Dog-tober

Looking through pictures from October, it seems it was the month of the dog.  A few months ago, we began visiting our local animal shelter.  We wanted to get A & M more accustomed to dogs, in hopes that we might bring one home one day.  We did bring a puppy home (on a trial basis) for the weekend back in the summer, but we quickly realized it wasn't going to work out.  Jeremy and I just weren't up for many, many daily trips outside that a potty-training puppy requires, plus the constant vigilance required to keep the girls' toys and other household items safe from small, sharp teeth. (An aside:  We are definitely "inside dog" people...our backyard is not fenced right now, plus we know that an outside dog would get very little attention in our home.  If we're going to have one, it lives inside with us.)

In early October, I saw a post on FB that the shelter needed a foster home for a couple of small dogs who were going to a rescue group up north.  The two dogs in question were both a couple of years old and housetrained, and it would only be for a week, since the rescue pickup was already scheduled.  It sounded like the perfect situation for us.  I went by the shelter and picked up this little guy to hang out with us for the week:

He was fantastic.  Slightly older, calm, and he could not have cared less about the girls' toys.  He didn't even pick up food we dropped on the floor, and he refused the treats I bought!  (Okay, so maybe he was lacking a little in the personality department, but still, he was just what we needed to get the girls acclimated to an animal in the house.)  Buddy, as we called him, went on to the rescue group, where we heard he was very quickly adopted to a great family.

I kept watching the shelter site, knowing now that we wanted a slightly older, adult dog.  When I saw "Brenna", as her foster home had been calling her, I knew we had to check her out.  She is definitely older, estimated to be about seven, with quite a few gray hairs and a few missing teeth from lots of vigorous chewing over the years.  We heard one family's vet convinced them that she was too old to be adopted to a family with small children...apparently suggesting that she might not live very many more years?  We don't care; we loved her immediately.  We call her Sunny, and she is ours!

A & M are thrilled to have a dog, but even more thrilled to have a dog that has not once jumped on them and pretty much just lays around, waiting for someone to scratch her belly.  She is developing an affinity for the million-plus small stuffed animals laying around the house, but the girls are doing well at putting them away, and weren't too upset over the first victim, a green grinch-type guy.  Sunny doesn't bark, sleeps by my side of the bed, loves to take car rides, and stays with us when she's outside without her leash.  We have definitely found our perfect match.

We Did It! A 5k Foam Fest Recap

Remember a few weeks ago when I pondered how crazy I must have been to sign up for a muddy, wet, and messy 5k, for FUN?  Turns out, I was indeed pretty crazy.

When we signed up, none of us had any worries about the weather on May 4.  I mean, we live in the South, May is practically summertime, right?  My biggest concern was that it might be too hot for me at our 12:30 race time.

As the weekend approached, I kept hearing about a massive cold front that would be moving into our area.  By midweek I was obsessively checking the weather every day.  The prediction hovered between 55-60 degrees, with lots of rain.  Okay, not ideal for being soaking wet and muddy, but we remained pretty optimistic.

Until about Friday afternoon.

That's around the time it sank in that yes, it was probably going to be pretty cold, and raining on top of that.  Now we all know why the race organizers make it very clear that there will be no refunds.

When this was our view all the way to Nashville, I was pretty worried:

Still, we powered on.  What else could we do?  I think at this point we were all just thinking, "This will suck, but let's get through it and then we'll go out and have a good time tonight."  At least, I know that's what Jeremy and I were thinking!

When we arrived at the race site (where, I must mention, we had received an email reminding us that parking would be in a field...and they would have tractors on hand to pull out any vehicles that got stuck in the mud.  Comforting, right?), it had blessedly stopped raining for the most part, but it was a cool 49 degrees.  Yep, at this point, we were all pretty convinced it was going to suck.  A lot.

We look ready, though, don't we??

Once our heat began, I think we were all pleasantly surprised to find it wasn't quite as awful as we feared.  There was very little running to be done, at least for our group.  The mud was just SO ridiculous that we were sliding all over the place.  It was hard to walk and stay upright, much less do much running.  (Which was okay with me, I will admit!)  

