Tuesday Update

Happy Tuesday!  This past Friday was the last day of work before spring break, so I'm thrilled we're in full spring break mode now!  I know we just had a ton of snow days, but I was ready for a break!  My students and I both had spring fever really badly, so I think it'll do us all some good!  After spring break the school year is downhill (only 6 weeks!), so it'll be interesting to see if we can all stay focused.  Here's a look back at what's been happening recently in the Smithson household!

• Cooper had his second soccer game on Saturday.  It was so cold Saturday that the game got pushed back two hours, but that really didn't help much.  It was pretty miserable due to the wind, and after halftime, he pretty much stayed on the sidelines and cried the whole time, refusing to go back in.  Andy wasn't able to come due to work, so that didn't help matters.  He does much better when Andy's there, so with the cold weather and no daddy, it was a recipe for disaster.  After the game was over though and we were in the car, he kept talking about how well he played and how much fun he had... go figure!
• I took Clark to the doctor last Sunday (over a week ago) for a nasty cough he just can't seem to kick.  The doctor said his lungs were clear and to keep treating it with his inhaler, but this thing is holding on for dear life.  We'e had a few nights this week where we've been up in the middle of the night for an hour or so, just rocking while we wait on medicine to kick in.  The poor thing is pitiful, and I don't know what to do to help him.  His inhaler seems to help some, but nothing is really helping enough to make him feel better. 
• Kentucky played their Elite Eight game on Saturday night against Notre Dame.  All of the other games in the tournament have been pretty boring/not stressful because they've won by so much.  Well, Saturday night was a different story.  They won in the last 6 seconds with foul shots, and let me tell ya, my nerves were SHOT by the end of that game.  I paced around our living room, yelled at the TV, threw pillows, and jumped up and down like a madwoman.  We had some friends over while they were playing, and I'm shocked I did't scare them off.  I'm hoping they'll plow over their competition and win the final game with ease... it probably won't be that easy though.  That game was WAY too close for me, and to tell you the truth, they didn't really deserve to win it.
• We've had a pretty busy spring break so far.  Saturday we had soccer, a wedding, and the Kentucky game.  Sunday we had church, birthday parties in Knoxville, then The Walking Dead season finale.  Monday we had a playdate, did a little shopping, went to the Y, and then had a birthday dinner for my brother.  Today's a little more low-key, but we're going to head to Coolidge Park here in a little while because the weather is about perfect.  The rest of our week is pretty busy as well.  I've got pictures scheduled for tomorrow and Thursday, and then Andy's taking off at the end of the week.  We're hoping to do some little overnight trip with the boys, but we just haven't figured out what yet.  We'll be busy this weekend with Easter, so I don't see too much downtime in our near future.  
• We were at Walmart the other night, and I wondered back to the shoes.  Walmart usually has pretty decent shoes for the boys, but I have a hard time finding anything really cute there for me.  Well, they have a ton of cute summer sandals right now!  I rarely ever wear heels with the boys, so I was looking at flats.  They were really cute though, and really inexpensive.   
• I'm dying to get to a beach!  A few weeks ago, we bought a mini vacation package to Hilton Head.  I tried my best to convince Andy that we needed to go there over spring break, but he just couldn't get off that long right now.  I've only been to Hilton Head once, but I really enjoyed it.  It's super close to Savannah, which makes me like it even more.  We go to the beach a little earlier than normal this year, but it can't get here soon enough for me!  I'm also ready for swimming weather.  We can swim at the Y, but I'm ready for some outdoor swimming.  

Alright, I've rambled enough.  I hope everyone has a great spring break and Easter!

Cooper's First Soccer Game

Cooper had his first soccer game on Saturday, with absolutely any practice (besides Andy working with him some) going into it.  We had to get there an hour and 15 minutes before the game to get uniforms and take pictures, and I was afraid he'd go downhill real fast having to wait that long.  Thankfully, Andy met us there about 15 minutes later after wrapping stuff up at work.

