Reese is TWO

Dear ReeseyPiece,

You are the busiest person I know.  Your curiosity and joie de vivre are unmatched.  As Pawpaw says, you are just happy to be here!  And we're happy you're here too!  

We had a Strawberry Shortcake-themed birthday party.  You ate several strawberry flavored cupcakes.  We'll find out next week what all your latest "stats" are...height and weight and such.  To be sure you are in the 90+ percentile for both.

If Walmart would hire you at two years old, I would let you work there.  You are the best greeter of strangers I've ever seen.  Today when we left Cracker Barrel, you waved bye to every single table we passed on the way out.  Loudly and with enthusiasm.  You make everyone around you smile.

We love you so much and are better people with you in our lives!

Read about when Reese was born! 

Part 1

Part 2

yes, it's a ridiculously long story...

Part 3

Causes of Happy

I'm participating in a bloggy challenge.  We're supposed to write every day on the prompts provided.

Prompt:  What makes you happy?

1)  Candles.  I love them.  Because of curious cats and now more curious kids, I don't have many at all.  But at night with the lights off and candles lit, I love that.  The ambience is peaceful.  Maybe I was born in the wrong century?

2)  Kittens.  They are fuzzy, cute and crazy playful.

3)  Toddler-speak.  Little kids learning to talk are hilarious.  For example, my two year old says "chawbeebee" instead of strawberry.  And "mar-sham-moes" instead of marshmallows.

4)  Good listeners.  Partly because they are a rarity.  Partly because I'm a talker.

5)  THE BEACH.  Walking on the beach is one of my favorite past times.  Don't get to do it much, but I love it.

6)  Winning with money.  What I mean by that is making good money choices, staying out of debt (except for the house), and enjoying the peace of mind that comes with it.  Paying bills is a pain, but it doesn't stress me out or cause me grief.  We budget and we stick to it.

7)  Long-time friends that know me well. (and still put up with me)

8)  The following foods:  cotton candy, chicken and dumplings made by my momma (or my granny, but she's in heaven now and has yet to make me any from there. yet.), chocolate chip cookies, cinnamon rolls sans nuts or raisins, french toast, papa john's pizza, eggs: scrambled, over medium, or hard boiled.

9)  The following beverages:  hot tea in the cold months, sweet iced tea in the summer months, dr. pepper, pumpkin spice chai from sbux (not a coffee drinker, so can't do the pumpkin spice latte), and a variety of milkshakes.

10) An unprompted act of kindness by one of my kids.  Doesn't even have to be towards me, just seeing them being kind every once in a blue moon makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.

11)  While watching football, when one player helps an opposing team member up from the ground.

12)  Tiny baby feets.

13)  Singing.  I'm an alto.  I love acapella music, but don't get an opportunity to sing it anymore.

14)  Encouraging people.

15)  Scott's (the husband) sense of humor.  He makes me laugh.  A lot.

How about you?  How would you answer this prompt of "What makes you happy?"

Five Fun Facts

About me!

1)  I have lived in nine different states and one foreign country.  It went like this: TX--NC--AL--VA--NC--PA--Korea--IL--MD--NJ--NC--SC--NC--SC.  I seem to be stuck in a bit of an NC/SC vicious cycle!  I grew up as an Air Force kid, in case you were wondering why all the moving.

2)  I could probably live on only cereal.  Who am I kidding.  I mostly do already.  Lucky Charms, Oatmeal Squares, BiLo brand Crispix, Honeycombs, Life….how do I love thee…

3)  I was born to take regular trips to the beach.  I love it there.  One day, I will own a beach house.  Mark my word.  One of my favorites:  Bald Head Island, NC

4)  Having a double name (Betty Anne) is NOT the most awesome thing ever.  I would not recommend you ever burdening a child with such.  People always leave off the second name, or forget it and make up a replacement (ex: Betty Sue, Betty Jean)  If you do this to me on purpose, you are just being hateful.

5)  I'm a "clean car" person.  In this case clean means clutter free, not necessarily dirt free.  Every time I go into the house from my car, I take stuff with me.  I don't let mail, random papers and receipts, kid* toys/shoes/snacks/sippy cups/diaper bags accumulate.  Sadly, this is the only junk free zone I maintain well.  My house, my room, my desk…they suffer much worse fates.  Where do you think I put all the crap from my car??

*Nor do I allow kids to accumulate in my car.

There ya have it.  Five random facts about ME.  Your turn!