Garrett News

thankful thursday

2012-01-26T07:49:00.000-05:00

This week I am thankful for the sunshine we enjoyed on Tuesday and Wednesday. Just when I thought I couldn't take another day of dreary rain, the clouds parted and we headed outside.

We enjoyed some time on the swings, climbing, sliding and monkey bar crossing. It was just what we needed.

We even broke out a toy Jack had received for his birthday from Aunt Lisa & Uncle John. We hadn't had a chance to enjoy it yet between the windy days and the soggy days, but (as you can see) Wednesday was the perfect day for a little stomping.

Weeds

2012-01-25T10:30:00.001-05:00

When is a weed more than a weed?

When you find a a folded and taped piece of construction paper in your four-year-old's backpack and it's filled with "flowers for mommy."

C is for Cookie

2012-01-24T10:28:00.000-05:00

On the heels of my apple post, here's another recent treat (courtesy of dad's most recent stop at the grocery store!)

Ouch!

2012-01-23T22:21:00.001-05:00

Last Tuesday we conquered the four-year-old shot series, which for those unaware includes four shots. I had been dreading it ever since the fall when I took Jack to get a nasal flu mist shot. He freaked out about getting the mist in his nose, which doesn't even hurt (just a tickle.) I had to hold him down because he could not be reasoned with. Fearing I'd suffer a similar fate or a magnified one since these would actually hurt and there were four of them, I scheduled his visit for a Tuesday afternoon (when Josh would be free to accompany us.) Of course, Daddy came through and gave Jack a mantra to recite. He still screamed a bit with the third and fourth shots, but there were no real tears or tantrums. I promised big rewards for the incredibly brave big boy, and I think we delivered.

And I think little brother approved too.

A is for Apple

2012-01-21T22:19:00.001-05:00

Since photos are always more fun, I'll let them do the speaking today.

Now I know my ABCs

2012-01-20T21:37:00.000-05:00

I know we've done this all before, but I am again amazed at the sponge-like capabilities of my almost two-year-old's brain. He regularly speaks in such plain language that I have to remind myself he's not yet two. He picks up everything and incredibly has figured out the correct usage for certain terms. A few weeks ago, I had to tap the brakes and stop quickly as a car ahead of us made a last second decision to turn left. A couple of seconds later, I heard Sam pipe up from the back seat, "BOCKERS!" (aka bonkers!)

He loves to sing and regularly requests "We will rock you" when riding in the car. He doesn't sit still long enough to watch much, but on long rides he prefers "Coos Coos," "Fire Sam" or "Gabba." (Blue's Clues, Fireman Sam or Yo Gabba Gabba.) Most days his older brother will oblige.

Here's a clip of him singing the alphabet. I think the thing that impresses me the most about his rendition is that he can be interrupted, and somehow remembers where he left off. I can still remember when Jack first learned his alphabet he would start over if anything messed him up. (My apologies that the video is out of focus.)

Letting Go

2012-01-16T23:37:00.000-05:00

This week marks 23 months for our little guy Sam. Josh reminded me this weekend that when Jack was this age, we were making preparations for Sam and most certainly treating Jack like a big boy, not a baby. Of course, when compared to a four-year-old, Sam is definitely still a baby, right??

All around the house I'm noticing things that make me wonder if I'm resisting this little one's leap into full-blown boyhood. Take the highchair for instance. Sam has long claimed a spot at the table with the rest of the family. I convinced Sam to sit in it a couple of weeks ago to eat a container of applesauce, but mostly he'd rather play musical chairs at the kitchen table and try out each location...including sometimes "Daddy seat! Mommy seat!" I can recall sequestering the same high chair to the basement for several months back when Jack graduated to the table, and Sam was not quite ready to enjoy its utility. This time moving it down to the basement storage is a little more like letting go.

Or what about that stack of bibs occupying space in one of the kitchen cabinets? Sam pretty much refuses to wear one these days. In fact, I can't remember the last time I managed to convince him to sport one. Yet I still can't manage to relocate them or pass them along to a new owner. It's too much like letting go.

How about the not one, but two, diaper champs we own? There's one in our bathroom and another up in Sam's room. I quit using them to house dirty diapers ages ago, and then wet ones quite a long time ago too! These days the diapers typically go straight out to the trash can. The diaper champs became one more thing I forgot to empty the day before trash pick-up. Of course, I check them every now and then these days in case the babysitter or the grandparents actually drop a diaper in, which does occasionally happen. But isn't that just further evidence that I should put them away? Nope, I guess that would be letting go.

It's letting go, because this time there is no baby on the way that will soon call the highchair back into action or needing those bibs to catch pureed carrots, squash and peas or soiling close to a dozen diapers a day to fill those diaper champs. I don't want this post to look like a sob story, it's merely a collection of my observations as I see these things in my house each day. Our family of four is quite a happy crew. So, don't mistake my ramblings as the yearnings for a new addition. I have no doubt I'll see plenty of comments along the lines of, "it's just time to have another one." I already routinely field the question: "I guess it's time to try for a little girl now, right?" The thing is I don't want to have another baby just because I'm sad that my youngest is about to turn two. I mean when would it end? It just doesn't seem like the best way to determine if we're ready to grow our family again.

I don't know what the good Lord has planned, but I know He will help me let go when the time is right...hopefully, before Sam leaves for kindergarten!

Cards Anyone?

2012-01-07T13:23:00.000-05:00

I can't really remember where I first saw this a few years back, but I know I've always wanted to do my own. A couple of years ago, I trimmed and inserted photos into an album for Jack to look at, but it fell apart. But this year I vowed to give it a more whole-hearted attempt. So, why not document it?

Start with a bunch of beautiful photo Christmas cards.

Sort the cards by similar size and shape.

Use a handy corner rounding tool, scissors, glue stick and hole punch to clean up edges and trim necessary photos, etc. Then string them onto a silver keyring.

Presto! You have a beautiful book full of photos of your family and friends. Jack has already looked at this many times. I'm pretty sure it's because he's shocked at my ability to complete an actual craft.

The Real Reason Birds Fly South

2012-01-06T23:10:00.000-05:00

Maybe you thought it was just for the warm climate, but I have it on good authority that birds enjoy the entertaining bowl games that take place each January. Josh and I had the opportunity to fly down to Tampa for some rest and relaxation and take in the Bulldogs' last game of the season at the Outback Bowl. We had a lot of fun exploring Tampa, shopping, eating really great food and watching a really exciting football game.

The dawgs were on the losing end of a game that went into 3 overtimes, but we still really enjoyed our getaway. Huge thanks to our parents who helped make the trip so much easier. We didn't have to worry about the boys, they were well taken care of by the best tag team of grandparents around.

2012

2012-01-06T16:48:00.000-05:00

What a way to start 2012...behind! I feel so behind in one of my favorite things...blogging! Hopefully you weren't worried. We're still alive and kicking. I just did a marathon photo editing and uploading to my Picasa albums so I'm hoping to get several blog posts up in the next couple of days...some of which will probably be post dated (for my sanity only). I just hate seeing them all clumped together under the same date on the blog! ha ha!

P.S. Can anyone recommend a good blogger app for the iPad??

The Rest of December

2011-12-30T23:02:00.001-05:00

December is full of fun, but I'm pretty sure everyone would agree it is a bit of a crazy month. So, here are a few moments I never got a chance to tell you about.

Gingerbread House decorating (again, sans shirt)

Playing Elefun with cousin Emi

My tech guys: Jack with the iPad, Sam with Jack's LeapPad & Josh checking out Angry Birds.

"Mom, look! We made a bus!"

Taking in some hoops and rooting for the Bulldogs with Mema.

Boo Boo update

2011-12-29T21:45:00.000-05:00

In case you were wondering, the boys are all on the mend from their pair of post-Christmas boo boos. You may remember Jack's happened the day after Christmas just a couple hours after Josh had left for his shift in the ER. Thankfully, daddy was able to find time for a VIP and get Jack patched up with a little derma bond (super glue for skin). About 24 hours later, we were hosting Josh's cousin and his family who were in town from New York for the holidays. Sam apparently thought he'd been accident free for a few too many days and catapulted into a door, splitting his sweet little forehead open. But as you can see from the photos below, they are both recovering nicely.

And how on earth did I manage to have these two bathed, in pajamas and eating dinner all before daddy got home? Extreme motivation...it was date night, and the babysitter was on the way.

A Whole Lot of Christmas (part 3)

2011-12-28T22:45:00.001-05:00

Christmas morning arrived bright and early for Spiderman-clad Jack. I feel like my parents must have a dozen photos of me looking exactly like this on Christmas morning. Sam was still snoozing, so we got to experience the excitement of Santa's bounty twice. Jack was excited to see Santa had brought the big boy bike he requested, but was even more excited about the treasures his stocking held. The airplane set Santa left was also a hit. Jack also loved his helicopter, ice cream cone set and Batman Cave, his gifts from Mommy & Daddy.

Soon Sam was up and ready to see if he'd made the nice list. He loved the Weebles Treehouse and McQueen tent and tunnel from Santa. Sam was totally disinterested in opening any gifts, but did love the Ring Pop he found in his stocking. He kept saying, "candy paci." Later Mema & Pop (my parents) came up to see what Santa had delivered. It was a fun day full of sweet memories of two excited boys.

A Whole Lot of Christmas (part 2)

2011-12-28T10:25:00.001-05:00

So, our Christmas fun with family continued on Christmas Eve with a big breakfast. Josh's family were on their way back home and my family arrived. So, we all enjoyed a big, tasty breakfast before the Garrett clan left. Shortly after our breakfast settled, there was more gift exchanging...

So many pretty packages...

His very own cash register. Ding, ding!

One of Sam's favorite gifts: his very own Molly pup. Named after Uncle John & Aunt Lisa's sweet dog. Hoping this will teach Sam to be more loving (and less torturous) to the real Molly!

Lisa's crafty wrapping included stamps. Maybe Jack could help out next year?

So true.

"Mom, take my picture with my tower!"

Speaking of towers, this one is coming down! The big blocks are a hit, Uncle John & Aunt Lisa!

Later that evening we all headed to my grandparent's house just outside of Athens for our annual Christmas Eve feast with extended family. The gathering is a tradition, but the menu is anything but. Featuring low country boil, fried shrimp, hushpuppies and fries, it's definitely not your typical ham and turkey. It's always a house full when we get together, and all the great grandkids make it a fun time. Here they are all patiently waiting their gift to open.

Everyone, except Sam, who couldn't care less about opening a present. He is much too busy to sit down and open something!

Shortly after the gift opening it was pajama time. We loaded our boys up and headed home. The boys watched Elf on the way home, and the last thing we did before turning in for the night was put out the cookies we made for Santa and strawberry milk (as Jack requested).

Stay tuned for the final installment of Christmas. Part 3 coming soon!

A Whole Lot of Christmas (part 1)

2011-12-27T21:56:00.001-05:00

Christmas has come and gone, and I managed to get almost all my decorations packed away before 2012 rolled in. In my book, that's a huge accomplishment. Everyone knows how un-fun it is to put the decor away. While the decorations were still up though we had plenty of Christmas fun.

We started by hosting Josh's family for a couple of days. After we had tucked the kids in bed (much too late) on the night they arrived, we decided to go ahead and exchange gifts with one another. I'm sure some of it had to be with the late hour, and the rest you can blame of just being a family that loves to laugh, but we really enjoyed ourselves. There was much silliness involved...

Grandmommy got a real kick out of her very own pink pom-pom gloves!

And Aunt Kristy has a great sweater now for her growing neck. This was purchased at a giraffe super store :)

Who has the warmest head and ears around? Grandaddy!

We started the next day with an incredible breakfast at Natalie Jane's in Clarkesville. The poor boys were so ready to finish and get back to open their gifts. They were incredibly patient, and they were not disappointed once the fun began...

