Just A Really Good Day

It's almost midnight. I've been working on photo editing for awhile now since the kids and Ted are in bed and found my mind drifting, replaying today. I decided I would blog about it before it quickly becomes a distant memory and the sweetness of it is lost and forgotten. I feel like lots of my time is spent talking, whining, or complaining about BAD days. You know, days where it's STILL freezing and snowing out and it's April. Days where everything seems to go wrong. Well, today was different. Today everything seemed to go right. Today was just a really good day. Plain and simple. These are few and far between. A day where all the pieces seemed to fit. No major catastrophes, and nothing especially out of the ordinary. Just a good day. These are days I want to remember because this is why I/we do this crazy thing called "parenting." 

Today started like any other. Ted rushing out the door for work, me making coffee, kids crawling up my leg and asking for sippies of milk and to watch Little Einsteins on the couch. It was raining out today and was supposed to continue raining all day. For some reason I love rainy days. In all of their dreariness they offer a sort of comfort that allows you to feel like it's okay to stay in your pajamas and slippers way too late, or make pancakes and eggs just because, or light a candle that smells good. (We did all of the above before 9am). 

Bennett napped perfectly this morning and was awake and happy by 10am. We had a play date that fell through and we had the whole day free. The kids were in good moods. No, they were in GREAT moods, (again, this is why I am reflecting fondly on this day because usually this does not happen). I am a sucker for a good deal and I have a 30% off Gap coupon that was burning a hole in my wallet. It was good on clearance stuff and I was desperate to see what I could find. I lured the boys into my plot by saying, "Let's have a fun day, let's go to the mall!" I told Mason I had to go in one store and if he was good we could go on a few rides. So, we packed up our stuff and headed out. The boys were cheerful and sang along to songs in the car, chatted about how rainy it was, and just about everything else you can think of in the 15 minute ride to the mall, (if you know Mason, you know that he NEVER stops talking!) 

The boys sat nicely while I browsed the sale racks at Gap, (ended up spending $30 with my coupon and scoring an awesome amount of stuff...yes I love to brag about my deals! I refuse to pay full price for anything! :)) We even had lunch together at Chipotle when the kids were hungry with NOTHING EVENTFUL happening! A very rare treat. Usually I am wiping up spilled milk, or food from the floor from a plate that was flung off the table. Well, almost nothing happened. My face did get red and burn when Mason politely informed the cashier with drawn on eyebrows that she had marker on her face. She was so sweet and didn't understand what he was getting at. I witnessed the whole thing like a slow motion accident. She laughed and looked at me confused and said, "Do I have marker on my face?" I didn't have the heart to tell her what Mason was referring to so I smiled and said, "No, I don't know where he comes up with this stuff," while slowly turning around and shushing Mason who was loudly saying, "Yes mama, yes she does. She has marker on top of her eyes. Why are her eyebrows like that?" Don't make eye contact. Smile and walk away. Converse with child privately about how it's not polite to comment on stuff like that. 

So, despite that minor incident, it didn't cramp my style. I continued on enjoying this day with my boys. I splurged on a Caribou iced coffee and we headed for Nick Universe. Mason rode the trucks, just so happened to get the first truck in the lineup, (which is cool when you're 3). All three of us rode the hot air balloon ride. I held Bennett on my lap despite his trying to catapult out of the balloon. Then, to top it off, I accidentally scared the sh*t out of both of them by suggestion we try "ghost blasters" on our way out. What the nice looked-to-be-90 year old man told us was a fun ride for kids of all ages and wasn't scary. Mason, Bennett and I sat lined up in a little car that moves through a "happy" haunted house and you're supposed to hit targets with your gun when the ghosts, (happy ghosts), pop out. These ghosts are cardboard and it wasn't scary. Mason was scared. He told me half way through, "let's get out of here, this ride is too much for me." I love that kid. He went to bed tonight telling Ted how he had fun but doesn't want to go on that ride again. 

Ted got home around 5 after both boys napped, (AT THE SAME TIME!) We all went for a jog/walk. (What was supposed to be a "run" with both boys in the stroller but, as usual, ended up with me out of breath about half a mile from our house and saying I think I'll just walk swiftly.)

