Ft. Macon Bacon

Today, we took care of the kids history lesson. Fort Macon is on Emerald Isle...so we headed down to the end of the island.

It was very cool. The only other Fort I've been to is Sumter and South Carolina could use some tips from the NC Historical people. They've done an awesome job!

I enjoyed the architecture...

The kids enjoyed the cannons.

Liam seemed particularly interested. He apparently was listening during the educational video.

Because when Poppy insisted on walking with him and holding his had to go around the perimeter, Liam said "I know, it's like 24 feet or something." Which was exactly what the video said. So, he learned something while we were gone. Which is good, let me tell you. Getting him to do homework on "vacation" is not a cake walk. Or a walk on the beach or anything else even remotely pleasant or tasty. It's more like walking on glass...or eating liver.

Tomorrow, we go to the aquarium...

Love you all!!

My Find

Look what I found on the beach this afternoon...and Jon found an intact whelk. The shell hunting is phenomenal this week!! :)

Our Morning Walk

This morning everyone got up bright and early. We wanted to be first on the beach for shell searching purposes.

Which totally paid off for Liam. He found 3 broken conch shells and a whole sand dollar. Really found them. None of us dropped it there for hime to find ~ they were legitimate finds! It was exciting.

It was a beautiful sunrise. A beautiful morning.

I'm posting pictures of everyone except for Anne. She has forbidden me to post any pictures of her without her express written consent and she is not currently available for the request. ;)

The bonus prize...

We are debating the best possible way to get this horseshoe crab home. Without stinking ourselves out of the car.

Love you all!

Up Early

We were all up early today...

A Good Day

Just wanted to share with you our plans for the day. They're real complicated. We plan to put aside all of our cares, both heavy and light. We plan to play. In the water. On the sand. All over. :)

Old Burying Ground

Today we went on a field trip to Beaufort. If you are ever in the neighborhood, the Old Burying Ground is a must see! You can learn more about Beaufort (which may well be the coolest town I've ever seen...imagine St Augustine without all the tacky tourist trappings ~ it just oozes history) here: http://www.historicbeaufort.com/ .

Once upon a time there was a little girl who wanted to visit her parents native England. A long long time ago. Her mother had misgivings about her making the voyage across the ocean ~ her father promised he would bring her back home safely and took her. She had what I can only assume was a delightful visit in England and tragically, died on the return voyage. Under normal circumstances, her body would have been buried at sea. However, her father could not bear to break his promise. He purchased a barrel of rum from the captain and preserved her body in it for the remainder of the trip. She was buried in the cask of rum. Personally, I'm thinkin' that is grounds for divorce.

This British Soldier was buried standing up, facing his king.

The place was chalk full of history ~ so interesting the kids forgot to be scared. In the end, the only reason we left was because I was scared...there were some monster mosquitos in there!!

Hermie and The Rescue

I would like to introduce the newest member of our happy family. Hermie. The Hermit Crab. He's a buckeye. Can you tell? Anne and I took Liam and Mags into a gift shop to look for a pail and shovel for sand castles and somehow I got suckered into buying Liam a crab. Anne was no softy. She very firmly said "What? That's not a bucket" or something like that...but I caved. Real fast actually. You see, when I was a kid we always got a hermit crab at the beach. It was like tradition. I couldn't bear the idea that my kids would not have any crabby memories. He should smell real good in the car on the way home. Let's worry about that later.

The house we are staying in is one of the most gorgeous houses I've ever stayed in ~ in competition with the Maggie May. Which is neither here nor there, I have a point I'm getting to here. This house is awesome. It even has an elevator. A very temperamental elevator. A very temperamental elevator that my daughter decided to play on today. Yes, she now realizes that was a really poor decision on her part. She spent a very long 15 minutes stuck in it. She apparently hit the bright red stop button while she was in there. Poppy to the rescue...

He's Maggie's new hero.

He now knows more about elevators than he ever wanted to know. Or at least as much as he wanted to know. He played around with it until he understood it's temperamental tendencies.

