kindergarten and preteen years

I'm sure you've realized I've been busy. All you have to do is browse my never changing post to know that there has been lots going on in our household. The end of school is always a hectic time. There a lots of activities and forms to be crammed into just a few weeks. I'm sure it's the same in your home, too. The following information should have probably been broken into several editions, but in the interest of documenting it all I have just added a mega post.

Jordan's volleyball session is winding down. She has had an awesome coach who seems to know just when to bug her or give her some extra attention. Coach Emily played volleyball in college and is now a Methodist Minister. She's a very kind person who realizes that this young team (grades 3-5) is in the midst of building their sports confidence and self images. Jordan has tried lots of sports, but is often plagued with the issue of perfection. I often struggled with this as a child and as a result never fell in love with sports because I thought I had to be incredible at everything I did. This was all an idea in my own head (nothing my parents could have said to change it) but I regret that incredibly as an adult. Volleyball has been a good fit team sport wise for Jordan. Apparently the middle school years get very competitive with A5 level travel teams and lots of activity in the fall with the school team. We are taking this all one step at a time.



William attended his kindergarten orientation at the beginning of May. He was SO excited and thrilled. They had a lot of cute activities planned for the morning visit which included a "spy kit" and a mystery to solve as we toured the school. They had the school mascot in costume as we entered the building and were taking polaroids of each child as a keepsake to put in their spy kit. William -- who is hardly ever nervous or shy about anything -- actually stood behind me and asked the photographer if he could have just photo of Murphy the Mustang without him in it. Dave cited a long history with mascots later...when he was 17 months we were at Disney and he freaked at Pooh bear. In any case, we enjoyed the tour. William's class will be the first group to use the new kindergarten wing at the school. We've endured lots of contruction for two years, but it all seems worth it. The facilities and programs are awesome at this public school. They've even added a huge new "arts" wing and also a science lab facility. The fundraising foundation at the school (just initiated two years ago) had ensured spanish instruction for all grades with full time staff the state and county could not pay for currently. I feel blessed to have such an awesome elementary school for my kiddos.



Oh yes, I had a lovely girl turn TEN on May 4th. She has been excitedly awaiting the big day for weeks. Apparently turning two digits is a big deal in the would of elementary school. Jordan made sure to inform Dave, "You are just going to have to face it Dad - I'll be an official preteen after this birthday." as he tucked her in one night. I believe I heard a big sigh from her father after that one.



The party was a success. I had specifically limited Jordan to a number on invites. After that second grade luau in which all 29 invitees came I have been gunshy. (No one sent regrets that time and fortunately it all worked well with the party format. We adults had to rest for an entire weekend to recover though.) So this year she was given the goal of 10 invites for a spend the night party. Out of 10 we had 4 regrets. Most had soccer or gymnastics competitions the next day so we ended up with 6 for the party part (until 11 pm) and then one friend spent the night. I had worried so much about entertaining them, but it turns out that this age likes to entertain themselves. It was a monkey themed party and we set up a "banana cabana" out in the yard. They loved this idea and hung out there throughout the party. We played some games, did some crafts, ate pizza and banana splits (only Dave ate a banana on his) and ran around the yard. They loved the banana split idea, but I think most of them got so inspired to create huge masterpieces that they only ate a small portion of the end result. They were giddy over the fact that no one was regulating their creations. Here are some photos from the occassion.

Pre-K Funny

Reminder found at the bottom of the William's Weekly Classroom notes:

"Please keep caterpillars and other bugs at home. They have been the source of many conflicts this week and it would be helpful if they were no longer brought to class."

(William did not bring any caterpillars or bugs to class this week. Guess what they were studying this week? The metamorphasis of butterflies and frogs.)

live like you were dying

Yesterday we attended the funeral of a 41 year old man. A fellow Auburn graduate and spouse to one of my sweetest sorority sisters. A man with five children and a loving home. Intelligent, Honest, and Kind were words used to describe him. The world was a better place because of him.

Diagnosed in April of 2002 with a brain tumor he had almost made that magical five year milestone when the cancer returned in February. Laura C. and Roger spent two months up in Boston having the surgery and beginning the recovery then moved him back to Emory hospital here for further rehabilitation. It was a scenario they had faced before and they knew what was ahead. In the end the cancer had a mind of its own and simply overtook Roger's body quickly. Within a matter of two weeks the prognosis had changed dramatically and Roger was home with his family for the last time.

Amazingly my friend was able to participate in the memorial by reading some words she had prepared. Some of those words were also Roger's words he left behind. They were so elegantly written by someone who knew the true meaning of living. He had no regrets along the path and considered the cancer diagnosis a hidden blessing. It caused him to stop and take stock of his life and realign his priorities. Instead of thinking about the negative things cancer did to him he considered it a "most effective tool" to get his life in order.

I am still amazed by how life can change in a heartbeat. I've had it happen in my own life and I'm quite sure that Roger had no idea what was ahead of him as he celebrated Christmas this year. If you will, I'd appreciate a prayer for my friend Laura C. and her family. Please pray for her strength and ability to parent these children in the days ahead. I'm quite sure she would appreciate it.

and before spring break

Our schedule before spring break was c-r-a-z-y! That's why I was so happy to break away from reality and escape for a week. We are in the midst of baseball season and I do love how William responds to the schedule of practices and games. It's a lot of work, but he loves the sport already. It's neat to see a kid enjoy a sport. Jordan's now beginning to really enjoy her volleyball team.



Jordan's schedule also included chorus and drama practices prior to the break. First we had the "year end" chorus production at a local church. Then a few days later we had a big drama production at a local arts center. This was the first play in which Jordan had to audition (hard core audition because there weren't enough spots) and then study in order to play the role well. She won the part of a makeup artist in the play. (The play was about how life is backstage behind the scenes.) She loved every stinkin' minute of the work, the practices, and the deadlines. Here's her photo after the play with her stage makeup:

I was so proud of her. Better yet, she was so proud of herself. I've always known she would enjoy drama, but it seems we are now getting to the point where the opportunities to participate will become available.

