Two Cute For Words

Almost.  

It seems I always have words.

This little man celebrates a birthday today and if you ask him how old he's turning he shouts TWO! I read a quote which I think is attributed to Jerry Seinfeld, that said having a two year old is like having a blender without a top. Sounds about right because baby boy is busy. 

Also chatty, adorable, hilarious, smart, and precious. 

Dear Max,

Nana likes to write to you and your brother on your birthdays. I like to look back at the year that was and at who you are now and marvel at all the ways you've grown and changed and burrowed yourself deeper into my heart. 

In so many ways it feels like time has moved at a snail's pace these past two years (thanks to lockdowns, pandemics, political divides, and the like) but you my darling boy, have somehow grown from squishy newborn to full fledged toddler in what feels like the blink of an eye. 

Wasn't I just boarding a plane for South Korea to await your arrival? 

We are so grateful you're back in our time zone and are now just a car ride away. A longish car ride to be sure, but still no flights to book, no airports to navigate, no oceans to cross. We always have a choice in how we see things and life is sweeter if you look for the silver linings.

Also, you're not technically in our time zone, but close enough. 

My absolute favorite thing about you is everything, but if I were making a list at the very top would be the way you speak in complete sentences, ask questions that show thought and logic and a firm grasp of syntax,  and then of course there is the way you tell a joke....'no chicken nuggets'...

Readers here won't understand that last bit but we do and I feel confident in telling you now that we'll be grinning ear to ear, repeating it just the way you say it at age two, forever and ever amen.

You might be the little brother but you can hold your own with your favorite big. You are rough and tumble, love to run and jump, throw balls of every size and sport, play with your trains, helicopters, cars and blocks, and in general do whatever your big brother is doing.

You are also super snuggly, love books read to you after you've backed up into the nearest lap, love your stuffed dog Noah and your Mickey Mouse, holding hands with Daddy and your head on momma's shoulder, and really just everything about your momma because she is somethin' special. 

You and your brother remind me so much of your momma and her sister when they were two and four. 

You are so much like your Aunt M was at this same age which means you keep us laughing, but also on our toes!, and always always our hearts full to overflowing.  

Happy birthday baby Wheel. I love you more than even all my many words can say. 

Keep spreading your sunshine wherever you grow. 

xo

Nana

"Stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong. Let all that you do be done in love." 

1 Corinthians 16:14-14

Nothin' Scary About The Hodgepodge

Welcome to another edition of The Wednesday Hodgepodge, our last in October.  If you've answered today's questions add your link at the end of my blog, then leave a comment for the blogger before you.  Here we go-

1. Is Halloween a big deal in your neighborhood? Was it something you celebrated as a child? With your own children? Do you like candy corn? 

It's not a huge deal in our neighborhood, but it's not no deal either. There are not a lot of young children in our neighborhood and the driveways are long and the roads a bit dark so not ideal for trick or treating. Last year someone organized a trunk or treat in the clubhouse parking lot which was fun and made trick or treating easier for everyone. We don't get trick or treaters at our door, which is just as well because I tend to buy way too much candy and consequently eat way too much candy. 

We did celebrate when I was growing up, nothing over the top but it was a fun day and much looked forward to. We always had a costume parade at school and then we trick or treated around the neighborhood that evening. This was back in the day when you wore those plastic masks that covered your face, had tiny little slits for eyes, and a rubber band that went around your head to hold it in place. If you know you know and if you don't, well you're young and lucky lol. 

My dad always carved a pumpkin but we didn't do any extreme decorating. Early on in my blog life I wrote a (very wordy) post about my Halloween memories. I've linked it here if you're curious-It Was A Dark and Stormy Night...

We kept it pretty low key for our own children too. Costumes and trick or treating around the neighborhood with the dads leading the way. We carved pumpkins but again, I wasn't in to a lot of Halloween decor. 

As far as candy corn goes...I can take it or leave it. 

2. Are you a scaredy cat? About what? 

Hmmm...we probably all have one thing or another that would qualify us as 'scaredy cat'. I have done and still do a lot of things many people would define as 'living unafraid'...international travel, swimming in a deep lake, public speaking, etc. 

