the truth

Life as an almost two year old appears to be rough.

Most of our afternoons are spent like this:

Full out, fit-pitching on the floor.  When the fits first started I spent hours trying to figure out what I was doing wrong.  Was he hungry?  Unhappy? Am I not entertaining enough?  

Then I realized I was losing sleep over nothing.  

Sweet boy gets up early during the week.  Six in the morning to be exact.  He spends all day running around, playing with friends, and acting like the sassy toddler he is.  Obviously he's tired and over-stimulated.  Late afternoons just aren't his best time. Truthfully I feel the same way about 2:30 every day.  And again at around 8:30 at night.

My new attitude?  Give him a hug, try to help him articulate what's wrong, and then move on.  If he screams on the floor for ten minutes {or an hour} it won't kill him, or me.  

This too shall pass.

the assistant

If I'm project manager and Lofton is the contractor, then this little guy can be the assistant laborer:

Although he is cute, he makes quite a mess.  Did you know that tile spacers come 400 to a bag?  And I've cleaned up the bag at least ten times?

But, we haven't fired him cause helping Daddy makes him so, so happy.  What's a little mess?

His two favorite tasks?  Cleaning {and I use that term loosely} with the broom and climbing the ladder.  Trust me, both are equally dangerous.  The broom is at least two times his height.

And lest we forget later, how about a WAR {damn I didn't think we were going to pull out a win}  EAGLE!

T-minus six days til my baby boy is two.  If you need me, I'll be crying in bed all week.

bathroom reno-part five: tile

I'm holding my breath that this bathroom might possibly be finished in the next week or so.  

The hubs has been working tirelessly to get this reno complete and this weekend was no exception.  While rocking his single dad status, he busted out the tiling of the floor.  And it looks marvelous.  I know I say this ALL the time-- but can you believe I didn't know he was handy when I married him? I'm serious!

Without further ado:

The tile is an 18x18 porcelain from Home Depot.  It's tan with hints of gold in it.  I abhor beige so I went through lots of samples before I decided on this one.  The second picture is a more accurate depiction of the color; the first is just a cute snapshot of Reese.

And here's a sneak peak of the next phase:

Installing the cabinets.  By tomorrow morning.  Because the installers are coming to template the counter tops.  Finished pictures tomorrow....

And because I can't let another moment go by without telling you--- Sassy took a tumble off the slide at school.  He was a trooper-- tough as nails this kid-- but his face is a little "jacked" up as my children would say.

Never one to shy away from drama, when I picked him up yesterday he ran over clutching his hands to his face, yelling "My face, Mama, my face! Ouch."

getting old hurts

I had the best of blogging intentions when I returned home from my weekend away... and then I took a three hour nap.  And although I could have blogged last night after Reese went to bed... I again chose to sleep.  I was out like a light by eight.

Why all the extra sleep?

I spent the weekend being stalked by bears {and serial killers} in a north Georgia mountain cabin with fourteen lovely ladies.  We laughed, drank, ate and danced into the wee hours both nights.  I had so much fun reconnecting and reminiscing, but I am not as young as I once was.  Partying hurts.

We celebrated the last single days of this lovely lady:

There is something very comforting about spending time with people who've loved you since bangs and braces were cool.

Chicks for life:

And the boys?  They spent the weekend doing man things.  Lounging in the bed watching cartoons, tiling the bathroom floor, and tailgating on campus.  Lofton assures me I was deeply missed, but I'm not so sure.

Pictures of the floor are soon to come...

bathroom reno-part four: drywall

Reese's favorite show is The Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, so it's only fitting I use their happy mantra of choice:

Hot dog, hot dog, hot diggity dog!

Woo-Hoo Mama... walls again!

We have sheet rock, my friends. It's been messy, but I'm okay with that.  Knowing that the end of messiness is near actually brings me a strange since of peace.  My mom can attest-- living in chaos is about to put me over the edge.  

