During the sleepy drive back to BaBa & PaPa's from Uncle Robert & Aunt Shery's this weekend, Charlie suddenly pipes up from the backseat, "I want a cat."
Jason and I exchange stunned glances. Not only do Uncle Robert & Aunt Shery not have a cat, but no one we know has one, other than Bob & Donna's three-legged, anti-social, outside cat, Jelly.
Mommy: I'm sorry buddy, but we can't have a cat. I'm allergic to cats.
Charlie: Nooooo. I want a cat. Why are you allergic?
(Insert about 5 minutes of explanation on allergies, apologies and silence)
Charlie: That makes me sad. I want a cat. (repeated periodically for a couple minutes)
Charlie: When I grow up I want to be a farmer...so I can have a cat (long pause) and a goat and a cow and a donkey and lots of animals in my big barn. I will try to keep the cat away from you, Mommy, but it will probably whine, so if I can't, I just can't.
(Insert 2 days of cousins, airplanes, etc)
During our morning drive downtown for French class and fun at the Childrens' Museum, Charlie suddenly pipes up from the backseat... "When I grow up, I will keep the doors on my barn closed."
Mommy: When you're a farmer? Ok, but why, Buddy?
Charlie: So my cat won't bother you.
Swamp
Tuesday, September 25, 2012
Monday, September 17, 2012
Wacky, Wonderful Weekend
This was an unusual weekend for our family...run of the mill for any other two-parent family, I guess, but new to us. For one of the first times in Charlie's life, Daddy was his companion/chauffer/tour guide.
Just in case anyone is reading this and doesn't know us well, it's definitely not that Jason's uninvolved, and I don't think of myself as a "helicopter mom" or any other unhealthy, annoying term; I'm just always around.
I suppose it's in part because I worked for the first three years of Charlie's life, in part because I'm a hermit, and in part because Jason fishes on Saturday when possible, but mostly because I just find the child endlessly entertaining and a lot more fun to be with than to be away from...
Anyway, this weekend we threw a "Diaper Pounding" (somewhat alarming Southern term for a Diaper Shower) for our good friends Chad & Corrisa to celebrate their new baby boy, Tanner, and stock their changing table, and as only happens in the movies or when the need is great, a million things came together to grant me the most precious gift that the mom of a three year old can ask for: an empty house the day immediately prior to and the day of an event in her home!
It all starts with the opening of shrimp season Friday -- so rather than fishing Saturday, Jason and his buddy Robert floated in the harbor until the wee hours of Saturday morning to haul in 24 shrimp! (Jason assures me that they knew the shrimp would be scarce due to the tides and it being the first day, etc... but they just wanted to give it a trial run in the new boat...which I am smart enough to know means that if Kristen and I were going to see it as a legitimate reason, they were going to float in the harbor until the wee hours of Saturday morning, because that's what boys like to do.)
Next, Charlie was invited to the fifth birthday party for Alice (Robert & Kristen's daughter) on Saturday afternoon. My first reaction was panic. Charlie lives for birthday parties and adores Alice and her little brother Paul, but how on earth was I supposed to spend Saturday afternoon at James Island County Park when 30+ ladies would be at my house 24 hours later? I wasn't!
Jason and Charlie hit the road after a quick, post-soccer lunch, and I had the house to myself for over four hours. I organized, I scoured, I sorted, I trashed, I baked, I arranged...it was amazing!
Then we ate Saturday night dinner and Sunday breakfast and lunch on the back porch, and all of Saturday's hard work lasted until my boys drove off Sunday afternoon with lifejackets, brownies, cookies and boat in tow -- mere moments before my co-hostess, Vikki, arrived.
The "pounding" was full of oohs and aahs and laughter and sweet treats, and Chad and Corrisa could start a diaper shop if need be, so all in all it was a rousing success.
And just when I thought it couldn't get any better, my boys pulled into the driveway Sunday night as I finished drying the platters and sat down to sort through the party pics -- and my dear, sweet baby boy couldn't wait to see me and tell me how much fun he'd had with Daddy, but that being on the boat just wasn't the same without me.
It really doesn't get any better than that.
Just in case anyone is reading this and doesn't know us well, it's definitely not that Jason's uninvolved, and I don't think of myself as a "helicopter mom" or any other unhealthy, annoying term; I'm just always around.
I suppose it's in part because I worked for the first three years of Charlie's life, in part because I'm a hermit, and in part because Jason fishes on Saturday when possible, but mostly because I just find the child endlessly entertaining and a lot more fun to be with than to be away from...
Anyway, this weekend we threw a "Diaper Pounding" (somewhat alarming Southern term for a Diaper Shower) for our good friends Chad & Corrisa to celebrate their new baby boy, Tanner, and stock their changing table, and as only happens in the movies or when the need is great, a million things came together to grant me the most precious gift that the mom of a three year old can ask for: an empty house the day immediately prior to and the day of an event in her home!
