I don't know my head from my......

Today:  Woke up, was given coffee by the lovely Jeff, got children dressed fed and out the door.  Took James to day care where he waved happily "goodbye mommy" to me and proceeded to the next stop.  Over the bridge and far away to preschool Lilly and I went!  Dropped her off and came home.  Started cooking.  Got on conference call while I continued to cook.  Finished conference call while I continued to cook.  Wished I owned these shoes so I could work out my legs and behind regions while I STOOD AND COOKED FOR TWELVE HOURS!

Ballet class for Lilly, Starbucks with friends with a visit to Walgreens for more party favors and picking up my baby from "school" finished up my daylight.  Then there WAS MORE COOKING.  We did manage to fit a trip to In-n-Out for dinner.  Goodness gracious I am more tired than, well, I was last night!

Food for tomorrow....

My Refrigerator is going to explode!

The non-perishable items...

And yes, I am watching Bones on Hulu.

Activities for tomorrow...

 Provided by these many many baby shower sites.

And now for the highlight of my days...

Lilly, Grandma & Teacher Dennis on Grandparent's Day!

Our future is right around the corner...

I don't think the NHL lets the players have pacifiers. 

happymommy

Creativity and Baby Showers.....

I am giving a baby shower this weekend and like a lot of things, I have decided to over do and under plan. Thank goodness for my mom, because she has taken a 1/4 of the pressure off me. It will be such a fun event and meaningful to my cousin-in-law. Is that an actual thing? Cousin-in-law. It is kind of like trying to figure out who is a cousin once removed, or 2nd cousin. My sister and I endured like a four hour dissertation from my dad one time on this very subject. This is the same man who has a little trouble playing Pictionary, so our eyes glazed over after five minutes, but still if you need to know, he will tell you.

A Pictionary drawing done by my dad.

It's a Tumbleweed

An Actual Tumbleweed

The resemblance is uncanny

Since the tumbleweed drawing above by my dad is actually a recreation done by me, it is pretty obvious where I got my creative genes. It is this lacking in creativity that is making the baby shower so daunting. I googled some baby shower ideas and I found these. I mean really.

Babbling Brooke - First of all, this woman is an amazing friend and the design of everything is breathtaking. Pretty sure she wasn't visiting the $ Store looking for last minute decorations. Help.

Plan the Perfect Baby Shower - This is an entire website dedicated to planning a baby shower. I have nothing else.

Baby Shower - This is another website for planning a baby shower. I have nothing else.

Baby-Shower - Oh my goodness, there is another one. I have nothing else.

They are taking over the interwebs!

Needless to say after googling the very simple word, baby shower, I started to hyperventilate. I had done very little planning beyond the food. Well, you know what?  Food is where I shine. Yes, that is it! I may not be able to draw a tumbleweed, but I can bake a cupcuke! So there!

happymommy

Not a lot of fodder....

Not sure why I am at a loss about what to write about these past few days. A lot of it has to do with being very tired and after a four day stint of being a single parent, I am just now recovering. I have no idea how spouses whose husbands or wives travel, or the ultimate heroes, the single parent, do it. I tried to make the most of our time by planning activity after activity, and by Sunday, I was DONE. Fork in me done! We survived and Jeff returned to lend his always supportive hand and here we are.

I took very few pictures.

Oh, except for this one of Lilly on the beach.

The surroundings are beautiful but it scared me to watch the beauty of my daughter, at such a young age in her little swimsuit strutting through the sand to a destination unknown. HELP!

Oh and this one of James after a face plant in the sand.

He found this extremely hysterical!

James developed a love of baseball caps.

Nothing better than a jelly & sand sandwich while wearing a stolen Bus Stop hat.

Then he donned this cap which was a gift from a great friend.

He's like a walking billboard these days.

On Monday evening, I was supposed to go meet Bossy, for her San Francisco gathering of the NoBookBook Tour. I have been so excited about meeting her, and was planning to attend her event in Palo Alto on Sunday night, but with Jeff gone it just wasn't going to work. So, I waited and waited for the announcement regarding her stop in San Francisco. On Saturday I received a nice tweet saying there weren't enough people interested for a stop, so she was continuing onto Sacramento. I completely understood, I mean she is driving like 60,000 miles in six weeks, leaving behind a family and a life to go meet all the crazy blogger people around the country. I got, I did. She didn't want to waste a night just hanging out with me while I asked her questions about her drive and comparing our John Cusack obsessions. I mean, really, how much fun would that be?

But still, I was so sad. Kind of hurt for a minute, but then I realized, it wasn't me. I wasn't in high school anymore. Like that time in eleventh grade at this particular school where I didn't fit in but someone thought to invite me to a party and then I was uninvited. It wasn't like that at all. Nope, it didn't feel like that. Not even close.

I realize that in this huge world of bloggers; mom bloggers, food bloggers, satirical bloggers and every other blogger on the planet, I may not have a place. Goodness, I don't have the energy for my regular life, much less taking the time to expel some of it in an arena where I get my feelings hurt. I am almost forty. I am the mother of two. I am a wife. I am a writer. I am salesperson. Not one of these define me, they all do.

