Tooles in Georgia

FDR

2012-02-13T06:00:00.002-05:00

Evan's social studies project for this week: Choose a famous American. Create a project that explains how he changed American society.

Evan plans to go to school tomorrow dressed as FDR and plans to give an oral presentation about his life. This was his dress rehearsal video clip recorded at home tonight that he used to produce a short movie.

While we were researching FDR this afternoon on the web, we found an article that mentioned FDR's long time mistress Lucy. I think I spent more time trying to avoid the meaning of mistress than defining the New Deal. Finally, after avoiding it and pretending I didn't hear his persistent, "What's a mistress?" I answered with: "It's a girlfriend." That just generated even more questions, though, because he had already found that FDR was married to Eleanor. Finally, he asked, "Why does a married man need a girlfriend?"

I had no answer.

Lightning Races

2012-02-12T14:30:00.003-05:00

Lightning raced Saturday at the Pinewood Derby. Let me begin by saying I don't get the block of wood falling down a slope. I had no idea how seriously some kids (and adults) take these races...until Saturday. After the first race, I saw people jumping up and down and cheering, and I thought, "Well, can you believe that? It's a piece of wood falling down an incline." And then it hit me! Do people look at me on the soccer field sidelines and ask themselves, "Well, can you believe that? It's just a game!"

Finally, though, after a full hour of waiting and watching all that I could handle of the crazed whoops of celebration, Lightning was taken to the track.

He got second in all three heats and scored fourth over all!

Keagan was pretty excited about the finish - especially since we had NO idea what we were doing when we agreed to this. Cut with a saw? Sand? Add weights? Graphite? It was all new to me.

There was no jumping up and down and screaming, though. That would just be over-the-top. We save that behavior for the sidelines of the soccer field.

Faster than a Speeding Bullet

2012-02-06T21:33:00.001-05:00

Lightning

Keagan's pine wood derby car. He designed it, spray painted it, and decorated it, but he has no plans to race it on Saturday. That's what he says anyway. I saw the big slushy stained grin on his face when he finished it, though.

And I saw him carry the car to bed with him tonight. (Luckily, I found it before he slept all night high on paint fumes.)

I also overheard him tell Evan, "It is a nice looking car. And it has the number two on it...my football number. It has to win."

I don't know who he's kidding. I think Lightning has a very good chance of racing on Saturday.

Basketball Blues

2012-02-04T18:38:00.001-05:00

Keagan's team played its last game today. In fact, they played two games, and Keagan played all four quarters in both games all while battling croup. Keagan, always the sentimental one, said, "I'm gonna miss this team, Mama." No doubt he made some good friends with the kids on the team.

Later, he said, "I think I need to have a talk with someone about why I didn't make all stars." I explained that his age group didn't have all star teams, and it's a good thing. He was ready to kick some butt over his non-selection.

All Star

2012-02-04T14:33:00.000-05:00

This is my boy.
He shoots three pointers.
He makes them....most of the time.
I scream and stomp my feet with each one.
I could be known as that "Crazy Basketball Mom", but luckily most know me as the "Mother of the Boy Who Shoots Three Pointers."

Today I am the "Mother of the Boy Who Made the All Star Team." I should be easy to spot at the first all star game. I will be the only mother in the stands with light skin. If you still can't find me, then listen for me. You won't miss me...especially if my boy just made another three pointer.

Sportscasting 101

2012-02-03T19:35:00.003-05:00

For a hot second I considered studying meteorology in college. I thought I wanted to be the 6:00 weather girl, and then I realized people hate you when you get the forecast wrong. I decided, instead, to study education, my one true calling from the age of eight, because I am convinced clouds like to play tricks on people.

You can bet I teach one killer cloud unit, though.

This week Evan has been broadcasting the daily announcements on the school's morning news; he reads the breakfast menu like a pro. He told me he's practicing for TV so that when his NFL career is over, he will know how to work the booth.

Click here to see Evan's newscast.

He can be the next Troy Aikman; I won't mind. But, Dude, you can't be on TV with a jacked up hat. Where was wardrobe when filming took place last week?

Burning Questions Part 2

2012-01-29T20:58:00.001-05:00

Evan: Mom, when you played basketball were you playing for a college team?

Me: No, Honey. I was 13 and in the 8th grade.

Me: Keagan, did you turn on the heat?

Keagan: Yes, my hand was cold.

Me: Your hand???

Keagan: Yeah, my hand.

Parent: Miss Toole! Which middle school does your older son attend?

Me: You mean Evan? Oh, Honey. Evan is only in third grade.

Parent: What do you feed him?

Evan: Mom is that guy gay?

Me: Yeah, he seems pretty happy to me.

Evan: OK, but is he gay?

Pinning Ceremony

2012-01-27T19:16:00.002-05:00

I have been collecting the extra ka-ching from Wes's promotion since 01 JAN, but today was his official pinning date. It took place on the shores of the Persian Gulf.

I have no idea the name of the other officer, but I am sure he must be an upstanding man and soldier because Wes waited three weeks for his arrival so that he could do the honor. I am bummed to have missed the event for obvious reasons, but also because after fourteen years in the Army, I finally can sing the words to the Army song. I would have done you proud, Honey, with my solo! And I say solo because I just realized that they don't even play the Army song at pinning ceremonies. Maybe by retirement I will get the rituals and traditions memorized.

One question, Wes. Did you yell "Rock of the Marne" after the ceremony? They boys want to know if anyone returned your call with "Screamin' Eagles!"

He's Not Ready for an Allowance

2012-01-26T06:00:00.004-05:00

Evan wants an allowance. I have agreed to $5 a week if he can complete two chores during the week: make his bed daily and take out the trash on trash days.

It's pretty simple, right?

Day #1: Saturday - He didn't make his bed.
It's the first day of the deal. I ignore the mistake to see how long it takes before he remembers he wants an allowance.

Day #2: Sunday - Again, he didn't make his bed.
This is said in the car on the way to church.
"Oh, you mean I have to do chores on the weekend, too? Mom, that was never discussed. I think I should have the weekends off."

Day #3: Monday - He made my bed (to make up for Saturday), and he made his own bed. He checked the trashcan to see if it was full enough to take outside. He's determined to correct the wrong so he can get the money to buy Squinkies. I have no idea what these are, but the product has been located on the web and the webpage has been conveniently saved to my favorites. I think this is a hint.

Day #4: Tuesday - He made my bed but not his own.
He says I pushed him out the door before he could get to it. Ohhhh, but you had enough time to play a quick game of basketball and check the highlights on Sports Center?

Day #5: Wednesday - He put the trash can on the curb, but he didn't put the trash bags in the can. He didn't make his bed.
He wants to know when I am ordering the Squinkies.

Day #6: Thursday - He says, "I have an idea, Mom. Just pay me for the good grades I get. Not every mom has a son that is the top AR points earner AND gets straight As all the time."

I have a son who still expects to get a crisp $5 bill on Friday afternoon. His world will crumble when I refuse to pay him and his dream of a new Squinkie collection are put to rest. You will hear his cries of protest all the way in Texas. I am sure of it. He will say I am unfair. He will say I lied to him.

I will tell him he's smart, he keeps straight As all the time; he didn't keep his end of the deal. What's not to understand?

Showing 'Em How It's Done

2012-01-24T18:08:00.000-05:00

It all made sense today. I now know why Keagan has been spending so much of his free time listening to music and practicing his dance moves. Today was the Just Dance AR party for the students who met their reading goals for the second quarter. Keagan currently has the most points of any first grader, and as the point leader, he got to choose the first song.

After school, I asked how it went, and he said, "Don't worry, Mom. I showed 'em how it's done."

Everything's Bigger and Better in Texas - Even Fat Lips

2012-01-20T17:53:00.000-05:00

Oh, happy day! As of today, I have Texas plates on the car driven everywhere but Texas. It has been a long fourteen years since I have been able to wear the plate of home.

The boys are proud Texans, too, even if they have never lived in the Great State. However, this picture was actually just a ploy to get Keagan in front of the camera. His big fat lip is not your imagination. He jacked up his face last night when he was playing on the perimeter of the tub, slipped on the wet surface, and hit his face on the toilet lid. There was blood, yells, blood, chipped teeth, and cries before I finally got out of him what happened. Today, too embarrassed to say that he fell and hit his lip on the toilet, he went to school and told his friends that Evan beat him up. After school, a group of first graders came to Keagan's defense, and while encircling Evan like soldiers about to launch a major attack, demanded to know why Evan would he do such a thing. Evan played it cool. He knew how nervous Keagan was about the kids learning the truth. His reply, "That's what brothers do. Now who wants to play some football?"

Keagan's secret is safe...for now.

And I have Texas plates.

Come On Man!

2012-01-20T05:54:00.000-05:00

This is what I overheard the boys talking about on the way home today.

She is such a diva; all the girls crowd around her in the gym. I don't get it either because she is so annoying. Did you see that powder she had on her face? She had white powder all over her face and red stuff on her cheeks. It looked really bad, but all the girls thought she was so cool.

I interrupted. Wait!!! You mean to say a first grade girl was wearing make up today at school?

Evan: Oh, Mom! That's nothing. There was a kindergartner wearing masquerade and eye lighter yesterday.

Keagan's Media Festival Project

2012-01-17T06:00:00.000-05:00

Every year the kids at the local elementary school complete media festival projects. Last year Evan's project (his web page on "The States of Matter" created within a small group) made it to the national level and earned the award "recognized." This was quite the honor. Keagan's project on "I Like Sports" made it to the district level and then didn't score high enough to advance to state. This weekend he completed the project he plans to submit to this year's festival. He is so hoping for a trophy this year!

Play by Play Action

2012-01-16T12:09:00.000-05:00

Last week I found Evan awake in his bed at ten o'clock. On top of his bed were stacks of notebooks, printer paper, colored pencils and erasers. I asked what he was he doing so late at night, and he said, "I gotta get these football plays on paper, Mama. If I don't, I might not remember them tomorrow and then I won't be able to win."

He is the next Jimmy Johnson, and by JJ, I mean the legendary Cowboys coach, not the NASCAR driver.

This morning the boys were outside playing football. Keagan was the "coach" and Evan was the "team." (Don't even begin to question how Evan can pass, receive, and tackle when he is playing the role of eleven players because in his mind he does it all.) Evan handed Keagan a stack of papers, and said, "Here are the papers you will need to throw down on the ground and stomp on when the team messes up. All good coaches do that when they get mad."

A few minutes later I hear Keagan grabbing a drink in the kitchen, and I ask him how the game is going. He says, "They are playing like crap today, Mom!" Intrigued, I asked why. He says, "Well we are pretending we are the Dolphins today, and they always play bad."

Miracle Makers and Disappointment

2012-01-14T19:36:00.000-05:00

It's a holiday weekend and we were up at o'dark thirty preparing for a day at the gym. Evan's team picked up a new player this week, and when I saw this kid on the court Monday, I thought we had reached basketball heaven. This kid has been blessed with some awesome basketball skills, and since our team seriously lacks real talent, I just knew he was our answer to scoring out of the single digits. And I dare say, I thought we might have a chance to win, too. Our miracle player played well, but it wasn't enough to overcome the Jazz. The Jazz coach arrives to the games with a clipboard, a marker board, and colored markers. He has a play book. Our coach had the wrong game time, and according to Evan, has only one play in his play book. It's called suicides. However out-matched we might have been, Evan had two three point shots and scored a total of eight points.

Keagan's team lost by one point in the last 20 seconds of the game. Eight hours later it is still too painful for me to discuss. After the game, he walked right past the mom holding the snack bags, skipping his thrice daily carb high, and headed straight for the car. That's when I knew he saw the injustice of the last minute loss as I did, and I would have to be the adult and help him calmly walk through his anger and disappointment.

