Found on my Phone

   Thought I'd post some pictures that I had forgotten about on my phone, and I want to apologize early on for the awkwardness of this post. I'm still trying to get used to the new format apparently! Also, I want to give a shout-out to Pinterest because if it wasn't for my favorite site I wouldn't have been able to make the last two pictures.

The first found picture is of Thomas and Meredith. Thomas's seat is turned around so the two can easily talk...and hold hands if they like!

 The fall was fairly warm and after the boys get out of school is when Meredith usually naps. I laid her down and sent the boys outside. That, along with the window in her room being open and her not wanting to nap caused this to happen.

I heard her calling out to them through her window, but she was so tired on the ride home from school I thought for sure she'd conk out sooner or later.  The boys thought they'd be her rescuers instead! It took Benny a minute to realize I was there, taking a picture of them in the act, and the other two quickly backed off like they had nothing to do with it.

I like how they thought to arm themselves with protection (bike helmets) but didn't think it was an awful idea to put a stack of plastic chairs on top of a plastic Adirondack chair. Last week I saw a great quotation in the "Seeing the Everyday" magazine: Before I had children I didn’t realize how many times I myself would walk into a room, let out a short gasp, close my eyes, and utter, “Don’t get mad. Get the camera!”This seems to be one of those times and I'm glad I thought to grab my phone.

Thanksgiving came and along with it, the 16th Annual Family Turkey Bowl. I can't believe we've been doing it for this long. The girls were more interested in the snacks and the car driving video games at the bowling alley than any of the excitement on the lanes.

Charlie gives his goofy grin and you think that he is all blue skies and puppy dogs, but he can be quite the instigator. Here is evidence of that; although, there are many in Charlie's corner who would say that it's just a hug that may have gone a bit too far. We all know that there's a fine line between a hug and a strangle.

Poor Benny, he's always getting picked on by his little brother. He's also not happy because Charlie ended up the winner of the little kids' division. All the boys are competitive, but Benny takes it all to heart and he isn't excited about being beat by the youngest brother.

And then Charlie is presented with the plaque. Can you see his buttons popping?

Uncle Hog conducts the post-game interview (this is one of those times I should have been video taping--classic!)

In November, Grandpa had his hip replaced and we sent him a couple of "Get Well" pictures to his phone.

These are Olive Penguins that I made for Billy and Lisa's Couples shower.

And these are Donut Snowmen that I made for Louie's Christmas party at school.

Fun December Posts to Come!

The last month has been filled with fun activities and busyness preparing for those fun events. Below is one that we've been waiting for over a year for! More posts and pictures are on their way.  :)

Quick Overview

I've been stockpiling posts from the summer and am just now attempting to finish them. I started with our family trip to Lake Barkley (the first week of August!) and went in order from there. I'll have to see if I can round up some things that we've done since then.

I just got back from a 60-mile walk in Atlanta that benefits breast cancer research, so I'm feeling wiped out enough to hang out in front of the computer and post pictures.

Enjoy!

When Tragedy Strikes

By "tragedy" I mean that over-sized window that no longer has blinds because Charlie pulled them down upon himself. And by "strikes" I mean that that window is striking birds in the face left and right.

And if you're wondering how the lil' guy is doing, he's just fine. He got his way, though. I couldn't get him to take a bath until the next day, which is fine. He was a mite tender-headed on Sunday. We got him cleaned up and saw that it was a complicated scratch. One small part was a bit deeper than the other "legs" of the scratch, but it's healing up nicely. Thanks go out to Grandma R. and Cousin Katie for saving the day with help and advice.

Hard

It has been the hardest today. I'm not sure if it's because we ran errands in the morning that made us cranky, then spent the rest of the day at home being bored. Or if it has something to do with the fact that we are all in need of a nice nap, but it's been difficult. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that Kevin gets on a plane in less than twelve hours and the minutes can't go by quickly enough.

Today

Today the kids are home.
Today we're getting ready to go camping.
Today the high will be 97 degrees with a heat index of over 100 (this will continue through the weekend!).
Today we found out that Kevin probably won't be home until next Thursday.
Today I will go to the grocery for the first time in almost two weeks.
Today the boys will be going with Grandma and Grandpa to our campsite while Meredith and I finish packing up for the trip.
Today there are 25 days until the first day of school.

Caught In Between

I have a traffic jam of pictures waiting to be loaded on here. I have thoughts and memories and funny anecdotes to share. But what I'm giving is a whole lotta nothing.

