saying "James" {the name of the engine on the cover}. It was too cute. I nearly started crying because he looked like such a big boy; all of the children were older and were amused by Matty. He did sit a few times, but only for a few seconds. It was as though he was trying hard to be a big kid, but he is still in that very busy toddler stage and just couldn't keep still.

Now, this trip to Target was all about not spending money. These days, I get really excited about having fun for very little or better yet, free!

I had my ten dollar Starbucks gift card that I received from Swagbucks.com, which I promptly used as soon as we arrived. I got a grande skinny peppermint mocha latte, a blueberry muffin and an organic vanilla milk for Matty and there is still $3 + dollars left. I also had a coupon for free Coffee-Mate Liquid Creamer and a coupon for Nice'n Easy Color Blend Foam hair color. I picked up my Coffee-Mate, but when it came time to check out, Matty was in tantrum mode, so as I wrestled to put his coat on him, hubby checked out and I forgot to give him the coupon. I don't normally even use cream in my coffee, so I was ticked because I was only getting it because it was FREE. And I completely forgot about the hair dye, which I guess ended up being a good thing, because if I would have had it in the cart, hubby wouldn't have had the coupon anyway. At least my coupons don't expire until May.

The highlight of my weekend took place on Sunday when I'm pretty sure Matty told me he loves me!

I missed Music Monday, so today I bring you a truly beautiful, classic tune with a timeless message.

It goes a little something like this:

You may say that I'm a dreamer.
But I'm not.

If you just laughed out loud, then you've seen Dinner for Schmucks. If you're like "huh?", you should definitely see it soon! It is funny, yet heartwarming.

Less Than One Month...

2011-02-27T20:04:00.000-05:00

Matty has not eaten in his high chair for almost 6 months, but there it stands in its corner of the dining room, untouched, yet proud, knowing it did a darn good job. Today I cleaned it thoroughly and will be making room for it in the garage until we need it again one day, but for now, it will go into retirement.

I simply cannot believe 23 months ago yesterday, Matty was born. That means there is less than once month until he is two! Two. Although I joked here that I cannot wait for him to be two, it is hard to believe. Every day my baby is waging war against "baby"hood and the packing away of his high chair makes me sad. Ah, well at least I still have the diapers to cling to ;)

There will soon be an empty space where you stand, Mr. High Chair. Even though we burdened you with crumbs, sauce, and all things sticky, you were reliable, loyal, and never complained. Tonight, I dedicate this blog to you...

Music Monday

2011-02-21T22:01:00.001-05:00

I know we are all ready for spring, but tonight's song makes me want to fast forward to December! I simply could not wait almost a year to share it, but yes, tonight's song is technically a Christmas kinda song, but too bad ;)

"All I Want for Christmas is Us," by Tristan Prettyman and Jason Mraz is the cutest, sweetest, sexiest song. Ever. What makes it even better, it that these two awesome musicians have also recently gotten engaged! If their interaction in this video doesn't melt your heart, you need a dose of love potion #9. Seriously.

Love Is

2011-02-20T16:14:00.001-05:00

I wanted to post this for Valentine's Day, but I'm still going to do so now because we should appreciate love everyday, right? Here are some of my favorite lovely love inspired items on Etsy:

Source

And here's my own little creative contribution to love, an acrostic poem that I wrote a few years ago:

lemon scented Sundays
over coffee covered kisses.
voice of my lover
echoing babies and grey hair.

intensity in simplicity,
sleeping in his spine.

Music Monday

2011-02-14T20:54:00.001-05:00

Being that it's Valentine's Day, I chose a song that expresses my love for my two favorite guys {Matty and hubby}..."In My Life" by The Beatles. Today and everyday, they are the greatest inspiration in my little world.

Dear Matty

2011-02-12T21:41:00.000-05:00

A few of my favorite mommy bloggers wrote weekly letters to their unborn children while pregnant with them, and many continue to do so once the baby is born. I have wanted to do this for some time now, but I just actually wrote my first letter tonight. Being that I consider writing to be my passion, I am ashamed of the lack of writing and record keeping I have done for Matty thus far. I am hopeful that I can write a letter at least once a month, if not more. I plan to also create a keepsake journal with these letters and some of my other posts for Matty to look back on when he is older.

