Cox Farms

A delightful place tucked away in Centerville.  Goats to feed, animals and babies, BIG slides, apple cider, kettle corn, a corn maze and tractor rides . We took advantage of John being home and went on a weekday to avoid the crowds.

Not only did James insist he and John run through the corn maze twice, I purchased a bag of kettle corn bigger then Mary. 

Luke drank a gallon of cider and was the king of the slides.  Good times all around !

Soccer Saturday

Today's game was lots of fun.  Really, not a mishap or costume malfunction in sight.  James even dribbled the ball and almost scored a goal.  I almost cried I was so proud of him. Not really, but his team has come really far in 4 games and 3 practices!

Luke did his usual "can I play on your phone" the second we arrived.  Such a supportive soccer brother.  Mary, loved it now that she can sit on a blanket.  She had toys, water, grass and a lollipop to keep her happy.  She may even have squealed with delight at appropriate times, making big brother really proud. Don't tell him it was mostly due to a sugar treat she found after she dropped it.  Shhhh!

6 months and Soccer

Pretend it is 3 weeks ago: Today was James' first soccer game. Excitement was building and our family of five was ready to cheer on our budding star.

We arrived to the soccer field a little early to eat lunch. As I watched John load up like a pack mule I quickly realized I had packed way too much stuff. All I was missing was a case of water to make it appear we were preparing to take up residency at the soccer field for at least a week.

Game time was 1:00, we arrived probably at 12:25. Coach asked us to be 20 minutes early for warm up anyway.

And we needed a warm up because our team of first grade boys needed all the help they can get. Not one ounce of talent has peaked through yet....I am sure our coach may be able squeeze out some sort of team resembling soccer players, but it might take all 7 weeks of the season. All the parents of these mighty Green Dragons are fiercely supportive and are cheering on boys as the trip over their own feet, score for the other team, and prancersize across the field. My child may have even thrown in a cartwheel for good measure.

Things get really interesting when I mention that in my haste to get dressed this morning I put on maternity clothes by mistake....oh my goodness! So imagine me bouncing a grunting baby, pulling up saggy drawers, cheering a no-good team of misfits...and then the grunting baby poops all over herself and me. I almost died laughing at the nonsense of it all. Thankfully I had my sling, so her half naked self and my pooped shirt were covered and I could return to the baby bouncing, sagging clothing cheering sidelines.

I might get an F at being a soccer mom, but I get an A for effort.

Fast forward to last Saturday's game. Ready to admit defeat at this whole "dragging three kids to a soccer game" thing. Mary fell asleep right before kick-off and I refuse to wake a sleeping baby and drag her to a public setting where her grunting makes it sound like we are on the sidelines of Wimbledon. Especially given the fact that in game 2, my eldest announced very loudly during the game that he needed to use the facilities. As there are none available at this field, it required he and daddy to dash home for a quick potty break. So really, I was quite relieved I wasn't there for anymore bathroom mishaps this past week.

Luke, cheering on his brother. Poor kid dislikes sitting for hours watching James run around...he may never want to play on his own team.

Me and little missy cheering on big brother.

 

Can you spot him? (Hint, #3)

And, Mary is 6 months. Here is some cuteness to round out this mini novella of a blog post. Enjoy!

 

 

Photo Dump

So many pictures, so little time. Here are some of my favorites from this past week.

Sweat Potatoes

Took down an entire jar like a boss.  

Epitome of a Modern Woman

That is what I was called the other day in the middle of a parking lot. Oh my word, John and I had a good laugh when I joined him in Pet Smart. You see, I wasn't anywhere fancy or impressive. We were taking the kids to Pet Smart to look at the animals and to waste time while our kitchen was under construction. That is just how we roll.

Luke my resident designer. Kid has serious opinions.

 

A compete side note is the fact that people ALWAYS talk to me when I am out and about. I must have a big sign on me that says, "come chat me up" because inevitably that is what happens. Which is really not my favorite, because I am an introvert who generally tries to avoid random small talk. Although given the constant chatting with random strangers lately I am getting pretty good at 4 minute conversation topics.

But I digress. Back to the " you are the epitome of a modern woman" ridiculousness. Let's break it down.

 

1. I was wearing a really cute stripped skirt, black top and sandals. Not because I am fashionable, but because the laundry pile in my house is so high it might smother a child if it fell over. My other choice was an evening gown, but i couldn't find the heals to match.

2. Mary was on my front in her sling. This is the only way we can travel without dropping her wiggly self on the ground. Plus it allows me that extra hand to hold my coffee AND I have found people tend to focus on her sweet self rather then notice the hot mess I am.

3. Sunglasses on top of my head and my hair pulled back in a knot. Sounds pretty sheik until you consider that I hadn't showered in more days then I care to admit, and the sunglasses were holding my greasy hair out of my face.

4. In my hands was a coffee from Starbucks. A soy latte to be exact. Baby says no to dairy as well as to sleeping and I need something caffeinated.

Seriously, this girl is my sunshine.

5. I was exuding a zen like sense of calm. Because now that I have 3 kids it is almost a vacation to only have 1 with me. Or maybe it was due to the sleep deprivation. Or perhaps because baby Mary, even with all our nighttime issues and dietary restrictions, is the most joyful baby in the world.

My take home message: If you are dressed and holding an adorable baby and also holding a cup of Starbucks then you are awesome. So I have that going for me.

Coming soon...adventures of a soccer mom. Go Green Dragons!

 

Meteorite or Meteorwrong

Hunting for meteorites today at our county park.  Found quite a few rocks that passed the two step test.  Kids were so excited!  Also found a lot that the kids dubbed meteor-wrongs.  Funny and creative!

Science, Ladies and Rat

Just some tidbits from our week.

We are part of a homegrown science club. So fun. Best part, the mess of elementary level "experiments" is spread to several houses. Plus we get to hang with some cool folks.

We attended our first birthday party at Chuck-e-cheese.  Boys had a lot of fun, but were moderately creeped out by the robot version of Mr Cheese.  Mary was completely unimpressed and slept throughout most of the party.

Ladies night out with Mary was a success.  She did some moderate squawking, but was mostly very sweet and well behaved amidst the random opera singers (what on earth?!?).  Although we were missing one very important lady....maybe we can Skype you in next time Amy!

Baby Mary's Cousins

Some pictures of sweet baby girl.  This little lady loves all the attention from her cousins.  We have 11 cousins in the Turner family (3 big and 8 little) and they have a blast when they all get together!

It's better then Disney Land

Best park ever (according to my kids) is in Decatur, GA.  Just a regular play structure and grass field...but people literally drop off plastic play toys and leave them.  Ride-on toys, play houses, play kitchens are scattered everywhere.  As seen through the eyes of my kids, it is a perfect spot!  Plus a really yummy coffee spot is right next door...making it an ideal spot for this mommy who loves a good coffee.