Brightfish's Family

We're Having a Yard Sale For a Good Reason!

2011-09-26T18:21:00.000-04:00

I'm having a yard sale this weekend...we're moving!!! More details to come soon. For now, I'm going to advertise for a yard sale website I'm using so I can get a free upgrade!

Find more garage sales in West Columbia onYard Sale Search.

Our Little Fish

2011-06-28T15:49:00.000-04:00

A week ago, Sam would not even put his face in the water, much less leave the side of the swimming pool. Then, I introduced him to Ms. Laverne, a.k.a. The Swim Whisperer. Watching Sam be transformed so quickly was amazing! His lessons ended on Friday and Scott came home from Texas the next day. Sam was able to show off his new skills on Sunday and I think he really knocked Scott's socks off!! Take a look!

Beating the Heat

2011-06-20T22:33:00.001-04:00

Sam and I have totally figured out how we’ll survive the 300 degree temperatures this week. I’ll be sitting on the deck, under the tailgating tent with my feet in the pool and a book in my hand.

Sam, on the other hand, has his own strategy.

We had so much fun taking these pictures! My favorite part…each time Sam wanted to move the sprinkler he would call out “Mama, kinkle the sprinkle!”

I actually think we’ll survive the heat this week!

Cinco de Sam

2011-04-21T09:55:00.001-04:00

Oh, happy day! Today my child, my monkeydoodle, my love turns 5! We don’t have a lot planned for today. Sam and I are going toy shopping this morning and will go on a pizza date for lunch. Tonight we’re going to dinner with Nathan, one of Sam’s best friends. (Oh, I just realized how appropriate it is that we’re having dinner with Nathan and his Mom and Dad since his dad delivered Sam 5 years ago today!) After dinner, we’ll come back home for cake and just a few small presents. I had to make the cake myself because the store was out of Spider-man decorations for the cake Sam wanted. I don’t think I did too bad but most importantly, Sam loved it! We decided to sing and blow out the candles this morning before Daddy left for work.

Sam will be having a huge carnival in a few weeks to celebrate with all his friends. The invitations went out last week. We are getting so excited!

Dear Sam,

Happy 5th birthday, Monkeydoodle! You are truly the coolest kid I know! Daddy and I are enjoying you so much right now because you have a “knock ‘em dead” sense of humor and an imagination that never stops.

You are such a curious and eager learner right now. You are reading and writing and it amazes even me how you can play with words and sounds in your head without even seeing the letters. And as good as you are with reading and writing, you are really good at math! We are so proud of you and how much you love school. Mama’s dream will come true in a few months when you get to start Kindergarten at Mama’s school!

You are really into Legos, Spider-man, Scooby-Doo and poop right now. You and Nathan both, all poop all the time. That’s how I knew you were feeling better last week. You started singing about poop again. Oh, you are such a boy!! It is fun to watch you play with your toys and build Legos with you. You build some incredible things! And what your imagination can do with a stick and a piece of cardboard is amazing! Don’t ever stop being so creative!

Mama loves you most in the mornings when I snuggle with you to wake you up and at night when I read you to sleep. I love you most when you are writing with me and when you are swinging on your swing like Superman. I love you most when we are playing Star Wars Wii and when we are singing and dancing in the car. You are loving the songs “Forget You” and “Dynamite” right now. We turn them up really loud and play them over and over again dancing our way down the road! I love you the most when you tackle me and when you say things like “Mom, you’re breaking my heart” when I won’t let you do something. I love you the most when you are running around the house in your underwear and when you are playing in the sprinklers. I love you the most when you tease me about kissing girls someday. I love that Kathleen is your girlfriend because “she knows a lot about patterns and fiber foods.” I love you the most when you use your good manners.

I guess I just love you the most.

Happy, happy 5th birthday, Sam! Mama and Daddy love you so much!

Our First Class Party

2011-04-14T15:21:00.001-04:00

Sam treated his 4K class to cupcakes and juice boxes this afternoon to celebrate his 5th birthday next week. It was so exciting for me to be “Sam’s Mom” for the afternoon and get to see him in action!

So, here’s to Sam’s first class party and to many, many more to come!!

Why NOT me?

2011-02-21T16:10:00.001-05:00

I have probably talked about it here before, but I am not nor have I ever been a “Why me?” sort of person. I just don’t have that feeling in my heart. If I had the energy right now, I’d scan a comic strip that I clipped in high school to share with you. It’s one of those B.C. comic strips with one of the characters looking up asking “Why me?” and God (or whomever) replying “Why not you?” And that is just simply how I choose to live my life.

Even on a day like today. A disappointing, heartbreaking day.

I had surgery this morning to retrieve eggs for another IVF. The morning went well. I can’t tell you how much I was looking forward to the anesthesia! I like a good 20 minute nap and my hopes were that I would wake up and that stupid knot would be gone from my back. It was! But, when I woke up, I also learned that they were only able to retrieve two eggs. That was not good news! So when the nurse called a few hours later, I could only laugh a little when she regrettfully informed me that those two eggs didn’t fertilize.

So, folks, the train stops there. I won’t start injections and medications tomorrow like I expected. I’m left exhausted and mildly crampy. I did however get to drink a Coke! Yay! Didn’t think I’d have another Coke for a long time.

I’m sad, of course, but I know that there must be a purpose.

My heart is breaking for my husband, and for my son, and for my family.

Right now, I just want to love my husband and cuddle my son more tightly than ever. And sleep. And cry a little. And as soon as I get off the painkillers, have a mojito.

Thank you for all the prayers that have lifted us up today. I have felt the hugs across all the miles! I have had my friends with me all day through texts! And, when I have answers, you’ll have them.

Becoming the Mother I Want to Be Part 3

2011-02-20T20:18:00.001-05:00

Part 1 is here.

Part 2 is here.

So, I guess the kind of mother I want to be is more about quantity than quality. I’m perfectly happy with the quality of myself as a mother. Hopefully, this will be the year that we add to our family. Sam wants a baby and we don’t want the burden of our old age to fall on Sam’s shoulders. And of course there are other reasons, too. One being, I’ve always dreamed of being the mother of a whole gang of boys!

So we find ourselves attempting another IVF cycle.

Tomorrow actually.

Just to catch you up to speed and to document the process for myself, since February 9th, I have given myself 37 injections of three different medications in my belly and endured one shot in the hip to trigger the magic for tomorrow. Scott and I have both been on an antibiotic since then as well. I have had my blood drawn 7 times and have had 7 internal ultrasounds. Yes, friends, internal. I’ve become very familiar with all those eggs growing in my lower belly. Sam even got to see them all! He’s pretty excited.

So, hopefully, tomorrow will be a very fruitful day!

Emotionally, I’ve only had one bad day. Friday I was just weary.

Weary from all the shots.

Weary from the daily ultrasounds and blood draws.

Weary that many of the other women going through this cycle were a few days ahead of me and that my eggs were taking their own sweet time.

I found out the next day, though, that my doctor was intentionally making me go slow. With Sam’s IVF, I developed Ovarian Hyperstimulation Syndrome and I am not exaggerating when I tell you that I was carrying two grapfruits around! So, we’re taking it slow. Whew!

I got the good news Saturday afternoon that I could go ahead and take the trigger shot Saturday night. The trigger shot is what tells the follicles to loosen up so that on Monday morning, we can retrieve the eggs. Yippy! It was so good to finally know exactly which day I’d be heading into surgery!

So here I am, Sunday night. I’ve been trying to take it easy today. My lower belly feels huge and I’m a little uncomfortable but nothing like last time. We’ll head into surgery tomorrow around 9. I’ll be put under for about 20 minutes then I get to head home and park myself on the couch for the rest of the day!

It has been a long journey already and we’re not nearly done. I’ll keep you updated from here on out so that you can take this journey with me. Don’t worry, I’ll be keeping all the injections to myself! You should be thankful. The next 12 weeks or so will (hopefully) bring twice daily injections to my hips. Oh, yay.

All this, though, is totally worth it if it helps me become the mother I want to be!

Becoming the Mother I Want to Be Part 2

2011-02-19T20:42:00.001-05:00

You can find Part 1 here.

So, exactly what kind of mom do I want to be this year? First, let me give you a little history, OUR story. I’ll try to be brief.

Scott and I met and fell in love our freshman year of college. We dated for 5 years and even moved to Chicago before ever getting married. A good friend passed on the “be married a few year before starting a family” advice and we did just that. So after about 5 years, while living in Kansas, we started trying to have a baby. My two best friends and I started at the same time. Kinda like one of those high school girl pacts you hear about. Not really.

Anyway, five years and 3 (possibly 4) miscarriages later, we finally sought help for infertility. Our first IVF (in-vitro fertilization) gave us Sam. Remember his first picture?

It turns out that getting pregnant is actually really, really hard. And for us, really expensive! (As an aside, I will never forget the friends episode where Pheobe’s brother says “Just get drunk! It worked for a bunch of girls in my high school.” LOL!!) Oh, if is were that easy! It is a freakin’ miracle anytime life begins and don’t ever think for a moment that it is anything less.

I would never complain about the five years it took for us to get Sam. God knew exactly what he was doing and we were incredibly accepting of His will and our journey. And look what patience brought us! The most incredible child I could ever imagine!

Fast forward to last fall. Well, rewind with me for just a moment, then we’ll fast forward to last fall. When we did IVF 6 years ago, we retrieved about 18 eggs from my grapefruit sized ovaries (I'm not even kidding!) and about 12 of them fertilized. Five of those embryos/babies survived to be 5 days old. On day 5, three embryos were transferred back inside and two were frozen for storage. (Remember how we started with 18 eggs? Isn’t life fragile?) So, last fall, we thawed our sweet angels out and tried to get pregnant again. All I could think to pray for was that they survived the thaw. And they did! Here they are:

We did not, however, get pregnant. And again, it’s all part of our journey and our faith is unshaken.

More of our story tomorrow…

Becoming the Mother I Want to Be Part 1

2011-02-18T19:44:00.001-05:00

Disclaimer: No part of this post is in reference to my husband.

If there is one part of my life where I am completely confident, it is my role as Sam’s mother. I thank God every day for trusting me to raise his special angel. I feel blessed beyond words and I truly believe that though I am not perfect, I am the perfect mother for Sam.

No one else knows my child like I do.

No one else knows how to be his mother.

No one else could have raised Sam to become the exceptionally cool kid that he is.

I never have to worry about being judged for how I raise my child because there is not one fiber of my being that is the least bit concerned about what others think. God gave Sam to me and I never doubt God. (Well, I did once. It is too hard to attend a funeral for an enfant without doubting him. But I got over it.) And though I clearly do not need the extra vote of confidence, my mother (the best mom in the world) makes me feel like I am the best mom in the world.

So, what kind of mother do I want to become? More on that tomorrow.

Meanwhile, here are a few photos from our recent trip to the state museum. Just because…

Totally Worth It!

2011-02-07T07:00:00.000-05:00

Three tickets…..$66

Cotton Candy with hat…..$12

Popcorn…..$7

Chocolate Magic Snow Shake…$10

S’more on a Stick…..$5

Coke…..$2.50

Taking my boys to the circus for the first time in both their lives…..Yep! Priceless!

We had a fabulous time at the circus. Sam loved the trains they would ride around that stage and Scott and I thought the 7 motorcycles in the cage thingy were the coolest thing ever!

Here’s a slideshow of some of my favorite shots:

Afterwards, I tried to get a picture for Sam’s Valentines and this is what he gave me:

I can’t complain!

Sam was so filled up with sugar from today that he didn’t eat any super. Luckily, he passed out right at bedtime!

Soooo worth it!

Just a Taste

2011-02-06T17:10:00.001-05:00

Can’t wait to tell you about all the fun we had today! I’ll type during the Superbowl tonight, but for now, just a taste!

2. Becoming the Wife I Want to Be

2011-01-13T14:23:00.001-05:00

I don’t think Scott would complain about me as a wife, but I put way more energy into being a mom than being a wife, and I’m just not satisfied with that anymore.

Many, many moons ago, when Scott and I were dating (1992-1997) and early in our marriage before Sam came along (1997-2006), I was a pretty good other half. I spent lots of time being creative with gifts and taking extra special care of my honey (i.e. LOTS of back scratching). But now that I’m a mama, Scott’s lucky if I even remember special occasions, let alone come up with a good gift idea! The best I can come up with is one of those long handled back scratchers!!! It’s funny to me that he now comes up with the most thoughtful presents and that he’s the romantic one in this relationship. My slightly competitive side will be seeking to change that this year!

God knows I love my son more than my next breathe, but I most certainly want my husband to feel every bit as loved. In fact, my goal this year will be to make him feel as loved as I feel everyday. For him to know how proud I am of all that he does and for what he brings to our family.

So, for Valentine’s day, I’m torn between two ideas:

What do you think?

Yeah, I’m a little rusty. Well, at least I have a while to keep thinking.

Coming soon: 3. Becoming the Mother I Want to Be

Frozen

2011-01-12T09:07:00.001-05:00

Sunday afternoon, as the temperature was dropping fast and we were all getting ready for this snow and ice storm that has stopped us in our tracks, I saw him. Just before I crossed the river, I happened to look over and saw a man sitting alone on a rock close to the riverbank. I thought about him the rest of the day and hated myself just a little for not knowing how to help him. I tried to reassure myself that surely he would be heading to shelter soon. It was too cold to be out there. Didn’t he know, couldn’t he tell that a big storm was coming?! A million questions ran through my head the rest of the day about those who need help and who have no homes or shelters to protect them.

