7 Years!

Today is my 7 year anniversary to Mr. Eric Droke. We were 22 and 21 when we got married. Since then, I've finished my bachelors degree, we've adopted a cat-may she rest in peace-, had a little girl, had a car accident, had a baby boy, moved a few times, battled a near death, unexplained illness, and adopted a dog.

I appreciate and love this man more today than ever in my life. A marriage-therapist-friend told me that there is a significant change in the marriage relationship every 7 years. I would agree with that. Over the last year, our marriage has changed, but in a good way. I have a greater respect for him now than ever in my life. I've learned to at least try to see the best in obnoxious people. I've learned to at least try to give troublesome people the benefit of the doubt. I've learned to at least try to shut up and listen in a confrontation. I've learned what true character acts like. In short, I'm a much better person than I was when he married me 7 years ago, because of his example. Of all the men in the world, I'm so glad I picked him... he just thinks he picked me....

Family Video

Ok, so I've never done this before, but I'm planting a BIG FAT ENDORSEMENT on my blog. Family Video is AWESOME!

This afternoon, I bundled up the kiddos, and headed down to Blockbuster to rent the new Harry Potter movie. (By the way, I was renting it for me and Eric to watch sans kids... it's a little too scary for them, for now.) Well, I got there and Blockbuster had about 12-15 copies, and they were all already checked out. I was bummed. I said something to AbiLyn about them being out. Well, there was a man standing there that told me that the Family Video down the road still had about 70 copies available! I told him thanks and headed out the door. He and a man with him left the same time as me. When we got outside, he handed me a free rental card for Family Video and told me he'd call them and tell them I was coming.
I got there, and it turns out he's a regional manager for the place. The manager sought me out and gave me the store tour, which they do for all new customers. It's great! They have a pretty big section of FREE movies for kids. Free, whether you rent a movie on that visit or not! They have 'nearly new releases' that are $1 for a 5 night rental!
The only down side is that the New Releases are only 1 night rentals. New Release prices range from $1 to $2.59 depending on how new they are... but they DID have the movie I was after... and as a bonus, I got 2 free movies for the kids! Also, new customers get 1/2 price rentals for the first 30 days. I'm so excited about an affordable video store option!

Really? 8 Hours?!?

My daughter, AbiLyn has been having an earache lately. Since she's had tubes put in, twice, and has had her tonsils and adenoids removed, she generally doesn't get ear infections anymore. So, we now buy earache drops to help get her through any discomfort and don't take her to the doctor unless she starts running a fever. Well, anyone that has ever used ear drops knows that room temperature drops in your ears just makes them hurt worse.
So, anytime AbiLyn tells me her ears are hurting, I've started putting the drops bottle in my bra for a few minutes to heat them up while I do other things around the house. It's usually not a super urgent complaint... Once they've warmed up, I put the drops in her ears.

Well, today while she was stalling at naptime, she said her ear was hurting. I grabbed the bottle and put it in my bra to heat up while I finished whatever chore I was working on... okay, okay, while I finished my train of thought on Facebook.

She never went to sleep and it was time to get the kids up from their non-nap. I had to get them dressed and ready to meet my family at our favorite Mexican restaurant before the Christmas Tree Lighting on the square, here in town.

Well, as you might imagine, I forgot about the drops bottle... and didn't remember it until tonight when I needed them again for her at bedtime. The ear drops warmed for like 8 hours! I totally forgot they were there! Needless to say, they were plenty warm when I needed them for her again. It simply amazes me how much self awareness I've lost since becoming a mom!

Not Working...

My 2-year-old, Lex, is starting to pee in the potty. Yay for us, right? It's just so funny how proud he is when, like, 4 drops eeeeek out. He seems to really enjoy the whole process, which is good for us, because maybe he won't take 1.5 years to potty train like his older sister.

This morning, I set him on the potty and he was able to go a little. His diaper was soaked from sleeping overnight, so there probably just wasn't much there. He sat there for a few minutes, pushing. Then he looked up at me with this frustrated look and said, "It's not wuhkin'." I couldn't help but laugh about the fact that he'll probably be back to that same point in about 55 years... hopefully, by then, he'll be able to say his R's, though.

**Photo courtesy of Christina Campbell at Eternal Treasures Photography. eternaltreasuresphotos.com

Excuse me, Officer...

My job at Cyber Cafe on MTSU campus is, if nothing else, entertaining. At any given time, I can see 10-15 gigantic (fake) "diamond" studs in guys' ears, insanely inappropriately tight pants... on guys, insanely inappropriate amounts of cleavage (which make me think I can hear fathers' screams from all across the country), Quidditch robes worn as regular clothes, unbelievably colorful tennis shoes, no shoes at all, and the list goes on and on...