There were a couple of obstacles in the beginning--a moon bounce filled with foam and water, for instance--then a looooong stretch with nothing but muddy trails.  And the hills...there were so many hills.  At one point I remember my friend Kelly saying something along the lines of, "This hill has to go down sometime, right?!"  

A little over halfway through, we began to encounter more obstacles--5 ft. walls, then a set of 8 ft. walls (which I turned out to be good at...who knew?), an inter tube crawl across part of lake, wading through a huge mud hole, a lily pad run (on top of the water--that was pretty neat!), a gigantic cargo net climb, two enormous blow-up slip-n-slides, and even an electric mud crawl.  Yes, with real electricity running through the ropes we were crawling under, as we found out the hard way!  Surprisingly enough, there was only one significant injury in our group...Jeremy twisted his ankle when he turned around to see our reaction to the electricity.  (He finished the race limping, but he's doing okay.  Just swollen now.)

Finally, just over an hour after we started, our group finished together.

No, we didn't lose one...Shane was so cold he went ahead to change and warm up the car.  (My legs are red because they were FROZEN, in case you're wondering.)

I checked the temperature when we left, and it was around 46 degrees.  We were soaking wet, muddy, tired, and freezing.  But still, I felt pretty triumphant.  I completed every obstacle on the course (except the electric mud crawl, which I skipped out of halfway through--I don't do electricity, thanks!).  We all stuck together, helping one another up when we fell and encouraging each other through the tough parts.  It was, dare I say, actually a lot of fun.  I never want to be that cold again in my life, but I am definitely glad I did it. 

I might even go so far as to say I'd like to do it again next year....as long as the temperature is above 60 degrees!

Hockey, Recommendations, Pinterest, & Parties

---We took the girls to their first hockey game last weekend.  Some sweet friends (hi, Brandi!) invited us to share their very nice box seats, located directly on the ice.  Even though M was feeling a little under the weather and was tired, we all had fun.  The best part was seeing about eight little girls (including those in the box next to ours) lined up at the glass, banging and shouting along with the crowd.  And then, ten minutes later, they were squealing over princess figurines.  Girls are so funny.  Addison's favorite part of the game?  The popcorn and the fighting, of course.

---I am not usually a huge fan of special beauty or hair products.  I am pretty happy with my CoverGirl and Maybelline makeup; I don't get too fancy.  I must say, though, that this Organix Moroccan Smooth Perfection Cream has changed my life.  Okay, that might be a bit of an overstatement, but it has definitely improved my hair.  The cream instantly makes my hair much, much smoother, but not at all heavy or oily.  Recommend!

---While I am recommending, I will just go ahead and sing the praises of my current favorite clothing site.  I ordered from Shade when they first opened last year, but it took me awhile to start wearing that dress because it was a little too long (until I shrunk it just a bit in the dryer and and figured out it would work with boots).  Once I did start wearing it, I realized it was a quality item of clothing and it has become one of my favorite pieces this winter.  I recently ordered again, from their clearance sale, reasoning that since they have free shipping and free returns, it was worth a try.  Much to my surprise, everything fit and I am not planning to return anything.  I was so happy with my new clothes that I placed another order this week.  Again, I recommend.

(By the way, I am getting absolutely nothing for those recommendations...just sharing some recent favorites!  I hate that I have to clarify that.)

---I go through phases with Pinterest, and lately I have been using it more often than I have in awhile.  Nearly every time I am on there, though, I get frustrated.  I get so tired of seeing an interesting pin, only to click on it and find that it only goes to a picture, or to a link that isn't any good.  It happens way too often.  My absolute biggest frustration is with sourcing.  I know this has been debated all over the internet, but I have seen a big increase in what I consider unethical Pinterest tactics over the last few months.  For example, it drives me absolutely crazy to click on a pin that goes back to a blog post where the blogger raves about this great recipe that she found on so-and-so's site, then goes on to repost that recipe using their own pictures.  So basically, the blogger is using Pinterest to drive traffic to their own blog, using a recipe (or tutorial, etc.) that they took from another blogger.  Of course the blogger usually says the recipe is "adapted" from the original recipe, but most often, it's not "adapted" at all (at least in my experience--if it is, that's makes the situation a little different).  Does that make any sense at all?  Because I feel like I am mostly just rambling.  Pin with Integrity...that's pretty much what I'm saying.  Give credit where credit is due and pin the original, not the copycat looking for blog traffic.

