'Til Death

 

One the perks of being a stay at home Mom has been being able to discover really cute TV shows as I do mundane activities around the house. My current favorite is a really cute show called "'Til Death." Now y'all I know nothing about celebritys' real names so bear with my descriptions.

 

This show centers around the lady who plays Raymond's wife in Everyone loves Raymond, and the brother from Everyone loves Raymond. Only they are married in this show and have been for 20 years. The first season or so of the show centers around the comparison/contrast of marriage in its newly wed stages versus later in life...a.k.a twenty years later! I absolutely love this show! It makes me laugh out loud probably because there are so many true to life moments.

 

Later in the show it focuses around the couple's daugher and her pseudo husband who are living in the backyard of said couple...oh and you gotta love that the "son-in-law" becomes convinced that he's actually a character on a sitcom and is attempting to persuade everyone that this is actually a sitcom. No one believes him and so he goes to see a shrink. It's just cute....It says it's a PG show, but I'd rank it more PG 13 because of language....Anyway...it's hililarious! If you get a chance you should really check it out!

 

Have a great night!

Boop doop de doop!

 

 

Let's go fly a kite

Whew what a day. I thoroughly enjoyed the day with my girls. Ella Rose wrote her name by herself for the first time. It was actually a good day until we were on the way home from dance. Then craziness broke loose. Once that was resolved more craziness happened here at home.and then I discover Abby has a puncture wound so I've got to take her to the vet tomorrow. Hopefully that will go well. And hopefully tomorrow will not bring on drama, but if it does have drama, I think I'll go fly a kite.

Boop doop de doop
G'Night

Time changes...

Just the other day I was thinking about how time changes perspective on so many things. For instance, right after my husband and I married and I moved all of my furniture into our house, Josh insisted that each and every piece of furniture have felt pads to "protect" the flooring. Y'all we have laminate floors throughout the house... Now five years later, it's nothing to give our daughters paint and tell them to have fun. Neither of us worry about the paint, after all the floors are laminate and clean right up.

Then there's the ice. We never had ice in our freezer until we bought the new refrigerator this summer. Drinks were just stored in the frig and water came from the tap. Both girls didn't even really know what to think of ice in their drinks and both now want ice water at every meal.

Working outside the home I longed for days to be home so I could get everything done and enjoy my daughters. I definitely enjoy my daughters, and get things done but the house is no where near as clean as I thought it would be... And I stay busier.

Money was tight many months when I was working outside the home. It's tight now too... But oddly not tremendously more than when I worked. My perspective has changed with that.

I always longed for time to read while I was working and never could find it. Now I have it and savor each moment.

And speaking of savoring. I'm off to do so now...

Boop doop de doop

G'Night

Fingers in the Refrigerator

Tonight as I bathed my girls my husband came into the bathroom to ask if I'd done anything lately to cause the police to want to visit us and search the house. I was completely dumbfounded. I told him that of course I hadn't and he replied, "Are you sure?" I was a bit more bewildered and a tad bit concerned that there was a reason he was inquiring about this when he said, "Good because we have 12 fingers in the refrigerator and I didn't want anyone asking questions.

I had to laugh! While I was bathing the girls he'd been working on Ella Rose's class snack for tomorrow. Since it's close to Halloween we just went with that theme. So tomorrow the darlings will have aliens and fingers for snack.

The aliens are upside down applesauce containers taped to a juice box. Under the juice box are two mini raisin boxes for feet. A spoon is taped to each juice box so that the handle sticks out on top and we attached twislers to the back to function as arms. Then we put googley eyes on the applesauce container. The effect is priceless. But the fun doesn't end there. They are also getting cheese sticks that my husband cut knuckle wrinkles into and we attached a thumbnail with cream cheese. The thumbnail is made out of bell pepper!

We have so much fun during snack week... Tomorrow night we will assemble edible eyes, strawberries with sprinkles and witches brew.

Wednesday we will be making dirt pudding and orange jack o lanterns. Thursday is Mummy pizzas and carrot finger dip. Finally Friday we are making pumpkin crisps and a veggie cat!

Well, I'm going to be up early to see our fingers and aliens depart from the fridge so have a great night.

Boop doop de doop!

G'Night

Tis a gift to be...

Yesterday, when my husband got home, he told the girls that he had a surprise for them but that it had to wait until after our Thomas adventure. The adventure was wonderful.

The girls had a blast riding Thomas, jumping in bouncy houses, doing bean bag tosses, playing with chalk and bubbles, coloring, getting stamps, listening to stories, singing songs, and even getting fake tattoos. It was great! We spent hours there and had no hurry.

Both girls napped on the way home and we all relished in another day of family fun.

Then tonight I mentioned the surprises. I had no idea what was coming next. Josh hadn't talked to me, but when I mentioned it he said the surprise was outside and went out to retrieve it.

The surprise is.... Two cardboard boxes. They are identical and can easily allow both girls to fit inside them. Josh told the girls they can each decorate their own engine (box) car and have their own trains.

I'm so excited!!! It's like I was just given a box. As a child one of my favorite books was "Christina Katerina and the box." In this book, Christina's mom has gotten a refrigerator and Christina uses the box as a club house, then as a race car, then as a kitchen.

I can hardly wait to see what the girls do with these boxes. It just goes to show it's the simple things in life... Like boxes that can truly make a child's day.

Boop doop de doop.

G'Night

Riding the Shortline

A little over three years ago a good friend of mine volunteered to keep Ella Rose for me since I had to go back to work. After prayerful consideration, I agreed. It was one of the best decisions I ever made. Aunt Neisy was far more than a sitter to Ella Rose she was and is one of my closest friends.Aunt Neisy's son, Noah, and Ella Rose soon became best friends. It was wonderful. Noah introduced my daughter to many new toys and ideas including Thomas the Tank Engine. Ella Rose fell in love with Thomas and has played with him ever since. She has a train table in her room, a million toy trains and more train accessories than you could imagine. She's still fanatical about Thomas all these years later. Tomorrow, we are taking the girls to spend a Day enjoying Thomas even more. We will ride on Thomas, get souvenirs, get tattoos, color, listen to stories and play Thomas games. The girls are estatic and so am I. It may be our third year to visit Thomas, but it's just as exciting as it was the first time.

