For the Record

This is what my house looks like on a Friday morning at 11:23AM in the summer. This is how Sarah-Grace came downstairs this morning - she dressed herself when she got up. Apparently princess dress paired with baseball cap is in. Nice. Notice Sarah-Grace is trying to take a picture with her "phone" in the first 2 pictures. Charlotte actually said cheese today and smiled at the camera - of course it was AFTER I snapped the last picture. Contolled chaos - that's what I like to call it.

Screams, Schemes and Stephen Colbert

Sarah-Grace and Charlotte are really starting to play with eachother. Right now their favorite game is chase. One of them screams and then starts running then the other one screams and follows - until they are both whipped up into a loud crashing frenzy. Its great.

I usually sit in our den while the girls play in the living room. Every minute or so when they haven't come in to tattle on eachother or ask for something (juice, milk, cookies or Charlotte has paused the DVD for 57th time that day and can't get it to play again) I ask Sarah-Grace what they're doing and she yells back the specifics.

This week however they are beginning to scheme. One day this week it got too quiet and when I sneaked around the corner they were standing on the couch. Then later that day Charlotte comes strolling around the corner pushing her babydoll stroller with Sarah-Grace IN THE BABYDOLL STROLLER! Nice. Two minutes later on the second trip around the downstairs they switched places.

Charlotte has now learned how to say "I don't know" by throwing up her hands and shrugging her shoulders. It's so funny because I am ALWAYS talking to the girls (I'm not nuts - language is the best gift to give a toddler - or so my mom says) so I am always asking rhetorical questions. But today everytime I would ask one just kinda talking to myself and her - she would throw up her hands and shrug her shoulders.

The best laugh today from Charlotte was when I asked her where her belly button was. The child has become OBSESSED with her belly button. Some children twirl their hair - my child twirls her finger in her belly button. It is SO gross. It makes me squirmish just writing it. Today she was wearing a onesie (not sure how to spell that) and everytime I asked her where her belly button was she couldn't find it! She kept trying to pull the onesie up at her thigh, but she couldn't get it up that high. Maybe that's cruel, but I just thought it was so funny.


The best laugh today from Sarah-Grace was at dinner. She helped me make chicken chili and corn bread for dinner tonight. She was SO proud of herself, probably because she was able to actually participate more with this recipe. Tad flew in from Philly and got home after we had eaten. He was sitting down to eat when Sarah-Grace was twirling around him talking a million mile a minute. She kept saying over and over again how she helped me and what she did. Tad was half paying attention to her while trying to eat, update me, and helping Charlotte climb back into her high chair (because of course she wasn't going to miss another chance to eat). SO Sarah-Grace realizing she wasn't getting the proper respect for her time and efforts sat down quietly across from Tad and said "Your welcome for dinner, daddy". It worked like a charm, it got his attention and his tickle bone. She is a southern belle yet!!

On another note...I can't believe the Hills only has one more episode and if Lauren actually gives up the opportunity to go to Paris with Vogue magazine (Teen or not) for that loser Jason she is an IDIOT and doesn't deserve her own show.

On an even other note...Does anyone watch Project Runway and if you do WHY HAVEN'T YOU TOLD ME ABOUT IT!! I stumbled upon this show last week in reruns and I have become ADDICTED. I really don't think I will be able to make it until next week to see who gets kicked off. I really hope its not Kayne - I like him. I even watched the flippin Ms. Universe pagent on Sunday because I saw Kayne design Ms. USA's dress on last week's show and I had to see her wear it on stage. Seriously, if you've been watching it - you've been holding out on me and I just don't think that's right. It's not what friends do. Real friends share their trashy reality TV, its how we bond.

On an even another, other note...I love Stephen Colbert. I find him attractive and sexy. He's actually daringly close to knocking George Clooney out of the "top spot" on my "lust list". What can I say, I love a man who makes me laugh. If you have cable and you don't watch , well that's just sad and a waste of cable. If you don't have cable, I'm not sure we're really friends - after all what do we have to talk about and bond over? Just kidding!!

