It ain’t the Gulf

This weekend we had a little family getaway to Myrtle Beach. Jackson constantly begs to go to the beach so we decided to take him before summer’s end. I booked our room on Sunday without realizing we had tix to the Sheryl Crow concert Sunday night. Oh well, busy weekend ahead.
On Friday, we drove down and checked in and immediately went to eat. Yes, it was a little crowded and we knew our limits with our kids. Instead of the fancy seafood places with long waits, we settled for a nice Mexican dinner. Complete with the parental pitcher of Margarita’s. Yep, we got a couple of wise looks but hey, we’re on vacation too. Besides, it won the world’s weakest margarita for 2 years in a row. After our burritos and taco salad, we went out for a beach tour. Just as we remembered, the brown, rocky sand awaited us. Some people just LOVE the Atlantic coast, and I’m not complaining about the coast being 2 hours away but I’m a faithful lover of my friendly Florida panhandle white sand beaches. My heart can not be swayed (oil or not). Jackson held nothing back and took off. Lincoln was already too tired to enjoy it much but he pretended to like it for a second then reclaimed his spot on my hip.
Although nightfall had set in, Lincoln was having no part in this hotel stay. I admit the bed wasn’t as comfortable as our sleeping arrangements at home but we did have the ocean in the background. After several hours of unsuccessful kid hypnotics, we succumbed to an earlier than planned bedtime to convince our children it was time to sleep.
As I had suspected, as soon as the sun peaked over the horizon, Lincoln was calling my name to remove him from that awful cage and Jackson was bouncing off the beds asking to go to the beach. We arouse, dressed in swim gear and headed out for breakfast. I would have preferred the made to order omelet but that required getting the kids to agree on getting in the car and going somewhere and I just didn’t see that happening. We settled on the hotel buffet and well, their weak coffee just wasn’t exactly what I needed after the early rising but I’m willing to compromise for my children. We spent the first couple of hours at the beach with Lincoln crying due to lack of sleep and Jackson running around in complete oblivion. He was searching high and low for crabs and sea shells. As soon as the hotel water park opened, we were a few of its first guests. We spent an hour there sliding and splashing and floating around the lazy river before Lincoln suggested lunch and a nap. We headed upstairs and had a picnic over the hotel coffee table of turkey and mayonnaise sandwiches. We bedded for nap but I think Lincoln was the only one successful one in the effort.
After naptime, we beached more and Jackson found a friend who helped him make a village of sand castles. About 70 of them total. After the friend left, Jackson was left to bask in his creation all alone until Lincoln decided it would be FUN to squash them. Well, you can imagine this didn’t go over so well with Jackson. Lincoln destroyed and Jackson squealed. . I always thought it would be the other way around. At one time, I’m pretty sure I heard Jackson say he wanted to sell him for $15 dollars. And they say everyone has a price.
We decided to try the Carolina Coastal tradition of seafood. It’s the only way we’ve found it around here and we knew it wasn’t our style. Again, it ain’t the Gulf but…we are off to eat seafood Calabash. For those unsuspecting, it is actually a fried seafood buffet in disguise. I’ll admit the selection was vast. They had sushi, fried cheese sticks and WHOLE lobster and crawfish. The crab legs were a big hit for Jason and Jackson. Lincoln was a little traumatized by the sheer size of the crawfish. They didn’t’ come from the Mobile Bay area that was for sure.
Bedtime came around a little easier the second night. The next morning, after packing up the car, we played a quick HOT round of miniature golf at the “Pirate Place.” Jackson really just wanted to pay to walk around the holes; the whole hitting the ball around was just a detail. It was a fun trip to the Atlantic Coast area and may well be our last one. After we move back to the “south” I think most of our trips will be reserved for our one true love…Sugar white sand beaches, grilled seafood and emerald waters…the Florida/Alabama Gulf Coast Beaches!

