Hucka-BBQ

This morning we packed the kids up for a short drive and went to a Pig Festival. Yes, you read that right, and no I’d never been to one before either! I’m not quite sure why it was called a pig festival. There weren’t any pigs there, unless you count the people running around eating pork sandwiches and ribs from food trailers boasting tables full of trophies in hopes to entice you to buy their meat and not from the booth next door.

We really weren’t there for the food, although we did enjoy a good pork sandwich and BBQ beans. We went in hopes to shake hands with Mike Huckabee. When we arrived he was walking around with a large entourage of supporters waving signs, Ron Paul supporters waving other signs and media walking backwards trampling young children. I’m not sure who was more annoying, the Ron Paul people or the media. I was about to show them all what a mom with a stroller can do. “I’m sorry, was that your knee cap? It’s just so crowded!” But my better judgment prevailed.

During his 40-hour work week, The Narrator has been involved with Huck’s site since long-before he was anybody nationally known. Every day Little Miss Sunshine asks him if he saw Huckabee that day. So we decided to take HER to meet him! Once we scoped the scene, we knew the only way we’d get to shake his hand while we each shouldered a kid was if The Narrator found somebody he knew and spoke up. We spotted Huck’s daughter and at a prime moment The Narrator started to holler at her. She looked a little confused to hear her name and since they’d never met in person she still was confused until he introduced herself. She grinned and was happy to meet him and see that their web people aren’t holed up in some basement as they around the campaign apparently joked. She pointed us in the right direction and we moved around to get to shake his hand. We were talking to his daughter and son and Mr. Huckabee had his back to us greeting another supporter. Just seconds before he turned around to greet us, T-Rex sneezed a giant sneeze that covered his face. Quick thinking had me wiping it on the inside of his jacket (ew…I know!!! but I didn’t have time or the space to dig through my bag for a tissue!!). The son and daughter got a kick out of that and I had T-Rex clean faced just in time for Mr. Huckabee to turn around and shake our hands. It was such a pleasure to meet him, and even more fun to have him stop for us and know at least of us (or the Narrator really).

He headed out and we enjoyed some sandwiches and good (?) music about brown gravy. No lie. It was a fun morning, but I was hungry the rest of the day because my hair smelled like a barbecue. Hmmm…I wonder what’s in the fridge…

Friday Funnies

Having kids in your life, whether they are your own, nieces or nephews, neighbors or friends adds such joy to your life. What I’m finding to be the best at the age we are at is the developing vocabulary and conversational skills. I’m seeing the world and relationships through a whole new light, or maybe it’s a light I have forgotten in the past 28 years. Anyway, I love to remember the funny things they say and do, and I love to LAUGH. Nothing makes me laugh more than funny kid stories, not to mention the sanity it gives me during those not-so-funny moments. And so I’m beginning Friday Funnies. I will share my funny conversations/stories from the week, and I’d love to hear yours too! We can all have ourselves a good laugh at the honesty and hilariousness of things kids say and do. So whether you leave your quotes or story in the comments or link to your own blog, I hope you’ll share the funniness from your corner of kid-zone.

A couple nights ago I was getting T-Rex’s medicine ready while Little Miss Sunshine was begging for medicine too. After informing her that she wasn’t sick and therefore didn’t need any medicine, I headed over to T-Rex with the syringe and he started to slurp down his meds. Little Miss Sunshine hollered out, “OH NO!! You’ve got the wrong kid!!”

While driving to the store I had to hit the brakes abruptly and from the back seat I heard, “Momma, were you not paying attention?”

