My little worker bee

Carter loves to do whatever Travis is doing. He thinks he's grown, and if he only knew how much of a difficult time I was having this year with the fact that he will be five in August he would slow down and just be 'little'. I watch him out the window as he's playing and he's just different. He talks different, he plays different, he is just becoming his own little individual person now. So independent and not needing me quite as much. I know he still needs me but it saddens me to know he's growing up so quick.

Last week, Travis was putting up fence and where was Carter? Right there with him. He had his little John Deere Gator loaded down with nails and his hammer and he was going to work. He had school that morning but when I picked him up at lunch and told him Travis was at home working, the biggest smile came on his face and he couldn't wait for us to get home.

He immediately became Travis' shadow. Nailing fence, hammering, talking in his man voice... which cracks me up, and pretending as if what he was doing was exactly what Travis was doing. I stood on the porch for a bit watching him, and then I walked out into the field to get a closer look. When I got closer he told me he was working and couldn't talk. He was hammering so seriously. Travis asked him to bring him more nails and his response, "I can't, I'm not finished down here yet." Luckily, Uncle Chuck was passing by Travis and he got some nails from him. Carter wasn't leaving his spot until the job was done!

Walking back to the house I smiled the entire way. As my sister said a few weeks back, he's a child that blesses many hearts. He's a child that has a spirit like no other, he's a child that has complete joy in his heart and it shows. I'm grateful that he loves his Daddy as much as he does. I'm grateful that he has a father like Travis to follow after. I know he's going to grow up to be a fine young man. For now, I'll treasure the moment of watching him kneeling down on the ground hammering nails, and 'helping'.

If only I could get him to help me as much with inside chores as he does Travis. He did vacuum the tile, only after I bribed him with a quarter!! It's apparent, housework is the most hated job in the world, by everyone!!! :)

Look at us...

WE'VE BEEN OUTSIDE, and smiled about it!!!!!!!!!

Yesterday we were able to finally go outside without feeling like our fingers or noses were going to fall off our faces! I never in my twenty nine years of life would have guessed that I would consider 50 degree weather, nice or comfortable for that matter. I gladly welcomed the 50 degree temps yesterday and I'm glad to say they are coming back for a visit today with possible 60's!! The weekend is supposed to be in the 60's with rain, but at least it won't be 30!!!

I couldn't stay in the house, after lunch I took little bear out to enjoy the sunlight and boy did he. Santa brought him a swing for the play set for Christmas. Yesterday was the first day since Christmas that we've been able to put it up and use it. I placed it on the swing set and put him in it. He giggled, he chuckled, he kicked, he smiled, he cooed, he had a blast!!!

I can't believe that he's old enough to be sitting in a swing. I think it is probably his most enjoyed gift of all. I can't wait until this afternoon to take him back outside. Yesterday I had my digital camera in hand, today I'm taking the video camera so that I can catch those sweet chuckles!! If I can figure out how to load it, I will try to put it on here for you all to hear.

Happy Thursday everyone!!!

blessings...

Wordless Wednesday

Routine

Each night with bedtime, Carter requests a story and then a song. Travis tells the story, I sing the song. Suppose I'm not a very good story teller, and Trav's not a very good singer. Anywho, Carter has started something a little new with the routine. He has me sing the ABC's to him each night, then we chat for a little bit, then I sing him another favorite song, and then he asks me to sleep with him for five minutes. Granted the five minutes consists of him counting to five then telling me I can leave.

Tonight the routine was slightly different. We did a song first, then the story, then he requested an encore of the singing group. So, back I went and we sang You're my swettie pie. I kissed a thousand times, then told him how much I loved him and walked out. As I sat down at the computer I hear him from his room singing the song. I smiled, and got the warm fuzzies. He loves me, he loves the little things I do for him. Somedays I feel as if I'm not making a difference within their lives, but in all reality... I am.

