hossy toss

we went home yesterday to check on mam and pap and see mom and dad. drew loves seeing the horses when we go home and was calling for them before we even got out of the truck. once we went in, mom brought up one of kate's old rocking horses that we named "hossy toss". i can remember riding it when i was little and i actually thought it was mine. drew loves it and has been riding it constantly while singing something about a horsey.

he had a wonderful week with nicole and the kids and i'm so thankful. it's been harder on me this year leaving him....when he goes into nicole's in the morning, he goes to her, turns to me and says "bye-bye". ugh! i love that he loves her, but man that stings....:o) i am taking nicole's little girl, kayleigh, to school with me in the mornings and she is a sweetheart. she's in kindergarten this year and is so sweet and polite. an added bonus: she sings to me all the way to school!

i also got a class pet this week. it's a dwarf hamster one of my students from last year had. i'm afraid he misses her a little so i hope he comes to visit a few days a week after school. my class named her "bacon". really. i have no idea why but i thought it was hilarious. i'm terrified of rodents so this is a huge step for me. the funny thing is, i actually like her.

tomorrow we'll be back to the grind....work, then running. i'm ready to get another week started and finished. :o)

corn on the cob we picked yesterday with mam and pap....mmmm!

he decided daddy's belly would be a good place to ride hossy toss. :o)

end of a vacation

school officially starts tomorrow. i've been cleaning like a mad woman the last two days trying to get everything spiffy before i have no time to do it. i know as soon as i get all the laundry done another load will be waiting for me, but it's so nice to have that 5 minutes when the basket is completely empty. :)

yesterday drew and i went to see mamaw...mine and his. my mamaw (drew's "big" mamaw) has finished 13 treatments and is now dealing with side effects. she was sick all night friday and can't eat because of the blisters in her throat. of course not being able to eat makes her sick to her stomach so she's just doing the best she can. i know she's incredibly tired, but she just keeps going, smiling and laughing as usual.

today drew and i played hide-n-seek...sort of. i hid, he came running calling "mommmmmy". waylon joined in and everywhere i went to hide, he sat right in front of me making me a target. when drew would find me he would do his twisty-tail run and fly back to the couch and wait for me to come tickle him. that game went on for a while, even with waylon ratting me out everytime.

tomorrow is a new day, a new week and the end of our vacation. aside from mamaw being sick, this has been one of the best summers i have had in a long time. drew was so much fun, i got to run nearly everyday, drew loved being pushed in the stroller when we ran and i read tons of books. now it's back to work, back to masters classes, back to cold weather. for now i've got to run, drew's decided he's going to clean out his closet and has half the stuff in the hall....life with a toddler--i don't think it could get much better. :o)

two gifts

so far this has been a wonderful week. two of my best friends have had momentous occassions and have been so blessed. first, my friend sarah had a birthday monday....oddly enough she gave me a wonderful gift by letting me know she and her husband, stad, are expecting! i cannot tell you how excited i was to hear the news. :o) the baby is due in february. they are going to make wonderful parents. andy and cindy won't be too shabby at being grandparents either.

the second gift of the week was delivered yesterday. ashlyn cynthia hatterick made her debut weighing in at a whopping 5 lbs 12 oz. tim and i are so thrilled for angie and joe brett. i can't wait to hear all the baby stories over the next few years. ashlyn is definitely a lucky little girl.



mamaw started radiation yesterday. it was the first of 25 scheduled treatments. she will do 20 treatments, then they will assess her progress to see if she will need more or less than the original 25. hopefully less, but we know it's going to be a hard road for her, especially having to travel everyday. pray that she has strength and energy over the coming weeks.



milestones and antics of drew as of late:

• he now weighs almost 27 pounds....doesn't sound like much until you lug him around.


• he doesn't use the potty yet, but he loves to pretend he does and tell me he has to go poop...especially when we are in the car. he knows it's a ticket out of his seat so he grabs his behind and says, "poop mommy! potty!" today he made me take his diaper off so he could sit on the potty for 15 minutes....


• he also wants to take a bath 10 times a day. i think he equates it to the pool and playing in water so he cries everytime he walks by the bathroom and tells me he wants a bath.


• he knows a lot of words now. it's crazy how quick he picks them up. his favorite phrase is still "what's that?" and his favorite word is now damnit, (or as he says, "nannit!"). he learned it from his mamaw. :o)


• he's been swimming in the pool with floaties on and doesn't want anyone to touch him. he's a little like his mommy in that he wants to do everything himself.
  
• he is obsessed with bug, (that would be hayley), cycles, dogs, tractors, cows and food. no particular food, just all food in general. (again, like his mommy.)

• 

  see the potty?
  

he sat with her for almost an hour that night....amazing considering he is NEVER still.

"swimming, swimming in a swimming pool...when days are hot, when days are cold, in a swimming pool!"