London Is Calling

The kids are packed off to Nana & Papa's for a week, and I am off to London with Kevin...tagging along on his business trip. He goes every month, and I wanted a chance to see the great city myself. I plan to wander about, and do a lot of window shopping during the day!

Happy Loving Day

Mere has been calling it Loving Day for a while now...and I kinda like the idea!

Kevin souped up this photo to serve as the card we sent out to grandparents & cousins. He is handy with photoshop!

Swim Lessons

Today was our first swim lesson...and were we ever ready! Here is Meredith at 8:30 in the morning....our lesson was at 4:05....8 hours and counting!



She was so excited. We don't normal tell her about things until literally moments before they are supposed to happen because she gets to excited, worked up, impatient, etc! Trips to Grandmas are usually announced the day before for this very reason. Countdown calendars are regularly needed for the constant "Is today the day?????" Kevin & I regularly joke that in about 14 years, some August morning, we will look at Mere and say, "How about we go to college today?!"

TRY

When the kids are in the car with my husband, they never listen to kids music...and they seem to be ok with that. With me it is always Wiggles, 'Yardigans, Little People, etc. And Kevin has taken to coaching them on the classics...when a song comes on he'll say "Mere, this is Led Zeppelin" and she'll usually make some comment on whether or not she likes it. She has even gotten to the point where she has a few favorites that she requests on the ipod....so last night we were on our way to a friend's super bowl party and Meredith asked for the "Die" song. I was startled at first, but Kevin knew right away what she was asking for....and then I remembered the song also...by a great NC band, The Avett Brothers. I think she just likes the catchiness (is that a word?) of the chorus, but Kevin wanted to make sure she know what the song was about. This verse really got me to thinking. ...

But nobody knows what lies behind
The days before the day we die

....

So, explaining that to a 4 year was simple for him (he handles all major topics & sticky questions amazingly well). He said we have to try our hardest and do our best everyday (or that is the basic meaning...I think there is a whole woman did me wrong vibe too).

I like that, and I think I need to be reminded of that myself!

I have given a few moments of thought to having a word of the year. I always enjoyed reading about Kristi's "stretch", and how it kept evolving for her. So I sat in the car yesterday, listening to that song...

You can try to swim the sea
You can try to hold the breeze
You can try to hide the sun

And decided TRY is what I need to work on....
-to be more patient with my children & my spouse
-to be more active
I know I will add more trys as the year goes on...I like that it can grow with me.

When I figure out how to link the song...I will :)