I'm finding that it is similar to my feeling with the video camera. I'd love to do it more, and I'm going to regret that I didn't, but picking it up (or, in this case, typing it up) causes me to be away from it actually occurring. Ok, maybe not entirely, but that's what I'm saying to make myself feel better.

These days of searching high and low for lost gloves and pacifiers; of reading books and doing math worksheets; of wiping noses and bottoms; of whipping up "three course meals" or nuggets and mac 'n cheese; of playing baseball and Star Wars and house and whatever else strikes our fancy...they are going by quickly and I'm going to be mad that I don't remember the details because I don't write it down as often as I'd like, I don't take as many pictures as I'd like...they're still going to be there. I'll be able to recall them, however fuzzy they may be. But, regardless, I am aiming to do a better job at typing them out and reflecting on why so many parents of grown children tell me that these are the years that you will remember.

Brilliant!

A worry that many parents have is the toxins that kids are exposed to, and what possible effects there are. I thought I heard something about there being scientists who are working on making chemicals non-toxic from the start so that the worry is completely eliminated!

I was hoping to make a link to the article, but wasn't able to find anything. Maybe I dreamed it up? It didn't occur to me that it was even possible to make chemicals that weren't "harmful" in one way or another.

Definitely an interesting approach. Did anyone else hear something about this?

Is there something wrong with this?

Charlie is waiting for the boys to get home from school. It's a gorgeous, warm day and he can't wait to go outside to play with them. But while he waits...

He found a radio-type-thing, small so you can put it in your pocket or strap it on your arm when you go walking or running. It's white and a metallic blue and has all sorts of buttons on it, as well as a round screen. It has become his hand-held video game device.

The boys do not have anything like this, but they covet the ones they see their friends play with, these games that have a mixture of letters and numbers that mean nothing to me. I'm not sure if a child will be negatively affected either by playing with a hand-held device or not, but it's strange to me to be pretending to play with one.

Charlie tells me what each button is for, who all the characters are and what they can do, what weapons they have. He's come up with an interesting story, to say the least. I haven't figured out if the boys will hold a grudge against us when they're older because they were the only ones that went without.

Controlled by the Weather

I've written before about how I do my best to not listen to the weather report because more often than not the forecast tells us it's a bad idea to enter out into the world, and then the day is over and no impending doom as occurred.

Today we decided to venture out and take a walk around a lake with some friends. It's a potentially dangerous idea because if you're on the opposite side of the lake when it starts to rain there's zero place to go for cover. The forecasters were using words and phrases like "torrential," "moving rapidly" and "positive omega forcing," none of which I'd like to be caught in.

Fortune was on our side, however, and we had a delightful walk and the kids even got to run around the playground before we went home for lunch. So, I'm done with it. I do like Larry Handley, but I think I'm going to skip the weather newscast from now on.

A New Start

Today starts Lent and with it I am going to make myself commit to writing at least a blurb each of the following 40 days. Things have been hectic around here, but I'm only hurting myself (my poor memory) by not recording things about our days on this blog.

Last night we had our annual Mardi Gras gathering. The weather was mild and we spent part of the night outside, the boys playing baseball and Grandma and Grandpa making up probably the best shrimp I've ever had--coconut-beer-battered shrimp. If I can get the recipe from my mom I'll share!

I don't have any pictures from the night (which, when that happens, is probably a reason I don't blog more often), but we did pull out the video camera to catch the girls in their first film shots together. I think. We definitely don't video the kids enough!

In years past we have gotten a King Cake, but this year we did sundaes instead because Charlie won a giant sundae basket at Lou and Ben's school FunFest. And Joanie came out the winner as she had the baby in the bottom of her bowl. Well, she actually ended up biting the poor thing's leg :)

OH! And I'm very excited to share that Gracie asked me if I wanted to be Maggie's godmother. I am very honored and cannot wait for the big day!

...s..l..o..w...d..o..w..n...

At the end of 2010 I had a great desire to slow down. Stay home more. Spend more time with the kids and Kevin, all of us together. Stop jumping in the car and running from here to there, and then somewhere else. My "word" for 2011 was to be slow.

It hasn't been working out too well, though. I wonder if it contributes to our household's general tiredness, the illness that just won't leave, and the crabbiness that is associated with forced rushing, yelling to get shoes, coats, hats and gloves on.

Any advice? I can't complain that we have been able to do some fun things and visit with some great people, but it is definitely taken its toll on us all. Before we had kids Kevin and I stayed pretty busy. That way of life didn't change much once we had Louie, and we stayed on that pace with each following kid. But we've always thought that it had more pros than cons.

