Sweet Summertime

I've made a list of all the activites I want to fit in this spring/summer and I posted it on the side of the blog page. I thought I would share some of my resources for our summer fun. Here's a log of all the places I've visited on the web to come up with ideas for special days during the summer. I'll probably continue to add to the list. I'm open for more suggestions and ideas too!

Around town, Athens Parent Magazine is a great resource and includes a calender. If you don't live near Athens, try to find a similar resource in your area. I must say though that Athens does offer a lot for families and we're close to Atlanta too. Athefest is on our list for the end of June, they have a Kidsfest within the music festival.

Babycenter has tips for everyday fun to keep the kids busy and happy.

Mayfield Dairy tour, it's about an hour away from Colbert in Brasselton, GA and also in Athens, TN

Pick Your own Strawberries(beginning in April) and Blueberries at Washington Farms, there are pick your own farms nearby wherever you live. There are a ton of pick your own peaches between Watkinsville and Madison, and Madison, GA is a neat place to spend an afternoon.

Day out with Thomas, Mae loves Thomas the train so we're going to the Tennessee Railway Museum in May while we're visiting family. The Thomas Train tours to many different railway stations all over the country. It's a bit pricey, but all of the other activies are basically free.

INK museum in Gainsville, GA - I've been wanting to take Mae here for a while and now I think she's old enough to enjoy it! It's an Interactive Neighborhood for Kids.

We enjoyed Legion Pool last summer, and if you're affiliated with UGA you can go too! It's a nice pool with a lot of young families.

Memorial Day weekend in Ringgold, GA = 1890's day. It's hot, crowded, lots of food, family games, arts and crafts, gospel music, baton twirlers and cloggers but it's home, and it's tradition

Fourth of July in Colbert = Parade and arts and crafts festival, a smaller version and more crowded version of 1890's day. Our church always does the BBQ and we practically have a front row seat to the parade from our house.

Athens Farmer's Market is a fun, yummy and somewhat educational place to take the family every Saturday morning from May until November. Take home local, seasonal foods or a handmade baby bonnet or pretty pricey bar of soap. Oh, don't forget the free samples! Grab a coffee on your way in because it will still be a little chilly. I can't wait to stock up on Farmer Bishop's blend of coffee only made for the farmer's market mornings. Choose a treat from the bake stand (local bakers only) and trade a couple of bucks for a fresh loaf of bread. They have different vendors and selections every week, and sometimes music and/or demonstrations of sorts. You can even take home a bouquet of wildflowers or sunflowers for a few dollars. It's a fun way to shop for your fruits and veggies! I'm sure every town has a farmer's market of some sort.

Entertaining Angels

Another message was given to me in the shower this morning: I need to be more hospitable. God has blessed us with a warm, cozy (albeit not very large, but rather small) home, but we should open it up more to others. I was thinking about all the relationships Jon has developed while in Pharmacy school and I've barely even met some of them. Same goes for his coworkers who have come to know, trust and rely on Jon. Most of these people are not Christians. In fact, one of them is Hindu and the another is Atheist/Buddhist. Jon truly has quite a mission field outside these four walls. Of course, having dinner at the house or having a movie night with another couple wouldn't turn into some sort of evangelical meeting, but it would let them know that we're here and we care. They know that Jon's a Christian, a Believer, a church-goer and gives praise to God for all things. It seems that our time here in Athens is really coming down to the wire, and in just a year we'll be packing up our home again. I have a list of three couples that I want to invite over before school is out for the summer and I'll try to post later how everything is progressing.

I am already planning to host a dinner party/casserole swap for our Mom's group, and I have invited Moms that are in our community that don't go to our church. Not because I want to tell them the truth or scream at them about God's love, but because I like them and want to get to know them. I want them to get to know me too, and through knowing me they will hopefully see the love of Christ shining through. That's my hope and prayer. Here's the website resource I found if you want to have a casserole swap yourself: Girls' Night In

While we're on the subject of meal time, I took a video of my kids eating dinner. Nate's doing better, moving a little slower than Mae was at his age, with eating table food. It took him a couple of days to get used to the new textures, but now he's loving the "taste of taste." I hoping I've bought my last jar of baby food!!! It's so much easier to fix one thing for supper and not have to mix his cereal or feed him a couple of jars before I get to eat my food. Some people are so impressed with the way Mae eats, and my mom loves to watch the kids eat because they enjoy every morsel of it and attack food like they haven't eaten in days. I promise I feed my children, in fact it feels like that's all I do all day long!!