Then I saw these shots on my camera, and who could remain so sad? He scored, he played his heart out, and he had parents we didn't even know congratulating him with a job well done.

We will do it all over again next Saturday.

Burning Questions

2012-01-09T22:10:00.003-05:00

Keagan: "Mom, have you heard of Ahammad Dali?"
Me: "Yeah, I've heard of Mohammad Ali."

Evan: "Mom, has a boy ever had a baby?"
Me: "No, it isn't possible."
Evan: "Well, that's a relief! Because I don't want to ever be pregnant."

Keagan: "Mom, when I'm an astronaut and get into space, how will I know when to get back into the space shuttle? I don't want to be the first astronaut that gets left on the moon."

Evan: "Mom, where's the celery?"
Me: "I haven't bought any since we got back from Texas."
Evan: "What's a boy supposed to snack on then?"
He found no celery, but he found green onions. Guess what he decided to try as his afternoon snack?

Nugget of Advice: Let's Learn the Chest Pass

2012-01-07T17:40:00.000-05:00

Evan's basketball season tipped off today with their first game. While Keagan's team has a plethora of coaches, we have struggled to keep a coach. The first coach was around for only one practice, and then he left for Fort Polk. Our second coach was a dad that just got orders for Afghanistan. And now we are onto our third coach. At our first practice with coach #3, he won me over when he had the kids running, and they ran so much, one kid began to cry and call out for his mommy.
I felt what I am sure was an instant connection with the 20 year old private.

While the Nuggets began with a team of eight players, we are now down to five. I can only assume these missing ten year olds were just not interested in playing a sport that required running.

One of the players that is still on the team is ten year old fifth grader that is about 5 feet 2 inches tall. She is a beast, and because no one can ever remember her real name we have begun, coaches included, to refer to her as Big Girl. When I first saw Big Girl, I thought for sure she had been placed on the wrong team. After all, Evan is only in third grade and I just couldn't begin to believe that he was old enough to be placed on a team with a girl who was as tall as most adults and wears a bra. So I asked to see her birth certificate.

Apparently, Evan is old enough to be placed on a team with a girl as tall as most adults and wears a bra.

Big Girl is so tall she doesn't have to jump to make a basket. She can touch the rim, and she does from time to time when she takes a shot. Unfortunately, she still doesn't make a lot of points. Herein lies the biggest disappointment of the season. Evan believed Big Girl was the secret to a winning season. After today's game, he realizes a new strategy is needed. I think our new strategy will include learning the chest pass.

In Evan's mind, though, it was a good game. He did get a three pointer in today's game!

I personally think all five kiddos on the Nuggets are the winners. They played the entire game, running back and forth on the court, keeping up with the opposing team, and not one of them cried and called out for their mama!

The Beast of the Bulls

2012-01-07T16:17:00.000-05:00

Here's another sports post. I promise we have a life outside of sporting events, albeit very limited. We are currently in the middle of basketball season. Last year, Keagan decided during registration that he didn't want to play, and when the games began in January and he had to watch his brother play while sitting in the bleachers, he regretted his decision for months. By the time December rolled around again, he was more than ready to hit the court.

Today was the Bulls first game. I had serious doubts that we could pull anything off because we have four adults that all try to coach, and at Thursday's practice, the kids spent 15 minutes running in circles while the coaches debated who would be the best player to jump in the opening tip off. I came close to screaming, "Go with the tall kid," but decided I better not when I remembered all the bleacher coaching I would be doing today. As it turns out, they went with the tall kid anyway. Good choice, Coach 1, Coach 2, Coach 3, and Coach 4.

Despite the lack of ability to make quick decisions with tall kids and tip offs, it was looking very promising this morning when we had more than five players show up to the game and there was no opposing team in sight. As it turns out, we won by forfeit. Most of us had gotten out of bed really early on a Saturday morning, though, and we didn't plan to go home so easily. We rounded up some random kids in the gym who agreed to scrimmage us, and we were good for our first game.

The play of the game was Keagan's game winning basket with 23 seconds left on the clock. While the stands went wild with cheers, I'm pretty sure I pulled a Victor Cruz and did some salsa dancing in the bleachers as my victory dance. Of course neither my dance nor Keagan's shot were captured on video. I was busy bleacher coaching after all, but I did get a couple of not-so-great highlights. Highlights that could only be appreciated by the mom and dad of number 11, or as the other parents now refer to as "The Beast."

He Gets the Moves from Wes

2012-01-04T20:38:00.002-05:00

I had these visions of the boys wrapped up in the covers of the bed quietly reading a book with their brand new Kindle Fires. However, the reality is nothing is ever quiet in this house and the boys read only when I strap them into their beds and use threats of "you'll have no football for a week."

I signed Keagan up for track beginning in March. Basketball is in full swing now. Soccer begins next month. I am pushing the sports like never before because this is how the Kindle has been used the majority of the time - when I am not threatening "no football for a week."

This is just one of five videos taken in the past couple of days, and I watch all five of them over and over again because I LOVE them. He is just so darn cute! After I stop chuckling, though, I am reminded that we need to go outside and kick the soccer ball.

Oral Surgery

2012-01-02T18:04:00.001-05:00

Just call me Doctor Toole. I just performed oral surgery in my bathroom and removed this thing from my child's mouth.

Is it just me or is that one big tooth??? If I hadn't pulled it out myself, I would have confused it for the tooth of a megalodon. Do you know how many times I told Keagan this week to "man up; it's just a lose tooth." Well, suffice it to say that after seeing this thing, I now know why he was looking forward to a shot of novocain in the mouth, and why it has taken an inordinate amount of time to lose a baby tooth.

Special thanks to the big brother who knocked this tooth loose last week. Our appointment to have it removed is Wednesday. I think I will just cancel that and use the money I would have given the dentist on a pair of Toms wrap boots.

I might also add that I am super pumped to have a kid that doesn't have teeth stacked in front of each other.

Livin' High in the Highlander

2012-01-01T06:00:00.001-05:00

Wes gets promoted, goes to the desert for a year, receives hazardous duty pay, earns separation pay, and works tax free for the year.

I buy a new car.

Fair? I think so.

Christmas Video

2011-12-31T18:22:00.000-05:00

This is for Wes. You couldn't be with us so I did my best to re-create the week for you.

Toole Cousins

2011-12-31T14:11:00.001-05:00

Abbigail

Hunter

Toole Grandkids

Farragh Cousins

2011-12-31T14:05:00.004-05:00

There were lots of pictures taken all week, but this one of Caroline is my favorite!

Keagan and Mallory Go For a Ride

Farragh Grandkids

Mallory and Keagan in Tree House

Farragh Grandchildren...Mallory, Evan, Caroline, and Keagan

After a week of the older cousins playing hide-and-go-seek, Caroline got the basic idea of the game. The last night we were in Texas, we found her playing, too. Only instead of hiding herself, she was hiding corn muffins. We found them under the rug, under blankets, and in the kitchen drawers.

Christmas Morning

2011-12-31T12:57:00.004-05:00

Santa found us all the way in Texas. Evan and Keagan both got Kindle Fires. This is the single best Christmas present EVER. It took us fifteen hours to drive back home yesterday, and they didn't have one major fight the entire drive. They were totally engrossed in reading, games, apps, and music. Thank God Santa remembered head phones.

Keagan got a Razor Riprider 360 bike. It rides like the old Big Wheels but it has caster wheels on the back, and Keagan can do 360s in the cul-de-sac. It is totally him and fulfills his need for speed. It is also the closest thing to NASCAR that he will ever see in my house.

I think the noise of the remote control car almost sent my mom over the edge, but it was the one gift Keagan had to have. This will totally become an outside toy here in Geogia, though. Keagan already has plans to chase the field mice with this thing.

On warm nights we love to sit on the porch and look at the stars. It really isn't that much fun, though, when it is 35 degrees and sleeting. Oh, to be back in Georgia and seventy degree weather! The single best thing about living in Georgia.

Vikki and Me...Christmas Morning

As always the adults on my side of the family forego presents and take a trip together in the summer. In June we are headed to the beach in Puerto Rico!

Are You Ready for Some Football?

2011-12-31T11:52:00.002-05:00

You might remember that the boys LOVE football. My parents surprised the boys this year with tickets to the Christmas Eve Cowboys game. My mom placed the ticket in the box of a Demarcus Ware Christmas tree ornament. You should have seen their faces when they opened an early present to find only an ornament.

Evan was so excited about going to the game that he carried the ticket with him around the house until we left the next day. I had to pry it out of his little fingers as he fell asleep.

It wasn't just Evan, though. I think all three boys were super excited about seeing the game.

If anyone had told me twenty years ago, that I would one day attend a Cowboy game with Jamie Goates, I am not so sure that I would have believed them. He's the greatest BIL, though, agreeing to go with us to the game on Christmas Eve. As it turns out, we picked the worst game of the season to see. I felt like we were watching the junior high b team play. However, you can't be in the Cowboys Stadium and be disappointed. It is an experience in and of itself.

Texas Bound

2011-12-19T17:01:00.000-05:00

"Mom, tomorrow I think we need to leave GA at about 5:00AM. That should get us to Oma's house at 7:00, just in time for dinner.....What? You don't like that idea? But 5:00 is the time you get up for school every day. You should be used to it by now cuz I think you've been doing that for like fifteen years or something....."

A few minutes pass.

"Mom, I was thinkin'. I think we should probably try to leave GA at 1:00AM so that we can get to Oma's before it's dark. What? You don't like that idea either? Just think. We will be the only people on the road at that time and just think how fast we could go."

A few minutes pass.

"Mom, I was thinkin'. Why don't we just leave tonight after dinner? I could sleep. Keagan could sleep. You wouldn't have to listen to us fight, and then we would be at Oma's house in time for lunch and in time to play football with Opa!"

Evan, I was just thinkin'. I can't wait for you to be sixteen so that you can drive all night and get us to Oma's by lunch!

15 hours in a car with two boys, driving a car on its last leg. I think I must be crazy. I keep telling myself it will all be worth it, though, when I reach that Texas line.

The Night Before Christmas

2011-12-15T15:43:00.001-05:00

It's 73 degrees and the air conditioning has been on all day, but today was the first grade Christmas program. Keagan's class dressed as reindeer.

Keagan nailed his lines and his phenomenal acting skills had everyone chuckling, or maybe it was because it was the only set of lines audible by the audience. Either way, it was awesome to be able to see it, and since the front office at my school lost my leave form, I almost didn't get to see it.

The program went off like any other program with 125 six year olds, something akin to organized chaos with really bad choreography. However, the star of the show was Santa himself. It wasn't just any old Santa cameo, though, Guys. This Santa really got into the finale of the program. He danced with Mrs. Clause, sang a few lines of the Christmas carols, and walked through the sea of little kids patting them all on the head. Until his pants fell down to his knees. No lie, Guys. Santa was standing in nothing but his underwear in front of 450 people dancing, and after what seemed like a lifetime, he finally realized his pants were wrapped up around his knees. The lady sitting next to me, a complete stranger, grabbed my arm with one hand, put one hand up to her mouth in a state of shock, and started mumbling words, words completely lost to me because I was trying to figure out how Santa's lack of pants could be related to the story of the Night Before Christmas.

We all left laughing so hard our bellies were shaking like bowls full of jelly.

Keagan said, "It's a good thing Santa likes to wear Under Armour because if he wore Tighty Whities like Daddy, then that just would have been really embarrassing."

SOAR Student

2011-12-14T20:51:00.003-05:00

Last week Evan came up with the great idea of having a class kick ball tournament. The Best of Five, he calls it. He some how persuaded every kid in his class to participate (even the girl who wears high heels), and he even asked the teacher to be the umpire (because according to Evan his teacher knows everything about kickball, and just as much as Opa knows about baseball). He went so far as to say that he thought the wins and losses should be graphed in a bar graph (he just might be my son).

