Kid Talk with Cam + Conley

You guys, on the daily, I hear so many things coming from my children that could entertain you (& myself for that matter) for years to come, & I cringe when I think that I've missed one & haven't written them all down.  I usually quickly type it into my phone notes, because there is no other way to keep it safe.  If there was one thing I was most excited about when thinking of being a mom, is hearing all the funny things my kids might say.  Well, these two homeboys do not disappoint!

LIFE ACCORDING TO CONLEY, AGE 2

Conley's three conversation starter/questions, that he likes to ask over and over every day:

1. Mommy, do people fall in the water?

2.  Mommy, do people shoot people in the face?
No, Conley.  We never shoot people.  Ever.  

Mommy, do girls shoot people in the face?

No, they are ladies.  And remember, people never shoot people.

Mommy, do ladies shoot people in the face?

No.  No, Conley they do not. 

I swear we try to teach him the right & respectful ways to act.

*Please understand, I am in no way trying to make this humorous, but this is au natural boy to the bone, Conley Scout talk.  Cam has little nerf guns that he is obsessed with &  our rule is to never shoot each other or "people."  But he always is one that has to negotiate-especially when he knows it is something he shouldn't do.  He has also heard words like "stupid," "hate," and "poop" from kid oriented movies like The Little Drummer Boy & Charlie Brown and says them 34,323 times a day.  And his little tush gets in time out 34,323 times a day.  

Jesus, take the wheel.

OH, but you just wait.

If we are watching a movie or show, he is the first to comment,

"Mom!  Dey say ugwy words!  Dey need in timeout."
(He puts all of his toys in time out)

3.  Wanna talk about motorcycles?  They jump in the bean bags.

Crickets.  Everytime.

---
Conley has a fascination with the word future.  On a typical day, he says the following:
"In my future..."
"This is MY future..."
"No, I'm not in my future!"
"Let's go into the future!"
and my personal favorite:
"Youre never gonna get my future!"
---

Grabs my watch.  "Oh, it's ten E clock...I love you."

When we leave the house:
"Bye, house!  Have a good day!"

Here's a new one, he's obsessed with ladybugs.

Conley:  Mommy, look!  Itsssss my ladybug, Nitro!

(Every ladybug he sees he claims it, names it Nitro, and kills it soon after-I think I shared this in my last post).

The conversation goes a little something like this:

I wub my wady bug, Mom.

He wubs me.  He's my wadybug.  Hes so cute!
Are wadybugs smart?

Oh no!  I snapped it.

Me: You killed it?

Conley: Ya, it has to go lib (live) in da hospital now.

---
"That dangerous, mom?"
99.9% of the time...yes, yes it is.
---
Grabs a windex bottle...(terror on my face)
"Dis is a hundred dollars for the sprinkles.
Four hundred dollars for me."

---

Conley: Mommy, I want to go to my house.  It's at your house.

When Conley wants my water bottle (which, naturally, he pitches a fit if I make him drink water any other time):

Conley: Mommy, I'm sick.  I'm sick for your water.

Apparently, he thinks if he's sick, he can have my water....

When Con see's anything he wants or likes:

Conley: Dat's cool for me, Mom.

He also notoriously argues to eat gummies for every meal.

Kicking, screaming, and hitting.

It's great fun.

I often question why I still think I would like a baby #3 after Conley Scout made his grand appearance into our lives.

Hands full, Heart full.

---

LIFE ACCORDING TO CAM, 4.75ish years

Driving down the road

Cam: Mom, I hope I die soon, I want to go to heaven.

(a couple weeks ago he was crying not wanting to die.)
* Note: I don't bring these deep conversations up at their age, but Cam DOES.

Me: Speechless & heartbroken

Cam, I don't want you to (I can't even type the word, guys), I want you here with me.  I would be so sad, and Conley too.  That happens only when God is ready for us to live in heaven.

Cam: Well, you & Conley can just die with me!

(pauses for a second)

In heaven do we have to sleep or take naps?

Me: I don't know, I don't think so, I don't think our bodies will have to rest like we do down here.

Cam:  YES!!!!  No naps!  I don't EVER have to sleep!

I want to DIE right now, mom!  I won't have to go to school anymore, either!

(Talk about the most confusing MORBID conversation E V E R.)

But, I guess we as Christians, should have as much excitement as he does about heaven-

without....going around saying we want to die right now...

---

Cam at school...

Cam has found out how to get out of school after his recent stint with illness.

After clearly proving he was feeling better after a week of absence, he resorted to hiding under the covers crying,

"I'm sick, mom!  I really am!  I can't go to school today!"

And so it begins...& he's not even in Kindergarten yet.

---

Cam is quite the tattle tale.