Cooper was a little nervous at first and wasn't too sure about being there.  He kept telling me, "I think I'll just wait and play tomorrow instead of today."  Once he got his uniform though he was very excited.  Once we got down on the field for pictures his little team started practicing a little bit.  The first thing he did was reach down and grab the ball with his hands, and his coach very sweetly told him he could only kick it.  Well, for some reason, the flood gates open with that and he fell apart.  I don't know if he thought he was in trouble or was embarrassed, but after that I couldn't get him to let go of my legs.  Now, I'm pretty sensitive myself and hated seeing him so upset.  It just made me think of him going to pre-k next year and being nervous or scared, so I about lost it too.  Yep, super emotional mommy here with all of this growing up.  Anyways, there was no way he was going to go back and practice with me down there, so I peeled him off of me and left Andy with him on the field. Once he got over the trauma of me leaving him, he was fine.  He started practicing and making friends, so he was excited again.  He fell over the ball once, and man alive he wanted to cry, but he didn't!

We still had some time to kill after pictures and before the game, and he kept telling us, "I'm done... I had a lot of fun playing soccer!"  We had to remind him that he still hadn't played his game though!  Once it was time to play we were afraid he wouldn't go to the field without one of us, but he headed on down.

Watching him play was one of the funniest things I've ever seen.  He's the youngest by far on his team, most of the boys and girls being almost 6, so there was a huge difference looking at him out there.  The first few times he was in the game he was absolutely clueless that a game was even taking place out there.  They played 3 on 3 with no goal keeper, and most of the time you'd see five kids chasing the ball, and then Cooper would be on the other side of the field, in his own little world.  Andy, my parents, and I got hysterical watching him.  After a little while the coach grabbed his hand to get him involved, and after that all he wanted to do was hold her hand.  So, he spent the second half of the game running up and down the field attached to her.  It was so funny!  He did do a couple of goal kicks and a kickoff, so he was proud of himself.

After the game he got some snacks, a dollar from my mom and dad, and a ton of high fives and lovin', so he's ready to play again!  We've got practice on Thursday and a game at 9am on Saturday (it's going to be FREEZING), so I'm hoping he'll still be excited about it after this week.

I'll leave you with some pictures.  I had my Nikon with me, but it was so hectic I didn't pull it out.  I'm hoping to this week.  Here's some crappy iPhone pictures of my little soccer player!

 Clark was SUPER upset he couldn't play.  He even practiced with them and everything before the game... he seemed to enjoy it more than Cooper did.

Friday Update

Happy first day of spring!  I'm glad it's finally arrived!  I know the weather doesn't have to obey, just because it's spring, but I'm hoping the current trend of warmer weather will last.  This week has felt super busy, this weekend looks like it could turn out to be busy, and I've got another busy week this upcoming week.  I'll be honest with you... I don't handle "business" well and tend to get stressed out about it.  My stress meter is creeping towards its limit now, but hopefully things will settle down soon (or I'll get it together and I'll settle down soon).  Anyways, here's a look back at our week!

• We took the boys to the circus last night with Andy's parents.  This is the third year Cooper has gone, and the first year Clark was old enough to be aware of what was happening (we took him at 7 months old).  Clark was a little scared at first, but they both ended up loving it by the time it really got started.  It didn't wrap up until 9pm, so they were both fighting sleep at the end, but they had a great time.
• Cooper's first soccer game is tomorrow morning!  He's yet to have a practice, due to the rain, so it should be a sight!  I didn't think practice would help that much, but he's going to be pretty clueless tomorrow.  We have to be there at 8:45am for pictures and stuff, and his game isn't until 10am.  It's going to be a long morning fighting Clark and him.
• Kentucky won their first game of the NCAA tournament last night!  It was such a blowout that I fell asleep at halftime.  Of course, I picked them to win it all in my bracket, but I think they've got a REALLY good chance of winning it all this year.  They're undefeated so far, so I'm really hoping they keep it that way!  Andy and I make out brackets every year, and I beat him every year.  I'm already ahead of him now!
• I haven't been able to go to the Y as much this week due to us being so busy, and that's part of what's got me stressed out.  I know that sounds ridiculous, but I've become a bit obsessed with going.  I've still been exercising at home when I can't go, but now I prefer going to the gym.  I can do so much more there.  I'm really looking forward to spring break so I have more freedom to go whenever we want to.
• I've been working on and off all week trying to get the boys' winter wardrobe put away and to get their spring/summer wardrobe out and organized.  I got a TON of stuff at the consignment sale last week, and I only had to wait in line for an hour and a half!  Yes, it was miserable, but I did get a lot for the boys.  It always amazes me how many clothes they accumulate during a season, and now I've got to buy more big storage containers to store them in our attic.  Our house has clothes stuffed away in every corner until I get some... I hate it!  I'm dedicating a day of our spring break to getting it all organized.  
• I've started a new show that I'm excited about!  It's called Secrets and Lies, and I'm pretty sure it's a mini-series.  I'm on the first episode, and it looks like it's going to be so good!  All I need is another TV show to follow.
• I'm on a reading kick right now too. I've always loved reading, but haven't had much time to since I had the boys.  I just finished Shiloh, am rereading The Lord of the Flies, and just started The Girl on the Train today.  Let me tell ya, I can't put that book down!  It reminds me of Gone Girl a little bit.  It's already suspenseful, and it had me hooked on the first sentence!  I even read it while I was doing my cardio at the Y tonight... it made that misery pass quickly!

