Missing Out?

I don't know if it's because of the toys and things from my childhood that I've been seeing in antique stores lately or what, but lately I've been thinking fairly often about the things that my children will probably never have to do when they get older (like in their teens). It's crazy how fast this world changes, and it seems like recent technology is making it change so much faster than ever before. So, here's my list of a few of the things that I believe my kids will never have to do.

• Be home at a certain time to watch something as soon as it airs on television. I predict shows will just be "released" to computers, televisions, phones, or whatever at certain times or on certain days. It's crazy that even at 3 years old, the kids expect everything to be available on TiVo. Don't even get me started on them never having to sit through a commercial.
• Make arrangements to meet someone at an exact place and time. With cellphones, this is already happening for the most part. However, there's always the issue of someone not hearing their phones or being out of range of a good signal or being out of battery. I think none of those things will be an issue in the future. Who knows if "phones" will even be that method of communication by then?
• Read a paper map or write out directions. It'll all be in GPS systems, and everyone will have one everywhere... in cars, on phones, on cameras (which are probably also your phones)
• Worry about dropping any electronic devices into the water. They'll all be waterproof. Why aren't they already?
• Buy glasses. Lasik (or whatever the technology is at that time) will be so cheap, it will cost more for contacts/glasses. Maybe this is further down the road than their teenage years, but we'll see.
• Have to choose whether to spend the extra money on buying organic. I'm thinking by then, everything will be organic. Except maybe spam. But, I don't see them buying that.
• Have to choose whether their new cars should run on electricity or fuel. I have a feeling fuel, as we know it anyway, will be only for old cars by then.
• Use a landline phone. It's so weird to think that they'll probably never have to worry about a cut line or paying a monthly phone fee just so they can have TiVo. :) And, never mind even trying to figure out how a rotary phone works.
• Use a payphone. I'm honestly surprised that these are even still around. The few times that I've needed to use a phone and haven't had one readily available to me when I'm out in public, I've actually asked a stranger to use his/her cellphone before even thinking about a payphone. Most of the time, I wouldn't know where to even look for one anyway.
• Buy actual cd or dvd media. It'll all be digital. No need for that disk crap. :) And forget ever having to go to Blockbuster to rent a movie. I can just hear them saying "You mean you actually had to leave the house to go get a movie... and sometimes it wasn't even there?!"
• Have their houses pre-wired for phone or cable. See above entries.
• Have to worry about the VOCs when painting a room. I'm sure they'll have the whole paint in every color without having to worry about VOCs thing figured out by then.
• Be a collector of something that you actually have a hard time finding. Thanks to ebay, craigslist, and other sites like those, you can be a collector of pretty much anything without leaving your house already. Although it's nice when you're missing just one thing in a collection, I also think it's kinda sad and that it takes the joy out of collecting something.
• Take a polaroid picture. They may never even be in a polaroid picture aside from the couple that I have already. That makes me sad.
• Get a roll of film processed. I'm guessing this will be super expensive if they ever do have to do this. And that it will only happen if they find and decide to print a random roll that I never had developed for some reason.

The Big Family Disney Trip- Brave Annabelle

Throughout the Big Family Disney Trip, Annabelle was amazing about the rides that she tried. When anything did actually scare her, it usually had to do with complete darkness (even on Nemo). Over the past couple of months, Annabelle has developed a fear of complete darkness so that didn’t surprise me too much. However… when it wasn’t completely dark… she was amazingly brave!

Annabelle’s first display of bravery was on Epcot’s Soarin’. Annabelle loves the idea of flying (in case you didn’t know, she wants to be an astronaut partly because she loves the idea of flying into space) so this ride sounded like a great idea to her! She definitely liked the ride, but claimed that she didn't want to ride it again after it was over.

I was so impressed that she loved Epcot’s Test Track as much as she did (we rode it twice at her request)! She loved all of the whacky tests indoors, but really loved the thrill of the speed outside. She’s such a speed demon!

Another crazy ride that Annabelle barely met the high restrictions on was Magic Kingdom's Splash Mountain. We rode this one as the last ride of the night at Mickey’s Halloween thingy. Annabelle was all about the getting wet part of it, but also liked the crazy drop.

