Going out with a Bang

New Year's Eve finds me home with Hunter and the boys. Babysitter woes forced a change in plans, but I'm actually glad for the chance to spend a quiet evening closing out 2010 and preparing for 2011. And that is one of my goals for 2011 to give thanks in all things. Its hard, b/c I really wanted to go out but this really is better for so many reasons. For one thing I think I'll turn into a pumpkin a 9p.m.

15 weeks and counting, at my last ultrasound the little bean was 6 cm long and had a heartbeat of 151. Also, all my pre-screening tests for Downs etc came back negative. So everyone's healthy. I'm so hormonal I cry at least once a day for absolutely nothing or absolutely everything. Hunter dried my sweater, cue the water works. Robert rides his bike, hand me a kleenex. I figure all these hormones are a sign I am having a girl..but who knows.

Getting rid of Ethan's pacifier, working on Robert's self control...so many lessons learned in a week and a half out of school. Mostly, that I am not cut out for homeschooling and eternally grateful for second grade teachers who manage Robert and 17 more just like him 5 days a week.
We have forgotten how to share, harassed and "loved" our brother half to death, practiced violin all of one time. Ethan and Robert both wake up asking for candy...literally they are not out of the bed yet and they ask me for it. Sugared up and t.v.ed out we are in desperate need of routines around here.

So tonight we'll break out the confetti, party hats and horns and then tomorrow we will clean up and start fresh. T.V. will be off, candy thrown out, many tears shed (by everyone) and ready or not 2011 here we come.

For the three people left on the planet that Robert hasn't told...the Humphreys are expecting baby #3 in late June. In honor of this exciting news here is my Advent Devotional for FUMC's publication :



Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart..”
Luke 2:19

This is one of my favorite verses in the Bible. I realize that may seem like an odd choice. It is probably not up there with John 3:16 or Phillipians 4:13 in the Christian Top Tens. I don’t recall ever memorizing it for a Bible drill. But, I love it. I love it because every mother in the world has done exactly this, thrilled at the first kick,counted fingers and toes, marveled at the miracle of new life. Luke, the physician, got this one just right. Even without heavenly hosts singing, exotic visitors from the Far East, and shephards showing up unexpectedly the birth of a baby brings much to treasure and ponder. I remember the first time I felt my unborn babies move, and the moment I heard their first cry.
I also love the expectation and promise this verse brings us. Advent is a time for treasuring and pondering the mystery of a coming Christ. God delivered joy, peace and light to all humanity through a teenage Mother in a stable. God is with us indeed. My goal for this Advent season is to treasure and ponder every moment I see Emmanuel in my family, in my church and in my community.

Dear God,
Thank you for the miracle of new life, and new life in Christ. Help us to treasure up and ponder all the moments that point us to the coming Christ in this season.

My Week in Photos

Halloween Howl 2010

A brief moment of glory

How the rest of the night went

Robert giving the Hooligan war cry which is an awful like his everyday war cry

Communion in Prattvillage Gardens for Hannah's Prayer Memorial Service

Hannah's Prayer

Hannah's Prayer is the support group I have been involved with for the past year or so. After Hunter and I lost our angels I longed for a place to be honest about my struggles and to join with other women who were facing the same thing. Finally, earlier this year I had a chance to begin and lead a group at my church. (Many, many thanks to Olivia, my friend and pastor who has helped in every way possible and co-leads the group.)

This week is the first Service of Hope and Remembrance. It will be held in the garden behind my office (see above) and I am so excited. Although I always held those little lives in my heart Hunter and I never had a way to mark their passing from this life....so now we do. The service is Oct. 24th at 3:30...say a little prayer, send up a good thought for me and all the other mommies who don't have all of our children with us here but who remember them always.

I'll be sure to post afterwards and let you know how it goes.

Running

Brace yourself friends and family, I started running. I never thought I would run for anything but my life. But its not so bad..I'm using the Couch2 5K program meaning I run for 90 sec then walk then run and so on. By the end of 9 weeks I should be able to run for 20 minutes. My goal is to run a 5K by my birthday (Dec. 4). We'll see how it goes. No runner's high for me yet.



