Mom Taxi

word family flower

2011-10-23T16:40:00.005-04:00

This is a great idea for teching word families.

Edible Cell

2011-10-09T20:27:00.003-04:00

I love any way that teachers can get away from lectures and paper/pencile tests. My son's teacher is having each student make edible plant or animal cells. What a great way to learn about plant cells and have fun. I know my son will always remember the parts of a plant cell because of this project.

v The Red Twizzlers represents the endoplasmic reticulum. The endoplasmic reticulum is responsible for the production of the protein and lipid components of most of the cell's organelles.

v The Yellow Laffy taffy represents the Golgi body. The Golgi is often considered the distribution and shipping department for the cell's chemical products. It prepares proteins for export outside of the cell or for transport to other locations in the cell.

v The blue cotton candy represents the vacuole. The vacuole is a large storage facility that stores food and water.

v The green icing represents the cytoplasm. The cytoplasm is a jelly like substance that all of the cells organelles are located in.

v The blue icing represents the cell membrane. The cell membrane controls all that flows in and out of the cell.

v The red gushers represent the chloroplast. Chloroplast are were the plant cells chlorophyll is stored. This is what the plant uses to make into its own food. It combines sunlight, water, and carbon dioxide to produce sugars. It also gives the plant its color.

v The hot tamales represent the mitochondrion. The mitochondria are located in the cytoplasm. The mitochondria are the power house of the cell.

v The pink nerds represent the Ribosome. Ribosomes create protein.

v The pink icing represents the nucleus. The nucleus controls all of the cell activities.

"Baptism" Chesney and Travis music video

2011-09-18T17:14:00.000-04:00

My baby girl was baptised today!

Wordless Wednesday - Blackberry Pickin'

2011-06-15T17:09:00.002-04:00

What Teachers Make

2010-03-22T13:33:00.001-04:00

What Teachers Make, or
Objection Overruled, or
If things don't work out, you can always go to law school

By Taylor Mali
www.taylormali.com

He says the problem with teachers is, "What's a kid going to learn
from someone who decided his best option in life was to become a teacher?"
He reminds the other dinner guests that it's true what they say about
teachers:
Those who can, do; those who can't, teach.

I decide to bite my tongue instead of his
and resist the temptation to remind the other dinner guests
that it's also true what they say about lawyers.

Because we're eating, after all, and this is polite company.

"I mean, you¹re a teacher, Taylor," he says.
"Be honest. What do you make?"

And I wish he hadn't done that
(asked me to be honest)
because, you see, I have a policy
about honesty and ass-kicking:
if you ask for it, I have to let you have it.

You want to know what I make?

I make kids work harder than they ever thought they could.
I can make a C+ feel like a Congressional medal of honor
and an A- feel like a slap in the face.
How dare you waste my time with anything less than your very best.

I make kids sit through 40 minutes of study hall
in absolute silence. No, you may not work in groups.
No, you may not ask a question.
Why won't I let you get a drink of water?
Because you're not thirsty, you're bored, that's why.

I make parents tremble in fear when I call home:
I hope I haven't called at a bad time,
I just wanted to talk to you about something Billy said today.
Billy said, "Leave the kid alone. I still cry sometimes, don't you?"
And it was the noblest act of courage I have ever seen.

I make parents see their children for who they are
and what they can be.

You want to know what I make?

I make kids wonder,
I make them question.
I make them criticize.
I make them apologize and mean it.
I make them write, write, write.
And then I make them read.
I make them spell definitely beautiful, definitely beautiful, definitely
beautiful
over and over and over again until they will never misspell
either one of those words again.
I make them show all their work in math.
And hide it on their final drafts in English.
I make them understand that if you got this (brains)
then you follow this (heart) and if someone ever tries to judge you
by what you make, you give them this (the finger).

Let me break it down for you, so you know what I say is true:
I make a goddamn difference! What about you?

Sesame Street: Outdoors with Jason Mraz

2010-01-10T16:25:00.002-05:00

This video combines two of my favorite things, Sesame Street and Jason Mraz. I love artists who share their gifts with children. This is a must see video.

Ray Stevens - We the People

2010-01-04T10:46:00.000-05:00

The Christmas Shoes

2009-12-07T09:16:00.000-05:00

I know many of you have probably heard the song "The CHristmas Shoes" by Newsong. I just wanted to print the lyrics so everyone can read them and remember their is more to Christmas then present ans Santa!

The Christmas Shoes lyrics

It was almost Christmas time, there I stood in another lineTryin' to buy that last gift or two, not really in the Christmas mood
Standing right in front of me was a little boy waiting anxiouslyPacing 'round like little boys do
And in his hands he held a pair of shoes His clothes were worn and old, he was dirty from head to toe
And when it came his time to payI couldn't believe what I heard him say

Chorus:Sir, I want to buy these shoes for my Mama, please
It's Christmas Eve and these shoes are just her size
Could you hurry, sir, Daddy says there's not much time
You see she's been sick for quite a while
And I know these shoes would make her smile
And I want her to look beautiful if Mama meets Jesus tonight

He counted pennies for what seemed like yearsThen the cashier said, "Son, there's not enough here"
He searched his pockets frantically
Then he turned and he looked at me
He said Mama made Christmas good at our house
Though most years she just did without
Tell me Sir, what am I going to do,
Somehow I've got to buy her these Christmas shoes

So I laid the money down, I just had to help him out
I'll never forget the look on his face when he said
Mama's gonna look so great Sir, I want to buy these shoes for my Mama, please
It's Christmas Eve and these shoes are just her size
Could you hurry, sir, Daddy says there's not much time
You see she's been sick for quite a while
And I know these shoes would make her smile
And I want her to look beautiful if Mama meets Jesus tonight

Bridge:I knew I'd caught a glimpse of heaven's loveAs he thanked me and ran outI knew that God had sent that little boyTo remind me just what Christmas is all about

Store Owner Shows Robber Mercy Update

2009-12-03T07:25:00.002-05:00

I heard this story back in June of 2009. A Long Island convenience store owner confronted by a bat-wielding would-be robber said Tuesday he decided to show mercy on the man after he collapsed in tears claiming he was only committing the crime to support his starving family.

Instead of getting loot from a stickup, the store owner provided the man with $40 and a loaf of bread, but only if he promised never to rob again.

"This was a grown man, crying like a baby," Mohammad Sohail, owner of the Shirley Express convenience store about 65 miles east of New York City, told The Associated Press in a telephone interview.

The would-be thief dropped to his knees and begged for forgiveness, Sohail said.

"He started crying that he was out of work and was trying to feed his hungry family," he said. "I felt bad for him. I mean, this wasn't some kid."

While watching the news this morning I heard this wonderful update!

The Shirley convenience store owner who made national headlines in June after surveillance cameras caught him showing mercy to a subdued would-be robber says he lives by a simple rule: "When you do good things, good things come back."

So Mohammad Sohail said he was not surprised when he found a $50 bill and an apology note in the mail Wednesday.

The note said the robber had a new baby, a new job and had turned his life around!

There are so many stories of hate and violence. I thought it was great to hear a good ending for once.

Make Mine Freedom (1948)

2009-11-11T18:24:00.001-05:00

This Cartoon Seemed Far-Fetched In 1948

Wordless Wednesday - Letting GO

2009-10-07T13:38:00.004-04:00

I had to share this picture I was sent today. God bless all the men and women who fight to keep us safe and God bless their families.

Stay at Home Mom vs Working Mom

2009-09-24T06:30:00.000-04:00

This was always an easy question for me to answer. I LOVE being a stay at home mom. I love being able to be there when the kids get off the bus or volunteer at the school when they needed me. But recently I decided to go back to school. This was also an easy answer for me. I always said I would go back one day. I wanted a college degree. I wanted to prove to myself and my kids that i could do it. So this year when my youngest went to full day kindergarten, I decided to back and finish my degree.

This past month has been so much fun. I have enjoyed sitting in lecture and participating in labs. I have learned so much interesting stuff and I have met some great people. Everything was going great. That is until this week. Monday night my oldest son got sick. We were up most of the night and he couldn't keep anything down. He stayed home from school on Tuesday. Luckily all my classes are on Monday, Wednesday and Friday so I didn't miss class.Then came to problem. He was not well enough to back to school on Wednesday and I had a major test that I could not miss. What was I to do? Luckily my Mom-in-law said she would keep him while I went to class to take my test.

This whole problem was fixed and the day went on fine. But then I started feeling bad. I was feeling like I let my son down because I was not there to take care of him. I had to rely on someone else to take care of my son. It just got me rethinking this going back to school thing.

Do I stay at home all the time for the chance that my children might need me? Is that fair for me? But is it fair to my kids to not have their mom whenever they need me? Then when I do graduate and get a job how will that change things? I could miss class if I had to but will I be bale to miss work every time the kids need me?

This has just given me a lot of new things to think about. How do other working moms handle this stuff?

Wordless Wednesday - Meatball

2009-09-23T17:04:00.000-04:00

I'm Still Here

2009-09-12T20:45:00.000-04:00

WOW! I didn't realize it had been so long since my last post. I have been so busy. As some of you might remember I have gone back to college to finish my degree. I am only going to class three days a week, but I have to do my normal household chores the rest of the time. Add in football practice and a vacation and that leaves me with NO free time. I am currently blogging while trying to watch a college football game.

So school is going good, but it is keeping me really busy. My professors don't seem to care I have a family at home to take care of. It hasn't been that bad. It is just taking me a while to get used to juggling it all.

Last weekend my kids and I flew to Cape Cod Massachusetts to surprise my grandfather with a big family reunion. We had family fly in from all over the country. Our last family reunion was in 1995. Since then many of us had married and had kids. It was so great to see everyone and my Grandfather was completely surprised. He had no idea.

While I was there I got to visit one of my favorite town in the WORLD, Chatham, MA. It is such a beautiful town and ha not changed since I was a kid. Yes this is the same town that was visited by several Great White Sharks. We were actually at the lighthouse beach (where the sharks were spotted) during the time they were there. Luckily the water is too cold to swim in especially for us South Carolinians. Here are a few pictures from our trip to share with you and my family.

