This Past Weekend

This weekend was pretty great. Are you ever in a moment in time and realize it will probably be remembered as one of your most favorite days? I had one of these moments this weekend.

I started off the weekend early and took Friday off. My parents and I took Jack pumpkin picking. I wish I could say it was a good trip but poor Jack is fighting another cough and really didn't feel well. He cried for most of the day and as we were getting ready to leave the poor kid coughed so hard he threw up! After a full night sleep, 12 hours worth, he was feeling a bit better on Saturday. We still had a very easy going day. He spent most of Saturday in his pajamas cuddling,

Sunday we had the best day. We got out early to our favorite state park. When Brian and I were dating we would do day dates there and picnics overlooking the water so it is always nice to bring Jack to places where our relationship had it's first few dates. We had a fantastic hike, ate lunch and it really was the perfect morning. We finished off the day at one of our new favorite places. BrookHollow Barnyard is the cutest little farm. They have a bunch of farm animals you can feed with  a shovel and a bucket of carrots. They have a train ride, sandboxes, hayrides and tractors. It was a kids dream! We all had such a fantastic time. It was definitely one of those days that will go down as one of my most favorite!

Friday Favorites

Fridays that start a 3 day weekend are always my favorite. My work anniversary is coming up shortly and I have a bunch of vacation and personal days I still need to use before I lose them in November. Today my parents and I are heading to the farm with Jack and picking more pumpkins, you can never have enough pumpkins, and they will be watching Jack tonight while I join Brian for his work fundraiser. It will be nice for the 2 of us to get out and do adult things like eat a meal warm and not cutting up tiny human's food.

Here are a few things I'm loving this week.

Sparta Books

This is our local bookstore. Sparta Books has been around for over 50 years. It is our local gem. Each week Jack and I go to story time with Ms. Michelle who reads, sings and does crafts with all the children. She, along with the rest of the staff are wonderful. Last weekend we met Oliver the Goose at the book store and next week we are going to a Halloween party and parade. We are so lucky to have found such an awesome place.

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Matt Bellassai

Oh My Hilarious!!!! If you like cursing and a little vulgarity than Matt is for you! His buzz feed videos are hysterical! I can watch multiple times and find it just as funny. His most recent video about fall is the best.

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Gotham

We started watching the first season last week on Netflix. Brian and I have a hard time agreeing on television. We barely ever agree. The only thing we really ever agreed on were American Horror Story and Breaking Bad. I really like Donal Logue and Ben Mackenzie. Brian loves the connection to the comic books. So far so good.

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Shea Moisture Products-

 I started using their baby line not long after Jack was born. I love that they are certified organic and made with shea butter. Our favorite for Jack is the raw shea chamomile and argan oil with frankincense and myrrh. For myself I started using the 10 in 1 renewal hair masque and all types of their bar soaps! They are probably my most favorite products. They leave out all potentially harmful ingredients and do not test on animals. I feel somewhat safe using them on my son.

The Night Before Books-

I just love the series of The Night Before books. We have started out a little collection. They are the cutest books all set to The Night Before Christmas rhyme. We just picked up The Night Before Halloween.

"'Twas the night before Halloween, and all through the house, All the creatures were stirring, except for the mouse. The monsters had gathered to plan and prepare, For the trick-or-treaters who soon would be there."

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Hope you all have a fantastic weekend!

How I Try To Survive a Toddler Meltdown

Attitude for days... 

Some time during his 17th month of life Jack went from being the sweetest and most cuddly little boy to a fiery, "NO" screaming and temper tantrum filled maniac, most days! He is becoming his own person. He knows what he wants and when he wants it. I think I have a real strong willed kid on my hands. I'm totally ok with it. But for now, the tantrums, holy cow, I can't believe how quickly the toddler tantrum thing happened. I also can't believe how caught off guard and unequipped to deal with them I was.

There are a few things people have told me on how to deal with Jack's tantrums. I have tried to use the "Gentle Parenting" method in almost everything I do with Jack. Although this method often blames the parents for the meltdowns. Like I need more stress thinking I'm not a good enough parent?!?! I have a temper although not when I was a child. I have adult meltdowns so I try not to blame Jack. Jack has also began hitting. I hate it. It is often only towards me. I get so upset and think he hates me. Most times I try and immediately redirect. I redirect by quickly asking him for a hug. I ask him to gentle touch. Almost always this method works. We have also began requesting him to say "I'm sorry". It seems to work well but I tell ya it is the saddest thing to hear that little voice say those words.

I get what it's like to be frustrated and feel like there is no outlet for his frustration. Jack has a pretty large vocabulary but he doesn't always have the words so it must be so hard. I attempt to calm him I try and offer support. I often ask him to "show me" what he wants. There are times when he is told no. Like last night when he refused to sleep and wanted goldfish because he saw me putting away the bowl he usually has his snack in. When I told him no he had an all our meltdown. Screaming at the top of his lungs. It was late. I was tired and I gave up and walked away from the screams. He was in no danger of hurting himself. He was just laying on the kitchen floor, overtired and a screaming his bloody head off. This completely goes against the gentle me. He calmed himself after only a couple of minutes. I think it was harder on me than it was on him.

What I learned from last night was that no real method works all the time. Sometimes the best thing for my sanity and his sanity is to walk away. I was so exhausted I knew I couldn't give him the support he deserved. I was getting frustrated and the 2 temper tantrums would not have been good for anyone!  Not long after the mega meltdown Jack cuddled up with daddy and was fast asleep with in 3 minutes.

What are some of the ways you deal with the toddler tantrums?

