Things I Never Want To Forget

How he climbs in my lap and gets right in my face and says, "Hi!"
How he does not like his hands to be dirty.
How music makes him dance.
How he rests his head on my shoulder when his heart is broken.
How he will start off singing one song and finish it with "twinkle staaaaar."
How he counts to eight but always skips the number six.
How excited he gets to see his grandparents.
How ketchup makes everything taste good.
How he owns over 200 cars but still has a favorite one.
How he says "Ready, set, go!" to initiate tickles or snuggles or wrestling.
How he sounds like the birds from Finding Nemo when he says "More? More? More?"
How he wants a bite of whatever I'm eating.
How he climbs in my lap to read a book.
How he lets me hold him while we watch Yo Gabba Gabba.
How anticipating a tickle is almost as fun as the tickle itself.
How he grabs my face with both hands when he gives kisses.
How milk makes him sleepy.
How, at the sound of the garage door opening, he starts yelling, "Daddy!"
How he says, "Hi!" to every stranger we pass.
How, when strangers talk to him, he points to me and says, "Mamma."
How soft and raspy his little voice sounds.
How he snorts when he laughs (just like me).
How innocent he is and how sweet his eyes are.
How his smiles light up his entire face.
How curious he is about everything.
The way my heart feels like it will explode when he wraps his arms around me for a hug.

Stop And Listen

This morning, I was busy.  It was one of those days where routine and time constraints and errands got the best of me, and I stopped listening. I stopped seeing what was going on around me because I was so wrapped up in myself and my plans. Do you ever find yourself in that place? I'm sorry to admit that I'm there a lot.

I had a plan for the day before I even got out of bed: today was grocery day. There were a couple stores I needed to visit, and a bunch of coupons I needed to find and clip out in order to find the best deal on the stuff I needed. And I had to get everything done and be back home in time for Cohen's afternoon nap. So after Cohen and I finished up breakfast, I let him play in the living room while I showered, got dressed, and settled down at the computer desk to gather my coupons.

I guess it was while I was sitting at the desk that I became aware of Cohen's whining. It was pretty incessant, and after a while he began to combine it with the equally frustrating climbing in my lap and pulling my arm. Didn't he know that we had a lot to do this morning, and I couldn't be bothered right now? So I tried to remedy the situation by doing one of those "mom things" that I look back on after the fact and shudder at: I tried to distract him. I gave him books, I asked him to bring me his animals, I tried to get him to sing a song. All the while, I never took my attention off my own task, and he never stopped whining.

After a while (and admittedly, after I had finished clipping my coupons), I focused my attention on Cohen and asked him what was wrong. Close to 15 minutes after I became aware that something was up, I finally decided to ask him about it. Someone pass me the Mom of the Year award. He  kept saying, "Car. Car." We were standing next to a pile of matchbox cars that he had emptied out of a box while I was busy ignoring him earlier, so I pointed to the mess and said, "Look, there are your cars." And then I walked away, congratulating myself for solving my child's problems.

The whining didn't stop.

Fast forward a few hours. We finished our grocery shopping and had eaten a nice lunch. Cohen and I returned home with full bellies, and I was very much anticipating nap time. I let him play in the living room while I unpacked the groceries, but after only a few minutes, he appeared at the baby gate in the kitchen doorway, whining. I asked him what was wrong, and he said, "Car. Car."

"Yes baby. Your cars are in there. Go play while I put these groceries up."

And then, something sort of snapped in my brain, and I said to myself, Something is wrong. Something is bothering Cohen. I need to stop what I am doing and focus my attention on him and fix the problem. So I put the package of juice boxes down and went into the living room and squatted down so I was eye level with Cohen. I asked him again what was wrong. Again, he said "Car. Car." We've already been through this. Go at it another way. I asked him to show me what was wrong, and off Cohen went, pointer finger leading the way. We stopped at the dog crate, and inside the crate was a single red toy truck that had fallen through the wire bars.

It was one of those forehead, meet palm moments as I finally understood what was so wrong all morning. Such an easily fixable problem if I had just taken a second to actually listen to my child. I opened the dog crate, pulled out the truck, and Cohen grabbed it and scurried away.

And at that moment, I knew God was speaking. How many times does He try to talk to me, try to get my attention, and I brush Him off because I'm so focused on myself? I'm afraid to even answer that question because I know it's a lot.

