Jul 20, 2021 | Sesame, Sports & leisure |
The years of the library reading program being our Big Summer Event are over. Gone are the days where popsicles, splash pads and picnics were all the excitement AB needed. “Mom, I love you, but is this summer going to be just me and you ALL day EVERY day? Nobody else?” She is such a motherhood morale booster.
She did a few camps and first up was VBS. AB doesn’t like situations with loud music and screaming children so she hated the first and last 20 minutes of each day while the other children danced and sang. She’d stand on the edge covering her ears or yell to the other children and ask if they also thought it was too loud. Other than that she had a great time. The theme was confidence which was very necessary for her life right now.
I was the snack lady along with another Sara. We know so many Sarah’s that each has a nickname and this particular one is Snack Sara. That is significantly more flattering than the previous nickname we’d given her- Germy Sara. She is sweet but a self-proclaimed germaphobe to the utmost degree. If I had a dollar for every germ comment she made during the week, I’d be able to buy out Johnson & Johnson’s entire supply of disinfectants. For some reason, she decided to become a school nurse which is about the most germ-ridden job you can have. She will put gloves on before helping a child at school tie their shoes because she doesn’t know where the child has worn the shoes and what might be on them. Needless to say, when it came to the division of tasks at the snack cart, she was in charge of the hand sanitizer, and I was in charge of handing out the food. I had to make 90 fish out of goldfish, Mike & Ike’s and sandwich bags. The director wasn’t able to locate a picture of how the finished project should look so it took a bit of trial and error to make them look somewhat like fish. It wasn’t until 53 fish in that I nailed it down. Christopher helped put the eyes and fins on. Most were crooked which made the fish look drunk and/or high which wasn’t a topic we wanted to bring up at this year’s VBS. 
The next week was Poolside Pals, the little neighborhood camp across the street. Last summer we noticed a lot of activity at Miss Cindy’s house every morning but assumed she had several grandchildren who came to visit. Upon questioning of the neighborhood rumor mill, we found out she was running a daily camp with upwards of 20 children from our and surrounding neighborhoods. She hired local teens to help her sunscreen, make crafts, supervise and hand out snacks to the children. AB rode her bike over by herself the first few days and she felt like a million bucks. Our road is never busy, but Miss Cindy lives on the corner and every morning of camp there’s a small traffic jam at the stop sign outside her house. Into the mix rode a little girl who has very little awareness of what’s happening around her and doesn’t understand the rules of the road. Every morning she’d cause a pile-up. After the first few days, she decided it was easier to walk. She meet the neighborhood self-proclaimed “Asian cowboy” who was one of the helpers. We’ve seen him driving his golf cart ever since we moved in. He always has his white shirt tucked into his jeans. He wears cowboy boots and a white cowboy hat which he tips at all the ladies. He’s a real charmer. When Kezi was over, both girls went to Poolside Pals and one day Justin drove them home in his golf cart. Annabelle was a smitten kitten. She still lights up when we talk about him. 
Finally, this past week she went to drama camp. They did a Winnie the Pooh musical and she was a green bird. We found out about it and signed up too late for her to have a main role, but she was in the animal choir. She was very excited and told me several times that she “loved being on the stage.” A bold statement from someone who had only ever been on stage for a ballet recital. The play was adorable and everything I hoped it would be. She’s already talking about next year when she “gets a real role. I don’t have to be like, the main character, but I want to have a speaking role. And I don’t want to wear an itchy mask.”
Start making her star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame now.
Jul 16, 2021 | It's all relative, Sports & leisure |
“I was the first child to ride on the jet ski we had rented. It was so fun. I was very nervous to jump off the back of the boat. The water was green and I got it up my nose, I think. Dad took my hand and we swam out to Opa on the jetski. Opa is my grandpa. I like to go fast on the jet ski, but not make it tip over fast. I was very surprised when Opa and my Dad fell blup-dee-dup-dee over. Did you write the blup-dee-dup-dee part yet?”
“The first time we rode the boat it was flat on the water. The second time it was nose up in the air! Once I got used to nose up, I liked nose up better.”
“I don’t know about this picture. I don’t remember taking it.”
