A hunting I will go

Town hunting.  House hunting.  School hunting.  Camp hunting.  Pool hunting.  It overwhelms me so easily.  There is soooooooo much information out there.  Truly, I can only take really small bites.  I found a new website for evaluating schools.  I had been using Great Schools, but this one is https://k12.niche.com/rankings/public-school-districts/best-academics/s/maryland/  The good news is the school district I've been looking at is top ranked.  It really seems to be spectacular.  And that's good, right?  Or is it?  The pressure.  Oh my.  I'm not sure if the internet is my friend or not.  I suppose I just need to keep in mind that my children are resilient and flexible and smart and funny and they are going to be just find no matter where we land.  Right? 

The Great Clothes Migration

The Great Clothes Migration took place today.  I say that like it's one main event.  It's not.  It's a torturous, and never ending slow trickle that sometimes springs a leak.  How does this relate to the move?  Well, normally when my twins outgrow something, it gets put into the 'consign' pile...wherever that may be.  Consignment sales come around twice a year...Spring and Fall.  And I've been doing them since the girls were little.  And if things don't sell one year, they get put into the pile and I try again. Until I get tired of looking at the same outgrown clothes over and over.  But there is always a pile of outgrown clothes somewhere in my house.  But this year, it's all got to go.  And I mean all of it!  So, once I do the Spring sale, anything Spring that we outgrow is G-O- N-E.  I swear.  It's really going to happen.  And all of the Fall stuff...it's going too, because I'm not taking it with me.  And it really is cathartic to get rid of all of that stuff.  HOWEVER, there are about 5 huge tubs of clothes that Rena has outgrown, but the twins haven't grown into.  Those are coming with us.  Sheesh.  It's never ending.  Oh, and I didn't even mention the entire drawer full of dance wear and gymnastics wear....and swimsuits!  I feel like I'm drowning in clothes.  But, for the first time, it really does all have to go.  That is one of the upsides of moving...clearing out all of the clutter without guilt.  It might even get this pack-rat girl to change her ways.....nahhh.

The packing continues

When I took down Christmas this year, I packed it for the move.  Not a big deal, really.  Just lots of bubble wrap.  And now I'm moving on to the next 'non-essential' packing...my (antiquated) professional file.  I taught Kindergarten for 15 years....that seems somewhat unbelievable to me now.  15 years is a long time.  And along those years, I tutored children in K-5th grades.  I have a LOT of stuff.  Just my activity books for Kindergarten filled a copy paper box.  And as I loaded those books into that box, wonderful, warm memories flooded me of all the children I taught over those years.  The sweet innocence of Kindergarten...elementary school...St. Timothy's.  What a wonderful place for my career to have taken me.  The students...the teachers...the parents... I cannot even begin to tell you how much I miss the little school where I taught.  There is a true ache in my heart...a mourning really...in having left there.  (I left to become a stay at home mom.  And I don't regret that choice, ever.)

The reason all of these things have been unpacked in the first place is because I was always wanting to supplement what my children were learning in public school.  I wanted for them those warm lovely memories.  One of my regrets is not being able to send my children to that school.  But despite raiding my professional file over the last 6 years, I rarely used any of it with my children.  They are so smart.  And they are busy...in a good way.  And I have been fortunate that their teachers work so hard to find ways to challenge them intellectually.

But as I was packing up all of these things for the move, it just magnified the fact that we are moving...all the time.  My children are outgrowing elementary school, that place in time where they are most protected.  That place where, if done right, is magical and full of possibility.  That constant need for me that is, at once, both draining and fulfilling.  Moving.  Growing.  New adventures.  The possibilities are endless.

So, I will continue to fill the boxes with the lovely spirits of the past.  I will store them safely away.  And I will try to remember that there are empty boxes out there just waiting to be filled.

It's gettin' real now, y'all.  We met with the realtor that will be selling our house today.  It was a good meeting.  The good news is we might actually be able to hope to get a little more out of it than we paid.  The bad news is it's not nearly enough to get us into a house we want in MD.  Lord, the stress.  It's going to kill me.  At the very least, it's making me bitchy.

