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Little Brother Love

11 Jul

He got out if bed and didn’t walk, blankey in hand, to the living room to turn on baseball highlights like he usually does. Instead, he walked, blankey in hand, to his window. I know this because the blind was tilted, giving him a view of the driveway and Papa and Lola’s car.

Spying the car, he emerged sleepy-eyed from his room and headed straight to Nia’s room, asking with a sad voice, “Nia leaves for West Virginia today?” A just-awake Nia consoled him, “Don’t cry Na-Nate.” He leaned against her bed to hug her, her arms wrapped around his neck for a sweet minute. “I’ll be home soon. You’ll have fun with mommy and daddy, ok? I’ll call you before bed each night.” He rubbed his eyes and told her, all better, “Ok.”

They hugged a few more times before she left and even had one of their usual sibling squabbles (over a video game Nia is taking with her). I think Nate will miss the game almost as much as he’ll miss his big sis. Mostly because he now can’t lie next to her and watch her play it, giggling and cheering her on with each awesome move she makes on the screen. I suppose it will give them something to talk about on the phone. “What world are you on now? Did you beat such and such?”

We’ll soon see. That first phone call is only hours away.

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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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Booster Seat Bean

1 Jul

She’s called Bean and she’s a booster seat demo queen. Well, maybe not a queen but she did get featured in two Atlanta television news stories about the new booster seat law in Georgia. Our Public Relations team at work needed a child her age to help the news stations spread the word about the new law and we were glad to help. It also meant that Nia would get to spend some time with me in my cube that morning. It was fun for her to meet my work buds and draw a beautiful window scene on my dry erase board. (I can’t wait to see it again when I’m back at work.) She also got to watch a movie on my phone (thanks, Netflix!) while I worked in the chair next to her. She loved sitting in my swivel chair and eating the crackers I have stashed in my drawer.

Before her busy tv/work morning started though, I joked that I hoped she wouldn’t make silly faces or spontaneously scream during the live interview. I mean, you just never know with kids (or many adults for that matter). Of course, she didn’t. She did exactly as they asked her to do and even planned out an answer to the anchor’s question. (The question was supposed to be, “How does riding in a booster seat make you feel?” She told me she was going to answer, “I feel comfortable in it.” If you watch the live interview below though, it didn’t go as planned. I think she still rocked it with that head nod though!)

You can see her in the stories by clicking the links below:

  • FOX 5 Atlanta – She was used as the demo child for the morning live shot and did fabulous, darling.
  • WSB-TV – She was used as b-roll for the story and buckles up beautifully.

I was able to capture a few pictures from her experience. The last one melts my heart. She woke up so early that day and was such a good sport during all the running around and buckling and unbuckling. My sleepy super star.

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Getting a Peek of the Newscast on the Air

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Posing for the News Tease

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The Anchor Arrives

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Sleepy Super Star

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Summer Camp – Green Week

26 Jun

The fifth week of Summer Camp was a milestone maker and a green one. Nate is now officially swimming without any floaties! He and Nia finished swimming lessons and he is now a floatie-free fish while Nia is our little Back Stroke Bean.

The green part of the week featured crafts with recycled materials and a lesson that I don’t think translated well with Nia. She told me the woman told them, “Don’t wash your car in your driveway because it can kill the fish and hurt things.” Yay, green!

Out of all their crafts for the week, Nia is most proud of her recycled bottle bird feeder. She can’t wait for us to hang it outside for birds to visit. I couldn’t wait for her to use her bookmark. We placed it at the start of Chapter 2 of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. I’m technically being green with that book too – being that I’ve read the series several times and am now recycling them with Nia.

Cardboard Bookmark

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Bottle Bird Feeder

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Sunshine Plate and Egg Carton Flower Planter

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Swim Lesson Success!

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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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Team of the Night Memories

20 Jun

Chopper and the Orioles

They played a fun season of tee-ball as the Orioles and got to celebrate it all while creating lasting memories as the Team of the Night at the Gwinnett Braves.

Moments I will cherish include:

  • How Nate was excited to get some players’ autographs without having any idea really what the word autograph means.
  • How he told me an hour before the event that he was going to hold his hat on his heart for the “prayer.” (National Anthem)
  • How Nate held his hat on his heart and stood so still and silent during the National Anthem.
  • How he trotted in pace with the First Baseman, Mauro Gomez, as they took the field while both of their names were announced to the stadium.
  • How he looked so tiny compared to the 6’2″ player while standing at First Base.
  • How he didn’t look scared while standing a field away from me next to that 6’2″ player he didn’t know except from “He’s number 30! He hits home runs!”
  • How he loved sitting and watching the game with is teammates and then couldn’t sit still because a mock game of their own started.
  • How he picked the green eyeball that hasn’t won all season and it WON.
  • How he got to pose for a picture with Chopper – something he’s been wanting to do for some time now.

I wonder what he’ll remember most from all of it. Every bit of it made him beam. Even the score. G-Braves won, 8-2.

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Summer Camp – Week Four

19 Jun

What a fun week for the kids at camp! They started swimming lessons and told us about their accomplishments each day. (“Guess what?! I went in six feet today!”) And, not only did they make their crafts, but they got to eat them as well!

The theme was about cooking and food. The kids drew pictures about food, made rice and bean beach scenes and made noodle necklaces which I have pictures of below. But the edible art they created, naturally, didn’t make it home. They made ants on a log and trail mix and then munched them up.

I think the cooking week inspired Nia to help at dinner too. The other night she helped with green beans and watched as I made beefy noodles, asking questions about the seasoning and why I was doing what I was doing. Nate tasted the green beans and told her, “Yum, Nia! You made these? They are good!” He made her so happy. She gave him such a sweet smile and looked at me like, “That was special, huh, momma?”

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Nate's Food Art

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Nia's Noodle Necklace

Rice and Bean Beach Scene

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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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