DAY TEN: One Photo

You're gonna be mad at me over this one, but I just don't have that many photos of myself.  I'm behind the camera 99.9% of the time and any old photos are stored on flash drives that are undeniably buried in some drawer that is long overdue for a cleaning :)

So I'm recycling.  But the truth is that I really love this photo also, so there :)

This photo was taken just before the start of the Callaway Tri in June.  I've cut most of my hair off since this photo, and I generally don't wear so much spandex, but I still love it.

Hmmmm..... I wonder what I should do now that this Challenge is over??  I will admit - I kinda got tired of talking about myself for 10 days.

I think I've finally griped begged long enough that my husband is ready to finish a room in the basement for a playroom.  We've got a couple of people who have offered to help, and we fully intend of taking them up on those offers.  So maybe we'll have something in the works soon.  Wouldn't it be nice to have my living room back before Santa makes his appearance in December???  Ahhh - a girl can only dream...

I'm off to bed.  Night!

Day Nine: Two Songs

Eh.  I'm going to edit this one to be "Two Bands".  I don't really have a favorite song, much less two of them.  There are plenty of songs that come on and I think Yes!  I love this song! But none that stick out enough to call them my favorite.  Brandon and I don't have a song.  He has such terrible taste in music, I wouldn't admit to liking any song of his ;)

1.  Bon Jovi
2.  Zac Brown Band

So there you have it - an oldie and a newbie.

Sorry to cut this post short, but there's a certain three year-old that is STILL getting up out of bed...

Day Eight: Three Films

Three films....hmmmm.... these are definitely getting tougher.  Why can't we talk about my "wants" some more??

I guess if you insist...

1.  The Notebook
2.  Dirty Dancing
3.  Tombstone

And just for your information, I also really love the Twilight movies (but the first is my fave), I loved The Help, and Bridesmaids, both of which were in theaters this summer.

I hope everyone had a great weekend.  We sure did.  Brandon and I both worked Saturday morning, but enjoyed an afternoon at home, followed by an evening that involved grilled burgers and a few board games with a sweet family we came to love a couple of years ago.  We haven't gotten to hang out much lately but it was nice to visit and let our boys play.  WOW!  They got wound up and eventually just succumbed to running and chasing each other in circles.  I think Will and Brooks were asleep before we got out of their neighborhood that night.

Sunday was another low-key day complete with a trip to Traders and Whole Foods.  Holy goodness Batman!  You all know I love me some Trader's, but this was my first trip to Whole Foods and I fell in love.  I mean, you actually get to make your own peanut butter there!  Needless to say, I came home with both the honey AND chocolate raw peanut butter, along with nutritious snacks for the boys, Brandon and myself.  A friend of mine suggested making the boys a drawer in the fridge, dedicated to the their snacks only, so now we have a nice drawer full of healthy snacks within their little reach :)

I'll be back tomorrow with 2 songs (which will be the hardest for me by far because I just don't dedicate myself to music like so many do).  I'm heading for the bed.  Both sides of my neck are super tender today.  My glands are not officially swollen and I don't have a sore throat or anything, but I just feel like something is "off", so I've loaded up on the vitamin C today and I'm hoping a good night's rest will help.

Good night friends!

Day Seven: Four Books

It's no secret that I love to read.  My tastes vary from romance to mystery to non-fiction.  I sometimes believe that I love my children's books a little more than they do and I've been known to read cookbooks cover to cover.  I love it.  One of the best (most useful) gifts my husband has ever gotten me was my Nook Color.  I love that thing.  Don't you worry though - I still visit our local library at least once a week - they're free there :)

It's actually very hard for me to just name four books, but I'll do my best.  Inevitably, I'll be lying in bed tonight thinking about the books I should have listed rather than the ones I did.

1.  The Twilight Series.  I love these books.  Mostly I love Edward :)
2.  The Notebook.  Nicholas Sparks is my favorite author.  I even stood in a VERY long line to meet him once!
3.  The Help.  This one is a recent read and I've already loaned it out twice.
4.  The Giver.  This isn't a light read.  It's based on the story of a father and son during the Holocaust.  A real eye-opener.

