A Cautionary Tale

This is a story about:

a really tired mom

who accidentally fell asleep on the couch during breakfast time

leaving her two year old to fend for himself.

The End

I don't want to do it....

Blog, that is.

Don't get me wrong. I love sharing my stories and the comings and goings of my family. I love staying connected with friends. I love keeping a record we can look back on.

I have been procrastinating.

Because I am in denial. And I don't want to admit that

My Baby is TWO YEARS OLD!

when did that happen??

It's hard to have a "real" Birthday when the Daddy was scheduled to work 110 hours. But I did my best to celebrate with that big boy of mine. Miles blew out birthday candles during his pancake breakfast, which he ate off his red letter day plate.

Then he wanted to watch "Roar Roars" (Dinosaurs in Ice Age 3) and eat "feeshees". In my defense, I tried to get him at least to wear pants. But "No" happens to be his favorite word. And it was his Birthday after all....

A movie, a bath, and one outfit later, we were off to Heritage Park to have fun at the Petting Farm. We saw "neigh neighs", "moo moos", and "Baaaaaaaaaas". He had fun playing with the piggies, donkeys, bunnies, chicks, and even an Alpaca! And after he had pet every animal at least 10 times, we went to "Yum Yums" for lunch. (That is what Miles calls McDonalds. Seriously. Every time he sees those golden arches he cries out "want Yum Yums!" Don't you judge me.....)

We had to wait until the NEXT day to open presents. Miles opened one present Friday morning, the Old Yeller dvd his Dad bought for him . And because Birthday parties are always more fun with friends, we headed to Ohio to celebrate his Birthday with the Tranchells. Miles is a pro at unwrapping presents. He wasn't really interested in the actual present, just the unwrapping of them. For his 2nd Birthday, Miles received:

1. The Old Yeller DVD from dad

2. A homemade magnetic chalkboard from mom

3. A new winter coat from Grandpa and Grandma Romer

4. $50 for his college fund, and a cute pillowcase for his bed from Nana and Papa Atkinson

5. Aunt Rachel and Uncle Ed (and baby boy) sent a card

6. Playdough and a toy truck from the Tranchells

7. and Mom and Dad gave him new clothes, Jammies, snowpants, snow boots, and one new toy: a (small) talking Elmo doll Miles picked out himself

We made it to Ohio, had a homemade pizza dinner, opened more presents, sang "Happy Birthday", blew out the candles, and ate Birthday cake. ( no ice cream. It wouldn't have survived the 3 hour drive from Wyandotte to Akron).

I can't believe how much he has grown in the last year. How much he has learned and developed. I can't believe how lucky I am.

Miles, you are a delight and a joy. Your smile melts my heart, and your laughter brings a twinkle to my eye.

Happy Birthday little man!

Want to head south?

Just a glimpse of the foreboding, dreary, and grey skies that are Michigan today. (And yesterday. And probably tomorrow too.) It is cold, and windy, and rainy and......


COLD!

And today I am REALLY missing Arizona.

I am sitting on my couch in my softest cashmere sweater. (Which I bought back when I was a single working girl and every cent I earned was used to purchase necessities, like cashmere sweaters. And big screen TVs. But that is a whole other post entirely...)

On top of my sweater I am wearing a lovely yellow and brown University of Wyoming sweatshirt (the only sweatshirt I own) that my mother often wore at least 15 years ago. I stole the down comforter from my bed, because we don't have any other blankets, and I am just beginning to feel slightly less cold. Once the temperature in our house reached 65, I just gave in and turned on the heat.

I know what you are thinking. Believe me. I am thinking it myself. I lived the first 18 years of my life in Wyoming, and the next 5 in Utah. I am used to the cold.

No.

I WAS used to the cold. But Arizona ruined me. And now I am the person my Wyomingite family would laugh at when strolling down the sidewalks of Evanston in July, wearing a coat.

Except that I don't have a coat.

This sudden fast forward to Fall/Winter caused me to take stock of all the warm winter clothes I had in my closet. And except for my sweater I invested in about 8 years ago (that's the beauty of cashmere!) I don't have anything. And I started to panic.

But after a little online browsing, I am happy to say THIS is on the way:

I so wanted to feel stylish and throw caution to the wind by choosing the coat in a fabulous shade of winter white. (which sounds so much better than "cream", Don't you think?) But alas, my practical side won out. I envisioned my beautiful winter white coat smeared with tiny fingerprints of melted chocolate, orange flecks from fishy crackers, and red sticky mess from half chewed fruit snacks which were spit out at me when a certain little someone didn't want to get into his car seat.

So I bought Charcoal.

It is amazing how quickly the purchase of a new coat can help you feel better about the inevitably approaching cold season.

And hopefully, these will be following my coat shortly.


Or maybe these????
I can't decide.

And, if I can catch my husband in a really good mood, maybe even some of these little pretties:

And if I can't catch him in a great mood, perhaps this makes a very conspicuous Birthday wish list???

