...and then there were three

2011-02-06T10:54:00.003-05:00

I'm baa-aaack!! This may be the world's longest post...or really short. I haven't decided yet. At this point my handful of followers know my story, but for the sake of blogging let me bring you up to speed. In the several months since my last post, a LOT of "life" has taken place. Jamie and I went through a somewhat painful, often ugly, dramatic divorce. The first couple of months were the most painful time of my life. I basically realized that everything I had known for the past ten years of my life was almost all completely false. I blamed myself, I blamed him, all the usual stages of something like that. Coming out on the other side of it all, I realize that some of the feelings I went through were unreasonable-but that is a place you have to reach all on your own. Our divorce was final on January 25. I can honestly say that I feel like a different person. I am emerging from this with a new outlook, newfound confidence, and more strength than I ever thought I had. But let me be clear; I couldn't have done it without the support of family, friends, and God. I don't know how ANY of them put up with me through the ups and downs (and believe me...there were TONS!). I'm learning more about myself every day, and I'm determined to be the best Kylie I can be. So here's where I am: I'm halfway through my first year of teaching. It has been a rough year, but I love my job, I love my school, and I love my first grade team. The strain of the divorce (emotional and financial) have been rough. I am in the process of moving out of the house we rent and into my parents' house. It was a decision that I struggled with a great deal, but is ultimately what's right for me and my girls. Living with my parents at 28 years old with 2 children is hardly ideal, but I'm SO VERY thankful that it is an option. We need some time to regroup and then start over. My parents are amazing, and ALWAYS have my back...no matter the situation. Emi and Bailey are as entertaining as ever...which is why I knew I had to get back to blogging! I'm going to do my best to keep it up...we shall see!

Lots happening!

2010-06-28T09:45:00.004-04:00

I'm alive!! There is a lot going on in the Wilson house, let me just tell you! We have been on the run, and I have been a big slacker on my blog! I have successfully skipped vacation and VBS on her, so maybe I can get some pics posted eventually. My sister, Jana, is coming from NC today and staying for the week. Hopefully I can get some good pics of her kiddos and mine. We are SUPER excited!

Yesterday I took some pics of my Aunt Fran's grands. We had a lot of fun, but it was H O T!!! I took close to 250 pics, so it will take me forever to play around with editing. I'm not very good at that stuff...but here are a few. :)

Wow....Melissa is my hero!

2010-05-31T13:20:00.002-04:00

Oh MY! For some reason I decided to try my hand at creating my own layout last night. After MUCH stress and tweaking, I finally gave up and went to bed. I couldn't sleep, and I was determined....so I got up and messed with it some more. I'm sure I don't have to tell anyone, but Melissa Sands is the BOMB! After much instruction I have finally posted the darn thing.....and it was a BOOGER!! Not to mention, I just don't have the eye for this stuff like you do, M. The background is growing on me, but I hate the header. I have to get busy with my camera and get some decent pics! Thanks so much for your help Mrs. Sands.....once again, you saved the day!!

Fun in the Sun

2010-05-30T18:04:00.002-04:00

We got a little crispy, but we had FUN!

The clouds threatened us a bit on the way, but it turned out to be such a pretty day. The WILD THINGS were actually very good....even the WEE WILD ONE! I know I have a biased opinion...but we sure have some pretty babies! :)

Beach Bound!

2010-05-28T22:03:00.000-04:00

We're heading to the beach tomorrow with the DeLoach and Danner crew...dozens of cousins and tons of fun!!

I will praise You in this storm.....

2010-05-27T20:49:00.004-04:00

I LOVE this song! With all the sadness and stress that our community has felt in the last couple of weeks, I just keep thinking of this song. I heard it on the radio this morning on the way to Statesboro at the exact moment when I needed it, too. Isn't it funny how He tells you just what you need to hear? :)

I was sure by now, God, that You would have reached down
and wiped our tears away,
stepped in and saved the day.
But once again, I say amen
and it's still raining
as the thunder rolls
I barely hear You whisper through the rain,
"I'm with you"
and as Your mercy falls
I raise my hands and praise
the God who gives and takes away.

Chorus:
And I'll praise you in this storm
and I will lift my hands
for You are who You are
no matter where I am
and every tear I've cried
You hold in your hand
You never left my side
and though my heart is torn
I will praise You in this storm

I remember when I stumbled in the wind
You heard my cry to You
and raised me up again
my strength is almost gone how can I carry on
if I can't find You
and as the thunder rolls
I barely hear You whisper through the rain
"I'm with you"
and as Your mercy falls
I raise my hands and praise
the God who gives and takes away

Chorus

I lift my eyes onto the hills
where does my help come from?
My help comes from the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth
I lift my eyes onto the hills
where does my help come from?
My help comes from the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth

Chorus

Swimming, and MORE swimming!

2010-05-24T08:13:00.003-04:00

We had a BUSY, but fun weekend! Saturday, the girls had a birthday (pool) party from 10-2. When we left there, we headed over to Reidsville to Aunt Jamie's house for more swimming! Tim and Anna and Peyton were there. We haven't gotten to spend a lot of time with them lately in all of the madness of school, so it was so nice to spend the afternoon and evening with them. Bailey was SO tired when we left--she broke my heart. Both of them said that even though they were exhausted, they had "the BEST day ever!" Yesterday we went over to Mama and Daddy's for more pool time. The girls swam for about 3 hours. I did manage to get my car cleaned out and do a little reading while they were in the pool. The only way I could get them to go home without arguing was to promise to come back after supper! It's going to be a LONG, WET summer!

I'm BACK!

2010-05-17T21:16:00.004-04:00

FINALLY!!!

...and it only took 10 years!!!
Saturday was my LONG-awaited graduation day! Mama and Daddy, along with Jamie and the girls, made the early trip to Mt. Vernon to cheer me on. Afterward, Mama and Daddy took us all out for lunch before heading home. Sunday, Jamie and I took the girls to the beach for some R & R before we tackled these last two days of school.

Today was Honors Day for first grade, so I went to take some pics of the Stooges. This pic makes me laugh and laugh....it sums up their relationship!

Bailey was not happy about the crowd when they came into the gym. She decided to be shy, and kept inching closer and closer to Emi. Emi would move away, Bailey would follow, and Dawson would shift. Before long, there was a lovely gap in the class, LOL.

Both girls received a certificate for exceeding on the Reading and Language Arts sections of the CRCT, as well as meeting their AR goal all four nine weeks. Emi was recognized for attending the Young Authors' Conference, and being Artist of the Month. I am a proud, proud Mama!! I left before Thomas's program, but I will be front and center for Colby's tomorrow! We have some smart cookies in this family!

Here is another pic of the Terrible Trio in all their dignified behavior....

Catching up and some news..

2010-04-12T20:11:00.002-04:00

ARGH!! I am SO behind on my posts! I have tons of pics...I will post them ASAP, but in the interest of getting family off my back, I'm updating. Emi and Bailey turned 7 on March 29. We had a great party the Saturday before, complete with cute luau decorations and a bounce house. I tried to post that very night, and my memory card was corrupt. STRESS!! It took a couple of days, quite a bit of panic, and about $40; but I recovered the pics. I would have been totally devastated to lose all of them! Needless to say, after that fiasco, I was too aggravated and stressed to post. :)

As a sort of late birthday/anniversary celebration, we spend a few nights on Jekyll Island for Easter/Spring Break. We went down on Saturday for the big egg hunt. It was a lot of fun. Monday, we went to the Jax zoo. It was the girls' first trip, and they LOVED it. I was super happy to have my new camera and zoom lens along for the ride!

Now....exciting news! Today I was offered a teaching position for next year!!! YIPPEEE!! I am SO thrilled...I could just burst! Of course, I haven't signed a contract yet, but it looks like I will be teaching first grade at Smiley Elementary. I would love to be where my girls are, but I absolutely ADORE Smiley. It is an amazing school, and a wonderful place to work. God is so, SO good!! To have a job offered to me in April, during a time of furloughs and job loss, when everyone is afraid for their job, is SUCH a blessing! When I prayed for a great day this morning, and the chance to make a difference in my students' lives, I never dreamed that the opportunity would present itself that VERY day!! I have a LOT to be thankful for. :)

March Winds bring.....new clothes!

2010-03-14T12:17:00.003-04:00

Mama and I attempted a trip to the beach yesterday with the girls. I took a couple of outfits and we hit the road to Jekyll. It was Peaches to Beaches day, so we thought we might hit some sales along the way, but the crowds were huge, so we just decided to stick to the original plan. About halfway between Jesup and Brunswick, I got an email that said they were having a big art festival in the historic district of Jekyll. (SCREAM!) As you can imagine, it was PACKED! The wind was absolutely terrible, and even a bit cold on the river side of the island, where I intended to take pics. We decided to put everyone out of their misery and do a little shopping. We ended up going to Savannah and wading through the St. Patty's Day crowd (YUCK). After some supper and a little shopping, we called it a night. It sounds like a wild day, but it was actually a very good day.

On another note, it was Day 2 of meds. Bailey feels sort of yucky about 1.5 hrs after taking it, and she doesn't eat a ton of lunch. However, when it wears off about 1:00 or 1:30, she chows down. We're going to stay at it, but so far we're not seeing much improvement. Day 3 has been about the same....she feels yucky about the same time after taking it. I think we'll definitely be considering time release, but she can't swallow the pill so we've got a while on that.

2010-03-12T23:32:00.003-05:00

Okay, blogging is supposed to be all about telling your business, so I am going to share freely. Bailey started Ritalin today. Big step! I just want to stop for a second and say that I absolutely adore that little booger JUST the way she is...this has nothing to do with hyperactivity or the fact that she's a wild-child (she totally is, LOL). It has to do with the fact that she is no longer completing her school work, and her grades are suffering. To me, that's unacceptable. As a teacher (almost), I see students every day that could do SO much more if they had the little nudge that medicine gives. How can I justify to a parent that his or her child would benefit from medication if I am ignoring the same behavior in my own child?? That being said...this was not a decision that I made easily, or took lightly.

