Enjoy!

Little is all about snow this winter. She talks about snow, asks when it is going to snow, and plots the things she will do when she finally gets to play in the snow.

Imagine her disappointment when our first snow of the winter left us with barley a 1/2 inch dusting (in fact, I think the layer of dust in my house is deeper than the snow was on the ground). When she looked out and saw the “snow” the following conversation ensued:

Little: Mom, can I play in the snow?
Me: Little, there really isn’t enough snow to play in.
Little: Can I make a snowman?
Me: No, baby, there isn’t enough snow.
Little: Can I make a snow angel?
Me: Sorry, sweetheart, there isn’t enough snow.
Little: Well, can I at least make a footprint?

Fortunately, there was enough snow for her to make some footprints.

So, that was our first encounter with snow this year. Then, a couple of weeks ago, the weather people started forecasting a big snow headed our way. We were supposed to get 6-8 inches, and everyone was very excited (and very anxious to get to the grocery for bread and milk). This is the South, people!

There was enough for the little people to go out and play, which they loved.

check out the tiny snowman; that’s all the snowman they could build

And the next day the ice made it perfect for sledding. They loved this too!

Little was much more impressed with this snow, but since it was mostly ice it posed challenges of its own.

She couldn’t make a snow angel because she couldn’t push her arms down hard enough to break through the ice crust.

And poor Boo had trouble walking in it. Just about every time he took a step he lost his balance as his foot broke through the ice crust and fell on his bucket. I so wish I had been filming him when he first went out; he stepped over the transition point between our concrete patio and the grass, lost his balance, and went sprawling face forward into the snow. It was hilarious!

That was the first of our two snows in a week and a half span. I’ll post about this week’s snow soon.

Matt did some research, and we did some shopping, and we settled on a small canister vac that would serve our needs. All the while I dreamed and drooled over the Dyson vacuum that I would love to have but just wasn’t in the budget.

Then…a week after we purchased our vacuum I was notified by 5 Minutes for Mom that I was randomly selected as the winner of their Dyson DC25 giveaway. I was so excited! Matt, being the resident skeptic, was, well, a bit skeptical in the “I’ll believe it when I see it” sort of way.

The following Tuesday our new vacuum arrived. We excitedly opened the box expecting to put together the new toy vacuum and try it. We were unpleasantly surprised to find that the box did not contain the vacuum attachments or, more importantly, the front part of the vacuum (you know, the part that touches the floor and picks up the dirt).

On Wednesday morning I set out to find a way to remedy the situation. I e-mailed the prize coordinator at 5M4M and she got in touch with the PR rep for Dyson. I expected to receive an e-mail saying that they would ship me the missing parts and we would live happily with our new, fully assembled vacuum. When the PR rep contacted me, he was extremely apologetic for the problem and offered, not to get me the missing parts, but to upgrade us to a DC28, Dyson’s most powerful vacuum!

Our new vacuum arrived on Tuesday, and Tuesday night we put it together and tried it. From our first run, I think this is a great vacuum!

God is so good! A super-dooper vacuum was not something we had to have, but is definitely something for which we are thankful. God knows all of our wants and needs, the big and the small, and provides for us in ways that we couldn’t even imagine.

A few months ago MomSelect sent me an offer to receive 4 tickets to the Thomas and Friends Live! On Stage show that is touring this year. Little loves her trains, so I thought it would be a good opportunity to take her to the show. Unfortunately, the tour did not come to West Tennessee, so last weekend we loaded up the kids for a quick trip to Nashville specifically to see Thomas.

The show was cute, and both of my kids seemed to enjoy it. It was definitely corny, but what do you expect from a kids show? It took several minutes before the trains first made their appearance, and Little got a bit antsy waiting for them to come on stage, but once the trains were there she pretty much sat enthralled for the 45 minutes prior to intermission. Boo, on the other hand, clapped and sang and grinned and cheered all the way through the first part. There were several times where they asked for audience participation (make the sound of the train whistle, sing along, call for Thomas, etc), but Little would not participate (while Boo was too young to really understand).

