It's all downhill from here

So, it's official.  I am in the last year of my *gasp* twenties.

But before I discuss that nonsense, let me first just say I would never make it as a northerner.  AR experienced an ice-apocalypse last week, and it was terrible!  We expected it Friday, and I figured it would nix the ability to do anything for most of the weekend.  However, I did not count on it sticking around for so long.  Collin went back to school last Wednesday.  FINALLY! 

And here's why I say that, because my office in Texas did not receive any ice and was still operating at full capacity.  That meant I was stuck trying to work during Collin's naptime.  The rest of the day was spent preparing to bundle up, actually bundling up and then un-bundling so we could play in stuff that resembled snow but wasn't actually snow.  Try explaining that to a 3 year old.  Also, being on house arrest with a 3 year old would be so much more enjoyable if he appreciated a good Hallmark Christmas movie like I do.  But alas, he does not find them amusing and so it is that I have only managed to finish one this season.  You'll find me on the couch one night in March watching one, I'm sure.

SNOW!!! (But not really...really it's just ice.)

And now...

I celebrated my 29th birthday on Saturday.  I told Jarrod to get used to celebrating that year because we will be doing it several more times!

I don't even know how this is possible.  I don't feel a day over 22.  Except for the fact that I think bedtime is a firm 10:00 pm.  Going to a midnight movie is for hooligans.  Really, going to any movie that starts after 7:30  pm is for hooligans.  Short-shorts and tube tops are for hussies.  Lip-gloss is only for extremely special occasions.  Vegetables are delicious.  And if I won the lottery, I would probably blow it all at Baby Gap instead of Forever 21.

Whether I want to admit it or not, I have changed a lot in the past ten years.  I'm a wife and a mom, not a college freshman.  Even if it does feel like that was just yesterday.

So to celebrate, Jarrod saved up and surprised me with a "big girl" purse.  Something that did not come from Target.  I also upgraded my phone, (but that was a long time coming).  

We celebrated on Saturday morning by attending the birthday of a sweet 2 year old.  Collin has not stopped talking about how we didn't have cake for my birthday, and I just keep telling him it's okay because we had cake at Amelia's party.  (See, doesn't that sound like the logic of a grown woman and not a college co-ed?!)

Collin was also sweet enough to spend the morning of my birthday singing to me pretty much non-stop.  It alternated between Happy Birthday to You! and DMB Where are you Going?

After Amelia's party, Collin went to play at the house of our Community Group leaders and it turned into a mini vacation for him.  Jarrod and I went to Little Rock for the day and didn't get home until Collin had gone to bed, so I tearfully agreed that it made sense to leave Collin where he was until the morning.  I didn't have to go through Collin's bedtime routine, and the next morning when it was time to get ready for church I only had myself to worry about.  Craziness!

It was fun to have a night out on the town and to try to remember what it's like to flirt with my husband, but we both agreed that we missed the routines with our little guy.

And now, for a freebie today... 

We've been talking a lot about the Christmas story around our house.  Collin can put a mean Nativity scene together and explain to you who everyone is.  I've spent a lot of time the last week or two thinking about Advent, and this song gets me every time...  I think it's the fact that I'm the mom of a little boy.  I can't help but put myself in Mary's shoes and think what it must have been like to hold that tiny, helpless baby - wondering at what must be ahead for Him.

You're Here - Francesca Battistelli

Thanksgiving 2013

We spent Thanksgiving in Texas with my family, and for the first time in a long while I was actually ready when it came time to leave.  I know my parents were certainly ready to have their house back!  But for the first time, we got to spend enough time with my niece that we were okay when it was time to part.  I had forgotten how much tattling takes place between little people, and the energy/noise level is insane.

We arrived late Tuesday night and had Thanksgiving dinner on Wednesday in order to accommodate my brother who had to fly out on Thursday.  We soaked up as much of baby Weston as we could!

Collin is always petting Weston's head, like a puppy :)

Because we did "Thanksgiving" on Wednesday, Jarrod and I were able to take Collin to see Santa on Thursday.  We have taken Collin to the Gaylord Texan every year since he was a baby just three months old, and every year he has gotten his picture made with the same wonderful Santa.  The first year, he was too young to know what was going on, but when he was one and two, he decided that sitting on Santa's lap was not for him.  So I have pictures of him screaming, crying and reaching out for me from the past two years.  I feel like it's something we will all laugh about in the future!

This year, Collin took note and realized that most other kids seem to like Santa.  He decided he would be a big boy and smile pretty on Santa's lap, and that's exactly what he did.

Since we went on Thanksgiving day, there wasn't any traffic getting there, we got right into the parking garage and parked on the bottom level.  Best of all, when it was time to leave, the parking attendant waived us out and told us not to worry about the $13 parking fee!  We declared it all a Thanksgiving miracle.  We had enough time to let Collin see some of the Christmas decorations.

