Realizing…

That in just one more day…I will be the parent of a 2 year old little boy.  I said TWO!  As in two the number....two sets of 365 day years under his belt.

My question is…how did he get to be 2 so fast?? 

I’m excited about this and also saddened by it.  I knew at 1 year old…he was no longer a baby in my doctor’s eyes. He had entered the stage of toddlerhood.  I desperately wanted to say…NO….he is NOT a toddler. Not already!  He’s just a year.  He’s my baby. 

But now...my baby is two. 

Now he is undeniably a toddler.  He is independent. Confident.  Curious.  Amazed with life.  Looking more and more like a little boy.  Losing a bit of his baby cheeks.  So as we approach his second birthday…it’s certainly bittersweet!!  Of course it’s your dream for your children to grow and thrive.  But it also hard to let go of some things.

Like how right now, he picks up my cell phone and says…OhhO??  For hello.  Or holds his green plastic dinosaur and roars at me until I laugh. Or snuggles up in my lap before bedtime and plants a big, uncoordinated kiss on m lips just because he wanted to. Because one day he’s going to be a big, bad teenager, who texts me when he needs something instead of saying Hello at all. And roaring like a dinosaur won't be cool anymore. But I know we have miles to go before we even reach kindergarten. I also know though, just how fast we got to two.  So I have no doubt that I will look back when he’s moving to college..or maybe introducing me to my new grandchild…and wonder where all the years went!

Regardless of how old he is…he is and will always be my baby.  Whether he’s 10 months, 2 or 25. Always and forever!

Wordless Wednesday

It's A...................

BOY!!!

Sorry for the delay in posting the news!  But someone we know is having a birthday next weekend...and Dadda and I were busy doing some things to prepare for his partay :)

Anyhow, the Linley's will be welcoming another boy into the family!!  Wow!!  We couldn't be happier :)  What does another boy mean?  It means I'm gonna be the proud Momma to two strapping Linley boys!! It means that Owen gets to be a big brother...and that he'll have a friend to pal around with all his life!  It means Momma is gonna be WELL cared for with three wonderful men to watch over me!  It also means that our small two bedroom house will be perfectly suited for us for just a little bit longer...AND we get to look for fun bunk beds and redo the nursery into a big wonderful boy wonderland :)

Below are some shots of our newest addition!  Sorry for the quality...these are photos of photos!

It so amazing to see your baby for the first time. There really is nothing like it!  For 20 weeks I've known I had a little buddy growing in there.  And for several weeks now I've been enjoying his little nudges, but this makes it all so real.  Our doctor's office mentioned that when the new machine is up and running, it will do 3 and 4D.  Jer and I have already talked about doing one of those ultrasounds...just to get another peak at our little boy!

Without further ado...meet (in some grainy, black and white photos) Baby Boy Linley #2 :)

A recipe post - Jalapeno Poppers!!

I made these some time back.  I loved them and just forgot to post something about them!  

I'm contemplating whipping up a batch for Owen's b-day gathering (for the adults of course!)  And in thinking about that...thought I would share the process.  This is another delicious dish from PW.  I mentioned them here in this post.  Here's a basic run down of what I did.  For exact measurements and details, email me or comment and I'll get the info to you :)

Jalapenos! Drain and rinse.

Slice in half and de-seed.  I also took the membranes out too.  Oh...and she recommended putting on gloves or wrapping your hands with plastic bags for this part of the process. I used Target bags and that was interesting...so gloves...would be easiest!

Before filling

The filling has green onions, cream cheese and shredded cheddar cheese.  I think next time I'll add some garlic salt to the mix also.  Once you fill the halves, you wrap them in bacon (oh it's as delicious as it sounds!!) baste with BBQ sauce (your favorite is probably what you'll like best).  

Once you're donebake in the oven until sizzling!  

A couple things I learned?  

*Use a pan with a lip. The bacon drips...and I used my airbake pans...they have no sides.  My oven just quit putting off this burn bacon smelling smoke!  Big no duh Jess.  

