The Latta Family

So- I am still in training for the old half marathon.  In order to keep my training up, help make me accountable, and have a set appointment to run during the week when it's hardest to fit it in, I asked the cross country coach at school if I could run with the team on Monday's.  He was thrilled to have me.  I assured him I am slow as no body's business and I didn't expect any kids to keep up with me- I just wanted to make myself accountable. He said he didn't care and to come on! Today is the first day I did it.  I knew it was going to be a hard run because: I don't usually run in the afternoon. I either run at 6:30am or after 7:30pm.  Those times are quite a bit cooler than 3:15 in the afternoon.  So I knew the heat would be a problem for me.   But the point of this post is not about my attempt at running.  The point is teenagers get a bad rap- and sometimes it's totally undes...

I went to dinner tonight with several good friends.  As it tends to come up with a bunch of mothers we started talking about our children.  Something about the transition to Big Boy/Girl beds came up.  And I shared this story- promising there was a picture.  They said, "Oh- this must be a post- with the picture!"  So . . . here's the story and the picture. We moved Andrew into a big boy bed at 20 months (thank God I organized and named all of Andrew's photo folders by age, so I found this picture quickly- and knew exactly what age this happened.  Sorry Alexa.  You don't get all that).  Looking back, and comparing to other kids that seems a bit early.  However- Andrew was catapulting himself out of his crib in a very unsafe way.  I would stand outside the door- secretly watching until he made the move and then I'd run into his room and yell, "No!"  I was hoping for a shock factor.  However, my shock factor didn'...

I am pretty sure I am not going to get creditted with being the most sensitive mother anytime in the near future and so I am posting these videos I got of Alexa petting the goats at Tweetsie.  Watch the first one, hear her little voice?  She's so in awe of them.  "oooh!" she says.  Sorry they're sideways.  ;-( Ok, this second video happened within a second of the first one.  Brace yourself.  I laugh EVERY time!

So tomorrow I am going back to work.  Technically I don't actually have to go back until Wednesday, but since I did abolutely NOTHING over the summer to prepare for the school year- I better take 7 hours tomorrow to get myself prepared.  I am pretty doggone certain that I am going to be HATING myself tomorrow at this time, when I am entering into freak out mode as I realize I have sooooo much to do, and wishing I hadn't been such a slacker over the summer.  But anyway- since tomorrow marks the official end of my summer and the official beginning of my school year, here's a re-cap of our summer: -           About 30 trips to the waterpark -           ice cream/frozen yogurt trips -           hikes on Greenways -           trips to park -           tr...

This weekend we went up to Boone for a last minute, end of summer trip.  It was AWESOME!  The kids were super enjoyable, there was good sight seeing, and the weather was fabulous!  On Sunday while my friends in the Charlotte area were melting in the humidity, we were cool as cucumbers.  I hardly even sweat (and believe me- for me that is a minor miracle). In case you didn't know, Appalacian State University is in Boone, NC.  I love a college campus- even if it's not "mine."  I loved college.  Loved it.  I would love to go back for just a week.  Live on campus, eat in the cafeteria with everyone, go to class (because this time I would appreciate it more), do homework, and hang out with friends.  I wouldn't want to do it forever.  I wouldn't give up my current life, but I'd like to go visit my old life for a week.  While we were driving by campus, I said to Doug, "Can you belive that in 17 years . . . we c...

Oh what a glorious afternoon at the Latta house today!  Doug finally got the tractor moving!  Let me tell you a little story about Doug and the tractor.  So- he's always wanted a tractor.  However- there's not an incredible need for a tractor on 3/4 of an acre- as it turns out.  But as they say, "You can take the boy out of the country, but you can't take the country out of the boy."  (in case you didn't know- Doug grew up in the country.)  And despite our not having a dire need for a tractor, he still wanted one.  Well- he comes dashing home one morning last summer all excited about maybe finding a tractor for hardly any money.  Then he gets all, "maybe I shouldn't get it. . . "  Well I am crazed with pregnancy horomones and so I say, "Doug- just go buy it.  You've been wanting one forever.  Just get it."  And he comes home with it.  Aren't they so excited about it?!  Well unfortuately the tractor need...

My mother used to say the craziest things when I was younger, but now that I am older and a mother myself, they don’t seem quite as crazy.   One thing that sticks out in my mind is, whenever we’d ask for a Nintendo 64 (yep, that’s how old I am) she’d respond, “NO!   That’s the Japanese way of taking over the world.   They’re trying to make it so people can’t think!”    While I used to think that was totally absurd, I am starting to think she may have had a point.    Tonight, Doug said, “These Triple Double Oreos are the root of all evil!”   while he reached into the package.    This made me think back on my mother and the world domination of the Japanese and I started to think, “huh, Oreo’s just might be the root of all evil.”   I mean, I have absolutely NO willpower when it comes to Oreos.   None.     My mother- the jerk that she is- gave Doug some Double Stuffed Oreos for his birthday.   Doesn’t that ...