Perhaps....

....I should have worn sunscreen on my feet today. Just sayin.

A New Baby in Our Family

Over Spring Break Chris wanted to trim the knock out roses that we have in front of our house. He quickly found out that he couldn't...because there are birds' nests out there. Our friend (and neighbor) Abby posted a couple of weeks ago that she had a bird's nest in her front door basket. Apparently our neighborhood is for the birds.

I checked on our nest today and this is what I saw. A sweet little baby bird with his beak open wide waiting for dinner. I mean seriously, how cute is he?

Quinn Can't Get Enough of the Books and Casey is a Lunatic

Quinn has some kind of speech issues. Or maybe I should say, non-talking issues. We're waiting until he actually turns 2 this summer before we look into it, but we do think there is something going on. And because of this, and because I am a librarian, I have had this nagging guilt over the fact that I didn't read to him as a baby. Big sigh. I began reading to the girls when they were babies and they could carry on conversations when they were his age. Yes, I am fully aware of the research, and I still didn't read to him when he was 2 weeks old, 4 months old, 6 months old, one year old. And the reason for this is very simple. He hated books. He couldn't sit still. He did not want to listen. It was a battle. So I figured the worst thing I could do was to force him. We kept the books around. We had family reading time in front of him. He had books to play with. And now the time has come. He can't get enough of them. He needs at least 4 books before bed time. He needs to sleep with the book of his choice. In the first 30 minutes that we were home this afternoon I read Brown Bear, Brown Bear at least 9 times. Then he went and chose another book. I believe we have a book lover on our hands.

Casey, as we all know, is a perfectionist. She takes what her teacher says very seriously. She needs to be the best that she can possibly be at everything that she does. If she feels that she is going to come up short on something that she knows she could do better at, it sends her into orbit. Like tonight, for example. She has a seed project due on Friday at school. She has to collect 5 seeds to turn in. AND (here's the kicker) if she comes up with a creative way to display her seeds, she will make a 4 (the highest grade). She HAS TO make the 4. Tonight is Wednesday and we don't have all of our seeds yet. We also don't have poster board or an empty egg carton for seed display purposes. And she is FREAKING out! Sobbing. Wailing. Hyperventilating. Its *awesome*. As her mother, I know exactly what to say to get her to calm down. (Because I am a picture of a perfect, nurturing mother.)

Me: Casey, you have got to chill out. You cannot stress about this. You will have your seeds by Friday. You'll figure out some display by then. You have got to calm down.
Casey: But (gulp, gulp) I (gulp, gulp) caaaaaaaaannnn'tttttt....
Me: Seriously. Get it together. Dry it up. If you keep doing this to yourself you are going to have a heart attack by the time you're sixteen.
Casey: But (gulp, gulp) I (gulp, gulp) caaaaaaaannnnnnnn'ttttttt. I don't know how to stooooooooooooppppppppp ss-ss-tresssiinnnngggg. (wailing, hiccups and moaning)
Me: Well, Case, if you can't figure out how to stop stressing about all of these little things, Mama's going to have to take you to the doctor.
Casey: NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!! MaaaaaaaaaaMaaaaaaaaa! (sobbing and screaming) Not (gulp, gulp) the (gulp, gulp) DOCTOR!!!!! (runs and hides under the covers, sobbing, screaming, etc)

Anyone have a Valium? Or some seeds and poster board?

Levon

For the past couple of days I have been thinking about the song "Levon" by Elton John. I really love Elton John. He reminds me of my childhood. He reminds me of my stepdad. Not because my stepdad plays piano or likes to perform on stage in Bob Mackey or Donald Duck costumes (Good Heavens, no!), but because I really feel that he was the one to formally introduce me to Elton. You see, before Tom my mother had a somewhat limited Saturday morning cleaning music selection. It mainly consisted of Anita Baker, Gloria Estefan, Taylor Dane and Natalie Cole. Every once in awhile she would mix it up with some Wham! or Chicago. But when Tom entered our lives, we began listening to Elton's Yellow Brick Road album. (And Blood, Sweat and Tears...but that's a whole other post.) All the young girls love Alice...Tender young Alice they say... and instantly I am transported back to those years of my childhood.

But back to Levon...I love this song. It is probably my favorite Elton number. A low point in my life - the night I drove home to my parents' house when my first husband and I were divorcing - I was crying the whole way down 316 and then Levon came on. I sobbed while singing every word of the song. I'm sure the other drivers were worried. Even though I was still crying, the song made me happy. And then this past Saturday, when I got in the car after having lunch with my long lost friend, Levon came on the radio. This time I sang it with a smile on my face. And again it made me happy.

My Child is a Jerk...No, Really, Its True.

