Johnny B. Three

Way up in Appalachia, close to Tennessee
We planned a birthday party for a boy turning three.
With Daniel, Sheila, Granddabs, even 'Uncle' Kate,
Everything was set up for the perfect fete.
Presents, cake, and ice cream, all ready to go.
Let's get the party started, let's put on a show.

Go go
Go Johnny Go
Go
Go Johnny Go
Go
Go Johnny Go
Go
Go Johnny Go
Go
Johnny B. Three


Johnny loved his gifts, there was a Spiderman theme.
Everything he opened made him smile and beam.
He shared his new toys with his big sister Grace.
Delighted with the loot, you should have seen her face.
It didn't long, though, for Grace to break down,
When asked for them back, she threw the toys on the ground.

Go go
Go Johnny Go
Go
Go Johnny Go
Go
Go Johnny Go
Go
Go Johnny Go
Go
Johnny B. Three

His mother said she loved him, her sweet little boy
But before the party ended, there was one more toy.
Mommy went and wheeled out the final surprise
She could tell it was a hit by the size of his eyes.
"A 'motorcycle' bike! Cool! All for me"
"You bet, you sweet thang, just for turning three!"

Go go
Go Johnny Go
Go
Go Johnny Go
Go
Go Johnny Go
Go
Go Johnny Go
Go
Johnny B. Three

The ABC's of Years 1, 2, 3

I consider kids babies, to an extent, as long as they still have those dimples on their hands right around their finger joints. Well Johnny and Grace both still have those dimples, but I think it's time to come to terms with the fact that neither of them are babies anymore. We probably won't have anymore babies and it makes me sad to think so. But also happy that our family is moving on through other phases and that we're through with blow-out diapers and colic. Sleep deprivation and strained peas. We'll hang on to stories and kisses and swinging at the park. Below is my attempt at capturing the baby years in a way that will be fun to look back on.

Autism, ABC’s

Boy, Breastfeeding, Blow-Out Diapers, Blue’s Clues, Baby Einstein, Bathtime, Bouncy Seat, Boone trips, Baby Backpack, Beach, Birthday parties, Batman, Ba Ba

Cozy Nook, Car Seats, Crocs, Crafts, Cheerios, Chocolate milk, Cheese sticks, Chunky legs, Chipmunk cheeks, Camping, Crying, Colic

Dora the Explorer, Disney Princesses, Driving around until the kids fell asleep, Diaper Bags, Daycare, Dress Up, Dancing, “Dat Dow”

Elmo, Ernie

Family bed, Furberizing, First everythings, Formula, Front Pack, Friends, Family, Fatigue

Growler (The), Gum, Gree Gree, Geesh, Gace, Gwace, Goodnight Moon, Grandmama, Granddabs, Grandma Mo, Grandpa George

Hard Toys, Hitting Johnny, Halloween costumes, Hugs, Haircuts, Happiness

Ice Cream, Irish music, Iowa Trips

Juice Boxes, Johnny Jump-Up, Ja Ja

Kindermusik, Kisses

Lammie, Learning to walk, Laughing, Letters

Miss Diane, Miss Beth, Museum of Life and Science, MerleFest, Mackins, Meltdowns

Nose wipes, Naptime, Norah Jones, “No Covers!”

Oscar the Grouch, OT, Onesies

Pacis, Physical Therapy, Playdates, PJs, Pull-Ups, Popsicles, Playing at the park, Puzzles, Preschool, Pony Rides, Pittsboro Elementary School, Potty Training, Poop toys

Questions, Quarters for Gumballs, Quesadillas

Rhino Kicker, Rocking to sleep, Reading stories, Running around our house in circles

Spanish For Fun Academy, Sesame Street, Sleep deprivation, Sleeping through the night, Sunday School, Sippy Cups, Swinging, Singing, Show And Tell, Strollers, Smiles

Teletubbies, Tummy Time, Two Babies, Time Out, Tichenors

University Mall, Underwear, “Up,” Unconditional Love

Vomitting in Public Places, Vacations

Wiggles (The), Weaver Street, Walks, Whining, “Watch ‘iss”

X-er Saucer, Xylophones

Yoly, yogurt

Zoo, Zoe (Sesame Street)

Don't Try This At Home, Kids

I've got a few things to straighten out before I can post again...

Are Your Family Reunions This Much Fun?

Below is an e-mail I got today about a family reunion (on my mom's side) that is coming up in Louisville, KY. I think I can say, withouth a doubt, the Ballantines put on the best family reunions ever.

"Ballantines--Nancy Bell is hosting a barbecue picnic on Saturday night of the Aug 25-27 reunion. She has arranged for a caterer to pull his trailer into her driveway and serve ribs or a pulled barbecue sandwich plus two sides (coleslaw, potato salad, or baked beans) for $10 per person. Soft drinks and mixer will be there, as well as a keg of beer, thanks to Nathaniel and Keith. We need a headcount of how many are coming, plus how many want ribs and how many want pulled barbecue. Please send your headcount and preferences to me via email by August 14. And remember to bring whatever other beverage, music, video, instruments you may want."

a little sanuk (sanuk means 'fun' in thai)

My cousin, a Peace Corps Volunteer in Thailand, sent this list out in an e-mail. I decided to post my answers here.

A) Four jobs I have had in my life:
1. Building Supervisor, Student Union, UNC
2. VISTA Volunteer, Northwest Florida
3. Director of Satellite Centers, Durham Tech Community College, Orange County, NC
4. Executive Administrator, Lucy Daniels Foundation
B) Four jobs I would like to have in my life:
1. Director of a really cool nonprofit that does really cool work
2. Full-time Freelance writer
3. Professional Clown
4. Event Planner
C) Four movies I would watch over and over:
1. Sixteen Candles
2. Rushmore
3. Lightfoot Home Videos
4. Bridget Jones’s Diary
D) Four places I have lived:
1. Bloomington, IN
2. Columbus, OH
3. Boone, NC
4. De Funiak Springs, FL
E) Four TV shows I love to watch:
1. The Sopranos
2. Sex and the City
3. Friends
4. Northern Exposure
F) Four places I have been on vacation:
1. Greece
2. Wales/England
3. Huerfano Valley, Colorado
4. Bay Area, California
G) Websites I visit daily
1. gmail.com
2. blogger.com
3. salon.com
4. all of my friends' blogs
H) Four of my favorite foods:
1. Lime Popsicles
2. Owensboro, KY BBQ
3. Strawberry Ice Cream
4. Twizzlers (is that a food?)
I) Four places I would rather be right now:
1. Greece
2. Wales/England
3. Huerfano Valley, Colorado
4. Bay Area, California

J) Four favorite books
1. The Sun Also Rises, Ernest Hemingway
2. Saint Maybe, Anne Tyler
3. Raney, Clyde Edgerton
4. The Last American Man, Elizabeth Gilbert (I laughed, I cried)