Whew! Housework. And a Few Seconds of Playtime. And By 'Seconds' I Mean Hours.

Yahoo!!! Mama stayed home with me today - Pop Quiz!! Why do you think she treated herself to a full day of wonderful me?

a) she had to get a couple of moles cut from her back and head and nearly fainted in the dermatologist's office.

b) she needed to meet the real estate agent so that she could take pictures of our remarkably-clean and un-cluttered house. We do NOT usually live this way. Does anyone? Really? Okay, anyone with kids in the house and two parents working full-time? (If you are one of these people, don't tell Mama - it will hurt her ego). Because it is taking a silly amount of effort to keep it up. And we are on day 2. Lord help us all if this house takes a year to sell.

Note: I am doing everything I can to help, but for some reason Mama and Daddy don't always agree with my decoration choices - who DOESN'T find smeared food on the walls appealing? Don't ball-pit balls rolled under every surface in the living room just scream "Buy this house!"? Who doesn't love walking around the kitchen floor and realizing that the gritty stuff stuck to the bottom of your foot is some combination of crumbled rainbow-colored goldfish, dried peas and oatmeal pie? Boring adults, that's who.

c) she needed a day with just me to help her remember what is really important - I have a way of reminding her to live in the moment. Stressed? Having a rough day? Take 12 hours of me and call me in the morning.

d) she wanted to finish getting the boxes loaded to take to Grandpa and Bebe's basement for storage so that potential buyers aren't horrified at the sheer amount of stuff a family of 3 has managed to accumulate (Why, oh why do we have a huge glass bottle filled with colored popcorn kernels? Why, no, HOW is it possible for one person to fill 2 huge boxes with "off-season" clothes? I'm looking your way, Mama.)

e) all of the above

If you answered e) you would be correct! Give yourself a pat on the back.

So, I decided to help out as much as I could while still squeezing in some silliness AND excellent conversation. Happy Wednesday!

After Mama got back from her near-fainting spell at the dermatologists (I mean, c'mon Mama - paint balls rip through your bare leg and you're fine, but having moles cut from your NUMBED skin and you faint? Me no understand. *Neither does your Mama, honey*), I insisted on catching up on some computer work that has been piling up. If you've played KneeBouncers, you know what I'm talking about - there is always something that needs doing!

If you let me play with colored sponges, I can be coerced into doing some floor scrubbing, Cinderella-style:

Okay, enough with the work already! Let's play ball. With the biggest ball I can find.

Catch me if you can!

Before you say anything, I know Stirling LOOKS rather perturbed, but she is mid-purr. I'm sure of it. And that's not me yelling at her, that is me singing to her and trying to kiss her at the same time. Mama spent the next 5 minutes trying to help me peel the fur from my tongue. Note to self: no more open-mouthed kisses for Stirling in the high-shedding season of summer.

Practicing to be the next Sandy Koufax:

Mama and I had many riveting conversations today. Here is a snippet of one of the many that took place.

(I would like to take this opportunity to thank Mama for editing out the beginning where I was making a big poop in my diaper. I always try to play it off, but something about the scrunched red face, the corners of my mouth pulled back so far that it magically creates dimples that were never there before, clenched fists, grunt-talking (Mama's personal fav), shoulders pulled up around my ears, and loud popping noises coming from my diaper-area is a dead giveaway every time):

More Salsa, Please!

It had been ONE whole week since we had been to Los Bravos and we were all going through withdrawal, so when Grandmama came over Sunday we hurried right over for dinner. I have really taken a liking to salsa - I even starting eating it right out of the bowl with a fork! So what if it's spicy - bring it on! Mama and Daddy also discovered, much to their dismay, that I have indeed fallen in love with...... Nascar. It was playing on the TVs over the bar area and I could not stay away! I cannot resist the purr of those engines, the speed of the cars and the wild wrecks. Every time a car would crash or have to get towed off the track, I would say "Uh-oh!" and look to Mama for assurance that everything was okay. I also made some friends at the bar that looked like they have been long-time Nascar fans - one even let me sit in his lap for a few minutes to discuss the racing techniques and strategies of the different drivers (before Mama gets any you're-a-bad-Mama-mail, let me just say that she was sitting right next to me and my new friend, with Daddy 5 feet away too. I was safe!!!). Anyways, it was a great night and on the way home Grandmama suggested we get a hot fudge sundae from McDonald's and we shared that. A perfect way to close out a fun weekend!

Enjoying some chips and salsa with Mama:

Excuse me, I am TRYING to get to the salsa!