I love you ALL and I had a GREAT time.

Wordless Wednesday - Cape Cod Here I Come

2009-09-02T15:22:00.000-04:00

Children's Resale

2009-09-01T06:30:00.000-04:00

Today I got some GREAT deals on children's clothes. Well actually only my little girl got clothes because there were no cute girls clothes. But that is a completely different blog to be done on a completely different day.

Twice a year my little ole home town does a children's clothing resale. People all over town bring their clothes with little price tags on it to sell. Three days later you pick up your check.

Well I wasn't going to miss out on some great deals. And great deals I did find. i got three pairs of shoes, 4 shirts, 5 dresses including a Christmas smocked dress, and two sweaters all for $60. I was happy.

To top things off I made $128 selling my kids old stuff! What a great time!

Quotable Sunday

2009-08-30T08:12:00.000-04:00

I have been reading some great Quotable Sunday pots lately and thought why should everyone else have all the fun. So this week I am going to give it a try. In honor of my first week back at school, some school quotes.

The difference between school and life? In school, you're taught a lesson and then given a test. In life, you're given a test that teaches you a lesson. ~Tom Bo

If there were no schools to take the children away from home part of the time, the insane asylums would be filled with mothers. ~Edgar W. Howedett

I have never let my schooling interfere with my education. ~Mark Twain

You can get all A's and still flunk life. ~Walker Percy

Education is what remains after one has forgotten what one has learned in school. ~Albert Einstein

If you think education is expensive, try ignorance. ~Attributed to both Andy McIntyre and Derek Bok

Wordless Wednesday - Back to School

2009-08-26T18:26:00.000-04:00

I always take pictures of the kids on the first day so they decided I needed one on my first day back! I had a blast! I think this will be a good year!

Back to School for ME!

2009-08-25T08:18:00.000-04:00

My kids have been back in school for almost a week now. Now its my turn. Tomorrow will be my first day back to school in 8 years. I am going back to college to finish my degree. (And I am scared to death) I didn't think I was going to be this nervous, but I am. A lot has changed since I was last in school. The biggest thing to change is ME! I am now MARRIED and a MOTHER of THREE. Most of my classmates will be hurrying out of class to get a quick nap before the nights frat party. I will be hurrying home so I can get the laundry and dishes done before the kids get off the bus. I also have to find time to do my homework after I help my kids with theirs. What was I thinking? Why am I doing this?

Why because I want to prove to my kids (and myself) that I can. I want to show my kids that they can do anything if they put their minds to it. I also want to be able to take care of my family if I ever have to. You can't support a family of 5 on a minimum wage job any more. And without a college degree that's about as good as I could do. My kids deserve better than that.

I can do this. It will be very different than most college experiences but maybe it will be better. I know what I want and I am there because I want to be. Wish me luck.

Oh I want to thanks my sister for hooking me up with new school supplies. When she heard I was going back to school she bought me a new backpack filled with notebooks, pencils, pens, highlighters and folders. Hoe cool is she? This totally made my day. THANKS SIS!

Its the Most Wonderful Time of the Year!

2009-08-20T06:54:00.000-04:00

Sorry Kids!

PS I'm not really that excited about the kids going back. Now I have to get up at 6AM when all summer long I had been sleeping until 7:30 at least. I also will miss the kids. I am a stay at home mom and this is the first year I will have no kids all day long. Last year my daughter only went half day. But what am I going to do all day. I can only clean for so long every day. I am very excited for my kids though. They all seemed ready and eager to be back. I think it had to do a lot with seeing their friends again. My youngest is in Kindergarten. My middle son is in first grade (which = real school) and my oldest is a big time 3rd grader.

Happy First Day of School!

Wordless Wednesday - Friends

2009-08-19T06:30:00.000-04:00

Cash for Clunkers

2009-08-16T06:35:00.000-04:00

Before

After

I proud new owner of a 2009 Nissan Sentra. This weekend we traded in my clunker 1994 Town and Country for my beautiful new car. This is my first NEW car and I am so excited. I am no longer a mini van Mama. Not that there is anything wrong with driving a mini van. I was just SO over it. I mean I am still only 27 years old and wanted something a little COOLER. Not to mention it gets 33 mpg. That's a big jump up from the van. I will miss all the room the van had to offer and the fact that I could separate the kids but I'll get over it!

Hula Lessons

2009-08-14T06:30:00.000-04:00

During our latest trip to beach we were able to take Hula Lessons. The boys were not so thrilled with the idea but me, the princess, my mom and sister were all so excited. The lessons were given by a man from the Hawaiian islands who travels to Myrtle Beach during the summer to perform. We had such a great time and learned some very interesting facts about life in Hawaii. I thought I would share some pics and a you tube video to help my teacher out. If you are ever in the Myrtle Beach area look him up! The song playing is the actual song we learned to Hula too. Each word in the song has a motion. That's how people in Hawaii told stories before they had paper. Very cool!

Wordless Wednesday - Papa's Hat

2009-08-12T06:30:00.000-04:00

Build-A-Bear Birthday

2009-08-11T10:12:00.000-04:00

For my daughters 5th birthday we took a trip to Build-A-Bear. She heard a friends mom say you could only visit Build-A-Bear on your birthday and she remembered. (Thanks Liz.) After waiting 30 minutes just to get inside the building we started having fun. Rachel knew exactly which animal she wanted. Then we went to the stuffing.

The hard part was finding just the right outfit. But we finally found the right one, High School Musical PJ's with matching slippers.

My moms birthday was also last week and she joined us at the beach for a couple of days. My mom is a HUGE bear lover so I thought she would love a new bear from Build-A-Bear. I also had a huge surprise. My boys really wanted to get a bear. I thought they would be too old or think it was girly but they kept on asking if they could get a bear of their own. Of course I gave in. Why not! Its only money. A lot of money. But its only money.

Happy Birthday MOM!

2009-08-06T06:30:00.000-04:00

Today I would like to say Happy Birthday to a wonderful woman, MY MOM! Thank you Mom for everything you do. I wouldn't make it without you! I love you!

You are always there for me when I need you. If its for a laugh, a shoulder to cry on, advice or a babysitter. I very seldom go a day with talking to you even if its just to say HI.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM! I LOVE YOU!

Wordless Wednesday - Birthday Edition

2009-08-05T06:30:00.000-04:00

Happy Birthday Princess!

2009-08-03T06:30:00.000-04:00

Today my little princess turns five! WOW five years already. She is growing up SO fast. She is the baby of the family so it makes me a little sad that she is getting so big. But at the same time I am glad. The older she gets the more Mommy/Daughter stuff we get to do together.

This weekend we had a very special Mommy/Daughter trip. My princess has been wanting to get her ears pierced for a while now but was a little nervous about it hurting really bad. But she was getting frustrated because we couldn't find any clip on earring and the sticker ones always fell off. Well this Saturday we finally took the plunge. She got her ears pierced.

I could tell she was a little nervous. Well really nervous. (She looked like she was about to throw up.) I was prepared for the crying. We had her favorite teddy bear, Susy and I was holding her hand. Then the count down. One. Two. Three. Yeah pierced ears. She didn't cray at all. She barely even flinched. I was so proud. A small crowd had gathered around and they all started cheering when she didn't cry. She just got this HUGE smile on her face.

Well now my little girl is one step closer to being grown up. She still has a way to go but is one step closer.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY PRINCESS! I LOVE YOU!

Trying to go back to School - VGNO

2009-07-31T07:45:00.000-04:00

All I want to do is go back to school. But my college doesn't seem to want me too. They seem like they are doing everything possible to make it harder for me. Or they are doing as little as possible to help me.

I was accepted to return to my old college back in January. I filed for my financial aid as soon as we filed our taxes. Then I waited. And waited. And waited some more.

At the end of May I contacted the school so I could finalize my class schedule. I had to meet with my advisor. So I drove the hour it takes me to get to campus and after about and hour finally figured out which classes I needed and which classes were not already full. Which was LOADS of fun.

While I was on campus I thought I should go by the financial aid office to see what was going on with my money. Well first they looked at my like I was crazy. Then they told me I was not going to get any money or grants because I had only finished 71% of my classes and needed to finish 75% in order to get money. Well I had to drop 4 classes 7 years ago because i could go to school full time, work full time and take care of my son. They just looked at me and said, "SORRY." Well after asserting myself to the little girl behind the counter I was able to speak to someone who really mattered. She told me to go here and do this and I would be able to get some financial; aid because I had been out of school for so long.

Waiting. Waiting. Waiting.

I call the school back a month later because the computer is still showing NO MONEY! Well after being passed around to about 6 different people I was talking to the HEAD of financial aid and she told me that what I had done a month ago was the worse ting to do and it would help me because my old grades were so good. (It pays to study.) She told me what I should have been told a month before. Well I finally got everything with financial aid all straightened out.

Yesterday I drove all the way to campus with three kids to buy my books. I thought it would be a good opportunity to show my kids a real college. If I start drilling them about college now There will be no question about going to college later. They were thrilled. They thought it was great. We got all the books and I even got the kids T-shirts to they could brag about their Mommy. After spending an hour in the campus bookstore we went to pay for our loot. They little girl behind the counter just looked at me and told me I couldn't purchase books until 10 days before school starts. AAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH! So we put all our stuff back, (The kids were not happy about that.) and drove back home.

I guess they haven't really been that bad. It is just so frustrating. I am already really nervous about going back. I have been gone for 7 years and I will be so much older than everyone else. Not so much in years (I will be 28 in October where most of my fellow classmates will be 20) but in experience. I am a married mother of three and most of them can't even drink legally.

I am excited and really want to show my kids I can do this. I am just ready for the semester to start. The anticipation is the worst part.

WISH ME LUCK!

Did You Know?

2009-07-30T06:34:00.000-04:00

My husband was showed this video at a class for work. I thought it was very interesting and wanted to pass it along.

Comfort Zone

2009-07-28T18:11:00.000-04:00

Found this and I had to pass it on ( with permission of course.)

This is a photo of my youngest son's friend Tyson Serles. A private first class serving our country in the US Army.