ONE word Wednesday

MESS

Gone

Gone are the days of a quick trip or weekend “getaways.” I didn’t “getaway” from anything. The whining, the laundry and the “feed me’s” followed me here.
Gone are the leisurely days at the beach laying out and reading a book. Now I chase a crying 1 year old who needs a nap while keeping a fearless 4 year old from being taken away by the rip tide.
Gone are the days of a cooler filled with beer and ice. Now our cooler carries, mostly juice boxes, diet soda and creamer for the necessary morning coffee.
Yes, Gone are the days of staying up late and sleeping in late. Even with the courtesy room darkening blinds, we all go to bed when the kids do. One, they refuse to go to sleep without knowing your fun is extinguished and two, you’re too tired from chasing them to stay up anyway. Oh and then there’s the fact that they are sure to wake sometime before dawn, realize they are in a new place and be up for the morning. Here’s where the necessary coffee comes into play.
Gone are the days of wishing for sunny hot days. Now, I long for cloudy (not rainy) days that don’t require sweat or the re-application of sun screen multiple times.
Gone are the days of driving around looking for a Grande breakfast. Now, I don’t even bother turning down powdered egg and weak coffee buffets because that doesn’t require leaving the property and that simply requires too much effort.
Gone are the days of late drinks and dinners. Yep, now we eat at the Mexican restaurant at the beach because it was the only place without a wait. Mind you, it was only 6pm.

These are the days that we get to walk on the beach before anyone else has stepped foot on the sand.
These are the days we get to be the first at the pool and the first at the waterpark.
These are the days we are back in the room having a picnic lunch over the coffee table of turkey and mayo sandwiches at 11am. It will soon be naptime.
These are the days when excitement comes from the “giant crab” while driving down the road. Or there’s the “giant bucket” that dumps water on you in the waterpark.
These are the days WE will remember. These are the days we will make memories for our children to reflect on. These are the days that will simply go by too fast. These are the days we will want to hold onto forever…and all too soon, they will be GONE.

{Photos and vacation recap to follow.}

Ten on Tuesday (or Thursday?)

Just to be clear, all my questions are coming from here. Ten on Tuesday

1. Think back a decade, do you remember what your first cellphone was?
Was it as cool as Zack Morris’s phone?
Ha, ha! My first cell phone was an "emergency only" phone. It was pretty cool. It was WOOD GRAIN. For real, though.


2. What is the first children’s book you remember being read to you?
Hmm, my mom must have read A LOT to us or at least for a long time. I have every Little Golden Book she ever read us and I remember them all, fairly vividly. I even remember her dialect when she read them. One of my favorites is "There's a Monster at the End of This Book!" starring furry loveable Grover.



3. What was your first car? Did you love it or hate it?
Well, I was an unfortunate one at age 16. I had a couple of accidents and by a couple, I mean like 10! Seriously. I had a 1998 (brand new at the time) Ford Taurus (ugh, family car) at first, then I had to drive dad's new F-150 stick shift (which I wasn't very good at), then there was a white nissan maxima, a black thunderbird and eventually a red thunderbird that was willed to me when I got married. I left out the Oldsmoblie 88 (Huge granny car) that daddy made me drive in between the accidents.)

4. Who was your hero growing up?
The first one I can remember, I was a little older. I was like in middle school and it was the cast of 90210. I wanted to BE those glamorous girls. I kinda still do!

5. Think back to your first kiss. Was it everything you dreamed of?
Um, no. It was everything teenager filled, drama. It was silly and WAY too built up. It was in a recreation center basement/gymnasium at a boy/girl birthday party.

6. What was your first BAD hairstyle choice? (Extra points for embarrassing photos)
When I was little, my mom kept us in a bowl cut. I hated it and it matched my sisters bowl cut. I always wanted longer hair. So when I was old enough to decide myself, I let it grow out and haven't had it short since.

