Habits

Ahhhh, welcome back from a great Thanksgiving. 

Amelia was spending a lot of time with her grandmother over the holiday...and the next thing I knew, I was buying her scratch off lottery tickets (which lost)...oh well, I'm just glad she didn't also pick up a coffee drinking habit...

Stacked

Like I said the other night.... for a 1 year-old, the boy is a stacking machine....

Surfing in Style

A lot of toddlers use IPads these days....but, how many do it while rocking a pair of boots they stole from their mother's closet?

Shopping

This is what it's like shopping with your fashion forward son...


You walk into the store to find that he has already found a new pair of boots he likes...

 You tell him he can't get the boots only to turn around a minute later and see he has taken off his shoes and socks to put on the new boots...

If the boots are a no, maybe you'll like the hat he decides to put on his head...

Natural

I don't know if Everett will be a good athlete, a math wiz, or a musical genius, but I do know he is a beast when it comes to stacking his toy trains (or blocks, legos, or anytihing else).

Something's Missing

Hmmmm, something seems to be missing from Amelia's most recent school list, but I just can't figure out what it is....

.....oh yeah, that's right...it is her sweet, loving little brother. The worst part is if he were able to verbalize his list, she'd be the first thing he said. 

Trouble

Everett had to be put in TimeOut twice today - once for repeatedly wrestling with two of his friends and once for taking off his socks and shoes and throwing them at another child. These are not approved activities.  I'd like to think he learned his lesson, but something in the way he smiled a huge smile when I asked him if he had to go to TimeOut today makes me think this is only the beginning.

Empty Nest

Well, we are 3 days into having our house for sale and the worst part by a mile is dealing with Sophie during showings. We can't leave her home because she's one of the few dogs that have a panic attack in a crate. The last 200 times we tried to leave her in one, she ended up dancing in her own poo. That's the kind of thing you probably won't see on House Hunters.  We can't put her in the neighbor's yard because she will undoubtedly lose her dog mind when she sees strangers in her own backyard. This will set off a chain of jumping and barking that would make any potential buyer concerned they were buying the house next to a dog of unsound mind. Seriously, when Sophie gets on a roll, she's the canine embodiment of Fran Drescher's laugh.  And considering it would be cheaper to rent Sophie her own apartment than it is to board her at the kennel for every showing, our only option is to take her with us each time...and naturally, she shakes, shivers, and yelps the entire time she's in the car or around any life form outside our immediate family.


Here we are getting ice cream where despite a long leash and ample walking sidewalk, Sophie won't move anywhere but on my lap...

Talking it Out

If I were to post everything Amelia says that cracks me up, I'd literally post something every single night. Here are a few excerpts from today...


Meggan (to Everett): You did such a great job getting your haircut today. Mommy is so proud of you.
Amelia (referencing what we did while he was getting a haircut): Hey! I did a great job eating my ice cream!
------

Amelia (while discussing things that start with the letter "N" for show and tell): nut, neighbor, enough.
Me: baby, enough starts with an E, not an N...EEEnough
Amelia: not if you just have one
Me: one what? You can't have one enough
Amelia: You say it wrong. If you only have one, you only have A "Nuff"
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Amelia: You go first at prayers tonight.
Me: Amelia, we say our prayers in the same order every night. (This is because one of her all time great bedtime stall tactics became arguing over who should pray first, second, and third)
Amelia: How about if it is your birthday, you go first that night.
Meggan: Okay, but, it isn't anyone's birthday tonight, so start your prayers.
Amelia: Oh, it's SOMEBODY's birthday somewhere in North Carolina.
------
Meggan: (after we credited her for correcting us that it was indeed somebody, somewhere's birthday) Say your prayers or Mommy and Daddy are leaving the room.
Amelia: Okay, Dear Jesus, please help my mommy have a better attitude.
------
Me: What's wrong? Why are you crying?
Amelia (through tears): Because, umm, it hurts my feelings and I feel sad when I make bad decisions and you have to tell me 7 or 18 times to fix my choices.
Me: Well, I guess that's better than 8 or 19 times.

