Summer Bucket List Update

We're slowly marking off things on our summer bucket list.  The boys and I have been pretty busy this summer, and I'm already sick at how fast the upcoming school year is approaching.  I try not to dwell on that too much.  Anyways, here's a little update on all that we've accomplished pre-vacation.

• Go to an outdoor movie
• Go to a water park
• Family vacation
• Watch fireworks
• Have a picnic 
• Make a summer hand print craft with the boys
• Play putt-putt
• Catch lightning bugs
• Take family beach pictures
• Ride bikes
• Family hike
• Build a sandcastle 
• Star gaze
• Go to the local farmer's market
• Outdoor date with Andy
• Find seashells
• Ride a boat
• Be a tourist in our own city
• Go to a "new to us" park
• Try a new restaurant in Chattanooga 
• Go to a concert
• Take the boys to the movie theater
• Buy ice cream 
• Buy food from a food truck
• Visit Andy at work

Friday Update

UHappy Friday!  We're super busy today running around, trying our best to get ready for our trip tomorrow.  I had most of our clothes packed last week, but there's a ton of items that are last minute packers, and that's what stresses me out.  I've got a list going to make sure we don't forget anything.  I tend to forget in this day and age you're never too far from a Walmart, so I should relax some.  Anyways, here's a look back at our week!

• We swam twice this week, and Cooper's still doing well without his puddle jumper.  He's gotten a little lazy on us, wanting to walk around the shallow end instead of really swimming, but I'm hoping he'll be a pro by the time we get home from vacation.  
• Clark doesn't understand why he still has to wear his puddle jumpers while Cooper gets to swim with nothing.  We keep telling him Cooper is older and a big boy, so anytime Clark hears "big boy" he pulls his paci out and says, "Well, here's my paci, so now I'm a big boy!"  I wish it was that simple!
• We bought the boys a "power wheel" Articat truck for Christmas 2013 - 1.5 years ago, and this week is the first time they've shown the slightest interest in it.  They've both been driving it all week, and are finally getting the hang of it.  Cooper is much more timid; he likes to stop every few feet and readjust his steering while going in the slowest gear.  Clark, on the other hand, is a wild child, keeping it in the highest gear the whole time, not paying a bit of attention to where he's going.  He's about leveled all of our plants in the front yard, plus almost threw him and Cooper out when he hit a tree going full speed in the backyard.  Anyways, I'm glad they're finally playing with it... it gives us another option of something to do outside.
• All four of us got hair cuts (and color for the only gray headed lady in the crew) this week.  I just barely got mine trimmed, but we freshened up the boys' summer cuts before the trip.  Andy has started keeping his super short, so he had some upkeep to do on his as well.
• I read another book this week by Gillian Flynn.  It was titled Dark Places, and let me tell ya, it was dark.  I was expecting bad language since I had read Gone Girl, but this book just depressed me.  By the end of it I couldn't put it down because I was so anxious to figure out the ending, but it wasn't a book for the faint of heart.
• I made my mom's famous peanut butter fingers this weekend, and they were a success!  Andy doesn't like them, but all of his family did on Father's Day.  I finally ended up giving the last little bit to our church youth group because I couldn't resist them.  I love anything with peanut butter, so they were just too tempting for me!
• My ear is still touch and go, so the doctor added some more medicine to my regimen, hoping to knock the issue out.  If ringing of the ear is ever livable, I guess I've hit the livable point.  I know that sounds totally melodramatic, but it's just super annoying and frustrating.  I'm still praying it goes away completely soon.  I do love my new ENT though, thankfully.  He's never made me feel crazy or like this isn't an issue worth trying to fix.  
• I got a pile of books at the library yesterday for our trip, so I can't wait to get started!  As shameful as this sounds, especially coming from a previous ELA teacher, I haven't read a hardback book in ages.  I usually read on my iPad Mini or iPhone, so it may take me awhile to get back into the swing of things with a real book!  I like being able to read in bed, in the pitch blackness that Andy prefers, and I just can't do this with a real book.  We'll see how it goes!
• I went to see The Age of Adaline last night with my mom, aunt, and cousins, and I loved it!  I was terrified it was going to be really sad, but it had a happy ending, so I was pleased!  If a book or movie has a happy ending, I'm a happy girl!  I tend to get really upset if books/movies don't wrap everything up nice and neat at the end!
• We're making a pitstop tomorrow in Savannah for Paula Deen's restaurant, Lady and Sons, and for a little sightseeing.  I've expressed my love for Savannah many times, so I can't wait!  I know it'll be miserably hot, but at least we've got the beach to head to once we leave.

