May 2007 Archives

Just hanging out here in the studio.

- The Georgia Renaissance Festival on Saturday. We're not really into the whole dress-up thing, but we love to see the people and eat the food. I love the gigantic turkey legs. Bill loves all the exposed cleavage.

- Bill has been buying new clothes. The man won't buy anything new for himself to wear until his old clothes are literally falling apart. Even then, he'll try to get away with wearing them. His Christmas gifts from me for the past 6 years have included clothes because he doesn't buy them any other time during the year. Lately, we've been shopping a little for the trip, though, and he's been spotting sales. Even he can't resist spending $3-$6 for a shirt (check out Old Navy this week.) In just the past few days he's nearly doubled the size of his wardrobe. I think I may have converted him. Good.

- NotCouture, from the makers of NotCot.com. My wishlist is growing exponentially as I write this.

- Craigslist ListPic. My search for a new headboard just got easier. (Thanks to a tip on xoxoANP)

- Having two very funny and silly daughters. We started a rewards chart with the girls. We always spoil them when we go shopping, and we decided that they needed to start earning some of their little surprises. If they fill in all the squares on their chart for the day (brush teeth, make bed, no time outs, pick up toys, etc.) then they get some kind of surprise that evening. So far (and it's only happened 3 times in 9 days) their prizes have been an ice cream treat, a new ball from the toy store and... new swimsuits. We promised them they could pick out new swimsuits to wear when they stay with Bill's family while we're in Iceland. His sister and his parents have pools, so the girls will get to do lots of swimming. We took them to Target and they went nuts picking out suits to try on. Their sizes and proportions are so unpredictable right now that we needed to have them try on each one to see if it would fit. They thought it was the greatest game ever. They tried on about 5 swimsuits each, and then traded to try on each other's (and the other's size too.) Each time, they would run out to show Bill, who was waiting patiently on a bench outside the dressing room. They'd giggle and do a little dance, yelling "Look, Daddy!" and then run back in to try on the next one. It was chaos, but also so much fun. Yes, I'm a girly-girl and I'm guessing that my daughters are taking after their mother already. Oh, and don't even get me started on what happens whenever we pass the shoe section... I'll leave that story for Bill to tell.

- The pool we have on our back deck. Our backyard is basically a mix of dirt and clover with some ivy and pine needles mixed in. Last summer we bought a gigantic inflatable pool that fits all four of us. It became muddy pretty quickly, though, as soon as one of us would get in or out. This year Bill set it up on our back deck. The deck is basically bare anyway (we don't have any patio furniture) and the pool fits perfectly. We've used it at least 5 times in the past two weeks. It sounds odd, and probably looks so to our neighbors as well, but all I know is that we've had some great evenings lately, regardless of the 90 degree weather.

- Ice cream trucks. I love them. I remember hearing the tinkering of the song as the truck drove up the street in our old house when I was little. My mom would give my brother and I a quarter each and we'd go pick out what we wanted to eat. (My inability to make a decision then was just as much of a nuisance as it is now.) Whenever I hear one, I have that same thrill and immediately flag the guy down so the girls can get some ice cream. However, the ice cream treats are no longer 25 cents each. My total bill for three treats today came to $5.50. Yikes. Although, with gas prices lately, I'm sure the guy's just trying to break even.

This just reminded me of the ice cream guy we used to have on our street a few years ago. I was about 8 months pregnant with Maddie when he stopped for some kids in front of my house. I went up to the truck and, I kid you not, the guy was identical to Matthew McConaughey's character in Dazed and Confused. Sideburns and all. He even sounded the same. He leered at me and looked me up and down while he handed me my ice cream sandwich. "Here you go, pretty lady," he drawled. Shudder. I was 8 months pregnant for Pete's sake!

I got this in the mail today. My prayers have been answered. God has decided to loan me some money:

A prophesy as well:

Hanging out at the Atlanta Botanical Garden

- Bill's and my anniversary: 4 married, 9 together. It seems like only yesterday that we were slinging pasta at Grisanti's in Bloomington (now closed, unfortunately.) I look forward to the next 9 years.