You would really think after all that the kids would not play on the elevator. Wouldn't you? Maggie learned her lesson. Unfortunately, the only thing our little incident taught the boys is that they can get stuck on there. No big deal. Poppy will get them out. Game on. (Sigh) Boys.

Love you all

Day One

 The kids did not care that it was cool and raining...as you can see.

Life Is Good

Nothing lengthly this lovely, rainy evening. I just wanted to share that it is raining. But that's ok! Good even. Because I'm at the beach. Emerald Isle is GORGEOUS!! The house is gorgeous. Sam is happily playing with his Wii and his iPod on wi-fi. Liam has a new pet. Hermie the hermit crab (original, I know) and Maggie is asleep on the couch. I'm ready to go to sleep myself. Rain, rain, go away...or don't. You can't get me down. At least not today.

Swinfluenza Paranoia

Enough is enough already. If the media are trying to make me a completely paranoid mess, they have succeeded. Everytime you turn on the news someone else has been struck with the swine flu. A case is Lewis Center, 9 in Springfield...I even heard through the grapevine that there are 10 cases in Fredericktown. Everyone who got it was supposedly at the Morrow County Fair on the same day...yeah, Morrow County, home sweet home for me. Ugh! Give my babies a vaccination and shut the front door already!! I'm on a heightened sense of alert and I wonder how long this can last before I go pig crazy? If Maggies belly hurts or Liam sneezes I instantly think " , Swine Flu!?!" At this point, my biggest fear, no lie, is that my kids will get it and I won't know!! I'm a worrier by nature, it's hereditary I think. I worry about everything. Really. You would not believe some of the things I worry about. I watch Dr Oz everyday and find at least 5 more things to gnaw at the edges of my frayed mind. I don't need to be worrying about stuff if its done and over. If my kids get the swine flu I want to KNOW they had Swine Flu! I want to catalog it under "justifiable worry, over and done"! So, I can go back to worrying about forgetting to pack someones toothbrush for our beach trip. Or Sam driving. Yes, I know he's only 12 (and a half), but it's coming. I can feel it. Gnawing. At the edges of my frayed mind. I think "they" need to come up with an at home kit. Like a pregnancy test. Everytime one of the kids has a symptom, I can have them pee on a stick. No, I don't know who "they" are? But they're killing me here. Give me something I can do about the swine flu or drop it. So I can forget about it. Worry about something else. Like I could forget it now. When pigs fly.

Happy Happy Birthday!!!!!!!!!

Happy Birthday Grandma Debby!

We love you!!

Hurricane Carolina

Well, the Bachelorette party is over. Fun was had by all. I must admit that I didn't really want to go. I did not want to drive all the way to Louisville. I did not want to dance. What can I say? I forgot! I forgot how much fun dancing is! And I didn't know. I didn't know about Fourth Street Live. We girls had an awesome time. Fourth Street Live is the ultimate best spot ever for a bachelorette party. And our group had by FAR AND AWAY the prettiest bride. She was game too. She partied with pirates and rode the bull. She danced on the bar. That girl can DANCE!!! My word! I was just plum amazed. I'd never seen anyone move like that outside of a music video. Carolina should be on Dancing with the Stars!!
So, now that is done. We had a blast, made memories. Time to move on...I have so much to do this week!! Today, I did laundry, so I can start packing. The beach beckons! Mom gave us money to rent a car...thank you so much mom!! So, Jon booked that today. Tomorrow, I have to can tomatoes and possibly make salsa. Then I start packing. It's going to be a stressful week. I ALWAYS get stressed out getting ready for a vacation. But it will be worth it. I have Mom's Prayer Group on Wednesday. That will break things up nicely for me this week. Plus I'll have them all praying for me! So, it'll all be good. I love you all!

Friday Night

It's Friday night. I love Friday night. We are always all in a good mood on Friday nights. I tried to sneak up on the kids to catch them in action shots of what they're doing...fat chance of sneaking up on Liam. He's got a built in radar...it turns his grin on if there is a camera within 50 yards.