He wrote up a list of names for the draft, created team rosters, and even wrote out his kicker line up. Believe me when I say he has put a lot of time into this kickball tournament. In fact, he left the house this morning lamenting the fact that he had put all of his weak kickers in the middle of the line up and he didn't think this was a really good strategy. He decided to re-write the line up while on the bus on the way to school.

If anyone knows Evan, you know he is competitive. He can't lose, just can't lose. At anything. Uno. Checkers. Soccer. So when teams were created and he began picking the kids from the class to be on his team, I was completely shocked to hear his choice. He picked a special ed student, the kid that doesn't really fit in and the kid that others laugh at when they see him in the halls. Today, in game three of The Best of Five, that kid kicked a triple and later scored a run so that his team won. The team went wild and this little boy went crazy with excitement. Eventually, the entire class was cheering for this little boy. Evan's retelling of today's game brought a tear to my eye...okay maybe two tears to my eyes.

Next month, when I am believing for the 500th time that I have made the worst decision in the world to send my kids to public school, I want to remember today's story. This lesson in life could never be taught in my living room. This lesson in life would never be experienced at the private school down the street.

Congratulations, Evan. This is just one reason why you deserve this month's recognition as SOAR student!

St Nicholas Day

2011-12-07T22:04:00.002-05:00

The German tradition continues in Georgia, and the boots are next to the door. In nine years, this is the first time we have not used combat boots. This year they are actually being used by our soldier.

Today Keagan asked, "Mom, why am I the only one in my class who knows anything about putting my boot next to the door?"
Evan answered for me. "Keagan, you have to be Germans like us to know anything about St. Nicholas and putting your boot by the door. All those other kids weren't born in Germany so they don't understand."

I LOVE how Evan is in third grade and still believes he is German. He told me the other day that if Wes gets the job in Germany next fall, he will refuse to learn German. I asked him what he planned to speak with his German soccer friends, and he said, "Well, they will just have to learn English."

He may believe he is German, but he thinks like an American.

Happy St. Nicholas Day!

Sports Injuries

2011-12-05T22:28:00.000-05:00

We got second place in this weekend's soccer tournament. It was so much fun - especially on Saturday when we came out on top at both games. In fact, it was so exciting to see my two babies play forward together that as Evan made a pass to Keagan, and Keagan took a shot on the goal, I was jumping up and down and screaming with anticipation. I might have been shouting "SHOOOT!!!" I might have been shouting, "Sweet Baby Jesus let that ball go in!!!!" Because it is the holiday season, my prayers and the birth of Christ could have mingled together in my head to form some new plea of divine intervention. I really can't remember. But I do know that I was not the mother who shouted to her son, "Push his a$$!!!" That was the opposing team's loud, vocal mom, and as loud as I might be, that type of language has never crossed my lips. My mind maybe. My lips no.

But here I was on the sidelines. The ball was moving in slow motion. I was cheering. I was jumping. I took one giant leap, as if I were going for the ball myself, and I felt it pop. My right calf. My right calf popped. I calmly took a seat and decided to stretch it out, but I couldn't. I couldn't even walk up the sideline to watch the corner kick that resulted in Keagan's missed shot.

I continued to cheer when Evan stopped a million shots on the goal, though, and I continued to jump up and down when Evan beat the other team to the ball. This time, though, it was on just one foot. After the first game, I became quite proficient at the one legged cheer.

Evan thought it was pretty cool that I had a similar injury to Miles Austin. He asked me to explain how it felt. He wanted every detail; I think because he doubted the severity of his favorite player's injury. However, I spent Saturday night scooting around the floor of the house on my butt, that's how painful it was, and he quickly understood a pop in the calf is a serious injury. Especially when it impacts the meal you are served for dinner.

The boys' coach has decided all parents will participate in the team's pre-game stretches and warm up so that further injuries to spectators on the sidelines will be eliminated. I am expected to lead the first lap around the complex as soon as I can walk again. Do you have any idea how embarrassing it was to admit to my co-workers that I tore my calf muscle cheering for my sons on the sidelines of the soccer field? I had to tell the truth because no one believed my original story: "I was just standing on the sidelines, took a step, and then I felt it pop."

SOAR Student

2011-12-03T19:01:00.004-05:00

Keagan got SOAR student this month. A few years ago, when he was in pre-school, I would have never believed you if you told me that he would come home from elementary school with green smiley faces and excellent reports. He has always been the "funny" son, and he constantly entertains us at home with dances moves, impersonations, and his quick wit. He has also been known for a brazen act or two. Take last night for an example. He skipped through the parking lot of Food Lion yelling, "I have a rash on my butt." Evan and I ran to the car to hide because we were so embarrassed, but Keagan LOVED that we were so mortified. He couldn't have cared less that half of Hinesville was staring at him. Before he started school, I had visions of his constant talking and attempts to get every students' eyes on him with his break dancing moves or his impersonations of bad American Idol auditions.

But quite the opposite has actually occurred. He has become the model student and nothing like the preacher's kid that I had previously envisioned. With a criminal investigator as a dad and a mom as a teacher, though, I don't know that he ever stood a chance at being bad at school.

Photo Shoot

2011-11-27T18:21:00.004-05:00

Christmas card photos were supposed to have been taken the week of Halloween, right before Wes left for pre-deployment training at Fort Campbell. But my photographer called in sick.

Photo shoot take two was supposed to take place the Friday after Thanksgiving, right before Wes returned to Fort Campbell for his deployment. But my photographer didn't want to travel all the way to Tennessee.

Photo shoot take three was supposed to take place Thanksgiving day, right before we ate our holiday meal. But I forgot the camera.

So photo shoot take four took place today in our backyard with my crude photography skills. With funny faces, nipple twists, and strongholds to the neck, though, my quick photo shoot turned into an all afternoon affair filled with laughter, joy, and brotherly love.

Later Evan said, "I never knew taking pictures could be so much fun!"
After taking 80 or so shots, I did manage to get one good picture. But I will save it for the Christmas card!

Scientists in the Making

2011-11-27T08:51:00.002-05:00

We spent our last day in Tennessee (sniffle, sniffle) at the science museum in Nashville. The boys loved it!

I don't think we have to worry with Keagan ever deciding to study medicine, though. One look into the surgery ward that had various animal parts soaking in chemicals, and he walked out with a disgusted, "YUCK!"

Nor should we worry with Evan working as a fighter pilot. Even if Wes is fascinated with flight and fighter jets, Evan walked out of the Blue Max flight simulator "bored."

The Space Chase exhibit was extensive and impressive, but the idea of building pressure to launch rockets was just a little over their heads.
So what did impress the boys? Cruising down the digestive system slide in the Body Quest Exhibit and hitting the landing with a loud fart. Evan did it over and over.
He makes me so proud!

I guess this means that his future contribution to science will be his production of gas and, thus,the even-faster-than-normal depletion of the ozone layer. I now have visions of him living his adult years in my basement, eating my food, and spending his days perfecting the arm fart.

Sadly, today, I am finding hope in his pursuit to be a professional football player.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2011-11-24T19:39:00.001-05:00

While cuddled in bed watching the parade with the boys, I whispered to Evan, "Happy Thanksgiving. I am thankful this year to be with my three boys."

Evan exclaimed, "Three???"

"Yes. You, Keagan, and Daddy."

"Thank goodness. I thought you were trying to tell me you were pregnant!"

History 101

2011-11-23T19:55:00.001-05:00

We spent the morning in the Tennessee countryside hiking along the Red River.

We crossed this bridge,

walked past this tobacco field,

and found ourselves on a portion of the Trail of Tears.

A few minutes' drive back to town, and we found ourselves at the Civil War site, Fort Defiance.

We are lovin' our time here in Tennessee!

High and Tight Haircuts and Neon Lights

2011-11-22T14:20:00.002-05:00

Hotel disaster aside, our stay at Fort Campbell has been awesome. Well, minus the high and tight haircut the post barbershop gave Evan yesterday. Wes came unglued and the poor lady finished the left side of the high and tight in tears. I wasn't there when it happened, or else I would have probably given my two cents and the whole barbershop would have gone into lock down mode. After a night of sleep, though, the cut doesn't look too bad. I think we might be able to continue with life after all.

Bad haircuts and moldy lodging aside, this is the first military town that I have actually liked, and if Wes is moved here next fall for a batallion position, I will be happy to make the move. In fact, I just might give a little happy dance. We spent day three in the downtown district at a small museum.

Evan teaches Keagan how to find Greece on the globe.

The mall is next on our list. Although that might not seem too exciting to most, a trip to the mall is like a pilgrimage to Mecca when you live in the sticks of Georgia. To be able to drive only five minutes and find all of my favorite stores is so exciting that I have done it every day since we have been here just so I can savor the bright neon lights.

Tennessee Bound

2011-11-21T12:18:00.002-05:00

I must really love my husband because only love would agree to drive eight hours to Tennessee to spend my favorite holiday in a hotel. It's not just a hotel, though, People. It's Army lodging complete with pink curtains, gold light fixtures, and a bathroom trimmed in mold. With last minute meetings, guest instructors, and a new farewell date, Wes just couldn't get back to Georgia, as we originally planned. Hence, the plan to come to him.

Day one was spent outside of Nashville with my long time high school friend, Rachel.

My boys couldn't believe it when I told them that Rachel and I went to school together from first grade through high school. "Mom, do you mean that you lived in the same place for eighteen years?" When I told them that I had never lived outside of Mount Pleasant until I went to college, Keagan gasped and Evan said, "That's just real sad, Mom!" Now whether this is sad because the town itself was Mount Pleasant or it was sad because I had never experienced anything outside of East Texas was never really identified. Clearly, though, living in one place for any extended amount of time is completely foreign to them. This was made completely clear to me yesterday when Evan asked to go house hunting outside the gates of Fort Campbell, and Keagan supported the past time choice with, "You never know when the Army might decided to move us here, Mom, and we need to be prepared to find the right neighborhood."

Just Jack

2011-11-18T19:19:00.000-05:00

This week the boys' elementary school celebrated National Book Week with a storybook character day. Keagan just read his first chapter book and scored 100% on the AR test. There was no doubt who he would choose to go to school as. Armed with a big pair of old lady glasses from the dollar store, a green notebook, and a red backpack....

he went as Jack from the Magic Tree House Adventure series, and specifically he went as Jack in Dinosaurs Before Dark.

No one knew who he was, but he was okay with that. He told me he pulled out his green notebook and pencil and took notes for his own Jack and Annie adventure. Move over Mary Pope Osbourne, Keagan plans to take over the series and write book number 47!

Soccer Sequence and Monopoly Marathon

2011-11-13T19:13:00.003-05:00

The boys have the best grandparents. Opa and Oma drove ten hours on Friday to watch them play in the soccer tournament in Atlanta. Ten hours! I think they found it worth the drive. I mean who wouldn't when you get to spend the weekend with my boys? Two wins, a tie and the end to an undefeated season were all just icing on the cake.
These grandparents draw the line at the mention of dinner at Chuck E Cheese or an hour at a bounce house, though. We ditched the team Saturday night because I too have a great dislike of over-sized mice singing and dancing in a mechanical country music jamboree, and the five of us had dinner on our own. The boys thought we were cruel to keep them from the bounce house and their teammates, so we compromised. We took Evan to Target to buy the board game Monopoly. He has wanted the game for two years, and because I remember playing it myself, I have said no to the purchase many times. Don't think for a second that while standing on the board game aisle of Target I didn't suggest a dozen other games in lieu of Monopoly because, as I am sure you know, it is the game that never stops, or as I call it, The Time Monopolizer.

After we got back to the hotel last night, it took us half an hour to just hand out money and explain the meaning of a thimble, (and no, Keagan, the thimble is not a pot). After another half hour of explaining to Evan the meaning of mortgage, I started thinking an hour at a bounce house with hundreds of screaming kids was probably not all that bad, and because that hour at the bounce house would come to an end a lot quicker than a game of Monopoly, I was certain, an hour or two too late, that the bounce house would have been a much wiser choice.

