Today, I was driving with Bennett and Paul (who is sick with a horrible sore throat, bless his heart) to pick up Anderson from school. We were running behind, and as always seems to happen when I am behind schedule, I was driving behind a slow poke. I was on a two-lane road behind a man who thought 30 mph in a 45 was perfectly acceptable, which may have been a safer choice since he was constantly fiddling with something in the side and back seats while driving which caused him to swerve repeatedly.
Needless to say, I was frustrated, and in my frustration I said, "Come on, dude, DRIVE for heaven's sake." Bennett pipes up from the back seat, "That guy's drunk. He's a democrat."
Huh?
"He's a drunk. He's a democrat."
After some prodding, we discovered that Bennett didn't really know what it meant to be drunk or a democrat. When I asked him what a democrat was, he said, "It's people who are bad."
Being the parents we are, we explained what being drunk really meant and what a democrat was and that they are not (necessarily) bad people. Kinda. Okay, so maybe we didn't convince Bennett that democrats aren't bad.
But he totally understands that you have to drink a lot of alcohol to be drunk.
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
Saturday, January 7, 2012
cookies with santa pics
Santa (aka Granddaddy) with Bennett and Anderson. It was so warm on the 23rd, we had to have Santa sit on the screened-in-porch.
Santa with Jackson, Richie (his friend) and my boys.
Santa and Mrs. Claus (my dad and mom)
Bennett, Santa and me
Santa with my friend Lori's two children, Grant and Brooke
Santa with Danielle, Michelle's daughter
Santa with my cousin, Leah, and her son was Davis
Santa with the Osborns
Santa with Lauren
Santa with Foster
Santa and Mrs. Claus with Denise and her family
My childhood friends and college roomies
Santa and Mrs. Claus with all the kiddies
Santa with the Faucettes
Santa with Bennett and Cole
2011 and its happy holidays
Thanksgiving and Christmas 2011 were especially fun for us. But I have to admit, beginning with the week before Thanksgiving when I start decorating the house for Christmas to New Year's Eve, there was constant activity at the Brewer house. It was a bit tiring. And we loved it and wouldn't have had it any other way.
The Friday before Thanksgiving, we hosted Anderson's best buddies at our house to drive go carts at an indoor racing facility nearby and then spend the night. The boys had so much fun together, as always, and Paul is always Dad-of-the-Year for entertaining them all.
The Monday before Thanksgiving, we celebrated with my family at Mom and Dad's house. We opted out of the traditional turkey and chose to have a potluck of some of our favorite dishes. The food, the company, and the setting were all perfect.
On Wednesday we headed to Greensboro to be with Paul's side of the family. We wanted to get a few days in at Grammy's, so we left a day early and came home on Friday. This was the first holiday since their home had been renovated so that all 31 of us can eat in the same room. That's right--all 31 of us were able to eat in the same room. At tables. With a proper place setting for each person. It was WONDERFUL. We stayed in the dining room almost the entire day, eating (a lot), drinking (a little), and playing cards. It was truly a perfect day. And we even managed to snap a quick photo of the boys for our Christmas cards.
The following Wednesday, the 30th, was Anderson's 13th birthday. What a special day in our family. Anderson officially entered "young manhood", and Paul and I officially became parents to a teenager--a wonderful, remarkable, mature and loving teenager. That evening, we went to the Olive Garden (Anderson's choice--he loves the unlimited soup and breadsticks, and we don't mind because it is an inexpensive meal for him!). Jackson joined us for dinner, and afterwards, Paul and Anderson went to a NC State basketball game.
And the fun continued right into December with all kinds of events:
1. On the 10th, we attended a family reunion with my Granny's family (she had 13 brothers and sisters, if I never mentioned that before, so there is always a CROWD of people at this annual event);
2. That evening, my sister and I hosted a dinner for the cheerleaders we help coach. Meanwhile, Paul and Anderson attended a party at the golf course where Paul won "Golfer of the Year". It must be terrible to be so good at golf. :)
3. On the 17th, I hosted our annual Christmas wine party for some of my closest girlfriends, and that night never fails to be a fun and festive time.
4. The 12th and 14th were Cole and Andrew's birthdays (my niece and nephew). We love having so many Christmas babies in our family. Even if it is CRAZY here in December.
5. The 22nd was my baby sister's birthday. Mom and Dad took all of us (and most of our children) out to dinner at Kanki (my pick this year) for a delicious Japanese meal cooked right in front of us. Bennett talked our chef's ear off (his name was Lucas), but he didn't seem to mind.