He is watching tv this lovely crisp fall evening. yes, I know it's not quite fall yet, but tell that to the trees...not me!

Maggie is laying in bed with a nonfiction library book about whales. She's researching. And writing about whales. Some kind of reference paper from what I can gather.This isn't a school assignment mind you, she just wanted to write a report about whales. Maybe Sam is right. Maybe she really is a...a...a nerd (gasp).

Sam, he's his own story. This evening, Jon and I finally broke and got him a cell phone. Our plan was old and not really catered to our use anymore so by the time we were done tweaking our plan, Sam's phone WITH unlimited texting and unlimited verizon to verizon is only an increase of $13 a month. Which isn't even fair to say really, because we added features to Jon's line that he didn't have before too. So, everyone benefited I guess? I'm still a bit apprehensive about it. I pray I won't regret doing this...in the meantime, Sam is really happy with us right now. Well, actually right here he was annoyed with me. I kept taking pictures. He'd had enough. But, I kept snapping because he kept looking...

goofy...see...

Tomorrow, I have to drive to Louisville for Carolina's bridal shower/bachelorette party. Sam is spending the weekend with Uncle Danny. Working. Jon, Maggie and Liam are going to rent a movie I think. Sunday, I start my serious planning. For the BEACH!!!!!!

I love you all!

Magpie Speaks

Have I ever told you how smart Maggie is? She's a whip, that girl. And so very contrary. Yesterday, when she came flying off the bus, she was ecstatic. She had received an "Independant Reader" reward certificate at school. To be completely honest with you, I have no earthly idea what that means. But, it must be good because let me tell you she was PROUD! I find that it simplifies my life if I just mirror their pride. It doesn't really matter if I get it. If they are proud, then I am. It's easy. So, I hugged her and told her what an awesome reader she is (she really is, it's what she excels at, remember that please in a moment) and that I was terribly proud of her. Then we went to her room and hung her certificate by her desk, where she can see it when she's doing homework. When the appropriate fuss had been made I dispensed snacks and then sent them to their "study stations" to do homework. After awhile Maggie brought me her 2nd grade subtraction worksheet to be proofed.

She had missed "14-7=" I circled it and gave it back to her and she returned to her bedroom. It wasn't a minute later that she called me back to room.

"Mom, I don't know how to do this one?" pointing to the missed problem.

I huffed and raised my eyebrows, "Really Maggie? It's 14-7, for God's sake!" I was patience walking, let me say. Ok, not really, I try to help the kids with their homework. I struggle to be the soul of patience...but I fail. Utterly and miserably.

Suddenly, the light went on (I thought). She smiled and said, "Oh!" and hiked her foot up on the desk. "I have to use my toes too!"

Nope, not kidding. That's my girl.

Sam has a game this afternoon at home...I'll be sure to post about it later.

I love you all!

Now That's Just Gross

I haven't been feeling especially loquacious so far this week. I love that word ~ loquacious. Using it makes me feel like I'm stretching my brain a little. We don't have a whole lot going on aside from anticipation. Steve's wedding quickly approaches and I have a bit of a dilemma. Carolina's shower/bachelorette party is Saturday. I don't know what to get her. Naturally, for any other bridal shower I'd buy the bride-to-be some sexy, filmy little number ~ most likely red given her coloring...but she's marrying my brother. Getting her something like that is just gross! What do you give a future sister-in-law? The saintly woman who's willing to take Steve on for the rest of her God given life? Earplugs? Her own gaming controller? A snuggie so she can read while he watches sports? A whip? No, they might use that for sex. EEEEWWWW! I just don't know. I've put off a decision for weeks and I'm running out of time here...maybe I'll just get her a pepper grinder?
Love you all!

