Birthdays!!!

Today is my hubby’s birthday!  Happy birthday Hubby!  Here’s a funny realization we all came to last night..while we were at Nakato celebrating with my parents…

Hubby is as old now as my daddy was when Hubby and I started dating….how funny is that? 

AND today is my sweet baby boy Crash’s birthday too!  Yep, that’s right.  Crash was born on Hubby’s birthday.  He’s officially a teenager – 13!!!!  We got to pick when we had him, scheduled induction a couple of weeks early.  (Long story – but when I had Pootie, it damaged a nerve in my leg and I was in PT for months after having him…so they figured they would deliver Crash early and hopefully avoid doing the same thing.  It worked – no nerve damage – even though he was bigger).  Crash weighed 8 pounds 10 ounces and when he was born, the doctor said, umm, he has blond hair!  He is the most stubborn of my kids (Bubba giving him a run for his money) but he is the most loving and “huggy” kid.  He’s always been a hugger….he’s very sensitive and wears his heart on his sleeve.  He’s a bit of a goofball and likes to make jokes and have people laugh.  We knew we were in trouble when he said he wanted to be the class clown.  REALLY Crash – you can’t reach for higher aspirations that that?  He is my kid that likes to be at home, content to just hang out.  He’s a super smart kid, with his love being math and science driven.  If he can get out of reading, he’s going to find a way.  He is my cautious child, not a risk taker at all, but always the one that ends up with a good booboo story.  (Pending knee surgery and all)  He still has blond hair and his eyes have stayed a different shade of grey blue.  He is a wonderful son and most of the time a good brother.

Here is Crash when he was one day old……his hair looks dark in this picture – but it’s just the bad hospital lighting…

 

This was this past Friday, headed into the doctors appointment.  Crash and Bubba holding hands with Lotso Huggin’ Bear (Toy Story 3)

And of course, Bubba had to be up on the examine table with Crash…..

 

And here are my birthday boys!!!!

And as tradition stands….here we are last night at Nakato!!!! 

Cause ya got to have frenndddsss

My friends are my estate."
- Emily Dickinson

"Friendship is unnecessary, like philosophy, like art... It has no survival value; rather is one of those things that give value to survival."
- C. S. Lewis

I think that those quotes are beautiful, but they are so not me.  Anyone that knows me will tell you those “type” of statement, those heartfelt bring on the emotion type of statements….Just Not me…

Now… THIS is me.

yep – this is me too..

and yep – you guessed it…this is me too.  (This one is truly for my friend Fred.  This is so totally him that it's ridiculous.  He is know as Fireman Fred or my BFF)

But my twisted sense of humor and my inability to be all mushy isn’t what I was really wanting to write about today.  I’ve really been thinking about my friends recently.  How blessed I am (ok, slightly mushy).  How different they are.  How each one is “just perfect” and each one gives me something that I think makes me a better woman.  Does that make sense?  Is that how it’s suppose to work?  Didn’t someone say that real friends are friends no matter the time in between visits or chats?  I think that’s one of my favorite things about a couple of my friends….one in Greensboro, one in Hilton Head, and one in Charlotte.  I said it before, it’s like the comfortable sweatshirt…(Mushy again? – NO, I just compared my friends to an old sweatshirt, that’s NOT mushy.)

One of my friends talks me down off a ledge, a lot.  On big issues (like a baby in the NICU) and then stupid issues (like soccer).  she gets my twisted humor, and tells me I’m twisted.   We like to laugh and talk – and make stupid comments that no one else would understand.  Like “it’s raining and I just washed my hair”.  No one else understands that is a major deal….she’s not high maintenance.  Out of the two of us, she is the nice one. Our hubby’s are friends too, so it makes it very easy to all be together. 

One of my friends is so calm and reassuring.  Her kids are a smudge older and she has done an amazing job with them.  I look to her as such an incredible role model and mom.  She’s very grounded and a no muss kind of gal.  She is very smart and works her butt off……I love watching her with her kids….and I know her kids love her and being with her….because even in high school they wanted to hang out with us.

