Goodbye, Twenty Ten

To put a spin on Charles Dickens' quote, 2010 was the "worst of times, it was the best of times."

We truly are ringing in the new year at a very good time. 

My sweetheart is in Alabama tonight, so I'm indulging in my latest guilty pleasure: prison shows.  I don't know why I'm so facinated by watching about prison life, gangs, solitary confinement, etc.  Nevertheless, that's what I'll be doing.

Here's to a joyous 2011.

Happy New Year, loyal readers!

Merry Christmas to All...

...and to All a Good Night's Sleep (as said by Abby)

We had a very enjoyable Christmas this year.  The morning started a little late (about 9:00); poor Chip worked the night before and didn't get home until then.  I popped some cinnamon buns in the oven and then the kids came downstairs to see all the presents.  Then I cleaned, the kids played, and Chip slept.  We went out for our unconventional traditional Christmas dinner at Zhang's Chinese Buffet.  Yum!  We all needed an afternoon nap, and when we woke, we rode around and looked at Christmas lights.  Here are a few shots:

Wow!

My Princess!

Tired Daddy

Christmas Mayhem

Handsome Fellas

Ready for Battle

Going to Town

*This is just a reminder to ourselves (Chip and I) of the craziness from Christmas Eve.  Chip, realizing that Santa hadn't bought any gifts, went shopping at Toys 'R Us at 8:30 p.m. 

Before I Forget

Here are a couple of things Ab's said in the past couple of days that I don't want to forget:

"Mama, after we open our presents on Christmas can we go outside and make snow angels?"

"You do a really good job at all your jobs."

"When does God sleep?  When I get to Heaven I'll give God a night outfit."

"Okay, let me get this straight..."

"Can I have all those toys in the toy store?"  I replied, "Where would we keep all of them?  They wouldn't fit in our house."  Abby said, "Are you kidding?!  We have a reeeeeally big house.  They would all fit.  We could keep them in the basement.  Are you kidding?!  They would fit."

Overwhelmed

As I drove down Main Street the night before Thanksgiving my mind wandered.  I couldn't help but reflect on the past year and all that has happened since last Thanksgiving.  It got me to thinking how awesome this year has been and how AWESOME God's love and grace has been for my family.

I have to admit, however, that despite knowing God's awesome protection and provision, I found myself worrying over an impending event.  I mean I was very, very anxious.  Silly, Amanda.  Don't you know God takes care of you in ALL things?!

That's exactly what happend.  God took control of the situation and things turned out better than I could have ever hoped. 

God's goodness is overwhelming.  Totally overwhelming.

*sigh*

I have a problem.  I wasn't even aware of it.

Two weeks ago I was grocery shopping with the kids, and Abby was being her usual talkative self.  Oh, and she was trying to be a helper, too.  I don't know what she asked or what she grabbed for, but I said something to her.  I could have sworn I heard her sigh.  A woman near us said, "Whoa, I thought I had a good sigh."  I just laughed, and I thought, "Gee, Ab's sigh didn't sound that exaggerated."

A few days later we were at Abby's ballet class.  For the first time in months she told her teacher that she needed to go to the bathroom.  I was a little annoyed because Abby had just told me she didn't need to go to the potty.  I took her to the bathroom, William in tow, and helped her undress.  Then Abby looked at me and said, "Mama, why are you mad at me?"  I said, "I'm not mad at you, honey!  Why would you think that?"  She replied, "Because you said *sigh*."  She let out a long, exasperated sigh. 

It really astonished me because I truly did not notice that I sighed.  Maybe the woman in the grocery store was talking about my sigh.  I don't even think I'm aware of it anymore.  *SIGH*

Pictures, pictures, pictures!

William and Abby discovered the fun of playing under the cabinet in our Louisana hotel.

Abigail and Madison had an excellent time in Orlando.

The girls had a blast swimming and catching up with one another.

William really bonded with Chip on this trip!  His favorite word lately is Da-Da.

My handsome boy enjoyed the shade.

Abby thought Cinderella's wicked stepmother was "nice."

The kids were mesmerized by the "it's a small world" ride.

Pretty Princess

We all had fun on this relaxing ride.

Chip had the pleasure of being driven around by Abigail.  The first thing she told me when the ride was over was, "Mama, we had a car wreck!"

Taking a moment to cool off at the playground.

