My Love Letter to You

Durring sidewalk  chalk time today, I was thinking how happy it makes me to have friends and family join my blog and leave comments. I know that the name Akward Turtle is random and funny, but truth is, I have a always felt a little akward. From my height, to not fitting into one paticular click, it's been an akward road feeling excepted. So it means a lot to me for people to chose to be a part of something I created...and enjoy it!

The below art is from me, Akward Turtle, to you. Thank you for being a part of my akward little world.  xo

My Mess

GRRR! I get so frustrated with myself sometimes. I have these great ideas about getting organized and becoming more minimalistic, but rarely follow through. I know it is not the end of the world to not be organized, but in our house we have a couple things going on that would make our house happier if we were.
First off, my husband is an x-marine. Nuff said.
Second, we are currently living, in what I think is to be a "cozy house"
Third, I have two little guys who probably have too many toys. A friend came over the other morning and the first thing out of her mouth was.."wow, it looks like toys r us in here!" umm..yeah
Fourth, I feel like 1000x better when everything is organized and is it's home.
And lastly, I want to teach my kids to live a balanced and minimal life.
I made a list today of things needing attention in my house.

1. The Pantry. Right now it serves multiple purposes. Food, kids crafts, some house hold items; light bulbs, flashlight, serving platters.
2. The Laundry Room. Also a catch all. Laundry, shoes, coats, xtra paper towels, and cleaning supplies.
3. My closet. OMG. If I was truly brave enough, I would post a pic. But I'm not.
4. My routine. I am pretty consistent, but I would feel better if I had specific days I did things. Grocery shopping, cleaning, ect. And be more strict on my daily schedule. Get up at a certain time, naps, ect.
5. AND the kids toys, games, arts and crafts.

Oh man, I have some stinkin' work to do.

Here are some pics I snapped today in our beautiful 80 degree Texas winter weather :)



FF (Fun Facts) Today at the park there was a little girl there who was almost 4. She was so stinking cute, and a chatter box! One of the things in life that really tickles my heart is "toddler talk". She told me when I asked her if this other girl was her sister.."I'm not a sister, I am a girl!"  She also told me that sometimes she is like a fish," I swim underwater and eat fish food". Talking about her birthday.."I am going to have my birthday and turn 4, and then I will be 5. And 5 plus 5 is 10"  HAHA so cute!

XO

Mixed Emotions

I can look at this picture right here and feel a handful of different emotions! I am sure some of you can relate. At dinner tonight the boys were dancing to the music and this cute little girl wanted to dance with them. She had grabbed hands with Miles at first, and Cooper saw and wanted to cut in. Miles gladly complied.Cooper was so sweet and calm dancing with her. He was looking around, being kind of shy. I just stood back and smiled. I was so proud of him for being bold enough to want to dance, and even though feeling shy once they started dancing, kept dancing. I was in awe of his demeanor, not crazy and all over the place...just slow dancing away. But even though I had all  of these sweet thoughts and feelings going on, I was kind of sad and heart broken. I never thought that my baby boy would grow up so fast. All these new seasons of change and growth seem to sneak up on me. I know it was just a cute little dance, but to me it is a glimpse of things to come, and a reminder that I can not keep him as my baby Cooper.  I don't ponder on these thoughts for long, it is actually more like a little tornado of feelings that kind of overwhelm my heart for a quick moment and then are gone. I go back to grinning from ear to ear, and Sean and I looking at each other with such pride. Bittersweet.



The Three Little Kittens

Meet the three little kittens. Well, I guess they are not that little, but there are three.  These three little kittens have not lost their mittens..but they do have something to cry about. It appears that they may have been dumped in the neighborhood. I noticed them I guess sometime last week, playing around near our house. We have been here a year now, and I have never seen them. Granted they could be someone new to the neighborhoods, but none of them have collars, and they seemed hungry. They were hanging out in our driveway when we left for dinner, and they were still there when we got back. uh oh...lol. This is how it happens. They show up, look hungry, and I feed them. I only have my family to blame for this. We did this for all stray animals growing up. Mostly birds, turtles, lost dogs til we found their owners, and tarantulas. My mom and dad still do this. My dad recently took in a dachshund that had been dumped in his neighborhood. And my mom and her husband took in a lost cat last year. We are all big softies. When we lived out in the country last year, we had a cute kitty start coming around. Cooper and I decided to start feeding it...and he stuck around. This cat was wild, but soon warmed up to us.

