Guys Day at the Zoo

Magan was up all night last Friday doing the “Kids Market crazy lady sleeping all night in a parking lot so she gets in early to the sale” thing. So I woke up with the Boys last Saturday and decided to take them to the zoo.

It happened to be the Birmingham Fire Department day, so Sam and Davis were excited to see 6 firetrucks, 2 ambulances, and the fire dog (Dalmatian). We planned to have a quick day at the zoo, and the boys were excited to play in the water part.

We began by going to the children’s zoo area where we were able to pet the large snake. Well, Sam and I pet the large snake…Davis wanted no part in the slithery devil. But the boys did enjoy getting to pet the goats and sheep. We then walked through the Alabama section…and there is a little tunnel area that you can look up into a glass dome and it feels like you are actually in the snake’s area. Pretty cool display. Sam and I looked around for the snake and found it staring at us from just across the glass. Davis, being brave asked to see it, …and as soon as he saw how close it was…immediately kicked his legs and said he wanted down.

The boys then played for awhile in the water, and as they were shivering after playing for about 30 minutes, I realized that I forgot the towels. No problem tho…I just used my shirt to dry them off, and then the boys wanted to go see more animals. I love seeing the animals, and it makes me very happy that they also like to walk around to see them too.

Luckily, we were able to get to the Rhino encounter as the two new rhinos were being brushed. Sam and Davis had no fear…we walked in and they got to brush the 4000 lb animals. Pretty neat. Per the zoo helper, the Rhinos roll around in the mud and dirt which acts as a sunscreen for their skin, but then they enjoy the keepers and volunteers, such as Sam and Davis, brushing the dirt off because it feels so good. Sam sported the backwards shirt look for the remainder of the day after playing in the water...see below...Yes, I told him it was backwards, but that is they way he liked it, and who knows...maybe that will be the fashion one day.

Lunch at Chappy’s and back home…

My sweet Boys and a New Baby Girl

Yes, I am alive, lol!
I have been trying to squeeze in as many picture sessions, appointments, shopping trips, etc. in as I can. I know how tired and pregnant those last few months feel and I am trying to get as much done as I can before that point.
Because it has been a while since I posted, I am going to be writing random little tidbits that I personally want to remember.

I have not written the first post about being pregnant, sorry baby girl :)
It has been a great pregnancy from the second trimester on. The first trimester had me feeling nausiated and really tired. I have loved pickles, sour cream and onion, and most things salty. But ice creamy things have also been a big part of my diet, not to mention they keep down that terrible heartburn. Where I loved ketchup and fried things with the boys, I have wanted more salads and veggies with you.
I thought you were a girl early on but didn't want to say it. I had never felt that sick with the boys and what I wanted to eat was so different.

I have always loved sharing the baby moving and the excitment of being pregnant with Scott. This time that love has grown by two more little faces! Both boys give me belly kisses and hugs and talk to her. It is the sweetest thing.
After changing Davis' diaper he sat up and looked at my belly, he pointed and said "Baby Belly"
I asked if he wanted to give his baby sister a hug and sugar.
He did and looked up and giggled a little and said "She gave Davis sugar"

I am really glad that he now knows that she is in my Belly! Until my belly started rounding out when you asked him "where's the baby" he would point to my boobs, : )

Sam has been even sweeter b/c he understands more. He and I got in my bed after nap time the other day to snuggle for a little bit. She started kicking a lot and I asked him if he wanted to feel her. He put his little hand on my belly and kept looking back at me and smiling every time he felt her. Then she kicked really hard and he started laughing and said "Mom that was a GIANT kick!"

He also loves when I tell him that she likes something that he has done. We were dancing in the car the other day to a song and I told him she was dancing with us and he thought that was hilarious. So innocent and sweet!

On a side note, I won some tickets to AL Adventure and we finally got to go this past Sat. We all had a blast in the morning riding the rides. My heart did feel like it was sinking when all three of my boys went so high in the ferris wheel they almost touched the clouds. From the ground it looks like they are on top of the Empire State building or something. All I could think was, HOLD ON TO THOSE BABIES SCOTT!!!!













They loved the kiddie rides but Sam loved the Thunderbolt ( I think that's the name )
It is the one that goes Really fast forward and then stops and goes backwards Really fast and has loud music playing the whole time. Since it was the second ride he rode, I thought it would ruin him and he wouldn't want to ride anything else. I couldn't believe it when I saw a grinning face walking off of that crazy ride! Scott said he LOVED it!

After lunch we went to the water park area. I didn't bring a change of clothes nor a swimsuit, b/c I didn't realize there was soooo much for them to do over there. So I sat for about 4 hours in the heat of the day with only two $3 drinks. I kept putting off getting something else to drink b/c I thought we would leave soon, but we kept playing and playing. I left there feeling thoughts of what hell will be like for those who are so thirsty and need a drink.