*They take forever!  I think because it was my first time through, it took longer than it will the next time. However, she recommended making a couple large batches and freezing them in freezer bags. I think that's an awesome way to have home-made appetizers on hand at the drop of a hat!

*Make sure you snag a few before you hubby does :)

We've got a hawk with a wave!

I think it's time...for a haircut!!

And my personal fave

Thankful Thursdays

A great Friday wake-up with the O'ster
Having lunch with Mom and doing a little girl time and shopping
A fabulous report from the doctor last week.
Awaiting our ultrasound this Friday...I cannot wait!!
Saturday breakfast at Eagle's Nest w/ Aunt Steff...then an impromtu adventure to a party store in Edwardsville. We left laughing ourselves to tears because Owen was a MANIAC and the store was small. I'm pretty sure he attempted to leave with 3 rolls of wrapping paper in his hands!!
A relaxing Saturday night at home with my boys!
Spending Sunday morning at UABC
Having a delicious lunch at Johnson's Corner with my Linley crew
Spending Monday with Owen...an unexpected snow day off together!
An unexpected chat with Hannah - so excited for you and all you have coming up lady :)
That I got to read this post!!!
Owen's bathtime...pictures to come later!
That one night this week Owen ate a whole grilled cheese sandwich!
A week night shopping trip..and some great finds.
Getting my dress for Hannah and Zack's wedding
Steff bringing 7 different sizes of 7 different dresses
Finding the perfect one...I realized maternity dresses...sort of make me look...BIG!
Getting a pen pal letter in the mail
Planning Owen's bday party
That my crazy, unhappy work day on Thursday, turned completely around b/c of a chat with my Mom,  Owen's smiles, kisses and hugs....and my hubby's help with the bedtime routine so I could finish up work from home...and then soak in a long, hot bubble bath!
Finding the next book on my reading list at the library...for FREE!!!
That tomorrow...we find out what we're having...and that means a lot of real planning can be day-dreamed about and started!
A walk around the park...I was actually hot enough to break a sweat.  And I passed by a sign that said the temp was 81.  Really?  Snow Monday and Summer Thursday.  I'm just thankful Mother Nature eventually makes up her mind and it looks like spring might come after all!!
Taco bell drive through after a long day...delish.
Feeling little bumps and kicks, also exhaustion, excitement, happiness, fulfillment, scatter-brained-ness (not a word I realize) and blissfully wonderful at 20 weeks pregnant.  I'm a blessed girl...and no one can tell me otherwise ;)

Wordless Wednesday - devastation.

Appointment Number 3

This Friday was appointment number 3 for me and Baby Linley #2! I’m liking this exactly a month to the day thing!!

In between this appointment and last I had to go and have some bloodwork done called a Penta screening. Dr. Talsky said he recommended it over the Quad screening b/c it gave more details regarding the results.  He wanted this done so we could discuss the results at Friday’s appointment!!

Since we were scheduling our ultrasound for this week, Jer opted out of this appointment.  Mom was able to join me. It was great to have the company :)  The appointment went wonderfully.

**I'm giving a shout out to Jess O who I've known forever...her Aunt Deb was who I got to see this time.  She is a blast!!  I hope the big 90th Birthday party was a success!!**

Anyway...there wasn't anything too big going on at this appointment. We reviewed our Penta screening results, which were all negative...yay!  And so everything is good on that front.  The baby's heartbeat was in the 150's...and we were told based on that...it would be thought to be a girl. However, she instructed us not to go buy pink just yet!

We can save the blue or pink for next Friday!  At 10am, we will get the first pictures our little wonder :)  I am so excited I could bust!!  I can't wait to see the baby and feel the calm of watching he or she move about and do his/her thing.  I'm pretty sure there is nothing like it...well...until you actually get to meet them!  I've been feeling lots of little bumps, kicks and flutters in there, so I'm excited to watch the baby in action!!  Also, to find out whether baby is a boy or a girl!!

Hang in there everyone...I'll be back Friday with the big news on whether the Linley 3 will become the Linley 4 as 3 to 1...or if I'll be able to tie it up 2 on 2 ;)

Ditto...

April posted a post last Friday regarding some wonderful news that came to our family.