 
When we moved from there, we sadly, had to leave the kitty behind. He roamed between us and the our neighbors (who had like 50 cats) , so I knew he would be fine. But I felt bad for little Coop. He asked about him a couple times. That whole season in our lives was...hmm, how should I say it...lets just say challenging. That is a whole other post. Anyway, we will see what happens with these three little guys. But for now they are eating crab meat with a little bread and milk.They were so hungry :(  I put a big box in our hedges with a towel and gave them one of the boys toy balls that has a jingle sound. Next steps are to post a pic at the mailboxes and keep an eye out to see what they do and where they go. I guess then they can officially be our cats. Outdoor cats that is. Sean is highly allergic, but even if he wasn't we wouldn't be a kitty in the house family. Nothing wrong with it, just not our thing. But outdoor kitties are great, keep away mice and snakes! :) Going to need help with kitty names. The kitty with the orange and white belly is a very pretty kitty. He is a big cat...maybe Garfield? Original, I know. The other orange kitty is kind of like a tiger. He lounges all majestic like and has beautiful markings. Dark stripes. My mom wanted to name him Froto Baggins or Liger. lol. The gray kitty is very playful and a little skittish..but so adorable. He is like a little  mouse. If you are a good kitty namer...help me out please! I know a bunch of you are cat lovers! :)



FF (fun facts) I have no idea how to tell the sex of a cat. My sister and her husband once thought they had male cat and named it Jack. Well, Jack got pregnant. So I don't know if what I see back there are balls or WHAT! lol.. Guess the Vet will tell us! haha



Sleep Tight

Every night since the day my first son was born, I have always checked on my babies right before I go to bed.  When they were little bitty, I would of course make sure they are breathing, and cover them up. Miles is still in his crib and this is what I still do with him. Take his bottle out and cover him up. But now that Cooper has been in his big boy bed, and going to sleep by himself, I have to do a little bit more. lol. He is always in his bed when I go in, but there is either books, or as in this picture, a stuffed animal party, in his bed. He has usually tucked himself in, but as seen above in the before picture...he was not. So I remove 3/4 of the animals and tuck him in. I absolutely love tucking my boys in at night.

FF (fun facts) I am sitting in bed right now, about to go to sleep. AND I am having coffee with a very special gal in the morning :)

P.S. Please sign up to follow me. I just might make you cinnamon rolls next weekend if you do :) haha

Dessert Drink

Instead of dessert, try a dessert drink. It goes a little somethin' like this...

1. Throw your rocks down

2. Pour your Bailey's in

3. Serve it up

4. Enjoy!

FF (fun facts) I did not have this tonight, we like to go to La Playa mexican resteraunt on Fridays. Sean loves seafood enchiliadas. In Sean's opinon, they have the best ever. I happen to think they have the best margarita I have found thus far. But I am still looking :) 

Sushi from HEB

Sometimes, when we go pick up some groceries in the morning, I like to get some Sushi to take home for lunch. Sushi or not though, we ALWAYS say hi to the couple above who make the sushi! Over the time we have met them, we have gotten to know each other. They call the boys by their names, and have rolled them up a couple special bites made just for them to try....to expose them to sushi. They know when the boys are sick, and what shenanigans they have been up to. And we know that they are married, and wanting to start a family. He is a soccer coach and she LOVES children. Clearly. :)
The boys love seeing them, and we are always greeted by huge smiles from both of them! We have yet to get Cooper to like sushi, but at home he takes his straws and pretends he is eating sushi.

It is a great thing to get to know the people around you. Get out of your bubble and talk to someone. I can remember as a kid my dad cutting up with the check out people at the grocery store and messing with the waitresses at restaurants. And for as long as I can remember our family was always friends with our neighbors. And we are friends with all of them til this day, even if it is only on FB.

Our kids learn from our example, lets teach them how to love our neighbors. Make a difference in someone else's life and get out of your bubble. Even if it is only the sushi people at the grocery store.
Is there anyone that you talk to already that you can tell me about??

Therapy

So, there are not to many things that I do for "therapy".  But recently, getting my hair done has become one of them.  For a while I was always trying to schedule my appointments during the day when my mom had free time to watch the boys for me.  And then a great thing happened, I had to go at night when Sean could watch them. While I was there I saw another woman drinking wine, and I thought...hmmm..why have I not been offered wine before?! Well duh, they usually don't offer wine in the AM. lol. So I asked for some wine, lol, and now all my appointments are in the evening! :) AND it doesn't stop there! Not only do I get to go chit chat with the girls, have some wine and sit on my butt, but by the time I get home the kids have already been bathed and put to bed! Score! :)  Discussions tonight at the salon where:

1. Someone  getting a mystery object in their food at the Thai place around the corner.
2. Why people would get married when they don't like the other persons kids.
3. How Princess and the Frog songs stick in my head all day.
4. My boys
5. Coconut oil makes your teeth super white. You swash it around for 10-20 minutes. But you can't spit it out in the drain, because it will build up in your pipes. (or something like that) So dump it outside.
6. Miscarriages and fertility.
7. How many days you can go with out washing your hair. My hairdresser only washes her hair 2 times a week! You can train your hair.. wow!