"What is it, Sean??" Jack even managed to do okay with taking turns.

Ready to explore with his very own binoculars!

Jack was soooo excited about his "iPad" from Aunt Cindy's crew.

Sam loved this rockin' Elmo and ALL his instruments...once we convinced him to actually open some gifts!

The big reveal felt a little like the Showcase Showdown from the Price is Right! They jumped in immediately!

Sam didn't know exactly where the seat was. Lounging in the floorboard with his arm up. I was hysterical at how comical he was.

Oh, look someone showed Sam where to sit, and not a moment too soon...

Hey, wait a minute!? Shouldn't this steering wheel be attached??

Sean & Jack breaking a sweat with the wii. Jack was too hot to wear a shirt apparently.

I have no idea what they were playing, but they were into it for sure!

Our Christmas dinner spread. It was even better than it looks in this photo.

Sweet potatoes were a hit...especially at the kids' table!

Stay tuned for part 2.

Merry merry

2011-12-26T22:28:00.001-05:00

It was an incredibly merry Christmas at the Garrett household. I'd like to upload a bunch of wonderful photos from our celebrations with family this weekend, but I'm in full recovery mode already. I'm busy trying to sort through the cardboard jungle, organize all the new toy instruction guides, downsize the enormous baked goods/sweets collection that has accumulated over the last several days, prepare for one more set of visitors and host a post-production party. So, for now, you'll just have to trust me when I say it was a very merry Christmas for us. Hope the same was true for you and yours!

Oh, and almost forgot to mention a visit to see Daddy at the ER tonight, and unfortunately it was not for mere fun! Jack took a tumble and went flying towrds the ground, but the first thing to hit was his face on the corner of the keyboard tray of the computer desk. Thankfully, a little glue is all Josh thought it needed, and Jack was incredibly brave and didn't cry at all while Dad preformed his magic.

Remember that time...

2011-12-22T15:47:00.000-05:00

A couple of weeks ago we had the opportunity to take Jack ice skating as they set up a rink at our local park. I wasn't sure if he'd like it, but he gave it a whirl. He kept saying, "I can do it, mommy!" He liked holding onto the side so he could do it alone. He said several times, "Ice skating is slippery!"

Since that night, he's said on a number of occasions, "Remember that time we went ice skating? That was fun!"

Whirlwind in the Windy City

2011-12-21T16:09:00.000-05:00

Want to know what I did this weekend? Well, it's a long story, but that's why you're here, right? I got a call Thursday morning from a friend who had gathered some buddy pass plane tickets from her family and hoped to pull a girls' weekend in New York together for fun and to celebrate her birthday. For those that have been, you know New York City can be a magical place. But, NYC at Christmas is beyond magical. I've been to NYC a few times and one of those was in December. It truly turns you into a child as you gaze with wide-eyes at the winter wonderland surrounding you. So, I was excited about the opportunity to see the Big Apple at Christmas with some of my greatest friends and fellow mommies. We all needed a weekend away. After my sweet hubby convinced me that I wouldn't be messing up anything and that it would be a perfect weekend to be away since he'd be mostly working and trying to sleep. Thankfully, my mom & dad were willing to look after the boys all weekend, which I greatly appreciated!

On Friday afternoon, the chances of all of us getting on a Saturday morning flight to NYC looked iffy at best. So, spur of the moment we decided to change our itinerary to Chicago. We left Habersham pretty early Saturday morning. All five of us managed to get on a 7:25 flight. By 9:30 a.m. (central time), we were stepping out of a cab onto the streets of Chicago exploring the city in a beautiful snowfall. We crammed as much fun as we could into our 30+ hours in the Windy City.

Huge thanks to my husband who encouraged me to take advantage of the opportunity. Big thanks to my mom & dad who gladly took care of the boys all weekend. Enormous thanks to my sweet friend, Katie, for the invite. It will be hard to top this birthday celebration, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't try!?!

22 & a Talker

2011-12-20T00:37:00.000-05:00

Dear Sam,
You just hit the 22-month mark last week and are quite the conversationalist these days. I don't want to forget all these wonderfully cute and incredibly hilarious things you come up with. So, I'll do my best to record them here. We really never know what will come out of your mouth.

You were right alongside me the morning I put the Christmas trees up, but you & brother were both napping when I finally managed to get ornaments put on the following day. You had already impressed me the day before by repeating after me, "Kissmas Tree!" On the way down the stairs after nap, you said excitedly, "Kissmas tree!" When I took you in for a closer look, you turned to me and said, "I wove it!" I was so tickled, that you just kept saying it over and over again. Now, it's part of your bit. If you want to make me or your daddy laugh you just say, "Kissmas tree. I wove it!"

Your other favorite phrases:
"Bubba. Stop!"
"Daddy truck!"
"Choo choo outside," which today developed into "Choo choo outside. Scare. Wowd!" I heard a train approaching when we were in downtown Cornelia this afternoon, I hurried to get down to one of the stop signs by the track. You love trains, so I rolled down the window. Well, a horn sounds a lot more appealing from 3/4 of a mile away. From 50 feet away, it is apparently terrifying! You burst into tears. So, now it's "Choo choo outside. Scare. Wowd!"

You love to brush your teeth and prefer your big brother's toothpaste. "Bubba toothpaste, peas!" Your favorite bedtime stories are your VBS photo album, which you affectionately call your "Addy Book" (for all the pics of Ali Harris), and your "Monkey book." Your dad and I were impressed by how quickly you've learned to recognize the numbers on each page. You also like to do the silly voice of the doctor on the phone with the monkey mama, it sounds like this "No mwuh wah dah wah bah yah BED!"

Last week, we were just hanging around and someone said something about Sunday. You immediately said, "Muhday...Tueday...Whenday...Thurday!"

You're still a couple months shy of two years, and I can't remember your brother knowing anything about a single cartoon character at this age. You on the other hand are a huge fan of "Coos Coos" a.k.a. Blue's Clues and Cars. You love "Queen" and "Mater!" When it's time for bed you know we have to put "Queen Baket!" (in the basket.) I started keeping the basket on the gated staircase so you can only reach in and grab a few at a time because you and Jack kept dumping the whole basket out. Lately, you've managed to talk brother into letting you on the stairs, but you usually just line up your cars until the step is completely full.

You know that Santa says "Ho ho ho!" and your two favorite songs are "Jesus Loves Me" and "We will rock you." You sing them both with great enthusiasm. Sometimes in the car you will just start yelling, "Jesus Song!"

You will try just about anything food wise and like most of what you try, with the exception of pastas. You love to eat "cacakes" on the "choo choo plate!" (Pancakes on the Thomas the tank engine plate.) You also love bacon morning, noon or night...you don't care. You call it "bay bay," which I hope stays around for a while.

Your big brother is really starting to enjoy your company. You don't always enjoy his. Jack loves to play with you, but sometimes you'd just rather play with your cars alone. Try to be patient with him. He's still figuring this big brother thing out. Jack likes teaching you new tricks, which mommy and daddy don't always approve of. He doesn't mind sharing his popcorn, ice cream cone and other snacks with you. Sharing his chocolate milk is a different story...

Thanks for treating everyone around you to so much fun. We love your sweet smile and silly phrases. I really love the "hungs" you've started giving. You can squeeze my neck anytime!

Love,
Mommy

When I grow up...

2011-12-19T22:09:00.000-05:00

A friend and I who both have boys about the same age were laughing the other day about how amazed we were that our preschoolers were talking about their future occupations, spouses, etc. This was serious thinking ahead. Jack's typical ideas about the future don't begin with "when I grow up," but instead, "when I get big like a daddy..."

A couple months ago, he was upset after we had tucked him in. Josh went in to talk to him and the conversation led to the idea that when Jack was a daddy he would have a job too. He said, "but I can't have a job. I haven't learned how to fix sick people yet!"

In the last few weeks, he has told me on a number of occasions that he wants to be a football player when he gets to be a bigger boy. "And I'll go to the big school (a.k.a. Habersham Central)." Tonight in the car, out of nowhere, he said, "Mommy, when I get big like a daddy, I don't want to be a football player that is in the game." I'm thinking is he about to tell me his future goal is to be a benchwarmer?? Then, he adds, "I want to be the coach. Like Hudson's daddy. And I'm going to wear those big headphones!"

Christmas Performers

2011-12-16T23:17:00.001-05:00

Thursday marked the final day of preschool for the year, and the classes celebrated with a little performance and a birthday party for Jesus. The classes sang several songs, and Jack's Busy Bee group recited such a sweet little rhyme:

I couldn't buy a gift for you, because I am very small.
But I can give you something, the greatest gift of all.
I can give you kisses (smack, smack),
I can hug you too!
I can give you a friendly smile,
And tell you "I love you!"

Sam was in the bye, bye buggy with his classmates ringing the jingle bells as the big kids sang. Videos on the way.

Simple Pleasures are Sweet Treats & Bright Lights

2011-12-14T23:48:00.002-05:00

Since Josh is off on Tuesday afternoons, he usually wants to schedule in some fun with the family (despite his sleep deprived state.) This week as evening was drawing near and we were still hanging around the house, Josh tossed out an idea and we ran with it! We scarfed down some leftovers and jumped in the car on a Christmas light hunt.

We knew nearby Helen would be decked out and hoped we could find a sweet treat as well. So, we ventured to the Alpine Village and each picked out a delight from Hansel & Gretel's. It was a mild night, so we just enjoyed walking around and taking in the lights. Such a simple pleasure, but it was such a fun night.

Sharing our wish lists

2011-12-12T12:02:00.001-05:00

December Fun

2011-12-08T23:42:00.001-05:00

We're a dozen days into December and we've been busy celebrating the fun of the holidays. We started the first day of December by introducing chocolate advent calendars to the boys. No surprise, the chocolate was a hit...stopping at one tiny piece was a little less popular. Each day the chocolate has a different little design on it. The piece for day one had a little train, and Sam has called it "choo choo candy" ever since.

Of course before you can enjoy chocolates, you have to eat a good dinner. Well, I guess Sam didn't want to leave any doubt. After he finished eating he was sitting with Josh and nibbling a bit from Josh's plate. Well, he decided he loved dad's mashed potatoes so much that when they were gone he instinctively picked up the plate and started licking it. Once he'd licked it clean, he noticed there were a few morsels on my plate and climbed down and up into my lap. I promise we feed him.

Shout Out

2011-12-05T23:39:00.000-05:00

The other day I found myself thinking about how incredibly blessed I am to have such a wonderful best friend in my sweet husband. Yes, he works incredibly hard, but I'm continually amazed at his ability to balance all the responsibilities and stresses without any complaining or attempts to claim martyrdom. He doesn't typically walk in the door at 5, but I can usually expect to see him by 5:45 on most days. Last Friday, he got home at 7, and then grilled steaks for the two of us to eat for dinner. After all, that had been the plan earlier. I offered an alternative, but he refused and happily headed to the grill. Of course, one might say since leftovers were the alternative...it wasn't really a choice now was it? I know he wasn't happy to be arriving home a mere 90 minutes before bedtime for the boys, but he didn't show it.

I go through phases/cycles when I'm sure I can be pretty frustrating to live with. These can often cycle along with whatever stage the boys are going through. Is it a particularly difficult phase? Maybe it's a day that Sam is refusing to use any word other than 'no.' Perhaps Jack has determined that 12 minutes in his room is a sufficient rest time. So, when Daddy walks in the door to basically "save the day," I'm typically thrilled to see him. Other times I can be frustrated at how long it has taken for him to get home or that the boys go into berserk-er mode when Dad gets home. I can get super irritated when he has to turn around and walk back out the door 30 minutes later for a meeting. I like to think that I've gotten a little better at not getting so frustrated at having to share my best friend. But even if some nights we only get a couple of hours together, just like on Friday night, he is giving us his best. On days when I'm spent, I'm ready to check out about the time dinner rolls around. I'm sure he feels the same way, but he walks in the door and gives us his all. We don't get leftovers. He leaves all that other stuff behind. He carries the weight of so many responsibilities, but wouldn't dare think of having us see that load.

