Thanksgiving 2009 was...

• double beach outings
• cast net throwing
• a long run
• brisket
• a date with Mario
• making thankful cards
• shell hunting
• tidal pools
• A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving special
• Black Friday planning
• novel reading
• family
• peaceful

Wesley's Work

This is Wesley's office. Don't ask because we don't know. He keeps taking stuff to and from his office in his briefcase (the red igloo cooler). He opens the door to his office with a red lanyard of beach house keys. Underneath the seat Clare is sitting in he stashed almost an entire container of wipes he pulled out of the package.

Yesterday we asked Wesley what kind of work he did each day. Clare piped up and answered for him, "Princess Protection!" So...princess protection is what they worked on most of this morning. And this is what princess protection looks like:

1. Undo paper and scatter it all over the living room.

2. Crumple paper up.

3. Find a princess.

4. Bury her in newspaper on the couch.

Silly Turkeys.

We hope you have a very messy, sandy, painted, sticky, silly, and loving Thanksgiving with your family.

(And happy 26th wedding anniversary Gigi and Pop Pop!)

Breathing in.

On my list of things to do this year: banish fake tree garland around the front door and replace it with pine cone garland. While Mario worked from the village coffee shop the kids and I went on an adventure to find pine cones. We brought a huge laundry basket to fill, snacks, jackets, and our trusty $5 wagon.

At first the kids were all about collecting pine cones. Then after the novelty wore off and we still needed many more pine cones they transferred their energy to cleaning the wagon with pine brooms and puddles. At each puddle we passed they stopped to clean the wagon while I ducked into strange yards to gather cones.

At the end of our journey we ended up at the park for some swing action. I really tried to be present while pushing. I absorbed the Spanish moss in the live oaks, the chubby rolls on Wesley's body, the color variations and streaks of red in their hair, the damp air, and the feel of my hand on the back of their swings. It felt good to just be doing what we were doing and nothing else.

Later this afternoon my dad and I went for our traditional father/daughter pedicures. Usually I plow through trashy magazines or a novel during the experience while sipping a coffee we pick up en route at the Starbucks drive-thru. This pedicure started out the same way but then I stopped reading about Reese Witherspoon. I put down my drink, put the magazine on the table next to me, and closed my eyes. I focused to absorb every luscious foot and leg massaging sensation all by itself in it's own regard. I enjoyed the longest ever pedicure and accompanying massage that I have ever had because I paid attention.

On the way home I ran into Ace Hardware to pick up jute twine and an inexpensive pair of garden gloves. I am ready to tackle the pine cones we collected today, to clean the very muddy wagon and to make something beautiful.

Condo. For Sale. Cheap.

My brother and Mikie relocated to Baltimore earlier this Fall. They own a 2 BR/2 BA condo in North Myrtle Beach and would like to sell it ASAP. Baltimore to Myrtle is quite a haul and they know they won't be able to use it as often as they would like.

If you or anyone you know is interested in a furnished, newly updated condo for $79,999 let me know...I'd be happy to pass your name and more information along to them.

Here are a few pictures and links: Listing Link A Listing Link B

Monday Morning Art

We have a lot of art supplies at home. Lately we have not been using them and I rely on school to do the art thing. Here at the beach we have a few supplies, mainly the essentials like markers, glue, glitter, water colors and crayons. One thing we never seem to have around is paper but I like how that forces me to reuse stuff we do have laying around. My favorite paper for the kids to use: brown paper grocery bags. As a bonus they even come with built in handles to hang our finished glittery works of art.

This week is all about getting sandy, messy, and covered in glitter. I'm pretty sure that the turkey (if we have a turkey) will end up having purple or green glitter on it somewhere because that stuff is impossible to totally clean up.

Side note from dinner tonight.

Mama: On Thanksgiving your blue plate compartments will hold turkey, stuffing, potatoes, and green beans.

Clare: But we can't eat turkey! It is an animal!

Mama: Right. Perhaps we need to rethink those chicken nuggets.

Light on her feet.

The five best things that happened to me today.
1. Playing soccer on the beach with Mario, Clare and Wesley.
2. Snuggling with Clare this morning.
3. The coffee Mario made for me before he left for work.
4. Three free hours this afternoon.
5. Dad made the first batch of holiday Chex Mix.

Beach Latte

Maybe Wesley has a future as a barista.

When I was in the second or third grade I wanted to be a water slide owner when I grew up. Now...not so much. But for some reason I've always wanted to be a cashier at a grocery store (something about the scanning), a barista at a coffee shop, an airline employee,and a writer.

What did you want to be when you were in the third grade? And what do you want to be now? If you changed your mind, why? Given the chance would you go back to that third grade dream job?

How?

I know we are getting close to having the second official hair cut but I don't know how I am going to keep doing this. I love this boy's hair and cutting the curls just makes my heart ache.

Beach Volcanoes

Supplies: one cup, sand, 2 kids, a bottle of white vinegar, a box of baking soda, and an afternoon at the beach.

Way back in July we bought stuff to make beach volcanoes but never got around to it. Now that the ocean itself is off limits because of the cold and sandy factor we decided to give it a try. The kids loved adding vinegar and baking soda to a cup surrounded by a huge mound of sand. Each time they set off the volcano they would giggle and gawk.

Next time we do this at the beach I need to let go a little more. Both kids are perfectly able to add the ingredients to create the volcanoes but my fussy mama/let's not spill the entire box of baking soda before we even get one eruption was in high gear.

Note to self: Chill mama chill. You're at the beach. It doesn't matter. You can get more vinegar.

