Some things should never be tossed

...and never will if I have anything to do with it. I am at this very moment, currently taking on an exceptionally challenging, pain in the hiney, domestic task of preparing and tagging items for our annual yard sale. I’ve been going to the basement and little by little, cleaning things aka toys out.

You know how you go along, or at least I do, happily piling and stashing and rearranging, over and over and over again, until one day you wake up and there's a team from A&E's Hoarder's at your front door? Ok so they’ve never been to my house, but I think Rod secretly has them on speed dial for that moment when I go over the edge. My “hoarding” has been justified and rationalized by me as “everything I keep is sentimental”. Ok, ok I know. But it sounds like the right thing to say. Haha.
Ok so, I am not even close to getting everything cleaned out, but I am having these little moments of baby Gauge-ness because I’m finding things that were so near and dear to him when he was a wee one.

The grocery cart, keys, and golf game. Oh the flood of memories that comes back of chubby toddler. Gauge pushing around the grocery cart with the kiddos I used to babysit playing store. Gauge dragging around those keys and pushing the buttons over and over until the batteries went dead (or sounded like something was dying when he pushed the button). And Gauge playing putt-putt with his very first video game to play on the television. Fact is, at the age of three, he could whip anyone’s hiney in a game of putt-putt so when he got this game, he would get so frustrated that he couldn’t win every time. That was a valuable lesson for him to learn the hard way at the ripe old age of three. So for those, ahem...no names will be named lol, who believe I should end up on an episode of Hoarders, here’s to the sentimental treasures found in the middle of my cluttered paradise. I will treasure them forever, because they each have a story to tell. 







Here's to sentimental treasures found in the midst of a hoarder's paradise. And to the simple and fine art of saving our stories.

It's been a long time...

It's been almost two months since my last post. Seriously where does two months go? It's time to get back on track. So since I seemed to skip right over Gauge's birthday, those will be my next posts.

Happy Birthday to our sweet baby Reid

Dear Reid,
And so comes the dreaded birthday...birthday number two. I know with Gauge I was extremely excited for his second birthday, but this time, with you, I know better. After you are two, the “baby” is gone. I learned that the hard way with Gauge and I have been silently preparing myself for this day since the day after your first birthday. It is no longer acceptable to count your age in months instead of years. It is no longer appropriate for you to have a pacifier (which you still do). It is time to start potty training. You are saying new words every day, sometimes several a day. You are less and less wanting held, and more and more saying “dow” (down). I dropped you off in your Reign Forest room at church on Sunday for the very first time and you didn’t cry; you didn’t even look back. You are feeding yourself with your own silverware. You are learning to put on your own shoes. I could go on and on. But I won’t. Mostly because my eyes are already so filled with tears the computer screen in blurry.

I have come to grips with the fact that you may be my last baby. The last baby I nurse, the last baby I rock, the last baby I cuddle in bed, the last baby I pull against me just so I can smell the baby smell, the last baby that smiles at me, the last baby to say mama (even though you don’t say it very often). Since you were so planned and so wished & prayed for, I made a promise to myself, right then and there when I saw the little pink plus sign, that I would cherish each and every moment I have with you. There have been moments, of course, that I will admit that I haven”t kept that promise. Those moments when you are having a meltdown, or throwing a tantrum, or just being difficult, are that easy to cherish, but when I think about them after, I realize that those moments should be cherished, too. Those moments are proof of you growing, becoming more independent, wanting to communicate more, and needing me less. I look at Gauge and wonder where ten years have gone, and although I look at you and it’s only been 1/5 of that amount of time, I just can’t believe it’s been two years since I held you for the first time, so tiny, so new, so fresh from God. It truly does seem like it was just yesterday, ok well maybe not yesterday, but a very short time ago. I don’t want you to grow up. I want time to stop, or at least drag by. I don’t want to blink. If I do, you will be walking to school tomorrow. The time is just going too fast.

The message in church on Sunday was a reminder of all the things I want in myself for your mother. And I’ve thought about that a lot since I walked out of church Sunday morning. I want you to grow up, and look back on your childhood and think of me as the best mother you could have asked for. I’m not saying in any way that I am perfect. I will never pretend to be. And I will never expect you to think I am. But I want you to know you are loved each and every day of your life. And I want you to know that each and every decision I make in my life is because of you and Gauge. I want you to grow and have the best life possible, and I want to give you that foundation. So when you are old enough to read this for yourself, please know that I love you more than I will ever be able to express to you. You are my miracle, my wish upon a star, my perfect boy.

Love, Mama

Wordless Wednesday...24 months of Reid

1. month 1, 2. month 2, 3. month 3, 4. month 4, 5. month 5, 6. month 6, 7. month 7, 8. month 8, 9. month 9, 10. month 10, 11. month 11, 12. month 12, 13. month 13, 14. month 14, 15. month 15, 16. month 16, 17. month 17, 18. month 18, 19. month 19, 20. month 20, 21. month 21, 22. month 22, 23. month 23, 24. month 24

Top Twelve {Tuesday}

Top 12 Things Reid says or does that make Reid, Reid


1. IMG_7400, 2. elmo's world, 3. January_016, 4. bababooey, 5. what-happens-in-vegas, 6. IMG_7927, 7. IMG_7926, 8. cookie monster, 9. Hot!, 10. IMG_7925, 11. Beavis and Butthead 007, 12. IMG_7928

