Sometimes I'm A Push-Over

Today was the first day back to school for Audriana, after a seven day spring break. For a 4 year old, that can be challenging. Although she was eager to return, her behavior can get a little out of sorts - understandable. So today I was ready for a full report; hoping for good, but prepared for not-so-good. At her preschool, they reference timeout as "sitting in the Thinking Chair". So on a good day I'll ask "how was school?" and she'll reply, "I didn't sit in the thinking chair." And we high-five! 

How it usually goes on a not-so-good day... 

"How was school today?"

"...I sat in the thinking chair."

"Oh no [sad face]. What happened?" 

"I didn't want [lets call him Johnny] to play with me."

"Ok?"

"....so I hit him."

"Audriana... [disappointed face]" I'm very expressional.

From there I explain why it's bad to hit, and she agrees that it was not the right thing to do. However, if she sits in the thinking chair at school then she sits in the thinking chair at home; aka sits quietly in a corner with no toys or snack, for about 5 minutes.

So today... was a not-so-good day [sad face]. And it went along the lines of the above conversation. Immediately I told her she was going to have to sit in quiet time when we got home. The remainder of the car ride went as usual, just asked her questions about school, etc. 

We pull into the garage and I'm wondering if she remembers what I said. Hands full [baby carrier in one arm, bags in the other] I open her door but run inside to turn off the alarm. The next thing I know, that little stinker takes off her shoes, socks and coat... goes to the corner of the hall, and sits. Is this a trick? I'm thinking this is a trick. She just sits there. And she's quiet. I'm so confused. I can't actually wrap my head around how well she's behaving I'm pretty sure I told her to get up and go play after just 1 minute. 

Discipline at its finest, I know. She got me today.

Audriana 1 : Mommy 0 

Something Other Than Basketball

Yesterday while everyone around me was like ...let's go Cards! ...let's go Cats! ... I was all like I just got new shoes. A random venture off to Kohls had me falling in love with these new kicks. For awhile I've been shopping around for a comfy everyday loafer, and a nice casual bootie heel or wedge. And here's what I found!  

Vera Wang Simply Vera Loafer

Dana Buchman Wedge Bootie.

Went ahead and rocked out my loafs last night, and loved them.

Totally comfortable. Jackpot! Tonight I'm thinking of throwing on the new wedge booties, so we'll see how those do through a night. Love love love. 

On another note, my baby girl comes home TOMORROW!!!!!! 

A Bloggy Birthday

Well, I have reached my one year mark! One year of my little blog. Yippee!!!!

I'm not sure if I'm more proud just having this blog, or that I've consistently stuck to something for one whole year!? I know that sounds terrible but for me, when it comes to hobbies they come and go like seasons. This was something different, though. I just love that this became a way of writing down weekly [or every-other-weekly] events and that I can easily look back on them when I want to go down memory lane. I have literally always scrapbooked memorabilia, so this seemed like an even better way to do it. 

Of course it didn't actually start out that way. I'll be honest, I wasn't sure how this blog was going to go. I read all kinds, and everybody seemed to have "their thing". What was my thing? Just the header alone was tough to figure out. Not only do you want it to be interesting and catchy, but it needs to be original. After a handful of different names I just settled on one... A Little Bit of This and That ... which in fact, was not original. There was another blog out there that had the same title, but it dated back to many years ago so I took the risk [thanks for sharing, title twin]. Moving forward, I finally had my name - in case you're confused, my current blog name was obviously not the original one I began with; here is where I changed it. After you have the name, then it's go-time! But what to write about? Shockingly, I had a ton of stuff I wanted to blog about. My preference in fashion, beverages, you name it. I even began motivational posts once a week. Whether it be mentally, emotionally, or physically, I loved the idea of possibly providing any kind of motivation. I like helping people. Love it, actually.

From there, I just started throwing in random events that our family encountered, or work events I was privileged to attend with my husband. The funny part about it all was pulling out my phone to snap pictures of e-v-e-r-y detail. Literally, you begin getting looks from people like you're crazy. Can't really blame them when you're taking pictures of a food buffet as if you've never seen one before, or oil stains on the ground because it's shaped like a heart. Dedication, at its finest.

