Saturday in the almond orchard

No picnic in the park

Okay, I take that back. We did have a little picnic in the park but it was on our way to Jacob's 2-month well baby appointment and his first set of shots. It was also time to get the other three shots from Lauren's 4-year appt that we decided to wait on a few weeks ago. Fortunately, Doug came to the rescue. He called Lauren on our way into base and told her he was going to be with her at her shots and that she needed to be brave. He also told her he had a nice treat for her for after the shots were over. I guess that did the trick as she took the shots without too many tears and later she and Anna offered Jacob a pep-talk prior to his shots. He only cried a moment and then he was happy again...thankfully. When Anna had her first set of shots she screamed indignantly for what seemed forever. Lauren's first set of shots only provoked a look that should have put the technician 6 feet under. Jacob seemed to fall somewhere in between the two. Unfortunately, we're going back on Wednesday to finish this session of shots. Wish us luck!

Jacob's pep-talk prior to his shots.

Our brave little guy.

Macro Monday

Playing around with the macro again...

Rainy Days and Mondays/100th Post

Rainy days and Monday always get me down. Well, that's how the song goes at least. Today is Monday and it's raining. To be honest, I like Mondays. It always seems like another opportunity for a a fresh start, a time for me to try again to get the things done that didn't get done the week before. As for rainy days, as long as there's no real need to be out running errands, then a rainy day is a fantastic thing! Yesterday afternoon I got to curl up in bed with my three little ones while the wind and rain pounded the house. It was so nice to be tucked in with the heathens....if Doug had been there with us it would have been perfect.

Well, here we are, my 100th post. I know some folks have written 100 items about themselves or listed 100 places they've visited. I decided to do a combination of the two.

1. I was born and raised in Alabama.

2. When I think about the South, I envision gardenias, magnolias, and old oaks covered in Spanish Moss. When I visit the South, all I can think about is the oppressive heat and mosquitoes.

3. When I was about 9, two of my cousins tried to hang me from a rafter in my grandfather's barn.

4. I was 17 the first time I flew on an airplane.

5. For a year when I was 16, I was a member of the Dogwood Trail Court and wore the big antebellum dress, hat, and pantaloons to events around the area.

6. I used to love to go to the beach and spend the entire day there. If I didn't come home with a sunburn, I considered it an unsuccessful day.

7. At age 37, I wish I'd had many less successful beach days.

8. I love to go "crabbing" for fresh crabs for gumbo.

9. To me, a plate of fried crab claws with an oyster po' boy followed by a piece of key lime pie is a little slice of heaven.

10. I love the feel of the wind on your face and the smell of a storm as it rolls in.

11. I miss afternoon thunderstorms.

12. I'm addicted to sweets. I'm like a smoker in that I need a little something sugary after meals.

13. I can't watch scary movies anymore. I have psychotic nightmares if I do--everything from sensory deprivation, to alien abduction,to giant mutant lizards, and flesh-eating vacuum cleaners.

14. I love to get mail...all kinds but especially hand written letters.

15. I, however, am lousy at taking the time to write letters and not good at keeping in touch.

16. I love to travel but hate to pack.

17. I like playing the tour guide. Come for a visit and I can't wait to show you the sights.

18. I have four false teeth. They were knocked out in a boating accident when I was 11 years old at a water amusement park.

19. I secretly want to be Martha Stewart.

20. I am so NOT Martha Stewart.

21. I took time "off" from college to travel around and skydive.

22. I have almost 400 jumps and only just sold my skydiving gear last year to help pay for my camera and lenses.

23. I am a genealogy addict. Trying to fit all the pieces together is like a giant crossword puzzle and I dig it!

24. I didn't think I ever wanted to have children. I turned 30 and my biological clock started ticking. All of a sudden I couldn't get through a Fisher Price commercial without bawling.

25. I have an irrational fear of sharks.

26. I actually saw a shark while scuba diving on the Great Barrier Reef in Australia. He seemed more frightened of me than I was of him.

27. I used to be a Hebrew linguist in the Air Force.

28. At one time I wanted to work for the CIA or be an astronaut. Now I'm just happy to get through the day with everyone alive, fed, clean and hopefully happy.

29. I used to dress my little brother like a girl. I once made him drink shampoo with leaves in it. Sorry, Wes.

30. I met my husband in Greece, dated while in England, got engaged in Spain, and married him in Alabama.

31. I spent a summer crewing for a hot air balloon company. I was no good at it but they kept me around anyway.

32. I love history and math. I would love to write a book about the 16th century.

33. I love to cook but you never know what you're going to get. Doug really must have a gut of steel.

34. When I was pregnant with Lauren I couldn't brush my teeth enough. I craved Colgate.

35. When Anna was little, my step-mother told me I was a wonderful mother. I told her that Anna just made me look good. When Lauren came along she told me I was right.

36. I'm okay with most bugs but I hate jumping spiders and ticks. Doug keeps telling me there's no such thing as jumping spiders....I know differently. As for ticks, we went out geocaching with our dog while living in Nebraska. Our dog came back with at least 60 ticks (no joke). I found one on my leg and in my hair....I was paralyzed with disgust and screamed like a little girl for Doug to get them off.

