Snowman Speculations

While watching a Christmas movie and snacking on a flour tortilla (her, not me) the other night, an interesting and entertaining conversation sparked.

Boogs:  "So, snowmans eat carrots?"
Me:  "No, they have a carrot nose."

I just had to engage...

Me:  "How do you make a snowman?"
Her:  "I don't know.  Like this?  (waves tortilla around in circles)"
Me:  "Do snowmen talk?"
Her:  "Yeah.  They say 'my legs are chilly; I will need a biscuit'."
Me:  "Where do snowmen live?
Her:  "I don't know.  At the snowflakes?"

Me:  "What's a snowman's name?"
Her:  "I don't know.  Maybe Frixie?  With a crown like this?"

 

I made that gem.  And I cannot wait to see what she grows up to be.

Santa Photos

The kids had their picture taken with Santa yesterday.  It was an unplanned, spur-of-the-moment outing and, therefore, their outfits were as well.  Boogs wore the same outfit for her school pictures this year, but who gives a care.  I was just thankful that she didn't cry!  She also didn't utter a word - just ignored all of his questions, took her complimentary candy cane, and bolted. 

Afterwards, Davis nonchalantly said, "Santa is make-believe, isn't he?"

My first reaction was heart-racing panic.  He's too young for this, right?  Or is he?  How old was I?  Do I lie to him?  Ugh.  Parenting.

Once all that subsided, I asked for clarification.  "This Santa here at the mall?  Or the one that lives at the North Pole with his flying reindeer and toy-making elves?"

"This one.  He's not the real Santa." 

Oh, thank God. 

"Yeah, Santa has to hire 'look alikes' for stuff like this."

2010

 

2011

 

  2012

Thirty Days of Thanks

...in no particular order and in honor of November...

I am thankful for...

1.  my eyelash curler and mascara.  My lashes are about 1/8" long, blonde, and point straight down into my line of vision.
2.  my mom.  No one supports me, accepts me as me, gets me like her.
3.  hot water.  For my insanely hot showers.
4.  Phil Collins and his perfection.
5.  the love my high school sweetheart and I share.
6.  and the two happy, healthy children we created.
7.  a country that allows my family and I to freely explore and grow and question and ponder our relationship with Jesus and Christianity.
8.  my dad's health.
9.  choosing to be a stay-at-home mom.  It's the best decision Justin and I have ever made.  I'll forever be so thankful for these years I've spent at home with them.
11.  my thriftiness.  Thanks to number 9, I've had to learn how to be super frugal. 
10.  antique and consignment stores.  And their growing popularity.
11.  smartphones.  And Instagram.  And Pinterest.  And Candy Crush. 
12.  my brother.
13.  his wife.
14.  the nieces and/or nephews that I patiently hope and pray and wait for. 
15.  coffee.  And creamer.  And sugar.
16.  Davis' independence level.  There was a time when his future looked completely different than it does now.
17.  mustard and whoever turned it into a condiment.
18.  Jimi.
19.  learning how to knit.
20.  wine.
21.  my kids' outgoing, hilarious personalities. 
22.  Davis' love of music and
23.  Boogs' love of 'doing it by myself'. 
24.  our military.  This one's so cliché, but those men and women should be thanked every single day.
25.  my friends.  And the time we spend together. 
26.  old photographs of my family.
27.  El Ranchero.   
28.  the beach trips we take every year.  Our best memories are made in the panhandle.   
29.  Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert.  That book changed my life.
30.  live music.  It's the best.

I Want A Football Thing And A Ticket To China

I asked Davis what he wanted Santa to bring him for Christmas.

"Let me go look in my room and see what I don't have."

A minute passes.

"I don't know, Mom.  I have everything a kid could need." 

After further thought, he came up with something.  And Santa's got his work cut out for him.

I'm paraphrasing here.  (Deep breath in.)  "I want a football thing with all the NFL teams.  And it would be cooler with Aaron Murray, the quarterback, on it.  But he's not in the NFL.  He plays for the Georgia Bulldogs.  But I still want him on the field.  It would have a button that makes them go.  And if there's a spinner button, I'll press it, and make them spin.  And straight and right and back buttons.  So it can go directions.  You have to press the juke button to juke 'em.  I think the players come with a box.  And I want someone to shout the numbers, like, 'the 80, the 70, the 60, the 50...touchdown!'  The field isn't real grass like outside."  This went on for a while, but I was too busy Googling 'football thing + aaron murray + juke button + number shouter' to pay attention anymore.

