Did you know waffles can swim?

Mommy, can I pour the syrup on this time? Sure, honey.

Whoa! Time to buy more Hungry Jack.

Wireless Schmireless

Wireless technology has me frustrated and hot and sweaty at the moment.

We are a completely wireless, paperless, online banking, bill paying sort of family. Everything is stored online. EVERYTHING.

So last night when our internet went out I was helpless.

This morning I found myself embarking on the dangers of what is also known as our garage to make my way over to the wireless router. No lights. On/Off. Reboot. Reset. (There is a difference)

Well crap. I need to call Verizon Fios. Where, oh where, would their number be? Online. Well shoot, how am I supposed to get to that without internet access? Oh, yes, look on the bill. Dang it...we went paperless with them years ago. No paper bill to be found.

So I call my dear in-laws and have them surf for the number. Do you know how difficult it is to find a silly customer service PHONE NUMBER?!?

So I start calling and getting transferred and disconnected and starting all over again. Those voice prompted systems simply do not work when you have two loud kids in the background. None of my hiding places seemed to have enough reception. They never seem to look for me in the master closet. Is it awful that I know that?

The most fun part was having them follow me into the hot garage and climb on old furniture and play with chemicals while I trouble-shooted with a computer voice on the other end of the line. I finally told the girls there were big scary hungry spiders in the garage and they better get inside and QUICK. It worked. Praise God.

Finally on my 6th call I got a human. Wow. A human in the correct department. Wow Wow. A human in the correct department who actually knew what they were doing. Wow Wow Wow.

So after a sweaty conversation with her in my garage, performing various tests on our wireless router and battery backup boxes, she decided our router was dead. Hallelujah. Now what?

Well, she said, bring your laptop into the garage and hook it up to this blue cord so we can be sure the router is fried. Okay.

It's dead. Gone. Fried. Whatever.

New one doesn't come til Monday. Glory. And I get to set up all by myself...with just a simple phone call to Verizon. Yeah right.

So, I'm unplugging the blue cord and dusting the cobwebs off myself and surprising the girls that I survived all the garage spiders.

Later internet peeps.

Ballet/Tap 101...for Mommy

I thought we had signed Lily up for some ballet and tap lessons...but I think mommy ended up learning the most.

Thankfully we have the second session today where I can prove I learned my lessons.


Last week I wore my "outside, non-dance" shoes into the studio. *gasp* But it wasn't until Jade also wandered into the studio with her little "outside, non-dance" shoes that we were gently corrected. Oops.


I did recall from the recess of the dance etiquette portion of my brain that we weren't to wear our dance shoes outside the studio, and thank goodness I did...imagine the looks we would have gotten.


They kindly handed us a "Dancer Policy Handbook" on our way out. I have a feeling I will be the only mama reading it word for word. It seems all the other mothers had gotten the memo already...especially regarding hair.


I originally had taken this picture to capture the word "dance" written so cutely across my daughter's hiney.

But now I can't even look at it without gasping over her wild hair. They had told me to "secure" her hair for the lesson. Boy, am I a rookie. I slapped that hair into a pony tail and called it "secured".


See all the other little ballerinas? Notice their nicely secured hair?

Hair that was carefully and painfully pinned into ballet buns not as they rushed out the door to their lesson but probably hours before as they prepared diligently in advance.


In the words of the "Dancer Policy Handbook"...no swinging hair will be tolerated. I started to feel bad for Lily...oh how her mother had failed her. And then I thought about my hair styling deficiencies and how I had no clue how to properly secure her wild hair into a neat ballet bun resting gently on her head.


Thankfully the mama sitting next to me filled me in on a little tip. Apparently a little tool has been made for hair styling challenged mamas just like me. And being the kind person she was, she not only told me where to get one, but offered to show me how to use it at today's lesson. What a gem!