(I am also working on accepting that Pinterest has become just another social media outlet and another tool for self-promotion, but I still have issues with the ethics of it all.  Obviously.)

---Party planning is about to get into full swing around here.  The girls' birthday is just a few weeks away, and they are full of ideas.  The most adamant request has been to do something at their school.  I haven't figured out exactly what yet, but we will take in a treat to share with their class.  A & M have also requested a princess party.  As a change from past years' celebrations, I am planning to have a very small party here at home, where I will let the girls get all dressed up in their finest princess attire.  We will have cupcakes and snacks with family and just a few friends.  (Naturally, the small party won't keep me from obsessing over all the cute little details...I'm headed to Hobby Lobby this weekend!)

Happy almost-Friday!

Dreaming of Spring

Though the weather doesn't always cooperate, we have been doing our best to remember that spring is most definitely on its way.  A couple of weekends ago, we surprised the girls with an afternoon trip to the park.  They played their little hearts out, and Jeremy and I enjoyed watching them conquer playground equipment they wouldn't even attempt last fall.  I was surprised to see that Mackenzie has turned into quite the climber.  We even continued to play outside once we got home, since the weather that day was too beautiful to pass up.

I didn't think about grabbing my camera before we went to the park (it was a very impromptu trip), but I did get to take a few photos once we were home...one of the first times I've had the chance to play with my new camera outside in decent light.

I know the focus is off in this picture, but I love it.  They were concentrating and were deep in conversation.

 Sweet Addison

Again, not technically any good, but this picture makes me smile.

I was off work last Monday and we were able to spend more time outside.  I dressed the girls in sweats, thinking it was cool, but I quickly had to take off my jacket and was perfectly comfortable in short sleeves (so nice!).  I felt a little bad when Addison whined that she was hot...I'm sure she was! 

 The girls are forever bringing me 'presents'...dandelions, acorns, rocks...anything goes!  And yes, it still makes me smile every time.

 Mackenzie--one of my favorite recent pictures.

One of our favorite things to do during the warm months is to have our Sunday lunch from the grill here at home.  It's always a crazy afternoon, with kids running in and out and everyone doing a little something to get lunch ready.  This past Sunday was predicted to be fairly nice, so Jeremy and I decided to go for it and start the grilling season early.  

It did turn out to be a lovely afternoon, and we even had the typical "summery" meal of burgers, beans, grilled vegetables, and potato salad.  Yep, we are definitely pretending it is spring...and I'm loving it!

The wild crew, minus one.

 Me too, Mackenzie!  : )

And the best thing about these wild and crazy Sunday dinners?  This crew is usually completely worn out, making for a very restful afternoon!  

Have you seen any glimpses of spring yet?  What are you most looking forward to with the warmer weather?

Holiday Bucket List {2012}

Last year, I made a Bucket List to organize our plans and must-dos for the holiday season.  Though we didn't cross every single item off the list, it was nice to have a bit of direction for the time of year that can quickly become overwhelming.

It's easy to get carried away and think we have to participate in every activity, make every craft, and buy every "must-have" gift.  The rising popularity of Pinterest during the last two years has only added to the do everything pressure (at least for me), but having a list of the things that are most important to us makes it easier to keep a bit of focus throughout the season.

This is my beginning "wish list", if you will, sure to be edited and adapted many times over the coming weeks.  But it's a start, and it sure has me excited about the holidays!

