The Thomas Family

Daddy Daughter Dance

2012-02-09T16:58:00.000-08:00

A Lil' Christmas Music

2011-12-11T12:16:00.001-08:00

Emma Kate and her friends at church singing a "warm up" before their Christmas Pageant on Christmas Eve! We are still getting better from a week's worth of strep, so Emma Kate was not all too excited, but they all did a great job!

The Most Traumatic Doctor's Appointment. Ever.

2011-12-08T07:34:00.001-08:00

Emma Kate is not sick often. She has never had strep and hasn't had an ear infection since she got her tubes at 2. She generally doesn't have a runny nose or a cough. Not that she has always been the epitome of health. Her first year was, well hell, with the asthma and the reflux and the thrush that would not go away. So, I feel like we paid out health dues early on in her life, so I am totally ok with not going to the doctor but once a year.
Speaking of doctors, we are so very lucky that a friend of mine from college decided to be a pediatrician AND move back to Auburn AND practice at the office we were already using when we first moved here. She may be the cutest person on the planet. Emma Kate loves--LOVES--her. She is the LEAST threatening doctor to ever wear a white coat and I swear if I could get my insurance to pay for me to go to a pediatrician, she would so be my doctor, too. This is Dr. Williams (formerly Dr. Mimmimmis.)

I mean, did you ever hang out with your doctor at Toomer's corner after a big victory? Yeah, me neither.

So after a few days of being puny and feverish, I sent Dr. Williams a text message that Emma Kate needed to come see her. We made an appointment for that afternoon. Besides not feeling well, Emma Kate was actually excited about going. She hadn't seen Dr. Williams in awhile and there are always big princess stickers involved.

We went right back with no waiting and the nurse came in and took down some info. We left the room to get the weight/height updated in the chart and I passed by a cute blond pregnant chic. It is Dr. Williams. Last time we saw her, she did tell us she had a baby in her belly, but we had not actually seen her with a baby belly. Now she was officially the cutest pregnant doctor ever.

We all headed back into the exam room. Brooke has the best bed-side manner for kids. She "tickled" EKs ears and looked at her throat. It looked a tad red, and although we had no other symptoms of strep, she decided it would be wise to do a strep test. In all her creativity, she calls it the bippity boppity boo test, where she takes her magic swab and tickles the back of the throat and WALLLAAA, done. Emma Kate had no fear and opened right up. "Ytechhtcckkhhh" She said as Brooke swabbed the first side.

Then the shock.

The lip.

The tears.

"That was toooo hard!!"

Brooke calmed her down and assured Emma Kate that she would be softer this time. She would even do it without the "Popsicle stick." Brooke edged closer to get the last swab when Emma Kate went into full lock down mode. The jaws were clenched. The growling commenced. She was not letting anyone near her throat or anywhere else for that matter.

Brooke, being ever so patient, explained that she had to do it--it would be quick, we would get some medicine and be better in no time. She would not have to miss gymnastics or school or her Christmas party......

.........we waited..........

Nothing. I reverted to threats. Bribes. I even pulled the Sissy card. "You don't want to be so sick you have to miss sissy's visit do you?" If anything would work, it would be the Sissy card.

.......

......

...........Nada...........

I held down her arms and Brooke went in for the swab. Then my child started kicking.....Kicking. Kicking her legs every which way, complete with growls, mutters and I swear I heard a curse word. It looked like an exorcism. As Brooke got closer, I lost my grip of the legs and Emma Kate kicked again.

She kicked straight out.

She kicked Brooke.

She kicked her doctor.

She kicked my very pregnant friend.

In the belly.

Oh. my. gosh.

Brooke, still with the patience of Job, calmly explained to Emma Kate that this was NOT Okay, and that it had to be done. She gave us a "minute" as she stepped out of the room. I have known Brooke for 15 years. She has never seen me flustered, and likewise, I have never seen her angry. We BOTH wanted to be anywhere but there. This was not normal behavior for my child.

I am blaming the fever (all 100.9 degrees of it).

When Brooke returned, it was more of the same. The clenching. The crying, screaming, convulsing. I couldn't do it anymore. We called in reinforcements. Nurse re-entered and I had to stand in the corner and look aways as my child screamed for her mother. It reminded me of the time I helped my grandad castrate a baby cow. It was screaming for its mother across the farm and all the mother could do was pace, helpless, from behaind another fence, and wait. I turned away, and tears flowed down my face. It was a mix of emotions. It was the hurt that my child was in fear, it was embarrassment that my child had full-on high kicked my friend, it was helplessness that I had tried every parenting tactic I had in my bag and could not get my child to JUST. OPEN. HER. MOUTH.

After what seemed like 17 years, I heard the most wonderful sound ever. "YTECHHECKKTT."

Success. The test was done. And it was positive. Strep.

The WONDERFUL Dr. Brooke Bondly Williams had persisted on going through pediatric hell to make sure my non-symptom daughter had her strep test. She even took a kick in the belly. She prescribed some medicine and even brought back a big princess sticker. Then, she kissed my exhausted child on the head and apologized. SHE APOLOGIZED (so did a very sad Emma Kate.....she apologized as soon as Brooke came back into the room. At least I got that Mothering part right). She apologized to my child?!

She is the best doctor ever. Emma Kate is 99% better as of today.

Me, I am 100% sure we are going to get through childhood and adolescence as healthy as possible, because we have the best pediatrician in the entire world, Dr. Mimmmimmms.

Some Gymnastics Photos

2011-12-06T21:26:00.000-08:00

Since MeMe and Hoppy don't have facebook, I decided to upload some pics from EK's gymnastics show tonight.....Maybe I'll get back into the whole blogging thing after a very long hiatus ;-)

Emma Kate vs. The Lemon

2011-03-24T14:54:00.000-07:00

An oldie but goodie...

Valentine's Day- Feb. Project

2011-03-04T11:25:00.001-08:00

I totally thought today's photos would be from EK's Valentine Party at school. And while I did get some cute photos there, she and I headed back to the park. This time I had my camera (and our dog). The first couple of months she had this bike, she was very timid (which was odd). I don't think she understood that she was in control of the bike-instead she let the bike control her. In the last few weeks though, something has clicked. She now speeds through the park, over the bridges, down hills at full speed. That is the EK I expected-no fear. We also did some exploring in our favorite Auburn park and saw some hints of spring!!

Feb. 14-Valentine's Day

Feb 13. Feb. Project

2011-03-04T11:24:00.001-08:00

Feb 13- forgot my camera at the park.

Feb. 12 Feb Project

2011-03-04T11:23:00.001-08:00

Basketball tryouts. The floors before a new season starts--squeaky clean and looked like they could ice skate on the glassy surface. (and since I did not get media releases for the kids trying out, this is the only way I could post a picture of tryouts )

Feb. 11- Feb. Project

2011-03-04T11:22:00.000-08:00

We are knee deep in East Alabama Elite. Tryouts today. See you again in August. (But I admit, I love the kids and love watching MikeyT and Unc coach)

For those of you who have already seen all of February Project-SORRY! These are for the folks that do not get on facebook!

Feb 10- Feb. Project

2011-03-04T11:20:00.000-08:00

Today Emma Kate had lots of surprises. First, I picked her up early from school. She was one happy camper. Then, when we got home, the mail man had left a great-big box with her name on it. It was full of Valentine goodies from MeMe and Hoppy. Then, a knock at our front door?! It was MaMa! She came to take us to Laredo's for dinner! And to think at the beginning of the day I had no idea how I was going to incorporate "surprise" into just another normal Thursday ;-)

Feb 9-February Project

2011-03-04T11:19:00.000-08:00

Emma Kate goes through several clothing and shoe changes every day. Today we had school and then ballet, so I was not surprised with shoes #1 and #2. Then, when we get home, I usually kick off my shoes and relax my feet shoe-free. Emma Kate, however, relaxes by putting on her pink boots. Maybe if I has some really cute pink boots, I'd wear them all the time, too.

Feb 9

Feb 8- Feb Project

2011-03-04T11:17:00.000-08:00

Today I was totally drained, uninspired and just plum tired. So, before I lost all light, I grabbed the camera and in a total of about 20 seconds I yelled "emotions" at EK and told her to make the face. She is a pretty good little actress because without the slightest thought, she went from Sad to Happy to Mad to Scared to Goofy, etc. I was clicking away while she hammed it up. What I learned today: She is just too dern cute to NOT be inspired, so I am already thinking about tomorrow's picture.........

Feb 8

Feb 7- Feb Project

2011-03-04T11:16:00.001-08:00

This was not going to be my picture of the day today, but I took it at 11:52, so it counts. We had a tough, hard and draining day. It was that kind of day where your 2 o'clock appointment gets pushed back to 3:45 and at 5:30 you realize you won't make it to pick up your child in time. Thank goodness for mom and Michael who jumped in a car and picked her up before daycare closed! And they fed and entertained her until we could get home. Even after a yucky day, I sleep easy knowing my fam always has my back.

Feb 7

February 6- Feb. Project

2011-03-03T18:03:00.000-08:00

Today there was enough sunshine to head over to Mom's house with Emma Kate's bike. We rode around the circle and had a great time. Sadly, it seems the weather this week will be cold and wet, so we got all the bike riding in we possibly could and hopefully that will hold us over until the sun comes back.

Feb 5th- February Project

2011-03-03T17:58:00.000-08:00

For the first time in a long time, we had absolutely nothing planned for today. I was excited: we could sleep as late as we wanted, do a little cleaning, watch some TV. After playing a few games with EmmaKate, she headed up to her room. She played so well and so quietly for so long--which made me nervous. When I checked in on her this is what I found.
1. A complete mess
2. ALL the "makeup" Santa brought her lined up on the table
3. A tad too much lotion on her hands and face.

