May Mayhem

I've done it again. So much time goes by between posts that, dear reader, I'm sure it's hard for you to stick with me. My time is so divided and rationed with two rambling boys, a maturing middle-schooler, and a sweetheart husband. My house doesn't get cleaned nearly as often as it should--though in fairness to the other "less busy seasons" of my life, it never did. My list of things to share seems to grow exponentially the longer it takes me to post.

1. We're busy around the Morgan household, as I think everyone is especially in May. Claire and Hamilton both have year-end events next Thursday night, and Claire's already had two year-end viola concerts. Mr. Morgan and Grandma Judy attended her first concert. Claire's in the middle of this sea of performers.

Claire's two best friends joined her for a banana split following the concert.

2. It's been 10 years since I graduated from college, and during alumni weekend I got together with my roommate and suitemate from freshman year. We toured the campus which has WAY more stuff than when we attended--new buildings for just about every department, more "green space," and a much bigger and oh-so-necessary library. We were slightly jealous of the new students, as we listened to our tour guide talk about all the improvements. I also felt old seeing the potential students, but the distinguishing part of the campus--the old buildings, historic homes, and large live oaks--hadn't changed a bit.

We dined at Palmetto Cafe in the Charleston Place hotel, which was delicious, but the skylights created unflattering shadows for the only picture I snapped of the three of us.

A few shots from freshman year really bring back the memories.

3. The boys and I have been thoroughly enjoying Sandra McCracken's new album for children. We've been listening to the few teaser songs she released for free a few weeks ago. Yesterday the full album went on sale. For anyone with little ones, it's a great listen for you and your kids. And every song teaches a big truth in a simple way, using my favorite phrase "little one" in each song. Hamilton loves each song, asks for each by name, and knows most all the words. So cute. And he's learning awesome truths like, "Little one, in the storm God cares for you."

4. Hamilton and Collier escaped for a few days with Mimi and Pops at the farm last week. I got lots of house projects done, so I was happy. The boys spent a day at the Tweetsie Railroad riding a real train, so Pops and Hamilton were both happy. (I'm not sure which one was more excited about the train ride though.) Read all about their adventures. Mr. Morgan and I ate dinner in peace with no squealing and no feeding the ravenous monster that Collier has turned into. We even had enough energy for a date night.

5. Claire and I relished our rare girls' afternoon (because the little boys were away) that we spent at earthArt Pottery. Everything about our experience was delightful. I have not stopped talking about it to everyone I meet! We'll go back soon to finish our clay hand-built pieces that we started.

December 2

Hamilton loves the wagon at Mimi and Pops's house. Sometimes he rides, sometimes he pushes, or sometimes he pulls. I love all the leaves on the ground. As a kid I spent lots of time raking leaves, though not usually to clear the yard of leaves. Travis and I would spend hours raking them into piles and wrestle in them, or we'd make trails and create an obstacle course. So much outdoor fun that quickly turned into work when it was time to rake the leaves into the woods and out of the yard.

What I've Learned This Week

1. Don't assume that "NO REFRIGERATION REQUIRED"--printed boldly and proudly on a package--means that no refrigeration is required ever. Mold and gross-looking funk will grow on your nitrate-free pepperonis if you don't refrigerate them after opening.
2. Don't assume when Claire's keyboarding teacher tells her "Mr. Qwerty" invented the keyboard and spelled his name within the key pattern, that he's joking. A quick Google search and two-day discussion/argument with Claire convinced her to set him straight.
3. Leaning over and resting his head on the shopping cart is more comfortable for my crawling-but-not-yet-sitting-up son. Though strapped in, Collier does not sit well for long in shopping carts.
4. Don't assume my son's crying screams during his diaper change are because his big brother head-butted him. Don't automatically fuss at the big brother; the baby's cries might be from having his finger pinched in the wipes container. Oops.
5. A baby who's normally happy while he's being fed might be upset and fussing during mealtime because he's sitting on a small school bus.
6. Claire's enthralled by a boy who sings. Here was our conversation tonight as we rode home:
   "Mama, did you ever have a crush on a boy?"
   "Oh yes."
   "Did you ever watch him sing?"
   "Yes, actually."
   "Didn't it make you like him all the more?"
   "Definitely."

Middle September

How is it the middle of September and I've posted only once this month?! Yikes, time flies. I've made a list to help organize my scattered, blog thoughts.

1. School's in full swing for both Claire and Hamilton, though it's different this year for both of them. Claire's not only at a new school, but she's also going by a new name--Elaine. She's told all her teachers to call her Elaine, but her friends from her old school still call her Claire. She insists that we still call her Claire, though sometimes Mr. Morgan jokingly calls her Elaine. So all her school papers and books come home with "Elaine Morgan" written on them to which Mr. Morgan responds, "Who's this 'Elaine' person?" At Open House, I had to introduce myself as Elaine's stepmom. For Hamilton, he's learning so many new things at school that he's able to share with me this year. Last week all I heard was "AY-bee-see" over and over, though sometimes his pronounciation of the first three letters would morph into "ay-BEE-see." I'm pretty sure he thought "ABC" was a word. This week he's saying, "Gah may pee-puhl," so I've been saying, "What did God make?" He replies, "God made people." It's an awesome truth, though I wonder how much he understands.
2. I cleaned the master bathroom yesterday.
3. While to most folks the above statement doesn't deserve its own, separate number, trust me, it does. The master bathroom took over three hours to clean; the shower alone took an hour. It was disgusting. I won't even venture a guess as to how long it had been since the last cleaning because it would be embarrassing--even for me. But the bathroom sparkles now.
4. I'm looking forward to an upcoming weekend away with some women from church. I'm happy to have enough milk stored for my trip, and I'm thankful for a husband who'll watch the kids--yes, he'll have help. I love fall getaways!
5. I wanted to post my own memorial for Sept.11, but I missed it by a few days. So here's my I-remember-exactly-where-I-was tribute. I was a 21-year-old, college senior spending the fall semester at Keene State, which was only five hours from New York City. Students at my school knew people who worked in the Towers and as first-responders. In my Tuesday-morning class, we watched The Today Show's coverage of the attacks. I watched the towers fall live on television. I heard Katie Couric's live conversation with Jim Miklaszewski at the Pentagon when he said, "I just heard something that sounded like a bomb." I had been in New Hampshire--in a new region of the country, at a new school--for about two weeks, and I felt so alone. The local paper's front page showed a picture of the burning towers in its afternoon edition, published actually on Sept. 11, 2001. In writing about the attacks, it's hard for me not to focus on how life-changing it was for me--to make the events of September 11th about me. I didn't lose anyone or even know anyone who lost anyone that day. My fellow countrymen suffered that day, and I can't memorialize the events as well as news programs. But I can remember their sacrifices, our country's loss, and our only Hope for the future.