It's all put on at the Sam short line railway. It's so much fun... Don't you just want to go for a ride.

Boop doop de doop

G'Night

Beheading Mother in laws and seasonal clothing

Read a news article today about how an Afghan mother in law beheaded her daughter in law for refusing to participate in prostitution while her husband was at work. That definitely makes my mother in law seem like a better person. But in all seriousness, I'm just so thankful to live where I do so that my biggest worries of the day were what OTC cough medicine to give my younger daughter so she could sleep at night and where to buy inexpensive long sleeved shirts for my 3 year old because she only had 5 once I switched out the seasonal clothing.

Yea, in all my infinite wisdom I decided while the girls and I were sick I'd tackle switching out the clothing for fall/winter and put up our spring/summer clothes. In so doing, I discovered that Evie Alice could easily clothe triplets if not quadruplets in her clothes whereas Ella Rose could not because she was lacking long sleevage.

Anyway, problem adverted. Ella now has new shirts and the cough medicine mystery is solved. The answer is dimetapp.

And with this major issues resolved I am headed to bed. I'm exhausted! Evie had me up until 3am last night.

So...
Boop doop de doop!

G'night

There were three in the bed...

Took my first "sick" day today as a stay at home mom.I didn't have to call anyone or go anywhere. The house is a MESS but my girls got the cuddles they needed today. So all is okay. Y

Both girls are under the weather and I'm coming down with something too so we just stayed home the majority of the day. We ventured out to Walmart mid-day and picked up a few things including new pajamas for the girls. They were so excited that they put them on as soon as we got home.

Ella Rose is doing some better though, I think and is headed back to preschool tomorrow. However, tonight there were many tears from her because she didn't feel well and needed to sleep with me and so she is. The tears aren't necessary except to tell me how poorly she feels. She usually snuggles to sleep with Josh, but when she's sick I prefer that she be by my side. And so she is...all three sicklings cuddled up together... Snug and cozy.

And with that said, I'm off to bed.

Boop doop de doop.

G'Night

Debating, a trip down memory lane

I love politics! Honestly, I can hardly remember a time that I didn't like it.If I had to guess I'd say, maybe, I wasn't all that interested in politics before Middle school. And believe it or not I truly hate to watch the news. It's horribly, mind numbingly depressing stuff!!!! I could never understand how my Daddy could sit every evening and watch the news. Yuck!! Now, the newspaper is a whole different entity. I can pick and choose which stories I want to read and still avoid the drastically depressing or just over all uninteresting ones.

But let me back up... And recall when I became interested in political debates. I was in the eighth grade. My dearest friend had decided he was going to compete in debate in high school and said the coach wanted us to compete together, as partners. The catch was we had to skip out on taking Physical Science our Freshman year and take Physics our Senior year. I was immediately on board. My parents: not so much.My Momma was especially opposed to the idea because I'm horrible at math and she was a Science teacher of the first degree...so she made me take Physical Science from her all summer in preparation to carry out this plan. And thus, the fire for politics and debate was ignited.

 Only, plans changed. My parents made me change schools my Freshman year. I never got to debate with my good friend (the one who introduced me to this way of thinking). But we did get to debate against each other, many times and always seemed fairly evenly matched. Sometimes he won, others I did. Life moved on. My passion for debate didn't end.  I competed successfully in college. Got a scholarship for it in fact, and we traveled a lot. After college, I took a few years away from the debate world, but soon became ensnared again (ironically at the same school where my journey into this mysterious politically filled fun first began) but rather than debating myself,  I was asked to coach. After prayerful consideration, I agreed. And so I coached debate at three different schools

Then I had children and my priorities changed. I didn't think they were going to. I joked with my husband that I'd have our first child in a debate round, I was so in love with the activity, but after my daughter was born, debate lost its luster.

So imagine my surprise, as I sat down tonight to watch the presidential debate, when I found myself transported back into that way of thinking. My mind whirled with wonder about what I'd hear, my ears tuned themselves making ready to absorb the carefully thought out and prepared words and my hand itches to take notes as they once had to ensure the proper winner of the debate was adequately rewarded.

I enjoyed listening tonight to a passionate debate from both sides. I longed to hear more in some areas and less in others. I became frustrated as debaters veered off topic, went over their time limits or chose to discuss issues that were not relevant.

The fire and passion for politics burned strongly yet again tonight within me. I was appalled by comments that some people made over the debate not because their opinions differed from mine for I've favored both candidates who were debating at different times (over the years) but because of the nastiness and disrespect that their comments showed both to the candidates and all involved.
Because no matter who won the debate the outcome will be as it should when all votes are cast. Although I differ with each man on some issues I have faith that the debates and the ways of our political system will work their magic...and the right way will be known by those who vote.

And as I pondered over the debate my mind wandered to that day long ago.... When my friend asked me to join him in debate. How thankful I am to him and to that coach... That day changed the path of my life in ways they may never know...and all of this along with memories of my debaters, and friends I'd made while debating or coaching made this night mean even more.


Boop doop de doop!

G'night

Grocery adventures and the battle of wills

Whew! I am so thankful that things have settled down in our little abode tonight. My eldest daughter, Ella Rose, has pneumonia. I think I've mentioned that a time or two...anyway tomorrow is supposed to be the end of her fall break from preschool, but won't be due to sickness and stubborness.

Today was a great day. Granted, I tried to keep things relatively calm today because I was hoping Ella Rose would rest, but we did visit the recycling center, grocery store, and produce market. All three trips were great adventures. At the recycling center we discovered someone had dropped off some plastic toys to be recycled and they were right up my girls alley. So we distributed our recycling and gathered up the potentially recyclable toys and headed on our way. We accumulated: a new to us toddler swing, a dump truck, boat, and toddler ride on John Deere Tractor. I was very excited! Tomorrow we are cleaning all of these up with Lysol and I'm letting the girls have at it!

