It's a Crazy, Beautiful Life

Some things I've read lately

2012-02-16T06:00:00.000-06:00

The Fallback Plan, by Leigh Stein
There is a shortage of fiction for characters between the ages of 20-25. The post-college, early-adult years are vastly underrepresented, which is sad, because it can be such a pivotal point in life. Stein explores this genre in The Fallback Plan, and I wish more authors would follow suit.

Esther has returned home to her parents house after college, and she is trying to figure out what to do with the rest of her life. Like so many of us at that age, she makes some less-than-stellar decisions. It is pretty clear that Esther has some depression issues and her listless attitude was frustrating at times.

The plot thickens when Esther begins babysitting for a local family. It quickly becomes obvious that Amy, Nate, and little May are dealing with issues far heavier than Esther's. Some scenes were heartbreaking; at other times I wanted to shake all the main characters and tell them to grow the heck up already. Life is not always the way we expect, but we deal with it. I think by the end of the book, Esther may finally be ready to face her life, wherever it may lead.

The Fallback Plan is a quick read, not completely enthralling, but a welcome addition to a very lacking representation in fiction.
**Copy received from the publisher via NetGalley. The Fallback Plan is available now.

How to Eat a Cupcake, by Meg Donahue
I read How to Eat a Cupcake way back during our beach trip last September. I really, really liked this book and read it in just a day or two. It is the story of two old friends, Annie and Julia, who grew up in the same house but came from two very different worlds. The two fell out of touch after a major fight as teenagers and moved in opposite directions in their young adult lives. Circumstances bring the two back together some ten years later, when businesswoman Julia convinces Annie to partner up to open a cupcake shop, where they will sell Annie's culinary creations.

From the description, this sounds like good old-fashioned chick-lit, and that is not far from the truth. Personally, I love a light and fun chick-lit story every once in awhile, and How to Eat a Cupcake has enough mystery and plot to keep it interesting and entertaining. I especially came to love Annie, and I loved seeing her develop a bit of confidence throughout the book. She's definitely the type of character I would like to be friends with...plus, her cupcake creations leave me drooling!

How to Eat a Cupcake will be available in March, and I definitely recommend grabbing it up for your next beach vacation.
**Copy received from the publisher via NetGalley.

A Crack in Everything, by Angela Gerst
I love a good mystery and I love the political world, so this book should have been right up my alley. Unfortunately, it fell a bit flat for me. The plot was a good one in theory, and I didn't really figure out the mystery until the end (I hate when I can identify the killer from the first few chapters), so it did have some good points. There were too many characters introduced too quickly, and I never felt a connection to any of them.

Still, the book has pretty good reviews on Goodreads and Amazon, so maybe it's just me?
**Copy received from the publisher via NetGalley. A Crack in Everything is available now.

The Next Door Boys, by Jolene Perry
I was excited to start on this book when I received it, and not just because it is set in that college time period I was just complaining we don't see often enough. The description pulled me in: Leigh is a cancer survivor, trying desperately to get on with her life, when she "discovers what it actually means to stand on her own and learns that love can be found in unexpected but delightful places". Sounds fun, right?

Once I started reading, I was surprised to find that the characters are devout Mormons and their religion plays a substantial role in the story. This doesn't bother me--I like when characters actually acknowledge religion, instead of leaving it out entirely as so many books do, to be more generally appealing, I guess. I am not Mormon (obviously?), so I missed some of the references and had to stop and piece the meaning together in some instances, but I didn't feel like it subtracted from the plot at all.

The first time I started this book, I lost interest and put it down. I picked it up again a couple of weeks later and ended up really liking most of it. Despite the fact that it wasn't what I originally expected, The Next Door Boys is an enjoyable story with moral characters and storylines that can sometimes be hard to find in modern young-adult fiction.
**Copy received from the publisher via NetGalley. The Next Door Boys is available now.

Have you read anything good lately??

Lazy Days

2012-02-14T10:10:00.000-06:00

As a mom who works outside the home full time during the week, I feel like our evenings are a rush of playtime, dinner, baths, and as much quality snuggling/reading/rocking time as we can fit in the hours between 4:30 and 8:30.

Largely because of the rush-rush-rush of our weeknights, I find myself enjoying lazy weekends at home more and more. I used to feel we had to plan something special for the weekend--you know, fun family activities to make our quality time together even more exciting. I am sure that as the weather warms up and the spring sunshine begs us to take advantage, we will begin to fill the weekends with plans and activities again.

For now, though, we are all enjoying the peace and contentment of quiet days at home. My favorite weekends are the ones when we have absolutely nothing on the agenda, when we are free to come and go as we please...or to spend the entire day in pajamas, playing with baby dolls, drinking coffee (both the real and pretend kinds), running races down the hall, coloring, cutting, gluing, and snuggling up to watch a movie on the couch.

Weekends with these cutie-pies? Yes, please!

Even on our lazy weekends, the library is a must-do at least one or two Saturday mornings every month. I love that my girls love the library!

With Paw Paw (my dad) on his birthday last week)

What do your weekends look like? Do you prefer to have lots on the agenda, or are you happiest hanging out at home?

Diet & Exercise

2012-02-07T06:00:00.000-06:00

As I mentioned last week, I have decided it is time to take a few serious steps toward improving my weight and health. I know myself well enough to know that I am not going to stick with any kind of drastic, all-or-nothing plan, but small steps toward the goal are better than no steps, right?

According to my profile on the My Fitness Pal app, my goal is 1200 calories per day. Honestly, I have never counted calories before in my life, but I knew for certain that I had been eating far more than 1200 calories every day. I was not sure I could make it through a day eating so little!

To my surprise, I have survived at or around 1200 calories for about two weeks now...during the week, at least. Weekends, so far, have been a bit of a problem to get under control. I don't go all-out and eat everything in sight on weekends, but I definitely relax the weekday standards. I know I have to change that, and I really am working on it. As part of our efforts to scale back the budget, we are trying to eat out less and plan good, healthy meals at home more often.

The frustrating part is that even after meeting my calorie goals each weekday, I think I might be down about one pound. Very, very discouraging.

I am working on incorporating more exercise this week, which is also an area where I have plenty of room for improvement. Again, I know myself well enough not to set my expectations too high, so I am starting with very minimum goals. I am still enjoying this power yoga/pilates workout on Netflix, and I like doing Just Dance on the Wii sometimes. I will never, ever, ever like running, but I do enjoy walking when I can work it in. That's really the key for me, I think...I have to find time to work something in. I am hopeful that at least a minimum level of regular exercise combined with my 1200-calorie diet (ugh!) will begin to make a difference.

Now tell me...
How do you control your diet on the weekends? Do you eat relatively the same every day, or do you have a designated splurge day? Breakfast is a hard meal for me to add variety--what is your standard weekday breakfast?

The State of Affairs, January Edition

2012-02-03T06:00:00.000-06:00

Trips I took: 2
Jeremy and I spent New Year's Eve in Atlanta watching Auburn play in the Chick-Fil-A bowl. We had a very low-key night away, complete with a leisurely breakfast before heading home the next day. It was nice to have a full day and night for just the two of us.

I had my first solo weekend away when I went with our youth group on a retreat. It turned out to be one of my favorite youth trips ever. The adults were not called upon to do much other than make sure our kids were where they needed to be, so I had a good bit of free time to read and relax in the serenity of the wilderness around us. I will definitely sign up to repeat this trip next year.

Books I read: 2.5
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone--This was the first time I have reread this book in many years, and I felt the magic of the Harry Potter world all over again. Reading from this perspective, in which I know the scope and depth of the saga and how enormously it would impact our culture, I couldn't help but marvel at what Rowling created. How does a mind even begin to craft something that amazing?

First You Try Everything--An honest, upfront, and heartbreaking look at the demise of a marriage and a woman who has moved far past the point of desperation.

Laugh with the Moon--Reading this now, and the more I read, the more I enjoy it.

Music
The soundtrack of the month was mostly a combination of Mumford & Sons and Peter Eide (who performed at the youth conference). I am no musical trendsetter, and I am usually far behind everyone else in musical discoveries, but I do love just about every song on the Mumford & Sons Pandora station. I also began listening to NeedtoBreathe this month, and I will probably be exploring that one a little more soon.

Milestones/Notable Memories
The weekend of my youth retreat was Jeremy's first weekend alone with the girls. It went really well...as far as I am aware, anyway! : ) I understand there was a little crying for me at bedtime, but not as much as I had feared. Overall, I think it was a success and gave the girls a great chance to have quality time with their daddy.

Addison & Mackenzie had their first hibachi experience at our favorite Japanese restaurant. The first visit went very well, and they have already told anyone who would listen that they would like to go back soon.

On the last weekend in January, A & M attended the birthday party of a friend from school. This was the first time we have been to a birthday party for a classmate, where Jeremy and I didn't really know the parents and/or the family. The girls had a great time and there were some amazing cupcakes, so I count it as a win.

We bought our first Mac, and we are loving it so far. Need to learn how to use a lot of it, but loving it nonetheless.

Alabama beat LSU to become National Champions once again! We also won in 2009, and Auburn won last year, so it has been a good three years for our state. Roll Tide!!

Random Notes for the Month
While not exactly a New Year's Resolution, I decided to get serious about my weight and my health. I downloaded the MyFitnessPal app to track my food and exercise, and it's really helping me to think about every bite of food I put in my mouth. I'm still working on the exercise part of the equation, but I did this yoga/Pilates workout tonight (on Netflix instant!), and to my surprise, I really enjoyed it. Maybe there's hope for me yet?

I also decided it is time for us to get serious about our money. This is a decision I make every few months or so, but I hope to really get something on track this time. Mostly, I want to figure out where our "lost" money is going and use it in a more positive and intentional way. Jeremy is not as gung-ho as I am at this point, but I'll get him on board. I am working on procuring a copy of Dave Ramsey's Total Money Makeover. Anyone done the Dave Ramsey thing? I'd love to hear your experiences.

It has been crazy warm here for January (in the 60s!), but very rainy. We have done our best to take advantage of the mild weather and have spent a few afternoons outside. While I wouldn't mind seeing a little snow this year, it is hard to complain about open-windows weather in the middle of winter.

I am feeling very busy with extra projects right now. I am teaching a new course at the college, in addition to the old one. I am also working on preparing a grant application for our court system, which I will be working pretty hard on next month. Side jobs give me something productive to do and bring in some extra income, so I am NOT complaining.

How was your January??

Drama, Drama, Drama

2012-02-02T06:00:00.000-06:00

There are so many things about this stage with the girls that I absolutely love. We feel more free to go and do things than any other time in the past three years, and we take advantage of that freedom. Addison and Mackenzie are stinkin' hilarious, and the quality of our conversations is almost unbelievable. I would not trade these days for anything that has been or is to come, as most of them are just magical.

But...

I think we are also beginning to experience some of the attitudes and emotions that come with age three (even though we won't be there officially for another two months!).

I have heard many people say that the twos were so bad, but three is the age you really have to watch out for. (In fact, my friend Mandy was lamenting this fact just the other night...) Honestly, part of me thought how bad can it really be? I have survived two newborns, two screaming and hungry infants, many sleepless nights, and two rounds of potty training. Surely I can handle a bit of attitude, right?

I am quickly realizing that "a bit of attitude" might be a pretty major understatement, and that we just might have our hands more than full for the next, oh, EIGHTEEN years or so. The drama in this house during the past week alone has wrecked me. I am finding myself far too short-tempered, and I have done more yelling than is ever necessary. And the thing is, my little darlings have an uncanny ability to completely and totally tune out my every word. Their intentional obliviousness makes me furious, and I end up yelling for real, which hurts their feelings and leaves me feeling both mad and ashamed.

I told Jeremy today that I am so OVER his not being home at night, which is unfair to him, but is the absolute truth this week. I know it wouldn't solve everything, but some nights I just need another adult to make me feel a little more sane. I can only handle so many bouts of whining and fighting over every little thing. And the unreasonable and never-ending demands...it would definitely be nice to have some help in answering and/or dissuading those. Mostly, though, it would be nice to have Jeremy home because he is so much more patient with the girls than I am. When he is around, I can step back when I need to and let him take charge while I cool off. When it's just me, it is too easy to fall into the pattern of fuss/yell/guilt.

Though I really do hope that Jeremy's job will soon change in a way that will allow him to be home at night, I realize that the issue lies primarily with me. Attitude and emotion are going to be part of parenting girls, at all stages. I come from a family of strong-willed women, so I should expect nothing less from Addison & Mackenzie. Really, I would not have it any other way, as I happen to think the strong-willed women in my life are nothing short of amazing. I just have to find a better way of managing my own attitude and remember that I am the primary model for the girls' behavior.

At this age, when things are good, they are great, but when things are not so good, we all quickly turn into a royal mess. I am going to try my best to make sure I am doing my part to minimize those less-than-great times. When those difficult moments inevitably come around, I will try to react in a way that improves the situation, rather than increasing the tension of it. I hope, as we ALL learn to manage our emotions a little better, this stage will stop feeling so daunting. Because tonight, I am exhausted.

But these girls? Oh so worth it.

Is the attitude rearing its head at your house yet? Any tips for managing it?? (In other words, should I just go ahead and take up drinking now?)

First You Try Everything, by Jane McAfferty

2012-02-01T06:00:00.000-06:00

First You Try Everything by Jane McAfferty is a gripping and heartbreaking tale of the dismantling of a marriage. Ben and Evvie spent many years happily encased in the life they built for themselves, somewhat isolated from mainstream society. At some point, Ben has decided that his life with Evvie is no longer enough, and just a few pages into the book, it is clear he will be leaving her to begin a new life elsewhere.

One of my absolute favorite things about this book is the switch between Ben and Evvie's points of view. From the beginning, it is pretty obvious that Evvie is a little off; her actions seem a bit manic at times. I would find myself questioning how exactly the seemingly-normal Ben had managed to spend so many years with her, then the viewpoint would change and I would see her in a different light. Occasionally I would think Ben was being incredibly selfish, then I would read a chapter from his view and my emotions would change again. The flip-flop between the two characters was incredibly well written, and I found myself sympathizing with both of them in turn.