1. Serve a free Thanksgiving dinner at church and enjoy spending the day with family, friends, and community members.  
2. Pore over the giant stack of Black Friday ads.  Reaffirm that we like sleep a whole lot and equally dislike crowds, so Black Friday shopping is NOT for us.  
3. Watch the Alabama/Auburn game while putting up Christmas decorations.
4. Let Addison & Mackenzie help with decorating this year--maybe the small tree in their room.
5. Have many family movie nights to watch Christmas favorites.  (We have already watched Rudolph this year and The Grinch is waiting on DVR.)
6. Introduce the girls to the goodness of real hot chocolate with marshmallows.
7. Watch Love, Actually with my Laura Jo (hoping to cross this one off the list this week!).
8. Do some kind of Advent activity.  Make some type of calendar/countdown.
9. Make and deliver holiday treats for our neighbors.
10. Bundle up and take an evening walk around the neighborhood to enjoy the Christmas lights.
11. Surprise the girls with a pre-bedtime drive around town to see the best Christmas lights, complete with pajamas and hot chocolate.  (I saw this idea on Pinterest somewhere, and I love it!)
12. Have fun reading through the stack of new Christmas books I just ordered for this year.  Some will be wrapped as small gifts and spread out through the month of December.
13. Get a picture with Santa.  (Done!  At school last week, and M even sat in his lap.)
14. Visit the Opryland Hotel in all its holiday glory. 
15. Let the girls do some fun Christmas crafts and help with holiday baking.
16. Spend lots of late nights crafting, wrapping, and talking with my sister.
17. Have a date night at home with Jeremy--with the fireplace going, a movie, and some kind of delicious food.
18. Enjoy a now-traditional shopping date with Jeremy.
19. Make a list of gifts for each person and STICK TO IT.
20. Try to incorporate something handmade into as many gifts as possible.
21. Have lots of fun wrapping the girls' gifts and finding creative places to hide them.
22. Read the story of Jesus's birth from the Bible with the girls on Christmas Eve.
23. Host my family on Christmas morning.  (This is a new one--we've always been at my mom's--and I'm pretty excited about it!)
24. Relax and enjoy the time with family and friends.  Let go of the idea of perfection.  Think less about the messy house and more about the memories being made.  

What's on YOUR list this year?

The moments that matter

So last week I was all, "Hey, of course I can find five minutes to put down a few thoughts now and then.  No big deal!"  And yet here it is, more than a week later and I've made no more progress.  I knew this month was going to be ridiculously busy, but wow...some days I feel like I am just spinning my wheels.

I am drowning in a sea of laundry and haven't seen the bottom of a laundry basket in weeks.  Wilting ferns are still lingering on the front porch, as I haven't yet picked up the mums and pumpkins to replace them.  Last month, I bought a new shower curtain and bath mat for the girls' bathroom...and it's still sitting in the bag under the counter.  Every night I have plans to cross something off the to-do list, something in mind to accomplish for the day, but by the time the girls are in bed and the kitchen is back in order, all I want to do is crash on the couch.

But you know, when I consider the things that have gotten in the way of these seemingly important tasks, I just don't feel that badly about it at all.

These last few weeks have been full of birthday parties, a Homecoming parade, visits with A & M's great-grandparents, and movie nights on a pallet in the living room floor.  We made a trip to the library and had breakfast at our local bakery.  There have been loud, rambunctious dinners out with family and lots of (relatively) quiet dinners at our kitchen table.  We tossed a football around the yard and watched the girls learn to throw their very first softballs--pink softballs, at that. 

In short, we have been busy living, so really, what are a few baskets of laundry or dead ferns in comparison to all the memories we've made?  The things we are busy doing while we aren't cleaning the house are the important things.  When Addison & Mackenzie think back to their childhood, will they remember the piled up laundry or that their mama didn't get fall decorations out, or will they remember the day we covered the shower walls with shaving cream and 'fingerpainted' for an hour?  Judging by the way they kept squealing with laughter and Mackenzie's declaration that "This is so much fun, Mama!!", I am guessing it will be the latter.

Yes, this is the good stuff, the moments that matter. These are the times when memories are made...and I'll take those over an empty laundry basket any day.

Five Minute Monday

(I've been having a bit of trouble getting back into the writing habit lately, so I decided to just go with it tonight--just write something and publish, as random as it may be.)

A few random things for this Monday night, free-association style:

It was cold and dreary here today, my favorite kind of early fall weather.  I like the chill right now while I'm still excited at every opportunity to pull out a sweater, jeans, or boots.  Plus, it was a holiday so the girls and I spent the entire day holed up at home, watching movies, reading books, painting with shaving cream, dancing, and napping.  It was glorious!

