I'm dreaming of ...

Well,  it's time for me to write out my holiday wish list for my dear, sweet hubby; who, truth be told, would rather I just buy my own presents; but loves me so much he's willing to brave the wilds of places like the mall and Walmart to secure goodies just for me.

If you couldn't care less what I'd like to see under the tree on Christmas morning, I suggest you scroll on down to my previous post where you can listen to some fine Christmas music. Trust me when I say this song never gets old. I laugh every time I listen to it. 

While I would prefer Jeff were the type of husband who can find thoughtful, appropriate gifts for me all own his own, I know that's not who he is, which is why I take the time to make him out a list of things I'd like. Without this list I might just very well end up with a practical yet not too desirable present like, say, windshield wiper blades or a new kitchen trash can.

I know without him even saying it that Jeff is patiently waiting until Amelia and Lola get old enough for him to hand over the debit card to them and say, "Here, go get your momma something for her birthday and Christmas. Y'all know more what she'd want than I do." However, until that day comes, I'll just keep providing him with this annual guide. 

Honestly, coming up with a list of things I'd like is not that easy. I never have problems buying gifts for my friends and loved ones, but I have a hard time coming up with things I want. Part of it is that I tend to have caviar dreams while we're restricted by a canned tuna budget. For example, there's a ruffled, long cardigan I really like, but I wouldn't dare ask for it because it costs $107. Do you know how many gifts I could buy for my girls with that kind of money? A lot. 

So keeping in mind that I cannot in good conscience ask for anything too pricey because guilt would prevent me from truly enjoying it, I've come up with this list:

I love to read, which is why the first seven items on my list are books. I've heard good things about all of these so any of them would be fine by me. 

1. "Freedom" by Jonathan Franzen 

2. "Just Kids" by Patti Smith.

3. "When Everything Changed ..." by Gail Collins.

4."The Summer We Read Gatsby" by Danielle Ganek.

5. "Naptime is the New Happy Hour" by Stefanie Wilder Taylor

6. "It's not me, it's you," by Stefanie Wilder Taylor

7. "You say tomato. I say shut up," by Annabelle Gurwitch and Jeff Kahn

These next two items are more about need than want. My current slip-on slippers had a blow-out of epic proportions months ago, but I keep wearing them because I love them so much. 

I have two other pairs of slippers, but I prefer the ones I can slip-on especially since they're my main footwear this time of year. I rarely leave the house so slippers suffice for my lifestyle. In the summer I replace them with flip-flops. 

My tennis shoes still look pretty good, but they're not wearing well at all. They've begun to rub my feet in a weird way, which makes me not want to wear them at all.

8. slip-on slippers

9. new tennis shoes

Okay, I have to admit I'd never even heard of this next artist until September when I began hearing her music once a week at Amelia's dance school. The big girls, as I call the advanced students who have class at the same time Amelia does, perform their warm-up routine to the songs on this CD.

Within two weeks of hearing V.V. Brown, whose lyrics I had to Google to figure who she is, I was hooked. This is a great collection of songs, and I'd love to have it to listen to in my van on those rare occasions the girls aren't watching a DVD on the in-vehicle entertainment system.

10. V.V. Brown CD Traveling like the Light

I've been searching for a good moisturizer that will not wreak havoc on my somewhat sensitive combination skin. Oprah says this is some fantastic stuff so I'm willing to give it a try based upon her recommendation because, as we all know, Oprah doesn't recommend garbage. 

11. Hope in a Jar moisturizer by Philosophy

These next two items are recommendations from Amelia, who for years has been head-over-heels crazy in love with infomercials. She's convinved my kitchen collection won't be complete until these items have been added to it. 

12. Perfect Brownie pan

13. Big Top cupcake maker

I always reserve the end of my list for items that I would love to have if money were not an obstacle.  This part of my list has remained relatively unchanged for a few years, but the last item is a new addition this year.

14. A gold and diamond watch

15. A pair of gold channel-set diamond earrings

16. A weekend spa get-away

17. A stove with four working burners. The stove I currently have has only two burners that work, but one of them only works part of the time so more often than not I have to make do with one small burner. I've been able to cook a lot in the microwave or oven, but it's getting aggravating having only one good burner.I truly hope that if Santa doesn't deliver me a new one this year (which I am honestly not expecting) we will be able to buy a new one once we knock out some outstanding bills. 

While I am talking about presents, I have to share that today is my birthday for which I got exactly what I asked for: a DVR for the bedroom. I am truly spoiled, I know.

Most of the time I watch television at night in the bedroom with Amelia while Jeff gets Lola ready for bed in the living room. I'd been recording my shows on the DVR in the living room, but had to wait until late Friday or Saturday night to watch any of them and usually wound up going to sleep before finishing all of them.

Now, I have my very own system on which I can watch my favorite shows at my leisure. I went and picked it up last week, but haven't really got to use it yet since Amelia has been camped out in our bedroom for the last five days recuperating from a nasty case of tonsillitis. 

However, now that she's on the mend I plan to settle in on these cold, cold nights and catch up with my friends on Glee, The Middle, Modern Family, Raising Hope, Community, The Office, and, of course, my gal Oprah.

Music Therapy Thursday: "Merry Christmas from the Family"

This song became my all-time favorite Christmas song when I first heard it a few years ago. I love it because it hits so close to home. I am telling you, this song could have totally been written about my momma's side of the family tree, which is chock full 'o nuts and branches laden with white trash. It's a pitiful lookin' tree, to tell the truth, and it's current state goes a long way toward explaining why I am estranged from just about the whole bunch.