After Ben leaves, Evvie's quirks deepen and her grasp on reality begins to slip. It is both heartbreaking and maddening to watch her doggedly pursuing Ben, knowing that he no longer wants the life he had built with her. When Evvie's obsession leads her to a dangerous (and a bit ridiculous) scheme, we realize just how much damage two people really can do to one another.

As I said, I sympathized with both characters, but I also wanted to shake them and tell them to grow up. Stand up for yourself, Evvie, and get in the real world! Ben-have a real, grown-up conversation with your wife instead of just walking out! Ultimately, it was the ability to identify with both characters in the midst of their very different levels of heartbreak that made this novel really work for me. Although things might not have turned out exactly like I hoped they would, I was happy that Evvie found some peace for herself in the end.

I very much enjoyed this book, and I feel like there were a lot of little nuances to the story that I may have overlooked, so I am interested to see what other readers pick up on that I missed.

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I received a copy of First You Try Everything to review as part of a TLC Book Tour. For more reviews, check out the full list. Thanks to TLC for the opportunity to read this book!

{Almost} Wordless Wednesday

2012-01-25T11:37:00.001-06:00

My baby knows the Pledge of Allegiance! She said it all the way through the first time; this time she got a little distracted by the tv, but still...the pledge!

File this under: things I would never have dreamed they could learn at this age.

Ten for Tuesday

2012-01-24T10:32:00.000-06:00

Thanks for all the input on our next computer. After much dithering, we purchased a Macbook Pro yesterday. If you ask Jeremy, it's probably my Valentine's Day/Mother's Day/birthday present for the year, but hopefully it will prove to be worth it!

On that note, I am quite sure I will be asking you experienced Mac-users many questions in the weeks ahead. My first question--Do you store your pictures in iPhoto on the hard drive? I want to use the editing features in iPhoto, but I like to keep my pictures on the external hard drive, and at this point, I am a little overwhelmed by all of that. What's your photo-editing and -storing method?

There has been a virus going around our town and I am so very ready for it to move along and leave us alone. Nearly everyone I know has had it in some form over the last few weeks, including Mackenzie (last week), Addison (right now), and my mom (also right now). I am feeling the urge to deep clean the entire house...which, if you know me, is SO not normal.

We are starting to talk about the girls' THIRD birthday, which is coming up in just over two months. I keep saying they are almost three, leading them to some confusion when asked how old they are. Two? Three? Somewhere in between?

A & M have gotten the idea in their heads that they want a blow-up bounce house at their party. In our previous experiences with bounce houses, they only wanted to jump when there was no one else in it, so I'm not too sure how that will go over at the party. I foresee my girls doing their jumping after everyone is gone, but maybe the other guests will enjoy it.

They got the idea of the bounce house while watching a child fly off of one on America's Funniest Home Videos...maybe it's time to discontinue viewing that show before they get any more ideas?

I really want to go see my sister in Baton Rouge next month, so I'm on the lookout for cheap airfare. She is working as a missionary with Campus Outreach at LSU and will be moving into her first real house soon. She's all grown up, and I could not be more proud of her!

I am debating the possibility of scheduling my trip to coincide with Mardi Gras, which I have never experienced. I'm a little worried that I am too old and uptight to enjoy it, but I still want to do it at some point in my life. Have you been to Mardi Gras?

Looking at airfare really gives me the travel bug. I have all sorts of trip possibilities planned in my head right now. Looking back at 2011, we did quite a bit more traveling than I expected at the beginning of the year, both as a family and Jeremy and me. I look forward to many more adventures this year...mostly nearby, but we might sneak a couple of larger explorations in there as well! I dream of a relaxing getaway to Charleston and Savannah, but I feel like it could get a little expensive, so we'll have to see on that one.

Speaking of expensive traveling, we are very tentatively beginning to talk about a trip to Disney World. I have my sights set on December 2013. I have heard December is a good month to go, with mild weather and not too many people. The girls will be four--old enough to enjoy it, but still plenty young enough to really love the magic and wonder of the experience, I think. Also, that will be the last year before they are in school (!!!!), and I like the idea of not trying to plan around a school schedule. Is Disney on your family must-do list?

Happy Tuesday....I'm off to cuddle a sick little girl and hope this is the LAST of this virus for our family!

Some Words for the New Year

2012-01-19T21:35:00.000-06:00

I have been writing and rewriting a New Year post in my head for more than a week now, but it somehow still hasn't made it to my computer screen. I don't do too well with specific resolutions, so as usual, there are a lot of "more ___" and "less ___".

I love Marcia's word of the year idea, and I had been thinking I would go with simplify for the second year in a row (surely that's allowed?). It was my word for last year, and although I did a lot more thinking about simplifying than putting it into action, it still helped as kind of an overarching theme for the year. I tried to keep it in mind when making decisions--to evaluate which avenue would further the goal of simplifying our lives.

So, going into the year, my long-term goal is yet again, to simplify. Jeremy and I want to reduce our stuff, reduce our spending, and do more enjoying of the simple pleasures in life. That still holds true.

However, this weekend I unexpectedly found a new angle for thinking about my year, and although it falls in line with the theme of simplifying, it defines my focus a bit more...and puts it exactly where it should have been all along.

I had the blessing of attending a retreat with the youth from my church, and it was a great way to kick off the year with the right attitude.

Now I have more than a word for the year... I have a mantra:

Nothing more; nothing less; nothing else.

Sounds like the perfect mantra for simplifying life, right? Actually, there is much more to it than first appears. In the context of the song it comes from (by Peder Eide), it is followed by the words Do what you want with me.

I don't know if the youth felt the real meaning of this song as strongly as I did or not, but for me, it was the perfect reminder that I don't need to spend time worrying about living up to the world's standards of success. God will put me in the places I need to be to serve Him best, and really, isn't that exactly where I want to be?

I am listening for the whispers this year, the quiet nudges directing my path--maybe not always my path, but His path, which promises to be infinitely better than anything I could do on my own.

Nothing more; nothing less; nothing else...just what He wants me to be.

Get ready, 2012, I am coming for you!

Favorite Books of 2011

2012-01-12T06:00:00.000-06:00

When I decided to set a reading challenge for myself last year on Goodreads, I went with the somewhat randomly selected number of 35 books for the year. It took me until sometime in 2010 to really get back into reading after the girls were born the year before, and I think I read around 25-30 books that year, so 35 seemed like a good number. When I found myself back in the habit of reading with a vengeance early on in 2011, I increased my goal to 50 books for the year.

Despite my best efforts to find something enticing enough to read in the last couple of days of 2011, I fell one book short of my goal and ended with 49 books for the year. I am pretty proud of getting that close to the goal I set for myself...and even more importantly, I enjoyed every minute of it.

In no particular order, here are my favorite books from the past year (or so...a couple might have been from late 2010):

A Discovery of Witches, by Deborah Harkness It has vampires, but the grown-up, non-sparkly kind. With plenty of history and strong, capable female characters, this one was definitely near the top of my list for the year.

Dead Until Dark, by Charlaine Harris This one may be cheating a little, because I don't know if this is my favorite of the Sookie Stackhouse series or not. It is the first one though, and since the series consumed the bulk of my summer reading, I feel it's only right to count it somewhere. Are these books great literary treasures? No, but they are some of the most entertaining books I have read in years. I only wish there were more books already out so I would never have to stop reading them.

The Truth About Forever, by Sarah Dessen This was my first Sarah Dessen book, and I think I started with the best. I loved every word of this book, and reading it really kicked off a YA trend for me this year.

What Happened to Goodbye, by Sarah Dessen Dessen's latest is nearly as good as The Truth About Forver. She definitely has a personal style and pattern to her books, and she works it well. I love that minor characters often recur in other books; it's fun to see who will turn up next.

The Hunger Games, by Suzanne Collins I think this one may have been read in late 2010, but it is fresh on my mind due to all the talk surrounding the upcoming movie. When I first started hearing talk about this book, I was not at all sure I would like it. In fact, I waited until I could get it from my library because I didn't want to spend money on it. As a stand-alone, the first book may not have made my list, but the trilogy has definitely stayed with me. (Yes, I am among the many looking forward to the movie, and I may very well reread the books before I see it.)

The Thirteenth Tale, by Diane Setterfield Again, pretty sure this one was late 2010, but oh my, it is one my favorites. It is just a story, plain and simple, and once you get to the end, you want to start all over and pick up on all the clues that you missed.

Next to Love, by Ellen Feldman This was the last book I read in 2011, and I never expected it to be one of my favorites. Beautifully written. Full review here.

The Lincoln Lawyer, by Michael Connelly I love a good action-packed suspense novel sometimes, and this one absolutely delivered. It's a lot like the style of John Grisham, but with a much faster pace and less depressing introspection.

The Summer I Turned Pretty, by Jenny Han Why don't we just call this the year of the YA trilogies? I gobbled this series up in less than a week. I wanted to strangle some of the characters at times, but let's be honest, when does that not happen?

Pack Up the Moon, by Anna McPartlin I might not have remembered this one if I hadn't looked back at my Goodreads list for the year, but I really enjoyed it. It was both funny and very emotional, without venturing into the melodramatic, which was a good combination for me.

What were YOUR favorite books in 2011? Have you read any from my list?

Wordless Wednesday: Football & Baby Faces

2012-01-11T12:50:00.000-06:00

A few photos from Jeremy's Christmas gift...a trip to see his football team play in the Chick-Fil-A bowl in Atlanta:

Also, someone has been learning to use the camera on my iPhone...

There are about twenty pictures in my camera roll with some variety of facial snippets, the floor, the wall, a hand, or my back. I can't bear to delete them!

Happy Thoughts

2012-01-09T22:38:00.000-06:00

It's been a good few weeks around here. We have all been busy catching up from the holidays, and I haven't even been able to post any pictures from Christmas because our laptop died and I can't find my camera cord to connect and download pictures to my work computer. I do want to do a Christmas post, for the sake of memories, so you may be reading about our Christmas around Valentine's Day...or whenever we get around to buying a new computer!

Speaking of new computers, I really, really want a Macbook Pro, but Jeremy is not convinced we need to invest that kind of money. I have never had a Mac, but suddenly, I am positive it would make all my dreams come true. If you have a Mac, tell me why you love it...help me build my case! : )

Anyway, like I said, we have just been having a pretty great year so far. Much like Marcia mentioned yesterday, we have had a few of those days that just make me stop and think, "Yes, these are exactly the kind of moments I imagined for our family." (Which further enforces that feeling that this may very well be all of our family, just the four of us.)

I don't even know how to explain it really, but it just feels like we are enjoying each other so much more lately. We play games and do crafts with the girls, who are more fun and independent than ever before, but there are also times that we are all in the same room and we are all doing a bit of our own thing--I might be reading, Jeremy playing a video game, and the girls moving back and forth, making us "coffee" or "pancakes" from their kitchen--and in those moments, I stop and realize there is absolutely no place I would rather be. Unless, you know, someone were to offer us a house on the beach in which to do all those activities...because I certainly wouldn't turn THAT down!

Our daily lives still revolve around Addison & Mackenzie, of course, as well they should. But it also feels like maybe the intensity of the early stages is easing a bit. Instead of every moment being consumed with what the girls want/need me to be doing, I am finding more moments where I can just enjoy being with them. I mean, on Saturday, I rearranged their bedroom, by myself, WITH BOTH GIRLS PRESENT and even sort of helping me! This is unprecedented territory, folks. Six months ago, they would have been a screaming, crying mess if I even tried to focus on something other than exactly what they wanted me to do for longer than five minutes at a time. We spent about three hours in their room, alternately playing, rearranging, hanging pictures, and going through old clothes. It was an absolutely precious morning with my girls, and even better, I was productive while enjoying time with them.

Further illustrating how far we have come as a family, Jeremy took the girls to the mall the other day, willingly, all by himself. He wanted a new shirt and decided he would take A & M to Build-a-Bear. He did, and they had a very successful trip. It may not sound like a big deal, but an outing like that would have been a much bigger deal a year or so ago. At about an hour away, the mall is not a place they have visited all that often, bless their hearts. : )

So, yeah, things are changing for this family, and all in the best of ways. Now that these girls are potty trained and ready for new adventures, you just never know what we might be up to next!

In wrapping up my happy thoughts for the evening, I have to give a big ROLL TIDE for my fellow Alabama fans (especially MandyE!)...as I type, our beloved Crimson Tide is less than three minutes away from wrapping up a victory over LSU in the BCS National Championship game. I can't wait to tell Addison & Mackenzie in the morning. They went to bed shouting "Roll Tide, and go Alabama, and go Auburn, and go Braves", with a few "Go Wildcats" (our local high school team) thrown in for good measure. Bless their confused little hearts...it's hard being in a divided house!

And once more, because I can't resist....Roll Tide!!!

Next to Love by Ellen Feldman

2012-01-04T23:05:00.001-06:00

Have you ever picked up a book that sounded interesting, knowing all the while that it was not really your usual style? Maybe you decide to give it a try, but you kind of prepare not to love it?

I was in that place going into Ellen Feldman's Next to Love. Described as "a story of love, war, loss, and the scars they leave", the WWII-era novel captured my attention. War-themed books, even fiction ones, are not at all my favorite genre, so there has to be a good storyline to draw me and keep me reading.

Next to Love delivered the storyline I was looking for and far exceeded my expectations. I ended up enjoying this book so much that it easily moved onto my list of favorites for the year.

WWII is the catalyst for the plot of the book, but the war itself is discussed mainly as a backdrop for the real stories, those that take place at home. Babe, Millie, and Grace are childhood friends from very different backgrounds. Each has found happiness in her own way, but the war will drastically alter the direction of their lives.