Alright, we've got an early morning tomorrow, so I'm going to try and wind down.  I'm sure you'll be seeing more vacation pictures than you ever care to in the upcoming week... I apologize in advance!

Saturday Update

Happy Saturday everyone!  We finished up a week of vacation bible school, and let me tell ya, we're all tired!  We also had a busy week of swimming and running around, so without further ado, here's a look back at it.

• Cooper attended his first ever VBS this week at our church, and I worked in the crafts room.  He loved it, and was pretty good every day for his teachers.  Every afternoon when we'd get home though, it was a different story.  He was so tired every afternoon that it was just meltdown city at our house... no fun for anyone!  We tried to get him in bed earlier this week, but this gave us a small preview of what life is going to be like when he starts pre-k this fall... we're all going to be in for a rude awakening!
• Clark came to VBS in the mornings with us, then would leave with my mom.  He loved it when he was there.  He liked singing with the big kids, then he loved going to get a snack.  It didn't wear him out nearly as badly since he still naps.
• We swam every day this week - that didn't help with Cooper's exhaustion.  Since it was SO hot this week, we went in the evenings when Andy got home.  The boys do so much better when he's there, and I don't have to worry about their safety as much when he's with us.  Last night Cooper even started swimming without any swimmies on, so I was one proud momma!  I thought he'd be swimming by the end of the summer, but he really surprised me!
• I managed to get to the Y more this week, thankfully!  I got back into my normal, longer cardio routine, and it felt nice!  I've been flying through books as I read, so if anyone has any good suggestions, I'm all ears!
• We leave for vacation in a week, and the boys and I are already packed... we've been packed since Wednesday.  I had an odd burst of laundry success this week, so I took advantage while I could. I really didn't want to wash a lot of clothes all over again.  Don't get me wrong, I'll still be doing laundry this week, but I won't be in a panic to get it done.
• I've got to find a double DVD player for the car before we leave, too.  The boys (and Andy and I) heavily depend on these for trips.  We have one, but it very randomly stopped working.
• Andy is the exact opposite of a hoarder, throwing away stuff if he hasn't used it in a  week or so, so when he discovered the online yard sales on Facebook this week, I knew we were in trouble.  He ended up selling our kitchen cart, his smoker, and his kayak all within 48 hours.  I jokingly said he'd be selling off our house next.  Anyways, he ended up buying a canoe with that money, and he's so excited about it.  I had bought him his kayak when I was pregnant with Clark, but he didn't have anyone to go with.  He bought the canoe so all of us could ride, so I think we'll be taking it down to Jekyll.  I'm not a huge fan of natural bodies of water, but I feel safer in it than I did a kayak.
• I won't go into all the boring details for the millionth time in a row, but I'm still having some ear issues, so keep me in your prayers.

We've got a "Super Saturday" bible school at my in-laws' church this morning, and I'm dreading waking the boys up for the 1.5 hour drive up to Dayton!  They're both still snoozing, so that shows how tired they are!  I hope everyone has a great Father's Day tomorrow!  I know we will celebrating the wonderful men in our lives!

Summer Entertainment

I'll be the first to admit that I've created little monsters when it comes to keeping the boys entertained during our summer vacation time.  They CONSTANTLY want to be on the go, doing something every day.  I've kept up our busy lifestyle so we're not going stir crazy during the day (stir crazy = more fights and arguing from all of us), but that's what's created my little monsters.  I try to give us a day or two of doing not much of anything at home during the week as well so I'm not just ruining them, but it's hard sometimes to just sit at home.  Whatever we're doing, it's important to me that it's on the free or very cheap side of things.  Anyways, here's the main things we do to keep ourselves busy and entertained during the summer months.

