Which Goettsch is Which?

People in the nursery at our church keep telling us how much Nathan and Anneliese look alike. Most days, I just smile and nod but I really don't agree at all.

But then once in a while, particularly when Anneliese is wearing one of Nathan's hand-me-down shirts (the one below will cause rousing cheers from both Uncle Brad and Uncle Nick, I promise), I do a double take and realize...They look an awful lot alike, actually. I don't think anyone would ever doubt these two are siblings!

(Bonus points if you know my kids well enough or read this blog often enough to tell which is which without too much studying.)

Dry Diapers and YouTube and Yogurt Raisins

I assume all of you have been keeping track of when and where Nathan does his ones and twos. Right? I mean, you don't have your own lives and whatever to think about, do you? So I'm sure you remember about a month ago, when we first tried in earnest to get Nathan interested in the potty, that he didn't seem have enough bladder control to work on controlling his pee. So we decided to work on pooping instead. Remember?

Anyway it's time to bring you up to speed. Surely you can't get through another day without these details, right? Thought so.

Well, we actually did have some success with the potty pooping. We could catch him before he needed to go (as he was starting his process), put him on the potty, beg and plead and bribe... and about half the time, he would make it happen. The other half was when he pooped at night or during naps (the only times nowadays when he's in his room without one of us watching like a hawk), or when he got crafty and managed to sneak poops in his diaper when we were otherwise occupied (for instance by a nursing baby, or a shower, or our own parental pooping needs).

We kind of got into a rhythm of intercepting his sneaky diaper poops (basically getting him naked and barricading him in a non-carpeted room). And while he didn't like pooping in the potty, it was still (slowly) getting better and easier.

Then. THEN.

We went on two road trips and.... yeah, he backtracked a little. And by a little I mean a lot. As in, we're back to square one. (All the more seasoned or more well-read moms in the crowd are shaking their heads in disbelief that I could be so dumb as to schedule potty training on top of road trips. I know, I know. Judge away. I deserve it.)

So we started over. From scratch.

Sometime in the last month, we realized that Nathan now has enough bladder control (and awareness) to hold his pee for short bursts of time. So Mark suggested we forget pooping (mostly) and focus on peeing for now. We started leaving him naked in the house, then putting him on the potty every hour or so. And y'all, it's working! On two separate days, he had no accidents on the floor or in any diapers, including naptime. (Never mind the fact that he still poops in his night diaper. Or that he also had a day with a couple accidents on mommy, or the floor, or in the diaper he wore to school. We're focusing on the positive.)

And... he's happy about it! He's so much less stressed about peeing than he was about pooping.

When he pees in the potty, he gets a yogurt raisin. (We keep them in our bathroom. What, don't you?)

And if he keeps his diaper dry all morning or all afternoon, he gets to call someone and tell them about it (usually that's Daddy, but the rest of you should be on deck too, kthx).

And Mark discovered this little gem of genius: if he's having trouble relaxing enough to go, we show him youtube videos on our phone -- of airplanes, helicopters, city buses, RVs, charter buses, cruise ships, whatever he asks for. (Word to the wise: even if your son asks for videos about motorboats, don't search for "motorboat" in youtube. The results will have nothing to do with boats. Learn from my fail.)

He laughs like crazy and claps his hands when he pees. So so cute. (We should all be so gleeful about eliminating waste, don't you think? So if I visit you and you hear me in your bathroom, applauding my own urination... well that's just me, assuming a child-like joy about life. You can judge me or you can join me, your call.)

Anyway, as of this morning, he's telling me he needs to go (with at least thirty seconds to spare, and with words, not the panicky bent-over whimpering we had been seeing previously). We even went to the playground wearing big-boy underwear and he stayed dry. So I'm calling this real progress.

Operation: Dry Diapers and YouTube and Yogurt Raisins is in full swing. There's no turning back now.*

Anyone who has helpful hints on leaving the house for more than an hour, dealing with public potties, when to get brave enough to send him to school diaperless, etc... send 'em my way. Please.

*someone please remind me I said this next time I get PEED ON and reach for a diaper, mmkay?

Throwing = Hilarious (Per Anneliese)

We used to have a hard and fast rule in our house about not throwing anything except balls. Not a ball? Don't throw it. Ever. If you throw it, it gets taken away. Period. No warnings, no discussion. No throwing. We don't throw.