God doesn't speak to us through a loud, thunderous voice. He doesn't descend from a cloud or get right up in our faces or even announce Himself before He speaks. He doesn't say, "Erica, this is God talking." Lightening never strikes. The room doesn't grow hazy, and nothing illuminates. Although, sometimes I think that would be much easier. Instead, He whispers to my heart. Elijah called it a still, small voice, and sometimes it's just random thoughts that pop up in my head. And if I'm not in tune with God, if I'm not focusing on Him as I go about my day, if I'm too wrapped up in myself, I fail to recogonize Him. I dismiss His voice, and I go about my day. And I miss out on precious communion with the Lord.

How much He loves me to want to talk to me! What a gracious God He is to teach me lessons like the one He taught me today. To remind me to stop and listen. And how thankful I am that He could teach me so gently and through such an ordinary situation. 

Thank You, Lord, for Your goodness to me.

The video below is a clip from Dr. Charles Stanley that acted as a double-punch with the Lord's lesson today. If you have 5 minutes, I encourage you to watch it. If nothing else, I find it great parenting tool to use with my own child.

Our Week According to iPhone (v4)

Monday, we did a little grocery shopping, a little sandwish eating, a little Elmo watching, a little tractor playing, and a little veggie dinner-ing.

I wouldn't have even known Tuesday existed last week if it weren't for an awesome card in my mailbox. My pen pal sent me my first letter! And she's pretty awesome.

Wednesday, we ate frozen banana and chocolate smoothies for breakfast. When we got ready to run some errands, Cohen decided he needed to bring his snot sucker and nail clippers with him, and I decided that wasn't a battle worth fighting. I was more concerned that I had absolutely zero gas and was 2 miles from the nearest gas station (I made it!). We played around in Target, reading books and picking out stationary. During naptime, I wrote my second letter to my pen pal. We got a little rain, and then we played noodle hockey at church. Because nothing says, "I love Jesus" more than hitting others with pool noodles.

 Thursday, Cohen woke up happy! I tackled some laundry while Cohen impressed me with his imaginative play skills (he was "listening" to his heart). We visited daddy at work, and Cohen zonked out on the ride back home. I learned the easiest way to get my kid to drink lots of water is to put it in a giant styrofoam cup. Cohen played by himself a little, we cuddled a little, and rocked a mohawk before the day was over.

Friday started early as cleaning day. We ate pizza for breakfast, picked up the living room, and vacuumed and shampooed the carpet upstairs. We got a little creative with our lunch. Later that evening, Cohen colored a masterpiece while we ate dinner, and then we stayed in the car while Daddy ran some errands.

Saturday we woke up starving, so we packed up and headed out in search of a good breakfast. It took us an hour, but we got what we were looking for (and Cohen grew a milk beard). Back at home, I couponed and primped while Cohen napped and Daddy worked on his truck. We had bbq for dinner and played around at Lowes for the remainder of the evening. Sunday, God took my breath away with a beautiful sky.

I'm About To Talk About Poop

Alright, there you have it. Consider the title of this post a warning. We'll be discussing all things potty today, so if you're not into that kind of thing, you might want to slowly back out now. It's ok -- I'll totally understand.

As Cohen inches closer to 2 years old, I'm starting to think about some of the things we'll be exposed to in the near future. Potty training is on the forefront. And that terrifies me (I'm really fighting the urge to type scares the crap out of me because obviously I'm a 9 year old boy and find that hilarious). Honestly, most of Cohen's developmental milestones have scared me. I don't know if it's just that Cohen is changing up our normal or what, but starting solds? crawling? walking? Yeah, they all had me sweating bullets.

I also think that because he's reached these milestones so early, I've had less time to prepare for them than I'd like. And I'll be the very first to tell you: I am NOT ready for potty training. Not in the least bit. We actually have a potty, but I hide it because I just don't want to think about it. Not yet.

So you can imagine the dread that rises in my chest each time Cohen does or says something to suggest that he's becoming more aware of his elimination and less patient with his diapers. Because I just know that he's getting one step closer to potty training. And I'm not there yet. Not because it means my child is growing up and leaving babyhood in his dust. No, I'm fine with that (most days). I'm just genuinely scared of the potty training process. And diapers are so easy. (I'm reminded that I said the same exact thing about bottles when we first started feeding him solids. "It's a daunting idea to know that once we start with solids, I'll actually have to feed this baby multiple times a day. Bottles are just so easy.")

My plan is to be open to potty training by the time Cohen turns 2 and really start to freak out if he's not trained by his third birthday. I've always heard that summertime is the best time to potty train as you can just stay outside with you naked child for a few days while you work on potty training. If he has an accident, it's not a big deal (and nothing the dogs haven't done for the past 5 years).

