A Park Playdate and Pizza

Today the four of us went to our local favorite park to have a playdate.  We met Caden's princess and her mom as well as Ashton's best bud and his mom.  Actually Ashton's friend has an older brother that is in Caden's class, and I think they are becoming quite the best little trouble making friends.  We were surprisingly the only ones at the park on a gorgeous day and really had a lot of fun.  Caden played hard with both of his friends.  He was covered in sweat and wood-chips; a true sign of a successful park playdate.  Ashton didn't do much at the park, you know just drooled a lot.  But I really enjoyed the company of the other two moms.  It is really interesting to learn from people who are from here, the ins and outs of things.  I am not 100% happy with Caden's class and I received a lot of helpful information from one of the moms.  I was able to compare the two three year old classes and I believe the differences are enough to say something to the director.  This MDO is just for a socialization and learning experience for Caden, and not a necessity since I am not working.  I want Caden to receive the most from it that he can instead of just getting the bare necessities that we are getting now.  Anyways,  I had a lot of fun with both of the moms and hope that we can keep up the playdates because I think everyone had a good time.  The best part was Nick was there to help control Caden and I could actually enjoy myself.

     After the park it was close to dinner time and I of course had nothing planned.  So we went to our go to when we don't feel like cooking (which is probably more than I should admit) frozen pizza.  Caden eats pizza very well, and there isn't much I can say that about, so we eat it a lot.  However, I now have a little beggar on my hands.  Ashton has discovered food and is horrible to eat around.  I normally eat on the floor with him in the living room to try and keep him from getting into things.  Sometimes we put him in the high chair but that is still a lot of work, so free crawl is the best.  He loves to think he can eat anything and his new obsession is pizza.  He will sit there and suck the pizza till it dissolves.  He is just starting to be able to do the puffs and things because the actual chewing is still coming to him.  But he will suck any food I have.  This is him eating my pizza, which I know he ate more of than I did.  As soon as I would take it out of his mouth, he screamed.  I ended up keeping that piece in his mouth, and got my own slice.  Post and Carry on with the rest of your day.     

It Happens In Threes

That's a huge hole above my parking sticker.

Bad things happen in threes, or so I hope it is JUST threes!  Yesterday started it off.  The lawn people were here mowing and such, when they kicked up a rock that shattered my back window of our Santa Fe.  I was so sad and mad.  They were very sweet and said they would fix it but it was just the pain of having to go through fixing it and waiting on people to do so.  We were supposed to take our car in to get in serviced (stupid check engine light came on) but we were waiting for Caden to wake up from his nap to go.  If only he wouldn't have napped that day...  Well come today, the glass for the window was in Mobile, and it was broke being put on the truck.  Now living in the country, the next time we could get new glass won't be til NEXT Tuesday!!  Can you believe it??  I now can't drive my car until then, it is now so much more inconvenient and makes me more mad.  Next up was Caden's Halloween costume.  I think I said before he is going to be a Fireman (like his daddy) and Ashton a Dalmatian Puppy.  Well, I got the box in today and I should have known when it was so light.  The only thing in it was the hat, they forgot the suit!  I called them and they are sending a new one back to me next week.  Again, they were nice, but it is just the hassle of dealing with customer service and the wait.  I ordered it early in case I didn't like it or it was too big.  So now it will be cutting it more close, but oh well.  The third one isn't as big, but still annoying.  One of my essential white tank tops that I wear under everything, go caught up in the clothes and washing machine.  It stretched out so much that it ripped.  It's just sad.  I think too many things happened in one day that I over reacted and got mopey.  I really hope that three is my limit.  I am frustrated but not like I was earlier in the week, I was hurt then.  But hopefully tomorrow will be a better day.  Post and Carry on with the rest of your day.   