Big props go out to songwriter Robert Earl Keene, who, from the sounds of this song, grew up with a family very much like my own. Country super-duo Montgomery Gentry also put out their own version of this song, but being a purist, I prefer the original. Hope you enjoy it, and may you chuckle as much as I do when listening to it.

For more music therapy, head over to my pal Lindsey's blog for some old-time blue grass. Happy Holidays, y'all!

Ballerina cowgirl

Lola has developed a keen interest in ballet and tap because she goes every week with me to take Amelia to dance class. She is so enamored with the whole thing that she dances along to the music she can hear streaming from the classrooms.

Because she so loves "participating" in her sissy's class, I dug out Amelia's first pair of tap shoes and her first leotard and tutu for Lola to use. These "tapping shoes," as she calls them will be going with us to dance class this week because Lola cried last week because she didn't have her very own shoes to change into.

I also got out Amelia's first pair of ballet shoes, which, by the look on her face, made Lola very happy. We will also be taking these to dance class as well because Lola feels she can't watch the big girls practice their positions without her own "ballerina shoes."

For whatever reason, Lola decided her cowgirl boots were the perfect complement to her ballerina outfit. She looks so precious, but quickly determined they're not the best shoes to wear when attempting pirouettes. Now, if she were doing the boot scootin' boogie they'd been fine, but they don't allow for the gracefulness required in ballet.

Here Lola is attempting to work on the barre during her sister's in-class performance. We were there to watch Amelia show off her skills, but Lola felt it more important to practice her plies.

Amelia is now in her fourth year of dance and is still loving it. Judging by this perfect rendition of fifth position, I'd say her training is paying off. 

 

I am so proud of this little doll and cannot believe she's been doing this for four years because it seems just like yesterday that she looked like this when she used to wear the same tutu Lola is now traipsing around the house in.

Can you help a gal out?

I snagged this bit of information from Kelly over at her blog Kelly's Korner, which you might have read or heard about since it's one of the most read blogs on the world wide web.

Anywho, she posted about a graduate student who'd contacted her seeking help in getting other bloggers to participate in a study. Here's what Kelly posted: 

"Attention lady bloggers! I am Brittney (razorbackbritt.blogspot.com) and I'm a graduate student at the University of Arkansas. And I have to be honest, I am fascinated by the world of blogging and you bloggers. I am completing my Master's in Communication and am working on my thesis- and I decided to study bloggers! And I need your help. If you have 10-15 minutes to take a short survey about blogging and your blog use, I would be forever grateful. I am looking for women who blog primarily about their families to complete this survey for my research. So...if you are a woman who blogs primarily about your family and you have a few extra minutes, would you click this link (www.surveymonkey.com/s/mommyblogs) and take my survey? In just a few minutes you could help this grad student get one step closer to graduation. I appreciate your help more than you'll ever know."

The survey only took me about 10 minutes to complete. So, if you can spare some time, click on the link and help this gal reach her goal of finishing her schooling.

Cute little pony hairs!

Look who finally has enough hair to wear "pony hairs," which is what I called pig tails when I was a little girl. 

When I showed Lola what she looked like with her hair up, she said, "Oh, I so cute!"

Of course, getting her hair up into this cute style was, shall I say, more than challenging. Trying to put her hair in pig tails while she was wiggling like she had ants in her pants was exhausting work! It might have been easier to try and herd a pack of cats. 

Lola was all about having her picture taken to document this pretty hairdo, but she wasn't very cooperative when I asked her to look at the camera. I bet I spent 20 minutes saying, "Lola, look at the camera. No here. See the circle. Look right here. Look at momma," 

My hope was to get some good shots that showed both her pig tails, but I am loving all of these shots whether she's looking at the camera or not. 

Cute, cute, cutie! This picture and the one below just kill me, mainly because they're soooo precious, but also because she looks less like a toddler and more like a preschooler in these pictures. I am NOT ready for her to be a preschooler! 

Because she's definitely my last baby, I am trying to hold onto to every minute of every stage with Lola. I am not going to get to do this again so I am doing my best to soak up as much of her being a toddler as humanly possible.

Tree trimmings

Our Christmas tree is still in the attic, but when we do get it down, which will probably be this weekend, these will be the first ornaments to go on it.

Every year since Amelia was born I've bought an ornament for her. I started doing the same for Lola after she came along. I try to make sure that each ornament represents something special that has happened in the girls' lives during the year.

Last year I got Lola a bear covered in bandages to mark her having had surgery and bought Amelia an ornament designed to look like a chalkboard to commemorate her beginning kindergarten. I went in a bit of a different direction, though, for this year.

Since I couldn't find a billboard-esque ornament and the ones I did find showing the loss of two front teeth were disappointing, I decided instead to order photo ornaments. I found these at www.christmasornaments.com where a multitude of options are available.

I love this tradition and hope my girls treasure each of their ornaments when they get older and put them on their own trees.

I feel all out of sorts

Well, my Thanksgiving Day got off to a rocky start because despite the fact I took the time to blog about my love for the Macy's parade, I never took the time to actually set the DVR to record the blamed thing.

