Savin' It For Later

Just a quick post about my little Emmy Kay. If you know her, you know that she always has a snack handy. On this particular day, we were watching the Georgia-Florida game (WIN!) with the neighbors in the cul de sac, and Emily was enjoying a piece of pizza. She got busy, however, and needed somewhere to deposit her slice of pie until a later time. Here is her solution. I love her. She is so adorable.

"You better cut the pizza in four pieces, because I'm not hungry enough to eat six." ~ Yogi Berra

The Monster by Jeff Moss

Each year, Henry County sponsors a Literacy Day event for elementary school children. There is an essay writing contest and a poetry recitation contest. In kindergarten, they really only focus on the poetry part (they are not really writing essays yet, if you know what I mean!), and Caroline chose the poem "The Monster" by Jeff Moss. Here is a link to the text. At first I was daunted because I really didn't think she (or I) would have the patience to tackle such a long (for a five-year-old) poem. I knew that she could do it, i just wasn't convinced that she would do it. Huge difference. Huge. So we practiced and practiced and practiced. I learned the poem and it still gets stuck in my head sometimes. When the big day came for her to recite it in front of her class and teachers, she did very well and was one of the class winners. She then went on to the kindergarten grade level competition and won second place! To say I am proud would be an understatement. Way to go, Caroline! It will be the first of many academic victories for you, we are sure!

 "Yes, every night he found my toes, and that was such a bore, 

he left for good, and now he doesn't bug me anymore." 

~ "The Monster" by Jeff Moss

Bringin' the 80s Back

Every now and then we like to throw etiquette to the wind and just let it all hang out here in our little neighborhood. To celebrate two of our beloved neighbors', Katey and Jennifer, birthdays, we had an 80's costume party - I have to admit that although I was not an 80s teenager (I was more like an 80s kindergartener), I actually really like the music and fashion of the 80s. Maybe not on a full-on everyday basis, but there are certain elements of 80s style that I really like (the chunky accessory, the pointy booties, the leggings, big scarves, hats) and who doesn't love 80s music? I don't care what you say, you might even think you don't like it, but once you start playing that Pandora 80s channel, you just can't turn it off. It's great stuff. We had a blast and (almost) saw the sun come up. Happy birthday, friends!!

Sloane: What are we going to do? Ferris: 

The question isn't 'what are we going to do', 

the question is 'what aren't we going to do?'" 

~Ferris Bueller's Day Off

CELEBRATING POST #100!!!!!

I have aspired to begin blogging for several years - partly out of a selfish desire to indulge in writing again, but mostly out of a more altruistic desire to document our little family's memories and moments in the fervent hope that, one day, Caroline and Emily will look back on these entries and remember what it was like to be young, unhindered, and totally carefree. I am not sure how this blogging adventure will progress and evolve, but I invite you to read, critique, make requests, and enjoy this little window into our hectic, hilarious, and (mostly) happy home!

Stay committed to your decisions, but stay flexible in your approach.
~ Tony Robbins

This is what I wrote on my very first blog entry way back on April 11, 2010. I can't believe it's been as long as it's been since that first tapping away on the keyboard. I am proud of all I've gotten down and recorded. Of course, I'd like to have written 200 posts, but 100 is still an accomplishment. So much has happened in these 19 months... and many of the "little" moments would have been lost to memory had I not taken the time to blog them. I still blog for the girls in the hope that one day they will be able to appreciate reading the entries and remembering what it was like to grow up in our little family. Maybe one of these days I will convert the blog into a book... who knows. For now, the holiday season is upon us and that means lots of blog-fodder! Onward and upward!!

"As for goals, I don't set myself those anymore. I'm not one of these 'I must have 

achieved this and that by next year' kind of writers. I take things as they come 

and find that patience and persistence tend to win out in the end." 

