Pregnant Party Patty's Shower {Featuring Sarah}

Patty has made several appearances on this blog. In fact, I should have started a Patty tag to tag all of our silly times. We've known each other for over 10 years, and we've been causing trouble for the last five. Today we celebrated the anticipated birth of her sweet precious son, Henry. He's already been good to her, and given her the gift of R&R via bed rest. Well played, little baby. 

It's always wonderful to have a Patty-party because she brings her sister entourage with her. These sister-girls take the party up a notch or ten. The one is grey rocks the mom game via hilarious commentary and exciting snap chats. The one is gold and navy has dance moves that makes Beyonce jealous and gives a top notch back massage. 

The theme was FUN, and we nailed it. No pinterest boards. No elaborate decorations. No stupid games. We're tons of fun and don't need any distractions, thankyouverymuch. Plus, Pregnant Party Patty laughs a lot more and a lot harder. It's great.

She was so excited opening all the gifts. She kept saying how handsome Henry was going to look in all his new clothes, and we know that he's going to crush the model game.

The guest of honor and her Fun Factory, Allison, Me, Pregnant Party Patty, Keri, and Jenny:

We had a kicking good time. 

Fall Creek Falls & The Alps

As many people would agree, part of the fun of hiking is being outside and taking in the elements of nature. Being in outside for any stretch of time is a complete change in senses. It smells wonderful (usually), it is beautiful, etc. Whether it's time alone or time with family and friends, it offers a unique adventure. This sounds cheesy, but stay with me, it's going to get funny. Another element to good hiking is the location. I'm always looking for good hikes and location is always a consideration of mine. 

I recently went with the kids, my father-in-law, and our visiting French family to one of our favorite places, Fall Creek Falls. We hiked the rim of the gorge from the tallest waterfall east of the Mississippi river and ended by the cascades. The trail takes us through section of woods where the forest floor is pretty clear. It's just flat ground with towering trees. I love these sections, because the contrast is very dramatic.

As we were hiking, I asked about hiking in France and what the landscaped looked like. She responded with something like this, "yes, we have woods like this in my town with a few trails, but we like to go on holiday in the Alps for hiking. They are so high that the trees don't grow there." Basically, it's like hiking in the closing scene of Sound Of Music. Sounds nice. Kind of trumps "tallest waterfall east of the Mississippi." Bless us.

After our hike we ate fried chicken at a buffet because America. It was a great day indeed!

11.15.13

Twenty-seven years.
Eight miles off the interstate.

Two Lupi's pizzas.

Four kids under four.

One flashback 80s mix.

Nose Booger

Burl from the back seat, 

"Mama, I have nose booger. I no can get it. It real hard.
It too way far away. I just leave it in there." 

Me: "Do you want me to help get it out?"

Burl: "No, I ok.  I just leave it in there."

When A Little Drool Slipped Out

Burl's been limping for two and half days now, so naturally we took a little trip to the pediatrician.    We were just there on Monday for Fern's little ear infection, and the doctor was kind enough to give Burl a courtesy check in his ears as well.  The doctor found two long-eared bunny rabbits living in each of Burl's ears.  One of them winked at the doctor.

Our doctor is good like that.  While waiting for him feels crazy, as my kids like to go wild in the little confined rooms, the doctor brings mystery and awe when he walks in the room.  They are fascinated by his tools and how he carefully and kindly gives them a check.  

Today, Burl was sitting on the bench with his getting-skinnier little legs stretched out while the doctor was doing the doctor thing.  Burl just sat there and stared at him.  His mouth was hung open (like my side of the family does best) and he was so still, and then I noticed it: a little drool slipped out his mouth.  He was entranced.  I was in the corner trying my best to stop from laughing which turned into violent, quiet shaking laughter.  Burl never noticed the drool or the scene that I made. 

Thankfully, his limp is not the dangerous limp and we just have to keep an eye on him.

Climbing Gym Members Of The Month

Hi, my name is Meg and I was the co-member of the month at the climbing gym.  Alongside my brother, Joseph, we were interviewed and our answers were posted on a little bulletin board at Urban Rocks Gym.  Pretty big deal, if you ask no one.  In true form, we didn't take it seriously and had fun with the questions.  The full interview has never been seen until now.  It's lengthy, but it's fun.  Here's the full interview:

Full Name: Margaret Courtney 

Nicknames: Meg, Megatron, Bossy Meg, Large Marge

How long have you been climbing?: 8 months.

Favorite local restaurant: Canyon Grill

Favorite local crag: I've only been to Fosters and Leda once.  Climbing outside takes so much effort for this stay at home mama.

Favorite local climb:

Favorite Quote: Can I get Biblical up in here?  Bible verses are my jam.

Full Name: Joseph Andrew 

Nicknames: Broseph, lil Joe, “Frat Guy,” Flail Lord

How long have you been climbing?: Started in 1998 quit around 2001.  Got serious again in January 2009 (high correlation with the opening of Urban Rocks).

Favorite local restaurant:  Lamar’s

Favorite local crag: Will always have a soft spot for Fosters.

