Giving Thanks

So, Gabriel brought home from school one of his first ever published works. It is a little book he made about things he is thankful for. The cover of the book is the classic cut and paste turkey with "turkey feathers" made from red, orange, and yellow construction paper outlines of his hands. The title of the book is "o give thanks un to the Lord." Each page lists one thing he is thankful for complete with illustrations. Here is the table of contents (spelling verbatim):

• I am thankul for trashmen and dumpsters
• I am thankful for Bonzai (Aunt Joan's new puppy)
• I am thahkful for Christmas
• I am thanKful for toys.
• I am thankful for Daddy (complete with picture them sitting on bean bags playing Xbox)
• I am tank ful for Mrs. cox and Mrs osner (his teachers)

I am thankful for all of you, my wonderful husband, and my three boys (even if they fail to add me - their Mother - to their list).

Happy Thanksgiving

H-e-l-l-o Fall!

Our Fall Festivities have been in full swing during the past month. Here is a recap of some of our highlights:

We went to the pumpkin patch and picked out pumpkins for us to use during one of our most cherished fall traditions - Fall Night with Maurice, Jennifer, Alayah, and Aidan Morgan.

As tradition dictates, we all eat chili, make caramel apples, and paint pumpkins. We have been doing this for four years now!

We had some unexpected fun one night when our friend Mr. Tom called and wanted to know if the boys would want to come watch him burn a pile of wood. "Pile of wood" is an understatement. We went out to his farm to find a huge (think over 7 feet tall at least) pile of old trees, bushes, and wood from old buildings he had torn down in the middle of a pasture. Mr. Tom lit it up and soon we had the biggest display of pyrotechnics I had ever seen.

So far, Fall has been a
ball!

Goodbye Summer

As we hang on to the last of our

"warmish" afternoons, I thought I would send one final salute to those long hazy days of summer.

Good bye dear pools, creeks, fishing holes, beaches, and other favorite swimming places . . .

Good bye necessary flotation devices, underwater eyewear and breathing apparati that helped us learn to be snorkeling aces . . .

Good bye to balmy breezes, the smell of salt in the air, and warm sunshine on our faces. . .

Good bye to sand between our toes, sand in all our clothes, and sand in un-mentionable places

Good bye to living in our swimming trunks and going without shoes that need laces . . .

Good bye sweet summer.

O-o-h-h Say, Can You See

So, John Mark had me sing the National Anthem, which he kept referring to as "The American Flag Song." Not once, Not twice, but thrice today.

Patriotic Moment Number One: We pass Checkers, which has a huge, Texas-car-dealership-size American Flag waving in the breeze. "Mommy, I see the American Flag. Quick, sing the American Flag Song."

Moment Number Two: We pause on the side of the road for a funeral procession to pass. I explain why we have stopped by the side of the road. A few yards down the road, we actually pass the cemetary the funeral procession is headed for. We see the grave, the tent, and a rather large Honor Guard from the VFW, dressed in full Uniform standing at attention to receive their fallen comrade. I point out to the boys that the person who died must have been a soldier.

Again, John Mark pipes up: "Mom, I feel sad for him. You have to sing The American Flag Song because he was a soldier."

And Moment, the Third: "Mom, I still feel sad, we need to sing it again to honor him."

Then Gabriel wanted a rendition of "You're a Grand Ole Flag" and "Stars and Stripes Forever."

We had quite the Patriotic ride home today.

Daniel just kept saying. "Mommy, stop sing."

You got that right Daniel: Mariah Carey, Whitney Houston, Andrea Boccelli, they ain't got nothin' on me.

The Jolly family at a truly Patriotic Moment - after seeing the Rome Fireworks display this 4th of July with some of our friends from church.

The National Anthem, Stars & Stripes Forever, and Grand Ol' Flag, were all performed, but not by Mom! Daniel was certainly relieved I am sure.

Scattered, Smothered & Covered

So as we were driving home from a sleepover in the LAF, Mitch had a sudden inspired thought. Let's stop at Waffle House for dinner. So, we stopped at what is, in Rome, referred to as "the Berry Waffle House." During my stint at Berry, this was the sight of many weeknight study runs and source of the proverbial collegiate "4th meal of the day." And where I learned, from one of the staff there, about a waitress at one of the other Rome Waffle Houses, named "Flametorch Mahoney." I kid you not.