6. Laura's baby, Addison, turned three on the 23rd. That night, we hosted a "Cookies with Santa and Mrs. Claus" party the day before Christmas for our friends with young children to come and visit Santa and his wife (aka Granddaddy and Granny). The kids arrive in their pajamas after dinner, eat cookies and tell Santa what they want for Christmas. This was the first of what is sure to be an annual event here at our home.
7. On Christmas Eve, we went to Aunt Bonnie's for lunch with the Bailey family, as is our tradition, and then we came back here to our house to let the kids open their gifts from one another.
8. Christmas morning, Paul decided he wanted to go to my parents' house for breakfast with my side of the family. So we did. It was delicious, and the kids had fun showing off their toys. The best toy of Christmas was a karaoke machine given to Jackson by my mom and dad. We adults had the MOST fun with that on Christmas Eve and Christmas day.
9. Christmas day we headed off to Greensboro for dinner and a gift exchange for the kids.
10. The 26th--I came home with Bennett. We spent the night with my folks for two nights. I FINALLY rested. Paul and Anderson headed off to Charlotte to watch NC State play Louisville in the Belk Bowl on the 27th. Dad, Bennett and I stayed up late watching it (Bennett made it to the 3rd quarter before falling asleep). The Wolfpack won, of course, and Paul and Anderson had a wonderful time.
11. December 27th was my sister Anna's birthday. I was able to see her and celebrate with her because I was staying with Mom and Dad, and she is their neighbor.
12. December 28th--My birthday was especially sweet this year. After days of resting at my parents' house, I was able to go for a long run that morning, and that afternoon Paul and Anderson returned home to bring me sweet cards. That evening, my hubby took me shopping to buy me a new North Face ski jacket that I had my eye on and then took me out to dinner downtown. Such fun.
13. December 30th--We attended another holiday party hosted by a friend of Paul's at the golf course. It was fun, but I think I contracted the host's stomach virus. That was not fun.
14. New Year's Eve and New Year's Day came and went. We rested. We needed it. Plus, a stomach virus can eradicate any desire to celebrate.
And here we are....2012 is in full swing. And honestly, the decorations are down and stored away, and we are already missing Christmas. Can you believe it? We console ourselves with knowing that Thanksgiving is just 320 days away. And Christmas? 352 days away. The countdown is always on in our house. And with all the fun we have in November and December, why wouldn't we?
2012: the year of more posts?
I am not a new year's resolution kind of girl.
That being said, I have decided that I really MUST blog more in 2012. My kids are growing up, and I am growing older. You know what that means? I can no longer remember every detail of their lives. And the only way I can give myself a fighting chance of savouring the moments is to write about them, to document them, to photograph them. And I hate scrapbooking.
Let me repeat: I HATE scrapbooking.
You Creative Memories gals, I tip my hat to you. I think it is wonderful that you look forward to your "all day crops". But when I hear the phrase or receive the invite to participate, I cringe. I feel overwhelmed. I am way too behind to even begin books for my boys. My photos (sadly and carelessly) are mostly saved on computer files. The perfectionist in me will not allow me to just throw something together, though I wish it would. And the cost of having all of those photos printed at once is so astromical that I just don't want to do it, even if I can afford it. So, a blog is the easiest, most time efficient way to document their lives. And a blog won't burn in a fire nor need to be preserved.
So....here we go, 2012. I am going to do a better job of documenting my family's life this year. I hope. And if not, well then that likely means that I was too busy living to take the time to write about it.
And I'm okay with that.
Happy new year, friends and family. May the coming year be our best yet!
That being said, I have decided that I really MUST blog more in 2012. My kids are growing up, and I am growing older. You know what that means? I can no longer remember every detail of their lives. And the only way I can give myself a fighting chance of savouring the moments is to write about them, to document them, to photograph them. And I hate scrapbooking.
Let me repeat: I HATE scrapbooking.
You Creative Memories gals, I tip my hat to you. I think it is wonderful that you look forward to your "all day crops". But when I hear the phrase or receive the invite to participate, I cringe. I feel overwhelmed. I am way too behind to even begin books for my boys. My photos (sadly and carelessly) are mostly saved on computer files. The perfectionist in me will not allow me to just throw something together, though I wish it would. And the cost of having all of those photos printed at once is so astromical that I just don't want to do it, even if I can afford it. So, a blog is the easiest, most time efficient way to document their lives. And a blog won't burn in a fire nor need to be preserved.
So....here we go, 2012. I am going to do a better job of documenting my family's life this year. I hope. And if not, well then that likely means that I was too busy living to take the time to write about it.
And I'm okay with that.
Happy new year, friends and family. May the coming year be our best yet!
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
school is back in session
Well, summer is officially over at our house. And I don't think I am quite as sad as I thought I'd be. After a fun-filled summer, I thought I'd really grieve the passing of this season, but as it turns out, I am actually happy that fall is just a few weeks away.