In fact, at the playground one day he ran up to tell on another little boy (so awkward when their parents are standing right there, right??)

Cam:  He was being mean to me.  Mom, he said ugly words.
He hasn't learned from God anymore.

He need to learn about God before he says that to his parents.

(I'm confused about that one too...)

---

Cam in reference to his love life:

Mom, let me tell you a secret.

When I get married, you're not invited to the wedding.

Me: Why not??

Cam: Because it would make me jealous to see you clapping your hands.

Alrighty then.

---
SCARES CONLEY...
Conley looks a little scared.
Cam: "Conley, I'm not a monster, I'm only a boy."
---

In reference to Conley:
Guys, WHY did we decide to raise him????

Why can't you just be a normal baby??

Why do me & Conley have to be such jerks?  

Why do you have to treat us like jerks?

Me: (As I inhale & start to say something...)

Cam: Let's just enjoy the ride, Mom.

---

Me: Look guys!  The sun is going down, isn't it pretty?

(I know, nerd mom status)
Cam: (out of nowhere) Mom, everything is NOT hotter when the sun goes down.  That's the weirdest song...

---
Cam at weddings...
Grooms dad :  Alright, we're going to open up the floor for anybody who'd like to say something about the happy couple.
Cam:  What???  Open up the floor?  How are they going to do that???  
That is so weird!
---

Naptime struggles:

Cam:  (in tears) I can't stand it.  I want to be good, but my belly tells me to be bad and jump up and run around and scream.  But I don't want to!  I want to be good.

*He has said this about school too...#thestruggleisreal

He tosses and turns, apparently fighting his evil belly, and will finally settle down for a nap.

---

And last but not least...

Late night questions, to avoid going to sleep, by Cam:

"Can lady bugs breathe in the house?"

"If horses eat chocolate, will they die?"

"Where does the ocean go to?"

"Can you get a car before you are married?"

I hope I've provided a few laughs for your Tuesday!
Been logging & saving these gems for a rainy (or COLD) day...

Please share your own funnies!  I need some beginning of the week laughs myself!

H54F || Daddy's Home for Good!

Man, it's been such a long time since since I've got to do a High Five For Friday.

Is it just me, or is 2018, flying by at warp speed for anybody else?

  Can you believe next week is March?

To make it even more mad, I will be T H I R T Y in two more weeks...

I don't know if I am ready for that just yet.  How can my twenties be coming to an end??  I'm trying to think of it positively, as a beginning rather than an end.  A blessing rather than a curse.  There is just too much stigma on turning a "new decade" in our society!  I plan on embracing it.  Making it the best 10 years yet.  I have a lot to live up to though... I mean, how will I beat my twenties when I got married & we started our little family??

one.  valentine's day 2018

the holidays just get sweeter and sweeter with my little dudes.  And Cam is getting old enough to have class parties to help with.  I remember my mom coming to my room for my parties, & I'd always be so excited for those special times we got to spend together.  I loved to show her around & for her to see all I had been doing in class, & though I visit Cam's class every week with my job, I never just get to be "his mom."  And we both enjoy it so much!

The day after Valentines, the boys & I had a Build a Bear & Playground date at the mall.  It was Con's first one, & Cam's second (Chewie is still the fav as he still has Cam's paci in his paw!)  We now have added Nitro the Dinosuar & Bum the Bumblebee bear to our cuddle collection.  They were so excited-it was something they looked forward to all week!

two.  nitro the ladybug (s)

my boys are obsessed with ladybugs.  They catch them.  Adore them.  Name them.  All "NItro."  And then kill them.  WIth love of course...

three.  hair day!

there is always something so refreshing about fresh salon hair.

A two hour coffee & pampering session later...& i feel like a new girl.

ammmmmiiiiiright?  

Especially when it was since August 2017 since I last had one!

Goodbye, messy bun + ponies + twist your hair every which way to disguise the dratiness! (again, I'm probably making up words-but it sounds like my scary recent looks pre-hair day).  

four.  job interviews here I come

it is with much bittersweetness, (is that a word??) that I begin the search for a new job.

I absoultely adore everything about my current job as a preschool speech therapist.  I adore my kids, the people i work with, and the hours I work- which leads to two very special days off every week that I get to spend with my boys.  But just as Cade has sacrificed for so many years for my family, it's my turn to contribute.  I have an interview on my BIRTHDAY ( ) in search for the new job.  Things I'm looking forward to about it?  NORMALCY!  Having a husband again (really!  It feels like I've been a single parent for the past almost five years), waking up in my own house, having dinners around our table TOGETHER, and having my family under one roof!  Not to mention not having to travel as much!  200 miles less a week to be exact.

five.  daddy's home for good!!

lord willing.

words cannot express the excitement under our little roof this weekend when we came home TO daddy!  No picking him up at the airport, no waiting at the window to watch him drive up, only to see him drive away a week later.  We cooked, ate, and cleaned up dinner together (is it weird this is something I have longed for since the very beginning??)  Sat in the living room to unwind for the rest of the evening as a family & relaxed while the boys played.  Then, we woke up & had coffee together before he went to work & the boys woke up.  