So I can already start to feel the pressure building.  There so much to do....and for the most part, no one but me to do it.  And here we are in the second half of the school year for the girls.  They play basketball, they are getting ready to be in a play, they want to play softball.  So much to do all of the time.  And that doesn't even add any of my stuff I might want/need to do.  I have tennis starting back soon.  My last season to play with a team I've been playing with for about 7 years now.  boo.  I'm working on the Bingo committee for our school...actually, I think I'm the chair person.  I'm room mother for Rena's class.  I've got to fly to MD and look for places to live.  Arghhhhhh.  Too much to think about.

So, I need to break it down into small manageable bites...I just need to chew faster.

This is kind of what I feel like right now.  Only I still look like my middle-aged, out of shape self.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7cbVFQP4y2U

Starting over

A sweet friend messaged me about this blog today.  Even though I frequently put myself 'out there', I'm always surprised and somewhat taken aback when I find out someone is paying attention.  Her comment got me thinking. 

I want to document this move for several reasons and one of them is so that maybe someone else like me can read it and think, 'oh, I feel the same way!'  From my conversation today I told my friend this - "Making new friends, real friends, as an adult is not easy. And I feel like I'm at a time in my life where certain things should be on auto pilot."  And I do feel that way.  There is some underlying resentment about having to move.  Of course, right now, it's outweighed by the promise of what the future holds.  But that is the way it should be, isn't it.  The promise of the future should be exciting and overshadow irrational fears and stagnant behaviors.  

Because I've already moved against my will once, I was able to learn some things about myself.  I was able to let go of preconceived notions others had of me.  I didn't have to 'live up' to the person I had always been and people expected me to be.  It gave me time to give some thought to who I really was and wanted to be.  I don't think those people are so very different, but I was able to explore that without any pressure.  I also learned that I can do this.  This move isn't nearly as scary as the first one.  I remember talking to one of my lifelong friends after I had been in Georgia for awhile.  I was still very homesick for Raleigh.  And we were talking about some friend I had made here.  And she said, "Ok, you've proved you can make new friends.  Can you come home now?"  But the answer, sadly, is no.  I can't.  I have to keep moving forward into a new direction.  I will make friends.  I'll learn my way around.  And now I'll leave a little part of me in Georgia as well as N.C.  Look out Maryland, I'm on my way. 

Well I've managed to get all of my Christmas decorations packed and ready for the move.  At least I hope that's all of them.  Good googly moogly, I have a lot of boxes just for that one season.  And for the moment, I'm storing them in my dining room.  Hubby and I aren't exactly on the same page when it comes to the logistics of it all.  But for my own peace of mind, I need to start getting things packed.  Compartmentalized.  Don't think I don't know what I'm doing.  Next on the 'hit list' is my professional file.  I was teaching before everything went virtual, so I have lots of books and stuff.  And since my girls are just about to outgrow any material I might be able to use to supplement their learning, it's time for it to get boxed up.  And some of it, shockingly, is going to get tossed.  Tossed, I tell ya.  Will I ever use it to teach again?  Time will tell I suppose.  But for right now, I'm not willing to toss hundreds of dollars worth of resources.

My brother keeps pressuring me to rent a big dumpster and hide it from the HOA in my backyard.  He assures me it would be therapeutic.  He's not wrong.  But it's not gonna happen.  I'll keep systematically and methodically plowing through all my crap.  Trash comes once a week.  And for me, for right now, that's plenty.

Other than that, the only 'moving' event that has been on my mind today are the minor home repairs.  Those little things you let go while you are living in a place, but now that we are going to be selling, those things need to be addressed.  I think my one take away from this is that you need to make those repairs to the home you are living in.  Now I'll be paying for something for someone else to enjoy.  Same goes with furniture and decorations.  We've been in this house 9 years and we've never bought furniture or decorations.  It's never been 'finished'.  There are many reasons for that...3 small kids, big dogs, cats, no money, always something else to spend it on, a fear of decoration commitment on my part.  But now I think it's time.  And it's one of the things I'm looking forward to when we move.  I WILL be furnishing our next house.  I might have to hire help, but by God, I'm going to do it.  It is well past time!

That's it.  School starts back for the girls tomorrow, so once again I might have the opportunities to hear the voices in my own head.  I'm sure they will be discussing 'the move'.

It's a date!

