Goodbyes and New Beginnings...

Big deeeep breath.  Yes, it has been months since I last took time for a personal blog.  It has been a whirlwind few months.  So much has happened... Where to start?  The beginning I suppose?  The boys have been busy with the school work here at home as well as their classes at HomeConnection.  We went into our holiday break on schedule having completed 17 solid weeks of  home curriculum.  We took a well deserved two week break for Christmas and the New Year and have completed our first week back (this last week) with our core subjects and HC classes.  This week I plan to be up and running at 100% for our home subjects and press full steam ahead into springtime. 

The two weeks we took for the holidays was well needed.  My mom (aka 'Mimi') was here for a 10 day visit.  She helped so much with making the holiday seem more of a celebration this year. For those who don't know, 'The Captain' has been deployed with his squadron (as of 12/1) and won't be home again until early next summer.  Unfortunately, saying 'good-bye' to Daddy was not the only good-bye we were forced to say this December.  Just a week after The Captain left for deployment we received the sad news that his father (Grandpa) had passed away unexpectedly.  The news was a shock for everyone.  We will miss him and his loving presence in our lives always.   He was a truly devoted father and grandfather.  His passing has only reiterated to me that there is no guarantee of a 'tomorrow'.  That you need to hold on tight to today, and tell those that you love how important they are to you.  That you need to slow down, take in the small moments of life, and be thankful for the time you have been given. 

I don't often make resolutions at the new year anymore, but given the timing of his passing, I think it appropriate to make the commitment to be more aware of my life... to open my eyes to the amazing blessings that surround me daily... to hold onto memories and record them as they happen.  I hope that this blog will be just one of the ways in which I can do this.

A new bottle bobs among the waves….

Sand castles, seashells, strawberry fields, first roller coaster rides, tire swings, firecrackers, flip flops, sunblock, ice cream cones, moving vans, bubble wrap, sad good-byes, hopeful greetings, green swimming pools with frogs, playgrounds, zoo trips, s’mores, glow sticks, campfires, leaf collections and the sound of rain on our tent.  These memories (and so many more) I will cherish when I look back at the Summer of ‘09.  As I toss yet another bottle out into the swirling currents of our wake, I wanted to take a moment to reflect on my life and how rich it has become.  I am so thankful everyday for my loved ones and the joy they bring to my life.  It’s been a great summer… and now I turn toward the future with great anticipation.  Fall arrives today at 5:18pm EST, and on the horizon I can catch glimpses of all the wonderful memories that have yet to be made.  My favorite time of the year is upon us…  Let the fun begin!

She put the "labor" in Labor Day….

“You’ve got this… You’ve got this… You’ve GOT to GET this!” I muttered to myself as I stood amidst a field of camping paraphenalia that I had hauled from our perfectly good, air conditioned home a few hours before.  In a moment that I can only describe as INSANITY, I had assured my husband that it would be “no problem” to set out early on Friday with two small children and a minivan of necessities to our campsite at Lake Martin while he finished up his classes and lectures.  I would set up everything, play with the kids a while and see him in the late afternoon… no problem!  Fast forward to the present where the sounds, smells, and creatures of the woods were surrounding me… indeed were very nearly eating me alive as I clenched the instructions to our eight man tent in my sweating hand and swatted the air with the other.  Several indistinguishable nylon mounds were strewn about, along with a couple of dozen poles of various lengths.  One could only assume that they were vital to the actual construction of said tent…. The crew sat on a nearby picnic table eyeing me dubiously as I threw what I hoped was a cheerful “Mommy will put the tent up, and then after that we’ll have fun, fun, FUN!”  I cringed as I heard the  desperation from the last word still hanging in the air, and threw a quick glance over my shoulder to see if I had fooled The Crew…. from the look of alarm on their faces, I could see that I had not. 
Two hours, four packs of fruit chews, two juice boxes, several coats of bug spray (12 hours protection my ass!), and one potential deal made with the Devil as he passed thru on his way to Georgia later, I stood back… scraped the sweat laden hair from my eyes, and admired my work.  This small patch of Alabama dirt… had become mine. I had conquered the Alabama wilderness and built my family… well, maybe “home” was a stretch… but a definite zone..yes, "Zone of Comfort”!  Channeling Tom Hanks from the movie “Castaway” I danced around thumping my chest and declaring to the emptiness “I… I have made SHELTER!”  It was a heady moment to say the least.  The Crew who had abandoned all hope and retired down by the lake to throw rocks, and most likely discuss their current chances of survival, came running back and immediately inquired “Are we having fun now?”   Well, I know what our answer to that question is…. now you be the judge!! Happy Labor Day!

    
              

 
             
      

Y’all c’mon over for some Sweet Tea!

