Good Friends, Good Times

These pictures are a bit out of order but here's what we've been doing the past two days. We went to the White's house last night for pizza and cake celebrating Avery's birthday. Look at our beautiful kiddos!! :)


Erin, Elise, and Caleb came over this morning and even though it was cloudy and maybe just a bit cool, they all enjoyed the water fun!



Tucker and Justin joined us yesterday for some water fun! It was a great way to spend a birthday day. Our four boys played hard and Avery and Aidan enjoyed every minute of it. They were both wiped out! :) I even got to have somewhat of a continuous, coherent conversation with Lori while the boys played outside.

An intense game of badminton. :) Look its Aidan and he's not whining. (just kidding)


Happy Birthday to you, Avery. Pizza and cake now you can't get much better than that for a birthday dinner. Thanks to the Whites!!!

Seven

Its hard to believe that Avery is seven years old today. Seven just seems so big. He's so tall now- comes up almost to my shoulders. In a few years I'll have to look up to him. Happy Birthday Avery! You are such an amazing blessing in my life and I thank God each and every day for you. I didn't get in to the digital age until Avery was 2 but I thought I'd post a picture of him at 2 and a current one to show just how much he's grown. If I can scan one in of him as an infant, I'll get it on here too.

7 Things I pray for Avery

1. That he will come to know Jesus as his personal savior and develop an intimate relationship with Him.
2. That he will believe in himself and be confident.
3. That he will always be as caring about others as he is now.
4. That he will marry a Godly woman.
5. That he will always know home is a place of rest and reassurance.
6. That he will look back on his childhood and know that he was and is unconditionally loved.
7. That he will never get too old for me to love on him. :)

Happy Birthday Big Man!!

Big Ben Ten Bash

I have to start this post off by telling you I dropped our digital camera in water- it was totally immersed. I pulled it right out but I don't think its going to make it. The boys have these superhero characters that are supposed to grow 300 times their size in water. We had a big bowl of water sitting on the kitchen counter with Venom and Lizard. I had put the camera on the ledge above the counter and as I was reaching for my lotion, I knocked it over right into the big bowl of water. You'll see what I mean about its not going to make it when you see the pictures on this post.
Yesterday we celebrated Avery's 7th birthday party (his actual b-day is the 29th) at Sumner Skate Zone. It was a fun time- very chaotic- but I think the kids had a lot of fun. Avery's only been skating a couple of times so he's still learning to balance. He fell a lot but did not want me to hold his hand (how sad- its already starting and he's only 7!) Aidan got those little fisher price skates that you can put on over your tennis shoes and he was good to go- they are a bit more stabilizing than regular skates.
Jim and I skated along with some of the other parents who were helping their kiddos too. We had a scary moment. Jim was holding Aidan and his feet slipped out from under him. He fell straight back on his back and bottom- thankfully Aidan fell on Jim. Everyone was ok- Aidan was more scared than hurt. Jim was ok but I think he's gonna be feelin' that today. He said he could already feel the soreness setting in last night. Its hard getting old! :)
Thanks to Mandy, we had an awesome Ben 10 cake along with some pizza and sodas. And a big thank you to everyone who came to celebrate!!

Kickin' It Off!

So yesterday was our first day of summer. I know technically the actual first day of summer isn't until some time in June but for us, yesterday was Avery's first day out of school. We had a great day at the park with our friends. Avery enjoyed being able to sleep in (I wish Aidan could enjoy that too- ha!). Today is Aidan's last day of Mothers Day Out. Avery is so excited because we rarely get time to just spend- me and him together. Yesterday he kept sneaking up to me and whispering, "Mommy, tomorrow is Avery and Mommy day." My sweet boy.
I get all too caught up in the frustrations of day to day. I have been truly convicted about that especially in light of the horrible incidences with a church family and their precious little boy and with the Chapman family. My heart aches for them and I just pray that the Lord envelopes them in His peace that passes all understanding.
I'm off for Mommy and Avery day and I can't wait to hear what our plans are for this time.