A Southern O-cajun

Chip had the opportunity to interview at a children's hospital in Louisiana last week.  It was really nice being back in the south.  It was nice hearing "y'all" everywhere we went.  Seeing the pine trees, brick ranch houses, and ditches made me homesick. 

After spending all day touring the city with the kids and a realtor, Chip rejoined us and we then flew to sunny Orlando.  On our first full day, Chip and Abby went on a nature walk.  When I got back from taking William to the doctor (bilateral ear infection and bronchitis), Abby proudly told me about the treasures she gathered on her walk: "I got weeds, Mama!"  I didn't think much about it until I discovered her "weeds" were actually pine straw!  Pine straw!  How I miss pine straw!  And acorns!  I swear I feel like being in Buffalo for three years has totally erased the existence of pine straw and acorns from my mind. 

In addition to my fond memories of pine needles, here are a few more southern things I really miss:

• Krispy Kreme doughnuts - I single-handedly devoured four chocolate covered doughnuts.  Yum.
• Chick Fil-A - Hands down the best customer service anywhere (not to mention awesome food)
• 80 degree temps in November
• Sunshine in November
• Shoney's restaurant, in particular the fish-n-chips with sweet and sour sauce
• Ci Ci's pizza
• Moss

As you can see, the majority of this list is food related.  Hmm...wonder where these extra few pounds came from?  I enjoyed getting every one of them!

A Race Worth Running

There's someone I know that I don't particularly like but I'd like to do a few of the things this person does. I know it doesn't make a whole lot of sense, but in some strange way I feel like I need to be equal or better than this person. This person likes to run, which makes me want to run. It's really, really strange (and insecure) of me to aspire to run a race just because this person does it; like running a race will somehow make me a better person.

I digress, but a few months ago I read a book about insecurity. One of the points that stuck with me was this: an insecure person constantly looks for that "one more thing" to make them feel better about themselves. For example, I might say, "If I got my hair done, I'd feel better about myself." Well, let's say I got my hair done. I might feel good for a little while BUT then the feeling would fade and I'd be looking for the next thing. "If only I had a new shirt, I'd feel better." So on and so forth. With that said, I doubt heavily that running a race would satiate my insecurity.

I was reading a women's magazine tonight and I came across a Bible verse that brought tears to my eyes:

"Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever." 1 Corinthians 9:25

Don't get me wrong. I see nothing wrong with running a race and winning a prize. But for me, this verse runs deeper than that. Talk about a change in my perspective. I don't know about you, but far too often I get caught up in this world - my feelings, others' possessions, talents (or lack thereof), money, pain, etc. I know I should keep an eternal perspective. None of us will live here forever. None of us.

The thought of a crown that lasts forever motivates me to run the race worth running, the race toward Christ.

School Pictures

Happy Halloween!

Personalize funny videos and birthday eCards at JibJab!

Congratulations...

...to Dr. Hartin, Board Certified General Surgeon!  Way to go, honey!  We are all very proud.



October 2008 - Chip diligently reading his surgery textbook while Abby and Tucker "help."



Sick and Tired

Literally, we all are sick and tired.  Ab has a sinus infection.  William has an ear infection.  Chip is getting over pneumonia.  And I have sinus issues.  I woke up last night about 2 in utter pain; I thought my face was going to explode it hurt so bad.  So, needless to say we are all sick and tired.

Work is going well.  I've used the "F" word a lot.  My boss said very few people say the "F" word; I'm one of the few who thinks their job is FUN, I guess! 

Chip is on a plane headin' back from Salt Lake City.  He should arrive tonight, but he has a feeling he'll get stuck in Chicago tonight. 

Not too much else going on.  Glad tomorrow is Wednesday!  Here's hoping to gettin' some sleep tonight...

Beautiful Fall Day

Won't You Be My Neighbor

Now that I have you singing Mr. Rogers' theme song, let me take this opportunity to talk to you about neighbors.  Now I don't know how things were in the "old" days, but I'm gonna go out on a limb and say that neighbor-to-neighbor relationships have changed over the last, oh, forty years or so.  I would imagine there was a time when neighbors would greet each other as they went outside to get the morning paper.  I bet there were times when neighbors would chat over the fence and catch up on such things as little Johnny's baseball game and little Emma's loose tooth.  There was probably even a time when a neighbor might knock on a door to ask to borrow an egg.  I'm sure these things still happen, right? 

