Welcome Home Tigers!

After an exciting day of watching the Tigers play Friday, Connor and I were in full Memphis mode. Talk on the internets turned to speculating when the team's plane would land. Realizing it wouldn't be too late, I decided to call Cullen and ask, "Drive me and Connor to meet the team plane tonight?"

What class acts these guys are. Tarik Black was the last to leave the fans, signing everything you threw at him and taking pictures with all of us.

Will Coleman is truly our best ambassador- he came through the line first, then started over and came back through. He is a baby-kissing machine! Charmed the pants off of everyone there.

Connor was up past his bedtime, overwhelmed, and star-struck. It was awesome.

Great job, Tigers! It was a crazy season, but you can certainly be proud of your effort. Hope to see most of you back next season!

Ms. Sandra

Dear Ms. Sandra,

Your birthday is tomorrow. I know this, because Chloe has told me every day for the last two weeks. She has fretted over what to get you, whether to invite you to her party (which is also tomorrow), and whether you will have a proper party for yourself.

Yesterday, we went to the store specifically so she could shop for jewelry for you. She had very particular parameters: not too plain, but not too fancy, nothing too flashy because you have class and so should your jewelry. She handled literally dozens of bracelets and necklaces before picking out "the one."

I know it won't be the nicest gift you receive this year, but I hope you know that you won't receive many that were more heartfelt. You've been important to our family for many years, and we thank you for all you've done to help make sure our kids are loved and cared for.

Happy birthday, Ms. Sandra!

Love,
The Chockleys

Five

When I was growing up, Mom always said, "When you and Shannon were little, we'd tell him to close his eyes and go to sleep, and we'd tell you to close your mouth and go to sleep!" I'd always guffaw gamely, assuming it was just another exaggeration about how much I do, and always have, talked. Then one night, Chloe was in her bed, eyes closing, talking ninety to nothing. The only thing keeping her awake was her mouth. And suddenly I understood that Mom wasn't joking.

Chloe hates the idea of sleep almost as much as she loves talking. It's exhausting and also incredibly endearing. She's just so enthusiastic about. . . everything! And she wants to touch it all and pick it all up and talk about it and share it and sing to it and there's no time for sleep in a world this wonderful. I'm sorry I don't always have the attention span she needs. But on the whole, I'd say I've listened to more of her tales and ideas and made-up words in just five years than some parents will have the opportunity to listen to in an entire lifetime.

In some ways, she's such a girl! She insists on wearing dresses and skirts, whether her legs will be cold or not. She flops dramatically in front of the TV on Sundays, whining that "Football is SO BOOOORING!" And she is as committed to her babydolls and Barbies and Disney princesses as any girl I've ever known.

But she's no princess herself. She's not at all fragile, easily taking what life hands her and not complaining when things don't go her way. She's learned not to dwell on things she can't change, and figured out how to enjoy what's in front of her rather than wishing it were something better. Having a brother who refuses to bend on anything has certainly contributed to her flexibility. It's something I cherish, and I hope that one day she understands how easy she's made things for me in this regard.

Her confidence is shocking- she is so sure of herself, both physically and socially. Other kids are drawn to her because of it. I hope she never loses this "mysterious confidence" (as one of my favorite movies so aptly put it) as she reaches her teens. I want her to always be the first to jump in the pool, to always turn strangers into friends, to always sing at the top of her lungs. I really want her to always be the sweet, smart, beautiful little girl she is now, but I can already see the young woman she's on her way to becoming. And I love them both.

Happy birthday, baby girl!

Between Punches

We're at an age where they bicker and fight and try to insult each other constantly. I guess that just makes it all the more sweet when they stop and play together, or encourage each other's pursuits. It happens- sometimes. I'm always glad when we can get a picture of it!

The shot above was taken when they mutually agreed that walking a quarter of a mile through the park made their legs tired, and they absolutely had to stop. I'm so glad they haven't yet figured out that a mutual disdain for their dorky parents' lame ideas and activities will one day be the thing that draws them close to each other!