After our sucessful trip to the recycling center we did our weekly shopping trip to Winn Dixie. I truly love Winn Dixie. :) Anyway...on our way there, Ella Rose began to try to give me directions only they were totally messed up. When I told her this her response was that she was "just teasing." She's done that several times lately and her little sense of humor is really developing. I love it!

The jokes and humor continued as we visited the produce market. Ella and Evie picked out green peanuts while I gathered the rest of our produce needs.It was a very successful trip! Then, as we were checking out, we discovered they have a pumpkin patch and hay maze so the girls and I visited that too! It was fun. They sat on pumpkins and wandered the maze. It was cool! We may go back tomorrow and explore some more.

When we got home, the girls grazed on the new foods and turned our new coffee table into a boat. They had a blast pretending they were on a boat and that they were seeing fish etc...in the water. IT was cute!!!

So all in all...great day! But then the evening routine began. Oh man! Ella Rose was determined she wasn't going to bed. She didn't voice this belief right off...but headed to bed with her Dados (Josh) to cuddle; however, she couldn't or wouldn't be still...and this is where it gets interesting. She decided that she'd rather sleep with me. So she came and found me...only she didn't want to sleep with me.

And thus the battle of wills began. I was determined she'd not go back to sleep with her Dados. She'd made a decision and we'd stick to it. She cried, yelled, hollared, coughed, gagged, screeched, claimed her feet were falling off,disowned me, told me she wasnt my friend (which of course she's not),  begged not to be left in her room etc...and then resorted to telling me how much she disliked me and loved her Dados. And on this went for about an hour. Y'all it tore my heart apart, but I knew I couldn't stop. If I start a battle I have to finish it...and so I did. I think she's got the strongest will of anyone I know short of myself...whew!!

And yes, I won...but man was that rough! Once she settled though and sange songs to me, and told me stories and we said prayers she fell to sleep fairly quickly. By this time it was nearly ten though, and since she is sick and now more than tired...we postponed her return to school from fall break.

How I do hope that this little one recovers quickly...but I am looking forward to the time with her tomorrow and I believe she is as well, with me since her main questions right before she fell asleep had to do with the color of slush I'd want if we went to Sonic tomorrow.

Good times y'all....

I hope Monday wasn't too hard on you...it had its bumps here, but was all worth while.

Boop Doop de Doop!

G'Night

 

Sunday Travels

We headed home today. The trip was pleasant and uneventful. The girls were tired as I, but we enjoyed our North Ga visit. And for once, I'm just going to stop there. I'm exhausted and going to get some rest.

Boop doop de doop!
G'Night

Sauntering through Saturday

I love the weekends especially Saturdays. I always have! There's just something about them and to be honest now that I'm a stay at home Mom my life doesn't necessarily change that much simply because it's the weekend, BUT somehow the atmosphere does. The girls sleep later on Saturdays, breakfast is more relaxed and everyone just lets their hair down a bit more. Today was no exception...

This morning the girls let me sleep past eight! Woo hooo!!! I was really excited. Okay, honestly, I was really dragging because Ella Rose was up and down all night long coughing. In fact, the coughing got so bad around 4 am that we awakened my Momma to find out where she keeps various medicines and to give Ella Rose a breathing treatment...so around 5:30ish I managed to get back to my sound sleep...and yes at 7:30 Evie Alice was ready to get up...but I convinced my dear darling toddler that Mommy needed a bit more rest and she allowed me to sleep past 8. Score!!! :)

Once the three of us were up the girls were ready to get dressed. They both picked out what they wanted for breakfast and they settled down to watch cartoons. It was nice. After a leisurely breakfast (or two as the case may be for the children who ate early and then again later in the morning) we all got ready to go explore the Fall Festival at my nephews' school. Only the youngest nephew joined the girls and me, but we had a great time. Danny and Ella Rose played on the inflatable slide and the monkey bars of the "big playground" for over half and hour. Then we wandered over and all three children got tattoos. Once they were properly covered with tattoos we headed indoors for the cake walk which was well, a cake walk and all three children left with cake in their hands.

After consuming their sugary treats they headed over to the gym. Both Danny and Ella Rose did impressively well at the bean bag toss and the obstacle course. They completed the obstacle course numerous times before I decided it was time to head back to Gran and Paw's house. So we did and then Evie Alice and I headed out to brave Walmart in order to get presents for Danny's birthday party this afternoon. He turned seven today.

We successfully located all the necessary Scooby Doo accessories for the party and I was so excited! I even found a Scooby Doo comforter for half price and managed to slip in a Christmas present for Evie Alice without her realizing I'd done so.

With all the party preparations accomplished we headed over to Kidz Play for an afternoon of bouncing fun...and all the children had a blast. The older ones bounced around on the inflatables while Evie chowed down on cupcakes and ice cream.

But as the afternoon wore on I could tell more and more in little Ella Rose's eyes that she just didn't feel well. So I insisted that she go to the doctor and man, am I glad I did. Turns out my little chicka has pneumonia.

And that began a whole different sort of adventure. Ella Rose hasn't been eating well so I headed to Kroger after dropping off the girls at Gran and Paws and picking up Chicka's prescription. Thankfully, my grocery visit paid off. Ella was enticed into eating a large bowl of soup and the medicine seems to have had the desired effect. She's sleeping well tonight...so hopefully she'll recuperate from the pneumonia with a hitch. I hope! She's strong and still energetic so I suspect she will...

And now, both my little ones are snuggled up soundly together dreaming sweet dreams. And I my friends have an early Saturday evening to enjoy all to myself...the question that remains is how shall I spend it? Reading a book? Soaking in the tub? Enjoying a hot cup of tea or all the above? Regardless, it's the perfect ending to a busy, and enjoyable, laid back Saturday.

With that said, I'm off to enjoy my quiet time!

Boop doop de doop!

G'Night!!

