Picture Time

Allie's second birthday is just a few days away. So it's time for the two-year-old portraits! I love having her pictures taken at Target's Portrait Studio but the last few times we have gone, it has taken over an hour. I just got to the point where it wasn't worth it to wait so long for pictures.

I have an amazingly talented co-worker who takes beautiful pictures. She's the one responsible for my anniversary pictures. Today we met around lunchtime for her to shoot some pictures of Allie.

It was a beautiful day and I cannot wait to see the pictures!!

Wordless Wednesday

Alex, I'll take "Things You Don't Want to Hear From a Mold Removal Specialist" for $500

We had a mold removal specialist come to the house today. He said, (and I quote) "Lord, have mercy." I wish I had a sound recording because his southern drawl and half-astonishing, half-horrified sentence just doesn't leap across the page as it did in real life.

So now we need a plumber.....

Quoth the Raven, "No, never!"

I'm sure you've had to read the Edgar Allen Poe poem, The Raven. So I'm sure you remember the repition of the phrase, "Nevermore" that ends many of Poe's stanzas. I'm living my own version of that repetition with Allie, but instead of Nevermore...it's "No! Never!"

Sure she looks cute and adorable. Downright jolly if that photograph is any indication. But deprive her of a climb into the heights of the bunk bed or try to impose a naptime upon her and she will cross her arms and declare, "No! Never!" It's a relatively new turn of phrase for her, but that doesn't mean she doesn't know how to use it correctly. Recently I had to return to her room several times at nap to have her lay down and go to sleep. After a fourth trip (in which I removed all stuffed animals and blankets from her bed) she kicked her feet against the crib slats and chanted, "No! Never" "No! Never!" for about 10 minutes until she lost interest and fell asleep. She uses it so much (and so insistently) that it is hard not to get tickled at her. But I dare not crack a smile and laugh or the tiny shred of parental influence I have over her will be gone and out the window, resting on a branch next to that raven.

Prayers for OBX

As I have long discussed here on the 'ol blog, the Outer Banks are one of our favorite places to visit. It hosted our Honeymoon in 2001 and then return trips in '03, '05, '08, and most recently in June 2011. I watched Hurricane Irene with much interest as her track moved and changed and then headed straight for OBX. Last night at work I saw aerial video that was shot just a few short miles from where we stayed this year. The destruction is unbelievable. Highway 12 is severed, leaving hundreds (who disobeyed evacuation orders) stranded on Hatteras Island.

It's strange to see a place that didn't even see a raindrop the entire 8 days we were there be wiped out by a hurricane. I hope the rebuilding goes quickly for all those involved. And if things go well, we hope to visit again next year.

The Basement: Day 10

Lest you think our basement was magically cured of its mystifying moldiness overnight, I wanted to update you on its current condition. It really hasn't changed much since last weekend when the ordeal began.

Jamie is in the process of spackling all the holes in the den to prepare it for painting. I'm also trying to narrow down the color...I think we're close.

The den will hopefully be painted by the end of the week. We can't paint the playroom until the sheetrock is hung so we're focusing on what we *can* accomplish in the meantime.

Truth be told, I've never been fond of the dark green color in the basement (or the dreadful wallpaper border) so I will be quite happy to see it go.

I'm upset because the whole basement situation means we can't have Allie's party at our house, so we're moving it to Nana and Granddad's. It isn't ideal, but at least we'll still be able to party on her big day.

The Man Run

For the last four years or so, Jamie and the girls have followed me to countless races. Through three states, through rain and heat and early mornings - they've seen it all. Today, it was Jamie's turn. His company was the presenting sponsor of the Man Run, a 5K to support prostate cancer awareness.

We made it a family affair. The morning kicked off with bagpipers leading the runners to the start. I've been to a lot of races and have never seen that. It was a pretty cool touch!

The course was laid out well so we were able to take a short walk and wait for the runners to come by.

Allie got bored quickly, but fortunately she had a book.

We saw Jamie run by and then we made our way over to the finish.

The girls enjoyed watching everyone cross the finish line....especially their dad!

I'm so proud of him for going after this. He's be working hard to get ready and I'm thrilled he met his goal. He says the course was brutal and full of too many hills. I know he'll be feeling those hills for a few days to come!

It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year

Labor Day is just around the corner...which means it's time to start Christmas shopping! For real. I am not kidding. With all the stress of this home renovation project, I felt like a little retail therapy was in order. So this week I got my Christmas shopping under way. I actually had already purchased a few things, but on Monday I really got down to task.

It helps that I have a trusty Christmas planner.

It's a neat little binder with all kinds of spaces for important Christmas business.

In it, I have recorded everything I've purchased as a Christmas present since 2005.

It has a spot for my receipts, my budget, recipes and anything else I might need. But even if you don't have a handy-dandy planner type thingy, don't worry (not that you would...but for Type-A folks like myself I felt I needed to add that encouragement. I have friends who keep track of their purchases and spending on a computer. Or better yet, buy a binder and make your own Christmas planner. It really helps me stay on-task and on budget so I don't wind up running around like a stressed out Santa for the entire month of December. I really do like to have my shopping done by Thanksgiving so I can kick back and enjoy all those fun things going on during the holidays.

