Happy Birthday to Me!

I didn't think I'd have as great a day as I did. Steve is in Boston until tomorrow and it's the first birthday in so many years that I didn't spend it with either him, or someone in my immediate family (mom/dad/brothers). So I was a bit sad last night and kinda had a whole, "Who cares about tomorrow... it's just another day..." mentality. 

When I got up this morning, I still felt rather blah about my birthday. What fun is a birthday with no one to celebrate it with?

I had a missed call from my dad and a nice voice mail of him wishing me a happy birthday. It started my day off on a positive note. Our cleaning crew came today, so I was ready for them to come and Gus and I watched MMCH and played trains while they were here.

At 10:30, we met up at the local retirement village for a MOMS Club Senior Sing-Along with the kids. We brought some instruments and then one of our members played the piano and sang while the kids played their instruments and the adults sang. It was cute but Gus was being a beast. He didn't want to listen and he was throwing things and just not being on his best behavior. I was a tad bit embarrassed.

 

He wanted ALL of the instruments...

 

Playing the triangle

 

The kids and the seniors

We did have fun though, and I think the residents enjoyed themselves. 

After we finished, Kirsten and Sam came back to our place and the boys played trains for a couple of hours. Gus and Sam had fun together and it was nice to just sit and chat with Kirsten.

While we were chatting, my doorbell rang. I got up to see if it was a package being delivered, and I saw a bunch of balloons through the glass door. It was Lesley. :-D

She brought me a balloon bouquet and had some signs to hang up. She said she had hoped to surprise me, but there were a few complications. The biggest was that the balloons would have flown away outside because there was no where to put them. LOL

 

Lesley, Me, and Kirsten

 

Door sign number one

 

Gus and a balloon

 

Happy Birthday sign #2

I was so surprised and touched that she delivered balloons to me on my birthday. She also brought Happy Birthday tiaras and I took a picture of me with her and Kirsten. I've sinse found out that Kirsten, Kristina, and Kathryn all knew about this plan... and Kathryn was being a lookout for Lesley. She told her when we were leaving the retirement home... and the plan was for Lesley to plant everything before we arrived, but with complications it didn't happen. Then she had hoped that Kirsten and I would be in the basement playing, but we were upstairs and Gus saw her through the door (he's my guard child). :D

Anyway, it made my whole day.

Gus went down for his nap after lunch and slept until 4:30. He got up and we played for a bit and then we headed to Spice to meet Lesley and her family for dinner. We had a GREAT night and I really enjoyed meeting her husband-- he's really funny and I think Steve would really get along well with him. The boys played well and it was just fun to get out and have people to celebrate my birthday with me. The only thing missing was Steve.

Not only was the company wonderful, but Lesley had a present for me! She gave me the Jack O'Lantern Scentsy plug in (so cute) and my favorite scent!!! 

 

How cute is this????

When we were done with dinner and dessert, the bill came and instead of letting me pay for me and Gus, they picked up the bill. I was floored. So touched and it was so very thoughtful of them.

I really am overjoyed. I feel so very blessed to be living in this area and I love it here. I was so worried that we'd move and I would have a hard time finding my niche and that it'd never feel like home. Then I joined my MOMS Club and I really have felt at home from the first time I met people... it's just been wonderful.

Lesley is something else. I seriously love her. I clicked with her the minute I met her and I just knew we'd be friends. She's funny, sarcastic, super witty, smart and has opinions on things that are actually based on intelligence, and she's a friend unlike anyone I've ever met. I joke and say she's my soul mate... but she really does have so many things about her that I feel are cosmically (is that a word?) connected to me. 

For a really long time, I've wanted to have "couple friends." You know, when you and your spouse are friends with another husband/wife duo. Once Gus came into our lives, I wanted to have friends that also had kids around his age, and we could do things with them... dinners together, movie nights at each other's homes, going out on the weekend and doing fun things together as friends. But, it's been hard finding people here that I think that not only would I want to do things with, but that I think Steve would also have fun. I have friends that I adore, but I don't know how their husbands would get along with Steve (and vice-versa).

I feel like I FINALLY found two people that should be our couple friends. Lesley and her husband Jason. I think Steve and Jason would hit it off... very similar interests and senses of humor.  So I am hoping that when Steve and Jason meet this weekend (my MOMS Club has a family night on Saturday), they like each other and then we can start doing some fun things together with them. It'd be nice to have friends here in GA that we both like... and not just me having girlfriends.

I've been fortunate enough to have friends in my life who I have a strong connection with. Aimee, Anne, Wendy, Kristen, Kathryn... these are a few of the people in my life who I just feel a really strong bond with. This isn't to diminish any connections I have with other people, because I have a lot of REALLY good friends... but the above mentioned, are just my top-notch I can (and do) tell anything to kinda people. Lesley is now amongst that group. I think it's a pretty awesome group and while those friends are all very different, they all have something very special about them that draws me in and keeps me there. They've all been there for me during highs and lows... and I trust all of them 100% completely. I don't hold back with them.

Anyway, my day was wonderful because of the thoughtfulness of others and I feel very loved and blessed tonight. I pray that my 36th year is as amazing as last year and only gets better each day forward.

Gus wanted to wear a birthday hat and take some pictures... so we did. I love this child!!!

A Few of Gus's Favorite Things...

 

Sheer Delight

Gus is a very funny little man. We call him "baby man" actually, and tell him that he's a silly boy all the time. He does things that absolutely crack us up and make us laugh. He enjoys making us happy and likes to make us laugh. He has a unique laugh and it's contagious. 

