Workbook Workout

Our new schedule is going well. A few weeks ago, before we really got going on things, Ainsley and I organized the desk downstairs in the den and turned it into what is now being called the Workbench. It's actually just an old yellow desk with a lot of fun drawers. I got some magazine holders and created a place for magazines, coloring books and workbooks.

It's become a favorite hangout for Ainsley and Anastasia now does her homework there.

I like having all our paper/crayons/markers/glue/etc. in a central location. I can tell it will be home to many an art project in the months to come.

I Don't Like Mondays

I work late on Sundays and so my turnaround time to Monday morning is a rough one. It's the only day of the week I have to drive Anastasia to school, so I not only have to be out of bed, but I also need to be pretty coherent. Anastasia was standing by my bed this morning and said in the sweetest voice, "Mom, I wish there were no Mondays so you'd always be able to sleep in."

My Thanksgiving

Hi blog readers, this is Allie. Mom's been busy getting the house decorated and everything unpacked from our trip so I thought I'd tell you about Thanksgiving. I don't really remember last year, so I will have to say this was the best Thanksgiving ever.

Mom got off work early on Thanksgiving morning so even though she was cranky in the car on the ride over to Gran and Pop's the trip went well. We stopped and had lunch at McDonald's which I'm pretty sure is *not* the traditional Thanksgiving fare. We finally made it to Gran and Pop's house just in time for mom and I to take a nap. When we got up, Gran had prepared some pretty awesome food for our feast. We even ate in the dining room!

I look kind of surprised there. I was just hungry and ready to be fed. This central time zone thing is for the birds! My Gran is a really awesome cook so we all ate until we couldn't eat anymore. I liked the ham and sweet potatoes best.

We had such a good weekend. We did a lot of relaxing and chilling in front of the fire place. Mommy and daddy didn't even have to do chores...unless you count chasing me up and down the three sets of stairs. I did a lot of playing. The baby doll and rocking chair were my favorite.

I also enjoyed chasing Gypsy all over the house. She hid under Gran's bed most of the time though. So I was forced to wander the halls saying "Kitty" over and over again.

We got to visit Uncle Thomas, Aunt Judy and Cousin Tiffany. We also made a stop at Granny Lamar's where I ran ALL over the house! It was pretty fun.

I found this neat kitty statue on Gran and Pop's deck. I really loved it and carted it around...well at least until I dropped it and broke its foot off. Good thing Pop had plenty of superglue.

I didn't post any pictures of my sisters, but they aren't as cute as I am. They had a good Thanksgiving too although they complained a lot about the green beans. They played games and got to stay up late watching movies. They tell me one day I can too.

It was a really wonderful trip. We have so much to be thankful for and I am so glad we were able to be with Gran and Pop to celebrate. I was pretty good on the trip home. I'm excited about getting our tree up at home tonight. I have already pulled over the 5 foot tree downstairs so I can't wait to get my hands on this big one. Christmas is going to be SO much fun!

Bath Delight

Allie usually takes a bath with her sisters. It's safer and more efficient, but while we were at Gran and Pop's for Thanksgiving we let her bathe alone. We weren't in a hurry to get anyone in bed and the tub is smaller than ours at home so it made sense.

I think she enjoyed having all the bath toys to herself.

Yup, she could definitely get used to this.

Ready for the Holidays

Gran has the most perfect tree up this year. It's beautiful and I've enjoyed curling up on the couch in front of it for the last few days.

See? Isn't it just perfect? It's surrounded by many wonderful gifts which tempted the girls from the moment we walked in the door. With such a picture perfect holiday scene set before us, I thought we should snap some Christmas pics of the girls.

I took about 40 shots to get these two, but I think they're worth it.

Fantasy of Trees

Each year East Tennessee Children's Hospital kicks off the holiday season with the Fantasy of Trees. I've been going since the days when Anna's show choir performed there. We didn't get a chance to go this year so when I realized Anastasia only had a half day of school on Wednesday, I jumped at the chance to take the girls. We met Anna for lunch and she joined us at FOT.

We started out with face painting and did a few crafts before getting princess manicures.

The girls had a really great time. Allie enjoyed all the lights and her sisters enjoyed the crafts and rides.

We hopped on the carousel before departing for home.

With Christmas just a month away, it got us all in the spirit!

Wordless Wednesday

The Great Houdini

Apparently we have a Houdini on our hands.