Did I mention starting my new contract position? I started working with a software company the day after Easter and I've very pleased. I am doing the screen interface design for several software programs in addition to some branding of new products. I'm working with a nice group of people and have some flexibiity with the work at home situation. Grace started school that same day also and has adapted very well. She's not shy (who is in my family?) and comes home talking about everything in the afternoons. I believe my baby is a full blown little girl now. Lots of changes for us, but all good.

cool things about our spring break

Headstands on the beach:


Bike rides with Dad:


Dinosaur sand sculptures and forts:




Getting along with a sibling:


Seeing a minor league baseball game in Savannah (after we ate at the oyster house owned by Paula Deen's brother, "Uncle Bubba"):


Coming home to a neighborhood Easter Egg Hunt which required winter coats - fastest hunt in the history of the neighborhood!


Celebrating Easter Sunday before we returned to normal life:

Spring Break begins

Perhaps you thought I was already on spring break by my limited posting. Life has been rather busy in our household. We've already begun the "end of the year" school performances - chorus and drama club have both had big productions -- and I've been busy interviewing for job and contract positions. It's all good, but always busy.

And now...a public service announcement:
SEND SANJAYA HOME!
Back to your regular post...

We are in the midst of the final push to get on the road for Hilton Head, South Carolina. We are hoping to beat some of the crowd out of town (can you say 'mass exodus'?) and kick start one of our favorite vacations. Grace remembers going last year (though she was only 18 months)and cannot wait to build a BIG sand castle and play. She's the cutest thing talking loudly about the Beeeeeaaach in her very precise toddler voice. I got a few fun toys to enjoy - one lets you build a big dinosaur with sand molds, another lets you view life in the tidal pools. I got a skim board also and pray that we don't come back with some kind of body cast on my daredevils. The beach is great for my three...no matter how hard they try they cannot make more noise than the surf and wind. I think a kid should be allowed to scream into the wind unchided every so often.

Oh yes, someone miraculously guessed the photo of the potter. Jerry Brown is a pottery artist in Alabama and we recently encountered him at an art show while visiting my parents. We ended up buying some pottery from other people at the show and I'll post more on that later. It was a surprisingly cosmopolitan art show for such a small town and the indigenous artwork was inspiring. The kids absolutely loved it.

I've got more news for another post. Right now the beach awaits us. :-)

friday free for all

First a quiz...who is this man and what type of pottery does he create?



Then a small victory for your average consumer. Dave got me a beautiful rose and lily arrangement for my birthday. About a day after my birthday the flowers just started to fall apart. I nicely called and asked about their policy at the florist and they promised to replace my arrangement with something comparable. Especially if I could wait until after the Valentine's Day rush. Well, today I was at a job fair near that florist so I paid them a visit. The woman remembered me instantly and I simply asked if I could have a live plant like an orchid instead of cut flowers. She got the approval from her manager and then pointed me to the sale orchids. The ones marked $129 and $149 and said that since they were on sale I could get the $129 priced one as my replacement. My mouth dropped to the floor. I was hoping for a little plant and I walked out of there with a 4 foot monster! Dave had a good chuckle when he pulled it out of the car for me. We placed it on my great grandmother's coffee table and it dwarfs the little victorian thing. The plant is literally taller than me when on that table.



Here is Jordan peeking through the orchids. She had been propped up on the chaise playing Nintendo DS games.



This deal beats any product coupon that has resulted from my previous complaining on 800 numbers!

we've returned

We have just returned from our "emergency" trip to Alabama to be with my Grandfather. He's still frail and has been in and out of the hospital for months. We had another scare this week which resolved itself. Still, the reality is that his body is less able to function. We got to spend some good moments with him this weekend. I decided to go ahead and travel since time is often precious in situations like this. I like to live my life by a "no regrets" motto and being there for family has been an important part of this. It's so hard for me to realize that there a lots of people who never knew the Grandpa I watched as a child. Most of the people in his life now know him as a stroke victim who is paralyzed and cannot talk. (He can normally sing, but not talk. There have been a few moments of clarity in his speech, but those are rare.) I will always think of my Grandpa as on of the most inventive, original, hardheaded, handy, and smart people I've known. I will always remember his trip to Hawaii to visit Dave and I. We went hiking on the park service trail at night with flashlights to see the volcanoes erupting on the Big Island. There were only reflectors to mark the ever-changing trail. (It was reset each day according to volcanic activity.) He still manages a smile when I remind him of times like that.

I've got much more to blog, but so little energy tonight. I'll leave you with a Grace story. Tonight she looked down through the hallway railing into the family room and said, "Hey Mamma, come up. Let me take you to talk to Jesus." I went upstairs immediately. Who could resist a moment like that?

a stephen covey moment

Dave decided he wanted to renew his use of the Franklin Covey planner during 2007. During most of our marriage he has used this calendar system to organize his work and family life. The last couple of years have been chaotic and so he is just now getting back to his system. On Monday we were all off for President's Day. Jordan attended a Girl Scout event encouraging young girls to be engineers. That left the rest of our crew to run errands. After lunch we went to the Franklin Covey store in the mall. Perhaps you've been in this store...it is quiet, beautifully organized, and full of expensive leather binders and briefcases. We arrive and make our way to the back of the store. William is hanging out near Dave and browsing alongside. Grace finds a glass shelf stocked with little charms you can clip onto your binder. She ever so carefully examines each one and then puts it back on the display. I decided to hang near Grace (though she was behaving) since monitoring seemed prudent in such a store.

Dave makes his selection and then tags me in the monitoring department so I can go browse. I am looking at all the neat "first things first" thank you notes, leather purses, and goodies when I hear Dave say, "Did you hear THAT?" Umm no, I didn't dear. I'm lost in all this put your family first literature.

Apparently Dave asked Grace to begin putting all her goodies back up on the shelf and get ready to leave. The child -- 2.5 years old I might add -- says, "This jewelry is soooo nice Daddy, but I'm not going to steal it today. No, I not going to steal it."