7. What was your first realistic dream? (One where you had to think “Oh dang, was that a dream?”)
Ok, I vividly remember a dream from like age 7-8 continuing until around 14. I dreamed I was playing with a friend in a strange house that was about 4 stories high. It had one of those black iron spiral staircases. It was a BIG house. We were playing with bristle blocks (I had them as a kid) I never remembered if my mom was there. I think she was but the house was so big, I couldn't find her.
The dream was so real, I would wake up and wonder if we'd been to that house sometime before. I think I still wonder.

8. What was the first phobia you remember developing?
Spiders, always spiders. I have always been afraid of them. There were brown ones at our old house outside. The wood spiders, I think. I hated them, I still do. I'm definitely arachnophobic.

9. Which character on Sesame Street do you most identify with?
On the new and improved Sesame Street, I'd have to say Zoe. She's the primadonna ballerina with the cool clothes/costume. I always wanted to be a ballerina too, they get to wear cool tutu's and what girl doesn't like tutu's?

10. What was the hardest goal you ever accomplished?
This is a loaded questions. Learning to LOVE running is one of my best goals. I never thought I'd love it, and some days, I still don't (thanks, humidity!) but for the most part, I love to run. I began running because I needed to loose the "jackson" weight. It also helped tremendously with the "lincoln" weight but I also learned that I loved the sense of accomplishment that comes with improvement. I also like the rhythmic pattern of your feet hitting the pavement. It's my solace.
Becoming a mother wasn't HARD. Loving the job wasn't hard either. Identifying myself as a Stay at Home Mom and being comfortable with that took some work. I had a college education. I had a decent job. But when Jackson came along, we couldn't see a future of him growing up in daycare. It wasn't a decision we made one night. We just "knew". So now, I'm a highly educated stay at home mom who does anything but stay at home!

HOT new hobby!

While Nana and PawPaw were visiting, they introduced us to a cool new hobby. Well, to say "cool" would be debatable. It was a HOT HOT week when they were here. We topped out at over 100 most of the days. So as early as we could get out the door, we were off letterboxing. Mom had located some maps in the pinehurst/southern pines area and we were "searching for treasure" as we told Jackson. The first location was at the Sandhills Community College Horticultural Gardens. If it hadn't been over 100 outside, it would have been a wonderful garden to walk around in but considering the heat, we were on a mission to find that box. Armed with mom's trusty myster bottle to spray us (when Lincoln wasn't drinking it), we searched and FOUND our first letter box. Try to ignore the sweat dripping from us in the photos of our find.

Throughout the week, we looked for a few more. One at Reservoir Park in Southern Pines. After a long walk, we discovered that the box must have been burned during one of the states control burns because after we followed all directions, the box was no where. Then we made another trip to Southern Pines and searched for one supposedly at our favorite park, Camelot. It wasn't there either but we had a good time playing on the playground. Then, late in the day, we made it to the Southern Pines train station where we found one of 2 in that area. We located the "black hole" just before dark. Mission Complete!

What is Letterboxing?
Letterboxing is an intriguing mix of treasure hunting, art, navigation, and exploring interesting, scenic, and sometimes remote places. It takes the ancient custom of placing a rock on a cairn upon reaching the summit of a mountain to an artform. It started when a gentleman simply left his calling card in a bottle by a remote pool on the moors of Dartmoor, in England.
Here's the basic idea: Someone hides a waterproof box somewhere (in a beautiful, interesting, or remote location) containing at least a logbook and a carved rubber stamp, and perhaps other goodies. The hider then usually writes directions to the box (called "clues" or "the map"), which can be straightforward, cryptic, or any degree in between. Often the clues involve map coordinates or compass bearings from landmarks, but they don't have to. Selecting a location and writing the clues is one aspect of the art.