I'm also listing four of my favorite children's books, because I'm always looking for good reads for the kiddos and maybe our list will give someone else a few new ideas :)

1.  The Little Engine That Could.
2.  Click, Clack Moo.
3.  Going on a Bear Hunt.
4.  Giraffes Can't Dance.


Have a good night!  I better start brainstorming now for 3 films.  I've only got one so far.....

Day Six: Five Foods

Don't judge me based on my favorite foods.  I swear I don't weigh 300lbs, although I would if I ate this stuff everyday.

1.  My Maw Maw's roast and gravy.  Nobody makes it like she did.  Not even Paula Dean.
2.  Fried potatoes.  The ones that are sliced and fried on a griddle or an iron skillet.  When I was younger, my grandfather picked me up from school and he often surprised me by telling me to "look in the oven" when we got home.  Right there in an iron skillet, covered by an upside down plate, would be a mound of friend potatoes.  mmmmmm.....
3.  Fried green tomatoes.  It's funny - I don't like red tomatoes AT ALL, but I could eat my weight in fried green ones.  I like 'em thin and crispy - with ketchup :)
4.  Fried chicken.  It's just hard to beat.
5.  Key Lime Pie.

Now that I'm good and hungry, I think I'll go take a nap.  We're hooking up with some friends we haven't gotten to hang out with in a while for burgers and games tonight.  Thanks to the kiddos waking us up at 6:15, I need a little R&R before we head out.....

Have a super Saturday friends!  We'll be back tomorrow with four books!

Day Five: Six Places (TWICE)

For Day 5 of this 10 Day Challenge, I am supposed to give you 6 "Places."  Hmmm.... I guess you could take that anyway you want to - 6 places you want to go, 6 places you have been, 6 of your favorite places in the whole wide world....  I couldn't decide which "6 Places" you guys would want to hear about the most (or would be the most fun to write about), so I came up with a couple of different scenarios.  Up First -

Six Places I Want to Travel To

Destin, FL.  I love Destin for so many reasons.  First, because it is absolutely gorgeous.  I have never been when the water wasn't "Caribbean" clear.  Secondly, because it's family friendly (or better yet - MY kind of family friendly).  Quiet, peaceful and calm.  Thirdly, because Brandon and I went on our honeymoon there, so it's got that nostalgic "homey" feeling for us.

New York, NY.  I have never been to New York, but I'm dying to go.  I really want to go at Christmas to see Rockefeller Center and all of the Christmas decor.  Everyone who has been tells me I'm crazy, that it's too cold at Christmas.  Brandon is a huge Yankees fan and wants to go during the summer to see them play.  Who wins?  No one.  We both refuse to compromise, which is why we've never gone.

Jackson Hole, WY.  This is easily my favorite place on Earth.  I love it because it's so slllooooowww and there are REAL cowboys (with REAL tight pants!  HA!) and wildlife galore.  I've never been somewhere so peaceful.  The mountains are all around, the air is so clean and the whole place just feels good deep down in my soul.  Brandon has never been, but he's gonna.  I promise.  Even if we're 60, we're going.  (In reality we'll go when the boys are old enough to enjoy the hiking, skiing, etc...)

Knoxville, TN.  I lived here while in college at the grand ol' University of Tennessee and it will always hold a place in my heart.  As the boys grow older, I want to take them back for games and tailgating!!

Washington, DC.  I've never been to DC, but I feel like I could learn so much there.  I know Brandon will be on tap for this trip because he's such a history buff.  

Lastly, Walt Disney World.  Ahhhh - the most magical place on Earth.  I'm not one of these Mickey fanatics, but I do know (and remember) what an awesome place it is for the kiddos.  We're planning on making our first trip as a family next fall.  Supposedly the prices are better (notice I didn't say "cheap") and the crowds are thinner.  This will also be our last chance to take the boys before Will enters "real school" and I won't have to go during peak times.  We have our little "Disney Jar" sitting on the counter collecting stray change.  I'm hoping that thing will catch some of that Disney magic and explode with paper money one day.......

and now for the more fun entry -

6 Places You Wish You Put a Teeny Tiny Little Muzzle on Your Kids

*this is all in good fun and if you can't take a joke, you probably shouldn't be reading my blog.  kthanks.