I try to be really honest with my girls. I talk to them about things, and explain things to them the best way that I can. On the way to see Paul Wednesday, I told Bailey that he would ask her about school, and that she needed to answer him honestly about everything, even if she thought it was bad or embarrassing. She asked if she needed medicine (since we were going to see Paul), and I told her that he may actually give her some medicine to help her focus in school. MISTAKE!! LOL! When Paul came in, he asked her how school was, and she very solemnly said, "Well, it's not so good I'm afraid." Paul (bless him) held it together and said "Oh no, what in the world?" Bailey said "I need medicine to do my work...can you give me some?" I was soooo embarrassed! Paul just laughed and gave the best answer EVER! He asked a few more questions and read the paperwork from school and then told Bailey that he could give her some medicine, but that it was HER job to pay attention in school, to do her work, and to make good grades. He went on to say that I knew she wasn't really forgetting all the things that she tells me she forgets, because moms know EVERYTHING! She looked terrified! She wanted to know if he was serious...ha!

He prescribed Methyphen, which is generic Ritalin. Bailey has never swallowed a pill, so we intended to start with liquid. Unfortunately, it no longer comes in liquid, so we decided to attempt the pill. EPIC FAIL!! The poor child gave it a good try, and she was a champ, but that was just not something she could wrap her mind around. She didn't mind it being in her mouth, or knowing where it was, she just couldn't get it DOWN. We'll be dropping it into a bite of something for a while.

We're starting with one dose in the morning, hoping that it won't wear off until after lunch, when the instructional part of her day is over. I waited until today to start her on it so that I can watch her through the weekend, and it will have had 4 days in her system before school on Tuesday. The plan WAS to give it to her at about 6:30 when we leave home. Judging by today...that's not going to work. She took it at about 7:30 a.m.. At about 8:30....she got mad at Emi about something and began to WAIL! It was hard to tell if it was a Bailey fit or a medicine fit, until she was still crying 10 minutes later. She said, "I'm still upset, and I don't know why!!" That completely broke my heart...but I was still optimistic. She didn't seem lethargic at all through the morning, and ate a good lunch. She had me cracking up when she was reading to me, because every time she turned the page, she said "am I paying attention?" LOL!! At about 1:30....she was moving at double speed, and talking at triple speed. She was trying to tell me something at one point, and when I turned to leave the room, she grabbed me by the arm and planted her feet and started rattling it off at about 120 mph. HILARIOUS! I'm thinking that if this continues, we'll have to consider either a) a second, smaller dose during the day, or b) a time release. I'll try to post again tomorrow with our progress.

Any feedback or advise is certainly welcome. Please don't think I'm nutty by posting this....but in the spirit of blogging, I felt like being completely open. It's certainly nothing I'm ashamed of.

Baby love........

2010-03-08T19:20:00.002-05:00

Bailey is SUCH a snuggly baby. She'll come up to me or Jamie and smush her little face right up against ours when we're doing anything. She has read more than her fair share of college papers, just so she could "get a cuddle". Even when I really NEED the arm she's squishing...I tell myself that all too soon those days will be gone. Here's what I saw while I was cooking supper tonight....

(They were looking at pics on Facebook...LOL!!)

Bubble Trouble!

2010-03-07T18:09:00.003-05:00

What a GORGEOUS day!! The girls spent the ENTIRE day in the yard today. They had a fresh bottle of bubbles each (their favorite thing in the world) and couldn't wait to soak up some sunshine. I did take a second to snap a few pics, aren't you proud? Jamie went to the race in Atlanta today, so I took advantage of the alone time to tackle the mountain of laundry I've been accumulating. On one of my trips to the machines, Emi proudly told me they were washing my car with bubbles. AAAGH!! Sure enough...they were blowing bubbles directly onto my BLACK, POLLEN-COVERED car!! Needless to say they got a big kick out of watching me hose it off. I couldn't even be mad at them....it was just TOO NICE of a day! LOL!

After lunch, Brayden (Dee Gravely's little girl) came over to play on the trampoline for a while. They played their little hearts out until I called my two for supper. I don't think it will be too hard to get them in bed tonight. I sure hope this sunshine hangs around for a while.....

A glimpse into our insanity......

2010-03-07T01:13:00.004-05:00

My children cannot behave at school, so we spent a GORGEOUS Saturday inside the house!! Since I haven't posted in several days, and don't have anything major to tell....I thought I would share a few random funnies. (We have a surplus around here)

The girls like to snack on baby carrots (I know...awesome). I keep them in a Tupperware container in the fridge, so they can grab a handful and go. Friday when they got home from school, they asked if they could have a snack. Jamie told them they could, and went into the other room. He said Bailey yelled "EWWWWW!!! Daddy, we have to throw the carrots away--they're ROTTEN!!" On his way into the kitchen, he heard Emi say, "Baileyyyy....those are sausages!" HAAAAAAAHAHAHAHA....it was a container of lil' smokies....NOT carrots!

Bailey informed Jamie that she "doesn't want to grow up--she doesn't want to have a baby cut out of her tummy, and doesn't want to be bothered with kids"....HA!

Emi's "punishment" this week has been to read during her down time. They both love to read, but are too lazy to work on chapter books. Emi was in her room reading for a good half-hour Thursday, and emerged whining "I just can't TAKE any more reading...I'M BORED!!!" I went and got a clipboard and several sheets of notebook paper and wrote, "I will not play in the lunchroom" at the top. I handed it to her and said "fill it up"; to which she replied (cheerfully) "You know...this book is REALLY getting quite interesting!"

During one of the (many) parent lectures this week with Emi....I asked what she thought was an appropriate punishment for her. I went on to ask if she thought Mam-ma and Papa would have let me get in trouble THAT many times at school and go unpunished. Her response was a very thoughtful "that could work", complete with a chin rub. Jamie covered his face and I turned my head until we could get a grip. WHAT?!?!?! That answer did not make ONE BIT of sense.....UGH!! Let me beat my head against the nearest wall!!

I am so very blessed....and so very, VERY thankful for those blessings. But, "Lord, please grant me the patience to DEAL with those blessings!!!!!!!!" (Tammy and I saw that quote somewhere and found it oh-so-appropriate! LOL!

Canvas

2010-03-04T21:45:00.001-05:00

I did this one for a baby shower Saturday. Obviously there's no danger of her seeing my blog! :)

Lazy, Lazy, Lazy

2010-02-28T13:07:00.004-05:00

Can you say we've done NOTHING productive this weekend?!? I have gotten schoolwork done, and a TEENSY bit of laundry...but that's about all I could manage. Jamie and Daddy were both working Friday night, so Mama and I loaded up the chickies and headed to Savannah for some supper and a few groceries. We ended up making a late night of it.

That CAN'T be comfortable...and I know it isn't safe...so I made her sit up right after I took this.

Saturday night we rode over to Sonic for a quick bite...just to get out of the house. We all looked awful, and the girls even went in the pjs...no glamour here!

Yes...she's eating a banana. My girls are not big french fry fans. They ALWAYS go for the fruit option everywhere we go. They love junk food...but luckily they love the good stuff too!!

SO pretty...

2010-02-27T08:49:00.003-05:00

Since I've been driving to Ludowici, I get to enjoy the sunrise each day. If I leave too early, I'm already in Long County in all the trees when the sky is super pretty, and if I'm running late, I miss getting to really enjoy it. But on certain days, the stretch of 301 between 196 and the Long County line is SOOO pretty! I took my camera yesterday to see if I could get a quick shot. They turned out okay--I was too close to being late, and it was TOO COLD to stop and take a really good one...but these get the point across..lol.

Family Portrait...

2010-02-23T19:19:00.001-05:00

Notice the big fat mama and the dead dog........siiiigh

YIPPEEEEEE!!!

2010-02-22T21:21:00.007-05:00

Yesterday I got an early graduation gift. A REBEL!! WHOOOHOOO!! Mama and Daddy got the camera for me, and Jamie gave me a zoom lens. Of course I had to test it out immediately, so I went out to Aunt Sharon's for a few pics. The girls were in NO MOOD...but I did manage to get a few cute ones.

When I came home today, the girls were enjoying a little outdoor time before supper. Jamie and I were watching them and I suddenly said "OH!! I've got to take some pics!!" Jamie said "YOU BETTER!!" LOL! I ran inside and got my new LOVE and grabbed a few shots. Can you just say I am in love with this thing?!?! There is NO WAY my point-and-shoot would have gotten THIS....

OR this.......

Or my personal fave......THIS!

That one totally cracked me up...I was never able to snap fast enough before!!

Tonight I was playing with it and got this one....

Doesn't he look thrilled? Hehehe...

"OMG Kylie that flash is horrible.....STOP" HA!!

Girls night out.....

2010-02-21T09:39:00.004-05:00

Mama and I took the wild girls out for a few pictures yesterday. We went to Loves in Richmond Hill for supper, and while we were waiting for opening, took a few pics down by the river. It is nearly impossible to get the girls to stand still for a split second...and the pebbles certainly proved to be a distraction...but I did manage to get a few cute ones. On the way to RH, we challenged the girls to try something they'd never had for supper. So for an appetizer, they both tried (and LOVED) calamari! Emi ordered (and enjoyed) frog legs, and Bailey tried (and liked) them as well. Bailey even shocked us by grabbing a fried mushroom and trying it. She didn't like it....but she figured since she was enjoying so many other new things she'd give it a shot. The sun was setting as we were finishing supper, so we ran back down to the water for a few more quick pics. Afterward, we went to the mall for a carousel ride since they were so good. :)

The eyes have it........

2010-02-20T14:17:00.005-05:00

My girls have strange eyes...lol. They used to be a really dark, rich brown; but now the flecks of green are making more and more of an appearance. I still think they're super pretty, but I don't think the true colors come through in pics. I have been trying to figure out how to get nicer eyes in PSE, and I think I'm getting close! I took this pic of the girls and Peyton back in July. As you can see, the flash made serious eye issues!