Overheard

I want to marry you, Mommy! Then you'll have THREE beautiful rings! Unless I give you a wedding necklace.
- Chloe

Where is the PSP? Can I have the PSP?
- Connor

You know, the more I watch iCarly, the more I realize Gibby is my favorite.
- Chip

Dear March, Come In!

Every year starts the same for me. First, I spend January in the fetal position under a blanket, crying about the lack of sunlight and the weight I gained over the holidays and the unruly children bouncing off the walls of our house because no one wants to play outside. Then I crawl into February wondering if my insurance covers Prozac before remembering that my brain's chemical makeup is actually pretty good, and I should probably just snap out of it. And soon enough, I fit into my pre-holiday pants again and nature provides us with at least one afternoon of early spring and gradually we quit getting on each other's nerves 24 hours a day.

And then there's March. The month of expectation! It starts out with a smile, as Chip and I celebrate our "I like you more than just a friend" anniversary on the very first day. Then it's followed by spring break and Chloe's birthday and March Madness and weekends at the park. I know the weather will gradually improve, and before this month is over, it will be spring.  And that's all I really expect from March- the arrival of spring. Which is a lot of pressure to put on you, March, but it's nothing you can't handle.

Dear March, come in!
How glad I am!
I looked for you before.
Put down your hat-
You must have walked-
How out of breath you are!
Dear March, how are you?
And the rest?
Did you leave Nature well?
Oh, March, come right upstairs with me,
I have so much to tell!

-Emily Dickinson

Harper's 2nd

Our favorite not-by-blood-but-certainly-family-anyway cousin, Harper, had her 2nd birthday party the other day.  It was quite a shindig, with all the necessary components for an awesome 2nd birthday:  family, presents, food, presents, snot, frilly dresses, cake and icing everywhere.  Happy Birthday, Harper!

(That second one is by the lovely and talented Uncle Jay Adkins.)

Click here to see the whole slideshow.

Valentimes

Valentine's Day isn't a particularly big holiday at our house, although I do love an excuse to give my kids a little gift of some type without feeling like I'm spoiling them. The $3.00 I spent on each kid was totally worth it! Plus they got homemade cards. True to their natures, Chloe pointed out that I bought her the wrong brand of strawberry gum while Connor repeatedly told me how much he liked the card that I made for him.

But, as Chloe pointed out this morning, my family isn't supposed to be my "Valentime"- Daddy is! And he is. We too exchanged homemade cards, but we won't do gifts or a big night out. Our dating anniversary is in a couple of weeks, so usually we just go out to dinner at some point in Feb/March and call it our "Valentine's/Anniversary Meal." We will, however, pull out all the Valentine's cards Chip has ever given me and read through them tonight, reminiscing about our first V-Day dinner together and laughing at the wide variety of fart-related cards Chip has picked out through the years. So not a night of full-blown romance, but a little better than your normal Monday night! (We're totally still watching Chuck, though. Some things about Monday nights are sacred.)

One more Valentine's note- this year Chloe is in the Penguin class at Idlewild, which means that Valentine's Day is the day of the "Sweetheart Ball." You might remember Connor's turn with this tradition- I can't forget it. First of all, there was much hand-wringing over the appropriateness of a school dance at this age. (Ah, things first-time moms worry about!) Then there was the epic puking. Take a walk down memory lane with me, won't you? And keep your fingers crossed that no stomach bug comes along to ruin Chloe's fancy new "frilly dress."

Happy Valentine's Day!

More of the White Stuff

This winter has provided us with the most snow Memphis has seen in 20 years.  We haven't had any really big snows, but there have been several smaller events.  The kids were let out early from school on Monday and Wednesday, and were out all day Thursday.  The 3-inch Wednesday snow was accompanied by bone-chilling temps, so we didn't really do a lot of playing in it.

 No, Chloe isn't carrying a snowball the size of her Sputnik head-- that's a basketball.

Other Pics

Other things that happen at the park on a beautiful Saturday, besides taking a thousand pics of Maisy.  (And sorry to bore you with more of these-- it's just that this day was the only warm, pretty day we've had in forever around here.)

