Is there something on my face?

I love watching Elem eat and seeing how carefree he is when he is doing it! He enjoys every single bite and works so diligently to keep it on the spoon all the way to his mouth. It is adorable. He usually ends up looking something like the pic above. I love messy faces-even though messy clothes stress me out. :)

What I love most Mondays

I have sooo many things I am contemplating writing about for this Monday! I even had to ask Seth's opinion on which one to choose. So..needless to say throughout the week I will be writing on the other topics that were close in the running to make it for, What I Love Most Mondays!

This Monday I am seriously thankful for getting to dress a little boy! Haha. How many times do you hear me say, "girls clothes are everywhere, and they are all different, and they are all adorable!", "but there are hardly any boy clothes at all! It drives me crazy. However, I secretly LOVE digging through clothes racks (when I have time) and grabbing shirts on sale, and putting them together with a hand me down pair of shorts to make them just the right style. I am so proud to say that Elem totally sports the style that Seth and I love and actually really fits his personality. We are so not character people, as I like to say, and you will not catch me EVER purchasing an article of clothing with an animated figure on it. I just cant do it. Much less a pair of shoes. So, I stay true to our roots-a little bit hippy along with a little bit comfy, with a dash of cool colors! And there you have it, Elem Zane's style.

At the same time of me LOVING going chopping for him, way more than going shopping for me, getting him dressed is a totally other question. So for now, we will just stick to getting picking out his clothes! I love planning out his outfits, picking the shoes, all of it, and I so love when I actually do get his dressed, how freaking cute his outfits are!

Now I know all mothers love dressing their kids, and we all love seeing how cute they are in outfits, but it is even more than that. I truly feel that how Elem is dressed daily is a reflection of me and Seth. I love finding some sweet pin stripe pants, that no toddler would ever wear, because that is totally us. I love finding a cool retro looking t-shirt on sale at Dillards-because that is totally us. I love getting him converse of all colors and styles-because that is most definitly Seth and I, and I love finding the perfect newsboy hat to finish off an outfit, because that is so us! haha! It is just so fun. And even though it is very minute in the grand scheme of things-I really dont spend much money at all! i am a total bargain shopper and I love to see something so cheap looking so good on my kid. :) Snobby? Conceted? Neh, just trying to keep my kid stylish, and hopefully show who he really is from day one.

Here are a few of my favorites at random, starting from a while back:

Tye-dye from the beginning. You can thank me for that one-I HAD to have that outfit.


Boom box jacket, tight jeans, and Vans slip ons-another fave.


I used to LOVE the one piece outfits-they are just to sweet.


Another one piece on the beach-perfect for the sand and sun!


Hurley time: hurley t-shirt, hurley sweater vest, and some Kenneth Cole shoes


Lumber jack hat? who doesnt love a lumber jack hat??


Distinguished urban.


Slightly preppy, with the collar out over the fitted knit sweater.


Chillin with the skinny jeans, converse and another favorite hurley button up.


Newsboy plaid hat, pin stripe pants, and knit sweater perfect for Easter.


hello? How fun is this! i love looking back at these pics and they get me so excited about buying even more clothes for the seasons to come. I am such a nerd, but I LOVE it! Hope this post doesnt sound snobby or bragging like, I just LOVE dressing my kid. It seriously brings me so much joy. Anybody else out there just LOVE dressing your kid??? It seriously brings a smile to my face when I see the outfit come together as a whole, and I cant wait to get him out of the house. No matter if it cost $5.00 or $25.00 showing off your style is fun any time of day and for any event! Any shopping tips? Feel free to send em my way. i am currently on the look out for some new shoes and sweet summer shorts.

Happy Monday!

Thank goodness for Grandparents

Can I get an Amen? What would we working mothers do without grandparents??? Seth and I are sooo lucky to have 2 sets of parents who are willing to help out whenever they can. And we are even luckier to live less than a mile away from one set of grandparents. I was so thankful to Grammy and Poppa for offering to take care of sick baby Elem yesterday when I had t go in to work. I had to speak to a group of about 120 kids so there was no way I could skip out, and no way I could drag a sick little boy along with me-it would have been just miserable. But like I said, Grammy and Poppa offered to keep him all day long, which meant the sick little boy would get spoiled all day-which is actually just what he really needed. I hate taking him back to school a day too early just because I really need to go in, when I know he is still worn out and drained and just wants to be held on and off all day long.

So again-THANK GOODNESS FOR GRANDPARENTS! Thank you Grammy and Poppa for taking such good care of Elem Zane when mommy couldnt. We are so lucky to have you so close by. :)

(Since I dont have my camera to take a picture this week, I decided to take it back a few months-a whole lot of months really-I believe about 22 months to be exact!




