Georgia is a Big Ol' Fake

Perhaps that was a bit inflammatory, but it's the truth. No matter the fruit on the state license plate, I'll never think of Georgia as the real peach state.

Thankfully, there's more to my instinct than just digging in my heels. The New York Times has done a pretty good job summarizing what most of us here in the Palmetto State know... There's no better place to buy and eat your peaches.

We grow more, we sell more - and ours are just better. In my markedly biased opinion, obviously, seeing that I've eaten only a handful of Georgia-grown peaches in my lifetime.

With August, National Peach Month, just around the corner, there's no better time to nab a basket full of Gaffney peaches. Little boys may giggle that the giant Peachoid looks quite similar to a backside, but there's a reason that giant fruit keeps watch over their corner of the Upstate: They grow some unparalled peaches.

Besides making a kitchen smell fabulous, they taste pretty darn amazing, too. And you'd be surprised how much you can do with them!

I, the furthest thing from a culinary genius, have grilled them, served them with pork tenderloin, plopped them in a pie, sliced them over biscuits, used them as an ice cream topping, pureed them into a smoothie and, of course, eaten them the good old fashioned way - straight.

I humbly suggest that Georgia find a new state nickname. I wouldn't echo Stephen Colbert's suggestion, because it's not Georgia's fault Sherman burned them to the ground - and he didn't do us any favors, either - but this video is worth a moment nonetheless.

(Side note: Have you seen the peach pie on last month's Southern Living cover? With pecans and cinnamon? Oh, to be a taste tester in that kitchen!)

The Colbert Report	Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c
National Peach Month
www.colbertnation.com
Colbert Report Full Episodes Political Humor & Satire Blog Video Archive

Mac-tionary

I haven't done a monthly update for Mac in some time because I'm a terrible mom, but I wanted to keep a little record of his exponentially growing vocabulary. At 21 months old, the boy can talk! He repeats ev-er-y-thing we say (including my squeal of "shut uppppp!" when I found out someone was pregnant. Classy, Anne.)

Most of his words are easily understood by people outside our little family, but a number are tough to translate at first. Here's a little Mac-tionary for us to remember his "baby talk" by when he's throwing three-syllable SAT words at us:

Ah me: Excuse me. (Buuuurp. "Ah me, Mama. Burp!") Also used to make shoving past someone or something a bit more polite. ("Ah me, Blue. Move, Blue! Ah meeee!")

Ah-pack: Backpack.

Ah-coss: Applesauce.

Ah-pye: Peep-eye

Ah-boo: Peekaboo

Aircane: Airplane. He hears these from inside and squeals, bouncing up and down and pointing at the ceiling. He misses nothing!

All ga: (With accompanying hand sign.) All gone, all done, totally over it, don't want anymore, are we done yet, get me outta here.

Babby hoot: Bathing suit. Mac brings these to me occasionally and asks to play in the pool or the ocean ("bubbles!"). He is a water baby for sure.

Bah-perr: Diaper. A cue to hit the changing table ASAP. Sometimes used for water when he sees a bottle of it.

Bock bock: Rock rock. Either as a request to delay bedtime or as a description of his "bock bock horse" or "bock bock chair."

Boom boom: Thunder.

Bubbles: The ocean, fountains, rain and actual bubbles. (Rain is actually "bubbles sky," which makes it a lot harder to hate rainy days. Everything is wondrous to a toddler!)

Bye-eeke: Bicycle, motorcycle, moped. The "eeke" portion gets louder and more excited depending upon how cool the bike is. (In traffic: "Bye-EEKE, Mama!! Bye-EEKE!!!")

Copy: Coffee. How he learned this one I'll never know, as I don't drink it and B rarely makes any. He'll see mugs and say, "Daddy copy? Hot?"

Daint-dee: Blanky. A fervent request at nap- and bedtimes. Sounds an awful lot like Daddy to the uninitiated.

Daint doo: Thank you. Not to be confused with...

Dud joo: Love you. My very favorite.

Dut: Do it. ("Mama dut? Mama help?")

Emanator: Elevator.

Emanent: Elephant.

Ginky: Stinky. As in diapers and feet, mainly.

Gog: Dog. Also heard as a high-pitched "goggie" when excited.

Gogurt: Yogurt.