Ethan is changing everyday, right now he is obsessed with "Mickey House" as he calls him. He repeats absolutely everything you say (watching our language a bit more these days). We haven't taken away the paci, but any day now I plan to do so. He loves it more than Robert did. Oh and he recognizes his letters, all of them...what 2 year old can do that?



Robert, that boy is gonna drive me to drink...This morning he started out the door to school with one of his sneakers falling off due to no laces. He had no idea where the laces were, how does that happen? He read a book with "500 facts" and "500 Questions and Answers" so we get a few of those each day. For example did you know that one U.S. president could write with both his right and left hand in two different languages simultaneously? Robert can't remember which president it was.



Both of my boys are so smart and kind and just make me smile every day. I feel beyond fortunate that I have spent so much time with them. My work makes me crazy sometimes and every now and then I consider going back to work for someone else...but being with them is so worth it. This week, I walked from my office to Robert's field trip and then back to work. Today Ethan and I walked all over downtown and then afterwards while he napped I saw a client. How much better could my work situation be?

Elmo here we come

My goodness I am behind on blogging. Robert started back to school with not even one photo to prove it. Ethan turned two, also no photos. (plenty taken just not blogged). Ray came to Ethan's party and so did two camo clad machete wielding men looking for a tree stand....don't know what else to say about that except that living in the country has its drawbacks.



I've been reading like crazy. I discovered the Kindle app on my iphone so I have been going crazy buying books. Here's my recent reading list:



Searching for God Knows What by Donald Miller (not on phone) he is soooo good!

Water for Elephants

Daily Bread (I'm digging Henri Nouwen)

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

The Last Lie (crime novel by a psychologist)

Fragile (crime novel about a pyschologist)

The Slave Across the Street - a true story of a girl caught in human trafficking. I'm totally into this Modern Day Abolitionist movement by the way....

Your Whole Life Plan

The Me I Want to Be

No wonder I haven't blogged...




I'm knitting a hat for Mae Garner...sweet baby girl of my friend Kim. Work is perking along. It's been a busy but couple of months. Next post will be all photos to verify how busy we've been.

When you are a social worker, people tell you things. Obviously your clients tell you all sorts of things, also friends and family know you are a good listener and unburden themselves. But also, and this is the weird part, total and complete strangers...I could be in line at a grocery store and the person in front of me will start telling me their life story and asking for advice. In fact I think that exact scenario has happened more than once to me. Social workers give off this "I'm a friendly caring person who is willing to listen" vibe even when we are PMSing and have a screaming child in the shopping cart. Its just how we are wired.
But I also think this phenomenon has as much or more to do with the fact that people really just want someone to listen to them. Think about it-when is the last time you were able to talk to someone without them interrupting, telling you their own stuff or generally flaking out. I feel very fortunate to have a few people in my life who will do that, more than one is like an embarrassment of riches.
Henri Nouwen said "The friend who can be silent with us in a moment of despair or confusion, who can stay with us in bereavement and grief who can tolerate not knowing, not curing, not healing and face us with the reality of our powerlessness, that is a friend who cares." I hope you have someone who listens to you today. Even if its the social worker in line behind you at Publix. And I hope you have the chance to listen to someone you love today.

Possibilites

What are your favorite smells? Besides crayons mine are (in no particular order)

Starbucks coffee
My G-Mom's chicken and dumplings
Baby Magic lotion in the pink bottle
The way it smells after it rains in the summer
Pine Sol and Murphy's wood soap

Did you know that of your five senses the sense of smell is most closely connected to the part of your brain that files away memories? One of my favorite smells in the world is a box of new crayons....lots of memories coming flooding back every time I open a pack. But memory is a funny thing, sometimes we associate it with only good or only bad...the thing about new crayon smell is that it is the smell of possibility. Anything could happen when you show up for the first day of school, or pick out a cornflower blue crayon and put it to paper. (As an aside I plan to do some research on how they name those crayons. When I went to Sienna and saw the fields...they were exactly the color of Burnt Sienna in the box of 64)

We are full of possibilities around here these days. School is starting, work is changing, Ethan is doing something new everyday. Possibility also brings risk, always. And change brings loss. I I'm trying to focus on the possibility and not the risk, the change not the loss. But I am saying goodbye to a first grader and a newer more mature Robert bursting with creativity and personality. I'm selling changing tables and rockers and letting "Baby Ethan" grow up. I'm rethinking work and my commitments and making new priorities. All in all its wonderful and scary.