And then it was slightly overshadowed by the crazies waiting at Walmart for Black Friday to begin.  We had to run in on our way home to pick up a few things...  I really thought since we were only getting a few food items, we would be fine.  The sales hadn't even begun yet, but I'm still baffled by what we saw.  People sitting in lawn chairs in the aisles, people standing with their hands on the items they were waiting for and refusing to make any room in the aisles so we could get through to the groceries. Insane in the membrane.

So most of our visit was spent hanging out and watching Collin play with his cousins.  Tinsley called me Aunt Nicki without having to be reminded of who I was.  One night when we were about to fall asleep, I said to Jarrod with a gooshy smile on my face, "Tinsley called me Aunt Nicki today".  And then he said, "Yeah, somebody tried to call me Aunt Jarrod today."

Don't be deceived by these angelic faces; the only way we could get them to smile was by shouting donkey poop!

Who doesn't love playing in a leaf pile?

These two monkeys had to "talk" to each other on two different cell phones.

Jarrod and I did sneak away Friday night to go see Hunger Games.  We both really enjoyed the movie, probably more than the first one.  What was more fun though, was the two of us trying to remember how to act when we are without a 3 year old.

And here's a freebie...I found Collin like this early one morning.  Apparently he rolled off of his bed and decided staying on the floor to sleep was a good idea.

Growing Up

I did it.  I bought a twin bed for Collin, and I helped Jarrod take down the crib.  I was in GO mode during the whole process, but once the crib was in pieces and leaning up against a wall the water works started.  I just kept thinking about how long that thing has been a part of our lives, and how my boy hasn't ever slept in anything else.

We painted Collin's room last Sunday, so he had to take a nap in our bed that day.  It was a good chance to see how he would do in a "big" bed.  He did great, of course!

He looked like such a big boy, his Daddy snapped this picture!

He loves his bed and he's sleeping really well since we updated his curtains to blackout curtains. Heck, I've been tempted to take a nap in there myself!

Big boy room!
Plans to add more to the walls later :)

I'm just amazed at how much he is growing up.  He says things that knock me back sometimes and remind me he is his own person.  He has long, in-depth conversations where he is so assertive about his position, the only thing you can do is laugh!

And in other news, we decorated for Christmas yesterday.  Jarrod would tell you I have been very vocal with my thoughts regarding all things pre-maturely Christmas this year.  Really, what is going on?  We went out of town the weekend before Veterans Day, and when we returned it was like everyone had chosen to decorate for Christmas.  People!  I. Love. Thanksgiving.  Like, a lot.  From the food, to the parade, to memories of sitting at my Grandma Margaret's house all dressed up for the day, watching the parade and listening to my dad and grandma cooking in the kitchen.  She had this giant, metal mixing bowl.  GIANT.  My dad has it now, and it's used to make the cornbread dressing.  They would let me sit and crumble up biscuits and cornbread for the dressing, and it was my contribution to the meal!

Don't even get me started on pie.  I have been talking with Collin about pie for weeks now.  My dilemma is always whether to start with my mom's chocolate pie or to eat some pumpkin pie before my brother downs it all.

And then we all sit around and watch football games or movies and play card games.  Oh, Thanksgiving!

So it was a tough call for me yesterday but we're spending Thanksgiving in Texas, and I couldn't stand the thought of having to decorate when we return.

Also, another chance for Collin to prove how much he's growing up!  He insisted on helping put the "Kissmas balls" on the tree.  He only broke one, and he felt so bad about it that he cried and instantly outed his self when his Daddy came in the room!

Concentrating...

So proud of his self

He loved all the decorations, but he especially loved re-discovering this Christmas themed Sock Monkey that our sweet friend, Courtney Reeves, gave to Collin three years ago when he was just a few months old. The monkey has been all over our house in the past 24 hours, and he is currently sitting in a dining room chair.  Collin told him this morning, "You stay here 'til I get home from school!"

But I made sure Collin still knows what's what...we watched all of the Thanksgiving episodes of Friends yesterday!  Yep.  And he woke up this morning and ran to find me while asking, "We going to Mimi and PawPaw's today for Fanksgiving?!"


And for your viewing pleasure, we had to take a group photo on Tuesday night of our Community Group.  I realized on the way home, this is one of a kind.  We don't ever take pictures...  So in spite of the fact that we are missing one husband, here we are closer to one another than many of us were comfortable with :)
Love these people!

Turkey Peak

We just got back from another trip to Tejas.  All I could think on the way back to AR was how ridiculous I used to be for complaining about how far away we lived from our family.  When we first got married, we lived in Austin, and it took us about 4 hours to get to our parents.  Then we moved to east Texas, and it took us around 2 hours +/- to get to either of our parents' houses.  I am SO over the 12 hour round trip trek.

