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

Firstly, instead of reading this blog, you should go and read this one which persuasively pleads the case for not going completely overboard with our children for every single holiday.  Normally I completely agree, but this year, St. Patrick's Day fell on a Sunday, and no one was expecting anything of me.  Sunday is the day I typically like to cook and be obnoxious, so it turned out to be a perfect day to get a bit silly with holiday mirth. Early in the afternoon we went bowling with lots of friends from church.  The fabulous person pictured below on the left made sure we all got in the Spirit of the holiday by showering us with green beads and festive temporary tattoos and by feeding us heavenly little squares of grocery store sheet cake, the kind you eat guiltlessly, pretending not to know that the icing is made out of partially hydrogenated Crisco and sugar, because it tastes like the sweet ambrosia of childhood. Thanks,...

All of those thankless, sleepless nights when she was a thankless, sleepless infant are paying off.  I'm so glad I didn't send this girl back with the stork when he dropped her off on my doorstep nearly ten years ago.  I might have seriously contemplated it one night when I hadn't slept in 72 hours and found myself aching, leaking, and staring into her purple, inconsolable, squalling face.  Yes, I am glad I stuck it out because she finally did stop crying, and now she is a perfectly delightful companion.  Yesterday my oldest girl and I had a day of fun doing nothing particularly special.  I think there was a moment in the grocery store parking lot when we both looked at each other and silently thought, "I really like being with you."  Then we resumed skipping toward the store in our flip flops and sunglasses (in March!  I know!). Yesterday also happened to be St. Patrick's Day, so we found the traditional Irish music station on Pandora, and I made...

My life has been a bit stressful and serious lately which is why Halloween came at a very convenient time this year.  It is difficult to feel gloomy when introducing a toddler to her very first jack-o-lantern.  Wouldn't you agree? (The eerie shadow on the left was totally intentional.  I am an excellent photographer.) And even though I am a self-proclaimed hater of crafts, and pumpkin carving is clearly crafty, gathering round the table with my family, each of us wielding sharp knives, made me feel very happy and loved.  With my husband's artistic pattern I was even able to carve this top notch Cookie Monster-o-lantern making my excited toddler even more excited... My nine-year-old impressed us all with her super cool dragon-lantern.  She worked tirelessly (and probably a bit too late into the school night) on this fantastic design.  She is a little bit of a rock star fireball, you know. All of this wonderfulness happened the night befor...

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...

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

Boy, my head is spinning a little.  We have not exactly eased gracefully into the new school year.  None of us seem to have latched on to the concept of, "Early to be, early to rise..."  In fact on Monday morning, after she had fallen asleep in her cornflakes three times, I simply sent Sophia back to bed and took her in to school an hour late.  I decided it was more important that she be conscious than on time.  Call me crazy. I am enjoying the one on one time that I have with Lili now that those other people are off at school all day.  Having me all to herself means that Lil has plenty of time to declare her appreciation for different parts of my body.  This is particularly apparent when she climbs into the shower with me, pats me on the bum and chirps, "I like ya booty, Mama."  We've also played countless games of "Hide Seek."  When the excitement level gets too high, sometimes Lili forgets which part she is playing.  She has been kn...

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...

My youngest daughter is nearly 20 months old.  I know!  I cannot believe it either.  Even more unbelievable is the fact that she had her very first ever bubble bath this past weekend.  How is it possible that she has been deprived of bubble baths for her entire life?  We don't tend to take bubble baths at our house since several of us have sensitive skin, but when Sophie started to feel a bit unimportant near the end of Emma's birthday party on Saturday evening, I convinced her that a special jacuzzi bath with her baby sister would cure what ailed her.  My mom had just sent us some fancy organic lavender bubble bath, so that went into the water as well... and Voila!  We had just produced the world's happiest baby.  He cheers of, "BOBBLE!  BOBBLE! BOBBLE!!!" could be heard all over the house. I really love living with a toddler.  A toddler knows nothing of holding back emotions.  So while we sometimes have back-arching, howling t...

Since we all were at church on Thursday evening, we were a little late in celebrating St. Pat's Day at home, and we just HAD to celebrate at home since, for some reason, the United Methodists don't serve Guinness at  youth group gatherings in the fellowship hall.  Our little celebration tonight also gave Lili a chance to dress up in her fab new green t-shirt again and gave the rest of us a chance to eat lots of good food. First a little leprechaun visited our kitchen table and delivered a rainbow fruit salad and dropped a few of his gold pieces.  That cheeky little blighter also poured a whole pint of lager into my Irish stew as it simmered on the stove, but none of us minded that a bit. Cheers! Bless your little Irish heart and every other Irish part. Of course Lili remembered last year's first and only taste of Guinness, and she decided to have another go.  Her brilliant mum did not discourage her. Don't the old hatch, Babe.* And finally, Sophie and Emma were ...

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.

All of my babies are growing... growing up and growing lovelier and lovelier by the minute.  These clever girls are keeping me on my toes with their developmental milestones and general fabulousness... Lili has been rocking back and forth revving up her motor all week... I am just waiting for her to take off. Sophie just lost her first tooth.  The expression on her face right after her Dad pulled it out was priceless.  This pic was taken a few minutes later.  She is one excited little girl.  Her mama proudly held it together and didn't cry like a silly woman. Emma is now reading novels and developing an astute understanding of human relationships, queen bees and wannabees.  (She and Lili have also toyed with the idea of starting up a book discussion group.) When life is getting you down, a round of applause delivered by a delectable, half- naked, little elf is pretty much just what the doctor ordered. YAY!! No, no one is pregnant....

This is what I found happening in my back garden this afternoon. I hope it inspires you if you're feeling bored. My husband's wardrobe combination, on the other hand, in unlikely to inspire anything sensible, but that's just the way he rolls on the weekend. Happy Weekend To You!