Tomorrow, we will have scheduled events planned from sun up to bed time.

EK loves Hoppy

2011-03-03T12:04:00.000-08:00

The Aubie debacle

2011-02-05T08:16:00.000-08:00

I interrupt the February Project for a very important story.
A few weeks ago, Emma Kate was invited to Aubie's birthday party. It was in the Auburn Arena Scholarship room complete with cake and presents from Nell Fortner, Tony Barbee, and Gene Chizik. Emma Kate made Aubie a birthday card, with a picture of herself and Aubie on the front, holding hands. We took Emma Kate's good friend, Mary McKinnon who has never been a big fan of Aubie (she likes him from afar). The girls were super excited and could not wait for the party. When we got there, we saw a big box of presents on the table for Aubie. Emma Kate wanted to put her card in there to be sure he got it, so we did just that.
Aubie opened all of his presents which took a pretty long time since he has less-than-nimble fingers. The stack of cards got put back in the box, since time was running out, and the lady in charge, said "OK Aubie, that is all of your presents!"
From a crowd of 40 kids, Emma Kate screamed, "NO IT IS NOT!!" but by then the box had been swept away. Then came the tears. I felt horrible. Emma Kate was so excited about Aubie seeing that card and although he would see it eventually, she would not see him see it. I tried to console her. I even asked Aubie in front of EK if he "saw her card" and he nodded yes. Good Aubie.

But EK was still devastated. The whole way home she kept telling me that she was sure he had not seen it and that it had been thrown away. So, I told Emma Kate that we would make Aubie a super-duper Valentine's Day card!! We could give it to him at the Gymnastics meet that Friday. That seemed to suffice her and then she started getting excited about what all she could use to make his Valentine...........To Be Continued.

Day 4

2011-02-05T07:54:00.000-08:00

**I'm really bad at decisions. This whole "one a day concept" is really lost on me. Anyway.....
On Friday nights, you can can find Mom, Emma Kate and me at the Auburn Gymnastic meets. They are fun (and cheap) entertainment! We have a new coach this year and he is really great and super nice. He comes up in the stands and personally thanks people for coming. It is usually pretty crowded and we have a great time. So far this season, all of our meets have been super close, yet we had only beaten LSU. Heading into this meet, we were 1-3 (1-2 in the SEC with losses to UGA and Ark.) Tonight we hosted the University of Kentucky and they were pretty solid. Mom and I were pretty sure they were leading at the end of the meet. Then, in the last floor routine of the night, Auburn Senior Rachel Inniss performed her now infamous routine in which she starts her last tumbling pass with a quick Heisman pose. By now, the crowd knows it is coming and everyone hits it at the same time, everyone goes crazy and she nails her last tumbling run. And with that, for the third time this season, she scores a 9.9!! That score put the Tigers over the edge and it was an AUBURN VICTORY! War Damn Gymnastics!

Feb 4, 2011

Day 3

2011-02-05T07:53:00.000-08:00

I am really bad about checking the weather. Mike is kind-of a weather nut, so I usually ask him at the last minute "what's the weather gonna be tomorrow?" Last night, I failed to ask this question and had no clue until Emma Kate and I walked outside to go to school/work. The car was covered in ice and when I looked in or out of the windows it looked like gaussian blur was applied to them in photoshop.

Day 2

2011-02-05T07:52:00.000-08:00

Emma Kate is not a morning person. It probably is due to the fact that she is not a big sleeper. Last night, I tried to get her to go to sleep at least 17 times. At three in the morning, I woke up, snuck into her room and found her still awake. She had lined up all of her stuffed animals on her bed and was "teaching them lessons." She finally crashed shortly thereafter, and this is how I found her this morning.

February 2, 2011

For those not on Facebook

2011-02-05T07:50:00.000-08:00

I have always been envious of those folks who do the 365-projects. That is, where they take a picture a day for a year and post them on a blog or flikr or somewhere. Some friends and I decided that in our hectic lives that was probably impossible, so we agreed to just start with the month of February. Our rules are a little loose. Post a picture a day in a Facebook folder entitled "February project" incorporating some element of surprise in the theme each day and write a little note explaining the picture. We are on day 5 and so far I am on track. I decided that since I am sparsely blogging these days, I will add the "February Project" here as well. Here is day 1:

I was leaving work on Feb. 1 around 6:00. As I walked across the sidewalk to my car in the parking lot, I came across this reflection. I looked all around and could not figure out where it was coming from. Finally, after much detective work, I found a car parked across the lot, facing my way and they had a mirrored AU tag that was catching the light perfectly and throwing this reflection all over the place. As I looked around, I saw it against a tree and against the Chemistry bldg as well. I only had my cell phone, so I snapped the best shot I could.

Our Life in a Flash

2011-01-26T17:06:00.000-08:00

Christmas and New Year's Review

2011-01-13T07:45:00.000-08:00

We had a wonderful, exciting, fun Christmas morning. I must say, FOUR is a really fun age for Christmas. Once Emma Kate fell back in love with her Elf, Xavier, it was too much fun finding him every morning and talking about what he would do next. Likewise, the Santa buildup was so exciting and I found myself feeling all anxious and jittery like I used to when I was little. I could not wait until Christmas morning when EK came downstairs to see everything her heart desired and then some. It was a great day.
The next day was a tad stressful because we were scheduled to pick up Ashley at the airport and the State of Alabama was having a snow storm! We decided we would do anything we could to get to the airport instead of canceling Ashley's trip, and it ended up being just fine and a tad over exaggerated (imagine that) Ashley's visit was AWESOME and I love seeing Emma Kate and Ashley getting to be normal sisters, even if it is for just a week. Emma Kate adores her big sister and Ashley is so good and patient with her. It was a wonderful week, that ended with a super-fun New Year's Eve celebration with all the cousins. Although we were so sad to see Ashley go back on Jan. 2, she has decided to come her for her Spring Break this year and that is only 8 weeks away!! When you say it like that, it is a much easier pill to swallow!!

There was a Haircut today

2010-12-18T21:27:00.000-08:00

But, it was not planned. It was similar to this one....I came home from shopping and Mikey T was enjoying a deep slumber on the couch. The house looked like a tornado had come inside each room and scattered books, wrapped Christmas presents, toys and glitter (yes GLITTER). It was a disaster area. I was too (mad) concerned with what happened to Emma Kate's head to think about taking a picture of the disaster area. I immediately asked Emma Kate to look at me. There was a clean cut above her left ear. ABOVE the ear. I demanded to know where the hair was, like maybe if I found it in time we could put it on ice and it could be reattached. She told me in a whimper that she had hidden it under her pillow upstairs.

We headed straight to the hair salon, where they attempted to "fix" the situation without having to give her a full blown mullet. Here are the before and after.

And before you think she has the Auburn version of chicken pox, those are self-applied mini-AU tattoos on ever part of her face, including her eyeLID. She told the haircut lady that was for when she winked at her boyfriend Aubie. Oh, and in case you are wondering, I am finally talking to Mikey T again.

Turns Out, I am Really Bad at Hiding Gifts

2010-12-16T08:22:00.000-08:00

I really need to apologize to this guy. He trusted me with a job and I failed miserably....here is how it all went down...

Last night, Ma-ma, Emma Kate and I were chillin' at the house eating some chik-fil-a. My sweet, innocent child politely asked if she may be excused to go upstairs and watch Wizards of Waverly Place, her new obsession. So proud of my sweet angel, I said, "sure" and thought nothing more of it......until I heard.....

EK: HEYYYYYYYY MOM and MaMa, You will never believe! I found all of this great stuff that is mine.

Immediately, my mind is racing. Did she find some old toys we packed up to take to Salvation Army? Did she just look in the black hole that is the other side of her bed and find toys and hairbows she has been missing for months? Because surely.....CERTAINLY....she did not find any of the things Mommy had been hiding on behalf of Santa Claus. Right? RIGHT?!??

While I looked at mom in the "OMG this isn't happening panic mode" look, Mom reacted with poise and calmly said, "What? What is it? Let's see?"

My child carefully walks down the stairs holding a stack of toys, all brand-spanking new, ranging from board games, to Disney Princess books and makeup, to art supplies. She is carrying it with pride and the grin reaches from ear to ear. She keeps telling us that it is the stuff she found and it is hers.

I then go into, "No, silly! That is for Ella Grace and Stella and Mary McKinnon. That is where I keep their birthday and Christmas presents. In fact, you have to pick one to give to Stella at your party Friday!"

This was not acceptable. "No, Mommy, they are mine and I found them! --ENTER TANTRUM HERE.

Of course she was devastated. These were not random presents. These were all things HAND PICKED especially for her based on her likes and current obsessions. It was like going into a candy store and then being told you are insulin resistant and cannot have any of it (and I know how that feels-another post).

And I was equally as devastated. Luckily, her bigger surprises are either still at the North Pole or hidden in DECENT spots, unlike the stash she was now holding in her arms.

Luckily, I think we have escaped in major catastrophes. We will be giving some of these to Toys for Tots on Saturday, some to friends and some have been wrapped as gifts from Mommy and Daddy. Anything else remaining in the house will be sent to MaMa's until December 24.

We Elfed ourselves again.

2010-12-15T11:49:00.001-08:00

I look forward to this every year....

The Crazy Thomas Elves

Sleepy Time....

2010-12-12T21:58:00.000-08:00

Emma Kate has never been a great sleeper. She just goes 100 mph from first thing in the morning until late at night. Bedtime has gotten better, thanks to this......

It is liquid gold..er...I mean melatonin and it's ok, this lovely lady recommended it.....

