November BUGS

We knew it couldn't happen to us twice. The last time Amy and we tried to do our BUGS party like this, we ended up at the bowling alley. It was fun, but not exactly what we were wanting. Mother Nature was on our side this time. She gave us a beautiful day and painted the most gorgeous backdrop for our skeet shooting. Although most of the barrage was created by the guys, there were a few of us girls brave enough to venture up to the firing line. Even without shooting, ear protection was a must, unfortunately, my ears are still ringing! There were so many guns going off at one point, it's a good thing none of us are veterans, or I'm sure there would have been some flashbacks going on. Who knew it took $5 worth of lead to kill a 3 cent clay pigeon! That's 5 boxes of skeet, with 99 per box, with only seven left over equals a TON of shells! Thanks, Guys, for picking everything up. It made for a great Sunday! Amanda is lucky to have such a good coach living right under the same roof with her. If she goes after shooting with the same passion she puts into all of her endeavors, it won't belong before she is dusting every skeet that is thrown out there. We'll all have to practice a lot together this winter! Sue showed up ready to shoot - gun, shells, and earplugs in hand. And, lucky for us, she also brought the most delicious apple dessert in the world EVER! Apple Enchiladas, Rollups, Baked Pieces of Heaven, whatever you want to call them - they are, in the words of David Hump, "Like apple pie, only one thousand times better." Thank you, Sue, for bringing them. They even beat out the mac-n-cheese as Bryant's favorite dessert. We NEED that recipe!Amy and Jody were wonderful hosts (not to mention, an adorable couple!). And don't you just love her new hair!! We had so much fun putting this thing together with them. True to form, as we are wont to do when we host together, we ran over budget. But it was so worth it as Tidewater Catering came through again with their yummy BBQ and collards and their legendary mac-n-cheese. It's just like Mom always makes. Of course, it was the only thing of which there was none left over!And, naturally, what bonfire in The Back would be complete without a couple of Christmas trees thrown on for a spectacular show. I think these two were the final dregs from our bounty of two (three?) years ago. OK, everyone, your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to gather up as many Christmas trees as you can this year. Just let us know when you've got them and B will come by and pick them up. They can live in The Back until we can all get together again for another day in the country.
Thanks, everyone, for coming. We'll try to get out there again in a month or two, so get those babysitters ready! Maybe an overnight - a little camping?

And, before I finish, I would truly remiss were I not to mention that none of this would have been possible without the help of the Bairs and Moyles. Thank you for helping us set up on Friday night (Kak and Julie-champion torch setters), thanks for letting us use the skeet thrower (which we broke from so much use), and most of all, thank you so much for helping out with Reeves. You made it so easy to get all this done, knowing he was happy and well taken care of.

Hartsville 2007?

Bops,

Now that you see how good I look in camoflouge, can I come with you and Momma to Hartsville next year? I mean, I'll already be 2 years old then. Won't it be time to start training me in the rituals of hunting? I have it on good authority that my first few years I will remain unarmed, destined to be the bird dog, collecting all of the doves you and Momma shoot. But she assures me there will be Diet Coke cans for me to practice on, just like she did when you were teaching her. I guess next year is too soon, but when the time comes, I look forward to sitting in a stand with you, watching the sun come up. Until then, I'll just practice by picking up ALL my toys when Momma asks me to.

Love,
Reeves

A Special Saturday

"I need: to take time to visit more with the people who are truly important to me"

Writing this line last week really struck a cord with me. Why is it that I rarely do the things I need to do, particularly when some of those things are things I love to do? Going to see my grandparents is one. For the most part, I only see them when we are all together at a family gathering. This is terrible. They live so close to me, and yet somehow I can't find the time to go see them? What is wrong here? Reeves has three great-grandparents on my side. Three! That is amazing, and yet, I haven't taken advantage of it. Well, thank you, Nancy, for starting that TAG. Sometimes what we need is a swift kick in the rear in order to do the things we need to do.
So Saturday, while Bryant went out to work in the woods, Reeves and I visited. We went to Grandmother and Poppa's in the morning. It was wonderful to see them. We played inside;
we played outside, running between the hedges on the fromt walk, just like we used to do when we were children. Grandmother and I took Reeves on a walk to see the ducks. We didn't see them, but he did fall sound asleep in the stroller. I put him straight into the car, where he remained happily dreaming, kissed Grandmother and Poppa goodbye, and took off down the road, calling Mimi to see if she was home.
As luck would have it, she was home, so a napping Reeves and I took off to the Boro. Since he woke up as we pulled into the driveway, it took him a while to warm up to her, but it wasn't long before he was making toys out of all the things around her house and finding nooks and crannies she probably didn't even know existed, even after more than 50 years in that house. In true Mimi form, Reeves was put to work as the day wore on. No reason to sit here burning daylight, let's get this lawn mowed. Just kidding. Reeves was fascinated by the old fashioned lawn mower and insisted on pushing it and "fixing" the tires. Now, when he grows up, and we ask him to mow the grass, Reeves can officially say that he has been doing it since he was 17 months old, isn't that long enough. (BTW, he's 17 months old today. Monthly update - maybe.) As the sun dipped into the horizon, we began our trek home. It was sad to leave both houses, but I will always treasure this special day when my son and I visited each of his great-grandparents. We were both exhausted, but it was that really good exhaustion you get from spending the day with family, those people who make you feel completely comfortable and totally loved. And there is nothing like seeing the love in your grandparents eyes, not only when they look at you, but especially when they look at your child, and you realize that being a greatgrandparent must be three times as amazing as being a parent, and your mind cannot even fathom that because how could anything be more amazing than being a parent? I know time is fleeting, and someday I'll be the oldest generation in my family. I can only pray that my grandchildren will take the time to bring my great grandchildren to visit me.

