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Our “American” Weekend

4 Jul

We practiced a few American traditions this July 4th weekend. We didn’t even have plans for most of it. We bought the tickets to the Braves vs. Orioles game a few months ago but other than that, it was all pretty loosey goosey.

  • There was baseball to watch live and baseball for Nate to play with Andrew.
  • We swam for a bit but Nate has a problem with swallowing too much water and then showing everyone what he ate. (All over the pool deck and some on me. Poor buddy.)
  • We took in two shows of fireworks. (The Atlanta Braves’ show was incredible. The Auburn show was hindered by a building in the way and some firecrackers in the parking lot. The kids still had a blast though.)
  • The kids experience and loved their first Independence Day Parade – complete with thrown candy.

  • Porch Swing!

    We contributed to the economy by spending money at a local furniture store. (After years of wanting one, we finally have a porch swing and our board game end table is no more!)
  • Andrew grilled and did some handy work (including mowing our neighbor’s grass and hanging the swing).
  • Nia and I baked a bundt pound cake and it turned out great!
  • Nate’s fear of sparklers has mellowed. He’s still a bit apprehensive but this year he actually wanted to hold them.

As you just read, through it all, there were high points and low points but in keeping with Nia’s positive attitude about it, “It was better than nothing.” Such wise words for a small child. Right after that though, she offered up a few complaints about not getting to be at the pool enough. There’s my American girl. A balance of sweet and sour, fair and unfair, positive and negative, watching her iCarly, dancing in her room to Katy Perry and listening to her Big Time Rush. (They played in the background as we drove to many of our 4th celebrations and the kids screamed and laughed as Andrew danced and made the car “dance” with him.)

Here’s some of our festive fun captured in photos:

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A House Divided

3 Jul

Daddy vs. Son

Andrew has loved the Baltimore Orioles since he was a little boy. Rooting for them through the thick and thin. Cheering and respecting his favorite player, Cal Ripken, Jr. – all without even stepping foot into Camden Yards to see the team play and barely getting to watch them on tv due to distance and programming.

Finally, after more than two decades of true fan support from a distance, Andrew got to see the Orioles play the Atlanta Braves live at Turner Field. But, it didn’t come without a little drama. You see, Nate loves the Braves. He probably loves the Braves like that young Andrew loved the Orioles. He knows the players. He knows how they’ve been playing. Which ones hit the home runs, which ones can “crush” the ball, which ones are hurt – he wants them to win every time and he wanted his daddy to want them to win too.

Andrew sweetly told him that he would really like to see the Orioles win (even though he knew they wouldn’t after seeing who was starting as pitcher that night) but that he would be fine if the Braves won because it would mean Nate was happy. That seemed to satisfy Nate. Until we got ready to go that night.

He saw his daddy all ready in his Ripken shirt and his O’s hat that he’s had for years and our little fan started to cry. You see, Nia was rooting for daddy’s team and I was being my wishy-washy self and said I’d like to see either team win. Well, to Nate, that was, “Nobody wants the Braves to win with me.” Through teary eyes he told me he didn’t want to wear his Braves jersey anymore, he wanted his Orioles gear. I gave him the choice and told him that I would cheer with him. I asked him if he could name any of the Orioles’ players. He told me no. He made his choice and came out ready for his team to win.

Yes, they won that night, but Nate then cheered for the Orioles with his daddy from the couch until Andrew got to see an O’s win on tv and hear his son tell him, “Oh yeah!” Something he’ll take any day of the week.

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Excited for the Game

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Ecstatic for his Favorite Players

Batter Up!

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Fantastic Fireworks


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Fast Forward List: Squeaky Clean and Kept

23 Jun

This may sound like I’m wishing my kids’ lives away but that’s not the way I intend it. It’s more of a what I hope for them list but not in an inspirational, mannerly and beautiful kind of way – in a functional, tidy, your-momma-raised-you-right kind of way.

