Beautiful Spring

 

Today was the first of many beautiful days to come now that spring is here. We celebrated with a trip to the nature center and with a picnic and play time at the park.

The best part, though, was spending the whole day with Nannie B. The boys adore Nannie B (my mom )for many reasons, but one of the reasons we love her most is because she is always open to fun - and sometimes unconventional - outings and activities with us.

At the nature center we saw 4-5 ribbon snakes coming out of their nest. I didn't have my camera at the time so we have no documentation. Not being a snake lover it was mildly disturbing to me that these little snakes nest in regular old rocks and pop their little heads up just to look around. I like to think snakes live in dark, damp places like under fallen trees, in caves, etc. Now that I know they can pop up out of a rock pile I may never hike off the beaten path again. Nanny B and I did, however, muster up enough courage to show the boys the snakes and use it as a fun example of all the creatures there are to learn about in the great big world.

After our hike we enjoyed a great picnic at the park, play time and and adventure into a dark cave. Next time we are taking our flash lights to explore a little farther. When I say farther I mean....oh...maybe 10 feet because I know there must be more snakes lurking in such a dark, damp place. No thank you. My sense of adventure has limits, but I'm willing to push the limits in the name of demonstrating courage and enrichment for my boys.

This evening Auntie Bub (my sister) joined us for dinner and a nice walk. We were attempting to get her to walk as much as possible because baby Matney (our new niece/cousin) is due in 3 days and we are anxiously and impatiently awaiting her arrival.

Happy Birthday, Brian/Daddy

 

We celebrated Brian's 35th birthday this weekend because he was on call on his actual birthday.

My parents graciously took the boys to spend the night last night so I could clean house and prepare a special meal for Brian's birthday. This morning I surprised him with a massage and pedicure. Once he was relaxed with silky smooth feet we went to his favorite sushi place for lunch and then a couple of his favorite hobby stores. This afternoon - in the quiet of our house - we sat on the couch and watched a movie that did not include animated characters. I made the ultimate sacrifice and said he could watch whatever he wanted and he chose GI Joe. Let me tell you...it was riveting. So much so that I managed to get in a nice 45 minute catnap and still managed to carry on enough conversation about the movie to act as though as I was really into it.

Tonight, Brian's dad, Kenneth, my parents and Ashley and Brandon came to help us celebrate. Papa G and Nanny B safely returned the boys home so they could celebrate too. As always, we loved everyone's company, shared a good meal and ended the night with Brian's favorite dessert - chocolate cake with vanilla buttercream frosting.

The final report tonight was "Thanks, honey, you made my birthday special." Ahhh, that was sweet. Brian deserves a special birthday because he works tirelessly for our family and we love him more for it every day.

Pension Funds

Several weeks ago as the boys and I were on our way to preschool we were listening to the radio when the news came on. The broadcaster was covering a story on a company where nearly all the employees had lost their pension funds. From the back seat Brayden spoke up and the conversation went something like this:

Brayden: "Mom, what is wrong with that woman on the radio."
Me: "Nothing is wrong with her. She is just covering the latest news."
Brayden: "Well she isn't being very nice."
Me: "What do you mean?"
Brayden: "Pinchin' isn't fun or nice. She needs to stop it right now and tell her friend she is sorry."
Me: (after attempting to explain a pension fund to a 4 year old) "Brayden, you are right. Pinching isn't nice and I bet she will go apologize to her friend."

After I composed my laughter I thought "good heavens we need to get out of town more because my son talks like a hillbilly - I mean - "pinchin" - really." My second thought was - "ok, I think we are making some progress with this whole parenting gig we have going on."

In weeks previous we experienced some "issues" at preschool with Brayden demonstrating his brawn and determination in some not-so-nice-ways. Pinching was on the lighter side.

Later that day as I thought about how Brayden interpreted the news cast to apply to his life I realized that there are so many complex concepts to understand in the world that sometimes - as parents - we are better off using our children's interpretation of those complexities as a teaching moment for where they are in their own lives rather than trying to rush things and explain the real meaning behind the concept. Of course, I think Brayden is one smart cookie, but there was little hope of me actually being able to explain a pension fund to him.

