The Mechling Madhouse

Out of the mouths of babes (or little girls) ...

2011-04-18T18:46:00.000-07:00

Maddy, while praying: Please bless the snow, when it's up in heaven, that it will have fun.

*********

Cady: Mom, when you were born, back in the olden days, were you born in a hospital?

*********

Maddy: Mommy, why do you love me? Is it because I sing really pretty?
Me: Well, honey, I love you because you're mine and because Heavenly Father gave you to me. I love you because I carried you in my tummy and because you're a daughter of God.
Maddy: And because I sing really pretty?
Me: Yes, that too, honey.

*********

Maddy, while riding in the car: MOM!! I just saw a car with NO LID!!

Cady turns 6!

2011-02-28T17:09:00.000-08:00

Two weeks ago, Cady turned the big S-I-X!! Woo Hoo!! Her "party" this year was to take a friend to the Build-a-Bear Workshop, so the Saturday before the big day I traveled with two very excited little girls down to Greenville (the closest Workshop). Neither Cady nor I had had the Build-a-Bear experience before so it was new and so so fun!!

First, the girls debated and debated with animal to choose: bunny or bear or cat? They decided on cats and started down the assembly line of stuffing, "bathing" and choosing outfits. Their kitties matched in every way, down to their identical kitty iPods.

"What do you think of THIS outfit?"

I was there too, and actually made it into a picture for once!

The Ever-popular Darth Vader

2011-02-11T17:28:00.000-08:00

Lately it seems that Maddy is quite interested in Darth Vader. She wants to be Darth Vader for Halloween this year and has assigned all the rest of us Star Wars related roles. Luckily, since I'm the mom, I get to be Queen Amidala and Cady claimed the Princess Leia role without any argument.

And this was tonight's conversation ...

Maddy: Mommy, I know where I want to go for my birthday this year (probably brought on by the fact that we are taking Cady to Build-a-Bear Workshop for HER birthday tomorrow).

Me: Where, honey?

Maddy: Disney World!

Me: Uh, that's an interesting idea.

Maddy: Because I want to see where Darth Vader lives!

I didn't have the heart to tell her that he doesn't live in Disney World.

Snow in SC!

2011-01-11T16:42:00.000-08:00

Looking at the pictures below may lead one to believe otherwise, but YES, we are in South Carolina!! We have had 2 fairly significant (for here) snows in the past few weeks and it's been AWESOME, in my opinion.

The first storm arrived on Christmas night. We had spent part of Christmas afternoon with some good friends in Greenville and, while we were there, a light snow started. By the time we left after dinner, it was sticking on the ground and the kids were getting EX-CI-TED!!! At the same time, we were a little nervous as Nana and Pat were racing down from Maryland, trying to beat the snow. They arrived around midnight, and there was already about 2" on the ground, which became 3" or so by morning, enough to make a snowman! The girls enlisted Pat to go out with them and they got to work!

We'd only been back in school after Christmas vacation for a few days when the weather forecasters started talking about another storm, more significant than the first. It started snowing very early Monday morning and snowed most of the day, dumping about 6" of pristine, powdery snow on the ground. So yesterday, we went out while the snow was still falling and played a bit. It was such dry snow, however, that it was hard to do too much WITH it!

Yes, I know this is a farmer's shovel ...

Last night, we could hear the sleet falling all night and we awoke to a good 1/2 inch of ice coating everything! So today was a very "crunchy" day to play outside but actually more fun than yesterday. Tire tracks on our street made perfect sledding paths ... our neighbor contibuted a cookie sheet and off Cady went!! A lot of the fun was just pulling up HUGE ice chunks and throwing them down to shatter on the ice sheet that is our yard.

Baylee came out for a while too!

Looking forward to more fun tomorrow, since school is canceled for the third day in a row!

the cake says it ALL

2010-12-09T18:26:00.000-08:00

The cake DOES say it all but, for posterity's sake (for the day when I have all these blog entries made into a book), I'll just say a little more!

This year, my birthday fell on Thanksgiving so our dessert menu consisted of pumpkin pie (thanks to the Felty's), creme brulee (thanks to Ray) AND birthday cake. Ray, with his usual good humor, decorated the cake and gave me a sympathy card instead of a birthday card. The message was actually quite fitting!

Maddy sums up how I feel about turning 40

Miss B

2010-12-03T15:09:00.000-08:00

Our little Baylee Rae turned 4 months yesterday. She is really getting FUN!! She smiles all the time and wriggles in glee when I come into her room in the morning or after a nap. Her legs are getting CHUNKY and I just want to give her a big squeeze every time I see her. She weighed in at the doctor's today ... 16 lbs., 11 oz.!! 95th %ile!

She has a variety of nicknames but the most used ones are
Miss B
Bay Bay
Miss Baylee Boo

We love our sweet girl ... and I love that she has NO interest in the pacifier. Finally, a child who does not require me to hunt high and low for the paccie at those frantic bedtimes. She happily sucks on any of her fingers, really, but her thumb or pointer/middle finger combo seem to be the favorites.

We think she may be teething. Ray cut 4 teeth when he was 4 months old so she apparently is genetically predisposed to get teeth early. We'll see!

UPDATE (12/20): Two big Baylee milestones ... last Wednesday 12/15 Baylee rolled over front to back for the first time. And on Saturday 12/18 she cut her first tooth!! She's following in her Daddy's footsteps ...

Day at the Museum

2010-11-28T18:48:00.000-08:00

For the Thanksgiving holiday, Ray's parents came to town and on Wednesday (the day before Thanksgiving) Grandma Weezie took all the girls to Greenville to the Children's Museum of the Upstate. Cady had been once before and did a great job selling it to Maddy so we were all excited! And it was a perfect day to go because, since it was a vacation day for schools, there were no herds of children there on field trips. Just lots of kids with their parents and grandparents, just like us!

This place is chock full of hands on things for kids to play/experiment with but the favorites were definitely the mini-grocery store and the mini-farm.

Maddy, shopping like a pro!!

The cow with a working udder (with water) was a huge hit!

I can never get enough "sister pictures"!

It was so much fun, Maddy konked out on the way home ... can you see her sunglasses under there?

Halloween 2010

2010-10-31T17:33:00.000-07:00

Maddy and Cady decided a few months ago that they wanted to be characters from The Wizard of Oz for Halloween. Maddy was the first to claim the "green witch" and so Cady got on the bandwagon and decided to be Dorothy.

Today was the big day because, due to some unfortunate coincidences, the girls missed nearly every other Halloween festivity that they could have attended. Last weekend, when we were at the beach, was our ward's Halloween carnival and on Friday, when her class had their party, Maddy had a doctor's appointment. So there was MUCH anticipation heading into today. And on my part, STRESS!!

I procrastinated buying a costume for Maddy so, as of this morning, we had a broom, hat and green make-up but no dress. I thought maybe I could scrounge one up at church but to no avail. So during naptime, I frantically adapted one of my old black t-shirts into a witch dress. I was so worried that Maddy would throw a fit, especially since Cady's Dorothy dress was a glittery affair from Halloween Express! But she was as happy as could be, and didn't realize that she looked like hybrid of Yoda, a cistercian monk and the Wicked Witch of the East! There was more complaining from Cady, who had gotten some paint on her dress while painting pumpkins at her class party.Yay for candy!!

They donned their outfits and headed out to trick or treat with Daddy, returning two hours later with the fruit of their labor! Lots of candy, of course, with a toothbrush thrown in for good measure. I stayed home with Baylee and was ready to hand out candy but we had a grand total of THREE trick or treaters. Thankfully, Cady was home for the last 2 and literally gave them a huge handful out of our now over-flowing candy bowl!

Indian Summer at the Beach

2010-10-31T11:59:00.001-07:00

Last weekend, we were lucky enough to sneak away from Spartanburg and spend a few days at the beach (Garden City, SC). We were planning to leave on Thursday evening but couldn't quite pull things together so we got up SUPER early on Friday morning, put the still pajama-ed girls in the car at 6:30 a.m. and hit the road!

We couldn't have asked for better weather in late October. The girls spent all afternoon on Friday and Saturday on the beach, playing, digging, flying our kite and jumping in the water (brrrr!).

On Friday afternoon, Grandma Weezie was able to join us on the beach for a while and then we all went out to dinner together. Then Ray took the "big" girls to the arcade!!! Apparently, the won big playing Deal or No Deal and got a bazillion tickets = a LOT of trinkety crap. I find it ironic that Ray often complains about all the "trinkety crap" the girls have but whenever we go to the beach, he leads the charge to the arcade and gets some more!!

Cady photo-documented some of their "booty"

On Saturday morning, we spent some time with the girls' great-grandmother Tutta and introduced her to Baylee. And on our drive home Sunday, we stopped in Camden to visit my Aunt Louise. I'm so proud of the big girls and how they love these elderly ladies. Seems to me that I was a bit afraid of "old people" when I was their age but they are just so happy to see them and give hugs. It was wonderful to see them both!

Baylee was there, too -- just laying around!!

It was a short but sweet trip ... Farewell until next year, beach!! *sigh*

35 (a day late)

2010-10-09T18:14:00.001-07:00

Yep, that's how old Ray is now. Although according to Maddy, who doesn't clearly annunciate the "TH" sound, he is 45.

After a very "regular" day of school and work, we all went out to dinner at Outback Steakhouse to celebrate. Baylee cooperated and slept through dinner. We came home for cake-eating and present-opening. Due to Ray's extreme picky-ness about his cakes, he actually (I'm ashamed to admit this) made his own birthday cake this year. Two days before his birthday. It was, after all, his birthday so he figured he could do what he wanted!! He frosted it too ... and lit the candles. I did carry it to the table though, and led the singing too, so I contributed a little. I have to say the cake was AWESOME!!

Ok, we both had a piece before the actual birthday day.

Ray's motto for the upcoming year!

I think I'll go have some right now.

Lovies

2010-09-19T14:03:00.001-07:00

The story of our family would not be complete without mention of the very important "lovies" that are part of our everyday life. They accompany us on every vacation and have traveled to the beach and the mountains with us. They comfort us after bad dreams and boo-boos, and by "us" I mean Cady and Maddy.

Cady's special lovie is a blue-footed bear that Daddy gave her for Christmas 2006, just days after Maddy was born. At the time, there was another more important animal in play, an orange monkey named "Ho Ho" but he was lost soon after we moved to South Carolina in the summer of 2007. At that point, "Teddy" moved up into 1st place in Cady's heart. Cady has been given many other teddy bears but Teddy remains #1!

Maddy's special lovie is a purple bunny that we just call "Purple Bunny" for lack of a better name. He was given to us as a baby gift by a friend in our ward in Virginia Beach soon after Maddy was born. After three years of heavy hugging and lugging on Maddy's part, he is raggedy. Cady calls him gross. Maddy sucks on his tail and has finally stopped using his ears to wipe her nose. Both of his ears have fallen off at different times and been sewed back on. He is the Velveteen Rabbit incarnate. If love and wear could make a bunny real, this bunny would hop away today!

Georgie Porgie

2010-09-07T12:44:00.000-07:00

Maddy is enjoying her 3-year old preschool class this year, especially their study of nursery rhymes. My personal favorite is Georgie Porgie and the enthusiasm with which Mad recites it. When she says "and made dem cwy", I just want to eat her up!! Enjoy!

Dad and his five-year-old daughter, a conversation.

2010-09-05T10:02:00.000-07:00

Act I, Scene I
Cady enters dining room. Dad utters something to Cady, who promptly folds her arms and furrows her eye brows.
Dad- "Cady, I am tried of that mean look you give me. If you do it again, I'm not paying for your wedding."
Cady- "That's fine because you're not invited."

