Dear Diary...

So, I do not keep a diary these days. If anything, this little blog has been mine for the past 5.5 years. In December, I did a little something that I would like to remember. While trying to hurry and prepare a meal for my family on a book club night, I cut my finger on the lid of a can of Dinty Moore Beef Stew. And by cut, I mean that I sliced it so deeply that in the end I received both stitches and a tetanus shot. 

Overall, it was a simple fix, but it taught me a couple of lessons. And it was a very ungentle reminder of how life is different once you have kids.

So, it is about 4 o'clock and I cut myself, and I am pretty sure that this is not just going to repair itself. Immediately I have to start weighing getting this fixed with the reality of taking two kids to a hospital. What do I do for the next 1:45 until Josh gets home from work? I get myself to the bathroom and grab a chunk of gauze (thankfully left over from a Halloween CRAFT project) and just wrapped it up myself and then with my teeth tear some Scotch tape and hold my arm over my head. I am sure that was a fun image to walk in to see.

So the big guy gets home and looks it over. Yep, he agrees this is never going to close back up considering how deep the cut is and the fact that it goes across the entire pad of my dominant SHOOTING HAND's thumb. I need to go to the hospital. Josh insists on going with me, therefore, we need to find someone to watch the kids. That required a couple of phone calls.

Then you think about all the preplanning I do when we go out to dinner and there is a sitter. And basically none of that gets done. Our neighbor gets here and we are like, "There is the food, we will be home as soon as we can."

As soon as we can has to take in account a one hour wait in the hospital ER, then another two hours to get me stitched up and discharged. We got a little stir crazy and entertained ourselves with "selfless". 

Our sweet neighbor not only fed the boys, but she also entertained them, and put them to bed. This was my end product. 

 Great scar, mama.

Oh and don't forget about those book club girls who were wondering if I would be thumbless at our next meeting. They-- so sweetly--collectively took a shot for each of my 4 stitches. And then texted me this. I just love them. It definitely made me laugh. It was taken after I sent them the picture of me in the hospital. I don't remember that one being taken. I think the painkillers were in full effect.

And 15 days later, to avoid another medical bill, I allowed my dear old hubs to cut out the stitches himself. And this time I did a shot for each of the stitches myself!

And that is the story of my first stitches. Pretty good record I had going on there…38 years….Not looking forward to that happening again!

State of the Union

Just when you thought you had heard the last of me…

Holy shamole. Where did the last month go?!? I officially believe I have lost a month of my life. Not really lost, but it was definitely a snowy, freezing weather-induced sort of craziness. Even now, with it warming to a balmy 11 degrees outside, I am starting to feel the funk lift.

I have so many things to talk about, I really don't know where to start. I will attempt to give you a little state of our union here in the midwest.

Hudson is now 5 going on 15. Yes, a lot of changes have happened with him over the past month. After too many days of being trapped in our home due to the polar vortex, he has morphed into a sassy talking, rambunctous little man. He regularly ticks off his brother only to lay on a syrupy-sweet apology seconds later. 

He has went to school a whopping 5 times this month. And yes, I am annoyed about that. Every two hour delay suddenly breaks my hopes and dreams of getting anything done around here.

In my month's hiatus from blogging, Tucker's eyes decided to change to a different color. They are a wonderful grey and he uses them to his advantage. He talks so much more each day and has joined in our game of calling out "Slug Bug" Volkswagons as we see them on the streets. Of course, to him most everything is a VW, so I enjoy the chorus of "Slogh bough, Mama" followed by his helpful older brother's "No, it isn't!" repetitively from the backseat.
Tucker has started his OT and Speech therapy. Both of which he is doing very well with. I doubt he will qualify for services after the next time he is tested. Our mornings are very full with these visits and working on our new skills.






The big guy has accomplished a TON in the past month. Our kitchen is….drumroll…done. And when you say, CONGRATULATIONS to Josh, he will just roll his eyes and tell you all the things that he is going to do next. I am so happy and blessed with the coolest kitchen in all of Indiana. Josh did a gorgeous job on the cabinets and I have so many little extras that I will have to create a "how to" for the next homeowner. And that would be the person who moves in after they remove my dead body from this place, because I am living here forever!
Josh enjoyed a nice stint of vacation days around the holidays. We all got spoiled by having him home.







I guess that leaves me. I desperately wanted Botox for my 39th birthday, but my husband said no. So my deep wrinkles will just have to be repaired with OTC lotions. I wear rhinestones now when I go to WalMart because I think it makes me look cool. I want a refund on my preschool payment for January to pay for my mid-day cocktails. (Just kidding. Sorta.) I am still serving on multiple committees with church and, oh yeah, I have opened my own studio!
I don't know what to say other then Heather Harris Photography really deserves a blog of it's own because it has had a tremendous month!

And that is the skinny here. Last Friday night we created an updated version of a Norman Rockwell-like take on our life. Perfected with the little "photobomb" from Mister T.