That is my sweet friend, Brooke. We were sorority sisters back in the day and now she is Dr. Mimmimmis (Williams), Emma Kate's pediatrician. We love her and Emma Kate NEVER dreads going to the doctor, because she loves her as much as I do (and she knows there is always a princess sticker waiting for her).
For at least the past 18 months, maybe longer, Emma Kate did not go to sleep until midnight or later. It was as if she just couldn't turn her little brain off. We had tried everything, schedule changes, bedtime routines, reading, singing, sound machines, all of it. And still, she just could not get to sleep. Once she fell asleep, she would sleep like a rock, but getting there was impossible.
Dr. Mimmimiis has worked with us for awhile trying to get EK on the right schedule, and finally, she suggested that we try melatonin. Now, they do not sell melatonin anywhere in town in any form other than tablet, so Walgreens was nice enough to order it. The next day at noon, I spent the BEST $4.10 I have ever spent.
Now, we are fast asleep by 9:00. 9:oo pm. It is like a whole new world for us. She is happier and easier, and I realize that those hours between 9-11pm, when I used to be frustrated and exhausted, can be used for laundry, sewing, facebooking, or even NOTHING. I have caught up on my favorite shows and cleaned out my DVR.
Now, Dr. Mimmmisss hopes we are not on melatonin too long. The hope is that Emma Kate's brain realizes how much it likes sleep and adapts to the new schedule. But I will happily shell out $4.10 again if needed!!!

Xavier's Epic Fail

2010-12-10T14:23:00.000-08:00

I could not wait for the return of our little elf, Xavier. I was ready for him to assist me in the "going to bed" issue we have in our home. There was a slight tweaking necessary, because when Emma Kate talked about her beloved Xavier, she mentioned that he had freckles. Now, the Xavier I remembered did not have freckles, so Xavier stopped by Santa's workshop for a quick freckle makeover before heading the the Thomas home. So, last week, Xavier decided to show up in the Christmas tree that is in Emma Kate's room.
I went over to her bed and tapped her little shoulder as she slept. I told her that it looked like she had a visitor in her tree. Before her eyes opened, a grin spread across her little face. She had been anticipating his arrival as well and I could tell it was going to be one of those heart-melting moments when she opened her eyes and ran over to fine her little elf friend there to watch over her until Christmas. Except, it didn't quite happen like that.
She did eventually open her little eyes, peel out of bed and run over to her tree. Then the conversation went south. Her cute little glow turned into a wretched red-faced-monster.

EK: MOMMA, she screamed, on the verge of tears, THAT IS NOT MY XAVIER!
Me: No, Emma Kate, it is! See, he even has (perfectly placed) freckles!
EK: (now crying) NOOOOO! Those freckles are FAKE. You just painted those on some dumb toy elf!!
Me: (now also on the verge of tears) No, Emma Kate, I did not paint freckles! I mean, who would PAINNNT freckles on an elf???
EK: Well, I dont know, but that is not my elf. My elf is bigger and real-er. That is just a toy.

Oh my. This was going south and getting there fast. In her mind, her elf was a magical little creature with "real-er" features and much bigger. Reality was disappointing her something serious. I was not ready to have the "I don't believe" talk with my recently-turned-four-year old. Instead I attempted (failing miserably) to change the subject, and hurriedly get her ready for school. We went down stairs and the first thing she told her father was that I was "being so mean and teasing her about a fake Xavier and she didn't like me anymore but she still loved me because she loves me even when I am mean and teasing her about her elf."

Mikey T tried (also failing miserably) to diffuse the situation by claiming that maybe Xavier earned a new outfit and that he only looks fake when we were awake and that since no one knew how he got into the tree, he must have flown, proving he is the magical Xavier we all know and love. But. She. Was. Not. Buying. It.

We decided to send Xavier back to his home for a few days so that he could think about what he had done and with the hopes that the absence would make Emma Kate's heart grow fonder.

A few days later, Xavier did indeed return, to Emma Kate's delight he was high above her doll house and there was no logical way he could have gotten there short of being a magical creature that flies. She pronounced that "Maybe Mommy is right, maybe that is the real Xavier!" Since then, the crazy little elf had made his rounds and shown up in crazy places at crazy times. Emma Kate now adores her little-fake-looking-not-real-er elf and looks forward to finding him each day......and this momma can breathe a little easier, until next year.

It's official

2010-12-10T10:55:00.000-08:00

My child officially loves Auburn more than I do. And I didn't think that was possible. During the SEC championship game, she slipped while wearing her fancy new "Cow Gore (she cannot pronounce girl, so it is Gore, as in Al)" boots." She was very upset and ended up falling asleep. We were watching her closely and waking her up every hour to make sure it was not a concussion. It wasn't. But, since she was still very much asleep when the AUBURN TIGERS claimed victory over the Gamecocks in the Championship game, Mom and I decided to head to Toomer's without her while the Michaels (Mikey T and Unc) stayed behind to watch her.

Mom and I went and it was glorious. It was like a snowfall over the corner of Magnolia and College Streets. There were a gazillion people there, so I took some video and some pics and we headed back without even throwing the first roll of toilet paper.
A few hours later, now about 9:30, Emma Kate wakes up and wants to know first and foremost is her beloved Aubie and Cam won the game. When we explained that they had, she immediately demanded to go to Toomer's. I did not know if anyone would still be there, so I agreed to bundle her up and she and I would head over to take a glance.
Glancing was not good enough for Emma Kate. At 9:45, we parked the car and she ran to the corner and threw three rolls of TP into a smaller magnolia tree behind the big majestic live oaks that were already covered. There were still plenty of people there. At one point we walked down to Samford Hall and the official Auburn sign, where she proceeded to pose and cheer for all who walked or drove by. She shouted "WAR EAGLE" at every passing car and when we heard sirens, she immediately knew that it was her team "returning home." As the buses full of football players, cheerleaders and band members cruised by, she about flipped out. She demanded that I take her to the corner--not so she could see them, but rather, so "Aubie and Cam can see me and know that I am here." (Because I am sure they were wondering.)
Mikey T made his way over about 11:00 and we finally wrapped up the celebration party with a few more tosses of toilet paper and a few more pictures. I was worn out, but of course Emma Kate asked when we would be back.........and I told her Saturday after Cam wins the HEISMAN!

December...

2010-12-09T17:17:00.000-08:00

is MUCH better than November, but super busy! I promise to update soon........ In the meantime, if you order a gazillion pictures like me (and photobooks, calendars, etc) and you are NOT using ARTSCOW, you are paying TOO much. Use this link to sign up and get 1200 FREE prints and 3 FREE photobooks just for signing up!

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November Rain

2010-11-25T19:57:00.000-08:00

I have always loved that song. That is what November always is....rain. Constant. Aside from a few very important birthdays, which I will blog about in December, Novembers always suck. This November has taken the trophy of worst November ever. I have lost a friend and mentor. A close friend lost their child. There are people I love dearly that are hurting. I constantly worry about one of the most important people in my life. It has been long and hard and I will be glad when it is over. Just a few more days.
HOWEVER, there have been some moments of pure joy in this month, and for that I am grateful. Here are a few snapshots from the month.......

Halloween Sneak Peek

2010-10-29T15:25:00.000-07:00

Emma Houdini

2010-10-26T13:49:00.000-07:00

I have been looking back at old pictures to prepare for Emma Kate's 4th birthday post (let's not talk about that, it cannot be possible that she is 4.....or only 4.....I'm not sure which). Looking back I remember that baby girl never liked restraints. At four months old, she inched her way out of her pumpkin seat while I took a 3 minute shower.

At just over 6 months, the DAY I had knee surgery, she decided to go mobile and crawl. At 8 months she scaled the first of many baby gates and hurled herself to the other side. At 10 months she pushed a box over to our front door, crawled upon the box, turned the doorknob, pushed the box back away from the door and crawled down the front stairs into a pile of leaves in the front yard, which is where I found her. At eleven months, she learned how to undo the buckles on her forward-facing car seat and when I looked in my rear view mirror I saw her standing up in the back seat waving at those behind us....on the interstate. (This is the famous day when I used packing tape to get her home safely) She walked to her 1 year old birthday party like a pro. At 14 months she could unlock deadbolts and get out any front or back faster than we could get to her.

At 16 months, she snuck out of Bean's house and was at MaMa's front door before we knew she was even gone. Luckily they were only two houses from one another. At 18 months she was in a big girl bed for good, since she just crawled out of her crib or pack-in-play.
Additionally, she never wanted to be in the ride, unless she had control. She had a zebra with wheels that she would ride down the hill at full speed at 18 months. She never wanted to be in the wagon or car, only pushing or pulling it.

I could go on and on, but I think you get the point. Well, it seems old habits die hard. Last night, she wanted some candy and we told her no. Five minutes later, this is what I found.........

Serious Tailgater

2010-10-19T08:28:00.000-07:00

Emma Kate loves some Auburn. We have known this for awhile. Recently, however, her love for Auburn has grown leaps and bounds. Maybe it is the excitement in the air for this year's football team. Maybe it is the excitement in the air about the new arena. Maybe her and Aubie are getting serious. Whatever the reason, it is hilarious to watch. And let me tell you something else, girl knows how to tailgate. She gets up early on Saturdays and lays out her Aubie Cheerleading outfit, with matching bow and shoes. She helps dad pack the cooler and then grabs her shakers. Once we park the car, she INSISTS on pulling the cooler, which is bigger than she is. She wants NO help (we get a lot of mean looks-people think we are making her pull it!!) Once we get to the tailgate, she is the most popular gal there. She hugs and loves on everyone there-- related or not. She watches football on the big tv and plays football with the boys. She goes non-stop until gametime.