Allie got up from nap yesterday morning with a few less clothes than when I put her down. She managed to strip her snug-fitting pajama top off as well as her socks. The shirt had been tossed outside her crib. I love the self-satisfied look on her face. I'm going to have to keep an extra close watch on her!

Picnic Party

Today has been an exceptionally warm day. It's almost 80* out there. In honor of what is surely to be the last day like this until next spring, Ainsley and Allie and I had a picnic lunch.

There's nothing like being outdoors in November with no jack required!

We Are Family

You know how when you're a kid you sing songs whether or not you actually know the words? The joke with Anna and I came from The Little Mermaid soundtrack. The line we sang incorrectly was "Bright Young Women, Sick of Swimmin.'" We sang it "Pregnant Women, Sick of Swimmin.'"

So I was not surprised to hear Anastasia incorrectly sing the words to We Are Family. She sings loud and without the embarrassment that we as adults seem burdened with. Here's what she sang....

We are family,
I got all the sisters I need!

Truer words have never been spoken.

Notes From the Road: Training Update #8

I typically don't run with music. I found that it kept me from listening to my surroundings and my body. But these last two weekends I've gone for my long runs with my iPod. It has been a lifesaver. Last Saturday I ran 17 miles and yesterday I ran 18 miles. Alone. Running can be an incredibly social sport, but when you're training for a marathon and you don't know anyone else who is training or anyone who can train when you train, you're forced to go it alone. Hence the sudden increase in my iPod use.

At the risk of tooting my own horn, the training is going VERY well. As I mentioned above, I ran 18 miles yesterday! And when I finished, I felt like I could have done more. I feel better prepared for this race than either of the two previous marathons I have trained for. I've been very diligent about my long weekend runs. In the past, if I wasn't feeling up to snuff I would cut the run short. I was always able to provide numerous excuses...too hot, too old, sore muscle, blister....I read Runner's World so I can come up with all kinds of ailments. But this time is different. I feel driven like never before. I don't know if it is the fear of running 39.3 miles in two days or if I'm just in better shape than in the past. Either way, I love it and I can't wait for race day.

Thanks to my AMAZING friends and family, the fundraising is going well too. Please share my fundraising page with everyone you know. I'd love to be able to exceed my goal and really give Inheritance of Hope valuable funds to be able to continue their mission. I've learned that I'll get to meet some of the families that IOH helps right before I run the races. I'm so excited to be able to put faces with what this organization does and run for those who cannot.

It's the Simple Things

You've never known real fun until you've taken a four-year-old to a used book store. After Allie's nap today we headed into town for a huge list of errands. Our first stop was McKay's Used Books. I've been going there since I was in elementary school. It has grown significantly since those days, but it remains the best place to find used books and DVDs. The books are still displayed by category in wooden crates, just like the old days.

It's one of Ainsley's favorite places to go. We traded in a bunch of old DVDs and ended up with $65 in trade credit. She made quick work of that and picked out five books for herself, four for Anastasia, three for Allie and three DVDs. She looked so cute perched on the little plastic stepstool in the aisle leafing through her finds. She read them all the way home.

It wasn't until much later that I realized I had failed to look for anything for myself. I usually love seeing if there is a Hemingway or Kingsolver in one of those alphabetical crates. My shelves are packed with books I've yet to read anyway, but there is just something about a new (used) book.

Wordless Wednesday

Family Portraits

So I will admit to blog-stalking our photographer to get a sneak peek at our portraits before our viewing session on Friday. She posted some of them tonight and it was just enough to get me VERY excited. And the thing is, she kept the best ones out so now I'm really ready for Friday. Hope you enjoy them!

Lamar Family Portraits

Follow the Yellow Brick Road

Allie loves shoes. She likes putting them on and taking them off. She likes to stomp around in them. So imagine her joy when Nana bought her new shoes over the weekend. They are red....and sparkly. They are a match made in heaven.

Thanksgiving: A Week Early

They say the early bird gets the worm, and as far as Thanksgiving goes, you can say we definitely got the worm. Fortunately for us it was less worm and more turkey with all the trimmings.

Anastasia's school does a week of Thanksgiving feasts so parents can join their students for a special meal. Today Anastasia's class had their turn. Ainsley, Allie and I set out for the school and met Anastasia and her class. The meal was wonderfully prepared and was some of the best "school food" I've ever had. It was the traditional fare, right down to the pumpkin pie.

