It's Football Time in Tennessee

Okay, technically tonight's game is in Georgia, but Big Orange Country is more than ready for football season.

Of course Allie went to school today dressed in her Big Orange best. Go Vols!

Baby Shower Surprise

My sister's dear, sweet co-workers threw her a surprise baby shower yesterday morning and they were gracious enough to invite our family as well. I picked Allie up from school early and we crept around the church before ducking into the conference room. Trying to keep Allie from shouting was quite a task! She was keyed up and excited!

The shower was so much fun. I clearly have known for years how great my sister is, but it was fun to see how much her co-workers love and appreciate her. They got her so many wonderful gifts!

My favorite part of the shower was when Allie took her gift over to Anna. "It's socks!" she shouted. So much for surprises.....

Here are some pictures from the shower....

Aren't these awesome?!?! I wish I was this creative!

Allie and Anna

They got so many wonderful books!

Allie helped Uncle Chris test out the baby's bath toys

Getting Ready for The Mouse

I get a little silly in the head when it comes to planning a trip to Disney World. I personally blame it on all those years of repressing my Disney feelings since I never set foot in the House of Mouse until I was almost 15 years old. Trust me, a 15 year old going ga-ga over princesses and a mouse is not cute.

Caroline and Mickey circa Summer of 1995

See what I mean? Not pretty at all. For crying out loud I'm wearing a fanny pack! But I digress. This week we've been trying to get our ducks in a row for our trip in January. I follow Disney on Facebook/Twitter/etc so I saw a recent blog post that many of the new Fantasyland attractions will be open when we arrive. This news thrilled my girls and as if riding a new Ariel ride wasn't enough, they also saw the artist's rendering of how the new meet-and-greet for Ariel will look. To say they were pumped is an understatement. Of course their enthusiasm was fueled by a mother who can't get enough Disney.

I'm getting started on my marathon training (more on that in the coming weeks...) and recently Disney released the new medal. It's quite a looker. 

We're still trying to decide where we are staying, but we have made dinner reservations at a few of our favorite spots.  We're hoping to get in at the new Beauty & the Beast Restaurant but from the sound of it, that's already booked. It may take some serious Disney magic to make that happen!

Wordless Wednesday

A Matter of Perspective

Allie and I were running some errands today and I caught a glimpse of the mountains. "What a crappy view," I thought to myself. It's extremely hot and hazy today, you can barely see the Smokies at all.

Moments later Allie was singing and then looked out her window. "Look at those beautiful mountains! They so pretty."

She reminds me that children so often see through the haze of everyday life and find beauty where we adults seldom see it. Take a moment today to look around you and experience the beauty of this day. It may seem mundane and ordinary, but I assure you it is nothing less than spectacular.

Birthday Preps

Jamie and I have a perfect partnership. I'm really good at ideas....and he's really good at executing them. We make a great team that way. So when I saw this cake on Pinterest, I knew we could make it happen.

I am a bit of a planner-type (MASSIVE understatement) so I wanted a trial run of the cake before Allie's actual birthday weekend. We tried it on Sunday and it was perfect. Jamie executed the design flawlessly.

We iced it and have been enjoying our "practice cake." I will NOT be covering the cake in 3,412 M&Ms as the one on Pinterest indicates. Allie's will just have icing and sprinkles she picked out at Kroger. Total cost of our awesome cake? Around $5!!!!

Practical Jokes

Look at my beautiful, angelic oldest child. That's her holding and feeding my cousin's son over the weekend. She looks so sweet and kind. So loving and helpful.

I would like to point out that the very same child in the above photograph also played a practical joke on me this morning. I went to get dressed for work only to find not one, but TWO plastic spiders in the toes of my socks.

Looks like a certain third grader will be getting peanut butter and mayo this week.....or maybe I should opt for the hand full of shaving cream. And there's the always classic toothpaste in the ears. Someone might want to inform her she's messed with the wrong mama.

Noisy Nuisance

Anastasia: "Allie, you are too loud. PLEASE be quiet."

Allie: "I'm Allie because I'm LOUD!!!!!!"

Weekend Wonderfulness

I realize that it is only Sunday morning and, as my kids pointed out, the weekend is not over but we have had a fabulous one so far.

