We Survived the Move

So we have officially moved.

No more little blue house on Georgetown Lane.

It's hello Chinquapin (Cheen-ka-pin).

I am still so tired from the ordeal that I'm going to leave it at that. We got a 22 ft truck, packed it from floor to ceiling, and STILL had to take the rest of our stuff in nine carloads. It was ridiculous.

This post is just to say, "Yes, I'm still alive, but barely."

Ha.

I will write more later, but here it is in a nutshell:

My parents came (after being broke down), worked nonstop, and are now back in SC. There was packing, moving, hauling, unpacking, inspections, papers, everything getting lost, kids being crazy, deadlines, little sleep, lots of coffee and donuts...you get the picture.

I love the new place and community, but I'll feel even better when these boxes are out of my living room.

Hmm.

As Dylan said,

"For the times they are a-changin'."

Moving On

(Andrew and I did yardwork while our supervisors looked on)

I am going to keep this short. I have inhaled so much Clorox today there is no telling what I might say. So...let me just say this.

*Maddox's bobo is still around, but healing nicely...and we can now wet it! I couldn't wash his hair for 4 days but at least his hair isn't oily and you couldn't tell.
*Maddox has a bad head cold and an even worse cough. He's on antibiotics and watches a lot of Barney on the couch these days.
*My house is running very low on toilet paper. We never had toilet paper. Somehow...someway...Maddox the Toilet Paper Thief always finds a way to get it and then it disappears. I find it in little shreds all around the house. He tells me (looking at me with those big sweet eyes), "Just a little bit, Mommy!"

*Andrew and I have been working our butts off to get our house spotless for the dreaded landlord inspection. It looks better than it ever has - hah!

*My house is in boxes, for the most part.

*Jude has been rolling over like a little crazy man. Every time I put him down in his crib for a nap, he rolls over and giggles, then tries to eat his feet, then ends up wide awake.

*Jude's first tooth has popped through! Every mommy knows this is a big deal ;)

The best news by far, though, is that Nana and Papa are coming tomorrow! I am super super super excited!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! And that's the end. Now bed time for this tired mama.

My sick little Gee2 (that's what he calls himself, fyi)

Jude, rockin' his big gut

PS - Andrew and I sat outside tonight and talked about our favorite memories in this house. I will miss this house for a lot of things, but not for those stupid little barking dogs next door.

Maddox Meets the ER

Maddox got his first big bobo. And it will most likely be his first scar (good bye modeling career, ha!). While I changed Jude's diaper, he did something (probably was jumping on the bouncer seat) and fell into the corner of his desk. It was a nasty cut right smack in the middle of his eyebrow. After his first ER visit and having the cut glued together (the doctor said it was to the bone...*heart attack*), he returned home with big smiles and a handful of toys for being so brave. He had one very big concern, though, and it was all he talked about: his hospital bracelet.

"Take it off, Mommy!"

He was so tired (the accident happened right at his nap time) that Andrew said he tried to go to sleep on the doctor's table right after the doctor scrubbed the cut.  Somehow he held on until 7 pm. I pushed he and Jude around in their new double stroller (around the coffee table AT LEAST 30 minutes) and then they both passed out.

It was a draining day, to say the least!

pre-ER

post-ER

Fun with his new toys

They had a blast riding side by side in their new stroller

I am always telling Maddox to "be careful" but I never know if he is paying any attention to me or not. The other day when I was going to the store, he told me, "Be careful, Mommy!" It melted my heart. I hope he is a little more careful next time he thinks about doing some daredevil move.

A Lazy Day? I Wish

I kinda want to be slack and make today (Wednesday) a lazy day...where I keep my sweats on and don't leave the house. All week we have been going, going, going and it would be nice to just stay home today. But, that isn't really practical. We need to find Maddox a bed, go to the bank, go to the grocery store, and you guessed it - pack.

I wonder how Maddox is going to like the new house (we shall see in just one week!!).