The narration switches between the three characters, but Babe's experiences are the ones we see in the most detail. Though she frustrated me at times, I admired her character for staying true to herself throughout a lot of trials. I loved the reemergence of the strong and independent spirit Babe first displayed when she worked in the telegram office during the war, and it was satisfying to see her relationship come full circle, in a sense. I was happy that she found some peace in the end.

Another thing I especially enjoyed was the spot-on portrayal of the friendship between the three women. Babe, Millie, and Grace are all experiencing very different trials, they often disagree with one another, and possibly don't even like each other at times...but the friendship remains intact. Isn't that exactly the way it can be between old friends? Despite our differing situations and lifestyles, my childhood friends and I have a bond that will endure.

Beautifully written and engaging, Next to Love is a compelling story of love, loss, friendship, and redemption. I am extremely glad that I took a chance on this one.

**Digital copy received from the publisher through NetGalley. Next to Love is available now.

Four stockings for us

2011-12-29T11:18:00.000-06:00

Well, Christmas happened. We had a pretty fantastic Christmas, though there was no winter wonderland surprise to make it extra-magical like last year. Still, it was full of joy, laughter, family, food, chaos, and a few rare moments of peace...very near perfect, in my book.

A few times during the midst of celebration, I felt something that has been tugging at me for awhile. I feel so incredibly satisfied with our little family--Jeremy, the girls, and me.

I have wavered back and forth on my feelings about more children since Addison and Mackenzie were a little over a year old. During that first year, the idea of 'more' was unfathomable, as it often took everything I could give to get through the days. Since then, though, the idea of more children has been discussed with varying degrees of interest and slightly less trepidation.

At times, I get carried away thinking about what it would be like to have another baby. I would love to experience a singleton pregnancy and have the opportunity to do it all again. I know the second time around would find me much more confident in myself and my parenting abilities, and it would be nice to have a baby and actually sort of know what we were doing. And really, one baby? How hard could it be after the experience of multiples??

On the other hand, there is absolutely no guarantee that we would not have another set of twins. (A family in my town has two sets of identical twins, one set of girls and one set of boys, that are about two years apart--yikes!) While I feel reasonably sure we could handle it with slightly more ease than the first time around, I still feel a bit overwhelmed just thinking about the idea. FOUR kids?

Also, even if we had a single baby, I do already have the girls to think about. It would still be quite the handful to manage on a daily basis. (Just for the record--if we were to have more babies, hypothetically speaking, it would not be until the girls are at least four-ish and are getting ready to attend public school. This used to seem so far away, but in reality, they will be three in about three months, so we are only fifteen-ish months away from this hypothetical timeline.)

Then there are all the random imagined worries...What if we had a girl and she feels left out by her older sisters? Four to five years is a big age difference when you're little, plus there's the fact of the older two being twins and probably being naturally closer. What would we do about bedrooms? We have a three-bedroom house that we intend to stay in for several more years, so Addison & Mackenzie would have no option but to share a room. That feels a little unfair to them, like we are saying, "Well, since you're the twins you will have to share, while your younger sibling gets a room of his/her own." We could never fold the third row down in my Expedition, because there would have to be a child's seat in the third row. (Silly concern, I know, but still.)

And so on and so forth.

I know all those concerns are things that any family thinks about before adding another child, and I know that in the scheme of things, none of them are too worrisome. I also know that if we were to add another child to our family, these little things would become even smaller in light of the love we would feel for him or her. I know all this, so really, it is not these tangible concerns that make me say I doubt we will have more children.

Mostly, it's the lack of a feeling that anything is missing in our family. On Christmas morning, I wasn't thinking about what it would be like to have another little one opening presents or another stocking hanging on the mantle. I don't look longingly at the baby aisle in stores, wishing I had a reason to buy the tiny onesies or brightly colored rattles. I watch my astonishingly big girls navigate the potty almost without my help and mother their baby dolls and make block towers as tall as they are, and I don't grieve for the babies they really aren't anymore.

I am proud of my sweet girls, who will always be my babies, no matter how big they get, and I love our family of four. We are happy, but more than that, I increasingly feel that we are complete. Naturally, we reserve the right to change our minds at any time and to be incredibly happy about that, if it were to happen, but for the time being, I just don't think it could get much better than this.

Notes to my future self

2011-12-19T13:43:00.001-06:00

A few reminders for next year's holiday season:

---Don't buy Groupon or LivingSocial deals for events ahead of time. This time of year is ridiculously busy, and all your family will want is a peaceful afternoon at home.

(We missed out on a second pre-paid deal this weekend, when nap only lasted 40 minutes and we decided to forgo Holiday Lights at the Zoo.)

(We saw Alvin and the Chipmunks at the theater instead...and had a pretty great time!)

---Book a photography session in October, instead of November, so you will have pictures back in plenty of time for holiday projects.

---Don't buy a movie your children loved last year...chances are, they will want nothing to do with it this year (ahem, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer).

---Let Jeremy claim a good spot to stand along the wall for the girls' MDO Christmas program, so maybe you will have better pictures than this:

Can you spot my little angels? One of them is yawning... : )

---Do all the holiday decorating in one day. You will NOT want to start over on a new project the next weekend, so just get it all done at the same time. (This would explain why there are no topiary trees on my porch this year, as well as why the cute little snowflake decorations I bought for the girls' room are still in the bag from Target.)

---Clean out the closets in early fall to prepare for the onslaught of wrapping supplies, gifts, stocking stuffers, and craft materials...that stuff takes up a lot of room!

---Related: do not buy any more red ribbon. There are three nearly-full rolls left from previous years in the hall closet. (If you clean out the closet as planned, you will know this already.)

---Find a better hiding spot for Addison & Mackenzie's presents. They will be a little older and wiser in 2012, and might not accept that the Dora accessories set Mackenzie just found in the bottom of her mother's closet is a present for potty training and not part of Santa's stockpile.

(Yes, they got the Dora set this morning and I don't feel badly about it at all, because I have TWO POTTY-TRAINED CHILDREN!! I think that deserves the caps-lock key, don't you?)

Rock-a-Bye, Baby

2011-12-14T05:30:00.000-06:00

From the time I was pregnant with Addison & Mackenzie, I spent a lot of time thinking and talking about sleep habits. Schedule and routine were the key words of our first few months with the girls, and creating a healthy and manageable sleep routine was a priority from the very beginning.

I knew for certain that I wanted to teach the girls to go to sleep on their own. I would have to manage the bedtime routine by myself several nights a week, and I could not imagine trying to rock both girls to sleep every night and get them both in bed without waking either baby. So it was very important to me to make sure they could go to bed awake and fall asleep without me holding, rocking, or otherwise assisting in the process.

Not that it was due to anything we did necessarily (because I realize some kids are just naturally better sleepers than others!), but we have been VERY lucky in the sleep department, so I can at least pretend that some of that worrying, planning, and stressing about sleep paid off, right?

For almost as long as I can remember, our routine has been the same: dinner, bath, pajamas, then snuggling on the couch while reading books and/or watching part of a movie or tv show. At bedtime, I carry both girls (and only me...Jeremy is not allowed to do it if I'm home!) to their beds, usually singing a song along the way. I find all necessary blankets and stuffed animals, then turn out the lights and wish them both sweet dreams.

As the girls have grown, I have learned to savor the quiet moments of sitting down to read, sing, or just be together at night. Still, rocking has never been a part of that routine...

Until the last few weeks, that is.

I don't even remember now how it started, but sometime in the last month or so, Addison & Mackenzie started requesting that I rock them before bed. I enjoyed the quiet peacefulness of it for a couple of nights...then I started wondering what kind of new habits I might be encouraging. The next night, I tried to convince the girls to forget about the rocking, but naturally, they were having none of it. There were tears and pleas of "Rock me, mama!" that nearly broke my heart.

So, here we are, with a new nighttime routine. We follow the same general pattern, but the reading and singing is now done in the girls' room, with the three of us snuggled up in the rocking chair. I'm still working on the timing, since it takes a little longer to convince them to get in bed these days, but we will all adjust soon, I'm sure.

Back when the girls were tiny, it was hard to take full advantage of all the little baby-snuggling opportunities-- I was often too overwhelmed thinking about the next round of feeding and changing, or I was worried about creating bad habits by letting a baby sleep in my arms for too long. In hindsight, I realize how fleeting those days were, and that makes it even sweeter to be able to enjoy these new opportunities to rock my girls before bed.

I must admit I am kind of enjoying this little change in the normal routine...at least on the nights when we are able to wrap it all up before the unheard-of hour of 9:00. What happened to my girls that could barely hold their eyes open past 8:00??

Has your nighttime routine changed as your children have grown? And I'm curious...what time is bedtime for your kids?

Parades, Parties, and a Weekend Milestone

2011-12-12T11:58:00.002-06:00

This weekend was our busiest in a long time, with something planned for each day from Thursday to Sunday. 'Tis the season, I suppose.

Thursday evening, Addison & Mackenzie attended their first Christmas parade. The past few years have been cold and rainy, and it just hasn't been ideal for us to take them out to it. This year was pretty cold, but not unbearable, and the girls absolutely loved it!

My aunt lives very near the parade route, so as we did so many times during my own childhood, we hung out inside at her house until we heard the wail of the sirens approaching. We walked down to the end of her street to take in the extravaganza. A & M had lots of fun gathering candy, waving at the people on floats, and watching for Santa to come by. Afterward, we made the short walk back to my aunt's and enjoyed a warm meal together.

First Christmas parade=success!

Friday, Jeremy and I had a "date" to finish our Christmas shopping. We dropped the girls off with Jeremy's parents and had a very delicious dinner before heading to the most dreaded of all children's stores...Toys R Us. I never go there, and actually I try not to shop there since a few bad experiences with Babies R Us when the girls were babies, but J was convinced we needed to go see what they had (translation: he wanted to play with the toys himself!).

It was horribly crowded and took forever to check out (I was honestly in shock over the amount of toys some people were buying), but we survived. We did find a wooden train set for the girls at a good price, as well as a play coffee pot, since they love to "make coffee" for us.

After that task was complete, we spent an hour or two wandering the shopping center, ending with coffee in the bookstore. Just as we got in the car to leave, Jeremy's mom called and said Addison wanted to come home instead of spending the night at her house. We weren't really surprised, since she has been very much a homebody lately, so we arranged to meet his mom and pick her up.

And thus, we accomplished the second "first" of the weekend: Addison and Mackenzie spent their very first night apart from one another.

I will admit it...I was a little sentimental about the milestone. My girls have spent each and every night under the same roof since birth (actually, since before birth, if you want to get technical about it!), so it was definitely a strange feeling to creep into their room and see only one bed occupied.

I think it was probably a good thing for both of them. Addison got to spend some quality time with Jeremy and me, and Mackenzie got to have her NiNi all to herself. The first thing Addison said on Saturday morning was, "Where's my sissy at?" And when Jeremy brought Mackenzie home on Saturday afternoon, Addison was still asleep in her bed. Mackenzie barged through the house, saying, "Where's my Addison?"

Ahhh, melts my heart!

I was originally supposed to attend The Nutcracker on Saturday evening, while Jeremy and the girls had a movie night at home. Mackenzie was pretty attached to me once she got home, though, and she cried real tears and begged me not to go. Who could deny a pitiful little girl asking, "Mama, will you stay home and watch a movie with us?" Not this mama! I decided time with baby was worth way more than the $30 I would be losing for the forfeited tickets, and we had a fun movie night at home.

Sunday was a flurry of church, baking, wrapping, and preparing for the Christmas party with our youth group. It was a success, and I wound up with a dirty santa gift I actually wanted:

Jeremy, on the other hand, was not as lucky...though Addison & Mackenzie are having a ball with his gift!

How was YOUR weekend? Is the holiday busy-ness in full effect for you too?

Confessions: Christmas Style

2011-12-06T12:00:00.000-06:00

I tend to buy more things for myself at Christmas than at any other time of the year. I think it's because I'm already in the "spending money" frame of mind...combine that with the holiday sales happening at every turn, and I am powerless to resist. A few dollars here and there can add up after awhile. Oops!

I have no idea what to get the girls for Christmas. So far, I have bought them Candyland, a Play Doh tool set and gift pack, and nightgowns. What are your kids getting this year?

As hard as we are working to help the girls grasp the concept that Christmas is about more than Santa, Rudolph, and presents, I had a regrettable moment of my own when I realized Christmas is on Sunday this year. I believe I actually said something along the lines of, "Oh great...we have to work a CHURCH SERVICE in the Christmas day schedule too?!" Not my best moment, by far. (As far as I know, we will be attending church on Christmas morning, and I will be happy about it.)

This time of year makes me want to take on ambitious cooking projects. I want to make bread pudding for Christmas brunch with my family, but I fear I may be out of my league.

One of my favorite holiday treats is homemade chex mix. Simple, I know, but I just can't get enough. Marcia talked about it recently, and I confessed that I have never made the homemade kind. Maybe this is the year? (Or maybe I'm feeling overly ambitious again...)

I am a sucker for Christmas movies, and I have already watched several of my favorites this year. The embarrassing part is, it's not the classics like It's a Wonderful Life that I love the most. No...you're much more likely to find me watching How the Grinch Stole Christmas (either version!), The Santa Clause (any of the three, though the first and second are my favorite), and Home Alone.

In related news: I have the ABC Family 25 Days of Christmas schedule posted on my bulletin board at work. (Home Alone 2 tonight!)

Your turn! What are your Christmas confessions? Am I alone in my preference for 90s holiday movies? What's your can't-miss Christmas movie?

Reality Check

2011-12-01T09:14:00.001-06:00

I have been the wife of a police officer for about five years now. I am very proud of Jeremy and the job that he does. Truthfully, on most days I don't think too much about it. The job, the abnormal hours, and the fact that he carries a gun to work are just part of our lives.

Occasionally, something happens to remind me exactly what an important job Jeremy has and how dangerous it can be.

Monday night, I talked to Jeremy before bed as I usually do. We talked a little longer than normal because we got into a conversation about Christmas and our plans for working around all of our family functions. He called back shortly after we hung up to tell me an idea he had come up with for our busy Christmas Eve schedule. We talked a few minutes, then I finally went to sleep.

