My boys and me

Popsicles and Stickers

2012-01-18T17:06:00.000-08:00

We have our first set of stitches behind us. And who would've guessed (heavy sarcasm) that it would have been Ben? He slammed his head against our headboard, caught the edge and cut his forehead. I hoped for some glue when I landed in Urgent Care. Instead, we got three stitches.

Ben was happy to visit the doctor -- laid back in the waiting room with his feet propped up, pl: aying on my iPhone -- until the nurses strapped him into a velcro burrito, stuck a two-inch syringe full of pain meds under his skin, and expertly stitched his skin back together. "I am afraid!!!" he screamed. I think he was more mad than anything because, honestly, I've never seen Ben afraid of anything.

He picked out Hot Wheels and Dora bandages to cover the wound, and we wore those for five days, until we went back to Urgent Care for our second trip. Our conversation in the waiting room went a little something like this:

Me: Hey Ben, where are we.
Ben: At the doctor!
Me: Why are we here?
Ben: To get popsicles and stickers!

He didn't cry when the stitches came out, and the nurses told him bye "until next time" on the way out. Something about his spunk made them sure this wasn't the first set of stitches. And yes, he got his popsicles an stickers.

John and I are really surprised it took us this long. The stitches are out, we've already got three more scratches on our forehead. Life with the fearless one continues.

Last Stop: Jonesborough

2012-01-10T19:33:00.000-08:00

These are the last of my East Tennessee photos and for sure some of my favorites. There's something about Jonesborough that seems slower and more wholesome than a lot of my world. I love that my boys love it there and hope they always get excited about spending time with Mamaw and Papaw.

When we arrived after Christmas, my Papaw was just a few days home from the hospital. He had a heart attack just before Christmas and had stents placed in his heart. He was moving a little slower than the rest of us, but still looked great. That meant, though, that Jack had to convince Uncle Steve to let him ride the tractor. It didn't take much convincing, and this time, Jack actually got to drive. He will be talking about that for months.

And if Jack's getting a turn, so is Ms. Mary Beth. (Ben was inside, and let's hope it's many many years until he realizes there are tractor rides at Mamaw and Papaw's house. I'm not ready for that yet.)

I think this is another one of my all-time favorites: proof these two really do like each other.

A Few More

2012-01-09T18:23:00.000-08:00

Found a few more photos from Mom's house -- mostly of the boys playing outside and picking from a money tree Mom received at work.

And this pretty much sums up our trip toward the end.

Oh, How I've Missed These Women

2012-01-06T14:04:00.000-08:00

I got to spend some sweet time with my East Tennessee girlfriends on our trip last week -- thanks to my mom who watched Jack and Ben so I could visit.

I love this photo -- all the boys got together for Brandi's from-scratch chocolate chip cookies and tolerated a photo from me.

A Trip for Fish

2012-01-05T20:42:00.000-08:00

Jack told me this morning that he wants to clean fish tanks when he grows up -- like those guys at the Tennessee Aquarium. That's the product of all the fish talk we've been having in the past few days, after visiting the Tennessee Aquarium in East Tennessee last week.

Thankfully, we found a gorgeous day in December to take the kids to Chattanooga during our trip -- we started in the river section of the aquarium, took a break for lunch, and then tackled the ocean section. The kids had a blast and learned a lot about fish, turtles, penquins, etc.

The aquarium is located on the river near downtown Chattanooga and has some great views of the mountains. (This is like the upteenth pictures of mountains that I've posted from last week. I really really miss them over here in West Tennessee.)

Back to the fish. With the help of my mom and Ruby, I was able to play with my camera a little while they counted and chased children. I always joke to my friends who are photo whizzes that my kids move too fast to do much more than an automatic setting. But I'm learning. Slowly.

Before we loaded up the car, we let the kids play a little outside of the aquarium -- where a fountain keeps children busy in the summer. I grabbed this photo of Ben and think it may be one of my all-time favorites. (except for the fact that his fly is open. He's totally going to call me on that in a few years.)

An East Tennessee Christmas

2012-01-03T19:48:00.000-08:00

Ruby and I spent the past week in East Tennessee visiting Mom and Don, and then later Mamaw and Papaw. All told, I think we put 1,100 miles on my car, but got to spend some great time breathing East Tennessee air. Charlie and Miranda joined us early on in the week -- calling for the obligatory "grandkids" photo for mom. John took one look at this photo and said "poor Mary Beth." Lots of boys.

I found the boys hiding by the tree after lunch, waiting on the grown ups to hurry up and eat. They assured me they were just counting presents and organizing them for later.

Our usual morning routine was a lot like it is in Memphis: Ben comes to find me around 6 a.m. and we find a quiet place to play as we wait for everyone else to wake up. One morning, I caught this sunrise over the mountains. Memphis is growing on us, but I never see sunrises like this in West Tennessee.

All Out (Nerf Gun) War

2012-01-02T07:39:00.000-08:00

Somehow we wrapped up Christmas with three new Nerf Guns. This is when I am reminded just how much I'm outnumbered in this house -- all the testosterone can be a little overwhelming sometimes.

We managed to get a decent Nerf battle out of the new toys on Christmas Day: Jack and me against John and Ben -- well, really just John. Ben just ran around with his water gun yelling "I got you!"

I'd like to say Jack and I won, but I had some technical difficulties with one of the guns (those things are complicated.) Jack and I just started collecting bullets when that happened. Eventually, John ran out.

My crazy-haired man

Christmas Morning 2011

2011-12-30T13:59:00.000-08:00

One day, my mom reminds me, the magic will fade. So we cherish it now. Oh sweet boys -- all three of mine. We spent all of Christmas Day in our pajamas. John had to work, so we woke the boys up extra early and discovered Santa's gifts before he had to scoot out. We played all day -- I cooked a little -- and then we ended the day with an all-out Nerf war (more on that later.)

For Christmas this year, Jack received a Nerf gun, Transformer and Air Hog remote control helicopter. Ben, ever the Cars 2 fanatic, found five die cast Cars 2 cars and a track. No complaints. I recorded a short video before my FlipCam failed me.(ya'll need to turn the music player off for this).

To prepare for the night, Jack made a sign for Santa. I called out the letters and he wrote them out, and then I ended up emailing his preschool teacher to tell her how much I loved her. Seriously, this boy was doing NONE of that last year.

By the time John was settling into work on Christmas morning, I was blaring my Christmas present -- a dock for my iPhone. The boys enjoyed it too.

Christmas Eve with the Hancocks

2011-12-29T13:56:00.000-08:00

We celebrated Christmas Eve night at the Hancocks this year, after attending Christmas Eve service at church. This is the first year Jack has gotten to go to "big church" for Christmas Eve service, and he made sure to sit quietly throughout the service and listen.

After church we headed to the Hancocks for dinner -- which included a birthday cake for Jesus. We also managed to open a few presents.

A War Room Takeover

2011-12-29T04:32:00.000-08:00

The boys spent an afternoon with me at work last week, as I tied up some loose ends before taking a week off to hang out with them. The office was quiet -- well, at least until they got there -- so we were able to take over the War Room and sequester the energy. The War Room is home to our media team, but we've been able to make it kid friendly with a dry erase board, VCR and a few toys. All of our kids feel pretty comfortable about there.

The boys also helped me deliver newsletters to various offices too. We always have a red wagon lying around, so I piled up the boys and my newsletters and went on our little "field trip." The physicians got a kick out of my little elves delivering newsletters and the boys had a blast helping out.

Elf, the elf

2011-12-28T04:25:00.000-08:00

I wanted to post some photos this year of Elf, our cleverly-named Elf on the Shelf. He started visiting us the weekend after Thanksgiving and stayed until Christmas Eve Eve.

Some mornings, we found him in pretty inventive places (I've posted a few of those below), but mostly, he jumped around the same five or six spots throughout the month. This was the first year, though, that Jack really got into the magic and went to find him each morning. Here he is "measuring" the length of Jack's stocking for Santa.

The first week he arrived, I overheard Jack having a serious conversation in the dark dining room with Elf.

Jack, whispering: "Hey, are you real? Can you hear me? Can you hear me and you just aren't talking?" He proceeded with his first round of Santa requests.

A couple of nights later, we found Elf with the M&Ms on the kitchen counter, a temptation that proved too impossible for Jack to resist. He picked at the M&Ms throughout the day, before accidentally touching Elf.

For all you not well-versed in the rules of Elf on the Shelf, kids can never touch elves. It takes away their magic and they can't fly back to the North Pole each night to report to Santa. Naturally, Jack was a little upset after he touched Elf and decided to have another serious conversation -- or shall we say, intervention -- with him later that day.