Guilt over not helping him, and not even knowing how to help him continued to haunt me. But eventually I forgot about him and busied myself with getting our own warm, comfortable home ready.

Until today.

Sam and I took Scott to his office this morning and just as we were coming off the bridge, I happened to look over and see the man sitting there…exactly as he had been three days ago. It was unmistakably the same man, in the same position, and I was suddenly overwhelmed with guilt and worry. Sam and I drove to the police department to report that there was possibly a man frozen to death down by the river. Sam and I talked a lot about it and he was sad for the man, too. Rather than drive home to wait for a call that may never come, we drove back to the river and got there at about the same time as the police officer. I pulled up behind his car and watched him walk all the way over to the man.

You cannot understand the depths of my relief when the man looked up at the police officer. My very first thought was a prayer to God for thanks that I didn’t kill the man by leaving him on Sunday and then I asked for forgiveness for so many things.

I waited for the officer to return to his car. He told me that the man was fine. This was just his favorite spot to sit so he gets up early to claim it.

Whether that is true or not, all I know is that he is alive. And that I will forever be changed. Now, what to do about it.

(Disclaimer: I sure wish I could claim this picture, but I found it on Flickr!)

1. Becoming the Woman I Want to Be

2011-01-11T08:22:00.001-05:00

I am NOT a dieter. I have successfully lost weight only two times in my life. One, I was pregnant and wanted nothing sweet. Two, the summer I took ADD medication I wanted nothing to eat. Oh, how I loved both diets! Lost about 25 pounds both times…and gained it right back and then some.

As far as any other diet, I just can’t. My ADD brain will not support it. I could make a list in the morning of five foods I will not eat and sometime during lunchtime I’ll look down and realize I’m eating three of those foods. Seriously. I’ve tried it. Me and diets just don’t work well together.

So, my goal this year is twofold—a short and long-term goal.

I do have a short-term goal of losing about 15 more pounds by March 9th. Scott and I are going to Italy and I need to make some room in my clothes for all the scrumptious food and parmesan cheese I’ll be savoring. I’ve already lost about 7 pounds but the next two months will be difficult. I’ll be taking lots of hormones which keep my weight up and I’ll be struggling everyday to not drink a Coke. (BTW, 4 of those pounds were lost over 4 days when Sam and I both had an appetite killing virus and I can’t explain the other 3 pounds!)

And finally, I am simply sick of worrying about it. I will not let the thoughts consume me. I will not diet. Ever. I will, however, work to make some important lifestyle changes over the year…mainly cutting down sugar. And when the weather gets warm, we will get back to walking because that’s really the only exercise I enjoy.

You see, about about 8 years ago, Scott and I met Joe, our hairdresser. And meeting him changed my life. I no longer worry about my hair. I have not once walked in and said “I want ___.” I simply walk in and let Joe do whatever he wants. I trust him. And not once have I been disappointed. I am at peace with my hair. Joe has taken one aspect of my life off of my plate so that I no longer have to concern myself with changing my hair or looking for the next best thing.

That peace, or acceptance, is exactly what I will be searching for this year in regards to my body and weight. I want to be satisfied with myself.

Coming soon: 2. Becoming the Wife I Want to Be

UPDATE: It turns out that May 6 is International No Diet Day. Ha! Seems women all around the world are sick of dieting, too! There’s even a symbol:

Viva la Snow!!

2011-01-10T12:58:00.001-05:00

We are LOVING being snuggled together at home today! Daddy has already played outside with Sam, beating the freezing rain, and we have already enjoyed our snow cream! Thank goodness that this time, we were home and had all the right snow gear!

Now, the only question that remains is will we have another snow day tomorrow??? We say, bring it on!

Wednesdays are for Mama!

2011-01-05T21:19:00.001-05:00

I just finished reading to Sam and bless his heart he always falls asleep during the last book. But the first book we read tonight was Llama Llama Misses Mama about a little llama and his first day at school. Sam and I talk a lot while we read together. This was tonight’s conversation (oh, how I wish you could hear his sweet voice):

Me: Sam, do you ever miss your mama, like Llama Llama misses his mama?

Sam: No.

Me: No? (sniff, sniff)

Sam: No.

Me: Oh…that makes me a little sad.

Sam: You should be happy, not sad.

Me: But I miss you sometimes when I’m at school.

Sam: Oh. Well, I do miss you sometimes at Mimi’s house.

Me: You do? (Yay!)

Sam: Yes, but I miss you on Wednesdays but not on Fridays.

Me: Hey! I’ll take that!

The Year of Me

2011-01-01T19:48:00.001-05:00

Today, 1/1/11, I turned 38. And this year, more than any other, I truly do believe that the coming year is going to change my life in so many ways. This is the year that…

…I will become the woman I want to be with the body that satisfies me.

…I will become the wife I want to be.

…I will become the mother I want to be.

…I will become the cook I want to be.

…I will become the photographer I want to be.

…I will become the blogger I want to be.

…I will become the teacher I want to be.

…I will become the friend I want to be.

…I will become the organizer I want to be.

…I will become the reader I want to be.

…I will become the creative soul I want to be.

…I will become the housekeeper I want to be.

…I will become the coupon master I want to be.

…I will become the money manager I want to be.

All my years so far have been spent exploring and dabbling and as I get dangerously close to 40, I have a strong desire to find myself and know myself deeply, to be the me I want to be. I want to focus my ADD brain and all my energy on identifying the obstacles that hold me back and overcoming them.

This will be the year of me.

Happy New Year!

2010-12-31T19:32:00.001-05:00

We are celebrating New Year’s this evening along with my birthday since Scott will be gone tomorrow afternoon and evening. Scott cooked my favorite, most decadant dinner—fettucini alfredo! He cooks it for me at my requests every year! We have all enjoyed sparkling grape juice in fancy glasses and then fireworks followed by cake. Now it’s time to watch the Gamecocks play their hearts out against Florida State. It has been such a great day!

Happy New Year to you and yours!

Holiday Wishes

2010-12-20T13:46:00.001-05:00

Apple Picking 2010

2010-11-05T06:10:00.001-04:00

Sam and I spent election day out of school and in the apple orchard. We traveled to Windy Hill Orchard with special friends and had a wonderful day!

All Sam wanted to do was pick apples so he was less than thrilled about the apple press demonstration…or the hayride…until he saw apples on the trees. Then he was soooo excited! And it didn’t even matter that he didn’t actually get to pick them (we '”picked” apples from a big box"), he was just satisfied to have seen them in their natural habitat! Oh, and to chase chickens around!

Oh, those eyes!!!

A Little Taste

2010-11-02T16:01:00.001-04:00

We had a fabulous day today. Not only did Sam and I vote, but we joined some special friends on a fun adventure! Here’s a sneak peek:

Hall of Fame-er

2010-11-01T22:42:00.001-04:00

(Original Post is Updated at the bottom)

I love going home and spending time with my family. Especially now that my Uncle “Bug” has moved back home. He’s an award winning professional photographer. You know, exactly what I want to be when I grow up! Recently, he was inducted into the East Coast Surfing Hall of Fame (look under “media”) in recognition of his contribution to surfing through photography. I mention this because when I visit my family, and Uncle Bug, he usually surprises me a few weeks later with treats like these:

These two pictures are now included in “Mama’s Hall of Fame All-Time Favorite Photos!” Thanks so much, Uncle Bug, for always capturing Sam just as I see him and helping me hold onto his character and personality forever through your art. I love you. And I promise that one day I’ll learn how to use all those fancy buttons on my fancy camera and hopefully make you proud!

UPDATE: Uncle Bug just sent this one to me and I just had to add it…because like I said, he always captures “my” Sam beautifully!

Skeleton Sam

2010-11-01T05:50:00.001-04:00

Even though we made it to THREE Fall carnivals this year, Sam’s favorite part of Halloween 2010 was passing out candy to all the other kids! Man, I love this kid!! (And I’m also loving this picture of my husband!)

My Favorite Student

2010-09-26T12:53:00.001-04:00

This past week was a really big week for us!

Sam LOVES school! And I LOVE my new favorite student!

Do Your Ears Hang Low?

2010-09-06T18:17:00.001-04:00

Traveling back from my parent’s house today, Sam started singing “Do Your Ears Hang Low?” and when I looked back, because he had suddenly gotten quiet, this is what I found:

Do your ears hang low,
do they waggle to and fro?
Can you tie them in a knot,
can you tie them is a bow?
Can you throw them o're your shoulder like a continental soldier?
Do your ears hang low?

United States of Sam

2010-07-06T10:54:00.001-04:00

How cute is this?

I’m making a reward system for Sam involving money so that while he’s being rewarded for good deeds/behaviors, he’s also learning about money. He’ll be learning about coin value and exchanging coins. I have a bunch of treats that he’ll be able to buy with his dollars as he earns them. Anyway, without boring you with the specifics of the system, I did have to share this cute dollar! I found it at this website and you can make your own with any picture you have. You can also use other currency values and currency from any country! It’s perfect for Sam’s money system!

UPDATE

Oh, I couldn’t resist! He’s worth many of these:

ANOTHER UPDATE!

I’ve spent all morning on it (when I should be getting ready for the beach!) but I finally finished Sam’s reward system. He seems really excited about it so I have my fingers crossed! Sam’s not a behavior problem. He does however have a few habits that we’d like to change and I think rewarding him for positive actions has always worked with him. Hopefully, this will lead to whine-free dinners, fuss-free bedtimes, and dry pull-ups every morning! Plus, he’s really getting into math with Daddy lately, adding and subtracting, and we think this will help him sharpen his money skills as well! The goal is to get the money from “Mom and Dad’s Wallet” into his piggy bank by adding up and exchanging coins. When he has enough money, he can go shopping at “My Toy Store.” He’s already picked out the toy he wants to buy first. He’s saving for a light saber, of course!

A closer look:

Official Business

2010-06-28T23:29:00.002-04:00

Look! Over there! See my new logo? Today I am officially advertising my design services. However, for now, I'm limiting the menu to custom ads and blog buttons. If you are interested, please contact me at: brightfishdesigns at hotmail dot com.

More changes are on the way! I am working on a summer design for my own blog even though I know the snowflakes actually cool you down a bit!

It Was a Beautiful Day!

2010-05-27T21:56:00.001-04:00

This day started a few weeks ago, actually, when I registered Sam for Pre-K at a school in my old district. I gathered all the necessary paperwork and walked into the office of the school we are zoned for. I was really excited about getting the ball rolling because I look most forward to the 2011-2012 school year, when Sam will be riding into school each day with me. I can’t wait to see him in the hallway and pass secret signals to each other! So, all these thoughts were going through my head as I sat down to fill out the paperwork. I had an “Aaawwww” moment when the very first blank asked for the “Student’s” name. A student. :) This is it. He’s on the public school system grid. Here goes the very conception of his education career. I was thrilled to write his name in the blank!

And that brings us to today! Sam’s Pre-K screening was scheduled for 10:30 and I did not think he’d make it until then. He was soooo excited to be going to school! I told him we’d be leaving after snacktime and he didn’t even want to eat a snack! He just wanted to go! So we went! And here’s my sweet little punk before he met the teacher. Can’t you just see the excitement in his eyes?

Sam was with the teacher for about a half hour while I filled out more paperwork. He came out with candy and stickers and a big smile on his face! Ms. Samuels (seriously, that was her name!) shared his results (which made me super proud!) and told me about one of his responses. When she asked him to tell his first name, he replied “Sam.” When she asked him for his last name (which he soooo knows) he replied “Sam the Man.” That’s what his Mimi calls him! I laughed hard and had to call Mimi to tell her. I heard that she worked with the rest of the kids all day making sure they knew their last names!

Here’s Sam afterwards, describing the screening and telling me how disappointed he was that he didn’t get to sing “Ears Hang Low” for her and then showing off his new stickers:

Boy, did we make a day of it!!! We ate lunch at Olive Garden because I was craving alfredo and we ordered all my favorites and then some!

Then we went to Barnes and Noble to play with the trains. Not a good trip. Two brats at the table wouldn’t share the trains, even at the urging of what appeared to be their babysitter. She finally turned to me and said “We’re gonna be here a while.” Gee, thanks for the warning! Sam was upset as I explained that we were leaving to go to the movies anyway and that we’d come back later when the mean boys were gone!

He was fine by the time we got to the theater and had a great time tossing coins and making wishes. His wishes included “I wish Nathan would come to my house.” “I wish Carson would come to my house.” and “I wish Abby would come to the pool.”

We had lots of fun at the movies, being the ONLY people in there! Then we returned to Barnes and Noble for some fabulous train time, stopped by the store to pick up some popsicles, then home to crash on the couch! What a fantabulous, fun, beautiful day ! And look! I figured out a way to get a picture of me and my ~~boy~~ future student!