37. I gave up soda when I was a teenager. The only time I drink anything even closely related is an occasional frozen coke at the movies. I also don't drink tea or coffee. Water, please!

38. I never go to the movies much anymore. If I do it's because the older kids are in town or I'm going to see a cartoon with the little kids.

39. While researching genealogy I found out one of my great, great grandfathers was killed by a runaway mule train.

40. Another grandfather (Civil War era) said he wouldn't shave his beard until we'd whipped the damned Yankees. He had a long beard when he died.

41. Whenever I see my husband across a crowded room or from a distance I get this goofy grin that I can't control.

42. When I hold his hand I'm still sure that he's the one.

43. I want to write a children's book.

44. My degree is in political science from the University of Maryland earned while I was living in England.

45. I want to be a professional photographer someday and support the family so Doug can really be retired.

46. I'm finding new gray hairs everyday. I feel younger than I think I look.

47. Even though they're the ones giving me the gray hairs I love my children to distraction.

48. My children like my husband more than me. Apparently, he's just more fun.

49. I've backpacked alone through parts of Europe and Asia.

50. I check my blog a billion times during the day to see if anyone has left a comment. I really, really like comments.

Some of the cities I've visited:

51. London

52. Edinburgh

53. Paris

54. Rome

55. Venice

56. Vienna

57. Budapest

58. Prague

59. Cairo

60. Luxor

61. Aswan

62. Sydney, Australia

63. Bali, Indonesia

64. Istanbul

65. Athens

66. Antalya

67. Amsterdam

68. Brussels

69. Munich

70. Hong Kong

71. Guilin

72. Granada

73. Malaga

74. Bath

75. Lucern

76. San Francisco

77. Los Angeles

78. San Diego

79. Salt Lake City

80. Reno

81. Las Vegas

82. Denver

83. Colorado Springs

84. Aspen

85. Albuquerque

86. Flagstaff

87. San Antonio

88. Little Rock

89. New Orleans

90. Orlando

91. Atlanta

92. Asheville

93. Milwaukee

94. Madison

95. Kansas City

96. Washington D.C.

97. Ronkonkoma

98. Soufriere

99. Cozumel

100. This was much harder than I thought it would be and I'm glad it's done!

Conversations with the Peanut Gallery

Life with little ones often reminds me of that line from one of the Star Trek movies, "Resistance is futile." I've been doing my darndest to get the house clean and keep it that way for the Mathews' going away party we're hosting on Saturday. For some reason, every time I throw something away the girls dig it back out of the garbage. I know I've thrown away an empty bottle of Johnson & Johnson baby wash at least four times now. Anna keeps fishing it out and hiding it in her desk. She's also holding onto some used popsicle sticks that manage to find their way time and time again out of the trash and into a design on her floor. I just threw that darned shampoo bottle away for the fifth time but I'm not holding my breath that it will stay in the garbage. Little stinkers.

Here are some of the latest gems that spring from the mouth of babes...

While driving to Wal-Mart, I happened to look in the rearview mirror and saw Anna making a huge grimace. I asked her what was wrong. She replied, "I'm just practicing my sad faces for when you go to jail or die."

On Valentine's Day Anna told us that she knew our "love story" or how we met. According to her I was flying on an airplane and Doug was flying on an airplane. I was handing out drinks and we liked each other. Then we got married and met.

Lauren keeps jumping on the scale in the bathroom and asking me to come read the numbers by saying, "Mommy, come tell me how old I am".

I've noticed lately that Lauren's belly button has been really red. I finally asked her what was going on. Apparently she believes that Anna has an outie for a belly button. Anna told her that it got that way because she pulled it out to be like that. So, little Lauren has been trying to turn her "innie" into an "outie".

I sat down to help Anna with her homework the other night. This is what she asked me, "Mommy, do you spell "C" with a "K" or do you spell "K" with a "C"?

The daily clothing battle with Anna seemed to be getting better for a while. I think Doug must have had a talk with her. That all ended a few days ago, however. It was raining and super cold outside so I told her she needed to wear jeans, rain boots, and a sweater. She started to complain and I told her I didn't want to hear about it and to just go get dressed. I forgot that I had the monitor on upstairs but she didn't. As she was putting her clothes on, she stood right in front of the monitor and yelled into it the following: "This is the worst day of my entire life. I hate these clothes. This outfit is stupid. I don't want to wear this. I won't be cold. I can't believe I have to wear this...yuck!" I was downstairs and had just started feeding Jacob so I was a bit of a captive audience. She was determined to get the last word in!

Lauren had to get her 4-year shots last week. Believe me it was not a pretty sight. She started the afternoon with her exam, followed by making a trip to the lab to have some blood drawn and to give a urine sample. This part was especially fun. It's always just a barrel of laughs to fit 4 people into one stall while attempting to catch urine in a dixie cup. When, by the way, did it become necessary to require this of a preschooler?? From there we moved across the hall to immunizations. They wanted to give her "5" shots but as it had already been a traumatic day, we opted for only two at this time. Heck, those two almost didn't happen either. She began to cry and each time I got one arm out of a sleeve and moved onto the next arm she would redress herself. She even began batting at the nurse. It was not pleasant. Doug is normally the immunization parent. He's started his new job and so it fell to me this time 'round. I just need to say to Doug "Thank you, Honey!" for all of those times I didn't have to be the one seeing all of that take place. Blehhh. The girls are right...shots stink!!

