Its Fall (sort of) and Football has started

There is a chill in the air(kind of) a crispness in the morning that says cooler temps are on the way(I hope) ESPN on the tv and on the computer and JW is gone every Saturday since he has to work on the Saturdays that he is not in Athens at a game.







We are an SEC family and that means that our entire lives revolve around football. We schedule everything around it birthday partys and weekends away(these really dont happen).

Its not just UGA's schedule for us we have to consider South Carolina's(the real USC) as well. There arent that many Saturdays that have a bye week for one and an away game for the other.

We have even had friends schedule their stuff around Georgia's  schedule so that we will show up. With both girls birthdays falling during football season we have decided that we will only have one party till they are old enough to tell us that they want their own partys. Its just easier that way.

 Football its what is on the tv in the living room all day on Saturday when JW is home and sometimes even when he is not.

Its serious around here. The girls have been able to say Go Dawgs since they started talking can sing Glory and give a serious bark. They know Uga, Hairy Dog and even Cocky on sight.

We have refrained teaching them Go Cocks for obvious reasons. They know that orange is not a good color and have embraced the UGA way of life they even have a movie about it and watch it at least once a week.

We really need to get the one for USC as well its time we diversified the training.

So from this house to everyone else Go Cocks and Go Dawgs heres to a great football season.

Sleeping

My Lillibean can sleep anywhere. In a chair no problem She gets still and sleep is not far behind

doesn't really matter where she is or whats going on

she falls asleep in the car in the blink of an eye.

Sometimes in the middle of a sentence for example just this weekend I was talking to her at the exit and when we arrived at the mall a mere 3 mins later she was sound asleep

 It doesn't matter  where she is or what shes doing during her birthday party, waiting for dinner and even on a boat.

She has even earned the nickname Princess Narcolepsy.

However even I could not see how she was comfortable the other night. I went in to check on the DC and cover them up and discovered she had  turned sideways with her head hanging off the side of the bed hair almost dragging the floor. Unfortunately I was unable to obtain a picture.

Conversations Overheard

Conversation #1 nap time


Jitterbug: Laughing hysterically

Lillibean: Get off my bed please. I want to take a nap.

Jitterbug: still laughing

Lillibean: you need to go get in you own bed

Jitterbug: laughing  NO

Lillibean: Yes Mommy says we have to take a nap today

Jitterbug: Make me

Lillibean: Ok

followed by a loud thump and some serious crying

Lillibean pushed Jitterbug out of the bed.

Conversation #2 in the car

I told both girls that if they behaved in the mall I would buy them a cookie. I know I know bribery at its best.

Needless to say I did not have to pay out on this bribe.

Jitterbug is having the most spectacular of meltdowns. it goes something like this

YOU WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA COOKIE WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
MOMMMMMMMMMMMMMMY and on and on in this manner.

I am doing my best to ignore the behavior trapped in the car as we are.

I hear this from Lillibean "Jitterbug Mommy told us that we had to be good to get a cookie. We were not good in the mall."

Still more screaming and yelling from Jitterbug.

A projectile (a happy meal toy) from the back seat lands in my lap.

Lillibean: Don't throw things at Mommy. Now we wont even get a treat when we get home.

She was right they got showers and went to bed.

Conversation # 3 while coloring

Jitterbug: No Corinne that's my crayon

Lillibean: No its not

Jitterbug: Yes it is

Lillibean: no its mine I'm using it

Jitterbug: (taking the crayon and licking it) Its mine

Lillibean: I'm gonna color at my own desk

Conversation # 4 between Lillibean and me

Me: if you want your 2 dollars then you need to clean up the playroom.

Lillibean: Ok. How much does Jitterbug get?

Me: she gets 2 dollars as well

Lillibean: Ok (skips into the playroom to clean)

5 minutes later

Lillibean: Mommy we don't need that 4 dollars

Me: Well ok then (slightly impressed that my 3 1/2 year old did that math.)

Last Day in Danvers, Ma Day 6

JW and I get out of bed showered and downstairs for breakfast by 10:00am surprising I know after that late night and no kids to wake us. I guess they have us conditioned by now. We are almost done eating when my parents drop the girls and all their stuff off and head out to catch their flight home.

I have the best parents ever by the way.

We spend a little time talking and saying goodbye to friends that are flying out to all parts of the country and Canada.

