Lifesong

Independence Day (The Long Version)

You have to love a nation that celebrates its independence every July 4, not with a parade of guns, tanks, and soldiers who file by the White House in a show of strength and muscle, but with family picnics where kids throw Frisbees, the potato salad gets iffy, and the flies die from happiness. You may think you have overeaten, but it is patriotism.” -Erma Bombeck

That is still my all-time favorite Fourth of July quote. And this may be my all-time favorite drawing of the Fourth of July, courtesy of Ansley on Saturday morning.

 

Now, onto the celebration. It started out like any other day, full with the promise of adventure. We were headed to the Greenway for some family bike riding, since Ansley has been asking to do this for quite some time. And with the cool front that swept through this area, it seemed like great timing.

 

It was a beautiful trail, and since it was documented by Ansley, we had to stop and take (many) pictures like this:

 

Aaaaannnnnnddd this:

 

I don't know why she things she has to document EVERYTHING. Who does that? Christian definitely had the best ride, with no exertion of energy and bottomless drinks for the whole trip.

 

But then, as we were coming up a hill, the worst thing that could happen on a bike ride when you are many, many miles from home, happened. Well, I take that back, since we have probably experienced the WORST thing (a shattered, broken arm), so maybe the second worst thing. But then, that doesn't sound nearly as dramatic, does it? Anyway....John's chain broke. Snapped in two.

 

He was determined to fix it, and, as you may know if you know John, he can fix anything. So we pushed our bikes to the shade - it appeared to be an old, deserted parking garage - while John got to fixin' and the kids....... got a little bored.

So pictures like this started to occur:

 

There is a limited number of things you can do in a small abandoned space while slightly hot and sweaty. For over an hour. Sadly, for perhaps the first time ever, John was not able to fix the chain. So we walked to Sullivan's and had lunch at 2 o'clock, but at least in air conditioning.

 

Yes, I did cut John's head off, but remember? I was sweaty and irritable. It makes me take bad pictures. Oh, I didn't mention irritable? You should always assume anytime sweat + Megan is involved, irritableness is also present.

We got home pretty late, and we had plans that evening to go to Shawn and Christina's house for dinner, and they had friends visiting from Atlanta, Brian and Desta, that we are friends with as well. Did that sentence even make sense? So Christian got a quick nap, and then we headed over there.

We enjoyed a yummy meal, and while the adults ate the kids enjoyed a slip and slide in the yard. It was great fun hanging out with Shawn and Christina, as always, and so nice to catch up with Brian and Desta!

Ansley and Paige waiting their turn:

 

Ansley enjoying the ride:

 

As soon as I saw the slip and slide, I said these exact words "There is a slim to none chance that Christian will ever go on that." And, really, who knows their child better than a Mom?

 

Obviously.

 

This is purposeful walking through the water, squealing and laughing, not crying just in case you were confused. Like I was, given the fact that last year Christian wanted NOTHING to do with water, let alone hurtling down a hill with water spraying his face. But what do I know?

Afterwards the kids enjoyed some fireworks.

 

 

Ansley and Paige watching the bigger fireworks:

 

And finally, we ended the evening with watching fireworks displays from their deck and BEAUTIFUL mountain view! Honestly, I think we must have more fireworks displays here than in any other part of the US. It was CRAZY! But fun.

 

A great celebration with great friends!

A Day at Dollywood

John had today off, so we decided to celebrate the day by heading to Dollywood. The kids are at such fun ages for it, and since we have season's passes, it makes it easier to go even if we don't want to spend all day. Which we did anyway.

Both the kids loved driving the old timey cars. When we first started, Christian was so nervous that he was driving, but after he warmed up to it, he laughed and smiled the whole time! (I think he especially liked the fact that our radio was playing "Flying Purple People Eater!")

 

Ansley was nervous to drive, too, but we let her in on the little secret (that you can't steer wrong) and then she was all smiles.

 

We watched a fun live animal show, PBS's Zoboomafoo. Then we got to see some up close. I will have nightmares about this one, but Ansley thought it was great.

 

Then we moved on to the snakes, which both the kids touched. I was okay with that - I actually touched the snake too. I think it was just a pleasant change from the tarantula images in my head.

