Category: Family

Well, I know I said that we’d be finding out what flavor this new baby is next week, but I had an unexpected appointment today and we found out that we’re having a girl! Quite honestly, it’s quite an adjustment to think about pink shoes, hair bows, and baby dolls, but the grandmammas and Wilson are thrilled enough for all of us until the news becomes more real. She was quite the little wiggle worm and that was with me having had no breakfast- I think we have a fire ball on our hands!

Most importantly, she looked perfectly healthy and we had a very in depth look at her. Like I said, this was an unexpected appointment. A nurse from my doctor’s office called yesterday morning and said that there was an opening at one of the prenatal specialists in town’s office and that my regular doctor wanted me to go in today and have a targeted sonogram. So we spent about 30 minutes looking at all the bones, vertebrae, and movements she has. I have my regularly scheduled appointment on Tuesday so I’ll find out then why the sudden need to go to a specialist. But as of today, everything looked as perfect as could be. She’s measuring one day behind her due date. So, the fact that I haven’t been able to eat a lot doesn’t seem to be bothering her one bit, which is really the only concern I’ve had.

No names yet, but I expect that will come in a new post very soon. Here are a couple of the pictures we got. She likes to suck her thumb and we also caught a glimpse of her patting herself on the back. Pretty funny!

Today we spent the day in Louisianna at Lake Bruin with our community group from church. We had a great time- following are a couple of pictures and I’ll direct you to the Werne’s blog for more pics and a great video of the tubing highlights. Thanks, Kilman’s- we all had a blast!

Dad & Wilson swimming in the lake

There was a tractor- need I say more?

(Also, this is the new face you get when you ask Wilson to smile for the camera. At least he’s participating in the process now instead of screaming “NO!”)

Mr. Politician:

It’s not enough that I have to endure your chubby face in my mailbox EVERY day of the week, and your commercials on TV all day long, and you and your “helpers” ringing my door bell all day thereby setting my dog into a frenzy and potentially waking my child only to hand me another copy of the chubby face emblazoned flyer, xeroxed copies of tear stained letters from your wives, pictures of your poor kids and their fake smiles, you are now calling my home at all hours of the day. ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!!! It’s obvious that you know we don’t want to talk to you. You hide behind “private caller” & “1800 service” so, in turn, we don’t answer. But that’s not enough for you- oh no. You or one of your family members, church friends, or dog sitters leaves a message- not a live one mind you, but a recording. You don’t even WANT to talk to us. You just want yet another opportunity to force yourselves on us. If I had a question for you or was even remotely interested in what you have to say- I can’t have any sort of exchange with you. So here’s what I have to offer in return- I’m not voting. There I said it- I’m usually a very patriotic, everyone should vote kind of person, but now I’m not going to vote for any of you on August 7th. (They always say every vote counts- what would happen if NONE of us went? I mean what if literally NO ONE showed up. How funny would that be? Who would be the winner? I’m just curious, not trying to start a movement or anything.) There is also supposedly a demographic of people that chronically doesn’t vote. Although I usually do, I think I’m still in the age category that all of you are supposed to be reaching out to, to draw in to really sway your campaign. All you’ve done for me is tick me off. You’ll find that our generation responds quite well to a Sesame Street type approach. Everyone gets about 15 seconds. Set your platform to music and come up with a little song and dance to accompany it. No need for a lot fluff- just the bare facts. Quite frankly singing “The Ladybug Picnic” gets me to the count of 12 every time and I can still remember most of the words to Rubber Ducky from 25 years ago- I can’t remember any of YOUR names or what the difference is between any of you from any of the 25 times I’ve had to avoid you TODAY.

One common thread among all of our local candidates is street repair/beautification. For the past 3 months all you’ve done is make the place look like a city dump. At every entrance to every neighborhood and on every street corner there are approximately 50-12 campaign signs. As if I’m going to be driving along and say “well, I’ve seen 83 signs for this guy but only 81 for that one, guy number one must really have his stuff together. I’m gonna go with HIM. He’s got great cardboard sign placement- he’ll take our community places.” Although it’s almost as annoying, just have your friends put ONE sign in their yards- bombarding us as we leave our neighborhood doesn’t help your cause.

I had to get this out because it was just building up and I’m scared people are going be greeted at my door with a cordless phone and a pile of glossy card stock being hurled out past them into oncoming traffic if I get one more UNSOLICITED call (I guess y’all conveniently kept yourselves out of the candidates for the “do not call list”) or stack of junk mail (honestly, how many copies of the same advertisement do you think I need filling up my already overflowing garbage can). At least with telemarketers it’s a real person you can either ask not to call back or get the satisfaction of hanging up on. I’m scared of where this obsessive campaigning trail is leading. Next summer am I going to open my front door to find a cardboard cut out of you and your family standing there with a recording of where you go to church and what your opponent did behind closed doors?