Related:  My favorite affordable item of clothing for fall/winter is a Target cardigan.  I wear a cardigan at least 3-4 times a week...I'm sure my coworkers are tired of seeing them, but I just can't help myself.  How else can I extend the wearing of my summer tank tops all the way into December?

What is your favorite cold-weather piece of clothing?  

I pulled out my favorite ratty, tattered Alabama sweatpants today, and I smiled about it all day long.

One fall trend I do NOT get into is the pumpkin craze.  I love the pumpkin patch (dying to take the girls, but I'm not sure it's going to happen this year!), pumpkins and mums on the front porch, and of course, Halloween jack o' lanterns.  But pumpkin pie, pumpkin cookies, and pumpkin spice lattes?  No, thanks.  Luckily, Jeremy's relatives step in and make sure he is covered with at least a couple of pumpkin pies every fall. 

Are you a fan of all things pumpkin?

 In very uncharacteristic style, I have already started making plans for Christmas and ordered one of Addison & Mackenzie's gifts.  What's happening to me??  I'm just so excited for all that the next couple of months bring; I just can't help myself.  I rarely pick up the computer on weekends, but yesterday I happened to check my email and realize that Rosalina was on Zulily.  Again, in a quite uncharacteristic move, I clicked over, saw a dress I loved and bought it within thirty seconds.  (When I clicked, there were only two left in the girls' size, so I pretty much HAD to buy immediately, you know?  And, the two of them together were the same as one regularly-priced dress, so Jeremy was totally on board.)  So, Christmas dresses...done.

It seems my five minutes are up (plus a few!) and I have an episode of Revenge waiting patiently on the DVR.  Happy Monday evening!

Big Fat Vacation Recap

When we started planning this year's vacation, Jeremy and I decided it was time for the middle-of-the-night driving to come to an end.  It worked really well when the girls were babies, but it was exhausting for the two of us.  They're big enough to tough out the six-hour car ride now, we figured.

A couple of weeks before we left, at Jeremy's parents' suggestion, we decided we would all get a hotel room Saturday night in the Montgomery area, roughly the halfway point in the trip.  The layover provided a great excuse to pull out our zoo passes and visit the Birmingham Zoo.  At the last minute, Jeremy was offered tickets to the Auburn football game--for free!  Being the awesome wife that I am (right, Jeremy?!), I encouraged him to take them and just meet us in Montgomery after the game (AU is very nearby, so they would come through there leaving the game anyway).

Jeremy and his friends left for Auburn bright and early Saturday morning, and a few hours later the girls and I set out for Birmingham.  Jeremy's parents met us for a picnic (at the girls' request) and an afternoon wandering the zoo. 

At the end of the day, we all checked into our Prattville hotel, where a tired and slightly sunburned Jeremy was waiting.  This was Addison & Mackenzie's first time staying in a regular hotel, and I was a little nervous about how they would sleep.  It wasn't too bad, just a little trouble getting them to settle down at bedtime.  They did think the lobby was for hanging out, and kept asking if we could "go down to the living room" or if we could "go to the kitchen and get a snack".  Oh, how those girls make me laugh!

After a delicious breakfast Sunday morning, we were on our way to Gulf Shores.  It was so, so nice to only have to drive three-ish hours.  We all felt pretty great when we arrived, so we just went directly to our favorite lunch spot for some fresh seafood.  We were all happy to be out of the car and in sight of the ocean.

(That's Mackenzie, refusing to give me a smile)

We unloaded at the condo--conveniently just two doors down from Sea N' Suds--and after a little unpacking and digging for swimsuits, we headed straight down to the beach.  The girls were so excited, especially sweet little Addison, who kept dancing around, giggling and squealing.  When I asked if she liked it, she answered, "Yeah, that's why I'm laughing so much!" with a gigantic grin on her face.  That is absolutely a moment I feel sure I will never forget.  