On to my point...one of our neighbors was expecting their second child.  I couldn't remember when the baby was due, but when I saw that they were gone last weekend, I highly suspected the baby had come.  Two nights ago my family and I were sitting around our dining room table, and I noticed a car pull up at our neighbors' house.  A woman got out carrying a sack.  "Aha!" I thought.  "I bet she's bringing a baby gift." 

Being the nosy neighbor that I am, I darted over to the window to watch.  Sure enough, I saw my neighbor walking through the living room carrying a baby.  Chip responded, "Well, they could have at least told us they had their baby."  I replied, "Well, we didn't tell them when William was born."   

Chip and I agreed it would be thoughtful to buy a gift for our neighbors.  "Maybe they have a registry," Chip suggested.  That was a great idea.  I rushed upstairs to get our computer, and I immediately pulled up two store websites in hopes of finding a registry.  I stared at the registry look-up form.  "Last name?"  I quickly figured out that it is virtually impossible to pull up a registry without knowing the recipient's last name.

Okay, so we didn't know our neighbors' last name.  In the old days one might have just gone across the street and asked, "What is your last name?" or "Congratulations on your baby!  Is there anything I can do for you?"  But no.  In this electronic age we live in, talking to people face-to-face or asking them for "personal" information, such as last names, feels a bit too intrusive and awkward. 

How did we solve the mystery?  The Internet, of course.  Did you know you could look up the names of all the people who live on your street?  We found out our neighbors' last name.  Isn't it weird that you can find that out?  It's funny to me; not in a ha-ha kind of way, but in a sad state-of-our society kind of way.  We know less and less about the people around us, don't we?

Wanna give it a try?  Wanna "virtually meet" your neighbors?  Go to the link below, and type in your address and let the neighborhood party begin.

     http://www.411.com/find_neighbors

Max-imally Awesome

Awesome, awesome, awesome. 

Chip and I went to see Max Weinberg's Big Band last night.  Wow.  I don't think I stopped smiling during the entire one and a half hour show.  It was incredible!  Perhaps the best part about the show was our seats - we were five rows back and right in the center.  The seats were on an incline, and would you believe that my seat was directly in front of Max?!?  Our eyes were at the same level!  Hard to believe I was only 35 feet from him.  Too, too cool.

The music was great.  The musicians were awesome.  Truly a night we will remember for a long time.  Thanks, baby! 

Lunchroom Drama

Okay, this is getting ridiculous.  After I paid for my lunch yesterday, I quickly scanned the cafeteria in search of a seat.  Lo and behold I saw another girl, about my age, sitting by herself.  I jumped at the opportunity to befriend this lone eater.

I approached her table.  "Are you all alone?" I asked.  No reply.  Then I said, "Well, I'm just going to plop myself down here with you." 

I am not kidding.  She gobbled up the rest of her food so fast it created a vacuum - I thought she was going to suck up my napkins.  I'm exaggerating of course, but she did cram her food down in about 90 seconds. 

Without ever speaking a word to me, or even acknowledging me, this girl got up and left.

I just laughed.  What gives?  I am totally NOT offended my lack of lunchtime companionship, but seriously, am I that weird? 

I will keep you posted on my quest to find a tablemate.

Falling for Fall

There is a particularly beautiful tree on the corner of the street that I pass nearly every day.  As I drove past one day, I happened to see that the leaves had changed color, almost as if overnight.  Just yesterday I drove past the tree again and noticed that about half of the gorgeous orange leaves had fallen.  They lay scattered on the street below, still a vibrant hue, still gorgeous.

Fall has always been my favorite time of year.  There seems to be a stillness in the air during the fall. I remember, even at a young age, sitting on the bench in our front lawn and just listening. That's it, just listening. Things sound different in the fall. It is hard to describe, but there is a definite sound to autumn. 

Many childhood memories are triggered during the fall.  I think about the smell of our leaf pile burning and the sound of the leaves popping in the fire.  I think about the grass and how brown and crunchy it got.  I think about all the fun my family had decorating the yard for Halloween.  Whether it was ghosts hanging from the trees, tombstones in the yard, scarecrows stuffed with pine straw, or a pumpkin bag full of leaves, we always had something.  I think about traipsing through the woods across the street in search of the perfect leaf.  And then there were the pine straw rides my daddy would take my sister and I on.  He would load his trailer full of straw, hook it to his lawn mower, and drive us around the neighborhood. 

Perhaps the thing I think about most during the fall is my mama.  Fall is her favorite season, too.  I don't remember how it started, but we came up with our very own tradition.  Each fall, without fail, we would make a trip up to the movie store and rent "Lady in White."  I eventually bought her a copy of the movie.  And you better believe I will be watching it again this year.   

