Home So Soon?

These are the photos from our trip to Charlotte:

4 in 25. Not the number of people who think I resemble Six from Blossom. Hopefully not as many people who think that Sarah Palin can actually pull off the debate on Thursday. It is quite possibly the number of failed attempts to hang out with the Kulps in Charlotte (pink eye, fever, and budget cuts now being a few of the reasons we haven't been able to visit our friends). 

But in this case, 4 is how many miles I drove in 25 minutes yesterday on I85 leaving the Kulps house. What was supposed to be an overnight visit full of fun for me and the girls turned into a wardrobe exchange for Mary and me and a naptime playdate for Kate and Celia. After laying Nancy down for a nap, she woke up with a fever of 101.5. So as not to infect our sweet friends, not to mention Camilla who is just 6 months old, we decided to head back home. Plus, who wants to sleep in a pack and play in a room with your sister when you don't feel good? I'm sure Dave thinks we are crazy. He was home just long enough to say hello to me after I came out of the bathroom from spanking Kate, and comes home for supper to find we are 45 minutes gone. Kate was so disappointed, but Celia was such an encourager. She gave Kate a hug and said "Kate, I know you are sad to go home, but maybe you can come back again another day because you are my best friend in the whole world." Since 5 year olds don't quite know how to show all emotion yet, giggles and racing around the house followed in a celebration of friendship. These little girls couldn't get along 18 months ago; now they are BFF! 

4 miles in 25 minutes isn't as slow as some have experienced, but it is as slow as I want to experience with a sick baby, Dora, and antsy kindergartener in the car on a trip we just completed only 4 hours earlier. And I have plenty of time to wonder "why?" Why, if God's plan/will/choice is sovereign and perfect, is sitting in traffic exactly what He wants me to do? How does it benefit me? i ask myself. And He reminds me that it's really not about me. Obviously I need to think more about how I can be a part of God's kingdom instead of focusing on how He can help me in my kingdom. 

After wallowing in self pity and telling Ryan he either needed to feel sorry for me or get on google earth to tell me what lie ahead on the road (accident? bottleneck? people giving out cash?) I talk to Brandy in Bluffton. She and Gray are making some hard decisions for their family, and all I am worried about is that Nancy might start having a meltdown in the backseat. Even in the middle of their trials, Brandy is the one that says to me "but I know that God's will is perfect." And He wants to take care of us, and He will. 

Who knew that 10 years after Clemson, Bran, Mary and I would still be able to be real in each others' lives, dealing with exhaustion, quarter-life crises, a faltering economy, sick babies, and getting dinner on the table? Now that I think about it, the road-trip-that-almost-was may not have been about me, but it did give me a time to reflect on how gracious He's been to provide these and other wonderful, sweet friendships. I am so thankful for you, girls! I love you!

Kulps, we'll try again in November!

Did I Ever Mention?

Did I ever mention the afternoon we spent in the bathroom hunkered down for a tornado? That's right. Sometime mid-August, my mom calls during some bad weather and says that tornadoes are headed our way. Kate and I were coloring and Nancy was napping, so I turned the tv on and she was right. John Cessarich said there was a tornado due for Taylors at 4:45pm. Kate begins to get very nervous, but I just keep coloring. I figured if it started looking green outside we'd head for the bathroom.

She would not let go of her worry, and even asked if we could pray about it (a rare thing in our house - don't get any ideas) so we do, she says she feels better, but that's a lie, because she continues to get more and more afraid. I told her that she wasn't trusting God even though we had prayed about it, because her heart was still fearful. Finally it's about 4:15, and Nancy is awake, so I tell her if it will help we can take shelter "just in case". She starts pulling cushions off the sofa and dragging them to the bathroom, gathering toys for her and Nan to pass the time, all the while saying "I will trust God. I will trust God."

We were in that bathroom for 45 minutes!!! Ridiculous! They had a great time! Once or twice I escaped to check the path of the storm (which fizzled out before it reached us), and when I came back Nancy was standing on top of the potty ready to jump into the cushions! 

Since then we have listened to the Wizard of Oz on audio CD, and I don't think it will do us any good the next time a storm heads our way. 

Nancy is obliviously happy with "cackers".

We even did school in the bathroom. It was our first week, looks like we were studying sun. I am such a diligent mother.

Happy Birthday, Gray!

I figured better late than never, and since it's GRAY'S BIRTHDAY today, I thought it was somewhat appropriate to post about our visit with our friends that happened a month ago!

On August 24 the Gainors came for a visit! It had been over a year since we had gotten together with kids - Bran and Gray didn't even know Sam was going to be Sam the last time we saw each other! They even got to spend the night with us, which was so fun. They were great sports, considering we don't have a guest room or a fold out sofa. Oh, and they came with their friend from Slovakia, Barbora, who was spending time in the States. The kids had so much fun playing! Sarala and Kate really never left Kate's room, Jackson went between the big girls and the Little People, Nancy just squealed and followed the big kids, and Sam log rolled across the living room. I'm not sure when we'll all get together again, and don't really want to think about how sad that makes me, so I'll just say thank you to the Gainors for being willing to include a stop in Greenville in your vacation and we love you and are so thankful for your friendship!

Jackson, Kate, Nancy, and Sarala. Sam was already packed up....

Kate and Sarala had a sleepover in Kate's room - they did SO well!  Here they are enjoying breakfast together.

Sam.

