A Real Life Kids Say the Darndest Things!

I teach 4 year old choir at church, just in case some of you don't know. I had a good friend come on Wednesday night and her daughter was in my choir. Becca did great, and Thursday morning I woke up to this email:

"Just thought I would let you know that Becca had a blast tonight. She came out saying that she learned about cats and dogs and "how to eat fish without your teeth." Then she said that her teacher has "the most beautiful singing" and that you sang about Jesus and God and college. Thanks....I think - LOL :)"

Becca at a Birthday Party. It was the only pic I had quickly!

I'm really glad Becca had a good time, but man, I wish I had had as good of a time as she did! There are some kids you can put on the witness stand and some you just can't! LOL! I love you Becca!

So...Christmas?

Okay, I am a bad, bad blogger. Now, my sis-in-law and uber cool friend Katie are trying to get me to do Facebook. I know I am the only one on the planet that isn't, but do they really know who they are talking to? I WILL get back to disney, one day. Suffice it to say we had a great time, and I'm already wondering how soon we can get away with going back! I'm thinking 2 years would be pushing it, so maybe 3. We had a great experience, though!

I thought I would get one blog done before Christmas to tell my 2 readers Merry Christmas. I just sat down with a cup of coffee so I can start round 2. The grits casserole is made. I have biscuits and clementines to go with that...coffee, tea, juice. I guess that covers that. I need to set my table, but first I have to finish a present! You read that right! Mom, don't gasp. Yeah, I know you're gonna see this sooner or later. It is 12:30 and I've got to pull out my sewing machine. You know, what I've got to do will not take me long, it's just the pulling out the machine part. Earlier I was thinking of all the wrong and bad things I would do to get a craft room. I would've already went in there and sat down and whipped this thing out, but now I have to mess up my dining room at the last minute. Oh well. That's what I get for being a crafty mom - with crafty kids. I'm making a puppet stage, by the way. 3 to 5 panels with a pocket at the top to hang off of a tension rod. Not hard, but ugh.

I'm looking forward to tomorrow, um, later this morning. I'm pleased with all of the gifts. I'm really looking forward to tomorrow afternoon when I crawl back in my bed and take a nap! I think we are going to let the kids scavenge for their presents, but that does mean 1 more thing to do. It's worth it though. I want to make memories. I want them to say remember when... I just want them to come back home and bring their babies and laugh and remember - and WANT to!

Well, the coffee is gone, and this elf must go back to work! Merry Christmas everybody!

talk later...

Hollywood! Da-dada-dada-dada Hollywood!

The day at Hollywood Studios started off really beautiful. We folllowed all of our advice, directions, and orders and sent the guys straight to Toy Story Mania for fast passes. Well worth it!! We had so much fun. All 6 of us got to ride, and guess who was high scorer? Yup, ME! LOL. Well, later on I found out everyone was helping the child that they were riding with, but not me. No siree, Graycen, you are on your own! I had 115,900 points. Graycen scored a respectable 10,900 all by herself.

We got autographs from Mickey, Bolt and Mittens (from the new movie Bolt), Prince Caspian, and Buzz and Woody. We also got pictures with Lightning McQueen and Mater and Mike and Sully. Oh, we also saw the Block Party Parade. Jadon's highlight was of course, Toy Story Mania and Star Tours. He rode Star Tours twice in a row! We saw stunt shows, but the best show by far was Fantasmic. The only damper was that it was sooooo freezing COLD!! Fantasmic was amazing, but the crowds favorite part was when the dragon lights the whole lake in front of us on

fire! LOL. We were sticking up our hands to warm them. It was spectacular though.

Nothing happened worth sending to Funniest Home Videos. To be honest, we are exhausted, but everyone seems to be hanging in there pretty well. Jadon was funny when the High School Musical 3 show got to rockin' and he just couldn't stand it any more. The funniest part is that he is oblivious! He can kinda move too! LOL. Graycen has done great with the characters, and by the time we got to Buzz and Woody, she was hugging and kissing them both! I was trying SO hard to get it on film and my camera had had it. Out of batteries. I am loving the Photopass people, but this girl wasn't very attentive, and was waiting for the group shot. I want to kick myself for not charging the batteries overnight, but I forgot and had to settle for just while we were dressing. Not quite enough juice. Won't make that mistake again!