After a lot of playing and tweaking...here is what I came up with in PSE. It's not perfect...but I like it. :)

Don't get me wrong...I won't be editing every pic of my children...I think they're beautiful just the way they are!! But it's nice to know that the little things can be fixed if they need to be!

What do you think?

2010-02-16T22:28:00.002-05:00

Eh...I still have lots of learning and playing to do, but between HOURS of lesson plans.....I took a few minutes to play around with some photo editing. I am DYING for a new camera...but I want to be able to take full advantage of it when I get it (SEVERAL months from now). Wonder if I can buy one for the weekend and return it? Oops...did I say that out loud? (Or worse...in black and white?!?!) LOL!!

Snow?!? Like, REAL SNOW?!?!

2010-02-14T09:20:00.004-05:00

Well, here are our pics of the infamous SNOW 2010! Jamie had to work, but luckily it came JUST in time! I had been watching all evening, waiting for all that yucky rain to show signs of snow. Jamie finally went and jumped in the shower to get ready for work. OF COURSE, the snow came while he was in there! I was standing under the carport watching the rain and decided I should go ahead and bundle the girls up. When we walked out the door the first flakes were starting to fall, so Emi went and yelled at Jamie to hurry. By the time he got outside, the cars where white and the ground was getting there.

Of course we had to catch it on our tongues...

This is a terrible pic, but at one point Emi grabbed a chair and sat down to "relax and enjoy". The next morning ours was almost gone, since we had trampled it to death the night before...
...but Mam-ma and Papa still had PLENTY!
YIKES!! LOL!
I am so grateful that we got this rare opportunity to play in the snow. The whole time, I kept telling Jamie, "I just can't believe it. I'm standing in it, and yet I CAN'T believe it!!" We played and played and played, then had hot chocolate and snuggle time. It was something we may possibly never do again while they are small. I was their age the last time it snowed in Glennville! It is crazy to think that the next time it snows, they may be sharing it with their babies, and remembering this. Hopefully that will NOT be the case!

Flashback......

2010-02-07T15:16:00.003-05:00

I was looking at older pics today, and it just absolutely broke my heart into pieces. I would do absolutely anything to have these days back. I wish I could do a little better, get a few more hugs and kisses, and hold them a little tighter. The pic of Beverly and Bonnell especially broke my heart, since they are no longer with us.

Birthdays, birthdays, BIRTHDAYS!!

2010-02-07T11:49:00.003-05:00

The first of the year is FULL of birthdays for us. January is Papa, my cousin Shanna, and the Danner Duo. February is Mam-ma, Daddy Jamie, Aunt Jamie, Uncle Charles, and Peyton. (Actually Amber and Amanda are tossed in there as well, but we don't get to see them very often.) Thursday was Mam-ma's birthday. We took a little cake and her cards to her Thursday morning before school, since Aunt Sharon was taking her out that evening. Yesterday was Daddy Jamie's birthday. The girls and I made the world's ugliest cake for him on Friday night, complete with ALL 29 candles! We had cake Friday, since he had to work last night, and Peyton's first birthday party was yesterday in Collins (on Daddy Jamie's actual b-day). Peyton's actual birthday is the 10th, which is the same as Aunt Jamie's. Confused yet? So are we. Peyton had a big time, and his party was a big success! I managed to snap a few quick pics.

So to all the February birthday boys and girls...HAPPY BIRTHDAY! We love you all! :)

(Now on to March, which is cousin Logan, cousin Maegan, the Twin Terrors, and our anniversary!) I'm tired just thinking about it!

A little early.....

2010-02-01T21:35:00.002-05:00

Valentine's Day came early! I got this necklace today for my Valentine gift. I ♥ it to pieces! Confession: I picked it out, but Jamie is always telling me to pick things out and I never do. I got it from Oak Hill Designs for CHEAP! I am so in love with it...it's so me! It was really hard to get a pic, but it's two separate discs. The top one just has the "W", and the bottom has all of our names. The necklace is really dainty...not a big chunky dogtag chain! Happy V-Day to ME!! :)

Buddies

2010-01-31T21:20:00.001-05:00

Sometimes they actually like each other! Here's what I found when I came into the living room this morning. (Yes, my babies let me sleep in!)

Feel the love?

2010-01-24T21:58:00.003-05:00

I went in the girls' room to check on them tonight and this is what I found....

They had completely closed off the bottom bunk with blankets...which they do a lot. But when I went around to the end of the bed, I doubled over laughing. They made a WALL between them! You would think it would just be easier to sleep in their own beds...but more often than not, they are together.

In case you're wondering about ALL those blankets...they use every blanket they can find...their beds never have the right bedding on them. They have about six blankets that they choose from, and I just wash them all. They're only little once!

Longest. Post. EVVAH!! ;)

2010-01-23T23:41:00.003-05:00

Prepare for the longest post in history! But to completely understand the DRAMA…you need the whole story. I have always wanted the girls to get their ears pierced. I have kicked myself hundreds of times for not doing it when they were babies; but I just never got around to it. Before I knew it, they were toddlers that I knew could not handle the experience, then wild girls that I didn’t think could handle it. Jamie and I have tried to talk them into it several times, the most recent a few weeks ago. Neither of them even wanted to discuss it. They both wanted it done, but said they’d have it done ”when they’re teenagers”, lol.

We went to Savannah today with Mama and Daddy, since I had to find a birthday present for Peyton, and Daddy needed to do a couple of things. We were at Olive Garden having supper, when Emi announced that she wanted her ears pierced. I almost did a cartwheel I was so excited….but as she has done so many times before, she burst my bubble with “when I’m a teenager”. Well, my hopes were already up, so we began trying to talk her into it. Mama and Daddy told the girls that there may be a prize from Walmart in it for them if they would get them done tonight. Bailey wanted no part of the shenanigans….she just wanted to eat her pasta and keep her body intact. Emi, on the other hand, decided she would go for it. So off we went…..with NO CAMERA besides a cell phone! :(

We went to Claire’s in the Oglethorpe Mall (which was packed) and asked if they would do both ears together—which they would. Emi chose her earrings, hopped in the chair, and talked a BIG game.

Bailey was on the sidelines telling her what a huge mistake it was, and how bad it was going to hurt. I kept shushing her, and she wanted to go look at all the jewelry and things in the store. Mama kept herding Bailey back over to where we were, and eventually she got interested and wanted to watch. The ladies working in that store were not even remotely friendly, and didn’t even attempt to make the experience pleasant. They marked Emi’s ears and POP! they were in. The second the guns popped, Emi yelled “OWWW!” with a shocked look and started to cry just a little. Wellll…Bailey started jumping around and yelling “I TOLD YOU IT WOULD HURT! I TOLD YOU! I TOLLLLLD YOUUUU!!”, which made the charming duo noticeably unhappy. One of them said “you should NOT have let her watch”. Um…’scuse me….they’re MINE! I GOT THIS!! It wasn’t like Bailey was in the market for any earrings!

As soon as we left, I sent a picture to Jamie, who was tickled! He wanted to know why I didn’t make Bailey do it. Welllll….because I didn’t have a straight jacket handy, for one! Secondly, Mean and Meaner were not going anywhere near my other child! NO FANKS! But immediately when we left the mall, I started wanting Bailey to get hers done. So, being the fabulous mother that I am, I told her we were going to give it a shot. Again, all three of us talked to her about it and tried to convince her and ease her mind all the way to the Savannah Mall. The ladies there were nicer….but they didn’t really want to do it with her being so nervous. They kept saying, “why doesn’t Dad bring her back if he’s the one who wants it done?” Again…..I GOT THIS!!! I was not very happy leaving the second Claire’s, and had really made up my mind that I would be sad if she didn’t do it. Also, I knew that she would be sorry tomorrow when Emi had earrings and she didn’t. Sooooo….OFF TO WALMART!

This time, Daddy and Emi stayed in the van, and Bailey, Mama, and I went in. The lady at the jewelry counter said they could do it, but that they didn’t have any consent forms. Just my luck. Bailey could barely stop doing her victory dance to let us get the couple of things we needed in the store. So mean, mean mama decided that she WAS going to get her ears pierced. For her own good, of course. :) I went back to the counter and asked if they could do it without the form, and she allowed me to write and sign a statement on paper (fancy, right?). Bailey was so mad, and she was being MEAN. She finally picked a pair of earrings, and I sat down to hold her. She tried to fight me, she tried to slide out of my lap onto the floor, and tried to push the mirror away from the lady. When she did that, I had to get mean. I can handle scared—I can handle grumpy—but I CANNOT handle my child being disrespectful to another adult. I looked over to find where my moral support went, and she was standing at the end of the counter texting!! I yelled for backup, and Mama came to offer some help. Bailey was crying a little louder every second, and was showing no signs of reason. Finally we just said “DO IT!” and I held her head and Mama held her hands. Lord bless those two ladies…they went for it. One of them was determined to put a hole in her, even if it was in her cheek! Bailey put her head back and SCREEEEAMMMED!! I am absolutely not exaggerating…I saw that scream rise out of her mouth and spread up, up, up, and out across the store, and a hush fell across the front half of the store. Seriously. It was bad. I immediately starting hugging her and telling her it was over, while the lady got the mirror. ALLLLL of a sudden, the little demon started smiling and dancing!! She hopped around saying “that wasn’t bad at all!”. She even told the lady she was sorry, but that she had just been SO nervous. As happy as I was that she wasn’t in pain, and as much as I had wanted to be right…..I kind of wanted to toss her across that store for putting me through that! Needless to say...I wasn't able to take pics of the experience with all the DRAMA!

Here she is being goofy for the pic....

In the end….we got our earrings and prizes, and a VERY happy mommy!!

(Even if I'm the worst one in the world for torturing my child)

Growing so fast.....

