Difficult Week

We have reached that part of the school year where the weeks feel like years. The closer we get to summer, the more difficult the work days become. Everyone can feel the warmth of summer beating down upon us, and school becomes long and gruesome. Students believe that teachers enjoy making this part of the year hard on them, but it is just as hard for us to gaze at the sun kissed window panes thinking of lazy days and farmers markets and swimming pools and cold watermelons and days at the lake and trips to the gulf and afternoon cookouts and late night yahtzee games and porch nights and all things summer.
And it gets even more difficult when we actually have to work really hard. And this week, I have had to work REALLY hard.
There was one day that I had to leave work promptly, get on the interstate to drive to Montgomery, then sit through a planning meeting followed by a work dinner. Now, I know there are people who run this kind of a schedule every day. Driving up and down the highway, late afternoon meetings, business dinners, getting home after dark, wearing sensible shoes in the morning so you can last all day.....and I have to say that I salute you! I'm not made for that! It was long and it was hard and by the time they fed me I was about to gnaw off my own arm, and I missed my kids and my husband and my TIVO and my bathroom.
Then there was another day that I had to make hard decisions with an intern. For the sake of confidentiality, I won't get into the specifics of this situation, but it was HARD. I know there are plenty of people who spend their days having meetings and giving feedback and providing constructive criticism and looking people dead in the eye and telling them difficult things.....and I salute you, too. I don't know how to have confrontations and deliver hard to hear news and be the meanie pants all the time. It's hard.
Then there was the whole Nealy's sick again thing. This time we're not totally sure what's going on, but we're pretty sure it's ears even though the fluid in them has not reached the infection level just yet. She's just mildly feverish and fussy and upset and not smiling all the time. And my baby honestly smiles ALL the time. So when she doesn't, you know little one feels icky. Joe has been super dad, and he has stayed home with her for 2 days. All we're doing now is trying to hang on until our ENT appointment next week.
I spent most of Thursday thoroughly convinced that it was Friday. I'm sure you can imagine my disappointment.
Not that Friday really means that much lately, because I've had so much planned on my weekends that I've had to program things into my phone calendar. I mean, I can't just remember what I have to do, I have to set an alarm to remind me to do it.
Ok - on to the good things that are happening for me. Because although this work week has been hard and long and tiring, there are plenty of bright spots in my fog. First of all, I won a pair of sandals from Dillards. Yes! I entered a contest and I WON! Y'all know my affection for shoes. Of course, they gave me blisters today, but they're totally cute and I will surely work them in soon.
Then there was this tortellini salad that I made that I wanted to marry because it was so good. That was a good thing.
Jacks told me that he loved me and he's glad I came home the other night after I had to work late. That was nice.
Oh yeah, then there's this....
Okay, so she's not totally walking just yet. But she's been taking a few steps here and there, and we know it's just a matter of days before she takes off. This is HUGE news, but it's bittersweet. It means my sweet baby girl is getting older, which is hard to take. I want to keep her little and small and my wee bebe. When she starts walking, she'll just walk away from me. And I still want her to stay in my arms all the time.
And yes, I've just posted pictures of myself as my unshowered, pajamaed self from first thing in the morning. Don't judge. You're not pretty first thing in the morning, either.

And of course, we are mere weeks away from leaving for camp. I can't remember how much I have talked about Camp Beckwith on this blog, but it is one of my all time favorite places on the planet. I attended Camp Beckwith as a camper and worked there as a counselor for a combined 11 years. It is a little piece of heaven located on Weeks Bay in Fairhope, AL. Although I have been away from Beckwith for many years, I have been graciously hired to serve as Associate Camp Director this summer, which means the Dyers are headed to camp!
I seriously don't know how I'm going to make it though the next four weeks before we leave. There is so much to do, and all I want to do is day dream of long, hot summer days at camp on the bay.
(I'm trying to NOT think about the effects of the oil spill on my beloved Gulf Coast waters. I've not spoken about it very much because that is a situation that I'm still trying to get my head around.)
As I sit here, late on a Sunday night, I am trying to get my second wind to dive into another busy, busy week full of boot camp classes, doctor's appointments, a field trip, a visit from my big sister (YAY!!!), and a mini trip next weekend to camp to do a little preliminary work and deliver some large items we'll need for the summer. Oh yeah, and I have that little thing called work going on all week. I need to dig around in my drawer and find my big girl panties. I'm going to need them this week. And caffeine. And ibuprofin. And wine.

Handsome Boy

There was never a child so lovely but his mother was glad to get him to sleep.

~Ralph Waldo Emerson

The Old 280 Boogie

Saturday was jam packed with activities, and we had to pick and choose what we were going to do. I had to spend the morning at boot camp and running errands, but the afternoon would either belong to me or to my family. I had a shower to attend, but I opted out in order to spend a couple of hours with the kids in the sunshine before everyone crashed at nap time.

No, it wasn't the most well mannered choice. When invited to a party, if you are able to attend you should. But sometimes there aren't enough hours in the week to properly enjoy your kids, so I had to make the selfish choice.

