Seasonal Fatigue Syndrome...

I love summer, really I do.  It's by far one of my favorite seasons.  But every year around this time I start yearning for a cool breeze, some football, and a significant drop in temperature.  And I hate to "story-top" but if you don't live in LA, MS, AL, TN, FL, or GA, you have no idea what hot is.  Don't argue with me, just trust me.  I mean, who in the world enjoys 98 degree heat with 110 degree heat index and humidity that smacks you in the face?  And I realize that as soon as I enjoy a few weeks of winter, I'll be wanting summer back again.  I'm fickle like that.   

Right now we're surviving on popsicles, AC, and mosquito repellent that doesn't always work. 

Get a move on, fall.  I know that you'll drag your feet, and you probably won't show up until November, but I'd appreciate it if you could get us some relief just a tad bit sooner.  

We have had a seriously busy couple of months between moving, a trip to the beach, a fabulous wedding in North Carolina, and a quick trip to Memphis. I'm looking forward to the next few weekends--we have nothing going on, and it will be nice to park on the sofa for a few days.  If you need me, that's where I'll be--with a popsicle. 

Vacation hangover...

We just returned from our annual beach vacay, and contrary to what most people think, we didn't see any evidence of the mess that BP has left in our Gulf Coast.  I know we were lucky, and I'm really glad we were able to truly enjoy the beach.  Let's face it; it may be awhile before we can go back and actually get in the water. 

This was our first week-long vacation with Sam in tow.  I wish you could understand the amount of junk we had in our cars.  (We took two vehicles--my parents went with us.)  Toys, clothes, food, inflatable swimming accessories, bedrails, a potty chair...we looked like the Clampetts.

I had a list a mile long of things to pack for our trip.  Anthony offered to help, but his priorities differ from mine.  While I was finding things to keep a child entertained on a 6-hour long drive, Anthony's mind was on other things.  The first item he packed?  This:

And I'm not kidding.  Not one bit.  It's the very first thing the man put together.  Then he left to go buy cigars.  Sheesh.










The week was fabulous, and overall the weather was great.  Sam was a HUGE fan of the sand, and he preferred to stay on the beach and play in it.  He wasn't too keen on the waves, which is fine by me.  I'm a huge chicken when it comes to the ocean.  I've seen Jaws waaaaayyy too many times. 

Like I said, he loved the sand.  It covered every inch of his body most days. 


Since my parents came with us, we were able to sneak off a couple days and hang out with some friends of ours who were also down for the week.  They had rented a beach house in Grayton, and their house had a private pool.  Before leaving for FL, they spent $9.99 on this:

Best. Purchase. Ever.  That, my friends, is a pool volleyball net.  I'm pretty sure we spent at least 15 hrs. in the water playing volleyball.  We had the absolute best time.  And it's a pretty good workout, too.  Sadly, I am not a good player at all, but I still had a fabulous time.  I highly recommend this purchase at your local Walgreens or CVS. 

What's going on...

Sorry I've been so boring lately.  Actually, I've had tons of stuff to blog about, but then something happens, and I feel guilty that I haven't written about previous happenings.  It's a blogjam, really. 

To recap the past couple of weeks, Sam has been busy.  I know, shocker.  We have found out that he is crazy sensitive to mosquitoes.  Need proof?

No, that's not Rocky Balboa.  That's my child.  His right eye was almost completely swollen shut.  I'm afraid to take him outside at all for fear of this happening again.  It's the 2nd time this summer that he's gotten bitten near his eye, and it's a problem, because the last time I checked, you can't spray "OFF!" around a kid's eyes.  He looked pitiful for 4 days.





He got a little bored since he had to stay inside so much, so he decided to entertain himself by getting into the "frigrator" and cooking with some raw eggs...on my floor. Exciting.  How sad is it that I went and got the camera before correcting the problem? 

That's right.  Rub those eggs into all the crevices in mommy's tile.

Notice the eye that's still funky.  I think this was day 3. 

And what have I been up to?  Glad you asked.  I was one of those insane people who went to the movie at midnight on Tuesday/Weds. to see the first possible viewing of Eclipse.  Go ahead, make fun.  I accepted my nerd status a long time ago, and I have no problem with it whatsoever.  Did I read the books?  Uh, yes.  When I was 9 months pregnant with the darling cherub above, I retreated to a town named Forks with a hot vampire named Edward.  (And if you have no idea what I'm talking about, you may want to check your pulse.  Sidenote--Eddie doesn't have a pulse.) I like to think that the Cullen gang helped me get though the last few weeks of an uncomfortable pregnancy. 

Anyway, a group of girls met up for some pre-movie Mexican and adult beverages.  We then headed to the theater...at 10 o'clock.  You know you're old when you look at your watch and think, "I should have been in bed an hour ago."  We powered through though, and I will be seeing it again.  Preferably when there's not a disgusting redneck woman talking to the screen as if Edward and Jacob are going to talk back.  Seriously.  I'm not lying.  She had a full-on one-sided conversation at one point.  This was also while she was apparently guzzling beers.  We kept hearing the tell-tell pop of a can opening, and the way she was acting, I don't think it was a contraband Coca-cola.

Have a happy 4th!

Memo to parents...