Garlic Breath

As you all well know by now, I have been experimenting in the kitchen lately. Attempting to broaden my horizons, if you will. I've had many successes...until today. Today, I was unimpressed. Maggie requested Spaghetti and Meatballs. Spaghetti I have made a thousand times, meatballs? Never. I figured "How hard can it be?" Then, I got myself carried right away, is what I did. I got too big for my apron. Which doesn't matter in the end. The kids and I had fun. That's all that matters right? Even my failures teach me lessons though. Today I learned:

1. If the kids help me prepare a meal, they will eat it. Not only will they eat it, but when I say "Do you think maybe I added too much salt?" They gulp their milk half a glass at a time and shake their pretty little heads no.
2. Kids love balling food. Snickerdoodles. Meatballs. It doesn't matter. If they get to dig around in uncooked food, they are happy.
3. Kids don't lick their fingers when they ball meatballs the way they do with cookies. Maybe I should tell them there's sausage in the snickerdoodles.
4. I didn't think I'd like "frying" meat on the stove top and I was right. That dadgum grease hurts when it pops.
5. Prego really doesn't need doctored up. At least not the way I did it. It was better off the way it started. Yup, won't do that again.
6. If I make spaghetti and meatballs, Jon is suddenly struck with a mystery illness that prevents him from eating supper.
7. And finally, but certainly NOT least important...7 cloves of garlic is way too much. I do mean way too much. I could kill dracula right now with a single exhalation. I am killing myself. I seriously cannot stand my own breath right now. Jon, bless his heart, will probably sleep on the couch tonight. Yeah, it's really that bad. What's that? I think I just heard Liam tattle because Maggie is breathing towards his bedroom on purpose.

On the brighter side, I made sourdough bread for the first time ever this afternoon. It turned out pretty good. With one exception. I'm out of butter. Lord, help me. What in the sahm heck was I thinkin' making sourdough bread with no butter in the house. I sure ain't puttin' margarine on homemade sourdough bread. That would be blasphemy. So, I guess I'll stick it in a big baggie and save it until I go to the grocery this week.
I love you all!!

My Prayer for Today

Oh Lord, I'm not so hard to please. You know that I want Ohio State to beat the snot out of USC this evening, but I know that is a lot to ask. So, I'm willing to make a compromise. I can handle Ohio State not winning...but not getting utterly humiliated and demolished. IF, and this is a BIG IF, Florida could lose to Troy. That would make me smile. Amen.

A Sad Day with a Happy Ending

It's been a sad day. Not a bad day. I've actually had a pretty good day. But I can't help but reflect today a little. This morning as I sipped my coffee in the kitchen Liam gasped in the living room and said "Mom, somebody just flew a plane into a big building." I didn't respond with fear, I was well aware of what today was. I knew what he was seeing on the news. I was just kind of shocked to realize that he didn't know what he was seeing. Liam was only 2 months old on that fateful day. I guess for Liam anyway, 8 is the magic (or should I say tragic) age of awareness. Many 9/11 anniversaries have come and gone. Anniversaries that he has not paid the slightest bit of attention to. And I kind of liked it like that. I liked it like that because one of my memories of that day is sitting on my moms couch watching in horror as people jumped out of the windows of one of the towers. I remember that Sam, 4 at the time, was on the floor playing. Happy to be at Grandma and PaPa James' house, but aware of the disturbed air. I remember him asking me "Mommy, why did the men fly the plane into the building? Are they bad men?".  A 4 year old shouldn't wonder about things like that. I am thankful Liam has remained blissfully unaware for 8 years. Today, though, I had to explain to him about the bad men who hated us. It took a few minutes before he and Maggie (because she hung on every word at Liam's side, as usual) understood that it was "on purpose". I didn't like telling them about it. I know it's our history, but in some way I felt like knowing what was done to America that day despoiled their innocence a little. I realize this post is maudlin, but it's what I've been thinking about all day. Telling my babies what happened on 9/11 the year Liam was born.

Then to make matters worse, there was a horribly sad story on the news this evening about a young man from Delaware, Ohio who was supposed to be coming home on leave from either Iraq or Afghanistan this weekend who was killed by a roadside bomb yesterday. It just broke my heart for his family. I know every military loss is a great one, but I cannot and would not want to imagine what they must feel like today. Yesterday, they were so excited to see their baby again. Today they never will. I don't remember their name, but please pray for them. God knows who we're talking about.