Lunch wasn't until 12:30 p.m. so I fed Allie beforehand, but she got some bites off my plate anyway. She spent the entire meal throwing her cup and Mickey Mouse on the floor. Anastasia's friend said she was only doing that to get attention.

After our tasty lunch we went to the book fair and then checked out the animal habitat Anastasia is making in class.

By the time we finished shopping at the book fair it was well after 1 p.m. so we signed her out and headed for home. It was such a fun way to kick off the holiday season. I'm going to have to write a thank-you note to the cafeteria staff!

Hellos, Goodbyes and a New Adventure

I mentioned last week that changes are underfoot for the Lamar family. Friday was my last day at the hospital. I have recently accepted a position back with WBIR. It was one of those things that happened so suddenly, I'm not exactly sure where it began. The long and the short of it is that daycare and after-school care costs were becoming a burden we could no longer shoulder. We paid far more for childcare than we did for our mortgage. And while our girls were well-cared for, it was a huge drain on our family's resources.

The new position will allow us to eliminate both daycare and after-school care. It wasn't an easy choice to make and one we agonized over for quite a while. In the end, we decided this move was best for all five of us and I accepted the position at WBIR. My friends and former co-workers are welcoming me back with open arms. I am fortunate to be able to go back to a place that I am so familiar with. It eliminates all those new job worries.

The new adventure begins today. I'm easing into work at the station mid-week and I decided to give myself two days off. And by "off" I mean running errands, doing laundry and basically getting the house and its contents ready for our new schedule. It will be challenging and different for us all, but I am confident we did the right thing and I'm excited about the things that lie ahead for us. That being said, we did have to say some tough goodbyes last week. I said farewell to a job I very much enjoyed at the hospital as well as wonderful co-workers. The girls had to say goodbye to their daycare family. It was bittersweet as I am thrilled to get to spend more time with my girls, but our daycare family has been part of our lives since 2004. They were quite mopey all week. ; )

This is Allie in her classroom at school saying "Mom, please stop documenting this for posterity and pick me up already!!!!"

Here's Ainsley with her pals on the playground.

And more pals on her last day. One little girl even wrote her a "good luck" note and gave her a gift!

Anastasia wasn't too broken up about giving up the after-school care program although they shed a few tears as she is one of the most well-behaved students they have (had). Ainsley is thrilled and has been counting down the days until this new adventure for our family. I have no idea where this will lead, but as long as I have the four of them....I think it will all turn out just fine.

Happy 7th Birthday Anastasia

Happy Birthday to the most amazing seven-year-old I know. Anastasia has taught me so much since her birth. If nothing else, she has made me see how difficult it was to raise *me* since she's exactly like me in so many ways. She is generous and a good friend. She is an excellent student and her own toughest critic. She rocks at math and is reading incredibly well these days. Anastasia is a wonderful sister and her wicked funny sense of humor is emerging more and more each day. She likes to be a trickster and pull the wool over my eyes. She's funny and dramatic, intelligent and I can't imagine a single day without her.

Happy Birthday Anastasia.

Slumber Party

At some point in the last six weeks I took leave of my senses and decided the best way to celebrate Anastasia's birthday was to invite four of her friends over for a slumber party. As I sit here on Saturday afternoon I am pleased to report we all survived and, dare I say it, I'd do it again.

Anastasia's friends arrived after dinner on Friday evening. We cut straight to the chase and kicked the party off with cupcakes and ice cream.

After craft time (where I let six girls under the age of 7 use paint at my kitchen table!) we let Anastasia open her gifts. She got so many wonderful gifts including this one:

Yeah, that was a gift from Jamie and I that she had been wanting since July. It's a stroller for her hamster thingy. It was $10 and it was her favorite gift. After presents everyone put on their PJs and they settled in downstairs for a movie.

Jamie and I sat upstairs on the couch reading. The giggles that floated up the stairs were numerous and smile-invoking. After movie time we spread out sleeping bags, brushed teeth and got everyone down for the night.

I was worried about having kids up all night, but Ainsley was the only one who gave us trouble. She ended up falling asleep in bed with me and then we moved her back in with the big girls. They woke up this morning and played some more before their parents scooped them up mid-morning.