Hope you are scared out of your mind and thrilled at the possibility.

"If you threw a party and invited everyone you knew...."

Robert woke up yesterday on a mission. He was going to have a party. I have learned sometimes I just have to get out of his way. I figured it would at least keep him busy for a little while. First he wrote out all the invitations, including one to the oldest teen on the block hoping he'd be a "guard" for the party. I asked him who he was guarding against and Robert said "Party poopers." Then he hand delivered them to all the houses with kids on the street.

The rest of the day he spent preparing for what he was certain would be the party of the summer. He wrote a speech, picked out a "party hat" to wear. He swept out his play house and set the table with supplies. He planned to have a game of kick ball and music.

I agreed (reluctantly) to prepare popcorn and drinks for the party. I honestly thought it would be Robert, Kristen (who is here every day anyway) and maybe the little girl across the street....but at 7:02 Robert was outside waiting and he yelled "There are people coming" and sure enough there were. In all there were 11 guests, only a few siblings didn't come but every house with kids had at least one here. At the last minute I put out a few left over cupcakes to go with the water and popcorn...they were gone in minutes...After everyone socialized (Robert got too nervous to make his speech) they played kickball until the street lights came on and everyone had to go.

Robert kills me. What other seven year old could pull off an impromptu summer party for ten plus all because he dreamed it up one morning? I only wish he could have pulled off the speech. I heard him practicing it went like this "Fellow kids of Burton Manor we have gathered here for one reason...to party!! I'll have pictures up later today.

Hi Ho Hi Ho Off to work I go....

Three weeks of summer left and I plan to be super productive in the home stretch. I have been re energized regarding my work. I had two big disappointments earlier in the summer and it left me in a bit of a funk. But I read Donald Miller's "A Million Miles in a Thousand Days" and I went on vacation. The book helped me think about every day events a little differently. Also, anytime I go on vacation I can guarantee when I come back I will have a dozen voicemails with referrals, even if I haven't had any for a month. Also, I had some new inquiries about the support group I'm leading. So...all geared up and ready to work.

Friends and acquaintances frequently ask me "Don't you find it depressing to listen to other people's problems." And the answer is always "No." Actually, I feel privileged to see what they may never let others see and to walk through their joys and sorrows with them. I have one client who has been seeing me off and on for ten years, what an honor to get know her, to watch her grow and make positive changes. Most of my clients don't hang around for that long so I don't get to see their full arc, their story develop quite so much. Still, a lot can happen in three months, or three weeks or sometimes just an hour.

In other news Robert's braces may be off next week. Also next week he is begnning violin lessons. (His Gigi is soooo happy!) Ethan is 22 months and throws these amazing tantrums where he flings his body to the floor and screams "Not Nice" which could either be describing his own behavior or mine. Then he stops very calmly and looks around to make sure we see him, when he catches our eye he starts again full throttle. It is a little frightening and a little amusing.

Blueberry Hill

These were taken at a place nearby called (I kid you not) Blueberry Hill where you pick your own blueberries. We've been twice in the last week. Both boys love it, its hot and dirty but sooo much fun. Now I need a recipe for blueberry muffins. Other discoveries this summer include, the Village Clocksmith. He has an office in the same area as mine and Robert has been begging to visit, it was worth the wait. The "Clock Doc" repairs clocks and builds them...he had a Lionel train clock that goes around on the hour. Also, Robert explored the Artesian Fountain near my office and found a rock shaped like a frog...heady stuff for a seven year old. He thinks he's the Lewis and Clark of Prattville.

We also narrowly avoided a trip to the ER and a Cat scan for little Ethan after he smashed his head on a window sill. All is well, but we had quite a scare. Life with these two is a never ending adventure. I'm enjoying the ride.

8th grade plus 20 years equals fabulous

My 20th high school reunion was this past weekend. I loved seeing old friends and catching up, but the highlight was definitely the unoffical reunion of my elementary and middle school friends. Eleven of us graduated eighth grade together (yes we had an 8th grade graduation)...and over the last 24 years our lives have intersected in all sorts of surprising ways. Weddings, babies, funerals for most of my life at least one or two of that group were a part of them.


