Audiobooks

 It took me awhile to jump on the audiobook bandwagon.  Though audiobooks were a godsend when Sarah and Will were in the formative reading years (and even now Will prefers the audio), I'd always preferred paper and ink books to any other format.  

That all changed when I decided to purchase an Audible membership.  I'm not sure why I did it - maybe there was a deal going on? I think it was mostly for the kids and maybe the odd podcast for myself on occasion.  Podcasts have been good training for listening to audiobooks.  I started listening to them for school, then on runs, then on my commute, and now just about any time I don't have a book queued up.  Because, don't be fooled: listening to books is a skill that has to be practiced and honed just like any other.  I didn't know this during virtual school 2020, when I tried to keep Teddy occupied for the 4 hours a day that he didn't have school and the big kids and I were in class.  I didn't understand that simply plopping him down next to the CD player, CDs, and their corresponding books was not enough for him to be able to listen to the illustrated Harry Potter series.  He needed practice, and so did I.  At first, when I tried to listen, I would space out or multitask and not hear a word being read.  I would snap back into focus and have no idea what was going on.  But, with some practice and focus for my fruit-fly brain, I can now enjoy books while I cook, cross-stitch, exercise, drive, eat lunch, or whatever else.

The awesome thing about audiobooks is that I can read twice as much as I used to.  All of that dead time that I was listening to the same boring songs on my playlist or the radio has now been put to work.  Here are a few of my favorite listens so far this past year:

1.  Daisy Jones and the Six  - Because the format of this book is an interview with a fictional rock band, I think it actually lends itself better to this full-cast audio than to paper-and-ink.  I loved it just as much as everyone else who read it this year.

2.  Code Name Verity  - This is another full-cast audio and it was also phenomenal.  Only the headings of the chapters were lost on me because of the audio.  

3.  Call the Midwife - Not a full cast, but the narrator was brilliant and I was fascinated by this collection of true stories of a midwife in post-war England.

4.  As You Wish - I've had a crush on Cary Elwes since The Princess Bride, so I'd gladly listen to him read the phone book.  This recounting of the behind-the-scenes makings of the movie is much more enjoyable than the Yellow Pages.

5.  Finlay Donovan is Killing It - A lot of people might be trying their hands at a side hustle these days, but, unlike Finlay, most of us are not considering contract killing as a line of work.  Mystery, comedy, and a relatable heroine all roll together in a frothy romp.

6.  The Huntress - I really have a thing for World War/post-war titles, but this one was twisty and devious with its dramatic irony and Nazi-hunting plotline.  Another single narrator who transformed into each character so deftly I didn't want to listen at my usual 1.5x speed.  

7.  How to Raise an Adult -Confession: I'm still working on this one.  Self-help is a genre I usually avoid, so it takes me a lot longer to read.  However, this one should be handed out to every parent in our neighborhood.  I was listening while driving back from Memphis after Thanksgiving and even Will wanted to hear more about the hyper-competitive helicopter-parenting that is the norm these days.

There are many more titles I will add to this list with time, but as a recap from 2021, these are my favorites.  I can't wait for my run tomorrow so that I can finish up my latest book!

Christmas 2021/ New Year's Plans

 

Why do people love the Christmas season so much?  For me, Christmas heralds exhaustion and unmet expectations; keeping up with the Joneses and slapping a smile over lips that want to rage.  I wish I could find a bland middle-ground during this "happiest season", but this year was not that year.  Maybe I'm just contrary enough to want to rebel against the idea of mandatory magic and forced happiness.  Who knows?  

However, as far as Christmases go, this one wasn't too bad on the whole.  Sure, I got picked for jury duty the 2nd week of December and got my period the same day.  Okay, so the combat boots I ordered for Sarah in September turned out to be spiky, tacky chanclas (thanks, Amazon and me for not checking as soon as the package arrived.).  Yeah, we did all get the flu the last week of school and had get tested for COVID.

But my mom did host the first annual Thrift Store Formal Christmas party.  And we got to see Mike's family at a bomb-ass cabin in the mountains of North Carolina, complete with hot-tubbing and karaoke.  Also hiking, buuuut I'm a much more skilled jacuzz-er than hiker/nature-lover.  Despite all the warnings (starting in JULY) we did not experience any supply-chain issues. 