Age of Greed

Did anyone catch the Today show this morning? Matt Lauer did a segment on the greed of Wall Street. It was so fascinating. Unfortunately, I don't think this "humbling time", as one analyst called it, will be what gives people in our nation heart change.  The other analyst kind of points a finger at the Clinton administration as if  to say "Thanks a lot for the mess we're in!", and I think it is so interesting that we try and place blame on individuals and groups of people. I do agree that the greed of a few has affected many, and those who were educated took advantage of the general public's insatiable desire for more. Even though crisis after crisis seems to have our country's head spinning, am have peace in knowing that God is not surprised by 2008.

Gross

This is why we don't play in the backyard. If left to their own vices, the girls get absolutely filthy. It's really cute and funny when I have put them in their grubby clothes and we are all outside doing yardwork on a Saturday. It is not cute and funny when it is 4:45 in the afternoon on a weekday and I have to wash their clothes immediately so the dirt won't set and bathe them both and redress them (can kids eat in their pjs? mine get theirs so crusty with food at suppertime) and then corral them so I can start dinner 30 minutes late because of said dirt and baths. Instead of the swingset they usually end up playing in the dirt, raking it and making bigger holes in our already eroding yard. We can't grow grass b/c of the trees and the huge hickory nuts that fall from them - Belle has often been knocked in the head while napping on the porch by falling hickory nuts, and it's gotten to the point where she doesn't even bother moving after a pummeling.

At any rate, we were ready for them to get dirty today. Stuck them in the sandbox and even gave them each a bucketful of water. Once they ran out of that, Kate kept coming back to the hose for more - she one day got tired of waiting for me and can turn it on by herself. Nancy literally stuck her head in the sand. They decided they were done with the sandbox and eventually just played with the hose. Actually, Kate sprayed Nancy with the hose and they both loved every minute of it.

Oh, and one more thing. This morning I left for the farmers market around 7:45, and in addition to the rotting squirrel carcass in the street is a possum, who, I kid you not, lifts his head up at me as I drive by as if asking for rescue. I am starting to think one of our neighbors has waged war with local varmints and sits in their car at daybreak for a chance to play chicken with them. Later, as I am stripping down the girls in the backyard to hose the sand out of their hair, watching the water pool into mud around them in our family-friendly backyard full of mushrooms, dog poop and hickory nuts, I hear the clang of Ryan's shovel as he tries to decapitate the large rodent suffering in the street from a hit and run. Could we be more white trash?

"Why, that's grass!" you may say. I put them in the small green spot we do have to avoid eroding the yard more.

Date with Daddy

We have been learning about the moon this week in school, and my friend Greta told us about the "moon show" at Roper Mountain Science Center. Four daddies and little girls went on a group date to Pizza Inn (where Ryan ate enough food to feed a small country) and then to see Starry Nights. Kate was so excited about her date with Daddy! Hopefully it will be my turn soon!

This picture makes me laugh! Ryan said she made a face and was trying to look like someone else. 

Kate, Abby Fowler, Ella Fuller and Hannah Espinosa. The dads sat in the back and goofed off while the girls tried to understand how the stars were formed by bears and horsemen arguing over seven sisters. Might have to do some damage control....

Jesus Is a Friend of Mine

I can't believe this is real. Tonya posted this on her Facebook page and I just had to give everyone a good laugh. Even Kate said she did not like the song, and this from a kid who thinks the song "Poop in the Potty" is a jaunty little tune. Plus, I finally figured out how to put the videos directly on the blog, all by myself!! Yeah me!

The Day Goes to Pot(ty)

Coconut Lime Verbena lotion from Bath and Body Works is one of my favorite scents. Not because I am the type of girl that dreams of sunny days on a tropical island in the middle of nowhere drinking a lime-y girl drink on the beach - if they could put Florence (Italy, not SC) in a bottle I'd buy it); it's mainly because I don't encounter coconut or lime or verbena during the day, and it's nice to smell something besides dirty diapers, dirty dishes or a dirty dog. It also comes in handy for keeping me from smelling like a dirty dog. 

Apparently Nancy thought that not enough of my stuff is covered in spit up, kitchen, or doggy smells and stains. Isn't anything sacred? I wonder if she's trying to tell me something. 

At least I don't fit in the potty. 

Belated Disclaimer

After a few raised eyebrows and a phone call from DSS (who sounded a lot like my mom), we decided assure everyone that yes, Kate really loves the beanbag game, asks to play it all the time, and laughs wildly when she bounces off the sofa onto the floor. This video was not previously rehearsed. Really. (Nancy is crying in the background because she only understands "ice cream", not "let's go get some ice cream", and she likes to watch herself on the camera, eg. "baybeee")

And for those of you who have created your own version of the Beanbag Game, we'd love to see some video!

Why??

Why in the world do they make the packaging on kids stuff so impossible to get into?? Little parts, I understand to an extent: gotta make the Princess Polly Pockets look as exciting as possible in the bag! (even though mom will get it home, untie all the twisties holding Sleeping Beauty's hair still, cut through plastic as thick as acrylic and bend cardboard until it shreds all over the carpet only to have the toy dumped into the huge and cumbersome "convenient carry bag" where the parts get tossed around inside and all jumbled up and eventually lost every time said bag is opened...have you seen Polly Pocket's shoes??)

Tiny stuff, fine. Chalk it up to a choking hazard prevention. But sippy cups?!? The kids are going to put the things IN THEIR MOUTHS! There is no place to pull apart the plastic and the circumference of paper around the cup is so narrow that I can't even get the scissors to grip it and cut it! Why do they even need plastic around it anyway??? Just so they can hang it on the hook at the store? The hook that is eye level with my 5 year old, who conveniently chooses the cup that is $6.99? It should not take me 4 minutes to open up just one Dora sippy cup. I bought 5 today. That's 20 minutes. That's another nap!