I want to remember this weekend for reasons other than the hell of a monopoly marathon, though. I want to remember Keagan walking onto the field, marking up on the tallest kid on the opposing team and hearing the Jaguar team gasp when he started running. I want to remember his throwing himself in front of this guy so that he could block an attempted shot on the goal and block a pass to the guy playing right forward.

I want to remember his standing on the field during a time-out and striking up a conversation with the enemy with the comment, "It sure is chilly out here." And observing the two from the sideline as Keagan continued with a monologue about the very cold weather, UnderArmour shirts, and the need to run to stay warm. All the while, number 23 stared in disbelief.

I want to remember Evan's aggressive playing, his fancy footwork, and the random comment he made about this female player and her crocheted hat. "Casey and I decided that girl talks funny and wears a funny hat so she must be from the Netherlands." Who knew you had to have a grandma that crochets ugly brown hats to be from the Netherlands?

It was a great weekend of soccer and I was sorry to leave it all behind. It was especially hard to walk off the field knowing I had a four hour drive in the car and then another marathon monopoly game awaiting me at home. Tonight's game winning strategy is to give the roll of the dice a good half hour, buy as many hotels as possible, and then whimper a despondent cry of "I think I am going to have to declare bankruptcy!" Wish me luck!

Veterans Day

2011-11-12T16:21:00.006-05:00

Veteran's Day came and went. I feel conflicted celebrating the good deeds of veterans when our favorite veteran leaves next week for the desert and has been gone all month for pre-deployment training. I must tell you the boys have done AMAZING with Wes's absence. So well that I am worried that our children have taken it so well. I would like to think that we have done an awesome job of preparing them for the event, but it is probably more accurate to say that, as military children, they have adjusted to a lifestyle that Wes and I never experienced as children and are, therefore, more resilient to change. Either way, we recognized the day by sleeping in, watching TV, and eating junk food on the couch. It was probably a day very similar to that of most Americans.

This long weekend, though, also means we will travel to Atlanta for our fall soccer tournament. Here's to a weekend of big wins and a plea to myself to contain my sideline cheers!! Go GATORS!

Clown Shoes

2011-11-06T14:07:00.000-05:00

This is what Keagan wore to church this morning, and it wasn't until we were fifteen minutes into our thirty minute drive to church that I hear Evan say, "Keagan, why do you have my shoes on?" An argument ensues. I glance to the backseat and notice one shoe is on the wrong foot. I ask Keagan to switch shoes, and I notice he still has one on the wrong foot.

Let me see, I say. He props his feet on the middle console and I see that the soles of the shoes carry two different sizes and he has a right foot shoe on his left foot.

How in the world did he walk out of the house with two different shoes and two shoes for the right foot? Because at least one of the shoes belongs to our Man-Child, it should have been obvious that he had something wrong. I think the extra six inches in the toe of the shoe should have been a really big clue. He left the house wearing clown shoes I tell ya. Clown shoes.

Thank God it wasn't a school day.

Evan is Nine

2011-11-02T19:26:00.000-04:00

What a joy it was to be the mother of this sweet baby! I couldn't believe how lucky I was to have a baby that never cried and slept through the night at two months.

It was even better to be the mother of this toddler. Oh, how he loved trucks, trains, and football!

Just when I thought it couldn't get any better, I had this adorable guy who would do anything to spend all day outside playing soccer, and you guessed it, football.

Then he started school, and it was amazing to watch him learn. He was a voracious reader and fell asleep every night with a book in one hand and an apple in the other dreaming about playing none other than football.

Just like that he became a boy with his own opinions, his own thoughts, and a deep desire to find justice in the world: at school, with his faith, and of course, on the football field.

It's difficult imagining the next year any better than the previous, but I know he is destined for great things. I can't wait to see what even better things await us!

Happy Birthday, Evan!

Smiles and Squeals

2011-11-01T20:59:00.001-04:00

Evan is the hardest kid to buy for. He wants nothing; yet he wants everything. He is picky, and he always has very high expectations. For the past two weeks he has told us over and over and over again that he wants Skylanders for his birthday, and every time he has mentioned it, we have shot the idea down with excuses like "it is too expensive", "Skylanders...What's that?", and "I think you might need to wait for Christmas." On Sunday afternoon, I know I broke his heart when he saw the display on the aisle of Target, and I told him he would need to begin saving his money. Because he had only a dollar to his name, he knew he didn't stand a chance. It took all I had to not reveal the surprise the UPS delivery guy would bring on Monday.

We celebrated Evan's birthday tonight - a day early because Wes leaves tomorrow for an extended trip. We saved the Skylanders gift for last.

We had hidden the box for two days, but when he saw it today, I know he was secretly hoping we had changed our mind and bought the big prize.

He squealed when he opened it. Squealed! My sweet, quiet Evan who never gets excited about anything if it doesn't involve scoring a point. He says it was the best birthday ever, and I am so glad I didn't break down on Sunday and reveal the truth. Tonight's smile and happiness were well worth the heart ache.

It is well past their bed time, and yet the boys are in the game room playing just "one more level." It is the night that Wes hopes never ends, and so I am allowing a little extra Wii time tonight.

Happy Halloween!

2011-10-31T19:40:00.004-04:00

I have a hard time handing out trick or treat candy to teens, but I have an even harder time doing it when they don't bother to wear a costume and they use a purse as their treat sack. So when the eighth grader wearing sweats and carrying the fake Gucci purse just rang my bell, I gave her a pixie stick that I found in the pantry from a birthday party we attended months ago. She saw my chocolate, she saw me bypass it, and I caught her questioning look.

The pixie stick seemed like a good decision at the time, the perfect "that'll get her", but I am now fearing retaliation.

As I lay awake tonight waiting for the sounds of eggs hitting my windows, I will take comfort in knowing I have these guys watching over me.

Evan as Captain America, Keagan as a Storm Trooper, and Ian as a Ninja

Beach Weekend

2011-10-30T18:47:00.000-04:00

Boardwalk Outside the Hotel

Disney's Beach House

We don't ever need a reason for a weekend at the beach, even if the temperature requires jeans and sweatshirts. However, this weekend, after our soccer games in Savannah, we drove to Disney's Hilton Head Resort to celebrate Evan's birthday. It was perfect, if for no other reason than I got to sleep for 10 hours straight and then nap all the way home.

Operation Pumpkin Decoration

2011-10-23T19:35:00.000-04:00

1. Trace the design onto a "big and smooth pumpkin." Keagan wanted to make sure I understood the defining characteristics of the perfect pumpkin.

2. Paint by number, and add fierce eyes with a smile.

3. Pose with the finished product.

Skating

2011-10-23T14:15:00.003-04:00

Apparently I am the only Marne mom that didn't know it was a requirement to teach your kids to roller skate while stationed at Stewart. Although I was a regular at the skating rink in good 'ole Mount Pleasant, I don't think roller rinks even existed in Northern Virginia. We celebrated the end of the football season, though, at the post's skating rink, and no one could believe that the QB who scored all but two of the season's touchdowns had never been roller skating before and spent the majority of the night on his backside. The same could be said about "The Punisher". After one go around, he decided skating just wasn't his thing, and he spent a good half hour in a chair laughing at his big brother as he fell legs sprawled like a newborn colt. Needless to say, we felt under-prepared when the other players walked in with their own personal pair of skates while we wore the disinfectant sprayed skates from the rental window.

With trophies, pizza, cake, and a pinata full of candy, though, we quickly left the new found of skill of skating behind.

It's tough celebrating a 2-10 season, but we sure did. Someone has a really big decision to make next fall: U12 select soccer or football. I think Thursday night's game ending TD might have influenced his decision.

Pure Joy

2011-10-20T21:21:00.005-04:00

Who needs milk jugs or cow bells when you have my squeals of pure joy? That's what the Steelers had tonight when we captured win number two of the season. I could give you the play by play, but really all you need to know is that Evan had the winning touchdown with only 12 seconds left on the clock. At this point, that's about all I can remember about the night. That and Keagan's textbook tackle on the five yard line. He celebrated with a move that we call The Ratliffe, in honor of the the Dallas Cowboy. I think it was lost on the Georgian crowd, but he has waited all season for an excuse for that move. He performed it perfectly. Despite my near coronary in the last minute of play, I think this was probably the best day of my life.

Evan and Coach Merritt plan the big play

All that I said Tuesday night about how happy I was to say good-bye to football was a lie. I am saddened to say good-bye to legitimate first downs, scrambles right down the middle, and last minute wins. It is unfortunate that we decided to do all of this the last game of the season - very unfortunate because I know that I could muster the energy to cheer the boys on one more time. After tonight's excitement and confirmation that God is a Steelers fan, I don't know if I can wait nine months to begin the next season.

Perhaps it goes without saying that the search for summer football camps has been moved to the top of my list of priorities.

It's Just Unacceptable!

2011-10-19T21:28:00.003-04:00

Football season is coming to a close, and I couldn't be happier. There's been no need for pinto bean laden milk jugs with our team's slow demise. We lost the backup QB to a move to Korea; we lost another player to stitches, and we lost several more back in week three when we put on pads. Our team of four, one of those weighing in at the colossal weight of 43 pounds, never had a chance. I think our cheerleaders have even given up on cheering for us. They have resorted to spending the last two quarters on the playground because there are just so many times you want to yell, "Let's go defense. Let's go!"

Tuesday night our frustration levels were maxed out. It was apparent the football gods had deserted us because we had only one play with any yards gained, and it was due to a penalty. In the second half of the game, Keagan had had enough. After getting pulled to the ground by his face mask, the tiniest guy on the field looked up at the ref and fired back, "Are you going to call that, Ref? He's face maskin' me and holdin' me. This is just unacceptable!"

I think I might have said that a time or two myself.

Thursday is our last game. Forget winning. Forget scoring. My single prayer is to survive another loss and the guaranteed bad calls.

M's Across the Board

2011-10-17T19:05:00.003-04:00

Keagan received his first honor roll certificate today. I know it means nothing to most, but I am a teacher, afterall, and I live for those neat rows of data, the standards' checklists with the big Ms (that means mastery for all of you non-teachers out there), and the never ending battle to bring up my scores all day, every day. I couldn't allow such an exciting day of mastery in my own baby's life go undocumented.

Festivals and Food and One Lost Balloon

2011-10-15T18:21:00.005-04:00

It is the weekend of festivals here in coastal Georgia. Of course, everything happens this month because in October we are supposed to experience the season of fall. It isn't supposed to be hot, but it was 89 degrees today and hot.

Friday night we went to the Greek festival in Savannah, and we had some awesome Greek food. I had the best spanakopita ever, and the baklava was to die for. Evan now believes gyros are sandwiches from God, and Wes is trying to figure out how to find lamb meat in the state that believes that if it isn't deer meat or fish, it can't be eaten.

Today, after our soccer game in Savannah, we went to the seafood festival in the next town over. The Low Country boil was excellent, and at only $5, it was a steal. While walking around the fair grounds, Keagan was given a balloon. Before I go any further, I might need to tell you that Keagan has a special place in his heart for balloons, and the only explanation I can give is that he can pretend, as the ball floats up above his head, that he is the star receiver for some football team, and he can jump up just at the right time to make an exceptional catch. So as we left the fair today, he was already imagining the great plays he would make in the front yard with his new prize. He was scared to death of losing it. Even after we made our way back to the car, he refused to let any of us roll down a window for fear it would be sucked out. I might have mentioned it was 89 degrees. It was hot, but we knew how attached he had become to the yellow medical group balloon.