~ Paul Kane

A Scary Vampire and a Sweet Little Pumpkin

We had so much fun this Halloween! As I have said before, I refuse to let Halloween die. It's a precious holiday to me and I find absolutely nothing offensive or dangerous about it. Halloween predates Christianity, so the whole anti-Christian thing is kind of far-fetched. Look around you. There are nasty, evil people everywhere and they don't choose only to do nasty, evil things on Halloween. Christianity itself has roots in paganism. You can make anything evil or Satanic in your mind if you concentrate on it hard enough. One of the saddest things is to plant seeds of distrust or judgment in a child's eyes over a nonsensical holiday.. It's heartbreaking when a child I teach thinks that his/her friends are bad or evil or not going to heaven because they dress up for Halloween. Do your own thing, but remember that kids aren't emotionally or intellectually sophisticated enough to understand things like unadulterated evil and Satanism. Love Jesus but remember that it's okay to enjoy a holiday. I'm pretty sure that you won't jeopardize your salvation by doing so. Now, being judgmental, self-righteous, and poisoning your child's mind against other people, that's more worrisome to me!

Anyway. We dressed up, we made cupcakes, we trick-or-treated, and we will do it all again next year! Emily was an adorable little pumpkin and Caroline was a "scary vampire." We had a blast with our neighborhood crew. Emily wanted to stop at every house and eat her candy and Caroline thought the night should never end! Check out the pictures for cuteness overload!

Scary Vampire

I go trick or treat.

All tuckered out.

Halloween cupcakes!

Caroline, Emma, and Madison

Boo's Coos and Scary Vampire

Mommy and Punkie

"I would rather sit on a pumpkin and have it all to myself than be crowded on a velvet cushion."
~ Henry David Thoreau

Let's Go to the Hop

A longstanding East Lake kindergarten tradition is the 50th day of school sock hop. It's a fun celebration of the number 50 - observed on the 50th day of school, of course - where the kids are invited to dress 1950s style, dance to 50s hits, and eat Moon Pies and drink Coke floats. It's really an adorable sight to see all the little ones decked out in their 50s gear. This year was extra special for me because Caroline was one of the little sock-hoppers! She had a great time dancing with all of her friends and laughing and just having fun. Good times. Here are some pictures of the little cuties.

"You can do anything, but lay off of my blue suede shoes." ~ Carl Perkins

Painting Pumpkins

Well, what can I say, I got lazy this year. For whatever reason, I always end up being the pumpkin carver in the family. Travis prefers to just sit back and watch and I get stuck squatting over a fifteen pound pumpkin wielding a butcher knife and trying not to chop off a finger or stab myself in the eye. Of course, there really is nothing like the glow of a jack-o-lantern sitting on your front porch on a crisp fall evening, so... sigh... I will probably go back to the old fashioned carved kind next year. But THIS year we painted! I had seen so many cute painted pumpkins in Southern Living, at Michael's, and other places that I felt inspired to try it out for myself. Plus, I could get some of the little teensy pumpkins and let the girls paint their own. Success! We had a great time and I must say that I was impressed with my freshman attempt at pumpkin painting. Caroline and Emily painted for literally hours and we had a good, relaxing time admiring each other's work and just talking and hanging out together. Precious, precious memories.

 “But I remember more dearly autumn afternoons in bottoms

that lay intensely silent under old great trees”

~C. S. Lewis

Family Reunion

Grandma hosted a small get together at her house a few weeks ago for some of our extended family members. The day we gorgeous! It was the perfect temperature and Mom and Rick's house and property looked so pretty in the turning colors of fall. We were the late arrivals (hey, when baby's napping you don't go knocking), but we still got to enjoy the day. I'm not ashamed to say that a highlight of the day for me was getting to taste the homemade caramel cake of my childhood. So delicious - it's the kind of thing you don't feel altogether guilty about for eating... the calories are well worth it. Caroline and Emily rode the horses and all of us took plenty of mule (the gas-powered kind, that is) all over the property. Fun times!

“Call it a clan, call it a network, call it a tribe, call it a family. 

Whatever you call it, whoever you are, you need one.” – Jane Howard