- Seeing Ari Hest and The Damnwells at Smith's Olde Bar on Thursday. It was our anniversary date this year. We had a great time and Ari Hest was awesome. We only stayed for part of the set for The Damnwells so I can't say much for them, but what we heard sounded pretty good. It was great having an adult night out with Bill. The girls stayed at home with their favorite babysitter, Tanya (the cousin of my friend Carolyn,) so they barely even noticed when we left. Tanya knocked on the door and immediately Maddie took off her clothes and put on a princess dress, pulling out a feather boa for Tanya to wear. I'm assuming they had a great time.

Celebrating our 4th anniversary with Ari Hest

- Attending the ballet recital of Maddie's friend, Grace. Maddie was absolutely enthralled. She literally sat in the middle of the aisle watching the dancers, ages 3 - 18 years old. Afterwards she rushed up to the stage to give Grace a flower we had brought. Carolyn mentioned that Grace was so excited, and calm about going on stage in front of everyone, because she knew Maddie would be watching her. So sweet.

- An afternoon at Atlanta Botanical Garden. Bill's employer was hosting an event there, so we stopped by and ended up staying about 4 hours. The girls especially love the Children's Garden, with fountains where they can play. We had them prepped with swimsuits under their dresses (unlike the first time we went when we just let them play in their diapers -- wet diapers that blew up to about 10 pounds each.) They were amazed by the frog pond. Apparently it's high season for tadpoles and we saw tons, as well as a couple of big bullfrogs. We saw a great bug exhibit where the girls got the opportunity to climb on gigantic bugs.

Honey, I shrunk you and the kids.

- Maddie's last ballet class. Instead of a recital this year, Miss Mary decided to focus on learning the different positions and moves instead of a routine. Parents were invited to the last class of the season to see what the kids had learned. Maddie had us CRACKING UP. Every time Miss Mary would tell the girls to do something (Now turn around!) Maddie would yell out, Look at me! I'm turning around, Miss Mary! Plus, they played the Animal Action game where the girls hide under scarves until Miss Mary taps them on the head with her "magic wand." Then they remove the scarves and act like the animal she has called out. Maddie made sure every animal was a princess animal.

Miss Mary: Okay, girls. Now be a frog and hop up and down.

Maddie: A princess frog?

Miss Mary: Yes, Maddie, the frog can be a princess.

And so on with each animal. If she decides to take ballet again (which, from the pirouettes she does around the kitchen, I'm assuming she will,) the next class season will start in the fall. So Maddie's ballet and soccer are done for the summer, but Josie's ballet class has just begun. I'm sure Maddie will be living vicariously through Josie until September rolls around.

Maddie with her ballerina friends.

- Dinner at Sweet Tomatoes, one of our favorite places to go with the girls.

- Josie's infectious giggles. She loves to make you laugh by doing a little robot dance with her tongue sticking out. You have to see it to understand.

- The plans we continue to make for our Iceland trip. My hiking boots are ready to go.

- Finding an awesome swimsuit for the trip (yes, lots of outdoor swimming, believe it or not) at Wal-Mart. It's the exact style and fit that I wanted, and it only cost about $25.

- IKEA Swedish meatballs with lingonberry sauce.

- The portraits we got made of the girls today. They turned out really cute and we actually got some with both girls smiling. We've had some luck in the past, but it's usually the only one out of 20 shots. This time I had a few more from which to choose. I was also able to get some great shots of the girls individually. I'm obsessed with making sure that their childhoods are documented in pictures -- plus I have a picture frame that I need to fill.

- A wonderful Mother's Day. The girls picked out some candy and decorated cards for me and I got the chance to find out where Bill and I are going for my birthday -- ICELAND!!! I'm so excited. We spent the day shopping for some of the things we'll need for the trip. The shock of it all is still setting in... and the excitement is growing by the minute! I can't wait! It's only a little over 3 weeks away!