So, I misinformed yesterday.  I didn't do nothing for the move yesterday.  Last night, I pulled up the school calendars for Howard County and Anne Arundel county.  And  Queen Anne's county.  (Kent Island!!!)  That way I could sync them with Forsyth's schedule to see when would be a good time to head north and check out schools.

We went up to MD this fall and Rena and I got to go into a middle school.  Mostly because I'm not afraid of rejection.  In this era of paranoia, I still went and rang the bell of the Middle School.  "Um, we are thinking of moving here and I just had a couple of vague questions I thought I could come into strange school at the end of the day and ask.  With my soon-to-be Middle Schooler in tow."  Buzzzzzzz.  What was I hoping to accomplish?  I'm not firm on the details.  A glimpse into the future, I guess.  Do your middle schoolers carry guns, knives, drugs, STD's?  Or are they smart, driven, awkward, innocents?  I suppose seeing one of them trip over her own feet walking to her mother's car answered at least one of those questions for me!  And Rena fell in LOVE with that school in the 10 minutes we were there.  Thank God.  And the office staff was nice to me.

It's hard enough to think about changing schools.   But to think about entering Middle School!  Whoa!  I didn't even need to have a for sale sign in my yard for that one to be a biggie.  We'll navigate it together, I guess.

And of course, I google-mapped, realtor.commed, and zillowed.  This time, Kent Island.  Which I hadn't really thought of before.  My brother lives in this really cool neighborhood in NC, quietly tucked away next to a million dollar neighborhood.  His family and friends meet up on 'the island' on Sundays, among other days.  Hang out.  Enjoy the Salt Life.  Where they are is a well kept secret.  I'm not telling.  And it's one of my favorite places in the world to be.  It has salt water, a current, and a sandy beach.  Except for a boat and a cooler of beer, you don't need anything else.  Part of me is seeking 'that'.  Maybe on Kent Island.


The search continues.

Bumps in the night

January 2, 2015

I've done NOTHING today.  Well, I've talked about moving.  To a couple of people.  And I dreamed about houses.  And in the middle of the night, when I couldn't go back to sleep, I tried to work out all the logistics of the move.  It's all consuming.  And I think maybe a little exhausting.  I have found the perfect house. 

It's here:

https://www.google.com/maps/@39.2026283,-76.8763742,3a,75y,180h,90t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1s0K1pCt_wA200x0Vm8vJOfA!2e0 

But it's not for sale.  And I have no idea what the inside looks like.  Or what the price might be.  But THAT is the house.

Aside from that, again I have tried to narrow the field for an area to live.  But instead, I just get led in new directions.  Oh, Kent Island?!  I hadn't thought of that!  It's kind of like playing Whack-A-Mole!

So what keeps me up at night?  A laundry list of things.  Mostly schools.  Are they good, but not too much pressure.  Will they be big enough?  small enough? Will I get to know the teachers there like I've gotten to know the teachers here?  What kind of extracurricular activities do they have.  Will the girls be interested in that kind of thing.  What will I do with the cats?  The dog?  The girls!  Do they have a gifted program?  Do I want my girls in the gifted program.  Do they offer reciprocity for teaching certificates?  Do I want to go back to teaching?  And there goes the next tangent. 

Tomorrow.  I will try again tomorrow.

The Year of the Move

January 1, 2015

This year holds many big events for me.  We are moving.  I am turning 50 and all of my children will be in the double digits.  So much change.  And that's only the stuff I know so far.

I am not a mover...or a shaker.  But really, the moving part...not so much.  Let me just give you a little history.  I was born in the house that I would live in until I graduated from high school.  I would briefly move back into that house after college.  I lived in the same apartment in college for 4 years.  I lived in my first house for 11 years and only moved because I had to.  I've been in this house for 9.  I'm only moving because I have to.  I was not blessed/cursed with wanderlust.

My husband took a new job this past summer in Maryland.  He was born there.  He is working for a company that his grandfather started.  He is excited about his new job.

Me?  I have so many emotions going through me at any given time, I can't even begin to sort them out.  I did make the decision early on that I would not be moving myself of the girls until the end of the school year.  My oldest is finishing 5th grade at a little school I have come to love...a story for another day...and my twins are in 3rd grade.  So I have had a lot of time to think about and prepare for this move.  I'm still not sure if that's a good thing or a bad thing.  I will say, I can only focus on it for short periods of time.  It's like looking into the sun.

