Not my proudest mommy moment

Well, it happened. As I was cleaning out my car today before we left the house, Trace climbed into the front drivers seat to "play". Being the good mommy that I am, I thought, "better close the door so he doesn't fall out onto the hard garage floor". As I was throwing my 3rd heap of garbage out of the back seat (you could survive for days just from the junk in my car), I closed the back door ready to retrieve my bouncing toddler and be on my way. I'm not sure when he did it, I certainly never heard the "click" of the lock button, but I then realized he had locked himself in the car with the keys in the ignition!

I didn't panic... yet. I ran into the house to find the extra set of keys Jimmy keeps, only to discover he had them. He was hunting (in the middle of no where, of course) and had them with him. Then the panic set in! I called him immediately and he was thankfully just coming out of the woods but still quite a ways away. So... I stood vigil peering through the window watching Trace jump around, flip EVERY switch in the car, and climb back and forth between the seats. He was completely oblivious to my state of mind and was having a wonderful time giggling and giving me kisses through the window! I thought about running to get my camera, thinking this will be funny when it's all over and he's safe and sound, but I couldn't make myself move from the car.

Then it got scary. In the cup holder he found coins, which he used to ALWAYS put in his mouth. That's when I started deciding which window to bust that would prevent the least amount of glass to go spraying through the car into his little face and exactly what in the garage I was going to use to break it.

My mom got there (she was going with us on our errands) to discover her only beloved grandchild locked in the car with help still a long way away! She was very kind, although I know she was probably ready to give the dreaded parental look of, "you have to be responsible now... you're the mother!" Trace then discovered my lipstick and enjoyed spreading it on the window of the passenger seat. When he put the cap in his mouth and sucked it between his cheeks, I really panicked and mom and I seriously discussed exactly which window to break and what "tool" to use. My neighbor even came over to see what all the action was about and tried to coax Trace into hitting the unlock button, but to no avail.

FINALLY, Jimmy got there with the extra set of keys and heroically (sp?) released our child from captivity. It's not fair, he always gets the save. I was then very thankful that it wasn't 100 degrees outside and that we were safe in our garage rather than in some scary dark parking lot.

Needless to say, the first "errand" on my list tomorrow is to go to Lowe's and get a magnetic box you put under your tire thingy with an extra key in it!!! Let this be a lesson!

My boy and his dog

***DISCLAIMER*** These pictures are only blurry because I am not computer savvy enough to know how to upload them from the website... so I laid them on the counter and took a picture of them with my own camera. The original pictures are perfectly clear! Sad, I know, I really need to take a computer class!

We went to Master Portraits last Friday night to get Christmas pictures made. As you know, getting pictures made can be either sweet and fun or a catastrophic nightmare. Santa was there and I witnessed first hand another parent's nightmare as their 2-year-old was TERRIFIED to be in the same room with dear St. Nick, let alone sit in his lap. Adding to the stress of pictures with an almost 2-year-old, we decide to take our beloved dog, Ginger, in the hopes that they could get some made together. We lost Ginger's "husband" Chase in May when we had to put him to sleep because of a tumor and I could kick myself for not having a picture of the 3 of them made. Ginger is now 12 and we weren't going to take the chance again so... off we went. IF ANYONE CAN TELL ME WHY ALL OF MY WORDS HAVE A LINE UNDER THEM, I WOULD GREATLY APPRECIATE IT! hbcofer@hotmail.comI was really pleased with how they turned out. Normally, Ginger doesn't let Trace within an inch of her for fear of being "loved on" which really looks like "heavy" petting and smothering. Trace is so sweet to her but Ginger is an old, half deaf dog that really just wants to be left alone! Anyway, she was very cooperative and we got some great ones of the two of them. We gave Ginger a bath with real shampoo so she would be fluffy and bright and she smelled like a lady. Trace, however, decided to do his thing (meaning poop) in the middle of the session. At one point a laughed and thought, it's sad when your dog smells better than your baby, but it was undeniably true (I'm sure the rest of the patrons would agree)!

