Random Wednesday Update

My Munchkin has really been blowing my mind lately. He LOVES Cars {the movie} and Tinkerbell. Those are probably his favorites at the moment. But just today he was obsessed with Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. He usually doesn't interact with the cartoons {most he watches are educational and ask counting, colors, and shape questions}, well today he was answering the questions and was right most of the time!! Today was colors and counting. He got all of the colors and some of the numbers. So proud of my growing boy!

Last night was our first General Meeting for my first active year in the Junior League of Wichita. We talked about the progress over the summer and how far we have come since last year. We, as a league, are now issued based and our focus is on Child Abuse. I am more than thrilled to be on a committee to help battle this ever saddening issue in our community. Did you know that in just 1 year, in Wichita, there were 2,500 Child Abuse cases? Well that's a fact. And 30% of sexual abuse cases are happening to children under the age of 12. Breaks my heart! I am so proud to be apart of this league and trying my hardest in helping with this issue.

We also talked about Holiday Galleria. Please come and do some shopping and help us raise money to support our mission in building a better community and battling the issue of Child Abuse.

Holiday Galleria:


HolidayGalleria.org


General Admission - $8
   Friday, September 30, 10am - 4:30pm
   Saturday, October 1, 9am - 5pm
   Sunday, October 2, 11am - 4pm
Premier Party - $50
   Thursday, September 29, 7pm - 10pm
Girls Night Out - $12 in advance or $15 at the door
   Friday, September 30, 5pm - 9pm
Brunch & Fashion Show - $40
   Saturday, October 1, 11am

Lately my dear sweet Munchkin has been wanting me to paint his toes, because he always sees me doing mine. Well instead of painting his, I let him pick out my color. This week, green.

For the past year or so I have been coloring my hair myself at home to help save money, or more so that I can spend that money in other areas. Well this week I chose a different brand, Fat Foam. It is probably my favorite so far!! It was so much easier than I had thought. The only thing I did not like, well I do not mind it, but the color I bought was not the color my hair turned. I usually get the dark blonde or very light brown. My hair now you ask? DARK BROWN! Not my natural color, but I do love it nonetheless. I was thinking it was time for change, so maybe this is what I was looking for.

Munchkin's 2nd Birthday was last week and it turned out better than I could have hoped for. Sure, some of the invitations never made it to the people they were intended for, but we still had a good attendance rate. My little man got lots of goodies and everyone left with the miniature red tool boxes I made, a tonka train, and lots and lots of candy.

Cannot believe how big my baby boy is getting!! Almost 3 feet tall and 33.2 pounds.

Everyone please say a prayer for my nephew that was undergoing an endless amount of tests today in Kansas City.

No Lolly-gagging Tuesday

Boy oh boy. How did this happen? My {not so anymore} baby is turning 2 today, TODAY!!

The invitations have gone out, the RSVPs have come in, directions been given, floors vacuumed, glass wiped clean, toys put together, so now what do I have to do today to finish up getting ready for my Munchkin's 2nd Birthday Bash?

1. Get balloons from Party City
2. Exchanges to Target
3. Vacuum new rugs in basement
4. Make cupcakes, lots and LOTS of cupcakes
5. Order food to serve for dinner; you know, minor details!
6. Oh yeah, and get my hair did...

I'm sure there are many other little to-do's that still need to be done, but this exhausted, running on a couple hours of sleep, needing lots of caffeine "Mom mom" is leaving the piddly things for the birds {today}.

School and Birthdays

Usually this time of year is filled with so many emotions. Starting school, seeing old friends and meeting new ones, new school jitters, back to school shopping, supply lists miles long, syllabus' with a ridiculous amount of homework/tests, etc. But this year {along with a few in the past} I'm not the one going to school. And this year, the little Munchkin is starting school! Yes, school.

I enrolled my precious, curious, energetic, stylish, handsome little man in "Kids Day Inn" and "Musikgarden". He will be in "class" two days a week, but not full days, those are hopefully years away.

Musikgarden, not nervous for as we attended this class Spring semester of last year.

Kids Day Inn, another story. I've never left my Munchkin with anyone besides family. I know he will do fine, but it still makes me nervous {to leave him}. I have to keep telling myself that this will be good for him {and myself}. I cannot baby my baby forever, yes he's only {ALMOST} 2 years old, but baby steps I believe are the best.

Which brings me to another topic, my Munchkin's birthday!! Less than a week and he will be turning 2, TWO, II. Where has the time gone? Seriously, it's flown by. This is crazy. He shouldn't be going to "school", he should still be swaddled in my arms. This is what I miss the most, our special Mommy-Munchkin bonding times. We still have bonding time, it's just different now that he's my {in a good way} Maniac Munchkin.

In 2 years {which there is still time...} he has had to get 3 stitches on the tip of his finger, broken his leg, and almost gotten a concussion twice {one being yesterday}... Not to mention the endless amount of scraped knees.

But I've absolutely enjoyed every moment of everything {parenthood}. There is always some possitive when a negative is thrown your way. Learn from what happened and grow from it.

Cars vs Tonka

My number one on my To Do List this week? Planning my sweet pea's 2nd Birthday Party.

Theme options:
1. Cars (the movie)
2. Tonka Trucks
3. Airplanes
4. Trains

Or maybe all automobiles kinda party... I'm just doing a bunch of research to see what I like first... After all, aren't little kid's parties mostly for the adults anyways? I mean, at his first birthday party there were like 6 other kids and about 20 adults. And since I absolutely love to entertain, what better excuse is there?

So far online I've seen so many fantastic ideas for the Cars themed party, but it looks so expensive! So I'm thinking more of a low key party with just family and a few of Jack's friends. Of course the party pictures I found were from a celebrity's little one's party, so there is no doubt that that is going to be out of our price range. Should there even be a price range for a child's birthday party? I mean obviously, but it should by no means be ridiculously expensive! Just minimalist.

