The Twins
Originally uploaded by Dogwood Girl
Tiller discusses one of her birthday gifts, twin Cabbage Patch kids.
Archive for the ‘Life’ Category
The Twins
Tuesday, October 7th, 2008The Twins
Originally uploaded by Dogwood Girl
What Do You Want to Happen By the End of the Day?
Thursday, September 18th, 2008My friend Matt shared this link on Facebook, and wow, I am glad he did. It is nice to wake up in the morning and have something shake you up a little, and make you think about whether today is going to happen to you, or you are going to happen to today.
Fifty People, One Question: Restored from Benjamin Reece on Vimeo.
My answer: I wish that at the end of the day, everyone in the world would be true to themselves, to who and what they truly are; That we would all be comfortable in our own skin, and respectful of what other people are, too.
And of course . . . world peace.
Here’s The Deal
Tuesday, September 16th, 2008Remember when they asked who wants to be room mom, and everyone sat around trying not to make eye contact with anyone else? And then one person had already signed up for it, but she wasn’t there, and they still needed another person, and the teacher looked right at us and said, “Which one of you is going to do this? Sign right there?”
And we stared at each other until i sighed and signed on the dotted line.
And that, that was the point where you gave up your right to bitch about how disorganized the classroom is this year.
Also? I am not apologizing for coming across as conceited when I said i was worried about my kid not being challenged enough. I am proud that my kid can read, and I was just being honest about my concerns.
One last thing: Todd is taking wagers on when I will lose it and either a) be excommunicated from PTA and asked to step down as room mother or b) yell fuck the PTA and quit.
I am betting right around the Halloween party.
Lullaby Medley
Wednesday, September 10th, 2008Lullaby Medley
Originally uploaded by Dogwood Girl
Tiller’s rendition of our three favorite night time songs, as performed this morning on the basement hearth. These are the three songs that she refers to as “Bitsy,” “Sunshine,” and “Twinkle.”
Rollie’s Fifth Birthday
Tuesday, September 2nd, 2008So, I already did the sappy letter post, but here’s the fun stuff! We had Rollie’s party at the pool. Not a lot of folks could make it, since it was a holiday weekend, but we had fun anyway!
Lightning McQueen cake, which had to be fixed when they put “Happy Birthday, Bollie” on it.
The boy eating cake.
Aunt Lisa and Baby Dash
The Chef and Chef Senior (a.k.a. My Favorite Father-in-law)
Paul, Rollie, Tills, and Gabriel
Virginia chats with Harmony and Paul, which Chase hangs.
Grandma tries to hog Luci during my Luci time.
Tiller and Rollie
Me and Luci
Me and Mama
Birthday boy in the pool, looking happy.
Me and Tills in the pool.
Happy birthday, buddy. We love you!
Actual Pictures of Me That I Don’t Hate
Monday, August 25th, 2008
Here is one. There are not many.
I like that I am wearing one of my favorite hats from high school. It makes me sad that I didn’t keep my hat collection, although Todd is very thankful that I didn’t, and they were great hats, but not worth losing a marriage over. Woulda made a good dressup trunk for Tiller, though. That is Pop, over there on the left. Same old outfit as always; Heavy plaid workshirt (this was obviously Christmas, but he wore the same thing in summer, working in 80 and 90 degree weather) and “dungarees.” I just love that word. I love that he still says “dungarees” and “brogans,” and “aught” for zero. This is at the old house in Roswell. Check out that bigass tv! And the radio on top. Lisa’s pink one from the 80s – there was some serious Flashdance dancing done on the parquet hallway floor to that radio. Lots of Pretty in Pink soundtrack, U2, Depeche Mode, and Violent Femmes played on it too, as I remember. That clock on the mantel is on my mantel now, and i have been meaning to post a little something about how I learned to work an 8-day wound clock. Lost art.
What I like most about this picture is that I look really happy. I think it was Christmas of my Junior or Senior year. Probably senior. I look like I was ready to take on the world. I think i was ready to take on the world.
Sam
Friday, August 1st, 2008
Today is one of those days that makes me angry with God, if there is one. It is one of those days that makes me think there probably isn’t a God, and that we are all just ants in an anthill, amidst a field of anthills, and there are cows walking all over the field stepping on anthills left and right, and it is a complete fluke as to whether we will have our anthill stepped on today.
This is Sam. Sam lost his fight with brain and spine cancer this morning.
I didn’t know Sam as well as I wish I knew Sam. Sam called my dog “sock” even though he knew that wasn’t his name. I liked that about Sam. Sam always seemed like he was so happy to see me. He always asked about my kids and remembered their names.