I remember the night of the Senior Awards, My son Jon and Tyson shared an award for their achievements in Art. Tyson was also honored when he and a few other boys from Jon's class, received large bonus checks from the different branches of service as they signed on to protect their country. When he and the others walked on the stage to receive their awards, I said a little prayer for them, for their protection and wisdom and guidance for whatever would lay ahead of them.

I watched Tyson accept his check with that contagious mile long grin of his, and he practically skipped back to his seat and he was applauded by those in attendance.

Last week we received news that Tyson had been critically injured in a roadside bombing in Afghanastan. Sadly, the entire group of soldiers he was traveling with, except for his Sargent, were either killed or critically injured. Tyson bravely tried to pull his fellow soldiers from the wreckage and witnessed one friend take his last breath.

Tyson is 19 years old, and has already lost an entire group of buddies. One soldier who passed away asked Tyson to start the prayer chain before he passed on.

What a load for a young man to carry. He is without family , in a foreign land (Iraq) , with no familiar faces to be by his bedside while he recovers and grieves for his friends and fellow soldiers. What if this were your son, or brother or friend?

According to Tyson's father Tim and Tyson's Grandmother, his condition has now been upgraded to stable and they expect his release from the hospital to be in a couple of weeks.
The family would love for cards or letters to be sent to Tyson to encourage him as he recovers.

What a small task for us...what a large impact it can make on Tyson.

Would you please send something to this precious young man who has already sacrificed more than most of us will ever be asked to give. He bravely moved out of his comfort zone on behalf of others. Let's do it for him.

It will take 5 minutes for you to fill out a card, and a very small amount of money to mail it.

Please do this small gesture. I'm counting on you. I'm hoping he gets a room full of cards and letters from all over the world!

Feel free to re-post this, pass it along in an email, put it in a church bulletin, or pass along to any other group that would be willing to take five minutes to help lighten someone's load.

Start your weekend off by doing something for someone else. Whatta' ya' say? Can I count on you?

Mail to:

PFC Serles, Tyson
FOBTF Sparta
HHT, 1-40 CAV (ABN)
FOB HEIRERA
APO AE 09354

Another idea to help spread the word:

Place Tyson's photo and add a link to this post on your sidebar as I have done. Right Click on his photo to "save picture as..." then add as a photo gadget. Then click on the title of this post to copy and paste, then paste html in proper space on the gadget .

VGNO - Wedding March

2009-07-24T16:32:00.000-04:00

I saw this on TV this morning and had to share this. This couple has the right idea and attitude we all need in marriage! Congrats to the Happy Couple!

Tea for Three

2009-07-17T06:31:00.000-04:00

So I know the summer is about half over and I will miss the kids when they go back to school, but today I needed a little break. I wanted to go grocery shopping or any shopping for that matter without three kids hanging all over me. Did I mention I have the best MOM in the WORLD. She volunteered to keep the kids and let me have an afternoon to myself.

I had a wonderful time. I got to take my time and look at things. I was able to just enjoy little quite time to myself. When I went to pick up my kids this is what I saw.

My Mom and daughter had convinced the boys to have a tea party.

This is when they relized I was watching!

The always proper girl with her pinkie up.

If I know my boys she bribed them with an ice cream party!

The Beach

2009-07-16T06:05:00.000-04:00

WOW! Nothing like a week long vacation to the beach to make you forget reality. Well we are back now and back to reality. Why does it take a week to recover from a vacation? I have been doing laundry for days. I thought I would take this time to remember paradise and share a few memories with you!

Wordless Wednesday - Surf's Up

2009-07-15T06:26:00.001-04:00

Where Have You Been?

2009-07-13T06:30:00.000-04:00

I got this idea from Jeannie @ Jeannie's Happy World. It looked like fun so I thought I would give it a try. You can tell I'm an EAST COAST GAL.

visited 26 states (52%)
Create your own visited map of The United States or Best time to visit Boedo

Friday Funnies

2009-07-10T06:30:00.000-04:00

Wordless Wednesday - Faces

2009-07-08T06:30:00.000-04:00

Rachel

Hunter

Kent

Toes in the Water

2009-07-05T08:00:00.000-04:00

By the time you read this post, I will have "My toes in the water. Ass in the sand. Not a worry in the world. A cold beer in my hand. Life Is Good Today." Have a great week. I'll talk to you when I get home!

2009-07-04T08:29:00.000-04:00

Just wanted to write a guick word to everyone to wish you all a HAPPY and SAFE 4th of July. This is my favorite holiday.

Bedtime Stories

2009-07-02T06:30:00.000-04:00

Recently my family rented the Adam Sandler movie Bedtime Stories. I love everything Adam Sandler and thought this would be a great family movie. As always I was right! This was one of the best movies I had seen in a while. If you have not seen it I would highly recommend it.

The best part of the movie is what has happened every night since we watched it. The whole family gathers together in my bed and we all take turns telling wild, crazy bedtime stories. It is so awesome. The kids imaginations simply amaze me.

We have been royalty in castles,

soldiers in the civil war,

pioneers in the Midwest,

cowboys in the wild west,

storm troopers

and have even fought off angry dinosaurs.

I have even taken the time to write down some of these stories in hopes of sharing them with my children when they are grown and maybe even my own grandchildren.

Wordless Wednesday - Hot Tub FUN

2009-07-01T06:30:00.000-04:00

Growing Up Too Fast

2009-06-30T12:12:00.001-04:00

Why do my kids all want to grow up so fast? Don't they understand that their Mom is not ready for that? My little princess and I went shopping this weekend and what do you think she was looking for? HIGH HEELS! What! My 4 year old wants high heels! She found some knee high boots at the Goodwill. She also got her hair cut so she would look more grown up.

Then yesterday I walked by the bathroom door and saw my son SHAVING! It was with real shaving cream but a fake plastic razor. It was so cute but made me stop and think. My little buddy will be going into 1st grade this fall. First grade is like REAL SCHOOL!

My big buddy has the same name as his cousin. We call my nephew Big Hunter and my son Little Hunter. Well Little Hunter decided he didn't want to be LITTLE any more. He said he was getting bigger (8) and was not little anymore. Which is true but he will always be my little baby. So his name has been changed to MY BIG BUDDY!

I am trying to cherish these summer days with my children. I am lucky enough to be able to stay at home with them. We have had some great adventures so far this summer and we have many more planned. But I will always remember the little things. The hugs I get first thing in the morning, when their hair is all messed up, and they are still half asleep. Or making pancakes for breakfast and putting chocolate chips and whip cream on them. And snuggling together in my bed hearing the kids read bedtime stories to me.

VGNO - The Love of My Life

2009-06-26T19:43:00.000-04:00

WOW! A well needed VGNO (virtual girls night out.) It could not come at a better time. Tonight's topic is How did you meet the love of your life?

My husband and I met about 8 years ago. I was 8 months pregnant with my first child when I went to visit a friend. My husband just so happened to be visiting hid best friend (my friends boyfriend). My friend and I were headed out to see a local Christmas Play and we dragged the guys along with us. MY hubby was so sweet and kind and kept wanting to make my baby move. A month later we came to meet my new baby with my friend and her boyfriend. That was it for about 10 months.

Well lets just say that my sons father was not there for me. I spend ten months home alone with my son. Finally my mom and dad got tired of me being alone. I hadn't really seen any of my friend since my son was born. They told me they were going to babysit for me while I went out to see some friends. When I showed up at my friends house my future hubby was there. We have been together even since.

My husband is such a great man and a wonderful father to all our children. He took my oldest in as his own and never looked back. He even changed my sons diaper before his own dad ever did.

I was so lucky to find Kevin and I thank God every day to bringing him into my life! I love you!

Friday Funnies

2009-06-26T06:30:00.000-04:00

Lazy Summer Days?

2009-06-25T15:40:00.000-04:00

I don't know why but since school got out about a month ago we have been so busy. The bad thing is we really don't have anything scheduled. But we always seems to be on the move. I was really hoping that the summer would equal some slow down time. It has been the opposite.

Don't get me wrong. We have been having a great time. We have been to 3 different churches for vacation bible school. We spend a couple days at my sis-in-laws. And we have been to my parents for a couple days. We have had friends over and spend many, many hours in the pool. I guess I was just worried about hearing, "I'M BORED."

I started reading a book about 3 weeks ago and I am only half way done. I thought I would be catching up on my reading. But who needs books. I am making memories with my kids that will last a lifetime!

Next week we will be getting ready for a week long vacation at the beach. Why does it take a week to get ready and a week to recover from a trip like that?

I hope everyone else is having a fun filled SUMMER!

Wordless Wednesday - Summer Games

2009-06-24T06:30:00.000-04:00

Happy Father's Day

2009-06-21T10:42:00.000-04:00

I just wanted to take a minuete that thank all the father's in my life. I love you all!

My husband Kevin

My Dad

My Father-in-law

My Grandfather, Oz

My Grandfather, Buddy

I LOVE YOU ALL!

Making Money

2009-06-20T18:25:00.000-04:00

Today was great day for me and the kids. First thing (6:20 AM) we had a yard sale. I love Yard Sales because you get to get rid of a bunch of junk and make money. We were trying to raise some extra spending money for the kids for our beach trip.

The kids really got into making some extra dough and decided to have a lemonade stand. It was so much and such a great idea. At 7 AM it was already in the 80's. The kids were a HUGE hit with everyone who stopped by.

The whole yard sale was a BIG success and the kids have some spending money for put-put and ice cream.

When we got home we were exploring the yard and we found a jackpot. We found a huge blackberry patch that we didn't know was there. Now I can walk out my front door and eat blackberries! Yeah!

Friday Funnies

2009-06-19T06:30:00.000-04:00

They would be a lot funnier if they weren't true!

Wordless Wednesday - Happy Father's Day!

2009-06-17T13:28:00.000-04:00

Let's Make a Deal

2009-06-17T11:31:00.000-04:00

One great thing about living in the Bible Belt during the summer is you are guaranteed a few weeks of vacation bible school for the kids. I have been able to drop my kids of at a local church for about 3 hours every day. They feed them, do a craft, play some games, and teach them a bible verse or bible story every day. Plus Mommy gets a little much needed free time to herself. This week my children have been going to a local churches VBS with the theme GO GAMES! Each night the the kids participate in different games. Last night mu oldest, Hunter, was a contestant on LET'S MAKE A DEAL! Of course he never heard of the game. His first prize was $1. He traded it for a bag of candy. He traded the bag of candy for door number 5 . . . a ROLL OF TOILET PAPER! He face turned bright red. (They let him have the bag of candy.)