I'm not unhappy about moving to Maryland.  I'm actually looking forward to much of it.  It took me a very long time to like where I live now, and even so, I hate my house.  And for a girl that didn't move around a lot, a house is a very important thing.  So far, I've pretty much only been focusing on the positive.  Maryland is going to be a pretty cool place to live, I think.  It's going to be drastically different from what my girls have grown up with so far, but not so different from where I spent my childhood.  I expect it's going to be busier...more formal....I'm not quite sure how to describe it just yet.  I'm excited to be looking for a new house, one that I can actually put some thought into.  The last time we moved I had 2 breast feeding babies and 3 in diapers.  I wasn't really able to think about much else.  But this time, I've got notebooks full of information...schools, parks, homes, rec centers.  Really, I just want someone to take me by the hand and say, here.  Here is the dream home you have been looking for.  Here are you new friends.  And here are the wonderful children that are going to influence your children only in a positive way.  Ha!  Well, a girl can dream.

The reality of it is I've had way too much time to think about this move.  I'm hoping that will be a good thing.  I've had time to over think and correct.  But, it is constantly on my mind.  I'm either thinking about what kind of house and where, which school, what sports teams, do they have good dance classes, will I find another tennis team, middle school!  or I'm thinking about all the packing and decluttering I need to do, or I'm thinking about the logistics of moving 3 girls, 2 cats and 1 dog 4 states away.  It really feels like mid summer when it's hot, humid and you know there's a chance of afternoon thunderstorms.  Every. Day.

So, it's finally the year of the move and it's time to start mobilizing.  I've had all the thinking time, now it's doing time.  Today, I started putting away Christmas decorations.  All organized and solidly packed for moving.  It is the first step.  My plan is to pack up all of the non essentials first.  We'll have to see how long that takes.  But, it is finally a little more real.  We are moving.  Leaving this community of people I have come to love and respect.  Friends I didn't even know existed 9 years ago.  And start all over.  Fuck.  Seriously, I don't want to start all over.  But it is what it is.  And it's a good move for my girls.  I hope.  I pray.  I worry.

So, you are welcome to come  on this crazy journey with me.  It'll be real.  And honest.  And I'm sure at times, brutal.  I'll be open to any advice about transition.  It's mostly new to me.

Well Hellllllooooo!

My goodness, it's hard to believe it's been almost a year since I've written anything. It's not that nothing is going on, quite the contrary at the moment. I guess sometimes, life just throws us down, rolls us around and it take a moment to get back up. Nothing bad has happened, just that rough wave of life!

So, I started a new job. I work twice a week at the preschool where Rachel and Riley go to school. I love it! I think the kids are super cool AND I love the other teachers AND it gives me just enough structure to my week that I'm not spending all day in pajamas.

March sucked for me though. Rachel got sick, then I got sick, then Rachel got sick again, then Riley got sick...and she was sick for a long time. I managed to make it to work 1 day out of my scheduled 6. To top it off, sometime over the long cold winter, I managed to get a herniated disk in my lower back. No real reason for it that I can figure out. But now I'm in pain constantly and I can't do half the stuff I want to do and the stuff I can do, I have to do at a much slower pace. Ugh. I'm not making a great patient either! But I am in Physical Therapy and I like my therapist a lot. So, we'll have to see how that goes.

When the kids aren't sick, they are really great. Just for a little catch up, Rena is in 1st grade and the twins are in pre Kindergarten. Life has gotten a lot easier in some ways and more difficult in other. But all in all, it's good.

I'm embarking on some new and challenging adventures that I have really strong feelings about. I've spent the past year starting an initiative at the elementary school to get parents more involved. I've also been nominated to be co-Vice Pres on our PTA and today I found out that I've been chosen to be on a board for our local parenting magazine. Those are really big mouthfuls to take. And I'm not the most organized person. Although I always managed to get the job done. Hopefully these will all overlap quite a bit. I'm excited, nervous and determined. Wish me luck.

North Carolina keeps calling me

Fr. Hale, the former headmaster of the school I attended and later worked at, turned 90 on April 15th. They threw a party for him and I thought it was as good a reason as any to return to NC, yet again. It just so happened that my nephew was also starring in his high school play that weekend too. Lucky me!