We traveled to Chattanooga right after school on Friday to spend a few days with family. Our first stop was my aunt and uncle's house. They graciously invited ALL of the family over for an evening swim despite the fact they were hosting Anna's baby shower the next day. Which explains why I was on my hands and knees with paper towels mopping up water spots my kids left on the floor when they traipsed inside for the bathroom.

Once the sun set on our swimming we drove up to spend the night with my grandparents. I'm so thankful my girls are able to visit them and really know them. We stayed up late talking and waiting for my uncle and grandfather to get home from a football game. Allie was of course up early and eager to get the day started. There are so many cool toys to play with at my grandparents' house and she made use of pretty much all of them, even some she probably shouldn't have.

I went for a nice run before pretty much anyone else in the town was awake. It was, as always, restorative and cleansing. After everyone had their showers we went down to Signal Point. I've been going there since I was a baby so it is fun to share that spot with my girls now.

After lunch it was time for the baby shower for Anna. It was so nice to have everyone there. Aunts, great aunts, cousins, babies, toddlers, in-laws and outlaws. It was a loud and rowdy crowd to say the least!

Allie had picked out a special gift for Baby L (can't remember if I'm allowed to shared his name...) a cute elephant toy she found at Target.

Anna got so many wonderful gifts and enough gift cards to purchase the bedding for the baby's crib. She still has several more showers including the football-themed one I'm helping throw her at the end of September. I can't wait!

It was such a great weekend. It was one of those where nothing monumental happened, but just lots of little moments that added up to something really special. I'm thankful for each and every one of them...and I do not take them for granted.

Almost Three Years Old

I'm getting ready to make the appointment for Allie's three-year checkup. Three years, that's kind of hard to process. She's seriously at such a fun age right now. I wish I could bottle this up and save it for her teen years when she's texting some boy and rolling her eyes at me.

But I will settle for cherishing the now. The now where she still says, "Mom, I NEED you!" a million times a day. When she wants to be held, she raises her arms and says, "I hold you." I love that.

She can recite her alphabet, even those tricky L-M-N-O-P letters in the middle. She can count well beyond 15 and often beyond 20 when no one is forcing her to do it.

Each day for naptime, we crawl in her bunk bed and sing songs. She still loves Away in a Manger, Feed the Birds from Mary Poppins, and Edelweiss from The Sound of Music. I tell stories about Princess Allie and her adventures. These tales usually involve sleepovers, balloons, and various characters from My Little Pony.

She loves books, especially those Seek and Find ones. She knows where all the objects are now, but she still loves to hunt for them. She's still a huge fan of Sandra Boynton, and can now read all of Blue Hat, Green Hat on her own.

She asks to go to Disney World on a weekly basis. She knows directions better than most adults and has a mind like a steel trap. We drove into a parking lot last week that we hadn't been in for more than three months. She piped up and said, "We going to ballet?" She totally recognized the lot as the place where we parked to take her sisters to ballet class.

She hates veggies and loves fruit. She's eaten blueberries all summer long. She's addicted to fruit snacks and has to have a cup of milk nearby at all times. She's a mimic which means you have to watch what you say.

I love when other people recognize what a cool kid she is. Her teacher recently wrote that she has a strong vocabulary and a creative imagination. I didn't know whether to be proud or scared! Ha! Today the note from her teacher read "She has excellent manners. Everything was yes ma'am and no ma'am. Very sweet and very respectful. You would be proud." I am proud...but I didn't need a note to tell me so. I'm already very proud of her and the little person she is becoming. I'm looking forward to celebrating her first three years on the planet and dreaming of all the ways she continue to grow and learn over the coming years.

Wordless Wednesday

32 Miles for 32 Years

Yesterday my dear friend Mary turned 32 year old. To celebrate this milestone (and yes...when you're fighting cancer EVERY birthday is a milestone) she set out to run 32 miles. She Tweeted her plans on Monday and I told her I'd like to join her for *some* of her run. People like to think runners are crazy. Especially runners who choose to run 32 miles...just for the heck of it. But I didn't see Mary's run as insane, I saw it as inspiring. A testament to everything she is as a runner and as a person.

I've talked about Mary's influence on my running career before. Without her, I would never have run a marathon. It just never would have occurred to me that *I* could actually do it. Thanks in large part to Mary I've not only done it once, but five times. Mary challenges me to look at running differently because it never occurs to her that she couldn't/shouldn't do a marathon or particular event. She's even run a 50-mile race. In. One. Day.