In between there were a few random, "Mama, I love you"'s from Mason, which are always a happy treat. A few snuggles and cuddles from my sweet little Bennett. And, an overall feeling that this is why we do what we do on this hamster wheel of parenting. When most days blend together and it's groundhog's day every day starting with whining and crying and ending with whining and crying and a desire to just get to bed so you can recharge before doing it all over again. God sometimes throws us an unexpected really awesome day. Everything comes together and your mood lifts no matter what the forecast says or what plans change. Kids are happy, husbands are happy, and you are happy. Those are just really really good days. Now, I figured I'd better jot this down before I head to bed and it starts all over and who knows what kind of crazy train tomorrow will be. These are the days I will force myself to remember. I need to not only pray for things I hope will happen or wish or want or need, but to just pray to say, "Thank you. I have everything I need right here. Right now." 

A few pictures from today....

Mason in the hot air balloon

My typical boys...Mason looking sweet while squeezing Bennett's neck. Bennett on the verge of tears but smiling through it. :)

All three of us waiting for the ride to start

One of those days...

Today has just been one of those days. I feel like I say this all too often lately…one of those days. I’m feeling the winter blues. The sort of blues where you just stare outside trying to will the snow away because all you want to do is put on some freaking sneakers and shorts and take a long, sweaty, calf-burning, arms hurting from pushing the giant double stroller up and down hills type of walk. The January to March stretch is the worst. Thankfully it’s all downhill after March. I love the smell of melting snow, the dirt underneath starting to make an appearance, the sound of the water trickling down the sewer, the feel of sunshine, and the reassurance that spring is most definitely on its way. I get it; I should totally get to the gym more but the gym is anything but relaxing these days. When I go, it means cramming it in between naps when my kids are usually hungry or crabby or on a rare occasion, happy and willing to go into the childcare. Then, I get myself situated and all set to conquer a spin or yoga class before the pager buzzes and the girl calls me down because Bennett pooped and they don’t change poopy diapers, or Mason is crying and saying he needs to tell me something, (a trick he learned that unfortunately he knows works in a bind.) When the crisis is over I head back for about 25 mins remaining in class just in time to make a scene trying to figure out where everyone else is and follow along, and then it’s over and I pack my hungry crabby kids into the car and drive home. Anything but relaxing.

In trying to beat these winter blues my boys and I escaped to Florida for a week. By “escaped,” I mean smashed a TON of crap into one suitcase because God forbid I pay for an extra bag to be checked, ($50 freaking dollars? I think not!)…we struggled with getting car seats checked, we charged up the laptop, packed the flip flops….and bottles, wipes, pack and play, sunscreen, baby food, etc , etc, etc, and we headed south. Ted had to stay behind for work but, I started off 2013 with an attitude and resolution of “I can do hard things!”(Yes, I am a momastery blog follower for those of you who know what I’m talking about! ;) ). I decided this year I will challenge myself to do things out of my comfort zone and dive into the pool of “holy crap this might suck but at least I’m doing it and not wishing I had!”.  I was most fearful for the flight down there. I have two small boys and boys are just…boys. They just don’t slow down, like, at all! My two (almost three) year old was upset we couldn’t bring his hockey highlights DVD OR his Les Miserables live in concert DVD on the plane, but rather a more appropriate “Lion King”... just in case any fellow passengers happened to glance at what we were watching. Yes, he is a unique child with several different interests. I have yet to figure him out myself. ;) I have no idea what the next kick will be that he gets on but in the meantime, I roll with it because, I mean, whatever works, right?! Anyway fast forward to Ted getting a gate check badge and being allowed to walk with us through security and all the way to the gate. Panic sets in that a.) I am sort of afraid of flying. Not necessarily of crashing at all, I am just a TOTAL germaphobe…anyone who knows me knows this. I highly dislike sitting super close to someone else and it’s just out of my comfort zone. Also, I get claustrophobic at the fact that if someone is coughing or sneezing or blowing their nose or something gross next to me that I can’t just get up and leave…I’m stuck there…breathing in the same air. Does this make me sound crazy? Maybe I am. I can’t help it. I hate confined, small spaces and I hate germs! So…therefore…I kinda dislike flying. b.) I panic that I am flying alone and I mean, what if shit hits the fan and I don’t have anyone there for backup? I would be lying if I said I didn’t break down into a small set of tears right before getting on. I was losing my “I can do hard things” power-girl attitude I once had while hitting the “purchase” button on our tickets. Ted encouraged me that it would be fine and it would be one of those things in which the anticipation is way worse than actually doing it. He was right, (damn it…right again). Once I was on the plane we were fine and actually had fun! (Imagine that?!) Mason marveled in his Sprite he was allowed to ask for, and watched the Lion King…despite still trying to figure out the concept of death. My eternal optimist, as we call him, kept saying as loudly as possible, “Simba’s daddy died but it’s okay, he will come back?” And yes I meant to put a question mark there because it’s not like he’s stating it, it’s like he’s asking it in an effort for me to say, “Yep, he died, but he will come back.” So, that I did…mother of the year. Told him Mufasa would come back. I couldn’t figure out how to explain to a two year old on a plane how one dies but does not come back. My mom’s dog, Lucie, died last year and Mason is still rocked by that experience. In some random moment he will, from time to time, say something like, “MiMi’s dog Lucie is in heaven but it’s okay, she will come back?” Hmm…maybe we will revisit this in his 3’s.