Once the clues are written, hunters in possession of the clues attempt to find the box. In addition to the clue and any maps or tools needed to solve it, the hunter should carry at least a pencil, his personal rubber stamp, an inkpad, and his personal logbook. When the hunter successfully deciphers the clue and finds the box, he stamps the logbook in the box with his personal stamp, and stamps his personal logbook with the box's stamp. The box's logbook keeps a record of all its visitors, and the hunters keep a record of all the boxes they have found, in their personal logbooks.


What Do I Need to Hunt for Letterboxes?
At the very minimum you will need the clues. You should also have a personal stamp, inkpad, personal logbook, and a pencil (for writing in the box's logbook, if you want). Depending on the clue, you may also need a compass, map, or other tools. For my personal logbook, I use a hardbound unruled art sketchbook. I like the unruled paper because the stamp images look better. I also use a dye-based acid free ink; inkpads can be gotten at many art stores (preferred) or some discount department stores. Some people use multiple ink pads for a multi-colored effect, and some people use pigment-based ink. I prefer the dye-based as it dries faster and seems less messy, but this is all up to personal preference.

Where Do I Get the Clues?

In North America, where letterboxing is still developing, most clues are in the clue database at the Letterboxing North America (LbNA) web site, http://www.letterboxing.org/. Beyond that, getting clues themselves can be part of the game. Box hiders have no doubt come up with clever ways to transmit their clues beyond the simple publishing of them on the Internet, although at least in the US, that vast percentage of boxes have their clues published on the LbNA web site. Other sites may also publish some clues and sometimes clues are found at local outdoor retailers and clubs, such as Eastern Mountain Sports.

What's the Deal With the Personal Stamp?
The personal stamp is your personal mark that you leave in the logbook of each box you find. It is a rubber stamp that you either carve yourself or have custom made. Creating your personal stamp is of course part of the art; it's your signature in the letterboxing world. You would not typically buy an off-the-shelf rubber stamp to use as your personal stamp unless you were really anxious to get started, or saw something that was "you". Almost all personal stamps these days are hand-carved.

One Man's Trash...

There are 2 very different sides to this story.

One-
Most Saturday mornings, my friend Mari and I find ourselves consuming the ONE quiet cup of coffee and breakfast we enjoy all week on the road to garage sales. It's not everybody's thing but we really like it and it gets us away from kids for that ONE hour of coffee time so it's worth it just for that. I don't usually have anything in mind to "look" for but sometimes I think of things. I have been on the lookout lately for Jackson a pair of closed toe shoes for school. NOT the character sneaker type but cute ones that match his wardrobe. Also, just this week, our DVD/VHS combo decided to quit working. It is a necessary object in our house using both media so I fully intended to replace it. AND, in another conversation between Jason and Jackson, they decided to go camping, REAL camping, sometime soon. (Please note, I will be staying home, I don't do "camping" unless it has a shower/mirror so I can assess my appearance!) We don't own a tent and intended to borrow one.
So, back to the garage sale morning, Mari and I just visited the military neighborhood across the street and wouldn't you know we came upon a guy selling his entire household goods. Many military families sell their whole household and just by new rather than move it across the country/world with them. Lucky for me he had a DVD/VHS combo for a mere $10! He promised it worked with remote and all and said if it didn't, I could bring it back to him. He also had a 3-4 person tent that had NEVER been opened. 5 bucks brought it home with us! Next, I happened upon Jackson's size in a cute pair of barely worn closed toe Teva shoes. My last $4 made them mine and I went home feeling happy and thrifty! It doesn't happen everywhere but around here where things are more disposable rather than movable...One Man's Trash is another man's treasure.




Two-
Are we seeing double again? Kind of, in different seasons that is. This tonka truck has spanned the last 4 years in our possession. Before that, someone in my dad's neighborhood put it out for trash. Dad walks in the neighborhood late at night for exercise and the day before trash day he can really find some good things. Now don't think for a second that we don't joke and kid with him about going through the other people's trash but these things are usually just sitting there for someone to take anyway. This particular stop he really racked up in the toy department. He got all kinds of STILL WORKING toys for the boys. This Tonka truck and a kid size leaf blower are among the things my kids still play with today. So again, I say...One Man's Trash is another kid's dream toy!

