LIFE AS A LANKFORD

Ned and I set off for our weekend after dropping Avery off after work Friday. It had been so windy all day, and about 30 minutes into our trip, we encountered a tree across the road. I knew another way around, but Ned thought that since it had broken up some he could move it. I sat in the car, unbuckled and halfway out incase something came speeding towards me and held my breath. Ned was able to roll all the pieces out of the way and didn't get run over. Another 20 minutes or so we came across another tree, complete with state trooper and backed up traffic. We didn't know another way around and didn't know if our faithful Onstar friends would be willing to map up a new route. Thank goodness for Google Maps and the iPhone! A lovely flashing dot shows up exactly where you are on the map and then moves as you move. Several extra minutes and one scenic drive later, we were back where we needed to be. The wind also made for a bumpy ride on the ferry across the James River. The first rows of cars usually do not get a saltwater bath on the ride, but they did Friday night.

Even with all of our adventures, we still made it to The Trellis 20 minutes before our reservations. Merchant's Square and the Duke of Gloucester Street are beautiful at night, but it was cold and everything was closed. We had a delicious dinner and left completely stuffed. We made our way to Kingsmill and checked in. We have friends who live in Kingsmill, but I had never been to the resort part and was surprised to find little condo-like buildings that house 8-10 suites.

After the best omelettes ever, we went our separate ways Saturday. Ned went to a Ducks Unlimited meeting, and I headed back to Merchant's Square. I couldn't resist a summer dress for Avery with the coupon I had and also hit up Barnes and Noble and a few other stores. Then I just sat in the sun for awhile and planned my route for the next leg of my journey.



This image from the Internet doesn't even come close to showing how quaint and wonderful this place is, but it's the best I could do.

After using Google Maps again, I made my way to Target and Verizon without the use of the blue button. Those Onstar advisors are the nicest people ever and even call me Mrs. Lankford, but I was proud to do it on my own. After diapers and a phone case, I picked up Chik-Fil-A and headed back to our room.



I enjoyed this view from our deck while I ate my lunch. It was so quiet and peaceful with just a little chill in the air. I sat out for a long time and did some thinking. Things in life are different and I'm tired of worrying about the why, how, etc. because life is just too full (of good and bad) to be bogged down. Oddly enough, a mommy blog I read tonight spoke to an issue that has weighed heavily with me. Needless to say, it was good to just be with me...and my Chik-Fil-A!

Ned returned and we sat off for the outlets. They were crazy! Finding a parking spot was like fighting a war, and I was ready to throw in the towel. We finally found a spot and got to shopping, for Avery of course.



Meanwhile, Avery was back at Lolli and Poppa's splashing in Lily's water bowl with forks. (This is blurry because it came from Mom's cellphone.) She had a big weekend going out to breakfast, having dinner guests, and generally being precious doing whatever she wanted to.

Saturday night Ned and I picked up our friends and headed to the DU dinner. This even went much better than I had thought, mainly because it was a dinner and I got to sit down. It also went quicker than I had expected. Ned managed to bid on and win a hunting trip that involves him being dropped off in chest-high water with a gun. I didn't feel bad that I wasn't invited on this trip.

Sunday morning I woke up feeling like the bug was back. I knew Saturday I just felt full, but I kept on eating. That wasn't a good plan, and Sunday I was sick. We passed on the omelettes and headed home. We picked up Avery and got home for lunch and nap. I had some soup and rested while she napped. I felt a little better when she woke up, but took it easy for dinner. I'm still not sure if it was something I ate or the virus, but I was glad to be able to eat a little Sunday night and feel ok.

It was such a wonderful weekend, and I've asked Ned if we can go to Williamsburg once a month. We are so fortunate to be able to leave Avery in good hands and get away every now and then. Of course, we talk about her all the time and talk about all the fun things we'll do when we bring her. Then there are all the strolling babies and we all know what that causes.

We enjoyed the rest of our long weekend by staying in Sunday and Monday. The weather was great so we took a stroll to see what Ned had cleared out from our lot.