Lauren is becoming more and more articulate. Lately, she's been trying different phrases on for size. She doesn't always get them right though. The other day she called down the stairs, "Hey guys, what's going "up" down there?

Nice Surprises

Do you like surprises? I do...especially when they're nice ones. I stopped by my friend Julie's house yesterday to drop off some pins for a project she's working on. When I got there she handed me the most beautiful vase with the most beautiful flowers. She's been such a good friend to us and I don't want to see her move to MS next week. :( I pulled the camera out to take a few pictures of the arrangement and couldn't stop shooting. I thought I'd share a few so you can enjoy the flowers as well!

Abe Lincoln vs. The Grandfathers

In preparation for President's Day Anna's class has been learning about George Washington and Abraham Lincoln. At dinner the other night she was telling us what she had learned. She knew that George Washington had chopped down a cherry tree and that Abe Lincoln lived in a log cabin. She then gave us a brief summary of the Civil War. According to her, "In Abraham Lincoln's world there were some people who tried to tear down our town. We fought them in a war and we won and saved our town." Doug and I looked at each other and smiled. Since he's from Wisconsin and I'm from Alabama we're always kidding each other about the North vs. the South thing. He piped up and said, "I bet she'd be surprised to know that some of her southern grandfathers were part of the "people trying to tear down our town". I gave him a punch on the arm and muttered something about Darned Yankees and just went on about my business. :)

vs.

Seeing as it is President's Day, I wanted to pay homage to our newest President and the change I hope his presidency will bring to our country.

You've got the cutest little baby face...

Valentine's Day Recap

One of my "New Year's Resolutions" this year was to try and spend more time thinking about and perhaps making gifts for friends and family. You may remember when I was pregnant with Jacob I felt this incredible need to knit. While looking at knitting sites (I'm so lame, aren't I?) I read a comment that said when you create something yourself there's a little love that goes into each stitch. This stuck with me and so I've been attempting to gift people with mainly handmade items this year. The girls and I started the year by making a scarf for cousin Betsy's birthday and for Trish's baby shower we gave her some handmade bibs. Granted the bibs were made previously but I didn't finish them up until now. For Valentine's Day I wanted to do something special for the kids and so I spent the last week working on their gifts. I spent a lot of time cursing over stitches and pattern directions and a lot of time saying, "Okay, you guys win...I give up." Everyone in the house seemed to be content until I sat down to sew and then all Hades would break loose. Someone needed milk or a diaper change or a ladybug or paint or a snack. So, it took me the entire week but I finally finished. I arranged the items on Friday so the girls could find their gifts when they came downstairs from their naps. They had seen me working on the items and so it wasn't as if they were going to be totally surprised. Still, however, I was expecting a little excitement. Anna finally woke up and came down. She stood right by the table while I was strapping Jacob into his carseat and didn't say a word. I pointed to the table and asked, "Honey, did you see that?" She responded, "Yes, what about it?" I said, "There are your gifts. " She said, "Okay." and walked away. I was crestfallen. Later in the evening, however, she asked if she could have her presents. She and Lauren grabbed their "Hugging Hearts" and brought them into the living room for family night. I felt much better as the evening progressed because they did genuinely seem to like them and they even gave them names. Anna's heart is now called "Velvet". Lauren named hers "Spit". Here are a few pics of the kids and their gifts. I made aprons and hearts for the girls. Jacob also got a heart as well as a handmade bib and rocket. I'm still working on his little "astronaut" to go inside the rocket.

Jacob thought the heart and rocket were pretty decent...

...but he thought the bib made him look like a girl.

A little something for the grown-ups. Unfortunately, a little non-alcoholic something since I'm nursing...but still fun!

Happy Valentine's Day!

Hope you're all having a wonderful Valentine's Day!

XOXO

“Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. Love does not demand its own way. Love is not irritable, and it keeps no record of when it has been wronged. It is never glad about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance. There are three things that last forever: faith, hope, and love; but the greatest of them all is love.”

I'm really looking forward to Valentine's Day this year. I have a few special things planned for the family. I'm also a big fan of chocolate covered everything. :)

Today's the Day!

As of today, after 24. 5 years in the Air Force my husband is officially a civilian. Crazy, huh? He starts his new job tomorrow and it will be strange seeing him head off in regular clothes instead of the flight suit to which we're all so accustomed. I'm glad to know that he'll now be home every evening and we won't have to spend 2-3 months apart. It's been a real treat having him home for the past three months of his terminal leave. It's been wonderful to be able to spend the entire day together. I'm not ready for him to be gone from dawn to dusk every day again. I think we just both need to stay at home and do what we want when we want. How do we make that happen? Maybe we need to start buying lottery tickets. :) Seriously though, we're all so incredibly proud of him and all that he's accomplished. Congratulations, Honey! We love you!