Looking good!
Sunday, August 1, 2010
Family Pictures!
Ok, so we never get any family photos. Joe is the photographer in the family, which means that he rarely gets in the picture. While we have tons of wonderful picture of the kids, we have practically none of us all together. So we invited my friend and fabulous photographer Amy McDaniel of Dewdrops photography over to shoot some pics of us in our favorite neighbor's yard.
A few things I learned about family pictures......July 31st is not the best day to take family pics when the heat index is 105 and everyone in your family tends to sweat. The whole heat thing didn't occur to me when I originally scheduled the time, I was just concentrating on getting a time slot with Amy. Oh well, maybe we can get some better shots in late fall.
I haven't seen many of the pictures, yet, and it's possible this is all she was able to get of us, but here are the few she's posted on facebook. And I'm very happy so far.
A few things I learned about family pictures......July 31st is not the best day to take family pics when the heat index is 105 and everyone in your family tends to sweat. The whole heat thing didn't occur to me when I originally scheduled the time, I was just concentrating on getting a time slot with Amy. Oh well, maybe we can get some better shots in late fall.
I haven't seen many of the pictures, yet, and it's possible this is all she was able to get of us, but here are the few she's posted on facebook. And I'm very happy so far.
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Story Time
One of the best parts about summer is that us working moms get to delve into the lives of the stay-at-home moms by doing things like going on play dates in the middle of the day, spending long mornings at the city pool, and going to story time at the public library. This activity apparently happens every week at the library, but those of us who work would never know it because our kids get read to at day care, therefore don't really need to be read to at the library. I guess that's why. I don't know.
Either way, they have this story time for a hefty thirty minute segment of time in the mid morning twice a week (wow - thirty whole minutes. this reminds me of Caddyshack when the staff pool time was for 15 minutes one afternoon a summer). One day is for pre-schoolers, which my observations lead me to believe that this includes children from infancy to about 7 years old, and another day is for toddlers, which also includes children from infancy to about 7 years old. I guess since kids don't carry picture ID's, there's no way to check them at the door to see if they meet the age requirements.
We have attended the toddler day, which basically consisted of a soft spoken lady reading a picture book to a room full of babies who could honestly give a cuss about the book being read to them. Because they're babies. The room was littered with strollers and toddlers wandering around aimlessly and being chased by their embarrassed mothers who are attempting to run after their children while crouching down so they don't obscure anyone's view of the book. Which is funny because no one is looking at the book. When I took Jacks to this story time, he made it about 10 minutes before he asked if he could go out and read a book for real.
So, we managed to make it to a pre-school story time this morning, and the set up was much more subdued and organized. There were still babies there, but most were younger siblings of the age appropriate children. But today, the kids got a "treat." The regular story teller was apparently on vacation or maternity leave or sick or at an appointment or taking a mental health day, or something, and a professional musician/story teller was filling in. All I retained was that her name was Melinda, and she appeared to be a musician who believed she was destined for country music fame, but was okay with this whole entertaining kids thing for now. She played acoustic guitar, sang familiar songs that some kids knew, involved the kids with the songs with movements and responses, and she read a few pop up books. She was very good, but she kept referring to her new CD that she just released. Explaining a new CD dropping to a room full of toddlers is like having a Twitter seminar at an assisted living facility. Lots of crickets and mouths agape with no twinge of recognition of the topic of conversation.
She explained to the kids that she sent out several copies of one of her songs to over 700 radio stations, and for everyone to keep their fingers crossed that something good happens. Jacks, along with the rest of the kids, clearly had no idea what one earth she meant by that, but he did spend the next five minutes trying to make his fingers cross. Kind of like when he tries to practice winking, whistling, snapping, and making pop noises with his mouth.
Jacks did much better at this story telling session, and he actually showed interest and sang along a little. He flat refused to get up and perform motions or move closer to the book when it was asked of him, but he still seemed pretty interested in the songs and stories and his toy Spiderman that he had smuggled in hidden in the palm of his hand. He made it the next to last song before he decided it was time to go and "buy" a book. He still doesn't understand that we just borrow books from the library. We made a selection of a book that he was familiar with from school, and we checked it out and headed home.
Outside the library was a man with the Blood Drive trying to drum up blood collecting business, and Jacks profusely thanked him for his book about the bear. Thankfully, the blood drive fella was a sport and played along by telling Jacks he was most welcome.