I called Mary after work on Tuesday and asked where I could meet her. She was criss-crossing town on the greenway system so it was easy to pick a spot to join her. When I laced up my shoes and hit the pavement, there was a another runner with Mary as well. It was the amazing Kathy Wolski, although amazing doesn't quite cut it. Kathy has won the Knoxville Marathon THREE times. To say I was intimidated is a massive understatement. I mean, just last Saturday I watched her cruise to a victory at the Butterfly Fund 5k in a time of 18:43. And there I was...sandwiched between Mary and Kathy...running like I even dared to belong among them. But that's the thing about Mary. She's so humble and encouraging. She can make a slow slug like me feel like an Olympian.

So while Mary thanked me for supporting and encouraging her as she did her 32 mile birthday run, it is me who is truly grateful for the miles I was able to share with such an amazing person on her special day. Plus it's pretty cool to see someone kick cancer's ass. The disease may have won a few battles against Mary over the last few years, but it sure as heck isn't winning this war.

August Book Update #1

We are well over half-way through August and I've only one book to show for it so far. This has been a crazy month, one that involved perhaps my biggest work project of the year and considering how much of my life it consumed, it's a miracle I was able to finish a book at all.

When I was at my parents' house recently I came across a set of Jan Caron's Mitford books. I grabbed the lot of them and took them home. So far, I've read the first one. When I started the book, I felt about 25 years too young to be reading it. But then when I really got down to the meat of it, I found the book suited me perfectly. I'm a sucker for a story set in the south and being the daughter of a pastor, this book appealed to me all the more. Father Tim's adventures with his parishioners made for such an entertaining read. But it wasn't all fluff. At many points throughout the novel, Caron delves into faith and its role in our lives. I found it to be a very satisfying read and I'm very much looking forward to reading the next book in the series.

Going Out on a Limb

You just never know where parenting will take you. Today, it took me up a 15 foot ladder in the backyard to fish two sets of penguins (seriously...don't ask) that my children had tossed up there. "For fun," I'm told. Despite the careless disregard for the safety of said penguins, these are valued pieces of plastic merchandise. The girls earned them when they their parents sold coupon books for the recent school fundraiser. And there they were in their resplendent glory, at the tippy top of a tree. 

Anastasia held the ladder (not my brightest idea in retrospect) and I climbed up with a hanger to fetch the string of penguins. Set #1 was obtained easily....if you can count teetering on a ladder while clutching a wire hanger and being eaten alive easy. Oh? Did I forget to mention the flesh-sucking insects? How silly of me. Yes, there were mosquitoes galore out there this afternoon. Set #2 proved more problematic as the ground was too uneven for the ladder. Please don't ask how I figured that out. 

Thankfully last night's rain shower knocked loose a HUGE branch that was long enough to reach the missing waterfowl. I plucked them to safety amidst the thunderous applause of my children...oh wait, that was just the mosquitoes going in for the kill.

All was well so I returned the ladder to the garage (while knocking a small hole in the wall..awesome) and went inside to tend my wounds only to have my oldest child look at me sheepishly and say, "Mom, I sort of did it again." Now they're just going to have to wait for their dad!

The 50, Nifty United States

Ainsley: "My 5th favorite state is Illinois."

Me: "What are the first four?"

Ainsley: "Hawaii is number one, then London....(seeing a Pennsylvania license plate...) Pennsylvania is next and then South Carolina."

Butterfly Fund 5k

My coworker B lost his young daughter, Emily, to cancer four years ago this summer. B's family and another local couple who lost their own daughter just a month after Emily have started a fund in their memory. The fund is doing great work. Tangible work you can see in places like East Tennessee Children's Hospital.

Yesterday the Butterfly Fund held its annual 5k. My friend Sarah was in town to help me celebrate my birthday, so she joined Anastasia, Ainsley and I at the event. We volunteered at the post-race water station. My girls took it upon themselves as a life mission. They worked so hard to make sure each runner and walker had a bottle of water in their hand about 4 seconds after they crossed the finish line.

It was a beautiful morning and I'm glad we were able to be there to support B's family. They've been through so much over the last four years and I remember all too well that helpless feeling that crept in when Emily died. This was a concrete way for us to reach out and show that Emily has not been forgotten. Her life mattered and it still matters today.