When the kids got home they told me all about it. Then they asked about LET'S MAKE A DEAL. They of course had never heard of the game. (A lot of the adults had not either.) So we decided to YOUTUBE it. They were on the floor laughing. Check out the cars that were given away.

Catch of the Day

2009-06-15T15:10:00.000-04:00

This past Saturday we had a great morning. The Friends of Carolina Sandhills Refuge hosted a Youth Fishing Day at local Oxpen Lake. They provided poles, bail and tackle to any local child under the age of 16. Prizes were awarded for first fish, largest fish, and most fish caught. The local game wardens stocked the local lake so children were almost guaranteed a catch. (Its always more fun when you catch a fish.)

The highlight of the morning was Kent's catch of the day. It was his first caught fish EVER. The smile on his face was priceless as he hooked the fish and then reeled it in. He made sure he told EVERYONE about his first catch ever.

Hunter also had a successful day. Hunter caught five fish. He would have stayed out on the lake all day if we let him. Hunter is defiantly my outdoor boy.

After the morning of fishing we were treated to a lunch of burgers and hot dogs and were given great goody bags full of use full fishing items and coloring books. My kids are already talking about next years derby. Its so great we the community has such great days for our children.

Did You Know?

2009-06-13T06:30:00.000-04:00

DID YOU KNOW?

Peel a banana from the bottom and you won't have to pick the little 'stringy things' off of it. That's how the primates do it.

Take your bananas apart when you get home from the store. If you leave them connected at the stem, they ripen faster.

Store your opened chunks of cheese in aluminum foil. It will stay fresh much longer and not mold.

Peppers with 3 bumps on the bottom are sweeter and better for eating. Peppers with 4 bumps on the bottom are firmer and better for cooking.

Add a teaspoon of water when frying ground beef. It will help pull the greaseaway from the meat while cooking.

To really make scrambled eggs or omelets rich add a couple of spoonfuls of sour cream ,cream cheese, or heavy cream in, then Beat them up.

For a cool brownie treat, make brownies as directed.
Melt Andes mints in double broiler and pour over warm brownies. Let set for a wonderful minty frosting.

Add garlic immediately to a recipe if you want a light taste of garlic and at the end of the recipe if your want a stronger taste of garlic.

Leftover snickers bars from Halloween make a delicious dessert. Simply chop them up with the food chopper. Peel, core and slice a few apples. Place them in a baking dish and sprinkle the chopped candy bars over the apples. Bake at 350 for 15 minutes!!! Serve alone or with vanilla ice cream.Yummm!

Reheat Pizza
Heat up leftover pizza in a nonstick skillet on top of the stove, set heat to med-low and heat till warm. This keeps the crust crispy. No soggy micro pizza. I saw this on the cooking channel and it really works.

Easy Deviled Eggs
Put cooked egg yolks in a zip lock bag. Seal, mash till they are all broken up. Add remainder of ingredients, reseal, keep mashing it up mixing thoroughly, cut the tip of the baggy, squeeze mixture into egg. Just throw bag away when done Easy clean up.

Expanding Frosting
When you buy a container of cake frosting from the store, whip it with your mixer for a few minutes. You can double it in size. You get to frost more cake/cupcakes with the same amount. You also eat less sugar and calories per serving.
Reheating refrigerated bread

To warm biscuits, pancakes, or muffins that were refrigerated, place them in a microwave with a cup of water. The increased moisture will keep the food moist and help it reheat faster.

Newspaper weeds away
Start putting in your plants, work the nutrients in your soil. Wet newspapers, put layers around the plants overlapping as you go. Cover with mulch and forget about weeds. Weeds will get through some gardening plastic but they will not get through wet newspapers.

Broken Glass
Use a wet cotton ball or Q-tip to pick up the small shards of glass you can't see easily.
No More Mosquitoes
Place a dryer sheet in your pocket. It will keep the mosquitoes away.

Squirrel Away!
To keep squirrels from eating your plants, sprinkle your plants with cayenne pepper. The cayenne pepper doesn't hurt the plant and the squirrels won't come near it.

Flexible vacuum
To get something out of a heat register or under the fridge, add an empty paper towel roll or empty gift wrap roll to your vacuum. It can be bent or flattened to get in narrow openings.

Reducing Static Cling
Pin a small safety pin to the seam of your slip and you will not have a clingy skirt or dress. Same thing works with slacks that cling when wearing panty hose. Place pin in seam of slacks and ... Ta DA! .... Static is gone.

Measuring Cups
Before you pour sticky substances into a measuring cup, fill with hot water. Dump out the hot water, but don't dry cup. Next, add your ingredient, such as peanut butter, and watch how easily it comes right out.

Foggy Windshield?
Hate foggy windshields? Buy a chalkboard eraser and keep it in the glove box of your car . When the windows fog, rub with the eraser! Works better than a cloth!

Reopening envelope
If you seal an envelope and then realize you forgot to include something inside, just place your sealed envelope in the freezer for an hour or two. Viola! It unseals easily.

Conditioner
Use your hair conditioner to shave your legs. It's cheaper than shaving cream and leaves your legs really smooth. It's also a great way to use up the conditioner you bought but didn't like when you tried it in your hair.

Goodbye Fruit Flies
To get rid of pesky fruit flies, take a small glass, fill it 1/2' with Apple Cider Vinegar and 2 drops of dish washing liquid; mix well. You will find those flies drawn to the cup and gone forever!

Get Rid of Ants
Put small piles of cornmeal where you see ants. They eat it, take it 'home,' can't digest it so it kills them. It may take a week or so, especially if it rains, but it works and you don't have the worry about pets or small children being harmed!

INFO ABOUT CLOTHES DRYERS
The heating unit went out on my dryer! The gentleman that fixes things around the house told us that he wanted to show us something and he went over to the dryer and pulled out the lint filter It was clean. (I always clean the lint from the filter after every load clothes.) He told us that he wanted to show us something; he took the filter over to the sink and ran hot water over it. The lint filter is made of a mesh material ... I'm sure you know what your dryer's lint filter looks like. Well ... the hot water just sat on top of the mesh! It didn't go through it at all! He told us that dryer sheets cause a film over that mesh and that's what burns out the heating unit. You can't SEEthe film, but it's there. It's what is in the dryer sheets to make your clothes soft and static free ... that nice fragrance too. You know how they can feel waxy when you take them out of the box .. well this stuff builds up on your clothes and on your lint screen. This is also what causes dryer units to potentially burn your house down. He said the best way to keep your dryer working for a very long time (and to keep your electric bill lower) is to take that filter out and wash it with hot soapy water and an old toothbrush (or other brush) at least every six months. That perserves the life of the dryer at least twice as long! How about that!?! Learn something new everyday! I certainly didn't know dryer sheets would do that. So, I thought I'd share!

Wordless Wednesday - Rachel Monroe

2009-06-10T06:30:00.000-04:00

Summer Fun Games

2009-06-07T21:13:00.000-04:00

This week is my children's first week of SUMMER! So in honor of their new found fun and hours of free time, I thought I would share some of our favorite WATER and summer games!

Game # 1 Water Gun Shoot

Set up plastic or paper cups in a pyramid formation. (3 on bottom, then 2, then 1)
Divide kids into two teams and give each team a water gun
At go kids shoot water at cups trying to knock them down
First team to knock cups down WINS!

Game # 2 There's a Hole in my Bucket

Get a bucket and put about 10 holes in the bottom
Arrange kids in a straight line
Fill bucket with water
Each kid takes a turn passing the bucket over their head
The team that can pass the bucket down the line and back first WINS!
Bonus points if their is still water left in the bucket.

Game # 3 Jelly Bean Spitting contest

This is kind of obvious. Each kid get a jelly bean.
Kids take turn spitting jelly beans.
Person who spits theirs the farthest WINS

Game # 4 Drip, Drip, Drench

This game is just like duck, duck, goose but BETTER!

Have kids sit in a circle.
Choose one kid to be "IT."
"It" fills a cup with water.
As "It" goes around the circle he drops little drops of water on each person. Saying drip as he does it.
When "It"come to the person they choose, "It" pours the entire cup of water and says DRENCH.
Drench has to chase "It" around the circle trying to tag them before they get back to their spot.
Drench now becomes "It."

Game # 5 Dodge Ball with Sponges

Play dodge ball with small wet sponges.
Kids get wet and don't get hurt even if hit in the face.

I hope this helps some of you out there avoid the dreaded summer "I'M BORED!" My kids love these games and have spend MANY hours playing. These are also good for boy scouts on a hot summer day. Let me know if you have any other good summer or water games to share. We are always looking for new great ideas.

HAPPY SUMMER!

Featured Bogger

2009-06-06T18:06:00.000-04:00

Yeah ME! I am the first ever featured Blogger at Infectious Chatter! How cool is that. I even won this really cool pic! I feel so honored. Check out Lizzie's blog. Its awesome! She said check back Monday for my special feature.

Just a quick update from yesterday. I can hardly move. My legs are killing me. I hope that means the workout is working. I wanted to give in today and say I couldn't workout because it hurt to move, but I didn't. I worked out again. I even went to a birthday party at the skating ring and skated for an hour. But it will all be worth it!

Wii Active Kicked My Butt

2009-06-05T11:22:00.000-04:00

I am the new proud owner of a Wii Active. With three small kids at home it makes it very hard for me to be able to go the gym everyday. It is also expensive to find a good gym. So today I started my 30 day workout with my new virtual trainer. We walked, ran, did squats, a little boxing and inline skated.I found out I am in worse shape then I thought.

This is one of the best workouts I have ever had. If any of you have a Wii I would highly recommend this game. It helps you keep track of your progress and gives you hints on how to do each step properly. Its amazing what technology can do.