I couldn't have said it better...so I'm just going to link you up to her blog.  Thanks April for your eloquent words.

Mike is cancer free.  I still can't seem to believe it myself.  This news certainly is nothing short of a miracle...and an unexpected one at that!

It's amazing the blessings you are given!  God is good.  All the time.

My Humble Review of Safe Haven – By Nicholas Sparks ***Warning – spoiler alert***

If you haven’t read this book yet, I may or may not tell you more than you want to know. Some parts of it are twisty and a little mysterious. They make the book good. So if you don’t want to know anything…I’ll just say it was a great read. I flew through it.  And if you like his books, this one is a little different, but carries his same ability to transport you exactly where the characters are. I have a couple issues with some parts, so once you’ve read it…come back over and let me know if they were the same parts.  The end is the best part…and don’t give up before you get there. 

Thanks for stopping by to read…now for those who have read it…the rest is for you!

Okay everybody who didn’t want to read the spoilers gone?? 

Ok.  Here goes.

The book takes place, as always, in a fabulous, little, rustic and coastal town.  Our heroine works at a seafood restaurant called Ivan’s.  As an aside, it frequently made me want to a) move to the coast and more practically b) go to Red Lobster.  We meet her and I wasn’t sure I cared for her character at first.  Of course she’s our heroine so you grow to love and respect her. 

For me the book picked up quickly.  You very quickly are drawn into two lives.  Katie (our heroine) and Alex (our hero and future love interest) Katie is new to town and Alex owns a little grocery/necessities store on the water.  I could picture every facet of the store and see the little parts of the town.  Slowly but surely as Alex gets to know Katie, you the reader do as well.  You get to know a few things before Alex…but there is a slow unraveling of her past. It kept me flying through the pages as I wondered what had happened to her. She was broke, hoarding money in a coffee can and saving every ounce of tip money she had.  And at one point described 20 dollars as the most she’d had in months.  She also has some visions of her past life.  A beautiful house, a fully stocked kitchen.  So you pretty much gotta know what happened. 

At the same time this is going on, Alex has his own mysteries unraveling.  He is a widow who took over the store from his father-in-law.  He is retired military and he noticed Katie right away.  There is some foreshadowing here as you learn about what Alex did while serving. He helped battered women survive leaving their husbands and pressing charges.  Alex has two kids and they are adorable!  He is a warm, loving character who sees the best in everyone and fiercely loves his kids. There is a spark with Katie, but he can’t put his finger on it.  

Through a series of events you see Alex and Katie getting to know each other.

You also meet a neighbor of Katie’s, Jo. She’s always just there.  Kind of another mysterious piece of the book.  She moved into a rental cottage by Katie and she befriends her. Their relationship is a good one.  They laugh together and Jo becomes the first friend Katie has known in a long time.

Of course from here the book starts to pick up the pace and the plot thickens up.  You find out that Katie is running from an abusive marriage and how exactly she ran. And when I say ran, I mean ran.  Her husband’s control over her entire life actually made me sick to my stomach.  He controlled everything.  She had no car, no driver’s license, no money.  He took her everywhere. He beat her, cursed at her, and then tried to love on her.  Like I said…upset stomach central. I struggled through some of these parts b/c honestly I cannot imagine the terror and fear that would surround living with someone who hit me so hard I found blood in my urine the next day. 

This is also a part of the book where I began to find myself trying to read fast just to get the suffering over with. Here, you begin to travel along with Kevin.  Her husband. The cop/abuser.  And he is truly a head case.  His thoughts and the way he processes things, it again makes your stomach upset.   So I’m not 100% I liked following along with this part.  I did get a good sense of the way he saw the world. Though it was disturbingly sad and scary, I realized seeing that side of the story, made you cheer for Katie and Alex even more. If you read it…what did you think?  Too much?  Didn’t he give you the creeps?

When I say the plot thickens…I mean just that.  I will not even go into all the twists and turns that begin to pop up, but you find out where Katie chose the name Katie. Also, as Katie begins to get comfortable and fall in love even, with Alex…Kevin gets closer and closer to finding her in this new life. 

