Two sick kids

If I were smarter, I would paint my car yellow and accept the fact that I will be a bus driver for the next fifteen years of my life. I would say goodbye to my favorite pediatrician, who is a 30 minute drive away, in favor of one who is closer to our new home. I’d buy box upon box of cereal because cooking a meal just isn’t happening these days. I’d hire a maid to clean the house, a baby-holder to entertain Hutson, and someone to help me sew. And then, I would laugh at myself because my “busy” isn’t half as busy as most peoples busy.

If that didn’t make any sense, it’s probably because we just took our third trip to the pediatricians office in a week. On our Saturday visit, we learned that Hutson had the croup and MR had a pretty bad ear infection. We left the visit with two prescriptions; a steroid for Huttie and a 10 day supply of Amoxicillin for sweet MR. On Tuesday, I realized that I had been giving Hutson three times the amount of steroids that he was supposed to receive. This in turn meant a nerve wracking call to poison control and another visit to the pediatricians office. On Wednesday, MR’s body broke out into a rash. This morning, the rash had spread. Since she is still taking Amoxicillin, the doctor wanted to examine her to make sure it was not an allergic reaction. After a quick examination, the doctor determined that the rash was most likely caused by the roseola virus . This would make perfect sense, since MR had such a high fever over the weekend (her fever remained around 103.8 for most of Saturday and Sunday). After a thirty minute drive and a 45 minute wait, we left the pediatricians office with a new prescription to clear up her ear infection. This will be the fifth prescription I have filled this week, leaving me to wonder if there is a pharmacy out there that offers rewards for frequent visitors; more specifically, frequent frazzled mamas.

I will not let two sick kids defeat me. I will not let my “busy” get the best of me. I will spend tomorrow lounging in my pajamas with two precious kids, endless bowls of Lucky Charms, and a DVR full of episodes from the Real Housewives and Modern Family….

MR is constantly asking for a napkin so she can wipe her hands and her mouth. If it were up to here, she would wash her hands no less than a dozen times a day. Much like her mama, she is not a fan of messes. Clearly her little brother was cut from a different cloth. No matter how hard we scrub, Huttie seems to stay dirty. He is as they say, all boy!

Posted in Hutson, doctor visits, mary reese | 2 Comments

Progress, a visit from Meme and Papa Joe, and a graduate

Remember the last post about my inability to complete my to do list? I’m proud to report that we’re finally making some progress around the Harvey household. Wonder if this has anything to do with the fact that we’ve been out of Lucky Charms for days?

After a few days of fun with Meme and Papa Joe, it was time to get serious. Thanks to them, I was rested and more importantly, well fed with Meme’s famous pork chops, fresh from the garden squash, zucchini, brown rice, biscuits, and peach cobbler. As soon as they left on Wednesday, I put on my big girl panties and got busy.

I did no less than a half a dozen loads of laundry; ironed enough baby clothing to come to the conclusion that I would be a millionaire, with my own personal in-house ironer, if I could invent a true wrinkle-free fabric; and washed so many dishes that I’ve almost decided to make paper plates and plastic cutlery part of our everyday china collection. When the kitchen was done, I moved to the living room and the playroom. And then to the upstairs. I dusted and vacuumed, all while listening to my “midlife crisis playlist” on the iPod (think Katy Perry, Black Eyed Peas, and Lady Gaga). Then I showered. Put on makeup. And did my hair….

By Friday, I was in good spirits. The house, for the most part, was clean, and homemade pancakes were prepared to celebrate MR’s last day of school in the two year old program at First United Methodist. Despite the fact that she woke up with a fever and a horrible cough, I sent my sweet girl to her last day of school and gathered with all of the other overly emotional moms and dads to watch the kids preform the songs and dances that they had learned throughout the year. When it was time to say goodbye, we made a beeline for our favorite Mexican restaurant, in hopes of drowning out the realization that our little girl was growing up way too fast.

