All I Really Need To Know About Life I Learned In Kindergarten

Kindergarten is in full swing and I'm learning a lot. 

I know I'm not the one that's supposed to be learning, but I am. 

I'm learning to let go a little.  I'm learning that I can't actually control everything in my children's life, even though I want to.  I'm learning that sending your baby out into the big, bad world is terrifying, yet necessary.  I'm learning that having an obnoxiously loud bell right outside the classroom door is not helpful in getting a child that is scared of loud noises in and out of a school building.  I'm learning that getting up and out the door every morning before 8 a.m. isn't much fun, but isn't as bad as I had thought either.

I'm learning to turn it over to God, and that He will watch over and protect, when I can't be there.  HE'S got this!!

I've gotten to spend some time in the classroom and love getting to know all the kids.  I'm the "homeroom mom" and it's fun being on the the other side.  It only solidifies in my mind, what a different teacher I would be, going back into the classroom as a mother.  There are so many things I would go back and change, so many words, , and actions I would take back.  You now put your child's face on each student you teach and have a mother's heart instead of just a teacher's heart.  That makes a huge difference. The oath the doctors take of "do no harm" TOTALLY applies to teachers too! I just pray the "harm" I did was minimal.

Pictures from the Fall party...

I wasn't technically supposed to be at Grandparent's Day, but I volunteered to help with refreshments, so I got to sneak in the back and hear this precious program.  I'm telling you, you'd have to have a heart of stone to not get teary eyed during this performance.  They sang " I Am a Promise" and "God Bless America" and it was all I could do to keep from sobbing! 

 The Creative Discovery Museum came to school for a field trip on "Health" and it was great!  They learned about organs, bones, teeth, food, and exercise.  Trace got to be the example for the Glo Germ lotion that shows all the germs on your hands under a black light.  Very cool.

 Then they went back to the classroom and made a web of all they had learned.  Such a fun morning!

It's so true!  Everything you need to know about life, you really do learn in Kindergarten.  I just didn't expect to learn so much myself!

Working 9 to 9:05

So yesterday's post may have been the cheesiest, lamest post I've ever written.  I hope my brother never reads it, because I will most definitely hear about it.
He has no filter is brutally honest.

On another note, my sweet daddy is months away from retirement and I couldn't be happier for him!!!  He has worked so hard for so many years!

I'll admit, it will be sad in a way to drive past 5438 Hixson Pike and not stop in and say hello like I've done for the past 2 1/2 decades.  That office was the first place I drove out of "solo" with a brand new drivers license in 1991. (While jamming to the New Kids on the Block and wearing tight rolled jeans.)

 But then, it dawned on me that I could just run up Big Ridge to 6330 Fairview Road and see him lounging in his dress sweats, drinking his 3rd cup of coffee while watching The View, because THAT'S WHAT RETIRED PEOPLE DO!!!

Who am I kidding?  My dad will be at 1 of 4 places... the marina, Academy, Lowe's, or The Golden Gallon (getting more coffee)

Over the years since Grand #1 and Grand #2 have arrived, I've stopped in that office a few thousand times.  Often to change a stinky diaper (correction: to let Papaw change a stinky diaper ;), to grab a drink, kill some time or pay an insurance premium but most often to simply say "hi" and give my dad a hug. 

He claims he loves it and it brightens his day to see us coming.  But he's sweet like that, what else would he say?  ;)

 Our visits go something like this...

We enter the door to the bell chime announcing our arrival. (His staff runs to hide.)

Trace goes IMMEDIATELY to the basket of dum-dums and consumes as many as possible before I put the basket on top of the fireplace where he can no longer reach it.

Then, he runs, RUNS down the hall calling "Paaappppaw" with little foot behind him crying for a dum dum she's not allowed to have.

It makes no difference if Papaw is with a policy holder or on the phone, we abound into his office with great enthusiasm and Trace promptly begins eating the M&M's and Ring Pops that sit in a glass bowl next to his desk.  (Do you see a developing trend here?) 

