McKinley's First Pool Party

Some friends of ours, Kylie & Ben are moving into their new house and have some painting to do...sometimes this is difficult with a toddler/helper, so they needed some entertainment for Lincoln. Who better than McKinley?!
Mommy broke out ALL the kiddie pools and the boys played outside the entire 2 hours that Lincoln was with us.

My Mom was over and had a ball blowing bubbles for the boys and I had fun shooting them both down the slides! It was a great time - the first of many, I'm sure!
Lynn

Memorial Day Weekend

It's Memorial Day Weekend in INDIANA!!!!!!!!!!!!

That marks the world-famous Indianapolis 500, the unofficial start to summer and great cookouts!

Cary and I have been to the Indy 500 many times, but have yet to take McKinley - think we'll wait a few years for that, but being blessed as a true Hoosier, he will have the opportunity to see it many times!

Instead of hitting the track, we made our own fun at home. Sunday Cary had the chance to play some golf with his Dad and got some much-deserved 'me time'. While he was golfing I did some work outside and had Mom over for a nice breakfast on the patio with her grandson. McKinley hit the pool (see pics and post below) and seriously wore himself out. hahahaha I spent the whole day outside (with lots of sunscreen) it was a glorious day!

Monday we all packed up and headed to Indy with Mom for a Memorial Day cookout at my Godparents' home. We had great food, good times and got to celebrate Shelby's birthday. McKinley spent the day playing a ball-toss game with me and Cary, flirting with all the women, checking out the neighbor's coy pond and doing tricks for everyone's entertainment. He was NON-STOP.

We had such a great day in Indy for the long weekend!

Lynn

Vernon weekly recap

Whew-what a busy week!

McKinley said his full name for the first time (and well, I might add). More on that later...

We had a playdate with Lincoln that involved heebie geebies and a big ol' bore bee. The bore bee tried to make friends with a very unwilling McKinley while we attempted to eat our lunch. He actually followed us over to the playground, where McKinely AND I were equally as displeased with the whole mess. Then these LOVELY, giant swarms of large gnat-like insects dive-bombed our mouths, ears and eyes as we simply tried to play on the playground. McKinley kept shivering when the gnat thingies would hit his ears, so I asked if he had the heebie geebies. He promptly replied that he had, "Heebie Geebies in ears and eyes!" lol Yikes! This was even after the application of bug repellent! We got out of there! Despite Mother Nature's blessed insects we had so much fun with Lincoln and Kylie. Hope to do it again next week with even more of our friends!

My friend Robin and I headed to St. Ben's Longaberger/Vera Bradley Bingo (I didn't win, but Robin sure did!!! :-D ) while Cary took McKinley AND Savannah to the park together (Robin's hubby, Ricky had to work). Robin did great winning a BIG raffle prize, but Cary impressed me with toting around TWO toddlers for some park fun and a great dinner. WOW! Good night!

Mamaw was put in the hospital again, but is back home and doing okay. Thankfully, it was just a prescription change.

Cary played some golf with his Dad and I did some zumba with Jen.

We continued our big makeover of the house (I'm lovin' it!) and I finally finished my...

LAST.HOMEWORK.EVER.

Dum, dum, duuuuuuuuuuum

I became BFF's with the powerwasher (ugh) and McKinley discovered that three of his very favorite things to do all involve being 'OUTSIIIIIIIDE!'

*Watering our flowers and plants with his frog watering can

*Playing his self-invented ball toss game in one of his three kiddie pools

*Using the shower-like handle for watering flowers as a microphone for his adorable singing talent

By far, though, the absolute cutest thing ever this week was the repetition of McKinley's name, "Kinney Dane Bernon" as told by MSV himself. Translation: McKinley Shane Vernon

Seriously, it makes me CRY.

What a great week, we're off to a fabulous summer!

Lynn

Perfect Kite-flying weather

Today was amazing. The weather was so beautiful - not hot, kind of cool, perfectly sunny and breezy! The absolute perfect day to fly a kite. It was Cary's idea - and it was a GREAT idea - so we packed up the jogging stroller was various necessities, got on our active wear and walked about a half a mile to this huge open field at a nearby elementary school.