This was probably one of the best summers we have had in quite awhile. It started with our cruise to the Caribbean from Charleston (two of my favorite places on earth), a long stay at the beach, many days by the pool, and days at the lake on the boat that we bought with our business partners, David and Nicole, this summer. Anderson learned to water ski and knee board, and both boys enjoy tubing. When we were home, the boys participated in a golf league and worked on their golfing skills (which now officially far exceed my own). The summer ended with a birthday party for Bennett, who turned five, at Marbles Kids Museum.
Anderson's first day of school was August 4th, and Bennett's first day of preschool was today. So both boys are officially back in school, which in my mind means that summer is officially over. Anderson is a seventh grader, he's playing quarterback for his football team, and he is almost always a happy kid. Bennett is in pre-k (one more year before kindergarten), he just started playing soccer on a team at the Y, and he continues to surprise and amuse me on a daily basis.
Both boys make me laugh, actually. Anderson was entertaining me this morning by vividly describing what he calls "the annoying girls" in his class. He was explaining that two of the girls are always asking, "Do we look alike?" And if someone answers in the affirmative, they squeal and clap excitedly and hug and then exclaim in especially loud voices things like, "Oh my gosh, you have to come over this weekend to my house! Like, I'll ask my mom and text you tonight."
Thank God he finds them annoying for now. That won't last too much longer....
Bennett had me laughing to the point of tears yesterday when he had his "Meet the Teachers Day" at school. He politely and confidently shook hands with his lead teacher, smiled and exuded his usual charm. But when it came time to meet his music teacher, we rounded the corner to the music room when he suddenly leaped behind me and peered around my hips to take a second look at the teacher. This being very unlike his typical behavior, I started giggling and asking what in the world was going on. The teacher, sensing his hesitation, asks, "Do you want to see my puppets?" Bennett adamantly shook his head no but refused to come out from behind me. He just kept one eye peered around me and set on those two large puppets sitting in the teacher's lap. Needless to say, that was a short visit. When we left, I asked him what was wrong. He said, "I don't like those puppets. They mock me."
I swear the kid has to be older than five.
He was happy to go to school today, though he did happen to mention about 20 minutes after I picked him up from school that he did cry at one point today, not long after I dropped him off. He said the assistant came over and started reading him a book about a caterpillar, and the book had holes in it, so then he was happy.
Good to know. I hope these are the last tears shed at pre-k this year.
As for me, I realized today that I wasn't so sad that school has resumed. I do miss my boys when they aren't with me, but this is the first time in a long while that I will regularly have time to myself. And I didn't realize it until recently, but I've really been missing that. Don't get me wrong--I just need a few hours. I don't want the boys gone for too long. But I am soaking up every last second of it while I have it.
Today, school only lasted for two hours for Bennett as it was a "transition day" to get the kids accustomed to their class gradually. I spent those two hours going for a run, then a short walk, then I stopped by Starbucks to celebrate the fact that I was alone, stopped by to say hi to my mother--alone, which meant our conversation was actually uninterrupted, and returned to school to find a happy boy with the sweetest smile and the cutest dimples. And I remembered why I don't want him to be gone for too long.
This was probably one of the best summers we have had in quite awhile. It started with our cruise to the Caribbean from Charleston (two of my favorite places on earth), a long stay at the beach, many days by the pool, and days at the lake on the boat that we bought with our business partners, David and Nicole, this summer. Anderson learned to water ski and knee board, and both boys enjoy tubing. When we were home, the boys participated in a golf league and worked on their golfing skills (which now officially far exceed my own). The summer ended with a birthday party for Bennett, who turned five, at Marbles Kids Museum.
Anderson's first day of school was August 4th, and Bennett's first day of preschool was today. So both boys are officially back in school, which in my mind means that summer is officially over. Anderson is a seventh grader, he's playing quarterback for his football team, and he is almost always a happy kid. Bennett is in pre-k (one more year before kindergarten), he just started playing soccer on a team at the Y, and he continues to surprise and amuse me on a daily basis.
Both boys make me laugh, actually. Anderson was entertaining me this morning by vividly describing what he calls "the annoying girls" in his class. He was explaining that two of the girls are always asking, "Do we look alike?" And if someone answers in the affirmative, they squeal and clap excitedly and hug and then exclaim in especially loud voices things like, "Oh my gosh, you have to come over this weekend to my house! Like, I'll ask my mom and text you tonight."
Thank God he finds them annoying for now. That won't last too much longer....