Here is my big girl! I don't think we've used this stroller since last fall, and I couldn't believe how grown she looked in it. She's decided she will not ride in the jogger at Mimi's house, so I was glad to see that our stroller was still acceptable.



She loves Dixie, even though he is a nut and only really loves Ned.



Here is how the eye was looking through the weekend.

We all had regular weeks that seemed to go at least a little quicker after our day off. Things are pretty busy with me working on this class. I have 2 more assigments to do before Tuesday, and then one week to complete my final project. I will be SO glad when it's over and I can get some of my free time at night back.

Our house went on the market Wednesday as I mentioned in a previous post. We have some interest and a few showings lined up, but I'm taking it one day at a time. Ned on the other hand has to be continually reminded of the whole counting the chicks story.

Wedesday was Ned's birthday, and we ate dinner at his parents'. Avery is determined to touch everything in that house and I leave in a sweat.

Are you as excited about Girl Scout cookies as I am? I get delicious cookies, and the money I pay goes to help girls build courage, confidence, and character. Sign me up! My personal favorite has always been the Tagalong, but we always buy a variety of the deliciousness. However last year I was introduced to these.



Lemonades...lemon iced shortbread slices...aka yummm. These are not sold by our local girl scouts, and I was shocked to learn last year that the cookies can vary in areas due to bakers. We have lemon sandwich cookies here. However, a fellow teacher is a troop leader, and her sister (another troop leader) sells them in her area of North Carolina. She orders a bunch and I bought 2 boxes. I may or may not be almost done with one and considering buying more. I'm also hiding them from Ned. He blew through his box of Samoas so I have to be stealthy.

Ned and I are loving our new phones. He says many times throughout the night that it's the coolest phone ever, while I'm just happy to have Internet at my fingertips. Avery is happy that Mama's phone has Mickey and the Hot Dog Dance.

I am staying up too late at night and struggling in the morning. Today I asked Ned why he couldn't make me go to bed earlier, and he replied by asking me why I wasn't making him get up for fire calls at night. We both slept through a first call on his very loud pager last night.

Our house is officially on the market. Ned and I got a good laugh tonight viewing the pictures when we realized that Bitty Baby and Sammy the dog made it into our living room picture. Then I realized the inside of my house is on the Internet for strangers to see. I'm not one to have people in my space...personal, house, desk at school, etc. I am well-aware that this will be a challenging experience for me and am taking things one tiny step at a time.

Yesterday was Ned's birthday, and much to my demise, he did not request a Pizza Hut pan pizza or Chik-Fil-A for his dinner.

We're going Williamsburg for the weekend. Ned says we're going to the state Ducks Unlimited convention. I say we're going to stay at the Kingsmill Resort and shop.

Speaking of shopping, I could certainly use a paycheck before we go away. We usually get paid the last working day of the month, but last month that fell on a Monday, and direct deposit had it available over the weekend. My fingers are crossed. You know those outlets are calling my name.

Everything is exciting to you, and I hope you will stay full of wonder forever. Your morning is made when we see big trucks and school buses on the road. You are thrilled if the choo choo is going by when we drive by, and when it isn't, you call for it. Nothing makes you happier to see the moon at night. Your little face is so cute now when you see something that interests you, like your face on the camera.

First pieces of Oreos (that Mama is aware of).

Happy Valentine's Day from our little hoot!

Key words for the week: house, school, sickness. And to further simplify: crazy!

Our kitchen is coming along s.l.o.w.l.y. As in, I've lost count of how many weeks I've been without overhead lights. This week it was painted a lighter shade of green that we had gotten for our office and never used, and the paint looks great. However, when they painted the ceiling, it became apparent that the texture in the spot they repaired did not match the rest of the ceiling. It pretty much screams, "Something fishy went on here, potential buyers." So instead of painting trim on Monday and being done, we've got to have the whole ceiling retextured. I'm hoping that by Wednesday they'll be done and the whole house can be cleaned. The house just feels like it's in shambles with kitchen stuff everywhere. We have so much to simply straighten before we can put the house on the market, but there just doesn't seem to be enough time in the day. Plus, Avery and straight are not synonyms.

