:) Pink Lady Maynard (:

It's been awhile. It's a new year. Spring is finally in the air, after the snowmageddon of 2015. We had over 2 weeks of snow, which refused to melt. Hubby ended up having an extended winter vacation, dipping into his future vacation hours at work. The cabin fever was rough. My clumsy encounter with a patch of ice on our driveway was even rougher. I was carrying Noah when I fell. Thank God for super mommy reflexes. I managed to prevent him from touching the pavement completely. I guess I was lucky that I still had all that extra holiday weight to cushion my fall. 😂 So, we survived the brutal winter. Hubby & I swear that we will someday relocate to a much warmer climate.... a  warm  tropical island, with beautiful dark blue ocean waters, luscious pillowy green grass, and gorgeous majestic sunsets. We may need to win (or at least play) the lottery first.   🐥🌷🐇🌼🌸🐣💐🐣🌸🌼🐇🌷🐥 Easter is right around the corner and Noah is getting spoiled this year. My parents boug...

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas... and the end of 2014. Oh, the memories that have been shared! All the laughter, the tears, the smiles, the firsts, the lasts, the magical moments created, over the months, have been so incredible. I have watched my sweet baby transform into a rambunctious & bubbly toddler.  Noah is 2 years old. His birthday party was small, but filled with lots of love. It's still pretty amazing just how fast 2 years has flown by. My teeny-tiny baby is becoming more independent and opinionated every passing minute. I wish I could bottle his energy and add it to my morning coffee. He's always in the go & rarely will sit still for more than 5 minutes. He loves grabbing my hand and dragging  me around the house. However, when daddy is home or when grandma & grandpa are visiting, he will literally push momma out of a room, so he can just hang out with one of them. He thinks it's hilarious. He can be so headstrong and stubborn at time...

Lately, the news has been scattered with horror stories of Ebola breakouts, ISIS terrorist attacks, enterovirus threatening kids, school shootings, etc. It's a scary world out there. My maternal instinct to worry constantly is on overdrive these days. How can parents keep their little ones safe and raise them survive a world like this? What kind of world will our little ones inherit? Every now and then, I encounter something that warms my soul. A good story. A news report about someone doing something good. A miracle. A friend reporting happy news. A new song with powerful lyrics and entrancing musicality. A painting that inspires my peepers to appreciate a new perspective. A dish that tickles taste buds and leaves my tummy feeling full & happy. A feeling of pure love, bliss, inspiration & hope.  The other day I was driving across the James River Bridge. I was filled with a strong sense of amazement from the extreme beauty of my surroundings. The water shimmered a calm refl...

Last Monday I'm watching Parenthood On Demand & sipping on coffee as Noah snores softly beside me. It's a new week and a new chance to live life to the fullest. Last week was rough. Noah had an ear infection + cold + 2nd year molars popping thru. He had a reaction to the Amoxicillin antibiotic that his pediatrician prescribed. After 2 days with a rash, more crankiness & a new antibiotic, he is finally starting to feel like his normal self. This past Monday I'm  watching Parenthood On Demand & sipping on coffee as Noah snores softly beside me. It's a new week and a new chance to live life to the fullest. Haha. Perhaps this will be my fall Monday ritual. It's not a shabby way to start the week.  So...The latest Walking Dead's season premiered recently. Thankfully, Noah fell asleep 10 minutes before it started. Hubby and I were worried that we would have to wait & just watch the episode On Demand later. We (mainly I) decided that we should probably ...

Noah's 2nd birthday is going to be a Despicable Me - Minions Mayhem themed party with a handful of friends & family. He may end up having the same birthday party fate that I had as a kid. Many people tend to go out of town for Thanksgiving and Christmas, and both of our birthdays occur during school vacation time periods. Hubby and I will have to find creative ways to make his birthdays still kick ass and not get lost in the hustle and bustle of the holidays. 😎   I joined a mommy group about 6 months ago and have made a semi-decent effort to attend play dates and events on a weekly basis. Recently, a handful of us checked out a Mother's Day Out program at a local (Williamsburg) church. One of the other moms highly recommended it. Her little one loved it. The program runs from September to May and the little ones attend "class" once or twice a week for a few hours. It gives them a chance to interact, socialize & learn, while momma gets a few hours to herself. ...