Lichterman Nature Center - Apr 16

I lost the cord that connects my camera to the computer and the memory card reader stopped working too! I finally made it to Walgreens to get my pictures off the camera and onto a cd. My intention is to catch up the blog over the next week. However, we all know life may get in the way of this plan. Oh well!

Since the house still hasn't sold (moment of silence please...) Logan and I have alternated weeks between our home in the Memphis area and my parents' house in Conway. I am continuing to adjust to life as a stay at home mom and am in constant search of free/inexpensive activities for Logan. We are definitely keeping busy!

April 16th (see, I am behind!) Logan and I ventured out to the Lichterman Nature Center in Memphis. I'd read about the Nature Center when we visited the Pink Palace Museum last year with my parents and brother but hadn't made time to go. I was a little hesitant due to the price of admission ($6 adults/$4.50 kids 3-12). I have trouble paying to walk in the woods. Despite my concerns, we packed a picnic lunch, sprayed ourselves with sunscreen & bug spray, and head out to explore. Fortunately, my concern was a mute point because the center was having their semi-annual plant sale and admission was free. I can afford free! There are few pictures of this outing because Logan was not in the mood to be bothered by mommy's camera.

Allow me to plagiarize for a better description of our experience. The following is from the website:
Located in the heart of metropolitan Memphis, the Center features exciting new exhibits, lush gardens featuring native wildflowers and trees, and a tradition of excellence in environmental education set in the midst of 65 acres of lake, meadow, and forest. Home to a wide variety of plants, birds, reptiles, amphibians and mammals, Lichterman is an urban nature center, easily accessible to the people who need it the most, the people who live in the city. http://www.memphismuseums.org/lichterman-overview/

Lichterman Nature Center (LNC) was gorgeous! I immediately took a picture of the gigantic plant sale and sent it to my mother-in-law. Carolyn would have LOVED browsing through the various exotic plants available. Logan and I took the picture and were done with the plant sale. To each their own! LNC offers walking trails through a forest, meadow, and around the lake. The trails were well maintained and the foliage (yep, I went with a nerdy word here) was beautiful! Although there was a large school field trip on site, Logan and I didn't feel crowded or inconvenienced in the slightest. The most interesting part of the day happened when Logan and I approached the bridge over the lake. A staff member encouraged me to pick up a stick to "fight off" territorial Canadian geese. The geese had apparently recently laid eggs and were prepared to defend their nests at all costs. The staffer said "Your son's eyes are at pecking level so be careful." I have worked so hard to enforce the "no waving sticks rule" with Logan and had to change the game. Logan was pleased. I, however, was a bit on edge. Geese have never looked so scary as they did when they were a threat to my child! We survived and have a great story to tell! I did not stop to take pictures of the lake or geese out of fear my child would be maimed while I was distracted!

I was disappointed in the Backyard Nature Center. The building was large and had aquariums to display various native animals and initially looked great. However, upon closer examination, many of the aquariums only had replica creatures. A couple of the tanks were empty and a couple more displayed dead fish. Gross! There were great explanatory exhibits about meadow, lake, and forest habitats.

Overall the LNC was a fun outing and worth the price. I'm not sure we will rush back but will keep an eye on the paper for another free admission day.

When life imitates art...

Logan and I have been working our way through his first chapter book, Henry Huggins by Beverly Cleary. (No, he's not reading it but listens very carefully) In the story, the reader gets to know Henry and his rag tag mutt Ribsy. Henry is the main character in 6 books and a secondary character in many of the Ramona books.

Last night, while Logan was in the tub I read him chapter 5: The Pale Pink Dog. Henry enters Ribsy in a dog show and chaos happens! Ribsy chewed his leash so Henry has to use a too long clothesline which leads to several funny incidents of tangling. After a thorough bath (and shower), Ribsy proceeds to roll in mud right before the dog show. Henry runs home to grab talcum powder and shakes the powder on Ribsy's muddy white fur so he will hopefully appear to be clean. Unfortunately, Henry grabbed pink powder and has turned his muddy, tangled dog pink. Great book!

While we were reading I kept hearing crunching noises from the other room. I should have known better but I ignored it for awhile. Finally, I told Logan I'd be right back and I walked into my bedroom. There I discovered Banjo with her head inside a bag that held various craft supplies. I called her name and she popped her head up. She had a bright blue nose! I grabbed the bag and revealed two bright blue paws too! Banjo had been chewing on an electric blue ink pad (stamps)! I picked her up and carried her outside. She left blue nose prints and paw prints on the back door! Fortunately the ink was washable and the carpet & Banjo have since returned to their original colors.

I think it's pretty funny that while reading about a dog that turned pink, my dog was turning blue!