Dinner Exchange

I have to admit that when I first heard the idea I was thinking no way! It sounds daunting. If you've never done a dinner exchange (this is my first time) the details of it can sound overwhelming. The premise is that you and (in my case) three other families get together. Each family takes a night of the week and brings the other three families dinner on that night. I know- the thought of cooking meals for three families and your own in one night sounded crazy to me. This is the very reason I didn't do the first one that was offered. Then I talked with my neighbor who was doing it. She was telling me all of the yummy things she had had for dinner that week. And at around 5pm her doorbell would ring and for three out of five nights, her dinner would be brought to her hot and ready to serve.
My thinking changed course. I was no longer lamenting over the fact that I'd have to make four meals in one night but rejoicing in the fact that for three other nights, I wouldn't have to cook at all!! This is my first week- Ashley, Emily, Melanie and me. So far this week I've had yummy mexican chicken casserole, key lime pie, some amazing lasagna, fresh salad and I've yet to cook a thing!! All brought to my door ready to serve! Tonight is my night to cook so I'm anxious to see how it goes. I'm making lemon greek chicken and corn casserole. I'm a bit nervous about how I'm going to get everything cooked and keep it warm. I'll let you know how that goes.
Its something to think about. Get three other families (preferably close in proximity so the delivery time is minimal) and you've got yourself a dinner exchange. I would highly recommend it!

A Nose by Any Other Name

Do you think that the ability to blow your nose is innate or learned? You really could settle this ongoing debate my husband and I have had for the past 13 years. I think its innate. I think you're either born with it or you're not. My logic behind that theory- I have never been able to blow my nose. And I've really tried to do it. I can't. Avery isn't able to blow his nose either. Jim has tried to teach him how and he just can't do it.
Its a bad allergy time in Middle Tennessee. This brought this issue to the forefront in the past few weeks. What's your theory?

Summer of Fun

I feel like I should put a copyright symbol after the title. My friend coined this phrase last summer. She had scheduled summer activities for her boys and decided that they needed a summer of fun soundtrack CD for the car. I took her idea and the boys and I love it! The boys like choosing the songs as much as we like listening to it in the car. Here's what our Summer of Fun CD looks like for this summer...
Kung Fu Fighting- Carl Douglas (we're gearing up for the release of Kung Fu Panda)
Funkytown- Alvin and the Chipmunks
Witch Doctor- Alvin and the Chipmunks
Yakety-Yak- The Coasters
The Spiderman Theme Song (from the old cartoon)
The Transformers Theme Song (from the old cartoon)
You Don't Mess Around with Jim- Josh Turner (the boys love to substitute "daddy" for Jim in the song)
Brown Eyed Girl- Van Morrison (one of Aidan's favorites)
The Scooby Doo Theme Song- Kidz Bop Kids
You've Got a Friend in Me- Randy Newman (Toy Story)
Big House- Audio Adrenaline
Every Move You Make (not sure who sings this)
Baby Girl- Nicole C Mullen
Livin' La Vida Loca- Ricky Martin
Parents Just Don't Understand- DJ Jazzy Jeff and The Fresh Prince

Some of the ones we had last year
One Little Slip- Bare Naked Ladies (from the Chicken Little Soundtrack)
Life is a Highway- Rascal Flatts (from the Cars Soundtrack)
Little Wonders- Rob Thomas (from the Meet the Robinsons Soundtrack)
Love Shack- The B-52s

I'm looking for the Speed Racer song from the cartoon and checking into the Iron Man song. Its by Black Sabbath so I want to hear the words before I download to our CD- not sure what it says other than the chorus. My boys just want it because they like superheroes.

Just log on to ITunes or wherever you download music and let your kiddos choose. :)

I've heard it happens...

... although I have yet to experience it. I think it is a miracle from God and when it does happen in my house I will fall down on my knees in awe. I know I just have to keep the faith. Keep praying and believing that the time will come. I think it must be one of those rare phenomenon- you know like a blue moon or a complete solar eclipse. It will be a day when we all live in peace and harmony. I'm waiting, waiting on the day when...


we have a day without whining!!!! Ok, so maybe I'd settle for a couple of hours. :)

It's Almost Here!

