Two is the new thing

So Button is finally officially a 2 year old! I was looking at pictures of her from when she was a baby and it is simply amazing to me how big she is now. She can follow directions and she is a helper girl. She talks so much and says so many words and short sentences. She is completely enamored of her big brother and follows him around doing whatever he is doing or trying to. She really thinks she is as big as him. She loves the dogs and will stand in the middle of a room calling out their names wanting them to come to her. Unfortunately for her they are unlikely to do that but still she tries. She is such a sweet girl, very curious and demanding but her nature is so loving and determined.

We are celebrating Sunday with a small family party (Flamingo themed!) but I have plans for her actual birthday today. I wanted to spend the day with her but a library conference got in my way so after work I'm going to go get her and bring to Build-a-Bear. I'm pretty excited to get to do this with her. It's going to be so fun.

I know from experience that trouble is about to begin because age 2 to 4 is insanity for toddlers (and parents) but I also know from experience that we can make it through to the other side. But right now we are getting sweet baby kisses and lot of hugs and cuddles. And it is so fun watching her discovery new things and learn everything.

Getting through it

Between soccer ending and baseball beginning, I feel like the stress had doubled down on me. BT is still out with training so I'm running around being primary for both kids. She's not so much a problem. Just a drop-off at daycare and that's it (so far). Thank God for my mom because I would have collapsed in a puddle of tears by now. She's the one who picks them up and watches them after school and has been watching them on Saturdays while I do the grocery shopping. But Bub has soccer practice on Mondays and now is going to have baseball practice on Tuesdays and Sundays, something I just found out on this past Sunday. So this week has become soccer practice Monday, baseball practice Tuesday, parent/teacher conference Thursday night, soccer games on Friday AND Saturday, Button's birthday on Friday with her party on Sunday, PLUS I have a library conference Thursday and Friday (thankfully in my city) at which I'm presenting. I have a plan to get through it all but mostly I'm trying to take it one day at a time. Thankfully BT will be home this weekend to help with the cleaning. Soccer is almost over. One more practice and then a tournament at the first of April and then we can concentrate solely on baseball. Next week doesn't look nearly this bad. I feel like I've done a good job keeping it together this month but it's like everything converged onto this one week.

Sick and tired, tired of sick

I just realized that I've barely posted this month despite having the occasional topic to write about. I've been sick for 3 weeks now which unhappily coincided with BT leaving for training for his new job and leaving me to care for the 2 hooligans. I thought I was getting better but then I relapsed or something because this weekend I ended up feeling worse. I ended up at the doctor on Monday where I got a shot of cortisone and an antibiotic.  I also swung by the aromatherapy place for some thieves oil. Both of these things seem to have helped and technically I can breathe through my nose but I'm still congested. I thought I'd be well by now. I don't know what this cold is but it hangs on, that's for sure. I'm just hoping, at this point, to be well for Button's birthday next week (!) and all that is going to be going on for that.

Losing a cousin

While we were in Oklahoma for Mardi Gras one of my older cousins died. It's a sad thing as he was only 43 and had (has) 3 kids, 2 of which are about graduated from high school. I hadn't seen him in quite a long time so I have very little personal grief but I do feel sad for my aunt (and his brothers, not to mention his wife and kids, of course). I can't imagine losing a child at all. I don't even want to try.

I was thinking about losing a cousin though. It's a strange thing. Some people you just expect to exist in the world. A few years ago one of my older cousins on my dad's side died. I forget sometimes in my cousin count that she is gone. And I'm sure that the same will happen here. When you rarely see someone that you are related to it's hard to remember they are gone. But still family is family and the loss is a terrible thing.