We head on back to our room after an hour or so to pack up our belongings that are now scattered about like a mini tornado has hit. It seems like we have been in this room forever and even though it has been a long drama filled week I am a little sad to head back to a normal life.

While JW and I pack up all the stuff the DC watch TV they are worn out and Lillibean falls asleep with in minutes and Jitterbug is quiet and still the whole time we are packing around her the only time she makes a sound is when JW puts something on the bed that blocks her view of the TV and even then it was a half hearted whine.

Once everything is packed we head on down  to the restaurant to get some lunch. We have about an hour before the car shows up to pick us up for our return trip to the airport.

Lunch uneventful and so was the car ride to the airport. I did get to see Boston off in the distance. We make it to the airport on time stop and speak to some friends that are waiting for their flight and through security with no fuss and with almost an hour to wait for our flight.

 

We have been told that our flight is full and I have a bad feeling so I tell JW to ask if we can get bumped to a later flight. He goes and asks and they take our names but they wind up bumping some other folks. I.Do.Not.Want.To.Get.On.This.Plane. but we do.

At first things go really well. We take off on time 5:00pm. The pilot tells us we are going to land early7:03pm. Lillibean falls asleep on the flight and Jitterbug is enjoying looking out the window at all the clouds. JW is sitting in the row with them and I am across the aisle. Everything is going so smoothly.

As we approach Atlanta I feel the plane bank and the pilot makes the annoucement "there is some really bad weather in Atlanta and we are in a holding pattern. The good new is that we should be able to land in the next 20 mins so we will still arrive early" OK well that is not so bad the DC are not restless yet and they have started talking to the little girl in front of them.

After about 15 mins of circling we feel the plane bank again and start to ascend at the same time the pilot starts talking "Well folks we stayed as long as we could but we are running low on fuel and have had to divert to Charlotte to refuel."  Well that is just great. We land in Charlotte and sit at a gate for refueling. Still thinking that we will get back to Atlanta before 8:30pm I am not to worried. The DC are playing with Ciera she has a Fur Real pet and Nintendo DS that she is very happy to show the DC.

 We back away from the gate and the pilot tells us that we are set for take off. We taxi out and park one more announcement "We are not cleared to take off after all folks. I know you all want to get to Atlanta me too I have a flight to catch to get home. Unfortunately the weather is still bad in Atlanta. We are 2nd in line for take off as soon as the weather clears. The good news is they aren't letting anyone land in Atlanta at this time so if you have a connecting flight you probably won't miss it."

We sit and sit and sit. By the time the plane takes off it is after 9:00pm Jitterbug is whiny and Lillibean is full of attitude and it only goes downhill from here. The round about way we flew south and came around the backside and a VERY rough landing and we are on the ground in Atlanta at a little after 10:00pm. I would like to point out that we have now been on the plane for a little over 5 hours and the DC's are now CRANKY so am I for that matter.

As we exit JW stops to collect Jitterbugs car seat. The DC and I continue up the ramp and wait for him at the top for 20 mins he finally appears without the car seat. They have lost it. The people at the gate tell us to go to customer service. We get lucky and one of those golf cart shuttles is right there and we hitch a ride to customer service. JW gets in line and I stand off to one side with the DC and our luggage after about 10 mins we switch and after another 10 I finally arrive at the counter only to be told that we have to go to baggage claim. By this time I am furious and along with everyone else tired, hungry, and thirsty.

We get to baggage claim. I can see the car seat so I wait my turn and tell the lady that its mine and I need to get it and she asks for a claim ticket. We don't have one we didn't check it they took it at the gate. She then says to me"can you prove its yours" so I respond with "No I cant but if your aren't going to let me have it then I need to report mine missing." All I have is a boarding pass so I hand it to her she rips a tag off the back and hands me the seat.  I tell her thank you and walk out with the car seat. 

Jitterbug announces that she needs to potty and Lillibean chimes in with a me too. So we are in search of a bathroom the first one we find is closed for the night so we have to walk all the way back down to the other end of the airport. Which turns out to be a good thing cause that's where the shuttle service to the car is located.

By the way its after 11:00pm and we still have to get to the car.