But then I got slack (bad mommy!) and allowed a couple of exceptions to that rule... Sure, I suppose it's ok to help toss clothes into the washer... ok, I think it's probably fine if you dump out that bucket of cars onto the floor... yes, of course it would be fun to throw that handful of rocks into the lake.

See? It's a slippery slope.

So the bad news is that we're in a full-on throwing phase. Nathan throws everything. It's highly obnoxious, in case you were curious.

But the good news is that Anneliese finds it hilarious.

I was making dinner a couple of weeks ago, while the kids were "playing" in Nathan's room, and I heard Anneliese in there giggling away at him. I went in and found him throwing books across the room, just to amuse her. I know I should have just nipped it in the bud right then, but instead I stood there and filmed it. Y'all, I have never heard her laugh like this.

This was the day she went from a cutie little baby cackle to a full-fledged giggle fit. And it's about the sweetest sound in the world, don't you think? Watch this and it will be the best 33 seconds of your day, I promise.

(Can't see the embedded video below? Click here.)

Now I just need to undo the damage I did by taping this, and see what I can do to end the throwing phase for good. Like, yesterday.

German Pseudo-Siblings

So, you might have gathered that I have these German siblings.

Except, they're not really siblings. They're like... people my family has adopted. Except, they're not really adopted... since they're all grownups and technically have parents of their own, albeit on another continent. Because they're German. Except, they're not really German. Two of them have the blue passports even though they were raised in Germany.

Ok this is way less complicated than it sounds, I promise.

Basically what it boils down to is, we have these three people in our lives, and we love them, and we count them as our own. I've got siblings, I've got stepsiblings, I've got sibs-in-law, I've got stepsibs-in-law... and now I have pseudo-siblings. German ones. It's totally worth the complicated "family" tree. They're just that awesome.

First, there's my mom's trainer, Michael. He's brilliant and I'm not just saying that because I love him. He's really smart and he's really good at what he does. (Exhibit A: my mom's before and after pics.) He now also trains my sister Ashley and teaches martial arts to her husband John.Then there's Michael's wife Jessi. She and her sister have an American dad but were raised in Germany. Jessi is loud, smart, funny, loyal, opinionated, and loves red wine. So clearly she fits right in with our family, especially Ashley and me. :) And then there's Jessi's sister Cassi. She's the newest addition to our fold, since she just moved to America this year, in the hopes of eventually getting a PhD in English. Because she's smart like that. (She's actually living at my mom's, in the attached apartment originally built for my Grandpa. I love that my mom has her around.) Cassi and I connected from the get-go. I liked her the first time I met her when she was stateside for Christmas several years ago. And Cassi is actually the reason I wanted to write this post this week. She turned 30 on Tuesday, and I got to go out for a birthday dinner with her. We laughed a lot, and talked a lot about all the fun things in store for her this year. So anyway, I mostly wanted to say... Alles Gute zum Geburtstag, Cassi! This will be your year, and it will rock.

These three are a real part of us now. They have been with us on trips (the outer banks and St Croix come to mind), and all three of them were in Germany with my mom to cheer her ironman finish, which was amazing since none of us "biological" kids could be there. We have celebrated pregnancies and marriages and race finishes and births and accomplishments and holidays together, and together we've mourned the loss of several pups and one Grandpa.

I think it's awesome when families grow this way -- just out of love, no "official" connection required. Our family events and holidays wouldn't be the same without these people. I feel honored that they've basically chosen us to be their American family.

I love that I have three extra pseudo-siblings to love, to argue with, to laugh with, and to learn from. Everyone should be so lucky.

Greenville, SC: Old and New Friends

Today we took a little road trip from Charlotte down to South Carolina. (Yep, that's right: we have officially mastered the art of taking a road trip from our road trip.) We spent most of the day in the Greenville area, near where Mark and I each went to college.

First, we went to see my friend Kelley. Wait, I take it back. First, we sat in a monster traffic jam for waaaaay too long, then we went to see Kelley. Her twin boys Owen and Ryhs were born in February (joining Kiran and Sienna, the two daughters she already had... supermom what), and although I saw her just days before they were born, I hadn't gotten to meet the babies in person yet.