I hope to be giving updates periodically so you can see how I am progressing. Hopefully it will motivate me to know there are others out there who now know I am trying to lose weight and get healthy. All the incouragement you can give is welcome.

I can't believe I am going to do this but I feel by posting my weight. I will be incouraged to do better so I can update with good results. Here we go. I Stacey am 5'7" and weigh 198lbs. (But hopefully not for long!)

Kent Graduates from Kindergarten

2009-06-02T13:44:00.000-04:00

Last night my six year old, Kent, graduated from Kindergarten. They did the play of the Little Red Hen and then were given their "diplomas." It was really sweet and brought back a flood of memories from the past six years. It is hard to believe Kent is getting so big. Starting Kindergarten was not that big of a deal because he had been going to school since 3 year old kindergarten. But there is something about going into the 1st grade. First grade is REAL school.

I was one of the many parents there with my video camera while my husband held the digital camera. This is one of those days I will look back and remember when he graduates from high school and college, but he will probably forget about. I know these things are more for the parents and we are all grateful for these days.

Congratulations KENT! I am so proud of you!

Summer Fun Ideas - VGNO

2009-05-29T06:15:00.000-04:00

Last week our troop had sign ups fro boy scouts. My 6 years old is now FINALLY old enough to join his brothers pack. He has been so excited that he has me searching the Internet on a daily basis to find cool stuff to share with the rest of our pack. We found some great ideas and wanted to share them with everyone. These are some great ideas for the summer when the kids are home ALL day and start shouting, "I'M BORED!"

COOK BACON and EGGS IN A BAG

one serving
4 thick bacon slices, 2 eggs, 1 brown paper lunch bag

- At home, pack the eggs and bacon in a cooler.
- At camp, cook one serving per bag. Place the bacon inside the bag, wiping the inside generously with grease (the more you coat the bag, the better). Crack eggs on top of the bacon. Fold the bag down several times, then poke a three-foot stick (green pine won't burn) through it so that the bag hangs at one end.
- Holding the stick's other end, suspend the bag over hot coals (not flames), heating all sides evenly until done (seven to ten minutes).

Minnow Traps - Great for Fish Bait!

■ Two 3-liter (or 2-liter) soda bottles.
■ One large nail (6-penny if possible).
■ Some string or twine.
■ Scissors and locking pliers such as vise-grips.
■ Your kitchen stove.
■ A marker.
■ A bowl of cold water.

This minnow trap will be made from two plastic bottles. To follow the instructions easier, you will need to mark one bottle with an ‘X’ and the other with a ‘Y’. Cut the bottom third portion off of the X bottle but leave the cap on. Then cut off the top third portion of the Y bottle and take its cap off (leaving about a half inch lip underneath the part before the Y bottle curves). We will be keeping the top portions of both bottles and throwing the other parts away. Now place bottle Y inside of bottle X with both cap parts pointing in the same direction. After doing this you will be able to see how the minnows will be able to swim into the trap but then have a tough time finding their way out.

Now we need to fasten the bottles together at the bottom. Go to your kitchen stove and turn on a burner. Take hold of the nail with the pliers and heat it over the burner until it is very hot. Hold the two bottles firmly and with the hot nail still in the pliers, poke about a dozen holes around the bottom part of your trap where both bottles are touching. When finished, drop the hot nail into the bowl of cold water. Next, take your string and sew through the holes – or make little ties of cord – around the bottom to secure the bottles together. Now reheat the nail and poke more holes around the outside of bottle X to allow water to get in the trap when you throw it into the lake.

For minnow bait, you can add crunched up crackers or bread to your trap, or even dog or cat food. Fasten a line to it and throw it in your favorite lake and wait overnight for the minnows to fill it up. The next morning you can simply open the cap on top of the trap and dump the minnows into a bucket and then you will be ready for fishing.

We will be adding more ideas as we find ones we like so check back often.

Wordless Wednesday - Rachel's Homerun

2009-05-27T06:15:00.000-04:00

Happy Memorial Day!

2009-05-25T09:06:00.000-04:00

Memorial Day

2009-05-23T06:30:00.000-04:00

I found this on another blog and just had to pass it on! This was found in a Texas newspaper!

"David Thornhill, a US soldier was severely wounded over in the sand box in Iraq. Sgt. Thornhill who lost both of his legs and burned over 56% of his body while serving this country in Iraq. His birthday is next week and his family is putting out a gentle request and reaching out to supporters asking them to send a card or note to inspire him as he continues to spend time in recovery.

He has been in the hospital for over 2 years now. Sending a birthday card will show him how much we love him for what he has sacrificed for his country. His parents are worried about his emotional status and he hardly ever has visitors. Let's help this soldier and send him a lot of cards."

My kids think soldiers are the greatest people on earth and they are thrilled to be able to write to one. I am so thankful for Men and Women like David who have sacrificed so much so we can be free.

THANK YOU!

Mailing address: Sgt. David Thornhill
Tillman Troops
6 Marquise Oaks
The Woodlands, TX 77382

As Seen On TV

2009-05-22T17:28:00.000-04:00

My kids are obsessed with the As Seen On TV items they see on TV. I don't think a single day goes by when I don't hear about a new product we just HAVE TO HAVE. And heaven help us if we see one of those item in a store. Its not like its a new toy. Its a green bag to keep my veggies fresh or a special purse so I never loose my keys or my cell phone.

We have never gone as far as to purchase any of these items, but I think the kids are starting to wear me down. It is kind of sweet that my son is worries about me loosing the keys and that he wants to help me not waste money on uneaten veggies and fruit.

Here are a few of our favorites!

Does anyone else have this problem? Has anyone ever bought an AS SEEN ON TV and loved it? Let me know!

Having a VGNO. Will you join me? Just click below!

Winners!

2009-05-21T07:53:00.000-04:00

So I have decided that my kids are going to pick the numbers for my lottery ticket and then we are going to the track. I don't know if it is just luck or they know what they are doing but they are on a winning streak. They picked the winner of Survivor, then Dancing with the Stars and last night they picked the underdog (and won) of American Idol.

I have to keep this winning streak going and maybe help myself out in the process. Congrats to all the Winners out there! We love you!

Please keep my mom-in-law in your prayers. She is have pretty big surgery today! Thanks!

Wordless Wednesday - Zoo

2009-05-20T16:47:00.000-04:00

THANK YOU LIZ!

2009-05-19T14:25:00.000-04:00

Notice anything different? I got a blog makeover thanks to my great friend Liz @ Infectious Chatter (http://rackley4.blogspot.com/).

She is the whole reason I started blogging. Thanks Liz!

5, 6, and 8 FOREVER!

2009-05-19T12:08:00.000-04:00

My kids are growing up. How do I STOP that? The past couple school days I went on my kids school field trips. Thursday I went to the Riverbanks Zoo with Kent and Rachel's classes. We had so much fun looking at all the animals. We fed the giraffes and birds, laughed at the elephants taking a bath, and ran around like the monkeys! We had a great day and took nice longs naps on the way home. (Well the kids did. I had to drive.)

Friday we traveled to McLeod Farms. Its a local farm famous for its strawberries and peaches! Kent and Rachel got to pick strawberries and eat ice cream. The weather was beautiful and we had a great day.

Monday was Hunter's turn. We drove to Myrtle Beach to visit Ripley's Aquarium. We watched the sharks, played with horseshoe crabs, and pet the stingrays. It was so much fun to see how excited the kids were. Even though they were a couple years older than the kids on the zoo trip, they had just as much fun.

I wonder how many more field trips the kids are going to want me to come along. Soon they won't want me around because I'm not cool. But right now I am going to enjoy they and be glad they still want me. Glad to see their faces still light up when I walk into the classroom. Glad to still get kisses even if we have to hide from their friends! A part of me can't wait for them to grow up but a bigger part of me wants them to stay 5, 6, and 8 forever!

Wordless Wednesday - Chatham, Cape Cod

2009-05-13T12:48:00.000-04:00

Be Nice

2009-05-11T08:30:00.001-04:00

My nephews had been fussing and fighting yesterday (Mother's Day). After a little yelling and a few time outs later, my nephew looks at the sister-in-law and says, "You have to be nice to us today. We gave you cards this morning." I had to leave the room to keep from laughing out loud while the kids were in time out. Oh the joys of motherhood.

Camping at the Beach

2009-05-11T08:30:00.000-04:00

This past weekend we went to the beach to go camping with the boyscouts. We went to the beautiful Huntington State Park in Merrills Inlet, South Carolina near Myrtle Beach. This is one of the best places to visit in South Carolina. It combines the beach with the fresh and salt water marshes. The wildlife was amazing. We saw deer, snakes, alliagotrs, crabs, cranes and much more.
We started the weekend off with a salt water marsh tour. We had a wonderful guide to tell us all about the marsh and the many animals who live there. We had a chance to do a little fishing then took a nice walk on the beach to search for seashells.
The next part of the trip was a tour of the Huntington Castle, Atalaya. Atalaya Castle, also known as Atalaya, stands as a monument to the creativity and generosity of Archer and Anna Hyatt Huntington. Archer M. Huntington was a noted scholar of Spanish culture and art and modeled the couple's winter home in the style of the Moorish architecture of the Spanish Mediterranean coast. Anna Hyatt Huntington was a sculptor and her main studio was here.

Atalaya was built near the ocean in South Carolina in what is now Huntington Beach State Park. The 200 by 200 foot (60 by 60 m) masonry structure was built from 1931 to 1933. Local labor was used at Mr. Huntington's insistence to provide work for a community hard hit by the Great Depression.

The living quarters consists of 30 rooms around three sides of the perimeter, while the studio, with its 25 foot (8 m) skylight, opens onto a small, enclosed courtyard where Anna Hyatt Huntington worked on her sculptures. Because she liked sculpting with live animals as models, horse stables, a dog kennel and bear pens were included. The building also features hand-wrought iron grillwork designed by Mrs. Huntington, and shutters to protect against hurricane winds. The inner walls of the main courtyard were covered with creeping fig vines. Sabal palmettos, the South Carolina state tree, and other palms help make the courtyard a picturesque, unique setting. The Huntingtons last used Atalaya as their winter home in 1947. Most of the furnishings were sent to New York City after Mr. Huntington's death in 1955. The studio equipment was moved to the new studio at Brookgreen Gardens just across U.S. 17 which cut through the Huntingtons' former property.