And for the record....Christmas is 4 months away!

You Scream, I Scream

My girls came home with a note from the principal this week. It was one of those addressed to "The Parents of Students in grades K, 1, and 2" kind of things. Apparently someone broke into the school last weekend and stole a bunch of money out of the classrooms. It was money designated for ice cream. Since they have no way of knowing exactly how much money was in each classroom or even which students had money in the classroom bank, the principal is buying everyone ice cream.

I was worried my girls might be upset by the fact someone broke into their school, especially considering our break-in last year. But both seemed unconcerned with the theft. They were mostly just pumped about the free ice cream. Despite the fact that, as children with no money, all of their ice cream is free.

Orange You a Vol Fan?

This week Lady Vols Head Coach Pat Summit announced to the VOL Nation that she has been diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer's. To say the Knoxville community was stunned would be an understatement. For decades Pat has stood for everything that is right about Tennessee athletics. So today, Knoxville is showing their support by wearing orange. EVERYONE is wearing it. Bama fans, Florida fans, people who hate the color...eveyone's decked out in it. Including my girls.

We're all hoping Pat will know that we've got her back.

The Land of Make Believe

Today, I've been living in the Land of Make Believe.

It's a lovely place, you really should come visit some time. I'm thinking of taking up permanent residence. I'm not sure if they require a Green Card here, but my gut says probably not.

My escape to this fabled spot can be attributed to a desire to get away, if only for a moment. Because here in the Land of Make Believe....my darling baby daughter did not color on the flat screen TV with a purple dry erase marker. No, here things like that never happen.

In this beautiful land where all the socks match after the laundry is complete and where dinner makes itself my child didn't hit the cat with a flashlight this morning. And said cat isn't cowering in a corner somewhere, having not been seen for hours. Here in the Land of Make Believe cats can run wild and free without the fear of a two-year-old tyrant lurking behind sinister objects of destruction and pain.

But sadly my flight back to reality was on time for departure (since when are flights ever on time?) and I'm cleaning toothpaste off the wall and wiping up hair balls that the cat hacked up. But someone please save me a spot in the good 'ol Land of Make Believe because something tells me, I'm going to need a trip there again very soon.

Wordless Wednesday

Through the Kitchen Window

The Plot Thickens

So....on Sunday, Jamie and his dad started cutting holes in our walls. Awesome!

What they found when they peeled back the layers was not so pretty.

All that black stuff on the 2x4 is mold. Yup, lots of mold. And the wall is moist...like it is sweating. Now there is even more construction debris in our basement and we have even less direction as where we go from here.

One foot in front of the other. One foot at a time.

More Chaos than You Can Shake A Stick At

Chaos continues to abound at our house......as the home improvement project rolls on.

But now...all the carpet and pad is gone from the basement.

Up next...replacing the drywall and sealing the concrete so we won't have moisture issues in there again. We didn't want to replace all the floors and risk the water ruining them straight out of the gate.

Why I Hate HGTV

All these years I've watched HGTV with the vague notion that one day, somehow, some way...I will put all of that stored knowledge to use. Well you know what? It's all lies. When you go to do a home renovation project, it isn't finished in 30 minutes...or even an hour. Who knew? When you are unloading a room to remove carpet so new flooring can be laid, you will not find a pristine wall like on TV. Nope, not even close...you find MOLD. Lots of ooey, gooey mold. White mold that looks like little albino palm trees sprouting from the carpet and the wall.

And where is my crew of dozens? No, they're not here either. Just me and my husband, hauling countless loads of furniture, toys and books up the stairs. Now my kitchen is filled with tubs of toys and my closet is full of photo albums.

So they say it's going to be worth it. Nay - they say it will be more than worth it when my new pristine floors are laid and we get to the big "reveal." But in the meantime, I'm going to have to endure about 23 episodes of chaos. Perhaps my home renovation isn't just one episode....but rather a whole season!

How to Keep a Toddler Busy While You Unload Groceries

Allie likes to "help" me unload the groceries. And by help I mean dropping unopened bags of chips and squishing the living daylights out of a new loaf of bread. So today...I found a way to keep her busy and our food unscathed.

Loose Lips Sink Ships (And Ruin Snacktime)

Picking the girls up from school is like allowing a horse race to take place inside my minivan. They leap into their seats and are off - talking and jockeying for position as they try to be the first one to tell me about the important parts of their day. Add in a screaming toddler who is trying to tell her big sisters about *her* day and you have chaos.

Here's a snippet of conversation from a drive home this week.

Ainsley: "Dad put a KitKat in our lunch today! It was so good!"

(Conversation rolls on from lunch to the playground and then to the impending snacktime at home.)

Ainsley: "Mom, can we have ice cream for snack today."

Me: "Nope, you had a treat after lunch. Ice cream will have to wait for another day."

Anastasia: "Next time don't tell her about the KitKat, Ainsley. Then we can have both."

