Caroline's Complaintment

Caroline informed me tonight that she needed to tell me a "complaintment" she had. The cookie dough bits at the new yogurt place did not taste good.

Guess life is hard at 7...

Spring Break 2011

**Disclaimer** This post is not meant to be a bragging one-, or "look what we did" kind of thing. The original intention of this blog was to capture memories for my girls. I totally get it if you are bored reading all the goofy posts lately, but I'm praying that one day, my girls will appreciate them.

We thought we had Spring Break 2011 planned. About 30 minutes before we were supposed to leave for the farm, we got a call that it was on fire. Besides being worried about family, we were disappointed. I had my books packed and ready, the girls were looking forward to playing with cousins and Brian had his fishing poles and tackle box sitting by the garage door.

We decided Brian should go ahead and head to the farm to help build fences and chop down trees. That left me with both girls. Did I say that they were not happy about staying home? Oh, and let me throw in the fact that one of the perks of the farm is that we don’t spend any money except for gas to get there.

Saturday didn’t start out so well. Our pantry was pretty bare so I had to go to the grocery store and since Brian had already left, the girls got to come with me. For those who have never grocery shopped with your kiddos, let me just say, there are few things I would rather do in life than have them jumping on the cart, asking to buy crap food and arguing with each other while I just try to get my eggs through the store without them getting broken. I have been known to shop at 5am so that I could do it alone—sleep is a small price to pay for sanity.

Saturday night shaped up a little better. Thanks to Nickelodeon, we watched a silly movie and did a girls night party (complete with chocolate covered strawberries and pigs in a blanket—we Royal girls know how to party).

Sunday night, we watched Anne of Green Gables. I’ve waited to introduce the girls to the greatness of Anne because I wanted them to be old enough to appreciate it. If they didn’t like her, I might have to find new children—seriously—you don’t mess with my love of Anne of Green Gables. Thankfully, Hope loved the movie (even though she originally thought Anne was from Green Bay). Caroline was not as enamored—she thought Anne talked too much (she's still young--I'll give her another year or so to change her mind before I disown her). I have to say, there's not much better than sharing a love of something with your daughter.

On Monday, both girls slept late (and by late, I mean 9 and 9:30). We met a friend at the park and played all afternoon. It was a fun, relaxing way to start the week. I always dread hanging out at the park, but end up having a great time.

Tuesday, we went with friends to the Dallas Museum of Art (after a brunch stop at Chick-Fil-A). It was a great day—it’s always nice to go places with friends whose kids are just as energetic as your own. To hear more about our adventures there, you’ll have to check out April’s blog post “A Step By Step Guide to Getting Kicked out of the Dallas Museum of Art.” Since I'm technologically-challenged, I can't figureout how to make a link work so you can go to www.coffee-mateblog.blogspot.com to read it.(If you don’t follow her blog, you should—she’s funny and she appreciates Anne of Green Gables—two things that make her a great friend in my book).

I’ve already talked about Wednesday and Thursday in my last two posts. They were fun days, but exhausting for me. I don’t regret them, but am hoping to catch a nap before the weekend is over.

Friday, we headed to my brother’s house in East Texas—about 3 hours away. Brandon has 2 girls that get along great with my girls, but we don’t get together enough to play. The girls shot bows and arrows, played mini-golf and ate dinner together. The best part of the day, though, was a horse-riding lesson they each got—the perfect ending to a fun week.

I don’t want to over-spiritualize, but I can’t help but think what a great analogy this week has been. In life, we plan and think we know what is best for ourselves and those we love. When God has different plans, we can sit paralyzed or we can move forward in what we’ve been given. This was one of those moments for me. Honestly, going to the farm is the best vacation for me because I get to sit and read and relax the whole time. This week, while fun, was not a time of relaxation and certainly was not all about me. BUT, I don’t think I regret one minute of it. We were able to do some fun things and excluding food, we spent less than $50 for the entire week, but did something fun every day.

I can’t help but think about Jeremiah 29:11
“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

Why do we doubt when plans don’t go the way we think they should instead of embracing the changes immediately?