Gulp and double gulp. Where on God's green Earth did she add "steal" to her vocabulary? I suspect she picked it up during some older sibling squabble where one child would blame the other for "stealing" a seat, a nintendo dohicky, or a book. The girl has impeccable timing...using that new vocabulary word in a store that promotes good values. Ah parenting, dull is not thy name.

daily grind

Last Friday was the Girl Scout's Father-Daughter Dance in our area. Dave and Jordan enjoyed their "date" out together. They started at a Japanese steakhouse for a hibachi dinner with a little appetizer of sushi. Then they headed out to the dance. Dave noted that there are not too many years to enjoy daughter dates...apparently there weren't too many older girls there at the dance past middle school age. I think it is a great way to teach a daughter her value and how she should expect respect once dating in her teenage years.

Today we attended the Georgia Music Educators Association District gathering to watch Jordan's elementary chorus perform for an evaluated score. It was amazing to see how crisp and sharp they sounded after months of performance and practice. Even more amazing to see how quickly the group is morphing into "big kids". They performed "O, Deysayo" which is an Angolan folk song and "Al Shlosha" which is a Jewish song. A sound group professionally recorded it so we hope to have a CD of the performance soon.

Valentines day was a big hit around here -- how about for you? Jordan and William wholeheartedly enjoyed the school celebrations and chance to eat candy. Grace got the extras so she was thrilled. She saw the older two creating valentines on Tuesday afternoon and made one for Pop-pop also. Holidays are fun with little ones.

I've been trying all the new recipes that go with Dr. Oz's diet. He has several good ones in the book and more on the website and I've had good luck with most of them. On Monday night I tried to make the Black Bean Soup. It was good, but the journey to complete the meal was rocky. I must have been brain dead Monday night because I forgot every scientific fact I learned in school. At the end of the recipe you need to puree it via a food processor or blender. First I put half the soup in my food processor and as I placed the lid it started oozing out of the bottom of the bowl part from the base of the processor. After a moment's panic I managed to get it back to the main pan. My next thought, as the dinner deadline approached, was to use the blender. I set it up in the blender, put the lid on tightly, and then cut it on. In a moment I created what my kids will forever know as the "Black Bean Incident". The middle part of the lid flew off due to the heat and pressure (remember basic physics?) and the soup completely covered myself and the kitchen corner. It even flew behind my cabinet doors and got onto all my plates and daily china. The kids thought it was really funny...especially since it happened just moments before Dave came in the door. It took hours to clean up. Ya gotta laugh, right?

You know, it's funny that I titled my post with a coffee reference. The only part I've had difficulty with on this "diet" (if you don't count reese's cups - hee) is the affect it has had on my daily coffee. Somehow skim milk tastes like water in the cup and the Splenda I use doesn't quite melt with the coffee flavor like sugar. (BTW, I've discovered that Equal literally turns to formaldehyde in hot liquids so unless you want to start embalming yourself early you might want to switch to any other sweetener than that one.) Anybody got any suggestions to make my home coffee brew taste better?

priceless

We got a call last week saying that my almost 88 year old Grandfather was sick. Really sick. So sick that we had a suitcase packed with a full set of clothing for every occassion. All last week we were on hold, worrying and waiting for each update. Grampa had pneumonia a month ago and was hospitalized during the worst of that. It seems like his systems are still recovering from that and he recently began to struggle with heart and kidney functions. The strain of pneumonia was so potent that four people in his nursing home died from it. Amazingly Grandpa has pulled through the immediate crisis and was released back to his home yesterday. He's strong and always has been. Even though he is a stroke victim (almost 10 years ago) paralyzed on one side, I still remember him as the person who was capable of doing or fixing anything. It's hard for me to think that my children will never know the strong, hard-headed man I grew up knowing. But I am thankful that they treasure their relationship with their Great Grandfather and that he has gotten some pleasure in watching them grow. Jordan named him "Great Pa" (Great Grandfather plus Grandpa) when she was two and the name has stuck for all six great grandchildren to use.



It's funny, this may not be an award winning photo, but it is truly priceless to me. Knowing that my Grandfather can interact with William is special. (One day I'll post a photo of him before the stroke -- he was so handsome.) Technically the stroke took his speech capabilities, but somehow he utters each child's name while they are visiting. The brain is perplexing. Apparently the part which allows him to sing is intact so he can sing every word of a song clearly. He will burst into music to show his happiness during a visit. Grace was taken aback by the bravado of Grandpa's singing last time and it seemed she didn't like it at all. Two weeks later during one of her little nighttime prayers she stopped and said, " Thank you Lord for Great Pa. Mama, hey Mama -- you know Great Pa can sing sooo good! I like it!" and then she went right back to the rest of her prayer.

I've begun preparing myself for the inevitable goodbye that will happen one day. In reality I've been preparing for this since he had his stroke. I make sure to say a true "I love you" each time we visit and I've made sure the kids appreciate him. Still, it will never be easy to watch a loved one struggle to the end. Only God knows the true ending I suppose.

weather, tea parties, and watchful mothering

Brrrr! I'm glad we live amid the seasons, but I readily admit that Fall and Spring are my favorites. We missed the seasons horribly while living in California and Hawaii. Georgia certainly has its share of each season -- and enough to keep us happy. Though I love my winter sweaters and coats, it takes a lot of effort to keep up with the gloves, hats, and coat linings required each day for three young ones. I am constantly finding an odd glove or hat around the family room or in the car. Even though they aim the majority of the items at the coat closet some things just get separated.

Yesterday my dear FIL took Grace for a few hours and took her on errands so I could begin to complete my resume and portfolio. I'm still gathering information and rewriting items. I've got plenty of substance on the resume, but the question is how to use it best for each job I want to apply. The portfolio is something that you business types never have to worry about. I've got a huge collection of projects -- websites, logos, interactive pieces, and corporate communications examples -- to display. My FIL has agreed (thanks to my husband's initiative and helpfulness) to take Grace twice a week for a month or so. I think it'll be good for Pop-pop, Grace, and me. She adores her Pop-pop and really felt special yesterday with him.

Speaking of Grace, we had a little tea party this morning. It was all her idea. I turned around from cleaning up breakfast to find her setting a "table" on the seat of a chair. She had pulled her lego box up for her seat and instructed me to sit on the floor. There was no doubt who was in charge during this play episode. She fixed pretend spaghettios and salad with milk. I imaginatively offered her a serving of bread from my hands and she got visibly upset. "I didn't cook bread for this meal. Wait a minute and I'll go get it out of my kitchen!" she said.

