The Apple That Fell From Our Tree

I race for my girls.  I do it to show them what it means to work hard for something and accomplish it, even if you aren't the best; to teach them to take care of their bodies; to impart the spirit of healthy competition.  When peer pressure rears its ugly head a few short years from now, I want them to have something that will make them feel strong and capable.  I think racing can do all of that.  So I've been waiting with baited breath for Ava to be old enough to cross her first finish line, and today was the day. She lined up at the start of the Halloween Hustle in her witch costume, waited for the gun, and......



Daddy was waiting for her at the finish line.

She and I finished the race hand in hand, and I couldn't have been more proud of my girl.   Way to go, Little Apple! 

Lazy Days and Pumpkin Patches

Lila is on a mission to learn to talk.  It seems like every day she learns a new word, and Ava has thoroughly invested herself in the process.  She offers up a hearty, "good job, Lila", for every verbal attempt, and makes sure to teach her all the important words.  A few days ago I discovered them having a chat, and when I asked what it was about Ava responded, "I'm teaching her to say 'candy corn'".  See?  Important.

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When you have a second child, there's a milestone I think every parent waits for: when the kids start to play together.  It opens up a whole new world for everyone in the family.  That built-in playmate you were picturing when you decided to have another baby in the first place has finally materialized.  They begin to develop their own language, giggle at their own private jokes.  The best friends you hope they'll become are starting to materialize, and that is really fun to watch.  So, to keep this little alliance growing we're spending a bit more time at hangin' at home these days...

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Fall means pumpkins.  And just a couple of miles from our house is a killer pumpkin patch, opened to the public every year complete with games, food trucks, crafts, and live music.  The girls had a blast. 

 

Fall also means Halloween.  Stay tuned...

A Little Southern Comfort

I grew up in the South.  Warm weather melted into even warmer weather, and as kids we spent long, sweaty days running barefoot and riding bikes, arriving exhausted at the dinner table greeted by fried chicken and iced tea.  You know that Southern drawl you hear in movies that almost sounds like it can't possibly be a real thing?  Yup, we were surrounded by it.  Until recently, my kids didn't know this world existed.  But a trip to Georgia to visit Grandma Sally and Grandpa Mac gave them a little taste of what I once knew, and it was lovely to see them fit right in.

And Grandma and Grandpa did something that guarantees our kids will be begging to return to Georgia every summer: they built a pool.  Well played, my friends, well played.

One of the difficult things about choosing to move away from where you grew up, is that you often give up the comfort and ease that comes with having family nearby: cousins that are built-in playmates; grandparents, aunts and uncles that stop by unannounced to love you just because they can.  There are days I'm a little sad that my kids won't have that all the time.  But it does my heart good when they do.

She met her distant cousins for the first time.  Instant friends.

Aunt Shirley gives good snuggles.

Grandpa tells good stories.

Lila finds Uncle Tom sweet, but a little confusing.

Cousin Bob thought this Oreo was going to be hysterical.  He was pretty disappointed when she didn't smoosh more of it in her hair.

Grandma put her to work.

Cousins again.  So sweet.

One of our last adventures on our tour of the South was Savannah.  For those who have never been there, its the epicenter of Southern charm.  Full of history and character, it takes you back in time to an era when the word "genteel" must surely have been invented.  We took a little tour via a brunch cruise down the river. 

If it involves food, Little Sister is happy.

It was fabulous. 

Grandma and Grandpa, thank you so much for a wonderful vacation.  We miss you.