Bennett had me laughing to the point of tears yesterday when he had his "Meet the Teachers Day" at school. He politely and confidently shook hands with his lead teacher, smiled and exuded his usual charm. But when it came time to meet his music teacher, we rounded the corner to the music room when he suddenly leaped behind me and peered around my hips to take a second look at the teacher. This being very unlike his typical behavior, I started giggling and asking what in the world was going on. The teacher, sensing his hesitation, asks, "Do you want to see my puppets?" Bennett adamantly shook his head no but refused to come out from behind me. He just kept one eye peered around me and set on those two large puppets sitting in the teacher's lap. Needless to say, that was a short visit. When we left, I asked him what was wrong. He said, "I don't like those puppets. They mock me."
I swear the kid has to be older than five.
He was happy to go to school today, though he did happen to mention about 20 minutes after I picked him up from school that he did cry at one point today, not long after I dropped him off. He said the assistant came over and started reading him a book about a caterpillar, and the book had holes in it, so then he was happy.
Good to know. I hope these are the last tears shed at pre-k this year.
As for me, I realized today that I wasn't so sad that school has resumed. I do miss my boys when they aren't with me, but this is the first time in a long while that I will regularly have time to myself. And I didn't realize it until recently, but I've really been missing that. Don't get me wrong--I just need a few hours. I don't want the boys gone for too long. But I am soaking up every last second of it while I have it.
Today, school only lasted for two hours for Bennett as it was a "transition day" to get the kids accustomed to their class gradually. I spent those two hours going for a run, then a short walk, then I stopped by Starbucks to celebrate the fact that I was alone, stopped by to say hi to my mother--alone, which meant our conversation was actually uninterrupted, and returned to school to find a happy boy with the sweetest smile and the cutest dimples. And I remembered why I don't want him to be gone for too long.
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
Stationery card
Coolest Party Blue Birthday Invitation
To view our collection of birthday card designs, click here.
View the entire collection of cards.
Sunday, June 26, 2011
noteworthy milestones
Bennett is asking that I document the fact that he went down the red waterslide with his cousin, Cole, last week at her pool. This was, in fact, an amazing feat considering that last year, Bennett would not get near the slides at the pool. But, he and Cole have been taking swimming lessons at our pool for the past two weeks, so he has found the courage to put his head under the water and to go down the kiddie slides at the pool. In fact, he even went down one of the slides on the cruise ship, just barely making the height requirement to do so.
Here's proof:
This is Bennett racing his dad down the slides on the cruise ship.
Here's proof:
This is Bennett racing his dad down the slides on the cruise ship.
And this is Bennett going down the slide at Cole's pool:
He is quite proud of his accomplishments.
And speaking of accomplishments, Anderson shot a 40 on 9 holes this week at the golf course. That means he could legitimately shoot an 80 on a par 72 course. Not bad for a 12 year old who, frankly, doesn't play as often as he could. He just has a God-given ability like his daddy. Paul noted after the round that if he had not been playing carefully, Anderson could have beaten him that day. I am looking forward to watching Anderson's game progress over the next few years. I believe by high school he will regularly be shooting par.
a dose of bennett funnies
People tell me on a regular basis that I should write down the things that Bennett says, and I know they are right. I try to blog them from time to time, but really--he says something worth noting on a daily basis, and while the idea of carrying around a pen and pad with me is logical, it is not practical. So, I will joggle my tired and sometimes foggy brain and share a few things he has said lately.
I was feeling insecure about my looks one day as my husband and oldest son proceeded to talk about how beautiful other younger women are while (albeit unintentionally) reminding me that I am now old. You may think that I was just being sensitive as they conversed about a topic that can be a delicate one for women, and yes, I was hormonal, but the truth is that the male species can lack tact and the sensitivity chip from time to time. In other words, it wasn't just me.
Bennett, sensing my insecurity, says, "Mom, you are beautiful. You are beautiful when you dress up to go out to eat. But you know when you wake up in the morning and you have that bad smell, well, you are still pretty then, too."
I have to admit. Laughing was way better than crying, so Bennett really did make me feel ALL better.
And speaking of that bad smell, I overheard Bennett telling his big brother last week:
"Anderson, when you get a girlfriend, you do not want her to spend the night at your house because you do not want her to smell you when you wake up."
And just so you know, Bennett's idea of spending the night is sleeping in the same place, not "shacking up". What he meant was that Anderson would be horribly embarassed if anyone other than his little brother smelled his morning breath.
Yes, Bennett is quite the observant child. And this is truly a gift--noticing details--but it is not always a gift to me.
For example, I was scanning radio stations one day when the song, "Today I Don't Feel Like Doing Anything." For those who are not familiar, it's a song with a catchy tune and easy lyrics that you want to sing along to and that, from the onset, seems appropriate for the whole family. Until you get to the verse that talks about sex. So, as I am scanning the radio, it happens to be on that verse. As I quickly try to hit the volume to turn it down, I don't get it down in time. How Bennett knew the word I was trying to avoid him hearing, the devil knows.