Good times, good times. I think I might attempt to take Nealy to the super disorganized toddler time tomorrow. Maybe she'll appreciate it better than her brother did.
Either way, they have this story time for a hefty thirty minute segment of time in the mid morning twice a week (wow - thirty whole minutes. this reminds me of Caddyshack when the staff pool time was for 15 minutes one afternoon a summer). One day is for pre-schoolers, which my observations lead me to believe that this includes children from infancy to about 7 years old, and another day is for toddlers, which also includes children from infancy to about 7 years old. I guess since kids don't carry picture ID's, there's no way to check them at the door to see if they meet the age requirements.
We have attended the toddler day, which basically consisted of a soft spoken lady reading a picture book to a room full of babies who could honestly give a cuss about the book being read to them. Because they're babies. The room was littered with strollers and toddlers wandering around aimlessly and being chased by their embarrassed mothers who are attempting to run after their children while crouching down so they don't obscure anyone's view of the book. Which is funny because no one is looking at the book. When I took Jacks to this story time, he made it about 10 minutes before he asked if he could go out and read a book for real.
So, we managed to make it to a pre-school story time this morning, and the set up was much more subdued and organized. There were still babies there, but most were younger siblings of the age appropriate children. But today, the kids got a "treat." The regular story teller was apparently on vacation or maternity leave or sick or at an appointment or taking a mental health day, or something, and a professional musician/story teller was filling in. All I retained was that her name was Melinda, and she appeared to be a musician who believed she was destined for country music fame, but was okay with this whole entertaining kids thing for now. She played acoustic guitar, sang familiar songs that some kids knew, involved the kids with the songs with movements and responses, and she read a few pop up books. She was very good, but she kept referring to her new CD that she just released. Explaining a new CD dropping to a room full of toddlers is like having a Twitter seminar at an assisted living facility. Lots of crickets and mouths agape with no twinge of recognition of the topic of conversation.
She explained to the kids that she sent out several copies of one of her songs to over 700 radio stations, and for everyone to keep their fingers crossed that something good happens. Jacks, along with the rest of the kids, clearly had no idea what one earth she meant by that, but he did spend the next five minutes trying to make his fingers cross. Kind of like when he tries to practice winking, whistling, snapping, and making pop noises with his mouth.
Jacks did much better at this story telling session, and he actually showed interest and sang along a little. He flat refused to get up and perform motions or move closer to the book when it was asked of him, but he still seemed pretty interested in the songs and stories and his toy Spiderman that he had smuggled in hidden in the palm of his hand. He made it the next to last song before he decided it was time to go and "buy" a book. He still doesn't understand that we just borrow books from the library. We made a selection of a book that he was familiar with from school, and we checked it out and headed home.
Outside the library was a man with the Blood Drive trying to drum up blood collecting business, and Jacks profusely thanked him for his book about the bear. Thankfully, the blood drive fella was a sport and played along by telling Jacks he was most welcome.
Good times, good times. I think I might attempt to take Nealy to the super disorganized toddler time tomorrow. Maybe she'll appreciate it better than her brother did.
Monday, July 26, 2010
Reflections....
As I sit around in my bathrobe at 4:52 in the p.m. with no idea as to what's for dinner, I'm moved to write something on my blog. What will I be discussing? I'm not totally sure. Let's see where this leads.....
You may ask, why are you in your bathrobe at 4:52 in the p.m.? Well, we went to the pool, and this is all I've managed to put on after taking off my wet bathing suit. Which I almost left on because it was making me insufferably cold, and that kind of a feeling is rare in these dog days of summer. Wait, are the dog days in August? Well, it doesn't really matter since I have to go back to work on August 4th, which means that August no longer qualifies as a summer month, now does it? Now if we could just make it not be hotter than the hinges of hell throughout August so I could bear actually putting on work clothes rather than my standard home uniform of a faded tie dye v-neck and maternity sweat pants. Yes, they're too big on me. I just roll them up at the waist. A friend came by the other morning to pick something up and spied me in my uniform. I think I got a few up and down glances.....
So now, as I enjoy the success of getting my child to eat peanut butter crackers, bananas, and apples for a snack instead of cotton candy and coca-cola, I am sitting here locating the next chin hair I need to pluck and reflecting on the issues of the day. Let's see if I can make this one of those "all over the place" posts.
Let's start with a picture of Nealy, because that makes everyone happy....
