Lying Low

It's been a sickly kind of week in the Denton household. Parker has had the flu since last Sunday. Fever went away Wednesday, and he went back to school yesterday - only to run a fever again last night. So we are lying low this weekend, skipping Parker's ice-skating lesson and a birthday party at the zoo.

Parker stayed home with me all week, and we worked together in the bed - me on my laptop, him drawing pictures and watching cartoons. It was actually nice and kind of cozy, hanging out together as the rain drizzled outside.


We decided to send some of his drawings to family members, and - taking a cue from my homeschooling friends - he learned how to address envelopes. The stamp had the Liberty Bell on it, which led to a mini-lesson about the Liberty Bell - where it is, why it is cracked, why it's called the Liberty Bell. (Mom and Dad, Uncle C.P., Nonnie - your drawings are in the mail!)

I only wish Sawyer could have stayed home, too. (Work schedule is unrelenting these days but should slow down soon.) Sawyer is not sick at the moment, and I'm hoping, hoping this passes him by. I've been Lysol-ing like crazy.

A Sawyer update: He knows his colors! He won't really say them, but he can point to them. He is crazy about books, and his favorite is Good Night, Gorilla. But he also loves Happy Baby Colors and many others. He's very particular and likes to read new books every night. (Except Good Night, Gorilla, which is pretty much a mainstay.) This sweet munchkin is a bit of a hellion these days (early terrible twos??) He says "no" a lot and has started hitting when things don't go his way. But he's also so sweet and affectionate, doling out kisses to us, his big brother, his stuffed animals - and his books.

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Meet My Office Mates

Don't get me wrong; working from home is a wonderful thing. But it can get a little lonely. And there are so many distractions. Dirty dishes, rumpled beds, crumbs on the floor, dinner to be made, piles of laundry waiting to be washed and folded ... they all beckon. A half-hour here, a few minutes there, and it's time to pick up the little ones - but the work still has to be done, so you're up 'til midnight after the kids go to bed.

Solution: Spend a lot of time at my friend Stasia's house, which is just a few minutes from Parker's school. She works from home, too, so we can keep each other company between e-mails and phone conferences. The sweet dogs, Missy and Jasmine, snore and scuffle at our feet. There's camaraderie, fresh coffee, wireless Internet, my own desk - and a really cool treadmill setup if I ever have a free minute to use it. It's like going to the office without actually going to the office.

So thanks to my friend for being so generous.

Here are Stasia and the girls, Missy and Jasmine, in Stasia's lovely home office ...

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Our Weekend: A Mixed Bag

One thing I like about blogging is that it helps put things in perspective. I needed that this weekend, although it started out great.

We headed to the home of our friends Amy and Ted on Saturday to hang out - but mostly so Amy and I could hide away and watch Twilight while the guys watched the kids. But before we started, this amazing milestone happened... No training wheels! Parker saw Brayden do it, so he had to try. Sometimes peer pressure can be a good thing.




The kids played and took a break for popsicles...



Sawyer found a friend ...

Amy made some awesome Sangria (she gave me the recipe - will post later) and we slipped away to watch the movie ...


Then we all headed to the Corner Pub for dinner ... after 7 p.m.! Amazingly, there were no meltdowns...

One reason I love that restaurant - they have a place for kids to run around and throw beanbags.

The next morning, we decided to take the kids shopping - and that was a BAD IDEA. Now I remember why we don't take the kids on extended shopping trips. Sawyer and I had to leave a restaurant and sit in the car. We were that family. **Sigh**

So we regrouped on Monday and made it a don't-leave-the-house-play-in-the-backyard-no-stress day. Everyone was much happier.



Hope your holiday weekend was a great one!

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Mystery Solved

I was wondering what happened to all the tomatoes...

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Weekend in Review

As much as I hate to see summer go, I love these fall-ish days. Leaves are starting to fall already...
It was a friend-filled weekend. We celebrated our neighbor Tami's 50th birthday. Here she is trying to find the pinata ...


Parker wore his new bobby hat to the party (and the grocery store, and Home Depot ...). Jerod bought it for him at Performace Studios downtown. Here he is at the party, practicing the Hula Hoop for some partygoers ...

Then we sat around the fire pit in our backyard with our other neighbors, Tim and Erin, and their kids. There's just something about a fire ...

Here's Erin with a glass of wine ... we stayed up waaayyy too late.

We headed to the trail Sunday afternoon, and Parker found a snakeskin ...

Jerod skated, Parker biked, and Sawyer and I walked ...

Then it was the usual routine - showers, dinner, bedtime ... getting ready for the week.

Hope you had a great weekend!

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Chickens in the City

My friend Stasia has become a little bit famous around here as the chicken debate has escalated in Nashville. She keeps chickens in the backyard of her Westmeade home, and she - along with other urban chicken keepers - recently found out that the flocks are banned in Metro. Stasia doesn't have any pesky roosters, she keeps the coop clean - and her 5-year-old daughter gets to gather the eggs, eat the eggs and learn all kinds of great lessons about the cycle of life.

Yesterday, Sky Arnold with FOX 17 News showed up at Stasia's house out of the blue to get some chicken footage. I happened to be there and got some shots of the impromptu interview. She's also been featured in a Tennessean story.

Last night the Metro Planning Commission approved a bill that would allow folks like Stasia to keep chickens, with just a few, um, rules of the roost. Now it heads to a second vote at Metro Council.

A few quiet chickens shouldn't ruffle any feathers. Go chickens!

Here's a pic of Stasia on camera:

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First Day of Kindergarten

I can't believe it's here already - the end of summer, the beginning of a new era. Parker told Jerod last night that he didn't want to go to kindergarten because it means he is growing up, and that he and his Dad can't be buddies anymore, and now he has to buy his own house and he won't get to live with us anymore. (!!!?!!)

So funny and sad, too. I don't know where he came up with those ideas, but Jerod put his fears to rest and said he can live with us as long as he wants to (a promise he may regret someday ... haha).

But we had a great morning - on time and everything. The whole family went to make sure he was settled, and I think all will be fine.

Does this look like a boy who's nervous?

Me and Parker ...
Walking up to school with Daddy ...
Peeking into the library...
Posing with the school mascot ...
Parker with his new teacher ...
A goodbye kiss from Dad (Sawyer in stroller) ...
Making letters out of Play-Doh ...

I'll get a full report in about an hour. More to come!

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