Where the toilet will go... see how the door/frame is gone??? Lofton also raised the ceiling two feet.

Sheetrock/drywall is the last step toward having a real bathroom again.  Sure we have to tile and paint {both laborious tasks}, and we are NOWHERE near the bathroom being "functional"; however-- now I can actually see what my "new" bathroom is going to look like.  I'm not exactly a visual person so I've had a difficult time "picturing" the final product.

Soon to be my built in storage shelves

I'm leaving town this weekend to celebrate a dear friend's upcoming nuptials.  I'm entrusting Lofton with my favorite child AND with the responsibility of beginning to tile the floor.  This is the very first time EVER I've left Lofton and Reese together overnight.  I think this will be good for all of us, but especially Reese.  He needs some daddy time without Mama around.

It's navy nightmare this weekend and don't you worry.. my party dress is navy :)  Even hundreds of miles away, the Auburn Tigers are close to my heart.  WDE!

giddy

Sweetness has been gone for a day or so.  Sent away to stay with Mimi and Big Daddy because he has been infected with some yucky blister-causing virus.  Seriously-- this kid picks up any and every sickness known to children.


I didn't make it through an hour of work Monday when daycare called me to come get him.  Mom of the Year failed to notice the blisters on his tongue when I threw him in the car that morning.  {In my defense, Monday mornings I have duty so I'm always super conscience of being at work on time to get my room ready for the day and be in the hall to supervise the monsters.}


My initial thought was hand/foot/mouth AGAIN, but nope, just some other run of the mill bug.  Well, run of the mill bug that causes blisters in his mouth, down his throat, and on the pads of his fingers.  Basically I had two questions for the doctor: Can Reese go back to school {nope} and are we leaving with any medicine {nope}? 


After some tears and a few phone calls we worked out a plan.  Lofton would take Reese to LG Tuesday morning and we would let Big Daddy and Mimi share responsibility for taking care of him.  I have not a single sick day.  ZERO.  Our plan worked great and Reese had a ball, of course.  I, however, have been lost at sea without him. 


And so now I wait.  He and Lofton are in route and I am giddy with excitement...  I can't wait to smother his face with kisses, blisters and all.

a man and his toys

The racy cars have landed.

bathroom reno-part three: meet perfection

I'm in love.

We met many, many months ago.  I was blown away by her smooth interior, cast iron finish, and extra six inches of length.

She's a beauty, for sure.  Spectra is her official name.  Sure, it's a little white trash sounding, but whatever...

And after a long two weeks of inhabiting the driveway, her rightful position has been assumed.

Right underneath my mold-free window.

Next up:  drywall.

it's hit

I looked at Lofton last Monday night and asked a serious, not even remotely sarcastic, question:  Where did we go wrong?

You see, I've always been pretty proud of our parenting abilities.  Sure, we've had a few snafus along the way, but overall we've been trucking along pretty well.  

Until now. 

Either my child has become possessed by some demonic creature OR the terrible two's {which I never really believed in} have hit full force.

Cue the song Miss Independent.  Except change Miss to Mister.  And maybe play some It's my party and I'll cry if I want to-- minus the party part.

Case in point #1:  Reese now hates Jake.  If Jake comes even remotely close to him screaming ensues.  Along with flailing arms, running away, and repeated use of the words "Mama", "back", "No", and "mine."  This could cause a few problems folks.  And truthfully, Lofton and I are currently on team Jake.  Aside from a few "food-related" instances, Jake is as sweet and loving toward Reese as any dog I've ever seen.  My new phrase?  Get a grip, son.

Case in point #2: Reese no longer believes in getting out of bed in the morning.  Not during the week and not on the weekends.  On the weekends I don't really care, but on weekdays {i.e. school days}???? Houston, we have a problem.  I have been scooping him out of bed eacg morning {and wrenching my back in the process} while he shrieks "MY BAH!" or "NO MAMA NIGHT NIGHT" ad nauseum.  