2010-01-21T22:23:00.002-05:00

I had one of those sweet mommy moments tonight that just warmed my heart. Bailey went to bed early because she was in BIG trouble (another story...when I'm in a better mood and it's funny) and Emi had been in bed for about 30 minutes. Emi wasn't sleepy because she stayed home from school today and spent the day in bed catnapping with Jamie. She got up and told me she wanted a snack, and I told her no. Just a couple of minutes later I felt bad because she really hadn't eaten a lot for supper; so I decided to do something I NEVER do. I went to their room and propped my chin on the top bunk and was whispering with Emi, about to tell her to get up and I'd make her a little something to eat. Something about those big brown eyes and the way she was talking like a little grown-up just made me giggle. Then she got down and came to the kitchen and she and I sat on stools at the little table and talked while she had some yogurt. It was just so cute, and one of those precious moments when I got to enjoy the company of one child, which is rare. When she finished she rinsed her bowl and spoon, brushed her teeth, and kissed me before going back to bed....and I just had a vision of her turning into a young lady right in front of me as she walked away. I am so thankful for all the blessings that I do NOT deserve! Can't I just turn back the clock and enjoy it a little more?!?

Poor Bailey....

2010-01-18T19:19:00.005-05:00

We had a pretty quiet weekend around here. We...yes, WE got some cleaning UP and cleaning OUT done around the house. I'm trying to prepare myself for starting my student teaching in Ludowici. That little extra time in the morning is going to throw us for a loop I'm afraid. In the wee hours of the morning Monday, Bailey woke up and was sort of nutty...I don't know how else to explain it. Jamie and I got her calmed down and back in bed, only to have the same issue a couple of hours later. Bailey is all sunshine when she wakes up in the morning, so for her to be whiney on a weekend is a BIG red flag. She crawled in bed with me that morning and snuggled against my back like she always does, and I felt like someone put a heating pad on me! After a cool(ish) bath, lots of fluids, and two doses of medicine, she was still ON FIRE--so we headed for dear, dear Dr. T!

She said nothing hurt, she just felt bad...but Paul said her throat looks terrible. She has tonsilitis!! YUCK! We're hitting the antibiotics and she's logging LOTS of snuggle hours. Hopefully all will be well soon.

Workout anyone?

2010-01-16T10:57:00.002-05:00

Both girls are obsessed with the elliptical. Unfortunately, Bailey-boo is just TOO TINY to make it move like she wants it to. Here is her technique: she puts all her weight on one pedal and "surfs" until she can get her foot on the next.....FUN-NAY!

It doesn't take much to entertain me, but this was CRACK ME UP funny....and after watching her do it for quite a while....I decided I just HAD to share!

Foto Friday

2010-01-15T09:54:00.004-05:00

Here are the nerds on hat day today. Can you tell I'm still playing around with PSE? I'm not really sure what in the WORLD Bailey was doing...but this is certainly not a flattering pic! :)

JUST for Wayne and T.J.!!!

2010-01-13T22:57:00.002-05:00

BAAAAAAAhahahahahaha!!!!

Guess "how many"....

2010-01-03T18:54:00.003-05:00

...our Papa is today!?

68!!
We love you to the moon and back! Here's to MANY MANY more!

Happy Birthday!

Lesson?

2010-01-02T19:40:00.004-05:00

"For the five-MILLIONTH time....PUT ON SOME CLOTHES!" (Or your immature daddy will write on you with a permanent marker!) Calgon, take me AWAY!!!

Now....how many of you were slightly horrified when you saw the thumbnail of this pic on your reader?? LOL!

Trying it out......

2009-12-31T21:45:00.003-05:00

Okay I missed out on the PSE par-tay...but I decided to give it a go! Here's what I tried, since this pic came to mind when I was thinking of something with a bright color.

For some reason the bow on the right looks kinda bright...hmmm...oh well, this might be fun to play around with.

NO Tattling!!

2009-12-28T10:50:00.003-05:00

There's a traitor in our midst!! Jamie got a text with the makeover pic that went to ALL the Nighthawks!! Thanks a LOT fellas!!!!!!!!!! HA!

Merry Christmas!

2009-12-25T17:06:00.002-05:00

Ugh...I know that's a terrible pic. It's getting harder and harder to get a decent one. A good camera is going to be my first purchase with my first teacher paycheck! We had Christmas with Mama and Daddy last night, so we have stayed at home today. It was actually sort of relaxing to not have to start getting everyone dressed immediately after opening the last gift. I even managed to cook an edible Christmas dinner! The girls have had such a good time with all of their new treasures. We are blessed!! Merry Christmas to all!!

Super Daddy!

2009-12-23T16:11:00.003-05:00

Jamie is a CHAMP when it comes to being the daddy of two VERY "girly" girls. He gets regular makeovers (we're talkin' daily), and sometimes they are photo-worthy. Here is today's damage....

Is that hilarious?!?!

"Family" Time

2009-12-19T09:39:00.007-05:00

Last night was our little Christmas gathering with "Uncle Jack and Aunt Anna" and "Aunt" Jamie. Hubby was working, so the girls and I went to Reidsville and had finger foods with our other little family. Peyton was looking so sweet after taking his pic with Santa....

After supper Anna baked some cookies for the girls to decorate.

Emi REALLY enjoyed the icing...

We opened presents and played for a little while before leaving little man alone to crash!

Thanks for having us, "Jack" and Anna! We love you!

Are you ready for this?!?!

2009-12-08T15:57:00.003-05:00

Didn't see that coming, did you?? Do you love? I LOVE!

Here's an idea of what we had to work with.
Actually more came off...this is just the initial chopping!

Doesn't even look like the same child does she?

She was SOOOO grouchy after school! After she and I had quite a "run-in", she fell fast asleep in my classroom...probably the best idea!!
Look how darn cute she is!

Big 2-5!!!

2009-12-06T10:05:00.002-05:00

My bonus babies...

2009-12-04T00:42:00.000-05:00

Love me some Destiny and Peyton!

Quick one...

2009-11-30T22:01:00.003-05:00

We're all still kicking! I know I'm a slacker when it comes to posting. Emi and Bailey are entertaining as always...but until I can tell stories into my computer and have them appear on the screen...I'll just keep posting occasionally. It's crunch time with my classes, so I'm swamped. I'll try to do better in a week or two. Here's a quick painting I did...I really like it!

Surprise!

2009-11-23T13:42:00.002-05:00

Look what we found when we walked outside today!!

Sadly, we have no idea when it arrived, but the girls are thrilled, and Jamie and I could not be more grateful. Thank you, Tracy and Melissa; and thank you, Lord, for blessing us with such kind and generous friends!!

Love this one...

2009-11-11T21:08:00.002-05:00

This is probably my favorite picture of all time. This is Jamie and Bailey, the day our lives changed forever. She was so teeny...and she still is our "little" Bailey. I was thinking about this picture this afternoon when she was laying on Jamie's back watching TV. He lays on his stomach and naps in the afternoons, while Bailey lays on her back on top of him, arms behind her head. She lays that way on me sometimes too, and I always joke that you'd never know she was there if she didn't wiggle. I can hardly believe it's been almost seven years since this day...

One of my favorite things...

2009-11-10T19:39:00.002-05:00

I LOVE the holidays! I love the sounds, the smells, the decorations. I love going shopping with Mama, and taking the girls to see lights. Every year I "Elf" Jamie and the girls....it NEVER stops being funny. Here's my first one of the year!

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Free labor??

2009-11-07T06:19:00.003-05:00

I absolutely love this time of year! The girls want to stay outside and play as long as possible because the weather is so mild in the afternoons. No extreme heat, and not too cool. Thursday was one of those days when I had to drag them inside to get them fed and bathed before my chat started. I went out one time to check on them, and Emi was a very busy girl. There is ONE pine tree right in the area of the yard where they play; and she had decided to pick up the pine cones. I watched her for a second before I had to go get the camera...I couldn't quite figure out what she had in her hand....

She was using the plastic carton that sidewalk chalk "eggs" came in to pick up the pine cones, "because they're sharp". Here's the task she tackled (about 1/3 finished).

Here's the pile she started. Quite a nice little pile. I have no clue what she plans to do once they're all piled up. She finished yesterday afternoon....I'll have to post a pic of her completed project.

Have I mentioned I despised picking up pine cones when I was a kid?!?! Yet my girl is doing it voluntarily! Hmmmm

Halloween '09 in review...

2009-10-31T22:36:00.004-04:00

Phew! I am SO glad Halloween is behind us. We had a great time...but I'm exhausted. We went to the nursing home Thursday night to see Grandma and Aunt Elizabeth before heading out to get all our loot...

Then we dressed up for costume day and Trunk-or-Treat at school Friday...

Tonight we went to Reidsville to tag along with Peyton on his first Halloween. He was supposed to be a monkey, but the costume was too hot for the 85 degree weather. I think he's the cutest last-minute scarecrow ever! Getting all 3 of them looking at the camera was a nightmare!!

After just a tiny bit of Trick or Treating in Reidsville, we went back to Jack and Anna's and got comfy and had supper and a great visit. We love "Uncle Jack and Aunt Anna" and Aunt Jamie!!!

Trick or Treat

2009-10-30T08:35:00.001-04:00

I will try to post about our experience later...but here's a quick pic...

More paintings.....

2009-10-25T22:48:00.005-04:00

Here are a couple more...

I need to find a better way to take pics so that you can SEE what is on them....hopefully you can tell what this says...

It's for the Fall Festival Auction.
These are for a teacher's children's bedroom doors. I still may tweak Caralea's name a little, and I am going to wrap the edges in ribbon.

Horror!!

2009-10-22T22:21:00.002-04:00

The girls are starting to spit teeth out like it's nothing! The very first one was about 30 minutes of pure terror because Emi didn't understand what was happening to her. Once I explained that it was normal--exiting even--she retreated to the playroom and came back with the tooth in her hand. Every tooth that they have lost has been easy peazy. The moment a tooth wiggles, they want it OUT! The last on Bailey lost had to be pulled, and I just could not make myself do it. I can remember the yucky sound it made when I was a kid...and I just couldn't make myself pull that tooth. Jamie ended up trying to pull it, and Bailey helped him out. Between the two of them, they finally got it. No wimpy girls here!!

