What a DAY!

Yesterday morning started out luxuriously cool. I suppose it should have been a warning to me, but I wasn't really paying attention to warnings. I was excited because it meant that Tanner and Jonathan could finish the very last wall with a hole in it. I dropped Kate at school and made a quick food shopping run, and then I came home. Georgie was already taking her morning nap, and Reagan was quietly playing in the living room. Jonathan was taking a crowbar to our nailed in window. Tanner helped me in with the groceries, and then headed out to the shed to get all the necessary equipment for the day.

I turned off the front air conditioner and opened the doors and windows. We kept the back one on even though it was right where they were working, but we figured it would manage to keep them cool. I hated the idea of cooling down the outside world, but the morning started to heat up fast, and I knew that it was cool the outside world or the wall wouldn't get done. A few minutes into unpacking the groceries and I heard Jonathan say, "Oh, that's gross." And then Tanner said, "Noelle, don't come back here right now, okay?" I finished unpacking the groceries, and when they gave the all clear, I poked my head into the back room. The had pulled the sheetrock off of one section of the wall and on display was a lovely rat's nest. They had apparently found a couple of dead rat's when they opened up the wall, but thankfully no living ones.

After that brief drama, they sawed and nailed and screwed things in all the rest of the morning. They were done by the time I had to pick up Kate from school. Well, let me rephrase that. They had the hole plugged. No insulation. No sheetrock, but the hole is plugged. I consider that a done deal. So, I left the two little girls with Tanner. Because I wanted to spend some alone time with Kate. Tanner told me to be back by 4:00 because he had planned for some guests to come over. I was incensed! How could he do this to me? My house was a wreck from all of the construction and the front room was messy because the kids had carted half of their toys there because they couldn't play in their bedroom. He swore he would clean the house. I asked him who was coming, and he said he had promised Jonny not to tell me, but that it was someone he had met at church.

Huh? I crossed my fingers. Maybe Jonny had made a new friend! Yay, for him, but I was going to have to have a serious talk with him about arranging for friends to come over to our house, like, hey, dud, give me some notice here so that I can make snacks and stuff like that. Well, I headed out to pick up Kate and spend some time with her. We stopped at Peir One, and World Market and Bed Bath and Beyond. We got candy for movie night. Then we headed home. I was impressed with the tidying up job that Tanner had done. The back room was still a complete disaster, but at least the living room was picked up and the kitchen was semi clean. We put all the girls down for a nap and took a walk.

When we got home, I opened the door, and as probably all of you know by now, there was my sister, Joanelle, standing in my living room. She and Emma had come on a surprise visit. Trust me, I was crying. So, we hung out for the afternoon, Joanelle getting all sweaty and hot. Emma and Kate went outside to play, but Emma only lasted about 5 minutes. She said it was too hot out. I chuckled because it was a pretty cool day. I mean, Tanner and I had thought it was cool enough to go for a walk, and I don't let the girls play outside on hot days. I gave her water and made her drink it.

We found a great restaurant to have dinner, near a huge fountain with a promenade so that the girls could run and scream if they wanted. I had debated on whether to wear a sweater or not because the evening was cool, and I wish I had. I was shivering by the time we went into the restaurant. Joanelle was sweating. She couldn't believe that my hands were dry. It really was cold. We had a cold front roll in that took the evening temperature down to 74. Brrrrrr. After dinner, Joanelle took Kate and Emma to the hotel, and I went home to grab clothes and popcorn and candy. I also changed into warmer clothes because I realized that Joanelle was probably going to turn on the air conditioner. Even then, I was freezing in her room. We let the girls have their movie night, and around midnight Tanner and I took Reagan and Georgie home.

Thanks for my surprise AND for my RICE COOKER! Whoop! Now, perhaps my rice will turn out correctly. If not, I'm going to have to special order Homai.

Hump Day

I'm getting excited that the weekend is coming, and Kate will be able to spend a WHOLE day with the family. Boy, do I miss her. I miss her in the small things, like telling me that Georgie has a poopy diaper or Reagan needs to go potty. I miss her in the fun things like gyrating to Uncle's music with Reagan. I miss her in the sparkly things like going to Target and gravitating toward the Barbie dolls.

On the other hand, her absence is letting me revel in Reagan's two year old-hood. I'm catching her hiding in corners when she has to go potty. Something she's never been able to do because Kate would always rat her out. I watched with a twinge of regret as Reagan started to dance to Uncle's music because she was dancing alone, and then a warm happiness stole over me as I watched Georgie stand up and try the spinning around thing herself. At Target, Reagan walked right past the Barbie dolls and headed straight for the Baby Alive doll. Reagan spent about five minutes feeding the dolly her bottle, and only by promising her that we would visit dolly again could I get her to come away with me.

Kate is thriving at school. She now has 3 friends. Today she didn't get to play outside because a thunderstorm swept through our town, but she did meet her PE teacher. He said that she could call him Coach. She gets to cut and paste and color and draw and sing. She also remarked that school could sometimes be a little boring. When I asked her why she thought it was boring, she said that they don't let them play outside enough. It transported me back to the days when I used to long for recess, the disappointment when we couldn't go outside, the itching to just stand up and jump around.

Georgie is starting to throw temper tantrums. She screams lustily when she doesn't get her way. She tried to arch her way out of her car seat today. She glared at me when I put her to bed. On the other hand, she loves her high chair, and will wait patiently for her food to appear once I've got her situated. As you noticed in the above paragraph, she is learning to turn around in circles. She is learning to sing, and of course, she is still refining her climbing and running skills. She has finally grown out of all of her baby clothes and is now officially in 12 month outfits. Unfortunately, the box is upstairs in the attic, and Tanner has been working doubles all week long, so she's been rotating between two dresses for the past four days.

You might be wondering why Jonathan or I haven't gone upstairs. Well, four days ago, Tanner used the keys to the shed to get out Kate's bike. And, four days ago, Tanner lost all FOUR keys to the shed. Also, the ladder is in the shed, and we don't have anything tall enough to vault us into the attic. We can get high enough to open the attic, but the head is about the only thing that sticks up into the attic, not even shoulders. So, we're praying that Tanner can get a bit of shut eye so that his brain kicks back into gear, and he can remember where the keys are located.

