sweaty haircuts

The Mayor got a haircut today. And usually a picture would be posted of his new do, but this picture speaks volumes to how the haircut went. What you are seeing on the back of his shirt is not wet from water, it is wet from sweat. Today, for the first time ever, I was mortified at my child's behavior.

I do not get embarrassed at all when or if my children act out in public. Every single child does it...my kids are no exception. So people who are around us either get it because they have been there/done that, and if they haven't yet had the pleasure, then they will. And if they do not ever have kids, then I don't really care what their opinion is anyway. But today was crazy.

We have been going to the same kids haircutting place and seeing the same person since The Mayor was 14 months old. He sits in the same chair, eats the same lollipops and watches the same TV every single haircut since he was 14 months old. And we have never had an issue. But today The Mayor was not interested in sitting in the chair. He fought getting into that chair and getting the cape put on him. I asked him if he wanted to hold my hand, and he said yes, but the second the scissors started cutting, he started screaming. I asked him if he wanted to sit in my lap, and he said yes. So I grabbed him, put him on my lap and sat in one of the chairs. He screamed bloody murder for the entire haircut. You would have thought he was being stabbed by the scissors. I had to hold his arms down and his head still while our poor hairdresser frantically tried to get this haircut over with. The Mayor screamed and screamed and screamed and the few mothers in there just "awed" and "poor babied" us while the screaming continued. This screaming wasn't like "I want that toy" screaming, it was like "you are ripping out my toenails one by one" screaming. It took only the great grace of God that The Mayor and I came out of this haircut unscathed. I seriously considered leaving him there...or beating him. He had sweat dripping off his face which meant all the little hairs stuck to his face and his arms and his mouth. He and I were just covered in hair.

After the disaster, we went into the bathroom and attempted to wash as much hair off of each of us. As we walked to the bathroom I counted to 10 (about a dozen times) and took in some deep breaths. I didn't want to scream and I didn't want to spank him. But I wanted to get serious with him. While essentially bathing ourselves in the bathroom, I had a very short, simple and stern talk with him on his behavior. After our "bath", I made him go up to Derick (the poor soul) and apologize. We rode home in complete silence and then we both had to take a shower.

And on another dramatic note with my children...Love Bug bit The Mayor today! What the? Love Bug was attempting to destroy The Mayor's train track. The Mayor put his hand on top of the track and politely (shocker, sometimes he really can be nice) asked her not to. Apparently, Miss Priss did not like this because she looked at me then looked at him and opened her mouth. Luckily only 4 teeth are completely in, but there were 4 little teeth marks in The Mayor's forearm. He looked at me like "did that just happen"? She didn't like being told no when it came to biting and naptime for her came early. She woke up 3 1/2 hours later...my old sweet girl. Let's hope this doesn't become a pattern.

So happy this day has come to an end and the kids are sound asleep. Hoping today will be a funny memory one day and tomorrow will be awesome.

trying to calm ourselves down

enjoying her first lollipop

she loved it. She kept going "mmmmm"

all showered, clean and calm

Next time I will have to bring my good camera. Only had my phone...wasn't thinking today was going to be worthy of pictures. Boy, was I wrong.

3 steps!

She did it! Love Bug took 3 steps...all on her own!! And of course, I have not been able to document this via video or picture...YET...when I get the camera out, she refuses to walk. She has taken 3 steps twice...and it literally looks like a new baby calf just getting her legs. It is so funny to see the amount of concentration and balance that goes into her taking those steps. But she did it!! So happy!! As soon as I get pictures, I will post them! But for now, the date goes down in the history books...Sunday, May 29th...our Love Bug finally took her first steps!

i'll be carrying her into kindergarten

Love Bug will be 15 months old in a just a couple of weeks and Miss Priss still isn't walking. Between her not walking and The Mayor not pooping in the potty...let's just say, I'm pretty sure I'll be carrying her into kindergarten and packing nighttime pullups for The Mayor's first week in college. Love Bug is getting better, she will walk behind some toys and will hold on to your fingers and walk. And she will stand on her own and look like she is going to attempt to take some steps, but then she falls back on her bottom and crawls.

