Is This What You Talk About?

Nine times out of ten, when Adam asks me who I am talking to on the phone, it is usually Allison. He doesn't really understand what I could possibly be talking to Allison about so frequently. Sometimes we talk for 2 minutes, sometimes it is 2 hours. I've started to feel like recently, that someone should record our conversations...they are certainly book worthy. Here is a recent one:

Allison: "Mandy, you should see Emerson's hair. It has gotten so long."

Mandy: "Please don't let it grow into a mullet and then ask me later what I think of it. I will feel compelled to say it is cute. But it isn't."

Allison: "Ugh...I wouldn't do that."

Mandy: "I'm just saying. I know you are proud that your child's hair is growing finally, as I was, but that doesn't mean you can abandon style."

Allison: "Mandy...seriously, I think Emerson needs highlights."

Mandy: "What?"

Allison: "Yeah, she has that hair color, that needs highlights. Like yours. I also think she needs some serious concealer."

I can't remember what we talked about after that, but I can't stop laughing about our conversations. That is, indeed, what we talk about. Random stuff. Well, and then, we talk about what it is going to be like when our kids get married... you know, the usual stuff.

Yep...It Snowed

Sweet Harrison couldn't see with the glare

I feel like I should put a picture on here of the fact that it snowed in Charleston (Harrison and I were in town for the evening), but I really don't want to. I mean, we lived in Colorado. Snow isn't that big of a deal. However, like everyone reminded me (as I was a little bit of a sarcastic monkey about it), it is Charleston and it is a big deal for Charleston .

Valentine's Craft

Harrison hated having anything (paint or icing on his hands)
All of the kids in class during the party.

Some of the crafts

I'm sure everyone has been waiting on pins and needles to know what I did in the classroom for Valentine's Day. After perusing numerous websites that cited themselves as "Easy Toddler Crafts," I high-tailed it to AC Moore where the professionals are. I hit the Valentines aisle. I picked up 10 foam hearts. And then I went to an associate and asked for help. I handed her the heart and said, "this is what I have so far, now what should I do?" She explained something and then said, "But first you'll have to hot-glue this at home before taking it to class." I immediately explained that I did not have a hot-glue gun (though I would like one) and the only kind of adhesive I can use at home without buying anything is scotch tape and hairspray. She actually said that she was surprised that "someone like me" even ventured into AC Moore. I replied with "Thanks," though I acknowledge that was no compliment at all. Anyway, after the AC Moore Craft Guru finished with me, I was on my way with hearts, paint, foam monkeys, and magnets. In class, I painted the kids' hands and put their hand prints on the hearts. The hearts have magnets on the back, so they can be displayed proudly on the fridge. I wish I had a picture of the other mom that volunteered to help me. Without her, I would have been doomed.

Here is what I learned:

1. Don't volunteer to do a craft by yourself...that would be impossible


2. You should write the name of the kids on the back of the crafts before starting if you are doing anything with paint, glue, etc (which I did...disaster averted there)


3. Volunteer to do a craft in a different class from your child...Harrison was not okay with me painting other kids' hands.


4. 1-2 year-old classrooms smell like poopy diapers at all times of the day


5. Poopy Diapers still make me gag


6. The associates at AC Moore are on a different craft-lingo level than I am
   
7. I need to buy a hot-glue gun

What Did I Just Do?

I'm trying to get Harrison into a different school for next year. I absolutely love where he is right now, but the church we attend has a great school, and I think I'd rather him be there. It is fairly hard to get into, but some how, Adam delivered some chicken and Harrison jumped everyone on the waiting list. The only caveat to this place is that he has to be potty-trained in order to be able to attend this school. That is a totally different subject.

So Monday night, I decided to email the lady who runs the school and confirm that Harrison would be enrolled as well as to ask if our deposit is refundable in the event that Harrison is not potty-trained. Here is her response:

"Things are looking great. What is Harrison's birth date again? The deposit is non-refundable. But think positively, he will be potty-trained."

In the middle of working yesterday, I decided to respond quickly:

"Harrison's birthday is March 19, 2008. I'm crossing my fingers for potty-training...I wish I could send him to a camp to learn. I don't even know how to tickle tit."

I hit send.

I went back to my email to see if I put his birth date in it and I realized, that I put "tickle tit" instead of "tackle it." Oh. my. gosh. I just sent an email like that to the head of the church school. I laughed so hard that I cried. Then I called Allison, my mom and Adam to tell them what I had done. I couldn't stop laughing. All three advised me to send an e-mail to correct it immediately. So I did.

"Unfortunately, I sent the last email without proofing it. I meant to say 'tackle it.'"

I still haven't heard a response.

Calling All Crafty Folks!

Okay, so I'm in a bit of a pickle. And I need help ASAP. Here is the email I received from Harrison's teacher about a week and a half ago.

Dear Parents
We will celebrate Valentine's Day as a class on Thursday, February 11th. Please let me know if you'd like to do a craft with the kids or bring some treats for the class.

I decided that I would not be bringing treats as kids. I don't have time to bake (nor do I make time to do it) and not every kid loves fruit like my award-winning toddler. I did decide that I probably could help with a craft. That should be fun. I've seen the crafts Harrison brings home and maybe I can help him make his a little more...well, wall-worthy.