Nate at 9 mos: first feel of "real" food mashed between his fingers - green peas and banana. He more or less just slapped his hand down on his tray to collect the food by mashing it into his hand, then shoved his whole hand in his mouth. It's been a few days and he's starting to pick one pea up at at time now.

Mae at 9 mos, eating some sort of blueberry dessert (I think). Mae was already cruising, climbing and walking while holding our hands at 9 mos. She never finished a whole jar of baby food and started eating finger foods at 7 months, and eating family meals like casseroles, pot roast, and spaghetti by 8 or 9 mos, gave up a bottle completely at 11 months on her own accord. Nate's ahead of her on the babbling and social skills though :) Plus, he's learned to pull himself around pretty well and now that he's learned to do that he doesn't have the time to learn to crawl with his belly off the ground. He's already exploring different rooms and has been introduced to the words "No, No Nate!". Mae never got into much, she didn't even leave the living room for a while unless I moved her myself.

My best friend, Shelley, is a third grade teacher so I use her often as a educational resource. While we were visiting for Christmas I talked with her about the best way to teach Mae the alphabet and how to get her heading in the right direction to learn to read. She told me about starfall.com and we've been logging on ever since. It's usually what Mae and I do together while Nate's taking his short late afternoon (4:00) nap because it's a quiet "together" activity that's in the room furthest away from the nursery where Nate's napping. We haven't been on the website for a couple of weeks so Mae was a little rusty reciting the alphabet song, but we always listen to it after we completed a few letters. She picks out the letters randomly and she's very curious about the "lonely letters" like V,W,X,Y,Z. She probably would've sounded better on the video if she would've taken her fingers OUT of her mouth. It's a new habit I'm trying to ignore so maybe it'll go away faster. It's better than her fingers up her nose like last week's habit. Anyway, she's learned the alphabet at preschool, along with counting to 20, all of her colors and shapes (even heart, diamond, rectangle, oval and star). I don't think they focus on phonics. Shelley told me to introduce Mae to phonetic alphabet at the same time she learns the letters, and associate the letter and sound with a word and/or picture of a word or object that begins with that letter. Mae is very aware of letters and sounds. We'll be walking into Walmart and she'll say, "Mommy, it's a 'W'!" while pointing up to the big, blue Wal-mart sign on the front of the building. She loves books and "reads" to Nate often. I'll have to get that on video next time she sits down with him to read. When we go to get him out of his crib after his nap she always climbs up in his rocking chair and asks to hold him. That's usually when she wants to read to him. We still haven't decided if we're going to homeschool or send Mae and Nate to a private school or Montessori school. We're keeping our options open and realize that no matter how they receive their "formal education" that home will always be a place to learn.

(Be sure to turn of the playlist at the bottom of the page before viewing the video)

blessings on every corner

We are now the proud (and humble) owners of a 2005 Honda Odyssey EX minivan!!!! It has at least three times more storage/space and everyone is more comfortable, and most importantly safer. I think Nate was enjoying his comfy car seat view the most, and Mae loves that she can walk around inside and get in and out by herself. I love that I no longer have my knees into the dashboard because of Nate's rear-facing car seat and that my head doesn't nearly touch the windshield, causing much carsickness. Jon enjoys not having his seat kicked while driving - Mae has incredibly long legs and she was running out of room in the backseat! I'm also grateful that I don't have to shuffle strollers and groceries on a weekly or daily basis. We no longer will have to take two cars on long road trips and the kids are much safer in a backseat with side airbags and more room.
We started rearranging our budget after receiving a pretty big refund on our taxes AND a lower mortgage payment with a refund check from overpaying on our property tax last year. It was amazing how many things we were able to cut out and cut back on after we re-evaluated our finances. We are now able to juggle a car payment in our monthly bills. The minivan is a blessing, but the most amazing part of purchasing a car was how it came about in the past month. We were faced with a few different options and turned down at a couple of different turns, but it showed us that God surely is in control and he truly wants to bless us in His timing. When I would report back from mission trips I always commented that one of my favorite and most blessed aspects was raising the support before the trip. I realized how giving, willing and encouraging people were in our church and community. I realized that blessing again in the process of finding the financing option for our new van.
Of course we were hesitant and apprehensive about taking on a monthly payment, but we prayed, prayed, prayed and sought out God's will and timing for such a big purchase. While reading during my devotional this week I came across a familiar passage that spoke to me in a different way. The devotional book is about praying names of Jesus and the focus for that week was, "I AM the bread of life." So, the story camp up about multiplying the loaves and fishes from the sixth chapter of John: "Jesus then took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed to those who were seated as much as they wanted. He did the same with the fish." We know that God is the one who supplies all our need, but I never thought how God takes care of those things that we want as well. In certain ways I have thought about how God knows the desires of my heart, but I never thought about how God truly does care about my wants no matter how "earthly" or trivial may seem to Him. I know for a fact that my treasure doesn't lie here on this earth as Matthew urges in chapter 6, vs. 19:

Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy,and where thieves break in and steal. 20But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."

We don't have to settle for earthly treasures, because earthly possessions are like bread that will spoil. Jesus said in John 6:35, "I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty."I am thankful that we have a heavenly Father who cares for our wants and our needs and knows just when and how to meet them. I praise my God who is able to care for all of my needs, both physical and spiritual. I offer thanks for all the ways that God has fed us. And I confess any tendency to settle for less than Jesus has to offer.

thankful that I'm incapable

It seems that God speaks to me the clearest when I'm taking a shower. I guess it's just part of the cleansing process that clears my mind of all the daily interruptions that get in the way of that still small voice. While I was in the shower yesterday morning a song came to my mind that I hadn't heard in a while. It's the song that's playing now on the playlist, Caedmon Call's "Thankful." I caught myself singing this song out of nowhere and decided to listen to the words more carefully. "I am thankful that I'm incapable of doing any good on my own." Wow. I needed to be reminded of that, big time. In fact, now that I listen to the song I realize that I was remembering they lyrics wrong earlier. In the shower I was singing, "I am thankful that I'm incapable of doing everything on my own." I think I needed to hear my revised version of the song. I believe this may very well be the first time I've admitted it, but here goes...I'm a control freak. I like everything to have order, everything to have its place, everything to be just right and just right to my standards. The pillows must be a certain way on the bed. I've actually gone behind Jon's bed making in the morning to amend the discrepancy. I like the place mats to be taken off the table after each meal and put away in the cabinet. I have a special place in the cabinet for the toaster and waffle maker where they must be put away after they've cooled. Toys have certain baskets, some labeled, and Mae has already perfected the art of knowing the appropriate place for specific toys. Now, I don't think it's wrong to have order and consistency. I also think it's important to keep a tidy house, especially when it's such tight living quarters and the smallest amount of clutter makes the space seem even tighter. It's just that when things are in their place, I feel like I can relax and feel like I've done my job. Jon calls me organized, clean, and a good decorator. I think he's being too kind. It makes me crazy that it takes only one of three meals or two snacks a day to make the kitchen a mess, and only a few minutes for Mae and Nate to cause a room to be whirled into chaos. It takes one day of not doing the laundry for the washer and dryer to disappear under the mounds of dirty clothes or a stain to set in for a lifetime. Not even a few hours after clearing off the counter tops or desk will there be another pile of papers and miscellaneous stuff. It's gotten to the point...especially this week with Jon putting up wainscoting in our hall bath, repainting the bathroom walls and repairing the moulding between working 48+ hours - on his spring break no less...that I have felt completely out of control and it's made me crazy. There have been other issues (deeper issues than pillows being fluffed and counters being clear) to arise lately that have made me realize that I am not the one who is capable of keeping things under control. When I can relinquish my need for order in every detail, give up my control freak badge and give my quiet moments to prayer things will go smoother and everyone will be at peace. Peace. I've been listening to Joyce Meyer's take on peace in the past few weeks and that has also made me realize that in order to get peace I need to give up my worries, my control issues and cast all my cares upon God to create peace in my life. Here's an excerpt from Joyce Meyers Everyday Answers:

God really does want to take care of us, but in order to let Him, we’ve got to stop trying to take care of ourselves and worrying about every little thing we can’t control. Many people would like for God to take care of them, but they insist on worrying or trying to figure out an answer on their own, instead of waiting for God’s direction. They wallow around in puddles of their own worry, wondering why God doesn’t give them peace. God will give us peace, but we must first give Him our worries.