He's a 42 pound gift from God.  And that's that.

"Reese, what do YOU want Santa to bring you for Christmas?"

"I don't know.  To China?!?"

Pics, Pics Galore

If you follow me on Instagram you probably sit around and make fun of how often I post pictures.  Come on, admit it.  Well, I thought I'd share some shots from my phone that DIDN'T make it on there...Just from the last couple days...I'm obsessed with taking pictures...Shoot me.

Picking up Wooder from school.

 

I'm excited to see him.

In the car wash.

He's waiting for me to roll down the window as we near the dryer.

 

I'm really fascinated by birds on wires.  Like, why are there just a few loners on the bottom shelf?  Are they outcasts?  In time-out?  On a date?

A nightly game in our house.  It's called 'Dad Or Mom But Preferably Dad Because He Knows How To Throw Better Throws A Football Across The Living Room And Davis Runs And Dives And Catches It And Does A Victory Lap While Jim Chases Him'.

And I missed the magical moment where Boogs helped Davis take his braces and shoes off.  Be still my pounding heart.  

He watches SportsCenter every morning before school while he eats his over-medium egg and buttered toast.  And I enjoy those first few sips of my coffee.  

Jimi got himself a new toy.

Killing my vibe.

Pigeons lurk around our property every day.  Yes, pigeons.  They missed a turn trying to find the local park and ended up here, I guess.  Jim loves chasing them back to their safe haven...the wire.

Topless and coloring and drinking wine and a tiny black horse.

 

3 year check-up...2 months late.  I made them prick her finger to check her hemoglobin and blood sugar levels.  The more educated I get about the human body, the more I look for symptoms and try to diagnose.  I was wrong on both accounts.

 

 

Taking pictures while I chat with the Pediatritian.

 

 "Look.  It's me...on ME!"

Uncle Brother stopped by and gave the kiddos lots and lots of attention.

 Reese thought I was being a really good mom and deserved recognition.

 

 Playing on the Wii.

 

Used up the rest of my homemade mozzarella cheese block on fried slices.  Oh.  Em.  Gee.

Lounging on dad and Jim wants to partake.

And does.

Startled Boobers after her nap.

Friendships



I just love this.  And my friends.

On Friendship
 Kahlil Gibran

 

Your friend is your needs answered.
He is your field which you sow with love and reap with thanksgiving.
And he is your board and your fireside.
For you come to him with your hunger, and you seek him for peace.

 When your friend speaks his mind you fear not the "nay" in your own mind, nor do you withhold the "ay."
And when he is silent your heart ceases not to listen to his heart;
For without words, in friendship, all thoughts, all desires, all expectations are born and shared, with joy that is unacclaimed.
When you part from your friend, you grieve not;
For that which you love most in him may be clearer in his absence, as the mountain to the climber is clearer from the plain.
And let there be no purpose in friendship save the deepening of the spirit.
For love that seeks aught but the disclosure of its own mystery is not love but a net cast forth: and only the unprofitable is caught.

 And let your best be for your friend.
If he must know the ebb of your tide, let him know its flood also.
For what is your friend that you should seek him with hours to kill?
Seek him always with hours to live.
For it is his to fill your need, but not your emptiness.
And in the sweetness of friendship let there be laughter, and sharing of pleasures.
For in the dew of little things the heart finds its morning and is refreshed.

A Vampire And A Witch

For whatever reason, Halloween isn't that big of a deal in our house.  We don't decorate, make a spooky-themed breakfast, or let the kids stay up late organizing their candy.  I'm more of a Christmas enthusiast, I'd say.  I wish I was more into it seeing as how I've got two children and all.  But I'm not.  Maybe it's because none of our neighbors partake either.  That's gotta be what it is.  If THEY were doing it, then WE'D do it too...

We paint - not carve - pumpkins.  And we trick-or-treat.  That's about it. 

Davis wanted to be a vampire.  And I wanted him to look scary as sh*t. 

 

And Boogs chose to be a witch.  Pretty fitting for her this year, I'd say.  Too far? 

 

 

They got into character pretty early yesterday because my dad and Eve and Justin's mom wanted to see them before we started trick-or-treating.  Davis was out in the front yard, fully vamped-out, playing baseball by himself and 'rawr-ing' at every passing car.  And Reese was ready to get back in her regular clothes by 5:30.

