Are You My Mother?

Mother's Day is upon us. This is such a special day for everyone. Whether you are a Mother, have a Mother, or know a Mother, it is a day that we all celebrate. I feel like almost all of my posts are about being a Mother, you are probably so sick of it (and I can't blame you!)! So, I wanted to keep my thoughts really brief and leave a few wonderful quotes that will give you warm fuzzies.

First of all, I was blessed with a beautiful, courageous, graceful, mother. She inspires me daily to be patient and loving with my son but to also stand up for what I know is right. My Mother has a quiet strength that would never waiver. I also have a spectacular Mother-in-Law! I am so grateful to have both these Mamas in my life as I raise my children. So blessed.

Sooooo true. Holy crap.

I fear that I don't proclaim my love of Motherhood enough. In fact, I know that I don't. So I will dedicate this post to shout it on the mountain top. I love being a Mama! I love that I have slumped around in my jammies for days and have stretch marks. This sounds sarcastic but it's true. I have gone through one of the most challenging transitions and came out the other side in one piece. It's my proudest accomplishment, EVER. I love his sticky little fingers and the "humpy" hugs that he gives. I love that I worry about him constantly and seeing his tiny butt cheeks in the tub. Being a Mother is an honor and I feel so blessed. I am a much better person because of Motherhood.

This made me chuckle. It's so true. 

Happy Mother's Day. It is a special day indeed so go celebrate it.

Happy Sunday!

Hil

It Gets Me

Every now and then, I stumble across a picture and think to myself "this picture gets me". It can be anything from a picture of a house, garden, food, clothes, art, babies, dogs, etc and it's usually on Pinterest, let's be honest. Yesterday I discovered one of those pictures.

I love everything about this. The bold glasses, gray jacket, mustard cardigan, striped shirt, thick dark leggings, fuzzy straight hair. From head to toe, this look is genius and I want it. All of it. Totally my style inspiration for the week, month, year, always.

Happy Saturday!

Hil

Woopy Doo

I completely dropped the ball this week as far as blogging. Yikes. I have just been so distracted. I feel like we have been on the go all day but in a really great way. All these little distractions have actually been incredibly positive. I have been focusing on making our day worth while. Trying to do more one on one play time and being outside, just focusing on being the best Mom I can be. Geddy and I have been communicating better. He is starting to say Mama, Dada, Cracker, Dog, Hi (all with signs and noises). He still knows the sign for Milk like it's nobody's business.

Even those few little words seem like such huge accomplishements. And I can tell it's a relief for Geddy, he is less frustrated. We have been playing at parks and trying really hard to get out each day and it has helped immensely. I feel bad because I fear that I complain about my little dude. He really is my world. And he is such a pleasant, happy, individual. I have strangers say "he is so happy" all the time and truthfully, he is. He is happy to be alive and has a passion for life already. It's hard for this Mama to keep up! A lady at the grocery store commented on how smiley he was and followed by asking "do you know what they say about babies who smile a lot?". I responded "no" and she replied "it's because they feel love at home, for reals, it's a proven fact". I don't know if what she said is an actual proven theory but it made me feel good. I hope that Geddy always feels just how much we love him. Because it's an overwhelming amount. What an incredible boy.

Chad and I of course celebrated Star Wars Day (May 4th "May the Fourth Be With You", get it?) by watching the old star wars movies. But we didn't just stop there (of course not) we actually watched all the new ones as well. Such a great story! Obviously, the old ones are significantly better but it was interesting to watch the new ones as well because I had completely forgotten what happened in them. We actually finished the last movie last night and we were sad it was over. We felt a little bit lost. I cannot WAIT for the 7th movie to come out. (Speaking of movies, who else is excited to see the new Star Trek movie?! I am PUMPED! Especially because Benedict Cumberbatch is in it. It's going to be amazing.)

That's about it, team. I have nothing more to say today. I will do a Mother's Day post, I am sure, so keep an eye out for that.

Happy Friday!

Hil

What I Think of the Park and Shoes of the Day

Chad had to work late yesterday so I needed a fun activity that I could do with Geddy for a while, just to use up some of the time in the day. I decided to take him on a little picnic at the park. I was smart and kept him in his stroller while he ate. Here is my thing, I know that the park is a great place for children to get their wiggles out but when I go to the park, I feel like I am herding a very angry cat. It's almost like Mama is getting her wiggles out while the toddler is just being fueled. Geddy is a wonderful, social, spirited, active, boy. Because he has such a hearty soul, he wants to be around ALL the people and nothing to do with Mama. He will never walk in the same direction with me. He is just trying to get away!