Here are a few things I learned from taking my little people to see the show:

1. Seats in the first tier are better than floor seats (at least at our venue). We were able to get good seats with our passes.

2. An hour seems to be about the extent of my children’s ability to sit still and watch something. They both did great up until intermission, but the 30 minutes after intermission were harder. By the last 15 minutes, Little was asking if it was time to go yet.

3. I will never again drink the fresh-squeezed lemonade at Sommet Center. At least not while eating blue cotton candy. Let’s just say that the kids were fine, but apparently wee babe #3 was not to keen on the combination.

It was a tough weekend for Matt and me, but I’m really glad we had the opportunity and made the effort to take Little to see Thomas. She may not remember going since she’s so young, but she was very excited about it and seemed to really enjoy seeing the trains live on stage.

1.  The sound of crunching acorns underfoot and the fact that it always makes Little giggle.

2.  Baking yummy things with apples; especially our favorite apple cake.

3.  The smell of wood fires on the air.

4.  Wrapping up in my favorite quilt and snuggling in on the couch to read after the kids are in bed.

5.  The feeling of crisp, cool air on my skin after months of heat and humidity.

6.  Opening the windows.

7.  A return to playing in the cove in the mornings and afternoons without fear of heatstroke.

8.  Drinking hot beverages (coffee, chai, cocoa) any time of day.

9.  Wearing jeans while maintaining a comfortable body temperature.

10. The approach and anticipation of Thanksgiving and Christmas, my favorite holidays.

And the one thing I hate?

Having to wear real shoes instead of sandals or flip-flops (and the disappearance of sweet baby feet into socks and shoes).

Meet Sheikra.  Or, as we came to refer to it, Shriekra.

All day we eyed this bad boy.  All day it taunted us as it towered above the lesser rides.  All day we alternated between giddy excitement and terrified respect.  All day we tried to work ourselves up for the ride.

When the time came to suck it up or go home all four of us decided to throw caution to the wind and climb aboard.

Now, let’s get a bit of perspective that might be missed when seeing this beast in pictures and not in person.

First, there’s this:

and from a different angle:

a ninety degree (that’s straight down) vertical drop of 200 feet.

Then there’s this:

what’s known as an Immelmann loop, or, in layman’s terms, a loop where you go upside down.

Then, there’s this:

a second vertical drop.

Also notable about this ride are the facts that: 1. it reaches a maximum speed of 70 mph; 2. there is no floor to the coaster “car”; and 3. at the top of the 200 foot drop the coaster pauses to dangle you – yes, dangle you – over the edge before letting the car plunge down the track.

Let me just tell you, that plunge was like nothing I’ve ever experienced before!

So, here’s how it played out…

The four of us boarded the car, pulled our safety harnesses as tight as possible, and set off to see if we’d live to walk off the ride.

Up the ascent.  clack.  clack.  clack. All the time seeing nothing but the clouds.

Around the bend.  brake.  release.  brake. Ease forward until we are hanging over the edge of the precipice.  pause.  pause.  pause.  RELEASE!

Into the descent that pushes you out of your seat up into the seat restraints; forces that require you to think about breathing; an adrenaline rush that makes you question whether or not your heart just stopped.

Quickly into the Immelmann loop, around to the second vertical drop, skidding across water, and back into the coaster station.

My brother left the park with a tee-shirt that said “I survived the five”.  After riding Sheikra, he deserved it.

When we landed in Tampa we were off to meet my parents (who drove down) at the condo so our vacation could really begin.  We spent the week relaxing at the beach, having fun at Busch Gardens, and generally enjoying our time together.

It was great to be with my brother and my nephews.  It was great for my kiddos to spend lots of quality time with us, their uncle, their cousins, and their grandparents.  It was an adventure involving sand, water, roller coasters, and lots of good seafood.

And I’ll be back to tell you more about it later.  Right now I’m off to take a nap; I’m having a tough time switching from “vacation” mode back into “real life” mode. 

We’re borrowing Mario Galaxy from friends, and that is Little’s current favorite.  Over the weekend, she could be heard saying (loudly) “It’s Maa-eeo tiime!” every time Matt started playing a game – no matter what game he was playing.  She also likes to accompany her gameplay with a demonstration of how Mario “jumps silly.”

