The Big is big.

Big is big. No doubt about it. He doesn't pee in the bed or sleep with a blanket. He takes a shower and bathes himself. He makes his own breakfast. He ties his shoes and is learning to multiply. He has chores and takes the trash out.

I miss the days when he was little and needed me for everything. He was a happy baby that never really got riled up over anything.



Now he's 8 and he doesn't need me as much. But every now and again, I'll catch a glimpse of my baby. My baby that is Big.



That baby wasn't around this weekend though when he and 6 friends went to the waterpark for his birthday. No, no. There was no denying it. My baby was big.



Even though a hurricane threatened to ruin our day, and Mother Nature gave him his first birthday gift of canceled school, we managed to get his party done. He had a blast and is on his way with his Daddy to see the Panthers vs. Greenbay Packers game in Charlotte on Sept. 18th.

Pickin' Up What I'm Puttin' Down

I like to lay my kids' clothes out the night before school. I find that this eliminates early morning tiffs, questions, whining, and searching for things. It just makes my mornin' a whole lot more do-able.

Last night, when I went upstairs to start the bedtime stuff, I came across this little diddy in Lil's room. Looks like somebody's pickin' up what I'm puttin' down...

Take it all in folks. Get a good look at perfection.

She had even decided on a clip for her hair...

After I had a moment to soak up and explore the sheer loveliness, I looked harder and inside the skirt, I found a pair of panties that she laid out. Thorough is the word that came to mind.

Yes, it's true I guess. She's definitely pickin' up what I'm puttin' down.

My Lil'

Lil' had a big day today. She started 4K.

She's big.
Not little.

But I still think she is.

She's my Lil'.

Sleepy Grey Saturday Night

I'm in the lucky seat. I've got a little sweet head resting on each shoulder. Sweet kiddo heads that smell sleepy and cuddly. Like your blankets and lambies do. 2 little heads that grunt and breathe and wiggle around.

Little droopy eyelids. So tired and heavy. Heavy little arms wrapped around mine. Another moment that I'll miss when you grow up. This.is.it. This.is.what.I'll.miss. A sleepy grey Saturday night.

Rolling Around In It

Hold on a second summer! Before you go flying out the door, there are couple of things I wanted to talk about.

I really appreciate the fact that in spite of all the work I had to do, I still managed to squeeze every last drop out of you. The day trips to Edisto, the quick trips to great grandparents, the beach days, and swimming lessons, having Miss E. come and stay at Camp She-She, fireworks in the field, the vacation in the mountains, the week in Chapin, having my besties visit, the boat trip to Beaufort, bike rides, lightning bugs, fishing, jellyfish stings, throwin' my cast net. Yes, I accomplished all that I set out to do. It was epic and I'm thankful.

There are some pictures that I want to make sure we have in the book.

And this one that has two of the kindest, sweetest people in one shot. Together on their shared special birthday. The day they were born and brightened so many other people lives. A day that has nothing to do with me and everything to do with me all at the same time.

Then the final picture of the summer. That one that sums it up. You can tell how unhappy we all were about it. His face. My lack of caring that its a terrible picture. We were all sad to see this summer roll out. But man, it was so fun rolling around in it.

Grown Up

It is upon us. The tick, tick, tock, tock is in our ears. Paper cuts, trying to open a zip lock bag at 6:45am, sweeping up eraser bits from under the table, looking for socks in the morning, bookbags on the floor. Oh yes. It is here.

We met Big's 3rd Grade teacher last night. Her name is Mrs. Goldberg. She seems sweet and nice. I think he's going to like her. My 3rd grade teacher was Mrs. Upton. She taught me how to write in cursive.

I heard they don't teach cursive in schools anymore. What's up with that? Now your kid has 0 chance of ever being able to forge an absence note. Poor things.

Big says he needs to get himself together. He thinks he's been out of control. I told him to not be so hard on himself but he's got a whole new set of problems this year and they all revolve around his Aunt Emmie. She's teaching 5th grade at his school now. He says he will have a whole other set of "Eagle Eyes" on him. What's an "Eagle Eye" exactly?

Yikes! Scary. He really is happy she'll be there but now he has extra pressure on him to be good, to do well and for heaven's sake, use his manners.

Yep, things are changing for the ol' Big. He's growing up and gettin' bigger. This summer he's learned to bait his own hook and take a fish off. He's learned how fun the mountains can be in the summer and that if you put your mind to it, you can turn a dock into a boat. He's started eating sushi and he likes to heat up his own sausage biscuit in the morning. He has learned that it's important to visit your great-grandparents because even though they are 81 years older than you, they love you like they've known you THEIR whole life. He's decided he likes his hair short, not long. So he got it cut the other day. He's worried that I don't like it. But I do. It just makes me nervous how grown up he is.

Cooler For A Spell

The Big and Lil' have had an adventurous couple of weeks. The first was spent with Nettie and Papa in Chapin: fishing, cooking, swimming, eating things at 9am that should be eaten at 3 or 4pm, staying up late, getting dirty, burping, pooting, peeing in the yard. An all out free-for-all. While the kids were there, Daddy and I worked but also had fun being married without kids again. We didn't do much but we did have some great peeps come to town for a golf tournament and for some real down home swimming in the pool late at night, laughing your hiney off fun. It was a great break for all of us.

On Sunday, we picked up the little dirt balls and took them to a place with a whole other climate. I love where we live. It's beautiful. There is water at every turn and marsh grass and spanish moss swinging in the breeze. That breeze. That breeze is hot folks. It's swampy. And mosquitoey. A breeze that blows at 98 degrees is really no breeze at all. More like hot hangover breath. So, we got outta town and went cooler for a spell and here's what we learned:
- Big loves a wife beater t-shirt.
- Lil' is a little bit more brave than we've all given her credit for.
- Mama and Daddy can look really rough at times.
Here's what we did:
- Sliding Rock - slid down 60ft of river rock. Yes, even you Lil'.
- Hiked
- Floated the Green River
-Fished and fished and fished.