We're still here.

I'm sure everybody's wondering where we've been.  Two words: potty training.  OK, maybe that doesn't really mean anything special, so how about three words: potty training twins.  Still not impressed? How about four words: potty training twin boys.  Never fear, we are trained . . . for the most part.  Since the boys still don't feel the need to talk, I have to interpret grunts.  Sometimes the "I've gotta go" grunt sounds very similar to the "I want what he has" grunt.  If I'm right there with them it is easy because the grunt always accompanies the hand holding the privates stance.  However, if I'm in another room, not so easy.  Probably more of a visual than you needed this morning.  Since I always seem to stir up some kind of "incident" here is what we concocted yesterday.  We (kids and I) went to run errands for Ben's Birthday and to find backpacks, lunch boxes, etc. for school.  We stopped at Target and, after a lengthy process of getting the kids out of the car(if you don't understand, take Ally and the boys out someplace) we had a decent shopping experience.  We dropped by Mom's house for some leftover hamburgers and hotdogs and let the kids hang out a little.  We left(and should have gone home for naps) and went over to Bridge Street.  We walked  around a little and then decided everybody was hot and maybe a little cranky, so we headed to Barnes and Noble.  The girls headed to the kids area and after a quick review of the Goode safety policy concerning strangers, I went to get a drink.  I got a Venti(large) Strawberries and Creme Frappacino.  It was so good.  The boys and I made our way back to the Thomas train play area and Joshua needed to go potty.  Hayden watched Caleb and we went and came back.  While we had been out looking around at the stores, some workers gave us 4 water bottles.  I didn't realize it until our trip to the potty, but Joshua had dumped half of his down his back and his wet shorts and underwear were bothering him.  So back at the stroller, I decided to change his clothes.  I set the Venti drink on the arm of a chair close to us and began stripping Joshua.  In the middle of getting his clothes on, he fell a little and I slung my arm out to catch him and knocked the Venti drink all over the floor.  I asked Hayden to run to the potty and get some paper towels.  Not sure what went through her mind at this point but she returned with 2 paper towels.  Maybe she didn't see the whole spill or maybe she thought these were the super deluxe towels that clean up major spills with 1 towel.  I asked her to return to the bathroom and she returned with plenty of towels.  You might be wondering where Ally is at this point.  I was too.  So there I am, blue jean skirt, sweating like a pig, cleaning up this Venti pink drink.  The security guy was surely getting a good laugh watching the cameras in the kids area.  I am most positive I showed my underwear several times in getting up to help Caleb reattach the trains and then returning down to my mess.  I mean I couldn't let the little guy scream in frustration while other patrons were trying to read and relax.   Meantime Hayden is having difficulty finding any books she would like to read.  I make several suggestions, each met with a definitive No.  Oh, yeah, where is Ally?  She is on the other side of the kids area, leisurely sitting in a chair, reading 20 or so books.  I told her it was time to join the rest of the family.  We only made it another 5 minutes and I decided we needed to go.  On a positive note, we made it to the car before the rain hit.  Another bit of important information, this is the Barnes and Noble that Ben frequents for his coffee.  He was quite concerned about his reputation after I told him our story.  Don't worry Honey, I didn't wear my monogrammed underwear yesterday!!

Boys Party.

Our wild week ended with a bang as we celebrated Caleb and Joshua's 2nd Birthday.  We invited everybody over for an afternoon cookout.  But first, Ben had to wash his truck.  I realized early Saturday morning that it was driving him crazy that his truck was sitting there, dirty.  I gave him 30 minutes ALONE, just him and his truck, to bond.  You might be wondering if 30 minutes was enough to wash his truck and my van.  No.  Guess which didn't get washed.  And yes, it took him more than his allotted time limit.  Back to the story.  We had a race car theme since the boys seem so drawn to cars and trucks.  I made the cakes.  They were race tracks with 2 little hot wheels racing around each.  Yes Dad they were giant eights, figure eights, and no, the little white candies were the lines in the road, not the cars.  The cars were the cars.  We had hotdogs, hamburgers and all the fixings, opened presents and ate cake.  It looked like Christmas with all the gifts, but they still fight over everything.  You'd think there would be plenty to play with . . . who was it that said they would share?  So our family has officially entered the terrible twos times two.  Pray for us.  Soon it will be potty training times two!