Book Review: Our name in print!

It's Here! The long awaited blog book, finished product!

It's actually been here about 2 weeks but I had to wait for the professional photo shoot for it's big debut.

I decided since I have nearly ceased scrapbooking since beginning the blog that I should have this one printed. There are some people that prefer reading print and it's the ONE sure way to know it will be here in 10 years!

Decisions: I had to decide on the company (http://www.blog2print.com/) to print the book. This is the only one that I knew someone who had printed with and was happy with the results. I looked into others such as lulu.com and blurb.com but both of those consisted of html editing that I just wasn't up for at the time. It does give you more options and freedoms but blog2print won out because you simply enter your blog address and it makes the book for you, giving you the option to leave out any you wish and add the comments or not.

Product: I was thrilled with the size, print and full color photo pages. It was an exact reproduction of my blog AND it also included a cool table of contents. The pages were numbered and it automatically puts it in chronological order. It gives you space for a title page along with a dedication. It also allows for extra photos at the end of the book. It is hard bound and glossy cover which reminds me of the quality of a yearbook (in a good way).
The only SMALL complaints I can voice are the cover options are SLIM...the one I picked is the same one that the other person I know used when printing. It's the only one even close to cute. I would have preferred to have a full page photo option. Also, my comments always come between photos to explain the events. When printed, most of the text is in paragraph form while some photos are on that page, others may be on the following pages. It saves space in the book but can sometimes take away from the story.
Overall, I really loved the quality and length of the book. My ~one year of blogging was about 200 pages. If I had waited longer, I might have had to split it into two books anyway.

Summary: Super easy, great quality, affordable! If you are thinking about publishing, GO FOR IT! Your kids will love to look at it one day!

It was also a nostalgic way to spend an afternoon, looking over the past year and seeing the kids grow up all over again.

10 on Tuesday

1. How do you take your coffee on an average day? How do you like your coffee if you’re splurging?
Most mornings, I have my choice of about 3-4 different half open bottles of creamer in my fridge. I used to use both creamer and sugar, then I realized if I used enough creamer, who needs extra sugar! On the day's I'm lucky enough to enjoy Starbucks, I usually maintain semi-self control by ordering the skinny caramel macchiato light. I know, it's not really splurging but I'm sure I consume the calories elsewhere.

2. What is your genre of books to read?
Oh, I wish I had time to read more books! Blogs, now that's where my reading comes in! I never would have thought I'd be a "vampire book" kinda girl but I totally fell into the Twilight craze and I'm proud of it. 4 books in about 4 weeks is probably a record for me. Usually I'm a Nicholas Sparks kind of girl. I've read ALL his books, usually end up crying like a baby at the end and Jason makes fun of me asking why I even read them knowing what the outcome is going to be. I love them anyway.

3. Where do you want to retire, if you could go anywhere?
This may be an odd answer but I would like to retire somewhere in North Florida. Not necessarily ON the beach (i'm afraid of hurricanes), but near enough to drive there when I want to. Somewhere in a city big enough to have more than one grocery store and a target. And somewhere with other people just like us so we have lots of friends to hang out with. Oh, and I need a pool to keep the grandchildren coming back!

4. The 17-year-old you is told to write a 10-minute speech. What topic would you have picked?
My speech would have pertained to "How to effectively get away from your parents" or "When I'm in college I'll..." oh, and how could I forget, " I will NEVER EVER be like my mother". FYI, I'm turning into my mother daily and I can't seem to get enough of being with them. Karma

5. What word describes you best?
Fabulous? (I'd like to think so anyway) or I'd also be willing to go with Fergie's "glamorous" Ha!

