What We Did This Summer

Travelers and wanderers are we, with little time to reflect. Our summer has been surprisingly busy, but I kind of like it that way. Otherwise, I might get stuck inside, trapped by a heat-induced malaise. This way was much more fun. Here's a quick rundown of some highlights from the last two months.

Over Memorial Day weekend, we dogsat for some friends. The boys LOVED playing with Sam, but we realized we are not quite ready for pet ownership yet. Too much maintenance required.

One of my good friends and fellow mom of boys, Sindhu Giedd, played a concert of some original songs at a very unique venue. I went with my friend Jessica, who originally introduced me to Sindhu, to hear her play late one Saturday evening. I was transported instantly back to my days of following indie musicians around the Southeast and going to concerts in the most random places, but this one beat them all. On the third floor of a nondescript Dunwoody office building, the owner has created an attic listening space, complete with wood-paneled ceilings, a bar area, silent "phone booths" for checking messages, and an entrance door that looks like you've stumbled upon a London underground pub. And hearing my friend pour her heart out to God through song was a great blessing. The best were her renditions of Psalms and other Scriptures set to her own original music with both classical and Indian indfluences.

The Three Mom-keteers:

Jacob attended VBS for the first time at our church back at the beginning of June. He still requests to play and sing the theme song, "God is my Hero." It's funny, though, when he sings the part that spells out "H-E-R-O," because he says "Itch-E-R-O" which we find hilarious.

He has worn this VBS shirt at least once a week since he received it:

The second weekend of June we traveled to Alabama for Gaines' family reunion. Every year we drive to McCalla and set up a picnic across the road from the family cemetery. I kid you not. Gaines says he and his cousins used to play games among the gravestones. This year I was especially proud because Gaines gave the message during the memorial service. Christ and the Gospel were loudly proclaimed. You can never hear too many talks about grace, I think. (There's a recording of it somewhere, I hope.) :) I was glad his sermon was short and to the point, as well, because it was HOT out there.

See? H-O-T.



Ethan armed himself with multiple fluids. Smart boy:



Gaines and his parents, plus Ethan. Three generations of Redds:

June was also a month of birthdays! We celebrated my 30th with a night out to see Toy Story 3 and dinner at a local Cuban place. We went to at least 3 child birthday parties that I remember, just within a week: Annabel Crane, Samuel Suber, and Scarlett Vaughan (If you ask Jacob who his girlfriend is, he answers "Scarlett," though possibly only because she's the "girl" friend we play with most often. We know a lot of boys.)

We enjoyed much cake:

Jacob spent an entire week away from us, first with Gaines' parents and then with mine down in Geneva. I know he had a blast and I'm thankful he had that time with them, but he was sorely missed. I don't know how to be a parent to only one anymore! Ethan and I got some quality time, though. And when we drove to Montgomery to pick up Jacob, my parents took me out for Chinese and Gaines' family surprised me with a cake! And a cookie in a skillet! Yum!

In between the travelling, we had playdates and picnics and mornings at various local pools. We have not been idle, though we have enjoyed our share of lazy days spent soaking our feet in a baby pool or running under a sprinkler. It's what summer should be, I think. I plan to enjoy these days as much as I can, despite the 100 degree heat indexes we've been having lately.

Splashpad! But wait, is that a diaper leak?! This photo cracks me up.



One of our favorite local parks:



On a family ice cream date:



Ethan has become adept at using a spoon:

For the fourth of July, we drove down to Montgomery again and watched the fireworks from this Seaside-like place out in the middle of some pasture land near Pike Road. They've created a little town with a post office and a town square and are building a school. It's surreal, set amidst these beautiful lakes. It was a peaceful, perfect evening with family. (I won't mention the experiences we had taking Jacob to go potty. Outside. In the dark.)

Watching "firecracks" with Uncle Mike.