I hope everyone has a great weekend!  I'll be back soon with some pictures of the first soccer game.

Happy Spring Eve!

Happy Spring Eve!  This warm week has been glorious, and I'm glad spring is finally here!  I know the weather hasn't been great today, but I enjoy a rainy spring day every now and then.  Life just seems so much better when it stays light longer and we can get the boys outside to play.  It does mean many more baths for them, giving us an extra chore at night, but it wears them out.  In celebration of spring, I'm sharing some pictures I took of the boys a few weeks ago.  We were fortunate enough to get our hands on some baby chicks, and the boys loved it.  I must say, my little men look pretty stinkin' cute!  The chicks survived the photo shoot without injury, but I'm not sure how.  Anyways, I hope everyone has a great spring equinox tomorrow!  

Spring Fever

This beautiful weather has got me itching to be outside and busy with the boys.  Our spring break is right around the corner, and summer break isn't too far behind.  I don't know what it is about Chattanooga in the spring, but going to the YMCA every day has got me really missing my time living downtown.  Well, technically we never lived downtown, but right after we got married we lived in Red Bank, a couple of exits over the river, and I loved living there during the spring.  There's so much to do downtown when the weather's nice, and the boys love exploring.  I haven't put together a bucket list since Christmas, so I figured it was time.  This is my spring bucket list, so my goal is to squeeze some of these things in before school lets out on May 15.

• Go to the Tennessee Aquarium
• Go to the Chattanooga Zoo
• Hunt Easter eggs
• Dye Easter eggs
• Have a spring photo shoot with the boys
• Have a backyard bonfire
• Take the boys on a date
• Play tennis
• Walk on the Walnut Street Bridge/River Walk and get ice cream
• Go to the mall
• Finish up the last season of Dexter
• Ride bikes
• Go on a date with Andy
• Eat at restaurant outside
• Go to a "new to us" playground

Saturday Update

Hello!  I know I've been MIA from the blog for awhile, not that anyone noticed though.  Last week a a nasty stomach virus made its way through the family, with Cooper and Andy being hit the hardest.  I had eight photo shoots last weekend, I've been sick with a bad cough and cold this week, and we've (really me) been tired from a full week back at school.   Needless to say, this has been a long and exhausting week, with not near enough rest for everyone.  The warmer weather and time change have definitely help lift our sickly spirits though!  Here's a look back at our week.

• I enrolled Cooper in pre-k (for this next school year) this week.  He's super excited, but I've cried my eyes out.  I can't believe my little preemie is going to be starting pre-k in the fall!  I know he desperately needs some structure to his day because he's super bored at home, but I'm just not mentally prepared for this!  I know he'll learn a ton and it'll be great for him... can you tell I'm really having to talk myself up for this?  Soccer starts this weekend and I'm already weepy with that- don't ask me why.  We went and bought all of his soccer stuff last night and he's so excited!  I can't wait to watch him play!
• Clark is bound and determined to play soccer with this brother and go to school with him next year.  He's going to be so upset when he realizes he can't do either one of those things.  I'd really be beside myself if both of them were growing up that fast!  Andy says he feels sorry for Clark since he'll be alone when Coop's in school, but Clark will love the freedom he'll have when Coop's away!
• I went to the doctor yesterday, convinced I had bronchitis, but it turns out I'm working on yet another sinus infection.  The cough is absolutely killing me, but I guess it's just from my cold.  I HATE coughing, so my doctor wrote me a couple of different prescriptions for cough medicines.  Nothing has worked miracles yet, so I'm hoping it'll go away soon.
• The weather has warmed up enough this week that we're in that odd stage of "What do I put the boys in today?"  I've got to start the awful chore of going through old clothes, figuring out what they need for spring/summer, and hitting up the big consignment sale/buying new things very soon... as in today!
• The SEC tournament has started, and of course, we're just convinced that Kentucky will be in the finals tomorrow, and will win.  Next is the NCAA tournament, and we're convinced that they'll win that, too!
• It has rained all week, and I'm really hoping that all the rain moves out soon so we can get outside and play!  I've been itching to ride bikes downtown, so I'm hoping we can do that soon.
• I've got a photo shoot this week that I'm very excited about!  It's of a newborn and his big brother, and I think it'll be so cute!  I've also come up with a prom photo package, so if you know of anyone who needs some prom pictures, send them my way!
• Next week we start adding 20 minutes to our school day in an effort to make up missed time due to all of our snow days.  I won't lie... I'm dreading it.  I know 20 minutes isn't bad, but it'll put me getting home later, which I already feel like I miss too much time with the boys as it is. Oh well, at least we don't have too much time left.  Our last day of school is just two months away (May 15th), and we've got spring break in two weeks!