So, of course, I packed up the family and headed to Wilmington and then on to Raleigh. It was a busy weekend, to say the least, but it was alot of fun too.

First, we headed to Wilmington...about 8 hours from home. We got there in time to eat dinner and head off to the play. Rena was my date for the night and Blair stayed at my brothers with the twins.

My brother, father, other nephew, daughter, sister in law and her parents were all there for my nephew's play. It was awesome! I'm so impressed with what high-schoolers can do. The play was a lot of fun and you could tell that they all put so much work into it! Rena made it almost to then end.







My brother cracks me up. A little post-play entertainment! Too funny.

We got up the next morning and headed to Raleigh for Fr. Hale's birthday. I was really hoping to stop and see one of my Aunt's in Wallace AND to pick strawberries, but there just wasn't enough time. We got to the party just in time. I look like crap in this picture, but it's the only one I had of Fr. and Mrs. Hale. There were lots of old teacher, parents and students there. I actually expected to see a lot more people, but it was still fun and I got to see some people I haven't seen in a really long time.

My best friends mother was there. She happens to be my Godmother.

Beverly. Hasn't changed a bit. I've know this woman my whole life. She's quite a character. She and my mother used to work together and then I worked with her for years. I'm not sure what she's saying out of the corner of her mouth, but my guess would be that it's something obscene. I hope my children will have people with this much character in their lives.


Rachel and Riley practicing for their future in the music business. This was at my brother's house, where there's always something cultural to keep us entertained.



The last shot. I tried really hard to get a good picture with all 3 girls. They were done, though and in no mood to cooperate. I really can't blame them. We'd drug them all over the state by this point!



So the play was on Friday night, the birthday party was on Saturday afternoon and we had decided to stay in Raleigh that night instead of heading back to the ATL. We drove out to our old neighborhood and stopped by our backdoor neighbors house. It was so great to visit with them and catch up on everything.

The next day, we tried to find a strawberry patch to go picking but they weren't opened yet. So we headed out to the cemetery to visit my mother's grave and the graves of friends and family. Sounds fun, doesn't it. I always feel like my mother would be pissed if I didn't stop by. hahahaha! I know, it's kinda morbid, but what are you gonna do?

From there, Blair and I parted ways and I headed back home...he headed off to work. Monday morning, the girls were e-x-h-a-u-s-t-e-d! I woke Rena up for school and she just burst into tears and was sobbing while she got dressed for school. I decided she could play hooky and she went back to sleep for 2 more hours. Poor thing, totally partied out!

As usually, it was great to be back in NC. The whole weekend was so much fun and my girls, well they are troopers!

Here, fishy fishy!

My next door neighbor is a wonderful lady. Her daughter has cerebral palsy and they have found a wonderful school for her. That school had a fundraising festival this weekend, so we went to show our support for our neighbor, Ms. Ruth and her daughter Hannah.

The festival was small, but fun. I was quite impressed with all they had going on, especially since it's a small school. And I was really impressed by the teachers! Amazing people.

Anywho, at one of the festival games, Rena won a goldfish. Then Rachel and Riley won goldfish. Whhooo-hooo. NOT! I didn't need any more pets! But what is one to do with, now 6 goldfish in bags? On the way home, we stopped by PetCo to get the setup for the fish. I'm thinking classic fishbowl...pretty colorful rocks...the end. But NOOOOOooooo. Seems you need 1 gallon of water per inch of fish. 6 gallons! So we picked out a 10 gallon tank. (I'm sure you are familiar with the size. Most people probably have at least one, long forgotten, on a garage or attic shelf) Lights, a filter...each girl got to choose their own colored rocks, fish food. $80 later we are prepared to be good fish parent.

I should have offered the school $80 not to show the fish to the girls. ;) just kidding.

We got everyone home and all set up. We only lost 2, which I think was pretty good odds. The girls love them and check on them often during the day. The best part....I told the girls that if they stayed in their beds ALL night long, then they got to feed the fish. 2 nights of peaceful sleep. Maybe it was all worth it.

Busy, Busy, Busy

That has become the story of my life. How can one 'non-working' person be so freaking busy. Right now, all of my children are avoiding me. That is very good for them. The youngest has just pissed me off completely and I truly don't think I have been this mad at any of them, much less just one.