For Easter this year, we'd given McKinley an Elmo inflatable kite, we blew it up and Cary sent Elmo right up into the sky. McKinley was kind of amazed at first, then he started chasing Cary around the field as Elmo continued to fly. He just kept saying, 'Elmo fly!!!' Too cute.

After a while Cary showed McKinley how to fly his Elmo, he caught on quickly and loved watching the kite in the sky. We flew the kite for quite a while and reminisced about our own kite flying experiences. I think that's one of the greatest perks of parenting, if you take the time to enjoy it being a parent it's awesome because you can relive your own childhood experiences and also see the unbridled joy in your child's eyes all in one! How great is that? I have always loved holidays and doing fun things, but I notice that I am enjoying these holidays and experiences 100 times more than usual! Today though, I seriously enjoyed our beautful family moment and amid that moment I relived a specific time when my family and I flew a kite in our huge yard. My Dad had gotten this new, kite-flying professional thing that was like a big fishing rod. It took my kite up a bazillion feet higher (okay, not really a bazillion feet, but I was like 9...). I can still picture that thing. I can still picture my Mom out there taking our pictures. I think my Dad had so much more fun with that new toy than anyone, but it was pretty cool to have something like that. Cary also remembers flying a kite in his childhood, we had fun rehashing these stories this afternoon.

After we finished flying the kite we played on the school's playground, then walked over to Subway. On our way home we decided to stop off at Rural King - the place where McKinley first saw his chickies. Well, the chickies are all in their new homes so we missed them, but he did rather enjoy throwing pennies in the decorative pond. He just kept saying, "Mommy, I throw a penny!" So cute!

We got home and McKinley and Cary rested on the big overstuffed chair, where McKinley literally fell asleep on Cary's chest - like the old days, as Cary said. Our boy was exhausted, but he had so much fun! We all did.

What a happy Sunday afternoon!

Lynn

The Presidents hit the Childrens' Museum

It's that time again - time for our monthly trip to Indy. Last night we stayed at the Crown Plaza with the big, REAL, indoor train cars. We didn't stay in one, but you'd think we did as loud as it was! Who knew Union Station was still a fully functioning rail station -- YIKES. Three hours of a train engine running constantly at 3am got a 'little' annoying - even for McKinley. It was all worth it though because today was a total blast!

While Cary went off and did his civic duty, McKinley and I trotted off to the Childrens' Museum where we met Kylie and Lincoln for a whole day of fun! It was surreal to see TWO FILLED car seats and two baby faces in my rear view mirror...but adorable, no less. After hitting Ben's work (Kylie's hubby)we had a lovely, if not totally complicated lunch at Circle Center and then hit the Museum just in time for the MASS NUMBER of school children on a field trip leave the premises. Nice!

The Museum was still crazy-packed, but that didn't stop our boys! We headed right for the Playscape where the Presidents donned their water-proof smocks and headed for the giant water table. Then it was off to the sand table. Then the maze. Then the train table. Then the playhouse. Then the mowers...you get the idea. They were busy - so busy in fact that the time flew by and it was time to go! McKinley and I introduced Kylie & Lincoln to our tradition of riding the carousel at the end of our visit and a self-portrait picture to remember the day. I LOVE that we do this and can't wait to see how much we change as the years go by...

I am so thrilled that Kylie & Lincoln came with us for a fun day of play, I wonder if they are as exhausted as we are??? Just a few more months of our annual trips of civic duty, but I hope we can drag our friends with us again soon! We picked Cary up and headed home for a QUIET night's sleep in our own bed...sans train engine.

What a great day!
Lynn

Mother's Day #2

Happy Mother's Day!

Today we celebrated this special day in Bloomington with much of the family, it was a really, REALLY fun day.

The highlight for me was McKinley telling everyone, 'Happy. Mudder's Day.' He's speaking more and more clearly by the sentence - it amazes me. McKinley had so much fun today running around chasing Gonan and Bootie (those are our nephews, Logan & Mason - we have NO idea where the nickname Bootie came from, but we go with it and Mason's a good sport). We also got to coo over Baby Braelyn (McKinley pronounces it Braynen) - she is precious, and 9 weeks old already!