Once in the game, she watches the band and the players. She cheers WAR EAGLE when the eagle flies and she puts her hand over her heart when the National Anthem plays. She knows and sings the fight song and all the cheers (BoddaGetta is her favorite). Then....she watches the game. No really, she watches the game. She knows what it means to get a touchdown, and extra point or a field goal. She knows what defense is and cheers GOOOOOOOO AUBIESSSSSSSSSS TEAMMMMMMMMM as loud as she possibly can. Occasionaly, she will spot her boyfriend and say, "Der is Aubie, he is so SILLY," and then she watches the game again. Ususally, she makes the entire game. This past week, our row was a little crowded and she and MaMa headed back to the tailgate early. After the game, she plays some more and we have to practically tear her away when it is time to leave.

She has all that love for Auburn football. You would think it was her favorite, but now, at least once a day I hear "Mom, when is it Aubie's BASKETBALL time?" Soon, Emma Kate, very soon.

Goo Goo

2010-10-14T14:32:00.000-07:00

Emma Kate picked out a great pumpkin at the patch. It sat in the pantry for three days, waiting to be carved. I am pretty sure that Mikey T was more excited than Emma Kate about the potential pumpkin carving. One evening, I send him to the BBQ place to pick up some supper. An hour later, he came home with some Subway sandwiches and a Pumpkin Carving Kit from Wally-World. Since it was late, I made the two children in my home (Mikey T and Emma Kate) wait until the next day to commence the carving ceremony. The two could barely stand the 20 hour wait. We picked out a rather easy pattern and went to town. The result is one Pumpkin named "Goo Goo" and two very proud carvers. (And one momma with LOTS of pictures!)

A real post coming soon.......

2010-10-11T12:28:00.000-07:00

......about the nightmare that is bedtime in our home. In the meantime, here are some pictures of our crazy weekend.

Aubie's Horses

2010-10-09T16:32:00.000-07:00

Emma Kate has the life. The child has something exciting (and usually FREE) to attend almost every weekend, and almost every day of every weekend. I very much agree that Auburn is in the top 5 places to live in the US, as claimed by many polls. This weekend is no exception. Yesterday she went to the pumpkin patch with her class, today it was an Auburn University Equestrian Meet and tomorrow it will be a picnic with Aubie and the Auburn soccer game. There are always AU tattoos or face painting, bouncy houses and music. But today, there were even pony rides. Except when we go there the "ponies" were actually Aubie's official Equestrian Team horses. This was the first time Emma Kate has ever been on a horse (several pony rides) and it made this former-horse-riding momma very happy.

The Pumpkin Patch

2010-10-08T13:11:00.000-07:00

Today was Emma Kate's field trip to the Pumpkin Patch in LaFayette. Both Mike and I went with the class. Mike played with the kids, and I stayed behind the camera...

Aunt Debbie

2010-10-06T09:39:00.000-07:00

She was kind and funny and loved Auburn more than even I love Auburn. More than Auburn, she loved her family and if you were lucky enough to even just know her, she loved you too. (Even the Alabama fans, she didn't agree with you, she felt sorry for you, but she loved you just the same.) My very favorite Aunt Debbie story, and I have many, is this:
I was a student at Auburn and I lived in the Hill dorms with my sorority sisters. I had talked to Debbie the Friday before the an Auburn home game and she and Mike and Ashley were driving in from Texas. She told me that they would be at ESPN Gameday and I should come find them there on Saturday. This was before everyone had cell phones, so I told her I would see them there. I had never been to or seen ESPN Gameday, all I knew was that it was at the Coliseum. My friend and I walked down the hill towards Gameday, and I see a sea of people at the bottom. People as far as I could see, wrapping all around the Coliseum. How in the world would I find them? It. Was. Hopeless.
"What does your aunt look like,?" asked my friend.
"Well, she does have red hair, but there is no way...."
"Does she look like that?" and my friend pointed up at what appeared to be a human totem pole.
I looked over and I saw my Aunt Debbie, on some guys shoulders, who, was also on some guys shoulders. She was passionately trying to get Lee Corso's attention, to let him know how wrong he was about her beloved Auburn Tigers. She was determined, and she would have succeeded, had the State Trooper not made her "get down immediately, ma'am." It seemed human totem poles were a bit too dangerous in crowd of that size. When the State Trooper left the scene, however, Debbie catapulted right back up there.
Yep, that is my favorite Debbie story. One that will always make me laugh when I think about it. But it is not what I will remember most about Debbie. I will remember the way she loved my mom, my brothers, my husband and me. Most of all, I will remember how she loved my child. Emma Kate loves her Aunt Debbie and understands this tragic loss better than any of us grown ups. When I told her that Aunt Debbie went to live in God's House with all the other people that she has loved in her short little life that have passed away: Chase, Uncle Paul, GiGi, she got really mad. She told me I was lying and that Aunt Debbie had to come back to be with Uncle Mike. She hit me and told me I was telling a story and that Aunt Debbie was not at God's House. She cried and I cried. And then, she calmed down, hugged me and told me that she missed Debbie, but that God needed her to come home. I, trying to help a 3 year old find comfort, told her that when we went to Aubie's next game, we could look up in the the clouds and know that Aunt Debbie was there too. Emma Kate wiped her eyes and told me that that was not right. She informed me that she was quite sure Heaven was in the moon and that Aunt Debbie would watch over us every night. And with that, she was content.

I pray that the rest of my family can soon find contentment in knowing that Aunt Debbie is there, watching over us, and that she is healthy and happy and waiting until the day when we all join her. Whenever I am having a hard time with it, I just turn to my very wise 3 year old.

Just a few cars....

2010-09-08T09:17:00.000-07:00

Emma Kate is well rounded. She loves to dance and loves to wear a tutu. She also loves books and her new favorite spot is the library. For a long time, books ruled our home (which I loved). Books were all she really ever "played" with. In the bed, after dinner, in the morning...it was always books. But, books are now a close second.....behind.......cars. The girl is obsessed with anything with wheels. She was also getting hooked on candy....so we started substituting rewards of any kind with cheapo toys. She always chose a matchbox car. Now, we have so many we cannot even count them. And, like books, she lines them up. By size. By color. By whatever her imagination decides. She never really "vroom vrooms" them. Just lines them up and admires them. It's a little OCD and a little hysterical. The funny thing is, she has car collections everywhere. At Ma-Ma's house, Bean's house and MiMi and Hoppy's house. She knows every car at every house and everywhere it is the same thing....."Can I play cars?"

Happy Birthday BEAN!

2010-09-03T08:27:00.000-07:00

On September 1, my grandmother turned 79. Seventy-Nine?! The reason I can broadcast that for the blog world to see is because she has always looked about twenty years her junior. And she has acted like it, too. The night she turned seventy nine years old, Emma Kate and I ran over to see her and her sister, my great-aunt Frances and Frances' new apartment (it is is an awesome assisted living community in Auburn). Grandmother, or as Emma Kate calls her, Bean, spent 30 minutes hula-dancing with Emma Kate and then carried her around on her shoulders and back for a little while. That is just not normal. Anyway, just wanted to tell Bean: Happy Birthday!!

Tis the Season!

2010-09-03T08:19:00.001-07:00

I hear ya!

2010-08-17T11:14:00.000-07:00

I have had some complaints that my blogging has gone by the wayside, and for that I apologize. We are back on schedule at the Thomas household, so I hope to be a more-regular blogger. Promise. Maybe.
So you may remember this post where I was so proud of delivering my Auburn super-star to Emma Kate and taking "the lead" in the race to be the coolest parent (chill out, we really do not compete to be the coolest parent). But Sunday at Auburn Fan Day, Mikey T took over the lead again. Big Time. Even Hoppy, a huge Alabama fan, was impressed.
The day didn't start of so great. It. Was. Hot. And the line to get into fan day was LONG. And outside. My superstar friend Allyson got us past the line and in the door, but once there it was a free-for-all. There were long lines inside the new (still unopened) AU Arena to see all the AU athletic teams. And hour at best for Aubie and at least 30 minutes for the cheerleaders. To Coach Chizik and boys of fall? Two hours. Yikes.
But hey, we are a basketball family and we did get to see the Women's and Men's Basketball Teams and Coaches.

But Mikey T was not satsified. He really wanted to see the new arena, inside--on the floor. But guards were staintioned at every exit and entrance and stairwell. There was no hope. Mikey T is tight with one of the players, a superstar all his own, Frankie Sullivan. Mikey T asked Frankie if he thought we could get through the crowd to just see the arena floor. Frankie looked doubtful, but told Mikey T to find the Director of Basketball Operations, Coach Mike.

Mikey T did and Coach Mike was amazing. Once Mikey T told Coach Mike that Frankie sent him over, he acted as if we were VIPs. He took us past the guards, through the security and passed locked doors. He was so excited to show is the new arena floor, the scholarship seats and even the Men's Locker Room. He gave us all a private tour of the facility--it was great. Mikey T was so proud, and Emma Kate was in AWE.

So yes, Mikey T has officially surpassed the Krissy Voss experience. I will admit defeat, but now if I can just figure out how to get Bo Jackson to come to EmmaKate's birthday party.

Two months later

2010-08-05T09:46:00.000-07:00

The summer was so crazy-jam-packed that I have not blogged in nearly two months. So, lets go over what has been going on with the crazy Thomas crew....

The lady at the haircutting place gave Emma Kate bangs. Without my consent. Looking back, my reaction was slightly over-the-top. Just slightly. Now they are cute and made the summer months easier without hair-in-the-face all the time. I guess it worked out. Hmmm.

Ashley-Sissy cam for a whole month. Emma Kate was in heaven for a whole month. It was fun having her here. It was also good training for when Emma Kate turns 12. It's a whole different ballgame.

We visited with all our family. Mikey T's brother and fiance came to town and we swam and watched fireworks and ate a lot. We also spent time with my brother and sis in law and the many children they have produced. I LOVE when the cousins get together. I have so many memories of playing with my gazillion cousins in the summer time. Every time I see my children with their cousins, it takes me back many years and I smile.