I guess I just wanted him to know that I know not just how hard he works, but that I know he strives to give his family his best each and every moment. So, here's a little shout out to my husband. Thanks for putting up with me when I'm not so good at sharing you. I know my frustrations don't make it any easier for you. I hope I've done better at being your encourager and cheerleader rather than a nagger, because I'm definitely your biggest fan! I love you!

More Four

2011-11-29T23:29:00.001-05:00

On Jack's actual birthday, I asked him to pick his favorite meal that mommy makes for his special birthday dinner. He chose "chicken & crackers," which is also known as Poppyseed Chicken casserole. He chose apples as a side dish. Please tell me he'll always be this easy to please.

Also, he requested this candle special. "Can I have a candle that is a 4, Mommy?" I guess it was too much work blowing out four separate candles at his party the day before.

We squeezed one more celebration in the next day at preschool, when Jack shared cupcakes with his fellow Busy Bees. Ringing in the big number four has been so much fun. Jack's two best buddies Andrew & Hudson seemed to enjoy the cupcakes too!

Argh...

2011-11-29T15:09:00.000-05:00

On Sunday, we battened the hatches and swabbed the decks in preparation for Captain Jack and his crewmates to take an adventure on the high seas (if the storm had moved in any sooner, it might have literally been the high seas with all the rain we got Monday.) The crew worked together scouring the yard to find their treasure and managed to enjoy some cake too. Hope you had a great 4th birthday, Captain Jack!

Four

2011-11-28T15:38:00.001-05:00

Four years ago today, I became a mother. In some ways it seems like I've had preschoolers underfoot for as long as I can remember. But, mostly it feels surreal to think that my first born is celebrating the start of his fourth year! It's hard to recall each and every emotion I felt that day we welcomed Jackson David Garrett, but I do know I was introduced to a brand-new love. It's hard to describe, but I've heard it said that having children is akin to deciding to allow your heart to walk around outside your body. It seems like a pretty accurate description.

Jack, these four years have been such an adventure; full of fun, excitement, worry, tears, learning and lots of love. Thanks for teaching us so much, little man. And, thanks for being the guinea pig; I don't think we screwed up too much yet. We're living and learning, and you've been along for the journey. For the past two years we've had the pleasure of watching you in your role as big brother, a part you were made for! Sam is a lucky little guy to have a big brother like you to look after him. You keep us smiling with your sweet early morning greetings. You warm us with your big kisses and giant hugs. We never lack for entertainment with you around. We love you! Happy 4th Birthday, Jack!

Singing Indians

2011-11-17T18:36:00.000-05:00

Jack and his fellow preschool classmates gave a highly entertaining performance this week. Apparently, the first try did not live up to Jack's expectations. I'm guessing he wanted to see more effort from his classmates?

Gobble, Gobble by the Busy Bees (take 1) from Laura Garrett on Vimeo.

The second effort was much better, don't you agree:

And, just in case you thought you might want to be a turkey, the Busy Bees remind you of the dangers of being a turkey on Thanksgiving Day:

thankful thursday

2011-11-17T16:08:00.000-05:00

I'm oh so thankful for these two sweet faces!

bounty for the crew members

2011-11-16T16:08:00.000-05:00

Can you tell what sort of party we're gearing up for? Can't believe I'll have a 4-year-old soon!

We interrupt...

2011-11-14T23:09:00.000-05:00

this blog for a cold, cough, sinus, congestion, etc. that just won't go away. Yes, my boys love me so much that they share everything with me including their yucky germs. The glamor began when we were at Amelia Island, as Josh was concluding his first week of the often called "crud." I was much better at convincing myself I wasn't sick when we at the beach. Once we were back, there was no denying that Mama was indeed sick.Over the course of the last two weeks, I can count a half dozen times when I felt like I was about to turn the corner. Then, the sinuses came and got involved on Friday.

So, although the show has gone on around here as usual, I've not really been capturing many photographs. Not to mention that I managed to misplace my camera's memory card. So, hopefully we'll be back on track here soon!!

What time is it?

2011-11-07T21:55:00.000-05:00

So, we gained an extra hour this weekend. I was really excited when I went to bed Saturday night knowing it wasn't really as late as the clock said it was. Even the kids did okay, sleeping until the new 7:15. I guess it helped that we kept them up until halftime of the Bama/LSU game. Somehow Sam even managed to stay awake on the way home from church Sunday morning. We survived that first day.

Today has been a bit of a different story. While Sam kept with his 7:15 waking, Jack was up at 6:40, which is not sooo bad except everyone was falling apart much earlier today than normal. So, naptime came a little earlier today. Then, after 3 hours passed without a peep, I began to worry I'd never get them to sleep tonight. Reluctantly I woke them both up at 4:30. So, although the clock says it's 9:45...I feel like it's 11. Usually, it's the little ones that have the worst time with the time change, but I think it's hit me the hardest. I'm not used to being so zonked at 9:30!

I know my body will eventually get used to it, but I may just buck my weekly tradition of staying up ridiculously late to get caught up and call it a night or at least try to free up some space on the dvr, wouldn't want to get too crazy now!

First Friday Flashback

2011-11-04T07:32:00.000-04:00

It's our second installment of first Friday flashback. If you've read any of my blog this week, you probably know where we were last week...enjoying some time away on Amelia Island. Specifically at the Halloween carnival on the resort, where Sam enjoyed his try at pumpkin bowling.

A month ago, these silly boys of mine were sharing pancakes and showing off their cowboy style.

Just three months ago, Jack was trying an American tradition for the first time by giving his oreos a milk dunking before each bite. We were enjoying a morning at Imagine It in Atlanta. We also spent a day with family at the lake, where Jack showed his fearless and adventurous side on the inner tube.

Hard to believe it's been six months since Jack gave me the scare of a lifetime. That memory is as vivid and clear as if it happened yesterday. That same month I was laughing at the hilarity of an old advertisement I stumbled upon. We were teaching Jack that he did indeed have a father.

And since I've been stuck in a beach state of mind, let's reminisce about our trip to the island from a year ago. We were also marveling at Sam's latest development...crawling!

It's been two whole years since this adorable little Indian first appeared. That same guy cracked us up showing off his vocal skills in this funny video. We also had just returned from a quick trip down to Jacksonville without any little ones.

Three years ago, a different video had us giggling as Jack showed off some early rhythm. We burned extra energy marching around the gorge with a one-year-old. We were saying goodbye to a beloved grandfather, who Jack was just getting to know.

My poor memory isn't as good as it once was, but four years ago Josh & I were just weeks away from welcoming Jack into our family. I had yet to make the leap into blogging, but that month we said goodbye to a beloved grandmother, just weeks before she was to become a great-grandmother. Here's a look back at a piece my dad wrote about his mother, in case you need a good cry.

Last Thursday

2011-11-03T11:55:00.000-04:00

This morning we had oatmeal and cocoa puffs for breakfast. The same thing we had last Thursday. But, last week there was an ocean out our window. An ocean view makes oatmeal and cocoa puffs even better.

Today after breakfast the boys headed to preschool. Last week, we spent the morning with our toes in the sand and surf.

So, if you caught me daydreaming today, I was probably thinking about the sounds of those waves crashing and my boys enjoying a Thursday morning at the beach.

What are the Odds?

2011-11-02T07:53:00.000-04:00

About three years ago, we took what felt like our first "family vacation" when Jack was nine months old. While we were enjoying our time on St. Simons Island we had family photos made. The memories of that photo shoot were fresh again while the boys were bouncing from store to store at the Plantation Shops trick-or-treating last Friday night during our recent trip. On our way out of the island area photography shop, Josh spotted a familiar face on the top of a stack of canvases sitting on display by the door. What are the odds?

Superman and A Giraffe Walk into a Bar...

2011-11-01T06:05:00.000-04:00

You'll remember we did a trial run of our Halloween wardrobe several days ago, and the boys gave their costumes another workout this past weekend during our trip to Amelia Island. So, I knew that Sam would not only tolerate his costume, but actually kind of enjoy it. What I didn't really expect was for him to enjoy carrying his treat basket so much. He pretty much refused any help with his basket. The little guy loves to be on the move, so I should have known he'd love going from house to house to collect treats.

We even had a visit from Mema and Pop on Monday night. They decided that instead of handing out candy to other people's kids, they'd rather drive up and watch their own grandboys collect sweets. I'm not sure who is having more fun?

We made it around to about 10 or so of the houses on our street, and then Jack was ready to head home and play! Not to mention the fact that they couldn't wait to sample some of their loot.

A Perfect Break

2011-10-31T22:45:00.001-04:00

While there was a true "fall break" from school a couple of weeks ago around here, our family of four had a break planned that coincided with the annual Georgia vs. Florida football game. Josh and I have been going to the game since college, and even though these days we have little ones in tow, we still enjoy making the trip. We've always joked that since the Dawgs haven't had the best luck with winning in Jacksonville in the last couple of decades, that we had to make a mini-vacation out of the trip to make the 6-7 hour drive worth it.

So, dashing out of Athens after Friday classes has turned into Wednesday morning departures from our home in Habersham. Reservations at the Omni hotel adjacent to the Jacksonville Landing (a.k.a. party central) have given way to condo rentals on the Plantation resort at Amelia Island. To visit Fernandina Beach, is to love Fernandina Beach.

With beautiful skies and warm breezes, this year's trip was a perfect break for our family of four...not to mention Saturday brought a Bulldog victory. Another great treat is that we get the opportunity to reconnect with old friends that we rarely get to see. Now that we all have children, it's always interesting when the crew gets together. (More photos of our trip here.)

Returning from a trip is always exhausting. The boys did pretty well both days we spent in the car. Unpacking and laundry filled our morning. So, although today was a sort of back to reality, that reality included escorting Superman and an adorable Giraffe to the post office, pharmacy, grocery and up and down our street. In other words..not entirely boring.

Carving Up Fun

2011-10-22T05:04:00.000-04:00

The boys and I met up with some friends to carve pumpkins. The kids were pretty excited about it, but pumpkin carving can be kind of slow going. So, the younger ones can get easily bored and ready to move on. Jack hung on for a while. He's not really the kind that likes to get messy.

He selected a bat design for his pumpkin, but when I saw all the cuts that I would be doing we reconsidered. I managed to talk him into the batman bat, which just happened to be on his shirt. I sketched it on the pumpkin and got to carving. Jack was pretty pleased with the finished product, so all is well.

photo friday

2011-10-21T16:57:00.000-04:00

Did a little dress rehearsal today. I think we're ready...

A Pinteresting Try

2011-10-19T11:37:00.002-04:00

So, I gave the spaghetti & hot dog idea I saw on Pinterest a try the other night. I was already making spaghetti, so I just stabbed the hot dogs with the spaghetti and dropped it into the boiling water. It was pretty simple.

I guess it turned out much like I thought they would. I guess I would make it again...Jack didn't really eat it, but he did enjoy the spaghetti. Sam thought the hot dog part was okay, but wasn't sure about how these silly pasta in the way. He was, however, a fan of the spaghetti meat sauce. So, I guess I'll just stick to one dish in this case...the one everyone agrees on!

Cheese

2011-10-18T01:25:00.000-04:00

We spent part of our Saturday with our favorite photographer in the nearby mountains. As you can imagine, the fall color was gorgeous and we had a lot of fun. I see another fun family Christmas card in our near future.

A few knock knock jokes and we were able to get Jack giggling and totally, absolutely beside himself. He enjoyed his time in front of the camera and took his role as little brother's guide/example very seriously.