Ultimately, I want to start training at the perfect time for him. I don't want to start too early and have this be a source of frustration and confusion, but I also don't want to miss the cues and have him still in diapers when he's clearly ready for the potty. I'd imagine that would be just as confusing and frustrating. So I guess right now I'm just trying to figure out when is the perfect time for him. Although, I have a good idea that when it's time, we'll all sort of ... know. That's how it's been with all the other milestones, at least.

As of today, here are the clues Cohen is giving to show me he's inching closer to potty training:

• he will take off-- or try to take off-- his diaper when it's dirty
• if there's poop in his diaper, he won't think twice about putting his hand back there and pulling it out
• if he's pooped and I ask him about it, he'll point to his diaper and say "Poop."
• we have given his anatomy a name, and he identifies it by it's name
• while he is peeing, he will occaisionally point to his diaper and say "Pee pee."
• he is very interested in what's behind his diaper
• he is very interested in the potty and waching us use it
• he is extremely responsive to praise and will do almost anything to get it

Here are the clues I'm waiting to see from Cohen before I start wondering if it's really time:

• I want to see him upset that he's got a dirty diaper
• I want him to request diaper changes (currently he runs away when I get a diaper and wipes)
• I want him to get a little older and able to hold a conversation a little better
• I want him to associate the potty with "poop" and "pee pee"
• I want him to realize that he's about to eliminate and show the signs more consistently

Our Week According to iPhone v.3

Monday, Cohen literally woke up playing. Driving cars on Mommy's leg? Sounds like a good time. Running out of milk? Not so fun. We did some mid-morning grocery shopping, ate chicken soup for lunch (sat right next to the air conditioning vent, thankyouverymuch), and marvelled at the beautiful sky. Skies like that make me think that Jesus is coming back right that minute. When we got home, Cohen organized our supplies, played in the ball pit, and played a game of Ready, Set, Go! with his daddy.

Tuesday, we pretty much spent the entire day hanging out at the mall. Cohen played with his friends, got way too excited when the train drove past the play area (so of course we had to ride it), rode the carousel, and found a free balloon. After the fun, I got down to business of finding him a backpack (goodbye diaper bag! The big boy is now carrying his own diapers!). We finished up our trip with a giant chocolate chip cookie, watching the big kids play in the fountains outside, and crashing hard on the way home (don't worry -- Mommy didn't crash).

Wednesday started earlier than usual with the arrival of our little friend (who has some of the most delicious thigh rolls ever). The living room turned back into baby central, and I won't lie -- I kind of liked it. Cohen caught up of some of his reading while rain clouds rolled in. The rain ruined my plans of grilling turkey burgers, so they had to be pan fried instead -- still delicious! At church, Cohen pranced around with his new backpack and almost killed me with all his cuteness. In anticipation of our upcoming trip to Atlanta to minister to the homeless, we put together 104 hygiene kits to pass out this weekend.

Thursday, Cohen decided he needed to wear his hat all morning long -- even at breakfast. Then I packed up the babies (smack in the middle of nap time) to meet Travis to sign some papers so we can refinance our mortgage. The babies were awesome during the signing, but fell asleep the minute we got back in the car. That afternoon, we played with cars, and then we went to the park where Cohen sat in a big boy swing all by himself. We ended our night with ice cream, and I'm not positive the boy actually ate any of his ice cream.

Friday, we went out to meet some friends at Chik-fil-a all dressed up as a cow (see the ears?), but the second I pulled into the parking lot, I began to feel a little ragey at all the people, so we skipped our free chicken and headed to the dollar store instead. Cohen got some new animal toys, so he was happy. That evening, we got some much-needed rain as we drove to the grandparents' house. Cohen played a little game of keep-away with his grand-daddy, colored a picture at dinner, and did a little shopping. Back at his grandparents' home, he played well into the night before he decided that he did not, in fact, want to sleep there (which resulted in a midnight drive home for baby, daddy, and me).

Saturday morning, we headed back to the grandparents, and Cohen watched his grand-daddy on the tractor from the window. We all enjoyed a delicious breakfast, and then Travis and I headed into Atlanta to minister to the homeless and pass out lunches and hygiene kits. After a few hours (and a bunch of water), we headed back home. I couldn't tell you what happened that evening -- I was pretty much dead from exhaustion.

A Vlog. About cussing (and other things).