What a ride!

The other day Logan and I were headed to the grocery store. I walked into the garage from the house behind Logan. I pushed the button to raise the garage door and opened Logan's car door. I turned to tell Logan to climb into his seat but he wasn't beside me as I thought. I then heard a weak and pathetic voice say "help me." I walked around the back of the jeep to discover my child hanging like an ape from the now raised garage door! I rushed to him and barely caught him as he fell. Upon catching him I got an elbow to the eye which caused a bit of a shiner for several days! Logan looked up at me and said "that was a ride!" I put him in his car seat, closed the door, and walked to the drivers side. I got in and the adrenaline got the best of me. I yelled "Don't you ever, ever, ever do that again!" Logan then burst into tears and began crying for his daddy. I did my best to comfort Logan while calming myself down too! I've always been careful to watch him while the door was closing, not completely trusting to sensors but it never occurred to me that the door raising might be a hazard too. I suppose it should have occurred to me that MY son would be the one to hold on for a ride! If he had grabbed on to a crossbar higher than the bottom he would have hit the jeep on the way up and things could have turned out much worse. Or he could have pinched his fingers! Or he could have fallen on the concrete before I got to him! It was so scary!

Ten minutes later we were on our way to the store and the giggles hit. I had to pull over because I was laughing so hard at the image of my sweet little monkey hanging from the door! My hysterical laughing embarrassed Logan and he began crying for his daddy again. After another round of comforting words and pats we continued on our way.

Garage doors are dangerous going up AND going down. Lesson learned!

Boy & Dog...

Mojo is a little over 5 years old. She is a sweet mutt that I rescued from the Savannah Humane Society the day Trey deployed to Iraq for the first time. Mojo is patient with Logan and affectionate with me. She merely tolerates Trey, which really amuses me. Mojo was once hit by a car, broke her nose, and had tire tread marks on her hind end! She doesn't make messes and is relatively low maintenance. She is an almost perfect pet.

Then there is Banjo. After we moved from Savannah to stay with my parents for a few months and then to the Memphis area, Mojo began gaining weight. I convinced myself she was depressed and needed a playmate. In retrospect, I was feeling the need to nurture a baby and having another child wasn't in the cards yet. So, I began putting pressure on Trey for a puppy. I found a man on Craigslist advertising free 8 wk old basset puppies. I emailed Trey the information no less than 30 times. Finally, he gave in and we were headed to pick up Mojo's "friend." (Note: When we arrived at the breeder's home we learned that the dogs were not 8 wks old but 5 wks old and headed for the shelter if not adopted. duh-duh-duh...) We brought home the tiniest floppy eared sweetie. She has since grown, and grown, and grown. Banjo is loud, into EVERYTHING, and wild! She is certainly not the sleepy hound seen on tv.

Logan is very sweet with Mojo but loves to wrestle with Banjo. We have to watch him because he sometimes gets a little rough. Banjo likes to wrestle with him too. One of them is frequently body slamming the other. It works out well since they both weigh 43 pounds. This week Logan has invented a new game. He and Banjo run back and forth down the upstairs hallway. I watched (and even ran) for a bit with them yesterday but ended up sitting in the doorway of his room with Mojo watching them run by over and over. Then last night, Logan wanted me to pitch a ball to him so he could practice batting. Every time he missed the ball (which, by the way, isn't often!) Banjo grabbed the ball off the ground and took off running. We almost had her trained by the end of the night to pick up the ball and bring it to me to pitch again.

I'm sure that people read my facebook statuses and wonder if I ever supervise my child. I mean really, how can a kid get away with releasing a frog in the house, coloring his foot brown with markers, smearing pudding on the wall, etc. I'll tell you how it happens. I leave Logan to let Banjo in, then out, then in, then out..., clean up the toilet paper roll she has unrolled and shredded in the house, get her out of the dishwasher (yep, she can open it if it isn't latched!?), chase her up and down the stairs attempting to get Trey's watch from her, scrub the carpet where she chewed a highlighter pen...etc, etc, etc. It is a good thing she is cute...

I pray for Banjo to grow out of the puppy stage and for our house to sell so I have back up with Trey. But, even with all the stress, I love this darn dog and I'm glad Logan has a forgiving playmate. As I'm typing this blog Logan is in his room singing and Banjo is asleep on my feet. At this exact second they are both accounted for. But...come to think of it, I have no clue where Mojo is!?

All boy...

