. . . where the wind comes sweepin’ down the plain
And the wavin’ wheat can sure smell sweet
When the wind comes right behind the rain.
Oklahoma, Ev’ry night my honey lamb and I
Sit alone and talk and watch a hawk
Makin’ lazy circles in the sky.

OK, so maybe my “honey lamb” and I haven’t had much chance these days to “sit alone and talk,” let alone “watch a hawk makin’ lazy circles in the sky.”  But we did load the kiddos up yesterday and head to OK on our first official family trip of 2009.  My honey lamb did a great job of planning a wonderful day of really fun activities for us.  (ok . . . I’ll stop with the ‘honey lamb’ talk for those readers who are finding themselves completely nauseous at this point).

Our first stop was the town of Ardmore where we browsed through a couple of fun antique stores and, speaking of nauseous, ate a nasty pimiento and cheese sandwich at the old fashioned drug store.  

We then headed to the nearby Arbuckle Wild Animal Park.  Upon hearing about the plan, I really wasn’t particularly excited about this adventure, but it actually turned out to be a blast.  We fed ostrich, emu, llamas, camels and even a giraff from the comforts of our vehicle.  Well, let me clarify that.  Vivi, BT and I fed them.  Ariana sat in the back seat SCREAMING at the top of her lungs, totally freaked out.

Next up was a nearby state park.  The weather couldn’t have been more perfect (80 degrees) for walking and hiking around the serene Turner Falls.  As the girls took their shoes off and waded through a small stream, I was reminded of how much I LOVE the winter weather in this part of the country.

On our way home, we happened upon a fabulous little restaurant in Gainsville, TX–Sarah’s on the Square.  It’s definitely a place we’ll return to, especially since the antique stores lining the quaint street were closed by the time we arrived. The food was yummy, and the service was excellent.  

BT, thanks for treating us to an A-OK day!

Ever since Frisco Aquatics announced their new 2009 practice schedule which, unfortunately, messed up carefully coordinated carpool arrangements, I’ve been trying to convince myself that I truly could be like other moms and be a taxi driver every single day after school.  But every time I thought about it, my stomach would knot up and I’d feel like I had a huge weight pressing down on my chest.  Aagh!  Why is it so hard from me to load my kids up and run hither and yon?  What is it is so overwhelming for me to cart them with me to and fro? Why can’t I seem to get my act together?  Why can’t I tune out temper tantrums and a screaming baby while cruising the streets of Frisco?  Why do I have a panic attack at the thought of a M/T/TH/F routine of lugging baby Tad in and out of Frisco Natatorium while making sure that Miss Vivi doesn’t get run over, not to mention the whole piano lesson trek to Carrollton each Wednesday?  Why do I have to be so insanely stubborn and feel so incredibly guilty when I think about scaling back after-school activities???

Today during church, I realized that it was ok to cry “UNCLE.”  Even though OTHER moms seem to be able to be able to manage these seemlingly simple tasks, I simply cannot right now.  And you know what.  I’m ok with that.  I think that means I’ve made the right choice.