Jack: "Elf, you really shouldn't land on counters, OK? You need to land higher from now on. That way little kids can't touch you. It's too dangerous for you to sit on counters."

We also found Elf in more serious spots too, like in our Nativity scene worshiping Baby Jesus and in our Advent calendar later in the month.

Speaking of elves, Jack filled this out at school last month. I think it's a keeper.

Christmas with Grammy and Pop

2011-12-23T18:22:00.000-08:00

Grammy and Pop came to Memphis this week to celebrate Christmas a little early. John is working Christmas Day and Christmas Eve, but we found time on his weekend to open presents, tour Shelby Farms' Starry Nights and bake Christmas cookies.

By now, Jack is an old pro at this. Can't you tell?

The finished product:

Looking for Santa's Reindeer

2011-12-19T17:04:00.000-08:00

Jack spent part of this weekend looking for Santa's reindeer. It made sense, he reasoned, that if Santa was taking Christmas Eve orders at Enchanted Forest, then his sleigh and reindeer must be parked outside the Enchanted Forest's Pink Palace. We never found it.

We did find lots of trains -- the boys' favorite part of Enchanted Forest. This year, I noticed they added an Elvis portion to the train display. Only in Memphis.

I handed the camera over to Jack at one point and later found dozens of random photos on the camera. One of my favorite: this picture of the Le Bonheur heart.

Go Tell It on the Mountain

2011-12-17T05:48:00.000-08:00

Lord of Life Preschool held its Christmas program this week, the only event it holds for the entire school each year. The school sang all the traditional Christmas songs, and the 2-year-olds did a great job of looking cute and ringing jingle bells.

I came prepared with my giant lens on my fancy camera, but forgot to put a card in the camera. In my house, we call that "pulling a Nellann." Nevertheless, I grabbed a couple of shots with my phone of this extravaganza. Jack is on the front row with the navy shirt on. Ben is up top with reindeer ears on his head.

Courtside

2011-12-13T11:12:00.000-08:00

Jack and John's firsthe basketball game this past Sunday. So far, so good. The team won its scrimmage last week and first game, and John has decided he has a couple of great ballplayers on his team.

Jack is still working on the rules, but has down some of the basics: dribble carefully, put your hands up when you are on defense (though I am not sure he always knows the difference) and nail the free throws. He hit his first free throw this past weekend.

Tree Lighting at Le Bonheur

2011-12-04T04:58:00.000-08:00

To celebrate one year in our new Le Bonheur Children's Hospital, we held a tree lighting ceremony last week for our hospital staff. John had to work, so I got the boys early and brought them to the ceremony. A cup of hot chocolate and a cookie, and they were set. I'm pretty sure Jack thinks he works there anyway. It amazes me how he just fits right in to whatever situation he encounters.

See what I mean? Jack joins the choir about halfway through as they sang Christmas carols.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2011-11-26T11:24:00.000-08:00

We're pretty used to working through holidays by now, but this is the first year John has had to work Thanksgiving night. Because of his regular days off, we've been able to have that Thursday off for the past few years. To make up for it, we decided to celebrate early this year. I scooted out of work a day early and we headed to Lebanon on Tuesday night for a short trip to Grammy and Pop's house.

We celebrated Thanksgiving Wednesday night, but before we did, cousins Anna and Ryan came over to play with the boys all day on Wednesday. Jack, as usual was in awe of Ryan. Ben, meanwhile, had the full attention of Anna. I caught this video while they were playing Just Dance on the Wii.

When the Mettees gather, we usually eat dinner and then the adults play cards while the kids play. This week the kids disappeared upstairs for a while and then came downstairs to present their Thanksgiving parade. Jack was a pilgrim, Ryan a "buff" Indian, Katie a turkey and Anna, well, she's our announcer.

We also had a "thankful" tree this year, where everyone put something that they were thankful for. In addition to me and the boys, John made sure to add "Obama" and "Unions" to his thankful list, just to make sure we continued our tradition of debating politics whenever we get together. I was so proud.

Thanksgiving, Chick-fil-a Style

2011-11-21T17:17:00.000-08:00

Apparently, the pilgrims had Chick-fil-a nuggets. Nuggets, mac and cheese and popcorn, to be exact. Oh, and Capri Sun. We joke about the Thanksgiving Feast at Lord of Life Preschool each year, but it truly is my favorite event of the school year. Those Pilgrims (and Indians, er, Native Americans) know how to chow down.

Jack and Ben celebrated Thanksgiving three days early today, and I was able to break away from work to enjoy it with them. Today, I am thankful for the coolest boss ever, who reminds me every day that I am a Mama first. Nothing like seeing dozens of 3- and 4-year-olds feasting on nuggets to make the day better.

I didn't really get a visit with Ben, though. The school director forbid me to enter the 2-year-old classroom (unless I was ready to take him home afterward). So, I begged her to take my camera in and get some photos of my little Indian.

With all this talk about Thanksgiving and the Mayflower, Jack's class was assigned last week to bring something to school that they would carry with them on the Mayflower trip to America. Jack's item: a Nerf gun to kill turkeys. I would have loved to have been a fly on the wall when John asked Ms. Nancy if it was OK for Jack to bring a gun to school. Thankfully, she was fine with it.

"Don't Touch Anything"

2011-11-20T16:40:00.000-08:00

I had to share these. Tired of watching his brother in yet another practice, Ben found his own fun this afternoon during Jack's basketball practice. Crazy kid. He crawled through chairs, explored the church, found trails outside -- anything he could do to pass the time.

"Don't touch anything," he told me when we started our adventure. (I guess I say that a lot to him). Meanwhile, John tackled coaching a group of 5 year old.

Taekwondo, Round One

2011-11-16T18:36:00.000-08:00

Last winter, we spent a lot of time indoors and Jack grew restless quickly. So this time around, we're changing directions a little: basketball and taekwondo. I'll post basketball pictures later (John is coaching, or shall we say, herding, that group of 5-year-olds.)

After just a few classes of taekwondo, John and I love it just as much as Jack. There are lots of "Yes Mam" and No Mam" required in class. Sprints if you talk in class. Situps to get back in if you want a drink of water. Discipline. We like it.

Last week, Jack earned his second stripe after learning a four-step sequence. I caught it on video.

We are able to walk to classes from our neighborhood and can go to as many classes we want each week. It makes for a nice after-school activity when Jack is restless. Ben, meanwhile, is growing tired of getting dragged to one more thing he's too little to participate in.

Happy Birthday Great Grammy

2011-11-15T11:30:00.000-08:00

We celebrated Great Grammy's 90th birthday in Mount Juliet last week. It was a great chance to all of John's family to get together and visit.

Jack celebrating with a cake cone that Aunt Susan made for everyone.

Best Buds: Reunion

2011-11-13T06:41:00.000-08:00

Jack got a huge surprise yesterday afternoon, when he got to see his best bud, Josh. Josh moved to Louisiana this past summer, but his family came to Memphis this weekend to visit. On our way over, I told Jack to get ready for a surprise, but didn't tell him where we were going. He nearly jumped out of his seat when he figured out where we were headed -- both to see Josh and their friend Brody. Mama, meanwhile, was happy to let them play and have a glass of wine with friends.

Jack and Ben with Brody and Josh.

My Obligatory Halloween Photos

2011-11-04T05:44:00.000-07:00

John and I took our two Transformers trick or treating on Monday, along with the Hancocks. This was the first year Ben understood the concept and took to it pretty quickly. "Go get more, Ma," he'd say each time we left a house.

My favorite part of the night was watching the boys hand out candy when we got back home. Tbey gave away handfuls of their own candy to older kids who stopped by. (Jack told me it was OK, too much candy hurt his stomach).

Spooked at the Zoo

2011-10-28T14:54:00.000-07:00

Since August, Jack has been asking about Halloween, and more importantly, Zoo Boo -- a spooky Halloween event at the Zoo that the boys always look forward to. This year, I went with my two Androids, Bumblebee and Optimus Prime, sans the masks. Masks, I guess, cut down on your ability to hunt for candy stops in the zoo.

Jack with his friend, Anna. Those two are two peas in a pod.

Fall Festival at the Agricenter

2011-10-19T11:14:00.000-07:00

We made it to a fall festival at the Agricenter a couple of weeks ago and the boys were able to catch two hayrides around the complex, painted pumpkins and talked to a camel or two.

On the hayride with my boys.

The crazy clan: Ruby, Mary Beth, Jack and Ben

I didn't crop the photo below because it's so typical of our phase right now. Jack sits and poses with me for a picture when Ben promptly turns his back and finds something to destroy.