I didn't realize my mistake until the parade was well underway. Jeff suggested I just start recording at that point in time. However, I, being a parade purist (which is a nicer way of saying I'm a tad OCD about the parade), said if I couldn't record the whole thing then I'd rather not record one second of it.

I was sooo mad at myself for forgetting this important detail and terribly sad that I didn't get to watch any of my beloved parade. This is the first time in years I haven't watched it, and I'm feeling a bit lost. How do I start my Christmas season now?

Oh well, I guess I'll muddle through best I can; but you can be danged sure I'll not forget to set my DVR next year. In fact, I've already made a notation in my 2011 calender. I will not miss seeing those lovely high kicks next year, you can bet on that!

Be thankful for all your blessings on this day and all others.

Reason #437 I love my DVR

My favorite part of Thanksgiving since I was a little girl has always been watching the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. For me, watching the parade in my pajamas is the official start of the holiday season.

When I was little I would park myself in front of the television with a bowl of cereal and take in every detail of the parade eagerly anticipating my favorite part - the Rockettes. To this day, I am mesmerized by these famous dancers and love seeing them clasp arms and perform their world-renown high kicks.

These ladies' kicks are what kick-start Christmas for me.

Thanksgiving Days of my youth were always spent with my maternal grandparents and assorted aunts, uncles and cousins. Because they always served supper instead of lunch, I always got to watch the entire parade before being shuttled to the bathroom by my mother to get a bath before the festivities began.

Now that I am a mother I recognize what a boon it was for my mother that I loved the parade so much. Because she knew I'd be glued to the TV and out of her hair for about two hours, she was able to use this time to get herself ready and finish up any food dishes she would be taking to her parents' home. She was sooo lucky!

However, my days of watching the parade in its entirety before heading out to a get-together have been over for quite some time. For years now I've not gotten to watch the parade because we attend Thanksgiving at my in-laws who've always hosted their event at lunchtime. I try to catch some of the parade before leaving but inevitably end up missing most of it.

Watching some of it at their house is out of the question because the only television in their house is in the living room where none of those gathered want to watch the parade let alone have a deep-abiding love for it like I do.I am still aghast at the lack of love for the parade! Blasphemous, I tell you!

But this year I will get to watch the whole thing from beginning to end thanks to our handy-dandy DVR. Watching a recording of the parade will never the the same as watching it live, but it's better than not watching it all.

My numb fingertips are proof of my love for my child

I couldn't feel my fingertips this morning. I also could not feel the ends of my thumbs either. I didn't have a stroke that caused me to lose sensation in my extremities, but rather spent three hours last night tying beads onto a shirt so Amelia could go to school dressed as an Indian princess for her class's Thanksgiving feast.

Normally I like to have plenty of time to attend to projects and would have loved to have had ample time to get this one completed. However, my first-grader waited until yesterday after school but before dance class to tell me she needed an outfit for the feast. This announcement made it clear to me that I'd just become a parenting cliche.

Hoping against hope that I'd saved a quasi-Indian costume my momma once bought for Amelia at a yard sale, I went on a mad search through closets and toy boxes after directing Amelia to get ready for dance class. Having no luck locating the costume, I snatched one of her daddy's t-shirts from the drawer and set about cutting fringe along the bottom hem and sleeves.

In order for the fringe to have an authentic look I knew I'd need to wash the shirt first so, while screaming at Amelia for the umpteenth time to get her tights and leotard on, I gathered a small load of clothes, put them in the washer with the t-shirt and went to make sure Amelia was ready because at this point it was time to leave.

When we returned home two hours later I immediately got the shirt out of the washer and hung it up to dry some before I got to work beading it. I quickly ate my dinner then set about putting the beads on the shirt while watching Dateline NBC's coverage of Prince William and Kate Middleton's engagement. 

Amelia at first was eager to help me by selecting the beads and passing them to me as I requested them. However, her interest lasted about 10 minutes. She couldn't possibly assist me in making this costume because her attention was captured by the tale of commoner Kate snagging herself a real life prince.

I took only tiny breaks from beading, which is why I was able to finish it in three hours. If I hadn't buckled  down and focused on getting this done, I could have easily been up burning the midnight oil for my little lady. Also, let me just say that beading is hard work. I would have never made it as a beader back in the day. The tribe elders would have banished me to work as a potato peeler or corn picker or some other such work that wouldn't cause me to whine, "My fingers hurrrrrtttt!"

Anyway, all my work paid off this morning when Amelia woke up, gazed upon her shirt and proclaimed me to be "the best momma in the whole wide world." She wanted to get dressed immediately, which is highly unusual because normally she likes to laze around for 45 minutes before even contemplating changing out of her pajamas.

Once she had all her garb on, Amelia requested I snap of picture of her decked out for the feast. I couldn't take the photo, though, until she'd decided on the best pose to showcase her fringe and beads. Just knowing she's so proud of my hard work that she wanted to make sure it could be seen in a photo made my heart swell with pride and nearly brought a tear to my eye.

After our photo session, Amelia wanted to look up photos of "real-life" Indians on the Internet to make sure her outfit was historically correct. We didn't find any Indians wearing Twinkle Toes by Skechers or purple tights, but we did find several in which men and women alike were shown wearing fringed and beaded clothing very similar to what I'd made for Amelia.

During our Internet research Amelia decided that a headdress with a feather was more appropriate for a boy. She instead opted to do away with the headdress in favor of "an Indian princess crown," which is actually a piece of gaudy costume jewelry that came from my momma's house. Because we saw several photos of Indian maidens wearing braids in their hair, Amelia announced it was of utmost importance that I braid her hair.

