A post in which I don't talk about my children (!)

 

A sweet blogging friend tagged me for the Blog of Substance Award this week, so apparently I'm all deep and thoughtful and stuff.  That's what it means, right?  HA!

Lately I have felt like I am doing good to put together a coherent sentence when I sit down in front of my computer, much less producing anything meaningful.  I can, however, tell you 7 things about me that you may or may not know...

1.  I have issues with confrontation.  I hate awkward conversations, particularly when someone is upset with me.  I am even worse at confronting someone with my feelings.  I am more the type to let an issue fester and gripe to my family incessantly until I just can't stand myself anymore and I eventually just have to get over whatever it was that made me angry in the first place.  Healthy, right?   

2.  However, this week I conquered my fear and told someone how I felt about her actions recently.  I didn't really mean to do it...it just came pouring out when I opened my mouth.  We work together on a church thing and she has really been letting me down a LOT lately, and I just couldn't take another excuse.  She has emailed our group with an explanation that was obviously meant mostly for me, but I haven't responded yet.  I'm still getting my thoughts together and trying not to say SUCK IT UP, WE ARE ALL BUSY, WE ALL HAVE THINGS WE HAVE TO DEAL WITH.  I don't think that would be the best option for this situation, do you agree?

3.  I have been reading a ton lately, and it feels SO good.  Even on the busiest of days when there are countless things left to do, slipping in a little reading time before bed instantly relaxes me.  I have been reading a book every 3-4 days lately, a trend I fully intend to continue through the summer.

4.  In preparation for the lighter, more carefree days of summer, I have been reading a lot of Young Adult (YA) novels lately.  There is a feeling of nostalgia in reading about first kisses and first crushes and all the teenage drama that seems a lifetime away from this life of keeping house, working a real job, and raising children.  Besides, reading about high school life from a point safely beyond the awkwardness of those years is certainly preferable to actually experiencing it.  

5.  Speaking of high school...You could not pay me enough money to want to return to high school.  I didn't hate it while I was there...I mean, I had some pretty awesome friends (many of whom are still in my life today), but I just didn't know that everything didn't have to be so complicated.  I really didn't know who I was or who I wanted to be in high school, but in college it all just fell into place. 

6.  My little sister graduates from college on Saturday, and I couldn't be more proud of her.  She will be going to Baton Rouge, Louisiana in the fall to work for Campus Outreach.  She's going to be an amazing influence on everyone she meets down there, and I am praying that the experience is everything she wants it to be.  I wish she was coming back a little closer to home, but I have faith she will end up where she is meant to be.

7.  I am not going down for her graduation (6 hours is a bit much for the girls and me right now!), but I will be spending a lot of time with my lovely sister soon...we leave for our cruise in NINE DAYS!!  

I really stink at the "tagging seven people" part of these things, especially since I've seen several people sharing their 7 things lately.  But if you haven't, and you're reading here, consider yourself tagged and share away!  I love reading random facts about other people.

And...in preparation for my hefty reading list on the cruise, tell me what is the best thing you've read lately??

Cell Phone Picture Randomness

Cleaning out the many months' worth of pictures on my phone...

Addison is so trendy, right?  I love this one because it's from a day when just the two of us went shopping...note the single umbrella stroller!

The girls and their new friend Esther, who is part of a group of children from Uganda who recently visited the college where I teach.  It was A & M's first time to see a live performance (the children sang and danced), and they LOVED it.  They were absolutely silent through each song, then would shout Again! during the applause.

From quite awhile ago, obviously, but they are riding the firetruck at Wal-Mart...a favorite Saturday afternoon activity.

Addison, sharing an ice cream cone with her daddy.

Mackenzie, looking so stylish on the way to her birthday party.

Mackenzie, again.  She's one fashionable little girl.

A tricycle built for two.

Mackenzie's silly picture face

Addison, during a serious "mommy" phase.  We diapered those stinkin' teddy bears at least 30 times a day.

Making their daddy proud with their love for lawn and garden equipment.

The tree that fell on my neighbor's house in last week's storms.  Luckily, it only hit the carport and the very edge of the house.  Unluckily, they had just put their house on the market three days prior to the storms. 

Three and a half years later, my degrees are finally on the wall of my office, thanks to Jeremy having them framed for Christmas.  I feel so official!

 

If you happened to stop by our house on a weekend afternoon, there's a very good chance you might find Addison and Mackenzie in a random selection of clothing.  Here we have Addison sans pants and wearing her winter snow boots.  Mackenzie has chosen to keep her pants and to top off her ensemble with a brown knit hat and the liners from her snow boots.

Life is crazy...but I sure do love it!

Two Year Update

Before the chaos set in last week, Addison and Mackenzie went to the doctor for their two-year checkup.  We got a good report, and Mackenzie's sight actually showed some improvement so the pediatrician said we could skip the optometrist for now (there had been some concern last year and he referred us to a specialist, but we kept putting it off...I mean, obviously she can see, so it didn't seem too pressing). 