But it has been a long time since so many of us were in one place at one time. When I was a kid and I'd go to sleepover I'd want to stay awake as long as possible so I didn't miss one second with my friends. Then when everyone went home and the junkfood high had worn off I'd cry because it was over. That's how the last three days were for me.


I didn't know you could miss someone so much only when you'd found them. We laughed until I hurt, and I wanted to take them all home with me so I could remember everything about each of them, and how all of them shaped who I was and who I grew up to be.


Snehal taught me that patience and generosity are the source of real beauty...Andrea taught me to stand up for myself (even in graduate school she was helping me do that)...if you can be a genteleman at 11 years old Kareem was and he still is....Jen Mat helps me remember what I didn't know I forgot...and Ray taught me family is not always about who you're born to. I love them all.


I can only hope Robert and Ethan will find friends who mean so much to them.

Cookies, Kool-Aid, And Kumbaya

Its VBS week...Robert loves Vacation Bible School and truthfully so do I. All those eager little faces wearing nametags and jumping around singing and dancing. The Bible Story, snack time crafts...I love all of it. I remeber making plaster of paris "fruit" of the spirit drinking red kool aid and eating cookies in the tiny churches my Dad pastored...all your "Sunday friends" there during the week. Somehow being there on a Monday morning was different than being there on Sunday morning.
Things are a little more advanced for Robert with a giant screen showing a themed DVD of worship music, dramatic retelling of the day's Bible lesson and navigating the normally calm halls of church with 150 other kids. Even so its the simple joys Robert seems to remember, the craft he made out of popsicle sticks, the lesson that he doesn't have to be afarid because God is always with us...its not just Kool-aid, cookies and Kumbaya anymore but it is definitley part of our summer tradition and we're excited. If you need me this week I'll be on a VBS adventure, or sleeping it off in the afternoon.

A photograph or a picture?

We have this discussion in my family about what is a phtograph and what is a picture? I say a photograph makes you feel something, and a picture shows you what's happening. Anyway...I think both of these are photographs (even if I did take them) I could look at that face all day every day...

Since this is my digital babybook here are Ethan's milestones:

Temper tantrums, oh my he is good at them. Although he's a mild mannered little fellow most of the time he is as dramatic as Robert when he gets really mad.

He is jumping on two feet (I think Robert was older when he did that) and runs all the time.

Ethan's vocabulary is growing as fast as my squash. Today he can say, bus, choo choo, "what's that?", eat, please, yes, no, cookie, juice, mine, me, Mama, Dada, brabra (which is Robert), cat, cow (which sound a lot a like), outside and so many more I can't remember them all.... the other day he made a sentence "Dog goes Ruff"

He loves to read and watch Thomas videos, he eats anything and everything but loves Mac and cheese and strawberries more than any other foods.

He is growing up so fast.

My baby boy is on the move

And my big boy is as sassy as ever Its going to be a crazy summer.

School ended on a high note with Robert getting several awards for reading. Baseball ended with a final victory. Robert and Ethan will both spend some time with Papa and Gigi this summer, in fact we are going to be very busy for the first few weeks. I promise we'll work in time for ice cream, long days in our pajamas and swimming...but we work best when we are busy. Wish us luck.

May has flown by. Robert has spent the whole month partying...his birthday, all sorts of end of the year celebrations at school. Ethan is into "choo choo" which is what he calls Thomas. He is getting so big and he even had his first hair cut, sort of...he got his bangs trimmed. School is almost out and summer is upon us. The garden is going crazy...I am gonna have to learn some new recipes for squash.
Summer is a tricky time for we Humphreys. I want to do everything and nothing. I want to travel and work and keep Robert busy. But I also want to sleep late, lay out by the pool and skip house cleaning for about three months. We'll have to see what happens.

Drill Baby Drill

"Drill Baby Drill" will always sound stupid from here on out. Anybody who grew up in Alabama, Mississppi, Louisana or the panhandle of Florida thinks of the Gulf Coast as our own. I am no different. When I was in seventh grade my class went to spend a week at Dauphin Island Sea Lab. We waded through marshes, collected specimens seined the bay etc. About half way through the week we had a classmate kill himself while we were there. It was a defining moment in time for me. And like everyone, where you are when you start to grow up becomes a part of who you are.