One year later, I'm still taking random photographs to document. Although, it's with less consciousness. I just do it. Even my dear husband will wait to take a bite of his food with the expectations of me snapping a photo. Of course it's not without one of his clever remarks, "...hashtag cold food." But he loves me. 

Last but not least, I must give credit to one of my favorite gals, Katie, for inspiring me to do this bloggy thing. I remember the day I bugged her about the whole idea. At the time she was about 5 or 6 months into her own blog, so undoubtedly I had a lot of questions. In a way she sort of gave me that "just do it!" push. And so I did! If you get a chance, definitely hop on over to her page. Just be prepared for some serious adorableness of her latest creation - her son, Bennett!! 

Well here's to you, blog! Hoping for many more years together!

Now that's an oxymoron if I ever heard one.

"Monday Monday..."

This song is stuck in my head and I don't know WHY?!

 

Anyway... yes it's Monday, folks. And I haven't the slightest idea on what to write about today. I had a dentist appointment this morning and oh my goodness, it never gets easier. Well, no... I take that back. I remember when I was younger I had to do the fluoride treatments - you know, that mouthguard with the air suction thingy in between your teeth you had to bite on to catch all the excess in your mouth, while the excess on your FACE just fell down your chin.  Yes those days have passed, so I suppose I could say it's a liiittttttle bit more manageable.

...at least this kid knew to wear cool shades to make do. Kudos.

Meanwhile, only 5 more days until my baby girl comes home...#myhouseistooquiet

My Daughter Left Me For Minnie Mouse

Well, spring break has officially arrived and I am at home. Yes, the absolute FIRST spring break I have not jetted/drove off somewhere for the week. There's a weird calming peace to it, though, I must say. Literally for as long as I can remember, mom and dad packed us all up [usually with a friend] and we'd drive down to Orlando for the week. I never did the Panama City, Fl spring break or any of that - didn't care to. Although, there was that one time I lived there and did experience it for the first time. Regrettably, I enjoyed it for that brief moment. But as luck would have it, I moved away and never did it again. #winning! Disneyworld/Universal was where it was at for me. Hands down. Although now I prefer more of a Hilton Head relaxed vacation, given Disneyworld can get exhausting with two kids [admit it parents!]. But with that said, I still wouldn't trade those memories for anything; nothing is more important than seeing that life in their eyes. 

Ok now I'm getting sad. 

So..... my daughter left for spring break this morning and I've been a basket case. No this isn't like a senior year trip to Cancun [yikes, my heart can't even fathom that right at this moment] ... no she's only 4. When we found out we were expecting and set to deliver after the first of the year, my parents jumped right on that and decided to take her to Disney as a nice "big sister" trip but just the three of them - to give us a short week to ourselves with little man. All fine and dandy at the time of planning said trip, but now it's here. And I'm sad. I miss her. Like reeeaaaallllly miss her. My heart was aching last night when we said goodbye. Even when Chris went to give her a hug she said "...are you leaving me?" Oh my heart!!! :( I know she's in good hands, that's not the issue. I have serious separation anxiety and sometimes it just gets the best of me. 

So here I am. Little man is asleep, hubs is being the handy man helping his dad at their house, so it's just me. It gets too quiet, so I usually put on Big Band/Swing [ch.801 Direct tv, if you're interested] and let it play. It's soothing. I don't dare turn on a movie, afraid it'll trigger something that will remind me of my girl. Yes, I am that sensitive. I cried like a baby last night.

I think it's just the whole I'm at home, while she's away thing. When I leave for a trip without the kids it still takes me a day to recover, but I know I'll be ok because I'm not home where their toys are everywhere or near the smell of their clothes/room. But I'm home! So everything reminds me of her. I opened her door this morning just to peek in and the smell of her little room just got to me. I sound like such a sap. 

7 more days, and she'll be back home. But who's counting? :) 

Obsessed

I know I've talked about this before, but switching gears a little bit. I'm still obsessing over my hair and the style I'm trying to achieve. Does anyone else have this problem? Please tell me I'm not alone in this. I'm pretty sure it's just the whole you want what you don't have sort of thing. Likely. Although I know that's not how life should be, we are just talking about hair so let's not get too philosophical on this topic.