Never again will I be stuck like that again! It was soooo miserable! I would have LOVED being in that lazy river or playing in the sprinklers with the boys!
I didn't ride anything that day, b/c I didn't think it was worth chancing. As we got home I was talking to Davis asking him if he had fun and he was all excited telling me which rides he liked best.
I told him I wish I could have rode with him and looked right at me and said "Momma you too big" I laughed : )
One more tid bit, they rode the kiddie roller coaster and Davis whined and screamed the whole time. Scott went to get him off and he said "Sam and Davis went super fast!"
Scott thought, hmmmm maybe he did like it and wants to ride again. So he asked him and Davis quickly said "Nooooo!"

Guess he had gone fast enough. I think Sam rode it two more times in a row after that. Sam loves going fast on those crazy things!

GrandDaddy!

Sam and Davis love their granddaddy, and really enjoyed the visit with him and Granny this last weekend. They were about to come join us for bible study and worship on Sunday night. Granddaddy had on his tie and had recently cut his short curly hair. They ate supper with us after church at one of the boy's favorite places...Cracker Barrel. Luckily Sam and Davis kept all of the pancakes in their bellies.

But...on to the fun story of what happened tonight after church. Magan was tucking the kids in bed as I was getting on-line on the computer. I happened to be at the Bellsouth main website which scrolls through pictures of the latest top news stories with a picture. And this is when Davis came running to me for his nighttime hugs and sugars. He jumped up in my lap and gave me a big hug, then turned towards the computer and smiled his sweet smile and said "Granddaddy!!" I looked at the picture showing as Magan came up and saw as well and we both started laughing. Thinking that Davis just did not have enough time to see the picture well, I told him to look again (the pictures had started scrolling to another news story by this time) and tell me if he sees Granddaddy. And then as soon as this picture popped up again...

Davis smiled and said "It's Granddaddy".

It’s a Girl!...?...

Actually the message was provided to us by the nurse preceded by “yep, there’s the three lines”. Not being prepared for this technical jargon, I remained stunned throughout the delivery of the message that I would be having a girl.

I don’t know what to feel at times in life that others are so excited. The standard congratulations are given by all, with a general excitement that is overwhelmingly toppled by my anxiety over the unknown. I think there is just something within me that wants a boy because I am one, but now I have produced a female which, similar to the popular “Kid Sister” dolls of the 80s, seemed to be better friends with the girls. The commercials never showed little Scotty running up to grab his kid sister doll, No, he had the “My Buddy”. Therefore society has not prepared me for this news.

Magan has explained to me different things to be aware of for our little girl as she is an infant and toddler….I have read Stephen King’s book Carrie at the age of 11 leaving me quite troubled about female adolescence…and have observed my sister through the later teen years…and all of these thoughts are bouncing through my head causing a slight dizziness as I smiled and left the doctor’s office.

But now as I write this, I remember the smile on my friend Andrew Neal’s face as he tells me stories about his little girls…I remember that Carrie was just a work of fiction, and that my little girl most likely will not develop telekinetic powers and set fire to her classmates after having bad adolescent experiences…and see my teenage sister is now grown into a hard-working young lady…and I know I am ready to see my little girl.

I love her already. I look forward to meeting my little princess. Look forward to waiting in the hour and ½ lines to see Tinkerbell. Look forward to spoiling her…just a bit. Look forward to holding that little hand and knowing she may be my only hope of staying out of a nursing home.

We did not have any pictures scanned in of baby Cowgirl (Sam's name for her), but Magan did take some pictures of the boys preparing for the new baby...

Our Turtle

While cutting the grass the other Saturday, I ran across (literally) a small box turtle. Seeing it crawl (walk…I don’t know, what do turtles do…maybe swagger) away from his hideout that I had ruined, I quickly used my expert skills to pick up the turtle and take him over to show Sam and Davis. The boys were both excited to see the turtle, with Davis saying “He’s so cute, I want to pet him”. Sam asked where his mom and dad where. Sam and Davis both took turns holding him, although Davis did not like that too much.

But we ended up keeping him for a couple of days in an old tire, trying to give him some food. It was fun for the boys to run check on him, and fun for them to try and find him because he hid quite well in amongst the leaves. But I had to travel to GA on business, and while I was away, told Magan we should probably let him go.

I don’t think Davis took it very well, but in the end they said their goodbyes and Sam put him back where we found him. We haven’t seen him since, but hope he is doing well.