How about traversing a gorge in a hanging cable car? I'm fraidy scared but I still do get on them and go so does that really count? 

I know...bats. I am a scaredy cat when it comes to bats. Shudder. 

3. Last time you were somewhere that should have been busy but felt like a 'ghost town'?

Maybe a restaurant on a Friday night that would normally be hopping but these days is not?

4. Do you like chili and if so how do you like it? Beans or no beans? Meat or no meat? Beef or chicken? Spice or no spice? Favorite toppings? 

I love chili and I love chili weather. I make mine with beans-meat-spice, but can happily eat chili all sorts of ways. I tend to use beef but also have a white chicken chili recipe that's tasty. We like spicy and then hubs also needs a side of jalapeños because there's no such thing as too hot for him. I like shredded cheese and sometimes a small dollop of sour cream on mine along with a side of cornbread.

5. Would you describe yourself as a night owl? What time of night qualifies? What are you doing while everyone else is asleep? Do you then 'sleep in'? Define 'sleeping in'. 

Ha! No. What's the opposite of a night owl, because that's what I am? I'm an early bird and love the wee hours of the morning as the sun is rising, not the wee hours of the night after the sun has gone to bed. My level of productivity goes way down late afternoon, and sleeping in for me would be 7:30. If I'm still in bed at 8 am I'm probably sick. 

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

"I'm so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers." L.M. Montgomery

So is the little brown dog...

Powered by Linky Tools

Click here to enter your link and view this Linky Tools list...

Hodgepodge Questions-Volume 439

Here are the questions to this week's Wednesday Hodgepodge. Answer on your own blog, then hop back here tomorrow to link your answers with the rest of the world wide webbers. See you there! 

1. Is Halloween a big deal in your neighborhood? Was it something you celebrated as a child? With your own children? Do you like candy corn? 

2. Are you a scaredy cat? About what? 

3. Last time you were somewhere that should have been busy but felt like a 'ghost town'? 

4. Do you like chili and if so how do you like it? Beans or no beans? Meat or no meat? Beef or chicken? Spice or no spice? Favorite toppings? 

5. Would you describe yourself as a night owl? What time of night qualifies? What are you doing while everyone else is asleep? Do you then 'sleep in'? Define 'sleeping in'. 

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

Monday Morning Quarterbacking On Monday Afternoon

So what's new with you on this Monday morning afternoon? I always intend to blog on Monday mornings but one thing leads to another and before you know it I've missed my window. 

We had a nice weekend here, busy and full to the brim with beautiful weather. Hubs made it back from his pheasant hunt without incident and I have a freezer full of birds to prove it. Now to think about cooking them. I need to do a little sleuthing and find some wonderful new recipes because it's been a couple of years since I've been in charge of cooking pheasant. 

Friday evening we attended a fundraiser for our local Humane Society, where we bid on a few things but didn't win. We settled for catching up with friends there we hadn't seen in person in a long while and that was fun too. 

Saturday one of my college friends invited us to a football game in the nearby small big city. Our alma mater was playing our daughters' alma mater which created quite the dilemma in terms of dressing. I mean our money went to the home town team but our hearts are always and forever with our college team. 

Our college team which is having a phenomenal season and remains undefeated so whoohoo! 

We settled for wearing all the teams lol. Hubs wore a hometown team shirt with our alma mater hat and I wore the home town team shirt with my alma mater jacket. 

Which I had to put on at the very end of the game when our alma mater pulled out a win in the literal last thirteen seconds of the game. Yay! But also kind of heartbreaking for the home team who were outplaying and winning almost the whole afternoon. 

Except for those crucial last thirteen seconds. 

We headed back to the lake right after to hang out with some neighbors who were hosting an at home tail gate for the Clemson-Pitt game. It did not go well. The game I mean, the tailgate was fun. Rough year for our Tigers. 

We moved to our own couch right after so we could watch our favorite Tennessee Volunteers take on 'Bama, and while it started off with a bang it did not end on a high note. 