Anastasia seemed to have a great time. She's being selfish with her new toys as every young birthday kid is. Her sister is suffering from serious gift envy, but she's hanging in there. Everyone is napping now so we can continue celebrating tonight!

Read to Me

Allie has so many new words these days. Shoe and book are her two favorites. Books are a big deal with her right now, especially one book.
We read it ten times a day. She's practically destroyed the dust jacket already and is wearing out the pages. It's such a cute story so I don't mind reading it over and over.

Plus, who could say no to this face?

The Nose Knows

Ainsley is counting down the days until our schedule changes and she's home with me all day. Meanwhile, her teacher continues to do fun, exciting things with her and her classmates. This week they're learning about their senses. Yesterday they got to use their noses and sniff out seven different things and try to guess what they were. Here's the list of what Ainsley guessed...and what the smell actually was.

Ainsley's Guess Actual Smell

1. Pepper 1. Cloves

2. Broccoli 2. Hot chocolate mix

3. Watermelon 3. Vanilla extract

4. Cinnamon 4. Cinnamon

5. Fish 5. Brown sugar

6. Lemon 6. Lemon extract

7. Blueberry pie 7. PineSol

Well, I guess two outta seven ain't bad.

Lullabies for Allie

I haven't really written about the changes that are underway for our family. I'll get around to doing that soon but suffice it to say I am changing jobs again. It will mean more time with the kids during the day, but it means I won't be at home for bedtime five nights a week. I'll be honest and say bedtime at our house is nuts, but once the dust settles and peace falls upon on the hallways of Casa Lamar, all is right with the world.

Allie has turned into a great sleeper. She's been knocking out 12-hour slumbers for quite a while now. She's not a great napper and typically falls into bed exhausted by her busy day. With my job change on the horizon I've really been trying to savor my bedtime routine with her. She drinks her milk while I read to her, has her teeth brushed and then the lights go out. I stand beside her crib with her head on my shoulder and sing to her. I'm not really a singer so it's a kind of intimate moment between the two of us. I wrap her in her blanket and sway gently while I sing. For some reason I have gravitated to two songs. They aren't really lullabies, but I sing them anyway. I like the sound of them flowing over the top of her little red head. She's never complained so I guess they must be all right. The first song is What'll I Do? by Irving Berlin. I have the Johnny Mathis version on my iPod. The second song I sing is actually a poem written by Isaac Watts (of Joy to the World fame). Our church choir sang it two summers ago and I have been singing it ever since. The more I sing it, the more I am beginning to realize it actually is a perfect lullaby.

My Shepherd Will Supply My Need

My Shepherd will supply my need:
Jehovah is His Name;
In pastures fresh He makes me feed,
Beside the living stream.
He brings my wandering spirit back
When I forsake His ways,
And leads me, for His mercy's sake,
In paths of truth and grace.

When I walk through the shades of death,
Thy presence is my stay;
A word of Thy supporting breath
Drives all my fears away.
Thy hand, in sight of all my foes,
Doth still my table spread;
My cup with blessings overflows,
Thine oil anoints my head.

The sure provisions of my God
Attend me all my days;
O may Thy house be my abode,
And all my work be praise!
There would I find a settled rest,
While others go and come;
No more a stranger, nor a guest,
But like a child at home.

Wordless Wednesday

Notes from the Road: Training Update #7

I went for a run on my lunch break today. It was a spectacular fall day and while it was much warmer than it has been lately, enough of the cool morning air lingered that it was still quite pleasant. I set out to do four miles at a pretty brisk pace. I'm beginning to think the mileage markers on the greenway are incorrect. Either that or I'm really getting the hang of this running thing.

I ran down the greenway, nodding and waving to my fellow runners, cyclists and walkers who were populating the trail. I passed a sign that makes me chuckle each and every time I see it: "Trail users YIELD to trains." You mean me, the lowly marathon runner, has to yield to a giant freight train? Really? I suppose it would keep the county from being sued if some poor schmuck were ever to be hit by a train at that crossing. I will let you know that I looked both ways before crossing the tracks.

I have some seriously long runs coming up in the weeks ahead. Runs that will take me hours and hours to complete. Runs that will challenge me and prepare me for the races in January. As I run I am continually reminded of the support I receieve from my friends and family. I am so grateful to you all who have been contributing to Inheritance of Hope. I have a long way to go to reach my fundraising goal, so please share my fundraising page with anyone you know. This organization needs help to reach these families and make a difference. The work they are doing is so important. Thank you to everyone who has contributed so far. It means so much to me.