The wonderful adventure of an overcast day

As I mentioned last night, Ella Rose has come down with a cold. Poor thing, but that cold didn't keep us from enjoying our day today. When we awakened this morning the "sun had not come up" or so Ella Rose said. In actuality, it was simply a dreary overcast day, but we had plans and I was thankful that these plans didn't include much outside time. And as a side note, my amazing sleeping child, Evie Alice, who slept 16 hours out of the previous 24 was refreshed and in good spirits. The 16 hours being a five hour nap yesterday and then the normal nightly sleep. Wow! I did suggest to her that perhaps she was just a cat and we didn't know it, but I really think it has a lot to do with her three teeth coming in so I'm thankful she got the rest she needed.

Thus, we headed downstairs to have a lovely breakfast of french toast sticks, eggs, and such on this overcast morning. Then I let the girls know we were going to the Discovery Museum today. Ella Rose really felt like she could take it or leave it when I told her a museum was on the docket for today, but once we got there that feeling changed.

They loved it and I have to say that although the Chattanooga Discovery Museum may not be ranked as one of the top Children's Museums in the country it should be. I honestly enjoyed this museum with my little ones much more than I did the Atlanta one last year. They started off by playing in a really impressive water display. It had water guns to turn wheels, ducks for little ones to sink and float, fountains, waterfalls, buckets and more. It was impressive. Behind the water display was a jungle gym of monumental proportions that ended on one side in a model ship. Ella Rose was impressed to say the least and ranked this jungle gym as one of her favorite things about the museum today.

Moving on to the next exhibit we went into the 4 and under area. Both girls got to drive a car and play in a model house. Ella Rose folded laundry, Evie Alice fixed us "lunch" and they both checked out the tree house. Then Evie Alice perused the library while Ella Rose painted the workshop where there was a surplus of tools.

After leaving the 4 and under area the girls wandered through the art section of the museum, but we were careful to avoid the face painting section since we'd been warned that several children had broken out from this face paint. The girls moved on to the fossil/dinosaur section of the museum. They played in this giant sandbox uncovering fossils and Evie Alice buried her lovedie Dora, for a LONG time.

Once they'd satisfied their sand needs, the decided to examine some of the more musical elements of the museum. There were rooms of musical instruments for the girls to try out including a wind instrument that they both walked on to make it work, and one that looked like it was surrounded by balloons, there was a percussion room that had every type of drum type instrument imaginable, and I could go on forever about the musical instruments, but I won't bore you to death.

Then they explored the theater which was complete with a light and sound board and a puppet show display in addition to the regular stage. Ella Rose had a lot of fun trying on costumes, putting on puppet shows and such there too.

As Ella was being a thespian, Evie Alice decided it was time for some cuddle time so we headed over to the nursing area which was very nice. It was quiet, had a nice rocking chair, books toys, and best of all was solitary with a locking door. We utilized this area until Evie felt satisfied.

Then we began our search for Ella Rose and Gran. We found them in the science section. Evie was intrigued by a lot of the electrical displays and played with the globe that you touch and the static electricity is attracted to your hand. Ella Rose worked on models and I didn't know if we were ever going to get her away from this portion of the museum, but we did because hunger won out! So off to the cafeteria we went.

The cafeteria was also impressive. Evie Alice liked the giant balloon hanging above it, but I was most impressed by the healthy food options present such as apple slices, veggies and hummus, pita chips, etc...and yes there were your usual fast food options available too if you just didn't want to go the healthy route.

We spent over two hours in this little museum and could have easily spent two more. We never even made it to the second floor, but look forward to going back there on our next trip to North Ga. Best of all this unexplored level makes the museum that much appealing....

And so the museum was a hit! I can't think of a better way to have spent a dreary overcast day, and thankfully this afternoon the sun came out...and the day became quite pleasant.

I'd love to share more with you about these adventures...but my sick chicka Ella Rose has joined me and so I'm going to say adieu for the evening.

Boop Boop de Doop!

 

G'Night!!

Sick/teething children & a mini village

Sorry y'all this is going to be quick tonight. Ella Rose is coming down with a cold. She's got a deep cough and it's getting worse. Evie Alice is cutting three teeth and two of these are molars. She's sleeping a lot! She nursed nonstop last night, took a five hour nap this afternoon from 1 to 6 and went back to bed around 8:30.

But we did visit a little child sized rock village today complete with models of churches and homes from the coast of Normandie and Notre Dome in France. Best of all it was free right here in Calhoun. The models even had minute details like stained glass windows and impressive ones like flying buttresses. The girls loved it and so did I.

I also got to try out a new restaurant in town called Christian and Jakes. It was really, really good. They have a massive vegetarian menu and because my Momma babysat for me I got to enjoy and adult luncheon with one of my childhood friends Jenni.

All in all it was a great day... And Ella Rose bounced on the trampoline for hours. However, tonight both little ones are feeling a big under the weather so I'm off to offer cuddles and be Dr Mommy.

Boop boop de doop!

Wordless Wednesday- Fall fun!

Parenting style

Long before I became a parent I was certain that I knew what style of parent I was going to be. I was determined *my* children would be polite, clean up after themselves, be vegetarian, go to private school, and sleep in their own beds and rooms.

Fast forward a few years...and now that I actually have children a lot of things have changed. First off, my children don't sleep alone; we bed share and have since my eldest was a week old. And to be honest I love it! When we first began to bed share I was a bit uneasy because of all the horror stories I'd been told at the hospital about bed-sharing. But we forged ahead and it's been wonderful. As I type this my three and a half year old is sleeping apart from her father or me (as in not in the same bed) for the first time at night since my second daughter was born. So this is a monumental moment and one she requested. My Momma has a toddler bed that Ella Rose has been wanting to sleep in for a couple of years now and she worked up the courage tonight as I snuggled her to sleep in the big bed to ask me to move her to the toddler bed after she fell asleep and so I did. My younger daughter has bed-shared since her actual birthday and continues to do so tonight.

What do I like about bed-sharing? The bond. Even the cuddles during sleep become special bonding moments and even while nursing there's no sleep lost.

