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Travel Teachings

22 Jan

I see them every day but it took eight days of traveling together over Thanksgiving week to learn some new things about my children.

  • As soon as Nate wakes up, as in the first sliver of an eye-opening, he whispers a song about counting by two’s. That mixed with a few sweet yawns and my heart melted.
  • Nate gets really freaked out when his foot, leg, arm or hand falls asleep. We were driving at the time and he woke up in a fit of fear and fury that I’ve never seen from him. We had no idea what to do for him other than tell him it will be over soon. That feeling must be so weird and scary for a little kid. I know I hate it.
  • Nia is finally feeling the woes of big sisterdom. There was a point in our travels when Nia and Nate were playing air hockey and I heard her scream at him, “You are just stupid!” (If you know us pretty well, you know that “s” word is gasped at like it is one of the biggie bad words.) I made her leave the game and sit out for some time. When she was finally calm enough to talk to me, she said with tears in her eyes, “He just kept bragging about doing good and I couldn’t take it anymore.” I know I should’ve stayed in discipline mom-mode but I ended up sympathizing with her – after not being able to hide my smile. She sounded so grown up in that moment. Just trying to figure out how to handle things. We talked more about other ways to deal with frustrating situations and then she and Nate hugged and apologized to each other. I will never forget her face though. Full of drama and seriousness. Confused but also feeling justified in her reaction. Growing up is tough, kid. We’re all figuring it out.
  • This learning is not pretty – that’s a warning – but I was still impressed by what I witnessed. Nate is very courteous when he vomits. He felt sick as we were just taking off on our trip and he told us in enough time that we were able to pull over for him to exit the car. He then leaned far over to make sure he didn’t get any on his clothes or shoes. I didn’t get grossed out because I was so amazed by how he handled himself through that experience. I would have been crying and probably would’ve lost it in the car. Maybe it was luck and not skill but what I witnessed that day needed noted.
  • Nia loves laser tag. Nate does not. Nia went back for another round. Nate ran out of the first round in tears. (Poor buddy.)
  • My little girl showed me her tough side during a nature walk one afternoon. She picked up a stick and then acted like a “warrior princess” and totally whipped up on some leaves and trees. It was intensely fun.

I love getting to spend devoted time like that with the kids. It may not be all laughs and sweet moments, but they are still special and important glimpses into their personalities. “I just couldn’t take it anymore.” I’m sure we’re going to hear that more in the coming years.

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Birthday Bliss and Trip (Times Three)

10 Jan

I’m not bringing this up to start a fight or make him feel bad, but Andrew forgot my birthday the first year we were married. I merely point that out to reduce the level of bliss this blog post exudes.

He now finds a way to outdo every birthday with little surprises and special gifts that shows he pays attention to me.

He had roses waiting for me in the garage so I would see them when I walked to my car. He braved the beauty department makeup counter to buy me the “fancy” mascara I wanted.

That would be swooning enough for sure but there was more.

This is the cookie cake that Andrew had delivered at my work for my birthday.

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Thank you, Cookie Creations of Atlanta

This is the dress, also purchased by Andrew, that I wore when I ate the cookie cake that Andrew bought me.

Happiness and Photo Courtesy: http://www.jessicasimpsoncollection.com

These are the hot heels that Andrew delivered upon me before I left for work in the dress that I wore when I ate the cookie cake.

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Also, Jessica Simpson

These hot heels also added some adventure to the day that marks 34 years alive. I tripped three times in these beauties. And I would do it all again. My embarrassment and possible pain is the least I can do to show my thanks, appreciation and love for all Andrew does for me.

And I think he’s thankful for things like calendar reminders now. Maybe forgetting my birthday was the best present he ever got me.