Anyway, we survived the plane ride with little drama. My brother, Kel, who lives in Tampa was there waiting for us when we walked off, (bless his heart, he is amazing!) Kel helped us retrieve our baggage, haul our carseats to the Enterprise counter, get them strapped into our rental minivan, and off we were headed to our week of sunshine. The boys did surprisingly well. Mason slept with me in bed and Bennett in the pack and play in my dad’s large walk in closet adjoining his room. My dad was out of town for business and returned back Friday evening through Monday when we flew home. My grandparents also joined in the craziness for the weekend. The boys and I spent a couple days by ourselves…grocery shopping, long walks to Dunkin’Donuts and dolphin watching along Bayshore Blvd, trips to the park, it was wonderful, (and exhausting!) By the third day my best friend in the entire world, Hilary, showed up. Hil lives in Charlotte and although we don’t see each other NEARLY as often as we would like, we pick up right where we left off. Cracking jokes, making fun of ourselves and our situations, talking about how we STILL wish we were celebrities and how much easier life would be if we were, how flying would be SO much better if you were a celebrity, how Jessica Simpson has turned into kind of a whack job but we can't help but think it's sorta awesome, how way too pretty Kim Kardashian is for Kanye West, (yes, a frequent topic of discussion, unfortunately), and how we are going to conquer life one diet plan and weight loss app at a time. Of course with Hilary we always find ourselves in some sort of crazy situation like Ferris Bueller-ing it over a speed bump in the rental minivan so much that I think both our heads hit the roof because we were THAT excited to escape the chaos of my dad’s house and head out to happy hour, having a drive by biking experience by Florida’s scariest toothless woman who swore she knew Mason and refused to leave us alone and quite possibly scarred my son for life, and who could forget the rear ending fender bender we received as my dad was driving home from the beach and blasting Macklemore’s “Thrift Shop”, as I am yelling to him that it is not child-friendly music, nor appropriate in rush hour traffic. Luckily there was no damage and everyone was fine, that poor rental van! (Anyone who knows the Barry family knows this sort of thing is not out of the ordinary. We are a modern family of sorts that tends to fight like the world is ending and then get over it in 2 minutes and ask the other what we should have for dinner as if nothing ever happened.) It’s dysfunctional to say the least but I grew up with it so I know no different. This sort of conditioned fighting method has thrown my husband for a loop over the 8 years we have been together to say the least. ;)

Anyway, what I learned was that maybe I really CAN do things out of my comfort zone? Maybe it’s actually FUN?! So now, I’m on to trying other avenues to conquer my seasonal blues….like attempting my first cleanse. I just ordered. Shh, don’t tell Ted..this is the crap that shows up on our doorstep and I have to act a little surprised and like I don’t know what it is for a few minutes before just giving up and saying “yep I ordered an $80 cleanse, and yes I had to pay the extra $5 for the cooler pack but, don’t worry, it’s important to me and TOTALLY something I need for the “bettering myself” slot in our budget.” Ted is the sort of guy that is super obsessive about our budget. Like, he even budgets in Starbucks runs in any given week. I realize this is pathetic but when you’re a stay at home mom you kind of surrender to this sort of thing. In the meantime…we can do hard things!! :) A few pics from our trip…

                                           My little rock start travelers! :) 

               So excited to ride the "train" from the terminal to baggage claim in Tampa. 

                                                    Love this shot. :)

                     I seriously hope my girls and I can rock it like this when we're 80! ;) 

                                Why doesn't MN have Dunkin'? Best iced coffee!