About an hour later, around 12:30 a.m., the ringing of my phone pulled me out of sleep. It was Jeremy again, calling to tell me that a deputy with his department had been shot. He wanted me to know that it was not him, because he might not be home by the time I got up in the morning...he didn't want me to see it on the news and freak out.

My brain, numbed by sleep, jerked to attention immediately. J gave me the brief details of what he knew, then said he and many, many (many) others were going to apprehend the offender.

Now honestly, I don't spend a great amount of time worrying about Jeremy at work. I know what his job entails, but I also know that he is very good at what he does and that he does everything in his power to make sure that he comes home to us each and every night. I also know, as does Jeremy, that our God is ultimately in control and if He has chosen for one of us to leave this earth... well, then, who am I to argue with the One who created us? That's not to say I don't encourage him to take every possible precaution or that I don't tell him every single day to be careful, because I do. But I don't spend hours sitting up at night, worrying what he might be doing, I don't call him every hour, and I don't listen to the news to see if anything bad is going on in his jurisdiction. I never have, and I hope I never turn into that person.

In the early hours of Tuesday morning, though, when my husband told me he was going to hunt down a man armed with at least one assault rifle who had already robbed a store, shot at the clerk, and by this time had shot two law enforcement officers... I think my alarm was quite warranted.

It is not a pleasant feeling to lay in bed, alone, trying desperately not to imagine the many possible scenarios your husband might be involved in at that very moment. I was anxious, but also pretty helpless. I did all I could do--prayed for God to protect Jeremy and his fellow officers, reminded myself that he is competent and careful and also very well-armed, and told my brain to shut it. Amazingly enough, I did go back to sleep...deep enough that I didn't even hear my text message at 3:30 a.m. telling me that the suspect was in custody and everyone was fine.

When I woke at 6:15 the next morning, J was just crawling into bed. He gave me a quick rundown of the night's events, which we were both still absorbing. I hugged and kissed him, told him many times that I loved him and was glad he was home safely, and got ready for work.

And so, life goes on. Jeremy and all his coworkers did their jobs on Tuesday, just as they always have...but likely with a little more caution, a little more thought. Monday night was a reminder to everyone--the officers, their families, our community--just how quickly an evening can go from the same old boring routine to one that just might change your life.

Thankfully, the two officers that were shot are going to be alright, and the offender is in custody. I would be lying if I said I wasn't a little more worried about Jeremy's job than I was at this time last week, but I am also full of pride for him and his fellow officers. When everyone else runs away from the danger, they are facing it head-on and doing their best to protect the rest of us.

This week was a reminder for us not to take one single minute for granted. I love you, Jeremy, and the girls and I are blessed to have you as a husband and father. We are proud of all you do for our family and for our community!

Imagination Station

2011-11-30T05:00:00.000-06:00

One of the many things I didn't realize about being a parent was just how much I would enjoy watching them learn new skills and concepts. Watching Mackenzie grasp the concept of potty training and overcome that huge step has just been amazing. I can see the excitement in her face each time she has success, and it's easy to see how proud of herself she feels. (And for the record, after more than two weeks with no accidents, I am counting her as POTTY TRAINED! One down, one to go!)

Another thing that is fun to watch is the development of the girls' imaginations, which are in full swing right now.

Not long after school started back in August, the girls started talking about someone named either "Caleb" or "Kayla"...it's hard to tell exactly how they're saying it. (Most of the time it comes out sounding like "K-love"-- a playground rapper, perhaps?) Upon checking with their teachers, we ascertained that there was no Caleb or Kayla in their class or any of the classes they come into contact with. After many instances of overhearing the girls boss "K-love" around, tell him (her?) to take a nap, buckle his car seat, and eat his lunch, we decided that Addison & Mackenzie may just have their first imaginary friend.

Having had two imaginary friends of my own as a child, I think it's pretty darn cute. (No, I won't reveal my childhood friends' names or exactly how long I carried on conversations with them!)

The pretend games have only increased since then, in both animation and complexity. The latest game involves the girls pretending to be one of their teachers, with Mrs. Pam, their Sunday school teacher being the primary character of the moment. Addison is particularly serious in her role, often completely ignoring me saying her name until she finally gives me an exasperated look and says, "I'm Mrs. Pam!". Some days it's hard to keep track of just who I am supposed to be talking to! Addison will open any one of her books and say, "This is my Bible and I'm going to read you a story. You sit down and listen."

Who can refuse such a cute demand? : )

Thanksgiving Quick Takes

2011-11-27T23:37:00.001-06:00

I seriously forget that Thanksgiving is an American holiday, but I fully support the idea of a holiday that revolves almost entirely around food. It may not be good for my pants size, but it sure is good for the soul.
We spent our Thanksgiving at my church, as we have for the past five (?) years or so now. We serve a Thanksgiving meal for our community. It started out as sort of a service to those who needed somewhere to go, but now, it's open to absolutely anyone who wants to come be a part of it: those who need a place for a wholesome meal, people who might live alone and not want to cook, those who can't be near their family, and even families who just don't feel like cooking themselves. It has turned into an awesome ministry, and we enjoy serving and eating our meal along with our friends and church family. Our church provided over 850 meals for the community this year.
Thursday night we went to Jeremy's parents' house for round two. It was delicious, and the girls really warmed up to the houseful of friends and relatives better than I expected. We all had a great time, and the girls were very well-behaved despite being out past their bedtime.
Out of curiosity, we drove past Wal-Mart when we got back into town around 10:00 on Thanksgiving night, and it was insane. The parking lot was covered, all the spaces in nearby businesses were full, and cars were even parked on the grass. CRAZY, I'm telling you...you couldn't pay me to get in that madness.
In general, Addison & Mackenzie were awesome during the entire holiday weekend. I have memories of whiny, clingy, over-stimulated children from this time last year, and I am so thankful we had none of that happening this time. They still didn't eat a lot--most of the traditional Thanksgiving dishes are not their favorites--but they behaved so well, I didn't even care! (They did fill up on macaroni n' cheese, rolls, and dessert...not the healthiest of days, but we were all happy.)
My sister got into town on Tuesday night and stayed until Sunday, so we had lots of family time together. There were shopping trips, crafting projects (more on those later!), late-night movies, and hot chocolate involved in our holiday weekend, and it was all wonderful.
There was a little football game on Saturday that we were all looking forward to watching. And yes, I'm being sarcastic when I call it a "little football game"...the entire state of Alabama stands still on Iron Bowl day, and that is not much of an exaggeration. A & M spent Friday night with Jeremy's parents, so he went over there to watch the game and bring them home. Laura Jo and I were left to watch the game at my house free of any comments from the Auburn fan in the family. We worked on projects during the game, and by the time it was over, my tree was complete, and we were two happy Bama fans.

The girls and Jeremy arrived home, and we were (mostly) able to put aside our differences and enjoy the rest of the evening. It was easier for some of us than for others (Roll Tide!!), but J handled it pretty well. : )

Consoling Addison after she heard Auburn lost... : )

We do have so much to be thankful for, and family is right at the top of my list. It was a great holiday weekend, filled with so many of our favorite things.

Now...bring on Christmas!!

Potty Mouth

2011-11-23T05:00:00.000-06:00

No, not that kind of potty mouth...just lots of talking about the potty and bodily functions.

Since the last time I talked about my potty training frustrations, I pretty much dropped the subject. Occasionally my mom or Jeremy's mom would ask the girls about sitting on the potty, but I didn't really mention it at all.

Imagine my surprise then, when my mom called last Tuesday to tell me that both Addison and Mackenzie had worn panties to school! Their teachers have been telling us that it's fine to send them in panties whenever we are ready, so when they both agreed to wear them on Tuesday morning, off they went. I think they had gone without diapers most of Monday as well, but honestly, I can't quite remember.

On Tuesday, neither one of the girls had an accident at school. I could hardly believe it. Even better, they had both used the potty at school. (Remember, my girls must have amazingly huge bladders--they can hold it for hours--and they have still never pooped at school.)

Tuesday was a major milestone for our little family!

Addison had an accident at school on Wednesday, but she wore her panties again on Thursday and did just fine at school. Since then, though, she has kind of regressed and flat-out begged for diapers. After a bit of disagreement on Friday, Jeremy and I decided not to push her on it right now. Addison has not been interested in the potty as long as Mackenzie has, so I feel good about giving her a little more time and focusing on M right now.

As for Mackenzie...she has been in panties full-time since last Tuesday and has not had a single accident. AND she used the potty at our friends' house during a birthday party on Saturday! Woo-hoo!!!

I should clarify that she has consistently peed in the potty; we still have a little way to go on the poop stuff. (Sorry if this is all a little gross...we say "pee-pee" and "poo-poo" in our house...what kind of terms do you use with your kids? There is no good way to say it, is there??)

For the first few days, M would request a diaper when she needed to poop (I'm pretty thankful for the bodily function control that allows her to wait while I get a diaper!), and I was okay dealing with that. Thursday night, out of the blue, Mackenzie agreed when I suggested she try to poop on the potty. And she did! Well, a little at least. I knew it wasn't, well...enough...but hey, it's a start! She has since done it a couple more times, getting more comfortable each time.

Maybe a little too comfortable, judging by her declaration in this video...
(Yes, she will want to kill me for this someday, so I am making a mental note to remove it before she gets old enough to be embarrassed by it. In fact, this entire post should probably be made private at some point in the future...)

I am SO incredibly proud of my big girl. I am also very proud of my Addison, who has handled all the extra attention directed at M with very little drama. I know she will be ready before too long, and she will get her turn with the attention and praise.

While we can't throw out the diapers just yet, diapering only one child (plus honoring the occasional request for a diaper from Mackenzie) is already much easier on the wallet and on this mama and daddy. These are exciting days in our house!

Book Review: Kisses from Katie

2011-11-17T06:00:00.000-06:00

I have been reading ARCs (advance reader copies) through NetGalley for a couple of months now, and so far, I am loving it. I have found some great books that I might otherwise have never read, plus I get the fun added advantage of reading them before they even hit the store shelves.

Kisses from Katie is one of the first books that I heard about before I even saw it listed on NetGalley, so I was very excited to get started on it.

Katie Davis, from a suburb of Nashville, Tennessee, traveled to Uganda during Christmas break of her senior year of high school. She was captivated by the people and the country, and knew she would ultimately return one day. Upon her high school graduation, Katie did return to Uganda, and ended up making a home there. Over the last few years, she has adopted fourteen (yes, fourteen!) young girls and has helped countless others get the food, medical care, and schooling they so desperately need.

Kisses from Katie is the inspirational story of Katie's deep and abiding love--her love for the people, especially the children, of Uganda, and for her God. Katie's love is evident in every page of her book. What else but love could motivate such a young girl to give up the life she's known and move to the other side of the world to live in the midst of poverty, sickness, and strife?

While I find Katie and her story nothing short of incredible, the book itself fell a little short at times. Not unexpectedly, the text is full of scripture references and passages describing the ways God has provided in the midst of the overwhelming need, and the saccharine tone felt a little overdone at times. It is obvious though, that Katie's words are absolutely sincere; I can imagine that the way she writes is the way she goes about her life. There are a few cliche phrases thrown about at times, such as "adoption is God's heart", that sound meaningful but don't really carry much weight. These things bothered me more in the beginning of the book than the later parts, almost as if Katie found more of a rhythm in her writing toward the end.

My only other issues with the book come from the fact that I wanted more of the story in some places. Katie had a longtime boyfriend when she left for Uganda, and we realize early on that they are no longer together, but don't get much of that story. There are a few vague paragraphs devoted to the fact that she sacrificed that relationship, but I would have liked to hear more about that dynamic. How do you tell your boyfriend who is currently thousands of miles away that you are adopting a child? That you don't think you'll be coming back to Tennessee?

In retrospect, I feel I know a lot about Katie's ministry, but not a lot about Katie herself. That may very well have been an intentional move, but I also think Katie missed an opportunity to develop a more intimate connection with her readers by sharing more about other parts of her life. It is often through shared struggle that bonds are formed, so I think the story might have resonated on a deeper level if Katie had shared some of the personal details many of her readers would relate to--the hard days of motherhood, the heartache of losing a first love--rather than just repeating the mantra that God provides abundantly (which, he does, of course...you'll find no argument from me there!).

I may sound critical of the book, but really, I very much enjoyed it and would recommend it to anyone needing an example of the good that can be done when we respond to the Bible's challenge to truly love our neighbors--all of them. Katie is a fascinating, inspiring young lady, and I look forward to seeing what amazing things she will accomplish in the next decade of her life. I would love to read a follow-up a few years down the road.

**ARC received from NetGalley for review. Kisses from Katie is available now.

Holiday Bucket List

2011-11-15T06:00:00.000-06:00

I say it approximately one million times every year, but I absolutely love the holiday season. I love the anticipation of it all. Thanksgiving, with all the food and family, is a quiet time to just reflect on our many blessings and enjoy time with family. And of course, I love everything about Christmas...the bustle of stores and the challenge of finding the perfect gifts; the Christmas music; the quiet glow of candles and brightly lit trees in nearly every house; and the peaceful magic of the Christmas Eve celebration at church.

I just can't get enough, and my love for the season has only grown since Addison and Mackenzie came along. Last year was the most fun yet, watching them experience so many new things, and I can already tell this year is going to be even better.

To ensure we make the most of these few magical weeks, I am declaring a Holiday Bucket List for our family....all things to accomplished between now and the end of the year.