When I was in college Gulf Shores, Orange Beach and Bon Secour were my playground. Hunter and I honeymooned in Seaside and watched storms come in from the Gulf from our villa. I have vacationed in Appalachicola and Destin and SeaSide with my best friends when we started having kids. Fort Morgan is one of my favorite places in the world, there are prettier beaches but that's the beach my babies play on....its where we go as a family to leave the rest of the world behind. And now all of them are threatened in a way no hurricane ever could.

Did you know that the Gulf Coast represents 20 billion in tourism, 640 million in seafood production? Over 70% of oysters and over 60% of shrimp come from there. Every oyster shucked on Bourbon St., every grilled grouper sandwich or shrimp cocktail served anywhere is going to cost a fortune for the next 5 to 10 years. And of course the people who depend on the water for their living are going to be hit the hardest.

The ecological impact is going to be horrific as well. For example. now is the time when migratory birds are stopping off along the coast on their way to the rest of the country. There will be fewer songbirds this year and next.

People in New Orleans will tell you the real disaster of Katrina was man made...this one is too. After a hurricane you rebuild, you can't rebuild oysterbeds or grassbeds...

Of course oil can be safely harvested and refined even from the Gulf...but why was no one prepared for what would happen if there was an accident? BP downplayed the possibility of this scenario and apparently didn't bother to prepare for it. Meanwhile, everyone here just watches the oil inch closer to a piece of our heart. Here's hoping its not as bad as hyped...but I plan on having seafood every day this week. It may be a while before we do again.

Scooby Scooby Doo Where Are You?

The Scooby Doo extravaganza has come to an end. We're done with round one of birthday celebrations. Round two will take place over Mother's Day weekend and on Robert's actual birthday next Monday. Everyone was pretty wiped out from the party..although it seemed to be a big success. Afterward Robert said he wanted to have another one just like it next year.

Every year I swear it is going to be a simple affair, family only and maybe a couple of friends and every year it spirals out of control...it reached its zenith when Robert turned three and his entire class plus siblings (about 20 kids altogether) showed up at our house and descended on the gymboree tumble bus thingy. That was the last party we had at the house I think...anyway this year we had just the right number of kids....and I bought everything Scooby Doo related..cake, goodies, etc. I want to be the Mom who makes a cake from scratch and crafts homemade takeaways months in advance,but that ain't happening. All in all it was a fun day. Even Ethan seemed to enjoy himself, he was full of cake and ice cream courtesy of the four grandparents and one Tia present.

In other news, Robert will portray Rainforest Tree # 2 in his class play on Tuesday. Ethan got a little trim of the bangs thanks to my talented friend Kim. Work is super slow right now (all the military families are getting ready to move). But I am thinking about doing a very specific kind of training in a few weeks which may prove to be beneficial. Hunter's work is super busy right now. My class reunion is mere weeks away and I am getting excited and a little nervous. That's about it.

Except that as I type God knows how much oil is seeping toward one of the places I love most on the earth...more about that when I get my head around it. I think I'll buy some shrimp for dinner though because it may be awhile before I get anymore.

Photos of the birthday bash and Ethan's first hair cut will be forthcoming.

What I'm reading : Finished The Help, Listening to South of Broad by Pat Conroy and reading Outcasts United by Warren St. John.
What I'm listening to : John Hiatt and Kids stuff (always)

Two Roberts

Last Saturday we planted the first annual Venable Humphrey vegetable garden. Gigi kept up with Ethan while Papa supervised the planting.

Robert was named after my paternal grandfather, Robert Venable. Grandpa Robert was a farmer and he loved it. He grew cotton and when he couldn't grow cotton he grew corn, and when he couldn't do that he grew vegetables. One winter he joined a group of men who went to work in an automobile factory up north. But it was dark and cold and too far from the land so after about two weeks he found his way home.

My Dad worked on the farm as long as he was at home, which is to say his whole childhood. He tells me about picking cotton and driving tractors and harvesting corn. But his dream was not farming. He has always said that Grandpa Robert was heartbroken that none of his boys wanted to farm. Now he keeps a few tomato plants, he has a pear tree he chases squirrels out of and makes pear preserves for us at Christmas. Not a farmer, but as close as he'll get now.