There is one more issue I must address. Remember, the case of the hot feet? It dawned on me about twenty minutes ago that I had the boots on again, and I was uncomfortable and kind of grumpy due to this sweating problem. I must get some rain boots. This is unacceptable and has to end.

happymommy

I'm so glad...

My daughter loves Jack's Big Music Show, and the song I'm So Glad by Jerry Lawson Talk of the Town from the Space Opera episode sticks in my mind every time I see it. The song reminds me to just be glad.

happymommy

This is all I got....

My dinner companions...



Happy Wednesday. Happymommy is about to be alone for four days with the children. Your prayers, meditations and support are much appreciated!

happymommy

My feet are hot, and other musings....

I spent all day trying to figure out why I thought I was having hot flashes. I mean, I know I am closing in on the BIG 40 but still. My office was like a melting pot. When I picked up Lilly from a day with Grandma & Opa, their house felt like a sauna. While cooking dinner, I was sweating so much I thought I would die. Turns out, my feet were stuck in these really hot shoes meant for snow weather and it was making my body temperature soar. Jeff pointed out to me that my sheepskin-lined fur boots might be making my face red and my body melt. Now, don't make fun of my boots that I have owned for FIVE years. They are too big and they make my ankle hurt, but I kind of love them. However, I do realize it is time to give up the lovely footwear. And, yes, they are ugly. They are stained with two children's worth of "you don't want to know." The soles are starting to come apart and let's not forget, they make my feet really hot.

I didn't mean to start writing about my silly feet and sweating problems. In fact, it was my hope to share the story of Saturday night complete with pictures. Jeff took some wonderful photos of our dinner with best friends and a party that ended way too late. But his camera is new and I don't know how to get those pictures to my picasa, so I struggle with a blog about heat and silly shoes.

However, these problems are nothing compared to raising a special needs child. We are blessed to have a four year old who rolls her eyes and spews sassy talk often and a one year old who is little boy through and through; climbing, jumping and defying gravity to the point that we all walk around in a state of panic when he is awake. We have tiny worries. Little tiny worries but tons of smiles, loves and hugs. James and Lilly are physically and mentally healthy. Others are not so lucky.

My mom and Lilly attend an Italian school once a week where they play, sing and learn Italian with other little children of differing ages. One of Lilly's schoolmates is a little boy who is deaf. He has all kinds of devices to help him cope with the hearing world and his mother, according to my mom, is the nicest human she has ever met. This mother seems to want nothing but "normalcy" for her child and although she realizes the limitations of her son, she goes above and beyond to give him a life of parks, school and friends.

Then this happened. It is a second hand story and it broke my heart and made me rage. As a parent, I was beside myself. Over the weekend, this little boy was at the park playing. Wearing his hat with a special listening device made just for him and his needs so he could hear the giggles and the wind blowing and the cheers from his mom; two little girls, about eight years old, came running up to him and tore his hat off his head. They ran away laughing and when the mom, the boys mom mind you, not the girls' parents, ran after them, they threw it on the ground. Now, I don't know what the parents of these little girls did or how they reacted. What I do know, is that this child now understands without a doubt, that there are evil and mean-spirited children. He will carry the experience forever.

This story, this sad story about a little boy and his wonderful mother reinforces to me that our children WILL have respect, love and empathy for others. This is my legacy: to have children who show smiles and kindness to others. This is what makes me a success.

happymommy

Flying away....

I will let them go someday, just not soon. Not anytime soon!

Have a great weekend!

Oh, and if you need to laugh out loud, and maybe even snort a little, read this. Spotswood is one of my favorite writers to read on an almost daily basis!

happymommy

Family...

I received some news today, and although it is not my story to share, it made me think about family, love and support. My family is the most important thing to me in the world.

The love I have for my husband and children is unconditional and everlasting. My parents along with my sister and her family are constantly on my mind and in my prayers because I love them so very much. I receive the same love back from each of them. Every. Single. Day.

My parents have endured some GOD AWFUL experiences with me and we survived to be stronger and better. My husband puts up with me and most days, we are a united front of love and smiles. My children see my bad, but mostly my good as I travel through mothering falling and getting back up to do better. My sister loves me and takes care of me when I need it and she showers Lilly and James with kisses and hugs and I do the same with her children. Mistakes have been made, but at the end, there is always mending.

But my family isn't just my immediate family. Not any more. My mother and father in-law have become like second parents to me. My sister-in-law and her daughter are dear to me and I look forward to seeing them just like they were blood relatives. Jeff's aunts, uncles, cousins and nieces and nephews are part of my being. They ARE all my family.

Marriage didn't make this happen. Time and experiences filled with laughter and tears form a family. We grow and learn. We support and encourage. But always, we love. Always.

happymommy

Walking Pneumonia, Day Care and GLEEEEEEE....

While I sit here waiting on Glee to start in an hour and a half, I thought I would reminiscence about the past two days.

happymommy reminiscing about the past two days
brought to you by Elmo's Monster Maker for i-phone
(I am in no way being compensated for talking about Elmo, Sesame Street or the i-phone!)