Bennett says, "Sex. What's sex?"
"It is a word that little kids don't need to use because it is a grown up word."
"But what does it mean?"
"It means boy or girl, male or female. It is what you are. Another word for it is gender."
Shew. I don't know how long that definition will stick before I get more questions about why he shouldn't use a word that only means "boy or girl", but I will meanwhile be holding my breath.
A week later, the song comes on again. I manage this time to turn the song down for that verse. Bennett asks, "You didn't want to hear the word 'sex', right?"
No, Bennett. I can hear the word. I mind YOU hearing it.
I didn't say that, but that is what went through my mind.
I have blogged that Bennett can have a bit of a potty mouth, and by potty mouth I mean he likes potty words like pee and poop. Or fart. That word makes him belly laugh so hard that you can't help but laugh, too, which is absolutely contrary to the reprimand I am simultaneously trying to deliver. It's hard not to send mixed messages when you are threatening a form of discipline while shaking from laughter and biting your lip so hard you think it might bleed.
Which brings to mind two more stories.
Paul and I have always loved the TV series, "Everybody Loves Raymond". We never thought of it being something the kids couldn't see until the kids started watching it. I bought the first two seasons of the series from Target for $15 for us to watch as we drove to Charleston on our trip. Maybe not the best idea. By the end of a four hour car ride, we had this conversation with Bennett.
Bennett says, "Oh my god."
I am horrified. "Bennett! We never, ever, ever, say that. That is called taking the name of the Lord our God in vain. We only say His name when we are talking to Him or about Him. We never say it like that.
Paul says, "Just say, 'Oh my goodness.'"
Bennett says, "Holy crap." (Yeah, thanks Frank)
I say, "NO! That is another one you can't say. Just say, 'Oh my goodness.'"
For the rest of the day, Bennett continues to ask this question:
"So I can't say 'oh my god' or 'holy crap'? I have to say, 'oh my goodness'"?
"Right. You just say, 'oh my goodness.' And don't ask me again what you can't say. Only ask me what you can say because I know you are asking me that question over and over again just so you can get away with saying what you aren't supposed to say!"
Talk about the appeal of forbidden fruit. It reminds me of the time I let Anderson say every bad word he knew in 10 seconds just to show him that the excitement of him saying something he shouldn't was the only reason he wanted to say them. He knew maybe 3 bad words which he repeated several times just to fill up the 10 seconds. But it worked. They lost their appeal.
Okay, last story for this post.
Last month, we went through a McDonalds drive-thru to get the boys some food after their golf match. It is one of those face-to-face McDonalds where you don't order through a speaker but directly to an employee at a window. A sweet black lady leans her head through the window to take our order, and as she does, I notice that she is very eccentric looking. She has long braids (a head full of hair), and she has a bit of a long, rectangular face--a very chisseled looking face that is different. And, bless her heart, she does not have good teeth. She has buck teeth with wide gaps. But in spite of her odd appearance, she wears the most beautiful, friendly smile. Her name tag reads, "Ruth".
As soon as she leans through the window, she looks directly at Bennett who instinctively and quickly jumps back in his booster seat and makes a bit of a scared groan like this: Ooooh! (You would have thought he'd just seen Frankenstein, and I can assure you, she was no Frankenstein. She was, as I said, eccentric looking.) She must have sensed he was frightened because she began to speak to him in a very sweet voice. As soon as I heard his reaction, I turned around to shoot him the dirty look that instantly says, "You better not say another word" and shushed him. Anderson is in the passenger seat looking horrified, not by Ruth but by his brother's embarassing reaction. As Ruth speaks to Bennett, he smiles at her and then even waves. Meanwhile I am just praying that she didn't really notice his initial reaction. I feel terrible.
As we drive away, we wave goodbye and all three of us cordially, almost apologetically say, "Goodbye, Ruth. Have a nice day."
Fast forward a couple of weeks, and we go back through the same drive thru, only this time Paul is with us. I see Ruth poking her smiling face through the window up ahead just as we pull forward. There's no time to prep Bennett for his reaction. I hold my breath. Ruth says, "Hey!", and waves her hand at Bennett specifically. She must remember. I feel terrible. Bennett, the charmer that he is, smiles the biggest smile and says in his sweetest voice, "Hey!" I exhale a sigh of relief. And just as I do, Ruth withdraws her head from the window to grab our food when Bennett delivers this line:
"Daddy, that lady is losing her baby teeth."