Unless you're a Bama fan. 

Which we are not. 

Did you come here for the football scores? 

Sunday after church hubs and I took a long overdue fall boat ride. A picture perfect day on the lake and my favorite kind of boating...the quiet kind-

And just like that it's Monday morning afternoon.

Life In The Hodgepodge

Welcome to the Wednesday Hodgepodge. If you've answered this week's questions, add your link at the end of my post. Be sure to leave a comment for the blogger before you so the blog world keeps on turning. Here we go-

1. Do you (or did you used to) watch talk shows? Which are or were your favorite? 

I don't watch any talk shows currently. I was never a die-hard fan but (going to date myself here) I did watch some Phil Donahue back in the day. I also liked Regis and Kathie Lee in their early years. 

Hubs and I used to love The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson, but late night talk shows today are just another excuse to rant about politics so we don't tune in. 

2. Would you describe yourself as resilient? If so what do you think made you that way? If you answered no explain why? 

Yes I would describe myself as resilient. I've moved a lot and that's probably the biggest contributor, particularly living outside of America. Growing up with three siblings I'm sure plays a part too. 

3. What parts of life have surprised you the most. Explain. 

I'm going with retirement. It takes more figuring out than I imagined. I don't really even know what I imagined exactly...when I was a kid it seemed like everyone who retired played golf and lunched with friends. Life is so much more complicated than that. 

4. Why do you live where you live? 

Well it's beautiful for one thing. We're retired and can live wherever we want, we love the south, we wanted to be on the water, and you just can't beat the view-

5. A memory from this week that made you smile? 

Pumpkin patch pictures courtesy of these cuties' Momma-

I mean, seriously....

How can you not smile? 

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

Raise your hand if you've ever cooked pheasant? If your hand is up and you have a great recipe send it my way. Vegetarians look away-

Hubs has been in South Dakota with some friends and former colleagues and also his brother who was able to make the trip this year too, so extra fun. 

They'll bring home some birds and while I've cooked them before I'm always interested in trying something new. For the record I only cook them...hubs is in charge of plucking off any feathers that have to stay on through the airport checkpoint.  

Powered by Linky Tools

Click here to enter your link and view this Linky Tools list...

Hodgepodge Questions-Volume 438

Here are the questions to this week's Wednesday Hodgepodge. Answer on your own blog, then hop back here tomorrow to add your link to the party. See you there!

1. Do you (or did you used to) watch talk shows? Which are or were your favorite? 

2. Would you describe yourself as resilient? If so what do you think makes you that way? If you answered no explain why? 

3. What parts of life have surprised you the most? Explain. 

4. Why do you live where you live? 

5. A memory from this week that made you smile? 

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

So Happy Together

How is everyone on this spectacular Monday morning afternoon? I hope your weather is as lovely as ours. How can anyone not love autumn? 

Remember when I said August was busy around here? Well October is coming in a close second with grandchildren in the house, my niece's wedding with lots of out of town family here to celebrate, my momma staying on for a couple of weeks after, hubs trekking to South Dakota for a pheasant hunt and just so many everyday life happenings on the calendar. Whew. 

I guess life slowing down is an illusion and we're okay with that. I mean sometimes we want a nap but really we're okay with full. 

cousin crew

So...a week and two days ago my niece tied the knot with her favorite guy and y'all...all of my children and all of my in-law children and all of my siblings and my momma were here for it. I can't remember the last time all of my siblings were together. 

I want to say it was Christmas of 2017 which doesn't sound right but photos do not lie. We have been together in various combinations of two or three, but all of us plus my mom in the same place at the same time? It's been a good long while.   

Friday night hubs and I met my brother and younger sister and their spouses for dinner downtown. There was a huge and well attended festival happening in the small big city this same weekend so it was a little bit nuts trying to get ourselves parked, but we did it and we ate in a restaurant we hadn't tried before so that was fun. 