The kids are usually very nice and make me laugh. They are, for the most part, good natured kids that are just enjoying college and their friends. It's a fun atmosphere to be around.

Last night, however, I experienced one of the funniest things I've seen. A kid comes in that's skinny and about 6'1" or 2", brown, curly, shaggy hair, dressed like a skater... baggy pants, colorful jacket, bright cap turned partly to the side w/ the bill flipped up. The catch was, he looked like he was about to hurl. He was pale... I mean, PALE... as in his lips were the exact same color as his forehead. He had a green tint to his face, even, and a fine sheen of sweat across his face. His eyes were totally bloodshot. He, not surprisingly, was weaving all over the store area. He could barely stand up. He looked like someone that had been playing that game where you put your forehead on a bat, spin around and then try to run somewhere.

When he came in, I happened to be standing in the front talking to an MTSU police officer. They come by and chat with me sometimes. I appreciate the police presence, especially between 12 and 2a.m. Well, the police officer was leaning against a closed register while we talked. This kid staggers over to him and holds out his sandwich and drink like the police officer was going to ring him up. Did I mention, that the police officer was in FULL uniform... gun and all. Clearly, not a Cyber Cafe employee. To me, that spoke volumes about how messed up this kid was. I pointed to the other register and told the kid he could pay there. When he staggered away to the open register, the police officer and I kind of looked at each other and kept watching the kid. Was he handicapped? Did he have Cerebral Palsy? We were trying to figure out if he had some kind of disability that made him walk that way. As we watched him running into people and weaving around the store, we decided it was definitely chemically induced. Needless to say, he got taken in. Turns out, he was 19 years old, drunk, and had pot in his pocket. Oh, did I mention, he was on probation already? Guess what for? Possession of marijuana and under age drinking!!Apparently, he's not too bright if he's going to violate his probation doing the exact thing he was on probation for, and then ask a police officer to ring up his sandwich.

Epiphany

Yesterday I was hanging laundry on my line outside. There were crunchy leaves on the ground. The temperature was about 72* and there was a cool breeze blowing. The kids were playing nicely with the dog and the birds were chirping. The sky was that beautiful, crisp, 'fall' blue without a cloud in it. That's when it occurred to me that if the storms over the last couple of weeks were what pushed this beautiful pressure system into place, it was TOTALLY worth it. Yes, my laundry backed up... (thanks mom and dad for letting me bring a couple of loads over to dry last week). Yes, my kids and my dog got MAJOR cabin fever. Yes, it was not the easiest 2 weeks of my life. But, this cooler weather with low humidity, now, is absolutely perfect. It couldn't have gotten here without the storm system that moved through, though... I'm definitely not a meteorologist, but that's what it looked like was happening on the weather channel.

Standing there in my yard on the first fall-like day of the season, I realized that applies to my life, too. Eric and I have had major storms over the last couple of years. We've even had some HUGE disappointments and let downs in the last few months, but if those storms are what it takes for us to have the right perspective and enjoy the beautiful 'weather' that's coming our way to the fullest, then it was TOTALLY worth it!

I'm not naive (or arrogant) enough to think that I'm the first person to compare those 2 things, but I'm glad God brought it to my mind while I was where I could fully appreciate the cause and effect fully.

Interesting...

Tonight at work, a girl came through wearing hiking boots, pleated-front, high-wasted, olive colored khaki pants, a sports bra, a very light scarf-completely around her neck- and... what looked like a Quidditch robe... un-fastened down the front. Where do you buy clothes like that?

Lex is 2!

My 'baby' is now 2 years old! His birthday was Septemeber 6, so we had a family party for him at mom and dad's lake house in Manchester on Labor Day. My In-Laws, along with my nephew, Judah, were able to drive up to be us for it. We had a great time and Lex was in heaven. Here are some pics:

AbiLyn was relaxing on the deck before the party.

Lex and cousin, Judah. Lex put on that life jacket and wouldn't take it off...

AbiLyn was helping him open his very first pair of Chuck Taylors.

He had plenty of help opening his presents!

New soccer ball and Nike cap.

New Tricycle ... he pronounces it: By-gee-cull... very cute.

I made the cake, this year, and Eric decorated it.

Lex didn't know what to think. He never would blow out the candles!

We all finished the party out by playing some T-ball with Lex's new T-ball set. Here's Lex getting some help from Uncle Brian.

All in all, it was a really fun party!

Does Anyone Else Hate Crossing Guards?

Ok, so I know Crossing Guards are good and necessary. I'd like to picture them as helpful, white-haired old ladies in a bright yellow shirts, holding the traffic at bay while they assist adorable little 1st graders across the street. Usually, I have no trouble with them. Occasionally, though, I have an incident like yesterday.