Yeah, so much for holding our breaths to refrain from laughter. Paul and I instantly go into the body shakes with air blowing out rapidly between our pursed lips. What's the use? Bennett now knows he has said something funny, and I think he would consider selling a kidney for a laugh. I turn to shush him while Ruth returns to the window to deliver our food. We gather our composure and once again wave goodbye to sweet Ruth.
I said that was the last story, but I can't end this post without sharing a video from two nights ago. Bennett was wound up before bed as kids often are before bedtime. But this night he was fueled by the sweet tea I had allowed him to drink at dinner. (My mistake.)
Bennett LOVES Scotty McCreery (we all do), and one day I noticed that he could sing the chorus of the Montgomery Gentry song, "Gone", that Scotty sang on American Idol, and he did it with amazing precision. It was stunning to me because I knew that he had only heard the song performed on the show a few times, not on the radio, and he knew the lyrics so well. Anyway, I decided to record him singing for me. It'll make you grin. AND you'll see why I was so tired this particular night. Check it out:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=phiuRvSJD-M
I was feeling insecure about my looks one day as my husband and oldest son proceeded to talk about how beautiful other younger women are while (albeit unintentionally) reminding me that I am now old. You may think that I was just being sensitive as they conversed about a topic that can be a delicate one for women, and yes, I was hormonal, but the truth is that the male species can lack tact and the sensitivity chip from time to time. In other words, it wasn't just me.
Bennett, sensing my insecurity, says, "Mom, you are beautiful. You are beautiful when you dress up to go out to eat. But you know when you wake up in the morning and you have that bad smell, well, you are still pretty then, too."
I have to admit. Laughing was way better than crying, so Bennett really did make me feel ALL better.
And speaking of that bad smell, I overheard Bennett telling his big brother last week:
"Anderson, when you get a girlfriend, you do not want her to spend the night at your house because you do not want her to smell you when you wake up."
And just so you know, Bennett's idea of spending the night is sleeping in the same place, not "shacking up". What he meant was that Anderson would be horribly embarassed if anyone other than his little brother smelled his morning breath.
Yes, Bennett is quite the observant child. And this is truly a gift--noticing details--but it is not always a gift to me.
For example, I was scanning radio stations one day when the song, "Today I Don't Feel Like Doing Anything." For those who are not familiar, it's a song with a catchy tune and easy lyrics that you want to sing along to and that, from the onset, seems appropriate for the whole family. Until you get to the verse that talks about sex. So, as I am scanning the radio, it happens to be on that verse. As I quickly try to hit the volume to turn it down, I don't get it down in time. How Bennett knew the word I was trying to avoid him hearing, the devil knows.
Bennett says, "Sex. What's sex?"
"It is a word that little kids don't need to use because it is a grown up word."
"But what does it mean?"
"It means boy or girl, male or female. It is what you are. Another word for it is gender."
Shew. I don't know how long that definition will stick before I get more questions about why he shouldn't use a word that only means "boy or girl", but I will meanwhile be holding my breath.
A week later, the song comes on again. I manage this time to turn the song down for that verse. Bennett asks, "You didn't want to hear the word 'sex', right?"
No, Bennett. I can hear the word. I mind YOU hearing it.
I didn't say that, but that is what went through my mind.
I have blogged that Bennett can have a bit of a potty mouth, and by potty mouth I mean he likes potty words like pee and poop. Or fart. That word makes him belly laugh so hard that you can't help but laugh, too, which is absolutely contrary to the reprimand I am simultaneously trying to deliver. It's hard not to send mixed messages when you are threatening a form of discipline while shaking from laughter and biting your lip so hard you think it might bleed.
Which brings to mind two more stories.
Paul and I have always loved the TV series, "Everybody Loves Raymond". We never thought of it being something the kids couldn't see until the kids started watching it. I bought the first two seasons of the series from Target for $15 for us to watch as we drove to Charleston on our trip. Maybe not the best idea. By the end of a four hour car ride, we had this conversation with Bennett.
Bennett says, "Oh my god."
I am horrified. "Bennett! We never, ever, ever, say that. That is called taking the name of the Lord our God in vain. We only say His name when we are talking to Him or about Him. We never say it like that.
Paul says, "Just say, 'Oh my goodness.'"
Bennett says, "Holy crap." (Yeah, thanks Frank)
I say, "NO! That is another one you can't say. Just say, 'Oh my goodness.'"
For the rest of the day, Bennett continues to ask this question:
"So I can't say 'oh my god' or 'holy crap'? I have to say, 'oh my goodness'"?
"Right. You just say, 'oh my goodness.' And don't ask me again what you can't say. Only ask me what you can say because I know you are asking me that question over and over again just so you can get away with saying what you aren't supposed to say!"