Gunkey: Monkey. (He loves his Curious George! He walks around the house carrying and talking to him. Yesterday I tried getting him to say "Muh-muh-monkey." He responded enthusiastically, "Muh-muh-GUNKEY!")

Heat: Sit. ("Heat chair, Mama!" is my cue to plop down in the chair facing him or face his righteous toddler wrath. Kidding! Or listen to the request a million more times 'til I do it.)

Kiger: Tiger. Indistinguishable from the word he uses for spider, too.

Kin: Clemson. Used to describe his favorite "Kin book" and especially his "Kin Kigers."

Meet: Music. ("Mac meet dance, Mama! Meeeeet! Daaaaance!" Cue spinning and arm waving.)

Nunner: Another. ("Nunner cacker, mama?")

Oss: Pronounced like the first half of "awesome." Off or on, depending. ("Shoes oss, Mama?")

Pan: Fan.

Peep: Sheep.

Peet: Feet. (He pretends to smell his feet and then squeals, "Ginky peet, Mama! Ginky peet!" Or, my favorite tongue twister, "Ginky gunkey peet!" for stinky monkey feet.)

Pish: Fish.

Poe: Pillow or phone. (All about context clues. "Mac poe night-night" means pillow while "Mama poe beep beep!" means my phone rang.)

Pog: Frog. Clearly we haven't mastered the "f" sound. And this particular animal says bibbit instead of ribbit.

Ta-tall: When asked how tall he is, Mac will throw his arms up and say "so tall" but it comes out "ta-tall."

Taybee: Safely. We ask him to get down from chairs and beds safely, so when he's ready to scoot off of something, he says "Taybee!" as he flips to his tummy and shimmies off. Not as reassuring as it sounds...

Tee: Television. Sometimes tee-bee. He said this long before it was ever turned on in his presence; the thing holds a fascination for him.

Two: The only number he knows. A request for another. If you tickle one foot, he holds out the other and either asks, "Nonner?" or says, "Two!" Same for kisses; he's very European in his desire for symmetrical kisses one each cheek. Our little Casanova.

Two, poss, GO!: His version of Ready, Set Go. If you ask Mac if he's ready, he'll bounce up and down, wave his arms and say "Two, poss, GO!" He says it to himself before jumping off any stationary object or as he throws something. Not sure if he's picked up one Mandarin/Spanish/Polish phrase or if this is just how he chooses to say our version, but it makes us laugh every time. Ready to go to church Mac? Yes, "two, poss, go!!"

A lot of Mac's phrases don't require translation, though. Here are the easiest to understand if you're not familiar with his brand of babble.

General
chair, high chair, shoes, pray, amen, baby, doors, close, under, hands, book, hold, teeth, brush, hair, head, arms, ears, nose, tummy, boo boo, hurt

Testosterone category
burp, poo poo, potty, trash, car, truck, tractor, hat

Little chunk category
cracker, milk, juice, more, pancakes, honey, bread, cheese, hot dog, turkey, bowl, spoon, cup

Fun times category
bath, towel, duck, good, play, kiss, "hold you!", help, choo choo, Elmo, dance, spin, happy

There are plenty more; I could type this list all day and it grows hourly. Lately there seems to be nothing he can't say. I kept a list of the words he said until about 17 months, when it just got too ridiculous even for OCD me to maintain. This is my last ditch effort!

Sorry for a long, total mom post, but these are the kind of details that slip away as the months roll by and Macky gets bigger and bigger. I'm going to try to get a little "Mac-tionary" movie of Mac saying as many of these as possible, just for posterity's sake. One day I know he'll just love to watch it with me, right?

A Smocked Sale & Dreaming of Cooler Weather

I took a peek at Zulily today and they have a fabulous sale on adorable Rosalina smocked clothing.

The precious Clemson and Carolina (or Auburn and Alabama for you out-of-staters) outfits have me dreaming of fall and tiny fans running all over Tigertown. Cannot wait!

Ignore the heat index and picture yourself at a tailgate with a cool drink and a long day of socializing ahead of you. Sounds heavenly, right?

Equally fabulous is a good deal.





Everything's half price! Have at it, y'all.

Side note: Melissa & Doug toys are also on sale at The Foundary. Through the magic of a store credit, Mac is now going to be the proud owner of some new wooden puzzles.