Mom and I decided to go to the beach. It was a quick trip, but we both needed to see our favorite place in the whole world, just to get us through the school year.

I turned a year older. Mike and I celebrated our 5th anniversary.

Ashley turned 12.

Mikey T and Unc broke away from the Mighty Mighty Raptors and started their own team, the Auburn Elite. They entered two tournaments in a harder league. The were runner up in the first. The second was dangerous. Playing in Atlanta against talent they had no business playing against. I knew it was going to be nasty, so I didn't even go. It was an overnight trip so EK and I stayed home while Mikey T and Unc took the team and Ashley to ATL. And they won. The. Whole. Tournament. It was in the paper and everything. Mikey T and Unc were vindicated and I was proud. Turns out, Mikey T and Unc are really great coaches. Hmmm.

That is our summer in a nutshell.
And today, I feel like summer is officially over. Emma Kate started her new preschool today. More on the later.......

CONGRATS!

2010-06-18T07:56:00.000-07:00

A big congratulations shout out to HOPPY for winning the 2010 "Thrilla in Trusvilla" MI Cup! ;-)

Remembering...

2010-06-17T18:27:00.000-07:00

This weekend I will travel to a little town in the black belt of Alabama called Benton. It is where my family will be. It is where we will remember her....

It is confusing that she died in November, but we are just now having her memorial. But, that is what we are doing and it is what we should do. We are a large Irish family with Catholic roots, which equals LARGE. My Ma-Ma and Pa-Pa had five children, and amongst them, they have 16 children (plus some stepchildren) and amongst us we have 8 children (plus some stepchildren). So, our immediate family is huge. When I got married and had a "small" beach wedding with family and close friends only; 99 % of the aforementioned Gallagher clan was there. Thus, my "small" wedding had over 100 guests. Most of them were direct decedents of Ann Kennedy Gallagher, my ma-ma. All of her children, most of her grandchildren, and all of the great-grandchildren to date were there.

We span the country and the globe. When MaMa passed away on November 10, that large family of mine was spread far and wide. Some were in China. Some were in Ireland. It just was not right to memorialize my MaMa without everyone there. So, this Saturday, we will all travel to Benton, home of the youngest of Ann's daughters.

It will be sad. It will be emotional. It will be healing. We will cry. But we will also laugh, because that is what Gallaghers do when together. It will probably be at someone's expense- at time's even mine (that is the Irish humor) and it will be fun.

But most of all, we will think of her(MaMa) and be there for him (PaPa) and eachother.

Last time I saw my sweet MaMa, she took her last breath and since that night, I have been holding mine until this service. It will feel good to let it go, to finally feel the emotions- good and bad.

So, prayers for my family would be appreciated this weekend, but don't feel bad for us because after the mass, we will be laughing.... a lot.

Catch-up

2010-06-17T11:35:00.000-07:00

I have plenty I could blog about, but I just don't have time today. I really hope to catch up on posts next week...until now, I will just say that Ashley Fay is coming in two weeks and there is one happy 3 year old in my house. Yippee!

Happy Birthday MeMe, Grandma, MeMaw, Mom, Marcy!!

2010-06-08T09:42:00.000-07:00

It is my mother-in-law's birthday today and we just want to tell her

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!! We wish we could celebrate in person!

We love you and cannot wait to see you again really soon!

Beach and Basketball!!

2010-06-02T13:46:00.000-07:00

We are back. We did not see nor smell any oil, but it is my understanding it has reached Fort Morgan today. That is so sad because it was beautiful while we were there.

We soaked up every possible minute in the sand, stuck our toes in the water, went ghost-crab hunting and watched a lot of basketball. It was perfect and I truly hope I can go back soon and enjoy the same Gulf!
Emma Kate and Hoppy are IN LOVE. They can sit for hours playing in the sand and be perfectly content. It makes me so happy.

Thanks MeMe and Hoppy for a great long weekend at the beach!!!

Oil Schmoil!

2010-05-26T11:42:00.000-07:00

Today is my last day of work for a week! We are headed to the beautiful beaches of Gulf Shores! Mikey T's basketball tournament is there and we are headed down with Hoppy, MeMe and maybe Ma-Ma. We are staying away from all the tournament action so that we make this a vacation with basketball, not basketball with a little vacation.

We are staying at one of my favorite places on the planet, The Beach Club. So, you can imagine I have been obsessed with the oil spill since it happened and how it would change my plans. I have watched, researched and bugged my "Aubie's scientists" until they are ready to dump me in the oil! And after all that, I have come to the conclusion that our trip is not a complete loss (although we will not be floating in the surf--thanks Biology Department for the head's up!) and we are headed down as soon as I pack up!!

Don't get me wrong, I am devastated by the spill. My most favorite childhood memories are on the Gulf. It is where I played in the surf with my cousins from sun up to sun down. It is where my brothers and I made drip sandcastles EVERY time we went. I only have a few good memories of my father and most of them are at the beach. It is where my cousin Ashley, my brothers and I realized a strange genetic trait about our feet ;-) It is where I realized my fear of bridges extends to piers. It was where I went on my first roller coaster ride and where my 8th grade crush broke my heart on our gym assistant's trip. My UMYF youth group would go every summer and I would come back with new friends and a deeper faith. In 1993, my mom took Michael, Danny and Me to the beach and allowed us to each take a friend. I took my boyfriend. Danny took his girlfriend (she is now my sister in law). Twelve years later to the month, I married that boyfriend on the white sugar-sand beaches of Fort Morgan.

The beach is like my second home. I have gone every year as long as I can remember. I love everything about the ocean. I have been to other beaches around the world, and the pristine beaches of Northern Florida and the South Alabama are my favorite.

So, I was so saddened to know that Emma Kate would not enjoy the same memories that I would at the Gulf. But then, I realized, looking back, that all of those memories were about the people there with me and less about the water itself. I will miss floating 50 yards out talking to my mom about everything under the sun and freaking her out by telling her something is biting her toes (when it is just Danny sneaking up behind her under the water--classic and gets her every time), but I will still enjoy every minute of my trip. I will take beautiful pictures of my little girl; I will laugh with my husband and family; I will cheer on our basketball boys; and I will close my eyes at night and listen to the waves roll in. And I will add new memories to my collection, oil spill or not.

Sweet MaMa in the 80's

Gulf Shores, here we come!!! Go Raptors!

Vote for Emma Kate!

2010-05-26T11:07:00.000-07:00

Click on the link and vote for Emma Kate! She is number 22!!!!!

Giggles and Coos Contest

Hot and Stinky.

2010-05-18T09:14:00.000-07:00

Do you know what that title is referring to???? Our trip to the zoo last weekend!!! We thought it would be wise to take eleven 2 & 3 year olds to the Montgomery Zoo. It was fun and crazy. Very hot. The hilarious thing is, the kids' favorite two spots? The random stage in the covered pavilion and the playground (which is like one of the 170 free playgrounds in the Lee County area).

Mikey T gets a "Dad of the Year Award" because he was one of three dads in attendance. The men came in handy when it was time to lug the cooler around. Mikey T has always been like a Daddy Daycare around little ones and the zoo was no exception. Here is a shot of Mary Mckinnon and Emma Kate with Mikey T. Mary McKinnon affectionately calls Mikey T, "Uncle Mike."

Although it was hot, the kids and parents had a good time and I really liked the Montgomery Zoo. It was smaller than the Birmingham Zoo, which is where I went growing up, and that was a GOOD thing will all the little ones!

Wrangling Cats...

2010-05-06T08:23:00.000-07:00

There is no better phrase for the attempt to make a cute, group photo at Ella Grace's birthday party. After 45 minutes of jumping, tumbling, flipping, running, hopping and playing, we tried to get a "group shot." Maybe we didn't think that one through.

In this first attempt, it looks as if once we get everyone seated, it will be a piece of cake. Check out Alisha in the far left. Nice.

Mr. Frank tries to show everyone where to go, while the girls and Landon sit patiently.

Everyone but the Birthday Girl is ready to go. Well, and Mary McKinnon making a silly face (under Mr. Frank)

Mary McKinnon returns to pretty face, while Omar makes an escape up the back. Mr. Frank catches him just about the time Ella Grace decides to tumble off the side.

So close.....Half were in silly face mode and half were in pretty face mode. Mr. Frank now has Omar in his death grip. Wooohooooo, Ella Grace! Over here!!

Semi-Success!!! I have no idea where Omar went, but at least everyone IN the picture is looking in the same general direction and has smiles on. Time for CAKE!!!!!

Rain, Schmain.

2010-04-25T12:24:00.000-07:00

Auburn City Fest was planned for Saturday, but so was the biggest spring storm to move across the Southeast so far this year. City Fest is a rain or shine event, so we hoped to get in a little fun before the rain came. Emma Kate and I headed out about 9:30 We had one little shower, but we stayed out there until 12:30.

We had a lot of fun and look forward to it again next year!

