You Give Me Fever.

It's late. I'm awake. My right ear hurts.Can't breathe through my nose. Sinus pressure. Snuck out of bed to clean up Jack's toys in the living room and start the dishwasher. See? Productive even with a fever. Glancing occasionally at Sixteen Candles on TV in between browsing blogs and online shopping sites. Waiting for this week to pass so this sickness will pass. Jack has been home from school all week- he is the little monster who got me sick. But I don't mind. In the middle of the night, when your baby is coughing and crying for you, you hold him. You let him cough and breathe in your face. You don't even care when he sneezes on you. You repeatedly wipe a stream of snot away with something called a "boogie wipe." (i didn't think i would ever buy those things but i swear, they're pretty handy when you have sick babies.) Things that sound disgusting before you have kids are things you don't even think twice about once you have them. 

Jack started on medicine yesterday and today seems to be an improvement. Even though Jack is my best buddy, I think we both need to see a little sunshine and get out of the house. Maybe spend a little time apart even. We need adventure.

Jack was happy when Aunt Hannah came to town! 

We took Jack to Local for the first time a few weeks ago and he loved it. We checked him into "Localville" and it was a HUGE hit. Local is one of our favorite places to eat and/or drink here in Norman, Oklahoma. Localville is a fun place the kids can play and eat (supervised of course!) while you enjoy dinner with friends or a date night or whatever. It's the most brilliant idea. 

Husband had a birthday recently. We stayed in a suite at The Mayo in Tulsa. Can I live there, please?  My mom told me a sweet story about how my grandma and grandpa stayed there once when she was a child and they brought back stationary for her. She loved to look at it- there was a picture or drawing maybe? of the building on the paper. Thinking about my mom as a child (Baby Susan as I like to call her) is so adorable. I need to scan some pictures of Baby Susan so you can see what I mean. I swiped the notepad from our room to give to her but- there is no picture of the building. 

Also, I'm pretty sure that place is haunted. 

It's been a few weeks but I went on a little trip with my dad. We flew to LA to visit my brothers and sisters-in-law. We didn't rush around. Didn't stay out late. We didn't even get drunk once. We ate delicious food, went to a cemetery that smelled like dead people, took a tour of Paramount, drove to San Diego, and saw Django Unchained at Q. Tarantino's theatre. It was awesome. Of course I missed my boys- this was the first time I've been away from both of them at the same time for longer than a day. I will say- it was pretty relaxing not having to take care of anyone else though. I appreciate the little things, folks.

Ok, I think maybe I got a little buzz from drinking a flight of beer at this place.
(Pathetic, Brooke. Get your shit together, girl.)

This is my dad. His favorite things to talk about are art, traveling, history, and death. And his grandchildren.
And Facebook.

Ok. Time to raid the medicine cabinet for something that will make my fever go away.

Toodles.

♥ jp

pander king.

At some point I'll get back to actually writing about stuff on here.

We've all been sick.

(we're almost all better, thanks.)

Been reading children's books and eating lime sherbet w/sprite with the kid.

My phone needs a phone doctor.

The camera apps have all gone crazy so when we were in Nashville, I only got a couple of pics.

Also left my Nikon at home, all packed up and charged.

Why do I do it.

Jack at the Ryman with crazy hair.

Maybe he'll play on that stage someday.

A mother can only hope.

Grammy and Big T bought him a little guitar to add to his collection of guitars.

He insisted on sitting by Minnie Pearl.

He threw about 30 dollars worth of coins into water fountains while we were in Nashville.

Look on the bright side.

At least he didn't crawl in for a swim.

Regretting not buying this dress.  

I know.

JUST BUY THE DAMN DRESS already, Jaguar Paw.

(like my socks?)

It's hard to buy things for myself.

I didn't have that problem before I was someone's mommy.

No worries!

I finally found the new Prada and fell in love.

It's called Candy.

(calorie-free candy!)

I bought it.