JW takes the girls to the bathroom and I stay with the bags. We finally leave the airport and  get on the shuttle that takes us to our car. We get dropped off at our car with a minimum of fuss. We decide to go ahead and get the DC's in their PJ's. Once they are dressed and settled in the car. We cant find the car keys. we have to unload the back of the car twice before we find them. Then once we are all in the car JW discovers that he doesn't know where the parking ticket is. We search for it for about 10 mins before deciding that we will just pay the lost ticket rate. When we get to the gate the and tell the lady working that we have lost our ticket she just laughs and says "happens all the time, what day and time did you come in?"

She just makes us another ticket we pay and are on our way.

We think we are going to make a quick pass through McDonald's. We.Were.Wrong. they are so busy that they cant keep up so after sitting for 10 mins with out even placing an order we drive off. Lillibean is asleep and Jitterbug is trying not to fall asleep. By now it is 12:23am I know this because I made a point of looking at the clock.

Its after one by the time we make it home and after carrying in the girls and putting them to bed we discover that the dog has had a panic attack during the storm he has pushed the tray out of his crate, dug at the carpet ripping it up and cut his mouth. He hasn't been in his crate since and I have to say he is doing very well with it. 

A Trip to Danvers, Ma. Day 5

So when I wake up I only have to get myself ready and downstairs to meet my parents. I get to the lobby where I drink my coffee and wait (they were late). When they arrive I hop in and off we go. Mom wanted to take the girls to the singing beach however when we get to what we believe is the parking area its $25.00 to park so we decide that is to much to pay just to walk down on the beach for a few mins.

Jitterbug takes this time to announce that she needs to go potty. We are in the middle of nowhere there are no public bathrooms. The girls taking the money to park tells us that there is a store right up the road and we head out. We get to the road side store"shack" and my mom jumps out and runs in to ask about the bathroom and before I can get Jitterbugs car seat unbuckled she is back "there are no bathrooms here" So back in the car we go with directions to a bathroom. We drive for what seems like forever and even stop a fire station to make sure we are going in the right direction. We FINALLY find a gas station with a bathroom. It is one of those that is outside and It.Is.Nasty. Mom and I decided that we can hold it till we find something else. My mom holds Jitterbug over the toilet so that she can pee and then its Lillibeans turn. We tell her Do.Not.Touch.Anything. I squirt everything with hand sanitizer and we all wash hands once we are outside its one more round of hand sanitizer and then its my dads turn(yep its a unisex bathroom).

We all pile in the car and are on the road again we drive into Gloucester and find a jut of sand and get out of the car. The girls have a blast playing in the water.

This was taken on day 3
after playing at the water park.

So on a side note the whole reason we are on this trip has been for JW's Fraternity.  It is their Biannual business meeting. They pass by-laws, budgets, and  hold elections. This is important because JW is running for a position on the Grand Council. So in between all of our adventures there has been the socializing and campaigning. We even got the girls in on the action(the shirts say Vote 4 My Daddy 4 Grand Council).  So as we are standing on the jut of sand I get a text from a friend letting me know that he has won the Grand Herald position on the Grand Council. Needless to say I was excited  and somewhat relieved that it was all over.

So on with the rest of the day. After playing in the on the "beach" for a awhile its time for lunch so we cross the street and I finally get some lobster and clam chowder it was Yummy. So far today is the best day of our vacation. After lunch we ride around Gloucester a little and head for the hotel. My parents drop me off and take the girls to their hotel for a little pool time.

I head into the hotel bar to meet a friend for a drink. This was great no kids for a little while and visiting with a friend I hadn't seen in a very long time.

I finally head up to the room to start getting ready for the closing banquet. My mom brings the girls back since they "worked" so hard helping get Daddy elected they get to attend the first hour of the reception. We all get dressed up and head on downstairs to the reception.

 They even got meet Paul Revere. My mom and dad came to get them and they went to have pizza they found a place that had TVs at the table and got to watch Nick Jr.(it was very exciting) and more pool time.

JW and I entered the banquet room and sat at our spot on the dias and this was our view. There were awards given, speeches made and a wonderful dinner served.

After dinner we went a reception for the new Grand Sage(president). When it was all said and done JW and I didn't make it to bed till 4 am but it was definitely worth it.

A trip to Danvers Ma day 4

Day 4 and the good news is my parents are finally in town and have rented a car no longer are we at the tender mercies of the cabs and shuttles. They are coming to get us and we have a big day planned however Jitterbug has other plans

She stayed this way for 15 mins while Lillibean and I got showered and dressed when she finally decided that she wanted to get up the first words out of her mouth were "wheres daddy". We went through the he is in a meeting conversation and then I reminded her that she need to get ready Grandmomma and Grandpadaddy were on their way and we needed to go. We actually make it downstairs and are in the lobby when my parents arrive.