Ho Hum

Not much to report this week. Sarah-Grace is in Waycross and I miss her a lot! When I told her that over the phone tonight she responded by saying (sarcastically of course) "I'll be home soon mama". Oh, yeah and guess what Tori and Julie had me buy last week - a tooth fairy pillow. Apparently Sarah-Grace will most likely begin losing teeth next year?! Can you believe that. She's my baby!! I'm so glad I have them as sisters. Tori had me buy the pillow and Julie recomended a book PARTS to read to her to prepare her for what's to come. I could be clueless without their help. I think I'm going to need a year to prepare for the fact that my baby isn't a baby anymore.
Speaking of my baby - Charlotte never ceases to amaze us. She is as kooky and adorable as ever. The child is mischieviously brilliant. She is running me rampant without Sarah-Grace to wrangle or "tattle" her in. When out of sight Sarah-Grace is always filling me in on what Charlotte is getting into. I wish there was more to do with her at this age. The zoo is too far away and too hot right now. Other than that or the mall and the playground I have nothing to treat her too. Oh well. That's it for now.

Play Days

These are just some pictures of the girls playing around. Charlotte loves for Sarah-Grace to read her this book. Its an Anne Gedes book about colors. Its the only time she will sit in her lap - willingly.

July 4th Weekend 2006

Things I remember from this July 4th Weekend...

• The fact that Kelly and Tad "broke the tap" at the lake over Memorial Day weekend - so July 4th was fair game.
• Tommy asking for his own glass of Sangria.
• Kristi going to buy boiled peanuts for everyone and me swearing I smelled chocolate SOMEWHERE. Then us getting back to the boat and realizing Elliott already bought boiled peanuts.
• Charlotte eating an entire bag of boiled peanuts on the boat - with Aunt Karen and Kim feeding them to her.
• Charlotte eating the ENTIRE weekend, unless she was sleeping.
• Tevon asking if Rick could make him "bald" too.
• Us lugging the kids out to see the Raysville fireworks and them constantly asking us if we can get closer, then Kelly saying "its the sky - you can't get any closer in a boat".
• Sitting on the boat and someone asking where's Tevin while we were suppose to be watching him. Tevin then climbing onto someone else's boat.
• Rick thinking I'm staring at him putting on sunscreen. Rick then giving me something to stare at while putting on sunscreen.
• Kelly describing how she likes her bacon!
• Charlotte's pigtails.
• Kim coloring by herself, then showing Sarah-Grace the right way to color. Rick & I coloring together.
• Rick wearing his "Old Army" shirt at the same time Tad wore his "Where My Peeps At" shirt. Tad's disappointment when he realized Rick wasn't actually wearing his out in public.
• Rick & Tad taking Tori, Devon, Marrisa and Sarah-Grace to the movies to see Superman.
• Sarah-Grace being so fascinated with Superman she cut in line at the bathroom not to miss any parts of the movie (I think more than once). Then, her impression of Superman flying right, left, slow, fast and with Louise Lane.
• Kelly, Kristi and I spending $30 combined on candy at the gas station.
• Sitting down to watch a movie we had talked about all day and it dawning on Connie the DVD player wasn't hooked up. Kristi and I FINALLY hooking up the DVD player.
• Devon being FASCINATED with fishing - especially with bait. Rick actually learining that I do know how to catch a catfish (with hotdogs or chicken livers).
• Kelly's face when she saw a stray dog take Devon's hotdog he planned to use as fish bait.
• Floating in the water and Cabanana Tad.
• Tad not letting Kristi throw away hot beer.
• Kristi finding "booty" music all weekend and turning it up.
• Kristi recounting how she was always made to eat spaghetti while the other Thompson girls ate noodles and cheese. And how if she finished her drink before she finished her meal she wasn't allowed more drink. She stills carries these atrocities to this day. We still don't understand those rules.
• Us realizing why the Little River Marina fireworks were 29 minutes long (because when you put one firework off every 30 seconds it can last up to 29 minutes).
• Learning that Rick loves him some flashlights.
• The fact that when Connie first started going to Starbucks she had to use a piece of paper where I wrote down what to order (this was prior to her once-a-day addiction). I don't know why but I think that is just so cute she carried it around!
• Connie making a detour for Starbucks on a trip to Lowes (I LOVE HER).
• Tommy saying he didn't think selling boats is a good career because who would buy boats around the LAKE.
• Using buckets of water to fill up the washing machine so it wouldn't take an hour and a half to wash one load of laundry.
• Sarah-Grace calling Rick daddy - more than once.
• Just before we left, Tommy asking us to write down the sangria recipe - the look on David's face when he realized we had sangria the whole weekend and he didn't get any.