6. What is the next “event” that you are looking forward to? (ex.: vacation, moving, date, job change, etc)
Ah! This very weekend, we're taking the kids to Myrtle Beach to one of the "water park" hotels for the weekend and then on Sunday we come back just in time to go to the Sheryl Crow/Colbie Callit concert in Raleigh! Talk about a fun weekend.

7. Do you like to discuss controversial topics or do you prefer to avoid those types of conversations?
Hmm, I would like to say I'm less controversial and try to avoid those topics. But if I'm among those who all agree on the controversial topic then I'm all in!

8. Would you rather add 4 free hours to each day, or add 1 extra day to the week?
I don't think I could handle 4 more hours of most days. Although sometimes I feel like I need it, I'd still prefer to add a whole day to the week. The weekEND specifically. Just think...Sunday church, Monday SLEEP!

9. If you created a sports team; what would your colors and mascot be?
Seriously, this is perfect. We'd be the diamonds! What's stronger than a diamond? What can cut a diamond? What could be tougher than the diamonds? Oh, and the colors would be pearl and platinum, of course!

10. If you had to be a teacher, what subject would you teach?
I'm always considering a teaching degree. I don't see myself going back to hospital shift work and I think I could be a great teacher. I'd like to teach computer (as long as I could learn more myself) or I'd be like my mom, ya know the one I wanted to get away from and never wanted to be like, and I'd teach Science. I'd probably prefer highschoolers, that way I could also try to keep up with all the "coolest" trends!

All in a days work

Some days when we stay home or near home all day, I look around and wonder, what DID we do all day, I'm exhausted. Most people have been to meetings, filed reports, saw clients, patients or personnel. Some people have patrolled an area and been involved in life threatening situations. Others have spent the day on a plane going here or there. This is what we've done in the summertime life of a stay at home mom of two boys. It might not be the most important job in the world but to these two boys it is.

So far today I have:



-Ran 4 miles with my running partner

-Drank a cup of coffee without interruptions (who am I kidding, there were about 30 interruptions!)

-Fed breakfast for 3 and cleaned up afterward

-Changed 3 diapers (1 dirty one)

-dressed 3 people

-started, dried and folded 2 loads of laundry

-had a "lego party" (it's where you go to Jackson's room and build stuff with Lego's

-bought and loaded 2 songs on my ipod (you know, the one that mysteriously works and then doesn't)

-checked on Jackson's sunflowers (he insisted)

-printed 2 coupons

-packed a picnic lunch for the pool

-put one child down for a nap

-decided on what to cook for dinner

-cut and mailed a letter to my mom

-took the kids to the pool for 1.5 hours(which included undressing and re-dressing 3 people)

-answered numerous questions about an adult conversation over a 6 person drowning in LA

-took Jason's dry cleaning

-mowed the grass (admittedly we do have a riding mower)

-shared 2 VERY salty (sometimes you SHOULD follow the recipe) chocolate chip cookies

-had substantial help (Jackson) in watering the flowers in both the front and back yards

This is a little of what we did today BEFORE 1pm.

-oh, and wrote this blog!

Redneck Yacht Club

This is the kind of fun you get to have when the mama's and the poppa's visit! We decided on the lake this fine HOT (over 100) Saturday. We had to take 2 cars and for that I was thankful. I'm not much of a fisher but I do love to ride/play on the lake. This made it easy to do both.

The boys took off with the boat in tow and mom and I were in charge of grabbing the fast food on the way. At 10:30, we pulled up to McDonald's and placed our order for 6 cheeseburgers and a 50 piece nuggets. Did you know they don't stop serving breakfast until 11? Well, they apparently didn't get up at 530 with kids!

We drove to Sanford, sat in the parking lot for 10 minutes all to obtain our daily cholesterol. After we accomplished that mission, we were on the lake and enjoying our voyage and our $20 heart attack.

Jason and I were able to go one the tube together for once and it was really fun. He got up on ONE ski (showoff!) and then rode around on 2 for a while.