This is what she looked like when I dropped her off at school:

She again wanted to show off her fringe and beads, God love her. I reminded her when we were headed to school that her shirt is a physical symbol of my deep, deep love for her. She seemed genuinely impressed with my work and my love for her.

Even though I sacrificed being able to feel the ends of my fingers for a few hours, I am not alone in giving up something for this little darling. Jeff also sacrificed to make this project a reality. His shirt I used is 21 years old. He received it in basic training after he joined the Army in 1989. It is one of the softest shirts I've ever felt against my skin probably from having been worn and washed for more than two decades.

Now, woe be unto Amelia if she ever tries to tell us that we don't love her because I have proof to the contrary.

Got room for one more?

Even though our couch is quite large, Amelia, Riley, our cat; and Daisy the dog did their best to all squeeze onto one cushion this morning. Maybe the chill in the air resulted in them all wanting to find warmth under Amelia's beloved "yellow blanket?" Regardless of the reason for this precious snuggle session, I couldn't resist snapping a photo of my best gal and her two best pals.

Watch them twinkle!

Christmas came a bit early for Amelia and Lola this week when they each received a brand new pair of Twinkle Toes sneakers by Skechers. Auntie Tee, their great-aunt, very generously bought these precious shoes for my babies; however, she couldn't stand to make them wait until December 25th to open them.

Both girls love their shoes and have worn them everyday since opening them on Monday. Lola is especially proud to have her very own pair because she has for months coveted the pair Amelia already has.

I chased this gal all over the house trying to get a photo in which her shoes were really visible. This is the best I could do. We're going to have to work on teaching her the art of modeling a product while also striking a fierce pose.

Lola cracks me up because she tries to watch the lights on her shoes blink on and off while she's walking in them. Attempting to watch her toes twinkle while walking around the house has caused Lola to run into all sorts of things including the garbage can, which she knocked over causing a mess in the floor. 

Just for the record, this turn of events did not crack me up. I was also not amused when Lola kept shouting, "Look at the lights, momma!" while I was trying to clean egg shells and coffee grounds from the floor.

Amelia has been crazy in love with this brand of shoes since receiving a pair for her birthday back in April. That pair got LOTS of wear, but had to be retired when she could no longer squeeze her little feet into them; although, believe me she tried. 

Like any woman who refuses to give up a good pair of shoes, Amelia was willing to try to smile through the pain and wear her beloved shoes until she could stand them no longer. Thank goodness Auntie Tee saved the day with a new pair for her. Otherwise we might have ended up forking over heaps of money to the podiatrist for repairs to her feet harmed by being forced into a pair of too-small shoes.

Now there's a girl who understands how to model a pair of shoes! And, I didn't have to spend 10 minutes chasing her and waste 16 shots on the camera to get this fantastic photo!

Grateful to our veterans

"The liberties of our country, the freedom of our civil constitution, are worth defending against all hazards: And it is our duty to defend them against all attacks." Samuel Adams

For me?

Today is National Housewife Day. I feel so honored to know there's a day set aside just for me and the other women like me. I wish I could share that I am celebrating by spending the day being pampered at a spa; but, alas, I am merely marking this day as I mark all others: by being the momma and housewife that I am.

Those of us who choose to stay home to raise our children and "keep house," as my grandmother would have said, are often unappreciated and undervalued. Truth be told, the very people of whom we're in charge of caring for are often the ones who most frequently take for granted the jobs we do. 

Those we love most sometimes don't seem to grasp that without us they would likely be living in filth - or a much larger level of filth - without clean clothes and nutritious (as well as not-so-nutritious food) and chaos would reign because no one would be able to find a thing because there would be no system of organization in place.

While I try to be a "Polly Positive" most of the time regarding the road I've chose to travel in this life, there are days when I get overwhelmed and feel as though I am a pitiful example of a modern mother and housewife. But the majority of the time I am sure that this is the job I was meant to do and feel I am exceptionally good at it despite the fact I've had zero training except what I've received "on the job."

Being a mother is the one thing I know I am instinctively good at. I know I am a good writer, but I am trained at it and have a bachelor's degree and clip file to prove it. I am also a good pharmacy technician, but it took me 12 years of hard work to be able to say that. But, being a mom is something I've wanted to do as long as I can remember and something that comes naturally to me.

I've made the point before, but it bears repeating, that this is the best job I've ever had despite the fact the demands are constant, the job requirements can change in an instant and the monetary rewards are nonexistent. Even though I don't earn a salary, I do get paid in hugs and kisses. It's just too bad Walmart won't accept those in exchange for food and other goods. If they did, I'd never have to shop with a calculator again!

Happy National Housewife Day! Take a moment to enjoy the video. If you're a mom, whether you stay at home or work outside of it, you'll definitely be able to relate to this cute little ditty.

Trick-or-Treat!

Music therapy Thursday: "But Anyway"

Inspired by fellow blogger Lindsey over at Squeezing the Day, I am sharing a favorite performance from a band I love, Blues Traveler. Listening to this song, or any of their music for that matter, never fails to transport me back to the mid-1990s when I was in college. I used to listen to Blues Traveler full blast while tooling around the campus of Jacksonville State University in my little maroon Volkswagen Jetta. Enjoy!