Talk about the appeal of forbidden fruit. It reminds me of the time I let Anderson say every bad word he knew in 10 seconds just to show him that the excitement of him saying something he shouldn't was the only reason he wanted to say them. He knew maybe 3 bad words which he repeated several times just to fill up the 10 seconds. But it worked. They lost their appeal.
Okay, last story for this post.
Last month, we went through a McDonalds drive-thru to get the boys some food after their golf match. It is one of those face-to-face McDonalds where you don't order through a speaker but directly to an employee at a window. A sweet black lady leans her head through the window to take our order, and as she does, I notice that she is very eccentric looking. She has long braids (a head full of hair), and she has a bit of a long, rectangular face--a very chisseled looking face that is different. And, bless her heart, she does not have good teeth. She has buck teeth with wide gaps. But in spite of her odd appearance, she wears the most beautiful, friendly smile. Her name tag reads, "Ruth".
As soon as she leans through the window, she looks directly at Bennett who instinctively and quickly jumps back in his booster seat and makes a bit of a scared groan like this: Ooooh! (You would have thought he'd just seen Frankenstein, and I can assure you, she was no Frankenstein. She was, as I said, eccentric looking.) She must have sensed he was frightened because she began to speak to him in a very sweet voice. As soon as I heard his reaction, I turned around to shoot him the dirty look that instantly says, "You better not say another word" and shushed him. Anderson is in the passenger seat looking horrified, not by Ruth but by his brother's embarassing reaction. As Ruth speaks to Bennett, he smiles at her and then even waves. Meanwhile I am just praying that she didn't really notice his initial reaction. I feel terrible.
As we drive away, we wave goodbye and all three of us cordially, almost apologetically say, "Goodbye, Ruth. Have a nice day."
Fast forward a couple of weeks, and we go back through the same drive thru, only this time Paul is with us. I see Ruth poking her smiling face through the window up ahead just as we pull forward. There's no time to prep Bennett for his reaction. I hold my breath. Ruth says, "Hey!", and waves her hand at Bennett specifically. She must remember. I feel terrible. Bennett, the charmer that he is, smiles the biggest smile and says in his sweetest voice, "Hey!" I exhale a sigh of relief. And just as I do, Ruth withdraws her head from the window to grab our food when Bennett delivers this line:
"Daddy, that lady is losing her baby teeth."
Yeah, so much for holding our breaths to refrain from laughter. Paul and I instantly go into the body shakes with air blowing out rapidly between our pursed lips. What's the use? Bennett now knows he has said something funny, and I think he would consider selling a kidney for a laugh. I turn to shush him while Ruth returns to the window to deliver our food. We gather our composure and once again wave goodbye to sweet Ruth.
I said that was the last story, but I can't end this post without sharing a video from two nights ago. Bennett was wound up before bed as kids often are before bedtime. But this night he was fueled by the sweet tea I had allowed him to drink at dinner. (My mistake.)
Bennett LOVES Scotty McCreery (we all do), and one day I noticed that he could sing the chorus of the Montgomery Gentry song, "Gone", that Scotty sang on American Idol, and he did it with amazing precision. It was stunning to me because I knew that he had only heard the song performed on the show a few times, not on the radio, and he knew the lyrics so well. Anyway, I decided to record him singing for me. It'll make you grin. AND you'll see why I was so tired this particular night. Check it out:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=phiuRvSJD-M
Friday, June 24, 2011
cruisin'
On June 3rd, the Brewers headed down to Charleston to spend a day and night and to board the Carnival Fantasy for a seven night cruise to the Bahamas and to Turks & Caicos.
Our first day down, we spent time walking around our beloved Charleston and eating at Hymans so the boys could get their bellies full of seafood. We stopped by a bookstore to purchase a few books for our trip and then headed down to Waterfront Park to hang out and watch the sunset. Bliss.
On Saturday, we boarded our cruise ship and headed for Nassau, the port we were scheduled to dock at in just two days. We were so excited because we had booked an excursion to Atlantis where Anderson and I were going to swim with the dolphins and where we were going to play in their huge waterpark all day. Sadly, our maitre d' had a heart attack before we made it to the Bahamas, and we had to divert to Port Canaveral. Losing time, we had to abort our plans to dock in Nassau. We were SO bummed.
From Canaveral we headed down to Half Moon Cay in the Bahamas. There we hung out on the beautiful white beaches and played in the clear blue (almost white!) water. Anderson especially loved snorkeling there. Bennett and I took a lagoon tour and saw all kinds of fish and sea stars on a glass bottom boat while Anderson and Paul went deep sea fishing.