Of course, I am city girl. I don't camp, I'm horrible at growing anything. I forget to water houseplants, I don't even know how to cut the grass.

Which brings me back to Robert and our vegetable garden. My Robert is crazy about the natural world, maybe its being a boy, or because he is so curious, or maybe its the name. He is always talking about "the environment." He has single handedly forced us to recycle, often declaring "if you're not part of the solution you're part of the problem. " At Christmas he drew a diagram for his babysitter about how to stop global warming by forcing everyone to recycle aluminum cans. Robert also proclaims loudly how wrong hunting is (not a sentiment he got from me I swear).

I have wanted to have a vegetable garden with him for years. And this is the year. Robert worked so hard, he carried 30 lb bags of manure, he hoed and raked and planted and was actually paying attention for a change. Its like he was born to do it.

It was so cool to be working on this little patch of ground with my Dad and Robert, Daddy telling us about how they planted when he was a boy...I felt like Grandpa Robert would have been so proud. I am really trying to keep the veggies going and can't wait for Robert to have his first tomato from his own garden. I'm working on liking the dirt, but I definitely enjoyed playing in it last Saturday.

Career Day

Robert is having career day at school later this week. I received a form to fill out and send back in. Let's fill it out together, shall we?
What is your occupation? Not to be too obvious or anything, but Social Worker/Mommy
Do you have a uniform? Not unless you count the extra shirt I carry around for the inevitable grimy hand prints of peanut butter or unknown substances that wind up on my first one.
Did you have any special training or education for your job? Social Work, yes. Mommy, unfortunately no I'm like everyone else figuring it out as I go and hoping I don't screw up too badly.
What do you do in your job? I could write a book on this one. I feel compelled to start with what I don't do. I don't work for the state (never have) don't take kids out of homes, don't help anyone get on or off public assistance of any kind (unless you count the little old lady who misreads the ad in the phone book once a month and calls about her social security). I also don't do dishes or Hunter's laundry...a girl has to have boundaries. As for what I do... aside from managing a household, trying to be a thoughtful and effective parent... I would say in my paid job I help people figure out how to make their lives better. Sometimes its their marriage, sometimes its dealing with grief,sometimes its parenting. I hope and pray I do offer some small comfort to someone each day -whether its my son who got in a fight with his best friend, my husband who is stressed at work or a client who just lost their father. Some days my biggest and best accomplishment is to get green vegetables on the table, others its helping a wounded soul figure out to heal.
What do you like most about your job?
Its never ever boring, I get a ton of hugs, and I know I am doing what I was put here to do.

Easter people

After a long and fulfilling Easter weekend, I am using Monday to catch up on lots of things. Including this blog. The community Easter egg hunt was a huge success! Four churches and over 300 people joined us to enjoy the park and beautiful day. Its a go for next year, although I may hand the organizing over to someone else. Mom and Dad came for the weekend, and thank goodness they did because it was a circus around here. Between me heading up the egg hunt, Robert's game and hosting an Easter lunch with all the grandparents, if it hadn't been for Gigi and Papa helping us out something would have surely fallen through the cracks.

We had a beautiful service on Easter morning, and even survived photos..the hardest part of any Easter. The only dark spot was Emily couldn't make it because she has the flu..feel better Tia.

What I'm reading : Nothing which is about to drive me crazy...waiting on a book from the library

What I'm knitting : and iphone holder

What I'm listening to: Diana Krall

Palm Sunday

Our church puts out a Lenten devotional. My submission made it in this one here it is...

Matthew 21:9
“The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted, “Hosanna to the Son of David!” “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!”“Hosanna in the highest!”

My oldest son Robert is made of pure energy. For example, he woke up at 6 a.m. this morning and by 6:15 he was literally running in circles and singing at the top of his lungs a song he’d just made up. All this was while I made breakfast on an average Monday morning. Robert loves church, he loves Jesus and he knows he wants to be his friend forever, but he really loves church. Unfortunately, his energy and my need for him to “behave” often make Sunday mornings less than joyful. There is lots of fidgeting and shushing and prompting and when he goes down for Children’s Moment I hold my breath and hope he doesn’t reveal some dreadful secret or inappropriate fact he learned on the History Channel.

