Mowers, cars & a little boy!

This weekend was pretty exciting, fun and exhausting all at the same time. Laura and I got a first hand look at what it is like to have a two-year old, at least for about 30 hours! Everett, my ever-so cute and tractor loving nephew, came for an overnight stay. We tried to have this experience last weekend, but sadly Everett came down with an unexpected virus, and with Laura being newly pregnant, we thought it would be a bad idea to expose her to the tiny spec that caused Everett such problems...

Everett had been talking about "coming to stay with Aunt Lala" for weeks, so we were hoping he didn't have the idea he was coming for part of the day and then leaving with mom and Mandy so very promptly when he was ready to go! Thankfully, Everett has quite a fascination with my wife so if he didn't want to do something I could simply input, "but Aunt Lala...." and insert whatever I am needing him to do... and everything would be hunky dory... I guess we can try and see if this theory worked!

We were not sure how everything was going to go because Everett has never really been "away" from home for an extended period of time... For those of you who do not know, Everett is my sister's one and only pride and joy, not to mention my mom's only grandson, so he is quite the little prized piece! For now, that is... in 8 months there will be two grandkids!!!

This Saturday my mom, sister & Everett came down to our house, in Canton, from Dalton. We all went out for a day of "baby" looking... we went to a couple of baby stores to get an idea of things good and bad, and also gave us some good suggestions on what we should register for when the time came.

After being out for a good couple of hours we made our way back to our house where my sister, Mandy and my mom stealthfully slipped out-of-the-house while we were in the backyard with Everett, and our dogs, Andy & Logan.

Later on we decided we would take Everett on a little outing and take him to Walmart, maybe stop and get some ice cream and then surprise him with a trip to Home Depot to see the lawn mowers. (Every kid has their vices, some it's Miley Cyrus or Thomas the train, Everett loves mowers, tractors & backhoes.) But, unbeknownst to us my mom had been so kind to leave us her Honda Minivan, however, she failed to leave us the keys to actually drive, said Minivan.

Laura and I decided the best course of action was to see if we could create a play date with Annagrace! Annagrace is mine and Laura's blond haired, blue eyed, adorable, fair-skinned one and a half year old niece who lives down the street. If Everett loves his Aunt Lala he would surely like Annagrace... and that he did, but at first it took a little bit for him to warm up to her, just like it takes any child to warm up to someone they first meet! They were laughin' and putting each other in the standard gender roles almost like a well rehearsed play! Annagrace played in her little playhouse while Everett mowed the lawn.

After a good amount of playtime we decided to head back and start on dinner... and get Everett cleaned up a little bit before it was time to eat. We invited Aunt Jenn, Uncle Paul & Annagrace over for dinner as to keep Everett plenty entertained. I mean a kid can only play with cars, ride his little bike and watch Ratatouille so much right?!?! We knew he loved "lickin' beaters" so Aunt Lala made some brownies just so he could!!! He was sooo cute about the whole thing, he took it so seriously!

Fast forward to after dinner we all went outside to play with the dogs and when it started to get dark Annagrace, Jenn & Paul left to go home. We told Everett it was bath time and we needed to get cleaned up so we could watch a movie and get ready for b-e-d. Bath time came and went with no hiccups or issues. We were getting pretty proud of ourselves! We could do no wrong, we thought! Here we were actually caring for a child and keeping him entertained and happy! Who knew!?

After bath time we got him dressed in his "Queen" (A Cars, character, if you were not aware..McQueen, to be exact) pajamas and sat down on the couch to watch "The Little Mermaid." We all sang a-long to every song and he was all smiles...until.. dun-dun-dun! Here it was... we actually popped the fun bubble... or should I say... I did. I, unwittingly, was rubbing Laura's tummy and asked Everett if he knew what was inside Aunt Lala's belly!? He shook his head no and we told him how a baby was inside her belly... his new cousin!

We asked him "would like a new cousin to play with...?"

His whole demeanor completely transformed. Everett was no longer happy. I could see it in his eyes... the look of jealously! He actually got up from snuggling with us and moved to the other side of the couch... he wanted as far away as he could get! I went over to him and tickled him and asked him if he wanted to help me let the dogs outside to go pee-pee. He said "yes," so I picked him up and we let the dogs out... I then asked him if he would like something to drink, "yes, I'd like some papaw-juice," (Chocolate milk) so I opened the fridge and got his drink out. Everett took his drink, walked over to the couch, and hopped up in Aunt Lala's lap. Crisis averted! Temporarily, atleast. Moral of story... do not talk about pregnancy with Everett.

Fast forward, the Little Mermaid is over, he waves good-bye and goodnight along with Ariel, Prince Eric, King Triton & ALL the mer-people of Atlantica and we turn the movie off. Here we are... the home stretch! Can we actually get him to go to sleep?!?!

Aunt Lala hops in the bed, with Everett snuggled up to her right side and begins to read "Peter Rabbit." I, lean in on the other side of him and ask him if it is okay that I lay in the bed too!He shakes his head yes, so I lay next to him while she reads the story. I can tell he loves the story... but it is over really quick... here it is... we kiss him good night, turn off the light and lay down, but he does not. Everett sits up and yawns periodically... He stays sitting up in the dark, in the middle of us for at least 15 minutes without a word... just a yawn every other minute or two. Finally, I fall asleep and am awaken by something hitting me... I immediately think, "did Everett just HIT me?" But, no, he was trying very hard to stay awake... he was fighting going to sleep as much as he could... like Nicole Kidman in "Invasion of the Body Snatches!" LOL! Only difference is 1. he couldn't fight it, he ended up with his head on the pillow snuggled up to Aunt Lala... and 2. His body wasn't taken over by an alien virus.

Again, fast forward, the next morning... up at 8:30AM and Aunt Lala makes breakfast! We watch some cartoons and then off to see Annagrace and let Everett mow the yard!!! We stay for about an hour and then back to the house to get him ready to go "home!" While we were waiting on my sister to come pick him up we watched "Logan & the Tramp" (or so Everett calls is)... He just loves our dogs!!! It is official. We had such a fun weekend with him and I sure hope we get to do it again. But, I will say we did not leave the house for the rest of the day because we were pooped!

Thanks to all that aided in us having a wonderful weekend!!!!