On the long drive back home, Wes decided to jokingly hold the balloon out of the sunroof of the car. "Keagan", he taunted, "Look what I am doing." And just like that the balloon was sucked out of the car and into the sky. We watched out the back window as that yellow balloon got smaller and smaller and smaller. Keagan's face contorted in shock. A great big tear rolled down his cheek, and then he was bawling. Bawling over his yellow medical group balloon.

Wes felt horrible. He made all kinds of apologies. All kinds of promises. After hours of crying (what seemed hours, but was probably only 9 minutes), and when we finally made it back to Hinesville, we had to stop at the dollar store to replace the prized balloon. Keagan chose a set of handcuffs, and all was right with the world once again. Keagan's first bit of advice to Evan as we rounded the corner into the neighborhood, "I suggest you run, Evan." His plans of star player football catches were replaced with the image of handcuffing his big brother to the toilet.

I had no idea my afternoon eating shrimp and corn on the cob would involve the tragedy of a lost balloon, but as my mom always says, nothing in our house ever goes as planned.

Boys on the Beach

2011-10-10T18:06:00.002-04:00

Keagan at Jekyll

Evan at Jekyll

Wes and Boys on Jekyll

We had a wonderful long weekend, a weekend to include a tear free night of miniature golf. It was miraculous really for us to experience 18 holes without a single break down.

I might not like living in Hinesville, but I LOVE the Georgian beaches. There's nothing better....the sand, the waves, and mouth watering shrimp dinners with my boys.

Weekend Travels

2011-10-10T06:00:00.008-04:00

When we found out that Wes was going to deploy, we knew we needed to take a mini-vacation before he left for training. We chose Jekyll Island because nothing says relaxation and family time like the beach. We arrived and immediately hit the beach. We rented bikes and rode through the downtown area. Every time we visit the island we find something new. This weekend was no exception.

We went swimming in the heated pool that isn't really heated, and we took several naps. It was just what we all needed.

Dare we try a game of miniature golf? That's what next. Guess who got partnered with me? Pray that I survive another round of putt-putt.

He Said It

2011-10-09T16:54:00.000-04:00

On Friday, I was at work. The boys were at home. Don't even get me started about the unfairness of it all. I was fully aware of it all when my alarm went off at 5:30, and I spent the morning getting ready for work without Sports Center or Ben10 blaring from the living room.

When I got home, though, Wes said he overheard Keagan say this.

K: It's only $9.99 plus you can handle it.
W: What are you talking about, K?
K: It's only $9.99 plus you can handle it.
W: Do you mean $9.99 plus shipping and handling?

Luckily, he doesn't have $9.99 plus you can handle it. Otherwise, that silver bracelet that is supposed to center your inner chi and increase you energy levels, would be arriving in the mail next week.

Winning Goal

2011-10-09T16:02:00.001-04:00

He's so little his feet don't touch the ground. He's so young he can't tie his own cleats.

But he is playing with the big boys this year and holding his own.

He's even taking shots on the goal.

On Saturday, he scored his first goal while playing U10. The parents went wild. The players went wild. Wes went wild. I was out of control.

After the game, Keagan said, "Mom, I scored the winning goal."

The score was 6-0. It was not the winning goal, but even after I tried explaining it to him he said, "What do you not get, Mama? I scored. It was the last goal. We won the game. That's the winning goal."

I couldn't argue with that logic.

Silent Family Tree

2011-10-04T20:35:00.001-04:00

Two weeks ago I screamed so loud at the football game that I lost my voice. I went two full school days without talking above a whisper, and I then spent another weekend trying to speak as little as possible so that I would be prepared for some full-on playground yells of " Mrs. Toole's class Line Up!"

Now that I think about it, I just might have a silent day tomorrow, too, because although I cheered when Keagan made TWO tackles in the back field, and I jumped and squealed when Evan ran right up the middle for a touchdown, I spent a good portion of the evening reminding the refs of their job. The job description does not include taking a phone call during 4th and 2, and if he hadn't taken that phone call or the call after that or the call after that, he would have seen the opposing team grab my baby's face mask. Twice.

I just might have had a few things to say about that.

Two weeks ago when I was in the middle of one of those silent nights, the phone rang. Evan answered the phone. This is what transpired.

E: Hello.
(Voice on the other end.): Who this?
E: Evan
V: Who?
E: Evan. Who's this?
V: What do you mean??? This is your grandma. Who this?
E: It's Evan..... Oma????...... Is that you?
And the phone went dead.

Evan looked at me with the strangest look in his eyes, and asked, "Since when did I get a black grandma?"

Playground Deals

2011-10-03T17:47:00.000-04:00

Friday night we attended the Military Police Ball in Savannah. We haven't attended an Army formal event in ten years, and I really didn't want to go this past weekend. However, after Wes asked me three times and then finally begged me to go, I conceded.
After I took the boys with me to find a new formal dress and then drug them all over town looking for a clutch to match my new shoes, the boys understood the event was a big deal. Last week, Keagan came home with a trinket wrapped in a plastic bag and tied with a rubber band. He proudly said, "This is for you to wear to your important dinner, Mom. I got it today when I traded my Pokemon cards for it." I opened my gift bag to find the most beautiful fifty cent bracelet you have ever seen.

I wore it Friday night with my two hundred dollar dress, my pair of Nina shoes, and my $50 up-do. You can bet it was the most precious thing I wore - even if it turned my wrist green.

Keagan in his Daddy's dress blues hat

Grandparents Visit

2011-10-02T09:39:00.003-04:00

Evan, Moo (my grandmother), and Keagan

Evan, Oma, Keagan, Opa, and Moo

Watching the boys play their Steelers Football Game....Check

Sharing chocolate cake and wine....Check

Playing a baseball game with Opa and Oma....Check

Having lunch at Mrs. Wilkes.....check

Eating pecan pralines and wine.....check

Cheering for the boys at their Gator Soccer Game in Savannah.....Check

Watching A&M lose yet another football game....Check

Eating a fried shrimp dinner on the water.....Check

Sharing another bottle of wine....Check

It was just another typical week with my family!
Family, food, wine, and sports!!

Changing the World

2011-09-26T22:35:00.000-04:00

Evan has been selected as one of the four members of the 3rd grade student council. He has some big changes in mind for the school, too. Watch out TCE! His number one priority will be none other than new playground equipment and not just equipment but ground covering. He strongly believes the sand, the sand that fills his shoes and infiltrates his socks, should be replaced with wood chips. I think we have a world changer on our hands, Y'all! Before you know it, he will be advocating all day PE.

That's What He Said

2011-09-25T21:21:00.001-04:00

We spent the early hours of Friday in the ER with Wes. He was diagnosed with kidney stones, but he was in so much pain that I thought he was dying. I think the boys must have, too. After three hours, we left Wes in the triage room high on percoset, and the boys and I came home to catch a couple of hours of sleep. The three of us planned to sleep in my bed until Wes was discharged and we had to return to the hospital, but there was an argument over who would sleep on Wes's side of the bed. When I tried to intervene, Keagan looked at me with tears in his eyes and said, "Mama, I don't want to sleep on Daddy's side and catch the stones."

Evan and I have been reading a great book about a boy who was born blind. The book does a wonderful job of describing how the boy uses his other senses to compensate for his lack of sight. It is a really beautiful book, and when we got to the last page, I was just overwhelmed by its perfection. I couldn't wait to hear Evan's take on it. That's when he looks at me and says, "Why didn't the boy call Lasik Eye Center and have laser surgery?"

This morning we left church, and I mentioned to Evan that one of his friends had his picture in the local newspaper. I told him he was featured because he caught a large fish, and Evan responded, "That's weird. Why would you put that in the newspaper?" Keagan piped in, "That's the Georgia way. That's what they do around here....talk about the size of their fish."

Battle Cry

2011-09-24T16:38:00.000-04:00

Our first soccer game of the fall soccer season, and we won 8-2. Keagan joins the same team this week at his first practice.
Clear eyes. Full hearts. Can't lose.
That's our new battle cry - even if I am the only one that knows it.

Punt, Pass, and Kick

2011-09-23T21:41:00.001-04:00

This is what I overheard tonight in the stands while I watched fifty something kiddos punt, pass and kick at the local NFL competition.

"That number 77 on your team is the biggest kid in the league!"

"What are you talking about? You have at least five guys as big as our number 77 playing on the line."

"That ain't true. I think you need to double check the weight on that 77 boy. He's too big to be running the ball."

That's when I interjected.

"Hey, that number 77 is my baby, and I will verify all 88 pounds of my eight year old boy."

"Oh, yeah? 88 plus what?"

"88 pounds plus pure talent"

"Whatever, m'am. I saw that number 77 this morning at PT running with first brigade."

I know that joke is lost for anyone who doesn't live the Army life - which means not one person will read this and understand the above conversation. But it was the funniest thing I had heard all day, and after spending a full day in professional development and the early morning hours in the ER, I was laughing pretty hard.

Evan won second place in the 8/9 year old bracket. He couldn't believe the real NFL commissioner had signed his certificate. I didn't have the heart to tell him it was a pre-stamped certificate. Evan went to bed wondering how he could have possibly missed the arrival of the man that holds his dream job.

Keagan won second place in the 6/7 year old bracket. He was madder than you know what, and said, "I don't like to lose, Mama." Hence, the dark background of the picture. We had to wait an hour after the winners announcement before he would consider posing with a second place ribbon.

I take full blame for the above. However, I do not take the blame for having my boys dressed in identical sports wear. It just happened. Honest!

The Black and Gold

2011-09-15T21:16:00.001-04:00

I am THAT mom. The one that I promised I would never become. I am the mom wearing the matching yellow and black shirt with my boys' names on the back. All I'm missing is a milk jug filled with dry beans.

Keagan is that guy. The guy that gets tackled and gets a scratch on his arm that produces a bit of blood, and by the end of the game, the story eventually morphs into "my arm was bleeding like a volcano."

Evan is that sideline ref. Not one penalty was our fault. That tackle our linebacker did while the center still held the ball was just a misunderstanding. The holding call wasn't holding at all; it was a slight nudge. This according to Evan who while playing QB couldn't possibly be biased with his calls.

They are "Magic Hands" and "The Punisher," and this is what you call yourself when you scramble twice and score two touchdowns and throw blocks to make sure your big brother gets the six points both times.

If you don't like football or reading about football, then please check back after October 22. Because until then, I think it is safe to assume football will be our only form of entertainment.

Sprinting

2011-09-13T21:47:00.002-04:00

I have made one very important observation during this year's tackle football season. Wes can skip every soccer practice that we have attended in the last five years with the excuse of work, but he can move heaven and Earth to attend all fifteen football practices that have transpired in a four week window. He just might be a bit proud that both boys are playing tackle football this year. So proud that the weekend training sessions might include stuffed duffle bags, big sticks, and bright orange cones as far as the eye can see.

Tonight it was 5:23, and Wes still hadn't shown for the boys' first tackle football game. I assumed something serious must have happened at work to keep him. At 5:32 I see him across the field and then across the parking lot sprinting with the video camera on his shoulder - sprinting so he wouldn't miss his boys' first run through the paper banner designed by the cheerleaders.

Sprinting to he wouldn't miss Evan's first touchdown. It was a 50 yard punt return.

Sprinting so he wouldn't miss Keagan playing linebacker (yes, I am just as shocked as you), sacking the quarterback, stripping the ball from his hands, and causing one of the biggest turnovers of the game!

Sprinting because there is no other place he would rather be! I have to agree - even if we did lose 18 - 6.

This is the only context in which you will hear me say it, but Go STEELERS!!!

And the Army Keeps Rolling Along

2011-09-12T17:43:00.003-04:00

It has been fourteen years, and I still don't know the Army song. Every time I hear it, though, it makes me smile, and I promise to go home and learn the words - all of the words beyond the catchy phrase "the Army keeps rolling along." Today was no different.

Wes gave up command this afternoon, and we participated in the change in command ceremony. Only six months on the job, but the Army keeps rolling along and new assignments are always on the horizon.