Wordless Wednesday

Terrific Tuesday

I took Allie to the zoo this morning. It was a gorgeous day, one with a cool breeze and a small hint of fall in the air. Just enough to remind you that we will survive this dreadfully hot, dry summer after all.

She had a great time being in charge of our excursion. We went where she said she wanted to go and nowhere else. Elephants, giraffes and monkeys were her top picks. We did them all. This is her at the giraffe area....not looking at me....on purpose because she knew I was trying to take her picture.

We had such a good time meandering around at a snail's (or turtle as the case may be) pace.

She loved the petting zoo!

And she got the sandbox all to herself. I let her play there for 45 minutes. She was happy as a clam to be digging and digging and digging.

After we were done with the sandbox she politely asked to see the elephants and giraffes one more time so we walked back over that way. Here is a terrible picture of the two of us. I swear, I'm convinced the majority of Americans have NO idea how to frame up a decent photograph!!

But bad photography aside, it was a fun outing for just the two of us. I know she misses her sisters so I'm trying to make sure we get to do fun stuff to soften that blow a bit.

Inheritance of Hope

It's official! I am once again a member of Team IOH.
You may remember that in January, I ran a marathon and a half to support this organization. Many of you donated money to help me meet my fundraising goal and even if you weren't able to donate, you supported me in other ways with your prayers and encouragement.

While conquering the Goofy Race and a Half Challenge was an amazing experience, it was not one I plan to repeat and have settled for running the Marathon in 2012. I am very much looking forward to once again being a part of IOH and helping them with their mission. Sitting at dinner with the families that my fundraising directly impacted was a life-changing moment for me. I cannot wait to be a part of it once again. And if you're looking for something to do in early January...you could always sign up and join me!

And in case you need a birthday gift for a certain 31-year old tomorrow (hint, hint) then you could donate a few bucks to help me meet this year's fundraising goal and bring more families to the next Legacy Retreat. Click here to go check out my fundraising page.

Blessing of the Backpacks

Despite the fact that my kids (and many others in our area) have been back at school for weeks now, the largest school system in our area heads back to class today. These kids make up the bulk of our children's department at church and so as a part of yesterday's service there was a Blessing of the Backpacks. Had their mother actually read the church newsletter, my children would have known to bring their backpacks for the service, but alas...their mother did not.

Regardless...each child received the blessing during the children's sermon on Sunday and then was given a tag for their backpack as a reminder that the whole church was praying for them each day as they went to school.

The verse is from Jeremiah 29.

So whether the kids in your life are still living it up and enjoying their last few days of summer, or if they have already returned to the classroom - say a prayer for them and their peers today. Being a kid is tough business and they need to know that they have our support today and always. The Blessing of the Backpacks from our service is below:

Blessing of the Backpacks
Congregation: Holy God, we pray your blessing upon these and all students, young and old, as they begin this new school year. God of love, wisdom and understanding: You have called us to love, to wisdom and to understanding. Great Teacher, help is to love, to be wise and to understand. Lead us, and empower us to learn from each other and to teach each other that together we may be wholly yours, dedicated to your service.
Pastor: Bless now these backpacks and those who carry them: That with hearts enlightened by your Holy Spirit we all may grow in knowledge and grace, to worship and serve you from generation to generation through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Lamar Girls Rock the Luau

I am a board member for Tennessee's Secret Safe Place for Newborns. It's a great organization and one I am proud to be a part of. Last night the group held their annual fundraiser luau. Even though I had to work part of the event, I thought it would be fun for Anastasia and Ainsley to go with me.

They had a blast and declared the pool, "The best pool ever."

Anastasia took advantage of the hula lessons and then performed her newly learned dance in front of everyone! Look at her smiling...she was so loving the spotlight. I personally was impressed that she could learn a hula in 15 minutes and then be willing to perform it!

It was a great night!

Musings of The Younger Sibling

"Ains-ee and An-Staysha crack me up."

-Allie on her sisters' Friday afternoon antics

Ballet times Two

After a few months off, Ainsley is back in her ballet shoes. And this year, her sister will join her.

Thankfully their classes are on the same day which makes life a LOT easier!

The first day was a little chaotic but they seemed to enjoy it. They are both looking forward to learning more ballet and to performing on stage next May.

Watch Me Grow

I love to eat Greek yogurt, specifically Oikos Greek yogurt. It's one of the grocery store splurges I allow myself. A friend of mine let me know that the company that manufactures Oikos has a rewards program. There's a code on each container of yogurt and you enter them on their website. I've collected quite a few points over the last few months. I've cashed them in for free yogurt and a magazine subscription. But my favorite reward came in the mail this week.

It's a beautiful Eric Carle growth chart. It came complete with stickers for marking each milestone.

The cool thing is, the chart goes up well over 6 feet, so kids can measure themselves against their parents and siblings.

And it shows an animal for comparison....like at 6 feet....you're as tall as a kangaroo.

And it has other animals with info as well.

We can't wait to hang it up in Allie's room and see how everyone measures up! And in case you aren't big on Greek yogurt....you can buy a growth chart for yourself here.