Taking my boy (Sam) Fishing

I have got a picture of myself at about Sam’s age holding a small fish that I had caught. I have fond memories of my PaPaw taking me down to Gordo to a family catfish pond and fishing for as long as he would let me…but then sometime around the age of 10, we stopped going. My dad took me fishing as well, but for some reason the trips I remember more were of PaPaw. He would always load the truck with some catfish food, then we would go out near the milking barn and dig us up some worms. Being a pacifist, I would allow him to bait my hook as I caught fish after fish in that pond. I think he carried a rod and reel, but most of the time, let me reel it in. Then, of course, he would get the hook out. As I write this, I remember him so well…and I miss him.

But…as I cherish these memories, I also realize that I have no idea how to fish. So somewhere along the lines other boys were shooting bucks, reeling in the big one, and playing with snakes, I had my nose deep in a book…or out back shoveling poop out of our dog’s pen. Neither of these activities preparing me for the fact that one day my 4 year old son would want me to take him fishing.

But we went out and prepared for the event…I bought us each fishing poles…Mine a Zebco 33, selected mainly because it came with all the “stuff” you’re supposed to need while your fishing. Then I purchased Sam the “Transformer Robot” fishing pole. So we were ready to go.

Sam jumped into the wagon and we loaded it up with juice boxes, water, and “fishing stuff”. I also took a pair of gloves and some scissors just in case we caught one of them fishes. We also began with an application of Off to keep the bugs away. Before leaving I took 30 to 40 minutes, while Sam was so excited running around, to get the string knotted on a hook. Yes, I was reading the directions on the box. Remembering how PaPaw had gathered our worms, I went in the backyard and began digging. After minimal success, one starving worm, I remembered that PaPaw had also been digging in much better soil than I appeared to have. So Sam ran to grab us some bread for the fish.

Once at the lake…aka large pond…, we attempted to get started. I first remembered that we needed a bobber, and after staring at this contraption for much longer than ever required, I noticed how it worked to get it onto the string. I did NOT however realize that I was supposed to attach the string at both ends of the bobber. So I figured I was ready, I had the hook, bobber, and applied a small piece of bread to the hook.

The first cast with the Transformer reel was thrown and it quickly transformed into a mess of fishing line. So as Sam waited patiently singing, jumping, and exploring along the bank, I worked and worked on trying to get the string back into the transformer reel. But that did not work, so one reel down, I still had mine and figured he could just fish with mine.

After thinking that I had properly put everything in place, I sent forth a cast from my Zebco 33, then watched as my bobber kept flying much farther than my line ended up. As I reeled in the string, I noticed the bobber remained far out into the pond. My gut fishing instinct told me that this was not normal. And as the string made it back to the rod, I noticed that I no longer had a hook as well. Apparently with strong cast, and incorrect bobber installation, the bobber had slid down to the hook and knocked, what I now believe was an incorrectly tied knot, the hook off into the water.

After tying a new hook, placing a weight?? (aka metal clampy thing) after the bobber, and connecting the bobber correctly??, we finally began fishing. The large balls of bread were taken as a generous gift to the fish that continued to eat all of our bread but not taking hold of our hook. Sam excitedly got to reel the hook empty back in after waiting patiently for 1 hour. “One more cast” I said to Sam before we would leave for the day. Then it happened again, similar to the first cast of the day…the string would not return.

So we balled up the string on both of our reels and put them in the wagon. Sam told me that he would like to go fishing again, but has since not asked again. We have bought new fishing poles…yeah, I know…and hope to return once more. Maybe one day Sam will catch a fish and we can get his smiling picture, but his Dad needs a lot more practice.

Six Flags with the Guys

I wanted to write this brief blog about my guy’s day out with Dad, Colby and John. We took a day and went to Six Flags over GA. Apparently my Mom heard that I was the kid of the group, and I really felt like it. I had not been on roller coasters like this in 10 years and wanted to run from ride to ride.

Goliath was probably my favorite, and we were able to ride it three times. The wooden coasters about killed my back, and John nearly gave me a black eye as his elbow came crashing down on the Georgia Cyclone. Our Superman picture shows me cracking up on that ride, the thrill of an inverted loop while laying on your back and feeling the G forces was amazing.

Notes for future reference…Do not squat too low on the Georgia Scorcher (roller coaster that is ridden standing up), this leaves you either killing your knees trying to stand up or uncomfortably jarring key areas if you lift your feet…Do not raise hands while on Georgia Cyclone (see near miss above from John)…Do not underestimate the amount of water that can be shot out of the canons towards your raft on the thunder river ride…Raise your feet up out of the bottom of the raft while waves of water crash over you and your brother’s back…If Colby starts giggling in line for a ride, slide upwind quickly... If John starts giggling in line for a ride, find where Colby is and slide upwind quickly.

In the end, we had a great day. Great weather and all the rides we could handle. But while the rides were great, it was the conversation on the ride there and back, the laughs throughout the day, the smile on my Dad’s face just as big as his boys on the Goliath, that made it a day that I will not soon forget.