Charenboley and Burning Calories While You Stand?

You know there used to be a show called "Kid's Say the Darnedest Things" and it was like AFV only kids and their hilarity of comments when they are small, but what I have come to find out is that laugh out loud funny doesn't stop just because they get older.  Even at 12 and 14 my Grace and Ben crack me up . . . Teens say the darnedest things too. So here you go . . . a little Grace and Ben say the darnedest things.

So I am driving in the car with my sweet Ben, and while I can't for the life of me remember the exact topic of our conversation, I know it had to do with the town we live in looking like a ghost town after a certain time.  He then proceeds to say, "Yeah, its like "Charenbowley (pronounced chair-en-bowl-ee)!"  I stop for a second and let that word sink in.  Then I sit for about 10 seconds more just pondering what in the world is Charenbowley? Then the clouds part in my brain and it hits me . . . He had been studying Russia and the Ukraine a couple of months back in school and he means . . . wait for it . . . Chernobyl (insert laughing/crying emoji here). I start laughing til I can't breathe, and Ben of course is confused and says, "What mom?" I catch my breath and say, "You mean Chernobyl?" He's responds with a, "Yeah, that place!" And proceeds to enlighten me all about Chernobyl, what happened, when, who was affected, how long the effects last, how it was an abandoned town due to a nuclear disaster and is now uninhabitable for years.  I listen intently and nod.  I actually learned some things I didn't know, but in the back corner of my mind I'm laughing because all I can think about is Charenbowley.  Now, I'm not sure why this was so funny to me, probably because my sweet son has the same dry humor his dad does and sometimes just the way they say things is funny even when they don't mean to be, but never the less, its forever burned in my brain and clearly in Ben's too because in his quick wit, now when it's all quiet in the town it's "Charenbowley time."  I love my son, he is the absolute best and always makes me laugh and smile.  Love you Ben . . . especially when we are driving and it is just like "Charenbowley" and we get home traffic free.

It's after school and we are at home hanging around the kitchen island.  I am getting my daily sit rep of all that happened during their school day with their friends and teachers.  Grace is up first and she is talking about her PE/Health class (which she has first period . . . horrible) and does not enjoy.  She proceeds to tell the story of how some of the students in her class (Grace was in this group) had to STAND and work on their computer on an assignment for the health portion of the class while other kids did some athletic activity.  Granted Grace is fine not doing the athletic activity as she will tell you she is NOT athletically inclined and prefers the fine arts mostly, it's the standing that is the annoying part for her. She's talking in her very dramatic, animated, speedy voice which indicates she is very peeved about this happening and finishes her story with this statement, "It's not like standing burns calories or anything (insert eye roll)!" Now the minute it left her lips, she realized what she had said hadn't come out like she meant and she tried to correct it, but it was too late.  Ben and I are laughing and she's trying to talk over us and correct the fact that she does know that it burns calories, but not that much more than sitting and it was hard to balance the computer on one hand.  In truth, I totally agree with her, holding a computer standing to type is cumbersome and I don't really get the standing thing either, but the dramatic flair in which she proclaimed standing doesn't burn calories was priceless.  Sorry sis, I just can't let this one die, it's just too good.  In fact, I'm sitting right now as I type this since standing doesn't burn calories . . . I love you sweet girl and I totally agree with you sitting is so much better.

I think I have amazingly awesome kids and really do adore them.

Passion and Drive

So as you can guess 6 years is a long minute and in that minute my beautiful little babies are now . . .  well . . . beautiful big babies (since they will always be my babies no matter how old they are). Grace is 14 and stunning and Ben is 12 and handsome as ever.  They bring amazing amounts of joy into my life every day in a million different ways.  When they were little it was all about the cute things they said or did and now it is real life accomplishments and still some silliness along the way.

I have seen my son become a budding artist with a creative brain that astounds me with all that it can conjure and create.  He plays the saxophone and is generally one of the most thoughtful people I know.  On the other side of the coin, he is still Ben . . . always in motion, with an activity on his brain or in his hands.  I have seen him turn a cardboard box into a desk, literally swing on his pull up bar into some type of flip, and complete a variety of "life hacks" in his room (can you say bread ties as cord keepers.) He has grown so much, but the crazy little boy that couldn't sit still for one television show still reigns supreme.

Grace has developed the most beautiful voice and has accomplished great feats in choir, from all region to just recently all state here in Georgia.  She is dedicated to her music and has even started teaching herself piano.  She loves school and her friends and strives for that A in every class (she is her mother's daughter.) She is a social butterfly and shows kindness to others that makes her friends and her family adore her.  On the other side of the coin, my little princess still drinks chocolate milk, eats cheese, grapes, and chicken exclusively and still hates all sauces of any kind.  She is studious and loves to read and when she is into something she is IN to it.  When she was little it was the Disney Princesses, now, its Riverdale.  Ask her anything and she can tell you.  There isn't a video, interview or post she hasn't seen.  She is the ultimate fan.