It all starts with the opening of shrimp season Friday -- so rather than fishing Saturday, Jason and his buddy Robert floated in the harbor until the wee hours of Saturday morning to haul in 24 shrimp! (Jason assures me that they knew the shrimp would be scarce due to the tides and it being the first day, etc... but they just wanted to give it a trial run in the new boat...which I am smart enough to know means that if Kristen and I were going to see it as a legitimate reason, they were going to float in the harbor until the wee hours of Saturday morning, because that's what boys like to do.)
Next, Charlie was invited to the fifth birthday party for Alice (Robert & Kristen's daughter) on Saturday afternoon. My first reaction was panic. Charlie lives for birthday parties and adores Alice and her little brother Paul, but how on earth was I supposed to spend Saturday afternoon at James Island County Park when 30+ ladies would be at my house 24 hours later? I wasn't!
Jason and Charlie hit the road after a quick, post-soccer lunch, and I had the house to myself for over four hours. I organized, I scoured, I sorted, I trashed, I baked, I arranged...it was amazing!
Then we ate Saturday night dinner and Sunday breakfast and lunch on the back porch, and all of Saturday's hard work lasted until my boys drove off Sunday afternoon with lifejackets, brownies, cookies and boat in tow -- mere moments before my co-hostess, Vikki, arrived.
The "pounding" was full of oohs and aahs and laughter and sweet treats, and Chad and Corrisa could start a diaper shop if need be, so all in all it was a rousing success.
And just when I thought it couldn't get any better, my boys pulled into the driveway Sunday night as I finished drying the platters and sat down to sort through the party pics -- and my dear, sweet baby boy couldn't wait to see me and tell me how much fun he'd had with Daddy, but that being on the boat just wasn't the same without me.
It really doesn't get any better than that.
Friday, September 7, 2012
Status Update
So...I haven't really addressed our current lifestyle lately, and as you may have guessed, it's because we've been way too busy having fun. Needless to say, Charlie and I are enjoying our time at home...and whether it be temporary or permanent, we're making the most of it.
But to answer a few questions:
1 - Can we still stand each other?
Yes!
2 - Can Jason still stand us, despite the fact that we're growing more and more alike?
Most of the time
3 - Am I still looking for a job?
Yes
4 - Have I found any jobs that I actually want?
No
5 - Have I had any interviews?
Not since June
So you may be wondering...what on earth have we been doing to fill our days....?
But to answer a few questions:
1 - Can we still stand each other?
Yes!
2 - Can Jason still stand us, despite the fact that we're growing more and more alike?
Most of the time
3 - Am I still looking for a job?
Yes
4 - Have I found any jobs that I actually want?
No
5 - Have I had any interviews?
Not since June
So you may be wondering...what on earth have we been doing to fill our days....?
Thursday, September 6, 2012
Friends Forever
What a week! My lifetime friend, Emily, and her family trekked all the way from Kansas City to spend their summer vacation with us.
Picture it: 4 adults and 3 kids ranging from 36 to 54 months, the pool, the beach and lots of food -- it truly doesn't get much better. We even survived various bumps, scratches, bug bites and one possibly broken finger (thankfully mine, not one of the kids').
I hate that I do this following every big vacation/event, but there honestly is just way too much to cover. All in all, though, it was perfect.
Charlie's face lit up each morning when he remembered that Matt, Emily, Tom & Abby were still here, and each night he begged to be reassured that they weren't leaving the next day.
Matt, Emily, Jason and I actually sat up one night watching Dirty Dancing and bemoaning the fact that it wasn't going to be immediately followed by Roadhouse.
Watching them drive away Tuesday morning was definitely tough, but God gave us a wonderful distraction. Reid arrived not 30 minutes later to hang out with Charlie and me while Chad & Corrisa spent the day at Summerville Hospital welcoming baby Tanner James into the world.
I can't help but hope that 30-some years from now Charlie will be taking these very same family/friend vacations with Tom, Abby, Reid and Tanner, laughing about the craziness of children and reminiscing over old movies... You just can't beat BFFs.
Picture it: 4 adults and 3 kids ranging from 36 to 54 months, the pool, the beach and lots of food -- it truly doesn't get much better. We even survived various bumps, scratches, bug bites and one possibly broken finger (thankfully mine, not one of the kids').
I hate that I do this following every big vacation/event, but there honestly is just way too much to cover. All in all, though, it was perfect.
Charlie's face lit up each morning when he remembered that Matt, Emily, Tom & Abby were still here, and each night he begged to be reassured that they weren't leaving the next day.
Matt, Emily, Jason and I actually sat up one night watching Dirty Dancing and bemoaning the fact that it wasn't going to be immediately followed by Roadhouse.
Watching them drive away Tuesday morning was definitely tough, but God gave us a wonderful distraction. Reid arrived not 30 minutes later to hang out with Charlie and me while Chad & Corrisa spent the day at Summerville Hospital welcoming baby Tanner James into the world.
I can't help but hope that 30-some years from now Charlie will be taking these very same family/friend vacations with Tom, Abby, Reid and Tanner, laughing about the craziness of children and reminiscing over old movies... You just can't beat BFFs.
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