Grocery Store

Yesterday, I did something brave.  I went to the grocery store.

With a full shopping list.

WITH Ally Grace.

Right before naptime.

(You're feeling a little nervous for me, aren't you?)

We were doing alright, actually.  I was speeding through the store like I was on that random show where people run around the grocery store, throwing stuff in their cart, trying to finish in the least amount of time.  What was that show called?

Also, am I eighty years-old?

After about 20 minutes, I can sense that AG is reaching a certain pre-fussiness stage.  You moms know what I'm talking about.  I reach into the cart and hand her a random box to play with.  To avoid the inevitable meltdown phase.

And guess what?  It works!!  She's clutching that box in a death grip, like it's her new favorite toy.

I notice a few people looking at us as they pass by.  And I'm all, oh AG really does look so cute in her little outfit.  They're totally noticing how cute she is.  Wait, that lady just gave me a pretty weird look.  I mean, I'm not looking great, but at least I'm not in sweatpants.  (Yoga pants are clearly different than sweatpants, right?.)

At which point I look down to realize that AG is now chewing on a box of tampons.

At least it wasn't condoms.

13.5 Months

Dear Ally Grace,


You’re 13.5 months old! I know, I know, most moms do this at major milestones, like 12 or 18 months. Some moms even do this every single month….all I can say is, you clearly don’t have most moms.

(Unless “most moms” include those who watch the Real Housewives of Atlanta, eat too much candy, and are a little OCD about stainless steel wipes.)

(I’m sure there are others like me out there.)

(Right?!)

You DO have a mom who loves you like crazy. And may or may not embarrass you in the future.

(Secretly, I sort of look forward to that.)

Anyway, you are SO big these days! (Literally, SO big. My arm is starting to go numb when I carry you around…if you could just start walking, that would be great.)

(On the other hand, if you could just stop the growing up, that would be great too.)

(Confusing.)


It seems like you just woke up the other day saying about 37 new words. Some of your favorites:

Mama (clearly)
Dada
JaJa (Jackson)
Baby
Uh-oh
Ribbit
Please
Grrrr (okay, I know it’s not an actual word, but it’s so darn cute to watch her point to a bear and go “grrr,” that I had to include it. Another favorite is “baaaa.”)


And I can’t think of any other words, even though I know there are more. Which is what happens when you forget to blog for 2 weeks.

Your LOVE reading books…..hallelujah! You will crawl into my lap with a book, and make me read it to you. Over and over.

And over.


Your favorite book is Brown Bear, Brown Bear. Or as you call it: “Grrrrrr, Grrrrrr.” Sometimes I have to hide it just so you’ll do something else for a few minutes.

(Or because mommy has it memorized, and by the 37th time she reads it, wants to literally poke her eyes out.)


You also really love to dance. You come by that honestly, since your dad and I will clearly one day be the embarrassing old people on the dance floor, trying to “get down with the young folk.”

(This will definitely happen at your wedding.)

(A little something to look forward to.)


You’re eating all regular people food, drinking whole milk, and almost, almost walking! You love your push Disney Princess car, and will push it until you run into something. At which point you look up at me and say, “uh oh.” Totally and completely adorable.

You are so fun these days! And just when I think it can’t get better, it does. Like today, when I found a little mini-dreadlock matted into the back of your hair.

I mean, it doesn’t really get more fun than that.

(You may be sporting some baby dreads this Thanksgiving.)

I love you, you little 13.5 month old presh!

Love,
Your adoring mother, who sometimes acts crazy, and may occasionally come up with some weird meal combinations, but at the end of the day, will do absolutely anything for you.

Including cutting off your baby dreadlock.

Maybe.

Octoberween-ish, with Some Beach and Other Stuff

Last week, out of nowhere, AG literally started doing baby sign-language.  And I was all, OH MY GOSH, LOOK AT MY BABY GIRL!!!  MY MOTHERING SKILLS MUST BE SO AMAZING!! 

(No).