I'm getting a little exhausted running Kate to and from school, making her lunches, getting her dressed, especially since Reagan has been finding it difficult to sleep through the nights lately. One night in particular gave me only about 2 hours of sleep, and then it was time to get Kate to school. So, for the past couple of days I've had a constant headache that I just can't seem to kick even with tow Tylenol.

So, I'm looking forward to the weekend when Tanner's double will be finished, and we'll have about six hours to catch our breath before OUR school starts on Monday. Whoop!

One of the shocking things about preparing to go to school in Texas is that the cold, crisp morning is missing. There is no frost on the windows of the car. There is no shivering in the back seat waiting for the heater to kick into gear. There is no need for a jacket or a sweater or a hat or gloves. No yearning for a hot cup of something to hold onto during the short drive to school. As a matter of fact, I had to put ice packs into Kate's lunch box this morning.

I always knew it was time for school because like clockwork the first foggy morning heralded the end of summer and the beginning of school. It's mind bending to be taking Kate to school while I'm wearing a tank top and shorts and slippers.

Kate had a phenomenal day at school. She made two friends, but can't remember their names. She got to do an art project. She got to say her ABC's, write her name and count. She learned that if she is too loud or doesn't listen to the teacher then her marker can moved into the yellow zone and then she will have to sit for 10 minutes of the recess period, and she doesn't want her marker to go in the blue zone because then her teacher will have to write a sad note to her mommy and daddy. She got to play on the amazing play structure that they have at the school. When I went to school we had a black tarmac and two tether ball poles. She got to play on the monkey bars which are her current favorite. She didn't eat her lunch. Well, she ate her sandwich, fruit snacks and trail mix, but the banana and carrot sticks came home. I think I'll nix the fruit snacks tomorrow and see if more of her lunch will disappear.

She is going to school full time. I keep hearing from all of my friends that their kids go to half days or even quarter days. Kate's school is all day long. It seems like all the public schools here go all day long, from 8:00 till about 3:15. I did get a lot done in the amount of time, and I think that it will be very easy for me to fit my online classes into the schedule. You probably think that from my previous list my house is uber clean. If you do, then you have no idea how messy a remodel project is. I think that if I keep at it for about two weeks, then I might have a passably clean house, but it's just impossible to stay up on all of the dust and wood shavings that get tracked all over the place.

So, we'd appreciate prayer about Tanner's job, Tanner's school, Jonathan's job, my school, my violin studio, Kate's school, choir for adults and kids, friends for Jonathan and above all that we would be gracious to each other, long suffering, tender hearted, filled with joy and the peace of God. We are officially entering into a new phase of our short sojourn here in Texas. We hope that all of our plans come to sweet fruition, bringing great pleasure to our Father in Heaven.

She's Off!

So, I'm sitting in my office wondering why it is so quiet in the house. Reagan was quietly turning round and round in circles singing a song to herself. Georgie was doing her best to copy her big sister. Absent was any shouting, screaming, fighting, bickering, jumping or bouncing. Kate was at school.

I woke her up at about 7:00 this morning. She started to fuss, but I quickly told her, "It's time to go to school." Her fussing immediately turned to laughter, and she scrambled out of bed, brushed her hair and teeth all before I could get her oatmeal made. Definitely done in record time. She ate breakfast and got dressed. We did her hair and put it in pink ribbons which promptly fell out because she has hair just like her mommy. I smiled because her uniform shirt is too big for her, but at least she will have room to grow. Her pants are cinched up to the last notch, and her belt doesn't do much good, but she's dressed, and I think she looks beautiful.

I walked her into the school with several bags of school supplies. Wow, has the school supply list grown! I filled her back pack. I filled three grocery bags, and Kate carried in the oversized paper. She was confused at the name tag on her desk. She said, "but it doesn't say Kate!" I had to explain that her full name was on the tag, "Katharine". She seemed to be able to except that, and she settled down and started to color as I labeled her back pack and gave her teacher the supplies. Then I kissed her and went home.

So, the house is quiet. Maybe I should visit a play place just to get my noise quota for the morning.

Church Picnic

I was curious to see what a southern church picnic would be like. I imagined white table clothes flapping in the breeze, tall pitchers of lemonade, lots of pies, music and kids. I thought perhaps some of you might wonder what a picnic in the south might look like, so here goes...

First, since it is August the picnic happens indoors. Air conditioning has changed the way things are done around here. Also, fire ants have made people leery about picnicking out of doors. I asked about this, and one lady explained that there were no fire ants in Texas up until about 7 years ago, and since their arrival there just doesn't seem to be any stopping them. Apparently most churches and family reunions now happen indoors because of the tiny little insects.

Second, red checked table clothes with vases of roses flocked the tables. At least that wasn't disappointing.

Third, meat, lots of meat, namely beef brisket with spicy barbecue sauce was the main feature of the menu. Vegetable salads were absent though there were plenty of fruit trays and coleslaw platters and baked beans.

Fourth, ice tea, sweet ice tea and water were the beverages of choice. Apparently people just don't think of lemonade as an option any more. Even the kids were downing copious droughts of sweetened iced tea. Kate made a face when she took a swallow and so did Reagan, so they ended up with glasses of water.

Fifth, the desserts did not disappoint. The tables groaned with cupcakes, puddings, pies, cookies, brownies, tarts, 3 layer cakes, 7 layer cakes, cream puffs, eclairs, muffins and coconut macaroons. I was happy to see that I was the only one to bring rice krispie treats, and I managed to come home with an empty plate.

Sixth, live music wafted over our heads. Not country or western, thank goodness. Just good ol' gospel standards.

And that is a Southern Church Picnic circa 2009.

I am turning into a Southerner. It will take a few more months of summer to do it, but I am well on my way to becoming unrecognizable to my family and friends. No, it's not a new haircut or new clothes. It's not new eyeliner, new nose job or even new accent. It's me.

Back in my northwest days, there wasn't ever a really dull moment. I would be busy carting my kiddlings to the play place or a park or a play date. If all of that failed, we would take a walk or visit Mom or just hang out with my sisters. I might go to the zoo or the Rose Garden or Sip 'n' Krantz. I was always on the troll for things to do with the kids, outings to out on and freebies to go to. There was MOPS. There was the weekly puppet show, the library and the monthly Veggietale movie, not to mention church and twice weekly bible study and the small group meeting twice a month.