Firsts ...

2010-09-02T07:20:00.000-07:00

We've had some pretty significant "firsts" in our home in the past few weeks.

Our "big girl" Cady started kindergarten on August 9th. She was so excited!!

Bailey enjoyed her first "real" bath, not just the sponge variety.

As soon as we get a "first" sleep through the night entry, I'm sure I'll be blogging a lot more!!

A hummus posting.

2010-08-26T19:39:00.000-07:00

A hummus recipe.

By Little Ray Mechling

First, each batch of hummus is a little different than the last as the potency of ingredients can change. But try this to get started:

1can chick peas,

1 clove garlic,

1 lemon,

EVOO,

2-3 Tbl Tahini*

1 Tbl ground cumin (Cumin is ground cumin seeds! I like to roast and grind my own.)

1/2 tps Cayenne Pepper

Salt & Pepper

Consistency is the key here and we achieve this by using a food processor. So, rinse your can of peas. Put your garlic into the FP and give it a spin by itself. Then add everything else and 1/4 cup EVOO. Start processing. You want a smooth, creamy texture so you may need to drizzle in more EVOO. Don't forget salt and pepper. Give it a few tastes as you go along. A night in the frig will give the taste a chance to mature- the flavors an opportunity to marry.

*FYI- Tahini is ground sesame seeds and can normally be found in the condiment section by the mustard.

Once you get this down, try adding olives or herbs or. . . I sound like such a fag.

She's finally here!!

2010-08-02T19:24:00.000-07:00

So yesterday the day we'd been counting down to finally arrived ... and arrived REALLY early! I set my alarm for 4:01 so I could get up, shower, exfoliate (again!), double check my bag and get to the hospital by 5 a.m. We didn't quite make it on time. Maybe that's why the nurse who answered our call at the parking gate decided to have a little fun with us.

When the gate didn't rise upon our approach, Ray pushed the button. The nurse responded and asked if we were scheduled for an induction, to which we responded in the affirmative. The nurse then asked, "Are you sure you want to have the baby today or would you like to come back tomorrow?" Ray and I looked at each other, then he answered, "Are you KIDDING?" I think we were both remembering the day we went in for Maddy's induction and were told there were no available beds. We DID have to come back the next day! But in this case, thankfully, the nurse started laughing and put the gate up. So we were in and up on the L&D floor by 5:30.

After the customary interview about me and my health history, a nurse put in the IV and started to pitocin to get things going. And then we waited. And waited. As Ray said, we had to hurry up get to the hospital so we could wait. We never even saw a doctor until 8:30!! By then, some contractions were kicking in but nothing too bad. The anesthesiologist's nurse came to talk to me about getting an epidural, which I hesitated about, as usual. I have no problems with drugs, just with the needle in my back. Ray gave me his usual, "Jen, you don't have to be a hero!" but I was unconvinced. It took more pitocin and some serious contractions to do that!! So I got the epidural at noon and soon was feeling good enough to take a little nap.

However, by 1:30 or so, the contractions were getting really strong and a quick check revealed that I was fully dilated. Unfortunately, my doctor was tied up (no pun intended) with a hysterectomy, so another doctor from the group had to be called over from the office. It took her about 20 minutes to get to the hospital and, during that time, the nurses got everything ready. I also requested that Ray put on a mask. After he hesitated, he admitted that he didn't want "to look silly." Really? Really? I was about to go up in the stirrups for half a dozen people to see and Ray didn't want to look silly in a mask? We all had a chuckle over that. And he put it on (he's had a head cold for over a week ... didn't want to take any chances).

As soon as Dr. Hardin arrived, she declared that I was ready and after pushing through just one contraction, wa la, Bailey was here! I cried, of course. It's just so surreal. Also, a first for me was that I got to cut the umbilical cord. The nurses have always offered to Ray, which he declines, but this time they asked me

Another last

2010-07-31T19:24:00.000-07:00

Tonight was the last night we will spend at home as a family of four. A weird feeling. Although the induction is not scheduled until Monday, since we have to report to the hospital at 5 am, the girls will be spending the night at a friend's home tomorrow. So I should have really enjoyed every moment. I tried. I'm just so dang exhausted that by 8 in the evening, I'm only taking pleasure in laying in bed!!

I wonder if any of us are prepared for the massive changes that are about to be thrust upon us. When Maddy was born, Cady was still in diapers. Now, we've been out of diapers all summer, although Mad still wears a pull-up at night. Cady starts kindergarten one week after the baby is born and whoa, that a whole lotta change for a 5-year old in a very short time span.

But I know that it will bring us all closer. Maddy is SOOOO very excited to finally become a BIG sister, not just be the little sister and I know she'll be a great one. I need to enjoy every moment with this new little one, since it'll be the last!

Little Fishies

2010-07-28T14:35:00.000-07:00

The girls completed swim lessons last week and they have both learned so much this summer, as far as swimming. The biggest hurdle was just getting over being fearful! They both have pushed themselves and we've tried to get as much swimming practice as possible.

Yesterday we went to a friend's home from church and the girls had so much fun!! Well, once Cady got over goggle trauma (refer to picture # 1, when she refused to look at the camera because the "stupid goggles" didn't fit), they had fun! Cady abandoned the goggles and was jumping off the side and swimming back with no help ... HUGE strides from last summer!

Maddy still uses a "noodle" but is really practicing paddling and kicking to get around. Our friend M. pointed out to Maddy that if she swam with her mouth closed, the water wouldn't get in her mouth and Maddy promptly put that advice into practice (refer to picture #2 ). I, of course, am not pictured because I look like a big polka-dotted whale in my swimsuit at this point, but I was there and it felt lovely to float around and feel LIGHTER!

Wild Wings vs. Chik-Fil-A

2010-07-23T18:47:00.000-07:00

Last night, we all went out to dinner for a last pre-baby outing with no diaper worries or high chairs or other baby trappings. We went to the Wild Wings downtown and as we were waiting for the food to arrive, Cady and Maddy had a most interesting conversation. It went something like this ...

Maddy: This has been the best day EVER!!!!
Cady: Yeah, I love Wild Wings!
Maddy: Yeah, me too!
Cady: Look at all the TV's!
Maddy: But I like Chik-Fil-A too ...
Cady: Yeah, Chik-Fil-A has a slide!

Now that's a tough choice: TV's or a slide??? Which would you choose?

On the countdown to our little #3

2010-07-16T17:30:00.000-07:00

Having been so lax with the blogging, it perhaps has not been stated clearly that I AM EXPECTING another little girl!! She is due on August 4th and lately I have been wondering why in the world I insisted that we not have another "winter baby". My main reason was not wanting to be so housebound, which winter necessitates and a newborn exacerbates. I thought that I would have more freedom, having a baby in the summer.

Well, that may be the case (still don't know -- check back in a few weeks!) but for now, there sure is a whole lot of HOT-NESS!!! It has been an exceptionally hot summer so far and being pregnant, whew, I don't think I've stopped perspiring for the last 2 months!! All I can say is that I sure am ready to have this little girl ... although she'd better wait a little longer because we still haven't picked out a name. There are a few on the table but none that, at this point, we are jumping up and down about.

Cady's lemonade stand

2010-07-11T19:26:00.001-07:00

Cady has recently grasped the concept that to buy things, one needs money, as well as the accompanying concept that Mommy won't always just give her a dollar for the dollar store! She has seriously uttered the words "I need some money!" several times recently. (Amen, sister!)

So while we were up in Maryland last month, Cady took advantage of the opportunity to hone her entrepreneurial skills and set up a lemonade stand at one of Mom and Pat's newly constructed produce stands. She set up on two different days and she had a great time. Maddy's contribution was to hound each and every customer with repeated "Want some lemonade?" until they succumbed to her winning smile. Cady would then carefully pour, add ice and of course take the MONEY. We did take a moment to snap a picture of Cady with her very first dollar! And in the spirit of true generosity, Cady shared her dollar with her sister so they could both go to the dollar store and get a treat!

Happy Birthday, USA!

2010-07-11T18:54:00.000-07:00

I'm going with the notion that "late is better than never" so here goes with our July 4th celebration ...

We actually celebrated on July 3rd this year because our little hamlet here in SC doesn't do Sunday fireworks. We had some good friends over for a delicious BBQ, complete with potato salad, hot dogs, corn on the cob and lots of FLIES (sheesh). We all had fun hanging out but the highlight of the night was definitely the fireworks!! Ray had bought some "little" fireworks for the kids so they had a blast with the Sparklers. But let's be honest here, the person who loves the fireworks the most is RAY!!! He lights up like a little kid, or MORE than a little kid. Bottle rockets, sparklers, and the ones that are like artillery shells (I'm not sure what they're all called). After the fun in the front yard, everyone except me (almost 9 months pregnant ... I was pooped!) headed over to the nearby park for the city's fireworks display. The girls had never witnessed anything like it before and they came home THRILLED!!

A month in Maryland

2010-06-17T17:50:00.000-07:00

As is apparent from the Hebron Carnival entry, we are spending some time up "north" visiting family this month. We're spending most of our time in Salisbury but last weekend, we trekked down to Virginia Beach to hang out with Daddy Ray and Grandma Weezie. Even though they live right on the beach, we spent most of our time AT THE POOL. The girls have always been hesitant pool-goers but last weekend, they fell in love!!! Wow. Thanks to "noodles" they were floating all over the place, and then Cady started pushing herself, jumping off the side but keeping her head above water, then going under, then all out swimming under water. It was amazing that she made these strides within about an hour timespan!!

Some other notable things that Cady has learned on this trip so far are:
standing on her head
crossing her eyes
driving Nana & Pat's Barbie car with expertise

Hebron Carnival

2010-06-12T19:03:00.000-07:00

Went to the Hebron Firemen's Carnival last night with the family. Fourth or fifth time now. For those not in the know, Hebron is a town here in Maryland about the size of a walnut. Maybe 1,000 people live there. (Last official count is actually 807, I just check wiki.)

However, their fire station and fire trucks would make the NYFD jealous. And here's why: apparently "games of chance" are perfectly OK there with one small caveat, you have to be at least 16!!! And by games of chance, I mean chance. Picture if you will a giant wheel with numbers on it, a table with said numbers on and a sign that says "All bets must be placed before wheel is spun." Sound familiar? Granted, you could only bet a dollar per number; but still- 16 years old and you can play all you want. Then there's the $10,000 raffle at $10 a ticket (to be awarded the last night of the car-nee a few months down the road.) If the thought of winning cold cash doesn't make you reach for your wallet then there's the raffle for the 30-30 rifle. Mind you, the entire carnival- rides, food, games, restrooms, picnic tables, etc. is setup around the main attraction: B-I-N-G-O! And if you win five times during the course of an evening you get your pick of what appears to be the remains of Service Merchandise and Montgomery Ward, both of which are now rotting away in department store hell awaiting K-Mart's arrival. Sorry for the long sentence.

Did I mention this was put on by the local fire department? I tend to think of safety and caution when one mentions a fire department. Probably a field trip ingrained this on me. Safety be damned at Hebron! If you want to hold your infant child in one hand and a lite cigarette with the other while enjoying a spin on the Tilt-A-Whirl or Scrambler, go right ahead. Seriously. Ok, I'm kidding about the cigarette, the attending car-nee will hold it for you and if you are related to them there might be a drag or two left when the ride is over. I did take my three year old daughter on both of these rides. Don't tell her, but she is kind of a runt standing 36" tall. When the Scrambler door closed, she was eye level with it. Maybe that's why you're supposed to be at least 42" tall, so you can see what's going on. On the Tilt-A-Whirl she leaned against the side and stretched her little legs across the bench, not bothering to hold on to anything.

