Happenings

A picture from San Diego.  Turner grew a little more hair (I think, Heath isn't so sure) and learned to stick out his tongue while we were on our trip!

So many things to write about!  There will be no particular order (of course) and I am telling myself no pictures so I will actually sit down and write this.  I get overwhelmed when I think of pictures - silly, but then I end up not writing anything!  (Later - I changed my mind and got the pictures on here).   Here are some recent happenings:

1.  I took a year's leave off of school next year.  I feel lucky to be able to take a year and see how it goes before I officially take a few years off.  It was a big decision!  I went round and round about it.  Turner was in a wonderful home daycare with a friend who I used to teach with.  His friends were all teachers' kids, and I was very pleased.  But, I felt like I didn't get to see him that often.  I couldn't balance it all, and I am very impressed with my friends that can!  Heath and I were talking about the Iron Bowl being on Friday, and I said "Well, at least we will be off work anyway."  He looked at me and said, "You are now always off work!"  It hasn't hit me yet because it is summer!  Thank God for summer!!

2.  I thought it would be sadder to leave my classroom.  The kids helped me take it all down - I mean every child took a box to my car - and as they did I could see memories of putting it all up over the last 5 years.  Weird.  But, I completely feel in the center of God's will about this.  I know He will provide and bless us for following His will and making the decision we felt the best about.  And, I tell myself that I will still be able to see my friends at school, just not every day!

3.  Last week was my birthday.  I like for my birthday to be all week long, and Heath does very well with this! We went to dinner several nights in a row with friends and family as my "birthday dinners".  I loved them all.  Also, an elementary school is a great place to work on my birthday.  I started a countdown with them on May 1st.  I would say "Whose birthday is in __ days?"  Then I had small children roll their eyes at me.  Did I care?  No.  They were wonderful to me on my big day - presents and cards and surprises and a balloon and cookie cake.  So fun.

4.  Turner and I got back at midnight last night from a trip to L.A.  We went to my cousin Amy's wedding.  She is a couple of years older than me and she is my dad's sister's daughter.  My dad has a brother, Tom and a sister, Mary that live in Orange County. 

 Dad with his brother, Tom, sister, Mary and Granddad at the wedding.

However, while in L.A.,  I didn't see any celebrities.  Not even one.  I thought I saw Adrian Grenier (not that I have ever watched Entourage), but Derek didn't think so.  Also, I thought I saw a girl from that NBC award-winning reality show "Momma's Boy" that had been a Penthouse cover girl.  But, not even sure on that one.  Pretty sad.  But I digress.  We had a blast spending time with my uncle Tom and aunt Candy, aunt Mary and cousins Paul and Amy.  Grandad Starr went with us, too.  It was a zoo trying to get a 90 year old, 6 month old, me, Mom, Dad and Derek through the airport.  Especially in Las Vegas, where we got to wait for 5 hours.  Mom still doesn't have her luggage, and I am not sure why because her bag is 1980's fuschia and you can see it from across the airport.  How they lost that bag of all of them is beyond me.  Grandad's comment was "At least it wasn't mine."  Nice.  We had a party for Grandad because his 90th birthday is next week. 

5.  Turner was a champ the whole trip.  He has a little cold (confirmed after not one but 2 doctor visits, who is the new mom??).  His cough got worse while we were out there and I lovingly called him 'Emphysema Joe.'  He would wake up in the night and cough so much he would choke.  I got used to it, and I would pull him next to me so I could hear him better.  One night at 2, Mom woke me up asking where Turner was because he finally WASN'T breathing like Gordon (the pug).  He had actually stopped snoring, and it scared her.  Mom of the Year here was oblivious.  I wondered if he would be fussy because he wasn't 100 percent well, but he was very smily and sweet.  He went everywhere with us, including Universal Studios.  He slept through Shrek 4-D (I don't know how because it was one of the loudest rooms on the planet), and didn't want to sleep a wink during the studio tour.  He didn't like his carrier, and wanted to be in my lap.  During the simulated earthquake he laughed!  What?!  Same with the wedding.  I kept saying "Go to sleep!"  And he would just laugh in my face!  I like him - good thing, huh?  And the flights were great.  I learned to have a bottle ready to stick in his mouth if he was fussy, but I didn't have to use it that much.  

6.  As I am typing this, I am watching The Hills from tivo.  I just saw a shot of this little cobblestone road where we went the other day in Beverly Hills.  

Grandad treated us to Baskin Robbins near here, and Dad was doing this when I turned my back. 

 However, Turner didn't hate it!!  In fact, it is the first good response I have seen to anything remotely "human" food.  Back to The Hills, Heidi and Spencer are ri.dic.u.lous.  Seriously.  I watched them on Regis and Kelly in the hotel room and my dad asked, "Who are these people?" with a look of disgust I wish I had taken a picture of.

7.  We also went to San Diego and visited a hotel called the Del Coronado.  I called it the El Dorado.  Oops.  San Diego was beautiful.  My aunt and uncle wanted to make sure that Turner had a hat on because it gets so hot out there.  (A welcomed change from Birmingham).  This was a picture of Turner on the beach of the Pacific Ocean and with Uncle D in his hat.  

