Got Stress...

I know that any Full-time working mom feels stressed, but this week is especially bad at the Mize house.  I've learned to let go of some of my OCD ways and to just roll with things.  I think it's the only way to keep your sanity with a 3 year old.

But....

Yesterday started off crappy and never got better.  Erin woke up 30 minutes early screaming for me.  She had a bad dream and it took forever to calm her down.  I was upset that she was upset, and I was upset that it all happened in the only time of the day I get for myself!!  Selfish I know, but that's why I get up at 4:15.  From 5:30 to 6:15 is me time!!!

I brought her downstairs and we layed in our bed and watched ipads.  When it was time for breakfast the tears and the drama were amped up.  I couldn't get her to calm down to eat.  She didn't want any of my suggestions and just cried the whole time.  I think the menu was finally agreed upon as a cottage cheese breakfast!  Yum.

Tommy was upstairs working on the toilet that had broken and a discovered about the same time Erin started screaming.  It as supposed to be a simple job and he knew exactly how to fix it.  45 minutes later, it still wasn't fixed and Erin was still crying and pitching fits.  Tommy was frustrated and I was in serious need of a drink at 6:30 in the morning.

Tommy ended up cutting a hose and trying to get the hose loose.  A call to my Daddy ensured he was doing it right.  (Woke Daddy up too!)  Daddy offered to come over later and help Tommy fix it after work.  Tom was desperate.  It still wasn't fix.  (A plumber was called to the scene of the crime yesterday afternoon.  Turns out it takes a special tool to undo it and it's cheap crap that the builder installed.)

We managed to call get ready and get to school/work.

My day didn't improve.  We started a "new and improved" work flow that clearly wasn't designed by anyone who did our job.  It's very confusing and very redundant.  I guess it's one of the pitfalls of working for a Fortune 100 company.  They hire people to tell us how to do things more efficiently and they have no clue.

My boss decided to put me in charge of the new work flow for our team.  I was volunteered!  So, I worked on composing an easier step by step guide for the team.  I was then put on a committee for all of our Section to field questions.  Yay! We're flying completely blind because the Unit that is now taking over and making our life easier is located in Colorado!!!  Enough about that except to say I was still getting new claims thru all of this and having to answer my phone and take care of my customers.  Geez!

I was also stressed because today is Erin's follow up with the Pediatric GI specialist.  We were making progress with our problems but they're now back and we're regressing.  Ugh!
So, we see him today and I'm a little on the anxious side.

I know things will all work out, but man, its been a rough week already and it's only part way over.

If you need me this weekend, I'll be some where far off in the corner of a nice padded cell rocking back and forth and eating crayons.

Happy Birthday...

You all know I'm not a sappy sentimental person, but this post shows you that I do have a marshmallow side too... sometimes.

Today is Tommy's 40th birthday.

I don't say it nearly enough, but he is absolutely perfect... for me.  He has his faults don't get me wrong.  But, I want the world to know that I married the kindest most thoughtful man alive.

He makes me laugh which is probably what attracted me to him in the first place.  He has the best sense of humor, and we have the best time together laughing.  I absolutely hate it and love it at the same time.  He can make me laugh when I'm super ticked at him.  Nothing like being on a rant and cracking up in the middle of it!

I also love him because he is the most thoughtful guy when it comes to me.  He puts so much thought into presents and treats for me.  He really does treat me like a queen.  Tommy actually listens to things I say.  He provides for our family and would go without food, water and shelter just so Erin and I could have something that we probably didn't need anyway.

Speaking of Erin... I think I fell deeper in love with him when he fell head over heels for Erin Grace Mize.  He is the best Daddy that a girl could ask for.  He dotes on her and cherishes her.  I truly feel that Erin and I are his whole world.  I know the three of us have an unbreakable bond and we make up the happiest little family in the world.

So Happy Birthday man of my dreams.  "I love you this much!"

A Pirate Looks at 40...As Jimmy Buffett would say

Today was Tommy's 40th birthday party.  We had a small family party at Guadalajara and then back to our house for cake and ice cream.

Tommy wanted some professional corn hole boards.  He found a man that makes them and he lives pretty close to the house.  The man customizes them to whatever theme you want.  Of course, Tommy wanted Texans/Oilers!