While Christmas may not be my favorite (or even top 10) holiday, New Year's is definitely top 3.  I love the blank-slate, fresh-paged potential of a NEW YEAR.  Don't worry, this isn't some "New year, new me" thing where I go on some diet, become an organized minimalist, smile all the time, and start loving summer.  I will set some resolutions this year, and most of them will be abandoned by March.  So what?  I'm writing them down here anyway, because guess what resolution #1 is for this year?

1.  Write more.  Yep, over the past few years, I have all but abandoned a pastime that has been almost daily practice since I learned to write.  At this point, it feels like rebuilding an atrophied muscle.  Even this garbage I've written so far today has left me tired and winded.  In 8th grade, right before our class trip to D.C., I sprained my ankle really bad.  Since we'd be on foot all over the city, the doc put me in a walking cast for a few weeks.  When they took the cast off, I remember how skinny (and hairy!) my little weak calf was compared to the other leg.  This is like rehabbing a muscle, so bear with me.

2.  Pray daily for my kids, husband, and family.  I'll admit to a little bit of sandbagging here:  I already do this (at least for the kids) throughout the day, because, let's face it, these teenage years are TUFF.  Teaching middle school is so much more personal when your own children are in middle school - there's no separation between personal and professional.  The emotional turmoil my students are going through are the same things my own kids are facing.  I send up quick prayers all through the day because I am emotionally flayed and raw.

3.  Complete a triathlon.  Managing expectations on this one because, Omicron.

4.  Start a side-hustle.  This one is so cliche, I know.  And, don't worry - I'm not going to start selling oils or skincare.  Honestly, any desire I had to advance professionally in my career as an educator is gone.  At this point, I just want to keep my head down and not get accidentally fired again.  Even so, I want to challenge myself (and make $$ if possible).  Who knows what random paths can lead to new opportunities?  When I was a teenager and even in college, I collected jobs like some people collect stamps, and no matter how bad a fit a job was, it always taught me something and led me in a new direction.

5.  Save $300 every month.  I did this back when I had my very first job out of college and it saved my A$$.  My kids will never know the panic of deciding whether to pay rent or cell phone overage bills.

So, that's it.  There are other things, but my flaccid writing muscles are toast.  

TTFN.

Washington, D.C. in January. During a Government Shutdown Part 1

Call us crazy, but we thought a trip to Washington, D.C. at New Year's would be just the thing.

Sure, it might be cold and snowy, but the crowds would be lighter

 and we could handle anything with enough snacks and souvenir money.  

The kids are (for the most part) troopers,

and we could balance our indoor activities with more engaging, hands-on experiences. 

With this in mind, we planned for every contingency we could think of.

Except...

a partial government shut-down.

Most people (including ourselves) probably figured we'd just cancel or postpone the trip for another time, preferably when all of the Smithsonians were open for business.

But, we didn't. 

Cancel, that is.

We panicked a little.  We researched a lot.

And, most importantly, we tried to get our already-paid-for hotel rooms refunded, to no avail.

Since Mike and I are not ones to back down from a challenge, nor are we ever going to let hotel rooms go to waste, we took a big gulp of roll-with-it and did just that.  

We drove through the night on December 30th, arriving early in the morning of the 31st.  That gave us 2 days to squeeze in the must-see Smithsonian museums before they closed. 

Teddy and the Sopwith Camel (a.k.a. Snoopy's plane that he flies as the WWI Flying Ace against the Red Baron.)

The kids slept all night and we pulled in the Air and Space Museum just as they opened.

Next up, we hauled over to the city center, parked the car, and hit up the Mall.

The National Mall, that is.



We came, we saw, we took a picture with the elephant.

From the National Museum of Natural History, we jetted next door and hit up the Museum of American History to check out the Batmobile, Dorothy's ruby slippers, and dresses of the First Ladies.

Cookie Monster was the highlight for Teddy and me, and I miiiight have fan-girled just a smidge.

We also hit up another Air and Space Museum.

 Not my cup of tea, but it's the one thing I do remember from my 8th grade trip to D.C.

Those 2019 glasses are hiding all kinds of tired.

FINALLY, it was time to check in to the hotel and change clothes for the first time in 2 days.

We stayed in the heart of the city, within walking distance to the White House.

As a matter of fact, the White House is where we spent our New Year's Eve. 

Walking around in varying stages of sleep-deprivation, we chatted with some locals, and discovered just how gracious and kind the Secret Service are.  Despite the shutdown, there were only a handful of protesters in front of the White House, and very few people out and about.

It was weird and unexpected, given that it was New Year's Eve, that our family were the hardest partyers in the city.  And we were in bed by 11:00.  

