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Thursday, July 28, 2011

Happy Birthday, Jason!

Happy Birthday, Jason!! 



We are so lucky to have you. Thank you for being a wonderful friend, husband, and father. You deserve the very best in life! Hope this birthday is your best one ever! 

Love, 

Alicia, Grayson and Gordo 

Last Few Days

Sorry I haven't posted in a few days... 

My days have involved a lot of this,


and this, 


and this!! 

Friday, July 22, 2011

Cute

I mean... did we win the kid lottery or what?!?



Thursday, July 21, 2011

Summer is over. Work is here.

Tonight it hit me like a ton of bricks. 

Boom. 

Time is up. Summer is over. Work is here. 

Band Camp begins on Monday.

I don't mind work... I really don't. I KNOW that I'm making a difference in the lives of the children I teach. I KNOW that what I do matters, and I KNOW that... hey, I'm pretty good at what I do. :)

I work a full time job to provide for my family. I work a full time job because it is what I have to do. I'm not going to apologize for it, and I'm not going to believe that it makes me less of a mother.

But sometimes--- sometimes-- I just miss my baby.

Time is up. Summer is over and that means the busy season is in session.

My Jason time is okay. He knows how to use the cell phone, and we don't go to bed at 8:00 p.m. every night.

My Grayson time is up. :( I will miss him.

My weekly schedule will be something like this (especially around the end of September through the beginning of November):

Monday- leave home at 6:30 a.m.- arrive back home at 9:30 p.m. Spend 30 minutes with Grayson. 
Tuesday- leave home at 6:30 a.m.- arrive back home around 6:45 p.m. Spend 1 hour and 45 minutes with Grayson. 
Wednesday- leave home at 6:30 am- arrive back home around 4:30 p.m. Spend 4 hours with Grayson. 
Thursday- leave home at 6:30 a.m.- arrive back home at 6:45 p.m. Spend 1 hour and 45 minutes with Grayson. 
Friday- leave home at 6:30 a.m.- arrive back home (hopefully) by 11 p.m. Spend 30 minutes with Grayson. 
Saturday- leave home at 7:30 a.m- arrive back home (hopefully) by midnight. Spend 30 minutes with Grayson. 
Sunday- Stay at home. I just want to cuddle with my baby. 10 hours with Grayson (considering naptime).

So--- there you have it... 19 hours a week with my little guy. We're going to make the most of those 19 hours... we're going to talk, laugh, and play. We're going to forget about work.

That is my plan for now... hopefully I won't cry too many tears. :(

Wednesday, July 20, 2011

New Pictures That I Like

Just some random snapshots of our little family over the past few days... no real stories. Just love. :)








Tuesday, July 19, 2011

Puppy Love

I feel like we've spent much of the past few weeks telling Grayson to be gentle with Gordo or Gordo to be nice to Grayson. So... as frustrating (and funny) as that is, it is nice to see that, deep down, they both really love each other.

Story #1- When Gordo was sick, we kept him in his crate for a good part of every day. The first time Grayson saw him in there he cried and cried. He cried so much that I ended up opening the crate. Grayson stood by the crate and said, "Come on, come on!"

Story #2- Grayson fell as he was walking out of the house this morning. He cried for a couple of minutes and then finally told me, "I'm okay" and I put him in his carseat. Gordo was NOT convinced. He whimpered at the car door and I finally had to open the door to let Gordo see that Grayson was okay.

So... here is a sweet picture of my little boys from a few minutes ago:

Kelsey and Crown




Have I mentioned how proud I am of my little sister lately??

I'm getting so excited about seeing her in Indianapolis in a few short weeks. She'll be ending her 3 year stint as a Carolina Crown guard member... and she is really doing amazing!! Their show is called RACHstar, and is very crowd friendly. 

Currently, Carolina Crown is ranked 2nd overall! The Cavaliers are in first place by about a point, and the Cadets are in 3rd (they are about a point behind Crown). 

I will say this... Kelsey had a very gross college apartment until this Sunday when Mom and I traveled to Columbia to clean it out. It was fun, in a weird sort of way but I'm already signing her up to help us move if/when we ever do! 




Monday, July 18, 2011

Sweet Little Guy

I sure am going to miss seeing you as soon as you wake up from your naps, little boy. 