We all had so much fun taking turns with badminton or this fun velcro tennis ball catcher thing (which I am now obsessed with) or basketball. It was the perfect day to be outside and my mother & father-in-law's front yard is the perfect spot for these impromptu games. We had a lovely dinner and dessert and soon headed home - my sister-in-law and I agreed that they day had absolutely flown by.

What a fun day for the family, Happy Mother's Day!

Lynn

Above, Uncle Mike and McKinley, McKinley sporting his "Momma's Boy" shirt, Aunt Rose feeding McKinley a fun treat of cake and ice cream, Wendi holds Baby Braelyn, Cary teases his Mamaw.

Greetings from Big Cedar Lodge!

Last week the fam hit Big Cedar Lodge in Ridgefield, Mo. OMG, it was incredible.

I didn't take many pictures - I often found myself leaving the camera in our suite, I just wasn't thinking...I was too busy enjoying myself in the gorgeous outdoors of Big Cedar. So, there's little to show of our gorgeous stay, but man was it amazing!

We were spoiled during our visit and no doubt McKinley fell head over heels for the 'Cookie Lady' who cheerfully brought all four of us a lovely package of freshly baked cookies each and every night. We begged her to come home with us, but alas she insisted on staying in Missouri. McKinley got so used to her visits, in fact that when there was ANY knock at the door he immediately started screaming, 'COOKIES!!!' He was only acting out what we were all feeling!
We spent a day doing some shopping, Cary and I had a nice outing checking out the Branson area, then later in the week we had a full-on date night complete with a trip to the Lodge's famous Buzzard Bar and some yummy fried green tomatoes and an Ozark Sunset (super-yummy signature drink). Big Cedar has it's own entertainer who frequents the bar several times a week, during our visit we whipped out the laptop to take advantage of the wi-fi and check out our email. Wrong move there...the singer immediately started cracking jokes about the Buzzard Bar becoming a 'latte bar'. All in good fun, we had a great night together!
Mom enjoyed spending a lot of quality time with McKinley and making us 'wokee' (coffee, as pronounced by McKinley) every morning. Our view was incredible, so each morning we headed out to the balcony with a bagel and wokee in hand to breathe in the fresh air. It was amazing.

While we were there we also visited The Landing, a gorgeous river walk with shops and restaurants, a fire and water show and loads of cool things to do. McKinley LOVED our up close view of the fire and water show from inside Catina Laredo, where we all enjoyed this amazing guacamole made tableside.

One night I made Italian for dinner, another night we grilled out - it was so relaxing and delish. The Truman House was another great find on the Big Cedar property. The quaint lake-side cafe had a great view and serious gourmet sandwiches. The pools were unreal with waterfalls connecting the pools, a great kiddie pool with spraying water (which we ALL took a nice dip in), and so many more activities it was crazy! We all had a lot of fun on our paddle boats...except that I was the lucky one who ended up with a broken seat. I was dangerously close to taking a dip in the lake with the newly stocked bass, practically laying down while hanging on for dear life to my mom and the boat. I had a great view of the sky though! McKinley happily rode on Cary's lap - they had their own paddle boat, a real work out for Cary. There are NO pictures of that excursion. Needless to say, had I whipped out my camera I would have no doubt ended up wet...along with my prized camera.