I think a nice independent publication produced a week or two before the election and mailed to each registered voter would be a good start. Everyone who has their hat in the race gets a page- double spaced, size 12 Times New Roman font. You may have one section to list factual qualifications you have for the job (sorry, the fact that you are a member of a church or the NRA does not count- both are required just to maintain a residence below the Mason Dixon line)and in the second section you may list goals you have for your term- be careful here, this will be a legally binding document. Note there’s not much room here to tell me anything about your opponents or other public officials that have “gotten in the way” of you doing your job. We’ll go with Mr. Rogers here- don’t worry about your neighbor, you just worry about you. I haven’t decided yet if I want to see your face printed on your page or not. This will be your only contact with the voters other than any public debates you wish to take part in, phone calls you wish to answer AT YOUR RESIDENCE (your phone number WILL be listed on your page), and I’ll allow a final list of candidates to be published in all newspapers a few months before the election. Still interested in running?

Thank you for your time,
Maggie

PS- sorry if I’ve offended any of my regular readers, but you did choose to read the whole thing and it wasn’t addressed to any of you!

We went to Uncle Rusty’s lake house for his 50th birthday party. Wilson had tons of fun hanging out in their boat house practicing his kayaking.

That same weekend, Tate came back for a sleepover. He has gotten a little chunky since moving in with his grandparents, so we put him on a strict diet of water and exercise while he was here. Wilson was his trainer.

Next we were off to Memphis to see our Aunt Suzanne and Cousin Lindsey (and the boys in their family, too!) The first morning we were there, Wilson helped Suzanne in her garden- here he’s showing off a cucumber he helped picked.

That afternoon we got to have lunch on a REAL train!

Here’s Wilson patting Daisy, Suzanne’s bunny. If you’ve ever asked Wilson what a bunny says and he’s responded with a growl, this is the rabbit that started that!

Wilson was fascinated with their dog/cat/rabbit door! That’s him waving to us in the first picture- what a comedian!

The next week we went to Perdido with Granna. This is Wilson in front of one of two cars in our parking lot that had quite original paint jobs and hood ornaments. (it’s worth your time to click on the first one to enlarge it- note the grin on his face!)

Wilson spotted the huge bird from the balcony of our condo one night. We, of course, had to immediately head down to chase it.

These are from the 4th of July at Pop & Mim’s house:

Nothing like sword fighting with a flower pot man, or sittin’ on dry land in boat with your Paw

Feeding Daddy blueberries.

Here’s Wilson, Daddy, and Uncle Andy with their tour group at the Jack Daniels distillery

Dad and Wilson with the Jack Daniels car.

Back at home, spending the morning in the pool with his new boats.

And here are our new crafts:

Wilson painted this frame and added the construction truck stickers, then we put a picture of Shu Shu in

I’ve been looking for something to hang in the corner of Wilson’s room over his low bookshelves, and found this mobile in a fun new craft book I bought. I replaced the circus animals in their pattern with trucks, rockets, and planes. Of course, the craft lady was able to stop all traces of air movement when she took the picture of hers, so all the things hanging were facing the right direction- I haven’t mastered that skill yet!

. . . new look! I hope you like it. We’ll know (Lord willing) on August 14th if the newest member is pink or blue.

This week our good friends Seth & Tyler Lott turned 1 and yesterday they had their birthday party! It was “lotts” of fun and great to catch up with their mamma & daddy- we can’t wait for y’all to get back up here for good!

After we’d been there for about an hour Wilson looked at me and said, “These are the same babies!” He had a great time testing out all their new toys while they ate the wrapping paper.

As usual, I remembered a few more the day after I posted!!

We were at my aunt’s in Memphis a few weeks ago, swimming in her pool. My mom kept asking Wilson to jump in to her and he kept saying, “no, not right now.” So finally she said, “well when, do I have to make an appointment!?” He turned to her and said “NO, NO PAPPOINTMENTS!!” and ran away.

One of the few things that remains okay for me to eat (who knows why) is Cool Ranch Doritos. I had had some for a snack yesterday and later gave Wilson a kiss on the cheek. He said,”ooo, mamma, you stinky!” I said what are you talking about?! He came back and sniffed around my face and said, “yea, you stinky!” I think I remember why I quit eating Cool Ranch Doritos like 15 years ago.

I’m sure there will be more to follow . . .

We are still playing “poop for prizes” around here and things are going much better. Today he let me know he needed to go and I told him he’d get the new puzzle he’d picked out. As he was on the potty “pushing”- “allllmooost theeere . . . alllmooost goot my puuuuzzle. . . .almost there . . . “

Tonight I let him know that he had to stay in bed- if I heard him come out or turn his light on, I’d come back and spank him- “and you’ll bring a spoon?” yes, I’ll bring a spoon “and you have a spoon in your purse?” yes, I still have a spoon in my purse. I guess he’s just making sure he knows where they all are.

My dad and brother just got home from a 5 week trip to Alaska. After I had talked to them for the first time, I said “Wilson, guess who’s home?” “BIG DADDY & UNCA JOHN!?” “Yeah- we’re going to go see them” “And Big Daddy’s gonna love me and John’s gonna pick me up and love me”

Currently he’s quite excited about his new sibling and talks about Shu–shu all of the time “shu–shu’s gonna pat me on the back” “shu–shu’s gonna play with this truck” “we’ll put shu–shu in her bed and she’ll love her lion”. He’s quite certain “shu–shu” is a girl and apparently that she’s going to think he hung the moon and will be ready and willing to massage him, play trucks, and go to bed upon command. I should have been so specific in my hopes for him!

This week we’ve had Bible School and he’s been pretty excited about going. The second day he came running through the kitchen saying, “I turn da TV off, let’s get my shoes, it’s time to go!”