My dad picked a place for breakfast. It was a really good place and the DCs were well behaved. My cousin met us there to play tour guide for the day so after we were all done eating we went out and loaded up in her explorer this meant that the DC had to sit together in the very back so there was some "stop touching me" conversations" but other than that the ride to Salem  was no to bad.

Our choice of things to do once we got to Salem probably not our best decision we took a tour of The House of Seven Gables.

Now the HOTSG's has been a museum for 100 years I would love to be able to tell you more about it but I spent the entire time saying don't touch that, get down from there and no you can not get a closer look.

In one room of the house there was an osculating fan as we come in the room the tour guide tells us that there is a sharp piece on the fan so don't let the kids touch it. My mom sits down on the bench next to the fan Lillibean on one side Jitterbug on the other. Well Jitterbug can not help herself she reaches up to touch the fan. My mom keeps moving her hand away but the temptation is just to great. The tour guide leans over and tells my mom "you are going to have to control that child" my mom picks up Jitterbug and puts her in her lap. Now Lillibean has watched the whole thing and as soon as she thinks we are distracted she gets up and with her finger extended walks towards the fan I put my arm out to block her. LB tries to push my hand out of the way and looks up at me with tears in her eyes and points at the fan I tell her no and she just burst out sobbing. My mom pulls her over to the bench and sits her down wrapping an arm around her as well. Thankfully the tour guide moves us on and we no longer have to deal with the tempting fan.

Once we finish up with the HOTSG's we move on to the birth place of Nathaniel Hawthorne we start making our way through the house and in a bedroom Lillibean Loses.Her.Mind and ducks under a rope and refuses to come out. Short of ducking under the rope and chasing her my options are limited to hissing "Get out of there" to which she responds "NO". The very nice lady standing behind the rope gently  down and takes her arm and walks her back under the rope. I take Lillibean by the arm and march her out of the house and outside to a table. By now she is just sobbing about going back in the house and Hows it not fair that I wont let her go back in there. I take out my phone to take a picture of the most magnificent melt down and she slaps the phone out of my hand. I pick up my phone and snap this pic.

She puts her head down and sobbing tells me she just wants to be alone. I get up and walk to the table where my mom and cousin are sitting. Dad has taken Jitterbug for a walk to look at flowers or something.

I decide to take the opportunity to go into the gift shop and make a purchase.

When I come out of the store everyone is in a much better mood.

We have made it though and nothing got broken so I guess that's a successful trip. We decide not to go in any more old buildings or museums and take our own "walking" tour of Salem.

We stop for lunch at a place called Finz. Grandpadaddy orders some raw clams and talks the DC into trying them. Lillibean ate hers with ketchup said she liked them but declined to eat another, Jitterbug ate hers covered with cocktail sauce and asked for another but they were all gone.

Most of the rest of the day is uneventful we did see some really cool things and got some ice cream and went back to the hotel to rest a little and change for dinner.

While we are getting ready Jitterbug says she needs to potty and goes in the bathroom. I notice that she has been gone for longer than necessary about the same time she starts crying. She has gotten a hold of my razor and tried to shave her head and in the process cut her thumb(opposite hand from the one hurt on day 1). After kisses and a band aid she is ready to go

Dinner was great we got to meet family for the very first time and enjoy some really good food.

Best part of the night my parents drop me off at the hotel and take the girls with them. JW has gone into the city with a group and so I have a couple of drinks in the bar and go to bed a quiet hotel room all is well with the world

A trip to Danvers Ma day 3

Its day 3 and JW is gone by 7 his meetings have started so we are on our own. I wake up at 9:30am and I am surprised at how quiet the room is. When the DC's finally crack eyelids it is 10:30am and I am very happy with this. It means everybody got a good nights sleep. So after we are up and dressed we head downstairs and grab some muffins and milk for the girls and coffee me. I talk the girl at the counter into getting the shuttle to take us to a place called Richardson's Dairy. It sounds like a great place it has a dairy that you can tour, mini golf course and they make their own Ice Cream. The shuttle drops us off and the driver tells me to call him when we are ready to get picked up. Sounds great kill a couple of hours looking at cows giving milk maybe watch them make some ice cream play a little mini golf. Just me and two 3 1/2 year olds. What can go wrong here?