AbiLyn HAD to go to the bathroom. I was breaking all speeding laws trying to get her home in order to avoid pulling over on the side of the road in the middle of Murfreesboro. Then I came upon a school zone. Well as much as I wanted to, morally, I just couldn't speed through it. I hit the zone at about 20mph and had coasted down to about 17 by the time I was reaching the crossing guard. That old bat started waving her arms at me, signalling for me to slow down and then reached down and got her infamous whistle and started blowing it at me! There were no cars around me to compare my speed to and she had no radar gun. Could she really tell I was going 2mph faster than was posted. And is 17mph that much worse than 15? I couldn't believe her reaction. It didn't help that I was truly risking a humongous mess if I didn't make it home quickly enough...

It was one of those situations where I left it, able to do nothing, wanting to explain myself to a complete stranger.

Welcome, Eric

My husband, Eric, started a blog. He's posting a lot of his sketches/illustrations on it. I'm really looking forward to hearing what all he has to say... :)

You can find him at www.ericdroke.blogspot.com.

Ahhh, Marketing to College Students

I am now, thankfully, employed by ARAMARK food service at the Cyber Cafe on MTSU campus.

We have 2 restaurants in the cafe as well as a small "convenience store" area. When I say small, I mean, like one small stand of shelves. That stand is packed, of course, with Ramen Noodles, Cup-o-Soup, and Bowl-Apetites galore. When it comes to the hygiene part of the shelves, there is 1 type of soap, 1 type of toothpaste (no toothbrushes), 1 type of shampoo, etc. There is even only 1 type of pain reliever and antihistamine.

Guess how many types of condoms....
FOUR!

Face Mask

My daughter, AbiLyn, doesn't need a whole lot of sleep. She goes to bed between 9pm and 10 pm, and is up ready to go anywhere from 7:45am to 9am. Compared to her brother, that's not much. If she takes a nap, lately, it's only about 45 minutes. Well, as she's gotten older, it has become more and more difficult to get her to go to sleep. It's been a struggle for years, but the past few months, it has become extremely frustrating. I wouldn't even bother with it except that on the days she doesn't get a nap, she starts to absolutely LOSE IT over everything beginning at about 6pm. Well, that's when Eric gets home from work and we have dinner, so our daily family time isn't very enjoyable for ANYONE!

Last weekend I went on a Girls' Trip to Chattanooga with my sisters, mom, and AbiLyn. Well, in the excitement of getting ready to go, I wanted to buy AbiLyn a little something. She is so girly and prissy, I decided to get her a little sleeping mask from the $1 aisle at Target. She LOVED it! She sleeps in it all the time. Nap time is a complete breeze now. As long as I make her lay down and put it on, she goes right to sleep.

Eric and I decided that was the best purchase of the year!

By the way, you can read about our trip to Chatt on my sisters blog by clicking on "Girls' Trip" above.

New Job

I got a job at Cyber Cafe on MTSU campus. I will be a night and weekend supervisor. (don't be fooled... it barely pays more than minimum wage) It's the only late night venue on campus, and is centrally located to all the dorms, so they don't get really busy until the night. We currently have a Subway and a Kirkenburts. We are in the process of getting a Smoothie Bar and a Starbucks. Those may not be ready til after Fall Break though. It should be fun. I really want to learn how all of this works since Eric and I want to have our own coffee shop, eventually.

I was sooo relieved to get a job that would work with our schedules without having to put my kids in some type of childcare. Eric will have to do dinner and bedtime alone, but I'll be able to be home with them during the day. It will probably be tough for a while, but it will provide some much needed progress in our finances! I'm sure I'll have lots stories to tell about it.

Sugar Babies Results

I got my check in the mail today for what I consigned in the Sugar Babies Consignment Sale a few weeks ago.

I sold a lot of the fall/winter clothes AbiLyn and Lex had outgrown from last year. In order to have very first choice of clothes in the workers sale and have the consignors' entrance fee waived, I worked 10 hours the last day of the sale, breaking it down.

After selling last years items and purchasing, pretty much, a whole fall/winter wardrobe for this fall/winter (including 2 pairs of shoes, each, and winter coats) I ended up with... drum roll please... a +$60 balance! I'm pretty pleased!

Guilty Pleasure

I love to litter. I haven't done it since I was a teenager, maybe early twenties, but I do still get, and suppress, the urge now and then.

It all started when I was about 15. Dad bought my sister, Michele, an older mustang convertible to drive/tote me and my other sister, Carla around in. It wasn't super nice, but it was a CONVERTIBLE!

