summer lovin'

We have had a blast of a summer! It has been crazy busy but a wonderful kind of busy!!!

The summer began with my very best friend moving home which is just how it should be!We have both traveled a lot so we have not seen each other near enough. However, just knowing she is only 30 minutes away instead of four hours just makes me really happy!

We went to Navarre for a week before the oil hit. We had a lot of fun! Cole is still taking two naps and so I stayed in a lot and red three books. That may not sound like your kind of wonderful but it was definitely mine! We also got out some and Cole and Jack had so much fun at the beach and the pool!

We started survival swim lessons for Cole which did not go well at first but he got the hang of it and the teacher and I are both very grateful. He is so very unpredictable that we agree that knowing what to do if he finds himself under water is crucial!

After a few weeks we took a break from swim class to go to Jackson Hole WY. It was definitely the highlight of our summer!
We were so excited and very worried about Cole's first flight! I brought so many activities and performed a literal circus act to keep the kids quiet and entertained. And then so did Cole. Before we had to put our seat belts back on when flying into Jackson Hole, Cole was on Jack's shoulders hoping up and down! If you have ever seen a wild monkey in a cage it looked a lot like that! Thankfully our first born has a pretty good sense of humor and was in a fit of giggles! I was so happy to be staying in Jackson Hole for 8 days for many reasons but one of them was that I would have a few days to psych myself back up for the flight home!
Jackson Hole is so very special to us! Brad and I honeymooned there and a main reason we decided on the name for Jackson. It is so beautiful there and peaceful! We were so grateful and forever thankful that Papa(Brad's dad) works for Lee Beaman who offered for the whole family to stay at his house there! And of course to Papa and Gigi who took us!
Each morning I woke before everyone put on a thick robe and fixed hot cider. (it was in the low 60's) I walked down by the river and down a little trail to some over- stuffed chairs with an ottoman and read! That is my favorite spot ever! I truly did not want to leave! However, we did not just rest on that trip! We had amazing adventures every day that will stick with us forever! At the house we fished, hiked, and soaked up the amazing Teton backdrop!We went on a wagon trail ride and were "attacked" by Indians, the rodeo twice, Yellowstone (where we saw a grizzly bear and old faithful), over Teton pass into Idaho where we had huckleberry milkshakes! We saw "Annie Get Your Gun "and an old fashioned "shoot out" in the town square! For the first time, we took a tram up the side of a mountain where we saw a moose below and the ski trails that people who must be slightly unhinged ski down each winter! At the top there was a ton of snow and ice and we had a snowball fight in June! There is a small lodge that serves waffles with Jam and hot chocolate so we huddled in there to get warm until the next tram came! It was an unforgettable trip that I am forever indebted for! I can not believe the charmed life that my children lead!
Then over the fourth (my birthday) my parents took us to a great place northern Alabama. It is a cottage community a lot like Seaside without the beach! It was a lot of adorable houses with great porches and southern charm! We had a lot of fun grilling out, watching fireworks, swimming, playing games and rocking on the front porch! It will forever be "our place"! We just loved it there!
We took a couple of smaller trips and had more family come stay with us which was very fun and then at the end of July I went on my first ever girls trip. We went to Charlotte NC. We had so much fun I barely could stand it! We shopped until we literally dropped into bed each night. We had amazing food, giggled like school girls, never quit talking, and truly did what we wanted every moment of every day!
I am not sure weather to call this summer lovin or lovin' summer but whichever it has been simply wonderful!

Happy 5th Birthday Jackson

One of my favorite children's books is The Important Book by Margaret Wise Brown. It is very simple and sweet as are many of Margaret Wise Brown books. As I thought about Jack's birthday post, and that he is turning five I also thought about how often that I hear that the first five years of a child's life are the most important. So in that same vain here are some of the important things about Jack....

1. The important thing about Jack is that he is kind. Obviously, he is five and therefore age appropriately self - involved but by nature he is still very kind. He looks out for me a lot. He truly( without ever being told) tries to step in as protector when Brad is away. He wants the best for Cole and most of the time is an amazing big brother!


2. Another important thing about Jack is that he is funny. He is always trying to make all of us laugh. He is either tickling Cole, falling on his head, or just saying something hysterical. He also has the BEST facial expressions!