CRAZY week.

Our crazy week continues as it is Vacation Bible School for our church.  I am teaching 3rd grade which is Hayden's class.   We have 30 in our group and the majority is boys.  You would think this could lead to a very wild class, but they are a great group.  They play hard at recreation time and listen well during Bible study.  I need to note here that even though I am an old lady with 4 kids, I can still smoke 9 year olds in a running race!  Go me!  We also had one incident where a kid in my class got hurt at recreation yesterday.  I had left the kids at the rec. field to go put my bag in the Bible study room.  On my way, I ran into a girl in our class that was running late.  I took her to join the rest of the class.  As I approached the field, I noticed a boy laying in the field with 3 youth "leaders" hovering over him.  I started trotting towards them and asked," Is he hurt?"  Yes.  I picked him up and saw that he was sobbing and had chipped his front tooth.  We got him over to the VBS nurse and ride for the week.  His Mom came and took him to the dentist and he was able to return today.  I'm just thankful I came back to the field and found him or he could possibly still be laying there today with the 3 youth still looking at him!  

I have prayed for this group many times before this week.  I really felt that I needed to concentrate on the lessons instead of the "fluff" that sometimes goes along with it.  I think we have several that are searching for the answers and don't really have guidance at home to help them find what they are looking for.  I pray that Capshaw will keep contact with these kids and their families.  

I've had a good time so far at VBS and hope that next year I won't get in trouble with the other workers like I have this year.   Who knew that sitting with my class makes a bigger impression on them than standing beside them?  Can we say "chill out?"  I think my kids had a good time and I may have found a potential babysitter for the boys.  A young girl that helped in their class has fallen in love with them and she really impresses me each day I pick up the boys.  She is so calm and organized . . . unlike some of the adults in the room.

Tokyo . . . again.

We have a family tradition that on your Birthday, you pick where we all go eat to celebrate.  Hayden loves Tokyo.  We have been there(or similar restaurant) for the past 4 years.  It is the kind of place that cooks in front of you, with some knife slinging and humor.  Thanks family for "enjoying" the celebration one more time at Tokyo.  I wish the boys had liked it more . . . I'm guessing  in coming years, when fire is one of the joys of boyhood, they will like it a whole lot.  Right now, not so much.  Hayden had a great time and it is fun to see her excitement each year.  I know some of you may have had some digestion issues after dinner, but again I say thanks and when it is your Birthday, you can pick where ever your little heart desires!

Proof he was with us . . .

The elk river will never be the same.