There are also some great magnets, kitchen toys, puppets and a lacing shoe for bigger kids ready to (sniffle!) let go of the Velcro.

We love Melissa & Doug. They feel so old-fashioned and classic! They're my favorite go to gifts for birthdays and Christmases because you can't go wrong. Take a peek.

I Am

A friend of mine has put together a great blog series highlighting the positive in each of us, the very best gifts we have been given.

You know, the opposite of what we usually say about ourselves. The antithesis to the self-deprecating "humor" that comes a little too easily to most of us. (Or at least to me.)

It's so easy for me to tell you what I am not. Those words fly off of my tongue.

I'm not as organized as I used to be. I'm not as slim or fit or "done up" or prepared or "together" or creative or "on it" as I'd like.

I'm not the girl who whips up three-course meals six nights a week. I'm not the homemaker who folds her laundry when the buzzer goes off - or sometimes ever! I'm not the work-at-homer who dresses professionally every day or answers each call with a quiet, child-free background. I'm not the mom who runs a day's worth of errands, Mac in tow, without breaking a sweat.

I am, however, a lot of things.

I am a Christian.
I am a wife.
I am a mom. A good great mom. (I'm fighting the urge to yell, "Not perfect!")
I am a daughter, a sister, a niece and a granddaughter.
I am a friend.
I am a homemaker.
I am a (sometimes) coupon clipper, grocery shopper and meal planner.
I am a writer.
I am a PR professional.
I am an encourager.
I am an advice-giver.
I am a smiler.
I am a deal-finder.
I am a gift-buying dynamo. (Who wants to help with the wrapping?)
I am an expert thank you note writer.

I am a Clemson Tiger fan.

I am compassionate.
I am tender-hearted.
I am loyal.
I am smart.
I am funny.
I am committed.
I am resourceful.
I am true to my word.
I am eager to learn.
I am blessed beyond measure.
I am thankful beyond words.

Thanks to Whitney for inviting me to be a part of the "I Am" series! Take a moment to visit her blog and read the posts other bloggers are putting together for it. If the mood strikes, write a post yourself and link back to the Meade Feed to participate.

Extras

1. I found a piece on why getting "older" rules that smacked me in the face after our discussion earlier. Not to say that a 29-year-old has the world's fullest understanding of aging, but it was a positive perspective that made me smile. I'll take it, especially since I've fully signed on to the belief that being cool isn't all it was cracked up to be circa sophomore year.

2. After my less than fantabulous week, I heard this on the radio; the lyrics message washed over me at just the right moment. No matter what your story is, I hope it does the same for you.

(What does it say about me that hearing someone sing "sweeping up lost Cheerios that got away" made me cry? Guess I really needed someone to speak directly to me in a "I feel you, crumb-covered, can't-do-anything-right sister" kinda way.)



3. I heard about a trend called planking a week or two ago. I thought I knew exactly what that was and wondered why on Earth people would post pictures of themselves doing their ab routine.

Credit

Evidently I was wrong - and so far behind that planking has now been replaced with owling. I'm not making this up.

I wish I knew what to say about these "trends," but WHY WHY WHY is all that comes to mind. I am a bit more traditional with my pastimes.

Credit

For people who are looking to replace owling as an early adopter of an even newer trend, may I suggest napping? It's something new I'm starting, where I post pictures online of myself sleeping in a variety of odd places. I'm taking suggestions and practicing in my bed just as soon as I get a chance to lie down.

School of Rap

Did you know that I'm a rap-ologist? Truly, I am. For a really cool girl with an Arctic tan and a strong distaste for profanity, I know my way around some hip-hop. (Especially from the 2000s.)

I really should have been in the audience for Jimmy Fallon and Justin Timberlake's History of Rap Part Deux. (See here for part one.)

Just as funny and adorable as the original, with even more recognizable rap gems for our generation. All sanitized for TV, too! Just the way I like it.

Prepare to be schooled in a few classics, and enjoy the hip-thrusting Salt and Pepa imitation in particular. I laughed out loud throughout - hope it brings you as many Wednesday morning giggles.

You may have to pause the Mac video a few posts south of this one. Not sure why it starts up automatically - sorry! Another day or so and it should be on the next page, so you won't be greeted with "Mac, can you smile?!" any longer.



