RM meets his namesake, Red Gibbs

Well, there was one very happy 94 year old uncle in Georgia yesterday. I will try to post more details of our trip to the beach soon, but i wanted to first mention this very special lunch date. We took a Sunday drive away from the R&R on the coast to give RM a chance to meet his great-great-uncle. Uncle Red is the only surviving brother of the three, one of whom was Floyd's grandfather. Uncle Red never had any children of his own. He is a massive man, and has always impressed everyone with his stories... It doesn't really matter if they were as large in life when they actually happened, or if they have become taller tales over the years. The fact is, he is one of a kind. He might be a bit grumbly most of the time now - heck, if i was 94 i might be grumbly too - but as soon as we put that baby boy in his lap, you would have thought we'd shown him a taste of heaven. It really is funny how they favor one another.

And of course, Red might be mostly white on top now, but he's got a tinge of his true color radiating around his crown. RM's baldness also has the copper sheen.

tribute to nanni pan

this post is in honor of my kid-sister. she's the best friend a girl could ask for. we are very different: she can order snake-skin heels from Harrod's for $30. she can work out at 6am at Curves. she can take care of three babies, and still find time that same day to go to the grocery store, get a nap in herself, and cook a healthy dinner for the family. She thinks Colin Powell is still in the Cabinet.

i on the other hand, can't even confidently buy a decent new pair of jeans when i've got holes all in the favorite pair. i roll out of bed at 7:45am in time to nurse the boy, stick him in the exersaucer, and run out the door to work by 8:30. I can solve the political ills of the world in a 30 minute conference call, pump while reading the press clips, and eat a lean cuisine with my free hand. I can read National Review, but not Cooking Light.

but somehow, some way, she loves me just the way i am. And takes extra measures to give me glimpses into the parts of the day i am missing while at work. Like this phone call yesterday: "Dan, Red wanted me to call you and tell you to please buy him size 4 diapers. No child should be told to 'suck in' when the velcro tabs are fastened... it's getting a little out of hand." And she invites me to eat dinner with the Fisher clan every Monday night. And she calms my troubled heart when i'm trying to figure out how the heck my 'schedule' is going to work this summer. If someone had told me that this is what our lives would look like 6 years ago, i would have laughed. But God in his infinite wisdom knew i needed Nanni with her cute butt and her surprising personality. i love you Nan.

flapjack

learn something new lately?

Evelyn & Floyd enjoyed a date nite last night, courtesy of our sweet neighbor. We were pretty thrilled about dinner & a movie, and the old standard did not let us down. The plan was to see "Leatherheads" which was filmed in our beautiful Greenville County (and surrounding areas). If you watch closely, you'll recognize buildings like the Westin Poinsett Hotel, and the fields of Travelers Rest. Ahh, we're so very proud... can you tell?
Anyway, the highlight of the evening was actually our conversation over dinner. But while we were talking, somehow it came up that i had taken "clowning classes" as a child. I even had my own kit of clown make-up. Mom, do you remember this? If so, why did i do this? How did you find a clown class? (it was over off wade hampton, near the old peice goods store.) After all, i don't think i'm too scarred by the experience, but we definitely laughed pretty hard about it last night. There is something very refreshing about learning something new about someone you think you know so well. So tell me - have you learned something new lately? about your spouse? about yourself? share... i'd love to hear.

honey, i blew up the oven.

That's right. It's OVER. Many of you know that we did a very 'cosmetic' overhaul of the house when we bought it two years ago. While the kitchen benefited from a few gallons of paint and a new fridge; the old oven, cook top & hood have remained intact. The new decor doesn't lend itself quite as well to the retro doo-doo brown color of these appliances, but they have worked just fine for what they were intended to do: cook food. I had hoped the end would come for the hood/cook top before the oven. But as usual, i was in for a surprise.

Here's how it went down.

Last week Floyd & I were about to enjoy an evening walk around the neighborhood with the boy and Jim Hargate, III. I asked him to "put the rotisserie chicken in the oven on WARM so that it will be ready to eat when we get home." (Sidenote: yes, i have resumed some cooking, but seriously, after 9 hrs at the office all day, it ain't happening. we take what we can get. and a $4.99 chicken at Costco is just fine with me.) Floyd did as was instructed, and we all went outside. After throwing the ball in the yard for JH, i realized i had forgotten something and needed to run back in. That was the MIRACLE of this whole debacle. I re-entered the house, full of black smoke, flames blazing from our oven. It seems that Floyd had accidentally put the oven on BROIL, instead of warm. (The two settings are right next to each other on our old fashioned dial. It was an honest mistake). The grease & plastic fire was quite a sight.

