Take Me Out to the Ballgame

After four days of fever hovering just below 103 Lil Bit awoke today looking like this. 

Snotty nose and crazy hair aside, that budding smile was a welcome change. She was a MISERABLE sick child. 

Mimi and Papa had come to visit to help out with the track meet. Which went well, but didn't make as much money as we had hoped, but anyway then we went out to the ball game!! The local Carolina League team built a new stadium right around the corner from our house. So off we went..

It was awesome!! I don't know if it's every minor league team or what but they were showering us with gifts! 

We saw a home run! Miss H got to sing on the microphone for Take me Out to the Ball Game! Little Daddy and I were on the Jumbotron and both Cubby and Little Daddy got to take home a ball. At the end of the game, they let the kids run around the bases.. it was aweseome! 

So #24 Seth Lomar You should be expecting some fan mail, because Cubby is your new number one fan. 

Gotta Love a local team.. 

Then we went for pizza and ice cream!

Best day yet.. 

They're gonna put you in the movies..

Love Bark, George?  Us too.

Hollywood here we come.

Psst if anybody knows how to make the movie as crystal clear as my HD recorder recorded it, please let me know.. I"m not as techno savvy as I used to be.

a very good man

It is Cubby's day to clean the hall bath. I should have taken a before picture, because one of the shorter members of our family opened 19,273 band aids of various shapes and sizes and left the bits of wrappers strewn all about. There were 79 toothbrushes, flossers and toothpaste spots covering the sink and a toliet paper dispersal to rival the quad of our alma mater.

He got right to work. He worked so industriously and independently that I actually forgot he was in there. And when I remembered, I found him in the kitchen playing with the garbage can. As I have committed myself to asking questions this week, instead of assuming.. I asked calmly.. "What are you doing?"

Well, he said tipping his head to the side and gesturing with his hand. I needed to empty this bathroom trash, but this kitchen trash was all full so I had to..." He continued, but the bottom line was this... After replacing the empty tissue roll with a full one (miracle number 1) he then went to put the empty in the trash (miracle #2) realizing the can was full he went to empty it (#3) found the kitchen receptacle full emptied it and combined the two (#4) then I kid you not put a new bag in the emptied kitchen trash can (#5). He then asked if he could go outside and work in the yard (#6).

Parental Slip

so at the Costco today
Cubby says,
Hey they have those swimsuits out again, I already have a great swim suit, and swim shirt. But I do not have one of those swim hats. Hey can I get one of those swim hats?

"No because swim hats are for dorks" --- I know, I am a terrible mother. But seriously, growing up next to the ocean, swim hats just aren't in my picture.  I already have stretched my limits of "cool" to include swim shirts, which was a stretch lemme tell you.

"What are dorks?"--- oh crap now I'm in trouble, and here is why I love love love The Mr.
"People who wear swim hats."

I know.. he's the best.

On Thursday we had a little bit of trouble getting out the door, and so I missed the Body Flow Class I usually take at the Y. That's okay.. there was a Yoga class starting up right as we walked in.

Let me preface this little story by explaining.. I don't think I am a Yoga person. I am not flexible, my muscles (what little is left of them) do not "relax" as I breathe, I do not enjoy being still, and when uncomfortable I do not like to focus on the discomfort and breathe it away, generally I stop said discomfort by sitting on my big old buns. Hence, the lingering presence of big old buns in my life, I'm just not really a "fighter" anymore.

Anyways... I am setting up my little green mat and preparing my mind for an ENTIRE HOUR of STILLNESS, as the instructor sets up little LED tea lights throughout the room while patiently explaining how these make great focus objects and as we relax into the poses we can move this light into our bodies. I tried to only roll my inner eyes, because I really don't go for this sort of mumbo jumbo.

It went about as I expected, we were doing the seated forward folding which always gives me painful flashbacks to the sit-n-reach we had to do in middleschool. When I caught sight of her. This 60 something woman whose head was on her knees while her arms extended past her TOES!! I know she was a veritable pretzel.. and then I really looked at her and she had a workout ensemble...

Don't misread me here I do not mean outfit. I certainly don't mean the ratty t-shirt and tights from college that I squoze into sported. I use this phrase ensemble to indicate that EVERY aspect of her workout couture was color coordinated, including, I exxagerrate not, her JEWLERY!! She was sporting some sort of beady sparkly necklace and matching dangling earrings and BRACELETS.

Seriously people!!! so If I was unable to focus previously because of my not so great at yoga problem, I certainly was struggling after seeing the ever rare vintage Yoga Barbie pretzling her brittle extremities into shapes unknown.

I just kept wondering, how does she hold her arms up with all those bracelets? When we were upside down in Gorilla I kept listening for a little chortle indicating her chunky sparkle necklace had become lodged in her windpipe and she would now need me to heimlich it out.

