I am back... ish... for now.

I knew that I would drown under the week of finals but I did not anticipate the back draft that the week following would be...
I will do my best to catch back up without causing you to shove a fork in your ear out of boredom.

First things first:
school.
I made an A in my art class (and had you seen the caliber of duck I can carve out of ivory soap, this would not have been any surprise to you.) For some reason, I really enjoyed learning the history of art in this class, where as I remember despising it in high school.  This class was interesting and fun.
I made a B, however, in my "cell and molecular biology" class.  (I like to write the entire name, so it sounds more difficult and boring.)  This class was super hard to me... and honestly, I would have been satisfied with my first college C, because I really didn't deserve anything more than that.  Luckily I made 100s on all of my labs, and they pulled my grades up, but I still know very little about the cell, molecule, or biology for that matter.
The eye-gauging biology class I speak of above, was not one of the core classes I need... it is a UTA pre-requisite to the biology class I have to take, however, that I was suppose to start today.

I got a one week break after my first 2 classes, which was just long enough to realize how overwhelming and time consuming college is...
how great of a job I have...
and that the only race I am in to finish this damn degree, is the race against myself.

Lance and I talked, and with Christmas approaching, we decided that I would hold off on the next two classes (save our money) and start back in January.
I waited until the last and final day to drop, and finally went online to take care of it Friday.
I first dropped the biology class.  (it was the most expensive of the 2 since you have to pay for not only the class, but also its lab and the $250 lab kit).
Crazy enough, though, when I did... it showed I owed $0.00 dollars for the psych class I was still enrolled in.
I called the college and they said it was correct.
It was covered!
You know I am a sucker for a bargain, so I decided to stay enrolled in it!
And get this...
I went to rent my text book for it, and they had a used copy that I could buy for $5.
What kind of deal is that?!
My book will not get here until Wednesday and I already have 4 videos, 2 chapters, 2 quizzes, and 2 summaries due this week, so maybe it is a good thing I only have one class this semester!

Here we go again.

Maddox.
He is doing awesome in school.
I still sometimes get mad at myself that we didn't do this sooner for him.
I don't know that he is learning anything curriculum-wise, that he hadn't already mastered at home... (except the pledge of allegiance.  I never would have thought to teach him that!) but the social environment and structure and arts and crafts and following authority stuff, is awesome.

Today when I picked him up, his teacher said, "Maddox, tell your mommy what happened today."
My heart sank.
Maddox said, "I got 6 M&Ms!"
They start every day with 5 sticks and at the end of every day, they get an M&Ms for every stick they have left... so I originally thought he stole an extra M&M or something?!
The teacher explained that they caught him going above and beyond, helping another child in his class, so they asked him to put an extra stick in his folder!
I was a proud momma... We called Daddy to tell him, we called Gigi and told her and then we decided that Sonic happy hour slushes were a great way to celebrate!
I could tell he felt so proud of himself that we made a huge deal out of it... heck, he even got a phone call from his pop, all the way in Jordan, telling him how proud he was! 

Soccer, is also going amazing for Maddox.
{{insert video that refuses to load, here}}
His final game is next week and I realize that he is mine, but I bet all of the parents would agree, that this child deserves a most improved award.
I went into this season expecting a little flower-picking Holly.
And game one, we got almost-that.
Each game, though, he has grown so much and now he is our best (or at least one of the best) little players.
He is so coach-able and really understands the game, I think.
He scores almost all of our points now-a-days, to the point that Lance had to hold him back the last 2 games so that other kids can get a chance!

Though he is no longer a flower-picking Holly... he is still the make-everything-a-much-bigger-deal-than-it-is Holly.
The last 2 games, he has cried before the game with belly pain.
After some investigating, I think I realized that he was nervous that he wouldn't score this game like he had in all of the other games.
Lance and I talked to him about it... and told him that scoring is not what is important... and that we only play soccer for fun... and that Lance and I will be the same amount of proud if he scores zero points but runs and pays attention and helps his friends up and passes the ball... as we would if he scored 10 points.
He said okay...
but then he said, "well there no money in passing the ball.  I better score."
And he continues to do so each game.
We created a money making monster, I think.
And maybe we never should have offered a dollar per score in the first place... but add it to the things that we probably didn't do perfectly.
'Tis parenting.

Beckham.
Today is his 1 year and a 1/2 birthday!
I can not believe this little lamb is already 18 months old.

It is difficult to pinpoint his little personality, because he has days where I would call him the quietest, sweetest, loving-est child in the world...
and other days I refer to him as a garden snake.
Mean.  like.  a snake!
(but not poisonous!)


I am somewhat embarrassed to admit, because I know it is not the norm within my social circle, but I do want to document, that we are officially finished breastfeeding.
I tried to ween for months, but stopping cold turkey a couple of weeks ago was what worked best for us.

I think I felt the need to nurse him longer than Maddox mainly because it was so easy, and I learned after constant questions and appalled faces to keep it more to ourselves this go around.... but also because it was my way to bond with him.
Maddox was talking by now and could express himself better so this was a way that I felt B could comfort himself and enjoy our time.
No big brother...
no daddy...
just me and B.

But Lance made the comment that we had gone long enough, and he was ready to be done...
and that's all that I needed to hear.

Beckham did much better quitting than Lance or I either one thought he would, but he did replace one pacifier with another, when he started carrying around the snuggies that have always stayed in his bed!

I am not sure if it simply is a way to feel the void of the boob, or if he noticed that our little friend Audrey carried her lovie around when she stayed with us... but either way, he is paci mouthed and snugged armed, most of the day!

He still is not talking.  (hold your paci comments please)
He has said bat, gigi, night night, and more a few times each.
But don't even think about requesting a repeat, because he is tight lipped!

I have stalked down  talked to a few speech therapists and they all have come to the same conclusion...
He's a boy...
He's a 2nd child...
He is conquering motor skills with ease...
Give him time.

So, we will continue trying our best for words...
and answering to his grunts of commands.

He gets his point across well enough, like when he pokes his belly our real far, to tell us he wants to potty in the toilet.
He has yet to master it, but he gives it hell trying.
632 times a day.

My mom took him on Saturday and got him his first hair cut.
I thought I was going to cry when she sent me the pictures...
but now I like it.
He just looks more like a boy.
A sweet little groomed, boy.

Speaking of Saturday...
We had plans to tailgate at the TCU vs TECH game, but minutes before heading to the game, we got a phone call that Kaleb had scored 4 tickets and we were now going in.
That meant that my sister, who was planning on tailgating with us, was ticketless.  She was sweet enough, however, to acknowledged how few times Lance and I have dates away and told us to go on without her.

Her and my mom spoiled the boys with dinner, hair cuts, a movie and a toy from target.

We spoiled ourselves with an exciting game (that went into triple overtime) and dinner at Chuys with some sweet friends.

Sunday I had to work but Amanda and I ran around town after, searching for the perfect outfit for our girls weekend in November.
We laughed so much and though we both felt guilty leaving our men in charge all day...
We enjoyed ourselves.
And laughed.
A lot.

I came home to a clean house from my hubby...

and today he brought me surprise 'no reason' flowers.

Maybe my day away was just enough time for him to realize that there is a lot more to the staying at home gig, than just, staying at home!

Or maybe he just loves me.

Who knows?!