State, Baby!

Wassup, fellow nerds.  In honor of my daddy's soccer team making it to State, I sported their team t-shirt 8 sizes too hobo-ish and my pants 8 inches to high-ish with a little "tuck-in" action.  Here's how my "vacation" to State went...

 

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My mom, Alecia, Reese and myself arrived to the soccer game and to my surprise PETE was there!  He got to meet baby Reese!

 

 

Here's a pic of  me in an "athletic trainer sandwich".  Mom thought she could "corral" me by placing me in  between them and offering me all sorts of goodies...

 

 

...although I appreciated and enjoyed the delicious snacks, I soon grew bored and ventured out on the bleachers to see what kind of trouble I could stir up.  I quickly found a group of crazy teens cheering for daddy's team.  I called them the "good guys" because they liked the Warriors.  Anyhoo.  This picture doesn't do justice to just how much I got into their business.  I soon weaseled my by in the middle of their cluster and kissed, high fived, bragged about my baby sister and ipad, and even went waaaaaaaaaay overboard and spanked their booties.  Alecia, Pete, and my mom thought I was getting a little too friendly so I had to go back to the "athletic trainer sandwich" 

 

(Look closely...I'm in the back!)

 

Unfortunately daddy's team didn't win the soccer game.  Daddy was pretty upset.  I think his eyes are closed in this picture so we wouldn't see his tears.  Chin up, dad!

 

 

I thought the players could use some advice cheering up. 

 

 

I showed them how to get the job done for next time by demonstrating with my daddy.

 

 

It was getting late by the time this was over so we all ate dinner.  I helped feed Reese.  This was the first time I had ever given her a bottle.  She would rather have done it herself and kept trying to grab it.  I laughed at this although it was rather rude the more I think about it!

 

 

After waiting approximately 30 minutes, it was time to swim.  Thank goodness Alecia is super duper nice.  My mom is a dud and said she wasn't going to be seen in public in a swimming suit.  She's a party pooper for sure. 

 

 

Note to others:  It's tricky to get wet swim trunks on after a potty break.  Again, thank goodness for Alecia! 

 

 

Reese was pretty bummed that she couldn't go swimming with us until we dipped her toes in.  She didn't care so much for the artic temperature of the water...

 

 

To make sure she didn't feel left out, we let her try on my new goggles.  I think she appreciated the kind gesture.  I'm just that kinda guy!

 

 

After all that splishing and splashing it was time to relax in our jammies.  Mom thought it'd be a good time to get a photo of Reese and myself.  I thought it was a good time for mom to MOVE OUT OF MY WAY so I could finish watching my cartoons...

 

 

It wasn't much longer before we all passed out from pure exhaustion...

 

 

 

The rest of the night's story is quite crazy.  Really.  We were all sleeping in the pitch dark hotel room when all of a sudden the most annoying noise came from this device:

 

 

Mom and dad were freaking out and yelling at each other.  I heard dad yell "HELP, Lisa!  Turn that off!"  Eventually the chaos ended.  But not for long...  exactly 13 minutes later the most forceful knocking I'd ever heard was at the door.  Mom and dad ignored it for a bit but then daddy stomped toward the door.  He was about to kick some major high school soccer player's booty for knocking on our door and potentially waking up us kids!  Good thing he kept his yapper shut!  It was the POLICE!  I began to panic.  I said a little prayer, "Dear lord, please make these police go away...I promise to never pee in the pool again..."

 

 They had their rubber gloves on and their flashlights out searching our room!  Someone had called 911 from our hotel room asking for help?! 

 

This was quite a confusing ordeal for everyone.  We still don't have it figured out.  We can only possibly think that daddy knocked the phone off the hook while trying to get the alarm off and they heard him asking for my mommy's help.  But what are the chances of him hitting "9-9-1-1"?  Maybe we should play the lottery this week?

 

Anyhoo-  no one got arrested.  We're cool.  They still don't believe us that we didn't call for help though!

 

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The next day I went shopping with Alecia, Reese and mommy.  Look!  Alecia and I were twinsies!