Both schools, where I'm the teacher and where I'm the student, are hectic. My class isn't too hard, it's just a 45 hour class crammed into 6 weeks. I really have hopes of getting my master's and getting out of the classroom, but this has been eye-opening. And in school, we are inching closer to spring testing, and each day it seems as if I'm speaking the wrong language. There is so much going on, I don't feel like I'm giving 100% to anything in these areas. And when I do have a free minute, I don't want to give it to school or class. Class is almost half over, though!

And finally, oh the sickness that has plagued our house. Ned and I both have had terrible sinus problems this week. He has had more congestion, and I had more headaches. Since I'm on blood pressure medicine, I can't take anything cold/sinus related that has a D (decongestant) in the name. Without that, there's really no point. On top of that, the stomach virus is running rampant around here, and Avery had her first experience Wednesday morning. Luckily, we had not gotten to the car. Ned kept her home, but other than a decreased appetite and being a little tired, she was fine. The germ reached my body Thursday night and was not as kind. I'm still waiting to be able to eat more than a few bites at a time without feeling bad.

We did make it out of the house Saturday night and met Lolli for dinner close to her house. We had a Boston butt to deliver to her and had dinner since Poppa was working. I think I managed about 5 bites of my sub, but it was good to get out of the house. Other than that, we had a pretty lazy day at home. My mom and I decided to postpone our shopping trip until I was feeling better, and that was a good decision. We're hoping to go this Saturday.

This too shall pass! These are definately just minor bumps in the road compared to what some are going through. Soon we'll be able to look back on these weeks and laugh.

Avery pooped in the potty yesterday! I have to say I think it was very much a coincidence. Jennifer realized she hadn't gone much when she went to change her, sat her on the potty with some books, and ta-da! Jennifer said there was a BIG celebration with lots of cheers from her and the older children. About an hour after hearing this story, it dawned on me.

I missed it.

I missed the moment, the picture opportunity, the cheers, and the 2 M&Ms reward.

This is the first milestone that I've missed. Technically, I missed her crawling for the first time, but I was just in the other room and she did a repeat performance for me. To make matters worse (to me) I didn't even pick her up yesterday because I was sick. Lolli got to hear the good news from Jennifer.

The reality is that I work, and Avery spends a good deal of time away from me. I'm not interested in conversations concerning whether we could scale back, whether I'm ruining her, or whether SAHM or working moms have it harder. The fact is that I work. I'm well aware that these firsts can be missed by those SAHM when the child is in the nursery, with grandparents, etc. I'm also WELL aware that there will be lots more poop in the potty and in diapers. But, sometimes missing a first reminds me of all the seconds and thirds I'm missing throughout the day, and that's a lump in my throat that doesn't easily go away.

On the bright side, I didn't have to clean the potty :)

Here's what's been going on in the life of the Lankfords this week.

You may remember that in a previous post I listed a collection of very random items that Avery gathered up and stored in some Vera. Apparently, she can house her treasures in just about anything.



On Monday afternoon, her chair was still on the floor from where we took it to Lucas and Kristin's the night before. That made the perfect storage spot for all her farm members, hand lotion, Giraffi, and Febreeze plug-ins. Perhaps the hoarding gene has been passed down.

This dress was in the running for Avery's Easter dress last year but didn't make the cut. So, I was happy to spot it again this year.



I read lots of bloggers that they find very nice children's clothes on eBay, so I've been checking things out. Imagine my surprise when I found the exact dress in Avery's size. The seller said it had only been worn once for portraits, which was very believable to me since Avery has several outfits that fall into that category. I scored this dress for $29.99, including shipping. Online, the dress alone was $60. It arrived yesterday and looked just great. I'm tempted to sort through Avery's things and do some selling, but since Ned seems to have Duggar aspirations, I guess I'll hold out. I will continue to check out my favorite brands on eBay, though.

This arrived in the mail also...