My babies bring amazing joy to my life and as any proud mom would, I had to take a moment to put down in writing . .  for posterity . . .  what amazing people they are.  They are gifts that God blessed me with and I cherish them so much. 

Hoverboards Don't Really Hover . . .

So both of my lovelies got a hoverboard from their Nana and Papa for Christmas this year.  Now Grace and Ben took to those things like ducks to water and were zooming about within minutes.  I however took a little bit longer to get my feet wet, but I do have to say . . . I did pretty amazing riding around on it after a million couple tries.  With my new found hoverboard confidence I decided to take my skills to the streets!  No reason to hide my hoverboarding prowess behind closed doors, oh no no no, everyone should get a chance to witness a master in action. So Ben and I took those little boards outside and onto the street for a ride to the park.  Now other than it being ridiculously cold (hence the reason I brought a blanket to wrap myself in) things were going pretty well.  As I read that back I wonder to myself, why not a jacket . . . a blanket really? None the less, we are boarding and killing it.  I am traversing sticks and pine needles that have fallen in the street like a boss.  Ben and I are talking and having a good little chat when I question him about why his hoverboard is constantly making incessant beeping noises.  Grace's hoverboard that I am riding is silent and purring like a kitten.  Ben informs me that it is a warning that he is going to fast and he should slow down. I ask him, does it kick you off the board or is it just a warning.  He informs me with great confidence and even shows me that it doesn't kick him off, it just beeps.

Now I honestly cannot tell you what in the world was going through my head during this next part of the ride, but let's just say, it wasn't my brightest or finest moment,  and it definitely belonged on one of those "epic fail" YouTube Videos. . .

We are just yards from the house, I have my blanket cape flapping in the wind, I haven't fallen once, and even did some pretty sweet turn around moves and then I say with great confidence to Ben, "Grace's never beeps, I must not be going fast enough, I am going to get this baby going"  and so I take off without a thought . . . I get it going . . . FAST.  So fast that the warning beep and the immediate "safety stop" occurs all at the same time and all the momentum keeps me going even when the hoverboard comes to a screeching halt. Now granted I am wearing my blanket cape, but neglected to put shoes on so as I go flying (my cape which was in no way helpful in slowing the fall, clearly I do not have superman abilities) my feet are dragged across the road and I land on my butt and shoulder hard while the hoverboard ends up on the complete other side of the street.

Now at this moment you may be sucking your breath in wondering am I okay??? Did I break anything?? OR you may be like my son who is bent over at the waist (still on his hoverboard) sucking wind because he is laughing so hard.  Here I am a gray furry blanket heap on the side of the road and he literally rolls over on his board and says between laughing breaths "Are you okay mom?"

Uhhh . . . NO I'M NOT OKAY!! I just crashed and at 38 that is a full body experience!  I got up and hobbled my way the rest of the way (laughing to myself at the complete ridiculousness of the whole ordeal) to the house not daring to look around and see if anyone was out in their yard watching my epic crash and burn.  Ben is doing some weird breathing in and out to keep from laughing as he helps me clean up my scratched up feet.  And I can only wait to hear this story back when he tells his sister.

Now we are a couple of days later following the epic crash and I have to say . . . I . . . AM . . . SORE.  Like I got in a car accident and my neck and shoulder and ass hurt and ache. Now I'm not telling my sweet babies that because those little boogers snicker every time its brought up because I have to admit it had to have looked completely ridiculous, blanket cape and all. But for me, note to self . . . I am too old to be going def con 5 on the hoverboard, I will leave that to Grace and Ben, and of course never laugh when they fall . . . or maybe just a little.

Oh . . . and maybe shoes next time . . . insert eye roll here . . .

Hey There Old Friend . . .

It's been a hot minute . . . just 6 years is all . . . a lot has changed, life has moved and so have I, twice in fact. We left Japan in 2015, spent three years in Austin, Texas, then headed to the current stomping grounds . . . the budding metropolis of Richmond Hill, Georgia.  I can barely say that with a straight face.  Richmond Hill is a teeny tiny town about 45 minutes out of Fort Stewart and in this town I have encountered one of my pet peeves . . . the dreaded roundabout.  Now let me tell you, I LOVE me a good roundabout because it keeps that traffic moving and keeps me from having to stop at a stop sign or stop light and traffic backing up to kingdom come.  However, the peeve part comes in when the drivers in this town treat that wonderful roundabout as a stop sign!!! Not a stop sign guys, that red triangle says yield which means no cars coming you can just . . . wait for it . . . keep going!  No need to stop, just ease that Honda Accord right out into the roundabout and go on with your bad self.  Honestly there are times when I want to put on a fluorescent vest and direct the traffic at that circle.  So if ever you decide you want to pop down for a visit and you see a chick hanging out at the roundabout with a pink whistle wheeting at the cars . . . it might just be me, I mean we all have our breaking point.