Now here's Evelyn's mistake: After turning the oven off and opening the windows/turning attic fan on, etc... i ran back outside and told Floyd we had some bad news, there would be no chicken for dinner. After brief explanation of situation inside, he asks, "What did you do with the chicken?" - Reply: "It's still in the oven." Floyd runs back in to find flames STILL blazing inside the oven.

So... WHAT DID WE ALL LEARN?

I got a great education on the difference between electric fires and grease fires.
Floyd got a great education on the difference between the broil setting and the warm setting on the wonky oven dial.
The oven got a one way ticket to the dump, and our spiffy new General Electric addition will be arriving Tuesday.

the end.

random six-ish month moments

some things our boy is doing...

rolling around on the floor smiling with his silly mom

playing the tickle monster game with his fun daddy

trying ever so hard to hold his own bottle

Congratulations Ole & Amy!

Floyd's sister Amy got engaged recently to the wonderful and fabulous Ole Sleipness! We are so thrilled to be gaining a brother. Their wedding date is set for September. If you want to know more about their story, you can check it out.
Here are a few snapshots from our mini engagement party... as in evelyn, floyd, amy & ole at our house the day of the event. Wine & Chocolate-covered strawberries is all we needed. :)

Flap Jack

Evelyn & Floyd would like to debut "the flap jack" exercise, but they are technically not so inclined when it comes to uploading videos. We'll work on it so you can see it in action. It's a family favorite. For now, here's a picture of the act. Sure not as good the video... but maybe we can re-try that soon.

she's here! she's here!

I'm sure the Colorado gang will post pictures and details as soon as they possibly can, but hopefully they are all getting some much needed rest right now.

No April Fools Joke, Baby Girl Flippin made her debut in the wee hours this morning.

more to come!

Johnny Jump-up... Spin-around... Sit-down...

RM is 6 months old today. Stats: 19lbs 10oz. 27inches. He has dropped from the 90's to the 80's on the percentile chart. So 16% of boys his age are actually more round. He also enjoyed a johnny jump-up for the first time yesterday at his friend Benjamin's House. It was a blast. He's definitely a fan of the jumping, spinning, standing, sitting, FREEDOM he has that thing. We might have to get one.

happy belated easter

doggie diarrhea...

i don't want to talk about it.
happy Wednesday to all.
But especially to Jim Hargate...

ps - if anyone knows how to clean a sisal rug, let me know...
I think we may have lost this one though... (insert dry heave here).

UPDATE:

see this amazing e-mail chain on the issue this morning:

From: Floyd
Sent: Wednesday, March 19, 2008 10:55 AM
To: Evelyn
Subject: RE: Supposed Solution to Doggie Diarrhea

Actual Solution to Doggie Diarrhea on Sisal Rug:
1. Dig a whole in your yard
2. Fill the hole with dry timber then douse with gasoline
3. Strike a match and drop it in the hole
4. Heave soiled sisal rug on to the hole and kiss that shit rag goodbye.

-------------------------------------------------------

On Wed, Mar 19, 2008 at 9:56 AM, Evelyn wrote to Floyd:

Hey Hun... See below

-------------------------------------------------------

From: Innocent Friend, Owner of Dogs
Sent: Wednesday, March 19, 2008 9:55 AM
To: Evelyn
Subject: RE: question

Don't throw it away. I've had dog diarrhea ALL over my sisal before – in multiple locations… and barf. So trust me, you can save it. There will always be a very slight discoloration, but it's worth keeping it.

They way I did it was to get up as much of the "stuff" as I could without rubbing it down into the carpet. Sometimes I literally get a sharp knife and scrape it up – disgusting, right? Oh, the joys of dog ownership. Then I just start pouring tepid water all over the area – and you have to do this about a bazillion times. Pour water, then soak it up with paper towels. Pour water, then soak it up… and keep going. Let the water sit a little between each time. Then I mix a little shampoo or other non-colored, mild soap with water, get a toothbrush and go to town. Pour the soapy water over the spot, scrub with the toothbrush, pour some clean water, then soak it up. Do this about three or four times. After you've finished, do the clean water "pour and soak" trick several more times to get as much soap out of the rug as possible (always work on an area slightly larger than the actual stain). You'll probably end up with a slight water ring after all is said and done, but you should be able to salvage the rug.

----------------------------------------------------

From: Evelyn
Sent: Wednesday, March 19, 2008 9:48 AM
To: Innocent Friend, Owner of Dogs
Subject: question

Morning!

Hope you're doing well… how are the pups?

Quick question –

Any suggestions for doggie diarrhea on a sisal rug?

Yes, it's more gross than you just imagined.

