The Lyons Den: July 2012

Tuesday, July 31, 2012

Visit with the Mitchell Girls

We had some fabulous visitors today! Amy and Bowers came over for a little while this afternoon and even though there was total chaos, it was great to see them and catch up. Harrison and Brooks made sure to fit in some one on one time with sweet, little Bowers I made sure to do the same. She is such an adorable baby!

Keeping up with the Tazmanians

Keeping up with these maniacs is getting a little tricky. My sanity is gone and right now I am just "trying" to look like a normal person when we go out in public. I know that their age, 4 and almost 2, make for some pretty interesting times but I really can't imagine what people do with multiples. I'm pretty sure I would have left town by now if Brooks or Harrison had a twin. But I do need to keep people abreast of their new antics so here is just a little of what my sweet, delicate flowers are up to.

Harrison is just as personable as ever. I am actually trying to work with him on NOT being so friendly to strangers especially when Mommy or Daddy are not around. I have given him the ok to scream, bite, or karate chop any stranger who tries to lure him away. I just think he needs to be aware that not everyone is as friendly as you would like to think. Not the best message for a child but still something to think about. He is definitely an athlete and I'm not really sure what is going to be his sport of choice but I know he'll be good at whatever he decides. We have watched him hit golf balls, play tennis, swim like a fish, dive to the bottom of the pool, and tumble like he he was part of the crew of Cirque d' Solei. On top of that, he is extremely brave. He will jump off the roof of his playhouse, dangle off the monkey bars with his legs and no arms, front flip off a diving board, and do just about anything that makes you think, why am I letting this happen? Harrison also seems to have dropped his obsession of superheroes. He still loves the idea of it all but is no where near his old fascination with it. Instead, he has moved his fixation to lizards, frogs, and bugs. I will not be surprised in the least if he becomes the next crocodile hunter. There's no denying that he is busy, creative, and social so most of my day is spent trying to encourage and build up these traits. The other portion of my day is spent trying to squash it so that I can get a second of quiet time to myself. Which never happens.

Brooks is equal on almost all activity levels as Harrison. You would think that such an active girl would need rest but she managed to overcome the obstacle of a crib so that napping is only at her convenience, along with an early bedtime and staying in her own bed at night. This would be great news if I was looking for a reason not to sleep but unfortunately, I'm not. Harrison and Brooks do play really well together and luckily for Brooks, she does not seem to mind Harrison's rough, playful edges. She is a determined little girl and knows exactly the pitch of scream she needs in order to get what she wants. That's right, she isn't using words but she will spit out an entire phrase that says "I want that" or "That's mine, I want that" perfectly. But just because she isn't using words to communicate doesn't mean she doesn't understand them. She knows exactly what you're saying and she's known for a really long time. In fact, Brooks is an extremely quick learner. If I take her diaper off and ask her to go potty she will go straight to her potty and do her business. And you might be thinking, well, it's probably time to potty train her so I should get on it. And you might be right. But I'm gonna cross my fingers and just see how this plays out. She also loves to dance around and twirl and just like Harrison, I see a very musical side to her. And, of course, she is an animal lover. She will go nuts anytime she sees an animal whether it is on TV or walking down the road and I think our cats are going to need Prozac if she keeps up with her attempts to catch them and smother them every time they cross her path.

So, yes, I am having a wonderful time watching my kids grow and I guess I'll just wait for those dreaded teenage years to sleep. Only then, I'll be getting frustrated because they won't get out of bed! It's always something!

Wednesday, July 18, 2012

"I said, bow to your sensei!"

Yes, I do love that quote from Napoleon Dynamite. But what do I like more than that? I like the fact that karate appears to be the perfect match for my strong willed Harrison. Things aren't perfect around here but I've seen so much improvement from Harrison's behavior since he started karate 6 weeks ago. Not only that, he loves it and is constantly trying out the techniques that he is learning in class. I knew it was a good move this afternoon when he walked in the kitchen, bowed to me, and said "thank you mam" for the snack I had given him. Uh, yes please. I'll have some more where that came from. My worries are now put to bed about this class since I did actually have to sign a 6 month contract. Harrison really does well in karate and I can see him trying to do the best that can in each class. I'm very excited about his new sport and I know he looks forward to every time he gets to go which will soon be 3 times a week. He's a true ninja..or at least, he will be soon!

Tuesday, July 17, 2012

Cooling Off

This past weekend I attempted another art show in Atlanta, the Scott's Antique Market. The show didn't go too great but we at least got to spend another weekend in Athens. On Saturday, after deciding not to spend another day at the antique mart, we tried to beat the heat by spending most of the afternoon in Lee Lee and Grand Bill's pool. Harrison and Brooks' new bestie in Athens is an adorable little girl named Anna who came over to join us for an afternoon of swimming. She is on the same level as Harrison in terms of action and adventure so these 3 had quite a time splashing around. Harrison worked on his front flips and dives from the diving board, he swam around using goggles and a snorkel, and he did his typical routine of jumping in the water with a big splash usually wherever I was sitting. Especially if I was holding a camera. And Brooks maintained her comfort zone of playing on the 1st two steps only to get out and clown around with goggles and her backwards bathing suit that Lee Lee put on. Once Robert and Grand Bill got back from golf, there were more jumps, more flips, and some clumsy kids from the intoxicating pool time fun. I also included some pictures of our new road trip assistant and awesome babysitter, Preslie. Life sure is easier when you have great help!

Wednesday, July 11, 2012

4th of July

We had a fun and hot Forth of July this year in Jacksonville. We spent the afternoon at the Yacht Club with Leigh, Carter, Tim and Lauren. Brooks got to spend some quality time in the bounce house with uncle Tim and Harrison did his usual non stop swimming routine. That evening we cooked dinner at Carter and Leigh's and then headed over to the Yacht Club again to watch fireworks. The fireworks weren't such a hit this year with Harrison and Brooks as we had anticipated. I think the loudness of it all had them a little off set so we watched the display from inside. You would think these two would be delighted with all the noise seeing that there is never a silent moment in our house. Oh well, it was a fun day and we all had a great time!

Thursday, July 5, 2012

Duck Duck Brooks

My little Brooksie has a new obsession...ducks. She could not be more thrilled that we live in a neighborhood with ponds and ponds full of them. It is by far, her favorite word and she gets so excited every time she sees one. Here are some pictures from the weekend, feeding the ducks and swimming in the pool.