overboard

There are times when I'm a bit nutty.  Especially when it involves my child.  Usually his health is one of those topics that sends me over the crazy ledge, but this isn't actually one of those times.

Fasten your seat belts.  This is a good one.

I happen to believe that Reese is the best child on Earth.  Call me biased, but I know others who believe the same thing.  Coincidence?  I think not. I also blame my dad for this obsession with my child.  You see, he totally thinks Jackson and I hung the moon.  And shh... don't tell him we didn't.  I learned early that it's basically a parent responsibility to laud your kid at all opportunities.

Which brings us to the here and now.  Specifically, every Monday for the last few months.  Monday, you ask?  Yes, the day when Reese's classroom selects a new student of the week.  A special student to do special things.  For example, be the line leader and get water first.  Really big, important things when you're three. And really disappointing when every Monday it's not you.  I mean, his self esteem is suffering people!

So today, I asked.  I finally bit the bullet and asked his afternoon teachers what the exact criteria is for being chosen.  Am I crazy?  Possibly.  But I'd like to know.  Because the past two weeks the students chosen have been the class BITER and the kid who sits in time out on the playground EVERY SINGLE DAY.

What's the dang deal? Apparently his afternoon teachers {two adorable, bubbly college girls} don't do the selecting, but they are going to check with the big dog teachers tomorrow.  The campaign begins.  I'm on a mission....

the circus

I survived the circus.  I am happy to report there was only ONE clown.  Whew!


As with most events, Reese was underwhelmed.  He's quite the observer, this one. He sits back and watches, takes everything in.  He's not so much a fan of crowds {wonder where he gets that?}.

It was fun to share our first circus experience with the cousins.  They got a little play time in before we headed to Columbus, which was nice.  As their little feet pounded the floor, running up and down our long hallway, my heart smiled.  Paw Paw started to tell them to stop running, but I rudely shushed him.  I just love it.

Mimi had purchased an extra ticket {I think for Uncle Swoll, i.e. John Lee} but he had other plans.  That's okay, though, we took our weekend house guest:

Sweet girl spent the weekend with us, and we so enjoyed our time.  What a joy she is to be around.  She just fit right in here at Casa Beasley;  hanging out, grocery shopping, cooking dinner, and helping with Reese.  We heart Holland.

Back to the circus....

There were lights and dancers and elephants and tricks.  There was also ten dollar cotton candy and eighteen dollar swords.  Oh the commercialization of America.

Our favorite part was the elephant show.  Save your comments about how they are mistreated for some other time, because they were THE entertainment.

I'm not sure that the circus is an event we'll frequent, but it was a delightful way to spend some family time together.  Thanks Mimi!

friday, sweet friday

Hooray for the weekend.  And, let's be real, antibiotics.

Reese is doing better.  Thank you Lord.  We fight twice a day over his medicine taking. And I canNOT for the life of me get him to snort his nasal steroid. BUT his fever is gone, his appetite has returned, and his mood has improved.  Three cheers for that!

Good thing he's doing better because we have a cousin date in Columbus tomorrow.  Despite my gigantic fear of clowns, we are taking a family trip to the CIRCUS.  I've never been to the circus before {see note about fearing weird people dressed in costume}, so this will be a first for me as well.

I've promised Lofton that I won't push my issues on Reese so I've been silently sweating the whole up-close-and-personal-with-clowns thing.  Deep breaths....

We'll check in later with an update.  You know, unless the clown for IT is there and kills us.

Just kidding, Mimi.

bummer

We are back on the yucky train.  The yucky ear infection train, in specific.

{Insert your own curse word here.}

Reese and I went to the pediatrician yesterday and he sent us home with a new nasal steroid.  That's all.  Just some increased allergy medicine.  We spent over an hour in Target wrangling insurance to get it filled. Seriously PEEHIP, get your freaking act together.

Then today daycare called around 12:45.  Smack dab in the middle of Reese's nap time and my very important meeting.  Little Boo was screaming his head off, complaining of ear pain.  {Again, insert your own curse word here.}

I called the hubs, he scooted across town, and then text to tell me Reese was in real pain.  Bless the sweet nurse at the ENT.  I know I was talking ninety to nothing when I called her. I was fully prepared to cry and beg my way into an appointment.  When she said, "Can you be here in thirty minutes?" I about started weeping. Yes, sweet nurse, we can.

Long story short, we saw the audiologist and then our doctor.  Reese still has both of his tubes, but the right one is no longer in place.  It is completely clogged.  His right ear is full of infected fluid which is diminishing his hearing in that ear as well. The plan for now is two weeks of heavy antibiotics.  We can't do anything until the infection is gone.  In three weeks we will go back to see if the fluid has cleared.  Please pray that it has, because if not, we will need a new set of tubes.

