Team Turner

Turner loves her new soccer practices! I mean, LOVES them. Thomas and I have to pretend to be her coaches -- Coach Tate and Coach Tory--all week long and play/re-enact all the games she plays at soccer. Last week when it was cancelled due to rain, she cried. Crocodile tears.

I love it, because she loves it. And because it wears her out! GOOOOOOOOO Turner.

(P.S. Parker is her biggest fan and enjoys being outside in the fresh air, too. And at the rate he kicks his little feet, he'll be taking her on in no time).

Dress Up...

Turner dressed up as "Gammy." -- Sorry, mom!
Turner dressed up as Emily Guerard, the bride!

Mother's Day Weekend

Turner devouring peanuts at Nick and Nate's in Waynesville, NC

Parker chillin' in the mountain cabin

Turner and Grandad having an afternoon snack of cookies and milk on heart plates!

Other than our scary encounter at Exit 55 on Saturday (see below entry), we had a wonderful, special weekend with our Grandad, Pops and Gammy! Grandad flew in on Friday and played with us all day and evening. He made a very special trip to Atlanta to help Daddy put up Turner and Parker's playset in the backyard, and it was quite an undertaking! Turner is thrilled to have it, and so are we. It hopefully means long summer afternoons burning lots of energy and long, rest-filled nights!

Thank you, Grandad, for giving up your weekend to give us all this great gift!

On Saturday, the kids and I drove up to see Gammy and Pops in the mountains for Mother's Day and to ensure Grandad and Daddy didn't have too much extra "help." We had a ball visting, swinging, playing "King of the mountain," counting cows and eating at Nick and Nates.

Thanks for a great 24 hour getaway, G & P.

We love you all and appreciate you lots!

Mother's Day Miracle

A couple weeks ago now, we took our baptismal vows for Parker. I always love the prayer the pastor prays over the parents and children -- especially one part that says, "we pray that You might deliver Parker through the perils of childhood..."


As I reflect on that and on our on lives the past couple of months, I am thinking of amending the prayer to say, "Please, God, deliver these children from the perils that happen at the hand of their mother and help their mother to forgive herself for her mistakes."


I share all this, because we had a HUGE adventure this past Saturday -- one for the ages. Thankfully, although it is a very scary story, it has a happy ending.


Turner, Parker and I woke up early to head to the mountains to see Gammy and Pops for Mother's day. We set out right around Parker's feeding time, but I had offered him a bottle before leaving, and he just wasn't quite hungry yet.


About 25 minutes into our drive he decided he was hungry and started wailing. (And, guys, this boy can seriously cry if he wants to eat!) Unfortunately, there was really not a good place to pull over quickly -- only the Atlanta airport, etc. Finally, after about 25 minutes of high pitched, constant wailing, my nerves were completely frayed, and I decided to pull over at the nearest exit. I knew at the time it was not in the best part of town, but I thought I could park in the gas station parking lot and feed Parker a quick bottle and then be on our way.


So, I pulled into the gas station (noticing immediately that there were quite a few men gathered on the corner near the station waiting to be picked up for odd jobs -- a common thing in the city), and I parked my car on the opposite end away from everyone and near the convenience store. I left the car running and air on, and I went to sit in the back seat with the kids. As I was giving Parker his bottle, I started to think: I probably should lock the doors (with the car running and all, I imagined that it wasn't too bright to have the doors unlocked and me in back -- after all, someone could climb in and drive off). So, I pressed the automatic locks and had my back door cracked, and we finished off the bottle. No problems.


Until...I got out and shut the door to climb into the front seat and get back on the road. And...I was locked out. Of a running car, with two kids in the back. In a terrible part of town. NOT GOOD. I kept my composure and walked around to Turner's side of the car. She was strapped in her car seat, and she's yet to have the full coordination to get out of it by herself. But I leaned against the glass and calmly instructed her to slide out of her shoulder straps and try to unlock her door. She could manage the shoulder strap maneuver, but her little fingers simply could not pull up the lock. We tried several times, and I started to come to grips with the fact that Turner was not going to be able to let me in.


By this time, both kids were wailing. (Turner was crying for her apple juice, mind you. Not her life or our predicament. Parker was spitting up.)


I looked up and thought to myself that I needed to get my hands on a phone and call AAA or 9-1-1. (My phone and purse were in full view on the front seat, locked in the running car). I said many prayers, and I noticed a minivan with a decent looking lady (this was not a superficial observation -- just a factual one in this particular place). I walked over and knocked on her window. She would not roll it down, so I pleaded with her to crack it, which she did. I explained the situation and asked to borrow her phone. After she saw what was going on, she apologized for not opening the window, explaining that she was scared because we were in a seedy place. (That's the kind of location I was in -- I had taken a calculated risk to feed my hungry baby, thinking it was ONLY a five minute stop...).