Dear Miss Crissy
I would love to do a craft with the kids on Thursday. Just let me know what time you'd like for me to be there.

On Saturday night, I received an e-mail from the teacher:

Dear Mandy
Thanks so much for volunteering to lead a craft for the class. I'm sure the kids are going to love whatever you are going to do. Is 11:15 am enough time to be able to complete it?

My thought process:

Ugh...what? I am going to lead the craft.? I thought I was signing up to help. In fact, I thought I was just signing up to do one too. Oh gosh, I have to lead 10 kids in a craft that are all under the age of two? Immediately, I say to Adam, "I have to call Harrison's teacher and tell her there has been a mistake. I am not gifted in this area, and well, what the heck am I going to do." Adam says, "C'mon...it isn't that big of a deal. You should do this." "What? Why should I do this." Anyway, he went on to explain that it would be good for me. Whatever that means. So, I didn't back out. I was going to back-out this morning until the teacher sent out an email to the whole class telling the parents that I so graciously volunteered to do a craft. My response to the email, "What kind of adhesive do you use in class?" I figured that made it sound like I knew what I was talking about. Now...what the heck do I do? Any suggestions are welcomed!

We may be torturing him...

Okay, so I purchased two dog beds from Bow Wow Beds http://www.bowwowbeds.com/after reading Allyn's post a couple of months ago. I don't think that they are totally chew-proof as Luna's bed no longer exists. But they are super affordable, and you can get them made in any size that you'd like. It is just a duck canvas cover and then you fill it with what you want (I went to Wal-Mart and purchased four pillows for $2.50 each). The dogs love them, and so does Harrison. Like Allyn, I loved supporting this small business owner.
This is when Adam was trying to teach Harrison to pat his head and rub his belly. This was at least 20 minutes of entertainment for us.

And then for another 10 minutes of entertainment, Adam taught Harrison the good ole

"Get In My Belly."

I love this picture. This is Harrison in the tent with Marley cuddling. You can barely see Marley in the photo, but she is just hanging out with Harrison as he rubs her.

There are many wonderful things about working for Chick-fil-A. It is a phenomenal organization in so many different ways. One thing that people always identify us with is the Chick-fil-A Cow. The unfortunate part about that is that people assume that we love cow-spotted-everything. That just isn't true people...not for us, at least. I bet you can only imagine some of the cow paraphernalia that we have been gifted. I will say that the spotted PJs that Harrison is sporting in these pictures is more of a coincidence. I actually purchased them, but that was only due to the sale that they were on at Gap Kids.

Colorado Blues

I don't think I can handle this weather any longer. For too long, it has been rain and cold or just overcast and cold. You know, when we lived in Colorado, the winters were longer, but so much more beautiful. We had blue skies all of the time. And people still play outside in the cold in Colorado. Harrison still wants to play outside, but I'm afraid that my neighbors would phone DSS if they saw me outside with him. It truly is sad. Every time we get out the car, he asks if we can play basketball or sit in the rockers. It is just not feasible in this weather. This weather makes me want to sleep and watch trashy TV, neither of which are possible with Harrison around.

Overcoming Barriers

I have been toying in mind if I should even post about this "barrier" in my life, but I decided I should for one very important reason. Last year, Adam turned Harrison's first year of life on the blog into a book for me. This year, I anticipate that Adam will do the same thing. It is such a great gift to Harrison and me. So, I decided that having "serious posts" aren't such a bad idea. When Harrison looks back at these books one day, he can see what his parents were going through. I don't want him to think that all I cared about were his milestones...I want him to know what we were experiencing in life. And remember when you are a kid, it just doesn't feel like your parents have feelings or emotions...they are just robots that enforce rules. It seems like that is how a lot of kiddos feel.

Anyway, so as most of my blog followers know, I had an ectopic pregnancy last summer. It was kind of a surreal experience which left me with two huge emotions...

1. I'm so blessed to be alive

2. I'm so fortunate to have a healthy son

So as I approached today, the due date of the ectopic pregnancy, I have more emotions than ever about it. Since Christmas, I've been thinking a lot more about it. In addition to the previously listed emotions, I have felt,

1. I am so glad that I am not about to have a baby (which I would be)

2. I wish I was pregnant again.

3. I just want to be sad for a little bit.

The first two seem a little contradictory, but in reality, I feel both very strongly. #1, I know the Lord has better plans than I do, and one thing is certain. Right now, is a crazy time in our lives. I cannot fathom that I could have two now. I think the Lord knew that we were going to be wandering in the desert. And lastly, I do want to feel sad for a bit. My initial (and long lasting) emotions after everything happened, were very positive, look-on-the-bright-side-of-things feelings. I felt like it was really healthy, at that time. Then I got to a point where I wanted to be sad, but then I felt bad about feeling that way because I was so fortunate to already have a child. Not to mention, I kept on telling myself, there are worse things in the world that can happen. I have decided, that "having a child already," doesn't make it easier now. It did initially, but not now. And because worse things can happen or are happening, doesn't mean that I can't or shouldn't have a heavy heart. Anyway, so all of this has been a little bit of barrier recently. And yesterday, at my women's bible study, these two great ladies prayed over me. And I feel like I confronted the barrier. It stings a little, but it feels good.

Lastly, I put these pictures of Harrison on the blog to lighten the mood a little. I know there is a handful of people out there that would get a good kick out of his outfit.