Well, now I went and did it. A video blog.

And is it just me, or is it completely nightmarish to see your own face and hear your own voice ? There is definitely a reason why I like to be behind the camera. But you can't deny how adorable that boy is... even when profanity is spewing from his mouth.

Did that catch your attention? My sweet boy cussing? Yup. And I'm pretty sure I taught him how.

Before you call DFACS, watch the video :)

cohen from Erica Chambers on Vimeo.

Cohen is 20 Months Old

Dear Cohen,

Today you turned 20 months old. That's 4 months away from 2, in case you hadn't realized. And the closer you get to 2, the more and more you change and grow and become such an amazing little boy. This was a huge month for you -- you are doing so many new things and growing more and more into your own person. I'm just holding on and enjoying this ride.

Perhaps the biggest and most noticable change this month is that you've learned 2 small but powerful words: what's that? That little phrase has shattered any barrier to your curiosity and caused you to learn a lot very quickly. This week, we went to the grocery store. Here's is what our conversation sounded like as we walked down one aisle:

Cohen: "What's that?"

Mama: "Fruit."

Cohen: "Fut. What's that?"

Mama: "Fruit."

Cohen: "Fut. What's that?"

Mama: "Those are tacos."

Cohen: "Taaaaacos. What's that?"

Mama: "Those are beans."

Cohen: "Beans. What's that?"

Mama: "Soup."

Cohen: "Sooooop. What's that?"

Mama: "That's pasta."

Cohen: "Paaasta. What's that?"

and on it on it went, up and down each aisle. You want to know what everything is. And the thing that gets me is that you remember all this stuff. This weekend, we were reading out of a book, and you asked me what it was called, so I told you it was a Bible. The next day, you sifted through all your books, and brought the Bible to your daddy, proclaiming "Biiiiiible. Biiiiible."

Your recall ability is getting really good. I can now point to your body parts, ask "What's that?" and you can name it. That's a huge step from me asking where a body part is and having you point to it. You are beginning to memorize songs and patterns. You can count to 8 all on your own, you sing many parts of the alphabet song accurately, you know a few songs by heart and can sing them so people can actually understand what you're singing. Our favorite sings are "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star", the bubbles song you learned at the library, "The Itsy Bitsy Spider", and "Joy Joy Joy Down In My Heart."

Your tantrums have increased in intensity but have decreased in frequency. They consist of throwing yourself into walls and furniture, throwing objects, pushing toys away, and falling to the ground. And they are ususally a result of you wanting to assert your independence at an inopportune time (or when you're just way too tired). Tantrums now always result in Time Out, and you are not a fan of Time Out. Lately, when I see the beginnings of a tantrum coming on, I'll say, "Oooh, I don't like tantrums. They're ugly. Do you need a Time Out?" You'll stop, look at me, say "No," and will usually move on to something else. I am so proud when you make a good decision.

Conversations like that are pretty much the norm for us now. If you don't understand the things I say, you sure are a good faker. We have so many converstaions throughout the day, many of them pretty complex for someone under 2. You love to sit in my lap, look up into my face, and talk to me. You can tell me when you are hungry or when you hurt or when you are sleepy. You can tell me what you want. That's been huge for us. We all feel so confident right now simply because we can communicate.

You know the rules, and you like to inforce them (even if you don't like to follow them). You love to tell people "No no no" when they do something they shouldn't do (especially your daddy). You don't like messes, and if you see them, you want them cleaned up. You respond to spills by rubbing your hand in the spill, trying to sipe it up. You respond to little pieces of trash by picking them up and giving them to an adult. You don't like when things are "dirrrrrrrrty."

You also love to take baths and brush your hair and brush your teeth. In the mornings when you watch me get dressed, you ask for your brush so that you can brush your hair, and you ask for your "toot brussss" so you can brush your teeth. You like to put on your own shoes (or mine or your daddy's).

Last week, we went to the pediatrician for your 20 month check up. You are 29 pounds (82%ile) and in the 67%ile for height. You are a sturdy little boy with a broad ribcage and a wide stance. You still wear 18-24 month and 2T clothes. You're still wearing size 4 diapers. And you're still wearing your size 6 -6.5 shoes, but I don't know how long that will last -- your feet are getting pretty big.

You still go to bed aroung 8 at night and don't wake up again until 8 or 9 in the morning. You still like long naps in the afternoon. You still spend every waking hour being a very active little boy, running around and getting into trouble (and making me laugh). Life with you is just easy, and I wonder how we ever felt whole without you.