I am certainly not a glamour girl, I am pretty clearly a jeans and t-shirt girl, but Yoga Grannie Barbie got me thinking, would I enjoy this process of whittling my self into some semblance of my former self if I were color coordinated and properly accessorized?  Well I couldn't contemplate it any further because when I strained my own aging body into happy baby Yoga Grannie Barbie cut a big old toot!!! Apparently she relaxed a little to far into it.  So then I had to work on not erupting into giggles.

I was dying to ask her if her workout ensemble was resistance training, or some sort of super saturday sale dash training, or if after her shower she would switch to another whole set of accessories that would coordinate with her leaving the Y ensemble. Did all that fashion planning make her feel pretty when she was working out? I do not feel pretty when I work out, I feel pained, weak, and very sweaty. Not pretty. Maybe I need some earrings.

Let Them Eat Cake

Because it's Tuesday
Because the workmen "fixed" the water problem
Because the sun shined today and the pollen tide ebbs
Because Cubby sang his heart out at choir practice today
Because we got tuition assistance for Redeemer.
Because Little Daddy used his muscle buns to give Little Bit a good push on the swing
Because I didn't raise my voice until 5:45 today
Because I did triangle pose on both sides today
Because this view has been a mother's pride for more than 60 years

Because God is great and He loves.

Some Interesting Developments..

The Mr. turned 34.. I know can you even believe it?! Unfortunately his birthday occurred amidst one of the most hectic weeks we've had to date! Yikes.. so his cake was sadly store bought. But delicious nontheless.  

The kids have been working on jumprope tricks. We've been having a lot of fun with a big jump rope, but they don't quite have the hang of turning their own yet. Here we are doing some fancy tricks.  As a side note.. we have also been enjoying some other playground games. Mostly clapping games. I was hoping to introduce them to chinese jump rope, which I used to love love love, but I couldn't find one around here anywhere.

We had our first family power outage on Thunderstorm Thursday. It was a fairly violent storm, and The Mr. insisted we go down to the basement (which had been partially dismantled in preparation for the waterproofing). We drug a few things out and had a blast for two hours by candlelight. Miss H practiced her "Old MacDonald Had a farm" on the piano read some funny poems from, Where the Sidewalk Ends, had a candlelit picnic.. and cuddled. Here's a little pic I took via self timer.. I know you can hardly even tell the power was out because the flash is SO SO SO awesome!! On Friday Cubby said, "Hey can we just pretend the power is out and go down and have fun together again?" 

We are geting the basement waterproofed, and so the paneling had to come down. I had some excellent workmen here to do it and haul it all away. Look at what we found behind the last panel!! 

Isn't that adorable!! I know, I am totally going to put our kids prints below it. I have said many times how much I have loved living in a house where I knew a little bit of the history, but these little handprints were a great reminder of how families have more in common than we think. 46 years!! It's just amazing to think of a family doing all the same things we do within this very set of walls. Here's hoping the waterproofing holds another 40 or so years!!

Finally, Little Bit (who is now 18 months old!!) can put on her own pants. Evidence below. I just couldn't bear to pull them off and turn them around when she was so proud of herself. 

I am compelled to make a list of all the words she can say, our trip to zoo really expanded her vocabulary, and she has started making some two and three word sentences. She is still a little bit of a bully, but I am hopeful she will outgrow that.   She will right? 

Easter Pics

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Much love to you all on this Easter Sunday!!

He is not here.. He has risen just as he said.

What an amazing day we have had! A fabulous Resurrection Sunday. It has been an wonderful mix of great weather, encompassing love and great joy and thankfulness.

I know some of you are counting on pics, and here are some... and more to follow soon, I just want to spend some time enjoying this day.

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A Stitch in Time...

Saves nine.. or ten button holes.

A first I tell you, that the Easter dresses are done before Easter.
Here is the back...

Can you see those five perfect little buttonholes going down the back behind those mother of pearl buttons. No? Oh well let me assure you they are PERFECT. Miss Martha of Knit One Smock Too, put them there for me, perfectly aligned and sized and in less time than it took me to mark them I tell you. I LOVE LOVE LOVE her. (So does Miss H!)
So it is a very very good Good Friday, and I can't possibly put into words how great it feels to be preparing to celebrate Resurrection Sunday with new handmade dresses on my lovely daughters. I enjoy sewing for people, because it is such a wonderful way to pray for them, while you are working. When I work with needle and thread I feel as if I am stitching my heart and faith up right in there with the fabric, and I love when these things are worn by those that I love. Last year with it's complete dirth of handmade items because of my back was tough for me. Easter Sunday with it's parade of Strasburg outfits on my completed family was a difficult to stomach..it's not the look, it's the love.

I love it even more when Miss Martha does the button holes.
Can't wait to see them paired with the bracelets I purchased from a very young entrepeneur via etsy.

(Also just wait till you hear about that we took the kids to the Zoo.)