“I love Sadie. I also loved that big chair. It said Shepherd of the Hills on it which I know because I can read. We met a boy who was in the Shepherd of the Hills play. We met him when we were looking at some wild raspberries. I asked him if they were edible and he said yes. He was pretty nice.
“Well, you’re in this picture so you can tell us about it.”
“I was very surprised because there were TWO pearls inside my oyster instead of one. They’re pink. It’s unique, not common, to have two pink pearls. To have two different pearls in one oyster is unique.
“We went to the tiger exorbitory (National Tiger Sanctuary). I had so much fun. I got a shoulderkin stuffed animal tiger that sits on my shoulder. The tigers were so big and I heard them roar. Literally roar, Mom. I like the lions most of all. I mean also. I liked them also.”
“I was the last one to get face painted. I got face painted as a dragon. It was on the boys menu but I could still do it. I chose a bright blue dragon.”
“Me, Sadie and emory all jumped off of the deck. It was so much fun. I enjoyed it a lot. I also invented a way for people to get into their boats (kayaks) and back out again for free! No charging!”
“I was tired and homesick and I wanted to go back to the resort.” (I was hoping she’d say, “I will always treasure this memory of snuggling with my mother. She has been snuggling me on family trips for years. She is my best friend and I love her so much.”)
Jun 1, 2021 | Sports & leisure |
Last week Christopher and I had our 1oth anniversary trip to Savannah. A Savannaversary, if you will.
It was just the two of us but we were bringing beach accouterments and items for when AB arrived so the car was packed to the gills. Gone are the days of throwing things in a bag for a last-minute trip. I had multiple packing lists and a detailed calendar to leave with Mom who was watching Annabelle. I made sure Kelly was on-call for school pickup if necessary. I had to water the plants. I had to pick up my bedroom. Christopher says I didn’t “have” to do any of those, but I couldn’t stop myself. I want to return home to a clean house.
We didn’t get to visit Montanna for our anniversary like I had dreamed, but Savannah was beautiful and I’m so glad we went. I loved the old buildings covered in ivy, the little parks full of magnolias, gardenias and statues. We went on a trolley ride around the city and discovered a very fancy chocolate shop. They were decadent and ornate and worth the $19 we paid for 6 chocolates. We walked everywhere. We saw historical homes, went to the gourmet popcorn store, and ate at a ramen restaurant. The weather was perfect. Not too hot, not too cold. We slept late and got brunch almost every morning. We have so much going on right now (don’t we all) and it was so nice to have a few days to relax and not worry as much.
We walked on the beach and saw washed-up jellyfish. At first, I thought it was a Wubble bubble ball like the one AB got for Easter. I never claimed to be a marine biologist.
Mom and Annabelle drove in on Friday night. Within three hours she had two crying spells and a meltdown. It was right back to parent life with a bang. We spent Saturday at the beach. I love the beach. I love collecting shells and seeing the water change color. I do have one major complaint- I cannot stand saltwater on or anywhere near my mouth. It has always made me gag. Obviously, this presents a problem since the entire ocean is made of saltwater that splashes and crashes anyway it pleases. I went deep into the waves anyway because AB is a fish in all types of water and I didn’t want her to float away. Last year she started to wash away down a creek and we barely got her in time so now I’m very cautious with her in huge bodies of moving water. I got my face wet for her which is an act of true love.
Our last activity before going home was a dolphin tour. I’d never been on one but Captain Derek’s promised dolphin sightings and they delivered. It made my 1999 Lisa Frank’s multicolored dolphin-loving heart very happy.
On the way home, Mom and I were in my car and Christopher and AB were in his car. We were leaving a rest stop when Mom backed into a car driving behind us. We got out and talked to the driver who was very kind and said there wasn’t any damage, but he had to talk to his brother who owned the car. Said brother came out, walked around the car once and said it was fine. Then he looked at Mom and said, “Buy me a beer and we’ll be good.” I have NEVER seen my mother buy alcohol but she agreed faster than Usain Bolt runs in the Olympics. She bought that random dude a six-pack so we could avoid dealing with insurance. Two nights in Savannah made her a wild woman.