I was at the chiropractor this week for a much-needed adjustment and my very kind chiropractor was chit-chatting with the kids as he always does before giving me my adjustment. Little Miss Sunshine was carrying her Baby.
Chiro: That’s a very nice baby. Is it a boy or a girl?
LMS: It’s a girl
Chiro: Does she have a name?
LMS: It’s Baby L.
Chiro: I like that name, and I like her outfit, that’s very nice.
Storygirl: Tell him who made the outfit for Baby L.
Chiro: Someone made that outfit? Wow!
LMS: My Nana (pronounced N-ah-na) did.
Chiro: Your Nana (said “a” as in apple) did? Tell her I really like it.
LMS: (Looks him straight in the eye and says very matter of factly) It’s N-ah-na.
I debated for half a second whether to be appalled that my three-year-old was correcting a physician’s pronunciation, especially seconds before he grabs my neck. He’s a great sport and thought it was funny. When I re-told it to the Narrator that night, he couldn’t stop laughing. LMS is very matter-of-fact, unassuming and super sweet in her demeanor. It’s an “of course you should know this, so I must tell you” and not an “I’m right, you’re wrong, so there” attitude, which makes it THAT much funnier upon delivery.

All about me

Happy birthday to ME! The kids woke up at 6:20 just to tell me how much they love me. And that he needed a diaper change. And that she was hungry. Somehow, I managed to convince them that if they were going to wake me up that early they needed to give me my  birthday present. whoo-haha. They (with the Narrator’s help) picked out a very nice, good-sized jewelry box. I can’t wait to put my treasures in it!

And now let the fun begin!

And I quote…

“How was your work today, Daddy? Did you meet Huckabee?”

(getting up from bed for the 3rd time) “Are you popping popcorn? Are you watching a movie? Why?”
“Because that’s what we do after you go to bed.”
“Why? Do you not have enough projects?”

(to her 2 year old friend) “How are you doing today? Fine? That’s good.”

Lessons from the library

I have a pretty good memory, especially when it comes to names and facts about people. I love stories, and each person has a story, and God has apparently given me a brain that is as sticky as fly tape when it comes to remembering people and their stories. Once I’ve met you, you’re never getting out of my head. Even with the onslaught of mommy brain, which is in fact a very real phenomenon, I’ve retained a good chunk of that story memory. As I mentioned in Lessons from the Playground, I’m attempting to regain some of my awareness for the people around me. And this is another case in point.

Because of this memory, there are many times when I am out and about that I recognize people I’ve met, albeit even just once. During these occasions, I have a fleeting few seconds to act, because I know for certain that the other person won’t recognize me or remember me unless I approach her and re-introduce myself. And herein lies my choice. I can ignore her and move on, or I can speak up. Obviously the loving option is to speak up and show that person that I cared enough about her to not only remember, but to let her know I remember her. It’s not always easy, especially with two toddlers in two, to give someone who at first glance thinks I am a stranger a brief story to re-introduce myself. While I was at the library this week, I noticed a girl that I hadn’t seen in three years. We were in a small group together very briefly, before either of us had kids. I stepped up and said, “You are J, right? I’m storygirl. We were in V’s group together briefly waaaay back.” The lights clicked on and we chatted for a few minutes. Her little gal is close to Little Miss’s age and she looked at me and said, “So you stay home, and I stay home…why don’t we get together?” Love, love it. If the weather is decent tomorrow, meaning it’s not raining like it did all day today, we’re going to the same playground I mentioned in the previous “Lessons from” and I’ll give that gal a call too. What a joy it was to speak up and re-connect. Now, next week at the Library story time, I need to catch the other gal I recognize that I met just once at a retreat. I pretty sure she doesn’t know that she goes to the same church as the gal I chatted with this week. Hmmm….

Breezy, Busy, Bed, Breakfast

That sums up the next few days!! It was a gorgeous breezy night, one that made me happy to live here and want to laugh at myself. Ok, maybe it was the spilling of my Dunkin Doughnuts cappuccino blast on my t-shirt right before walking into Wal-Mart that made me want to laugh at myself. In fact, I think a few chuckles escaped as I browsed the store, slightly hunched over. I fit in just fine.

I had so many eloquent thoughts about the joy of living as I walked across the parking lot from Wal-Mart to Publix, but the breeze must have blown them out of my head. Actually, it has more to do with the fact that we are playing bed and breakfast the next few days to a cousin and her girlfriends. I’m so happy she called and feels welcome enough to ask if they can camp out here. We love having her and her friends around. The kids love them too. It makes me feel like I’m doing something right when people feel free to ask if they can come and spend the night or 14. I never considered myself that good of a hostess. Actually, I’m not. I still forget to put out ice and salad dressing EVERY SINGLE time I have people over to eat. Nevertheless, it was our dream when we moved here that we would be a stopping place for friends and family who wanted to visit. So far, we have been, and God even blessed us with an extra room that has a little extra privacy for those long-term visitors. Unfortunately the bathroom is on the other side of the house, but oh well!