Speaking of potty-going, our one big accomplishment this summer is that Jacob is now potty-trained! Completely! (Insert potty dance!) He stays dry all day in his big-boy underwear (with the rare exception) and refuses to wear a Pull-Up at night -- and he stays dry then, too! Sometimes he gets up in the middle of the night, but usually he sleeps just fine and then goes in the morning.

We have a big kid now!

The boys and I took two short trips without Daddy this past month. We missed him greatly, and look forward to vacationing with him in August. Still, it was great to visit my hometown for a few days and see some old friends. Then, last week, I drove us to Birmingham for two nights to visit with Gaines' grandmother. While there, we also got to see my friend Kami and her boys (before her third arrives!) at the McWane Center. On the way back, we stopped by the home of my college friend Mary Virginia and her adorable kids. If we ever get the chance to live in Birmingham again, I'd do it in a heartbeat. It's just the right size.

This summer so far has been full of celebrations, but we were sad to say goodbye to some dear friends, the Cranes, who are moving out of the big city into small-town life in the Deeper South. I have more I wish to say devoted just to them, but for now I'll wish them well in their new life in Mississippi, and if they ever want to drop off Annabel to stay with us again, we wouldn't complain. :)

We're looking forward to a rare weekend at home and a visit from my mom. August is full of family travels, a trip to the lake, a wedding, and a most anticipated kid-free anniversary adventure in Nashville. Life is good.

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World's Strongest Beer?

The "End of History" is upon us, and it's inside a stuffed squirrel.



I imagine the creative process went something like this:
110 proof beer? Check. Taxidermy? Check. Francis Fukuyama reference? Check.

Be sure to watch this video released by the brewery.

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Mystery

While changing Ethan's diaper tonight we noticed his legs were peeling. I knew he got some sun on Saturday at the waterpark, but surely it wasn't enough to be blistering?! Especially on his legs and nowhere else.

Upon further inspection, we discovered it was just dried-on Elmer's glue.

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Brothers

Both of my boys are hilarious. I love that they are close enough together to be friends and playmates. It's so funny to see their personalities as they run around and interact with each other.

Ethan likes to try new things and is never hesitant to dive into an unfamiliar situation (unless it is a strange dog who wants to be petted.) He frequently wanders off the driveway, off the sidewalk at the park toward the woods, and will quickly get away from me in public places. (This is not always a desired trait.) He is not shy, that one. At the same age Jacob was making sure all the cabinet doors were closed when we left the kitchen, Ethan is opening them up to climb inside. He laughs constantly at his older brother's antics and will eat almost anything we put in front of him, except sandwiches. He is not quite verbal yet, but he points and grunts and signs to make his will known. And he usually gets what he wants. Mostly shoes and bananas. And he has started putting his hands together when we pray or say a blessing before meals!

Jacob, unlike his brother, has a unique way of staying in the lines. He has a routine and a practiced way of doing things. Everything must be done the RIGHT way (which really just means his way). At the park, when Ethan and I will walk across the grass in the most direct route to the swings, Jacob will run "as fast as he can" on the sidewalk, following it as it curves around the playground, taking him a further distance to get to his destination. We have to get him to STOP pressing the blinking light on his toothbrush or he would still be there now, brushing away, just because he likes to brush his teeth. And wash his hands. Repeatedly. He also likes the clean a little too much, so we can't use it as punishment. Somehow, though, all these little rituals translate into an abundant imagination and creativity. At the water park, the joy and abandon he showed when he started playing was delightful! He was literally dancing and skipping through the water and making up his own games. He told me afterward that he was pretending to be a racecar in the water. And at dinner tonight, he brought along his buddies "Maff" and "Daff" (a California raisin and a miniature sock monkey) who we had not met in the flesh until this evening -- I'd always assumed they were purely inivisible friends!