Jack found the bluegrass and sat by himself for 20 minutes or so, quietly listening.

Thanks to the Bones for having us over the night of our festival. Jack wanted me to get a picture of him with this ghost.

"I Don't Want Haircut!"

2011-10-18T09:45:00.000-07:00

I just knew this would be easy. As you can tell, it wasn't. I took both the boys to Sports Clips on Friday afternoon for haircuts. Ben's shag was getting out of control and I had picked at it too many times with my own pair of scissors.

Thankfully, his hairdresser was fast and patient, as I held him down with all my might, praying she wouldn't clip his skin while he flailed in the chair. "I DON'T WANT HAIRCUT," he wailed. Pat went with me, and thankfully, she was able to catch this "precious" moment. These are the things we'll think back fondly on in 20 years, huh?

Meanwhile, his brother sat and watched football, so proud to be at the place where Daddy gets his hair cut.

Birthday Babes

2011-10-17T16:48:00.000-07:00

I'm catching up on a few sets of photos that have been sitting on the camera too long. We celebrated Mary Beth and Dylan's 3rd and 1st birthday, respectively, at the end of September. Granna and Papa Don came to Memphis to help us celebrate.

Mary Beth and I share a love for shoes -- something Ruby doesn't understand. So, the Mettees got her four pairs of plastic high heels. She was a happy girl.

Ben cleaning up after the pinata is emptied.

While We Were Out

2011-10-16T05:34:00.000-07:00

Jack and Ben spent last week with Grammy and Pop, while John and I were in Mexico. They visited the zoo, train museum in Jackson and eventually made their way to Mount Juliet. I don't think Ben noticed we were gone for at least a couple of days.

First, a visit to the zoo where Jack overcame his longlasting uneasiness with the kamodo dragon. He's never been too willing to visit it, but after fearless Ben went to see it, Jack was convinced he'd be OK.

Later in week, on their way East, they hit the Casey Jones Home and Railroad Museum in Jackson. This is one of Jack's favorite places in the world and he was happy to introduce Ben to it.

And then, to Mount Juliet, where they visited with Great Grammy and cousins Anna and Ryan. Ben can't stop talking about going to see Anna.

And this is what a crazy week will do to you. Ben has fallen asleep before 6 the past two nights.

A Mexican Anniversary

2011-10-15T10:49:00.000-07:00

John and I celebrated our 10-year wedding anniversary last week with a trip to Playa de Carmen, Mexico. At least, I think that's where we were. We pretty much stayed in this spot for the entire week.

We stayed at our first all-inclusive resort, Royal Hideaway, thanks to a recommendation from my friend, Cami. (Cami, we LOVE you.) John and I are already talking about when we're headed back. Everyone at this small, quiet resort was helpful and determined to meet our every request. Paradise.

A view from our room of a neighboring villa.

I think I sat in this spot for at least six hours each day of the trip. I told John we'll need to detox for a least a week from the food and margaritas.

Food, margaritas and beer, I mean.

When it got a little hot, the staff brought around cold towels and fruit for everyone.

We did manage to leave the resort one night, to meet up with John's brother, Steve, and his family. Playa de Carmen's Fifth Avenue is one long pedestrian street of shops and restaurants that gave a taste of the culture.

The staff noted our anniversary on Thursday with towel swans and balloons, in addition to the bottle of champagne that waited for us at dinner.

Our anniversary night, after a giant Italian dinner.

One of our favorite parts of the trip was finding great friends. Even better, they were from the South. Needless to say, there was lots of football talk.

It's hard to believe, but what a blessed 10 years it has been. Two wonderful children and a pretty great life. (Oh, the kids. No, we didn't leave them at home alone. I just have the best in-laws in the world. I'll blog tomorrow about what life looked like for them last week. )

Picking out Pumpkins

2011-10-04T10:50:00.000-07:00

The boys and I went to get pumpkins this past weekend. I needed a couple of big ones for the porch and other fall decorations and they insisted on getting small ones for each of their rooms. Jack's just counting down the days now until he can make an "angry pumpkin," aka, jack-o-lantern.

While we were there, they found an 1,000-pound pumpkin to sit with. Jack wanted to take it at first, but I convinced him I couldn't get it into the car.

Fall Soccer

2011-10-01T06:46:00.000-07:00

Somehow, September got away from us. The weather is finally starting to cool down, football season is well underway and we're in full swing for fall soccer. Last year, Jack spent much of his time sitting on the sidelines of the soccer field -- by choice. He would get distracted by the crowd or just want to take a self-imposed break.

This year, we see touches of that, but he's doing much better and finally sees the value (I hope) of staying on the field for his team. He's a pretty good goalie, can throw the ball in really well and we're working on everything else.

First, though, this picture. I think it may be my all-time favorite photo of those two. John is talking to Jack about hustling on the field. I'm guessing the talk involved a Halloween treat somehow.

My favorite part of 4- and 5-year-old soccer is this herd mentality. They run in groups. Everywhere.

Distracting Ben is a full-time job on the soccer field. He's dying to get out there and play.

Fall Festivals Begin

2011-09-10T16:55:00.000-07:00

Memphis is supposed to hit 90 degrees next week, but we're watching football and attending fall festivals anyway. Ruby and I took the kids to the Germantown Festival today, one of many we'll hit before the end of October. We had fun touring the craft tables and the kids loved the games and bouncy toys. I even got a nap out of Ben.

Grandparents Day

2011-09-10T05:14:00.000-07:00

My niece, Mary Beth, celebrated Grandparents Day at her school yesterday. And because neither my sister or I have parents/in-laws who live close, we usually do these for each other. I was the youngest "grandparent" there, Mary and I were able to celebrate just the same with punch and cookies.

2011-09-01T18:31:00.000-07:00

I'm catching up these days. The boys started preschool on Aug. 22 and for one year, they are in the same spot. Jack is doing 4K again and Ben is working on 2K. Just a few days in, and the teachers were telling me how different these boys can be. Jack has been around the place for a while, but they are just getting a chance to meet Ben, aka, Destruction.

They are in different classes, but get to spend time together in the gym in before and aftercare. Like a lot of brothers, the teachers have to break up a few wrestling matches, but other than that, we love having them in the same spot. I asked Ben to name his best friend at his new school. His answer: "My broda Jack."

I'm almost embarrassed to post these -- my camera was acting up and I didn't have the patience to grab my iPhone and get something better. Nevertheless, these are my obligatory first day of school pictures. I took the day off to get the boys settled. After John woke from his midnight shift, we grabbed a really long lunch. Really long. As in, we survived summer and will sit and enjoy lunch and a beer, even if we're here 3 hours.

Middle Tennessee, minus me

2011-08-19T18:32:00.000-07:00

We are just a few days away from the start of preschool in the Mettee house and I, for one, am ready for a little structure to our days. Before everyone gets back into the routine, John took the boys to Mount Juliet this past week to see Pop and Grammy for a couple of days. Having different days off than John, I stayed back in Memphis and begged for any photos I could get from the trip. John came through.

Much of the family made it to the Wilson County fair on Tuesday night. Jack got to hang out with big cousins Anna and Ryan -- not to mention Pop and Grammy -- so he was a happy boy. He's still telling me how brave he was on some of the rides.

The crew in jail -- at least that's what Jack told me when I asked.

Soccer. Sort of.

2011-08-16T08:54:00.000-07:00

Fall soccer practice started back a couple of weeks ago -- right in the middle of our Memphis heatwave. Practice, for now, is in the church gym, which is always cool but can bring challenges to dribbling. Picture seven 5-year-olds chasing balls up and now the court as they practice dribbling. It brings great entertainment on Sunday afternoons.

Last fall, we spent a good amount of time coaxing Jack back onto the soccer field after he'd wander off. We're hoping for a longer attention span this fall and for a little more endurance. So far, so good. Well, better at least. True to form, though, Jack still makes sure to find time to socialize during practice. Here he is with his friends, Anna, and Grant.

Meanwhile, Ben is still itching to get in the action.

No Sprinkler Park Needed

2011-08-13T06:48:00.000-07:00

We headed over to Aunt Ruby and Uncle John's new house last night to meet up with our good friends Tara and Nicky. Jack and Nicky are buds and it gave Jack a chance to get out some of his summer restlessness. After dinner, Ruby turned on the sprinklers outside and let the kids run. It was like having a built-in sprinkler park.

I've been playing some with a new Instragram app I added to my phone last week. It adds an effect that makes the photos look old.

I'm pretty sure there's a picture just like this in Mom's old photo albums -- reminds me of Ruby at this age.

Growing Up?

