Category: Everything Else

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Everything Else

Blended

Confession. Jason & I had not been on a date night since before Lucy & Zach were born two years ago. We’ve done a few lunches out while my parents were in town. But a proper, kids-in-bed-let’s-go-out hadn’t been accomplished for two years.

We can blame high maintenance getting to bed babes, or extended breastfeeding, or not having babysitters lined up or even just laziness on our part. So to say, we were due for a movie night out just us is putting it mildly!

The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon has become a DVR’d favorite for us. And we loved the show where Adam Sandler & Drew Barrymore were on together recently talking about their upcoming movie Blended. Then we’d seen a few trailers of Blended & both thought it looked pretty cute too.

So when an email popped up inviting me & a guest to watch Blended, I called my aunt to confirm she was free to watch TV & read while L & Z {hopefully} slept, clued the husband in & replied YES!

Blended

It was a rainy, rainy night, one perfect for pjs, but instead we went to the movies! Admittedly, I don’t get out to the movies often. So being out after dark, holding the husband’s hand & a bowl of popcorn was a treat, but I really enjoyed this movie.

Suz's Treats Blended date night
Our phones had both died at movies so this is best selfie we could manage once we got home. Yay for date night!

Blended was a hit for us ~ a cute combination of favorite actors, sweet story line & the perfect amount of romance & comedic laughs. My husband loved Shaq’s appearance in the film & my fellow movie goes & I all laughed out loud with the actor who will always be known as the Old Spice guy’s silly singing antics.

We went to see Blended for a fun, adult night out, yet this film could be family hit also as the children/teen actors do a great job & keep the laughs & poignant moments rolling too. As a mom, I might’ve had tears twice. The scenes between Jim {Adam Sandler’s character} & his daughters’ pulled on my heart strings.

Were we shocked by the ending, no. But I didn’t come to see if for a stressful, suspense that’d leave me with nightmares. Instead I left with a smile on my face & a further appreciation of my sweet husband & family.

If you haven’t seen the movie trailer yet, jump over to www.blendedmovie.com. And if you’re looking for a fun date night movie, go check out Blended, opening in theaters today!

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Everything Else

On the Verge of TWO

L & Z will be two in 15 or so days (depending on when you count from starting to listing this post). It was just around this time two years ago that Z’s water broke cutting our pregnancy short & starting the chain of events that lead to their May 21st birthday. So wild to me how something can seem so long ago & also still such a big event forever seeming like yesterday in my mind.

My last monthly update was right after 18 months. Since they’re now talking. Oh the talking. Cracks me up & exhausts us too. But more wonder & awe than annoyance by far. They’re little sponges taking it all it & it’s so funny what they repeat & spit back out.

They’re getting so big. As I type on the way back from their second wedding (both of Jason’s nephews have been married this spring!), L & Z are napping off a big Cracker Barrel lunch. Where they ate all their shared grilled cheese & steak fries, half my grilled chicken tends, half my apples (& half the extra order) & half our biscuits. Then they asked for “crackies” (a mix of crackers & cookies- their term for teddy grahams) when we got back in the van. We’re a little nervous what our grocery bill will be for high schoolers since they’re eating us out of house & home as not quite two year olds!!

Lucy’s current outfit is 2t top & 3t leggings baggy. She was wearing a randomly big enough 18-24 onesie & 2t shorts before she peed out of it though. 90% of the time Lucy’s in 2t while squeezing occasionally into a big 18-24 or 24 mo item.

Z’s in Carters 24 mo onesie & 2t Circo shorts right now. I love onesies for traveling & will be sad when they outgrow these 24 mo ones I keep for car trips. Z’s summer closet is 90% 18-24 mo. A few 12-18 Crazy 8 or Gymboree shorts that run big & also 2t shorts or pants if they have adjustable waist (I think those will be staple for Z for years to come!).

I’m looking forward to getting official height/weight at their 2 year pediatrician appointment on the 22nd. At L’s March ENT follow up they said she was 36″ tall. Z is just an inch maybe shorter. They like to weigh themselves on our bathroom scale (they enjoy that way more than me)! I’d guess L is around 28-30 lb & Z more like 25-27 lb.

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Everything Else

February Update

It’s been a month since I’ve made a post here. The longest ever. But it wasn’t as if I wasn’t busy. In that time, I had a bad cold, & then we traveled up to VA for a fun weekend with family where I got some rest while L, Z & I gave our colds to everyone else. {Welcome to life in a toddler petri dish.}

The following week, it snowed a lot. And I was stuck on the iced roads with L & Z. I cried & prayed while they slept until we reached our driveway. I drank a beer at 2p to recover. Once I was back at work, it was crazy catch up time.