Also I was excited to meet (drumroll please...) my internet soul mate, Erin!! In case you don't remember, Kelley "introduced" us and we have bonded online over our travel dreams, our cloth diapers, our cute engineer husbands, our baby daughters, and certain pregnancy symptoms which shall remain unnamed in the interest of keeping the "yick" factor on this blog as low as possible. And yes, in case you're curious, Erin is every bit as awesome in person as I hoped and dreamed she would be. And her daughter Brenna is precious. So much hair!

So the three of us had a fun time chatting and cooing at each other's babies, and even though the visit was much much too short, I loved every minute of it. And between the three of us, we have seven kids. (Four of them are Kelley's. Still. You should be impressed.)

Sienna, Kelley, Owen, Kiran, Rhys, me, Anneliese, Nathan, Erin and Brenna. Whew.

After our visit with Kelley and Erin, we went to go see Mark's friend Jeff and his family. (They are one of the families we went to the beach with last summer.) We let the boys play together for a while, and then Mark went with them to their t-ball game (Jeff is the coach) while I went and had dinner with another Furman friend, Ryan. We had a lot of laughing and catching up to do. So we did. And it was good. Even though we didn't take any pictures.

To see more pictures (including Nathan playing with the other kids and eating his first ice-cream sandwich) click below on Kelley and Erin and me.

by mgoetts

Five Kids = Family Reunion = Playtime

To you, this might just look like a random family photo of people with alien eyes, but to our family, this is a really big deal. My dad and stepmom got to have all five kids together in one place. Plus grandkids and spouses. And my Grandpa B, for good measure. :)

Anneliese, Mark, stepmom Cathy, stepbrother Collin, Grandpa, me, John & Ashley, Nathan, my Dad, brother Brad and stepbrother Sean.

Ashley's wedding not only brought Brad stateside for a week, but ensured that his visit coincided with all the kids being around on the same weekend. Ashley and Collin and Sean all live in the Charlotte area, but even then it's usually only two out of those three who can make it to dinner on any given Sunday. And that's before you remember that I live out of town and Brad lives out of the country. While two or three out of five isn't bad, it's not great either. So that's why it was such a big deal for all of us to be under one roof yesterday: it's rare. (I think this is the first time it's happened since 2006. Wow.)

We got to visit a little more with my dad today at his house. We had a barbecue lunch (Nathan says "garbecue") and played outside in the yard.

Kicking the ball with mommy.

He's wearing long sleeves because apparently the beautiful warm April Carolina weather is still too cold for him. This is what living in the virgin islands will to do you.

Still mastering the art of throwing the ball forwards -- it takes lots of practice.

But he can kick pretty well!

You people think they look alike? Really? I just don't see it.

Mrs. Ashley Grice

My sister is officially married!! Ashley was a beautiful bride. John was a relaxed and beaming groom. (And hobbling down the aisle on crutches added a humorous touch. No, really. Everyone laughed.) My stepbrother Sean played a mean mandolin. I bossed more people around than should even be possible in one day. And we are all really happy.Joking aside, the reason I'm happy is that I love my sister's husband. John is everything we had hoped and prayed for in a partner for Ashley. He totally gets her free-spirited side. He's laid back enough to take her emotional highs and lows in stride (he's actually probably the most laid-back person I know), and instead of being overwhelmed by it, he seems to loves her more for how invested her feelings are in the people and situations around her. Yet underneath that laughing, roll-with-the-punches attitude is a solid man with a solid job and a solid sense of responsibility, who will truly be able to lead their little family. I can honestly say that when I pictured what kind of man would be good for Ashley, he's pretty much exactly... it. And not many people can say that about the people their siblings marry. I consider it a real blessing. I'm so so glad he's the one. I wish for them a lifetime of happiness and laughs and love.

Some more of my favorite pictures from the day:
And as a bonus, a somewhat failed attempt at a family picture. Note to self: this is better attempted at the beginning of the day than the end. :)For gobs more pictures (you know you want more of Nathan in his cutie jacket and tie), click below on Mr. and Mrs. Grice:

by mgoetts

Oddsome Wedding Eve List

So I was pretty sure I had made up a new word (odd + awesome = oddsome), but it turns out the kind folks over at urbandictionary.com beat me to it. In any case, here is my list of top eight* things that made this day, the eve of my sister's wedding, totally and completely oddsome:

1.) Mexican food with my mom and my sister. We had lunch in south Charlotte, the food was incredible and the raspberry and mango margaritas weren't bad either. Also, we were so busy laughing and enjoying each other that none of us bickered. At all. Oddsome.

