Summer Vacation, thus far

So, we’ve had a very busy 3 weeks!

So busy that I have not had any time to update the blog! This is what we’ve been up to the last 3 weeks!

It all started Father’s Day Weekend with a 5K race here in Kennesaw.

All 4 of us ran – Sam ran in the 1 Mile – and he did great! He came in 4th! Just missed a trophy! Rich, Josh and I ran the 5k.  Josh and I didn’t train and we took a long time. I met up with Josh at the 1 mile mark and he was ready to go home. We took our time running and walking the rest of the way. Rich did fantastic! He showed us all up and came in 2nd in his age group! But he paid for it! It took him 5 days to recover!

After the race, the boys had a birthday party at the local rock climbing gym. My legs were so tired they ached just watching the kids climb!

I think the boys were a bit tired too because they spent most of the time running around!

 

This Weekend’s Concert…

I live in the BEST community.

I really do.

They have all sorts of free events for us.

Last weekend I Was Hip Hop. But to be fair, that was a “private” party – not put on by the HOA.

This weekend I was a little bit country.

Our community put on a free concert at our amphitheater this weekend. They had a local band called The Broken Road Band playing. LeeSa Biddy-Lyons is one of the lead singers and she’s a friend of mine!

 

Yesterday’s Post

Totally forgot to post yesterday!

I mentioned we had a busy weekend.. or busy Saturday.

In the morning I ran my 5K – it was the Swift-Cantrell Classic. Lots of fun! My time was not the best – 40:28 when I crossed the line, but the “official results” have me at 40:32.

Before race:

Enjoying Life

My busy week was followed by some reminders to enjoy the little things.

Josh went to a birthday party/slumber party at his friend Sean’s house. We’ve been friend’s with Sean’s family for years and I’m sure I’ve blogged about Sean and his younger brother Jackson before.

In 2009, Jackson was diagnosed with a brain tumor and lost his battle in August 2010. It was horrible. He was only 7.

I find myself thinking of Jackson at the strangest moments. There are some obvious times, like putting the boys to bed, playing with them – even yelling at them when they aren’t behaving – but he also comes to mind when I’m doing ordinary things like brushing my teeth, or grocery shopping. Sometimes I just can’t get Jackson or his family out of my head.  I take these as reminders that I need to cherish every moment with the boys because you never know what life will bring.
And this last week my sister lost a friend unexpectedly.  Another reminder that life is precious.
So this weekend, we spent some time together as a family.

Easter Images 2011

Hope you had a good Easter!  We were busy from the moment we got up until we went to bed!

It was another busy weekend, but Rich did not have to work (Hooray!!) so we had lots of time together.  Friday night we dyed eggs.

 

Our goal for the weekend was to get the garden and back decks sorted out so we could have a barbecue one night.  Sam had a birthday party to go to on Saturday afternoon and it was quite clear by the time we got home the BBQ would have to wait until Sunday!

Reinventing the Family Meal

I have a confession.

We don’t eat dinner together as a family on a regular basis.

I know the family meal table is an important part of child's development. I know how it encourages them to try new foods, helps promote good table manners and is a great bonding time for families.

When I was growing up we always ate together. Some of my favorite memories are around the dinner table. And, on the rare occasion, when my brother, sister and I gather our families at my parents’ house, we still sit around the dinner table and talk.

Spring Break 2011: Soccer!

Today is the last day of Spring Break 2011.

We really didn't to a whole lot, other than going to Fernbank on Thursday.  But we did have a busy Saturday!

Josh got a skateboard for his birthday. He's been practicing and practicing on it and he's getting much better.  One thing he's been itching to do is go to one of our local parks that has a skate ramp. Every time we go it's over crowded with teens so Josh hasn't been able to get on. Plus, it's a bit intimidating with lots of High Schoolers skating on it. It's not that big of a "skate park."  Rich promised Josh he'd take him down early one morning before the teens invaded. So, Saturday morning, off they went.

Wordless Wednesday: Trip to Chattanooga

For more Wordless Wednesday visit the WW HQ and 5 Minutes for Mom

Details of our trip to Chattanooga tomorrow!

They Say Things Come in 3's.... Right?

Well, if that's the case, we're set for a bit...

I'm sure you all remember our little car issue -- the transmission needing to be replaced?

If you've friended me on Facebook, I'm sure you're aware of our heating issue... if not, let me fill you in.