The hunt is on and the pace of the book literally flies from here on out. I could not put it down and finished the last quarter of the book in one day. You follow Kevin as he drives, raging and drunk to find Katie.  The hair on the back of my neck stood up as Kevin makes it to town, sees Katie and begins to formulate plans for killing her and Alex.

Again, details are important, but if you read the book you know about the fire, the gun shots and the final ending to the story.  I was so engaged in the story I could have been standing on the very street watching Alex’s shop burn to the ground as Katie and kids escaped and ran…or seeing Katie shoot Kevin as he attacks her on her front porch.  It was intense to say the very least.

The book closes with a twist that I cannot bring myself to spoil here.  B/c I’m fearful some might be reading anyway…but this twist is too good to see coming…and it’s also one that brought tears to my eyes and gave me goosebumps.  I loved the ending of this story!

It was a great story and I thoroughly enjoyed my time in between the pages.

And the Key is Sleep!

So this pregnant girl has a confession…I have not been getting the necessary sleep I need lately!  Because of this, I do believe that I have officially reverted to Crab of the Year!

You can ask the man who calls himself my husband.  If he'll still have me!

He’d probably politely agree.  Or roll his eyes and nod.  The new lines that I frequently hear are…”Babe, go to sleep.” or "You may want to take a nap.”  When it’s really bad all I get is…GO TO SLEEP!

The good news…he loves me so much that even when I get into a serious fit of crabbiness, he laughs uncontrollably. It’s probably not the best thing for him to do as it sends me into a spiral of anger. But he laughs in the face of danger.  And at me…when he knows I just need rest. 

For this and about 70 million other reasons, I’m lucky to have him.  Thanks babe…for reminding me that I need to sleep.  For helping me with things so I can sleep.  Like the other day when I took a completely self-indulgent 2 hour nap that was absolutely glorious.

And for laughing at me…even when it might be hazardous to your health to do so.

P.S. Non-sleep related, but husband-related...this popped into my mind!  When I mentioned that I had a rough day of Terrible Two’s with Owen on Friday…I meant it.  So much so that my tear-filled phone call after battling Owen into his car seat...apparently was pretty a sad state of affairs. He found me that night snuggling neck-deep in my down comforter, watching countless episodes of One Tree Hill and eating chocolate bon-bons.  (Ok...well all is true beside the bon-bons. Has anyone actually had those?  I might settle for a Lindtz white chocolate truffle instead???) Anyway, Jer brought me a bouquet of tulips, a card telling me how much he loves me and a copy of the movie Life As we Know It.  Just so I knew how much he appreciated me.  Didn’t I tell you I was lucky?

Thankful Thursday

That though I spent last Friday battling the terrible 2’s…Owen returned to his normal, amazing self on Saturday.  I was soo thankful for that!

Spending Saturday evening on a Linoski Double Date.

LongHorn stuff filets – delish!

Seeing Just Go With It…I thought it was hilarious!!!  Check out Steff’s blog. There is a trailor.  If you haven’t seen…it’s really cute and pretty darn hilarious!

A Sunday morning at UABC

Lunch with Mom and Dad, Owen and Jer on Sunday at Wendy’s

A lazy Sunday afternoon spent picking up and getting ready for the week.  I also cooked lasagna, took a bubble bath, crawled under the covers and got caught up on American Idol. Perfect!

That everyone I wanted to make the top ten on American Idol…made the top ten!!

Getting to bed early on Monday night…so nice!!
Finishing up Financial Peace University...so good to be done!
My gray, over-sized, Old Navy sweats
Luzianne Decaf Ice Tea
Napping in the middle of the evening...and being woke up by my little boy touching my face
Hearing Owen begin to really talk. He's starting to repeat and finally use words instead of gestures to let us know what he needs.
Watching Owen watch Oceans and look at me in wonder as whales and dolphins appear on the screen.
Riding with Jer to work
A change in morning routine
Motivation to do some house work and such
Spoilign myself with a fountain Coke more than once this week...they are my weakness...and they are delicious!
That though this weather means spring is taking it's sweet time to get here, I'm currently getting quite a bit of wear out of my previous set of maternity clothes!
That speaking of maternity clothes, April shared a whole boat-load of t-shirts and cooler weather apparel that will be the biggest help when the weather finally does decide to get warmer!
That I have a glorius weekend to enjoy ahead of me...and tomorrow...Owen and I are going to have a re-do of our most special day together...and this time, we'll get it right :)  Thank goodness for re-do's and fresh starts!