Here's the thing. I've recently merged into this ombré trend, yet it's more gradual than most. I just can't decide how light/dark I should go/stay. Does that make sense? Here is whose hair [talk about a Dr. Seuss tongue twister] I've been obsessing with lately via my Instagram feed.

Although they all seem to look about the same, there's definitely a shade or two difference in all of them. As you can see they all have a similar complexion to my own, knowing it isn't realistic to compare ones hair to that of someone drastically different - you wouldn't compare Barbie to Teresa [the brunette barbie in case that went unknown]. 

Here's my hair process thus far.

Leaving the salon the first time we had the color a little dark than we wanted, just in case it faded. But two weeks later it's still a little darker than I'd like, so I have an appointment next week to do some toning. My ever-so-patient stylist is probably ready to give me the boot, because I seem to always text her about something! Just this morning I already begged her to let me know if any cancellations arise prior to my already-scheduled appointment. I'm that anxious and impatient. **bless you, Melissa**

Until then, let's say a little prayer that I can make a decision. Oh, and that my husband doesn't disown me after these last few hair trials. I'm going to have to start digging out change in my car seats after too long.

A BIG Kid At Heart

This past week our daughter was the absolute best. She's always a good girl, but last week she was exceptionally good!! I really couldn't stop praising her. She was brushing her own teeth, getting her own drink out of the fridge, putting her clothes/shoes on by herself, or even just finding her little brother's pacifier to calm him down when he'd be crying. She was really doing me a solid, having my own hands full feeding or changing her baby brother. Such a big helper. I was just beside myself how much of a big girl she was becoming before my very eyes [cue tears]. I was so proud in fact, I wanted to get her something special - obviously meaning we would go to the store and she could pick out one thing, anything, she wanted. 

What was this one single thing she wanted? It was something she had been asking for in the last few days, and shockingly we never had it up until this time.

Play-doh!

And yes, as you can see she wanted the motherlode. Go big or go home, right? We didn't mind, though. The happiness in her eyes were priceless. Words could not describe her excitement to get home and start playing with it. You would think this child had hit a gold mine. Well, I guess in her case she did. She started off with cute little cut outs, trying out all the different shapes it came with. But it wasn't long until one color was getting boring, and the combinations began.... 

Even I dove in and had some fun with it.

Boom.

There was a point in time when Chris really questioned who we bought the play-doh for. But putting his sarcastic humor aside, I continued with my little creations. I was loving it. Ha! [and yes I even placed them on display, I was that proud.] 

But by no means was I hogging all the play-doh. No. Audriana was busy doing her own thing.

...I'm not really sure.

With all silliness aside, we did manage to get some educational purposes out of it. 

But towards the end while mixing her colors, she didn't realize what we created when I rolled it out flat on the table. I was thoroughly impressed.

Earth!

Play-doh, after decades of entertainment you still haven't lost your touch. I'm already looking forward to more messy creations when she gets home from school today!! Ha. Chris may have been right... I may have secretly wanted it for myself. #kidatheart

Yes, I just hashtagged.

A Special Day

At first glance, the vast majority of people double take when seeing parents with children of a different race. Although now a days it's becoming more common. Regardless, I still get that look when first introducing my parents to someone new. It seems to take a second to sink in and then [lightbulb] "oh she must be adopted." [applause] Yes, indeed I am. A brief summary of that is explained here, if you're interested in catching up on that.

Moving forward, along with my celebration of birth, my parents also celebrate the day they brought me home. 1...2...3... awwwww. :) It's quite a special day, as it's known for in fact. We call it "My Special Day". Dad pops in the video and we watch the old footage of when they finally placed me into my parents' arms after several patient months of waiting. It gets us everytime. Seeing myself introduced to my grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, it's really something else. Sharing it with my own children is something special, too. Although they're much to young to understand it now, they will someday.