He was one of those people that you meet and immediately like, one of the ones that lights up a room with their bright personality, who instantly made you feel like you knew them forever, and whom always made you feel included. I mentioned in another post that something made me think of Ross C. the other day; it was Sam that made me think of Ross. I was trying to think of how to describe Sam’s special brand of happy that came with him everywhere. Sam had that same something that Ross has that made you want to be his friend and that made you feel special just by being around him. Sam had that something that made you feel like you were a better person just by having been around him for a few minutes.
Sam was only 31. Sam was one of the Auburn folks, a group of people that I make fun of left and right, but that I am so very blessed to have in my life. Sam was a husband and a dad to two little ones, and I am so very sad for his family and friends today, because I will miss him and i didn’t even know him that well. I can’t imagine how much they will miss him.
Even as sad as this makes me, and as confused and sick as his passing makes me, it also makes me think that maybe there is a God. Only a God could create so wonderful a soul, so bright a light in humanity. In the same way that I look at the multitude of flowers and plants and trees just in my backyard alone, knowing that they couldn’t have been created out of nothing, I think that Sam did not come to us out of a vacuum, and that he is somewhere now, somewhere that i can’t understand, but that I know in my heart must exist, a special place where he will be a joy for eternity, and where if we are very, very good, we will get to sit and talk to him again one day.
Evan’s Wedding
Thursday, July 24th, 2008All joking about reading addictions aside, Evan’s wedding was a blast. Can you say Tiki bar? How about Shrimp and Grits? Not just seeing old friends, but getting to see them, without kids, for two days straight? My belly laughed like it hadn’t laughed in years – I was sore afterwards. (Or maybe that was all the waterlogged Flying Burritos I got in the pool at 1 a.m.)
Best of all? Nightswimming in a calm ocean under a full moon. What hurricane?
Here are a few of my favorite pictures from the weekend, along with a link to the whole set on flickr.
Evan getting last minute lovin’ from the ladies on Friday night.
Fran the Cougar with her prey, Dan.
Me and Jason, friends since 10th grade biology.
Me and the Creeker boys.
Dan and Wendy at the Reception, which was extremely hot. I think you can actually smell Dan from this picture.
Jason and Laura
My nemesis for the weekend, Kyle, a.k.a. Corey Haim.
Me and the ole ball and chain, all spiffied up. 
Me and D, who is no longer a delinquent teen, but an upstanding husband and father, with some damn cute kids and a hot wife.
The happy groom and me.
I’m a Slacker
Wednesday, July 16th, 2008
I have really neglected old Dogwood Girl this week. I guess getting ready to go to the beach and trying to get all my workouts in, while doing laundry, and being a singlish mom (what i call myself when Todd has a busy shoot week) has put DG on the back burner. Sad, because i had lots of ideas and thoughts i wanted to get down.
Anyway, this photo doesn’t take much explanation, but it is a significant milestone.
Anyone who is a parent can identify with the horrible feeling of trying to watch young kids around water. It is kind of like constantly having lost your keys or purse. You feel slightly naked or vulnerable, and you have a little panicky feeling scanning the area to keep tabs on both children.
Or maybe that’s just me.
So, when we are at the Lake, the kids have to wear their life jackets whenever they are near the water, on the dock, in the boat, etc. But this past 4th of July weekend, the water was low enough for both kids to stand on the bottom near the seawall. (Our lake level, unlike many in GA, has not been affected by the drought.) That means that, with their life jackets on, and their feet on the bottom, Todd and I could SIT ON THE DOCK AND WATCH THEM SWIM.
This may not seem like much, but you try to relax and drink a beer, while standing in lake water with two kids arms clinging tightly around your neck. Normally, one of us has to be in the water to drag their butts back when they start flowing downriver.
It was like glimpsing a bright, sunny, relaxing future. My future. With children who can stand up on their own.
On another note, this is also one of very few pictures where both kids are a) looking at the camera and b) smiling, rather than trying to beat the shit out of each other.
Okay, maybe this photo did require some explanation.
Tiller Loves Lisa
Wednesday, July 2nd, 2008Tiller Loves Lisa
Originally uploaded by Dogwood Girl
Since Tiller and Rollie can’t see their new cousin for a few weeks, and Lisa bought Tiller this outfit before having the baby, Tiller felt that she needed to say thank you to Lisa through video.
Lisa, she flipped when she saw the new Hello kitty shirt. She loves it.
Also, it didn’t come up in the video, but Tiller and Rollie are completely ignoring the fact that Mark and Lisa named the baby Dash; He will always and forever be what they wanted to name him: “Monster Truck.”
As in, “Did Lisa have Monster Truck yet?” That just cracks me up.