Sam was a much tougher cookie to crack. We made silly faces, we tried ridiculous sounds. Sue Ann even had candy to bribe the boys in between frames, but he was all serious and full of thought.

Picasso

2011-10-17T23:24:00.000-04:00

We've got an artist at work here, folks.

And here's our finished product. See, I told you he was talented!

Fall Breeze

2011-10-13T16:43:00.000-04:00

Don't you love feeling that fall breeze blowing through your hair?

Just another Sunday afternoon ride on the choo choo train...

First Friday Flashback

2011-10-07T07:15:00.001-04:00

Today is the first Friday in October, and I thought about doing a little flashback. If I can remember I'd like to do it every month. Wouldn't that be fun??

A week ago, we were gearing up to celebrate my dad's birthday down in Athens. It was a lot of fun, and it's always a treat when we get to have a big gathering. This party included my family, my brother & his wife, my parents, my in-laws and my sister-in-law & her fiance. Josh & I are so blessed to have families that don't just tolerate spending time together, but actually enjoy it. I know our boys will be blessed by it too!

One month ago, I was recalling a blissfully simple Labor Day, which was just what our family needed.

And while the crisp fall air has moved in and mornings now require sleeves, just three short months ago I was writing an Ode to Summer and trying to figure when Sam turned into a big boy who rides bikes and climbs ladders.

Can't believe it's been almost six months since we were unexpectedly celebrating an appearance from my kid sister, who lives in Germany. That very month I was documenting Sam's then favorite word/sign: "more." Ironically, he doesn't sign much anymore at all, but says so much more now! In fact, he's looking at me saying, "up, please!" as I sit and type this very post. Jack was also sharing his version of things.

A year ago, I had a sweet little baby that was on the brink of learning to crawl, and we took Jack to his first event at the fabulous Fox Theatre in Atlanta. That big boy was on the verge of turning three and had begun cracking us up on a daily basis. We were enjoying our first fall as a family of four.

Two years ago, we were enjoying a day at the farm with our buddies Gus and Mack. We took Jack to the final Braves game of the season, in which he napped while wearing a BK crown all the way to the ballpark! We found out we'd be welcoming a second BOY to our family. We squeezed a beach trip with great friends into our fall.

Three years ago seems soooo long ago! We were enjoying watching Jack explore his surroundings and test his legs by cruising about. He was about a month shy of his first birthday, and now we're just weeks away from the big 4!

Hope you had fun flashing back with us. Want to reminisce with us?

Pop is 61

2011-10-03T16:05:00.000-04:00

On Saturday, we headed down to Athens to watch the Bulldogs take on the Bulldogs. My sweet sister-in-law, Lisa, agreed to watch the boys while everyone else went to the game. Well, just before kick-off Sam showed her his incredible skill of self-injury when he fell and bit through his lip. He's much better now, but had a fat lip for a while. After the game, everyone stayed to help celebrate my dad's 61st birthday.

There was popcorn, which pleased Jack to no end!

There was a teeny tiny hat, that my other sister-in-law, Kristy, had picked up at her favorite store Glitzy Chick to wear to the game.

Sam donning the hat & showing off his battle wound.

I can't figure out what tickles me more about this photo: the fact that Sam is enjoying this itty bitty hat so much or that Jack is still pounding the popcorn in the background!

We even got to share part of our celebration with my sister or Aunt Emmy via Skype. Jack enjoyed showing off the cake, and we all enjoyed singing and celebrating Pop!

Pancakes Are For Sharing

2011-10-02T23:12:00.001-04:00

Both my boys are big fans of pancakes. I, therefore, am a big fan of the frozen pancakes that you zap in the microwave. Jack really prefers his pancakes with chocolate chips, and I don't often buy them that way. So, it takes some improvisation, but usually I can manage to turn a regular ole pancake into a chocolate chip pancake...albeit a bit messier than your typical chocolate chip pancake.

One day last week, after preparing pancakes, I left the kitchen to work on some laundry. I heard lots of laughter coming from the breakfast table. Sam (who had already eaten) had climbed into the seat beside his feasting big brother. And, naturally, Jack decided to share the delightfully messy pancakes with his little brother.

Howdy, Pardner

2011-10-01T11:07:00.001-04:00

We had Round-Up at church recently, which is basically like Homecoming, but with barbeque and western wear. Although I didn't have cowboy boots or even hats for the boys to wear...they both had a touch of the ranch on. Not the best photo, but here's Jack in his Wrangler shirt.

And Sam with his Wrangler jeans...

Yee-Haw!

Pinspiration

2011-09-30T10:59:00.000-04:00

Maybe you've heard of Pinterest. If so, you know how wonderfully distracting it can be. You can completely ignore the piles of laundry, the unwrapped birthday gift, the lurking mealtime and daydream about all the wonderfully cute and beautiful ways to organize your laundry room, make that gift unique and one-of-a-kind and find food inspiration from all realms of cuisine.

While I "pin" to several different boards, the only ones I seem to actually get around to re-visiting and actually trying are the recipes. These tasty Buffalo Chicken Rolls looked so good and seemed pretty do-able. So, I jumped in head first.

If I can do it, you can do it! I pretty much love all things buffalo, and these rolls are no exception. So, next time you want a tasty treat, make these. They are fun and not too difficult.

The Bigger the Better

2011-09-29T22:40:00.001-04:00

So, I mentioned in a previous post that I was planning to try out my new giant cupcake baking pan, and I'd share the results if it wasn't disastrous. Thankfully for everyone (but especially the birthday girl that received the giant cupcake) it turned out great. My sister-in-law gave me the cool cupcake pan for my birthday last month. Technically it was a gift from my brother and sister-in-law, but I know how these things work and she totally picked this out.

After reading the instructions, I went to work using one of my new favorite recipes, Reese's Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup Cake. Here's how it all started:

Here's the bottom and top, all sprayed up and ready for cake batter!

I split the batter pretty evenly, although I'm thinking I could've used a little more in the top. The instructions say to make the biggest cupcake you'll want to use two boxes of cake or two recipes. I only did one, so my cupcake wasn't quite as tall. The piece you see on the far right is for use when you want to add a filling between your top and bottom cupcake layers. You spray the inside and place it over the bottom pan.

This is how the bottom piece turned out. You see it's not quite to the top, but there is a nice indention for that yummy peanut butter filling to rest in. I forgot to get a picture of the top, but it had a big peak in it like a normal cake or cupcake would, so I had to cut off that to even the surface for optimal placement of the two pieces together. But, the extra cake I lopped off was perfect for crumbling right into the bowl of leftover frosting. Just one of the perks of being the baker!

So, here's what the cupcake looked like after I evened the top piece, filled the indentation with frosting and topped the rest of the bottom edge with frosting. Next came the full frosting.

It already looks good enough to eat, but don't stop there! It's time to embellish...

Happy Birthday, Kim! Due to a feverish little one, I didn't get to cut into this yummy confection with you and the gals. Hope it was a sweet as you!

Lovely Weather

2011-09-28T15:30:00.000-04:00

So, what have you been doing with this lovely fall weather? We've been enjoying extra time on the swings, slides, dinners on the deck and pulling on sweaters in the mornings.

Hip, hip, hurra!

2011-09-27T15:42:00.000-04:00

That's German for hip, hip, hooray! I'm super stoaked because my sweet, dear sister got a job offer at the elementary school on base where she and her hubby are stationed in Germany. They've been there just over a year, and she worked previously with youth until she had to come back to the U.S. suddenly last spring because of an illness. She's all better now and has been hoping to get back into the classroom where she feels at home! While she won't have her own classroom, she'll be working as a teacher's assistant in a Kindergarten class. She taught Kindergarten for two years here before moving to Germany. I think being back in her comfort zone, working with kids will go a long way to making Germany feel a lot less far away from home.

While I'm on the subject of my sister, she's recently embraced her inner-craftiness. I introduced her to Pinterest. And, while I'm one of those who lurks and constantly pins, she actually tries the stuff she finds. She recently gave her dining room wall a makeover. If you want to see, take a look. Since I have preschoolers that consume most of my patience, I won't be attempting a project like this anytime soon. I am, however, trying out my big cupcake pan for the first time. So, if it's not a complete disaster, maybe I'll let you know how it goes!

Happy Bday, dear old Dad

2011-09-27T15:29:00.002-04:00

Saturday was my dad's birthday, and I missed a chance to say happy birthday in the blogosphere. So, I'll do so now! I love you, dad! Looking forward to celebrating with most of the family this weekend!

Play time

2011-09-21T07:23:00.001-04:00

Our dear sweet friends the Hills have moved back to the shore for a while. So, we were thrilled that they could make some room for play time at the park on the trip home to Georgia this week. The weather has turned instantly to fall it seems this week, so it was a brisk picnic at the park, but the kiddos didn't seem to notice.

Don't you just love Caroline's face in this one? If you listen closely, you can hear that great deep belly laughter!

Sam was in usual form...marching to and fro as if he was as big as everyone else!

Game Day

2011-09-20T00:19:00.000-04:00

On Saturdays in the fall we make the trek down to Athens to watch the Bulldogs play. Cheering for our alma mater is something Josh & I have always enjoyed doing together. Thankfully, my mom usually watches the boys for us. Last Saturday we had a couple of extra tickets and both the weather forecast and opponent looked favorable for an easy viewing...so, I talked Josh into taking Jack with us to the game. I think he had fun, but I also think he was pretty bored about 65 percent of the time. All in all, I'm glad we took him. It will probably be a while before he goes back, and I'm not sure he'll really be asking to go back anytime soon. He asked if we could go home after the first quarter. The sun was pretty bright, and he was a little farther from the action than at the Raider games on Friday nights.

First things first, we had to get rid of Pop's extra tickets. Here Uncle John is teaching Jack the fine art of scalping tickets.

All ready for kickoff!

I guess when the dawgs score 59 points in the first 3 quarters, you shouldn't expect too much more action in the 4th quarter. But that doesn't stop a true fan from claiming the 4th for his team!

All's Fair

2011-09-17T23:49:00.002-04:00

Last Tuesday we took our annual pilgrimage to the county fair. Jack had a lot of fun last year, but this year seemed like even more joyful. Sam also got to get in on the fun! Even though it is definitely for the kids, Josh & I love the fair just as much. Mostly for the food...my caramel apple was a messy delight!

Vroom, vroom!

Ready to see the top of the world from the ferris wheel

Whee...

Josh swears Jack was enjoying this ride...I'm not so sure.

This smile might be deceiving. I'm getting old, people. I almost lost my lunch!

The carousel was a little more my speed. Not to mention Sam's favorite!

Sharing a sweet treat

The boys back on the carousel.

Told you it was Sam's favorite!

Finished with another trip round the speedway.

Until next year...

Big Apple Scrapbook

2011-09-13T10:01:00.000-04:00

I shared some reflections about 9/11 this weekend and posted a small snippet of a scrapbook I put together following mine and Josh's trip to New York that July of 2001. Here are a few more pages from the specific day we visited WTC. Ignore the attention to detail, stickers, etc. Obviously this was before I had kids.

Scrapbook cover sketch pays tribute to a NYC skyline that once was

How can you not?

From atop the pedestal at the Statue of Liberty. Who knew that skyline would change so dramatically in 2 short months?

We waited for about 45 minutes to ride to the "Top of the World." Well worth it.

And what else would two sweethearts do while touring lower Manhattan? Pose with the Heisman...obviously!

And, of course, finish the day at the Empire State Building and get engaged...ho hum!

Basically, just an average summer Sunday touring New York City...nothing to see here, folks.

Remembering

2011-09-11T22:15:00.000-04:00

This weekend, specifically Sunday, has been all about remembering and honoring. It has been impossible not to think back to what I was doing ten years ago on that fateful Tuesday, September 11, 2001.

Word of those horrible attacks on American soil first reached me while I was at work.