Annabelle’s ultimate show of bravery was at Hollywood Studios where she rode The Tower of Terror! There are adults who won’t ride it, but my 3 year old was so excited about riding the “crazy elevator ride” that she couldn’t stop talking about it all day long until we finally went on the ride. She was ridiculously cute while we were sitting in the elevator car waiting for the ride to begin. She was so attentive to every thing that she heard the ride operator say. They were having issues with one of the seat belts not seeming to be connected correctly (which made me a bit nervous with her being in there), so they made us raise our hands (to make sure that everyone had the seat belts on) then pull on the seatbelts to make sure they were secure. She was very intent on making sure to do everything they said. She even heard another rider telling her friends to take their sunglasses off of their heads and she made me do it too. She was adorable! Kelly told her that it was going to tickle her tummy on the inside, so she was anxious about that.

Once the ride began, she was a little freaked out by the ghosts, but kept asking when we were going to start going up and down. Once the “up and down” part did actually start, she took it like a champ! She didn’t cry or scream or anything. She had the expected look of terror (that most people on that ride probably have), but didn’t complain about it at all! I loved it! After the ride, I asked her how she liked it and she surprised me by saying that she didn’t like it. She wasn’t upset about it though, just matter-of-fact about it. She told us that she liked the “up” part, but not the “down” part. I have to wonder if she would have liked it more if part of the drop didn’t take place in complete darkness. Regardless, I’m so proud of her for braving the Tower of Terror! What an amazing little 3 year old I have!

Annabelle's Babies

Annabelle has always collected acorns at school. Since she first started going there, she has randomly requested to wear pants with pockets so that she has somewhere to put the acorns. She used to just bring home 1 or two (which I usually found in the wash), but now she brings home pocketfuls or even stashes them in her lunchbox. She calls them "baby acorns" and talks about how they're "so cute". She gives them to me (or whoever else picks her up from school) as gifts ("I got something very special for you!"). Lately the "baby acorns" have started making "baby rock" (tiny rocks) friends, who also make their way home.

Corgan's Speech

A couple of things that I want to remember about Corgan's speech...

He says "again" and "there" in a super-thick southern accent!

He says "umm-hmmm" instead of yes when he very much agrees or wants to do something.

Annabelle's Career Choices

A: When I grow up, I'm going to be a ballerina teacher.

M: Oh yeah? What about a sea turtle astronaut?

A: I'm going to be that too. I'm going to be a ballerina teacher, a sea turtle astronaut, and a monster truck driver.

M: Wow! That's a lot of jobs. And quite a combination too.

A: I will have to start work at 4 o'clock.

M: What will you do during the rest of the day?

Baby Privacy

After a discussion about how the baby is too little to tell if it's a boy or a girl yet, then discussing that he or she needs to get bigger so that we can see if it has a girl pee-pee or a boy pee-pee on the pictures, Corgan said: "I don't want to go see the pictures because I don't want to see a baby pee-pee."

Our Skycoastering Adventure

Today we went to Big Kahuna's Water Park in Destin, and had a blast!  But, the big highlight of the day was after we thought our day of fun had ended.  On our way out to our car, we passed the Skycoaster where a family was about to take off.  I told Annabelle to watch it because she dreams of flying and when she gets big she might like to do it because it's like flying.  She watched the family of a daddy, mommy, and young boy go pulled up then swinging down toward the ground in awe.  Once it was over, I said "Do you think you might want to do that when you get big?"  She said "No, I want to do it NOW!"  I totally thought she was caught up in the excitement, and I was not about it pay for the tickets only to have her chicken out.  I was also using the excuse that I had already put on a dress for my dry clothes and I wasn't about to show everyone my panties (and Daddy had already said that Mommy would have to do it with her because there was no way he was going to do it!).
Annabelle kept insisting that she wanted to do it right now, not wait a few years!  The high minimum was only 42" so I couldn't use that excuse.  Keith told her he'd buy the tickets if she really wanted to do it, so I manned up and pulled on Keith's wet swim trunks under my dress, then grabbed my wallet and went to buy the tickets!