I'm an extended breastfeeding mom. Both my girls still nurse. The three and half year old may only do so for a few minutes a day whereas the almost 20 month old does so many, many times a day and a lot during the night. But I'm pleased both girls are doing what's best for them. The weaning process that the three year old has followed has been so gradual that I don't even remember the process beginning and mow it's nearly done. Ella Rose has done it all herself and as naturally as possible. I'm sure the same will be true for Evie Alice one day. Although I never thought I'd be nursing a three year old I'm so thankful I am. The benefits and bonding we get from it are phenomenal. Ella continues to get my antibodies and the the brain feeds from it too. I fully expect within the next six months Ella Rose will stop nursing and that will be fine by me, but must be her choice. My goal was two years old and anytime after that is just an added bonus. Extended nursing has meant that I've not had to view my one year olds as ready to separate from Mommy, allowed me the joys of nursing through pregnancy and even tandem nursing...

I fully believe in extended rear facing in the car. Ella was three when she began to forward face this is my hope for Evie too. Extended rear facing was easy and the best protective cocoon for my girls and another choice that took me by surprise.

I made both girls babyfood and have some great eaters as a result. They are vegetarian...so I did predict that move.

They were cloth diapered and early potty trained. They try to be polite, but don't clean up after themselves. In short my girls are real children and I've found my real parenting style is what works for me and that's why I'm proud to say I'm an extended rear facing,bedsharing, baby wearing, vegetarian, crunchy, attachment parent who has extended and tandem breastfed Who would have have thought... Not I, but it's what works for us and I'm glad.

Boop boop de doop!

G'Night

Manic Monday

Short post tonight. We are getting ready to go on vacation tomorrow and in all my infinite wisdom I decided to completely clean the house and pull out another seasons clothes to pack us...

Top 5 favorite things about the fall...

10) Apple picking with my family. Every September we head up to Ellijay and pick apples, go on a tractor ride, eat apple pies and drink cider. I love it.

9) Fall break! I truly love the break from the routine as the seasons start to change or are supposed to be changing.

8) The changing out of clothes. Each year as I drag out our winter clothes it feels like having had a major shopping splurge without spending a penny.

7) Thanksgiving with the whole family. This was a pilgrimage to Arkansas for most of my life, but we moved it to the N. Ga mountains last year and that was really cool too.

6) Camping out and all that entails. I so love the idea of sleeping under the stars and roasting s'mores as the air cooks down.

5) The approach of Halloween. I just have a special place in my heart for this holiday and all the traditions with it...roasting pumpkin seeds, carving Jack o lanterns and taking the girls trick or treating.

4) The Ga National fair! This is no small little fair and impresses me a bit more each year.

3) Comfort foods! Making soups, putting up vegetables for the winter, making apple sauce, and all this moments of prepartion.

2) Soccer- I'm just not a fan of American football, but give me soccer any day of the week. I love watching it no matter what level it is and who is playing but most especially watching my daughter play.

1) The family time! The fall doesn't seem to slow down our schedule, but inevitably brings so many activities that we do together and I just relish the quantity and quality of that time

Alright y'all... I'm off to finish packing.

Boop boop de doop.

G'night!

Go take a leap.....

A year ago I truly hated going to church, and regularly came home telling my husband how much I despised it. I didn't want to leave the faith of my childhood, but felt trapped...my options were limited and I was frustrated. My children weren't thriving, they didn't feel involved and basically everyone was miserable. I honestly was on the verge of packing up my faith filled bags and switching denominations. Being raised Episcopalian (which I'm sure of you are thinking Episco-what?)  this was a very difficulty decision. I was leaning toward the Roman Catholic church heavily, but feeling pushed toward the Methodist church for my children and my family's well being.

But then I had a conversation with a deacon in our church and from there everything began to change. I just voiced my frustration to him, I told him that I felt like there wasn't anything left at this church for my family and that my children not only weren't learning much there, but that they weren't involved and neither was I. He told me that he didn't think there was much home that the service we were attending could change to fit what we needed, but then he did something radical...he suggested that we start a family service. He described for me a service he'd seen and participated in when his children were small where they were free to be children. Things were explained on their level and parents didn't have to continually feel as if they were stiffling their children as they sat through a long drawn out church service. Which could seem ENDLESS with a toddler and newborn, let me tell ya...it does. Especially when many elderly people want to be judgmental of little ones for not behaving like mini-adults.

So y'all know, I loved what he described, but thought that it was an impossible goal. Why? Because the only "family with small children" left at this church was mine. All the others had packed up and found new spiritual homes. But we took a leap of faith after meeting a few more times. We decided to start a "family" service for people with children that was very similar to the one his children had participated in years ago, the one that seems totally unattainable. But I figured, what did we have to lose...

So (ten months ago) we did it!!!!! We started a child focused, or really family focused service, that maintains the liturgies that I love, but allows my children to be involved and explains things on their level. It feeds them and well, all involved. And the parents give the sermons, which I think is awesome. And it's worked!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

When we started this service my husband, children and I were the only ones there for a few weeks. I worried some that we'd made a big mistake and that we'd taken a step away from what we knew and isolated ourselves with no real gain spiritually for any one of us and that it would be a waste of time, but it's not!

Today, 10 months later...a year after I felt like I was at the edge of a cliff...we had a church picnic. As the priest (yes, the same person I spoke with last year...when he was a deacon) and I looked around we were struck by how much has changed. Today, our picnic had 16 children running around playing games and having fun along with a tremendous number of families present. And yes, all 16 of these children have attended the Family service and 13 of these children are regulars. Our child population just grew 750% in a year. Wow!

And not only do we have the 750% increase in child population, but we have started a new child Sunday School program that I hope will thrive just as plentifully.

Had you asked me if any of this was possible a year ago, I'd have said no. I never saw it coming. It just goes to show, that when you feel like taking a lea...take it...the rewards are great.

So with that said, Go take a Leap....

 

Boop Boop de doop

G'Night



Memories, birthdays, and a fair

Tomorrow, I turn a year older, and as my birthday has begun descent I've pondered over many things. One of the most pressing in my mind being that I've now lived three years longer than the person I was named for or at least one of the people I was named for. And no, I don't mean she died three years ago, because she died long before I was ever thought of...rather I mean my life has already given me three more years than she had. Yet, I also know she'd already been pregnant 4 times and had three children who all but the youngest were much older than my girls. I guess I say all of this about my Grandmomma Betty Ann not to be morbid, but to feel blessed with all that I've seen and all that I've lived through.