She’s quite the little gamer.

Thank you all for your “get well” wishes.  I am feeling better, but still not 100%; hopefully, it will clear up totally in the next few days.

The memories for Matt go back to the beginning.  He remembers when the land was just that, land, filled with trees and potential.  He remembers the steps along the way to completing the house and Granny and Papa making the move out there.  He has fond childhood memories of summer visits, playing in the creek, fishing in the pond, and walking in the woods.  He always said he wished he could spend the whole summer at Granny and Papa’s instead of only a week.

There are also lots of memories that we’ve made there together.  My first visit was just over 10 years ago.  Matt and I had only been dating a few months, and he took me to meet his grandparents while we were in town for Spring Break from college.  I fell in love with his grandparents and their place immediately and am very thankful that I’m still visiting a decade later and have so many good times to reflect on.

This was the place we were married.  In the kitchen we ate chicken salad sandwiches as we waited for time for the ceremony.  In Granny’s huge garden we were photographed with our families.  Under a rose arbor we pledged our love for each other as we said our vows.

This was the place we made our first home.  The first two months of our married life we lived in the little house on Granny and Papa’s property (originally built for Matt’s great-grandmother).  We would come home in the evenings to find fresh picked tomatoes sitting on our back porch railing; we would go into the garden to pick corn from the stalk and blueberries straight from the bush.  We would go down the driveway every Thursday evening to sit on the screened porch and chat.  It was a special season in our life for many reasons, not the least of which was Matt finally getting to spend the whole summer at Granny and Papa’s house.

And now we have memories there with our children.  Little standing beside the Christmas tree.  A trip to play in the creek with her Daddy.  Boo in Papa’s lap.  Granny and Papa loving our children like they’ve always loved Matt.

I am thankful for all the memories we’ve created on the farm and especially with Granny and Papa.  It is sad to see it go, but it will always hold a special place in our hearts.

Last night we decided to watch a movie after the kiddos went to bed.  Our movie-on-hand was Juno.  We’d seen the previews and heard good things about it, but I wasn’t really prepared for how much I would like this movie.  Granted, there are many things in the movie that I don’t condone – teenage pregnancy, divorce, bad language – but I laughed so hard that Matt was laughing at me. I have a bit of an odd sense of humor, and Juno is one of those quirky comedies that fit it perfectly (like The Princess Bride, Monty Python, Rushmore, for other examples).

In fact, I liked it so much that I considered watching it again today before I sent it back to Netflix.  I think I might have to add it to our DVD collection.

I’ve had this cute little “Babywearing Bloggers” button in my sidebar since before Boo arrived.  Now that he’s four weeks old (really? already? wow!) and I’ve worn him on several occasions, I feel like I’m officially part of the babywearing community.

On the recommendation of Lu, I decided to start my babywearing career with a Sleepy Wrap.  I’m so glad I chose this carrier; we both love it!  I pop Boo into it and he is usually off to sleep in no time riding along all snug and cozy against my chest where he can hear my heartbeat.  It is so nice to have him close and not to carry the huge (and heavy) infant seat everywhere we go.  I’ve worn him at the mall, at the park, in church, out to dinner, at the bookstore, and playing outside.

I am officially a babywearing Momma and loving every minute of it!

For the last year or so we’ve been using an Apple laptop that Matt brought home from work.  This arrangement has worked well, but now Matt needs the laptop back at the office.  This left us with a dilemma – either buy our own laptop or go without.  Now I do realize that it is a luxury to even have this dilemma; we have a nice Apple desktop, so we wouldn’t be without a computer.  However, Matt is an IT guy, we’ve had 2 computers for several years, and we are often using both at the same time.  It is also very nice to be able to sit on the couch and use the computer!

A few weeks ago we received a refund that has been owed us since last July and decided that since those funds had been out of pocket for several months already, we would use them to fund our laptop.  After much research and deliberation, Matt decided on the one he wanted and placed the order. 