Once I'd purchased the tickets, Corgan came over and stood next to me and Annabelle. He asked me "Do you wear shoes to do this?", then when I said "No" he walked back over to Keith to leave his shoes with him. When he came back I asked if he wanted to go too, and he did. So... back to purchase another ticket.

As we were pulled up into the air, my heart was pounding! Not only was I scared for myself, but I had my two babies with me! When the countdown came, it was time for me to pull the rope to release us, and I nearly froze. Once I released us, it felt like we were diving straight toward the ground! Annabelle and I screamed, and Corgan froze with a look of terror, but didn't make a sound. Despite their different reactions, both kids absolutely loved it and I'm so grateful that we made that memory together!

I Love My Kiddos...

Juliet

• Juliet's tiny fingers wrapped around my thumb.
• The weight of a newborn draped across my chest. 
• Sneezes
• Grins turning into smiles
• Sleeping 6 hours/night by 4 weeks
• Kissing her cheek and it being so chubby and soft that my lips suck it in
• Feeling her tiny head fit in the palm of my hand

Corgan

• saying "I Love You" all of the time
• singing "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" to Juliet when she cries
• his love for math, identifying large numbers, and his interest in time
• his porcelain skin
• white-blonde hair that turns into curls when it starts to get long
• desire to do everything that Annabelle does
• interest in "boy things" really developing (boy "colors", Super Heros, etc.)

Annabelle

• still enjoys having her parents come to her school activities
• constantly saying that Juliet is the prettiest baby in the whole world
• her freckles and cute birthmarks
• willingness to try new things
• her imperfect way of saying words like "Twortan" (for Corgan) or "Tworti" (as a term of endearment)
• her love of dinosaurs, sea turtles, space exploration and everything pink!
• that she still loves and needs her "pink blankie"

Mid-Year Goal Update

We're now half-way through 2012, so I wanted to go through my goals for the year to assess where I'm at...

• Donate to Locks of Love - DONE
• The big cut was made on March 6th, but I didn't get around to sending the hair until the end of May.  But it's DONE! :) 

Before

During

After!

• Finish Filling the Empty Picture Frames- IN PROGRESS

• I've printed a few photos, but still have to actually put them in the frames and still have many more to print too.  This will probably happen in the fall.  This is one picture that I will DEFINITELY be framing!
• Continue to Make Contributions to Help People in My Community and Beyond - ALWAYS IN PROGRESS
• I feel like 2012 has made our entire family more involved in helping out in our community and for those in need beyond our community.  We have done some special projects for families in need, both of us have been key players in starting up community-based groups within our church, and we were blessed to be able to participate in the awarding of needs-based scholarships at the University of Alabama this spring.  We've continued to get our kid involved in sharing by picking out things to donate to other kids and collecting money for a fundraiser at our church.  Totally on her own, Annabelle has already started collecting her own money and is thinking of marketing ideas for the Nana's House Walk-a-thon that will happen in the late fall.
• Grow Spiritually - IN PROGRESS
• I still need to work on making daily time for prayer/devotional, but have incorporated both into my life on a regular basis.  I have read a few books on spirituality (my favorite is one that I read for the 2nd time, When Christians Get It Wrong), spent many hours reading about spiritual and religious topics online, and have watched every episode of "The Naked Archeologist"!  I have become very involved at our church with regular attendance, helping out with the preschool classes, joining in on social activities, and helping with special projects.
• Support Keith with Pastime - IN PROGRESS
• Pastime is progressing, and I'm right there with my cheerleading outfit on (haha!). :)
• Help Annabelle to grow in her interests - IN PROGRESS

• Annabelle is ALMOST able to ride a bike on her own, she has done 2 triathlons, attended a triathlon clinic, and we FINALLY finished her Fairy Forest 2 weeks ago!  As soon as I can get my computer working again, I'm planning to get Rosetta Stone going and start working with her on French (she does still remember some that I've taught her in the past, and some random words that we've worked on at bedtime, and can sing a whole song in French about being a pizza--- but I can't take credit for that last one), and hopefully we'll get her doll house done by the end of the summer!
• Help Corgan to grow as a young man - IN PROGRESS