You are the most amazing blessing. Every day with you is the most special gift I've ever received. I cannot get enough of you: your smile, your raspy little voice, your sweet spirit, your big blue eyes. You are everything I always prayed for and everything I didn't even know I needed. I love being your mommy. And I love you. To the moon and back. Forever and ever.

Until next month,
Mama

Our Week According to iPhone (v.2)

Monday Cohen asked for some self portraits (pointing to the camera, and saying, "Cheese?"), so I obliged. Then we packed up our cars for morning of errand running. We stopped by Hobby Lobby to get some fabric, and Cohen picked out his favorite pattern. After some more running around town, we experienced the most gigantic meltdown in the history of ever, all because I took away his yogurt tube. During naptime, I decompressed with a new book. We enjoyed turkey burgers and sweet potato fries, and then Daddy taught Cohen how to play baseball. We finished up our night with a fudgesicle (and another meltdown when I took the stick away).

Tuesday, Cohen spent the morning arranging his stuffed animals while I watched Monday night's episode of The Bachelorette. During naptime, I made a batch of homemade laundry soap. Cohen cut his nap short because he was "teeeen-ky!" and then we had peanut butter sandwich strips. After daddy got home and we ate dinner, we headed out to Dairy Queen, then back home for some wrestling and some reading before bedtime.

Wednesday, Cohen was so excited to have Daddy home that we did some dancing. Then the boys watched TV while I made a cover for my camera strap. That afternoon, we headed out for some 4th of July partying where people fed my kids all kind of sugar. Then there was some playground playing before he ate some more sugar. We cut our night short in order to get Cohen in bed at his regular time.

Thursday, we headed to the pediatrician's office first thing. I believe that was the first time we sat in an empty waiting room. Then we sat in the exam room for an hour while Cohen tried to break everything and I got way too frustrated and impatient. We left that office with a cool band-aid that made the shot not hurt so bad. We enjoyed a sandwich and some yogurt and a little Yo Gabba Gabba before taking a blissfully long nap. I was feeling sick, so dinner was not homemade. Cohen and daddy spent the evening hanging out while I rested.

Friday, we hit up Toddler Time at the library where Cohen learned a new song and licked a window (ewwww!). Later, we made our way out to Sams for a pizza lunch and Target for some birthday present shopping. Before his nap, Cohen decided he needed to clean out his closet. I had to cut naptime short so we could head out to the post office to take care of some important passport business. Then the 3 of us found ourselves at the Cheesecake Factory for a celebratory dinner followed by, what else? Cheesecake. Cohen got a scrub-down in the bath tub, I got to practice my hairdressing skills, and then we all went to bed.

Saturday morning was a lazy one, so while Cohen and his daddy spent some quality time together, I made my first batch of homemade spaghetti sauce from garden tomatoes. Yum. During naptime, I prepared a present for Cohen's friend, and then we were off to the party where Cohen 1. popped bubbles 2. looked adorable with his friends and 3. watched someone else receive fun toys. After the party, we stopped by the craft store, and I managed to buy some thread to hem Travis's pants and 2 books about tractors. Hos does that happen? Dinner at our favorite neighborhood resturant, and we were done with the day.

linking up with Amy at A Good Life Blog.

A Party

There are fewer things in my life so precious as watching my son play with his friends. They are usually sweet, sometimes sassy, but they are always able to have fun together. And when you add Daddy into that mix? Just go ahead and stop my heart. So, for that reason, today was a pretty great day.

The last of Cohen's best buddies turned 2 last week, and today we celebrated her day at The Little Gym. And what fun we had! I love that place, and I'm 100% positive that Cohen loves it, too. He loves the songs, he loves the activities, he loves that every time he goes, there's always cake (that's my boy!).

When his feet hit the red mat, they started running, and they didn't stop until his little body ran out of energy. This has been a huge month of development for Cohen, and we were able to see some of his new skills in action. Jumping? Check. Front flips? Oh yeah. Running? Done and done.

Eating cake and drinking juice out of a box? Like I even had to ask.

I am so thankful for the friends who have come into our lives. The mommas are so special to me, and I just adore their babies. We really are so blessed.

Custom Made

I was talking with my momma friends this week about sleep -- mainly how we feel like we don't get enough of it. I think it started when I complained about falling asleep at 10, waking up at 8 the next morning and still feeling exhausted.

The other mammas? They don't get nearly as much sleep, and they let me know it, too. And it made me take a minute to thank God for one more way that He created Cohen so perfectly for me. Because Lord knows I couldn't handle a baby who didn't sleep well and long.

