getting to know you...

Today I am participating in Keely from MannLand5's 'Getting to know YOU' blog hop.The rules are simple: copy the questions, answer them, post the questions/answers, and link back to Keely’s blog.

Here goes:

1. Have you ever snooped around someone else's house? Definitely! I can’t remember a specific incident, but I am a snooper… so I’m sure I have done at least a little bit of snooping.
2. Can guys and girls be friends? (thanks Jen!) I think so. It does depend on the guy and the girl. I have some guy friends and there is absolutely no chemistry or sexual tension in my relationships with them. Of course, there are some people who can’t “just be friends.” I am not one of those people.
3. Can you curl your tongue? I can. It seems so easy – I can’t fathom the fact that some people can’t.
4. Have you ever stolen anything? I don’t think so. At least I can’t remember ever stealing anything.
5. Would you rather talk on the phone or text? It depends on the person. With some people I would rather text and with other people I would rather talk with them on the phone.
6. Memorial Day plans? I am driving to Weston, Missouri today for a wedding (my husband is already there as he is the ‘best man’). I’ll be spending the night at a 'Best Western' and driving home tomorrow. That is my plan. Super lame, huh?
7. What do you do to relax? Watch TV, read a book, walk on the treadmill, read blogs, or write.
8. Do you do anything to honor those that have died fighting for our freedom? I would love to say ‘yes’, but to be honest I don’t. I’m not really close to anyone who serves or has served in the military so I don’t really get into all that. Of course, I respect, honor, and value their amazing contribution to our nation, but I can’t say that I actually do anything to honor them.

Well that's it. Have a fabulous day and head on over to Keely's blog if you want to participate!

feel good friday - happy hayden day.

It's Friday and time for The Girl Next Door Grows Up's meme - Feel Good Friday. Today I have opted to write about “Happy Hayden Day.” What is ‘Happy Hayden Day’ you ask. Well… let me tell you.

After reading Aging Mommy’s blog post about her ‘say no to no day’, I was inspired to do a similar day with Hayden in which I would let him decide what we did. Today was that day. Today was ‘Happy Hayden Day’ and this is what we did:

When Hayden woke up, he watched ‘Toy Story’. Then he played outside for a little bit with his daddy.Then we went to ‘Toys R Us’ where Hayden proceeded to play in all the “motor vehicles.” (Note: there were 15 of these “cars”)I told Hayden he could pick one thing to buy and he opted for a ‘Jessie/Bullseye’ combo pack doll-set. He already had Woody and Buzz Lightyear. Now he has them all. (Note: these are characters from ‘Toy Story’)We then headed to ‘PETCO’ to check out the animals. On our way, we ran into one of Hayden’s classmate’s in the parking lot. After a brief chat with his mom, I learned that we were both planning on going to ‘Chick-fil-A’ after our respective shopping ventures (she was headed to ‘Barnes and Noble’) – so we decided to meet back up with them at ‘Chick-fil-A’ for lunch.

But first was ‘PETCO’.Then we ventured over to ‘Chick-fil-A’.Hayden scored a red balloon from ‘Chick-fil-A’ which he was quite pleased with.We then went home. Hayden played with his new toys for a bit and we then watched the season premiere of ‘So You Think You Can Dance’ together. I love that show and Hayden seems to enjoy it too. The program was 2 hours long (well 1.5 hours when forwarding it through the commercials) and Hayden sat through the whole thing for the most part.It was then time to rest. During rest time, Hayden chose to watch ‘Toy Story 2’.

After rest time, we went to ‘Orange Mango’ with my parents.
Following our “dinner date,” Hayden and I went to the park and played for nearly an hour.After returning home, Hayden enjoyed a ‘bomb pop’.We then went outside and played (meaning that Hayden ran around the yard while I “chased” him and took pictures).Hayden rounded out the day by watching ‘Wiggledancing: Live in the USA’.