What I've got so far (including some very basic things because I like to cross items off a list!):

Serve Thanksgiving dinner for our community at church.
Stuff ourselves again on Thanksgiving night with Jeremy's family.
Analyze the mountain of Black Friday sale papers with family on Thanksgiving evening...then go to bed instead of going shopping. : )
Watch Love, Actually with my sister (holiday tradition!).
Watch Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, and The Santa Clause with A & M...likely many times over.
Stay up far too late each night of Thanksgiving week, talking, cooking, eating, and watching movies with family (including Laura Jo, who will be home most of the week!).
See a movie in the theater (a rare treat) with my mom and sister...we have done this the past couple of years, so it's kind of becoming tradition for us.
Ride through our favorite neighborhoods to see Christmas lights.
Take a walk around our own neighborhood to check out all the lights and decorations... we kind of started this last night by walking down the street to see a neighbor's tree through the window!
Get a picture with Santa (if the girls don't flip out, that is).
Make these fun little trees with the girls.
Go to holiday lights at the Chattanooga Zoo (thanks to a good deal on Groupon).
Bake and decorate Christmas cookies with the girls.
Stay up late wrapping gifts and finalizing the Christmas-morning setup with Jeremy, who is thankfully off work on Christmas Eve this year!
Read the Christmas story together as a family on Christmas Eve...we have a great book I am looking forward to introducing to Addison & Mackenzie.
Host a holiday get-together for some of our close friends.
Attend the Christmas Eve candlelight service with our family.
And in general, enjoy every moment of watching our girls experience all that the season has to offer.

One of my favorite pictures from last year, largely because Addison spent so much time gazing up at the tree like that; as if she was just in awe of it.

Your turn...What's on your holiday bucket list?? What am I forgetting?

Friday Night Five

2011-11-11T21:56:00.001-06:00

1. Well, I'm a NaBloPoMo flunkee. I posted on each of the first nine days of November, which was a record for me, I'm sure. But some days I just don't feel like blogging, or I am not inspired, and that doesn't make for good reading does it?

Many months ago, I basically stopped using the computer at home on the weekends, and quite honestly? I like it that way. The weekends are family time, and when the girls go to bed, Jeremy and I are left with some of the very few hours we get alone each week. I don't need my "requirement" to post a blog to get in the way of that. (If I were all organized and efficient like some other bloggers I know, I would have posts pre-written and set to post automatically. Alas, that will never be me...I write about whatever is on my mind at the time.)

I do think maybe I can get in the habit of posting more often during the week, which was my original goal anyway. So...win?

2. I left work early yesterday and Jeremy and I were able to have lunch and do some shopping together. I had my first peppermint mocha of the season, so it feels like the holidays are officially here! I got the girls some black boots, which they are in LOVE with already, and a new outfit for our family pictures this weekend. We picked up a present or two and just enjoyed wandering around for awhile, and it was very, very enjoyable.

3. I had an unpleasant experience with a chain bookstore that still has me a little irritated. I had a 25% off coupon, so I was going to break my own rule (don't buy anything for yourself that you have already put on your Christmas wishlist!) and buy the Harry Potter box set. I knew the average online price was around $50, so when the clerk helping me pulled up the price of $86 and some change, I quickly declined. While taking a coffee break, I searched for the online listing and quickly found the set on the store's OWN website for $52.15, with a little button that said "click here to pick-up in your local store". Sounds like a workable deal, right? I reserve it at the online price, then "pick it up" at the store.

I'm sure you can see this coming, but it didn't happen. No, apparently when you reserve online, you have to pay the store's price at pickup if there's a difference. Do you know how extremely upset I would have been if I had traveled to the store to pick those up? It would not have been my best moment, I feel sure.

Though I didn't really want to give them my money after that, I saw a book I knew A & M would flip over, so I used my coupon to get it for them. We have another Llama, llama book, and they request it multiple times a day sometimes.

4. I think the girls are back on schedule from the time change last weekend. It wasn't particularly hard on us, but for the past couple of weeks they had been waking up a little earlier than usual so I was worried about the possibilities for a wrecked sleep-schedule. They stayed up super-late one day last weekend, so it might have even helped that they were a little off schedule to begin with. A & M are pretty much back on track, though they are still waking up earlier than they were for awhile, but I'm thinking the months of sleeping until 8:30 or 9:00 must have just been a fluke. Regardless, I can't complain about 7:15 when they are also taking marathon afternoon naps, like the three-hour one from this afternoon. (It was glorious!)

5. Not to be deliberately vague (because I haaaaate that, really), but I have a possible change coming up, and it would be freakin' fantastic. So, just send good wishes and/or prayers my way, okay? I will certainly share if it happens. It's a big maybe right now, but still...

Phone Photo Dump

2011-11-09T22:22:00.000-06:00

I'm really tired tonight, but I have blogged eight days in a row so far...I'm not quitting now!

Here are some Instagram pictures from my phone over the last few weeks:

Fall trees around the courthouse square. Love seeing these trees when I come to work every day.

Mackenzie at dinner a few weeks ago

Addison painting pumpkins

Mackenzie and her pumpkin

Movie night with my two favorite girls! The Wizard of Oz, of course.

Mackenzie at the library Saturday morning.

I hope to use this picture again after the Alabama/Auburn game! : )

One of my current favorite pictures.

Jeremy is taking the day off tomorrow and he promised the girls a breakfast date before he takes them to school. They went to bed really excited about it. : )

I am taking the afternoon off and J and I are going to lunch and to do a little shopping. Combined with the holiday on Friday, it should be a great long weekend. Hopefully a relaxing one as well...we could use it!

Wishlist Wednesday

2011-11-08T23:20:00.000-06:00

With the Christmas season quickly approaching, my thoughts are turning to shopping a little more often than usual. I love picking out gifts for friends and family, and browsing and list-making is a big part of the fun for me. I already have a few gifts in mind this year, including a few homemade items (more on those soon!).

One thing I have trouble with at Christmas is answering the question, "What would you like this year?" In my family, it's not a big deal...they have known me my entire life, after all, so they have a pretty good idea what I would like. Plus, my sister and I each help our mom to shop for the other, and we have similar taste (sometimes we inadvertently pick out matching gifts for each other!). In Jeremy's family, things are a little different. When someone asks for a list of things you would like, they mean it. If you put an item on a wishlist for his mom, you're pretty much guaranteed to get it (nice, right??).

Since it is very hard for me to come up with ideas on the spot, I have tried to make a list of things to suggest this year. You know, the extras that I would like to have, but haven't gotten around to buying for myself.

A few items I have come up with so far...

Source: walmart.com via Deanna on Pinterest

I have a yard-sale sewing machine in the closet, but it's several years old and does not have a manual with it. I'm pretty sure a manual is a necessity for me, so if I have any hope of learning to sew, I think I'm going to have to start with something easy to use. This machine has great reviews, and at $130.00, it's not a huge investment. (Jeremy, this suggestion is for you! Hint, hint...)

Source: toms.com via Deanna on Pinterest

I have wanted a pair of Toms for quite awhile, but just never got around to buying them. Perfect gift idea, though!

I have come to the conclusion that I don't have enough hooded sweatshirts in my life. This Atlanta Braves hoodie would make a great addition to my weekend wardrobe.

I haven't seen the last two (or three, maybe?) Harry Potter movies, but I did get swept up in the Potter-mania that surrounded the recent release of the final movie. I have found myself with an overwhelming desire to start over and read the series again from the beginning. I have owned a few of the books at some point, but who knows where they might have wandered off to in the years since I've read them. Now that all the books are available in paperback, I would love to own the complete set. I can't wait to watch my girls experience the Harry Potter story one day!

A few months ago, I got hooked on Veronica Mars on Netflix. I knew it was supposed to be a great show (HOW did it only last three seasons??), but I just never got around to watching it before that time. Sadly, when I was about six episodes into season one, Netflix took it off their streaming list. There are often good deals for the DVDs on half.com, so I'm hoping someone might snag a copy for me. I can't wait to watch the rest of the series, though I'm sure I will be sad all over again when it ends too quickly (only THREE seasons?!).

And that concludes my personal holiday gift guide so far this season...always subject to revision, of course.

What's on your wishlist holiday season? Do you have trouble giving others an idea of what you want?

Countdown to Christmas

2011-11-07T22:13:00.000-06:00

**Disclosure: I received free photo cards from Shutterfly in exchange for posting about their holiday cards. However, all opinions expressed are my own. I have used Shutterfly for years and have had nothing but pleasant experiences!

48 days until Christmas...can you believe it??

This year has absolutely flown by, but I have to admit, I am really excited for the holidays. I feel like Addison and Mackenzie are at a perfect age to begin enjoying some of the magical holiday experiences I love so much. I will be talking a lot more about that stuff later, but one thing I feel like I need to get a start on is the planning of our Christmas cards.

We have family pictures scheduled for Saturday morning, and I am so hoping that we get some great card-worthy shots. I will be using Shutterfly for our cards, as I have for the past several years, so I've already started browsing to see which cards catch my eye this year.

I will undoubtedly spend a couple of hours inserting my favorite photos into different cards, to see which combination produces the result I'm going for. In the meantime, these are some of my favorites at first glance:

I like the cut-out style of the writing...but I would have to use specific photos to fit the design.

I like the simplicity of this one, and the idea of one family photo is appealing.

I'm a sucker for a monogram!

Love the classic simplicity of this one.

And I love the retro feel of this design! This might be a top choice, with the right photograph.

Monogram again--and it's a bit different from the standard designs.


Classic; very fitting for a great family picture.

In addition to cards of all kinds, Shutterfly also carries products that make great gifts. I like to browse the photo calendars, which are currently on sale, making it a great time to order. I made desk calendars for several family members last year, and everyone absolutely loved them! I will probably order more this year...how often can you order the same gift for seven different people and please them all equally? (I need to get on this project quickly, because $10.79 is a pretty great price, actually!) There are several other gift ideas that grandparents and other family members would treasure, I am sure.

Be sure to visit Shutterfly for cards, calendars, photo books, and more!

So tell me...have you picked out your holiday cards this year (if you are sending cards, that is)? Any photo gifts on your list? Do you have pictures made near the holidays, or just wield the camera and hope for the best?

Good food can heal a lot of hurts

2011-11-06T22:39:00.002-06:00

Well, the game didn't exactly turn out the way we Alabama fans had hoped, but we had a pretty good night hanging out at home. We watched the first half of the game together before the girls went to bed, and they had fun getting excited and yelling at the tv with me. : )

A couple of weeks ago, I made crockpot buffalo chicken, and we really liked it. Jeremy mentioned that the sauce would be really good on wings. Inspired by MandyE's email about game food, I decided to attempt wings for the first time ever.

To my surprise, they turned out pretty well! Jeremy liked them as well, and he mentioned that he would definitely appreciate a repeat. I loosely followed this recipe (I left out the cayenne pepper and didn't really measure the garlic powder, etc.), with the modifications mentioned in the first few comments (bake them without sauce first, then add the sauce and broil for just a few minutes until the wings get slightly crispy). I also used some dry ranch mix in my buffalo sauce, from the pinterest link above.

Anyway, despite Bama's disappointing loss, we had good food and quality family time, so I'll call the night a success.

Addison says "Roll Tide!" anyway...

This bookcase may have changed my life

2011-11-05T23:50:00.000-05:00

Last Saturday, while Addison & Mackenzie spent the day with Jeremy's parents, I took the opportunity to move a bookcase from the kitchen to the living room, in hopes of corralling the toy explosion.

Five days later, I am just about ready to declare that this shelf has changed my life.

Before we started using the bookcase, there was a large plastic bin in the corner for loose toys, and the books were stacked haphazardly underneath an end table. I felt like none of the toys in the bin were ever really played with, the books always ended up all over the place, and the little odd-n-end toys were driving me up the wall.

With the shelf in place, there is plenty of room for the books we keep in the living room and the smaller toys fit perfectly into the four smaller bins on the lower shelves. One bin is solely for blocks, while the others are slightly more catch-all spots. Since the girls play in the living room most of the time (at least until I get the spare room/playroom set up the way I want it), most of their dolls and stuffed animals are in here also. Those are now in the large plastic bin for easy access, along with a few throw blankets and pillows.

So far, it's working well. The girls have designated spots to put toys away, making clean-up easier for them to do and easier for me to enforce. And on the occasions that I do it myself (because yes, there are many times I just don't have the patience to guide them through the process), it's so much easier to just toss the toys in bins than to try and find a place for everything. A & M can get the toys they want on their own, and they are playing with stuff they had otherwise forgotten. They can see their books more clearly, and it makes my book-loving heart swell to see them reaching for them just as often as most of their toys.

This small change has made it easier to keep the living room more organized and less cluttered, and that makes me one very happy mama.

Now I just have to find a piece of furniture to fill the hole left by the bookcase in the kitchen...but that could actually be fun. I have big dreams of a refurbished dresser or buffet to store my china in. We'll see how it turns out!

Friday Night Five

2011-11-04T23:57:00.000-05:00

1. I decided to take the plunge and participate in NaBloPoMo this year. Yep, that's the reason for my dashing out a quick post at 11:00 on Friday night! I want to increase my post frequency to at least 3-4 per week on a regular basis, so I figure posting every day for a month is a good way to get in the habit. Are you (officially or unofficially) participating?

2. Jeremy and I went on a spur-of-the-moment and much-needed date tonight. We got home around 10:40 and guess who was waiting up for us? This is officially the latest my children have ever been up...I am hoping we can sleep til 9 or later in the morning! At least our dinner was good. Except for the couple at our table (it was a hibachi place, so we shared the table with other couples) who seemed to be incredibly strung out on something...that was interesting.

3. If you live anywhere that has a football team in the SEC, you might have heard that there's this little game tomorrow...well, it's kind of a big deal. Alabama (#2) is playing LSU (#1), and it's pretty much all the Bama fans around here have talked about for weeks. You know we love our college football here in the South, and it's serious business. I love this article from an LSU sports writer that explains a little about the history and tradition of Alabama Crimson Tide football. Sample quote: Alabama is an easy team to hate for one simple reason: they win. They've won a lot, and it seems like they will continue to win. Hopefully, that will include a win tomorrow night...but either way, it should be an exciting game.