I was in my (second) senior year at UGA, preparing to graduate at the end of the semester. I was newly engaged to my sweetheart of three years. That Tuesday morning I was in between teaching classes at the gymnastics facility where I worked part-time. Morning classes were my favorite because it brought in the mommies and preschoolers. The director called me up after my first class to tell me what was going on. My first thought was disbelief. I shudder to think about it now, but I recall I may have even chuckled at how unbelievable it all seemed.

You see I had been standing atop one of those towers a mere two months earlier. Sunday, July 15, 2001 to be exact. A day that up until then had been remarkable for its ending atop the Empire State Building where I said yes to a boy down on one knee. But two months later, all I could think about was how that same day had started in lower Manhattan with a trip to see Lady Liberty and Top of the World, the observation deck atop the South tower.

I can still remember talking with the few moms that did show up for the next class. One who had been watching when the second plane hit. I recall her saying she went numb and became glued to the unbelieveable scene unfolding in front of her. She said she didn't want to move, but realized it wasn't good for her 3 year-old to sit and watch her that way, so she had decided to come to class.

My afternoon classes at UGA were cancelled as were so many other things that day and the rest of the week. We went from shock and disbelief to a nation in mourning. Eventually we rallied...united with hope. Not a second went by that we weren't hearing about another account of a last-minute voice mail or an account of a first-responder who dashed into the flames. Not a day went by that we weren't flooded with the thoughts of the thousands of spouses, children, parents and loved ones who had lost their beloved husbands, wives, fathers, mothers, sons, daughters...

I can't pinpoint when it happened, but at some point a day arrived when I didn't think about it. You can decide if that's good or bad. Sure it was time to heal, but for those families that lost loved ones that day of healing may have come too soon.

About four or five years later, I returned to the city that never sleeps. It was a sombering experience to walk around what was now called Ground Zero. What was once a bustling home to economy was now a big hole full of dirt, concrete and construction equipment.

At some point, I'm sure I'll have to explain what happened that day ten years ago to a pair of curious boys. It will be impossible not to recall where I was, what I was doing and what I first thought of as I struggle to give meaning to a senseless act of evil. But, thankfully, I don't have to have all the answers.

God’s voice thunders in marvelous ways; he does great things beyond our understanding. Job 37:5

perfect labor day

2011-09-05T21:52:00.001-04:00

What a way to celebrate Labor Day! We knew rain was in the forecast for us today, and they weren't kidding. It has only let up a couple of times today. After a late night Saturday, it was nice to have a day to sort of catch up on rest and get some things done. But, other than some minor projects around the house, we enjoyed a pretty labor-free day. The boys did great for being cooped up...in fact they never got out of their pajamas! Getting ready for bed tonight we already had PJs crossed off our list. Here's a few recent funnies:

Jack is playing with a toy telephone. He covers the receiver and whispers to me, "It's your parents." This alone was pretty funny, but I decided to quiz him a bit and asked him if he knew my parents' names. He said, "John & Lisa." (By the way, that is my brother & sister-in-law.) I corrected him: "Mema & Pop are my parents." To which he said, "Oh, yeah. They are your mom & dad."

While playing with his matchbox cars and lining them up along the bottom of a shelf, Jack explained to me that his cars were having a tea party. I said, "a tea party?" He said, "Yes, but it's a blue tea party. Pink tea parties are for girls."

Jack also recently informed me that he likes monsters, but girls don't. I said, "oh, yeah." He replied very matter of factly, "yes, girls like kitty kats."

Yesterday at church our children's minister passed along this scene. While she was sharing a story about Mary & Martha, she explained that they were sisters. Jack piped up and said, "I have a sister named Sam!"

saturday fun

2011-08-30T11:02:00.002-04:00

On Saturday, we had a visit from Grandmommy & Grandaddy Garrett. We were excited to have the opportunity to let them experience the Family Fun Fest that evening with the boys. This is the third year we've loaded up and soaked up the fun and basked in our sweat to have a little fun with the little ones.

A little golf

even Sam took a whack at it...

the huge cardboard box maze

this boy has moves...

little brother's puppy tatoo. what a tough guy!

checking out where the firemen ride...and drink lots of 2-liter diet coke apparently

On the way up in the cherry picker

Way up there

What a ride!

I only wear orange on Fridays

2011-08-30T00:04:00.000-04:00

Friday night kicked off another season of high school football in the 'Sham, and we were thrilled to begin our evening tailgating with friends before the game. As usual, the boys enjoyed running wild on the practice field and dreaming of their future glory days, I'm sure.

Put me in, Coach!

Best news is the Raiders hung on to win. What a great way to start the year. My sweet friend and fellow blogger is a bit superstitious and insists that we'll have to tailgate before every home game now. April, I think you forgot about one of the most important ingredients to that Raider victory...

The ceremonial "soaking of the tree!"

First

2011-08-29T22:53:00.000-04:00

So, the first day back at preschool was last Tuesday. Here's our "First Day" pic:

I know you're jealous of my awesome memory capturing abilities.

Overall, everyone had a great day. I think everyone's favorite part though was playing outside before bedtime.

Humore me...reassure me it will be a long while before his feet touch the ground.

All in a day's work

2011-08-23T10:30:00.001-04:00

It's no piece of cake being at home with two young boys, but we do our best to make it fun. I've yet to master the art to getting it all done. Although, I'm hoping since preschool started today, I'll have a fighting chance to at least have my kitchen floor stay clean for longer than 4 hours.

Sometimes I get little glimpses into God's plan for my life. Like yesterday when I sat in the floor and put together a train track so two boys could watch a motorized train go round and round. Or anytime I stop laundering, sweeping, emailing or fixing juice long enough to sit down and read a book with a sweet listener in my lap.

As I sat there assembling that train track I thought, "this is exactly what I am supposed to be doing right now! How many other folks can count train track assembly among their list of duties at work?" Granted, there are probably a few who are overjoyed train track assembly isn't in their job responsibilities.

Of course, along with the fun of playing "engineer" is the delight of playing referee between two boys who must have the same exact Lightning McQueen even though there are at least three others just like it. There is the joy of doling out punishments for pushing or hair pulling. There are the highly anticipated trips to the grocery store with impatient toddlers. Not to mention the glamorous diaper changing, snotty nose wiping, cleaning soured milk from sippy cups and scraping dried oatmeal from a myriad of locations.

So, yeah, it's no walk in the park, but the truth is we get to go to the park! Pretty much whenever we want to! In this business, the benefits outweigh the negatives. Between storytime at the library and tying on our superhero capes, it's all in a day's work!

Quick Q & A

2011-08-22T23:30:00.000-04:00

Q: What's the best way to make a morning in the park with friends even better?

Sam enjoyed sharing brother's popsicle

And some of Amelia's too...

A: Add popsicles, of course!

Q: Where is the perfect place to have a sweet reward for your little ones after their exhausting photo session?

A: A Krispy Kreme with the "HOT" sign on!

Q: What is a rock waterfall with no water?

A: The perfect "mountain" for boys to climb as they plan to conquer the world and fight bad guys (with a few juice breaks here and there)

photo friday!

2011-08-19T16:13:00.000-04:00

I think I mentioned we got to see our favorite photographer this week. Our goal was to record that sweet grin on our now 18-month-old Sam. As always, we weren't disappointed. Get a sneak peek of the images at Sue Ann's Blog.

Some words from Pop (5th installment)

2011-08-17T16:07:00.001-04:00

As I mentioned previously, last Thursday marked my 32nd birthday. My sweet dad shared this column with me this weekend. It ran in the August 11th edition of The Oconee Enterprise. For my regular readers, this is a somewhat regular feature here on the blog. I've also been asked to issue kleenex alerts before proceeding with most of my dad's pieces, but I don't think this one is that tear-inducing. But, if you are looking for one that is...read one of his others here. Or there's always this one. And these two about Sam and Jack.

Aug. 11 is Pretty Significant Day

In the grand scheme of things, Aug. 11 is significant as 811 day, when utility companies encourage people to call 811 before digging in their yards with mechanized equipment.

But on a personal level, Aug. 11 has been a pretty big day.

It was on Aug. 11, 1969, that I embarked upon a professional career in journalism, starting as a sportswriter.

My first story was about the Athens American Legion baseball team losing in the state finals. I did not go to the game. I talked to the coach, who provided details.

Among those details, Jimmy Wilkes dropped a fly ball in center field at a key moment. I received a phone call later from his father Dupree Wilkes, a fine fellow who had coached me briefly in Little League baseball, informing me that his son had not dropped the ball, but that the umpire had ruled that he trapped it.

Happily, young Jimmy Wilkes was unscarred by the incident, and he rose to a rank of significance in the armed forces, the Air Force if I am not mistaken. If I am wrong, someone will call.

But it was 10 years later that Aug. 11 took on significance of the highest order. Late that Saturday morning, my bride Jan gave birth to our second child.

"You've got a sissy little girl," announced the baby doc.

We had children back in the dark ages before routine ultrasound exams revealed the sex. And so Laura Marie Giles was born.

It sounds like merely the musings of a proud papa, but I honestly have never seen a prettier baby. She had a head of thick, black hair, a smooth complexion and a healthy skin tone.

Well, she's still as pretty and is now the blissfully wed wife of Joshua Garrett, and mother of two boys, Jack and Sam.

Looking back over the years of my professional career, I can point to columns where I wrote about her siblings, John and Emily. If I wrote about Laura, it escapes me.

There was that one column where she was a JV cheerleader at a Cedar Shoals football game. It was the first and last time I ever embedded a message in a column, and today is the first time I have revealed that fact. Taking the first letter of each paragraph, the message read, "Laura Giles was great."

She was never a great athlete, but she was a determined participant. She still holds the family record for most points scored in a high school basketball game.

She became a Bulldog at UGA, where like me she earned a degree in journalism. Of my three offspring, she looks the most like me, and she was most interested in writing.

Her writing now is mostly reserved for her blog, Garrett News, where you can keep up with her family. Most of her energies are spent on her boys, Josh included, and it is a joy to see her so happy.

Aug. 11. When you dig deep into the heart of Blake Giles, what stands out is not so much that first day on the job, but that "sissy little girl."

Blake Giles is the editor for The Oconee Enterprise. Opinions expressed are those of the writer.

18 and enjoying the ride?

2011-08-17T15:20:00.001-04:00

Today marks 18 months, we've been a family of four. Exactly 18 months ago today, we welcomed Sam into our lives. Has it really been that long?? Although he's constantly in motion, always striving to keep up with (and often times out-do) big brother, I still think he's just a baby. Reality is sinking in that he's getting to be a big boy. We'll check in on his stats next week at the pediatrician, and we just had a visit with our favorite photographer last night in Athens. Those adorable snapshots are the closest thing I've found to freezing time. Since we can't push pause, we'll just hang on and enjoy the ride!

m is for moooo & milk!

2011-08-16T18:45:00.000-04:00

Last Monday the boys and I headed down to Braselton to meet some friends of ours for some fun at the Mayfield dairy. My best friend from high school lives nearby. She has a three-year-old as well and is expecting her second child in December. Although they are less frequent than we'd like, we enjoy every chance we have to get together. It had been almost a year since our last playdate in October!

We enjoyed lunch together beforehand, where the kids were a bit wild. Then went to tour the Mayfield operations. Maybe still a bit over the head of three-year-olds, they seemed to enjoy seeing the big milk trucks and milking Bessie.

Checking out Bessie

Jack surveying the scene

Evelyn takes a turn

What is this thing?

Sam takes his try

"I will figure out how this thing works..."

29...again

2011-08-16T06:53:00.000-04:00

So, last week I celebrated the third anniversary of my 29th birthday. Yep, that magic 32. I like to think I'm pretty low maintenance and pretty non-demanding when it comes to birthday celebrations. But since my husband had plans to spend most of his weekend with an old friend from residency and their fathers at the PGA Championships in Atlanta, I think he felt like my birthday would be overshadowed by the arrival of our houseguests. So, I had a few exciting and unexpected surprises.

