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Got this from a blog that got it from another blog. It totally reflects my feelings after seeing all our pictures from GA:

Wonder Woman
Yesterday we had our family pictures taken. I was a little surprised to see the out come. It seems that my inner view of myself has been skewed for quite some time. This is how I envision myself...

It turns out I actually look a little more like...

It's funny how a few innocent pictures take the wind out of your oh so confident sails.

So I have officially started a diet today. Expect me to be grumpy for the next month at least.

What's your definition of a good day?

Let me just rant for a minute. I know Georgia isn't THAT far away...I mean- at least it's in the same country. The jet lag shouldn't be that bad, but I am suuuuuffering. I can't sleep. I have been wide awake at about 4:00 in the morning. I know every one of you is aware of how much worse everything seems when you are extremely tired.

So- in my fatigued haze, I have felt like everything is falling apart around me for the past few days. The main thing (while sparing you all the details) is that I feel like this crap-hole of a house is falling apart around me and I have to deal with a property-management company who doesn't care and doesn't take me seriously and does crappy work.

Also, my kids have been crazed lunatics since we got home and I just feel like I have been yelling at them non-stop for the past two days.

Well, today I didn't have to work and Hazel didn't have school, so I just decided we would take it easy. We went to visit my "Phoenix Grandma" who I haven't seen for a while. We picked some grapefruits off her tree, gathered some fallen pecans, chatted with her a little bit, and then headed to the library. I let Hazel pick as many books as she wanted and then we came home and sat in the hammock reading them.

I know this sounds so simple. I know lots of you moms probably do something like this with your kids every week, or even every day. But guess what. I don't. I have been so busy. I have been working every day, plus I have a demanding job at church. So between piano lessons and meetings and homework and keeping up with my house and all that other daily grind, I haven't really gotten the chance to have any quality time with my kids. And I have felt like such a failure. So this felt darn good. Baby steps, right?

An even bigger deal? Tonight Owen got through a practice session without us hating each other. Tonight ended without yelling and spankings. Tonight ended with stories and giggles and extra hugs and kisses and "I love you"s, and two kids feeling loved and protected enough to fall asleep without any fights. And for me, that's a good day. A really good day. Thanks to Nicole's post I am trying to focus on these ordinary moments and cherish them while they last.

And now a couple of Hazelisms:

While in GA, my mom was watching her color and looked up at my dad to say "She is definitely left-handed" (not sure why there was ever any doubt...we've known this since she was two) and Hazel responded with "Oh yeah! I'm left handed at home, too!" It was like she was saying "Yeah- this isn't a one-time thing. It's not just while I'm here visiting. I'm left-handed ALL the time."

Today Hazel was playing a game on the computer where you dress Michael Jackson up in different costumes while he sings "You Are Not Alone." As if the game itself wasn't random and awkward enough, she spent about 10 minutes dressing him and changing her mind about what he should have on, then looked at the finished product adoringly and said "Awwww- she's so pretty!"

Have you ever read about Flat Stanley? Well Hazel's school did a project where they made a little flat Stanley and sent it to another place to visit, had someone take pictures of his visit and send them back. We sent Flat Stanley to Aunt Meredith and cousin Avery. I was on the phone with Meredith today talking about it and she told me to tell Hazel that they took a picture of Flat Stanley making a snow angel. Hazel gasped in excitement, but her joyous face quickly changed to a confused one and she said in an amazed voice "Flat Stanley's REAL!?!?!" Because how could he make a snow angel if he wasn't? Right?! Man- the mind of a 4 yr old.

Speaking of angels.....I have a totally random thing to share that is sooo irreverant of me, but totally hilarious (in a sad way). I read an obituary today that started out "On March 13th, our precious Sheri became an angle....." Isn't that so sad!? What a horrible place for a typo.

Home again, home again, jiggity-jog...

Our last couple of days were spent at Ghee's house just enjoying the peace and beauty....and fishing!!!