Dear Matty, 

Just put you to bed, and I must say, it has become one of the most rewarding and emotional times of our day.  It all starts with you saying your good nights: dada, the trains {the ones that get left behind in the playroom because you can’t carry them all} stuey and lili, your dog tent in the living room even. I can do no justice in attempting to describe how my heart feels when your sweet little voice calls out your good nights. We brush your teeth and then play in mama and dada’s bed for few minutes. Next, we head to your bedroom and change your diaper and put on your pjs.  I place you in your crib. You, head turned to the right, stare adoringly at the photo of me and dada that we keep in your crib, trains clasped in your hands. I stare at you for a few minutes, unwilling to turn out the light and leave you. I want to scoop you back up and cover you in kisses and bring you into bed with mama and dada. Only I know better, because you will never go to sleep in our bed because you will think it is playtime.  I turn out the light and wonder what you will dream of tonight. May they be as sweet as you. Good night baby boy.

Love,

Mama

Love & Victory {is mine!}

2011-02-08T21:19:00.001-05:00

I found out today that I won a giveaway over at one of my very favorite blogs, Bleubird! It was for a beautiful decanter set from Love & Victory. I cannot wait to find the perfect spot for it in our home.

Source

Music Monday

2011-02-07T21:24:00.001-05:00

Why in the world I am already relating songs to the time when Matty will eventually leave home and go off to pursuit his passion, I have no idea. Ha, but tonight's song makes me think of just that, complete with chills and tears. I hope you enjoy Michael Franti's "I Got Love for You" as much as I did.

I love you oh so well, like a kid loves candy and fresh snow.

2011-02-05T12:37:00.002-05:00

Guess what? It's snowing/sleeting/freezing raining AGAIN. I am ready for spring and the thaw that accompanies it, but I do appreciate the beauty of winter. This is a shot I took during the ice storm earlier this week:

Unfortunately, I have not taken Matty out into the snow to play at all this year! And now it is all jagged and crunchy because it is covered with ice. But have no fear, there is talk of some super spectacular snow storm next week, so perhaps I'll have the opportunity to do so with a fresh batch. I still need to pick him up snow boots. Just call me Slacker mom for now on, thank you very much.

I would like to say happy birthday to my ridiculously cool grandma. No worries, Gigi! We will be celebrating tonight regardless of the weather! Matty's napping right now so that he is ready to party with ya later. Put on your dancing shoes ;)

Even though it's my grandma's birthday today, I can't help but think of my grandpa in heaven. My grandma and grandpa were soul mates and I'm sure that even though we try to make her day super special, it just doesn't compare to what my grandpa would have done ...so here's to you grandma and grandpa. I love you both oh so well...

Music Monday

2011-01-31T22:18:00.002-05:00

Jack Johnson is a family favorite in our house and tonight I chose to showcase his song, "Banana Pancakes." Matty and I love when dada makes us banana pancakes for breakfast! Being that it's Monday, this song makes me long for the weekend. It's all about relaxing, forgetting responsibilities and obligations and living in and loving the simple moments. It's just a super cute, fun song that makes my heart happy. Often times when there's music on (which there usually is in our house}, Matty grabs mine and hubby's hand and wants the three of us to dance. It is one of my most favorite family moments. I can't wait to dance with my boys to this song!

Thoughts of Warmer Days

2011-01-29T13:21:00.001-05:00

Last Saturday, we took Matty to Cabela's for the first time. Have you been there? It is overwhelming {in a good way}. If you like fishing, camping, boating, hunting, etc., you will love it. Plus, it is cheap, family fun! There is so much to look at and they even have a restaurant. Matty liked looking at the animal exhibits and the aquarium, but his favorite part was feeding the trout:

Somehow we managed to get out of there without buying a single thing, but it got us very excited for the spring and the beginning of camping season with Peterson!

Publish Post

Music Monday

2011-01-24T20:29:00.002-05:00

Matty has taken quite a liking to Thomas the Train. So much so that bath time, which he usually loves, turned into a tantrum this past weekend, complete with a naked baby chucking toys down the stairs and refusing to get in the tub without Thomas. Thomas is wooden and doesn't like water, but Matty didn't grasp that concept. Eventually Matty gave in, but Dada did go out and buy a water-friendly Thomas to ensure that bath time goes smoothly from now on.