1. Swimming:  We're extremely fortunate in that we have two cousins who have pools that let us swim a few days a week throughout the summer.  We also have some very kind people in our church who let us crash at their pool as well.  We rotate back and forth between their pools, and the boys love it.  It's one of the few things we can do on days when the temperature is hovering around 100°.  It keeps them busy, keeps them cool, gives them time with their cousins, kills time until Andy gets home, it's free, and it wears them out - win win!
2. Area attraction memberships:  We have yearly memberships to the Tennessee Aquarium and Chattanooga Zoo.  On days when it's raining or when we don't access to a pool, we usually hit one of these spots up.  Most of the time, if you visit one of these spots more than twice in a year, the membership pays for itself.  We love having them, and usually renew as soon as they run out.  They also get you a discount to several other spots in Chattanooga or other cities.  Anyways, the boys love both of these places, and we try to get to one of them once a week or so.
3. Playgrounds:  As I mentioned in this post, we've hit up a lot of playgrounds this summer.  Now that it's so hot during the day, our playground game has slowed down some, but we still depend heavily on playgrounds for some summer fun.  We tend to go to playgrounds more often in the evening when Andy's home so the temperature isn't too high as the boys run around and play.  We're also known to hit up the indoor mall playgrounds at Hamilton Place and Northgate, even though I feel like those are a breeding ground for every childhood sickness imaginable.  
4. YMCA:  Our YMCA membership has came in handy this summer when we're looking to shake off some boredom.  I usually go to the Y 4-5 times a week, and even if it's just for an hour or so, this helps break up some of the monotony of the boys' day.  It gives them some time to run around and play inside without burning up.  Since we've been swimming outside so much this summer, I haven't taken them to the Y's pool in awhile, but if Andy ever takes them without me, he takes them swimming a lot. 
5. Free or cheap area attractions:  Chattanooga has a lot of free/cheap places to go and play.  We hit up the Coolidge Park fountains quite a bit during the summer, go to the fountains right outside the Aquarium and at Ross' Landing, ride bikes along the River Walk or in the Chickamauga Battlefield, walk on the Walnut Street Bridge or at UTC, or hit up the newly discovered Warner Park Spray and Play.  All of these things are free or cheap, so that makes it a lot easier for me to pack everyone up and head out.
6. Children's summer programs:  This week we're doing VBS at our church, so that's keeping us busy.  We also keep an eye on all of the discounted movie programs going on at local theaters, outdoor movies that are offered throughout the summer, and kids reading programs at our local library.  

Sunday Update

Happy Sunday, folks!  I think after church this afternoon we're going to head down to the Chattanooga Street Food Festival.  Even though Andy says I won't eat any of the street food, I plan on proving him wrong and enjoying our time downtown!  I know it'll be hot, so I think we're also going to go swimming today... more on that later.  Anyways, here's a look back at our week!

