A Toast to Innocence

It’s time for my second blog post and while I have many thoughts running through my very spaced out, can’t focus brain, I am having trouble deciding which ones to put down on paper. Then I remember the beauty of what I want this blog to be . . . random . . . crazy . . . weird . . . Just. Like. Me!!!

Ayden’s second Halloween was yesterday. He was a monkey for his first Halloween. He just sat in the stroller like the cute little 8 month old that he was. Last night was very, very different! He was my favorite character – Winnie the Pooh!!! I got his costume about 6 weeks ago and then found one cheaper at a consignment sale. In my infinite spaced-outness (did I mention I like to make up words?), I never returned the original costume. THANK GOD!!!! He outgrew the one I bought on consignment! For weeks now we have been doing dress rehearsals with Pooh. They have not gone well. The day of the big performance brought the same tears and screams. We Trick-or-Treat with my sister, BIL, two nephews, mom and dad – it’s a family event! And in our true Family Style, this get together was nothing shy of a comedy:
Dogs barking.
Doorbell ringing.
One Spiderman screaming because he wants to wear last year’s too short and a little tight Spiderman costume instead of this year’s because the spider is bigger on last year’s.
One Winnie the Pooh freaking out, kicking, screaming because . . . well . . . who knows?!?!? He is 20 months old!!
One 10 month old Tigger crying because everyone else is doing it!
Four parents arguing with kids and each other
Two grandparents sitting at the table watching this debacle and laughing their butts off!

This is my family! This is what we do. AND this is normal!!! No wonder we are all crazy!

We did manage to get all three kidos in their costumes and out the door for some major Trick-or-Treating! They all had a great night. SUCCESS!!!

I’ve never been a big fan of heat. I’m sure I didn’t mind it as much when I was skinnier younger, but we are not friends now. I say this because, finally, Georgia is getting some colder weather.  I am in love!!! Every year when this happens I fight turning the heat on in the house. I like it cold. I sleep better. I feel better. I have trained Harley to like appreciate deal with the cold. We sleep with a window open and a fan on in the winter. It only sucks when you have to get out of bed in the AM. Ayden likes the cold too. He has a fit when he gets hot and he gets hot easily. This morning, however, I bit the bullet. I turned on the heat. When your child doesn’t want to play because he is too cold to get out from under a blanket it is probably a good sign that the heat needs to be on. So the heat is on. Set to 65. And I hate to admit it, but thawing out feels . . . let’s just go with ok and be done with it. No need to harp on this!

I love watching Ayden entertain himself. He reminds me so much of me when I was carefree (not that many years ago). When what people thought of me didn’t matter; when life was about having fun. Sometimes I wonder where that person went. Every once in a while she returns. I want her to be back more, but life gets in the way. Crazy. Life gets in the way of really living. I think having Ayden is helping me get back to being the “me” I love being. He reminds me to stop and look at the clouds, smile at the moon, run through the leaves and laugh. He reminds me to laugh . . . at everything, but most importantly, myself. By laughing at myself, I am reminded to love myself. I may not be the size I want to be. I may be far from perfect. But the two most important people in my life love me for me. There are plenty of people in this world who look like I want to look; who have tons and tons of friends who worship the ground they walk on and who will never know happiness as I know it.

“That’s not the beginning of the end. That’s the return to yourself. The return to innocence.” – ENIGMA

I propose a toast . . . to living, to being ourselves, to innocence.



Livin' the Life!