Old MacDonald

This is a combine, not a tractor.  I don't really know the difference, but N would say it's important.

 One of the fields near E's grandpa's house had been plowed over and the boys thought it was a GIANT sandbox.

This barn is over 100 years old.  I just think it's really neat looking.

This past weekend, we drove to a tiny place near Poplar Bluff, MO to visit E's grandpa.  This is slightly more than 500 miles of driving.  Our children are both under 30 months old (but thankfully, both over the age of 1).  According to our Garmin, this whole trip should have taken approximately 7.5 hours, or if you listen to Google about 8.5 hours.  It took us approximately 10 hours each way.  I think I've blocked most of it out in a kind of post-traumatic stress self-preservation thing, but I can remember that it wasn't the most terrible drive ever.  My left shoulder may disagree from the hours and hours spent with my arm holding hands with the tiny people in the backseat, but overall it went much better than we could have hoped.

The actual visit part was really nice, although too short.  We visited the weekend of the big harvest festival in the town E's grandpa lives in, so there was lots of interesting stuff to watch.  This is a super-big-deal to the town, as there are approximately 500 residents and the harvest is a big big BIG deal.  I honestly don't know anything about farming, but I know all about eating, and I know that a harvest means food and food makes me happy, so I'm all about celebrating that.  We got to see a parade, look at bunnies and ducks, and listen to live gospel music.  We also got to spend plenty of time traipsing around E's grandpa's farm, looking at everything, but most importantly the tractors.  And combines.  And bulldozers.  And whatever.  The large farm equipment was a HUGE hit with the little guys.

Other that the drive (recall I've blocked it from my memory), the only other irksome part of the trip were the small towns that served as breakpoints on our drive.  Now in the big D (ehem, suburbs of said big D), we've all embraced the modern father.  This is not so in the small farming communities that we visited.  How do I know this?  Every stop we had our kiddos needed potty breaks.  B still needs diaper changes, on full-up changing tables.  Can E do it this time?  Nope.  Why?  There is no changing table.  Not once did we stop in some location where there was a changing table in the men's room.  Needless to say, I did the lion's share of diaper changes this weekend.

I think I deserve a night off.  Good think I'm going to that musical on Thursday!

Tadpoles and minnows

This picture of B has nothing to do with this post, I really just think it's adorable.  On to the real matter...

This guy:

This guy loves swimming.  Loves it.  He is like a little fish.  Or, according to the swim school he's enrolled in, he's a minnow.  At least he was.  Now he's ready to move up to the FROGS!  Given that frogs are supposed to be at minimum 30 months old and he is only 28 months old, I feel like he's a little swimming prodigy.  While my logical side says that this isn't true, give me a break.  I'm his mom and get to be really proud of him.

Good job N!

PS - B is in the tadpoles class and loves it as well, but hasn't really perfected the art of "monkey walking" or "gliding" so he's still going to remain in his class for the time being.  That's okay with all of us.

PPS - What's the deal with the levels?  Tadpole -> minnow -> frog -> seahorse -> starfish -> seal -> shark -> stingray
Makes no sense zoologically, but at least they have cute logos.

Remembering

Ten years ago today, I was a junior in college working towards my engineering degree.  My husband and I were just starting to flirt/date/whatever, my family was (and still is) wonderful and the support system of friends at school was phenomenal.  In my little private university world, my biggest concern was getting my engineering design homework done in time to go out on the weekend and figuring out if I would run before or after visiting Mabee hall.

My worldview, along with the worldview of every American, changed on this day ten years ago.  Our country suffered a terrible attack on our way of life, and everyone was forever changed by it.  There are certain moments that are defining in a person's life.  I remember people talking about how they would never forget where they were or exactly what they were doing when President Kennedy was assassinated.  I never really understood it, until September 11, 2001.  I will never forget that moment, standing half-dressed after a morning run in my dorm room in McLean hall getting ready to meet E for breakfast before class.  I was watching the today show, and remember wondering what movie they were talking about how the special effects were phenomenal.  After I realized that it really was happening, I hurried down to E's room, where we watched in horror as a second plane hit the second tower.  The entire campus, like the entire country, was paralyzed by the shock of it all.

Ten years later, I can promise you I will never forget that moment.  And ten years later, I still try to remember to be grateful for every moment I'm given.  I'm grateful for the country I live in, the freedoms I celebrate, and the faith I'm able to practice.  I appreciate more the fact that I am able to read what I want, marry who I want, and move freely through society.  Until that moment ten years ago, I very well took all of that for granted.

Prayers and remembrances for all we lost ten years ago, and one more prayer of thanks for the life I'm so privileged to get to live.

Bedtime stories

N has about a billion books.  Okay, maybe not that many, but certainly a lot.  Enough that we don't have to read the same story every night, or even the same story in the same week...  Every night we read two different books to N, and it is very possible we could go an entire month without reading the same one twice.

That said, this is the conversation we have every night after his pjs are on and we're prepping for storytime:
---
Me: Whatcha wanna read tonight buddy?

N: The dino book.

Me: What about this book?

N: shakes head furiously  No, the dino book.  Not that dino book.  The other dino book.  How do dinos eat their food.

Me: sigh  Okay.  What other book?  Ferdinad?  This book about the guy with all the spots?

N: looking at me like I'm crazy  No.  I want the animal book with the zoo.

Me: You're sure you don't want Ferdinand?  Holding up "The Story of Ferdinand".

N: Sheer panic  No no no no nononono.  Looks me straight in the eyes so he's sure I'm hearing and understanding him.  The ANIMAL BOOK.

Me: Okay okay, the animal book.  Proceed to read both books without looking at any pages because I've memorized every word at this point.

N: I love this book.
--
This conversation happens nightly, but there are probably five books on the rotation:

• "How Do Dinosaurs Eat Their Food?" - good, teach him to try new foods.
• "Wild About Books" - good, everyone should love reading AND zoos
• "The Little Red Hen" - capitolism at it's best.  You don't help, so you don't eat.
• "The Pokey Little Puppy" - I hate this book.  What is the POINT?
• "What Do You Do With A Tail Like This" - educational, but not much of a story.

Replace "Me" with "E" above, and pick any two of the above books and you've got our nightly routine with N.  If anyone needs any toddler books besides those list above, we have a ton.  I'm partial to "I Love You Stinky Face", even if N isn't.