We have finally settled into our new home here in Alabama, and I have to say that it feels so good to be “home”!  (Although, as I was unpacking each box, I was very aware of the fact that in 10 months I would be re-packing everything once more…bizarre! ) 
So I have a whole shelf of bottles waiting to be tossed your way, but I wanted to give you an idea of what will soon be washing ashore… So much will be happening in the coming months and I can’t wait to share our adventures with you!
First, after four years of weighing the pros and cons tirelessly, we are beginning one of our grandest adventures yet… homeschooling!  Yes, you read that right!  I am so excited to have this opportunity for our boys and look forward to sharing our learning adventure with you as well! 
Second, I am still on my own journey of a total health overhaul.  Clean eating is amazing, and has done amazing things for my health, energy, and overall fitness goals.  I run three 5k’s a week at our local Y, and combine it with three to four weightlifting sessions per week.  Outside of the gym I run around after the Crew and swim in our new pool!  I am amazed at how eating well affects all aspects of my life and feel awakened and energized! 
Third, life in Alabama is a constant discovery and I can’t wait to share our daily comings and goings with you so you can enjoy a bit of life south of the Mason Dixon line!
Keep an eye to the horizon as I plan on tossing these out at a much more rapid pace then I have been up to now!  Today we are off to the local farmer’s market!  Have a great Saturday!!

A Bottle Washes Ashore... With Tales from the Harbour

The Hunters Emerge Victorious.
Summertime has finally arrived. The local splash pool has opened, the parks beckon us to come & play, and the strawberries are ripe. Nothing tastes sweeter than one of these beauties picked straight from the vine and popped directly into the mouth. The crew & I ventured out and met some friends for a little strawberry “hunting” at a local U-pick field. Those strawberries never stood a chance against this group of seasoned hunters… Check out the fruits of our labor!

A Mom Falls in Love… Again.

White fluffy towel wrapped around his face… skin flushed and smelling of the coconut lime soap I had just used to wash him from head to toe… hair clumped in thick, damp spikes all over his head, he looks up at me and asks, “Do you know why I love you sooo much Mom?”

“No” I reply as I dab the towel over his skin and look into a pair of eyes with THE most impossibly long eyelashes, “Why do you love me so much?”

“Because you are so beautiful” he whispers and leans in with a grin to give me a soft damp kiss on my cheek.

The ladies of the world are in so much trouble.
She Leaps Tall Buildings in a Single Bound.. What Good is That?
“Time for bed kiddo!” I say as I follow his brother into the room fresh from bath time.

“Mom” he says to me as he hops into his big boy bed and arranges his medley of friends that include a yellow cat (with bow), dalmation puppy, green trout, brown monkey, and pink boa constrictor, “I’m not a ‘kiddo’ … I’m Z STRAP!” (Z strap being a superhero from the free comic book that came with his new shoes today, not the pre-k version of an adult male undergarment).

“Right” I say, as I smooth the quilt and sheet down. I bend over to give him a final good night kiss and my foot comes to rest on said comic book tucked purposefully under his bed. I reach down and pick it up while I give my boy a sideway glance… “What’s this doing here Z Strap?” I inquire.

“I didn’t want you to see that” he whispers with a little pout.

I find that I do not have the heart to take the comic book away, but instead tuck it in next to his menagerie of animals with the instructions that he is to go straight to sleep.

As I close their door for the night, I realize that in this last two weeks before they turn four, that they are truly “big boys” now. We are officially in the comic book and superhero phase. I close my eyes and try to mentally will time to go slower… but unfortunately that particular gift is not in my arsenal of “super powers”.

Trash or Treasure?

Craigslist is a wonderful thing. For those of you not in the "know" basically you post an ad online to get rid of some junk... whoops!... rather "high quality but gently used" merchandise that your children have either outgrown, become bored with, or have annoyed you with to the point that you army crawl past their sleeping forms in the dead of night (doing your best impersonation of the Grinch as he steals little Cindy Lou Who's candy cane) and while they innocently slumber away, you scurry downstairs to the computer and post your ad for all to see. Once the ad is placed (and you've hid the evidence) you wait for an interested party to contact you via email, (no worries there... people love a bargain!) come to your home and view the "great deal" you are offering, exclaim with delight and hand you a fist full of cash as they haul away their junk (hey! it's not mine anymore right?) into their car and out of your sight! Like I said... wonderful thing!


So I had an appointment for a woman to come and view a few things that I was interested in parting with... she has twin 11 month old boys and she was coming from a meeting "downtown" and would it be "okay if we met at say 3:30'ish?". I in turn checked my blackberry to see if I had a small opening in my appointment filled day... (those that know me well, should be sensing a healthy dose of sarcasm here...) and as luck would have it... that worked out just fine for me! Now I have to admit that this particular day I was not at my best... or even at my normal. I had a lovely sinus infection that had me laying on the sofa the better part of the day while shouting encouragement to my children to "not climb so high on that bookshelf" and "try not to play with the really sharp knives!" but I made an effort to tidy myself and the house up a bit before "3:30'ish" (which basically consisted of zipping up the front of my velour tracksuit and blowing my nose once more at about 3:15) when one of the Crew announces from the bathroom that he has "made a mistake"... Right... So I begrudgingly leave the confines of my sofa (or as I like to call it, my corner office) and make my way to the bathroom... and step directly into a lake of pee. Great. As I don my bio-hazard suit my front bell rings. (Apparently her meeting let out early... how marvelous) and I open the door... And this is where two worlds collide.


