Vacation Post #1

Flashback to June 2008. This might be my all-time favorite picture of my kids:

So, I decided it would be fitting to try to re-create the shot.

Fast forward to June 2009. I am even more thankful than ever for digital cameras where you're not limited to a certain number of shots. Here is a sampling of the photo shoot:

AND....at long last, here's the closest thing I got to the original. I'm glad you can't see their faces--you'd no doubt see a bit of anguish.

Ta Da! It might not be frame-worthy, but I finally got what I wanted!

The long overdue catch up post

Catching up on the ol' blog here. Hang onto your hat. Here goes:

We returned from Destin on Saturday night and were downright exhausted. Remember last year? Well, this year was on the same track. We did the beach olympics, talent show, and also seemed to incorporate a shopping marathon into the mix as well. Last year, we stayed in Seagrove and Seacrest and you had to drive a good ways to the outlets so we didn't do so much shopping. This year, we were about 5-10 minutes away and it seemed like every few hours, somebody was going to the outlets. That carload would return with some major deals which would feed another trip to the outlets for somebody else. (If our family is any indication of the average American, go buy some stock in Banana Republic.)

Anyways, there'll be a whole other post on vacation when I get my camera back...it hitched a ride home in somebody else's vehicle and is in the mail on the way back here as I type...



So, today was my catch-up day. I climbed Mt. Laundry and have reached the summit. Now for the ironing. However, I cannot iron when Will is awake, so that rules out most of my day. That will have to wait until after the kids go to bed tonight. Which is just what I want to do at my first free minute tonight, right? Whip out the ol' Rowenta and start pressing.

I actually can't complain about my day--it started with golf lessons for John, then we got home at 10:30 and had a few hours at home playing with the neighbors. Maddy then went to a birthday party at "Chuck E Jesus" (that's what the 4 yr old birthday boy calls it!). She had a ride to Chuck's so I didn't have to leave the home for that. John went swimming with our neighbors and Will slept, so I was able to get a lot done around here!


Ooh! I know when I'll iron: I have been anxiously awaiting Jon & Kate's big announcement tonight. I think that'll be a good time to iron. I have too much anxiety about their marriage problems--I can't just sit still & watch...ironing will give me an outlet for the nervous energy as I watch. I know this sounds crazy, but I am really sad for them! I don't know what's going to happen, but I'm just sad about the damage that has already been done by the paparazzi and their own personal bad choices.

I just pulled some pasta thing out of the freezer for dinner. I should be eating iceberg lettuce and carrot sticks to try and make a dent in the calorie OVERexpenditure that I'm working on from vacation. Can you say "donuts for breakfast?" Or what about "dessert after every meal?" Try this one out: "chips & queso for snack every afternoon." Grand finale on this exercise: "FRIED GROUPER."

Lastly--in honor of yesterday's big father's day celebrations, I have to say that I have the BEST dad in the world. If I could pick any dad out to be mine....no doubt, I'd picked him! Thanks Dad--I love you!

And to my own husband and father of my children. You are the most patient, loving, and FUN dad they could ever have. I love the way you love me & I love the way you love our 3 kiddos.

A Letter to our Vacation Neighbor:

Dear Vacation Neighbor:

It's been a good week. Really, it has. We've smiled as we pass by in the street on the way to and from the beach. We've splashed together at the pool. It's been great. Truly.

But last night, you put a bit of a damper on my friendly vacation spirit.

I fail to see why you needed to stay up until 3:30 a.m. talking outside with your front porch light on.

I know, I know--it sounds like I'm in your business and need to mind my own. But, I'm not. You see, you were in my business. Your late night/early morning talking and carousing and light-blaring activity took place just a few feet away from my bedroom doors and window. And, as you probably already know, these houses have those fancy windows above the doors that are in fancy shapes that don't allow for blinds or a window covering to mask the bright early morning sunlight or YOUR PORCH LIGHT from blaring in as I tried to sleep. (notice I said "tried" to sleep...)

So, really. I know we only have one night left, but I feel like I aged 10 years last night because of the lack of sleep allowed by your antics. I really can't afford to let this happen again tonight.

And you, my friend, really can't afford to stay up that late either. You may forget that my kids like to wake up around 6:30 and immediately head outdoors in that little strip of grass between your house and mine for rousing game of baseball or frisbee toss.

Please oblige so we'll all be a little happier, a little more rested and a little more pro-vacation when we return home from our vacation.

Sincerely,
Your neighbor in the blue house

vacation preparation

We leave in the morning for Destin with my whole family! Looking forward to it.

In the meantime, however...

....you know how you do laundry a few days before you leave for a trip, then you tell everybody not to wear anything between now and then that they want to take because you won't be doing laundry again? And, then, you know how all that's left in your drawers after that are ugly clothes that you don't normally wear?

That's us this week, folks. If you see us out & about, please don't say anything about how we look.

Another vacation preparation casualty is our pantry and fridge. Because, well, you know how you don't want to go to the store and spend a lot of money on food that will go bad while you're gone? Basically, that means your menu for this week might look a little something like this:

*spaghetti with a jar of sauce, no meat
*eggs and biscuits
*rotisserie chicken and sides from the deli
*cereal

Nothing wrong with any of those dishes, by the way....I'm just sayin' there might've been a little more pizzazz this week if I'd allowed myself to buy anything at the store other than vacation food. (I do have skittles and chex mix, but heaven help you if you even THINK about opening those bags before we hit the Alabama state line...)

Wasted travels

My friend Amy just celebrated a milestone birthday last week (she's 29 again).  Anyways, her husband went all out and had a week-long celebration for her--it all started with a getaway for the two of them to Chattanooga (no kids!).  When one of my kids heard that they were going away, he asked what they would do there.  I said, "oh, they'll sleep in, go on walks, shop, eat out, maybe see some art, you know, stuff like that."  He replied:  "They're not going to the Aquarium?  Not visiting Ruby Falls?!?  That sounds like a wasted trip to Chattanooga to me!"  He was outraged by their lack of fun planned for the weekend.

Personally....I've been to that aquarium a few too many times and while it is indeed wonderful and amazing, if I ever go back again, it'll be too soon.  But of course, I am sure we'll be back because Will's never been and if you live this close, you must take your kids at least once.  I think I'll let him experience Ruby Falls on a class field trip, though...

The funny thing about all that is that we feel so strapped down by having a toddler right now and think that there's so much we cannot do with the big kids because of Will.  That theory got smashed the other day when I was flipping through some old photo albums and saw pictures of one such trip to Chattanooga when we did the Aquarium and Children's Museum.  Guess how old Madeline was?  20 months.  Guess how old Will is right now?  20 months.  Hmmmm.....  

2nd grade writing prompts: Take 4

What are your parents' jobs?

My parent's jobs are, well, my dads job is enginering. He gets payed by money. My moms job is being a mother and she get's payed by wonderfull children. Their jobs are great.

____________________

Note from the mom who apparently is very rich (especially this summer): So, my friend Sarah said it best when she posted this as her status update: "Sarah thinks that her ability to change her Facebook status will be severely limited this summer." I'd like to change one thing about that statement to make it my own (that was a tribute to AI's Randy Jackson) and say that my ability to update the blog will be severely limited this summer. Wow--the kids are BUSY and HIGH-MAINTENANCE! You go 9 months out of the year with school in session and begin to think they're all grown up until summer break.

We leave for vacation with my family in a few days....YEAH!!! Here's to a repeat of last summer's great trip!