The boys and I joined friends for swimming, and Andrea (one of my sweetest girlfriends) brought a chocolate chip cookie cake for us to share. The kids took delight in singing and the sweet stuff was the perfect motivation to get the kids out of the water and ready for naps! Thanks, girls!

Soon after we arrived home, the doorbell rang. Jack and I answered the door to find flowers! Josh (and the boys) had sent a beautiful arrangement of fresh flowers. A lot of girls say that flowers are a waste of money or they die too quickly, but I think they have such a way of brightening your day! I always loved getting flowers delivered when I was working in an office setting, since it lets your coworkers know you have an incredible hubby! Well, now, my boys know they have an incredibly thoughtful daddy!

With company arriving at some point that evening, we had planned on staying in. I was perfectly fine with a fun night at home as long as I didn't have to cook. I figured we'd just warm up leftovers. But Josh had other plans. He brought home a caterer! Yes, I heard another voice when he walked in from work and discovered a stranger in my kitchen. A stranger who could cook! We enjoyed fresh spinach salad with homemade dressing, chicken florentine, wild rice, asparagus and a yummy white chocolate mousse pie. And, she cleaned up too!! It was such a treat to spend time enjoying the boys and catching up while someone else prepared our dinner. Josh seemed pretty tickled that he'd managed to surprise me. I love surprises, and he sure pulled off a pretty good one!

On Saturday, I met several girlfriends to see The Help. It was full of laughter, a few tears and stuck pretty close to the incredibly gripping book. Afterwards we stuck with the sixties theme and had dinner and shakes at Fenders, a local diner. After serving as hostess to a few extra it was nice to get a break from the duties at Hotel Garrett for a few hours. Thirty-two aint so bad, in fact it's been one of the best birthdays ever.

back in the swing

2011-08-15T22:42:00.000-04:00

Even though it's still in the 90s most days, summer is drawing to an end and school begins very soon. With the arrival of school comes the start to our new session of Community Bible Study. I'm super excited about our study on the book of Luke. Our 30+ week study on Genesis last year was such a blessing.

Our group meets on Monday nights, which can be somewhat of a challenge. You see, Josh works in the emergency room every. monday. night. He usually checks in around 7:30. Bible study begins at 7. Childcare is not typically provided. I was so thankful when God lead a very sweet high schooler from the neighborhood to our family. Every Monday night she walked over to our house to watch the boys while I attended CBS. It was a great fit for us. The boys love her, and after I weaned Sam, she would even put him to bed for me each week.

Unfortunately, it made for a rather hectic Monday night schedule. Josh usually arrived home to a nearly finished dinner, which was typically something easy and super fast. We'd have about an hour to eat, spend time together and get him off to work just before the sitter arrived. Needless to say, our Monday nights have been so much more leisurely this summer. Dinner can wait until 6:00! The boys have more time to play with daddy...although it makes goodbye harder with no talk of an arriving sitter.

So, as much as I'm looking forward to getting back into the swing of things next week when our CBS kicks off, I know it will be a return to our crazy and hectic Monday nights. Thankfully, God has always rewarded me and blessed me with my participation in CBS. It has always felt worth it to be there, and not just for the adult conversation, although that helps. I'm excited to see what He has in store for me this year. I'm ready to embrace the insanity that will be my Monday nights.

america's favorite cookie

2011-08-15T15:44:00.001-04:00

A week or so ago, we were at the grocery store. When I paused our shopping cart to pick up milk, Jack noticed a photograph of someone dipping an Oreo in a big glass of milk on display. He looked at me in amazement. "Do some people put their cookie in their milk?"

I admit I felt a little guilty, that I hadn't yet shared this American past time with my son. So, I promised him he could try it after lunch. He was a natural. I'm pretty sure it lived up to his expectations.

fun in the sun

2011-08-15T15:25:00.001-04:00

Sam found a perfect hiding spot

Several days ago we spent our Saturday with family on Lake Lanier. It was a birthday celebration of sorts for me and my brother. It was a cloudy day, which cooled it down a bit. The one rain shower that moved through happened to do so while we were docked for lunch. We spent most of our day cruising in the pontoon boat and introducing Jack to tubing. I'm pretty sure he's hooked.

His first go round was alongside dad. He kept yelling, "go faster!" And "don't slow down!"

Finally he agreed to take a break. After lunch, my brother and sister-in-law decided to take a turn. Jack wasn't as good a spectator as he was participant. He kept yelling (unbeknownst to them): "just fall off!"

Jack was thrilled when they decided they'd had enough. I decided I'd get on the tube with Jack this time, but before we even got that far he announced, "I won't be scared to do it all my by self.*" So, we put him out there alone. Partly because of his lack of weight and our lack of speed he fell off right away. I was afraid he was done. He did seem a little scared floating alone in that big lake, and yelled, "come back" as we circled back around. After swimming to the rope, he said, "I want to get back on, daddy!"

*I still love that he says "all my by self" instead of all by myself.

like curious george, not george from seinfeld

2011-08-14T14:51:00.002-04:00

A couple of weeks ago, our church organized a "mommy & me" trip to Imagine It, the children's museum in Atlanta. In anticipation of our arrival, I tried to explain to Jack where we where headed. He asked if it was a museum like George goes to. And just to make sure I knew he was talking about the cartoon monkey he added, "Like Curious George, not George from Seinfeld."

I assured him that this was the kind of museum where we could touch everything! Jack loved shopping in the market, running the register, loading the grocery truck and milking the cow. Sam was a busy body as well. It was a workout to keep up with the two of them.

this boy likes to shop for groceries!

squeeze!

Sam loved the ability to explore

painting fun!

not over yet

2011-08-13T12:15:00.000-04:00

When we returned from our vacation a couple of weeks ago on a Thursday, no one was quite ready for the fun to end. So, the next day we trekked down to Atlanta to take in the Georgia Aquarium. We arrived relatively early, but it doesn't take long for that place to get crowded and difficult to maneuver. Josh has been to the aquarium in Chattanooga, and although it can't claim as much tank space as its Atlanta competition, he assured me it was a better aquarium to visit. Overall, the boys had a great time, and I'm really glad I can say I've seen the place....especially the newly added dolphin show. The show itself was pretty corny (way too much singing, broadway showtunes, etc.) The dolphins and their amazing tricks were more than reason enough to suffer through the cheesy song performances.

brothers

2011-08-06T11:46:00.000-04:00

One of the days while we were in Asheville a rain storm moved in while we were inside a store. Josh volunteered to go get the car while we waited on the porch of the store. I noticed a wicker chair perfect for two and plopped the boys in while I prepared to fold the stroller and gather our bags. Then, I noticed the cutest brothers I've ever seen.

going out with a bang

2011-08-06T06:42:00.001-04:00

Our last full day in the mountains we traveled down to nearby Lake Lure.* The lake is located very close to Chimney Rock, and the backdrop of the mountains create an incredible view. We spent our first couple hours enjoying the beach area. I think Jack enjoyed being able to float, swim and jump around without having to worry about waves crashing around him. Although he will be quick to make sure you know we went to a beach with brown water, as opposed to blue water. The water was so cool, which was so refreshing. The boys also enjoyed testing the waters at the splash area beside the beach.

After packing up at the beach, we headed over to the marina and hopped on our boat for the afternoon. We enjoyed a picnic on board, and the boys loved the breeze blowing in their hair. It was one of the highlights of our trip. The boys took turns helping Josh drive the boat, and we cruised away.

*Fun fact: Many scenes from Dirty Dancing were filmed at Lake Lure.

exploring the castle

2011-08-05T22:42:00.000-04:00

Tuesday began our adventure at Biltmore Estates. It's the largest home in the country. It was an incredibly interesting, and the boys weren't too terribly bored. Sam hung out in the backpack, and Jack was content was to walk. We moved at a little faster pace than most, but we had a preschooler wanting to lead. Interestingly, his favorite part was the Halloween Room in the basement. Apparently named for the wall scenes painted by Cornelia Vanderbilt Cecil's guests at a 1920s Halloween party. On the way down the hallway towards the Halloween Room Jack heard a ghost saying, "Ooooo!" I suspect it was another patron touring the home. He also enjoyed finding the bats, owls and other animals painted on the walls. He says it was scary, but also says it was his favorite. Maybe we have a future horror flick fan on our hands?

If you have the chance to visit the Biltmore House, I'd recommend doing so. We thoroughly enjoyed it, and I wouldn't mind going back (sans toddlers in tow) to do any of the guided tours that take you into un-restored areas. You can certainly take more time touring the house and the gardens are enormous, but the heat and the walking was too much for our crew. We drove a couple miles over to the estate's Antler Hill Village to have lunch. Both boys fell asleep during the five minute drive. So, we drove around a little more. There's plenty to explore when you're driving around 8,000 acres.

After lunch in the village, we walked over to the barn and stables. The boys loved exploring the old tractor and stables. The petting zoo was a hit as well. But, the biggest hit was our stop at the Creamery in Antler Hill Village.

I am speed

2011-08-05T20:29:00.001-04:00

If you don't have a young boy, you may not recognize the title of this post. It's a very prominent quote from none other than Lightning McQueen of Cars fame. To say our oldest loves Cars, might be an understatement. He loves all things Lightning McQueen. He's been obsessed with the character since before he could say it. It used to sound more like this, "Miker-Queen." So, we knew we'd want to spend one of our vacation days at a nearby amusement center that provided go-carts.

We started our morning with a great breakfast at Early Girl Eatery downtown. Asheville is a great town for anyone who loves food. The selection is eclectic, and their motto seems to focus on taking food from the farm to the table. Early Girl is one of those places that does it well. The grits were great and talk about a kid-friendly restaurant...they didn't just provide crayons, but a whole bucket of toys to entertain the boys. We explored downtown a little bit, including a stop at Mast General Store and a giant iron.

Later we returned to the Historic Biltmore Village. Jack enjoyed trying on some mean rain boots at Just Ducky, while I enjoyed shopping the clearance racks (60% off spring and summer). As I was racking up, the rain started up. Josh dashed across the village to retrieve the car, and I was able to get some great clothes and photos of the boys. (More on that later.)

Next stop was Fun Depot for racing cars and mini golf. Jack was truly beside himself and full of delight as he raced around the tight turns and fast bumps. Neither Josh nor I could remember seeing him so happy. He went twice, once with Josh and again with me. The rain stopped long enough for the outdoor track to dry up, and he and Josh got to drive the even faster cars, and delightfully passed the other one-seater cars on the track.

Fun Depot didn't disappoint Sam either. There was a pair of inflatables that he could have stayed in all day. We had to retrieve him twice, which was a lot simpler than coercing him out of the giant play structure. Imagine the hamster tubes at Chick-fil-A on steroids. The thing had multiple levels, twists and turns and a pair of tube slides. At first Sam was content to do a simple loop, climbing up, passing through one tube and down the slide...hence the photos I captured. Soon he figured out there was more to it, and he was perfectly happy to simply sit at the top and peer through the bubbled panel at everyone below. I sent Jack up to check on him and bring him down several times. Each time Jack came down the slide alone. I'd ask why he didn't bring Sam down to which he replied, "he didn't want to come." After yelling up the spiral tube slide for Sam proved fruitless, a kid a little older than Jack understood my plea. I assured him it was okay to give Sam a push. After some resistance, I heard the kid say, "bingo!" And Sam finally arrived at the bottom of the slide. I scooped him up and we moved on. I'd had enough of the hamster tubes for that day.

Whee!

"Sam...come on down, buddy!"

Maybe coming down is fun...

