Kiawah Memories

We're hoping Simon likes older women and Jessie likes younger men.

Surfer Girls: Jessie & Maddy.

A local resident welcomes the Peters.

Natalie & Gretchen shuck some of the two dozen ears or so of sweet corn they brought along...freshly picked out of a neighbors garden. We could've eaten another dozen.

The Three Amigos!

Simon likes to have his breakfast by the ocean.

Do you think these kids are having any fun?

I've never seen the other end of a rainbow. When I finally saw one it ended right in front of our house. Coincidence? I think not.

Sisters with eyes as pretty as Jessie's!

Me and Jim discuss Sponge Bob's golf game.

One of the best photos I've ever shot. I tear up every time I see it. Gretchen & Jim, another gift for the family we fell in love with.

Thoughts from a Carolina Porch

We invite you to sit down and visit for a spell with Becky, our third and final guest blogger of the week. She's waiting for you out back on the porch with a nice big ole' pitcher of cold iced tea. Relax and cool off on this hot summer day as she tells ya' about the local wildlife.

There are many kinds of animals living side by side with us that we never even realize are there. I've lived in my house, in this old neighborhood, in a small Southern town for well over ten years. In that time, I've seen raccoons come up to the doorstep, big ole 'possums walk bold as brass across the front yard in midday, and hawks who regularly drop by and jeer at my cats from the trees, but until yesterday I've never seen a deer standing in my neighbor's side yard, eating grass in this neighborhood. Oh, and don't you just love the natural surroundings, replete with a stack of old tires and a guard rail. National Geo wants me bad!

I guess they could be there. There were muskrats in the creek before the human neighbors up the street saw one and freaked out. They had to get Animal Control out here for some poor little family of muskrats that were eating my yarrow! It wasn't just that he was there - the thing that worried me about this deer was his apparent age.

From the white spotting on the back, wouldn't you think this was a young deer? A deer who would usually be with other deer still? He (or she) came hesitantly out of the shallow woods behind him, and ate with jerky, nervous energy, bolting back every time a car went by.

I slipped casually outside and sat on my porch, studiously not making eye contact. The deer froze and looked at me, but relaxed when he (or she!) realized I wasn't looking (ha! fooled you, deer!), and went on eating. I got only a few shots, all a bit blurry, before he bolted back into the woods.

Now ya'll have to understand: I'm a mom. Worrying is what I do best, even when it isn't about my kids! I've been watching and worrying about that little deer ever since. I mean, where the heck did he come from, and why aren't there any other deer with him? I don't want to call some glorified exterminator out here to remove the "inconvenient" wildlife, but I would like to know if he's okay, and if maybe a little parched corn would hit the spot. Is that wrong?

Becky is the author of the blog"Tap Dancing Beyond the Edge of Reason." There is a quick link to it via her name in the subtitle. She's an admitted (not committed) "crazy cat lady" with the handwriting of a psychopath. Becky is southern blogger as well. She, hubby, and her two boys live near Raleigh, North Carolina.

A Cup of Joe with KimmyK

Like many of you out here in the Blogsphere I have teenagers and for the most part it's been a pretty uneventful ride getting here. Oh don't get me wrong, we have our "disagreements" like any other family. I want them to clean their rooms and do their chores and they want me to not show up at their school after practice to pick them up in my pajama pants and slippers. If they do as I ask then I have no problem wearing pants and shoes to pick them up. It's a give-give relationship. It works.

I don't know what it is though lately, maybe it's me. I'm not sure, but...I can't understand a word they say. Like Abbie (for those of you that don't know-Abbie is my fifteen years old) will say something and I'll have to sit there for a good sixty seconds or so and let my internal selves digest what she just said. "What did she say?" "I don't know!" because I cannot for the life of me understand her. Oh sure I know what you're thinkin'....she gets that from her momma. You're right, I can't argue with ya there. Most of the time I just sit there with a stupid perplexed look on my face like when I was little and my mom would smack me in the back of the head with the rolled up magazine...It's that same look. I've found that I have agreed to things I never should have agreed to.

Like...

The past two weeks we've had a house guest. Abbie's friend has been squatting in our house now for almost two weeks. It's bad enough having a sixteen year old son and a fifteen year old daughter under one roof but to throw another sixteen year old girl in the mix? Holy hell people. Jamie's (for those of that don't know who Jamie is - Jamie is "honey") been working overtime just so he doesn't have to come home. Some days I wish I could work overtime.