• Corgan and I have been on 3 lunch dates already, but I want to incorporate a few dinner dates where we get all dressed up specifically for a special night out.  He has loved our special lunch dates, and we even found some new favorite restaurants for him thanks to it.  His math skills are still growing and I found him a math camp that he already attended this summer (it was for 1st through 3rd graders, but he did great and LOVED it too)!  The independence on getting ready is still a work in progress that I'm hoping becomes a natural thing once he starts kindergarten this fall. (Side note: Since he wants to keep up with Annabelle, Corgan also did the 2 triathlons and the triathlon clinic AND he has learned to ride his bike on his own!)  We are very proud of Corgan's "can do" attitude as he tries just about everything (except for new foods) with bravery and 100% all-in!
• Help Juliet to grow into toddlerhood - IN PROGRESS

• My sweet little Juliet has more love comin' at her than she knows what to do with!  Even at barely a year old, she is starting to show her own personality as well as following in her big sister's footsteps in many ways.  She's so much more cuddly than the other two were, and I LOVE to soak that up!  She does 6 signs (more, all done, food, dog, light, and cat), but I can tell that she's taking in some of the others and just waiting to start using them, and I'll continue to do signs as part of regular conversation so that she can keep learning them.
• Help my marriage to grow - IN PROGRESS
• We have been good at our monthly dates and have found some new favorite restaurants in the process (that's all Keith though... he's good at finding new places like that).  We have been talking about plans for our "only us" trip, and it will probably happen near our anniversary in early December.  I still need to find a good book on relationships.
• Be a "Fit" Version of Me!
• I'll break these down one at a time...
• "To once again break 26 minutes in a 5K race" - WORKING
• My fastest 5K so far this year was 26:39.  This one WILL happen though!
• Finish the Pineappleman Triathlon in 1:42 or better and to complete at least one more sprint triathlon - HALF DONE

• I blew away my goal in the Pineappleman by finishing in 1:37:15!  I was in the top 50% of my age group!  I am signed up for the Battle of the Bridges triathlon in October and next week I start a triathlon clinic that leads up to it.  I  hope to find one more triathlon to do in the fall too.
• Have a respectable time in a 10K race - TO DO
• I'm having a hard time finding any 10K races... especially in the summer in Florida.  There are a few in the fall, so I'll catch one then.
• Do something "active" an average of 4 times per week throughout the year
• I didn't start being "active" until the spring, but after that, I definitely met this goal.  I took some time off after the triathlon too, but I'm back on track now!  I am 1 week into the TapoutXT program and I start a triathlon clinic next week, so I should be nice and "active" for the next few months!
• Run a mile in under 7:30 - TO DO
• My fastest recorded mile to date is about 7:50.  This WILL happen though!
• Get through Level 1 of Rosetta Stone French - TO DO
• Complete a "366" (not "365" since it's leap year) Photo Project for 2012 - DONE (So far)
• My 366 project pictures are here, and I'm actually all caught up on them now!  I've had to cheat and use random pictures for a few days, but overall, I've done pretty well with at least making sure that a picture has been taken every day (and Annabelle enjoys reminding me)!
• FINALLY complete the Media Room! - WORKING
• I've done lots of research on audio and video equipment, purchased some furniture, have some furniture to refinish, have an inspiration board on pinterest, and have some plans in my head!  I'm REALLY hoping to finish this up this summer!

Missing Each Other

Tonight Annabelle and Keith went out for a special date to the Melting Pot, so Corgan and Juliet stayed home with me.  Corgan had to go to bed before they got home. After he said his prayers, he began to cry, not because he thought it wasn't fair because he had to go to bed before Annabelle, but because he was sad that he wasn't going to get to kiss Annabelle and Daddy goodnight!  Once I promised him that I would have both of them come in and kiss him when they got home, he was able to calm down and go to sleep.

By the time that Annabelle and Keith arrived home, Corgan was well asleep.  I told Annabelle he wanted her to come kiss him goodnight.  She did that, then told me she wanted to sleep on the floor in his room.  She NEVER asks to do that.  We made her a palette on the floor, and she curled up and went to sleep.

I love when they miss each other!