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What You Make of It

9 Nov

When life gives you lemons, you:

a) Painstakingly hand squeeze each lemon to the last drop, removing seeds and pulp one by one and counting each grain of sugar used.

b) Chuck Norris style kick those little yellow b’s into smithereens in a room you don’t have to clean up.

c) Gently squeeze each sun shiny fruit like a hug from a child, smiling and happily humming the whole time. Sit outside and sip, anyone?

d) Buy some Sweet Tea Vodka so you can chop those things up and add a splash and a slice.

e) Hand the lemons to someone else who needs them and will be very grateful for the opportunity to make something with them.

f) Patiently wait for the lemon to ripen, use it to help flavor a delicious celebratory meal and then plant a seed and wait for a tree to grow.

g) No thanks. I prefer Crystal Light.

h) Have an allergic reaction that needs medical attention.

So many ways to treat a sour situation. Thankful for no citrus allergies.

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An Auction Experience

9 Oct

I’ve been needing a crash course in decision making and quick thinking. I’ve also been needing a new bedside table for our guest room. I’m proud to say that I scored both at my first visit to an auction.

My friend, Leigh, recently expanded my experiences when she invited me to go with her to the Breffle Auction Company in Statham for one of their monthly auctions. I had no idea what to expect except for what I’ve seen in movies about country towns holding auctions on farmland (there’s always a pig) and on tv – thoughts of that old Micro Machines commercial with the fast-talking man filled my head.

Yeah. Not so much. This was way cooler.

Got What I Wanted!

Rows of people’s former treasures filled the warehouse. Some bigger pieces were on wheeled platforms so that they could easily be displayed at the front while the auctioneer was detailing them. People of all ages and styles were present, ready to act fast and pay their price for the item(s) of their choice. I had my sights on two tables. I’ve been wanting to get rid of the plastic shelf in the guest room that I’ve had since college and I found a unique table that I adore to replace it. I just had to be brave enough to bid on it – without going over my budget.

Trouble was – it all was happening so quickly and I wasn’t sure about how to play the bidding game. They start out at one price and then it drops if no one bites at the high amount but you have to be so fast to jump in on the lowest price, not really knowing if it will get any lower. It helped that I needed to wait an hour or so for my table to be bid on because I got to watch and absorb how the frequent auction goers do it.

Looking back on it, I got pretty lucky. I bought the two tables I wanted for $35 and $45. I’ll still never understand how a big shelf and a dining room table went for that about amount too – or even more wow – an entire office desk suite for $5. Yes, $5!

I hope to make it back there. I have my eye on this little pink vanity and chair for Bean. I just have to make room in her room for it – oh and make sure I pounce when the price is right.

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My Dolphin Tale

24 Sep

Sniff. Sniff. Shaking, chin wrinkle sob. Rub on the back and arm hug from sweet Nia. Yes, I loved Dolphin Tale and I’m so proud of myself for not letting my anxiety with crowded theaters get the best of me.

First, the movie. Nia and I loved it. I can’t reveal her favorite part because it would then reveal some key moments (but it involves something that happens near the end). I’m pretty sure Nate’s favorite part was popcorn and the end. It just wasn’t his cup. He got a bit antsy during the adult conversation and plot development scenes. Maybe too deep for theater viewing for some children ages 5 and under. Of course, his 35-year-old father thought it went a bit long too so again, it depends on your cup. Nia and I were in movie watching heaven.

That is, except for the fact that I don’t do well in crowded theaters. I start feeling dizzy and have trouble breathing as the people pile in and chose seats around me. This was especially difficult because we got there early and it’s opening weekend so there wasn’t an empty seat. When the people sat next to me, I nervously smiled and then felt better when she smiled back and made small talk about how lucky they were to get those seats.

No kidding.

They weren’t the groups who came in late and made others move and miss movie moments. Those same people then got up halfway through to get a snack. Another movie moment missed. On the flip of that though, I really loved the woman in front of us who shouted out in reaction to a scene from the movie and then was the first to applaud at the end. Joyous. Love that.

A tale around a tale. Based on a true story.

 

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A Dawg Day

18 Sep

I’m so glad our good friends and University of Georgia graduates asked us to attend a football game at their Alma Mater. We’ve lived just 30 minutes from Sanford Stadium for the last five years and we are big football fans (even attending our hometown’s high school games) but never made any effort to enjoy a game in Athens. We finally did on Saturday as UGA took on Coastal Carolina and it made for a great memory.

