Good news. Looking towards "THREE" - Mommy get's a clue.

S, the youngest of our clan, turns three in January. Yes, it's 4 months away, but we are beginning to see light at the end of the tunnel.

For almost a year and a half we've struggled to get him to eat dinner at all. We've battled many nights as he won't touch his mashed potatoes (what kid won't eat them?). It's not just the potatoes. It's everything. About the only thing he would eat is rice and meat.

Why have I struggled with this for so long? I have no idea, but last night and tonight he actually ate all that we put on his plate (which is next to nothing).

Note to self: It was the milk he got in the mornings.

After all the flooding, his last bottle ended up "rotting" in the car ewe! I had warned S that the milk would end when the last drop in bag was used and it just so happened that Fay worked her magic and the bottle was lost, for good.

We've graduated to sippy cups but really, he doesn't care so much for them and his milk. He wants to be just like L and M.

So for all you mommies wondering why your toddler won't eat, is he still getting the bottle?

This post really counts for today...

I love the waterfront view

The river level right where we like it.

Well, the kids have left. What do you say we catch a few shows before heading to bed? Sci Fi looks fun tonight. Sound like shock yet?

Rewinding a few weeks: About a month before Fay arrived I had this nagging urge to organize my basement. Nesting is a form of PMS for me. I chalked the nagging up to PMS, and politely went about my days taking care of the kids and our living space. So much to do so little time. "The basement can wait. It's not that bad." I kept repeating this to myself. Talking to your self is bad! Exactly a month before Fay arrived in N. Florida, I actually did spend one afternoon tidying up a little. MM came down to supervise and got us into the mess with the rancid oil and moth ball laden grains. Two weeks before Fay the grains actually made it to the dump. What a mess! So while I didn't complete the task of getting the basement purged and ready for high water, I did eliminate a major source of yuck.

The river bed with our boat anchored out in what will become 15-18 feet of water in less than two days time.

We woke up Saturday morning and notice the river has fallen several feet... what are they doing? We got busy in the basement putting up somethings and considering what to get rid. It was hard to understand that the water will rise when it was actually falling. It's like telling a kid they'll go to the amusement park when the car is headed for home. It just doesn't make sense. All the feelings I have are unpredictable, one minute we have a feeling of calm because it isn't raining right now so let's not fuss so much. It won't get as high as the bottom shelf. The next minute we are worried about the house falling down on top of us if the water does really get as high as is predicted. Mixed in constantly was the feeling of being a wet trapped rat. Nothing that needs to be done makes sense.


The boat was anchored near that tree that is out in the watery background. Now it's moored at the edge of the hill.

You may not know this but our house is where MM grew up. His dad built it in 1955 and raised it up 12 feet in 1969 to prevent repeated damage to the living quarters in future floods. We live here by choice and love it. Others however, are not native. If I ever had to buy a house, waterfront wouldn't be my choice, not because it isn't pretty, but because it would introduce so many variables (Meg, variables = things that are unknown or can change). There are many homes in our area that flooded and only saw an inch of water, but that inch ruined the first 4 feet of drywall in their home along with their carpet and hardwood floors. One of the most basic necessities for life is as destructive as it is vital. One neighbor in particular has lived here less than two years. This is their first major flood and only their second high water and both happened within 6 months of this year!


A side view of our house. Notice where we had the HVAC ouside unit placed?

Tomorrow's installment: "The Wake-up Call You Never Wanted"

Overflowing River...

Cheater, cheater pumpkin eater. YES. I am unashamedly cheating. By the time this is over, I will be the Champion Blogger... if only I can learn to modify my blog like PPP does.

You might be a redneck if, know when to wear your waders...


My brother, BB, and I "wadin' in the water, children just wadin' in the water. The Lord's gonna trouble the water.”

Fay (Tropical Storm) meandered over the entire state of Florida late August. As she made her way over the panhandle she tarried and poured water all over the eastern part of Florida, but more importantly South Georgia. Thus begins the story of When Fay Strolled through Town.

Chapter 1

The water for our river flows directly from South Georgia. As Fay approached, we lost power for two days. Nothing compared to the loss of a lineman in the line of duty; May God bless his family. We had watched as reports came from all over Florida recording how much rain Fay had distributed. We were sure that our river would get in our first floor (aka basement/storage area). We needed to get ready. In effort to ease tension and allow us to work unfettered, I took the kids to G’ma's. They might just as well have been on their way to heaven.

However, by the time we arrived, trees were down all over the place. (Has anyone considered questioning our town's perpetual partiality toward trees? What about my sanity – driving in that storm, what was I thinking?) Power was out! What would they eat? Here I had taken them from our generator and grilling heaven to granola and fruit and no microwave. What would G and P do with three young'uns, no power and no entertainment (Politically Correct word for TV)? Should I just take them back home, Ma? They'll be fine. We'll be fine… "duh duh duh duh duh..." (What G says when she's played too long!).

During all the storm issues, I had chatted with some friends about phone service during power outages. How wonderful it is to be able to make a phone call to report an outage when there is one! I remembered that G didn’t have a corded phone. I hit the local dollar store and found almost the last one they had. Good, now at least we can call and check on each other. With the boys and their stuff settled into G’s and the phone hooked up, I was ready to get back home.

I kept telling myself this wasn’t so bad. The linemen were at work and being in the city I was sure power would return shortly. We’ve had worse rain than this. We checked the radar and the hydrologic predictions. They won't raise it tonight, will they? Oh this self talk is bad. Just go to sleep. See what it looks like in the morning. Get some rest.

Check in tomorrow for the next chapter: "I love the waterfront view"