 

Christian did not like the 4D experience (therefore I did not like it, either), but John and Ansley did. Two year olds are so finicky; what's not to like about darkness and strobe lights and loud noises? Beats me. Seems odd to me - tarantulas, yes! Darkness, no! I guess if some snakes were crawling around, we wouldn't have had the tantrum that ensued. I'd spend two days in darkness before I'd take five seconds with a huge freaky hairy spider. But then again, I am no two year old, so my mind obviously works very differently.

 

I think this was the favorite part in everyone's day: the River Rampage. We purchased a "Fast Pass" so we rode this twice with no wait. Do you know the Fast Pass? It means that you reserve the time on your little pager thing, and when it beeps you get to walk right past all the people who have been waiting for over an hour while they give you mean looks and think to themselves who do they think they are? But then you show them exactly who you are when you walk right on to the ride. You're the person who is willing to spend extra money so you don't have to wait in long lines while your children grab EVERY nasty, germy thing within a five foot radius. I think waiting is the worst part of theme parks, well that or the germs, that's really a toss-up, so it was definitely worth it to me. Anyway, both times we got a boat to ourselves, and we all screamed and giggled the entire time!

Here's me and Ansley before:

 

And John and Christian after. This photo makes me laugh!

 

I was surprised that Christian did well with it, but he loved it! We also rode the "Shooting Star" which takes you up around 40 feet and then drops you down, and goes back up and down several times. We were a little hesitant, but Christian loved that one as well. I guess because it wasn't dark and loud.

Then Ansley and I were able to use our "Fast Pass" again to ride the airplanes twice. She loved this one. I know it's hard to tell, but that's us way up there! (And if you have really good eyes, I just want to point out that they made me take my shoes off. Under NO circumstances, except force, would I ever let my bare feet touch the ground of a germ filled theme park. For the record.)

 

Ansley wanted to ride the Ferris Wheel, but after the "Fast Pass" spoiling, we saw the wait was 45 minutes and we were all who has time for that?

So we called it a day, and came home with two very exhausted, but very happy, children.

A fun day!

Simple Joys

You know those days where it's just so HOT outside that you can't possibly bear to stick your foot out the door for fear it will spontaneously combust? So then you start brainstorming other ideas that will sound fun to your kids, and lure them away from the very idea of going outside? And perhaps it's all the swimming, or maybe heat delirium (if that's not an actual ailment, it should be), but you start having crazy thoughts? You know the thoughts. Things like "I think I should make a four course meal tonight completely from scratch." Or "I could run six miles this evening, no problem." Or "Paint and two year olds go together like peas and carrots."

It's that last one that I want to focus on for this post. 

It did work to turn their attention to inside things, which is a plus.

 

Christian has never worked with Do A Dot paints. He was quite thrilled with the whole process. And yes, we do call this painting. And yes we call the Do A Dot stick a paintbrush.

Do you wonder why he has on his pajama shirt? Funny story. Ansley has recently decided that she is very capable of changing Christian when we get home from the pool. And since she prefers pajamas, she figures Christian will, too. So he is learning from an early age the power of comfiness in the afternoon. (She actually does a good job, putting a diaper on his and everything.)

 

Ansley used actual paints, and shockingly, Christian didn't care that they were using two different mediums, he was just that excited to paint.

They painted for over an hour, and even though they had it all over their hands and clothes, I was in a 70 degree house, so I didn't mind. I think I'd probably even do it again on another equally sweltering day.

The Boy of Summer

You are just like your sister in only one way that I can see so far: you both LOVE to be outside. Nothing suits you better than summer. Maybe it's because you want to keep up with Ansley, or because you love swinging and swimming and getting dirty, or maybe you just want to torture your Mama and watch her sweat, but for whatever reason, you want to be outside at all times.

I swore if I ever had a son, he would not be one of those kids that run around without a shirt on, looking so.....redneck. Have you ever said that, before you had kids? I've eaten almost every word I ever muttered before I had kids. I'm not even sure why I spoke back then. So why should the above statement be any different? There's just something so adorably cute about a little boy with his little toddler boy belly and no shirt. Well, and because I can, and sometimes I'm too lazy to get another shirt after I've changed his dirty/wet/muddy shirt for the fifth time in one day. It's to save me some laundry time, yes, that's the reason.