Elem is doing much better and will be back at school today. He has been fever free for about 24 hours-so we will call it close enough! One of the many perks of being the director at the child care your kid goes to. Hopefully he can stick it out the whole day, and get some good rest at nap time. Happy Wednesday-the week is almost halfway over!

What I Love Most Mondays

Today was a little tricky at first...I went to bed with a snotty nosed, coughing baby with fever, and woke up to the same little sick baby. :( After a trip to the doctor, the inevitable was stated-a double ear infection. I hate those words-but they seem to be such a re-occurring statement in the life of my short lived little boy. For some reason I thought the length of time I breast fed-10 and 1/2 months to be exact, would somehow assist in the healthiness of my baby, but it seems as if he is just as sick as any other baby around-if not more. He has had terrible ear infections pretty much since the day I stopped breast feeding, and they have just never stopped. I asked about tubes today, but they said ear infections clear up about age 2 and to wait it out one or two more months to see how it goes. Then we will go from there.

So for now, I have spent my day holding a sweet, but whiny 23 month old, 31 pound baby boy! Ever tried carrying around 31 pounds all day long? Well it is no joke. Nothing more a mom wants than to hold their sick little one, but these days it is getting harder and harder since Elem is growing bigger and bigger! But I did my best, and the silver lining in the whole day, what I absolutely love most about this Monday, is after a nice hot bubble bath, after medicine is given, after hair is brushed, after sippy cups are filled, and after a blankey is grabbed with lots of love-even in the saddest of ways, I get cuddle time. Time to just lay on the couch, with Elem right on top of me, cuddled to his blanket and cuddled with me, eyes closed, nose stuffed up, and all worries set aside. It is so amazing. To just look at him and kiss the top of his head, checking him for fever, and rubbing his back, just to let him know I am here, when he is really already pretty much asleep and could probably care less what I am doing. Soothing a sick toddler almost makes you feel like they are a baby again, and they REALLY need you. Like they are totally dependable on you. It is rewarding....rewarding to know that you are still needed and that for that very moment -YOU are the most important part of their world. You are making them feel better. I am making him feel better. SO in a selfish way-that is what I love most about this Monday. Cuddling-and feeling important. :) Happy Monday! What are you Happy About today?

2 points Baun Baun

One of my favorite phrases that Elem has been saying for quite a while is "2 points, Baun Baun!". Wonder where he got that from or what it means? Well he got it from his daddy and it means, 2 points Bron Bron, as in LeBron James. Elem is a basketball freak and not only does he LOVE to play the game-on his mini 3 foot goal that is- but he loves to watch it on TV. And I am beginning to think he ACTUALLY knows when LeBron James is on TV. Its quite weird, but true. Seth taught him to say it in just a few minutes and he has never gone back. He realized that we both got a kick out of it when he said it, and so the story goes from there. He likes to lay down on top of my before he falls asleep-his back on my stomach, cuddling with his blankey, and sipping on his drink of choice, while he watches the games play on TV. Then out of no where you will hear him yell out, 2 points Baun Baun!. ANd he really means it. And it is only when he scores too. When he misses, we often hear him say, "Aw man".

Just a little something to get you all geared up for Playoff Season-NBA playoffs for those non sports fans out there.

Any similarities? haha

Elem


vs. Braun Braun

A boy and his dog

Elem has really started becoming more and more aware and excited about Sage being around. He has always had a slight infatuation with her, but it has only been recently that she has showed any kind of affection back towards him. Sage was my first baby, and my first "child" I ever spoiled. She still has accidents in the house ever now and then, goes outside without a leash, morning and night to roam the streets for a few minutes, and pretty much can whimper for us to jump up and do something for her. However, with Elem, came a little less attention, which was really hard for her! I still can tell she feels neglected sometimes, which is why I am sooo happy they are really starting to like each other a little better. Elem has always been a fan of Sage's, but he was never really steady enough to make her feel comfortable. But about 2 weeks ago, we were getting ready one morning, and Elem and Sage were both on the bed, we were petting Sage, and she started licking his fingers. he LOVEd it and that continued for a few days. After a couple of days of that, I caught Sage licking Elem's face-and was in almost shock! She totally Loves him! i knew it. :) Of course ever since then I have been trying to push him on her every chance I get to get her to show him some affection and to know that it is okay to love on Elem-he is not going to hurt you Sage.

