THURSDAY'S THOUGHTS

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THINKING ABOUT: Do any of you remember a few years ago when I was pregnant and fed up with the frenzy of loose felines on base? Yeah, well, it turns out I wasn't just agitated due to my crazy hormones. The strays are back with a vengeance, and I'm just as fed up now as I was then. Sigh. It was frustrating enough when they'd get in our trash can, leave dead squirrels in the carport, spray in the backyard, and damage our plants, but now it appears they've scratched the hood of our NEW wagon. Internet, I'm beyond LIVID!! On Tuesday afternoon I discovered the damage and immediately made a few phone calls. Just as expected, I received a bunch of lip service along with the same excuses I received from the higher-ups two years ago, and I'm frustrated that no one seems to care. WTF?! We work too hard to maintain our base housing unit and keep our "stuff" in good condition to not have our concerns addressed with a solution. For over 30 years I've lived on various military bases and this is the ONLY one where stray cats have ever been an issue. I understand that the base is outside the city limits and the town's animal shelter can't take them, but cayenne pepper sprinkled along the perimeter of our house just didn't seem to cut it. I'm at a loss and want some answers.

THANKFUL FOR: After that last rant, I'm going to sound like a real basket case when I confess this next part to you. Oops! Last Thursday evening, I found myself laying next to Beesly on her dog bed while I bawled my eyes out. It was the second night in a row that I made Flyboy put Max to bed without me being present. I typically cherish this part of our routine, but I was running on empty. Days spent with my child literally took it out of me and I had NOTHING more to give. Yes, motherhood is rough, but parenting a willful toddler is even more challenging. I try to cope most days with humor, a smidgen of grace, and the occasional stiff gin cocktail, but it got to the point where I couldn't muster a chuckle if I tried. There was no joy and instead total defeat. Now, I know this chapter we've embarked upon is a difficult one, but I've found that when I confide in others I'm often met with feedback that feels somewhat belittling. It's as though my feelings are being diminished, like I'm overdramatizing the situation. "Well, that's a toddler for you!" Um, no. Would you like to spend a whole day with him when he's this persistent?! Sigh. But then there are those individuals who have also parented a tenacious child and when they speak up to validate what it is that you're experiencing, you almost feel the urge to tackle them with the biggest bear hug your 5'2" frame can manage. Thank goodness for those people!! The ones who truly understand what you might be struggling with and for those who are able to empathize (rather than judge) what it's like to walk a different journey.

WATCHING: Last week my sister said she wanted to FaceTime Max and show him the Chewbacca mask she recently acquired. Ha! Y'all, he's absolutely petrified, and in a really twisted way it's sort of hysterical. Whenever she puts it on, he runs away and refuses to look at her. Then he proceeds to mimic Chewie's "Rrrrrrrrrrrrrr" sound. Naturally, Flyboy and I have decided this may be the key to getting Max to listen to us, so we should probably purchase a mask of our own. Kidding, I'm just kidding (kind of).

EATING: Earlier this month, Kelly of Kiki and Co. fame shared the recipe for her mother's Blueberry French Toast Soufflé, and I could hardly wait to try it. A decadent breakfast dish at Elizabeth St. Cafe in Austin reminded me of it (one of my favorites!), and I thought Sunday morning would be the perfect opportunity to try the recipe. While mine didn't turn out nearly as pretty as Kelly's (I kind of mangled the blueberries), it's safe to say our little family was obsessed. It was outstanding and simple to boot. The only downside? Well, I'm afraid the boys might request it regularly and it could become a really delicious problem. Eh, there are worse things...

LISTENING TO: Awhile back, I realized that whenever we'd come on base and I'd present my ID card at the gate, Max would parrot me by saying "Hi sirrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!" in a really loud and excited tone. You guys, I didn't know that I said it the SAME way every time until he began saying it back. In fact, Max gets such a kick out of the whole process, he even insisted on having an ID card of his own so I made him one out of an old gift card, taped his photo on the front, and laminated it. As a seasoned Air Force brat, I know this magic doesn't happen until you reach age ten. What a rookie, that Maxwell! Ha! Initially I found the entire charade cute, but now he likes to get bossy and tell me it's his turn to greet the airman. "No mom, no. My turn. My hi sir."Um, like hell I'm going to let a two year old tell me what to do, so I carry on as normal and he gets pretty steamed. Now imagine what happened yesterday when the kind gentleman at the front gate caught Max off guard and asked for his faux ID card. Did somebody say Threatcon Delta? Shyness alert.

READING: I'm a slug of a blogger. I'm SO behind in terms of replying to comments. It's embarrassing. If you're a kind soul who comments and has received NOTHING in return lately, please forgive me! I do this thing where I read them (it makes my day) and reply immediately in my head. I know that probably sounds weird, but it's true. I just need to find more time and respond with an actual keyboard so I don't let it get away from me. I want to carve out some time in the morning, but it's obviously not working. Sorry!!!

LOVING: When it comes to washing my hair and blow drying it, I typically drag my feet, but then a sweet reader (Hey, Alyssa!) turned me on to the Kristin Ess hair care line available at Target and now I can't wait to whip out my hair mask and styling serum as often as I can find the time. I've tried a variety of products and I've been more than impressed with the results (the leave-in conditioner is AMAZING), but it's her signature scent that I adore the most. I still don't look or feel like Kristin's famous clients Lauren Conrad or Jenna Dewan Tatum, but I probably smell like them at this point, so there's that. Have you tried the line? Thoughts?

Enough about me. How are you feeling today? What are you up to? Thanks for stopping by!! 

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