I was a bit disappointed that it isn’t an Apple, but I’ll survive.  And here I sit (on the couch) typing happily on our nice new laptop and trying to remember how things work in Windows OS. 

Friday, the city was in panic mode – schools were closing early, streets were being salted, people were packing the grocery stores – before a single flake had been spotted. Oh yes, these are the ways of Southerners when threatened with winter weather; even if the prediction is only for a 1/2 inch this is how we react, but now they were saying we could get 4-6 inches.

About 1:00 Friday afternoon the snow began to fall. This wasn’t our usual half rain/half snow slushy accumulation type of winter weather, this was full-blown all-white, all-the-time snow. It snowed consistently for about 10 hours, and we woke up Saturday morning with approximately 4 inches of snow.

This was the scene in our backyard….

Later in the morning we took Little out to play in it. She was not overly impressed and even seemed a bit frightened at times; I guess that is only to be expected, though, since this was really her first experience with snow. She did walk into it when coerced, but for the most part she preferred to stay on the patio, driveway, and sidewalks where most of it had already melted. Her biggest concern was that the snow was getting on our shoes; she would point at her shoes (or mine or Matt’s) and say “shoes” with a very worried expression on her face and tone in her voice. It was like she thought the snow was eating our feet or something.

Here’s a picture of her “playing in the snow”…

(Please disregard the fact that she isn’t wearing mittens or a hat. I tried, but she kept taking the mittens off and her hood kept falling off her head. We weren’t out that long, and she never actually touched the stuff, so no fingers or ears were lost in the making of this post.)

I enjoy watching it fall and seeing it lay prettily on the ground, but I think Matt enjoyed it most of all. He was able to make snowballs (which Little thought were pretty funny), and even had plenty of snow to build a small snowman.

And today, the temps are in the mid-60s, and that is more than fine with this Southern girl. A bit of snow is fun every now and then, but now that I’ve seen some this year I’m ready to move on. Bring on Spring!

We were fortunate enough to be able to stay in a lake house owned by the parents of one of the ladies. I wish I had pictures to share of this beautiful house, because my words will not do it justice. You entered into the main level of the house which included a living room, dining room, kitchen, and powder room. The floor throughout the area was gorgeous tile, a huge gas fireplace with stone hearth and chimney anchored the living area, and the kitchen was filled with granite, tile, and stainless. Upstairs to the right were 2 bedrooms and a full bath; upstairs to the left was a “grandkids bunkroom” with 4 sets of bunkbeds, a full bath, bookshelves, toy boxes, a game closet with about 150 board games, and lots of room to play. The downstairs (3 stories total) had a nice big television viewing area, a pool table, an air hockey table, and a theater room with a 400 disc DVD changer. Other amenities included beautiful views from the back deck, a hot tub, and lake access (though it was a bit chilly to be on the water this weekend). And one of the neatest things about the house was the scripture used throughout the decor; there were scripture tiles in the floor inside the front and back doors, scripture in the wall decorations, and scripture on knick-knacks all over the house. It was truly an amazing house and such a blessing that we were able to stay there.

We spent the weekend watching movies, gabbing as only a group of ladies can, and eating delicious food. On Saturday my friend Lindsey set up a “salon” area downstairs and did haircuts for several of us and practiced wedding hair with our soon-to-be-bride. A group of us stayed down there pretty much all day watching TLC (What Not to Wear and Miss America Reality Check), watching others get their hair done, and making bead crafts (the lady of the house makes bead jewelry and has a bead collection so big it overwhelmed me just to look at the boxes); others stayed upstairs and worked on scrapbooking; and still others just enjoyed good company. That evening about 10 of us piled into the theater room to watch the Miss America Pageant on the projection t.v. It was such fun to watch the pageant with other women – we talked about the contestants, we critiqued, and we laughed hysterically at the lipstick all over Miss America’s face when she was crowned.

It was so wonderful to have a weekend like this where we had no agenda, no plan, and no commitments. We were free to spend time together, spend time alone, and spend time with God. I am grateful to Matt that he was willing to stay home alone with Little and allow me to go. It was refreshing and relaxing; and even though I came back tired from the late nights, there is a feeling you have after a time like this that transcends the tiredness.

