Monday, July 26, 2010

Ya got Trouble

Ya got trouble,
Right here in River city!
With a capital "T"
And that rhymes with "P"
And that stands for POOL.
We've surely got trouble!


I had a fun evening with Gigi tonight. We watched a Monty Python movie and listened to Broadway show-tunes on Pandora - noting the next classic musicals that we need to add to our DVD collection: The Music Man, Fiddler on The Roof.

A few weeks ago we borrowed The Music Man from the library. It was quite a hit - but nobody took to it quite like my Gigi. She says that she watched it 5 times. I think it was more.

Tonight was like being in a place where there is usually a constant noise in the background, like music in a store or traffic near a busy street, noise I've become used to, but then having that noise stop, and realizing that there's something really wonderful going on that I haven't noticed before because it's been drowned out by the noise.

Gigi is the classic 'middle child' caught between two remarkable sisters. She is very flexible, easy-going and independent. Of all our kids, she demands the least of my attention, but she always, always has a smile and a hug waiting for me. Well, tonight the other two girls were away. That background noise I'd become accustomed to was strangely absent.

She quotes the movie at random times....like during dinner with the Missionaries the other day.

Are certain words creeping into his conversation?
Words like 'swell?"
And 'so's your old man?"
Well, if so my friends,
Ya got trouble

I never really thought about how funny she can be, how silly, how much she enjoys fun movies and music. She's the first to mimic Tevye's little jig with me: 'If I were a rich man, Daidle deedle daidle daidle daidle deedle daidle dum....' Only Gigi shares my Tim Hawkins addiction.

When she found this song, 'Ya Got Trouble' from The Music Man, on the internet, she just lit up - singing and dancing around. She knows most of the words...I think we just might have a Broadway Star in our future...

This girl already shines!

Sunday, July 18, 2010

LEO

So it seems that Miss Orca has found her true calling...or one of them anyway: entrepreneur! She and her best buddies from the 'hood set up a stand for selling jewelry. they braided (or weaved, not sure) bracelets and rings as they sat under the big tree on the corner. They were quite the salesmen, er, 'saleskids" They actually made quite a haul

They are planning their next event soon!

Thursday, July 15, 2010

Heart and Soul,.... and a Little Fishin’


What do you call it when you realize that you’ve been missing something wonderful that has always been there, seemingly waiting, for you to just shift your focus enough to find it?

It was just by chance that we ended up staying in a house on the Intercoastal Waterway this year at Holden Beach. We had waited until the last minute to book a beach house and happened to luck into one situated just a hop away from the bridge, which made it really easy to get to Provisions...and WINGS, of course. It also had a dock right on the Intercoastal Waterway. We didn’t realize at first what this meant.

Grampa brought fishing poles and gear…and found a bait shop for worms (after bologna and hotdogs didn’t do the trick).



What a wonderful experience it was for the kids to get to fish with cousins or an uncle after a day in the sun, sand, and waves! In the evenings, all three families (Cleggs, Prices, Fishers) and Grandparents would converge at the house for dinner and to visit. After dinner, kids and adults would inevitably drift down to the dock to throw in a line and stand waiting, talking, or not talking. Some nights, just a few croakers and pinfish took the bait, other nights, (once the bait got upgraded to the leftover shrimp...absolutely do NOT mention this around Grandma) they were being reeled in fast and furious.

On the East side of the Island, it’s all about the ocean. The waves, the wind, the sand. The colors are always the same: varying shades of blue and grey sky and water and miles of beige-brown sand. We are lulled by the steady rhythm of the waves and tides that never end, like the steady beating of the heart.

On the West side, it’s peaceful. Quiet except for the occasional boat or jetski, … the splash of a jumping fish, the low murmur of a father and son’s fishing banter . Maybe a cool breeze will arise, maybe not. The colors are dark blues, greys, greens, the sunwashed pastels of weathered beach-house paint, or bright oleander flowers, and everchanging shades of yellow, orange, pinks, purples, and red sunsets. Just being there brings joy to my soul.

After 14 years of focusing purely on “the big show” a few steps to the East that is the Atlantic Ocean, I have finally become aware of the peace, beauty, and fun that has always been there, waiting to be discovered…just on the other side.


Sunday, July 11, 2010

A-maze-ing


After so many years it seems like we've just about done it all at the Beach. Actually, we are totally happy doing the same old things: wave jumping, skimboarding, shell hunting, reading, etc. We never get bored with our comfortable routine, but don't really expect anything different. And that is fine. Everything's fine when you're at the beach!

But lo and behold, this year a little something out of the ordinary popped up.

We had been working on burying Halibut in the sand:



When we noticed that someone had drawn an immense sand maze! The kids had fun trying to work their way through it without crossing any solid lines. FUN!

I was so impressed that the person who created it with painstaking detail had spent so much time doing it, and then left it to entertain strangers...knowing that the waves would eventually come and wash it away.....

It made me think about how we often spend so much time doing (or working to pay for) things that are temporary: decorating a house, gardening, etc. Do they really matter in the long run?

Mothers know that a lot of what we create is temporary: meals, Halloween costumes, science projects, clean laundry, cupcakes for the class, family vacations.....


We do it anyway. Each day mothers create seemingly fleeting moments of comfort or joy, but the memories won't be so easily washed away. When we do the same old things every day, we are investing our time and talents building families, strengthening relationships... those things last forever.

I like looking at it from that perspective!

Oh Say, Can You See?


This year we had a pretty low-key Fourth of July. No parades or anything. Since we'd just returned from the beach trip, there was a lot to do around the house with unpacking and what-not, but mostly we were somehow exhausted from the driving and unpacking the day before. Plus, it was Fast-Sunday so we basically did the usual Sunday-ish things.

The first special experience of the day came during Sacrament meeting. Brother Beacham shared his testimony, and talked about his father who had fought in WWII and in Korea. After his heartfelt words, Bro. Beacham wanted to end with a tribute by singing The Star Spangled Banner. He began singing without music, and pretty soon everyone was on their feet singing along. It was a really great experience, the Spirit spoke to my heart of His love for this country.

Later that night, after we had rested, we got to break out the Fireworks that we had picked up in South Carolina during the beach trip. We went down to the cul-de-sac at the end of Bennington and were joined by just abut every boy in the neighborhood, I think, plus a few of the girls friends, Lulu and Eliza, plus a lot of men shooting off some BIG fireworks. Some may say that the highlight was when the neighbor's yard caught on fire (!)....we pounded it out with our shoes and dumped water on it.



It wasn't a professional show, but being close to home and with friends make it even better.

At the end of the evening, we came home and read the Declaration of Independence.

What better way to celebrate than with God, Music, Family, Friends, and Fireworks!

Don't Cry About it

Dad seems to be having a great time at the beach - he's even a bit cooler since carrying on his beach-tradition of shaving his head!

...at some point during the trip, along comes a precocious 7 year old and lays this comment on him:











"Dad, there are some spots where your hair won't grow back, ....but don't cry about it."

....Poor Dad...

Going Backwards

So, I've taken a sabbatical of sorts from my blog. Not sure how it happened, too much life coming at me at one time, I guess. But I hate to miss out on recording all my memories before they fade away. I treasure these times, watching my kids grow up! But I'm finding it harder and harder to remember things these days. getting old I guess!

This blog platform doesn't let me rearrange my posts in chronological order, so several of my next posts will be out of order. I'll just write posts as quickly as I can remember them - probably going from the present (July 2010) backwards - but I'll try to include an idea of the date of the actual event.