Wordless Wednesday

Reflections

Several of the blogs I read will occasionally put out posts in lists and/or bullet points.  I've had a lot of things swirling in my head lately and I thought I might give a post like this a try.  Please enjoy this random unrelated list of things that have popped into my head over the past few days!!

*I got fresh flowers while I was at the grocery store this week.  I honestly cannot say enough about how much I love the feel/look of a freshly cleaned house capped off with the beauty of a few fresh cut flowers!  I got sunflowers for the kitchen...and tulips for the bathroom.  They are spectacular :)

*The terrible twos have taken residence at our house.  They claim his name is Owen.  But I swear I don't recognize him.  Sometimes...I'm not sure what takes over...but my little boy disappears for awhile.  I know I didn't picture this side of him when he was a baby.  But I know I don't care for his tendency to hit and kick when he is angry!

* Speaking of this subject...it's about as much fun as chinese water torture trying to get him into his car seat right now.  Even if we're going somewhere just for him.  He doesn't get it.  The car seat is the mortal enemy.  He fights to the bitter end.

* On that note, I'm still grappling with how to process time spent with my precious little boy. It doesn't make sense to me that he can in the same day (even same five minute span) make me ready to spit fire, but then turn around and melt my heart. Emotional roller coaster anyone???

*On a happier note, we had one of those weather days roll around that I just love!  I had windows open to air out the house all day.  And as the afternoon came to a close, dark clouds rolled in and thunder began to peal across the sky.  I love listening to the gentle thunderstorms that spring and summer bring...especially when it's finally warm enough to open a couple windows and listen to it come down!

*My hubby is studying for a test that will grant him his Professional Engineers License. It's an 8 hour test that says you have the knowledge you need to have the final say on any projects that you design...well that's the best explanation I can give you.  He might tell you something a bit more technical.  When he passes this test he will be able to put a little PE next to his name.  It also signifies a major milestone for his career. I'm proud of how hard he works everyday.  And watching him study, while some nights drives me crazy because I miss him, makes me him love him more than I already do.  Hang in there babe.  You're gonna get there!!

*We recently have discovered that Owen has a love of all things ocean.  He loves the movie Free Willy. He loves the whale bath toy we have since named Willy.  He even just plain loves water.  He has started pulling his stool for brushing teeth over to the bathroom sink 2 times a day to wash his hands and play in the water.  Too cute!  But anyway, we purchased the Disney's Oceans on Blu Ray this week...and Owen was absolutely captivated.  If you have a little one who enjoys anything ocean...this film is a great choice.  It gives us a great chance to talk with Owen about different creatures like whales, fish, dolphins, crabs and even birds.  We give it a thumbs up!

*Pregnancy at this stage of the game has kind of set me back.  I was going along feeling wonderful...but ever since last weekend I've been struggling.  My allergies have flared up.  My back is achy at the end of the day.  And I'm just flat out exhausted.  Prayers for my family as we cope with my lack of energy and lack of patience with this new development would be great!

*Speaking of back aches, I'm hitting the stage of the game where normal things like sitting down in the tub, running the vacuum cleaner and picking up Owen to get him in his car seat are getting difficult. And if I do push it, I end up with a back ache! It seems early for this, but I guess I am nearly half way there.  Kinda crazy when I think about it that way!

*And speaking of being half way there...OMG.  We have lots to do!  I hope April 7 (the weekend of Jer's test) gets here soon...so we can begin figuring out what we need and how best to prepare for a house with two little ones to care for!

 *This is a reminder to myself to take a look at my goals.  I know I am doing well with my goal to read more...but some of my other ones have fallen by the way side.  I thought I made some great goals worth achieving...so I need to get my bootay in gear and get on it!!