                                                     Love these two!

The Don aka. Papa saved the day by flying into town and showing us a good weekend! :) 

The crew in Ybor City for a festival...apparently it was called the "flan festival" but we                              never saw any flan? 

Love my grandparents! They don't think they're old enough to be "great" grandparents so they want to be called "GiGi and Frankie" instead...Mason doesn't know they have any other name!

Typical Mase ;)

What kid doesn't love a pirate ship?!

"Mommy can we ride it?" Dream on guys, not happenin' 

I quickly realized a high chair is a bare necessity with a 10 month old! Found this one at Wal Mart for $33! It was well worth every penny. 

While editing my pics on my Canon I came across this...definitely my fave! <3 Brothers <3

*Note, do you ever plan something and picture it so perfect in your head? Yeah I did that with a sunset beach photo shoot I was planning with the boys...perfect outfits, cute hats, timed it right at sunset. Turns out we got there 10 minutes too late, and the beach I had staked out turned out to be a dog park/beach....there were giant dogs everywhere! A huge black lab bolted right at Bennett soaking wet and sandy and scared the sh*t out of him. He refused to let me set him down the rest of the time and Mason bee lined it for the water and fell in, then rolled in the sand. My photo shoot was squashed. I wish I had a few pics to prove it but this post won't let me load anymore!

Papa thought Mason's hair was a little out of control. Mason told him it's how the "hockey boys" have their hair. He reluctantly agreed to a cut as long as it still looked like a hockey boy. He was very aware of every snip going on with my dad's hairdresser. 

We escaped the chaos of the house for Hula Bay's dockside patio...we shared some sushi and had a few margaritas, it was fab!

Dolphin watching on our morning walk

Trip wouldn't be complete without a pit stop at the Minute Clinic with an ear infection...just in time to fly home the next morning.

All good things come to an end and it's good to get back to "normal" life...life sitting in the sink after bath pretending to shave and moisturize.

My Very First Post!

So I have jumped on the blogging bandwagon. This is my very first post and this was my New Year's Resolution that's taken me a month to start. I take lots of photos for other people and then forget to take many photos of my own life. I started this blog for that reason, remembering my own life and my own kids at every stage. The good, the bad, and the ugly. Because this is motherhood and life and sometimes it’s downright ugly. But, it can also be pretty beautiful too. It is not a photography blog and most photos on here are probably uploads from my iPhone or Instagram. I tried for awhile to think of something witty and cute as a blog title but came up empty handed. I am a mom of boys and kept replaying ideas for blogs celebrating raising boys, “Helmets and High Heels?” “Three guys and a mom?”  But, everything seemed like it didn’t work. I was about to give up and sat down on the couch to make a phone call, (yes, as a mother I realize this is a gamble at any time. We all know the second you get on the phone all hell breaks loose, even if the kids are sitting quietly eating breakfast.) “Mommy….MOMMY….I have oatmeal in my haaair and it won’t come out!” Ugh, get up, go over to the table and yes, there is in fact oatmeal. Stuck right in my 2 and a half year old child’s hair. Like, lots of it, and it won’t come out. When oatmeal dries it’s like glue. Welp, I guess that will do. Voila. Blog name with meaning, right?! ;)

 This past year has proved to be one with lots of highs and lows for my family. My biggest, bestest high was of course the birth of our sweet little Bennett who was born on April 25, 2012. However, after Bennett’s birth everything else seems like a complete blur. Go here, go there, be here at this time, don’t forget this, etc. etc. etc., you know the drill. I feel like much of my day is spent in pure survival mode….mental lists in my head, “Don’t forget to let the dog back in before you leave, are diapers changed before we go? Do I look too scary for the Starbucks drive thru?” Around 2pm every day is the heavenly time. The boys, (if I’m lucky enough), will go down for a nap. AT THE SAME TIME!  Mason is pretty hit or miss with naps these days, but at least I’ll force him to have quiet time in his room which usually consists of a good 20 minutes of time before banging on the door and saying he needs something. During this quiet time I will catch up on mindless shows like “Kourtney and Kim take Miami”, then get instantly depressed about my wardrobe and looks, and then check emails and Facebook to see what’s going on in the outside world.

