November 29, 2006

Way Too Much to be Thankful For

We had such an amazing Thanksgiving holiday. It all started the day before Thanksgiving when we had a family portrait and pics of the kids taken. Holy cuteness. You can guess what our Christmas card will be this year. Those salespeople have an icredibly easy job--I mean how hard is it to convince someone that their kids are adorable?
On Thanksgiving morning we headed out for the 3rd annual Community Fellowships Turkey Trot, of which my husband is the founder and race coordinator. We had a very respectable showing of about twenty, and Leroy even decorated his van as a pace car. I ended up running the route twice, which felt really good. Ghetto prizs were awarded.
We headed home and introduced Owen to the Macy's parade, while we packed for a few days in the North Georgia Mountains and made mashed potatoes, cookies, and pumpkin pie. Then we had dinner at the Barber's with a bunch of people from church and our community here. I was sort of hesitant to do dinner with everyone as I kind of like to do a lot of the cooking and stay cozy at home with family, but I am so glad that we went. First of all, it was something like 70 degrees that day so it wasn't really cooking weather (we ended up eating outside in the sunshine actually). Second, Duffy pointed out that getting together with community is what Thanksgiving is all about--c'mon pilgrims and indians... of course. Third, the food was unbelievable--everyone contributed something, which really wasn't even necessary with Ms.Rachel cooking, but it was a spread like you wouldn't believe. Ham, Turkey, Hot wings?, and about 15 different casseroles. The company was what made it Thanksgiving though. It was a house (and yard) full of love and thanks.
The fun was just beginning, because that night we headed to the mountains to rent a gorgeous house with eight of our closest friends. The setting couldn't have been better. We are used to getting cabins way up the mountains surrounded by woods where there isn't much room for field games, but this one was actually in a meadow. We spent all day Friday playing frisbee, wiffle ball, football, walking, and running. Saturday was a kickball game and more of the previous day's sports. Those who thought to pack shorts and sunscreen were grateful. 70 and sunny at the end of November! At night, we let the good times roll. The holiday brew was keeping the guys happy, while the two pregnant women enjoyed watching everyone else act a little foolish. All of this made charades and catch phrase much more interesting.
Another big plus was how open everyone was to helping watch our two children. We were able to have some downtime ourselves. Caroline was able to sleep peacefully in the master bath in the far corner of the house thanks to everyone letting us keep that room the whole weekend. We are still talking about what a great time it was and how unbelievably lucky and blessed we are to have such a tight group of friends. They really are our family here. Duffy has listed it as one of his top moments in life so far.
So now we are heading into the Christmas season and looking forward to sharing it with our children. Owen is all geared up, and thinks that whenever he sees something he likes that he can just assume that maybe Santa will bring it. Grandma and Grandpa are certainly helping to be sure some of those wishes do come true. It is a magical time and I'm glad Owen loves it so much--the lights in the neighborhood kick it off starting Thanksgiving night, and we walk to see them almost every night. I am trying to teach him some of the real Christmas story and I think it is getting through. The other day I said I was going to turn on Christmas music and Owen immediately started singing "Happy Birthday," to which I said "That's birthday music, not Christmas music." He kept singing anyways, and when he got to "Happy Birthday dear Jesus," I once again was shown that he does know what he is talking about after all.

Posted by amy at 01:53 PM | Comments (0)

October 29, 2006

Daylight Savings Time

Well I used my extra hour to type a long catch-up entry but then pushed the wrong button and it is all gone--so out of frustration the best I can do is a few pictures. Maybe you can imagine a story to go with each one. Basically the kids are cute and happy, I'm contemplative and am missing the northeast after a nice visit with family, and Owen is Buzz Lightyear for Halloween. Maybe I'll try again in a few days...

Posted by amy at 09:29 PM | Comments (1)

September 22, 2006

Don't Worry

I think Owen is a prophet through song. I already wrote about his "He's got the Whole World.." incident with my mom. Well, over the past few weeks I've been stressing a bit about finding some kind of work. One particularly bad day, Owen just started busting out, "Don't worry..about a thing. Cause every little thing gonna' be alright." He hadn't heard that song in over a month! Prophet or not, it spoke to my heart, brought a smile to my face, and did make things a lot brighter.
Carly is moving all over the place,, and is pulling herself up. She and Owen can rough and tumble a little bit more these days, which Owen enjoys. Although it isn't uncommon to hear me say (exasperated), "Owen, get off your sister!"