Instant Gratification

I've always been an instant gratification kind of girl when it comes to photography. My first camera was a Polaroid. It was perfect for my little impatient first-grade self. One click of that button on the side and my picture was spit out instantly. When I graduated to my 110 Camera, I had to send off my film to be developed. I vividly remember climbing the tree near the mailbox and waiting for the mailman to deposit my prints in the box. Of course as the years passed one hour photos came along and I was able to develop pictures from my wedding day right away. We drove to a Wal-Mart almost an hour away from our beach house in the Outer Banks so I could develop those images.

Now I have a digital camera and get my images seconds after the shutter closes. Which is why I am having a hard time being patient this week. We had our family pictures made over the weekend and since they weren't made with my camera, I haven't seen any of them. The photographers were wonderful and I know they got some amazing shots of our family. I'll post the link as soon as they are ready.

All that glitters

Yesterday afternoon Ainsley started to get that "Craft Fever." It started with paint and then quickly escalated into a glitter frenzy. By the end of the day we had art all over the kitchen. Including two very adorable sock puppets.

This was Ainsley's.

And Anastasia's creation.....

Which means that my sink looked like this:

I love that they are so creative, even if it means that the cat now has glitter all over her paws.

Caption This

Get your creative juices flowing and give me a caption for this picture. And just so you'll know what you're captioning...that's Allie. Laying face down on the soccer field.*

*Author's note: Perhaps you should forego toys for Allie this Christmas and just contribute to her therapy fund.

Notes From the Road: Training Update #6

It's November 4th and I've only run two miles so far this month. I'm battling a nasty cold and while I did hit the treadmill on Tuesday night, I really shouldn't have. I'm at the mid-point of my training. I have 9 weeks behind me and 9 weeks ahead until the race. My long run last Sunday was 15 miles. It's the furthest I've run since my marathon in '09. The weather was perfect and I had a great run. I opted for another ice bath afterwards and I must say I wasn't sore at all the next day. I'm scheduled to do 11 miles on Sunday and if I'm not feeling any better I will be forced to drop back and reduce the miles. Hopefully with some extra rest I'll be back out there and logging the miles I need to be.

Here's my fundraising update as well. I'm incredibly humbled by my friends and family who are supporting Inheritance of Hope as I run for this important organization.

Hail Yes!

I took a sick day today. I feel lousy and can't seem to shake this cold. I've watched TV, read a book and taken a nap. I was downstairs getting my HGTV fix when I heard it start raining. I (being the dork that I am) logged on to my computer to see what the radar looked like. There was a bright yellow patch of precipitation over our neighborhood. I went upstairs because I thought it sounded a little too rough to be rain. Turns out, it was hail. A lot of hail. Our deck was covered!

It was the size of Peanut M&Ms. It sounded like the roof was going to cave in!

And then, after about 15 minutes, the storm passed and now the sun is out.

Wordless Wednesday

Current Currency

The girls often have to help complete chores around the house. We have no set chore schedule but they are learning to grow their responsibility and contribute to things at home. Sometimes they earn computer time or money for their piggy bank but lately we've learned the most effective means of currency are Silly Bandz.

I needed to cut Jamie's hair over the weekend so they took care of Allie in her room while we turned the deck into a barber shop. They each earned two Silly Bandz for their babysitting skills. Good thing we were able to score 100 Silly Bandz for $6.

Of Sunsets and Beijing

The girls have always been interested in what kids in other parts of the world are like. What they eat and what they wear. What languages they speak and when they sleep. The kids of China are of special interest in our house. The girls love that, due to the 12 hour time difference, when they are going to bed....kids in China are getting up and heading to school. I've had many a morning commute conversations with Ainsley about what the kids in China are doing as we drive to school. "I bet they're brushing their teeth and reading bedtime stories," she says. So her comment after bath tonight should come as no surprise to me.

"The sun went down quick! I guess he was in a rush to get to those China kids."

Ready for Winter

We've had a few cold mornings lately and that means everyone has had to bundle up before we leave the house. Usually getting kids dressed in various layers is a Herculean task. But apparently Allie was made for winter. I put her mittens on....and she loved them. Look at her face.

She clapped her hands and squealed with glee. Seriously, who knew mittens could be so fun?