Swimsuit season!! Against the popular advice of my friends, I bought a cheap swimsuit. Now that I'm looking at it and trying it on in my own home (what is it about trying something on in your home and it looking different than when you try it on in the store?), I'm not loving it so much. Its so hard to find a good swimsuit that fits well and covers everything I want covered- and I have a little more to cover now than when I was in my early twenties. So, I've been online searching. I even looked at the "get the right swimsuit fit" on one of the sites. I know I need a halter style because of my body shape and I definitely need a skirted bottom. I am trying to break out into some color this season- normally I buy black or navy. I'm thinking red.
So here are a couple of swimsuits, leave me a comment and tell me which one you like best. Also if you have a place you shop for a good swimsuit I'd love to know where it is.

A. This one is the least expensive
B. I like the halter style of this one.
C. I'm not typically a pink person but this is cute.
D. I had to throw in a black swimsuit- I hope you can see this one. Sorry the pic is tiny.
E. This one is the lands end one I've been looking at since the beginning of Spring. It has a solid red skirted bottom.

The Price of Gas

Mom

Some things I remember about my Mom...

1. She was an awesome cook- I mean down home, stick of butter, spoonful of lard, never need a recipe kind of cook. Her best thing- made from scratch Banana Pudding with meringue.
2. She was a hard worker. She was the oldest of five and grew up on a farm. My mother never seemed to stop. Even when she wasn't feeling well, she was up and going.
3. She had some money sense. My dad was a ticket agent for Greyhound Bus Lines and my mom kept children in our home until she went to work at WalMart when I was a junior in high school. They didn't make a lot of money and could have easily got themselves in to debt. My dad was out of work frequently - Greyhound would strike and he also had some major illnesses. My mom took care of all of the finances. Now we didn't have a lot growing up but we had what we needed and she NEVER had a credit card and the only loan she had was her house which she paid off 10 years ago. She would have been all over the CVS deal.
   
4. She was not a girly girl. My mom didn't wear makeup and she rarely wore a dress. She didn't use perfume and really didn't wear any jewelry other than her wedding rings. Talk about a nightmare to buy for- I really had to use my brain for Christmas, Birthday and Mother's Day gifts. Oh and she thought flowers were a waste of money because they would wilt and die. My dad had a pretty tough time getting a gift for her too.
   
5. She loved Yahtzee. We played all kinds of board games growing up but Yahtzee was her favorite. I don't know if there is any skill to the game but if there was, she had it.
6. She always bought in bulk. I kid you not- had there been some kind of natural disaster or a nuclear war, my mom could have fed 50 people for months just on the canned and dried foods she had stocked up.
7. She was talented. For years she made ceramics. She had her own kiln in our laundry room. She made me a Hollie Hobby lamp and she made my friend in elementary school- Papa Smurf and Smurfette (my friend LOVED the smurfs).
   
8. She loved my husband. People in my family married young so when I went off to college and then still didn't get married after I got my degree, she and the rest of her family had pegged me as an old maid. I mean come on I was all of 24 and not married!! Then my husband came along and honestly I think she thought, thank goodness. LOL!! Seriously, she treated him like he was one of her own and he loved her deeply.
9. She was a small town girl. She was born and raised for the most part in Hartsville, TN. She DID NOT like to drive on the interstate. When Jim and I moved back from North Carolina and moved to Lavergne, TN- she would NOT take the interstate. So from Madison all the way to Lavergne, she took the back roads- yeah you can get from there to there without getting on the interstate. It would take her over an hour and a half!! She didn't come to visit very often when we lived there.
10. She loved me.

I wanted to post this for Mothers Day and knew if I didn't do it today I might not get to it. There are many other things I remember about my mom. Sometimes even now its still unbelievable to me that I am somebody's mother. I hope when Avery and Aidan are grown that they will look back and remember their childhood fondly and know that above all else they are loved. What do you remember about your mom growing up?
Happy Mothers Day to all you mommies!!

Shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.....

...its 7:45am and my rise at the crack of dawn, lucky if he sleeps past 6:15am little Aidan is still sleeping.
You should see me and Avery tip-toeing around here. :)

What are we going to do all summer?