Our Sandy Afternoon

I love being in a place where the best option to occupy two kids, one Grampin' and myself is to head to the beach. While Mario enjoyed a well deserved afternoon off watching his beloved Bills in Jacksonville, Grampin' and I took on the toddlers. After rest time we loaded up our camp chairs, packed a few goodies, and went to Coast Guard Beach.

It felt very adult to say "Go play!" to the kids while we sat but I couldn't resist a tiny race with Clare to the water's edge. Sure enough they found plenty to play during our visit. Grampin' and I ate sand sundaes, cookies, and pies. Next time I need to remember to pack a few wooden spoons, our old cupcake tins, and plastic cups.

They had fun. They got really tired. They played hard. And then we came back home.

Advent Preparation

Yesterday we made an advent calendar. We used miniature envelopes (12 for $2.99 at Hobby Lobby) stamped with green stars and decorated with red glitter. Each envelope will hold an advent activity on a white card. This flexible format allows for some parental reorganization of activities depending on the Mama's mood, the weather and available supplies.

I'll post the list of our 24 activities when I finish making them up. In the interim I am surfing the web for ideas and trying to remember childhood family traditions to include. If you have any ideas, please share!

Advent Calendar Ideas
#'s pdf and Advent Ideas

Shadows

I feel like I am a shadow of where I was a month ago. After surgery, the flu, and some nasty chest infection I was here but I don't remember much of it. I know that I still need rest but I am eager to enter the world again.

Tonight I went to the gym for the first time in a month just to go. I listened to my body when it began to fight me rather than the machine. I stopped. I took a mat into the studio and did a series of yoga asanas to rest my congested chest and my soul.

Over the past two weeks our family travelled to Buffalo (where I caught the nasty bug!) to visit with family. I even had a girls only weekend with a friend at the beach but lamented that I felt so run down.

This upcoming holiday season I want to keep things mellow. My body has had a rough Fall and I want to respect and honor my limits rather than test them. I don't want to be just a shadow. I want to be engaged, present, and active in each moment, especially the tiny ones. Doing less, buying less, and going less is the only way I can see to be more present. Maybe being present is the best present I can give myself, Mario, and my children this Christmas season.

Talking

8:55 a.m.
en route to pre-school

Mama: Wesley, are you learning about Thanksgiving at school?

Wesley: Uh-huh.

Mama: Are you talking about pilgrims?

Wesley: No. TURKEY!

I love those this is why I had kids giggle in the morning moments.

tired.

i'm going on blogging break for a bit but will be back soon.

Scattered

In my attempts to achieve clarity by organizational devices I am failing. Inside my bag, which hardly even qualifies as a purse these days, I have 5 different books. I should go back to carrying a backpack just to hold my calendar, journal, alt. calendar, blank notebook of to do lists and ideas, and food record book. Inside the bag I also have envelopes stuffed with coupons, mail, a squashed snack, my wallet, 35 pens, and some sort of book to read.

I guess I have all of this on the off chance that I'll get a chance to use it waiting in the carpool line but in reality that never seems to happen. I am carrying around a lot of stuff lately in my mind, on my body, and in my heart.

Filling up different books with ideas, lists, and dates seemed like a good idea to organize all of the things swirling in my head. I'm just not sure where to put the holiday ideas, the upcoming dental appointments, the phone number of the pharmacy, the new book titles I saw and want to look up at the library, and the lastest crafty idea I read about somewhere.

In addition to these little books I also feel like the same thing is happening to my daily documentation. My journal holds certain tidbits about my life, the blog holds others, my letters to friends near and far ooze details, and the new basic scrapbook pages contain others. I enjoy doing all of these things but I think it's time to figure out a streamlined method. I just don't know what it is.

To continue on the scattered note: healing. Thank you for all of the well wishes over the past two weeks. Today I am 2 weeks post surgery and I have a follow up appointment with the uro/gyn on Friday morning. I am hoping to get clearance then for some yoga, exercise and lifting the kids. Wesley has a little stool we put in the van to help him in and out of his car seat. On occasion, like this afternoon, I got both kids in the car to go to Sam's Club. When I got there I realized that I couldn't get the kids in the cart and walking with a very stubborn two year old prone to going boneless was not an option. We ended up watching a movie in the back back of the van while eating chicken nuggets until Mario could come and help with the shopping.

I feel good. I don't know if I have stopped leaking yet, a good run will be the real test. I have noticed that I h ave to urinate much more frequently and it kind of feels like my bladder capacity is less than it was before. I also have to really relax to empty my bladder which can be challenging in public restrooms with 2 kids in the stall with you.

Our Weekend

Wednesday after pre-school we headed out of town to St. Simons Island. The gorgeous 80+ degree temperatures drew us to the pool and the ocean for a few bonus beach days. We also got in the spirit for the annual Georgia/Florida weekend celebrations by wearing our very best University of Georgia gear.Grampin' earned bonus points not only for taking care of us right after surgery but again serving as a caretaker and too-cold-for-mama/I-can't-get-in-b/c-of-surgery water patrol. He joined them in both the pool and the sea for fun and games.

We should have spent more time at the beach because the kids ran wild! Having them just collapse each night of pure joyful exhaustion was a treat.

And of course we went Trick-Or-Treating in a friend's neighborhood. We brought the wagon along for that sugar crash that happened after about 1/2 hour. Wesley sweat it out in his fleece frog costume and thankfully we got Clare to opt out of the fleece butterfly for a princess because it was SO hot. My favorite part: hearing Wesley exclaim "More candy in bag!!!" after each house. Total amazement that people were actually giving him candy.