When I left to get my hair done my mom was still here spending time with the boys. When I got home, Sean told me she had stayed and gave the boys their bath and bedtime routine with them. Best Nana ever! She also had brought over some organic lemon cake with chocolate icing! yumm! I think she is just wanting me to make them some more cinnamon rolls..hehe. jk xoxo

FF (fun facts) When Sean drinks red wine his ears get really hot. Just about as weird as my thumb. Aren't we just the pair?

P.S. I did this text in purple b/c this is my hairdresser Grace's favorite color. It's like her best friend. If she has a daughter one day, I am pretty sure she will have a room and wardrobe full of PURPLE! :) Best hairdresser EVER!

Making Lemonade out of Lemons

Have you ever noticed that some days just tell you what you are going to do? No matter what you say, do, or plan..you do not get a say! Today was that day.
Last night Cooper was having restricted breathing, and between Sean, Coop and I, we got NO sleep. So, we called and scheduled a doctor appointment for 11:30 today.  LONG story short..these were the events that followed.

Almost to our appointment, we get a VERY flat tire

Sean is on his way to help, but he is 30 miles away at work...so we killed time with funny faces

Singing and dancing to Bob Schneider

(Luckily, it was FABULOUS outside!)

Coop took pictures

I found purse snacks :)

Our HERO showed up! But the spare was flat, so we had to go get that juiced up before we could switch cars! Then we were off to the Dr!

We were an hour late, but they said they would get us in! This is us waiting in a room..

Still waiting...( we broke into Dr.Chang's sticker box)

Still waiting....they were SO patient

Saw Dr.Chang :)

After listening to Cooper breath, he wanted to do the breathing treatments. This did NOT go over well last time we had to do this. Cooper was so upset the last time by the noise and fog he cried and cried. I had to hold him and just hold it there by his face while he cried. He cried so hard he ended up falling asleep on me. He had NEVER cried at the doctor til that.

So, when Dr.Chang said we were going to have to do that again, well...I wasn't looking forward to it.

At all.

The following pics show how it all went down

Hallelujah! lol.. he was AWESOME! So proud of him!

So it was 3:00 when we got done there. The boys had not had any lunch or nap, and we still had prescriptions to fill and find a place to buy a machine to do the treatments at home.  So we swung through Chick-fil-A, grabbed some chicken and fruit, and went to Target to get our medicine. They ate while we waited for them to be filled. I found us some dinner there. (Not much to choose from. This is when having some frozen PW recipes in the freezer would be great! I'm all over that) 

So, as if I needed anymore running around..I left my wallet in the car. So, I had to ask some nice Target person to watch my kids while I ran out to the car. It was either that or unload all my stuff out of the cart. OR leave the cart and haul the boys both back out to the car and back. Nice Target person was the best option at this point :) Please tell me you know what I am talking about!

After all that, mom decided she needed a prize too. Wine, new pie plate and some Valentine dish towels. Exciting stuff I picked right?! haha.

We then went to Walgreen's to put in our prescription for the breathing machine. I told Coop he could pick one prize for being so good today.  Now normally if one kid is getting a prize I don't buy the other kid a prize to "be fair". But today had been a rough day for us all, and they both were angels. So, Miles got a little prize too.

Hmm...so many choices at Walgreen's

This is him with his new Go Diego Go flashlight..it came with three different pics to slide in. This is Diego on the wall for all of you that have not had the privilege to watch the show. Coop just started watching this a week ago. Now he sings and dances to the show. It's one of those interactive shows..and he yells all the answers to the TV.  I think I like Curious George and Sesame Street better...not as loud. lol 



Took baths and got in bed! Cooper had to do a breathing treatment before bed, which he was not thrilled about..but did. He earned a quarter :)

So, not the day I had planned, obviously, but we tried to roll with it the best we could.

FF (fun facts) Today Miles, fully dressed, walked over to the little potty chair, sat down, and went #2. Proclaimed POOPOO, and clapped for himself. Got up and went back to playing. Guess it's a start. :)

The Family Walk

The family.  We were a strange little band of characters trudging through life sharing diseases and toothpaste, coveting one another's desserts, hiding shampoo, borrowing money, locking each other out of our rooms, inflicting pain and kissing to heal it in the same instant, loving, laughing, defending, and trying to figure out the common thread that bound us all together.  ~Erma Bombeck

To us, family means putting your arms around each other and being there.  ~Barbara Bush

 

If the family were a fruit, it would be an orange, a circle of sections, held together but separable - each segment distinct.  ~Letty Cottin Pogrebin

At the end of the day, a loving family should find everything forgivable.  ~Mark V. Olsen



Call it a clan, call it a network, call it a tribe, call it a family.  Whatever you call it, whoever you are, you need one.  ~Jane Howard

FF (Fun Facts) Sean came to this walk straight from work, so he was obviously in work clothes and shoes. He did not have a jacket on him, so he borrowed an extra one from Todd. Which happened to be a black leather jacket. lol. Sean looked like he was going on a job interview, not on a walk. Love him.