But Palm Sunday is different. He lines up with all the other children in their new shoes and pastel shirts, clutches his Palm branch and for a few minutes he is free to shout and jump and generally express the joy he feels at being in church. I can’t help but think of the children in the first Palm Sunday processional. Caught up in the excitement of an impromptu parade and straining to see the man their parents have been speaking so passionately about. And then they see him and their joy is perfect. I think they recognized in him love and light and energy and a Messiah. Their joy could not be contained, “Hosanna in the highest!”

This Palm Sunday look for Robert his shirt will probably be untucked and he will certainly be loud. In his enthusiasm he may even whack another child with his wildly waving palm branch. But I will be smiling and trying to remember that church is supposed to be joyful and that he and all of his friends are teaching me something about my own faith.

Prattvegas

When I first moved here from Birmingham I never imagined how much I'd find to love about living in a small town. Today was full of moments that made me smile. They are in no particular order :



1. Opening day for Little League baseball complete with the national anthem, the mayor throwing out the first pitch and the kids throwing their hats in the air like they'd won the World Series.



2. Watching the air show from a picnic blanket at a place called (wait for it) Cooter's Pond.



3. All the kids in their prom dresses and tuxedoes taking pictures downtown by the fountain.



4. Having an impromptu cookout with our neighbors while the kids literally roam the neighborhood until the street lights come on.



Long live small Southern towns.

Baseball, bloody nose and fishing for jewels

Lots of excitement in the last couple of days here. My iphone arrived and although very impressive, it doesn't work inside my house...not at all. I am trying to make myself send it back but it is shiny and new....Hunter took off for a quick trip to Bham and a visit with Nolen. While he was gone we had lots of adventures, Robert got his first bloody nose. An accident while playing but very dramatic nonetheless. This morning he had his first baseball "practice" game. He got a good hit but was thrown out at first. Ethan roamed about and caused lots of ooohs and aahs but stayed off the field. Also, I managed to dodge being team Mom.

After the game we headed for a trip to Target and lunch at Cici's. (Robert's choice). I did break my Lenten fast and buy a new spring top, didn't realize I'd broken it until I was out the door. Which is the whole point I guess to make me more intentional and less unconcious in my spending habits...I did walk right by the Starbucks though.

Then home for more excitement as the smoke detector went off, the cat threw up and I lost my pearl bracelet (which I wore on my wedding day) down the sink. I handled the smoke alarm and cat issues but left the sink for Hunter. He was successful, thanks to some creativity and excellent fishing.

Spring Break and Jenvention 2010

Spring Break is almost over, Robert's room got cleaned. Tax Cut says my taxes are 75% done, not sure I believe them but I'll take it. We enjoyed our visit to Tuscaloosa for the annual Jenvention..we're down a Jen but it was lovely nonetheless. Check out Jen Mat's photo journalism of the event at jkmland.blogspot.com. Today Hunter took off and we enjoyed a family trip to the zoo. I am happy to report no tears or raised voices and the chimpanzees although violent did not precipitate a birds and bees talk. All in all a successful day.

What a relaxing weekend. Of course, the taxes aren't finished and Robert's room isn't even started...still it was a nice break. Last night marked the inaugural meeting of the Jelly of the Month club at Flemings in Birmingham. Nice to feel like neither a social worker nor a Mommy but a grown up out with her fabulous husband. Angy brought a much needed message today about Sabbath and the discipline of resting and hearing the still small voice. Hard to do, but so worth it.

My lenten practice is hard, but teaching me a lot. In the past I've given up chocolate or coffee etc. But this year I decided to eliminate unnecessary spending. Sooo much harder than I thought it would be. I have neither thought of myself as spending a lot of money, but the truth is that there are all kinds of things I waste money on.

The exercise in spiritual discipline has also made me think in a new way about coveting. I would never have thought I was someone who coveted, but that new handbag my girlfriend got is gorgeous and I really want one. I'm not jealous of her and don't plan on stealing it or anything, but there's a lot of energy that goes toward wanting something just because I want it.