I later heard her humming and then joined in with the official song. Once again she got completely flustered with me -- "Mom! There are no songs at this table! It's just not right." Guess I got put in my place, huh?

You'll be proud of me. I decided to stay out of a school situation with Jordan. Some older (5th grade) girls had aggravated her during chorus and tried to make her look/sound bad to the choral director. On Thursday she was visibly upset when I picked her up from Choir practice. The two girls had been making "off" notes behind Jordan and then when the director would come over to investigate with his ears he would look directly at Jordan. The poor girl was almost in tears, but held it together. My mother hen instincts made me want to zap an email off to the choral director immediately. Dave took one look at me and mentioned that Mr. Tighe had an educated ear and was a smart teacher. I'll now admit Dave was right, but it was still hard to resist fixing the situation. On Monday the girls did not bother Jordan at all. I'm dying to know what really happened, but I do think the situation would have been worse if I intervened.

One last bit of news -- and I am SO EXCITED about this. One of my best friends, Patricia, from college has moved to Athens, Georgia from Baton Rouge, Louisiana with her family. Her husband is an outstanding football coach (and great person) and has been selected as the Offensive Coach for UGA. I'd love to live in the same neighborhood with them, but being an hour away seems like such a blessing. It was like getting a special piece of news for my birthday when I heard they were coming. They've had to move in a whirlwind because of the job's requirements, but I think they are happy to be back in the state where Stacey grew up. Here is an article about the whole move:

Stacey Searels hired as new UGA Coach

It was quite a shock for me to find so many articles in the media about an old college buddy. Pretty cool. I think he's going to be busy recruiting for a week or so. The SEC Football conference is fiercely competitive and loads of fun to watch.

hello, my name is ann and i'm forty

This photo is what is left of me after being alone with three kids for two weeks. No really, this little artwork was a masterpiece Jordan created at church (note the bible canvas in the background) using Silly Putty. I took one look at it and decided that it just couldn't go back into the storage egg until it had been recorded for posterity's sake.

Dave has been on multiple business trips since mid-January. It's unusual for him, but there was a lot going on with a new contract. He was in Redmond, WA for two weeks and then yesterday he flew to Maryland for a one day meeting. We've all missed him around here. On Saturday we welcomed him back from the Settle trip. We went out to dinner (nothing fancy, just a catfish joint) and I think we welcomed him back loudly to family life in that outing. Nothing unusual -- a stubborn "do it myself" toddler who knocked her sister's uncovered drink over during a protest session towards her father. LOL

On Monday Dave flew out again for a quick one day trip to Maryland to disseminate the information gained during the two week trip. We have spent the last few days getting back to normal. The kids have been thrilled to have Daddy take them to school and be back in the house again.

So, today is a momentous birthday for me. 40. Forty. FORTY. My first thought is, "How in the world did THAT happen?" and then I remember all the good times and blessings I've been given; a few hard times mixed into the formula too. I thought we might get a snow day today to enjoy some down time, but we were greated with 33 degree temps and sloppy rain this morning. Just ten minutes north of here were icy roads and school closings. (Ah, the unpredictable South) Dave had a beautiful flower arrangement on my bathroom vanity this morning. Roses and lillies -- best of all they were accompanied by the sweetest note he had composed. It was very romantic and sweet.

Oh yes, I almost forgot my news. I have been following Dr. Oz's lifestyle plan and in the two crazy weeks while Dave was gone I lost 4 inches around my waist and 10 pounds. Granted I have a long way to go, but it was a good start. I didn't even get the whole thing right, but I got enough of the message to make a good start. I had been completely obsessed with my exercise schedule for the past year, but got off it when our family Thanksgiving occurred. My task now is to get back into my routine despite any family emergencies. That should really make a difference in combination with the food plan. Everything was easy to do...there was hardly a time when I felt deprived. His plan really focuses on the conscious changes we can make to our food pantry and habits which matter most to our health. We were already eating healthy, but the tweaking made by this diet has been awesome.

it's all in the translation

"Mammmmmaaaaa! I need the ghostbuster! I think I made a mess." said Grace

"Ghostbuster? Grace there are no ghosts around here." I replied wondering where she had heard of Ghostbuster.

"GHOSTBUUUUUSTER please!"

"Grace, take me to what you need. I don't understand."

"Mammmmmaaa! It's the cleaner. A DUSTBUSTER! I want to use the dustbuster!" Grace exclaimed.

"Oooooh, the dustbuster." said her confused mother. At least the girl wants to clean up her mess.

the long and winding road

I've finally gotten organized and bought most of the groceries necessary to begin Dr. Oz's lifestyle plan. I've learned three things:

1. It takes a LONG time to read each label in detail and find the specified products. I almost fainted when I found out that the low fat mayonaise I had been using had high fructose corn syrup in the ingredients. Yikes! The biggies to avoid in the top four ingredients on a list are: saturated fat, partially hydrogenated vegetable oil, simple sugar or any other form of sugar, a non-whole-grain carbohydrate such as enriched flour.

2. For the first time ever I have cooked REAL steel cut oatmeal. I'm used to the instant cooking type (you know, the cylinder made by the Quaker man) which cooks in about two minutes. It took 30 minutes to cook my breakfast this morning, but I really liked the taste and texture of the oats. One thing Oz suggests is to cook a batch ahead to make weekday mornings quicker.

3. I took my Real Age quiz on Dr. Oz's book site and found out that despite all my health concerns and lack of proportional ability (you know, overweight) that I am 38 years old healthwise. Not too bad for someone turning 40 in two weeks. A health age of 28 would be better though. Dave has not taken the test yet, but I am awaiting his results. He thinks he is so smart turning 40 in July instead of February. Ahem.

nothing profound

Today I have nothing profound to say. Actually, I'm not sure I say profound things very often. This week has been about returning to the routine and getting the house put back together following the holidays. As usual, I'm running behind on all of it.

