Fairly Ordinary

It’s very, very cold here. Being a Southern girl to the core, I have heard of socks before but never really had a need for them since I’ve worn flip-flops year round. But now it’s so cold that I’ve dug into my long forgotten stash of socks.

There is something about this weather that has made Daniel and I quite nostalgic and romantic, too. Which is not a problem at all, mind you. It’s just that the last time we experienced this type of weather was when we were falling-in-love over Christmas about four years ago. I’d traveled up to the North to meet his family over the holidays and I’d been shocked that I needed a thick coat to even open the front door.

Last night we drove to a neighborhood restaurant and filled ourselves with hot food and then took a drive through the country. It was so calming to wind through the farms and stately houses with their cute little candles in the windows. Duffy was belting her heart out through our car speakers but you could still hear a small voice from the backseat saying, “One. Two. One. Two. One. Two.” He’s learning to count, by the way.

He’s also learning to mimic every single word that he hears. And when we hosted our first overnight guests here a few days ago (Tim and Dani), Drew practiced words like “buttock,” “Santa” and “booger.” Yes, his Uncle Tim is atrocious. The last thing I need Drew screaming in the middle of the grocery store is “SANTA HAS A BOOGER ON HIS BUTTOCKS!”

It really was a lovely weekend with Tim and Dani, though. We had some long talks, reading sessions, TV-watching, and book-sale shopping. And one particular card game that got wild and lively. Of course, I was half-asleep in the green chair. Try as I may, I simply cannot stay awake when it gets really late. I’m pretty much a little early-to-bed nerd.

They also came along on Sunday to the first “preview” service we had at Engage. The service echoed quite a bit of what I’ve been re-learning about God in the past year. Two moments stood out to me. A new friend that I’ve just met shared part of her faith story and in so doing, she admitted that living with rules and regulations in faith is something she finds to be attractive at first glance. I heard her words and had to blink back tears as I saw myself in what she was saying. Another moment was when Jon asked us to share with our group what questions we would ask God if we could simply turn to Him and expect an audible answer. I didn’t expect to break down into tears at all but when I started opening my heart, I pretty much lost it. I have so many questions. Very few answers.

I am very thankful that we’ve found this band of believers. Being with them reminds me to look for God to pop out of the mundane, ordinary, and really frumpy days of life.

Tonight you scurried about through the living room tonight, with a toothy grin all over your face. You had no worries at all and your laughter was infectious.

Daddy and I were curled up on the couch, with our respective laptops, while watching Barack Obama’s thirty minute ad (we nicknamed it The Obama Show).

You occasionally stopped to peer around the corner of the living room to see what was going on but your need to scurry outweighed your curiosity.

But what you didn’t realize is that we were watching a big piece of history tonight. We don’t know who is going to be our next President. But your Daddy and I are greatly encouraged that our country may reach a wonderful turning point if Senator Obama is elected.

We don’t think he will be a perfect President (in fact, Daddy and I want to do our part in reaching our community as well), but the hope that rang out tonight was something that has been so exceptionally rare in politics.

Only time will tell if the people of our great country will choose this particular path or not. But tonight, as I watch you roll my hatboxes through the kitchen, I am encouraged that politics does not have to be dirty. Politics does not have to be full of hateful division.

Although we don’t rely on the government to provide the hope for our lives, it’s encouraging to imagine you growing up in a land less divisive.

May God bless our country. No matter the next path we choose.

I’m already looking forward to NOT WRITING ABOUT POLITICS.

So, in lieu of that, here are some wiggly pictures of Drew at the park that is three minutes from our house.

When we first discovered this lovely park, I was absolutely in awe. It’s a Real Live Fort. Well, a tiny fort for little ones.

Drew enjoys scooting through the paths and deciding on his very own what he’d like to do next. I just follow with the camera.

His very favorite thing to do is ring the bells in the fort. It does grow old eventually when it’s the SAME NOTE over and over and over but the smile on his face makes it worth the deafening and distracting noise.

Of course, when Daniel is with us, Daniel and I sneak over to play tic tac toe while watching Drew ring the bells.

Spinning is Drew’s absolute FAVORITE thing to do anytime during the day or night. He spins shoes from their shoelaces, bottles, toys, and wheels. When he found tires, he went crazy.

For a BRIEF second, I caught both Daniel and Drew posing on the tires. They look hilarious.

And the more he runs around in the park, the more his pants slide down until his legs look about two inches long.

Right beside the children’s fort, there is a creek with a bundle of ducks. Bundle of ducks? Gaggle of ducks? Swarm of ducks?

The ducks are so much fun and Drew squeals with delight each time he sees them.

Now that I’ve written about something beside politics, I’m off to finish watching the debate. ;)

After watching Drew battle a fever all day, complete with chills and lack of interest in anything but sleep and juice, I started getting really concerned tonight.

I’d kept him cool all day, tried to keep fluids and food in him (he didn’t have much interest in either), but all he wanted to do was sleep. He ended up taking a three hour nap while Daniel scooted to a late church service.

When Daniel got home, we woke Drew up to eat a bit of supper and play a tiny bit before tucking him back in bed. Only this time his fever had went back up. All the way to 103.2. Yes, I freaked out.

He hadn’t been sniffly at all today. No diarrhea, no vomiting, and no coughing. Just lying around, very very very whiny, and his fever has went up and down depending on tylenol and cool wash cloths.

We haven’t found a pediatrician yet or I would have called their 24 hr doctor on call and asked for a suggestion. So, we packed him into the car and headed to the ER.

It’s a new feeling to watch Drew somewhat helpless, physically. We’ve been blessed to have a very healthy boy. He’s had probably under 10 colds since he’s been born (he’s almost 18 months now) and has never had an ear infection or a stomach virus. But it was obvious tonight that something was wrong.