Not to mention, we have a toddler in the car with us now.  I don't even know why I pack a bag of things for myself to do in the car.  I never make it to any of them.  I have a pile of magazines that keep coming in the mail and no time to read them.  I had a book on my Kindle I was really looking forward to reading in the car on this last trip, but that didn't happen.

Mostly, I do a lot of gymnastics in the car.  Twisting and turning.  Contorting my body so I can reach whatever it is Collin has thrown from his seat to somewhere on the floor of the car.
What's that?  You need a snack now?  Your fourth one in an hour?  Oh, a different toy/book? What? Landry is looking at you the wrong way?  She ate the goldfish cracker you were teasing her with? Oh, how dare she do that!

Ugh.

Exhausting doesn't even begin to describe these trips!  And we have two left before the end of the year is upon us.  Regardless, we are still so thankful we have such great families to visit.  Thankful to have people who love us and who we actually want to make a 12 hour round trip trek to see!

We were in Early, TX this time around.  Collin saw several deer and played with his great grandpa Hoffman's pup, Marley.  Marwee, he calls her.

Every time we go to Turkey Peak, I find myself remembering what it was like when Jarrod and I were newlyweds.  We would travel 3 hours from our home in Austin to hang out at the farm for a weekend.  He would fish, and I would sit and read all day.  Oh glory, to be able to do those things again!

Instead, this weekend, I was wrangling a 3 year old.  Two days of him running and yelling "boof!" (because he thinks boo has an f on the end) and watching him put his face in Marley's face so she could lick all over him.  Whatever, dude.  As long as he isn't fussing or asking me to get him another snack, I'll take it!

I'll also take this...

A rafter of turkeys outside the window while I'm drinking coffee in the morning.

Sweet Landry Paige running lose

And this.  Beautiful, this.

My heart aches a little just looking at this picture.  The sun on my face and (as Jarrod says) Texas dirt all around me.  10-20 degrees warmer than back at our house in AR.  Stillness.  Those are the things I have to focus on during our 12 hour drive to and from.

Better late than never

It's a little bit ridiculous how behind I am on this whole blogging thing.  I have plenty of excuses, but I won't bore you with any of them.  Just know they are legit.  In my head, anyway!  So when I last left you we had celebrated Collin's 3rd birthday, and since that was over a MONTH ago, we have a lot of catching up to do!

The Saturday after Collin's birthday, we met our friends for lunch and playtime at Chick-Fil-A.  (Referred to as Kick-De-Yay by Collin .)  Ms. Shannon and her little boy, Titus, are always good fun!

These two are becoming such big boys!

One day when I went to pick Collin up from daycare, his afternoon teacher told me she had the funniest picture of Collin on her phone.  I asked her to send it to me, and she was right...it doesn't disappoint...unless you're his Daddy, and then you may find yourself disappointed!

No, I did not send him to school in this get-up.  Apparently he had an accident, so he was in some spare shorts and a white t-shirt.  He got comfy on this table on the playground and his teachers were cracking up at the pose he struck all on his own.  Silly kid!

We've decided we want some cowboy boots from Mimi for Christmas this year, so we went to try some on recently.  They were a hit!

For Collin's birthday, Mimi and PawPaw bought him a "big boy" swing for our backyard.  Jarrod just got around to putting it up a couple of weeks ago (conveniently right before Mimi and PawPaw showed up for a visit!).  Collin loves it!  His favorite thing has got to be swinging right now.  Except, he wants to swing in all sorts of inappropriate fashions.  His Daddy pushes him until he is able to touch the leaves in the tree above him...while he's on his stomach!  Collin calls it flying.  Understandably so.

Mimi and PawPaw came for a visit last weekend, and we took them to the pumpkin patch!

 Poor PawPaw could hardly stoop down this low!!

 This piglet couldn't stop rooting around in the dirt long enough for me to get a good picture of him

 I want a miniature cow now.  For real.  This guy was so soft and gentle.

 He stuck his tongue out and licked Collin!

I can't even stand it.  He is getting SO big.

We made it to the parking lot before I realized we hadn't taken a family picture.  So yeah...

Collin's school had the police officers and firemen to visit last week.  Collin is funny about strangers.  He's very curious, but from a distance usually.  He rarely talks to strangers, and he doesn't like the idea of getting into anyone's vehicle without his mommy and daddy present.  So I made sure to talk it up a lot beforehand. I told him the police and firemen would really love it if he gave them a high-five, and we talked about how cool their cars/trucks are with all their lights and horns.  He promised me he would say hi to the police officers and firemen and give them a big high-five.  On Tuesday, his school posted this picture on their Facebook site, and I was so proud!!

Elizabeth and Collin with a new friend

Collin's bestie turned 3 on Friday.  They celebrated her birthday at school, and he was also invited to her party on Saturday.  They were so adorable playing together.  Collin and Addie are a funny pair, but they are thick as thieves.

So now we are all caught up!  Whew.