We are also working on her speech. And she is already a little sass. I look at her and tell her to say "mama" and she looks at me and says "dada". Then grins. I'll remember that when she is begging me for some designer jeans in a few years.

We are enjoying our weekend. MeMe and Big Daddy are here and spoiling the kiddos. We have no plans and that is just the best part of the weekend. Fly by the seat of our pants. I think we may do some shopping later and maybe even go to the pool. And we really love that tomorrow is a holiday and we get an extra day with daddy at home.

Miss Sassy

The Mayor assisting Love Bug in walking

at least she is belted in

Miss Love Bug is really starting to come out of her shell. She is still content to sit quietly and play but when she wants to turn it on...she will. And if you have something, you better be prepared to share it with her. It doesn't matter if it is a drink, food, toy, remote, whatever, if you have it, she wants it.

I had Miss Priss belted (pretty tightly I might add) into the cart at Target this afternoon. And wouldn't you know she found a way to wiggle herself so she was facing backwards. And every time I pushed the cart, she would stand up and start dancing. The Mayor got a kick out her and she got a kick out of him so the two of them were just cracking up while we walked down the aisles. At least the belt was around her waist so she didn't go flying out.

She isn't even 15 months old but I feel I am going to have another little character in this household.

summer routine kicking into gear

The Mayor is done with school and we are settling into our summer routine. And all I know is this momma will need to make sure we keep a pretty tight calendar because my two munchkins will be bored if I don't. We had a lazy day today and I don't envision us having too many of those this summer; nothing bad happened but by 3:00 in the afternoon, The Mayor was giving me looks like "seriously, is this what we are going to do today"?

Luckily we have a play date tomorrow and I am praying my sister-in-law and nephews decide to come up for a visit this week. The first week in June, Meega and I are taking the 3 kids to Ohio to visit Aunt Jenny for the week. A couple of weeks after that trip, me and the kids will tag along with D on a business trip. In July we are going to Richmond to visit family and friends and to cheer on D when he competes in an Olympic size triathlon. In August we will tag along with D again for a business trip (this trip will be at the beach!) and then school will start. So now I just need to fill in the blanks...lots of play dates and LOTS of time at the pool. Can't believe summer is here.

the sweetest thing

Thursday was The Mayor's last day of school. And although it isn't as bittersweet as it will be when he actually completes his first year of elementary school, it is still bittersweet. He only went 2 days a week for 4 hours each day, but he made lots of friends, learned a lot and changed so much. Even the pictures of him from the first day of school and the last day of school show how much The Mayor changed. The first day of school he was uncertain of what was coming, cried when we left him and had to be bribed for the first month just to go into his class. By the last day of school, he was jumping at the chance to go to school, couldn't wait to see his friends and play on the playground. Now we have summer to look forward to.

Within the past week, Love Bug and The Mayor have really started interacting with each other. Love Bug adores her brother. Last night, she followed him around the family room and kissed him no less than 25 times. And The Mayor is so protective of his sister. When she cries, he wants to comfort her and make sure she is ok. And finally...The Mayor is learning how to share! Just when I thought it would never happen he started doing it on his own. This morning he was playing with his Lightning McQueen car. And of course, because he had it Love Bug wanted it. She followed him around the playroom whining for that car. And he turned around and said "here you go" gave her the car and found a new toy to play with. My jaw almost hit the floor. He did this again 2 other times when she wanted a toy he was playing with. I just couldn't get over how sweet he was being. I would totally think he was buttering me up for something but since he is only 3 and doesn't know how to manipulate me like that (yet) I am just going to chalk it up to my boy being sweet.