Tonight, it was the sight of the inaugural run of the Jolly boys' Waffle House life experiences; not to be too often replicated in their "growing up years" but most likely often repeated throughout their collegiete years, especially if they attend one of the South's fine institutions of higher learning.

But tonight was for childhood and the Waffle House. Upon learning that this was the first time the boys had been at a Waffle House, it seemed the staff rolled out the red, er, "yellow and black" carpet.

Those little paper, Waffle House hats the cooks wear were procured from the back office and presented to the boys. One of the many songs dedicated to and mentioning the Waffle House was played on the Juke Box in their honor. And the waitress and cook made a Mickey Mouse shaped waffle for each boy, complete with whipped cream (which John Mark referred to as 'shaving cream') faces decorated with chocolate chips.

Hash browns were tasted for the first time and "booth dancing" was displayed by mom and John Mark to the song "Cripple Creek."

A foot stoppin', tea-sippin', juke-box listenin', waffle-eatin', hat-wearin' good time was had by all.

Overheard . . .

FROM GABRIEL:

Mom: "Gabriel, I got your presents for your teachers for Christmas today."

Gabriel: "Really, What is it?"

Mom: "Candles"

Gabriel: "CANDLES! (increduously) I was thinkin' a ring or a necklace or something. Now THAT is what womens like."

Gabriel: "Mom, there is a voice in my heart telling me I am going to be a football player when I grow up."

Mom: "Really, who do you think the voice is?"

Gabriel: "YOU know who (pointing up to the heavens)"


Gabriel: "John Mark! John Mark, come smell my toot."

FROM JOHN MARK:

Said while laying on a bed looking at an "Ocean" book with Daniel. Said whilst laying back with head in hands with legs crossed. Said with the inflection and tone of an old wise sage; one who has "been there."

"Now, Daniel, you have to be careful in the deep dark sea."

Said to Daniel upon learning we were going to a high school football game:

"Now, Daniel, you can't run out on that field. They will tackle you." "You stay with me."

John Mark: "Mom, did you know that Darth Vader was born when they were 'debebrating' (i.e. celebrating) the devil?"

FROM DANIEL:

Said while pointing to the "air nozzle" on the tire on Mitch's car:

"Yook mommy. Tire has pee-pee."

Leavin' on a Jet Plane

Well, the countdown is now officially on.

We have only "T-minus 5 days" before our beloved Memuph . . .

. . . hops on a jet plane (the part of the story of which the boys are very jealous; they are "dying" to ride a plane) and moves here . . .

. . . New York City. The Big Apple. The boys are distraught. With much tears, gnashing of teeth and rendering of garments they proclaim the injustices of this world and of job promotions/transfers. They proclaim it is not fair that Memuph is moving so far from her "woobies" (as she calls them).

It is not fair. But it is adventurous.

I went to Philly this weekend to visit my friend Heather Bickel and got a taste of living in the heart of a bigger city (than ya know, Rome or ATL). I loved walking to the market to get two basketsful of produce for $20.00 (at that price, we practically stole everything in comparison to shopping in supermarkets down here). I loved walking through Chinatown and shopping (and eating fresh paninis) in the Italian Market! I loved hearing the stories of block parties (true, close the road to traffic block parties) and row house residents welcoming new neighbors with baked goods. (I was shocked to realize that still happens! Not down here anymore! And they say Northern city dwellers are rude!)

Watching everyone walk around and hangin' out on the stoops of their row homes and having the experience of going to the "corner market" instead of driving around town like we do in the 'burbs and smaller towns made me get a small taste of what life will be like for Memuph.

So, bon voyage dear Memuph!

Just think:

No more buying gas for your car!

No more car insurance!

No more oil changes!

No more trips to Walmart/Supermarket/etc. and paying for over-priced, not fresh, sat-in-the-warehouse-for-a-week before it got to you food.

No more sitting in traffic at I-75, I-85, I-20, or I-285!

Life in the Big Apple, with its "inconveniences" will definitely have some perks!