Yay for Mommy!

you go, girl.

If you steal it from me, I will kill you.

Just so on the fence about these bangs.  

I like them.

I like them not.

I like them.

I like them not.

I like them?

My chicken is almost rid of his sickness.  

I let him stay home from school one more day because he said he 

"weally want to stay wis mommy today."

He knows how to turn on the cute to get what he wants.

Did he get that from mommy or daddy?

One last thing.  Jack says he's the pander king.  I think that's like king of all panda bears but I'm not sure.

♥ jp

current. obsessions.

Jack is sick.  I'm sick.  Husband is sick.

cough cough

Spent the last week/weekend in Nashville.

In love with that place.

Love that every stop in Arkansas and Tennessee has multiple flavors of moon pies.

I ate 1 bite of a chocolate one.

(There's 300 calories in a whole one so no thank you!)

Jack and I are being sick and lazy today so I thought I would share some things I've been loving lately.

Jack in a bow tie.

This kid's shirt never stayed tucked in.  

Really wanting to find toddler suspenders!

Nars lipstick in Schiap.  

I bought it last week and love it!

Lightly layered over lip balm (i like Burt's Bees) it's a pretty wash of cheery pink.

A couple layers of it by itself and it's a semi-matte, almost fluorescent, hot pink.

My longtime favorites include MAC lisptick in Fanfare, Chatterbox, and Lustering.

Those are in my bag at all times!

For polished & slept in kind of hair.

Bumble and bumble brilliantine.

Parisian Chic: A Style Guide by Ines de la Fressange

Nars blush in Super Orgasm.

I've had this for a while but just now swapped out my Too Faced Sun Bunny bronzer for the winter.

If you don't want glitter everywhere, buy Nars blush in Orgasm.  

I love sparkle, myself.

Remember the white dress that I loved but didn't buy because I had no place to wear it?

I found the same dress in hot pink.  

Still no place to wear it.

Still didn't buy it.

Someone, quick!

Have a party!

And invite me.

So I broke down and cut my bangs.

I always do.

Super cute dress from Rebecca's in Arab, Alabama.

Husband had Rebecca send it as a surprise.

Totally obsessed with this panda bear.

♥ jp

just some way.

Sometimes we have time to blog.

Sometimes we don't have time to do anything.

We always have time to take a picture before school.

Even if it makes us late.

Every morning it's a struggle for Jack to eat his breakfast before we leave.

He puts it off and stares at Sesame Street for a while.

Takes a drink of apple juice.

Drinks his yogurt smoothie.

Plays trucks.

Reads books.

Wrestles into his clothes.

Does not want to wear shoes.

Decides he wants to wear shoes.

Does not want to brush his teeth because his juice will "taste."

"Taste" is baby slang for when apple juice tastes gross after brushing your teeth.

Finally brushes his teeth.

Getting out the door is such an ordeal.

Everyday.

Played an awesome show this weekend.

Pics up soon.

Working on new songs for my other project.

Gosh he's cute.

♥ jp

details.

Jack loves the park.

Some days it's too cold now.

With the time change, it's almost dark when Husband comes home from work.

Some days we have earthquakes.

(loud rumble, the house shakes, the car shakes, things rattle, nothing broken, nobody hurt.)

This is a new thing and it's very strange.

Some days we have tornados.

(if you've never seen one, they're terrifying.)

They usually come in the spring but have been making fall appearances.

Very, very strange.

I do not like it.

I do like these guys.

Don't watch the news about us because they will put interviews with hillbillies on tv and make all Oklahomans sound like idiots.  

(I'm only an idiot some of the time, thank you.)

I have one million cute pictures and stories about Jack to post but we've been busy playing with trucks and slaying dragons.

Thanks for missing us though, that's sweet.

♥ jp

don't be stupen.

Jack is eating eggs and cheerios while he watches a show about dancing potatoes.

It's "small potatoes" on a stage, all in costume, doing musical theater with english accents.