Though my little guys have their moments (that whole learning to share thing is difficult right now), they can be the sweetest boys at times. When Ethan leans in to give Jacob a big kiss goodnight, or Jacob brings Ethan a diaper or a lost sippy cup or a missing toy, I just want to snatch them both up forever into a giant hug. Two of my favorite brother moments were caught by the camera the last two months, and I wanted to share them here.

Ethan's first popsicle break one hot afternoon in May:



Jacob teaching Ethan how to slide at the park on Friday afternoon:



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Proofreading

Motherhood, and parenting in general, I think, is like a series of edits. You revise and reread, and revise again, always trying new tactics, new approaches to a topic. You could keep going on forever, continually revising, seeking perfection. But one day you realize that your time for making changes and forming your words into something meaningful is over. You have to let them go. Your words live on, of course, and sometimes take on a new life of their own in the hands of others. But they are still yours. And always will be.

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The Perfect Park

For years it has eluded me. The perfect park. To be honest, we do live in an area with an abundance of parks -- we even have one at the swim/tennis center in our neighborhood, plus two that I know of within a few minutes drive. There's a park with lots of activity centers and mazes of slides and climbing structures, all relatively new. One park has a nature-ish area near a river with a small creek, though it has been under construction since last year's floods. Another park within driving distance is right beside an airport runway. Still, I never found one that I wanted to visit every day. Until now.

A nearby city publishes a weekly paper which keeps me up on happenings in the community. This week there was an article on how some of the former county parks have recently been bought by the city. And they listed a small park that is less than 2 miles away from us that I had never heard about, though I've driven by the street a million times. So, Jacob and Ethan and I went on an adventure on Wednesday and when we discovered it, we had so much fun that we came back today and brought Gaines with us.

Top Ten Reasons I Love The Perfect Park

1. It's within a reasonable driving distance. Fairly short, actually. It's even closer to us than our former first choice for a park.
2. It is SHADY. There are trees all around the playground area, a nice shaded pavilion, and very quick access to a wooded area with some walking trails. Even in the middle of a 90-degree day we never felt like we were in the blazing sun. One metal slide got hot, but the rest were plastic.
3. Nature abounds. It feels very wooded and there is no artificial ground cover. For me, that used to be a drawback, but now that my two are walking around, I love that they can get dirty and have fun. Plus, we love walking on a well-worn path through residential woods. It's not a strenuous hike, but I feel like we get some exercise and enjoy being outdoors without getting too much sun.
4. It is in a neighborhood. Even when it was just me, the boys, and a lone tennis player in the middle of the day I didn't feel like I was secluded. There are houses directly across the street and you can see them through the woods. It fits my comfort level, since I can let the boys play without hovering.
5. It's just the right size, slightly enclosed, but with an open feel. There are only two "stations" and they are close together. Ethan can climb and slide ALL BY HIMSELF on one set and I can see Jacob sliding on the big slide nearby. One of our regular parks is just too spread out -- if one kid wanders off in a different direction I feel like I might lose the other one, especially on crowded park days.
6. The park is not crowded. The days I've been there this week, we've seen maybe one or two families (some from the neighborhood--who walked there!) but not an entire horde of summer children. The park isn't flashy or well-known enough for that. It's our hidden gem!
7. One of my favorite things -- it has a zipline! (Ok, well, sort of. It has one of those metal bars that slides across while you hang from it.) Jacob loves it. And so do I! Maybe if I come enough I can get work on my arm muscles. I'm such a weakling I can't even cross the monkey bars anymore.
8. Stroller access is excellent, but not intrusive. You can bring your stroller close to the action while staying on the sideway and it doesn't get lost admid too many play areas. This is a well-designed small park.
9. The equipment is decidedly old-school. I love it! The monkey bars are high and there are wooden platforms. It's "dangerous" enough so kids can explore and climb and yet I feel like Jacob is safer there than on some of the newer configurations. Some helicopter mom might deem it unsafe, but it's just the way I like it.
10. Family friendly. Today, since Gaines had the day off from both work and school, we enjoyed a leisurely lunch near a guy who was working "from home" with a laptop. A dad from the neighborhood walked his two kids to the park while we were there. And when we took our short hike on the nature trail, we left our cooler on the picnic table bench. It was still there when we returned, of course.