  • You pick up the clothes that fall off the hangers in your closet (or that other people run over with their shopping carts at a store) and re-hang them. As it is now, shirts have gone missing for weeks because they were buried under stuffed animals in the closet. Maybe that penguin wanted that leopard print top? Don’t think so.
  • You will eventually rinse the bright blue gobs of toothpaste from the sink and the counter. Currently, you leave the gobs, creating a mine-field of stickiness on the sink that I just un-gobbed only hours before.
  • You recognize that product packaging (from things like toys, CDs or pencils), crumbled up paper and/or candy wrappers are, in fact, GARBAGE and should be treated as such. Not left on the floor scattered about, kicked under a dresser or piled on a piece of furniture camouflaged among other trash-destined items and non-trash items like jewelry, pictures and books.
  • That you learn to tie your shoes better than I tie your shoes. Poor Nate and his untied sneaks he struggles with each day.
  • You will not want to waste half-full cups of milk, juice or any other beverage of choice. Instead of leaving it behind at the table and forgetting about it, you will drink it and then drop your empty cup at the sink or dishwasher.
  • You will not have to be convinced to blow your nose, clean your ears or cut your nails. You will understand the importance of these actions and come to appreciate them, like you have with washing your hands. (One success!)
  • Leaving the toilet bowl occupied for the next occupant is not acceptable and putting the seat down should be second nature like zipping up your fly.

Again, this is really my sanitary, tidy and hygienic list. There are others for manners, kind words and functioning in society. You know, just a few of my “hopes and dreams” for them.

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Father’s Day at the Baseball Field

19 Jun

Dugout Moment

As part of Andrew’s Father’s Day gifts, he got to experience the Gwinnett Braves‘ dugout for a family picture (and a whiff of hard-working player aroma), play catch with the family on the outfield next to the players, have his name on the scoreboard (although we missed it) – and – he was treated to a pint glass proudly donning the logo for the G-Braves. (You know that’s what I really wanted to get him.)

I’m not sure who loved it all more – Andrew or Nate. I think Andrew did because Nate’s happiness and excitement is such a great gift for him. Especially when Nate caught the practice game ball from one of the other team’s players. The player went to throw it to Nate but then hesitated – probably because he wasn’t sure if it would be safe to throw it to him because of his size. Nate was ready for it though – glove out and face telling the player, “I got this.” He sure did too. The player and the people around us all cheered and looked shocked at Nate’s catch. Way to go, buddy. That made daddy so very happy and will be a special Father’s Day memory for all of us.

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Eight Dad Days Old

19 Jun

You are old enough as a dad to know about the comfort of snuggles on the couch while watching tv, play-wrestling on the living room floor (that usually ends with someone in tears after immense happiness) and endless hours of catching the kids as they jump in the pool or ask to be carried from Point A to Point B.

You are old enough to know about scraped knees that you magically fixed by poking the injured child in the armpit creating laughter and healing (this does not work when I do it, by the way), sleepless nights due to sickness or baby schedules, lunches for school, routines for morning, noon and night and countless (and difficult) time-outs and punishments.

You are old enough to know the importance of putting your children first and you never show a selfish heart in anything you do.

You have not made it to the driving years, serious relationship years, out past curfew years or broken bone years yet, but as we experience this parenthood journey together, I know I can always look to you to try to figure out the best way to handle the challenges and heartaches.

Happy 8th Father’s Day, Andrew. The kiddos and I (Joey and Clark, too) are so very lucky to call you ours. Thank you for being “just you” – as you always tell me. The kids thank you too.

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Decorating Dad's Day Cake

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They can't wait to give and receive.

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Sweet words of love from Nia.

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Nate says it says, "I love to play baseball with you."


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Stress Case

15 Jun

Want to load the dishwasher? He’ll be there, blocking your way like a bouncer checking IDs at a bar.

Need to use the bathroom? You are going to have an audience as he will succeed in sneaking his 90 pounds of fur in the room with you.

Playing a board game on the floor? He’ll quickly end that as he turns circles and then plops down on top of half the game.

Trying to say goodnight to your kiddos? He wants to also. In fact, he doesn’t want to leave their rooms, ducking out in Nia’s over-flowing closet and not listening to you as you try to call him out of her room. (Because he will want out, likely waking up Nia/Nate to set him free.)