Mother and daughter making out in front of the sun:

Geese, with their doberman pincher-sized poops everywhere around the pond. Seriously, how does that happen?

I like this one--  what if I could go back in time and show these two grade-school best friends this picture?

MaisyDaisy

I spent most of the afternoon at the park the other day taking pics of the newest member of the Chockley/Miller/Stanfill clan--Maisy. Those of you with one of those last names (and maybe even a few others) might like to see some of them...

Fan Clubs

On Saturday, we took advantage of the unseasonably perfect weather and went to the park with our favorite cousins. It didn't take long for the allegiances to form.

Maisy starts laughing the second she looks at Connor's face. It doesn't matter what else is happening. This usually drives Chloe crazy, and she'll try to do something crazy to make Maisy laugh, too. Then Maisy will look at her like she's nuts, and cast a conspiratorial glance Connor's way. A silent, "Get a load of that chick!" passes between them, and then Maisy cracks up, because Connor is paying attention to her. No amount of Chloe's dancing and singing can replace the glowing light that comes from Connor's face. We have full-on cousin worship here.

Chloe didn't have time to get jealous on Saturday, though. She was too busy being followed around by Harper. "Coe-E! Siiide! Coe-E!" Chloe was happy to oblige, going up the stairs and down the slide over and over, introducing Harper to all the dogs in the park, and occasionally lifting her onto a tall platform. (This last one took years off the lives of every adult present.)

It was such a fun day, for the adults as much as the kids. We all needed that sunshine pretty badly. I tried to soak up as much as I could, hoping to store enough to last me through February and into March. But it looks like I didn't get enough to make it through the week! Anyone know when our next sunny day is scheduled? I need to pencil that in on my calendar. In the meantime, I'll have to schedule a bunch of cousin playdates instead. That should be enough to keep us warm until spring arrives.

All Growed Up

Chloe started the pre-K CLUE program this week, and loved every minute of it. On Tuesday and Thursday mornings this semester, she'll be putting on a uniform, grabbing a backpack, and mingling with the big kids at Downtown Elementary. We've been working on the CLUE process since September, so we've been anticipating her entering the class for what seems like forever. But at the same time, it seems so sudden! I don't have any babies anymore, and that's just that. And yeah, I cried just now when I typed that.

Taking a Stand

Recently, an opportunity arose for me to get a "stand-up" desk for my office. For many reasons, I decided to go for it.

So here's where I stand on standing- it's pretty cool. As you can see, when I'm on the computer I'm standing, but there's a chair and a lower desk for when I'm on the phone, or reading something, etc. I'm on the computer probably 85% of the time, so I'm standing most of the day, but I feel free to sit down a few minutes if I need some relief.

The biggest adjustment for me has been regarding my shoes. I quickly found that my legs weren't fatigued, but my feet were. Depending on whether I wore flats or heels, a different part of my foot hurt at the end of the day. So I've had to invest in some more supportive shoes, and the search has been entertaining. It seems there are cute shoes, and there are supportive shoes, but there isn't nearly as much overlap as one would hope. I can always kick off my shoes and stand around barefoot if I need to, and that option has been a big help.

Overall, I'll give standing while you work four out five stars. And I'll give Hush Puppies a slight edge over Naturalizers.

Snowmom

A Memphis Miracle

Whenever snow is predicted more than one day in advance, it never actually snows. So we were extra glad that it did.

We made a snowman this afternoon. It's dressed like me, and I don't know if that's a compliment or not. Pictures still to come.

Fives

Our boy drives the lane. . .

and puts it up for two.

He hustles back on defense. . .

and gets the steal.

Saturday's victory was made all the more sweet by having Shannon, Carrie and Maisy there to witness it. Although they are the kind of people who find the clueless, non-athletic kids to be "adorable." The Chockley-Maravich family has no time for that foolishness. But we appreciate their support nonetheless.

Offspring Summit

It was an exciting day when Harper and Maisy finally met. Exciting for Chloe, that is, since now she has two little girls to fawn all over! But it's safe to say that Connor has quietly fallen in love with both of them, too. He's going to like being everyone's de facto big brother.