Slow Down Right Now

2010-04-21T12:29:00.000-07:00

After a whirlwind month of March, I took a break and took a breath after Mikey T's birthday. I was looking at pictures of Emma Kate and realized that she is not a baby anymore. Um, excuse, me?? When was someone going to tell me that? I knew it would happen, but it is shocking when you actually realize it has happened. She is has a full vocabulary and is completely potty-trained. She can entertain herself and for the most part knows that markers and scissors are for paper, not hair and walls. She has official chores and is actually helpful. It is exciting and devastating at the same time.
So, after a crazy month full of moving, egg hunts, Easter, basketball, playdates, family visits, and birthday celebrations, we actually had a few days where we had absolutely nothing to do. That is when I decided to be a "yes" mommy more.
I realized I spend a lot of energy telling Emma Kate "no" when she asks me to stop and play with her, read her a book, fix her a snack, go outside, or any thing else she dreams up. Then we have a battle for thirty minutes on why I am just soooooo busy and she needs to find something else to do. Instead of all that negative energy, we could have spent that thirty minutes doing some thing fun, sufficing her and feeding my soul. I realize that too soon will come a time when she no longer wants me to do "arcs and cwafts" or read her "just one more book. no two. no free, cause I am free (three)....no just four, four books."
Then I will look back and see that the laundry could have waited, or the dishes could have stayed in the sink a little longer.
So, we have been doing an activity every day when I get home from work. We have colored and made necklaces. We have made cards and baked cookies. Monday, when she asked if she could put glue on her hands, my knee-jerk reaction was "Ew, gross, no! That is going to be a mess to clean up." But then I thought, "Why not?? Of course you can put glue on your hands! In fact, I will too!!!! And then we will peel it off together and laugh and have fun!" So, just the other day, we covered our hands with glue and waited for them to dry. Then we peeled it off and giggled so much it hurt. A good hurt.
Now, when I am cooking dinner and she asks if I can play dolls with her, I don't say no. Instead, I say, come up here and help me stir. Then we make a big deal about how she "made" dinner.

These are simple things that I always intended to do with my child, but somehow life got in the way. I am so glad my heart finally jumped ahead of my head and figured it all out.

(Picture on the top is this year's Easter egg hunt, picture on the bottom is last year's.....**sigh**)

Every night at dinner (I do insist that we eat at the dinner table as much as possible), after we say our blessing, we all ask eachother what our favorite moment, saddest moment and funniest moment of the day is. She usually says the same stuff, but just the other night I asked her, "Ok, Emma Kate, what was your favorite moment today?" And she thought very hard with that little crinkle between her eyes. I fully expected her to say "When I went to school or when I went to the basketball game." Instead, she looked right up and said, "Right now," and then Mike and I both said, "That is mine, too."
We are still crazy busy and barely hanging on most days, but at least we have slowed down enough to just enjoy "Right now."

When good plans fail.....eat Mexican

2010-04-16T09:31:00.000-07:00

I had planned a surprise for Mikey T's birthday. Have been thinking about it for weeks. I was going to rent one of the gyms in town, and let Mikey T think a gym had become available for an extra Mighty Mighty Raptors practice (which is much needed, I might add. They are starting the season off...a little....um....slow) All the basketball boyz were going to be there, except we would have a beautiful 34th birthday cake and pizza...lots of pizza...basketball boyz love pizza. We would yell surprise and laugh and have fun. We would sing happy birthday and eat and they guys would all shoot basketball. That is how I pictured it my head for weeks.
Except, as it got closer, I was running out of options. Gyms all around town were not available ro CRAZY expensive. That is fine, I thought. I will find an outdoor goal with a covered patio where we can eat and laugh and sing and all that stuff mentioned before. But, with every outdoor goal, I found a broken rim OR a sign that says "For residents only, tresspassing not allowed" (there are a lot of apartements in a college town).
So, I changed my plan again. I would just invite the basketball boyz over to our house. We would eat and laugh and all that jazz, minus the basketball. But, there is no parking for 12 cars at my house. And we have nothing for 12 twelve-year old boys once the pizza is gone.
Sooooo, we decided to move it to Unc's house, where there are big screens and playstations. Except, we would have to cut down the numbers to just a few basketball boyz, and who do we leave out? Who do we invite? As the day loomed closer and closer, the plan fizzled out to four boys coming over to eat a pizza and play playstation. And they didn't have rides, so we would have to go get them, and it was a Thursday and I was working late........plop.
Thursday afternoon, the day of the birthday, there was no pizza. No gym and no cake. There was no big party and NO surprise.
Mikey T was over at Unc's house when I got off work and I called to see what he wanted to do? Could I at least cook his favorite meal? He was at the pool and perfectly content to stay there.
Mom stepped in and decided that we would go to the Mexican place in town and at least have a birthday dinner.

AHHHHAAAAAAAAAA, my chance at a surprise. When Emma Kate announced to the entire patronage that she needed to poo-poo (yes she still announces it...loudly), we snuck over to the waiter and told him about a birthday. He asked if it was for the "nina?" "Oh no," I told him, "the 34 year old man at our table!."

Ten minutes later, there were sombraros and drums and a loud rendition of Feliz Cumpleanos!!! I HAD surprised him! Not the pizza-basketball-cake contraption I had envisioned, but a birthday surprise nonetheless.

Emma Kate was on her A-game, keeping us laughing with her little sayings and funny reactions. At one point Mike was leaning on her and she yelled at him to get off of her. He said "But it's my birthday." And she said "Happy Birthday, but I am not yo PRESENT," with attitude.

So, it was a successful birthday. It was not the super surprise I had in mind, but it was family and laughter and it was just right.

P.S. When you live in a college town where there are an unbalanced number of 21st birthdays celebrated, you don't get a free bowl of ice cream or flan. You get a tequila shot. Probably why he asked if if was the "cumpleanos de la nina."

Long Time, No Blog.

2010-04-15T12:34:00.000-07:00

I know, it has been ages. And I would like to tell you I am going to take this opportunity to catch up on Easter, Basketball and such (even a Beauregard Beauty Pageant), but I am not. I am just going to take this opportunity to tell my best friend to have a very happy birthday.
This guy....

turns 34 today.

We don't have anything big planned, but we have a big weekend that includes Auburn football and seeing the new Auburn Arena.

So what can I say about this 34 year old man? I love him. We laugh, a lot. Our years together have been a roller coaster, to say the least, but we have always been fans of thrill rides.

We are a lot differnt. And we are a lot alike. We love sports, especially youth, high school and college sports. He taught me to love golf and I taught him to love to travel. He is a great daddy....just ask these two.

So, HAPPY BIRTHDAY MIKEY T.

We love you.

Even though you are old.

My AWESOME nephew.

2010-04-07T06:45:00.000-07:00

Pledge HERE

My work Peeps!

2010-03-26T12:42:00.000-07:00

I love the ladies I work with here on the second floor of the COSAM building! I am the baby of our bunch, but whenever a young lady turns 60 on our wing, they are treated to a ride of their life!! It started with my suite-mate, Betty, who turned 60 two years ago. The gals surprised her with a trip to her favorite lunch spot in the back of the Auburn Rickshaw. If you have been to Auburn on game-day, you have seen this guy out and about, earning his living!! So when the second of our lovely ladies was nearing the big SIX-O we planned the same special treatment without her knowing. She was surprised to say the very least! As she rode in her chariot through campus and downtown, we were in the car behind her honking the horn (to make sure EVERYONE saw her) and snapping quick pics with our cameras!
We had a fun time and a great lunch at 5Guys!

Early Easter Present

2010-03-24T17:41:00.000-07:00

We took Emma Kate to Monkey Park to have her Easter pictures taken by a local photographer. It is a great deal and if you are in the area, you should use her!! For a VERY low fee, she takes about 75 pics and sends you the CD with a release so you can print them any way you please. I got the CD in the mail today and tweaked them a bit with Picassa editing. I love them!!

Girlfriends

2010-03-23T08:25:00.000-07:00

Girls just have to have girlfriends. It is an unwritten rule, I am sure. It is funny how my friend Allyson and I have known each other for so long, yet it took us having little ones of our own to become close friends. Mary McKinnon and Emma Kate are hilarious together. They see each other at school and at church and other times when we throw them together as an excuse to have some of our own "girlfriend" time. Every time they see one another, they run, squeal and hug like it has been weeks since they last saw each other. It has usually been no more than 24 hours. In an hour's span the will have 14 fights, three tantrums, 17 hugs and at least one physical altercation. In our Sunday school class, Mary McKinnon and Emma Kate are often the only little girls surrounded by all boys. The boys stare with their mouths wide open, in silence as they try to figure out the dynamic between these two. So, Saturday, we (the mommies) decided to get the girls together while we sat and had some grown-up conversation. Although we had planned to only spend the afternoon at the Dozier home, we ended up staying through dinner, and bath time and even Mikey T came and hung out for the last two hours. (Mr. Alan was busy burning some land). Six hours with these two little ones was quite an adventure. We cannot wait to do it again!!

The End.

2010-03-16T09:42:00.000-07:00

March signaled a lot of endings. First, The Mighty Might Nuggets ended their season with a devastating loss in the Championship Game. Sad, but they played hard on Wed, Friday and again on Saturday. Coaches and players (and fans) were sad, but it only means that Mighty Mighty Raptor travel basketball is about to start. It is a lot of fun. I know that sometimes I complain because it is a lot of work and a big commitment, but I love these kids. They love Coach Mike and Coach Deuce (brother michael) and they ADORE Emma Kate. The feeling is mutual. She is still madly in love with her bassetball boyz and they all do a great job of keeping her entertained. And I LOVE to see Mikey T and Deuce with these guys. We all sacrifice a lot, but we wouldn't have it any other way.Next, the end of the Beard-Eaves Coliseum. Sad. I have a lot of fun memories in that coliseum dating back to cheer camp in the ninth grade (Twin, DO YOU REMEMBER how HOT you got?? That is all I will say.) I watched a bazillion basketball and gymnastic meets there, both as a college student and as an alum. I watched friends become student athletes on that court and I graduated on that court. (Twin was there then, too) I had classes in that building and Emma Kate met her boyfriend, Aubie in that building. It has been true love ever since. I watched cousins and friends graduate there and I saw my fair share of concerts there as well. It is a horrid building. It was a inconvenient design and did nothing for Auburn recruiting. But the memories I have in that building are special and dear to me, so it was sad to attend the very last basketball game ever to be held there (Twin, you were there TOO!). It was a great ceremony and game!href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_SdaYcfcCI9A/S5_LslpMyJI/AAAAAAAABgs/A6TDPXr8rg4/s1600-h/Picture+099.jpg">It was also the end of us shacking up with Mom. She was GRACIOUS enough to let us live with her for several months while we were in between our homes, and we cannot thank her enough. We are now just a hop, skip and jump away from her, although we are in Auburn proper now.