The other person who's been on my mind a lot lately has been my Paw, my great grandfather on my daddy's side of the family. The girls have been listening to silly songs in the car lately and "Buffalo girls" is one of those songs. I can just see him with his harmonica singing that song to me. I loved the part of the song about the hole in the girls stockings and it always made me giggle.

I certainly hope that this next year brings many giggles and smiles into our home. We certainly had many today. We took the girls to the Ga National fair. It was HOT there, but fun. The girls loved seeing all the animals, getting stickers, and taking pictures. We all enjoyed sharing lunch and finding cool areas to rest. Did I mention it was HOT!!! Ella Rose and Evie Alice loved the Carousel. Evie got to try drinking milk for the first time and she pretty much chugged/spilled it. Half of it got in her and half on her. Ella Rose rode rides by herself... She rode her first roller coaster with Josh and loved it! Then we finished off the day with slushies, candy apples, and reese's funnel cake! With all of that in hand we headed home...away from the heat or at least out of it...protected from it by our car's cool ac. It was nice to be home, but deep down I know we all long to visit there again next year just as I look forward to yet another awesome year of giggling, songs, tears, and cuddles... I don't know what this next year may bring us, but am ready to embrace it fully. I just pray it brings some cooler weather soon...after all a fair in 90+degree weather is HOT...even if it's fun and so us this life I've been blessed with.

Boop boop de doop!

G'night!!!

Coffee table adventures!

Coffee tables are a strange piece of furniture aren't they? They aren't tall enough to eat off of, unless you are sitting on the floor.They basically serve no real purpose. Oh, I do understand they are ideally there so that you can put a cup of coffee on them while sitting on the couch. But what family with small children does that? I know that we certainly don't unless we are hoping for coffee to be poured on the floor or for one of the little ones to take a giant swig! No, in our house the coffee table was a mini jungle gym, or so the girls seemed to think. Ella Rose had also used it as her own personal art station. She'd decorated the underside of it and they both regularly tried to climb up on top of it and sit. Yes, sit! They'd decided somewhere along the way that it was just another chair in the living room.

I can't count the number of times that Josh has tightened the legs on that coffee table. So it came as no great surprise that today, the table was destroyed! Ella and Evie were running around and around the table and one of the bumped into it...and off broke its leg.

Don't get me wrong this was no high quality piece of furniture that we are talking about. I bought this coffee table shortly after we were married. I thought I'd scored a deal. I paid about sixty dollars for the coffee table and two end tables, but when it arrive it was laminate and particle board, but the part that mattered to me was that it was the "right color." And so the table had remained. After we had children the important part was that it had no sharp edges, and it didn't. So the table remain...until today.

Just like any sane and terribly ocd mother would do, I loaded up my terribly tired children and we went furniture shopping. Now, I must admit the girls were GOOD! They ran through the stores, true! They cackled and laughed and fell in the floor. They checked out the bunkbeds and called the fliers store maps, but they were good! Josh and I joked that we should offer to pay the furniture stores to let the girls come play there. They'd probably enjoy it as much as any playground or even as much as a fair! And the truth, they probably would!

So after three stores and a trip to Walmart, we have a new coffee table ordered...and I have to admit it's a beauty! It even has a lift top on it so that I can work on my laptop or the girls will be able to do art and homework and such on it! I'm really ready for our new coffee table to arrive!


And I'll also admit I considered for a split second using the old laminate one (that is indestructible) from storage, but vetoed the idea. It's a family heirloom, but it's also one that has given each generation stitches and I'm just not going there with these girls. So on Tuesday, a new coffee table arrives...and will join our new dishwasher and new refrigerator in the honor of being some of the newest accessories in our home and I have to admit I can hardly wait! It feels like the week before Christmas, I am trying to envision how it will change the look of my living room...how the girls will respond to it, etc...

But deep down I also wonder, how long until fingers are smashed by the lift top and if it will meet up to their jungle gym and pedestal standards. Only time will tell!

Boop Boop de doop!

G'Night!!

Thursday night lovedies

Growing up I slept with a soft well lived flat cloth diaper. It was and is my Miney, or in other words, my security blanket. I slept with Miney from the time I was tiiiiinnnny until I married my husband at 30 years old. I still have some pieces of Miney in my closet in my bedroom now. As I'm sure you can imagine Miney grew worn through the years and oh so soft. She has had many baths and was loved enough to leave no doubt in any ones mind that she was real, at least as real as the Velveteen rabbit ever thought about being.

Both my daughters have already claimed lovedies of their own and this evenings events made me think back to Miney and how much she means to me.

My husband had to work late this evening, he was running light and sound for a chorus concert so it was just the girls and me. Ella Rose had a soccer game and did really well at it. She assisted in the scoring of a goal tonight! But after soccer tonight we sat down to a meal of leftover spaghetti. It was good, but the girls were tired from a busy day and so we quickly headed to bathing after supper was over. After baths, the girls pick out books to read, gathered their lovedies and we snuggled in my husband's recliner. We read stories and then they both got to watch one episode of their favorite shows before heading for bed.

Evie Alice didn't even make it through her turn tonight before she was asleep cuddling Dora the Explorer close to her little body. Ella Rose made it through both shows but was wiggling like crazy to stay awake and scooped up Abby her stuffed dog (who also has become real some time ago) to go to bed.

It didn't take either girl long to fall back asleep and I enjoyed snuggling and listening to prayers as they did. Then, once they were asleep I straightened the house and settled to watch my show for the evening when all of a sudden I heard Ella Rose yelling, "Mommy, Mommy!" so I headed back to check on the girls. When I got there and inquired what was wrong they were both awake. Ella told me she'd just needed me. I started to cuddle her close only to discover why she'd needed me. She'd had an accident.

Thankfully my husband came home around thus time and could comfort the girls while I changed the sheets. Both girls clung tightly to their lovedies. But once I'd finished passed by where they were waiting so that I could settle down into the bed for the evening we realized Evie Alice's Dora was missing. Josh said she had dropped it in the kitchen, so Ella volunteered to help us look. It wasn't there though and for a split second we worried that Daisy dog had gotten and chewed up Dora.