Western New York falls are beautiful.  But they are not "my" fall.  I miss my fall. 

I do, however, look forward to creating fall memories with my children. 

Maaaaaaaaaax!

Chip surprised me with tickets to see the Max Weinberg Big Band perform tomorrow night!  I CAN'T WAIT!

Work, work, work...

Well, I've officially been a work-for-pay Mama for two weeks now.  I have been BUSY!  The hardest part about working outside the home is figuring out how to keep up with all the stuff I have to do at home.  My initial thought was, "Hey, we're not going to be at home as much.  Maybe we won't mess up as much."  Apparently my logic was flawed because we are still just as messy, and it stays messier for far longer than usual.  It's certainly a balancing act; however, I have discovered that we can indeed go a week without washing clothes.

I thought my feet were going to totally give out on me the first two days.  These ol' dawgs have been wearing flip-flops and house shoes for over three years, so imagine their surprise when I started wearing heels.  Yikes.  That's all I'm gonna say about that. 

My first week entailed me meeting-and-greeting pretty much anybody who's anybody.  I pounded the pavement of Buffalo for hours (hence my feet's anger) going hither and thither. 

I've interviewed people.  I've written a corporate announcement.  I've written a feature story for the corporate website and newsletter.  I attended a simulcast.  Oh, and I attended a two-day class, and I'm proud to say I am now a certified change agent.  Impressive, I know. 

My "favorite" memory is from day three, the first day I was on my own for lunch.  I braved the hospital cafeteria.  Boy, talk about feeling like a freshman on her first day of high school.  After figuring out what to get, I paid, and then entered the dining room.  Wow.  It is seriously set up like a school cafeteria: tables along the side and then a mass amount of tables in the center.  And it was packed.  And there were no empty tables.  It was at this point I wished I had gotten my lunch to-go.  I found a table with one woman at it.  I sat down at her table, diagonal her.  She never looked up.  Shortly after I sat down, she left.  I've braved the cafeteria a few times since then.  I'm usually the one (the only one, mind you) sitting by herself.  LOL

I think this job is an excellent fit for me.  Yes, it will keep me extremely busy, but I am confident there is nothing that can be thrown my way that I can't handle. 

Early Halloween

My dad called the other day to wish Chip a happy birthday.  After he gave Chip his well-wishes, I got on the phone.  Chip came down after I had been on the phone for about 10 minutes and told me to come upstairs when I got off the phone.  This is what I found:

Abby-isms

I wish I could remember EVERY hilarious/sweet/thoughtful/weird thing Ab has ever said.  Since I can't, I figured I'd record those that I can remember:

• "Thanks for working so hard, Mama.  Bless your heart for doing that."
• "This song makes me want to beat William's head."
• "Mama, you look like an old lady."  (She said this on my first day of work.)
• "I hate the devil."
• "Mama, did God or the devil make Papa's road bumpy?"
• "Mama, does God have his hand on you?" 

The Date

Chip is getting very creative with our dates.  I love it - he plans the whole thing.  Last Friday was no different.  He told me very little, other than he had a good "surprise" for me.

We had a nice dinner downtown at an Asian-inspired restaurant.  Chip kept glancing at his watch because he knew we had to be at our next venue by a certain time.  I had no idea where he was taking me next.  I was just pleasantly surprised that he spent so much time orchestrating our date. 

After we paid for dinner, we left and went directly across the street to a theater!  (Not a movie theater, but a performance theater.)  This was so unlike my husband!  I was so impressed that he took the time to research theaters and to find out what time the show started. 

Once inside the theater doors we entered the ticket line.  I kept hearing the effeminate man behind the desk ask each guest, "Did you make a reservation?"  I mentioned to Chip that we probably had to have reservations.  He didn't say anything. 

It was our turn.  The man looked at us, and Chip said, "Two for Hartin."  I about fell out on the floor.  Chip had called ahead to make reservations for us!  (You must realize this is WAY out of the ordinary.)

While Chip paid for the tickets I grabbed a flyer on the table.  I assumed it was a handout for the night's show.  The show title was "The Pride."  In the background was a bright rainbow.  Okay, I don't normally jump to conclusions, but com'on...what would you think if you saw "pride" and a rainbow on the same handout?