Following the “late night movie,” we read ‘Toy Story 3’ and Hayden went to bed.

In all, ‘Happy Hayden Day’ was an overwhelming success. There will definitely be more in the future.

Note: ‘Toys-R-Us’, ‘PETCO’, and ‘Chick-fil-A’ are all located within the same shopping center so we just walked from one location to another.

Note: While driving to the shopping center and back, we listened to the Black Eyed Peas’ I Gotta Feeling (Hayden loves the song and sang along with it – it was AWESOME).

busy and overwhelmed. i can do this, right?

My run-down for the next 8 days:

• Friday, May 28th: Randy goes out of town for his friend’s wedding (so it will be just Hayden and I for a few days – this is also going to be “Hayden’s Day” in which he gets to choose what we do all day. It will be an interesting, fun experience.)
• Saturday, May 29th: Randy will still be gone, so Hayden and I will be hanging out doing who knows what without him.
• Sunday, May 30th: I drive Hayden and myself to the wedding (it is a 4-hour drive).
• Monday, May 31st: After staying the night at a ‘Best Western’, I drive Hayden and myself home.
• Tuesday, June 1st – Friday, June 4th: Randy, Hayden, my parents, and I go to the lake for a little “mini-vacation” which will include a trip to Silver Dollar City in Branson, Missouri.

With all these activities going on, I will not be around much. I don’t plan on blogging during this time period (although I might post something tomorrow and maybe Sunday) as I won’t be near my computer or have much time to blog.

I will admit that this “schedule” is stressing me out. I don’t do well with being busy and being out of my normal routine and comfort zone (with the “comfort zone” being my home). I am sure hopeful that I will have a great time.

After next Friday (June 4th), I have an early morning meeting on Saturday, June 5th (with "early" meaning 8am). I also have two meetings the following week. And Hayden doesn’t start back to school until June 10th. It will be okay though. I can do this. I just have to keep telling myself that and hopefully it will come true.

P.S. The following weekend (June 11th-13th) we will be heading to a family reunion. Again, another busy weekend. Another weekend out of my comfort zone and normal routine. It will be okay though. I can do this.

I can do this, right?

school pictures - picture day.

This is Hayden’s school picture from last year.The past Fall, he refused to have his picture taken on picture day (note: they take school pictures in the Fall and the Spring).

I was worried he would again refuse to have his picture taken last month when picture day rolled around.

He told me he wasn't going to let them take his picture. We talked with him though, and we thought he might let them take it. Maybe. We even let him bring a hat to school to wear for the pictures.

In the end though, he went sans hat.

And the pictures came out amazing. I am definitely impressed.

random blog-related musings.

• I about flipped out yesterday when I went to Keely's blog - Mannland5 - and realized that I was the Commenter of the Week. Seriously people… I have never won anything in the blogosphere (Is that a word? I’m thinking not, but I am going to use it nevertheless.). And even though I technically don’t “win” anything, I still got selected so in my mind I did win something. So needless to say, I was/am pumped!
• Y’all liked my vlog! That just made me so happy… you think I’m cute and not weird. That’s always a good thing. I think I am going to try and vlog once a month. That sounds feasible. I also want to give my husband a little shout out for helping me with the vlog. He did the editing for me, added the “fade in/out” feature, and uploaded it to YouTube for me. I honestly couldn’t have done it without him… so “thank you” Randy.
• People enjoyed my two little guest posts I did at The Drama Mama’s blog The Scoop on Poop. I have to say that I really liked writing them and guest blogging. The post I wrote about traveling back in time was actually cathartic and the post about traditions was fun.

In sum, I just want to thank all of you who read my blog. I might not write for the masses, but that’s not to say that I don’t appreciate people reading my blog and enjoying what I write. I love the comments I receive and the support I get from my blog friends - they and you really mean a lot to me.

monkey minute - snort edition.

For those of you who are expecting to see my 500th post and vlog – I did it yesterday. Go here to check it out.