We had an awesome time and will be going back next weekend.

Disclaimer: Ray is now the family's offical blogger.

2010-06-12T18:36:00.000-07:00

At the behest of my favorite sister, I am taking over blogging duties for my little fam-damn-ly. (Side note, Jen just passed by and announced, "What!? I may still blog sometimes." Please note her last entry date. "And monkeys may fly out of my butt." - Wayne Campbell)

As my first official act I give this little warning about myself : I am self-centered, crass, mean-spirited, a sore loser, reckless, overly opinionated, and often refer to people who don't look like me as "brown". To this day I hold a grunge against my own parents for not buying me cotton-candy at the circus when I was 4. F-O-U-R! I am now 34. Don't cross me.

Smile,
Ray

We finally got a new camera!!!!!!!!!

2009-11-30T18:47:00.000-08:00

We had a camera. A nice one. It died. At the zoo in Atlanta.

Now we have a new one. So I can start blogging again. Without stealing pictures.

(except ours is copper)

The Paper Paccie

2009-10-18T18:35:00.000-07:00

Around our house, the paccie may be gone but it is certainly not forgotten. Oh yes, Maddy goes to sleep just fine without it now but when she is having a rough day, Maddy still wants it! In fact, when we were recently discussing the "prize" to work towards for this "round" on the behavior chart, Cady wanted to work towards princess toothpaste but Maddy chose a paccie. Upon being denied that request, she settled on princess toothpaste too but I'm sure it's a pretty poor substitute for a paccie, in her book.

Recently, when Maddy had had a particularly difficult evening, she had a tough time falling asleep. She fussed and fussed. She cried and cried for her paccie. After a few attempts on my part to calm her down, big sis trotted upstairs to see what she could do to help. After a few minutes, Cady came back downstairs and began drawing. What was she drawing? You got it -- a paccie!! Her sister wanted a paccie, so Cady drew her one and carefully cut it out. She then took it up to Maddy, who quieted down soon thereafter.

The next morning when I went in to wake them up, Maddy was snuggled up in her crib, clutching her paper paccie.

Happy Birthday, Superman Guy!!

2009-10-08T15:18:00.000-07:00

Yes, today is Ray's birthday and yes, that is what Maddy said to him this morning!

Musings on motherhood

2009-09-10T18:11:00.000-07:00

My father, the great educator in my book, always used to say that a child's personality is formed by the time he/she is five years old. If that is the case, then we're in trouble. And I feel as if I'm the cause.

Let me vent. Our dear firstborn, Cady, can be sweet and so very helpful. Her temperament is can turn on a dime, however and she gets what we refer to as her "angry face." She tries me beyond anything I've ever experienced before. I pledge daily to myself and to God that I will be patient and loving, yet many days Cady pushes me (and pushes me and pushes me) to where I "lose it", sometimes before we're even out the door in the morning. Hair brushing is never good.

I want so badly to be consistent and calm and patient. I try. I really do. Really, really. But I feel as though the times that I have failed in that department have molded Cady into a sometimes angry, sometimes sad little girl and it breaks my heart. But when I see her treat her sister unkindly ... ooo, I get so mad. And pre-school? Not a fan sometimes. It's made her grow up faster than I'd like. Coming home with words like "Booty" and "boyfriend".

How can I teach my little girl to be kind and compassionate when I'm imperfect? I feel like Cady just remembers my outbursts and follows suit, instead of noting the rest of the time when I think I'm a pretty good mom.

And I guarantee that, in black and white, this does not sound like that big of a problem but if you could see the face, the stomping from the room, see how quickly she gets angry and frustrated, hear the "I hate homework", you'd understand why I tear up as I write this.

Visiting family (part 1)

2009-08-02T17:55:00.000-07:00

On July 2, the four of us flew up to Maryland to spend the long holiday weekend in Salisbury with Mom and Pat. Ray aptly described our visit in one word, serenity.

Highlights of our weekend (sans pictures due to the tragic passing of our camera) included:

Ray and I took Cady to the Hebron Fireman's Carnival, a little local carnival complete with cotton candy, Bingo and a rickety roller coaster. All was going well until we all loaded onto the ferris wheel ... the ride was reeeeaaaaallllly long and fast, and combined with some greasy carnival food, well, let's just say we headed home soon thereafter.
Ray helped Pat put in a house fan. This was a full-day project where Ray got to hone his installation skills, having put one in our house a few months ago.
After I drove Ray back to the airport in Baltimore, I drove to Alexandria, VA to spend some time with old friends. Jill and Amy, thanks for being great hostesses and Mom, thanks for watching the girls for a whole day!! It was wonderful to get away for a day, do a little shopping, and go out to dinner with friends.
Blueberry picking with Mom. We spent barely 30 minutes at a local farm and we picked a LOT of blueberries and we discovered that Cady is a great little picker! She is discriminating and enthusiastic!

We spent 9 days in Salisbury and we were still not ready to leave.

Visiting family (part 2)

2009-07-22T19:38:00.000-07:00

After spending a wonderful week in Maryland, we traveled down the Virginia Beach to spend the rest of our vacation with Ray's parents. With the exception of one cloudy day, the weather couldn't have been better for "beach week"!! It was a little cooler than usual July weather and sunny, sunny, sunny! We invited friends over for a couple mornings on the beach and spent some lovely evenings relaxing on the beach as well.

Grandma Weezie was kind enough to watch the girls several times so I could do fun things like shopping BY MYSELF, going out to breakfast with a dear friend, and going out on a girl date to see Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. Louise spoils me!!

On our last day in Virginia Beach, we went with Grandma Weezie to Hunt Club Farm, a local farm with a petting zoo. I was hoping for pony rides too but those are only on the weekends. Boo. The petting zoo was great though! We fed the goats, walked into the chickens' pen and Maddy even fed the horse. There was a giant sandbox that the girls played in for about 3 minutes. After playing on the playground, we ate our picnic lunch and headed home.

It was an absolutely fab-fab-fabulous (Cady's word) vacation and none of us wanted to come home, except to see Daddy!

Adieu to the pacifier!

2009-07-17T12:05:00.001-07:00

For months now, I have been planning to wean Maddy off her ever-more addicting pacifier. Apparently, children get MORE attached to the thing as they get older, so I've been dreading it. Putting it off. Avoiding it. But Ray suggested that we take advantage of our trip to visit our families and accidentally "leave" the pacifiers there.

Make no mistake, it wasn't an accident and we didn't leave them there. That makes it doubly difficult when Maddy is asking, pleading and crying for her pacifier!!

We arrived home from our two-week vacation a week ago and we started our experiment that night. We figured that Maddy would be out of sorts after the vacation and all the traveling, so might as well add fuel to the fire and go for broke. Boy, did she wail! I think I was crying just as hard as she was, and it was so hard because I knew exactly where the object of her desire was. If Ray hadn't been strong, I would've broken down.

But I have to say, since that first night, it's been bearable. Not enjoyable, but bearable. Maddy still asks for her pacifier daily but isn't crying for it. The worst side effect is that, since her mouth isn't plugged up, she won't quiet down and GO TO SLEEP when it's bedtime or naptime!! She talks to her bear, her babies, Cady, herself, whoever. It's taking her an average of an hour to fall asleep at naptime. And for those of you who know me well, you know that I don't like variations in sleep schedules ... but we're surviving!!

HOT + Atlanta = Our trip to HOTlanta!

2009-06-21T18:14:00.000-07:00

The girls and I spent a few days visiting the R5 in Atlanta last week and had a great time! The afternoons were so hot that the only logical choice for the afternoons was playing and relaxing at the pool.

On Thursday morning, we took the five kids to Zoo Atlanta. The R5 kids have been many times and were expert tour guides. We got to see lion cubs frolicking, turtles procreating (check YouTube for that one ... the zoo visitor next to us video taped it), and five Mechling kids sweating!! Lots!! IT WAS HOT!! Whew. So we wrapped up our animal viewing by lunch time and had a picnic in the adjoining Grant Park. It was on the walk over to the park that our camera took what I believe to be a fatal fall off the stroller, so it may be a while before you see any original pictures from me!!

As with most family gatherings, however, it wasn't the planned activities that were the best but rather just "hanging out." The kids had fun playing dress up together and splashing around at the pool. And Resa and I enjoyed chatting about everything from food to family, as well as watching Twilight on Wednesday night. We'd both seen it before but what can I say??

A small Rogers reunion

2009-06-09T17:48:00.000-07:00

A couple weekends ago, we drove down to Columbia to get together with the Rogers' side of Ray's family. We met at Saluda Shoals park, had lunch and let the kids play in the water playground. Cady really enjoyed playing in the water, but Maddy stayed close to "home" (me). Ray stayed behind the camera and worked his magic!

Cooling down at Baskin Robbins

2009-06-08T20:02:00.000-07:00

Well, it's June and it's officially H-O-T here in South Carolina, at least in my book (I've been accused of being a heat wuss!). So one evening last week, we grabbed one of our neighorhood friends and headed to our neighborhood 31 Flavors for an ice cream treat.

Reece's blast thingy for Maddy and me + sherbet for Cady and Julie = DELICIOUS!!

Memorial Day Weekend in Virginia

2009-06-08T19:42:00.001-07:00

In perhaps what is the start of a family tradition, Ray and all his siblings gathered with their families at "Mom and Dad's" house in Virginia Beach for Memorial Day weekend. We made it up in less than 8 hours, due in no small part to my disregard of the speed limit and the fact that there was hardly any trooper presence in North Carolina. We arrived late Thursday night and stayed through Tuesday afternoon and had TONS OF FUN!

We tried not to schedule too much the first few days and just relaxed at the beach and pool. On Saturday afternoon, however, we got together with the family of Jon's fiancee, Anna. We just spent time getting to know each other, mostly eating and talking poolside. The kids were the only ones to actually go swimming. And Ray was quietly taking LOTS of pictures. He's getting pretty good!!

Beach Time

2009-06-08T19:34:00.001-07:00

Of course, being in Virginia BEACH, we spent quite a bit of time on the beach. It's such wonderful, easy entertainment for the kids. Both Cady and Maddy are respectful of the water so I don't feel that I need to shadow their every move this summer. They had fun splashing, digging, wading and collecting beach treasures but most of all, they loved playing with their cousins.

The whole family spent a hot half hour on the beach on Saturday afternoon, posing for family portraits. It was well worth it and the professional photos turned out very well, but I have to say that I think Ray's casual snapshots are pretty fantastic, too!!

Back at Busch Gardens

2009-06-08T19:33:00.001-07:00

We wrapped up our weekend of family fun by spending Memorial Day at Busch Gardens Williamsburg. Most of the day was spent divided up into two family groups: those who love to ride the big roller coasters (Ray and all his siblings) and those who don't as much/at all (Me, brother-in-law Tyler, and all the kids plus Grandma Weezie). Although I'm fairly sure Ray had a blast riding all the big coasters, I can't speak for him. I know that the "kiddie group" had an unexpectedly good time!! Something about watching your kids squeal with glee that just makes your day happy.
Maddy and Cady rode all of the kiddie rides possible, like the carousel, the little WWI airplanes and the miniature Clydesdales, but Cady also managed to stretch tall enough to go with Daddy on the Big Bad Wolf!! Wow. Ray is pleased with how his future roller coaster buddy is coming along!!

The whole fam met up in the German Fest Haus for lunch and Oktoberfest music/dancing, rode some more rides and called it a day by 6ish. We then drove over to the Great Wolf Lodge (of which we unfortunately have no pics) to spend the night. We spent the next morning in the indoor water park before heading back to SC and reality!