I recently got a job. I have been looking for something part time after Kevin gets off work and I think I found the perfect place. Nice people and a fun job. I am very fortunate to have been given the opportunity to work there. Is this helping our situation at all? Maybe, maybe not. We're not going to be able to do our all-weekend trips as often as we used to. But I am hoping that being forced to stick around the house on the weekends will allow us to do things like have the kids take regular naps, more family dinners and playing games as a clan--something the kids love more than anything.

I've never been one to stick to a schedule with the kids. I know that all the parenting books say that to be successful in getting kids to eat, sleep, et cetera, they need to be on one. I'm fortunate that staying home with the kids has allowed us to be freer than other families are able to be. I don't think we'll be on a schedule now, as my brain isn't really wired for that, but things will be changing and I'm hoping it'll be for the best.

Cinderella Ate My Daugther

I heard an interview with the author of a book that just came out, Peggy Orenstein's Cinderella Ate My Daugter: Dispatches from the Front Lines of Girly-Girl Culture. It piqued my interest enough that I have it on hold at the library and a friend of mine and I are going to read it together, as we both had boys first, then our little girl. We both are concerned that we may not know what we're doing--ha, ha!

After hearing the radio interview, I read an article about the book and cites studies to give evidence that the push for little girls to grow up and be women before they're ready is definitely happening these days. What affect does having every accessory be pink have on a child? (And isn't it interesting that in world history pink has longer been associated with being a masculine color and blue was considered more "soft" and "feminine?") What does having a manicure/pedicure birthday at six do do a little girl? Anything? Is this all being blown out of proportion?

Even though the majority of little girls these days are obsessed with being a princess/fairy/ballerina, this is not the only option. There does not have to be two defined paths: one boy, and one girl. In the article it names one study "that shows that encouraging boys and girls to play together will broaden their interests and abilities. Orenstein's conclusion? That while it makes economic sense for the toy industry to create gender-specific toys, it makes parenting sense to keep the toy color spectrum broad and to schedule co-ed play dates."

My guess is that many of things talked about in this book are not ground-breaking. I'm sure that they are observations that many of us have already made, but the reason I'd like to read it is because it might help start a conversation about the choices Kevin and I make concerning Meredith, and on what path that might lead her. I stress about all my kids, but as many know, I have been particularly worried about rearing a daughter. It's not easy to be a girl at many stages of the game. I am not sure that the world we live in now is any easier than when I was a little girl.

I plan to post again on this book after I read it. Have you read it or heard anything about it? Do you have any thoughts in general about raising children in this product-driven society?

On Handwriting

A controversy has come up in that two groups disagree mightily on the topic of handwriting, particularly cursive. Apparently, schools may do away with teaching cursive, and handwriting, all together. The argument is that too much time is given to an archaic form when there are many more important items that needs to be taught. However, even though people in general use their computers or phones to communicate more often than a pen and paper, there are many reasons why it should still be taught.

When I was a kid my grandparents and probably my parents, too, said "handwriting" was cursive and didn't use the term. It was either that or "printing." I remember my Grandma sitting at the desk where her phone was (back when it was still tied to the receiver) and while she talked she absentmindedly went through a series of "drills," I guess you could call them, where she wrote different markings for an entire line, changing each line. For instance, she'd have straight, slanted lines in the first row; narrow curly-cues in the second row; wide circles in the next; and so on. I'm assuming that this is something that the nuns taught her, back when an emphasis was placed on handwriting. The result, I noticed, is a generation of people who all have the same penmanship!

A while back I remember reading that the only reason that cursive exists is because a person wasted less ink because the writing utensil wasn't lifted from the paper as often. An interesting tidbit of information, but today the reasoning isn't valid.

Recently, I came across this article in the Wall Street Journal where they talk about how the writing of letters actually trains the brain to become a better thinker. It's absolutely fascinating, and it cements the argument that this is something that cannot be dropped off of the curriculum. I read a comment by a person who said something I didn't even consider--how will students of tomorrow know how to read the Declaration of Independence if they don't know how to read and write in cursive? Maybe that's a bit dramatic (and I'm positive I have a copy of it in Times New Roman), but the point is made that although it may not be used as often as it should, it cannot be neglected. If one-cent pieces are still being made, and it sounds like they are only for nostalgia, then certainly young people can still learn cursive!

