On the Sky Top of the World

I've been spending fall days at SkyTop since back when I was babysitting for half of Greenville.

Needless to say, it still kind of kicks off the season for me, so off the boys and I went - meeting Joy and Ramsey Allen, Diana, Jack, Charlie, Molly, and Lillian Brooke, and Holly, Penelope, Josephine, and Winston Godfrey as we did.

It was SO BUSY, but the boys still had a good time. They particularly enjoyed the playhouse. Jones kept asking to sit in "that house with the door on it."

We didn't pick a single apple, but we did see the animals and walk through the bamboo forest. We ate apple donuts, and after we got home, I introduced the boys to the Disney version of "Johnny Appleseed," which I've loved, since I was a second grader. 

So the boys are officially ready for Fall, I guess! At least, their mama is!

Jones took this picture. I LOVE it.

Freddie took this picture. I love it, too.

"that house with the door on it"

Wond-ARRRRRGH-ful Morning

For years, I have smugly mocked those moms who spend $50 on cow costumes to get $30 worth of free chicken, and as much as I love Chick-fil-A, I have never once fallen victim to this brilliant marketing ploy.

Then came this morning.

It was just before 10, and I was already about to lose my mind over the mess(es) the boys were making even as I was trying to straighten up (it's been rightly said that trying to clean your house with children in it is about as useless as brushing your teeth while you're eating cookies). so when I saw the flood of "Dressed my kids like pirates / got free doughnuts" posts all over my social media, I had a pair of scalawags in the van before you could say, "Krispy Kreme."

Cow Appreciation Day, you're more than likely next.

Anyway.

Turns out, there are advantages to having boys whose wardrobes are 97% comprised of red stripes.

Jones and Freddie were surprisingly excited about the whole thing. Given that just yesterday Jones wouldn't let Lizzie Gray paint his face at her church's Family Fun Fest, it shocked me that he let me draw on his face with a dry erase marker. When I put the earring on him, he seemed happy about it!

So off we went, "Pirate Island" on repeat the entire trip (no. Seriously. THE ENTIRE TRIP).

Because both boys were dressed up, we got two dozen (HOT!) doughnuts. We decided to give one dozen to our friends at the Pressley Group and the other dozen to Nan and Pop Pressley.

The moral of the story is that, sometimes, $50 is a perfectly reasonable amount to invest in $30 worth of chicken if it means getting out of the house for three consecutive hours.

Also, I have GOT to get some help around here. Anyone want to hang out with a super cute pair of pirates, so their mama can fold some friggin' laundry?!?

Family Fun Fest

Early last week, I got a call from Lizzie Gray.

She asked if we could come to their church's Family Fun Fest this afternoon. Since we were already planning to be in Greenville this weekend, it was a no-brainer.

Church started early, since they were meeting in a park before setting up for the 2-4 p.m. festival. When we got there, Jones and Freddie immediately went to their cousins and spent the entire service sitting beside them.

Honest to goodness, I could not be more proud of how well they behaved. Jones got a little cracked up when Freddie pulled some grass out of the ground, but he kept it under control, and when Freddie sneezed twice, he whispered to Bobo, "Bless me." But beyond that, both of them sat quietly and still throughout the whole service.

I.was.BESIDE MYSELF.

I was so proud, in fact, that I went to the trouble of moving their carseats over, so that they could ride home (and, then, back again after lunch) in "Pop's New Monster Truck."

Jones was sitting behind Pop, and before they left, Daddy pulled out his headrest, thinking it'd make it easier for Jones to see out. Jones was good natured about it, but he kept asking Daddy to put the headrest back in. When Daddy finally did, Jones gave him an immediate thumbs up and said, "That's right!"

When it was time to head back to Trailblazer Park for the festival, Daddy teased Jones by coming over to take the headrest out. Jones, laughing, put both arms on top of the rest, so there was no getting it out.

Wonder where he gets that OCD?!

Anyway, it was a great festival. Jones regressed to his old nature (ugh), not doing ANYTHING, in spite of my getting my face painted (by Lizzie Gray!) and having a balloon animal made in hopes it'd convince him to do the same.

Freddie, however, did the obstacle course - and anything else we'd let him - about a thousand times.

It was a beautiful Sunday.

First Time for Everything!

I'm not saying it's a miracle that Jones got his haircut without pitching a fit yesterday, but ... IT'S A MIRACLE THAT JONES GOT HIS HAIRCUT WITHOUT PITCHING A FIT YESTERDAY!