Sunflower Festival 2006

We just got back in town last night from our weekend trip. I've promised to blog all the details (and give some name shout outs... and that does include you Rick) but I'm running short on time today. So, today I'm blogging the Rutledge Sunflower festival...

OK, so I've been really excited about this festival since I read about it in my Southern Living magazine forever ago. It' s 12 acres of sunflowers, a parade, arts and crafts for sale, and you can pick your own sunflowers for $7. The festival is in Rutledge, GA which is 9 miles from the Madison exit that I know how to get to PLUS its sort of on the way to the lake (which is where we were headed for the weekend). SO, I loaded myself, Sarah-Grace, Charlotte and Tori in the car Saturday morning to head to Rutledge and then after that to Clarks Hill lake for July 4th. I thought this will be a piece of cake and Sarah-Grace was just as excited as I was.

It took about an hour to get to Madison (exit 114) and me being the oh-so-smart-and-organized mom decided to stop at the nice gas station and go potty and change diapers so we could get it out of the way. It then took another 15 minutes to get to Rutledge, Keenchafoonee Road (about 3 miles from the Sunflower Festival). Then it took 45 MINUTES to go the next 3 miles to the festival. That's right apparently thousands of other people read Southern Living like me. People from Alabama and South Carolina (at least those were the licenses we could read while waiting to park for 45 MINUTES). But alas, we finally pulled into our front row parking space (yes God was shining on us because of our patience).

I wasn't banking on the 45 minutes to go the last 3 miles and park and so I had to speed up my time table for the day. But I wasn't panicked, nope I just had to nix the strolling throught the arts and crafts. We would just go in, pick some sunflowers, and check out a few booths - yep everything was under control. So, Tori and I head in, we go straight to the info booth who points us to the line to pick your own bouquet. The line wasn't too long, granted we were beginning to get hot, but so far so good. I took a few pictures and got really excited when I saw the bouquets people were holding around us. Some man even came up and handed me a pair of clippers and told me they had run out so I could have his pair. Yes, everything was going to be fine.

So we get up to the line, pay our $14 for 2 vases and 2 pick your own bouquets and head out into the field of sunflowers. Now, being the oh-so-smart-and-organized mom I dressed myself and the girls in white halter shirts and khaki skorts because I knew it would be hot. What I didn't know was that 2 minutes into the "picking your own sunflowers" we would be drenched in sweat because of the 100 degrees it is outside. Not to mention that its really dry and sunflowers must grow best in dark red Georgia clay because each of us are beginning to be covered in it. But have no fear, Tori is pushing through the field with me and a smile on her face so everything is going to be fine. See Tori, see her smile...

SO, we begin to walk and see the photo op set out in the sunflower field. Tori and I lug the kiddies, the camera and the diaper bag out to it and get our picture. And I'm so glad I did or I wouldn't have been able to capture this moment.. Look closely, you see anything?