Now onto today’s post…

Ian’s dear friend Daffy’s sister passed away last week. To remind her how much she is loved, Ian has crafted his 'Monkey Minute' as a tribute to Daffy.

The rules are simple. Copy the questions. Answer them. Link back to Ian’s blog.

Here goes:

1 - Do you *snort*? No.

2 - My friend has a nickname and it's Daffy. What's your nickname? I have a few: Melba Toast, melner, mel e mel.

3 - Do you know sign language? no. except for the few that we taught Hayden (all done, hungry, thirsty).

4 - What's a sample convo from your hood? i have no idea.

5 - Do you sleep with electronic devices - i.e. laptop, Blackberry, iPhone, etc? no, although I do keep my iPhone on the bedside table as it charges. I use it as my alarm clock.

P.S. I am back over at The Scoop on Poop today doing another guest post. Today's post is about life and tradition. Go check it out.

getting to know you...500th post...my first vlog.

I was planning on doing my 500th post Monday; however, I am doing it today (because I posted my 499th post yesterday).

I am still going to do a vlog though – I am just doing Keely at MannLand5’s ‘Getting to Know YOU’ as opposed to Ian’s ‘Monday/Monkey Minute’.

The rules for the blog hop are simple: copy the questions, answer them, post the questions/answers, and link back to Keely’s blog.

I am going to post the questions; however, to get my answers you have to watch the vlog.

Here are the questions:

1. Do you have a fetish?
2. Do you sing in the shower?
3. Who was your first crush?
4. What do you think is the best manly trait a guy could have?
5. Do you sleep naked?
6. What do you do when (you think) no one is looking?
7. What's the first thing you do when you go online?
8. Summer is.....?

Enjoy the vlog! And happy 500th post to me!

That's it. Have a fabulous day and head on over to Keely's blog if you want to participate!

hayden day - i've been inspired.

I have been inspired. I was reading Aging Mommy’s blog post yesterday about her ‘say no to no day’ and I have decided to do something similar with Hayden.

Aging Mommy set up a day in which she didn’t say “no.” She let her daughter determine the day and followed her daughter’s lead. She said “yes” to Mirabelle’s desire to skip breakfast, her requests to make play-doh people and paint, as well as her preference for macaroni and cheese followed by a cupcake for lunch and dinner.

At the end of the day Mirabelle seemed to have had a great day, stating, “Mommy, we had so much fun today, we did so much playing.” And they did. They had had a wonderful day.

I want to do this with Hayden (or at least something very similar to it). I have scheduled it for this upcoming Friday (I know it is probably lame that I had to schedule it, but I wanted to do it on a day in which he really could dictate the day – a day in which there are currently no plans on the calendar – so Friday is the day).

On Friday, Hayden is going to be able to decide what we do, where we go. I am going to tell him about the plan the day before so he knows what to expect and can start thinking about the things he might like to do.

I think he is going to have a fabulous day! And I think I will too. Although, I may be exhausted by the end of the day, it will be worth it.

There will be a few limitations on the day though:

• We will still return home for rest time (between 1pm and 3pm).
• We will still go to bed at approximately 7:30pm.
• This will not be a shopping spree. I am not going to make it a day in which I spend tons of money on useless toys.

Other than that, Hayden will dictate the day. I’ll let you know how it goes. I am planning on doing this once a month – assuming it goes well – and I think it will.

my first "guest blog" - i'm the best scoop of the week!

Today I am being featured at The Drama Mama's blog The Scoop on Poop. I am her 'Best Scoop of the Week'.I am pumped. I have never been featured on anyone else's blog or guest posted, so this is pretty exciting for me.

Head on over there and read my post regarding where I would go if I could travel back in time. It's a sentimental post - but I think and hope you will enjoy it.

Have a great Friday!!!

random ramblings.