I think about how perfect my little boy is for me. He's a perfect match, and there's no way I could tweak or change any part of his personality to make him any better of a fit for me. God knows what He's doing, that's for sure. And I think about the 9 months we prayed for a baby, the the prayers I sent up that probably sounded a whole lot more like whining and complaining instead of praising Him for His perfect timing. I often imagine Him responding to those prayers with a chuckle and a sigh and a shake of the head that is reserved for those who just don't get it. Don't you see? I'm making the perfect baby for you. You can't rush this.

This "close to 2" time is so much fun. Every day, he says something new. He learns new things from us. He gets funnier and funnier. His personality breaks through day by day and just shines. And I find myself stopped in my tracks, just watching him be him. I read in one of the numerous baby development emails that a child's personality is basically established by his 2nd birthday. Basically, by 24 months old, he is what he is. And I am so happy about that. Because, y'all, my kid is cool.

Our Week According to iPhone (v1)

I'm trying out something new this week: documenting my week through iPhone pictures. It's supposed to be a year-long series, but let's be honest, I'm not all that great with commitment (hello, 1000 Gifts from the beginning of the year), so we'll just take this week by week and see if I can keep up. I will say, though, that the concept gels with my lifestyle pretty fantistically. Take pictures of what my kid does every day? Please, I got that.

Oh, and another thing, if you look over there on the side ( --------> ) you'll notice links to my other social media. I'd love for you to hang out with me there. Be forewarned, though, I'm super new at Instagram and Twitter (but I've got some pretty rockin' Pinterest boards, if I do say so).

Monday officially began with the delivery of our new little toy. We spent the rest of the day learning how to use it, playing in the pool, and eating.

Tuesday someone woke up on the right side of the crib and was ready to get out and do something. So we ran some errands: grocery store, library, Sam's (where Cohen spilled a gigantic cup of Diet Coke on the floor and made me want to crawl into the tiniest hole ever). All that fun wore him out, and when he finally woke up from his nap, it was dinner time. A little Yo Gabba Gabba and some soccer with daddy, and we called it a day.

Wednesday began rather dramatically with a screaming toddler in his crib. We eventually got our day started, and while I dressed, Cohen obsessed over his weight. We watched a gigantic Elmo and caught up on our reading. Then we stopped by our favorite frozen yogurt place, played on the nearby playground, and got some shopping done. We ended our Wednesday night the way we always do -- at church.

Thursday we woke up super excited about our playdate. Cohen and his buddy played (or fought) while us mommas talked about all kinds of nothing. Cohen fell asleep in the car (again!), and I caught up on some relaxing with a cold drink and a good book. I made a feel-good dinner complete with junky macaroni and cheese, and then we headed outside for some playtime.We ended our evening with a good splash-fest in the bathtub before Cohen headed off to bed.

Friday started off at one of our new favorite spots: Toddler Time at the library. Afterwards, we headed to Target to pick up a few items, and we bought lunch for Cohen there as well (is it bad that he gets so excited when he sees the cafe in Target now?). I sat in the back seat with Cohen while he ate his hot dog and I watched the temperature inch toward 100. We got home in time for Cohen to take a proper nap in his crib, and I wrote my first letter to my new pen pal, cleaned the living room, and kicked my feet up for a bit. When Travis got home, we headed back out in the crazy heat, ate some dinner, did some shopping, and somehow managed to find ourselves back at Target (and that cafe for an Icee). We came home, Cohen ruined my pretty, clean playroom, and then we went to bed.

Saturday started way too early, and I got to wake Cohen up for once. We travelled down south to visit family and stopped for some outlet shopping on the way. I had lots of time to read my book while the boy napped in the back seat. When we got to Nannie's house, we played with his new Radio Flyer wagon, tried on Nannie's pretty pink slippers, and caught up with everyone. Cohen slept most of the way back home, and when he woke up we got goofy. We got home a few minutes before bedtime and spent that time breaking in our new toy.

Sunday, Cohen woke up to his favorite breakfast: Nutrigrain bar and a banana while I discovered that my breakfast melted in the pantry (yogurt covered raisins should always be refrigerated). We went to church, Cohen squealed with delight when he saw his grandparents, and we went to lunch. Afterwards, we relaxed at home, and I worked on the blog while the dogs stared at me. We headed back to church for choir practice, a little bit of baby singing, and huge excitement over rain (finally!)