Out little picnic date.

Little Dude is incredibly social, has been from the beginning. That means when we go to the park he doesn't want to play on the toys or swing he wants to get really close to all the children (even crying ones) and scream in their face with excitement. He is just so happy to see everybody! All the parents are so sweet and honestly, it doesn't bother me that he wants to be close to children, that's cute and endearing. However, when he wants to go to the edge of the parking lot where the suspicious two gentlemen, who drove separately but were purposely meeting each other there only to sit in one of their cars to "talk", it's a little frustrating (and scary). Or when he wants to visit the far too affectionate couple cuddling under a tree. OR when he wants to play with the teenage brother and sister who are practicing their batting with a metal bat. 

Geddy's cool Marvel shirt.

Our time at the park turns into Mama chasing the boy and trying to redirect him. Here is the thing, when you redirect him (even if you carry him halfway across the park to distract him) he will immediately turn back around and proceed with his original plan. He almost takes it as a challenge. Let me tell you, this kid has heart! 

The end of tantrum numero uno. He threw himself on the grass.

By the end of our park experience, he is usually yelling/crying as I carry him like a big barrel of ale to the car. Covered in dirt (because staying clean is for fools) and clenching a new rock or stick. Honestly, I am not really that upset or frustrated, in the moment I was but I know he is just a healthy little boy and he deserves to act that way. I always end with "why do we ever go to the park?" but ultimately, I know he loves it and we will never stop. This post was mostly just light hearted...mostly :) I am assuming that it will get better with age but do any other parents feel like this? Like the park is more exhausting than enjoyable?

How we look after the park. Snot, tears, and dirt. Poor kid. 

How Mama feels after the park. Frazzled and warm. 

ANYWAY...for Mother's Day, I wanted to get Geddy some new moccasins. Funny how that works, you want to get your child something for YOUR gift. I have so loved his other Moccs that we went ahead and got the same brand, Minnetonka, but a different color and style. This time we went with RED. I adore these. They are a bit tricky to get on but man do they add a fun pop. I am all about the soft soled shoes too (unless it's wet or snowy). Geddy likes them a lot as well. 

AND...another shoe of the day. What?! Too good to be true. So, as an adult, I have always had issues with flip flops. They just aren't my thing. I usually feel like they are too casual or that they don't stay on my feet. I am just not that into them unless I am at a pool, lake, or beach. This summer, I was looking for a super low-key sandal/flip flop that I could sport casually. I found these for $16.99 at Target and thought I would give them a whirl. They are INCREDIBLE. I absolutely love them. They have officially replaced flip flops in my closet which I am 100% okay with. They are comfy and decent quality, especially for the price, and they go great with skirts, jeans, shorts, you name it! I have gone on walks while wearing them, grocery shopping, all over the town. Really great purchase, I love them so much, I am thinking about going back and getting another pair in a different color. You should check them out!

Happy Friday!

Hil 

P.S. Just recently, I have noticed Geddy doing an entirely new facial expression. It's a big boy expression, serious and calm. It's going to seem like a normal expression but it's not. His mouth is perfectly closed and you can tell he is thinking. I don't know why but it gets to me every time. I will even try to talk to him when he does it (it's when he is focused) and it's like he can't hear me. Really funny.  

His big boy face.

P.P.S. Little dude loves my necklaces. I only let him play with specific ones because I know they will likely end up broken. Yesterday, he put one on and it ended up like a bandoleer. He wore it like that for a good 5 minutes. It was so stinkin' cute.

A Post About Absolutely Nothing

This afternoon was intended for a nap, obvi. But, I awoke this morning with a headache behind my right eye (the worst) so I took headache meds that had caffeine in them. Which, unfortunately, led to a restless napping session, and ended with a blogging "sesh" instead. Oh well, I will sleep when I am dead, right?

Everyday I read my Google Reader  (which is soon going away, *tear*) and I find so much beauty and inspiration there. I love the creativity of so many bloggers and all the beautiful things they post. As much as I complain about the "perfectness" and lack of reality that some bloggers portray, I do relish in a lot of it's beauty and creativity. How fantastic is creating something? Whether it be food, literature, a child, interior design, there is something so satisfying in creating. It just makes me happy.

