Quick, before I get Sidetrack'd

Last weekend Matt, Little, and I had the opportunity to visit with my brother and nephews (10 years and 6 years) in Nashville. We only get to see my brother’s family a few times a year due to distance (about 9 hours drive) and schedules, so it is always a treat when we can spend time together. We didn’t do anything very exciting, but it was a great time to just relax, hang out, and play with the boys.

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.

Earlier this week Matt and I had the pleasure of visiting with three of the four children belonging to our friends D & D. This brought the total number of children in our house to four, because, you know, Little was still here too; children present were H (11 yo), N (5.5 yo), E (2.5 yo), and Little (13 months old).

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!”

This is so funny; it made me laugh out loud. Those of you who have older children can probably relate more than I can.

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

For several weeks now my sidebar has been home to a cute little “Summer Cupcake Caper” button. When Gibee announced the competition it sounded like such fun that I decided to create an entry. To add to the amusement, I invited my friend Michelle and her two girls (ages 5-1/2 and 2-1/2) to help me destroy my kitchen bake and taste-test my submmission.

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.

Yesterday marked the anniversary of our country’s independence from British rule. I am grateful that God allows me to live in this country. I am grateful for the freedoms we have as individuals and as a nation. I am grateful for the men and women of our armed forces who work and fight to maintain those freedoms.

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.

“Yellow Ledbetter” by Pearl Jam

This is one of the songs on the soundtrack of my high school years. I’m so glad someone finally figured out the lyrics.

On Monday, Little and I were invited to spend a few hours at the pool with my friend Diane and three of her children. We loaded up about 10 o’clock and headed to Shelby Forest State Park about 30 minutes from our house.

This was Little’s first trip to the pool, so she wasn’t too certain about the water at first. She was perfectly willing to get in with me but was sure to keep her legs firmly clamped at my hip and her hands grasped on my arm or swimsuit. She enjoyed watching the older children splash and play, and after 30 minutes or so she would sit on the top step and splash with her hands and chase the bubbles made by her splashing. By the end of the three hours we were there she would let me hold her out in front of me and pull her through the water.

She kicked and squealed and smiled and splashed and had lots of fun. I wish I had pictures to share, but I didn’t think to take the camera. We definitely had a good time and look forward to swimming at Grandmommy and Granddad’s house later this summer!

Little and I went for a nice walk this morning. We went over to the library and back winding through residential streets all the way. As we walked we passed several older people who were also out for a morning stroll, everyone smiled and said “hello,” and one lady even stopped to chat for a moment and comment on how cute Little is. It was a pleasant walk even though it was overcast and 70 degrees with humidity of 83%. Welcome to late Spring in the South!

I really enjoy walking, and it is even more fun now with Little buckled into the stroller rolling along in front of me. This morning she chatted and sang, watched the birds, played with her stroller toys, then fell asleep about 10 minutes from home. It is so fun to watch her interact with her surroundings, especially when we are outdoors.

Although the flowers of early Spring (my favorites – daffodils and tulips) have long faded away, it is nice to see the summer green of trees and grass and the blooms of the crepe myrtle and magnolia. There is a sense of the magnificence of God that can only be felt in the presence of the beauty of creation. There is a sense of the peace of God that is felt in a morning walk in a quiet neighborhood with the birds happily chirping in the trees. There is a sense of the joy of God that is felt in scampering squirrels and jabbering little girls.

As I passed under a towering magnolia not far from home I breathed deeply of the sweet scent of its blooms, and I felt satisfied.

There are a couple of neat contests going on right now that I thought I would bring to your attention. (And maybe I’ll win one of them, too!)

First, Steph at Adventures in Babywearing is giving away $120 worth of baby gear from Mason & Matisse. What a great baby gift it would be for my SIL Lu (and then I would get to use it when our next one comes along)!

And then, 5 Minutes for Mom is at it again. This time they are giving away an adorable ribbon tutu from Tutu Fantasy. This would be a great gift for an awesome little girl I know or to hold on to until Little is big enough for dress up!

Hopefully, I’ll be back with a real post later today. Stay tuned…

I’ve been tagged by my dah-ling SIL Lu for a “7 Things About Me” meme. I’m having trouble thinking of seven things, but here we go…

1. I lived in the same house from the day I came home from the hospital until the day I got married (my parents still live there).

2. I bowl much better on Wii than I do in real life.

3. I was in the delivery room when my oldest nephew was born; it was one of the neatest things I’ve ever been able to do.

4. Matt and I met in our first class our Freshman year of college; it was a MWF 8am American History class.

5. I have a degree in Biology; from 3rd grade until my Sophomore year of college I was planning to go to medical school.

6. Although I’ve lived in Tennessee all my life, I was not a Vols fan until we lived in Knoxville.

7. I played Jo in my high school production of Little Women.

I think I will tag Tanya, Katrina, Laura, and my IRL friends Diane and Michelle if they are interested. If you decide to play along, let me know so I can come check it out.