Tourist mode.

I don't remember what we had originally planned for the following day, but we were still in major hustle-mode to see all-the-things before they closed indefinitely. 

 As we walked through the Capitol plaza, one of the very kind Capitol police officers stopped the kids and gave them some stickers or something, and recommended going for our tour of the Capitol right away.  The lines were short, the wait was minimal,

and we hopped into a tour right as they were leaving. 

Something we learned from our guide is that, in order to see the House and Senate chambers, you have to contact your Representative or Senator's office and get some passes. 

We hemmed and hawed about this, but we decided to head over to the Library of Congress first.

Just checkin' out the selection in the Library of Congress.  NBD

Loungin' in the LOC.  Like you do.

If you know me (and I would guess that you do, otherwise, why are you reading this drivel?), you might know that I love libraries.  My kids love libraries.  We want to live in one, breathe in the books, lounge in the quiet, curled up with a good book or fifteen.

So, we hooked up with a tour of the Library of Congress.

And they didn't talk about books.

They told us about architecture and the horror story of fires that destroyed priceless collections of books.  And how only a fraction of Thomas Jefferson's books were saved.

And here is a reading room you're not allowed to read in.

Oh, and here are books you're not allowed to touch.

So, while I'm sure it's very important to learn these things and to see them,

 it was overall a very unsatisfactory trip to the library, in my opinion.

Pro Tip:  hit up the newly-remodeled children's section and skip the tour.

At this point, the kids had been pushed to the limit.  We were out of snacks,

 they'd been dragged on tours, talked to death about architecture,

 and had spent the entire morning not being allowed to touch ANYTHING.

Time to take a break and get some food, right?

WRONG!

It's time to head back to the Capitol and hang out in security lines!

Representative Teddy Brown, at your service.

But, first, we had to get passes for the fam for the House and Senate chambers from our very gracious Representative Jim Cooper.  Now, Mr. Cooper wasn't actually in his office at the time, but his staff was amazing.  Not only did they get us passes for the chambers, but they also took us back to see Mr. Cooper's office and even to sit at his desk!

It might be a silly thing that was not a big deal for the staff, but it was a VERY big deal to us.

Why can't we just all look at the camera and smile at the same time?! Just once!


Ok, so we went on our 10th trip back through security at the Capitol building,
and then did some more security.
And some more.
Finally, when they'd stripped us of our phones, keys, shoelaces, watches, strollers,
and 4th child (I'm kidding, Mom!),
we got to...
wait in line. 



But then, we visited the Senate chambers,
which was not the one you see during the State of the Union.



Next up was the House chambers, and there was a bit of a crackle of electricity in the air because the House was in session.  Of course, we were in there while they were taking a break, so we only saw Pages and staffers.  

As usual, Teddy summed up absurd adult behavior in succinct kid-friendly terms with the question,
 "Are they having a staring contest?"


But it was neat to think that we were there while a huge debate was going on and the wheels of government were turning.

The kids remained unimpressed.  And starving.

I guess we fed them.  I don't know what.  This is not a foodie blog.

Real quick, we dashed over to the National Art Museum, which is more Sarah's and my thing than the boys' but everybody found something they liked.

I found a big blue rooster.

Will found a seat.

Sarah found Warhol.

And Teddy found Mickey.

No one found Mike.

But Mike found this gem right next door to the Capitol: the National Botanic Gardens.

It was an amazing space for the kids to burn off steam, go on a scavenger hunt for different types of plants, and finally, FINALLY interact with their surroundings. 

Even though the children's garden was closed (because, January), there was a model trains exhibit and an exhibit of model DC landmarks.

Just before dark, the drill sergeant, ahem, Mike, led his exhausted, cranky troops back to the hotel to rest up for another day in D.C. 

Disclosure: This post contains inaccurate names for museums and stuff because I'm too lazy to look up the official names, but you can figure out what to Google.

Part 2: Georgetown, the Holocaust Museum, ____ Cemetary,

and some stuff we will definitely do next time

Packing for Summer in Charleston

For as long as I can remember, my favorite thing about going on trips was the packing.  Sure, the sights, experiences, and uncharted territory were all well and good.  But, what 7-year-old-me really enjoyed was the packing.  

Starting at a minimum of 2 weeks in advance of departure, I would open up my suitcase(s) and start piling in the essentials for a 10-day trip to Dallas:  2 pairs of underwear, a rainbow of Duckhead shorts, my entire Multiples wardrobe, and approximately 37 Cabbage Patch Kids + their birth certificates.