I Didn’t Even Mind that it was 10:00…

2010-05-23T09:00:00.001-04:00

…and he wasn’t asleep when I caught him doing this in bed:

In fact, I was thrilled! I put him in his bed, with his movie playing at 9:00 and listened to him talk for the next hour. I had no idea what he was talking about, but he just kept on and on. Finally, on my way to bed, I checked in on him and asked him what he was working on. He had filled an entire little notebook with his own Star Wars story! He continued to work for just a moment before he shared his story with me. Though impossible to tell from these pictures because my new lens is THAT good, the only light in the room was from the little book light on his notebook.

Oh, it does my heart soooooo good to see him enjoying writing!

When he was finished he began telling me all he had written and of course I captured it! But beware…these two videos are each several minutes long. I’m posting them for family, but if you do decide to watch, there are some really precious moments!

Sam’s Star Wars Story

PART I

Sam’s Star Wars Story

PART II

Wordless Wednesday 4/28/10

2010-04-28T06:07:00.001-04:00

My Trained Dragon

2010-04-07T14:04:00.002-04:00

Sam and I went to the movies yesterday to see “How to Train Your Dragon.” It was AWESOME! Such a good movie! When the credits rolled, Sam burst into tears. I thought he was scared but he was just upset that the movie ended!

And what has he been up to today? Why, collecting EVERY pillow in the house and making his own dragon’s nest, of course!

“He’s Not in There!”

2010-04-05T11:25:00.001-04:00

I hope your Easter was as wonderful and blessed as ours! This was the first year that I really tried to teach Sam what this most important day really means. He was so confused the week leading up to Sunday. I’m sure he was hearing lots of talk about Easter the the Easter Bunny from places other than home. It took me about three days to convince him that Easter was not someone who was coming to visit us. He’d say things like “Easter wants me to eat this candy.” Or “Easter is a cool guy.” Hopefully, though, I got him straightened out. By the end of the morning yesterday he was saying “Jesus is a cool guy!”

On Saturday, we did the traditional Easter Egg Hunt at the park with LOTS of other children and a few vicious adults. There were refreshments and games and Sam’s favorite, an inflatable bouncer! The Easter Bunny made an appearance and thankfully, Sam was SOOO not interested! (Nope. We don’t do the Easter Bunny. I have a hard time figuring out his role in the Easter story. Any Easter gifts Sam receives come from his family. I see Easter eggs and the celebration we attended more as a celebration of Spring than Easter.) It was a beautiful day filled with dear friends and lots of fun activities. Here are a few of my favorite pictures from the morning:

Serious Sam, as usual, looking thoughtful and reflective.

Wow! He looks like such a big boy, doesn’t he?! I can’t wait to get a hold of that dandelion shot in PhotoShop and clean up the water around his mouth.

A special thank you to Sarah. She was so sweet to hang out with Sam and I and I was thankful for all the times she helped me! We love Sarah! (I have a feeling she loves us, too!)

Being our first egg hunt, I had no idea what was about to happen moments after this photo:

Sam’s not really look for eggs. He’s just walking around, very close to me and the ropes. See the mob of people waiting behind the line? Crazy people, I tell you. Crazy people! The adults, anyway. There were about 4,000 eggs in this one little area for 3-5 year olds. Plenty for everyone.

Nearby where we were waiting for the signal to begin, there was a golden egg.

Experienced egg hunters would know that the golden egg is usually very valuable. I had no idea. There was a mother very close to us who was coaching her son to get the golden egg. And he did. He ran straight for it and held up his egg in victory. Congratulations to you and your greedy mother, kid. I had to laugh, because I had already been told by friends who filled the eggs, that all the eggs were created equal. No “special” eggs. You would have thought that there were vouchers for TVs and other grand prizes in there by the wall of adults that moved across the field, making sure every single egg had been claimed! It was crazy!! Not my child, though. Sam took his time, carefully selecting the colors he liked.

And, thankfully, he was able to fill his basket and avoid being mowed down.

Soon it was time to go. Sam had had enough, as evidenced by his heat and hunger induced meltdown. It wasn’t easy getting him all the way up the hill and back to our car.

On Easter morning, we gave Sam a great, very age appropriate book about the Easter story. He loved it. We read it several times and talked about different parts of the story. We especially talked about Jesus dying and being put in the tomb and the women finding the empty tomb three days later. Then we headed into the kitchen to make Resurrection Rolls. I don’t know how long this idea has been around, but I heard about them just the other day. I was so excited to make these with Sam. Oh, and were they ever yummy!! If you’re wondering what Resurrection Rolls are, I’ve included the recipe at the bottom. A friend passed it on to me. I truly hope this becomes our Easter tradition.

Resurrection Rolls

Give your child a marshmallow. This represents Jesus.

Have him dip the marshmallow in melted butter. This represents the oils of embalming.

Now dip the buttered marshmallow in the cinnamon and suger which represent the spices used to anoint the body.

Wrap the coated marshmallow tightly in a crescent roll and seal up the dough. This represents the wrapping of Jesus’ body after death.

Place in a 350 degree oven for 10-12 minutes. The oven represents the tomb.

Let the rolls cool slightly. Your child can open the roll (cloth) and discover that Jesus is no longer there, that HE IS RISEN!

Oh, so yummy! And, a very powerful tool for illustrating this most important story. The look on Sam’s face as he exclaimed “He’s not in there!” was priceless!

(I wonder if we have to wait until next year to enjoy these again?!)

Epcot 2010

2010-03-08T05:42:00.001-05:00

We started our Disney vacation at Epcot, spending our first afternoon there, and then going back later in the week. I have loved Epcot since going there in middle school and again on our honeymoon and really looked forward to taking Sam.

I think he liked it, too!

I know he liked the water features scattered throughout the park—he has a thing for waterfalls!

We rode some fabulous rides but I think one of Sam’s favorite things may have been the seagulls outside of the Finding Nemo building. They were hysterical! I think he could have watched them for hours!

We had a lot of fun watching the animals under the sea!

We test drove cars and went over 60 mph…3 times! We flew over Northern California and smelled the cedar trees and the vineyards. We talked to Crush and looked for Nemo. We walked around the world, stopping to eat in Japan, play maracas in Mexico, and of course, play drums, too!

Be careful, Sam. That’s exactly how Daddy got Mama! Many girls are suckers for cool dudes playing drums!

Sam and Daddy could have played here all day, I think, creating a truly unique symphony!

So much fun! Here are a few more photos from our travels. I can’t decide which one of these I like more, so I’m using both!

It was a good day! Click below for just a few more photos from our travels around the world and through space and time!

The Blizzard of 2010

2010-03-03T22:01:00.001-05:00

It snowed again last night. See this:

That’s the bowl Sam excitedly insisted on using to collect snow so that we could make snow cream again. I went to bed hoping that he wouldn’t be disppointed. But, alas, we woke up to find our bowl holding nothing more than about an inch of icy cold water. Sam was devasted. So, being the ultimate cool mom that I am, I took him to the grocery store and introduced him to one of my favorites:

Score! He thought I was so cool! And, this made him forget about our bowl of water.

I know this is totally out of order, but since I did mention that it had snowed already, I might as well go ahead and write about it while I’m here.

About 2 weeks ago, we got a gorgeous 9 inches of snow. It fell so fast and heavy for hours. This was really Sam’s first good snow experience and he was over the moon! Like most kids, we couldn’t keep him inside. The only problems were that the snow fell on Friday night, so no snow day for me, and it was pretty much all melted before sunset on Saturday. But, Sam sure enjoyed it as much as he could all day! And thankfully, Scott wasn’t able to fly out of town that morning, so he got to play with Sam ALL day! ‘Cuz if I’m being honest, I will photograph it all day long and pray for a blizzard…but Mama ain’t goin’ out in the snow!

Here are some photos of Sam and Daddy playing and the snowman they built only 2 hours into the snowfall.

We woke up to a winter wonderland and found beauty everywhere we looked! We also found our poor, poor pirate snowman…half-buried!

And, again, thank you God for allowing Scott to stay home and suffer the cold with Sam so that I could stay inside, cozy and warm, eating the entire bowl of snow cream.

Sam loved when Daddy made it snow again!

I’m so glad that Sam got to enjoy this day! Maybe next Winter we’ll have at least one snow day so that Sam can make more snow cream and get really good at throwing snowballs!

Disney’s All-Star Movies Resort

2010-02-22T23:11:00.002-05:00

If you’re trying to decide between staying on-site or off-site during your own Disney vacation, you should know that there are lots of factors to consider. I, however, only considered one factor: Disneyworld has a value hotel that sports a Toy Story theme. That’s all I needed to book our room. (Well, that and I found an internet code that saved us more than 40% off the already reasonable off-peak price.)

Sam LOVES Toy Story right now—I mean, he LOVED it then. Right now he’s on a Star Wars kick. But I was glad to pay just a little extra in order to request a room in the Toy Story building of the resort, even though we were still not be guaranteed a room in that building. It was soooooo worth it!

When you arrive at the resort, you are welcomed into the lobby via a red carpet. The coolest thing about the lobby is that there is a small open theater for children to wait in while a parent stands in the sometimes very long line to check-in. Buses run from the hotel to all the parks and we used the buses on and off. (Let me know if you need any advice on whether to drive into the parks or take Disney’s transportation. I do have some pointers.) We were pretty pleased with our room. We’d certainly stay there again, but next time we’re looking forward to staying in one of the fancy resorts. (I’m already saving for that splurge!)

And here’s what made our building extra special! The courtyard between the Woody building and the Buzz building is actually Andy’s room. Well, you know. Not actually. Check out these cool photos and be sure to notice the scale of the toys. Very cool!

I think my favorite part of the resort was the toy soldier buckets that enclosed the stairs at the ends of each building along with the army men that were positioned along the roof. I couldn’t take enough photos of those gorgeously huge buckets! (Can you find Sam in one of the photos?)

There are lots of other goodies offered by the resort. If you’re interested or on the fence about where to stay, let me know and I’ll hook you up with more info.

Oh, I almost forgot to show you the HEATED pool. I was very sad that I forgot my swimsuit, even after packing Sam’s and reminding Scott to pack his.

Writing these posts is making my heart ache for our next vacation!

Two of My Favorite Things

2010-02-21T11:12:00.001-05:00

I love these photos that I took in Epcot. Mainly because they feature two of my most favorite things. I had fun playing around with depth of field with this gorgeous model.

I mean, seriously. Sam AND a truckload of Coke. The only thing better would be my hunky husband driving said truck home for me.

Preparing for Disney 2010

2010-02-18T21:19:00.001-05:00

Preparation for Disney began sometime last summer when I read someone else’s blog post about their trip. They talked about going to a character breakfast and the characters from Little Einsteins were there. That little spark was all it took for my to start imagining Sam meeting his girl June!

There are so many resources out there to help you plan your own trip. Before I start sharing our adventure, I thought I’d let you know what my very favorite sources were. At the end of all my Disney posts, I’ll also share a few things we learned throughout this whole, wonderful experience.

Without further ado, my recommendations for great information:

(Titles are clickable!)

1. We actually carried The Unofficial Guide to WDW with Kids 2010 into the parks with us…it is THAT good. The ride recommendations and descriptions were spot on (just ask Scott about “Dinosaur.”) and helped us decide what our priorities were for each day in each park.

2. If you buy the Unofficial Guide, you get free membership to an incredibly helpful website by the authors of the book, TouringPlans.com. You can find information about wait times, crowd sizes and soooo much more! Even if you don’t buy the book, it’s worth the paid subscription!

3. My goal was to save as much money as I could to cover expenses and the cost of the trip. For that goal, I turned to extreme couponing ala Jenny from Southern Savers and Kristin from Couponing to Disney. There were several other blogs that I was following, but it was too overwhelming. I paired my list down to just these two because they were really the most helpful.

4. Click here to check out Kristin’s “Training for Disney” posts. Her great advice helped us make some decisions while planning our trip.

5. For the best deals on tickets and accommodations head over to these two great sites: MouseSavers.com and UndercoverTourist.com.

There are TONS of resources out there to help you plan. For what it’s worth, these are the ones I used, LOVED, and recommend.

If you have favorite sites, please share. I’m already scheming and thinking about next time!

**********

Oh, and just to get things started, I’ll tell you about day 1 of our trip. We actually drove to my college roommate’s house to spend our first night. She lives about an hour from WDW so it was a great opportunity to spend time with her awesomely cool family! While we enjoyed a fabulous dinner, Sam played hard with Jackson and Zach. I don’t think he even knew we were there…until bedtime that is! Sam just adored playing with the boys! We can’t to see them again! Here are a few shots of Sam playing with the boys. By the time I got the camera out Sunday morning, the boys were heading out to play football, so most of the pictures are of Sam. Imagine that.

The next morning, we headed to Orlando to begin our Disney adventures at Epcot. But I’ll save that for the next post!

Kid-isms

2010-02-15T19:13:00.004-05:00

This is me...refusing to let Facebook kill my blog. I think that's why I don't write here as often as I used to. It's so quick and easy to share things over there. But that may be due to the fact that I'm visiting there so much. I'm changing that, too.

Anyway....

So, I opened up this post because something funny just happened and I wanted to write about it. By coming here, I can tell you about a few funny moments today. Well, you know, funny to me, anyway.