Just when I was really working myself down into the dumps, as I typed this post, CBS ran the greatest story. It lifted my sad heart. It was about a Chicago cabbie who repeatedly had to pick up a grumpy older woman. Not only did he put on a happy face for her, he did some research. His research led him to the knowledge that she was grumpy because he has been taking her to her dialysis appointments and that she needs a kidney transplant. That taxi driver had himself tested and is a match ~ and he's giving her one of his kidneys. He said he asked God about it and God thought it was a good idea. When a local news station ran the story about him his 30 years estranged daughter recognized and contacted him. Her mother had divorced him and taken her away when she was a kid. Here is the link: http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/09/11/assignment_america/main5304591.shtml

Thank you Lord for a happy story. Right?

I love you all!

Mum's the Word, Country Girl

Jon bought me some Mums today. There's just something about Mums. They make me happy. I don't know if it's because they are a "fall" flower? Or maybe because of the colors they come in. I have to confess, I hate the lavender ones. Loathe them. They seem unnatural to me. Lavender is emphatically not a fall color. I'm not real crazy about the cream ones either. They have to be russet or gold or terra cotta. Something warm and cozy. There is nothing prettier than Ohio evening sun on Mums. They glow.

The mums weren't quite the complete package on their own though. So, I pestered poor Kenneth to let me have some of his corn stalks before he cuts them down. As it turned out, I was Kenneth's evening entertainment. He told me, "Sure you can have some, take what you want." I told him I really appreciated it and I'd be right back with my clippers. He scoffed and informed me I'd need his "corncutter" to get them. He promptly went to the barn and brought me a small machete. Liam thought the "corn cutter" was very cool. He wanted to use it and I quickly said " NO WAY". Then Jon and Liam and Kenneth stood behind me holding their guffaws in and watched me use the small machete to cut down roughly two dozen corn stalks. About half way though I was gettin' some clean cuts and I do believe that thing was a whole lot sharper than it looked through all the rust. When it was all done, Kenneth informed me that he'd make a farmer out of me yet. Part of me thinks that is funny and fairly impossible. And part of me raises her eyebrow and thinks about how much I've changed since I moved out here.

I mean I canned tomatoes this year. That's not the sort of thing I grew up doing. I was always a city girl. Once, many moons ago, the mall at Polaris would have been a mecca to me. Now, if I have to go to "town" I prefer Mansfield because there's less traffic and the drive is prettier. On this lovely fall evening, I'm thinking I am getting less and less like a city girl every year. One of these days, Jon will let me get some chickens and the conversion will be complete. Well, not quite, I don't know if I'll ever be able to raise an animal with the intent of eating it. I can eat animals just fine. I just can't pretend to be their friend for a year first. That skill is beyond my capabilites. Any animal of mine is family. I would eat their babies though. If he let me get the chickens that is! Eggs don't count. ;)

Soupy Goodness

Yesterday was one of those days when I had too much on my plate. A day of praise and prayer. A day of really excellent food. I wanted to share just a bit of it with you. Why? Because I was proud of myself doggonit! I had plans all day, or most of it anyway and Sam had a football game at 4:30pm. Sounds like a good day to leave soup in the crock pot, don't it? But, I went one step better. I made homemade bread bowls! Have I ever told you I love my kitchen aid mixer? Passionately. Madly. Deeply. But I digress. Making the bread bowls was ridiculously  easy. I can't believe I've never done it before. I learned a valuable lesson too. Several actually.

The first would be that men, at least my man, are bowled over by a little extra effort. Teehee. Jon was thrilled and amazed and full and I cannot remember the last time he oohed and aahed over a meal I made the way he did last night! The second would be that kids could not care less. Well, to be fair, Maggie and Sam could not care less. After his football game last night Sam would probably have eaten the bowl if it was porcelain. It did help to fill his cavernous stomach though. They were thoroughly unimpressed. And third, I need to keep the bowls small. Amen.