While Hunter was working on some boyscout belt loops with daddy, Rachel and Kent made shell necklaces.

The best part of the trip for the kids was playing in the ocean. Kent had fun trying to "beat up the waves." The kids spent the rest of the day down on the beach.

Now you can't go camping without making S'MORES! The kids ate a WHOLE bag of marshmellows. (With a little help from their parents.)

If you are ever in the Myrtle Beach, South Carolina area this is a must stop!

The Blessed Gift of Being a Mother

2009-05-07T08:08:00.001-04:00

I recently read this and the tears welled up in my eyes. I had to share this with other moms out there. We have the BEST job in the world!

We are sitting at lunch when my daughter casually mentions that she and her husband are thinking of "starting a family." "We're taking a survey," she says, half joking. "Do you think I should have a baby?"

"It will change your life," I say carefully, keeping my tone neutral. "I know," she says, "no more sleeping in on the weekend, no more spontaneous vacations..."

But that is not what I meant at all. I look at my daughter, trying to decide what to tell her. I want her to know what she will never learn in child birth classes. I want to tell her that the physical wounds of child bearing heal, but that becoming a mother will leave her with an emotional wound so raw that she will be forever vulnerable.

I consider warning her that she will never read a newspaper again without asking "What if that had been MY child?" That every plane crash, every fire will haunt her.

That when she sees pictures of starving children, she will wonder if anything could be worse than watching your child die. I look at her carefully manicured nails and stylish suit and think that no matter how sophisticated she is, becoming a mother will reduce her to the primitive level of a bear protecting her cub.

That an urgent call of "Mom!" will cause her to drop a soufflé or her best crystal without a moment's hesitation.

I feel I should warn her that no matter how many years she has invested in her career, she will be professionally derailed by motherhood. She might arrange for child care, but one day she will be going into an important business meeting and she will think about her baby's sweet smell. She will have to use every ounce of her discipline to keep from running home, just to make sure her baby is all right.

I want my daughter to know that everyday decisions will no longer be routine. That a five year old boy's desire to go to the men's room rather than the women's at McDonald's will become a major dilemma. That right there, in the midst of clattering trays and screaming children, issues of independence and gender identity will be weighed against the prospect that a child molester may be lurking in that restroom.

However decisive she may be at the office, she will second-guess herself constantly as a mother.
Looking at my daughter, I want to assure her that eventually she will shed the pounds of pregnancy, but she will never feel the same about herself. That her life, now so important, will be of less value to her once she has a child. That she would give it up in a moment to save her offspring, but will also begin to hope for more years - not to accomplish her own dreams, but to watch her child accomplish theirs.

I want her to know that a cesarean scar or shiny stretch marks will become badges of honor.
My daughter's relationship with her husband will change, but not in the ways she thinks. I wish she could understand how much more you can love a man who is always careful to powder the baby or never hesitates to play with his child. I think she should know that she will fall in love with him again for reasons she would now find very unromantic.

I wish my daughter could sense the bond she'll feel with women throughout history who have tried desperately to stop war and prejudice and drunk driving. I hope she will understand why I can think rationally about most issues, but become temporarily insane when I discuss the threat of nuclear war to my children's future. I want to describe to my daughter the exhilaration of seeing your child learn to ride a bike.

I want to capture for her the belly laugh of a baby who is touching the soft fur of a dog or cat for the first time. I want her to taste the joy that is so real, it actually hurts.

My daughter's quizzical look makes me realize that tears have formed in my eyes. "You'll never regret it," I say finally. Then I reach across the table, squeeze my daughter's hand, and offer a silent prayer for her, and for me, and for all of the mere mortal women who stumble their way into this most wonderful of callings. The blessed gift of being a Mother.

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!!!

Wordless Wednesday - Feeding the Ducks

2009-05-06T09:13:00.000-04:00

Twilight Series

2009-05-06T08:14:00.000-04:00

This weekend I started to read the Twilight Book Series by Stephenie Meyer. I was a little skeptical at first. I had heard of the movie and seen people talking about the books on facebook but I thought "What was the big deal?" It looked like some silly teeny-bopper series that I was too old to read. I am a married mother of three. What do I care about a silly high school vampire romance story.

That all changed last week while I was watching my boys at baseball practice. The mother off one of their teammates was reading one of the books. I watched her in amazement thinking she needed to watch the boys practice like the good mother I was. She saw me watching her and said "I just can't put it down."

I told her I had heard a lot about the books and it noticed a lot of people were "obsessed" with them, but I didn't know what the big deal was. She told me she thought the same thing. Her sister-in-law had been trying to get her to read the books for over a year and she finally gave in.

Well I wondered into the bookstore last Friday, wandering around trying to fine the book. When I asked for help, I was slightly embarrassed as we headed to the Teen section. But I bought the book and went home.

I was sucked in from page one. I had finished the book with in 48 hours, thirsty for the next one. I had to wait till Monday, but I was at the bookstore when they opened. I even took a test on facebook to find out which Twilight character I was most like. (Bella Swan in case you are wondering.)

If you haven't read the series I would highly recommend it. It has a great storyline and wonderful characters. Happy Reading! I havn't watched the movie based on the first book, but I heard its GREAT!

Wordless Wednesday - Great Grandpa

2009-04-29T07:52:00.001-04:00

Happy Earth Day!

2009-04-22T09:38:00.000-04:00

Happy Earth Day to everyone out in cyber space. I just wanted to share with everyone what my family did today for Earth Day. I was sp proud of my children. They were all really excited and came up with some great ideas. The most fun we had was planting some new trees, rose buses and a little flower garden. We also planted a small vegetable garden. Each of the kids also took a bag and collected trash along our street. We got lots of trash and were able to recycle about 2/3 of it! I hope everyone takes a little time today to do their part to help the Earth. Remember everyday is Earth Day!

My Rose Tree. I'll have to take more pics when the flowers start blooming!

This is just one of the beautiful roses on the rose bushes we planted. They smell SO good!

Every year my dad's boss gives his employees and small decorated tree for Christmas. My dad gives the tress to my children and we plant them on Earth Day. This is tree #2.

This is the kids flower garden. We recycle an old sand box to use as the border.

While picking up trash the kids also picked me some wild flowers. We planted them in the yard. I don't know if they will survive but we will try!

HAPPY EARTH DAY!

PS I heard about this great website this moring on GMA. Check it out!

www.terracycle.net

Animal House

2009-04-17T15:03:00.001-04:00

I thought I would take the time to introduce everyone to the animals in my life. Between my husband, three kids, 9 dogs and two rabbits I sometimes feels like I live at the zoo. But I wouldn't change a thing!

Prince

Kasey

Little Bit

Obie

Cleo

Stumpy

Fancy

Lady Bug

Sally

Cotton

And Oh yeah! I am dog-sitting for my mother-in-law, so we have two more!

This is Jules and Butch

Lets party like its 1773!

2009-04-14T12:30:00.000-04:00

GO to taxdayteaparty.com to find a Tax Day Tea Party near you!

It All Started April 12th

2009-04-11T17:58:00.000-04:00

Kent's 6th birthday falls on Easter and over Spring Break this year. We decided it would be hard to have a birthday party this week so asked Kent what he wanted to do instead. Recently Kent found out that the Civil War started on April 12th (his birthday) at Fort Sumter (a short drive from our house). So instead of a party we took a family trip to Fort Sumter. We had a great time. It was a beautiful day with 70 degree weather and a nice breeze. The trip started with a 30 minute ferry ride to Fort Sumter. We spend about an hour touring the island before the return trip. HAPPY BIRTHDAY KENT!

History

South Carolina had seceded from the Union, yet Union forces still occupied Fort Sumter at the entrance of Charleston Harbor. The South demanded that Fort Sumter be vacated. The North refused. Finally, on April 12, 1861, South Carolina Confederate troops from nearby Fort Johnson fired on the fort - the start of a two-day bombardment that resulted in the surrender of Fort Sumter by Union troops. The Civil War had begun!

Tagged!

2009-04-08T09:25:00.000-04:00

I've been tagged again! Wish I would have skipped this one, but I have to play by the rules!

Here's the Tag:

Keepin' it Real

Here are the rules:

Take a picture of yourself right now.

No primping or preparing.

Just snap a picture.

Load the picture onto your blog.

Tag some people to play.

NO CHEATING!

Maybe if I add the kids no one will notice me! HA HA HA!

A Step Back in Time

2009-04-07T17:07:00.001-04:00

I grew up about 30 minutes outside Philadelphia. Every year (at least once) we took a school trip into Philadelphia to visit all the historical sights. George Washington crossed the Delaware River about 5 miles up the road from where I lived. I could tell you anything you wanted to know about the Revolutionary War and the early years of America.

I have lived in South Carolina for about 15 years now. I moved in Jr High and missed learning about the Civil War and South Carolina history. But I wanted my children to learn about the history that took place right outside their back door.

So this weekend my family took a step back in time to the Civil War. About 30 minutes from our house there was going to be a Civil War-era camp as reenactors recreated scenes from the skirmishes fought along the river.

The Union

The Confederacy

The Retreat

I was so excited to be able to share this with my children. We had great seats and watched as the North surprised the Southern soldiers. A small skirmish unfolded with the Confederate soldiers holding off the Union army and then the retreat of the Union soldiers. The South had one, at least this battle. (Which was historically accurate.)

After the fighting we were able to tour the camp sites of the soldiers and even talk with a few of them. Hopefully we will be able to have more of these trip so I can share my children's heritage with them.

Opening Day

2009-04-05T19:45:00.000-04:00

Today is opening day of baseball. Tonights game is the Philadelphia Phillies vs the Atlanta Braves. I am very torn about who to pull for during tonights game. I grew up 30 minutes outside of Philly. My first major league baseball game was the Phillies vs the Mets in Veterans Stadium. I have so many fond memories of Phillies games. Then I found out my dad was alife long Braves fan. He grew up watching the Braves with his dad. My grandfather still watches every single game on tv. I was a Braves fan threw the rotten years, threw the winning years, and now still in the losing years. But there is still a small part of me pulling for the Phillies. Either way tonights game will be one to watch. I am so glad for the start of baseball season. Let's PLAY BALL!