I'm thankful that he asks me to sing to him, and we have a routine. That routine is making memories, and I absolutely love it!! He told me while we were chatting that when he grows up and goes to big school next year that he's going to be a giant and I'm going to be a tiny momma. Tucker's going to be a tiny baby and if he doesn't watch out he'll "mush" him when he's walking!  Watch out Tucker... there's a giant coming our way.

As for TBear, we have a routine with him too. Except he's the boss in that situation. He starts to get a bit wobbly with his steps, kind of like a drunk man, then he starts to get more cranky, rubs his eyes, beats his right ear like a caveman, and attacks any bottle that comes within inches of his mouth. Doesn't matter if the bottle is empty, full, no nipple, he doesn't care. Just give him his cotton-pickin' bottle for pete's sake! Then we walk down the hall, his eyes start to do that flutter thing when babies try to fight sleep. I give him his big soft blanket, lay him in the crib and immediately he snatches that blanket over his head and bottle and that simply.... he's out. Not all nights are this easy, sometimes he'll yell "MA!" a few times, I'll go in and rock him (which I secretly LOVE), once he gets a little limp I just place him in his crib and we usually don't meet again until around 4ish when he needs a little snack to hold him over until morning.

These routines are ones that I remember from when I was a child. I love bedtime, not only for the peace and quiet that it brings... Ha Ha, but for the cuddle bugs it turns my little guys into. Then when they are sleeping I love to go in and just watch them snooze, so peacefully. I never understood why my mom said she checked on us several times before she went to bed and if she got up at night. Now, I know. I do the same thing. It's almost like an OCD habit, I can't put them to bed, stay up for an hour, and then go to bed without checking on them. I just can't do it. I have to make sure that they are both covered up, they are both comfortable, and just to kiss them once more and tell them I love them. Oddly enough, a lot of the things my mom did when I was a kid that I thought were nuts... I do now as a mom. Huh, either she's not so nuts after all, or I've jumped on the bandwagon!! :)

Happy trails, and good night!

The Door

I'm almost certain most of you have asked yourselves why I have a door as one of the pictures on my header. Looking at that this weekend, I figured I should probably explain it. I thought I had blogged about the door before, but after looking back I realized that I have not. That door has a significance to me. It has memories, it has lessons learned, and love. It's the door that reminds me to remember where you came from. You can move on in life, but home is where you grew up. That door is just that, home.

I grew up living next door to my grandparents, now known to us all as Big Granny and Big Papa. I ran to their house each time I would get in trouble, or just to get out of doing chores. I knew that Granny would do her best to keep me out of trouble, or put me to work doing chores at her house. Chores at her house always seemed more fun though! Big Granny is no where near big. She's a tiny, little petite thing weighing just under 100 pounds. She is a retired bus driver for our local school system. She drove a bus for 29 years. She is the mother to three daughters, and one son. She still prepares breakfast, lunch, and dinner on most days. She is a avid coffee drinker, drinking probably three pots a day, ending with a cup before bed. Her coffee has been named jet-fuel by the grandkids. She is a woman of faith. She fears the Lord, still studies her bible each and every day, prays diligently for her family day in and day out. She always has an encouraging word, and a positive outlook. Papa is a World War II veteran that is now living his life with alzheimer's disease. He remembers vividly the things he witnessed in the war, he remembers most people that he sees on a regular basis, but recent things like what he had for breakfast, or places he's been this week are lost in his mind somewhere. My Papa is more like my Dad. He is the man that raised me when my father chose not to be in our lives. He is the man that put food on our table, and clothes on our backs. He provided us with a roof over our head, and a warm place to sleep. He worked most of his life in the logging business. His hands are scarred and wrinkled but I remember as a child looking at his hands as he was working, or gardening and thinking how tough they were. I know now that those tough hands were providing hands, loving hands. These two people mean more to me then I could ever write about, or that I could ever express to them. They've taught me more about life, the meaning of life, and the values of life. I thank God for them each and every day.