I tried to stifle my new found knowledge (and my laughter) until we sat down.  We went right on up to the third row.  Boy, we had some great seats.  After we sat down I said, "Honey, this is awesome!  I'm so impressed that you planned all this for us."  And then I threw in, "Do you know what the name of tonight's show is?  Check this out," and I handed him the handout.  It was as if a light bulb went off in his head and he realized the enormity of his oversight. 

He just started laughing.  I wasn't sure if he was going to get up and run out or what.  About that time we just happened to look around and see that we were one of about two or three heterogeneous couples. 

Chip just kept shaking his head; he couldn't understand how he could have looked and looked at the theater's website and not have picked up on its theme.  He pulled out his Blackberry and pulled up the website; sure enough, there in its blazing glory was a big ol' rainbow. 

We just chuckled.  We figured this would certainly be a date to remember.  Then the show started.  We kept waiting for the "Pride" cast to come out.  It turns out that the evening's entertainment was actually a cabaret duo.  The male singer sang many Judy Garland songs, because, as he explained, she has been his idol since he was a teen. 

The show lasted an hour.  The audience called for an encore.  We snuck out through the curtains. 

Back at It

Last Saturday Chip decided he wanted to go kayaking.  I asked him if we could go as a family, and he said sure.  Not too long ago we discovered a creek than ran behind the local library.  We decided to check it out.

Chip loaded up the kayaks and I packed the kids in the car, and we all headed down the street to the library.  Although there is no official entry point into the water, we figured it'd be fairly easy to carry the kayaks across a small bridge and just push off from the bank. 

As we approached the library we noticed that Main Street is far busier than usual.  We couldn't tell what was going on, but it didn't matter...we were just there to take a relaxing ride up the creek.

Once we were on the bank, I stepped into the brisk water in order to climb aboard the kayak.  Immediately my foot sank about four inches into sticky mud.  Yes, my flip flop came off in the goo.  Lovely.  Once on board I noticed that my feet were no longer the familiar ivory color I'm used to; they were black.  And to make matters worse, the inside of the kayak was now smudged with mud.  Ordinarily it wouldn't be a problem, but since the kids were with us, it meant their bottoms would be muddied. 

We headed upstream in hopes of escaping the boisterous activity and noise (Abby's description) of the harmonica music.  Things went smoothly for the first three minutes.  Then we saw it.  A small - and I mean really, really small - waterfall.

After pondering how we would get up the waterfall, Chip decided it would be easiest if we just got out of the kayak and pulled the kayak up the ever-so-slight incline.  By this time we had attracted quite a crowd.  It's amazing how interested people become when they see people trying to go up a "waterfall." 

I got out and pulled the boat up over the rocks.  Chip did the same.  We re-entered the kayaks and continued on our merry way.  We went quite a distance and saw some really interesting things, which included a rock castle.  Pretty weird.  Pretty scary.

After some time, William became quite unruly.  Chip offered to take him, and I agreed to swap.  Abby came over to my kayak, and Chip took William.  Ab was such a good companion.  She kept talking to me about God.  So sweet.

And then we saw it again.  The waterfall.  Chip went over it first.  He made it look pretty easy until he got stuck.  You see, at the base of the waterfall it is pretty shallow, probably only three or four inches.  Me, being me, just started laughing in my usual maniacal laughing way.  He was so frustrated - and embarrassed.  There was yet another crowd watching.   

My ride over the waterfall was just as easy and just as embarrassing.  I, too, got stuck.  I had to get out and drag the kayak off the rocks. 

Once we got back to our landing point, we got out in the mud and drug our kayaks up the bank.  I watched the kids while Chip loaded everything up.  It was at this point that I noticed what a horrible mess we were.  Chip and I had mud caked on our feet, we all had mud on our legs, and poor Abby had mud smeared on the back of her pink shorts.  Honestly, we looked like we just crawled out of the swamp. 

Of course there was a playground right near the bank.  All Abby wanted to do was go play.  Well, there was a birthday party going on in a pavilion right next to the playground.  I was suddenly struck with the hilarity of it all - here we are looking like swamp people, and all my daughter wants to do is play next to the well-kept birthday people.  I consented.  Luckily no one gave me or my dirty daughter the evil eye. 

Once Chip had everything loaded up I was ready to retreat to the car.  He had other plans.  He wanted to see what was going on on Main Street.  So here we go down Main Street: Chip in his dirty shirt, muddy feet, and muddy legs; me with my muddy feet and wet shorts; Abby with her muddy bottom; and William in his shirt covered with spit-up.  Everyone else was dressed nicely!  I was just about in tears from laughing so hard.  It was so funny walking around all trashy in the middle of a town party.  We didn't run into anyone we knew.  On the other hand, maybe someone saw us and just didn't want to stop and talk to us given our condition. 

