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

looks like this...

It's really the least she can do.  After all SHE is the one who is responsible for all of the spaghetti scribbles all over my cupboard doors. Teach the children well, y'all.

It started snowing again on Sunday afternoon.  By the time we woke up on Monday morning, there was about seven inches of that stuff on the ground.  The kids already had the day off school since it was President's Day, and George cleared the driveway and went to work because he is apparently no longer the sensible Southern boy I fell in love with.  The little girl pictured above has a habit of standing at the window and moaning, "EMMA!!  EMMA!!" while watching her older sisters frolic and cavort in the Winter Wonderland that my front yard has become. So on Monday morning I thought I would make Lili's dreams come true by bundling her up and letting her go out and play with those big girls in the snow.  My favorite weather guy assured us all that the snow was wetter and heavier and perfect for snowman-making, so we were all ready to show off our wintry artistic skills. On went Lili's undershirt, trousers, sweatshirt, snow pants, double socks, boots, mittens an...

We are too busy, and there is not enough time to spend with the beautiful little people in my life.  This week we are adding swimming to the agenda which means we now have something extracurricular going on every night of the week (except Friday because that would be completely insane).  I swore it would never be like this, but here we are with double gymnastics, swimming and church youth activities.  There is not enough down time. Even when we are home it feels nearly impossible to spend individual quality time with each girl. There are always plenty of house chores and laundry to be done.  There is also the matter of fact that we have an impish toddler running around who requires constant supervision and who doesn't cooperate when the big girls set up an intricate board game on the floor.  (Even now as I type, there is the risk that she could, at any moment, scurry over here and press the power button on my computer.)  Yesterday, after she had helped wi...

That's right.  Free your mind.  A sassy pair of pants needn't solely adorn your bum and legs. Ta dah!  The right pair of pants can say the world, "Hey!  I'm a girl who walks to the beat of her own drummer (wearing nothing but a pair of striped pants on my head)." Bid those "Bad Hair Days" a fond farewell.  Who needs 'em.  Ha ha ha! As William Shakespeare said, "This above all: to thine own self be true."  This morning my own self told me to wear my pants on my head, and I listened. Have a great day! Love,  Lili

Happy Valentine's Day, Y'all!! Love is Something Meredith  |  Myspace Video

Last weekend Sophia informed me, "I cannot wait to make Valentine's cookies with you!" I was all, "Say what?  Valentine's Cookies?"   And then I searched my memory for a time in the past when we had made Valentine's cookies and came up with nothing, but she insisted that cookies were called for.  And apparently I didn't take much convincing.  I dug up my best sugar cookie recipe, and we all got down to business last night. EVERY girl wanted to be involved. It turned out that this was a pretty excellent way to spend a Friday evening. And we all "felt the love" before it was all said and done. Now about that recipe... Best Ever Sugar Cookies (Courtesy of the Family Fun Cookbook guaranteed to 'unleash the creative cookie monster in anyone.') 1 cup butter, softened 3/4 cup sugar 1 large egg 1 tsp vanilla extract 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour 1 tsp baking powder 1 tsp cream of tartar In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar u...

Last Friday Lili and I took my husband to the medical center to have a "little procedure."  This procedure will ensure that Lili is the last Carson girly to spring from our loins.  I've done my mourning, but honestly after the post-birth experience I had with Lili, I knew I was finished.  George states, for all of you trembling, scalpel-fearing dudes out there, that it would be "nuts" (pun possibly intended) for me to have a surgical tubal ligation.  The procedure for a man is much simpler and carries almost no risks, while tubal ligation carries a very slim chance of significant health issues.  It should be a no-brainer, and for the record, my body has been through enough with carrying, giving birth to, and feeding these wonderful children. That being said, since it was such a simple procedure, Lili and I actually sat in the room with George while the extremely jovial Doctor Pheninger did his thing.  Dr. P apparently really enjoys his job.  He told ...

Life is busy with three kids.  I've said it before, but it still astounds me.  When you are a third (or fourth or fifth, I'm told) baby, you just have to learn to go with the flow.  You want to do everything the big kids do...even if you're exhausted.  Sometimes it all just catches up with you... Thank God for babies, for their energy and enthusiasm, for their innocence and their spirited zeal.  And THANK GOD for nap time... whenever, wherever, and however it comes!

Just the other day I was complaining about how busy we are, how we don't have enough time to just hang out and play with our kids.  Life is full of all sorts of running around and organized activities, and I was becoming downright fed up with it all.  But today we had a "Get Out of Jail Free" day.  Today was a SNOW DAY!!!  Our local news dubbed the storm, which dropped about a foot of snow on us, "Snowpalooza."  Bless 'em, those weather guys were so doggone excited.  We were pretty excited at our house too since a snow day means... a little extra rest, lots of good, take-your-time and sing-while-you do-it cooking ( Today's fab meal was real Italian spaghetti Bolognese with plenty of red wine and garlic .), crafty fun for the kiddies, and playing in the snow. It also happened to be Groundhog Day.  I know that Punxsutawney Phil in Pennsylvania didn't see his shadow and predicted an early spring, but we here in Michigan aren't holding our breath. ...