Source

In honor of my train adoring toddler, I bring to you tonight, The Doobie Brothers, "Long Train Runnin." Thank you, Matty, for loving trains, making me think of this song and allowing me to discover an amazing performance of a great tune!

Late Starts

2011-01-19T20:58:00.000-05:00

Yesterday, snow and ice forced a late start and reinforced my longing to be a stay at home mama {or at least a work at home mama}. I love getting up early and tidying the house, sipping on my coffee, and slowly making my way into the day. Speaking of coffee, I think I am developing a coffee cup addiction. Drinking coffee out of a pretty cup makes it even more enjoyable. { See my newest addition below}.

Sorry for the digression.

As I was saying - late starts - they are bittersweet.

I love the simplicity of the early morning: reflecting on the previous day and the anticipation of what this new day holds. Most weekday mornings, I don't get to meditate on these things because it is rush, rush, rush.

I love late starts because they allow me the opportunity to listen to and enjoy the noises Matty makes as he wakes, speaking softly to himself, often laughing at some secret only he knows.

Mostly I love them because I actually get to see my baby boy in the a.m. He is usually still asleep when I leave for work.

On this particular morning, as I dressed him, Matty grasped at my freshly showered hair and said "hair wet." Then I pointed to the snow outside his bedroom window and he said "snow, cool!" He also said a million other cute little phrases that made me smile and cry because I just can't get over how much I LOVE this boy. These little things mean the world and I wish I could experience them all day. Every.single.day.

I dislike late starts because they make me really sad when I eventually have to leave for the office.

Leaving him in the hands of family, rather than daycare softens the blow, but still, it breaks my heart.

Would you want to leave this face? Ever? I don't think so. Come on lottery! This little boy is depending on you! ha. :)

Music Monday

2011-01-17T20:02:00.001-05:00

Today, as we remember Martin Luther King, Jr., The Beatles, "All You Need Is Love" comes to mind. It is quickly becoming one of Matty's favorites and I can't wait for the day that he truly understands the beauty within the song. For now I'll simply enjoy the cute little doo doo doo and ahhhh sounds that Matty makes as he attempts to sing along while he waves his arms in the air to the beat.

I also dedicate tonight's Music Monday choice to my hubby, who is celebrating his 32nd birthday ♥

21-Months-Old and Counting

2011-01-06T22:22:00.001-05:00

Lately I have been thinking about how wonderful it will be when Matty turns two. I know, I cannot believe I am saying it either! Of course I have heard a bazillion horror stories about the terrible twos. I also cannot wrap my head around the fact that my baby is growing so quickly {wipes away tears}, but the pro that overshadows all of the cons is the fact that I will no longer have to remember how old Matty is in MONTHS...in Matty's own words, "woah, cool!" The past few times when asked his age, I stutter for a few seconds because I can't remember! I feel like such a bad parent, but seriously, it becomes confusing! So for only a few more months, I belong to the "my child is {fill in the blank} months old" club. I am most definitely looking forward to my membership expiring and being able to simply reply "2" whenever someone asks how old Matty is for one whole year!

Here's some recent photos of my almost two-year-old {thankfully, the Christmas Eve, vacuum attack boo boo is almost faded}:

Music Monday

2011-01-03T21:45:00.002-05:00

I have been absent for the past week, just taking it easy with the family and reflecting on the past year, but I'm back tonight and excited to bring you the first Music Monday post of 2011! It's a song by The Weepies titled, "Can't Go Back Now." It's such a sweet song and of course I relate it to my Matty. His expanding independence amazes and terrifies me. I know there will come a day when I will have to sit back, watch him go down paths, pray they are the right ones and offer guidance when they are the wrong ones. But like the song says, "in the end, the only steps that matter are the ones you take all by yourself." I know I'm getting way ahead of myself, but this song really pulls at my heartstrings...

"Yeah, yeah go where you want to go.
Yeah, yeah be what you want to be.
If you ever turn around, you'll see me."

Music Monday

2010-12-27T13:18:00.001-05:00

Today was supposed to be the end of my Christmas vacation, but a power outage at the office gave me an unexpected extra day home! Merry Christmas me! So while Matty naps, I get to do my Music Monday post. And it's before 9 p.m.! Unheard of...lol.

