Quick! Somebody Hit Replay!

Sometimes I really wish life had a replay button! Yesterday would definitely be on my replay list. It was simply a great day.

Why? Well I’ll break it down for you in a handy not-so-little list:

1. Morning: Started off as usual with the sweet beckoning of the little one followed by squeals of joy and jumping up and down when she spotted me coming into her room. This, of course, was followed by the tight squeeze and the slobbery kiss. Man what a way to start the morning! I have never been a morning person; rather, I prefer to sleep until lunch. With a 17 month old the chances of me sleeping until lunch are about as good as a one legged frog getting out of a snake pit. But, now I have the sweetest alarm clock – one that makes me smile instead of cringe! She is such a loving, happy baby…especially first thing in the morning.

2. Storytime: We were late, but hey…we made it just in time to sit next to our friends who met us there! My tiny one learned that an owl says “hoooo hoooo,” and she even got to make her own owl on a popsicle stick – complete with feathers! Plus, she got to use a glue stick! Major kudos to Ms. Rebecca, the storytime lady, because that glue stick earned her a spot on my tiny one’s favorite people list!  

My Tiny One's Owl

  

3. Lunch Date: My tiny one and I enjoyed lunch at IHOP with an old friend of mine. She has three beautiful girls, and two of them joined us for storytime and lunch.  She and I share many of the same ideas on parenting and childbirth, so we had plenty to talk about. It’s always nice to talk with a mama who is on the same wavelength and doesn’t think you are a nut job because of the decisions you make regarding your children! Plus, my tiny one actually ate some food! Real food! Pancakes, grapes, hash browns, and scrambled eggs with cheese! I’m convinced that she was trying to show off in front of her new friends. We must do another lunch date soon to test my hypothesis.

4. Nap: My tiny one took a nice, long nap. I was able to get some things done…I can’t really think of a mama who wouldn’t love to have a replay button for long naps.

5. Post Nap Cleaning: In case you are unaware, my tiny one has a REAL love for all things that are clean. Somehow, the messiest mama in the universe has created a germaphobe. She loves to vacuum (as evidenced by her repeatedly yelling “VAC…VAC….VAC” until someone picks her up and holds her while they vacuum), she cannot stand it if her hands get sticky, slimy, dirty, or in any way unclean, and if you give her a napkin she will use it to wipe off everything in sight (from her sippy cup to the dog’s head). On this occasion the first words out of her mouth when she woke up were “VAC.” Perhaps she dreamed about vacuuming…I’m not sure, but she was adamant that we vacuumed. So, of course we did and she was happier than a dog with two tails!

6. Post Nap Playtime: As I was winding up the cord from the vacuum my tiny one came be-bopping past me with a Belk shopping bag on her shoulder but still dragging the ground and said, “Bye Mommy!” I responded with, “Bye! Love you! Be careful! Got your keys?” She stopped mid-step and looked at me very concerned and yelled, “MONEY!” Then she promptly dropped the bag and ran to her daddy’s spare change jar to get some money. I just watched her in awe thinking “man we are going to be in trouble when she turns 16!”

7. Outside Time: Shortly after my tiny one finished pillaging her daddy’s change jar and making a fund transfer to her piggy bank she grabbed her pink crocs and beckoned me to “mmm-ON!” as she ran for the front door and grabbed at the door knob. It didn’t take long for her to discover the wild blackberries growing along the edge of the woods in our yard. It also didn’t take long for her BRAND NEW dress to get blackberry juice all over it! Picture this: she picks a blackberry, puts it in her mouth, chews it a little so all the juice is in her mouth, decides she doesn’t like it, spits it down her chest, wipes her tongue with her hand, and wipes her hand on her dress. Now repeat that process several times before mama decides to do a blackberry intervention and all I know is this: Thank God for Shout stain remover! The dress is now stain free, and I won’t be forced to ban my tiny one from the blackberries in the future!

Blackberries! Yummy...or not!

8. Nana and Poppy: We ended our day with the usual trip to my parent’s house to feed Freckles (a 3 month old calf who is very spoiled and still being bottle fed). Of course we visit with Nana and Poppy first, and then it’s time to ride the 4-wheeler down in the pasture to find Freckles. My tiny one absolutely adores all animals, and she has a special affinity for cows. Luckily my parents have lots of spoiled and petted cows. This means my tiny one can hand feed them and pet them until her little heart is content. Translated: My tiny one can hand feed and pet the cows until it is too dark to see, and then she still doesn’t want to go home.



 ♥ Freckles ♥



♥ Poppy ♥

♥ Nana ♥



As usual, by the time we left Nana and Poppy’s my tiny one was so tired she was doing the stumbling drunk walk. It was only after her nightly bath when I was rocking her to sleep that I reflected on what a great day we had. I realized that my little baby is quickly becoming a little person with her own ways of thinking and her own ideas! It is so cliché, but time really does fly by. It is crazy to think that this time last year my tiny one was just 5 months old! So much has changed since then, but one thing still remains: my tiny one has my heart, and she always will.



Mommy showing how she's got my heart "like this!"