Later that evening, G and I returned to our downstairs hallway project. If all goes well, we plan to trim and paint the hallway in the next few days. Last week, G treated himself to a fancy miter saw to complete the transformation. In turn, I treated myself to the benefits of an in-home 24 hour handyman. I suspect that the fancy saw will pay for itself when I tell G all of the plans I have for the house.

A few noteworthy mentions….we’ve started a sticker chart for MR as motivation for being kind, doing chores, and having good behavior. The chart has worked wonders. MR loves picking out her sticker each day and knows that she gets to pick a special treat out when she earns a weeks worth.  Last week, her treat of choice was a trip to the Waffle House. Her choice was her daddy’s dream.

Little Man went to see the eye doctor last week for his blocked tear duct. Since his eye is not getting better on its own, he has a minor, out patient surgery scheduled for June 21. Please pray that the surgery will correct his tear duct and that his mama will remain calm.

Posted in Home improvement, Hutson, mary reese, memories, milestones | 2 Comments

The reality

I haven’t showered in two days. I am knee deep in frizzy hair, runny noses, toys, and sewing projects. The picture above is my reality.

I need to get organized. I want to paint, add molding to the hallway, landscape the yard, get a haircut, clean out my closet, and have a much needed date night with my husband. And while I “want” to do all of these things, I can’t seems to stop long enough to get my hand out of the Lucky Charms cereal box. Surely two boxes in a week can’t be good for the waistline!

As always, I will put off my “wants” for another week. As for this week, I will enjoy (and not cuss) every toy that I trip over; every box of cereal that I consume; every shower-less day; and every second that I get to spend with two kids who could care less about my frizzy hair and my inability to refrain from cereal long enough to complete a to-do list.

It’s hard to believe that our little wildman will be 10 months old tomorrow. He is crawling much faster these days and has started pulling up. He is still eating baby food three times a day, but loves to snack on sweets like his mama (especially cookies, cereal, and ice cream). He continues to take two naps a day; although his naps have gotten shorter. His stranger anxiety seems to be improving with age. He goes to Sunday School and the kid zone in the gym with relatively no problems. He loves his big sister and will crawl from room to room to be with her. He also loves the spring doorstops in our house and had broken all but one.

Big sister has spent the week strolling her books from room to room. This in turn means that there are book everywhere. The only way to get them up is to threaten the vacuum. MR knows that my Dyson means business. It can suck up books, shoes, toys, and even little girls and boys who don’t listen to their mamas.

MR also started swim lessons this week. We’re about a month away from our beach trip, so she’s hoping to master “holding her bref” so she can go under the water in the deep end.

Posted in Hutson, mary reese, milestones | 2 Comments

Mothers Day Weekend

A few years ago, I would have turned my nose up at a celebratory weekend of hiking, sprinklers, and “early” morning church services. Back then, my idea of a good Mothers Day would have been brunch at a trendy restaurant, followed by a shopping trip for yours truly. Clearly, my interests have changed. These days, I am most happy watching my kids have fun. I thrive not on the latest trends, but rather on spending a weekend outdoors or by congregating at church on Sunday mornings. I am very much a work in progress (especially since I fear this post will give G just the “excuse” he needs to refrain from future surprise shopping gifts), but for now, I am perfectly content to be a mama, a personal assistant and caregiver to two wonderful kids, a grocery shopper, nose wiper, errand runner, and wife to a man that makes my simple life so perfect!

G’s idea of a Mother’s Day walk– a 5 and 1/2 mile Saturday morning hike on Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park. Shortly after this picture was taken, I almost booted one of the kids for their spot in the stroller.

After our hike, we dug out the best $10 investment we’ve made in a long time.

Popsicles were the perfect end to our Saturday

Mothers Day morning was spent attending church and having lunch on the Square. A long nap for a worn out mama (which is a true rarity in this household) followed.


