Kleenex anyone?

Patron?

Well this is a tough day for me.

My baby is all grown up.

No more Tonka trucks.

No more dinosaurs.

No more bedtime stories.

I'll try to get through this without balling like a big baby.....

Oh who am I kidding, I'm crying already.

Eighteen years ago I was 41 weeks pregnant. That's a week longer than full term.

A whole week late!

Do you have any idea how long a week is to a pregnant woman?

YEAH....it's FOREVER

After a very long labor, you arrived.

You were the most perfect thing I ever saw.

PERFECT......

7 lbs 7.7 oz

I brought you home and my life has never been the same.

You are my entire world.

We have EIGHTEEN years of memories.

Too many to even list.

So I picked my best memories of you.

Things that over the years that remind me of you every time I see them.

1. The sailor suit....... I brought you home from the hospital in this outfit. You were so tiny and cute. I never put you down to even sleep. You slept on my chest.

2. The Birthday Candle.......you're very first birthday. We stripped you down to your diaper and let you attack the cake.....You did NOTHING. You just poked it with your finger. Mommy thanks you for that.

3. The Lion.......The very first movie we ever went to see was The Lion King. That movie will always make me think of you.

4. Love you forever .....I've read

Love You Forever

to you many times over the years. I still have the book and I will give it to you on the day you become a father. I still cry every time I read it.

5. Alligators......What is it with boys and alligators? We've been to alligator farms, bought alligator heads, and even eaten alligator meat. You've always been fascinated with alligators.

6. The barn.....oh this reminds me of you and Texas. You've always been a Texas boy right down to the core.....even though you're from New Orleans. You're heart is always in Texas. I'm not sure if it's the farms, boots or cowboy hats....but you love Texas.

7. Cowboy hats and boots........These were a must when you were little. Like American Express, you never left home without them.

8. fish.....you love fishing. When you were about 7 you took some of my thread, a stick and a hook and made your own pole. It was so cute.....and sure enough you caught a fish. You were so excited. You take after your Paw Paw and can fish your butt off.

9. spiders....I can't begin to count the crazy amount of spiders you've squished for me or rubber one's you threw on me.

10. Turtle...Oh you were always finding turtles...and every time you found one, you would name it Rocky.....maybe because we watched that movie daily!

11. Shark....That's another movie you straight up WORE out. Jaws.....I'll never go in the water again after all the years of you making me watch that.

12. basketball.....Upward basketball every year at church. I went to every game. I love watching you play ball.

13. football...you're first year of football started after we had to stay with family in Texas because of Hurricane Katrina. The coaches were so impressed. They thought you had played for years.

14. baseball.....You were the only player that could bat both right and left handed. This was the first sport you ever played. You were too cute in your baseball uniform. Ahhh, MEMORIES.

15. dinosaurs......what boy doesn't like dinosaurs? Your love of dinosaurs started with the movie, Jurassic Park. When you was about four we were in Texas on vacation. The cows mooed in the distance. Your eyes got so big and you said.....DI-SAUR. We couldn't help but giggle.

16. fire truck.....or a FRUCK as you called it. Took you forever to get that word right.

17. skull and crossbones.....how could I ever forget the "nasty bones" as you would call it. Every time you saw this symbol on the menu at South Side Bar and Grill. You were too funny.

18. The diamond ring......It shouldn't be hard to guess why I chose this one......You were four and I was a lonely single mom who just left an abusive husband. One day I was crying and you looked up at me with those big blue eyes and said , "mommy, when I grow up will you marry me?"

This will always be my FAVORITE memory of you.

It's been EIGHTEEN memorable years....

and I wouldn't change one single thing about it.

Thank you for all the joy you have brought into my life.

I"ll love you forever,

I'll like you for always

As long as I'm living

my baby you'll be

HAPPY 18TH BIRTHDAY SON!

Love,

Mom

~Throw on your heels and get to baking~

My three year old is going to be a witch this year for Halloween. As always I will be making their costumes. TuTu's all the way.....girls are fun.

Well we found a cute, realistic looking broom and she begged for it. So we did as any parents do and we did what the child wanted. After all she is three and her cries are LOUD.

We left the store with the broom and you know she wanted to hold it....so once again, we did as she requested. Well for you parents out there, you should know that giving your child what he or she ask for does not always guarantee the absence of LOUD crying.

The tears began....and crying and talking do not mix.

We don't speak cry as my husband would say. This child cried for what seemed like an eternity. Realistically it may have been two minutes, but it truly seemed like forever.

After calming the spoiled child down, we could finally understand her.

"My broom is broke, daddy. It's not working. It won't fly" she said in her saddest voice ever....including big puppy dog eyes (these along with tears only work on daddies)

Daddy quickly replied, "Call you're I-Ya (grandma) and borrow hers. She's got plenty".

She did just that too. She called her I-ya.

I-ya would not loan out her broom.....she said it was her busy season and needed it.

although I-ya wouldn't loan out the broom,

the child was happy and the world was good again.

I-ya's fix everything!

Since my mother-in-law claims to have her costume on year round and brooms on standby at a moments notice (her words NOT mine),

I thought why not make some witch themed cookies

for her and those she wishes to cast spells upon at work.

Every witch needs a cauldron, so cauldron cookies was what I made.

I did warn her that black cookies turn your mouth black....she was NOT the least bit concerned.

She's so easy to please.......I wonder if she cast a spell on me to say that?

~Throw on your heels and get to baking~

I'll Love You Forever......

Let the Cauldron BUBBLE......

Baking in Heels