I am thinking fondly of the fun and adventure that has been part of our lives. First let's start with yesterday. Woke up all ready to spend the day in the office and Lilly said, "Mom, I really think I need to go to the doctor." Yes, she has had an awful cough for a week or so, and yes, I have threatened to take her, but really, how often does one need to go to the doctor? So instead of going to rake in the cash, we headed to the doctor to hand out the cash. Turns out, the kid knows her illnesses. Walking pneumonia and an inhaler plus three million dollars later, we were on our way to finally having a healthy house. We hope!

Why is her hair so curly and beautiful?

Then today, James started daycare. I was a wreck. James didn't understand why Lilly and I were leaving him at this random house. But there were toys and other children. He still cried. And so did I. He ended up doing great. Somehow, I also survived.

We celebrated his first half day in the care of someone who wasn't family by going out to lunch. And guess who was at the same cafe? The Government Agent from E.T. It took me most of the day to actually figure out who the famous guy was, but I did it. He was a guest star on NCIS and that's how I finally pictured him in my mind. Yes, I get that this means I watch too much TV.

Then, Lilly got home from a day of Grandma & Opa and we hugged and played.

Now, I am waiting for Glee. I adore this show. The songs, the dancing and Jane Lynch. Life is good. No, life is great. I am amazed that I am the beneficiary of such blessings. Somehow, it just gets better and better.

happymommy

Vacation and baseball recovery....

My little family has been recovering from four days of vacation a day of rest, then Giant's Opening Day at the beautiful AT&T Park.

The Crew gets ready to board the "party" bus at 11am in the morning. Yes, in the morning!

And this is what happens after you spend an hour on the party bus!


Then you spend a glorious day enjoying the baseball and the people!

After a few days off from writing, I have taken stock of a few things. I don't have a ton of readers. Mostly my family and friends and a few strangers that find me through who knows where. I have no stats installed so no way to really figure out how many people visit my little world on the internet. So often, I forget that maybe some people don't want constant pictures of themselves or want me talking about things that only matter to me and my world. I started to think that maybe I need to change the way I write and what I post.

Then, through twitter I encountered writing and lives of people who share so much. People who are beyond consolable about the grief that has entered their lives through the loss of a child. I have thought of nothing but this family, and then these parents and finally this woman and what she and her family have endured over the years. The anger, passion and grief shared is unknown to me. I am blessed to have my family and my life. Writers share and I share. On such a different level, believe me, I know, but I will continue to share and write.

Then The Bloggess (nsfmmomil***) wrote about her outrage on the poor girl trying to go to her senior prom with her girlfriend. It wasn't about the court case or being gay. It was about WHAT THE PARENTS SANCTIONED and HOW THE SCHOOL ALLOWED SUCH PAIN AND NONSENSE TO OCCUR. Like The Bloggess (nsfmmomil***), I was dumbstruck and so very sad.

I hope to continue to "meet" the others out there who share their stories of humor, of grief and of triumph.

happymommy

Vacay, how beautiful and how cute.....

Vacay!!!!!


New friends...


Who's the Boss?


So Hungry


I'm happy!


And, really?


Um, had enough!!!


Night-Night!!!

happymommy

ummm, spring break.....

We started out big.... and we are tired!

Pool time, bowling time and bath time. Love the vacay!

Spring Break Road Trip.....

Happy Easter from happymommy and her family!

Bonnets and flower dresses....!
Happy Day, Easter and He is risen! John 3:16
Oh, and it is Jeff's Birthday!
Wow, today is busy!
And we went on a road trip.

I have no words, and after five hours in the car with Jeff, Lilly and James, I can only offer pictures.

Oh wait, I do have words. Let's start with the three meltdowns in the car AFTER we left the house at 1pm. The child that refused to nap the first three hours and our dog that had an ACCIDENT in my parent's very swanky lobby when we dropped him off. Or, what about the horrible man that made very mean comments about my children when we finally found a restaurant to fill our empty bellies. He ruined the first half of my Easter dinner with my wonderful team. Thankfully, I had Jeff to talk me down off the ledge. I wish I had pictures of all of this. However, I only have happy, funny pictures.

Our day....

People napped!


People did not nap!

People got very excited about the hotel room!

People drank!

happymommy

The duck in the gas station....

We had a day of eating out, asparagus and fun! I don't take a lot of time in my life for just my friends, and when I have a day of nothing but friends and fellowship, I forget HOW MUCH I LOVE MY PEEPS! New friends and old friends. I treasure these people and as we grow as friends, we begin the joy of watching our children become friends.

James & Lilly

And yes, that is my son running around wearing fairy wings.
I am fine with it!

And yes, I am fine with it!
Brought to you by Sesame Street!

The happymommy crew is heading out of town for Spring Break. We have people watching the house, the dog and the cat. So no need to try to rob us. We are covered! I may try to blog from the road, but probably not. Enjoy your weekend and remember.... Easter. I am.

Thanks Cousin Chase for reminding me of this and thank you Johnny Cash and The Carter Family!

happymommy