This conversation was just one of dozens of daily reminders of how very important it is that we censor and filter what our children are exposed to in mass media, through their family, friends and teachers. Certainly, there is no harm in a news cast about pension funds, but it reminded me how any concept can be interpreted and simplified to apply to a child's life. I made a mental note to be more cognizant of what we listen to on the radio and TV because I know those little eyes and ears see and hear everything.

In the mean time, I am waiting for the day preschool calls to say Brayden is singing the lyrics to the Zac Brown Band's Toes in the Water. If you listen to country music you know they go something like, "I've got my toes in the water....toes in the sand...not a worry in the world....a cold beer in my hand..."

Opps, great, just great, that will go over really well at school.

Everyday Learning - 1st edition

In the first 6 weeks of my early/semi retirement I have immensely enjoyed spending quality time with my boys. We laugh, play, read dozens of books, go on outings, make new friends, cook together and seize many other interesting adventures. I have also have enjoyed tackling a few adventures of my own - simple little things I've wanted to do for a long time, but have never taken the time for. The list is somewhat spastic and varied, but,hey, that makes us well-rounded, I think.

Mastering the Mandoline
The cooking gadget, not the musical instrument. Years ago my boss gave me a gift certificate to Williams-Sonoma. It was for a hefty sum so I splurged on something I always wanted, but would never buy for myself - a French mandoline. Until this week it had never been out of the box. The mandoline is my new favorite kitchen gadget. It makes the most beautifully transparent potato slices ever seen. My boys are starting to wonder if we will eat potatoes all month, but, hey, it is March and isn't Ireland known for potatoes. I consider it my St. Patrick's Day tribute.


Now those are perfectly sliced potatoes.

Opened the Biggers3 Art Gallery
Wanting to make every possible effort to encourage my boys artistic interests and build their confidence I opened an art gallery in our home. I stole this idea from a friend.  This is probably the tiniest art exhibit ever, but it makes the boys feel proud. The frames are great because they are hinged so changing our exhibit is easy.

Admission is free.

Quilting 101
My mom has developed a real talent for quilting and started a tradition with my oldest son to make a quilt for each grandchild. She has now made four quilts each more unique than the one before it. My sister and I are responsible for coordinating the quilt material and then mom does all the work. Mom often says Ashley and I fell short because we are challenged to sew on a button. I accepted her challenge and agreed to give quilting a shot. I participated in the easy part - cutting. I am a master at cutting now and even brushed up on my math and geometry skills a bit because there is a good amount of both involved in sewing. I think there are about 4 more steps to making a quilt so I guess that means 4 more kids if I keep pacing myself.....just kidding.

Keep in mind, my mom did the work, but look how beautifully those pieces are cut.

Joined the Mothers of Preschoolers (MOPS) group at our church
I have never felt so welcomed on a first time visit anywhere. The women in this group are living proof of strong women dedicated to their children, husbands and a balanced life. At the same time they know their own spiritual, social, emotional, physical and intellectual development is equally important. These women inspire me. If you have the opportunity to join such a group I highly recommend it. I look forward to getting to know each of them.

Celebrating Sisters

My sister and I have shared many wonderful memories and experiences. In just a few weeks we will celebrate big when Ashley and Brandon welcome their first baby girl into the world. They will be wonderful parents. Brandon is absolutely amazing with kids. Ashley has a warm, nurturing tenderness that will make her new baby girl feel loved and cared for from the first breath she takes in this great big world.



Lately, as we've shared in Brandon and Ashley's preparation I've been reminiscing about our sisterhood. One of my earliest memories is of the summer evening my parents told me I would soon be a big sister. I bounced around all evening walking on air with excitement. Of course, back then, ultrasounds were not a regular part of OB care so I patiently waited for a cold day in February to learn I had a new sister. Mom was scheduled to be induced later that morning, but in what would become classic-Ashley-style she wanted us to know she would decide when and how she would arrive.



At a very independent 4-1/2 years old, I threw on my favorite purple elastic waist pants and a pink, blue and purple stripped shirt. I was ready to roll. We raced to the hospital where a family friend met my dad so they could ship me off and spare me the trauma of witnessing Ashley's gorry entrance.