Sometimes it is good to have a break. And as Lindsey told her husband, “it was so girlie it would have made you gag.”

Now, I don’t know about you, but for me the actual trimming of the tree is not my favorite part of the holiday season. For some reason it stresses me out a bit – all of that branch fluffing, and stand leveling, and ornament placement – I love to look at the tree once it is decorated, but actually getting to that point, not my cup of tea. Those couple of hours each year are not the “hap-happiest season of all” in these parts, but we survive and move on.

The best thing about decorating the tree and mantle this year was seeing Little’s reaction when she woke from her nap; she looked at the tree and stockings in wonder and amazement. We spent most of the remainder of the day telling her to “look don’t touch” the tree, but watching her discover this new thing and be amazed by the lights and “bah”s (anything round enough to resemble a ball) was just one more neat step in this parenting journey.

It feels like Christmas around here now. Just don’t tell the weather, I enjoying the warmer days.

Little and I started the day with a trip to the mall and a play-date with Lindsey and her son and Michelle and her daughters. It was fun to sit and chat while the children played on the playground. Lindsey and Michelle were meeting for the first time, but we were all able to talk easily and had a good time.

Lindsey and I then continued our talk as we did some walking in the mall.
Exercising is much more enjoyable when you have a friend along for company and distraction!

After Little and I came home she went down for a nap and my friend Diane stopped by to visit for a while. We enjoyed coffee and conversation while the house was quiet. It was so nice to have a couple of hours to spend together without the children underfoot. We had a chance to talk over and through many things we’ve had on our minds, to laugh together, and to encourage each other.

Friendship is definitely a blessing, and I was blessed yesterday by the time I spent with each of these ladies.

Christmas is my favorite holiday. I’m not sure exactly why it ranks above Thanksgiving or Easter or even Fourth of July, but I’ve always loved the Christmas season. There is something about the lights and the decorations, the wrapped packages and spirit of giving, the music and the traditions that make me smile.

Matt and I try not to get mired in the stress that the season can bring, and we try to stay focused on the real reason for Christmas instead of focusing on the consumerism that society fosters. Now that Little is getting old enough to participate (although still very limited participation) it is time to begin creating family traditions that she will carry through life just as we carry those of our families. What exactly will this entail? I’m not sure yet.

We started with a decision to stay home this year for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day (we’ve traveled to family every Christmas since Matt and I began dating); we will miss celebrating with our extended family, but this is what we want for the future of our family (and what better time to start than the present?). We will attend a Christmas Eve worship service either at our church or another church in our area. We will try to begin instilling in her from an early age an appreciation that Christmas is a season set aside to reflect on the birth of Jesus and what that means to us as individuals, family, and beyond. We will decorate our Christmas tree and our home. We (or at least Momma) will bake goodies for us to enjoy and to share with our friends and neighbors. We will attend and host Christmas parties. We will give and receive gifts. We will incorporate traditions from my childhood and from Matt’s childhood with new ideas and activities to create a Christmastime that is specific to our family.

This is a new phase we are entering into with the holidays, and it will be fun to see how our ideas, activities, and traditions unfold through the years to come. Now we’ve just gotta get the tree up so the season can truly begin!

I would love to hear some of the special Christmas traditions that your family has created if you would like to share in the comments.

On Sunday night, the Boston Red Sox completed a come back from a 3 games to 1 game deficit in the American League Championship Series to defeat the Cleveland Indians in Game 7 and win the AL penant and a trip to the World Series.

In celebration of their win, Jonathon Papelbon, the Sox closing pitcher, danced for the fans. This video isn’t great quality, but it is still pretty funny to see a baseball player dancing Riverdance.

The World Series begins Wednesday night featuring the Boston Red Sox versus the Colorado Rockies, and you better believe that we’ll be watching. Go Sox Go!!

Everyone drove in on Saturday morning and we all met at my parents’ house. Jason and the boys arrived about lunch time which meant a trip to Cracker Barrel – a family favorite. After lunch we came back to my parents’ house, put Little down for a nap, and played around for a while. We started watching the UT Vols game, but by halftime they seemed to have everything under control so we moved on to other things. The boys are both into baseball so Matt, Jason, and the boys played catch and practiced some pitching in the front yard.