For the handful of people who read my ramblings, you know that my sweet, (once) chunky, baby boy has just turned two.  And he has embraced this whole terrible twos thing with relish.  I don't know which kid on the playground told him that his head had to start spinning just because of a number, but I really don't appreciate it.  I mean, I certainly wasn't thrilled to turn the big 3-0, but I didn't catch an attitude. Anyway, the number 2 is definitely giving us a run for our money around here. A few things of note for all you parents out there.

1.  "Mine" becomes the most integral word in their vocabulary.  As in, "Give Mommy her nail polish back.  It's not paint."  Sam's response--"No.  Mine.  Sam's polish."  The kid has gotten as territorial as a mother grizzly bear. 

2.  Going to the grocery store feels like heading to war.  Sam used to be the best "grocery store baby."  He would sit contentedly in his little seat, and I would peacefully peruse the goods.  Not anymore.  First of all, he finally noticed those wretchedly gross grocery cart "cars."  You know, the ones that should probably require a commercial license to drive?  The ones that look like they are NEVER sanitized? Yes, those.  He's also figured out how to unbuckle his little seatbelt and bolt into the oncoming cart traffic.  On top of all this, he also thinks he should help me shop, which means I get to the checkout with a random bottle of barbecue sauce, some marshmallows, and a bottle of chocolate syrup. 

I try my best to get in and out as quickly as possible.  I look like I'm on that tv show, "Super Market Sweep."

3.  The transition to the "big boy bed."  Wowsers.  Never knew how much this would affect me.  When Sam was in his crib, he might wake up early, but he went back to sleep because he couldn't get out of the crib.  Now, he just rolls right on in to our room...at 5:00.  We have now put a gate on his door.  Is that a fire hazard? 

He wears me out, but he sure is fun.

So there you have it.  3 things you should know about 2-year-olds. 

VBS...

So this past week I volunteered at our church to help with Vacation Bible School.  Sam isn't quite old enough, but they had the nursery open for him, and the fab nursery staff did all kinds of fun activities with him.  He had a great time.  I had a learning experience. 

I thought when I said "volunteer" I'd be putting out snacks or helping with arts and crafts.  Wrong.  I got my assignment last Sunday night--4 year olds.  Then I looked at my roster--they weren't quite 4 yet...almost all of them were rising 4 year olds.  Big difference, people.  Okay, no big deal.  I can deal with 4 year olds, right? Until I saw that on Monday we would be short handed and that I would be handling 8 little tots completely on my on.  That's when I got a little nervous. 

Here's what I found out this week.

1.  There are some super cute kids in this world.
2.  There are also some super difficult kids in this world. 
3.  The super difficult child will intentionally ignore you.  You will spend the majority of the time chasing this   child thereby making it hard to enjoy the others.
4.  Keeping 8 4 year olds together is a lot like herding cats.
5.  Primary school teachers deserve a WHOLE lot more respect.  There's a reason I taught high school.
6.  You know farmer tans?  There's such a thing as a VBS playground tan.
7.  Lisps are pretty endearing. 
8.  Remember the difficult child?  Well, he decided to pour dirt and glitter into my Tory Burch handbag when I wasn't looking. Cleaning that out was not fun.

This Bud's for you...

Our Memorial Day was spent on the back deck eating ribs and drinking a few adult beverages.  Sam thought he'd help his daddy out and play bartender.  Do you think this kid has watched his dad open a beer with his t-shirt? 

And don't worry, Mom.  As soon as I took this hilarious pic, we steered him away from brewskis. 

He's going to fit right in at the Sigma Chi house. 

Home Sweet Home...

We're in.  Finally.  The men are still working on converting an extra bedroom, but for the most part, our new home is finally livable.  I'm so happy I could sing, but I'll spare you.  The past few weeks have been incredibly chaotic and stressful, but it was definitely worth it.  It's soooo nice to have plenty of room, a lovely, old, established yard, and neighbors who continue to drop by with welcomes.  I even have some empty cabinets and drawers--seriously shocking.

I've also been asked to "Go to the river" with my worker friend, "Cockeye."  While dressed in his signature jorts and shirtless combo, he asked me my Memorial Day plans. When I made the mistake of saying that we didn't have much in the works, he insisted on my coming to the river with him.  He even told me he'd pick me up.  I'm not exactly sure what river he's talking about--the Pearl?  I didn't really pursue this conversation.    I guess the whole wedding ring thing doesn't serve as a deterrent for him.  Yet another reason why I'll be glad when they're completely through with the house. 

I would attempt to write about everything that's gone on, but it would take me forever. So, here's a summation of what has happened in the past few weeks.


Paint, paint, and lots more paint...Sam turned 2--sniff...Curious George birthday party with family...lots and lots of yard work by my brother and my dad--thanks a bunch, guys...furniture rearranging...more trips to Target than I care to remember...a book club gathering in the new place...several awesome summer evenings on the deck...restocking of the pantry and fridge resulting in astronomical grocery bills...no internet for over a week...a couple of illnesses for Sam and me...a serious lack of sleep...decorating anxiety...

Aren't you glad I refrained from posting about the above nonsense?  You would have been bored to tears--if you already aren't. 

Happy Memorial Day!