I Know Why Men Marry

When men marry for life, they marry for love. This I do believe.

There is research that tells us that marriage is good for our health. We live longer due to lower blood pressure suggestiong that marriage may literally be a matter of the heart.

I think that I have found another reason why men marry.

Men may be a little lost without a partner.

Men do not have normally have the greatest fashion sense. One of Big Poppy's male cousin's still tries wears t-shirts from his high school days; he does not have the same physical build as high school. Without the better half around to help with dressing, there seems to be a misfire in the brain that says that if clothes fit good enough, wear it. Maybe men think short pants are a good idea?

Men also seem to need help with the laundry sorting. Why is it that the red napkin does not get sorted properly when Big Poppy is around?

The acceptable short pants and the pink laundry leads me to believe that while love is the strongest motivator when a man decides to marry, there may be some little items that make a man realize he should marry.

I am happy to help my man!

Rain to Sun to Rain

It is an American family tradition to go on road trips. I do not understand how there is proper family bonding when I hear of friends who have never been on a family road trip. I mean, really, where do you learn these standard lines if not on a family road trip:

"Don't make me stop the car."

"How much longer?"

"Stop hitting your brother."

"Are we there yet?"

Friday morning was a slow start. I may have not allowed sufficient time woken Big Poppy up to help me to complete all necessary tasks to be on the road by 7 am. I felt good with the 7:30 departure after I looked at the laundry completed. After seven hours on the road, with bathroom breaks, lunch and a snack attack, we reached our destination. Sunshine! It rained for most of those seven hours while on the road.

Visiting friends was great. I was so caught up in playing with the boys; Little Guy got to visit Boo (4) and Bro-Bro (1), that I failed to take many pictures. I was living in the now and now hope that I have a flawless memory. Sunday morning was especially special for me. Not only did I get to spend it with Little Guy, but also Bro-Bro woke up early to be with us. They look so peaceful!

Bro-Bro did not last long in our bed. He was ready for the morning and we watched a movie together.

I was pleased to find a jogging stroller on a trip to the grocery store (the running store was next door - side note, I went to the grocery store, running store, and gas station in less time than it takes some husbands to get coffee, you know who are Travie). We took the stroller for a test walk with the boys. (Side note 2 - for any newly 'with child' out there, you know who you are... :) get this one!)

Sunday afternoon was not a good time for Little Guy. He was a very unhappy camper and a bit anti-social. Little Guy and I spent most of our time in basement. He has never cried like this before but with good reason. The poor thing had some problems going to the bathroom. He seemed pretty good on the way home on Monday.

Little Guy is looking at something with so much concentration that it got me wondering what it was that engrossed him.

I snapped this from Little Guy's view point. I'm still wondering what has him so engrossed...

At least Little Guy seems relaxed with Big Poppy at the wheel. Or maybe he is just enjoying me re-reading New Moon to him (he liked my voice and I can sing for only so long).








We made it home safely. GrandB and GrandC missed out. We waited for quite a while at their place when we picked up Jeter. Next time. And, joy of all joy's, Little Guy worked some of his bathroom problems out. Big Poppy and I have never been so pleased to see a dirty diaper.

This morning, well it's much of the same. The sunshine is gone (do I live in Forks now or does it just feel like it). The thunder startled Little Guy and Jeter. Do you know what that means?

I'm left out of the bed.

The Day Has Come

Today is it. I'm up to date. It will be real time posts going forward. Did you think that the day would never come?

This was taken today.

It wasn't that long ago and Little Guy was much smaller next to Jeter.

Now days, Little Guy and Jeter just lounge around watching a game or making fun at all the goofy things that Big Poppy and I do.

But some things stay the same between the two boys. Jeter cannot help but show Little Guy how much he loves him.

What will tomorrow bring? Road trip.

Double the Fun

August 19

Big Poppy tried to help me this morning. When the alarm went off, he gave me a quick kick in his efforts to help me overcome my snooze button addiction.

I politely told him “NO, it’s raining.” I guess we both forgot about the treadmill.

The snooze button may have won today but I will prevail.

Today is Little Guy’s 3-month birthday! It was a day packed full.

Lunch with RCJ (little MAK’s mom) and JGR (turned me on to Twilight). Little Guy slept through 95% of our time together. After lunch, I wanted to take Little Guy for some photo but they could not take us until 2 pm. No problem, we will just run across the street to Pottery Barn for the shelves above the desk in Little Guy’s room.

When we returned for photo’s it looked like this out.

We sat in the car for 20 minutes (good thing we were early coming back) waiting for the rain to let up. I can only imagine how I looked, running with Little Guy in his car seat, covered up with a blanket, with my purse, diaper bag and a couple stuffed animals that I wanted in some pictures.

There was a mirror and I saw that I did indeed look beautiful. I looked like I stepped into my morning shower fully clothed. Thankfully, Little Guy was completely dry.

Little Guy giggled away while the pictures were taken. He is ever the cutey and the pictures will support my claim. I can pick the pictures up on August 31…

Traffic driving back home was slow moving. Why is it the rain and snow make everyone ride their brakes? Little Guy and I were in a hurry to get back home. My DC Gal is in town and is coming over for supper. It would have been nice to clean up the mail from the kitchen and receipts from the dining room table before she arrived. It did not happen. DC Gal saw my home in its “lived in” state.

For Little Guy’s 3-month birthday, Big Poppy baked a few cookies for us. Imagine warm, chocolate chip cookies fresh from the oven after feasting on fish tacos AND catching up with DC Gal AND Little Guy is 3-months old. Big Poppy and I are ever grateful for the life we have.