Later that day we returned to the hospital and I peeked through the nursery window to get my very first glimpse at my new sister. She was beautiful. She looked like a little doll I couldn't wait to tuck into my baby carriage and take care of. Little did I know she would turn my world upside down.  Ashley had this blood curdling cry like no other baby I have ever heard. The cry turned into a stubborn determination and relentless whine that - honestly - still shows up every now and then. (Shhh, don't tell Ashley I said that.)

Anyway, years went by and although we loved each other like sisters should, it took us a long time to really appreciate each other. We used and abused each other and would form a united front when it was convenient to conspire against mom and dad or accomplish a shared goal like missing the bus on purpose so we could call Grandpa Curt to come drive us to school. Ahhh, not that we ever did that. 

Ashley covered for me a few times in high school when I stranded her at the bus stop to ride to school with a boy or borrowed our mom's favorite pair of earrings. I covered for her when it was convenient for me.  I returned the favor later by accidentally keeping an expired ID in safekeeping until she needed it in college. I taught her the lesson that college is worth so much more than education with that expired id. When the statute of limitations for parental punishment expired a few years later and we could share the story mom and dad really appreciated my generosity.

I wish I could recall the moment when our relationship started to change from a love/hate relationship to a friendship unlike any I have ever shared with anyone else. As we matured, our friendship blossomed and evolved. Today we share big and small moments, daily challenges, a love for cooking, travel, devotion to our families and husbands, trials and tribulations and so many more memories.

We have shared so many wonderful memories and I look forward to all the moments we will share in the future with our growing families. The count down is on with less than 30 days to go until one of the greatest celebrations and adventures of Ashley's life begins. I am thrilled to be a part of it and can not wait to see her grow in her role as a mother.

Baby No Name

So the baby ticker today tells me we have 71 days until the due date to figure out the perfect name for our new baby boy. Already, mother guilt is setting in fast. Our first born was named on our second date, I think. To clarify - no, I was not pregnant on our 2nd date - we just knew we were meant to be and started talking about important details right away. I loved the name Brayden before I even had a prospect for his daddy. Thankfully, Brian liked it too.

When it came time to name baby boy #2 we struggled a little more. Brian told me the names I came up with were pretentious and rejected most of them for months and months. My almost-brother-in-law (at the time), Brandon, is a pretty good judge of character and for some crazy reason I value his opinion so I would run my ideas past him. His facial expression alone always gave me the thumbs up or thumbs down.

My sister and I came up with Grayson somewhere early on and Brian, Brandon and my dad all gave it a big emphatic "NO". Months later, Brian was driving home from Dallas and calls me to say he just passed a town called Grayson and he thought it would be the perfect name for our newest bundle of joy. My response: "Wow, honey, that is so creative. I think it is a wonderful name."

Lesson learned: if you plant the seeds appropriately and make your husband think something was all his great idea you will get what you want.

Yes, I realize that sounds completely manipulative. Manipulation was never my intent. This one just worked out.

Now, back to baby boy #3. We have come up with lots of names, but none seem to suffice. I really want the fourth letter to be a "y". Clayton was in the mix, but Brian had some run in with a guy in high school that strikes that name as an option from the list. We've considered others like Dylan, Preston, Bennett, Emmett, Camden and none of them seem just right with the flow of the rest of our names.

We want our babies name to be as thought out as our other boys names were and incorporate some family name. The count down is on and we think we have a good one or two to choose from now, but I'm holding my cards close this time for fear that a weird look from my male family members will nix the name from the list and we really will have a baby no-name.

Snow much fun

This past weekend we received our 2nd snowfall of the year. After a great church service and lunch with new friends on Sunday we dug out our snow clothes and went out to play. The first snowfall was great for sledding. The 2nd was great for building snowmen. The boys had lots of fun.







On another fun and somewhat related note - when my sister and I were little my mom used to make us snow ice cream. I've started making it for my boys too and it has become a special tradition for us when there is snow on the ground. And, yes, we are always careful to only get fresh white snow. The recipe is simple..

just fill a mixing ball with fresh snow and add a little vanilla, sugar and milk to taste. Stir to combine. We like to add a little cinnamon or chocolate sprinkles to ours. Enjoy!