Chandler told Chris tonight that he could move to Mexico and it would be ok. We would be ok if he moved to Mexico. Yes, this was a random statement. And I'm not really sure why she would think that we would be ok, because we most definitely would not be.

So, I tried to step in. And I said, "Chan. You know, there was once a time when you didn't have a Dad and you wanted one. And you're lucky because you thought that Chris was the best daddy in the whole wide world."

Her response... "Were there other choices?"

Seriously. What a jerk. I had no response. And when there was silence she decided to dig the hole a little deeper.

"Well? Were there?"

Jerk.

A Story of Two Babies

This is Quinn and his two babies. It is his new word for paci. I think it has started because Q has not taken a paci at daycare for about 8 months now, but still uses one from time to time at home. And he calls them "baby." Probably because at daycare he tries to hijack the pacis from the babies and Mrs. Spry tells him, "That's the baby's." So now, the paci is a baby. In this picture I asked him if he had a baby. He nodded. And then screamed and waved around the two babies.

Here he is saying, "cheese."

Casey, Quinn and Chandler

New!

Itty Bitty Butterfly dangle earrings! $6

A new take on my Charmingly necklaces...multi colored stone and glass beads attached to an antiqued silver chain and pewter toggle clasp. $25

Have a little joy and faith in your life? This one is made of rose quartz beads with silver circles with Joy and Faith stamped on them. $25

Cobbled Aged Brass O Earrings $8

Purple and Black stone dangle earrings. $6

24 Hour Review

My past 24 hours:

1. Mabry stopped by. I made her son cry. Certainly not on purpose, but he cried just the same.
2. Cook Out at the Wylies. I love them. Every last one of them. Good food, good times. Aiden is Quinn's keeper. And, they invited some of the neighbors - one of them I went to high school with. Such a small world. Then we left 2 of our 3 kids there for a sleepover. Bonus.
3. Met Joy for breakfast. We began with tears....and then there was an uncountable amount of laughter. I am so glad to have her back in my life. It is good for my soul.
4. Swapped some jewelry out at Elements Salon in Athens. If you go there...and you should...check out some of the new goodies!
5. Picked up the girls from the Wylies. I was greeted with, "Awwwww, Mooooooommmmm." Do you hear the disappointment? I felt so loved. Chatted with Frankie.

And now I am home. Chris has cleaned, baked cookies with Q and the house is really very quiet. It is raining outside. I need to go to the grocery store, but will be putting it off for as long as possible. I can't promise that there will be another post today, but there just might. One can never tell.

Houdini

Along with the big move, Q has decided that he no longer wants to sleep in his crib and much prefers the bottom bunk that is set up in his new bog boy room. We set up the rails and went with it. Now, here's the part where I admit something that might freak some of you out. It's ok. Really. So, we also put the child proof doorknob thingy on the inside of the door. I did this when the girls were little and I was paranoid that they would get out of their room, reek havoc through the house and I wouldn't hear them. So, essentially I "locked" them in. The girls learned very quickly that if they just knocked on the door when they woke up in the morning a called, "A Mama!" that I would come running. It worked well and I could sleep knowing that they were safe in their room. So we did the same thing with Q now that he is sleeping in a big boy bed.

At 3:30am this morning he was screaming, so I ran down the hall to his room. I opened the door. He handed me the safety doorknob, tried to body check me and run out. I have no idea how he got the safety door knob off. That doesn't seem very safe to me.

One Weekend...Three Years Ago

One weekend, three years ago (next month) I made a weekend trip to Chicago. I flew in Thursday night and home Sunday morning. I kept it simple. While 98% of my family lives there, I stayed with my cousin, Jimmy, (although he prefers James) and had enormous fun. Yes, that is a Fleetwood Mac album (cd, whatever) that I am holding. It was the soundtrack to our weekend. We jammed out everywhere we went to that CD and now whenever I hear Fleetwood Mac (like I did today on the way home) I think of that weekend. And of Jimmy. And of dancing in the car while driving through downtown Chicago. My personal favorite...Second Hand News. I can't get enough of that song.

We went to the little local park and did some swinging. Yes, I have perfect form.

Then we went to a fest and had some sno cones. I do love sno cones.

And then we went to this guy's wedding. My other cousin Jimmy. He married a (wonderful) Polish girl and they had a big Polish wedding. I had never been to a Polish wedding before (nor have I been to one since) and I must say, if you are Polish and getting married, I want to be invited. Oh, such fun! The center pieces on the table....big bottles of vodka surrounded by shot glasses. No, I am not kidding. And there were 300 people there. At least 30 tables. And the dancing...oh, you know how I love a good dance floor!

And so there was this...lots and lots of dancing...and making the dancing face.