Well let me count the ways

1)Always make sure you have your cell phone. Mine was charging in the bathroom at the hotel. The girls ran out in the hall  when we were leaving and in my haste to catch them I left it behind.

2) Never take the word of a Xeroxed piece of papers word on what a family friendly attraction is. The cows were way in the back in a barn that was roped off in other words NO TOURS. Not only were there no tours of the "oldest operating dairy in Middleton Ma" we didn't get to watch them make ice cream.

3)Miniature golf with  two 3 1/2 year olds that have never played it before  in 90 degree weather BAD IDEA. We made nine holes before Lillibean declares that it is to hot and she is done.

Now we are hot tired and all of us are CRANKY. I am ready to leave so I approach the counter and after I order some food and drinks for myself and the DC's I tell the girl behind the counter that I need some help and explain in what I thought was very clear speech what my dilemma was. I am stuck here with my children I have no phone, and can not call for a ride I need you to call the hotel and ask them to send the shuttle. I finish up with a very desperate can you help me. She looks at me with a blank look and says "let me ask my manager" and off she goes.  She comes back in about 10 mins and says "my manager says you can use the pay phone out by the road". I reply "that's great but I don't have the number" and she just looks at me. I walk away and barely keeping my composure thank her for all her help.

I know that no one will miss me till 6:30pm that's when JW expects us to be ready for the event at the waterpark.

I sit and wait for the girls to eat their hot dogs and drink their lemonade while thinking over our position. It does not improve with contemplation.

 Once the counter slows down again I decide to give it another go.   So I walk up and ask the girl behind the counter to see if she can loan me a phone book. I would love to try and recount the conversation verbatim from here but I think that I will just give a synopses. One employee tries to give me to directions I explain again that I didn't drive my hotel shuttle brought me I need to call them to come pick me up. She says oh and walks away. Then the Manager finally comes out front and asks me for the name of the hotel I tell her the name of the place and as she is walking away from the guy behind the counter says something to her but I can not hear what he says she nods at him and walks off she is gone for about 10 mins. She comes back and tells me that the Country Club has no idea what she is talking about. Country Club???? I never said I was staying at the Country Club but apparently that is what the guy told her as she walk away. I give her the name of the hotel again and tell her that if she will just get me the number and a phone I will call them myself. She goes away and again and another 10 mins goes by she comes back and tells me that the hotel told they don't have a shuttle. Well that's a surprise to me. She slides a piece of paper with the phone number across the counter and tells me where the payphone is again.

Now where were the DC during all this well they were very busy taking turns approaching me at the counter with requests demands for ice cream or loudly declaring the need to go potty. Well there were no bathrooms inside the building. At least one trip to the counter with the napkins and ketchup for what I don't know they were done eating and the hands were clean.

So I get the girls and traipse across the parking lot to the payphone by the highway put in my 50 cents and make the call. The poor girl at the desk must have thought that I was a crazy women because when she told me that it was going to be 45 mins before the shuttle got there I started crying. I couldn't help it I was done it had been our worst day so far. Jitterbug was whiny and Lillibean was all attitude. However there was nothing I could do but go sit and wait. First we went to the bathroom and then went back to the patio outside the ice cream shop and sat and waited when it got to be close to the time the shuttle was supposed to pick us up the patio was filling up so the DC and I got up and walked over by the bathrooms and waited and waited I finally made another call and was told that the shuttle had left and should be there to pick us up. So we waited another 30 mins and just about the time I was starting to panic a nice lady comes up and offers to help us and the shuttle pulls up. We pile in the shuttle and take off to the hotel.

All total from the time we called til the time the shuttle showed was an hour and 30 mins. I find out on the ride back to hotel that the shuttle didn't even leave the hotel til 10 mins after I called the 2nd time.

We get back and I give the girls quick wash offs in the tub and let them lay down to watch tv within mins both are fast asleep. I make contact with my parents who come by to have an early dinner with the girls and me.

Once JW is done with his meetings we take the DC to the waterpark event and they have a blast Lillibean tries out the lazy river and Jitterbug thought she wanted to go down the big slide with daddy but changed her mind once she got to the top. after 2 hours of playing its time to wrap up and head on over to the reception and visit for an hour or so before it is time for bed. The DC and I are exhausted so it doesn't take long for us to fall asleep. It has been quite a day.