Michigan Love #1

There are more than a handful of things I love about being a Michigander. (Aside from the obvious appeal of saying the word "Michigander". )

Try it. You'll want to move here too.

But seriously. There are some pretty wonderful things about living here, and I am finding more every day. ANDDDDDD.....because I have taken it upon myself to convice my friends and family that they should move here too (but only for the next 4 years), I will be regularly sharing (in no particular order) those things that just might get them out here. At least for a visit.

Do you love shopping? And more specifically, shopping for your kids? I do.

And what about saving bags of cash? Do you love that too?

I do, I do, I do!

And if you do too, then you will LOVE this!

EVERY weekend of the year, you can find moms (and some dads too) all over the state of Michigan, rising early and gathering at local churches, schools, businesses and vacant buildings. They rise and gather and wait with baited breath for the doors to open. What are they waiting for you ask? Well I'll tell you.

a Mom2Mom sale to begin. You know, just 100 or so moms who set up at least that many tables, fill them with all of their children's things they wish to sell, mark them at dirt cheap prices, and wait for the early risers to take all those items away. Think garage sale/swap meet filled to the brim with ONLY things for kids. I am one of those early risers, and I look forward to it every weekend.

Today I drove a couple miles down the road. I am in need of winter clothes for that child of mine. And I have to say, I think I struck GOLD!!

I bought: 1 Osh Kosh coat (new with tags), 1 pair snowpants (new with tags), 3 sweaters from the Childrens Place (new with tags), 5 long sleeve shirts that LOOK brand new, 1 Detroit Lions jacket, because we support our local athletic teams (no matter HOW bad they may be,) 2 pairs of jeans, and a comfy sweat suit for snow playing in the not so far off winter.

The price???

$19

And if that won't convince you to move here.....well, I just don't know what will

Lonely?

Not at our house. At least not for my Miles.

Here he is. With his prized posessions and comfort items. All of which are an absolute necessity before getting out of bed in the morning. There are 4 balls (2 tennis, 1 football, and 1 small basketball), 1 large stick horse, 1 small knit horse, 3 bears, a "woof woof", 2 books, a plastic golf bag, a stuffed dolphin, and 7....yes SEVEN blankets.

This is our morning ritual.

1. Mom wakes up, hears Miles throwing things in his room
2. Mom goes into Miles' room only to find everything he insisted on sleeping with last night is no longer in the crib but strewn about the entire room
3. Mom tries to put the toys away, but gives up when the disappearance of any of his beloveds gives rise to tears and the saddest little face you have ever seen
4. Miles makes no less than 4 trips, hauling everything he owns into the living room where he watches his "GRRRRRRRRRs" while mom makes breakfast. (And in case you don't speek Milesese, GRRRRRRs are dinosaurs, as in Ice Age 3)
5. More tears when the little guy has to eat his breakfast at the table, (Mom insists) and must leave his prized posessions behind
6. Happy boy again when they are finally reunited

And that is how I spend my day.

Hauling toys from room to room, to outside and back. Putting them in the crib for naptime and picking them up after naptime. Our lives revolve around those darn things.

Miles Birthday is in one month. I'll bet you can guess what he WON'T be receiving.

Here's a hint......It rhymes with "Annoy"

For Grandma:

Even though we haven't posted any photographic proof

We have been having lots of fun!

Your little boy isn't so little anymore, and will be TWO next month. Just ask him, and he'll tell you.

We have singing time everday, and he is a PRO at "The Wiseman Built his House Upon the Rock." He can slam that "rock" down on his flat palm, and scrunches his fingers when "the rain comes tumbling down." I'll try to get video

But our newest adventure is this:

Fingerpaints at the dollar store fill almost a full hour of fun on rainy days when we can't go outside. He doesn't like his fingers to be "messy," so he usually just uses one finger.

We love you and miss you, and will post more pictures and video of all the cute things I do soon.

Buh-Buh, Nana.....

Love Miles

Just call me Auntie

There has been some exciting news in the Atkinson family recently. And I have been dying to share. A good secret can be awfully difficult to keep.

I'm sure now that you all know there was a top secret involved, you want in too.

Well, just head on over to my sister's blog (www.billsology.blogspot.com) to check out her announcement.

Let me just state for the record that though the Chinese Lunar Calendar predicts a boy, and that is what I am secretly longing for her to have, I am predicting lots of pink in her future.

Congratulations Bills Family!

Someone to watch over me

I knelt down this evening to offer the most sincere and humble prayer of thanks and gratitude I could muster. The type of prayer I think really only a mother can understand.

But I'm getting ahead of myself...

Today was a good day. The kind of day when you can't help but take a step back and notice. You know, the kind of day when you are awoken, an hour later than usual, by the laughter of a happy baby playing in his crib. The kind of day you DREAD because grocery shopping is on the agenda, but your mischievous boy manages to stay in his seat the entire time, never once asking for a treat, or screaming "POOP!" at complete strangers at the top of his lungs. The kind of day when everything at the grocery store you want to buy is on sale, and your one week budget stretches to purchase two weeks worth of food. Add to that the 3.5 hour nap my little guy took, and I was on top of the world!