This has led me to believe there is often the “Facebook life” and then there’s the “real life.” It goes something like this….Facebook life = log on and scroll through photos of smiling children, perfectly manicured families with hair brushed, matching outfits, etc. If they are not pictures of children they are vacation photos with pretty sunsets, palm trees, big tall glasses of wine, or something of the sort. If they aren’t photos and they are status updates they usually say something like, “So blessed to have the best husband ever who sent me huge flowers at work!” You get it, capture the pretty moments in life which, trust me, I am ALL about! If my husband sent me flowers, (God love him, but he is not typically a flower-sending-I’ll-surprise-the-hell-out-of-you-today-for-no-reason  type of guy), I would probably take a photo and upload it too. I have a ton of photos of my kids in super cute outfits, pretty sunsets, weekends at the cabin with big smiles around bonfires, and vacations. But, then there is real life. It’s the everyday life that we all live. Real life = My house is a mess. I clean it and then it’s a mess again in about 9.5 minutes. There are handprints all over the fridge. I seriously can’t make a pot of coffee without moving from the coffee pot to the cupboard without a baby crawling up my leg and clinging and hanging on for dear life who ends up coming along for the ride because I’m too tired to peel him off. A dog that won’t stop barking, kids that won’t stop talking or yelling or whining, a 2 year old who is weirdly obsessed with Les Miserables and sings it at the top of his lungs all morning until I successfully have a migraine, hockey sticks scattered around the kitchen that I trip over constantly, pinterest inspired crafts covering the table that look cute online but are always, “my-pinterest-craft-turned-out-like-crap,” a husband who asks what he should wear whenever we go somewhere because, God forbid, he dresses himself. (Hold on, wait wait, I take that back…this is a good thing. Nobody wants to see what he wears if he chooses his own outfits. Trust me. Think old flannel shirts and jeans with Birkenstock sandals that are totally hideous but he refuses to throw them away and still wears them in public.) He will say, “What is wrong with this? Flannels are back, baby!”  Oh, no, not those kinds of flannels. The cute, fitted, Urban Outfitters flannels are cool. That baggy mess is from American Eagle circa 1999 honey, but good try! :) And jammies. I am a huge fan of jammies.  Who cares if my baby stays in his jammies all day? I mean really, who wants to take a baby out of warm, cuddly jammies that have cozy feet built in? Who wants to put them in stiff, tight jeans and uncomfortable button up shirts when it’s -10 degrees outside just so he looks super cute and trendy while strolling through the aisles at Target? Oh wait, I did. That was me every time I took my older son, Mason, anywhere. In fact, Mason had to be perfectly accessorized as well.  “No, no, we can’t leave yet…I need to find a matching newsboy hat that goes with these super cute boy-capris and Minnetonka mocs, and this wayyy overpriced Polo shirt that I just had to have for my 3-6 month old”….poor baby Bennett. Bennett usually heads out of the house in Carters jammies that may or may not have banana squished into them somewhere from breakfast. But, his coat is over it so it’s fine, right? Ugh, okay maybe not but, that’s “real life”. Don’t worry, lots of my Facebook photos are of sweet little Bennett in cute distressed jeans, button up shirts, and fedora hats, (granted, most of them are now hand-me-downs or clearance rack items because I have been forced to be a bit more practical since the days of only-one-kid).

A typical day in my house - Bennett still in pajamas, Mason naked, (do I have the only two year old who is impossible to keep clothed? I'm starting to worry!) The big empty space where Christmas tree once was but now it's a toy-dump corner. Oh yeah, and my bra on the ottoman that was left there from a shower I was thinking about taking hours before this but realized that possibility was squashed when the baby woke up.  

So, the point of my blog is to celebrate the mess and beauty of everyday life. To remember my family’s milestones. Every mistake and hiccup at a time.  To embrace all of the imperfect moments that make life sort of perfect. My future posts may or may not include a 3^rd birthday in which the ONLY thing on his wish list is a freaking guinea pig that he talks about constantly. “Mason, what do you want to do today?” “Oh, oh, let’s go to Petco and visit my guinea pig I get when I turn 3!” Me: “How about a bike instead when you turn 3? Bikes are super cool and I think you would LOVE to learn to ride this summer?!” Mason: “Wellll, how about a bike AND a guinea pig because I really really want my guinea pig.” Also, a trip to Florida solo with two kids, (bound to be a complete sh*t show), my baby’s first birthday, and all of the unpredictable stuff in between. :)

They're plotting against us...as usual. #stopfreakingsplashing

Mealtime!

A Pinterest craft that you can't really screw up!