One particular time, I distinctly remember my mom telling us not to make any extra stops on our way home from church. So, what did we do? Naturally, we pulled though the Checkers that was on our way. They have the BEST french fries. Knowing mom, being the wonderful mom she is, would have dinner ready when we got home and having the added bonus of being told not to make any stops, we had to dispose of the evidence. It was so easy with the convertible. It was a back road that, at the time, wasn't even in the city limits. All you could see were empty fields in both directions. We just raised our Checkers' litter above our heads and let it go. Unfortunately, now I associate the freedom of that time in my life and the "badness" of that small disobedience with littering. Oh well, it's a battle I'll fight the rest of my life.

Gods Rollercoaster for Parents

Today has been one of those days that makes me want to run away from home. Luckily, my husband is so hot, I would never seriously consider that.

Why, oh why, do children have random bursts of mental retardation? I can't understand it. Nap time... such a simple concept. A 4-almost-5-year-old should be able to grasp this, right?
Easy steps to a good nap: Turn on humidifier and ceiling fan, close blinds, pull hanging curtains over window, lay down on top of fluffy white down comforter, pull today's favorite stuffed animal close, cover up with personalized "Abigail" blanket, close eyes... sleep!

It's even easier when your (smirk) beautiful, hip mother does everything for you to have this perfect nap. BUT WAIT... I need to sing, potty, put on lip gloss, read, sing some more, tell a story to an empty room, brush hair, tangle hair in lip gloss, put sponge rollers in the mane of Lex's stick horse, stare with a blank look at my beautiful, hip, mother as she threatens me with a paddling, ("If I hear one more sound -look at my face- coming out of your throat, I will -look at my face- spank you with the paddle. AbiLyn, -look at my face- what will happen if -look at my face- I hear one more -look at my face- sound coming from your room?") endure 2, YES 2, paddlings, in spite of said warnings.

Finally, I give up on thinking she will be able to fall asleep simply out of fear of yet another spanking. I just sit on the end of her bed, stewing about the stubbornness of this disobedient child, and reading my book... It crosses my mind, that I am reaping what I sewed as a child, but I quickly push that out of my mind. Then this crazy thing happens... My intense anger at this obstinate child evaporates. I happened to look at her face at the exact moment her eyes finally dipped closed and stayed closed. I stare at her beautiful eyelashes as they rest against her cheek; her lips that, when relaxed, stay in a bit of smile. I realize that I'm looking at complete peace: a 4-almost-5-year-old, asleep on a white, down comforter with the glow of the closed pink curtains from the window making the pink of her cheeks and the red of her lips resemble a fairy tale princess, listening to nothing but the humidifier and ceiling fan. I wonder, is there anything more beautiful than her?

That's when it hit me, God knew what he was doing when He made kids so darn cute! He was ensuring that the human race would exist past Cain and Abel!

I Can't See You!

My daughter, AbiLyn, LOVES to sing. She sings all the time... real songs, made up songs, instructions I've just given her, etc. She just flutters around the house singing. She really loves to sing about Jesus. It's so pure and sweet that I can't help but smile when I hear it coming from another room while I stomp around, taking care of my daily chores. It softens me and I'm so thankful for that.

The other day, she was singing about Jesus and how much she loves Him. Then I heard, "Jesus, you're in my heart. I wish you could come out of my heart because I can't see you when you're in there." I just had to laugh, albeit quietly, to myself. I would never want her to feel self-conscious about it, but it was so funny. Ahhh, kids.

Who's the Real Victim?

I was going to blog on this incident that occurred while my husband, Eric, was taking our 2 kids and our dog for a walk yesterday, but he did a great illustration of it today and told the story wonderfully.... so here it is:

Even though the file is huge, when I tried to expand the illustration, the words were still blurry. Below is a direct quote of the story above:

"Sometimes we let Caesar run loose in the fenced off intramural fields behind our house. The kids are NOT supposed to go in because I can't fit between the gates held by the chains. Yesterday, however, everyone decided to throw a coup against me and run in the fields like wild animals. After being penned up all day, Caesar was especially rambunctious. He knocked AbiLyn down and stole her flip-flops. She started screaming at the top of her lungs, frozen to the spot in the middle of the field, and apparently instantly deaf as she would not follow my instructions from beyond the fence. People on the track were stopping to stare at the child mauling scene as Lex walked up to Caesar and started whacking him with the little stick pony he brought along. I had to 'jump' the fence and stop the madness before the cops came. I can barely walk today because I bruised both of my heals when I 'jumped.' Oh well, a small price for saving my 4-year-old from my dog, my dog from my 1-year-old, and myself from serious jail time."

