Chicky Chick...

My children sure do love chicks.

 

It's a shame these chicks have to grow up and become dinner hens and roosters.

Float On...

When you have younger siblings, sometimes you want to spend time away from them. I can remember being young and being so annoyed that my kid sister and her friends would try to hang out with me and my friends. Hello? We wanted to gossip and chill free from eavesdropping. That exact scenario is happening at my house more and more often. The age gap between Hadley and the littles is  pronounced right now. She is about to enter high school. Ella Channing is barely out of elementary school, and Layton is still my personal cuddle-y, cookie monster of little bitty boy. On one end of my codependent spectrum, cartoons and ice cream are all the rage, and on the other end of the spectrum, iphones, texting, blind dates, and being embarrassed by me are the hot topics.

Take one of our recent trips to the river for example. Hadley and Courtney wanted to float and sun by themselves. As you can see, the littles weren't about to let that happen. I had to remind them to swim away from the teenagers. I was trying to keep them all happy by letting them all swim but on different sides of the pier.




Eventually, the littles did find their own way to relax. Layton told me that he, "had it made." The rope was attached to the pier, so he wouldn't float too far away. Check out the double float situation he has going on. 

Ella Channing relaxed more than Layton did. I was almost convinced that she was going to fall asleep right there on the Elk River.

And so, they all swam. The teens were annoyed with the littles at first. The littles floated away. Fun was had in the sun.

The Roller Coaster is Not Moving...

Ella Channing and Layton attended another VBS this week. This one was at First Baptist Church and had a Colossal Coaster theme. Each child got to sit in a mock-up coaster and have a picture taken. Keep in mind that this is a cardboard box.

Ella Channing...

Ella Channing up close...her picture is a little blurry...so the photograph of a photograph is even more blurry...

Brace yourself.










Layton.

Layton up close...

I have not been able to look at this picture without laughing. 

Count Choco-Face...

Just be glad you don't have to wrestle this one into a tub later...

 

In Focus...

It's easy for life to get out of focus. Much like Ella's photography skills, I tend to get completely focused on the wrong thing. I mean no offense to my precious Ella Channing, but I had tasked her with taking some candid photographs of J and me. The inflatable raft does look rather fun though. Bwhaha.


 

No, We're Not Up to Anything...

I caught them plotting. They were not happy that I caught them. Can you tell?

 

On Deck...

When I was a child, my father and my uncle took me to a few baseball games in Atlanta. I loved it. The Braves were amazing in my eyes. My exposure to baseball prior to seeing the Braves was limited. I had quasi-played a game or two in gym class, and I goofed around with a ball and mitt in my backyard. Did I know the rules? No. Did I care that I didn't know the rules? No. I adored the butterflies in my stomach when I was on deck. I just knew that I was going to step up to the plate and send the ball right out of the park off the asphalt play ground at school. More often than not, I struck out. I think I bunted a time or two. Did I ever actually hit a home run? Nope, not even once. Still, I loved it. Is there any better feeling than being on deck?


 

Really, we're all still on deck in one way or another. We're all waiting our turn to be parents or grandparents or to be promoted or to lead a group. We're all on deck for the next stage of life.

Hadley is on deck for adulthood. She's patiently waiting for her chance to knock it out of the park. I want her to know that it's okay to strike out. It's okay to stay on the bench if the opponents make you uncomfortable. You have to trust your teammates. You have to take a break for water. You will get dirty. You will fall. You won't always win, but that doesn't always mean that you lost. You will ache. Pain is unavoidable. There will be someone there to tend to your hurt. When you have the chance to make a break for it, go. Go far and fast. Let the crowd cheer you on. Most importantly, I will always be in the stands so to speak. Enjoy this time of being on deck and the anticipation of what is yet to come. Running the bases will wear you down, but making it home will make it all worth while.

Really, we're all still on deck. 

Another Day...Another Task...

Hola, friends! Another week full of activities and fun is upon us! My little crew is busy with work, pledging a sorority, and another Vacation Bible School. We're VBS junkies at the Enabling household; hey, it's free child care for half a day, and they learn about having a moral compass. Did I just confess to that? Why, yes, I did. Seriously, the Summer is such a long time to keep children entertained and engaged. I choose to enroll my children in as many VBSs, camps, lessons, programs, etc as possible. Ella Channing has been to a cupcake decorating class that caused us all to gain weight. Layton has been to soccer camps that caused me to buy $50 worth of Gatorade in one week. Summer is my least favorite season. I tend to function better when my family has a set schedule, and Summer obliterates any sense of organization I might have had in May. Hence...the camps and attendance at 13 VBSs each Summer.


 

So, I smile. I figure if I fake like I've got this whole thing under control, my schedule will magically be under control. Fake it till you make it! 

Up and Away...

As I was flipping through some pictures the other day, this one caught my eye. It didn't catch my eye because of the precious, little face; it caught my eye because of what went through my head when I saw it.

"She's looking up at me. Thank God she isn't looking up to me."
That's what I thought.

 

Girl, please. I am no one's role model. Bwhahahahahaha!

Two Eds Are Better Than One...

Happy Father's Day! Hopefully, you are all doing well and doting on all the fathers in your lives.

My father has been on my mind this week for several reasons. He taught high school math for many years, and so I often run into former students and colleagues who have stories and memories to share with me. And then. There are also times when I tell a story that causes memories of Ed to bubble to the surface. Piano. That is the word that caused me to think of my father more often this week. I mentioned my father played piano. Most often he played gospel music. He would sing along, and the melodies would stay with me. I have one particular memory of my father playing piano that means more to me than any other. My wedding.

The day was mostly like any other day. Ed's cell phone was glued to his hand, and we were all laughing about it. The jokes about his cell phone needing to be surgically attached to his hand were so rampant and hilarious. Every time I see this picture, it makes me smile.



This was literally moments before he had to walk me down the isle. I was only slightly concerned that there would be a ringing cell phone during the ceremony. :) In all honesty, it probably would have caused such laughter that it might have made the whole thing even more fun. We had a very small ceremony with only family and one or two other folks in attendance. Neither J nor I wanted to have an actual wedding. We would have much preferred  to just zip by the courthouse one day and take care of business. My dad and J's mom...that's why we had a ceremony, and even though it wasn't what we wanted, it was a beautiful day.

This is my favorite picture from my wedding. It's an outtake. A blurry photo that was tossed aside and not meant to be seen or displayed, but it's my absolute favorite. We were in a small room in a small, country church, and he was about to give me away. He put a penny in my shoe and held me tighter than he ever had. 

For years Ed played the piano during Sunday services in the small church where J and I were married. And, on the day he gave me away, he played one last time inside Nebo Presbyterian Church. He played the recessional as J and I left the church. He gave me away at the alter, and instead of watching me leave, he moved to the piano and played. For me. For J. It was perfect.






And....just because no blog post is complete without me embarrassing myself...here's a picture of J and me at our wedding...I'm not sure our wedding was legal because I'm pretty sure that J was 12, or maybe he just looked that way....and I'm a scary looking hag as usual....

 

This Little Piggy...

Off to the market I go!

The Athens Saturday Market recently debuted, and I am obsessed!
This was so much more than just a farmer's market. There were flowers...



Honey...

More flowers and soaps...

Produce...

Live music....

And most importantly....green smoothies.

 

I am looking forward to returning another Saturday to eat more goat cheese, buy more produce, smell the lavender, knock back a few green smoothies, and enjoy the music. This is small town USA at its best. 

Fishing not Phishing...

The codependents love to go fishing. I love to watch them go fishing. I also look at them and wonder....how can that position possibly be comfortable?

 

Getting Some Zzzzzzzs...

When I am really, really tired, I try to find a cozy, dark place to get some rest. I don't often take a nap. I have never been able to sleep much during the day, but I do enjoy having some time to rest and relax. I like to curl up on my sofa with a nice blanket and a cheesy movie. I have never (repeat that. NEVER) thought of napping on top of a Jeep.

Ella, on the other hand, has no problem napping on top of a vehicle.


I'm not entirely sure that she is my child.

 

Clearly, she got more of J's DNA.

Level Up...

This is what Layton looks like when he challenges his uncle to a task.

 

The task in question this particular day was riding the toddler Huffy down the hill and into the river.


Let's just put it this way.....a certain uncle had to wade into the river to find the toddler Huffy.....

Not Enough Material...

I haven't posted much lately. J said that there "isn't enough material" after he saw Ella's swimsuit....the same could be said for my blog...not enough material. :)

In all honesty, I have taken a nice long break from blogging. I have only posted sporadically over the last few months. There are several reasons for the long hiatus.

1. I needed a break. I felt too much pressure to post every day. Darn you, Internet! Too much stress! From a hobby!
2. It occurred to me that my children might google me someday. What do I want to show up in the results section?
3. This blog has primarily been a "mommy-blog" from the start, and now that my children are getting older, it is unfair of me to share their lives without their permission.
4. I needed to figure out what direction this blog should take and if I even wanted to continue blogging.

 

There will be some changes here and there, but I have decided to continue blogging...

Will I post everyday? Probably not.
Will I still post some stories, etc about the codependents? Yes, but with more scrutiny than before.
Will I continue to be completely inappropriate? Um, I know no other way to be, so the inappropriate-ness will continue.