Side note: I'm serious about the rap-ology. I'll have to give you a peek at my treadmill tunes playlist sometime. Real fans might roll their eyes at the edited versions, but it's what gets me going in a calorie-burning way!

Nittiest of Nitpicks

I'm no grammarian. I don't pretend to be flawless in my use of the English language. I don't pretend to be very cool either; for that I thank five years of Latin, five of French and a lifelong love of etymology. Homecoming Queen was never on my radar, but being named English Student of the Year made my life. (Most popular girl ever, as you can imagine.)

That said, I do have a few points about which I'm very nitpicky. When I see people misuse these phrases on Facebook or Twitter, I cringe. Luckily, the last few years have worked wonders in getting me over these issues - after all, who has time to worry about grammar when there are diapers to be changed?

Still, I thought I'd share a little bit of my crazy with y'all. Behold my least favorite English blunders. These seem to run rampant on blogs and social media. (I'm also standing by to be schooled in my own errors, so feel free to point them out in the comments...)

1. Contraction versus possession. Your and its are possessive. You're and it's are contractions. Apostrophes stand for missing letters; in this case they abbreviate "you are" and "it is." (Cue this lesson from a classic Ross and Rachel moment.)

I have seen two national publications in the last week use, in their social media outlets, the word who's instead of whose. "Who's mom is more fun?" is not correct by any stretch of the imagination. Journalists of all people should know that!

2. Sneak "peaks." I can understand how easily this happens; the two words certainly look nice next to one another when misspelled that way. But a peek doesn't become a peak just because the word in front of it is spelled with an "ea."

3. Loosing my mind. Your goal is not to "loose" weight; it's to lose it. And no matter how crazy your boss is making you or how long your child has been screaming, unless you can pop your head open, it's impossible to "loose" your mind. (This should be reassuring!)

4. Slow down, my dad works here. B is a civil engineer who has seen the side of an interstate in heavy traffic a million times more than I like to remember. I absolutely have a heart for the safety of roadside workers, but these signs jump out at me every time I see one.



A semi-colon is your friend, particularly when the second half of a sentence could stand on its own. "Slow down; my dad works here." Doesn't that look much better? No, just me? Oh well...

(Side note: Don't let the grammar distract you from the message. DO slow down! Feel free to grumble, but do it at 40mph. xoxox)

5. Who versus that. A wonderful sixth-grade teacher of mine hammered this rule into my head; now I can't help but wince when I hear people ignore it. A person is a who, not a that.

"Anyone that wants coffee should come get some now" sounds terrible to me. I like to pretend I respect people too much. "I am happy to serve anyone who is ready" sounds far better!

6. Addictive versus addicting. I can't explain this as well as Grammar Girl and, while I know both are technically acceptable, I am still deadset on using addictive. You'd be surprised how often the word addicting is thrown around, but maybe I just pick up on it more than normal. Few people are this nitpicky about words anyhow...

7. Stationery versus stationary. Something stationary stands still; stationery is the gorgeous paper we write on when channeling Emily Post. This slip-up is most egregious when stationery stores make it. Truly! You don't sell "stationary," I'm quite certain. If you misspell what you sell, I should get some kind of a discount - especially on the $20 a card kind.

8. Apostrophes for pluralization. You did not get a Christmas card from the "Smith's" or the "Holmes's." Pluralizing these names makes them the Smiths and the Holmeses, respectively. I wish stationers would remember this rule; selling an address stamp that reads "The Smith's" is shameful.

The same rule applies to regular ol' nouns. A "pack of dog's running" is an extremely confusing concept. Why add more characters when you can just plop on an "s" and make a word plural? Keep it simple.

And, as tempting as it is even to me, adding an apostrophe does not clarify anything when pluralizing abbreviations or decades. The 80s are the 80s, as odd as that might look, and an old college snapshot of mine would include a pack of "sorority squatting" Zetas or ZTAs, not Zeta's or ZTA's. No one is taking possession of anything, just making it plural. Make sense?

So there you have it, a few of the highest priority nitpickiest little nitpicks in my brain. I'm sure I make grammar errors left and right that other people pick up on, but we all have our "must get right" points; these are mine. Split infinitives, two spaces after a period, overuse of commas, excessive exclamation points - we all have our "thing."

Do you have any irksome phrases or pet peeve expressions? Let 'em rip!