I love thinking about this weekend. It was a surprise to my family that I was there (except for my Uncle Dave, who took me out to lunch on Friday while Jimmy was at work). So when they walked into the reception...SURPRISE! It was awesome. I read Year of Wonders by Geraldine Brook that weekend and listened to Fleetwood Mac, nonstop.

A Story of Reconciliation

I had this person in my life. She was a best friend. An important part of...well...pretty much everyday...for several years. We shared clothes. We had stupid conversations. We had serious conversations. We had conversations in which Earth shattering decisions were made. On a good day, I couldn't wait to talk to her. On a bad day, I couldn't wait to talk to her. We could finish each others sentences and know just what the other was thinking with just a look. And there was food, good, good food, and drinks, days on the lake and a family vacation together. And then we changed. And somehow we lost each other. And we were then both afraid to contact the other one. For years. I thought of her often. There was a whole period of my life that I couldn't think about without thinking of her. And missing her. Missing the friendship that we had.

Have you had this happen to you? It plagues you. It makes you feel like a terrible person. You feel as though you have failed. It can keep you awake at night. And then when enough time passes you begin to wonder how you would even go about striking up a conversation. You wonder what you would say if you ran into them at the mall or the grocery store or Target.

While cleaning the closets before the big move I found some cards that she had given me. I was a little weepy sitting on the closet floor. Nostalgic. I have felt this way about this lost relationship before - usually several times a year - but have always been afraid of reaching out. I tried calling but was chicken when it came to leaving her a voice mail. But this time, I felt that I needed to do something. I couldn't live my life this way. If after 2.5 years I was still feeling terrible, I needed to act. Otherwise I would never be able to enjoy reminiscing about that part of my life...and it was a really wonderful part of my life. I would never get over it. So I messaged her on facebook (the glory of facebook). I did not friend request her because I didn't think I could handle the rejection if she ignored me. And that also seemed too bold. "Hey! We had a falling out several years ago, but I would like to be your facebook friend!" You can't jump into something like that without a warning. So I messaged her. 8 minutes later she emailed me back with the magic words, "Will you be my friend?" and I wanted to cry.

We've spent the last 24 hours reconnecting, catching up, and using our old lingo. I have had a hard time using the word "Dude" without her in my life. We are meeting for breakfast Saturday morning. It is bitter sweet because she is moving, far, far away in less than two weeks. But the breakfast is not a "Good Bye" its a "Welcome Back to My Life" meal.

And so we are reconciled. And that makes me happy...very, very happy.

I Hate Testing

Coming from an education background, I do understand the need for testing to collect data about our students to drive our instruction. In my brain, I understand this. But, do we really need to put this much stress and pressure on kids to get one snapshot of how well they can perform and prove what they know on one day?

When I picked Casey up from school to go to dance class yesterday afternoon she was already in a panic.

Casey: Mama, will you be mad at me if I fail this test? (Anxious. Tears welling in her eyes.)
Me: Mad? No, Honey, I won't be mad. I would be surprised though. Because you are a good student and you exceeded in all areas on the test last year. But I wouldn't be mad if you failed. And besides, if you fail, you get another chance to take it again. Its really not a big deal.
Casey: But if I fail, I'll be the oldest kid in 2nd grade next year.
Me: Case, they don't hold kids back just because they fail one test. They get held back for a lot of reasons. You have had a great year. You'll be fine.

The conversation continued at dinner. Chris and I spent a lot of time reassuring her that we wouldn't be mad, she wouldn't be held back and that she should just try to do her best.

The anxiousness continued this morning. As I was getting ready she stood outside the door, "Mama. Mama," in a low whisper, on the brink of tears.

Me: What, Casey?
Casey: I don't (gulp) have any (gulp) socks (gulp).
Me: Case, when I moved all of your clothes into the new dresser this weekend, you had plenty of socks. Its only Tuesday. Where are all of your socks?
**March down the hallway into her room, open drawer, pull out 6 pairs of socks*
Me: See. Lots of socks.
Casey: *whiny voice* But they're all shorty socks. They itch my feet and fall down. I can't wear those socks today.
Me: Chandler! Let Sister borrow a pair of your socks! See, problem solved.

A melt down. Over socks. Because of a test.

A Georgia Girl Through and Through

And these are pictures of Chan's room....its a little different than Casey's room, wouldn't you say? When we began the "How would you decorate your room?" conversations, Chan immediately decided on a red and black room. Meaning, she wanted 2 red walls and 2 black walls. I explained to her that we were not painting any walls red...or black. So, we compromised on gray and then found lots of red and black accessories. And although her room is not quite as finished as Casey's (she needs a dust ruffle on the red and black chairs to go at her desk), she loves it every bit as much as Casey loves her room. And in case you were wondering about the 4 frames in each of their rooms...they are 3.99 12x12 scrapbook frames from Michael's with a piece of artsy scrapbook paper in them. That's my one decorating tip. That, and I love IKEA.