And you know, that was pretty much just how the entire trip went--we hung out on the beach, we swam in the pool, we ate, we read, we napped, we shopped, and we watched lots of Netflix on the iPad--we did what we wanted, when we wanted, without agenda.  It was glorious!  It rained and stormed all day Monday, so Jeremy and I took advantage of the situation and went back to the outlets and got all of our shopping done.  (We usually stock up on fall clothes and warm-weather bargains on this visit.)  Every other day was just beautiful, perfect beach weather.

One of my absolute favorite things was watching the girls play together so well.  Even at home, I am noticing them playing together more than ever, but it was especially evident last week.  They would dig in the sand for hours, carrying on lengthy conversations about their intricate games of pretend.  And geez, do these girls have two wonderful imaginations...they absolutely blow me away sometimes.  Sitting there watching the waves, with a book in my hands, my husband by my side, and my two babies playing happily together...it's hard to imagine a more perfect moment.

Can't you just hear that sweet conversation?

There's not much else to tell...it was an uneventful trip in the best way.  The only thing I'm sad about is the fact that next year will likely be our last late September trip, since A & M will be in SCHOOL the following year.  How is that possible??

(Naturally, I have a few more pictures to share...coming soon!)

Summer is Here

Despite the already crazy-hot temperatures, our summer is off to a great start.

Although the girls have inherited my tendency to "hide out" during the heat, we have been out and about quite a bit lately.

• We have been to our town's public pool a couple of times now, and the girls seem to really enjoy it.  They are still pretty timid in the water, but I think we just need to keep going to get them a little more comfortable.  I mentioned a little bit about how nostalgic that pool makes me feel in this post, and it's fun to note the things that have changed and the things that haven't in the (many) years since I last spent time there.  (Still damp, dark bathrooms!)  The cost has definitely risen since I was a kid, and we are actually considering buying a pass for the rest of the summer.

• After an afternoon at the pool, we are all usually worn out.  This week, it was a little late for nap when we got home, so I thought the girls would skip it and go to bed early.  Instead, I came in from the grocery store at 5:30 to find this scene (and J asleep on the other couch):

• Last Thursday, my mom, my aunt, and I loaded up the girls and ventured over to a weekly farmer's market-type setup.   Although I only bought a (delicious) strawberry lemonade and a half-loaf of bread, it was fun to wander around and look at all the goods and produce.  A & M had a great time in the free children's area and enjoyed about 1/4 of their organic, all-natural fruit popsicles (that were $3 each, of course).  Kids!  : )  There was also a monthly art festival going on in the downtown square, with a variety of local artists and vendors.  Bands and musical instruments are pretty much the girls' favorite things right now, so they loved seeing a few different groups playing music.  There was even a full band set up on the courthouse steps.  Addison & Mackenzie would have gladly stayed until bedtime, if not for the band taking a break.  We will definitely be making a return trip soon!

• A couple of weeks ago, we took the girls to their first baseball game.  They were much more interested in the food and the surroundings than the game, of course, but it was a pretty successful evening.  We now know not to waste the money taking them to a Braves game for a couple more years...the local ballpark will do just fine!  A & M entertained the (mostly older) people sitting around us.  They scammed a few peanuts off a nice man behind us, and the lady sitting in front of us bought them a bag of cotton candy.  Strangely, they don't really care for cotton candy much (what kind of kids don't like pure spun sugar?!), but it was awfully sweet of her. 

• Finally, a question for you... With all the swimming and water activities we've had going on so far, I am thinking I need at least one more decent swimsuit. Anyone have recommendations for well-made, figure-flattering suits?  The one I have is Speedo, and it fits pretty well, but I'm willing to branch out and try something new.

(I'm playing with a new collage app, and apparently this will be the summer of the blurry phone picture!)

Lately

With only a few minor exceptions (mostly J's work stuff that's far beyond our control), things have been good lately.  Really good, in fact.

The girls are at a point where they can skip nap when we find something better to do, usually without earth-shattering consequences come bedtime.  It's nice to be able to do a few things differently every once in awhile.  With summer here in full force, I imagine we will take advantage of the option to choose adventures like the splash park or ice cream dates over naps when the mood strikes.