Zoe joined us for some fishing. She was SO stressed out the whole time. She thought the bobbers were balls that she needed to fetch and she was just dying for one of us to catch a fish so she could attack it.

Which of course eventually happened. And unfortunately it was a little brim that completely swalloed the hook. Since he was injured (and stuck), it took a while to get him out of sight and Zoe was getting antsy.

After putting her in the house, Nathan caught a little bass

Ghee watched from a comfortable distance

Dad got a little cocky

Hazel tried to figure out how to get that stinking string to move

and a good time was had by all.

Hazel fell in love with Ghee's doggy on this trip and wore her out daily.

I was so glad I got to see Summer a few times on this trip. We celebrated old times by eating some CB and comparing body parts that we are unhappy with.

And now we are home. It feels gooooood to be home.

Day 2.....and 3 and 4.

Yep- I already got way behind. But we are BUSY, dangit. Cut me some slack. Besides, based on my last post (Day 1...), nobody cares much anyway! ;)

Saturday night, we headed over to my parents' house and went to church with them on Sunday morning. Then we spent pretty much the next two days doing this...




That's right. Read my "Rockband face" and weep. I am becoming a professional. This was the first time I had every played, and I was a.d.d.i.c.t.e.d. to it. I forced the family to play constantly so I could improve my skillllzzz. My dad had the latest Beatles version, and we completely conquered the entire game (if that tells you how much we played). So fun. Owen became quite a pro on the drums, too.

G-Mommy spoiled the kids while we were there- taking them to Toys R Us to buy early bday presents, and taking them to see Princess and the Frog.

Hazel fell in love with Aunt Paige on this trip. I'm pretty sure all it took was Paige buying her a princess coloring book and then coloring in it with her. On the way to bed that night, Hazel whispered in my ear "I love Paige...she's my best friend."




Here's a random sequence of pictures that Hazel asked me to take so she could make a bunch of different faces.

She even let Paige cut her hair. It's been getting quite scraggly because she refuses to let anyone cut it. She was juuuuust tired enough this night to not be able to protest.

My mom made my favorite meal (her chicken tetrazini) and one of her delicious cakes with homemade fudge frosting for an early celebration of my birthday. I didn't want the production of 31 candles, so I stuck a knife in the middle and called it a day. This picture just cracked me up. I don't know why my dad appears to be reprimanding me, or why both of my children look demonic, OR why Paige and I are making such tardo faces.

She even let me lick the fudge pan (a first).

Then on Tuesday, we jumped in the car with Sarah and Jen and drove 3 1/2 hours to Thomasville where Nathan's dad and grandma live. We drove straight to Nana's house and spent a lovely afternoon on her porch. The weather was beautiful, and her yard was just the epitome of Spring in the South. Moss hanging from the oaks, pear and plum trees in bloom, bees buzzing around our heads. We (I) just couldn't pass up the picture opportunities.

Across from Nana's house, there is a little farm with a mule, a horse, and a donkey. We took over some apples to coax them in our general direction.

This one was the mule....I think it was the biggest mule in the world. Huge. He was in love with Owen.

From Nana's house, we drove over to Nathan's aunt's house. Teresa has a beautiful home- I wish I had taken pictures (that's NOT it in the background). But we spent most of our time outside in the beautiful weather. They had a trampoline that the kids couldn't tear themselves away from.

We even had a family jumping session. This was my favorite picture. Hazel did lots of face plants, and I was happy to capture one in progress.

Then we sat on Teresa's beautiful porch and reminisced until dinner. Here are the kids with Nana.

At some point, Sarah made a comment to insinuate that she could run faster than Nathan. When he scoffed at the idea, she started asking people who they would "put money on" in a race. Of course I picked Nathan. It was quite an event- we all went out ot the yard to record and time and watch this race. As you will see, Nathan easily won. He even slows down at one point to let her catch up and still wins.