Wes's next assignment is a tour in Iraq. He leaves for training in just a few short weeks. We don't know any specifics because technically all US troops are supposed to withdraw from Iraq at the end of the year. However, the rumor is Iraq will ask for an extension and some troops will remain after the DEC 31 deadline.

I find it slightly ironic that Wes gives up command and prepares for his next assignment on the 9/11 anniversary. I can't even believe that it has been ten years since I was wrapping up my day at school in Germany (six hour time difference), and Wes called to tell me the news. It's even harder to believe that ten years later, it is still necessary to send soldiers and marines away to fight a war that was supposed to be so easy to win.

But the Army keeps rolling along. And so do we.

Surfing with the Dolphins

2011-09-04T15:53:00.002-04:00

A day in the city does me good, but I love Savannah like no other American city. I left yesterday wishing we could stay forever. For several months, I have wanted to take a boat out on the river and go dolphin watching. We did that yesterday, and I think it was probably the best thing that we have done since we have been here. We found a pod of dolphins right off Tybee that were busy playing, and we found them just as they decided to breech and perform tricks. The guide told us that in thirty years he had never seen the dolphins do that. The boys were so excited; Evan clapped and whistled with each jump. It was amazing - like Sea World meets the natural world. After idling in the water watching the dolphins, the guide turned up the engines so that we could see the dolphins surf with the waves from the boat.

Another perk of the trip, Evan got to hold the tooth from a megladon. Scientists studying artifacts and fossils dredged from the bottom of the Savannah River believe that this tooth came from a pre-historic shark that was 50 feet long.

We all returned to the dock promising that the proceeds from Wes's first military retirement check will go towards our own boat. The next six years cannot go by fast enough with that goal in mind.

Shark Teeth No More

2011-09-03T21:28:00.002-04:00

Keagan is seven years old. SEVEN! And he lost his first baby tooth tonight.

You can't see it, but his two bottom row permanent teeth have already grown in. I think this means we are one step closer to calling him by his given name instead of Shark Teeth.

And One Became Five

2011-08-29T20:13:00.002-04:00

Two months ago Maybelle decided to make our backporch her new home, and I was at the dollar store trying to find the smallest and cheapest bag of catfood possible. All the while, I was praying that we would return home to find her long gone.

Seven weeks ago I decided a really responsible person would take the stray cat to the vet and ensure it was healthy, and I was in complete shock when the vet technician asked me to hold the cat while she was vaccinated. I left with cat hair all over my clothes and completely disgusted with the idea of owning a pet.

Four weeks ago, Wes told me that I had indeed nursed the stray cat back to health with multiple feedings of Friskies. In fact, he informed me, she was healthy pregnant.

Last week, Maybelle went off to the woods to deliver her fist litter of kittens. I fretted for days over those kittens. I tried to get Maybelle to lead me to the kittens. I tried to reason with her about the dangers of the wood line and snakes. I tried cooing with her and I even tried speaking to her with stern looks. I knew then I had crossed the line into pet ownership.

Sunday afternoon she brought four of the sweetest looking kittens ever to the back porch, and I was smitten, but nothing could have prepared me for what I did next. I picked her up to give her one big kiss on the nose!

With that said, I have no plans to keep five cats. Please tell me you will take one home with you in about six weeks!

Steelers Football

2011-08-28T15:41:00.001-04:00

My mom calls it the F word. I call it football. The boys call it fun. Anyway, you look at it, the fall sports season is upon us, and for this family, that includes tackle football. Keagan and Evan are on the same team again this season. We are playing for the black and gold because blue and silver wasn't an option. We were just relieved it wasn't red and gold because die hard Cowboy fans can't ever cheer for Redskins - even if it is pee-wee football. After this weekend's first practice in full pads, I think everyone would be in agreement with Wes's one word description of both boys on the field: dangerous.

After Saturday morning's early, early practice, I met the boys at the local sporting goods store. The boys needed football cleats. Wes said he needed to pick up some cups; I reminded him the boys both had brand new water bottles. I learned we were talking about two different kinds of cups. When we left the store, I decided the frequent buyer reward program would be my new best friend. We might have spent a few dollars this weekend on football gear.

But when you see this on the field, it is all worth it! GO STEELERS!

Straight From the Mouths of My Boys

2011-08-21T21:26:00.000-04:00

Evan: Mom, that car was OBESE!!

Me: You mean, BEAST?

Evan: Yeah, that car was OBEAST!

Keagan: Mom, you won't believe this, but my teacher has back eyes?

Me: You mean BLACK eyes?

Keagan: No, back eyes (as he points to the back of his head). She can see you do bad things without even looking at you.

Destination Birthday

2011-08-21T21:01:00.001-04:00

We celebrated Keagan's 7th birthday this weekend at an amusement park. It was a destination birthday, and in my opinion, the best way to celebrate. We spent day one riding roller coasters and melting into the concrete.

We spent day two at the animal exhibit and then the water park.

I assure you I was a good distance away when this picture was taken.

Later this afternoon we returned home to open the gifts our family sent.

After hearing me all week say, "No, you cannot open an early birthday gift", Keagan was bouncing off the walls with excitement.

We wrapped up the evening with ice cream cake.

He picked this cake out himself. In fact, he was dancing around the freezer section of Dairy Queen when he saw this design. He was that excited.

But after seven years, anyone who knows Keagan knows he is prone to display a few dance moves every now and again.

As we put him to bed tonight, he whined, "Oh, I just wish it could last a little longer!"

I will take that to mean he had a wonderful weekend. Happy Birthday, Keagan!

Elementary Going on Elderly

2011-08-10T19:31:00.002-04:00

I was only about seven years old, but I have one very vivid image of my sister and me riding in the backseat of my grandfather's yellow Cadillac listening to talk radio on NPR with a jar of Planters peanuts rolling around my feet. I vowed right then that I would never live such a life... nothing could be worse than a long car ride filled with talk radio and peanuts. Thirty years later, I don't find it so repulsive. The NPR talk radio that is. I would agree that long car rides are still one of the most horrible things a person can endure. Peanuts are a close second. Since we moved to the sticks, though, you can't listen to much of anything on the radio if it isn't NPR or country, and I have actually found myself completely entranced in an interview on robotic limbs and a conversation about the stagnant economies of Greece and Spain. Yesterday, on our way home from school, the boys and I listened to a story about snake charmers in India. The boys were fascinated by it, and I thought dear God, my boys are elementary aged going on elderly.

Every morning Evan wakes up and limps across the hallway to the bathroom. His ankles and heels tighten up while he is sleeping, and it can be painful for him to get out of bed. He has to hobble around the house to loosen them up before he can walk normally. The same thing happens to both Wes and me so he comes by it naturally. When you see your eight year old boy limp across the house, though, you can't help but think dear God, my boy is elementary aged going on elderly.

Last night a very strong thunderstorm struck. The gray clouds began to roll in, the wind picked up, and the temperature dropped a good twenty degrees. Keagan and I were on the back porch watching it unfold (because with 452 channels on our cable network, we couldn't find anything to watch on TV) when he looked at me and said, "Let's go watch the weather channel, Mom." And I thought, dear God, my boy is elementary aged going on elderly.

Next thing you know we will be eating dinner at 4:30 every night. Oh, wait! We already do!

Reunion Weekend

2011-08-06T21:42:00.002-04:00

On Monday I put the final touches on my fourth grade classroom. It was perfect. On Tuesday at 11:00 I found out I was now teaching fifth grade. At 2:00 I found out I was changing classrooms. Perfect classroom was no more. I worked until 10:00 that night moving furniture, hanging bulletin boards, and scrubbing sticky tack off the walls because there was no way I was welcoming parents and students into an unfinished room. My new classroom looked even better than my old classroom by Wednesday at noon. It was just one stressful week. By Friday, I was more than ready for the weekend, but even better than the weekend was a weekend spent with the Davis family! It has been 13 months since we were last together, and it was so good to see them.

If you don't believe me, then just look at my boys' faces. They were so happy to be reunited with their friends from Virginia. We're hoping it isn't another 13 months before we see each other again.

First Day of School

2011-08-04T22:02:00.001-04:00

It was the first day of first grade, and Keagan said school was just okay. The highlight of the day, he reported, was the bus ride because they have a new stop this year and he couldn't believe his ears when "that country boy" got on the bus and told the bus driver, "Hiiii, my name is Bubba. What's yours?" Keagan relayed the story in perfect Georgian twang.

Today Evan started third grade and as usual, he had very little to report. He didn't even mention what he had for lunch.

In only nine hours we will be right back here: the neighborhood bus stop. I don't expect the same level of excitement or smiles.

O'Dark Thirty Has Arrived

2011-08-01T22:21:00.008-04:00

I hate the morning. I hate it even more when it involves an alarm clock ringing at 5:15. Sadly, I must kiss my summer vacation good-bye because today was my first official day back at work. Can I just tell you that I have a bad feeling about this year? It can never be good when you awake on the first day back with dark circles under your eyes. I thought again about how a job working as a meteorologist for the local evening news just might be my new mid-life calling.

At 6:15 I awoke the boys. Keagan was convinced it was still night, but when I reminded him of our plans for the day with keywords like school, babysitter, and get up or you won't eat, he jumped up and said, "This day is jank, Mom! I get to go spend the day with K and M while you work!!"

Although I was happy to see him so excited about spending the day at the babysitter's, I am completely perplexed as to why he must use ghetto language in my house - especially in the morning when any sound is annoying but when I find ghetto language extremely annoying.

In an effort to stay current this school year, I have joined the group of 20 something, fresh-out-college, idealistic teachers who are blogging about their jobs. These are girls who use measuring sticks to create bulletin boards and who build furniture during the summer so that they can create the perfect cubby space. I do neither because I am not 20 something, I am not fresh out of college, and I am not Bob the Builder. With that said, I have created a class blog. http://toolesoftheclassroom.blogspot.com
It won't be nearly as cool as some of the others because it took me close to an hour to create my Voki avatar (those hair color choices can be difficult), and once school begins, time will be too precious to debate blue or green ever again.
O'Dark thirty is just around the corner. I have a feeling the boys won't find the alarm and leaving the bed jank tomorrow. I know I won't.

It's About Money and Winning

2011-07-29T15:36:00.002-04:00

This week's football camp makes number three for Evan this summer. This kids LOVES football. Unfortunately, Keagan has spent the mornings on the sidelines because he is still too young to participate. Every afternoon in the intense and sweltering heat of our backyard, both boys have been found doing this.

They are in the huddle here debating the next play. My boys ALWAYS come out on top and trick the opposing team with their great skills. It takes great talent to be able to do that when the other team is all in your imagination!

After today's win, Keagan came up with the idea of posing "like we are on the pre-game show on TV."

This was not what Evan had in mind so he suggested a head shot. I was willing to oblige.

When the penalty in the very next game ended the game early, I heard Keagan yell over his shoulder, "Football is not all about money and winning. It should be about having fun." Evan's reply: "You're wrong. It's all about the number in the W column."

We Partied Like Chicken Lady

2011-07-25T20:00:00.002-04:00

We got the best news today! Keagan's diagnosis of hypothyroidism was officially reversed! After years of charting his height and weight and after countless blood samples, we were told he is healthy and growing normally. To celebrate, we had an official "No More Synthroid" party, and we put the store house of meds I had collected the past year in the trash. This was only after we danced around the house shaking the meds like maracas, stomping our feet, and then cheering over Keagan's celebratory break dancing moves. If you are having difficulty visualizing such a melee then let me simplify our celebration by saying it was a cross between a tribal voodoo ceremony and an inner city dance-off. I felt like Chicken Lady on the streets of Chicago.

We also celebrated with a trip to the zoo and an ice cream shop.

This was probably a celebration in which you can better identify.