The rest of the devotional can be read at: http://www.joycemeyer.org/OurMinistries/EverydayAnswers/Articles/art36.htm?&MSHiC=65001&L=10&W=PEACEABLE%20peace%20&Pre=%3CFONT%20STYLE%3D%22color%3A%20%23000000%3B%20background-color%3A%20%23FFFF00%22%3E&Post=%3C/FONT%3E

Today I will trade in my worries for God's peace and remember that "everything's going to be all right."

Mommy and Mae Day

On Friday Mae and I were able to share a special day together. Jon and I had a lot on our agenda for Friday so it worked best for us to split up - Jon took Nate to Lowe's to get supplies to finish up the hall bathroom and I took Mae to a consignment sale at her preschool. We all met up for lunch at the local pizza place then headed home for naps. I woke Mae up early from her nap and told her she was going "bye, bye" with Mommy. She perked right up and threw her paci and blanket down in her bed - she was ready to go! We went downtown (to Athens) to get our haircut at a salon located in the heart of downtown in one of the second floor lofts on college avenue. Mae's kindermusik teacher also cuts hair there and she always does a great job (with Mae's hair and mine). I'm glad I scheduled our appointments together because my haircut ended up being quite drastic and I'm not sure how Mae would've handled it had she not seen the step-by-step process. After the initial "gotta get used to the situation" and going through the "traumatic" experience of putting the drape on for her own haircut (if you know Mae, you know what I'm talking about here - she's leery of anything out of the ordinary), Mae had a great time. She started dancing to the music that was playing, talking to me while Holly was cutting my hair, and welcoming strangers' compliments on her new 'do. After most of hair that was on my head when I walked in the salon was now on the floor, Holly asked Mae what she thought and Mae just stared. Holly took initiative to tell Mae, "Tell mommy, 'You're so pretty, Mommy.' " Three days later Mae is still telling me, "So pretty, Mommy." as she touches my chin length hair.
After the haircut we walked up to the end of the block and got a cookie at the special downtown cookie place (I can't remember the name) but it was yummy! We got a table just for two by the window and Mae just giggled and grinned the whole time. This was our first outing, just the two of us, in a really long time. In fact, this might have just been our first true "Mommy and Mae Day" outing. She's still talking about that day and I don't think either one of us wants to forget it.

Birthday "Blizzard"

On March 1st it began snowing right after lunch. We were sure it would never stick to the ground since it had been raining all day and there were puddles of water everywhere in our yard. Sure enough, six inches of snow stuck around for a couple of days causing power lines to fall and power outages to last for days. Luckily we only lost power twice - 12 hours on Sunday, and 12 hours on Monday evening- unlike others in the county who were out for two or three days straight. This situation was not the ideal way to spend my 27th birthday, but it was defiantly memorable. Everything was cozy, fun and enjoyable until the power went back out on Monday after lunch again. Before then I was thinking it was a wonderful way to spend my birthday - all snowed in and cozy with my family. Jon was home from school because of canceled classes. Mae and Nate were enjoying a new experience with snow and a crackling fire was ablaze in the family room's fireplace. Ahhh...and to top it all off there was a pancake breakfast I didn't have to cook or clean up after. If only the power had stayed on and we didn't have to give the kids "cowboy baths" after a roasted hot dog supper and then bunk down in the family room together for another sleepless night (sleepless for Jon and I because we had to watch the fire and make sure the kids were warm, sleepless for the kids because they just wanted to be in their own beds). I have to say, it was beautiful to see all the snow and it was another one of those "life experiences" that tested our life skills (like the time we ended up in Seattle the day before our family reunion cruise and we had not given one thought as to how were were going to get around town and unless we wanted to just take the shuttle to the hotel and stay in that room all afternoon -we didn't take into account the time difference either in that we would have practically a full day in Seattle- we had to figure something out and quick. Since Mae was only 9 months old it was all the more interesting. But that's another story. Let's just say I've learned to be more prepared and look at a situation from every different possible outcome - like what if the power doesn't come back on at 6:00pm like the Georgia Power automated answering system says it will, we better keep that fire going strong and use up the last bit of daylight to our full advantage!). I've decided that I enjoyed power outages and snow days much more as a kid! Anyway, I think Mae enjoyed the snow thoroughly - in fact she was attempting to rebuild her snowman today in the sandbox while we were playing out in the 80 degree sunny weather. You never know what to expect during March in Georgia!

