Hamster Church

Whenever May comes to see the kids, she brings them "surprises." OK, she also mails them "surprises," she has "surprises" when we get to her house, she is a "surprise" fool. They are pretty much spoiled rotten! But it is a grandmother's prerogative, right?

Well, this trip, she brought my little darlings each a Zhu Zhu pet. We have had "hamsterns" before, but not like these. These babies have minds of their own. Oh, and they make noises. Lots of noises. And they are unpredictable. You never know what might come out of their little mouths and when. Sort of like kids, I guess. But with kids, I like to think I have some influence. But not with these new pets. Oh, no! And if the dogs bark, I can yell "hush!" And 5 times out of 10, they listen. You know? But if you tell these new little guys "hush," they NEVER listen.

They came with names, like the toy company names them. But of course, those names are never sufficient. My children always have to rename them. And those names change many times. Spencer finally settled on "Henry" for his. And that darn Henry kept wanting to stay at Bay's house. Several times, he got left over there. I had to do some fast talkin' to keep us from having to head over to Bay's house in our jommies to retrieve said Hamster.

Well, last Sunday, Henry and Spencer were in the same place because Jess and Spence spent the night with May and Bay and of course, Henry. So it was time to head to church, and of course, Henry wanted to go.

OK, you know how I said those darn Zhu Zhus cannot control themselves. Well, that is not totally true. There is some hidden magic button that can make them quiet. (The kids and dogs DO not have one of those. . .) Only I don't know where the button is. May found it and has been our appointed official Zhu Zhu whisperer. So Spencer brings a sleeping Henry into church. He has not been stimulated or "woken up" lately. Everything is fine. Spencer placed Henry in my purse to rest during the service.

Per the routine, the choir sang. Then it was time for the Children's Sermon. All the kids ran up to sit at the front and potentially embarrass their parents on the big screen using a microphone. After the sermonette is over, they all run out of the sanctuary to head downstairs for Children's Church. After I make sure they went to the right place, I always settle into my pew just in time for the sermon. You know, the sermon? Where the preacher inspires us with stories and scriptures? Where everyone in the sanctuary is very quiet, hanging on every word?

Yeah, well, as I was sitting there, I needed some chap stick. So I slowly and quietly reached down to grab my purse. When I reached in, I somehow woke up that darn Henry. And I panicked! People were starting to sort of look over their shoulders to see what the noise was. So I tossed him to May. Well, then he was even LOUDER because he was out int he open and not muffled by my purse. She is trying to work her hamster whisperer magic, but of course, the stakes are high because we want Henry to hush, like 5 minutes ago, you know? So I reach over and grab that noisy little fur ball and head out the big doors.

Whew. He is outside of the sanctuary. But now what?! I am looking around. Trying to find an answer. Where to put him? I want him to be still and also sort of hidden away. I mean, I would hate for a good Samaritan to come by and take old Henry to the Humane Society for adoption, you know?

And all of a sudden, it hit me. The perfect place to tuck little Henry in for a nap. He would be out of the way and not readily visible. AND I would know right where to find him after church was over.

The name tag holder!

Genius!

And so Henry hung out right here until after the service. May, Bay, and I went to children's church to pick up the children and to the name tag holder, aka, Hamster Church to pick up good old Henry!

My Momma was born

Today is my Momma's birthday.

I am really really glad that she was born!!

She is such a great Momma to all of us. She always laughs when people talk about empty nest. She keeps saying that she'd love to know what that felt like. Yeah, we are sort of hard to shake. There are times that I have come back home when we were moving or had extended visits during deployments. And lately, if I come back, I bring lots of extra folks - kids, dogs, cats, FISH. But Momma takes it and us in stride.

Then there is Lucas. Man was she there for Lucas. She was the best, most supportive, most informed caregiver he could have asked for during his Lymphoma and his Stem Cell Transplant. Of course, she would not have had it any other way. Seriously, this woman was the captain of "Team Lucas," and she has this detailed notebook binder thing going on that encompasses every blood test, scan, etc. that was EVER done.

She always said that when we were born,

she knew her purpose in life: to be a mother,

our mother.