We have just been enjoying a pretty lazy Saturday. D worked in the yard and I have been finishing up some chores around the house. Aunt Nat, Uncle Tom, Trey and Luke will be arriving tonight for a short weekend visit. We are thrilled, especially The Mayor, and are looking forward to some family time together.

first day of school

last day of school

napping together

it's almost over

Thursday is the last day of school for The Mayor, and today was his class party. I helped him make a craft and we made a special treat for their snack. Afterwards, his teachers gave each child a gift...a painted picture frame with a picture of all the kids on the playground (surprisingly, all the kids are facing the camera and smiling...quite impressive) and a t-shirt with every child's handprint on it. The teachers have requested the kids wear their t-shirts on Thursday for their last day.

Being there today seeing my boy almost done with his first year of preschool makes me think back to his first day. What a change in The Mayor. The first month of school we had to bribe him everyday just to go into his class, now he runs in his class and is so happy to be there with his friends. He talks about his teachers and the friends he played with that day. He is understanding the concept of sharing and keeping our hands to ourselves. The other day, Love Bug patted The Mayor on his head and he looked at her and told her "we do not hit our friends". When Love Bug cries, he consoles her and gives her a toy to try and make her happy. He has learned compassion. He has learned a lot. He has really grown. I am sad to think how quickly this school year has gone by but so happy to have the entire summer with my boy.

The Mayor's first preschool year...it's almost over.

*the above picture is the only one I took that came out clear. Something is wrong with the autofocus on my camera :( must get fixed immediately!

my ironman

I am proud of D for a million things. He is a fantastic husband and just about the best father I know. He works very hard to support the four of us and rarely complains about it. But this weekend I was proud of him for watching him push himself and do the hardest thing he has ever physically done before. Yesterday, D competed and finished his first Half IronMan triathlon. A 1.2 mile swim, 56 mile bike and 13.1 run. Out of 2376 athletes, D finished 749th and finished 128 in his age group. His overall time was 5 hours 50 minutes and 54 seconds.

To see what he has accomplished physically is just amazing. This was only his 2nd triathlon and to finish in the top third is something to be proud of, heck, to finish at all is something to be proud of. I saw athletes left and right bailing out of the competition...but not my D. I would have loved him and been proud of him whether he completed or not, but it was awesome to see the look on his face when he crossed that finish line. Tears flowed from both of us...it was emotional. And I'll never forget it.

He has some smaller triathlons scheduled for the rest of this year, but training will start on his goal for next year: a full IronMan. 2.4 mile swim, 126 mile bike, 26.2 mile run. And I will definitely be at the finish line waiting.

if he was any sweeter he would cause a cavity

I love having a front row seat to The Mayor and Love Bug relationship. They just genuinely love each other. And the more time they spend together, the more love they show towards each other. The Mayor is just a natural protector for his sister. If she drops her cup, he runs over to pick it up and hand it back to her. When she cries, he is the first one to ask if she is ok. And today he started rubbing her head and telling me "I love it" (we are still working on our pronouns...so for now "her" is "it").

Tonight for dinner, The Mayor wanted one of his flavored water drinks so of course Love Bug wanted one too. I had to hold the box each time she wanted a sip, and when I walked away to prepare their dinner, The Mayor took over by holding the water for her so she could have a sip. It makes me so happy to see how they interact with each other.

D has been super busy at work this week. He has a lot of people in town for a meeting so last night they all went to the Braves game and tonight they are going to an awesome dinner in downtown Atlanta, so the kids haven't seen him since yesterday morning since he has been getting home well after bedtime. But D is taking off work tomorrow to spend with the kids while I play our last tennis match of the season. My tennis team made City Finals and we play tomorrow! So excited!

Tomorrow night it is pack, pack, pack! Gotta get all of us packed and ready to leave first thing Friday morning. This weekend...Half IronMan Triathlon! Can't believe all these months of training for D and the race is finally here! Can't wait to see him cross that finish line!

my favorite gift

I can't believe I left the most important gift out of my post from yesterday. This beautiful vase was handpainted by The Mayor at school. My sweet boy used his little fingerprints and thumbprints to make the flower petals, lady bugs, bumble bees and caterpillars on this vase. And not only is the vase so cute and something I will definitely keep forever, the memory that will stick in my mind for a lifetime is the look of pride on The Mayor's face when I picked him up from school last Thursday and he helped carry the vase with this teacher to give it to me. He was so happy...the smile on his face was like that of the cat who had just eaten the canary. He was so happy and proud of his creation and so happy to be giving it to me. Happy Mother's Day to me...I am so lucky.