What happened? you ask.

Well, the elementary school had and Art night, followed by a brief PTA meeting, followed by a performance from the Chorus. All of that went great.

Then, I got up to go speak to the Principal. Rachel proceeded to pull napkins out of the dispenser and throw them at her sister. Then she mounted the stage and refused to leave. I managed to get her out of the building - literally kicking and screaming - only to have her dart back into the building, disappearing into the CROWD. Rena and Riley found her on the stage, yet again, where she was given a good old fashioned swat on the ass for her behavior. That's right, ladies and gentlemen, I gave my 4 year old a good ass-popping on the stage of the elementary school in front of, God only knows who was watching. By this point I had tunnel vision. I also had Rachel's attention for a brief moment. THEN she and her 2 sisters ran back out into the parking lot, across the street and to the car. I was still in the lunchroom. By this point, my embarrassment had turned to pure anger...an emotion I rarely feel. As I walked out of the building, into the crowd of people leaving the school, they crossed BACK across the street and headed toward me.

There was no talking on the 5 minute drive home. Once here, Rachel got a true ass-whooping. And was sent to bed. I'm still mad.

All of this madness while I am trying to speak to the Principal of the school and the PTA president, and the few parents that I know. I am mortified. Also an emotion I rarely feel.

I feel slightly better just getting this off my chest. What I'd really like, is the ability to carry on an adult conversation without constantly being on guard for a misbehaving child. Oh to be able to complete a sentence (I said put that back and get up off the floor) without having to insert an instructional sentence in the middle. People probably think I'm crazy.

Sad News

You know. You just know. No words really need to be spoken, although they always are. Because even though you know, it still needs to be said and it needs to be heard. The first step in making it real.

I got a call this morning from the school where I once taught. Before I even answered, I knew what it was about. A girl....well really a woman, I used to work with lost her battle with cancer. Mean old unfair cancer. She has 3 daughters. Now they have no mother. She has a husband. Now he has no wife. They do have a wonderful support system, and that's something. And she's no longer in pain.

I first met Lisa when she was hired to take over our Afterschool Care program. She was a little bit younger than me, but had grown up in the same area and she had that rare 'Old Raleigh' feel about her. She was smart and confident and she got things done. She became part of that St. Timothy's family and she brought her children into the family too.

I'm so very glad I got to know Lisa and her family. In some small ways, she's had a big impact on me. I know she will be missed and that she has left a big hole to be filled. I wish I could be there to show my support of both the Ham family and the St. Timothy's family. My heart breaks with yours.

Rest in peace, Lisa Ham.

Hello long lost blog. So much has been happening...nothing exciting, just the whirlwind of life.

So, a little catch up.

Fall is the most hectic time of the year for me. Between school starting back and 3 birthdays back to back, then Halloween, then Thanksgiving, then Christmas. No wonder my head is spinning. Add to that the economy and then pflttt! swamped I tell ya.


Well, here's a quick synopsis.

August:

Rena started Kindergarten. She loves is. I'm not a big fan. There will be a whole, independent post about that one day. I take her to school everyday and the bus brings her home. I wasn't going to let her ride the bus to start with, but the closer the beginning of school got, the more brave she got. I figured I'd let her do it if she wanted too. Why hold her back?

We went back to NC for our Family Reunion. It's the first one we've done in a really long time. I planned it and was pretty much in charge of it. My Aunt and my Dad helped out some too. It was alot of fun seeing everyone, but if we do it again, I want to enjoy it more. It was hard to just relax because I wanted it to go well for everyone. It did!

September:

The twins start preschool AND the have their 4th birthday all in the same week. They LOVE their preschool and so do I. The only go 2 days a week which gives me a little break. They would love to go everyday.

The volunteer bug evidently bit me hard. I am the co-president of the preschool parent association. It was lots of work to start with, but I think (well, I hope) it's going well. I love the other mother that is doing it with me. We've got a ying-yang thing going on.

The twins' birthday party was a water party. To hell with the water restrictions, it was all taps open for this. We had a baby pool, a slip n slide and just a regular old sprinkler. The cake was a cool little mermaid. They loved it. I was going to do water balloons too, but completely forgot! Oh well, maybe that's how we'll celebrate the first day of summer!