Hope's Day

Hope’s day was very different from Caroline’s. Hope is an active kiddo and likes to be on the go…a lot. Originally, the idea to spend a day with each girl came from Hope. When she found out we couldn’t go to the farm for Spring Break, she was upset. Next to being at the farm, her favorite thing to do is to drive around Aubrey ( a town of 1500 which is a little north of us) and look at the horses and houses—in that order. So, she asked if we could drive to Aubrey, which was met by loud “BOOs!!!” from Caroline (who gets carsick when we are in the car for more than an hour). That’s what gave me the idea to let each girl stay with Mimi for a day and I would do something fun with the other.

A friend told me about Sharkarosa Wildlife Ranch in Pilot Point (just north of Aubrey). After looking them up online (www.sharkarosa.com), I told Hope about it and she was all-over going to see a bunch of endangered animals (especially when she heard there were monkeys).

So, I met Mimi this morning and switched girls with her and Hope and I headed north to Sharkarosa. Thankfully, I had printed out some info on the place, because Hope was asking a thousand questions and was giddy with excitement. Although it was her fun day, I made her listen to country music—there’s only so much I can take in one day.

We arrived at the ranch around noon and spent the next 4 hours in “Hope Heaven.” There were monkeys, camels, horses, zebras, bears, porcupines, kangaroos, dogs and many other animals that I can’t recall right now. I don’t think she stopped smiling all day.

We rode a tram that took us into animal pens (one of which was a bit reminiscent of Jurassic Park). There were buckets of food on the sides of the trams, so the animals came up close. We were allowed to pet most of them. We rode the tram twice—just so Hope could touch more animals. The driver of the tram was actually the owner of the ranch and such a down-to-earth, nice guy. When the bucket right outside our seat was almost empty, he came around and refilled it.

Hope had a great time. She took LOTS of pictures. I’m still not sure which part was her favorite: petting a baby kangaroo, seeing a bear, having an alpaca try to eat her hair, or buying a bear-claw necklace. I guess it doesn’t really matter. What matters is that, toward the end of our time at the ranch, she exclaimed, “This is the best spring break ever!” Music to my ears.

Caroline's Day

For Spring Break, each of my girls spent a day/night with their Mimi and I got the other. It’s always fun to see how different the dynamics are when it’s only one instead of both. Each girl got to choose something fun (that cost less than $20) to do with me for the day.

Caroline's day started out slow. I thought she would enjoy arts and crafts, so I was researching places to go and do something creative. After finally deciding to go do a mosaic tile project, we found out the place was closed, so we were back at square one. Finally, she decided she wanted to go see a movie, so we went to the Dollar Theatre to see “Tangled.”

After the movie (which we both loved), she wanted to wander the aisles of Toys R Us, so, needless to say, we didn’t just wander—we bought. We came out of there with the game Operation. I hadn’t played that game in years—there’s nothing like fishing out a toilet from a man’s stomach or hearing a farting sound and trying to find the toxic waste symbol.

For dinner, she begged to go to Babe’s so Brian and I reluctantly agreed (ha!). I have to say that I was so sad she wouldn’t do the hokey pokey because she would be to “a-barrassed.” Sniff—my baby is growing up. At dinner, she wanted us to buy dessert so that Brian and I could feed each other—like we did at our wedding. Although, she informed me that the reason I was so much bigger now then when I got married was because I had eaten too much wedding cake. Really—she saw the pictures of how big our cake was (her words)!

We didn’t order dessert, but when we got home, she broke into one of her birthday presents—an ice cream maker and mixed us up a treat. Can’t say it was the best ice cream I’ve ever had (okay—it was pretty much just plain disgusting), but she enjoyed making it (even she wouldn’t eat it, but she did save some for Hope).

All in all, it was a good day. It’s funny. Since Caroline has never been an only child, I often forget how funny and entertaining she is. I mean, isn’t that why we had children—to keep us amused??? Seriously, Hope is so good at so many things that I worry Caroline will get stuck in her shadow. Its days like today that remind me that this kiddo will never be in anyone’s shadow—she shines way too much for that!

Yep--I'm THAT mom

I often catch myself saying things that I always hoped would never come out of my mouth. You know the phrases: “Because I said so” and “This is the last time I’m gonna say this” and the worst ever, “Just wait til your dad gets home.” All things I immediately regret, but they just seem to flow off the tongue so easily.

Today, the girls and I met a friend and her daughter at the park. We actually went to 2 parks. At the second, there were several kids—including a group of middle schoolers. I noticed the middle school students immediately—as a mom, you subconsciously look over all the people at a public place your kids are going to be running around in. They were sitting in a circle and were sticking to themselves and not paying any attention—good or bad—to the other kids playing around them.