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Joey is a major stress case when it storms. That’s just a few obstacles we encounter when it rains. I’ve heard some people will give their dogs anti-anxiety meds to help ease their nerves. I worry about that because of side effects but I think it’s time we ask our vet about it. For everyone’s sake.

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Second Recital Reflections

15 Jun

Three sparkly costumes, a gazillion hair/bobby pins hidden in strands of hair, several applications of impossible to apply red lipstick and eight stage visits later, our Dancing Bean has her second recital all wrapped up in our memories.

I’m so proud of her for remembering all those moves! I am amazed by how much they have to learn. And – don’t forget to smile! She just had three dances to know too – some girls her age had four or more. Wowza. I think that’s so impressive and shows such discipline. These girls all love it too. The costume changes, the makeup, the dressing room fun and, of course, the performing. They even know some of the other dancers’ routines. Dancing backstage as they wait for their chance to shine. I especially love how they all quietly sang along to the songs before theirs.

It was a night to cherish and now it’s time to rest up because she’ll soon begin preparing for next year’s show.

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Ready for the Show!

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Passing Time Between Performances

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Bean and Honey

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Bean and Her Special Guests (Yay for Paul and Honey!)

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Proud of Our Dancing Bean

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Dancing Rainbows

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Our Sleepy Star

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What’s this say? And this?

7 Jun

We’ve been treating Nate like he’s doing incredible tricks each time he reads something that surprises us. He’ll read the tv’s channel guide, amazing us with the reaction of, “Nate! How did you know that, buddy?! What’s this one say?” He won’t always know the others we are asking about but he will try to figure out the words, learning them in the process.

He even started to read a book he was just browsing through at a store recently. He opened it and read the first sentence, “I want to go.” Our reaction, of course, “Nate! That’s so great buddy!”

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Nia is proud of his reading too. She is always updating us when Nate reads something we may miss. While we were at a baseball game, she kept praising him for reading things off the scoreboard monitor. She’s been so excited about his reading that she even made him flashcards. She brought them to me and said, “He can make sentences with them!”

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It’s really fitting that she is such a big cheerleader of his reading. After all, she used to read to him.

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Home Run for Kindness

31 May

Spilled Corn

The Gwinnett Braves may have lost on Monday night but Nia won in acts of kindness while we were there.

When her little brother spilled a good bit of his bag of popcorn on the ground, she didn’t even hesitate with her selfless actions. She scooped several handfuls of her popcorn into his bag. It. Was. Beautiful. For all their picking on each other, it’s so wonderful to witness such a unprompted display of sharing. She didn’t stop there either. She continued to share her snack long after Nate had eaten his last kernel.

Sure. The G-Braves got crushed 12-2 but we got to see some great plays, exciting foul balls that flew above and near our section (Nate was ready to catch them), incredible fireworks and a whole lotta big sister sweetness. Great night at the ballpark.

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Must Disregard Proper Social Behavior to Enter

27 May

I mean, the carnival wasn’t all that bad. It’s just, ew. When did I become such a proper adult? I really am not all that proper. In fact, sometimes, my manners are lost behind my belches, holy jeans and loud talking. But:

Why aren’t you wearing a shirt, sir? We are not at the pool, lake or beach. And what ever happened to hygiene? The whiffs of body odor mixed with cigarette smoke made my stomach turn more than the spinning rides. And what about just a little decency for other people? Crowding and foul language are pretty much typical at any event like this but we saw one woman move her child to another seat because she didn’t like her daughter sitting in the same car as another child. (Andrew and I believe it involved a race issue. So disgustingly sad.)

Whee!

I suppose these are all adult things to witness and let influence our experience. Nia and Nate didn’t have a clue about any of it. All they knew was that the rides were AWESOME (especially the pirate ship one that Nia wanted to ride over and over again and the spinning tea cups that cracked us up watching them get dizzier than they’ve ever dizzied themselves before) and that the $5 cotton candy and the $5 funnel cake were AWESOME.

I often try to look at situations through their eyes, so I won’t be such a proper adult. It’s hard though when our children act more proper than so many adults. Even when they are out-of-their minds with excitement because they are having, “the best night ever,” as Nia described it. I’m so glad they did. That makes it all worth it for me.

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