Both of the girls have been trying to get their right front tooth out for about a week. It's been a race to see who could get it out first. Today, I went to get the girls from Mama and Daddy, and saw the grodiest (Word? Sure.) thing EVER! They were eating corn on the cob (a fave) and struggling with it. Both of them were gnawing with the side of their mouth...funny stuff. Emi smiled at me, and THIS is what I saw...

EWW!! My baby had a "Bubba tooth"...lol!! What's worse is, Jamie is out of town...EEEK! I knew I had to pull that tooth, there was no option. Let me just tell you, the "rrrrip" was every bit as bad as I imagined it....but the payoff (the lisp) was SOOOO worth it!! She was ticked that I was teasing her at first, and I explained why she sounded funny. She laughed at herself all the way home, and called Jamie to let him hear how funny she sounds. Good times!!

Tacky?

2009-10-17T21:19:00.002-04:00

This is what happens when I don't pay attention and do a shoe-check before leaving home. Emi is the worst! She is my grocery buddy, and I took her with me to the Pig today, only to notice this once inside. KILLING ME! She's absolutely KILLING me! Once she got all the way to the car before I realized she had on a red and white dress with pink flowered skimmers. KILLING ME!

Wordless Wednesday

2009-10-14T06:27:00.000-04:00

Surprise!

2009-10-11T21:26:00.003-04:00

How much do we LOVE Melissa S.?!? She is just the sweetest (okay she ties her hubby for the sweetest...LOVE those two)! I commented to Tracy D. today that I can never get my signature to work; checked my email a few minutes ago and POOF!..a signature...complete with instructions. Thank you Melissa! And thank you, Lord, for putting such wonderful people in our lives!!

"Friendship isn't one big thing, it's a million little things." ~Author Unknown

Canvases

2009-10-11T12:22:00.003-04:00

Here we go...what do we think??

This one is for Tammy...

An 11x14 flat panel....just because...

Melissa's...I forgot to erase my pencil marks before I took the pic. (YES, I use pencil...I'm not brave enough not to yet)

This one is for a friend of Jamie's. His mother is nearing the end of a 4 or 5 year battle with cancer; and Jamie wanted me to do a Scripture canvas for her. I was panicked about it, and he and I could not agree on a Scripture, so we decided on this one, since pretty much everyone knows this one... I know it's not straight...I'm trying not to stress about it.......

Rain, rain; GO AWAY!!

2009-10-10T22:48:00.005-04:00

I know, I KNOW...we need the rain. But I am starting to feel like a cartoon character with a big rain cloud over me as I walk. We had the rain disaster on vacation; and it has always seemed like all Jamie or I have to do is say the word "trip" and the bottow falls out. We have been planning for almost two weeks to go to Stone Mountain today. They are having a pumpkin festival, and we were going to make a long day trip and visit the festival and see the laser show. Guess what?!? RAIN! With a 60% chance of thunderstorms, we were not about to take the risk and make that trip. Instead, we opted for "family fun day" in Savannah. We left home this morning with really no game plan, except that the girls wanted Cracker Barrel for breakfast. We grabbed breakfast, and decided to go to Flying Frogs. The girls were tickled, and we stayed for a pretty good while. After that, we entertained the idea of going to Tybee to the Pirate Fest, since my girls LOOOVE some pirates. We decided against it, and opted for River Street instead. The girls have never really gone down to the river and seen downtown. I LOVE downtown...minus the crowds. I was noticing all the tourists today, and I mentioned to Jamie that we take for granted how beautiful Savannah really is, and all the history we have right in our backyard. It was sooooo nice outside...a great day for walking around and letting the girls look around. We had lunch at the Shrimp Factory (yummm!) and took the girls to the Candy Kitchen. I managed to take a quick pic in there...and it is a frightening one..lol.

YIKES! Told ya!

I took this one outside waiting for Jamie to pay for their loot....much better!

SECONDS after I took this pic...you guessed it....the bottom fell out! Of COURSE I wasn't carrying an umbrella, and of COURSE we were parked in a garage across Bay St.! I grabbed the girls and ducked under a big awning and gave Jamie the puppy face until he knew he was going out in the rain to get the car. Since it was storming, and the rain was coming down SO hard, we didn't make many more stops after that. We went to the Savannah Mall and went to Skukuzoo, then headed home. I was really hoping they could wear something "fall-y" today, and that I was going to be taking pics of them at a pumpkin festival....but we made the most of Jamie's day off; and got to have a little fun before heading back to school Monday.

Just stuff...

2009-09-26T23:37:00.006-04:00

I have recently started painting. I mean recently. I would not say I'm really great at it, but it's very relaxing, and the more I paint, the more I enjoy it. I have done a couple of signs, a big canvas for Melissa, a pumpkin for Tammy, and most recently; these canvases. Canvases are kind of tough, but I'm starting to get the hang of it. I finished Tammy's that will go in her kitchen, and did these two playing around and thought I'd share.

If I ever finish Melissa's new one I'll post a pic. I need to get her to take a pic of the one she already has. Just felt like sharing! :)

When Mom's Away...

2009-09-22T20:16:00.002-04:00

When I go to class at night and leave the girls at home with Jamie...I'm always slightly unsure of what supper will consist of. Usually, it's typical "Daddy cuisine"; but sometimes he surprises me. For example, the time he made tilapia in pineapple sauce. This morning, he and the girls were discussing the evening without mom (sure wish they didn't all get so excited about it) and the girls requested pizza. They were telling him what toppings they wanted and I assumed he was making a mental note for the phone call he would be making to The Pizza Place. But when I stopped in this afternoon, I found the girls at the table doing homework, and Jamie chopping vegetables! It was such a cute little scene when the three of them started "decorating" their pizzas; I just had to snap some pics.

Side note: The homework you see in the pic is a paper where they had to write "I will not interrupt Mrs. DeLoach or Ms. Jennifer's reading group." BOTH OF THEM!!

Hungry?

2009-09-18T13:05:00.002-04:00

If you don't follow Kelly's Korner, my first question is "Why?". But if you do, you know that today is "Show Us How You Live Friday". Today's post is dinner recipes, and if you are looking for something a little different, check it out! There are tons of great recipes.

Since Tracy posted on Mama's "Family Favorite" recipe the other day, I decided to make it for Bailey and Emi last night. I really don't think I've ever made it for them, which is crazy since I requested it regularly as a kid. I have probably eaten my weight in that stuff over the years. Needless to say, the girls loved it, and ate the leftovers for lunch today (since we're still quarantined). Maybe we can rejoin the world this weekend!

Oink, Oink......

2009-09-16T21:42:00.004-04:00

Okay, obviously the Lord doesn't think I have enough to do with two kids, a job, and school. Emi has the FLU!!! She has been mopey (word?) for a couple of days, and today she had a gross cough, so I took her to Dr. Thompson to be safe. By the time we got there this afternoon, her temperature was 101.6, and she. felt. TERRIBLE! Poor kid, she's miserable. Dr. Thompson swabbed her nose and of course.....FLU. Then he broke it to me very gently that she has swine flu. Lovely. He did go on to say that any flu right now is swine flu, and that I shouldn't be all bent out of shape. It's just like "regular" flu, and you treat it the same way. We left the Dr. office about 4, and by 5 her temp was 103, and she started throwing up. My poor girl. Bailey is absolutely fine....for now. When you have twins, the "well" one is always just a ticking time bomb. Here's a fun fact: Jamie can't stay home tomorrow because he has to go to a class and learn about how NOT to get/spread it. They don't want him to work, but they do want him to attend. Hmmmmm...........

To the best...

2009-09-13T22:40:00.006-04:00

Happy Grandparents' Day to the VERY BEST!! We love you more than we could ever say...and appreciate EVERY single thing you do; even when we don't take the time to let you know like we should!!! I could not ask for two better parents, or better grandparents for my babies!

Let me brag.....

2009-09-12T11:51:00.002-04:00

Last night Tammy and I went to Statesboro for a quick trip to the Hob Lob, WalMart (shoot me), and grab a bite (and a sip) at The Hat...yummo!! Didn't take any pics because Tammy probably would have stabbed me with her fork. It was trickier than you may think to get out of the house with no kids, and trust that they would be fed (Tammy's almost weren't). When I made it home, Mama decided to make one more attempt at getting Bailey to spend the night by herself. At first we got the "No way, Jose!" reaction, but after bribing her with donuts for breakfast and showing her what the room looked like when you leave the closet light on and shut the door, she was sold. Believe it or not...Emi cried all the way home because she would miss Bailey sooo much. When I picked Bailey up this morning, she reported that she slept in her room allll night, and she even used Papa's bathroom (the scary one) by herself. Yipppeee!! Some of you know what a huuuge deal this is, because of all that we've been going through lately.

I started typing this post this morning, and didn't finish. Of course I have a couple of funnies...

1) Emi informed me tonight that the beef stew I made for supper was (and I quote) "the 3rd foulest thing I've ever eaten". That would have really offended me if we hadn't watched an episode of Spongebob last night with that on it.

2) I had the girls tell ME a bedtime story tonight, and here is Emi's story...

"Once upon a time there was a beautiful queen named Miss Kylie. One day she went to the Dr. to get princesses cut out of her tummy, while the king stayed home in bed and watched t.v. (I almost wet my pants...). When the Dr. got her fast asleep he cut her tummy and took the princesses out and sewed her up. When she woke up, she decided to name me Emilyn and call me Emi for short, and she named my sister Bailey (and Bailey piped up, "people call me my whole name, which is Bailey"). Then they came home and lived happily ever after. (I assume the king is still in bed watching t.v.)

Those girls are ALWAYS good for a laugh........

My girls..........

2009-09-09T18:46:00.003-04:00

What can I say?!?! They are who they are...and are not going to change in the near future. Calysta told me today that "Bailey will be the reason they put margaritas on the salad bar"...which I totally agree with.