That being said, I need to go check the sheets in the guest room and sweep up any dead bugs. This is Florida you know!

Maybe it does matter after all

I often wonder whether my crafting is worth it. I know it’s worth it to me personally as far as the sanity it provides me as well as the sense of accomplishment, the feeling of creativity, not to mention sometimes saving money (especially in the home decorating end). But is it worth the space it takes up in our home, the time I invest into it, and what about the recipients? Would I have been better off purchasing something? Maybe I’m just an insecure crafter, maybe this is normal. I don’t know. Every now and then I get an outside glimpse of appreciation that keeps me going.

A few nights ago while eating dinner Little Miss Sunshine suddenly looked at me and asked, “Do you have a book like I do?” Considering we had not been talking about books I had no idea what she was referring to and asked for clarification. “Do you have a book like I do from when I was a baby?” Aha! “Are you asking if I have a scrapbook of pictures from when I was a baby?” Her eyes lit up “Yeah!!!” Now, Mom, don’t feel bad. People didn’t scrapbook back then like they do now, and I’m sure life was a little simpler and motherhood had a little less pressure because of that! I looked at her and said, “No, honey, I don’t have a book like you do (actually 2 books), but I do have some pictures I can show you.” That seemed to satisfy her. And it made my day!

Lessons from the playground

It was a gorgeous day sunny day here today, so the kids and I took advantage of the sun and met up with friends at the playground down the street. I’ve noticed lately that I’m friendlier and more conversational with other adults when my kids aren’t around. In fact, when I spent the weekend alone at Women of Faith in November, I felt an old piece of me return – the piece that was friendly and chatty with sales clerks and service people and strangers in elevators – the piece of me that attempted to speak a little positive into people’s lives around me. Somehow while ping-ponging between two toddlers, I had forgotten that piece of me. When I’m going through check out lines I have a hard time even looking at the cashier as I try to wrestle all my groceries onto the belt, watch the prices as they ring up and make sure my kids don’t wiggle out of the cart, dump stuff off the shelves, or add more items to the cart. I usually just don’t have the presence of mind to be friendly.

I’ve been trying to remember what intentional friendliness is like and practice it again when I can. It strikes me most when I’m at the playground. There’s my three-year-old making friends and introducing herself (which boggles my mind) and there I am, bouncing back and forth keeping an eye on her, and chasing down a fearless one-year-old who thinks he can climb ladders and jump off stairs and go down slides on his knees. All boy. I usually manage a nod to the moms of Little Miss Sunshine’s new friends, but that’s about it.

Today was different. This particular playground is almost always empty when we go, which is why I like it. It’s main use is for a county after school program so school day mornings we have it to ourselves. Today another mom showed up with two kids and Little Miss started playing with her girl. I kept telling myself “I am going to introduce myself, I am going to introduce myself,” until the opportunity arose. I figured she lived nearby (and she did) and that our kids were close in age (they are), but the next item surprised me. She grew up as a military kid and  spent several years in high school on the same Asian island base that I was born on. Cool. Random. And cool. I got her number and I hope that we can get together on the playground more often since we both live about 1 mile from it. I took the step. Finally!

Fast? Food?

Who knew that a fast food restaurant could be so much fun? Or that you could spend two hours there when you just went for dinner? And no, I’m not talking about waiting for your food at Arby’s! I’m referring to the ever-fabulous Chick-fil-a. It’s become a new favorite around here. We don’t eat out that often, except when Nana and Papa are here and need to get their fill of Chick-fil-a since they don’t have it at home (one visit we went FIVE times, and it was FUN!) Closed on Sundays because the owners believe in a God-ordained Sabbath, I’ve always respected the company. Now, I appreciate them even more. I’m sure it’s part marketing, and partly genuine belief in investing in their community and families, but they know how to draw a crowd. Of kids.

