First Horseback Ride

So I have this incredible neighbor, who has a couple of horses. We're going riding tomorrow (If all goes well), so tonight we were prepping the horses and the tack. Well Daddy was mowing the lawn, and Ga was asleep, so Bug came with me. Well Daddy made his way over after mowing and helped take care of her as we caught the horses and picked the hooves, getting ready for a ride tomorrow.

Well since Daddy was there, we popped her up on Joe (A Tn Walker) and she got to ride her first horse today. At 3 years old. I was so proud of the little fart I got it all on video and took pictures. She did so good! And Daddy did good too, not freaking out when she was up there. I'm such a proud Mommy!

Honestly, we've been going through a really rough time, including a funeral and some home sickness lately so I realize I haven't posted, but thankfully, a lot hasn't happened to require posting. So on that note...until next time! :)

So awesome!

Ha! My daughter is the bomb! Today she spent the whole day with Daddy and Uncle Ga. The went for breakfast, rode out to the sticks, visited Mimi at home then went grocery shopping. So she'd been gone all day, and after being gone, I couldn't wait to see her. Well a little while later I was doing laundry. So I was folding, then I was putting it away. Well I noticed her go into the bathroom a little while later, no light came on or anything, then she came back out. Well I was back in there a few minutes later and I realized, she grabbed a whole stack of wash cloths, and put them away, trying to help Mommy.

I called her in the bathroom and I was like, "Did you do that?" she nodded, not sure of what she did was right. So I asked then, "Was it to help Mommy?" and she nodded again. I smiled really big and she grinned bigger than I've ever seen and I bent down as she ran to give me a hug. We have the coolest kid in the world! Just sayin. :)

Just an Update

Bug is doing great! Yes, admittedly, her nickname has become Bug. Not sure how or when that happened, but regardless, that's what it is. LoL! She's passed out asleep right now where we had a great day today. Now that the weather is finally warming up around here, we're able to get outside and play. Today, after walking the property and finding a turkey feather, we saw the neighbors children playing, and went over so she could have a good time with them. Plus it gave me some good girl time. LoL!

Then, we come home and she tells her uncle all about the turkey feather, about petting the horse across the street, and about seeing an airplane. That's been the biggest thing for her lately. I live in a direct path from one military base to another, so there's often military air craft traffic through here. Well the other day, she was helping her daddy in the yard, and these two huge transport helicopters came over head. And they were low enough, that I told Bug to wave at them as they went by. That has been the hilight of her whole month. Everyone she talks to (including the pizza delivery guy), she has told about the helicopters going over. She's so funny.

And oh my gosh I LOVE her personality. Until she starts telling me no. Then, I don't love that part. But I do love the fact that she is ABLE to do it, after wondering for so long if she would even talk. LoL! Today proved just how hard her head was. I was doing dishes, and she insists on helping. So I was picking up some plates, well one of them was wet, where water had dripped from the top rack. So I pick up the plate and it starts to slip. Well I'm trying to keep it from falling and about an inch from her head, it drops.

So I cry out, I'm like "Oh no!" the plate proceeds to hit the top of her head right at the bottom and splits in two, falling to the floor. Here is the conversation that ensues.
Her: Mommy? Okay?
Me: Yes baby, I'm fine. Are you okay?
Her: I fine mommy! Plate broken.
Me: Yes, it's broken, are you sure you're okay?
Her: Yes mommy. (Proceeds to let me look through her hair to make sure there are no glass shards or splinters or anything.) Mommy all done?
Me: Yes baby. All done.
Her: Uh oh. Plate broken.
I shake my head at her completely unphased expression as she just keeps going. Oh my lord I'm in so much trouble! LMAO!

Last Year in Review

Yep. It's that time again, when I go through and remember all of the ups and downs of 2012. We had a lot of firsts this year, and I have a picture that shows how much she's grown. I cry every time I see it, but I think I'll share it. She's still a tiny fart, just barely fitting into 2T clothes now, but the premie onesie I have for her with the knitted booties were too big for her tiny 4 lb 7 oz self when she came home.