The kids were terrific.  No major dust ups.  It was a beautiful day so they were outside most of the time.  They ran from one thing to another.  Tommy has a set of old tailgating corn hole boards that he got out for the kids.  They thought they were playing like the big people.  It was great.

Jake wanted some action shots of him on the trampoline.  I got a good one of him up in the air.  I tried to get some action shots of all of the players at corn hole too.  Luke did a ninja cartwheel for me and Erin was doing flips on the trampoline.  The one of William I got just shows him checking out the other kids.  He eventually got up there and played.  Maybe he just couldn't think of a special trick to do while I was shooting...

Reese Cup Lovin'

Tommy's cousin Roy has a daughter named Reese.  That makes her Tommy's 2nd cousin and Erin's 3rd cousin.  Reese just turned 3 so there is about a 6 month age difference between her and Erin.  She is totally into Minnie and Sophia the First so she and Erin have lots in common.  She is the closest girl cousin to Erin's age.  The rest of the 3rd cousins are teenagers and there's Jake, Luke and William.  You know - BOYS - Heaven forbid.

The times we've been around Reese there are usually older kids there too.  At the Mize Christmas party Reese was just getting over the flu so she couldn't play outside with the other kids. Erin tends to think she's a big kid when she's around bigger kids and wants to go with them.  When Jake is around, Erin follows him like a puppy dog.

We decided to invite the Wisemans over this weekend so the girls could play.  It was a major success.  They came over mid-afternoon yesterday and Erin immediately started asking Reese what she wanted to play with.  I had set up the tee pee and the Princess tent.  We also had the little expandable floor tunnel out.  Erin had brought down all of her Minnie Mouse dolls, so there were about 20 of those downstairs.  Reese was a little overwhelmed and shy when they first got here.  But, she warmed up almost immediately.  They took off and played like they were best friends.

Tommy was cooking fajitas so he went inside and outside a lot. Erin never misses a chance to go outside and she had Reese in tow.  They ran outside as soon as the boys opened the door.  Nanette and I were in the kitchen talking and decided to go outside to watch them.  They were both on the see saw swing.  Tommy was on Erin's end and Roy was on Reese's end pushing them.  The girls were squealing with delight.  It was super cute.

They moved from trampoline, to swings, to slide and to the playhouse too.  I tried to snap some pictures of them in motion as they moved from one toy to the next.  I forgot to get any pics on the trampoline.  It would have been good ones too.  The static on the trampoline was making their hair stand on end.

I had told Erin on Wednesday that her cousin Reese was coming over.  From then on she kept asking me when Reese was coming.  (Next time I won't tell her so far in advance!)  I told her yesterday that when she got up from her nap Reese would be coming.  I laid down with her to take a nap and the minute she woke up she asked me where Reese was!

We only had one minor incident of "Only Child" syndrome.  They are both only children so sharing is something we have to work on.  The binoculars that go with the swing set came off years ago.  We haven't attached them back because the kids still play with them anyway.  Erin got them and Reese wanted them and Erin was running all over the yard to keep them from her.  I made Erin share and then Reese didn't want to give them back.  So, I split the baby and took the binoculars and put them up!

Very, very successful play date.  We will be doing it again since the Wiseman's live so close.  They live about 10 miles away and we NEVER see them.  We're going to change that! It was just so darn sweet watching them have such a good time with each other.  It was some serious Reese Cup Lovin'.

Destin for Greatness...

We're going to Destin, FL again this summer.  Our trip will be in mid-August before Jake goes back to school.  This year is another family trip.  We're going with Mark & Steph and the boys along with Bonnie and David.  None of the Wistners could make it happen.

Here are some pics of our house in Destin.  We opted for the community pool this year instead of a private pool.  We can get more house for the money and we're thinking it won't be crowded since it's after peak season.

Sandprints, Dunes of Destin

Front of the house - Sandprints

Super small kitchen for such a big house

Community pool

Deck on the back of the house

2nd floor master

Beach view 

3rd floor loft

3rd floor master

2nd floor queen

view from the loft on the 3rd floor

bunk room on the 2nd floor

view from the 2nd floor balcony