We saw one of this years new bald eagles flying around and Jackson got to show off one of his favorite places on the lake...."Look, nana, there it is...Birrrrrrrrd island". It's a creepy little island in the middle of the lake with large nests and infested with weird water birds on and surrounding it. We like to chase them around in the boat and watch them fly off.

Nearing our time to evacuate the lake and let the big boys fish, that's when we found our new hangout. I'm half kidding and half not but we arrived at the lake's official redneck riviera! Boat's strung up together, people floating on noodles with their beer in blue jean coozies. Yes, that's a pontoon boat with a SLIDE built onto it. There was even a guy floating around on his surf board with a paddle. It was redneck heaven and we are thinking of joining them next time!
Maybe we'll be members of the redneck yacht club too!

DON'T drink that

You've seen this commercial. You know, the "vegetable count" over you head by v8 fusion.

Apparently, Jackson has seen it too.

Yesterday on a quick shopping trip to target, I was off couponing and Jason and the boys stopped by the snack bar to grab a couple of "get me outta here drinks." Jackson choose an icee but Jason picked a Fuse fruit drink.

Jackson said to him, " DON'T drink that, it'll make a number pop up over your head!"

Yes, their marketing is working. Just not in the way it was intended.

Health, Happiness and the pursuit of adorable clothing

Today I accomplished a great undertaking. Me and my 2 boys were out the door and on the way to Raleigh at 8:30 am. After packing lots of snacks and taking a few neighborhood orders, we were off to the Chez Ami outlet store. For those that don't follow the southern trend of children's trunk shows, Chez Ami is one of those catalog order clothing lines that you can match and coordinate kids clothes. The catalog sports pricey coordinating clothing for siblings with embrodiery and bright colors. It's heaven to go to one of their tent sales where you can get things around 75% off. Thanks to a bag of Reeces Pieces, Jackson and Lincoln endured an hour of me pacing around trying to find the perfect coordinating outfits for the 2 of them. There is no form of bribery that isn't worth them looking alike and adorable in the fall

A new Trader Joes was discovered on Wake Forrest Rd. and we had to go check it out. We also had neighborhood orders to fill, ok, and I admit, I had ran out of the $4 a bottle Merlot that I love from there. So Jackson pushed his cart around collecting our choices and helping me make important decisions, such as, one bottle or two? It was a little past lunchtime and I didn't have much of a plan on lunch options. I took the next best thing and passed out TJ's puff corn in the car. We were searching for a frozen yogurt bar that I'd heard about. Small and quaint, and 4 miles in the opposite direction, we found it and it was GOOD. It was also lunch. {this is where the HAPPINESS comes in} I'm not usually the ice cream for lunch kind of mom but really, they deserved a treat for hanging with me for the day and it wasn't over yet.

We departed for the State farmers market and although we'd been there before, I'd forgotten what a treat it was to go there when things are in full season. We arrived to bountiful booths with a rainbow of fruits and vegetables. Peaches, Potatoes, and Peppers! Corn, Watermelon, Blueberries and flowers fill the open air market. The tomatoes come in every possible color and variety. They have taste test of each of their best produce and Jackson walked around tasting each thing and encouraging me to do the same. Earlier in the day, in a random conversation, Jackson had asked me to buy him a cactus and a palm tree because those were his favorite and his daddy said they were too expensive at walmart. (not sure at all where that came from)Well, what do you know, among all the produce, they also sell plants at the farmers market and included in those are tiny little cacti. We chose 2 to bring home. Dangerous ones too. I hope I'm not the one who gets poked on these babies.

We had a great day, we got some healthy eats, had a happy lunch and fulfilled the present desire for adorable clothing for the kids. Don't worry, I won't be buying the coordinating outfits for either Jason or I. I'll stick to matching my clothes and earrings!

Oh the fun we have and the mess we make!