Creative cutie

 

Coloring has become one of Lola's favorite activities. It is also a favorite of mine for the simple fact that I can plop her down with crayons, paper and our handy-dandy purple lap desk and know she'll be occupied long enough for me to balance the checkbook or check email or Facebook. 

While Amelia was in preschool her teacher would everyday send home coloring pages that they didn't have time to complete in class. I am so glad I saved those because they have become Lola's version of school. She loves that she can sit down and do "work" like her big Cissy. 

I love that it's easy to fold a few and stash them in the diaper bag along with some crayons for those rare trips out to eat. These pages are much easier to take along with us instead of a full-size coloring book, and they will occupy both girls while they wait for their food.

Probably the best thing, though, about our stash of coloring pages is that Lola is actually learning from them. Just yesterday she was coloring a page on which a zebra with the letter Z was printed. We talked about the zebra, its colors and where they live after which we discussed why Z goes with zebra. I think she grasped most of what I was teaching her.

When Lola finally does go to preschool, I imagine Ms. Brooks, who was also Amelia's teacher, being very surprised to discover Lola not only has seen the pages they use in class but also understands the things that are printed upon them. That would be a hoot!

Oh, how she loves them!

Jeff and I took the girls on Tuesday to see three of their cousins at their final football game of the season. We didn't stay very long though because a random thunderstorm forced us out of the stadium and back home. I was so aggravated because it hasn't rained in weeks here, but the sky opted to open up on the very night we venture out to see the kids in action.

Getting out of the house on a school night is rare for us anyway because we're slaves to our routine and our world seems to crumble if we don't adhere to our schedule. However, we made an exception this week because we wanted to show our support for Carson, Kelsey and Zoey - or "the triplets" as they're more commonly known in the family.

As I drove into town Jeff remarked about every 2.5 seconds that it looked as though it was going to rain. However, I pressed on because this was our last opportunity to see the kids perform this season. Plus, Amelia was excited beyond compare to get the chance to see her cousins.

We arrived shortly after kick-off and quickly found the triplets' parents as well as Grandmaw who'd also made the drive over to see her eldest grandchildren take the field. We'd barely gotten settled on the bleachers when the rains came. At first it was very minimal, but soon umbrellas were unleashed as Mother Nature dropped her bounty upon us.

We got to see Carson decked out in his gear standing on the sideline. That's him wearing number 60 pictured below. Jeff learned from his brother Scott, the kids' dad, that Carson actually got to play the entire second half. I hate that we missed seeing him. Maybe we can catch a game next year.

We'd hoped to see Zoey and Kelsey perform with the band at half-time. Zoey plays the flute in the band, and Kelsey is a majorette. However, the band director made the decision early in the second quarter that the band would not be performing this evening. As a former band geek, I was really looking forward to seeing them marching as was Amelia who's never seen a marching band live and in person before. 

Amelia did manage to squeeze in some brief quality time with Zoey, above at left, and Kelsey while Jeff and I enjoyed some nice conversation with Scott and Grandmaw. 

Right now, these girls are Amelia's heroes. They're 13 years old, and, as far as she's concerned, very worldly and mature. She looks up to them so much and would love to seem them every day, but at present only gets to see them on holidays or if they make a random appearance at Grandmaw's house when she also happens to be there.

In about two-and-a-half years these kids will be driving at which time Amelia will be eight and likely still over-the-moon crazy about them so I am hopeful they will take it upon themselves to drive to our house occasionally to see this little lady. Don't get me wrong, Amelia also loves Carson, even though, shy boy that he is, I don't think he's ever spoke more than six sentences to her in her entire life; but it's these gals of whom she's most enamored.

I hope my girls can always have special relationships with their cousins because these three as well as Parker and Payton, who are the children of Jeff's younger brother, are the only first cousins they will ever have. I am an only child so there will be no first cousins from my side, and I am estranged from the majority of the people in my momma and daddy's families so my children will never know family from my side.

Presently, my focus is on making sure Amelia and Lola understand that regardless of what happens in the future with their extended family they will always have a loving and accepting immediate family here in our home. Having the same love and acceptance from others in their bloodlines will just be a bonus.

The Alabama heat claims another victim

A little over a week ago Amelia's class at school went on a field trip to a local farm where they enjoyed traipsing through a corn maze, petting a menagerie of animals, getting a first-hand look at how food gets from the farm to their house and playing in loose corn until they were exhausted.

Part of this trip also involved picking out their very own pumpkin. Amelia chose what I like to call a "Goldilocks" pumpkin because it was not too big, not too small but just right. She was chomping at the bit to carve it that very afternoon, but had to wait a couple of days until her daddy was available to help her tackle this endeavor. 

Amelia's job in carving the pumpkin turned out to be one that involved more supervising than actual work as she was not at all interested in digging out the guts of the pumpkin and tired very quickly of trying to carve out the design she chose with a saw that is shorter than my middle finger. So she played and bugged her sister while Jeff took on the task of creating a witch on the front of the pumpkin, which I think turned out very well.

 

The artists and their work.

A close-up of their detailed work

In the dark the pumpkin looks fabulous.

Amelia posing with her jack-o-lantern, which she thought looked "extra scary" with the jump rope draped over it. 