Talk later...tomorrow is Magic!

Do you Sea what I sea?

Oh my goodness. I really am having a hard time remembering what happened yesterday, but let's see what I can do! We did not have internet service last night, so I wasn't able to update. We went to Sea World, and it was a beautiful day.

The highlight of the day was the Shamu show. Why? Because my baby was the star! LOL! Breana was chosen as we were walking in to be the audience helper! They took her backstage to make sure she would answer the trainer's questions and she new where she lived. About 1/2 way through the show they came a got her and took her to a box at the edge of the pool where she got a whale tail necklace, told them she wanted to be a cook when she grew up, FED SHAMU, and watched the rest of the show from the box!! I understand that her mom was more excited than she was - she was pretty nervous - but I was beside myself!

We saw every animal at the park - literally! The only thing we missed was petting a dolphin. We had to put it off when we went by because they were being fed and they wouldn't come to our side of the pool while the fish were at the other end. We decided we'd come back, and it just took too long to get back over there. Tentatively, we have a plan to go back Sat. morning just to pet the dolphins.

Well, after we missed the dolphins (and I knew we were chancing it to get back), I sprung for sea lion food. Two trays. Six fish. Eight dollars. You have never in your life seen so much activity! First of all, I have to tell you that there are predatory pelicans and other birds watching for unsuspecting sea lion feeders. Well, Jadon is just the feeder they were looking for! One of the pelicans as big as he is started coming toward him for his fish. He started screaming like a girl, like a wolf had treed him! He throws his fish and we start yelling for him to stop and be quiet!! He is freaking out. Graycen starts screaming. Caitlyn starts chasing the bird. It is mass pandamonium. Finally, we all calmed down and got out of there. At the time, Jason and I wanted to kill Jadon because of the screaming. It makes my adrenaline go through the roof and I feel like my eyeballs are going to explode. Finally, I asked Graycen what her problem was and she says, "That fish hit my leg." Okay, I hope this is comical for you. At the time I was not amused, but we have been laughing about it and reliving it for 2 days. Sometimes to the point of tears. I wish I had had my wits about me to take some video. We could stay at disney for a whole nother month with the money we could win!!

I know I'll remember more details, but this is all you get at 11 p.m. the next night! Our souveniers included bamboo wind chimes and an animal toob for Breana, a big Shamu for Caitlyn, a sting ray for Jadon, and a musical baby "shampu" whale for Graycen. The day and park were beautiful. We'd do it again, birds and all, in a heartbeat!!

Graycen and Isabel at the "Polar Express"

talk later...

Disney World Here We Come!

I am so tired. I mean tired. Really. So tired. It's my own fault, but we are having a great time!

Yesterday, after all day in the car we found our house we are staying in unloaded the vans and went straight to the magic kingdom! We got there in time to see the Spectromagic Parade and watch the fireworks. I got so excited when I saw the castle! I didn't realize how excited I would be! I started squealing and squeaking at the kids. They just looked at me like, "Well, ye-ah! (Read, "duh.")" They were actually really excited too. We started our photopass card with a shot in front of the castle but I think that really you will just see the setting that surrounded us which was CHRISTMAS! They have already begun the Christmas decorations, so that has added a little magic too!

It will take me a while to get a bunch of pics ready, so I'll just post a few.

We got in late last night, but we were all having fun - well Jadon was ready to melt down, but sometimes we just can't count the 5 year old boy.