Culture Shock?

Athens is the most diverse city I have ever lived in, ever. Someone who lives in New York, Los Angeles, or even Atlanta would probably give a chuckle at that statement. Although I've traveled a bit, I've only lived in three other cities in Georgia during my life thus far. Athens is a melting pot of people drawn to the University. There's a huge turnover rate within the population since people are always moving in and out with their job and student status. Jon, me and the kids are a little more sheltered since we live in a quaint suburb just outside of Athens. We go into "town" for just about everything: job, school, shopping, etc.. Even as a college town, there are a ton of opportunities in Athens for families. You'll find museums, a small zoo, several parks, playgroups, unique playgrounds, local restaurants, farmer's markets and not to mention the University of Georgia and downtown area. I feel that taking Mae into Athens is a cultural experience. While at the playground we'll see a group of Hispanic moms chatting in their native tongue, a fully garbed Arabic mother pushing her toddler on the swing set, and another group of moms with t-shirts rallying for more women's rights. I love to see Mae's reaction when she hears someone speaking in another language. Even Nate has noticed when someone isn't speaking in English around him.

While downtown we'll be stopped on the street by someone asking if we would like to support gay rights. And while shopping, we have spotted these gay rights being taken advantage of by one couple. Mae isn't old enough to ask questions or do anything but stare and realize that this is not something she sees everyday. I want to protect her little eyes from certain things, but I realize this is a part of the world in which she is growing up. As she gets older I can use these situations as teachable moments, but I've already started thinking of how I'm going to articulate the truth to her in a loving way.

It's healthy for people to venture away from their comfort zones and try on new places and people. I do not mean that I immerse myself in the world, or try to become something I'm not. Simply stated, I try to venture away from time to time to do something or be a part of something where I don't exactly "fit in" but still be true to my faith, values and personal views. It's a challenge that might be accomplished with a simple trip to Athens Walmart or Broad Street. While searching for a parking space downtown you'll spot business men on a lunch break, tourists or prospective students filled with excitement, foreign students looking for a nearby sushi bar, homeless men walking their dogs, preschoolers playing on the church playground, mothers pushing strollers on the sidewalk, musicians playing for pennies and the list goes on. Athens is not only good for a football game in the fall, it's a place you'll find every walk of life and faith in a very short amount of time and space.

Confessions of a Twenty-Something Mom

This morning I caught myself humming the tune of "Wheels on the Bus" in the shower. Sometimes I listen to "Toddler Bible Songs" when I'm driving in the car by myself, and by the time I realize it's playing I'm already at my destination. I order apple dippers for Mae at McDonald's and fries for myself. I have learned to love the crust of a grilled cheese sandwich. I hate cooked spinach, lima beans and wheat crust veggie pizza but have learned to enjoy these things for the sake of my child's (and my own) health. While channel surfing I get excited when I find that the Jetsons or Flinstones are on the Boomerang channel because at least one viewing of Dora the Explorer has been avoided. My favorite activities are play dough, blowing bubbles and coloring with Mae. Playing with baby toys can be rather boring, but exciting when it makes Nate laugh. I am thrilled that Nate is still not crawling at eight months. I would drink coffee and diet coke all day long if I wasn't nursing a baby. Most days I would rather change Mae's diapers than spend all that time and energy asking her if she needs potty every thirty minutes. I get excited at the prospect of driving a minivan one day. I often speak of myself in the third person, such as: "Mommy has to wash her hands now that she's changed your poppy diaper." I ask Mae to brush my hair or rub my back sometimes just to get a little bit of pampering during the day. I get kisses out of Mae by telling her that I have a "boo boo" on my cheek. I tell my children that I love them nearly once every hour. I eat forbidden snacks during nap time - like that sticky roll leftover from breakfast or a few M&M's leftover from the bag where Mae only got one for going potty (This is the worst one yet in my mind, but I'm trying to be completely honest!). I let Mae get away with otherwise "illegal" behavior while I'm on the phone - having her paci, having an extra sippy cup of apple juice, eating a cracker while playing in the family room, watching that video ONE more time, etc... Sometimes it still startles me to think that I am a mom of two...when did this happen??!!