Back to the door. My grandparents still reside in the house that my mother grew up in. It's the house my grandfather built with his own two hands. About two years ago they had the opportunity to do some renovations to their home. New roof, new bathroom, central heat and air, and a new back porch. Yes, you read that correctly, up until about two years ago my grandparents endured the Florida heat, and semi-cold winters with no central air. They kept cool by a window unit in the back room, and most days the doors would just be open with the fans running. In the winter you could guarantee that their would be a roaring fire. To them, this was the norm. How would we get by with this, being as spoiled as we are in todays world?

As the renovations went on, it came time to change out the doors on the house. The contractor suggested that the old wooden screen door come down, for a new more level aluminum door. When I heard that they were going to take down this door I was struck with several different emotions. I only knew this door. It was the door that I ran in and out of, slammed shut, and I just couldn't imagine that little blue door not welcoming the guests that came to visit my grandparents. Who cared if it wasn't the perfect dimensions, or if it scrapped the floor if it opened to far, it was the door that Papa hung there, don't take it down! I tried to talk them out of taking it down, but the new door had already been ordered. I told my granny to save the door for me, I wanted it. She couldn't understand why I wanted it, but it means a lot to me. It's a part of my childhood, it's a part of my grandparents, and it just has meaning and history behind it. One day that I remember so clearly is right after I had Carter and we went out for a visit. It was a hot summer day, and Big Granny was on the front porch reading her mail. We sat on the porch and she held Carter so snug, and loved on him and rocked him as she had done so many times with each of her own grand-children, and great-grandchildren. I can see that moment as clear as day in my mind.

I wasn't exactly sure what I was going to do with the door. I still don't, I just know I couldn't bare to think of it being thrown in the trash. It was the door that once my Papa finished the house, he placed that door there. It is a reminder to me of his love for his family. It reminds me of the many home cooked meals I remember smelling as I sat on the porch playing with my sister or cousins. It's the door we lookd out as we sat there singing as Granny played the guitar. It's the memories of summer, fall, winter, and spring. Call me silly, but I love this door. I hope to have it for many years to come. I have a vision of what I'd like to do with the door but I'm still trying to figure out how to pull it off. I've come to the conclusion if I like the way it looks when I get it set up that's all that matters. I know that when I walk by that door it will send me down memory lane.

One day my grandparents will not be here for me to talk too. They are treasures in my life, and any piece of them that I can hold on to, I will. This weekend I visited their home and while visiting I just sat in their living room watching as Granny prepared lunch, and made a pot of coffee. Papa doing what he does on most days, rocking in his chair. Precious, priceless, memories that have been made in that home. Their lives have not been easy by any means, but they made it through. We don't know if God will call them home tomorrow or if they have years to be with us, but regardless I will cherish each moment I get to spend with them. It is a pure joy to watch their faces light up when I come to visit with the boys. They love them so deeply. It is a blessing to me, to see that the boys are such a blessing to them.

Something simple as a door brings me great pride, and joy. I will gladly tell the story behind the door to everyone that enters my home. I'm almost certain it will make an excellent conversation piece! Do you have a special memory of home?

Many blessings to you all....

Weekend Recap

Where do the weekends go so fast? Don't they understand that we like them, we enjoy them, they need to stick around?!

This weekend was pretty uneventful. We are still facing those horrible cold temps that I am OVER! Just south of here, about an hour away, they had snow on Saturday. Enough snow that they could write, "snow" on the windshields of their cars. Okay my loves, that's entirely too cold. Umm, hello.... we're in FLORIDA!

Friday evening we did nothing. Just brought home some take out from the Chinese restaurant, and Wendy's chicken nuggets for the boys. Wii is our new entertainment, and hopefully my motivation to lose weight. Umm, yeah... we'll see about that!

On Saturday, since it was absolutely colder then the North Pole here, Tucker and I decided that we would not go with Travis and Carter to the bull sale. Since the sale would be in an old, and I mean old, barn with heat that only half works, I figured no one needed to hear the grumbling and complaining of a soon to be thirty year old woman. So we bundled up and headed out to my moms for a nice, toasty, warm visit.