Due to the wind, my friend and I moved to another spot, on the other side of the play area from the students. After we had been there for a while, my 9 year old came over to ask me about the students. She said they were sitting in a circle, spinning a can and kissing each other. She wanted to know why they were doing that. Oh-Uh. I don’t think I ever imagined myself explaining Spin the Bottle to my child.

So, I tried to describe it in basic terms and told her it was not a game I ever wanted her to play (gotta throw that in there). My friend said, “That’s pretty gross, huh?” Hope said, “Not if it’s a cute boy you get to kiss.” Double Oh-Uh! I think I have a new prerequisite for friends for her—no cute boys or friends with cute brothers (wonder if there’s a box I can check for that on her school enrollment card, as well???).

So, my friend and I talked about going over there to say something to the students, but I decided I would just sit closer to them and observe. Hope decided to sit right beside me. After about 30 seconds, she got bored and ran off to play again. Just in time, too. One of the girls spun the can and then proceeded to say the f word before she reached across and kissed the boy.

I couldn’t sit still any longer. I tried to be polite, but I explained to them that this was a playground and while I knew they weren’t bothering the kids, they were using language and playing a game that 1st and 3rd graders didn’t really need to be exposed to. I apologized to them for being THAT mom, but I also just wanted them to understand that these kids were listening to them.

They immediately apologized and left. I truly think they felt bad. They were just a bunch of kids themselves, hanging out and didn’t mean to cause any trouble. But it made me sad. I don’t regret saying something to them. I wasn’t rude or hateful or angry. I stated facts. But, I started to wonder if their parents knew what they were doing. Probably not, but if they did, would they care? Would they think this was just a harmless, rite-of-passage game?

I will probably never see any of those students again and even if I did, I don’t think I would recognize them. But, I have prayed for them several times since I last saw them. There, but for the grace of God, go my kids. I prayed for them to have courage to make the wise choice. I prayed that they would have candid conversations with their parents. I prayed that they would think back to my words to them and realize the leadership role they play in this world.

And I prayed one more prayer. I prayed that if my girls ever played spin the bottle, they would have an adult step into their game and stop it—long before their turn came to spin or kiss anything or anyone.

Granny

Brian’s Granny is 92 years old. I call her Brian’s because he was born in her family, but if she heard me refer to her as his, she’d be mad at me. She considers me hers as much as those who share her blood. Up until the last 6 months, she could run circles around most of us. She has started to slow down a bit, but is still more active than many adults.

Granny lives on the family farm. One of her daughters and grandsons also have houses there, but she lives in her own house, drives her own car, does her own cooking and even mows her own yard (on the riding mower). She takes all of her dishes out of the cabinets every spring and washes them. She cleans all of her windows—inside and out—a couple of times a year (although last year, one of Brian’s cousins came and did it for her).

When Granny turned 85, we had a big party in her church hall. There was a polka band, sand on the floor and even some kegs of beer. Hope was @18 months old and danced as much as Granny (which was a LOT). That party is one of my favorite memories of her.

For her 91st birthday, we all went to Brian’s cousin’s house in Tulsa. The kids swam and ate and we had a great time. One of my favorite pictures of her is the one at the top of this page--right before she opened her presents—with all the grandkids surrounding her in their swim suits.

Granny’s parents emigrated from Poland. She and Brian’s Grandpa John bought the farm from them and built her current house. She tells stories of sitting in the kitchen and using the oven door as a table while she sat in their only chair and Grandpa John sat on a milk crate. I never met Grandpa John—he died when Brian was @Hope’s age. I’m told Brian is a lot like him.

Up until @ 5 years ago, Granny used to go polka dancing every Saturday night. She even had a couple of outfits—complete with the petticoats under the brightly colored skirts. When she would come to Dallas, she always liked going to Kubys, a German restaurant, where they had live polka music and sauerkraut and sausage.

Granny makes the best fried chicken in the world. Even Babe’s can’t compare—seriously. She eats half a banana every morning and always has cookies from Braums for us when we arrive. Then she takes us to The Country Boy and we grocery shop (which means she buys all kinds of things for the girls to eat). We usually have a roast while we are there and she always orders pizza for the kids. On Thanksgiving, she gets up at 3am to put in her turkey—which is always HUGE and done way before time for us to eat.