2011-08-11T13:06:00.000-07:00

The green bottle and Bobby. Our world prettv much revolves around these two things. I confessed that Ben still used a green bottle to a friend this week -- the fact that my 2-year-old still demands a bottle of milk every morning. Well, really all the time.

"You should blog about it," she said. At first, the thought sounded ludicrous, but the more I thought about it, the more I was reminded that these are the things I want to remember. And so, I took a photo of what mornings at the Mettee house sometimes look like. It's a battleground and sometimes, John and I are just proud to come out sane. Just a few things that I thought of when I took this photo:

1. The green bottle. Ben can use a sippy, he just doesn't want to. And sometimes, we don't want the battle. What's funny to me is that he demands a green bottle -- and knows his colors enough to know when I'm sliding by. My guess is that a kid who can pick out his bottle by color shouldn't be using it. I also think he'll still turn out OK.

2. The thumb and Bobby. Slowly, Bobby is unraveling to nothing, but for now, he's still around. And JUST like cousin Katie, Jack is always sucking on his thumb when bobby is in his hand.

3. The coffee table. You'll see the couch behind them, but these boys would much rather climb up on the table to watch morning cartoons. Still, no one was screaming, right?

Just as fast as I capture this moment, though, I'm caught by how big they really are getting. I grabbed this photo of Jack about a month ago, when he told me he wanted me to cut the tattered part of bobby, so he could throw it away. Bobby is now down to a small square and my guess is that eventually, it'll fit in his pocket.

As they grow up, I'm also trying to keep my need for perfection in check. John and I usually make beds each morning, and I've been trying to encourage Jack to help. A few weeks ago, he came downstairs so proud of his achievement. So proud of that boy.

We'll keep taking it day by day around here. And one day, I know, I'll look up and they'll be completely independent. These are the things I'll remember.

Pop and Grammy Visit

2011-08-06T07:59:00.000-07:00

Pop and Grammy came to visit this past week -- we haven't seen them in a while, so the boys were super excited to see them. Ben asked me this morning, two days after they left, if he could go upstairs and see Pop.

With the temperatures soaring well past 100 this week, we had to find some inside activities. John took them all to Incredible Pizza Company the first day of their visit. We all made it to the children's museum on Wednesday.

Ben waiting on the parachute to fill with hot air and go into the sky.

Summer List No. 1: Make Ice Cream

2011-07-31T06:26:00.000-07:00

We knocked another "to do" off our summer list this weekend with my first experiment with homemade ice cream. It was much easier than I thought it would be, and my dear friend Lori was right: It does taste better when you make it yourself.

Just one hiccup in the cooking: I know how to temper an egg, but got a little impatient. I ended up pulling a few pieces of scrambled egg out of the batter.

Our cookies and cream creation. I used skim milk but stuck with the heavy whipping cream. Needless to say, it's a little rich.

John told me it was "off the chain." So I'm calling it a success.

Bedtime

2011-07-26T19:22:00.000-07:00

We said goodbye to our nursery this weekend, a little earlier than I'd expected. Ben made it clear he was ready, even if I wasn't, after flinging himself out of the crib every couple of hours for two nights straight. On Saturday night, Ben was up from midnight to 5 a.m., and every time John and I put him back in the crib, he'd scream and then climb over.

"Why don't you just set up the bed," my mom asked. Because in my plan, Ben gets several more months in his baby bed. He's a baby for a little while longer. Never mind the plan. Ben's not having it.

Instead, we took the crib apart on Sunday afternoon and found it a good home by the time the sun went down. I was the only one who gave pause for even a moment that this crib -- the one that held both my babies -- was gone. I'm usually not very sentimental around stuff, but this "stuff," yes.

It took the boys relatively no time to take the crib apart. Ben's new bed is actually the top bunk in a set of bunk beds we bought for the boys a couple of years ago. The top bunk has a set of rails that make it a perfect toddler bed.

Thanks to Aunt Susie for the great bedding (once Cousin Ryan's so both Jack and Ben think it's special) Ben's reaction when he saw the bed: "Mom, I WOOOVE trains." He is so proud of being a big boy.

I still need to hang some photos, but it was a relatively easy job.

Ben has slept soundly for the past three nights, and Jack has even had to go wake him up the past few mornings. Now, if potty training were so easy, I'd go ahead and knock it out too.

A Wet One

2011-07-22T08:27:00.000-07:00

I'm so thankful for a flexible job and a great boss who lets me move my day off around. John and I took advantage of it again this week and spent Tuesday morning at the zoo. We arrived just as the zoo was opening and left right before lunch, just when the Memphis July heat was starting to get unbearable.

The boys didn't mind the heat, though, because they spent most of the morning in the geysers on Teton Trek. For all you non-Memphians, that's where the Grizzlies and wolves live at the zoo. And for my boys, it's where you take a break when the sun is starting to beat down.

Ben wasn't real sure of the water, and spent most of his time lurking near the edges, watching his big brother.

Slip, Slide, Ride

2011-07-19T16:34:00.000-07:00

The boys -- the little ones -- have been busy in the backyard this week. I took this video the other day and thought I'd share.

We also visited geese in the pond in our neighborhood this week -- something I used to do all the time with Jack but don't seem to do much at all these days. Ben walked the entire way without the stroller, and even took on Gracie walking duties on the way back. How did he get so big?

On the way back, Jack found some 10-year-olds he wanted to play with. They, on the other hand, didn't really want to play. They went inside. And Jack, well, he waited.

And waited.

Finally, I was able to convince him to go inside. He's still asking when "his friends" are coming outside. Love that boy.

Best Buds

2011-07-14T18:11:00.000-07:00

Jack's best buddy, Josh, is moving to Louisiana soon, and we wanted to make sure they got together for one final playdate before the move. I'm pretty sure Jack doesn't have any idea where Louisiana is, because he kept asking Josh if he'd see him again next month.

John and I took the boys to Incredible Pizza Company (think Chuck E Cheese on Crack) for the afternoon on Wednesday. They had a blast. '

John and Ben took their turn at a shooting game.

Josh and Jack's favorite game is bowling, so we did it twice.

On the way home, I overheard a conversation with Josh and Jack. It went something like this:

Jack: Did you see the dinosaur game?

Josh: Dinosaurs are extinct!

Jack: Cause they were hit by the meteors?

Josh: No! They were hit with the lava. From the volcanos.

Oh yeah.

Summer List No. 3: See Cars 2

2011-07-12T14:06:00.000-07:00

Mark one more off my list. John and I surprised the boys with a trip to the movies Sunday afternoon. I was a little nervous about Jack -- something about dark theaters and loud noises don't work for him. In fact, the last time I tried to take him to the movies, we quickly got a refund after Jack assured me there were bats in there.

But this was Cars 2, a favorite of both Jack and Ben -- and I hoped the fact that baby brother was going would help. A snippet of our conversation as we left church on our way to the theater.

Jack: "Mom, God made me?"

Me: "Yep"

Jack: "But not Cars 2."

(I never really know how to respond to this.)

Jack: "I'm going to be brave, Mom. I'm going to be brave at Cars 2."

He was very brave -- even though he did ask me at one point if there were bats in their theater. Nope, I assured him. Ben was brave too, and sat pretty still for most of the movie. Now that's saying a lot.

Summer List No. 7 and 10: Catch Fireflies and Watch Fireworks

2011-07-10T04:54:00.000-07:00

I knocked a couple of summer to do items off my list during our trip to East Tennessee, where fireflies -- aka, lightning bugs -- are abundant and there were plenty of fireworks. Jack and I captured five or six bugs, put them in a jar, and then poked holes that were way too big.The jar was empty by the end of the night.

Fireworks were also abundant, though it took Jack a couple of nights to get used to the sound.

He eventually warmed up, and stayed up with me to watch the fireworks my cousins set off for us on Sunday night.

Splash Around

2011-07-10T04:49:00.000-07:00

The boys and I managed to sneak in an hour at the Splash Park after work one day this week. The heat was getting to me, so an hour was all I could handle. Still, they had a blast.

Meet Mater

2011-07-09T06:47:00.000-07:00

My years in the burbs have taken me away from my farming roots, but I got a tiny taste of it this weekend when my family and I worked to nurse a young baby calf back to health.

This is Mater, named by Jack and I after his favorite Cars movie character. He was blind and nearly dead when we found him and I'll go ahead and tell you this story ends realistically. I'm telling it because it's one of the first times my boys cared for a calf, something I want them to experience in their lifetime.