As I write this, I shudder. How could I have ever been so insane to think that this was healthy for my kids? And then I remeber that it's because it is cold, rainy and gray for nine months of every year in the Northwest IF there is an exceptionally dry summer. And, I think that is the difference between the Northwest and the South.

In the Northwest, I would pack the kids into the car and go to the zoo. In the South the kids just play in the backyard and occasionally come screaming to me about some strange bug or insect they've just caught. In the Northwest, I would take the kids to a fountain on a nice day so that they could splash around in rainboots. In the South, the kids just play on the sidewalk during a rainstorm. In the Northwest, I would meet someone at a coffee shop in order to talk and socialize. In the South, I just sit outside on the porch and if someone wants to chat they join me.

And that is what has led me to believe that very soon no one will recognize me. I already have the rocking chair, though it isn't on the front porch, yet. I've learned how to make a great lemonade, though I don't have the clear, tall pitcher that everyone else seems to have. I have fans galore, though none of them are outdoor fans, yet, and I have a nice tan, though I've burned a couple of times so it is peeling.

Soon, ver soon, I expect to have a permanent Souther drawl. I expect to not notice tan lines. I expect to master the concept of ice tea. I also expect to get a porch swing and a couple of big oak trees in my front yard. That's when I know I've turned 100% southern.

My dentist asked me how we were doing with all the heat, and my remark was: I'm still waiting for the unbearable part. She said that the unbearable part was pretty much over. Good'onya!
.

Picnic Idea Winner

Thank you everyone for your input about desserts to make. Kate and Reagan chose: Rice Crispy Treats.

So, we've got pink marshmallows and sprinkles...we'll see if they melt or not.

Just a little humor...

YOU KNOW YOU ARE IN TEXAS IN AUGUST WHEN. . . ...

The birds have to use potholders to pull worms out of the ground.

The trees are whistling for the dogs.

The best parking place is determined by shade instead of distance.

Hot water now comes out of both taps.

You can make sun tea instantly.

You learn that a seat belt buckle makes a pretty good branding iron.

The temperature drops below 95 and you feel a little chilly.

You discover that in August it only takes 2 fingers to steer your car.

You discover that you can get sunburned through your car window.

You actually burn your hand opening the car door.

You break into a sweat the instant you step outside at 7:30 a.m.

Your biggest bicycle wreck fear is,'What if I get knocked out and end up lying on the pavement and cook to death?'

You realize that asphalt has a liquid state.

The potatoes cook underground, so all you have to do is pull one out and add butter, salt and pepper.

Farmers are feeding their chickens crushed ice to keep them from laying boiled eggs.

The cows are giving evaporated milk.

Ah, what a place to call home. .

God Bless The Republic of TEXAS!!!

And BTW this is ALL true!

Day 4: the last day

I wasn't really looking forward to driving home. The vacation was over way too quickly, but home was beckoning and so was the unfinished shed. So, we packed some stuff in Jonathan's car, and loaded the essentials in ours, making sure to keep the umbrella, bathing suits and change of clothes.

Jonathan headed straight for home, but we decided to take a ciruitous route via Rockport. It was a 2 hour drive from Corpus Christi, but we were not disappointed. The entry fee was nominal, only $4, and the beach was pristine. I didn't see a single scrap of paper or scraggly cigarette butt the entire time we were there. At first the girls didn't like it because there was sea grass waving about underneath the waves, but the sand shelf extended for over a 100 yards out to sea, and there were people beyond that where the waves only came up to their knees. We splashed and played for a couple of hours, and when the girls showed signs of being tired, we cleaned up and went to Subway for lunch.

About 3 hours into the drive we stopped at a second beach and let the girls run around. Then around 7:00 we made a final stop at Sonic Burger for dinner. That seemed to settle the girls down and we arrived home at about 9:30 to the news that Jonathan had gotten lost on the way home, and it had taken him seven hours to get home.

So, Tanner finished the shed the next day, and we've started to move all of the tools outside. I am looking forward to having the back room cleared out and ready to take on the role of family room. I wonder how long that will last.

Happy Birthday to you!

Here is me...wishing my big sister...a very, happy birthday. If I were there, I would ask you to make me one of the cappuccinis. Sad, isn't it that on your birthday, you'd have to do work. I told Kate that today was your birthday, and her response was, "Not Emma's?" I think she is under the impression that only kids have birthdays. I love you lots. Hope you had some fun today.

Day 3

The morning dawned a glorious blue. The girls couldn't believe their good luck when they heard that we were going to the beach again. The gods must have smiled down on them and given their parents some kind of crazy potion that made a second day at the beach just happen.

We decided to go back to the same beach. It was such a perfect beach, and this day made me realize just how perfect. We loaded the car with all of our gear and the cooler, leaving the boogie woogie board with Jonathan to bring a little bit later. I made sure I had a little cash on me so that we could buy ice cream at the concession stand. Bottles? Check. Formula? Check. Diapers? Check. Diaper Wipes? Check. And away we went.

The girls spent the morning floating around in the soft waves. That day, an unusual current made a mini sand bar close to the beach, so a shallow pool of water began to form. It was the perfect place for Georgie to splash and play and eat sand and squish seashells. Kate found a few friends, and they grabbed buckets and searched the area for hermit crabs and sea snails. They found an over abundance. A steady wind had blown all the clouds from the sky, so we could see two oil platforms in the distance, and we watched a sailboat pass by.

Then Jonathan arrived and the girls took turns riding small waves. I dragged Reagan around the pool of water so that she could have a boat ride. When lunch time rolled around, I got out the corn dogs and a package of crackers. That's when disaster struck. I bit into a cracker and broke my tooth. The one at the very back. For some crazy reason, I had the phone number to my Endodontist in my purse. So, I'm scheduled for a visit tomorrow morning.