We're ready to call this hat, which Sherri knitted for Harper, a family heirloom.

Did you really think we'd get them all to look at the same camera at the same time?

I totally got the raw end of this deal.

Coupon Resolution

I tend to go to the grocery store and buy the brands I want with little or no savvy comparison shopping. Food is just something I'm picky about, and I'm never going to buy the store-brand parmesean cheese just because it's cheaper than the Kraft. I need the Kraft. Also, I go to Schnuck's and Whole Foods a lot because basically I hate Kroger. Not exactly fiscally responsible decisions on my part.

The point of that is, I've realized that the only way I'll ever save money on groceries is if I start clipping coupons, and then remembering to look through those coupons before going to the store. As incentive, I'm going to use this post to keep track of the money I save with this resolution. You know I love to keep a log of things, and this seemed more motivating than just my usual Google spreadsheet. Although you know I'll keep one of those too- the formula for finding the sum is just too sexy to be tossed aside in favor of a blog post.

1/2/11     $3.50
1/9/11     $6.10*  (Snowpocalypse Savings!)  
*Earlier this week I watched an episode of Extreme Couponing on TLC and now I feel a little bit insane when I visit coupons.com. If I ever start paying for coupons, please have me committed.
1/16/11   $6.00
1/23/11   $6.50
I feel like the same 3-4 items that I use have coupons, and that's it. I mean, they are things I normally buy, but it still feels weird. Do coupons run on a monthly cycle or something? In February, will it be different items?
1/30/11   $5.00
January savings: $27.10- Not bad!
2/6/11     Nothing! Absolutely nothing. I looked high and low for something useful, but nada.
2/13/11   $8.25  Making up for last week, I suppose.
2/20/11   $3.70 No coupon circular in the paper! Gasp!!!!!!!!
2/27/11   $5.80
February savings: $17.75
2011 year to date: $44.85
3/6/11    $3.80
3/13/11  $1.00
March savings: $4.80 (So lame!)
2011 year to date: $49.65
4/3/11   $4.55
4/10/11 $7.85 I actually used $2.00 worth of coupons at Target this week.
5/15/11 $6.20 I've been slacking lately- I'll cut out the coupons, but forget to bring them to the store with me. Also, Chip went to the store for me a couple of times.

Baby's First Christmas

I let the week get away from me without showing you the awesomeness of a 7.5 month old enjoying her first Christmas.

So much attention! So much to play with! SO HAPPY!

She delighted us with her cliched interest in this box top. She played with it for a half hour or so, banging, chewing, and lauging, paying absolutely no attention to what was inside the box.

Seriously- have you ever seen anything that cute?

My Year in Books

Book Club
I've always wanted to be in a book club, so this year I gathered the other women I had heard utter that phrase and got one going. I hope the other ladies in the club are as happy with it as I am- it makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside to know that I'm going to get to discuss books and life with them once a month!

Connor reads for pleasure
Finally, Connor is starting to see reading as less of a chore. He voraciously read the first Harry Potter book and somehow that changed how he saw all other books. Suddenly they became entertainment to him. One of the best moments I've had recently was when Connor and I curled up together on his bean bag and each read our own books quietly together. Yay for family reading time!

The Master Butcher's Singing Club, by Louise Erdrich
Easily the best book I read this year. Outstanding.

Audible.com
I finally figured out how to successfully incorporated audiobooks into my regular routine. It has allowed me to "read" a lot more than I would have otherwise, and I'm so grateful for that! The only problem I've had is that I've recently been listening to Freedom by Jonathan Franzen, which is really long, and I'm doing it at the time of year when I'm less likely to take long walks or do a lot of jogging, which is when I usually listen to books. So I'm having a hard time getting through the book as quickly as I'd like. Otherwise, audiobooks have been very good to me this year. I get most of them through audible.com, if you're interested in giving it a try. They have a pretty cheap introductory offer.