3. Another important part of Jack is that he is smart. I love to watch him process information. He always has really perceptive questions and soaks up new information just like a sponge. For years he has been asking me questions that I can not answer. This seems like I must not be too bright however here are some of those questions...

What college did Kerry Collins go to?

What is the name of the stadium where the Kansas City Chiefs play?

Do Gorillas have eyebrows?

However, his deductive reasoning needs a little tweaking as the following story illustrates:

Jack brought home an odd looking rock, fossil, nut type looking thing and asked me what it was.

me: I don't know buddy

Jack: Well then we just have to ask dada!

me: Reaally???

Jack: Yes, Daddy knows everything about football so he must know EVERYTHING!!!!

In my head: Oh my Oh My Oh mY Did he REALLY just say that???

me: That is right buddy !!!!!

4. Another important thing about Jack is that he is an amazing helper. He really wants to be useful. He is quick to pitch in and ask how he can help me with things (that he likes to do).

5. But the most important thing is that he is mine! I am constantly thankful that God choose me to be his momma. He is so many things that I am(a huge talker, conscientious and a lover of a great story) and so many more things that are not ( cautious, lover of math and science, likes routine, and on and on). However, there has never been a day that we are not firmly cemented as mother and son. I am just so very proud to call him mine!

Happy Birthday Big Five Year Old!

I love you as big as the sky and deep as the ocean!

Momma

We have taken a trip to the emergency room this week. Blow me over with a feather that it was not for Cole!!! It was Jack! We were on a sweet family walk/bike ride and about halfway home when Jack took a tumble and his chin met asphalt. I scooped him out of the road and then began assessing the damage. I immediately saw a whole in his face. I turned to Brad and said" Run home and get the car we have to go to Vanderbilt!" Brad said he thought a band-aid after we finished our walk would work. I did not want to argue but I also really did not want him to look at it. I was thinking he might not make it home if he did. So I convinced him and he ran. I pushed Cole in the stroller while I held Jack and walked up hill to meet Brad. We had to leave the bike but a sweet neighbor passed by and I got her to pick it up. Jack quit crying during the walk and had stopped by the time we met Brad. We drove to Vanderbilt Children's Hospital and were seen as soon as they saw his face. They put a white numbing cream on his face with a huge piece of tape over the top. Then we waited for it to numb. While we waited he kept wanting to look at it in the bathroom mirror. He finally decided that the white cream plus the blood looked like " a strawberry with cool whip on top." Clearly he was taking this all in stride! That did take about an hour. Jack was great! He was so brave and we were so proud.





*****Note:QUIT READING HERE IF YOU GET QUEASY AT ALL**********I on the other hand can not say the same! When we got to the ER they put a white numbing cream on his face with a large piece of clear tape. So when it was time for stitches, the tape had to come off. His wound was numb and for that we were so thankful. He asked if he could take off the tape himself. He began to peel it off and his fingers got stuck in the gaping whole. His fingers brought out bits of blood covered flesh. Of course this upset him and he asked me to take off the rest. I remained calm and helped him get the tape off but when that was done the room began to spin. I sat down and knew that I did not feel great. I tried to get it together but instead I awoke to 10 people in my face. I had fainted when my guy needed me the most! I was so embarrassed and upset. I felt like I had failed my little boy! Brad was amazing he kept Jack from getting scared and was literally and figuratively holding us together. He was holding Jack's hand with one hand and keeping me in my chair with the other hand. Jack just thought that I was acting silly and trying to lighten things up. What a day! Well, at least it is behind us. Maybe next time I can remain conscious!

Happy Birthday Dears!

In honor of my dears birthday I thought I would write the top 10 reasons that I am so happy he is mine so here goes...
1. We mesh really well. He gets upset at the little things(hotel quality, shirts that are too starched, sweat, sand, traffic, SPORTS - I know, I know this one could be debated to be a big thing since he works in sports but that is not what I am referring to- I am talking about during the Duke v. Butler basketball championship game screaming until his veins are popping out of his neck and his face is blood red into his t-shirt that he has taken off so in the next moment he can throw it with such force that I jump all the while BOTH of our children are asleep and he will tell you that he is doing better in this area but he will have to sell that crazy somewhere else, I ain't buying) BUT he really handles the big things very well. (Yipes was that one sentence? sorry to all those who play well with grammar) I am the exact opposite and so it just really works.

