Let's talk about crappy situations...

**DISCLAIMER**
Don't read if you are offended by poop talk and or lots of [digressions]

[in the famous words of Ksavera]

So there I was,

It was 9pm last night. I had cooked dinner for Bryan, myself, Christine [sister-in-law], Kim [mother-in-law] and Sophia [niece]

We had just finished Glee - which was amazing! Bryan got a service call. He was out the door before I could even give him a kiss [ps I just want to say how much I love him, seriously, he never complains about these crazy hour service calls]

Kim left, Christine looked at me and said,
"How late do you think Target is open?"
I said, "probably about 10ish?"
she said, "Wanna go with me?"
I said, "Heck yes!"
[thinking to myself, Bryan is gone, I'm definitely not tired yet, and I <3 Target...heck yes!]

We get to Target at about 9:15ish and Christine heads straight for the clothes. Sophia and I trailed behind her, when Soph started doing the potty dance. I grabbed her hand and we skipped to the bathroom, she did her business, and we met back up with Christine. Then all of the sudden Sophia looked at us with those 'uh-oh' eyes and she said, "I pooped my pants..." I scooped her up [because at this point it was like 9:40ish and Christine was still trying to get what she came for] and rushed her back to the bathroom. Sure enough, she had pooped her pants a little and was still kind of going. I made sure she was done, wiped her as best as I could, and put her poopy underwear in the little bag that was in the bathroom stall trash can. We stood next to each other washing our hands and she said, "Thanks Auntie Manda."

 I looked down at her and couldn't help but sigh and let out a giggle. 'Is this what being a mom is like? Late night runs to Target, kid in tote, possible potty accidents...

Obviously I know it's SO much more than that, but most of the time we don't get to see behind the scenes of being a mom. I feel like I got to witness that last night ;)

So, what did I learn?

1. Make sure they're done pooping.
2. Use all surrounding items necessary to clean up the mess.
3. Carry an extra pair of undies just in case.

Could you be mad at this sweet little face?

didn't think so.

Sophia, thanks for the lesson on being a mom, and turning a crappy situation into one I will remember when I have kiddos of my own. No doubt I'll find myself in that same situation again :)

The house that built me

The House that Built Me

There once was a house that built a woman.

It kept her safe and her secrets.

It held family dinners at the kitchen table and deep conversations in the living room.


It listened to her favorite songs on repeat.

It saw many tears and even more laughter.

It helped raised three children and an orange and black kitty.

It was always the place for her to come and be herself.

It's front porch witnessed her many kisses and a few heartaches.

It helepd her get ready for dances, Friday night football games and her wedding.

It had a bedroom and soft place to lay her head at night.

It stayed warm in the winter and cool in the summer.

It's where she spent endless hours on the phone giggling.

It's where she came home from a hard day at school to her mom sitting at the kitchen table waiting to give her a hug.

It's the house where she realized she'd met her soul mate and where that soul mate came to ask her parents for her hand in marriage - four years later.

It is still and will always be home. I'm thankful.

Is there a house/home/apartment/condo that built you?

PS - thank you to Miranda Lambert's Grammy performance for the inspiration to write this post

Katy Perry says & Realization

I have a weird tendency to relate song lyrics to my own life. And it's not any different with this one.  I don't know about you, but I love Katy Perry, I think she's beautiful, I think her husband is hilarious, and I love her music!

I was watching Glee on Tuesday night (of course) and realized something.
I sing this song in the shower, hum it under my breath at work, and I always think of Bryan; one because I thought I was singing, "Baby you're a firework" to him, and two because 4th of July is his favorite holiday, double cute points.
This song that's been stuck in my head for the past - however long - is not about singing to a loved one telling them they're a firework, it's about loving yourself and knowing that

YOU are not a waste of space.
YOU gotta ignite the light and let it shine.
YOU are an original and cannot be replaced.
YOU are the firework-let your colors burst

Just a little realization I wanted to share - all too often we forget it.

