on the road again

I'm not even joking, we've spent part of every week in June out of town.  We travel, people.

Yesterday, Boo and I packed up and headed home.  My daddy started radiation last week and it's not so fabulous.  I thought a little three year old cheer would do magic on his spirits, and so far so good.  Both of the Reese's {well one is a Rice} napped yesterday afternoon away which was fine by me. Read one of my library books in peace?  Yes, please.

After hogging most of the bed last night, Reese woke up late this morning {late = 7:00}.  Daddy had already gone and picked up Krispy Kreme and even made a pit stop at Starbucks for me.  See?  You'd come home a lot, too.

Daddy has treatment every day at 10:30, so we hit the pool early.  He watched little nemo until his appointment time.  Reese surprised me by immediately taking to the pool.  Our last swimming lesson was an epic fail so I was unsure of what to expect.  The city of Pensacola has an awesome pool in our neighborhood that I hadn't visited in ten or fifteen years. There was a separate pool for younger kids that started at zero entry and only went to two and a half feet. 

It was beyond perfect.  He kicked, splashed, and swam with no floaties. I was one proud mama fish. 

Tomorrow we meet the hubs in PC for a beach week with his parents.  Counting our blessings that Tropical Storm Debby decided to head east...

little nemo

Have you ever watched Finding Nemo?  You know how Nemo wants to be free of his dad to swim and explore the world?  And the Dad is so protective that he doesn't want to let him go?

Yeah... that would be the opposite of us.

Swim lessons have become a bit dramatic here at the end of the week.  Reese has decided now that the pressure to actually swim is on, he'd just rather cling to Amber and scream dramatically.  Today it was, "Mama!!! I'm going to drown!" Over and over and over at the top of his lungs.

So where the Dad in Finding Nemo wants to hold his child close, I told Amber to let our little fish go.  I believe my exact words were "Throw him.  He'll figure it out."

And he did.  He doesn't like it.  And he yelled the whole way {exact for the part where he had to hold his breath and swim for his life}.  But he can swim.  Which was the goal of lessons.

I didn't need a pint-size Michael Phelps, but I did want a child who could somewhat swim in the event he fell in a pool.

And here, without further ado, our Nemo--

Ignore my nasal voice.  Ugh.  And please, notice how ridiculously angry Reese looks at the end.  He's beyond mad that I've had Amber throw him in five times in a row.

daredevil

We began swim lessons Monday with a bang.  As soon as the instructor opened the gate {we are taking solo lessons} Reese took off.  Before anyone could grab him, he cannonballed into the pool.

Obviously he forgot that the point of swim lessons is to LEARN how to swim.  No, he can't do that.

Sweet boy popped up out of the water sputtering and flailing his arms.  He was quickly scooped out.  Did he cry or even pretend that he was scared?  No.

After that rocky start lessons have gone swimmingly. He kicks his little feet and moves his little arms like a pro.  He does not, however, enjoy putting his face underwater.  We're working on it.

my best friend's wedding

Prepare for picture overload.  I thought I'd recap our wedding weekend in Tupelo and give a little back story for those of you who don't know Jeremy.

the groom and I

I was born in a teeny town in Mississippi called Rolling Fork.  My dad grew up there and when he and my mama got married they settled there.  Jeremy and I were the best of friends because our parents were the best of friends.  We moved to Pensacola when I was six, and our visits were intermittent.  Thankfully, Jeremy's parents hosted my teenage girl self during the summer for a few years in a row.  Coincidentally, it was always the same weekend the local girls were away at cheerleading camp.  Lofton was so excited to hear that tidbit of news this weekend.

Cell phones revolutionized our lives and Jeremy and I really became the best of friends during college.  Best of friends because we wanted to be, not because of our parents.  As I said during my rehearsal speech Friday night, he really has my heart. I've been so blessed by his friendship through the years, and I know he would say the same for me.  Emily is sweet and beautiful and everything I could ever envision the perfect wife for Jeremy to be.  I was grateful to be included in their special day.

And now the weekend :)

There was chatting, and laughing, and dancing, and fun all weekend long.  I caught up with lots of boys that I hadn't seen in many, many years.  It was so nice to see them all grown up, and to show off my own sweet boys.  I also stayed up into the wee morning hours two nights in a row, which is uncharacteristic of me.

Reese was the most excited child ever to stay in a hotel.  He bounced on the beds, swam in the pool, and played at the splash park across the street. Lofton and my parents went out of their way to keep him entertained while I was fulfilling my bridesmaid obligation.

As I mentioned yesterday, he also boogied all night long.

emo and reese, breaking it down

Lofton and I said last night that we are constantly amazed by how wonderful he is around adults.  He was polite, sweet and friendly all weekend long.

Aside from the headache I suffered all day yesterday, the weekend was perfect.

And now we've started swim lessons! But that deserves a separate post...

father's day 2012

I don't have a lot of words today.  After a raging wedding weekend full of late nights, lots of laughing,  adult beverages galore, and too much dancing {Reese stayed up until after midnight last night partying like a rock star} I'm tired.

Here, though, is our gift to Lofton: a questionnaire that Reese provided the answers for.  I found the list on Pinterest, interviewed the three year old, and typed it up.