Seriously... Make the Investment

The other day, I was rollerblading. If you follow this blog, you already know about my obsession. So anyway, I was gliding along. Enjoying my "positive thinking" mental picture. The one where as I begin to feel my legs burn, my thighs magically begin to slim down to a Cameron Diazish size. Anyway, I'm bopping along, got my ipod, got my positive mental image going and OH YUCK! Some lady comes jogging towards me with all her "blessings" just a-bouncin'. I am all for finding a fulfilling exercise and just killing yourself at it, but, you just gotta know! She wasn't even very heavy. And even if she was, she was doing what she needed to do to lose a few. So my complaint isn't seeing heavy people exercise... b/c Lord knows, I've definitely been there! My issue is how cheap sports bras are! The world at large will appreciate it! Really... before you knock yourself or an innocent bystander unconscious, head down to the Walmart and PLEASE, make the $6 investment!

Shackle-Bill and Potts-American

We have a fantastic dog named Caesar. His mom is a Great Pyrenees on my aunt's farm in Kelso. (I talk about her family so much, y'all probably think she's paying for ad space!) The dad was some random stray dog. So Caesar is going to be big. This was him at 3 months old, a month ago.

Caesar has taken to barking... a lot. A huge loud bark that sounds like it's coming from a dog much older than 4 months old. He lives in a HUGE crate inside the house with us. We have figured out that when he doesn't get enough exercise, the barking is worse... rocket science right? We have a 0.6 mile long track behind our house that circles fenced intramural fields used by MTSU. We have, also, figured out that we can squeeze Caesar through the gate of the fence and let him run like mad without a leash while we walk around the track. Some days, that just isn't feasible. For example, rainy days. Yesterday was one of those days.

We decided to go to Target to get out of the house. While I was loading AbiLyn into the van, she seemed very frustrated and looked at me and told me she wanted to get a different dog. A dog named Shackle-Bill. Amused, I asked her where she had learned that name. She kind of looked down at the ground and mumbled this reply, "What? it's a good name." It nearly broke my heart! She was so sweet and I HATE making her feel embarrassed! Anyway, I laughed and agreed with her that it was a good name.

This isn't her first off-the-wall name suggestion. Last year at Christmas we bought her a fake puppy that made a bunch of puppy noises. She named him Potts-American. I have NO idea where that one came from either. If you are ever in need of an interesting pet name, just ask AbiLyn.

Life's Not Fair...

First let me say, I can't think of the phrase "life's not fair" without thinking of Scar on the Lion King... but that's not what this post is about.

Last week when I was visiting family in Kelso, my cousin, Laura, said something that really made me laugh. Her 5 year old daughter was fussing about something and saying how it "wasn't fair." My cousin didn't hesitate a bit before she replied, " Life's not fair, but God is good." I asked her to repeat herself, so I could make sure I heard it right. She said that her dad, my Uncle Randy, has been saying that all her life. It was so funny to me at the time, but it is so true. It's surprised me how many times it has popped into my head over the last week. Thanks to that one unexpected moment, I'll never again hear the phrase, "Life's not fair," without first thinking of Scar-that's a really old habit-, but then thinking that God is still good.

35 Years

I just wanted to send out a Happy 35th Anniversary to my parents, Mr. & Mrs. Mike Dugan!

They have managed to raise 3 daughters- put them through private school and college and marry them off.

My mom graduated with her bachelors in 1997 and her masters in 2007.

Dad has made several HUGE career changes and been successful in each one.

They have also kept our family close. I love them very much and am so thankful to them for instilling their, somewhat lofty at times, values in me, and for teaching me that if I'm willing to work hard enough and show enough discipline, I can accomplish anything.

Thanks Mom & Dad. Congratulations and I LOVE YOU!

Nothing Like a Handfull of Boogers

Friday night, I took the kids outside to check on the laundry hanging on the line. Yes, I use a clothes line, but my electric bill for July was amazing!

Anyways... it was one of those summer evenings with cicadas humming, lightening bugs beginning to appear, and a little bit of a haze hanging on to the last rays of sun as it set. The kind of evening that is very difficult to ignore by going inside. Trying to put off going inside, I decided to fill up the kids' kiddie pool so it wouldn't be too cold for a 'swim' on Saturday. That, of course, turned into becoming a sprinkler for the kids to play in while they ran around the yard. In between their circuits around the yard, I added water to the pool. Lex, apparently not liking to have his face wet, started running from the spray to the clothes line. He had pair of footed pajamas, among other things, hanging there and would wipe his face on the feet. Very cute. He thought it was hilarious.

Later that night, I was folding the now dry clothes. I grabbed the foot of some pajamas and received a really slimy, cold, disgusting surprise. I let go of the pj's and looked at the palm of my hand. I had a heap of boogers the size of a half-dollar stuck to my palm. Apparently Lex wasn't wiping just water on the feet of his pj's! Yuck!

I'm Kind of Slow

Hey there all you bloggy people! I figured out how to add a "followers" section, so be sure to sign up. I see my little "counter" going up, but since no one but my sisters leaves comments, I have no idea who is reading my ramblings... :) I'm just curious. :) Thanks, y'all!