Mackenzie has a bit of a skin issue on the back of her knee that we are trying to stop before it spreads any more, and the doctor suggested we stop bathing the girls together and "take the time" to bathe each on separately.  Now, I love our pediatrician and have been totally happy with his care, but I very nearly laughed out loud at that suggestion.  (Marcia, I know you do it...I don't see how!)  Of course, the main problem is that it's just me home at night during the week.  What am I supposed to have the other child do while I am bathing her sister?  Do I expect her to sit quietly and not get soaking wet?  HA!

Otherwise, the girls are still itty-bitty, but we expected that.  I mean, Jeremy and I aren't exactly first-string basketball players.  Addison is 32 inches tall and weighs 22 lbs., 3 oz.  Mackenzie is 32 3/4 inches tall and weighs 22 lbs., 7 oz.  When they stand together, I can tell Mackenzie is slightly taller, so I was a little surprised it was less than an inch difference. 

Developmentally, the girls are right on track, as we felt pretty confident they were.  They actually talked a bit to the nurses and doctor this time, which was a change from the screaming they have done the last few times we were there!  I kept saying we were going to let the doctor "see how big you are", and that put them a little more at ease.  They let the nurses weigh and measure them without complaint, and though Addison burst into tears when Dr. K first walked in the room, both girls stayed calm and let him examine them.  When he was feeling of their tummies, I said he was tickling them.  A day or so later, Mackenzie said out of the blue, "Dr. K tickled me!"  Their little memories are constantly amazing me.  My big girls didn't cry when the nurse took blood from their toes, and Mackenzie even took her shot without a whimper.  Drama-free doctor visits are definitely awesome. 

Some things I want to remember about the girls at age two, which I am sure I will expand on in the coming weeks...
---Their language is developing so quickly.  All of a sudden, both girls are beginning to put together sentences. 

---Mackenzie's first real sentence (that I took note of, anyway) was Mama come outside with us.  Addison's was I'll do it, which continues to be heard approximately 50 or so times every day.  Variations include I'll hold it; I'll take it; I'll get it, etc.

---The Toy Story love is still going strong.  That is literally the ONLY thing A & M want to watch on tv right now.  We alternate between the original on DVR and "new one", as the girls call it (Toy Story 3) on Netflix Instant.  The current bedtime routine includes a half hour or so of Toy Story every night.

---The only store the girls know anything about is Wal Mart, and they will tell you that anything and everything came from "mal-mart", especially their favorite pink Nikes.  I don't know where the obsession came from, as they only go to the store once every other week or so, but they sure do love to talk about it!

---I am constantly amazed by the little things A & M pick up on.  Sunday morning, our power had finally come back on, but nothing was on except the ceiling fan.  Addison and I were snuggling on the couch and she pointed to the tv, asking me to turn it on.  Not wanting to get up and break the silence, I told her it still wasn't working.  She calmly pointed to the whirling ceiling fan and said, "Light, working.  Power!".  I looked at Jeremy to make sure he understood that she was processing the idea that the power was back on because the fan was working.  I told her again that the tv wasn't working; she again pointed to the fan and said, "Working!".  How can I argue with that two-year-old logic?

Though at times I am a little scared by my girls' strong wills and incessant chatter, it also guarantees some interesting times in store for us over the next few years!  : )

Reality

We are finally beginning to slowly rejoin the rest of the world here in North Alabama, at least in my town.  Our power was restored in the early hours of Sunday morning, and though I will never take a hot meal or warm shower (with overhead lighting) for granted again, I feel as if we all learned a few things from the days we were forced to slow down and take a retreat from our technology-dominated lives.

First and foremost, those of us who were only without power know how extremely lucky we were to simply be forced to spend a bit more time in the dark.  Within a few miles of my house, there are people who literally have nothing left.  They don't need to worry about burning candles after dark, because there is no table left to hold the candles.  They aren't phased by the long lines at the gas pumps, because their vehicles are in a tangled, twisted lump thirty feet from where they were parked in the driveway.  Families are without food, shelter, clothing, or the basic supplies of daily life.  And some three hundred families in our state are dealing with the loss of loved ones.  While those of us who were out of the path of destruction thank God for keeping us safe, we also cry out in sympathy for those who have lost so much.

I used to love the movie Twister.  It came out when I was in high school, and I remember watching it several times with different friends over the years.  After living through a day that quite literally felt like a scene from that movie, I don't think I will ever find it entertaining again.  My town has been so lucky in that the mountains that surround us generally cause the storms to skip over us and out to the more sparsely populated areas in our county.  The thing about a tornado, though, is that it is so utterly unpredictable.  There is no "safe" spot when one is in the vicinity, because there is no rhyme or reason to the path of destruction storms like these leave behind.  I just can't describe the feeling of seeing homes twisted on their foundations, or worse, seeing an empty concrete slab that represents the foundation of a home that should be standing there.

I admit, I am struggling with the attempt to return to somewhat "normal" life knowing that so many around here have no "normal" to return to.  It has been a huge blessing to see so many people stepping up to help those in need, though it is disheartening to realize that the needs will continue for a long, long time.  I pray that our communities can stay strong and continue to support those who need us.

I have to take a moment to say how proud I am of my husband.  He and his coworkers are working around the clock to keep neighborhoods safe and provide help to anyone who needs it.  He sent me a few pictures of storm damage yesterday, and this one made me catch my breath a little:

That is the house where Jeremy took cover during one of the tornadoes.  Again I say, we have so much to be thankful for.