2. He is an amazing father. I have kinda crazy high standards in the parenting department - (If you are thinking to yourself - "You don't say"- You may just hush- haha ) but I rarely ever have a gripe. He makes sure that every minute counts that he spends with them. He is always interested in their development and growth both physically and as little humans.

3. He is very tender.

4. He is very passionate about sports. I know that I don't always love this one but I do love his passion and with two sons I love that they get to see it as well!

5. He is very kind- He actually talks to telemarketers. He will often say to me- "Ash, he might get paid for having me listen to his spiel." or "He was a really nice old man" He also knows and has a relationship with the cleaning staff at his office. Many of them barely speak English but he will tell me about their home life and what they are like. It is so endearing to me!

6. He has an incredibly time consuming job and he works very hard.

7. He plays with the kids in that wild rumpus daddy son way!

8. He is crazy funny.This is probably my favorite one! I also love this one because he does not always share this about himself! It is sometimes our secret! For instance in college, my room would be so messy with mounds and mounds of clothes everywhere and he would fall to the ground behind one of the piles and act like my room was a war zone and he would scream "INCOMING" and then roll to another pile. But if my roommate walked in he would sit up and act like I was the one acting weird! There are countless times, that we have been in stressful situations together and he has made me laugh until I cried which was exactly what I needed. When Jack was hospitalized with jaundice at 3 days old, one of the things I remember most is him making me laugh during the night! It was definitely the first of many times during parenting that we bonded through hard times with laughter!

9. He takes amazing care of me especially if I am sick , had surgery, or a baby. He draws baths, he brings me things, calls to check on me and will get my pillows situated just like I like them. When I am pregnant my back hurt at night and he will lay with his back against mine all night just because it feels good to me!

6. He is fully involved and is very clear about how much he adores our family.

7. He is a master dish washer unloader and loader and laundry switcher outer.

8. He is doing what he loves and supporting me as I do what I love. I am forever grateful!

9. We are each others 1st and only true love.

10. He loves being with me and he is very clear in many ways that he loves me but it is a lot of fun too that I can also tell that he likes me. We are just like anybody else with fussing at each other and fighting but at the end of most days I am so happy he is the one beside me!

I love you dears!

Routine but never dull

There are a lot of days that I think "Oh Holy Moly (insert here your favorite four letter word- I use Holy Moly as a "mommy speak" version along with "good grief" , "holy shomoly" "heavenly days" "oh my soul" and a few others), I think that my children are plotting against me and making sure to distract me long enough with their wildness, wiliness, loudness, ninniness (a family word meaning any type of mischief) or all of it rolled together so that I will not be able to accomplish a single thing!

However, I have a lot more days lately where I feel like we are just living in a sweet spot. It has been that way for a few months and before it switches up on me I thought I might want to remember it here in case I needed a reminder later.

Our typical day-

We are awoken by either Cole over the monitor or Jack hopping into bed with us. Brad gets Cole and brings him to bed. When he brings Cole into our room and he sees me, he starts wildly kicking his legs and squealing. How could there be anything better to see when you first open your eyes? We turn on Curious George while Cole nurses and Brad and I shake the cobwebs out. It is my very favorite time of the day as we all sleepily snuggle together and normally I am getting to touch everybody at once and fully feel like mama bear. I also feel like mama bear if I do not wake up enough to pay everybody their due attention because I start having two bear cubs rolling and frolicking on top of me. After/during that Brad gets in the shower. This normally means that Cole needs to wander between the shower and me. He will go to the glass shower door and giggle at Brad and bang on the door and then come back to me for a few more snuggles. Once Brad is out of the shower, I am usually (read :not often) heading towards making breakfast. At this time chaos is beginning but it is the good kind. Jack will find something in our bedroom to play pretend with and rope Brad into playing along. For a while the bed was a car and Jack was the mechanic and he would work on the "car" and then tell Brad how much he owed him. Today he had a cowboy hat and the tie from my robe as the rope and was lassoing that "wild baby Cole" and saying "Howdy Pardner" over and over (read 50 + times). By this point if I am not already making breakfast, Brad cries "uncle" and shoos us all into the kitchen. I make breakfast for Jack and Cole and either feed Cole or read while they eat. At some point Brad comes through and we all stand together at the garage door (if it is warm enough =50 or more- Jack is a bit of a softy about being cold) and wave goodbye and shut the garage door after Brad drives away. I love this time also because it is just so sweet watching Cole wave and Jack jump and wave and we are just standing together grinning!