For me, its just easier with the boys when we have a plan and somewhere to go. Too long in the house with each other and they are just picking at each other, fussing, and acting crazy. And since you can't leave them in time out all day (just kidding), it just works better if we get out. Seriously, I know my boys can get bored very easily at home and I know what kind of situation boredom creates so to give them every opportunity to succeed where good behavior is concerned, I try to plan out some fun stuff.
I've been searching online, in magazines, talking with other moms and I'm excited about some of the things I've found. I thought I'd post them here to share. We're having a discussion in my Mothers of Preschoolers group on Wednesday about summer activities and I can't wait to see what the other ladies have to share.
For now, here are some things I've come across:
Lane Motor Museum
www.lanemotormuseum.org
This is on Murfreesboro Rd (on the closer end to Nashville). My boys loved it last summer and I'm certain will want to go back this year. Its filled with older cars and unusual cars, and motorbikes. Its $5 for adults and children under 18 are free. Open Thus-Mon 10-5pm
Dinosaur World
www.dinoworld.net
You will have to click on the one for Kentucky. It is a drive but the boys loved it. You can take a picnic lunch and eat under their pavilion. They also have a playground. $9.75 for adults $7.75 for children 3 and above. They also have a "fossil" dig where the kids can dig for artifacts.
Tip-A-Canoe
www.tip-a-canoe.com
Take a canoe trip on the Harpeth. They provide the canoe and the lifejackets as long as your child is 25 pounds and above. The canoe trip is about an hour long.
Y Day Camps
www.ymca.org
If your child is a rising 1st grader or above, the Y offers a variety of day camps- a week long with different themes. Wet N Wild- focuses on water games and water play, etc
Blue Heron Nature Cruises
www.blueheroncruises.com
Kids Adventure Cruise on most Saturdays leaving at 10am. Ages 5 and up
Barnes and Noble
www.bn.com
The Barnes and Noble here in Hendersonville has a fun story hour but they also have some other great activities. One day a month (reoccurring) they have an American Girl hour. I have boys so I didn't write that info down but you can go to their website and then to the Hendersonville store and check it out. On May 24th and June 28th, they have a Magic Treehouse Book Club at noon.
Cheekwood
www.cheekwood.org
Every Saturday from 10-12 they have crafts for children. Check out their website for the specified craft. June 5th through the 31st, Thursday nights at 6:30 they have a storyteller, puppeteers and live music.
Discovery Center at Murfee Springs
www.discoverycenteronline.org
$5 admission. 2 and under free
Adventure Science Museum on a much smaller scale.
Dyer Observatory
www.dyer.vanderbilt.edu
They have various activities during the month so please check out their website. Kids Exploration Night every month- next one is May 23rd 6-9pm $5 per person with a $10 family cap. Will be able to look through the telescopes in the observatory and have a craft- I think they will make a comet. Ages 6 and up.
Cedars of Lebanon Horseback Riding
www.horserentals.com/cedarsoflebanon.html
Memorial Day thru Labor Day 9-5pm. Rides leave every hour. Its is a 45 minute ride. Ages 7 and up can ride alone. Ages 3-6 must ride with an adult.
Delmas Long Community Center
http://activenet5.active.com/cityofgoodlettsville/
Summer Escape Day Camps each week with different themes. 9-1pm cost is $35. Ages 5-11

