Family Day

On Saturday we met up with my in-laws.  Chris' sister, his mother, and his two  nieces.  We had lunch at Stevi B's and then went to the "Mexican ice cream store".  

I don't even know the real name of this place.  I've been hearing about it for years because Chris and his co-workers have a tradition of going there every year after Summer Xtreme.  They call it the "Mexican ice cream store" and go on and on about how wonderful the ice cream is.  

Well, now I know what the fuss is about!  That ice cream was amazing.  Really, so good.  They make it all from scratch and you can tell the difference.  My mouth is watering a little bit from just thinking about it.  I'll try to find out the name of the place, but it's on Atlanta Highway.  

After the most amazing ice cream in the world, we went to the YMCA to let the kids play.  Our original plan had been to meet at a park for a picnic but it rained that morning and everything was wet.  Plus, it's so stinkin' hot.  The Y was better.

The girls bounced in the bounce houses just played together while the boys and Chris played basketball. 

A little while later we all played a friendly game of ball that turned way too serious.  Ha! 

I took this picture before we the fangs of competitiveness came out.

We had a good day together.  We don't get to see these guys that much because we are all so busy.  It was a good day!

Father's Day Swim

We spent yesterday, Father's Day, together as a family.  We took Chris to lunch at Loco's after church and then we came home and rested.  We took a card up to my dad, who just came home from a mission trip on Saturday.

Then the boys wanted to go swimming.  It was fifteen minutes til seven at this point, and the YMCA closes at seven on Sundays.  Then the boys started begging to go to the lake.  

The lake.  Lake Lanier.  

I'm so squirmish about the lake.  So many people drown in there every summer and I'm entertaining the idea that it's cursed.  But The Hubs swore it would be okay.  And it was Father's Day, so I agreed.

I  must admit that the kids had a great time.  We just drove to a little spot near our house and they got in and swam for about 30  minutes.  Even Violet, who I thought would be too afraid.

The funniest thing that happened was when a man rode by on his jet ski.  He looked a little similar to a man we go to church with and Jordan yelled out, "Hey Mr Steven, can I have a ride?"  

Well, it wasn't Mr Steven at all, but it was a very nice gentleman who I recognized as a substitute teacher from Shaun's public school days.  So I didn't freak out (too badly) when he took Jordan up on his question and gave him a ride.  And then  he did the same for Shaun and Vi.

It was a good end to the day and I'm glad we decided to go. 

Spray Ground

The boys and I took Violet to the Spray Ground last week.  She'd never been before.  We haven't been at all in years and years. 

We had the place all to ourselves at first, and she had a ball.

The boys were NOT excited about this trip, but they didn't want to stay home, either.  I thought they would sulk and pout while we were there, but they had a pretty good time themselves. 

You're never too old, I guess.  :)

Memorial Day Parade '15

We went to the Memorial Day Parade with my sister and her kids again this year.  The weather was perfect- not too hot and lots of crowd coverage.  

Here's our crew, but I'm not sure why Vi's not in the picture.

This man brings tears to  my eyes every year.  He's in his 90s and still walks for his country every year.

It was a good parade and the kids enjoyed it except for Violet.  She was bored after about 30 minutes.

And of course, a parade's not a parade without the Shriners in their little cars!

Summer's Here

Tomorrow's Memorial Day.  School's out.  Summer's here.  

The last few weeks of school were tough.  One of the teachers at Jordan's school, (not his teacher- but we're a small school, so it felt like it was his teacher) was killed.  Suddenly, tragically, awfully killed.  An intoxicated driver hit him while he was biking. I didn't really know this teacher...Mr Fitzpatrick.  Mr Fitz, as his students called him.  I'd spoken to him a few times.  He was always smiling.  In fact, when we told Jordan what happened, he sat quietly for a minute and then said, "Mr Fitz was always smiling.  Always".  

This man was a pastor and had touched so many lives in the community.  Thinking about this makes me cry.  Of course, we know where he is now, but it's still awfully unfair.  

The next week, the body of a man we know was found one street over from us.  This man, we'd known him for years.  Used to go to church with him.  My son is the same age as his son.  He went missing and was found a few days later.  I don't know what happened, but it was another death that hit close to home.  

These events made for a very sad and strange last few weeks of school.  I was more than ready for the year to be over.  Shaun finished up his work so he's finished until July.  Jordan had his last day last week.  We're done!  Now it's time to rest and regroup.  

Potty Training, Take 2

About a year ago, back in June, I jumped ahead of myself and decided that Violet was ready to be potty trained.  

I wrote about it here.  

And here.

And finally, here.

