Mother's Day 2014

Mother's Day this year was great.  Parker and Matt made me breakfast, and showered me with new running shoes and a sweet new tradition of journal-ing.  Matt bought a journal that will forever replace halmark cards.  I'm super happy about it since I'm not a huge fan of cards.  Unless you plan on writing a big ol paragraph about how much you love me, than please forget the cards.  I don't like cards because they are written by other people, and because honestly, Matt usually just puts something like "love, matt" at the end. BORING. So, for now on, for all "important" occasions, Matt and Parker will just whip out the journal and create a page for me.  The first entry contains very sweet scribbles from my little boy, followed by a list of questions Matt asked Parker about me.  It was cute.  I look forward to looking back on this journal for the remainder of my life, and I look forward to hopefully seeing 2 kids scribble and write me sweet notes one day.

Of course I love being celebrated and loved on, but this day is most important to me because I get to celebrate my mom.  The best mom.  I love her so much it hurts sometimes.  She'll never really know how much I love her.  Or will she?  I'm pretty sure I know how much Parker loves me (which is A LOT), so maybe she does know.  Anyway, she has always done so much for me, and she is hands-down the best listener, who loves to hear what I have to say no matter how unimportant it would be to everyone else.  She is my rock, and my supporter, and my biggest fan.  I love her sooooooo soooooo soooooo much!  Happy mothers day mom!

My mom and MIL cheersing with their new picture collage mugs from Parker.

Poor Papa & A Mickey D's Disaster

A few weeks ago, Matt and I were out of town for a dear friend's wedding in St. Augustine.  While we were having the time of our lives, our precious Parker was in good hands with both sets of grandparents.  Papa (my dad) picked Parker up from the Howell's house early Saturday evening for a fun what was supposed to be fun dinner date with his grandson at Mickey D's.  

It all started off so perfectly.  Too perfectly maybe.  I called my dad when they arrived to check in.  Apparently Parker was eating all of his food and he was about to be let loose in the gigantic play area at McDonalds.  All was well and good.  We said our goodbyes, and I happily hung up the phone and resumed the wedding festivities.  I wish the story ended there. 

Here are a few pictures I received from my dad shortly after our phone conversation.  Parker was having the time of his life, and it seemed like the perfect activity to get him tired for bedtime.

It was all fun and games until it all turned terribly wrong. 

It all started when Papa couldn't find Parker.  High anxiety rushed over my father as he called out for Parker, and there was no response.  Thoughts like "Omg, I lost my grandson" poured through his head as he yelled and yelled for Parker with no response in return.  Could he have really lost him? This place was enclosed, and there was no way out except for the exit door, which was next to my dad.  There is no way Parker could have gotten out.  But why wasn't he answering to his Papa's request?  Hiding I suppose?  Yes, he was hiding.  But why? 

Panicked, my father asked another little boy to please climb to the top of the playhouse and look for Parker.  And so the boy did.  The boy found Parker, along with the HUGE disgusting mess Parker had made at the top of the slide.  The poor stranger boy brought Parker down for Papa, with my son's poop all over him.  Yup, that is right, my sweet little completely potty trained 3 year old was indeed hiding because he was taking a big ol' s$*% at the top of the slide.  Pee pee and poo-poo EVERYWHERE.  All over the slide, all over Parker, and unfortunately all over the sweet little stranger boy that rescued him.  Then, there is my poor poor 63 year old father.  With nobody there to help assist him in this messy messy situation.  Frantically apologizing to the nice mother whose son has some other kid's poop all over him.  Oh dear god, what was my father to do?  Well the only thing he could do... rush him to the bathroom to clean him off as good as he could before he got the hell out of there.  Apparently, when they walked into the bathroom, they cleared it from all people fast.  The smell was horrific my father detailed to me the following day.  Papa was determined to get out of there fast, so he did the best clean up job possible, and ran out the front door.  Only for Parker to screaming "my shoes, my shoes. my shoes are inside!!."  Oh no, was Papa really going to have to go back in that place and show his face???  Yep, Parker was freaking out about his dang shoes being left there.  My dad had no choice.  "Get in and get out" I'm sure he was thinking.

It's a story we can all laugh about now, but I'm pretty sure there is picture of my dad and Parker hung in front of this McDonalds.  I'm also pretty sure the health department closed down this playground for a period of time.  And I'm definite my dad will NOT be taking Parker back to one of these things until he is at least 7 years old. 

Bless my dad.  And bless the poor person who had to clean up the "mess".

Snowmageddon 2014

Wow! I haven't posted in FOREVER! I still have to post about Christmas, Parker's 3rd Birthday, and Parker's new school, but for now... I HAVE to document Parker's first snow, or what the native Atlantian's are calling it... Snowmageddon 2014. 

Last Tuesday, January, 28, 2014, started off pretty normal for the Howell's.  We woke up, got ready for school, I dropped Parker off at school with excitement that, according to the news, some snow was coming! Parker was pumped, and I was giddy at the fact that my work would probably dismiss the kids early so we could all go home and enjoy some "light snow". Ha, if we only knew what was about to hit.

Around 10:00 a.m., Cobb County got the word that middle school would dismiss at 2:00. Kids went crazy, teachers went crazy. It was an exciting time.  Around 12, I got a call from Parker's school saying that they were closing early at 3 p.m. Uh ok, I thought, no problem, right? Wrong.  By 1:00 our front office was flooded with parents coming to check out their kiddos early from school.  Stories of what was happening out their on the roads started pouring in.  And by 1:30, I'm kind of freaking out... I HAD TO GO GET MY KID.  I pleaded with my Assistant Principle to let me get my class covered and let me leave.  Without hesitation, she agreed that I needed to go.  So, I got in my car and headed on my way....

First I was in this... Sandy Plains. Moving slow and Steady. I can do this.

Then I was in this... Shallowford Rd. Stand stop. 1.5 hours to go less than a mile.

A little farther down... I see this... In front of Lassiter HS.  Ok, now I'm freaking. AND really have to pee.

 

At this point it was 3:00.  All I was thinking was... I HAD TO GET TO MY CHILD. Like NOW!  I knew my poor boy was probably watching all his little friends getting picked up and his teachers were probably leaving. He was probably freaking out. I HAD TO GET TO MY CHILD.  So, I went with my gut instinct and decided I couldn't go my normal short route to get to him.  Took a turn on Trickum to Sandy Plains to Ebenezer.  Brilliant.  No cars. I thought to myself... I can do this.  By 3:30, I was at my son's school.  Poor little guy was in the back room with a handful of older kids and a teacher he has never met.  Sitting on a couch alone. Hands in his lap. Quiet and sad. Tears rolling down his little red cheeks.  He saw me and just ran into my arms. Refusing to speak to me until we got in the car.  Sad little guy he was, but that soon changed when we got home, put on layers and layers of clothes, and headed out to play in his first snow.  Oh boy was he in heaven.

Best Day Ever.  Unfortunately, it took Matt 7 hours to get home.  But compared to most people out there that night, that was nothing.  It was a crazy unbelievable night that night in Atlanta.  A lot of my friends had it much much worse than us.  I am so grateful everyone made it home safe and sound.