Next up was Rena's birthday. I did a camping party for her and made a cute little 'tent' cake. We had hamburgers and hotdogs, roasted marshmallows and beaded necklaces. It ran way over, but it was fun.


Then it was time for Halloween. A cold wet rainy Halloween. But we got our candy and we were happy.

November:

This year we decided to go to the Outer Bank for Thanksgiving. Grandmom and Grandpop's house. Blair was furloughed and then had vacation, so it worked out great. Unfortunately they had just had a big Nor'easter, so the beach was a bit of a mess. But quite honestly, I'm happy any time I'm near the ocean. It was a great week.

December:

Christmas. Need I say more. Of course you couple Christmas + small children + 'economic downturn' and it leads to a VERY stressful month.

As you can see, my Christmas pictures ended up at the top of this post. I'll fix it later. Right now, I've gotta get to girls off to preschool. You'll notice there aren't any other pictures. I lost alot of them in the big computer crash of the Fall of 09. Dammit. Luckily I have some on snapfish and some on facebook, so they're not gone forever. I'll try to get them over here later too.

So, There you go, see how busy I am! I'll be back and hopefully make a little more sense later.

Blogging before blogging was cool

In preparation for our recent family reunion, I asked people to bring pictures if they had any. I know that Shannon scanned some in for us. They are really old and grainy. I'll continue to look for pictures on my end too. If you have some you would like to post here, let me know and I will give you authorship for this blog, or you can mail or email them to me and I will post them.

So, that's Jim Bob and Rena in the picture above. I don't have a date for that picture.

I don't know if many of you know it or not, but Granny (Rena) used to write little articles for The Enterprise in Wallace. Aunt Devilla made some copies for me and I thought I would share them on here. I hope you enjoy this slice of life from the early '60's as much as I do. Unfortunately, the dates have been deleted from the article, so we can only guess as to the true date.

MY TRIP TO RALEIGH...

by Mrs. Rena Williams

Wallace, N. C.

I arrived home recently from my trip to Raleigh. I was gone a week but it was nice to get back home again, where I can see the sun rise and get a drink of water that doesn't taste like it has quinine in it. I always like a drink of water when I get up in the morning but I don't like bitter water. I know why people in Raleigh drink so much coffee - the water is so bad they have to flavor it up with something and coffee is about the only thing they can use and stay on their jobs.

I can't say I enjoyed my trip to Raleigh because my son stopped outside of the town limits and picked up two men who said they were trying to get to Greensboro. By the time they got in the car and shut the door, I felt like I was in a beer joint. The odor they had was so strong it almost made me dizzy. I wanted to open a window but it was too cold. I almost had a "crink" in my neck by the time I got to Raleigh from trying to look both backwards and forwards. I felt like I had to see what they might do and I wanted to see where I was going - and that was hard to do at the same time.

We got to my son's house about four o'clock and was his wife tired! She had been house cleaning and washing and trying to please their two-and-a-half-year-old son, who had been sick and wanted her to do everthying for him and wouldn't let her do anything else. I tried to be helpful and give her a hand, but I soon got out for the way, beause he wouldn't even let me look at him straight.

I used to have a remedy that would cure such spells but you can't use it now days for it will make the child nervous and it is so much better to be nervous yourself. He is a sweet child when he is well.

I didn't get lonesome for music or noise while I was in Raleigh as they have a TV, hi-fi radio and a boy - and if one wasn't running, the other was!

Another thing, you don't have to wear sun glasses to keep the light out of your eyes because the blinds are always pulled. If people used green shades like they used to they would sleep themselves to death, for they wouldn't know day from night. I really had to blink my eyes for three mornings up there for when I peeped out, there was a snow on the ground.

My son brought his movie camera home Christmas and took pictures of all the family and grandchildren opening their presents and I didn't have any idea everyone was moving around so much. It looked like you had thrown a brick in a wasps nest. Children were running this way and that way. I had often wondered what I would look like to myself, if I could see myself walking or sitting around, and now I know - terrible! But we did enjoy the movies even though they were more like comedies than anything else.

I enjoyed my visit and I didn't have anything to do but sit around and think about the day I would go home and thus I got to thinking that sometimes people go up there and don't come back home, so that makes me even happier that I am back home.