There's no doubt Keagan is happy with the new diagnosis; he said he feels as strong as SuperMan!

But with all the crazy moves of Chicken Lady!

(By the way, when I was in college I studied voodoo in New Orleans (yes, I attended a liberal arts school)as part of a science in religion course. Our professor planned to take us to meet the "leader" of the voodoo religion, Chicken Man, but since he was incarcerated at the time, we were introduced to his wife and the interim leader known on the streets as Chicken Lady. I remember nothing about the day except that she was crazy as all get-out, and I couldn't wait to get out of the room with her.)

We Almost Melted

2011-07-22T12:13:00.000-04:00

The Farragh family vacation continued yesterday with a stop at one of the local forts. We were all looking longingly at the boats speeding up and down the Savannah River. I bet the ride in the boat was much more enjoyable than our walk in the 110 degree sun.

It was so hot the bugs decided to stay away. I guess that was a good thing, but with sweat running off of my elbows, the lack of bugs was never really acknowledged or celebrated. I did get a picture with all four grandkids looking at the camera, though. That was celebrated with lunch at Five Guys and some much needed AC.

We then visited a small aquarium on one of the local islands.

It was here, at the touch tank, that Mallory learned gentle means don't stick your finger into the shell of the crab to try to retrieve it. Poor crab.

Today the family returned to Texas, and it was especially hard to say good-bye to this little dear. Isn't Caroline just the cutest thing?

We Were Pack Mules at the Beach

2011-07-20T22:54:00.002-04:00

Vikki's two girls. My two boys. I would have done anything to have all four look at the camera at the same time, but it just wasn't going to happen no matter how many times I tried to coo and sweet talk. I realized it was time to put the camera away when I began to demand big smiles.

Days 1 and 3 of the week long family vacation were spent at our favorite beach, and even though we had a blast playing in the sand and surf, I think I can safely say that I am done with the beach. Well, for the week anyway. All of the fun with the water and sand can be negated when you are loaded down with gear like a pack mule in 100 plus degree temps and then realize that even with all that stuff, you are missing some critical item. These two days, though, have inspired me to become a professional beach goer, and to do that you must purchase one very important item: a garden wagon with extra large wheels. It will be my next purchase because pulling a garden wagon is just so much easier to handle than a pack mule.

One Less Than a Dozen

2011-07-19T23:01:00.000-04:00

What happens when you have eleven people under one roof? One small roof?
Well, for starters you consume 2 bottles of red wine, a punch bowl of sangria, and countless Coronas. And that was just the first day.

The best part is we have an entire week to share a couple of drinks with the family. Today we shared a few in downtown Savannah, one of the most beautiful cities you will ever visit!

Look at Those Gatorade Stains!

2011-07-15T21:04:00.001-04:00

We have jumped on the women's soccer band wagon and have been glued to the TV watching the games. This past week we arranged our entire schedule for the day (ie: the time we hit the pool) around game time. We were pretty well near panicked, though, when we turned on the TV at 11:30, and discovered we had no cable service. You know. I don't watch much tv, but when I pay $130 a month for cable, I expect to be able to actually use it. With no tv and no internet service, we left the house and headed for the pool.

Luckily for the people at our local Comcast office, the cable service decided to work again at 5:59, and we were able to watch the 6:00 rebroadcast. My rants about living in this God forsaken town, in the middle of no where Georgia, were temporarily put on hold, and the boys and I settled on the couch to watch the game. Sometime in the middle of the second half, the camera gave us a close up of a throw in from one of the players on the field. She was wearing her white US jersey, but she was wearing a hot pink sports bra under the jersey. Evan clearly noticed it, and he looked over at me, and said, "She really made a mess of her red gatorade! It's all over the front of her shirt."

This led to a conversation about girls, sports, and various articles of clothing. Evan summarized the fashion faux paus perfectly when he said, "It would have been a better choice for her to wear a white one instead of bright pink." This fashion advice, although sound and true, came from my dear little one who regularly leaves the house with shoes that don't match and/or no underwear.

For My Followers in India

2011-07-08T14:45:00.002-04:00

Our lives this week have been filled with a hodge podge of uninteresting events. However, when I started the blog several years ago, I wanted to remember what normal, every day life was like with the boys then ages 4 and 2. Nothing this week has been earth shattering, and yet it has been exactly what I hoped to document when I started so many years ago. Our simple and yet perfect life.

So here are the highlights of week five of our summer vacation.

1. Wes's deployment date was changed AGAIN. He is now scheduled to leave in January. Someone must be in constant prayer that he not be deployed, and we need to tell whoever that is that it is time to stop the prayers. Wes actually wants to go, and this constant "he is going/he is not going" is wearing me down.

2. I give the boys a night time snack before bed almost every night. It usually includes fruit or crackers. Last night Keagan asked for baked beans. All the fun included with the consumption of beans began just as we snuggled into bed to read the next chapter in "Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing."

3. The UPS guy delivered a package from Target, and as he walked back to the truck, I said, "Thanks, Hon." Keagan asked, "Do you know that guy? You just called him Hon." Evan replied, "It's okay, Keagan. Everybody does that in Georgia."

4. I purchased a running skirt this week, and it is just so stinkin' cute that I think I might become a PE teacher just so I can wear it everyday. It was either that or go for a run, and it seems like it would be so much easier to go back to school for two years then it would be to go for a run in the summer in Georgia.

5. Evan asked me yesterday to peel some "apfels." He looked at me with a real serious look and asked, "Wait. Was that the right word?" I responded with, "It would if we were living in Germany." We haven't lived in Germany since he was two years old, and he is now eight throwing out German words like that's our household language. CRAZY the way the brain works!

6. I found a stack of surf/swim shirts sitting in the corner of Keagan's room last week, and I made the comment that I had found all of his lost beach shirts. He said, "Well, it looks like they were havin' a party over there. I hope they keep it down because I gotta get some sleep."

7. I am addicted to the stats tab on the dashboard of the blog. I know it has probably been there for a couple of years, but I just found it yesterday. It tells you how many people read the blog and from which sites they are accessing your blog. Fascinating! I had no idea that I had such a huge following in India.

8. There was 0% chance of rain on Wednesday so we made plans to go to the pool. It rained from 2:00 - 9:00. There was 50% chance of rain today so we decided to skip the pool. The sun is shining. If fifteen years ago I had had any idea that meteorologists were such pranksters, I would have considered it more seriously as a career.

9. We took the boys to the drive-in last week to see Cars 2. Yep. The drive in. As we made our way there, Evan said something to the effect, "I don't think this is normal." I explained that it was completely normal fifty years ago, but I am happy to report that we went and had a great time. So much so you would have thought it was a completely normal thing to do.

And so there you have it. My week in review was written for all five of my Dedicated Followers in India.

Red, White and Blue

2011-07-05T07:40:00.006-04:00

I tell everyone I see that I absolutely love living here in Georgia for one reason: the beach. This one reason is enough to mask the reality of living in a small military town. Yesterday we spent the holiday at St. Simons and after countless trips to the island, it still takes my breath away. I wonder if I lived there permanently if I would find the huge live oak trees and Spanish moss ordinary.

It's true that we could've stayed at Fort Stewart for the holiday (the military installation with the biggest and best 4th of July celebration) and joined the 50,000people who were there to see the Zac Brown Band, but we decided it was just too crowded, too many people, to actually be fun. So to escape the crowds we hit the beach and joined about 50,000 other people with the same idea of fun: boogey boards, a picnic lunch, and burying your big brother in the sand.

This year we celebrated with our own red, white and blue: our red cheeks from the sun, the white sand in our toes, and the clear blue sky.

Happy 4th of July!

Like Father, Like Son

2011-07-02T19:26:00.005-04:00

When Wes was a little boy, he was fascinated with planes and flying. Today he can identify a plane flying hundreds of feet above us and then rattle off specific details about it. I amuse him and shake my head and "ooh" and "aah", but honestly, I don't ever remember what is said. Today, I have learned that Keagan will gladly replace my unenthusiastic claims of interest with his genuine fascination with fighter jets.

This picture was taken today when we toured the Mighty 8th Airforce Museum, and although Keagan might not be able to tell you all about the F-4 Phantom (the plane in the picture), he can tell you anything you want to know about the F-14 Tomcat. Because with his last bit of money saved throughout the past year, he bought a model plane set. It even came with a trading card, and this afternoon, after it had been put together and he tried to get Maybelle (it was determined on Friday that the cat is a Maybelle and not a Merlin) to play fighter jets with him, Keagan declared his new model plane "better than playing the Wii."

Evan was not so easily convinced that learning about planes could be actual fun. He was much more impressed with the go-carts that were conveniently located next door.

Well, really, if truth be told, the other two boys found it pretty fun, too.

The Fashionista

2011-06-30T17:17:00.003-04:00

I love how Keagan can wear this and not think twice about how ridiculous it looks. He can even make it cool. If open toed shoes were allowed at school, there is no doubt that he would have the entire first grade wearing socks and "crocs" right along with him.

Socks and Sandals...Whoa Whoa Whoa!

Learning to Swim

2011-06-30T14:22:00.005-04:00

When I was five, maybe six years old, my mom enrolled me in swim lessons at the local pool. On my first day, the fifteen year old "teacher" came up from behind me, pushed my head under the water, and then proudly said, "See there is nothing to be scared of. You survived." I had just gulped buckets of water, my eyes were stinging, and I knew right then that this swim teacher was not to be trusted with my life.
I think it is safe to say I was traumatized by the experience.

Thankfully, the boys haven't had such an experience. Blowing bubbles in the water wasn't anything compared to a near drowning. However, this year marks the end of swim lessons. Keagan hates swim lessons and reminded me today that I told him two years ago he could stop taking lessons when he learned to use a stroke. He can do three strokes when he wants to. It seems that this past week he made certain I understood that he didn't want to swim when he proceeded to doggie paddle to and from the ends of the pool instead of using the called stroke. He might have shone independence at the water park on Monday, but it was pure rebellion at the pool yesterday.

Evan can do all four strokes and do them well. He swims gracefully and almost effortlessly. The way I always wanted to be able to swim. He can snorkel in the ocean, dive deep into the coral, and flip back to the surface for air better than most adults. He can swim across the length of the pool and back again and never gasp for air. He can do it again and still not gasp for air. Today I was told that there really isn't anything left for him to "learn", and I suggested that he join a swim team. Sadly, Evan won't even consider it.

After five years of sitting through bubble blowing, kick and catch, shark fin, and monkey/airplane/soldier, I know how to swim, too, and it wasn't nearly as traumatizing as my first experience thirty years ago.

Summer Waves

2011-06-27T18:33:00.005-04:00

It's a month overdue, I know, but today I finally took the boys to the water park on Jekyll Island. I had no idea it was going to be so much fun! Otherwise, I would have squeezed this trip into a day in the beginning of June. Of course, the fun could have been due to the fact that I had to ride zero (count it, 0) water slides, and the boys learned that they could do flips and headstands in the lazy river while I floated on an inner tube. Can you say perfection? Maybe it was all the treats I bought. I went overboard with buying the boys both Italian ice AND Dippin' Dots. Who can't be happy when you get to have both in one day? Don't judge. The trip was a reward afterall.
As much fun as we might have had, the highlight was most definately the moment the boys looked at each other and said, "Let's go ride the slides." And then, almost as if they were hoping I would agree, "Mom, you can stay here in your chair if you want." Who was I to say no? From my lounge chair, I watched my babies, who I realized are no longer babies, walk themselves across the wooden bridge to the two big slides, and I knew all of those hundreds of dollars of swim lessons would give me some peace of mind. In the meantime, my boys' attempt at independence would give me one great tan.(By the way, that lasted about 15 minutes, and then the boys had to come check on me.)

