Slobbery kisses

I've learned of another aspect of parenthood that makes you realize you hadn't felt absolute joy yet.  Toddler kisses are such a beautiful, loving thing, you can't help but feel your heart swell with love and joy and smile to yourself.  Everett has recently discovered kisses.  We've always hugged and kissed him but he just figured out how to kiss us back in the last month or so.  He started out by giving kisses to the baby (which a heart melter all on its own), and progressed to bestowing kisses upon his mama and daddy.  Just like I can't say no to a request for a "hugger" (yep, he still calls them that!), I can't say no to a "mwah!"  (What can I say?  The boy can convey what he needs to.) 
At first, daddy was put off by the idea of kisses and would only plant one on the boy's cheek or forehead.  The boy, however, had different ideas.  He knows what lips are and he knows they are for kissing.  He will lay a big wet one right on mama's lips, so daddy should be no different, right?  When he was directing the smooch, he would aim it right for daddy's lips and sometimes correct daddy and make him re-kiss if he got the cheek or forehead.  I think daddy's now come around and realized just how precious, and likely fleeting, these expressions of love are and lets E man smooch away. 
Having grown up in a house where hugs and kisses weren't necessarily a daily (or hourly) affair, it's different having this boy constantly hugging on me and nightly requesting at least two "mwahs!" but I love it more than words.  I enjoy this outward show of the affection that I've always seen in my little guy.  He's such a kind-hearted boy (you know, when he's not slapping babies in the face....ahem....anyway...) and I hope he keeps giving his mama huggers and mwahs for a long time to come.

On a completely different, entirely irrelevant, and not at all sentimental note, I was the victim yesterday of targeted marketing.  Whilst watching Teen Mom 2 (shush you!), there was a commercial for this new product.  It was being touted as something to use for your hair on days that you don't wash it.  Well, knowing myself and knowing just how hard it's going to be to try and shower on a daily basis with TWO little boys taking up all my time and attention, I thought to myself, "self, this is an amazing idea.  They created this dry shampoo for ME!  I must buy some."  After I finished those thoughts, the more rational side of my brain said, "you realize that Tresemme knows exactly who watches Teen Mom 2 (silly moms who don't always have time to wash their hair and feel frumpy) and they're trying to trick you into paying $5 for a bottle of shampoo when you could just wash your hair, put it in a ponytail, or not care, right?"  Silly rational side of the brain.  Of course I know that!  Then we went to Wal-Mart yesterday.  And I just decided to see if maaaaybe they had this new, interesting product.  They did.  So I read the bottle.....it still sounded kind of intriguing....and it wasn't THAT expensive....and I don't want to be super frumpy......so in the cart it went!  I tried it this morning and here's the result.  It is not some miracle cure that makes your hair bouncy, shiny, and amazing, but it did do something.  It actually seemed to pull out some excess oil and I felt a little less icky going to work with day old hair.  So there!  Not sure if I'll buy another bottle when this one's gone, but I don't regret the purchase!