A few more of her firsts, she was baptized this Easter at her grandpa's church. It was something that I was amazed as well as honored to have happen at grandma and grandpa's. Grandpa was honored too. It was a great Easter this year. We were able to visit the parents and we were able to spend a great amount of time down there. She had so much fun, going to see the ocean for the first time, playing at the beach, and swimming for the first time. She had a lot of firsts visiting her grandma and grandpa. And she loved every minute of it.

In May, we had our first real conversation, and I can say now that it hasn't stopped. And I couldn't be more tickled about it. And she's saying compound words too. Like today out of the blue she said "Mommy I want a peanut butter sandwich." and it wasn't perfect but I understood it. Other things she's said lately that are intelligible have been things like "Daddy broke my ahee." - "Daddy fix my ahee." - "Daddy fix my choo choo train." - "Where'd my grandpa go?" - "Quiet mommy, I'm talking to my grandpa." on her fake phone, and I mean, the list goes on and on. And I'm amazed that she's getting these compound words and making them understandable. The other day, she was on the phone with her Mimi and Papa and told them that mommy took pictures of a peacock in the back yard with her phone.

She's growing up so fast I can't stand it. She runs through the house now and it's so funny. I remember the house I grew up in. It was 900 sq ft and I remember growing up it was HUGE! In reality, the house that we're in now, that I've been in since I was younger thanks to my dad allowing us to buy it from him is almost twice as big, and is not small by any means, but I realized watching my daughter run down the hallway the other day like it was huge, that perception is everything when you're a kid.

Then we had the thing that every parent goes through, the scissor moment. Oh yes. That made me cry. We finally got her a real hair cut and it breaks my heart every time I brush her hair. LoL! Then for Thanksgiving we had grandma and grandpa up. Well they stayed at a hotel, but they were here every morning before we got up. So after they left, for the next two weeks, I woke up every morning to "Where'd grandpa go? Where'd grandma go?" and then my aunt made it down for Thanksgiving and after she left I had to hear "Where'd Aunt Susie go?" LoL!

She also, poor kid, got her first ear infection this year. It was a double ear infection and if I hadn't taken her to the doctor, I'd never known. It's been a big year of firsts. I can't wait to see what this year brings. With any luck, it'll bring lots of good and lots of giggles. Until then...I'm out peeps!

Dear Chance (Part 5)

Yesterday, a great tragedy befell our country. A man walked into an elementary school and murdered twenty children and six adults. A senseless act that took the lives of little kids and for what reason, is still unknown. I look at you and I've hugged you a little tighter the last couple of days. Given a little more patience. Felt a little more grateful that you're here, pestering the crap out of me for more and more Dora. The more and more I see on the television, the more it solidifies the thought of home schooling. Even taking you to school for speech therapy isn't appealing to me. And I know that this isn't something that's going to happen in every school, or for other shootings, at every mall or movie theater. But the thought of you being unsafe, rattles me.

When I was younger, I was scared of having kids. I had a lot of reasons. Most of them were irrational, but some of them were founded. I worried about being able to keep you safe and it's turning out more and more that it's not ever going to be up to me. I can only do what I can, and the rest is in God's hands. I struggle with that sometimes as a mom. Like when you're sick. You're dealing with you first ear infection ever, and it's a double ear infection. You're on the bubble gum flavored Amoxicillin and you hate it. The first time I gave it to you I had to hold you down and force it. Now, you may give me a bit of protest, but you will take it on your own. The doctor told me the other day that you were one of the toughest kids she's ever met, and she's from California. She said that you have a double ear infection and still are managing to play and smile. She said she doesn't know any kids out there that can tolerate that much pain. LoL! You're a tough snot.