Birthday Blessings

Today is my 32nd birthday and what a wonderful day it has been. My poor iPhone may need a week in Tahiti to recover from all the calls, texts, Tweets, and Facebook messages it has delivered today. I'm very blessed to be surrounded by such amazing people. I had wanted to respond to each individual Facebook post but then I quickly realized that wouldn't be possible! It was so good to hear from so many people all as they each have played a role in my life at different points along the way.

My husband and children began the day with sweet cards and a gift. Jamie managed to track down a dress I had wanted since February. It was part of the Jason Wu collection for Target and sold out immediately all over the place. The fact that he not only remembered, but went to such great lengths to find one made for a great start to my day. I even wore it while I ate my Cheerios this morning.

I was able to walk my girls into their classrooms which was a wonderful treat. With my schedule I typically am not afforded that luxury so I enjoyed it immensely. I also got to do some shopping and even go for a nice, long run. It's been an excellent day.

I did shed a few tears when it dawned on me that my grandmother would not be calling me today. That was hard. But the love she had for me and for our entire family continues to sustain us even though she's no longer with us here on earth.

So that's the news from here...32 years under my belt and looking forward to the next 32 and all they will bring.

My Blood Runs Orange

It's been a long and slow process, but over the last few months my mother and my aunts have continued to work through my grandmother's belongings. The latest find tickled me pink...or rather...orange.

It is a booklet of ticket stubs from the University of Tennessee when my grandmother attended in 1953.

Notice the "Women's section" part. I really want to dig deeper into that and find out where the women sat in relation to the male students and how long that went on.

I wish I could ask her why she went to every game except the Vandy one. I also would like to compare her ticket stubs with the ones from my freshman year at UT.

The Sun And The Rain And The Appleseed

I never cease to be amazed by the intuition of young children. I had a really hard day today. A really hard day, one of those that rattles and unsettles you.

I picked up Allie from school and we drove home. I was lost in thought when I heard a small voice from the backseat.

"The Lord is good to me, and so I thank the Lord..."

Allie was singing the Johnny Appleseed blessing we often say before a meal. What a blessing indeed. The Lord IS good to me and my family. I felt adrift today and so God gave me a precious child to remind me to give thanks for the sun, the rain and yes, the appleseed for the Lord is good to me.

Gentlemen of the Road

Over the weekend, Jamie and I were able to get away for a while and hear one of our favorite bands. Mumford and Sons brought their Gentlemen of the Road show to Bristol, just a few hours drive from Knoxville. It was a stunning summer day.

We arrived in Bristol mid afternoon and enjoyed exploring before finding a patch of pavement to park ourselves for the show. Before Mumford played we heard three other bands. There really is nothing like live music at an outdoor venue. We were able to meet up with some friends and enjoyed their company throughout the concert. Finally, just before 9 p.m. Mumford took the stage.

We knew the concert was going to be good, we just didn't realize it was going to be GREAT. The sun dropped below the horizon and the band put on one hell of a show. We danced and sang with the rest of the audience as the stars came out overhead. They played all our favorites and also shared several from their new record due out next month. I've already pre-ordered it from iTunes.

We drove all the way back to Knoxville after the show and were able to enjoy the meteor shower as we made our way south. It was a perfect summer Saturday and a nice way to celebrate the weekend Jamie and I met 13 years ago! 

Blessing of the Backpacks

Yesterday our church continued the tradition of blessing the backpacks of our children heading back to school. My girls have been back in class for several weeks so we emptied the contents and carted their backpacks to church with us. Our pastor prayed over the backpacks and the children who carry them. He showed them a picture that was taken on the surface of Mars just last week by the rover and reminded the kids that while he'll never set foot on the red plant....one of them just might. He told them that when they do, God will say, "Finally! I'm so glad you made it. I can't wait to see what else you are able to explore." It was a beautiful moment and one I hope the kids grasped. With God, they will be able to do so much.

Each child was sent home with a backpack tag that has a bible verse written on it. It's such a neat way to send God with our students each day. Just another reason I am grateful for my church family.

Hello Mother, Hello Father

Yesterday Jamie and I were able to travel to Bristol for an amazing concert (more on that tomorrow...or whenever I can get my head above water.) My parents graciously agreed to entertain the troops. This morning when I went to pick up the kids for church, I received two typed pages detailing their weekend. It sounds like a great time was had by all.