A date with my daughter

2009-06-05T18:38:00.000-07:00

I'm quite behind on blogging but I'm just going to start with "now" for now!

Tonight, Cady and I went on a date. We went to the movies to see the new Disney Pixar flick, UP. It was so cute. I laughed. I cried. I think I liked it more than Cady did, because so much of the subtle humor goes over the head of a 4-year old. But she sure liked going out with her mama. She kept saying, "I love you, Mama! This is so fun!" And her mama sure liked going out with her (that was a whole lot of "mama", huh? Have we been in the South too long??).

A funny post script: In the movie there is reference to the "quiet game". You know, the one wherein the first one who talks, loses. On the way home in the car, Cady enthusiastically suggested that we play the quiet game. I was happy to comply. After about 30 seconds, Cady announced that she didn't want to play anymore. It was not fun! I laughed out loud!

Cady Lady turns 4!

2009-02-23T18:57:00.000-08:00

Cady turned 4 last Sunday -- an event that she had been eagerly awaiting for, oh, about 11 months. We scheduled her party for the day before her birthday (Valentine's Day) and began planning a Princess Party (if Ray resisted pink when Cady was first born, I've resisted princess culture for as long as possible but I've surrendered!). Cady had been debating for months who to invite. Although she had considered inviting a couple of boys from preschool, she opted for all girls when I informed her that a princess party wouldn't fly if there were boys. We discussed party themes that both boys and girls would like, and after realizing that our best idea was a penguin party, we returned to the princess theme!

So her four little friends joined us for a morning of princess painting, wand making, and cupcake decorating. They had a lot of fun, but I think they would have had just as much fun if we had just let them play up in Cady's room! Live and learn ... don't prepare so much or get so stressed out about children's birthday parties!

Our Southern Gal

2009-02-23T11:49:00.000-08:00

For the second time since we have moved to South Carolina, Cady is going through what I call her "Southern Gal" phase. Essentially, that means that she makes one-syllable words into two-syllable words when she talks.

For example, "there" becomes "tha-yare." "Yeah" becomes "yay-ah." I promise you, writing does not accurately capture it.

I think we're going to take an extended trip north of the Mason-Dixon line sometime this summer!!

Ode to Baseboards

2009-02-02T15:44:00.000-08:00

From Ray: I'd like to dedicate my first blog entry to my father, Daddy Ray. Unless you are one of the three other people who grew up with me, you won't find the humor in this.

First Day of School

2009-01-20T10:13:00.000-08:00

Last Friday, I was interviewed and hired to teach 2 sections of senior Government/Economics (yikes) at a nearby high school. The position is for the second semester which was SUPPOSED to start today but ... it snowed last night!! I tried not to be hopeful or at least set my expectations on a mere delay but it snowed about an inch, and here in South Carolina, that means CANCELLATION!!

Cady could hardly wait to get outside but even her excitement couldn't keep her warm! We bundled up and tumbled outside, stomped around, threw some snowballs and then got COLD. The girls lasted about 10 minutes. We just don't have wardrobes that are designed for long-term play in the snow. But I did snap a few photos (which blogspot is telling me that's it's uploaded but they're not showing up) ... stay tuned.

Daddy's little helpers

2009-01-13T16:45:00.000-08:00

When my folks came down for the holidays, they brought with them 2 very sturdy wood stools, much appreciated hand-me-downs, as the girls were always fighting over our one kitchen stool. The only thing ... the "new" stools were emblazoned with Winnie the Pooh. I am not a Pooh fan, so we bought a can of Colonial Red spraypaint and Ray was ready to spearhead a new (and easy!) project. He gave each of the girls some sandpaper and showed them what to do. Don't worry, he didn't let Maddy use the spray paint!!

Naptime activities

2009-01-08T18:38:00.000-08:00

As Cady has dropped her nap for the most part (I'm SOOOO sad about that but I'll refrain from whining!), we are now seeking alternate activities for those few hours when Maddy is sleeping and Cady is not. As a former anti-princess mom, I've now come around and see the value of 90 minutes of Cinderella. I can get a lot of cleaning/napping done in 90 minutes! Some days, we work outside or do art projects. Yesterday, however, Cady had a different idea ... washing dishes.

I completely approve.

Our second Christmas in Spartanburg

2009-01-08T18:03:00.000-08:00

We stayed at home for Christmas again this year and were lucky enough to have both of our parents come to us. Ray's parents were here the week of Christmas and my folks came down from Maryland the following week. We had so much fun having the grandparents here.

Christmas day was wonderful! Ray is a great (albeit last-minute) Santa. It is becoming his tradition to go out Christmas Eve afternoon and doing his shopping. Crazy, in my opinion, but it works for him! So after staying up until 2 am (without me!), Ray had the living room ready for the big day. And it was BIG. I think we've decided not to buy our children any gifts next year. Kidding ... kind of. Seriously, Maddy didn't even open all her gifts. She just quit. No quitting for Cady however. She was up to the task of all the present-opening (see picture below of Cady clutching all her "stuff"). She did receive her #1 request from Santa: a kid's digital camera. Maddy loved her dress-up attire most of all! And Santa was thoughtful enough to get Ray yet another accessory for his tool belt!!

Christmas afternoon and evening were all about food, FOOD, FOOD!! We had the traditional Christmas ham, mashed potatoes and other fixings, as well as ambrosia courtesy of Daddy Ray. Ray also decided to make homemade cinnamon rolls and they were mmmm, mmmm, good, as demonstrated by Cady licking the spatula!

A quick visit to Atlanta

2009-01-08T17:49:00.000-08:00

A few weeks before Christmas, I traveled down to Atlanta with the girls to attend a baby shower for Ray's cousin Jenn. We discovered that to travel to most places on "this" side of Atlanta, it's less than 3 hours. Not bad. Not bad at all. OK, I had to pack snacks, books, and other car activities (i.e. DVD player!), but the girls traveled great!

We stayed the night with another of Ray's cousins who live in the suburbs of Atlanta, Ron and Resa and their lovely children. Their youngest is Cady's age and she was so excited to spend the night at her cousins' house. The girls loved playing with new toys and new playmates, and Mommy loved doing a little shopping. Oh, driving to Perimeter Mall made me miss Northern Virginia! Not that it looked like NoVa but it FELT like it, busy, busy, busy and I loved it!! I have a feeling we'll be visiting Atlanta again real soon!

And I should mention that Resa took over 100 pictures of our girls, in an attempt to help me get some usable photos for a Christmas card this year. The pictures of Cady and Maddy on our card are courtesy of Resa ... thanks for not giving up, Resa, even when I was ready to quit trying!!

Happy Birthday, Maddy!

2008-12-20T18:13:00.000-08:00

Two short/long years ago, our little Madinator came into this world. She is such a sweet, funny little girl and we are so happy to have her around!

We will always have to try to keep her birthday separate from Christmas and I think we did a pretty good job this year (as opposed to all the OTHER years!). We had a special dinner with her grandparents from Virginia, followed by birthday cupcakes, or just birthday frosting if you are Maddy or Cady! The usual present opening came next and the funniest thing was that her favorite gifts were ... the new doll?? No. The cool toddler markers? No. The new outfits? YES. She had to try each outfit on and proudly modeled them. I've never seen a 2-year old that liked clothing so much!! Funny girl. I'll post the pics soon ...

A Weekend in Charleston

2008-11-26T17:50:00.000-08:00

A couple weekends ago, Ray and I took the girls and headed down to Charleston for Ray's 10-year reunion at The Citadel. (Go, Bulldogs!) We rented a house with a few of his former classmates and, as the only children there, our girls had a great time entertaining everybody with there adorable-ness.

On Saturday, the rain held off long enough for us to take Cady and Maddy over to the campus to see the Summerall Guards perform and to stroll around the campus. We briefly visited Summerall Chapel ... we didn't want our giggling, cackling girls running around the pews to disrupt anyone's quiet meditation! Our favorite campus stop was probably the bell tower. We were very close to it at one point, and when it began to chime, the girls were very drawn to it. So we all took the very scary, small elevator to the top of the bell tower and got to the see the guy who "plays" the bells doing what he does. It was pretty cool!

Now, we had been "selling" this whole campus visit to Cady with "parade" as the key attraction. Parade is when all the cadets march out on the parade ground in the center of campus and do, as Ray calls it, a big "dog and pony show." All morning long, as we're touring campus, Cady was asking about when "fawade" was going to start. When it finally did, I'm afraid it wasn't quite what she was hoping for. In 2 words: No floats. I think she thought her bubble bath that night in our jacuzzi tub was WAY better than parade!

Unfortunately (maybe), because of rain and naptime, we didn't get to go the football game in the afternooon, but we did brave the chilly rain to take the girls downtown to see some sights, like Rainbow Row and the Straw Market. We ducked into a big candy store for shelter and ended up with enough candy to last the whole ride home and then some. The next morning, which was sunny but cold, we went back downtown to take the girls on a little horse and carriage ride.

Deep thoughts ...

2008-11-11T16:41:00.001-08:00

Will there be food with Jesus? 'cuz I'll be hungwy.

--- Cady

Oh where, oh where has my Maddy gone?

2008-11-09T16:21:00.000-08:00

A couple weeks ago, Ray and I had a conversation wherein we agreed that Cady is definitely becoming more pleasant. We voiced the hope that the "thrilling three's" may be wrapping up a few months ahead of schedule. She certainly still has her moments (especially on days when she doesn't nap) but there's been a marked improvement in her overall attitude and temperament and it's been a lovely change.

Unfortunately, Cady's improvement apparently is coinciding with Maddy's descent into the "terrible two's". It's so depressing. Maddy has always, always been such a loving, happy baby/little girl and lately she has really begun to get disagreeable. "NO, MOMMY" is often said with an angry look but not as often as an emphatic "UH HUH!!" And heaven forbid I ask her to share anything. Like I said, disagreeable. Not all the time, but quite a bit more often than I would like and WAY more than she has ever been. It's a bummer ... right as I thought things were about to get blissful, what with Cady becoming such a happy helper. Oh well!

Potty training progress ...

2008-10-26T16:48:00.000-07:00

Well, we hit the wall and BROKE THROUGH!!! Cady is pooping on the potty like a champ and you know what did the trick??? A chart! A couple weeks ago, I was sitting with Cady watching a show on PBS called "Sid, the Science Kid". The whole show was about using charts to record data. When the show was over, Cady informed me that SHE wanted a chart and I saw my opportunity. I quickly typed up a "Poop on the Potty" chart and it has TOTALLY motivated her! Why didn't I think of a chart sooner?!?

Our Hero, Sid

2008-10-26T16:34:00.000-07:00

If you've been following our blog for a while, you may remember a post from a few months ago about our mouse problem. It inspired lots of responses and we received lots of advice. Ray tried all sorts of food items to attract the little bugger(s) to the traps, but to no avail. We had almost resigned ourselves to peacefully coexist.

A few weeks ago, a friendly orange tabby cat began frequenting our house along with several other homes on our street. As far as we can tell, no one claims him. Last Friday morning, our babysitter had mercy on the little guy and put out a bowl of milk out for him (her?). Later that day, when I opened the back door to take out the trash, what was lying in the middle of the doormat??? A mouse head. Yes, just the head. And the next day, I found another dead mouse by our outside trash bin. Now, I liked the little guy from the get-go because he's so friendly but after two dead mice, even Ray is liking him. It was Ray that dubbed him Sid, short for Sid Vicious ... seemed appropriate. Ray has now modified his previous stand of dislike of all cats. A cat that is USEFUL wins Ray's affection!!

(that's Sid camped out on our kitchen windowsill!)

HAPPY, HAPPY DAY!!!

