Carnies smell like cabbage

Lessons I Learned From the Fair

1. I am too old to ride any contraption that goes in a circular motion.

2. Carnies really do smell like cabbage and have small hands.

3. While carnies are frightening, the local town folk can be as equally scary.

4. Dawson is a daredevil and will ride ANYTHING.

Dawson and I on the ferris wheel. I'm feeling fine here.

Dawson on the slide

Dawson on play equipment


Dawson on airplane


Pretend shooting at the carnies


Robin has that same look while driving

If only I knew what was comingI nearly died on this ride. No joke. It looks like I'm crying. I am.Dawson posing with a carny. I mean a trash can.Roller coaster madness

This ride is called the Tornado for a reason.

Robin and Dawson on the scrambler. At this point, I had tapped out and Robin had to take over ride duty.

Robin and Jenn Plus Ten?

My new favorite show is Jon and Kate Plus Eight. If you haven't seen an episode yet, it airs on TLC several times a day. Jon and Kate have two sets of multiples. They have 7 year old twin girls and 3 year old sextuplets (3 girls/3 boys). Kate is a stay at home mom and Jon works outside the home. If you wonder what Robin and I are like as people and parents, watch this show. Kate is a neat freak and is super organized. She loves to be in control and is always cleaning. She's very outgoing and does most of the talking. Her discipline style is to talk to the kids and explain what they did wrong and provide an alternative to their behavior. Just like me. Jon is very quiet and it takes him longer to warm up. He is very reserved. He likes to play with his kids and doesn't see the point in always cleaning and picking things up if the kids are just going to play and mess it up. He likes to play first and work later. Jon's discipline style is more aggressive. Just like Robin. So I'm thinking that Robin and I could be on a reality show featuring us and our brood. The problem is that the only cool sounding show name (Robin and Jenn Plus Ten) I can up with means we have to have 9 more kids. Hmmmm...wonder if that would be a problem? Wow, I'm glad my husband doesn't read this blog. He'd have a major nervous breakdown.

From the Book of Possum

Dawson is in Vacation Bible School this week at a local church. He really loves being with the other kids (since he's an only child here) and learning all the biblical stories and hearing about Jesus. At the dinner table tonight, Dawson told us the Bible verse he had learned at VBS today. When he finished his verse, he said "That was from the Book of Possum." Robin and I looked at each other. I asked him to repeat what book his verse was from. He said again, very clearly and loudly (as if I hadn't heard him the first time), "It's from the Book of Possum." I was bewildered! Finally, a look of understanding came over Robin. Robin said "Oh! You mean the Book of Psalms." As soon as Robin said that, I understood. Dawson was pronouncing it just as it was written. As Robin and Dawson argued over the correct pronunciation, I stifled laughter and was nearly crying because it was so hysterical. How funny is that kid?

Florida

Every year, we load up the fun family campster and embark on our yearly travels to the Redneck Riviera. I've been traveling with the Griswald's (aka my parents) since I was eight years old and (sing along with me) it's a fam-ily tradition! Since getting married and having Dawson join our gang, we've just become one big traveling band. So my parents, my nephew, Robin, Dawson, and I all drive down together to spend the week at the beach. It's something I look forward to all year long because I can spend time with the people I love and we always have great food! Here's some pictures of this year's adventures, which included a helicopter flight.

The Story of Us

Many of you may not know how Robin and I met. We met on a street corner. Not kidding. I was with my best friend, Brandi, on the 4th of July 2003. We were watching the fireworks in the small town of Copperhill, TN about 15 minutes from our hometown. Robin was driving his hearse. Again, not kidding. Brandi and I had seen Robin a couple of times at the Waffle House (our frequent hang-out back in the day) and we knew his name. Brandi screamed at Robin as he drove by and he stopped! He parked, came over to us, and we started talking. We talked for a few minutes and we both went on our separate ways. A couple of nights later, Brandi and I were at the Waffle House (again!) and Robin was there. He came over to sit with me and before he left, I had given him my phone number and he had invited us over to his apartment to watch a movie. From that night on, we spent every moment together. After only dating for five months, we bought a fixer upper house together and spent every moment together, at the house. At the time, I affectionately named the house the money pit. It was beautiful on the outside, but a complete disaster on the inside. So we began fixing the house up. We became engaged in July 2004, and set the wedding date for October 2005. Our favorite holiday is Halloween, so I wanted to get married as close to Halloween as possible so that Robin could remember our wedding date. I had my heart set on getting married in the backyard of our new home and having the reception in the house. After 18 months, we finally finished the house in September 2005 and began moving our stuff in. We were married in the backyard on October 29, 2005 with about 75 of our closest friends and family. The wedding was Halloween theme and was quite a hit. When I look back on that day, I always get teary eyed because it was the best day of my life and certainly the happiest. When I look back on how Robin and I met, it was most definitely fate. For both of us to be in that spot at that time. And the qualities that made me fall in love with Robin that day only make me love him more every day we spend together. He and I are complete opposites. Whereas I am a type A, neat freak, organized, controller, planner, Robin is relaxed, take things as they come, spontaneous, and patient. Man, I love him.

The Wicked Stepmother?

So if you are reading this, you are probably wondering why the title of this blog is the Wicked Stepmother. Let me give you some background information. I have been married to Robin for almost 3 wonderful years. Robin has an eight year old son, Dawson, from a previous marriage. Two years ago, Robin and I were fortunate enough to have Dawson come live with us full time. So here I was, married only eight months, and we receive custody of a six year old boy! Wow, when I look back on that time, it sure has flown by. Anyway, Dawson came to live with us when he was six and I have been his full-time momma ever since. Dawson still has a relationship with his real mom and maintains contact with her. Yet, I am the one who wakes him up with tickles and kisses, picks out his clothes, fixes his hair (before I cut it off for the summer!), prepares and cooks all his meals, plays Lego's and cards (his favorite card game is Texas Hold 'Em...I know, I know...but look at his parents, for goodness' sake), reads bedtime books and stories, and tucks him in at night. So, with all that said, being a parent is hard. But being a step-parent? That's the hardest. Dawson still calls me Jenn and every time I hear that, it breaks my heart. I so desperately want to be a mom. I know Dawson loves me and thinks of me as a mother, but he's just not comfortable calling me mom and I respect that. I would never tell Dawson it upsets me that he calls me Jenn, but I hope and pray that one day he'll start calling me mom. I just want the world to know how very hard it is for step-mothers who are raising kids. And realize that we are not all evil, wicked women. I love Dawson as if I had given birth to him. The only time I turn into the wicked stepmother is when someone messes with MY kid!