Okay...I think that's all.  Thanks for reading :)

Belly Shot - 17 Weeks

So here’s a shot of my belly at 17 weeks.  Please please don’t look too hard…this was taken on a Sunday…b/c Sunday’s are my week marker.  But I was sans makeup and sans a decent hairdo.  But when I thought about gussying up just for a photo of my belly…I couldn’t muster the energy!  So this is NOT pretty…but it’s me.  For better or worse!  Thank God Jer doesn’t mind the worse!

A book signing, a shopping trip and a 4 hour wait...

This Saturday, I experienced several firsts!  


Steff and I ventured to book signing of one of her and my favorite bloggers, and now author of an awesome love story. We also have her cookbook...which I have mentioned here. Needless to say I LOVE this woman!!

I honestly can't say when else in my life I've had that much fun waiting 4 and a half hours for something. But it was a blast. 


We arrived at St. Louis County Library at 5pm.  A whole hour before the signing began. Already, the sidewalk was lined with people.  We decided to take ourselves to find a restroom and wait out the line indoors instead of out.


Directly across the street from the library was the Plaza Frontenac. I realize that admitting it was my first trip to this place ever in my life, may just mean I live under a rock.  Regardless, it was warm and delightful browsing the stores and chatting with my friend!!


Around 5:45 we departed the mall and decided to brave the craziness once again.  To our surprise the line wasn't there at all.  Everyone, we discovered, had gone inside to receive a ticket and be assigned a group number.  Hmmm.  


This was another first for me.  My first book signing of someone with a best selling cook-book, award winning blog and best selling first-time novel.  The process of group numbers and tickets was totally new.


Anyway, we were assigned to group 12 and sat down just as Pioneer Woman got up on stage to joke about how she was the opposite of a public speaker because she was a blogger.  She also joked about sweating, a problem she mentions in her novel a few times.  She is extremely humble and does not give herself quite enough credit I don't think!  


Shortly after 6 they began sending the groups in to get their books signed. This is where we found out we were group 12 of 13.  Nearly dead last.  It was gonna be a long night!!


But a surprise visit from PW's famed Marbolo Man certainly did help pass the time a bit. He walked right out to our spot in the crowd and said, "How ya'll doin'?"  He was making small talk and all I could think about were the things I knew about him and the way his wife swooned over him.  I didn't even know what to say!  Shortly after some small talk, a few ladies began asking for photos and autographs from him.  DUH.  I told you I'd never done this before!!  Why didn't we think of that?  Soon, his line of admirers was a mile long!  But we did hop in line to get our own autographs from him.  I'm so glad we did :) 

But like I said, I've never in my life had so much fun waiting 4 hours for something.10:30 rolled around, they called group 12 and we got in line!  It was a great experience...and I know I'll never forget it.  

We had a pretty good laugh as we left the library too.  We got a shot of Marlboro Man snoozing on the seats in the study area!

By 11:30 I was dropping Steff at her door.  We were weary and wiped out from a crazy afternoon together.  But that just means we had fun!!  What a great girls night out!!!

Thankful Thursday on a Friday

Wonderful xray techs at the Lab where Owen got his chest xray. 

Antibiotics and figuring out why Owen was running a pretty good fever for 4 days in a row.

A very patient baby boy who didn’t understand a thing about what was going on…but just clung on my shoulder as the afternoon wore on…drank his chocolate milk and played with his Power  Ranger figurines.  He was such a good boy for me.

Watching lots and lots of movies with Owen over the weekend.

How absolutely sweet Owen can be…even when he’s sick. He melted my heart over and over again. There is nothing like this.

Spending Saturday afternoon with my best friend.

Cruising Plaza Frontenac for the first time in my life…and falling love with Pottery Barn (thank you Steff for the new obsession) and William Sonoma!

Meeting Ree Drummond and Marlboro Man…getting pictures and autographs with them both!!

Late Night Jack in the Box…it hits the pregnant girl’s craving spot no problem!

Snuggling on the couch with Jer and fallng asleep…two nights in a row.

