"Ferdinand"

Tonite, we took the boys to their first movie in a theatre.

Finally.

I say "finally," because we've talked about doing it many times. In fact, we were settled that "Cars 3" would be Jones's first cinema experience (when it was out, we didn't think Freddie was ready), but movies come and go so much more quickly now, and by the time we realized it was out, we'd already missed our window.

Then Jeremy brought it up as something fun to do for Freddie's birthday. The timing wasn't right, though - it only showed at 4:35, before Jeremy gets off, and 7:10, which meant them going to bed WAY late. But this afternoon, we decided to give it a try. We met our friends the Greenes - their son, Gideon, is big buddies with the boys - and saw "Ferdinand," which is probably the PERFECT first movie for two little boys.

I was nervous going in.

I knew Jones could EASILY sit through a movie, but I was afraid he'd freak out about the size of the screen and the volume of the soundtrack. I knew those things wouldn't bother Freddie, but I was afraid he'd get restless - FAST.

Turns out, though, my fears on both counts were unfounded. While Jones nervously said, "It's gonna be loud," when we sat down in our front row recliners, I didn't tell him I'd brought his noise cancelling headphones in case he needed them (and he didn't!).

And Freddie got a little restless towards the end, but he was pretty much perfect up until that point. When we sat down, he said, "Wow! What a BIG cartoon." Then, he whispered something to me during the movie and added, "No more talking. If somethin's funny, we can laugh, right?"  I told him we could and felt super impressed at how he'd taken our "You must be quiet" lecture to heart. 

At different points during the movie, both boys cuddled up to me - or held my hand. Freddie even shared my seat for a few minutes. I imagined us enjoying family movie nites for as long as the boys will let us go with them - which I hope will be a long, long time.

Also, it was roughly $80 for this family of four to go to a matinee and eat popcorn. Totally insane but for today's amazing experience, it was totally worth it.

Movie Magic

What? This ISN'T the way you watch "Toy Story"?

HCA? OK.

After an amazing Christmas Break and two weeks' of non-stop time with my boys, I was beginning to doubt our decision to enroll them at HCA next Fall. I was already aching with how much I'll miss them and thinking that maybe I SHOULD start homeschooling now instead of later.

The only way to dull the ache was to rehearse to myself the clarity with which God had not only led us to HCA but also made a way, financially-speaking (thank you, FURMAN), for the boys to be there. I started to pray, too - "God, please confirm for me that we're making the right decision."

Well, today, He did just that.

I'd gone in to the boys' preschool to celebrate Freddie's birthday with his class. Jones came to join us, of course. When I went to get him, Jones's class was walking down the hall to the bathroom. Jones saw me, and, instead of running over to me like the homesick little son I assumed he'd be, he instead gave me a wave and a sweet smirk as he kept walking in total silence with the rest of his class.

I was REALLY proud of him for obeying his teacher's directive to be quiet. I was also impressed - and surprised - by how he stayed on task and was undistracted by my being there. I fell in line behind the other pre-K'ers and collected Jones after I'd asked Mrs. Doris if it was okay for me to do so.

After about 20 fun-filled minutes in Freddie's classroom, Jones took my hand. "It's time for me to go back to my class," he said, very matter of factly. I braced for the worst and took him, remembering all too well the fit he'd pitched when I left his classroom after celebrating his own birthday just two months ago.

But today, he dropped my hand as soon as we darkened his classroom's door. He then walked as quietly as could be to his desk, never once looking back at his mama, not asking her to stay or take him with her.

And I had my affirmation.

He has grown up so much in these last few months of school. He's learning, and, maybe more importantly for his age, he likes it there.

Kindergarten, here we come.

(I'm writing this down in case I have another wave of doubt.)

a very Pressley Christmas

Tonite, we celebrated Christmas with the good people of the Pressley Group. One of Jeremy co-worker's, Denise, suggested a spot in downtown Waynesville, and it was just perfect with its private dining room and its delicious dinner.

For their part, the boys did really well. Their behavior wasn't perfect, by any stretch of the imagination, but it was definitely as good or better as any other kids their ages would've been. For that, I was really, really thankful - and very, very proud!

Also, Jones's jacket may be my favorite thing he's ever worn. I bought it for Freddie, because Brother Bear loves a blazer (and pretending to be Topham Hatt when he wears them), but it came in and was closer to Jones's size than Freddie. No matter which son is wearing it, I think it is so sensational.

Piano Men

The boys are really starting to play around on the piano, now that I've put their playroom in the same room with it. It's fun to see them banging around on what was my childhood instrument (though, let's be honest, my sister logged WAY more hours on it than I did), and today, when he'd finished whatever number he was pounding out, Jones said, "I can do it with my piggies, too." He proceeded to lay on his back on the floor and, as promised, play with his piggies.

In this family, Jerry Lee Lewis ("the Killer") is King, so that was a pretty exciting tidbit that I definitely wanted to remember.

I also want to remember how they asked to wear their Batman and Superman costumes to the gym today. I let them, because let's be honest: how many more years will they be able to get away with something like that? So I took some super heroes to the gym today, and all of us in Haywood County were safer for it.

"Hit it, Freddie!"

Every now and then, I get lucky, and the boys put on a show in my very own office. Today, it was inspired by the re-introduction of my record player, with which Jones (not surprisingly) is especially enthralled.

Come Christmas, we'll be adding a drum set and a keyboard to their band of instruments. I know some moms hate loud toys. Not me. It's the quiet that scares me. Loud toys make the boys easier to keep track of.

In fact, I'm beginning to think I need closed circuit cameras throughout the house - not so much for security but so I can keep track of where my children are.

Jones would play, and then he'd come
over and grab my hand and kiss it
like this. No idea what cartoon he
saw that on, but it cracked me up.

When we got in from being out, Jones said, "Mama,
can we please hear a song on the record player?"

I love this picture and the way it shows the "new" playroom.
Also, let me just say it's a good thing he's holding that
guitar the way he is, if you know what I'm saying.

Waynesville Christmas Parade

There's not too much to say about the Waynesville Christmas Parade, except that we went and that we had a swell parking place in the lot of the pawn shop across the street from Bogart's.

It ended up being a good thing the car was close by when Freddie "shared" his Ginger Ale with Jones by pouring it down the front of Jones's outfit. A perfectly-timed "push" of the can when it was Jones's turn to drink was all it took to send Big Brother, freezing, into the warmth of our van.

Side note: if I ever run away, it'll be stuff like that that has pushed me out the door. It's not necessarily malicious; it's just mischievous and, when you have to deal with it 947 times in the course of a single day, it's enough to make a person lose her ever-loving mind.

Or maybe it's just enough to make ME lose my mind.

Regardless, my mind is currently so lost that I was thankful Nature called before the parade started. It gave me an excuse to walk the two blocks to Jeremy's office and kill the next fifteen minutes in the sweetest solitude I've ever tasted.

I had to force myself to rejoin the pack, getting back just before the Ginger Ale "incident." I then spent the rest of the evening trying to keep Freddie warm and trying to decide if he was just faking it when he said he had to go potty.

Jones, on the other hand, was in the catbird seat. According to Jeremy, who joined him in the car a little while after Jones first climbed in, Jones narrated the parade, giving a play by play of every float, which, if you know Jones at all, isn't even one itty bit surprising.

Thursday nite is the Christmas Parade here in Canton. Of course, we're planning to be there. I am NOT, however, planning to pack a Ginger Ale.