mother's day bliss

Today was such an amazing day. I was woken up this morning by a clanking sound...when I opened my eyes, D was walking into our room with my breakfast on a tray. He left me alone with my meal while he got The Mayor and Love Bug up and I ate in peace. Then he offered to take the kids on a walk so I could have the house to myself, but I declined...I wanted to spend at least some part of today with my family. After our walk and some play time at the playground, we came back home so Love Bug could take a nap. I showered and went and got a much needed pedicure. Hands down, best pedicure I have ever gotten. Probably had something to do with the glass of wine they gave me while I was in the massage chair having my legs rubbed or the fact it was my first pedicure since Christmas or the fact it was quiet and I got to read a book that I have been dying to read...anyway, best pedicure.

When I got home, D took the kids into the basement to play so I could take a nap, and after the nap we went to my parent's house to celebrate Mother's Day and D's birthday. It was just such an amazing day of being spoiled and pampered. I feel so relaxed and even more blessed to have this amazing family.

This week is going to be such a crazy week. I have to get us ready for our trip to Orlando for D's Half IronMan Triathlon next weekend. I can't believe it is almost here...all of this training and now we are a week away. I am so proud! I can't wait to cheer on my man.

my loves...the reason I get to celebrate this awesome day

daddy's girl

This girl is all about her mommy...until her daddy gets home. Then nobody else on Earth exists.

And I would hate it if I didn't absolutely love it. Makes my heart melt.

an everyday day

Today was just one of those run-of-the-mill everyday days. The Mayor went to school, I had a tennis match (our team won our division and we won our 1st round of playoffs today), came home and Love Bug napped while The Mayor played, Meega and Bennett came over to play and the 3 kids had a snack together. D came home from work to some excited kids, we ate dinner and now they are asleep. Just a typical day in the Shirley household...and there ain't nothing wrong with that.

sweet cousins

pretty girl

37 birthdays

Today we celebrated the 37th birthday of the man of my dreams. Unfortunately, D had to go to work for most of his birthday, but that gave me and the kids all day to get a few last minute gifts and decorations. Yes, I am that cheesy. We decorated the kitchen with balloons, banners and crepe paper.

After D got home and was greeted by two very excited children, the kids helped him open his gifts and then we went out for a birthday dinner. After dinner we came home for birthday cupcakes and now the kids are in bed. Although it was a work day, it was still a great day.

Happy Birthday D...I love you so much! I wouldn't want to share this life with anyone but you.

baby powder

You know it is going to be a good day when it is 9AM, you just walk into your son's bedroom and you already have the day's blog material.

I opened the door to The Mayor's room to find this:

After I picked my mouth up off the floor, I closed the door, walked into my bedroom, told D he had to see this, went downstairs and got the camera. I immediately took the advice of a friend of mine with 5 kids under the age of six who tells me take pictures instead of losing your cool because one day you will be able to laugh at whatever it is. I agreed, and so I wanted to document the baby powder debacle.

We didn't even remember the baby powder was in his room. It was on the 2nd shelf of his hutch behind a plate and he climbed up there, got it and must have shook the heck out of that bottle. By the mess you would have thought it was a jumbo size Costco baby powder bottle, but it was a mere 16 oz bottle. Apparently a little goes a long way with this stuff.

After we saw the mess, we got the kids dressed and went for donuts. After the kids enjoyed their donuts, we came home and I got to work on the snow village. It took me almost an hour to vacuum and dust the room clean. But it is squeaky clean and smells like a baby powder factory. I am sure we will find remnants of the powder hidden in cracks for years to come. That's ok, it will just be a reminder of this fun stage.

covered the sheets...

...and the headboard...

...and The Mayor's hair...

...and the carpet, wall and furniture