This morning, I also was able to spend some time catching up on my favorite blogs and I'm so glad I did. Moriah over at Josiah's Nest shared a song that I find beautiful and uplifting: Chris McClarney's version of "God of Our Yesterdays". I have been feeling so blessed these days and this song reinforces that feeling. I know that our life is in His hands, and that no matter what we face or how down we may be, there is always so much for which to be grateful. I have friends and family who are being challenged in many different ways these days, but I hope this song can bring some comfort and peace.

Merry Christmas

2010-12-24T22:16:00.001-05:00

Tonight I share no pictures, and few words, but lots of love. ♥

Christmas Eve is magical and I strive to feel this way everyday {no it's not the wine talking.} Ha. =)

Cookies and milk are waiting for Santa. Matty is tucked in. All is lovely {well except for the bright red boo boo on Matty's forehead which will be present in all Christmas pictures tomorrow.} Matty took on the vacuum cleaner today and it won. Yikes! Ah, well... boys will be boys.

Time to cuddle with hubby and fall asleep to A Christmas Story!

Good night all!

Music Monday

2010-12-20T21:06:00.001-05:00

Lately, Matty's favorite phrases are "mine" and "I want it." Ha. That said, tonight I share, "The Sharing Song," by Jack Johnson. I think we'll have to have this one on repeat for a while...

Christmas Greetings

2010-12-16T21:56:00.002-05:00

My dear friend, Mary, gave us these pretty, vintage Christmas cards. I adore them! The snowman and squirrel card is Matty's and the caroler card is for me and my hubby. Definite keepers. Please share your favorite greeting that you have received thus far this holiday season :)

Tongue Tied Tuesday

2010-12-14T22:26:00.001-05:00

All that I need ♥

Wherever You Are

2010-12-07T06:20:00.002-05:00

Matty is my strength. And my weakness.

I can say the same for words.

Whether it be a song, a poem, or a story, words can motivate me, inspire me and can also leave me vulnerable and in tears.

On Black Friday, I found myself crying in the middle of Sam's Club as I read this book by Nancy Tillman:

Source

I knew I had to buy it for Matty. It is the perfect telling of a love story between a parent and a child.

Music Monday

2010-12-06T21:41:00.005-05:00

Source

Lisa Loeb is one of my favorite female musicians. Because I am interested in finding music that I love, that I can also share with Matty, I started searching for some of her tunes that Matty and I could enjoy together. Not only did I find what I was looking for, but I also discovered Elizabeth Mitchell, a folk musician who writes children's music and who has collaborated with Lisa. Here is "Catch the Moon", the title track off of Catch the Moon, a compilation of children's songs by Lisa and Elizabeth.

Trees, Trains and Doorge

2010-12-05T21:20:00.002-05:00

Yesterday, we went to the Christmas tree farm. It was so exciting because we haven't cut down a tree in forever and it is our first time cutting one down with Matty. We took a hayride out to the fields and roamed rows upon rows in search of the ONE. Matty loves the outdoors and had fun making his way through the maze of beautiful trees despite the cold. I swear, he was happy! I think he was just unable to form a smile because his facial muscles were too cold ;-)

We ended up bringing home a Concolor, which has longer, fatter needles and a bluish tint...I love it! We decked it out last night, including setting up a train to go around it. Speaking of trains, they are one of Matty's fav toys at the moment...he loves to say choo train {almost as much as we love hearing him say choo train.}

One of my favorite parts of decorating the tree is looking at all of the ornaments I have acquired over the years; I adore Hallmark ornaments and couldn't resist adding this one to the collection for Matty:

Source

Matty loves Curious George {or Doorge as he says}. Multiple times a day, Matty can be heard saying "Doorge, Doorge" and that is our cue to put on Jack Johnson's Upside Down vid featuring none other than Curious Doorge. I have been playing this video for Matty, here and there, for the past few months. I would say just in the past month though, he has become completely enamored with it. We watch it at least 10 times a day! This video habit has also made Matty love the guitar even more. We have two around the house because I have always wanted to learn, but haven't yet...maybe Matty will be teaching me one day! The past few months, he has taken an interest, but even more so now. He stands with the guitar, plucking the strings and dancing to the vid...it is the cutest thing. Ever. Seriously.