I wish I could report that the jack-o-lantern still looks as good as it does in these photos; but, sadly, a week of unusually warm almost 90-degree days has taken a toll on this Halloween masterpiece. As of this morning, it was looking quite limp and pitiful. See if you agree:

I promised Amelia we will get her another pumpkin to carve before Halloween. I am waiting, though, because the extended forecast calls for continued highs in the upper 70s and low 80s. I just don't see the point in Jeff and Amelia putting more effort into another pumpkin if it's just going to end up a shriveled smorgasbord for ants and flies.

Recollections of a former reporter

Before I became the domestic goddess I am today I worked as a reporter at a local community newspaper for four years and a major metropolitan newspaper for about a year. 

My time on the beat was interesting to say the least and provided me with not only a wealth of education I couldn't have gotten in college but also heaps of stories that stick with me to this very day. Some of these stories are hilarious, others infuriating, many are heart-warming, some immensely sad and a few are very eye-opening - like the story about Alyssa.

I came to tell Alyssa's story by way of an alert that came over the police scanner one afternoon. The dispatcher on duty called out a string of numbers that caught my attention mainly because they weren't the numbers I'd become so accustomed to hearing that I'd learned to tune them out. I recall turning in my office chair to look up the call numbers when my phone rang. 

I answered the phone to discover it was one of my reliable sources calling to let me know that firefighters and paramedics were on their way to answer a call that a child had been run over by a lawnmower. I remember gasping into the receiver upon hearing this information.

I got off the phone with my source and immediately began dialing up other folks I figured would be in the know in an attempt to verify the story. I didn't want to just show up on the scene of the accident because number one I wasn't eager to see first-hand such a sight and number two accidents are traumatic enough for families and friends but tend to be doubly so when a child is involved. I erred on the side of caution an opted not to make an appearance mostly for fear I might be run off by upset and anxious folks none too keen to have a reporter nosing around during such a trying time.

I did, however, manage to get the local police chief to talk to me on the record and confirm a child had been injured by a lawnmower and had been transferred to a children's hospital, but he was unable to tell me how extensive the injuries were or whether they were life-threatening.

The story, which was rather short, appeared in the next edition and could have ended there, but I continued to wonder about this child as did so many readers who called to ask if I had any more information about her. It was one of these callers who gave me the child's name, told me where her mother worked and asked if I could find out how Alyssa was doing. That's the beauty of working at a small-town newspaper: everyone knows everyone else and they're often willing to share what they know about other folks.

Finally I had the information I needed to track down this little girl and get the whole story. Thanks to my informed caller I knew Alyssa was still in the hospital, but was expected home within the week. I waited almost two weeks before calling the mother at work to ask if she'd be willing to talk with me about what had happened to her daughter.

At the time I made the call I had no children of my own, so I really couldn't relate to what this mother had been through, but I worried she would not be pleased to have a reporter calling asking her to recall for the whole community this traumatic event. I figured she'd probably hang up on me.

However, she shocked me by being willing to share her family's story. She wanted to confirm with her husband that it was okay with him, but seemed eager to tell the truth about what had happened especially since rumors and half-truths about the accident had run rampant in our little town.

I met the family a few days later at the mother's office where I got my first glimpse of Alyssa. She was a precious toddler with strawberry blonde hair and a bright pink cast on her leg. Her mom and dad explained to me that the cast was put on after doctors performed major surgery on Alyssa's ankle, foot and toes - all of which suffered extensive damage from the mower.

The accident happened while Alyssa was playing on a slide at her grandparent's home. Apparently, she landed at the bottom of the slide just as her grandfather made a pass in that area on the mower. Her foot slid directly under the mower deck where it was hit one, possibly two times, before her grandfather was able to stop the blades. 

Alyssa lost several toes, suffered some major blood loss, received serious injuries to tendons and nerves and lost the feeling in most of her foot. None of that slowed her down, though. As I talked to her parents and older sister, Alyssa crawled all over her mother's office and even pulled herself to a standing position several times and attempted to walk with that heavy cast on.

Her parents shared that the doctors wanted Alyssa to not try to walk while wearing her cast for fear she might damage the areas that were trying to heal. They also didn't want her to become accustomed to walking in the cast because they worried it might make it harder for her to work with physical therapists  to relearn how to properly walk after the cast came off.

None of those concerns deterred Alyssa. She had places to go and things to inspect cast or no cast. I recall her dad telling me they'd just given up on trying to keep her off her leg. In fact, Alyssa made it clear that she wasn't going to let what happened to her keep her from what she wanted to do because when I asked her what she was going to do when the doctors removed her cast, she replied emphatically, "I gonna walk!"

I had the pleasure of running into Alyssa and her family about three years ago at a community festival. I'd long since quit the newspaper business to stay home and raise my family but I'd never forgotten Alyssa. I introduced myself to her parents who immediately remembered me and shared that my story about them had a really positive impact on their lives. The filled me in on Alyssa's progress since the accident and even had the now pre-teen come over and show me her foot. 

I have to say her foot looked surprisingly good for having been basically mangled by a lawn mower. Alyssa shared that not having most of the toes on that foot doesn't bother her and certainly doesn't keep her from doing whatever she wants. In fact, she seemed kind of proud to have something about her that made her stand out from her peers.

I told Alyssa and her family how I'd never forgotten about them and how I'd often wondered how things turned out for them. I thanked them for letting me know, as Paul Harvey would have said, the rest of the story; and I let them know that because of Alyssa I am super careful when it comes to lawn mowers and my kids. 