2008-10-17T05:55:00.000-07:00

Life has been decidedly more hectic since I've begun this long-term sub job. So much so that last night I was wondering about the procedure for a sub getting a sub for a day next week.

But then this morning, WONDERFUL NEWS!!! A chemical leak a few miles from the school ... a styrene vapor leak to be specific! So I got all the way to school, only to be sent home by a district employee.

The whole way home I was praying that Ray had already left with the girls and HE HAD!!

AN ENTIRE MORNING TO MYSELF!!!! WHATEVER WILL I DO??

Where to begin? Laundry? Clean the blinds? Go to Target BY MYSELF??? Hmmm. I'm SOOOOO excited!! Can you feel it??! (oh, and I hope no one was hurt in the chemical leak ...)

The Potty Wars

2008-10-07T16:24:00.000-07:00

The Potty Wars have been raging here in the Mechling household for nearly a year. It's been Cady VS. Mom and Dad and, to be honest, we've been getting our bee-hinds kicked by a 3-year old. Cady has been going #1 on the potty since around last Christmas and that was a fairly painless process. #2, however, has been a completely different story!!

We had 2 incidents of #2 around the new year (10 months ago!!) and we've been coaxing/encouraging/bribing her to repeat the performance ever since. We've had many episodes of her sitting for 5, 10, 15 minutes on the potty, sometimes in tears, refusing to DO anything. So, it's been pull-up city, until a few days ago when Ray made the comment that diapers are for babies. Cady picked that up right away and since last week sometime, whenever I could tell that she needed to go #2, would refuse to put on a pull-up, but neither would she get on the potty. Not good.

After an accident at the park and some very painful tummy aches, I think things were finally starting to click in Cady's mind. Last night, while I was cooking dinner, I heard the usual, "Mommy, I need to show you something!" In the middle of dicing something, I responded, "Just a minute!" When Cady said,"Mommy, I really need to show you something in the potty!!" I envisioned that Maddy had unrolled an entire roll of toilet paper in the commode so I hurried into the bathroom and behold ... POOP IN THE POTTY!!

It was a very happy day!! Cady kept exclaiming "HOORAY!!! I went poopoo in the potty!!! I'm so proud!!" She was so excited so I hope that it's the beginning of the end of diapers. And I really hope it's not ANOTHER ten months before she goes poop in the potty again!!

p.s. I'm really sorry to write a post about potties and poop but anyone who has or has had a toddler KNOWS what a major part of your life potty training is!!

When Cady grows up

2008-10-02T18:49:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, I witnessed the most interesting conversation between Cady and Ray.

Cady: Daddy, when I grow up, I want to be a doctor!
Ray: Really? that's great!
Cady: No, I want to be a penguin.
Ray: uhhhhh ...
Cady: and when I get bigger, I want to be a giant.

Cady says lots of things that make me chuckle, but that one made me laugh out loud!!

Not to leave Maddy out ... her newest talent is taking off her pants and diaper. I discovered this when I went into her room after naptime recently and found her standing there in her crib in her shirt and her bare bottom, and the HUGEST grin on her face!!

Growing up and letting go

2008-09-24T12:39:00.000-07:00

Our baby Cady is growing up. She's been out of her crib for months now and Ray and I finally decided that it was time to get rid of it. This old house doesn't have enough space to store extra toothpicks, much less a crib! Since we will never be in a position again where we have 2 children in cribs at the same time (I know, never say never, blah, blah, blah), we opted to keep Maddy's and to put Cady's on Craigslist. Waalaa, 2 days later, it was riding away with a young family with a baby on the way.

You may wonder why I would even make mention of this. Well, I was unexpectedly emotional about it. My first baby slept in this crib. We arranged our first nursery using this crib. And when I was telling a friend about it later in the day, I started to choke up!! I know it's just a "thing" but it felt like letting go of a precious piece of Cady's infancy, like the moment pictured below, and it made me very sad. Perhaps a little overly sentimental, but then I'm not known for my stoicism!

The best time of year!

2008-09-24T12:34:00.000-07:00

I LOVE AUTUMN!! I love working inside the house, with the fresh breeze blowing in through the open windows. I love being able to play outside with my children and enjoy it without sweating/freezing to death. I hope this breezy, pleasant weather lasts until Thanksgiving -- ok, at least until Halloween -- because it just makes me happy!!

Good times in Garden City (SC)

2008-09-15T18:03:00.000-07:00

After Ray got home from work last Wednesday, we packed up the girls and headed to Garden City Beach, SC. Ray's grandmother has a condo there and she generously lets family members use it for vacations anytime! We invited our good friends, the Hullinger's, and good times were had by all (except for on the 4 hour trip ... if anyone has tips for smooth sailing on road trips with toddlers, I'd love to hear them!).

The condo could not be any better situated. It's right on the beach, which makes for beautiful sunrises (I admit I didn't see any of those!) and gorgeous moonlit waves at night.

On Thursday and Friday, it was quite overcast and a little rainy but we felt that, with kids, that was totally OK. They played and played and played on the beach without getting too hot. It was wonderful. Except for some occasional bucket conflicts and sand throwing, the four children got along very well and loved playtime every day on the beach.

Thursday morning, taking advantage of a rain break, Ray and I took Cady and Maddy down to see Tutta, his grandmother, who lives about 10 minutes south of Garden City. She is a delightful southern lady. The girls loved riding around the assisted living facility on Tutta's "cart", although Cady wanted her to go faster!

Thursday evening, Ray's mom (who was in town visiting her mother) offered to watch all the children (THANKS, Louise!), as long as the majority were in bed, so that Ray and I could go out with Nick and Julie. We went out to Broadway at the Beach in Myrtle Beach for dinner, then strolled around and checked out the shops afterward. On Friday evening, we decided to put the kids to bed early and make a delicious dinner at home. Ray grilled steaks, whipped up a Ceasar salad and a few other things and we had an amazing moonlit dinner on the balcony! Wouldn't mind doing THAT every night!!

Saturday was a perfect beach day ... sunny and warm! We wore the kids out on the beach for a few hours in the morning, but kept them cool with popsicles and pool breaks. Digging a big hole was a hit, too!

In the afternoon, Ray and I took the girls to the Garden City Pier and the Arcade. You grownups have probably been on dozens of piers and even more arcades so it may not sound too fun, but to toddlers, WHOA, it is EX-CITING!! Buying cheap trinkety crap with tickets you win from playing pointless games ... THAT is good times!

All in all, we did NOT want to come home!! And given the ride home, we shoulda stayed ... Cady threw up twice in the car on the way home. It was not pretty and I have to give a HUGE shout out to my husband here --- he was an absolute TROOPER at cleaning it all up, not just on the trip but doing the laundry when we got home. Thanks, honey!!!

Also, speaking of Ray, he was having lots of fun learning what our camera is capable of on this trip. Behold the results!! Isn't that black and white sketch COOL??

The Bulldogs visit Death Valley

2008-09-07T16:34:00.000-07:00

Thanks to a customer at work, Ray came by 2 tickets to yesterday's football game between Clemson and The Citadel. An EXTREMELY kind and generous friend offered to watch the girls for the afternoon, so the two of us set off on a football adventure!

For those of you who know us well, you know that The Citadel is Ray's alma mater and if you follow college football, you may already know how this story ends. But let me add our little details, in addition to whatever you may have seen on ESPN Sports Center!

After tailgating with a small contingent of Citadel grads outside the stadium, Ray and I headed in and UP to our seats. They could've been higher but they were definitely in the upper deck! And no matter which way you looked, there was a LOT of orange. I told Ray that perhaps it's so striking because both his and my alma maters wear shades of blue to the games, colors that you would wear any old day. Clemson orange is so bright and blaring, NO ONE wears it except on game day!!

The final score was 45 - 17, I believe, so there was lots of Tiger growling and spelling of C-L-E-M-S-O ..... (pause, as if trying to remember how to spell) N!!! I think that Ray's favorite part was yelling "Roll Tide" at strategic moments, to remind the Clemson fans surrounding us that they had been stomped by Alabama last week.

Leaving my baby

2008-09-03T19:07:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was a sad, sad day for me.

For various reasons, Ray and I have decided that it's time for me to test the waters and get my foot back in the classroom. So, I have committed to cover the maternity leave for a Spanish I teacher at an area high school. For the sake of clarification, I AM NOT PREGNANT!! It's someone else's maternity leave and it starts in 2 weeks. In order to make it all work, we enrolled Maddy at the preschool that Cady attends, which we love. Her first day was yesterday.

Ohhhhh, I was sad. Dreading it. She is so little. Not even 2. I took her into her new classroom last week, just to see it and she seemed quite happy, checking everything out. However, I was sure that she would just FREAK OUT when Mommy LEFT HER THERE.

Didn't happen. Cady and I went with Maddy into her new class and they both wandered off to explore. I chatted with the teacher for a minute then snuck out the door. I know "they" say that you shouldn't sneak off but I wussed out. I went on my merry way (ok, not so merry ... I cried in the car) and got SOOOOOO much done in 3 hours with zero children. When I returned to pick the girls up, I asked the teacher if Maddy had cried when I left. Nope. Just when Cady left to go to HER class. That's good, right??

My Absence

2008-08-28T13:35:00.000-07:00

As my girls are currently taking a MONSTER LONG nap, I figured I'd better blog just a little. Things have been a little busy around here. With our trip up to Virginia and me reading Breaking Dawn, I just haven't been staying on the blogging bandwagon very well! Plus, my newest little internet addiction ... Facebook. Pretty cool to get back in touch with people from the long lost past ... and cool peeps from the present. So does that account for my lack of blogging? I hope so. As soon as we get some pictures (our camera is lame!), I'll post something about Ray's brother's wedding reception in VA.

On Becoming your Mother ...

2008-08-08T17:29:00.000-07:00

I had one of those funny (not ha-ha) moments today when I had the sharp realization that I had just done almost EXACTLY something that my mother had done when I was young ... and that I have teased her about many, many times since.

For those of you who know my mom, you know, as I do, that there are few people in the world more patient, kind and soft-spoken as she is. I truly aspire to be more like her. I can count on ONE HAND the times I remember her raising her voice at me and getting angry (I've already far surpassed that and I've only had kids for 3 and 1/2 years!). One of those times, however, is still etched in my memory.

This is how it went down ... I was about 9 or 10 and was immersed in reading the Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis. It must have been a Saturday or during the summer because I was home during the day, and my mom asked me to do some chores around the house while she went outside to do something (we lived on a 30+ acre chicken farm at the time -- there was always a lot to do!). Well, instead of doing whatever she had asked, I ran to my room to keep reading. When I heard the door and knew that Mom was back inside, I jumped up and tried to LOOK as though I had been industrious ... but like all good moms, she was not fooled!! And boy, was she mad!! She tore my book right in half!!! And I've never let her forget it. Well, as they say, what goes around, comes around.

Today, Cady was reading her new Snow White book that we had gotten yesterday at the dollar store. Maddy was trying to grab the book and Cady was vehemently protesting and yanking it back. In the ensuing tug-of-war, a page tore and Cady freaked out. "She tore my book!!" If this had been an isolated incident of not-sharing gone awry, I may have reacted more calmly, but Cady acts as if every toy and book in the whole house are hers and I lost my temper and ...

yep, you guessed it, I grabbed the book and tore it in half. I immediately froze and my heart sank, because I knew that I could never, ever tease my mom again about her totally understandable actions over 20 years ago!!

A Quick Commentary

2008-08-07T18:23:00.000-07:00

I saw a few gas stations today with regular Unleaded priced at $3.54 and got pretty excited. That's sad, huh?