A mere hours later, we arrived at the cutest dance boutique a girl could ever dream of. Oh the tutus and leotards of every shade of pink imaginable. The dance bags in every shape and style possible. The shoes and accessories were countless. But I was on a mission...pushing through to the hair bows, clips and bobby pins...and then I laid eyes on it...the "Whirl A Style" was in stock. I flipped it over expecting impossible instructions and difficult to follow diagrams. But alas, it simply said, "Saisir, Enrouler, Fixer". Oh wait, that must be in French. "Grab, Roll, Snap"...I think I can do it! I can whirl a bun! Well, it is still sitting in it's package, but I will try it on Lily when she wakes up. Yes, hours in advance I will prepare with diligence. No more swinging hair!


I had to laugh at the dance boutique though...with all of the frilly girly stuff there, Lily focused in on this one accessory.

Does this scream 80s or what?
Who didn't have one of the brushes that could be turned inside out like this?


I had to tell her no though, because baby, once your mama gets your hair "secured", there will be no brushing allowed.

It started out as a peaceful evening at the fountains...

It was Saturday evening. We had worshipped our Lord, filled our tummies and even enjoyed some yummy Corner Bakery cookies. It was time for a quick stroll over to the fountains.

We were enjoying watching them enjoy each other.

Looking into these eyes as they ran by and paused for a second.

Trying to see the world through their eyes for a few moments.

Watching Jade perfect her two footed hop and Lily flirt with the water in the unusually vacant fountain area.

I'm sure most people were on the other side of the shops, playing in the other fountains with the intention of getting wet...possibly with their kids dressed in swimsuits for the very occasion.

Not us though, we were just there to watch, listen, play and enjoy each other's company.

Daughters, sisters...finally friends...running in the evening sunlight.

Parents, lovers...always friends...sneaking quiet moments on the park bench together...thanking God for the two precious gifts before their eyes.

And then it happened. A splash, followed by screams and two, once quiet parents, running full force.

Not even a consoling hug from sister could help.

A busted lip, a scratched face, a scared and very wet girl.

The peaceful evening had ended, but not without a wonderful summer memory having been made. Wet cries and all.

Voices in my head

Overheard from the backseat all within about ten minutes.

Mixed voices of Lily and Jade.

"i'm hungry. can i have chocolate? i want chocolate too! look! birdies! where? i don't see them. an airplane! where? right there! where? where is it going? the airport? i think its landing. where is the airport? why? how do you know? are we almost there? i want my donuts! i need to go potty. singing twinkle, twinkle, little staaaaarrrr. a water tower! is that our water tower? look at those apartments. i want to live in apartments. why can't we live in apartments? i really need to go potty. a sprinkler! i want to play in the sprinkler. can we play in the sprinkler? sprinklers are fun. let's turn on our sprinkler. why are we stopping? this isn't the donut store. let's go! mommieeeeeeeeeeee."

Mommy- "Yes, I need a grande of the strongest thing you've got...plus two shots...one for each kid".

"now are we going to get donuts? what's that? a horse! i saw i horsey, mama! where? i can't see it. mommy, i can't see the horse. singing i'm going to let it shine, i'm going to let it shine. the donut store!! the donut store!! i want chocolate! i want chocolate too! can i have chocolate?"

Mommy-"We'll have two chocolate covered and a dozen donut holes, please."

S I L E N C E. Smacking. SILENCE. Silence. silence.

"I'm sticky. I'm messy. I want more! I'm done!................"
************************************************************
I woke up with a splitting headache this morning. There was no coffee to be found. We headed out the door in our PJs to the closet drive-thru donut store with a Starbucks along the way.

It was TOO far.

If you don't like "random", don't read this post!

I can't believe it is already Monday evening. Where does the weekend go? I'm guessing this one seemed particularly short seeing that our last "weekend" lasted 10 days. Coming back from vacation is rough.

Do you ever have those weekends when you actually look forward to doing nothing on Monday...and getting some rest? This was one of those for me. Then I had insanely crazy and realistic dreams last night that left me even more worn out. Ugh!

Anyway it was a fun filled weekend to say the least.

Lily got to experience her first real Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey circus on Saturday...in box seats no less. Someone had donated them to the ministry that my husband works for and there were two left, so Lily and I got to go hang out with some of the kids he serves.