I spent the next couple of hours just sitting in the shade at the beach watching Georgie and Reagan build "tallest" mountain. I was surprised that the mountain was actually taking shape, so I started to play around with the sand, too, and discovered that it was perfect sandcastle sand. Smooth, white and sticky. We built towers and walls, all of which Georgie knocked down before we had a chance to take a single picture. In order to make Reagan happy about the disaster, we pretended that Georgie was Godzilla destroying Tokyo. For some reason that made it all better.

That's when Tanner asked me, "What's godzilla?" Both Jonathan and I splutterd. GODZILLA! YOU DON'T KNOW GODZILLA? When Tanner shook his head we asked, "what about Mothra and the little priestesses that get kidnapped?" Glazed eyed response from Tanner. "Godzilla versus King Kong? the return of Godzilla? Godzilla versus the dinasaurs?" All of these titles got a negative. This was almost as shocking as his professed ignorance of George Burns and Gracie Allen. This was stuff that we grew up, memorized, watched once a year. It's like the Shirley Temple Marathon at Thanksgiving. I know most of you watch football, but in MY family it was Shirley Temple. How could someone grow up not knowing about Godzilla? So, if you pity me, please, can anyone tell me where to find a Godzilla movie. If I had a T.V. it would be simple. I would just wait until New Years. Godzilla always plays on TV at New Years. I know, most of you would watch football, but in MY family it was Godzilla.

So, after Georgzilla finished wrecking Santokyo, we let the girls get back in the water. Several hermit crabs later I decided that it was time to go home. I think it was Kate's meltdown when her bucket wouldn't come to her when she called it, or maybe it was Reagan's yelling at the waves to quit knocking her around, either way, I knew it was time to go. I took Georgie with me and got her showered, ice creamed, washed and dressed before the girls came trudging up the hill with their bag of toys. After showering and dressing they ate ice cream while Daddy showered and dressed.

It was dinner time, so we headed back to Corpus Christi Beach and found a little seafood restaurant. I had to content myself with soup since I couldn't chew anything. Everyone else got fish and chips or sandwiches. After a quick stroll to look at the aircraft carrier we headed for the hotel for some well deserved sleep.

Day 1...continued...

A vacation at the beach wouldn't be complete without seashells, and this was no exception. At first the girls ran from tiny seashell to tiny seashell. They found a plethora of "butterfly" shells. When Tanner explained that they were clam shells without the clam inside, Kate got a funny look in her face. She quietly watched the waves lapping the sand, and then, quite suddenly, she began to dig furiously with her hands. She scooped out a wad a sand, and held up a tightly closed clam shell in her hand. "Look, Dad! I'm just like an indian or something!" she exclaimed.

We smiled and laughed a great deal at that. I guess she has figured out that when the waves receed they leave small holes where the clams have dug down. She spent a good 20 minutes digging and collecting clams, and then we made her put them all back so that they wouldn't die. She also found live sand dollars. That was a first for me, too. They are fuzzy on the back, and they use little suction cups to stick onto your hand not unlike a starfish.

This was probably the cloudiest day at the beach. There were thunderheads rolling in from the gulf, and when we started to hear thunder, we thought it was about time to pack it up and call it a day. We thought that we might head back to the beach later on, but the little girls took really long naps, so instead we took a drive around Corpus Christi and stumbled on a live concert and a park all nestled along Corpus Christi Bay.

There was a lovely walk way at this beach, but the girls remarked on the icky smell, much like the smell in Newport, OR. Luckily, there was a hefty breeze, and of course the park was an excellent distraction. The park reminded me of Imagination Station. The walkway along the beach reminded me of the Columbia River Walkway. The live music reminded me of concerts at the Rose Garden.

And it was on this walk that Reagan discovered her shadow. She happened to glance behind her while walking and noticed this big black thing following. She started to run, and when she thought she had gone far enough she looked back. She was relieved to find that the black thing was gone, but when she turned around, she discovered that it was IN FRONT of her! She stared at it for a moment and then said, "Oh...hi, Reagan!" Then she proceeded to boss it around for a few minutes. I accidently stepped on her shadow, and she rebuked me firmly. "Mommy! Don't step on Reagan!"

Just George

Day 2, little whities on the beach

Jonathan slept most of day one. He slept for the entire night. He slept past the girls waking up, past our getting dressed, past our breakfast, past the screaches of delight when we told the girls to slather on the sunscreen. He got to his feet just about the time we needed him. Time to load up the car.

I had brought along 1/2 a case of water, my homemade corndogs, fruit and the cooler. We loaded all the food into it, found a bag that could carry the beach towels, sunscreen and diapers. The guys loaded up while I went through my mental checklist and remembered diaper wipes. Then Tanner got into our car, while I got into Johnny's car and we headed for the beach.

A balmy breeze greeted us when we arrived at the Malaquite Visitors Center. We had decided on this beach because it offered clean bathrooms, ice cream and showers. We found a vacant picnic table and set up camp. Up went the newly purchased beach umbrella. Out went the chairs and picnic blanket. Dumped went the beach toys. On went the life jackets. And then the kids went running for the beach.

And here is where Mommy's island blood comes into the forefront. I yelled at them to stop. I could almost see the spray of sand as they came to a sudden halt. The girls turned and bent questioning gazes at me. And then, I sat down on the beach like my mommy use to do, and I watched the waves. I showed the girls how to watch the different currents. I made them sit for 15 minutes, and then gave them the green light to go splashing into the water.

We spent the morning and the early afternoon just enjoying the warm water, the tropical breeze and the amazing sand. It's the type of sand that is just perfect for making sandcastles. It's not sopping wet. It's not coarse and dry.

Day 1: scouting trip while Reagan sleeps in the car.

We're Back!

So, I'm sitting here thinking, who needs Hawaii when there are white sand beaches on the mainland? I am comparing a $400 round trip, 7 hour flight versus a tank of gas and 5 hours of driving...warm water versus warm water...blue water versus blue water...calm waves versus calm waves...surfing beaches versus surfing beaches...laid back atmosphere versus laid back atmosphere...$5 milk versus $2 milk...Tiger sharks versus Bull sharks...I am sorry to say, Texas wins hands down. It's the state that I think has everything (sharks included).