Jamie and Daddy played a round of golf this afternoon, and Jamie was in the mood for pizza when he got home. Emi is my "shopping buddy", so she and I went to The Pizza Place and placed our order, then went to Alco to kill a few minutes. While we were there we ran into Missi (you made the blog!!). Missi asked if I was missing a child, and Emi whipped her head around at me and said "Do we even KNOW her?!?!" Uummmm...manners much?!? I told her that Missi taught at Aunt Jamie's school, and thought she would turn to Missi and make an attempt at manners...but instead she kept saying "What's her name?" over and over. So much for a polite introduction. Poor Missi....

After that little ordeal, we went to pick up our food, and when Ricky came to the window...super nerd very excitedly greeted him with "HEY MR. HAPPY!!" Happy...Smiley...get it?!? If I had the time to write a book...it would be a best-seller!

As promised....

2009-09-07T18:39:00.004-04:00

More pics from the beach trip...

Where did we get these children!?!?!

2009-09-06T22:13:00.003-04:00

Now I know that Tammy, Tracy, and I have strong personalities...but what did we do to deserve the HARD-HEADED children we gave birth to!?!? We have been planning a trip to the beach for a while to get some pics of all the great-grands (minus Maegan) :( for quite a while. We decided to bite the bullet and do it today. Tracy and I met up this morning and drove to Jekyll. Tammy was at the coast, so she met us down there. After a quick pit-stop, and a stressful wardrobe change, we hit the beach to torture ourselves. OH....MY.....GOODNESS!! Can you just say those children are BRICK-headed?! Miss AC was having NO part of the fun, and Bailey couldn't get over her monumental fear of all things creepy-crawly. We worked HARD for however long we were out there. Tracy tried desperately to get some good shots (which I think she managed), while Tammy tried to maneuver AC into the pics. AC wanted nothing to do with it; Bailey was crying in terror, I was threatening her well-being.......the drama goes on and on. Trying to keep Dawson and Emi focused was impossible; Colby never seemed to be looking at the camera when Tammy tossed AC into the shot; and Bailey was, as Calysta says, "slinging snot for three days". NIGHTMARE!! However, some cute pics made it into the camera somehow!

After that wrestling match, we were off to the beach for playtime. Another wardrobe change, the hike to the beach, and all was well in the world. The kiddos had a great time playing together; and the three exhausted mamas got to get a little sun and adult conversation. We all took a turn chasing teeny-britches to the water's edge...just to keep life interesting. After all the drama, I have to say....it was a very good day. We really enjoyed ourselves. Pics to come!! Here's a cute one I got of Bailey...just so I have a pic on this post.

TGIF!

2009-09-04T06:36:00.002-04:00

I am so glad it's Friday!! I really want to try and make it to the beach this weekend and take some pics. I've been holding out thinking I might borrow a "good" camera....but I think I'll just bite the bullet and go. I have a gorgeous dress for the girls that is FOR beach pics, and I haven't taken any. I'll try to post some pics if I make it.

Miss me??

2009-09-02T22:03:00.003-04:00

Man, I'm just toooo darn busy to post these days!! With school being back in full swing (for me and the girls) I am meeting myself coming and going. I have class until 10 on Mondays and Tuesdays. TEN? Yes, ten. Do you have to stay the whole time? Yes, the whole time. Actually, to be fair, both professors let us go at about 9:45, and act like they've done us a HUGE favor for letting us go early after FOUR HOURS of lecturing. Then I have to post papers on Wednesday for my chats on Thursday, and more papers are due throught the weekend. Is it May yet?!??!

I am LOVING the weather the last couple of days. The girls are staying outside in the afternoons to play, and then they are too worn out to argue about bedtime. Yesssssss! I did manage to run outside this afternoon and snap a quick couple of pics to have something to post.

The first one is just funny. That is Jamie's "perch" when he sits outside with the girls. We keep it simple around here! I have to say...this gorgeous cooler weather makes me want my OWN house so much more! I could just sit outside and enjoy this weather all day.

In case you didn't get it......I LOVE FALL! There is just so much to love! I adore the cooler weather, before it gets so cold it's miserable. I am such a school spirit junkie!! I am soooo excited for TCHS and UGA football seasons to start. I don't even remember what I was watching on TV Saturday, but it made me want to go spray paint a big "G" on the lawn...lol. I even changed the desktop on my computer to a super cute Georgia background. Our class is "adopting" a Warrior for football season, so I'm super excited about making all his goodies. IT'S GREAT TO BE A BATTLE CREEK WARRIOR!! On top of all that, I positively adore Halloween and Thanksgiving. I love fall decorations, the colors of fall, the smells, etc. I love the first day that I actually notice that the leaves have fallen on Henry St. I am an autumn girl!!

SOOOO, now that I have established that I am still alive....I will try desperately to keep up.

P.S. Tracy, I want to see a pic of the finished sign!

Randomness

2009-08-15T08:12:00.003-04:00

Here are a few random pics that I have taken, but never really got around to posting.

This one is before our trip to Savannah for my birthday. I think Bailey took it. She was struggling, so Emi stepped in at one point, so I'm not sure who actually got the shot. Not the best pic in the world, but Jamie and I have NO pics together!!

This one was taken the same day. There is a wind tunnel in the Savannah Mall that blows hurricane-force winds (up to 78 mph). We couldn't resist....I know, child abuse. It was super funny. You get to watch the mph on the screen. They were laughing until it hit about 70, then Emi turned around and knocked. For those of you dialing the authorities....no worries, they aren't trapped. You can open it any time!

This is a random pic of Emi before school. All you have to do is say camera to her, and she turns on the "cheese". Bailey was running ahead, like she does every morning!

This is another random before-school pic. They are so silly!

Miracle Treat Day

2009-08-13T18:26:00.003-04:00

Today is Miracle Treat Day at Dairy Queen. Unless you've been in a coma for the last week or two, you already know that. I can't think of a better reason to give the girls ice cream for supper! Okay, not FOR supper, but supper was very light tonight because we all wanted to do our part. Haha...how noble, right?

Children's Miracle Network is very dear to me. Even though the Memorial NICU isn't technically part of Backus Children's Hospital; I know what it's like for your child to have an extended hospital stay. NOT FUN! The big reason, though, is this little beauty...

October will be 3 years since Chloe's diagnosis; and November 3 years since she went to be with the Lord. Thinking about her still brings back a flood of emotions...mostly happy, some of course are not. I wanted to share these sweet pics, since they are a few of my favorites. The first one is of Chloe in her dedication dress, made from the train of Anna's wedding dress. How sweet is that? This one is of Chloe on her first Halloween. She was in the hospital. She had been through a round of chemo...and look how beautiful.

This one was also taken in the hospital. It seems surreal that the beautiful face in this picture went through so much in the next couple of short weeks.

The Children's Miracle Network raises money for children's hospitals around the country. Two of those hospitals, Backus at Memorial, and Children's Healthcare of Atlanta at Egleston, took care of this precious angel. I feel so honored to have known and loved Chloe; and took great joy in watching my babies enjoy an ice cream in her memory.

All I can say is...

2009-08-04T21:19:00.002-04:00

...there is BIG drama in GES First Grade!!!! I don't know if I'll be able to relay all the stories, and I certainly won't be able to tell them like Calysta. There were about five today; but I am too WHIPPED to tell them. Maybe I'll get around to it. I'll have to video Calysta's afternoon recap daily. Quality entertainment people...QUALITY!! I'm more than happy to pass them along to Tammy this year. Recess the past two days has been oh-so peaceful for me.

First...

2009-08-03T21:38:00.004-04:00

Well the first day was a big success! The girls weren't exactly forthcoming with details; but the general consensus was "WE LOVE FIRST GRADE!" They are in the same class this year, which I SWORE I wouldn't do...but when it came down to choosing...I needed to simplify my life for this school year!

I have said before, and I'm sure you can all relate; that all I hope is that others will see the humor and charm in my children that I see. Luckily, Calysta and Jennifer are laid back and easily amused! I had a feeling Calysta would have little Miss Bailey figured out pretty quick, and I was right. Now we'll see if she can keep up with the 700 thoughts that are all firing in her brain at once. Bailey was chattering away in the car this afternoon, and when I teased her about being silly, she reported in a tone I cannot describe, only imitate in person, that "I am not a nerd, I'm a goofball." For some reason, that brought Calysta to mind, so I asked what Mrs. DeLoach thinks she is, and she replied "a dingaling". DING DING DING!!! Congratulations Mrs. DeLoach....you nailed it in a day!! I can't stop laughing at that child...she's too much.

Emi's tales of the first day weren't nearly as colorful as Bailey's, but she was clearly impressed. She seemed genuinely thrilled with all that transpired. Considering that she refused to go to first grade a week ago, I consider that a successful day!

Here they are before leaving this morning.

There ARE shorts under there...lol

Not much to report...

2009-08-02T20:44:00.002-04:00

I haven't posted in days! We didn't do much this weekend. I finished up a tote bag for Mama, the front of which I HATE!! UGH! Oh well, the back turned out pretty cute, I'll have to take a pic. I haven't so much as picked up my camera in about a week. I'll definitely take some pics of the girls in the morning on their first day of FIRST GRADE! I can't stand it...my babies are getting too big. Someone make it stop! Unfortunately, Jamie won't be around for their big day. He's leaving super early in the morning for Forsyth. He'll be gone all week, poor thing. He hates being away from the girls. My camera battery is charging, bookbags are packed, clothes ironed, and kids in bed. Summer is officially over....sigh.

Such a way with words...

2009-07-26T19:12:00.003-04:00

Jana and the kiddos left this morning. Can I just tell you that all those babies were devastated!! Emi woke up this morning saying "I don't want Tony and Sofia to leave...we've had lots of good times together". Too funny! That girl has such a way with words. I wasn't going to post anything today, but Miss Emi and her quotables.....I just have to share. I fixed her a big bowl of yogurt this afternoon. My girls LOVE yogurt, and the little cup never seems to be enough, so just bought the tubs and dip them a bowl. She chose peach (yum..her mom's fave too) and when I handed it to her, she sniffed it with a big, animated inhale and said "Mmmmmmm, this smells so good! I could just drool on this smell!" For some reason that just tickled me to death. Today was definitely an "Emi" day. She was particularly on her game. Bailey was pretty quiet. It was a good, lazy Sunday. Back to reality tomorrow!!