A little elf {not THE Elf on a Shelf because I'm still a little creeped out by him and do not think that Matty would understand the concept yet anyway} told me that Santa is bringing Matty a "Matty size" guitar, as well as the Curious George movie, which includes the Jack Johnson vid...hoping to get some cute video footage of Matty rockin out on his guitar to the vid so I can share the adorableness with you all.

Happy Sunday. I'm not sure what the weather is like where you are, but if it's anything like it is here in NE PA, I'm sending warm snuggie filled wishes your way....brr!

Music Monday

2010-11-29T23:33:00.001-05:00

I'm in Christmas mode, therefore, tonight's song is Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer! Matty has been listening and dancing to it for the past few days, and I can't wait to see his reaction when we watch Rudolph, which airs tomorrow on CBS at 8 P.M. EST.

Oh So Thankful

2010-11-25T14:21:00.000-05:00

When I went to bed last night, I was thinking about my Thanksgiving Day post, but when it was time to get up, less than 4 hours later, I was feeling anything but thankful. I was tired and cranky, but after a few cups of coffee, I was able to remember why and for what I am oh so thankful :)

Just a few of those things:

my son and my husband {my little family makes me so happy and constantly reminds me of what really matters at the end of the day.}
my parents
old friends
new friends
second chances
forgiveness
hope
love
apples
music

Speaking of music, I missed my Music Monday post because I've just been enjoying my out of town family, but here is a song by Jonny Lang that is perfect for today. I hope you enjoy it. Have a wonderful day with friends and family and eat A LOT!

Ring Around A Rosie

2010-11-19T23:15:00.002-05:00

The smell of Friday...gotta love it! Friday evening seems like the perfect time to reflect on my favorite memories of the week. Maybe I'll make this a new weekly post. I don't want to commit though. It's too much pressure!

A few weeks ago, I taught Matty Ring Around a Rosie and he loved it. We do it daily, and just this week, he decided he wanted his "friends" to participate. Him and I were ringing around a rosie right before bedtime. We got halfway through and he stopped, dropped my hands and ran over to his rocking chair. He proceeded to pick up a stuffed animal that was on the chair and he brought him into the circle! It was too precious. I wanted to laugh and cry! We began again, with the little red and white doggie that we gave Matty for V-day, and yet again, we get halfway through and Matty stops. He runs back over to the rocking chair and grabs Curious George {this was my Curious George as a child..aw!}. And don't ya know it, Matty brings George into the circle and now that everyone is included, we can finish the song :)

Then, last night, Matty, Matt and I were in the playroom and Matty motioned to me that he wanted to do Ring Around a Rosie. We started, got a few seconds in, and Matty stopped, said dada, and ran over to Matt to pull him up off the couch. The three of us did Ring Around a Rosie a few times...it was my favorite memory this week!

What else? Well, this week, those apples I was bragging about turned into a not so cool game...Matty decided that once he gets bored with the apple, it is fun to spit out the pieces and stomp on them.

Also this week, we bought concert tickets for The Avett Brothers on NYE in Asheville, NC! Take some time to check them out and watch this video; it's one of my favs.
We'll be meeting friends that we adore and are so so excited! It will be a nice little getaway and a fun start to the New Year, but we'll surely miss our lil monkey.

Today, I had the day off which meant extra Matty and Mama time! After breakfast, which included apples of course, we decided to venture outside to play with the dogs, despite the chilly temp. Mama was cold, but Matty and the pups didn't seem to notice.

In the afternoon, we went to the park with Nana, Papa and Juliana. Besides snack time, Matty's favorite part was the swings:

Matty and his Papa

It was a great week, if you don't count the Miami Dolphins loss last night...boy oh boy, did I have an unhappy hubby on my hands.

Next week will be fun. On Sunday, our KC family invades {and I mean that in the most loving way possible} for the holiday and it is always a blast. Speaking of the holiday, if anyone has any fab Thanksgiving dishes, I'd love if you would share them!

Happy weekending all!

Music Monday

2010-11-15T20:55:00.001-05:00

Ah, Bob Marley's Three Little Birds...one of my absolute favorites and quickly becoming one of Matty's too. This song has always helped me maintain a hopeful, positive attitude regardless of the circumstance, and I love that I can share it with Matty on a level that speaks to him. As parents, we want our children to feel that we will always be there to guide and protect them and no matter the challenges that they face, they can overcome it.

