2011,  Baby Shower,  Birthday,  Brayden,  Charlotte,  Family,  Football,  Hanleigh,  October

¡Viva La Mexico!

I feel like each month I mention just how busy things are…well, October was no exception. I was in town ONE weekend of the entire month! However, I am definitely not complaining as all but one trip was vacation related. We continued going to football games and even though the Wolfpack haven’t brought their “A-game”, we are loyal through and through. Trent and I went to Playa Mujeres in celebration of our 10-year anniversary, Mexico on the recommendation of some friends…and it paid off big time! Les and Joe joined us two days into the trip and we had so much fun! We stayed at the Excellence Playa Mujeres (adults only) and had the most amazing time. After our trip a few years back to Dominican Republic I had all but written off all-inclusive resorts. This place debunked that stereotype and I am so glad we went. There were always plenty of activities (beach volleyball, water aerobics, yoga, salsa dancing, etc.) or you could sit by the pool and drink yummy drinks all day long (we did both). Plus, the people watching was spectacular! We had nicknames for many people there (Fat Tomczak, Woo Girl, George Michael, Ken & Barbie, etc.) and could just sit back and watch the shenanigans unfold. We summed up the trip by deciding it is basically “Adult Spring Break”. We were out every night at the bar and dance club until about midnight or 1:00am, up for breakfast around 8:00am, and by the pool by around 9:30 or 10:00am. In typical resort fashion, there is that game of marking your territory with a beach towel to claim your chase lounges, so Trent did that and I would attend some of the exercise classes. The food was also amazing. The only buffet we saw was in a restaurant for breakfast. Everything else was ordered from a menu and was splendid and the variety of ethnic fare was impressive! Now, we are trying to figure out when we can go back and who we can round up to go with us. It would be so much fun with a large crew. Who’s in?

Brayden also turned five on October 17. I am not sure how that happened and I am constantly tell her to stop growing up. She’ll start kindergarten next fall and I can’t even think about it! Eeek! We celebrated her birthday party at a local park and a lot of her friends came and had a blast (plus, it saved us money by having it there versus a bounce house or something similar). She had her five-year checkup and was 37.2 lbs. (20%) and 42 7/8 in. (60%). I think that height might actually qualify her to ride some rollercoasters at Disney World (of course, it will be a few years before we go back there).

That week, I flew to Owenton, KY for an annual face-to-face meeting for the non-profit foundation Board of Directors meeting. The organization is called the Itron Employee Emergency Foundation and we assist employees who are financially impacted by situations and unforeseen circumstances beyond their control. It is a wonderful organization and is now my sixth year serving on the board. Very rewarding to witness firsthand the positive impact we make on employees’ lives.

I spent the third weekend on (what I hope will become) my annual college girls’ beach trip. This may sound cheesy, but girlfriends are so important to have in your life…especially those who have known you for so long and can appreciate where you were then and who you’ve become now. We had such an amazing time in Hutchinson Island, FL and did a bit of everything: rent a boat, went shopping, ate dinner, went dancing, laid out on the beach. There were five of us there and could ultimately be around 12 if we all didn’t have jobs, kids, husbands, etc. I’m sure each year will be a different mix of people depending on who is available. So, here’s my shout out to my college girlfriends: GO PACK, GO SIG KAP! I love you all!

Then, I co-hosted Abby’s baby shower. It went off without a hitch and I think everyone had a great time. We had a brunch, some mimosas, and everyone made onesies for little Landon (who is due any day now!). I can’t wait to meet that little man! Lastly, the month concluded with Halloween. Brayden was princess Ariel (imagine that!) and Hanleigh was Nemo (a hand-me-down outfit from Brayden…imagine that!). The weather was a bit nasty, so we all ventured out together to a few homes, but Trent took Hanleigh back to hand out candy while Brayden and I made the neighborhood loop. It’s been hard to resist digging into her candy pail!

I feel like we have also entered a new (hopefully VERY temporary) phase where Brayden’s temper tantrums have reached epic proportions (and they are over the most minute things). Here are some examples: One afternoon, she had a tantrum on the floor over because she didn’t want to bring a bag inside. So, while in meltdown mode, she spit on the floor. I asked her to wipe it up and she said no. After a long period of crying and lying on the floor (nearly in her spit), she went to go get a tissue to clean it up and while she was doing that, peapod licked up her spit, so she said she wanted to spit on the floor again so she could wipe it up. We told her no way. Nice!

Hanleigh now has six teeth, three of which showed up in one week. Teething never really affected Brayden the way it does Hanleigh. She gets a nasty diaper rash and cries with her hands in her mouth. I feel so bad for her when she is teething. Her vocabulary is ever-expanding and she can now say dog, mama, dada, puhp (poop), and baba (Brayden). When you ask her “what does a cow say?” she responds with “Mmmm.” She is also very good at following instructions. We will ask her to take something to the fridge or get a book from the bookshelf and she’ll do it! It’s great!!!

Brayden-isms:

  • When opening her birthday gifts, she “put gifts into a pile of the things I really like”, but Aunt Patty’s was the only one that made the cut!
  • In response to if she feels different now that she’s five: “I don’t feel like I’ve changed”
  • When discussing moving one day: “How will we carry our house?”
  • Frustrated with herself over writing a letter incorrectly: “I’m erasing this and never doing homework again!”
  • After receiving shots during her checkup: “I’m never coming back to this doctor’s office again!”

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