 

Mom spent 7 bucks for me to ride in a fire truck around the mall.  I may never make it to college if she keeps doing silly things like that!  After all, I'm sure it'd have been more fun chasing me around all afternoon, right?!

 

 

Don't go thinking 7 bucks is too much for this rig.  It came with high safety ratings.  See!?

 

 

I'm not one to listen though...

 

 

So there you have it.  State 2013.  We didn't win the game but definitely won some awesome memories and had a great time.  As they often say for the Cubbies, "There's always next year..."

 

-Max

 

Love,

Lis

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

You Know You're a Mom When...a mother's day exclusive

A glimpse of my Mother's Day weekend and a few other thoughts dealing with motherhood...

 

 

 

You Know You're a (tired) Mom When...

you wake up early in the morning with a bed full of kids and nothing could make you happier (except maybe a few more hours of sleep...don't these things come with a snooze button?!)

 

 

 

You Know You're a Mom (that hates shots) When...

You get snap happy with the phone cam and document the pain your child is in from their 2 month shots to keep you busy because all you want to do is cry along with them! 

 

 

and then you take a "selfie" with your crying baby and text it to your husband so he feels sorry for his little girl...(and mom that has to deal with that sad sad little girl)  .. Oh, and you think to yourself "I better take a picture of myself with my baby ...  just so we have one together...in case I ever kick the bucket she'll have one of the two of us" ...  the reason you don't have many of the two of you is because that little girl made you a taaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaad overweight and pics are NOT ALLOWED on most occasions...so you have to take 20 "selfies"before you find an angle that doesn't make you look like a heffer and is appropriate enough to send your husband. 

Double chin?  What Double chin?  (Thanks Reese and your strategically placed noggin)

 

 

You Know You're a Mom (who loves convenience) When...

You trade the wagon in for a Mini Van.  Yep.  We did.  Poke fun not.  Look at the pure joy if this passenger!  Shameless plug for my pal Lindsay McGrath here but we seriously had the best service ever.  I mean, we even got a green balloon!

 

 

You Know You're a (dieting) Mom When...

You take pics of your son eating ice cream.  Not because it's cute but because you are trying to distract yourself from wanting to yank that sucker right from your son's hand and scarf it down!

 

You Know You're a (hypochondriac) Mom (of a poster child for Ritalin) When...

Your 3.5 year old son runs a complete mile on the windiest day of the year and you have to call your dad to make sure it's okay for children that young to run so far or if their hearts may explode.  Hey.  It's a valid question!

 

You Know You're a (resourceful) Mom When...

You seek shelter from the wind at a soccer game in a bathroom. 

Also...

You Know You're a (seasoned) Mom When...

Your child flushes a public toilet, it sprays him in the face, and you catch it on camera... because let's face it.  You're a mom and you have your camera out and ready to take photos in situations such as that, right?!

 

Happy Mother's Day to all!

 

Love,

Lis

 

 



Time Flies! 2 months

Reese:  2 Months

 

Smiles up a storm!   Sleeps 5-7 hour stretches at night.  Loves to go on walks and play on her play mat.  Learning to take bottles and easily frustrates trying to get her thumb fist in her mouth.

 

 

 

Reese's Progress:  Months 1 -2

 

 

 

 

 

Max Vs. Reese @ 2 months

 

 

Until next month...

 

Love,
Lis



(snippets of) Lisa's Maternity Leave: Part 2

 Wow!  The past 8 weeks of maternity leave have flown by!  I'm SO thankful Mike and I decided not to worry about the money (too much) and take the full 12 weeks off when Reese was born! 

 

If you think this post looks like an un-medicated, whacko lady with A.D.D. wrote it...you're correct.  Bare with me:

 

What have I been up to since my last maternity leave update?  Let me share...(if Reese will be content long enough for me to jot down some thoughts!)

 

Not much socialization has taken place in my life lately except for:

 

Alecia and JP visiting...they are getting married in July.  Don't you think Alecia will be a great mommy?!  wink wink...

 

 

Here's here "better" half... he was threatening to put BBQ sauce in Max's belly button...he may not be QUITE as ready for kids as Alecia ;)  He does make a mean snow angel in the middle of a kitchen though...