What a blast!

more asheville

2011-08-05T16:26:00.002-04:00

Picking up where we left off, we began our first full day in Asheville with a short fishing trip. Jack loves the idea of fishing, especially since his first somewhat successful fishing outing. His attention span is not quite long enough to really put in the time required to catch much though. So, we stopped at a park with a fishing lake. After a good 10 minutes, he was done. So, we were glad we had not planned a whole day around fishing.

We continued our day with a hike in DuPont State Forest. A well-visited area, the trail was easy for Jack. In fact, he was our leader. We were pirates, looking at a map and then exploring the forest in search of a waterfall and the perfect picnic spot.

Although I felt I'd done a fair share of research beforehand, I didn't remember reading anywhere about the bottom of the waterfall being a huge swimming hole. As soon as Jack spotted folks wading in the water, he wanted to jump in. Fearing he'd complain about walking around in wet clothes, we improvised. He was happy. All was well.

Then, we found a perfect setting for a picnic with a view and sounds of the waterfall. It was a good first day. We'd crossed lots off Jack's list already...fishing - check; swimming - check; picnic - check. We finished our afternoon with a dip in the hot tub at our cabin. And then enjoyed dinner right off the grill.

Sunday was spent exploring several different areas of Asheville. A trip to a giant playground was fun until the heat got the best of us. We strolled around the Historic Biltmore Village, which later required a re-visit since most shops were closed. We also enjoyed one of our favorite meals of the trip. Sunday lunch at Luella's BBQ. The place has Cheerwine on tap, macaroni & hoop cheese as a side, serves hush puppies with a pulled pork sandwich & had a two-man band playing a live set. Sam bee-bopped to the music, and we enjoyed relaxing with the familiar taste of barbeque on our tongues. Did I mention the place's phone number is 505-RIBS?

We had planned to take in a minor league baseball game Sunday afternoon, but when thunderstorms prevented that, we took the boys to see Winnie the Pooh instead. Jack was his usual movie-loving self. Sam was a terror. He wouldn't sit still. He wouldn't wander quietly. Even the lollipop was no help. I swear he's just like the owl in the old Tootsie Pop commercial, "1 lick, 2 licks, 3...crunch," and it's gone. Thankfully, the movie was only an hour. By the way, it's a cute flick. Made me fall in love with that silly old bear all over again.

choo choo, take 2

2011-08-04T16:53:00.001-04:00

So, we enjoyed our day out with Thomas so much last summer, that we decided to visit again this year. We even decided to make our day in Bryson City the first leg of a week-long stay in Western North Carolina. Of course it was hot, but our morning with Thomas was again a great treat. I couldn't help drawing comparisons to our trip just one year before. Last year, Sam spent most of his time in the baby bjorn. This time he was down and ready to go. I'm glad we didn't bother with the stroller, he wouldn't have had anything to do with it.

Enjoying the trains

Fearless & feeling right at home on the inflatable slide.

Sam loved this bubble table.

Seriously, he could have stayed here all day. And his hair & clothes carried the evidence.

I can't get over him sitting up there all by himself. He's not a baby anymore, that's for sure!

Thomas & the boys

A grin with mom too!

If a one-year-old takes a poop on a bear...

Bear Hug!

Just minutes outside of Bryson City.

Wiped Out!

So, we reached our next destination, our cabin for the week, which was located just outside of Asheville. After unloading and exploring some, we headed downtown. Jack got his second wind just in time to participate in his first drum circle, while we waited for our table at Tupelo Honey Cafe...yumm! I could fully devote a post to the good eats we enjoyed while in Asheville. Our first dinner stop didn't disappoint. How can you go wrong with fresh biscuits served with honey?

Letting the beat move him.

I've got moves you've never seen.

Talk about photo overload. And that was just day one.

poor kid

2011-08-03T16:09:00.000-04:00

So, we've been gone for a week vacationing in Asheville. Once we returned we weren't quite ready for vacay to end, so we tacked on a trip to the aquarium. I'll probably fill you in/bore you with all the details over the course of a few different posts, but I think I'll ease back into blog-o-sphere with an update on my poor deprived 3-year-old.

You'll remember his persistence with wanting an iPad for his birthday. While walking around downtown Asheville one morning last week, we passed a cafe with sidewalk bistro tables. Of course there were a number of folks with laptops, notebooks, etc. He spotted that beautiful apple device and said with utter dejection, "I wish I had an iPad." As if he's the only 3-year-old that doesn't have one.

We stopped in a department store during a stop last week to scout the clearance racks. While I looked for spring/summer wardrobe steals for the boys for next year, Jack spotted a shirt. Now, I guess I should come to terms with the fact that he is beginning to want to make decisions about his own wardrobe, but I feel like I still have final say. I don't remember exactly what the shirt looked like, but it was something along these lines.
I told him he could not get the shirt, nevermind that it wasn't on the clearance rack...it was ugly! Of course, he showed it to Josh proudly. We left without the shirt. Much like the iPad, I thought it was over.

Monday while spending some time with my mom, Jack told her about this awesome monster truck shirt he found. He told her he had prayed to God that he could have that shirt and added, "can you get me that shirt for my birthday?" This kid is unbelievable!

Finally

2011-07-20T17:32:00.000-04:00

What does 20 plus hours of summer reading look like?

After two months of waiting, asking and wondering how much longer, Jack finally got his summer reading reward today. The day we went in to sign up for the summer reading program in late May seems forever ago. Mrs. Dana, the children's librarian, was sporting a phenomenal pirate's hat. Jack noticed it immediately and wanted it. Mrs. Dana told him there were some in the Summer Reading store. I explained to him how things would work and we got to reading. It helped that Mrs. Dana also mentioned there would be ice cream certificates.

The first threshold was easy...two hours. We had that done by the time we were ready to swap our books the following week. Jack was so excited about his reading chart and what would follow proclaiming in the car, "I can't wait to show dad my pirate hat and ice cream." Those first two hours earned Jack two tickets. I scored him an additional four by bringing a donation for the Ronald McDonald house. We waltzed into the store to find the pirate hats were 20 tickets. I begged Jack to save his tickets for next time, but that was of course fruitless. I did convince him to only spend three, rather than all six. Thankfully, almost every other threshold has included an ice cream reward so I was able to keep him out of the store and from spending those precious tickets. Today we earned ten more tickets, bringing our total to 27.

Of course, we were there when the library opened at 10 am this morning.

S is for...

2011-07-19T00:04:00.000-04:00

Sam, of course.

But, I've also been reminded lately that S is for sneaky...

"something wrong, mom?"

Of course it always starts when things get a little too quiet. In his case, I heard a loud noise (the napkin holder). I walked around the corner to find this resourceful 17 month old had used a chair to climb on top of the table. (Of course, I grabbed the camera before scolding him...)

And it wouldn't be right to leave out the fact that S is also for sweet.

This same sneaky tot has taken to giving out smooches to his favorite people. Accompanied by an adorable "Mmmmmm-maaaah!" I like to think the longer the "mmmm" lasts the more he loves me.

Just Ask Jack

2011-07-18T22:24:00.000-04:00

If you've got a burning question, I've got just the person to answer it: Jack. Our ever-curious 3 1/2 year old is full of answers these days. Here are just a couple of examples:

Sam has gotten to that stage that he must remove his shoes when he is in the car. I remember Jack going through a similar stage, but can't for the life of me remember how long this lasts. It doesn't matter if we are going an hour down the road or around the corner, he will do everything he can to get those suckers off. It can make running multiple errands quite frustrating. Last week after opening his door to get him out, I notice he has again removed his shoes. I say aloud, "Sam, did you take your shoes off again? What am I going to do with you?" Jack looked at me and said very matter of factly, "Putting them back on."

Another evening last week, I let Sam enjoy himself at dinner and feed himself his yogurt. Of course, I knew what would happen, but a bath was on tap for that night anyway. I was in the kitchen, and Sam's back was to me. So, I asked Josh, who was standing closer to the table, "how's Sam doing over there?" Josh's said, "He's doing great, Mama," with such joyful encouragement. Jack looked at him as if he were crazy and piped in, "He's got it ALL over him!"

Eight

2011-07-12T00:01:00.001-04:00

Today marks eight years of marriage for me and my beau. If our relationship were a child, it would be entering the teens this year. Yep, we've been together for 13 years.

In the last eight years (and the five before that), regular date nights at hip eateries have morphed into lunch dates at places that have kid's meals. Just a couple of weeks ago, I felt a bit curent as we waited in line on a Friday night for a movie premiere...but our stubs read 'Cars 2,' and we had a thrilled three-year-old bouncing around in line with us.

When you've been together this long you buy each other the same exact anniversary gift and reveal it to one another the day before your anniversary.

A lot has changed in 13 years, like our zip code (about 3 times). Much has changed since that day we said, "I do" eight years ago...but I think we'd both agree there's so much more to love about each other and the life we're building together. I love you, Josh!

making a splash

2011-07-11T23:44:00.001-04:00

Summer is supposed to be hot, but in the South it's plain old sweltering. It's so nice when you can cool off with a nice dip. I think these little guys are having fun.

blink

2011-07-11T22:36:00.000-04:00

when did this happen?

or this??

I'm pretty sure this guy spent the majority of last summer doing this...

and more...

So, when did he get big enough for this??

ode to summer

2011-07-10T23:22:00.002-04:00

I have always loved summer. What's not to love...no school, daylight that lingers forever, homemade ice cream, swimming, popsicles...

Although our days haven't felt particularly lazy, but I sure have been with keeping the blog updated.

Thinking about braving the slide at Water Day

Sam just prefers to lap up the water. Maybe I should give him a drink?

a game of velcro catch in the driveway

a beautiful painted sky

Sam enjoying a jr. bacon cheeseburger

swim lessons

showing off his floating techniques

Maybe it will paint my toes?

2011-06-30T15:25:00.000-04:00

You may remember a couple weekends ago I shared that Josh's aunt had come to visit along with his parents. She brought along a pretty cool little gadget that made Jack an instant friend of Aunt Pat. I was hoping he'd eventually forget all about it, but not so fast...

(in the car yesterday)
J: Mom, when it is my birthday next time, I want one of those things like Mrs. Pat has.
(before I can say anything he adds,) Not Mrs. Pat from my school. Nathan's Mrs. Pat. (Nathan is Patsy's grandson and Jack's cousin). You know a iPed.

Me: An iPed?

J: Yes, a iPed!

Naptime Should Not be Optional

2011-06-27T22:12:00.000-04:00

When you are 3 years old, naptime should not be optional. It's just one of those things I believe in. Unfortunately, these days Jack doesn't seem to agree. Maybe it has something to do with taking a break from preschool and a regular schedule. I feel like I'm doing everything I can to make sure he gets worn out in the mornings, but I guess I'll have to work harder. It's not that I even manage to get much done during naptime these days, but without that much needed nap, that sweet preschooler turns into a terror by dinnertime.

We pulled up to our first day of swim lessons at 6 pm tonight at which point he says, "I'm sooo tired." He hadn't even gotten out of the car yet! Or what about his full-on meltdown when it was time to get out of the pool an hour later and leave. Or the fit he pitched when we couldn't stay and play at a sweet friend's house as I stopped for a quick errand on the way home. I was so exhausted by the time I put them to bed, I immediately drew a bath. Something I rarely do, but it was the closest I was getting to a vacation tonight.

Also this week, we've learned that Sam is a fan of Jr. Bacon Cheeseburgers from Wendy's. He'll actually sit still for a minute if he thinks he's about to get a bite.

Little Things

2011-06-20T23:12:00.000-04:00

Today I was thankful for a few of the little things.

Ingles in Cornelia now has the 2-seater carts. This may seem silly, but I've driven to the Ingles in Clarkesville on a number of occasions just for those carts. Now, I can go wherever is closer with no cart differences!
One of my favorite shows is back! Hoarders premieres tonight. Josh thinks I like it because it makes me feel better about my pack rat tendencies, but I feel the opposite. After watching it, I often want to throw things away knowing that these folks must have lived normally at some point. It's encouragement to get rid of things!
Fun countdowns! Cars 2 premieres in just 3 days. I've got a sitter lined up for baby brother, and we're headed to the movies Friday night! Super Wal-Mart opens in just over a week. Talk about exciting!!