I used to cringe when I heard someone say "She's all girl" or "He's all boy." I have been determined to provide Logan with gender-neutral toys & activities as well as traditionally feminine toys & activities in addition to his boy toys. He loves to cook with me, play with his kitchen toys, do art projects, play dress up, and love on animals. I see nothing wrong with balls, sticks, rocks, and trucks but make a concerted effort to not pigeonhole Logan into playing a certain way. Imagine my anger towards a former daycare provider when Logan came home sad because he could no longer dance with his arms above his head because that is how girls dance. C'mon people...he's 3 and gets to dance however he may choose! I favored dolls as a kid but also enjoyed playing in the dirt, camping, and catching frogs...and I knew that was ok.

HOWEVER, I can't and won't ignore the fact that my son is "all boy." Yep, pretty much. He may enjoy cooking with mommy but if a ball happens to pass his line of sight, the kid is gone. He is sports OBSESSED! (see previous blogs about his love for soccer!) If he can't find a ball to play with he improvises. Did you know empty margarine containers make great hockey pucks? Or that daddy's army helmet (shhh, daddy doesn't know this one yet...) is a great way to catch launched tennis balls?

We spend a lot of time outside exploring nature. One nature walks Logan will tell me to "listen with your ears, smell with your nose, and look with your eyes." We have observed squirrels "playing" (love was in the air...I went for the more G-rated explanation...there is plenty of time for the truth later on), tadpoles growing, birds laying eggs, and flowers blooming. I've noticed an increase in the number of rocks and sticks in his pockets and dirt under his fingernails. On a recent walk on the Tucker Creek Bike Trail in Conway we parked the bike and stood close to the water to watch minnows and water bugs. Two different people stopped to tell us we'd better get out because there were snakes around. (Really!? Snakes outside...get outta here!? ) I thanked them and grumbled to myself. I'd much rather Logan learn to respect nature than fear or ignore it. (Soapbox #232) Last week Logan wandered into my parent's kitchen from the backyard and told my mom "Sweet P, look at the snake skin I found!" Yep, he found a snake skin...with the snake still attached! Since the snake was dead and my mom is no pansy, she told Logan to go show his Granddude. Dad now calls him the snake handler. We've had several talks about how it is not wise to touch snakes unless a grownup says it is ok first. Yesterday, Logan walked into my kitchen holding a dead lizard by the tail (are there live animals around anymore?) and said "Mommy, we need to tell 'Dude that this is not a snake." Two days ago Logan released a frog in our house 20 minutes before it was to be shown (the house, not the frog). The pool has provided bunches of frogs lately to play with!

So, in summary. Logan chooses balls, dirt, rocks, sticks, and reptiles/amphibians over dolls & art. I'm ok with it but will continue to offer him opportunities to explore a variety of toys/activities in the future. In the meantime, I'm checking his pockets every time he comes inside because I REALLY don't want to launder an amphibian!

Easter Fun!

I love Easter and am discovering that it is even more special with a kid. The week prior to Easter Logan and I dyed eggs at the house. He was concerned that the eggs where dying...darn English language! Logan remembered celebrating Easter last year and was psyched about the Easter bunny (EB) visiting again. He swears he heard the EB "hop, hop, hopping" outside his window last year. Logan was completely preoccupied with worry that the EB wouldn't know that we would be in Conway and would "hop, hop, hop" to the wrong house. I sent several emails to the EB but Logan's fears were only calmed when he received a card in the mail from the EB confirming our intended whereabouts. (Thank you, Sweet P!) Once that was settled, we packed up our eggs in a cooler and headed towards Conway with plans to hunt every egg in sight!

Saturday morning Logan, Trey, and I headed to Laurel Park for FUMC's egg hunt. I was concerned that there would be an egg limit and Logan would have a related meltdown. After stressing all morning, I was relieved to learn it was first come, first serve! After a prayer and a whistle the hunt was on! Logan was polite and thoughtful in his hunting. I was extremely proud! He found 7 eggs and was thrilled to discover that they were filled with candy...who knew?

Sunday morning we dressed in our fancy duds and headed to church with my mom & dad, grandpa & grandma, and brother. I can't begin to describe how special it is to share holidays with family at church. We missed this experience while living away. David brought Logan into "big church" following communion to hear FUMC's traditional Halleluah Chorus in which anyone can join the choir in the choir loft to sing. Logan was thrilled to see his Granddude singing in the choir loft! He still talks about Dude singing up high. We left church and headed to mom & dad's for Easter dinner and a second egg hunt. The meal was wonderful and the cake I made turned out cute! The EB found Logan as promised and left a stellar stash! Logan loves his new baseball glove and has donned his Super Why costume off and on since Easter. What a lucky boy!