April Fools!

2009-04-01T07:56:00.000-04:00

I thought of the best April Fools Day joke to play on my kids. I woke them up this morning by running around the house shouting "It's Snowing! It's Snowing!" They all jumped out of bed faster than I have ever seen them and ran to the door. Threw open the curtains and saw . . . nothing! HA! HA! HA! APRIL FOOLS! Well the boys got mad and stomped off to their room and went back to bed. My daughter fell to the floor and started bawling. "MOM HOW COME YOU LIES TO ME!" sob sob "YOU TOLD US LYING IS BAD!" sob sob "I AM SO SAD THERE IS NO SNOW!" This went on for a good 5 minutes before I could calm her down and explain to her what April Fool's Day was. OOPS! I learned my lesson. I hope your April Fools Day is a little better than mine.

(PS We were wearing shorts yesterday. You would think they would no we didn't have snow!)

New American Tea Party

2009-03-30T15:05:00.000-04:00

I got this email today and thouggt the best way for lots of people to see it would be to post it. I loved the idea! So here it goes!

There's a storm abrewin'. What happens when good, responsible people keep quiet? Washington has forgotten they work for us. We don't work for them. Throwing good money after bad is NOT the answer. I am sick of the midnight, closed door sessions to come up with a plan. I am sick of Congress raking CEO's over the coals while they, themselves, have defaulted on their taxes. I am sick of the bailed out companies having lavish vacations and retreats on my dollar. I am sick of being told it is MY responsibility to rescue people that, knowingly, bought more house than they could afford. I am sick of being made to feel it is my patriotic duty to pay MORE taxes. I, like all of you, am a responsible citizen. I pay my taxes. I live on a budget and I don't ask someone else to carry the burden for poor decisions I may make. I have emailed my congressmen and senators asking them to NOT vote for the stimulus package as it was written without reading it first. No one listened. They voted for it, pork and all.

O.K. folks, here it is. You may think you are just one voice and what you think won't make a difference. Well, yes it will and YES, WE CAN!! If you are disgusted and angry with the way Washington is handling our taxes. If you are fearful of the fallout from the reckless spending of BILLIONS to bailout and "stimulate" without accountability and responsibility t hen we need to become ONE, LOUD VOICE THAT CAN BE HEARD FROM EVERY CITY, TOWN, SUBURB AND HOME IN AMERICA. There is a growing protest to demand that Congress, the President and his cabinet LISTEN to us, the American Citizens. What is being done in Washington is NOT the way to handle the economic free fall.

So, here's the plan. On April 1, 2009, all Americans are asked to send a TEABAG to Washington , D.C. You do not have to enclose a note or any other information unless you so desire. Just a TEABAG. Many cities are organizing protests. If you simply search, "New American Tea Party", several sites will come up. If you aren't the 'protester' type, simply make your one voice heard with a TEABAG. Your one voice will become a roar when joined with millions of others that feel the same way. Yes, something needs to be done but the lack of confidence as shown by the steady decline in the stock market speaks volumes.

This was not my idea. I visited the sites of the 'New American Tea Party' and an online survey showed over 90% of thousands said they would send the teabag on April 1. Why, April 1?? We want them to reach Washington by April 15. Will you do it? I will.

Send it to: 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. Washington , D.C. 20500

Forward this to everyone in your address book. Visit website "'New American Tea Party'" for more information I would encourage everyone to go ahead and get the envelope ready to mail, then just drop it in the mail April 1. Can't guarantee what the postage will be by then, it is going up as we speak, but have your envelope ready. What will this cost you? A little time and a 40 something cent stamp.

What could you receive in benefits? Maybe, just maybe, our elected officials will start to listen to the people.. Take out the Pork. Tell us how the money is being spent. We want TRANSPARENCY AND ACCOUNTABILITY. Remember, the money will be spent over the next 4-5 years. It is not too late.

Bumper Stickers

2009-03-30T09:51:00.000-04:00

2009-03-23T08:04:00.000-04:00

This Saturday Rachel and I had the pleasure of taking in the ballet. The small local theater in town was hosting The South Carolina Dance Theatre. Rachel has recently showed an interest in taking dance lessons. As a former dancer myself (10years) I was thrilled with the idea of my little girl as a bellerina. I thought this would be a good little test to see how much she liked it.

We absolutly loved it. The beautiful girls in elegant costumes dancing gracefully across the stage. After the performance the dancers joined the audiance for a garden party where we were able to meet the dancers. I think this was the best part of the day for both of us. We got to talk to the dancers and took many pictures. Rachel loved meeting the girls and seeing them and their costumes close up. This made my little princess want to be a dancer even more. So starting in the fall we will have a little ballerina in the family!

I was tagged!

2009-03-19T10:50:00.000-04:00

I got tagged for a fun meme from Fraizerbaz

The rules:

1. Respond and re-work: answer the questions on your blog, replace one question that you dislike with a question of your own invention, add one more question of your own.

2. Tag other un-tagged people.

What is your current obsession: grass for my yard...I HAVE NONE!

What are you wearing now: Jeans, blue sweater, no shoes

Who was the last person you hugged: My daughter

Who is the last person who kissed you: My Husband

If you were a tree, what tree would you be: A peach tree

What’s for dinner: Spagetti

What was the last thing you bought: My son's birthday present

What are you listening to right now: High School Musical 3 is playing in the background

What is your favorite weather: sunny, upper 70's.

What is on your bedside table: Alarm clock, nail clippers, a book, hair scrunchie, an empty tissue box, bottle of lotion

What is your most challenging goal right now: selling my old house

Say something to the person who tagged you: Great Mom

If you could have a house totally paid for, fully furnished, where do you want it to be: Middle of no where surrounded by lots of trees

Name the things you cannot live without: My children

What would you like to have in your hands right now: The winning lottery ticket.

Hot or Cold coffee: hot coffee, with cold milk.

What would you like to get rid of: All this clutter in my house

If you could go anywhere in the world for the next hour, where would you go: Cape Cod to see my grandparents

What is your favorite book: Savannah Blue

What is the first thing you would do if you won the lottery? Buy a Mustang

I am tagging EVERYONE who reads this. Send me a link so I can read your answers!

St Patrick's Day Symbols and Traditions

2009-03-17T07:26:00.000-04:00

The Shamrock

The shamrock, which was also called the "seamroy" by the Celts, was a sacred plant in ancient Ireland because it symbolized the rebirth of spring. By the seventeenth century, the shamrock had become a symbol of emerging Irish nationalism. As the English began to seize Irish land and make laws against the use of the Irish language and the practice of Catholicism, many Irish began to wear the shamrock as a symbol of their pride in their heritage and their displeasure with English rule.

Irish Music

Music is often associated with St. Patrick's Day—and Irish culture in general. From ancient days of the Celts, music has always been an important part of Irish life. The Celts had an oral culture, where religion, legend, and history were passed from one generation to the next by way of stories and songs.After being conquered by the English, and forbidden to speak their own language, the Irish, like other oppressed peoples, turned to music to help them remember important events and hold on to their heritage and history. As it often stirred emotion and helped to galvanize people, music was outlawed by the English. During her reign,Queen Elizabeth I even decreed that all artists and pipers were to be arrested and hanged on the spot.
Today, traditional Irish bands like The Chieftains, the Clancy Brothers, and Tommy Makem are gaining worldwide popularity. Their music is produced with instruments that have been used for centuries, including the fiddle, the uilleann pipes (a sort of elaborate bagpipe), the tin whistle (a sort of flute that is actually made of nickel-silver, brass, or aluminum), and the bodhran (an ancient type of framedrum that was traditionally used in warfare rather than music).

The Snake

It has long been recounted that, during his mission in Ireland, St. Patrick once stood on a hilltop (which is now called Croagh Patrick), and with only a wooden staff by his side, banished all the snakes from Ireland. In fact, the island nation was never home to any snakes. The "banishing of the snakes" was really a metaphor for the eradication of pagan ideology from Ireland and the triumph of Christianity. Within two hundred years of Patrick's arrival, Ireland was completely Christianized.

Corned Beef

Each year, thousands of Irish Americans gather with their loved ones on St. Patrick's Day to share a "traditional" meal of corned beef and cabbage. Though cabbage has long been an Irish food, corned beef only began to be associated with St. Patrick's Day at the turn of the century.
Irish immigrants living on New York City's Lower East Side substituted corned beef for their traditional dish of Irish bacon to save money. They learned about the cheaper alternative from their Jewish neighbors.

The Leprechaun

The original Irish name for these figures of folklore is "lobaircin," meaning "small-bodied fellow." Belief in leprechauns probably stems from Celtic belief in fairies, tiny men and women who could use their magical powers to serve good or evil. In Celtic folktales, leprechauns were cranky souls, responsible for mending the shoes of the other fairies. Though only minor figures in Celtic folklore, leprechauns were known for their trickery, which they often used to protect their much-fabled treasure. Leprechauns had nothing to do with St. Patrick or the celebration of St. Patrick's Day, a Catholic holy day. In 1959, Walt Disney released a film called Darby O'Gill & the Little People, which introduced America to a very different sort of leprechaun than the cantankerous little man of Irish folklore. This cheerful, friendly leprechaun is a purely American invention, but has quickly evolved into an easily recognizable symbol of both St. Patrick's Day and Ireland in general.

My Husband takes a Detour

2009-03-16T13:14:00.001-04:00

My husband was on the way to the store when he took a detour to his friends house. While at his friend's house they decided to go to an animal auction. ("What else are you going to do on a rainy Saturday night," he said.) A couple hours later he walks through the door and hands me a baby white rabbit. What! Who is this for? He said our little girl had been asking for a baby rabbit so he got her one.