Excuse Hazel's screaming. She somehow thought she was a part of this race and was a little discouraged by how quickly her components left her in their dust.

We drove home from Thomasville at 8:30 and got back to Ghee's house at about midnight. Went to bed at 1:30 and spent the entire next day (day 5) laying in bed and lounging around the house while it rained and rained and rained. That evening we spent some time at my friend Summer's house playing with her kids and then got a delicious potato pizza from Partner's Pizza. MAN I miss that pizza.....I think I will go have some for breakfast right now.

Day 1

It's Spring Break again and we are back in Georgia. We didn't fly standby this time, so the trip here was much more enjoyable. I will try to document our trip as we go so nobody (including me) will be overwhelmed with a huge post.


Some of the kids' quotes thus far:


-I was showing Owen where to throw away his paper towel in the airplane bathroom and he peered down into the little trash receptacle and asked "Does that make it go overboard?"


-About 2 hours into the flight, when his nerves had settled a bit, Owen said "I think this is going to be a lucky day for flying. You know, not like one of those unlucky ones where people, like, crash into the ocean or something."


-As we started to land, Hazel said "I'm so excited! We're about to be in Georgia!!!" and then looked out the window and saw the runway. She turned to Nathan and said in disgust. "Dad! This is the airport! We've been here already!"


-At Ghee's house, Owen found a bunch of Mardi Gras coins and said "Wow, Mom! Look at all these medals! Ghee must be really good at something."




We stayed the first night with Ghee. I love her house. I posted about it last time we visited, so I will spare you details, but it is just such a perfect grandma house on a little pond in the woods. And she had everything so clean and warm and welcoming. She even had her friend, Richard, MAKE a coffe table just for the kids. He carved some legs for this huge table and Ghee had it piled up with tons of Polly Pockets, a car and garage for Owen's miniature cars, and paper and markers. It was all on their level right when they walked in and they have been totally entertained since then!


It was tough to tear them away and convince them to go to bed. But Ghee's beds are sooo comfy they fell right asleep when their heads hit the pillow. They went straight to the table in the morning, giving us a couple of hours to "sleep in" before dragging ourselves from bed. We had just settled in for a day of being lazy when Richard invited us to come over to his house and ride four wheelers! YES! Nothing like some redneck activity our first day in GA. I don't think much else could have gotten me out of my pajamas today. I was thrilled. I haven't been on a four wheeler for......well- since I was 17.

This is Richard- he was so lovely and friendly and helped us have an awesome day.

I even convinced Hazel to get on the four wheeler with me. She liked it for a while, but was getting hit in the face with rain the whole time and it was also pretty chilly, so her joy was short lived.
Owen, however just had to get one little taste of power and freedom and he was unstoppable.

Then he had his first wreck. I was behind him, so to me it looked like the thing flipped over on top of Owen. Needless to say, I pretty much threw up in my mouth as I was running across the field to rescue him. When I reached him, he was on the ground giggling, so I quickly switched my attention to the four wheeler. Everyone/thing was okay and he hopped back on and kept riding. And fyi- he took off his helmet for this picture, but was absolutely wearing one while riding.

After that adventure, we hopped on the swing in the front yard. This swing was hung about 30 feet up a tree, so it was more of a gliding motion than swinging. The kids loved it. Owen took a turn, Hazel took a turn,

Even Daddy did it!

So of course I had to give it a try. I hoisted my overweight body into the swing (which is about 3 feet off the ground) and plopped my butt down, only to lean all the way back and fall out of the air, slamming the back of my head into the ground. Richard chuckled and said "You are officially the first person to ever do that." I really wish someone had taken a video, because I'm sure it looked hilarious, but it hurt like a mother. I couldn't get up for a while. My eyes wouldn't focus and my ears were ringing. I have never hit my head that hard. A few minutes later, my tongue got numb and tingly and I felt light-headed. Needless to say, I refused to take a nap because I'm a little worried, but I think I will survive. :)

Stay tuned for more action-packed fun.