Dave actually injured his back severely while helping a friend put in a wood floor. He was carrying a "portable" table saw up a set of stairs and managed to twist his back. At first it brought back old memories of the pain he experienced while in Hawaii. At that point he was suffering nerve damage and the complications a ruptured disk brings. I would say that the initial pain of this new injury rivaled my memories from that time. We were both really scared. Scared he would have months of recovery like before or even surgery. After days of heat treatment, medicine, and other tools he has begun to move again.

One positive note, Grace begged to wear her big girl underwear yesterday and was successful for over 8 hours. I'm thrilled, but can take no credit. Grace has her own agenda and that also applies to potty training. I have simply made the basics available to her and she seems to have gotten the idea. I believe she's had the idea for a while, but yesterday she took to the idea completely.

Please keep my Grandfather in your thoughts and prayers this week. He has been taken from his nursing home residence to the hospital today. He is fighting a bout of pneumonia and a kidney infection. It looks like he is responding to the treatments and things are going well...but at the age of 88 he could use a few prayers.

sightseeing

First let me share the thought for today...see if this applies to you:












Isn't that a hoot? I found this sign while sightseeing with my gang last week. Dave went out of town on business for a couple of days and I thought I'd run over to see my parents with the kids. That's the nice part about being closer location-wise to our families. I don't live in the same town (or state) as my parents, but it is an easy 4 hour drive to their house and completely possible over a weekend. That's something we never had the opportunity to do before.

Thursday, on my way back to Atlanta, my parents and I took the kids to a couple of North Alabama sites. First we visited the Oakville Indian Mounds which are the largest set of Woodland Mounds in the state of Alabama. Several Indian tribes made this area their home over the years so there are lots of history connections here. There is a museum there shaped in the style of a council house which contains artifacts and also a statue of Sequoya who created the Cherokee alphabet. My great-grandmother on my father's side was 100% Creek and we also have Cherokee heritage in our family. I thought it was important for the kids to see some of this localized history since it relates to their heritage. It's funny, after seeing the great sites of Washington D.C. I sometimes think kids identify with sites which are off the beaten path. After looking at all the tools and artifacts (it was a fairly simple museum, but good) and making the gift shop's attendant excited, we let the kids run atop one of the mounds which are accessible to the public.




After a late lunch in Cullman we then travelled to something you would NEVER imagine in the middle of a farm field in North Alabama. It's like an image out of Europe, but seems surreal amid such a rural area (OK, Tuscany is rural also, but you know what I mean.) in the South. It is called The Shrine of the Most Blessed Sacrament and rivals many of the cathedrals I saw in Europe. They wouldn't allow any photos inside the cathedral so I snuck these photos after the sun went down along with the sign on the towel holder in the bathroom. Think anyone from the Catholic church will confiscate them?





Two funny things happened while we were there. We made it through a 30 minute chanting service given by the nuns. This alone was an amazing fact considering that Grace dropped a post it note on the floor and it echoed! The nuns continued their chanting without many breaks and William leaned over and said, "Mom, when do you think they will change to another song? This one has gone on forever!"

Then later we were viewing the creche area which is like a grotto type building adjacent to the church. Inside they have a a nativity scene which remains in place all year long. It is beautiful and the kids loved looking at it. Grace even understood the meaning of the display and commented about baby Jesus and the others. There were candles there and so we lit them in honor of my grandmother and Dave's mom. It was such a sweet moment. We had the whole creche to ourselves so it was very intimate compared to the cathedral. Just when I was feeling all sappy a kid comment came along to bring me down to reality. Grace had moved to the pews and was sitting with my Mother when she said, "What in the world is Tinkerbell doing up there?!?" and then pointed to the angel at the top of the display. I thought my Mother was going to fall off the pew laughing.

Nothing like the Birth of Christ mixed with a little Disney talk, huh?

a blessed 2007 ahead

Youth is when you're allowed to stay up late on New Year's Eve. Middle age is when you're forced to. ~Bill Vaughn

One resolution I have made, and try always to keep, is this: To rise above the little things. ~John Burroughs

An optimist stays up until midnight to see the new year in. A pessimist stays up to make sure the old year leaves. ~Bill Vaughan

We spend January 1 walking through our lives, room by room, drawing up a list of work to be done, cracks to be patched. Maybe this year, to balance the list, we ought to walk through the rooms of our lives... not looking for flaws, but for potential. ~Ellen Goodman

The only way to spend New Year's Eve is either quietly with friends or in a brothel. Otherwise when the evening ends and people pair off, someone is bound to be left in tears. ~W.H. Auden

Many people look forward to the new year for a new start on old habits. ~Author Unknown

For last year's words belong to last year's language
And next year's words await another voice.
And to make an end is to make a beginning.
~T.S. Eliot, "Little Gidding"

Be always at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbors, and let each new year find you a better man. ~Benjamin Franklin

No one ever regarded the First of January with indifference. It is that from which all date their time, and count upon what is left. It is the nativity of our common Adam. ~Charles Lamb

New Year's Day is every man's birthday. ~Charles Lamb

The merry year is born
Like the bright berry from the naked thorn.
~Hartley Coleridge

Year's end is neither an end nor a beginning but a going on, with all the wisdom that experience can instill in us. ~Hal Borland

Never tell your resolution beforehand, or it's twice as onerous a duty. ~John Selden

New Year's eve is like every other night; there is no pause in the march of the universe, no breathless moment of silence among created things that the passage of another twelve months may be noted; and yet no man has quite the same thoughts this evening that come with the coming of darkness on other nights. ~Hamilton Wright Mabie

The Old Year has gone. Let the dead past bury its own dead. The New Year has taken possession of the clock of time. All hail the duties and possibilities of the coming twelve months! ~Edward Payson Powell

Cheers to a new year and another chance for us to get it right. ~Oprah Winfrey

Ring out the old, ring in the new,
Ring, happy bells, across the snow:
The year is going, let him go;
Ring out the false, ring in the true.
~Alfred, Lord Tennyson, 1850

The proper behavior all through the holiday season is to be drunk. This drunkenness culminates on New Year's Eve, when you get so drunk you kiss the person you're married to. ~P.J. O'Rourke