One of my friends has the biggest heart of anyone I know.  She remembers everything….she is an incredible mother and even if tough circumstances has the best outlook and just rolls with “it”.  She’s silly and so very genuine.  She is such a detail person and makes ya think and see all sides of things…..

Another friend has a kind gentle spirit and a heart of gold.  We get each other into situations that often make us say “WHY did we say yes to this” but even when we’re knee deep in paper, glue, paint or fabric – it’s fun and I laugh.  She is truly a “good” person and can see thru mud and much and make any situation bearable.  She is so opposite me….I cannot imagine her not being in my life.

I have one friend who I can look at and she’ll grin and say “I know”.  She is super smart too.  And very calming.  She has some hysterical stories and things happen to her and still…..just calm…she is very rational and is a great listener. She’s another one that is really good at seeing things from several different sides….and she doesn’t judge….She is an incredible mother and her kids are good kids……

One of my other girl friends is a lot younger.  You are, you know it.  I get to be the “older sister” to her and would fight to the ends of the earth for her and her awesome family.  She is also such an incredible mom – and she has 2 little ones – so with our Bubba- I need guidance and inspiration from her.  She is very organic and I love to tease her and call her a granola.  I wouldn’t change a thing about her.  It’s her – ya know?  Her heart is good.  She’s another no muss kind of gal. 

I have friends that are sooo different from me and from each other. 

HOWEVER in all the differences these incredible people have something in common. 

ME   haha.  And putting up with me puts all of them in a special group.

And while the wording here is a tad harsh ….it is so VERY me.  (Quiet Mom, I know I talk like a sailor.)

Right now, all I can think of is the Golden Girls song…
Thank you for being a friend. 

Nut shells

In a nut shell…so….much…going…on……..

1-Today was Bubba’s last day with his PT, Christie. He is officially “kicked out” of the Early Intervention Program.  I’m trying to not be emotional about it.  (more to come on what we will be doing for Bubba to keep moving forward with his progress)

2-Spent morning trying to get stuff lined up for Crash to have knee surgery once school is out.  involved my whole morning because NO ONE could answer my dang question!!  That really ticks me off – simple question – the MRI is tomorrow and I wanted to know if the facility is considered as the top tier “in network” or middle tier in network.  the big deal being a difference in the tier is a difference in deductible.  I want the top tier in network- it will save me a couple hundred bucks! 

3-I cannot get rid of this sinus infection and oh it would be so nice to not have my head echo!!

4-Bubba’s birthday is Saturday!  He’s going to be 3!!!  (And he acts all of a 3 year old that can pitch a fit – woooooo)  We don’t have anything big planned….we’re not big birthday party folk.  One of our preemie friends, Pierce, just celebrating his first birthday…he’s such a little miracle.  In reading about his turning one, I  wondered how I would feel this year as we got closer to “the date” that so much changed for us.  Does it get easier each year?  First birthday was very emotional. I think I cried several times.  Second birthday, even less (I think I was so dang excited he had quit nursing on his own and I didn’t have to go thru any drama with him on that) …and this year, I think it’s even less emotional that last year. I have found myself doing the “at this time 3 years ago”….like the other day at Lola’s school for her challenge run….(three years ago her challenge run as on the 21st)  I looked at mom and said “this time 3 years ago you were getting ready to take me to the ob because I knew something was wrong”.  And I was right. My water was leaking and later that day I went into labor and had a sweet little baby. 

Think that’s it, in a nut shell, for now.

Finally Friday

Thank the lord, it’s Friday.  Last week the big 3 were home for spring break.  We did a heckofalotta sleeping in late.  So Monday kicked our butt getting back into the swing of things. 

And there has been a heckofalotta stuff going on.

I have a lot of things to catch you up on – so much I don’t really even know where to begin.

Garden.