You're favorite thing to watch, has been Disney movies (Thank God), and Dora the Explorer. I could take or leave Dora, and maybe I'm just too literal with things in the show, but I'm with you on the Disney movies all day. You've really been talking more and more lately and just popping off with just random moments of attitude. Girl, your attitude is just ... you are ALL your daddy there. LoL! Now of course daddy would disagree there and tell you it's the other way around, but really it's not. LoL! Anyway little girl, it's your nap time and honestly, being sick myself, I am right there with you and we're fixin to go lay down. I love you little girl. You're my whole world.

As of late...

Well it's been a while, once again. Sorry. No excuses. Lots happened. Most recently came the infamous scissor incident. Yes, every one of you with children knows where I'm going with this. She got a hold of some scissors and gave herself a haircut. Oh yeah. So I almost cried. her hair is down to the middle of her back and she chopped it off. This was three days ago.

Well last night, she's laying there in bed, and I think she's asleep. All of a sudden she breaks the silence. "Mommy, I'm sorry." I'm scratching my head, she's done nothing wrong that I know of in at least two hours. "Baby, what are you sorry for." In the most sincere voice, I hear "I cut my hair." I almost cried. I told her it was okay and she reached over and gave me a hug and kiss then laid down. I felt so humbled. Bless her heart after so long, she apologized. It immediately put me in mind of when I was younger.

When I was little, my family and I used to travel to see family between Tennessee and Michigan. It was a long drive that we made and it seemed to take forever. Well one year, we were on our way back and I'd left my wallet at a restaurant. And there was my ID, some money and some miniature dice that my cousin had given me, in this wallet. And I remember the dice were more important than anything, but I tell my dad. He was so mad that we had to turn around. (In reality he was just a little irritated, but to me, he was mad as the devil. Of course at eleven, you know things are so much worse than reality). So we drive all the way back to the restaurant (I can't remember how far), daddy runs inside and gets my wallet then comes back out. He was spittin mad. (Again, to the mind of an eleven year old). So we get back on the road, and in all my childhood wisdom after what seemed like an hour, I hand all the money in my little wallet to my mom and I tell her to give it to my dad, to pay for the gas that he spent turning around for my wallet.

She's growing up so fast, and at times, I can't stand it. I want to keep her young forever at times. She's getting so mature and she's barely three. She is all about helping with the cleaning be it dishes, sweeping, mopping. or cleaning. Such a big girl.

Dear Chance (Part 4)

Dear Chance,

It's been a while since I've done a letter to you on here so I figured I would go for it. :) You're three now. I can't believe it. I look back at pictures of the last year and I cant believe how much you've grown. You're finally 26 lbs now, finally having full on conversations and you're asking why a million times a day. Well let me clarify, you're not asking why, but you're asking because. I'll tell you to do something and you'll go "Because?" and I'll say "Because..." whatever reason. Then of course you'll ask me a million times before I finally just tell you "Because I said so." LoL!

You're drinking out of a big girl cup now and playing with everything you can get your hands on. Your favorite thing to watch on Netflix right now is Horseland, Curious George or Rainbow Bright and the Star Stealer. I've seen the movie at least sixteen times in the last week, and that's not an exaggeration. However, I just put Space Camp in the Play Station and you are really digging this movie. Especially Max. With any luck...I can get sick of this movie, which will take a LONG time.

You're talking more and more. And intelligible to boot! You definitely get your love of animals from me, and we're learning how to be nice to the animals in stead of being mean. We're starting speech therapy with the Elementary school around the corner here on Monday and hopefully that will work out for you as well as your other therapist did.

The other day you walked up to me, gave me the sign for I Love You and told me you wanted to talk to your Gramma. So we Skyped. Then a couple of days later, you pestered me for half an hour to talk to your Grampa. So we Skyped then too. LoL! It's awesome you differentiate between your Gramma and Grampa, and your Mimi and Papa. Gramma and Grampa are coming for Thanksgiving and you are so excited every time we talk about it, the other day you asked when you were gonna see them. It was awesome.

Well I guess that's about it for now. I'm going to get going so we can finish the movie. I love you darlin. I can't believe you're three already. Where does the time go?