They don't have arms, duh.

Kid shows are so bizarre.

Lately there have been lots of rumblings about having babies.  Not from me-  from friends.  I've had a few emails and conversations about the pros and cons of being a parent.  Pro-  babies love you unconditionally and you'll have someone to do the dishes in 10ish years.  Con-  babies are expensive and they don't always listen to you or wear what you want them to wear.  Pleeeease wear this awesome sweater jacket, this hat, and these cool shoes.  Ok.  Fine.  Wear the spiderman tshirt, fireman rain jacket, shorts, cowboy boots, and your camo baseball cap with the deer on it.  This kid...

More pros-  They like to snuggle.  Babies smell SO GOOD.  They get excited about things like bubble wrap and play doh.  They remind you to have fun.  Your priorities change in a good way.  You don't care about the dumb drama that happens around you because you've got bigger problems-  like having a baby with a high fever who's puking in your hair.  Toddlers tell you they love you and give kisses and hugs.  You suddenly have a bond with every mother you encounter because she's had a kid throw down in public before too.  Kids are the funniest people you will ever know.  Getting handmade presents is the best ever.  Holidays are much more fun with kids around.  

More cons-  Public fits.  Eventually you get used to it-  when you have kids, you just don't feel embarrassment like you used to.  Potty training sucks.  They grow so fast that you're constantly buying clothes.  Learning to talk and communicate is frustrating for you and your kid and it can cause major baby (and mommy) meltdowns.  They talk back.  The other day, Jack told me that I'm stupen. Whew... at least I'm just stupen...  You constantly wonder-  where did they learn that?!

Things to remember-  Pajamas run small-  they're supposed to fit snug so the kid doesn't get tangled in the night but it's stupid how fast they outgrow their jams.  Bottle warmers are life savers.  Even if you breastfeed and pump.  We had one with a built in cooler to store 2 bottles for nighttime feedings so you don't even have to leave your bedroom.  Time out as punishment is a lot harder than you think.  Jack doesn't really care and they don't really work for him.  Try directing your kid's attention to something fun and constructive when they're being bad.  Remember when you're pregnant that babies sometimes want out early and unexpectedly. Also remember, if that happens, don't be in denial-  just go to the hospital so you aren't in labor for 12 hours at home- alone.  

Look, I don't care if you have babies or don't have babies.  I'm just saying if you decide to, don't be scared.  It's really, really hard but very rewarding.  It's a lot easier than i thought it would be and a lot harder too.  

It's so important for your sanity to keep some things for yourself.  Keep a shred of your social life intact.  Keep your friends close, you'll need them to cry to when you're crazy stressed out and zombie tired.  We let Jack stay overnight with his grandparents early on when he was just a couple of months old.  It's good for you and baby to detach from each other every once in a while if you're lucky enough to have a supportive family like we are-  you don't want to be a crazy mommy (or daddy) and you want baby to be around family.  I really feel like that's the key to our happiness around here- I still play shows with my band, Husband still golfs, and we still go out for nights on the town together.

"SNEEZE!!!" goes the baby.

"Bless you" goes the mommy.

"Yes, bless me" says the baby talking to himself.

♥ jp

wild go.

"I'm going to the punkin patch with my class on Thursday."  says him.

First conversation of the day, barely awake, still trying to push snooze.

"It IS Thursday!"  says me.

Time to wake up- no chance of my just-10-more-minutes game.

Jack put on his new shirt, ate his breakfast, brushed his teeth, watched his dinosaur train show, rode his bike around the house, played with trucks, and helped me decide on what to pack for his lunch.

Ham, cheese, crackers, pineapples and strawberries, and cheerios.

He was feeling particularly handsome, staring proudly in the mirror, and declared it was picture time.

We went to his favorite photo location- the front porch.

He waved me away and said, "NOT YET!"

It was extremely important that he place a glittering Halloween sticker on his cheek.

