Lessons Learned...in Antigua

1.  Do not pay for in-flight DirectTV unless you love The Hangover 2, Sherlock Holmes, or Yogi Bear on repeat.  CDitty and I are suckers.

2.  5 days in a tropical paradise sans your child is better than any therapy session in the world.

3.  You should go to tropical island therapy once in a while.

4.  Europeans love Antigua.

5.  Europeans love speedos.

6.  SPF 30 is not strong enough for ghostly white bodies.

7.  Bring Aloe.

8.  Overweight Europeans wearing speedos tend to look naked.

9.  Somehow mosquito nets, bungalows, and sea views are extremely romantic.

10.  I am easily amused by speedos.  CDitty is not.  (Although photo credit below goes to him!)

11.  This was the most relaxed I've been in 2 years, 2 months, and 8 days.

12.  There is nothing better than the love and help of really good family.

13.  Drink fruity drinks.  Heavily.

14.  Always travel with 1 of your child's toys.  It was almost as entertaining as the Europeans.

15.  Europeans wear shorts style speedos and briefs.  It cracks me up.

16.  My obsession with the speedo proves that I am too immature for Europe.  Yet somehow I'm mature enough to be a mommy?

17.  Coming home was awesome.  "I love you mommy" and "I missed you" never sounded so sweet.

18.  Vaca was awesome.

**I have so many more pictures of Antigua!  I'll photo dump when I get them on my computer.  Including like 20 of Mr. White Hat **

Awareness...and tears

From one self-diagnosed, self-proclaimed blog addict to another:

http://averycan.blogspot.com/

A high school friend posted this blog on her facebook page.  I clicked (as any blog addict would do), grabbed a box of tissues, and added the link to my favorites.  Talk about a wonderful family, faced with unimaginable heartbreak.  When I think I have problems, remind me of Avery's family.  Please.

two

Two is tough. Temper tantrum tough.  Forgot how to sleep through the night tough.  "I can do it myself" tough. 

But moments like these make me remember that two is fun.

The "Mommy come play" kind of fun.

And "I eat like daddy" fun.

"Look at somping cool"  fun.

Pretend and puddles fun.

You get it...fun.

Jack is 2 + Pinterest = Train Party!

Jack has discovered his love for trains and I discovered my love to Pinterest.  A super fab birthday party emerged!  I'll let my picture do the talking.  BUT if anyone has the following pictures please PLEASE get them to me:
1) Pic of the diesel fuel (vodka punch)
2) Pic of the Water Tower (water pitcher)
3) Carriage Treats car (Popcorn with white chocolate and rice krispies treats)
4) Pic of Jack, CDitty, and myself (I will never ever throw a party without a photographer again)
5) A Picture of us singing Happy Birthday to Jack
6) A Picture of the "train tracks".  CDitty braved the rain and put black duct tape down in the shape of a train track up the sidewalk!  Total hit.

**This is a sampling of pictures!  I know there are thousands everywhere!


Guess who's party it was?

Thank you Pinterest

Sandwich Station was PB& J's cut into trains

blueberries and grapes





Delish!  Big THANK YOU to Mere for helping me with EVERYTHING!

Trains Whistles, Bandanas, and Name Tags

Cookies & Cream (Coal Dusted Cupcakes)



We iced sugar cooked cut out into Train Shapes

Yay for friends!

The Birthday Boy wore his conductor suit!

Thank god for the "masement"

Everyone Had fun...



...Even the grown ups



I'm begging you...

Some of you may know that I've recently been bitten by the running bug and now have a bad case of total addiction.  My friend, Stefanie, and I run every other morning at 5:30AM (YAWN)!  We have decided to runt he Anthem 1/2 Marathon in March!  This 1/2 is part of the Shamrock weekend of events here in Virginia Beach.

I've decided to run the 1/2 for charity.  The Shamrock has selected 2 charities to donate to.  The first one, Operation Smile, is an international charity located right here in Hampton Roads.  OpSmile (as it is called locally) has provided over 200,000 free surgeries repairing cleft palates, cleft lips, and facial deformities on children and young adults around the world (60 countries to be exact).  OpSmile believes that a 45 minute surgery can change the life of a child forever...so do I.  Check out the website, www.operationsmile.org.  Grab your tissues, the pictures are heartbreaking.

The second charity, Preston's March for Energy, is one I had never heard of.  After looking into it I am convinced the Shamrock Race Coordinators really know how to pick 'em.  Preston, 12, has Mitochondrial Disease. Leaving him completely exhausted and off balance 100% of the time.  He's not able to participate in PE, recess, or any physical activity.  Although mentally healthy, he is at a huge risk for childhood obesity because of his physical inabilities.  he was give a bike to adapt to his physical limitations.  This bike, a cool $2,200, allows him to play with his older brother, exercise, and be "normal" without the physical setbacks.  Preston's parents started his non-profit to raise money for other kids just like Preston.  Because with this disease the biggest roadblock is the cost of SAFE exercise.


Are you still reading? I hope so because this is where I need you. Please, click the link below, donate a few bucks. Any amount will do. I cannot tell you how grateful I am, Preston will be, and any number of children in underprivileged countries will be. Thanks to us we can give a little (or a lot) and make a difference...

https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_donations&business=E4JAQAK292BQ6&lc=US&item_name=Anthem%20Half%20Fundraising&currency_code=USD&bn=PP%2dDonationsBF%3abtn_donateCC_LG%2egif%3aNonHosted

Thank you so much for your generosity.  I cannot wait to run and to know I'm doing it for such a great cause really makes it that much better.  I'll keep ya'll posted...The big day is March 18th!

PS I did the paypal link on my own.  I stink at technology.  Please let me know if it doesn't work.  I'm so clueless.

23 Months

1. You talk in complete sentences.
2. I understand 90% of them.
3. Your teachers at school are Mrs. Linda and Mrs. Susan.  You call them "Sue Sue and Inda".  They love you almost as much as I do.
4. According to you Santa (who lives at the mall) visited Deebus (Jesus) at the First Christmas.
5. You have become a "master staller"
6. Especially at bedtime.  You always say "I'm missing something" and frantically search through your 9 stuffed animals and 3 blankets that you insist on keeping in your crib.
7. I think you got the hoarding gene from your father.
8. You love your bapi, wear size 5 diapers, and tell everyone that you pee pee on the potty.  You don't even try.
9. The only time our house is quiet is at naptime and bedtime.  We wouldn't have it any other way.
10. You love to sing.  Jingle Bells, Twinkle Twinkle, and ABC's are your current top hits.
11. Your version of the ABC's is "a, c, k, m, n, p Yay!!"
12. You are stubborn; so am I.
13. We butt heads.
14. You bite, hit, and punch when we butt heads.
15. Time out, hugs, kisses, and sorrys always follow.
16. Obsessed with trains doesn't even begin to do your love for the toy justice.
17. In turn, we know just about every name to every Thomas character.
18. Your love for sports doesn't surprise me.  You scream "Touchdown Tebow", "GO TIGERS", "2 Points", and "FORE!" when playing football, basketball, and golf.
19. You think you are hilarious.
20. I think you are a genius.
21. Since cleaning up our basement you want to spend all of your time in the"masement".
22. Suddenly you don't want to eat anything but Popsicles.  I blame it on your Grumps.
23. Your daddy and I love you more than you can ever dream.  I cannot wait to see what the next year has in store for you!