Even if you don't like KP, I hope you can appreciate the message in this song :)

Happy day to you my lovies ♥

Do you ever feel like a plastic bag
Drifting throught the wind
Wanting to start again

Do you ever feel, feel so paper thin
Like a house of cards
One blow from caving in

Do you ever feel already buried deep
Six feet under scream
But no one seems to hear a thing
Do you know that there's still a chance for you
Cause there's a spark in you

You just gotta ignite the light
And let it shine
Just own the night
Like the Fourth of July

Cause baby you're a firework
Come on show 'em what you're worth
Make 'em go "Oh, oh, oh!"
As you shoot across the sky-y-y

Baby you're a firework
Come on let your colors burst
Make 'em go "Oh, oh, oh!"
You're gunna leave 'em fallin' down-own-own

You don't have to feel like a waste of space
You're original, cannot be replaced
If you only knew what the future holds
After a hurricane comes a rainbow

Maybe you're reason why all the doors are closed
So you could open one that leads you to the perfect road
Like a lightning bolt, your heart will blow
And when it's time, you'll know

You just gotta ignite the light
And let it shine
Just own the night
Like the Fourth of July

Cause baby you're a firework
Come on show 'em what you're worth
Make 'em go "Oh, oh, oh!"
As you shoot across the sky-y-y

Baby you're a firework
Come on let your colors burst
Make 'em go "Oh, oh, oh!"
You're gonna leave 'em all in awe-awe-awe"

Boom, boom, boom
Even brighter than the moon, moon, moon
It's always been inside of you, you, you
And now it's time to let it through

Cause baby you're a firework
Come on show 'em what your worth
Make 'em go "Oh, oh, oh!"
As you shoot across the sky-y-y

Baby you're a firework
Come on slet your colors burst
Make 'em go "Oh, oh, oh!"
You're gonna leave 'em all in awe-awe-awe

Boom, boom, boom
Even brighter than the moon, moon, moon
Boom, boom, boom
Even brighter than the moon, moon, moon

Connection

via weheartit.com

Do you have that one road/freeway/bridge that connects your life?

You know what I'm talking about, the one you find yourself on weekly or even daily? The one that you could drive with your eyes closed? Ok maybe not that well, but it's the one you spend your 'life' on. The one you know exactly how many minutes it's going to take you to get to and from where you need to go. The one you know exactly when to switch lanes to avoid getting stuck behind the traffic line. The one that is comforting.

I have one. I know it well. When I was making the drive from the old apartment to the new house on Sunday, I couldn't help but think, this is the road that connects my life. It connects my past to my present. It connects us to both our families and jobs. It connected us to each other when I was going to college and when Bryan lived with his dad in high school. It's the road we'll probably be driving on for the rest of our life.

Do you ever take a minute on that road to just breathe and give thanks? Without that road I would be lost. Literally, I can't navigate back roads very well lol Maybe I'm getting a little deep here for  a Wednesday morning, it's just been on my heart since the move. It's funny the little things we depend on every day.

So, thank you little freeway for getting me where I need to go, knowing me so well, and always steering me in the right direction. I'll see you later ;)

Hey kiddo, it's me, Amanda!

Amanda,

Hey there kid, yep, I said it. That's what you are - a kid. Take it from an adult, you want to be a kid for as long as you can, being an adult isn't that great. There are bills to pay, people to please, responsibilities to uphold, it's tough work. It's not all about drinking, driving and living on your own so get that fantasy out of your head. I've decided to write you a letter which you can take to heart or not, which I wish that you would've. So please, sit back and listen... I mean it!