A lazy Sunday drive up the River Road

A full fridge of groceries and snacks to keep us packing lunches and eating at home more!

Having Purcey return home after a 3 week run in the wild. It took us all afternoon to get her back in the house…but now that she’s home…she’s certainly happy!!

$5 foot longs at Subway

That Wal-Mart put up a store…less than 2 minutes from the house…it’s good…and well…it’s bad too.

Getting caught up on sleep – even though…for some reason I’m still tired.

Delicious coffee stops in the morning with my hubby.

Dinner, laughter and lots of babies at our InterACT gathering this week

Catching up on American Idol with Jer

Starting to plan Owen’s birthday party

A happy, healthy toddler who has a 110% recovery from what was ailing him...now his main goal in life to wear his Momma and Dadda out as much as he possibly can!

Looking forward to a wonderful weekend relax, eating dinner with friends and spending some time as a family!

Pneumonia, Wall Flower Plug-ins, a Missing Cat and this Crazy Thing I Call My Life...

I realize I just need to face it.  My life…it’s been known to be chaotic.  And that’s putting it mildly!  Most days go by and get a little crazy here and there.  However sometimes, a tornado is unleashed. It’s like a freight train with no brakes.  The craziness just piles up!  

Last week, on top of a crazy work week, we dealt with a child who was sick.  By Friday it was clear that he wasn’t getting better…so to the doctor we went.  2 hours and one chest x-ray later…we were home with medicine for the start of pneumonia.  He was such a good boy at his x-ray, he left with this sticker.  My little hero :)

We spent the better part of the weekend trying to keep him relaxed as possible!  

***I should make mention that my sick child…the one with fever and the start of pneumonia?  He ran off from me while I handed a card to the pharmacists regarding insurance and such.  He was half way down the dog food aisle before I caught his chubby little arm.  And guess what?  He was cracking up laughing!  Go figure.  He also made it a point to say Hi to every Schnucks patron we passed on our short trip around the grocery store after leaving the pharmacy.  Oh to have the energy and will power of a toddler***

Anyway, Saturday came, the fever was gone…but the nose was still going crazy.  I got a nice afternoon break with my bestie while we took in a book signing over in the STL (more on that soon) and the boys held down the fort with a movie marathon.  

By Sunday, we were all stir crazy…Owen was a maniac because he was feeling better. Every toy and book was boring and was tossed on the floor. So we took a car ride to entertain us all. It was peaceful and long. When we got home…I took a nap!  I thought life was settling down from the worries of him being sick…I even remember thinking to myself on Sunday…I was ready for the work week.  The weekend had been good…but routine would return on Monday and that was good.  

That’s when we got a knock on our door.  4pm Sunday afternoon.

It was our neighbor Joyce.

She found our cat, our cat that went missing 3 weeks ago last Friday.  Our cat that not once since the day we rescued her from our front yard and decided to give her a home, has ever stepped back outside. I didn’t ever post anything about this because well…I was in denial that she was missing. Amazing as it is, 3 weeks later she shows up under our neighbor’s shed.  She was about half her weight…but otherwise healthy. I am SO happy to have her home!  

Happy to have her home, but when we found her I had to go out and repurchase the things we owned for her oh like a litter box, cat food. You know?  The essentials! Rack up two trips to Wal-Mart to my Sunday accomplishments!  It also took us 4 hours to coax her out from under the shed.  Mama Mia. My back was killing me and I’ve had a scratchy throat since spending the afternoon on the damp, cold ground calling Kitty Kitty.  

With luck and patience though…we got her inside, got her to eat, made her comfy in the breezeway (we separated her just to be safe until she saw the vet) and in no time all was well!  I slept like a baby that night b/c it was storming outside and I no longer was wondering where she was.  Our dog was plastered to my hip because of the thunder…Owen and Jer were snoozing peacefully and Purcey was warm and safe in our breezeway, curled up in my basket of scarves.  I was exhausted and content.  Tomorrow wouldn’t be crazy.  Tomorrow would be great!  A new week. A fresh start.

And then it was Monday. But the craziness did not cease!