- Maddie's soccer season. Her last game was on Saturday. There was a little celebration for the league afterwards with inflatable rides and even a dunk tank. (The Sharks got the chance to dunk Coach Carter.) Each of the players got a trophy as well. The team celebrated with a cookie cake. Unfortunately, it was the hottest day of the year so far so the cookie was pretty much a melted mush. Still good, though. ;)

- Josie's ballet class. She did even better this week. She's becoming much more independent in the class now that she's more familiar with the other girls and her teacher, Miss Donna. It still makes me smile to see her chubby little belly in a leotard.

- The fact that my sanity is still intact, despite Josie's recent displays of "the terrible twos."

- Target Choxie chocolates

- Finding Josie's glasses yesterday. On Sunday evening we went to Brewster's for ice cream after dinner. The night started okay, but by the end Josie had a complete breakdown (of epic proportions) and it was all we could do to get her buckled in her car seat and head home. It wasn't until late Monday afternoon that I realized we didn't have her glasses. I searched the house. Bill and I searched the car when he got home that night. I searched everywhere the last couple of days with no luck. Then I decided to stop by Brewster's on the chance that we dropped her glasses in the parking lot. We did AND they found them AND they saved them for us AND they are in perfect condition. We had just picked up her new prescription lenses last Thursday so it was even more sickening to think that we'd lost a completely new pair. Lucky for us, they're fine and weren't crushed by any cars or worse. Whew.

- The Gwen Stefani concert last Friday night. Bill had gotten me tickets for the concert for Valentine's Day (yes, I do have the best husband in the world!) I've been a fan of No Doubt since well before the song "I'm Just A Girl" hit the radio (when they were more of a ska band.) Gwen's solo albums are so much fun. Despite the torrential rainfall as we entered the outdoor arena (luckily, our seats were under the pavilion,) it was a great show with Akon as the opener. The stage show for Gwen was very elaborate and the Harajuku girls were incredibly cool. Plus, Gwen really just seems so nice. You just know she's someone with whom you would want to be friends. Only slightly disconcerting were the drunk teenagers running around. It was so depressing to see young girls -- not even close to the age of 21 -- running around half-naked, completely drunk, and acting as if they had no self-respect at all. I know I sound old, but it just made me so fearful for what things will be like when Maddie and Josie get that age. I hope that we will have taught them better, but just the idea that they'll have that to deal with makes me so sad for them. (**Not to sound like a prude here: I mean we all had our little rebellious teenager moments, some worse than others, but nothing like what I saw that night. Things are on a whole new level these days.)

- My mom and sister visited last weekend so they could watch the girls while Bill and I went to the concert. They got a chance to see Maddie's last game, in addition to hanging out, shopping, and stuffing ourselves at Olive Garden (one of my mom's favorite restaurants.)

- My new desk chair. Bill got me a new desk chair and I write this sitting with my chin actually above the surface of the desk in front of me. Typing is so much easier this way.

Things have been really busy here. I found out on Mother's Day that Bill has planned an amazing birthday trip for me. I'm turning 30 in a few weeks, and...

WE'RE GOING TO ICELAND!!!!!!!

I can't freaking believe it. Iceland has always been my #1 place in the world to visit. Of course, everyone and their mother is asking, "Why?" Believe me, I could try to explain, but I'm sure the pictures I post when I return will explain it all more than any words could. Neither Bill nor I have been abroad before (I've never even been to Canada or Mexico) so this will be quite an adventure. We're jumping head first into international travel. We're still sorting out the itinerary, but it will likely include lots of hiking, glaciers, volcanoes, waterfalls, possibly whales and seals and puffins, the Mid-Atlantic Range, and the Blue Lagoon.

The next 3 weeks are full of planning, shopping for a few needed items, plus arranging for the girls and animals to be taken care of while we're gone. I am SO excited that I can barely contain myself. A friend of mine, as well as a coworker of Bill's, have been there recently so we hope to glean as much info as possible about what we're in for. (Hear that, ANP?)

Yay yay yay yay yay!

- Last weekend. We took bike rides all weekend (in addition to my 3 hour walk with the girls on last Thursday and 2 hours of yoga on Friday) and ended up only a little sore. We also went to not one but TWO festivals. Yeah, we're festival people (where else can you spend time outside amusing kids and enjoying the art and food yourself?) It was Inman Park Festival on Saturday, followed by the Spring Jonquil Festival on Sunday. By Sunday night we were worn out and the kids went to bed without any fuss.

