Can't.Let.Go.

Jaidan's birthday party was Saturday, bringing out birthday season at our house with a bang.

Six months until we have to deal with another birthday celebration.  Holla!

Now that birthday season is over, it's time to start focusing on the holidays.  What're the kids going to be for Halloween?  How much am I going to complain about trunk or treats taking over good old fashioned fun?  Which one was the house who gave out full sized candy bars lastyear?  Are we going to  Arkansas for Thanksgiving? Staying here?  BLACK FRIDAY SHOPPING.  What the heck are we getting these kids for Christmas? Should I buy a new tree this year? Send out Christmas cards?

Normally I'd already be playing Christmas music (when Eddie's not home to make fun of me, natch).  Normally I'd be all OCTOBER and PUMPKIN (okay, okay so I'm totally all PUMPKIN).  Normally I'd be like "HELL YEAH.  Election in a few weeks and I can like my Facebook friends again!"  Normally I'd be so happy all my shows were back on.  Normally I'd be basking in the cooler weather, planning a trip to the pumpkin patch, and making ghost and spiders out of my children's hand prints.

This year, though, it's just not happening.

People.

I'm not even into football as much as I usually am.

I KNOW!

Please don't get me wrong.  I still love me some college football and I'm all about my Razorbacks (we've won two games in a row, ya'll!). 

But.  I just can't let go of summer.  I realize it's already long gone.  I wore a hoodie to take Jaidan to school this morning.  People have already pulled their boots out (assholes.  It's not that cold).  We had our first hot chocolate of the season a week or so ago.  The leaves are changing.  Halloween stuff is everywhere and Target has even started putting out their Christmas decorations.

Can a girl just get an 85 degree day and a pina colada?

I don't know if it's because I had a pretty epic summer and don't want it to end.  Or maybe it's because we weren't home as much this summer and there weren't as many trips to the spray park or lazy afternoons spent in the [kiddie] pool with popsicles.  Maybe it's because Eddie and I still have our cruise to look forward too (we'll be in Mexico one month from today!) and I'm thinking it'll put the exclamation point on our summer.  I don't know.  It's only October, though, and I'm already ready for next June.

By the way: feeling a major case of deja vu and thinking I've written this entry before.  Which just goes to show just how much I can't let go!

I'm Not Letting Go

Yesterday was the unofficial end of summer. Though if we're going to get all technical and stuff it ended for us on August 9th when Jaidan shrugged on his backpack, grabbed his lunchbox, and headed to kindergarten for the first time. I'm totally kind of anti-Labor-Day-as-the-last-day-of-summer. There's the school thing, for starters. Then the fact that it's going to be hot here for at least the next month but all the pools and splash pads take the Labor Day thing way too seriously and shut down. You know what? Forget Memorial Day and Labor Day. Summer should start on Easter and end in Columbus Day.

We celebrated Labor Day this year like all good Americans: with shopping (and more for stuff that was fundamental as opposed to just plain old fun) and BBQ. Last Labor Day, we splashed in the water off the coasts of Georgia and South Carolina and got caught in the remnants of a tropical storm on the way home, driving through some crazy rain and flooding in Birmingham.  This year I'm sad to see summer go, wanting to hold on to it as long as possible, not ready to let go.  Last year, I was more than ready to see it come to an end.  Crazy what a year can do.

Summer 2012 can be summed up in one word: epic.  And in a good way.  Unlike last year with everything in my house falling apart at the same time and my grandfather passing away and just all in all being a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad summer.  This summer, we went coast to coast.  We saw the Washington Monument and the United States capitol.  We splashed in the waters of the Pacific Ocean, hugged Mickey Mouse at Disneyland, and gaped at the beauty of the Grand Canyon.  As much as I love fall and everything it brings along with it -- college football, cooler weather, pumpkin bread and frito chili pies, hoodies, boots, changing leaves.  Ahhhhh.  I love it.  But I'm not ready to leave behind this wonderful summer we've had.

So maybe it's September and maybe summer is unofficially over.  But I'm holding onto it.  Not letting go.  Don't leeeeeave.

Coast to Coast 2012: Wet 'n Wild

My kids went to DC.  Saw a TON of history in Virginia.  Traveled to three states they'd never stepped foot in before.  But, hands down, their absolute favorite part of the trip was the day we spent at Wet 'n Wild.

