My Little Cubbie

Kinsey has been a "Cubbie" for the past two years in our church's AWANA program and tonight was their graduation night. Close to one hundred kids ages 4-10 came with their parents to the ceremony. I was suprised to learn that Kinsey had been chosen from her age group to recite a bible verse. She did fabulous! Ironically, her verse was "He is risen" (I posted about this a while back), but this time she said it just right! She also won an award for perfect attendance (it helped that her daddy was the leader, so she HAD to be there every night.) Afterwards, there was an ice cream social and of course some playground time.

Adventures with Froggy

Froggy came home from school with us to see what it's like at the Patrick household. Kinsey's homework was to take Froggy everywhere she goes and then fill out his journal describing his adventures. Froggy's highlights of the day were cheering Kinsey on at her soccer practice and BBQ and ice cream at Dickey's. The two new best buds ended the night watching "Lion, Witch and the Wardrobe" in my bedroom.

Kids Say...

Kinsey told me on the way home tonight, that one special evening, she would like for me to take her to the movies. Which one? "Ho-dogs for Tell"--hmmm, hope that's not one she repeats at school!

A Bicycle Built for Two

From Sunrise to Twilight

Seriously. That has truly been our day today. Kinsey and I had our soccer game at 8:45 this morning. Another successful game with Kinsey scoring her second goal this season. Jack and Max, along with Grandaddy and Nan came to cheer on the Blast again, and Kinsey had a special cheering section with her favorite twins, the Griner boys. After her game, we returned the cheers for the guys at their t-ball game, which was precious to watch. From there, most of us hit the water for a loooong, hot afternoon at the pool (it was heated.) We decided to continue with the summertime theme by grilling out burgers and dogs with the whole gang and as a special treat, Jack made us all some homemade blueberry ice cream with the blueberries we picked from the local farm last summer. Yummy! We ended the long day heading to Downtown Athens to enjoy the Twilight Criterium, where we cheered on the bike riders, played in the bouncehouses, and climbed the double-barrel canon at the courthouse. Phew--I think it's time for bed!

Oh yeah, and on the way home, Max was so proud of himself when he said "Zsa Zsa and Go Go." Couldn't figure it out for a long time, but then when I asked him "John Scott and Jacob?" he started giggling! Too cute!

Somewhere Over the Rainbow

One of my all-time favorite songs came to life tonight as Jack and I took Kinsey on a special "date night" to see The Wizard of Oz at the theater. What an amazing time the three of us had, from our fancy dinner, to our stroll downtown, ending with a wonderful play that had all of us wide-eyed in wonder. She was such a doll--so pleasant and polite--I can't believe she's growing up so fast.

Little brother had a great time enjoying the sun on the playground and eating pizza with his sitter. I just can't picture him as the theater type just yet! ;)

Looking forward to a BEAUTIFUL and finally WARM weekend!

Spring Fever

So the weather's finally looking up around here, but with spring in the air comes the pollen and it has wiped me out this past week. I am finally feeling better, which is good because I haven't had a chance to slow down. After the dreaded return to work last week, we quickly got back into the swing of things. Another rained-out soccer practice (does the Ark have room for a couple more???) Monday gave rise to a fun opportunity with Kinsey. We went to go see her first "big girl" movie, Hannah Montana, with a friend of hers and then met the "boys" for pizza. Actually a very cute movie, I must say. We also enjoyed our last official week of AWANA's and another swimming excursion. The weekend fun started off with a bang as we took in a Diamond Dawgs baseball game with my running buddy, Julie, and her boys. It was a beautiful night for ball. Saturday brought a little soccer (and t-ball) fun and some great fellowship with our Sunday School class that night. Jack and I even enjoyed a movie date night Sunday. I sure do feel blessed!



This week is testing week in our school system--hoorah! Work aside, we all headed out to the ball fields tonight for Kinsey's 2nd game. This time the whole crew came and thankfully got some pictures of her in action (thanks Nan, Granddaddy, Jack and Max.) Another solid performance by Kinsey! The Blast as a whole looked MUCH better tonight as well.

EXTRA, EXTRA!!!

A HUGE congratulations to my precious cousin Emily, who gave birth to her second son, Whit, today, after being almost a week overdue. Below is the message her older brother Peter (an obviously super-talented newspaper writer) sent out this evening announcing his nephew's arrival. If this isn't the sweetest thing. :)

Hopefully, I'll have a picture or two to share soon. We love you guys!



Extra, extra! Read all about it! Whitman Emery Lamb born!!
Tom and Emily had a second little Lamb, little Lamb!
Debut hailed as triumph, without a “Whit” of doubt
A child went forth, a great poet once wrote, and America sings!

April 20, 2009
ONION STAFF

WILMINGTON, NC - Striding into the international spotlight with
princely charm and regal bearing, Whitman Emery Lamb entered the world
today to universal acclaim, inspiring worldwide celebrations and
heralding a new age of culture and enlightenment.