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Go Dawgs!

The day began with a healthy amount of tailgating with some bring-your-own-portable-satellite-dish-and-tv pros. They even had a skillet plugged into a generator to make eggs and sausage and a margarita maker ready to serve. Andrew and Nate couldn’t be there for this part of it because Nate’s first t-ball game of the fall season happened that morning (they won 17 to 3!) but Nia and Camille made the most of it by exploring the wooded area near our tent, playing cards and propping their feet up while eating some pre-football fixins.

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Pepperoni Rolls & Propped Feet

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Go Fish on Football Saturday

The adults had our own dose of relaxin’ and fixins, including a tasty blue alcoholic beverage that Ginger concocted.

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Happy Ginger

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Blue Drink Cheers

The weather was beautiful for football but the sun and heat during the game made Nia and Nate duck for cover under our bleacher seats.

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Hiding from the Heat & Sun

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Nate Still Wants to Watch

True and tiny Dawg fan, Camille, didn’t want to miss any of the excitement and stayed above the seats to see the sights with her mom and dad.

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Mommy-Daughter Fans!

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Daddy-Daughter Dawg Watchers

The Dawgs went on to win 59-0 and Nate wanted the action to continue even after we left. Touchdown!

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Still Playing


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Taking the Time to Notice

11 Sep

She stood there, small and smiley, holding out a bulletin for the next person to take. So proud and happy to help her daddy hand them out after church. The people receiving them also seemed to smile a little brighter as they filed out because of her sweetness. Then, an older gentleman approached. He didn’t notice her there. He kept looking at Andrew to give him the paper. Completely understandable. Andrew is the one who is supposed to pass the bulletins out and Bean looked so tiny standing in the exodus of church-goers. When he finally saw her, he chuckled, said thank you and walked away with his weekly news. When we saw him a few minutes later, he was walking up to Bean to give her a doggie balloon animal. It seemed like he felt badly for not noticing her earlier – or maybe he just finds joy in sharing his talent of balloon animal art. Whatever the reason for the balloon, it made Bean very happy. I noticed.

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And then she asked about September 11th

8 Sep

I don’t like to talk about it. People share their stories about where they were – what they were doing – how they reacted – how it made them feel – and I think that’s fine. I just would rather not share. If asked, I will. But, if people are in a group and talking about it – I choose to listen. I think, what does it really matter? Where I was? Recently though, I’ve talked about it more than I have in the past 10 years.

The television station I used to work for asked if they could interview me (along with others who were working on that day) to talk about what it was like for us. Because I want to help my old station, I said sure. (Here is that interview.) My memory of my events on that day is blurry but I remember enough to talk a bit about it. It wasn’t until Nia asked me about it that I realized – I’m going to have to talk about this. But not about where I was and what I was doing – actually about it. The heartbreaking tragedies.

It began all because her school called and reminded us to wear red, white and blue for their Patriot Day recognition. She told me, “That’s because planes crashed into the obelisks in Washington D.C.” I asked her where she learned that and she said her teacher told the class about it. Say what you want about Georgia public education but I am sure her teacher did not have that wrong and said New York City. That was the way an 8-year-old heard what her teacher taught. Her teacher taught about the memorials along with the events – Nia heard what she heard.

I proceeded to tell Nia what happened, to make sure she understood. Four planes with many people on them crashed into two very tall buildings in New York City called the World Trade Center Twin Towers, the Pentagon and a field in Pennsylvania. So many people died, Bean. So many. Here’s what happened during/after my explanation:

Five-year-old Nate was just getting out of the bath – he was chewing gum and was naked. He started blowing a whistle. Nia asked, “Didn’t the pilots see the buildings?”

I had to pause to think about how to tell her. “Well, you see, people who don’t like the United States, people call them terrorists, made the planes crash.”

Nate returns to blow the whistle, naked, after I just shooed him away. “Why didn’t the pilots tell them to go away?”

“Because the other people had things to hurt the pilots and took over.” In that same breath, I tell Nate to get dressed for the third time.

