Write It Down

Far too often lately, I catch myself thinking "you better write this down somewhere! You'll want to remember it!". How often that actually happens, though, is practically never.

Tonight though, I'm writing it down. I want to always remember the moment when Nathan and I simultaneously shook with laughter and stopped dead in our tracks with worry, as if to say "if this is what's coming out of her mouth at two, JUST THINK OF THE TEENAGE YEARS." Her wit is pretty remarkable.

Background: Tyler and Caroline have a strange obsession with toothpaste. We constantly catch them huddled in a closet or corner with a tube of "trainer paste," cap off and turned up, guzzling like it's liquid gold. No matter how much they're scolded they continue to suck it down whenever possible, in which I say GROSS but at least it's not fluoride-filled and harmful.

HOWEVER, Caroline saw an opportunity to grab Nathan's tube of Colgate yesterday and proudly announced to me that she'd "eaten daddy's toothpaste!". I immediately acted grief-stricken, telling her that she was going to get so sick that she'd have to go to the hospital and spend the night. CUE THE TEARS!! She was horrified and scared to death, which made me feel sort of bad... But not really. Eating big-people toothpaste is no bueno, and she REALLY COULD get that sick. If scare-tactics work, so be it.

Fast forward to tonight and we're in their room getting dressed for bed. I'd bought a fresh tube of toddler toothpaste (since the last bubble gum flavored one was sucked down in record time) and they were more than excited to open it. Caroline sneaks some of it when I'm not looking, OF COURSE, and proudly announces that she'd "eaten NEW toothpaste!" Nathan played along and we both acted grief-stricken once again, and right on cue (again), the waterworks started flowing. She was pitiful... And scared to death...
And we felt like terrible people for making our sweet little girl cry (even though it was just a little funny). We quickly told her that it was just a joke - that she wouldn't be going to the hospital to see the doctor but that the toothpaste would, in fact, make her very sick if she kept eating it.

With that, she was satisfied.

Fast forward 20 minutes.

Tyler had a slightly runny nose when we were doing baths, and we noticed that he sounded pretty congested when we tucked him in. After lights were out and good nights were spoken, Nathan and I decided to give him a dose of Tylenol to help him sleep (in case of a midnight fever). With medicine in-hand I went back into their dark room and told Tyler he needed to open up, and immediately he was ecstatic. (Medicine and toothpaste really do it for my kids, if you haven't guessed by now). Caroline shot up instantaneously and demanded that she needed medicine as well, to which I replied "no ma'am you don't... You aren't sick. If you wake up tomorrow and you are sick, I'll be most happy to give you medicine then."

Her reply: "but mama I AM sick!! I...ATE...TOOTHPASTE!!"

Caroline 1 - Parents 0.

Georgia Aquarium

We’re really starting to like this “third year schedule” business.  With Nathan working roughly five less shifts a month, ramping up the travel schedule is quite easy and spur-of-the-moment. 

A trip to Atlanta?  Why not?

We spent two nights with our friends Joe and Laurie, just relaxing and hanging out.  The “big” event of the trip, though, was to the Georgia Aquarium.  We just knew Tyler and Caroline were going to love it… And they needed to, since it costs a small fortune to get in!

I’m sure it doesn’t relate here, but trust me when I tell you that this is the biggest sting ray you will ever see.  It was phenomenal and made that shark look like a dwarf.

The ones below were much more our size…

Tyler was intent on touching one, even if it meant he would have to jump in the water to do so.  Caroline wasn’t having any of it.

They were in awe of pretty much everything, but the highlight of their day was finding Nemo.  (Dorie was in this tank… almost equally exciting).

Since we were there on a Saturday, the place was packed out by lunch.  Rather than fighting the crowds for overpriced cafeteria food, we decided to bide our time at Johnny Rockets across the street until Dolphin Tale at 1:30.  The nickel jukebox on the table was a major hit, as well as these fun hats.

After lunch we bypassed the unbelievable lines and headed back to the theater for the live dolphin show.  I knew dolphins were amazing, but I’ve never really experienced them in person quite like this.  On the way into the show, you passed their holding tank and they made sure to swim by for each person waiting.  I couldn’t take any pictures during the performance, but if you find yourself in the area, I highly recommend both the aquarium and this show.  I’m not sure who enjoyed it more, the kids or us.