Pick Your Hard- McFatty Edition

RESULTS:
Weight loss this week: .6 pounds
Total weight loss: 2.6 pounds 

During the past two weeks I have found some motivation from the Weight Watcher's Online Message Boards. One woman really made me think when she said:

"Being overweight is hard. Losing weight/ maintaining weight is hard. Pick your hard."

Hmm... this truly struck a chord with me. I can tell when my weight begins to creep up. My pants get tighter, my energy wanes, and my stomach gives me all kinds of fits.  Being overweight is hard. 

Weight watchers, in all of its goodness, doesn't give me the quick weight loss that low carb does. I find that low carb is difficult in its own way... sometimes you just don't have a choice but to eat carb-rich food. Losing weight is hard. 

We all know that maintaining weight is hard. If it weren't, I might weigh what I did as a freshman in high school. I certainly haven't gotten any taller since then. 

When I read that statement I realized that my choices ultimately choose my path. Each path has its own trials. I have experienced each of these, and I belive this: as tough as losing weight is... it is worth it. With that in mind, I'll keep on keeping on. 


Saturday, July 16, 2011

Circle, Circle

Grayson's bedtime routine goes something like this: bath, run around naked for a bit, put on pajamas, hop in crib for 2 or 3 books, get out, sit in the glider with me and sing some songs. I used to read with him in the glider, but I found that his attention span is much better when he is in his crib. 

Tonight we were in the glider and I asked Grayson what songs he wanted to sing. He said, "Blue", so we sang Little Boy Blue. When we sing, I try to sing the lyrics but can barely hear myself think because Grayson sings (very loudly) right along with me, hitting most of the correct pitches but making up whatever words (and non-words) he thinks of at the moment. 

Then I said, "What song do you want next?" He told me that he wanted to sing Circle. My mind went blank. Circle?? "How does it go?", I asked. He responded, "Circle, circle". So, at that point, I just made up a song. 

"Circle, circle, square, square..."

"NO, MOMMY!!!" Grayson was mad at me!

So, I thought for a second and then realized that he was thinking of Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star. I asked him if that was what he wanted to sing, "Okay", was his response. 

So, we sang. He sang MUCH louder than I did. I couldn't help but laugh. 

Then I asked him what he wanted to sing next. 

"Sleep.... Bed", Grayson said. 

THE END

Marshall's Second Birthday

Today we celebrated Marshall's 2nd birthday!! It was a wonderful, cool morning, and Grayson had fun playing with Marshall and the other kids!

Marshall's parents are Paul and Hollie, two coworkers from my Chapman High School days. I enjoyed the opportunity to spend a little time with them.

We enjoyed playing in the Cozy Coupe car, coloring with chalk, blowing bubbles, and playing in the kiddie pool and water table. We ate hotdogs, cupcakes, and ice cream.... and Grayson LOVED the cupcakes!!

The Birthday Boy!! 



This boy LOVED the Cozy Coupe car.
He hardly got out of this toy... but when he did and someone else would hop in, he would CRY!! 




Yummy


Cupcake = Delicious


Friday, July 15, 2011

Two Feathers

Today, I purchased two feathers... for my hair. 

They might be in there for quite some time.

Long story short, I think they are cute. 


Wednesday, July 13, 2011

Conversation with Grayson

Me: Do you want a hug?

Grayson: No.

Me: Do you want a kiss?

Grayson: No.

Me: Do you want a.... (thinking of something to ask)?

Grayson: Chip?

Me: Do you want a chip?

Grayson: Okay!

Morning Stroll

I can't stand to see that picture of Gordo licking Grayson in the mouth at the top of the blog so I'm quickly posting again!

We decided to take a little excursion to the pond this morning before the heat became unbearable. We wanted to feed the ducks, but we learned a great lesson.. the ducks don't want to eat when it is hot outside!!






A Boy and His Dog

Yuck. 

Monday, July 11, 2011

The Return of McFatty Monday

Well... it's July again.

For me, that usually means that it is time to make a decision:

1) Buy new BIGGER clothes
2) Lose weight so that I can continue to wear the ones I have

So, you're probably asking... didn't you lose weight last year?? Why, yes... yes I did. I actually lost 19 pounds.

