Sweet Mama

The other day we went to a famous soda fountain in Kenova, WV. It was originally opened in 1892 and is one of the oldest continuous shops in the area.



Earlier that day, the boys had been watching the movie, Air Buddies, and Brek is particularly enamored with Budderball, the eater (not surprising considering that Brek LOVES food). So, he had been repeating little sayings all day that Budderball had said in the movie. When I told him that we were going to get some ice cream, he responded with "Oh, yeah, that's what I'm talking about."



So, anyway, we get to the soda fountain/pharmacy and sit down to order. The boys got to sit at the bar, which they absolutely loved, and they could watch the waitress make their sundaes. Plus, that allowed Joey and I to look around at all the photos of the shop when it was first opened and all of the famous people that had stopped by in the over 100 years that they've been open.



Finally, the waiter brought over their order. Brek looked at his hot fudge sundae with eyes the size of saucers, and said, "OOOHHH, Sweet Mama, this is BEAUTIFUL!". . . . no more Air Buddies for at least a week!


Brek with his "beautiful" sundae.


Bae with a "bite" of ice cream that made his mama proud. If your mouth isn't puffed out like a chipmunk, it's not a full bite!

While Joey ran to the restroom, they brought his order.



OOHHH, Sweet Mama, that is BEAUTIFUL!

Wally

This year, on Valentine's Day (no, I didn't plan it that way), I chatted online with a lady who runs a rescue center out of her home (which also happens to be a horse farm) in Lexington, KY. We've been through Lexington a couple of times. The first time we went, someone told us to drive until you see horse barns that look nicer than most people's homes. . . .they were right.

So, she was looking for someone to foster a bassett hound puppy. They had originally planned on keeping this particular puppy, but her shitzu and lhasa apso (why do all fancy dogs have fancy names?) didn't get along with the puppy. I told her I would be willing to foster the puppy temporarily until she found him a home. So, she agreed to meet us in Paris, KY and the boys and I set off. (Joey was sleeping as he had to go to work that night). We met at a gas station and collected the puppy and his bag. His bag???? YEAH.

So, we headed for home and arrived about 20 minutes before Joey was due to leave for work. (Oh, yeah, I should probably mention that he had no idea we were going to get the dog.) So, I tell the boys before we get home, that we should wake daddy up slowly and let him get used to the idea of the dog before we show him the dog. They agreed. . . .until we walked in the door. Then they promptly woke up daddy by shoving the new puppy in his face. He smiled (to them) while giving me a "why in the world would you bring home a dog to our little temporary apartment where we have no intentions of staying and have a backyard the size of a stamp" look. He motioned for the boys to take the dog out of the room and as soon as they were out, started mumbling stuff about "making him the bad guy" and "we don't need a dog right now." My only defense was that he was "just a foster dog, not a keeper" and "this was only temporary." Other than that, I said very little, but was thinking how rude he was being. . . and on Valentine's Day!! Ok, so he had no idea this "present" was even coming, but he could've been a little nicer. He stomped out to work and I got the boys to bed and then snuggled in bed with the new puppy.



Early the next morning, I was lying in bed awake thinking how, (after a good night's sleep), I could see Joey's point. We were in a small apartment with an even smaller backyard. Things were cramped enough for us and two boys, especially since they were used to a farmhouse on 16 acres. Needless to say, we were already having to make huge adjustments, and I want to bring a dog into it!? Then I heard the front door open. I laid there quietly in the dark. I heard the puppy get off his bed and clickey clack on the hardwood floors towards Joey. It then occured to me that Joey hadn't really even seen the dog in the light. The night before, he had barely given the dog a second look. I held my breath, and heard Joey say "Hey little man. . .you need to go outside?" I smiled, sank back into the pillows, and thought, "Yeah, he's not going anywhere."

I called Lisa later that day and told her "Wally" was "a keeper". Happy Valentine's Day, Joey!

. . .and the award goes to. . . .