(PS, I was really thankful for my iphone on this trip. I forgot to charge my DSLR battery so if you’re thinking the picture quality stinks, that’s why).

Americana

The story goes like this.  My kids are super opinionated and super independent when it comes to their wardrobe (and I’m sure I’ve mentioned this before).  To get them to wear something they aren’t in the mood for is just about as fun as pulling teeth, so I let them rock the same character-themed clothing to their little hearts’ content pretty much every day.  I will never tsk tsk at a parent whose kid is clad in some kind of superhero cape or winter boots when it’s 100 outside.  I get it.

However, there are times when they need to just wear what I pick out… like on Sunday to go to church or when we have to be all “fancy” for some reason or another.  OR, when I want to get some pictures.  It just so happens, we have these precious matching Americana Strasburg outfits and when else are they going to wear them but for the fourth of July?  Let the bargaining begin.

Suckers and fruit snacks were promised, and you can clearly see who “gets it” in situations like this.

Mama’s girl ain’t no fool, y’all.

 

 

On the contrary, all our little fella was concerned with:  getting it off.

 

 

And since that was not tolerated, he moved on to picking his nose. 

He gave “unwilling participant” a valiant effort.

 

 

 

Caroline sat patiently through Tyler’s menagerie,
doing every single thing I asked.  She works hard for sugar.

 

 

 

 

If I asked her, she did it. 
From the bows in her hair to the poses & angles, she complied. 

I was in heaven.

 

 

After a while, she decided Tyler needed a little push and kept interacting with him to lighten his mood. 

Bless her heart.

 

 

He contemplated…

 

Then realized missing out on suckers would be a travesty.

 

I’m hiring a professional photographer to do photos in Hawaii on the beach. 

We’ll see what happens.  :)

Skin Deep

Skin care has been on the forefront of my mind lately, so it’s pretty ironic that Dove® sent me their new VisibleCare Body Wash to review.  In light of recent events, I feel compelled to share why I think taking care of your skin should be a top priority for everyone.

On Independence Day, a dear friend of mine lost his three year battle with melanoma.  He was 31 years old.  THIRTY-ONE.  We were from the same home town and went to UNC-Chapel Hill together, then a few years post-grad found ourselves living in Charleston, SC.  We grew up waving hello on the golf course where my grandfather was the town “pro” and often shared rides on the three-hour trek to and from college.  Once we were forced to grow up and live on our own, it seemed natural to cook dinner together (he made the meanest seafood alfredo ever) or just enjoy the finer things Chuck Town had to offer.  He took me out for a fancy birthday dinner the year I was single; I brought him along for an all-expenses-paid trip to Dallas for work.  We were good friends, and I know I’m not the only one who can say that.  He was a man of many good friends.

When he learned that he was diagnosed with melanoma at age 29 it was unreal.  He was so young, but naturally, he would fight it, right?  No big deal.  Only it was a big deal.  The cancer spread rapidly, and no matter how hard Brett fought, how many oncologists he saw, how many drug trials he went through or how many prayers were said, he eventually lost the battle.  At age 31, he left this world with a widow, grieving family members and an army of friends behind. 

Brett at George Strait concert, Charleston 2007

With that said, I cringe at the thought of the damage I’ve done to my skin over the course of my 31 years.  I used to splash water on my face at the pool in lieu of sunscreen and slathered on a layer of baby oil or two on countless trips to the beach.  What I used to deem “just sun spots” now seem like potential murderous weapons all over my body.  It’s FRIGHTENING.  If Brett’s journey taught me anything, it’s that you have to take care of your skin.  Between daily SPF 15 in my moisturizer and makeup to wearing hats and giant sunglasses at the pool, I have finally turned a corner.  I’m just thankful that there are companies out there who come up with awesome products to help us “turn back time,” like Dove® and their revolutionary line of premium body wash.

