A heavy heart

As I'm sure you've heard on the news recently, Auburn's oak trees on Toomer's corner were poisoned by a self proclaimed Alabama fan.  (And I use self proclaimed, because I'm sure Alabama isn't claiming him as he is a lunatic).

These two trees, which stand on Toomer's corner (named after Toomer's drugs) in Auburn have been there for 130 years.  They have stood the test of time.  Two strong trees, which time after time have seen celebration after celebration as thousands of Auburn fans, cheering our cheers, yelling WAR EAGLE to those passing by, hugging our family and friends, and throwing toilet paper in the trees to celebrate a victory.  A time honored Auburn tradition that has been around now for 50 + years. 

As a college student, coming to Auburn was a choice that I made by myself.  My family certainly didn't have Auburn degrees. They were from northern schools and if had their way, I would have gone to Michigan or the University of Illinois. 

After my first Auburn football game as a college student, a few of my friends wanted to go to Toomer's corner.  They had already packed their toilet paper. I thought it was strange and slightly mental that people in daylight, would dirty up their own tree!!!! I had no idea what I was getting myself into. 

We got down to Toomer's corner.  People were running towards downtown with toilet paper in hand. Shouts of "War Eagle" filling the air.  Everyone was so excited! There wasn't a stranger to be found.  Everyone was family down there. Everyone.  All at once, I had thousands of family members.  There was a guy celebrating by riding his unicycle through the street, parents who brought their little children, orange everywhere, and toilet paper streaming through the air.   It was then that I thought. . . "It is so great to be an Auburn Tiger."  And I joined in!

You see these trees are so much more than just trees.  They are a tradition.  They are celebration.  They are family.

The Mr. and I were so excited this year when the Butterbean had his first Toomer's corner experience.  After Auburn won the SEC championship, we loaded everyone up in the car and off we went.  The Butterbean wasn't too sure what to think with the huge crowd of people.  We cheered WAR EAGLE, we chatted with friends, we celebrated.  Then it was time. . . we made our way through the crowd with our one roll of toilet paper.  The Mr holding the Butterbean and I guiding the way.  We got close enough.  I handed the roll of toilet paper to the Mr. (knowing he could make the throw far better than I could)  I held onto the kiddo as I said, "Now watch Daddy."  I was so proud seeing my little guy see his father throw that one gleaming white roll into the air and disappear into the streams of white all around. 

I was excited to share that moment with my little guy and couldn't wait until he was old enough to do that for himself.  Something that The Mr and I had both participated in as college students. Something that I hoped for him to do himself.

The life of the oak trees' fate is grim.  It saddens me that the Butterbean may not be able to throw a roll into the same tree that his father and I threw into as college students.  We could always replant two more trees.  But it's still not the same tree.  And it may take 3-5 years for all of the poison to be out of the soil before that is even possible. 

Though the uncertainty remains on the tree's fate.  I will continue to take the Butterbean to Toomer's corner after wins.  To celebrate with my Auburn family.  To remember the times of triumph, the times of celebration, and instill in him the Auburn spirit.  You see, Toomer's corner is so much more than just two trees.   It is family and love and life.  So I will end this post with a simple sentence that I carry proudly in my heart: 

It certainly IS great to be an AUBURN TIGER!!!! 

Proof.

This is proof that he needs a hair cut.   Pretty sure he is channeling his inner Albert Einstein.

Or maybe Steven Tyler. . . . he's cooler.

Teach 'em young.

 Yes, I'm teaching him the love of photography young. . .

I think he loves it.  Don't you?

My tiny talking toddler and me

Yes, my tiny talking toddler and me sat on the floor playing with cars.

He glanced at me and said, "Mommy, look a flower!"
I looked and saw no flower.

He stated again, "Flower, Mommy!"
I saw no flower.

"I don't see it." I said.  "Where do you see this flower? Why don't you point to it"

He looked and looked and then pointed to it. 

It was no flower.

It was a spider. 

I screamed.  He looked at me in horror as if he did something wrong.  I yelled, "Don't touch it!"

Then I grabbed a shoe smooshed it.  And screamed everytime the shoe hit the body of the bug I despise the most.

The Butterbean glanced and me and sadly said, "spider."