2.) Pedicures. We went to a neat place that was like half salon/half bar. We got pampered. The massage chairs we sat in for our pedicures massaged us in... unusual places. (Like, the seat had massagers in it, not just the back.) Ashley's look pretty much says it all, but if you wanted to use words, we can borrow my mom's: oh my goodness gracious! Double oddsome.3.) Wax paraffin treatments. Basically dipping your feet in a big vat of something like candle wax, then leaving them in plastic baggies for an unexpectedly long time, then relishing the sweet sweet joy of peeling said wax off your skin. (Don't pretend like you don't think it's awesome too. You know you used to pour glue on your hands and peel it off just like the rest of us. Or accidentally-on-purpose tip your Christmas Eve candle onto your hands so you could let the wax dry and peel it off. Mmm hmm.) Oddsome. 4.) Rehearsal dinner with no rehearsal. Only Ashley could pull this off like it's totally normal. It's not. But it's sort of oddsome, am I right?

5.) The fanciest plastic china in the history of plastic or China. Seriously. Doesn't this look real? It's not. It's plastic. Everything: the plate, the flatware, the cup, the whole shebang. This is the kind of thing you can only get away with in Gastonia. Oddsome.6.) Goldfish pond in the living room. I wish I were kidding. A tile swimming pool in the middle of the living room, complete with two ginormous goldfish. And a bridge over the top to get from one end of the den to the other (because again -- it's in the middle of the room). It's like an episode of ghetto-cribs gone very, very wrong. I'm not sure whether to be more concerned that Ashley is marrying into this craziness, or that the goldfish swimming pool will be a death trap for her future children when they visit their grandparents. (Kidding on both counts. Mostly. Kind of.) I'm not sure that even Gastonians can pull this off. Oddsome?7.) Brad and I both have fancy phones. Which, amongst other awesome things, take pictures. (Of each other taking pictures.) And which apparently have sparked a Droid vs iPhone debate that will last until the end of time. Since when do we have fancy phones, anyway? Oddsome. 8.) Ashley and John will be married tomorrow... how is this happening already? She's about to be someone's wife. Oddsome. For realz.*Top eight because ten would not be oddsome. Also I only had eight things.

Uncle Brad

[Note: this is the first of a healthy handful of blog posts that were written over the last CRAZY week on my phone. Had to wait to post until I could upload pics. Still haven't figured out how to do that correctly on my phone.]

We have left Raleigh and are in the Charlotte area for the next week or so for Ashley's wedding. Which is exciting enough in and of itself, but also it's great news because Brad is here!!! We haven't seen him since his surprise visit to the Carolinas almost a year ago. Which means he had never met Anneliese... until today!
It was so sweet to see my baby brother holding my baby daughter. They bonded fast! She was all smiles for him, and giggles, and wet kisses. After she had been in his arms for a while, he commented that he just wanted to bring her sweet baby smell back to the virgin islands with him when he goes home. Which is, you know... sweet but a little gross. I mean let's be honest, baby smells are mostly slobber and spit-up. Yum. Not exactly the kind of scent you'd want to bottle up, right? Unless you're Uncle Brad.

I know that in a few short days we are going to have to hug Brad and put him back on a plane to his life, far away from us. And that our good-bye will be indefinite, since we don't know when we'll see him again. I go through this every time I see him, and it's always hard. But for the time being, I am just going to enjoy him for the next few days, laugh as much as possible, watch him playing with my kids, and then we'll take deep breaths and marry off our sister who I believe, until now, has never been loved more than by the two of us. We're so glad that Brad is here for it.

