all boy

Have I ever mentioned that I think the phrase “he’s all boy” is stupid. I mean obviously Reese is all boy. We got that info way back on week sixteen. However, as dumb as I still think that phrase is I am beginning to understand why people use it.

The past two weeks have brought us gloriously warm weather. Reese’s class at school is finally able to go outside and at home we’ve been spending quite a bit of time outdoors as well. Little Boo loves being outside! He likes to pick up handfuls of dirt, large rocks, sword sized sticks, and the like.

There is no more running errands after work, because when I pick my little boy up from school he is covered head-to-toe in dirt and debris. It’s in his diaper, caked in his little fat rolls, and in streaks down his sweaty face. I, the queen of no-laundry during the week, am now washing clothes all the time.

I picked up the little dirt dobber yesterday and was greeted with not one-- but two-- accident reports from school. He gashed his head on the playground during the morning outing and then busted his lip yesterday afternoon. Let’s just say he has been formally introduced to ice bags and the word boo-boo.

Lofton’s attitude is “hey at least we haven’t had to get stitches yet”, while mine is more “oh my lord is this a glimpse into my future with a son.”

Stayed tuned—it’s going to be a long and dirty summer!

simply charming

Reese is in love—and it’s with someone other than me. Her name is Holland. I don’t think I’ve formally introduced y’all, and I apologize.

Holland is our babysitter. Our go-to girl when family is unavailable {or we don’t feel like imposing on anyone for a quick dinner date}. She is soon to be seventeen, beautiful, uber-responsible, and smart to boot. The perfect teenage girl. Her mom teaches next door to me and she is equally as fantastic. Kind, funny, and a great mom to three great kids.

Friday night was Holland’s prom and I couldn’t let her get all dressed up with out taking Reese to see her. He was smitten. Holland {in all her dress glory} carted him around, let him smell her flowers, and showered him with smooches. He was devastated when she left with her “real” date.

It really melts my heart to see how equally enamored with each other they are. He immediately throws himself into her arms whenever she comes over. I think it’s because she thinks he’s adorable, and therefore she does whatever he wants to do. I never worry when I leave.

Lofton and I felt like old married people Friday night-- talking about past proms, dates gone wrong, and the things we'd worry about if we ever have a daughter like Holland. It was quite funny.

Lucky for us, Holland has another year of high school and then four years at Auburn University. She's not leaving us anytime soon. Which is a good thing, because truthfully, we are pretty enamored with her sweet self too.

my husband and his son

My husband is a good man. He has few flaws; and those which he does have are more annoyances than major issues. He is a really good dad, a fabulous husband, and his mom and grandparents would say a wonderful son.

He is also very neglected by Reese. Reese will not call him by name. Ever. Sometimes, only to me, Reese will say Daddy. But he will not… won’t do it… the words never come out… for Lofton.

Last night Lofton had enough. He’s decided he doesn’t care what Reese calls him, as long as he calls him something. A few suggestions Lofton had for Reese were: Bob, Bubba, Poppa, and Cat.

None were high on my list of names for my son to call his father, but I was willing to go along with the game. I can understand the need to be recognized by your kid. You can also understand that throughout this entire discussion I was laughing. Hysterically.

Imagine if you will our small family, eating dinner at the table, and Lofton pointing to himself and saying, “My name is ___,” and then longingly looking at Reese as if to say “Spit it out son.”

I laughed so hard I almost cried.

In other husband related news, we are looking at painting our house. It’s going to be quite the endeavor. One which Lofton is going to take on as soon as he finishes the work he is doing for other people.

We went on Monday to Sherwin Williams to look at paint and we brought a few samples home. Three to be exact. Garden Sage, Grassland, and Romie Cream.

Lofton painted some squares on the back of the house while I cooked dinner and then we went outside to assess the situation. Wouldn’t you know it? I like the one he hates—garden sage. It’s a lovely mix of green, khaki, and gray. Just what I want.

It should be noted {although i’m sure I have before} that my sweet husband is color blind, which begs the question, “Do you get a full vote if you can’t really see the true color?”

I think not. Garden Sage it is.

did i miss it

In our haste to get rid of the cold, dreary winter, I think we wished away Spring. It has totally felt like Summer this week. Hot and sticky. And have you noticed the yellow cast on everything? I hate pollen.