 

My Ballerina

Abby started pre-ballet classes yesterday.  She was so excited!  I snapped a few pictures of her before we left home.  They need no explanation...  Enjoy.

This 'n That

Despite my best intentions, I was too tired to blog last night.  There is something about getting up at 5:30 and not being able to take an afternoon nap that really makes me appreciate an early bedtime. 

I thought I'd share a few things that happened over the past couple of days.  Here they are in no particular order:

1) On Wednesday I had to have a new-hire physical.  After filling out lots of paperwork and bending and reaching and reading eye charts and visiting the restroom, I realized the point of the appointment was to make sure I wasn't a druggie and to make sure I didn't have a pre-existing injury.

At one point during the exam, the physician assistant commanded, "Put your chin on your chest and look at the ceiling."  Just as an aside, I hate to brag, but if there is anything that I do well, it is following directions.  Given that I am an outstanding instruction follower, I did exactly as she said.  I put my chin on my chest and dutifully strained my eyeballs in the direction of the ceiling.  I don't know about you, but it was physiologically impossible for me to see the ceiling with my chin on my chest.  I wondered, "Gee, what in the world is she testing me for?  Is she checking my peripheral vision?"

Growing quite concerned that I might be failing the "test," I glanced over to her and noticed that she was performing the tasks she wanted me to do.  This cheerful-yet-poor-direction-giver was holding her head all the way back looking at the ceiling.  I realized that I, too, was supposed to have my head reclined, and I started laughing hysterically.  She looked at me and said, "You're not the first person to misunderstand.  I wish I knew how to put it better."  I told her, "Maybe you could say, 'Put your chin on your chest and NOW tilt your head back and look at the ceiling.'"

Thankfully, as Chip pointed out, I've been deemed healthy enough to communicate internally (that's my job, internal communications).  I think my job started already - after all, I did teach her how to communicate her directions a little more clearly. 

2) Driving down Main Street yesterday I noticed something awful.  Being the grammar nut that I am, I spot errors a mile away.  This particular error was only about thirty feet away: a sign over a cafe that read "RESTUARANT".  My initial reaction was, "Hmm, I guess restaurant is a commonly misspelled word."  After meditating on the difficulty of spelling that particularly ominous word, it dawned on me that not only did someone mispell the word, they actually had it made into a fancy sign, and then they proudly displayed it for all the world to see.  My question is this: Who does the editing for sign companies?  I understand people may make a mistake when ordering the sign, but shouldn't the sign maker correct any mispellings before making the erroneous word a permanant fixture for someone's business?  Ghastly.

3) I realized that standing in long lines is a perfect opportunity to laugh and to laugh hard and to laugh without any particular reason - right, Amanda?

4)  Mandarin collars don't look that great on me.

5)  I realize I am not the trendiest person in the world (or even in my house), but I do try to add a few pieces of present-day flair to my wardrobe.  I went to Target yesterday and found a clearance-priced scarf rack.  I picked out two brightly colored scarves and headed to the check-out.  In line behind me was a 30-something, beautiful, trophy wife-esque woman with her pre-pubescent daughter.  The dark-haired goddess looked at the scarves I had put on the conveyer belt, and said, "Oh, are those scarves on clearance?"  I said, "Yes!  Aren't they great?"  I just knew I had hit the jackpot with these obviously awesome scarves.  Then my heart sank.  She turned to her tween and said, "Aren't these the kind of scarves you girls like?  Maybe you'll get some in your Christmas stocking."  Gee, I can't wait to wear my scarves to work!  I ought to be the youngest looking gal around.

6)  I am quite convinced that my stomach has a black hole.  I am always hungry.  (And I'm sure you're wondering, but the answer is NO.)

7)  I admire Chip for lots of reasons.  One reason in particular is his way of dealing with Abby.  He will stand up to her.  It's not that I'm afraid to stand up to her, it's just that it's sometimes easier not to fight her over every little detail.  Take this morning, for example.  Abby insisted on wearing a pair of shoes that her Daddy bought her, which unfortunately are about a half-size too big.  Instead of fighting her, I sent her off to school in her big girl shoes, but I made sure her normal shoes were in her backpack.   