I learned this past weekend that you can buy colostrum replacement for baby calves. Colostrum is the milk that mammals produce just before birth and it contains antibodies to protect newborns against disease. And so, when my uncle found Mater in a field, abandoned by his mother, we set out to find some colostrum. My brother Charlie manages the dairy herd at the University of Tennessee, so he knows a thing or two about caring for calves. He had an audience for Mater's first feeding.

Mater only lived a couple of days after we found him, but my boys kept a close watch on him while we were there. When he did die, my uncle buried him. And Jack asked where Mater was one afternoon, Papaw just told him he'd gone out to the field. That answer was sufficient for Jack.

Summer List No. 6: Head to the Lake

2011-07-08T04:11:00.000-07:00

Adding extra time to our long weekend, I took another vacation day on Tuesday and we all joined our friends Lisa and Josh on Pickwick Lake. They are regulars on the lake and invited us out to join them. It's really rare that John and I spend a full day together and we took this one in completely, heading to the lake early and pulling in our driveway at home around 10 p.m. The sun and water were perfect, as was the company.

I'm posting pictures from this past week and the week before, thanks to Lisa for taking some last week. Love, love all my boys.

Jack and his buds Grant and Sara

Summer List No. 4: Head East

2011-07-07T04:54:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite childhood memories is spending summer afternoons on my grandparents' backporch. As kids, we would spend hours playing out there, and then eventually, just rocking and talking. As we grew older, our conversations changed, but the feeling is the same. Papaw and I now talk about parenthood and politics -- his has moved further to the right over the past few years and I have crept over to the left. He gives me advice on how to raise two independent, well-mannered boys. Meanwhile, Mamaw is busy teaching me how to make all my favorite dishes of hers: potato salad, chocolate pie and, this past weekend, ribs. I try my best to soak it all in.

We marked No. 4 off our summer list over Fourth of July weekend -- along with a few other items I'll post about later. The boys and I traveled to Jonesborough with my sister and her two children. (Stop for a minute and take a mental picture of that: two adults, four kids under the age of 6 in a car for 450 miles each way.) My mom, Don, and my brother and his family met us there on Saturday. It was a chance to get all the grandkids together, something we only manage to do a few times a year.

I'm not sure why, but throwing rocks into the dog's water bowl is a favorite pasttime as Mamaw and Papaw's house. Mary, Jack and Ben spent much of the weekend torturing the poor dog.

My favorite thing about summers in Jonesborough, for my boys, are the wide open spaces. We spend almost all of our time outside, feeding heifers, playing hide and seek and whatever else they can think to do. Don and Mom brought their Jeep up for the day, which stayed on the go the entire trip. Ben insisted on being everyone's passenger, constantly looking for someone to drive him.

These moments are always my favorite, when I find the two Jacks -- Jack and Papaw -- talking about cattle or donkeys or whatever else they find to discuss. On Sunday, Ruby and I took the boys to Jonesborough Days for a few hours. There, the kids rode trains, got their faces painted and played in the sprinklers.

Jack and Daddy Days

2011-06-30T04:32:00.000-07:00

Jack was in desperate need of some one-on-one daddy time this week, after John worked what felt like a crazy number of shifts this past weekend. He got more than he'd ever hope for on Tuesday morning when John surprised him with a trip to Pickwick Lake. We have friends who spend a lot of time on the lake, so John and Jack joined them for a couple of days to enjoy the sun and water.

Meanwhile, I wrote stories and edited photos at work. Not that I'm jealous or anything. Hopefully, we'll all make it there in the next couple of weeks. John did manage to catch some photos from the trip.

(Disclaimer: The black eye is the result of a run in Jack had with our remote control at home. It's not his first and I'm sure it won't be his last. )

Timid at first, Jack warmed up quickly to the boat and water.

Jack and his buddy Grant get in the water for a swim.

Summer List No. 8: Head to the Memphis Farmers Market

2011-06-25T18:43:00.000-07:00

My mom is in town this weekend to help my sister get moved into her new house. We decided to knock one of my summer "Must Do" items off the list and give Ruby some time to unpack boxes (read, no kids at the house, they are all with us.)

So, we packed up the car and headed downtown to the Memphis Farmers Market. It was a great atmosphere, and I'm really glad we all made the trip. I will, however, stick to my five-minute drive to the local farmers market from now on. Anything to avoid that commute one more day a week. My favorite find of the day are these odd-looking peppers. Can't wait to try them with my hummus this week.

These berries are as good as they look. Jack has eaten half of them already. They remind me so much of those that I used to pick as a kid.

Jack and Mary Beth are the older two and do a great job sticking together when we ask.

Classic Jack, he wanted to sit and listen a while, in the middle of hundreds of people. Love that boy.

Ben was in a crabby mood all morning and ran a low-grade fever for much of it. I thought it was just his 2-year molars coming in, but after he refused to walk at the Farmers Market and insisted on riding in the stroller all morning, I called the pediatrician. He's just not himself, I told her. Strep positive. Of course he is. We like to keep it around in our house.

Climb Up, Slide Down

2011-06-22T15:53:00.000-07:00

John and Jack went to a friend's birthday party yesterday, and I had to post these pics. The giant slide was a hit -- and it was the first night in a long while that Jack fell asleep when we actually put him to bed.

Meet me at the Farmer's Market

2011-06-21T17:00:00.000-07:00

The boys and I have started going to the local farmer's market on Saturday morning -- not the one on my summer "To Do" list, but a closer version. This past Saturday, those at our peach booth remembered Ben from last week. The boys got free bananas to munch on, and I got some of our favorite goodies.

Bobby and Birthday

2011-06-12T20:30:00.000-07:00

It finally happened. Mark this day as the beginning of the end. Jack lost half of his constant companion, Bobby, this morning. A handmade blanket Jack has had since he was a baby, Bobby has been unraveling for weeks. Today, it separated into two parts. The blanket was a gift from my high school boyfriend's mother and is Jack's great comforter. Nevertheless, I had hoped he could part with it before middle school.

On the left, the portion that we've saved. On the right, the knotted up mess that I've since hidden. I'll throw it away eventually, maybe I'm emotionally attached to it too. It has, after all, been around as long as Jack. And if Jack had his way, he'd take it with him everywhere but the bathtub. In fact, the last meltdown we had (yesterday) was because I refused to let him take the blanket with us to run errands yesterday. Lots of tears. That being said, I was pleasantly surprised that he was just fine with losing part of Bobby today, as long as he got to keep some part of him.

That's the Bobby part of this post. Onto the birthday part.

The boys and I made John a birthday cake this afternoon -- Jack is still trying to master cracking an egg and Ben is great at dumping cake mix in a bowl. We decided to make the cake early, because I know that I won't be up for cake baking on Tuesday night after work. No one seemed to mind.

My version is above. I worked hard to try to keep the layers straight, forgetting I'm the only one here who notices things like that. Jack's version is below. He insisted on adding a Transformer and Robin (from Batman and Robin). Nothing like living in a house with three boys.

T-Ball, the Final Game

2011-06-08T17:05:00.000-07:00

Last night, Jack played his last game of T-ball for the season. We're already talking about fall soccer now -- if only I could work in some swim lessons between the two.

Jack and his end-of-season medal.

John and Jack huddle with the team to talk "strategy."

Jack's biggest cheerleader takes a break to play with toys.

My Summer Must Do List

2011-06-06T17:36:00.000-07:00

My car's thermostat said Memphis hit 101 degrees today, my morning commute has gotten easier and the boys started their summer school/camps today. So I'm officially calling it summer.

With that, I have developed a summer to-do list, things I'm going to make a point to do before the weather gets cooler. I'm blogging about it to hold myself accountable and will post a picture of each item as I mark it off the list.

1. Make ice cream. The ice cream maker I received for my wedding nearly 10 years ago has never been out of the box. This summer, we're making ice cream. Mom assures me it's not that hard.

2. Campout in the backyard. Jack wanted to add this to the list, and I'll have to borrow a tent to make it happen. Smores are a must.

3. See Cars 2. The rest of the world may not be counting down the days until Cars 2 hits theatres, but we are. It'll be Ben's first trip to the movies.

4. Head East. We're due a trip to Mamaw and Papaw's house and summertime is the best time to go. When it's warm, the boys can stay outside with the cows, donkey and dogs. Can't wait for this trip.

5. Learn to make ribs. I consider myself a decent cook, but I've long been intimidated by ribs. Living in the BBQ Capital of the South, we just order takeout when we get a craving. This summer, I'm going to master it.

6. Head to the lake. This is John's one contribution to the list. Not sure what we're doing when we get there, but apparently, we're going to the lake.

7. Catch fireflies. This reminds me of summer nights growing up on a farm. We'll find a Mason jar and grab fireflies after dark.

