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Highlight of the Week
I did an engagement session this week that is totally unlike anything I have ever done before!! My couple wanted something different from what they’ve seen their friends do for engagement photos, so we brainstormed & decided to do the session completely at night! We went to downtown Pittsburgh so we could have those city lights in the background & WOW – what an incredible time!! I cannot wait to get some of their highlights blogged – they’ll be coming soon!!
Yes, This Happened
Alright. So, if you follow me on Instagram (you don’t? why not? here’s the link!) you know that we’ve had quite the “adventurous” week with the above pictured ruffians. Let’s start at the beginning:
- Wednesday: we had spent the day Tuesday, getting stuff done around the house (a little spring cleaning) and so we were going a little stir-crazy. We were packing up to head over to Grandma’s house (because taking a half-potty-trained toddler out of the house is an ordeal). We were at the point of putting our shoes on – about 3 minutes from walking out the door. Braelynn drinks this protein smoothie every morning & when it gets down to the bottom, she cannot get the last little bit out of her sippy cup. So, I have the habit of unscrewing the lid & letting her drink the last little bit out of her cup – big girl style. We never have any problems. Until Wednesday. I had instructed Braelynn to finish her smoothie & then get her shoes on (which she can do by herself). I walked into the kitchen to get my own coffee & that’s when I realized something was wrong. I turned around & Braelynn had taken the last little bit of smoothie and spilled it all over the dog (and the carpet). Somehow, that last “little bit” multiplied itself into like 3 gallons. Okay, that’s an exaggeration, but there was way more than I though possible! This meant we weren’t 3 minutes from leaving, as the dog now needed a bath & the carpet needed scrubbed. Yay. So, that was Wednesday.
- Thursday: we had a really laid back week with very little going on. Thursday though is the day I give my little sister Ruby a piano lesson. So, we were getting ready to head out the door again. I was in the bathroom, putting on some makeup & tossing my hair up into a messy bun (because, let’s be honest, that’s where I am right now) and Braelynn had gotten really quiet. The perfect sign, if there is one, that trouble is brewing. I knew she was in her bedroom and just assumed (hoped) that she was playing with her toys or reading books (as usual). The quiet got more and more suspicious though, so I went to check on her. Unknown to me, she had stolen the dog shampoo from off of the tub (left there from the previous day’s bath) and taken it into her room. As I walked in, she looked up & said, “Look Mommy! Giving Abby a bath!” She had squirted half the bottle of shampoo all over the dog (and the carpet). Omigoodness. Do you know how hard it is to get shampoo out of the carpet (especially half a bottle of it?) After 20+ minutes of scrubbing, I realized that it was never going to stop sudsing & I needed to get a carpet scrubber. Thankfully, my parents have one & I was able to borrow it. (OH, and while I was giving the dog a 2nd bath & scrubbing the carpet, Braelynn was dumping every single book from her bookcase, toy, & stuffed animal all over the floor – so her room literally looked like a tornado went through.) Yay. So, that was Thursday.
- Friday: I was ready. After 2 days of this craziness, I was watching these two like a hawk. I was not giving the dog a 3rd bath (do you have any idea how long it takes to give the dog a bath? Abby’s not huge, but she’s heavy & we just seem to get water everywhere) We made it through the morning, through naptime, and then went outside to play. The weather is currently to die for, so out we went. Braelynn was running around the yard, Abby was following her, I was drawing on the sidewalk with chalk – perfect afternoon. We haven’t quite set up the yard again after winter, so most of Braelynn’s big “yard toys” are just all sitting along our fence. There’s her playhouse, her sandbox, and then the slide. I could not see her sandbox or the slide from where I was sitting because it’s on the other side of the playhouse. I can hear her playing though and it’s fine. Until I get up to actually go see her & realize it’s actually not fine. Somehow, the sandbox had gotten left open & it’s now full of water (and soupy sand). Braelynn has decided to dig in and she is covered, literally from the top of her head to the bottoms of her feet, and she has also smothered the dog in wet soupy sand. Well, you can fill in the blanks from here. Yay. Needless to say, both little rascals went straight into the tub.
So, it’s been quite the adventure. So far, today has been fine. And I’m crossing my fingers that it was just a crazy 3-day streak & we’re on the other side. Something is telling me though that this is just the beginning. Any seasoned parents out there have any advice they want to share?? I’m currently accepting all the advice I can get.
Feeling Blessed
Derrick got some sort of 48 hour stomach bug thing on Thursday and had to stay home from work yesterday. That might sound like a strange sentence to put under the “feeling blessed” heading, but hear me out: last year at this time, Derrick got pneumonia. He was off work for a week and had a cough for months afterward. He just seemed to never get better. He picked up every cold/sinus/virus/bug thing out there & was sick every few weeks. It was rough. Thankfully, Braelynn & I stayed fairly healthy through it all, but it was still rough. Derrick started taking a really good probiotic at the end of last summer & we’ve been making strides to consciously eat better (since January, we’ve cut out at least 90% of the sugar & processed food we used to eat) Not that we were eating super unhealthy, but we’ve just been conscious of eating more whole foods, more vegetables, less carbs, & less ice cream (boo). So, I think those two things combined has kept us really healthy this winter. Knock-on-wood, but other than that bug, we haven’t been sick at all. Of course, I’m terrified of even saying that out loud because I know that that means this week we’ll probably get hit with every sickness known to man, but I promise, I’m not saying it in a prideful way at all. It’s just a statement and I’m super thankful for it!
