mommy’s pet peeves

I’m participating in Toddle Along Tuesday with Melissa at Growing Up Geeky and this week’s topic is Mommy’s Pet Peeves.

Let me just say that I try to maintain a positive attitude overall, but sometimes it’s just fun necessary to vent!  Here are some of my pet peeves:

1. I know I’m not a princess and my children are not royalty or anything, but for the love of Pete, hold the freakin’ door open when you see a lady with an 188′ long double stroller coming through. No excuses.

2. I’ve never denied that Dexter was a “surprise” to us but for crying out loud, don’t ask a lady you barely know if her second pregnancy (or any pregnancy) was planned.  Geez.

3. You know how annoying it is when people park 3″ from you and you have to shimmy into the car sideways to avoid slamming your door into their car?  Only because you don’t want to mess up your own car?  Well, there’s a whole new level of annoying to this when you have to put a toddler in a carseat.  Come ON!

4. How about every time you say something about your child to someone and they have to one-up you?  They feel the need to tell you something that their kid did that was bigger and better than your kid’s thing.  Every.Single.Time.  Guess what?  It’s not necessary.

5. People that have to have every most expensive brand/thing for their kid.  Just because it’s expensive.  Because it sure isn’t always cute.  Can’t use hand-me-downs because that’s for poor people. Go ahead and call me poor, pal, that’s one less thing I have to buy.

6. Rude strangers in public that ignore my {obviously adorable, sweet} children when they wave or say “hi.”  As crazy as it makes me sound, I am always offended by this and am paranoid it will hurt the boys’ feelings.

What annoys you the most?
~C~

Theo’s third birthday celebration

Can’t believe this was a year ago.  Can’t believe this was two years ago.  Yikes.

Friday morning we started our day with a quick breakfast at McDonald’s.  We’d planned on going to more of a sit-down breakfast place but as usual, it took us longer to get out of the house than we’d hoped.  The boys didn’t mind.

Afterwards, we drove to the Newport Aquarium.  The reason we were hoping to get an earlier start was because we knew the boys would fizzle out after/around lunchtime.  We still got there around 10:40.

One of Theo’s favorite things was this big demonstration tank and the scuba divers.
Dexy liked the alligators and crocs.
He doesn’t really measure up to Mighty Mike.
I can’t help it.  He’s such a dreamboat.
And little Mr. Handsome himself.
Waiting for the lorikeets to get interested in our nectar (they never did).
Theo showing off his little box of tiny critters/souvenirs from the aquarium.
I missed my mid-morning snack and by 1pm when we left the aquarium, I was ready to eat one of my children, poor dears.  Luckily there was the MOST AMAZING THING IN THE WORLD right there by the aquarium called a soup and grilled cheese restaurant.  What I don’t understand is if someone built a restaurant JUST for me, why am I just now finding out about it?  I give you Tom + Chee.  
Playing with new critters while waiting for our cheese. Yum. Cheese.
Heaven in a plastic basket.
Oh, ya know. Just drinking milk out of the carton like I’m in school.
Goofing off at B&N.
I found it really surprising that by this point in the day, Theo still had not mentioned anything about opening presents.  We had decided the night before that we would let him open as many of the ones that we got him and the ones that had been shipped to us from my mom and a friend when he woke up, if he asked.  We didn’t want to make him wait.  Since we ended up being in a hurry, we were relieved.  Finally, around 4pm, after we got to Ryan’s sister’s house in Cincinnati, he asked to open some gifts.  
After we went out to dinner, we came back for cupcakes, more presents, and more Toy Story madness. To say that the boy is obsessed would be an understatement!  
YUMMO.
Singing to my boy.
Make a wish!
Dexter was every bit as excited as Theo was.
His wish came true.  Emperor ZURG!
All in all, it was a long, exciting, happy day.  I think Theo got everything he had hoped for and has been playing with his new pals ever since.  We spent the rest of the weekend soaking up family time and playing outside on Sunday in the beautiful weather.  It’s hard to believe my baby boy is already three years old.  I know time’s not going to slow down any time soon.  Boo to that, but cheers to the next year and Dexter’s 2nd birthday coming up in two months.  
xo,
C
~C~

letters to Theo: you’re three.

Theodore Jack,

It was right around Halloween of 2009 when we found out you were a boy.  Somehow, I knew it before the ultrasound tech told us. From that moment on, we started planning for our little boy’s arrival, not knowing where this path would take us.

On March 8, 2010, you came into our world and life has never been the same.  It was the day you made me a mother.  When I  saw your face, I knew the name we picked out for you was perfect.  How is it possible that you just looked like a little Theo at birth?  After saying your name for several months, it was nice to put a face with the name and it felt entirely natural.

You. Brand new.

Here we are three years later, and I say your name countless times a day.  Sometimes out of love, sometimes out of frustration.  Most likely, out of admiration when I’m talking about you to someone else, which I do a lot.  Anyone who knows me knows that my family comes first.

One.

You’ve got a stubborn streak that I hear rivals your dad’s when he was young.  You are increasingly independent and can carry on a conversation like you’re grown.  You love cartoons and movies and would be just fine if we said you could do nothing but watch them for the rest of your life.  Too bad life’s full of disappointments, kid.

Two.

Even through the challenges, I have loved having you at 2.  We have had a busy, fun year and you have grown in so many ways.  I realize all too well that you will never be this small again. We continue traveling furiously onward like a speeding train.  You’re funny.  You’re sweet.  You’re clever.  I love hearing the things that you come up with.  You are discovering ways to manipulate situations.  You’re reasoning.  You’re thinking about options and alternatives before you speak sometimes.  It’s amazing to observe you developing this way. Sometimes I don’t know if I’m teaching you or if you’re teaching me.

You sleep in your own big boy bed.  You wear underwears (except when you’re asleep). You don’t call them “underwears” anymore but I wish you did.  You lose little pieces of your baby self every day. I never correct you when you say cute things because I know you’ll correct yourself soon enough.  You’re adorable beyond words.  You make me swoon.  Just this week, you asked me to snuggle up with you early in the morning before you were ready to get out of bed.  I needed to go shower and when I tried to slip quietly out of your bed after you closed your eyes again, you put your hand on my forearm and whispered “I don’t want you to go, mama.”  Melted my heart.  You won.  I stayed for a little while longer, just rubbing your back, smelling your hair, and kissing your head.  I know these moments with you are fleeting.

You are a big brother.  You are not always nice to your little brother, but you always love him.  Seeing your face light up as you’re playing together makes me smile.  I love watching you together. I love that you understand him when I don’t.  I love that you can calm him down when he’s upset.  I love that you two are starting to chat and have your own little conversations.  You are brothers.  I hope you’ll always be close.

You are three.  Before you’re four, you will ride in an airplane.  You’ll visit Walt Disney World.  You’ll have another Christmas at our home.  We’ll celebrate Dexter’s 2nd birthday.  We’ll spend time with family and friends like we do every year. I don’t know what else to expect for this year, but I know it will be amazing… I know that I’ll be writing that you’re four in the blink of an eye.  I don’t want to miss it but I’m excited to grow as your mother as you grow into this little man.

Three.

You are so loved, son.  So, so loved.  You have grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, and countless other friends and relatives that love you.  You don’t even realize how beautiful that is or how special you are.  I am humbled by the privilege and responsibility I was given to be your mother and raise you well.  I hope you think I’m doing fine.

I love you babe.  Happy, happy, happy birthday.
Mommy