8. Hit the Memphis Farmers Market. We live in the burbs and usually stay close for fresh produce. One Saturday morning this summer, we're heading downtown for the mother of all Farmers Markets -- at least in Memphis. Here's one great benefit of having kids who wake up at the break of dawn.

9. Take in a Redbirds Game. Another first for Ben, we've got an appointment with the ballpark and some $5 lawn tickets. Taking the afternoon off work to make it happen will make the day even sweeter.

10. Watch fireworks. Somehow we always miss the big fireworks shows during Fourth of July weekend. We'll find some this summer.

I'd love to add "sell my house" to this list, but I'm not sure how much control I have over that these days. Same thing with "teach Jack to swim." I'm working on both, but for now, we'll stick with this.

I'll let you know how it turns out. Happy summer!

Ben Mettee, 2-year-old Wild Man

2011-06-03T21:27:00.000-07:00

All my boys just returned from a short trip out of town. The quiet of the house was nice for a day or so, but was a little overwhelming by Day Three. When I walked into the house Thursday after work, Jack totally ignored me (Monster Jam Wii is cooler than mom, and I'm learning to be OK with that), but Ben came running to find me.

I was a little caught off guard by how big he seemed. I know it's cliche, but it does really surprise me how fast he changes. He moves faster, I'm sure, because he has a big brother helping him along. Nevertheless, I want to make sure I remember this stage, before he runs off to tackle another.

More than anything, I want to remember how forcefully he moves through life. His energy and curiousity are endless, and I'm always thankful when we end a day without any major bruises. He's a climber, a jumper and a runner. The rest of us are just trying to keep up. So few are the times that he is still, that I took this photo the other day just to remember what it's like. He had woken up from a nap but wasn't quite ready to tackle the afternoon. I think he was about 3 months old the last time he sat still and let me hold him for that long.

Oh how I love those long blonde curls. John is dying for me to cut them, but I can't. The curls are perfectly paired with his piercing blue eyes, but few will let me claim his as my own. I still remember the first time I took the boys to Nashville after Ben was born. Pat started crying, overwhelmed by how much Ben looked like John as a baby. A mini-John, my friends call him.

When he's not wooing you with his looks, he's biting me or Jack -- especially when he isn't getting his way. Thankfully, my little selective vampire baby only bites me and his brother. He likes to push too, and I'm always unsure how to coach Jack to handle Ben's constant assaults. Mostly, Jack just looks at him and moves on.

When Jack does move, Ben is right behind him. This little brother is genuinely joyful to see Jack in the morning, and waits patiently for him each morning. "Shh, Jack sleeping," he tells me. When Jack does join us, Ben can't wait to play with every toy Jack picks up. When Jack heads upstairs to play Wii, Ben will follow, pick up a remote and wave it around. Sheer adoration.

His favorite phrases these days are:
"You did it, Mama!"
"I drop it."
"Shh, Daddy sleeping."
"I hold it."

He doesn't have a pacifier or a blanket, but is attached to his nighttime bottle, something I think I was supposed to wean him off of a year ago. He also provides nightly comedy at the dinner table, when he sits down to a hot meal. We've almost trained him to be too cautious. I caught the act on video a few weeks ago.

Some of my other favorites: He'll dance at the drop of a hat, loves to pull his diaper off and pee in the carpet, and hates to wear shoes. When we're out, I'm always looking around for his shoes and at Target, he likes to settle in, pull off his shoes, and then throw them in the back of the cart. He loves to watch Little Einsteins and Cars, and some Wiggles every now and then. Without Little Einsteins, I'm not sure how we'd all have a chance to get ready in the morning.

At school, Ben's teachers call him the Enforcer, because he's constantly reprimanding his classmates if they don't listen. If it's Circle Time, and Ms. Sheena asks you to come sit down, you better move it before Ben comes to find you.

He is a force. And just when you think he's going to slam into you, he'll lean in for a kiss. Just don't let him catch you off guard. He'll smile sweetly and then cut his eyes just enough that you know he's thinking about what's next. I pray he keeps that independent, fiery spirit forever.

Birthday Boy

2011-05-31T19:37:00.000-07:00

Ben celebrated his 2nd birthday this weekend with Granna, Papa Don, Aunt Ruby and Uncle John (and of course, Mary and Dylan). I'm still reeling from 20-plus kids at Pump it Up for Jack's party earlier this month, so I was happy to have a low-key celebration with the wading pool, slip and slide and some burgers.

The birthday boy was happily surprised to see all water toys set up in the backyard when he woke up from his nap. Didn't take him long to get in the mix.

So, obviously, I need to keep my dayjob. But Ben didn't seem to mind his warped-looking caterpillar

Party Time

2011-05-29T20:08:00.000-07:00

Ben's birthday week coincided with the last week of school for at First Baptist Day School. His class celebrated both his birthday and the beginning of summer. Jack (who has been out of preschool for two weeks now) and I tagged along for the last day.

It was Ben's last day at the school, as we're moving him to a new school. I adore his teachers and started crying when we left. Our conversation as we climbed into the truck went a little something like this.

Jack: "Mom, are you OK? Why are you crying."
Me: "I'm just sad because it's Ben's last day."
Jack, eyes widening: "You are not going back to work ever?"

Love both these boys.

Jack and his fellow Lady Bugs. Oh, how I will miss Ms. Sheena (right)

Found this hanging on Ben's classroom door on Thursday morning.

Beach Babes

2011-05-24T10:55:00.000-07:00

My household is coming down from a high of sand and sun, back to reality. I told my boss yesterday that I might need to find a wading pool around 3 p.m. to get me through the day. After seven days in Destin, I'm a recovering beach bum.

We spent week in Destin with my sister, Ruby, and her family. The boys had a ball. John and I actually relaxed, and Jack met a new friend, Grady.

I've posted a slideshow of the week.

Game 1, T-Ball

2011-05-21T19:03:00.000-07:00

After one game and one practice, Jack has officially declared that T-ball is way better than soccer. And honestly, John and I were surprised at how well he hits the ball. John is helping coach some this year, though the soggy Memphis weather is slowing the season down. Jack loves that Daddy is out on the field with him, and keeps asking him if he's going to help coach more.

We made it to Jack's first game just hours before heading out of town for the beach last week.

Memphis BBQ Fest

2011-05-21T18:42:00.000-07:00

Memphis in May had a soggy year. The recent floods moved Memphis BBQ Fest from the banks of the Mississippi River to Tiger Lane near the Liberty Bowl Stadium. I've lived here five years, but this is the first time I've made it to barbecue fest. (I have babies in May instead.) My first BBQ Fest didn't disappoint, and I think I ate my weight in ribs.

Ruby invited John and I to KPMG's friends and family tent, where we were able to meet up with our cousin, Allison, and her husband, Steve. We always have great stories to share when we get together. Thankfully, Ruby and I have found two great go-to babysitters, so we were able to all go to an event together.

Me and my sis

Ruby, me and Allison. (Yes, we clumbed up on a fountain).

Mississippi Rising

2011-05-10T18:41:00.000-07:00

Meteorologists tell us here in Memphis that the Mississippi River crested at 48 feet today and that it will slowly recede back to normal levels within the next couple of weeks. The Mettees haven't been personally affected by the water, though the church we've been attending has been converted into a shelter for a couple of weeks now. I continue to be inspired by our faith community and how its members step up to be God's hands and feet.

Flooding has affected low lying areas and though it has been life-changing for hundreds of residents, most of the city is dry. I wanted to see the river for myself today, and went to see it with some friends. We found a swollen Mississippi and lots of gawkers.

The intersection of Beale Street and Riverside Drive is under water.

CNN crew waits for their next shot.

River crests at 48 feet.

Thanks, Amanda Mauck, for letting me steal this photo from your blog. Love the pyramid in the background.

Pump it Up!

2011-05-09T18:16:00.000-07:00

Jack's birthday extravaganza wrapped up on Saturday with his big Pump it Up party. Two days later, I think he's still recovering. I've posted some pictures from the big day.

Jack Mettee, Friendly 5-Year-Old

2011-05-06T08:50:00.000-07:00

I've been thinking a lot lately about the weekend we left Spring Hill. The things I remember most about that last day: My mom came to help me clean my quickly-sold house. My neighbors brought food to celebrate one last meal together. And I was so very pregnant. When it was over, John and I climbed in separate cars -- he in the Uhaul, me in our Camry -- and we left that life to start a new one here.