Forget it - I am using a fork to get this spicy goodness in me!

Reading books and sharing crushed ice with my sweet Grandmama:

Who, Me?

Saturday Mama and Daddy busied themselves with de-cluttering the house so that it will be camera-ready for the realtor on Tuesday. I helped in the best way I possibly could - which means making what could have been a very boring day super FUN! In my sweet interpretation, this meant dumping sprinkles (which I called "cookies") all over the kitchen floor while Mama cleaned and organized the pantry (see evidence below). Also, I started a fun game of Unpack the Boxes Mama and Daddy So Carefully Packed And Throw the Contents Around the Room - this one I found particularly hysterical and I hoped the laughter was contagious. And what do you know - it was! Mama and Daddy decided to hold off on the packing and throw the stuff around the room too (suckers!) - onto me! Who knew getting ready to move could be so fun? (Bonus for you, lucky reader - TWO videos of me! One of my new Unpack the Boxes game, and one of me saying the beloved "Please!" - Mama was actually quick enough to capture it on video!)

What, this isn't helping you clean the pantry?

Now, back to work. No more distractions, Mama! I need to concentrate:

Is this not the coolest stick you've ever seen in your whole LIFE??

And the famous, so sweet "please":

What a fun game we've invented! (Mama would like to apologize for the shaky camera work - she was too busy throwing clothes at me to make sure she was taking quality video)

A Late Night Braves Game

Friday I stayed home with Daddy all day to help him pack up the house and so I could be well-rested for the Braves game. It didn't even start until 7:30pm (my bedtime), but I slept a lot during the day so when Mama came and picked us up I was ready to go! We had a fun ride down to Turner Field - we had a lot to talk about and Mama also taught me the Tomahawk Chop. Once we got there I wasn't super interested in watching the game, to be honest, and was a little stunned at the loud announcer and the crowd going crazy, but once I got used to that I loved it. Mostly I loved the stadium itself - I gave Mama a workout going up and down and up and down the stairs. We also made several trips out to the concessions area to see what was going on out there. One time when we were out there I saw a bunch of CFA Cows. I ran over to them saying "Moo! Moo!" but they were on their way somewhere and got on the elevator before I could hug them. Mama and I stood outside the doors and I blew them a huge kiss before the doors closed. From that point on, I decided me and Mama should check every few minutes to see if they might be out there again. Sadly for me, I didn't see them again. Daddy also bought me a tomahawk so I could really chop like a pro! I had a great night! Go Braves!

I am on a mission to find our seats!

Once I got my tomahawk, there was no stopping the chop!

Haircut in an Airplane!

My hair apparently grows like a weed, so it was time once again for a haircut. My sweet Bebe and Mama took me to a cool new kid's hair place close to my house. This place rocked - I mean, they had a play room for a waiting area and I got to choose whether I wanted to sit in a fire truck, a race car or an airplane while I got my hair cut! I chose the airplane (I am quite taken with airplanes even though the only time I have ridden in one is when I was in Mama's belly).

Driving a bus while flying an airplane - now that's multi-tasking!

My girls, some cars, cartoons and a lollipop kept me happy for most of the haircut, until the lady broke out the buzzer. That thing freaks me out. Bebe was trying to help me use my imagination and said it was cool, like a car vroom-vrooming around my head but still, it was too loud and scary. I was only upset for a few minutes at the end, and as soon as the buzzer was off I was ready to play again. I even got to pick out a prize from a treasure chest!

Please oh please make the buzzer stop!

Ahhh, a lollipop, trucks and cartoons - can I get a haircut every week please?

After my haircut, the 3 of us headed back down to Decatur to meet Daddy and the realtor to check out some more houses. This time was even more super than before because we had the added fun of having Bebe with us! I was more interested in playing with other kid's toys while we were looking at houses than actually checking out the houses and putting my 2 cents in though. A couple of the ones we saw "had potential" as I kept hearing the adults say, so we'll see where the Stuckey family ends up soon! I'm going to be happy anywhere because home is where my family is!

Father's Day with Grandpa!

The fun continued today - we woke up and had cinnamon rolls for breakfast and I helped Mama and Daddy "de-clutter" the house by packing up some of the pictures and knick-knacks from the living room into boxes. The lady that is helping us sell our house said that we shouldn't have too many pictures around because it distracts potential buyers, although this makes Mama really sad. Anyways, I wore myself out helping to pack, so I had a long nap and when I woke up, I found out that we were going to Grandpa and Bebe's for Father's Day to tell Grandpa how special he is to all of us!