There were lots of activities going on at Auburn - the Vet school open house, A-day, BBQ cook off at the Ag Heritage Park, sneak peek of the new sports arena - but Joe and I decided that we would head to the country. The Old 280 Boogie was going on in Waverly, and I think we made the better choice.

Several years ago, Highway 280 went straight through the middle of Waverly, AL. Although being along this thoroughfare made Waverly a little more than a blip on the map, it made life there kind of hard. The traffic was bad and it moved fast. The slow pace of this tiny town was seriously hindered by the speeding cars. So when 280 was rebuilt and widened, the state was kind enough to move it just outside of town, once again making Waverly the slow paced, off-the-beaten path town that they always wanted to be. In honor of losing this highway, Waverly began the Old 280 Boogie 10 years ago. It is primarily a music festival and crafts fair with a few food vendors thrown in. It is a VERY relaxed atmosphere. Folks come in droves with blankets, lawn chairs, and coolers ready to enjoy some great tunes in good company.
We had a blast. The kids rode to town in the new wagon, which was the epitome of riding in style. We all enjoyed some great food, good music, and a big bowl of ice cream. We saw several friends and made a few new ones. It was a great day. As we were packing up to leave, I told a couple that was sitting behind us that we would be getting out of their way. The woman said, "Honey, please, y'all are fine. If you've got problems with anyone here, you're in the wrong place!" So true, so true. I will never miss an Old 280 Boogie again. Those are the types of folks that I enjoy being around.
Notice in the picture above Jacks is showing off his new Waverly tee shirt. He got chocolate ice cream all over his shirt, so I promised him I'd buy him a new one. All this, plus he got to sit in yet another fire truck! That boy's been in more fire trucks than anyone I know.

Nealy turned 1!!!

April 2nd was Nealy's first birthday. It was a Friday, and we celebrated quietly at home with McDonald's for supper and cupcakes for dessert. The weekend that followed was Easter weekend, so we opted to wait a week to have Nealy's big party. And on the next Sunday, we had a big party. It was actually a fete, you see the theme was French. I found Nealy the perfect dress with Eiffel Towers and a French marketplace scene on it, so the theme for the party was born from the perfect dress.Immediately, a major search for the perfect poodle cake began, and the rest of the French party went from there. Croissant sandwiches, fruit and cheese, sparkling cider and French sodas, face painting and sidewalk chalk, French bistro music from the 50s and 60s, a feather boa on the front door, Eiffel towers throughout the house, handmade tissue paper decorations - it was my attempt to have a perfectly French fete. And it was perfect, from the amazingly beautiful weather to the perfectly pink yard flower arrangements, a tres chic time was had by all. Oui, oui!

Here is the birthday girl modeling her fancy new dress. The pearls didn't last long - they were on an elastic cord, and she kept stretching them out and whapping herself in the face. Posing with mama before the guests arrived. The piece de resistance: the poodle cake. If you're on facebook, you need to look up Cakeapotomous, which is my friend Mandi's cake page. Her cakes are works of art - and she has a whole photo album of Nealy bug enjoying her cakes! I will never trust my cakes to anyone else. The invitation..... The chalkboard in the foyer...... The smash cake..... The dining table centerpiece...... I even made tissue paper balls to make the house a little more festive (thanks to Shealy for the instructions). They were placed throughout the house and the yard. And, since I don't know what to do with them post-party, and I can't bring myself to throw them out, they remain throughout the house and yard one week later..... The birthday girl as she is about to attack her smash cake..... Post smashing......
She was willing to share a little with her grandfather..... My cousin Heather loving on the little girl of the hour...... Nealy having a ball with her daddy (notice Joe's French look for the day)....... Jacks with his cousin Morgan....... My friend Anna and I with her baby Ellis (who is exactly 6 weeks older than Nealy Bug)...... Nealy trying to attack Morgan. One of Nealy's favorite teachers and our newest family member, Heather, is holding Nealy Bug. She was amazingly helpful at the party.
And I want to point out how much Morgan took advantage of the face painting activity. She was extremely proud of her new tattoos. Jacks and Harper (Ellis's big brother - he is exactly 6 weeks older than Jacks) taking Nealy's present out for a spin.... Cara drawing a picture on the outdoor chalkboard.... Nealy and Ellis. Ellis is walking now, so this picture was hard to catch.... Jacks loving on his sister.... Isn't she a clever little girl? Overall, the party was a great success. We had several family members and friends in attendance, and some drove from great distances to be here. We are so lucky to have so many people who love our children so much.

Thank you to everyone who helped make this day so special - and a special thanks to Mandi for her amazing cakes, to Kellie for taking so many great photos, to Ashley who painted faces and took even more wonderful photos, and to Heather Lloyd who was my right hand for the entire party. And I can't thank people without mentioning my parents, who came to Auburn 2 days early to help me out with getting the house and yard ready for this soiree. They do so much for all of us.

I highly recommend enlisting the help of as many people as you can to help with your children's parties. I could not have had done it all without the help, and we hope they had a good time, too. We feel like we have some new members of our family.

I could not have asked for more for our little French princess. She is getting so big and smart and pretty and perfect. Walking should be coming soon, but I hope she holds off just a little while longer. I love that she's still my little bebe.