Before me is The Professional Working Mother. Tailored, groomed, briefcase in one hand, and the other outstretched in greeting. Our eyes meet and I am sure I see a brief flash of regret in her eyes as I switch the mop I'm holding in my right hand to my left in order to shake her hand. I in turn flash her my best "Don't judge me sister, check out that diploma on the wall that I'm still paying for" smile and welcome her into our home. The boys come skipping down the stairs at this point and she being all manner of polite, inquires their age. They grin up at her and clearly state.. "Three!" But of course, being that these are my children, the boys decide that the newbie needs to be alerted to the current threat level of our home and they quickly inform her that "O just peed all over the floor so you better stay out of there or Mommy is going to make you clean it all up." ....Seriously?? "Oh, well... " I stammer "Let me just go ahead and show you the things you came for!".

In the course of our discussion, she informs me how lucky she has been to find a nanny whom she loves and trusts to take care of her children for her and how she often doesn't get home until nearly 8pm each day. In turn she asks how I like being a stay at home mom, and I reply that although it is hard to find time for myself that I cannot imagine life any other way. As she hands me the cash and I help her load the box of toys into her car we turn to each other, I see the curiosity I'm feeling towards her and the role of motherhood she has created for herself mirrored back to me in her own eyes. Just as I cannot imagine what it must be like to have a nanny and a full time job that kept me from home and family until early evening each day, I see the same curiosity in her eyes of how a college educated woman can find happiness spending her days with two three year old boys, and mopping up urine. We say our farewell and as she drives away I turn back toward the house and hear a small voice say "Uh oh Mommy..." and I honestly in that moment couldn't imagine life any other way. What's the old saying?

One person's junk... Another's treasure.

What's that old saying??

I know that March is supposed to go in like a Lion and out like a Lamb, but in one weeks' time? The video of the boys in their first "snow" (no laughing from Michigan please) was taken on Monday morning... The video taken on the beach was taken yesterday (Saturday). The good news is that we are having a great time previewing Spring, but the bad news is that we will be back in our jeans and sweaters in less than 48 hours.... but really, who wants to focus on bad news when it's going to be 82 degrees today??

A formula to beat the winter blahs...

Rain ( Wind x Cold ) + Fireplace = Indoor S'mores!

Spring Fever!

Today was a fantastic (but breezy) 60 degrees! The Crew and I have been outside all day taking advantage and daydreaming of when spring arrives for good! The whole neighborhood got in on the act and I was going to have some video for all of you to see... Until I realized the battery was dead and the memory card was full.... (hmm, what was that I said about good intentions?) So here is a quick sum-up to give you a mental video of how the day went down:

Bubble wands, sidewalk chalk, bikes, buggies and trikes scattered to the far corners of the neighborhood, soccer balls, golf clubs, tennis rackets and buckets of dirt (minus the prized worm found) with shovels hidden among the bushes and trees of the yard. Trampolines, forts, slides and a swarm of children age 2 to 5 running from yard to yard in blatant ownership of the 'burb. Dirty faces to wipe with hands to wash, and a pizza in the oven to feed two very hungry, windblown, and worn out boys for dinner... basically the perfect Spring preview! Mother Nature can be a cruel Lady however.... tomorrow's forecast?

44 and rainy.
No video planned.

Changes in Latitudes...

Well, you may have noticed a slight change to the "Harbour"... Welcome friends and loved ones to my new digs! When I first set up camp at my previous website, I had very little idea about how blogs worked or what I wanted in the way of "atmosphere"... after a few posts, it quickly became evident that it was just not quite what I had originally intended for my little piece of cyberspace, and so the winds of change blew and I decided to pull anchor and set sail for new horizons! I have all sorts of plans in store for this new locale and I hope you will come by often to roll your pants up, dig your toes in the sand, and spend some time hanging out with me and my beloved family (whom I've decided to refer to as "the crew" for various reasons such as maintaining privacy, past run-ins with the law, and a few other shady dealings I won't go into now...)


I hope to connect on at least a weekly basis with all of you and hope you will keep your eyes towards the horizon and a sharp eye out for the latest bottle to wash ashore... but as we all know, in paradise there are no clocks... and plenty of good intentions! If it's been awhile, then my advice to you is to mix another drink and relax... and really, isn't that the best advice of all??


Fair Winds....