4. Still on the football topic, this article about an Alabama player who came from absolute poverty to be a star on this year's team and who will likely go on to play in the NFL next year. I read it this afternoon at work and I couldn't stop the tears. It's just....well, even if you don't care about football one little bit, you should read it. I dare you not to cry.

5. Speaking of tears, here's one more good link for weekend reading: On Parenthood, written by tech blogger Jeff Atwood. Sample quote: The highs are so incredibly high that you'll get vertigo and wonder if you can ever reach that feeling again. But you peak ever higher and higher, with dizzying regularity. Being a new parent is both terrifying and exhilarating, a constant rollercoaster of extreme highs and lows. Isn't that the absolute truth? And twin parents, I think you'll feel a bit of particular kinship for the guy when you see the bottom of his post.

Happy weekend, and ROLL TIDE! I'll be back to post something-or-other tomorrow, and the next day, and the next day (I hope!).

So there was this one time I went to London...

2011-11-03T23:15:00.000-05:00

For as long as I can remember, I've had a thing for London, and all things British. There was a time when I would have said that my plans for college included a year abroad, living and working in London. While I didn't quite accomplish that dream, I did get the chance to go to London, and it was everything I imagined it would be.

Toward the end of my senior year in high school, my cousin Lindsey found out that a friend, A, would be traveling to London for two weeks to do some work for the U.S. Navy Reserves. A wanted her daughter to come for a week of the trip, but her daughter was only about 14ish, a bit young for traveling alone internationally. Enter-- Lindsey and me.

It was the opportunity of a lifetime: All we had to do was pay for our airfare and travel with A's daughter and her friend, and we would have a week in London. Who could pass that up?! This was in June of the year 2000, so the price of airfare had not skyrocketed yet; I'm thinking our tickets were around $500-600, round-trip. It was my high school graduation present from my mom...best gift EVER!

From the moment we landed, England lived up to my every dream. I remember just listening to everyone around me, hoping they would keep talking, so I could take in more of those fabulous accents. The man who stamped my passport noted that we were from the States, and he asked if we were visiting on "holiday"...it took me a few seconds to realize that was the British way of saying "vacation".

We stayed in an apartment ("flat"!) in the heart of the city, within walking distance of Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament. I can't remember much about the apartment, other than the sloping ceilings, claw-foot tub, and the doorman, but it was just perfect. I really need to pull out some pictures to jog my memory, but I think they are in a closet somewhere at my mom's house.

We spent our week in London taking in all the sights and history the city has to offer. The highlights I can remember most clearly are: Buckingham Palace (where we also saw the changing of the guard, which was really cool), the Tower of London (possibly my very favorite spot), Westminster Abbey, Covent Garden (where I bought my first legal beer--at age 18!), Bond Street, and the original Hard Rock Cafe.

For this small-town Alabama girl, just wandering the streets and people-watching was great entertainment. And the Underground...I remember how extremely proud I was that we navigated the Underground without getting lost! I had never been on a subway before, so that was quite the experience in and of itself.


Tower of London (image credit: http://www.londonpass.com)

Westminster Abbey (image credit: http://static.westminster-abbey.org)

Buckingham Palace (http://www.wikipedia.org)

image credit: www.wikipedia.org

Other notable memories about London:

-- Many people were just as curious to hear our accents as we were theirs. We kept having to explain that we were from the South, and no, we don't talk exactly like most Americans!

-- A lady in the market called us "love"...it seemed so quintessentially British, and I adored it.

-- Despite the reputation of being cool and rainy, it was actually quite warm the week we were there...and the lack of air conditioning in many areas came as a bit of a shock to us (everyone in the South has central heat and air...it's nearly a fact of life).

-- We southerners also like our drinks cold...and with ice, which proved a little difficult to obtain in London. When we requested ice in our drinks, it was usually only two or three cubes, not the glassful we are accustomed to!

-- The soft drinks looked the same (same labels and packaging), but they definitely had a different taste to them. One of the first things we did when landed in the States was get a "real" American Dr. Pepper. (That was truly the only complaint I remember, food-wise...we enjoyed everything else!)

-- Again, this was my first trip to a truly huge city (except Washington DC, if that counts, but those were school trips, so quite different), but I was surprised to find that I never felt afraid. I know London has its problems, and I probably romanticized it a bit, but the city felt very civilized and safe to me. I did not hesitate to walk a few blocks by myself, which was a pretty big feat for me in a strange city (remember: I had just turned 18).

So, that's the story of my trip of a lifetime. I don't know when I will get the chance to go back, but it's on my life list for sure. I hope to be able to stay a little longer next time and travel outside the city. (Jeremy? Start planning now for our 10th anniversary?) We did get to take the Chunnel train over to Paris for the day, but other than that we stayed in London. (The day in Paris is quite a story in itself, so I'll save it for another time. I wouldn't turn down a trip back to Paris, but there are definitely other places higher on the list!)

Do you share my London love? Where is your dream travel destination? Have you crossed any destinations off your "life list"?

This post was inspired by Mama Kat's Writer's Workshop. Be sure to check out her post for lots of awesome links!

Recent Craftiness

2011-11-02T22:11:00.002-05:00

This is the bow holder I made for the girls' room back during the summer. It was really easy... I wrapped a rectangular canvas in fabric, then hot-glued on the H and circle I had cut from contrasting fabrics (I used fray-check on the edges after I cut them out--I love that stuff!). I had picked up the two wooden decorations at a craft store sometime or other, and I just used hot glue to attach them also. I finished it off with four ribbons along the bottom to keep all the hairbows organized. I was pretty pleased for the first attempt, and it has held up well so far!

My dry-erase calendar was an adaptation of something I saw on Pinterest, naturally. I made a few mistakes on this first one, and I'm planning to redo it soon. It has served its purpose well though, and I enjoy having an easily-accessible calendar in the kitchen.

This little picture started out to be a redo of the dry-erase calendar. I intended to take out the mat and use this frame to make a small calendar for work. I messed up the lines, though, and since I really liked this paper (it coordinates with some of my fall decorations), I decided to write this verse and put it up through the Thanksgiving holiday. I actually like where it hangs, so I may just keep a different seasonal phrase/verse up there all the time.

Before our vacation in September, I put together several new activities to occupy the girls in the car. Inspired by Marcia's notebooks, I made a "doodle book" for each of them to use in the car, restaurants, etc. (The notebooks are just composition books covered in mod podge and scrapbook paper, with the circle cut from an alternating print and glued on.) So far, they have been a hit! I am thinking of attaching a pen on a string so there will be no more lost pens in the car.

What have you been crafting lately? Is Pinterest inspiring any new projects in your home? Be sure to check out Marcia's virtual craft link-up for more crafty ideas!

Dorothy Ballerinas

2011-11-01T10:08:00.000-05:00

When we first started talking about Halloween costumes this year, Addison & Mackenzie expressed a lot of interest in dressing up as Dorothy from The Wizard of Oz. Annie was also mentioned, but I downplayed that one, as I do not have the energy/creativity to create an Orphan Annie outfit, and the only things available to buy were downright hideous!

So I started looking for Dorothy costumes. I found a passable one on Amazon, then found a really cute handmade one on Etsy that was reasonably priced. Alas, I procrastinated and when I went back to order, the Etsy shop was sold out. By that point, the price on the Amazon costume had gone up as well, so I started doing some fast talking to convince the girls that ballerinas with ruby slippers would be so much better than a regular old Dorothy costume anyway. Luckily, it was a pretty easy sell. They got the red "Dorothy shoes" they wanted at Wal Mart, which was what they were most excited about anyway.

See, the thing is, I am nothing short of CHEAP when it comes to Halloween. It was never a very big deal in our house growing up, and many of my costumes were made out of things we had around the house. I just can't justify spending $30-$50 (times two!) for a crappy, cheaply made costume that the girls will wear for approximately four hours. But that's just me. : )

My sweet friend Melanie made tutus for the girls last year, so we added a shirt, some tights, and the Dorothy ballerina shoes...and ended up with some pretty cute ballerinas:

Can you see the pumpkins the girls painted a few weeks ago?

Jeremy had to work, so my cousin Lindsey and I took the girls to trick or treat at a few family members' homes. They had practiced saying "Trick or Treat!", so they were really excited to put the practice into action...and reap the rewards!

Checking out the loot at Paw Paw's house

We came home early to hand out candy at our house, which I knew the girls would enjoy just as much. We have a TON of trick or treaters in the neighborhood, and they had fun handing out candy, seeing the costumes, and scanning the street for the next group of kids. I had fun eating the potato soup I put in the crock pot earlier in the day...and maybe sneaking a Reese's cup before bed.

Here's a short video of the girls saying Happy Halloween...note Addison's response the first time I ask what you say when you want candy:

Things I've Done

2011-10-27T14:24:00.000-05:00

It's a good day for a list, don't you think?

I am 29 years old, and I have...

1. Visited London, the city of my dreams.

2. Worked for eight different employers since age 14.

3. Had seven different cars/SUVs, three of which were Hondas.

4. Had two significant car wrecks.

5. Learned to play the flute and piccolo.

6. Read thousands of books, including almost fifty this year.

7. Nursed my babies.

8. Attended the same church my entire life.

9. Been baptized and given my heart to Jesus.

10. Been inside the White House.

11. Taken three cruises (Bahamas, Mexico, Mexico).

12. Won a spelling bee.

13. Taught a college course.

14. Ridden in a horse-drawn carriage.

15. Made many, many mistakes.

16. Been forgiven.

17. Seen a cow give birth (Random, right?!).

18. Gone fishing with my dad.

19. Played slot machines in Las Vegas.

20. Had three dogs and at least a dozen cats over the years.

21. Had my heart broken (or so I thought at the time).

22. Been to Disney World.

Thanks to Mama Kat's Writer's Workshop for the inspiration! Check out more posts on this week's topics here.

How many of these things have YOU done??

Down with Pacifiers

2011-10-26T06:30:00.000-05:00

When Addison and Mackenzie were born, I was fanatical about some things (sleeping, feeding, routine), but relatively laid-back about others. One thing I was very relaxed about was the use of pacifiers. I was NOT one of the mothers hoping my babies wouldn't get attached to them; rather, I had the attitude of if it gets me more peace and quiet...let 'em have it!

And boy, did my girls get attached to their pacis.

We didn't use them in the hospital, but I remember on the first night home, after I had dozed for a few minutes, my mom told me that she and Jeremy had opened a package of pacifiers, sterilized them, and given them to the girls. At that moment in time, it was a blessing. I remember how HUGE those first pacis looked against the girls' tiny faces.

Their little heads slowly caught up in size, and the attachment to the pacifiers grew stronger. We were so proud when A & M learned to maneuver their pacis back in their mouths by themselves. Reaching into the backseat to retrieve a lost pacifier a dozen times a day got really old. And, oh, when they learned to find the pacis in their bed at night...life got so much easier!

But now, two and a half years later, I am ready to kiss the pacis goodbye. They have served their purpose, and I am now over it. We have tried multiple times to cut the pacifiers except for bedtime, but we have not been very successful so far. The girls have not had them at all at school this year, including for naps, and I thought that would help us at home, but it really hasn't. My mom reports that on some days, the first thing the girls do when she picks them up from school is request a paci. And of course, they each only want a certain paci, in a certain shape, size, and color...so we have to keep up with the same two pacis all the time. Ridiculousness!

I will admit that I have been willing to take the easy route and just hand over the paci when they get whiny and start demanding it....but I have just about reached my limit. I am sick of pictures like this:

I want to see my girls' faces without a paci in the way!

Ugh, how I dread fighting the fight though. The whining and begging may very well drive me insane. It's got to happen sometime, and I have a feeling it wouldn't be much easier in six months. The potty training has stalled for the time being (thanks for the great comments on that post, by the way...it helps to know we are not alone!), so maybe now is the time to go ahead and focus on ditching the pacis?

We have thrown around a few cute ideas/rewards for giving them up, the most appealing of which is taking a trip to the zoo, then leaving all our pacis for the baby animals who "need" them. I just don't know...it's going to be rough any way we go about it, I have a feeling. I can feel myself getting more and more ready mentally, and that's at least half the fight, I think.

Any ideas for me?? If you've fought the paci fight, how did you do it? Anyone want to take my kids for about two weeks and bring them home paci-free??

As we say in the South, "bless her heart!"

2011-10-25T06:30:00.000-05:00

One of the reasons I love reading a good YA (young adult) fiction story is that I love to relive the awkwardness and innocence of those adolescent days. No, they are not always fun, and yes, the awkwardness is often painful. But being here, on the other side of the young adult trials (what would you call these years? middle adult? ughhhhh...), makes it easier to remember those times a little more fondly.

A close second to YA fiction is a story in which a once-awkward teenager gets to redeem herself as a capable and confident adult. A Cinderella story of sorts, I suppose. Who doesn't like to see a 'nerd' or outsider finally get the happy ending he or she deserves?

Kristan Higgins's Until There Was You is an example of my favorite kind of romance novels: light, enjoyable, and with just enough drama and subplot to keep it entertaining. Best of all, the awkward schoolgirl got her happy ending.

While the "heartthrob" Liam took awhile to grow on me, Posey is a loveable, relatable character from the beginning. I want to give her a big hug, then take her shopping because from the description in the book, this girl is in desperate need of some new clothes! The minor characters--Posey's brother Henry and his partner Jon, her friends Kate, Brianna, and Elise, and a slightly neurotic family kept the plot moving and added a lot to an otherwise predictable plot.

The next time you're in the mood for a fun, light-hearted and romantic story, I recommend Until There Was You. Beware, though, it just might bring back a few less-than-stellar high school memories.

So, tell me...did you feel as awkward in high school as I did? Don't we all have people we'd like a "do-over" with, to prove how awesome we turned out once we outgrew the teen years? Any embarrassing stories to share??

**ARC received from the publisher via NetGalley. Until There Was You will be available 10/25/11.

Perspective

2011-10-19T09:03:00.001-05:00

We have had such a busy fall already. It seems like every weekend is packed full of places to go and people to see. Not that it's a bad thing...it would just be nice to have a free day in the midst of the go-go-go.