I also realize I spend a lot on coffee , Grande decaf skinny mocha no whip extra foam actually. But I have only been to Starbucks twice since Lent started....I'm still drinking it @home, just not paying 4 bucks a pop for one. And I hardly even miss it, except everytime I pass it and when I am waiting in car pool pick up line, or when I am doing paperwork....actually I need to go to bed before I make another run tonight and mess up my whole Lent.

Spring Break

Spring Break is here, hope the weather cooperates. I love it when Robert's out of school. I clear my calendar and plan for lazy mornings and long procrastinated projects. This week those include taxes and cleaning out his room. Wish me luck...

Eighteen months have flown by...sweet Ethan had his check up today. He is solidly in the 40th percentile for size (except for his little pea sized head ) and seems to be reaching most of his milestones a-ok. He is getting to be such a little boy, not so much of a baby. But last night he woke up crying, and he laid his little sweaty sleepy head on my shoulder and I just melted. He is every bit the miracle he was when we first met him a year and a half ago.

Ethan loves music and dances with abandon everyday. He babbles all the time, mostly half words or made up words with a really clear one every now and then to keep you on your toes (like "cookie" he says that very clearly). But his favorite past time is being chased/tickled/wrestled by his big brother. And Robert is happy to oblige, with only the occasional shout of "Injury, Injury to the baby!!!"

Happy 18 months Ethan, can't wait to see what you do next.

I'm finally upright again after a nasty battle with strep, me not the boys, it won and I spent the beautiful weekend in bed. Being a little sick makes you appreciate your health overall, and the health of your family. Kudos to Hunter for keeping the house running smoothly and to my neighbors for pitching in as well.

In other news, Robert has a crush. Last week he wrote an anonymous note to Kendall in his class. It said "Hello Kendall, I think you are funny." The next day he had to get to school early so he could put it on her desk before she arrived. Unfortunately he didn't beat her to school. So Robert decided to be bold and just give her the note in person. We always say that to Robert Life is not a spectator sport.

I am so glad today starts a new week. Last week I was out of town at a conference, lots of great information and a lovely break. But, leaving the boys behind even in the capable hands of Gigi was a little stressful for all involved. Then we got sad news about one of Hunter's cousins, and about a dear friend from college. All in all an emotionally draining week. I plan to soak in a hot bath, and sleep it off until tomorrow. Then we can start all over....and I can refocus on the big picture.

A few words about the Social Worker in the title..that's me. I love my job, I meet all kinds of people in all sorts of situations. I help them figure out how to make their lives, and the lives of their families better. I make my own hours and take my kids to work with me whenever I need or want to. My office is part of historic Pratt village, two blocks from each of the boys' schools and next door to their pediatrician.

About six years ago I told a friend of mine that I dreamed of having an office in an historic building in downtown Prattville, that I'd be able to walk Robert to school from there and work only when he was in school. All of that came true and more, what's the verse about "without a vision the people perish" This little office costs a fortune to heat, leans sideways (literally) and took about a thousand gallons of paint (and many hours from my sweet hubby and Dad) on the interior walls...but to me it represents that God wants to give us all that we ask for and more. We are meant to live abundantly, not always easily or even happily, but abundantly nonetheless.

Almost time for a haircut

I love hanging out with the fam..Mom and Dad joined us for Robert's Cubscout advancement ceremony. Meanwhile Ethan hung out with his godfather and Kristen read to him. Today we went to church together and had Sunday lunch...these little traditions make the rest of the week more meaningful to me. We enjoyed hosting Morgan and her sweet daughter Bella Grace at church and then for lunch. So cool to see our family making room for everyone, now if only the rest of the world would get on board..

I decided to use this as a way to keep up with all the crazy happenings in our life...I have no finished baby books, no carefully organized scrapbooks of our busy, happy, growing family. So this is my digital attempt to keep myself and all who care updated on our comings and goings.

Check back...when I figure it out I'll have photos and witty sayings, well at least photos.

Ethan is walking, babbling and loving on everyone. He is the world's happiest baby, even when he's unhappy.

Tonight, we celebrate Robert's moving on to the Tiger badge in Cubscouts. (Which reminds me that I have to sew his last badge on.) He is really starting to mature...I can't believe he'll be seven in just a few months.

What I'm reading: Lit - A memoir

What I'm knitting : nothing at the moment : but I promise to get started

What I'm watching : The winter olymipcs when I can stay awake...