I was NOT excited about this part of the trip.  I mean, I was because they kids were excited.  But I was also afraid it was going to be . . . chaos.  Not very fun for me.  In the end, though, it made me wish that Memphis had something like it!  Karis spent most of her time hanging out with the grandmas and that freed me up to do stuff with the boys . . . who had an absolute blast!

The kids area was amazing!  Karis could play in it without someone having to be right on top of her the whole time.  They had swings for babies and slides that were the perfect size for the boys.

The boys both said their favorite thing was the wave pool.  I've always been a fan of the wave pool at places like this too . . . just notsomuch when I'm holding a four-year-old and a ginormous wave knocks us both down, skinning my leg from foot to butt.  :/

Even with my tumble(s) in the wave pool . . . and even with the fact that the place was crawling with 17-year-olds who knew not of such things as cellulite and stetch marks . . . it was a pretty great day!  Hey, Wet 'n Wild!  Come to Memphis!

Next up: Final trip wrap up!

Thursday Things

1) We are leaving for our Virginia/ DC/ North Carolina trip in just a couple weeks. I know my kids are too young to really "get" the significance of everything they'll see in DC. But that hasn't stopped me from trying to familiarize them with the monuments and landmarks. Each day we take a different one, talk about it, take the online tour of it, and then they do a color sheet.

Some creative license was taken with colors of the monuments.

Kyan's personal favorite is the "Washington Yo-Mama-Ment." Last week if you asked him where he was going he would've told you "Obama DC." We've worked on that a little. Now he just says he wants to see the president while we're there and Jaidan insists that he won't leave until we do a tour of the Capitol. We're not doing a tour -- but we might take him to Nashville or Little Rock one of these days if he stays insistent on seeing a capital.

2) I was grocery shopping with Karis the other day. She KEPT throwing things out of the cart because she's two and an asshole. I told her to stop and she said, "No, no Bwani!" I said, "Are you serious?" and she responded with, "I sewious, Bwani." What a turd.

3) Did you know they don't make shorts for a 32-year-old woman who no longer has firm thighs? Every single pair of shorts out there is either of the "oh nuh-uh" hoochie variety or of grandma length. All I want is a pair of shorts that says I may be on the downhill slide to middle age but I ain't dead yet!

4) My boys were being LOUD at bedtime the other night. I went to check on them and they had drug their tent up to the top bunk. They were both sitting in it, had a flashlight, and told me they were making shadow puppets and telling 'spooky' stories. I am so fiercely in love with their imaginations.

5) I've typed most of this on my iPad and I'm kinda digging it. It's easier than I thought and, hello! Autocorrect! Of course, I could publish and realize autocorrect made some seriously embarrassing error but I'll get over it. I'm thinking the iPad will make it easier to blog my trips while I'm actually eIN said trips this summer. We'll see.

6) My mom posted this to Facebook and then tagged me in it. I have no idea why considering I have no clue who that chick in green shorts with an apparent Taz obsession even IS.

7) This week's #instamay challenge photos:

5/17 - Favorite accessory

5/18 - Something that scares me - the calories in these cupcakes from Mad Lilly Cakery (Ai yi yi they were good!  The chocolate chip cookie dough and chocolate covered strawberry were the best)

5/19 - Cheers to the weekend!

5/20 - Music - my summahtime jam

5/21 - WTF? - This is a pic from NOLA '11.  I'm not sure what the EFF is going on here.  Homeboy looks like he's sniffing Casey and Carly looks as though she's been overcome by the Holy Spirit.

5/22 - 11:11 AM

5/23 - Dinner! - Grilled tilapia (being mom means you get the pieced that fell apart on the grill), baked potato, lima beans, corn bread, fruit salad

8) We saw someone on a unicycle yesterday. Like riding through the suburbs. On a unicycle.

This is not an every day occurance in the suburbs of Memphis.

I'm still not sure what to think.

9) The boys and I made these cute little parachute guys yesterday.  We took them to the playground to test them out.  They had too much fun.

Just in case your looking for a summer activitiy . . .

10) Speaking of summer activities . . .

I don't know if there are words to express how much I love this picture.  It sums up the joy that is summertime AND the joy that is children all in one picture.  Love.  LOVE.

"If you're not gonna go out there, then I'm just gonna have to make you!"



11) My birthday present from Storme:

White Girl Wasted!!!

12) Have a fab Thursday!