Meredith Carson... Across the Pond and Back Again...

Toddlers are certainly not perfect little people, and today I am not planning to romanticize life with a two-year-old.  There are fits and tantrums, fierce battles for independence, and infuriatingly fickle preferences that cause severe mood swings at random moments throughout the day.  Earlier today my toddler begged for a banana, and then threw it on the floor and screamed, "NO WANT THIS BANANA!" when I handed it to her.  Earlier this week she decided that the only thing she was prepared to wear all day was a purple Dora the Explorer night gown, glow-in-the-dark pajama pants, and her pink cowgirl boots.  I'm sure everyone at the grocery story thought she was adorable in that get up. All of that being said, there are some pretty wonderful things about these little people.  Two-year-olds simply do not hold back their emotions.  Sometimes the result is an ugly scene, but other times it is beautiful.  I am thinking specifically about the way my youn...

  Of course I am not speaking of your favorite colorful chocolate candies.  The M&M club was founded many years ago when two young best friends marveled at the luck they had when their moms (who had been pregnant together) named both of them names beginning with the letter "M".  Miriam, my mother, tells me that her first memory of her best friend Myrt (who was actually named Merilyn) involved games of peek-a-boo played through the bars of their individual cribs in the First Baptist Church nursery about sixty years ago. The two grew up together, Merilyn was graciously granted the childhood nickname of "Myrt," and my mother made certain that this nickname followed her to college and beyond.  At some point, in between numerous practical jokes and untold volumes of silliness that caused my mother to laugh so hard that the tears ran down her leg, these two friends made a vow that the M&M Club would endure throughout the next generation.  They promised to...

Because he lives with me all of the time, I sometimes forget what a joy my husband is.  I'm not even being sarcastic.  Sometimes I just get the tired George who has been at work all day, who comes home and feels compelled to carry out various construction projects around the house.  That guy is lovely, but he isn't the life of the party... so sometimes I forget that "the life of the party" is who my guy naturally is. I am not the life of the party typically.  I am the girl who makes a quiet witty comment in the corner at the party.  In the beginning our differences drew us together, and these differences have continued to serve us well through the years.  He appreciates my unusual sense of humor, and I very much appreciate the fact that he can help me take myself less seriously.  But I still often forget how positively fabulous he is.  It is nice to be reminded.  It is nice to see my husband through someone else's eyes and to remember why h...

I am always a little sad to see summer go, but this past weekend upon returning from a wonderful getaway to Charleston, SC (more on that later), we had the best of fall and summer.  Summer-like temperatures accompanied beautiful fall foliage.  Sophia pulled the rake out of the garage and started making a pile of leaves simply because it sounded like a fun idea.  Lili quickly joined in, of course. I am envious of the way that my youngest daughter is always ready to fully embrace a new experience.  Last weekend there weren't leaves all over the ground, but now they are every where.  Did she approach the strange new leaf pile that her sister had created tentatively and on cautious tiptoes?  She certainly did not. Happy Fall, Friends! Love, Meredith

Shortly after she came into the world, I decided that one of the reasons Lili was born, one of her important spiritual jobs in this life, was to teach me that it's okay to not be perfect.  (I wrote about that here .)  Sometimes I still forget, even with all of Lil's assistance, that I cannot make everything perfect.  I expect that there are mamas with multiple kids out there in the world who find that they are able to keep spotlessly clean houses, cook nutritious meals for their families, volunteer at their kids' schools and at church, sing in seventeen different choirs and still throw perfectly flawless birthday parties for their completely oblivious toddlers.  These mamas have excellent time management skills, of course, and they are a delight at dinner parties where they humbly show off their juggling abilities while wearing the same size jeans they wore back in high school. I am not one of those mamas.   I know you're shocked.  I had big plans f...

She thought it was just an ordinary day even though everyone kept wishing her a "Happy Birthday."  She merely returned the greeting.  "Happy Birthday, Daddy!" she called to my husband as he walked out the door this morning.  I suppose it was a pretty ordinary day up until this evening.  Even Mom's delicious tortilla soup was a wonderful but ordinary meal. Today's soup was "lick your fingers" good though, if I do say so myself, and the photos don't lie, friends. C'est Magnifique! Shortly after dinner, however, Lili came to the realization that something wonderful was happening.  I think this photo nicely captured the moment of glee when it all clicked. "Oh!  It's MY birthday!!" And because she is such a wonderfully fabulous and amazing TWO year old now, she managed to blow out her own candles.  I was a bit impressed apparently.  Sophia asked, "Why are you screaming, Mom?"  Sorry.  It's just wha...

I am feeling terribly uninspired lately.  We are continuing to adjust to life on a schedule.  We really embraced summer time this year.  Early mornings and routines have not been embraced with great zeal so far.  I have also been spending a LOT of my energy trying to prevent this person from doing THIS in the middle of the day... Sure, it looks lovely, BUT if Lili sleeps at all during the day, she doesn't want to go to bed until 10 or 11 o'clock at night.  Not cool.  So chances are, you might find me playing "Hide Seek," hostessing a bubble bath/ tea party, or singing the Elmo's World theme song repeatedly at about 5 pm each evening.  Things could certainly be worse. Sweet Dreams, Friends.