1. "Cuppy" (as Reid says it) is now a bedtime necessity
2. He can be two rooms away and when the Elmo's World Theme song plays, his eyes get huge, he says "Ooooo" and goes running for the television.
3. Every dog's name is "Geega" (which is what he calls Guido)
4. He says "Baba Booey" as plain as day, which is completely embarrassing for me when he yells that out in public since Baba Booey is from the Howard Stern show, but Rod loves it! (Watch the video below. Listen closely, he says it quite clearly right when the video starts.)
5. "What Happens in Vegas" has been playing on HBO all month, and I think it must be a sign that I've watched it too many times since each time it comes on, Reid gets excited and stops what he's doing to watch the movie, and if I try to turn the channel, he gets mad.
6. He giggles as I put on his rain boots and then walks around the house in them constantly.
7. He loves to put a blanked over his head and walk around, and even though he usually runs right into something and trips over everything, he giggles and keeps on going.
8. The way he says "Cooooookkkkkieeeee" in a deep voice for Cookie Monster. A toy he has says it the same way and now each and every time he sees Cookie Monster (or any other Sesame Street character) he says it that way.
9. He used to call all trucks "Big". Now they are called "Pete's" (he calls himself Pete). And motorcycles are "Vroom Vroom".
10. Gauge chases Reid and says "I'm.......gonna......get......YOU!" And as soon as Gauge says "I'm..." Reid is screaming and giggling and running toward Rod or I to save him."
11. When he thinks something is humorous, but not funny enough for a full belly laugh, he does this this little "Huh, huh...huh" laugh like Butthead from the old MTV show Beavis & Butthead which I'm sure EVERYONE who is around my age remembers. Now we're just waiting for him to say "That was cool, Beavis".
12. He HAS to dump each and every car out onto the floor before he can play with any of them.

Hello Monday...

This week is...
Presidents day, a day off from school and work.
A weather radar map showing big amounts of snow headed our way.
School called off for tomorrow already.
Fat Tuesday party at work, I'm making my famous pink dip.
Ash Wednesday, and I still haven't decided what I am going to give up for Lent.
Finish the planning of Reid's birthday party.
To Canton Wednesday to get the remaining party supplies.
Hopefully to see Kristine & Angel's babies.
Putting in a Senior photo order.
Possibly taking the boys to Elmo live on Friday (if Lindsey can get tickets).
Reid's big 2nd birthday Sesame Street party.
Most evenings free this week, but still so much to do.
Baking cookies for our neighbors for all the snowblowing Joe has done for us.

Snow, snow, and more snow...

Last week we were warned of the looming snow storm that was headed our direction.  We listened to the weather report, watched the radar, and prayed (well, Gauge prayed) for a snow day.  The meteorologists claimed we would be getting around a foot of snow.  Ya, right (as I rolled my eyes).  Every single bit of now we have gotten this season has been less that what they claimed we would receive.  So pretty much I have a “I’ll believe it when I see it” policy with the snow.  But I couldn’t help being excited about the thought of a foot of snow.  I can’t remember there being a foot of snow on the ground, and I guess the official date of the last time this county has seen a foot of snow was March of 1993. 
 
Friday came and up until about 2 p.m. there wasn’t much going on outside except a few flurries.  But, after that, the weather went crazy.  The ground was covered almost instantly with a blanket of snow.  When I left work at 4:30, it was snowing harder than I’ve seen in a long time.  The flakes were huge and heavy and by the time I walked the half block to my car, my hair was soaking wet.  The parking lot was covered, the cars were covered, and there was already a few inches on the ground. 
 
It’s funny to me the way people act when we do get some snow.  They act like they’ve never seen it before.  On Thursday, the grocery stores were packed like people were storing up for the end of time.  On Friday, before any snow had fallen, they sent home almost every school in our county.  After work it took me about 40 minutes to get home, which is double what it usually does, and not because the snow was that bad, it was because people think that it is necessary to drive 15mph through town on the main roads.  I mean, come on people, WE LIVE IN OHIO! It snows every year, usually several decent sized snow storms, and yet, it seems as if some of these people on the roads have never driven in the snow.
 
It continued to snow pretty much consistently through Friday evening and all night.  When I got up Saturday morning and looked outside, I couldn’t believe my eyes! We really did get a foot of snow. And it was still snowing.  I couldn’t wait to get the boys outside and take some photos of them in the snow.













So after lunch, we bundled up, and headed on outside.  Reid had never been out in the snow, so this was a really big deal to him.  He was so excited to play in it.  He kept picking up big pieces of snow/ice and carrying them around. We got his new sled he got for Christmas out and I pulled him up and down the alley and he kept giggling so loud.



















 Gauge invited one of his friends over and they wrestled around in the snow and threw snowballs at each other.  Both boys love playing in the snow.  And I love the snow.  But Rod hates the snow, and I mean HATES the snow.  He hates all of it, the cold, the shoveling, the snow…all of it.  But we are very lucky to have Joe as our next door neighbor, because while we were all out playing, Joe used his snowblower and did our sidewalks for us.  He (and his wife) are some of the best neighbors we could ask for. 





Gauge and his buddy stayed outside for quite a while, but I knew it was time to take Reid in.  His poor little face was bright red and his hands had to be frozen.  So when I picked him up to take him inside, the temper tantrum began.  He screamed like a fire siren.  And kept screaming while I got him undressed.  But the funny thing is that I took him upstairs for a nap right after that and I think it took him all of five minutes to fall asleep.  I think the snow got the best of him.









Overall, I would say we are a house that loves the snow (and even though Rod claims he hates it, he sure seemed to enjoy playing in it with the boys and the dogs).









It continued to snow all week. Gauge was so thrilled...three snow days on one week! The best part for him was going to Tanner’s house on Tuesday. My friend, Julie, is so nice to let Gauge come over on snow days to play with Tanner. They had a blast, digging in the snow and having snowball fights, and I have to say, Gauge sleeps better after he spends the day at Julie’s house than he does any other day.