 

Your favorite thing to do, by FAR, is swing. When we go to the park, you are the boy that swings the entire time. When we go outside, you are the boy who runs straight for the swing and then asks to be pushed, and no matter how high I push, you always beg for "higher!"

 

Even though you appear a bit grumpy in this shot, you aren't. I can assure you, you have not had a cross moment while swinging (unless someone swiped your cracker). You do love to sing while you are swinging though. And what cracks me up is out of all the "simple" words to remember in children's songs, you have somehow latched onto the words "my soul, my treasure" and sing that over and over. Jesus loves me would be easier, I assure you, but you prefer to sing about your soul.

 

Having a sister means that you learn how to do things far earlier than you normally would, like swing on your belly. While singing. But you look so cute doing it.

 

I don't know why, but I've always loved pictures of the backs of my children. Something about that little toddler back and those baby biceps....oh, so cute.

I try to remember to enjoy these moments, especially when it's 150 degrees and you want to swing. We'll just keep swinging our way through the heat, soaking up the outside fun, enjoying this last Summer of Two.

A Father's Legacy

The celebration of Father's Day has got my mind swimming with thoughts of my Dad. That, combined with hearing "Legacy" by Nichole Nordeman no less than a dozen times in the past week, has me remembering the man and father that he was. Nichole says "I want to leave a legacy - how will they remember me?" Here is how I remember my Dad, and what I learned from being his daughter.

My Dad loved music, dance, and food. Among other things, of course, but these stick out to me for some reason. I have memories that are unique to him with each of these categories. I remember countless records when I was growing up, and always a variety of music, and dancing to music. I can remember like it was yesterday my Dad dancing with two-year-old Ansley to "Dancing Queen" in the family room. For as long as I can remember, my Dad would order pinto beans when we went to Cracker Barrel, while I made gagging noises and pretended to be on the verge of puking. I thought it was absolutely disgusting. But within the last year, I have come to appreciate pinto beans from Cracker Barrel. And appreciate is too light of a word - I LOVE them, I get them every time I go, and I think of my Dad, every time.

{You were right, Dad. And I am sorry for all those gagging noises.}

 

My Dad was funny. He could make a joke (or a song lyric) out of just about anything anyone said. He had a quick wit, which drew people to him. And he loved to laugh - he laughed often, at just about everything. I like to think I got his ability to laugh too - I love to laugh, and I laugh often. And, mostly, I always think of my Dad when I do.

{Thank you, Dad, for your great sense of humor!}

 

My Dad was a hard worker. He had the work ethic of an ox. I don't know if that's a phrase, but I think they are hard working animals, aren't they? He worked many long hours and weekends to provide for his family, and he never complained about it. He still had the energy to play with us kids when he got home on a Saturday evening, and made time for church commitments as well. Unfortunately, I did not inherit this from him. If I had to work the hours that he did, I would be so bitter. But he never was.

{Thank you, Dad, for working so hard to provide for your family.}

 

There was nothing that was more important to my Dad than God and his family. I think as soon as you met my Dad, you realized this. Mostly, because he was a BIG talker, but also because of the way he lived his life and the way he spoke about these two subjects. I've had countless emails come to me since his death from people who were changed by the way my Dad lived his life. And for that, I am grateful.

{Thank you, Dad, for showing your love for God to every one you met.}

 

My Dad certainly wasn't always perfect, he made mistakes and he had regrets. But I was always proud to be called "Randy's daughter" and I will always be grateful for the lessons that he taught me, the sacrifices he made, and the memories I will treasure. I think that is his legacy - a daughter who remembers the man she called Dad, who lives each day wanting to make him proud, and who passes on to her own children the memory of a man whose face may fade as the years go by, but whose impact on her life never will.

Happy Father's Day, Dad. In case I never told you, I am proud to be your daughter, and I look forward to the day I'll see you again.

Done Brought It

I love living in the South because I can say things like done brought it and nobody bats an eyelash. Well, okay, I COULD say things like that, if I wanted to. But I don't, because it ain't proper grammar, and I only speak in proper grammarisms.

I bet you aren't really sure what the content of this post will be, are you? Me either. But I'm struggling, if you haven't noticed, with keeping my blog updated. And I've gotten quite a few, or maybe one, I'm not really sure, emails asking about P90X, so I thought I would give an update now that we are on Week 9 of bringin' it.

