Hakuna Matata, part 2.

{Part 1}

Fast forward a decade and a half later and I'm once again singing "Oh I just can't wait to be king..." with my 3 year old little girl. It was her favorite movie and since I was preggers with her little bro and slap outta energy and parenting prowess, she probably watched it a solid 4 times a day. All the way through.

Mom of the year right here.

The VHS started waning and other DVD's took it's place so Lion King got shelved for a few years.

Then I heard it was coming back out into the theaters for only a few weeks. I bought 6 tickets faster than you could say Hakuna Matata.

This family date proved to be far better than my first ill-attempt 17 years ago with a boy I robbed from the cradle. This time I didn't have a silly Simba singing me love songs during the credits.

No. No.

I had a real man. Whom you say?

MUFASA.

{ooooooooh, do it again...}

And all the little hyenas we brought lived up to their name and cackled and screamed and whooped and hollered the whole time. 

Who would have ever known that I would see the same movie in the theater 17 years apart under very, very different circumstances.

Although I did throw a punch both times to the boys who tried to lay a smooch on me during the flick...maybe times haven't changed so much...

Hakuna Matata, part 1.

I looked out of the window of my house and saw a shirtless boy doing yard work in the neighbor's yard. I was 16. He was gorgeous. I needed a plan.

So as all girls do, I got on the phone and asked 75 of my closest girlfriends what I should do.

"There is this guy, and he is, like, so hot, and he is, like, basically in my yard, but not really, and I totally need to go out there, but I'm, like, totally nervous. Like, what should I do?"

Please hear 1994 in that phone call.

So as all girls do, they formed me up a plan. I was to clothe myself in my cutest outfit (which was probably some umbros and an XL tshirt), grab a broom and start sweeping the driveway. Surely conversation would naturally ensue.

I did as told and headed out to sweep the driveway of its 4 pieces of pinestraw. Mission failed. No convo.

I go back in, get my girls on 3-way and get a new plan. I head back out to get the mail, as told, and walk ever so slowly back up the driveway, then planting myself in the swing to open up all the mail that wasn't mine. Mission failed.

One more attempt as I decide to take out each bag of trash, separately of course, while inspecting the trash cans by the garage, when....

"Oh hey, I didn't see you there." Lies.

We have introductions. I find out he's the nephew of my neighbor coming over to help him out with yard work since he'd thrown out his back. Major points. His parents call to him as they are leaving so he has to go. Dang.

I let the girls know it was just SO CLOSE. SO VERY VERY CLOSE. But it wasn't meant to be. I'm sure I made a mixed tape about the situation.

Later that evening, I ran down to get something out of my car, when LO AND BEHOLD there's a note on the door.

"I'd love to take you out, call me..."

Um, yes please.

I didn't tell him it was to be my first real date. I didn't want to be the amateur dater. We made plans to see The Lion King on opening night followed by dessert at Chile's. I was giddy.

But there was a hitch.

"Um, I actually don't have a car so do you think you might could drive?"

Stunned. Losing joy of first date expectations quickly. "Can you borrow your parents' car maybe?"

"Well, I'm sorta not old enough to drive yet."

Slam on brakes. DO WHAT?!?!

I couldn't back out. He was a hottie. So what if he had just turned 15. He was taller than me and I was comfortable keeping that info to myself.

Date ensued. I drove up, met his parents at the door, felt like a man, and drove the two of us to the movies.

We sat in the theater with the credits rolling while he sang "Can you feel the love tonight". I know the other girls in there were jealous.

They wanted a Simba to their Nala like I had.

It's gonna be a LONG night...

...but the baby squirrels will finally have some comfort thanks in part to the donation from this paci millionaire.

The bowl was loaded and ready. We found 5 as we combed every crevice of this house. Praying we didn't miss one.

We made the climb into the fort. We sat a bit. We contemplated.

We sprinkled acorns around and then we waved goodbye.