• The boys and I have gotten into a bit of a morning sleeping routine this week.  Andy usually leaves the house for work between 6:45 and 7am, and then Cooper usually comes and sneaks in Andy's spot in bed shortly after he leaves.  Coop usually falls back asleep quickly, as do I, at least until our little rooster starts in- usually between 7:30 and 7:45.  When Clark wakes up, he starts yelling immediately... no quiet wakeup calls from him.  I quickly have to turn off the baby monitor and go get him.  Most mornings I can keep him quiet enough for Cooper to keep sleeping, but sometimes he's just too loud and Cooper gets up shortly after us.  If Cooper keeps sleeping, he'll sleep until 8:30 or so, which he desperately needs.  
• We went swimming five days this past week.  The only week day we didn't swim was Wednesday, plus we swam yesterday, and are planning on it today.  Cooper is getting dark, despite his SPF 50 generously slathered on every single day, but Clark is staying somewhat pale, just like his daddy and mommy.  I don't know where Coop gets his good tanning from... I guess from my sister.  Andy and I repel the sun back into the sky as we burn.  Anyways, we have two cousins who have pools and let us swim all summer, and they're both on vacation this week.  They've generously offered us free reign of their pools while they're away, so we definitely plan on taking advantage of it.  
• Friday I finally renewed our Chattanooga Zoo membership (Cooper had been begging me to go since school got out).  He LOVES peacocks, so the membership is worth it just for the sheer excitement on that baby's face when he sees them.  Clark really likes the zoo too, but he's not into animals quite as much as Cooper.  We went with some friends on Friday, then met my sister and some more friends at the Warner Park Spray and Play on the other side of the Warner Park complex after the zoo.  We've been trying to go to this for the past 3 summers, so I was thrilled we finally made it!  It only cost $5 for the three of us (I was $3, Coop was $2, and Clark was free), and it was great.  They had a splash pad area with a ton of things for younger kids to do, then they had two kiddy pools and a big pool we got in, too.  It was packed with Chattanooga area daycares, so I plan on taking them back one night when it's opened later.
• I finally broke down and "got rid" of our eggs on the front porch this week.  As I mentioned last week, I hadn't seen the momma bird in awhile, and then when I pulled the fern down to water it one night, something got into one of the eggs.  I threw them towards our woods, so no telling what kind of critters came up to get them.  Anyways, I was disappointed they never hatched - the boys would've loved that.
• I went to a different ENT this week to have my ear looked at.  I had a hearing test again, and thankfully my hearing was 100% this time.  I was relieved about that.  I liked this doctor so much more than the ENT I saw a few weeks ago.  The one I saw this week is Dr. Armstrong and he's at Memorial.  Anyways, he checked out everything, answered all of my ridiculous questions, and tried to reassure me that he thought this would go away on its own soon.  He diagnosed me with eustachian tube dysfunction, which I had already read a ton about.  He put me on a stronger, longer dose of steroids, and told me to keep using my nasal spray.  He said he didn't feel like I needed tubes at this time because it should clear up with medicine and time, but he wants to see me back in a month and a half and recheck everything.  Anyways, I need to keep myself from reading online about ETD because everything I read is all over the place.  Some people say theirs has never gone away, even after years of having it, while some say theirs cleared up rather quickly.  I can get rather depressed about it all real fast, so I'm trying to ban myself from researching it.  The steroids do help, but make me feel crazy and snap at everyone.  Andy keeps telling me I'm having "roid rage."  That seems to be pretty accurate.  Anyways, it's still buzzing some, not too bad, but enough to annoy me.  I'm still having some "no buzzing" time most mornings, so I guess that's a plus.  Like I said, I'm just really praying it's gone by vacation.  I'd even settle with popping my ears every few minutes (like I'm already doing) if the humming would just go away.  Keep me in your prayers!  : )
• I had two photo shoots last night, and they were great!  One was a baby shower, and one was a family session.  I've been working on them and should have them ready to share soon!
• We have vacation bible school coming up this week at our church, and this is the first time I'll have worked since before I had the boys.  I'm helping my sister in arts and crafts.  I knew Cooper would be going this year, so I wanted to make sure I was there in case he needed me, but I knew I didn't want to be his teacher.  He's the type that wouldn't learn anything from his mommy.  Clark doesn't have a class yet, so my mom is going to help watch him and my niece.  
• I only made it to the Y three times this past week, so I'm hoping to step it up some this week. I know we'll be busy with VBS and swimming, but I've got to get there a few more time this week.  Andy talked me into buying a glorified two piece bathing suit for vacation (not a tankini), so I can't slack now!  Trust me, that bathing suit will NEVER see the light of day outside of Jekyll Island!

Alright, sorry for all the long updates lately... I've just got a lot to ramble about!  I hope you have a great Sunday!

