David and Putt-Putt

We are at the beach right now.  When you live in the mountains of North Carolina (or possibly any mountains), this takes on a whole different meaning than it did when I was growing up, and you went to the beach for the afternoon.  What it means is that we are on vacation on Cherry Grove, in North Myrtle Beach.   Usually we go in October, but we figured that we might be a little occupied then, what with having a baby, and so we came in October.  Anyway, it is a lot of fun, and I will have pictures to post after we get back.

Although I would be perfectly content to stay at the beach house (the reason we go to North Myrtle Beach is that we can afford a cottage that is on the beach) the whole time, the other members of my family might get tired of that much beach...so we went to play mini-golf.  I didn't go last time because I was pregnant, but I am so happy that I went today, if only to observe the hilarity of a slightly overstimulated little boy at the mini-golf course where there were dinosaur statues and a multi-story pretend ship that we could actually go on.  David did actually occasionally use his golf club to get his golf ball, field hockey style, into the hole.  (Both kids definitely use the  hockey model, rather than the golf model, kind of dribbling the ball with the golf club until it goes into the hole). 

The minute we entered the course, David was off, dumping his ball down the final, permanent hole, so Jesse had to get him a new one.  Then, off he ran, ducking under rope barrier, to run to the top of the ship.  Jesse told me to follow him, which I did, but would have been wiser to follow him more quickly, as I found him attempting to climb over the "ship's" gate, which was thirty feet up, and climb into a cage with a decorative dinosaur.   He was just so totally thrilled with the whole thing, running, playing on the ship, occasionally putting his ball down randomly on the course to dribble it into the hole.  Sometimes Jesse takes one of the kids to play golf with him, and I am now dying to go, just to watch.

Hickory Nut Gap Farm

We went to this great farm, Hickory Nut Gap Farm in Fairview on Labor Day.  We go every fall, multiple times.  It's a wonderful place, they have chickens, goats, cows, pigs and horses.  All of their animals are grass finished, healthy and, well, delicious.  In the fall, the farm is open to visitors.  They have lots of low spray apples, a corn maze (this year, the corn didn't sprout--not because we were in drought because we weren't--so it was a hay bale maze), animals to look at, a big barn with a rope swing on the hay (this is generally the biggest hit), a trike run in a barn, and a creek to play in.  It was fun, and I am glad we went.  I am still deciding whether to keep Elsa in school or not...if I don't, I anticipate many more visits,  If I do, it may be more difficult.  This whole baby thing is making things challenging.  But great, little unnamed as of yet man.  Complications and chaos are fine.  We love you and want you.

I don't have a lot else to say, but I will put some pictures up.  I don't have any of me, of course, but let me tell you that I am huge and there is no fear, despite my advanced maternal age, that this baby isn't growing.

Elsa and her friend decided that the best way to do the hay bale maze was to leap around on top of them.  They were correct.  David thought it was fun as well, even when he made gross errors about how far he could jump and basically did a belly flop onto the hay and then slid down.

So, I included this picture, complete with chewing hair (as well as adorable gap toothed grin on Elsa's sweet friend) because the thing is that we live here.  It has been hot and humid lately, but my goodness, we live here, and see that stuff every dang day.  And I mean, imagine if I were actually a good photographer.

Yes.  It was a good day.

A Day Off

I have been having a rough time lately.  I have been feeling blue and sick and tired and frustrated and uncreative (aside from the life that I am sort of creating or at least holding for now.)  I told Jesse that I needed a day off...a total day off.  And he agreed--yesterday, Jesse took care of breakfast, then we all went to the Tailgate Market...I wasn't supposed to mind children, but David wasn't feeling great so it was too much to ask Jesse to take him, since he was following me around, occasionally weeping...but then, I was done.  Elsa had a play date, and Jesse took David on various errands, and I literally lay down all day.  Of course I had organizing, gardening and preserving plans for the day, but none of that happened.  I may have done a little laundry, but nothing else productive.  I hung out on Facebook for way too long, read some books and got caught up on reading the New Yorker.  I felt kind of yucky, and was glad when Elsa, back from her day out with her friend and Daddy, proposed an after dinner walk.  We walked down to the Greenway barefoot, heard some neighbors playing music, and just barely arrived back before dark.  At the end of the day, I did feel fairly gross, having been lying around all day.

But the thing is, today, I was better.  The unshakable cold finally seems to be receding.  I am not contemplating anti-depressants (I actually talked to my doctor about how blue I was feeling.)  I worked in the garden while the kids played in the kiddie pool, cleaned the chicken coop, did more laundry (laundry seems to be an incredible issue...I am a bit worried about what is going to happen with the addition of one more probably spitty and poopy little one do the mix...maybe when summer is over my children won't become gigantic dirt balls by the end of the day...), planted a butterfly bush in our "rose" (leafless thorn) garden, made a pie with the kids, froze the last quart of tomato sauce, and, most importantly, did not yell at Jesse all day (I think...I hope).  David and I had a conversation about the Civil War and why Native Americans didn't like it when the White settlers came on their land.   I am feeling more sanguine about Elsa's schooling...either I will homeschool her, or I will make an effort to take on, in diplomatic fashion of course, what I think are the problems with the public school.  Elsa is not the only one who deserves to get outside more and not to get pushed to read before she is ready.  At any rate, my worries do not feel like they are going to prevent me from actually enjoying my time with my family.   It's amazing what a little rest can do.