We spent the evening with the Prices in their neighborhood.  Davis' opening line at most doors was, "I'm thirsty.  Do you have any blood?"  And he came up with that all by his little witty self. 

 

The kids got SO MUCH candy because we were one of only, like, four groups in the neighborhood.  I need to donate a ton of it since I'll end up being the one that eats most of it I've already eaten a disgustingly large portion of it. 

And this conversation really happened...

Davis: "Why was Jim barking at me?"
Me: "Because he didn't know who you were in your costume."
Davis: "Did I still have on the same underwear?  Yes.  So he has to know it was still just me."

He keeps me so happy. 

Our Halloweens So Far

2006

Davis came home from the NICU on the 11th of October so we stayed snuggled inside with our big bowl of candy and little baby Davis, eagerly awaiting trick-or-treaters.  We got ONE knock on the door.  ONE!  Reason number 749 why Hunt Road could be considered a fail. 

2007

Turtle Davis.  Look at that little guy!!  And my bright, blue velour hoodie.  Ooh-la-la.

2008

Superman Davis.  He looks like he's being tortured.  Halloween frightened him for a few years.

Not sure where the Hell we went dressed like this...

2009

Cowboy Davis.  This picture was taken post horse wrangle.  Hot mess.

 

Pillow fight (with my girlie, Danielle) and Dog, the Bounty Hunter.

 

2010

Boogs was barely a month old here.  And clearly thinks Halloween is LAME-O.

Davis, as Woody.  God, I love him.

2011

Cuteness overload.  I shoved her in that Cookie Monster costume for weeks.  It was THAT presh.

IRONMAN!!!

2012

Spiderman and a 'I'm not wearing my costume no matter how much you beg and plead and bribe' kid

 

2013

Quite surprisingly, Davis isn't going to be a superhero this year.

On This Day In...

1390 - In Paris, the first trial for witchcraft takes place, resulting in the death of three people.

1901 -  Leon Czolgosz, U.S. President William McKinley's assassin, is executed by electrocution.

1921 - Harvard University's football team ends their 25 game winning streak. This is considered one of the biggest upsets in college football.

1929 - The New York Stock Exchange crashes (Black Tuesday), beginning the Great Depression.

1960 - Muhammad Ali wins his first professional fight in Louisville, Kentucky.

1971 -  In Macon, Georgia, guitarist Duane Allman (of the Allman Brothers) is killed in a motorcycle accident.

2013 - I have a HUGE lecture exam this morning covering the Immune and Respiratory Systems.  I should be studying right now.  Wish me luck!!

(All according to Wikipedia...well, except that last fun fact.  I came up with that one all by myself.)

Yay, We're Having A Good Time...Not...

"We haven't done anything, just the four of us, in a while."

Just an out-loud thought I threw at Justin the other night.

"Ok.  What do you wanna go do?"

We went to the pumpkin patch farm in Adairsville. 

Boogs screamed and cried the entire way up.  There may or may not have been an issue with her biscuit and a lack of eating said biscuit.  Normally I would've been all like, "Fine. Don't eat. Whatever'', deeming it an issue not worth fighting.  But I couldn't let it go.  I blacked out about halfway up, but I'm pretty sure I ended up physically shoving pieces into her mouth with my body half way hanging in the front seat, threw Puppers into the trunk of the SUV, and contemplated diving out of my window, onto 75.  She is out of control 70% of the time and my patience for it runs out after about the 3rd minute of every episode.  The other 30% of her is filled with twirls and 'eyes closed' sugars and make believe and the best conversations I've ever had in my life. 

Tensions were very high between us all by the time we got to the stupid place.  Everyone was aggravated with each other.  But, we pushed through.  And I didn't end up as road kill on the highway...silver lining...

 

Here's me, banging my head against a mirror...

 

Be a mad pumpkin...

 

Petting 'Ice Cream' or 'Twinkie' or whatever his name was...

 

I have got to start spending more one-on-one time with this young man...



 

 

Yay.  A hayride...

Notice her glazed, 'I got into a terrible fight with my boyfriend and I've been up all night bawling' eyes...

The Shining maze...

My perfect child, enjoying the horse swing...

 

Oh, and her...

Not sure she cracked a smile once...

And some Instagram edits...

 

And...she screamed and cried the whole way home.  This time it was because Davis wouldn't give her his drink.  Or was it because Justin was singing HER song (NOT YOURS!!!) from The Little Mermaid?  I can't recall.

I'm so pumped for our next Nunley family bonding experience.  It will definitely involve booze.