Thank you Nick Jr, for making this song and video a staple on your channel! Whenever it plays, I pick Matty up and we sing and sway to it...such a lovely little bonding experience. It's the sweetest video...

Bribes

2010-11-11T20:04:00.001-05:00

I do it. I'm not proud of it. Still, I do it.

When Matty's temper cannot be cooled, I bribe him. First I attempt the "soothe by talking calmly" and then the "plead like a desperate mama" technique, but there are times when more serious steps need to be taken.

When all else fails, I give in...

and break out the apples.

I consumed A LOT of apples and apple juice when I was pregnant with Matty, {you can read about that here} and I guess I passed my cravings on to him! Seriously. Matty can be having a complete melt down and I whip out an apple..voila! No more tears. I do feel guilty because his own mama can't make him feel better, but an apple can. Well, it could be worse right? At least they're healthy for him!

Tonight was an "apple" kinda night. Stuey wanted a bite too :)

Do you have any tricks {aka bribes} for zapping those nasty tantrums?

Music Monday

2010-11-08T21:49:00.000-05:00

This song speaks for itself...

Nothing compares to MJ's Man in the Mirror, but I think James Morrison's version is beautiful; he makes it his own, but the meaning of the song comes across with as much passion as the original. It's a message I want Matty to embrace.

Introducing My New Sponsor, Heartsmiles!

2010-11-06T22:49:00.000-04:00

I hope you all are having a splendid weekend! I wanted to take a few minutes to introduce you to my new sponsor, Heartsmiles.

Heartsmiles is an Etsy boutique, founded by Abbie Torroll, that sells beautifully handmade hats and headbands for girls, women and boys. As the name implies, these items will leave your heart smiling :)

{Santa, are you reading? If so, Matty would look sooooo adorable in this}

In the very near future, I will be reviewing one of Heartsmiles lovely pieces. In the mean time, please visit Abbie's shop, and tell me about your favorite item!

"What's for Dinner?" Wednesday I Give up!

2010-11-03T21:12:00.000-04:00

Ok, so as of late, I have failed miserably at "What's for Dinner Wednesday." I've decided to take the pressure off and scratch that idea. Whew...I feel less stressed already! I just don't necessarily cook something worth blogging every Wednesday and even when I do, I don't always get to blog about it on Wednesday evening and then one, two, three days roll by and it becomes a "What's for Dinner Wednesday" post on any day but Wednesday. But of course, I will still be sharing recipes that I have tried and those that I want to attempt, like this one:

Spicy Red Lentil Chili

This fantastic dish is brought to you by Wegman's, my favorite grocery store. I discovered this chili a few years back while browsing the cafe section over my lunch break. It will surely leave you warm and full, a perfect combination as the autumn chill sets in. You can find the recipe here. I hope to attempt it this weekend, because my sister-in-law {she loves it too} will be in town to run the NY Marathon {you go girl!} and I want to stuff her full of power food!

Music Monday

2010-11-01T21:26:00.003-04:00

Counting Crows version of Big Yellow Taxi is my song of choice tonight. My husband and I love Counting Crows and Matty is following in our footsteps...he can't get enough of dancing to this song as well as Hanginaround.

Matty's dance moves have really developed in the past few weeks! It's the cutest darn thing. He has this signature move he does with is arm {love it} and his face, it's so serious; you can tell he's super focused! There's video of it here, but I think only those of you with Facebook accounts can view it, so I will have to post some more very soon.

Back to my song choice: the basic message is appreciate what you have without trying to change it because change isn't always a good thing.

Snow White and the Little Monkey

2010-10-30T23:02:00.001-04:00

Last night was trick-or-treat in our town and my mom and niece, Juliana, joined us. We fed the kiddos dinner and then it was time to put on the costumes and head on out. I was glad that the weather cooled down; trick-or-treat when it is humid and 70 just doesn't feel right! I was beginning a cold {which is in full swing today...poo} but I welcomed the crisp autumn air.

Matty wasn't too excited about getting dressed:

Once we were outside though, he was all about trick-or-treat:

My beautiful niece Juliana makes a lovely Snow White, don't ya think?

Cousins...♥

Matty was handing out his own sweets...he was full of kisses last night!