Read in 2010
Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen
Wench, Dolen Perkins-Valdez
The Help, Kathryn Stockett
Sh*t My Dad Says, Justin Halpern
The Neon Rain, James Lee Burke
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Stieg Larsson
Dead Until Dark, Charlaine Harris
The Girl Who Played with Fire, Stieg Larsson
Mrs. Darcy and the Blue-Eyed Stranger, Lee Smith
The Color Purple, Alice Walker
Babycakes, Armistead Maupin
The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest, Stieg Larsson
Black Cherry Blues, James Lee Burke
Cimarron Rose, James Lee Burke
A Stained White Radiance, James Lee Burke
The Girls in the Office, Jack Olsen
Scout, Atticus, and Boo: A Celebration of Fifty Years of To Kill a Mockingbird, Mary McDonagh Murphy
The Way Home, George P. Pelecanos
Juliet, Naked, Nick Hornby
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, Mary Ann Shaffer
In the Electric Mist with Confederate Dead, James Lee Burke
Samaritan, Richard Price
Significant Others, Armistead Maupin
Shoedog, George P. Pelecanos
The Master Butcher's Singing Club, Louise Erdrich
The Elegance of the Hedgehog, Muriel Barbery
Out of Sync, Lance Bass
The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency, Alexander McCall Smith
An Education, Nick Hornby

Not read in 2010
The Book of Basketball: The NBA According to The Sports Guy, Bill Simmons
I got this book for Christmas last year and started it then. I'm on page 494 right now, steadily reading a page or two a day. I'll get through it eventually.

My Year in Television

Here are some things that I was excited about this year.

Finishing The Wire
We were a few years behind, yes. But it was the greatest television show I've ever watched, so no matter what year I finished it in, it deserves a mention.

Mad Men, The Suitcase
I feel like four years of watching Mad Men really paid off in this episode. While watching it, I thought, "People will know this episode by name. It will be in the pantheon of great TV episodes ever." And I still stand by that.

Zach Gilford's performance in Friday Night Lights, The Son
Matt Saracen is one of my favorite characters on one of my favorite shows, and he is played brilliantly by Zach Gilford. This episode was a masterpiece, and it's a shame the Emmys overlooked his performance. I love Zach so much that I have vowed to watch Off the Map this January, despite the fact that it is is "brought to you by the creator of Grey's Anatomy." Man I hate Grey's Anatomy.

Lost
Lost was always event television for us. We so badly wanted to watch the premiere episode in HD that we got Mom to come over and take care of Connor for an hour for us, since it aired before we had an HD DVR. Yes, we're geeks, but this show was made for geeks like us! I loved the finale, and feel sorry for people who didn't.

Saying good-bye to Nick Jr.
My kids just don't care about Dora and her peer group anymore, and I couldn't be happier. I am so tired of that genre! Nowadays the real Nickelodeon is the TV destination for my kids, and I'm glad since I find iCarly and her peer group much more palatable than the cartoon set.

Top Chef: All Stars
Top Chef is one of two reality competition shows that I watch, and this all star season has been fantastic so far. It's one of the only shows that keeps me up past my bedtime- I'm too excited to record it and just watch it the next day!

Avatar: The Last Airbender
The whole family watched this series from start to finish this year, and we all loved it. It's not something that would be very enjoyable if you just happened upon an episode and watched it- like Lost, the entire series tells one big story, and it's meant to be watched in order. I recommend that you do. Then skip the movie- it was not good.

Christmas Morning

They were happy to see what Santa left for them.

I hope you were too!

Merry Christmas!

Program #2 Featuring Child #2

Note that she's a head taller than most of her classmates. She looks so grown up! My baby!

She loves being on stage, actually. She likes to sing, and she likes the attention. And she certainly did sing. They sang "Children Go Where I Send Thee," and she knew ALL of the words. No sweat.

Pictured here is the "big finish," when the Koala and Penguin classes sang "We Wish You a Merry Christmas," just like they have every year we've been at Idlewild. This was our seventh and final time to be involved with this program. If I think about it too much, I might cry. My babies! They're all grown up!

