I think I can speak for most moms when I say you try your best each and everyday to care for your child physically and emotionally. But sometimes it takes being run over by a truck for you to realize when you’ve messed up, and then you walk around feeling guilty the rest of the afternoon.

Since having put our Christmas stuff up, I had to do some rearranging in the living room. We moved his toy cubbies and basket into the dining room, and Conner seemed to have adapted just fine to that. We’ve worked so hard and have now become spoiled when he ask him to clean up his toys, for he does it so well and is getting better and better everyday at staying on task.

Yesterday after lunch, I asked him to pick up his toys and put them away. He proceeded to go to the ones in the corner, sit, and play with them. After a stern warning, he didn’t move, he just continued to fiddle with them. So into time-out he went. A minute later we tried again, and he did the same thing, except he wasn’t playing, he just sat in front of them and turned to look at me. Time-out again. Third time, I got down on his level and very sternly told him to clean up his toys, but he just looked at me and began to cry. I sighed very heavily and raised my voice to tell him to clean up or he was going back into time-out. He slowly walked to the toys, sat in the floor and continued to cry. I asked him what was wrong and he pushed the toys together in the corner and kept crying. Then it hit me: that’s where his toys used to go. He thought they were put away and was confused. Talk about feeling like a horrible mother. So I went over and put the toys into his hands, I grabbed a toy, and said, “Let’s do it together,” and of course to make me feel even more guilty, he took my hand and smiled at me so big it looked like it was going to explode off his face. Once I showed him, again, where the toys go, he eagerly and happily continued putting the rest away. It’s times like this that I wish so much he could communicate with me better. Or that I would get over myself faster and be open to what he is trying to tell me.

If there was ever a time to pull out maternity pants early, it is the weekend after Thanksgiving. I think I ate myself into a coma on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. I jumped on the scale this morning and grimaced painfully until the numbers popped up and was relieved to find I only gained a pound. So technically I’m still under my previous pre-prego weight, which honestly is a huge relief. With Conner I gained 7 pounds in the first trimester, and I’m at week 9 with one pound gained as of yet. Now how my pants are fitting in the waist is a little different. I thought I could make it until the second trimester before I started breaking out the elastic, but instead I’m having to opt for my low-rise jeans. It’s fun tho - I can’t complain. So here’s a belly shot for you - the first of many.

Thanksgiving was so fun - it always is - and we got our fill of family and food. We started the day out watching Tim play a little football and poor Conner…wanting to be a big boy so badly, he bawled on the sidelines after the game started b/c he couldn’t play with them on the field. It’s hard to explain to an almost two year why he can’t play football with giants who will bowl him over - I don’t want him wearing helmets and licking windows the rest of his life.

This year our good friends Jerrod and Amanda joined us and it was just as much fun having friends among the chaos. The boys played the entire time and Conner slept like a rock. I always seem to forget just how much I love Thanksgiving, and leave thinking, “wow, that was so much fun!” We really are blessed to have so many friends and family nearby that we can all gather together at the same place and fellowship together.

Sunday I forced myself to decorate for the holidays. I really do go all out, but this year I just wasn’t feeling it. I don’t want to be a scrooge about it, but it just takes soooooo long. But Tim gently (and guiltily) reminded me that this will be our last Christmas in this house, so why not remember it the right way? So all the greenery is back up and fluffed and lit with twinkly lights and our world is right with itself. Conner helped us decorate the tree and is absolutely enamored by it. He pulls us into the living room at least twenty times over the course of the day to point at it and exclaim emphatically, “Sisma Tee!”

You can’t really tell in this picture, but Conner’s head about exploded when he saw all the Christmas balls. The boy is obsessed.

I’m also one of those people who does not shop until the last week of Christmas. I would love to say it’s b/c of all the deals you get when you wait, but it’s not - it’s sheer laziness. However this year is already different in that Conner is bought for, Tim’s stuff is ordered and I’ve already begun rounding up the gifts for everyone else. I really surprise myself. I know it sucks all of my Christmas spirit when the week before the big day I’m stressing that nothing has been bought, so I really do think those days are over, for I’m already nestled into the spirit of the Holidays and my shopping and buying and making is almost complete. I am hoping to do another giveaway very very soon, so check back for another crafty giveaway (that may or may not be a clutch - haven’t decided yet).

Ingenius title, eh? No play on words today. That shows you just how exhausted I am. As if running around after a toddler all day weren’t tiring enough, throw in the exhaustion that the first trimester is known for and you have me, last night at 8 pm fighting to stay awake. This weekend will prove another test of my dexterity as my brother is getting married and Tim, Conner, and myself are all in the wedding - wedding festivities galore! I’m going to have to become one with some strong coffee if I’m going to make it.