And I also got tired of seeing Tabitha every time my blog pulled up. Nothing against Tabitha, but it's just weird to see someone I don't know come up every time the screen comes up.

But back to P90.

I'd like to say that eliminating sugar from my diet has made me the downright giddy. And I'd like to say that releasing my inner fitness guru has allowed me to become the exercise demon I always dreamed I'd be.

But I can't say either of those things.

What I CAN say is this: that I feel healthier, I have more energy (with short bursts of irritibility when I can't eat a donut) and I am...oh, no, here it comes....I wasn't paid for this...but I am in the best shape of my life. I can say that P90 has challenged me, and pushed me and motivated me to want to exercise. I never like the actual exercising part, but I always like the when-I'm-done feeling. I eat healthier now, and I enjoy it. I allow myself a splurge every now and then, but I don't fill my body with junk. JUNK IS BAD!! COKE IS BAD!! Oh, sorry, sometimes Tony gets in my head and I can't get him out. He is pretty motivating.

I have learned that I don't mind...make sure you are leaning against a hard surface so you don't fall over....but I really don't mind sweating. I know, who is this girl? You thought you knew me, right? Me, too. But sometimes when the sweat is falling in my eyes and my mouth is salty (you know, from the sweat dripping in it? I wouldn't have known that before I started sweating so much), it makes me feel strong and gives me a sense of accomplishment. And after having two kids, I can also say that P90 has given me abs to be proud of. And please don't take that as bragging, I'm just saying that with a little...no, wait, a LOT of hard work.... anything is possible.

We are on the homestretch. This is the last phase of P90 before we can cut back to working out 3 to 4 times a week (instead of six).  John and I have started running together a few nights a week, which has been really good. Again, it's not good, it's never good, WHILE I'm running, but it's always good afterwards. I have found that exercise allows me to clear my mind and focus on just the exercise...not on what I need to get done tomorrow or what I should have done or what I'm stressed about....just on exercising, which has been good for me.

And the other benefit? We've pretty much eliminated television from our lives. We used to put the kids to bed and then veg out in front of the tv until bedtime. And after thinking about our eight week journey, I decided to put a list together of what I miss about rarely watching tv:

Yeah, NOTHING. We are spending more time together, we get to talk more, and we are contributing positively to our health. This might be the best motivator for me for exercising, because it has taught me that I waste SO much time, and if I really want to do something, I will make the time. (Which brings up the interesting point of the blog...I'm not sure where it fits in. I'm struggling with that lately, too.)

So there it is. I haven't been transformed into a mega-muscled girl who is obsessed with exercise and egg whites. I am still me, just with more tone and definition, who eats more egg whites than chocolate cake, and loves turkey sausage more than French toast. Maybe not more than, but equal to...or almost equal to. Maybe not equal to, I just make better choices. But mostly, I'm in shape and eating right, and that feels good. 

Nothing but positive things have come from P90X, so I would definitely recommend it! 

And the egg whites are really optional.

Atlanta Weekend

We headed to Atlanta this past weekend to visit our good friends. We stayed with Chris and Kimberly and their son Mack, and also enjoyed seeing Mark and Ashley and their son Hamilton.

We arrived around lunchtime on Friday, and while the boys napped, Kimberly, Ansley and I headed to Northpoint mall to check out the American Girl store. I knew Ansley would love it, and this was our only chance since our weekend was full. I was right - Ansley LOVED it, and went from one display to the next, oohhing and ahhhing over everything. But, trust me, I was right behind her.

She chose to have Ellie's hair done while we were there. Here is hair stylist Tabitha with Ansley and Ellie. Tabitha did a great job!

 

Then we headed back home, and Kimberly, Ashley and I headed out for a girl's night. We did some shopping, then had dinner and dessert (those took place at two different places). It was fun girl time. Here we are before we left. This photo makes me laugh. Here's your Monday morning laugh too.

 

The guys visited our friends and neighbors Ron and Kelly, and their kids McKane, Riese and Cooper while we were out. McKane and Riese were Ansley's best friends when we lived there, and they have known each other their whole lives. But, no pictures!