Ironic how everything can change in an instant.

We had such an enjoyable day together, me and that little Miles of mine. And the weather was PERFECT outside. So we drove downtown to Bishop Park. It's a beautifully massive park right on the Detroit river. We go there often to run and play on the playground, chase the seagulls, and watch the fishermen on the pier. The place never disappoints, and today was no exception.

When Miles and I were completely tuckered and could not muster the strength to slide one more time, I scooped him up and loaded him for the short 5 minute drive home. And then I don't know what happened......

Maybe I was lost somewhere between exhaustion and motherhood bliss. Maybe I was distracted by my own incessant mental dialogue, or I was replaying my good fortunes of the day in mind to enjoy a second time. I just don't know.

But one thing I DO know: I never saw the stoplight. What I did see was a large Chevy Silverado. Close. Much too close. I tried to turn, and he tried to turn, but impact was unavoidable. In the blink of an eye, my perfect day was smashed to smithereens all over the intersection at Biddle and Cedar.

I was buckled, and I was okay. And I saw the man getting out of his truck. He was okay. And my sweet sweet screaming baby in the backseat, he would be just fine once the scare was over. The police were summoned, an ambulance arrived (no one needed it), witnesses gathered, and later a tow truck driving man (who heard the whole thing on his police scanner) towed my beloved RAV away.

I have never been one for public displays of emotion. "Public" meaning around anyone but myself. I have developed an uncanny ability to keep it together until I can find a quiet time, usually very late, to be alone. Then the walls come crumbling.

Which leads me to my tearful conversation I had with God tonight. I thanked him for watching over us and expressed my gratitude that neither myself nor the gentleman I hit were injured. I thanked him for the kind and forgiving heart of that same gentleman who, when I apologized over and over said," well, that's why they call it an accident." I expressed my utmost gratitude for the passers-by who rushed to my car and to my side, offering assistance to me, a complete stranger, and my baby boy. I thanked him for a hard working police force who arrived in only minutes. I was ESPECIALLY thankful for a wonderful husband who, I could tell was boiling mad under the surface, but put his arm around me and simply said "I'm glad both of you are okay." But I saved my most heart felt pleas for last.

"Thank you, Thank you Dear Lord, for watching over and protecting my precious baby. Thank you for keeping him safe. I don't know if I deserve it, but I will continue to do everything I can to show You I did. Amen."

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

After 3+ years of weighing his options, saving, and searching high and low, my dad finally did it! He went and bought himself one of these sweet rides.

I was a little hurt he bought this mean machine the day AFTER I left from my 3 week stay. (you know, as oppossed to the day BEFORE I got there.)

But, in the spirit of forgiveness, I have taken it upon myself to find the perfect name.

I already tried "My daughter moved to Michigan and the only thing that would mend my broken heart was to buy this kick ass boat."

But it won't fit on the hull. :)

So, I have come up with a few OTHER options that are more length appropriate. Check out the poll over on my side bar and let me know what YOU think!

(New suggestions are also always appreciated.)

Gone Again

If you hadn't noticed, I took a little break from blogging last month. And for good reason I think. We (meaning Miles and myself) took a 3 1/2 week vacation back to Utah. When I'm away on vacation, I just don't like to spend my time plucking away at the keys on my computer. Or worrying about editing and organizing photos.

No. When I'm on vacation, the only thing I worry about is entertaining me and the little guy.

And this last month, we have kept ourselves VERY entertained. We:

Attended my beautiful Sister-in-Law's wedding

Visited friends at my 10 year High School Reunion

Took in the Little Big Town and Josh Turner concert at the Uinta County Fair

Spent time in the surf and sand at the Atkinson Family Reunion in Bear Lake

And participated in a little event I nicknamed "Spring Break at the Zoo: 2nd Generation"

Nearly every spring break we had growing up, my mom loaded the van up with the Atkinson kids, drove nearly a WHOLE BLOCK to pick up my cousin Darcey, and off we went to spend the day at the Hogle Zoo. Now Darcey and I are all grown up with kids of our own. I live in Michigan and she lives in Oregon, but we happened to be visiting Utah at the exact same time. So Grandma and Grandpa Atkinson arranged for the whole clan to enjoy a day at the zoo.

We had a wonderful time and were grateful to our families for letting us stay. But I noticed a strange thing while I was away. I missed my little Wyandotte bungalow. And I missed husband immensely. (That goes without saying.) And after a couple of weeks, I found I was excited to make my flight back home.

Yes, Home. To Michigan.

How is it that I can feel more at home in a town I have only spent the last 6 weeks, than a place I lived the first 18 years of my life? Yes, most of my worldy posessions were waiting for me in Michigan. My sheets so soft they send me instantly to dream land and my old down pillow that now conforms perfectly to my head, were a full 3 days drive away. But I had left more than that behind.

The old saying: "Home is where your heart is," may be considered cliche, but it is true.

I had left my heart in Michigan, a long with my husband and everything else.

And now I am home, heart and family reunited. And I can't think of a better place to be.