One post that I read today and absolutely LOVED was by Jen from JenLovesKev (one of my favorite daily reads). It was all about the difference of parenting between your first child and second child. It actually provided a lot of hope and made me excited to potentially have another child (in like a billion years). You should seriously read it, go here for the specific article. Was there a significant difference with your first and second child (as far as parenting goes)? I would love to hear, tell me!

I have had a lot on my mind lately. Different things really; parenting, blogging, getting healthy, projects that I want to start but don't know where to begin. Every now and then, I am proud of myself. Does that ever happen to you? In fact, I was looking at my Pinterest Boards and seeing the different things that I have liked and pinned and thought "You know what? I am a pretty cool kid". I remember one of the best compliments I ever received was from a corky college professor I had. She taught Ancient World History and I don't even remember her name but she was over the age of 50 with long wild gray curly hair, wore short skirts with high top converse, intense eyes, and was polytheistic (did I say that right? Apologies if I didn't). I remember I turned in my final to her (which I totally bombed, by the way) and she looked me in the eyes with her usual intense expression and said "You are a fascinating person, I loved having you in my class". I was blown away, I remember leaving and feeling so proud. Although she and I were different in some ways, we saw the value of the other person. She is actually the person who made me love the band Nirvana (soon after this class I met my future husband and we had one of our first connections over Kurt Cobain's published journals. Love was in the air). This lady was neat, I tell you.

I hope I am always a fascinating person. Sometimes I get stuck in the idea that I am "just" a Mom (which is a big deal in itself) but I am intelligent and interesting too. I also forget that our outside appearances aren't the only things that make us appealing. How many times have you talked to someone beautiful only to find a dull interior. It's beautiful to be unique. We should bask in our differences and be proud of who we are. This is something that I am constantly learning as I get older. And it's one of my favorite lessons but one that I struggle with the most.

This post was random and unorganized but these are sometimes my favorite. They are authentic and just my thoughts tripping out of my brain.

Happy Thursday!

Hil

Family Day (A Bajillion Pictures)

Chad finished his finals for the semester last week (hooray!). He was so busy with work and school the past two weeks, so on Saturday we decided we would spend the afternoon as a family. The pup included! One of my favorite things about Utah are the beautiful mountains. If I ever move away, that is what I will miss most (after family and friends, of course). Since we got married and got a pup, we have loved going up the bike trail in Provo for a long canyon walk. Bobbie absolutely loves it and we do too. 

We packed up everything, camera included, and spent the afternoon in the fantastic weather (I am talking, like, 70 degrees). Geddy was a little annoyed that he had to be in his stroller going up and back but once we got to the park, he was in absolute heaven. It was such a fun time. Bobbie got to run around a bit without her leash, which she loves (she is very well behaved up there, surprisingly). Geddy also got to run free but was particularly fascinated by a locked electric box so he spent a lot of time trying to get over to it. Chad and I got to soak up some sun as well. Although, I got enough Sun to last me the rest of the month. We all know how I feel about that bright ol' Sun and the warmth it brings. Boo. 

I wish that Utah stayed this temperature all year round. 60-70 degrees is absolutely perfect. It felt so good to be out. As mentioned above, I brought my camera, therefore I took a disgusting amount of pictures (like 150 or so) and am posting some of them on here. A lot of them look alike but we don't take enough pictures of ourselves (Me and Chad). So we made up for it! Ha. 

Chad and our Lady Pup, Bobbie.

The beloved locked electric box. 

Fascinated by the dangling lock.

Our happy pup, relaxing in the cool grass.

Grateful for sunglasses because I am totally not wearing makeup. 

He was really into cuddling, you can tell.

An actual current picture of both of us. Shock!

So high! Almost gave me a heart attack.

Chad took this pic of my feet and I quite liked it.

Naughty.

This picture is really weird to me. I don't think it looks like me. Odd.

Tackling Daddy.

Indians Fan.

Our gorgeous Mountains! Love them.

This picture was entirely taken on accident but I loved it. 

Playing with Daddy under the blanket. Daddy is the fun one. My mother made
that quilt for my wedding. 

The best spouse ever.

That was our Saturday. I am sorry to vomit all these pictures on you. I know it's overkill but we don't document enough of our family time and I want to keep all of these memories. It was just a really good day. We were as happy as we appeared.

Happy Monday!

Hil