She was always there for us growing up. I know I have said things like this before, but it is true. The woman drove all over the state of Georgia to watch me be the manager for the basketball team. Yep, she put many a mile on that car to watch me hand out towels and fill water bottles. She never missed Lucas in a swim meet or tennis game. And she was always there at band competitions or track meets. And she volunteered so much at school that most people thought she was a paid employee!

She definitely is not of the mind that your job is finished when your kids turn 18. Nope. She was always at North Georgia with me for Parent's Weekends, making breakfast for my sorority sisters during Rush, or just to take me out to eat for a much needed break. And she was always at Valdosta, too - at fraternity cookouts, scrubbing the bathrooms of new apartments when Lucas moved (again!), or even hanging out at the bar where Lucas was the DJ. Yep, she was always there for us.

And when I think back on Momma and our childhood, I realize just how blessed Lucas and I were. We never doubted that we were special and loved. We always knew that we could count on her.

Momma was and is the best Mom ever. And of all the zillions of things that she taught us through the years, I think the greatest gift that she gave us was the gift of positive thinking. If I had a nickel for every time I heard her say, "Well, things are never so bad that they couldn't be worse," I'd be rich. But the truth is, I am rich because she raised us to be optimistic. We are glass half full people. She also would say, "You have the same pants to get glad in that you got mad in." Man are those words priceless. She taught us that happiness is a state of mind and a decision that we can make every day. This gift that she gave us can never be underestimated. This way of thinking impacts my life every day, every hour, every minute.

So happy birthday, Momma/May!

And thanks for just being YOU.

The Class Grandma

OK. So Spencer's school is really big on parent volunteers. They like to have a Mom in the room all the time. So there is a sign up calendar outside of the room so we can sign up for the days we want. And in October, I asked them to put up the schedule up for January. See, I wanted to sign up as close as possible to his actual birthday. I wanted to bring a birthday snack. His school is extra picky about snacks. They are crazy worried about allergies and the building is a tree nut free zone. No cupcakes or candy are allowed. So for birthdays they suggest fresh fruit. And it has to be prepared in their kitchen to avoid cross contamination. I digress. The point is I was the class mommy for Spencer's class on January 4, and I got to celebrate with fruit. (Boy it takes me a long time to get to the point - maybe David is onto something -hee-hee!)

So the night before January 4 was of course January 3, Spencer's actual birthday. After we got home from his special supper at Red Robin (his request), I reminded him that the next morning, on his first day back from break, I was going to be the Class Mommy. And my sweet boy, who I know was simply thrilled that his old Momma was going to be at school with him asked me a question, "Mom?" I said, "Yes, buddy?" And he said, "Can May come to my school, too and be the Class Grandma?" I smiled and told him that I did not think that May could because she would be preparing to go home since she was leaving on Tuesday. He stuck out his bottom lip. I agreed to let him call May and ask her. It was his birthday, after all.

(Phone rings.)

May - Hello?!

Spencer - May?

May - Yes, Spencer.

Spencer - May, will you come to my school tomorrow and be the Class Grandma?

May - (with NO hesitation) Of course I will, Spencer.

(He smiled and handed me the phone.)

Me - We'll pick you up at 8:40. I'm sorry!

May told me later that she really wanted to sleep a little later to rest up and pack for her 9 hour drive the next day. But she also realized that he may never invite her to do that again. And when your precious newly 4 year old grandson calls you and asks you to be his Class Grandma, you don't say NO!

This was a hoot! Spencer was extra shy because the 2 of us were there, but he eventually warmed up. And I think May had a great time. And I am not sure, but she may be the first Class Grandma ever! And if not the first, for sure the BEST, right??

AND his teacher told us as we were leaving that she could not have done it without BOTH of us. There was some sponge painting that got out of control. They were painting a big box to make it into an igloo (in December, it was a stable. In January, it will be an igloo. Gotta change with the seasons) The bottoms of shoes were covered in paint, so we had to wipe every shoe. There were streaks of white paint in the hair of several. There were hands to be washed, the floor to be cleaned, we needed all the help we could get! We laughed because the kids would not have to tell their parents that they painted - they could tell just by looking at them!