I love this one but didn't choose it for the Christmas card because the background doesn't look very Christmassy (if that's a word). Master Portraits did a great job. They were fast, professional, and inexpensive! We took the pics of Friday night and got them in the mail on Monday... wow! And best of all, they gave Mrs. Ginger a fun night out!

A "Golden Girl" for a night

Last night, I had the honor of being a Golden Girl. The GG's are made up of my mom, my aunt Gail, Jane, and Bonnie. They dubbed themselves the "Golden Girls" MANY years ago when they were more in their "Sex and the City" years, but seemingly knowing their friendship would last throughout their golden years. These women are a group unlike any I know, with an amazing history. My mom and Jane became best friends at 3. They met Bonnie when mom was pregnant with me and of course my Aunt Gail is my mom's sister-in-law (self explanatory).

This foursome has been through every life situation together... from elementary school, marriages, career changes, divorce, countless perms and hair colorings, illnesses, children, grandchildren (10 and counting), more wedding and baby showers than Martha Stewart can claim, loss of parents and recently the loss of a spouse. There friendship was put to the test this past September when Bonnie lost her husband to cancer, and in true Golden Girls style they saw her through it and continue to hold her up. They are a true testament to what Christian friendship looks like.

They began going to Atlanta when my brother was 2 for my mom's birthday ( having a toddler of my own, I now see their need for a girl's getaway weekend!!) 26 years later it is still a tradition they don't miss.

My dad bought tickets for the GG's (he is very sweet and thoughtful like that, especially knowing how much he loves Vince Gill) to the Vince Gill "A Song for the Children" concert benefiting the Children's Advocacy Center of Hamilton County and because of a prior commitment my Aunt Gail couldn't go... so I got her ticket. We had a great meal at Taco Mamacito (used to be Dirty Nelly's) then headed to the Tivoli.

Vince Gill is such an amazing performer with the most soulful, pure voice, and impressively played 6 different guitars. Not to mention... the most beautiful crystal blue eyes! I have to say, he did this concert free of charge so every dollar raised went to the CAC. I find that very bittersweet... wonderful, that a celebrity would give his time and talent to help raise money for such a needed cause, and sad, that this great city even needs a CAC to protect our children from physical and sexual abuse.

I saw first hand as a teacher what abuse does to a child and can do to their future if someone doesn't step in. I can't even comprehend it... especially after having one of my own. These past few weeks, I have followed in the news, 2 cases where babies have been shaken to dead by a "loved one". My heart breaks for those children and the families they left behind. When I got home from the concert, I got Trace out of his crib and rocked him. I couldn't help myself... I just needed to hold him. He was so sweet and peaceful sleeping in my arms and I prayed to God for him and others that are so helpless to protect and defend themselves.

Thank you GG's for letting me share your night. You set such an example of what is truly important in life. Rose, Blanche, Dorothy, and Sophia don't hold a candle to you guys... I love you all!!

Peacoats for petites... not me

OK, if you don't know me, I am 5'10 (almost) and have EXTREMELY long extremities. Some people find this a luxury, I, however... do not. If you have ever tried shopping for pants, skirts, dresses or tops with giraffe arms and legs you understand my pain. So... you can imagine what it is like when I find things that come in "longs" or "talls", aside from jeans and pants, these are rare. I am also not a huge coat fan, mainly because the arms are always to short and you look kind of ridiculous in sub zero temps with your coat sleeves pushed up trying to pull off the "3/4 length" look. I also don't like the bulky feeling of wearing a coat.