We've Lost Her For Good

Chris said to me this morning, "We've lost her for good, haven't we?" This is how much Casey loves her new room. Yesterday she stayed in her room, sitting at the desk, working on...first a 3 page story and then creating fashion designs (which is her new ambition in life - becoming the next Stella McCartney). This morning, she woke up, made her bed, got dressed for church and didn't come down until she absolutely had to. To top off the greatness of the new room, Chris let them pick some of our CDs (since we rely on our ipods these days) to listen to in their rooms. She spent the majority of the afternoon rocking out to Fergie and Come On Eileen. Of course, there was also the incident today where Chris sent Casey to her room and she slammed the door...and then Chris threatened to take the door off the hinges. Day 1 of her own room.

Fantastically fun owls from Target. She picked them out herself. (And her collection of models from the aquarium that she put together.)

And this is not a picture of the room, but a picture of the super cool dress that my mom bought for me for my birthday. Today was the first wearing of the dress.

Tomorrow, we'll take a look at Chan's room. It'll be awhile before pictures of Q's room are posted. We still have to paint in there, hang pictures, etc.

New Pieces!

I am currently in love with these beads. They look very mosaic-y to me - the lovely blues, teals, greens - just perfect for spring. This is a short one too - 18 inches. Its in my etsy shop as of today...$18.

Really, just a super fun, kinda Patriotic necklace made of multi-faceted acrylic beads. I didn't intend for it to be that way, but that's how I felt about it when I finished. Which would be great for a 4th of July or Memorial Day Party. Or, if you live in Jefferson - their colors are red, white and blue, as was my wonderful Berkmar High School. :) In the etsy shop! $15

And now for the latest in the Charmingly line...This one is a really great Charmingly Brass necklace. If you are not a bigger silver wearer, this is the way to go! It has a vintage type feel to it. I wear my Charmingly Bright necklace all the time, but I think I might be making myself a brass one soon. Also in the shop! $26

Whew!

We have actually accomplished quite a bit tonight. The majority of the furniture moving is complete which leaves tomorrow for decorating, cleaning out for a trip to Goodwill and then the rest of the painting for next weekend. Unfortunately, I did not accomplish all of my goals for this week. I'll let you take a wild guess as to which one I failed at. If you know me, this will not be difficult to figure out.

And now for the news you have all been waiting for... I used random.org number generator and it picked #1 and #10. Soooooo...Sharon (yes, that's my mother-in-law) has won the orange earrings and Erin (Yay, Mabry's sister) won the blue ones. Sharon - I will give yours to you tomorrow night. Erin - I will make delivery through Mabry! :) If you didn't win this time, please try again for the next giveaway!

And if you are feeling lucky tonight, you should head over to Crystal's Birthday Giveaway!

OMG How cute is this???

I mean, seriously, how cute is this blog make over??? I am in love with my blog designer and cannot even begin to tell you how much I highly recommend her! Lollieland, people, Lollieland!

Chris got one dresser put together tonight. Q was his helper. So, he has one more dresser to go, we have to get a full size box spring, paint the big room and then MOVE them! And its funny because they are so very excited about this move and having their own rooms, yet they are still sleeping in one twin size bed together. Yes, they do each have their own bed, but that doesn't matter.

I am kind of sad and stressed about the move. I know that it is time. They have their own personalities and likes and dislikes, but I have a hard time thinking about one without the other. It just seems like one more notch of separation, of growing up, for them to do. When they started PreK they had only been apart 3 times. The last of those three times was one of the worst experiences of my life. Chandler went through a sensory problem for the first 3 years of her life - sensitive to noise especially - and it had become so bad that I began taking her to therapy at a hospital in Athens. For months the 3 of us went - me, Casey and Chandler. Chan was terrified, Casey would do everything first and then she would coax Chan into doing it. Needless to say, the therapist was desperate to see Chan without Casey. So one afternoon my mom drove up and stayed with Casey at my house while I took Chan to therapy. I had prepped the girls all week for this event. It was all well and good until Chan and I actually pulled out of the driveway. Screaming. Sobbing. Shrieking. "I want my didter! I want my didter! Didterrrrrrrr!!!!!" Heartbreaking. And then she began throwing things at me while I was driving. She launched her shoe at the back of my head. We made it to therapy and I had to put her in a full body lock to keep her from running from the waiting room to the parking lot. And then she shut down and wouldn't do anything in therapy - no eye contact, no movement, no smiles, no talking....aside from whispering "didter" every once in a while. So we left. And I never forced them to be apart again.

