THURSDAY'S THOUGHTS

ILLUSTRATION BY MELODY HANSEN

THINKING ABOUT: I'd heard people throw around the term "threenager" often and now I totally understand why. It was like Max woke up on October 9th and his sass level just skyrocketed overnight. How can someone three-feet tall be SO stinking mouthy?? Part of me kind of misses the days in which his communication wasn't all that great and he'd just throw a ginormous tantrum instead (Let's be real, he still has them but now they include a more extensive vocabulary!). In all seriousness, where did this come from??  

FEELING: This week has been REALLY productive and has put a lot of my worries to rest. Hallelujah! It feels nice to cross a few items off our PCS checklist. We are still without orders (WTF?!) and Flyboy's training dates just keep getting pushed back (it's ridiculous, quite honestly), but we're chalking up whatever little victories we can. At least if kind of feels like we're finally moving FORWARD!?!

THANKFUL FOR: It's been unseasonably cool in Swell Rio and I kind of LOVE it!! Don't get me wrong, I still put the sweat in sweaters by the time noon rolls around but the heat is bearable and I get my cardi fix first thing in the morning. Squee! It's just nice to have a legit reason to turn on the seat warmers in the car and order a hot beverage at SBUX as one typically does in the month of October. 

LISTENING TO: I studied journalism at Mizzou so it's safe to say that I know a thing or two about The Five W's. That being said, life with a toddler has taught me to resent the question "WHY?" on a WHOLE new level. Woof! Just yesterday I found myself arguing with my child when he asked WHY one of the housing maintenance guys waved at us. I responded with "Because he's being nice and friendly!" but that answer just wasn't good enough for Max. He continued to ask me the same question four more times before I threw in the towel and blurted out "I don't know WHY he waved! I don't know EVERYTHING about EVERYONE!" The wily wonder looked at me all ticked off (AGAIN!), stomped his feet, and offered one last roaring rebuttal. "No ma, it's not fair! You DO know!" Sigh.

WATCHING: Max can't decide what he's going to be for Halloween, but we have a few options on tap this year to prevent us from another flight-suit flop. Remember last year?! Anywho, one of his favorites is a bat costume and it's kind of my favorite thing. Ever. There's nothing terribly special about the actual costume, it's just the way he gets into character when he's wearing his wings that makes me want to eat him up. After our last visit to Austin he became obsessed with the nocturnal creature. In fact, he LOOOOOVES to tell anyone that will listen how bats sleep upside down. Naturally, he has to reenact it upon sharing the factoid with others and that requires the help of yours truly. Much like a figure skating duo, the two of us assume our positions and prepare the routine. I try to control my laughter, lift him up, and flip him upside down, all while he folds his wings inward. It's really quite a sight!

EATING: You know how Starbucks has the mummy cake pops right now? Well, Max doesn't hear the difference when I say mummy and confuses it for mommy. We've read a few books and watched a cartoon or two with mummy characters, but he still insists it's MOMMY. You guys, the cackling that ensued yesterday morning while he devoured two cake pops and I tried to explain mummy vs. mommy to him was insane (Erm, sugar high?). "Watch out, ma! It's time for Max to eat MOMMY!" I wonder what he'd think if I just showed up in his bedroom wrapped in toilet paper next week?? It might be time to give the ol' threenager a thrill. Who's with me??

READING: Last Friday night while Flyboy watched two episodes of Game of Thrones, I laid in bed next to him and knocked out the first 88 pages of Brené Brown's latest book Braving the Wilderness. I can't remember the last time I did that, but it felt pretty damn good! Too lazy to get up and grab a pencil or highlighter, the first half of the book has pages folded in a variety of ways so I could go back and scribble my notes. Rarely will I disrespect a book like that, but it was just so incredible I couldn't bring myself to put it down. I had to keep going and going! Sweet readers, grab yourself a copy stat. I guarantee it will looked just as "loved" as mine. 

LOVING: This m-61 JetGlow Serum might be the best skin care product I've added to my regimen in a very long time. I love the way it makes my complexion look smooth and hydrated when I wake up in the morning. Paired with the line's PowerGlow Peel (I've been using for about a year now; it's AMAZING!), you have a match made in skincare heaven.

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