Just ramblin.....

It's amazing to me how fast kids learn....and how much smarter they are than we typically give them credit for. Example...the other night Skylar got out her flash cards....and typically does the 52...(or 152) card pick up game. Yeah that's always a treat. Anyhow, she started naming the pictures on the cards and THEN...she says, and Mommy, this is a house....that is letter 'H'....I'm quite sure the look on my face was quite puzzling for her. She continues, ..."mommy that's an x-ray, and so that is letter X"...."This is letter L" etc. You get the picture. I mean she's known her abc's for quite some time now, and even knows them when I do them in sign language, but she threw me off with the cards. She was rattling off letter by letter and the cards weren't in order either. Maybe that's a typical 2 year old skill?? I dunno,...but it sure caught me off guard. I mean I knew that she knew some letters when I'd point to them on her alphabet magnets....but she really knows her stuff. Reading by age 3?? ;-) We'll see!! Regardless, that little girl teaches her mommy and daddy knew stuff everyday. Never a dull moment in the Hodges house and I wouldn't have it any other way. Her latest craze is dancing and singing.....but you don't dare interrupt to sing or dance WITH her....it's her show and she sure lets you know that from the start. If she's heard a song more than once....she knows the words and will sing her little heart out.....how cute...even if she is tone deaf....lol...no really...it's the sweetest voice I've ever heard of course. So anyhow...the other night we kept "baby Lily"...my neighbors little one. Skylar was an excellent babysitter. While playing on the floor with Lily, Skylar decided it was time to exercise!! So she stands up and tells Lily...."Reach your arms waaayyy up to the sky...Now put your feet out like these and stttreeetcchh....this way....now this way.." I'd never seen her do this little routine so I was intrigued....Lily was too apparently...keep in mind Lily isn't even 4 months old yet....lol..but she was watching Skylar's every move! I think Skylar's highlight of the evening was feeding Lily her bottle....thankfully Lily was rather patient with Skylar as well.... ;-)

Well TGIF folks....I gotta run....literally...my treadmill is starring at me....yes it has eyes....now where'd i put that oxygen again??? ;-) happy weekend!

A 2 year old's mind

Skylar : "Mark was really nice at school today. We read books."
Me : "You did?" "Well that's sounds like a great day!"
Skylar : "Hannah had on yellow."
Me : "She did?" "Yellow is a nice color."
Skylar : "Mommy has on orange and I have on pink."
Me : "That's correct!" "Good job honey...." "Now it's nite nite time....
Skylar : "ha ha ha...I"m so funny mommy! I soo funny!"
........And that's how a 2 year old procrastinates at bedtime.....

Breakfast....
Me : "Skylar do you want an egg and cheese with fruit?" Or do you want O's or a bagel?" "What would you like?"
Skylar : "O's mommy, I want O's please!" (aka cheerios)
....I bring her a bowl of O's........
Skylar : "I want raisins!"
Me : "I'm all out of raisins."
Skylar : "I want blueberries!"
Me : "We just ran out of blueberries." - (Side note..she likes fruit in her cereal...) "I can put bananas in it."
Skylar : "Well go to the store mommy!" "Go to the store and get raisins and blueberries please!"
Needless to say....there shall be an abundance of blueberries and raisins in the fridge for breakfast in the morning......

Just thinkin

Have I mentioned I LOVE the beach? Just making sure I made that clear. I love the sun too....but I've actually learned to use sunscreen despite my tanning addiction. I guess when you have kids, with all the priority changes you make....(and even if you don't have kids...or your's are grown and gone) being healthy ranks high up on that list....or at least it should. I've become increasingly interested in organic foods & beverages, foods/vitamins that fight or help prevent disease ie...green tea...etc....and also in safer baby products. As as side note......if you haven't read up on the SLS and formaldahyde in shampoos and body washes....even J&J...read up on it. Pretty interesting what you'll find.....and because of things I've read...I'm trying a new shampoo/body wash with Skylar....called California Baby.....so far so good!! It has no SLS and no formaldahyde or formaldahye relatives.....so it says.....But apparently Castile soap is the safest thing to use...Check out this site....Pretty neat site. Can search for "safe" products like baby shampoos / makeup etc...show's you the toxitity levels in products and what each is linked to. So you can find safer products to use http://cosmeticdatabase.com/index.php?key=28066833&message=Successfully+updated+Supporter+information
Anyhow...we all know the organic foods and the safer products seem to carry a higher price tag....and that bites.....but quite honestly....for the sake of my child and my family....I can find ways to save in other areas. Those of you that know me....know full well I'm no "Whole Foods" dedicated shopper....lol...but with all the "bad stuff" going around these days....increased need for stronger meds,....overuse of antibiotics etc....I sure am willing to try newer healthier foods/products to keep my kiddo and my family as healthy and as safe as possible. I mean why not?? But you do have to be careful and learn to read labels. I've definitely learned that. "Juice" isn't always "juice"....you get the picture. So I'm not stressin' over the topic or anything.....but if there's a healthier alternative to what we use today....why not give em' a try....I'm just thinkin...