1) Scott and I are sitting in Chic-fil-A, both of us on out laptops, "closely" watching Sam play in the playground area. I've been watching the sweetest family across the way sign to each other. The little boy, playing in the play area with Sam must be about Sam's age (almost 4) signs back and forth to his Mom through the glass. I think Mom is deaf, and the little boy may be. Or he could just be really quiet. There is also another, older little boy who showed up to play (turns out, he's a brat, but he does it with such a sweet voice) about 10 minutes ago. While I was in there talking to Sam, the other little boy was talking to his Mom through the glass.
The brat turned to me and said: She told him to go play.
Me: Oh, she did?
Brat: Yeah, I understand glass talk.
Me: Glass talk?
Brat: Yeah, talking through the glass.
Me: Oh, I see.

You may not be laughing but I cracked up. Besides being a cute thing to say, kids who know it all crack me up!

Oh, and by the way, I call him a brat because he held the door for his little sister, then wouldn't hold it open for Sam. He explained to me, very politlely, that he was told to only hold the door open for his sister. Brat.

2) As Sam and I were leaving the house earlier, I threw a clean shirt on him. He looked down at the shirt and said "Cool! The Bumblebees!" No, honey, that would be the Beatles. We both laughed and then Sam pointed to his shirt and the front door and said, trying to make a joke, "The Doors!" Well, actually, Sam... :)

3) Sam got very lucky last week in Florida because we let him sip on our drinks often to give him just enough energy to get through the long days. So I shouldn't be shocked that he just came out of the play area and took a sip of Scott's drink. As he turned to go back in, I said "Whoa! What, are you gonna just start sipping our drinks now Mr.?" to which he relied "Yeah." and returned to the play area.

Oh, look. The brat is "glass talking" to his mom now. Cute.

4) This morning, as Sam was heading down the hallway, I said something about remembering to brush his teeth. He turned, and with the cutest, most appropriate, puzzled facial expression said "Mom, are you talking to me?" Oh, I don't know where he gets his keen sense of humor from!

So, there's a few of the moments that made me laugh today. They're probably all "had to be there" moments, but whatever. Oh, I wish I could remember to write down even half of the things Sam says or does in a day that crack me up!

How do you keep up with your kid-isms? Or do you forget just like me?

Something Disney This Way Comes

2010-02-15T06:24:00.001-05:00

Happy Valentine’s Day, my friends! Just a note to let you know that we’re back from Florida and I’m working on a series of posts to document our trip so that I don’t ever forget a single, wonderful, fun memory! In the meantime…

That’s Reading, My Friend!

2010-01-25T20:15:00.000-05:00

I noticed this weekend that Sam had developed a small core of known words that he could read (Sam, up, go, a and I). So, after talking about things that go up, together we chose some pictures and I created a book for him. I wanted to use those known words in the book and keep and story structure reflective of his language structure. When I asked him “What goes up?” Sam replied “A balloon goes up.” and thus a book was born. I put the book together and gave it to him today. I have to tell you, there isn’t anything like seeing “the look” on a reader’s face when they notice something in the print that they know. I love that look! And I was thrilled that Sam flashed me that excited look when he opened his new book and looked at the page. I broke out the camera during Sam’s second reading of the book, in which he was reading it to his Daddy, so I missed the first part. However, I’m so glad I caught the amazing processing that he demonstrated on this second reading. Just watch as he rereads to search and how he monitors his reading and self-corrects the mismatch.

Oh, and do I really need to remind you that emergent literacy is my passion/profession/specialty? I thought not.

Oh, and please ignore the mess…and the half-naked reader. Y’all know Sam by now!

Funny??

2010-01-24T22:37:00.001-05:00

Is it just me, or is this the most depressing comic strip ever?

I just don’t get it. And now I’m a little sad.

Our Official Announcement

2010-01-23T09:47:00.001-05:00

It’s official! We’ve booked out Disney trip and we’re headed south in just 2 weeks! (OMG! Two weeks??? I have soo much to do!) Sam has wanted to “see the castle” ever since he saw a picture of Scott and I in front of it on our honeymoon and we promised him we’d take him, too. He knows the castle, of course, from all his Disney videos. Now that we’ve booked our trip, I’ve been showing him pictures of WDW and videos to show him some other things to expect. He’s getting really excited. The funny thing is, Disney sent us a DVD and it showed a video of people volunteering in their communities to promote Disney’s "Give a Day. Get a Disney Day." volunteer program before showing us scenes from the parks. Sam was getting all excited about what he was seeing. He’d yell out “We’re gonna make a garden!” and “We’re gonna paint a wall?! I wanna paint the wall with the kids!”

And I really have to smile because the kid has NO IDEA what’s in store for him! Scott and I are SO excited to be doing this with him!

Anyway, of all the little videos we’ve watched, this one is be far the best. I hope and pray that we have as much fun as this family…although, since we’re not a dancing family, we may not have quite as much fun as they did! Enjoy! It really is fun to watch!

Jennifer (Hope Studios) is going in March and I can totally see her family doing something crazy like this!

Resolution

2010-01-03T21:37:00.002-05:00

This is TOTALLY me:

Which is why my resolution this year is to overcome my ADD and find a way to get organized and on top of my life. I have so many goals for this year. I’ll be looking for ways to finally take control. So, here’s to 2010! The best year ever!

What are your resolutions? And what suggestions do you have for me?

For You and Your Family

2010-01-01T09:55:00.001-05:00

Perseverance

2009-12-06T20:08:00.001-05:00

–noun

1. steady persistence in a course of action, a purpose, a state, etc., esp. in spite of difficulties, obstacles, or discouragement.

Join me, if you will, about 4 minutes into the episode:

The Cake That NEVER Was, the Ghost That ALMOST Was, and the Pirate that WAS…and Still Is

2009-11-01T10:39:00.003-05:00

Oh, the drama that was Halloween. Or at least the choosing of the costume! Weeks ago, I did something on the spur of the moment. I asked Sam what he wanted to be for Halloween. I’m not sure that I was planning on asking him this year. I really didn’t think he’d know what I was talking about or have a preference. I was wrong. The first time I ever asked him the question, he immediately replied “A cake!” I asked the question several times and in different ways and he was very clear that he wanted to be a cake. Well…ok then. He was so sure he wanted to be a cake, that looking through catalogs and finding other costumes he liked didn’t deter him one bit. He still wanted to be a cake. I took about 8 minutes of video, which I’ll spare you from, of us searching costumes. Screenshots from the video:

You’ll have to trust me on this, but I swear Sam actually said during the fun, “Oh, no cake.” So, he was pretty happy when I showed him Pottery Barn Kids cupcake costume.

Anyway, he was holding steadfast to his dream of being a cake. So I found directions for this costume on some Canadian Magazine website. He wanted to be a chocolate cake with sprinkles, so I figured it would be easy to modify the costume.

Honestly, I dreaded the work ahead of me and thankfully, I didn’t get started weeks ago. After a week of wanting to be a cake, he suddenly decided he wanted to be a ghost…”a big scary ghost so I can say WhooooOOOOOOOooooooooOOOO!” (And as he said it, he weaved his head back and forth…so cute!) Sure! A ghost I can handle! Of course, I couldn’t let him be some ordinary, “sheet with holes” ghost. Oh, no. I had to add a little something so it would be just a little more unique. After about 2 weeks of saying he wanted to be a ghost, I was finally convinced enough to buy material. Then on Halloween morning, I started assembling the ensemble. Getting him to stand still was a challenge, so meet Elmo, who was kind enough to model the ghost costume without moving.

It turns out, working with satin has its challenges. The trick was finding a way to keep it on his head and get the tulle attached as well. I had to turn the eye-holes into a face opening because Sam wasn’t diggin’ on the whole covered face thing. I spent a lot of time on Saturday trying to figure out how to make the ghost costume work. Thankfully, Scott was home all morning and was willing to add commentary such as “Holes in a sheet would have been much easier.” (Sometimes I don’t think he gets me at all!)

And here’s where weeks of planning get shot down in one breathe. At 3:41, one hour before we needed to leave for the Harvest Festival at the church, Sam decides that he doesn’t like the ghost costume at all and won’t wear it. He really didn’t like being under the costume. So, I rushed out to the store and bought him the first costume I could find in his size: Captain Jack Sparrow. Then I rushed to another store and bought a bunch of accessories to enhance Captain Jack’s ensemble-in-a-bag. Sam was excited about the pirate costume since his friend Samuel was dressing up as a pirate, too. As you can see, everything worked out and we decided that Sam was MUCH cuter in the pirate costume. Even if, after only about 5 minutes, he had gotten rid of the wig, hat, and earring.

Sam loved being a pirate! In fact, upon waking Sunday morning, he couldn't get back into his costume fast enough! And what did “Captain Sam” think of the ghost costume?

That’s all right. Since this may be the last year that I actually give Sam a choice, I already have his costume picked out for next year and I may just get started now. Jennifer shared this with me and it may be my all-time favorite idea:

Why, yes.

2009-10-31T11:15:00.002-04:00

Yes, he did dress himself this morning. Why do you ask?

JOYful

2009-10-30T22:33:00.004-04:00

I MUST share a new discovery! LifeHacker.com, one of my daily must-reads, introduced me to PhotoJoy this week. And I am in LOVE! I've been playing with it for the last 30 minutes and I can hardly contain my excitement! (Oh, how I wish they would pay me to say that!) If you like using your own photos as your desktop or your screensaver, then you will also LOVE it. It is soooo incredibly easy to use!

Here's a look at PhotoJoy:

It is so incredibly hard to decide which desktop and screensaver to use. I downloaded them all just so I could switch whenever my little heart desires!

Here's my desktop as of a few minutes ago:

How cute is that?! See that little book at the bottom, center of the screen? I placed that there and it flips pages every few seconds. The other pictures change after several minutes. And isn't the old student desktop just gorgeous?! Seriously, I can't say enough about the program!

Hurry, go now and get your own! You, too, Jennifer! I promise y'all will have so much fun! Click on my desktop above to go to PhotoJoy's site. And, please share. I'd love to see your gorgeous desktops!

Sam’s Grand Finale

2009-10-18T15:00:00.001-04:00

The last post in the series “Sam’s Vocal Recital.”

Sam sings “God Said It” which he learned from his babysitter:

And his grand finale, “Apples and Bananas.”

Sam is turning out to be a very musical child. He picks up songs after hearing them once and he has started making up his own songs. I am pretty sure he’ll be an auditory learner and his phonemic awareness at such a young age bodes well for learning to read! I, of course, couldn’t be happier!

As Promised…

2009-10-15T11:20:00.001-04:00

Here are two more videos of Sam captured during a rare moment. He sings all the time…but rare is the moment that I can actually record his performances. This night, he was in a particularly giving mood! So I kept the camera rolling to capture as many songs as I could!

Sam singing the theme to Thomas the Tank Engine:

Thomas singing “I Know an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly”:

Coming soon: Sam sings “Apples and Bananas” and “God Said it” (the last in the series!)

Surely You Heard Him!

2009-10-12T21:31:00.003-04:00

Well, I finally finished helping Jennifer design her blog, so now I'll be able to turn my attentioin to my own, pitiful, broken blog. I hate that I'm missing all my links to other blogs and such. I'll get that fixed soon. Meanwhile, head on over to Jennifer's blog. She was featured today at The Secret is in the Sauce. So she had quite a busy blog day! Check her out and see why she has become so popular!

Now, I just have two more blogs to design (after I put mine back together) and then I'll be somewhat caught up!

Well, the real reason for actually posting tonight (when I should be doing paperwork) is that Sam gave us a concert tonight. Generally, to get a video of Sam performing, I have to follow him around for days. But tonight was special! I actually have four or five videos of him because he very willingly sang all of the songs on his current set list!

Did I say "very willingly?" Oops! I actually meant to say "very loudly!" Here's the first example with more to follow this week.

It Came Back!

2009-09-28T06:00:00.001-04:00

My heart came home yesterday!

Sam left Friday morning on his very first trip away from home without me. Scott took him with him to his parents’ house and I was left all by myself in a very quiet house. Two days later, my boys returned and I got the best hug in the history of the universe from my sweet little boy!

Thankfully, when Sam got out of the car, he seemed as happy to see me as I was to see him. I picked him up, hugged him, and set him on the edge of the van. We both just kept holding each other without a word being spoken. His embrace was just as tight as mine. I kept wondering if I was the one determining how long the hug would go on, but no, I was just following Sam on this one. His head was rested on my shoulder and, ooh, my favorite part, his little hands were patting me! I love it when he does that! Oh, the hug seemed to go on for days and I never want to forget how loved I felt in that moment. I truly hope that’s the way I make him feel everyday.

On a different note, near the end of summer, Sam all of a sudden became a very expressive, imaginative, creative little boy. Not quite 3 1/2 at the time, there was a definite shift in how dramatic his face became when he talked. Oh, the gestures and expressions! We’ve said a few times that the entertainment alone is worth all the money we spent on conceiving him!

I finally found a short video taken as Sam was playing with a train app on Daddy’s iPhone. I hope it makes you smile! Sam watches it and bursts out laughing!

Not the best sample, but a sample nonetheless of Sam’s ever expressive face:

Doggone it!

2009-09-26T09:42:00.002-04:00

I logged into the wrong blog and made some html changes and totally messed my blog up! Oh, well! It's time for a change anyway. But it's going to have to wait until I finish working on someone else's blog! So, hopefully things will be back to normal by Monday!