Perfect Playdate

I feel bad for Ashton sometimes when I think back and remember all the fun things I did with Caden.  I still know we go out and do fun things as a family but I am talking day to day stuff.  The first 8 months of Caden's life, Nick was pretty much gone.  I had Caden in The Little Gym, pretty much the best place ever!  He got to play with other babies, learn new things, and even took his first crawl there just before 6 months.  When I moved to FL when he was 8 months old, I got us very active in things.  I joined lots of different mom groups, went on too many to count "blind play-dates."  I made some really good friends and had Caden many little friends of his own.  We were going to Gymboree (not one of my favorite places) and story time at Barnes and Noble.  I really was going out of my way to get both of us active in the FL scene.  All of this eventually fizzled when people started moving away and I got tired of meeting new people, since they never panned out into anything.  But around this time, I got pregnant and was back in school, so I was too busy to notice.  Now things have calmed down and with Caden in MDO, I have started to feel bad for Ashton.  I want to get active and involved again for Ashton now.  I really wish there was some new way for us to do this but I am at a loss.  Except now I do have one new advantage.  I have the other moms of Caden's school to hang out with during the day.  It seems like almost everyone there carries in a little baby with them as they drop off their older child.  Well Ashton went on his first play-date with a little boy that is four months old.  I think they had a blast!  They both had a competition of who could spit up and drool more.... it ended in a tie.  Ashton loved playing with the new toys and loved chasing their cat around.  More importantly, I had an awesome time with his mom!  As much as I want my boys to have social interactions, I think I needed it more.  New faces are very refreshing.  I love how much we have in common and cannot wait for many more play-dates to come.  We both have husbands in the navy, both have close to four year old sons in the same class, and then baby boys.  It was a great day!!  Post and Carry on with the rest of your day.   

My Cute Caden

Today has been a much better day.  I was able to relax a lot more and not stress so much.  Caden has a doctor's appointment next Wednesday, so I just have to wait.  I thought I would try and write down some of the funny things Caden says and does because I know one day soon he will no longer talk like this, and I do not want to forget it. 
The boy is all about routine.  If he could eat the same thing every day he would.  Breakfast would include a Nutrigrain Bar and Cereal (Cheerios, Fruit Loops, Trix, and Lucky Charms are among his favorite.)  Lunch would include a Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwich, Doritos, and Grapes.  Dinner would probably be Chicken Nuggets.  Anyways what is even cuter than his routine is how he says it.  Breakfast every morning, as soon as his eyes open, he says "I want Chickenbar and Cheerios."  Lunch is "I want Pinkabutter and Jelly, Triangles and Grapes."  Dinner is Chicken Nuggets still but he wants Syrup (yes like for pancakes) to dip them in!
I am trying to remember other funny things he says.  Oatmilk is Oatmeal.  Anytime he wants something he always says "You say yes, I say no."  He got that from being to smart with arguing.  Now he just starts out with that.  He calls the the iPad, the Big Phone.   
He told me the other day that he wants Ashton to go back in my belly and go to the store and get a new baby that is tiny, quiet, and doesn't crawl.  He also said he wanted it to be a girl! :)  I told him to go tell his daddy!  The best part of the story is when he said that he wants the baby to eat my shoulder again.... that is what he would always say Ashton was doing when he was younger... 
I am already sad that I can't remember things he still says today.  How am I supposed to remember these things in 10 years?  I want to go wake him up and start talking to him....but I am not that desperate.  I think this blog may be a continuation when I remember some more cute things he does.  Post and Carry on with the rest of your day. 

It's Just One of Those Days

When you don't wanna wake up
Everything is..... 
I will stop here, but I am pretty sure Limp Bizkit's Break Stuff (Yes, I totally used this song) was singing about my day today.  I have just been in a very fowl mood.  I am super depressed and I know why but I don't know why.  Sometimes I think I may have had a bit of postpartum depression.  Sometimes I feel great, but other days I feel horrible.  Today, just was bad from the start.  Caden has been in a very horrible, not listening mood.  I think having a new schedule with school is making him retaliate towards me.  I also think that the three's are very trying for us both.  It is starting to set in that I no longer am going to have my helper, my relief for at least the next six months.  I have no idea what our schedule for moving will be, and frankly I just get more sad to think about it.  I keep saying depressed when I think the real word I should be using is fear, scared, self-pity, anger.  I don't know what is going on.  But every time I think about Nick leaving me alone, I don't know how I will function.  I know I have done it before, and I can do it again, it really isn't that.  It is more that I don't want to do it.  Before I wanted Nick to be in the Navy forever because it was guaranteed income in these trying times.  But now I want nothing more to get as far away from the Navy as possible.  I hate that we still have so much time left in.  This has just turned into my major vent forum today, and I still have more going!  I am also sad about this blog.  I really enjoy posting everyday (or several a day to make up for some days!)  But I am starting to get discouraged.  I have made a conscious effort to not put the same stuff on Facebook that is on here.  I want people to see how we are doing and what is going on.  And when I say people, I mean family and friends who don't get to see us everyday.  Well I know people are reading because I can see that you are.  But not one single person has asked me what is going on with Caden.  I am worried sick.  This is why my day has been so horrible.  All I want to do is curl up in a ball and cry, but I have two boys to take care of, so I can't.  I don't know how else to put it.  I am waiting and waiting for test results to get back of what possibly is reason that my precious little boy is not doing great.  Every day the doctor doesn't call just makes me more scared that it is something worse.  I hate getting mad at Caden right now, because I don't want to regret later yelling at him instead of hugging him.  I am sorry to be so defensive, but I have had a lot of disappointment in people over the last year.  I think I put myself out there sometimes just to get hurt.  I really will be better tomorrow.  I can't always sugar coat things like other people do.  I hate those people who act like their life is perfect, everyone has trying days.  Today was mine, and I would rather be real about it then lie.  Post and Carry on with the rest of your day.  