...and to say that Avery is obsessed is putting it mildly. She needs to "peeeeee" 30 times a night, but has not actually peed. I think she's too young, but our sitter has been letting her sit on it so I thought I better have some consistency. Now if I can just keep her from standing in the "collection" area when she is done.

Now I'm waiting on this.



I remember very clearly telling at least one blog reader that I wasn't important enough to have a smart phone. Don't worry, I'm still not, and neither is my husband with his BlackBerry that I routinely threaten to stomp. However, it's time for me to join the "family" at Lankford Insurance, and if they pay for everyone else's phone, they can pay for mine as well. I'm really not an Apple lover, and may have laughed when the last phone came out and people waited in crazy lines to buy a phone that kept dropping calls. But, we both had to get new phones on our new plan, and Ned was determined to have the iPhone. I had fears of it being better than whatever I chose and me coveting his for two years.

I'm home today with the stomach virus. I'll spare the details, but only I would come down with it after eating my most-favorite food. Avery seems to have shared more germs than she actually took in, because she bounced back WAY more quickly than I am.

I'm hoping to be better by tomorrow, since Lolli and I have plans to shop. She has picked up on the fact that my life is beyond crazy at the moment, and has vowed to treat me to breakfast, lunch, and something pretty.

I think I can, I think I can...

Here are a few random thoughts popping around in my head this week:

**I made a point to watch Extreme Makeover Home Edition Sunday night. They built a new home for the family of Alex Brown, who lost her life in a car accident because she was texting and driving. As a mother, I felt the sadness of their loss coupled with the enormity of the job we have as parents to instill in our children the ability and desire to make safe, smart decisions. Please don't text and drive!

**I follow a blogger who routinely posts prayer requests. I don't click on all the links, partly because it is easy to become overwhelmed with sadness. I have been following the stories of a few lately, and found that little Jacob touched my heart the most. I can't imagine seeing my toddler go from active and noisy to still and quiet. Prayers are working, so I'm sure yours can help too.

**I'm loving my Kindle. It arrived on my very horrible day last Monday. I finished my first selection in two nights.



Now I'm working my way through this. If only school and class didn't get in the way!



I'm way behind on this book, I know. I'm following another blogger who does great book posts, so I've got a long list to keep me busy. Kindle will not replace all books in my life. I'm still working through Boundaries with Kids and The Happiest Toddler on the Block. I feel those type of books are best to keep handy for quick reference. I will continue to buy my Nicholas Sparks's books so Avery can tote them around, and I'll still buy books for the beach. Sticky sunscreen legs and sandy Avery fingers don't sound compatible. But, I'm really enjoying it, and it scored a few more points tonight when I realized I could read and eat a bowl of ice cream.

**I wanted to do the 40 Bags in 40 Days for Lent, where you clean 40 bags of junk or things you aren't using out of your house. With things up in the air with our house, I've had to start a bit early. I got a few bags of trash from cleaning our office and the closet in the office last weekend. I hope to tackle a few more rooms or areas this weekend. I just don't think I can hold off until Lent. I need to give up Pepsi/soft drinks then. I wouldn't hold your breath, though.

This week I learned:

**You can pick out know-it-alls in an online class just as easily as you can in person.

**What people don't do and don't say is much more telling than what they actually say and do.

**Think about selling your house, and a pipe will burst. Continue to think about it, and the little old man across the street will put his house on the market and get a contract in about 3 seconds.

And finally:

**I may have mentioned that last Monday was a bad day. When I was getting ready for bed, I noticed a cabinet lock on the bathroom was missing. I started poking around in the bathroom and finally looked in the tote bag hanging on the door. In it I found the missing cabinet lock, a pair of Avery's pants that had been in the bathroom trash, books, my electric razor, travel-size baby bath items, Neti Pot packets, rash cream, and a sample packet of baby lotion. I'm not sure if she's planning an escape or has big plans for an invention. I laughed until I cried, then took it to Ned and laughed some more. Avery knew I needed to smile. Her stash reminded me of E.T. dragging his collection of treasures, including the Speak and Spell and flower, around. He came up with something pretty good, so I'm sure she will too.



Happy Thursday!