A Half-Birthday Love Letter

Dear Anneliese,

Although this isn't something I would normally do (write you an open letter and post it on the internet, I mean), I wanted to do it today, since you're half a year old! Exactly six months. Exactly twenty-six weeks. Happy half-birthday!! (That's a milestone around here; don't believe anyone who tells you otherwise, sweetie.)I wish that I were a good enough writer to put into words how I really feel about you. But I suspect that even the most brilliant writer in the world (and no, little Beanie -- it's not your mom) could articulate exactly what it's like to love you. It's like all the most gorgeous music you have ever heard, every love story that's ever brought tears to your eyes, every sweet Hollywood happy ending, every exciting and happy moment that has made your heart race... all rolled into one. And then multiplied by 32. And then again times infinity. I mean, I don't think there are words for that. I think maybe you might not know how I feel about you until you are holding your own baby, kissing her bald fuzzy head and wondering how in the world God knew to bring you such an amazing little person. (The answer, by the way, is that God knows everything. True story.)

I still get a weird little rush when I show you off to someone new and I get to say the words, "this is my daughter, Anneliese." It's a special kind of mommy thrill. I loved the idea of you before I even knew you would exist. And when I met you.... whoa dang, I was in love with you. And I think maybe that feeling has doubled itself every day since it happened.

I love your little cackle of a laugh. I love the dimple in your right cheek when you flash me your sweet sweet smile (which might be the sweetest smile of all babies, ever). I love the way you smack your hands down on your legs or the floor or the food tray or whatever happens to be there when you're excited. I love the way you have a wide-open grin for pretty much anyone who speaks to you. I love the blue-gray of your eyes, and they way they positively shine when you are happy. For real, it's not just a fleeting sparkle in those eyes... it's a full-on shine.

I love the little scabs that are always on your nose (from your fingernails jabbing you while you suck your thumb). I love the little bald spot on the back of your head (from where you always sleep in the same position -- on your back, facing left -- so you can suck your thumb).

I love it when you're crying and you blow raspberries in a brrrr sound.... I'm sorry, but that just makes me laugh. I love that I totally get your mood swings. (We're two of a kind, you and I.)

I love that you try to lick the spoon off when I am using it to scoop fallen food off your chin. I love it when we're on a walk and you sneak a grin up at me from your stroller. I love it when I'm wearing you in the wrap at the grocery store or at church and you tilt your face back, make eye contact, and laugh right at me.

I love the feeling of your head on my shoulder in those rare moments when you decide it might be nice to let me hold you while you doze off. I love the way you look up at me and reach for my face while you're nursing, and the way your body tension just melts away and you go all limp and relaxed in my arms as soon as you latch on. I love the way your loooong lanky legs get all folded and tangled, and how you just lop them over the side of the boppy or armrest.

I love the way you immediately wrap your arms around my neck and hug me when I pick you up. Seriously you get the hugger award in our family.

I love watching you play with Nathan. I love that you two already have a connection that even Daddy and I don't totally understand. I love seeing your face light up when he talks to you and brings you his toys, when he holds your hand in the car, when he gets down on the floor to keep you company during tummy time, when he stands in front of your jumperoo and jumps up and down right along with you. I love that you adore him. I love wondering if you think he hung the moon. Half a year ago, your entrance into our family made it what it is now. Daddy and Nathan and I will forever be redefined by having you join us. And I wanted to tell you, now, while you're still a baby and I'm still getting to know you, so that you know it's not based on any accomplishments or achievements or education or station or beauty or anything besides the fact that you're my little girl... I will always love you. No matter what. More than you will ever know.

Happy half-birthday, little one.

Love,
Mommy

Simon and Daddy Go Backpacking

Last weekend when I was at the beach with the kids, Mark took Simon backpacking with Barbara's family in Pisgah National Forest. (No, we did not abandon Bowden, she was staying with my mom and was very happy there.)

Mark isn't much of a talker (what, you'd noticed?) so 95% of what I know about the trip, I gleaned from his pictures. No, seriously. I only even know where they went because of how he titled the folder on our computer when he uploaded his pics. Anyway those pictures tell me the following:


First, it was gorgeous there.Second, Mark does not shave while backpacking (probably could have assumed that).Third, even Nick's questionable taste in hats can't override his handsome factor. Yep, I said it. My bro-in-law is cute. (Gasp!)
Fourth, when Barbara hikes for eight hours in one day, she celebrates by sitting on a boulder.
Or collapses in a field with the rest of her family.
Fifth, Simon can officially get comfy anywhere.
For more pictures of their trip, click here.

Thumbs Up, or Thumbs Down?

Anneliese is still as addicted to her thumb as she ever has been. I have come to terms with it, made peace with it, and I'm not really worried about it. But it still irks me at times.