For instance, this weekend alone we...

Attended our town's Homecoming parade

Ate "messi-cans" (that's A&M-speak for 'Mexican') with family

Went to the Homecoming football game

Took a Saturday morning trip to the library

Visited with my sister (who made a very quick trip home) until late in the night

Made a short shopping trip for a birthday gift

Went to church (a little late, as usual)

Taught Sunday school

Ate lunch with the family at our favorite Sunday restaurant

Attended a Sunday afternoon birthday party

Skipped naps

Left the party early because the girls were grumpy

---------------------------------------------------

It's tempting to complain about the constant rush of this season, especially knowing that it only gets worse the closer we get to Thanksgiving and Christmas. But there's one more thing we did this weekend:

Attended the funeral of a precious two-month-old little girl, taken too soon from a family that adores her

...that really puts it all in a different perspective. And I remember, again, how blessed we are and I am grateful for every single second with my family.

Evolution of a Photograph

2011-10-14T09:49:00.002-05:00

Isn't this a cute picture of my four favorite toddlers at the pumpkin patch last Saturday? (Left to right, that is Wyatt, Addison, Mackenzie, and Brenna)

Are you curious how we managed to get all four little faces through the holes at the same time? It wasn't easy!

Here's a look at the process....

We started with one little face and an extra set of fingers.

Hey, there are three of the four! Just gotta get the baby up there.

There's Brenna, but we are losing Wyatt. Not bad overall, though.

Oh, did Jeremy want to be in this picture?

Oops, there goes Mackenzie. The other three look great!

Aren't toddlers fun??

Potty training may be the death of me

2011-10-12T07:00:00.000-05:00

I swore to myself a long time ago that I would NOT stress out about potty training. I would not get all worked up trying to get them to train on my schedule, and I wouldn't rush the process. Other milestones have been relatively easy for us, so I thought if I just let it happen in its own time, surely potty training would be too.

To which I now say: HAAAAAAAAA.

I realize that A & M are still relatively young; there are lots of kids who are not potty trained at two and a half. I'm still choosing not to stress and still trying to believe that the girls will use the potty when they're ready.

See, the thing is, I think they ARE ready...they just don't want to do it.

The girls have an interest in wearing "big-girl panties" and they seem to be tired of wearing diapers (they fuss about the diaper fitting wrong, etc.). They know all about the process of using the potty, and Mackenzie had a day or two last week when she went and was excited about it. The biggest sign that tells me they are physically ready, though, is the fact that their diapers are staying dry so often and so consistently.

Both girls wake up every single morning with dry diapers...and they sleep an average of twelve hours a night! They hold it several hours at a time during the day, often not even needing a diaper change during school hours. Mackenzie especially will tell us when she pees, and will often demand a new diaper immediately.

Even with all these signs, and even with the offer of nearly any treat imaginable...they STILL don't even want to talk about using the potty. And if they happen to be in panties and need to poop, forget it...they are going to beg for a diaper. Ahhhhhh, so frustrating!! They're ready physically, but not mentally, I guess?

So what should I do? Is it time for a potty-training boot camp, where I just throw out the diapers and spend a few days letting them feel the consequences of not using the potty? (I feel like Mackenzie is even closer to being ready than Addison...she even wore panties overnight and stayed dry one time last week...so I'm not opposed to doing it one at a time.)

Ideas? Opinions? Suggestions?

Help me!!

Last Vacation Post, I Promise

2011-10-10T21:28:00.001-05:00

So, after our marathon first day at the beach, the rest of our short vacation was pretty low-key and, dare I say, even relaxing. We were only there for the long weekend (Friday-Monday), so we really had no agenda other than to just let the girls enjoy the things they wanted to do...and eat a few good meals, of course. (If you know me at all, you know that the number one thing I do plan for vacation is where we are going to eat! Priorities, you know?)

We hit the pool first thing Saturday morning and basically stayed there until lunch and nap time. A much-anticipated visitor arrived mid-morning, and was greeted with shouts and hugs from her nieces...

We had a great day playing at the pool and beach, grabbing some take-out lunch, and taking a long nap.

Mackenzie took a little spill in the ocean...

Saturday night, Jeremy, Laura Jo, and I were able to go out for dinner while the girls hung out with their grandparents. We had a delicious meal at The Original Oyster House, one of our favorite places (crab cakes--yum!).

Sunday, the three of us got a chance to sneak away again and go back to the outlets in Foley to finish up some shopping without so much "help" from the girls. I think we were a little early for the best fall sales, but I did get a few things for the girls...enough to get them through fall, I hope.

That evening, we took the girls to an amusement park, where we stayed for hours letting them ride small rides and playing games. After a last dinner at our favorite place (Sea N Suds), we enjoyed a final, low-key evening together.

All in all, we had a fantastic trip. Jeremy and I seriously prayed that the girls would sleep well, since we knew that would make a big difference in the way everything went. I also think it helped that we didn't have much of an agenda, so we never felt rushed, and neither did the girls. We largely followed their cues on what to do and when, which is just about the only way to travel successfully with toddlers, I have decided! We had so much fun that we're actually looking forward to doing the same trip again next year, except maybe staying a day or two longer (the weather was perfect for the beach this time of year).

Maybe this trip will help erase the memories of our not-so-fun beach trips in the past...it certainly gave us hope for successful future vacations!

This post may be longer than our vacation

2011-10-06T15:48:00.000-05:00

After some debate, Jeremy and I decided to drive mostly during the night on the way to the beach again this year. We were terrified of 6-8 hours in the car with bored children, and traveling while the girls slept has worked for us on the other trips to the gulf coast.

When we put the girls in the car around 2:45 a.m., they were naturally a bit confused. We got them all tucked in their car seats and whispered for them to go back to sleep, that we were leaving for the beach. Addison and Mackenzie grinned and giggled and perked up more than I ever imagined they could in the middle of the night. They requested that I turn on Shrek and they laughed and squealed for over an hour, before finally falling back to sleep.

The trip was blessedly quiet and uneventful after the initial excitement. We met up with Jeremy's parents (his stepdad also works the night shift, so they were driving through the night too) for breakfast at our usual McDonald's in Bay Minette, then made it into Foley around 10:00 or so. The plan was to shop at the outlets in Foley until after lunch, when we could check into our condo in Gulf Shores. It worked out pretty well, and the girls had a blast playing on the playground and riding the carousel (at $3 per kid, per ride!!) at the outlet center. By the time we ate lunch and loaded up to make the 20-minute drive to Gulf Shores, they were exhausted.

This is the face of a girl who is dying to close her eyes, but is seriously afraid of missing something.

And the one who gave it up...

I had this idea that they would take a long afternoon nap at the condo, allowing the rest of us a few minutes of much-needed sleep as well. Guess what? It didn't happen. The girls were so excited to check out the condo and the beach views, and there was just no way they were going to miss it by going to sleep. After nearly an hour of struggling to get either of them to close their eyes, we admitted defeat. We left NiNi and Grandpa to take a short nap, and Jeremy and I changed into our bathing suits and headed down to the pool with Addison & Mackenzie.

The condo had a zero-entry pool (you know, the kind where you just walk in and it gradually gets deeper?) which was fantastic. Our girls are normally a bit overwhelmed and nervous in large pools, and they cling to us desperately the entire time. Not so with the zero-entry pool, thank goodness. About half the pool is under two feet deep, so A & M could walk around, sit, splash, and play.

We spent the majority of our time at the pool, until the girls were solidly worn out from all the swimming. We did get down to the beach a few times, but after a few minutes of playing in the sand and at the edge of the ocean, Mackenzie would ask to go back to the "big water up there"--that is, the swimming pool.

After the girls got their first visit to the beach and pool out of the way, we all changed and headed out for dinner. We were all pretty exhausted by that point. Mackenzie had slept the few minutes it took to drive from Foley to Gulf Shores and was feeling okay (it helped that she was getting to hang out with her NiNi, whom she looooooves). Poor Addison had not closed her eyes all day, and it finally caught up with her at dinner:

Despite a little stressing on my part about where/when/if the girls would sleep, everything went better than I could have expected. There was a teeny tiny "sleeping" room at the front of the condo, barely big enough to contain a set of built-in bunk beds. The bottom bunk was the perfect size for A & M to sleep (I put them at each end of the bed, so that their feet met in the middle). Because the beds were built-in, there was a wall at either end and along the back side, leaving just the front open. We were prepared with a toddler bed rail that fit perfectly along the front. We tucked the girls in, hyping up the idea of sleeping in their very own "bunk bed clubhouse", and to my surprise and relief, they went right to sleep and slept the entire night.

After such a long day, I desperately needed a shower and when I got out at 8:30, everyone except me was sound asleep. We live such an exciting life. : )

Part two of our vacation coming tomorrow!

Sneak Peek

2011-10-04T07:00:00.000-05:00

There are many more to come, but here are a few of my very favorite pictures from the beach last week...

Actual post coming soon! : )

It's Fall! (Sort of, anyway...)

2011-09-30T15:42:00.000-05:00

The official arrival of fall has those of us in the south eagerly anticipating some cooler temperatures. Though we are in for some very nice weather this weekend (morning lows in the 40s!!), I'm afraid we can't turn off the air conditioning just yet.

So what do we do when all the stores have out pumpkins and winter clothing? We fake it! We dutifully buy our pumpkins and mums and begin to pull out long-buried pants and closed-toe shoes. We wear hoodies and sweaters for the cool mornings, then shed them by lunchtime when we start to sweat.

Y'all might be able to guess that one of my favorite things about fall/winter is the food. I love soups and stews, and the idea of a warm dinner simmering in the crockpot all day makes me giddy with excitement.

I have already broken out the fall recipes in our house (faking it!), and I thought I would share one of my favorites. Plus, I don't think I have it written down anywhere and I am afraid of forgetting it one day, which would be nothing short of tragic.

I feel the need to add the disclaimer that I have no idea where I originally saw this recipe, but it has been adapted just a bit from the way I originally remember it. If by chance I got it from you, thanks! Also, I do NOT eat regular chili, so if the idea of chili turns you off but you like Mexican-style soups, this is definitely for you.

White Bean Chicken Chili

2 or 3 cans Great Northern Beans, drained

16 oz. jar of salsa

8 oz. Pepper Jack cheese

chicken breast, cooked and shredded

10-12 oz. chicken broth
Edited to add: CUMIN, 1/2 tsp. (kind of important here, duh!)

Cube the cheese into small chunks, combine all of the above in the crockpot, and simmer at least four hours on low. Top with shredded cheese and/or sour cream and serve with tortilla chips.

A couple of notes: I use a small-ish crockpot, and this recipe fills it up. I usually do two cans of beans and maybe about 3 cups of shredded chicken. I add the chicken broth last, using however much it takes to fill the pot, usually a little more than half of a 16 oz. box.

I could seriously eat this stuff at least once a week. If you try it, let me know!

Now tell me...

What's your favorite cool-weather recipe?

What day is it again?

2011-09-27T14:00:00.001-05:00

This past weekend was our somewhat-spontaneous family beach trip. My family often took short, last-minute trips when I was young, but Jeremy's didn't, so a vacation without months of planning is relatively new for him.

I'm back at work today, struggling to readjust from "beach time". Coming back in on a Tuesday that feels like a Monday is never much fun, but today is especially disorienting. It doesn't help that views like this are so fresh in my mind...

This was the girls' third trip to the Gulf Coast, and as I mentioned before, we hoped and prayed that this vacation went more smoothly than the first two did. Thankfully, things finally fell into place for this family vacation, and we had a great trip!

We had a wonderful time, and Addison and Mackenzie were little angels...even on Friday, when they did not have a nap. Addison slept in my arms through dinner that night, but I didn't mind a bit. They slept well; they ate well (as well as they usually do, at least); and they had a blast playing in the sand and the pool. We really could not have asked for a better trip. Even the six-hour ride home, which was our biggest fear, went so much better than we dared to expect. They were so exhausted that a lot of the time in the car was spent like this:

I have much more to say about our trip and lots of pictures too, of course, but it will have to wait until I'm feeling a little more caught up here in the real world.

How was your weekend? Did I miss anything exciting? (I mean, besides the Grey's Anatomy premiere, which is waiting on my DVR at home!)

Things to Remember: Comedy Edition

2011-09-22T09:31:00.000-05:00

Addison and Mackenzie are absolutely hilarious lately. They say or do something amusing every single day, and try as I might, it's hard to keep up with all the stories I want to remember.

I have started a running list on my phone where I try to make note of funny sayings, etc. as they happen, but so many things still slip by before I record them. If I stopped to dwell on this thought too long (I'm forgetting things they will only do ONCE...they are only little for such a short time!), I could easily get a bit sad.

Instead, I will record a sampling of some of my favorite funnies...guaranteed to make me smile every single time.

--------------------

Awhile back, Addison was eating a bit more than normal for her. Jeremy made a comment along the lines of "You must have a hollow leg to store all that food. " So, a few days later...

Addison, pushing back her plate at the dinner table: "My leg hurts"

Me: "What's wrong with your leg? Did you fall?"

A: "I ate too much."

--------------------

I have no idea where it comes from, but when someone knocks or rings our doorbell, the girls hit the floor, hiding their faces, and pretending to be asleep. They are "hiding" from our visitor, waiting to be found.

The girls come through the kitchen at my mom's, holding hands and squinching their eyes shut and calling out, "Where are Addison and Mackenzie? Anybody seen them?"...which is exactly what we say when they are "hiding."

My cousin Lindsey was coming to babysit one night and the girls were in serious "hiding" mode, laying face-down in the corner of the living room. They were doing well, not making a peep, until Lindsey said she would have to find someone to go get ice cream with her since A & M weren't home. Mackenzie scrambles up as quickly as she can, saying, "Where's my ice cream at?"