There might be one drawback -- no facilities. The first day we were there we met a mom and her young son leaving for that very reason. (That's not a problem for Jacob, though, apparently, since there are an abundance of trees not far off the wooded path(!), but I can see how if you don't plan well it could be an issue for little girls or pregnant women. Or me, if I drink too much water.)

One thing I didn't understand, though. Why did the house directly across the street have this giant new modern jungle gym in their backyard that was VISIBLE from the park?! I mean, seriously, is the public park not good enough for your little darlings? They can't cross the street to play? They might get too dirty? Now, I would love to have something like that in my own backyard, of course, but if I lived directly across the street from a place like this? I just don't know. I understand the desire to have a place to play that you can see from the kitchen window and that is completely enclosed and private. Still, I defend "my newly discovered park" as the perfect public play area. And if I lived in that house across the street, (once my kids were old enough) I'd send them across the street to play, invite some neighborhood kids, and watch from my front window. Pretty soon you'll be calling me a "free range parent". Perhaps I'm just an old-fashioned park lover.

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Grape Juice

The following involves frugality, theology, and good music. Not a bad combination, eh?

My task for today was to buy grape juice for Sunday's communion at church. Communion at our church happens quarterly and monthly (depending on the service), though we wouldn't mind one bit if we celebrated every week. :) Since Gaines' current elder duties include Worship Committee, that means planning for communion, which means checking the supply of bread and wine*, which means buying more, and as the shopper in the household, the task really fell to me. Though you should know by now that I actually had fun.

*Yeah, yeah, so it's just grape juice. I have no problem with wine, myself. But that's a conversation for another day.

With a little extra effort on my part, I picked up a 64oz bottle of Welch's for all of nine cents. Here's how I did it:

1. Check the sale pages. Brand name grape juice 2/$6 at CVS.
2. Print out a coupon from the Welch's website for $1 off.
3. Take along 2 kids and 2 Extra Care Bucks (I just happened to have).
4. Buy grape juice and only grape juice. No snacks, toys, or sunglasses!
5. Combine coupon and ECB's and pay only 9 cents out of my pocketbook.
6. Get an extra $1 ECB back because I've been using my Green Bag Tag. Woot!

The anticipation of the Lord's Supper has gotten me thinking about my favorite songs and hymns concerning the Eucharist. Either these are songs appropriate to sing after partaking (it is a celebration, after all!) or songs perhaps not fit for worship, but the lyrics still speak to some aspect of the supper.

Take to the World

"Go in peace to love and to serve
Let your ears ring long with what you have heard
May the bread on your tongue
Leave a trail of crumbs
To lead the hungry back to the place that you are from"

Arise, My Soul, Arise (Indelible Grace Version)

"Arise, my soul, arise,
shake off your guilty fears;
The bleeding sacrifice,
in my behalf appears;
Before the throne my Surety stands,
Before the throne my Surety stands,
My name is written on His hands."

A New Law

"I don’t wanna know if the answers aren’t easy
So just bring it down from the mountain to me

I want a new law
I want a new law
Just give me that new law

And don’t teach me about moderation and liberty
I prefer a shot of grape juice
And don’t teach me about loving my enemies
And don’t teach me how to listen to the Spirit
No, just give me a new law."

Both of Us'll Feel The Blast

"I hope we sit together when Jesus serves the wine
So I can look into your eyes when I taste it the first time
And I know there's no secrets when you're sitting at that table
But I believe we'll smile real knowingly when we read the label
And it says "passion sacrificed to keep from going crazy."
We'll tip our glasses to the Host who used to look so hazy
And drink it down all sweet and slow and slip inside His mind
And realize as it goes down- this is communion wine."

These are some of my favorites. What are yours?

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