"NOT YET!"

By the time we got to his class, his shirt was no longer tucked in and he had scooped up his favorite brown striped beanie hat.  

He still looked cute.

Put a dollar in his pock pock so he could buy a mini pumpkin to add to his rapidly growing collection of pumpkins.

I thought he was off to the start of a great day...

His teachers said he was aggressive and angry all day.

My sweetie pie?!

He's getting moved to an older kids' classroom in a couple of months and I think it will help a lot.

Sigh.

Made cupcakes for the boys yesterday.

I let Jack eat half of one before his dinner.

You can think I'm a bad parent all you want but sometimes the cupcake wins over dinner.

Playing a show on Saturday in OKC at the Blue Note.

The Oh Johnny! Girls, not solo.

New songs!

I wore the leather shorts at the last show and the gold ones the one before.

What to wear...  ?

What more is there.

Have a lovely Friday.

We'll be backyard camping.

"Can I bring my blankie?

Can I bring this pillow?

Can I take my binky?

Maybe I'll see stars in the big sky.

Can momma dada have a pillow?

I want two hot dogs and one mustard.

I want to make a big, big fire.

By myself."

No fire, my baby.

I have to draw the line somewhere.

♥ jp

like lightning in my heart.

This room is by no means done but i finally decided on something for the walls.  I'd like to start hunting for a cool headboard, something with tufted velvet perhaps.  I love velvet, gold, vintage, sparkle, masculine with regal, feminine pieces, flashes of tiger, cheetah, or leopard print, chandeliers, charcoal and cream, displayed jewelry, fake fur throws, big pillows, and NO OVERHEAD LIGHTING.  I have always hated overhead lighting-  pendant, chandelier, recessed and track lighting excluded.  Can't wait to lay on the bed and watch HBO on a neatly mounted flatscreen on Sunday nights while eating popcorn and enjoying a completely finished bedroom.  (it's a lot brighter in the bedroom than the cave-like picture shows.)

Would I ever do the chevron print again?  You would have to pay me quite a bit to do that tedious measuring, taping, painting and painting again.  My back hurts, my hands hurt, my head hurts.

Yesterday I had a cut and color.  Just had a teeny bit trimmed because for now, I'm going to continue to grow it.  The cut looks and feels fantastic.  I like the color-  but i just like it alright.  I was looking for something a little more dramatic-  I mean, if you know me, you know I'm not scared of serious change when it comes to fashion and beauty.  Going in, my hair was already lighter at the tips, just a natural summer fade.  (pic above is after leaving the salon)  The gradient effect is very slight but very even, which shows skilled talent in a stylist, but soon I will probably try and do it myself.  Sometimes I don't communicate what I want very well I guess although I did bring pictures.  My weird medium-reddish brown natural color can be difficult to work with.  

Here are a couple of shots Husband took of me a week ago.

The Oh Johnny! Girls have been killing it lately and it feels good.  We had a great show last weekend.  A photographer came out to do photos for an article in next months Distinctly Oklahoma magazine and I'm excited to see them.  We've got a few things coming up, a show at the Blue Note on October 15th and we're playing on a moving vehicle at the Ghouls Gone Wild parade.  FUN.  

I'm excited for the weekend!  We're going to a movie tomorrow night and going to my in-laws on Saturday to watch the big OU/TX game.  They just finished a huge renovation/add on to their home and I'm super pumped to watch the game on a HUGE flatscreen, eat good fun, and play with babies.  Must plan Jack's OU outfit now.

I can't remember if I told you about my solo show thing.  It was fun.  It was weird.  I was nervous for the first time in years.  I had my PA system set up in my dining room and practiced here and there.  Jack loves the microphone.  He would sing his Night Night song before bedtime and look so satisfied and proud of himself.  My little heart feels so big when I see that look on his face.

A, B, C, D, Night night time!

Did you know you can make the alphabet song into a song about anything you want to?

Jack does.

♥ jp