Check out the "igloo" in the background. Note the white paint, well, everywhere.

The best part was ice skating indoors. It was way too cold to go outside, so we pretended to ice skate with our mittens and hats and paper plates on our feet! Too fun! And a great way to burn some energy and get some exercise.

Check out May - skating it up!

All in all, it was a great day. Well, everyday that I get to spend with my boy is a good day. And also having a classy, Class Grandma, well, that's just icing on the cake!

Note the healthy fruit birthday snack.

And, yep, he's 4!

Meatloaf

For the past 5+ years, I have been all about my babies. My main focus has been Jessa and Spencer. I have taken care of David, the house(s), the shopping, the laundry, the many pets, etc., but we could be almost hermits if we were so inclined. I made our schedule. We traveled when we needed or wanted to. We did not have to get out of our pj's if we did not want to. We ate out or saw movies during the week. We were the masters of our time and fate.

Yes, we did preschools, but those are even flexible and many times not every day. I mean, I did not pull them out needlessly. But for example, when we moved into our house at Ft. Stewart after David got home, I did not rush to find them a new preschool. We took January off to visit with David and go to Disney, and no one cared. But that is over now. We are officially in real school, and we have a new life, a new schedule. Quite an adjustment, to say the least.

The school thing is only part of it. As the children get older, there are more activities that they become involved in. Finally, we are at a location at the right time for Jessa to take ballet. Everywhere else, we were too late to join a class. . . So I found a great place close to our new home, and we signed her up for a beginner class.

We are also loving being involved in our new church. Jessa loves it so much that each Sunday when we go to pick her up from the Children's Church room, she begs to stay. So it seemed to make sense to sign them up for Awana. We have never had the opportunity to do it before. Around us growing up, it was always at the Baptist Churches. And of course, I said, "If y'all need any help, let me know. . ." So naturally, I am a co-leader of the Cubbies, Spencer's class.

That's not too bad, right? 2 extra activities each week. Want to know the tough part?? The only class for Jessa's age beginners is Wednesday from 5:30-6:30. Awana is each Wednesday from 6:15-7:30. Hmmm. Do you see any problem with that?

Luckily, I have an awesome family and husband who agreed to help me out with this little scheduling issue. David agreed to pick Jessa up from dance class and bring her to church late so that Spencer and I did not also have to be late. The only problem with this is that David is always gone! Bless his heart! So I also have an awesome Daddy who agreed to step in and help when David was not around. And this past week, my Momma was also here visiting and ready to help. The phrase "it takes a village" comes to mind. . .

Last Wednesday, at 5:00, I took my precious ballerina across town to the ballet/tap class. I got her situated in class, and then Spencer and I rushed off to church. I was a nervous wreck because I had no clue how to handle this whole Awana thing. I felt so unprepared. But the light at the end of the tunnel was Momma planning to fix supper for all of us when we got back from our many activities.

The kids came to Awana and I got absorbed into the evening. About 6:40, I see a handsome soldier (aka Bay) carrying a sweet ballerina into her Awana class. Whew! Then the whole evening was crazy! Chaos! It was expected to be that way because it was the first night and everyone was trying to figure out where to go and what to do. 7:30 came and all the parents picked up their kiddos. But I had to stay to clean up, etc. We had paperwork to attend to and plans to make. By this point, both children are exhausted and rather ill. Spencer needed me to "holsha" (hold) him. Kind of hard to clean up and load the car and get ready to go while toting a 40 lb attachment. Jessa decided she did not want to go home with me. She wanted Bay. She even disappeared briefly (and scared me half to death) to find him. She then asked me to please call him to come and get her. We finally got out of there at 8:00! All the way home my exhausted children who had been going strong since 7 AM were trying to sleep. Not a good idea to take a power nap at 8 when I need them to eat, bathe and got to bed in the next hour. So I fought with them all the way home. Employing "mean mommy" techniques like rolling down their windows, turning up the volume, turning on the dome lights, and even singing along to the radio. They stayed awake, if only to curse my very name. Feel free to report me for this abuse☺.