I hope everyone has a great weekend!  I'm about to head up to our attic and go through clothes, then I've got lots of essay grading to catch up on!

NeedtoBreathe/Nashville Weekend

This past weekend Andy and I dropped the boys off at his parents' and headed up to Nashville for the NeedtoBreathe concert.  We got there Saturday night, ate some dinner, explored our hotel, and explored the city a little bit.  We were bound and determined to not be a boring married couple/tired parents, so went downtown around 10pm (GA time), and went and got some dessert.  Broadway (the main drag in Nashville) was PACKED, and my non-claustrophobic husband was even feeling it a little, so we headed towards Vanderbilt and got some divine chocolate cake.  We ate at this restaurant before the last NeedtoBreathe concert, it's called Blackstone Brewery, and it's really good.

Sunday morning we were up bright and early at 7:15 our time... it never fails, even if the kids aren't with us, I still can't sleep in.  We killed some time at a Shoney's buffet, drove around downtown some more, and then finally checked out of our hotel.  We headed to Opry Mills mall, spent some money, headed to the Parthenon, drove around Vanderbilt, then headed downtown to find a parking spot for the concert and to grab our tickets.  Once we had our tickets, we had around 3 hours to kill before the concert, and let me tell ya, they passed slowly.  We went into a few shops, ate some dinner, then went to a ice cream/coffee shop and killed more time.  Andy and I had a really good time together, but we felt lost without the boys.

We finally headed to the Ryman around 7pm our time.  The concert was hosted by Steven Curtis Chapman, my dad's favorite singer of all time, so my mom and dad went too.  We have a really good friend who works for Steven Curtis Chapman's organization, Show Hope, and he was at the concert working.  We talked with him awhile and explored the Ryman, then got our seats.  Thankfully, we had really good seats and could see really well.  The Ryman is an old church, so the seats were pews.  Our pew only had four people in it, instead of five, and one was a child, so we weren't too crammed in there.  My bottom was feeling it around intermission, but it was one of the neatest venues I've ever been to.  The concert had several different artists performing, so we watched four other people/groups before NeedtoBreathe came on- they were the closer!

The whole band wasn't there, just the brothers (the one I'm in love with - the lead singer), and the piano player.  They talked for a little bit and started singing.  At one point in the first song the audio was messing up, so they completely unplugged and sang acoustically.  I was terrified we wouldn't be able to hear them, but the sound in the Ryman was amazing, so it would about make the hair on your neck stand up listening to them singing without anything.  That place was so quiet you could've heard a pin drop.  After the acoustic song, the place went wild, and they got a standing ovation.  They talked some more, sang one more together, then the lead singer, Bear, sang a song with Steven Curtis Chapman.  We were really hoping they'd sing some more, but were prepared for only a few.  They came out and did the "finale" with everyone, then Andy and I ran to the stage to get a closer look while they were taking pictures.  I was hoping our friend would have some pull and would get us back there to meet them "officially" (unlike when we met Bear in May and I stood there like I didn't know how to speak), but it was so packed we had no luck!

Andy's parents had the boys, so we left Nashville around 11:30 our time and headed to Soddy Daisy.  The weather was awful, I got a migraine that made me sick as a dog, and we didn't fall asleep until close to 2:30.  I had to be up at 5:45 to get ready and leave for work, so I still haven't recovered yet.  The concert was well worth it though, and it's just got me wanting May to get here even sooner!

Here are some pictures from the show.

Watch out fellas, we're coming for you again in May!!!