We then come in and do breakfast dishes and get dressed for the day. If there is time left over we play. After that we either leave for Jack's school or go upstairs for Cole's nap. If it is not a school day, Jack and I normally find his latest Magic Tree House adventure and a cozy spot and read for about an hour. Once Cole wakes, he yells out. He never cries and will just jabber until we get him. The first noise he make Jack sprints to his room and jumps in his crib with him and the wildness begins. By the time I get in there, there is a full rumpus happening. They are both in fits of giggles and I melt. We read in Cole's room and then get ready to go out. We normally run errands, find fun stuff to get into(Phillips Toy Mart, the park, fun with friends,Zoo, walks to the Hill center) and have lunch. When the weather is nice we play outside. We come in for afternoon nap and Jack plays in his closet and builds with legos, plays with his automoblox or has full on events that include his cowboys and football players and a lot of other random things(umbrella, Mardi Gras beads,animals, goal posts). There is a nonstop chatter that I can never quite make out but is music to my ears as he looses himself in his own world of play. I work around the house (or if I have stayed up way to late) I might nap as well. We always read more and talk about the day. After an hour Cole is up and we make our way downstairs for a snack and I start on dinner. We normally do some school practice work or play puzzles games or color. Usually (read -most days), this is when everyone is getting stir crazy so we call Brad and ask him what his departure time will be and then make a plan based upon the answer. Once Brad gets home, he is attacked like it is a mob scene from the days of the Beatles. He rough houses and swings the kids around and gives me a kiss then says, "Okay Okay, let me get out of these monkey clothes". I think that is code for, "Can I have a couple of minutes." We all know it but Jack runs after him and Cole toddles very quickly behind his brother. I let them both go because I too would like a couple of minutes and there is nothing cuter! They all play and we tell each other the news of our day and dinner gets to the table. After dinner, we split up for giving the boys their tubby and cleaning up the kitchen. As soon as we say time for a tubby, Jack and Cole race to the stairs. Jack opens the gate for Cole and then they head up the stairs and into the bathroom. While the tub is filling, Cole gets on his stool and brushes his teeth, empties the drawers and just generally runs amuck. They both love getting in the tub. This is another time that I adore. I love having sweet smelling, soft skin and nakedness abounding! Cole toddles to his room or sometimes to Jack's room with a fit of laughter. There is nothing that makes me grin any bigger that Cole's "cheeks" waddling away from me! After, tubby it is time for pjs and reading to Cole. A lot of times we will do this as a family. Brad reading and me helping Jack. I put Cole down in his sleep sack with his lion and bunny and two bas (pacifiers). Brad starts reading to Jack and I come in and say goodnight. Brad reads to Jack and tells "An adventure of Super Jack" story and then sings (He's Got the Whole World in His Hands), prays and talks about his day. That is not order that we do it but that is how we always say it because it rhymes! The last thing that Jack always says is "Will you check on me?" and Brad promises. This is a promise that is faithfully kept and is so very endearing to me! Every night, Brad turns out all the lights, makes sure the door is locked and then goes up to check on the kids before coming to bed. Our life is simple. Our life is routine but I want to keep it that way for as long as possible. It is never dull and that is just the way I like it!

note: Of course this day does not include my duties as grocery shopper, present finder, wardrobe organizer, laundry folder, cruise director, party planner, diaper changer, meal planner, holiday organizer, room mother, cleaning lady (although I am not all that great at that one),decorator, messy room cleaner and organizer, teacher, disciplinarian,librarian and nurse and comforter.

Tales of the Big Bad Guys 1

Jack wrote this story today. He has not illustrated this one yet. The others have illustrations. We have started reading chapter books and he loves to play good guys vs. bad guys. A little too often he is one of the bad guys. We are working on that! Anyways here goes...