Like when I am craving some of those sweet little babbling sounds, and she isn't feeling it. Busy with her thumb and all. I'm actually not sure if the thumb is really to blame, or if she's just less talkative than Nathan was/is. (Wouldn't take much, right?) It's easier to blame the thumb for now.

Or when she wipes her hands all over some polleny or otherwise grody surface, or Simon decides she needs a round of hand kisses, and then the thumb goes directly into her mouth before I can clean it (and by clean it, I mean wipe it on my own shirt or the car seat, which probably wouldn't help anyway actually). I'm not a germ-phobe, but... ew.

Or when I need to get some food in her, and I have to yank her hand out of her mouth in between each and every bite. Seriously. It's annoying.

Or when I have to scrub down the side of her head after any given meal, because her preferred method of getting thumb to mouth is to put her hand on her scalp, somewhere above her ear, and drag it there. Remember that because her thumb goes into her mouth after every bite, it's covered in pureed whatever-she's-eating-that-day. Which is now in her hair. Sure, she looks bald until you see the sheer amount of pureed-whatever clinging to her "bald" fuzz. It's a lot.

Or when I see her sucking away and it hits me again that it's her left thumb. Always the left thumb. In the five months (longer if you count the thumb-sucking in the womb... also the left... remember this?) since she decided to become an addict, I have never seen her put her right thumb in her mouth. Not even once. Which, according to the internet and all The Books (which of course never ever propagate misinformation), is a strong enough preference to indicate she will be a lefty. Y'all, I have loved some lefties in my life (my sister is at the top of that list). But you know and I know and Jesus knows that their brains are just a little... different. If this child turns into some kind of whimsical and creative free spirit, I don't know how she'll fit in with the rest of the Type-A people who live under this roof. Maybe she'll teach us all something. Or maybe we'll just stare at her in bewilderment when we realize the extent of her aversion to schedules and lists. Who doesn't love lists?? That's right -- people who sucked their left thumbs as babies.But then there are the times when she's upset (word on the street is she gets her Moods from her mama), and pops that thumb in her mouth, and looks up at me with those angel eyes and I hear the blissful silent sound of fusslessness. (I'm a big fan of fusslessness.)

Or she wakes up in the middle of the night, moans a little, and through the monitor I hear the distinctive slurp of what can only be thumb meeting mouth, and I know she's rolled over and dozed back off. Which means *I* can roll over and doze back off.

And then I remember why I got over my aversion to the thumb sucking. It's beautiful. And helpful. And convenient. And silent.

(Still, someone remind me she won't still be doing this when she goes to college, ok? I need to hear that every once in a while.)

Make This Mistake Only Once

Dear Future Erin,

Just so you know, opening the car doors and windows on a hot spring day doesn't actually air out carsick smells. Instead, it just allows the pollen swirling in the air to settle into a nice yellow layer on everything in the car. And that carsick smell will just fester in the heat anyway. Just so you know.

Skip the open windows and doors next time, mmkay?

Love,
2010 Erin

P.S. You should thank your lucky stars that Mark is awesome at (amongst other things) cleaning and vacuuming pollen out of car interiors. Don't take him for granted... he's cute and useful.

Easter at the Beach

The kids and I are at the beach this weekend with my family, and I am writing this on my droid. (Thank you, Androblogger app!) Impressed? You should be. I am a thumb typist extraordinaire. Although I have to confess, it probably won't get posted until I get back home, because I cannot for the life of me figure out how to edit the html code to get the pictures in place.

That's what you were hoping for when you started reading this, right? A lovely Easter story about the risen Christ and sand and surf... and html code.

Anyway.

Mark is backpacking in the mountains and although I'm sure he's having fun, it's been kind of a bummer to be apart, for three reasons: a.) it's Easter, b.) it's Anneliese's first trip to the beach, and c.) she has been kind of fussy and hasn't been sleeping well. These are all occasions when you want Daddy around, I promise.

But.

It's the beach. And it takes a lot more than a fussy baby to mess up the beach. I mean, it's the beach. In between fussing, we really did have a nice time. Here are the highlights:

1.) The condo my dad originally rented apparently had some damage, so we got upgraded. The new place is gorgeous. Also it has extra bedrooms. So Anneliese and Nathan can share, in theory, while I get to have my own room (which is very rare on vacation). In actuality, she has spent most of the night with me, both nights. But still. Gorgeous condo!