Tonight was Bae's awards banquet for Upward Basketball. They had a magician who did all kinds of cool magic tricks. After his very first trick, Brek turned to me and said (very loudly) "Wow, mama, he is magic just like you!" ( I have a little thing I do when the kids are fighting like indians in the back seat. I "turn" the red lights green. Brek is totally a believer. . . Bae, not so much.) I shushed him and glanced around to see how many people were staring. Only two little ladies that whispered to me how he was so precious. (yeah, right)



Anyway, so the magician gets finished with his act (during which time Bae's mouth hung open just about the entire time in amazement) and they started giving out awards. One by one, they called the cheerleaders and then the basketball players. Bae went up and graciously accepted his. . . .Upward lunchbox. He had been really looking forward to adding a trophy to his little collection, but I watched him return to his seat and start whispering with his teammates.



I smiled and thought how mature he had become. Even though I knew he must've been a little disappointed at his award, he was gracious and I was so proud. I took a moment and gave myself a mental pat on the back. Obviously he had learned from his mom how to be grateful even when life's little disappointments come your way.



After the ceremony, we went into the fellowship hall and had refreshments. He carried his little lunchbox with him the whole time. As we were heading to the car, I told him how proud I was of him.. He said "thanks", but was otherwise quiet. We were almost to the car and he said, "Mama, know what I told Blake (his teammate)". I said, "no". He said, "I told him, can you believe that we did all that hard work and all we got was this little lunchbox."



All I could think was that's the last time I'll pat myself on the back before I know what my kids are whispering about.

And baby makes. . .. four!

So, I was chatting with my sis-in-law today about the upcoming arrival of my newest niece, Ava. She and my bro already have one beautiful baby girl, Calli, who is 17 months old. That means when the new baby arrives, she'll only be 19 months old. It got me thinking about the births of my two boys.


Parker Bae Allen at five months old doing his "Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Cover".


Haden Brek Allen at six months old at St. Marys Water Park.

The boys are only 22 months apart and I remember both of their births like a movie I've seen a hundred times.

With my first, it lasted 7 hours and 40 minutes. The nurses ushered him over to the the "incubator" and I was chatting with the doctor while Joey stood there still dutifully holding my hand. After a few seconds or so, I felt my hand getting lifted higher and higher and I looked up at Joey only to see him craning his neck trying to get a glimpse of his new son, with no regard whatsoever for me. . .or my hand which was starting to tingle from the lack of blood flow. I said, "Joey, I'm good here, go on over there." He shuffled over to the nurses and they handed Bae to him. I smiled and remember thinking that our lives were forever changed.

Fast forward 22 months or so, and we were in the midst of welcoming our second son into the world. When it was time to leave for the hospital, Joey strapped Bae into his car seat and got his little bag of snacks and toys, both of us thinking he would go right back to sleep. He didn't. It's like he knew something was going on, though he wasn't sure what it was. The delivery was easy, much like the first, but I was thinking much of the time about Bae out in the waiting room with our family. How I was somehow being neglectful of him and how I hoped he was ok. I must've asked a dozen times how he was and Joey finally said, "Heather, he's fine. He'd much rather be playing with them anyway!" I laughed because I knew he was right. The labor lasted only 5 hours and 20 minutes. When Brek finally arrived, and Bae came in to see his new brother, I watched as my "baby" met his baby brother for the first time. I smiled and remember thinking that our lives were forever changed.


Brotherly Love

As I look at the boys now, at "just-turned four" and "about to turn six", I'm reminded of the moment that both of those precious beings entered into my life. I want to tell my sis-in-law to prepare herself for the strange feeling of being pulled in different directions when it's finally time for the new baby to make her debut into the world. But, I also want to tell her that when she sees her "baby" meet her baby sister for the first time, to remember that exact moment. I want to tell her to let time stand still just for a second, and to capture that memory like a photograph in her mind, and to know that all of their lives are forever changed.

For this child, I prayed, and the Lord has granted me what I asked of him.
-1 Samuel 1:27

Random Things About Me

As I was pondering what to blog about first, I realized that in order for some things to make sense, you should probably know some things about me. Everyone has their little quirky things and I'm no exception. So, below I've assembled a list of things about me in no particular order.

1. I'm addicted to chapstick. Actually, I'm addicted to Blistex. When I pop the lid off of that wonderful tube of mentholatum infused beeswax, I hear the angels singing.