While I have you hear, I'll tell you that this is a hard weekend for me. Sam is spending his first weekend away from home and I am lonely without him! On top of that, he has a fever today! So now, every little "Mother Cell" in my body is just aching to be with him to be a Mommy today!

Scott took this picture with his phone as Sam was getting ready to leave yesterday:

The Virtues of YouTube…Again!

2009-09-19T14:01:00.002-04:00

Sam and I have had so much fun this morning exploring YouTube and discovering fun new videos! I went on there to look for a video of “Apple and Bananas” which we’ve been singing together for the past few days. We found this wonderful version that makes Sam laugh hysterically!

Then we went on to find lots of wonderful songs and stories. Some of them are video productions of the stories, some are read alouds using narrators and the book illustrations, and some are great animated shorts. Here are just a few that we added to Sammy’s playlist. Click on the images to watch the videos.

You can also find treasures like this, with the author reading the story:

Too bad YouTube is blocked in our school district. If you take time to preview videos (which you MUST do) you’ll find a wealth of resources just there for the viewing!

Oh, I have to share this story, as it started with “Apples and Bananas.” Scott knows how much I hate phonics rules, considering how unreliable MOST of them are. (C’mon, a rule with more exceptions than absolutes can hardly qualify as a rule.) Anyway, he’s always trying to challenge me, either trying to prove a rule or find an exception and a word. Depending on what side of the fence I'm on. Most of the time he’s teasing me. I think. So here’s the conversation that left me laughing myself into tears this morning. You probably won’t laugh, but it sure got to me.

Sam and I were playing on the bed while Scott was getting dressed and we were singing “Apples and Bananas,” going through each vowel sound. At the end of the song:

Scott: What about y? It’s a vowel.

Me: Only when it sounds like a vowel. Usually at the end of a word when it sounds like i or e. Like in “my.”

Remember, he’s always trying to prove me wrong…find an exception…

Scott: (tiny thinking pause…signaled by the smoke) What about the y in “why?”

Me: What about it? It’s at the end and it sounds like an i.

Scott: (smirking) How do you know it’s not a silent w-h?

And then I just fell off the bed laughing. God, I love that man! And I’m gonna choose to believe that he was trying to be funny.

Gone Fishing with Grandpa

2009-09-10T06:10:00.001-04:00

When my Dad met Sam for the very first time, he brought him a fishing pole. The second gift he ever gave him was a t-shirt with a big goofy fish on the front. (The t-shirt was so big that Sammy has been wearing it at naptime for about two years and he still hasn’t grown into it.) My Dad has been patiently waiting for the day to come when he would be able to take Sam on his very first fishing trip.

Recently, Sam discovered his fishing pole hidden in the back of his closet. He showed a lot of interest in it around the house and with my parents coming down for a visit this weekend, it seemed like the perfect time to introduce Sam to the fine art of fishing. I don’t think my Dad could have been any happier. And it was fun to see how excited Scott was, too. I enjoyed watching the boys getting ready, though I think the anticipation was a bit much for Sam. He got in trouble a few times before we could get out the door and down to the river!

Here are a few of my favorite shots from our morning down by the river.

Gramma gots lots of good Sammy time! Especially since I had a camera stuck to my face!

Scott was on a mission. I asked him what if it was just minnows nibbling at his bait. He said he didn’t care what he pulled up, as long as he pulled up something to show Sammy!

I’m glad someone was fishing. Sam was more interested in other things. Looks like these were the only fish he would be catching.

Whew! Was I excited when Granddaddy finally caught a fish! (That meant we could finally go home for lunch!) Sam was excited, too! We had no problem getting him to touch the fish. But holding the fish so I could take a picture was another story. It took a little coaxing because apparently the fish was “covered in filthy.” Thankfully, Sam ~~took one for the team~~ held it long enough so I could get one picture!

With a fish finally caught, Sam, Gramma and I could finally head back home. Scott and Granddaddy stayed behind to fight the good fight. I’m told that after we left, the fish really started biting. I think Scott said something about catching three. And of course they were all bigger than the first!

It was a long walk back to the car, so we stopped to rest and goof around for a few minutes.

We stopped one more time to take in the view.

Mom tried to teach Sam how to be a real fisherman.

But, bless his heart, the child is just a little too honest sometimes.

Wordless Wednesday 9/9/09

2009-09-09T17:04:00.001-04:00

I know Wednesday is almost over, but I only just remembered that I made this a few weeks ago. Now seems as good a time as any to share.

I Am So Proud!

2009-09-08T12:40:00.004-04:00

I am so proud.

I am so proud of FL Rep. Party Chairman Jim Greer. Having not watched the first media coverage of any of the controversy, I had no idea that it started last week when he accused President Obama of trying to "indoctrinate America's children to his socialist agenda."

"indoctrinate America's children to his socialist agenda."

Where have I heard that before?

Oh, yeah! The parent note ("indoctrinate our children in his socialist liberal agendas")...and the woman on the morning news leaning her head out of the car window who said the exact same thing...and about 20 other places that phrase popped up over the weekend! Ha!

Funny.

Anyway.

I am so proud of Jim Greer, who yesterday, after reading President Obama's speech, said "My kids will be watching the President's speech, as I hope all kids will." (Posted on CNN.com one minute after the speech ended. click here)

I am so proud of The Ron Clark Academy, a private school no less, for accepting the President's invitation to watch the speech today. I found out that they were going to be viewing the speech through Facebook. Ron announced that CNN would be broadcasting from his school during the President's speech. I can't wait to get home and watch! I recorded 4 hours of CNN!

I am so proud of the students of The Ron Clark Academy. For I know that they are taught about respect and citizenship, even though the word citizen does not appear as blatantly in their incredibly inspiring mission statement as it does in ours and most others. Just spend some time visiting the website and getting to know them and you'll know, too.

I am so proud of the third grade teachers and students at my school. Regardless of what the parents were told in the phone blast Friday afternoon, no one I've asked can speak of being given any information to review to make a decision about whether viewing the speech would be appropriate for their grade level or not. Not only did the third grade team decide it was appropriate (fitting in with the school-wide theme and goals we set this year and our curriculum), but they made a bold decision to speak up and say "Yes, we're going to show it."

Interestingly enough, only 2 parents in the entire 3rd grade (5 classes) asked that their children not watch the speech. I wonder how many across the entire school would have done so?

I am so proud of myself and my husband. We are very good friends with many people with many beliefs and opinions. We tend to keep a lot of our opinions to ourselves as much out of respect for everyone else as there just doesn't seem to be any reason to share. Plus, Scott HATES conflict. I don't love conflict, but I do appreciate engaging dialogue. But politics is not usually a safe topic in our neck of the woods.

However, in the past few days, we've both stood up for this issue and for the children who (with parental consent, of course) were robbed of the opportunity to hear the President speak today. When my phone rang Friday afternoon announcing that my school, except for 3rd grade, would not be showing the speech, he was so angry that parents would have to "opt-in" for their child to see the speech. He couldn't believe that parents would have to get off work, come to the school and sit with their child in the media center so that they could hear the message. Before I knew it, he was actually on the phone to the local news station!

I am just so proud of us. Now here's hoping we haven't lost any friends!

I am so proud of the kindergarten student who sat beside me during the speech. She is the daughter of my colleague. Her mother pulled her out of class to join us so that she could hear the President no doubt reinforce the message that her parents send her all the time. I smiled when she heard President Obama say "kindergarten" and she said "That's me!" She knew he was talking to her. She smiled when he talked about Micheal Jordan and having to get up early...things she was familiar with and could relate to. And I had to laugh when it was over and her mother asked her what the President said. She quickly replied "Wash your hands!"

And for a 5-year old student, that just may have been the most important part of the message!

I am so proud and I am inspired.

I am inspired by a man who can sit in the most highest office in our government and still convince me that he understands exactly where the children I teach come from.

I am inspired by that man who tells all those precious children I've let go of every year that it's o.k. to mess up. You can still choose to make it right and succeed.

I am inspired by that man who encourages them to ask for help, because even he does it everyday.

I am inspired and I'll just pretend that all of my dear former students heard his message and will be inspired, too, because other than praying, that's all I can do.

Okay. I have no more. My sadness and frustration are gone. I am releasing my questions because I am done with it. It is over. I promise not to write about it anymore!

I also promise to show you tonight or tomorrow pictures from Sam's very first fishing trip. It was a wonderful experience!

Beating a Dead Horse Part 2--My Two Cents

2009-09-05T09:30:00.014-04:00

This post follows up yesterdays post, and again, just a short disclaimer: This is my personal blog. I have no interest in reporting identifying information nor information that is not absolutely true. All quotes used in this post are taken from e-mails that arrived in my in-box or on my cell phone. I have no interest in being slanderous and I hope that I am not being unprofessional. I am, however, sharing my opinions about the events that I have personally witnessed. It’s my blog, I can do that, right?

Update: I started second guessing myself around midnight, and just to make sure I had a clear understanding of what it means to be a citizen, I looked it up. From the Merriam-Webster Dictionary:

Citizen 1. an inhabitant of a city or town; especially : one entitled to the rights and privileges of a freeman 2. a native or naturalized person who owes allegiance to a government and is entitled to protection from it

I'm glad now that I did not write this yesterday when I was still upset. I've had time to calm down and figure out exactly what my feelings are...at least right now, at this moment. And seriously, this could get long. But if I don't get this out, my head may explode.

I am dumbfounded and befuddled.

I just don't understand how this has become such a big deal. I really don't. It truly seems stupid to me that this is an issue. Chalk it up to me being naive. Or a first time parent. Or only 36. Or having only been interested in politics for about 10 years and only excited for the last few. Or to all my students over the years that I know who NEED to hear HIM speak, and often. Chalk it up to whatever. But the President has prepared a very short speech for "nation's children and youth about persisting and succeeding in school. The president will challenge students to work hard, set educational goals, and take responsibility for their learning." He has invited all public and private schools in the entire nation to watch the speech live. In a historical and technologically brilliant moment, rather than sit in one classroom and enjoy a photo op, and reach a small, select group of students, he has found a way to be accessible to many.

I am angry.

I am angry that public schools are not taking advantage of this opportunity. Every mission statement that I've read or helped write in committee has included the word "citizens." Here are my district and school mission statements as an example:

The mission of School District ___ , in partnership with the community, it to provide challenging curricula with high expectations for learning that develop productive citizens who can solve problems and contribute to a global society.

The mission of ___ Elementary School, a learning community of ___ , is to produce citizens who ___ , ___ , Experience and Succeed.

As teachers and parents, and citizens ourselves, we accept that public schools carry on the tradition of sharing our nation's history and teaching our children how to be citizens. That's why we teach Social Studies. That's why schools hold mock elections. That's why students have to write research papers on presidents and why we celebrate and honor past presidents by closing school in February. It's also why every school I know of was watching the inauguration last January. Because not only do we shape citizens by studying our nations history and teaching them about the processes, but we let them live the history in the making, living in the moment and appreciating the gravity and importance that is the transfer of power for our country. It is our job to teach them to become citizens. Citizens who may not respect the the office holder, but certainly respect the office of the president and the government. I certainly don't mean not to question it, nor work for change or always strive to make it better, but surely there is a level of respect that is...oh, I can't find the word right now. Surely you know what I mean. So, why would public schools even consider not showing the president's speech?

And I suppose I'm speaking more as a teacher and citizen right now.

In my district, I'm sure it is because parents were loud. I've heard comments around the country imply that the problem was not with the speech but with the lesson plans that were sent along with the invitation. First of all, among so many other bits if misunderstandings, they're not lesson plans. Secondly, I'm quite sure that they have no idea that the schools were sent any supplemental materials to help engage students in discussion before and after the speech. It wasn't posted on the district website and no link or information was given regarding the Department of Education website. The e-mail comment and the woman shouting on the news, both were concerned about President Obama attempting to "indoctrinate our children in his socialist liberal agendas." It's funny how they used the same words. Oh, I'd bet next week's grocery money that the majority of the parents in my part of the country are just hiding behind that sweet political excuse. I'm naive but not stupid. Not a day goes by that I don't witness racism. It is so accepted here as part of the culture ("Oh, that's just the way he is.") that I pray every night that Sam is not indoctrinated in the narrow-minded, racist ways of those around him that don't even realize sometimes what they say.

So, each school in my district ended up making it's own decision. In my opinion, my administrator did not handle the situation well. The initial response to a parent was that "it is most likely that the speech would not be developmentally appropriate for our students." So let's just assume that other schools may be using this excuse. The Dept. of Educ. has decided that the President (also a father) has written a speech that is developmentally appropriate for all K-12 grade students. I could just leave it at that. Or I could add that we talk about setting goals and working hard with all of our students (K-5th) and they seem to handle that fine. Or I could add that if we're going to play the "developmentally appropriate" card, perhaps we should have put more thought into watching the inauguration. I don't think those 5 year olds really understood what was going on. (BTW, Sam and I watched it together. He's 3. That's how I feel about it.)