All I know is the little man who lives at our house sweats like a goat. Or maybe it's a pig...

Either way, we've been stripping down to our skivvies and spending our afternoons like this:

Have a glorious and cool remainder of the week!

egg-celent and the er

Happy Easter! This weekend flew by in a flash.

Yesterday we headed to LG to celebrate Easter with Mimi, Big Daddy, Mamie and Paw Paw. Reese is finally old enough to get on the egg hunting action! We had to make a brief trip to the ER** to have a rash checked out, but once we got the all clear from the doctor, we were ready to roll.

Ready...

Set...

HuNt!

I love these two. They keep me on my toes, but I love them.

**{To make a long story VERY short... Reese had a rash on his face and neck, I thought from some sunscreen I sent to school. Well, yesterday around lunch we noticed it had turned into bumps and had spread all over his legs and arms. Lofton convinced me it was the chicken pox. Big Daddy is well connected, so being the fabulous grandpa he is, he made a few calls. Needless to say we were in and out of the ER in less that thirty minutes. It was fabulous. And we got the all clear that Reese simply has a little virus. Woo- Hoo!}

so in love

Sweet boy is eighteen months old today.

Unbelievable.

On one hand it feels like he’s always been a part of us, and on the other—time is slipping through our fingers like sand.

Each age brings with it new joys and new challenges. This transition from baby to toddler is no different. Some moments we’re smiling, others we are yelling.

Even with his continuing ear problems, Reese is becoming more verbal with each passing day. He says a few words regularly.

Regular words: hay {hey}, buh {pacifier and/or Buck}, ba ohh {balloon}, baa {bath}, bawl {ball}, ma-ma, nuh-nuh {nonna}, jews {juice}, peas {please}, and uh ew {love you}.

Occasional words: paw-paw, mi-mi, tracy, good job, and hush

He can also meow like a cat, roar like a lion, bark like a dog, and rumble like a tractor.

He takes one nap a day at school, usually from 11:00-1:30, but on the weekends we are able to adjust that time to meet our activities. If we have Saturday night plans, he stays up until nine or nine thirty. It’s so nice to finally to have that flexibility.

Now that the weather is warmer we’ve been spending lots of time outside in the sunshine. He still loves his swing and runs to the door when I ask him if he wants to check the mail.

Reese is happy and funny, sweet and loving. He is feisty and strong willed, flirty and curious.

He is the perfect balance of Lofton and I.

His dimples and bright blue eyes will melt your heart. Though I fell in love the instant I met him, I fall more in love with him each day.

quick thinking

I actually wrote this last week, but almost the exact same thing happened again today---

Did you ever watch the television show MacGyver? I did. He was so clever, that guy. Always using his wits and brain to get himself out of sticky situations.

Well, when we were waiting on the ENT yesterday, we had a little MacGyver moment of our own.

While waiting in one our room yesterday, Reese decided to sneak into the corner and do some business. You know… the stinky, unpleasant business. Of course, mom of the year has a diaper but no wipes.

Well, what’s a girl to do?

I couldn’t leave him in that confined space with a smelly bottom, so I started digging through drawers. No wipes BUT I did find some gauze. It felt soft enough.

I stripped Reese down, wet the gauze pads, and went to work changing him. Then I realized—I have a terribly smelly diaper in my hand. Where am I going to put it?

Trash can? Nope— there wasn’t one.

I briefly considered the bio-waste container, but then ruled it out too.

I just so happened to have a pest control bill in my purse, and it just so happens to come in a small plastic sleeve. I stuffed the diaper in the sleeve, tied off the top, and stuck it in my purse to dispose of at home.

So, I wrote that last week, but he stinkied again today at the ENT. I was slightly more prepared, as in I had wipes. But I still had to tie the thing up-- lucky for me there were latex gloves handy!

Health update: Reese's adenoid removal is scheduled for Wednesday, April 21st. We will have to stay the night in the hospital, but I'm perfectly fine with that. The most common complication for children Reese's age {eighteen months tomorrow, yikes!} is dehydration from refusal to eat. Lofton and I both feel that in the hospital he will be much more likely to not have that complication.