Upon returning home from errands, the bowl had been knocked over and the "pappies" were M.I.A. Papa Squirrel had been waiting for us to leave so he could snatch them up and take them "way way up high" to his nest of 5 newborn babies.

And then came the night.

So far the screaming has only lasted 2 hours and the sheets have only been changed once due to vomitting.

If only I was a drinker...

Couch Concert.

One of the few ways we've learned how to calm this tyrant sweet buttercup down is to get him involved in a song. Diaper changes are accompanied by a song. Changing clothes is accompanied by a song. Putting on shoes is accompanied by a song. Placing food on the table in front of him is accompanied by a song.

Pretty much anything that can AND DOES cause a meltdown is accompanied by a song.

At some point he's going to figure us out and his little land of concert heaven is going to stop and the screaming and wailing and gnashing of teeth will yet prevail again.

Until then, enjoy this medley by the drooling buttercup. I am so glad he doesn't need any help with the words because they are spot-on.

Untitled from Suzanne Akins on Vimeo.

The dudes.

Dude #1 slid on up into first grade and is loving every second of it. She also grew 2 feet and 3 shoe sizes in the two weeks she's been there.

Dude #2 officially began Pre-K. And since Pre-K happens at Akins Academy {aka our kitchen table when the other dudes take a nap}, Dude didn't want to be left out of the front door pics. So he's representin' the indoors.

And these other dudes on the ends? Who knows what the heck they do. Walking around pantless with things hanging out of their mouths all the time.

Somebody should talk to their parents about that.

We {still} won't be quiet.

Buster's on tour.

He does not simply do his songs and leave the stage anymore. Now, he wants a hype man (or woman - in most cases, me) to precede him. And he is specific on what his hype man does. He wants an intro, a PRAYER {love it} and an asking of the crowd to stand and join.

The crowd of babies never stands and joins, but I don't think he really wants them to anyway. It might take away from his performance. I do foresee a request for stage lights in the near future. Demanding little thing he is.

Today's song comes compliments of EcoCamp - as does EVERY OTHER SONG on the tour.

I'm so waiting for a new album release.

We {still} won't be quiet. from Suzanne Akins on Vimeo.

Two Babies.

Before I brought home our very first baby, I had never thought twice about lullabies. My mom had always sung "Thank heaven for little girls" as my lullaby of choice, and before I realized it, we were rocking, bouncing, holding, swaying, doing everything we could to shush the little screamer we'd brought home from the hospital.  I needed a lullaby STAT!

So I combed through our music collection and found an old Carpenters tape. I pulled the sleeve out, quickly memorized the words to "Close to You" and voila, we have a lullaby that actually worked small miracles on our tiny screamer monkey.

When Buster rolled into town, I thought he needed a different song so the only boyish one I could think of was "Take me out to the ballgame". It never really did the trick. So I pulled out old faithful and the Carpenters made it to the #1 slot again, working miracles every time it was sung.  Either that or it was my incredibly angelic voice. {Shut yer mouth ye scoffers - I can hear you.}

Round 3 with two babies and much chaos, the Carpenters win again. They've gotten bigger and it's definitely a little squished but each night before bed, they run to the rocking chair saying, "Two babies? Why birds?" So I scoop them up, crowded in my lap and sing, "Why do birds suddenly appear, every time you are near...just like me, they long to be....close to you."

Tiny Miss just sits all cozy with her thumb in her mouth while Wild Man watches me sing, lip synching the entire time. It is my favorite time of the day.

Everything they do together becomes, "Two babies?" When we're at the beach, their favorite thing is to "go way out dere" into the deep, one on each hip. "Two babies swim!" and the squirmy joes flap and paddle like the true Olympians they are, though they go nowhere. "Two babies jump!" and Mommy becomes the springboard. "Two babies go unda!" which is always a great idea until it actually happens. Then two babies come up for air spitting out salt water through their nose, blinking rapidly and searching for oxygen. Two babies are done with the ocean.

Even outside they plop down on the driveway together. "Two babies teekle!" and the tickle train is set in motion.

It's a give and take world in two-baby land.