If anyone had asked me (no one did, but I sent in my concerns anyway), I would have said all this and more. I would have suggested that we show the speech and, of course, respect any parent's wishes to have their child not participate. Now, if any of our parents want their children to see the speech, they have to take off work in the middle of the day, come to school, pull their child out of class, and sit with them in the library. The majority of our children won't see it. Even if their parents want them to. They won't have access. They won't be able to go home and sit down at a computer and watch it together as a family. How's that for fulfilling our mission statement?

Oh, I could go on and on. Let me try to put my parent and citizen hat on.

If you watched this post, you saw how excited we were, as a family, to participate in voting last November. We didn't speak about who we voted for, and we didn't talk to Sam about names. We simple talked to him and got him excited about voting. He went into the booth with me and pushed the buttons for me. I want him to be excited about the process. I want him to vote for whomever he wants to as long as he votes. I want that for everyone. And I'd like to think that if Sam were in school right now, and if McCain were President, that I would be just as excited about this opportunity as I am right now. That I would be teaching him that this is our President and he has a special message just for him and all the other boys and girls in the whole country.

I'm having a hard time understanding why people are concerned about what the President is going to say. Is there really a concern that it wouldn't be appropriate? Do people really think he would start talking about health care reform or any other political agenda item? In my wildest imagination, I cannot think of what he could say that would be offensive to anyone during this particular speech while addressing our children and youth. He's not stupid.

Before I make this next statement, those who only know me through my writing need to know something about me. As a teacher, I serve in this order: my students--their parents--their teachers--my colleagues--my administration. I don't know anyone else who has more respect for parents and who values those relationships more than I do. I am a fierce advocate for my students and their parents. I say that because I never want anyone to be offended by anything I say. And I do worry that a few of my friends could take this next part the wrong way. Please don't. Help me understand.

I know that some parents are concerned enough and feel the need to preview the speech. I so wish I understood why. Am I missing something? Am I a bad parent because I don't feel that need? Am I too trusting? (I mean, I sure wish I had previewed Shrek 3!) Do I just not have enough experience with this type of thing? I just think he'd have to be really stupid to talk about anything other than what they have described.

I have taught so many students who need to hear this message from this president. And I think it's a wonderful idea if from now on, Presidents make it a habit of addressing our students regularly this way.

All right. My head is clearer now. Believe it or not, there was so much more I could say, but I actually tried to stay focused and limit my talking points. You are most welcome to share your thoughts, especially if you disagree. (Check out my comment to Jennifer below.) Just please don't beat me up and make me cry. I'm not used to being controversial. I really just needed to get these words out of my head. Sorry it was horrendously long. Thanks for hanging with me this long!

Update: The Department of Education should be the only source one turns to for facts about the speech. I have seen some incredible examples of people intentionally and unintentionally spreading information today that is just so far from the truth that if it weren't so dangerous it would almost be laughable. The website has a wonderful FAQ section about the speech that should answer any questions you may have. However, I still have one that no one has answered yet. Exactly what kinds of horrible, terrible things are people imagining he's going to say to our children Tuesday?

Beating a Dead Horse Part 1—Just the Facts

2009-09-04T22:30:00.004-04:00

I know. Everyone’s talking about it. But let me remind you that sometimes I write here simply because I love to write and feel compelled to put pen to paper…or fingers to keys rather. Today is one of those days. If you’re tired of hearing about the upcoming speech, you may want to turn back now. If you want to know how things are stupidly playing out in the school district where I teach…read on.

Disclaimer: This is my personal blog. I have no interest in reporting identifying information nor information that is not absolutely true. All quotes used in this post are taken from e-mails that arrived in my in-box or on my cell phone. I have no interest in being slanderous and I hope that I am not being unprofessional. I am, however, sharing my opinions about the events that I have personally witnessed. It’s my blog, I can do that, right?

If you haven’t been with me long, you may want to check out this post, one of my favorite posts about one of my favorite days. A little background knowledge may help you understand why after 7 weeks of not being able to write, I cannot let this day end without posting. I may scream if I don’t let the words out.

Before Wednesday afternoon, I had heard nothing of this planned speech. The first time I heard about it was in an e-mail explaining that it had been posted on the district website and that parents had been given the option for their child not to participate. My first thought was “Cool!” I love that President Obama is so tech savvy. I feel very connected to our Commander in Chief. We follow each other on Twitter. He sends me e-mails every few weeks. Yeah, we’re pretty tight. Anyway, immediately following that thought, and as a result of my being so naive, was “Why would parents not let their kids watch it?” And when I quickly realized why (I’m naive, not stupid) I finally asked “Why in the world did the district even present that option?”

Thursday morning, the following e-mail exchange was shared with us by an administrator because “This issue is beginning to bubble up in other schools, so we need to be prepared”:

From a parent: I do not know yours or the districts plan for September 8, 2009. I understand that President Obama is set to address the school children of America. I would like to make it clear that I do not want either of my children present for this event. This is an attempt to indoctrinate our children in his socialist liberal agendas. I do not agree with his politics, and take great issue with the fact that he is going through our kids to reach the parents.

An administrator’s response: Currently, we do not have any plans to view the address. Having elementary students, it is most likely that the speech would not be developmentally appropriate for our students. Should we have requests for children to watch, we will of course, invite families in to view the speech with their child; otherwise, our current plan is to continue our regular schedule.

I immediately shared my feelings with the administrator. I was filled with anger and confusion and on the verge of tears.

Apparently, principals across the district spent the day dealing with parents and making decisions about how to handle the situation. I personally like the way one of the other principals decided to handle it. Along with a letter that started out “We are excited to announce that President Barack Obama has announced…” then explained very clearly what the speech would be about, she added:

It is our understanding that his address is not intended to be partisan in nature, but is an attempt to address the importance of education for a student's future…I feel that it is always important to hear what the leader of our nation has to share with us and I am excited that he has chosen to embrace education by challenging all of our students to succeed in their educational endeavors. I would hope that each child will benefit from this historical experience.

I don’t know her, but I adore her. Really. My school handled it differently. All the chatter I heard throughout the day reflected support for showing the video. In fact, even the kindergarten teachers were excited, once we told them about it. But, to the best of my knowledge, none of the teachers had been given any information about the video or if they could show it or not. However, during the day, we received a message that the following phone blast would be going out to parents in the evening.

On Tuesday, September 8 President Obama will deliver a speech to students across the United States. Our teachers have reviewed information regarding the speech for each team to make the decision that is appropriate for children. Due to scheduling conflicts and child development issues, most of our grade levels have decided not to view the speech. Our 3rd grade team has decided to view the speech. Third grade families have the option of waiving their child's participation in this speech. Those that do not want their child to watch the speech will have another activity with a teacher. Third grade families should contact their child's teacher if they do not want their child to view the speech. We would like to invite families who may be interested in viewing the speech with their child. Families will be able to view the speech with their child in our library.

Hmmm. Really? So now they have to opt IN? And, I would LOVE to take at look at that information regarding the speech. All I could find was this.

If you stuck with me this long, and yes, I know this was incredibly boring, then maybe you’ll come back tomorrow for my reaction and opinion. Oh, I could write all night. Trust me. Emotions are running pretty high. But I do appreciate how long this has already become.

UPDATE: Click here to go directly to Part 2.

Presidential Motivation

2009-09-04T05:49:00.003-04:00

Warning! Events yesterday moved me to actually write a post. Shocking I know! However, I'm not publishing it yet for two reasons. It's not quite finished writing it and I think more of the story will unfold today so I'm going to wait to see what happens. Let's just say that I continue to be shocked and disappointed by narrow minded people.

And now that I've logged back in, I should be back for good. I've given myself permission not to worry about trying to cover all of the events of the past six weeks. So coming back doesn't seem so overwhelming.

Oh, how I've missed you!

Still Breathing

2009-08-08T23:19:00.003-04:00

I've actually had friends contact me to see if I'm ok because it has been soooo long since I've posted. So, just a very quick explanation is in order, I believe.

Three weeks ago today, on the second day of our two week beach vacation, my computer decided to, for lack of a better word, crash. It wasn't quite dead, and I was actually able to get it turned back on and back-up everything that mattered, but for the most part, it was worthless. A friend back home FedExed my operating system disc to me at the beach and we thought the problem was solved. However, for the first summer in three years, we couldn't find a wi-fi signal to "borrow" the entire two weeks. So I had to just pack it up and accept that God really wanted me to read a few books, take some great photos, eat tons of scrumptious food and drink lots of yummy mojitos. All this while, it goes without saying, spending really special time and making very special memories with Scott, Sam and a few of our closest friends.

When I got home and tried to finally connect to the internet, we discovered that reinstalling the OS meant that drivers had to be reinstalled and all kinds of fun things. Did some of this, did some of that, and actually got connected and played on Facebook for a while. Yay! Things were finally looking good! Before going to bed, I got a message that Windows needed to install about 81 updates. Not surprising considering all the bugs that came with Vista back in the Fall!

When I went to bed, my computer was installing updates and working fine. When I woke up, I no longer had a computer. The hard drive finally died during one of the restarts in the middle of the night. Thanks to Dell's superior customer service, however, I now have a brand-new hard drive and everything is FINALLY running smoothly.

It may take me a very long time to catch up between the e-mails, Tweets, 1000+ unread blogs in my reader, Facebook updates....oh, suddenly my head hurts.

I guess that wasn't a very quick explanation after all. Sorry. Anyway, I've missed you! I can't wait to start reading and writing again!

Wordless Wednesday 7/15/09

2009-07-15T14:15:00.001-04:00

Ding! Dong! The deck is done! What a busy weekend!

I Couldn’t Make This Up If I Tried…

2009-07-14T22:07:00.001-04:00

After a very short visit back to my Mom's and a very long drive back home, I went straight to my friends' church to drop Sam off at his very first night of VBS ever! I rushed him in late, sat him down quickly, and shoved a PB&J sandwich down his throat (trying to forget that it wasn't PB&J Friday!) and tried not to take it personally that he was in a bigger hurry to push me out the door and get to where the big kids were gathering.

Two hours later I picked him up and he was ready to see his Daddy! On the way home, I asked him what he learned at church.

Mommy: Sam, did you learn about God?

Sam: Yes!

Mommy: Did you learn about Jesus?

Sam: Yes!

Mommy: Well, what did you learn about Jesus?

Sam: Jesus died. And the ants bothered him.

Mommy: Really? (Eyebrows raised…must ask about the curriculum…)

Sam: Yeah! And Jesus is alive!

Mommy: Yes his is baby! (All right, they’re off the hook…for now!)

Sam: And Thomas is alive! And Henry is alive! And James is alive! And Percy is alive! And all the engines are alive! And all the tractors are alive! (and on and on...)

Do ya’ think Sam is watching too much Thomas? Do ya’ think he's spending too much time playing with his trains? Do ya’ think he'd notice if I replaced one of his Thomas DVDs with "Heroes from the Bible?" Drastic steps may be necessary…

MCP Actions Contest

2009-07-08T22:41:00.003-04:00

MCP Actions is giving away a Tamron lens to one lucky winner! The WINNER chooses from the 18-270mm or the 28-300mm. When I bought my new Nikon D90 in December, I bought the 18-135mm lens...not the lens I really wanted. I really wanted the 18-100mm lens and I've had buyer's remorse ever since. So, I am really hoping I win this contest! You can enter, too. It's the easiest contest ever. Hmmm. If you win, perhaps we can work out a little deal...I'm just sayin'...

All you have to do to enter is this:

- Post to your blog, Twitter and/or Facebook about this contest (let people know how to enter and provide a link)
- Go back to MCP Actions and leave a comment writing where you posted (with link so that it can be verified if your post is picked from the random drawing)
- In your comment on MCP, write why you want to win this lens, where you would want to most use the lens, and for fun tell them how many lenses you currently own.

To enter go to http://mcpactions.com/blog/

180 Degrees

2009-07-01T23:51:00.002-04:00

This is the last swimming lesson post…probably. But I can’t help myself! Sam met Miss Abby for his 4th and 5th lesson this week and she commented that he has just changed so much since the first two lessons. She thinks he only needs 2-3 more lessons! I have to post a few pictures because as much fun as Sam had with Miss Abby during his third lesson, he didn’t smile nearly as much as he did during his fourth lesson! Thankfully I had my camera with me!

It looks like my little Monkeydoodle will be ready for our beach vacation in two weeks after all!

A Slow Starter

2009-06-29T23:37:00.001-04:00

Sam started taking swimming lessons two weeks ago today. I’ve learned a lot about Sam through this experience. I wouldn’t call Sam a shy or timid child…especially when we’re out shopping. Lord knows he’ll usually talk to anyone! However, I’m learning that he definitely needs a few minutes to warm-up to new people or new situations. As evidenced by his first swimming lesson.

His very nice teacher Miss Abby arrived and met Sam. We talked a little about how she likes to get to know her students during the first lesson. As a teacher and a mother, that sounded great to me! I hopped out of the pool and got the camera ready. What I thought would be a very slow-paced lesson quickly turned into a very fast-paced lesson. Sam hung on for the ride the best he could! I figured Miss Abby needed to get through a lot of things in order to evaluate whether or not she thought she would be able to continue working with Sam or not. It was one thing after the other. Doesn’t Sam look like he’s having fun?

But what he’s really thinking is “Lady! What are you trying to do to me?”

What you don’t see in those photographs is the storm that was brewing.