I'll end on one of my favorite quotations (quite possibly because I have a faulty memory--both in my head and in my computer!):

The faintest ink is more reliable than the strongest memory.
--Confucious

Reflection

And, as I remember it, those warm summer nights of not being focused on were liberating. In the long sticky hours of boredom, in the lonely, unsupervised, unstructured time, something blooms; it was in those margins that we became ourselves.

--Katie Roiphe

As many moms I know, I teeter the line between what it means to "mother" and being too involved. I recently read an article and this is a quotation from it that I really like. I have more I'd like to say about it, but I think the quote speaks for itself. Remembering what it was like to be a child, I don't want my kids to have a mom that dictates every moment of the day for them. They need to be free to be a kid, not perform the role I want them to have in life.

Life Lessons

Today is the 114th birthday of Walter Breuning of Montana, the world's oldest man. Every morning he gets up and does calisthenics and afterward puts on a suit. I think this says two things: you have got to keep your body moving to stay healthy, and you need to place importance in your appearance. Not that you need to dress to the nines every day, or even that what you're wearing makes you a better person, but I believe that when you take care of yourself, your appearance included, you believe each day is important enough to look your best.

Here is a quote from him:

"Be good to everybody, be kind to everybody, and help other people,” Breuning said. “The more you do for other people, the better you are going to help yourself. Every day is a good day and make it that way."

He says that his only regret is that he didn't enlist for World War I and by the time WWII came around he was too old. But probably what stuck with me the most is when he said that what has helped him survive the most is his ability to accept change. This is something that I am working on, for myself. As much as I like the changes of seasons, other changes I don't do so well with. I'm going to take Mr. Bruening's comment to heart.

Go-Go-Go-Go on an Adventure!

The last few years I've been extremely impressed with the television being produced on PBS-Kids. They've managed to create shows that are a lot of fun while educating--not secretly, just showing that learning can be fun--and (this is the best part) it's not a chore for parents to watch along.

This fall, the only new show that has come out is The Cat in the Hat Knows a lot about That. I've always been a fan of the Dr. Seuss books, their silly pictures, fun language and introduction to a new and different ideas. The show so far has been pretty good, touching a lot on science ideas and using your imagination. It's entertaining and has a catchy tune (sometimes too catchy and it's stuck in my head the rest of the day).

One thing I haven't made a decision about is the voice of The Cat. It's Martin Short. I've never been a big fan. I loved his role in The Three Amigos but other than that I find him kind of annoying. The jury's still out on him, but it's not so bad that it takes away from the show. Along those same lines, I was surprised with some of the voices, namely the fish in the bowl that accompanies the kids, Nick and Sally and The Cat. It just wasn't what I thought the voice should sound like. But, with all books that are made into TV shows or movies, good or bad, things aren't always what you expect them to be.

A Rose by Any Other Name?

I've been told that my three boys' names are like three old men. I'm ok with that. I'm into the old fashioned names, and I like when siblings' names "go together." But how much does a name influence how you approach life? By having "old man" names, do the boys do things that other kids with more modern names wouldn't do, or vise versa? Here is a story told to me secondhand by Louie's friend's dad:

Louie got a ride to practice last night by his buddy's dad. On the way to practice Sam was telling his dad about how his mom was getting frustrated with him and his brother when they were getting into the car earlier that day. When she said something to the two of them, a group of teens walking by thought she was talking to them and had a response for her--one that included a "bad" word.

As the dad was taking it in, Louie responded, "Well, you know Sam...sometimes in life you're going to come across people like that."

And there you have it. Wisdom from the "old man's" mouth.

Rebirth

Spring has always had the distinction of being "the season of rebirth," and as much as I agree, fall has a similar effect for me. The crisp air, the coppery colors, the warmer clothing all have a rejuvenating effect on me.

Maybe it's the start of school, back into a routine and schedule. Maybe it's the anticipation of fun fall events like football games, bonfires and going to harvest festivals at farms. Whatever it is, my kids have caught the fever as well. Every day they want to get out the massive amount of decorations that I have for this time of year. The only reason we haven't yet is because I like to make sure the house is tidy before getting out stuff that despite the fact that I believe we are enhancing, really does clutter up the place!

So, with two weeks into the school year, we're starting to get a handle on the day-to-day life of having two youngin's in school full-time, homework, practices, meetings and all the other things that come into play. Soon we'll have the house decorated to welcome in this new season.

I am so glad that we live somewhere that we get to experience all the wonderful changes of the seasons!

No Excuses

Hello!

I have no idea what happened to the last month an a half. Sorry about that. I'm going to post about our vacation and then try to do some update of what's been going on since the last posting.

So much to talk about, so little time...