I mean, I had only worked on sign language a handful of times before I got lazy  inconsistent distracted (by something important, I'm sure).  AG must literally be a baby genius to have picked it up so quickly.

While picking AG up from preschool on Tuesday, I casually mentioned her new skillz to her teacher.  Who then promptly told me that they had been working baby sign language for the last few months, and HOW EXCITING that Ally Grace was finally picking it up!

Ahem.

But none of that really has to do with the last month, which I am about to boldly recap in list form.  I might even do something rash and throw letters in with the numbers.

I'm crazy like that.

After AG's bday party, we went on a beach trip with the Bagwells.  It was awesome!  And hopefully they still want to hang out with us, even though I managed to be a grandma and fall asleep at 9:30 every night. 

Look how crazy brave we were, with all 3 kids! 



I love how AG's all "haaaaayyyyy, girl, what's up?"

The boys got to have swinging contests.......

And the girls got to play on the seesaw......

....right before THIS happened.  (No baby was harmed in the making of this picture.  Although a certain mommy may or may not have run over screaming, WHAT DID YOU DO!?!?  After picking herself up off the ground of course, b/c what you didn't see was Sherri on her rear end on the other side).  

The trip was awesome, and we loved every minute....thanks for having us, Betsy and Brad!

By the way, the day we left the beach was our SIXTH anniversary!  Sitting in the car with a baby who is not shy about letting us know she's unhappy in her car seat is JUST the way we imagined spending it.

Or not.

But we DID get to go out on a date that night at Craftbar.  (Much better anniversarying, in my opinion.)

Bahahaha, do you not love the painting behind us?!  My favorite part is how the cow seems to be sniffing my hair.  That's some artful picture-taking, my friend.

After that, we ended up at the movie Life As We Know It.  Which, in spite of John's constant boo-hooing, was great.

(Wait, what?  That wasn't John? 

I really can't remember exactly what happened.)

Finally, at the end of October, my brother-in-law, got married!  It was a beautiful wedding, the bride and groom looked amazing, and the band did a really awesome rendition of "Low." Unfortunately, I have NO pictures from the night, except this one that Jenny took:

I promise we're not being creepers, Kerie was actually just days away from delivering Mary Sloan, and we were trying to coax her to come out and join the fun.

And how could I FORGET Halloween?

We dressed AG up as an adorable little monkey, and then used her cuteness to scam our neighbors out of Halloween candy. 

Muahahahahahaha.

And let's just be honest, here's what I mainly did last month:

This little, almost-walking, presh takes up all my time these days, but is so incredibly worth it. 

Whew, what else?!  It was such a busy month.  I apparently got overwhelmed with everything I wanted to blog about, and decided to cope by watching tivoed episodes of Private Practice and Vampire Diaries. 

(Which is obviously efficient, and probably the very key to handling stress.)

I promise to do better this month, blog-readers.  I'll make sure to keep you updated on the fun and exciting happenings of my life.  Like the other day, when this girl was like, oh I could never pull off your outfit, but it's so cute on you,  which I am pretty sure really means, your outfit is butt ugly and I wouldn't be caught dead wearing it. 

Yeah.  Exciting things like that.

 

(And I just realized that this list thing never happened.  My apologies to all you list-lovers out there.)

Did You Know.....

.....that our newly opened local Costco sells Rock and Republic jeans for EIGHTY-EIGHT dollars!?!?!?!
I might have had a hot flash while looking at them.  And I'm not sure why that would even make sense, but I said it, and I'm leaving it. 

When I told John that $88 for R&R's was about the same as giving them away on the corner for free, he didn't buy it.  Nor did he fail to notice when I casually tried to sneak them into the cart.

WHY are men so perceptive when it's inconvenient?

I have a LONG blog post coming soon.  Involving all of October.  I know this makes you want to either
A) wait excitedly for me to quit being so lazy and upload some pictures
or
B) run for the hills, because we all know I can get my word on.

Yes, I embarrass myself.

Happy Friday!