My Sweet Avery

Several wonderful ladies at our church either blogged about or spoke about Resurrection Eggs they sell at Lifeway around Easter time. (They may have them all year round). I bought them about a week or so before Easter. The boys were very interested in them. If you don't have them or haven't heard of them, its a carton of a dozen eggs, each one containing something signifying a part of the Easter story.
The boys and I sat down and they took turns opening the eggs and we talked about each thing and read the little book that accompanies the eggs. I was so amazed at how much Aidan my three year old took in and how much he remembered. I was even more amazed at Avery's reaction. He's heard the Easter story many times. He knows that Jesus was crucified and rose from the dead. In one egg there is a piece of leather and we talked about how Jesus was whipped by the soldiers. In another are the nails and we talked about how they were driven through his hands and feet. Yet another holds the spear. By the time we had gone through these things, Avery was close to tears. Bless his heart he is so much like me in some ways. I asked him what was wrong and he said, "Momma, the whipping must have really hurt Jesus." I said I was sure that it had and that Jesus didn't have to go through that(through any of it) but he did it for us.
Avery has been talking a lot about what it means to have Jesus in your heart. Several times we've asked him if he would like to talk with our Children's pastor Mr Jason.
I know its the culmination of the wonderful ministers at our church, the awesome men and women who volunteer their time to teach the children's sunday school classes, our friends, and hopefully Jim and I have been an example too. I know the Lord is working on little Avery's heart and I know Avery can feel it. I wrote in one of my first posts on this blog the things I learned from my mother's death. One of them is that God uses our most painful moments to teach us. I think Avery learned a lot during the time my mom was in our home and in her death. That whole experience brought about a new awareness for Avery. We talk a lot about Heaven and how the Lord promises we will see those in Christ again. Not only has it brought about the awareness of death and what that means when you have salvation but I think he also learned that he can talk to God about anything through prayer.
We have sat down with those Resurrection Eggs over and over and over again. I kept them out and the boys continue to ask to go through them. They get so excited when they get to number 12 - they can hardly wait to open it up and show that it is empty because Jesus was not there. I love seeing their excitement. I know little Avery is on his way and I just pray that the Lord will guide me in guiding him. Its the most important decision he'll ever make. I can just feel my heart in my chest as I'm thinking about it.

Happy May Day

Ok so I know this is my third post today. :) Last year our good friends and neighbors, Ashley and her girls surprised us on the first day of May with May Day baskets. Adeline had made one for each of the boys and they were filled with goodies. The boys loved them and they loved that Ms Ashley, Adeline and Selah rang the doorbell, left the baskets and hid around the house until we came out to get them. So since last May, my boys have been dying to make our own May Day baskets to give to our neighbors. Its not something that I did growing up so I'm very thankful Ashley told us about them. Its a fun crafty thing to do with your kiddos and my boys take such delight in delivering them. So, at 7:30am (we had to do it before Avery got on the bus for school) this morning, Jim and the boys delivered our handmade May Day baskets. Thanks Ashley!! We love this new ( new for us) tradition!

ALS Awareness Month

May is ALS awareness month. ALS stands for amytrophic lateral sclerosis. Its also called Lou Gehrigs disease after the famous professional baseball player who was diagnosed with this terrible disease at the height of his career. There is such a need for research as currently there is no treatment and no cure. I've taken some excerpts from the TN Chapter of the ALS associations webpage.

Lou Gehrig first brought national and international attention to the disease in 1939 when he abruptly retired from baseball after being diagnosed with ALS. Most commonly, the disease strikes people between the ages of 40 and 70, and as many as 30,000 Americans have the disease at any given time.

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), often referred to as "Lou Gehrig's disease," is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and the spinal cord. Motor neurons reach from the brain to the spinal cord and from the spinal cord to the muscles throughout the body. The progressive degeneration of the motor neurons in ALS eventually lead to their death. When the motor neurons die, the ability of the brain to initiate and control muscle movement is lost. With voluntary muscle action progressively affected, patients in the later stages of the disease may become totally paralyzed.

With the price of gas through the roof and that affecting every other purchase in our lives these days, spending extra money on stamps is not something anyone wants to do. I would just encourage you- if you do have some extra money and feel led to check out the ALS awareness stamp You can place your order online.

The TN Chapter of the ALS association was phenomenal in their assistance to me and my family while we were caring for my mother. They are a wealth of resources and a first line of contact for those diagnosed with this devastating disease. Had it not been for them, we would not have been able to care for my mother in our home. If you would like further information please visit their website.

Finally, if you're reading this post I would just ask you to stop right now and pray. Pray for those people with ALS and their families and caregivers. Ask God to just cover them with His love and peace like only He can.

Superstar!

Aidan had a Spring Sing program at his Mothers Day Out. Here he is with his class singing the hip hop version of "Wheels on The Bus". He is on the stage, second from the far right. I so wish I could post the kiddos doing the "Tooty Ta" song but my camera conked out on me in the middle of it. Oh well. Good job Aidan! You're a superstar! You'll have to stop the music on the sidebar to hear the video. :)