I lost 13 pounds on Atkins, but then I found that marching season really made that diet impossible. I stopped, but my body was still on a roll... by Christmas I was 6 pounds lighter and my clothes were ALL too big. So, I gave (MOST of) them away. Now my smaller clothes are getting TIGHT!

I've gained back ten of those pounds since April, most of them in June. June is fat month for me... I just enjoy summer to its fullest!!!

Last week I began Weight Watchers. They have a new program and I LOVE it. It focuses on making choices that are non-processed and snacking on fruits and veggies. It seems like it combines the best of my low carb and the best of low calorie into one. I even get to enjoy a glass of wine every now and then.

I'm down 2 as of this morning. My total goal is to lose 15 pounds (or 13 additional pounds). That is a big number, but I think I can do it. I think that it will require me to make a commitment to myself, and I'm pretty excited about that.

The best thing about posting this on the blog is that I really feel like I'm accountable. So, once a week (on MONDAY!), I'll share my progress. I'd love any tips, suggestions, etc that you have!!

Saturday, July 9, 2011

Fun Day!

Grayson went to his friend Perrin's 4th Birthday Party today!! He had a great time and so did I!! He enjoyed swimming, sliding, jumping, and playing in the play house! 

I am exhausted from chasing him... haha!! I only have one picture to show for the day because I spent all of  my time chasing after our little wild child! :)


Gordo Update


Gordo is feeling so much better lately! 

I am amazed that just a few weeks ago I was talking to the vet about a possible surgery to repair Gordo's disc problem. Well, after lots of medication and rest, it looks like that surgery won't need to happen anytime soon!! 

He has been medicine free since Sunday, and seems to feel fine. In fact, yesterday he was feeling so good that I decided it was time for him to get a haircut! I think he looks cute! 

We're still trying to baby him, and we're not allowing him to jump up or off the couch anymore, but I think he is going to be just fine! 


Thursday, July 7, 2011

Two Cool Things


Surely, I cannot be the mother of a child who knows how to play with "big boy" toys.

Tonight, Grayson discovered that the ice cream truck brings extra sweet treats!



Kindermusik 2011

This summer, Grayson and I have been participating in Kindermusik. His class is a little different from last year's class. This class is for 1.5-3 year olds and Grayson is the youngest (even though he definitely doesn't look that way).

Anyway... our wild child has knocked down TWO kids already this summer. Now I'm on super-Grayson watch during Kindermusik. The kids go a little crazy and they all run around. The problem is that since Grayson is so big, usually he stays standing when kids run into him. The other kid ends up on the floor, with a big red bump on his/her head, crying. Grayson just stares. I'm left saying, "I'm so sorry... I'm so, so sorry" to the parent and other child. It is mega-embarrassing.

We're having a really great time, but it is amazing how much children change between 1.5 and 3. The older children answer more questions and are so much more attentive than our little one. However, the band director mama in me wants to point out that he LOVES the music... he is always so quiet when it is playing! Grayson and I enjoy the class and it is our favorite time of the week!

I took a few pictures today... and guess what?? No kids were knocked down (at least not by Grayster)!!

Such a big boy!

Alright, so obviously this picture isn't in focus... but I still kind of like it, It definitely depicts the wildness that is toddler Kindermusik!
My Heart <3

Monday, July 4, 2011

Grayson and Kayden

My cousin Whitney has a precious 5 month old! Grayson enjoyed playing with him tonight and I couldn't help but want to take some pictures of this little one! Happy Fourth of July!!


Cousins and Friends

Piano Man Kayden

Kayden LOVED this toy!

Guess who wanted to do the pushing??? :)

Morning at the Park

To begin our 4th of July celebrations, this morning Grayson and I decided to go to the park to play. When we got there, Grayson was so excited! He wanted to get out of the car right then! After he had shoes and sunscreen on, we headed out to play!

We saw several other kids that were around his age there. Some of them wanted to give him hugs, but Grayson was definitely unsure of that! I couldn't get him to slide or swing today, but I think after a few visits he'll have enough confidence to do it!

After we had played for a while, Jason came to visit us! Grayson was excited to see his Daddy and the other kids wanted to see Jason!

When it was time to leave (because we were ALL getting hot and sweaty) Grayson was upset. He wanted to stay!! I'm definitely going to remember to bring him to the park more often!