Sunday morning we went to church together, went out to lunch (we don’t eat at home much when we’re with my parents), and then Matt, Little, and I headed home so Matt could get ready to head back to work on Monday. Sunday afternoon, Jason and my oldest nephew met my uncle and his grandson at LP Field to watch the Titans take on (and beat) the Falcons. They had a great time even though they came home a bit sunburnt.

Little loved playing with her cousins, and they absolutely adore her. It is so sweet to watch them playing together and to see the boys talking to her and wanting to spend time with her. If Little was awake, one of the boys was sure to be close by her side.

Although it wasn’t a weekend that will be remembered for excitement or adventure, it was a great weekend filled with family. Before Saturday it had been about 6 months since I saw my nephews, hopefully it won’t be as long until I see them again.

We enjoyed playing inside and outside with everything from bubbles to the Wii. H & N really had fun playing Wii bowling, and N was excited because he bowled a strike in pretty much every game he played. Matt pulled the boys and Little around the yard in our wagon which apparently was a great time. I kept hearing cries of “faster” accompanied by lots of laughter and few breaks for the man doing all the work. I appreciated the time I was able to spend with H (D & D’s oldest daughter) getting to know her a bit and just having the opportunity to talk to her about school, friends, and soccer.

Little wasn’t real sure what to think about having so many other children in the house. She watched the boys, got upset when Matt went outside with the boys but not her, and waited patiently (for a one year old) for her turn in the wagon. She was good and played well, but you could tell she was a bit unsure about why those people were at her house.

After everyone left and Little was in bed Matt and I sat on the couch relaxing and enjoying the calm. We had a brief peek into the life of a family with four children, and I believe that our thoughts can be summed up in Matt’s statement: “I’m glad they usually come one at a time!”

Found at Buried Treasure Books via a link at Amy’s Humble Musings.

On a lovely Wednesday morning a few weeks ago Michelle and the girls came over and the baking began. Having noticed that small chefs can sometimes be eager to add ingredients to the mix, I had gathered all the necessary components and utensils beforehand to help speed the process (next time I might pre-measure the ingredients as well). When the girls came in we drew stools and chairs to the counters and set about making our mess cupcakes.

At my instruction B began breaking eggs into a bowl and, due to Michelle’s diligence, we got them into the mixing bowl sans shells. While they worked on eggs, I measured other ingredients and K (the 2-1/2 year old) licked raw egg off the counter. Then, into the mixing bowl – with B and K alternating turns – went all of the ingredients to be mixed by two spoons and four sweet little hands.

After everything was well mixed we used a scoop to transfer the contents of the bowl into the cupcake pans. Into the oven they went and the excruciating wait between mixing and eating began. K was excited because, “Ooo, we’re making muffins!”

While the cupcakes cooled we went to work creating frosting. There were three frostings concocted from which we would determine our favorite and the contest submission. We started with a strawberry frosting that B quickly deemed the favorite. She enjoyed it so much that Michelle and I kept seeing little fingers go into the bowl for “one more taste.”

Once the frostings were complete it was time to decorate. We had sprinkles, strawberries, and chocolate covered strawberries with which to adorn our cupcakes, and beautiful designs resulted. I wish I had pictures of B’s wonderful cupcake creations, but, unfortunately, my camera batteries were dead.

I believe a good time was had by all. In the end, the counters were sticky, the floor was sticky, there were baking supplies and powdered sugar everywhere; in general it looked like a bakery had exploded. But it was worth the clean up to see the girls enjoying the fruits (or desserts as it were) of their labor.

So, how did we spend the day yesterday? Eating hamburgers, hot dogs, potato salad, and apple pie? Watching fireworks?

Nope, we celbrated our nation’s birth by packing a couple of boxes, taking a family walk in the park, playing WiiSports, and reading. And our day culminated with a trip to eat mexican food, because, really, isn’t that what any red blooded American does on the Fourth of July?

~~Little and I have walked 4 out of the last 4 days.