Take What You Can Get

Everyday after lunch, I require my girls, AbiLyn and Lilla (and Marley on Thursdays), to put their plates in the trash and their cups in the refrigerator. This has a three-fold purpose... 1) It saves some clean-up on my end. 2) It teaches them responsibility at meal times. 3)when they get thirsty 10 minutes later, they know where their cups are.

Well, today, Lex decided he didn't want to be treated like a baby and INSISTED I give him back his plate, that I had picked up off the floor of course, and cup after I took him out of his high chair. He was such a big man throwing his plate away and putting his cup in the fridge. I was so proud. I noticed later, though, that his cup was empty and sitting on the counter. Then, an hour later, one of the girls asked me if I had done something to her drink... that it didn't look like the same amount. I started really paying attention, at that point, and was educated. Once Lex finished off his drink, he was going back and drinking ALL of the girls' drinks in turn, until they were empty. What a sneaky little guy...

Can You Tell Time?

Today, my sweet little AbiLyn wanted me to untie her unicorn stick horse from her bed. She had "hitched" him there for the night and couldn't get him loose. It was in like a deci-knot... While I was untying it, I asked her, "How long did it take you to tie all these knots?" My question was barely formed when she replied, "7 minutes." SHE'S 4 YEARS OLD! She can't tell time! Why 7 minutes? What's the logic? This is a very mild example of the unanswered questions of parenthood, I guess....

Day at the Farm

Today my kids, AbiLyn and Lex, my honorary kid, Lilla, and I went to visit my Aunt Kathy on her farm. She lives in the thriving metropolis of Kelso, TN. (smirk...)

I really enjoyed the beautiful, country drive, despite the fact that there is no interstate to Kelso. I once lived under the impression that if I couldn't get to a city via Interstate then it had nothing to offer me... Then I married a man from Hohenwald.

My Aunt -my mom's sister- has an adorable log cabin complete with wrap around porch, some goats, horses, and 1 baby mule- a surprise from one of her horses 11 months after she bought it. Most importantly, she has loads of room for kids to run. My cousin, Laura, and her daughter, Savanah, came for the visit as well. We all had a wonderful time, a wonderful visit, and some wonderful, home-made chicken salad croissants.

On a quick side-note, my dear Aunt doesn't use this farm solely for the enjoyment of her family. She and my Uncle Randy are foster parents through Youth Villages. Her foster kids hate punishment there. They have to muck out a goat or horse barn!

I included some pictures of the kids riding Sweet Pea. Don't be alarmed, I didn't allow a 4 and 6 year old to ride alone. The horse is being led by my Aunt.

AbiLyn and Lilla

AbiLyn and her cousin, Savanah

Lex wasn't nearly as interested in the horses as he was in this little car.

A Bit of a Shock

Tonight while Lex was playing in the tub, I sat on the toilet lid and looked through a new cookbook. I looked up from reading just in time to see something that nearly made me fall over, laughing. Lex was standing up in the tub, leaning over, looking at his own little PP. For some reason, he thought it would be a good idea to pinch it. He shocked himself so badly, he fell backwards back into the water.

Um... Ewwwww

Don't you just love when you're boppin' along in your house, reach to open a door and the knob is sticky? Glazed doughnut sticky? Oh, that doesn't happen to everyone? My bad.

Christ is My Best Friends Frien...d

I had 2 out of the ordinary interactions today... you know, the ones where you look around and wish, with all your heart, that someone else had witnessed it, too.

The first one was at the Sugarbabies Consignment Sale, this huge consignment sale that occurs twice a year in the old Food Lion building in Smyrna. This year, I am volunteering to work in the sale on one of the days so I got to attend the very coveted "workers pre-sale" tonight. As soon as all the clothes are checked in, all the workers get to shop the sale before it is open to the consignors or the public.

As I was standing at a counter, checking in the last of the clothes I was putting in the sale, lots of the workers were wandering around finding shopping carts to use in the upcoming pre-sale. They had taken to taping note cards to the seat of the cart to reserve it for themselves. As I am standing there - with my stuff in a cart - sorting the last of the items I was entering in the sale, a lady walks up and takes one of my note cards out of my cart. No biggie, they are free to all the consignors for the purpose of labeling the clothes. It just felt like an invasion of my space. Without speaking a word to me, she then proceeds to write her name on the note card, take a roll of packing tape and start taping it to the handle of MY cart. I'm standing there in disbelief, watching her. Seriously, the cart is FULL of my laundry basket, note cards, safety pins, and the additional clothes I'm in the process of checking in for the sale. Ever so politely, I tell her that I am also a worker staying for the sale and that I'll be using that cart. She ripped her tag off my cart, looks me in the eye and replies, "I didn't see your name on it." Luckily, she then turned and walked away, because I have no idea how I would have responded. I was so taken by surprise, that for once, I had no words. Later, I was struck by how hilarious it would be to do that to someone in Walmart just to see what they said.