She doesn’t have any pets right now, but has had an assortment of cats over the years that help to keep the mice out of the barn. She pretends she could care less for all the other pets at the farm, but she’s been known to sneak goodies to all of them and pet them when we’re not looking. Our dogs have always been welcome to come with us when we visit, but the last couple of years, our big dogs have become a bit too much for her, so they don’t get to visit the farm with us anymore.
She is constantly trying to buy me things for our house and was thrilled when, after 2 years of bugging me, I found a comforter that I liked. She has also bought us a dishwasher and curtains for Hope’s room. She loves to buy us things that make our home pretty.

My girls absolutely adore her and she feels the same about them. She thinks they can do no wrong and doesn’t care if they are loud or messy in her house. She laughed with delight when they spoke Polish to her at Christmas (their Mimi—Brian’s mom, Granny’s daughter—taught them to say a couple of phrases). She also has a soft spot for Brian--they have an incredibly special connection.

Granny is one of our favorite people. This blog is not long enough to tell all the stories about her, but I wanted to leave just a few of the things we love about her. Two years ago, she had a pretty serious diagnosis and we were told we could have 2 weeks with her or 2 years. I remember praying that we would have at least one more time with her that summer. God has blessed us and we’ve had several chances to see her and be with her at the farm since that time. I am praying that we have several more--we love that spunky lady.

The Farm

Most people have that ONE place where they go to escape. Some go shopping at the mall, some go out in nature, others just stay in bed. The one thing the Royal family agrees on (probably the ONLY thing we all agree on) is our happy place—the farm.

When I first met Brian, I tried to explain that it really wasn’t a farm—just a bunch of land with some houses on it. But, soon enough, I found myself referring to it as the farm—like everyone else. Its 100 acres and Brian’s Granny, aunt and cousin all have houses on it. There’s even another “little house” ( as it’s called) behind Granny’s that was originally intended for her mom. It has 2 rooms and a bathroom, but Brian doesn’t let us stay in it anymore when we go there because he’s scared of the spiders that tend to live there (shhhh—don’t tell him I told you).

I feel like I’ve posted stuff before about the farm, but I can’t find them.—sorry if this is old news to any of you, but, even if I did post, the farm is worthy of several references. It’s the place we go to not only relax, but to rejuvenate our spirits. It’s a slower pace of life—one grocery store (called Country Boy), a Dollar General, Sonic and Braums—all within a couple of miles of Granny’s farm. In the last few years, they’ve built a Target, Kohls and Starbucks in the next town over—only 30 minutes away!

Granny’s house is a little 2 bedroom stone one. She has a back porch that was enclosed years ago that is still called the back porch—even though there’s another one right outside it. She still has the metal swingset she bought when Brian’s oldest cousins kids (the youngest of which is getting ready to graduate high school) were little. In fact, she still waxes the metal slide so that the kids can use it. I have pictures of the 6 youngest all on the basket-swing together. Now, they just use it to shimmy across.

We used to go to the pond and get a big load of sand to bring back for the kids to play in, but now, she has a sandbox with a lid. There’s nothing like loading up on the four-wheeler to ride around the farm—whether getting sand or hauling brush!

In the past, we’ve had bonfires with the cleared brush, but that won’t be happening any time soon. Yesterday, several houses and barns around Granny’s (at this time, the count is 40) burned. The police think they were started by an arsonist and not natural causes, which makes it even worse.

The good news is that Granny’s house, Nana Barbara’s and Dave & Diane’s are all still standing. We’ve been told the farm is black and if it weren’t for David’s sprinkler system, his house would have been gone, too. Barbara’s new vinyl windows melted and the fire took out her air conditioning unit—right beside her house—but left the house untouched. The yard around the little house is burned, but it and Granny’s are fine.
We were supposed to leave yesterday afternoon to head to our happy place and honestly, I think I was more excited this time than ever before—our whole family was. It’s hard to try to get your kids to not be disappointed in what we are missing and to focus on what so many there lost. It’s even harder when I am having the same selfish thoughts. I NEEDED to go there right now.

So, since this blog is really for my children, I think the next several posts will be about our farm memories—pretty boring to those who didn’t experience them or have a context for them, BUT, hopefully, years from now, they will remind my girls of our happy place and give them a context to compare as they look for that place for their families.