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

It shouldn't be this easy or this fun to deceive a loved one especially after we've done it so many times, but after pulling off another flawless surprise for my father in law, we realized that we laughed just as hard this time as we did the first time. The first Carson Surprise (that included me) happened at the Greensboro airport.  Pawpaw was coming to visit us and our first, new baby for Christmas.  His other son, my precocious and adorable brother-in-law David,  was already at our house but had spoken to Pawpaw several times previously and apologized about the fact that he would not be able to come for Christmas.  Before we left for the airport, David got dressed in a full-on Santa suit complete with beard and hat.  During the drive he practiced disguising his voice.  Seated in the backseat next to my clueless seven-month-old, he drawled in a gravelly voice, "Hey Buddy, can I bum a cigarette for the road?"  Over and over he ...

I have heard the usual complaints about in-laws.  Some of the stories my friends have told me about their horrific in-laws have made my jaw drop and my hair stand on end.  I am insanely happy to report that I cannot "relate."  I don't have any in-law horror stories to recount.  I could complain about toilet seats being left up or about all of my homemade cookies being consumed during a late night card game, but those would truly be half-hearted complaints. Before my husband and I were married, I already felt like I fit into the Carson clan, and now when we are making plans to get the gang together, I get all bubbly and excited inside because it's fun for an only child to be a part of a big family.  When Paw Paw and Uncle David visit, our girl-dominated family dynamic gets turned on its head.  There is less drama and more flatulence.  Practical jokes are played.  Rude pictures are scribbled at the dinner table.  Card games (accompanied by...

We thought we already lived "Up North" since we are in mid-Michigan.  It's certainly farther north than any place I've ever lived before, but local Midlanders constantly refer to the wonderfulness of  "going Up North," and now that we've officially been, we understand why.  We recently returned from a long weekend up in the Traverse City area where we saw some of the most beautiful sights.  On the way up, we even pulled the car over in Paradise, MI so that Emma could have a potty break.  The highlight of her day was having "peed in Paradise." Words escape me as I attempt to describe the breath-taking scenery we encountered up yonder.  At several points, I looked through the view finder of my camera and simply sighed and replaced the lens cover.  I am not a good enough photographer to capture the immense exquisiteness that is Lake Michigan.  Here, however, are a few of the photos I took anyway.  Perhaps they are still worth almost a thous...

I recently picked up this book ( The Family Dinner by Laurie David) at a friend's house while we were in Kentucky.  I casually began to flip through the pages, then found myself, moments later, curled around it as my brain purred and began to devour little morsels if inspiration that lay on each page.  When we got home, I immediately ordered a copy for myself.  This book merely confirmed things that I already believe about the importance of dining together as a family.  It is also full of recipes and suggestions for making family meal time more fun, healthful and meaningful for kids and their parents. Although this particular suggestion was not in the book, I have begun writing the evening's "menu" on a white board in our kitchen, and my children find this incredibly exciting (especially when a dessert is listed).  Anticipation creates excitement. Last night we also played a couple of dinner table conversation games, which kept my husband and his short atte...

I do not advertise over the Internet when I am planning a trip just in case my stalker is reading this blog or checking my facebook status.  But now that I am back, I can tell you that we had a lovely long weekend away in North Carolina visiting family and my BFF's new baby Claire.  It is indeed a very special thing when someone you love has a baby.  All of us thought little Claire was rather fabulous... Emma loved her. Sophie did too. I had a difficult time sharing her. Lili liked Claire, of course, but she was even more smitten with this Coconut Macaroon; And George had tons of fun playing Pac Man with Claire's Dad. Imagine four days in Greensboro with five Carsons in one hotel room.  It hardly gets much better.  Every night was like a slumber party with our toddler wide eyed and bushy tailed until eleven o'clock.  Everyone had their toenails painted an exotic color (including Dad), and we also experimented with temporary body tattoos.  The love...

I celebrated my 35th birthday this week.  I was already happier than a pig in mud, so I didn't need a party to lift my spirits.  In fact, in the summertime when "bedtime" is merely a rhetorical concept for my children, every night feels like some sort of party at my house.  Honest to goodness, on one recent summer evening all of us girls found ourselves dancing with underpants on our heads in our upstairs office.  If memory serves, my husband was "working" at his computer, but someone snapped the elastic waistband of a pair of colorful knickers around his forehead so he wouldn't feel left out.  The best part of it all is that I am able, in the midst of these bouts of frivolity, to take a mental moment to process how wonderful it all is.  I often sigh contentedly and think to myself, "I am very happy right now."  And that is a gift. My current state of summer happiness is completely enough, but my husband, who is not an accomplished party-planner,...

If it can be believed, we had enough of card games and banana pudding yesterday.  So we headed out to the big hill for some old fashioned fun.  Mimi had an old fashioned diet Coke in the chalet and cheered us on from inside.   I was feeling genuinely hopeful that running up the hill with Lili literally en tow would help to burn off some of that banana pudding and apple pie as well as those mashed potatoes and Christmas cookies.  It was worth a shot.   Up and down the hill we went over and over again, and I only complained a little when my glove somehow got filled with snow and I lost all feeling below the right wrist.  Eventually I took Uncle David's advice and "quit being a baby." Now we all feel like we've embraced winter at least for now.  Ask me how I'm feeling at the end of March when it's still snowing up here.  For now these chilly sights are warming my heart.

What a great weekend we had!  On Thursday we were joined by Pawpaw, Barbara and Uncle David, and we were all geared up to help George ring in his fourth glorious decade on this earth.  But, first things must come first... Lili enjoyed meeting her Pawpaw for the first time ever.  She agreed with the rest of us.  That Pawpaw is one funny guy. On Friday, George had the day off, and the gang spent a sunny afternoon playing softball and croquet in our big old Michigan yard.   At some point I sneaked inside and decorated the house with giant posters that the kids and I had made earlier in the week.  They looked something like this... ...and here is one created by Sophie... Somehow I managed to successfully deceive my husband, and he was completely caught by surprise when about 15 of his friends showed up to help with the celebrating.  Yay me!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY, GEORGE!!! Uncle David and I did a little cuttin' up and attempted some sal...

The planets and the stars were aligned last week and when I was home in North Carolina for a quick, dizzying visit, so was my childhood friend Kirk "Twinkletoes" Sprinkles.  I don't have enough friends who randomly burst into song at the grocery store, and I didn't realize how much I missed the fun that he and I used to have.  It was as though no time had passed when we saw each other again after many years... except for the fact that I now have three children, lots of stretch marks and a few wrinkles. This is what happened when I remembered that my digital camera has a video function.  I am only sorry that we ran out of memory space before the climactic conclusion of our song... for the children. Of course I also spent lots of time visiting with family and introducing everyone to the newest little Carson... Mimi and her grand-girls In my grandparents' front yard in Jamestown In bed, eating cookies... just like old times.  Thank You for Being a Friend! As...