Afterwards we walked around some before meeting up with the rehearsal dinner crew, which included both of my girls and both of their husbands. This weekend was the first time my sons in law had met in person, which seems crazy and in any other decade would have been, but connecting in the 2020's has not been simple. 

The wedding was Saturday evening and the venue was gorgeous. Tucked away out of the downtown area, but not too far out of the downtown area, with a view of the mountains and a secret garden vibe, these two cuties said I Do. 

The weather was fabulous the entire day and the entire night except for the thirty minute ceremony slot where the skies opened up just a little. Nothing terrible although our hair might say otherwise, but on the literal bright side-

Not every bride gets a rainbow on her wedding day. 

Sunday morning Daughter1 headed to her in-laws to collect her boys and bring them to the hotel so they could meet what I'm sure felt like everyone in the universe. It was so much fun. 

I loved watching them soak up all the love a big loud funny family brings to the table, and it just made my heart want to burst. My own girls have so enjoyed and benefited from having lots of aunts and uncles in their lives who support and love them more than words can say and these little boys are the next generation to be scooped up into that embrace. So precious and such a gift, one I don't take for granted. 

My younger sister, her husband, and my nephew had a later flight out that evening so we had brunch with them downtown then they drove out to the lake and my nephew went swimming with our pup. Yes it's mid-October, but it was plenty warm and the water even warmer and he was a happy camper. 

So was my nephew-ha! 

My mom isn't flying home for another week or so and my older sister (aka mother of the bride) and I have been sharing time with her. My sister lives about an hour from me so there's some back and forth in terms of miles but we've made it work and it's been nice to have this relaxed time with my mom. 

Hubs has gone on the hunt for birds of the pheasant variety way out west so it's just us girls for a few days. We're working puzzles, playing cards, and soaking up the glorious weather all from the cozy comfort of my porches.  

I was reminded this weekend of how very much we need our people. Not just on facetime or via text, but in person, beside us on the couch, eating at our dinner tables, giggling over something funny or talking over some bit of everyday ordinary life because those things are more easily shared when you're skin to skin as opposed to screen to screen. 

We are made for being together. 

Skilled At The Hodgepodge

Welcome to the weekly Wednesday Hodgepodge. If you've answered today's questions, add your link at the end of my post and then be sure to leave a comment for the blogger before you. That's what good neighbors do. Here we go-

1. What obligation do you believe you have to your country? 

Respect the law, participate in the democratic process (vote!!), support our military men and women in whatever way I'm able, which includes standing for our National Anthem when it's played, pay taxes, be a good neighbor, care for the natural beauty found all across America. 

2. October 12 is National Farmers Day? Do you know any farmers? What do they farm/grow/raise? Are there any farm stands where you live? Do you shop there? 

My paternal grandparents were farmers and had acres and acres of land just outside of Denver. As kids we loved visiting out west...that's me on the left and my younger sister on the right and the cows just doing what cows do. 

We loved playing in the barn with our cousins, chasing the cat who could be counted on to have kittens on a regular basis, 'swimming' in the big metal trough, breakfast cooked over an open fire on day trips up into the nearby Rocky mountains, and the great big clear blue Colorado sky. 

I live in the country now, and surprisingly there are not a lot of farm stands here. Not like we had in NJ where I could travel a couple of miles in any direction from my home and have my pick of fresh produce. I do frequent the couple nearby but they aren't bountiful in the way I would like. Fortunately Daughter1's in-laws have what I guess you might call a 'gentleman's farm' and they keep us stocked in tomatoes, okra, peppers, squash, cucumbers, and my favorite-fresh eggs. 

3. What's a skill you think everyone should have? Tell us why? 

Basic personal finance, simple cooking and housekeeping skills, and the ability to think critically. Why? Because these are things we use every single day, and life is harder than it needs to be if you can't manage the basics. 

4. Favorite thing you've purchased this year? 

All things wedding related. 

5. What's your favorite place to visit in the fall? 

The woods? Not sure how to answer this one. A drive into the nearby mountain town for lunch maybe. We have a lot of evergreens around the lake but there are beautiful fall colors nearby. 