Thousands of revelers took to the streets in Sydney, Australia,
Boston, Massachusetts and across North Carolina to rejoice in the
newborn’s widely anticipated arrival, the Lamb’s second son.

In a commemorative section marking the occasion, the Wilmington
Star-News announced plans for a weekly column and blog chronicling the
boy’s adventures, and officials at the Walt Whitman Foundation said
the newborn’s name would help restore the renowned 19th-century poet
to his rightful prominence in literary history.

“The prize we sought is won,” said foundation president Kate
Kalleberg, a longtime family friend, quoting Whitman’s famous poem “O
Captain! My Captain.” “Talk about a transcendent moment! The people
are all exulting.”

In Massachusetts, the town of Whitman, a small bedroom community south
of Boston, declared his birthday an annual holiday, and fans of
legendary country singer Slim Whitman braced for a revival of his
jubilant yodeling style.

And for the second time in two weeks, residents of Chapel Hill, N.C.
flooded Franklin Street in a sea of Carolina blue, this time to
welcome the baby boy, who weighed in at an impressive 9 pounds, 8
ounces.

“The Tarheels’ winning it all was sweet, but this is even sweeter,”
said Melissa Schworm, Whitman’s aunt, as she splashed blue paint on
her friends. “UNC’s won two championships in the last four years, and
I’ve gotten two new nephews in the last two!”

Later, in an interview over a chocolate Frosty at Wendy’s, Schworm
said she was looking forward to playing Skee-Ball with young Whitman
at Chuck E. Cheese, a kiddy pizza emporium she recently visited with
Emily and Colin Lamb, a precocious 1-year-old.

“Pizza and Skee-Ball with Colin and Whitman, I like the sound of
that!” Schworm said, nodding in satisfaction. “And a Whitman’s
chocolate for dessert!”

Basking in the glow of new parenthood, Emily and Tom Lamb said they
were overjoyed by the birth of their second son and felt doubly
blessed.

“Did someone say double? That’s a good idea! Make mine a double!”
Emily Lamb shouted to a neonatal nurse, according to hospital sources.
“Two kids under two? I’m going to need it.”

Tom Lamb, beaming with pride over his new son, also celebrated a new
era in the Lamb household, noting that Whitman had tipped the gender
balance decidedly in the males’ favor.

“Three to one now! That’s a filibuster-proof majority,” Tom Lamb
exclaimed, as he gave Colin Lamb a high-five. “This gives us a huge
opportunity to advance our political agenda. This house is going to
look like a sports bar in a few days.”

Told about the plans, Emily Lamb, however, claimed veto-power over all
decisions related to home décor.

In an interview from the hospital, Colin Lamb said he was proud of his
new big-brother status, and would do his best to show Whitman the ways
of the world.

“Take the stairs slow, remote’s on the coffee table, juice boxes are
in the fridge,” he said. “This isn’t rocket science - we live in a
beautiful house near the beach! Just stick with me, kiddo.”

Laura Townsend, Whitman’s grandmother, reportedly shed tears of joy
over the arrival of her second grandson, and said the newborn’s name
“had the ring of royalty.”

“Like an English duke or a Scottish laird,” she exulted. “I’m going to
buy him a sailor suit right away. Aw, my little prince.”

Bill Schworm and Denise Doiron, Whitman’s grandparents and economists
at the University of New South Wales in Sydney, Australia, said
Whitman’s distinguished name made him an excellent candidate for a
future in academia.

“Very professorial,” Schworm nodded approvingly as he prepared a vast
collection of music for the infant that featured Tom Waits and Muddy
Waters. “Sure to impress at the faculty club. Just needs some sleeve
patches on his PJs.”

Whitman’s birth sent a shockwave through the athletic world, sending
recruiters scrambling toward Wilmington for a first glimpse of the
newborn. Waiting patiently outside the maternity ward, Roy Williams,
the coach of the champion men’s basketball team at the University of
North Carolina, said he would do whatever it took to make Whitman a
Tarheel one day.

“Tom Lamb was a strong Division I player, and Wilmington, let’s not
forget, is the home of Michael Jordan,” Williams said. “Plus Whitman
College is already hot on his trail, so I figured I’d better get a
toehold. I even brought a UNC championship onesie.”

The baseball world stood on similarly high alert. Trot Nixon, a former
Red Sox star and neighbor of the Lambs, promised to take the child
under his wing as a protégé. He felt a special kinship with the boy,
he explained, because of their shared four-letter nicknames.

“My full name is Trotman, but everyone always called me Trot,” he said
in a lengthy interview at a Wilmington sports pub in which he
reminisced with a Boston-based reporter over many of his greatest Red
Sox moments. “Whit from Whitman, that’s the same thing! So I think
we’ll be fast friends.”