Every man should be born again on the first day of January. Start with a fresh page. Take up one hole more in the buckle if necessary, or let down one, according to circumstances; but on the first of January let every man gird himself once more, with his face to the front, and take no interest in the things that were and are past. ~Henry Ward Beecher

New Year's Day: Now is the accepted time to make your regular annual good resolutions. Next week you can begin paving hell with them as usual. ~Mark Twain

The new year begins in a snow-storm of white vows. ~George William Curtis

We will open the book. Its pages are blank. We are going to put words on them ourselves. The book is called Opportunity and its first chapter is New Year's Day. ~Edith Lovejoy Pierce

Yesterday, everybody smoked his last cigar, took his last drink and swore his last oath. Today, we are a pious and exemplary community. Thirty days from now, we shall have cast our reformation to the winds and gone to cutting our ancient shortcomings considerably shorter than ever. ~Mark Twain

People are so worried about what they eat between Christmas and the New Year, but they really should be worried about what they eat between the New Year and Christmas. ~Author Unknown

Drop the last year into the silent limbo of the past. Let it go, for it was imperfect, and thank God that it can go. ~Brooks Atkinson

Good resolutions are simply checks that men draw on a bank where they have no account. ~Oscar Wilde

Glory to God in highest heaven,
Who unto man His Son hath given;
While angels sing with tender mirth,
A glad new year to all the earth.
~Martin Luther

New Year's Eve, where auld acquaintance be forgot. Unless, of course, those tests come back positive. ~Jay Leno

A happy New Year! Grant that I
May bring no tear to any eye
When this New Year in time shall end
Let it be said I've played the friend,
Have lived and loved and labored here,
And made of it a happy year.
~Edgar Guest

It wouldn't be New Year's if I didn't have regrets. ~William Thomas

May all your troubles last as long as your New Year's resolutions. ~Joey Adams

He who breaks a resolution is a weakling;
He who makes one is a fool.
~F.M. Knowles

The object of a New Year is not that we should have a new year. It is that we should have a new soul and a new nose; new feet, a new backbone, new ears, and new eyes. Unless a particular man made New Year resolutions, he would make no resolutions. Unless a man starts afresh about things, he will certainly do nothing effective. ~G.K. Chesterton

I think in terms of the day's resolutions, not the year's. ~Henry Moore

Time has no divisions to mark its passage, there is never a thunder-storm or blare of trumpets to announce the beginning of a new month or year. Even when a new century begins it is only we mortals who ring bells and fire off pistols. ~Thomas Mann

I made no resolutions for the New Year. The habit of making plans, of criticizing, sanctioning and molding my life, is too much of a daily event for me. ~Anaïs Nin

New Year's is a harmless annual institution, of no particular use to anybody save as a scapegoat for promiscuous drunks, and friendly calls and humbug resolutions. ~Mark Twain

Every man regards his own life as the New Year's Eve of time. ~Jean Paul Richter

change in progress

Bear with me for a few days. I am in the process of changing to Blogger's new version...and since it's the start of a new year I feel the need to refresh a few things. Mind if I don't post one of those annoying "under construction" signs? I'm also in the process of redoing our family website which is sorely outdated.

Dave and I traded babysitting favors with some neighborhood friends this week. Today we left our three with them and headed out to the movies. We saw "Pursuit of Happyness" which was really worthwhile. (And no, I didn't misspell it.) We used to see every movie that came out during the holidays. Nowadays we have to pick and choose our opportunities since most of our movie viewing happens inside our home. Dave also wants to see "The Good Shepherd" soon. Anyone seen it?

Grace takes the prize this week for her changes...finally God has blessed us with a ready to potty model of child. She now wakes up dry most mornings and announces her intentions as running to the bathroom. The running commentary is hilarious and the reality of fewer diapers seems like a miracle. On Tuesday, while we were at a restaurant, she insisted on the fact that the changing table was not for her and insisted upon the big girl potty. Hallelujah! It's probably time since she has closely inspected the faceless illustration on the changing table (you know the one that shows you how to use the changing table and warns you not to walk away from the child?) and decided that "the baby lost it's eyes when it fell off the table after the Daddy left it." I wonder if the illustrators ever thought the information would be percieved that way?

Speaking of change, did I mention that I am officially beginning the job hunt soon? I have a resume to update and a portfolio to compile, but hopefully that effort will pay off in a good and satisfying job. I'll keep you updated.

here comes santa claus

Grace kisses Santa during our church's Breakfast with Santa
December 2, 2006

we came, we saw, we survived

Ah, at long last I return to the blogging scene. Hang onto your hats, this is a long post. A lot has happened in three weeks -- not the least of which was our trip to Washington D.C. for Dave's Business Group Christmas party. We managed to cram a lot of fun and old friends into 5 days. We left Georgia on Thursday afternoon and got into Maryland around 1:45 am on Friday morning. By some genius stroke of luck we were granted a suite due to a mixup at the Hilton where we were staying. That was wonderful with five people in the room.

We set about on Friday to take the kids by Dave's office in Maryland and say hello, tie up loose ends for the rest of the trip, and then visit my old office near NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center. That afternoon we finally did the thing Jordan has dreamed about for two years -- we visited with her best friend and our old neighbors. It was great fun to see the girls reuniting and unnerving to see how they are becoming older. Jordan got to visit with Alex and Marielle at length and we all went to dinner at an Italian restaurant with little brothers and sisters in tow. I really felt sorry for the other clientele of the restaurant because we were the loudest table in the room. Later that night Jordan and the girls spent the night at Marielle's house. When we picked her up on Saturday morning she was on cloud 9.



We met more friends for breakfast, showed William the hospital where he was born, and then began preparing for the big party night. First on the agenda was getting the kids to their old babysitter's house for the spend the night party she had planned. Miss Nicki is a wonderful person. She goes to school at UCSD and had just arrived home from California less than 12 hours before we dropped three kiddos on her. I could hardly believe how excited she was to see them. The last time she babysat Will he was still a new toddler around 14 months old. We felt so safe leaving them there -- and we were so excited to run away for an adult night on the town.