So this week alone, I've been a hotel manager, a bug collector and a customer at a local produce stand. Oh, and how could I forget restaurant owner. Jackson really likes to pretend and in his imagination, he and Lincoln become the adults. This week, they were staying at my hotel and having breakfast at my place while telling me about his sons. His sons were named Daddy, Papa Rex, and Paw Paw. I inquired into what his sons do and he said "Daddy drives an Army truck, Papa Rex flies an airplane around and Paw Paw just rides around and plays in ice. (FYI my dad runs 4 self serve ice machines and Jackson thinks they are the "coolest")
He and his brother Lincoln were staying in their respective rooms at my "hotel". They enjoyed a nice meal of frozen pizza at my restaurant too. He always says thank you for the great food he enjoys at my place!

I got this corn from the local produce farm and Jackson asked if he could sell it from his Gator in the back yard. (also FYI, my grandfather sells produce grown in his garden at his home in Alabama. He took the 3 ears out and then came inside and announced that there was corn for sale. I went outside to purchase some corn for dinner and as a bonus while buying an ear, he showed me how you can also use the corn silks as a mustache!

We were hosting a little dinner party and here Jackson hosts his own dinner party with lemonade and cheese. He sold his lemonade to our dinner party guests. I'm pretty sure Roxy ate the cheese when he walked away.


Lincoln gets his mess on with his first taste of spaghetti. In true Lincoln style, he didn't leave a spec on his plate.

These are the bugs collected just this week. I have to admit the June bug is dead but I am the lucky one that found it. Knowing my bug crazed 4 year old, I squealed as I picked it up and ran it to it's final resting place in the jar.

We even make messes when we make muffins for morning playdates!

Or when neighbors bring over chocolate cupcakes! Linc is beginning to be an old pro at cupcakes. He finds using both hands is the most effective way to indulge.

But these are the messes I want to remember forever. The huge imagination, mess in the kitchen, dirty faces to clean up.

Oh, and I almost forgot my altercation with the law this week. You see a policeman in my home arrested me. Why you ask? It was not because my shorts were too short, although that is a possibility, it was for not wearing my seatbelt. Now I know, when I see the handcuffs come out, RUN!

Happy to Be

Today is one of those days. The kind of day you accomplish what you set out to do by getting up EXTREMELY early and meticulously planning down to our clothing for the day. It is also one of those days I'm really happy to have the luxury to be a stay at home mom. It's the little things, you know.
I ran my 4 miles with a friend at 545am. I came home, showered, dressed and fed 2 boys and poured a large cup of coffee before loading everyone up and heading to the car. (out the door by 8am really is an accomplishment)
We dropped Roxy off for her groomer appointment and went to the doctor for Lincoln's 12 month shots. I had remembered the lack of entertainment there and brought 5 books with me to keep my men still and quiet. I also miraculously had 2 organic lollipops that helped make the shots go off with not much more than a whimper. It is highly recommended. Jackson also had one for being such a good big brother.
After the doctor, we went into downtown Sanford and parked to just walk around and browse the shops there. We were on our way to play on the train but little did Jackson know, we took the long way around so I could window shop. We strolled the streets and I went into a few boutiques and antique shops. I may have even found another bed frame for when we put the boys in the same room. We found out about The Jungle Book play that is performed by children in August and we're making plans for that. We finally made it to the depot park and I had never realized that they have a fountain/splash pad that you can play in. Jackson happily played on the locomotive in the park while Lincoln and I watched the trains go by just meters away. When we were officially melting, we stopped in a local pizzeria for a lunch date. We were infringing on Lincoln's nap time but it was a great little lunch for us. We even found out about music in the depot park on Friday nights and now have a "date night" planned for next weekend.
We headed home and Lincoln was asleep by the time we started the car.
Yes, today was a successful day. Two cute boys, lots accomplished and quality time was spent. Today is one of those days, I'm just Happy to Be.