1.  Church.  What is it about a crowd full of people dressed in their Sunday best that makes your kids want to act a fool?  Is it because the choir gets them so pepped up?  I'm not sure, but my kids simply cannot handle being in the sanctuary.  In fact, and I'll confess this for everyone to read, I dread those really "special" Sundays when there is no Children's Church and the kiddies get to sit like big boys and girls to hear the sermon.  Boooo!  I always feel a little .... cough...cough.... sicker on those Sundays, prompting me to keep my tail and my two wild indians at home.

2.  Any restaurant nicer than Chick-fil-A (and then sometimes not even there if they actually light those little candles on the table).  This is why my family RARELY goes out to eat.  It is inevitable that either Brandon or I will have to leave the restaurant with one or more children in tow before our plates have even arrived.

3.  Any car ride longer than 15 minutes.  That's as long as it takes for my blood pressure to reach monumental levels.  At that point, I put on the only accepted form of child-like muzzle - the dvd.

4.  Target.  "I wannnnnnnttttttt ittttttt!"  "Mommmyyyy can I havvvvvvvveeee it?"  or possibly even worse "I HAVE TO POOP RIGHT NOW!" as soon as you're on the opposite side of the store.

5.  The doctor's office.  That's right - the pediatrician's office.  As a parent, you try so hard to impress that doctor.  You assure him you're nursing every two to three hours, putting the baby down awake - but drowsy, so that he can teach himself to go to sleep in his own bed.  You eagerly prompt your kid to do all his latest "tricks" in front of the doctor.  You know - "You can spell your name, can't you little Johnny?  Spell it for the nice doctor!"  And then what does your kid say?  How about - "My mommy lets me eat cheetos for breakfast." or "I ate a booger in the car."  Great.  Thanks Johnny.  Thanks for the homerun.

6.  A public restroom.  Huh?  Yep - you bet.  It never fails.  I take Will in the bathroom and he says loudly as soon as we walk in the door "Gah!  It smells like big poops in here Mom!"  Yep - and now the little lady in the last stall is dying right now and will now have to play the wait.it.out game until we leave.  Or maybe he waits until we get in the stall in a crowded restroom to say "what do you have to do, Mom?  Are you pooping?"  Or my personal favorite (and I cannot believe I'm telling you this, but it adds validity to my statement) - about a week after giving birth to his younger brother, I take him in the bathroom with me and he says loudly when in the stall "Mommy - why are you wearing a diaper?"  Yep.  I died.  Right there in that bathroom.  In fact, I'm blogging to you now from Heaven.  

Tomorrow is 5 foods.  10 bucks says they're all fried :/

Day Four: 7 Wants

On day 4 of this 10 day challenge, I am supposed to write about 7 "wants".  Hahaha - I think this one would be the easiest for anyone.  So let's get started ....

1.  A bigger house - complete with a laundry room, playroom, and a decent sized yard.  I don't need 3,000 square feet, I just need bigger than what we currently have, which is about 1300.  Let me tell you, we live in every.square.inch of our home.
2.  A new car for me.  I go between wanting a sensible 4-door Honda Accord to lusting after the 4-door style Jeep Wrangler.   Gas mileage isn't really an issue since my commute is all of 3/4 mile ;)
3.  I really want Brooks to start talking.  Sure, he can say words like "mama, dada, this, that, ear, bye, bite"  but mostly he just grunts.  He points and grunts.  He understands what you're saying, he's just too lazy to speak back.  And why would he?  When he points and grunts or at the MOST says "DAT!" , his big brother Will jumps up and gets whatever he's wanting.  At 18 months, Will was saying 1-3 words together.  I'm lucky if Brooks says one word a day.
4.  I really really really want to get over my anxiety issues.
5.  I want to continue to grow more and more in love with Brandon every day.  This year has been a big year for us, and because we have gotten through it together, our relationship is stronger than ever.  I want that to continue, even as our trials and tribulations pass (hopefully soon).
6.  I want financial freedom for a few people who are near and dear to my heart, whom this economy has struck pretty hard.  Whatever (honest) means that came by, I would be happy with.  I just want them not to have to worry so much about house payments, insurance, etc....
7.  And lastly, I would loooovvvvveeee to have $1,000 shopping spree each for myself, Brandon, Will and Brooks.  Could I spend $1,000 on each of us??  You bet!  hmmm - I'm dreaming of it now - a new pair of sunglasses, a new purse, clothes, those tall boots that come over your knee......