Lobsters, Day 2

As a thank you to the Bairs and Moyles for all the help they give us with Reeves, we added on to our Little School lobster order and took them out to the country on Sunday. Even better than the lobsters was being able to spend a cool day outside, playing with the boys. They were too cute. We took a tour of Julie and Troy's house. They are getting very close. Sheetrock is up and floors are in. It is looking great, and hopefully they will be in by Christmas. Here we are at the top of the stairs. For those of you who know me, you know that I am deathly afraid of heights. No rails + no banister + 12 feet up = one very uneasy Kak, hence my deathgrip on the boys' hands. It's bad enough when I'm high up, couple that with having my child and nephew up there, and I am nearly shaking. But, we all made it down safely, no thanks to any nervous caution on the boys' parts!

Here's what we like to call our "Britney Spears" shot. Carseats! We don't need no stinkin' carseats!This is one of the few shots where you will find Reeves not trying to drive the golf cart. Grandy loves his boys, and they adore him right back.

So far, this is the best shot I have ever gotten of the two of them. It was a fleeting moment, but I was able to catch them just before Reeves tried to climb off of the table. (Actually, the dismount may have been starting in this picture!)

Anna and David joined us for dinner. We were also celebrating their birthdays.Reeves was determined to help his daddy with the grill. I don't think he yet quite understands that the grill is hot, but he's getting there.

Election Day 2006

So, I had this wonderful plan of waking up early yesterday. Getting Bryant up, and going and getting Reeves dressed and heading out of the door at 7:00. We, as a family, would stroll up to our polling place, which is about two blocks behind our house. Reeves would have his first glimpse at our country's democratic process. We would begin to indoctrinate him into understanding that it truly is his duty and privledge to cast his ballot in each and every election. Not only because it is apalling how few people actually turn up to vote, but because, really, if you don't vote, you can't bitch, and who can stand two years of not bitching about our politicians and the way this country is heading? I would probably even have my camera there for a nice photo op of the family. How great would that have looked on the blog? Maybe we would have all worn red, white, and blue, just to show our support for this great republic. (OK, probably not, but I did see a lady there with an American flag hat and a R,W, and B outfit on and realized that it doesn't mean she loves this country any more than I do. It just means that she is probably also the person who dresses up for each and every holiday in the corresponding, pre-planned outfits. "Oh, Arbor Day's coming up! Honey, go get my pine needle sweater out of the attic!")
Anyway, as you probably summized from my "So, I had this wonderful plan" line, we did not do this. How can you possible be at the voting place when you wake up AN HOUR AND A HALF LATE!! Why? Why? Why does this always happen to me on the days when I actually have something I want to do early in the morning? Any other given day - no problem waking up. I mean, I'm not a morning person, but I have grown up enough to know that sleeping in just because I don't feel like getting up accomplishes absolutely nothing. I'm usually awake long before the alarm goes off, but yesterday - either I never heard it, or it never went off. Who knows? Point is, by the time I opened my eyes and realized what time it was, not only were we not doing our "family voting", but I would be lucky to make it to work on time. It's just so typical.

I did make it to vote later in the day. It was not an entirely unpleasant experience. The line was not too long, and people seemed to generally be in good moods. I was only a little perturbed by the people who were taking nearly 20 minutes in the booths. I don't understand this. Do these people know absolutely nothing about what has been in the media constantly for the last two months? How can it take that long to press some buttons? It took me all of about 90 seconds. I was worried some of these people had passed out.

Oh well, maybe next year we'll be able to do our family voting thing. I should probably get in bed at 8:00 the night before, just to be safe!

Jodie, saw this and immediately thought of you! How great would that look on the back of the minivan? Of course, we couldn't let you park in our driveway anymore, but we'd pick you up from the parking lot down the street.

Tag, You're It

Thanks, Nancy, for the tag. I am now tagging Caroline S, Jodie, and Gwen. Looking forward to your answers!