After the lesson, Miss Abby and I talked about what might have made Sam cry throughout the lesson. I really felt like he may just be the kind of kid the really needs to start off very slowly. She said there are some parents who sit there watching the clock and counting the money thinking “I’m paying you to teach my kid how to swim so…” I told her I was NOT that parent. We talked about taking it VERY slowly for the next lesson and she agreed to try again. Thank goodness!

Lesson #2—Better! Not Great, but much better. For the first 10 minutes, I was in the pool with Sam and Miss Abby and then sort of gradually released him over to her. She went a lot slower this time. He did everything she said and seemed to bond with her, but still cried a little wanting to get out. However, the cause this time appeared to be the growly, scary sounds coming from the pool. I spent the last half of the lesson trying to control the scary sounds by pushing water into the drains. So, while not a great lesson, better than the first. Luckily, Miss Abby agreed to keep seeing us!

Lesson #3—Yay!!! Third time’s a charm! What a great lesson! Sam cried to get out of the pool for about 3 minutes, then all of a sudden he realized he was having fun. I talked on the phone the whole time and listened to him laugh with Miss Abby as they played games all around the pool. It was a great lesson! Thank God! I was worried that Miss Abby might give up on him! I was happy when she told me that she found out after Sam’s first lesson that she also cried when she began taking swimming lessons! And look at her now! Swim coach extraordinaire!

Thank you, Miss Abby!

Eternal Sunshine

2009-06-23T22:47:00.002-04:00

How optimistic am I? Well…

Every other morning Sam, completely potty trained during the day, wakes up soaking wet. (Doggone it! Won’t someone invent a pull-up for boys who like to sleep with their bottoms stuck up in the air?) And every other day, I pull all the pillows, sheets, animals, toys, books and blankets off the bed, throw the wet items in the washer and then make the bed again. Animals in place just so. Basket of books at the foot. Pillows just right. Everything ready for another night and my fingers crossed. Ah, the audacity of hope!

It is getting a little old though. So, tips, advice, and suggestions are welcomed!

Now, a little eye candy, because I can’t stand the thought of posting without just a taste!

“Let’s Hear It For the Boys” Adults Entry I ♥ Faces Week 24

2009-06-22T23:25:00.001-04:00

I ♥ Faces is honoring the men in our lives this week with a special theme! No girls allowed! Not that any of my pictures ever have any girls in them…considering I’m always behind the camera! Anyway, here’s my entry for the adults category. I posted this picture on Father’s Day with the following explanation:

This is one of the most,if not THE most, intimate portraits of my husband that I have. In fact, when I took this picture, I had no intention of sharing it with anyone. I have a few pictures that I don’t share, you know, hold close to my heart instead. Surely you have some too. Somehow this one got out a long time ago (probably during that sleep deprived stage) so I feel it’s ok to share it with you here.

I took this picture the day we brought Sam home from the hospital. In this moment, I knew that Scott would be a great Daddy and a great protector. I was right. He is a great Daddy. I like to think this is their bonding moment and I’ve never asked Scott if that’s true or not because I like believing that.

Please head on over to I ♥ Faces and check out the other entries. It is so much fun to see all the wonderful photographs and leave them lots of comments!

“Let’s Hear It For the Boys” Kids Entry I ♥ Faces Week 24

2009-06-22T22:48:00.002-04:00

One of Sam’s “chores” is to bring in the paper on Sunday mornings. I stand on the porch and watch, of course. This particular morning I had to grab the camera, though, because Sam insisted on sitting and reading the paper before bringing it in!

Yes, he’s in his underwear. Stick around this blog long enough and you’ll find out that he’s often in his underwear! He’s three. That’s how he rolls! :)

Please head on over to I ♥ Faces and check out the other entries. It is so much fun to see all the wonderful photographs and leave them lots of comments!

An Intimate Portrait

2009-06-21T20:54:00.001-04:00

Just a quick note to wish Happy Father’s day to a few of my very favorite fathers.

First, one of the most,if not THE most, intimate portraits of my husband that I have. In fact, when I took this picture, I had no intention of sharing it with anyone. I have a few pictures that I don’t share, you know, hold close to my heart instead. Surely you have some too. Somehow this one got out a long time ago so I feel it’s ok to share it with you here.

I took this picture the day we brought Sam home from the hospital. In this moment, I knew that Scott would be a great Daddy and a great protector. I was right. He’s a great Daddy. I like to think this is their bonding moment and I’ve never asked Scott if that’s true or not because I like believing that.

Here are my guys today. Sam recorded a message for his Daddy in a card that played the song from The Jungle Book called “I Wan’na Be Like You” which is so appropriate lately!

My other favorite father is my very own Daddy. Here’s a picture of us fishing together when I was young and thin. He’s a great dad, too! Except for the time he put hot sauce on my french fry and told me it was ketchup. Not so great then. But he’s made up for it since. Me? Still not a hot sauce fan. And I still have a scar on my lip from the incident. Anyway… My Dad couldn’t be here when Sam was born but came as soon as he could. Here’s the very first picture of them together.

My dad held him all weekend just looking at him and smiling. It didn’t matter how much Sam cried, Dad just kept on checking him out and smiling! I loved watching that!

Happy Father’s Day also to Pop, Scott’s Dad. He’s pretty cool, too! I love him because for 19 years, I’ve always felt like his daughter.

Happy Father’s Day to my Granddaddy! I miss him terribly and don’t get back home to see him nearly enough.

And finally, Happy Father’s Day to my Granddaddy Murray who watches over me from Heaven. Much love to you and I still miss you everyday!

My Action Movie Moment

2009-06-18T21:35:00.002-04:00

The second day of our cruise last week found us dropping anchor just off the coast of CoCoCay, home of my happy place. The four of us, being just about the first passengers to set foot on the island, quickly claimed two hammocks in the perfect spot. However, Scott and Ryan decided to look around just to make sure we indeed had the best spot. Ten minutes later, as Missy and I were settling in for some good book readin’ and hammock swingin’, the boys came back and told us that they had just signed us up to go parasailing in 30 minutes! What a surprise! They had been planning this for weeks! I was shocked that Scott had kept it a secret and so over the moon excited! I am not a daring person. I have no interest in bungee jumping, water skiing or anything else that I consider scary, but I have always said that I would love to parasail. I can’t explain why and it seems so out of character, but I just knew it was something I wanted to do. Missy felt the same way. The boys, however, did not. They didn’t sign themselves up. Just us. They did however, get to ride out with us because there was enough room on the boat. Lucky for us…unlucky for Scott!

Meet Ari and Omar.

They took very good care of us. VERY good care of us. In fact, I developed a little crush on Omar when he was helping me get dressed to go up. He was pulling the harness up my legs, stopped halfway, pulled it back down and reached for the other one. I turned and jokingly said to me friends “Great, my butt’s too big!” He got very serious and in his thick beautiful Jamaican accent said “Big is beautiful.” I’m tellin’ ya, it took my breathe away! (And in my defense, he actually got the smaller harness!) Then, as Omar was getting Missy and I strapped in, he was paying such close attention to us and being so thoughtful and gentle that I just looked up at him and said “Will you marry me?” Without skipping a beat, he got right in my face and said “Are you sure?” I am not kidding, it was like a movie. Like the action star asking the hot girl :) “Are you sure you want to do this?” just before they jump off the top of the building or something. I blinked and replied very seriously “Yes, but my husband’s right there and I don’t think he’d be too happy with me.” So, oh well.

Anyway, back to the parasailing. It was, quite simply, one of the most incredible things I’ve ever done. We are sure some of the “younger folk” on the boat were disappointed because there was nothing thrilling or high-energy about it. I was very gently lifted off the boat and just glided up. I was so overwhelmed by the quiet, peaceful, serenity of it all that I just cried. It was amazing. Here are just a few pictures.

As Missy and I were coming down, we made the comment that we wish Scott and Ryan could experience this. Well, lo and behold, they were harnessed up and ready to go! My man Omar had talked them into going! Of course, being off the books, Omar and Ari made big fat tips on that deal! Ryan was all over it…Scott was a little nervous. But he was very glad he went!

What an adventure! Thank you Scott and Ryan for the surprise of a lifetime! Trouble is, you’ve spoiled us and we are now parasailing addicts!

One last picture of me and my new never-to-be-see-again boyfriend, Omar.

My reaction? He’s telling me he’s on Facebook. But doggone it! I didn’t get his last name! I guess I’ll be heading back to CoCoCay!

Wordless Wednesday 6/17

2009-06-17T14:46:00.001-04:00

Because sometimes there just are no words…

And finally, happy birthday to My Honey! That would be My Honey on the right, not the little squirt on the left who suddenly wants to be just like his daddy…both are my dream guys!

Back From Unreality

2009-06-15T09:53:00.001-04:00

Well, we’re back from our Bahamian cruise and since we were repeating the same cruise we took in January, I had no intentions of blogging about it. However, I do have a few new stories to share so really, my hand is forced.

On day two of the cruise, we spent the day on CoCoCay, Royal Caribbean’s private island. You may remember that I found my happy place on CoCoCay in January. We took the very first tinder over to the island and were almost the first passenger to set foot on the island. Early in the afternoon, a very dark storm cloud loomed on the horizon and scared almost everyone else off the island. We stretched out in our hammocks watching all those silly people stand in line waiting to get back onto the tinder and back to the ship. By 3:00, the island was nearly deserted of passengers and the storm cloud breezed right by, never even reaching the island. The last tinder was scheduled to leave at 4:30 but around 4:10 we were asked to board and found out that we were indeed the very last passengers to leave! That was very cool! Even cooler, on the way back to the ship, we got to watch this:

We were perfectly safe and it was actually far away. The sky all around this and around us was beautiful and blue, except for this one storm at the end of the island. We watched the waterspout all the way back to the ship and it was awesome!

More stories tomorrow! Here’s a preview:

Memory Lane

2009-06-10T01:59:00.000-04:00

I am posting these pictures simply because I was charged several days ago with a mission. Jennifer Juniper posted her high school prom pictures and practically dared the rest of us to do so. What’s a girl to do???

I remember nothing about the theme or any important details, only that my date was a very good, sweet friend, Charlie.

And here are my senior pictures which I can’t complain too much about. I’d give anything to be that size again! And, no, I don’t have some weird tan line across my shoulders. This was actually a proof shot, but it was all I could find.

My Sentiments Exactly

2009-06-08T01:42:00.001-04:00

Friday was the last day of school for me and my students and as if fate knew exactly what I needed, I found this in the paper that afternoon:

Just to make sure that my summer of not missing school starts off on the right foot, tomorrow we depart bright and early for port to board our ship for our 4 day cruise through the Bahamas.

I will NOT be taking my computer. :)

Two Cute Videos of Strangers

2009-05-31T16:14:00.001-04:00

I just had to pass along these cute videos that I found on another blog that I follow, Creative Nonsense and Other Junk. Enjoy!

It’s an elderly couple (married 62 years) playing an impromptu recital together in the atrium of the Mayo Clinic. He turned 90 in February.

A Swedish Commercial

Doors

2009-05-27T06:33:00.001-04:00

Part 1

About a year ago, I found myself standing in front of two doors. Good seemed to be directing me on a path I wasn’t sure I wanted but wasn’t about to obstruct (read here) and then he handed the decision over to me (read here). And since deciding to leave a job and relationships that I loved and valued greatly to come to my current school, I have not had one moment of regret. Even still, after yesterday, one of the most miserable days I can remember, I still have no regrets. I do, however, find myself looking for the next door to walk through…and I hate that. I’ve never wanted to leave a job. Me, the happiest, most patient person on Earth, I’ve never wanted to look for another job. Until now.

A choice had to be made. On one hand, a very logical, easy, thoughtful choice that would build relationships, inspire learning, build a strong team, and would serve the best interests of children. On the other hand…another option. The other option was chosen, against all recommendations, the directive came down, and a black cloud settled over my school.

And so, I will be looking for God to show me the next door.

And because I cannot handle the misery of the day much longer, I am going to lift myself up by writing a post that shares great news (for me!) and gushes shamelessly about my husband!

Part 2

I have to write about how wonderful My Honey is today, because he is doing something very special for me. He is making two dreams come true this summer.

The first, a new deck. We have lived in the house for 7 Summers. This will be Sam’s fourth Summer here. We LIVE in our backyard during the Summer, especially since Sam came along. I have not spent one minute out there without dreaming of a new deck. I have had a picture in my head for so long. Finally, this year we are able to make the new deck a reality. But here’s the “special husband” part. Scott didn’t flinch (very much) when I explained how the plans for the deck had expanded and I now wanted to wrap the deck around two trees. The deck is going to be huge! And wonderful! And functional! And built very soon!

The second, a studio. I’ve never even dared to dream this dream until about a week ago.

We have a huge storage shed in our very small backyard. In fact, being 22'X14'we actually call it our barn. Scott has to replace the bottom boards all the way around the barn, paint it,and replace one of the doors and the molding before we can build the deck. The deck will run alongside part of the barn. So this weekend, I cleaned everything out while Scott was away just in case he needed to access the inside walls. I started wondering recently if it would be possible to commandeer one corner of the barn, the corner with the window and one of the doors, and turn it into a room just for me--my woman cave. Still not having shared my vision with Scott, I shifted everything around while cleaning to show him how it would work. When he came home, I took him out and told him about my dream and the words "my studio" actually escaped my lips.