We celebrated Jack's 5th birthday yesterday -- he's the one I was so very pregnant with back in Spring Hill. It's been five years since we packed everything up and moved to a place where we knew almost no one. And yesterday, we celebrated his birthday with all his close friends from school. Then, Jack and Ben tagged along to a separate work party after school where my dear Le Bonheur family serenaded "Happy Birthday" to him. We've come so far from that scary ride to Memphis in our Uhaul.

Some things I want to remember about Jack at this age:

I'm the one he wants when he's hurt or wants to snuggle, but John is definitely the cool parent. He loves dinosaurs and monster trucks -- and sleeps with his monster trucks perched on his bed rail. They are his protectors from the bad dreams.

When he grows up, he wants to be a stegosaurus, and he's already preparing me for this. Stegosauruses have spikes, and so it'll be hard for me to hug him when he grows up -- with the spikes and all. But it'll be OK, mom, he tells me. His favorite TV shows are Dino Dan on NickJr. and Monster Jam. He and his best friend, Josh, could play with monster trucks for hours at a time -- and do.

He's still attached to his blanket, Bobby. It goes to school with him for naptime and he sleeps with it. He still sucks his thumb when he holds the blanket. I have this picture in my head of him sitting on the couch, holding Bobby and sucking his thumb. I hope it is etched in my memory forever.

He loves to cook with me, especially on Friday mornings when I try to make a decent breakfast. He climbs up on his chair with the whisk my mom bought for Christmas, and helps out. He still can't crack an egg.

My favorite time with him is when we snuggle at night and read books, after he's whined a sufficient amount about the fact he has to go to bed. Two nights ago, during our prayers, he thanked God for Jesus and the cross. I was a happy girl.

He still whines some about putting his clothes on by himself and wears his underwear inside out at least 4 times a week. And he still has to ask which shoe goes on which foot, though I think I've finally convinced him that socks do not have an assigned foot. Silly bands are always an accessory. He gives them to his friends when he gets to school and collects new ones. This is a never-ending game.

At 5, he's divided the world into two types of people: friendly and not friendly. "He's friendly, mom?," he'll ask. This is after he's walked up and said hello. The stranger's reaction determines which group he gets assigned to. He says hello to everyone he meets, even those we pass in the aisles at Kroger and Target. After saying hello, he introduces them to Ben. "He's my brother," he tells them. Ben wants to be just like Jack when he gets bigger, and Jack is only mildly annoyed with him -- mostly when Ben tries to play with his most prized toys. He also watches over Ben when I'm not looking, and knows when to come find me when I'm needed most. I can't wait to watch them grow up together.

I've posted some pictures of Jack's birthday lunch at school yesterday. John and I took Jack's favorite foods for the class: pizza and donuts.

The class singing "Happy Birthday" to Jack.

Barbie Jeep Coup

2011-05-02T14:38:00.000-07:00

Some days, I pity my niece, Mary Beth. The only girl of my mom's six grandchildren, life can be a little alienating for her. Jack taunts her. Ben tackles her. And her baby brother gets a LOT of attention from mom. Never mind that those baby dolls are tucked in bed nicely. When Ben and Jack come over, they are destined to be rammed and hit and strangled.

I took this video of the three of them playing with her Barbie Jeep this past weekend, and thought it pretty much explained their relationship right now. (Notice Mary running for dear life when the "dynamic duo," as my mom calls them, come after her.)

One day, they'll be her protectors. But not today.

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Playtime

2011-05-01T14:23:00.000-07:00

Jack kicked off the weekend before his birthday with his first T-ball practice and a playdate with his best friend, Josh.

T-ball was an adventure, but I'm learning all sports at this age are. The overachiever in me wants him to hustle and get aggressive. But I know that's not his style, so I'm trying to employ all my healthy parenting skills and just let him play. That, and I'm so busy chasing Ben that I didn't really see all of practice. I'm pretty sure Ben will get whacked with a bat before this is over.

Josh came over to play this afternoon. I'm posting pics from the last playdate that his mom sent me and some from today. With tornados and flooding looming, we stayed in all day today. They locked themselves in Jack's closet and played Monster Jam, came out to eat lunch and make cookies, and then watched MORE Monster Jam on TV.

Best friends at the park

Today, playing Playdoh in the kitchen.

The cookies they decorated. LOTS of sugar.

Easter Monday

2011-04-27T12:36:00.000-07:00

Jack had the day off from school yesterday for Easter Monday. He spent the morning hanging out in my office, watching movies and playing Monster Jam. Each time he visits, he makes his rounds to everyone's office -- making sure they know he's on campus for the day.

Our big treat is always going to the cafeteria -- who knew a hospital cafeteria could be so exciting? He grabbed a slice of pizza and a chocolate milk, and then left to spend the afternoon at home with John.

Hanging on my door today

Easter 2011

2011-04-25T18:46:00.000-07:00

Jack, Ben and I went to Nashville last weekend to see Pop, Grammy and all the cousins. My goal was to make sure Jack spent as much time as possible with his cousins (all my Nashville friends, please don't read this and be annoyed I didn't call).

As much as Ben does everything he sees Jack do, Jack emulates everything he sees 7-year-old Ryan do. This past weekend, that meant launching bunny parachutes off the second floor balcony, trying to dunk a basketball and talking nonstop about the Nashville Predators. The Preds are now in the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs -- a first-ever feat for the franchise -- and Ryan is a huge fan. Never mind that John has been watching the Preds religiously for months. NOW, Jack is a fan. He even asked me on the way home if we could listen to the Predators on the radio.

Overheard on Saturday morning:
Ryan, as he prepared the bunny parachute: "Holy Cow."
Jack: "Yeah, Holy Cow in the morning."

Huh?

It was also the first Easter that Jack got the "Jesus died on the cross" part. Until now, it was "Jesus wakes up!" Now, he told me, that Jesus died on the cross and woke up. He might have just been repeating what I told him earlier, but it was still music to my ears. I consider it my most important job in life: To raise boys who love God and want to serve Him. Just hope I get it right.

Jack and Grammy dyed a dozen eggs, all a different color.

Apparently, a Mettee tradition is to dip one egg in every color. Grammy made us a "Puke" colored egg. Of course, Ben slammed that egg against the floor the next morning. We'd expect nothing less, Ben. Really.

Easter morning pictures. We took them outside Celebration Lutheran, in the garden.

Playing around during Anna's soccer game

Picnic Time

2011-04-19T18:04:00.000-07:00

Mary Beth and Dylan came over tonight for a couple of hours. The kids were able to play outside for a while and picnic on the patio.

John gives Dylan his nightly bottle, as Dylan struggles to stay awake

Three of my favorite kiddos

Dylan is starting to push up more and rolling over.
Still working on getting him to sit up on his own.

Lunch with Ruby

2011-04-15T15:33:00.000-07:00

Jack's preschool celebrated Grandparents or Someone Special Day today. Aunt Ruby visited Jack at school and had lunch with him.

Third Day!

2011-04-15T05:23:00.000-07:00

I think I was a junior in high school when my good friend Bo Dunkle introduced me to this band called Third Day. I've been a Third Day fan(atic) since. Got to see them last night at Hope Church -- the church John and I have been visiting. Best. Show. Ever.

Thanks to Katherine Whitfield for going with me. They played three songs she remembers from years ago. And I tried not to embarrass myself too much with all my giddiness.

Me, Katherine Whitfield and our friend Lauren McCann

Going and Going

2011-04-10T18:37:00.000-07:00

I am in awe of Ben's energy. He keeps going and going, like no toddler I've ever seen. Today, we spent a couple of hours at the park with Ruby, Mary Beth and Dylan (where he tried to leap from playground equipment) came home, and then spent much of the rest of the afternoon playing in the sprinkler. He. Never. Stops.

Oh, but how I love that boy.

Almost home

2011-04-09T10:48:00.000-07:00

Grammy and Pop are on their last leg of the long road trip from Arizona home to Nashville. They stopped to see us for lunch today. Jack was a little confused because the camper isn't still in Arizona.

Pop and Grammy leave Cracker Barrel on their way home

Now what?

2011-04-05T19:35:00.000-07:00

Jack was invited to his first playdate this weekend. I'm blogging so I'll remember this week -- a big one for me as a parent. My lesson: playdates rock. His friend, Josh, invited him over to play on Sunday. All morning, he asked me if it was almost time to go. I've never seen the boy so giddy.

After dropping Jack off, and learning that I didn't need to stay, Ben and I were off. Honestly, it took me a minute to reload and figure out what I could do with my afternoon. One kid seems so easy. Ben and I headed to Target and the park -- and spent some much-needed one-on-one time together. It's a rarity these days. I remember spending so much time with Jack, just us. And I wonder sometimes if I've slighted Ben because he doesn't get that attention. On the flipside, he gets Jack, and I think it's a pretty good trade off. If nothing else, we're always entertained.