OK, first off, Stop trying to grow up too fast. You are only a kid for so long and I promise you, you will wish you would've savored every minute of it. Tell your parents you love them, every day, even if they piss you off to the point of no return. Your parents are some of the only people that will be there for you no matter what, forever, so try being a little bit nicer to them, eh? While we're on the subject of family, take time for your younger brother and sister. Take them to the park, read to them, play pretend even if you feel like a doofus, there will come a day when even they're too cool to do anything like that. Don't start dating too soon, you will have the rest of your life for romance and butterflies and rainbows - no need to rush, I promise you will grow up and meet the love of your life, oh and PS - it's VERY unlikely you think you've met him already, just a heads up. Take family trips and participate, don't sit off in the distance because you are 'over it'. Play games, make s'mores, and act silly, your family will not judge you and probably join in. Stop worrying about your weight and appearance, You. Are. Beautiful. There is no need to get all dolled up in sixth grade, those boys aren't gonna notice. Make memories, remember how certain things and people make you feel when you are happy and hold on for dear life to them. The world is so corrupt and you don't ever know who to trust, trust those memories. Act silly with your girlfriends, dance in the grocery store, paint your fingernails crazy colors and write notes back and forth - these may be friendships you are creating that will last your entire life.  Ask your grandparents to tell you their love story, and take notes, that's real love.  Believe in yourself, you've got a lot to offer and people will realize that when they meet you. Don't be self conscious, smile with your teeth, shake people's hands when you first meet them and make a lasting first impression. And last but not least, finish college, not for your parents, for you and your own future. You can do it, even if you don't know what 'it' is yet.

That's all I've got. Take it or leave it, but I would choose to take it. I know you may think you know everything, but trust me, you don't. Take it easy and enjoy it - life I mean. Don't want it to pass you by.

Silence

via weheartit

Monday night is bowling night. Every week. Same time, same place, same people, same food... Like I've said previously, it's not always my favorite way to be spending the evening, but my husband is there and I kinda like him so it's fun to hang out with him.


Last night was just like every other, Bryan got home, showered, waited for me to shower and get ready, and waited a little more, and we were out the door by about 5:30pm. I always know it's going to be a good night by our car ride to the bowling alley. We were laughing, talking, and singing to Pandora in his car - then all of the sudden Bryan's phone rings.

Bryan: Hello? pause Um, I'm pretty sure I gave you the keys...maybe I set them on the counter, or they might be still on my pant belt loop. pause Well do you want me to turn around and go look for them? pause CRAP! (that's not the exact word he said but we'll go with that one)

Basically what had happened was Bryan's boss called and was asking him where he had put the keys to one of their work vans, Bry couldn't remember and even though we were only about fifteen minutes away from bowling, he whipped the Subie around and started heading back towards home to look for that key set.


The entire ride back to our apartment what do I hear? Silence... absolutely silence. No more laughing, talking or music to sing to. All I hear are the RPM's revving up to pass other cars and the rain hitting the windshield. Why do I find this so fascinating? Because Bryan deals with his anger and/or frustration with silence. Me? I want to hug, kiss and make up ASAP or throw in a joke to lighten the mood or ask reassuring questions like, "I don't think you had them on your belt loop did you?". Not my husband, he wants silence to think about what happened. He was beating himself up for not remembering to give his boss those keys. He had pursed lips like he was holding back wanting to curse because we were going to be late to bowling - and yet - still silence remained in the car.


It's hard for me to remember sometimes that we deal with these kind of and other situations differently. He quietly stews, and I outwardly spew! I just had to sit back and take a look at how he diffused this problem - with such ease and almost no worrying - can some of that please rub off on me? I really admire the way he handled that tonight and sure enough, we got home and the keys were still on his belt loop, we ran them to his boss and still made it to the bowling alley on time, singing and laughing again along the way.

Moral of the story? Sometimes silence is ok. This is a TOTALLY new concept for me. Thank you Bry for teaching me something new almost every day.

PS - if you're not so into silence, hop on over to my friend Ashley of the Tale of Two Taylor's blog, I did a guest post for her, after all yesterday I promised a super mushy post to my husband to celebrate our 6 month-a-versary of being hitched! I'll let this go ahead and take the place of Today's Letters Inspired Tuesdays.