Monday afternoon I took Purcey to the vet and got the all clear for her to rejoin our family in the main parts of the house again. So I promptly got her home safe and sound.  I was just settling in at home for the evening when I looked out my breezeway door to find the dog standing there waiting to be let in.  She had jumped her fence and apparently decided she wanted to come in that way!! Her battery in her collar...the one that keeps her in the fenced in part of our yard...was apparently dead. After a search of the junk drawer I swore we’d never have…I located a replacement battery for her collar.  15 minutes later (and let’s be honest a few curse words later too) Deci was happily back out in the yard…safe from taking herself on a jaunt through the woods across the street. 

Purcey safe. Deci safe.  Owen maintained.  Ok….now to make dinner.

The chaos was not meant to slow down this day…b/c it wasn’t 30 minutes after this that Owen came wandering up to me.  He smelled. And not bad…but good. I told him…you smell good!  

Then the thought slowly crept into my mind…what on earth?  My lotion?  Our Febreeze in the bathroom??  I frantically smelled him again. Praying the smell would become familiar. My mind failed to recall the scent.  After a quick search of where he’d been playing I spotted it.  My Bath and Body Works Wall Flower.  On its side.  Upon inspection I did not see any oil really missing from the glass bulb.  Just oil on the outside.  I washed his hands, face and scrubbed his mouth with a wash cloth.  I also changed his shirt.  Freaking out…I called Jer to see if I should call the doctor…or poison control.  We decided on poison control…who advise juice and to keep an eye on him. He went straight into the bathtub once I called.  They said he’d be ok if he didn’t actually drink the oil.  

Other than the highly potent scent of cherry blossom…his bath time was relatively normal.  He likes to splash and goof around. This is usually a lot of fun…and this time was no different…except he unloaded all his pent up energy from being cooped up.  And expended them on several splashes that doused my hair and shirt and arms and face.  Biggest splashes on record for him.  I think we had the Tidal Wave in our bathtub. But....he did not smell like Japanese Cherry Blossom any longer!

Once he was dry and cleaned up, he thought it’d be fun to turn the Play Station on and off 100 times.  When I told him no about that…he picked up and promptly threw down one of our absorbable coaster stones.  It broke in half and I had to clean up the pieces.  

Let me just say…some days…bed time is a blessed time.  Luckily Dadda got home in time to rescue me from the craziness so I could escape to a bubble bath and then the welcoming sight of my down comforter.

Hallelujah…it was nearly Tuesday.  The craziness just couldn’t continue on this way right??

Lucky for me…Tuesday was a very normal day in Casa De Linley.  Sing praises!

Now you know why, Jer and I have a tendency to sign Anniversary cards and notes to each other that we love our crazy life and would never change it.  I’m just glad I have a partner who is willing to dig in and loves it as much as I do…even when the going gets…crazy!!!

Here’s to crazy days that make the peaceful ones seem boring and uneventful…but oh so lovely!!

Just finished up a PW Romance…

So far I’d say I’m doing pretty great with my goal to read more because I have three….count them…three book reviews coming your way!! 

This however, is not one of those book reviews. Those are harder to write than I thought! This is simply a status on my reading list/goal and to state that I just finished Pioneer Woman’s Love Story Novel called Black Heels to Tractor Wheels. I cannot say enough how much I loved it!!  And I had the awesome added bonus of sharing thoughts with Steff since she was also reading it!  We were both totally psyched because Ree Drummond (a.k.a. Pioneer Woman) came to St. Louis this past Saturday, February 26^th to do a book signing.  We couldn’t wait to meet her. She even brought Marlboro Man along with her! More on that experience soon!! 

If you haven’t picked up a copy of this book…and are a sucker for romance…GO BUY IT NOW!!!

Oh and my reading list!  Because that’s what this was about in the first place right?!?  Looks like I’m going to need to make a trip to Borders to do a little book shopping b/c my list is getting small!  

Safe Haven – Nicholas Sparks

Lucky One – Nicholas Sparks

Black Heels to Tractor Wheels – Ree Drummond 

Freedom – Jonathon Frazen

Anna Karenina – Leo Tolstoy