Showers, Weddings, Anniversaries...

This week, Randy's parent's (to the left)celebrated their 34th anniversary and My parents (in pic below)celebrated their 35th!! Cheers to the parents and hope they had wonderful anniversaries!! This past weekend Randy & I helped the Hodges with a wedding shower for yet another couple getting married. They'll tie the knot in July at the beach. Won't miss that one ;-) Love me some sand and sea....oh I'll stop in at the wedding too of course. hee hee...Seriously I think Randy and I attend more weddings and showers in any given year than anyone else we know.......we love staying on the go....most of the time......we just need to figure out those winning lottery numbers though if we keep going at this rate!! ;-) After the July wedding, I think they settle down for us for a while....and our vacations to the beach will kick in!! yippee!! So in short....congrats to our parents.....congrats to all those just married and those approaching the altar.....and until our next nuptuial venture....I'll be posting some new topics later in the week....are you on the edge of your seat??!!....I'm so sure.....ha...tah tah 4now

Do you listen?!?

The Kiesel -Thorne wedding was a lot of fun, and the happy couple is honeymooning in Antigua! How great is that. I'm sooo jealous! Although, right now, it feels like tropical temps plus yucky humidity here in the Carolinas! Anyhow, the festivities began on Friday with a fantastic bridal luncheon at Biaggi's in Cary, then rehersal at the church. Let me just tell you.....the priest was a character. He was absolutely hilarious. Sooo reminded me of Jack Nicholson. Strange comparison huh? :-) He had that raspy voice and crazy humor. After the rehersal we had dinner at the Scott's Mill clubhouse. Good ol' NC bbq. Who can say no to that! There were toasts, tears, and cheers, and we all had a wonderful evening. The wedding itself was awesome, lots of standing up and sittin' down, and new things to see that I hadn't seen done in a ceremony. Randy & I did our reading together and we're so thankful we got to share in their special day. Apparently our elementary reading education paid off ;-) It was a beautiful ceremony.....and THEN...OFF to the reception at the Hilton! Cocktail hour came first with yummy apps and large variety of beverages ;-) Then the wedding party was introduced of course. There were dances, more toasts, an awesome dinner, beautiful cake etc. And the party went into the late evening with friends and family celebrating the newlyweds!! Ya know though, during the ceremony there was something the priest said that made me think....whatch out!!...Meredith's thinkin' here...He talked about how at weddings the wedding party always knows their cues, when sit/stand, sing, give and Amen...whatever...you know..they know their role. But he went on to talk about how a lot of times we just do our job as wedding guests as if it's just "what we know we have to do"....rather than really LISTENING to the words the people, the couple, and the priest have to say. I must say...I've done that a thousand times....our minds tend to wander off rather than really clinging on every important word that is shared in uniting 2 people in a lifelong marriage. Let's hope at the very least....the couple is really paying attention to the commitment they are making in front of God, family, and friends. Maybe if we all started listening a little better, there'd be more anniversaries to celebrate and less divorce in the world. One can hope!! So the next time you attend a wedding.....like I tell my 2 year old...."Put your listening ears on!!!"