I am: a mother, wife, daughter, sister, grandaughter, aunt, cousin, godmother, friend
I want: oh my goodness, SO many superficial things, but beyond those, to raise my child to have a love of the outdoors, a strong Christian faith, respect for others, love for his family and friends, a quick wit, and an amazing golf game - good enough to get him on the PGA tour so that his father and I can travel around the world and watch him play
I have: an amazing son, a wonderful husband, and a good sense of humor
I wish: I were a little less talk and a lot more action
I hate: having to work and not being able to be with Reeves during the day
I miss: days when all I had to worry about was whether we would win our basketball game and if I had done all of my homework
I hear: how crazy Tom Cruise is and that he's in the closet and all the Scientology crap
I wonder: if any young girl watching Top Gun really cares about all that
I regret: not taking advantage of my college years like I should have
I am not: a good singer, but am cursed to know all the words to almost any song I have ever heard
I dance: with Reeves and Bryant and occasionally, with a little liquid courage, in a group with my girlfriends
I sing: only by myself or with very close friends who have heard my cackling before
I cry: so much more now that I am a mother - not because I'm depressed, but because any story or picture or song that has anything to do with anything happening to a child makes me think, "OMG. What if something like that happened to Reeves?" It's too easy to sympathize with those parents now.
I am not always: good about RSVP'ing to parties
I make with my hands: crossstitch squares, Christmas stockings, fences
I write: on the blog, but elsewhere, not as often as I should
I confuse: Bryant (and others) with which drink I will take in which cup. Regular Coke in a glass or straight out of the can, unless it is a fountain Coke, then I will take it in a plastic cup but still prefer styrofoam to plastic. Diet Coke I will take in any type of vessel, unless it is a fountain Diet Coke, then I would just rather not have anything because I cannot stand fountain Diet Coke. Milk must be in a glass, not a plastic cup.
I need: to take time to visit more with the people who are truly important to me
I should: be more thankful for the things I have
I start: A tag
I finish: A tag

Halloween 2006

Our Halloween festivities started with the carving of the pumpkin on Monday night. Reeves was very intent on watching Daddy open this orange orb that had been sitting in our kitchen for two weeks. He was intrigued by the strings and seeds, but not so much so that he felt he needed to touch it more than once. By some twist of fate, Mama ended up being the one to scoop out the guts. I'm still trying to figure out how this happened! I'm supposed to be the one with the camera in her hands, not the one with her hands in the pumpkin! Reeves was there to supervise Anna and me. Try as we might to get him to help, he would only watch.
Before carving the pumpkins, we headed over to the barn to see the horses. We were at Anna's sister's house, and they board and coach the CofC Riding team. So there were plenty of horses for us to visit, and Reeves made sure we visited each one. We tacked our way back and forth up and down the barn.
Reeves was anxious for some action other than checking out the insides of pumpkins (been there, done that now), so once we bundled him up against the cold night air, he grabbed Anna's hand to drag her to the barn, insisting to walk across the jump ring rather than around it, as we were all doing. True to form, Reeves was not scared of these gentle giants at all. He even let them eat right out of his hand. We couldn't believe it!
Possessing absolutely no artistic abilities, coming up with a design and carving the pumpkin is quite difficult for me. Thankfully, Bryant does have a bit of a creative mind, so there's hope for Reeves yet to enjoy his art classes. Here is Reeves admiring the final product. He, of course, loved watching the candle flicker inside the pumpkin, then blowing it out, and having Daddy light it again and again. On Halloween night, we headed out to the country for the trick-or-treating hayride. I, of course, got stuck in every possible bit of traffic because the drivers around here are complete idiots with no concept of how to drive by an accident without stopping to gooseneck, all the while secretly hoping to see at least a little bit of blood and gore so that they can go home and tell their families, when the news coverage comes on, "Oh! I was there, right after it happened. I SAW the guy being put in the ambulance! I swear!" What a morbid fascination.
Anyway, swerving back on track.... I got out there so late that I had to park at Julie and Troy's and meet the hayride along the way. Reeves was halfway through a lollipop when I got on, so I was instantly covered in stickiness for the rest of the night. Good thing the little jacket I had on is dry clean only! (I should have known better, but it's hard to think about what you are wearing that night at 7:00 in the morning, forgetting you aren't going to have time to stop by the house before the candy gathering!) By chance, Julie had picked out a dinosaur costume for Preston that was very similar to Reeves' dragon. They were too cute together. And, i couldn't believe it, but both actually preferred to have the heads on!Here is the gang from the hayride. The children all love it, but it is equally as enjoyable for the parents. And thank heavens for the cool weather!
Of course, Reeves was only content in the hay for so long. It wasn't long before he was wanting to be the one driving the gang around!

What's in Your Bathroom Cabinets?

This is what happens when you forget to put the locks back on the cabinet doors. Leeze came over to play on Saturday morning, and suddenly, we realized it was much too quiet in the house. Looks like these two are already plotting some sneaky schemes together. Can't wait to see what they come up with as their cognitive abilities improve! This may have been the most fun game of Peek-a-Boo ever! And believe it or not, there was not one smashed finger!