Finally, we have finally ended the reign of the pull-up. Emma Kate decided that it was finally time to be a full-time potty goer. My checkbook is very excited about this one!!! Once she decided, that was it. We haven't had any accidents. I tried to push her and that didn't work. Everyone said, "once she is ready you will know." In all of my control-freak issues, I tried to do it on my terms, but it was not working. Then one day, without bribes or threats or anything in-between, she was done. And she hasn't looked back. It is such a relief.

So, with the end of winter came a lot of endings, but all that means is we have a lot of new beginnings to look forward to!!

Gym'nastics.

2010-03-09T07:57:00.000-08:00

Emma Kate takes tumbling and loves it. Her favorite thing to do this winter was to go to Aubie's 'Nastics Meets. I must say, Auburn gymnastics puts on quite a show. So, the week of the Florida meet, I was working with a student who is applying to medical school. Right away I recognized her name as one of Aubie's Gymnasts. I emailed her and told her that Emma Kate would LOVE to meet her after the meet that Friday. She was so gracious and said that she would love to meet EK.We watched to entire meet and all Emma Kate could talk about was her new best friend (that she had not yet met), Krissy. Every time someone stepped up to the vault run, she would say "Is 'dat Miss Krissy?." On the beam, "Is 'dat Miss Krissy?" Everything was "Miss Krissy."
After the meet, the girls were doing a signing session around the outer perimeter of the Coliseum. We ran up, got our poster and we were 3rd in line. SCORE. We waited patiently in line while the awards ceremony was going. We heard that Krissy had scored very high and placed in one event. When a gymnast places in the top three on any single event or overall, they are given an orange and blue bouquet of flowers.One by one, the AU gymnasts made it to the autograph table. They started pushing us down the line. Emma Kate was loving all the gymnasts, but there was only one she was longing to see. At the end of the table, where the other senior was sitting, there was one empty chair. We moved on down the line.
No Krissy.
Emma Kate kept saying, "Where is Krissy, mommy?"
I. Don't. Know.
Let's backtrack and explain how much I had talked up this little intro with Krissy. A LOT. Obnoxious. With a capital O. And I had been rubbing it in to Mike. He is the king of "big AU introductions." He is BFF with one the AU basketball coaches. He shoots the breeze with Trooper Taylor at high school basketball games. He has AU Men's Basketball Players on speed dial and they come to his kids' basketball practices to "inspire." He takes Emma Kate to the Basketball Offices upstairs in the coliseum to "Hang out" with the players and coaches. Coach Lebo's Dad, also Coach Lebo, help's Mike out with his play book.
So, let's just say, I had been so excited that I was going to deliver such a big AU celebrity in Emma Kate's eyes.
As we got to the last chair in the autograph session, Krissy was still no where in site. Emma Kate was almost to tears. Mike was explaining that we could see (AU BBALL PLAYER) Frankie Sullivan the next night at the basketball game.
EPIC FAIL.
We decided to just check the floor to see if she was still down there for some reason. "Maybe that is her?" I said as I squinted to see the four people left down by the floor mat. "Is dat Krissy, momma? Negative.
Then, suddenly, Mike says "Isn't that her?" It was. She was right beside us, about to walk into the herd of people waiting to get her signature. I called her name. She stopped in her tracks and turned to us. She came over to Emma Kate, bent down and said hello. She talked to her about tumbling and thanked her for coming to all the meets. Of course, I asked if she would pose for a picture. Of course, she agreed. She handed Emma Kate her award bouquet for the picture. Emma Kate was in awe. She said goodbye and I told Emma Kate to give her award bouquet back. Krissy said, "No, no, she can keep it! I gave it to her."SCORE. I had delivered!! Emma Kate was in love. With Krissy. With the flowers. With everything. Mike laughed at me all night as I talked about how great Emma Kate's new BFF was. I think he was a little jealous: No basketball player has ever presented Emma Kate with flowers!

Dentist

2010-03-05T08:19:00.000-08:00

I have finally gotten over the whole haircut thing and I am ready to blog again! Really, I have been meaning to update for a week, but I kept forgetting my camera cord to upload pics, and I hate a blog with no pics.Yesterday, Emma Kate had her first dentist appointment. Miss Christi at Dr. Thompson's office was GREAT with Emma Kate.She wore sunglasses so that bright light didn't bother her and she let Miss Christi clean and count her teeth. When Dr. Thompson came in, she was a little scared of one of his tools, and bit down on it. She clenched it with her teeth and wouldn't let go. He had to beg her to open so he could have his tool back. Finally, he promised her a look into the prize box if she would let him finish. That was all she needed to hear. He finished her exam and all 20 of her teeth look great!
Half an hour and THREE prizes later, and we were out the door.

"Mommy, do you yike my haircut?"

2010-02-23T08:48:00.000-08:00

As soon as she said it, I screamed.

We had been playing out in the snow all afternoon. We came in and she went to play in her room for some quiet time. That usually means "reading" books for about an hour. Or ten minutes.

She has some "preschool" scissors that are usually put up with her art supplies. High on her shelf. Ha.

She likes to cut paper snowflakes when she is at home with her daddy. She has been told over and over that she can only cut paper. And, with the exception of one sad pair of socks, she has never cut anything but paper.......until now.

I was sitting on Mom's couch watching some good ol' Olympics when I heard her slightly behind me. "Mommy, do you yike my new haircut??"

She said it beaming with pride; she obviously loved her new haircut.

What did I do? I would like to tell you that I slowly turned to her, first removing the dangerous scissors from her little fingers, then assessing the damage and while I kept my calm. That, however, is not quite how it went down.

I froze. And I screamed. And I busted into tears. And I never turned around to look. "AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH," I wailed. Mom quickly jumped from her chair and picked Emma Kate up. She grabbed the scissors and began to ask Emma Kate what all she cut. Then I heard her say, "Amy, it is okay, it is not that bad."

I was still frozen and still crying. I know, Mom of the Year, right??

About this time, Mike walks in. I am still crying. Mom has Emma Kate in the bathroom, who instead of beaming with pride, is now scared to death and crying because of my mature reaction. Mike takes one look at Emma Kate, and sees that she is covered in Spaghetti-o sauce, although he does not know it Spaghettio sauce. He puts a) scissors, b) momma wailing and 3)"red stuff on her shirt" together in his own mind and thinks Emma Kate has cut off her digits or stabbed herself.

I am still crying.

Finally, we all convene in the bathroom where I finally stop crying and am able to tell my child that it is "OK" and that it will "grow back" and that she "should never do that ever ever again."

Overall, it is not bad at all. Could have been much worse. She gave herself some bangs, which my dear friends tell me (to make me feel better) that it looks like "baby hair." Luckily she has very thick hair and other than the bangs she did not make any clean cuts. She did thin the right side out a bit and give herself some layers, but again, everyone assures me you cannot tell.

One more......

2010-02-12T17:24:00.000-08:00

More snow pics

2010-02-12T17:23:00.000-08:00

Snow day

2010-02-12T16:52:00.001-08:00

I am not usually a fan of the snow. It has snowed once a year in Auburn since Emma Kate was born. The first year, we were not living here yet, but we were here visiting mom. Then it snowed last March. Last year, we played briefly and I got some pics, but the warm Alabama blood that runs through my veins did not let me stay out long.

Having a three year old changed everything. Auburn canceled school and we stayed out all afternoon. We built a snowman, made snow angles and used Bean's sled to go down the hill. A lot.

It was great. Emma Kate loved it and was so excited. She kept talking me in to one more sled ride, one more snow angel, one more minute.

Then we came in, drank hot chocolate and snuggled into an afternoon nap.

Our snowman is surely a Thomas, complete with "ref whistle" and basketball and goal.

It has been a VERY stressful week for everyone this week. Mike has been dealing with unruly parents, I have been all over the state and back--twice---for work and Emma Kate has been itching to get outside. So, I will concede to the snow---it was fun and a perfect release for a tough week!

Lost and a little TMI post.

2010-02-02T08:24:00.001-08:00

Are you a Lost fan? Well, I am. I have watched it from the beginning. I have anticipated this night, the beginning of the end, for quite some time. Even Mikey T's basketball schedule worked out, in that tonight's game is at 5:30 and we will be home in plenty of time for the Lost Final Season Premiere at 7:00.

So I should be hunky-dory. But I am not. Grrrrrrrr.

Because of some ridiculous contract issue with Direct TV, our zip code does not get local channels. Thus, we do not get ABC via the dish. Up to this point (the last two seasons) I have watched it at Mom's with the good ol' antennae and digital tv.

But something has happened. We worked on the antennae last night trying desperately to get a good signal on ABC, to no avail. Unless something aligns and changes drastically withing the next 8 hours, we will have no way of watching Lost.

WHAT? This is unacceptable. I am not a happy camper.

Now for the TMI.....

In other news, Emma Kate is on her way when it comes to potty training. We have been pee-peeing in the potty for quite some time, with no hope of doing the other bizness in the potty.

Suddenly, Friday night she had an epiphany. We were at our normal Friday night AU gymnastics meet (we beat Georgia! Yay--it was awesome) and Emma Kate told me she needed to use the potty. It was in the middle of our floor routines, and I was not excited to take her. But I did. And she pooped. She was so excited, she begin yelling in the stall......