I know what you're thinking Bennie..."Jessie will be different." To that I say...Baha! You're delusional...and...you're a way bigger push over than Jamie! You're doomed buddy. Doomed! We've all seen how Miss Jessie has you wrapped around her little finger...you're so gonna agree to shit you have no idea of. I'm warning you now. Be strong and get a hearing aid. You can thank me later.

Speaking of you, Bennie. I just want to thank you for opening your blog to me and letting me ramble a bit. (I know, I ramble...I know) Reading your blog and following along with your journey of raising your exceptional 'children' (because you have two exceptional children) has been an eye opening experience and for that I thank you. Your precious little Ben...Oh how I would love to hug that lil' boy. I always think "look how soft his little arms look" or how snuggly he looks when he's sleeping. So special and sweet. And reading about Jessie and seeing the photos she's taking. I hope you're letting her use that new jazzy camera you got. That little girl has an eye. That's the really cool thing about kids-they see what we take for granted and overlook. It's pretty amazing at times to sit back and see the world through their eyes.

Enjoy your family trip to the ocean. I hope that y'all have a great time and thank you for letting me take up space here in your little part of the Blogsphere.

Kim is the author of the blog "I Have No Name." Click on the quick link via her name in the title to visit her. She, Jamie, and a handful of teenagers live (somewhere) in Ohio until they can figure out a way to get back down South. Just like the other two ladies visiting with us this week, Kimmy has a passion for photography. She also like to wear white socks.

An Open Letter from
"Moosh in Indy"
to Ben

Dear Ben,

Did you know that in my choice of religion we believe that exceptional children like yourself were so amazing before coming to this Earth that an average everyday body in this life could have never contained all the special gifts and powers that you hold? You are a gift to the rest of us, a gift that can teach the rest of us about love, family, faith, trust, hope and charity, if we only stop to pay attention.

And thankfully, because of you, I have stopped.

You hold a little corner of my heart. Your sweet toothy grin is imprinted on my mind and in my soul. Even though we've never met, you're with me whenever I head out.

Your dad asked for funny. HA! Instead he's going to get a little womanly feeeelings to class this place up a bit. Dude, is that his feet that I smell? I know it's not yours. Anyway. I want to tell you about my friend Big Red.

Big Red is about 14. The moosh and I first met him at the zoo where he was being wheeled around by a very pretty college student. I could tell his buddies were jealous. As soon as the moosh saw him in his wheelchair she asked quite loudly (bless her little three-year-old lack of tact) ,"WHAT'S WRONG WITH HIM?"

This was my moment of truth. The moment I've been gearing up for. The moment I've been taking lessons from your dad for.

"Nothing's wrong with him, he was just born different. Just like you have curly hair, he has a wheelchair. His legs work differently than yours just like your hair grows differently than his."

Was this a good answer? I don't know. I just didn't want to ignore her question or him.
His aide asked if she wanted to say hello to him. She said his nickname was "Big Red."
The moosh wasn't too keen on the idea but I remembered my lesson in exceptional children 101 from Bennie. I knelt down, touched his arm and talked to Big Red.

I was scared as hell. Scared to say the wrong thing. Scared to offend him or anyone around. Scared of looking like an idiot.

But I did it.

I simply envisioned Big Red as you Ben, with a mom, a dad and a sister who love him dearly and as a little boy who loves attention from girls.

We saw Big Red again last week at a baseball game, this time he was with his mom.
I said hi to him. Almost caused his mom to run him into a pole, poor guy. She was probably wondering how Big Red was finding the time to get out and about with the ladies. Leave her guessing Big Red.

So sure, it's nothing great. But I used to be one of those people who would smile and look away. Or not even look in the first place.

You taught me to look. To pay attention. To have my daughter pay attention.
For this I must thank you.

The moosh has your painting hanging on her wall next to a painting of Jesus.
I can't think of two better examples of love to be hanging side by side in her room.
Sure hope I'll have the honor of you drooling on me someday. (Ben, not Bennie. sheesh.)
xoxo
-Casey

Casey is the blog author of "Moosh in Indy." I've installed a quick link to her site via her blog name in the title. She, her husband Cody, and the most adorable "Moosh" reside in Indianapolis, Indiana...for now. Strange things happen to Casey on a treadmill. Go ahead. Ask her about it. I double dog dare you!