Derek did a great job with him.  He was even trying to rock him to sleep in his carrier during the wedding reception, all the while telling my cousin to make sure to let all the single ladies there know that it was his nephew and not his son.  Nice.  But he really was helpful this trip.  It was great having so many hands to help out with Turner Bug and play with him and love on him.  

Turner with Uncle Tom and Aunt Candy

8.  I think this is all for now.  We are about to head to the beach for about 2 weeks and I am excited.  A lot to pack - a ton of stuff for a little tiny baby!  Lindsey and Kate and Blake will be with us while Brandon is on a mission trip.  Heath will be visiting on weekends!  

9.  Oh yeah, on a completely unrelated-to-me note.  This Jon and Kate stuff is killing me!  I should have realized a few years ago when I was genuinely crushed about Nick and Jessica splitting up that reality shows are never a good thing in the end.  But, I will say that I am a little irritated with all this hatred towards Kate coming from everyone.  Jon is the one that made a bad decision, and he admitted it!  (Heath tivo'd the season premiere for me while we were in California)  Anyway, I can't imagine how she holds things together with 8 kids!!  And 6 of them are 5 years old!!  I want them to work it out.  I feel like they used to have their priorities in order, especially spiritually, and now they are so astray.  I want to believe the best in them - call me naive.  

I will leave you with one of the little presents in Turner's End of the Year goodie bag.  It makes me laugh!  

Happy Mother's Day!

Yesterday was Turner's (and mine as a mother) first Mother's Day.  Saturday my husband and son got me a makeover and some new makeup from Trish.  Heath was heartbroken he couldn't go with me on this little venture, but he stayed home and kept Turner.  Then Sunday morning Heath (and Turner) gave me a pedicure certificate and this card - 

 - very fitting because we usually have two tiny feet between us.  They are usually closer to me, and by closer I mean that this tiny person has the crazy ability to push me off of the bed.  I will wake up 1/4 of an inch away from the bed - and he started out in the middle!  How does he do it?

Side note - I always SWORE I would not let my child sleep with me.  And I don't let him sleep through the night in our bed, but God help me if I don't throw him in there any given morning between 4 and 6 if I want a little more sleep!  He is just so snuggly.  Don't decide what you will or won't do on some things until you actually have a baby.  You will eat some words for sure.

Anyway...Heath made breakfast and we started our Sunday routine.  We were surprisingly not late, and I checked Turner in the nursery at church.  Our pastor did a great sermon honoring mothers and encouraging us of the job God has given us to build the character of our children.  

Then, we ran home and picked up a few things and headed to Mom's for lunch.  We had Outback to Go - delicious.  Nanny and Dink and Grandad Starr came over to eat with us.  

   Nanny with Turner

Grandad and Dink 

    Gigi with Turner - Grandmother's Day!

Heath even made blueberry pie for dessert.  Then Derek (and Heath) set up the jewelry armoire that Lindsey and Derek and I gave Mom for Mother's Day.  

Someone got a buzz cut

In the afternoon, Heath let me come to the house and sleep for an hour while he ran errands with Turner.  

Funny Dink story (since he is pictured above) - Dad came home last weekend and Dink was freaking out because he could not find his golf cart anywhere.  Now, he is 91 and not "allowed" to drive anymore, so he loves that little morsel of freedom left in his golf cart.  My aunt and uncle had been over, and my cousin drove it back to their house.  Fast forward to where Dad comes in the picture.  He was working in the yard and waved at a passing car.  He did a double take when he realized it was Dink.  Dad chased him down and waved him in the driveway, trying to convince him to turn around and go back home.  Dink was set on finding that golf cart!  Dink agreed to go home, yet turned left out of the driveway, towards the highway!!  Dad raced to his speed racer van and followed him.  He had to chase him in a church driveway at the end of our road and beg him to turn around, promising he would figure out the mystery of the missing golf cart!  

Dad chased Dink back up the street and into my aunt's yard, where my cousin was standing, taking it all in.  Dad watched as Dink had a rope tied to the back of his Lincoln Continental and was going to lasso the golf cart and pull it back to his house (next door).  My cousin and his wife were still standing there in shock!  Luckily, Cowboy Dink didn't get to try out his skills because my dad and cousin talked Dink into trusting they would re-charge the golf cart and return it home safely!  When Dad followed him back to his house, my sweet Nanny was in the front yard - looking VERY overwhelmed.  Dad said she just kept saying, "What am I going to do with him?"  Evidently he had crept out (loudly - he uses a walker) while she was napping.  Dad said it all ended with Nanny calming down in the house as she and Dad watched Dink knock his right side mirror off the car as he screeched back into his driveway.  Needless to say, this entertained us thoroughly as Dad retold it.  

The Mother's Day ended with a trip to Publix (saved 35 dollars - went from 90 to 55!) and Turner actually ate his they-gave-it-to-us-with-all-the-coupons-I-had sweet potato baby food.  I will leave you with this picture.  Don't worry he threw most of it up a few minutes later, but at least he is starting to take some!!  My first Mother's Day was a success - I wish it wasn't so close to my birthday, because it is like a second birthday!!  I am beyond blessed that God has allowed me to be a mother for this little guy.  As cheesy as it sounds, I never would have imagined what a blessing motherhood is!  Thank God and praise Him for all mothers!