Matty and Juliana lasted about an hour and 15 minutes before he started to get cranky and she got tired. {Dada appeared to be a bit disappointed in the size of our candy collection...lol.} There was a lot of "when I was a kid" stories...haha! After I persuaded Dada, we went home, the monkey went to bed, and Snow White enjoyed pizza and chocolate milk. The End.

Friday is surely fabulous.

2010-10-28T23:31:00.000-04:00

I am participating in a new hop this week. Won't you join me?

Upcoming Review: CSN Stores

2010-10-28T21:47:00.003-04:00

Recently I discovered CSN Stores which houses over 200 online shops. That said, you can find items such as trendy shoes for your toddler, stylish luggage for your business trips or a classic dining room table for entertaining your guests. Honestly, I am a bit overwhelmed at the plethora of merchandise they offer! I'm thinking Matty just has to have this shirt:

In the coming weeks, I am excited to announce that I will be completing a review of a CSN Stores product, so stay tuned.

My Monkey

2010-10-27T20:26:00.001-04:00

I finally got my act together and bought Matty his Halloween costume.

We really had no clue as to what he should be, but Dada suggested Superman and I saw that Old Navy had them, so we headed there. Being that it is only a few short days away until Halloween, the choices were slim, but on the bright side, they were 40% off! We ended up with a monkey costume, basically because it was the only boy costume left in Matty's size.

Source

When we put it on him, he took off, darting in and out of clothing racks, full of joy! We knew it was the perfect costume for his personality and he barely seemed to notice it, which means it is comfortable, a very important factor!

Trick-or-treat in our town is on Friday night, so pictures of Matty the monkey will follow soon!

The Perfect Pumpkin

2010-10-26T03:39:00.000-04:00

Matty is a lucky boy. He got to visit the pumpkin patch not once, but twice: once in Missouri and again here in Pennsylvania this past Sunday.

My perfect little pumpkin:

Cousins choosing their perfect pumpkin:

Music Monday

2010-10-25T20:50:00.000-04:00

He loves country music!

Autumn Morning Palette

2010-10-24T10:37:00.000-04:00

7 a.m.

sunday morning walk in the manor.

i admire the unkempt path:

vibrant dreams,

orange, red and gold

spiral to my feet.

let's reinvent the tree;

glue leaves against the sky,

breathe in the sun, turn shadows into life.

Sweetness

2010-10-21T20:06:00.001-04:00

Mama, I mean Matty {wink, wink} wants this saaaaweeeeet jacket from MySweetMuffin in preparation of those impending nor'easters! Fingers crossed that I win over at Bleubird to defray some of the cost. As much as it pains me to tell you about it, because it decreases my chances of winning, I just had to share this super awesome giveaway for two $50 gift certificates to MySweetMuffin. Hopefully you and I will both win! Go here to enter :)

Source

Strawberry Shortcake and Music Monday

2010-10-18T19:58:00.000-04:00

I want this:

Source

Definitely thinking if we ever have a baby girl, it's going to be vintage Strawberry Shortcake for the nursery. Let me just take this moment to scold my parents: why did you throw away my Strawberry Shortcake toy box?! And there are probably many other Strawberry Shortcake items of which you disposed!! Haha, I love you anyway, but as punishment, you have to assist in my search for vintage S.S. shtuff. Yes, yes, I know I should wait and see if we decide to have another child, AND make sure it's a girl first...ssshh...these minor details will not burst my bubble. Besides, I could always just have a Strawberry Shortcake bathroom, right? This fridge would be perfect for holding towels or toilet paper ;)

Mine and Matty's song for the week is Frank Sinatra's The Coffee Song. My friend Mary introduced me to it and she used to sing it to her baby boy who is all grown up now, so I thought I would keep the song alive by introducing it to Matty. Besides, I need a whole lot of coffee to keep up with him! It's such a great little tune and how can you not love anything Sinatra? I dare you to try to not dance.

"What's for Dinner?" Wednesday

2010-10-14T20:21:00.001-04:00

Well if you really have to know what was for dinner last night, it was a bag of spinach and cheese raviolis from the freezer. And not homemade raviolis that I froze. They were of the store bought variety. :p

Tonight, I wasn't much more motivated. It was sandwiches.

But on Monday I made this:

Source: ReadyMade Issue 49 October/November 2010

You can find the recipe here.

It was simple and so tasty!