8)  I love Mighty Taco, but after last night's post-preschool nightmarish meltdown in our corner of the restaurant, I'll think twice about ever going there again.

9)  There is a bicycler in the area who wears a yellow shirt and who has a trigger-happy middle finger.  And he likes to use it.  And he used it on me.  Silly bicycle man...don't mess with ladies in cars...

'Til next time.

Strawberry Island

Discouraged. 

I've felt discouraged before, but until yesterday, I had never experienced discouragement in its purest form. 

Chip was post-call yesterday, the kids were in child care, and I, having not started work yet, was at home.  We wanted to take "advantage" of being child-free, so Chip and I decided to have one last hurrah before I start work. 

We loaded up the kayaks and headed down to the marina with the intentions of paddling over to Strawberry Island.  In my mind I pictured our kayaking adventure to be quite leisurely, and after disembarking, we'd spend a nice quiet afternoon basking in the sun. 

After we arrived at the marina it dawned on us what an incredibly windy day it was.  The water was very choppy, choppier than anything I'd ever kayaked in.  I kept telling Chip, "I trust you!  I just don't know if this is a good idea being that it is so windy."  I followed that up with a silent prayer, "Lord, you know we are crazy.  Please keep us safe."

Talk about fast water!  Once we entered the current, we were quickly carried downstream, and we almost missed our island target.  I admit I did stop to answer my cell phone out in the middle of the water (I thought it was the child care center calling).  It was my mom [Hey, Mama!].  Although it was very nice to hear her voice, I became quite discouraged as to how far I had floated downstream while on the phone.  I panicked, redirected myself, and paddled like crazy against the current.

I thought it was hard getting to the island, and I didn't know how in the world we were going to paddle upstream against the current and against the near-gale winds.  I tried not to think about it, and we spent the next couple of hours fishing and relaxing.

While relaxing on the beach, I kept staring at the ominous place at which I knew we had to paddle back toward.  It didn't look that far, but I knew it would take a miracle to get us back there.  I took a picture of the marina; you can barely make it out in this photo, but it is located right in front of that distant building. 

Because it was the kids' first day in child care, I was especially anxious to pick them up on time.  I didn't know how long it would take us to get back to the Jeep, but I allowed us at least an hour.  We packed up and left the island at 3:10. 

At first things went really well.  "Hey, this current isn't so bad," I thought.  I kept looking to the right and watching all the buildings I was passing so that I could keep track of my progress. 

Then I saw it.  I called it the Americana building because it was painted red, white, and blue.  For the life of me, I could not get past that American building.  Chip noticed that I was struggling, so he shouted, "Head toward that green buoy!"  I took heed and noticed that it did get easier to paddle now that I had redirected myself. 

The green buoy got closer and closer and closer and then I finally reached it.  But to my dismay, the stinking Americana building was STILL in the same spot.  In other words, I was making progress, just not in the direction in which I needed to be making progress.  I looked to my right (the direction of the marina), and I noticed that the marina was even further away.

We finally reached a stone wall and headed our kayaks toward the marina.  I was thankful that I didn't have to look at that Americana building anymore. 

Wow.  I had no idea how difficult going against the current and the wind would be.  There were literally times when I was paddling but going NOWHERE. 

Enter discouragement. 

I cannot tell you how many times I looked at that stone wall to my left and screamed to Chip, "I'm gonna climb up that wall!  This is not fun!"  He just laughed and came paddling by me at like 100 mph (or would it be knots per hour?)  with a silly grin on his face.  Stinker.

Suffice it to say that we did make it back to the Jeep.  We arrived at 3:45.  It only took 35 minutes to get back.  Incredible.  Thank you, Lord. 

Strawberry Island.  I went.  I saw.  I won't be back. 

First Day Jitters

Well, I did it.  I think I did it pretty well.  No tears.  Not yet.

The day started with me greeting Abigail with a cheerful, "Good morning, my beautiful preschooler!"  She was all smiles.  I must have heard her say, "I can't wait to go to school!" a dozen times this morning. 

Abby reminds me so much of myself - it would be flattering, but knowing me, it is really kind of scary.  She wouldn't eat any breakfast this morning.  I was the same way as a child; I couldn't eat anything in the morning because it made my stomach hurt.  She kept saying, "I'll eat at school."  She did agree to pose with her backpack for me though.

Of course I had to take a picture of William to commemorate his first day at daycare!  He was bright-eyed and bushy-tailed.