See ya tomorrow for "6 Places"!  Goodnight Sweets!

Day Three: Eight Fears

Sorry for the late post tonight - I just spent the evening cruising a few country roads on the back of a Harley with a man who wears explicative stickers on his motorcycle helmet.  And I loved every minute of it.

1.  Bees (or hornets/yellow jackets/wasps).  They scare the bejeezus out of me :/
2.  I am crazy terrified of the boys getting sick in the middle of the night.  By sick, I mean puking.  This has happened only a couple of times, but those couple of times were horrible enough to make a mark on my being.
3.  Oncoming traffic.  Who knows when that 18-wheeler is going to come across that yellow line, or when that mother driving that mini-van is going to reach back into the backseat to separate two fighting siblings.  Then BAM!
4.  That Brandon's cancer will relapse.
5.  That my boys will marry someone who doesn't like me.  I've seen way too many in-law collisions (not my in-laws - LOVE THEM).  But you know what happens when your son marries a girl who hates his mother?  They move off, she doesn't let her hubby visit his parents, they have babies and then she never lets his mother babysit or dote on those sweet little grand babies.  And IF the grandmother sneaks in a present or two - she never lets them wear them.  And let's not talk about all the eye-rolling.  Ugh.  That would absolutely break this mother's heart in half.
6.  I'm terrified that there may be a bug crawling on me in the middle of the night - which is why I always do the "cover check".
7.  That I will screw up raising my boys to be good, honorable men, doting husbands and loving fathers.
8.  That I'll forget to unplug my hair straightener in my mad dash out the door and my house will burn down while I'm at work.

On deck for tomorrow - Seven Wants.  We all know that won't be too difficult ;)

Day Two: 9 Loves

For Day Two of my 10 Day Challenge, I am supposed to give you Nine Loves.  This shouldn't be too complicated...

1.  Obviously, my family.  Enough said. (And God of course, but let's just put all the obvious ones together.)

2.  My friends - the good ones.  The "okay" ones are on my "like" list.  haha!

3.  A pretty lawn.  It can make or break your home for me.

4.  Union Jacks - you know - the British flag.  LOVE them.  I'm currently obsessing over the new line of toddler boys clothing over at Baby Gap due to their using Union Jacks on everything from hoodies to jeans to sneakers.  

5.  Books - I love to read.  Mostly romances, but I also like mysteries, and fictional novels based on very nonfictional events, think The Help, or The Giver.

6.  I love to write.  I'm not really sure what I love to write about though, so that's kind of a hangup.  My interests are so varied (and I'm just ADD enough) that I can't ever decide what I like to write about the most.

7.  The beach.  I love the smell, the sound and even the sand in your crack.  

8.  A Plan.  I love a good plan.  

9.  Pies - Key Lime is my favorite, but I wouldn't turn down any pie - even cherry and I HATE cherries. I think it's the crust :)

I'll be back tomorrow with 8 fears.  You may never think of me the same!

10 Day Challenge - Day One

I decided to do something a little different - a blogging challenge if you will.  See, those of you who don't blog may not understand the issues a blogger faces.  You may think "I have loads to say, and plenty of people would listen."  Maybe.  But I don't think so.  I often catch myself wondering in the middle of a catastrophe moment thinking this would make an excellent blog post.  But the fact of the matter is, it's usually not as interesting to others as it is to you and before you know it, you've talked yourself into writing about the things you always do - the kids, the home front, the national news for goodness sake.

So here goes - Day One - 10 Secrets:

1.  My husband - my sweet husband - does 90% of our family's laundry.
2.  I desperately want a different vehicle for myself.  I get that the danger ranger is paid for, and that's the only reason while I continue to drive him, but I'm just vain enough to hate it.
3.  In the teensiest tiniest way, I feel like a failure for not having a better-paying, more-challenging job.  I took my current job because I wanted less stress and more time for the babies - which I'm grateful for, but I can't help the way I truly feel.
4.  I feel guilty for admitting #3 when there are plenty of jobless people out there :(
5.  My feet are really smelly.
6.  My closet is a disaster zone - as are my childrens' and our basement.  Oh well.  I think I know where everything is.
7.  I have terrible nightmares.  I have my whole life (and I think Will has them too.)
8.  I have a hard time not judging people based on their grammar.  I know that it doesn't mean you aren't smart, and especially here in the South - it's more habit than ignorance, but I still wish you cared enough about what you sounded like to speak correctly.
9.  Some of my Facebook friends really get on my nerves with their completely predictable posts.  You know the ones - you probably have similar friends - the ones that constantly post the same thing:  "I am SUPER DUPER blessed!  I LOVE MY LIFE!"  or how about the constant sickling "ugh.  don't feel good."  or about the ones that get up at the crack of dawn to log on and tell us "Good Morning!"  Don't get me wrong, I love that you love you're life and I hate it you're sick today, but tell me something I couldn't have guessed.  And don't get me started on grown men who say "LOL."
10.  I love old people - I'm talking 75+.  Especially dear to my heart are widows.  If I'm being honest, I just want to drive them home safely, make a cup of tea and sit at their kitchen table and talk about their childhood.  Then I want to tuck them into their warm beds and sit with them until they go to sleep so that they're never lonely.

See - don't you feel like you know me a little better?  And you probably like me a little less.  That's okay.   But maybe you'll come back and read the remaining 9 days to figure out that I'm not so bad.  And if you blog, I encourage you to take this challenge with me.  I would love to hear others' secrets ;)

And for those of you who have been following Brandon's progress, he had a check-up today with his oncologist.  Just a little bloodwork and we should have the results next Monday.  Please continue to pray for Brandon, as he has a long road before he is completely out of the woods :)  Good night!

First Day of Preschool

Will started preschool this week!  Such a big day for both Will and his mommy.  We've been talking about it a lot and I thought he was pretty well-prepared.  I went in to work late on his first day so that I could take him, and he did the drop-off thing pretty well.  The drop-off procedure is come in, sign in, take shoes and backpack to cubby, kiss Mommy goodbye and hit the circle mat.  So I walked him in, signed him in, took his shoes and backpack off and the preschool director came over to talk to him.  I said my goodbyes and left.  No crying!!  (From either party) So I thought we were off to a good start.  Here is Will before going in -

My mom picked him up at the end of the day (three hours later).  I think both Will and his teacher were pretty frazzled.  The teacher briefly talked to my mom about Will's day - a potty accident (we've been potty trained for nearly a year now!), a removal from recess due to disobedience and very little participation with the group.  Yikes.  Will didn't really want to talk about school.  He would flat-out ignore any questions about school, only telling me that he "cut with scissors" and "made a big mistake."

I opened Will's backpack to check his yellow folder - where we get to see what he's done in school that day, and I saw this -

BLANK PAGES!!  Apparently, Will did not participate in "journal time".  When I ask him about this, he just ignored me again.  Later that night, Will and I sat down with his crayons and discussed the importance of "journal time" and that mommy really loves it when she sees his drawings from school.  So we got out the crayons and worked on them.  15 minutes later, I had one proud boy -

Will must have exhausted himself, because he fell asleep on the couch before supper.  This never happens.

Thankfully, on Wednesday the director of the preschool and I got to have a chat.  She reassured me that she thought Will would work the "kinks" out and that most of his issues were not major.  She said "Will just wants to do his own thing."  And that sounds pretty acceptable from a child who spends his days with his grandparents on the farm.  Other than the occasional playdate, he really does spend all of this time with adults and his baby brother.  We decided that Will just needed some more time to adjust.  That night, Will and I talked about what to expect at school - circle time, journal time, center time, etc.... including how to ask the teacher to potty.  I didn't want to be too hard on the little guy, so I just left it at that and prayed he would do better as the weeks progress.  

Today Will went back to school and I was happy to hear at pick-up time that he had a MUCH better day.  He even got a smiley sticker :)  He was much more eager to talk about his day today - and his journal pages even had crayon marks on them.  He had no potty accidents today and I'm hoping that he participated more in "class" activities.  This is a learning experience for us both, and although I know he is a smart guy, I do know that he has his quirks.  Sure, I'm excited for him to learn about letters and numbers, but I'm also anxious for him to learn the social skills that await him.  He only goes on Tuesdays and Thursdays, so let's keep our fingers crossed that he can remember the rules four days from now!