 THIS IS A WORK IN PROCESS!!!  I am learning some of this as I go……AND I have to be very careful.  We have 2 big dogs so I’m limited to not planting things IN the ground because our GIRL dog, Shelby, digs everything up!!  (Stupid dog)

I’ve decided to make my back patio look pretty again….but I have a (pinterest) vision in my head.  I want to find things to “repurpose” and make it look very vintage-y.  My mom in law has been a fabulous help in hunting things down for me….like the crates….I’ve got some others that have my tomato plants in….picture in a second.

I like the step stool.  This was actually made by my step grandfather about 18 years ago.  He made it for me to use at to get up on the bed we bought.  (It was a really high four poster bed).  It broke and ended up getting stuck in the shed.  I couldn’t bring myself to get rid of it…I’m glad I didn’t because it looks so cute out back now!

Here is our old old coffee table from our den.  It was in the storage shed …….and so was the rooster candle, back in our old house I had roosters everywhere (still have some).

 

Here are some of the “fruits” of labor.

The oregano is growing like crazy and we’ve been using it…

And the basil and chives

And my dill…it didn’t do so great the first couple of days – NOW – it’s going crazy too!

The biggest of the mater plants

And the rosemary – two pots of that……

I found a picnic table and benches in someone’s trash pile the other night and had Hubby and Pootie GET IT FOR ME.  (I want my yellow dress – sorry, movie line).  And I’ve got 4 tomato crates on the table and the benches with the strawberry pots…..

I also came across this old medal ladder and am trying to find the right place to put it with the pots going up it….for now it’s here – but we’ll see where it ends up…

I’ve really enjoyed getting it going and have been trying to come up with NO cost fun ways to “play in the dirt”.

Kids. 

They are now on the countdown side of summer time.  This is probably my LEAST favorite time of the year. The weather is so beautiful and I want my kids HOME with me – not sitting in classes doing pre test and test prep “the bubble era” is what I call it.  Crash, the 7th grader, came home with a form letter from his math teacher the other day.  It was a “he-didn’t-do-so-hot-on-his-PRE-end-of-grade-math-test-so-he-should-come-to-tutoring note.  Now, had it been his Language Arts class I’d have not believed him when he said “but mom, I swear I didn’t even TRY, I just bubbled in answers”.  But it’s math.  Math is his thing.  He’s always done well on the stupid EOG tests.   (4 is the highest grade and he always gets a 4.) So I emailed the teacher and thanked her so much for offering up her but did he REALLY NEEEEDDDDD to come to tutoring.  We decided that he’d go the first day – she’d chat with him and then no, he probably didn’t need to come back.  It’s what the goofy boy gets for just bubbling in circles right?  The point is, WHY does it end of being about a stupid End of the Grade Test?  Why doesn’t all the work and tests done for the entire year COUNT?  It’s like this, work your butt off all year, make top notch hard earned A’s, study….and then take the EOG and bomb it, they won’t pass you.  Nice huh?

 POLITICS

I’m really disgusted with some political stuff going on here in Charlotte – specifically the school board.  I get all in a tizzy when I talk about it, but let’s just say that I think these people are ABSOLUTE idiots.  100% idiots.

BROTHER

My brother is home right now!  Home home, as in Charlotte home.  For like 30 days.  It’s cause he had back surgery – but whatever – he’s home.  And we’ve gotten to see him.  My kids are so  happy when he is home and around them.  His sweetie had shoulder surgery a couple days after his back surgery – so they are a pair. 

That’s it for now…I’ve really got more stuff churning in my head about the upcoming week – the baby’s 3rd birthday is coming….and as several of my preemie mommy friends are nodding in agreement right now – it’s always an exciting and emotional time.

Not sure if everyone will get what a big deal this is…it’s a super cute picture of Bubba sitting with his feet tucked UNDER his buns….not “w” sitting – (with his legs and feet out to the sides) and he was sitting STRAIGHT up, not slouched over!!!  TRUST me when I say this is a REALLY BIG DEAL.  He “w” sits because his core is not strong enough – so him NOT  “w” sitting is a great sign that he is getting stronger!!!  YIPPEEEEEEE!!!!

 

Have a great weekend – be safe.  Enjoy the sunshine!