Friday night brought an interesting change of events to our household. Christian learned for the first time that he could climb out of his pack and play. Up until now, he has slept in his crib without ANY issues. (Ansley fell out of her crib at 23 months, so we moved her to her bed then, but Christian has never even attempted it. Until now. And ironically, the first night we moved Ansley to her bed we were with Mark and Ashley and we got home so late Ansley crashed and didn't wake up once!) So Friday night was spent up and down with a Christian-on-the-loose. He finally ended up in our bed - which we don't do, but when you are staying at someone else's house, it's not really the best time to teach your child to stay in their room. In the middle of the night.

Anyway, Saturday morning we all got up and went to the zoo. The kids had a blast looking at all the animals, and it was a surprisingly pleasant day!

Here's a cute shot of Mack and Ansley at lunch:

 

Ansley enjoyed petting this goat at the petting zoo.

 

Then it was the boys turn. They chose to go to Six Flags and ride roller coasters all afternoon. They had a blast - but now they have us wanting to go back and ride them! (Except Ashley, who is not a roller coaster gal.) They had a great time together. Meanwhile, we came back home and put the boys down for naps. Kimberly has a large collection of beads for making her own jewelry, and Ansley loved making her own necklace from Kimberly's stash!

 

That evening we headed to the pool, where the boys played and Ansley played with McKane and Riese. She had a blast with them, but ....yep, I didn't bring my camera. Our poor kids were worn out that day!

Then this morning we went all went to church, which is a branch of the church we attended when we lived there. Afterwards we had lunch on the lawn, and the kids enjoyed running around.

This is the best I could do of Hamilton and Christian, who are just three months apart.

 

Photos of Ansley and Hamilton were a little easier, but it looks like someone was a little jealous, doesn't it?

 

This photo is proof of their love.

Then it was time to head home. Mark and Ansley saying goodbye.

 

They have always had a special bond. And all of these friends have known Ansley for as long as she has been in the world.

Once we got home, we had to get Christian's room ready. For now, we just have a mattress on the floor, and of course got him pumped up about sleeping in a "big boy bed". Here they are while we were doing that.

 

They were both VERY tired tonight, and Christian went to bed easily. Let's hope that's the start to a great night!

We had a great weekend, and we are very blessed to have such great friends!

Thanks, Chris and Kimberly and Mark and Ashley for a great weekend! We love ya'll.

Boys Are Weird

I mean, different. Just different. Not weird, of course.

It's so interesting having a boy and a girl, because you can play the little comparison game. Not in a bad way, just in a wow-that's-so-different way.

Like this: Ansley can barely hit her foot against the door, and she falls on the floor in a heap of pain, like she may never walk again. Christian, on the other hand, was bringing me a toy the other morning, falls flat on his face, hits his head against the toy. Then he proceeds to stand up, hand me the toy, and say "Here ya go, Mommy." DIFFERENT.

Ansley was, is, and I suppose always will be a neat eater. She doesn't like to be messy, she doesn't get messy with her food, she eats, and she's done. Christian plays with his food, draws little pictures with his applesauce, and takes about an hour to eat a meal. He spills things all over the floor, the table, his clothes. He will be the boy who still wears a bib at age 8. We stopped putting a bib on Ansley at age 2. She didn't need it. (And I kid, Christian actually doesn't wear a bib either, but not because he doesn't need it, just because when you have more than one child, who has time for such trivial things?)

Exhibit A:

 

I'm cleaning up from breakfast because Ansley and I have been done for days, and when I turn around, I see that Christian is taking a sip of milk, then spitting it on the table.

Christian, I say, that is making a mess!

And Christian says, I can't like milk, Mom. I can't like it.

Even though he has liked milk up until this very moment.

DIFFERENT. With maybe a little weird thrown in.

That's another thing - when Ansley eats something, she can say right then that she either likes it or doesn't like it. And, most often, she likes it. Then if that something comes around again, she knows whether or not she will eat it. Christian may like something one day, and then not like it the next. Like banana muffins, he loved when he took his first bite two days ago. The second day he tried it, couldn't like it.

I've got Exhibits B - Z, but I'll save those for another post.

Boys will continue to be a mystery to me. Even though Ansley can be highly dramatic and emotional, I must admit, I can relate to that. There's not much that my sweet boy does that I can relate to, but that's okay.

I am thankful for my kids, weird and different and all.

Lessons From the Only Child

This week has been so enlightening for me. And it's only halfway over! I have spent my days with just my little C-Pup. It is certainly a life that he has never known, since his whole life and all his days revolve around me and Ansley. For that matter, it's a life I have never known, too.