He has been through a lot of changes in his little life, with Andrew leaving, living with grandparents and now living in Florida. But he has done great, I think! He has so many friends now and he has a blast with them. I love watching 2-yr-olds play together - they mimic each other, eye each other with caution, giggle over silly things and then of course there is the occasional WHACK on the head between them. Too funny.

Lastnight, Maddox and I were on the couch having a little chat and he spotted a "bobo" on my finger. He looked at it closely and then told me exactly what I needed to do.
"Mommy, put medicine on that."
I laughed. And then I did just that - I got the Neosporin and fixed up my bobo. There is always something to laugh about when you have a little kid around!

He fell asleep like this after a fun playdate with his newest buddy, Jack.

V Day

Last Valentine's Day, Andrew was in Texas at tech school. He sent me a card that came a couple days late. The mailman left a note with it that I owed him such-and-such amount of cents for the extra postage. Hmmm. I told Andrew he needed to step up the romance game. This year he tried better. "What do you want for Valentine's?" he asked.

"A pair of olive green Tom's." I didn't have to think long about that one.

"Ok," he said, "Go ahead and order them."

End of story.

He had to work Valentine's day, so there was no fancy dinner for us (that isn't very possible with 2 little boys, anyway).

My good friend Erika came over (her hubby is deployed) and we ate Longhorn Steakhouse take-out on the floor in the living room, amidst boxes and our kids. We watched a great love story (The Little Mermaid, of course) and topped off the evening with wine and brownies. It was a pretty good V Day, if you ask me!

The boys had a good V Day, too. Maddox got Sour Patch Kids (his favorite) and a giant Willy Wonka chocolate bar. Then Andrew let him play with the water hose a whole 45 minutes. That meant wet shoes, clothes, hair, lots of mud...and lots and lots of giggles. Our mailbox was filled with cards and one included lollipops. It was a day that started off a little grumpy, but ended up full of love, as all our days do (I hope).

And now it's back to business. A week of playdates, meeting with friends, a little shopping and of course...PACKING. But let's pretend that last word doesn't exist. I think I'll procrastinate just a tad longer.

Ava loves Maddox. It's true - he is quite entertaining!

A lollipop in the mail will get you lots of smiles (and sticky floors!).

Jude didn't get left out. He made sure of that.

Hope everyone had a love-filled V Day!

Go Green!

Maddox has a favorite color. Green.

It also happens to be a number and a letter in the alphabet.

Everything -and I do mean everything- is green.

Example:

Me: What color is Daddy's shirt?

Maddox: Br...no, green.

Me: Maddox you know it's brown.

Maddox: Brown. (pause) Eeeeew brown. Green.

The end.

We did Valentine's Day art on Friday to send to the grandparents.

Surprisingly, he agreed to use red paint and not green.

But what was I thinking?

Red paint...all over the place. Jude got involved too.

Needless to say, baths followed. But it was worth it. I think the grandparents will have a big smile on their faces when they open their mailboxes on Monday.

Better Than Tuesday

Waking up six times lastnight was no fun. But...I was determined to put on makeup and real pants today, and get out of the house. I have been trapped amidst boxes and spit up and fussy children, but not today! I drank that Turbo coffee, put Jude down in the crib so that he fell asleep on his own (this is working, yes!), dressed Maddox and out the door we went. Andrew slept on the couch while Jude slept.

I returned with some cat-eye sunglasses and a lime green piggy bank that Maddox convinced me he needed.

I cooked lunch, cleaned the house, and nursed the baby, who spit up...but not as bad as yesterday.

Maddox and I got a wonderful 2-hour nap this afternoon on the couch while Lady and the Tramp played in the background. The best part, though, was that Jude napped at the same time and also for two hours. This is something to celebrate!

But really, the best part has to do with the cat eye sunglasses. They are pretty stinkin' cute. Now I just need some sunshine outside so I can wear them!

Fartblossoms and Such

Growing up, Ninny would call my brother and I "fartblossoms" ... it was a term of endearment, of course! I find myself using it often. I love my boys like crazy, but when they start acting out...I squeeze them and say "You ol' fartblossom!"