Not only does it give you visibly more beautiful skin in just one week, but it’s also available in three variants.  Dove® VisibleCare Toning Crème Body Wash helps to promote skin’s elasticity and strength, while Renewing Body Wash nourishes and replenishes skin.  The one I tried was Softening Body Wash (which softens skin and dry spots), and I can honestly say that it’s the closest I’ve come to the one I used years ago that contained a built-in lotion.  My skin feels super soft when I towel off after each shower, and the feel of the product very luxurious when you’re using it.  It’s made with fragrances like magnolia and pink jasmine, so not only does it feel great on your skin, it makes you smell great too.  As someone who loathes the time it takes to lotion up (hey moms!  you know what I’m talking about here!), it’s nice to be able to feel something special for just the few minutes I’m able to steal a quick shower.

Now that it’s summer and we’re baring more than usual, do yourself a favor and pick up a variant of the VisibleCare line.  I’m definitely adding the Toning Crème to my repertoire, since let’s face it, gaining and losing 90 pounds of pregnancy weight doesn’t do a body any favors! Is there a particular product that makes you feel the most beautiful in your own skin?  (Soft, silky legs by way of a good bath moisturizer or lotion does it for me.)

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The Beginning of the End.

When we packed up the car on July 1st, it signified more than vacation.  It meant the beginning of the end of residency.  Nathan could hardly believe his good fortune that a simple request to be off for the fourth turned into a week off, but then he remembered, this is what it’s supposed to be like your last year.  AWESOMESAUCE.  Instead of working 21 shifts in four weeks, he’ll now work about 15.  Instead of searching for non-existent pumpkin patches (here in the midlands) come September, we’ll be boarding a direct flight to Honolulu for five weeks.  And instead of enduring the Columbia “famously hot” summer next year, we’ll be packing up and moving on.  The next eleven months are going to be nuts!  Crazy and wonderful and once-of-a-lifetime, but nuts nonetheless. 

With that said, we celebrated the week off at the lake (where else, right?).  For the first time since we moved away, we were able to actually enjoy the spectacular fireworks show that Mom & Roger’s neighbors put on every year.  We saw all sides of the family, we boated, we swam, we floated, we cooked, we ate, we bowled, we shopped… all the things that make our getaways so much fun.  More than any of that, though, we listened to Little Big Town’s “Pontoon” song on serious repeat as if it were our anthem.  If Nathan wouldn’t plug his ears and give me his “not one more time” face, I’d probably post the You Tube version right here and now.  I doubt there’s a more quintessential summertime song, especially for us southerners, but I’ll refrain. 

When we took the time to put on some clothes and shoes, we went bowling with Grammie & Paw Sims.  It’s only right to point out that the Sims men are mighty competitive, and when it was suggested that the teams should be “guys against girls,” Grammie and I were more than ok with showing them what we were made of.  Quick, like a band aid:  *ahem-we-waxed-them-with-scores-like-173-ahem.*  Poor, poor men folk. 

Caroline and Tyler had an absolute blast, though.  They also took it seriously… must run in the family.

(Little boy belt & undies showing… I die of cuteness.)

The day of the fourth, though, it was back to bathing suits and flip flops.  We spent the whole morning on the water, then by early afternoon family and friends started trickling in for the annual barbeque.  Tyler insisted on wearing his blue Thomas shirt yet again.

(I hate that the pic below is out of focus - I love their expressions!)

In case you didn’t know, this lil girl is gonna give me a run for my money one day. ;)

One of the best things about having twins is the built-in friendship they innately have.  We never bother with “entertaining” them… they have that covered no matter where we go.

Like chair-spinning-

Or doing a little jig-

Or calling “ALL ABOARD!!” and pretend-driving the golf cart-

Or calling “ALL ABOARD SISSY!” and allowing Caroline to ride like this on HER Dora trike-

(He took her all over the house while she hung onto the back and squatted over the “trunk” the entire week.  I videoed it, as it was amazing.)

Almost time for fireworks!!

Boats from all over the lake anchor nearby for the show, and we’re the lucky ones who have front row seats at home.

Caroline and Tyler were excited, yet pensive…

And the minute this started happening on top of us, they were basically over it.

We tried calming them down, but if I was two years old, it would have probably scared the bejesus out of me too.  I’m not kidding about it being on top of us, so as an adult it’s amazing.  As a tot, scariest. thing. EVER.

We also did a photo shoot with T & C in the cutest little Fourth of July outfits, but I think I’ve reached my picture quota for one post.  Strasburg advertisement, coming soon. :)

Hope you all had a great holiday, too!