My mind flashed back to the plane ride where Miney had gotten lost in the missing luggage and I knew exactly what Evie Alice was feeling as years streamed down her little face. But just as Miney had returned those many years ago so did Dora. Josh suddenly realized he had pick up and put Dora on the bed, and there she was! And so the night has ended well, everyone secure with their lovedies in their arms and their dreams carrying them away to another time and place.

And even as I type this I know that I have doubles of the girls lovedies carefully tucked under my bed in case anything should happen to them, but then again I also know, even a double can't replace a lovedie because it's only in the love that it becomes real.

Now I think I'll try to gather together this small real shreds of Miney in a way that I've not in oh so many years, and wish you all a good night as I too drift off to dreamland with my lovedie in my arms.

Boop doop de doop!

G'night

Wacky Wednesday

Normally Wednesdays are some of my favorite days of the week, but today was not among those. My dear Evie Alice was cranky most of the day because she's getting molars and then later scared the bejebbies out of me because she seemed out of it when she woke up this evening. I'd gone to plug in my phone and found her sitting up in the bed playing with her lips not talking or making eye contact. She later did talk though and seems to be okay. I had technical difficulties posting this blog tonight and I have seriously begun questioning how I talk to my daughters sometimes. I regularly shew them from the kitchen because I am afraid they'll get hurt, but I'm trying to figure out a nicer way to do so.

Bright spots in the day were that we made cookies and oatmeal cinnamon and chocolate chip! Waaa hoo! We also spent time on the porch watching a storm. Then all had breakfast for supper and I got to snuggle with my Ella Rose tonight before bed. That was a special treat.

Okay, much more interesting blog tomorrow!

Boop boop de doop!

G'night!

Who swiped the chips from the refrigerator drawer?

Who stole the cookies from the cookie jar? Johnnie Lynn stole the cookies from the cookie jar...who me...couldn't be? That song should have been playing at our house today!! It certainly plays in my head every time I think about the chocolate chip cookies the girls and I planned to make for National Cookie day. But more importantly, I'd like to know who stole the motivation to nap from my one year old!! It's gone I tell you, GONE!!! But before I get into all of that, let me back up and fill you in on our day.

This morning started off like most typical mornings around here, my three year old headed out to preschool with her father. She goes to school thirty minutes from here so he drops her off for me in the mornings on his way to work and my younger daughter and I pick her up around lunchtime. So my younger daughter, Evie Alice, and I sleep in a lot of mornings and then lazily begin our days after Ella Rose and Josh have headed out for school and work respectively. Then, I have my cup of coffee (or two or three)...and Evie watches Dora the Explorer while I start the laundry, unload the dishwasher and do random morning chores. All of this is of course followed by the reading of stories, making of crafts, and running of errands.

So today started off as a  typical day, only we seemed to be running ahead of schedule...I was thrilled. No estatic! This was the second day in a row I'd be running ahead of schedule blasting through the dailying chores, then the day came to a screeching halt when I checked our bank account. The amount of money there was WRONG! Don't get me wrong, I knew there wasn't going to be much there, (after all I'm a stay at home mom so there's only one income, right) but there was WAY less than I thought...so I checked on it, and discovered an unauthorized debit and off Evie Alice and I went to the bank to correct the problem. Singing "Money, Money, Money..." No biggie...well...it was a biggie, but nothing that really threw our day off. However, as I started to pull out of the drive way I noticed a bug in my car. And that was a BIGGIE!!!!!!

Now I, the lover of all animals even have a few limits on what I can stand and dirty bugs are not inside those limits so I made a mental note that we HAD to have the car professionally cleaned today!!!!!!!!! I don't mind lady bugs, other bugs that create relatively no harm...but just a dirty nasty bug..or ant, yeah...those have got to go!! No questions asked it had to happen! So off we went. We cleaned out the paper from the car at a local do it yourself car wash, because there's always a ton of paper in my car my two darlings see to that...they even shred it for me! :) Ha ha!

Then Evie Alice and I patiently waited to pick up Ella Rose. We filled her in on the plan to "clean the car" as she showed us the treasures in her folder from school and yes, there were some really cool treasures in there including a rocket ship, redlight, and footprints! How cool is that?!? And off to the "Car wash" we went singing "Working at the Car Wash" on our way...my babies looooovvveee 70s and 80s music, and musical music go figure. :) Of course so do I...and their Daddy is a lover of all kinds of music except for country music, which I love...so to say they've been exposed to a variety of music is an understatement, but I digress Anyway...once at the car wash, the munchkins ran wild. Literally!

They hid behind the snack machines, they ran up and down the hall way and ate chips and had a grand old time. It was a true adventure...and I had the nicest conversation with a man who had twin boy 6 year olds and a 8 year old daughter. He told me he thought his sons finally started listening about three weeks ago. I hope he didn't jinx himself.

Anyway...after the car wash adventure that fully erradicated the bugs, and if it didn't the mountains of bug spray I later sprayed in the car did, we headed home...talking about baking cookies after lunch and nap time.

But this is where we got derailed, my friends. Yes, lunch happened! The girls ate well...naps were attempted. Ella Rose made a real effort while Evie Alice kept singing to herself and running around on the bed...I had the hiccups and so I kept saying between hiccups lie down Evie Alice, lie down...to no avail...so I gave up...I left the girls to their endeavors and headed to the kitchen to begin preparations to bake cookies and fix supper (we were going to be running around all afternoon so supper had to be prepared right then). But when I opened the refrigerator snack drawer the chocolate chips were gone...bag and all! GONE! I checked cabinets to see if they'd be misplaced...no luck. Drawers? Nope...the freezer, the regular frig? No, no and not even the pantry. They've vanished! Perhaps an alien life form came in and swiped the chocolate chips so by the time we figured out the chocolate chips were truly gone the chaos of our Tuesday afternoons had begun again and we had to head back out the door.