This morning started early, and we headed for Animal Kingdom. While the dads got fast passes for the safari ride - the name escapes me right now - we went to the information place to get our first time visitor buttons and a birthday button for Jacob (he'll be 8 next week). We all sang Happy Birthday and the cast member had some fun with him. We loved the safari ride, except for Breana who said the radio guy's voice was freaky and she already has this weird fear of bridges so when we had to "go over" one that was falling apart, she got a little tense! LOL. It was really funny. We DID Animal Kingdom! We were right to assume that our crowd could spend all day there, and probably could have spent more, but we were fortunate it closed at 6 because everyone, deep down, was ready. The hightlights of the day were: autographs from Lilo & Stitch, Terk, and Donald Duck; the girls riding their first roller coaster - the mount Everest one - it even got to me a little, so we were proud; seeing the tigers and gorillas, the It's tough to be a bug show, which, thanks to Graycen I only saw 1/2 of! LOL; the Finding Nemo musical show and the Festival of the Lion King. Our souvenirs for the day were pressed pennies which was very cheap of us, but we want them to weigh their decisions. They have been really content and we've stayed out of gift shops.

At the end of the day these were the favorites. Breana: Mt Everest Expedition ride and the Finding Nemo show.

Caitlyn: It's tough to be a bug show! Jadon: It's tough to be a bug show and when we left the Festival of the Lion King, Jadon said, "That was a great show!" He is so cute

Graycen: "Seeing Donald Duck." If the girl ever acts shy, you know she is lying.

That's all for now, I have got to sleep! Tomorrow we are off to Sea World, and maybe a little Epcot. We've discovered we got 7 days of DW park tickets and not 6! Sea World closes at 6, so if we can stand it we may go to Epcot to check out the luminations show. I'll be checking in soon!

Babies aren't babies anymore

My baby turned 9 last week! Oh my goodness! I remember so vividly that day, 4 weeks before my due date to the day, living in our little house in Hogansville, Jason at work at the golf course on a Sunday morning. Throughout the day, I find myself looking at the clock and trying to place what was happening at that time x number of years ago. When I think of it, it feels like my heart is just swelling, it is so full. Breana was born at 4:31 p.m. after a wonderful first baby labor and delivery.

I cannot believe what she is today. She weighed 5 lb. 13 oz., and even though she still looks like she'd blow away in the wind, her hair hangs over 1/2 way down her back in straight silk strands. She is a little tall for her age, and I see the beginnings of her growing into a teenager. She is so creative, and is going to surpass my abilities by miles! She's sporty too. I don't know about athletic abilities, but she has a sporty style. We have now started bribing our girls with money for their birthday instead of having a party, and I take them shopping. She allowed her sister to go this year with us, and Caitlyn chose to wear a fashionable green, belted, turtleneck, short-sleeved sweater with jeans. Breana chose a 3/4 sleeved pull over knit hoodie and matching pink knit gauchos. Both equally cute, but so distinctive in style. I love to think about the ladies they could blossom into. That excitement quickly turns to somberness as I think about all I want to pour into them and train them for in such a short amount of time!

Anyway, we did go shopping. This weekend was opening day of hunting season so Dad wanted to hunt and offered to take Jadon, so that left Graycen going with us too. Breana also invited her friend Jill, from down the street, to spend the night and shop with us. Graycen did wonderfully, which thrilled mom, and the girls were sweet all day. Breana made very good choices with her birthday money. After setting aside some for saving and some for church, she bought 2 craft projects (I hope to be able to report more on them later!) at Joann's, a scooter and a cabbage patch doll at toys 'r us, and a hermit crab with all the accessories at pet smart. After buying "Hermie" her money was spent and so was her attention! She was ready to get home and set up Hermie's habitat. I was just so thrilled we didn't come home with $.88 "treasures" from Walmart!

(Sorry that picture is sideways. I forgot to turn it, and I don't know how to get rid of it! Help!)
"Hermie"

We also had the Rockers over for cake and ice cream and they gave her bead art. That is a favorite pasttime of the whole crew. She wanted a frog themed cake!

Update!

The frame workshop was a HUGE success! There was so much creativity brewing! Everyone had a great time, and I sold so many extra frames that I've got to reevaluate to make sure that I have enough. I am so excited that I have 2 more coming up and know what to expect. This also gave me the confidence to get together a Christmas workshop.

On other business news, you can now order from my website!! That is so exciting for growing business and service customers outside of my area. I now need to try to keep that site updated! Uppercase is growing quickly. I am looking forward to my team growing too!