After the shock wore off I realized the bunny was very cute and so soft. But did I mention we already have a bunny and 8 (yes 8) dogs. Six of which are rabbit hunting dogs. Did I also mention that you can't tell the sex of a rabbit until they are about 3 months old, but they start breeding at about 2 1/2 months old. So I guess we will be keeping the 2 bunnies separated until further notice. I think we will also be keeping this new one, named Cotton, inside. I heard you can train them to use a liter box. I will let you know how that goes.

The New Girl Next Door

2009-03-14T19:21:00.000-04:00

Ever imagined being Hef's new girl next door?

If you have an extra $27.9 million lying around, that dream can easily be a reality! The home next door to the Playboy Mansion is now on the market!

The seven-bedroom mansion has been inhabited by Hef's second wife, Kimberley Conrad and the former couple's two children since 1996. But the Hefner teens are heading off to college in a matter of months. I guess the economy is even hitting Hef hard.

2009-03-13T07:31:00.000-04:00

I ran across this article this morning and thought I would pass it along. I did not write this!

5 Facts About Friday the 13th

If Friday the 13th is unlucky, then 2009 is an unusually unlucky year. This week's Friday the 13th is one of three to endure this year. The first came last month. The next is in November. Such a rare triple-threat occurs only once every 11 years. The origin of the link between bad luck and Friday the 13th is murky. The whole thing might date to Biblical times (the 13th guest at the Last Supper betrayed Jesus). By the Middle Ages, both Friday and 13 were considered bearers of bad fortune. In modern times, the superstition permeates society.

Here are five of our favorite Friday-the-13th facts:

1. Fear of Friday the 13th - one of the most popular myths in science - is called paraskavedekatriaphobia as well as friggatriskaidekaphobia. Triskaidekaphobia is fear of the number 13.

2. Many hospitals have no room 13, while some tall buildings skip the 13th floor and some airline terminals omit Gate 13.

3. President Franklin D. Roosevelt would not travel on the 13th day of any month and would never host 13 guests at a meal. Napoleon and President Herbert Hoover were also triskaidekaphobic, with an abnormal fear of the number 13.

4. Mark Twain once was the 13th guest at a dinner party. A friend warned him not to go. "It was bad luck," Twain later told the friend. "They only had food for 12." Superstitious diners in Paris can hire a quatorzieme, or professional 14th guest.

5. The number 13 suffers from its position after 12, according to numerologists who consider the latter to be a complete number - 12 months in a year, 12 signs of the zodiac, 12 gods of Olympus, 12 labors of Hercules, 12 tribes of Israel, 12 apostles of Jesus, 12 days of Christmas and 12 eggs in a dozen.

I have to admit that Friday the 13th is usually a pretty good day for me. I hope you all have a great day!

Extra! Extra! Kent Loses First Tooth!

2009-03-10T12:47:00.000-04:00

Yeah! Kent finally lost his first tooth! The tooth has been loose for about a week and everyday we would "wiggle it just a little bit. . . come on and wiggle it just a little bit." (OK sorry) Last night it was hanging on by a thread and he actually let me pull it out. He was so excited. Most of his friends from school had already lost a tooth and both his older brother and younger sister had had visits from the tooth fairy. (Rachel's were pulled but the tooth fairy still came) My little boy is growing up so fast. Sometimes I wish i could just bottle them up and keep them little. but at the same time it is so awesome to see them grow into little men and women. The tooth fairy at our house gives $1 per tooth. I have heard of some kids getting up to $20 a tooth. I think I got $1 for mine but who can remember back that far. Kent was very happy with his money and I think he's already got it spent! Congratulations Kent!

Petition against Chris Brown

2009-03-09T16:54:00.000-04:00

On my way to the store this morning I heard the DJ talk about Chris Brown's myspace page. He is asking kids to please vote for him and his song for Nickelodeon's Kids Choice Awards. This on the same day he is expected in court for resent allegations. This makes me think he doesn't fully get what he is being charged with. How dare he ask our children to vote for him when he has lost all our trust. He is not the kind of man I want my children looking up to. I don't want my boys thinking this is how you treat a girl and I don't want my daughter to think its okay for someone to treat her this way. If you agree with me go to the link below and sign a petition to MTV to remove Chris Brown from the nominations!

http://www.petitiononline.com/mod_perl/petition-sign.cgi?cbrh1968

If you Don't Like the Weather . . .

2009-03-07T14:26:00.000-05:00

If you don't like the weather in South Carolina just wait a day or two. OK, so my last blog was Monday and the kids were home from school with a snow day. Last weekend the weather was cold and rainy and just plain miserable. What a difference a week makes. Today it is a nice balmy 78 degrees outside. There is not a cloud in the sky and just the slightest breeze. Last week we were wearing heavy coats with hats and gloves and this weekend we are running around outside with shorts, t-shirts and bare feet. The windows are all open so the light breeze can blow threw the house but if it gets much warmer we will have to put the air on. I love the weather in South Carolina. Remind me I said this in about two months when its in the 910's with 100% humidity. But I will worry about that then. Right now I'm just going to enjoy the beautiful day sitting on my deck with a cold glass of ice tea and the sound of the kids playing baseball in the back ground.

Have a nice weekend everyone!

SNOW DAY

2009-03-02T12:49:00.000-05:00

Today was the third straight day we were all stuck in the house. Saturday and Sunday it rained and rained and rained. Today the kids are home from school with a snow day even though we did not get any snow. So I sent the kids outside. That lasted about 10 minutes. They said it was too cold. So we are back to being stuck inside again. To keep from going crazy I suggested Hide-n-Seek. Why didn't I think of this before. This game can usually keep us busy for hours. This was the first time we had played Hide-n-Seek at our new house and the kids found some great spots.

Rachel in my kitchen cabinet!

Rachel in my laundry basket!

Kent in my laundry basket!

You can see Kent's arm and his red shirt.

Hunter in my kitchen cabinet. I don't know how he fit in there!

Then the kids helped me make lunch. There is not much better than home made pizza! It was YUMMY!

Hunter makes Pancakes!

2009-02-28T07:52:00.000-05:00

Today I had a nice surprise. Hunter, my oldest, wanted to cook us all breakfast. Well sure! Anytime I can get out of it is great for me. It is also a requirement for boy scouts to fix a meal some time during the year. Today was as good a day as any. Almost every Saturday morning we make pancakes. I thought that would be a great first meal. He mixed, poured and flipped all by himself. I am so proud! He will make some lady very happy one day. There is not much better than a man who can cook.

Happy Birthday Grammy!

2009-02-25T08:41:00.000-05:00

Ok Yesterday we had another birthday. Tuesday was my grandmother's 79th birthday. Once again Rachel and I drove over and had lunch in Cheraw. I am so glad that i live close enough to visit my grandparents often. The visit was a little strange this time. We started talking about my grandparents will. Then they decided to show me what is being left to me when they pass away. Whoa! Wait! You're not going to be there forever!It was interesting hearing all the stories behind some of her possesions but weird thinking that I'm only going to get them when my grandparents are not here. It was very sad. I would much rather have them. But I'm not going to think about that any more. I am just going to enjoy the time I have with them now and try to spend all the time with them that I can. I love you Grammy and Buddy!

HAPPY 80th Buddy!

2009-02-18T10:36:00.000-05:00

Yesterday Rachel and I went to visit my grandfather, Buddy, to wish him a HAPPY 80th BIRTHDAY! Yes, 80th. WOW! It got me thinking about how much he has seen in his lifetime. I was talking about all the activities and toys my kids have and Buddy said they had nothing like that when he was growing up in the depression. He was born February 17, 1929. He has seen the invention of many things such as TVs and computers. He experienced the Great Depression, WW II, and saw a man walk on the moon. His first car was a 1929 "A" model Ford and loved to listen to "Amos and Andy." He served his country in the US Army. Gas was 19.9 cents. Stamps were 3 cents and a movie was 9 cents. He has seen the world but still lives in the same town he was born in. He has been married to the same woman for almost 56 years! He has 3 children, 5 grandchildren and 3 great-grandchildren.

My grandfather is a wonderful man who I love very much. I am so thankful my children are able to spend time with and get to know their Great-Grandfather. I want to wish him a HAPPY BIRTHDAY and MANY MORE! I love you Buddy!

2009-02-14T17:20:00.000-05:00

I would like to take this time to tell the world what a wonderful hubby I have. We have been together for about 7 1/2 years. Through the years we have had our ups and downs but we always work things out. We have defiantly become comfortable with each other but in a good way. We know how to have fun with each other and not worry about the small stuff. We got each other cards for Valentine's Day. Did we get the sweet, romantic, sappy ones? Of course not. We were both rolling on the ground laughing when we opened each others cards. We knew exactly what the other one wanted.

I am so lucky to have Kevin in my life. He gave me two beautiful children and treats Hunter like his own. He is always there when I need a shoulder to cry on or someone to make me smile. I thank God everyday for bringing Kevin in my life. So Happy Valentine's Day Baby! I love you with all my heart!

2009-02-12T14:33:00.000-05:00

As a stay at home mom I try to stay connected with other moms through blogs. I decided why should everyone else have all the fun. So here I am. Ready to give blogging a try. I titled my blog the Mom Taxi because that's what I am. I am 27 years old and the owner of my own mini-van. Now the mom in me is thrilled with my van. I can haul my kids and half the neighborhood around town along with all their stuff. I can go grocery shopping and have plenty of room for everything. I can go to baseball games and practice and can carry all the equipment needed for the whole team. Plus I can separate the kids so they can't touch each other! (MOM HE WON"T STOP TOUCHING ME. MOM TELL HER TO LEAVE ME ALONE!)

But what about the 27 year old in me. She would much rather be in a '69 Mustang convertible with the top down and the wind blowing through my hair. Oh yeah back to reality. I had kids young, got married young and wouldn't change my life for the world. but as I reconnect with my old high school friends who are just getting married and starting to have kids I sometimes wonder what if. What would I be doing now. Would I be climbing the career ladder with a high paying job or would I be traveling the world visiting exotic places. Then the kids run through the door and give me a huge hug and say I love you! That's when I realize I have the best job in the world. i would much rather get paid in hugs, kisses and finger paintings and every night before the kids go to bed we travel to exotic places in the books we read. So maybe things didn't turn out exactly as planned but MUCH MUCH BETTER than I ever could imagine.