We've had unseasonably cold weather here in Georgia. Now, for those up North that are accustomed to sub-zero weather... more power to you. Our problem comes in when we get zero degree weather -- or just below freezing -- our heater can't heat the house.

Luckily, we have a fully furnished, comfortable basement that has it's own heating system. This weekend in Atlanta the highs were in the teens and the lows were below zero. Our house -- the main living area -- didn't get above 49 degrees all weekend.

So we moved into the basement. Thankfully, it started to warm up yesterday and we actually could spend time in the main house and sleep in our beds again! But we're expecting a few more cold days this week so I have someone coming out to look at the heater this evening.

And, because when one thing falls apart, so does another and another.... We were getting ready to go to Target this weekend -- just to get out of the house and warm ourselves up -- and the garage door broke. The opener ripped a huge chunk right off the back of the door.

When that happened, Josh said, "Man! It seems like the whole house is falling apart!"

But, even though we've had a string of "issues" come up -- at least all have our health and we had some nice "quality family time" while we were stuck in the basement together.

And I made a hat for Rich to go with his sweater....

Here's Josh modeling it... and looking quite enthused.

More Outside Fun

Saturday was Josh's baseball trophy party.

It was quite cool and windy that day, but the kids had fun anyway.

They were FILTHY from rolling and sliding down the hill at the amphitheater! Apparently a filthy kid is a happy kid because they were truly filthy and happy!

And yes, that is Sam's Spiderman costume he's wearing. He's worn it more often than not since Halloween. Apparently it makes him strong AND fast!

Of course right before we were due to leave Rich's work called so he was a bit late. We were just getting ready to leave when he showed up. Which meant we stayed longer so the boys could run around with Daddy.

That evening I took the boys to McDonald's for dinner -- because we had no food in the house clearly pizza for lunch and McDonald's for dinner will land me in the "Best Mom Ever Hall of Fame" as voted by my kids. On the way home from McD's we had to stop at the grocery store for more wine food.

The boys and I were telling the worlds worst jokes EVER to pass the time at the shop. Such classics like, "Why did the Thanksgiving Turkey cross the road? Because it was in the human's stomach."

When Sam looks up and says, "Mom, what did one Cheeto say to the other Cheeto?"
Me, "I don't know."
Sam: "Nothing! Everyone knows Cheetoes can't talk!"

Yes, my just-turned-4-year-old told the best joke of the night!

And for those keeping score -- Sunday we raked up 13 more bags of leaves. We got a late start (Rich's work again) so we only had a few hours outside. Our total so far is 22 bags.

I thought Weekends Were for Relaxing?

Last spring we tried something called "Friday Family Fun Nights." And that is what they are. We try to do something together after dinner. It doesn't have to be something big or expensive, the idea is to get out of the house and spend some time together as a family.

Now that summer is over and things are settling down, we decided to restart the fun nights. So last Friday we headed down to Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park. We didn't stay long, but we did run around the battlefield and then we drove up the mountain road to see the views from the top.

It was spectacular. The air was clear and the sky was blue. We could see Stone Mountain clearly in the distance (something we've never been able to do before because of all the haze) and the city looked amazing from up there.

We had such a great time we decided to come back later in the weekend and walk up the mountain.

Since Josh had his first baseball game on Saturday afternoon, we decided Sunday morning would be a good time to go.

Josh did great in his baseball game. Sam and I didn't go, we had some errands to run, but Rich said he did really well. He hit the ball each time he got up and had some really good throws.

Then Saturday afternoon, I was invited to a book signing in Buckhead for the book "Sleep is for the Weak." I got to meet Kristin Chase from Motherhood Unsensored, Mir from Woulda, Coulda, Shoulda, and Rita Arens from Surrender, Dorothy! In my star-struck awe, I forgot I had my camera and didn't get their pictures! D'oh! They were all really nice and I'm so happy I got to meet them!


So Sunday morning we got up early. I had heard that the Target by us was getting Wii's in and wanted to get down there to get one for the boys Christmas present. I wasn't the only one that heard this, four others were waiting there too. But, the manager came out about 10 minutes before opening and announced they had none. Apparently, the stores aren't even told when the shipments will be coming in because the 18-wheelers will get carjacked. How sad is that?

So, I returned home empty handed (but as luck would have it we did find one on the internet) and we got the kids all buttered up, hatted and ready to go on a hike.