3 days of sand, sun and sea turned us a crisp brown or red depending on the amount of sunscreen applied at regular intervals. Jonathan, who is not use to sunscreen, has a beet red nose, red shoulders, red forehead, red back, red pretty much everywhere. Tanner forgot to reapply sunscreen on the last day, and now has beautiful, glossy, red shoulders. All of the females of the species escaped unharmed.

Kate and Reagan fought over the "boogie-woogie" board. Georgie ate lots of sand, but by the last day she had learned that sand didn't taste that great. The girls are tired out and in need of a great deal of rest, but other than that we are well satisfied with our trip.

We discovered that the one thing lacking in Corpus Christie is a reef. Luckily for us, we stayed close to the shore. There are about 2 sandbars, 15 feet apart at the Padre Island State Beach Park. Since we had little kids, we stayed around the first sandbar even though the water was shallow enough to wade out to the second one. The very last day, we discovered how thankful we should have been that we stayed at the first one. Both Jonathan and I had been fretting a little about having to stay so close to the shore because the waves weren't that great.

At the very first we had decided not to go to the second sandbar because we didn't want the girls to follow us out that far. Johnny and I thought that maybe since it was our last day it would be okay to try to catch some of the bigger waves. We stood up to go out when Tanner shouted, "Get out of the water!" Now, I always take Tanner seriously when he has that peculiar tone of voice, so I grabbed Reagan and Kate and started to head for the shore. I heard Johnny say, "Oh, *@#!" That's when I started to drag the girls through the water. Then Tanner shouted, "Shark!" Then I saw a couple ladies on shore pointing. Trust me, I got the girls out of the water in record time.

Apparently it was a Bull Shark. And when we say Bull, we mean the size. Tanner says he saw six feet of its back above the water and never saw the head or tail. I got to see the black fin and it had already moved farther out on the horizon, and the fin was BIG. We spent the rest of the day playing in the VERY shallow water. Good thing too, since later Tanner and a couple other guys on the beach saw two hammerheads come over the second sandbar. Yes, Corpus Christie lacks a reef, but the US Park Ranger says it is very rare that the sharks come in like that, but for some reason that day they had been receiving reports of that nature from all over the island.

Time Out!

Well, this will be the last post for a few days. We're taking a mini-stay-cation, but I'll be back this weekend armed with photos, sunburns and sand!

Tanner is 85% done with the shed. That means the roof is on, the walls are up, the door is installed with deadbolt, but we still need to shingle and side. He was outside all day today working in the crazy heat. Let's just say that it's 11:00 at night here and the thermometer was reading 90F. Jonathan helped him in the late afternoon, so that was good. I don't think they would have gotten as much done if Jonny hadn't been here. It's nice to think that very soon we'll be able to move all of the tools outside. I can't wait to be able to send pictures of our luxury shed. It's better built than the house.

Are you wondering why I'm still awake? Reagan has been doing this crazy schedule the last few days. She has been waking up at the crack of dawn. So, she gets really cranky at around 3:00, but she won't take a nap with the "baby" because she's a big girl. Long story short, she collapses at around 5:30 and wakes up at about 8:00, and then won't go to sleep for the night until...

So, I'm still hoping for recipe ideas from the rest of you people out there. I really need help. So far, it's a neck and neck contest between brownies and blueberry cobbler, so give me some more ideas. Till the weekend, this is your host, signing off!

Big Girl Reagan vs. Baby Reggie

Lately, Reagan has been insisting that her name is not "Reggie" it is "Reagan". It took me a few days to realize that she was trying to be a big girl. So, I decided to take the opportunity to potty train her. I told her that she was Baby Reggie because she wore diapers like Baby Georgie. She frowned at that. Her eyes narrowed, and then her lips puckered. She nodded her head and said, "I want to go potty, Mommy."

I raised my eyebrows at that, but promptly took her diaper off and put her on the potty chair. Imagine my surprise when she actually went pee. I thought that this might be a one time occurence. It's been 3 days, and we've had successful potty trips at least 75% of the time. So, today, I went to Target and found prizes in the dollar section for her. I told her that if she went poop in the toilet, then she could have a paint set, just like Kate because then she would a big girl. Well, we had a great success. She's really into this big girl thing, so I'm playing it up and hoping that we get a potty trained 2 year old out of it.

Picnic Ideas

Cookies, brownies, lemon bars, pound cake, chocolate cake with cherry pie filling..None of these melt. Ice cold water melon, or fruit bowl, angel food cake with fruit topping like strawberries. OK that's all I can think of -- Carolyn Bailey

Brownies are always a fave w/a southern picnic...do 3 diff kinds: plain, pecan, caramel, peanut butter, white choc, turtle, sprinkles. Brownies are good when they are warm/hot, they don't melt like choc chip cookies, and they don't go stale in the heat! Simple, cheap, and EVERYONE loves brownies!(except tanner, choco ones anyway) Key Lime Bars? (instead of lemon) Is key lime southern? Pecan tarts...like bite size pecan pies but w/o the sugary gelatenous middle! -- Joanelle Norris

Healthy Corn Dogs?

Perhaps it is the balmy summer weather we've been having lately that has induced this rare craving to eat corn dogs. Perhaps I'm missing a nutrient. Perhaps I need to drink more water. Perhaps. Whatever it is, I desire corn dogs. I dream of corn dogs. But I just can't bring myself to buy a corn dog. Every time I go to the grocery store I walk down the frozen food aisle and stop at the case filled with corn dogs. I stare. I lick my lips. I think of deep fat frying and cholesterol. Then I continue to walk down the aisle and on to the vegetable stand.

Then last night, I was surfing through hulu.com. Rachel Ray advertised "good for you" corn dogs! Of course, I had to watch it, and this morning I tried to make them. It's a pretty basic recipe of corn bread mix, milk, butter and eggs. Dip the hot dog of your choice into the batter. Place on cookie sheet and bake. Yes, bake. Well, I think my batter was just too thin because it all seeped down the side and puffed up around the dog rather than on top of it. But it still tasted really good. I ate two. Kate said, "Mommy, you make the bestest corn dogs in the whole world." Lunch was eaten without a hitch. I call it a success.

Interractive blog today

So, our church is having a down home, southern picnic in a couple of weeks, and I'm on the list to bring dessert. Here is where the interactive part comes into play. What dessert should I bring? Please keep in mind that it COULD be hot. Very hot. Like 107F hot. Which rules out things like jello, pudding, icing on cake, etc...