There are definitely some things that bring more joy to Gus's life than others. He has a list of favorite things and I thought I'd share just a few with my readers. In no particular order, here we go!

Balloons

I don't know too many toddlers who don't love balloons. I'm not sure what it is about them, but Gus just loves them and is totally excited when he sees one and gets to take it home with him.

 

 

Trains

I vowed that we would not get into the whole Thomas craze. That went out the window the first time we had a play date at a friend's house and they had Thomas and Chuggington trains. Gus was in love and so the obsession began. He loves watching the Thomas movies on Netflix and loves to watch Chuggington on Disney Jr. He also loves anything train-related and his favorite iPad apps are all train apps. Funny enough, he is scared to death of trains in real life. We went to the train museum (they have train rides) and he freaked out. Go figure.

Mickey Mouse

Gus has loved Mickey Mouse since he was a baby. I think it has something to do with Mickey's high-pitched voice. While he loves Mickey, he also really, really enjoys Chip and Dale. They make him laugh all the time and he will watch old cartoons over and over and laugh like it's the first time he's seen it.

 

A Mickey that he designed on my iPhone

 

Watching Mickey Mouse Club House with his good friend Aubree

 

Enjoying an episode of MMCH on his iPad

Slides and Swings

Gus is happiest when he's either in a swing or sliding down a slide. He prefers a swing over a slide, but he really enjoys both. Sometimes it takes a lot of courage to climb up to the top of where a slide is. Some days he's brave, and others he shakes like a leaf and gets clammy. He always has fun on a swing though!!

His iPad

I never thought my two-year-old would have an iPad. Seriously. It's a bit on the ridiculous side. However, I wanted to get him a Leap Pad for Christmas and they're like $200. When Steve and I decided to get ourselves the new iPads (my first), we decided to give Gus Steve's old one (that I bought him two years ago). We love the iPad for so many reasons, but mainly because of all the wonderful educational apps that we can put on it. We have some fun apps too, but many of Gus's favorites include things that he loves (trains) and learning in some way. I'm able to put some awesome videos on there too and Steve uploaded a few of Gus's favorite cartoons and movies. 

 

Putting together a puzzle while on the potty (he didn't potty in it)

 

Watching a movie on our 12+ hour drive north

 

Counting with "The Number Train" video

 

Enjoying his iPad

Jumping and Galloping

Most kids start to jump at around 18 months (that's about when Gus finally mastered it) and galloping between 36-48 months. Gus has already mastered galloping. He gallops around the living room all the time when he's dancing and enjoying music. He's going up and down the stairs without assistance (not even holding the wall or railing) and is now jumping off the bottom step and curbs. He's amazing.

GoGo Squeeze

You'd think he'd get sick of eating the same stuff, but Gus has a few favorite foods in his arsenal. One of his absolute favorites is GoGo Squeeze. It's so liked that I have a subscribe and save subscription that sends me 48 pouches every month. He usually eats one to three pouches of applesauce a day. He loves it.

Charlie C. Horse (get it... like seahorse???)

When we moved Gus to his big boy bedroom, we found that he kept taking the nightlight off the wall and sleeping with it. He was taking his iPod off the dock and sleeping with it. We were confused about why they kept appearing in his bed, and then it dawned on us that he was probably comforted by the light and the music. 

So I looked around and found this awesome glow seahorse on Amazon and decided to get him one for his 1/2 birthday (in November). Well, I found one at a consignment sale and it was $3!!! STEAL!! We named it Charlie C. Horse and Gus loves him. He has him with him all the time and won't leave his room without Charlie.

I found a similar thing called a Dream Light (it's a pillow pet with a light) and we got it for him for his 1/2 birthday. It's a dinosaur and will match his room and I know he's going to just LOVE it!!

Helping

Gus loves to help others. His favorite thing to do is to push the stroller or grocery cart while out. He also likes to help with grabbing items while we grocery shop. He doesn't understand that throwing the cans on top of the bread is a bad thing, but we're working on it.

 

Pushing Aubree at the park

 

Helping Daddy at Home Depot

 

Grabbing cans while grocery shopping

 Babies

Gus LOVES babies!!! He loves to look at them and help with them. Any time he sees a baby he immediately wants to go near it and help it.

 

Helping with the paci (like with his CPK Frankie Steve)

 

Gus and Frankie Steve

 

Gus and June

 Pets

Gus loves animals and is lucky enough to have many pets here at our house. He has his favorites though... he adores Ned (our dog) and his favorite cat is Purry Como. He loves to feed Ned and loves to give both Ned and Purry, hugs and kisses.

 

Feeding Ned his dinner

 

Giving Purry a hug

 

He climbed into Ned's crate to keep him company  :-)

 

Giving Ned a kiss

Water

Gus loves water. He likes to play in the sink, at his water table, in the bath, in the yard in a sprinkler, and his all-time favorite is to swim.

 Popsicles

 'Nuf said.

His Daddy

I'm sure Steve would argue this, but Gus absolutely ADORES his daddy. While he says "mama" all the time and loves me, he just adores Steve. They have a very special bond and always have. I'm so fortunate to have a husband who is an equal when it comes to parenting. Steve is most definitely a hands-on dad, and will do anything for Gus. He plays with him and tickles him and they have a different relationship than Gus and I do and it's just how it should be.

While I'm sure that some of the above things will change as Gus gets older, I'm certain that many things will remain. I pray that Gus will always be helpful, that he always love babies and animals, and that he will always know how special he is and how much his daddy and I love him.