California Dreaming

Visited beautiful Newport Beach, California today on our annual girls' trip. This year we have not one, but two babies in tow as both Laura and Kristen are still nursing their youngest ones. It was a short trip to the beach because of the babies, hardly worth the sunscreen application, but one that I will never forget. Laura and I have come to check out Kristen and Ben's new digs in California. Yes, she moved too many miles away from us! It's fun to look back on our girls' trips of past years. Our activities have changed dramatically since our first trip five years ago. On our first trip, shopping encompassed at least half of our trip, interspersed with luxurious dining and margaritas, long walks by the Charleston harbor filled with meaningful conversations and of course more shopping. Babies have a way of changing one's life to the fullest.

Radioactive Margaritas

This year we had precious little shopping time and our meals resembled a Chinese Fire Drill as it was a race against time when one or both babies needed to be nursed, fed, changed or held, usually all of the above. It's uncanny. It must be their brand spanking newborn noses that smell piping hot food that rouses them from their slumber. It's not in their best interest as their mommas need to eat to produce milk! My girls are also very attentive mothers, much more than I was. I don't remember their crying bothering me quite as much as it bothers them but this could be God's grace that I forgot. On the way home from attending church one evening we had to stop and pick up pizza. Both babies were inconsolable for one of the above reasons, producing a cacophony in Kristen's minivan. Wyatt in particular began his hyperventilating cry. Desperation ensued and at one point, Kristen yelled out," George save us!" as she thrust her PBS Kids Curious George app on her IPhone for me to give to her 8 month old son. And this was right after singing praise to Jesus! Of course she didn't actually attend the service. She volunteered to let Laura and I listen to the message while she strolled Bridget around the book store. I will therefore give her a pass on her misdirected statement of salvation. It didn't work anyway. Meanwhile I was waiting in line behind a very relaxed group of people to sample various micro brew beers before ordering their pizza. The contrast between the stress in the minivan and the relaxed group in the pizza place couldn't have been greater.

Margarita time!

Now that I think about it, I do remember trying to appear that I had it all together with my babies when I really didn't. I think I just tried to hide it better. I also remember listening outside their door to hear if they had stopped crying. I was also the thinnest I've ever been because my diet consisted of whatever I could grab while standing at the kitchen counter while I wasn't feeding, holding or changing. Who am I kidding, I was equally stressed!

As you can see, going out was somewhat stressful so we spent lots of time on the floor of Kristen's house playing with Wyatt and Bridget. This was easier on all of us and quite enjoyable, once we gave up on the idea of luxurious shopping. We did have a full 20 minutes of speed shopping when Laura almost purchased Jason a pair of socks she knew he wouldn't wear! Mostly though we slowed down our pace and had a wonderful time experiencing the world through Wyatt and Bridget's eyes, playing with blocks and rattles and busy boxes. We watched Wyatt stand independently for a few seconds as he prepares to take his first steps and Bridget practice grabbing things and smiling and cooing. I can still remember the sweet sound of her voice.

I'm sad that it's over as I had looked forward to it since last year. I especially enjoyed spending uninterrupted time with the youngest members of our family and with my equally sweet big girls. Maybe the babies are the ones who have it right. Just hanging out with their mommies and Gigi is the best way to spend our precious time together. It takes some of us awhile to get it.

and a little child will lead them. Isaiah 11:6

Way Down Yonder By the Chattahoochee

As an elementary school teacher with a reading specialization, I'm all for children reading as much as possible. Reading after all is vital to learning. Reading can take you to wonderful places real or make believe. I have since learned that this is not the case for everyone. This is most definitely not the case for my 11 year old son. For him, reading is anything but wonderful and can be down right painful for both of us. He would rather stick needles in his eyes than read or even postpone reading and so would I. Once, he chose to pick up dog poop rather than read! Suffice it  to say, fulfilling Summer Reading/Reading Counts requirements are not happy times at our house.

But we want happy times at our house! What's a mother to do? Go running with him of course! We went for our maiden run last week by the Chattahoochee River to practice for his Cross Country Team evaluation. He ran 3 miles without stopping, no problem. He wasn't even breathing hard! It helps when you are 11 years old, 70 lbs with zero percent body fat. But more importantly, running took both of us to a new and wonderful happy, sweaty place of bliss. Will my son be able to make a living running? Will running help his reading? Will he ever run with me again? Will he pass 6th grade? The answers to these and other questions are unknown to me at the moment, but at least when we can't read another page of Where the Red Fern Grows, we can go for a run.

Heaven is Real

Heaven is real and I'm in grand baby heaven at my house with Lucy,Wyatt and Bridget. Yes, they come with lots and lots of baggage, literal baggage. I'm talking musical piano play mats, an
English and Spanish talking bus, a musical rolling turtle with a mirror and multiple video monitors. And that doesn't include the one dimensional toys like baby dolls and board books and puzzles, teethers, pacifiers, etc.. I haven't seen the floor of my family room for 2 weeks!

But their tiny hands, their chubby little legs and their sweet little faces, I find them hard to resist and don't. I can barely stand their cuteness and can't believe how much I love them. They are blessings from God and I'm soaking up every moment with them while they will still let me hold them. It's already hit or miss with Miss Lucy and she's only 2! Miss Lucy is on the move and in one big hurry!

Three babies under one roof along with our three younger ones who have graduated to mostly helpers now is a challenge, but we are up to the task. We went on several walks, went to the outlet mall, the zoo, the pool, Pappasitos, and more. Yes, we spent an inordinate amount of time in dressing rooms to nurse/change the babies, but it still counts. Our ability to go anywhere was dependent on who needed to be fed, napped, changed or entertained the most. Suffice it to say, Gigi never made to the top of the list and never did get a potty break!