The hotel was BEAUTIFUL. Big feather bed and down comforters, great views, and good company. It was nice to have time alone with my husband. I was completely caught by surprise when he brought out a jewelry box with a circular diamond pendant as an early christmas present. Dave gets extra bonus wife points for being so romantic. We got dressed for the night in peace and enjoyed every moment of the luxurious party. There were about 600 people in the Grand Ballroom, a live band including horns, and food stations to fulfill every need including the required crabcakes. It was quite the party.



One night away with a relaxing morning did wonders for my mentality. Most mornings we are getting people up and moving at our house. Having a morning with no deadlines (other than a noontime kid pickup) was heavenly. We did eventually come to reality and checked out of the hotel. We headed back to get the kids (who were all happy as clams with Miss Nicki and the goodies she has treated them with) and then out to brunch with some old Navy friends. Oddly enough our old Navy contemporaries are now taking command of ships and big organizations...and that is a funny feeling having known them since their early twenties. Just one more reminder that the years are flying by.

Sunday night we arrived on the doorstep of Josh and Claudia, Dave's cousin. They are one of the best things about the Maryland area and we were happy to be back with them. They were brave enough to entertain our clan for two days and even do some sightseeing with us. On early Monday morning we headed downtown by metro (a thrill to the kids) and then set about to be tourists. We covered a planned tour of the Capitol Building, the Air and Space Museum, Bureau of Engraving and Printing, the Washington Monument, and the new WWII monument. The temperature was 70 degrees so we had a reprieve and were able to move around easily downtown without heavy coats. The photo below shows William and Jordan with a plane which their Pop-pop worked on during his time with Lockheed.



We reluctantly headed back down the interstate on Tuesday night and have tried to squeeze in the last two days of schools, teacher's presents, and other deadlines. I'm running late on Christmas card delivery, but you'll get them soon. I hope everyone is having a good holiday season. I'd love to know what your plans are...ours are rather subdued after the trip. If you made it to the bottom of this post you deserve a kiss under the mistletoe. Now go find your significant other. ;-) Did you think I'd kiss you???

December deadlines

Why do I find myself surprised by the whirlwind of activity each year in December. Thanksgiving seems so relaxed (well, a bit busy this year) and soothing and then WHAM December hits with a bang. It's not all about the Santa thing either. As school winds down before the break it seems like every complex project comes due with requirements from craft stores and late night finales cheering Jordan to the finish line of a research paper or biography. Choral concert practices have been extended and Drama club performances happen. I'm not even going to begin to list the additional things like birthday parties and girl scout meetings that are "normal". It's funny...January is the begining of the year, but months like August and December are beginning to mark more and more of my milestones with the kid's school experiences.

There's a little secret we are keeping from the kids right now. We made the decision to attend Dave's East Coast Company Holiday party in Washington D.C. and so we are off for a little trip right before school ends. (It's my final attempt for the parent of the year award...ripping my kids out of school for a few days in December for a family trip with some educational value. I'm quite sure the school system will deem this trip unexcused, but I really don't care.) We are going to drive up (should I wave as I go past Dori?) and then stay in Maryland for the first few days. Jordan will get to visit with her best friend and former neighbor Alex...and she will feel happy about this. Even now I hear her say that she hasn't found another friend like her in Georgia. Good friends are special, even when you are young. Dave and I will get to celebrate the Holiday party like real adults in the hotel without kids. Our three will be staying with their old babysitters who are now college age and home from University. I'm quite sure they won't miss us that night. We got my dress this weekend after some miracle kid wrangling by Dave. We also found him an outfit addition to his black suit which will dress it up a bit. I think I'll have a handsome date. We plan on visiting the Air and Space Museum later that weekend and then a full day of sightseeing including a congressional tour on Monday. It's a bit like an extended weekend, but I'm looking forward to it.

First I have to survive the choral concert tomorrow night.

good memories

Thanksgiving was monumental this year. For the first time in a long time Dave's family gathered around the table with all the siblings complete. We were only missing one grandchild due to military service -- and we missed him so -- but to have that many people in one place was a milestone for us. We had a nephew from Arizona come to visit with his family (Since when did my nephews get old enough to have kids? I'm getting old!). Dave's sister came home from Kansas for the first time in four years. The last time she was here it was for the sad occassion of her mother's funeral. Another nephew came home from grad school in Wisconsin. Needless to say, last week was busy, but happy. We had kids everywhere, food galore, and a few moments to sit and enjoy each other. Dave even found the opportunity to take a crew golfing.

Thanksgiving night the women finally had time to linger around the dining room table telling funny stories:


Here are my kids with Simon's (my nephew) kids at the park together:


We had a night to eat BBQ and then we on a little tour of Marietta, which included a funny stop at this tavern. Simon is actually a Border Patrol officer so this sign was a lot of fun for us to share. Simon went inside and found out that he was the first Border Patrol officer to stop and say hello to the owner. The kitchen was closed and we were stuffed with BBQ or we would have taken advantage of the freebies involved. No comment on the Walmart greeter portion of the sign. ;-)

it was a beginning

Well, Friday was the big day for the vendor sale. A neighbor of mine held it in her home. (Brave!?!) There were around 20 vendors who sold everything from jewelry to pampered chef and tupperware. Interspersed were people like me who sold custom artwork or stationary, monograming. Apparently the traffic was much slower than last year due to conflicting events at the school. The other vendors who made a killing last year were sitting around bored this year. Maybe that was better for me though...I stayed up all night on Thursday night to finish getting ready for the sale and might not have been able to speak coherantly to more than one person at a time. We did have lots of people in the afternoon. Now the good news -- while I did not sell astronomical amounts I did make a few sales. Those will help cover my cost and I actually think the word got out that I did special things for baby gifts and bedrooms. I've gotten lots of comments since the sale indicating that I may have future business. I have no illusions about making a fortune off of my doodles, but I do know that not everyone is creative. Sometimes creativity sells.

Here is what the booth looked like. Dave helped me cut a half sheet of plywood and then cover it with a remnant that I bought. I nailed the picture hangers into the board and then hung the samples up on those. I also had some of Dave's hand turned "Southern Baby Rattles" and snowman ornaments on the table. I would have loved to have more items for people to pay for and carry home, but the sales I did make all wanted customization. You have to take orders on things like that.