After a nap, we packed up and headed to Russellville for a 3rd hunt and a yummy dinner with Grand and Big Phil. Logan loves playing at their house and who could blame him...swingset fort with fireman pole, chickens, Queenie the puppy, barn, tree swing, space to run, and dirt to collect head to toe! In fact, we had so much fun that I forgot to get the camera out of the car. Please imagine pictures of Logan covered in dirt, Logan filling a basket with a million eggs, Trey and Carolyn walking through the garden dreaming of future projects, Phil grilling steaks, and all of us laughing together!

One cute Easter story that wouldn't fit in the timeline text above. Before heading to Conway, Logan asked "Mommy, can I go to the Easter Bunny's house?" I said "No, buddy, the EB is too busy preparing for Easter." Logan, "Then can I go to Jesus' house to play?" Me: "Not today." Logan: "But he loves all the children of the world!" Easter is a special holiday and was made all the more special this year in the fact that we could celebrate in the company of our family. Thanks gang!

Camp Cousin

I haven't blogged for awhile and have much to report. The next few may be out of order but you can deal with it, right? Although Logan is generally doing better with me staying home with him, he desperately misses playing with friends. I know once we are relocated we can establish some regular play dates as well as Sunday School and (in the fall) preschool. For now though, he is pretty much stuck with mommy and the dogs. He broke my heart Easter Sunday when we picked him up from Sunday School. I asked how it went and he reported in his saddest voice "I don't got no friends today." (note...grammar lessons continue!) I feel stuck and unable to fix his loneliness. We don't know anyone in Memphis with kiddos and our schedule hasn't allowed for much socialization in Conway. I came up with a perfect (and yet insane) plan. I texted my lovely sister-in-law and asked if she would let me borrow my niece for 4 days/3 nights for Camp Cousin. She was more than willing, which is amazing to me, as I'm anxious spending just one night away from my little monster. Michelle has been asking for over a year to keep Logan overnight and I haven't been ready. I'm sure he'd do fine but I'm not quite there yet. (In my defense, currently the only time Logan has with his daddy is on the weekends and I'm not willing to give up that time right now. Once we move...I'm sure I'll have to come up with another excuse or give in and ship my kid off.)

Logan was ecstatic when I told him Paige was coming to our house. He made big plans to take her to the park, paint, and play catch with her. Trey and my parents were gracious enough to permit the dogs to stay in Conway so I didn't completely lose my mind. Our schedule was as follows:

Tues:

• Pick up Paige from daycare after her nap
• Drive 3 hours to our house - 2 potty breaks & 2 "pull over on the side of the road" breaks
• Dinner
• Bath (anatomy lesson #1)
• Stories & Bedtime

Wed:

• Kids came downstairs @ 6:45a for breakfast
• Arts & Crafts extravaganza (color pillowcases, paint wooden letters, paint stories)
• Playdoh
• Lunch (Paige learned how to eat green beans. She ate the little peas out of the bean and
  said she didn't like the wrappers. Funny girl!)
• Nap (2 hours!?)
• Make cookies
• Outside to play in the dirt
• Spaghetti dinner
• Bath (anatomy lesson #2), story time, bed

Thurs:

• Kids came downstairs NAKED!? @ 6:15a for breakfast (anatomy lesson #3)
• Backyard to play in garden
• Dance party!
• Shower painting (shaving cream + paint brushes = awesome shower fun!)
• Lunch - Make your own pizzas
• Nap (1 1/2 hours!)
• Park & Nature hike
• Dinner, bath, story time, bed

Fri: Kids came downstairs @ 5:30a and stood by my bed until I opened my eyes. Scared the living daylights out of me! Fortunately I did not wet the bed! We had to be in North Little Rock to pass off Paige to her Nana at 1p so the morning was spent rushing around to pack and clean the house.

Logan and Paige had a fabulous time together and there were fewer meltdowns than I had anticipated. Logan had some trouble sharing his toys and Paige had some trouble following rules that are different from the rules at her house. In some ways having both of them was easier than just Logan because they entertained one another and I had free time to finish projects. They only painted on one wall and it was completely washable. I think Paige only went home with one bruise and Logan only had one welt. I loved watching the two of them explore together. I haven't had the opportunity to watch Logan play with other kids his age and it was neat to see areas he excels in and areas in which we need to work on. I discovered areas in which each kid has talents and strengths. The most surprising outcome of this adventure was a boost in my parenting abilities. Logan's behavior has been challenging the past month. His behavior was HORRIBLE during a recent trip to visit friends and family in Missouri and I was absolutely mortified and shell shocked. I learned during this week that (1) He is 3, (2) He has learned values and morals and is able to demonstrate them on occasion, (3) I can handle 2 kids with minimal damage...I will survive his periodic outbursts. All in all, I have no extra bald spots and am willing to host Camp Cousin again sometime in the far off future.