When I was up there over a year ago, I came home with the coffee habit and now I almost have the coffee nerves!

On to Grandmom's house. Ok, there's a Grandpa too, but he doesn't get referenced in the travel lingo.

Grandma's house is a pretty laid back place where we get to hang out with Grandmom, Grandpop and the dogs. And if that wasn't great enough, it's walking distance to the beach. Rachel actually managed to stay awake...at least for a little while.

Believe it or not, this is all 3 girls. Sound asleep. On the beach. And me, without anything to read.

Grandmom and Riley enjoyed some together time.

Rachel in her normal 'day at the beach' pose.

The water at Grandmom's is a little cooler that it is farther south. I won't go in at all.

A new form of catching waves.

We had some rain while we were at Grandmom's. Rena took full advantage of it by riding her bike through it....again and again and again.

Grandmom also hooked us up with some cool tickets to see Charlotte's Web down in Manteo. A live, outdoor play. Very cool.

See. There is a Grandpop. And he read us stories.

Rena was not deterred by cold water. Not at all.

Luckily Daddy's blood has a few Northern drops in it, so he doesn't mind the cold water so much.

Pure beach joy!

This one. Well, she's got attitude.

This is one of those picture that I wish I could reach into and adjust the subjects. If Rena was just a little further to the right, this picture would be perfect. But if there's one thing I've learned about THESE subjects, it's that they are not at all cooperative. I still like this picture. and I love the subjects!

This one! She cracks me up too.

On to Wilmington

The next stop on the vacation tour '09 was to my brother's house where we were able to settle in for the week. Ok, settle in is probably a misnomer. We hit the ground running with 3 boat trips and a couple of runs to Topsail Island where my best friend and her family were staying. I don't even remember the order of events, so I'll just comment on the pictures. Vacation's supposed to be one big blur, isn't it?

Riley and Rena enjoyed playing in the driveway, practicing their art skills with sidewalk chalk. I was mighty impressed that Rena wrote dog and cat all by herself. When I asked her what A-N-E-R spelled she looked at me funny and said, 'Rena'. Ah! How did I miss that?

This was a sandbar that had formed in the marsh near an inlet. HUGE sandbar. We came here twice. What a great place to hang out for the day. Of course, you have to be outta there by high tide! But in the mean time, there were lots of sand dollars to find sand to play with and water to splash around in.

Rachel contemplating the boat ride.

Rena enjoys the breeze.

My brother looking fit and fab as he approaches the big 5-0.

Miss Riley, always the fashionista.

Rena sorting through her bounty of shells.

A little post beach yogurt break.

Some bubbly fun.

This is how Rachel spent most of her beach days. My brother was worried that she was missing the party. I had to inform him the she is the party.

Soaring high. Seagulls seem to be able to spot small children as an excellant source of food from miles away.

This is the life.

Running with the gulls.

The sisters go exploring.

Next was my favorite island. We anchor on the sound side up in the marsh and then we can hang out there, or traipse across the little island to the ocean. I choose ocean! Great beach, warm water, calm ocean, blue skies. What more could one hope for.

Everyone brings their kids and dogs. Lots of friends show up. At first, I thought that it was cruel for the kids to be burying this dog. Poor dog. Then I realized that the dogs were lining up for their turn!

This was one BIG dog. And he's just a puppy. He wanted to play, but I think his size freaked the other dogs out.

Blair spent a little quality time in the waves with his girls.

I'm trying to feed my 'gluten-free-you-eat-too-much-crap-you-can-eat-that' spouting brother a nutter-butter. Maybe that'll shut him up.

This little boy hit the jackpot. 3 beautiful girls AND cookies!

Cousin Ryan snuggling with Rena.

a little game time on the beach.

This is Riley. But it looks like Rachel to me...since she's the one who's usually asleep.

I took the girls up to Topsail one day to see my friend an her family. She was here from Boston, so it was a perfect opportunity to see each other. Plus, I hadn't met her son. What a fat little cutie he is. I was dissappointed that I didn't get to hold him, but I think he was a little overwhelmed by the sheer number of people around him. We got to hang out on the beach for awhile and catch up. One day, I'll get to go to Boston again, and then I'm gonna give him a big squeeze!