My Handy Husband

2008-08-05T10:40:00.000-07:00

I was reminded yesterday of what a incredible blessing it is to have such a handy husband. Due to a big storm on Saturday night, our A/C compressor stopped working. We suffered through Sunday and, after some trouble shooting, Ray OK-ed a phone call to a local A/C repair company. The technician came out yesterday afternoon (did I mention the house was getting HOT!!!??!), looked at the compressor for about 3 minutes and then wrote up a bill for over $500 dollars, to include parts and all labor.

$500!!!!

I called Ray to give him the details and he told me to find out what parts were needed, but that he would do the repair himself, thank you very much ... AND HE DID!!! The diagnostic by the technician was $89 and the parts were $30 ... you do the math. Ray saved us $400!!! It's so comforting to me to know that I do NOT have to subject myself to highway robbery. And if Ray doesn't know how to do it, he'll figure it out, that's for sure!

Not to mention that he's saved us thousands of dollars by doing so much of the labor during our home improvement phase on this house. He's learned plumbing, electricity, carpentry and more. The only thing, he says, that he hasn't learned YET is masonry ... and I don't doubt that he will!!

It's pathetic that, of the dozens and dozens of pictures we have of the remodeling process on this house, we have so very few shots of Ray actually working. They're mostly before and after shots of various rooms, but hardly any of Ray doing the work to get it from the before to the after. In fact, the top one is one of those rare shots but the one below is, well, if I tell you that baby is Cady, you'll know how old that picture is!!

Our "little" mouse

2008-08-01T17:36:00.000-07:00

For several weeks now, we have been aware of a little freeloader living in our house. Yes, we have a mouse and not by choice! We don't know where he came from but he seems quite content here and is unconcerned by Ray's efforts to end his life. Up until two days ago, Ray and I had both seen him once. He was a an itty, bitty thing (not that that derailed our efforts to kill him ... I'm so grossed out by him, no matter his size, that I couldn't even choose a picture for this entry of a REAL mouse without my skin crawling).

Everything changed, however, two nights ago. Ray heard him in our baking cabinet. As with most old houses, the kitchen is NOT laid out like a modern kitchen and the cabinet space is minimal and spread out throughout the kitchen. The cabinet that holds the baking supplies is not adjoining any other cabinet and is, as Ray pointed out, hardly ever opened by me. So Ray carefully opened the cabinet door and spied the little rodent holed up in a bag of flour. He called me downstairs from midst of putting Cady to bed, with the instructions to "leave Cady upstairs", which of course she would have none of. So we both came down.

Ray asked, "do you wanna see him?"

We both say "NO" but cautiously approach.

Ray had a 2-cup measuring cup in hand to catch our little buddy. He reached into the cabinet and the thing jumps out and runs like a big, fat bat outta hell. Munching his way through a bag of flour had increased his size dramatically. And I regret to tell you that

ALL THREE OF US SCREAMED LIKE LITTLE GIRLS!!!

And I regret even more to tell you that I was the first one out of the room, leaving my daughter unprotected, in the company of her screaming daddy. As I write this, I laugh at the vision of it in my head but it was NOT funny at the moment.

Cady was quite upset by the whole episode. Not just by seeing the mouse, but even moreso by the sight of her daddy screaming and just as scared as the next person (don't let him tell you otherwise!!). As we went into Round #2 of putting her to bed, she kept asking why he was screaming and who was going to take care of her now. We're trying to re-establish her confidence in Ray's prowess as Daddy by lying to her and telling her that Daddy chased the mouse down to the basement and killed him. Is that wrong??

We'll keep you posted as to when Mr. Mouse REALLY meets his end. I hope it's soon!!

Our visit to Cleveland Park

2008-07-26T17:19:00.000-07:00

We have just about the greatest little park here in town. Cleveland Park used to be a haven for hoods and drug dealers but the city turned it around a few years ago and it is wonderful! There's a lovely little lake with ducks to feed, a huge playground as well as a miniature train that circles the park. We met our friends the Hullinger's there this morning and had a great time, even though it was overcast and sprinkling on and off.

The highlight of visiting Cleveland Park is always riding the train, but today was special because the conductor let Cady ride up front with him and "drive". She was absolutely thrilled and honked the horn so much that a less kindly old man may have lost his patience.

Twilight and Brigham Young

2008-07-26T16:17:00.000-07:00

The past couple weeks have felt long to me. I know it's because all I was noticing was the hard things about motherhood. I just felt tired of being bossed around (Cady), resisted (Cady), bitten, screamed at and hit (all 3 Maddy). Exhausted. Going through the motions. It's like I knew I was not in a good place but I didn't know how to fix it.

Two days ago, I checked out mentally for the day after I checked out New Moon from the library, the second book in the Twilight series by Stephanie Meyer. I started reading during naptime and finished by 10:30 that night. I cannot put those books down ... they are sooooooo good and now I'm regretting that I didn't put the next one on hold at the library already!!

So after a day of indulging in mental escapism, I knew it was back to business. And I discovered something pretty simple but pretty profound. It's related to a quote by Brigham Young. Referring to prayer, he said once "If you don't feel like praying, get down on your knees and pray 'til you feel like praying!" Well, I discovered yesterday that the same thing applies to playing with my children. If I don't feel like getting down on the floor and playing with them, then I'd better get down on the floor and play with them until I feel like playing!! And it took a while but I broke through the wall and boy, am I glad I did.

I did a stupid thing!

2008-07-26T16:10:00.000-07:00

It's one of those things where I debated what to do and now I realize, as Maddy is screaming upstairs, that I made the WRONG choice.

This is what happened. Ray took Cady out after dinner, so I'm home with just Maddy. After bath-time, she insisted upon putting her shoes back on (what can I say ... Maddy is all girl, she loves purses and shoes!). So I read her some books and put her to bed without the usual loud interruptions from her older sister.

Ahhh. It was so nice.

After I closed her door, I was cleaning up and realized, as I was collecting shoes and clothes, that I had put Maddy down with her shoes on. I paused and thought, "hmmm, what should I do? Let her sleep all night with shoes on or go in a take them off?" Well, I went in, interrupted her quiet pre-sleep zoning out and took off her shoes and slipped back out. Bad move. The screaming began. I'm not just talking fussing, but SCREAMING!! Oh well, next time I put my kid down with shoes on, I'll take 'em off in the morning!!

6-word memior

2008-07-12T17:39:00.000-07:00

I was tagged 2 months ago by my friend Robin (Checketts) Chapman and it has taken me that long to come up with something that I felt was fitting, yet stayed within the 6 word guideline. No, I didn't forget, Robin!! So this is it: Loyal to God, family, and friends.

I may not be perfect at it yet, but loyalty and fulfilling commitments are things that I take very seriously and it drives me batty when other people don't. If you say you're going to call a friend, CALL THEM!! (pet peeve) I recently found out that, several years ago, I had deeply hurt one of my dearest friends from high school through some inadvertently thoughtless actions on my part. I felt SOOOO bad. I want so very much to be a good friend, daughter, wife, mother, aunt, and daughter of God. I'm not there yet but I'm trying.

Here are the rules:
1. Write your own six word memoir.
2. Post it on your blog and include a picture if you want.
3. Link to the person who tagged you in your post.
4. Tag at least five more blogs with links.
5. Leave a comment on the tagged blogs with an invitation to play.

I tag Paige, Creedence, Kate L., Hermana Cindy, and Lori Cavin. Have fun, girls!

Good news and a good book

2008-07-10T19:17:00.001-07:00

For those of you who have been following the saga of our two homes and our efforts to sell one of the darn things for years now, you will be happy to know that our home in Virginia Beach has rented to a Naval officer and his family. Renting was not our preference but it's certainly preferable to foreclosing in these dire times, isn't it?!? So they move in on Saturday and we will then be back to paying one mortgage ... what bliss!!!

The reason that I'm posting this so late at night is that I have been reading a book today that I could barely put down, except for necessities like feeding my children. I got totally immersed in it! I even let Cady watch more Dora than usual after Maddy had gone to bed so that I could read in peace!! It's called Mudbound by Hillary Jordan. I checked it out from the library this morning and just finished it and it's over 300 pages. OK, I do tend to skim when a book is really good and I just want to find out what's going to happen but it has been quite a while since I read a book that I couldn't put down! Love and murder in the Jim Crow South ... good stuff.

Fun at the family reunion

2008-07-09T18:09:00.000-07:00

This past weekend was the Mechling Family Reunion and, coming from someone with ONE first cousin on my mother's side and only a few more on the other, IT WAS SO FUN!! Family, fun and lots of food ... what more could you want?

There were about 25 adults and almost 10 children under the age of 8, with most clustered in the 2 - 4 age range. Cady's favorite new vocabulary word is definitely "cousins"!! There were a few pre-planned children's activities like sidewalk painting and bubbles, but they mostly enjoyed driving around in the fleet of mini-cars available for their use. After driving up into a flower bed once, Cady did pretty well and Maddy was usually a willing passenger!

We parents got in on the fun when it came to the boating activities. Cady and I rode the tube together and she even got to drive the boat for a few minutes ... thanks Uncle Ron! Ray supervised the construction of Cady's first 'Smore and it was a big hit! Lucky for you that I'm not posting any pictures of those activities because I guar-on-TEE you that our children are much more photogenic than we are!

Farewell to G' Weezie and Daddy Ray

2008-07-09T17:51:00.001-07:00

Some people may think it a terrible thing to have their in-laws visit for 2 weeks but I consider myself lucky to NOT be one of those people!! Ray's parents left today after an on-and-off visit of over 2 weeks and I AM SAD!! Although we didn't see a whole lot of Daddy Ray (he was working hard from sunup to sundown at the print shop), we got to spend lots and lots of time with Grandma Weezie!

We didn't do much out of the ordinary but it's always MORE fun with Grandma along. Cady and Maddy enjoyed having her at story time at the library, at the neighborhood park and shopping for goodies at the dollar store. Mommy enjoyed all of that, as well as conversations with an adult and all the unsolicited (but very welcome) help around the house.

We love you, Louise!

Comments from Cady

2008-07-07T19:41:00.001-07:00

Cady was perhaps a bit of a "late talker" but she sure is making up for it now. She is quite the chatty girl ... it's like having a running commentary on our life from a 3-year old's point of view.

Lately, she has said some things that I thought needed to be remembered ...

"I like ants because I die them."
(she hasn't really grasped the difference in usage between "kill" and "die".)

After a frustrating tooth-brushing episode, I make the mistake of asking,
"Cady, do you like to make Mommy mad?"
She, in total seriousness, replies, "yes."
Great. She's only 3.

We have been trying to teach Cady the concept of obedience, to us, to God, and that when you obey, you feel happy. Obviously, we need to adjust our teaching techniques because she recently stated, "You obey, then you die." Hmmmm.

Ray's personal favorite: "Dammit." That would be from our daughter, not from him. Yes, she said that today after trying to put an especially heavy piggy bank up on the table. After swallowing my laughter, I tried to emphasize that that is not a nice word. Cady pondered and asked, "you mean, like 'butt'?"

Before you begin to think that Cady is a profane little girl obsessed with death, let me add that this is also the girl who declares, "I love my little sister. She's my best friend" and tenderly tells me she loves me when we snuggle in bed. She's a wonderful, bright and fun girl and I love her dearly.

Summer Dayz

2008-07-02T17:46:00.000-07:00

Boy oh boy, these pictures say it all ... well, almost. Yesterday was one of those wonderful summer days, sunny, warm but not too humid, which is rare in South Carolina. After naptime, we hooked up the Elmo sprinkler and had some fun!! There's just something that kids love about running through a sprinkler!! When they were ready for a break, we sat down on the steps for some refreshing Italian ice. It was one of those moments in time when I actually p a u s e d and appreciated the simplicity of it, and the miracle of Cady and Maddy playing together for a rather extended period of time! It was absolutely beautiful.

