My Ears!!!

Does anyone else know the feeling? The one where your ears are about to explode?

School is out, of course. The last few weeks have ok. I usually like the kids being home from school. This is the first time we have had a break since Brenna has been born, that we have not be crazy busy. It is very different. Having Brenna share a room with Meredith makes it hard to have Meredith play in there. Brenna still naps at least twice a day. Having Meredith play in Randy's room causes them to yell at each other.

Gas is too high to go somewhere everyday. Last summer we went out several days a week, just to keep busy. Library, movie, to get half price icees from Sonic, we liked to go out. Now, those icees are like $10. This year, we try to cram it all into one day, which leave us bored for 4 others.

Those children of mine are starting to make me nutty.

Randy had cub scout camp this week. I was hoping for some quiet. Both older children are much better behaved if one is gone somewhere else. They are polite and play well by themselves nicely. I was thinking I would get something done this week.

Nope.

Meredith won't stop talking. Her new favorite subject is how she is so talkative, and why, and how nothing could be done about it. She follows me around the house telling me about it. She is driving her brother to lock his door and wear his head phones. His asked for earplugs yesterday. I think the cat is hiding from her.

I wish I would fit under the bed too.

The Ride, part 2

I checked Ed's blog this morning and saw that he wrote about our horseback ride. I have been meaning to write about it myself, but we have been spending too much time playing Civ 4 instead. And I mean instead of things like blogging, laundry, dishes, and even NASCAR watching. (Please no one tell me who have won the last two races, I have them on TiVo.)

So, my version of our anniversary:

I knew Ed was planning something, because he asked me to find a babysitter for Monday morning. While Randy and Meredith spend plenty of time at other people's homes, Brenna has never been at the "baby sitter's." I have only left her two times. Once for about 20 minutes, with my closest friend, and once with Ed's mom while the rest of us went to dinner half a block away. The times I have left her home with Ed are very few as well.

I called our close friends, (family) Bill and Jewell. They would be happy to watch my princess. I knew she would be well taken care of, Bill and Jewell love her as much as we do. Randy went with his friend and Meredith went camping with hers.

For a week, Ed had been giving my hints about what we were doing. I thought about hot air ballooning, which I was not going to do. I would watch, and take pictures though. I thought about kayaking, which I was sure what we were doing until the last clue. I was told to wear jeans or slacks. I had even thought about horseback riding, but I was so focused on the others, that I passed it by. About 10 minutes from where the stables were, I guessed right. There was nothing else around, unless we were going to go buy a goat, except trees and horses.

Ed's part of the story picks up here, with the paying and getting out horses. His was HUGE, mine was very nice looking and smaller. I thought about laughing at my good fortune, but Ed looked a bit scared so I didn't. We got the horses ready and went to the corral to practice. Ed was already there, walking in circles. It didn't look too hard. I went in, made half a lap, and my horse stopped. It wouldn't start up again. I try kicking it, pushing it, talking to it.. Nothing. Suddenly, she started moving. It turns out that she was spooked by a fox the week before in that same spot. I guess she was making sure the fox was gone before continuing.

Off we went.. I asked the guide what I should do if Maggie stopped again. She told me that Maggie liked to eat leaves and would try to stop, but I was the boss. I had to control the horse. Yeah right, I thought. This horse could decide it wanted a snack much more than it wanted to go for a walk, and throw me on the ground. I knew the horse was the boss, I was just hoping Ed's horse would push mine around the trail.

We didn't have any problems after that. Both horses followed the guide. We had a wonderful time. It was very beautiful.

When we left the farm, we got lunch. I was ready to get my baby back, so we went and got her. She had a great time. She didn't even cry. She is a little closer to saying "Bill" than "Mama," but I am still working on it.

List

Sunday was our 12th anniversary. I can hardly believe that time has gone so fast. Sometimes, it seems like yesterday. Sometimes, it seems like it was 100 years ago.

Last year on our anniversary, I made the kids watch our wedding video. They were astonished at how much younger everyone was, and talked about it for days. This year they said they were not watching "that" again.

12 years ago, I would have never expected to be where we are now. Especially here in South Carolina, in such a small town. Moving here was a decision we made out of the blue one day. Sort of a throw a dart at the map type of thing. Amazingly, I was home the second we walked into our house.

A couple of years ago, I found a list Ed and I made, when we were about 16, of what we wanted someday. I was surprised to find we have most of that list. It even included living in the mountains. We were going to live near waterfalls, someplace where the leaves change colors. Ed was going to be a writer and we were going to have several typewriters. I hope 2 computers count for that. We were going to have 2 children. (Brenna is extra!) We were also going to have a helicopter, a condo in Chicago and a maid. Someday...

Some days, I get bored staying home with the kids. Some days, I complain about how the house is a mess, or the children are fighting. Some days, I get irritated that I tripped over the stupid dog, again.

But, everyday, I am thankful for the life Ed and I have made. We have so much fun together. We are best friends. We have the most beautiful children. We take the time to make memories, and to appreciate what we have. What more could a girl want??

What did she say?

It has been too long since my last post. I have been crazy busy with my sister being here, and school winding down for the year. The kids have been up too late, which means they are extra cranky, which makes me have an extra large headache.

Amanda and I had a great time. We played cards, and I won by a few hundred points. We went shopping, we ate lots of good food, we visited with my friends. It was a nice 10 days, although it went by fast. I will see her again over the summer when we go to visit family in Illinois.

I have several funny stories to tell... here are some.

1. As we were driving home from the airport the day Amanda arrived, we were talking about things here at home. Amanda asked about the rock quarry. Specifically, if it was still there. I told her that I didn't think that they had moved it. She asked something about if it had run out of rocks. I told her no.

2. One night, we were all eating dinner together. Randy and Meredith were talking. Brenna was crying because I am too slow shoveling food into her mouth. Ed was calling someone on his cell phone. (I think it was the Heinz company- this is a whole other story.) Amanda asked me about all this noise giving me a headache. Meredith said, "She is used to it, I was born talking." I guess she has heard me tell people that she never (and I mean NEVER) stops.

3. Amanda and I were at the mall last Friday. Brenna loves her stroller and will happily talk and play while I shop. I was looking at dresses for Meredith when I heard "Dadadadad." I couldn't believe it. I had been working with her since she came home from the hospital to say Mama. It is so unfair. She has been saying "Hi" for a few weeks now, but Mama should come long before Dada. The other two said Dada before Mama too. Ed, of course, was happy.