I know I've got a family of cooking geniuses out there, so fire away! I'll post your suggestions and attached recipes, and let Kate and Reagan vote on them.

Oh, and Mom or Joanelle, do you guys sitll have the recipe for pistachio cream pie? You know the one we use to make for Dad all the time. Jonathan has requested that for his birthday, but I don't know how to make it.

Kate and paint by numbers

Today, I wanted the girls to be quiet. I wanted them to be entertained. I didn't want them to watch T.V., so I gave Kate a paint by number kit and Reagan paper and watercolors. Six hours later, I had to pry them off of their "projects" and force feed them dinner. Then they went right back at it, and two hours later I put them to bed.

I've got mixed feelings about it, but perhaps I have a budding artist on my hands. Perhaps not. But it kept them quiet.

Georgianna believes that she is talking. She looks as me, does all the correct facial expressions, and blabbers. Then I get up, get her a snack. She gives me a satisfied nod, sits down and eats. She's convinced that the sliding vowel sounds are all that are necessary for coherent speech. One day she'll learn that they are the sounds that only a mother can interpret.

On the potty training front, Reagan has elected to confide her potty needs to Kate. Early this morning Kate came running to me and said, "Mom, I think Reagan needs to go potty." When I asked her why she responded, "Well, she's doing this (at which point she squatted), and then she said that she wanted her potty chair." All of you can imagine that I went zero to sixty in 2 seconds flat. A quick dip and scoop and I had Reagan in my arms. I rounded the corner, slid into the bathroom, pulled down her panties...only to have her pee on my arms.

When Johnny Comes Marching Home Again!

Well, Jonathan made his first solo foray into the heart of Texas. He decided to drive to Dallas/Ft.Worth early Thursday morning to meet up with an old friend. I'm not too sure what they did, but apparently they had a nice time. He had to work the next night, so he headed back home for the 5 hour trip in the early afternoon. He wanted to have plenty of time to get ready for work. Unfortunately, almost two hours into the drive he discovered that he was headed for Louisianna, not Houston.

Tanner and I know that route intimately. When we first visited Texas it was to attend a friends wedding in Mt. Pleasant (a small town that Jonathan passed through). Mt. Pleasant is about 50 miles from Louisianna, and about 2 hours from Dallas. We drove to Mt. Pleasant. Then we drove to Dallas. Then we drove to Mt. Pleasant. Then we drove to Connor. Then we drove to Mt. Pleasant. Then we drove to Dallas. Yes, we know Mt. Pleasant very well. It is not my favorite stretch of road though you do pass quite a number of reasonably priced suburban housing tracts. You can purchase a 3/2 house on a 1/4 acre for about 60k.

Well, Jonny made it home with about 5 minutes to spare. It was good for him, and he handled the stress of the situation very well. Much better than I would have done.

This is the end of a long work week for Tanner, and we're looking forward to a lighter week coming up. He's going to try to finish up the shed next week, and I hope repair the last hole in our wall. School is fast approaching, so it's imperative that we spend as much time as possible working on the house and getting it up to snuff. I spent the afternoon taping and mudding a wall while the girls took their naps. I have to go over it one more time before we can sand, texture and paint. It's nice to see the house slowly coming together.

First Friday

We discovered, earlier this week, that Bryan has concerts every first Friday of the month. So, tonight we parked in Old Town and took an evening walk. It was a perfect evening. The day cooled down quickly, so that we were strolling in 89 degree weather, and the girls had enough energy to run and climb and generally have a good time.






They were brought up short by a series of life like stone statues. Reagan looked up at me and very seriously said, "I think we need to find Aslan, Mommy." It didn't help that at the end of the walk there was a very Narnian lamppost. I didn't point out that we weren't exactly experiencing a 100 year winter.




Georgie exhausted her self. She walked and tumbled and ran almost the entire way to the concert park. She attracted quite a number of admirers with her little legs churning and her bright smile. She looked impossibly tiny as she totters around on her two chubby legs. People stopped me and asked me how old she was, and most were flabbergasted to learn that she's only 10 months.




We stopped and listened to the music for a while, and then discovered the fountain.... Those picture will arrive separately, okay?

Success???

Well, as most of you know, I was working on potty training Reagan in early March, and then I had to leave the girls here to go back to Portland to be with my grandma. Well, while I was gone, she decided to go through major Mommy withdrawals. She absolutely refused to go on the potty, and when Reagan makes up her mind, well, let's just say her mind is made up.

Then an interesting thing happened. Her skin is so sensitive that the sand at the beach sort of irritated her skin, and the only way to get it to heal up was to take her diaper off and let her run around the house with out one. So, is this an automatic potty training system? So far, she has made it to the potty 4 times in the last two days. I'd say that was pretty good for her. She is thrilled to be wearing panties just like her big sister, so maybe it will stay that way. I'm crossing my fingers and hoping that very soon I will be done with diapers for Reagan.

Yesterday was my fed up day. I was fed up with a messy play room. I was fed up with bananas smeared on the carpet. And all of that fed upness led me to deep thankfulness.

Yes, I am deeply thankful for high chairs today. I went to Walmart and purchased their cheapest high chair: just a basic, plastic affair with a plastic seat cushion all done in blue elephants and ivory. I am amazed at how much joy a piece of plastic can bring to me. The wonder of being able to put Georgie in the high chair and give her a banana. I didn't have to watch her waving hand to make sure that she didn't smear it on the couch or on my pants or hair. She sat in the chair and smeared her banana all over the tray AND it was so easy to clean. Just a little water and it all slid off. No scrubbing. No cleaning solution. Isn't it great to live in the USA, to have a Walmart close by, to be able to buy a high chair?

Of course, today was a very hot day. But our trip to the pool today confirmed that we are indeed acclimatizing. I went with a friend and her kids. We've done this before, but the first time we went, the girls only lasted about an hour, and then it was just too hot for them. Well this time they splashed and played, and when I began to feel like Georgie was done, I felt a little guilty. After all, we hadn't been there that long. Imagine my delight when I discovered that we'd been at the pool for almost 4 hours.