A Christmas Poop Story

The other morning, Chloe and I had this conversation:

Chloe:  "Daaaaaaaaad!  I'm pewping, and when I'm done, you can come wipe me!"
Me:  <muttering, in the next room> "Oh I can, can I..."
Chloe:  <singsongy> "Daaaaaaaaaad!   Come wiiiiiipe me!"
Me:  "Ok, ok, here I come.  You know Chloe, you're 4 now, and it's about time for you to start taking care of that yourself..."

I arrive to see the usual grab-yer-ankles pose that she assumes, with the brown eye staring at me.  I accidentally look into the pot.

Me:  "JEEEZ, Chloe!  Dang!  That's a MAN poop!"
Chloe:  "I know, lookit that!  I made a big 'C'!  Look!"
Me:  "Wow.  You sure did."
Chloe:  "You know, if this potty was closed, and somebody came in here and opened it, they'd know I did it because it's a C for Chloe!"
Me:  "That's really gross, Chloe."
Chloe:  "Or maybe they'd just think one of the family did it, because C is for Chockley too."

This really happened.  I shit you not.

Catching Up

A few days ago, we were watching a cartoon that featured a pinata. When it was busted and the candy came out, Chloe said, "I wish I was there and I'd eat all that candy up and not share any! Well, unless Cannon G. was there. I'd share with him." Uh oh.

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The fun thing about kids is that they get unreasonably excited about things like snow flurries. Until we call Bwana and he shows us that Nashville is blanketed in REAL snow.

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Since I last told you about our health, Chloe threw up a bunch, had an ear infection and concerned a doctor with a slight "wheeze." She (and I) missed two days of school last week- it was the sickest I've seen her in a long time! Fortunately, she came out of the weekend in pretty good shape. She, Chip and I all have a lingering cough, but I'd say the main part of the cold has finally moved out of our house. It's been a sickly few weeks over here- even our cat is on antibiotics for a UTI right now!

***************************************************

On Tuesday, I took the day off work in order to attend a production of Peter Pan at Playhouse on the Square with Connor's class. Then that night the whole family (including Grammy) braved a 100-degree school auditorium to watch Connor dance and sing Christmas songs.

Chloe's program is not until next week. She told me that for the big finale, there are a lot of kids on stage, and "some people have to stand in the back." I expressed my concern, assuming she was talking about her own tall self. "Oh no, I'm standing in the front 'cuz I can SING." Amen, sister.

Young Love

Chloe: Cannon G. eats everything! He eats slugs, and worms, and flies!
Me: No way. Have you seen him eat these things?
Chloe: I haven't seen it, but he told me! And also he eats clothes and furniture and EVERYTHING!
Me: Don't believe everything a guy tells you when he's trying to impress you.
Chloe: Cannon G. wants me to be his girlfriend and I don't want to! No matter what he eats.
Me: Sounds like a solid dating philosophy to me.

I Miss It Already

We had  a lovely weekend. (And I hate to wish my life away, but can we just fast-forward to next weekend? I have a date at Restaurant Iris.)

Connor's first basketball game of the year was a big success. All of his grandparents were there to cheer on the Idlewild. . . Presbyterians, I guess? as their particular brand of street ball stymied the visiting Catholics. Connor had a steal, he fouled someone, and he grabbed an offensive rebound and put it back up for a basket! A fantastic performance that left him glowing the rest of the day.

Saturday afternoon we went downtown for the last Rock-N-Romp of the year. It was also the best RnR of the year! It was recapped here and Chip put lots of pictures on Flickr. After the RnR we watched some of the Memphis Holiday Parade roll down Main. It was fun, if a bit cold. And after the parade, we went to the second of four meals in a row eaten at a restaurant. (I know- I'm a horrible hostess!)

Sunday morning, Chip's parents took the kids to breakfast and on to Target to shop for the kids they "adopted" this Christmas. Like geniuses, they picked a four-year-old girl and a seven-year-old boy! I realized I don't do enough stuff like that with the kids- it took them a while to come around on the idea of buying toys for someone besides themselves.

We finished up with lunch at an Indian buffet (Connor quietly read a book then ate PB&J when we got home) and an afternoon of watching football. The weekend was fun, busy, and relaxing, all at the same time! I can't wait until the next one.