Some Notes

Notes on life right now:

• Yesterday we went to the Lowe's Build and Grow Clinic - NOT impressed. You had to register for a spot because only the first 50 people get the project, and then you have to be there no later than 10:15am to pick up the project, and there's a small room that everyone is supposed to fit in?! We took our project and left . . . we will be sticking with Home Depot!
• Driving through the Kroger parking lot yesterday, Samantha shouted "Look, it's Bob Marley!" Sure enough, we turned around and there was young black dude with long dreads . . . both girls then broke into the chorus of Three Little Birds - I would be lying if I said I wasn't kinda proud . . . of the singing, not the generalization of the dude looking like Bob Marley . . . kinda . . .
• The countdown is on until the cast comes off on Tuesday! To occupy her time in the last month we have been playing A LOT of games. There is just no way to go out in 110 degree weather when you can't be in water . . . and that goes for Evan and Marlie! Marlie got the games below from her Grandma and Grandpa for her birthday, and it has been well loved for the last few weeks. I forgot how much I love Memory and hate Checkers! I also love Boggle Jr - she got that in a care package from Aunty Katy - it can be played independently . . . AWESOME!
• Sam and I went to the grocery store yesterday . . . and when you only have one kid with you, it's a freaking breeze!!!! Doesn't matter which one - they are all equally easy when they are solo. So we were looking in the cereal section and I decided to see just how much sugar was in those cereals that I had decided a long time ago would never grace our pantry. Well, that is except for Mr. Crandall and his Peanut Butter Captain Crunch that we keep out of site! Anyway, to say that I was shocked would be a drastic understatement. Fruit Loops and Apple Jacks have the same amount of sugar as plain damn Cheerios!!!!!!! Which, by the way, is half the sugar in raisin bran and equal to the amount in a mini whole wheat bagel!!!!!!! I have been depriving my kids of my favorite childhood cereals because I thought it would be the equivalent of giving them a bowl full of sugar and milk. Now, I have to say, I had a bowl of Apple Jacks this morning and I am seriously thinking there is half the sugar in that cereal now as compared to when I was a kid - it tasted different, i.e. my teeth didn't hurt after I ate it. I now feel a small piece of happiness that my kids can watch their cartoons in the morning with a big bowl of Fruit Loops . . not all the time . . . but sometimes I just don't feel like making a hot breakfast, you know?!
• We just booked a hotel and are in the process of planning a trip to Memphis in September. Not for the glamour of the location, but because it's a halfway point between Clarksville and Fort Smith, AR, where are best friends are right now. They too just had a little baby boy, Jameson was born on my birthday!! Our kids are pretty well synched up. Grace was born 2 months before Marlie, John Thomas and Samantha are exactly 1 year apart, and Jameson and Evan are 2 months apart. And it gets funnier - they have 1 girl born in April and 2 boys born in June . . . and we have 1 boy born in April and 2 girls born in June! ha! So busy times coming up - Atlanta in August, Memphis in September, and then Knoxville and Atlanta in October for vacation :)

And now by break is up . . . :)