Oh the pressure!

HEADLINE: 

Shepard's mom incredibly slack of late due to who knows what

Instead of trying to instantaneously recap the last TWO months, I'll just tell what I loved about the last few days...

Easter-egg dying party

• At night when we're settling in for sleep (at long last, usually), Shepard usually turns on his side and throws his arm over me. Like a sleepy side-hug. It's awesome.
• Last night, Shepard and Daddy built a "house" out of sofas, stools and pillows in the lounge. Then Shepard decided it was Mommy's birthday and had me over for (fake) cupcakes, (real) dance party, and he and Daddy sang (real) "Happy Birthday" to me. I invited Henry Hugglemonster and friends and Shepard did their voices. I like watching his imagination at work.
• Shepard asks me about 492 questions every day. I love his curiosity. I wish it had a shut-off at 9 pm, but I love that he's curious and wants all the answers. Questions lately have included:
• Why do we have hair?
• Do boogers have nutrients?
• Why did the sky go boom-boom last night (thunder)?
• Why are eyeballs round?
• Why do we have eyelashes?
• Why do eyelashes fall out into your eye?
• Why is there an American flag there?
• Why does Elsa have frozen powers?
• Why do you not know?
• Why didn't you write the movie?
• Why don't you work for Disney?
• Why didn't Mr. Disney invite you to work for him?
• Is that tree a forevergreen?
• Why is sugar a treat food?
• Why doesn't it have nutrition?
• Why does William have a girl baby (baby sister)?
•  A few nights ago, Shepard led Gigi and I (with capes) on a mission to blast the bad guy (Pops) with hot rocks and make him go away. We ran through the house yelling and being excited together. 
• I should have bought stock in Chick-fil-A years ago. I think they put toddler-crack in their food.
• This morning when he woke up (in our bed because of the thunderstorm), he asked, "Am I four yet?" Not sure what four holds in store for him, but it's funny because I have a distinct memory of asking my own mom if I would EVER turn 4.
  

  

  Aren't they cute? Next year we'll do way more. I need my own dozen.

  
  

  

  Easter basket in jammies

Have a good holly jolly Christmas

Shepard loved Christmas music this year. Particularly the instrumental "Sleigh Bells" remixed with "Santa Claus' Party" from the Elf soundtrack and "Holly Jolly Christmas." He kept asking why are they saying "Holly Jolly," and all I could come up with was "it means really good." So he sings it "Have a good holly jolly Christmas" now.
The WHYs are killing us. And fascinating. He analyzes EVERYTHING. From pictures in storybooks, "Why is the man driving that truck?" to weather "Why are the clouds smoky?"...to everything. It's non-stop. I'm doing my darndest to answer all of them patiently and with good age-appropriate facts. However, when he asks my why his pee pee has an "egg," I defer to the Husband.
I digress.
Christmas was mostly lovely. After a whirlwind few weeks leading up to the actual vacation (oh Lord, why was it so crazy!?), we were blessed to have a long span of days together with family. We even got our Illinois family for Christmas this year!!! Then, Shepard got a little virus just in time for Christmas Eve, Day and part of the 26th. He was barely sick all year, then got wiped out for the biggest 48 hour timeframe. Sigh.

Here's a photo recap.

Lego table!

Capturing both of us smiling with eyes open is like getting Bigfoot on film.

More legos

Grandma assists with present-opening

Christmas Day. Feeling ok enough to open a few gifts

Yay for presents!

Books with steering wheels!

Illinois family at Grandma's house

Gigi and Pops sort out the train situation

"Kindergarten toys!" from Harry and Suzette

All the blondies...

It seemed that the pile of presents was never-ending.

Melissa and I doing a selfie...for two. With elfie.

Go Panthers!

Look at our cool helmets!

Gridiron Cousins

All the Jones boys with all the kids

Thanksgiving

Yes, it's the middle of December. No, I don't know what happened to this year.

Here are some highlights from Thanksgiving at Grandma's house:

Aunt Jessica and Cousin Micah hanging out

Cousin Madeleine shares the iPad

Morning snuggles

Hi, Uncle Justin. Grandma is back there workin' up a storm....

Selfie with Shepard

Uncle Matt give Regis some love

Twas the night after Thanksgiving and all through the house...

We're wearing our jammies and hangin' at the house...

TURKEY!

Cousins at play

TRICK OR TREAT!

This was Shepard's very first Halloween that he knew what was going on. Last year's endeavor into costuming and candy-collecting was a bust. This year, he really wanted to be a "superhero." He didn't really have one in mind, so I made up Super Shepard and made him a logo.

First, we went to an on-campus event that was like a festival and trick-or-treating in the residence hall. That was on Tuesday. He had a blast. I couldn't find his mask, and he didn't want to wear one anyway, so I grabbed the yellow wig I had in my office (for such a time as this...and for Winthrop basketball games)...and he LOVED it. It worked well with his costume.

On Halloween, we went to his teacher's house first (she said we could). He was very excited to see his teacher come to the door and give him candy! Then, we went to some friends' neighborhood and got down to business. However, Super Shepard was quickly done after a handful of houses. We were able to see some great decorations, though and had fun.

We found his "super hero twin" in the residence hall handing out candy!

He got the hang of "trick or treat" pretty quickly.

In all his glory.

Daddy and Super Shepard play a game at the festival

It was fun to trick or treat with a co-worker friend and her girl.

It was tough to get my super hero to stand still

It's a super bucket!

First one up the stairs at the residence hall

Jerod carved an AMAZING Carolina Panthers pumpkin...

Mommy as Rosie the Riveter "flying" Super Shepard after real trick or treating.

It's the year of the retro-post. Happy Fourth of July!

Pay no attention to the post date.

I would say it's been a crazy year, but I'm beginning to think they're ALL crazy. So, no excuses. I'm spending more time with Shepard these days due to a later bedtime, so I think my blog-time must have been in the evenings after he went to bed. But I can't remember because I'm so flippin' tired.  :)

Shepard's day care has a great tradition of doing a Fourth of July parade each year. Each class makes t-shirts and hats, the fire truck comes out, and a four-piece jazz band...and they go around the block in their strollers, wagons, golf carts, etc. ALL decked out with stars and stripes. It's great fun. Jerod got to go this year and take some photos (it was on July 3, and I had to work). It's such a big deal for the kids. When they come back in to the gym, they get sno cones and there are bouncy houses. It's a big party.

Parade-goers. Lots of parents and grandparents.

Shepard in the bouncy house

The fire fighter let the kids sit up in the fire truck!

Then, he let Shepard hold a real fire hat.

The squinty-eyed smile of late.

Passing time before the big parade.