The Jersey Shore

No, they don't refer to it as the beach like the rest of us do - and I still don't know why, but I have a few more months to find out! When Mike and I arrived here 3 years ago, we frolicked down to Atlantic City to experience the "shore." Boy...we were disappointed. There was nothing beautiful about it as we are extremely partial to the Gulf. Needless to say, we didn't rush off to the shore during the summer like the locals in the following years. However, last month, we had the opportunity to participate in a Special Olympics Relay Marathon along the shore. There were five of us who each ran a leg. Mike had the longest with 6.5 miles and I had the shortest with 3. He still beat me. This was my first race ever, and the results are... I am still the slowest person ever pretending to run. Mike, however, beat his personal record. Back to my original thoughts about the shore... BOY WERE WE WRONG! The Shore is really great as long as you go to the right spots. The beaches were clean, the houses were in pristine, immaculate condition, no matter the age. It was like a step into a movie (Pleasantville and Truman come to mind). People were exercising along the boardwalk. Kids were playing in the sand and on the playgrounds...it was just great. With this newfound knowledge in mind, we finally drove down to Cape May last week with Aunt Marilyn and Judy. It is a quaint little historic town with a lighthouse. If you get a chance while you are in NJ, check out Cape May, Seaside Heights, Seagirt, and Asbury Park. What a nice slice of life!

Kensley thought it was funny to cover her feet in the sand.

Aunt Mah-lyn showed Kensley a seashell...she thought rocks were better?!?

Now this sand stuff is awesome! (Good thing!)

Remember Your Mother!

Just a reminder that Sunday is Mother's Day. My mom sent me this poem that I have loved ever since I had the pleasure of reading it - LONG before I was a mom. Even if you are not a mom, read it and enjoy the love that someone put into words. Before I was a Mom, I never tripped over toys or forgot words to a lullaby. I didn't worry whether or not my plants were poisonous. I never thought about immunizations. Before I was a Mom, I had never been puked on. Pooped on. Chewed on. Peed on. I had complete control of my mind and my thoughts. I slept all night. Before I was a Mom, I never held down a screaming child so doctors could do tests. Or give shots. I never looked into teary eyes and cried. I never got gloriously happy over a simple grin. I never sat up late hours at night watching a baby sleep. Before I was a Mom, I never held a sleeping baby just because I didn't want to put her down. I never felt my heart break into a million pieces when I couldn't stop the hurt. I never knew that something so small could affect my life so much. I never knew that I could love someone so much. I never knew I would love being a Mom. Before I was a Mom, I didn't know the feeling of having my heart outside my body. I didn't know how special it could feel to feed a hungry baby. I didn't know that bond between a mother and her child. I didn't know that something so small could make me feel so important and happy. Before I was a Mom, I had never gotten up in the middle of the night every 10 minutes to make sure all was okay. I had never known the warmth, the joy, the love, the heartache, the wonderment or the satisfaction of being a Mom... I didn't know I was capable of feeling so much, before I was a Mom.

Check Out This Site!

My neighbor came across a steal for ribbon and it got her creative juices FLOWING! She has set up a web-business where you can purchase the cutest little hairbows for your little one. Check it out!!! http://monkeybean.weebly.com/

ELMO!

Kensley looooooves Elmo! Yesterday, Mike found one in my school things we kept in storage and brought it hope to Kensley. (Yes, I wiped him down good with a Lysol wipe.) Today, she realized there were TWO (her favorite number to say) Elmos in the house. What JOY!

Holding her Elmos

Can you believe there are TWO?!?

Laying on the floor with Elmos and propping her feet on me...who is this kid?!?!?

A Growing Personality - Humor?

The news was on while I was waiting for the Y&R and the Ambien commercial came on where they are using a rooster right now. Kensley looooooves chickens and roosters. She got excited and surprised and told me there was a "woo-tah" on TV. I confirmed her announcement and kept cleaning up her lunch plate. I noticed her saying "tiddy" and a bounce out of the corner of my eye. I looked over and saw her bouncing up and down with her hands over her mouth saying "tiddy," bounce, bounce, "tiddy," bounce, bounce. She was play-giggling (hands over her mouth and bouncing) telling me that the rooster on TV was SILLY! A little sense of humor is clearly emerging.