I'm marking this date because it's one of the first times I saw real independence from Jack. When he hit the door of Josh's house, he was off. I went to find him 15 minutes later to say goodbye, and I'm pretty sure he ignored me when I did. Four hours later, I had to drag him to the car. And the next day, he asked me if he could go to school early to play with his friends. All my friends told me this day would come -- a time when my kids don't need me so much. And I'm every cliche: unnerved by how fast this really does go, sad to see him growing up, happy to see him growing up.

Looking forward to my next new adventure...

Mama, Mama, Window Down!

2011-03-21T18:11:00.000-07:00

We went to visit The Mettees in Phoenix last week, and ended up falling in love with the Sonora desert. Good thing we liked it, because I have a feeling that's where we'll have to go each year if we want to visit family. My in-laws are officially snowbirds.

And why not. I can't tell you how many times I looked up at Red Rock, in awe of what our Creator crafted for this earth. His majesty and beauty was wildly evident. Really, it was breathtaking.

My father in law is always reminding me how much God loves his people and how big He really is. Our talks this past week were about the scenary around us: how we could go from deep, wooded canyons to dusty desert in just hours. How one cactus could grow for hundreds of years on 6 inches of rain each year. Really, he reminded us, it's part of God's great design.

Another gift of His great design: that toddler in the back demanding "Indow Down!" Suddenly, Ben has learned how to speak his mind -- and he too wanted to see the mountains during our rides through the desert. Jack, meanwhile, is still begging to head back to Arizona. It's not the desert he's missing, though. Big cousin Ryan is still there and, well, he's the coolest dude ever.

Anyway, I threw some photos onto Facebook and added some more here (largely for Mom and Papa Don).

Fall Festival

2010-09-25T17:21:00.000-07:00

The tiger at today's fall festival. Who would have thought Jack would dare climb it.

Jack, coming down the tiger. He climbed it about 2o times.

Ben, in the bouncy for little kids

Zoo Day

2010-09-18T18:22:00.000-07:00

Jack and Ben got their flu shots on Friday. The angst of knowing he was going to get a shot was relieved, somewhat, by the promise of a trip to the zoo afterward.

Jack and John, at zoo's Teton Trek exhibit.

Ben was asleep about 3 minutes after we pulled out of the parking lot. Riding in a stroller will really do you in.

Getting Cooler

2010-09-11T11:25:00.001-07:00

Greetings from Memphis. As we settle into fall, I thought I'd share some photos from today -- Jack's first soccer game.

Since I last posted, the Mettees have been on a wild ride. Ben is running. Jack is now tonsil-less and our house is for sell. My mom and Don finally tied the knot, we had a great extended family vacation to Hilton Head and the boys started new schools. And then, I got to help open Memphis' new $340 million children's hospital.

We are getting ready for the most wonderful time of the year, aka football season. John and I both have Fantasy Football leagues, and I'm just dying to teach Ben to say "Go Big Orange" and, of course," Go Titans Go!"

We're also awaiting the arrival of our newest nephew, Mason Hancock. Jack has already asked Aunt Ruby why she can't just take him out already. We did, after all, have a shower for the baby last weekend and he didn't even get to come to the party.

Anyway, thought I'd share some pics from today. Gotta go make cupcakes with my favorite soccer player.

Easter

2010-04-07T21:30:00.001-07:00

For the first time in a long time, we had a warm Easter -- started the day with a church breakfast, Easter egg hunt and then church. Some pics from the day:

No, we're not crazy

2010-04-02T06:36:00.000-07:00

I've posted a slideshow of our trip to Washington D.C. to see the cherry blossoms. Yes, it is possible to take your 4-year-old and 10-month-old to the "big city," as Jack calls it, without losing your mind.

2010-01-09T19:25:00.001-08:00

I have said more than once this week that if I live in a city with sweltering 100-degree summers, I thought I got a break on winter. Not this week. Our city has turned frigid and we've spent a lot of time just hanging out a home.

Since I last posted, Ben has become my BIG baby, nearly weighing 20 pounds and already crawling (I've got video to prove it). Jack loves his new preschool, and I'm reminded daily of what a boy he's becoming.

John got me a Flip camera for Christmas, which I'm still trying to master. This is a video from tonight, right before bedtime. Note the play by play by big brother in the background.

(I can already hear Grammy and Granna watching this video, wondering why I don't pick that poor baby up!)

Swim Lessons

2009-07-09T19:03:00.000-07:00

Jack has just finished his first week of swim lessons. Luckily, he managed to stay in the pool most of the time, despite an unsteady start to the week. Not sure if he'll be the next Michael Phelps, but he sure likes blowing bubbles!

First, Ben says "hi!"

Me and My Boys

2009-07-02T16:46:00.000-07:00

What a big couple of months we've had at the Mettees! Since I last posted, we've been blessed with a new baby boy, adjusted to having a newborn back in the house and learned that we may never sleep again! Jack celebrated his 3rd birthday and started a new preschool at our church.

I thought I'd post some of the highlights -- with the best intentions to do better with posting in the future.

Benjamin Tyler Mettee -- 7 pounds, 13 ounces and 20.5 inches long ... and growing.

Big Brother meets Baby Ben

Jack's first day at preschool. He LOVES his new Thomas the Train lunchbox.

Before Jack headed off to preschool, he celebrated his 3rd birthday at LEAD -- the center he's been at since he turned 1.

Jack and the boys wait on their cupcakes.

Waiting on cake at his home birthday party

Jack also took his first field trip in May -- his class went to the park. Most importantly, they rode the bus. Here they are having a picnic. Of course, Jack polished off his boxed lunch in no time.

Slip and Slide

2009-04-27T19:12:00.001-07:00

I can't believe that about six weeks ago, I was posting pictures of the snow. And now, we're playing in the water.

This weekend, Jack and John opened up the new Slip and Slide -- which our good friends Jen Jen, Brandon and Emma Grace gave us. Jack's still getting the hang of it, and couldn't understand why I didn't want to slide down on my big belly. Instead, I sat in the sun and watched my feet swell.

See Mom, I DO know how to sit down.

The Wise Family Comes to Visit

2009-04-20T18:46:00.000-07:00

Our good friends Brandon, Jennifer and Emma Grace are visiting from Spring Hill. Jack and Emma Grace spent today at the zoo and playing in the back yard. They played so hard that Jack passed out on the way to Aunt Ruby's for dinner -- and never woke up. Now, if spaghetti and bread don't wake him up, nothing will.

Emma Grace and Jack take on the sand table.

Miss Emma Grace poses for the camera from inside the moon bounce.

Boys, I've found, just collect a lot of mud. A lot.

Headed East

2009-04-20T18:25:00.000-07:00

John has the week off, so we all headed to Nashville this weekend to visit his family. The three-hour trip is about all my body can handle. Six weeks to go until the newest Mettee makes his debut!

Jack loves playing with Grammy's "car"

Big Cousin Ryan guards the goal at his soccer game. Jack is usually right at Ryan's heels, wherever he goes.

My boys

Jack and cousin Anna play off to the side during Ryan's soccer game.

Jesus Wakes Up!

2009-04-13T18:38:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we celebrated our Savior's great gift -- or as Jack puts it, Jesus Wakes Up!

Jack and Mary Beth, his cousin

Jack shares his eggs with Mary Beth

"Mom, I'm SURE there are more eggs under here"

He'd already filled up his basket before I could get out the church door

Dyeing Eggs

2009-04-13T18:21:00.000-07:00

My lesson of the week: 3-year-olds and real eggs don't work well together. Well, Jack survived it, but those eggs have been slammed around the porch, kitchen floor, garage, etc. We're still waiting on them to "hatch."

The final product ... before they were destroyed.

Pop's Trains

2009-04-12T18:15:00.000-07:00

The engineer hat is a "must-have" for Grammy and Pop's house

Jack especially likes it when the train goes through the tunnel.

This gives you an idea of where Jack spends most of his time when we visit.

A Party at the Museum

2009-03-27T14:51:00.000-07:00

One of Jack's friends, Bree, celebrated her 3rd birthday at the Children's Museum this past weekend. Not sure if Jack thought it was his birthday or not. Regardless, he had fun. Some pics from the day:

Listening to an audio of the history of the Mississippi River ... or what he'll look like making business deals on the phone in 20 years.

All decked out at the fire truck exhibit.

See how close we are to the birthday presents? Pretty sure he thought it might have been his birthday.

Celebrating with cake and ice cream.