Cady's first love

2008-06-26T18:17:00.000-07:00

I would not be doing justice to Cady's childhood experience so far if I neglected to devote some space to the first boy she has ever loved ... well, the second if you count Daddy as a boy. Anyway, Cady loves Calliou. She was a fan of Elmo for a time when she was younger and she enjoys watching Curious George on PBS as well, but Calliou wins her undivided adoration. Hands down. She's been devoted to him since November, at least, and that's longer than I ever had a boyfriend until I was like 22.

For those of you unacquainted with preschool programming on PBS, Calliou is a little 4-year old boy with no hair and a whiny voice that can drive a grown-up crazy. Sometimes when we're watching, I hear him speaking with the exact same whine that Cady has adopted. Not good. BUT Cady loves him because he experiences things that every other child in North America does. She is so thrilled when she sees him in a situation that she herself has experienced too, like the first day of preschool or getting in trouble after playing with Mommy's make-up. When those moments come along, she sits bolt upright on the couch and watches with complete attentiveness, often with facial expressions to match Calliou's.

I have to admit that, as far as children's shows go, Calliou is one of my favorites too (barring the whining). It's so real ... Cady really identifies with the little family of four. There are no dragons or talking aardvarks or red monsters or singing purple dinosaurs. Although fostering imagination is good, I'm a fan of reality ... and really, isn't a whiny kid about as real as it gets??

more vacationing in Virginia (read next entry first!)

2008-06-19T12:10:00.000-07:00

After our visit in MD, Mom and Pat drove us down the Eastern Shore and over the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel to Virginia Beach, where we stayed a few days with Ray's parents. Needless to say, we spent some time every day ON THE BEACH!! Wow, we certainly miss living 15 minutes from the beach!! It's such easy entertainment for the kids ... a couple of buckets, watering cans and a shovel and you're set for a couple hours.

And it's one of my favorite places. I love the smells and the sounds of the beach. I love the call of the seagulls and the soothing, constant crashing of the waves. I love the smell of sweat mixed sunscreen and salty water. Of course, the beach isn't as relaxing these days but it's still pretty great, as the pictures below attest.

the Mechling's in Maryland

2008-06-19T09:44:00.000-07:00

We just got back last night from our little northern adventure. First, the girls and I spent 5 nights with my mother and step-dad up in Maryland on their organic farm. It is so beautiful there!! They have several greenhouses, full of flowers and herbs of every kind, situated on about 5 acres. Everything was blooming everywhere!!

Day after day dawned warm and sunny, so we spent a lot of time outside, playing in the pool, feeding the horses and riding "bikes." It was interesting to see that Maddy, just like Cady 2 years ago, was enthralled with the animals. Her favorite was definitely Dixie, Mom's cat, who tolerated Maddy's affection with dignity (but then, have you ever known a cat that wasn't dignified?).

We also got to spend some time with some special people, both friends and family, including my brother Bud and my neice Maya, as well as my dearest friends from high school.

Happy Father's Day!

2008-06-15T19:27:00.000-07:00

We did not get to see our daddy today, as me and the girls have been up visiting my family in Maryland ... we "celebrated" Father's Day with Ray last Monday night. Cady enjoying opening Ray's gifts and cards at least as much as he did and he patiently allowed her to treat his presents as her own!

If I've said it once, I've said it a hundred times, "Ray loves his girls!!" He loves to get his hugs from Maddy, morning and evening. He loves teach Cady new things and see her excel, especially anything related to being athletic. He truly is excited to have Cady be his roller coaster buddy in the future. He's so patient and tolerant with their "Xtreme" rough-housing, and rarely complains when he's trying to sleep in a little but two little girls come and attack him in bed. I am thankful for him and the things he does to support and strengthen our family!

Hello, Summer Vacation!

2008-06-09T18:01:00.000-07:00

Cady has officially been on summer vacation for 2 weeks now and I think we are both still adjusting. Even though she ended the year by resisting school each morning, I know Cady enjoyed the activities and playing with friends. It certainly had to be more exciting than hanging around with Mom and Maddy all day! I, of course, am learning to go about my day without that little break each morning.

We have lots of fun things planned for our summer, starting with a trip up to Maryland to visit my folks. We fly out of Charlotte tomorrow and we're excited!! Who would've thought there would be a direct flight from Charlotte to Podunk, Maryland?? Those of you know me well enough, know that I'm not actually from a town called Podunk, it's really called Smallsbury ... Salisbury, really.

Anyway, Cady performed in the end-of-the-year program on the last day of school. Luckily, the girl in her class who was supposed to be

front and center

got stage fright and started screaming for her mommy. She was yanked to the sidelines and Cady got her spot!! I thought you might like to see her in action. She's in the red poodle skirt, swinging her hips and NOT following the lead of the music teacher AT ALL!!

(excuse the videography ... I did the best I could with Maddy hanging on my arm!)

My Nemesis

2008-06-07T18:18:00.000-07:00

Yes, that's right, my nemesis is grape juice (not limited to Welch's). I've never been a huge fan of it as a juice drinker, unless it's mixed with some other berry juice. However, having children drinking grape juice has deepened my emotion for this libation to loathing. Do you know how very difficult it is to get grape juice out of clothes?

I don't mean to spend a blog post on something as trivial as stain removal but it seems that I have been spending SO much time doing that very thing lately. It has been quite a learning experience. Even though vinegar or lemon juice after boiling water does help get out grape juice, if you can't bleach it as the last step, then you're pretty much stuck with it. Cady had a complete outfit casualty yesterday, thanks to the stuff. I dumped the remainder of the bottle down the drain this morning.

With you all as my witnesses, I will never buy grape juice again.

On a positive note, I did successfully remove a huge wad of bubble gum from a dress with the help of WD-40. Crazy.

Memorial Day Weekend in Virginia

2008-05-29T11:21:00.000-07:00

Early Friday afternoon, our little family joined the millions of others who opted to pay nearly $4 p/gallon for gas and headed up to Virginia to spend the holiday weekend with the Mechlings, minus brother Ben who couldn't get away from school in Utah. It was a jam-packed vacation!! On Saturday, we visited the Virginia Zoo with our friends the Felty's, spent time at the beach and had evening dinner with friends.

Sunday was church and, Ok, lots of relaxing. Whenever we were hanging out in the condo, Cady loved just playing around with her cousins Sydney and Trace or watching Sleeping Beauty (again with Sydney and Trace). In other words, Cady loved having some little buddies to play with that can hold their own ... Maddy still isn't quite up to Cady's speed!

(someone kindly dug a ginormous hole and left it for our kids to enjoy!)

On Monday, we all drove up to Williamsburg, VA to spend the day/night at the Great Wolf Lodge. What a great place for families with kids!! Water slides and pools for all ages. Our kids enjoyed splashing around in the wading pool the most. Ray went down all the water slides for the "grown-ups" and even convinced me to go on The Tornado with him once. We spent the next day at Busch Gardens Europe. It was lots of fun, not TOO hot and the little kids were troopers. By that, I mean that the 3 older kids had a blast but Maddy and 3-month old Nash were troopers, riding around in strollers all day long. Maddy did ride a few kiddie rides and Cady rode everything she could. Daddy was bummed that she wasn't QUITE tall enough to ride the Big Bad Wolf because Mommy is a wuss. One time was enough for me!!

I heart naptime!

2008-05-28T11:15:00.001-07:00

Both girls are napping right now and, lemme tell you, after our drive home from Virginia last night, I'm loving the quiet. Poor Cady was trying to sleep from about 9 pm on, but Maddy was so excessively overtired from back-to-back days of family fun at the Great Wolf Lodge and Busch Gardens that she couldn't sleep. Isn't it crazy that babies are like that ... the more over-tired they are, the worse they sleep? Anyway, she slept in little snatches for a few hours then pretty much cried continuously from Charlotte until we got home. It was brutal and all the girls (including me) slept in this morning. Poor Daddy had to be at work at 7 am!

Pics and posts to come about our fun times in Virginia!

A trip to the DMV

2008-05-21T18:04:00.000-07:00

Today, I finally broke down and did something that I've put off as long as humanly possible ... I got South Carolina license plates for our car. So I guess we're officially official residents now. Yippee.

A Reading Mother

2008-05-21T17:11:00.000-07:00

There are many things for which I hope that my girls express gratitude someday. One thing I hope that they learn to appreciate is the power of the written word and the sheer joy of losing yourself in a good book, although I hope that they have more willpower than I do to put that good book down! I pray that they may someday be thankful for a mother who read to them. Since I sometimes find them sitting alone in their rooms "reading" a book, I hope we're already on that path.

I stumbled across a poem the other day called "The Reading Mother" that expresses this perfectly. Here's a verse from it:

You may have tangible wealth untold

Caskets of jewels and coffers of gold.

Richer than I you can never be.

I had a Mother who read to me.

Current favorites for the girls include "The Cat in the Hat" (Cady) and an Elmo lift-the-flap book about Balls and any book with pictures of babies in it (Maddy). As for me, I'm always on the lookout for a good book. I like historical fiction, biographies, and mysteries (Ok, Mary Higgins Clark is my guilty pleasure!). I DON'T like profanity, science fiction or books that take way too much mental effort to plough through. After all, I am reading for PLEASURE!

Some of my recent favorites have been:

The Long Walk by Slavomir Rawicz -- this is non-fiction that reads like fiction

Sunflower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See -- love, love, love this one!

The Bean Trees and Pigs in Heaven both by Barbara Kingsolver -- both follow the same main character, good stuff about life and love, especially if you've lived in Arizona!

The Chronicles of Narnia -- I try to read the whole series every year

If you have any recommendations, put it in a comment and pass it along!

Who will be the next American Idol?

2008-05-20T18:10:00.001-07:00

Ok, if you're not an American Idol fan, you may want to pass on reading this one, but Ray isn't home from work yet and the girls are in bed and I need to debrief!!

That was one of the best finales I've ever seen on AI, although I thought all the boxing stuff was lame and overdone. I'm really glad that it came down to the Davids. Unlike the past two seasons, there was actually a true competition tonight. I'm really more of a David Cook fan but I have to admit that Archie whipped his bum tonight. Cook definitely sings more the type of music I like, although a small part of me has rooted for the little Mormon boy from Utah. Cook just didn't do what he does best, which is taking a known song and totally "making it his." Like Simon said, he should've sung "Billie Jean" or "Hello" for his last song. Either way, whoever wins will deserve it (unlike Taylor Hicks!). Where do YOU weigh in?

The "Big Girl Bed"

2008-05-19T18:03:00.000-07:00

I broke down today and put together Cady's toddler bed, even though there has been no pooping on the potty! She was so excited , hopefully not so excited that she won't sleep a wink tonight. I've tried to emphasize that she may not get out of her bed until the sun comes up in the morning but I'm downstairs typing and I've already heard some pitter-patter of feet above my head.

(Look at the poor, abandoned crib in the background)

Ok, I wrote the previous paragraph 2 days ago and I have to say that Cady has done pretty well sleeping in her new bed! She didn't actually go to sleep until almost 10 pm the first night -- a little jack-in-the-box going on -- but since then she's actually gone to sleep just a quickly as she was in her crib. Of course, the crib is still a menacing prescence in her room, and I've told her that if she won't stay in her new bed, then back to the crib she goes! After we take the crib apart, I may have a different story to write!

Making brownies

2008-05-18T17:33:00.000-07:00

This evening, after dinner, we decided to make brownies. It was a group effort, with Cady pouring ingredients into the bowl, Maddy throwing spoons and measuring cups on the floor and me supervising the whole glorious mess. The best part, of course, was licking the spoon ... and then the bowl! You can see the sequence of events below ...