Summer Bucket List Update

Our summer is bouncing right along, and we're crossing things off the bucket list as we go.  Lots of things will be accomplished on our vacation in a few weeks, but here's what we've been up to so far.  Oh, I added back in "visit Andy at work."  It's always been on our past summer bucket lists, but we could never seem to do it.  Clark and I visited him last week, so I put it back on.  Cooper and I hit up the Chattanooga Market on Sunday, but it was SO hot we didn't last long.  I'm hoping we'll hit up the Chattanooga Street Food Festival that Sunday at the Market.  Street car food has always intrigued me (see the bottom of this list), but Andy says I won't eat any of it.  We'll see if we make it out there or not (if it's up to me - we will).

• Go to an outdoor movie
• Go to a water park
• Family vacation
• Watch fireworks
• Have a picnic 
• Make a summer hand print craft with the boys
• Play putt-putt
• Catch lightning bugs
• Take family beach pictures
• Ride bikes
• Family hike
• Build a sandcastle 
• Star gaze
• Go to the local farmer's market
• Outdoor date with Andy
• Find seashells
• Ride a boat
• Be a tourist in our own city
• Go to a "new to us" park
• Try a new restaurant in Chattanooga 
• Go to a concert
• Take the boys to the movie theater
• Buy ice cream 
• Buy food from a food truck
• Visit Andy at work

Our Favorite Playgrounds

We're on a 9 day streak of hitting up playgrounds, so I feel like we've become pros at the playground game this summer.  I don't know if we'll keep the streak alive today or not, but I thought I'd share our favorite ones to hit up in the area.

1.  Libby's Living Legacy
This playground is less than a year old, and it's the closest one to our house.  We needed a good playground in Flintstone, and we absolutely love this one.  It's right across the street from our church, and only takes about 5 minutes to get there from our house, so we go there a lot.  It's not too big, and there's plenty of stuff for the boys to do by themselves without us having to help them.  It's also got a great pavilion with some grills, so we've even thought about having Clark's birthday there.

2.  St. Elmo Park
This park is just across the state line in St. Elmo, and we usually pass it daily (since most everything we do is in Chattanooga), so it's an easy one for us to go to.  It's got an older kids section and a younger section, and the boys play in both without any help from us.  It's shaded, sits back a good ways from the road, and doesn't get too crowded, unless they're having a party under the pavilion.

3.  Gilbert Stephenson Park

This is a big park and playground in Ft. Oglethorpe.  We don't go here as often as we aren't in that area as much, but the boys really like it.  They call it the "dinosaur park" because some of the toys are dinosaurs.  There's a community pool there and tennis courts, plus a lot of pavilions for birthday parties.  It's a good park to go to because it's bigger, but it does get crowded.  

4.  Scramble Alley Park in Soddy Daisy

Andy's parents live in Soddy Daisy, so we hit up this park a lot with the boys when we're up there.  It's an all wooden park, which I love, and it has a ton of stuff for the boys to do.  They love the swings and tire swings here, and they can stay entertained here for hours.  Anytime we've been it's not crowded, so that's a big plus!

5.  Trenton City Playground
I'm not 100% sure of the name of this playground, but it's right across the street from the Trenton City Pool in Dade County.  Clark and I discovered it this week when we went to meet Andy there.  It was great for Clark, and I imagine Cooper would love it, too.  It's all wooden, and has some great structures, like a castle, pirate ship, and some great wooden jungle gyms.  It's right by a creek, so Clark loved throwing rocks in there, too.  It was shaded, and had some great areas around it to eat and play, plus the pool is within walking distance if you wanted to swim.  This is a pretty good ways from our house, but I foresee us going there this summer to see Andy while he's working.

Saturday Update

Happy Saturday!  We had a lazy day and ended it by riding bikes in the Battlefield and getting some milkshakes at Sonic.  I'm still going to spin class every week, but Andy still kills me on bike rides... even when he's pulling boys and I've got nothing holding me back.  Anyways, our summer break is moving right along, and we're enjoying it!  Here's a look back at our week.