Even though the focus of today is celebrating my arrival, it's also a celebration of God's master planning. He always knows what He's doing, and that day He brought me to a family, to a life that was much more than I could have ever imagined. 

A bloodline couldn't define our family anymore than what we are today. They are all that I know and I am so very lucky to have them. 

Bigger Than I Am

Ever have one of those days where you are just beyond exhausted? So tired in fact, you don't even remember falling asleep by the end of the day. That's me. In the last three months life has become a lot more challenging in several different ways. The challenges aren't necessarily bad, but they do get to the extent of "Oh my gosh, will this day ever end???". Don't get me wrong, I absolutely love my life [genuinely]. Not a lot of people can say that, but I can. So even with its challenges, at the end of the day, I wouldn't have it any other way. 

With all of that said, what I'm getting at is this. With this life I so love, I have to take a step back through my current struggle and think "is this really worth stressing about?" "is it that bad?". The answer is, no. There are bigger things out there that are much more important than my exhaustion. Because where is my exhaustion stemming from? I find that it's mainly from taking care of my children. Really? That is in no way a burden, but a blessing. My husband works hard so that I can stay home with our children, raise them, enjoy them... so what am I complaining about? Am I tired? Yes. Is my head ringing of baby whines, boo boo cries, and Veggie Tale sing-a-longs? Yes. Is there juice on the floor, spiky dog toys under my feet, baby formula spit up down my back, dishes in the sink, three loads of laundry to be done? Yes.

The turnaround, is being thankful for the cries, because it means my children trust me and look to me for comfort; for the laundry, because it means we have clothes to keep us warm; for the dirty dishes, because it means we have used them for our food [we aren't starving]; and thankful for my husband, for a companion in this life that cares so much for his family that he works his darndest to make sure we live a healthy/happy life.

There are so many more battles in this life that trump my complaints of exhaustion. To go along with that realization, I decided to do something with it. The famously known radio station, WAY-FM is always promoting ways  to help the less fortunate; whether it's local in the US or in another country. My heart is always so heavy, yet so full, when I hear the stories they share. It's heartbreaking to know of such poverty around us, but then it brings a large community of people together which makes you realize there is still some good in this world. Today, I was one of those people.

After a month of hearing different promotions for these children and families that suffer from serious poverty, I decided to call in and make my own monthly pledge to help. I find myself spending money on things that are certainly less important than a pair of shoes for a child. No matter how many days I feel exhausted, at least I know I have a bed to fall into at the end of the day... some people can't say that. 

So what do I have to complain about? Life is going to throw us some challenges, but we should never feel like it's something bigger than anyone else's. Just take a breath, and pray. Pray for what it is that is challenging you, but then try to recognize your blessings and say a pray of gratitude. 

 

A New Beginning...

I am at a crossroad! I am almost at my ONE YEAR birthday of my beautiful little blog, and I've been wracking my brain on a few things.

Often times, this is me...

Married, with two kids, school, activities, events around every corner - you'd think this gal would have something to write about everyday! I suppose I do. It's more of "is this interesting enough to write about?"..."is anybody even reading this?". But I've had somewhat of an epiphany. I began this blog as a hobby. A hobby that kept me accountable to be productive about something other than my normal routines. At first, my posts came easy enough because I wasn't thinking too hard about it. [Isn't that the point?] It wasn't until I began blog hopping [a good thing] that I started finding myself a little insecure [not a good thing]. I started thinking "...oh she's clever, that girl has incredible taste in shoes, this chick should have her own cooking show...". I then started thinking, "what's so interesting about my blog?" .

The answer is, MUCH! Although it took me until now to realize that, though. Looking back to my first two months of blogging made me realize that I not only began a hobby, but I was documenting all my adventures. I have kept a journal [different stages of] my whole life. This was no different! I think the reason I struggled a time or two to write anything was solely because I was trying too hard. Instead of just putting it together, I would read it over and over again. We are our worst critics after all. But I may go easy on myself from this day forward. With our growing household, there will be plenty to write about. 

That's really all I have for today. No funny jokes, no style info, or a recipe. Just my thoughts.

A little vulnerable, but it feels pretty good.

Until next time...