Case in point #3:  The words no or please don't do that or stop Reese no longer phase him.  Evidently he has developed selective hearing.  Any type of behavior redirection is just another reason for him to continue causing mischief.  And he gets the most devious/adorable look on his face.  Lofton and I don't know whether to laugh or smack him.  

And so it's off to read up on discipline again, before we lose total control and have to ship Reese off to toddler reform school.

ring ring

Chatty Cathy loves to talk on his daddy's phone.  Usually he "calls" Bob for a pretend chat.  Tonight though, Lofton asked Reese whom he was talking to and he said "Bull."  Bull is Lofton's brother Luke.  Reese picked the name Bull out of nowhere but it is perfectly appropriate.

Sorry the quality sucks.  It's from my phone.

Here's a brief transcript:


L:  Boo, who are you talking to?
R:  Bull
L:  Oh really.  How is he?
R:  Gooh. {i.e. good}
L:  That's great. 
R:  Hey Lee Lee.  Hey Mags.  {Mags = Maggie the dog}
L:  Oh, you're talking to Analee and Maggie?  How are they?
R: Gooh, Daddy.
L:  Okay.
R:  Luh you, Bull.  Buh-bye.


A real conversation.  With his uncle.  Except not really because it was pretend.  Yep... he's almost two and changing every day.

the many faces of Reese, part II

The big, bad two is trucking towards us at warp speed.  With it comes an increase in sassy attitudes and funny faces.

I laughed so hard I cried.  


That nose, those chunky cheeks, and the pouty lips... I die. 

fast and furious

I scooped Reese up early on Friday and we trucked it down to good ole P'cola for the weekend.  Lofton was left here to do "man-work."

Not much happened while we were home.  A little shopping {and by little I mean I only bought one pair of shoes this trip}, some eating, and then the usual watching Reese torment the cats.


A few highlights:

• Reese got a haircut.  A big haircut.  This mama still isn't sure how to tame those beautiful curls, so until the weather cools off permanently, we have a shorter style.  I teared up a little cause he looks so much like a big boy, but it's only temporary.  Reese's hair grows so fast the fro will be back before I know it.
• On our Saturday morning shopping excursion, Reese got naked at the mall.  Yep, he did.  One minute he was in the stroller clothed, the next minute he had shimmied out of his jon-jon.  I turned around and almost had a heart attack when I saw my child riding topless in the stroller.  And yes, my dad {who was pushing Reese} saw him take off his clothes and said NOTHING.  Little stinkers.
• The drive back felt like it lasted ten hours yesterday.  Reese napped only briefly then proceeded to whine the entire rest of the drive.  Around Greenville he tried to climb out of his car seat.  I seriously contemplated dropping him off on the side of I-85.  Knocking on the door of terrible two's... I think so.

Lastly, can I get a War- we finally have a decent quarterback who can throw and run- Eagle! I LOVE me some Auburn football.

coming along

Work continues here at Casa Beasley. 

Mold-free window.  Installed by the handy-husband.

Goodbye Reese's closet. 

I can honestly say I've had more than a few moments of "Why the hell did we decide to do this NOW?"  I know we were living with mold.  And yes, the window was literally rotting into the tub.  And okay, the rotting floor was causing the tub to slowly sink through the floor.  BUT... I really, REALLY miss long showers.  Our "second" bathroom tub is not exactly shower-friendly.

In other news, Sassy Pants is cracking me up.  He now has an opinion on EVERYTHING.  And usually his opinion involves the phrase "Umm, no."  

Do you want to go to bed? Umm no.

Are you hungry? Umm no.

Are you excited about school today? Umm no.

Let's try and potty... umm no.

Great.  Thanks little man. 

 

Time is racing by.  My baby will be two in exactly one month.  Wow.  He's going to be a heartbreaker, but right now it's this mama heart that's breaking.  As much as I love the little boy he is becoming, I miss my little baby too.  

Such is life, I suppose. 

Birthday party preparations are underway.... so GET EXCITED!