Mom welcomed us with open arms, and great food! We visited with Big Granny & Big Papa, and then ventured back home around 7ish. Travis and Carter had a productive day at the sale. They went in hopes of finding "the" bull, and low and behold, the found him! Oddly enough, Carter named him Wooly Bully, same thing he named the last bull that Papa bought. Papa also bought another new bull, named (by Carter) Sugarbritches! I asked him where he came up with that name and he said, "I don't know, I just did. Great name, huh?" Seriously, can someone explain to me where a four year old comes up with this stuff? So we are now the proud new owners of a large, black bull that is somewhat cute, if that's possible.

Today we just did what most folks do on a Sunday, nothing. I did clean up the house, several times. I did bundle Tucker up like a little eskimo for five minutes to go outside to see the new bull. I had to let him down to see if he waddled like the little boy on The Christmas Story. He did.  Watching him walk is too cute, and man I only thought I was worn out! I have pictures that I'll load later tomorrow, they are too cute! He waddled and then fell to the ground.We've sat by the fire in hopes of staying warm, we had junk food galore, we had tater sandwiches for dinner (that's a southern thing... and they are delicious), and now it's 10:00 and it's time for me to find the bed because 6:45 will come oh so early tomorrow morning.

Hope all of you had a wonderful weekend. Have a great week, and hallelujah we are looking forward to some 60 degree days in our future! I never dreamed I'd be looking forward to 60 degree days.

Night friends!

Flashback Friday

Morning to you all! The weekend is here, and like pretty much the rest of the eastern half of the country, we will be freezing our buns off this weekend. There was a possibility of snow flurries here for today, but our temps didn't drop enough. They are now saying that there is a chance to try again tomorrow. In all honesty, I'll most likely be watching from the window if it happens because I'm miserable. Yes, as I said earlier this week, I am a complainer. :)

Now, on to Flashback Friday. I went on the search for old pictures to share with you all and this is what I came up with.

Just look at his little face, round, pudgy, and still the look of a baby!!! These were taken in January of 2008. I remember the day so clear. It was cold, it was rainy, but that didn't stop Carter. Each time there was a break in the rain he'd be out the door. I can not believe how much he has changed in two years. Huh, time flies and we don't even realize it somedays. 

Then a few days later we were visiting my grandparents again, and he was playing in the leaves. My grandparents have these huge sycamore tress in their yard and they make for great leaf piles, and even more fun to jump in once the adults have raked them all!! I remember doing this when I was little, and now watching my son it brings back tons of memories!!

Happy weekend to you all. Stay warm, and God bless! 

I have a new love!! ;)

On Tuesday I decided that I would take Carter to Chuck E. Cheese (yeah, great idea... huh?) and then we would do a little shopping with my mom. After about two hours at Chuck E. Cheese we headed for the verizon store where I was treated like a complete idiot by the man waiting on me. He obviously did not work on commission because he missed out on a good $150-$200 that day. I left there without a new phone, frustrated, and I didn't even want to go shopping after that.  Don't you just hate it when you have a plan and some goober throws a major kink your way?!

I hated to send my mom to the mall alone, so we followed her across the street and went into JCPenney. I didn't have anything that I really needed, but I was game for looking. I found some new jammies for Tucker that are just too cute for words, and then it happened. I found it, the love I've been searching for!!! Tall, thin, ON SALE, and I didn't even second guess myself about making the purchase I just did it!

Are you surprised?! Having 60% of our house as tile I sweep constantly. Having two cats that have free reign over the place, a four year old that doesn't understand the concept of crumbs on the floor,  a ten month old that will eat what crumbs are left from the four year old, and a husband that wears his boots inside with heaven only knows what on the bottom, leaves dear old me with a broom in my hand the majority of my day. Honestly I actually have a callus on my hand from sweeping. On an average day I sweep the floors three to four times. It's an OCD habit of mine, I suppose. We had friends over one New Year's Eve, and I swept twice while they were here. I can't stand the thought of someone feeling dirt on their feet, or crumbs. What's more gross then stepping on a half eaten cheese puff, or nilla wafer?! I despise walking in, kicking of my flip flops, and then having to go back to the rug to wipe my feet because of the trash on my floors.