7

It was 7 years ago today I went out on a date with a guy who followed none of the rules and quoted Dane Cook. I can't believe that was my LAST first date. Our first date was a kind of marathon. We started off apple picking, followed it up with dinner and drinks and finished it off by drinking coffee and closing up cafe. As I type it I almost can't believe that it has been that long but at the same time it feels like it has been forever. Our seven years have been filled with many ups and downs as well. In honor of the last seven years I'd like to share just a few of my favorite moments.

Our first vacation to Disney World together. He really got to see my true colors on the flight considering I didn't tell him how deathly afraid of flying I was. We had such a wonderful time together. I can't wait for Jack to get a little over so we can't return as a family. 

The day we purchased our first home. I can remember the nervous excitement that we both felt. After dating only 9 months we questioned ourselves as to if it were the right decision. We are still here 6 years later. We have made this little house our home. 

The day Brian proposed! During our regular Sunday morning softball game Brian seemed so off. When we went apple picking later that day he was even weirder and I was getting a strange vibe. That was until he asked me to join him under a tree and followed it up by a "Will you marry me?"

Every year since our first date we visit the same orchard and the very same tree. 

The day we were married. The day we both vowed to love and honor one another. One of our happiest days. It strange that people always talk about their wedding and their favorite moments. I must say that sharing the happiest day with all the people we hold dear was my most favorite part! 

Brian's journey to fatherhood In his own special way he was excited. I know that part of him was frightened after our first 2 losses but equally as excited. I just loved the moments when he first started touching my growing belly and talking to baby. 

This moment- our first night home from the hospital. We didn't get much time together with our new baby in the hospital so on our first night home and seeing this moment between father and son couldn't be more special to me. 

Watching Brian become a daddy. Being a wife isn't always easy and being a mom is harder than I ever thought. Brian is finding his way as a dad and he's doing a great job. He never gets worked up or stressed out. I love watching him teach Jack new things and look forward to all the moments still waiting for us. 

Cheers to 7 years and many more. 

Friday Favorites

Happy Friday! I'm thrilled at the idea of getting out of work this afternoon and having a blast with my little man this weekend. We are set to do a meet and greet at a local bookstore with an author and her goose! Plus, we are in for some real Autumn like weather.

Since I haven't been around the blog world lately I must admit that Friday posts are the ones I miss most! I just love Friday Favorites posts!

 I love Here are a few things I'm loving lately!

1. Walmart booties! I am not a huge Walmart shopper. Most of the time I avoid shopping there. Recently I noticed the kids t shirts and socks are ridiculously cheap. Jack is hard on his clothes so we need a lot more than I thought I would need. While I was in the kids section I noticed these adorable booties. Would you believe me if I told you these cuties were only $19? They are really comfortable and they look adorable!

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2. While I'm on the topic of Walmart I gotta say the Pioneer Woman line is super cute. I love it all. My local Walmart has a crap selection but I did get my hand on one of the mason jar cup for work. Am I the only one who tends to drink a lot more water out of a cute cup especially one with a straw? 

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3.  Hockey is back and my Rangers are looking GOOD!

4. Fall inspired beverages! I am a sucker for pumpkin and apple everything. I will drink my pumpkin coffee all year long if I could. My love of seasonal beverages does not stop at breakfast. I'm loving all kinds of fall flavored beer and wines. My favorite this season has been Jack -o- Traveler Pumpkin. I had it a few weeks back at Buffalo Wild Wings but can't seem to find it any where else.

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5. Fall family activities. I just love fall activities. We have been jammed packed with outings. We have picked apples, pumpkins, corn mazes, and tractor rides. Everything is so much more fun with a toddler! I can't believe this picture was already a year ago! I can't wait to go back to our favorite farm this year too!

 

 

What are you loving this week?

 

Remember Last Month?

Hey there, remember last month when I said I was back, haha. Just kidding! Maybe I'll try this again. It just seems so difficult to get back into blogging with so very much going on. I used to blog early in the morning or late in the evening after Jack had fallen asleep. I just can't seem to find inspiration at any time. Honestly, having a toddler is so much harder than I thought. I feel exhausted all.the.time!!! Jack runs me ragged and barely ever sleeps. Right now he is napping so I thought picking up my laptop might be a good idea.

Since the last time I blogged a few things have happened. We lost our beloved Bogart. It has been a sad few weeks. It happened quicker than we expected as he was given 3-4 months and he passed after only 6 weeks of his diagnosis. My sweet boy, we will love you forever.

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We started renovating a few things around our home. My husband has been working lots of overtime in hopes to help offset some of the costs. We purchased our home 5 years ago and we are trying to make our small 2 bedroom townhouse feel as spacious as possible. We finally added new windows to our kitchen and we are in the process or prices hardwood floors for our main living area. Jack's room is our most difficult spot. We are attempting to make it a big boy room but want to be sure we leave space in case we decide on baby number 2.

We took Jack to his most recent clinical visit and everything looks great. He has been fighting a cough and cold so we were surprised his lungs sounded clear. He is doing so well and we are so pleased. The one thing I worry about constantly is his health. After his Cystic Fibrosis diagnosis I became a completely different person. I worry all the time. I stress all the time. I have tried so many different things to quiet the stress but it's really difficult. It has put a strain on many relationships, made me avoid family/friend functions and has hurt my marriage as well as my health. I don't think I'll ever not worry about Jack or his health. Isn't that what us moms do?!?!?

Once again, I'm looking forward to posting. Hopefully, some of followers are still out there and interested in our little life.. For those of you still reading, thanks for sticking around.