I've really been thankful to be at home, although it has been a huge adjustment. Now that I've got some wheels it has been so much better already. I was starting to go stir-crazy, and being in the house all day combined with not knowing how I'm going to add to the family income was getting me down.
The van is exactly what I prayed for--it's cheap and it runs. Passing the emissions test is another story though. "There's an emissions test? Oh, we'll get to that right away."
I'm not sure how regularly I'll be able to keep this up, because when I'm on the computer I definitely neglect my mothering duties. I will try to keep adding updated pics and good stories to share. Speaking of stories, the book club I'm in just finished reading, "Riding the Bus with My Sister," by Rachel Simon. It is an uplifting and enriching read. There is a movie of it that Rosie O'Donnell stars in, but I haven't seen it yet. Our next book is "Snowflower and the Secret Fan," by Lisa See.

Posted by amy at 08:57 AM | Comments (2)

August 16, 2006

Sweet Summertime

Well it has been quite a while, but who has time to sit at a computer when summertime calls? We returned to the ATL about 3 weeks ago from a good month and a half in New York. Some of the highlights include: catching up and spending some quality time with old friends (you know who you are), tons of date nights, running the Boilermaker 15K, good deep talks with family, meeting our new cousin Julia, camping in the Adirondacks, a couple rounds of golf, a parent-funded shopping spree for me, taking Owen to his first movie "Cars", swimming, frozen 'ritas, and watching our beautiful children grow, play. and bond with their grandparents (I YA YOU!) I don't have much else to say, so I hope thse pictures do some talking for me. But, before I do, I also want to mention that a revival, of sorts, has occurred within our family, and we are so grateful and relieved to be caught by God's grace. It should go without saying that this will be the "event" that we remember summer 2006 by. We would be and have been lost and wandering without Him.

Posted by amy at 09:00 AM | Comments (3)

June 26, 2006

He's Got the Whole World in His Hands

My mom said that at 4 am yesterday morning, Owen went to her room, climbed into her bed, and proceeded to belt out 2 verses of "He's got the whole world in His hands," then he fell asleep for another 4 hours. What a gift!

Posted by amy at 02:26 PM | Comments (0)

June 16, 2006

Do sharks eat popcorn?

My little shark woke up this morning and asked if he could have popcorn for breakfast.

The shark's baby sister had a doctor's appointment yesterday and tipped the scales at 16.5 pounds, and was almost 27 inches long.

Posted by amy at 09:44 AM | Comments (2)

June 10, 2006

What's that smell?

When Owen was an infant, it was the mystery wetness. There was just always something that had a wet spot,, and you were never quite sure if it was drool, pee, milk, or something else. We haven't had that problem in a while. Ever since Owen started potty training, when there is a puddle on the floor there is no question what it is.
But anyways, today I was on the phone, holding Caroline, and I just started thinking, "What is that smell?" Only to look down and see a stream of poopoo running down my leg coming from the edge of her diaper (Kroger brand). No need to end the phone conversation or even stop talking. I just gave Duff the heads up, *snap snap*, he got me some paper towels, and life goes on. If you can't relate to that, then you haven't had kids.

Posted by amy at 11:50 PM | Comments (3)

June 05, 2006

A new glove

To add to the baseball obsession, Grandma CaCa sent Owen his first baseball glove, and it has become a part of his body (just like his blue bat and his Braves cap). Every morning he asks Daddy, "Go to baseball game tonight?" Yesterday he shouted out "Turner Field" when we drove by. A few times he has asked me, "Who's pitchin'?", and the other night Duff and I tried to convince him that it was "CHIPper Jones," not "PIPper Jones."

us: "Owen, it's CHIPper Jones, like chips, CHIPper Jones, not PIPper Jones."
him: "No chips. PIPper Jones."

Oh well. We will be at the ballgame tonight and tomorrow with our peanuts and cracker jacks.

Posted by amy at 12:17 PM | Comments (0)

May 28, 2006

Birds gotta eat too.

Earlier on this warm and sunny morning, the kids and I were sitting on the back porch watching the birds. I asked Owen if he knew what birdies ate. He said something about the mulberry tree, which has berries on it that the birds do eat. Then I told him that birds eat worms, to which he replied, "no no, birdies no eat worms." It was time for a little lesson. So, we watched some birds pecking at the ground, and I explained that the birds were looking for worms.
About 30 minutes later, I was picking up some lumber and building materials that have been sitting on our driveway forever. Under a board, there was a family of worms, so I called Owen over to see them. He was very excited, and immediately, in his intense voice, he looked around the yard and yelled, "Birds! Birds! Come!"
Wasn't that thoughtful?