And Raleigh thawed out just in time for us to discover a hernia issue in Zach which meant a day of doctors’ appointments & fear of emergency surgery. Only to be told Tuesday afternoon, while not an emergency, he needs surgery soon. Wednesday am, I set up surgery for Wed the 26th. Wednesday afternoon, I get a call from daycare that L’s throwing up.

Her stomach bug & accompanying fever meant I was home {& by home I mean Target} with her to miss the urologist surgery scheduler’s phone call. No big deal. Just moving up Zach’s surgery to the following day {what we’d originally preferred}.

And after L woke up from a long nap, I discovered her random vom & 101.7 fever Wed weren’t a fluke as her temp was 103.2. Sigh. Off to the ped we went to rule out ear infections, lung infections, flu etc. After the all clear, I made furious & desperate calls to family to make sure my awesome Dad could come down asap to watch L while we were with Z at hospital.

No more vomiting or fever from Lucy &  Zach’s surgery was a big success. Even being an hour delayed {meaning almost 12 hours without food or milk}, he did great playing in pre-op & coming around in my arms. He spent the weekend recovering with us & my parents {who also cleaned, cooked & went shopping with me to stock us up on food}!

So now we’re up to last week. Dentist appt meant I had the chance last Tues for a bit of solo consignment sale shopping & a much needed pedicure {calmest part of my month?!}. Thursday afternoon, we got the all clear, he looks great post-surgery release from Z’s urologist! Yay!

He {& L} were fussy, so we hit up their favorite Chick fila for take out dinner. {Did I tell y’all they ate 14 nuggets between the two of them last time we ate there? No, well I just did. It was amazing. Toddlers. Sigh how much are they gonna eat as teens?!} Good idea turned out not so good when the stomach bug hit Zach hard mere minutes after finishing his bedtime sippy. And again 3 more times on me before we finally crashed 4 pjs later {thank goodness I overbuy pjs!} at 2a. Lil dude was so upset after he’d get sick. I just held him. And he chilled at home with J last Friday while I worked & L played at daycare.

A relaxing, vomit-free weekend in the 60s & 70s seemed like spring had arrived & my practically PTSD over driving in snow was far behind us. Until I checked my phone last night & read the weather had turned & Raleigh was preparing for icy/snow conditions. Again. This time on March 3rd.

And now I’m caught up. Thankfully, work let us go early enough I was driving to & from daycare & home in rain wet roads. And while the air turned super cold {my phone says 22 now}, other than a lil freezing rain, sleet & dusting of snow, we missed getting too much of the white stuff I’m so over. Daycare & work are opening at 10a. Fingers crossed, healthy L & Z let me sleep til 7! And let me enjoy lunch plans with 2 friends this weekend before we skip off to GA for a family weeding! Never a dull moment here, but we’re loving life in the midst of the craziness!

At some point {when weather & sickness don’t having me feeling exhausted}, I’ll add a sprinkling of photos to this post! L & Z are so big now!!

Categories
Family/Travel Motherhood Reading

Why We Read

There’s a newish blog out there co-written by a group of busy moms who champion their continued love of books, we still read. And while I haven’t been able to keep up with all their posts or {even recently} my own reading, I love the idea behind managing to find little bits of time to keep up with book reading in between raising kiddos & sharing it online.

Wednesday night, as L & Z sat together sharing their toddler elephant chair each with their own book & then L jumped in my lap while we tried to capture a still photo of Zach stacking up his current favorite books then sitting on them to read on his own, I thought, THIS is why I read. This is why I read to them. This is why they will sometimes see me reading. Raising little readers (lil book nerds!) brings me so much joy.

Snow Day Reading

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Everything Else Motherhood

Not Giving Up

Did you think I gave up on this ole blog? Almost. It seems like the time to sit & write & share is nil these days.

I’ve successfully stopped pumping. Which means I have my work lunch break time back to eat, run errands, catch up on work or make up time from being out at doctor’s appointments. But it also means that the 30 minutes I had {at one point three times a day} to sit quietly somewhere & read or blog or play on IG is also gone. My blog writing & reading has suffered. And for that, I’m sorry.

I find writing & sharing on here cathartic, & I miss the blogging community. So blogging, you’re moving up on my night time priority!

Look for posts soon on Christmas, having 19 {almost 20} month olds, {finally} sleep training L, relearning to eat & a few Liberating Working Moms posts too. Happy New Year friends!