Father

2011-06-19T23:25:00.001-04:00

F is for friend, because he's always there when you need him. My dad always has been. Maybe because we have a similar personality, a laid-back attitude or a similar love of writing, but my dad and I just "get" each other. It brings such joy to see my boys with their best buddy...daddy!

A is for awesome. Dads are just the best. The cat's pajamas. As far as Jack & Sam are concerned Josh is #1; he's their best buddy.

T is for teacher, because there is no one's instruction that means quite as much as a father's. I'm grateful for the guidance and direction my dad has always provided. Dad probably remembers he's the one who taught me to ride my bike, but he's also where I learned how to keep your chin up and trust God when life deals you a bad hand.

H is for happiness, because fathers bring so much to those around them. It's often exhausting to care for two small children daily, but their faces aren't the only ones that light up when daddy gets home. His arrival signifies that I've survived another day, and now it's time for the real fun to begin. I can still remember the smell of my own father's shoulder as I greeted him with hugs. He was (and still is) a newspaper man, and the smell of the ink and presses often permeated his sweaters and coats. When did I grow too old for that sweet greeting? Here's hoping my boys will give their dad the same exciting greeting for many, many years to come.

E is for excellent. Along the same lines of awesome, dads are just incredible. They draw pictures and jokes on your sack lunches. Drawings that gain such acclaim that your classmates gather at the lunch table eager to see what your dad drew today. They sacrifice space and cool points sporting a carseat in the backseat of their truck because riding with daddy is always cooler.

R is for respect, because our fathers deserve so much of ours. Not just because of how much he gives to our family, but because Josh is our guardian and protector. What a huge responsibility. I respect him so much for the role he plays in spiritually guiding our family.

Hope the special dads in my life know how much they are appreciated today and every day!

Just Pat

2011-06-19T22:10:00.001-04:00

While we were off taking in the baseball game, Josh's mom & dad and his aunt Patsy were in route to the hills of Habersham to spend Father's day weekend with us. Grandmommy & Grandaddy get to visit every few weeks or so, but we were excited to have them bring aunt Pat along this time too!

When the boys woke up Saturday morning they were greeted by the presence of fun visitors. Jack trotted down the stairs to find aunt Pat hanging out. Later when Josh joined them, Jack introduced her saying "and this is just Pat." We enjoyed a leisurely morning then ventured to downtown Clarkesville for brunch/lunch on the square and a little walking. After we all felt like we'd need a second shower from the profuse sweating we headed home for naps.

In search of fresh trout, our evening outing was to Helen for dinner and a stroll. Another rain storm had cooled things down a good bit, and we all enjoyed some tasty ice cream. Aunt Pat showed Jack how "the claw" is done and managed to win both boys very cool bouncy balls. Another highlight to the outing were balloon animals and shapes. Jack was over the moon for his motorcycle! But more than that, Jack loved the cool gadget that aunt Pat brought along...her iPad. Saturday night he asked if he could have one for his birthday.

Our father's day was nice and relaxing. It began at church, where Josh sang a solo with the choir, which was a treat for his family (and everyone else) to hear. After lunch we lounged around, exchanged cards, gifts and tried to enjoy an evening free of other obligations. A true treat indeed!

Friday Night Fun

2011-06-18T22:01:00.000-04:00

Our weekend got off to a fun start at the Gwinnett Braves game Friday night. We drove through a rain storm and wondered if the game might be delayed or even cancelled, but the skies cleared. We were glad to have some of Jack's favorite pals there, Gracie & Andrew. Lucky for mommy, sweet Gracie loves Sam and helped keep him corralled.

Jack was in heaven as the cotton candy and Sprite was free flowing as we again had the opportunity to enjoy the game in the greatest of comfort. Here's a few of the highlights:

Cotton Candy & Soda Pop...what more could you ask for?

Sam savoring a sucker

A big squeeze from Chopper

Sam gets a closer look with some help from Gracie

Confessions of a Terrible Housekeeper

2011-06-13T22:46:00.000-04:00

Here's a tip: the satelitte remote probably will not operate properly if you put it through the wash cycle with your bed sheets.

After today, I'm thinking of making 'Confessions' a regular here on the blog...because believe me there will be more.

In other news, project 365 has finally been updated!

Vacay at Cissy's

2011-06-05T20:42:00.002-04:00

Josh took a short overnight with some old friends this weekend. So, the little boys and I took the opportunity to go visit some sweet friends who live in South Carolina. We left Thursday afternoon and made the Todd's house our first stop. Chandler & Josh were co-chief residents and we were neighbors for three years in Greenwood. Sara and I were pregnant with our first children at the same time, and their oldest, Noah, is about 6 weeks older than Jack. We don't get to see each other often because schedules are so hectic and both families have since added their second children. But, it's so great to be able to pick up where we left off and catch right back up. Jack and Noah acted like old friends, even though it's been almost a year since they last saw each other. I guess they had a lot in common, Lightning McQueen, Thomas, etc.

Later that evening we headed to my friend Kristie's, who is affectionately called Cissy, by all the kiddos. As always, she rolled out the red carpet. Picking up some of Jack's favorite toys (to add to the enormous permanent collection she has at her house) and cute matching pjs for the boys. Sam even got his very own Lightning McQueen car. Cissy knows how much brothers like to share their new toys, a.k.a. don't like to share. Jack could hardly wait to jump in the pool, but we convinced him to settle for watching one of the hundreds of movies in Cissy's collection and saving our swim for Friday.

Kristie and I enjoyed catching up, and I know she enjoys having me visit...but it seems like she probably just puts up with me so she can have the boys there. Cissy is her name and spoiling is her game. She wants to make sure the kids enjoy their time at her house...and boy do they! Movies, swimming, fun lunches by the pool, playground, power wheels and trips for ice cream...what's not to love. Mission accomplished, Cissy! Jack has already started planning his return trip, "can we go to Cissy's house in 6 days?"

Out like a light...

a little bit of ice cream goes a long way

think he's comfortable??

spidey-boy

everything is fun at Cissy's...even hiding under a stool!

just add animals & ice cream

2011-06-02T14:30:00.002-04:00

A sweet long-time friend of mine and Josh's (who happens to be a fellow blogger) lives in New York City with her family. Lucky for us, her in-laws just retired to Ellijay and they decided to visit. So, we took the opportunity to meet up. The last time we had seen them was at a baby shower for the first child that was held in Atlanta. Dilan is now 3 years old.

Since we're both bloggers, I don't feel like it's been that long. I feel like I knew this sweet and funny 3 y/o, from the pictures, stories and letters shared on Kajal's blog even though I'd never seen her in person. And she felt the same about our two boys. I was still interested to see how the kids would interact around each other.

We met up at the Chestatee Wildlife Preserve, outside Dahlonega. It was ridiculously hot, but we made the best of it and enjoyed catching up while strolling among some semi-exotic animals. In fact, we shut the place down! Nevermind, they close at 4 p.m. My favorite part of the reunion was the impromptu decision to journey into Dahlonega and enjoy some ice cream from Connie's in downtown. Of course, we enjoyed catching up and hearing about preparations for their second child set to arrive at the end of the summer. But, I'm pretty sure the kids had fun too. Jack insisted Dilan sit beside him at ice cream, and she didn't object. So, maybe it was the animals or perhaps the ice cream, but either way, we look forward to the prospect of more reunions now that Grandma & Grandpa are a short drive away.

fifteen

2011-06-01T20:19:00.002-04:00

Sam hit the fifteen month mark during our sick week. At his 15-month check-up he was in the 25th percentile for weight and 85th for height. With the way he seems to eat, wonder if he'll be able to keep up the tall and skinny profile?

Over the last month Sam has really started flexing his vocabulary. When he's not savoring his paci, he talks non-stop. He will repeat a lot of things, including "good grief," which I learned after Sam overheard me saying it to Jack. Josh just taught him to say "love you." I think I love the way he says please the best. It comes out more like, "pweea," and always seems to sound so desperate!

He also a non-stop mover these days. He rarely sits still, although amazingly a "bup" (aka "book") held his attention for about 15 straight minutes yesterday. He loves to tackle, chase and run laps with Jack. I didn't realize how quickly they would turn into rough and tumble brothers. The next 15 or so years ought to be entertaining around here.

Take Me Out to the Ballgame

2011-05-31T21:27:00.002-04:00

On Memorial Day, we were thrilled to have Josh at home...especially since he had worked on Saturday and Sunday. We enjoyed spending our morning swimming with some friends. Jack loves the pool. Sam enjoys it, but really prefers to get in and out and explore all the surroundings.

Later that day, we all went shopping in Buford. The crowds were out for sure, but Jack still got to enjoy several trips on the escalators (his favorite part of any trip to the mall). Eventually, Josh had to head back home for his Monday evening shift, and the boys and I headed to my brother and sister-in-law's house nearby for a cook-out with Mema & Pop. The highlight of a stop at Uncle John & Aunt Lisa's is always fun with their playful and energetic dog, Molly.

After lots of fun and food, we all headed to the Gwinnett Braves game. Jack particularly enjoyed the inflatables and popcorn. Sam enjoyed the freedom to roam as we elected to sit on the outfield lawn. We can't wait to go back with Josh in our party...especially since chasing Sam gets exhausting :)

From Woe to Woah...and everything in between

2011-05-25T16:52:00.000-04:00

I've missed blogging so much these past couple weeks. I have lots to catch up on here, and my ultimate plan will probably include post-dating some entries over the next few days. So, what's been keeping me from blogging? That's the worst part, it's been normal stuff.

Part of it probably had to do with traveling to Chattanooga three out of four weekends. The most recent trip to honor and celebrate the life of Josh's uncle. As hectic as those weekends were, we value the precious time we were given to catch up with family we don't get to see all that often.

Then last Sunday night, Sam woke up overnight with a fever and the sick cycle began. After 36 hours of fever off and on and an unusually cuddly baby, he seemed to bounce back with a returned appetite on Tuesday afternoon. Although it seemed to begin rather routinely, Wednesday morning is a total blur. Within an hour or two of waking up, Jack was falling asleep while watching Super Why. I can't say I was surprised to find him running a fever. I dosed him with motrin and raced to grab a shower knowing I was in for another mopey, clingy day. I dried off just in time to witness Jack having a febrile seizure. It was his first ever, and even though I knew what it probably was, I was spooked. After a visit from the local EMS, he began to perk up. Needless to say, it was a low-key, lay-on-the-couch kinda day for Jack. By Thursday afternoon, we'd figured out he had strep, and he'd turned a big corner by Friday afternoon. But the cycle wasn't over yet, Josh developed fever and an intense headache during the night Thursday. So, Friday was spent trying to stay out of dad's hair and allow him to rest. He finally started feeling a little better Saturday evening.

Playing nurse had me exhausted. I was able to get lots of laundry done, but didn't make it to get groceries until today. No surprise, we've had an unhealthy share of carry-out, fast food & quick-fix meals over the last couple of weeks. My house is of course a wreck as well.

This week has been about getting back on track, and the blog is no exception. I've been having trouble keeping straight what day of the week it is. My Monday night bible study has concluded for the year, which always signaled the start of the week. With the boys being sick, we missed the last day of school and the end-of-the-year program. Then this week, the boys and I went to Athens Monday afternoon to spend the night with my parents. The trip allowed me, my sister and brother to have dinner together, just the three of us. A rare treat, indeed...especially now that my sister lives in Germany. Jack had an early morning dental appointment Tuesday morning that went really well. Then we headed home. So, if you see me around town, do me a favor and remind me what day it is. There's a good chance that I have no idea.