Big Canoe

Brandon and I were fortunate enough to take a little weekend trip this past weekend.  We left on Friday evening (the boys stayed with their grandparents) and drove just a little way up the road (about an 1.25) to Big Canoe, GA.  I've heard nothing but wonderful things about this little spot of Heaven, so I was excited to visit.  We found the cabin on VRBO and were extremely happy with it.  It was exactly what we wanted - a homey little cabin - not too modernized, but not too primitive.  I will tell you that after our first trip up the mountain, I was a little concerned that I wouldn't be able to make it back down.  I'm not afraid of heights at all, but the road was sooooo curvy and "uphill" doesn't do it justice.  But in the daylight, the trip wasn't as bad.

Ahhhh - the screened-in porch called to me.  I could have stayed there all weekend with my books and my coffee.  The view from the porch was incredible and the sounds of nature were amazing - birds, crickets (LOTS of crickets), deer and even owls.  The two screened porches of the cabin both offered futons, so that you could sleep out there if you so desired.  If it had been about 10 degrees cooler, I might have considered, but even with the ceiling fans, it was warm.

Both mornings were hazy - I actually hoped it would rain, so that I could see the rain move in and then sit on the porch and listen, but alas it never happened.

The cabin actually sat down on the side of the mountain, so you had to park above the cabin and hike down to it.  It was pretty neat and the owners have installed lighting with switches at both the top and the bottom of the path.  I was glad that we didn't have more luggage, and I was also glad that I didn't have the boys.  It would have taken them FOREVER to make it up and down those steps with all the wonderful things to grab their curiosity.

Big Canoe offers lots of fun things to do - boating, canoeing, hiking, swimming, golf, tennis, etc....  We found our way to the hiking trails on Saturday and enjoyed walking around in the middle of the 8,000 acre wildlife sanctuary.  The deer must be accustomed to the hikers - they would let you get soooo close before running off.

We'll definitely go back to Big Canoe.  I would love to go in the fall, when the leaves are changing and it's a little cooler.  We may try to take the boys this fall...  It was a great trip.  Just what we needed - a slow pace, the quiet nature and the relaxation.

We were back to work today, and hopefully I'll be back tomorrow or Wednesday with a post about Will's first day of Preschool tomorrow - woohooooo!

This, That & The Other

As a parent, there are lots of joys.  There are also lots of sorrows and worries, but thankfully the joys make up for those.  The picture you see above made me one of the proudest mommies on the planet today - probably even more so than when he first walked.  Why, you ask?  You see, all summer long Will has hated the pool.  In fact, it's beyond a hatred - he's terrified.  He literally screams, cries and holds onto my neck for dear life every.single.time we even talk about going swimming.  When we actually go swimming, it's 100Xs worse.  I know you think I'm exaggerating, but I'm not.  I wish.  Just yesterday, we took him swimming and he cried all the way there and then insisted that he only sit on the steps.  So fast forward to this afternoon when I arrive to pick the boys up from their grandparents - Will was just floating along - BY HIMSELF - without screaming, fussing or nearly drowning.  I nearly passed out.  Not ten minutes later, he was even jumping off the side of the pool into the water.  I'm super proud of this little guy.  He has a lot of worries - he's constantly stressing out about something and I was incredibly proud that he was able to overcome this fear today :)

Up next - a getaway for the hubby and myself.  I hope that we can make our escape this weekend, sans the kiddos.  Where are we headed?  

I wish.  No, we are probably going to stay somewhere close - just a couple of hours away since we both have to work Friday and Monday.  We've talked about the North GA mountains, Nashville, and several other places.  Who knows where we'll end up, but as long as we get to sleep in and lounge around without the demands of the two rowdiest sweetest boys I know, we'll be happy.  Don't think I'm a bad mom.  I'm truly not.  I just love my sleep, and I love to be alone with my husband sometimes - you know, to talk without being interrupted, hug without a child standing between you begging to be picked up, and sleep in without a three year-old begging you for a cup of milk.  I don't know, we might even be lucky enough to ride in the car listening to our tunes rather than "Charlotte's Web" for the 1000th time.  I love em, and I'll miss em, but I'm truly pumped for this weekend!

In closing, I'll leave you with a few good quotes.  Everyone needs a little inspiration now and then.  I know I do.  Good night friends - I'm off to put Will back in the bed for the 20th time tonight (and no, I'm not exaggerating about that either!)