Reagan is getting very daring in the pool. Today she learned how to jump off the side of the pool and into the water. She was so excited when she first figured it out. Just imagine her high pitched voice, very loud and resonant, saying, "Mommy! I'm a big girl! I did it. Watch me again!" She also swam the entire length of the pool, courtesy of her life jacket, but she did kick the whole way.

Kate is learning to embroider. I found one of those plastic grids that come with a plastic needle. Hers has a butterfly on it, and she is working very diligently to fill in all the correct holes so that her "square" turns out just right.

Georgie is going from walking to running. She really wants to keep up with her big sisters, so instead of tottering about and pausing to figure out how to do the thing correctly, she is moving headlong into running. The ladies at the church nursery were laughing at her full tilt run. They just couldn't believe it. But, run, run, run, seems to be Georgianna's motto.

Tanner worked on the shed early this morning. He came inside at about 10:30 because it was just too hot to do much more. When he took off his clothes, we were able to wring them out in the bathtub. I was going to go outside to help him, but I only made it as far as the threshold. I only made it that far because the door swung open, a blast of hot air swept past me, so I closed the door and made lemonade and caramel popcorn.

I'm on this caramel popcorn kick. You see, the other day, when I was at Albertsons, I passed by the aisle with the Poppycock. Oh, it sounded so delicious to me, but it was almost $5 a bag. Well! I knew I could make it for a fraction of the cost, but I wasn't sure if I could make the sauce, since my Windsor pan is broken. The greatest part of the whole thing is that a found a microwave version of the recipe. Micro-popcorn, mico-caramel sauce. It makes it easier and a lot cooler to cook.

The End of an Eventful Day

Aaahh! Today was the last day of school for Tanner. It was also the day that I cleaned the girls room, and Tanner worked on the shed. Then we went on a walk in the mall and took the kids to the play place for lunch. When it's 105 outside, I do mall walking rather than outside walking. It just doesn't get cool enough at night. We got home at about 3:00 and everyone went down for a nap except for Mommy. I went shopping. I got a high chair for Georgie, furikake for Jonathan, Li Hing Moi for me and Panda candy for Kate and Reagan. Then I came home, hustled everyone out of bed, got the girls and early dinner and loaded them in the car.

Tonight was our first choir rehearsal of the season, and we kicked it off with a catered dinner and the awarding of the music scholarships. We dropped the kids off at the nursery and walked over to the annex. Soft, Hawaiian music wafted across the air waves. I laughed because it sure didn't smell like Hawaiian food cooking. When we finally got to the buffet line, I discovered that they were serving mildly flavored char-sui pork, sweet potatoes with coconut milk and pineapple and a spinach salad with oranges. It was tasty, but not Hawaiian. We spent a comfortable evening chatting with friends and eating huge slices of chocolate cake, that part was Hawaiian. Light and fluffy like a dobash cake, but with Devil Food's icing. Made me think of Auntie Joanie's birthday parties. Must be the humidity that makes the cakes so light and fluffy.

Rehearsal after dinner was a little grueling. We went over 7 songs. All sight reading. My brain still hurts, especially since I'm singing 2nd soprano and we're doing a bunch of spirituals with 7ths and 2nds sprinkled liberally across the pages. There is a song that we are singing that I am especially partial to since it requires close 3rds for the sopranos. It reminds me of the Flower Song from the opera Lakme. My favorite duets are always those sung by a coloratura and a mezzo-soprano. If angels could sing, they would sound like that.

It's been a long, fulfilling day. Did I post that Tanner passed his exams? I think so, but just in case...

I woke up fed up. Usually not an auspicious sign for the day. The girls room was so disorganized that there was no room to walk, and I tripped and fell when I went to get Georgie from her crib. Now, the mess was the girls' fault, but the disorganized was ours. Their beds and dressers were in the middle of the room, and their toy chests were wedged in between because we were trying to keep the walls free and clear so that it would be easy to mud. I reached the conclusion during the deep hours of the night that if I waited around for the mudding to get done, well...you know the rest.

Since I was prone on the floor at this point, I decided to take a good look around and under the beds, and discovered toys and books and papers and hair clips and all sorts of things. I shooed the girls out of their room. This was no time to take a "teaching moment". I began the demolition. I sorted things into piles. I threw trash away. I vacuumed corners. I moved beds. I moved dressers. I moved toy boxes and desks. At the end of two hours, the room had shaped itself into a nice little play room with neatly stacked crates filled with all sorts of good things for the all the little girls on the other side of the wall. I also decided to have Kate and Reagan pick out 5 toys, 5 books and 5 stuffed animals that they would give to the Salvation Army. I figured if they couldn't keep their toys picked up, it meant that they had too many toys. They did a lot of soul searching and came up with the required loot. We'll see how long the clean room lasts, but at least it's organized.

Just like sis...

As Jonathan and I were discussing the ramifications of changing jobs, Kate came up to me and confessed that she and Reagan were having a hard time. So, like a good mommy, I asked her what she thought might be causing the problem. She stood on the bottom rung of one of our chairs, leaned with one hand on the table and swung her left foot in the air. It must have helped her thought process because she soon came up with the solution that she was bossing Reagan around which made Reagan hit her which made Kate want to hit Reagan back. Pretty good, I thought. So, I told her to hope down and try not to do those things anymore. Well, Reagan saw this and she came running up to me and said, "Mommy, we're having a hard time." Then she, too, climbed up the chair, leaned with one hand on the table and swung her left foot in the air. I asked her why she thought they were having a problem, and she said, "Because, because, because..." then she gave me a huge smile, and waited for me to say, "then maybe you shouldn't do those things anymore." Then she hopped down and said, "Okay, Mommy."

Tonight was spaghetti night for the kids, and I smiled as I grabbed a pair of scissors to cut up the noodles. Before you think, "How brilliant!" I have to confess that I learned it from my big sister.

I made guacamole yesterday and seeded the tomatoes. It makes a big difference in the taste. Once again, I learned it from my big sister.

Add a little bleach to your whites and make sure you wash them in HOT water...believe it or not, it was my big sister that taught me that one. When I was little, we were just too poor to afford something like bleach let alone hot water.