“Did everyone from the U.S. on the plane die?”
“Yes, baby, but there were more than just people from the U.S. on those planes and in those buildings.”

Nate, now getting dressed, chimes in with concern for the first time, “Did daddy die?”
“No, buddy, daddy’s not dead. But many families lost their daddies and mommies and even children in this.”

Nia adds a new thought, “Did the buildings break in half?”
“Kind of, yes. They collapsed.”
“Did they fall on other buildings near them and kill those people too?” Nia asks with more worry in her voice.
“Um, well, I’m not sure about that. There were so many people in those two big buildings, Bean. I don’t know about the nearby buildings.”
“How many?
“Thousands. How many are in your school?”
“Like, 800 or something.”
“Well, it would be almost four of your schools. That’s how many people died in those buildings.”
“Oh. My.”
Nate brings us back to kid speak, “What state were the buildings?”
“New York.”
“Spiderman lives in New York. Did he die too?”

No. You don’t get to read my response to that. Sigh.

I went from not wanting to talk about it, to really talking about it. Where were you when you told a child about it? I can’t even imagine the children who lost loved ones – or the ones who watched it happen. It’s so very difficult – and it hurts. I will never forget. Because of the loss and sadness – of course – but also because I think I’m going to be clarifying quite a few things with them over the years. I’m so – deeply – sorry.

Ten years on Sunday for many of us. Time has stopped for those who were just going about their daily lives at those places or had to say goodbye. I will remember.

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A Driver Wishlist – For Safety and Sanity

8 Sep

Putting aside the obvious and perpetual wish of never getting into a serious accident, may you:

Conveniently and safely stall on the side of the road and not in the fast lane on the interstate.

Be quickly and miraculously aided by a passing tow truck so you don’t have to wait for an hour (plus) on that side of the road.

Never get a flat tire while moving.

Never have to change that flat tire yourself. (Unless you really, really like changing flat tires on the side of the road.)

Always have the driver behind you who’s keeping a safe distance and paying attention in the purse-just-spilled-all-over-floor sudden braking scares.

Always have more than a quarter tank of gas and quarters in your console to pay for that unexpected toll booth.

Never get passed on the right – in an on/off ramp – by a lunatic driver. If you do though, may you pull up next to that lunatic driver at the stop light to give him/her a thumbs up and a smile for getting real far.

Never encounter someone with more dangerous road rage than you. (Especially after triggering it with the action above.)

Have plenty of windshield wiper fluid to remove the biggest of bug guts or bird droppings that just splat in your line of sight.

Only be entertained with three constant, forgotten blinkers a week. The – are you coming over? Yes? No? I’m going to  get in front of you and signal to nowhere to help you get a clue – moments can be fun. I especially love when the driver signals left but then merges right. Fun times.

Never – ever – get behind a man spitting sunflower seed shells out of his truck window at 60 mph. It was like a germy BB gun. Blech.

Never experience the grossest coffee of your life with 50 minutes still left to drive on a five to seven lane interstate.

At least once – have a dragonfly happily dance around your car as you inch it mile by mile forward in bumper-to-bumper traffic.

Know the joys of driving barefoot. With one leg up on the seat. The windows down and no seeds, smoke or diesel smell ruining your fresh breeze. Oh yeah, and Madonna’s “Cherish” (or other happy song of choice) blasting from your car’s small speakers. And – of course – tasty coffee with a healthy side of all of the above.

 

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Beach, Boogie Boards, Brew and Buddies!

6 Sep

Our trip to Tybee Beach is now a week behind us but the memories are still as bright as our smiles were while we were there.

The Beach
Bean has always been our brave one when it comes to battling the waves. Nate, well, let’s just put it this way, when we told him we were going back to the beach, we didn’t get excitement and joy like we did from Nia – no – Nate actually started to cry a bit and said, “I don’t want to go!” We calmed him, assuring him that he could just chill on the sand.