Because of their closeness in age, the boys will share a deep bond,
child development specialists said, and are poised to become a
formidable tandem.

“Colin and Whitman go together like Country & Western,” said Bob
Schworm, Emily Lamb’s uncle, in an interview from a Chapel Hill social
club, the Dead Mule. “They are imposing enough on their own, but
together I’m not sure how you can hope to contain them. I foresee
dominance on a global scale.”

Kara Schworm, the infant’s aunt and an Irish descendant, noted that
the boys’ proximity in age nearly makes them “Irish twins,” and
predicted they would be powerfully drawn to the Emerald Isle.

“The one across the Atlantic, not the beach in North Carolina!” said
Schworm, whose maiden name is O’Leary. “They’ll be honorary citizens!
Plus a sip or two of Guinness will put them right to sleep when they
are cranky. It works for my husband!”

Reached for comment at the Burren, a Boston-area Irish pub, Peter
Schworm, Whitman’s uncle, said that if anyone could handle a whirlwind
toddler and a newborn, it was his beloved sister.

“I remember the day Emily was born like it was yesterday, though I
couldn’t have known then that she was born to be a mother,” Schworm
said between Guinness toasts to the Lamb family and their newest
member. “But I’ve seen living proof.”

"He is in risen"

For the last 2 weeks, we have been sharing the Resurrection Story with Kinsey (and Max) and working on some bible verses for church with her. It tickles me every time when she repeats the story to us and others about the "cave with the big rock and the angel who tells the girls that He is not here, he is in risen." It is so sweet to hear her tell the story, but I just wonder what she is thinking happened when Jesus went "to risen." Part of me is afraid she might be thinking PRISON, as this is where she thought her Pop Pop went went he died last year! Don't ask me where she knows about prison, though. As far as I'm aware, we don't know anyone in prison and it's not really a hot topic around the Patrick household either.

Regardless, what a glorious day to celebrate that He, indeed, IS risen! Proof is around every corner.

After decorating the eggs last night, this morning we celebrated with an early sunrise egg hunt, then went to church and then had a delicious Easter lunch with Nan and Granddaddy. The kids had yet another Easter egg hunt there, too. Max has really embraced this opportunity to carry a "bask" over his arm. He worries us sometimes, because he loves to carry Kinsey's and my purses around more than either of us girls do. It kind of borders obsession. So today really was his day for that. Daddy and Granddaddy took Kinsey and Max for a walk to go see the horse pasture and Max even asked for a quick ride (OK, more like a slow roll) around the yard on the 4-wheeler.

Back to work, tomorrow. Can't say that I'm not ready for a BREAK from Spring Break!!!

DAWGS WIN! DAWGS WIN!!!

Since they played one another, techinically, they DID win, didn't they? Today was G-day in Athens. Our first one, thanks to our buddy, Harrison's, 5th birthday party. The big Dawg fan that he is, they had a cute tailgating birthday party before the game. And, since this years scrimmage was free, it drew a lot more fans. With the gorgeous sunny weather and two happy kiddos, it made for a pretty awesome day! Go Dawgs and Happy Birthday, HH! Thanks for a fun time!

As Relaxing as a Day at the Beach...

Spring Break, 2009. Not as relaxing as I'd hoped for as the kids and I made the 6-hour trek to Myrtle Beach sans Jack again this year. The car ride itself isn't the tricky part so much. Keeping the children quiet at 6 AM, entertained inside with 40-50 windy weather and making sure one of us doesn't accidentally kill another were the more daunting tasks! While there were MANY tantrumous (new word) moments, there were some highlights to our week (putt-putt, beach walks, "bishing" with Papa, sunrise donuts) that I hope are the ones that stay in my memories, and NOT these...

Egg-stra Special Friends

A big HAPPY BIRTHDAY to our special friends, Jacob and John Scott, who celebrated their upcoming 5th birthday with an amazing Easter party this morning. It felt fabulous to be in the sun and feel the spring warmth, which has been a rare occurence this past month.

(As usual) Mary (aka Martha Stewart) had such beautiful decor and hd prepared a delicious brunch and sweet treats. The hit of the party was the enormous Easter egg hunt and the special guest appearance made by the Easter Bunny!





It's off to the beach tomorrow for spring break--woo hoo!

Someone's Dumb Idea

So it's official. Well, not really, but it's paid for. I've had this really stupid idea of running a marathon, and this week (after celebrating my 1-year anniversary with WoW Bootcamp, I registered for my first marathon this fall in Washington, DC. Actually, it wasn't MY idea at all, and I swore to Jack after my half marathon in November that I had absolutely NO intentions or desires to ever run a full marathon. But just as he predicted with a little smirk that day, someone dangled a carrot and I took the bait! I wonder, am I really that predictable???