• Cooper and Clark both went to "Granna Camp" this week with Andy's mom.  Cooper spent the night with her Tuesday and Wednesday night, and Clark slept over Friday night.  Let me tell ya, those boys missed each other like crazy while they were gone (they both cried for each other... seriously), but about 5 minutes after I picked them up they were fighting again.  I guess that's how it goes!  They both had a ball though while they were away, and it gave Andy and me some one on one time with each of them!  Thanks, Marla!
• I weighed the boys yesterday morning, and they are still tiny.  Going by our home scale, Clark weighs 24 pounds and Cooper weighs 34 pounds.  I don't know that they are ever going to put on any weight!  
• This week could've been titled "The Summer of the Playgrounds" in the Smithson household, even though it was just this week.  We've been at a playground EVERY day since last Saturday.    We've been to different ones, and they boys have been loving it.  I think they were about done this morning though when I took them to one because they didn't even really attempt to play.
• I read the book Paper Towns this week.  It's by the same author who wrote The Fault in Our Stars, so I figured I would enjoy it.  I didn't fly through it like I do most books, and I wasn't a huge fan of the ending, but I don't regret reading it.  The movie comes out next month, but I don't know that I'll be running to see it.
• My ear is still on the mend.  I was hoping it'd be gone by now (I'm almost 5 weeks in), but it's still bothering me.  Thankfully the ringing isn't constant now (I haven't woken up with it ringing any this week, it starts about halfway through the day), and it's a low, dull ring now... just enough for me to hear it and for it to annoy the heck out of me.  I've also got a horrible cold!  I've been stuffy for almost 5 weeks now too, but this came on with a vengeance.  Don't ask me how... the ENT has me on all kinds of stuff that should take care of congestion, but no such luck.  Plus, I'm on an antibiotic for some stomach issues, but I guess that doesn't help congestion/sinus issues since it's not for that.  I've still got an appointment this Wednesday with another ENT my normal doctor set up for me, so if it's still doing this by Tuesday, I'll be going.  Anyways, I'm sure you're all tired of hearing about it, so sorry for rambling.  I'm just really praying that it's on its way out and that it'll be completely gone by vacation (which is 3 weeks from today).  At this point I'm not getting my hopes up... I never imagined it'd last this long.  I feel 110% sure that Hell will have weeping, gnashing of teeth, and ringing of ears.
• I've taken a lot of pictures this week, and it's been great!  I've even enjoyed all my editing this week, which at times can be very time consuming and tiresome.  Lots of them have been of my own kids and family, but I had a bedtime shoot that I loved!  It was so sweet, and I'm hoping to do some more of those in the future!  I'm shooting a baby shower this next weekend for a friend/client that I did the maternity photos of a few weeks ago, and I'm really excited for that.  
• I've been looking up pictures of Jekyll on Instagram and I'm really excited!  I know I've been saying this for weeks, but I can't wait until our vacation!
• Our eggs still haven't hatched on the front porch.  The've been out there almost a month, and I'm starting to think that the mom has abandoned them.  I haven't seen/heard her as much anymore, so I don't know if she flew the coop or not.  I don't really know what to do with them though.  I guess I'll just wait and see what happens.
• I went and got my hair done this week and we put some more brown in it.  We kept it lighter on top to help with my roots, but I feel so much more like myself with some dark pulled through.  If it wasn't for all the gray, I'd definitely keep it brown all the time.

Alright, I hope everyone has a good night, and I'll leave you with some of my iPhone pictures from this week... enjoy!

Monday Update

Happy Monday, folks!  We're currently trying to get back into the swing of things after a lazy, but fun, weekend.  We've thoroughly enjoyed our first week of summer break, and I'm really looking forward to getting back into the summer routine of swimming and playing outside a lot.  Alright, here's a look back at our week!  Sorry for the novel!