I Like to Hit Snooze

August 16

I found this the other day while I was thinking about my dear friend and former college roommate who taught me the art of hitting the snooze button.

"In a dark room, in a deep dream, your early morning alarm clock buzzing you awake can be quite disarming, but you probably shouldn't press the snooze button. Those extra nine, 18, or 27 minutes of sleep, depending on how many times your press the snooze button, are not going to help you dig yourself out of a sleep deficit. Those extra minutes of sleep are fragmented and in no way deep so they don't provide the rest you need. Rather than relying "snooze button sleep," try getting to bed earlier to catch some extra shut-eye."

The snooze button became my good friend after a couple years of asking her why she just would not set the alarm for 20 minutes later. I have normally been a morning person, at least compared to my friends, but trying to switch my workout to before work instead of after work has not been going well. It has been so poor that the workouts stopped and that makes for a cranky Happy Mom.

By some blessing, on this fine morning, I did not hit snooze. For those of you who have not checked the calendar, it's Sunday, I did not have the early alarm set, therefore I will not be patting myself on the back.

Big Poppy and Little Guy were soundly sleeping. Jeter looked at me, indicated he would like to go outside then promptly returned to bed. I laced up the shoes, turned on the i-pod and set out for my lake run. It was glorious. The air was warm but not hot, there was humidity which I love for my joints. I returned home as the household was waking up. Perfection.

Now if only I could repeat perfection a few more days a week for a couple months to retrain my body on the time to get up. Instead, I think of the my dear friend and my snooze button and think, tomorrow. My dirty little secret is now widely known. I want to get up earlier and do what I tell others not to do. I like to hit snooze. I am going to break this habit.

I know the snooze is ridiculous. If I have the mental ability to be in the habit of recognizing that I can get a substandard workout in with three slaps of snooze or if I go to five slaps I can just skip the workout, then I should be able to to get up with the first one.

It's time. NO MORE SNOOZE for Happy Mom...my mind knows this is the right thing to do but it still roars a big fat:

BOO

HISS

No matter, its time to drag myself out of the bed and remember the feeling of this morning.

Horse Bets, Older Girls and looking for Bobby Jones

August 13

Have you ever wondered how my co-workers and I keep our language so clean between January 1 to April 15? Increased stress levels can lead to naughty words slipping out. To help keep the language clean we have “The Cuss Cup”.

The rules are normally straightforward. Most naughty words cost you a quarter. If the F one comes out, it will cost you 50 cents. On the days you roll out of bed and just know that today is going to be a bad day, a mere $5 you get an exception. I say the rules are normally straightforward because there is some debate on how to define naughty words. Apparently, there are some words that would have meant ivory soap in my mouth as a child that might not be a naughty word for one person but it would be a naughty word to someone else. The different rules for different “Cuss Cup” participants are part of the fun and I am digressing.

You may be surprised on how we use the proceeds of “The Cuss Cup” funds. We go to the horse track. Picture a bunch of CPA’s looking at the odds, debating how to bet the trifecta and then going to the window to place the $2 minimum bet. What wild risk takers we are! We have a fun evening of betting, eating and enjoying each other.

This year, Little Guy came along. He did not bring any winning luck nor did he pick any winners but he did learn some good math skills on odds, ratios and payouts. When Little Guy starts running numbers in kindergarten, I know exactly which partner to bail him out of jail.

Little Guy was not alone in his inaugural “Cuss Cup” horse betting event. My co-worker RCJ also decided to increase the chances of a gambling addiction in her little girl by bringing her to the track too. Now, little MAK is an older girl. I mean, she was soooo born in 2008. Little Guy was a bit shy around her at first (look at how well MAK poses for the camera).

However, it did not take Little Guy long to decide to reach out and touch MAK and that seemed to concern her – maybe because her daddy was right there watching very closely to Little Guy's moves.

During all the fun at the horse track Big Poppy was out searching for the next Bobby Jones. For the day, Big Poppy joined the PGA. OK, he was actually watching the PGA, in person. Big Poppy was walking the same 18 holes as Tiger Woods. I think it would be great if Big Poppy could walk and play the same 18 holes as Tiger. I could handle Big Poppy coming in second at a few of those tournaments.

Hmmm, maybe I should perfect my driving and then he could be happy with me coming in second in a few LPGA tournaments. I now have weekend plans.

Anyone Got A Smile?

August 12

Big Poppy and I are happy people. We use to have poker faces but we are definitely smiley faces now. What is spectacular is that Little Guy is a smiley face too. His entire face lights up when you see him the morning, especially after his breakfast. If you go out of the room for a minute and come back in, Little Guy smiles again. Big Poppy makes a funny face, Little Guy smiles.

Little Guy is also a talker. I am going to chalk that up to the reading out loud (not all books). Little Guy loves to tell stories and quite frankly, in my family that is going to come in handy - you have to know how to catch the biggest fish in my family.

Most of the time, Little Guy is quite the little talker and smiler.

Little Guy is telling Big Poppy how he is going to be the greatest hockey player ever here. (There are days when Little Guy says he will be the best baseball player, golfer or CPA. Currently he is keeping his options open.)

After Little Guy finished describing his hat trick to win the Stanley Cup in game 7, he just sat back and grinned about how great that moment is going to be.

As you can see, when I mentioned to Little Guy that he needed to stay in school and not turn pro too early in his life he let me know what he thought of my opinion.