Addison & Mackenzie are interested in things they have never noticed before.  We spent nearly an hour out in the yard the other night, chasing and catching lightning bugs.  Their pretend games are longer and more involved than ever, and they can entertain themselves for the longest time with random objects.  Yesterday it was a roll of duct tape; today, a spool of thread. 

Jeremy and I are making a concentrated effort to change some of our eating habits, focusing on more real and natural (and low-carb) foods.  We are working hard to find new meals we both enjoy.

Personally, I have found myself eating a lot less meat.  I don't know if y'all know this or not, but the South is kind of a "meat & potatoes" kind of place.  Growing up, I didn't think you could have a real meal without meat.  Slowly, I'm learning that there are several meatless meals I really like.  Black beans, rice, and other vegetables and whole grains have become staples in my diet over the last few months, and I just realized today that I am now eating at least 5-6 meatless meals during the week.  I made and froze black bean quesadillas last week, and they make an excellent lunch.

The girls and I are taking lots of afternoon/evening walks.  They sit in the stroller, eating a snack and chatting their nonsense to one another while I jam to a Pandora station and focus on pushing 60+ pounds of kids and stroller up the hill in our neighborhood.  We saw the resident neighborhood peacock (yes, peacock!  No idea where he came from....) the other day, which was way more exciting for me than for A & M.  They did think it was really cool when I let them go out dressed like this, though:

Evening stroll attire should always include pajamas and rain boots.  Cowboy hat and Nerf gun are optional.

Yes, things are going well around here lately. 

How about you?

Oh, to be a kid again...

My family didn't always do a big summer vacation when I was younger, but my mom was awesome at the weekend day trips.  She was always making note of nearby activities for us to check out or fun places to visit (and she still does the same for my girls!).

Nearly every summer of my childhood included at least one visit to Lake Winnepesaukah, a small amusement park affectionately known around here as "Lake Winnie".  So many Saturdays I remember piling in the car, barely containing my excitement during the hour and a half ride.  We would spend the day in the hot sun, riding our favorite rides over and over and feeding popcorn to the gigantic fish in the lake.  Sometime around dark our moms would herd us, sweaty and exhausted, to the car, usually promising a return trip soon.

Those summer days at our beloved Lake Winnie are some of my favorite memories.

On Friday, I returned to Lake Winnie for the first time in at least 15 years.  It was every bit as amazing to see it through my girls' eyes as it was to visit when I was a kid.

We set out for the zoo around lunch on Friday to take advantage of a beautiful day and extremely mild temperature.  Thanks to a minor mishap involving Jeremy and a cup of Coke, those plans were soon abandoned and we returned home so he could change out of his (very) wet and sticky clothes.  We dithered about what to do before deciding to venture in the opposite direction and make our first family visit to Lake Winnie.  I am trying to encourage Jeremy to be a little more spontaneous, so it was a good opportunity for a lesson!

When we pulled up to the gates of the park, it felt vaguely familiar, but the moment we stepped through the entrance, all the old memories came rushing back.  I quickly began pointing out favorite spots and landmarks to Jeremy and the girls...it was pretty fun to realize I still knew that place so well.

Addison & Mackenzie were so excited they could hardly stand it.  They immediately started asking to ride everything, even the decidedly non-kiddie rides.  To my great surprise, they happily rode every ride we suggested, including the full-size Scrambler (my longtime favorite-- which we rode with them, of course) and a child-sized roller coaster.  As a matter of fact, I think we rode that caterpillar roller coaster at least 20 times!

We sat by the lake and fed popcorn to the fish, rode the train around the property, played on the gigantic new playground area, and enjoyed some totally unhealthy amusement-park food.  It was a bit surreal to see my very own little girls doing the same things I enjoyed so much all those years ago.  Circle of life and all that jazz...

When we left the park, just before closing, we all agreed it had been a perfect day.  Jeremy and I had just as much fun as the girls did, if not more.  Actually, after asking them several times if they had a good day, Mackenzie finally responded, "I already TOLD you I did!"  Point taken, Mack, but you're going to have to humor your mama and her sappy nostalgia.  I'm sure it won't be the last time!