• The boys have been sleeping until around 7:00 or 7:30am this past week.  That's still earlier than I would prefer, but it's a lot better than my school wakeup time, so I'll take it.  Most of the time they'll lay back down with me for a little while and snooze or watch TV.  One advantage of having early birds is the fact that we get to the Y early... that'll be nice once we start swimming more.
• Cooper has been so tired this past week from going nonstop that he hasn't hardly been able to function, but you sure won't see him taking a nap.  He needs to nap so desperately, but unless I put him in the car and drive him around, he's not going to budge at home.  Thankfully, Clark will voluntarily crawl up in his crib when he gets sleepy enough.  Several times this week he told me he wanted to go home and get in his bed.  I've been exhausted too, so I'd love it if Cooper would nap with me while Clark's asleep, but no such luck!
• We've been swimming the past three days (and are hoping to go this afternoon if the weather is good), and the boys are loving it.  Usually the first few weeks of summer swimming were miserable because it would take the boys awhile to warm up to the pool.  Well, thanks to their regular swimming days at the Y this winter, they jumped right in Friday with no reservations.  I was thrilled!  The water has been a bit cold for me, so it was nice to be able to watch them (and be ready to jump in incase they need me) without having to get in and hold them.  
• The French Open is being played right now, and because of the odd time difference, it's hard to catch on TV.  Nadal is looking good, so I'm hoping he'll be able to win it again this year.  I've been dying to play tennis lately, but Andy and I never seem to find time to go.
• If you're looking for some cute, cheap clothes, give K-Mart a try.  I went in there the other night, and they had a ton of cute stuff, including a pair of sandals I've yet to take off!
• I had two photo shoots this week, and I had a ton of fun at both of them.  I'm looking to do some specific kinds of sessions soon, so if you have or know anyone that has young children (like babies and toddlers) or wants photos done in their home, contact me!
• Cooper's wart finally came off this past week, but it already looks like it will come right back.  I really wanted the doctor to burn/freeze it off, so I guess if it comes back we'll be going to our follow up appointment in a few weeks.
• I'm still having some ear issues, but overall it's doing much better.  I went almost the whole day yesterday without any ringing/roaring sounds, so that's a huge blessing!  Almost my whole month of May has been plagued by this ear issue, so I'm really praying it's on its way out.  I went and saw my ENT on Friday, and to be honest, I left with more questions than I went in with.  I thought it'd be simple and that he'd tell me there was fluid behind the eardrum, but he said that had gone down and he could see it draining down my throat (sorry, I know that's gross).  My hearing test showed hearing loss in my left ear (the one that's bothering me so badly), but it wasn't typical hearing loss and he said that it was consistent with Meniere's disease, but he felt confident that I don't have that, thankfully.  He feels it's allergy/chronic sinus infection related, so he's put me on Allegra and nasal spray daily.  I go back at the end of the month, but I'm really praying I'm seeing the light at the end of this tunnel right now.  I really like my ENT, but he spoke to me like I was a doctor, so I really didn't understand anything he said.  Plus, he didn't really address the ringing issue much, so I'm a bit frustrated over that.
• I get my hair done Tuesday, and I'm thinking about going back to brown.  My gray shows so much faster with brown, but I never feel like myself with blonde hair.  I also feel pale and washed out... we'll see what happens!
• My boys love playgrounds, and now that I'm out of school, I've been trying to indulge them more.  Playgrounds are so much better for me now that they're both older, but Clark would swing ALL day if someone would push him.  I finally have to kick him out so he'll go play on other stuff.  I've mentioned it before, but we have an awesome playground down the road that was built in memory of a wonderful woman.  We've already been there twice this week, and we're headed back today for a play date with a friend.
• Andy and I are powering through the final season of Dexter, finally!  We're both so nervous about the ending though we're almost scared to watch it.
• Our eggs still haven't hatched yet on the porch.  We're down to 3 though, so I have no idea what happened to the fourth one.
• I had a night out with my girlfriends from school this past Friday, and it was so fun!  I forget how much fun I  always have when we have a girls' night, and I'm hoping we'll plan them regularly this summer.
• We're less than a month away from our vacation!!  I'm so excited!  We have family that vacation every year on St. Simmons, a neighboring island, so they've given us a list of things to do and see on Jekyll and St. Simmons.  I made us reservations for The Lady and Sons restaurant in Savannah (Paula Deen's place) on our way down, and Andy's excited about that buffet.

Alright, so for so much babbling today, but I had a lot to share!