BANK ROBBERS AT DAY

Once uponce a time in the town of Nashville, there lived two bad bank robbers named Papa Bank Robber and Kid Robber Jack. Jack heard in the newspaper that there was a good Gigi in town. So Jack pushed a button that made a loud noise that woke up Papa Bank Robber. Papa Bank Robber said, "Kid Jack robber why would you wake me up like that?" Kid Jack said"I heard from the newspaper that the Good Gigi is in town." Papa said,"Let's go get her."

The good Gigi was at Philips Toy Mart looking for her grand kids birthday. The bad guys looked on their phone and found the Good Gigi and sent her a note.

Dear Good Gigi,

We are good guys. Please come to our house for some fun. We will dance to some music and play ball!

Come to 1908 Liberty Sq at 12:00

From

The Good Guys

Gigi reads the note and goes to their house. When she gets to the house she she does not realize that they are bad guys. So first they play volleyball and the Good Gigi wins. Then they start to dance. They dance to Deck the Halls, Wednesday is Our Music Day (a St. B's song), Jesus loves Me and Hit the Road Jack.

They are all tired. The Bank Robbers sleep in bunk beds and the Good Gigi sleeps on the floor beside them. Then the alarm clock sound goes off and wake up the Bank Robbers but not the Good Gigi. "So now we should surprise her by acting ugly," said Jack. Papa says "I agree!"

They push a button that makes a loud roaring sound. The good Gigi stretches with her eyes closed. When she opens her eyes the bank robbers begin to chase her down the stairs. Gigi thinks this is a game and is smiling and laughing. The bank robbers start throwing hot lava. Gigi begins to run away and now she realizes they are bad guys. When she runs outside she leaves a path of muddy footprints. The Bank Robbers follow the muddy footprints to Africa and see Gigi looking at sleeping lions. The Bank Robbers sneak in and wake up the sleeping lions. The Robbers wake up the lions and tell them to get the Good Gigi. She thinks, "Oh no I am about to be eaten by lions. This is gonna be bad!" The lions eat her!

The End

Top of the mornin' to ya

We spent St. Patrick's Day in Navarre for the first time. Being the social/cruise director at all times, I hunted high and low for activities. We landed on Pensacola beach that was having cookie decorating with green lemonade as well as face painting and mint chocolate chip shakes. I was a little worried because Pensacola was also hosting a Pub Crawl in the same area and during the same time. It all turned out ok for the most part.

We started out the day with the boys in coordinating green shorts outfits. Brad said,"You know it is 50 degrees and windy right?" "Yes, (I fibbed) but it is St. Patrick's Day and this is their only coordinating green clothes. It's Florida, it is always warmer than you think, right?" My dear husband just smiles at me. In my stubbornness, I file that smile away as agreement to my statement not the yea yeah smile that it really was! As we traveled along the coast from Navarre to Pensacola, I saw several walkers in heavy coats, mittens, scarves and hats. I am not looking. We arrive at Peg Leg Pete's and run in with the children all the while their teeth are chattering, I am not looking! We will be inside in seconds. The hostess asks if we want to sit on the heated porch or inside. As a full chorus of McClanahans, we say "INSIDE". After eating we head over for the cookies and green lemonade. We are a little early and this is being hosted by the local gooney golf establishment. Brad says "Let's play!" I am always the one with the plan and the ideas. Brad likes it that way. However, I am so excited that Brad wants to do this when it was not a part of the plan! So I now must surrender to the cold. I did bring extra clothes for the boys. Now, they are no longer coordinating and Jack is not even matching, but I decided that I needed to go with it. I could finally admit I was being a little nutty!

We had a blast! Jack's first golfing experience was great and Cole was just wild. He tried every hole to jump into the stream flowing through the course. The only other problem, was that at the same time that Brad bent down to to pick up his ball, Jack decided to tee off. This resulted in an instant goose egg and some blood. I tried not to laugh until Brad did. I did not quite make it! We moved onto the cookie decorating and face painting. It was very fun! Jack got a green shark on his face and Cole got several clovers on his cheek. They were out of mint chocolate shakes but the chocolate ones were really great anyways!