Music Monday

2010-10-11T21:34:00.005-04:00

Tonight's song, Paper Bag by Anna Nalick, is dedicated to any child who has ever been bullied.

Those of you who are familiar with Blind Melon's No Rain will understand Anna's references such as "fly little bee away" and "no more rain", but even those of you who do not know it, will get her point.

If you have a child who is being bullied, hopefully this song will comfort and if you have a child who is a bully, maybe he or she will feel compassion after hearing it.

I thought I remembered there being an official video for this song, but I couldn't find it, so this one will have to do.

Be Kinder Than Necessary...

2010-10-09T16:08:00.001-04:00

It's hard to imagine that kind of pain, especially on a beautiful day like today...

This morning, I found out that the 11-year-old son of a friend of a friend, committed suicide last night. Why? Because some of his classmates were bullying him. It breaks my heart to know that such a young child felt so beaten down, that he thought the only way to feel better was to end his life.

I pray that we are able to instill enough love, faith and strength in Matty, so that he never ever carries that kind of burden; that he'll always know that no matter how badly he feels, things will always look up.

And I pray we know how to raise a boy who will always be kinder than necessary.

"Be kinder than necessary, because everyone you meet is fighting some sort of battle."

"What's for Dinner?" Wednesday

2010-10-06T23:17:00.002-04:00

No cooking for this mama tonight! That's right, because it's my 30th birthday! My wonderful parents had us over for dinner and my dad made me authentic Chinese, which we washed down with birthday cake. Well, I enjoyed my cake after I gave Matty a bath:

Not only was today my birthday, but it was also my first day back at work after a two week vacation; however, it was not nearly as painful as I had imagined...haha.

I had a lovely little day, but my favorite part occurred around 2 a.m. which I guess technically wasn't my birthday yet because I wasn't born until somewhere between 9 and 10 a.m. I think, but close enough...you see, my lil monkey's sleep patterns were off a bit while we were away ( a few nights in KC, he ended up in bed with us in the middle of the night). That said, this morning, he woke up around 1:45 a.m. We brought him into bed with us hoping he would fall asleep, but he thought it was playtime. After a few minutes though, he settled down and wedged himself between us and rested his head on my chest. Dada put his arm around the both of us and we lay like that for a few minutes. I thought to myself, "I couldn't ask for anything more..."

It didn't last too long because Matty became restless again, but it was the perfect beginning to my 30th birthday :)

Also, today I share my birthday with one of my favorite blog hops:

Music Monday

2010-10-04T21:59:00.000-04:00

Greetings from our hotel in Greenfield, IN!

We left KC this morning around 8 a.m. Tomorrow we will finish up the last leg of our trek home to PA. We had a wonderful trip and we are sad to see it come to an end, but eager to sleep in our own bed!

We decided to split the road trip home into two days because it would be easier with Matty, and also, the Dolphins are playing the Patriots tonight, so hubby couldn't miss the game! So I am blogging from bed, watching the game. Go fins!

I know I missed Music Monday last week so I wanted to be sure and do it today. Tonight I bring you Gavin Degraw's I Don't Wanna Be. Gavin is a soulful artist who mainly plays the piano. This particular song has a rock edge to it, and delivers a great message to youth and adults alike: be yourself despite the influences trying to change you :)

Playing Catch Up

2010-09-28T16:52:00.001-04:00

Sorry for being a terrible blogger this past week, but we left last Wednesday for Indiana and now we are in Kansas City, MO. Remember the anxiety I was having about leaving Matty home for the Indiana portion of the trip and then flying alone with him to KC? Well hubby and I made a last minute decision to bring him to Indiana as well. We just couldn't stand to be away from him for five whole days ! He was a super road tripper and was a very good boy while in Indy. He met a lot of our friends who absolutely adored him. He was especially fond of our friend Annie:

We took him to the Columbian Park Zoo in Lafayette. It was the cutest little zoo and admission was free! Matty loved seeing the wallabies, petting the billy goats, and chasing the chickens, but his favorite part was sitting on this tractor. He didn't want to give anyone else a turn!

Now we are visiting my brother-in-law and his family in KC. Friday we'll be heading to the American Royal BBQ Competition in which my brother-in-law's catering business, Savage Barbeque, will be competing. Lots of fun in store for sure! I probably won't be blogging regularly again until the end of next week, but I will try and check in. I hope you all are well!