The second incident was a little more indirect. When Eric and I got home from shopping the aforementioned sale, there was a note stuck in our door. It appears as follows:

****

Erik, Im a writer

And Im with no-one

Christ nows, me.

And he is my best freinds frien

d

Who U dont apparently

see

C.

****
Please don't adjust the formatting on your screen. I typed this, line by line and misspelling by misspelling, the way the note was written. I wish I had a scanner so you could see it. It is scrawled in, what appears to be, male hand writing on a piece of lined paper ripped from a spiral notebook.
Our 2 neighbors' first initials are P and L, so we have no idea who left this little treat for us. We also have no clue what this "writer" is trying to say. It sounds like it should go with a previous conversation, and yet, it doesn't. If it makes sense to you, let me know.

While the writing skill of the self proclaimed author did add a little humor to our night, the delivery and anonymity of it made me want to make sure all the blinds were closed!

What do You Hear?

Today I took all my kids to Barfield Crescent Park to play on the playground. With all the rain this week, they, and by extension, I, have gotten extremely stir crazy! My daughter AbiLyn and her friend, Lilla are 4 and 6 respectively.

During the last week, they have been watching the movie The Wilderness Family. It was a favorite of mine when I was a kid, so I recently found it on DVD (thanks Amazon) and bought it for my kids to watch.

In this movie, they learned this very old song:

Alouette, gentille Alouette
Alouette je te plumerai
Alouette, gentille Alouette
Alouette je te plumerai
Je te plumerai la tête
Je te plumerai la tête
Et la tête, et la tête
Alouette, Alouette

Considering it is French, it made no sense to them, even though Lilla, in particular, has an amazing vocabulary and has been speaking in clear, full sentences practically since birth! The song does, however, have a catchy tune. So today on the way to the park, I hear this at full, adorable volume coming from the back row of my van:

Alouette, gentille Alouette
Alouette jumping in the rain
Alouette, gentille Alouette
Alouette, je te boomerang

It's funny how a child conforms what they hear into something that makes some kind of sense to them... even if it's just a few words out of the whole. It's so entertaining to watch a child, in sweet ignorance, as they try to interpret the huge amount of information coming at them every day. I wish I-and all other adults- could handle new information in such good humor!

Moody and Musical

Have you ever noticed how different music affects your moods? Or how our mood will make different genres more or less appealing.

Ladies, why, when we are about to be visited by Aunt Flo, do we choose to listen to Cinderella by Stephen Curtis Chapman, Best Day by Taylor Swift or that song that Sis. So-n-so sang at dear Granny's funeral? We know good and well that it will incapacitate us to the point that the only thing we could possibly do is put on pajamas, lock the kids in their room, pull out an economy sized tub of our favorite ice cream, and/or a family sized pan of brownies and/or jar of Peter Pan and/or ridiculously huge cup of milk and peruse old photo albums and/or greeting cards from our wedding and/or illness and/or birthdays and/or children's births.

What about when we are mad? I go straight to the loud angry girl bands like Letters to Cleo or any kind of music my parents would have frowned on while I lived at home. That'll show them... whoever "them" is at that moment, right? Do we really think that will help us calm down and be rational?

Every Spring I find myself wanting to listen to bouncy happy music like Michael Buble or Colbie Caillat. Listening to happy, feel good music seems to make the new blossoms prettier and the new grass greener. It seems to compliment the smell of newly mowed grass and blooming fruit trees in the air.

Then, of course, every Fall... the time of bonfires and falling leaves... I just HAVE to pull out the Dixie Chicks album - Wide Open Spaces and Tim McGraws Greatest Hits. I don't know why, but country music just goes hand in hand with Fall in my brain!

God is so amazing how he created music, despite the ugly turn the chief musician took. Then He programmed humans, particularly us ladies, as emotional beings that can respond in such a strong way to music. Because the thing He knew was how that when we are feeling like we might lose our faith or feeling like giving up on [insert problematic relationship here] we can put in some Desperation Band or Hillsong. Or if you're old school (or feeling old school) you select some Wash Me by John P. Kee, Glory to Glory by Fred Hammond, -again- Hold My Mule by Shirley Caesar, God is Here by Martha Munizzi or He's Been Faithful by Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir and the lyrics can speak calm into your internal struggle. God's presence is ushered in and embraces you and your emotions are calmed. God knows how real and overwhelming things can feel when our emotions and/or hormones get all riled up and has provided such a simple tool for us to be able to feel comfort. I'll be honest, things have occurred in my life and the promises in the Bible feel empty and provide little/no comfort; my prayers feel like they are bouncing back down to me... oh... but when I put in some old choir that speaks to me, the Comforter wraps around me in a way that defies reason. It's like I'm being told, "I'm right here," the same way I tell my 4 year old when she wakes up, afraid, in the night.