Wow, the circus has changed a tad in the 25 years or so since I'd seen it last. Never mind all the technology, story plot, opera singer, and the motorcycle cage not leaving us deaf nor smelling fumes...the prices...oh my word...the prices. A circus program? $14. Sno-cones? $12. And I heard from a friend that cotton candy was also $12.

I saw a lady carrying 4 sno-cones and thought to myself...wow, you are carrying $50 worth of sugary ice in your hands. I can feed my family for three nights with that...insanity!

Anyway, Lily's eyes were glued to the stage the entire 2 1/2 hours. Quite a show.

When we returned from the circus I realized my Lantana was in full bloom. These pictures don't do it justice, but it is gorgeous.

I thought (or actually my mom thought) that it wasn't getting enough sun. Apparently it just wasn't getting enough water. It rained 6 days the previous week and, Voila!

Bloom, baby, bloom.

Then we were off to a princess party Sunday where Lily also had a blast.

I can't believe she went for purple instead of her usual pink. This day it was all about the length of the dress though. Duh, mom, the purple dress goes all the way to the floor.

I may need to find my own residence during her teenage years!

We also managed to get a good workout in, go to evening church and join some friends for dinner.

It was late after dinner, but Lily was complaining that I had forgotten about her reading lesson. So there we sat at nearly 9:00 doing a lesson out of Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons. Have any of y'all used this?

She is loving it...I enjoy it too, but was kind of hoping for a break on the weekends...she will not let a day go by without it though.

And in between all of that, Jade pooped in the potty twice this weekend! She just turned two last month. And yes, I do have a picture with the actual evidence. I am weird like that.

The craziest thing is that she won't teetee in the potty. Strange, huh? We had the exact opposite problem with Lily...and if I had my pick, I think I'm sticking with Jade's issue.

I'm sure it is just all a fluke anyway though. I mean, this is the stuff of dreams, right?

Hopefully not tonight though.

Good night.

Perfume...what is your fave?

Perfume. Oh how it dates us and brings back memories all at the same time.

My current fave...though it isn't anything new...is Ralph.

Just a couple of weekends ago we were all sitting around and talking fragrance.

Past faves of mine are mostly ones by Estee Lauder. But I also wore Clinique Happy for quite a while.

Remember Colors de Benetton? Not sure that I spelled that right. And oh my word, Sunflowers. That is one I'll never forget.

For guys, high school memories are filled with Eternity, Obsession, Drakkar, and Cool Water. Some guys must have thought Cool Water was for bathing in. Or drinking perhaps.

I am probably too cautious when putting on perfume. Erring on the side of too little vs. too much. Perhaps forever scarred by those who bathed in Cool Water back in the day.

When our conversation of perfume was going on that weekend, my sister schooled me in perfume application. Apparently I've been doing it all wrong. She mentioned things like spraying it in the air and walking through...making sure to get it in your hair. Maybe that is why one bottle lasts me so long. I am not spraying it enough or in the right ways or places.

As far as other memories, any scent of Estee Lauder's Youth Dew immediately brings me to my Grandma Shirley. A sniff of Chloe or Shalimar? I'm hugging my mother's neck. I love how fragrances can do that.

What is your current fave? What about past memories? How do you apply it? Do you wear it everyday, or only on special occasions?

If you want to link up, visit Missy at http://www.itsalmostnaptime.blogspot.com/ for her Friday Faves Perfume Edition.

I almost woke her up...just to try them on!

Have I lost my mind? Has vacation made me soft?

I seriously almost woke Lily up to try on her new ballet and tap apparel/shoes.

I had gone out shopping for them and when I returned Jerry had already gotten the girls to bed. Normally I'd be thrilled, but I was so anxious to see my little ballerina.

Ballet starts in two weeks, a precious gift from Memmy and Paw. I think Mama is most excited though.

Due to our little potty issues, we sat out from ballet the last year and a half.

Here she is at her December '07 recital as a brand new 3 year old.

If you have two minutes, watch the youtube. It will give you a good laugh. (I'm not the voice oohing and awing in the background, I was crying quietly!)

