Today

Do days get any better than today?

We had THE best day EVERRRR!!

Seriously - happy kids, happy parents, happy day.

We started off the morning well - not so happy when we had haircuts scheduled for 8:30 am.  Tator DOES NOT like getting a hair cut - but I was sick of trying to do a quick trim over the ears to make it passable while my child looked at me like I was the worst person ever - so we took them to a barber.

Yup.  No more hair stylist for my boys.  Give me a barber who uses a clippers and gets the job done.  We walked into the new place - I told the man that I wanted my boys to have a summer cut like my brother used to when he was a kid (buzzed on the sides and tapered up to the top - fyi known as "The Fade" as I was told) and that man got down to business.  First the Muffin, then the Tate and boy that child knows how to fight - but the barber won - and we are all happier for it.  My boys look amazing if I do say so myself; and really look much cooler for the humidity we've been having.

Next, it was on to Target - never been one of the Tates favorite places - usually needs to be held by me and screams to leave about 1/2 way through - BUT NOT TODAY!  That big boy walked all over by himself!!  Happy as a clam to stick together - get his diapers, vitamins and even pick up a few more toys for the pool.

We all left HAPPY so we decided to test our luck by going out to lunch.  Again, happy boys, happy parents.  The boys split a meal and while usually the hubs and I are trying to wolf down our food before Tator has had enough - NOT TODAY!  Both of our boys calming waiting for their lunch, calmly ate said lunch and we were finished well before he was ready to go.

WOOT-WOOT!

So home james we went - and enjoyed the pool, the heat and the sun for the next 6 hours.

Does it get any better than that?

I don't think so!

Happy kids.  Happy parents.  Happy day!

and to go with that milk...

Tonight, out of the blue, our boy said...

"Chocolate cookies?"

...because he wanted Oreos.

Came up with that one all on his own - AMAZING!!!

Lunch & Chocolate Milk

So today I went to have lunch at school with the Muffin Man - and felt like I had joined the army (or what you "see" of army life in the movies).  Seriously, it was like "MOVE MOVE MOVE - KEEP IT GOIN' NOW" kind of lunch.  40+ kids plus one adult mama and a lighting round of a 1/2 hour.  Seriously, I felt like I was wolfing down my food - and it didn't help that we were having what was called 'French Toast Sticks' when really it was 'a piece of French Toast.'  That, I didn't understand until the lunch monitor yelled out just as I was about to drown mine in syrup, "I don't want to see any dumping of syrup on the trays!  It's rip em' and dip em folks!"

Seriously!!  I am totally not joking!

So I ripped em' and dipped em' with the kids - and loved every minute of sitting with my proud boy as all of his friends asked "Is that your mom?!" 

Love that Muffin Man!

...

Tator has a new word now - well really two words - 'Chocolate Milk' and it is the cutest thing I've ever heard.

Who would have guessed that in the last weekend we would come to realize that he does in fact know ~ AND LOVE ~ Chocolate Milk and Macaroni and Cheese and absolutely loves to say these words over and over! 

Amazing.  Wonderful.  Seriously - the cutest thing.

...

Kind of humorous if not a bit of marital comic relief... 

Before going back to work I had told Mr. B about my 'rip em' and dip 'em' lunch so after we picked up the Muffin (after school) he asks him, "So, I heard that you and mommy were told to rip em' and strip em'?!"  WA-HAAAT?!?!?  Yeah, um no honey we did not rip and strip anything - where was your mind today? Ha!!

Good Things

So good things happening here...  I've been working hard - and for as hard as I work, Tator has been working even harder. 

I can confidently say that we have heard more words and more calmness.  More expression and less explosion.  More affection and more understanding.  So much more and so much better.  My little man tries so hard to be heard and seen and I love that little guy!

Did I tell you - the boy counted to 10 the other day.  10!!  All by himself!  He only missed '8' but kept right on going.

He also sat on the potty too - no whining, no screaming - just "ok", sat on the potty, counted to 20 with me and said "all done."  Love it!  Not so much as we weren't successful in the outcome as the success in the process.  The calmness, the ok, the try. LOVE IT!!

Such inspiration when you think of it - calm.  Ok.  Try.

Just try.