Anyway, I knew I needed a coat and found one on Old Navy website (thanks to Big Mama's blog under "my favorite things") that came in talls!!!, was canvas (great for Ginger dog hairs and not bulky) and VERY cheap!! In fact, it was $39 marked down to $19. The bargain hunter in me thought, "WOW, buy 2 and take one back if you don't think you'll wear both!" Jimmy was also very excited for me, understanding my ongoing shopping dilemma. So, the peacoats (I ordered green & khaki) came today and maybe I just never understood the meaning of "pea"coat, but I put it on and immediately began to laugh. It honestly looked like it was made for a 10-year-old midget (no offense to anyone who may be reading this). Even my sweet husband who always says, "ah, it looks great honey" agreed I looked ridiculous. So now I am back to the drawing board after being so sure I had found the "perfect" coat. If I ever win the lottery, I am going to design and franchise my own fashion label... just for us giraffes!

Bare Naked Baby Blogger

I have a new blogging buddy! Trace decided to climb up onto the desk and pull out EVERY rubber band and paper clip in the desk while I was reading blogs. You know, that is one of those "pick your battles" moments and I chose to let him win this one. Just the mere pleasure of it entertaining him for a few uninterrupted seconds was good enough for me! The fact that he had just had his bath and was still running around naked only added to the thrill of getting to sit on the desk and make a huge mess! What is it about little boys and being necked... is this a peek at what's to come? I couldn't resist the pictures, I just love that little hiney!! Again... one day I'm sure I will pay for this!

still here

It's been a while since my last post. Things are good (better) around here. The stomach bug has left the building...we hope and pray. I spent this morning while Trace was in MDO cleaning and disinfecting this nasty house. Why is it when someone (in our case, everyone) has been sick you literally want to open all the windows and doors (even when it's 50 degrees) take a pressure washer full of bleach and hose everything down? Well, I didn't go that far but it's now clean. I LOVE a clean house, I just HATE cleaning it!!

I laughed with my mom on the phone last night that I am so tired of talking about poop! For the last 2 weeks we have examined and thoroughly discussed every bowel movement Trace has had... I know how disgusting that sounds! I then report it to my mother for further analysis. She has been dubbed "Dr. Brown" among her friends b/c she is always looking things up on WebMD or Dr. Wyle... she so should have been in the medical field. This Shigella bacterial bug the doc warned us about has made me nervous, so you tend to over analyze everything.

I began to think last night about how it is very similar to picking out a diamond. Everyone has heard of the 4C's... cut, color, clarity and carat. Examining poop is much the same if you think about it... you have the shape and texture (cut) then the color (that's obvious) and then the clarity, looking for stuff that's not supposed to be there (Shigella), and finally the carat, was it a BIG poop or just a little poop. Trace will probably disown me one day when he reads this, but I know all you moms out there understand!

Halloween at home

Well, it wasn't the night we had planned... but we know things don't always work out the way they are planned. With the 3 of us recovering from a stomach bug, we stayed in for Halloween and tried to make the best of it. Trace came down with it Monday night and Jimmy and I both Wednesday night. That was scary, waking up and realizing we were both sick. I had slept upstairs with Trace so we didn't know the other was sick. Trace was getting better and we were afraid we would give it back to him. That is when we were shown, yet again, just how blessed we are. We have an amazing family that came to the rescue and took care of Trace for the day while we recuperated. Nana came and got him (now she might have it) and Jimmy's mom and dad brought us medicine and a Halloween treat for Trace. What would we do without them?

Everyone is feeling better and are just ready to be back to normal. I can't complain... I had it the easiest by far. It is such a helpless feeling to not be able to do anything for your baby when they need you so much and don't understand why they feel so bad.

So for Halloween, we stayed in and dress Trace up for some pictures. As you can see, we were going a little stir crazy so for some added entertainment we decided to dress Ginger up as well. Poor little dog, she looks so pitiful but we couldn't resist... she's such an easy target. Luckily, Trace wasn't old enough to know what he was missing so I guess it worked out OK. Thanks Keith, Carrie and Abram for inviting us up to trick or treat with you guys (and for loaning us the giraffe outfit!)... maybe next year. And mom (Nana), thank you for taking care of my baby when I couldn't... I love you!