Fast-forward 30+ years, and I've made surprisingly little progress in the way of packing smart and light.  Despite the HOURS of pinning packing lists and reading blog posts about how to pack for 6-months and 3 continents in a clutch purse, I still pack for the persona I imagine adopting when I get to where I'm going.  Like, of COURSE Julie-in-the-Big-Apple needs spike heels and leather pants when she travels with her 3 little kids and entire extended family. 

Duh.  

And Old-South-Charleston-Julie?  She'll be strolling the Battery in gingham sundresses and precious sandals, coolly dabbing at the healthy "glow" she's developed while perusing the historic sections of the city and instructing her attentive and similarly-attired children in Civil War history.

Don't get me wrong, summer packing has a lot going for it: lighter clothes take up less space, no socks or giant boots required.

However, there is a major downside of summer travel in the South: sweat.  Now, as unladylike as it may be to discuss it, the fact remains that I sweat. 

A lot.  At the first degree over 70.  

I may be unique in this condition, but I suspect otherwise.  So, for all you fashion bloggers with your "momiforms" of a cute blouse, mules, and jeans (JEANS?! in the summer?!) and those who throw shade at us moms who do our kid-wrangling clad in workout clothes, you can just can it.  

I have a few words for you: humidity, chub-rub, and chafing.

First-night fail.  

It was still 85 degrees and 10000% humidity at 9pm, and we walked several miles around the city.

Ok, let me just climb off that soap box.

Anyhoo, I really thought I did a good job packing this time. I only packed stuff I actually like and am comfortable wearing, I stuck with items that could be mixed and matched together, and I only packed 4 pairs of shoes.  

And yet, I was not prepared for the amount of sweating I would be doing. 

Twinning!

Apparently, after 10 years in Nashville, I’ve forgotten everything I learned about true humidity from my time in South Florida.

Honestly, I wore the same thing every day during the day: running shorts, sports bra, tank top, and Tevas.  One night I got real fancy and put on a pool coverup for dinner out.  See below.⇓

There are several morals to this story, beyond the fact that I am apparently a REALLY slow learner. 

Lesson 1: Just pack workout gear and bathing suits for summer travel in the Deep South.

Lesson 2: Lower your expectations for how cute and Instagrammable your photos will be. 

Lower.

Lower.

A little lower.

There.

Currently: Me vs. Kids

Currently: June

Since I kind of leapt back into this blog-thing without looking first, I didn't have a plan past the first post. Duh. As if.  So, I thought I might get onboard with this "currently" theme to give you a snapshot of what we've been doing since school let out.  So, I thought I'd compare what I've been doing to what the kids have been doing, using the same 5 categories.  

Me first:

Traveling

Nowhere yet, but we have a trip to Charleston planned soon.

Grilling

My husband about EXACTLY WHEN HE'S COMING HOME AFTER WORK.  

Isn't he a lucky guy?

Exploring

Our own city!  We went to the symphony play at Centennial Park last week.  This week, we hit up the State Capitol, Bicentennial Mall, farmers' market, Belle Meade Plantation, Shelby Bottoms Park, and the main library downtown.

Planting

The idea of a treehouse for the kids in Mike's and my dad's brains.  Really, all we need is some sort of dilapidated structure that Will and Sarah can go out and tinker on so they will 

GET OUT OF MY HOUSE.  

But not out of the yard, because then littlest brother will follow and I will have to go too.

Playing

 In the pool.  Errday.

Alright, let's see what the children have been up to, shall we?  

I'm sure they've been writing poetry in Spanish and composing sonatas.

Kids

Traveling

Miss FancyPants got to travel to Boston with my parents for a 10th-birthday trip.  

The Freedom Trail Pizza Tour alone was enough 

to make me seriously consider stowing away in her duffel.  

Meanwhile, the boys pretty much just get dragged to the grocery store 4 times a day.

Grilling

Mom about whether she REALLY WATCHED 👀 

the super-awesome trick (in the pool, trampoline, creek, Fortnite, etc.) they just did.  

And did I film it for their imaginary YouTube channel?

Exploring

Ways to fight violently with siblings without drawing blood and/or parental attention.

Planting

A time-capsule in the backyard so that "somebody can find it in, like,

 30 years and dig it up and be rich!"

Playing

Catch at the pool.

Re-entry

Summer.  It seems all the world is soliloquizing about "sweet summertime", 

warm weather, pool time, fireflies, and a slower pace.  