Can I just be a complete DORK for a second??

2009-07-24T23:33:00.003-04:00

This has NOTHING to do with me or my family...but it CRACKED. ME. UP. I just saw this video on Twitter...and I am DYING!! This is one of the funniest things I have ever seen.

I couldn't help but imagine MY wedding party doing this...YEAH RIGHT!! Can ANYONE see Tracy doing this?? Negative. Shanna B., most definitely...Tammy, doubt it...Brooke, HA! Jamie C. would have giggled all the way. Tracy would have stood on the steps of the church in protest! As for the men...let's ponder that for a moment. Todd, most definitely...Rusty would have done something....Jay, nope. JK was at his biggest at my wedding. He would not be offended by that...it's a fact. Jamie had a boot on his leg. Yes, my darling husband managed to break his leg at his bachelor party. PLUS...I've got two words for you....Jeb Cowart. The mental image of that crew doing something like this had me ROLLING!! Just thought I'd share the laugh!!

MUST read!!!

2009-07-24T10:06:00.002-04:00

For those of you who don't follow Kelly's Korner...I highly recommend it. I had just started reading it when Heidi did her first "Show us where you live" post...too funny. Anyway...I just read her "Just Wait" post and it brought me to tears. We have ALL had days like she is describing. Go read it!

Now!

Why are you still here?? GO!

Have a blessed day!!!

Dozens of Cousins!

2009-07-23T20:24:00.003-04:00

My sister, Jana, is visiting from NC for a couple of days. Bailey and Emi have been waiting anxiously to play with Tony and Sofia. Unfortunately, we were on vacation a couple of weeks ago when Jill's girls, Skyler and Logan, were visiting from Savannah. Hopefully we can all get together soon. Everyone stays so busy!! After supper, my girls and Tony and Sofia went for a swim. Tony had been asking since they got here if he could "get inside the pool". Gaby missed out on this swim...the five hour trip had taken its toll on her, and she was taking her toll on Jana. Here are a couple of pics of the kiddos.

Splash!!!

2009-07-22T19:22:00.009-04:00

BEFORE YOU READ THIS: Please know that if what I am about to tell you makes it back to my husband....my blood is on YOUR hands!! I have mentioned on more than one occasion that Jamie is more than a little psycho about his babies...and he thinks I am borderline negligent at times.

Tina Folsom and I have been planning to take Bailey and Emi, and Reagan and Preston, to Splash in the Boro since school got out. We have never gotten around to it, so when Tammy told us Monday that she and Katey were planning to take the kids today, we just invited ourselves along. It was our first trip, and we LOVED it!! We got there early and found a central spot to set up camp for the day. After a quick review of the guidelines to follow...we (here's where the secrecy comes in) set the kids free. The FIRST rule for my two was to stay with someone from the group. That took about 10 minutes to break. The girls all got out of the lazy river, and Bailey was nowhere to be found. I didn't panic, because she can swim, or simply stand up in the lazy river. However, I didn't miss the opportunity to put a guilt trip on Emi. (I know...Mother of the Year) It only took a minute to find her, and they were on their way again. This scene replayed several times throughout the day. We let the kids play, and took a minute to put eyes on them every so often.

After lunch; Tammy, Katey, and I went to see the boys on the Flowrider. I tried to get a pic of Preston, but that particular ride was pretty short. I think he had been doing pretty well. Thomas had a pretty good ride. He sort of went side to side...but he stayed on!! Then it was Dawson's turn.. His ride wasn't quiiiite as long...haha. The kiddos played a while longer. The boys went by one time as I was trying to find Emi. I could not find her anywhere, and was starting to be ever so slightly concerned. Thomas (I think) allowed that she "was going on the big slide". EEEKK! Alone? She wouldn't. Um..dur...it's Emi. Of course she would. I went over to wait at the bottom of the "big slide"...and sure enough...down came my girl. Big girl had taken her mat to the top right by herself and gone down it. I had no problem with her going on the slide...even alone. I just couldn't believe she had stood in that loooong line all by herself. Here's the line... I didn't take a pic of the slide, so here's the one off of the website. It really doesn't look as big in the pic as it is. After that...I decided to go show the girls the Flowrider, and see if they were interested. Bailey watched for about a half a second, then started looking for the line. She did NOT want to wait her turn... ...but after a looong wait... They finally got their turns! They did SOOO good! The lifeguards swapped between Bailey's and Emi's ride. Emi's video didn't work (AACK!) I was really hoping it would, so that you could see the difference between the two. I think Emi's lifeguard was more concerned with his ~~thinning~~ voluptuous hair than the safety of my child! Lol...it was really funny...he kept doing some kind of weird Baywatch dunk to wet and toss his hair...which I'm sure he thought was HOOOOT; but it was covering a BIG bald spot...hehe. Anyhoo....here's Teeny Britches' video...with the good lifeguard...

That was our last stop of the day. When Emi finished, I went to collect my other child, and get OUT of there….It. Was. Packed. Okay…here is where Wayne Mobley is to STOP reading!!

First…Jamie would have DIED if he knew I let the girls run around on their own for a large majority of the day. That being said…it’s a really safe and kid-friendly place. We had been listening to announcements all day for mothers to come and retrieve their children from the gift shop. I made the comment at, oh, about 11 that Bailey would be “that kid” before the day was over. Not because she didn’t have enough sense to come to our chairs, but because SHE’S BAILEY!! Soooo….when I came to get our stuff after the Flowrider…imagine my ~~lack of~~ surprise when Katey told me Tina had gone to the gift shop to…you guessed it….retrieve Bailey. The NERD had fallen down and wanted to be carried back to me. Instead of (duh) walking, or (double-duh) telling the lifeguard where I was…she asked her to “find” me. Soooo…

“ATTENTION: KYLIE WILSON…PLEASE REPORT TO THE GIFT SHOP”

Shoot me.

What’s really bad is that my very first thought was “OMG…hope the Howell’s are gone…Dale will tell Jamie and that’ll be the end of me!” My girl was FINE…and didn’t see what the big deal was about having me paged. My, oh my. What a day!!

It was tons of fun….with no real mishaps. Thanks for letting us tag along Tammy and Katey!! I know that was Bailey and Emi’s first trip of many!

We're Baaaaa-aack!

2009-07-11T12:17:00.013-04:00

We finally made it back from our vacation. What started as a complete nightmare, ended up being a really fun week, despite the weather being a constant threat.

Saturday, the 4th, Jamie was working of course; so the girls and I went over to Aunt Jamie's in Reidsville for a girls day in the pool. Tim and Anna joined us later, and a few more friends. We had hotdogs, swam, and enjoyed the fireworks from the comfort of Jamie's pool.

The girls wanted to hold Peyton for a pic, after Emi gave him his bottle, insisting the entire time that "he thinks I'm his mommy"...very cute.

We were supposed to leave Monday for vacation. The plan was to drive to Valdosta and visit Wild Adventures Monday and Tuesday, the head to Jekyll Wednesday through Friday. We decided very last-minute to go ahead and drive to Valdosta Sunday night. The girls were good sports, but they were exhausted by the time we got there.

When we got there, we realized that the weather was supposed to be really bad all week. We went ahead and spent the night, and decided to take our chances on Monday. It rained early Monday morning, but had eased off by the time we got ready to head to Wild Adventures. When we got to the gates, though, they told us the park was closing in an hour. Rather than kill the day in Valdosta, and chance the same thing happening on Tuesday, we left for the beach with two VERY disappointed little girls.

By the time we made it to Jekyll, we had booked our condo for the entire week, and convinced the girls that this would be much more fun!

We stopped and grabbed an ice cream...

...and secured our fabulous ride for the week...

Then I headed home to grab more clothes for the four of us. I had only packed for two days in Valdosta, after all.

The next morning, we had some breakfast...

...and headed out for the beach.
There were some loooooovely clouds looming overhead...
...but the girls didn't seem to mind.
We enjoyed the pool. The girls borrowed these floats from a lady at the pool (since they're sooo shy you know).

They even took advantage of the Tiki Hut...
We went to Summer Waves on Wednesday afternoon. The girls had a ball, and Jamie and I finally found a spot on the bench in front of the Hurricane and Tornado and watched them climb up and go down about 20 times. We had some Dippin' Dots (which I LOVE and Jamie tried, but was not impressed with) and relaxed in the Kiddie area.

Thursday, we headed back to the beach....but you can see we weren't going to be there long! The BLACK clouds did make a pretty interesting backdrop for my little beach beauties, though.

Naturally, we got rained out. We had lunch at SeaJays, and went back to "the beach house" to wait out the shower.

Here is what we saw outside our condo after the shower passed.

Late that afternoon, we went down to the beach to look for some shells before the tide came all the way to the rocks. There were fiddler crabs all over the place...and Bailey was positively terrified!

So she picked up this random piece of trash to "whip crabs". HA!

Here is Emi with the "crab whip". Bailey is quite the environmentalist these days, and picked up lots of trash on the beach.

Overall, we had a great week. The weather held out for us until the last day...so we got lots of playtime on the beach and at the pool. We were sad to leave...but it's good to be home.

FUN, FUN, FUN!!

2009-06-30T19:31:00.005-04:00

We spent the day with Tina, Reagan, Preston, and Jacey at Mr. Charles and Mrs. Mary Kate's pool. Jamie was not with us, so we spent the entire day WITHOUT SWIMMIES!!! Yippeeeeeeeee!!!! The girls SWAM, dove, flipped, and played on the slide. It was such a great day. I'll post a few pics later, but here are a couple of short videos of the little swimmers. Consider it proof!

Sorry about the finger over the lens. I. HATE. that. camera. Seriously...with a passion!