2.) At the last minute, my sister Ashley and her fiance were able to come! John is still recovering from his crash and surgery last week, so he isn't too mobile with the cast on his leg. But it's fun to have them here. Probably less fun for John since he has to do all of his beaching from the balcony. At least he has a nice view. Hello awesome oceanfront condo (see #1).

3.) I got to eat my favorite steamed shrimp and fried pickles. Required eating for me at the beach. Nathan ate ten big shrimp! I couldn't peel them as fast as he was eating them. :) He dipped most of them in honey mustard, which shows he has a thing or two to learn about sea cuisine, but we'll get him there.

4.) Nathan loves the beach. He's hauled dozens of loads of sand in his dump truck. He's spent hours and hours playing outside and still isn't tired of it. Amazing.

5.) My stepbrother Collin came too, and we have really been enjoying him. We haven't hung out (besides big family meals) in forever, and we are getting to see a different (funny!) side of him on this trip, which is nice. The six year difference in our ages seems less now than it used to, of course. We do miss our other stepbrother Sean and my brother Brad, though. Getting all five kids together is oh so rare.

6.) Anneliese did stop fussing long enough to enjoy some playtime on the beach and on the balcony. Which makes me happy. And it also taught me that she is inflicted by the same photographic anomaly as Nathan: they're cute at home, but they're really cute at the beach.

7.) The weather is perfect. Ashley and I decided it's the best beach weather we've had in years and years. Hot, but not so hot to get all sweaty and gross. Windy, but not so windy to give you goosebumps and kick sand in your face. Just... awesome.

8.) My dad has been bonding a lot with Anneliese. Which makes him happy. And makes her happy. And therefore makes me happy. Because as we've established, a parent is only ever about as happy as her least happy child. So giggling Anneliese = relaxed mommy. :)

9.) This morning I went to an Easter sunrise service on the beach up in Calabash (slightly north of where we were staying in Cherry Grove). I ran into some friends from our church here in Raleigh, so we got to worship together. Hello random. :) But it was nice. I really really needed to go to church, since last night was immensely dark and frustrating with Anneliese. It was an amazing worship service, right in the sand. There were tons of people there. It just felt organic and simple and loving and celebratory all at the same time. It was... good. :)

10.) I also ran into my former neighbor Lindy, who used to live across the street and now is apparently earning extra cash by working for the people who own the pier near the worship service I went to. That was a fun and unexpected reunion!

******added after I got home******

I had an adventure with two sick kids on the drive back. Anneliese had it coming out one end and Nathan had it coming out the other (just for kicks, I'll let you guess which is which). There is something about the beach that apparently brings out carsickness in my kids. Lovely. Between the two of them, I listened to crying the whole trip back, until I was about 60 miles from Raleigh. Whereupon the gas light came on, so I had to stop for refueling and they both woke up and cried again.

But with the distraction of a phone call with a patient friend, the knowledge that Mark was at home waiting on us and could help get two sick kids through the night, and my droid finding an alternate route when I missed my exit, we're home safely now. And overall it really was a pleasant beachy weekend. Thanks for the vacation, Dad! :)

And Happy Easter!!

For more pictures of our weekend, click on Nathan on the beach, below.

by mgoetts

April Fools

No one played any April Fool's Day jokes on us this year. Maybe because it also happened to be Maundy Thursday, and things were a little too somber for practical jokes?

I kind of hope that wasn't the reason, since Mark and I spent the night of Jesus' betrayal in a pretty not-somber mood, I have to admit. I did go to church in the morning, but then it was so sunny and gorgeous that I went ahead and started celebrating the Sunday Alleluia Resurrection part of the story. (Don't judge.) And my celebratory mood just carried into the evening. After soothing Anneliese all afternoon (SHE was feeling the Maundy Thursday drearies, let me tell you), I needed to come up with a simple dinner since I had gotten nothing productive done all day. So we got takeout and spent the evening packing and getting ready for our (separate) trips this weekend.

Here are a couple of April Fools for you anyway:I think we have pretty well perfected our we're shocked at whoever played this trick on us, and how will we get them back? faces. Don't you?

We'll be ready for the jokes next year. Bring 'em.