"They grow up so fast!"

2008-05-17T17:34:00.000-07:00

In the past few days, we had some humorous firsts around here.

Yesterday morning, for some reason, it seems that we were taking a bit longer to get ready for the day. I was showered and dressed, Maddy was dressed but GUESS WHO was dragging their feet?? Yes, Cady has decided that 3 hours at school is "too long" each day, so sometimes can be a little passive aggressive in her resistance ... I have NO IDEA where she gets that from!! Anyway, Maddy decided that she was hungry and

wasn't going to wait any longer, so

she turned her little self around,

scooted downstairs on her tummy,

busted open the cabinet where the cereal is

and took matters into her own hands!

When I came down several minutes later, this is what I found in the living room:

(that's Rice Chex in the Rubbermaid container)

The other first was really a "second" since Cady sucessfully attempted this yesterday. What happened was this ... tonight I was in one of those places mothers get to where I WAS DONE, DONE, DONE. The kind of done where I say "OK, you are going to bed now because I need a BREAK!" So, with the little ones tucked into their cribs, a little earlier than usual, I headed outside the sweep the front walk in peace and quiet.

Ahhhh.

After a while, I hear a little "Mommy?" from the front door. I turn to find Cady, who inquires about one of her blankets, which I had put in Maddy's room. "Mommy, where is my big blanket?"

Now, this is not a story about a blanket ... it's a story about our 3-year old mastering the skill of CLIMBING OUT OF HER CRIB!!! Since she did it yesterday too, I think the fat lady has sung on this one. We have had a toddler bed for her since Christmas, but I made the blunder of making it an incentive for going poop on the potty. Apparently, she needs a bigger incentive because it's not working!!

Some Mother's Day musings ...

2008-05-15T11:36:00.000-07:00

Am I the only mom that ...

doesn't ever get to sit down through an entire dinner? I wish. More juice, please, Mommy!

isn't really bothered by not having "me time" in the bathroom anymore? in fact, I often forget to close the door now ... what's the point?

wonders how many more years I am going to have to referee between my kids? It's going to be until they move out of the house, isn't it? That's exhausting, just thinking about it.

didn't expect my 3-year old to be so SMART?? Before I had children, I thought that 3-year olds were only a step above babies, so I'm constantly amazed at how much Cady knows. It's not that I think my kid is brilliant (well, OK, I do!) but that it's just amazing that a 3-year old could know so much. She knows a lot of stuff, including exactly how to push Mommy's buttons!

is pretty impressed with the "mom ears" that you develop? It's incredible to me that you can hear nearly any sound around the house and know instantly what is was ... a pacifier being thrown out of the crib and hitting the hardwood floor ... a chair being pushed across the floor to assist in reaching the cupboard that the bag of marshmallows is stashed in ... the list goes on. Of course, the scariest noise of all is SILENCE. I heard that from Maddy's direction the other day and found that she had discovered Mommy's make-up. I wish I'd had the camera!

Well, I may add some more musings as the day goes along, but those are just some random thoughts on motherhood from one who is still pretty new at it. I'm so grateful that I have such a wonderful mother and a fantastic mother-in-law to learn from and, of course, Ray is pretty great too. I wouldn't be the mother I am without him.

A day in the life ...

2008-05-04T15:51:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I feel like there's nothing "noteworthy" to chronicle here but I guess that, in the life of a young family, it's the little things that are the most noteworthy. Maddy is rapidly expanding her vocabulary from pretty much "Daddy", "ball", and "car", to include "more", "bird", "Cady" (daydee), "teeth" and more. Of course, "car" is any loud motorized vehicle that she hears or sees, like lawnmowers, trucks, helicopters and airplanes. And how could I forget my FAVORITE new word, which she has picked up from her older sister, "NO!"

Cady announced to me during the same car ride today that she wants to be a duck when she grows up, as well as Spiderman. Interesting combo. Her current love is the classic Disney movie, The Jungle Book, which I'm very glad about. It was my all-time favorite when I was a kid (who doesn't love "The Bear Necessities"??) and, as noted in my previous post, I'm not a huge fan of the princess movies, especially if I have to watch it every day! Cady has a love/hate relationship with the apparently British tiger Shear Kahn. She always says she likes him, but when he's about to appear on the TV screen, she summons me for emotional support. I just had to pause my typing because she said, "Mom, take care of me, Mom, Shear Kahn is coming!!" and dragged me off to the sofa to sit with her.

I love my girls!

Life is good.

A Dreaded Day!

2008-04-25T10:44:00.000-07:00

Ah, one of those days that I have long been dreading arrived today. I know that most of the dreaded days are probably associated with puberty but I have really been dreading the day when Cady starts wanting to wear character clothing items. Not terrible in the larger scheme of things, I know, but I REALLY HATE all the Strawberry Shortcake and Princess (i.e. Cinderella, Snow White, etc.) CRAP that's out there. It's just so YUCK and I don't think it's cute at all, but I know that little girls LOVE it and that it why companies keep making it!

Anyway, we were shoe shopping today and I picked out a couple pairs of simple and, I thought, cute sandals for Cady to try on. She humored me briefly, complained that they were "too tight" and then spied the shoes pictured above, complete with light-up heels.

"I want THOSE, Mommy," she said, or something to that effect. She slipped them on her feet and looked at them longingly. After a moment passed, I presented another pair of shoes that I liked and asked her to try them on. This fashion struggle continued through several pairs of shoes until she sighed loudly and then muttered, "oh, I don't care."

Had I beaten her down so easily?? Oh, I don't think so. We ended up not buying any shoes for Cady and, after all, she was already wearing her Dora flip-flops.

Visiting the Greenville Zoo

2008-04-24T06:39:00.000-07:00

It's been a lovely treat this week to have Grandma Weezie visiting with us. Mostly, we've just enjoyed having someone new to play with and who never gets tired of pushing swings at the park. Yesterday, we trekked 30 minutes down to Greenville to check out their zoo for the first time. What a wonderful little zoo! Way less walking than the Virginia Zoo in Norfolk, but just as many animals.

We saw elephants, giraffes, aligators, lions and lots and lots of different types of monkeys. Cady's favorites were the leopard and the aligators. Maddy's favorite was just riding along in the stroller ... Maddy is so content to ride along in the stroller and watch the world around her. About halfway through the zoo, there was a little preschool playground with comfy Adirondack rocking chairs for the parents, not that I got to sit down for more than a minute at a time! It was a perfect break from animal watching AND we got a few good pics too!

Overall, it was a great day ... we'll definitely be back!

So Close ... the end is near!

2008-04-13T12:00:00.000-07:00

I know that I've been saying this for weeks but now I think it may actually be true ... the house will be done soon. The weather hasn't been cooperating with Ray's plans to complete the sanding and painting on the exterior, but the forecast for later this week is looking GOOD: low wind, warm temps and no RAIN!! So, if Ray is up for working for several hours after he gets home from a full day at Powers, then maybe I'll be posting some exterior pics by this time next week. I hope so ... yesterday I was talking to our next-door neighbor, who was saying that she was afraid that her lack of lawn-care is making her look "white trash". After what could only be called a "pregnant pause", she hugged me and said, "I'm so glad you're my neighbor!" Hmmm.

Anyway, here are some pics of projects that are completed, all inside. There's Maddy's cheery lavendar nursery (is she too old to be in the "nursery" now? I hope not) and the downstairs half-bath -- a big improvement from before, which we used to call the "crap shack". It had just been a toilet under the stairs but Ray and his brother Jon raised the ceiling, closed off a storage closet to make space for a sink and laid tile for the floor. It's as beautiful as a half-bath can possibly be!

Cady and the Mormon Tabernacle Choir

2008-04-07T17:20:00.000-07:00

As some of you may know, this past weekend was our church's General Conference, during which we usually hear the Mormon Tabernacle Choir several times. Thanks to BYUTV,we were able to watch the broadcast from Salt Lake in the comfort of our own home. Well, Cady is very into MoTab now. Our new little evening habit is to sit down and eat ice cream while watching the choir, thanks to our handy dandy DVR. She likes to watch the "boys and girls" and gets quite perturbed if one gender is shown more than the other. If "the boys" are singing for a while, Cady wants to know "where the girls??" and vice versa. It is so funny, but not very surprising I suppose. Cady loves to sing, loves to listen to "her" music in the car and loves to dance, so why not love MoTab too??

Spring Break is Over

2008-04-06T17:25:00.000-07:00

I always used to be appalled when mothers would say that they couldn't wait until their child(ren) went back to school after spring break or summer vacation. What a horrible thing to say, I thought, or even worse, to feel. How could you not want to be with your children all the time, I wondered. Well, now I know. Cady leaves me to go to preschool for a scant 3 hours each weekday morning and it is precious time. As Maddy is still usually taking a morning nap, I often have at least an hour in the house when I can "do my own thing" (i.e. CLEAN!) with no interference from little ones. It's such a good thing: the house is cleaner when Cady is in school AND that translates into me feeling more like I can focus on the girls later in the day.

So today was the official last day of Spring Break and, as the weather was cool and rainy most of the week, we made the most of a lovely, sunny day and walked down to our neighborhood park. Maddy has never been a big fan of the swings but she humored me a little today and Cady pumped her feet in the right direction ... ahhh, the little milestones that are victories in the life of a 3-year old, and her mommy!!

Staying in South Carolina!

2008-03-28T18:17:00.000-07:00

There's really no picture to post with this one ... Ray has decided to accept a job offer at Powers Printing Co. here in Spartanburg. So it looks as if we will be able to enjoy all the improvements that Ray has done on the house!! Now if we can just get our house in Virginia Beach sold, we'll be able to live life with only one mortgage ... something we haven't done in nearly 4 years!!

Happy Easter!

2008-03-23T18:39:00.000-07:00

Easter has come and nearly gone in the Mechling household. It has been so fun the last several months, having a child that actually comprehends holidays and gets into them. This was the first Halloween, Christmas and now Easter that Cady has been excited about. She was thrilled with the whole process of dying eggs and was so excited about everything that the Easter bunny brought her, although the candy and the pinwheel were definite favorites. We had a simple little egg-hunt this afternoon in our backyard and, although everything was pretty simple this year (no need to set the bar too high!), it was all so magical with a "believer" in the house. Of course, trying to teach the meaning of Easter was not a big attention-holder! Any ideas on how to make the resurrection of the Savior as interesting to kids as the Easter bunny??!?

Don't be scared!!

2008-03-22T17:46:00.000-07:00

You guys that are new at this blogging thing, like ME, don't be afraid to leave a comment here! They're fun to read AND it reassures me that I'm not just writing this for my sister-in-law ... although I would, just for you, Paige!!

Working on the house

2008-03-18T07:02:00.000-07:00

The HUGE project of renovating our home here in Spartanburg is finally drawing to a close and I could not be happier!!! Here are SOME of the reasons why:

the dining room will actually be used for dining, not just as a holding area for paint cans and power tools
no more awakening in the middle of the night to the very loud hum of the air compressor (or the sander or the dry-vac or the power saw) as Ray's pulls a late-nighter working on a project

we will no longer be the embarrassing eyesore on our street

our "charming, quaint" home will actually be just that!

I realize that "charming" and "quaint" are just words that people use to describe old houses with slanted, hardwood floors and only one full bathroom, but hey, it's ours and it will be exactly the way we want after all the work is done! Ray has poured his blood, sweat and tears into this place (ok, maybe no tears, but LOTS of sweat and definitely some blood too!) and it has been worth it. When it's done, done, done, I'll post some pictures, but for now you can see some pics of the process ...