 

 

I've taken Reese on a few lunch dates.  Here is a pic of of her with Lindsey and Dana.  Dana became a big sister a few days later! 

 

 

A daddy lunch date occurred once.  We will probably never be asked back!  Max didn't quite understand that everyone is on the phone at daddy's work and being quiet is appreciated ;)

 

 

I can't forget my social event of going to the dentist!  I learned a valuable lesson that day.  If you are a family of 3, don't, I repeat, DO NOT, schedule everyone for an exam on the same day.  If you think you're better than me and can handle it, don't say I didn't warn you...but please listen to this piece of advice...let the little critters go first, not last.  Why you ask?  Max went last.  He wouldn't sit still and we left the office for the 2nd time angry that we had to pay 30 dollars for the dentist to count his teeth.  No cleaning for that guy. Max left the dentist angry that they don't give out candy...how embarrassing.  Here's the stinker at the office:

 

 

What else have I been up to?  Well, I'm desperately trying to lose weight.  I'm following weight watchers.  I'd love to do something more drastic like I did with my last baby, but breastfeeding won't allow it.  I keep reminding myself that I lost all my baby weight with Max and I can do it with Reese too.  It took a year to lose it last time and this time I gained 10 more pounds than last!  I gained 60 pounds with Reese.  My first weight loss goal is to lose 45 lbs.  It sounds drastic but I lost 15 at Reese's birth and another 10 the following month by pure luck.  I use the term "luck" loosely.  I absolutely want to puke on every mom out there that is in spandex the day they leave the hospital.  Sigh.  Anyhoo.  I got stuck at  that weight for quite some time.  Weight watchers and exercise has helped knock off 5 more lbs. in April.  I'm hoping for even more in May as I've started to add more exercise to my life.  I have 13 more lbs to go before I reach my first goal.  I'll keep ya posted so I'm "held accountable"  ;)

 

It's finally nice outside!  As I said, I've added more exercise to my life.  I've been doing some walking...about an hour a day.  Most of the time I brave the Bowman Woods neighborhood by myself.  Reese mostly sleeps.  Well, she sleeps until I hit a huge crater, which is about every 10 seconds.  If you live in Bowman Woods, you know what I'm talking about.  The sidewalks are hazardous, not to mention HILLY! 

 

Here's Reese on a walk: 

 

 

If we are lucky, we tackle the Bowman Woods Trail with my pal Lindsey and her newbie, Tate.  Don't you think they make a cute couple!? 

 

 

If I'm REAL REAL lucky, Mike will be home and the whole fam will go for a walk.  These walks don't usually rack up the miles...Max insists on riding his new scooter.  Here is the famous captain safety...

 

 

 

Reese has been doing some exercising of her own.  She's up to 3 reps with one link!  ;)

 

 

 

I've been training Reese to "fit in" with our family.  Here are some pics of our "sessions" together:

 

 



 

 Love thy brother-- no matter how goofy he is!

 

 

Keep a binky in for the sake of peace and quiet in the Drinkall home (don't let this photo fool you--  she did it once and never again!) 

 

 

 Enjoy the outdoors--it's not your enemy, I swear!

 

 

Your mom is funny.  Laugh.

 

Sleep is good.  Do more of it, preferably at night.  Check of Reese on the spy cam.  She's doing so good!  5-7 hours a night!  (so far... hope I didn't just jinx that...)

 

 If you must spew, spew in this (burp rags) not your mom's shirt.  (we are still struggling with her acid reflux- boo)

 

 

So there you have it!  This is what my last few weeks have shaped up to be.  Although I still struggle some days, things have gotten much better! 

 

I cook more often than I did in the beginning.  Funny I write though.  Today I threw the towel in and did drive through.  Early bird style.  Max couldn't even wait for me to get inside to eat his happy meal.  I swear I don't make my kid eat on the floor!  

 

 

There are days I wish Max's "spaceship" (Reese's swing) was real and I could send both kids there for an hour or two..  Max has been tinkering with that darn spaceship for weeks...

 

But smooching on these adorable cheeks all day long makes me appreciate the time that I have with my kiddos. 

 Bring on Summer!

 

Love,

Lis