You see, this was actually a huge moment for me. but before I tell you why, let me tell you that Scott reacted perfectly. He completely supported me and the idea. And yes, I am totally surprised that he didn't balk at the workload or the money demands or the whole idea. Scott has never been one to sit around and dream with me. That just isn't him. But he took a walk with me and I was over the moon!

Oh, he loves me! He loves me, he loves me, he loves me!

So let me explain why the thought of having my very own studio has kept a smile plastered on my face for the past three days. I am coming to the realization lately that I am a very creative person. I don't think I'm a talented person. I can't paint or draw or otherwise create my visions, but oh, the the visions and ideas my head is starting to fill with. I am starting to find inspiration all around me, I just don't know what to do with it. I haven't found a niche. I'm not sure where to channel everything yet. I don't quite have a style...or a product...or a process. I'm an artist without a medium. I have so many interest and not enough time in the day. I truly feel like I am standing and looking at about ten different doors and I don't know which one to pass through. Do I have to choose? Can I dabble? Will I spread myself too thin? Is this a nightmare for my ADD brain or just what I need? Am I babbling? Yes. Am I excited? Beyond words! My head is just spinning with the possibilities! I get all warm inside imagining myself sitting inside my new studio, looking around and being inspired to do...whatever!

I look back over my life, and I have always collected things that have inspired me. I am SUCH a visual person. And I love anything graphic. My studio will become the place that reflects that and hopefully, I'll have the nerve to start reflecting that in my home design. I wish you could see the picture in my head. I can't wait to show you. For now, I'll just show you the pictures of my current studio, though I would have never called it that, not ever calling myself an artist before.

This is where everthing that inspires me is sadly crammed and hidden and where all of my supplies, tools, photos and memorabilia are organized. This is a closet in my house:

And this is the first step in the creation of my all-new, very own studio. Scott spent Memorial Day replacing the door and frame so that he can do all the repair work on the barn today and hopefully paint this weekend. Hopefully we'll build the deck when we get back from the Bahamas. And hopefully, one day I'll figure out what kind of artist I want to be when I grow up. Any advice my artist friends can offer would be greatly appreciated. :)

Daddy’s Final Adventure…For a While, Anyway!

2009-05-26T05:44:00.001-04:00

Daddy left us…again…but for the last time for a while…and Sam got a little haircut.

So we’re sending these pictures out to him…along with lots of hugs and kisses!

Wordless Wednesday

2009-05-20T04:41:00.001-04:00

Sam’s First Chicken Dance!

Death By Anticipation

2009-05-17T21:41:00.001-04:00

(This post was written two weeks ago and it has taken me that long to marry the pictures and the text together and get it published. Sad isn’t it?)

Have you ever wondered what someone who is dying of anticipation actually looks like? Take a gander:

You see, I’ve been talking about making homemade Oreos for days. I’ve Tweeted about it. I’ve Facebooked about it. I, myself, have been pretty excited about the occasion. Not only was I looking forward to the goodness of the promise of the pictures featured at Jennifer’s site, but Sam and I were planning on making the cookies with my mom in celebration of her birthday (in April) and Mother’s Day (in May). So it was to be quite a weekend!

We filled Saturday with shopping and a special lunch at a restaurant that lives in an old train station. It is gorgeous!

It sits almost inches next to a train track and we were thrilled when the waitress told us that a train usually passes everyday around 11:30. Well, 11:30 came and went. No train. At least I was smart enough not to share that possibility with Sam!

We ended the day with Disney on Ice: World of Fantasy and Daddy was able to join us (post to follow…one day!) which made it extra special!

Oh, aren’t you dying to know how the cookies turned out?

Well, my mom ended up leaving earlier than planned Sunday morning to get ahead of some severe weather. So I actually made the cookies by myself while Sam napped that afternoon. I knew I was in trouble because the batter itself was to die for! I followed the recipe and cooked two pans of cookies. I had two different pans (one single layer cookie sheet and one stone flat thingy) and really wasn’t thrilled with the way either batch came out. I didn’t have time to make the cream filling Sunday before heading to Newberry for a wonderful date night (yet another post) so when I came home Monday, I decided to make another batch of cookies. Because yes, the recipe is THAT easy!

This time, I used my double layer cookie sheet and cooked two batches. This time, I finished the homemade Oreos and they were as heavenly as I had been dreaming of for days! This time, Sam was awake and very aware of what was going on. This time was not as much fun as I had hoped the first time would have been. Sam was a snothead. But I completely understand that he was simply dying from anticipation. I was, too. He’s only three. I have to remind Scott and myself of that often. Sam got sent to his room several times and if I heard “I want a cookie” once, I heard it fifty times.

Anyway, here are some scrumptious, mouthwatering shots:

I am not exaggerating when I say that mere words do not do justice to these cookies. Thanks, Jennifer for introducing me to this little slice of Heaven!

Unconditional Love…Just Like a Puppy

2009-05-13T23:32:00.001-04:00

When things are good, putting Sam to bed involves snuggling very sweetly for a few minutes as Sam drifts quietly off towards the Land of Nod. However, for the last few weeks, things have not been good. It has been a challenge getting him to sleep. He has been wiggly beyond words. He whines about going to bed, complains about not getting to play with his trains, and basically becomes a brat. I’ve tried very hard to be consistent and persistent about the rule which is “If you want Mama to stay in here, then you must be still and go to sleep.” Anyone who knows me will tell you that I absolutely hate (and have always hated) having Sam cry himself to sleep which is why it is really hard for me to figure out how to solve this new problem.

I’ve started gathering materials in preparation for a sticker chart and a reward system. This kind of thing works well with Sam. We got him potty trained so quickly this way and have used it as needed for other incentives. So, starting tomorrow, I’ll have that system in place and feel hopeful. If only I was ready with the stickers tonight…

I absolutely lost my patience with Sam tonight. I just couldn’t take another minute of his wiggling and his “gentle reminding” that he would rather be playing with his trains than going to bed. I climbed out of his bed, stood over him and yelled a very long, very familiar explanation of why I was not staying in his room and how I was tired of playing this game…yada, yada, yada. I told him good-night and left the room. I HATE losing my patience like that. I try very hard to avoid doing that and when it happens, I just feel so little and ashamed. (Just now, right this minute, I had a realization. Stick with me as I type out my thinking.) I think it was my sister who told me she had a friend who never cursed because his grandmother told him that cursing was the easy thing to do, that it didn’t take much intelligence to curse. Or something like that. She’ll probably comment on this post and tell me exactly how she said it. I think that’s kind of how I feel when I get mad at Sam. Like I’m taking the easy way out. Yelling like I did was the easy thing to do. I didn’t accomplish anything. I didn’t feel better and he, bless his heart, certainly didn’t feel better. It was just simply the easiest thing to do at the time. Anyway, back to the story. So I listened to him cry for about 15 minutes. When his crying turned from mad to downright sad and pitiful, I returned to him. After making him remind me of “the rule,” I climbed back into his bed and he very quickly got still and drifted off to sleep…just like old times. But before falling completely asleep, he whispered the following:

“Mom, I’m so proud of you…I love you…Thank you for coming back and getting in my bed.”

And then he was fast asleep.

That’s right, Sam. Make me feel worse than I already do. I deserve it.

Help Me with Laughter…Please

2009-05-11T22:45:00.002-04:00

I know I’ve abused our relationship over the past week. Your posts are piling up in my reader and I can’t apologize enough. I haven’t even been able to post on my own blog if it’s any consolation. Hopefully, I’ll be able to start catching up with you all starting Tuesday.

This week’s theme at I ♥ Faces is “laughter.” I am exhausted from staying up and working all night and really ready to go to bed. I cannot decide which of these photos to enter in the contest. I had every intention of asking you to help me decide, but honestly, none of them would have a chance of winning the contest, so I’m just going to share them here with you. I mean, honestly, have you ever looked at some of the entries? There are some beautiful photos out there! Man, I love photography. One day…

Anyway, I digress. Again. Imagine that.

So, here is a series I like to call…um…ah…Sam and His Hose. Yeah, that's it.

Yes. Me…a stalker!

2009-05-07T06:12:00.001-04:00

First, YAY!!! Welcome to a few new friends and a few good IRL friends! Hey Dawn! Hey Linda! I knew you were out there!

As I am heading into the last few weeks of the school year, it is all I can do to keep my head above water at work. Nothing like a deadline! Though I’m not complaining, as it cannot get here fast enough! However, I feel like my Google reader stays full and the only blogs I try to make sure I read right now are yours and just a few other of my very favorites. But I am being an awful commenter. I’m just moving as fast as I can every minute I get. I can’t wait for summer to get here so I can Twitter all day long…Facebook till my heart’s content…and follow your blogs without stalking!

So, give me a few more weeks and I promise I’ll stop being so rude!

Later today…"Death by Anticipation."

Wordless Wednesday 5/6/09

2009-05-06T04:41:00.000-04:00

How fun is this???

You can do it, too!

http://www.photofunia.com/

I ♥ Faces Week 17 “Hats”

2009-05-04T06:28:00.007-04:00

I’m pulling out an oldie but a goodie this week for my kids entry. But that’s ok because entering always helps learn something. My favorite new learning recently has been the term “catchlights.” This photo has catchlights. Can you spot them? Anyway, by digging through my archives for this photo, I spent more time stretching my legs in Photoshop trying some things in post-production. I’m learning all about cropping, adding effects and actions, enhancing colors and making adjustments. In the end, all I did was find a crop that spoke to me, tweaked the blue in his eyes just a little, enhanced the red jacket a bit and called it a day. I wish I knew how to do more with skin tone but that’s for another day! So, without further ado, my entry for this weeks contest:

I can’t publish the other photos in this entry, but tomorrow I will post the original, along with several other crops. It’s interesting to see the difference that cropping makes. And those who know me may wonder why I didn't enter this picture, but I had already used it as an entry and you can't use a photo twice. I know, it totally fit the theme! I was bummed! But I hope this one works, too!

Please visit I ♥ Faces and check out the amazing entries and leave them some love! It is so much fun to see the photos!

Salsa Dancing Chihuahua

2009-05-01T11:03:00.001-04:00

I just saw this video on a blog I follow, My Journey Into Family, and had to share because I couldn't stop laughing!

Swine Flu?

2009-04-30T21:59:00.001-04:00

Sam has some sort of bug this week. The thing is, he has given no indication that he feels bad, no fever, just the one throwing up the other night and an explosive experience last night. Other than that, until today, he’s been almost himself. Granted, he hasn’t wanted dinner all week, but he’s eaten like a horse at his babysitter’s house during the day. No fever. Not a lot of playing but no complaining or acting under the weather. But today, I’ve been dealing with poop since I picked him up from Mimi’s house at 4:30. Lots of it. And yet, it’s the first day he’s come home and played all week. And the first day he’s eaten anything here all week. He’s actually been in a very good mood this afternoon and evening. This is certainly one very strange bug. I, for one, have no worries about swine flu. But I couldn’t help but chuckle inside when I got to Mimi’s house and her husband asked if it was possible if any of Scott’s students had the swine flu. You know…Sam was around them. Four days ago.

Anyway.

Here’s a cute picture of Sam between trips to the bathroom this afternoon, not looking very sick:

And on a completely unrelated note, my sister will be glad to know that I finally replaced Sam’s red mocks. I photographed the new ones today because Sam and I sat down and transferred his old Jibbitz over and I gave him a few new ones this afternoon. Here is what Sam has worn just about everyday for two years along with the new mocks.

AND, thanks to Dawn for following me! I wish I was one of those blogs that gave prizes! I’d send her one!

A Tutorial and a Plea

2009-04-29T17:30:00.002-04:00

Monday evening, most of Scott’s graduate and undergraduate percussion students gathered at our house for an end-of-the-semester party. Some new department somewhere deep within the university actually provides funding for faculty to hosts their students in such a way. I think it is a wonderful initiative, especially since we get to join the celebration! It was lots of fun and the food was great. Scott got Hudson’s to cater the affair (of course). Yum-o!

The best part of the evening for me? Watching Sam make bubbles with Sarah, a colleague of Scott’s and a new friend of ours. She is also the girlfriend (fiance?) of Greg, a good friend from graduate school and now also a colleague of Scott’s. (They are such a neat couple!) She was wonderful with Sam. It was so much fun to watch her with him. She truly didn’t seem to mind entertaining him while I snapped away with the camera. Of course, all this could be a lie…or my imagination. It doesn’t matter. She doesn’t read this. Or, if she does, she doesn’t follow me. Actually, while I’m thinking about it, I have a lot of friends who say they read my brags but don’t follow me. That’s called stalking, my friends. Feel free to join over there on the right so I don’t feel like such a dork in the blog world. Thanks. Anyway, where was I? Oh, yeah, here are my favorite bubble pictures (SOOC):

Finally, if you’ve ever wondered how to get a bubble back into a bottle, Sarah and Sam offer this tutorial:

Now, go…blow bubbles…and don’t forget to follow me! And please let me know of your blog if I don’t already follow you. If you’re not among the 500 blogs I read, it is only because I don’t know about your blog yet. Tsk! Tsk!

*UPDATE: Well, what do you know! Sarah not only visited the blog...she commented!