Sorry! Just thought I'd check with you before I throw it away…

It's REALLY bad…

Another ISSUE of note...

i never intended to air my political thoughts on this site. But sometimes i get worked up about something, and i feel that this is a much better outlet than ranting aloud... So if you are here to find cute pictures of RM, or funny antidotes about my very random and embarrassing incidents as a mother, scroll on down. Or give me a call. (I assure you the most embarrassing ones don't get blogged about.)

But the issue below (and the anti-earmarking crusade I've blogged about before too) do receive a good bit of my attention on a daily basis.

Do you ever wonder why the US can't just build a freaking fence across the southern border that actually works to prevent illegal immigration? Do you ever wonder why private citizen groups sometimes do more to secure the border than the actual Border Patrol Officers? HERE is a new website providing some facts, as well as a "Complete the Fence Now" petition.

Sunhat, check. Pajamas, check. Thumb, check.

Ahhh, it's good to be 5 1/2 months old...

This is my boss... This is my boss fighting wasteful government spending.

You can watch his Earmark Moritorium Floor Speech HERE. On CNN of all places. Read all about it HERE. Or Sign the Petition to reform the earmarking project.

death by... chewy chips-ahoy?

Highlight of the week: Floyd has been on a self-restricted diet... don't ask, he doesn't want to talk about it until after it's over and he can evaluate the benefits gained. He's on day 6 of 10 though, so soon. Anyway, he offered to go to the store for me in the midst of this restriction... CRAZY man. I would never offer to go to the grocery store when i myself couldn't tear into anything i was purchasing. My wish list went something like this: sugary cereal, hot pockets, cookies, frozen dinners, orange juice, tortillas & cheese, etc.

Seriously? I don't know what's gotten into me. But I won't be feeding a baby forever, so here's to it!


Lowlight of the week: Realizing that in the 48 hours since Floyd had gone shopping for me, i had eaten through three-fourths of the box of chewy chips-ahoy. I think I'm gonna be sick. It's almost as if Floyd got all of the self-control powers for the week and left me with none. Hah!

Eight Ounces of Relaxation

RM drinks about 30% of his "meals" from a bottle... when i'm at work mostly, or on a rare occasion that there is milk that needs to be used up. He doesn't take bottles from me, he knows that other (preferred) means are very close by... but he's gotten pretty relaxed when taking them from Will. See exhibits A-C below. I don't know if the camera was quite able to capture his comfort, but it was pretty awesome to watch.

HE FLIPPED!

at 4:30am EST, I awoke to RM talking... walked in his nursery to see what in the devil he was chatting about, and sure enough, he was lying face up in his bed, with a bewildered look on his face. I was bewildered too - why 4:30am?!?! He was grateful for the assistance in getting back on his tummy (and drifted right back to sleep.)

It's a Sunshine Day

I think i'll go for a walk outside now
the summer sun's callin my name
(i hear ya now)
i just can't stay inside all day
i gotta get out get me some of those rays
everybody's smilin
sunshine day
everybody's laughin
sunshine day
everybody seems so happy today
it's a sunshine day

Free Rent

A little song about an event in our lives yesterday.
I'll try to post a picture of this fabulous situation soon.


There's a Hole in my Ceiling, dear Floyd, dear Floyd!
There's a Hole in my Ceiling, dear Floyd, a Hole!

What varmit made this hole? dear Evelyn, dear Evelyn!
What varmit made this hole, dear Evelyn, what varmit?

A Squirrel seeking shelter, dear Floyd, dear Floyd!
A Squirrel seeking shelter, dear Floyd, a Squirrel!

I'll duct tape this hole, dear Evelyn, dear Evelyn!
I'll duct tape this hole, dear Evelyn my dear!

An "X" marks the spot, dear Floyd, dear Floyd!
An "X" marks the spot, where our dear Squirrel hides!

shirtless in a bar

no. not me. RM.

i guess i should have expected something like this when i found out i was going to have a son. but i would have expected it at 17, 18, or 21... not 4 months.

Floyd, RM and i planned a lovely evening downtown... walking the bridge, dinner at Chicora Alley, and a stop by the new gelato place. Sounds swell, and family friendly? We thought so too. Until halfway through this family date, when a low vibration rolled on my lap... and in the seat of RM's corduroys. We were of course, at Chicora. And while this fine eating (and mostly drinking) establishment has many things, it DOES NOT have a Koala Care changing station in the bathroom. Nor does it have a large countertop. But it does have a 18" diameter three legged table... just enough space to wrestle a four month old with an exploding diaper. Trouble is, his onsie and corduroys are a yellow disaster. And while i "saved" the fleece hoodie, i also conveniently left it at the table in the bar area where Floyd still remained.