Thai peanut sauce, teriyaki, macaroni salad, chopped onions, toy buckets, spot-shot those are the things my sister taught me. I guess Reagan is a lot like me. Just watching her big sister, trying her best to learn the tricks of the trade.

Our day of rest

Indeed, today we needed to have a Sunday. The girls woke early as is their current REM cycle. I could hear them giggling and laughing in their room, and I laid in bed trying to figure out whether I should risk trying for a cup of coffee before or after I said good morning to them. I opted for the before and tiptoed into the kitchen. To my horror, I was out of coffee. Reeling from the shock, I staggered back into our room and found bobby pins, mu'u and Crocs. I shook Tanner awake. Hurry! We have to leave for church early. I ran out of the room after I saw him prop his eyes open with a couple of toothpicks.

I told Kate to get dressed, and got Reagan's teeth brushed, made breakfast, changed diapers, served breakfast. got Reagan dressed. Tanner fed Georgie a bottle and as I was in the midst of these gyrations, Tanner said, "why don't we go to Sunday School first, then we won't be late for the service." I heaved a huge sigh of relief and slowed down my pace. We managed a Starbucks run and a three kid drop off and were only 3 minutes late to Sunday School. The only down side to church today was the freezing temperature. Both Tanner and I were shivering by the time the service was over. It must have been lower than 76 in the sanctuary.

So, we had lunch. The girls opened the mail. Kate wrote thank you notes. Reagan pranced around with her letter from her Very Godmother and, so far, we've spent the rest of the afternoon just lolling about doing pretty much nothing. Except that Jonathan and Tanner went to the B.C.S. Oriental Market and brought back a small selection of Japanese delicacies. Jonny was disappointed in the market, but he'll adjust to small town inadequacies. After all, we don't have anything like a WinCo or a Food4Less, yet, so he can't expect Uwajimaya's. At least the market sells 6 different types of soy sauce, 8 types of rice and 1 type of mochi ice cream.

The town is beginning to wake up from its summer nap. I went to the store the other day and saw that all of the steam cleaners had been rented. The food aisles are beginning to get jammed again, and traffic is getting snarled. Of course, traffic here is if you have to sit through a light. I'm hoping that once school time hits, Jonathan will be able to make friends and find some buddies to hang out with. As always, we appreciate your prayers as Tanner's finals come due this week, and then he has to hit the ground running to finish up this house before he starts the fall semester.

Spontaneity

Last night was not a very restful night. Reagan and Georgie went to sleep very early because they had both refused to take naps during the day. They were asleep by 7:30, so all parents know what that means: an ultra early morning. It was so early that I couldn't imagine getting out of bed, so instead, I gave them each a flashlight, put them on the floor of my room, closed the door and told them to play quietly. I didn't fall asleep, but my eyes stayed closed. It felt so good. About an hour into this, Kate got lonesome, so she joined the group in Mommy's bedroom. Luckily I had another flashlight.

I finally dragged my body out of bed at 7:30, and stumbled into the kitchen because I forgot that I had put a fan on the floor the night before. I turned on my espresso machine, and tried to make up my mind about breakfast. That was when Tanner got home. He said that he and Jonny hadn't wanted to wake us up, so instead of coming home at 6:00, they had just gone to Starbucks and eaten breakfast there. I thanked him. Then I told him that we were up at 6:00. He kissed me on the cheek and said how sorry he was, and then he took a deep breath and asked me if I wanted to go to the beach today.

Why not? I didn't have anything ready, but I knew it would be fun to go. So, the girls ran around finding bathing suits, towels and beach toys while I packed the cooler with bottle of water, chips, fruit snacks and peanut butter. Tanner got dressed and loaded the car. We were out of the house in 45 minutes. I never did drink my cup of coffee. No worries, I know every Starbucks on the way to Galveston.

I love the drive there. We go by three lakes and over at least 6 low, swung bridges. Sailboats, speed boats, seadoos and fishermen seem to line up and salute us as we pass by, and then we hit Houston. And today, Houston actually looked pretty. The sun was at the perfect angle, glinting on the tall, glass structures, splattering extra sunbows across the sky. We slugged our way past NASA. Traffic always snarls up at that point, and then we were home free and managed to do 70 the rest of the way to Galveston. We stopped at the Target in Galveston for juices and trail mix. And then we went to Stewart Beach.

Stewart Beach Park commandeers the best sandy beaches of Galveston. There must be at least 100 yards of beach before it reaches the sea, and at least a mile of sand stretching the length of Galveston Island. Here, the waves break gently and undertows are nonexistent. Kids can safely splash around in the shallows and babies crawl on the fringe of the ocean while eating sand. Well, at least that's what Georgie did. I caught her with handfuls of sand stuffed in her mouth three times. It made me wonder how many times I didn't catch her. She had the greatest time. She crawled straight into the water and was surprised when it splashed into her eyes. She got a little mad at it because bathtubs just aren't suppose to do that sort of thing. She got unbelievably dirty, wet and tired. I knew it was time to go when she stopped crawling and just laid down on the sand, too tired to move. Kate is learning how to boogie board, and Reagan is learning how to use a life jacket.

Reagan spent hours building a mountain of sand underneath our umbrella. It never got very tall because she kept patting it down, but she worked and worked and worked on it. She drank the most gatorade and the most water and the most milk and the most juice. She was so excited when she saw the ocean that when I finally told her that it was safe to go in, she ran as fast as her little, chunky legs could carry her, and plunged headlong into the waves. She came up spluttering and gagging. It was SALTY!

Kate is my mature child. She gingerly tested the water, and since it met her approval, she walked into the waves until the swirled up around her calves. She paused like a supermodel and then proceeded to go waste deep, and then a big wave came and dunked her. Perfect. Her christening over, she was indefatigable. And when it was finally time to go, she had a hard time saying goodbye and not crying. But she maintained her composure all the way through showering and dressing and only wept a little bit when we loaded her into the car.

The girls slept most of the way home, and so did Tanner. He only took over the last part of the driving because the sun went down, and I don't like driving country roads at night. So, I am brown. Yes, brown with red-caped shoulders. I did put sunscreen on. I put it on 4 times. You see, I was so busy putting sunscreen on everyone else, that I forgot to put it on myself.