In the 9 years that we got to see Uncle Andy there too, he was greatly distressed about the amount of sugar dad kept in the office and passed out freely to the youngsters of Hixson.

After a few minutes of chit chat, Trace would assume his position on the phones.  He loved to "answer" the different lines, and quickly mastered the "Good Morning, Nationwide" greeting.  He would then scribble down a few notes and click away on the computer as if he were inputting a policy change.  He loved to play "secretary" at Debbie's old desk.

However, lately he's had a little distraction keeping him from his work...

 Huh, what's in this drawer???

Son, I can sympathize.  This has been the scene of every phone call I've made since the two of you were born.  Welcome to my world.

 

And this is why we keep our visits short and sweet.  A little of us goes a long way!

E-I-E-I-O

Old McDonald Had a Farm.  E-I-E-I-O...

 And on his farm, we pretended to be cows. E-I-E-I-O

 And on his farm, we saw some friends. E-I-E-I-O

 And on his farm, we slid out of a barn. E-I-E-I-O

 

And on his farm, we rode some horses. E-I-E-I-O

And on his farm, we did a maze.  E-I-E-I-O

And on his farm, we plowed the fields. E-I-E-I-O

And on his farm, we played in some corn.  E-I-E-I-O

That's all folks!

Family and Fall

The Golden Girls did it again...

 They hosted another amazing baby shower in honor of Bonnie's first grandbaby, Kyndall!!  We are so absolutely thrilled to be welcoming this little girl into the GG clan.  Kristie and Chad have been married for 11 years and have waited long and patiently for their precious blessing.  If only every child was so lucky to be THIS wanted and loved by so many!!  And Bonnie, nobody deserves a grandbaby more than you!!

(I went out and bought a new root lifter after seeing this picture...good grief!)

While we were busy with our baby shower, my boy took a trip to Alabama to celebrate an early Halloween and Nelson's 4th birthday with his cousins.  He had a ball!!

Since Jimmy's been working on the flip houses and had a lot of junk to burn, we decided to turn it into a bonfire and had his friend Troy over with his daughter Finley.  The kids carved pumpkins, roasted hotdogs and smores and enjoyed the campfire. 

Trace REALLY wanted to camp out by the bonfire, but thanks goodness he settled for a homemade tent in the living room. 

I know my days are numbered.  It won't be long before I'm FORCED to give up indoor plumbing and the comfort of my memory foam mattress for a handheld tinkle can and a sleeping bag under the stars.  I'm holding out as long as possible!  Ohhh, I'm not one with nature.  (As evidenced by the poison ivy I'm feverishly scratching while I type this!)

We had dinner at my parents the other night with Uncle Andy and Aunt Kadi.  Now that Andy's not working with my dad anymore, we have to really work at planning time together.  Busy schedules, busy families, but it's too important not to!  LOVE this...

 

My mom's cousin, Marilyn, came in from Virginia for a visit.  We hadn't seen her since last June and it's always so good to catch up.  As always, we met at Krystal the first night she was here.  Then we did dinner up at Mom's on Sunday night.

This baby needs to be on T.V.  I could honestly kiss those fat cheeks all day!!  And you should see his kankles. :)

We brought the kids costumes and ATTEMPTED to get a picture of them all together dressed up for Nanny's calendar.  It wasn't even close.  Keatyn screamed bloody murder, and Abel hated his head piece... maybe next year.  But I doubt it.

Another great one for the calendar!

On a totally different note, the Olde Mill across from our house fell a couple of weeks ago.  This has been a Hixson landmark since 1905.  For the last month, every time I pulled out of the driveway, I could see it had buckled a little more and was close to going.  But one night we were playing in the yard and literally heard it collapse.  It was a pretty scary feeling.  I'm so thankful no one was hurt and that it didn't fall out into the road.  It's so sad to see something that has marked this street for over a hundred years lying in the creek.