Ben has been wanting to take the kids outside away from TV, Nintendo DS, toys, etc.  He suggested canoeing and that's just what he got for Father's Day.  I planned a "little" 2 mile trip down the Elk River.  Let me add that I organized this trip, which is close to Fayetteville, around picking up his truck on our way home.   I'm all for a party.  The more the merrier.   I decided to invite my father(remember the Big Nasty) and my sister(Robin - you probably recall her being mentioned in previous stories) and her family.  I arrange for 4 canoes at 9AM Saturday morning.  The canoe rental place is about 1 hour 10 minutes from our house - 40 minutes from Dad's house.  In other words, we need to leave by 7:30AM(to include a stop at McDonald's) to be on the road from Dad's house by 8:15.  Not really early for us, but definitely early for Dad on a Saturday.  When we pick up Dad, he is on his porch waiting with a roll of paper towels to take.  He's travelled with us before!  We finally arrive at the Elk River Canoe Rental with about 5 minutes to spare.  I must admit I was getting a little concerned that our driver and co-pilot weren't going to get us there since they were talking so much and we didn't have Dad's GPS with us.  Let me give you the sights and smells of this place.  We park in this big once a pasture kind of place along with several other people. My father pops out and begins his smoking regimen.   I don't see a building.  There are big white no seat belt type vans with trailers of canoes.  I still don't see a building.  There are a couple of big dirty dogs laying around(my kids plus Erin pet them all).  Where is the building?  Someone that seems like he might be in charge is giving the weather forecast to include rain and hail to arrive at noon.  The man disappears, I'm guessing to the building and the other group decides to camp today and paddle 6 miles tomorrow, instead of 7 today, 7 tomorrow.  Aren't we possibly going to get wet anyway?  Bring on the canoes.  Ben and Stephen start filling out papers which I'm hoping were some kind of safety for the family papers.  They disappear(building?)and finally reappear with life jackets.  Robin takes the older kids to the bathroom.  I don't think mine really go because they are so mortified by the spiders and webs and the possibility that something could come up out of the toilet and bite them.  They aren't used to the outdoors and  becoming one with nature.    We load up in the big white vans and head to our point of entry.   Once there we all prepare ourselves, which includes a final cigarette and the fitting of life jackets.  Erin, Hayden and Spencer get loaded first.  Next is Ally, Owen and Dad.  Dad is steering.(is that what you call it in a canoe?).  I'm up next - Ben first, then the boys, then me.   Robin, John and Stephen are last.  Did I mention there were signs all over the place about this being a "STRESS-FREE" zone?  Somebody should have told Caleb about the signs.  He screamed the first 5 minutes.  Once we were on our way, everybody started relaxing and enjoying the scenery.  Words cannot describe the laughter I felt when boat #2(Dad,Ally,Owen) needed to have a position change.  Owen and Ally were trading places so Ally could have a chance to paddle.  She had been sitting down in the middle of the canoe while Owen and Dad paddled.  She was anxious to get in on the action.  The kids did a great job staying low and moving slowly.  I really thought(and Dad did too) they were toast - but they kept it slow and steady.  After a little while, Joshua started getting a little too into the canoe thing and wanted to paddle - by himself and standing up.  Ben was in charge of Caleb and I got Joshua.  We fought over the paddle for a while and then decided that Boat #2 needed it.  Especially after Dad had given Ally and Owen control over the canoe and they ran up onto a branch of a tree.  He was trying to get in a couple of smokes even though we told him Smokey the Bear was watching.  The rest of the trip was pretty uneventful except for Robin and her parasol and the big kids stopping so Spencer could take a potty break.  We "landed" and some of the kids jumped in the water even though it was extremely cold.  Once back at the cars we had a little snack and changed our clothes.  We loaded up and headed out to find lunch with Robin and Stephen in the lead.  They picked Sonic.  I like Sonic.  Ben likes Sonic.  The kids like Sonic.  Dad doesn't really have a "happy" expression on his face but decides to try it.  Yes, my Father has never had Sonic.  I think it would have been a better experience for him if we had stopped him from going into the bathrooms.  You had to walk through the kitchen to get to them.   I'm pretty sure grease is the main ingredient in most items at Sonic.  We eat, visit, Dad declares Sonic an "Ed-Free" zone and we load up to leave.  We stop in Fayetteville to pick up the truck, drop Dad off in Hazel Green and return to Madison.

I hope this was the "family, outdoor, stress-free" Father's day present everybody wanted.  I think I'll stick with the Mommy Spa for Mother's day, but I would love to go canoeing on another day!

Just so you know . . .

We tried our luck at Chick-fil-a again today and nobody required stitches.  Yeah for us.  I did call Robin on our way to let her know she needed to get showered and dressed just in case.  Thank goodness we played without injury (which is a major feat with 4 kids running and chasing each other) and were able to go on to Publix for groceries.  Three orders of chicken minis, 3 orders of hashbrowns, 1 burrito, 4 cokes, 4 cookies and 1 balloon( started with 4, lost one in the store, 1 in the parking lot and 1 popped on the way home) later, we are safe and sound at home. . . I hope.