Posted by amy at 11:43 AM | Comments (1)

May 26, 2006

School's Out

Today was the students' last day of school. It was nonstop from the time I woke up and shuffled our kids out the door by myself, since Duff is out of town. I really had a great year. I am glad that I decided to work this past year and get one more under my belt, but now I am ready to stay home a while. It feels like a maturing thing--I'm ready to take it on, and I see the need for it. Owen needs the structure and the deliberate attention, and Carly just looks at me like I'm the air she breathes (ya know I love it).
It just felt so strange today when the kids left. I got some gifts, some hugs, "I'll miss yous", and such, but then they were just gone. The year went so fast, and there goes another group of kids. I hope that I did good by them. Forever, I'll be their fourth grade teacher. That is one of the mystical things about teaching. "A teacher affects eternity. He can never tell where his influence stops."-Henry Adams. It's one of the things that keeps drawing me to it. I really have thought about teaching a lot over the past year, and Duffy and I have had some good discussions trying to come from all sides. My conclusions at the end are
-yes, it can make a difference,
no-we don't do it for the money, and
yes- I could do something else, lots of things, but this is what keeps calling me. The principal said some kind words about me at the fourth grade awards ceremony today, and announced that I wouldn't be teaching next year. It felt good to be recognized for my work. One of my goals is to be bring some respect back to the teaching profession.

By the way, Duff is in New York (and I want to be there so bad), some of our best friends just moved across the country, and today was my last day as a teacher for a while. Needless to say, I'm feeling melancholy. (thoughtful sadness, pensive meditation, depression of spirits).

Posted by amy at 10:25 PM | Comments (0)

May 14, 2006

Month of May

May is a great month for me. I celebrate my birthday, wedding anniversary, and Mother's Day all within 2 weeks time. This year, the anniversary outweighed the rest. We have been married 5 years. I really feel like this is one of the bigger marriage milestones. I've heard things about the divorce rate dropping sharply after five years (not that that has ever been a thought), and it is the big one that we talked about when we first got married. We said on our 5th anniversary that we would go back to our honeymoon spot, and we wondered, "wow, I wonder where we'll be in five years. we might even have kids by then." Yes, five years have gone by, and we even have kids. Going back to the honeymoon spot is another story. Instead, we got a sitter for O, and took Carly with us to Ikea. We bought ourselves some pictures to hang on our bare walls, and then we went to a local greasy spoon and had milkshakes. We did have some teary moments being thankful for our marriage, and how far we've come. I think we've both grown a lot, and are better able to love each other as the time has gone by. I just couldn't be happier, and it is nice to feel like we are where we are supposed to be. I'm pretty sure that I have the best husband ever.

Posted by amy at 11:58 PM | Comments (0)

May 11, 2006

Busy

"I never want to be so busy that I can't answer the mail." 'Mister' Fred Rogers

As cliche as it sounds, we've been busy. The kind of busy that we want to get away from with me staying home in the fall. The worst is having to wake up the peacefully sleeping 2 year old and 3 month old, just to put them in the car for a half-hour ride. It also starts to get tough when I've been saying for a week and a half that I need to give my daughter a bath (did I just admit that?). I look forward to giving them stability, routine, and nurturing. I look forward to taking care of my own children. I like teaching a lot, but it will still be there in a few years. My new role is household manager. My kids will eat healthy food, the house will be livably clean, and I'd even like to send out birthday cards on time.

We spent the weekend in the north Georgia mountains for a church retreat. There was a good combination of meaningful conversation, fresh mountain air and playing games till 2 in the morning. It is a privilege to be part of such an amazing group.

Posted by amy at 10:04 PM | Comments (0)

May 02, 2006

Go Braves

We just got back from yet another baseball game. We have become regulars at Turner Field, and we're lovin' it. We drive by the field every day on our way to and from work, and every single time Owen gets so pumped up--"baseball! baseball!," and then he proceeds to swing his arm up and down in a very intense Braves chop-"ohhh, oh, oh oh oh" He can also do a "charge" right on cue, and that always entertains the fans seated around us. I, too, have become a faithful fan, and finally broke the news to Duff that I am 90% Braves and only 10% Red Sox (and that's just to keep the peace). When we aren't at the games, we are watching on tv, or listening to the radio coverage--I think it is starting to interfere with our work, and DFACS may come and take our children away with how late they've been getting to bed. Oh well, it will all be over in another 6 months. Season tickets could be in our future..
Oh yea, Caroline and I were on the big screen tonight during one of the breaks--she is just so darn cute!

I also had to include this pic of Owen and Gideon. The other day they shared one of the more memorable moments of childhood--eating ice cream cones with a friend. How young ones can make a small ice cream cone last for 45 minutes remains a precious mystery.