So the love saga continues-

they both want to be in control at all times. Both feeling the need to lead. Not sure why this is, but both feeling the need to get all of the attention, all of the time. And never wanting to "give in" just wanting to stick to their ways. Hmm...wonder where they get that from? That sounds nothing like me. haha!

Yet..they always seem to work it out.

They really do have fun together. And they really do connect on a level I thought would take many more years to reach. Each morning, Elem opens the door for Sage and he wants to let her in from going outside, all by himself. he always wants to include her to get on the bed when we are on our bed in our bedroom just playing around, and he even invites her in the bath, every chance he gets. He keeps her well fed-even though sometimes he doesn't realize he is doing it, and her toy stash has greatly increased since Elem came into the world due to the number of stuffed animals she has taken over, although they really weren't for her. I love to see Elem's love for animals and I am so glad he is not afraid of Sage. She has never bit him, and has only snapped at him about 2 times ever! So we are looking to a long a happy life together-for these two. :)

Expandable what?

Since when did they start making expandable waists in little boy's pants?? I am so confused. I knew that they existed in little girls clothes but I had NO idea they existed in little boy's clothes! I have several pairs of pants for Elem that were more like winter pants, and were so cute-Hurley to be exact, and I just realized yesterday that they had expandable waist in them! Meaning that they have a little notch on each side that allows you to tighten and loosen the waist as needed for your child. So you CAN purchase those 2T size clothes and simply tighten the waste, rather than buying the 18-24 months and forcing them to have it super tight across the tummy all day long. I feel silly but I had no idea they had those! What a great invention. I wish they had those for my size. Hmm.maybe they should add that, to make those of us who have had a baby feel a little better about ourselves-we could buy a size 8 and just let it out to the last button and it just might fit! Ha! I love them, they are going to save me lots of money in buying clothes for Elem-so long current trend, and hello 2Ts from last season! Dont worry Elem, we can make it work. :)

What I love Most Mondays

Eat like nobody is watching:

Well its that time again, ALREADY! For..What I LOVE Most About Mondays-And sadly I haven't posted anything since last Monday. :( But... I will do better this week. I am excited though to post what is on my mind, and what I love the very very most about this Monday. And that-in a nutshell, is "the little things".

And when I say little things, I am sure any mom knows exactly what I am talking about. I hear myself about 50 times a day say, "Look at Elem". just to have someone, other than myself, catch him doing something that is so cute to me, that I can't even stand it. haha. Even though many of the times that I hear myself saying that in my head and then I turn around and realize that there is no one else there to say that too. Its so amazing to think of all the things that run through my mind every day, and every few minutes for that matter, that seem to take up all the time in my day. And then to see the things that actually keep me smiling, and how they take up literally moments or seconds when they are happening. Sometimes the most important, or most moving, and meaningfull things that happen in one entire day, are the teeniest and tiniest things. Luckily I have Elem to keep me on my toes, and keep me remembering what is so important and what really makes us happy or smile through out the day. For right now, I am forgetting about all the things I need to get done at work, all the things I need to get done with my house, all the things I need to get done money wise, meetings, clothes, family, all of it. And just thinking about the little things that happened today to make me smile.

Accessories make you happy. Gloves for example, can make or break an outfit. Daddy's gloves that it.


A corn dog from the pronto pup stand -at a festival. Doesn't get much better than that.


Bubbles. Everybody loves bubbles. Why wouldnt you love bubbles?


Hmmm...when I watch my kid dress up, he has no idea I am watching him. No idea he is talking out loud or that his thoughts are out in the open. No idea that he is half naked and wearing gloves that are 5 sizes to big for him. Yet he is smiling, having fun, and it is still 8am.

...when I watch my Elem eat a pronto pup, he holds it with 2 hands, takes huge bites, gets grease all over his mouth, and even offers mommy and daddy a bite of his. And then falls asleep in the car with half of it still left over. He doesnt care how messy he is, or how many calories there are in a corn dog, he just enjoys it and only eats what he needs. So careless, yet so satisfied with a minor step up from a silly ole hot dog.

...when I watch Elem play in a bubble bath-it is simply adorable. A smile consumes my face, and I cant but smile. Naked red booty right above the water line, dripping messy hair, and snotty nose, splashing all around, swimming like he is a pro in the foot of water in the bath. Talking to himself and giggling because he is having so much fun, it cant be contained.