And no more, because there wasn't anything else to write.  She wasn't ready.  Shame on me for trying to force her.  I learned my lesson decided that I was going to just let her do it on her own.  I mean, eventually she'd catch on.  Right?

Right. 

I relaxed.  Casually brought it up a few times, usually when she walked up to me and said, "I dookied.  Can you change my diaper?".  She was dead set against it.  

Then one morning a few weeks ago she woke up and her diaper was dry.  I told her that we were going to sit on her potty.  And she did.  She sat there for a minute and then her face lit up and she cried, "I'm doing it.  I'm doing it!".

The light bulb came on.  And she got it.  We started that day with the pull ups.  She did really great for awhile and then figured out that when you pee in a pull up... basically nothing happens.  So I took away the pull ups.  I had already taken them away at home, but was scared to go out in public with just panties.  I really, really hope that I'm not rocking the boat here, but she's gone 2 days in her panties and has had 0 pee accidents.  Just 2 dookie accidents.  The first one happened at church.  I was serving at the info desk and she came running up yelling, "Mommy, Mommy.  I dooooookied in my paaaaainties.  And peed, too!".  Can you tell she has two big brothers?  Ha!  She can't quite get the hang of number 2 yet, but I  know it's coming.  And,  have to add, that we've hardly been at home the past two days.  Lot's of errands.  She's used the toilet at Kroger, wrestling practice,  church, the YMCA.  I was afraid that she'd pee all over her carseat, but it hasn't happened.  And now she actually tells me when she needs to go.  

It helped when I realized that she really hated her cute little lady bug potty.  She wanted to use the toilet.  That's what she calls it.  The toilet.  Whatever works, I say.  

I'm proud of my little girl!

These past few weeks...

These past few weeks have been so overwhelming.  TONS went wrong.  It all started 2 weeks ago yesterday when Violet got sick.  She had been coughing and congested for a week or so, and at her checkup with the ENT, he suggested we start Claritin with her.  So we did, but it didn't help and she was a little wheezy, so I took her in to see the pediatrician.  By this time I had a cough as well.  The doctor said she was indeed wheezy and it  probably wasn't allergies since the Claritin wasn't helping.  He prescribed an inhaler and a steroid and sent us on our way.  That was a Tuesday.  By the next morning I was so tired and my cough was so bad I could barely breathe.  I went to the doctor and found out I had pneumonia.  What the crap?  That explained why I was so weak and out of breath, I guess.  I was prescribed an antibiotic, inhaler, and steroid.  

This was also the week that it rained every...single...day.  

So, life went on.  The next day, still hacking like crazy, I took Jordan to wrestling practice.  We pulled up to the school to find the parking lot overflowing and cars parked along the road.  Obviously, some kind of function was going on.  I dropped Jordan at the gym door and then found a parking space all the way in the far lot.  The rain had miraculously stopped and I put Violet in her stroller, tried unsuccessfully to find my umbrella, and then we walked inside.  Halfway through practice, Chris texted to let me know that his car wouldn't start.  "The battery", I asked.  "No.  It's something weird and electrical.  I guess you need to come pick  me up".  He was still at work.  When practice ended, the rain was pouring down in sheets.  Jordan, Vi, and I sloshed out to the car.  We picked Shaun up at my dad's and went to pick up Chris.  

I don't know what was wrong with the car, but praise God it started running again, one week later.  

A few days later, my washing machine stopped draining.  It was under warranty, but we had to take the machine in to have it looked at. The problem was that Violet's kitty cat sock was clogging the drain.  Easy fix.  But wow, can laundry pile up in just one day!

That same day, my phone crapped out on me.  My new iPhone 6 Plus, that I've had since October stopped working, for the second time this year.  We were still making things work with one car at this point, and there was no time to take in in to the Apple Store, and then Jordan came home from wrestling practice wailing with ear pain.  A trip to the doctor the next morning confirmed at ear infection, not the wrestling injury that we were afraid of.  :)

Since Jord was out of school  for the day, the kids and I went to the Mall of GA to have my phone looked at.  Funny thing... I didn't have an appointment and the wait was over an hour.  I was irritated and still kind of sick and just tired in general and  mad that my phone was messed up.  I politely explained that my kids and I would just wait, since Shaun had left his phone in the car and I couldn't leave a number to text me when they were ready.  I wound up only having to wait 10 minutes.  Another 10  minutes later I left with a phone to replace my "bad Apple".  Ha ha!

Okay, what else?

Well, my George Foreman Grill broke.  It had been faithful to me since I opened it up at my wedding shower.  It lived a long, full, life of 15.5 years.  

And, to top everything off, they killed off McDreamy last Thursday night.  What the heck?

What a wild ride.  On Saturday, Chris's car started working again, so maybe things will calm down at least for a while.