I have learned that no matter how much they may argue or fuss, Ansley and Christian are best friends. At the beginning of the week, Christian would ask no less than a hundred times a day when Ansley was coming back. My first thought was, how sad, he has the time when he can just soak up the attention, but all he can focus on is when his sister is coming home. But then I realized she is his playmate and constant companion, and it made me smile. Now that we are halfway through the week, he doesn't ask where she is. As much.

 

I have learned that I can do anything with only one child. Running errands has never been easier. And Christian is delightful to run errands with! He chats and points things out and makes a comment on EVERYTHING we see. My favorite was when we saw a boy with longish hair, and he stated loudly, and clearly, "Mommy, is THAT a GIRL?!" Good times in the grocery store. But my second favorite was when he saw these miniature bananas and said "Oh, Mommy, look how CUTE!!" (I wonder where he gets that from? John has said for years that I am a sucker for cute marketing - anything in miniature I will most likely purchase because...well, it's cute.) So of course we bought the cute baby bananas.

 

Now, before you start thinking my life is just clowns and balloons and bonbons, let me assure you that every single moment isn't filled with such things.

 

I have learned that taking pictures of Christian while he is in time out makes him FIGHTIN' MAD. So why do I do it? I don't know - some kind of sick compulsion, I suppose, to capture every moment of his childhood. One day he'll thank me.

I have learned that I am super-productive with my three hours of free time every afternoon. I have caught up on books that I have wanted to finish for months now, cleaned, updated the blog, made some things, and sure, sometimes just sat on my hiney reading a magazine. One afternoon, I made peanut butter and chocolate popsicles (these are dangerously good!) so Christian could enjoy them later. He loved 'em! (Who wouldn't?) Peanut butter and chocolate is my all time favorite combination.

 

Well, okay, one of my favorite combinations. My other favorite combination is this face and those eyes.

I have learned that I have the patience of a saint with only one child. Sadly, I do not like this revelation, because I want that kind of patience with two kids. I am praying for this same patience when Ansley returns, because I want my kids to remember me as a calm, patient Mom who showed them Christlike character every day.

I have learned that this little boy is fun to play with. I don't often (read: never) get time where just the two of us sit down and play. But we have played trains, Little People, blocks and cars to his heart's content. He is silly and funny and loves to play!

 

I have learned that time alone with Christian is very rare and precious; I have also learned that I miss that girl that twirls through the house, singing songs and chatting up a storm. I am savoring this week with the Boy, but our house is definitely not complete without the Girl.

My Weekly Blog Update

So apparently I'm having some trouble updating my blog more than once a week. I will do my best to improve that. Although I think I've said that before, and apparently just saying it doesn't make it so. It's a nice thought though, isn't it? I would think all kinds of things to make them so...a clean house, dinner already made, toys picked up......

But back to reality. We headed to Nashville this past weekend to hang out with my family. We enjoyed a nice, relaxing weekend. On Saturday, we ate dinner at a steak restaurant right next to Reba McIntyre's home and ranch. It's a small little place, as I'm sure you'd imagine. But next to the restaurant were also ducks, which the kids enjoyed feeding.

Christian had them eating out of his hand.

 

And then giggling every time.

Ansley tried so hard to make friends with a Mama Duck and her little chicks. She was a little hesitant though.

 

Ansley got a new (two wheel) scooter as an early birthday present from my Mom. Quite a bit early, yes, but she wanted her to have the summer to enjoy it. We weren't sure how she would do with it, but we didn't need to worry. She was scootin' around like a pro.

 

Christian always likes to be in the middle of what's going on, so he took off across the street to JonJon. This photo makes me smile.

 

On Sunday, which also happened to be our 12th anniversary, we enjoyed a yummy lunch before heading back home. Christian got into feeding Mimi his strawberry shortcake, and we were laughing at him so hard that of course he kept doing it. I know, giving away his strawberry shortcake? I'm worried that he's sick, too. (He has seriously been telling me that his ears hurt.)

 

Then the three of us headed back home. Three of us? Yep, we left Ansley behind, as she was invited to spend the week with Mimi. She was so excited, and I was excited to have a week of just me and The Boy. More on that soon.....