And then we laughed.

wednesday randomness

I'm sitting at the kitchen bar eating my delish Amy's Light and Lean Bean and Cheese burrito. It's only 290 calories {plus the 100ish that comes from my sprinkling of cheese & dollop of sour cream} so it really is a quick and healthy lunch.  Only I don't really like how mushy things get when you cook them in the microwave so after I heat it I throw it in the oven on broil for a few minutes per side.  Crisps it right up! Moving on...

Our favorite teenager came over this morning to hangout with Reese while I got a few things done.  We don't call it babysitting because she refuses to let us pay her.  Seriously, she does.  She says she just likes coming over to play with Reese because he's funny and cute and makes her happy.  Basically the opposite of the boys her age.  I told her this morning turning thirty isn't much better than being nineteen! Except I don't have to date anymore.  That's infinitely better.

My boyfriend had kickball practice last night.  Although it's fun to make fun of his childish excitement, all the other boys are the same way.  Cracks me up...

What didn't crack me up? These:

Damn ants.  He stepped off the sidewalk when we got to the park last night and immediately got bit.  Bites on his feet and between his fingers {he bent over to brush them off and they got on his hand}.  Ouch.  And like his feet aren't fat enough! We can barely get those chunkers into shoes as it is...

Last night we covered them with cortisone and gave him some benadryl.  This morning the whole tops of his feet are swollen.  Stinker.  So I mixed up my magic itch potion: equal parts diaper rash medicine, vicks vapor rub, and cortisone cream.  It's like magic y'all.  It almost instantly takes the itch away.  I wouldn't suggest it on open wounds {because of the vicks}, but any other bites are fine.

And with that, I'm off to pack.  Lots of clothes being cleaned and folded for our wedding weekend in Tupelo! I have eight pair of shoes sitting out to pack. You can imagine what my dear husband had to say about that!

firsts

Friday night we took Reese to his first movie.  We've vacillated on taking him before {Happy Feet 2, Cars 2, the re-release of Beauty and the Beast}, but always found reasons not to go.  When Madagascar 3 commercials started running on TV, though, we were done for.  "I like to move it, move it" is one of our favorite songs.  He pleaded to go see it and like good parents we threw in the towel.

the cool way to pose in three year old world

Truthfully, he was perfect.  He sat without so much as a peep for probably 3/4 of the movie.  He was just being his usual observant self, taking EVERY LITTLE THING in.  Also in true Reese form, he enjoyed some snacks.  He ate a giant bag of gummy worms, my box of gummy bears, and part of a bag of popcorn.  And then washed it down with some nice Mello Yello.  He complained of a tummy ache the whole way home :)

precious

In other firsts this week....

Lofton started kickball.  That's right, kickball.  My sweet friend, Amanda {and her husband Tucker} played in a league last summer.  When Lofton heard about it he was super jealous that they didn't include him.  This year, though, he made the roster.  The first game was Wednesday.  I could say a lot of things about Lofton playing kickball... a funny reference to his age, his crazy competitive spirit, his ridiculous slide across the field to catch a ball.... but I won't.  Let's just say that Reese and I thoroughly enjoyed watching Daddy O show out.

He even has a battle wound--

yep, and a tattoo

Amanda text me the next day to say that she hoped Lofton's leg was okay AND that she and Tucker named him MVP of the team.  The next game is June 20.  It's a double-header.  Yippee!

graduation + a little fun

Eleven years and some odd days ago, I sat in the Pensacola Civic Center surrounded by my high school classmates; eager for the future and a wee bit sad to be moving on from the past four years of fun and friendship. Not once, I assure you, did I think about my own brother one day sitting in the same place.

And yet, he did.  And now it's over.  In the blink of an eye he went from a bouncy little boy to a very tall {and very accomplished} high school graduate.  Graduating with a 4.1 GPA is no easy feat, I assure you!

The superintendent listed a lot of the achievements of Jacksons' class.  It was pretty impressive what they were collectively and individually recognized for.  He also noted that high school graduation is the freeist the graduates ever feel, that at that moment they have the whole world in front of them.  And then he said that what they don't realize is that the hardest days are, in fact, not behind them but in front of them.  Oh how right he is....

While we were home we also had some beach time, took in a Pensacola Wahoo's baseball game, and ate way too much food...

As evidenced by this giant ballpark hot dog that Reese inhaled.  Or these delightful waffles with fresh blueberries--

Now we are home for a few days before we load up and head in the opposite direction for a dear friend's wedding.  I'm picking up my dress from Mr. John tomorrow.  Let's all pray that he's made it look a little less cotton candy pouf-ish. Jeremy and I have been friends all our lives and I'm so excited to be in his wedding.  I'm one of SIXTEEN bridesmaids.

It will be a busy weekend and Reese's first experience in a hotel.  Good thing our favorite duo is also invited.

What!?!? Buck and Emo will be there, too?

parenting

i found this somewhere in the black whole, i.e. pinterest

Reese stumbled into the living room post-nap Wednesday and asked me for a pack of fruit nacks {in our house the beginning 's' is silent}.  

I reminded him that he'd already met his fruit snack quota for the day and instead offered him a bowl of grapes.  Begrudgingly, he accepted my offer.

As he popped one in his mouth, though, tears started to flow.  "But Mama," he cried, "These are just not as tasty as fruit nacks."