Speaking of pictures, this vacation there are few...I just kind of lost track of it and enjoyed myself, but I did get some great pictures of the awesome memories we made. We will never forget the great river paci adventure that sent one of McKinley's beloved paci's at least 1000 feet down the river. Our compassionate boy attempted to share his 'pass' with the ducks who were anxiously awaiting a treat at the riverside restaurant where we ate. As I gasped, Mom said, 'OH MY GOD', and Cary stood in shock McKinley began to realize just what his kind gesture meant. For the next 20 minutes nearly all we heard was, 'Uh oh...PASS! Where'd go? I foo it...GONE!' At one point, I looked up as Cary made a desperate Go-Go-Gadget Arm reach into the cold river for the paci...there were FLOCKS of people gawking at us from the restaurant windows. For a long time we all just stood there and laughed and laughed. It was SO DARNED FUNNY! The ducks followed us, swooshing the paci to and fro and we waited for it to travel to a nearby pier. I don't know why we wanted to get it so badly, it just became a game...could we get it? Dare we try? Well, finally the paci reached the pier. Cary and I were armed with a broom found close by and a lot of ambition. Cary lay down on the pier, reached in and scooped that paci right out of the water! We all cheered, 'YAY!' - McKinley was the loudest. This may well be one of those things were you have to be there to appreciate it, but it made for some great comic relief.

I cannot say enough about our stay at Big Cedar Lodge. We had a wonderful time - despite the sad news of my Aunt's passing and being unable to be by my family's side. Cary and I are already planning a return trip and can't wait to see and do even more on the gorgeous Big Cedar grounds. It truly was a wonderful family vacation!
Lynn

Finding my Mommy Voice

It's official.
Today I found my Mommy Voice.
I finally know how I will react when someone purposely seeks out to intentionally hurt my son.
I remained fairly controlled, but bubbling inside of me was every single four-letter word that has ever existed and they were BURNING my lungs, just itching to come out. Had those words not been directed at a 4 year old in the middle of a busy playground perhaps my story today would be different. Alas, I was the censored version of my Mommy-self toward the boy who shoved McKinley down the metal steps and toward his grandparents.

The story goes like this:
We were minding our own business, having a wonderful playdate with Kylie and Lincoln and Kelly and her son, Aiden. We had just told Kylie and Lincoln goodbye and were thinking of heading home ourselves when McKinley climbed onto the playground equipment to go down the big slide.
Out of no where appears this random 4 year old (approx.) who proceeded to RUN up to McKinley and shove him down. FOR NO REASON AT ALL. McKinley was okay, jolted slightly, but no problems. I walked up to the boy and calmly told him that shoving someone for no reason was not acceptable behavior and that if could not play nice he need not play around my son. The grandfather, who was watching from the ground took him away as I told him what his grandson had just done. Kelly complimented me on how I handled that, which made me feel good about my choice to correct this kid.
Just a minute later the boy came our way again - seeking out McKinley like prey, and I'm not exaggerating. I was standing beside McKinley, the boy looked me square in the eye and I gave him a firm look but he didn't budge. The grandfather walked back over and said, 'Please get over here, they do not want to play with you.' I realize that this man meant well, but perhaps a better choice of words were in order because within another few minutes we had a repeat performance.
I was walking behind McKinley who was again climbing up the stairs to go down another slide, when I saw it unfold before my eyes. I could not get there in time, but my voice reached that little brat faster and firmer than he expected. I shouted, 'HEY! NO!' in a very loud but low tone, signaling that I meant business. I couldn't stop him, he got right in McKinley's face, puffed up like an adult male mid-fight, pulled his arms back and shoved McKinley, propelling him down three metal steps and causing him to land on his head.
Here's where I found my voice.
I was so firm and loud that everyone on the playground at that moment stopped dead in their tracks. No one moved. No one made a sound. My voice echoed over the entire area as I scooped up my crying son. I shouted at that freaking brat and his grandfather - who proceeded to whip out his own four letter word in frustration while calling for his wife, I instructed them to get off the playground because this kid couldn't play well with others, and what the heck was wrong with him???? The grandmother came over cooing, asking what had happened, wanting to paw all over McKinley. I jerked her away from us and informed her that her grandson had shoved my son down not once, but twice and was stalking him like prey. I looked them all in the eyes and said, 'Obviously there is something wrong with this child and he needs help for physical aggression'. I don't even care if my words were hurtful, I was shaking, McKinley was screaming in pain and I'd had enough of this playground bully. When they had the audacity to bring the kid over to show him what he had done to McKinley (which did no good, whatsoever), the grandmother said, 'Now, look what you have done to this BABY! You did that!' I interjected and told the kid that he had been very mean and that his behavior was unacceptable and he was very wrong in what he did. I shouted over and over to them to 'get that kid out my face and get him some help, in the form of therapy'. The grandmother said they were leaving and I said, 'Well, I should hope so!' They both apologized all over themselves and the grandfather assured me he would take care of the situation. You could tell it was a learned behavior, not good at such a young age. And I'm sure the behavior was not from the grandparents, who truly seemed caring and kind...I can only imagine this child's situation to be seeking out another child, half his age and size to hurt...intentionally.
Looking back, I know we have been bullied twice during visits to the Children's Museum, and I've been pretty passive. There was certainly no physical harm like in the case today. I was almost mad at myself then for letting things go so easily but tried to chalk it up to showing my son that people are not always nice and bad things do happen and show him to stand up for himself in a reasonable manner. Today, I'm much happier with my reaction. I know I put the fear of God in that kid when I screamed at him and caught him red handed doing a very bad thing. I did what was best and stood up for my son. I'm proud.
Thank GOD McKinley is okay. I've spoken to our pediatrician and know what to look for in case of a concussion, but so far so good. The outcome could have been so much worse because McKinley took a very big, very hard fall - and was shoved, to boot.