We arrived at Bay's house to a delicious meal of meatloaf, scalloped potatoes, green beans, slaw, crescent rolls, and sweet tea. Jessa sat in her chair and cried and fussed until I made her go sit in the other room. Even despite her fit, I think that was the best supper I have ever eaten. I am so lucky to have such awesome parents. I could not have pulled off this marathon day without their help and support. Seriously, every time the day got too stressful, I would remember that Momma was cooking me an wonderful supper. I am glad that my parents did not think their job was over when I turned 18 or went to college or graduated from college or got married or had children of my own. . . I am so blessed. We all are!

AND, Jessa ate every bite of her supper in the car on the way home. They were bathed and passed out together in my bed by 9:15! Glad Wednesday only comes once a week - I need all week to recover. . . And this week, I will have to do it with no meatloaf.

Mimi and Poppy had a farm

E-I-E-I-O

We've been in GA, ya know, visiting. During our visit, I wanted for us to all take a trip to Mimi and Poppy's farm house in Adel, GA. So, me, Momma, Jessa, Spencer, Cooper, Dunken, and Max met Mimi and Poppy down there for a few days.

The dogs all loaded up - always ready for a trip!

It is the house where Mimi grew up. It is such an awesome place - full of memories. Lucas and I spent many fun visits down there growing up. And I want my kiddos to have good memories of the farm, too. Sadly, we have not been to visit in a while. For real, look at this picture of Jess and Spence taken on the last trip we took down there:

Easter 2006 - Jessa was 2 1/2 and Spencer was 3 months old!

We had such a great time - catching up with family and just talking about the old days. It is so beautiful there.

The farm house

A family pond - gorgeous!

Although, after we were there for about a day, Spencer came to me. He had a serious look on his face. He said, "Mommy, why doesn't Mimi and Poppy's farm have any animals?" OK, point taken, it is not a working farm anymore. And even when it was, it was about crops, not cows and pigs. They did get to pet and feed the cows at Aunt Leta's house, so I guess they got to do something more "farmish."

We also spent one evening "pin curling" our hair. Momma has always talked about one time when Granny (Mimi's mother) pin curled her hair in the same very house. I decided I wanted us to try it on each other. Mom was not thrilled about this idea, but they all went along with me.

During:

All curled up:

The next morning:

May

Me

Jess looked the best - we looked like we belonged on Coffee Talk.

David was relieved to hear that Spencer's hair was not rolled.

The dogs also had a blast. So many smells and noises that they were interested in.

All these two wanted to do was hang out and take it all in.

I know Max looks confused - he sort of always is, God bless him!

He would go out, do his business, and wait at the door to go back in.

He still does not get the whole being a dog outside thing.

We also got some good front porch time in. Hands down, the BEST thing about Adel is the front porch. Swings, rockers, a dark night, and all of us sitting outside listening to the "night noises."

Lucas and I spent many a summer night swinging on that porch. And it was so awesome for me to get to see my kids swinging in the same swing. It was wonderful!

So our trip was much fun! Jessa said as I was packing for us to head back to Atlanta that she thought we should just stay until we ran out of clean clothes because she was not ready to leave yet. I assured her we would come back - and hopefully we will not wait so long before our next trip. . .

Company

I love having company. And we have a full house right now! YAY!

Mimi and Poppy got here last Saturday for their first visit to the new new house. I was hoping to have it more unpacked, but you know. . . And frankly, Mimi is only watching the kiddos anyway, she wouldn't notice a marching band coming through.

THEN on Wednesday May and my cousin Nikki arrived. We LOVE when Nikki comes to visit. She is my 16 year old cousin who lives in Hawaii, and Jessa thinks they are the same age!! They are really cute together, and Nikki is SO patient with her little cousins who think she hung the moon.

We were sad because our dear friends Roy and Peggy were unable to come. They were also supposed to arrive on Wednesday, but they had a family emergency. They did ask for a rain check, and we granted it without hesitation.

Anyway, there is not too much time for blogging, but I will have many funny stories to share when they are headed back home.

Until then, think of us all together, eating and laughing - 'cause that is what we are doing.

David, Mimi, Dana, Poppy, Spencer, May, Bay, Jessa, Nikki