Time and again, I'm smacked in the face with the realization that my Creator truly knows me, His creation... like it's a surprise. -lol- It may sound silly, but I'm so thankful today for the many facets of music and the way it enriches my life!

A Passion

Growing up, my 2 lovely sisters and I had a wonderful long concrete driveway with a large turn-around area. Naturally, that turn-around area served us by being our lay out arena during the summer, basketball court during the winter, and general hang out... when mom and dad weren't parked there. One of the things we used it for all year round was roller skating. We'd put on our awesome skates with the bells and/or powder puffs tied into the laces and skate to the super cool Dirty Dancing Soundtrack for hours. The Christmas when I was 8 years old (wow... almost 20 years ago) we received our first pairs of Rollerblades. I loved mine! I still felt an attachment and loyalty to my regular roller skates because I could twist and flip around in them as easily as running or riding my bike. But my Rollerblades... They were rugged and tough, almost indestructible. I could run over sticks and not get tripped up. It was wonderful!

In 1997, I was 16 years old, and THE GREENWAY opened here in Murfreesboro. It's a paved trail that follows Stones River all over town. There are several trail heads throughout town. On the Greenway, you would share company with avid joggers or bikers, couples walking hand in hand, elderly couples walking little "Yap" dogs (yap yap yap yap yap), parent's pulling their small kids behind their bikes on little carts, single people reading or fishing by the Stones River and any other race, relationship status and demographic that comes to mind. As soon as I got my drivers' license, I began driving to my favorite trail head and rollerblading on the Greenway. It was FANTASTIC! I could go almost 3 miles without having to turn around. It was where I went when I needed to think or unwind. It was something I could do during my volatile teen years when I felt my head would explode. Something that was much better for me than, say, chopping my own pony tail off in a fit of hormonal rage. (unfortunately that really did happen when I was 13) I realized last month that I've been skating my favorite 3 mile stretch of Greenway for over 10 years! It has carried me through part of high school, college, a wedding, a new marriage, 2 pregnancies (at which point I took a sabbatical), more marriage and a couple of career changes. I very nearly REVERE this activity. It helped me maintain my weight in my younger days and lose weight (a year or so) after both children. It is easy on my joints. I can listen to my ipod. I can even pray... if you don't believe me, put some Shirley Caesar: Hold My Mule on your work out play list and see if you don't start speaking in tongues the next time you work out. This is an all around good-for-me activity that I LOVE. The liberation and endorphin rush I feel after a 10 or 12 mile roller blade is nearly unparalelled. Plus, as a stay at home mom, it is something that remains MINE!

If you don't have a stress relieving work out option that you love and can stick to, shop around. I strongly encourage you to find something you enjoy doing that will give your heart the workout it needs a few times per week. After all, are we not instructed by God to take care of "our temple?"

Spitting Elmos

Today for lunch I was really creative (and healthy) and served shells & cheese with saltine crackers and strawberry Koo-laid. What can I say? I need to go to the grocery store...


Well, I fixed up plates and drinks (lids included) for my kids and, I'll be honest, snuck off to watch a few minutes of Smallville, uninterrupted. Well, the 2 older kids finished and got up, so I knew I needed to get back to my 1 year old son, Lex, who is still in a high chair. A high chair that he has no problem standing in or climbing out of, despite the seatbelt being buckled to an uncomfortable tightness.


My son... ah.... my son... He has a weird aversion to plates, that I stubbornly refuse to acknowledge. Almost every meal, he will empty his plate onto his high chair tray. As soon as my back is turned, he will throw the partially emptied plate (you can imagine how thorough a 22 month old is) into the floor. So now, I will have food to clean up from both the high chair tray and the floor... and my son. By the way, no punishment seems to dissuade him from this particular ritual.


Well, I went back into the dining room expecting a mess to clean up. Today, however, he was covered in the red Koo-laid and was happily pointing at the large red drops he had spit onto his tray. I asked him what he was doing, because it didn't seem like his usual random chaos. Today he seemed to be playing a specific game. He answered, "Spitting Elmos." (elmos is pronounced to rhyme with 'gross.') The red Koo-laid apparently reminded him of Elmo, therefore he was thrilled to have created a bunch of tiny, liquid Elmos to befriend.

Hello There!

Well, this is my first blog. It seems that almost daily, lately, I see things or hear things that are funny or unusual and don't really have an outlet for them... without driving my husband crazy... So, thanks for reading and hopefully this will be something we can all enjoy.

**Disclaimer: Be prepared for "kid" stories. I spend the majority of my day with my 2 kids and a friends' daughter that I'm keeping during summer break.