All the way up to Grandpa and Bebe's I read books to Mama, played with my trucks and then when we were getting close I kept saying "Bebe! Bebe!". I just couldn't wait to get there! We finally made it and I got to give my sweet grandparents kisses and hugs and also got to love on their kitty-cat, Sammy, for a while. Then we had a delicious lunch that Bebe made and an extra special dessert of ice cream and fudgy brownies!

No bib? No problem! More opportunity to show off my manly chest! (and how cool is it that this was Mama's high chair when she was a baby??)

I knew that it was Grandpa's special day today and that he deserved a little pampering by the littlest member of the family - he raised my Mama after all! I gave him a nice back rub (he should feel VERY special since this is the first one I've ever given!) and brought him his card that I wrote in. We played and laughed and I showed him how to use my drawing board and my hammer (sometimes even grown-ups need help with toys). My Grandpa is a very talented piano player, so I played him a few tunes on their piano too, to show him that I love music as much as he does. We also spent a long time hanging out in the basement because that is where we are keeping our stuff until we find a new house. It is super fun down there - I loved exploring and playing with Bebe's roller skates and exercise equipment! Why is this the first time I've been down there??? This is heaven for an exploring little boy like myself!

A nice back rub for my Grandpa - I think I did a good job myself! It made Grandpa smile, so I must have done good!

Serenading the ladies with my piano skills:

I love my family!!!

Well, it was another wonderful day with my wonderful family. I love you Grandpa - thank you for being so cuddly and loving to me! I have loved you since I first met you in the NICU; we have always had a special bond and I love you more and more each and every day!

I am so lucky to have these two special Daddies in my life!

Father's Day with Daddy!

Yesterday after school we had a big night - we went and looked at a bunch of houses in downtown Decatur. Mama and Daddy have decided that they want to go back there to live and really want me to grow up there too. It's where they both grew up (did you know they went to the same elementary and high schools?) and it's where it still feels like home in their hearts. So we drove around and looked at some neat houses, but they said that none were quite right (I, for one, loved them all). I really like this house-hunting process as much as they do - I love to explore! It was a lot of fun, but was a late night - I didn't get to bed until after 10pm!

So this morning (Father's Day for Daddy!) we slept a little later than usual. When I woke up, I just knew that it was Daddy's special day, so I was anxious to wake Daddy up with lots of kisses and hugs. Then we brought him his Father's Day cards and the frame that me and Mama worked hard on. Here's how it turned out:

Me and Mama have been talking for weeks about what else we thought Daddy would really like for Father's Day, and I suggested that we get season tickets to the Georgia Aquarium - and Mama thought this was a great idea! But before we could go to the Aquarium, we had to get some breakfast. Daddy chose Flying Biscuit which made me pretty happy too, since it is one of my very favorite breakfast places! We ate lots of eggs, bacon, biscuits and grits and I made friends with the pretty waitresses.

I just cannot shovel these eggs into my mouth any faster!

Then it was off to the Aquarium. I have never seen anything like it and even though I was getting tired at this point, I loved every second of being there. I saw more fish and whales and sharks and other things that I didn't even know existed than I have ever seen in all my 2 years! There was even a time when the fish were swimming over our heads! Each time we left one tank and went to another, I had to wave "bye!" to all the cool fish.

I made a friend right when we got there who showed me the ropes:

Bye fishies!

Why can't I pet him, Daddy?

There are no words:

Otters are so silly - just like me!

(and yes, that is a paci in my mouth - it was past naptime! It was an act of desperation by my parents.)

I got to pick out a new stuffed animal friend (remember Laila from Mother's Day at the Zoo?). I chose the otter puppet. He makes me laugh:

Otter + Mama = a snuggly good pillow:

We were all getting pretty tired after that, so we headed home where we all took a delicious 3-hour nap and I snuggled with Daddy for a long time (he is so comfy!). Even the thunder storm didn't wake us up. We woke up from our long nap hungry again, and so we took Daddy back to Five Guys for dinner. That is definitely now one of mine and Daddy's favorite places to eat. After stuffing our bellies with yummy food, we played outside for a while and then I had to call it a day. I was pooped!

Daddy, I hope this was one of your favorite days ever because it has been one of mine! I hope I made you feel as special as you make me feel every day - you are the best Daddy a little boy could ever hope to have and I love you with all of my huge heart!

Another Special Day with Bebe!