Yesterday was Conner’s second (albeit, official first since last year he didn’t know what was going on) Halloween and I just have to say how much fun we had. It’s having children that make these holidays so stinking fun! When your kids are still young, you can decide what they’ll be and the possibilities really are endless. We decided on a monkey since Conner knows what it is and can do the most adorable “Ooh Ooh, Ahh Ahh”.

Love my monkey

Ummm…no inventory yet, Conner - we haven’t even started.

So eager!

We started out with the cutest purple people eater I’ve ever seen and hit up some houses.

How can these two show up at your door and you not give them candy? This team is a recipe for success!

Conner doing the ol’ “Look over there!”-to-steal-food-routine

Chloe’s a little more straight-forward

After we left them, we headed over to Amanda’s mother-in-law’s to join four other little ones for more fun. It was dark and chilly by then - perfect trick-or-treating weather - so we hit the streets and an hour later, the monkey, the scarecrow, and Bob the Builder were dragging their feet so we headed back. I can’t believe how much fun Conner had. Every time I asked if he was doing okay or having a good time, I got an emphatic, “Yeah!” He was so polite - “please” and “thank you” at every house - and had a blast being with the other boys. Tim and I had so much fun just being a part of it. Next year is only going to be more fun since he’ll have even more understanding of it. All in all it was a great holiday - kids really do make it a million times better.

When my computer decided to go ape-crazy on me a few weeks ago, I immediately went into panic mode. I had just recently backed up all my files so that wasn’t a worry. I was more upset by the fact that I couldn’t check my email 100 times a day until it got fixed. I mean, how else will someone be able to contact me?

The first day was pretty hard - I got to check my email before Tim left for work, and then again when he got home. Twice. That’s it. It was awwwwwwful. When Conner went down for his nap, what was I supposed to do? Certainly not read - no, no, no, I don’t read. That was my ‘net surfing time. No more blog reading. No more emailing. No more watching random YouTube video’s and forwarding them to everyone to see if they thought it was as funny as I did (which they never do because let’s face it - I laugh at everything).

I hated not having my laptop handy. But as the days went on, I came to realize just how much stinking time I waste on that thing. And I mean waste. Don’t take offense to anyone who’s blog I read and comment on, or who I email regularly - it’s not you…it’s me. And it’s all the other junk I read.

So what have I been doing with all my newfound freetime? Well, for starters I got all my crafting done for the fair that is to be held tomorrow morning. That was such a relief to get it finished and not a moment too soon. I even finished in enough time to whip-up some yummy fall treats, which, are making me salivate worse than Pavlov’s dogs.

I also spent a few days visiting the in-laws in Georgia and it was so much fun! Conner did great on the flights (on the way down he was a little overtired and couldn’t just point to the pictures in his book, but point and squeal “Apple!” or “Ball!” - the lady in front of us actually moved to the back of the plane after a few rounds of “Mama! Cat! Mama! Cat!”) and was so compliant when he was lugged all over creation. Conner has never been a big talker - not tangible words, that is - and in the last few weeks he was just beginning to talk more. But getting him in a different environment must have inspired him because his vocabulary just exploded! He was saying things I’ve never heard before…and never remembered teaching him. It was pretty cool, but also a reminder to be careful what I say when I make a woopsy. Hearing your toddler say “Cap!” instead of “Crap!” will only be funny for so long.

My crafty cohort, Jen, and I were invited to be on a local news show to talk about the craft fair we’re participating in tomorrow, and to show off some of our goods. At first I was reluctant - TV? No way. I’ve got so much to do, not to mention the camera adds 10 pounds, so I had to lose 10 pounds pronto, ya know, balance it all out. But after much persuading, I decided to do it and it wasn’t as punishing as I thought it would be. I wish they would post the video so I could upload it - I straightened my hair for it, brushed my teeth and everything…it was a big deal - so if they do I most certainly will link to it.

I feel like we need to catch up on so much more. How are you? How has your fall been going so far? Seen any good movies? No? Me either. Except for the Princess Diaries 2 that I tivo’d a few weeks ago. I love Anne Hathaway, she’s so beautiful and classy. And Julie Andrews - she’s amazing. Ah, I digress.

It’s time for me to rest my weary bones. I leave you with these grubbin’ pictures of Conner. This first one, his hair reminds me of Harry from Dumb & Dumber (my favorite line after Lloyd had rigged the blind boy’s beloved dead bird - “Harry! I took care of it!”)

Conner, how do you feel about PB&J?

Who’s my happy boy?

*The clutches and tote bags above are for the craft fair and any leftovers will be put in my etsy shop next week.