The move is their choice. But I am having a hard time with the fact that they are old enough to make such a choice. It doesn't seem like that long ago that I listened to my child that was hysterical because she was spending 2 hours away from her sister.

And now, you should scroll down and enter the giveaway. It ends tomorrow night. :)

Be Patient...

I have trouble remembering this everyday, so I am hardly one to pass along the "be patient" advice to others, but... I am in the process of a blog overhaul. So things might look a little crazy off and on throughout the next couple of days. But in the end, it will be beautiful. And I am super excited about it. I am working with a really wonderful designer - Laura - from lollieland.

If you haven't already entered in the giveaway in the post below, you should. So stop reading and do that now.

Sadly, I don't have all that much to report about my day. This is mainly due to the fact that I had to stay at school late for a meeting and then drove into Athens for UMW straight from work and didn't get home until around 9pm. So, I didn't see my children. Which is bad news in many ways, but it is especially bad news for the blog. No stories of them to share today. :(

A Year of Blogging in Just 4 Months and a GIVEAWAY!!!

Yes, we have started child labor in our house. Its ok. They are given water and bathroom breaks. Actually, Casey loves to vacuum and Chandler loves to clean toilets. I hope this never changes.

p.s. Can you believe how neat and clean the craft room looks???

While the girls love cleaning, Quinn loves watching TV with his sisters. He has to have a pillow and lay on his belly just like the big kids.

****UPDATE: GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED!!!!

AND NOW FOR THE GIVEAWAY!!! This is my 110th post of the year. Last year, all year, 12 months of blogging and there were only 108 posts to show for my year. So, clearly, I have followed through on my New Year's challenge. And because you, my very loyal readers, have stuck with me and encouraged me to continue, I am offering up TWO prizes!!!

1. Orange Flower post earrings (made with surgical steel posts). The flowers are 15mm (a good, medium size) and are a delightful shade of orange. Perfect for spring!


2. Powder Blue Flower post earrings (made with surgical steel posts). These flowers are 10mm, so they are the smaller of the two pairs.

I must say, I love them both. Which is why I want to share them with you. This style of earring has become my go-to for this spring and I, personally, want a pair in every color...which is kind of a problem. :)

Here's how to enter... You have 3 entries available to you, but you don't have to do all 3 if you don't want to, but if you choose to use all 3 entries, but do them on separate comments. :)

1. Comment and leave your name.
2. Comment and tell me that you are a follower (if you already are) OR Comment and tell me that you have become a follower (after you click the little "follow" button on the right side of my blog).
3. Visit my etsy shop and tell me what your current favorite is.

You have between now (Tuesday, April 13th) and Friday, April 16th to enter. And to tell your friends, and your mother, to enter. I will post the winners some time on Friday evening.

Good Luck and May the Force be With You!

Just busy...

...but I'll be back with MORE tomorrow. :)

Spring Break...why must you end???

Today. Today is my last day of spring break. Why must you end? I still have so much to do. And Quinn hasn't been sleeping well (to put it mildly) and I am a very tired girl. I have mounds of rearranging and picture and curtain hanging to do. Walls to paint. (Not that I am going to be painting. Silly Chris doesn't allow that any more.)

This week...
1. I am going to create something everyday. My days feel dry without it any more.
2. I am going to be thankful for my children and husband. Not once am I going to threaten the kick anyone's asses.
3. I am going to be on time for everything in my life.
4. I am going to enjoy the beautiful weather that is in the forecast. A week without rain. Fantastic!

And the nuts and bolts of our lives that must get done...
1. I have a UMW meeting Wed at church. Yay! It seems like forever since I was last able to make it to one and I miss these ladies. If you live in the area, our church, Oconee Street United Methodist (in Athens, across from Mama's Boy on the East side just outside of downtown) is having a dinner and basket auction to benefit Our Daily Bread (the soup kitchen at our church) from 5 to 7 Saturday night. I am putting in two baskets of goodies. You should come.
2. I have to go to the grocery store. Immediately. We are just about down to peanut butter crackers and water. This is the down side (the only down side, mind you) to spring break. My shopping schedule is all off kilter.
3. The girls have dance classes.
4. Chris has softball.
5. I am going to shower everyday.

I already do shower everyday...I can't wake up without one...and I usually have terrible bed head and am in desperate need of one. But sometimes its just nice to throw something on a list that you know you can accomplish and check off. Sometimes I even put something on a list that I've already done so that I can check it off and feel an instant sense of accomplishment and satisfaction. Its ok. I know you do it too.

A Trip to IKEA and a Mini High School Reunion

For me, today felt like my last day of spring break...even though tomorrow really is.