This is SERIOUSLY the first time he's done this, since his earliest haircuts. For the last two years, it's taken me, the barber, earplugs, and a shot of vodka (KIDDING) to get through a trim. Today, though, I reversed my strategy of warning him in advance and tried to just spring it on him.

Without any warning, we walked into Super Clips in Waynesville. Freddie, of course, took his cut like a man ... though he DID fall face first out of his chair (he was fine). Jones immediately got nervous with the typical, "Let's go home!" and all that, but I reminded him of Everest and her snowplow (from "Paw Patrol") that's been riding around in my backseat for about six months. I bought the bribe that long ago, hoping it'd convince him to control his fear.

It never has, until today.

I am beside myself.

And the cut is pretty cute, too!

Best of Times / Worst of Times

Yesterday, the boys and I left our Tuesday morning Bible study. I was on Cloud Nine. Tonite, we left church, and I was in the Depths of Despair. Okay, so maybe that's an overstatement, but it's not THAT far off.

I'm working on the "leadership team" of Bible study (which sounds a lot more involved and prestigious than it actually is), so after I picked the boys up from the nursery, I made them sit at a table in our meeting room, while I wrapped things up. I forbade them to get up and did my duties with one eye on where they were sitting.

To my GREAT delight, they didn't get up. They stayed put for, probably, 15 minutes, only moving when I told them it was time to go. Making me even more euphoric was the way they'd adorably interact with the women who'd come over to talk to then.  I was thrilled (and surprised) to see them so outgoing and conversant.

So I start to think again, "Maybe we've turned a corner ..."

Not.so.fast, Mama.

We went to church tonite - dinner first before I took the boys to their class in the nursery. After I dropped them off, I went to sit in MY class. About 2/3s of the way through it, I heard an all-too-familiar yell. I turned to Jeremy and whispered, "Was that Jones?" He wasn't sure. I had to know, so I went to check it out, and when I got to the nursery door, I stood where the boys couldn't see me and asked Elizabeth McKinney if I'd just heard Jones.

"Yeah," she said. "He was a little belligerent with (other nursery worker) Julie." Then came Julie to tell me what had happened. Apparently, Jones had tried to take something from Freddie. When Julie told him not to, he angrily yelled, "NO. You don't talk to me like that. I'm going to spank you."

Well, instead of HIM spanking HER, she put him in timeout. That's where he was when I stood in the doorway, hiding from him and telling Julie that she had absolute authority to do whatever she thought was best.

When I came back after church 20 minutes later, the workers told me he'd been fine since that moment. Still, I took him into the bathroom and dealt with his disobedience / defiance and made him apologize to Julie.

And then I apologized to Julie.

And then Jeremy apologized to Julie.

And then I prayed that God would, PLEASE, show me how to teach Jones to deal with his temper.

Happy Birthday, Jeremy!

You know you married the right kind of guy when you ask, "Do you want to go to Nashville and ride Thomas on your birthday?" and he immediately answers, "Sure!"

So while we were, technically, taking a trip for the boys on the big day, Jeremy's family, the boys, and I still tried to be sure he felt celebrated as he turned 39 on Saturday.

Celebrations started Thursday with dinner at the Chef's Table in Waynesville. I even got a babysitter! The Pressleys gave us a gift card for Christmas last year, and we finally got around to using it. After a dinner so delicious (I had the Deconstructed Lasagna. UNREAL.), both Jeremy and I wondered why we'd waited so long!

Saturday morning, the Pressleys joined us for breakfast at Joey's before we headed out to Tennessee, and after the Thomas trip, Brooke had a cake waiting for him, too (you know you picked the right kind of friends when ...).

Sunday, we got back just in time for a dinner with the Pressleys - roast beef and all its trimmings. Now that we've both rounded the bend to 39, I guess it's time to start amping up the plans for 40 ... I just realized that we'll be driving home from Disney World on the day of Jeremy's 40th.

Ah, parenthood!

On the way to church Wednesday, the boys and I stopped
at Walgreens to get Jeremy a card. Jones picked out a
($6!!!!!?!?!?!) card with construction trucks on it
and asked about 19 times each day after if he could have it.
After Jeremy finally opened it, he got it - and showed it
off to his Nan.

Thanks, Brookie!

Freddie has proclaimed himself the candle master.
Without being asked, he "helped" Jeremy with candles
at both Brooke's and the Pressleys'.

Jones got this at the UT Student Union
on our way home from Nashville.
He calls it his "Tigger Ball," because it's
orange and "T is for Tigger."