As we walked out to the ocean for the first time this trip, we were prepared for the freak out fest – but he didn’t. In fact, the next day, he was running and playing in the calm low tide salt water pools – checking out a ton of tiny hermit crabs and throwing his Spiderman Scuba guy all over the water. All that helped him face the waves. He pumped himself up as he headed farther and farther out, “Natey, McNatey, you’re goin’ far now. Natey, McNatey, you’re doin’ it now.” And he did. By the time we were ready to leave for home, he was cruisin’ his newly purchased boogie board, just like his big sis.

Boogie Boards
Bean is a boogie boarding princess. She seriously could not get enough of surfing the waves. That also meant Andrew was exhausted because he was the one who helped her fight her way farther than Nate – or even I – would venture. (This all made my mom very nervous. Nate and I as well. Peas in a stress pod, us three.) Nia looked so grown up, smiling the whole time, as each wave she caught carried her closer to shore. She didn’t want to stop. I love her spirit, energy and bravery. Last year, a jellyfish got her good but you would never know it. I hope she always holds that strength – and carefree beach attitude – with her.

Brew Fest
During our time near Savannah, we also got to very much enjoy the annual Savannah Craft Brew Fest. We had tickets numbered 30 and 31. That’s how excited we were for this fest. Since Andrew’s been brewing his own beer and always appreciates a good brew, this was something he was really looking forward to. I was just ear to ear happy to be there with him on a date and with good friends and his sis surrounding us while we all sipped and laughed. (Thanks to Honey for spending the afternoon solo at the beach with the kiddos!)

As for Andrew’s favorite flavor, he says Cigar City’s Cubano Espresso and the Wild Heaven Brewing Co.’s Invocation Belgian Ale were at the top. He said the taste for both was unexpectedly good. He also enjoyed a cigar – that I actually kind of forced him to buy because he mentioned that one might be nice to have but then did his whole “neither here nor there” stance. Why not? It’s just one brew fest afternoon, after all.

My favorite sips would have to be either the Woodchuck Fall Limited Release Hard Cider or the Lagunitas Brewing Co.’s IPA. I mostly enjoyed just being there with some of my favorite people, across from beautiful downtown Savannah. A gorgeous view, brew and, yes, buds.

Buddies
It made my heart so happy to see former co-workers and my old boss at WSAV. I’m not going to lie – I teared up a little seeing that newsroom that I spent so much of my life in. Heck, both of my babies were nurtured in my belly in that place – complete with the food from the fast food joints nearby it. It was so great getting to see them and they made me feel right at home. Great memories there. Where I grew up.


Our trip to Tybee wouldn’t be complete without our fix of seeing our dear friends, the Heidels. I wish we could have spent more time together but I’m so very thankful to have the brew fest hours and Sunday beach time with them. Miss Camille is such a sweetie and it was so fun watching her bury her dinosaurs in the sand. We were also spoiled to share in Ginger’s leftover football fixins. Can you say stuffed mushrooms? Buffalo chicken awesomeness? Even without that food and the constant great conversation we share, they are all always loved and missed like family.

We also got super lucky to see our good friend Paul and Matt, Shirley and Avery Fischer. We always cherish our time with Paul and my mom loved to have him as a porch buddy, enjoying an ocean view and excellent conversation. Meanwhile, Nia and Avery were picking up right where they left off a year ago. They were born to be buds and it’s even more awesome that we parents like each other too!

Beach time near Savannah also means getting to hug and squeeze our nieces, Ellanor and Magdalene. They got to sleep over and it was a blast! I love how the four cousins play so well together. They had some short beach time and spent a lot of condo time drawing pictures and chomping on popcorn. They couldn’t be happier!

I’m also so thankful my mom said yes to the stress-inducing layover flights (in rough weather no less). She loved sitting on the porch and watching the kids enjoy the ocean from her beach chair under the umbrella (when she wasn’t worried about their safety!). She also knows how to souvenir shop and braved a plate of crusty critters with me. (We laughed and gagged the whole way through.) I couldn’t ask for a cooler, more caring mom. Thanks, Lady. I love you lots.

Hope to see you next year, Tybee – with all the perks!

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