This morning began with bringing Q to bed with me at 6am while Chris got ready to leave the house to run a 5K in Athens. Q and I were sleeping soundly when the girls came bounding into the room at 8:30 this morning. Argh! And so the day began.

I took the girls for a room shopping trip to IKEA. They, apparently, were very serious about the green and red/black rooms. I thought for sure we would get there and they would revert back to the pink (for Casey) and blue (for Chan) that they have been doing for the past 6 years, but no. They were actually surprisingly good IKEA shoppers. It may have been that I prepared myself for the worst. So we now have dressers and nightstands and wall stickers and lamps that hang from the ceilings and throw pillows...new bedding and pillows...the list goes on. We have never let them have quite this much say in their rooms and it is very exciting for them.

Then tonight Molly and I went to our friend Dea's birthday party. We all went to high school together - wlong with 2 other girls that were at the party. It is crazy to think that I have been friends with these people for over half my life...that the time that I have known them is longer than the time that I didn't.

And now I am very tired. And I have a long day tomorrow - church, grocery shopping, preparing for the week and mourning the end of spring break.

These People

Chris left the house this morning. This is actually news because Chris almost never leaves the house, by himself, with me home, with all 3 children. Shocking, I know. So, Chris left to get the oil changed in the van, stop by Lowe's and pick up some chairs from his mother's house. I was determined to get the bathrooms cleaned this morning. So that is what I focused on. And the three children ran around like hoodlums...screaming, whining, carrying on like...well, like children whose mother is not focusing on them. At one point, while I was wiping the mirror in our bathroom, Chan came in holding up the chain to the ceiling fan in the spare room. "Um, Mama. Um, Quinn wanted to touch the light on the ceiling in the spare room, so Casey and I tried lifting him up (*understand they had to stand on the bed and lift him up*) to reach the light, but instead he just pulled off this chain. I think it might be broken."

Ok. Deep breath. Exhale. Count to 10. Perhaps count to 10 backwards as well.

"Chan. The lights are hot. They can burn you. You or your sister or your brother should never touch the lights. And you also shouldn't pick up brother while standing on a bed."

"So what do you want me to do with this broken chain?"

Ok. Deep breath. Exhale. Count to 10. Perhaps count to 10 backwards as well.

Chris called to let me know that he was on his way home. Praise God. I greeted him in the garage when he pulled in, clapping my hands and jumping up and down. Yes, it was a sight.

"What's wrong with you?" was his return greeting.

"These people are going to be the death of me."

" 'These people?' You mean the ones that you gave birth to?"

"Yes, those people."

"So the morning went well, then?"

"Absolutely."

A Story About Chris's Memory

Chris does not have the greatest memory. Its true. I am not just talking smack about my husband. (And I do have his permission to write about this post, although he mentioned that if someone said something to him about it he may not remember - the following conversation, or the post itself.) One of my cousins said once that Chris was the greatest secret keeper. This is also true. But it is really only because he forgets what you have told him within, oh say, 24 hours...perhaps even shorter. So if you have a really horrible secret that you just need to let our , but don't want to suffer any repercussions because of it...Chris is your guy. There are times when this works in my favor - like when I forget to tell him something, I can say that I did tell him and he believes me. Not that I would actually do that but in case I needed to...
Ok, moving on. Along with this memory issue is the problem that it is very difficult for him to remember names. (How he keeps his students straight is a mystery. But he does. Intense training, I think.) Today we watched neighbor Abby's son, Graham. Chris and I had this conversation last night about it...

Chris: What's that boy's name that's coming over in the morning?
Me: Graham.
Chris: And the mom is? Wait don't tell me. (long dramatic pause) The last name is Lipsomething
Me: LiBsack
Chris: right...so the mom is Abby. And the dad is...wait. Don't tell me. Zach? Cody? Kyle? Ron?
Me: Syd.
Chris: Riiiiiiiggggghhhhhttt. Like Sid Vicious. He's in a band. That's how I'll remember. Sid in the Band.
Me: So we are now referring to a barbershop quartet as a band? (Syd really is in a very impressive barbershop quartet.)
Chris: Yes. Yes we are.

I just pray that he doesn't call him Sid Vicious to his face. Or begin calling Abby, Nancy.

The Return of the Girls and a New Friend for Quinn

Quinn's little friend, Graham, came over to play this morning. They had a great time together. Aside from when Q had a little mishap with the shopping cart and hit G with it. But, you know, sometimes that happens when you're with friends. And in all honesty, Chris has been known to hit me with the shopping cart from time to time. Just sayin. In the picture below, Graham was on the phone arranging a double date. Quinn was in full support. The boys hope to see Loralai and Mary Bright soon for a night of Yo Gabba Gabba and cheerios.