Baptism Sunday

2011-06-26T15:31:00.008-04:00

We aren't Methodist, so they weren't sprinkled with water.
We aren't Catholic, so they didn't receive communion, and
we aren't traditionalists, so we don't attend a church with a baptistry.
However, we had a pool in a church member's backyard, and today both boys were baptized. First, it was Keagan. He was just a little nervous.

Then it was Evan's turn.

Praise God!

Life in the Slow Lane

2011-06-20T14:11:00.004-04:00

This weekend marks one full year in Georgia. (By the way, I can't even begin to believe that is has been 367 days since we left Virginia.) Here's what I have learned after a year of living in the deep South.

1. Grits are good. Especially if you lather them in cheese and garlic. They are even better with blackened fish.

2. There is no rat race and no one really worries about getting ahead. Life is about how many trips you can take to the beach. And there's absolutely nothing wrong with this when you live within an hour's drive of many great beaches.

3. All Georgians must have some innate desire to produce fire because there is ALWAYS a fire burning in this town. They even set their own yards on fire. They will tell you that it brings new growth to the yard and a much thicker turf. Maybe so, but Scott's Turf Builder will do just the same, and you don't have to worry with burning down your house in the process.

4. We can talk like Georgians now. Keagan has the Southern drawl, Evan has the misplaced object pronouns (them chickens), and I can proceed every sentence with "honey" and "darlin."

5. Muddin' is a popular past time in Georgia. I went muddin' one time. I was 17, and after a heavy rain, my car slipped and slid in the unpaved driveway of my parents' new house. It was not done intentionally and it was extremely annoying. But in Georgia, people atually LIKE to slip and slide in the mud - mess and all. They claim it is fun.

6. Georgians, for the most part, are very friendly. They will invite you to church, wave to you on the back roads, and invite you on a weekend fishing trip. If the fishing trip invite included a boat with a working motor, I might just consider it.

7. It is possible to survive without a Target within a 10 mile radius of your house. It took several months of withdrawls for me to adjust to the big change, and I still get very giddy when I walk into a Target store when I have been away for more than two weeks. However, I have learned you can buy just about all of the store on-line. Who knew it could be that easy?

I don't know how it could already be a year because it seems like just yesterday we were finding our way through this two street town. At the most, we have two years left. Evan is hoping for an assignment in Hawaii, Keagan is hoping for Texas, and I am hoping for anything that keeps us out of Louisiana. Until then, we will continue to enjoy life in the slow lane in the deep South.

Do You Believe in Magic?

2011-06-17T11:54:00.003-04:00

Maybe it is the extreme heat. Maybe it is boredom. Maybe my kids are just weird. However, Evan has proclaimed that our stray cat, the cat that is no longer stray because he calls our house his, as a magical cat.

You might wonder how a mere eight year old is able to discern magical cats from everyday house cats. This is his explanation. He simply asked the cat, "Are you a magical cat?" The cat nodded, blinked, and then used one claw to point to the woods. I felt like the cat moved his head to probably ward off a host of gnats swarming around his head because it is June and we are in Georgia, blinked because he clearly has some eye infection that causes seepage and other nastiness, and pointed a claw as a warning to Keagan to stay clear of him/her because Keagan feels like carrying the cat is a must.

But I was totally wrong. Because according to Evan, Morgan LeFay, the mistress of magical adventures in the Magic Tree House book series, has actually taken over the body of our cat, our stray cat with the jacked-up left eye, just as she did in book five of the series (which was set in Egypt for any of you MTH followers), and she is now inviting both boys on a set of adventures in their own magical tree house.

There's no word on what happened with Jack and Annie, the original Magic Tree House Adventurerers.

Sadly, I am unable to go with them on their adventure because even though I asked the cat if she was magical and she did blink, she did not nod her head. I am only slightly disappointed to not be able to participate in any of the adventures to far-away places that include the cat, my boys, and a tree house that flies.

Evan was dead set on this as truth. However, he couldn't actually take his magical adventure until the tree house could be located. The books clearly state that Jack and Annie find the tree house in book five at sunset, so we waited until 9:21. By that time, it was so late that the entire adventure had been forgotten. It's surprising really because I had jumped on the bandwagaon and clearly expected Merlin/Morgan (the gender of our cat has yet to be determined) to exert his/her magical powers.

Story to be continued should the cat nod, blink and point one claw in the direction of the tree line.

Blueberries for Keagan

2011-06-17T11:26:00.004-04:00

Have you read the children's book Blueberries for Sal? It is one of my favorites, and today when I took Keagan to Brewer's Farm to pick blueberries, we were living that book. It was written sixty plus years ago, but my Keagan is Sal all over. I found him stuffing his mouth with multiple berries while dropping one berry into his bucket. After half an hour, Keagan's one berry drops were still making a kuplunk sound because his bucket was still empty.

When it came time to pay for the berries, Keagan's bucket had less than a pint of berries. At least a quart were in his tummy, though, and when we got to the check out line, the owner of the farm looked quizzically into his bucket and asked what happened. Keagan replied, "I take my blueberries seriously."

Unlike Sal's Mom, I am not spending my afternoon canning berries. Blueberry pie is in the making for tonight's dessert, and Keagan says blueberry smoothies are a must for breakfast tomorrow. One stomach ache later, though, Keagan might need to rethink how serious he wants to be about blueberries.

Little Boy Dreams

2011-06-14T12:45:00.005-04:00

One of Evan's biggest dreams came true this week. I know he is only eight and big dreams at this age constitute buying a new Wii game and twelve months of summer vacation. Perhaps his dream is more of a milestone. He is none the less excited.

His dream? He is attending football camp at one of the local highschools.

His dream might have been dashed just a bit when he found out he wasn't actually playing in the stadium, and he might have have been just slightly irritated when the head football coach spent more time working with the 10-14 year olds on the first day of camp. This was all erased from his mind today, though, when the coach referred to Evan as the key player.

The key player! When I went on and on about what a great compliment this was, Evan replied, "It's not that great, Mom. It's not like he is a college or pro coach. Now, if someone important said that then it would mean a lot."

And just like that. His little boy dream changed. His dream has been altered to include playing for bigger people and their even bigger stadiums.

The Wedding Crashers

2011-06-12T13:18:00.004-04:00

One of my very best friends from college, Lynette, spent this past week on St. Simons Island with her family, and we met them there this weekend for dinner. After dinner, we took a walk around the pier and shoreline where hundreds of people were fishing and picnicing. If I told you that the boys almost crashed an outdoor wedding when they began a rousing game of soccer and used an aisle of white rose petals as the goal line, you would probably think the meeting was a complete disaster. However, the bride and groom were good sports about it, and the mother of the bride didn't even balk when one of Evan's punts caught her in the back of the legs. They never even scowled at Keagan when he took a seat in the white chairs set up on the waterfront for the wedding guests. I wish I were a fly on the wall, though, when the couple takes their first look at their wedding photos and finds four strange boys chasing a soccer ball in the background of every shot.
Thanks Lynette, Billy, Henry and Max for meeting up with us. Let's hope we don't crash any more weddings next fall when we meet again.

Turks and Caicos Conch Farm

2011-06-09T12:08:00.005-04:00

We needed a break from the sun, sand and surf, so we spent the morning at a Conch Farm. Until this week, I had no idea that an animal actually lives in the conch shell and that it makes for a great meal. After today's tour of the farm, we know more than anyone ever needs to know about the sea snail. However, we couldn't leave the island without a conch shell. We took the rental car down another gravel road to Pelican Bay where we were told we could find conch shells washed up on the beach.

Sure enough. There were two; this just so happens to be the number allowed through customs. After a thorough wash, we are hoping to find the shells to be animal free.

Sopadilla Bay at Chalk Sound

2011-06-07T14:50:00.007-04:00

It would not be a Toole vacation if we didn't take a rental car down a dirt path, and to maintain our adventuresome spirit we did just that today. We had to master driving on the left side of the road (well, Wes had to master this), and we had to manuever round abouts that made me dizzy. It took us a while to find the right dirt road, and after finally stopping a construction worker, we were on our way to pure bliss.

The water here at Turks and Caicos is the clearest and most beautiful that I have ever seen. The water is so blue that the sunlight is reflected off the water and back into the clouds so that the clouds hold the same aqua blue. I bet there is a scientific name given to this phenomenon because I know I read about how people from all over come here to study it, but because my knowledge of clouds is limited to cumulus and cirrus, I am really at a loss for anything more specific. Let me just say I have never seen it before and I think it is beautiful.

It is at this same bay that pirates shipwrecked thousands of years ago. They buried their treasures and left clues to the hidden loot with a map carved in the rocks, but the stash has never been found. The boys were so taken by this tidbit of information that they began their own search for jewels and gold coins.
We now have an entire collection of beach shells and rocks that contain hidden messages that only Evan and Keagan can decipher.

Snorkeling

2011-06-06T13:43:00.003-04:00

There aren't too many really big waves here at TCI, but there is enough of a breeze for the boys to boogey board. However, the highlight of day two of our vacation, has been the snorkeling. Our hotel is located 20 feet from a coral reef that is home to hundreds of varieties of fish and turtles. Although we haven't seen a turtle, Evan has spotted puffer fish, decorated crab, and angelfish.

Keagan didn't take to the snorkeling on his first try, and after lots of pouting and tears, he finally solved the problem when he created a snorkel float that includes his boogey board and mask.
After a two hour break (mandatory per me), the boys will be right back at it.

Summer Vacation

2011-06-05T20:03:00.002-04:00

We made it to Turks and Caicos with only a few minor problems: no luggage and a rain shower. However, within a couple of hours, we were on the beach in swim suits and in the sun. With this view, though, it could rain all week and I think I would still be happy.

We've Been Adopted

2011-06-04T08:03:00.005-04:00

It began yesterday morning. Keagan and I were working on some soccer drills in the side yard. We heard something, and we ignored it because our tree line is constantly filling our lives with the sounds of nature. We heard it again, though, and Keagan decided it was time to investigate. Within minutes, this is what walked out of the tree line.

A short time later we left the house to run errands. I prayed the whole way there and back that we would get home and find the cat gone. Evan would not have it, though. He claimed the cat as his. He persuaded me to buy some catfood. He checked out a book at the library about caring for a cat. He spent the next few hours fretting over the cat, the food, and the heat.
When we got home, we found the cat patiently awaiting our return, and because the cat was still here when we awoke this morning, I think it may have adopted us.
The cat's first photo shoot took place after breakfast. If photo shoots with sunglasses, sunglasses on the cat I might add, won't scare the cat away, then I guess it is here to stay.

We Live in a Fantasy World

2011-06-02T19:35:00.004-04:00

We went to the pool today. After seven summers of making the trip to and from the pool and beach, I think I have finally mastered the art of packing the pool bag. This is a fine art that takes years to master. Only the very best can remember to pack a salty snack, a fruit snack, a granola snack, drinks, goggles, earplugs, swimtoys, water balls, sunscreen, towels, and an extra toy or two. I may have done it today, but I am making no promises that the magic of packing the perfect pool bag will materialize ever again.

Yesterday the boys played in the sprinkers because I still live in a fantasy world and tell myself that I can get our yard in tip top shape without the help of a professional, and I spent an hour spreading ironite and fungicide over mounds of sand with tiny sprouts of something that resembles half dead grass. After all of this, I ran the sprinklers. The boys were in the middle of it playing Ben10 with no worries about the iron pellets plastered to their feet and bellies. After five summers of watching the boys morph into aliens, I am betting this is the last summer that they play Ben10 together in the sprinklers. Evan has even put all five of his real Ben10 watches aside and uses his wristband to call on the alien of choice. It can double as a Ben10 watch, and it is so much more cool than the actual watch. You can wear it and everyone will assume it is just a wristband. Only I know better. I think this is why he is so concerned with wearing his wristband on the soccer field; he thinks he can call on Four Arms for an extra boost when in need.

He, too, lives in a fantasy world. Only his seems much more entertaining.