Wordless Wednesday

Things You Don't Expect Your Toddler to Say

"There's my sword! I've been lookin' for it!"

Let The Sun Shine In

School is back in session, heck...we've already had picture day and spelling tests! But that does not mean we're letting fun fall by the wayside. Certainly not!

We hit the pool over the weekend to soak up some sun and enjoy some family time.

The older girls have DRASTICALLY improved their swimming skills over the course of the summer. And now Allie is following in the footsteps and swimming like a little fish. She spent most of our time at the pool underwater.

Jamie also took Allie on the slide.

Look at how she holds her little nose before she hits the water.

It was a fun afternoon!

Update on Yesterday's School Drama

Poor J, the child who fell off the monkey bars yesterday, is in pretty bad shape. He goes to church with our neighbors so she texted me an update late last night. He broke his elbow (I will spare you the graphic details...) and had surgery last night with another surgery on the way later in the week.

Please pray for this child and for his parents. He's going to have a long recovery ahead of him.

Bury The Lead

As I've noted before, I love picking my kids up from school and hearing the spewing forth of details from their day. Often I realize that they don't get to "good stuff" until we've been home and their busy brains have had a moment to relax. Today's post-school recap started out normal enough.

There was talk of homework and special areas (gym, library, etc. for the uneducated). Lunch was discussed as was the dreaded spelling test coming up on Friday. Then the conversation turned. "I couldn't find my class when I went outside for recess after I took my Accelerated Reader test. Then I saw the ambulance and spotted my group."

"Wait, WHAT? Why was there an ambulance at school?"

Ainsley chimed in and said, "A kid fell off the monkey bars and got hurt."

"REALLY? Why was that not the first thing you told me? Do we know this kid? Is he okay?"

"Oh yeah, Mom. He's in my class."

"Wait, he's in YOUR CLASS?" "Yes, mom...his name is J. I think he broke his arm and his chin and his face."

Anastasia chimed in and said, "Some people said he broke his you know what." I looked at her and said, "What do you mean?" Because my mind was reeling that some poor child was injured at school, and I was not really processing what Anastasia said. I glanced at her in the rearview mirror and she said (in that exasperated kid voice) "His private parts, Mom. But I don't believe them. I don't really think he broke that."

At this point I was about to turn blue in the face from trying to keep my laughter inside. So yes, please hold a thought for poor J and his parents. I asked Ainsley if we should make cards and she assured me that the class made them ASAP after the incident.

Oh...and maybe say a prayer for Ainsley's teacher as well. I can't imagine that having a child carted away in an ambulance just weeks after you assume leadership of a classroom for the first time is the way she intended her year to begin!

Olympic Reflections

Olympic fever has swept the Lamar house and even though my girls haven't been able to watch any primetime events (thanks for nothing NBC) they are still enjoying the Olympic spirit. They watched the opening ceremonies with rapt attention and we used the parade of nations (well...at least until the countries that start with G) to teach them about our world. Track and field is yet to come so I know we will watch those events with interest as well.

All this talk of competition is reminding me of the summer of 1996 when the Olympics came to my backyard. My family and I traveled to Atlanta to be a part of the excitement. We rode into town on a bus and used the subway to travel downtown for our event. We saw baseball...which is not very exciting as far as Olympic competition goes (heck...it's not even in the Olympics anymore!) but it was an amazing sight. I found my ticket this week and showed the girls.


They were impressed to know that I had actually been to an Olympic Games. I told them how I saw the Olympic flame and I gathered with tens of thousands of people from around the world. Maybe one day I can share that experience with them. Who's in for Rio in 2016?

Election Day

Today is election day here in Tennessee. Jamie and I voted early because we knew our days would be nuts and heading to the poll was very important to us.

In our city we are voting on a sales tax increase to fund a new high school. And while I hope that voters in my community approve the increase for the school that my children will one day attend, the truth is...I just want them to vote.

Too many people ignore the voting process and take it for granted. I have acquaintances that have never cast their ballot in a presidential election. Your vote matters. Every vote matters. So while it may be too late for you to vote today, please take the steps necessary to register and cast your ballot in November.

Spelling Bee

"Allie, I said no. N-O"

"S-Y-C! That spells yes!!!"

Wordless Wednesday