Anyway, no sooner had I called AAA and this lady and her husband had gotten out with me, did I have about six men gathered around my car. Seriously, these were not the kind of good Samaritans you might seek. They were the dregs of society. Hadn't bathed in days or weeks, several with glazed eyes, etc. They asked me what was going on. I prayed silently and then explained that I was locked out and my kids were in the car alone and that AAA was on the way.


One of the guys whipped out a key chain of approximately six Honda keys. He started trying them in my door. (One might ask why he had six different Honda keys, but I appreciated the gesture). Then, another guy walked away to his "stuff" and pulled out a coat hanger, already perfectly configured to break in a car. He asked if I wanted him to try -- he "thought" he could break in. I immediately weighed the danger we were in (on SOOO many levels) with the time it might take AAA to actually get there, and I accepted this guy's offer. I wanted IN that car to comfort my babies.


He tried with the coat hanger, and it just wouldn't cut it. He was scratching the paint on my door, but again, using my best judgement, I decided to let it go. After all, paint was nothing in the scheme of this scary mess. (I was pretty sure he didn't usually have to worry about paint scratches when he used these "professional skills.") So...this other guy said, "I have something that might work," and he went over to his pile of "stuff" (that he just "happened" to have) and brought back a Jimmy and a double coat hanger thingy and started to work. I was still praying. I was also thinking about when the car was actually opened -- what would happen? Six men gathered around, the car was running, my purse was right there on the seat, etc., etc. I prayed for God's protection and mercy. I prayed that these men -- in spite of their circumstances -- might have mercy. That they might use their "skills" for good and not harm.


The Jimmy and double coat hanger still didn't cut it. And AAA was STILL not there. The guy walked back to his stash and brought over a steel rod. Finally, the car was unlocked and open. I let out a sigh of relief. And was immediately filled with nervous anticipation of what might happen next. The first thing I did was take Parker out of his seat and hold him. He had been hysterical, and I needed him to feel my arms around him. Turner was calmer now that I was "in" and she had her apple juice. I shook hands with the men and thanked them.


Then, I looked up, and this big guy was wedged between my car door and the front seat. Almost blocking it. I prayed and then looked at him. He said, "I am staying here until these men are gone and you are in your car and on your way safely." He smelled horrible (again, just an honest observation). "Thank you, I said, and buckled Parker in." I shook his hand and told him he'd been an angel today, and he moved to let me get in. He waved goodbye. The couple who loaned me the phone had stuck around with me, too. They made sure I was in and ok, and they waved. I locked the doors. I drove out of the parking lot, and the tears came flooding out. I looked at Turner in the rear view mirror, and I said, "Thank you, Jesus. Thank you, Jesus. Thank you, Jesus."

Praise God for his shield of protection. Praise God that there IS GOOD in every person, no matter what bad they might do. Praise God for covering our miscalculations, mistakes and mis-steps. Amen. And Happy Mother's Day.

What about Parker?

It's funny the things Moms fret over. I cannot tell you how many nights I laid awake during my pregnancy, worrying that I was somehow taking away from Turner by having another baby. There's no doubt I was wasting my mental real estate by spending even a second concerning myself with this.

Along those lines, this past weekend, we had some friends in town, and we were going to the zoo. Thomas had decided to stay home and hang out with Parker while I took Turner. Thinking she'd be thrilled to go "alone" with Mommy and have my full attention (which clearly I thought she was greatly missing...), I told her, "Turner, we get to have a special alone date to the zoo today. Just you and me. Won't that be great?!"

Her immediate response: "But, what about Parker? Why can't he come with us?"

So, alas, Moms out there: Sleep good. Worry less. And enjoy watching a new and precious relationship unfold.

Fun Days...

Turner and Addie

All's well in the Guerard household this week.

Turner had a fun play date and picnic with her buddy, Addie, today, and she had a BALL at soccer this afternoon. She told me to yell her name "loud" and "a lot", so I was "that" overzealous mom of a three year old who was cheering like I was watching my child in the Olympics. The smile of great pride she gave me after practice was well worth all the crazy! :)

Parker had his 4 month check-up on Friday and got a great report. He weighs 16.5 lbs. (50%) and is 26" long (90%). Other than his reflux, he seems to be doing great...and as Turner says, Parker is "talking of a storm." (up a storm!).

Elvis is ALIVE!

The King is alive! And apparently loves "paps" as much as Turner! She surprised us this morning by walking in our room as pictured above. I still am not positive where she found this lovely mask Thomas sported five years ago to our neighborhood Halloween party!