The Glory Days

Lately I've had the worst spring cleaning itch.

Which is weird because it is January.

I think it's because Newbie is growing out of all his baby stuff, and we have absolutely nowhere to store any of it, and that's making me feel like its time to purge the closets.  We're also aiming to put our house on the market this March, and I'm feeling desperate to unclutter and organize in preparation for the sale, because I'm anxious to get into another house, preferably one with a fenced in backyard where we can leave Opie for dead.  Just kidding.  ...or am I???

Opie has actually been doing really well lately.  We've even taken down the Great Wall and let him roam run through the house like a maniac while Newbie is playing.  They get along really well; Opie just isn't always aware of his own strength, or his excessive shedding habits.  The vacuum is going to have to move out of the upstairs closet and come live in the living room if Opie is going to be allowed to wander like he has been lately.  Yuck.

In the past 24 hours, my organizing itch has manifested itself in several runs to Target and Honey-Do lists that we have divided and conquered.  I have new dining room curtains, place mats, and a fabulous wall of picture frames to show for it.  WOOHOO!

The Hubs had yesterday and today off, so we've just been chilling out at home in our PJ's getting things done and hanging out with this little man...

Because why not eat the dog toys?

He's been crawling into his bouncer for the past few days.  He laughs because he's too big for it, but he likes to chill out in there like he's on some beach in Hawaii soakin' up the rays.  The Hubs still says he wishes they made baby bouncers for adults. =)

Speaking of sunshine and summertime, today it is freezing outside, and I'm finding myself daydreaming of my southern roots a lot.  I'd trade a billion Oreo Blizzards for some time out at the meadow in Texas right now.  This is one of my happy places:

That picture is one of my absolute favorites.  I was two, sitting out in my little lawn chair with my grandad,  just enjoying God's gorgeous creation out by the pond at the meadow.  That man is so special to me.  And so is that meadow. And that pond.  And, let's be honest, I love that mini lawn chair too.

I'd  like to take a moment and draw attention to the fact that once upon a time, I was a natural blond, as evidenced by those two pigtails. *sigh*  The glory days. Does it get any better than pig tails and two years old?

If I could click my heels and be at that meadow today, I would do it in a heartbeat. If I could click my heels and have that naturally bright blond hair again today, I'd do that in a heartbeat too. Of course, if I headed south, I'd have to bring my little ragamuffins along, because life just isn't as sweet without them.  And yes, I'm counting the Hubs as one of my little ragamuffins today because as we speak,  he's lying with Newbie in a huge pile of toys in the middle of the den. And they are wearing matching sweatpants.  I'm just saying. I'm not sure there's a sweeter blessing in the world than a wonderful Daddy-O, and I'm so grateful my son has one.

I'm off to do things much less fun than sitting out in a lawn chair by the pond with my grandad on a warm spring day.  It's laundry GAME DAY, and the time has come to face my nemesis.  I'm off to attack the mountain in the mudroom.  If I'm not back in 24 hours, send out a search party.  This is going to be brutal.