Ella Rose threw on her dance clothes and packed her soccer bag. Evie Alice half unpacked Ella Rose's soccer bag and I do believe one of her soccer socks has sought safe harbor with the chocolate chips, because once we realized it was missing we were rushing from dance to soccer. So we ran home and the sock was no where to be found. The shoe Evie had carefully placed on Ella Rose's bed still was there...so I'm convinced the chocolate chips swiped the soccer sock, or maybe the soccer sock is now full of chocolate chips. So assuming the strange disappearances don't continue and that our door mat doesn't decide to go to the picture show the candy lamp, I'll fill you in on what happens with the cookies tomorrow.

Can ya tell I've been reading a little bit of Uncle Wiggily lately? Anyway, I look forward to writing more tomorrow evening.

G'Night! Boop Boop de Doop! I hope your night is superb!

NaBloWriMo Intro

Hi all,

I'm Betty! I'm a Stay at Home Mom to two adorable little girls. Actually being a stay at home mom is relatively new for me and I'm still earning my full-time Mom wings. Before deciding to stay home with my girls full time, I was a high school English teacher/Debate coach for nine years. But this last May I decided to make my family my full time priority and so far I'm loving almost every minute. My life certainly has changed a lot during this last few months, but I feel more centered than ever...but that's another story for another day.

So let me share ten things with you that you may not know about me.

One...I currently have two dogs Rachel (my baby) and Daisy (our yellow lab), a cat Abby (also my true love), and three fish Oscar, Elmo and Ah. Rachel was dumped as a puppy and it was true love at first sight! Abby was born under my bed when I lived in Rome, GA...I'd adopted her mother from the pound and couldn't make myself part with any one of the babies. She's the only one still with us 11 years later, but very vocal (she wakes me talking to me each morning) and a special baby too. Daisy we gained through Ella Rose's godmother someone had dumped her out at their house and she gets along with everyone, but is TROUBLE and ACTIVE in capital letters!! Our fish actually belong to both the girls and me. We each named one. Ella Rose named Elmo after Sesame Street. I have no idea what Ah is named after but Evie Alice chose that name and Oscar is an algae eater...he's mine....so he's also a Sesame Street special. However, that's not where our pet conglomeration end I've recently volunteered to take in my dead great Aunt's two cats and to foster my good friend's two dogs... we truly have a full house. And yes, you could accurately say I'm a major animal lover  or maybe should say that I'd have enjoyed living on Noah's ark. Either one is true!!! :)

Two,  I have strong desire to learn to sew! I don't mean "learn to sew" exactly, but more learn to sew on a machine. I'm pretty decent by hand, I can sew on buttons, make pillow cases etc... but really, really want to make some little dresses for my girls, toys, and maybe even Christmas presents for friends.

Three, I love crafts, scrap booking, baking, writing poetry or children's stories... really anything that allows my creative spark to bloom. Just today, the girls and I discovered that tomorrow is National Cookie day! So we are eagerly planning our cookie baking! Now, I've just got to figure out what flavors! Suggestions are welcome. I'm really excited about this.

Four, I find it fascinating to celebrate little known holidays such as talk like a pirate day. In fact, this year, the girls and I enjoyed speak like a pirate day so much that we've continued it. Argh! I be pirate Captain Mommy! :)  And tonight my silverware was plundered (or rather all my spoons) and to be treasure for my own little pirates. We also are going to celebrate Cheese day and  Candy corn day this month too. I can hardly wait!

Five, I've begun jogging as I work my way through couch to 10k in ten weeks and have been contemplating training for a triathlon. I actually trained for one 9 years ago and the day that I was supposed to be competing my nephew was born, so I didn't get to compete but was in a better place....visiting with my newborn nephew Gabe. So far I've taken up running again which I've always hated, but I'm not minding now that I have the time and focus to do so. Next up I'll pick up swimming again and then maybe in December throw in the biking.  It's interested jogging with two little ones in tow though, their Daddy works long hours SO...I'm often pulling a wagon (yes, a little red wagon) behind me as a run or pushing a stroller (no, it's not a jogging one, but serves the same purpose) as I go.

Six, even though I taught public school for nine years I'm not sure I want to put my children into it. So I'm super excited that there may be a private Methodist kindergarten (not pre-k but actual kindergarten) in our town. I just found out about this last week. I'm really relieved to know I don't have to hand my children over to potential public schooling until first grade then...but am hoping I never do.

Seven, as I mentioned I've taught high school for nine years, but I'm contemplating getting certified in pre-k through 6th grade so that I will have certification for all 14 years of schooling. Then I'm thinking once both my little ones are in school full time (1st grade which would be four to five years from now) I'll go back to teaching but do so in the lower grades for a while.

Eight, I've been experimenting with different flavors of coffee creamers lately. I always thought of these as a such a luxury and not something I would ever be able to play with or afford as a stay at home Mom, but once I discovered they are relatively inexpensive I've been sampling many of them. I do believe the caramel macchiato or the peppermint are my favorites.

Nine, I have a passion for peppermints. When I was pregnant with my eldest daughter my husband bought the bulk sized bags of peppermints for me to eat to help with my heartburn. I find that even today I could eat massive amounts of them if I tried. Peppermint is just a flavor that appeals to me more than most maybe even more than chocolate which is saying a LOT!!!

Ten, I looooove storms!! This is a very strange thing to love especially since every time it rains hard for a substantial period of time I have to worry about my house flooding. We live in a flood plain by a creek that rapidly overruns its banks when the rain is too intense, but I find myself thinking back to fond memories of childhood when I hear a loud crack of thunder. My momma used to take us out on the front porch and let us watch the thunder and lightening while sitting on the steps. And I LOVE mud puddles. Both my girls go and play in them and so do I! Yes, we all put on our galoshes and stomp through puddles after the storm are over.

Eleven, since I've never been one to truly conform. I'm adding one more!! And I'll explain why this blog is called Boop's Babbles. My paternal grandmother and my Momma both often called me Boop growing up alluding to Betty Boop. As a result I've always had an affinity for Betty Boop...so this is where she and I babble. I hope you enjoy listening along as we do....

Boop Boop De Doop!

G'Night!