I almost cried

 So Saturday, we set out for the Mint Hill farmers' market for some jam and a perfect start for summer.  But as we drove into Mint Hill our way was blocked by a police man and what looked like parade.  We, however, would not be stopped in our quest for local jam and tried another route to the farmers' market, only to yet again be blocked.  At which point we gave up and gave in.  We parked at Burger King and went to the parade.  Luckily for me, in my prepared soccer mom state, I had our camping/tee ball/parade chairs in the van.  As we sat down I was so happy I almost cried.  I seriously love parades.  Like a lot.  Like sleeping-on-the-street-overnight-to-get-a-good-spot-at-a-parade-route-is-on-my-bucket-list-for-after-Greg-dies-because-he-said-that-that's-white-trash-and-won't-do-it-with-me love.  And while the Mint Hill parade was more like the pre-parade of the Freedom Festival or the Hinckley 24th of July Parade, it was still the best (and only) parade I've seen in North Carolina and I was so happy to be watching spray-tanned 5-years-olds wave at me from 1980's Corvettes, I almost cried.  Seriously, teared up.

They know how to do a parade in Mint Hill.

After the parade, we again tried to go to the farmers' market, but it was CLOSED! Because there was a festival going on down the street.  Heaven!   I tell you heaven!  And while we didn't find any jam, we did get free sunglasses.  It was amazing and worth skipping my planned-for IKEA trip...although now I'm trying to figure out when I can go to IKEA because I am not taking all three hoodlums to IKEA.  Not going to happen.

I love festivals so much I spent $3 a piece for my kids to ride this dangerous contraption.

May 23 6:30 pm

This girl: In the bath again because she is just about the dirtiest little thing on the planet.  She refuses to wear ponytails in her hair so every meal and snack she has gets mixed in with the sweat and whatever else she's decides to add to the mix.  On May 23rd, it was Popsicle.

 These nerds: Greg has a secret unfulfilled wish from his childhood to be a meteorologist--he is now instilling this desire in Rex.  A few weeks back he bought Rex a weather radio (didn't know there was such a thing did you?  Don't even know what it does, do you?  That's because you aren't a super nerd).  A weather radio tells you the weather--you can turn it on and a robot will tell you the current weather conditions and give a 5-day forecast in an irritating loop.  A weather radio can also be set to sound when severe weather approaches such as a tornado or a thunderstorm.  On May 23rd, the alarm had just gone off so these two nerds climbed up on Rex's bed to await further instruction from the radio--severe thunderstorm: avoid windows, showers and bathtubs.  Rex is shushing me.

 This giant: As usual, is swaddled as tightly as possible with his binky in his swing.  I swear we hold him sometimes, but he just likes to sleep--swaddled very tightly with a binky.

 This unhappy lady:  just discovered Alice had gotten out of the bathtub to poop on the floor--again.

 But Alice thought it was pretty funny.

7:07 pm

Our family tonight at 7:07 pm.

Henry: Sleeping--swaddled as tightly as possible with his binky.  

 Greg: working late

 Rex: being a 5-year-old boy and refusing to come inside.

 Alice: was a mess--Popsicle all up in her hair, mixed with sweat, mixed with who know what.

 Me: the perpetual photographer

The perfect quite summer (it's basically summer here) evening.

Oh Sister

I have become that person.  You know the one that refuses to travel to anyone else and makes everyone come to her.  Let's not kid ourselves here: I've always been that person--that's why I loved Provo so much.  Who doesn't pass through Provo at some point and visit me?  Point is: my sister and her little Autumn came and visited a week ago.  I was super excited to see my sister and have the little girls play together--they're two now.  They know how to play.  They were going to have soooo much fun and start planning their shared dorm room.  My dreams were shattered.  While Amber and I had a good time, Alice and Autumn...their two strong personalities did not mesh.

At Rex's t-ball game

This is after fighting over who would get the pink chair.

 We had perfect weather and Autumn had already been on vacation for two weeks, so spent lots of time in the backyard in the kiddie pool rather than going out.  Alice was not a fast enough slider for Autumn.

 Rex, for once, was not in on the fighting and spent the week tattling on the little girls.

 Don't be deceived by this--they are getting ready to fight over the markers.

Maybe next time the little girlies will get along...but my expectations are low.  Too bad Amber and I like each other so much because those little girlies are going to be stuck being frenemies for the rest of their lives.

Happy Mother's Day...to Alice!

I'd like to dedicate this post to Alice because she made me a mom and without her I wouldn't be a mother.  Barf.  Not really.  I mean I love Alice and today's Mother's Day so I thought I had to name this post for the holiday when really I wanted to talk about Alice.  Because Alice is a crack up.  She is just so...independent it's frustrating and infuriating and super funny all at the same time.