• So far, three shows that I really like have been cancelled: Ghost Whisperer, Cold Case, and Flash Forward. Sad Melissa – although Randy hates Ghost Whisperer and thinks that it’s a ridiculous show.
• Hayden has been very challenging lately: extremely sensitive and incredibly demanding. Good times!
• Wearing sandals with socks in not acceptable. Ever.
• My husband went to a ‘Charlie and the Chocolate Factory’-themed birthday party this past weekend in which guests were encouraged to dress up as characters from the movie (and no… this was not a children’s party… the birthday girl turned 36-years-old). Randy was an oompa loompa. I think they all had a fantabulous time!

boy band.

Hayden and his friend, Beckham, have started a band (not really).

But how cute are they jammin' out?

monkey minute.

Monday Minute has been renamed “Monkey Minute” in honor of an adorable little girl who was diagnosed with cancer.

She is the daughter of another blogger - who can most definitely use lots of encouragement and support right now as they face many challenges and issues. You can click on her picture, to be taken to her Momma’s blog.

The rules for the Monkey Minute are simple. Copy his questions. Answer them. Link back to Ian’s blog.

1. Have you ever peed in the shower/bath/pool? Definitely!!! Not the bath, but I have certainly peed in the shower and the pool. I know it’s naughty to pee in the pool, but I have done it. I think most people have.
2. What is your biggest pet peeve? Irresponsibility – and that can manifest itself in a myriad of ways.
3. What's the story behind your blog title? There really isn’t a good story. I just thought it “fit.” My blog is about my life and how it’s going – hence the title.
4. What is your definition of success? This is a REALLY tough question. In trying to answer it, I envision what I want for Hayden. What do I want for my son? And the answer is simple: I want him to be happy. For him to succeed in life, I just want him to grow up to be happy with himself and to be a “good person.” I know ‘good person’ is subjective, but in general I want him to have good morals, to be confident, to be genuine, to be kind, to love always, and to be himself. And I want him to be happy. To be those things is success (in my opinion).
5. If you were famous, what would you want to be famous for? Hmmm. Winning the lottery? That would be awesome! Since that won’t happen (because I don’t play the lottery), I’m going to go with something else – something that could actually happen which is to save someone’s life. Maybe by donating my bone marrow or a kidney? That would be really awesome too.

I hope you enjoyed this week's “Monkey Minute.” Please feel free to play along and click over to Ian’s blog to link up. Don’t forget to visit Momma’s Pixie Dreams where you can give Monkey and her family lots of love and support!

getting to know you...

Today I am participating in Keely from MannLand5's 'Getting to know YOU' blog hop.The rules are simple: copy the questions, answer them, post the questions/answers, and link back to Keely’s blog.

Here goes:

1. The most expensive thing hanging in my closet is.....? I think an expensive pair of jeans. I have one pair of “nice” jeans (meaning they were ridiculously expensive) that I bought with a gift card. I think they were about $200. Of course they aren’t worth that now, but they once were.
2. Have you ever played a team sport? Not really. I did gymnastics and I was on a swim team. And although it was a swim “team,” it certainly wasn’t a team sport.
3. If you were a bug, what kind would you be? First of all, I don’t think I would want to be a bug. They get squished and people don’t really like them. That being said, I think I would prefer to be a “pretty bug” – that way people would be less inclined to kill me. So I’m going with a ladybug. People like them. They are cute (I think I’m sortove cute). And hopefully no one would kill me.
4. Where on your body is the worst place to get sunburned? (thanks Ian) I haven’t gotten a sunburn in a LONG time. I don’t really enjoy laying out and I don’t tan anymore. Plus, my skin doesn’t burn easily. My husband on the other hand, has more sensitive skin and has been referred to as “Lobster Boy” in the past when he didn’t put enough sunscreen on and got fried. So after asking him the answer is… face (which I think is a pretty boring answer).
5. Are you happy? Simple question. My answer: Sortove. I wish I could say ‘yes’ and have that be the truth, but it’s not. The best I can do it “sortove.” Ask me in a few weeks though and maybe my response will be different.
6. People are always abbreviating… are there any abbreviations that make your skin crawl when people use them? I don’t like LOL (laugh out loud) and WWJD (what would jesus do… partly because I don’t really believe in Jesus and also because it was way over-used).
7. Do you love where you live… or could you live anywhere? I could NOT live anywhere. I really like where I live (in terms of the town – and our home is okay). I need to live near my family and people who I can depend on. I need that support – without it, I don’t think I could function very well.
8. What, if any, extreme measures do you go to in order to keep yourself from overeating when you're full? I will chew gum – although that really isn’t extreme. I will also throw away “good” food that I can’t seem to stop eating. Like if I can’t stop eating some cookies or ice cream I will just throw them away – intentionally ruining them in the process so I won’t be tempted to retrieve them out of the trash.