At the ER, the nurse put a band-aid on Drew’s toe that had a sensor inside of it to take his blood pressure. She slid his sock back over his toes and it was so cute to see Drew reach down and keep touching his toes. I KNOW IT’S THERE MOMMY! He got to wear a tiny toddler gown and with a fresh dose of tylenol, he was soon wiggling all over the hospital room. Isn’t that Murphy’s Law? Just when you think your kid is falling apart and you rush to the ER, he starts to dance for all the nurses.

The doctor finally came in (after we waited in a room for 45 minutes) and checked Drew out and diagnosed him with strep throat. I’m so glad that we went ahead and took him tonight. He’s on antibiotics and tylenol now and tucked in bed, sound asleep.

I washed poo off of Drew’s crib, walls, toys, and gave him a scrubbing like he’s never had.

I finally convinced Drew to eat cantaloupe and now he and I have both eaten almost half of a large one. In one sitting.

I discovered that my cell phone fell into the hinder-parts (through a tear in the upholstery) of my favorite green chair and had to rip it a bit more to get it out.

These are the reasons why I want to forgo my not-reading-the-new-book-until-I-have-unpacked-everything pact.

Whew. Hello, Sunday night.

Daniel and I are relaxing in the living room and watching the Olympic coverage. Here are a few things that I’d love to write lengthily about but my contacts seem to be glued to my eyes and let’s be honest, I really need to watch Michael Phelps more than I need to blog.

But here’s my list:

1. This morning’s service at Southside was absolutely amazing. One of the best services I’ve ever been in. Charlie talked about Jacob wrestling with God and it was so powerful I saw tears pouring not only down my face but others. As we all shared Communion, we sang Amazing Grace…my chains are gone…and I thought I could barely breathe. It seemed like everyone around me was itching to rush to their feet, throw their hands in the air…and all I could imagine was what Heaven will be like when believers from all over the world are praising the One who broke our chains.

2. I’ve changed a few things about Fairly Ordinary. For one, there are a few ads now. :) No hard feelings, right? I also added a movie ratings archive and a library.

3. My son apparently has Hand, Foot and Mouth disease. I know. Oh my freaking word. He suddenly shouted out at us this evening (he’d been reading a book in his bed), and we went to check on him and he immediately showed us one of his index fingers which had a huge blister on it. There wasn’t a way he could have pinched it and we were really confused and concerned as to how one earth he could have had such a awful blister form in so little time (I’d just been with him minutes earlier) and so I called the Children’s Clinic who basically told me that he has all the symptoms of HFMD. Isn’t that crazy? :( I’m keeping everything sparkly clean, giving him lots of food and fluids, and he won’t be visiting nurseries anytime soon. :-\ Also, he DOES NOT have Foot and Mouth disease. ;) He isn’t a calf or a piglet.

4. Besides getting random viruses from other kids, Drew has also been learning new things. He has learned to CLIMB. After turning my back for a second, and Daniel looking at something else for just a second, we suddenly realized Drew was missing. I found him IN THE TUB. Fully clothed. With his juice. Grinning.

He’s also learned to climb on the couch. NOT GOOD.

5. This is my all-time favorite picture of Drew. So far.

6. And this is a great video that shows Drew’s weird face that I taught him when he was just a few months old. I’m such a sweet mommy.

Untitled from Jennifer on Vimeo.

7. I read ALL of The Twilight Saga this weekend. ALL FOUR BOOKS. In one weekend. I’m certainly going to write about these books in the coming weeks (it may be after we move) but wow - is it just me or is this Tuck Everlasting meets Anne Rice? No, they aren’t as rich as the Harry Potter stories but they are certainly fascinating and lovely as pie.

8. If you have any doubt as to my feelings about The Hitchhikers’ Guide to the Galaxy (which my husband loves, loves, loves), you can see it in my eyes here (click on the picture for silly notes).

Time is swirling by so quickly with my little Drew. He is growing by leaps and bounds and has five more teeth (for a total of 9) coming in all AT ONCE. He’s learning new words (like HOO-sorey for horsey) and making up new games each day. And one of his favorite things to do is to play outside.

We haven’t been able to do it that much lately because it is so hot (oh, and we have A LOT of fire ants outside) and he gets flushed within minutes of being outside. We carry juice and a cold washcloth sometimes so I can freshen him up in the middle of a run-around-the-valley-jaunt but lately it’s just been safer to stay indoors.

But when we do get to visit the outside, we try to go in the morning. The minute that Drew sees the lawn, he runs as hard as he can and then kneels down and wiggles his fingers in the green grass.

And if there are dragonflies flitting about, well, that just adds to the fun!

Drew is also in the stage of picking up anything small that he sees. He has sort of stopped immediately putting it into his mouth (thank goodness) but he carries things around in his hands forever and will lean down and lay them softly in the oddest places. He kept picking these rocks up and sitting them down. Over and over.

And then it’s off to the rest of The Valley!

We had one moment where he seriously wanted to eat the rocks and I said No! He whined. And I said No! And then he just gave me this weird face and held it out like… just one, please?

He also loves to visit Granny, or Gan-Gan. Whenever I say her name he looks up at her house and starts walking very quickly.

Granny gives him popsicles and we watch the fan go around and around and around in her living room and we sing songs and she reads him books.

And after any sort of adventure outside he is normally ready to rest by himself for awhile. He likes to have alone time just like me and Daniel. ;) I often give him a bit to drink and a few books to read just so he can calm down a little. But after this particular visit he just plopped right over and went to sleep.

I thought he was completely out and snapped a few pictures when he sat right back up and drank a whole bunch of juice before plopping right back over. ;)

My little boy is growing up so fast, goodness. I’ll be glad when these teeth are all the way in and he isn’t suffering with pain and a cold.