This was the biggest seller of the day. I tried a very loose and happy style and most people seemed attracted to it.


Here is the mermaid painting. All the little girls commented on it. The final size of these pieces once matted was 16 " X 20 ".


On Friday night I was beat, but we managed to take advantage of free babysitting by the church teenagers. We went to dinner at a favorite cajun place with some of our best friends. I haven't laughed that hard in a long time. Maybe I was just delirious from the loss of sleep, but I laughed so hard that it hurt. It was great fun. I hope to be better rested next time. It was a rare weekend because we had another social engagement on Saturday night. Our neighbors hosted a "Totally 80's" night and we had a blast. Everyone dressed the part so it was that much more fun. It was a potluck so there was lots of good food. I'll have to post more about it tomorrow (photos, too) because there were some great neighborhood moments. Everyone submitted 80's photos to the hosts and they created a big collage for everyone to look over. Honestly the 80's don't seem that long ago, but that was high school and college years for me. Our babysitter was rolling in the floor laughing when we left so I guess we did look ridiculous in the 80's after all.

call me crazy

Well, I've committed the ultimate overcommittment sin in the mothering handbook. I'm not sorry I did it. I am enjoying the moments required for this special project, but I really wish I had a few more weeks to complete everything. On Friday I will be selling some artwork -- mostly watercolors of children's art for their bedrooms and playrooms -- at a school fundraiser. I've already paid for the booth and now I am at the crisis point of completing the work in my distracted life. You'd think this would be easy considering I am stay at home right now...ah, that would be the assumption an outsider would make. But if you are a Mom you know that little ones fill up every nook and cranny of your life leaving you with few quiet moments which equate a nap or bedtime.

Grace is really at the stage where she cannot be trusted for an extended period of time. Case in point occurred yesterday. She went upstairs to fetch her big doll for play. She goes into the bedroom she shares with Jordan. I hear basically normal sounds...and then little footsteps in the adjoining bathroom. And then nothing. More nothing. I go upstairs and find her sitting fully clothed in the bathtub with the bath toys all around her, quietly pouring a strawberry smelling shampoo up and down her legs. And she looks so peaceful doing it that I mute my scream and simply utter an, "Oh no." It could have been worse, right?

So back to this project. I'm loving every precious minute I can spare on it. Watercolor is my first love. We were taught to use it excessively in architectural school on our projects. There is nothing more calming than humming along on a project. I dare to say my work is art...more like doodles. Still I think I'll sell enough to cover my expenses. I should give a big THANK YOU to my husband who bravely offered to take all three children to Chuck E Cheese for an extended amount of time last night during a school fundraiser. On a night when the whole elementary school descended on that zoo he managed to have a little fun and provide them dinner. A brave and wonderful gesture indeed.

Dave is also in the midst of reworking our island base with beadboard and trim. He's worked wonders already in just a few days and I'm excited. It looks much more like a piece of furniture instead of a rough box. One day I'll rant about the people who left this house to us. For now, I'll just tell you that I wish my poor husband had more down time to do projects like this because he is really a great craftsman. I think we both fear that retirement will be our only hope to be creative. I guess my little project is an attempt to force creativity back into my life...and an island handyman project will have to be his.

i holdin' on tight mamma!

This is what big brothers are good for:

halloween 2006

Halloween is big fun in our neighborhood. The events start at 5 pm and keep going until 9 pm. A lot of the cul-de-sacs plan block parties where the adults hang out and take turns shuttling the kids around from street to street. There is always plenty to eat and enjoy. It's a great time to reconnect with everyone. This year our neighborhood association had a policeman hired for the front of the neighborhood to encourage outsiders to park their cars in one place and walk. In the past people would follow their kids from house to house in the cars and it would be so difficult to walk around with little ones. Our neighborhood is full of kids and so the streets were just filled with people. It was nice to have the outsider cars limited so the kids could play.

My pictures are not award winning this year. All the kids wanted to do was get candy and TOT around the neighborhood. Grace was Snow White, Jordan was Hannah Montana (thanks Alia!), and William was a Pirate. William looks like he lost his best friend in this photo. In actuality he was just tolerating me so he could go to the party.


We didn't quite get to the pumpkin carving, but our porch looked seasonal with the pumpkins the kids selected.


Here is Hannah Montana hanging out with her girlfriends. I think we are past the point of cute (aka Mom influenced) outfits for Halloween.


After returning home we got the kids headed toward a decent bedtime after sorting the candy into seperate ziploc bags. Needless to say, our pantry is stocked with candy. Things were going well until Grace fell off of William's bed and nearly bit her tongue through from the fall. I was reading them a Dr. Suess story when Grace decided that she wanted to turn around to see my face. She was sitting upright on William's bed when she suddenly just got sleepy and fell backwards. The bed is only a foot off the floor, but I could tell from her cry that she was hurt. I kept looking at all the obvious spots and could not tell what was wrong. I picked her up and then she opened her mouth and blood began pouring out of it. It was horrible. I searched for the wound initially thinking a tooth had come loose, but then saw the mini-grand canyon created by her sharp little teeth on the right side of her tongue. The cut was about 3/4ths of an inch and deep enough that I thought it had completely punctured the tongue. Fortunately it didn't. Poor little girl. It took us a while to stop the wound from bleeding and then it still hurt horribly. We ended up letting her sleep in the crib for the night so that we could hear her if anything happened. I took her to the doctor on Wednesday and after a peroxide wash of the tongue (yech) she declared the tongue to be healing beautifully. The canyon had already sealed and we are only looking for signs of infection and eating a lot of applesauce. I tell her that candy will hurt her wound. Is that lying???

In other news, my Father-in law got a good report from the doctor yesterday and went back to his home after dinner last night. The kids missed him horribly this morning. Grace kept looking for him. Don is still in recovery mode, but after having the staples removed he in on to stage 2 of the recovery. He cannot drive for several more weeks and also has to be very careful. His therapist will visit him there in the home.

Tell me how everyone else's Halloween went? Even though the holiday is a lot of work, it's loads of fun to be a parent that night. Definately a top three holiday in my book.