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The start of something special

MR has just recently started playing with her little brother. Up until the last month or so, she could take him or leave him. But, things started to change when little brother learned to crawl. He quickly become her instant friend. For the last several nights, the two have played “ten armed octopus”; a hiding/chasing/tickling game invented by MR that has had the two laughing for hours on end.

A few mornings ago, on a stroll through the neighborhood, I witnessed a true act of love between MR and little brother. Morning walks are always a special time because Mary Reese gets to pick out a snack to take with her. Her snack of choice is almost always Lucky Charms cereal. Like most kids, she eats the marshmallows first, discarding the cereal pieces until she forced to eat them too. As we walked, MR carefully dug though her cereal bag to retrieve the marshmallows. But this time, I noticed that she was not saving them for herself, but rather reserving them for her little brother. When I asked her why she was giving her favorite part of the cereal away, she replied, “because I love Huttie Cat and I want him to have them”. Her response was a mothers dream…I pray that these two will continue to grow in their love and loyalty to one another. I pray that they will have years of laughter and joy together as sister and brother. And that if ever need be, MR will follow the guidelines of the quote below to protect the little man in her life…

Even the mildest, drowsiest sister has been known to turn tiger if her sibling is in trouble.  ~Clara Ortega

Note: Hutson is pulling up on just about any and everything he can get his hands on. He is consonantly on the move, causing ruckus along the way.

Mothers Day in the Square (more pictures to come)

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Another “count my blessings” post

It ain’t all pretty. In fact, it’s sometimes downright ugly. There are meltdowns, blowouts (quite frequent with the little man of the house), after school escorts by an unhappy teacher, standoffs, ugly words, and ugly actions by a mama who is a constant “work in progress”. Despite our shortcomings, we are tremendously blessed. All to often, it takes the words “cancer”, “death”, “childhood illness”, “infertility”, “foreclosure”, and “divorce” to make me realize this. Right now, I am praying for three young families that are dealing with hardships. Two of the families have young children and spouses with stage four cancer that has progressed to their major organs. The other family just welcomed twins. Unfortunately, one of the twins has a rare congenial heart defect that will require years of surgery and medical attention. As I lift up these families, I am reminded that meltdowns, unexpected bills, and never ending piles of laundry are nothing when compared to what many have to face. I’m also reminded to not let these things dictate my life. And especially not to let these things dictate my actions. And finally, I’m reminded that each day (good or bad) is a blessing!

Acknowledging God’s blessings has become a morning ritual for me; it sure beats  getting caught up in the drama on facebook or on the various media outlets. This morning, I was reminded of our “Norman Rockwell” weekend. One of those weekends where we spent all of our time together as a family. A weekend of hiking, visiting, eating ice cream, and congregating with others at a new members luncheon at church. Meltdowns and all, it was perfect.

I am also reminded of a recent conversation I had with MR during an afternoon walk. After commenting on the beautiful day, MR looked up the sky and said, “mama, did you know God works in the clouds”? We’ve had a similar conversation in the past, but it usually revolved around “God living in the clouds”. A little baffled, I thought about how she used the word “works” instead of “lives” to describe God. Then it hit me. MR was right, He does work in the clouds. And although He works in ways we may never understand, He works tirelessly everyday for you and me!

May we remember to stop each day to count our blessings…

Note: On Friday (4/29/2011), sweet MR and I watched hour upon hour of the royal wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton. Such a beautiful event and special occasion to share with my little princess. Another noteworthy event took place last night with the news of Bin Laden’s death. This event will hopefully bring closure and peace to all of the families who were affected by the tragic events of 9/11.

We spent much of Saturday with the Lewis family. Aunt Lynn is the equivalent to Santa Claus to MR. She has been so generous to our family and we love every second we get to spend with her! MR also adores her youngest son, Joshua.

Huttie slept in the swing while the big kids played.

On Sunday, G treated us to icecream after the new members luncheon at church.

Next time, we will order a medium for Huttie. He matched us bite for bite.