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

Y'all. These two cutie patooties who married nine months ago and have been living way way way up north in The Keystone state have taken a job promotion and will be moving to....drumroll please...

The great state of Tennessee.

Yes, the very same state Daughter1 and her family call home. 

After 11 years of living hundreds and then thousands of miles apart these girlies who are the best of friends will now be living within two hours of one another. 

And much much closer to us too!  Daughter2 wrote a post sharing her thoughts about it all, which you'll find here -(Big Changes). 

Happy Wednesday everyone!

Powered by Linky Tools

Click here to enter your link and view this Linky Tools list...

Hodgepodge Questions-Volume 437

It's that time again...here are this week's questions for the Wednesday Hodgepodge. Answer on your own blog, then hop back here tomorrow to share answers with the universe. See you there! 

1. What obligation do you believe you have to your country? 

2. October 12 is National Farmers Day? Do you know any farmers? What do they farm/grow/raise? Are there any farm stands where you live? Do you shop there? 

3. What's a skill you think everyone should have? Tell us why? 

4. Favorite thing you've purchased this year? 

5. What's your favorite place to visit in the fall? 

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

Boy Oh Boys!

We had the grandboys here last week so while Daughter1 and the Dr. Major were holiday-ing it up in Charleston, hubs and I were manning the fort here at home. 

These boys sleep like champs, and then wake up raring to go. There is no gently easing in to the morning with your coffee. It's more like whoohoo!! Par-tay! Let's build robots and castles and let's throw balls and race cars and ask all the questions and read all the books and sort all the shapes and then let's eat all the things and then whew, is it time for lunch? 

Nope. It's only 9:37 am lol. 

It feels like it should be time for lunch.

I have the utmost admiration for my daughter who does not turn on the television set, but instead is doing all of the above every single morning. It requires a level of self-discipline, focus, and intentional parenting that I think is amazing. When my girls were toddlers I'm pretty sure I woke up with my coffee and Sesame Street before we tackled any sort of playtime. 

We tried to plan a little outing each morning and while once upon a time you were doing this with your own children, you kind of forget how much effort it takes to get everyone dressed, pottied, shoes on, car snacks made, and car seat belts buckled before you're on your way. We forged ahead though and had so much fun with our guys. 

We took a 'hike' to a nearby waterfall where there's also an abandoned tunnel complete with an old train car sitting in the middle of the woods. Hike is a relative term when you're talking four and not quite 2-years old but they were troopers. 

We did not venture all the way to the bottom of the falls, but settled for a fun splash through the stream up top courtesy of Pawpaw. 

We spent another morning at a nearby attraction that is billed as a farm, but has all sorts of fun and games set up this time of year for kids of all ages. 

There's a huge corn maze but we thought that was a little too much for our gang so we walked in a ways, walked back out a ways, and called it a win. 

Max would have been just as happy to stand right here all day throwing footballs and baseballs at a target. 

He was also a fan of the rock wall and sometimes I forget he's not even two years old yet. He's a talker and a doer and best of all a snuggler. 

The mancub zip lined and then did it again and again and again. It was a nice height for a first timer and he did go fast. Absolutely loved it! 

His true love though is the water and if he did nothing but run off the dock all day every day he'd have been a happy camper. I swiped this picture from a video so the quality is not great, but ain't nobody got time for picture taking when there are docks made for jumping. And yes, you have to yell Cowabunga when you jump because that's the law. 

Nana and Pawpaw got in the water too, which is still about 80 degrees but the air was something less than that, ahem. All good once you're wet, and nothing tires a little boy out quite like jumping off the dock 847 times in a row. 

Tires a Nana out too in case anyone is wondering. 

Besides hiking and swimming and jumping and climbing and farming there were acorn hunts on the  neighborhood walking path-

Donuts the size of your head from The Donut Wagon (hi Momma...don't worry, we shared!)

There was pumpkin painting and playdough, not at the same time of course....

Basically we stayed busy busy busy so bedtime would be easy peasy. And it was...

Nana and Pawpaw were asleep as soon as their heads hit the pillow.