Catching Up

Yeah...It's been a while. The weekend of the 17th we went to G-vegas for the weekend for Avery's 3rd birthday! That was a ton of fun. Skylar enjoyed riding the pony and eating yummy cupcakes...not to mention digging in the sandbox and swinging on Avery's awesome new swingset! And Avery looked so adorable in her cowgirl birthday attire!! We had a fantastic time with the Darden family and even got to visit their church.....Avery and Skylar had lots of fun playing together and I must say, the two of them sure have minds of their own! They were too cute!! So....Skylar got over the sinus infection....we think....and I say "think"....because she didn't finish her antibiotic because we came down with a nasty tummy bug last week.....on the 19th.... Needless to say....nothing was staying down and medicine was no exception.....So my time was occupied with....ummm...let's just say..."being sick".....and taking care of Skylar and then Randy........of course Randy tried to help with her, but ya know how the kiddies are when they are sick...most of the time....they want mommy.....at least mine does......Skylar and I had it Mon-Wed and then Randy was unfortunate enough to get it Wednesday night. Let me just tell you that was quite unpleasant but we all got through it and managed to be healthy by the weekend. Thank God for that! Because we sure did have a packed weekend with visiting grandparents, great-grandparents, and spending time on the lake with friends. We made our rounds as best we could despite gas hikes!! Now, we do drive an SUV and it sure makes you think about the best routes to take to save $$ on gas but get to all the places you need to go....Strategy....lol....strategic planning is in full swing now more than ever before. Gas prices are horrible, yes, and maybe we'll all be forced to go hybrid at some point........but it sure does make you more conscious of how much you/we normally waste running up and down the road without making plans ahead of time.....or making a conservative effort to save time and money where you can.....silver lining??? is there one?? Well if others are doing what we are doing....making the most of the routes you take.....planning to get where you need to go and finding the fastest way to get there.....I'm hoping we're at least cutting down on pollution and helping out the environment a little. Anyhow....let's hope and pray it comes down soon or we'll all need to start biking!! ....which of course wouldn't be such a bad thing in some instances ;-) So this past weekend we were on the lake....with Nana Jan, Papa Joe, Uncle Stewart, the White family and the Crocker family. We also got to visit with Julie, Fred & baby Ava, and Dah came to eat bbq with us Sunday evening as well! We couldn't have asked for better weather. What a beautiful weekend! The kids enjoyed the short boat rides....to the "beach"....the sand...and Blaine and Shelby even went swimming a bunch! A wee bit too cold for me though!! Skylar liked to make Randy stand in the water and hold her in his arms, .....the water temp was fine...once you went numb...lol..kidding..wasn't all that bad....if your from Alaska ;-) I'm pretty sure the song "Redneck Yacht Club"- by Craig Morgan is permanently engrained in my head.....Blaine frequently requested it, and since we had it on the cd...he knew just where to find it! So it was pretty much dance party on the boat for the kids when they were taking a break from the sand and water...Skylar also decided she wanted to catch some fish...so she went "fishing" with the anchor rope....she was quite excited about the big fishies she caught....the kid has an amazing imagination....lol..so that occupied her for quite sometime...I did learn this weekend, that even at 2 years old, my child is a shoe snob. I bought her some frocks...aka fake crocs ...to match her blue bathing suit....she put them on for all of 5 minutes......sat down, took them off and said..."NOT those crocs mommy!!"....For a bit, I had no idea why she didn't want them on...(she's not fond of going barefoot in the sand....so I knew she needed shoes on).....but she quickly took me over to her real crocs...which mind you are purple...sat down and said "These Crocs Mommy!!".."I want these." And she proceeded to put them on herself. Who'd have thought???!! I'm just guessing maybe they are softer or something...who knows...Speaking of sand...most kids like to play in the sand right?? Mine does....somewhat...but how do you play in the sand and not get your hands dirty?? I'm pretty sure that's not possible....unless you dig with a really big shovel and do nothing else....Apparently Skylar thinks otherwise. Everytime she went to fill her bucket with sand, she'd look up..."mommy!! my hands dirty!! wash my hands please!!"....and so we'd have to wash off her hands...I finally gave up and explained to her that if she wanted to play in the sand....her hands would stay sandy....she opted to come on the boat and color.. :-) for a while anyhow............So.... all in all, a great holiday weekend. We remembered the troops in prayer.....gave thanks for our blessings.....and enjoyed being with our friends and family. Now please excuse me while I go decontaminate the rest of the house from everyone being sick, deplete the lake water level from all the laundry I need to do, take the dog out in the rain.....under an umbrella because he doesn't like the rain of course...., start dinner..., and get "things"ready for Skylar to go to H-town while Randy & I participate in the Kiesel-Thorne wedding activities starting on Friday! We can't wait to see our Sharoni get hitched!!

Until I sit down again....I bid you good evening and well wishes for a sunny rest of the week! :-)

I don't wanna!!

It's been an eventful week. Skylar's been sick with a sinus infection....as a result of allergies....so she's not felt the best in the world. Went to doctor on Wednesday and got meds to clear it up. BUT...she's also cutting 3 teeth at the same time. So on top of being stuffy and coughing, she's been a bit of pistol with the teething. And let's not forget that she's 2. Every bit a 2 year old....I think her expression speaks for itself....this was her "NO taking pictures....no want it mommy!!" face.....along with "I want ice cream before I eat dinner!!" face....And "NO MOMMY...I don't want yogurt!!".....Can we say TGIF!!!! Thank goodness she seems to be feeling better today so hopefully she's on the healing train.....and let's pray it's a fast track! As we get to Mother's Day weekend, I know I'm looking forward to it!!....Want to wish all the Mom's and Gma's out there a very Happy Mother's Day.....Do all the things that make you happy......be it time with your kids....time to yourself....time in a bubble bath with a nice glass of wine ;-) ....eat, sleep, eat, sleep....Whatever you fancy!! What I've learned about mothers....they're amazing....they are glue for the family...
A mother's love is unconditional......knows no boundaries.....(yet sometimes we wish it did....lol) kidding.....sort of...........they love us through our mistakes...and boy do we make a lot of those....., our accomplishments....which we hope outweigh the failures......they even love us through our brain dead teenage years and college adventures ;-).....For those with babies and toddlers growing so fast.....We love our children much the same.....And God will continue to grant us patience to love them through the good, the bad, and the ugly.......So for those lucky enough to have a mother, mother-in-law, and grandmothers as fantastic as I have.....you get what I'm saying here.....If you don't....I'm sure mine would adopt you :-) Being Mommy to Skylar is greater than anything I could have ever imgained......I guess that's why mom always used to say....."I can't wait till you have kids...." "One day you'll understand...".....Or maybe she was saying 'paybacks coming'....who knows ;-0) Either way.......I'm learning....and Yes I love it!! :-) Happy Mother's Day to one and all.....Proverbs 31: 28 Her children arise up, and call her blessed; her husband also and he praiseth her.