I’m so glad we went on this trip. It’s never too early to start planning so I’m already thinking about our 15th and 20th anniversary trips. Maybe we’ll be able to leave the state!
Mar 18, 2021 | Sports & leisure |
One of my motherhood dreams has come true: I am officially a baseball mom. I could not be more thrilled. 
Annabelle is playing on the Y team and since I’ve become a broken record about our local Y’s performance I won’t go over it again, but suffice to say the team is not stellar. The kids are fine, but the “main coach” routinely comes 40 minutes late. Over half the team doesn’t show up for practices. It’s not an ideal situation but AB has a good time. Very few players have any idea what’s going on so it’s pure chaos. There’s confusion about when/where to run, who to throw the ball to, and which is second base. There are lots of blank stares and shuffling around in the dirt. A few parents are involved and it’s taking us all to have any semblance of order. We’re constantly saying “You have to keep your eyes open” and “It’s not time to steal a base but no one would notice if you did.” “Erik, throw the ball. Erik! Throw the ball! No, this way! To Summer! Third base! That’s first! Erik! THROW THE BALL.” It’s a mess and so much fun to watch. On Saturday they needed a runner so yours truly stepped up to the plate and jogged from home plate to first several times. Had I known I was going to be the MVP of the game I wouldn’t have worn flip-flops, but live and learn. I’ll be more prepared next time. I was reminded of the time several years ago when I played baseball with a AAA team at the children’s hospital summer camp. I’ve always felt that brief interaction makes me a baseball sensation.
(Pregame conversation about loose teeth.)
Last night was their first game and it was possibly the best time I’ve had all year. I love the baggy uniforms. I love hearing the parents yell instructions at their children who are frozen in place because they forgot they were playing a game. I love seeing the smallest player barely hit the ball then charge toward second base like first didn’t even exist. It’s a great time. By some miracle, the entire team was there. Several dads on our team were coaches and they lined the kids up in their batting order. That alone was a production. The numbers on the back of their shirts were not the same as the order they were told to stand in which caused a lot of confusion. A child would be told he was third in the batting order but he’d announce he was #11, not third. Wash, rinse, and repeat for the entire team. The dads then seemingly forgot about the kids while they discussed who would play which position. I don’t know if it’s common knowledge or not, but 4-7-year-olds are not known for their ability to stand in a straight line with no direction for upwards of 20 minutes. I swooped in with all my years of preschool teaching under my belt. I kept them somewhat in line and made up a ball passing game. The main coach asked me if I was going to continue coaching for the entire game but I said no. I was simply the pregame entertainment herding the cats.
Contrary to how it looks, AB did enjoy herself.
I yelled and cheered the whole game. I will continue to do so at every game, even (especially) when AB gets older and I embarrass her. For now, she waves at me from second base and holds my hand when we sit in the dugout.
Jan 12, 2021 | It's all relative, Sports & leisure |
When Mom and Elizabeth were here we took a quick trip down to the beach. Sesame had plenty of opportunities to do one of her favorite things- go in multiple bodies of water and splash to her heart’s content. 
There was barely anyone at the beach and the water was so shallow I let her roam free.
She missed Christopher so she drew a portrait of him in the sand, which is ironic given that he hates sand.
It was so lovely to be out in nature and in new scenery.
Elizabeth only comes to see me so she can appear on the blawg. My head looks huge. Her head is the size of my earring.
It wasn’t until we moved to the depths of Georgia that I realized how much I like having seagulls around. I don’t want one for a pet or to use them in home decor, but they’re such a reminder of home. I sang Feed the Birds while we fed the birds because AB is not yet embarrassed for me to do such things in public and I will ride that train as far as I can.
We took a riverboat ride through a freshwater spring/wildlife refuge. We saw all manner of alligators, turtles, fish, and birds. Much to Annabelle’s horror, we saw vultures. When we visited the Atlanta zoo in March, Christopher insulted the vulture’s eyebrows. The vulture, evidently a sensitive soul, flew squawking into the fence and terrified Annabelle. She has been scarred ever since and frequently says she hopes she doesn’t see vultures again. Keep in mind we live in a very suburban area with little to no chance of seeing a vulture. As we rode by, she covered her eyes and said, “It’s a good thing Daddy isn’t here. It’s a good thing Daddy isn’t here. Don’t talk about their eyebrows!”