Yes, the cute babies, and the sweet aunt willing to put up with all this, but no this would be the exact moment Sarah-Grace informs us she has to go potty again. POTTY AGAIN! My paitence is beginning to wear, not with her really - she is only 4 and it could be worse she could be informing us she wet her pants or something. But seriously I thought ahead, planned it right, we stopped in the nice, clean air conditioned restrooms 12 miles ago so this exact moment wouldn't happen! OK, so I don't freak out maybe its just a false alarm. Sometimes she says she has to go when she really doesn't or she can at least wait until after we are done picking sunflowers, we'll be quick about it.

SO, Tori and I (Tori beginning to look a little discouraged)and the kiddies and the camera and the diaper bag forge on. We walk through the sunflower patch to the appropraite place to begin cutting and Sarah-Grace is starting to cry. SO FINE, we will just lug everyone and everything over to the porta potties and THEN pick our own bouquet. I'm irritated, but I'll get over it. So we walk to the LONG line of the porta potties. Charlotte looks like she has had a shower she is sweating so much and her diaper is looking pretty poofy (probably the entire cup of apple juice she drank the last 45 minutes in the car). Tori is not so happy about this adventure she has signed herself up for and Sarah-Grace is jumping up and down announcing every 30 seconds she has to go potty real bad. We spot a tent with a sign out front "Changing Station". Thank God for small town churches and the sweet and sensible outreach ideas they have because the women from local churches set up a tent with a changing table, wipes, all size diapers and a rocking chair (even a nursing tent) for babies and new moms. Tori offered to go change Charlotte for me while I waited with Sarah-Grace to go potty. I love that girl. We waited a few minutes longer and then it was our turn for the potty.

Now, Sarah-Grace has never been in a porta potty. She walks in and announces that "this is disgusting". I have had about enough. I announce to her that yes it is which is why we stopped 12 miles back for her to go potty in a nice, clean place. She is grossed out and asking me a million questions while I am trying to hold my breath (100 degrees outside and porta potties...you get the drift or rather stench that I was trying not to inhale) and help her go potty. Five minutes later and very frustrated mommy and confused and grossed out little girl and we are out of the porta potty and washing our hands.

We walk back and find Tori and I can see on her face she is at her breaking point, Charlotte is beat red and soaked through with sweat, Sarah-Grace has had about enough of me and I have to make the decision every mother has to when she's planned out a well devised, well anticipated perfect family outing. I let go of that picture perfect trip to the sunflower festival and move to the "abandon-ship" plan. We've all been there (if your a mom). I send Tori back to the air conditioned car to wait for Sarah-Grace and I while we run a 15 minute marathon to pick as many flowers as we possibly can to cover the $14 I just paid and to some how salvage this trip. I needed some fruit (or flowers rather) for the hard labor I had put into planning and executing this outing. Sarah-Grace and I ran to the front of the sunflower patch and just picked as many as we could hold as fast as we could. We picked enough flowers to fill both vases and then ran back to the parking lot. We stopped long enough to take this picture at the entrance. (At this point I was thinging this event could be like a wedding - as long as I had a few good pictures left over that made it look pretty all the actual details would slowly be forgotten.) Notice Sarah-Grace's hair glued to her head from sweat and you may be able to see the red clay paste that has formed on her from the dust and her sweat out in the field.

We get back to the car and Tori has had to use almost an entire bag of wipes on her and Charlotte just to get the red clay and dust off of them (thank goodness I had an extra box of wipes in the back of the car for me and Sarah-Grace). I snapped a few more pictures on the way out of the parking lot and we were off to the lake. Sarah-Grace was quite entertained for the next hour while she cleaned her feet with wipes.

After months of excitement, planning and patience we spent exactly 1 hour at the festival (15 minutes walking in, getting in line, paying for the pick your own bouquet and walking out to the sunflower field, 30 minutes going potty, and 15 minutes actually picking sunflowers), but the memory we made was priceless. Hopefully next year won't be so bad. Yes, I know I'm insane.