I am on cloud nine, friends!  It is such a reminder that it is the little things (that are actually the big things) in life that really matter.  Who cares about anything else? 

I've been a slacker lately blogging.  Life has been so busy!  But with busy, comes lots of good if you think about it.  Lot's of productiveness, lots of memories, and lots of steps logged on the apple watch...

I've been keeping a little diary of things the boys say lately & saving it for a rainy Monday-

come back early next week if you're feeling like you need a good laugh!

I'm pretty sure they won't disappoint...

Linking up today with the girls from High Five for Friday

Crafting for Dummies || Valentine Wreath & Floral Arrangement

Happy Fri-yay!

Friends, if there is a n y t h i n g I've learned today it's that I'm terrible at tutorials (um um um...& always at a loss for the right descriptive words-but, what's new!? ha!) 🙈

Seriously, the sound of my voice + my accent is equal to the sound of fingernails scratching a chalkboard.  BUT, I don't really care!  If you can bear with me through that, I think this may be helpful should you want to make a wreath or floral arrangement for yourself.  

I love crafting & I love sharing it here as I can.  I've come to love when others share their ideas visually as it helps give me a better idea of what I'm doing.  So that's just what this little video does plus an awkward zoom- okay, let's just say I've got a lot of learning to do: 😉

Materials:

Found at Hobby Lobby for 50% off, but I'm certain you can find similar materials at Walmart & other stores with crafting/floral supplies!

Grapevine Wreath $3.99

Tulip bouquets x 2 (white + pink) $7.99

Eucalyptus/mayyyybe lambs ear (doesn’t specify) Garland $9.99

=one matching wreath + floral arrangement (could do a large & small if prefer)

To recap...

1.  Lay grapevine wreath flat on table.

2.  Cut small pieces of the eucalyptus greenery off & tuck into the wreath.  

Make sure to use an odd number of stems!  Don’t forget to leave enough for your floral arrangment--

*I ended up having lots of leftover to put in the wreath!

3.  Grab your hot glue gun & began to warm, cut tulips of close to the bloom.  Create a generous dot & glue bloom to wreath.  I alternated the pink & white colors & fluffed the bloom as I went. (see tutorial)

4.  Wa-lah!  Crafting for Dummies👊🏼🤓

All in a mornings work.  Wishing you all a fun weekend celebrating💕🌷💕

DIY Panera Bread Inspired || Asian Sesame Salad with Chicken

Happy Monday, friends! 

 I hope y'all are up for a yummy, healthy recipe after all mayyyybbbbbe indulging in all that Super Bowl junk food!

I have never been a good cook.  I really want to be, but with my husband working off since we got married...I have just never seen the point in wasting so much food to cook a meal for one person.  Fastforward eight years & two kids later + the convenience of online grocery pick-up, I feel like I'm finally at a point in my life where I can hone my skills in the kitchen.  

Aside from the not so good in the kitchen history, I have to admit that I feel I've especially always had a hard time creating a good salad.  My attempt at creating a salad I love in the past just doesn't seem to taste the same as they do in the restaurant and it k i l l s me!  There is nothing I love more than a good salad.  I recently tried Panera Bread's Asian Sesame Salad and was in love.  The hefty $8+ a pop just wasn't something I can afford often, so I was so excited to see that they had listed the ingredients on their menu.   

 I added all those ingredients to my grocery cart and decided to give it a whirl.  What could it hurt?  Plus, instead of paying 8.00 a salad, I bought all the ingredients for a week of salads for around $20.00!

The salad turned out absolutely d e l i c i o u s & has turned into my easy go to lunch after school started back after Christmas.  This salad has all the things I need to feel satisfied...protein, crunch, and a little spice!  I loved it so much that I thought I would share it here with you (& for myself should I ever forget how to make it! ) just in case you are looking for a little different take on the everyday salad.

Ingredients:

Romaine lettuce

Cilantro

Sliced Almonds

Wonton strips

Shredded grilled chicken

Sesame Seeds

Asian Sesame Dressing

I don't have exact measurements, I just kind of eye the mixture in my bowl.  It's kind of something you just experiment with.

In the future, I hope to figure out a cleaner recipe for the dressing.  But for now, the dressing pictured works and is a lite option!  I seasoned my chicken with the spices below & it seems to work perfect with the salad:

Enjoy!