They fit! Someone else was excited to try them on too. Can you guess who?

Next year, sweet Jade, next year. She'll be starting tumbling in September...those outfits just aren't as cute though. Of course I'm sure they'll still make my photo happy blog.

And whose great idea was it to put those little ties on the ballet slippers? I see no purpose for them and they are already driving me nuts. It is impossible to keep them tied.

Her teacher may just have to overlook a big glob of hot glue on them...that's what I'm considering.

And I thought she was napping...

or "resting" or "reading".

Notice all the "accessories".

Oh well, whatever quiet activity she can find. Now I at least know where to go hunting for her hair bands when I can't find them.

Back to our sweet and blessed reality.

Ah...vacation is sweet.

Jerry and I just spent a week celebrating our tenth anniversary. Our plans were really nearly undecided up until right before we left. Our real gift to each other was this...

Now, before your heads go somewhere that mine isn't, I'm talking about the bed itself. Who knew mattresses were such an investment? Moving from a queen to a king has been heavenly. I am dreaming again...haven't slept this good in years.

Jade just had to be in the picture...I think she may have been the "pillow re-arranger" culprit.

Anyways, back to our trip. By the time we were home from Michigan and had dropped the kids off at the grandparents, I would have just been happy to go sit on a curb. Anything other than the normal everyday.

We went further East to stay near the grandparents and ended up in the quaint town of Natchitoches, La.
It is the oldest town in Louisiana and happens to be where they filmed Steel Magnolias. It was perfect. Plenty of history for Jerry, plenty of shopping for me, and plenty of yummy food for both of us.

There are multiple old plantations that you can visit...we just visited one...so much history. I learned that my hubby really does know what he is talking about when it comes to history. I am still not sure how I sailed through all of that stuff with straight A's and can't remember a dern thing. Anyway, he could have written a dissertation on the differences between how the British, French and Spanish treated their slaves.

These slave quarters were some of the only ones not burned during the Civil War.

An old general store...

The trees were AMAZING.

These horses let me pet them...I had a brief moment of missing the girls at this time...thinking of how much they too would enjoy the "horsies", then I realized I was standing in an ant hill and ran away from them shrieking.

There were also tons of amazing historic churches to tour.

We loved this one...remember when it was covered in "blush and bashful", Shelby's (Julia Roberts) wedding colors of choice?

We didn't have even one stinkin' picture taken of the two of us...oh well, trust that I'm the one holding the camera...here is a shot of Jerry in the balcony...

we really were together. and childless. for six days.

Ahem.

Did I mention the trees were gorgeous?

We even tromped through old cemeteries.

I should have taken pictures of my shopping finds. I found a great new bag, a baby gift for a friend, some fudge for the grandparents, a Christmas gift for an uncle who is hard to shop for, a really neat "4 generations" picture frame, and of course too many trinkets and toys for the girls.

As far as food? Oh my. Diet starts tomorrow! Can you say meat pies? grits? fried green tomatoes? french pastries? Cajun seafood and all the accompanying fattening sauces?

We seriously indulged ourselves in every way. Ate what we wanted and when we wanted. Slept when we wanted for however long we wanted to. Not being on anyone else's schedule was truly delightful.

We both also finally finished some books that we've been reading off and on for an embarrassing amount of time.

Then we finished out the trip with some time at our favorite bed and breakfast, Fall Farm. I wanted to get some sun soooo bad, Jerry laughed at me out there with my swimsuit on dodging the rain drops. Oh well.

Then it was off to get our girls. I wish you could have seen their faces. We have never been away from them this long so I knew it would be good. I really wish I had my camera...I did think about grabbing it...but then thought about how rude it would be for your mama, whom you haven't seen in a week, to be wielding a camera when she comes in the door.

Let's just say they were a little excited.

I feel refreshed, rested, and a little more excited about life in general too. I am thankful to feel more patient toward my kiddos and more endeared to them also. I am always in love with Jerry, but getting to have multiple uninterrupted conversations over many days together...it just warms my heart. A break is good.

Vacation is sweet, but our blessed reality is even sweeter.