2. I keep lists. Everyday. For everything. Grocery Lists, to do lists, to pack lists, daily lists, future lists, lists of my lists. . . . . you get the picture.

3. I don't like my food to touch. Thus, making me a huge fan of compartment plates. Joey on the other hand could just mix everything all together and eat it. He says, "It's all going to the same place, right?" WRONG. I firmly believe that my stomach is neatly divided into compartments for the various kinds of food I eat.

4. I met my husband, Joey about 2 weeks after I was born. Weird, right!? My grandparents lived next door to his parents, and our families have vacationed in North Carolina together for as long as I can remember. We didn't start dating until I was in high school, and I knew very early on that he was "the one". He and I are very similar in alot of ways and very different in others. Pretty near a perfect combination in my opinion.

5. I am only 5'1". So that makes Joey almost exactly one whole foot taller than me. I wore three inch heels on my wedding day and still barely came past his shoulders!

6. I have two boys. I'm sure I was chosen to be the mother of boys for many reasons (one being that God was extremely confident in my ability to handle pressure and chaos), but mainly, I believe, because God has a sense of humor. There are somedays that I picture God sitting up in heaven looking down at us and telling St. Peter, "let's see her handle this one!"

7. I homeschool my kids. (I know, I know, can you say "glutton for punishment?") But, seriously, I can't put all those college years to waste, so I use it on a daily basis and still get to be at home with my guys. Bae is in kindergarten this year (he's enrolled with Abeka Academy) and Brek is in Pre Pre-K.

8. When Joey and I got married, for the first 5 years, we moved on average every six months. We started out in Hilliard, FL then to Florence St. Waycross, GA then to Central Ave. Waycross, GA then to Nahunta, GA then to Reese St. Carrollton, GA then to Stewart St. Carrollton, GA then to Nahunta, GA then to Charleston, SC then to Windsor Dr. Waycross, GA where we stayed for two years. Then we bought our farm on September 11, 2007 and I told my friend I would never move again. WEEELLLLL, never say never. In August 2008, we moved (though temporarily) to Huntington, WV where we'll be at least until September 2009.

9. We've bought five houses and sold. . . .none. All but two are rental property.

10. I have naturally curly hair and spend most of my time flat ironing or blow drying it straight. Sounds crazy. I guess what everyone says is true, "the grass always LOOKS greener on the other side." However, let me say that when related to hair, I assume that those of you with straight hair don't have to have conversations with your unruly hair as to why it should do what you tell it to do and not what it wants to do. (I just realized I say the same things to my hair that I do to my kids).

11. I love to laugh. And cry. Let me explain. Laughter truly is the best medicine. Being married to a comedian like I am, I laugh every day, several times a day. You wouldn't believe some of the hilarious things he can come up with. But, there also is nothing like a good cry. I don't like to be sad, don't get me wrong. I cry at silly things, like a movie or a book or even an email. But, when something really sad happens, like a death, I hold it all in, for reasons I don't understand. Like I have to hold it together to keep others from falling apart.

12. I love my Jesus and am doing my best to raise my children in obedience to God. I was raised in church and though I am not perfect by any stretch of the imagination, I have always tried to do what I felt was pleasing to Him. I don't know that there is any greater thing you can do for your children, than to teach them about God's love and that He has a plan for their lives. I sit in awe sometimes at the works He has done in mine. I have learned to trust that He knows better than me ALL THE TIME.

WOW! I think that's all for me, for now anyway. I'm sure more quirky things will pop up on here from time to time. I'm always noticing strange things about myself. I'll try to keep these posts shorter in the future, but those that know me best know that I do tend to be long-winded.

Until next time,

Let's start from the beginning. . . . .

Ok, for all of you that have been anxiously awaiting the post of my blog (yeah, right) . . .here it is! I can tell you now that some (or all) of you will at some point be rolling on the floor with laughter at some of the things posted here. My posts will revolve around the lives of me, my husband, our two boys, and our pets (you can imagine the humor already, right?!) I'll probably be documenting daily happenings, with background info when necessary! Can't wait to get started!