In other news, the girls returned home from Meme's today. I'm not really sure what she did to them, but they slept the whole way home.

The Pre-Craigslist Posting

Antique vanity and chair - $60 for the set. We bought this at an antique store in Hoschton a couple of years ago - the girls asked for a beauty station for Christmas and this is what they got. They LOVED it! But now, sadly, they just don't play dress up like they used to and no one wants to keep it for their new room.

This is the furniture from the spare bedroom. It includes a tall dresser (inside the doors are shelves), a long dresser with big square mirror (which is currently under the bed because I wanted a new look), nightstand and mission style queen size headboard. $150 for the whole enchilada. The mattress and box spring are NOT included in this, so don't get too excited.

I am planning on posting it all on Craigslist by the end of the week. Chris says that once I get rid of the excess furniture he would be willing to begin the moving of the bedrooms! Hooray!

Can't Sleep

Ugh. I hate this. Its because I am so schedule oriented everyday of my life that when I begin to feel a little bit of freedom from the schedule, I decide that I can't go to bed. It would steal away the freedom. And my house is quiet. My husband is asleep. Q is currently asleep (which will only last until 6 minutes and 12 seconds after I go to bed). And the girls are asleep...2 hours away at my mom's house.

So, I am sitting here, with glazed over eyeballs, thinking about all the things that I got done today and all of the things that I would like to get done tomorrow.

Today:
1. We cleaned out our closet. It looks wonderful. I want to stay in there all the time now. Its even vacuumed. I found a pair of shoes that I got for Christmas in 2007...still in the box...with the paper inserts in them. They're winter shoes though, so I have to wait to actually wear them. I hope they're still in style. Its not my fault that they were "lost". We moved in Feb of 2008. And I was pregnant. You know what pregnancy brain is like. You lose shoes for 3 years.

2. We cleaned out Q's closet.
3. laundry
4. bank
5. post office
6. Goodwill
7. I took the car to be serviced at the dealership in Athens. They were quick and I was impressed by that. I was not impressed that they guy came out to talk to me twice. Once to tell me that I was due for some big service. $150. The second time was to tell me that I need new tires (which I already knew) and that he could put them on for $868. Dear God. Are you kidding me???
8. Old Navy
9. Rack Room Shoes
10. Target (oh how I love thee)
11. dinner outside at The Grit. Veggie plate = happiness
12. Abby the neighbor came to visit

Tomorrow:
1. Apparently I will be sleeping until at least 9am.
2. Clean out the girls' closet.
3. Clean out the spare bedroom closet.
4. Watch Chris work in the yard.
5. Teach Quinn how to say, "I love you. You're the best mama in the whole wide world." It might be difficult, but not impossible. He has a pretty good command of the word "ball" so I think he's ready for a new challenge.

Why all the closet cleaning? Well, we have decided that it is time for the girls to have their own bedrooms. Q's room and the spare room are the exact same size, so at least it'll be even. The girls are excited about this. Chandler wants a red and black room. Casey wants a green room. Because that is her new favorite color. BUT, there are a ton of things that we have to do before said move can take place. The girls' current room (which is painted seafoam green - their pick, not mine) needs to be painted a more "boy" color. We may let Q wear silky pajamas, but we draw the line at a pastel room. Q's current room needs to be painted. I have compromised with Chan that the room can be painted gray and we can decorate with red and black. And 93% of the furniture in the spare bedroom needs to find a whole new home. We have one bedroom suite - low dresser with mirror, nightstand, queen size headboard, and armoir ($150 for the whole set) - and an antique vanity with chair ($60 and its yours!). Perhaps I'll post some pics soon to see if any of you are interested before I list things on Craig's list. But, back to the closets. The closet in the spare bedroom is really my only accessible storage space (I've never even seen the inside of our attic), so I have to find a place to put all of my treasures. You know, like my high school yearbooks, my prom dress, and my collection of porcelain dolls.

And this is the end of my almost 1am post.

Good Lord. Where Have I Been?

Good Lord. Where haven't I been in the past few days? This weekend was an absolute whirlwind.
1. Easter Egg Hunt
2. Birthday Party
3. Church services
4. Easter lunch
5. Preparation to go to Meme's
6. Orthodontist appointment for the girls
7. Hair cut appointment for Quinn
8. Visit to Meme's (which also included a visit to 2 parks)

Take all of that and mix in 4 nights of Quinn not sleeping well and you have one heckuva great Pendley Spring Break. Awesome.

The best part of all is that I have repeatedly forgotten my camera. Apparently I was so good at documenting the girls because the camera was my third child. Now that I have a real third child, I can't seem to remember the camera. Which I guess is better than remembering the camera and forgetting Quinn.

Lesson Learned

I am not a great cook. I know this about myself and am ok with it. Yes, this means that Chris does all of the cooking, but he enjoys it and is really good at it. This is the way that our household works. There are many reasons why I am not left to do the cooking, like this one for example, but one thing that I do somewhat excel at is desserts. Which is funny, because I am not usually a dessert eater kind of person. But I make a fantastic pistachio cake (if I do say so myself), and my Gram's homemade carrot cake with coffee frosting, and a chocolate delight. So, when I ran across PW's recipe for creamy lemon crumb squares, I figured I should give it a try. And then follow her advice in making key lime squares too. Its spring and these seemed wonderfully springy to me.

So, I began the dessert making process a earlier today. Only I failed to line all of my ducks up in a row before beginning - I melted the butter instead of softening it, which apparently was important for the topping part. I was shocked to learn that we actually owned a juicer. Who knew? And so I began the task of squeezing the lemons. I was fascinated by the juice collecting in the bottom of the juicer. So I bent over to get eye level with the juicer. Only that also meant that I was eye level with the lemon that I was squeezing...and my eye was the perfect target for the shooting lemon juice. Yes, friends, lemon juice shot into my EYE! My eye, people! It was open (because I was gawking with amazement at the simplicity of the juicer), wide open! And then the was lemon juice in my wide open eye! It happened in slow motion. I saw the juice coming straight for me. So I screamed. And then I started laughing. And then crying because ohmygod lemon juice...in my EYE!!! So I was a laughing and crying mess and Chris had to escort me to the bathroom for an eye rinsing. To rinse the LEMON JUICE out of my EYE. WTH, who gets lemon juice in their eye while squeezing lemons with a juicer?

So, when I make the key lime squares later, I'll know better than to become too enamored with the juicer. Lesson learned.

An Egg Hunt and A Birthday Party all in one day? Oh my.

Sadly, I forgot to take my camera to both events. But perhaps when Frankie uploads hers I will steal some and post them here. :)

We began the morning by going to Chris's parents' house for their annual Egg Hunt. It is quite the extravaganza...in a good way! And the kids LOVE IT!!! And I especially love the adult egg hunt in the backyard...you know, the eggs that have money in them. Yes, that's right. Eggs. With money in them. Tell me that you wouldn't be down for that kind of egg hunt. We practically push each other off the deck to get to the yard. And then she serves ice cream and bunny cake. This year she served green colored coconut grass around the cake and it was my favorite part. I really should have just rolled my cake in the coconut grass.

Then we came home, changed our kids' clothes (I mean, really, what kind of mother has their kid wear jeans on a day when it is 80 degrees outside???), wrapped Loralai's present and walked up the street for her 1st birthday party. Again, another really wonderful event. Low-key, great company, excellent food...and a good time was had by all. Well except for Q when he tried to give Mary Bright a 2nd kiss and she told him no. And no means no, buddy. So that wasn't such a great experience for him. Shot down. Better luck next time.

And now, Q is napping, the girls are resting and I think I might lay down as well. Then I am going to make PW's Creamy lemon squares, and some key lime ones too. There might be a few that we can take to Chris's parents' house tomorrow, but I make no promises.

I love the colors of Spring!

Orange Post Earrings - $10

Lime Green Bobby Pins - set of 2 $10

Lavender Post Earrings - $10

Charmingly Bright - Pink Owl - Necklace - $28

Did you know that if I know you in real life and we see each other (or have some other delivery method worked out) that you can still buy things online in my etsy shop and I will refund your shipping costs? This also gives you the option of paying by credit card. How sweet (and potentially dangerous) is that??? :)

A Day At the Aquarium

Today marked the first day of Spring Break for Chris and the kids (mine doesn't start until next week). So, Chris took Q to the sitter's today and took the girls to the Georgia Aquarium. They loved it! And, of course, are already asking when they can go back. I, on the other hand, got a phone call this morning from the sitter that she had pink eye and had a doctor's appointment scheduled and that Quinn would need to be picked up early. This would've been no problem, except that Chris and the girls were in Atlanta and would not make it back in time, so I ended up having to take the afternoon off work to be with him. Chris and the girls did make it back in time for me to be able to get my much needed first pedicure of the season before going to pick up the kids' Easter clothes from my sweet friend Amber. I can't wait to show you all the pictures on Sunday! And, she made Q's john-john a little bigger so that he has room to grow into through the spring and summer. Hooray! And now....for the grand finale.... This is a picture of Q this evening...in Chan's nightgown. He really, really wanted to wear it. He liked the silkiness of it. And, really, can you blame him?