Jude was the fartblossom today. Well, actually, I think he has claimed the title all week. He has cried (lots), spit up (lots) and wants to be held (all the time). Combined with the fact that I also have a 2-year-old and a house to run (and pack up in just 14 days), well...let's just say I'm feeling burned out. At my wits end today, I purchased a can of formula. Jude sucked it down and I held my breath, waiting for the spit up. It didn't come. So...apparently I am eating something that is really bothering him. *sigh*

But I just can't give up caffeine. It keeps me going.

What to do? What to do?

I will ponder this tonight.

I know he looks so cute (and he is!)...

...but I saw more of this face today (still cute).

I think he must have read his bib and taken the words to heart.

Happy Birthday to the One and Only NINNY

Many years ago, I named her Ninny.

I have countless childhood memories of her.

 I hear her singing in the kitchen as she whips up an amazing meal...

I see her flying kites with me as a kid, or making up stories with me at bedtime and doing the "karate chop" on my leg...

She would sometimes pick me up from school when I was "sick," and I would lay back on her couch and watch cartoons. She was always closeby with a snack.

I remember playing dress-up in all her fancy work clothes...drawing with her...watching Rugrats with her...

Fastfoward a few years and there she is, always involved and helping out, whether it was painting our house, contributing to my wedding or sipping a mocha next to me in the car as we wrapped up a shopping adventure.

I could go on.

And on.

She has always been a wonderful grandma to me, full of energy and lots and lots of love.

There is a big place in my heart reserved only for Ninny (and yes I still call her that).

HAPPY BIRTHDAY to you, Ninny.

Wish I was there to give you a big hug.

Love you so so much:)

Boxes Invade My Life...Again

19 days. Today I packed the first box. I stopped two boxes later (let's blame it on 2 little boys). At this rate, I am in trouble. But not really...a little pressure is all I need to get things rolling.

It was freezing today, by the way. Do I really live in Florida?? It doesn't feel like it.

Night Owls

It rained all day. Luckily, I did not have to leave the house. I made fagioli soup, bread and salad and had a good friend over. I call that a good day, don't you?

 

Our kids had a bet going. Who could stay wide awake the longest? Jude gave up pretty fast. Maddox and Ava held on for a long, long, long time...but finally Ava gave in, too. Maddox won the bet and didn't close his eyes til about 10:30 p.m. He BETTER sleep in tomorrow!!!

(3 weeks to go and I still have not packed a single box. Help!)

Keepin' Up

I have had a hard time keepin' up with my life this last week! Andrew brought home a wicked nasty head cold from work and it almost knocked me off my feet. Combined with Jude's constant night wakings/fussiness and Mr. Maddox's 2-year-old demands, I often came close to the overwhelmed point. But that is where my sweet hubby came in and saved the day!
"Can I PLEASE just take a bath for five minutes without someone crying or screaming at me or asking for apple juice?"
Yep, I said that. And yep, Andrew saved my sanity.
I love my husband, just so you know. We are good about keeping each other laughing and we are good when it comes to that teamwork thing. Because...when you have 2 rambunctious little boys...teamwork makes it much, much better!!

In other big news, we are moving. I can give you some good reasons why:

1. The snakes here are horror movie level.

2. The poor insulation in this house plus the super tall ceilings make for some pricey electric bills. The last one was $413, not even including water or trash pickup.

3. Our neighbor is a registered sex offender and his wife wants to be my best friend.

I am ready for the change. I said I would never live on base and guess what? We are moving on base. Ha. Life is funny like that.

I actually like the house we are getting on base, though, and the best thing is that is has a big YARD. It's also within walking distance of a park.

I will feel safer at night when Andrew is working and plus he will only be 10 minutes away, which is better than the current 20-25.

All in all, it's the best thing for us and we are pretty darn excited about the change.

I can't wait to decorate!!!

I guess Andrew will have to buy a new lawn mower, though, if he expects to pass the weekly yard inspections. Oh boy! More fun stories are to come, I'm sure (and pictures).

But for now, it's time to pack. I can't wait til that part is over. Back to boxes we go!