I, on the other hand, think: non-stop sweating, feeding kids all day, every day, and basically being their social coordinator. 

Meanwhile, I'm over here making a "Summer Bucket List" because I think this summer might actually kill me.  Like, I know that you can't ACTUALLY be talked to death, but my kids are all, "Challenge accepted."  

Plus, the dang sun doesn't set until the middle of the night, so my 8:30 bedtime is no more.  

Memorial Day weekend, I bought 3 HUGE bags of those zipsicles and a zoo membership, and thought, "Summer is handled."  

My kids apparently feel otherwise.

There's definitely a period of adjustment for me to shift from Working Mom Mode to SAHM mode every summer.  So, I have to get my head on straight, and embrace these 8ish weeks of being home with my kids as a fleeting gift. But I need an outlet and a goal for my efforts.

And so, I return to the family blog after a three-year hiatus, super-rusty. 

Since the kids are bigger (and literate) this time around, they will even be able to contribute! Sarah's running point on book recommendations, Will is going to do some design work, and Teddy is working on snack reviews, kid-dinners, and the best places to get wet and/or muddy. 

So, cheers to the summer!

11 Months: The Countdown is On!

Yes, I realize that I just gave a Teddy update last week.  Sure, I could've combined the two into one post.

But, c'mon, folks: I'm just not that organized or on the ball.

Anyway, Teddy is thisclose to being a big-time one-year-old.  Like I said in the 10 month recap, he's already copping a huge toddler attitude, so this month he's been busy perfecting his technique.

One, going on 21.

I don't like to brag, but I think this nugget is rather precocious.  I mean, Will was at LEAST 13 months old before he launched a reconstituted meat product at me.  But little brother has a mean fast ball (fast nugget?) and a wicked smile to go with it.

Go ahead.  It's okay to feel jealous.

Another toddler behavior that has really come online recently: the Spaghetti Noodle.

I know you know what I'm talking about.  Maybe you call it something different, or you haven't given it a name that can appear in print, but you know the move.

Here's a scenario: It's a beautiful day at the park.  Sweet toddler is gurgling and scampering, birds are chirping, and you're planning to write a book about your awesome parenting practices because you've got this mom/dad thing down cold and your kid is awesome, and you have no idea who these heathen "threenagers" are because your child is the picture of health and happiness and it is so easy!  After awhile, it's time to go home.  A two minute warning is given (and ignored).  You tell your child, "Time to go home!" and your angel says, "NO!" in some way, shape, or form.  He continues to ignore you and the situation escalates to a chase.  Once you catch up, you try to pick Angel up, but he goes limp and slithers out of your arms.

Repeatedly.

Sound familiar?

Yep.  Teddy's working on that move these days, but his I-don't-wanna-leave-and-you-can't-make-me scenario is in the bathtub.  So, there's the super-fun element of danger added to the whole kit and caboodle.

Teddy has not only become more of a rascal this month, but he's also done some big things of the perambulatory variety, namely standing all by himself.  He's walking with assistance and trying to carry stuff while he crawls, so it's only a matter of time, I think.

Unless... he's like Will and discovers that maintaining a lower center of gravity makes you less of a target for your older sibling to stiff-arm you.

All of this means that Sarah and Will feel that little bro makes for the best kind of marionette ever.

Dance, monkey, dance.

Stats:
28 inches long
19 lbs.

He appears to be getting fatter and his pajamas are harder to zip without pinching a roll, but he's slipped down in the percentiles.

Turn-ons:
Unrolling all of the toilet paper from the roll; pants-wrestling (again, I have no idea what this is about); shoe-removal; The Wheels on the Bus; magnets; eating paper; throwing all of the food off his tray; idolizing his older siblings; dancing; Cheez-its; bananas; salad; spaghetti; rolling a ball; and guitars.


Turn-offs:
Getting out of the bath; being in his car seat; people messing with his ears; shoes, hats, clothing in general; bachelorette parties (more on that after Valentine's day); his Sully stuffed animal; hammers in general, Will's Thor hammer in particular.

Most people I know seem to love the tiny baby stage the best (particularly newborns), but this is just not the case for me.  Knowing that Teddy will most likely be our last baby, I've tried to embrace this season and focus on all of the good stuff.  But, to me, toddlerhood and beyond is where things really start to get interesting.  I mean, the kid can actually DO stuff!  Plus, personalities really start to show.

So, as much as I might tease and kvetch about toddlers, THIS is the part I'm looking forward to.