I said, "Yes, that was a spider" 

He then said, "Ewwwwwwwwwwwwww"

I said, "Yes, spiders are ew."


I am obviously ruining my child for teaching him my disgust for all things spider and instilling my horror of spiders in him.  That's okay.  Maybe when he gets to be a 10 year old, he can kill them for me.

Maybe a rut?

You may think my lack of postings maybe the result of a blogging rut.  But alas, my dears. . . it is not.  I haven't been too busy to blog.  I haven't not felt like posting.  It's just that I get ideas.  Great ideas for a blog post as I'm falling asleep every night.  Aaaaaand then I'm too lazy to actually get back out of bed and post.  But please forgive me for blogging in my head.  Strange concept I know. 

Anyways, here is a list of blog posts in my head that weren't actually published here but were published in my head.  In no particular order:

• Why red and orange shouldn't touch
• Chocolate chip cookies after dark
• Photography mumbo jumbo
• I'm cold.  Really really cold.
• Conquering the world, one toddler at a time
• Kleenex.  Why it's not all that it is cracked up to be.

They are really great posts.  And pretty funny if you ask me.  Too bad they are all in my head.  I really should work on getting them on this blog.  Really shold work on that. . .

It's 9:30pm on a Wednesday night

It's 9:30pm on a Wednesday night.  And as I sit here typing this there is a two year old standing behind me on the couch playing with my hair and watching Finding Nemo.

I don't mind that he's up this late.  We don't have anywhere to be tomorrow morning and don't have to be up too early.  I am absolutely loving this whole "waiting for a job to open somewhere, stay at home mommy thing."  The past week, I've been able to clean my house, have home cooked meals, and most importantly spend some quality time with The Mr. and my Butterbean.  Wow, how I have missed this stress free feeling.  It's been two years coming, and wow does it feel good.

So being as how I'm now attempting to go back to my "wanna be like Martha" roots, I have taken up knitting. I have been working on a few projects. . . and by few I mean really one project but I have restarted it, three times.

 Okay, it's a scarf.  Can't be too hard right?  Yeah, um. . . not so much.  The first time I began knitting a scarf. . . I thought it looked pretty good.  No mistakes.  About three hours into the project, The Mr. walked in and asked me what I was making.  It was a scarf of course.  He then explained that scarves are not supposed to be three times as wide as your head.
Scarf project fail.
I guess that one will be a blanket.

The second scarf, well. . . let's just say it has issues.

Now the third scarf. . . I'm doing okay on it right now.  Maybe I'll post some pictures.   Or maybe I won't because it is quite embarrassing.

I'm no Martha. . . but I shall prevail and I will finish a scarf gosh darn it. . .

War Eagle!

There has been quite the array of celebrating around our house lately.  Besides celebrating Thanksgiving, my graduation, upcoming Christmas festivities, we have been celebrating our Auburn Tigers! 

As an Auburn fan, I have been waiting for a fun season like this one has been to share with the Butterbean.  So when Auburn won the SEC Championship, what else could an Auburn family do who live in the town of Auburn?  Well, you grab some toilet paper, put a coat on your two year old, grab the camera, and go downtown to Toomer's corner where you will meet thousands of Auburn fans celebrating in the street.  Auburn cheer's, pictures and the celebratory rolling of the tree will take place.

And take place it did!  There were so many people down there, I'm pretty sure the tree couldn't hold anymore toilet paper.  There were globs of it all over the street. 

The Mr. and I had a great time introducing the Butterbean to Auburn culture.  Needless, to say the Butterbean was a little confused and didn't quite know what was going on, but went with the flow anyway.  We ran into several other friends and their families and took a few pictures.



And yep, that's us standing in front of the gorgeous toilet paper background!  Another failed family picture. But it was the best we got. In the other pictures, the Butterbean insisted on hiding behind the toilet paper. Notice the Butterbean's death grip on the toilet paper.  He knew what was going to happen to it. . .

And yes, we did meander our way up to the tree and watched as our celebratory roll hooked itself around a limb then disappeared into the crowd below.  But I'm positive I saw someone pick it back up and continue wrapping it around the branches. 

War Eagle! So proud of our Tigers, Cam Newton's Heisman win, and playing for a national championship.