A House Divided

In case you didn't know, I am from the DFW area and Nick is from the Houston area.  If you know sports at all, we do not like any of the same teams.  All of my teams, naturally, are the best and Nick's are wannabe teams.  If he actually read this, he may have other opinions, but luckily he doesn't, so that means I am right.  Ashton, Caden and I all are Cowboys fans.  I know they haven't been at their best (in awhile) but none the less, we are fans.  Nick is a Texans fan, I know who are they??  They actually are looking pretty good this year, so I am happy for him.  Last year the boys in my family all went to the Texans v Cowboys game and watched the Cowboys win about their only game of the season.  This year we haven't played each other, but we are still in competition.  If the Cowboys don't come around soon, I would hope the Texans make it to the super bowl.  I would rather a Texas team win then not, but Nick is only a Texans fan.  This is very frustrating to me.  He cannot support the Cowboys, even if it does not impact his own team.  Anyways, both teams played at noon today.  We had some errands to run, so I decided to dress us up cute.  If you can't tell in the picture, I even split us up 50/50.  The Texans jersey is actually Caden's, that was the only Texans thing my boys own.  The boys lost and the other team won.  Post and Carry on with the rest of your day.

Jay Peanut Festival

One of my favorite things about fall in NW FL and AL is all of the festivals.  Now if you aren't into these, once you have been to one, you pretty much have been to them all.  But luckily my family loves these, and we try to go to any the peak our interest.  The Jay Peanut Festival is in nowhere, FL.  And when I say nowhere, I mean there is nothing around for many miles.  Coming from TX, you think we would be accustom to the country, but even the most country of Texas towns still has a Dairy Queen.  (I miss you and love you Papa!)  The peanut festival has a lot of local craft vendors, lots for the kids, all sorts of peanut foods, and then the common fair ground food trucks.  This was our third year to go, and by far the biggest and busiest year of it.  On our drive north we ended up getting lost.  We started following cars, because we figured they had to be going the same place, who else would drive this way?  Well it turns out, people who live in the farms there, are driving up there.  After no cell coverage, so no maps, we guessed on which way to go.  We eventually found the entire state of FL and AL at the festival!  We had such a good time.  Caden conquered his bouncy house slide fear, tested out some tractors, rode on a horse (naturally he called him Bullseye), and rode around on a train with me.  Ashton enjoyed a push around in the stroller.  Nick and I enjoyed some peanuts, peanut brittle, and some peanut butter fudge.  I also found a lady who made boy clothes.  Now don't get me wrong, all you crafty people out there.  But if I see one more tutu, pillow sack dress, or hair bow booth, I might scream.  Just because I have a boy, doesn't mean I don't want something cute for him.  This lady sewed all sort of bibs and shirts.  She had cute ones that had to do with sports teams, military slogans, firefighter sayings, and holiday ones.  I wanted one of everything but opted for Christmas shirts for the boys, matching of course.  They say "Who needs Santa, I've got Nana," what my boys call my mom.  After a good few hours there, a snow cone enticed Caden back to the car.  The long drive back meant a good nap for the boys and a peaceful conversation with my love.  Post and Carry on with the rest of your day.