Disguise

I know what you're thinking..... who IS that strange little man? Don't worry, I know this is shocking, but it's actually just Amelia in a disguise she got at a birthday party today....

For Sale

We put our house on the market today. I think we've gone through every type of human emotion about the possibility of selling our house. You see, this isn't just a house. It's our first house. It's the house we brought Amelia home to. It's the only house Everett has ever known. This house has seen every person in it laugh, cry, win, and lose. We've cursed this house for not having enough space and we've all snuggled tightly together on its couches.  We've spent thousands replacing its air conditioner and roof and we've broken our backs (and my brothers' backs) putting in irrigation and a stone patio. We've had some decorating hits (kitchen backsplash) and several more decorating misses (nearly every room we've ever painted).  Its walls are adorned with the pictures, words, and paintings that represent the last decade of our lives. So, when I see the for sale sign out front, or the lock box on my door, I can't help but be equal parts sad, scared, hopeful, and excited. I don't know if or when this house will sell, but I do know long after we leave behind the windows and wall, we'll still have the memories that will last a lifetime.

Dress Code

When you wear a nightgown, a tiara, and a fuzzy neck wrap to work on your computer...I can't decide if that means your office has a really loose or a really fancy dress code...

Role Model

Amelia came home with this note from her teacher today....

As a parent, it feels great to see that your child not only does well as function of others, but can actually set the example and be the reason others do well.

Art

If any of you are looking for original works of art, I know where to get a good deal on some of the finest.

Okay, they might be the Mona Lisa, but they were made with love and effort and I am proud to have them on my wall. 

Tough Questions

On the ride to school today Amelia dropped a tough one on me out of the blue. We were just riding quietly when she asked "Daddy, are you going to go to Heaven before me because your daddy went before you?". It was at that point that I realized I'm not sure what is scarier to a 4 year-old....the concept of dying and going to Heaven yourself or the concept of your parents going to Heaven and leaving you here alone. So, I went a different route. I just told her neither one of us was in Heaven right now, so let's just enjoy that and worry about the rest later...and then I stomped on the gas and got her to school as fast as I could.

Early Start

Well, I found out today that much like Taye Diggs in the late 90's, Everett has been putting the moves on a girl named Stella. Now, I don't know what Stella's intentions are with my son, but from what I understand, they keep following each other around the classroom and giving each other kisses. I was also told his face completely lit up when he saw her today. I know she's a younger woman. I just hope he doesn't break his heart or try to share his snack....because he will club her in the head.

Fall

I'm not a fan of cold weather and I'm even less a fan of the sun going down before I leave work. That said, Fall certainly makes for a beautiful drive to work....

Anniversary

Today is our 7 year wedding anniversary. In honor of this, Meggan played this song for me. And I don't think there is a better way to define our marriage than the chorus....

'Cause all of me, loves all of you
Love your curves and all your edges
All your perfect imperfections

Give your all to me
I'll give my all to you
You're my end and my beginning
Even when I lose I'm winning
'Cause I give you all of me
And you give me all of you.

Sharp Dressed

Two things are fact....

1) Girls are indeed crazy about a sharp dressed man

2) My children loves 80s rock songs

Stroll

For some weird reason, Everett's new favorite hobby is pushing a baby stroller around the back yard. For even stranger reasons, it felt more normal to me once he put his stuffed dog inside rather than pushing an empty stroller....

Weekend Plans

Last night...
Meggan had dinner and drinks with friends

Today we...
Went to ballet
Met a realtor to look at some houses
Had dinner with friends

Tomorrow we...
Have breakfast plans with a friend
Have dinner plans for our anniversary

That is six different planned events in one weekend. For us, that is roughly 600% our normal weekend load.  Frankly, I didn't even know three separate groups of friends liked us enough to have meals with us. So, that is making me feel pretty blessed right about now.

Pumpkins

Now that Halloween is over, I figure I need to hurry up and get our pumpkin carving photos on here before it is weirdly late....or is the day after Halloween already too late...oh well, considering Ev doesn't seem to mind the fact that he looks like Elton John when he wears his sister's Minnie glasses, I doubt he'll care.