Posted in Hutson, mary reese, memories, pray | 2 Comments

She speaks her mind


I shouldn’t have been surprised. After all, MR comes from a long line of strong willed women who speak their mind. She joined the ranks of these women today when she commented on a “messy yard” right in front of the homeowner. She went on to call his yard art (think cement animals in various sizes) “tacky”. She also told him that the “HOE” (she was referring to the HOA) would “put him in jail” if he didn’t cut his grass. Wonder who she heard that from?

Unfortunately, I couldn’t laugh this one off. She made the same comment to the homeowner the last time we walked in his neighborhood.  In fact, her comment was the reason we stopped walking in the neighborhood months before. One things for sure though, she sure made an impression on the homeowner. He remembered his last conversation with her and even remembered that her name had “Mary” in it.

As we walked away, I asked MR how many cement animals should be allowed in a  yard. She looked at me matter-of-factly and said “none mama, people should just stick to bushes and flowers. Because tacky is bad. Real bad.” I wondered if the mans neighbors would agree with her…

Pictures like this are becoming a thing of the past.


These days, our little guy is constantly on the move…

And his big sister is constantly on his case. Soon he’ll learn that he really has two mamas looking after him.

He’s already learned that Key Lime Pie is good…

And his mama is learning that heating healthy is not so bad after all. I’ve traded in the last 2 weeks of Mexican and Chick-fil-A for a carb free/sugar free diet. The change has been hard and expensive. But, it has also been eye opening. I had no idea how much processed food I was consuming. Today, I made a healthy pizza for lunch with a cauliflower crust. I know. It sounds terrible, but it wasn’t. I topped the pizza with fresh tomatoes, sauteed onions, mushrooms, and spinach, and low fat mozzarella cheese.

Posted in mary reese, memories, recipes | 1 Comment

An Easter Prayer

Never before have been more aware of the gift of Easter. God has blessed me with so much. A beautiful home, a healthy family, a loving husband, and two children that bring me constant joy. I deserve none of it. At times, I am selfish; rude; quick tempered; discontent; judgmental; and ungrateful. I am anxious and unfaithful. But yet, I am blessed with so much. God is good; plain and simple. He gave us His only son so that we could be forgiven of our sins. He is patient. And He waits for each us to know His love. I pray this Easter that He will have to wait no more. I pray that I can be a better servant to Him and share His word with others. I vow to be a better disciple to my faith; to be a better wife to Garrett and a better mom to Mary Reese and Hutson. I pray that I can be more like Jesus; to see the good in all; and to glorify God through my gifts and services…

Easter Sunday was full of God’s abundant blessings. We started out the day by attending church services. We arrived to a packed congregation; God’s glory surrounded us. After church, Aunt and Uncle B joined us for Easter lunch at the house. Danny and G spent much of the night before preparing a crock pot roast, rice and gravy, green beans, creamed corn, and yummy country rolls for the occasion. After lunch, MR hunted eggs and enjoyed her Easter bunny gifts. This year, the bunny brought sand for the sandbox; sand toys, gardening gloves, and a water bottle for MR, and books and a pool float for Huttie. With near perfect weather, we spent the majority of the day playing outside and enjoying each others company. Thank you God for Easter; for the meaning behind this wonderful occasion; and for sharing your son with us so that we can live in life eternal!

Aunt and Uncle B spoiled the kids with all kinds of Easter goodies (books and candy for MR and a precious Peter Rabbit stuffed animal for Huttie).

The hunt begins

The sandbox was a huge hit with MR.

I’m sure Huttie will enjoy it too as soon as he learns that sand is NOT for eating. Until then, he’s pretty content in his daddy’s arms.

This is Huttie’s “Bubba” face. It has kinda replaced his “Stevie Wonder” face. If you can’t get a smile from him, its probably because he’s holding his lip just right and is afraid to move it.

Posted in family, holiday, memories | 1 Comment