From Half Moon we departed for Grand Turk of the Turks & Caicos Islands. It was overcast that day and we had a bit of rain, but we never got too hot nor did we have to apply tons of sunscreen, so we made the best of less-than-optimal weather conditions. We spent the day hanging out by the pool at Jimmy Buffett's Margaritaville. Paul and Anderson spent an hour and a half on the flowrider, which is basically a simulated wave where you can surf and bodyboard. It can be quite challenging, but Anderson and Paul looked like pros compared to everyone else because they had surfed on one at the Great Wolf Lodge several years ago. Bennett and I watched from the pool and took lots of photos.
The following day we spent at sea in the middle of a tropical depression. This brought rain, dreary conditions, and rough seas. As a result, I woke up in the wee morning hours feeling sick. I took some Dramamine, but I spent the next 48 hours not feeling great. The upside? I got LOTS of sleep! In fact, I spent the first day of sickness sleeping in the room, and the next day, when the sun came out, I spent on the deck of the cruise ship looking at the ocean, reading, and napping on and off. Heavenly!
Bennett's favorite part of the cruise was going to Camp Carnival every day. He LOVED going to play games, sing songs, draw pictures, do art projects, building his very own bear, etc. He thought he was so grown up going off to Camp Carnival all by himself. It was wonderful to have this entertainment for him so that we could really relax.
Anderson loved the arcade. He spent many evenings there challenging anyone he could find to a game of air hockey. I believe he was the reigning air hockey champion the week we were on board. :)
There was also a putt putt golf course on board, so the boys' putting skills could stay sharp even while on vacation. :) It was the first place the boys wanted to go when we boarded the ship.
All in all, in spite of a few glitches along the way, we had a wonderful vacation. These pictures are proof. There are way too many photos here, but I am too tired to sort through them, so here they are...
https://picasaweb.google.com/hollytbrewer/Cruise2011?authkey=Gv1sRgCOGH5qWYqp_7Og#
Our first day down, we spent time walking around our beloved Charleston and eating at Hymans so the boys could get their bellies full of seafood. We stopped by a bookstore to purchase a few books for our trip and then headed down to Waterfront Park to hang out and watch the sunset. Bliss.
On Saturday, we boarded our cruise ship and headed for Nassau, the port we were scheduled to dock at in just two days. We were so excited because we had booked an excursion to Atlantis where Anderson and I were going to swim with the dolphins and where we were going to play in their huge waterpark all day. Sadly, our maitre d' had a heart attack before we made it to the Bahamas, and we had to divert to Port Canaveral. Losing time, we had to abort our plans to dock in Nassau. We were SO bummed.
From Canaveral we headed down to Half Moon Cay in the Bahamas. There we hung out on the beautiful white beaches and played in the clear blue (almost white!) water. Anderson especially loved snorkeling there. Bennett and I took a lagoon tour and saw all kinds of fish and sea stars on a glass bottom boat while Anderson and Paul went deep sea fishing.
From Half Moon we departed for Grand Turk of the Turks & Caicos Islands. It was overcast that day and we had a bit of rain, but we never got too hot nor did we have to apply tons of sunscreen, so we made the best of less-than-optimal weather conditions. We spent the day hanging out by the pool at Jimmy Buffett's Margaritaville. Paul and Anderson spent an hour and a half on the flowrider, which is basically a simulated wave where you can surf and bodyboard. It can be quite challenging, but Anderson and Paul looked like pros compared to everyone else because they had surfed on one at the Great Wolf Lodge several years ago. Bennett and I watched from the pool and took lots of photos.
The following day we spent at sea in the middle of a tropical depression. This brought rain, dreary conditions, and rough seas. As a result, I woke up in the wee morning hours feeling sick. I took some Dramamine, but I spent the next 48 hours not feeling great. The upside? I got LOTS of sleep! In fact, I spent the first day of sickness sleeping in the room, and the next day, when the sun came out, I spent on the deck of the cruise ship looking at the ocean, reading, and napping on and off. Heavenly!
Bennett's favorite part of the cruise was going to Camp Carnival every day. He LOVED going to play games, sing songs, draw pictures, do art projects, building his very own bear, etc. He thought he was so grown up going off to Camp Carnival all by himself. It was wonderful to have this entertainment for him so that we could really relax.
Anderson loved the arcade. He spent many evenings there challenging anyone he could find to a game of air hockey. I believe he was the reigning air hockey champion the week we were on board. :)
There was also a putt putt golf course on board, so the boys' putting skills could stay sharp even while on vacation. :) It was the first place the boys wanted to go when we boarded the ship.
All in all, in spite of a few glitches along the way, we had a wonderful vacation. These pictures are proof. There are way too many photos here, but I am too tired to sort through them, so here they are...
https://picasaweb.google.com/hollytbrewer/Cruise2011?authkey=Gv1sRgCOGH5qWYqp_7Og#
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