I believe that kids parties should not be outrageous {price wise}. But they should definitely be exploding with excitement for those little ones!

With all that said, I cannot wait to dive into this party planning for my little munchkin's 2nd birthday!!

Bittersweet Sun

It all started around three and a half years ago...

We took a family trip to Cabo {my family, and my then, fiance's family}. We were there for a week, after three days of fun in the sun all day long, I started to get hives on my stomach. After another day they went on my back and down my legs. On the fifth day they were all over my body, including blood shot eyes and even on my scalp. After getting tipsy off of benadryl {we were in Mexico, so they still had the "good stuff" in it} the night before, we all decided that this was from something I ate.

After much chatter with both families, I decided that I needed to head over to the resort "doctor" {I use this term lightly here because I do not believe he was an actual doctor with a medical license, I more so believe that he read a book or two on the topic and then just decided that was good enough}. He hardly spoke English, and what I could make out hardly made sense. After much difficulty communicating, he made a phone call. I figured this was to get a translator. Boy was I wrong.

Ten minutes later an ambulance pulls up out front. Keep in mind I came into the "doctor's" office straight from the pool with just a swimsuit and shorts on. There were two EMTs, one spoke ZERO English {we'll call him Frank}, and the other spoke perfect English {we'll call him Ted}. Praise the Lord. While Ted told me what was going on, Frank tried to get an IV in my arm. After five minutes of trying without success and not to mention the most pain I've been in in a long time, Ted tried and got it right away... Must have been Frank's first day. I begged and pleaded that going to a {Mexican} hospital was not what I wanted to do, but Ted explained to me that since the resort "doctor" said this is what I needed, this is what has to be done.

This all started before lunch.

The only thing I remember about the ride to the hospital was that it was very cold in the back of the ambulance. Both my parents came with me and when we arrived to the hospital, they would not let me walk or even sit up in the bed. They rolled me into a huge empty room and the EMTs walked out. Right after they left, about five male "doctors" came in and told my parents to wait in the hall and locked the doors {again, nobody spoke English}. After the doors were locked, they proceeded to take my shorts off and tried to take my swimsuit off. I started freaking out and screaming for my parents. Again with this damn language barrier. Ted started knocking on the {locked} door and after a couple of the "doctors" exchanged glances, one opened the door. I was never so happy to see an English speaking stranger in my life. Right behind him were my parents. As soon as those three people came into the room, one of the "doctors" hooked some kind of medicine into my IV and I immediately started feeling like I was floating, but at the same time having an anxiety attack.

I did not know what was going on and what to do. I felt like I was being held at this Mexican hospital against my will. Ted tried his hardest to translate what the doctors were saying, but about 30 minutes after I received the medicine {to help with my hives} he had to leave. I felt so helpless when he left. All I wanted to do was go home. Around 7pm I was finally able to find a nurse that somewhat spoke English and explained I wanted to check myself out of the hospital. She explained that this is not what the doctors recommend and would like to keep me over night. With the help of my parents, we said NO and we were out of there by night fall.

The next morning, my {then} fiance and I were on a plane home and I was at my doctor's office within an hour of landing. Turns out I have a sun allergy. She explained that this allergy can last around 4-7 years. Last summer I thought I had kicked the allergy early as I did not get any hives all summer long, until the last weekend at the lake {we were there for four days}. On the last day, sure enough I started getting the hives on my stomach and forehead.

So now I know that I cannot spend more than three days out in the sun all day long. I have had so many people tell me that it is so many things other than a sun allergy. But I have tried not using sunscreen, changing the brand of sunscreen, changing my laundry detergent, changing my soap and lotion I use, etc. Nothing has worked.

Yes, I still go to the pool. Yes, I still lay out. Yes, I am better about wearing sunscreen and a higher SPF than before. Yes, I still get hives. And yes, they do itch. The only thing I miss about Mexico, is the benadryl.

Butter Fingers

Last week we got my little Munchkin a {green} blow up baby pool that we placed on our deck and filled over the "Max Fill Line". He loved it. Especially loves to throw his {green} plastic chair in it. 

Yesterday I was laying out for what seemed to be like hours, with my Munchkin's monitor on his favorite green chair, close but not too close, to his pool. After only 30 minutes, I could bare it no longer and decided to call it quits. I grab my towel, phone, and monitor. 

What happens next, I do not know why. But I decided to grab some of my Munchkin's toys out of the pool and the monitor slipped from my grip, and tumbled to the bottom of the pool and immediately shut off. 

Shoot. 

For the next thirty minutes I was turning our house upside down looking for our old monitor {that does not have a camera or screen to see my sweet baby boy snoozing}. Very sad day it was. But I did find the monitor and snuck into his room to set it up while he snoozed. 

I want to get another monitor, but we'll see... I am going to try to get used to this one first. 

RIP video monitor.

The Hunger Games Trilogy

 

In 12 short days, I have finished the Hunger Games Trilogy {The Hunger Games, Catching Fire, and Mockingjay}. Boy could I not read it fast enough. Every night I did not want to put these books down. So for the past week and a half, I have stayed up late, read through nap time, and read when I could not fall back asleep in the wee hours of the morning.

These three books filled my thoughts and dreams every day and night. It was so fun being sucked into Panem through the eyes of Katniss Everdeen. If I closed my eyes I could see into the Hunger Games, her District {12}, the Capitol, and all of Panem in general. The romances that develop between these characters. The hunts. The love. The terror. The chaos. Everything.

I truly enjoyed these books, and believe I will even read them again {soon}. So if you are interested in being thrown into the Hunger Games feet first, then pick this trilogy up, you will not be disappointed.