As for the swimmers...I can see why they cause Jamie such stress. They are completely fearless. They both do front-flips off the side of the pool...which scares me to death. Emi can do a perfect back-flip off of the diving board; and a no-hands cartwheel into the water. Reagan and Jacey were amazed....they wanted to know where they learned all that stuff. I honestly believe it is because they are so unbelievably fearless. It doesn't occur to them that they can or will get hurt, they just decide to do something, and go for it! Good thing I got my hair colored this afternoon....I have a feeling I grew about 30 grey hairs!

Swimming

2009-06-29T18:32:00.002-04:00

The girls and I had a quick swim this afternoon before the weather turned yucky. I am SUPER proud to report that we are on our way to losing the swimmies. I let a LOT of the air out of them, then took them off when the girls got comfortable in the water for a few minutes. Bailey is quite the swimmer. Emi is not very enthusiastic, so she's not that great...but she's working on it. She can bounce on the bottom, and keep herself up enough to get to a wall. I consider that progress. We'll work on the rest. Needless to say...Jamie was not around for this little swim session. He would be horrified to know that I flattened the swimmies enough that they can put them on and take them off on their own. Oh well, ignorance is bliss! We're going swimming tomorrow with Tina and Jacey, Reagan, and Preston...so I'll try to take a few pics.

P.S. Summer is slipping away...and I've done NOTHING constructive. EEEK!!

Just another week...

2009-06-28T20:48:00.003-04:00

I really don't have anything to report...we've been lazy this week. The girls were goofing off tonight and so I took a couple of quick pics.

Emi...roooooar!!

Please excuse the SHINY face..and apparently I have a lazy eye! In my defense, Bailey was pressing against my face hard, and the flash was crazy bright (something that annoys me about my camera, in addition to the sloooow shutter speed).

I give up...

2009-06-22T20:23:00.001-04:00

These are the pics I took of Jamie throughout the evening Saturday. We went to Savannah for his 10 yr reunion.

Happy Father's Day

2009-06-21T13:44:00.000-04:00

Aubree's Shirt

2009-06-17T22:16:00.002-04:00

Poor little AC is my guinea pig..here's my first t-shirt. Hope you like it, Tracy!!

Fun in the sun!

2009-06-14T23:21:00.006-04:00

We spent the day with our little extended "family" on Saturday. The men played some golf, then we all headed over to the Crews' for some pool time. Jamie has got some SERIOUS issues with the girls being in the pool with no swimmies (even in waist-deep water) so I didn't take too many pics. I HAD to get a couple of Emi...being Emi! If you've ever had the pleasure of witnessing a E/B meltdown...you'd think it's horrible being one of the Wilson twins. But here's proof that it's good to be Emi...

It's a rough life, but someone's got to lead it......

OH!! I have to tell this on Jamie...even though it's a "you had to be there". He really is very funny about how panicky he is with the kids in the water. We laughed at him all day because every time I blinked he was saying "eyes on kids!!!" If we told him to chill out, his response was "that's my BABY!!" Funny stuff....Anyway, Anna put Peyton's swimsuit on him, and I held him for a while in the water (after B&E were gone to Mam-ma and Papa's). I considered dunking him, and thought better of it, because I didn't know how Anna would take it. Turns out, she would have been fine with it. She mentioned how she used to dunk Chloe, and she loved it; so I told her to wait until Jamie was looking, and do it to Peyton. He was up on the patio sitting in a lounge chair, seemingly in deep conversation. When we saw him looking in our general direction; Anna blew in Peyton's face and when he held his breath, she dunked him...very, very quickly! Believe me when I say that you could literally see every muscle in Jamie's body go completely rigid. Peyton LOVED it, but his Uncle Jamie was horrified!! He kept asking for the next 15 minutes or so if Anna wanted him to hold Peyton, and actually threatened physical harm if she did it again.

More bags...

2009-06-12T00:16:00.002-04:00

So I finished Bailey's bag....

I have to say...it started out as a complete disaster. I hated it; which made me sad, because I'm not really wild about the other side already. But after I played with it for a while...it was looking better. Now that the name's on it...I'm actually pretty proud of it. I had a lot of fun doing this. I think I'm going to grab a couple of paint colors here and there and play around some more.

HONEST opinions!! You will NOT hurt my feelings.....I need guidance.

Craft, crafty...

2009-06-11T20:09:00.003-04:00

My girls love bags. I can't imagine where they got it...HA! I found these cute canvas bags at Hobby Lobby, and decided to try my hand at painting them. Here's what I have so far...

Bailey's is painted on the side with pockets. There are 3 pockets across the front (the white dotted part). I don't like the monogram on Bailey's...but I never claimed to be good at this...and the girls certainly don't mind. I haven't decided yet what to do with the opposite side on each. My abilities are oh-so limited!

Busy, but Blessed

2009-06-09T20:59:00.003-04:00

I've been helping Mama at school the last couple of afternoons when I finish with summer school, since she's so swamped. The girls are taking swimming lessons this week. This is the second time they've taken lessons, but that's partially my fault for not pushing them enough last summer. Jamie worked super early today, so he was home when we got here. The four of us decided to go for a swim. We had such a good time. The girls are so silly...and I just love watching them play with Jamie. They are three of a kind! You'll notice the girls are still sporting their swimmies in the pics...UGH! I lost that argument...but not before we did a LOT of practicing. Jamie doesn't seem to agree that they will NOT learn to swim with floats on their arms...MEN!! After a nice long swim, we came home and I put the girls in the tub, while Jamie cooked supper (for the most part). After two swims and a big supper...I am alone in the silence, while the rest of my bunch is knocked out. Have I mentioned that I love summer?!?

Opinions, Please...

2009-06-07T16:31:00.004-04:00

I finally made the first tutu for the girls. I've started the second one, I'm just too ADD to finish in a timely manner. Tell me what you think....

It's actually equal parts pink/black, but it's "pinker" in the pics than I envisioned...so I'm going to go back and fill in a tiny bit more black...

MORE scrapping

2009-06-07T01:09:00.003-04:00

Here are the pics I took of my girls and the DeLoach's on move-out day at Grandma's. I sure wish we had discovered that tree a while back!

Last one...

2009-06-06T22:44:00.003-04:00

Okay...three posts in one day is ridiculous, I KNOW! But I'm super excited, and I wanted to share what I managed to make on my very first day of scrapping. So here we go...I'm quitting for the day!!

P.S. I can't wait to have Tracy take some pics of my girls with her fancy schmancy new camera...EEEK!! Let's plan it.......SOON!

I CAN'T STOP!!

2009-06-06T21:08:00.006-04:00

I know they aren't that great...but I'm just excited that I can DO it...lol.

Learning to Scrap!!

2009-06-06T10:36:00.005-04:00

We've had a very busy week. I worked at Summer School Mon.-Thurs., and the bank on Fri.; while the girls attended VBS each evening. We've been running around like crazy people...so this morning Bailey sleepily asked me, "Will you just stay home with us today?" Poor thing...she's a home body! I have FINALLY, FINALLY figured out how to scrap! The only downside is that now I am really, REALLY wishing for a good camera...and I'm very aware of how few cute pictures I have! I made a couple of pics playing around...so here they are!

We'll see if I get the Sands Seal of Approval!!

Monday, Monday

2009-06-01T21:27:00.004-04:00

I started summer school today...third grade(gulp). Jamie had MFF at Jekyll, so the girls went over to Daddy's for a little pool time. After a short nap and a shower, we were off to the first night of VBS. Everyone seemed to be okay when I picked them up, so I guess it was a success. I snapped a quick pic before leaving, and again when they got home...silly girls

Summer...officially!

2009-05-29T16:41:00.002-04:00

Okay, okay...it's been like two weeks. Lots of things have happened!! True to form, Bailey put on an interesting performance at the Kindergarten Awards Day...but we survived. We have officially completed our first year of Kindergarten (all three of us!). I'm going to be helping with 3rd grade summer school, and working part-time at the bank this summer. I think that will keep all three of us alive, and sane!

Yesterday was our first swim of the summer. We're pretty far behind everyone else, because the pool wasn't opened until a couple of weeks ago, and it's been FREEZING! Turns out, it still is. I took a very short dip, but it was painfully cold. However, the girls didn't seem to mind a bit. Bailey does the same thing every summer. Dips her feet, says "it's freezing", then cannonballs in. They had a good time...it's going to be a great summer!!

Swimsuit 2009

2009-05-17T19:13:00.004-04:00

These two jump at the chance to model...so we did another fashion show today. I think the swimsuit collection is complete for the summer...so here it is...no one can rock a 'kini quite like these two.

I think Emi may have a future in swimsuit modeling!

I took this pic last night after they passed out for the night. Naked again...

Bailey was up early...here she is in her pj's watching cartoons...

Cue the banjos...

Dawson gets a bad rap....

2009-05-13T19:43:00.004-04:00

I was planning to post this before talking to Tammy, but I just got off the phone with her; and she was saying how grumpy Dawson is...so it's certainly appropriate. I think poor Daw gets a bad rap. How can this sweet little face be as bad as Tammy claims? Every time I point a camera his way, he knows the drill..and stops for a split second and flashes his "mack daddy" smile...love that kid! The pics of him in the tree were taken because the little booger was climbing over me and snickering...like I couldn't see him. Tina and I were having a big time with our little man today...

Here are a few of the girls at Field Day, and a few more from recess today.

Parade and such...

2009-05-09T20:47:00.005-04:00

Well, we survived. Bailey and Emi didn't manage to fall off the float, but they did hit a few people with candy. Jamie didn't make it to the parade. I can't be mad, though. He stayed home and did laundry and cooked lunch. I don't mean tuna sandwiches, either. I mean found a recipe, bought ingredients, and had the house smelling like a restaurant when we walked in the door from the parade. After lunch, hair, and makeup; we left for the dreading trip to the festival. The girls did pretty well..I got a very shaky video of their dance...people were stepping over me the whole time. They didn't do as well as they did at the recital..but atleast you get the picture. Overall, the day was a success...but I'm glad it's over.

Here's the fake hair, Tracy...see, you can't tell!