Notice the propeller on top of Sam's hat. He received many comments about that hat and was only slightly surprised that he couldn't "fly" up the mountain when the propeller was spinning.

They did really well.

Okay, so Josh complained that he was hungry and his legs were tired after only 5 minutes and he kept asking those coming down the mountain "how much further?" until we had to threaten him with more exercise and less video games if he didn't just suck it up.

And Sam was just slow. He did well for the parts he walked. But poor Rich carried him up most of the way.



Finally! We made it to the viewing area at the "almost" top and could stop for a snack!



We continued on past several cannons that had been dragged up by confederate troops ...



.... up to the very top of the mountain...



(they're standing on the triangulation station marker at the top)

... and back down the other side... until we got to the road, then we followed the road down. It took longer, but was much easier. At least for Sam.



We were all quite hot and yucky when we got home at lunch time.

Josh had another birthday party on Sunday -- that's the third birthday party in as many weeks! He went bowling this time -- he got the high score (96) thanks to back to back strikes. He had fun, but I'm hoping there won't be any more parties for a bit.

So what we thougth was going to be a nice relaxing, easy-going weekend ended up being quite busy! I was a bit happy that they all went back to school today so I could get some rest!

More Conversations with Sam

This is probably the best picture of our family that has ever been taken. It's two years old.

I was looking at it this morning at breakfast and remarked to Rich how much Sam has changed! He doesn't even look like that anymore. And also how much Josh has grown. We chatted for a bit about how we need to get a new picture of all of us, but it's so hard when your kids pull silly faces every time the camera gets pulled out....

Then I noticed that today Sam is wearing the same Thomas the Tank Engine shirt that Josh has on in the picture.

Sam asked to see the picture so I showed him.

Sam: Sammy's the big boy, Joshie is the baby.

Me: No Sammy, you're the baby, Josh is the big boy. See that's you when you were a baby.

Sam (starting to get upset): NO! That's me! (pointing to Josh) I'm the Big Boy! That's my Thomas Shirt, I want to wear it!

At this point, Rich and I start laughing....

Me: Yes, that's right Sam, that's your shirt. But it used to be Joshie's favorite shirt. Now it's yours.

Sam (crying): Take it off! I want to wear it! It's mine!

A Family United

The weather here in Georgia is finally starting to cool down enough where we can go outside and do stuff without fear of over heating! This morning, we decided to head on up to the local State Park for a walk along some of the trails.

We love this state park; it has playgrounds, walking trails, a beach, a campground, and some other fun things to do with kids. Since it's only about 20 minutes away, we find it's a great place to spend some time outdoors together.

Josh has not been feeling well, so we didn't stay out too long, but we did manage to walk a bit on one of the easier trails they have.

The Grumpy Old Troll Bridge...

Stopping for a break...

It's a good thing Sam was there. He kept us from getting lost....

There are more pictures (if you're interested) here.

And I know you're all on the edge of your seats waiting to know the outcome of yesterday's Rugby World Cup game...

edited: I know this is true because of this email I received from my parents:

Re: your blog a House Divided.
Well what happened? Who won? Who did Josh root for?
I didn't see the Rugby in the papers we get and they didn't cover it on the news last night.

As expected, England beat the Americans 28 - 10, however, apparently the Americans (all armatures) played really well and were lucky to not get beaten 70 - 0! So, for this household at least, the result was not bad. The person who actually CARES about the outcome came out on top, yet the Americans put up a good showing.

The Home of the Braves

We went to a Braves baseball game on Saturday. The Braves were playing the Detroit Tigers so we were really excited.

The Braves are my "New" Home Team, but since I grew up in Detroit, I love the Tigers too... through thick and thin! So it didn't really matter to me who won the game! I was excited to go to Turner Stadium as well. I hadn't been yet -- my previous Atlanta Games were in 1993 when they played at the old Fulton County Stadium. Turner Field is very nice!

It was lots of fun. We did not bring the camera since we weren't sure if they were allowed (they are), so next time, we'll be sure to bring our camera!

It was an afternoon game, and the weather in Atlanta was hot with a chance of more hot! Thankfully, the humidity was low, but when the temp reaches 98F (36C), with no cloud cover, it's still hot!

We got to the game early so the boys could look around and pick out a little souvenir, have a hot dog, and look around a bit. When we got there, we were pleasantly surprised to find out it was Hat Day! So we all got Braves Hats -- the boys (well, Josh) was particularly excited because, as he said, he "always wanted an Atlanta Braves hat!"