Next, I am so in love with the new grocery stores in this town that it's kind of out of control. I'm getting so much better about taking my mismatched collection of reusable shopping bags into the store that I'm almost smug about it. Like vegans and Prius drivers. While we were gone at camp, the Earth Fare and the Publix finally opened. This is huge news in Auburn. Earth Fare is an organic supermarket where diet drinks are not in their philosophy, but deli workers who indulge in an herbal break prior to work apparently is okay. If you know what I mean. Either way, red eyed or not, they manage to get a fabulous job done and everything there is made of magic. And money because I totally can't afford to shop there all the time. I'm trying to get good about using their coupons and sale specials. I also have to offer praise to Publix. Our grocery shopping opportunities in this town had dwindled since the Bruno's closed, and we were all forced to go to Kroger all the time. There was a time when Kroger was the premier grocery store in this town. When it first opened, it gave the Quick Check on the opposite corner a serious run for its money. And if you don't know what Quick Check is, it's what my grandmother called Winn Dixie for the rest of her life. Quick Check is from the days of TG&Y and Orange Julius. You know, days gone by. Anyway, the Kroger may still be a favorite of Auburn old-timers, but the narrow aisles and the constant moving of items drives me absolutely crazy, as do the unfortunate encounters I have with people in the Kroger.
Short digression......there was a super methed up couple in bedroom slippers studying the candy shelf at the end of an aisle in Kroger not too long ago. They were blocking the flow of traffic to the registers. I waited for them to move. Waited until not 1, not 2, not 3, but 4 more carts were also blocked behind me when I asked them to please move so we could get by. As I went by, the couple had a really loud conversation about the attitude on that little girl. Do you think they were talking about me? I'm sure that kind of thing will happen at Publix, but with the width of their aisles, I doubt it.
Plus, Publix will unload your groceries, bag them up without an attitude when you have reusable bags, attempt to make kind conversation with you while checking out, and then help you take your bags to your car. And they DON'T take tips! That's service, my friend. And I LOVE it.
Next item on the agenda, food...... I have been cooking A LOT lately. I've done steaks and meatloaf and pastas and fresh veggie sides and desserts and homemade ice cream and more. I'm starting to appreciate the therapy that cooking offers. I'm not even that bothered when the kids come in there and get underfoot. In fact, I really like it when Jacks wants to cook with me. He insists that we both wear our aprons, because chefs wear aprons. Joe gets in my way in the kitchen because he is so big and my kitchen is so small, but the kids are just small enough to not drive me nuts.
I might post some recipes up here a little bit later, but I don't manage to take fancy pictures of everything I cook. I need to get on that....
Have I told y'all that I've been working out 5 days a week? Well, don't get any ideas. I've lost a lot of weight over about 5 months, but not as much as I need to, so I don't look super great or anything. Just better. But I really hate working out. Like hate it. There is a reason I never played sports, other than the fact that I was really bad at all athletic endeavors and I don't really like games that require knowing the rules plus performing physical movements, I'm totally bad at it. I sweat profusely, I need water constantly, I want to stop everything as soon as it gets hard, and I stay sore all the time. But I'm doing it. Mostly because I paid the gym to go for this month. We'll see what happens next month. I have a zumba class I can go to twice a week, and my friend Summer will force me to do this couch to 5K program 3 days a week. Let's hope I don't throw up or poop my pants in front of anyone.
Other items to discuss today? Not much other than standard bitchin' and moanin' about raising a 3 year old boy who is super smart and amazingly precocious and not always my best friend, or the standard bragging about how cute and smart and precious and adorable my toddler daughter is and how she has a major temper and will give me a run for my money when she can actually verbalize her wants and needs. Which will be utterly contrary to what I want and need her to do.
yyghiewhtiowhtiowengisnrioewjrioew - ok, that was from Jacks. It seems my time to type has come to an end because Jacks is now asking to type all my words for me, which pretty much goes like, "Okay, Jacks, push the T." "Okay, Mommy, where is it? Ohhhh, right there." Then he pushes it until there are about 12 T's. Then I have to back space then go to the next letter. And so on.
So that means I gotta shut it down. Thanks for hanging with me for this random post. That is, if you actually did make it this far.
Sunday, July 25, 2010
Cowboy?
I really need to get Jacks a real cowboy hat. He maintains that this sombrero is his cowboy hat, which contributes to his overall cowboy costume of the sombrero and the bandanna. It comes off more Speedy Gonzales than Lone Ranger, no? Also, enjoy the expression. He's so tough.
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