I do have a small vacuum for tile floors but it's absolutely horrible. It makes more noise then the freight trains that come by our house on a regular basis, and if you get near a wall or hutch it blows so much air from it that it scatters the trash even further and you are on a wild goose chase to clean your floors. When I purchased the Shark vacuum on Tuesday, I had high hopes that it would be just what I was looking for!

Do or die, was my thoughts as I plugged it in. I stepped on the power button, and to my surprise it was quiet. It sounds like what you would expect a vacuum for tile floors to sound like. It did not have this huge gush of wind coming out from under it, so I was not chasing fruitloops, grass, and dirt!! It's rechargeable so I don't have a cord to hassle with, it goes where I want it to go without having to stop and move to a different outlet. The handle bends in half so that it can slide under dining room chairs, tables, you name it.  I do not have to worry about detaching a bucket to empty when it's full, just the flick of a button and whala! we're good to go. It has brushes on the sides so that when you vacuum against the wall or cabinets, it spins that trash out in front so it can be sucked up. 

I could not be happier with this vacuum. I hope that it doesn't prove me wrong anytime soon, but I'm almost certain it won't!!!  I posted this incase any of you are a sweepaholic like myself. Save yourself some time, buy this handy dandy little helper and you'll be as happy as I am!!!! :)

{{{ FROZEN }}}

Oh my sweet niblets, it's cold! It is 9:15 a.m., and our current temperature is 28. Let's do the math, that is about 37 degrees TOO COLD for me. I do not like cold weather and for whatever reason, mother nature has decided we need to feel what the folks north of us feel all the time. Just another nail in the coffin that I am by no means supposed to live up north. This southern girl is missing her comfortable, no jacket just a long sleeve shirt or sweater, winter days. So my northern friends, take your miserable cold weather back I don't like it. It's make me grumpy, it makes my bones hurt, my teeth hurt, and my skin feels like sandpaper!

I've drank more coffee then I ever have in all my life, and my heater is doing all it can do to keep me cozy. We've had a fire in the fireplace almost every night for over three days. We usually only use the fireplace maybe five times each winter. I am bundling my poor children up like the boy on "The Christmas Story". Better watch Carter, he'll try to stick his tongue to the fence post, LOL! Tucker, bless his heart, his face is chapped his hair feels like horse hair, and his little lips quiver when we walk the twenty feet to the truck in the mornings. He too is bundled up like an eskimo, fleece clothing, socks pulled as high as I can get them, mittens (SERIOUSLY... mittens? people, my kids don't own these things), warm fuzzy hats, a coat, and a blanket wrapped around him. Oh, and I've been starting the truck a good ten minutes before we are supposed to leave just so it will be somewhat warm before we leave. Oh, and how could I forget Cowboy, our dog, he's even sleeping in his dog house that he's had absolutely nothing to do with for the past two years!!! You know it's cold when the dog tries to make his way in the house and he's never even been inside.

I am dreaming of Spring at this point. I need to see some green grass, hear some birds tweeting, be able to stand in my yard without hurting to my core. Yes, I'm complaining. It's what I do when I'm frozen to my soul. How you northern gals do this year in and year out is above and beyond this southern momma. I'm going to make my way to the kitchen and make me another cup of coffee now that our water is running again. Just another negative thing to all this cold weather, we leave three sinks running and still wake up to frozenness! Trust me when I tell you I was quite the site taking Carter to school this morning. Yesterdays leftover curly hair wadded up in a ball on top of my head, no make up because I only had makeup removing wipes to wash my face with, I was b.e.a.u.t.i.f.u.l!!!!  YUCK!

COME ON SPRING!!!!!

Izunami

What woman wouldn't like a brand name hair straightner? I have a cheapo that I've been using for almost two years. I keep telling myself I'm going to get one of the really nice ones, but then when I look at that price I talk myself out of it. Then, today, I find a blog that is giving new styler away!!!  Head on over to Two Of A Kind Working On a Full House for your chance to enter!! There are several chances to win, contest ends February 12.