After trying on our hats, we went straight to the gift shop (along with every other person at the stadium). Josh picked out a t-shirt with #25 Andruw Jones on the back. They didn't have any toddler-ware, so Sam picked out a stuffed animal, a Braves puppy dog. In the end they were very happy with their hats and Braves paraphernalia! And Josh has barely taken the t-shirt off long enough for me to wash it!

We went to our seats, up in the "nose bleeds" -- all the way up to the top row! But that ended up being the best place to sit. Not only were we in the shade from the overhang (woo hoo!) we were on an aisle with a little platform so Sam could "wander." And when I say "wander," I mean Rich could get up and play with Sam while Mom and Josh watched the game!

We only stayed through the end of the 4th inning, but that was enough to see all the runs scored in the game -- 2-1 to the Tigers (who ended up sweeping the series).

Aside from the TicketMaster price gouging fees, the ticket prices for Braves games are actually quite affordable. The cheapest "entry" is $1 and that's really just to get you to the ground and watch from one of the bars they have on site. To get a seat, they have tickets for as low as $6. We opted for the not-quite-so-low-priced $12 tickets! And even though we were just about as far from the field as you could get, we could still see really well! Apparently, there's not a bad seat at Turner Stadium!

Josh had a great time and was very upset that we had to leave early (there is NO WAY Sam would have lasted any longer). He and Daddy have great plans to go later in the season and stay for the whole game -- or the better part of one anyway!

Weekend Update and Then Some....

Yes, I know I need a haircut... I have to wait about a week so it's just right for our vacation!

So, it's time for the weekend update! This weekend was the Big Shanty Festival, complete with a parade, bouncy castles, arts & craft stalls and junk food!

When we were talking to Josh about going to the parade on Saturday, his first response was, "No, I don't want to go... (then he thought for a minute)... Will they be throwing Candy? Well, then okay!"

The boys had a great time at the parade. There were bands from the local high school, the local Harley Davidson Club (which Sam liked the most). Some of Josh's friends from school were in the parade representing Jump Rope For Heart, (see #29) and Kennesaw Futbol Club.

Look Mommy!

CANDY!!!!!

YAY!

More Candy!

We visited the festival and the stalls on Sunday afternoon. The boys had a great time, the biggest hit was Jeff Gordon's number 24 Nascar that the Kennesaw Police had on display. Unfortunately, I have no pictures of Sam and the smile on his face when he ran circles around the car. The Kennesaw Police Dept. had it on display to raise money for the Torch Run to benefit the Special Olympics.

With a $5 donation, Josh picked out a hat and t-shirt. Here he is sporting it! We think it's big enough for the whole family!

Monkey See, Monkey Do....

Sam's new favorite thing is Curious George. He loves watching the TV show and the Movie! The other day, he yelled over to me, "Mommy! Look what I did!" I went into the bathroom and he had unrolled an ENTIRE roll of toilet paper!

I said, "Sam! What did you do?"

Sam: "Look Mom! Just like Curious George!"

I wish I had a photo!

Later that day, I was running the boys bath and Sam said, "I
want to get in now."

I was putting clothes into the dryer: "Okay Sam, just a minute!"

Sam: "I got in all by myself!"

I went into the bathroom and he'd taken his undies off, but climbed in with his shirt on! Silly boy! (again, no picture! I really need to keep my camera handier!)

Elizabeth Thinks I ROCK!

Lastly, I wanted to just make the wold a little smaller. One of my favorite blogs is written by a lady named Elizabeth. She lives in East Lansing, Michigan and after reading her bio, I realized we had a few more things in common. Turns out, we graduated High School the same year and we both waited a year to start college. She was accepted to the school I ended up attending and went to an equally small school in Michigan. And her husband used to work for EDS. Small World!

You should go check her out. She's got a good sense of humor! This weekend she had a huge project at her house. She was trying to de-clutter her house with 3 kids! She posted photos and updates as she went. Looks like she did a pretty good job! And since I was there cheering her on she sent me an "Elizabeth Thinks I Rock" Award! Which I am proudly displaying on my blog! Elizabeth, I think you rock too!

Additional Pictures

Josh and Sam at an Easter Egg hunt a few weeks ago.

On the way home from the playground.