The Narrator was out of town and I didn’t feel like being home or cooking, so after a swing through JoAnns (he was out of town, right?) and dropping off T-Rex’s prescription for an ear infection, we did an early dinner at Chick-fil-a. I have learned my lesson. Go early. They get busy. Especially on spirit night and family night. Little Miss Sunshine ate all her chicken, so we split a shake. And then they played in the play area. Or rather, they watched the older kids run around and scream and burn off all their pent up energy from sitting at a desk all day long. T-Rex tried to mimic but he couldn’t keep up. Thankfully. Then we topped off our two hour dinner fare with free face painting by a lady who really face paints, not just stencils a pink flower. No, Little Miss Sunshine got a purple care bear complete with the outline and shading. Just like the older girl in line in front of her. She wanted a butterfly until she saw the care bear. And so, it was a (fairly) cheap night of fun. Everything was free except for dinner. Beats cooking.

I’m all about free, cheap and fun experiences for the family. Be on the lookout for more of our experiences that will hopefully spark ideas for your own family!

Be Prepared

Saturday evening around 10 p.m. as I was wrapping up my kitchen cleanup for the day and thinking about going to bed, I realized there was a large truck rumbling outside our house. When I stopped and thought about it, I realized that the rumbling had been going on in the background of my mind for a little while. I guess I’m used to city noise, but seriously, this was rattling our windows. As I walked to the window to peer out the blinds I wondered WHY a large truck would be sitting in the street at 10 p.m. I pulled back the blinds and was greeted with the flashing lights of not one, but FOUR firetrucks lining our street. I noticed the house across the street was dark and a crowd gathered around. I hollered to The Narrator, “I think the neighbor’s house is on fire!” before slipping on my shoes and joining the crowd.

I gleaned from the crowd that there had been a kitchen fire and everyone was ok. The fire department was wrapping up their duties and I hung around to see if the neighbors needed a place to stay and to get the full story.
After the trucks left and the crowd dispersed, I approached the open door and hollered. They invited me in and I saw a very charred stove and microwave. The damage was not as bad as it could have been because they were prepared and quick on their feet. She emptied a fire extinguisher on the fire while he grabbed the hose and drug it inside. By the time the fire department arrived they had put out the fire and the department just had to check the house to make sure there wasn’t fire in the walls or ceiling and give it a final spray down.

After being assured they didn’t need a place to stay, I marched back across the street realizing how unprepared we are for a fire. I can’t remember the last time I checked the batteries in the smoke detectors, and if we have an extinguisher I don’t know where it is. Then my thoughts turned to what I would have done if it had been me. Most of the time when I’m cooking, I’m home alone with the kids. Being a house wife is a very dangerous job!

Floridians know all too well how important it is to be prepared for disasters. Every fall we are given a list of supplies to buy for a hurricane emergency kit and even a sales tax-free week to do so. But still, most people (including me) don’t really prepare. Why is it that we do that? It’s not difficult to own an extinguisher or put together a box of bottled water and non-perishables just in case. It just takes a little time and some thought. Maybe it’s because we think it will never happen to us.

But if there’s one thing that’s sure in life -it’s that disaster will eventually hit. Whether it’s a fire or a hurricane, a sick parent or child, depression, financial woes – some kind of disaster is sure. How prepared are you? Beyond the physical basics – how does your community look? When you’re hit, are there people to love on you, pick you up, and carry you for awhile if you need? Is your life infused with truth so that when you’re knocked down and your brain is barraged with lies from the enemy the small still voice of Truth is there? It takes time and thought, but we can’t think that it will never happen to us. Get to know your neighbors, find a small group at church, stay in touch with old friends who speak truth into your life, spend time every day meditating on and memorizing Scripture – even if it’s just short phrases, and keep an arsenal of positive music in the cd player (A favorite of mine right now is Chris Rice’s “Peace Like a River: The Hymns Project.”) Not only will you be prepared, but you’ll also be armed and ready to help those around you when the need arises.

I don’t want to be caught unprepared this year!