I found the dance of the strollers entertaining as well. We would start out optimistically with the babies in one of their many respective strollers depending on whether the outing required a jogging stroller, shopping stroller or light umbrella stroller. No matter the stroller, it was approximately 15 minutes before the babies would become unhappy and we would end up carrying them while pushing the strollers. Babies can sense when their mommies are not expending the most energy to care for them and are quick to rectify this situation. This can have more than the obvious downside of being difficult. Laura walked out of Gymboree without her stroller/phone/wallet because she was carrying Bridget in the front pack and forgot it. Thankfully thieves are not frequenting Gymboree even though they should. Everything in the store was $9.99 or below and it's filled with distracted mothers!

Heaven is seeing my now grown babies become amazing, loving, self sacrificing mommies to their little ones, all with little sleep! There is nothing sweeter than witnessing sweet mommy love. Lucy, Wyatt, and Bridget thank you and so do I!

Watch That Speed!

Oh the joy of a living, breathing Driver's Education student riding in the car with you. Since our daughter's completion of 30 hours of the classroom portion of Driver's Education, Eric and I are being reminded daily now of the laws that we are unknowingly breaking along with their respective fines. Did you know that it is illegal to pass more than one car in a passing zone. That was Eric's mistake today. I don't have the need to be in front that he has. But don't get me started on watching my speed. I've always taken a tad more liberty in the speed zone department but now I have my own personal cruise control sitting right beside me! I detest cruise control. While this is annoying, I want to make sure that I set a good example before she gets on the road. At least for awhile. It's not just my driving, but drivers around us who are also not adhering to safe driving standards. She has plenty to say about their driving too.

I can already tell that she is going to be a better driver than me. Of course I had a wreck in my Driver's Education class so the bar is fairly low. It wasn't my fault, but was humiliating all the same driving into my high school parking lot with the car bumper hanging off. Perhaps it was a mistake taking the class with my best friend in the back seat. It's going to be a long but hopefully safer summer for all of us.

Happy

Last week was filled with my daughter's 8th grade graduation. It was hit or miss that I was going to be able to experience all the 8th grade graduation festivities because of Laura delivering grandchild number three any day. Baby Bridget however was extremely considerate and arrived a week early. Yay!

It's been a few years since Laura and Kristen were in 8th grade and I honestly don't remember this much pomp at the conclusion of 8th grade. All the festivities combined rivaled Laura's graduation from UGA! The School reminisced to the extreme at every opportunity, complete with a banquet, professional pictures and even dancing,  a ceremony the next morning with a video montage from the year and charges from every teacher as they go forth into high school. They don't realize it, but they seriously need to pace themselves!

I was trying my best to keep Mr. Jakstadt in a good humor since it was getting to be past his bedtime, especially during the dancing. However, sitting there when I wasn't making small talk with parents that I had just met and would never see again, I admit I had a chance to reflect on the past seven years that we have had with daughter. Even though it was awkward at times during the video because we did not have any adorable infant and toddler pictures like most of her classmates, I was proud of how she/we handled it and proud of how far we had all come as a family. I could see God's hand on our daughter's life these past seven years. I could see his faithfulness to give us wisdom to enroll her in this Christian school where we have seen her blossom into a godly young woman. I could see confidence and joy in her beautiful smile as she danced to, "Happy". I could see that it's time for us to get used to staying up later again.

Jack Who?

This week Laura, our first born gave birth to a beautiful baby girl aka as "Angel Baby, Bridget". That's two for her and I would say she is on a roll for producing precious baby girls. Just like with her first born, Lucy, I raced to Augusta early Monday morning to make it just in time to see Bridget draw her first breath. Amazing doesn't even come close to describing what it's like to witness this miracle from God.

But, if you know me, you know being able to be with Laura and Jason on this miraculous day is complicated given our family's dismissal of the empty nest or at least postponement. We have living at our house three school aged children. Someone needed to hold down the fort while I was away helping Laura and not just any fort, think Alamo. Jack Bauer is otherwise occupied living another day so who will rescue me? Mr. Jakstadt, that's who. Armed with the Renweb homework website and the map of 50 states packet for our youngest to memorize, a band and recorder concert, he had his work cut out for him this week. Feeding them would be the least of his worries as evidenced by the ramen noodles and beans and hot dogs they ate. No wonder they were happy to see me today! I was greeted in the garage with the report that my son had washed his kindle fire in the washing machine. They are not washable.

Nevertheless, I am reminded once again how wonderful a husband and person Mr. Jakstadt is. He loves  us all hugely and puts his love into action which is the only love language that counts in my book. He sprung into action this week with the 50 states and then some. That was one good decision I made at the age of twenty one to marry Mr. Jakstadt. Who cares if I have to spell it every time I give my name. That's, J A K S T A D T, Jakstadt. Jack Bauer's got nothing on you.

Thanks Mom

Thanks mom for being there. That means a lot, more than I knew at the time. It gave me security to live my life. Thanks mom for loving me unconditionally and being proud of me. That gave me the courage to try things, hard things. Thanks for teaching me manners like saying please and thank you and writing thank you notes and to wear lipstick. Thank you for taking me to the library and teaching me the value of an education. Thanks for sending me money when I was in college when you really didn't have any to spare and not yelling at me when I still overdrew my bank account. Thanks for sharing my joys like no one else, especially the joys of my children. I still love sharing news about them with you. Thanks mostly for teaching me about Jesus and taking me to church. I am grateful everyday for that one. So glad to call you my mom.

Her children arise and call her blessed; Proverbs 31:28