These small things, really do make me so happy and make me stop stressing about the many things that seem to over take my thoughts throughout the majority of the day. We should all take a few seconds to let ourselves be happy in the little things that we do. We SHOULD be happy that we think our kid is cute when he/she laughs, we SHOULD be happy when we can still fit in those pair of pants we wore before we got pregnant, we SHOULD be happy when we perfectly shave our legs right before we are heading out for the night, and we SHOULD be happy when we get every single last piece of laundry put up in the correct spot that it goes in. Who cares? :) Take time to be happy in the moment-in what you are doing right now. And be just be happy. I love the saying, "Live Well, Laugh Often, and Love Much." Enjoy your Mondays.

What I Love Most Mondays

Is it just me, or are Mondays s hard to get through?? It seems like I always enter the week with a positive attitude, usually rested from the weekend, and ready to embrace the week ahead, and they always take me by surprise! Each and every week! So I have decided to dedicate my Monday nights to a short and simple blog called "What I Love Most Mondays". I want to take a few minutes at the beginning of each week, to stop being stressed out about the craziness the first day of the week has brought, but to reflect on something I loved about that day! So tonight-I begin.

What I loved most about today:

Tonight, Elem, Seth, and I were all lying on the couch, lights off, and watching a little basketball to get ready for bed. Elem was in his pajamas, and Michigan State and UNC were about to tip off for the NCAA championship game. Elem was cuddling, and were said it was time to pray. So Elem started out repeating after me,

Me: Dear God

E: Deaw dod

Me: Thank you for Daddy

E: Tank u daddy

Me: What else Elem?

E: Tank u chocut mulk

E: Tank u food

E: Tank u sissy

E: Tank u sage

E: Tank u dustin

E: Tank u daddy

E: Tank u daddy

E: Tank u daddy

Hmm......although I get left out each night, and I have to tell Elem, "Thank you for mommy". I dont care. It is the sweetest most adorable prayer I have ever heard. He loves to pray, and he just prays for whatever he is thinking about at that time. How more innocent can you get? I love it, just love it! One day he will thank God for mommy first , I just know it, and when he does, I am sure my heart will just melt. However, for now, it is melting for the fact that he is so thankful for daddy, and he thanks God for daddy consistently about 5 times each prayer, each night.

So that is what I love Most About this Monday!

Anybody else have anything they are loving about Monday? Becky, Brittney, Carolyn, Court, Steph, Khim?? I would love to see what you are thankful for at the beginning of this Pre-Easter week. :)

PlayTime with Cecilia "Sissy"

Elem and Cecilia are becoming more and more obsessed with each other every single day. It is so fun to see their friendship grow and see how they interact every time they get together. Luckily, for them, that is just about every day-at least for an hour or so. Usually, Grammy picks Elem up from school on her way home around 4:30pm and heads off to her house so Elem can see Poppa and spend a little time with the grandparents before either Seth or I get there to pick him up! However, when one of us arrives to pick him up, there is usually at least one if not both of them, whining about us having to leave. So we often hear:
"I wan go bye bye sissy house" or "wan bye bye zane" which translated means, I wanna go bye bye to sissy's house and I wanna go bye bye with Elem zane. We usually end up giving in and letting them hang out for a few more minutes after that at either our house or Ali and Dustin's.

They are for sure two peas in a pod but at the same time, they are just so totally different. Elem is very much the leader in the relationship. He seems to take control of all situations and be the one to decide which toys he is going to play with, which ones he is not going to share, which room they will play in, and where they will play outside. Cecilia is the more passive when they are together, although when she is on her own she is more take charge. So it is funny to see them fall in their roles when they meet up. They are also very verbal with each other, asking each other questions, repeating what one another is saying, and telling each other silly things when they are together. I LOVE LOVE LOVE to watch them communicate when they are off in a room by themselves. Yesterday I was watching them in Grammy and Poppas bedroom while they looked out the window at the pool. They both were talking about the "wawa out-tide"-water outside-and then started giggling hysterically.

They both love to blow bubbles


Jump off the couch or chairs


Play with pretend kitchen food and accessories


And go for rides on the four wheeler


"Wor whidda" as Elem likes to call it! The picture above is one of my faves-because it happens all the time. Since they are both only children, we only have one four wheeler at each house. But of course they both want to ride on it when at the other's house. So Elem of course gets control and it is ALWAYS his turn. And it works out to his advantage because sissy can just jump on the back and hitch a ride while he is going.

One of their latest "thing" to do together is actually really puzzeling to me and I have been grosed out by it for about a month now. But they like to go in the play house at Sissy's and close the door to play inside. Then before you know it, they have been in their talking, and squatting...and pooping together! What in the world. ????? Then I caught them the other day telling each other they were pooping, and they continue to do it together at the same time. How weird is that? Anybody else ever heard of that? So grose! But still so funny and cute all at the same time. haha!