- Getting together with two of my very close friends this week. Carolyn came over for lunch on Wednesday and Angel met me at the park on Thursday. Our kids love playing together too, which makes it even more fun to meet up.

- Thursday with the girls. I had one of those "I'm an awesome mom" days. They don't come often, but I felt really cool and the girls and I had a really great time. First, they stayed at MMO for a few hours while I had a doctor's appt. Then, off to Burger King for lunch. They got to play in the kids area when they were done eating. Then, off to the library for story time. After the readings they got a chance to make some crafts with the other kids. We had so much fun that I signed them up for the summer reading club (you have to register to attend story time during the summer.) Then, a long walk around the duck pond. We saw baby ducks as well as a mama duck in her nest. The nest was right near the walking path, which seemed odd, but we tried not to disturb her as we passed. Sadly, I saw an egg just a few inches away from the nest with flies surrounding it. Hopefully the others are faring better. After the duck pond, we walked to the Village Green to splash our hands in the fountain (it was a hot day!) THEN, we went to Dairy Queen for ice cream cones. Finally we headed home for a break before picking up Bill from work and going out to dinner. We had fun, but I was completely exhausted by the end of dinner. Having so much fun had worn me out.

- Watching the girls' skills develop over time. Even their drawing skills are a wonder to see. Blobs are turning into actual people and animals with eyes, noses, and other details. It seems like it happened overnight. Also, Maddie is doing really well at writing her name as well as other words. She's starting to phonetically sound out words and gets so happy when she has spelled something. Now she'll hear words and inform us that they start with the letter _ and end with the letter _. Josie too knows all of her colors and is trying (so hard!) to draw the letter "J". She loves to narrate what she's doing: "Line, then... Monkey Tail!" I know that everyone thinks their kid is a genius, but I'm just saying that I really love their zest for learning right now.

- Baking a quiche that worked out so well that I made it for company again a couple of days later. (No less than a miracle!)

- The Tudors. I love this show. It's one of those things that you don't think you'll care about, that you'll think is boring, and then you're completely captivated. I love Jonathan Rhys-Meyers and the rest of the cast is just as great. My only complaint is the inaccurate portrayal of history. I've noticed a couple of errors so far, but I guess certain artistic license has to be taken to make the story entertaining for a TV audience. Showtime has done so well with its other historical dramas (Bill loves Deadwood), and this one is no exception. There's a certain level of cheesiness about the show, but I'm also a sucker for Anglican history ever since a friend gave me The Other Boleyn Girl.

- Haagen Daz. We got a buy one, get one free coupon in the mail, so of course we had to use it!

- Summer dresses. It's one of the things I love about summer, and one of the things that makes summer in Atlanta bearable (or wearable, haha).

- Okay, I know I'm going to regret this (knocks on wood) but I am grateful for the fact that the girls are becoming more independent when it comes to bedtime. Only in the last week or two have Bill and I actually been able to kiss them goodnight and leave the room. For almost three years we've had to either fight to get them into bed or stay in their room with them until they fall asleep (which was awful because I would ALWAYS fall asleep too and Bill would have to come and wake me up to go to bed.) We used to lie in bed with them, but then progressed to just sitting on the floor near them. It is such a sigh of relief to be able to put them to bed so easily. Honestly, I used to dread bedtime for them. Bill and I would rather let them stay up until they were really sleepy rather than fight them for 45 minutes to get in their beds and stay there. All of this despite an elaborate bedtime routine. NOW I understand how other parents have time to do things in the evenings after the kids are in bed.

Tanzendes Mädchen

A pic from the trip to Helen, Georgia, that Bill and I took on our 2nd anniversary.

Atlanta has been named the 4th Dirtiest City in the U.S, according to Forbes. It follows LA, Pittsburgh and Detroit in its lack of fresh air.

Oh joy.

***I keep hearing that Animals song in my head. You know, the one that goes

We gotta get out of this place
If it's the last thing we ever do
We gotta get out of this place
'cause girl, there's a better life for me and you...