Though our playdate ended on a bad note, we had such a great time. McKinley really loves being around Lincoln and Aiden and I'm sure that this incident will not deter him from hitting the park again next week!

Yay for my Mommy Voice.
Lynn

Aunt Judy 1950-2009

Sadly, last Wednesday, April 29th my Aunt Judy lost her long battle with cancer. It happened so much sooner than any of us expected or anticipated - especially since just a few weeks ago her doctors estimated it would be around 3 months. We were so sad to receive a call Monday evening from Uncle Dave, who was reporting that things had taken a turn for the worse and Aunt Judy would only be with us for a few more days. We were all so shocked and so upset that we were on vacation in Missouri and not close by. I hated being away from two of the most caring people I know as they struggled with a hard goodbye. There was nothing we could do.

Uncle Dave called around 6:30 am on Wednesday to share with us that Aunt Judy had passed in the early morning hours. We are so heartbroken by this loss. Aunt Judy's visitation was Sunday and what an evening it was. I expected a lot of people, but I think the proper term would be 'gobs'. Literally, GOBS of people showed up to pay their respects to my aunt and uncle. Doctors and nurses who have cared for Aunt Judy for nearly 5 years came, distant relatives, people who became friends with my aunt and uncle during treatments, a very dear friend of MINE, and so many other people that it literally meant standing-room-only to offer condolences to Uncle Dave and his family. Not to even mention the HUGE line that stretched through the entire funeral home and out the door with waits of an hour and a half and more for the entire 4 hour showing that went even passed that. I walked in and just started crying at the sheer sight of so many people there to honor my kind and loving aunt. I think it says a lot of her character to have touched so many lives in just 59 years.
The funeral was tough...none are easy, huh? Mom read a beautiful poem that has meant a lot to her through many losses, and no doubt resonated with everyone there today. Cary was given the honor of serving as a pall bearer and I am tearfully proud of how well he represented my side of the family. Aunt Judy loved Cary very much, their light-hearted personalities compliment each other. He made her laugh a lot.
Today I am so very sad for myself, for my Uncle Dave - who has lost the soul mate he has known since her birth, their children and grandchildren, my mother, my son (who loved to kiss Aunt Judy) and my husband - among so many others. Today I am beginning to be comforted in knowing that my aunt's long and tiresome battle is over and she may be at peace with our Lord and will no longer suffer in pain. Today I am comforted by my family's ability to come together again in loss. It did our hearts a lot of good to see McKinley meet many of his relatives from my side for the first time. He's fond of the word 'uncle' - having recently mastered saying Uncle Mike (for my brother-in-law), now he's happily added Uncle Dave and Uncle Tim to his repertoire...as well as Aunt Mary! Now, Aunt Judy would have loved that. She was always so positive about family.
It is a sad time, but what a beautiful way to honor my aunt's life with celebration.
Lynn