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 :)

My Bucket List

I peeked over at Tasha's blog recently when I saw here & here that it was her birthday. I saw that she made a "bucket list" and I loved the idea! ...soooo I hope she doesn't mind if i "borrow" it. I have been trying to complete my 100 to no avail, so here I go with my "bucket list" instead....and in honor of my upcoming 33rd birthday i will list 33 things that I have accomplished and another 33 that I would like to! (when you think about it it is not that much shorter than a 100....)


The I haves...
1. become a mother

2. Flown in a helicopter

3. Fallen asleep at a concert...a few times

4. I have been to Africa --Ghana, junior year of college

5. been to the NCAA Sweet Sixteen...Miami '99

6. Seen Miami U. play in a bowl game...'04

7. Been to the top of the Arch in St. Louis

8. Spent the night in an airport, JFK, alone

9. Toured Napa & Sonoma

10. Visited Cuba

11. Been to a Nascar race

12. Been to New Orleans, and done the Bourbon St. thing with my girlfriends

13. Lived in 4 states (Ark, La, Oh, & NC)

14. Spent a week on the beach at the Outer Banks

15. Spent a weekend in the NC Mountains in the fall

16. Spent a week snow-skiing in NM....that was 20 years ago and I haven't skied since

17. Been deep sea fishing

18. Been to the top the Empire State Building

19. Been to the top of the Sears Tower

20. Been to the top of the CN tower(...what is up with all the tall buildings???)

21. Joined a monthly book club

22. Maintained regular contact & friendship with 5 of the couples from birthing class

23. Play in the Bell Choir

24. graduated from college with honors, a BS in Social Studies Ed & a BA in History

25. Taught high school & middle school social studies for 7 years

26. rescued/ adopted 2 great black & white kitties from uncertain doom.

27. have been with the same wonderful man for 16 years (FRIDAY!!!)

28. Competed in the State Debate Tournament 2x in High School

29. Stood on the Continental Divide between Alberta & British Columbia

30. Walked the Gettysburg Battlefield

31. Drove along Pacific Coast on Hwy 1 -from San Francisco to Carmel

32. attended church camp in Lakeside, Ohio for 5 years

33. been employed as a grocery store clerk, waitress, bank teller, dining hall worker, and teacher


The I would like tos...
1. Attend a baseball game at Yankee Stadium

2. Visit the Statue of Liberty

3. Visit Disney World with the kids

4. Ride a train...to really get somewhere

5. See the Grand Canyon...maybe hike??

6. grow vegetables in a garden and actually eat them

7. Go to Vegas...do a little of the show & casino thing

8. Live abroad

9. Vacation in Hawaii

10. make helping others a regular part of our children's lives

11. See the Great Wall of China

12. Run...

13. Bike weekly

14. Visit Italy...take my time, and avoid the crowds

15. Create a craft/creative corner that is always set up & ready

16. Sew (more than I do now would be something!)

17. Make a quilt (someday) for each Meredith & Daniel, made up of favorite clothes, t-shirts, pajamas from their childhood

18. spend more time each day truly listening to M & D

19. Build a dream home with a really big laundry/mud room

20. Become more involved in church activities

21. Go to graduate school and truly figure out what i want to be when i grow up!

22. i want to take a drive along Route 66 (inspired by Cars :)

23. Take a luxury cruise...anywhere!

24. buy an embroidery machine....and go monogram crazy

25. clear out the clutter once and for all....

26. figure out an organizational system to stops its return

27. learn to be a better/stronger swimmer

28. Visit Cedar Point & Lakeside as a family

29. Take a family camping trip...with tents!

30. Vacation in the Hamptons...or maybe just a quick visit ;)

31. Restrict the consumption of processed foods & increase consumption of organic/local food by our family

32. Do a better job documenting our life thru blogs, journals, photos & scrapbooks

33. Write my 100 list!!!!

Holiday Recap 2

Ok, so now it is really post Holidays...

First we had my parents visit, and then Kevin's parent came. They actually overlapped for about 2 days...they actually get along very well...since Kevin & I were high school sweethearts they have known each other quite awhile ( almost 16 years???) and used to see each other socially quite a lot. My parents moved from that small town in Ohio 4 years ago back to our old hometown in Louisiana so we very seldom get to spend all this time together.




We all had a wonderful time. I never get enough pictures of the kids with grandparents...we stay kind of active, and I just forget to do it...how do the rest of you document thru photos so well???


Since two (yes myself included) got bikes from Santa for Christmas...we have been outside a lot...and thankfully North Carolina weather has cooperated. We actually have run the gamut since Christmas...30 to 70s....not a normal January.

I am still trying to clean up, recover, sort out and purge! (that last one stays on my to do list since I am a bit of a cluttery pack-rat) The very large local consignment sale took place last weekend, and forced me to get it together...I took about 4 wagon loads...not nearly enough. I found tons of summer clothes at the bottom of my forgotten ironing basket, and all sorts of things lurking in the walk-in attic...so I will make many more trips to goodwill,etc.

I need to post a few photos along with this later!

Holiday Recap

So I really thought I was going to be able to keep up at a nice weekly blogging rate...but traveling at Thanksgiving, a 4 year old (can you believe it!!!!) birthday party,


Christmas preparations, Christmas visitor preparations.....and now a VERy thorough closet cleaning (3 sweaters with large holes, what is causing it????) has derailed me. I am trying to remove everything from the closet, wash or dry clean it...then resort to storing sweaters in plastic tubs and hope that it works. Other suggestions??

And my parents are arriving Sunday...we are all so excited. Mere has actually started shaking at time when she talks about Christmas, Santa, Grandma & Papaw and Nana & Papa.

Just busy with the last minute tidying up. We usually have some sort of agenda of things to do, a few projects around the house. But there isn't much of that this time.

Here is a little something thing that I found that I thought would get me going...

Christmas Survey:

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? Wrapping paper.

2. Real tree or artificial? I love the look and smell of real….but we used to be travel over Christmas so it made more sense to have a fake….and it is economical now that we have it.

3. When do you put up the tree? Usually the 1^st weekend in Dec…though I was ready right after Thanksgiving this year.

4. When do you take the tree down? Not until after new years…some times it is even a few weeks into January (you can do that with a fake tree)…but we do turn the lights off after new Years :)

5. Do you like eggnog? I really do..just a little bit…and I love an eggnog latte( ohh soo many calories)…oh and I always check the calendar for eggnog day at Goodberry's!

6. Favorite gift received as a child? This is hard…..

7. Do you have a nativity scene? Yes, we started the willow tree set several years ago, and added each year until it was complete. The kids have the Little People set under the tree so they can play.

8. Hardest person to buy for? My parents….

9. Easiest person to buy for? My MIL, she likes girly stuff…jewelry, Vera, my sister –in-laws are easy too.

10. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? hmmmm

11. Mail or email Christmas cards? Mail, always, and NO printed photo cards without so much as a Merry Christmas written in your own handwriting…pet peeve!

12. Favorite Christmas Movie? Too many, and I have seen a lot lately…it used to be A Christmas Story…but I have loved watching Polar Express with Meredith. I can't wait to watch Charlie Brown with her when she is old enough.