Posted by amy at 11:45 PM | Comments (1)

May 01, 2006

Q is for Mommy

Yesterday, Owen's best little bud Gideon was over, and his mom Lynn and I were visiting. Owen had spilled the Scrabble letters all over the floor, and the boys starting sorting through them. Gid held up the letter G and said "G is for Gideon." Owen held up the letter Q and Lynn asked Owen what Q is for. Owen said "Q is for Mommy." Lynn was sort of like "Uh, ok," and I just couldn't believe how cute what he had just said was. In our alphabet book, Q is for Queen, and, of course, all of the pictures of Queens are Mommy. Yes, Q is for Mommy. What else does he need to know?

Posted by amy at 09:32 PM | Comments (2)

April 30, 2006

What matters most

It really has been a great weekend. I feel like we got some things accomplished around the house, but what made the weekend really good was that there was plenty of downtime, just relaxing, talking, and hanging with the kids. I'm easily consumed by tasks, and get caught up in checking one more thing off my to-do list, oftentimes at the expense of being connected with the people I care most about. Tonight, though, I was real intentional about being close with Owen. He helped me in the kitchen, and then I just sat with him while he ate a waffle as a bedtime snack (the cutie asked for a waffle right before bed, and how could I say no?). Normally, with him sitting and eating peacefully, I would rush to get some cleaning done, but I decided to just sit beside him at his little table. As we were sitting there, not even talking really, he just looked at me and spread his arms open wide for a hug. It was so warm and special, and went directly into that place in a mom's heart where treasures are stored. I loved it, and it just makes me wonder how many of those moments I've missed by letting unimportant things take over. I know there is a lot more of Owen that I've got to get to know, and that just increases my desire to stay home even more.

Posted by amy at 10:18 PM | Comments (0)

April 29, 2006

A Great Saturday

With both of us working, Saturdays are really important to us. The weekend is the only time we have to clean, shop, relax, work on projects, and also be sure that Owen has a good time all the while. Today was a good mix of all of those things. We got up, and Owen headed right for the backyard to throw some pitches to dad. So he did some running around and exploring. Then, we went to our favorite neighborhood coffee shop, Capitol Coffee, and chatted with our friend Troy who is the manager (and the man to see for lattes). Then, we headed to the Farmers Market to stock up on fruits and veggies. Basically, Duffy kept Owen happy watching the live fish and lobsters, while I quickly filled our cart with the goods. On the way home, we stopped by an antique/art shop "So Rare" we always drive by, but have never been to. It was inspiring, and further reminded us that we really need something for our bare walls. We also went to the library, which we haven't been to in way too long. Owen was just amazed at all the books, and you would've thought we took him to Disney World. Going to the library will have to be one of our weekly events when I'm home with them in the fall. We came home, rested a while, played some more, and cleaned house. Caroline slept the entire morning, and then woke up with a smile (see picture).
We went to church for a little while tonight, but left early after Owen had an accident (I don't know if I can even call it an "accident" anymore, when it happens more often than him using the potty- ugh!) We were most excited to find that the Braves game was being televised, and we celebrated with some ice cream sundaes--Owen has fallen asleep watching the game (see picture), and so now it is just Daddy and me.
Ahhh, the perfect ending to a great day.

Posted by amy at 10:03 PM | Comments (0)

April 27, 2006

Figuring

I am looking forward to learning more about setting up this blog. Certainly it will be nice to give it a bit more personality. I want to figure out a real purpose for it, and be genuine with it. Knowing that others might read it can be good and bad; good, because it forces me to be thoughtful and clear, and bad because there is a temptation to try and be something more than I am. In truth, through this and other outlets in my life right now, I am just trying to figure out who I am. Some great poetry I read in college (the romantics, I think) was a lot about trying to get back to the spirit and freedom of childhood and a pure self (Blake and some other guy). I've been feeling that way over the past year or so, and am so thankful to have my children to remind me of that unhindered way of being. The little ones just put their whole selves out there. They don't think about it, they just are. Speaking of the beautiful children, here they are...

Posted by amy at 10:15 PM | Comments (0)

April 26, 2006

School is almost out

There are only 4 weeks of school left, and that means a big life change for me. I will be staying home in the fall with our two little ones. I am looking forward to a slower pace of life for us. It will be nice to give Owen and Caroline more meaningful attention, and to make our home a comfortable place to be. It's only a little bittersweet right now, because this is when I start looking forward to the fresh start in the fall. I love teaching (most of the time), but I know it'll still be there in a few years. Encouragement comes from women, who've done the stay-at-home thing, who say I'll never regret spending the time at home. I know they're right, and a lot of what I enjoy about teaching, I'll still be able to do with Owen and Caroline, and by helping out in Duffy's class.

Posted by amy at 07:54 PM | Comments (2)