Alyssa's dad seemed especially glad to hear that and said it was good to know even one person learned a lesson about mower safety from their horrible ordeal. I have to believe this was for him somewhat of a silver lining for having lived to tell about going through his own personal hell. I cannot begin to fathom living through such an experience but I will always be grateful to this family for being able to share their story so others could learn from their tragedy.

Rescue pack! Coming to the rescue?

I am not too keen on Lola's newest choice of place to perch while watching television. While I admire the great work performed by Rescue Pack from "Go, Diego, Go!" , I am not to sure I can depend on him to leap out of the television and come to her aid should she tumble off the entertainment center.

Finding her stretched out here as well as in a few other less-than-desirable places in the living room is why I no longer leave her alone in there. If I venture any farther than the kitchen, I take her with me just to be on the safe side. At the rate she's learning to climb, I just might find her on top of this center if I were to leave her alone too long.

She's a techie just like her old man

 

I wasn't anticipating we, as a family of four, would ever have four computers in the house; but that's exactly what came to pass recently when Amelia became the proud owner of her very own laptop.

Now, before anyone goes and gets on their soapbox to tell me that no parents should purchase a computer to be used only by their six-year-old, let me inform everyone that we did not buy this piece of equipment. It was a gift from Amelia's very generous great-aunt who adores this child and knows her love for and aptitude with computers. 

It's an immense blessing to us that Jeff is a computer programmer who is adept at handling software as well as hardware issues. He had this computer up and running in no time, which made Amelia one very happy little lady. I am thrilled I could leave all those issues to him because had I had to deal with them we would have been quite a bit poorer due to me having to call in the Geek Squad to work their magic.

Jeff moved Amelia's bookmarks from our desktop PC and then put all kinds of blocks and controls in place to insure she doesn't get an eyeful of naughty co-eds or dirty housewives while trying to get to PBS Kids or Nick Jr. I am so grateful for this technology because I am not at all ready to have to explain to my first grader what a gang bang is, which, honest to goodness, happened to a friend.

After getting the computer ready to go, Jeff and I then rearranged so Amelia could use it in the kitchen rather than in her bedroom - the reasoning for which is twofold: 1. Having it in a common area allows us to make sure she doesn't spend so much time on it that she falls into a stupor and we find her with drool dripping out the side of her mouth and 2, She still needs our help quite often while navigating the world wide web so having her in the kitchen makes helping her easier for us- not to mention on her voice because were she in her room she would just holler until she was hoarse rather than come find us to request assistance. 

Most of Amelia's time online is spent playing games from which she's actually learning something useful like matching, math, spelling, rhyming and reading. She doesn't actually realize how much she's learning from these games, but we do. She's just thrilled to get to play online so I decided to use this to help boost her knowledge of art and music.

Amelia loves both art and music, but unfortunately attends a school that doesn't offer in-depth instruction in either subject. Sending her to a well-funded school where she could get such an education isn't an option right now, but tapping into some of their resources is, which is exactly what I did.

The Mountain Brook School System is probably the best in our state.  I looked them up online and went to the website for one of their best elementary schools. I then located their first grade section and found a plethora of links to music and art websites that teachers at this school recommend for their students. 

I showed Amelia all the new sites she could go to and she was so excited, She dove right in checking each one out and found a few she really, really likes. I am just pleased as punch that I can make it possible for her to get an extra boost in her education - even if it's learning camouflaged as fun.

That's my baby!

L

Lola and I took a short road trip this morning to snap a few photos of the billboard on which she is featured. I was so excited to find it and even more pumped to discover it's in color since all previous Child of Children's billboards have been in black and white.

Amelia has been reporting that her baby sister is "famous" because she's on the billboard as well as a magazine. I think Amelia might be a tad bit jealous of all the attention Lola has been getting, but, truth be told, I'd prefer she never have had the condition and the operation that resulted in her becoming a Child of Children's. I am working to get Amelia to understand that we'd rather Lola be "famous" for something else.

And, I did not agree to allow Lola's story and photos to be shared across our state with any aspirations that she would be famous. While I am immensely proud of her and how she is thriving since her surgery, I am not seeking any fame for her or our family by sharing our story.

Instead, I hope that by sharing our story we can be an inspiration to other families who've weathered a major health event with their child. Additionally, I am more than happy to promote Children's Hospital in Birmingham, AL and share how wonderfully we were treated during Lola's stay there and what amazing doctors and nurses we encountered, and continue to encounter every time we return for a check-up.

Careful, don't get any drops of Jupiter on your skirt

I recently took Amelia shopping for clothes, a trip necessitated by the fact she had, in the span of two months, outgrown nearly every article of clothing in her closet.

We drove over an hour to one of the fancy-pants malls in our area in which a Gymboree store can be found. I personally love the clothes at Gymboree. They are cute as pie, can be mixed and matched to infinity and hold up really well to the stresses only a six-year-old can exert upon them.

Plus, and this is a big plus, because they withstand so well all that Amelia puts them through, I can be assured that Lola will also get to wear these same clothes, which somewhat allows me to justify spending $35.99 on a pair of kid's jeans - $30 of which is probably eat up by spangles and jewels.

Anyway, Amelia was psyched about our excursion until it became clear we were actually only going to be purchasing clothes. Had she been in charge we would have loaded up on jewelry and hair accessories at Gymboree and then headed over to Build-A-Bear where she would have built one of every kind of critter in stock.