--------------------

As I think I've mentioned, Addison has trouble pronouncing the letter "f" at the beginning of a word. She makes a "p" sound instead, resulting in some of my favorite Addison sayings, such as "poot snacks" and "pip pops" (meaning "fruit snacks" and "flip flops", of course). Well, apparently, she also makes the "p" sound for any letter that just won't come out right.

We went out for breakfast Saturday morning, to a place that has a breakfast buffet, complete with a soft-serve ice cream machine (they have a lunch buffet later on, so the ice cream isn't just for breakfast). I grabbed a few bites of candy corn from the selection of ice cream toppings and was sharing with the girls. After we had eaten it all, Addison announced that she wanted some more candy corn....except she had trouble with that second word, so she substituted a "P"...meaning my child was loudly requesting candy p*rn in the middle of the restaurant!

--------------------

Two of my favorite misunderstandings/mispronunciations lately:

Addison spent all afternoon last Wednesday asking her NiNi for a "lollipop from the refrigerator". NiNi looked and looked, but couldn't find any kind of lollipop in there, so she gave them a regular sucker...but that didn't do the trick. When I got home and they told me about it, I was confused, especially because we don't even use the term "lollipop". After a few minutes of thought, it hit me. I asked Addison, "Do you want a popsicle from the refrigerator?" Yep, that was it!

Lindsey drinks Gatorade all the time, and occasionally she shares with the girls. One day at our house, the girls surrounded her, saying, "I want some of your alligator." We were quite confused, thinking they were playing some kind of new game, until it finally dawned... Alligator=Gatorade.

--------------------

The other day, I came out of the bathroom to find the girls waiting at the door.
"Did you pee pee in the potty, Mommy?" Mackenzie asks.
When I affirm that I did, she cheers, "Yay! You get a treat!"

I love these silly girls!

My favorite thing about September...

2011-09-19T10:10:00.000-05:00

September brings a lot of things: college football, slightly less brutal temperatures, color-changing leaves, and the excitement of an approaching fall.

Thankfully, it also brings a new lineup of great tv to help me fill those long evenings when we all know I should be doing laundry or scrubbing the kitchen floors.

Though I'm sad that my favorite, Bones, won't be back until November, there is plenty to look forward to this week...Entertainment Weekly was kind enough to lay it all out in a nice, neat format here, in case you're wondering when your favorite show returns.


credit: www.cbs.com

Monday night is the mutual favorite night of tv in our house. Jeremy works, so I DVR all the CBS shows: How I Met Your Mother, Mike and Molly, Two and a Half Men (not a must-see for us, but we will watch to see how the new character fares), and Hawaii Five-0. When J started watching Five-O, I didn't expect to like it much. Surprisingly, it's one of my favorites, and I enjoy that we can watch it together. 2 Broke Girls will be added to the CBS lineup, and it looks pretty decent, so we'll watch and see how it goes.

I also got caught up in The Lying Game on ABC Family, so it's on the DVR list for Monday too. I don't watch any reality tv, so a trashy teenage drama here and there is okay, right??

credit: www.fox.com

Tuesday night is reserved for Glee and Raising Hope, which in my opinion, is one of the funniest and most underrated shows on tv. WATCH IT...you'll thank me! The New Girl, also on Fox, looks promising, so I'll add it to the Tuesday night list.

credit: www.ew.com

Wednesday used to be the night I had nothing to watch, so it was when I typically caught up on DVR'd shows from earlier in the week. However, I caught Up All Night and Free Agents last week, and both were good enough to keep me watching for awhile. Jeremy also liked Up All Night, so it may be something we watch together on the weekends. Harry's Law moved to Wednesday, but it's one we often save for the weekend as well. So, really, it looks like Wednesday night can still be free and I can save the shows to watch later with Jeremy.

Sadly, I won't count Law and Order: SVU among my lineup anymore, since the fabulous Detective Stabler won't be back. I have a slight girl-crush on Mariska Hargitay, but I hear she might be working her way out as well, so there's not much reason to watch this season.

credit: www.tvline.com

Thursday is the night of 'classic' favorites for me: Grey's Anatomy and Bones. Grey's is over-the-top at times, but I just can't quit it. The Big Bang Theory is a seriously awesome show too, and I'm glad it's characters are getting some recognition.

Friday-Sunday, ehhh, these nights are for catching up from the week. Occasionally, we will turn on Dateline or 48 Hours Mystery, but in general, I'm glad to take a break from tv for the weekend.

It's obvious I have a busy week ahead, but I'm excited to have good tv to look forward to (is this sad? I'm thinking maybe a little!). After all, there are only so many Friends reruns and House Hunters episodes a person can watch in a given week.

So, what's on your schedule for the fall? What shows am I missing out on?

(Almost) Wordless Wednesday

2011-09-14T09:14:00.001-05:00

The girls got to go to their first high school football game on Friday night. My cousin Lindsey and I took them just before halftime, thinking we would stand outside the fence and let them watch the bands perform. They were having so much fun, we decided it would be worth it to take them in for a little while. We called a friend who had two extra season passes, and she met us at the gate. We stayed for a little over an hour, and the girls loved it!

Of course, the band was their favorite part, and as soon as they finished the halftime show, A & M started asking for them to "sing again!"

The first thing the girls asked when they woke up Saturday morning was, "We go ballgame 'gin soon?" Yes, baby girls, soon!

A few more random pictures from the last week or so...

(M loved this baby playmat so much it didn't make it to the yard sale this time...I think I will have to stash it away when she's not looking to get rid of it)

My Favorite Escape

2011-09-13T06:30:00.000-05:00

Sometimes I get so overwhelmed with what I should be doing or what I need to be doing that I end up doing nothing at all. Tell me you know the feeling?

For instance, right now I should either be folding clothes or grading quizzes for my online class. It's been a long and tiring day though, so I'm crashed here on the couch instead, waiting on the Braves to (hopefully) win this game so I can head to the bedroom with my book. I just feel like retreating for awhile, ignoring everything I don't feel like doing. I'll get over it soon I know, but for now, I'm pretty much being a slacker.

Sooo...how about I tell you what I've been reading lately in my effort to avoid household chores?

My favorite recent read is There You'll Find Me by Jenny B. Jones. (I just love her name...Jenny B. Jones sounds like someone I could be friends with. And how cute is that cover?!)

This is a YA (young adult) novel that deals with some pretty heavy topics--family tragedy, eating disorders, and searching for a seemingly distant God--without delving into the melodramatic or feeling too preachy, which is a common complaint I have about Christian fiction and some YA stories. I knew from reading the description that I would either love this book or hate it; thankfully, I pretty much loved it.

Finley is a young lady struggling to come to terms with a family tragedy and to find her direction in the world. She feels distant from God and overwhelmed in her own life. Finley hopes that in Ireland, retracing the steps her brother took years before, she will find the missing pieces to put her life back together.

I really enjoyed this novel and found it very appropriate for the targeted age group (teenagers, mostly). The romance between Finley and Beckett (the misunderstood movie star) develops slowly and believably, as does Finley's relationship with Mrs. Sweeney, an elderly woman Finley meets through a school project.

Writing in the dialect of both teenagers and the Irish must have been a tricky maneuver, but it is done well in this book. The brogue is not too thick or off-putting, and the teenage characters sound believable (for the most part) without being annoying. There are several opportunities for the author to get preachy about difficult life issues, but it never felt like she was trying to hard to make a point or uncover a deep "life lesson".

A few minor complaints:
(1) I would have liked to see more character development for Erin, Finley's "host sister". Erin is a present character in the story, but we only see her in a very superficial, one-sided portrayal...we get none of her thoughts or true character.
(2) There are hints of a scandal and a wild streak in Finley's recent past, but no details are revealed. I want to know the gossip!
(3) Will, the departed brother, is painted as a sort of saint. I just kept thinking, "CNN correspondent...really?" I think he was supposed to be around 23 when he died. I get that he did good things at a young age, but he could have been a bit more believable.
(4) Beckett is a likable character, and I like that we see why Finley is attracted to him. But vampire movies? He is pretty obviously a Robert Pattinson-type, but I would have liked to see him portrayed as just a teen-heartthrob actor, rather than throwing the vampires in there...it felt a little unnecessary.
(5) The characters speak in a dramatic tone at times, obviously written by an adult trying to sound like a mature, thoughtful teenager. Then again, teenagers DO sound very melodramatic at times, so it's kind of realistic, I suppose.

All in all, I found this book to be an enjoyable and emotional read, without being too depressing or gut-wrenching...which is not always the case when dealing with issues this book tackles. I will definitely be recommending it to my students in youth group.

**Disclosure: I received an ARC of this book from the publisher through NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review. There You'll Find Me will be available for purchase in October 2011.

Your turn! Tell me something you've read recently. And have you been to Ireland? It's always been on my list of places to visit, and reading this book makes me want to hop a plane and find a cute little village pub.

Aftermath

2011-09-06T16:22:00.002-05:00

I just had four days off work, and I am pretty sure I would be less tired this morning if I had worked for the last eleven days straight. That's only a slight exaggeration, by the way. I generally have a rule against drinking coke before lunch on the weekdays, and I never buy one from the machine at work. And yet...

Still, it was a pretty great weekend, all things considered.

Friday morning, the girls and I hung out until Jeremy got up to take them to his grandparents for a visit. We had intended to visit the bakery for some fresh donuts, but A & M were feeling particularly snuggly, so we piled into the rocker in their room to read books and sing songs. It was a great way to kick off the weekend! Once Jeremy got up, he took off with the girls to visit his grandparents and take them to his mom's for the weekend.

I spent the rest of Friday hauling boxes loaded down with yard sale items to my aunt's house across town. It was a long, hot day. I had to spend part of the afternoon laying inside under the fan after getting too hot outside (I'm a delicate little flower when it comes to the heat, you know). I had a couple of people ask to come by and look through my baby items Friday night, so I ended up making almost $200 before the yard sale even started. That's how I like to do business. : )

Saturday began early and ended late, but it was totally worth it. I surpassed the basic goal I set for the amount I hoped to earn, and came within $100 of the ultimate dream goal. Bottom line: we can either (a) buy a wooden swing set or (b) have a great time on vacation without worrying about what we are spending. I think we are going with option b...we aren't totally sold on the swing set, but vacation is definitely happening, so in the short term, some of the profit will be spent on vacation. We won't go all-out-crazy spending money on vacation, but I do plan to visit the outlets in Foley to see what kind of fall/spring deals I can find for the girls (and for me).

AND the extra cash means I can eat all the crab cakes I want at The Original Oyster House without feeling bad about spending too much on dinner!

The yard sale was officially open for business on Sunday as well, but thanks to Tropical Storm Lee, we had to pack up around noon, meaning we missed the after-church traffic. Oh well...I was quite ready to pack up by that time anyway; we all were. We barely beat the downpour, but I got the remnants of the girls' clothes boxed up (into THREE Rubbermaid totes...down from about 15 to start with!), and we loaded everything else up on a trailer to be donated to the Salvation Army. The girls had come home just before the rain started, and they loved getting to "help" and play in the rain a bit. I loved seeing my wild girls after two days away...I really missed them this weekend!

I was so thankful yesterday was a holiday and we didn't have to go anywhere, what with the 7-10 inches of rain and all. I don't know exactly how much we ended up with, but you could have paddled a small canoe through my backyard at one point, so I'd say it was a lot. Jeremy had to go to work, but the girls and I did not leave the house all day. After a weekend apart, it was just what we needed.

We stayed in our pajamas, watched Shrek, made brownies, took coloring books out to the front porch, played "hair" (they brushed my hair...not very tenderly, I might add), and made a couch pillow fort. After a marathon-length nap, we ended the day with a crock pot of potato soup and my mom's cornbread.

How was your weekend?

On Fostering Individuality in Twins

2011-09-01T10:51:00.004-05:00

I have been thinking a lot lately about how to encourage Addison and Mackenzie's sense of individuality. The issue seems to be one that most twin parents think about at one time or another, whether their twins are fraternal or identical, but as a mom of identical girls, it is especially important to me that they are not always seen as "the twins" or treated like a carbon copy of one another.

There is a book we read often at bedtime, Just in Case You Ever Wonder, that tells a child how special they are and how their parents and God will always love them and take care of them. There is a passage that says something like this...

If you looked all over the world, in every home, there would be no one like you. No one with your eyes, no one with your mouth, no one with your laugh...

It's always at this part that I wonder when one of the girls will begin to realize that someone does have her eyes, nose, and mouth? I put emphasis on the "laugh" part, because that's one very distinct feature between the girls. (I should point out that their eyes and mouths actually look pretty different to me too...but other people aren't going to notice it, and I know they are going to grow up hearing comments about how they look just alike.)

I know the girls don't (and hopefully won't ever!) understand that some people may see it as a disadvantage that they had to share everything, including their looks, from the moment they entered this world. I hope, I hope, I hope that they see it as a distinct advantage...they will always have someone around to talk to or play with...they will always have a friend close by and someone to take their side. And after all, they won't understand what it's like not to have to share everything with 'sissy'; it's just a fact of life for them.

Still, I want to make sure my girls know that I love them equally and individually. I don't love them more or less because they're twins; I love them each for exactly WHO they are. I want to make sure we allow the opportunity and encouragement for each of them to pursue the things they are interested in and to find what makes them happy, regardless of whether or not it is the same thing her sister enjoys. If one loves dance and the other loves gymnastics...wonderful! If they both love music and want to learn to play an instrument...equally wonderful!

I guess what I'm saying is that I want them to come to the determination of who they are and who they want to be without necessarily regarding their twinship. Yes, their twin bond will undoubtedly influence them throughout their lives, and that's awesome...I just want to be sure that it doesn't define them.

My sister sent me this on Pinterest that I think kind of sums up my feelings on the issue. I'm thinking of printing this quote and framing it for their bedroom...kind of a mantra of sorts:

Source: etsy.com via Deanna on Pinterest

This is just a start on this broad subject that I'm sure will be present in my thoughts for many, many years. But I'm curious...Have you thought about how to foster individuality in your twins? How do you plan to handle it in your family?