Like the other day when she insisted on putting on her own pjs and cried and cried in her room because she couldn't get her shirt on by herself and then she finally did and she came out like this.  Inside outside upside down.  And she wouldn't let us fix it despite the fact that she was somewhat uncomfortable.

She loves story time at the library.  In fact, on Tuesdays she likes to go to both--the 9:30 baby story time and the 11 preschool story time.  I'm not really sure which one she is supposed to attend since she's neither a baby or a preschooler but she gets along just fine in both.

Mostly Alice is all about dressing herself.  I have to race her to her dresser every morning to help her pick out her clothes so that she at least semi matches.  She still won't allow me to do her hair other than a quick brush through--she says it's princess hair.  A few days ago she beat me to her dresser and picked out this pretty outfit.

She also really likes to dance and spin and wear princess dresses to church.

#becauseofhim

 First off, I must say that I think Easter is a strange holiday.  Easter, like most other holidays, is really a pagan holiday that the Roman Catholics hijacked as they pushed the Empire to the barbarians in Europe.  But Easter is actually a really important holiday.  As in the most important holiday.  The holiday that has brought about at least a million #becauseofhim hashtags on my Facebook and Ingram feeds (not to say that I didn't like the video, because I finally watched it today and was almost move to tears).  We celebrate Easter to commemorate when Christ made it possible for me to go to Heaven, to have all the bad stuff removed, to live with my family forever, to be resurrected--all the stuff in the Because of Him video, which I high recommend watching.  That's a pretty big deal.  Like a huge deal.  It is the single most important event in all eternity.  It is the thing on which our religion and my entire life hangs.

And how to do we celebrate it?

By allowing a giant egg-pooping bunny to sneak into our house some way and leave baskets of candy-filled eggs that this bunny presumably pooped.  That's weird.  At Christmas we have a creepy old fat man sneaking into our house, but at least we know how he gets in--the chimney--and how he's related to Christ--he brings presents like the wise men brought the Christ child.  Not sure how the Bunny gets in the house or how he in any way represents anything having to do with Atonement and Resurrection.  (Actually I heard today that the rabbit was a symbol of one the ancient German gods because of their high fertility rate and the relation between rebirth and spring--but it's still a stretch to get to the Atonement from there if you ask me).

Nevertheless, this year I abandoned my previous attempts to make Easter be the religious holiday that it should be and stuck to all the strictly secular stuff.  Why?  Exhibit A:

 I'm having a hard time getting showers in most days, let alone going above and beyond on the Easter thing, maybe next year.  Though I am listening to MoTab's rendition of the Messiah as I write this.

But we did dye eggs.

And we went to church today and managed to snap a quick picture of all the hoodlums looking at the camera before we left.

 After church, we headed to Maurine's in Greensboro for a family dinner and egg hunt.  (We also watched a bunch of Bible videos to bring in the Atonement/Resurrection theme to life a bit more).

So Happy Easter every one.  And really, you should watch the Because of Him video.  It really is very good.

I quit...

the Church.  Ok, not really, but it's getting to be that way.  You see, Rex is playing tee-ball this year.  And while I'm super excited to dress him up and cheer him on and bring snacks and all those other soccer mom things, it's a slippery slope.  This year it's tee-ball with one practice and one game a week and next year it's tee-ball and soccer and and and...you get the picture.  Pretty soon I'm married to my Suburban and worshiping baseballs.

Rex had his first game last week and did pretty well, at standing still.  And he did really well at standing still again this week.  I don't want to be that parent  who complains all the time and insists that her child get more play time but I am getting a little annoyed with his coach.  Remember, this is tee-ball we're playing here, there are no strikes, no outs, no score and the play is over when someone catches the ball and holds it in the air, but his coach has already pigeon-holed the team into positions.  Rex is third base.  And so he just stand there because when a 5-year-old hits a ball off a tee, it goes somewhere between the pitcher and the first base man, so Rex, the third base man, just stands.  Seriously, this week, I thought he was crying he was so bored.  I try to get him to pay attention and be ready for the ball, but I'm starting to sound like the boy who cried wolf--Get ready Rex.  Pay attention.  It's (not) coming to you--actually one ball did come to Rex this week.  So that's cool I guess.  I'm finding it even harder to keep a positive attitude with Rex and not let him onto how annoyed I am with his coach.  What do you say to a kid who just stood at a base for an hour--Rex you looked really great just standing there!  You stood there like a pro!  Didn't you just have the best time just standing there?  To his credit, Rex mostly pays attention and even says he has fun playing.  I'm not saying i think Rex should get every ball, bit it would be nice to rotate the positions a bit.

But I am seriously considering soccer next year--at least then he'll get to run around even if he never gets the ball.

Look how good he is at just standing there

Rex is #6

He made friends with the other team as they passed by his post

Despite what this may look like, Rex is actually one of the better ones at hitting the ball

Alice really wants to play and spends most of every game trying to sneak onto the field