Favorite local climb: Duh, Ethnic Cleansing at Fosters....pretty much as good as it gets! Also, I have to give a shout out to Blond Ambition at Sunset. 

Favorite Quote: “Why do they put the Gideon Bibles only in the bedrooms, where it's usually too late, and not in the barroom downstairs?” 

Meg:  Since Joseph has been climbing longer than you, would you say your perception has changed about how good he was before you started climbing till how good you now think he is that you climb and actually know the full extent of how difficult it is?Absolutely.  Watching him climb on slopers is pretty crazy.  I watched him climb something at LRC and was in awe.  Don't tell him though, I wouldn't want to feed that ego.

Joseph:  What do you think about being able to share something like climbing with your sister?  It’s a new experience.  We are completely different people and have always had completely different interest.  In fact, the last thing we had common interest in was New Kids On the Block.  And we all know how that ended.   It will be nice to have another belayer. 

Meg:  What are some long term climbing  goals for you? Goals: get outside more often to climb with my baby daddy.

Joseph:  Have any projects yourself?  I got some at just about every crag.  That’s the good thing about excelling at punting-I will never run out of projects in Chattanooga.

Meg:  Do you feel like someday, you will surpass Joseph in pure climbing skill? Only if he is bound to a wheelchair.

Joseph:  What is your favorite style of climbing?  Sport, bouldering, trad, gym? Definitely sport.  I only boulder when I can’t con any of my friends into sport climbing.  Most climbers claim to view the gym as a “necessary evil.”  I love it.  I really enjoy coming to the gym after a long day in the cubicle, letting out the stress, and trash talking my friends.

Meg:  How about you, Meg? Sport climbing.  The higher the better.

Meg and Joseph:  Any interest in ice climbing? M: Not in the least.  Too dangerous and WAY too cold.  Joseph tried it in Korea.  The night before he did it, he emailed me his will.  J: 

No interest.  I ice climbed in Korea.  I walked away with bruised elbows and a bruised ego.  I don’t even like ice in my scotch.

Meg:  You have a couple kids, have you tried to get them to climb?  Yes, we recently brought my 2 1/2 year old.  What happened?You were there-don't you remember him slightly freaking out over the harness?  Once he got over that, he was all for it.  His favorite part was "swinging," climbing up and letting go.

Joseph:  If you had to pick one, do you think the Grey's from Zeta Reticuli or the giant Annunaki from Nibiru were the ones responsible for the homo sapiens' initial DNA manipulation to create a race of slaves to use for gathering monatomic gold? It really comes down to do you believe Adam had a belly button?  Once you figure that one out the whole world makes sense.

Meg:  Has climbing affected your lifestyle at all?  What sort of changes? Several ways!  First off, I dropped some major L.B.'s.  Hip, hip, hooray.  Second, I've met some pretty awesome people that I wouldn't have met in my normal day-to-day life.  Third, it's given me a fun, active, & snazzy place to go with friends.

Joseph:  Ever had any crazy epics outside climbing? When I first started climbing I would trad climb at sunset with Laban when he was 13 and I was 15.  I am sure we did some dumb stuff.  

Once I was doing some multi-pitch in Northern South Korea and a guy in our group brought his girlfriend with little experience.  What should have been a 2-3 hour blitz turned into a 12 hour mini epic.  All I had was a Snickers and a wind breaker.  It started raining on the rappel down and the local Koreans sent a search party out for us.  It was one of the most fun days climbing ever.

Meg:  Do you ever try to convert any of your friends to climb? Been there.  Done that.  They love me for it.  

Joseph:  Any memorable onsights you'd wish to share with us? My first lead ever Ankles Away at Fosters.  I was terrified.  Just wanted to clip the first bolt and come down but my belayer was having a conversation and not paying attention, so I just kept going.  

Meg:  Your brother, Joseph is a marvel of human mechanics, do you ever look to him for inspiration? I'm most inspired by his humility.

Joseph:  Obviously you could go on and on about this all day, but how does your sister inspire you, Joseph?  She inspires me to be extra understanding to John (her husband) when he is having a tough day.  Plus she makes the best nieces and nephews.

Meg:  What climbing area would you really like to visit someday? I want to go back to the Red, specifically the Motherload.  

Joseph:  How about you Joseph?  If you could go anywhere to climb, where would that be? Kalymnos Island, Greece.  Planning on making it a reality in May!

Meg and Joseph:  You guys grew up here, how have you seen the climbing scene change through the years? M: I'm just now getting into the scene, so I'm not a good judge.  From where I was, climbing was for the cool kids.  Look at me now, cool kids, look.at.me.now. J: I was out of the scene for a good 8 years.  When I started back I was amazed at the popularity of climbing and the level at which it was done.  Back then if you climbed 5.13 you were the local hero.  Now, goofy diabetics from the north climb that hard in head lamps!

Meg and Joseph:  favorite stone type? M: Diamonds.  J: Cobble...it looks so European, but then again its tough to run on.