Well that's it. Have a fabulous day and head on over to Keely's blog if you want to participate!

feel good friday.

It's Friday and time for The Girl Next Door Grows Up's meme - Feel Good Friday. Today I have opted to write a list of 6 things that made me happy this week.

Here goes:

1. The video Randy made me for Mother’s Day. It is priceless. It definitely was something that made me happy this past week (as were the pictures of me and Hayden from Mother’s Day)(see prior post for video and pictures).
2. Hayden’s teacher told me I look 18 – I’m 28-years-old – so this is a fantabulous compliment in my opinion.
3. Yesterday Randy told me that my hair looked good – for no reason. I had not gotten a haircut. I had not done anything special to it – although I was wearing it curly as opposed to straight.
4. I watched Parenthood, Modern Family, Brothers and Sisters, and Criminal Minds with Randy this week after Hayden went to bed. We used to do this (the "this" being watching shows together after putting Hayden to bed), but recently we had ceased the routine due to various reasons. But this week, we were able to watch a few programs together and I really enjoyed it.
5. Sunday, I gave my sister 3 bags of clothes that I didn’t want anymore. She apparently likes a lot of the items I gave her and wore clothes from her “new wardrobe” all week. It feels really good to have been able to make her happy and to have the clothes go to someone who likes them and will wear them.
6. Hayden’s bedroom is one of the Top 3 finalists in Keely from MannLand5’s ‘Rate My Space’ “competition.” Feel free to go vote for his bedroom if you actually like it (I only want it to win if it “deserves” to win)(note: Voting ends Saturday at noon).

My thanks again to 'The Girl' and her meme. 'Feel Good Friday' is a great way to end the week!

random ramblings.

• This is my 492nd post – which means that my 500th post is coming up soon… as in within the next two weeks. What should I do for it? Should I do a vlog? Should I take questions from y’all and answer them? Should I do some sort of true-false thing? I really don’t know. If anyone has a suggestion or recommendation, feel free to let me know.
• Yesterday, Randy called me ‘sweetie’. Hayden’s response: That’s not sweetie. She’s mommy. Her name’s not sweetie. I’m glad Hayden cleared that up.
• I seriously love peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. I think I am addicted or something. I want at least one every day. Generally I settle for 3 per week… but still, is this odd? (And no… I am NOT pregnant.)
• Hayden has been really into baseball lately and can actually hit the ball with the bat. I can’t even do that. My 3-year-old is a better baseball player than me. Awesome.

rockin' out can be rough.

rockin' out can be rough - it is important to wear the right gear when you are jamming out.

my mother's day 2010.

First, I want to share with you my Mother's Day present. It's a video my husband made for me featuring Hayden wishing me a 'Happy Mother's Day'. The video is adorable (in my opinion) and is only about 2 minutes long. Enjoy!

Secondly, I want to share some a few a lot of pictures from my Mother's Day.

The first set depicts pictures from an impromptu Mother's Day photo session featuring me and Hayden. While the final picture is of me, my mom, and my sister, Mary, at lunch.