I found myself driving more slowly than usual down Main Street.  I knew the inevitable drop-off was coming.  Thoughts like "Will they cry?" "Will they like their teachers?" "Am I doing the right thing by going back to work?"  and "Can I really do this?" ran through my head.  Just about the time I was starting to convince myself that my children would be fine, we pulled into the school's parking lot.  Abby was really excited!  I was really apprehensive!

We took William to his room first.  I set his things down in his crib and plopped him on the floor.  I could tell he was ready to explore (and tear things up!).  This is how I left him:

 

We then went to Abby's classroom.  Her teacher had just arrived, and she explained that the kids hang out in the room next door and have breakfast with their friends, and then she comes to get the children once she's ready.  Abby was not happy with the news that she'd have to leave her classroom.  She kept saying, "I don't want breakfast!  I want to stay here!"  We hung Abby's backpack on her hanger, and I managed to get a picture of the not-so-happy preschooler:

 

I finally got Abby to the room next door, but I couldn't convince her to eat anything.  I must have left the excited preschooler in the car because now all I saw was this little girl clinging to her Mama saying I don't want to stay!  So hard.  I knew how she felt.  I know her behavior is totally normal, but I can't help but think she has a small dose of my anxiety.  I PRAY she outgrows any anxiety she might have!  Bless her heart.

The teacher in the room told Abby that she has a "waving window."  I said, "Okay, Abby.  I'm gonna go outside and wave goodbye to you!"  I hugged her and almost ran out of the room.  I wasn't sure what kind of girl I'd see at the window.  

Thankfully, she was all smiles.  

We waved and waved to each other. 

I can't wait to wave hello to her this afternoon.   

School Daze

I cannot believe my baby girl is starting preschool.  It seems like only yesterday she was as small as William is now.  My little girl is growing up.  *sniff, sniff*

Next Tuesday Abby and William will start attending their child care/preschool.  I met with the center's director on Tuesday, and I went back with the kids today.  Abby really, really enjoyed herself.  She got to meet her teacher, Miss Tina, and she even made new friends!  It was so cool seeing all the little girls flock to Abby.  They had to check out the new girl.  So sweet. 

I had a hard time getting Abby to come home with me.  She had a great time playing out on the playground.  After enticing her back in the building, we checked out her classroom.  Her eyes were wide with wonderment.  The first thing she noticed was the fish bowl!  She loves fish.  I'm sure feeding the fish will be one of the duties the kids will take turns doing.  How fun.

William had a good time, too.  He enjoyed watching all the big kids play on the playground.  The babies have their own outdoor play space; it's grassy unlike the big kids' space.  William also enjoyed meeting his teacher, Miss Denise.   I'm sure he'll be making friends of his own, too.  :)

This program is quite expensive, but I know it's where the kids are supposed to be.  It was my prayer that God close all doors except one.  Well, with every phone call I made, it was clear that God shut many doors.  I even called a place and left a message.  I never heard back.  Thankfully, my decision was very clear cut.  And I'm confident in the decision.

In addition to outdoor play time, the kids learn Spanish, computers, karate, music, math, and science.  Throughout the year the kids will go on field trips, have pony rides, have a petting zoo visit, and have important community people visit.  And I get to participate in all of this via a live web-cam! 

It's hard letting go.  I don't think the reality has set in just yet.  I will definitely miss all those hair-pulling, stressed-beyond-words moments.  Maybe.  Just maybe.  Maybe not. 

Enjoy "school," Little Miss Abigail.  And bootsie-boo, enjoy your day filled with singin' and swingin' and playin'.  Mama loves you both. 

Damage Control

There is a commercial that warns of the damage cigarettes cause.  They are very graphic, showing severely damaged eyeballs and aortas clogged with goop.  Each time Abby sees these commercials she shouts, "Damage!"  Now each time she sees a person smoking she shouts, "Mommy, that person is smoking damage!"  It can be quite embarrassing, especially if she points while shouting. 

On Friday we took Jay and Lauren downtown to see Buffalo's waterfront.  We were enjoying the "civilized" weather when all of a sudden our peaceful walk was interrupted by shouts of "Damage!  There's damage!"  Apparently there was damage every two feet or so.  Abby insisted on pointing and shouting at every cigarette she saw on the ground. 

Here are a couple of pictures of my very own damage police.  Notice her scowl and pointed toe stomping the damage:

After pointing out all the damage, Abby cooled off with a push-up, which she later admitted to being her favorite part of the day.