A Happy V-Day Weekend & Day 58. 307 Days Left.

The weekend was filled with photos, laughter, tears and fun (just as any other weekend would be spent).

we spent Saturday eveing with a great friend. He came over for dinner, drinking and much needed catch up time before leaving to Cambodia for 50 days. An evening well spent.

Sunday we decided to take the kids to a portrait studio for some Valentine photos. We left there disappointed and vowing NEVER to go again. We were given 20 minutes for a photo session and with two toddlers that is hardly enough time to get a great shot let alone even a decent one. So the hubby and I set out on a mission to get great Valentine’s Day photos of the kids. On our own. We took them to a park, we each grabbed one camera, each a kiddo and began snapping away. After a little photo shop we managed to get some great pictures and bonus the kids got to run around and play.


The hubby managed to have today off (not that we celebrate Valentine’s Day). I worked in a restaurant for many years; you could not pay me enough money to go out to dinner on Valentine’s Day. Crazy. And with two kids it is easier to spend the extra money (when there is extra money) on them rather than ourselves. Instead we took our lil’ guy to get his CBC and lead test (I know we are great parents) but he was long overdue and the fact that he has eaten half the paint off his crib was haunting the back of mind. So we took him. On Valentine’s Day. We were there for 2 ½ hours before he was taken back. Afterwards, we brought the kiddos home for a much needed and deserved naps. What little troopers.

They finally woke up from their three hour long naps, with the promise we would take them to the mall for new Disney friends. We did just that. Loaded them up and headed out. Our first stop was a jewelry store so the hubby could replace his wedding band… he had a little accident at work. While he was paying I took the kiddos over to the Disney store to pick out their new friends. Addison immediately grabbed Eeyore and Jackson grunted for Goofey. Everyone was happy. You are probably thinking “what about you”… well, since you asked; the hubby surprised me with a Pandora bracelet. He is such a wonderful hubby. Not just because of the beautiful gift (but including that) but because of his unconditional love 365 days a year, because he is such a hard working and awesome hands-on dad, because he has blessed me with two beautiful children and because he supports me with every decision I make. Really, who could ask for more (except for maybe a Pandora bracelet)?

So Happy Valentines Day to each of you. Hope you are filled with love today and everyday.
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Day 58
Valentine Pictures in the Park

Girl in the White Shirt & Day 52. 313 Days Left.

Just when I think I am the most unreasonable parent some dim-witted mother comes along…

I decided to take the kids to the park for a little weekday fun and get the hellions out of the house to burn off that pent up energy. Addison found a little girl around her age to play with. They were having so much fun together. The mom was sitting close by with her newborn twins. Jackson was climbing up the stares and sliding down the slide on his belly- I don’t know; he just likes to slide that way and why would it bother me? Well Addison brought her new friend over to play on the slide with Jackson. The three of them took turns climbing and sliding down on their bellies. After a few minutes the little girl’s mom looked over and said “No, don’t slide down on your belly you are going to get your shirt dirty, slide on your butt.” The girl’s mom dressed her in a white shirt and told her not to get it dirty…AT THE PARK! Really? So the little girl decided she did not want to get in anymore trouble and left Addison and Jackson behind. Stupid mom.
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Day 52
A Day at the Park

A Day with the Not So Potty Trained Toddler & Day 50. 315 Days Left

Toddlers are gross.

I wrote about some of my most disgusting toddler experiences thus far.

However, none can compare to this past weekend…

We went to a good friends baby shower. It was at a park so I packed a diaper bag accordingly. I must say after two children I am a diaper bag packing pro- I digress.

I decided to not only pack Jackson a spare set of clothes (he would definitely need it) but I packed Addison one just to be safe. It must be mommy’s intuition.

I will elaborate in a bit.

Addison is potty trained- she has been for a year; mostly accident free and very good about telling us when she needs to go potty. In addition to packing the change of clothes I decided to throw in a pair of pull-ups (which are only used for nap & bedtimes. Just taking precaution. I figured if she did have an accident (I was thinking more along the lines of pee) wet underwear and pants combined with dirt would make an awful muddy mess… little did I know what she had in store for mommy.

We get to the park and I remind her to let us or an adult know when she had to go potty- she was doing great. I was enjoying my time with my girlfriend, Justin was hanging out with Jackson and Addison was playing with her new friends. It was a gorgeous day. Perfect.

Suddenly I hear Addison… “Mommy, Mommy, Mommy hurry I got to go poopies.” I grab Elmo potty seat and take her into the surprising clean bathroom (which was five feet away from the party pavilion). She goes, I wipe her, she sit back and I notice shit on her shirt. After a certain age it is no longer poopies, it is shit. It is not cute. It is gross. Well, how the hell did that happen? I then notice her underwear, her pants, her leg, her Elmo potty…what is going on? She had shit everywhere- all over the inside of her pants, her clothes were covered. It. Was. A. Mess. A disgustingly huge and smelly mess. We were in a tiny cube and there was shit covering everything. I run and grab the diaper bag while Addison is waiting and crying about being covered in poop. I begin the clean up process which takes 20 minutes. Finally, getting her clean, putting her in a change of clothes (which were soaking wet because one of the sippie cups leaked all over… so much for my pro status) and cleaning the Elmo potty seat. Women coming in and out and laughing hearing the conversation Addison and I are having. We leave the cubical and I begin drying her juice soaked change of clothes under the hand dryer. Addison is standing there in her new pull-ups when my expecting girlfriend walks in and asks “what happened, you guys have been in here a while, is everything ok?” I ask her “do you really want to know?” I get her dressed and it is as though nothing happened.

An hour later, my hubby comes up to me. “We have another problem.” Are you fucking kidding me. What the hell is the matter with this girl? The bathroom is literally five feet away. So here we go again. Me, Addison, a tiny bathroom and more shit.

I have had my fair share of poopie moments, as most mothers have. I have been pooped on, cleaned up a dog poop eating infant and my share of finger-painting experiments; but this by far was the worst. I can handle "when shit happens" while at home. No one sees the mess; I have a shower, change of clothes and washing machine fully available. At the park I had nothing but the hope that no one smelt the remains of shit on Addison or me.

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Day 50
January Water Day in South Florida