Weekend Wrap Up

Happy Monday Y'all! Hope everyone enjoyed their weekend, can you really believe the summer's almost over??? Our weekend was pretty busy and filled with birthday goodness. Chunks turned 3 last Sunday and we've been partying ever since! I asked what he wanted to do for his birthday and said "See the T-Rex!" so no brainer we were off to the American Museum of Natural History. It's one of our favorite places to hang out and it was good to see him in his new 3 year old personality there.

We had a classroom party that was a hit for some and miss for Chunks on Monday. Apparently he has a problem with Mommy having a good time with his friends. I'm learning more and more of his personality and a party kid he may just NOT be ::shrugs::

Work was work and I may or may not be looking to change positions. I don't want to say that when everyone in management are female there's more drama than under any other type but it is a special bunch... 

Pass all that...

ON TO THE BASH! I spent all of Friday cleaning up my parent's backyard and discovered they should be the next case on Hoarders, it's a shame smh! The cooking got started, friends and family came over, and the clowns showed up it was a great time that didn't end until midnight lol.

Hope you all enjoyed your weekend and are all ready for a GREAT week (positive thinking is supposed to help).

Wordless Wednesday-A Boy, His Truck, and His PaPa

The Birthday Weekend Edition

Y'all are going to have to bare with me, somewhere along the way I became that mushy mom I always swore I wouldn't.

Today was my actual due date 3 years ago (where has the time gone)I remember feeling fat and hot and totally shattered when the Dr told me we would probably have to wait another 2 weeks for Chunks to make his debut. I was READY why was my sweet baby not?? Two days later I felt his knock when my water broke and I happily skipped to Labor and Delivery.
I have to say my delivery was kind of what raising Chunks has been. Nothing like the movies. My water broke at midnight and he was born at 2:00p and I had maybe an hour of real pain. When i walked into the hospital and the nurse asked why i was there and I told her I in labor she looked at me like 'yea right' lol until she dis her checks. I remember telling jokes watching Save by the Bell and Married with Children before falling asleep and listening to Jay Z's Reasonable Doubt an Black Album during the whole thing ( if you know me any bad day can be fixed by hearing Jay's voice) and having a good time stopping to pray when it became real. And then it was show time!
I went into myself and coached my little miracle out "Please don't rip mommy" and there he was.
Quiet and AWAKE! lol that saying all newborns do is sleep hadn't met Chunks he would just look around trying to take in his new world. So far not much has changed we've just been having fun, telling jokes and having a good time together. Times get a little rough, especially this later year but I go into myself, say a prayer and coach us through each transition and we come up 3 years stronger, closer, and more determined-with Jay's New York State of Mind playing in the background of course.

It's countdown time over here Chunks is turning 3 on Sunday and my baby is now the happiest, most charming, cars and trains obsessed big boy miracle I'd ever want to love!

10 Years Wiser

Ten years ago I left Brooklyn to start the newest chapter in my life..COLLEGE. I was excited about a new life, getting away from home, and starting my "real" life. Last weekend I celebrated with old friends in the city at our High School Reunion. I couldn't believe it was 10 years already, we're officially the old heads lol.

It was great to see everyone, catch up on each other's lives and see how 10 years affected us, the class of September 11th, the class that endured 3 principle changes, and the most graduated students with the highest overall GPA! We turned out pretty well and most of us stayed in touch somehow because we were also the Freshman class of Facebook when only undergrad students could join (remember that???).

I started to think about the 17 year old that went out to Philadelphia and as much I wanted to feel differently I really wish I didn't. I should've stayed right here because honestly, and you couldn't have told me this then, but I wasn't ready. The mindset I was in...hindsight is 20/20. I wish I could have met 27 year old Candace as a mentor somehow then and avoided so much. So in honor of this 10 year growth I've been doing, here's 10 words of advice to 17 year old I-Think-I'm-Grown Candace from the I-Know-Better 27 year old:

*If you don't really want the friendship, DON'T fake it. It's not fair to either person and you both lose in the end.

*Get out of the dorms and STUDY! If you apply to Med School with 2 Cs on your transcript they will throw your application in the trash! FOCUS.

*You don't have to work so much, try talking to your parents they will work something out for you.

*Yes he's cute, fine as hell even, but he's not for you!

*YOU DON'T HAVE THE ANSWERS!

*Pay attention, if something's THIS wrong in the beginning NOTHING good will come of this (well maybe one thing).

*He might be a boyfriend but he is NOT a husband!!! smh  (I would have yelled this in my face)

*They didn't have the answers but you have less, they love you, don't make them the enemies.

*Party some more!! You'll never get these days back.

* You don't have to be perfect you really do get better with age.

Lessons from an Odd Life

I know it's been forever and 3 days since I've posted anything but I didn't want to jump in and out of this blogging business constantly and write nonsense because I wasn't all in it. SO I took a mental break to get life settled and I must say I've done pretty well! Everything is not 100% great (yet) but I'm getting there and I can see the brighter day. Ok, enough of my rambling here's really what brought me back:

credit

Tuesday evening the fabulous ladies of The Moms invited bloggers, writers, Twitteratzi (my term lol) , and hardworking moms to a screening of the new movie The Odd Life of Timothy Green. I was excited to go since I had already planned on seeing it on one of my Just For Candace days (blog on this to follow) and it was at the Disney Screening Room, an easy walk from the job WIN! The event was hosted by Lipton Tea and Honey, which is a delicious on the go tea sweetened with honey, instead of mounds of sugar like I'm guilty of using, and complimented the yummy Baked by Melissa cupcakes. There are already 3 on the go packs in my purse ready to go.

Forgive the blur 

What made to movie really special for me was the introduction we got from the film's star Jennifer Garner who, juggling 3 kids, an awesome husband, and career took time out to speak to us a bit. I wanted to jump up and hug her when she was asked how does she find the balance between in all because it's a question I get asked a lot and never seem to have to right answer for but Jennifer was SPOT ON: THERE IS NO BALANCE!!!

I've heard some moms get real deep and say they have day schedules and prioritize daily responsibilities and blah blah blah, it doesn't apply in my life and I felt like FINALLY someone gets it.  Jenn, yes we're friends now, says you have these roles that you have to play and these responsibilities that need to be met and you just DO IT. She reminded us that it's ok to not have all the answers and not be perfect parents and The Odd Life is a movie that highlights just that. There is no pressure to be the perfect parent, with the perfect kid, and the perfect life so don't put any on yourself. I was sold right then and there! And then the movie happened...

I won't give too much away because I really think you all should go and see it but miracles happen everyday, your child is a miracle, and the chance to soak it all in in the moment is an incredible blessing that can easily be overlooked. Do not look for the logic or reality in this movie, see it as a modern day fairy tale that hits home to kids from 5 to 65. Laugh when you can, hug often, and even if your kids don't have every single quality you dreamt he would it's ok, THEY ARE PERFECT! By the end of the movie everyone had the snifles and there wasn't a dry eye in the house. It's a great movie for tweens and teens getting comfy in their skin and for parents who think everything has to be mapped out and perfect. I walked away from the movie feeling much better about the kind of mother I am and the fact that I will make mistakes and that it's fine as long has Chunks knows he's loved. I couldn't wait to get home to him and smother him in kisses no matter how hard he screamed and shoved lol.

Thanks to lovely ladies of The Moms and Lipton and my new friend Jennifer for an awesome reminder and night.