When I sang myself awake this morning, who should pop into my room to greet me but my very own Bebe! What a wonderful way to start my day! Since I wanted to soak up as much of Bebe as I could, I decided that we should just snuggle for a long time before the playing started (if you've never been snuggled by Bebe, you are missing out). We had a huge breakfast, played, read, and even practiced putting my special ketchup and mustard on our hot dog magnet that is on the fridge. Then we *pretend* ate it over and over and yummed and savored every delicious plastic bite.

So I think I've mentioned before how I save some of my best stuff for Bebe, right? Well today was no exception. I have known how to say "please" for some time now, I have just chosen not to use it, especially when asked (I accidentally let it slip a few times with Mama and Daddy, so the jig was up a while ago). No amount of prompting from my patient, sometimes frustrated parents could tear that precious word out of my mouth until I was ready, darnit! And so I chose today with Bebe as the perfect time to let it rip. I was saying "please" left and right! "Please" read me a book! "Please" help me stack my plastic rings! "Please" give me more to eat! "Please" spend every second of the day entertaining me and pamper me with hugs, kisses, cuddles and attention until I fall, utterly exhausted, into my much-loved (and much-needed) afternoon nap. Imagine Mama and Daddy's surprise when they were greeted with the well-mannered toddler that is now me!

When Mama and Daddy got home, we all went to eat at Los Bravos, where I had lemons ("please!"), chips ("please!"), fries ("please!") and chicken ("please!"). What a super way to end a super day! I love you Bebe and had a spectacularly wonderful day with you, as usual!

Lemons are great for making fun faces for the camera:

Being little and cute means that everyone gladly shares their food with you - better enjoy it while I can!

Laughter (for me) and Pain (for Mama)...

...but luckily both were fun! Mama's pain came from playing paintball on Sunday (click here to see the pictures) with some of her co-workers and if you ask me, she kind of asked for it since she thought it was "too stinking hot" to wear jeans and played the first round in shorts. Yep, she took some shots in the bare leg and then immediately changed her tune about being too hot and got her jeans on quick. From what she told me, she had a great time despite the heat and purple and pink bruises! I think she likes her co-workers a lot because she always calls them her "friends". I hope when I grow up I get to work with people I call friends too! It seems to make her happy.

Anyways, this blog is about ME, not Mama, right? So what did I do on Sunday? Well, I got to spend the whole day with my very favorite man in the world, and that is my Daddy! We played and played and laughed and laughed - as usual, a day at home with my family is the best day my little spirit can hope for! Here is a video of just a few seconds of my uncontrollable laughter - I hope it makes you smile!

Saturday Fun!

I'm so GQ:

Saturday was a super-fun day and the excitement started as soon as I opened my little eyes! We all went to Chick-fil-A for breakfast and ate outside to enjoy some sunshine before it got too hot. I love me some chicken minis and hashbrowns! Mama also shared her cinnamon roll with me, which will now have to be part of my standard order. As good as breakfast was, I was dying to get onto the playground the whole time. After I finished up Mama's cinnamon roll, me and Mama played on the playground - I can hardly contain my glee when I am way up high, yelling down to Daddy, driving cars to anywhere I want to go and sliding down slides with Mama!


Way up high with Mama - no time to pose for a picture!

Shucks!! - it's already time to go (secretly I was not as upset as I made out to be - it was already hotter than heck outside by 9:45am!!!!)

When we got back home, who was waiting for us but my sweet Aunt Lucy and Uncle Jeremy! Turns out I got to spend most of the day with the boys while Mama and Lucy met Aunt Kelly in Virginia Highlands for an Arts Festival. I would NOT have enjoyed that one tiny little bit - it was way too hot, so I was very content to spend the afternoon reading books with Jeremy and showing him all of my cool toys in my cool, air-conditioned house.

Once Lucy and Mama got back, we all went to eat at Five Guys Burgers and Fries - and can I just tell you, it was love at first sight! I raced my cars all over the walls (the red and white checked tiles looked like a perfect racetrack to me!), ate lots of fries and even more ketchup (for you amateurs out there, my technique is this: I dip my fry in the ketchup and then suck the ketchup off and repeat until the fry no longer resembles a fry and is instead just soggy mush), played in the windows, and let Mama chase me all over the restaurant while I screamed with delight (Mama would like to add that there were only 2 other tables of people in the restaurant). Then it was back to the house where my Uncle Jeremy gave me the longest (read: pruney fingers), most fun bath I've ever had. After some more playing, it was finally time to call it a day and go nite-nite. I had such a happy day with my family - I love you all so much! Thank you for always including me in everything you do!!!

Daddy, I am having the best day!

Me, My Girls, and Some Fries:

Splish-splashing with Uncle Jeremy: