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.

You Need a Stamp...

Today, I am going to embrace my eccentricities. I will admit my flaws and love my kookiness.

Scratch that.

Today, I will share with you one of my eccentricities. I will put it out there in all its glory. (And then I will wear a hat and dark glasses everywhere I go for the next month because I just put this out there...on the Internet.)

I write letters. 

I write letters to people I know. 

I write letters to people I don't know. Seriously.

I use more stamps than anyone I know. 

The post office guy knows me by name, where I work, how many kids I have, and waves at me when he  sees me in Publix. 

I write letters. 

I've been writing letters for as long as I can remember. Receiving a card or letter in the mail is one of my favorite things. I am positively giddy every day when I pull open the mailbox and glance at the stack of paper. 99% of the time it's junk mail. Coupons, credit card offers, special offers. Then, there is that other 1%. Invitations to parties, birth announcements, thank you cards. Oh, that 1% is the best. Encountering an actual message from a friend will make my entire week.

It seems to me that if personal mail makes me that happy, then surely it makes other people that happy too. I write letters. Once a month, I flip through the pages of my life. I reflect on and consider the influences in my life. I draft a message or messages and walk to the mailbox. It will probably take the rest of my life to acknowledge all the souls that have inspired me or changed my life in some way, but I'm okay with that.  If I could, I would send every person on the planet a little something. We all need a word of encouragement from time to time.

The hardest ones for me to compose and mail are messages of condolence. I'm not good at it at all. I never quite know what to say, but I try. Brutal honesty: Condolences are less difficult for me when I don't know the person; sending messages like that to people I know is like trying to dig the words from my gut. The emotional involvement is very uncomfortable for me.

Think about all the people you know and the ones that you don't know but have heard about....is it possible that you need a stamp too?

Fishy Einstein Magic...

***Disclaimer: No children were harmed physically during the events of this post. Emotionally? I am damaged. The children are probably okay.

This week is teacher appreciation week at our elementary school. Being an involved parent (stop laughing), I agreed to sit with Ella's class at lunch one day, so that her beloved teacher could eat in peace and quiet. Several of us moms agreed to this on different days this week.

Dealing with school and school children really should be something that comes to naturally to me. After all, I come from a family full of educators. Seriously, my family tree looks more like a truncated directory of members of the Alabama Education Association than it does a tree. Maybe not, but surely you get the point. No, I will not stop calling you Shirley. My people are educators, but I am missing that gene. There is not a single cell in my body that would be capable of being a teacher.

So, in all my teacher-gene free fabulousness, I arrive at school to chaperone this little one's class at school....

 

We made it down the hall okay. All 18 of them followed me from the classroom to the lunchroom, and no one got lost or injured. We entered the lunchroom and split into two groups. The first group went directly to the table because they had brought their own lunch. The second group formed a line to purchase lunch. I couldn't believe it. I was actually doing okay with this whole "take the kids to lunch" thing I volunteered to do.

Finally, they were all seated at the table. That's when some Albert Einstein-time-space-continuum-collapse thing happened. Suddenly, there were 85 of them, and not a one of them could open a ketchup packet without assistance. There was chocolate milk covering 65% of the table. I'm not sure how, but one kid magically appeared on top of a table three rows over. And THAT KID would not leave me alone. You know the kid I'm talking about...the pitiful one who spent the entire lunch leaning over my shoulder to tattle on the other kid who kept calling him "stupider than Brody." At my house, the littles think stupid is the S word, so every time pitiful boy would say "stupider," Ella would lean over and tell me to fuss at him for using the S word.

Not only was pitiful boy "stupider" he also informed me that so-and-so told him he was "talking ugly." This is the exact moment in my lunchroom adventure when I began to wonder how teachers survive without a flask of vodka in their lunch bag. So.....I ask him. "What did you say that  so-and-so thinks is so ugly?" Pitiful boy says, "I said that squirrels like nuts." I look over at so-and-so and say, "Squirrels do like nuts. That's nothing bad." So-and-so gives me his best mischievous grin and says, "He wudden talkin' about no walnuts." Que heart palpitations and sweaty palms. Instead of dealing with it, I told them we should "save this conversation for Mrs. Williams." Yeah, I wimped out and passed the buck.

The enjoyable section of my lunch date was the rousing conversation I had with two boys about our favorite Little Debbie cakes. Let me tell ya, these boys know sugary goodness. I'm half tempted to go buy 4 or 5 boxes of Zebra cakes for the class just because of how these two boys talked. One in particular described the melting of the creme filling and the firmness of the cake in such a way that I actually wanted to go buy one. Right then. The cake boys get two thumbs up. They are sweet kids with sweet teeth.

Not all kids got two thumbs up. In fact my mind was a little like this....

Only 345 more ketchup packets to open.

Good lord. Tell your children to chew with their mouths closed.

Sweet Baby Jesus. That finger was just up his nose, and now he's manhandling his hushpuppies.

Awww, fish bites are gross. The taste cannot be anything compared to watching you eat it.

Will I tie your shoe? Hell to the no. That shoelace looks like a CDC experiment got loose in your house.

Why am I not eating lunch? Because the sight of your food hanging out of your mouth has cured my body of the need for food.

No, I am not coming back tomorrow.

Lunch finally ended, and I felt kind of like I had run 10 miles. Shepherding 275 18 kids to lunch is not for the weak.


Later that night, I hung up my jacket and noticed there was something in the pocket. I reached in and pulled out a half-eaten fish bite from lunch. I wonder which kid blessed me with that little left over.

In the Grass...

Today, I am missing this.....


 

It has been cold and rainy for days here. It's May, and we have the heat turned on in our house. I would love for it to be dry enough to waller in the grass and sit in the blinding sun. Ok, I have no idea how to spell that word. It's a southern expression. Rhymes with holler.

Serious question. I still have nearly 30 posts in the draft section. I cannot make up my mind which ones to finish and post first. I'm overwhelmed by the amount of content I have accumulated over the years. What would you prefer to read first?
Goofy posts
Serious posts
Posts with pretty children
Posts without children
Inappropriate posts
What I really think about Nutella
My hair

Help a gal out. I would love it if someone could give me direction. :)

Before and After...

Just for j-squared...


 

 

We have too much time on our hands. It looks that way at least.