Meg and Joseph:  Any parting thoughts?  M: In the words of someone cool, any publicity is good publicity.  Thank you, URG Staff for celebrating me and my brother for the most important month of the year by push-pinning my answers to your bulletin board. Things to ponder?  What do you get when you cross a snowman with a vampire? Frostbite. Interesting tidbits?  To get hyped up on my way to the gym, I drink green tea and play loud music with the windows down on the mini{van, not cooper}.Nuggets of usefulness?  Minivans are under-rated.  They make great climbing cars.  Wholesome stories?  I paid $80 to ship Joseph's quick draws to him in Korea.  He paid me back by getting John and me hooked on climbing.  Worth.every.penny. Tall tales?  I'm taller than Joseph. Gear recommendations?  There are some good sales at Rock Creek and the Clymb right now.Tasty recipes? I'm a pretty ballin' cook, but nothing pleases the masses like slice and bake Nestle Toll House Chocolate Chip Cookies. J: I haven’t been sick since the Clinton Administration.  Any time I start feeling sick I just stop and feel awesome instead.  True story.

Meg and Joseph:  Any plans for Galactic Day on Friday, December 21st? M: Sorry, I'm more of a Kwanzaa girl. J: Gonna try and summon the ghost of Dick Clark so we can have a proper New Year!

Meg and Joseph:  What do you want for Christmas?  M: I'm pretty lame and I might have to beat myself up for this one, but Mama just wants someone to build her some furniture.  J: A Power Wheel Jeep.....for my nephew!

Meg and Joseph:  If you could decide what technology is released to the general public, what sort of propulsion system would you have developed immediately? 

M: It's almost 2013, where the hell is the hover craft? 

J: Something that utilizes one’s own gastrointestinal system....if ya know what I mean.

 

Meg and Joseph:  Would you rather be attacked by a bear sized squirrel of 20 squirrel sized bears? M: I stand at a solid 6 feet, so give me that that bear sized squirrel.  J: 

I’m not a fan of a death by 1,000 cuts so I would say a bear sized squirrel.  Although, it would suck to say “Here lies Joseph, died at the hands of an angry Squirrel.”

Meg and Joseph:  Any good stories from childhood you guys would like to put down for the record? M: When I was 16 and Joseph was 14, he got me to drive he and his friend to Sunset to climb.  I just sat there and tried to act outdoorsy while Laban taught Joseph some climbing stuff.  He was teaching him to belay trad climbing.  It seemed normal at the time, but knowing what I know now, I can't believe no one was hurt. J: 

I used to climb everywhere as a baby.  Once my dad came home and I had climbed to the top of the roof of our house.   I also enjoyed climbing into the laundry dryer.  So to teach me a lesson my dad shut me in the dryer and turned it on.  Probably explains a lot. 

While my brother pretty much hated being up on the bulletin board, much less sharing this with me, I love it.  It gives me street cred by association.  John thought it was hilarious that he's been climbing there for years and never been asked, but I'm there for a few months and am up on the board.  I'm pretty sure it has nothing to do with me, and everything to do with Joseph.  He's been climbing since before he got that once chest hair.   

Cousin Dinner, 2012

I can't believe I haven't blogged about one of my favorite nights of Christmas this year: Cousin Dinner.  We range in age from 31 to 15 and just about all of us are a rowdy good time on our own, but get us together and the laughter is epic.  It takes us all of 30 seconds to get back to where we left off.  With about half of us living out of the city, it is a rarity that we are all together at one time.  I'm not going to get all mushy about how much I love seeing them.  That would be totally weird, because that's not how we roll.  If I would get all mushy though, then I would explain how for the longest time it was me, then four boys.  While we had fun playing hide and go seek and taking over McDonald's play areas, I really wanted a sister or girl cousin. My grandmother would pray that I would get one girl in the family and, lo and behold, the next four cousins were girls.  Really awesome girls.  I loved it.  We have a great combination.  I'm so proud of each of my cousins!

The Highlights of the evening were:

{laughing as my little brother and younger cousin decide that there wasn't enough room at the "big table" and pulled up the kid table and chairs.}

{seeing Burl get that it was a time to be fun and rowdy}

{watching both my babies, mainly Fern, get totally absorbed with Alex, my youngest cousin.  They were so happy just sitting in her lap.}

{finding random pictures of funny faces on my camera after leaving it with the girl cousins}

{welcoming Whitney to the cousin club.  She's our second addition, the first being my John 9 years ago!  She brought me flowers and a handwritten card for hosting...love it!}

{snapping pictures of Burl feeding a noodle to the least receptive but very willing cousin}

{playing several crazy rounds of Pictionary and cracking up the whole time}

{my favorite: retelling the same stories we always do like it's the first time we've heard it.  and laughing the whole time!}

These cousins of mine, they're the best.  Hopefully, they enjoy the dinners as much as I do.  I can't wait until they're all here again so we can have another night to laugh!

...........................................

sidenote: I forgot to get photo cred on my last post.  Last week, my cousin, Abby, babysat while I got my hair did.  She helped herself to my camera and took a few pictures of little things about my house.  It was fun to see what she snapped.  It was more fun to hang out with her when I got home. ;)