Today’s blogger is as real as they come, so if you’re looking to read a blog that shares the true ups and downs what she has going on in life, you’re going to love Marianna! She and I have been keeping up with each other for probably eight or nine years (that’s craaazyyy!) because our husbands both went to West Point around the same time. She’s supportive, down to earth, funny and someone I definitely hope to meet in person one day.
Q: Introduce yourself! Tell us a little bit about who you are.
A: I’m Marianna, tired mom of 2 stinky little boys (5 and almost 2) and Army wife from North Carolina. I love doing anything athletic or crazy, particularly running endurance races and mud runs! I also love to eat and drink and am a self declared World’s Okayest Mom!
Q: How did you come up with the name of your blog, Life ‘N Legos?
A: My 5 year old LOVES Legos and I often find myself swimming in a sea of them. My blog mostly documents my boys and our life so I found it appropriate to name it after the very substance I am drowning in.
Q: Tell us a little bit about your blogging journey, and what do you enjoy about it?
A: My blog was initially created as a baby book for my first son. I documented my growing belly, current events, little history tidbits, and day to day stuff. After his birth I used it as a way to share photos and updates with family, to include my husband as he deployed when Michael was only 8 months old. As Michael became more and more mobile, my husband returned from deployment, and I stopped carrying my nice camera around with me the writing dwindled. It became a chore versus pleasure, so I would take a break, get inspired and write, take another break, etc. My husband is deployed yet again and I made an attempt to revive the blog once again, but I have not written or posted as much as I would have liked. By the time this post goes up he will have returned and I will hopefully have more nighttime energy to devote to writing. I really love being able to look back and have the memories there in vivid detail. I also just like sharing what’s on my mind because I have always been an open book.
Q: Who do you think would really enjoy reading your blog?
A: I *hope* that my family and friends enjoy reading my blog, but I think new and veteran moms alike can relate and enjoy it as well. Grammar police probably won’t enjoy it because I very seldom proofread before posting. More specifically, I think sarcastic military spouse moms of little boys that are all about setting the parenting bar low will find me relatable.
Q: What do you think is the best perk of being a military wife?
A: It’s hard to pick just one! The top one would be the balls (interpret that as you’d like). It is so much fun to have a reason to get all fancied up, find an overnight sitter, and get good and liquored up (if that’s your thing). As a boy mom, I also love the free healthcare. We are frequent fliers at the Emergency Room for a plethora of reasons ::sigh:: and after spending the last year living surrounded by civilian families I truly, truly appreciate the ability to take my kids to the ER without hesitation or worry of finances. Many people complain about Tricare, but it is definitely a blessing.
Q: There will likely be brand new military fiancés and spouses that read this Q & A. What advice would you give them about the military lifestyle?
A: Be flexible, don’t stress about things (read separations) that are more than a week away because nothing is for sure until they’re on an airplane, find your people and love them fiercely…you’re always fighting against the PCS clock where someone will leave, and NEVER go to Fort Sill.
Q: What are your favorite and least favorite things about the season of life you’re in right now as a mom of two young kids?
A: My favorite thing is watching my boys grow and learn. Michael is learning to read, learning to love sports, advancing in Tae Kwon Do, and just blows my mind every day. Parker is learning to talk and play with other children. Its beautiful to watch their relationship grow and develop too. I love being in the trenches of toddler mayhem with my other mom friends and how excited we get for a night out together. With preschoolers, we still have freedom from a strict schedule, but have enough structure to keep the kids busy.
Least favorites: My little one has affectionately been nicknamed Parknado and he is just that. He has limited communication skills and absolutely zero control over his emotions. I often lose patience when he tantrums for reasons unbeknownst to me. He’s a hot mess and doesn’t yet clean up after himself so he really reminds me of the destruction caused by the Oklahoma tornadoes. He also still struggles with sleep which is the icing on top of all of the other glorious behavior!
Q: I know you had several crazy circumstances to work around with your wedding. Tell us a couple stories!
A: We had a winter wedding in North Carolina which really could go either way weather wise. The Thursday before the wedding we were all in shorts in 70 degree weather and even early in the day Friday was nice, but we went into the rehearsal at the church and exited to a winter wonderland. In most places it would be considered very little snow (5 inches), but North Carolina freaks out when we have any snowfall so I had vendors trying to cancel on me left and right! The band said they couldn’t make it so we had to arrange transportation for them. One of my groomsmen had dropped his uniform off to be pressed and the shop closed with his uniform there. We had to call and harass the owner at home before he finally agreed to come in and open up to get the uniform (picture me sitting, getting my hair done, crying because my groomsmen will be mismatched, pleading with a man who was surely in pajamas at home). The bakery wasn’t going to deliver the cake and once we finally convinced them to they arrived without a cake stand. The florist also did not want to deliver the flowers. We had family members show up to the wrong location for the ceremony and we had 75 people who had said they were going to come not show up (is your pocket book crying too?)!!!
After my reception was over, we ran into another wedding party in the hotel bar and I took shots (paid for by my photographer) with the other bride! I also forgot to pack an overnight bag for the hotel…so the next morning I couldn’t go to brunch until my mom brought me some clothes and my sister’s shoes that were 3 sizes too big! I didn’t even remember to bring my clothes from the church to the hotel, so I was seriously there with only my wedding dress! Despite all of the hurdles it was absolutely beautiful and perfect!
“This or That” just for fun…
Wheat or white bread? White, but give me all the carbs
Manicure or pedicure? Pedicure, I can’t stand people touching my fingernails!
Play sports or watch sports? Both!
Margarita or glass of wine? Margarita
You can find Marianna’s blog Life ‘N Legos by visiting here and/or liking her Facebook page here. Leave her some love in the comments below!
Want to be the featured blogger in my Saturday Sit-Down series?! It’s a free, super fun way to gain new exposure, and I’d love to feature you! Shoot me an email at WHIMSICALSEPTEMBER@YAHOO.COM if you’re interested.
Hi! I’m Erica, and I absolutely adore sharing my life on this website with you! I come here almost daily to blab about all of the things related to being a regular wife and mother in today’s ever-evolving society. I share about our new home, what’s on our kitchen table, what we’re hanging in our closets, where we’re traveling to next, my crazy 5 a.m. work outs, how I make time for girlfriends, our faith, and much more. We always have a lot of balls in the air and somewhat thrive on the chaos. I believe in the power of story-telling as a form of inspiration and entertainment, so I’m here to do both! I was born and raised in north Alabama and recently re-planted roots here again after my husband transitioned out of the Army (he is now in the Reserve and it’s going so well!) I’m a super proud mom to three little girls (ages 7, 4, and 1) who seem to be the stars of the show around here (for good reason – they’re pretty great!) I’m so glad you found me and are here reading! I hope we can get to know each other here on the blog as well as Facebook and/or Instagram. xoxo