So when i do emerge from the ladies' room with a topless, rolly-polly infant, everyone at the bar managed to turn on their stools muttering about the half-dressed baby and his ne'er-do-well bar-hopping parents. Hence, our shirtless in a bar experience.

ps - don't worry, it's a smoke free bar.
pps - Schelijn, i think that JG's corduroys are going to make a full recovery.

First Cereal

yep. i went for it. he'll be five months old a week from today, and i had intented to wait until then. but last night, the little booger woke up hungry at 3am, 5:45am, 7am... i gotta tell you, that kind of growth spurt can be a very rude awakening! So, he got cereal for dinner tonight in hopes that he will sleep soundly tonight (and the next, and the next) like "normal"!!

not sure how he felt about it at first, but quickly warmed up to the idea.

after dinner smiles, after dinner thumb sucking...
and finally, this funny little maneuver. After spending 24 hrs strapped in the car next to his backwards-finger-sucking-cousin, he decided to try her trick out today. It's bizarre.

my dad is hilarious.

driving driving driving

this weekend my kid sister and i strapped the babies down for 24 hours in the car. Are we crazy? Maybe. But we took off to go see our grandfather in New Jersey who is in very poor health. It was our only chance to allow him to meet these two little great-grands of his. I've never lost a grandparent, and seeing that on the horizon now is very hard. I can see on my grandmother's face her exhaustion and fear of the unknown ahead. I can simplify the decisions in my own mind, but I cannot pretend that they are easy for her to make.

Highlights of the weekend: on a serious note, seeing my grandfather smile at his great grandchildren, and feeling him squeeze my hand. Watching my son laugh at my grandmother and give her a moment of joy in the midst of this difficult battle.

Lowlights of the weekend: did i mention we had two babies strapped in carseats for 24 hours in the car? Um... YEEEEAAAAHHHH... we survived.

we're so lame... you might just think this blog is about you

today is a special day... Hah.

Eight years ago today my husband and i had a "serious conversation about our relationship" and then literally flipped a coin to decide WE WERE AN ITEM. We're weird. But i know most of you reading this all have saved that "where is this relationship going?" discussion somewhere in your memory file.

In those first few years it was a big deal... flowers, gifts, letters, dinner!
Then you got over it or had a wedding and thus another anniversary to commemorate.

So today i said "Happy 13th" dear hubby with a small carton of Reese's Peanut Butter WHOPPERS. We have come a long way... I can't imagine how sentimental we will be in eight more years.

Vote for Oliver!

My friend (the one who rescued Jim Hargate, III) has another puppy who is up for "Best In Show" for the 'Pound-puppy' competition in Columbia, SC. So if you are able to spare 2 seconds... VOTE FOR OLIVER! It's real quick and easy... And besides, isn't he pretty?

puttin' out little fires all over the place!

These PJs are in honor of both Uncle Todd, the professional; as well as Cousin/Nephew Olice, provider of hand-me-downs. Which brings me to another fact i'd like to point out... the tag in these hand-me-downs states that they are for children around the age of "18 months" ... hmmm ... or four. I realize that SHRINKAGE is a major factor, but still... that makes me feel a little like "Honey I Blew Up the Kid" ... Only with breastmilk.

sprinkler

i guess you can tell by the title of this post that i'm going 3 for 3 on posting about my child's fascination with his digestive system... particularly the final stage of it. I figure, i'm on a roll, why deviate now?

So, have yall ever heard of "pee-pee tee-pees" ??? Because they are these hilarious and very practical little cones to prevent the exact thing that happened tonight. I let my guard down, it's true. But really, he's over four months old for crying out loud. He hasn't sprinkled outside of the tub in at least two months. But ahh, he had a special treat in mind for me tonight. Not only hitting the drapes (exhibit A), but also the wall (exhibit B). Then giving me a very cute and very guilty, "oops, was that me? Sorry mom" kind of face (Exhibit C). I added a final photo shot of the wall just so you all could get the full effect of the urination factor (exhibit D).

Lets agree, it's not really as good as the Happy Birthday Momma moment, but fun for him nonetheless. i think he might just like surprises just as much as i do.

motivation

just curious... how do babies derive motivation? is it all just a very different experience at a very different pace for each little love? I ask this now as i work at my computer, and about ten feet away my baby lies on a blanket in the living room with toys just out of arms reach. He's too content kicking and sucking his thumb and staring at the fan to think about how to get the toys just out of arms reach. His motivation is elsewhere... in the sucking and kicking and staring off into space. And...this just in... yep, into crapping his britches. Sometimes i wish i could be that carefree.

(And not that i'm over eager for my 4+ month old child to be mobile, but just intrigued as to when this will happen.)