We even saw a mama and baby manatee. “Come join our photography team,” said no wildlife publication to me ever.
Sep 17, 2020 | Sports & leisure |
We recently went to north Georgia for a long weekend.
During our year planning meeting at the beginning of the year, we penciled in a late summer mountain trip. Then You Know What happened and I didn’t think it would happen. Daniel, Erika, Ivy and Aaron’s girlfriend couldn’t come because of work and school and having to quarantine upon arriving back at home. The week the trip was scheduled, the state quarantine restrictions lifted. By the time they went home, some restrictions were back in place. You never know what exciting new development will come down the path next. Mom, the twins, Willie (our brother from another mother), and his fiance Anna were able to come.
I spent hours on Airbnb looking for the perfect place. The number of people who could come kept changing and I reserved and canceled two places before settling on the cabin. One place didn’t tell me until after I made the reservation that the electricity frequently goes out so someone needs to find the breaker box in the basement to fix it. No thank you. I have enough issues with my own breaker box without dealing with someone else’s on vacation. I settled on a cabin in the woods and it was darling. There was enough room for everyone to have their own space and a creek outback. It set at the top of a very windy and steep road we didn’t know about until we got there. It took 30 minutes to get from the cabin to the main road. Half of our group go carsick going up and down which was a prime opportunity for me to dig through the traveling pharmacy I carry in my purse. You got a bonine! You get a chewable Dramamine! You get a regular Dramamine! You got a zofran! 
Annabelle was in heaven. She played in the creek and collected rocks. She spent hours outside and had dessert every day. She and Elizabeth made rafts with twigs and leaves to sail down the river.
Fifteen minutes after we left home, she realized she hadn’t brought her Memere blankie. She’s slept with it every day since she was born and brings it on every trip. I asked if she wanted me to go back for it and she said no, she’d ok without. It broke my heart a little bit that she wasn’t crying for it like she would have when she was younger. On the last two nights of the trip, she cried because our trip was going to end and we might never get to go back. She said she wished she had Memere blankie to comfort her.
We went tubing down the Chattahoochee River and hiked to a waterfall. We went to a swinging bridge and played in the water. The water was calm so I let AB swim near the middle. She swam just fine the first time, but the second time she panicked a little and started to float downstream. I didn’t realize at first she was struggling so I told her she’d be ok if she did what her swimming teacher taught her to do. Christopher had to charge in and rescue her. And with that, my hopes of winning Mother of the Year 2020 floated away.
The highlight of the trip, and possibly my entire year, was this old phone in the cabin.
IT MADE ME SO HAPPY. I have wanted this exact phone for years. Christopher refuses to get me one since we have cell phones and don’t need to pay for another phone blahblahboringadult. AB and I made endless pretend phone calls using the rotary dial. We tried to call my phone but it didn’t work so I assumed it was just for show. I cannot explain my delight and joy when we were eating supper and THE PHONE RANG. I thought it was the regular house phone but it was the old fashioned one. I could not have charged across the kitchen faster if I was being chased by a sworm of anger murder hornets. I answered the phone in such a fit of giggles I could barely get out the word “hello.” I forgot I had to hold up the mouthpiece and kept letting go. Everyone else was laughing which made me laugh even harder. The laughter stopped quickly when the man on the other end said he was calling from the police department. In that split second, I went through any actions in my life that might have warranted the police calling me on vacation. The policeman said, as he was sure I was aware, the force is struggling right now and would I be open to making a one-time donation. I explained we were at a rental property but I’m sure the owners are supportive of the police. I forgot to hold of the mouthpiece so he heard nothing and I had to repeat it. I ended the call with “Good luck on your campaign” like he was running for president. It was embarrassing but nothing could bring me down from that high. I know it’s a silly thing but it really was a lifelong dream to have a conversation on that phone.
Forget about the latest and greatest in the tech world. I know what kind of phone I want for Christmas.