We certainly have been blessed that this set of tubes has lasted two years, but our hope was that he would outgrow his propensity toward ear infections.  Boo.

rainy sunday and other happenings

Happy rainy Sunday, friends.

Reese and I are snuggled up in the bed, watching some Disney channel cartoons and coughing.  It seems our favorite boy has come down with quite the nasty cold.  He's a stuffy, coughing, low-grade fever mess.

Exhibit A: the mess

We sent Daddy-O off for a rainy golf date with friends, and Reese and I plan on hanging low all.day.long.

I've dosed him up on motrin and slathered his chest with vick's.  Oh vicks, why don't you make a perfume?

We had a doozy of a week in preschool land so it's nice to have some snuggle time today.  You see, my dear three year old has come home with a new trick:  flipping the bird.  Yep, that's my boy. I am about at my wits end.  There have been time outs, spankings, voice raisings... but I think ignoring him may be our new approach.

Exhibit B: sassy

I called his teacher Friday just to make sure none of these unfortunate actions were being displayed to his friends.  They aren't, but she did say some of the other boys in his class had been acting unruly, too.  She's contacted some parents and I wanted her to know that we want to be called if Reese is making poor choices at school.  It's important to me that we handle situations in a timely manner.

While talking to a friend at school about this, she mentioned how hard it is to accept that even at this young age our children are being influenced by others.  True that.  I suppose this is where that whole train your child up in the way that is right comes into play.

Goodness this business of making children into thoughtful, polite, sweet, smart, well-rounded people is difficult.

And that is why today we choose to snuggle.

valentine's day

I'm really not one for cheesy holidays, but with a preschooler in my midst I'm faking it for now.

We had his valentine's gifts ready to go when he walked out of his room this morning: three new shirts, a book, some gummy candy, and a coloring book.  He was in three year old heaven!

If anything today reminds me of how happy I am to have a husband who loves me.  So much so that he grocery shopped and did laundry for me Sunday.  He's amazing.

And that adorable curly haired blonde boy?  What can I say... He's asked me to be his valentine and I immediately accepted.  I hope I'm his valentine forever.

These two melt my heart.

This day and everyday.

full moon and other ramblings

The full moon happens to coincide with the week of our school Valentine's parties this year.  Please let Friday at 1:45 come and go swiftly. It's worse than Christmas, y'all.  Promise.

Our beloved preschooler and oldest son {duh, Jake} seem to be suffering the moon's affects as well.  Craziness abounds.

Can anyone say fit? During the super bowl, no less. He has no consideration for my adoration of Eli.

As we say often in our house: Being three is so hard! Especially when your parents tell you 400 times to stop throwing the ball in the house.  And you don't listen.  So they take it away.  And put it on a shelf where you can see it but have no hope in hades of actually reaching it.  Epic meltdown.

And he's also a little type A like his Mama.  Exhibit A:

This is how we found his shoes Monday night.  Bless his heart. I know from experience that perfection leads to a rough life. In addition, we've been battling leg cramps again.  As much as I treasure getting to rock his sweet cuddly self to sleep, I'd rather it NOT be because he's whimpering in pain.  Last night about broke my heart.

And now to the pooch.  Our eldest son, first born dog, love of Lofton's life...

This sweet thing.

He ate through the sheet rock in the laundry room Friday.  And he ate through the insulation in the wall.  Oh, and our vacuum.  Hell's bells doesn't even come close, friends.

Why so crazy, Jake?  You're already on extra- strength anxiety medicine that costs over $100 per month.  Honestly, who wants a new vacuum for valentine's day?  Not I, but I have one now. I don't even vacuum! As punishment, our dogs now have the best life ever... they travel with Lofton all day.  Riding in the truck {tethered, of course}, enjoying the fresh air, being pet frequently.  Must be nice to be our dogs.

In fabulous news, little Boo and I are traveling home Friday to shower my favorite pregnant friend.  I am already smitten with baby girl Nadeau and she doesn't arrive until April.  I can't wait to celebrate she and her mama! This is such a sweet and special time.

watering the rocks

I should be sitting at my work desk grading papers by now, but decided instead to enjoy my coffee at home.  The papers will still be there in a bit.

Reese came home from school yesterday with a quite a story to share.  His dear friend Thayer {who I adore} got a little too comfortable on the playground.  As in, he dropped his pants to tinkle on some rocks. I find this hysterically funny, however I can see where maybe daycare does not.

We decided that meant we should talk to Reese about why it's not okay to "pull your penis out at school".  His words, not ours.

We discussed privacy, pottying alone, and not showing your friends at school how you can water the rocks.  I thought he was pretty much on board with the plan until we got home from dinner and he promptly dropped his pants to water our yard.

And so we'll try this talk again...