Memphis Bound

This post is about...ahem...two months late.  But better late than never, right?  Back in July, Darin got a surprise phone call from the same lady who asked him to do a summer workshop for teachers two years back.  And, surprise, she wanted him to come back.  When he did it two years ago, the kids and I (who were a mere 2 years and 3 months old) went too.  We made it into a 2.5 day mini vacation.  You see, one of the benefits of having a husband who is good at what he does is that when you're called again, you get to do it all over again..but this time with kids who can actually enjoy a little more.  His workshop was in West Memphis, so that's where our hotel was.  We got to stay in the same hotel.   In fact, we even got to stay in the same exact room…which if you remember from two years ago was amazing. 

And had this........ (insert sounds of angels singing). 

With the kids being almost two and a half and 4, they really got to enjoy themselves unlike the trip prior.  Having your oldest who had just turned two and a 3 month old who nursed every 3-4 hours was, well, difficult. 

We actually did the same exact things we did two years ago.  Zoe was so young she didn’t remember anything.  And, well, Ethan did this the whole time. 

We visited the CMOM – Children’s Museum of Memphis.  That is the best museum for little ones.  It has such great hands on things that provide learning and just pure fun.  They had several new things that had been added on that weren’t there two years ago…an airplane exhibit, watching how a boat travels down a river, and a shopping center where you take a child sized basket, go get you own items, and check yourself out.  It even prints out a receipt for you of what you spent on your items.  That was probably my favorite exhibit of the whole museum…one of theirs as well.

                  Children's Museum Adventure

E-man shopping his little heart out.  Shredded wheat...what taste.  Blah! Yummy!

Checking out

Below is a picture of two years ago of Zoe.  So many changes!

One day we visited the Memphis Zoo.  That’s just fun all the way around.  Plus, the day that it went, it was pretty overcast which meant that the temperatures were really quite nice.  We took our double stroller…which by the way is the best invention…and it allowed them to freely walk or ride when they wanted to.  They saw lions, and tigers, and bears…oh my! 

Zoo Time!

 This particular monkey harassed us kept us company while we ate.  There is glass on the other end of that by the way.


Please...give me some too!



Ummm, no thank you

Baby giraffe - 11 days old

One day we went to the Botanical Gardens.  I must say, gardens in the dead heat of summer, in a drought, with 105+ degree temperatures, and with 100% humidity don’t make for very pretty foliage.   But they do have a great kid’s area, and that is primarily where we spent our three hours.   They have a giant tree house with a slide and big bridge, a water area where you can wade in the water, several different hands on areas, and my personal favorite, a rainstorm simulator which begins with some low rumbles of thunder, followed by loud claps of thunder, followed by sprinkles, followed by an all out downpour.  Both kids loved that.  They also were pretty surprised that there were fish as big as the ones that they got a chance to feed. 

Botanical Gardens

Having to leave the rainstorm area

It's raining, it's pouring!

Giant Earthworm



Feeding the "giant fish" as the kids call them



I think we need to this way, mom. 

 This year we stayed an extra day so as not to have to travel right after one of our “adventures”.  So we stayed three nights, four days.  Just long enough to call it a great vacation. 

Stories from a soccer mom

Little Miss Zoe started soccer this last week.  I never dreamed this little girlie girl would be wanting to play, but she asked if she could.  So here we are…team Holland.  She is the only girl on this particular U6 (under 6) team, but she doesn’t seem to mind at all.  A boy from her preschool class is on the team, so she’s quite excited.  She had her first practice last week and fully anticipating the typical first experience that we have which usually consists of hanging on the leg, crying, more hanging on the leg, and more crying, I was quite surprised to see this face with no tears on it…a face that was eager to learn what this sport is all about.  Maybe it has to do with Levi being on their team…maybe it’s just that she’s growing up. 

Most of these kids have never played before, much less know the rules to the game.  So the first practice was pretty much “This is a soccer ball.  We kick the soccer ball.  We can’t touch the soccer ball with our hands.”  Saturday morning was her first game, and she was just as giddy about it as could be.  They lost…but the other team was an older team with some obvious experience.  I think the score was something like 6-3.  But of course in the U6 league, they don’t even keep score or a record of wins/losses.  It’s just to get the basics under their belts.  But boy, they sure do look official out there! 

Look at that face.  She doesn't even look like she's 4 in this picture.  She looks 8!  Where's my baby girl!?

Zoe pretty much spent most of the game running with the pod, but not really going after the ball.  The boys are pretty rough, and I’m not sure if she wants to be a part of that just yet.  She at one point told me she was practicing being a butterfly.  Hence this picture.  Ahem. 

So I’m officially a “soccer mom”!  And I’m loving every minute of it!  J

The story of Sam and Tom

Below is the start of our caterpillar word worm.  These are all words she knows by sight...at least somewhat.  We're working on learning how to read.   Yesterday, she read me a story that said.  "Sam is a dog.  Tom is a cat.  Sam and Tom met a red ant.  Sam and Tom ran."  All but two or three words wer sight words.  So she is picking things up pretty quickly.  I posted a video - a very long video, mind you - but a video of her telling what each of the sight words are.  She normally can tell me much quicker that this, but she had already done her lesson at this point and was sort of in a la-dee-da mood.  Overall, she is doing very well...we're very proud of her.  :)

Trienta. Trente. dreißig. Trinta. Thelathini. Di San. THIRTY!

Three decades ago (and a few months since I'm so late posting this), I turned...ahem...30.  Yes, the big 3-0.

Trienta.  Trente.  dreißig.  Trinta.  Thelathini.  Di San.  THIRTY!  

I never thought my precious husband was the type to try to surprise me.  I was so wrong this time.  I half expected some sort of surprise party, but he went the more creative route. We had a women's special event at the end of June.  About 50 ladies or so were there, I think.  Towards the middle, they started singing Happy Birthday and brought out this cute little flip flop cake and a bouquet of gorgeous flowers....to guess who?  Talk about embarrassing...and sweet all wrapped up in one.  He almost came to deliver it himself, but I think he got a little uncomfortable thinking about being the only guy there.  :)  What a sweetheart.  He even remembered that my favorite flowers were stargazers.  Talk about a moment of your heart melting into a puddle on the floor.