Bad Mommy

So I have finally uploaded all my posts from the past 2 weeks. . .if you are wanting to catch up it may take you awhile since I haven’t posted anything since the 4th of July and here it is the 22nd! I have added all Stratton’s parties and all about his new room! So, if you have some (ok, a lot) free time take a look at what we’ve been up to. I will try to do better!!

I my defense-things have been insane. Jarrod is working like crazy, we’ve been birthday-ing it up and work for me is super busy and stressful! We have a big meeting in a week and I have to give a presentation to the entire company. . . along with planning the meeting and doing the stuff I do everyday! And I have had lots of invitation projects in the past few weeks too. I remember my mom saying “A woman’s work is never done”- she was so right!

The “big boy bed” . . .

Actually the transition has been easier than I expected. We kept the crib in the office just in case we needed it. But I think its safe to say that we won’t be turning back now. The first few nights he would whine and cry a little but now, he lays right down and goes to sleep and stays in bed till we get him up. We tell him everyday how proud we are that he is sleeping in his big boy bed and what a big boy he is, so I think that positive reinforcement has helped, too.  We did have a little scare yesterday morning, Jarrod went to get him up and he wasn’t in his bed. . . .he was laying beside his bed in the floor- sound asleep! We have no idea if he crawled out or fell out (highly unlikely since we have those rails up)?? My thought is maybe he was sleep walking and crawled down and couldn’t get back up, his bed is pretty tall and he can’t get in it without help. Who knows- they sleep on mats on the floor at school maybe he was dreaming he was at school?? Anyway, we have a video monitor still and we didn’t hear anything so I don’t think he fell out? it’s a mystery we will never know the answer to! But thankfully he slept in it all night last night. I’m sure that is the first of many stories we will have about him sleeping in his big bed!

Water Park

The waterpark in Paragould is awesome. We were invited to a birthday party there- they had rented the whole thing- and it was great!! Stratton absolutely loved it. He has no fear when it comes to water! He loved going down the slide and even went down one that was way too big for him. The first time he went down he got completely dunked and drenched, and I thought he would come up crying, but nope he wiped the water off his face an got a good deep breath and said “AGAIN!” haha! We will for sure be taking him back!

Stratton’s Birthday Party :: #4

Today we had Stratton’s last party at Hickory Ridge with my dad’s side of the family. We went to church and then had lunch and cake at my mom and dad’s house. Stratton got a Motorcycle! He Loves motorcycles! He got a laptop (a leapfrog one-not a real one) and some books and clothes. But the show stopper was the John Deere Tractor that his Pops and Gigi got him. It actually has a gas pedal- which is going to take some work. But he did pretty good, he rode it around in their yard for awhile. This particular gift will be staying at Pops and Gigi’s house for the time being! I don’t know where we would put it, it’s definitely too big to ride in our house!

Mr. Independent

It took 3 men to put the plastic motorcycle together!

Cool!!

He gets going good and then kicks his feet up and coasts!

Here come the BIG one! Waiting with his eyes closed!

WOW!

A John Deere tractor with a wagon!

Gigi made him a tractor cookie cake! Yummy!

Stratton’s Birthday Party :: #3

Stratton went to Nan and Pa’s house on Thursday and had a big time! He got to spend lots of time with Archer, too. Then Jarrod and I went to Searcy Saturday for his party with Jarrod's family. This party was Mickey Mouse themed, big thanks to Margie for getting the cake an decorating so cute. The best part of the night was when Jarrod took the remote to his new remote-controlled fire truck so he could put batteries in it and it made Stratton mad and he starting crying and calling “Nan!” when Margie came in the living room to see what was wrong she asked him “What’s the matter, Stratton?” He looked and pointed accusingly Jarrod and said, “HIM!”. . . we were all just about to die from laughing!! That boy is such a mess!!

He got all kinds of fun stuff! I kitchen from Nan and Pa, and a big art center from Aunt Jen, Uncle Daniel and Archer. And this awesome [enter sarcasm], and really loud remote- controlled fire truck, Thanks Uncle Keith! It took 4 grown men 2 hours to put it together and get it going! haha!

Need some help dad?

I guess he needed some quiet time. . .we found him in the closet by himself reading. The dictionary and the Guinness Book of World Records!

Just the 3 of us party. . .

Well, my parent’s took Stratton home with the Saturday night and brought him back Monday night. . .Jarrod worked late Monday night and didn’t get home last night till 3am. . . yep, he went to work at 7am on Tuesday and didn’t get home till 3am on Wednesday. So basically he hasn’t see Stratton since Saturday night! He didn’t go to work today, because he was tired (duh) and didn’t have to go in till noon since they worked so late, so he took the 1/2 off and ran some errands and picked Stratton up early so they could spend some time together doing “guy stuff”- aka going to Sam’s to shop and buy random things and get an Icee, and to the carwash. Then after I got off work we took him to Chuck E. Cheese (which I said I would NEVER do. . .yum, those words were tasty going down!) and  then went back home and let him open his gifts from us. One of which was a blue shovel. . . .note to self don’t give a kid a shovel if your not going to let him take it outside! He was trying to dig up the rug and was banging it on the furniture and walls. . .live and learn.

Stratton’s first time at Chuck E. Cheese. All he wanted to do was ride the backhoe! What happened to “Wack-A-Mole”?? I have never been to our CEC, but it was really small and there wasn’t a lot of things to do for the little ones. Stratton seemed to have a good time and after 42 rides on the backhoe and spending what few tickets we had on a squishy plastic shark (which we later lost at Target) and some sweet tarts he didn’t throw a fit when it was time to go.

say “cheese”!

I think he was a little leery of the giant mouse!

At home opening presents:

He got a fork and spoon that look like a backhoe and bulldozer!

Some new stickers, pj’s and a shirt

And the best present, a shovel of his very own!

He is saying: “I HAVE SHOVEL!” and “I DIGGING!”

And KAIT came to shoot a commercial for the daycare today and they tell me that Stratton was the star. . .so be watching Channel 8!!

Stratton’s REAL birthday

So Today was Stratton’s “real” birthday, we’ve had 2 parties and 2 more left to go this weekend, so it’s kinda like his birthday week. . . we’ve been so busy I haven’t had much time to mull over the fact that my baby is 2 years old. Which is probably a good thing! Jarrod had to work late, again (In fact we aren’t sure when he will be home tonight) so Stratton and I had fun playing in the pool (I decided to see what would happen if I put the slide beside it- he loved it!) and eating popsicles. We even had a picnic supper outside on the front porch! I hope he had a good day, and hopefully we will get to do something fun as a family tomorrow night!

Big Splash!

He slipped and went under. . .he thought it was funny!