I somehow managed to corral her in the dressing room to try on clothes, which turned out to be a very good thing because the child was a full size bigger than I'd expected her to be! Initially, Amelia was none too excited to have to try on clothes, but once she began to see how cute she looked in each outfit her attitude perked up. 

Additionally, Sharon, the very helpful Gymboree employee, who must have been bucking for some kind of sales award, became Amelia's personal cheerleader and never failed to offer extra pieces to an outfit as well as the aforementioned jewelry and hair accessories to my little fashionista who would proclaim each addition to be immensely necessary to completing her look. 

We left Gymboree with a full bag, but not empty pockets thanks to coupons and discounts added to the 30-percent-off sale price. (I saved the receipt just because I love being able to prove that I came home with more than $500 worth of clothes for just a smidge over $200.) It was my intent to head over to Belk to look for shoes for Amelia because without new shoes for fall and winter she would end up wearing flip-flops all year since that was the only thing in her closet that still fit her rapidly-expanding feet.

However, our walk to Belk was slowed by a fit in front of Build-A-Bear that threatened to escalate into a full-blown meltdown. I managed to keep Amelia from having a complete come-apart by suggesting she request from either Grandmaw, Auntie Tee or Santa Claus a gift card to Build-A-Bear for Christmas. While not entirely happy that we weren't immediately going to build enough stuffed animals to fill a zoo, she was placated enough by the thoughts said animals might be in her future to continue with me on our trek to Belk.

We continued on our way slowed only by three requests from people of Asian descent who were plugging their new massage therapy storefront who wanted to know if I would "liken a massage. Only take 30 minutes." I passed on the chance to be rubbed on in front of a picture window for all the city's most uppity shoppers to see and instead opted to enjoy a sit-down while Amelia played at an indoor, space-themed playground.

My gal was fired up about this playground and loved that she could perch high atop Jupiter ("see, Momma, it's the one with the big red spot.") and ride on a small-scale replica of the space shuttle. I let her play awhile, but forced her to leave once it became clear to me that a new group of children at the playground were intent on trying to scare the bejesus out of all the other kids by lying in wait and then jumping out and screaming at the tops of their lungs. 

After a few rides on the escalator and a stop at an import store to purchase a Chinese fan and a pair of chopsticks for my child who is a lover of all things Chinese, we made it to Belk where the selection of kids' shoes was pitiful as was their options in apparel. I decided we'd be better off shopping for shoes at Target so we headed to the van for a quick trip over the mountain.

Amelia was not happy at all to be heading to another store, but perked up once we arrived in the shoe section, where, as I predicted, there was a multitude of choices. We loaded up on shoes, picked up a few things on the grocery side and then packed up for the drive home.

Once we got home, Amelia, who was finishing up her dinner of chicken strips, chips and apples and strawberries that we'd snagged at the Target deli, was somewhat reluctant to show her daddy all of her clothes, although the fan and chopsticks were whipped out very quickly. After some prodding, she pulled out her clothes and shoes for a quick fashion show for Jeff and Lola, who was keenly interested in getting her hands on all her sister's stuff. 

After the show, Jeff asked Amelia if she had a good time spending the whole day with momma. She promptly reported that I refused to allow her carte blanche at Build-A-Bear Workshop, wouldn't drop mucho dinero for her to ride an overgrown slingshot and tried to make her ride the down escalator when she only likes riding the up escalator. Jeff prompted her for good news about our day to which she replied: "I got to watch a whole Barbie movie in one trip!"

Oh well. At least memories were made. And, most importantly, clothes and shoes were procured so that child might be sufficiently covered at least until Christmas. At the rate she's been growing, we'll be making this trip again in January.

Our little explorer

 Digging in the dirt is one of  Lola's favorite outdoor activities. I figured I'd let her use this planter to play in since I cannot seem to get anything to grow in it.

Ever since Mother Nature decided to turn the thermostat here in Alabama down from scorching hot to merely mildly sweltering I've been trying to spend more time outside with Lola. 

She absolutely loves getting to play outside and is content to explore our yard to find a multitude of treasures like rocks, leaves, sticks, seeds and "pop combs," which is her term for pine cones. I usually spend this time relaxing in a chair on the front porch reading one of the many magazines I subscribe to but rarely take the time to sit down and read. 

Getting to read in peace while Lola occupies herself is truly a luxury for me because I never got to do this with Amelia. Oh, I took her outside, but, from an early age, she needed to be entertained or directed in her outdoor activities. It's like she just didn't grasp the concept of finding something to do on her own, and she's like that to this day. 

This little personality trait in Amelia used to both worry and frustrate me, but seeing how happy Lola is just to escape the confines of the house lets me know that Amelia's dislike for the great outdoors is just part of who she is just as Lola's love for it is part of her. 

Truth be told, Amelia gets this quirk from me. I spent plenty of time as a child outside playing, riding bikes, building clubhouses and getting into all sorts of things, but I always did so with my friends who lived across the street. I never cared to venture outside by myself in search of something to do and neither does Amelia.

Sadly, Amelia doesn't have any children who live nearby with whom she can play outside; but, on the upside, as Lola gets older, Amelia is learning to enjoy playing with her more and more so, hopefully, Lola will one day be able to be an outside playmate for Amelia and show her all the wondrous things that are to be found just outside our doors.

Friday five: They sure love this cat!