"Mommy, I poo pooed at AUBIE's house...........MOMMY I POO POOED!!" Again and again. She yelled at the top of her lungs. As we returned to our seat, she immediately announced to MaMa (and everyone in the AU Coliseum)-

"MAMA I POO POOED AT AUBIES HOUSE! I DID! I POO POOED IN AUBIE'S POTTY!!!"

"Explaining to MaMa what a big girl she is"

It continued into Saturday night, when we went back to the coliseum for the AU basketball game (we beat Alabama! It was awesome!). Afterwards, the whole lot of us headed to Chili's for dinner. Emma Kate went in the bathroom there and emerged from the bathroom, claiming her victory at the top of her lungs again...

"Mommy, Daddy, Unc, MaMa---I POOOOOO POOOOOOOOOed. I poooooo poooooed. I pooooooooo poooooooed on the pottttttyyyyyy"

We were all very excited for her, and mortified for us. To all of the lovely patrons of Chili's on Saturday night, I apologize.

Funny things

2010-01-29T12:23:00.000-08:00

Emma Kate is like me in that she hates the cold. Wednesday before as I was getting her ready for school, i told her it was going to be cold again. She said..

"Mommmmmy, noooooooooooo. I don't want it to be cold. I want to tell Jesus that I don't want it to be cold anymore."

Feeling exited that she at least understood the concept of talking to God (since I AM her Sunday school teacher --along with Allyson), I said...

"That is great honey. I think God knows what he is doing with the whole weather thing, but you can talk to him about anything, anytime." My heart was happy with this little convo on this cold Wednesday morning.

Then she said "Good, I am going to tell Santa Claus and Aubie just to make sure everyone knows."

Looks like we have some work to do in Sunday school this week.

Here are some quick pics of the week:

The Mighty Mighty Nuggets won another close game. They are 4-0. My husband & brother make a good team and they have never lost a rec game in the two years they have been doing it. (Although, I have probably jinxed them for next week). There were no fireworks this week.....no nasty coaches, no bad calls. Just a really hard-fought win. And a very loud and ornery three year old in the stands, but that is another post.

We also headed to the Auburn game, which was not a victory, but EK was in a better mood.

PS--Mike's mouth is fixed thanks to Dr. Keith Thompson! Yay!

Good Friends and Good Times

2010-01-26T09:12:00.000-08:00

It is so nice to have good friends with kids the same age as your own. Friendships are hard when you have kids, but when your kids are friends, it is just so much easier!!

Last Friday the girls took the little girls to dinner at Laredo. For all you Auburn Alum, you remember Laredo's as the place that would probably serve you a margarita, with or without your ID.

Now, it is our favorite place to take our little ones for a quick bite. Cheap, fast and already loud.

All three girls ordered the same thing, chicken nuggets and fries and each one probably ate 1 whole nuggets and three fries. Then they ran around and us mothers were trying to a. enjoy each other's company, b. eat our own dinner, and c. herd cats.

After dinner, we headed to Frog Legs (Allyson had coupons so it cost a total of $6.26 for the kids to jump!!) where we met our other friend, Laura and her little man, Brandon.

Emma Kate is in love with Ms. Laura. I am pretty sure that one day, if Ms. Laura isn't careful, Emma Kate is going to hide in Brandon's sleeping bag and stow away in her car.

The girls (and guy)had fun, as did the moms. At one point, Ella Grace, who DOES NOT like bouncy things, went half-way up the slide with her mom's help only to freeze when she almost reached the top. While Alicia tried to persuade her to continue, Allyson was stuck behind with Mary McKinnon and Emma Kate had little patience and just climbed over both moms and children. Laura and I were at the bottom laughing at the others. Allyson almost had to throw down Dothan-style when the workers were shooting us dirty looks for helping our kids down the slide, but we ultimately had an uneventful visit.

Emma Kate was sad to go and I promised we would return! When we got home she actually ASKED to go to bed because she had jumped her little heart out. (However, in true EK fashion, she did not fall asleep until 10:00).

Tantrum Sandwich

2010-01-25T11:00:00.000-08:00

During the week, our days are framed by tantrums. Good, old-fashioned, three-year-old tantrums. Between the hours of 8:00 am and 9:00 p.m. Emma Kate is, for the most part, sweet, fun and hilarious.

But, getting her up in the morning and putting her to bed at night--disastrous. In the mornings, I get ready and then go in try and get her up. She is a heavy sleeper and DOES NOT like it when is told to get up. If she had it her way, she would sleep until 9:00 every morning. Listen, I am not complaining about that part, the weekends are great. But, week days are not great. She moans and rolls over into a downward facing fetal position. It is like when a roly-poly rolls up for protection. I try to pull her night clothes off, and she completely tenses. When I finally get that accomplished, I try to put her day clothes on and she goes limp. She has a routine and she has it mastered. This is usually how we look when we finally get to the car:

or this (from today....)

The nights are not much better. For a child that hates to get up in the morning, you would think she liked sleep. Not so much. For the past 12 months or so, she has not gone to sleep before 9:30, and most nights 10:00. I know, I won't be earning any Mother of the Year awards. We have tried every trick known to man. But really, she just cannot fall asleep before 9:00. Not in a car, not in her bed, not in our bed, not on the couch watching a movie. My friend's kids and my nephews can fall asleep in a car, especially at night. Emma Kate has fallen asleep TWICE in the car since she turned one. TWICE people. And as soon as the car stops, she is wide awake again. So night time routines usually consist of whining, crying and lots of us telling her to GET BACK IN BED when she comes out for the 14th time. Every time she thinks of a valid reason for getting out of bed.

"Mommy, I need somfin to dwink"

"Daddy, my nose is runnin."

"Mommy, I need pants"

"Daddy, I don't want dese pants"

"Mommy, I need my fan on"

"Daddy, I am cold."

Back and forth, back and forth until finally she falls asleep. At 9:30. Or 10:00. Or even 10:30.So, I have come to accept that every week day of my life is like a tantrum sandwich. On the top and the bottom, we have full-blown tantrums and in the middle we have all that three-year-old gooey goodness, and I can live with that.

I can breathe again....

2010-01-20T11:21:00.000-08:00

The Mighty Mighty Nuggets played their third game last night. It was a nail biter. I am just glad it is over.

There is a bit of history to be told about this match-up. Sure, the game was about the kids, blah blah blah. But, this ran deeper than the kids. There is some, um, history between the coaches. We knew when we first got the Mighty Mighty Nuggets schedule this year, that this was going to be the week of the Thomas/Otherguy showdown. Walking into the gym with mom and Emma Kate, I could almost see the tumbleweeds blowing by, the dust in my eyes and the tune that always plays when two cowboys face eachother in ol' Westerns.

On one side, Coach OtherGuy. Coach OtherGuy coaches his own son, who used to play for Mikey T in travel league. Mikey T beat Caoch Otherguy's rec team last year. Then, during travel ball, Coach Otherguy didn't like the way MikeyT coached. And so the rivalry was born.

There has been a lot more, but there is no need to go into that on the blogosphere. It should be left on the court, so............back to the gym.............

I was never worried about Mikey T's team, nor his temper. But Coack Otherguy can push Mikey T's buttons like no other. So I watched the game with bated breath. It was a defensive match-up and the score at half-time was a very low 11-6 (Nuggets leading). Coach Otherguy tried to call out MikeyT on some rules violations, but he was wrong. And so, the game continued.

Not one single point was scored in the third quarter. Not one. Either team, not one point. Mikey T and Unc looked relaxed and in control. I was shaking like a leaf. Spectators were pouring in waiting for the next game to start. A lady I have never seen before sat behind me and started making comments about Mikey T's coaching style. It was humorous. She would be devastated to know that she was talking about Mikey T right behind Mikey T's wife and biggest fan. But, I bit my tongue.

At one point, Mikey T and Coach Otherguy went from calm to, um, not so calm as the ref tried to decide if Coach Otherguy's son had five fouls, thus sending him to the bench. Mikey T said he did. Unc said he did. Coach Otherguy said he did not. As we waited, the two men showed their teeth like a scene from Twilight's New Moon. Mikey T was the over-protective Werewolf whose only mission was to protect his team's lead. Coach Otherguy was the bad vampire who just wanted blood and was getting desperate as the clock ticked away. It was tense.

The ref ruled. Coach Otherguy's son has five fouls. He's out. I held my breath as we all watched him walk to the bench. But there was time left to play and the Mighty Mighty Nuggets were holding on to a 12-8 lead.

Then, the Mighty Mighty Nuggets superstar player hit a three point basket and put the lead to seven with less than a minute to go. The clock ticked by as our players kept the other team in a desperate tizzy. The buzzer finally sounded and it was over. The Nuggets had won again, Mikey T did not get a technical and Coach Otherguy was miserable.

Thankfully, it does not look like we will have to play them again this season. Mikey T's team is the only team in the league with a 3-0 start.

Oh, and for the lady sitting behind me who said my Husband coaches like Bobby Knight, ma'am you have no idea what you are talking about. Mikey T is a passionate coach, yes. But Mikey T has never mistreated a player. He cares more about his players more than a lot of the parents. He knows how the kids are doing in school (remember, this is not a school league), he knows their family story, he knows their addresses. He personally picks them up from home or school if they have no transportation. They have slept in our home; they are friends with his daughters. Like I said, he is a passionate coach who loves the game, but loves his players more. But he cannot tolerate bad refs or bad coaches, and he will let them know it.

Sunshine!!

2010-01-20T11:00:00.000-08:00

I hate the cold. Hate it. Not a fan of snow. It is cold and wet and keeps me inside. Yuck. So thankfully, we have dodged any of the potential "blizzards" they have predicted so far this winter. But it has still be tooooooo cold for comfort. I think God knew exactly what he was doing when he planted me in the great state of Alabama, even if I am a blue dot in a red state.

So, after weeks of COLD, WET weather, something odd happened on Monday. The SUN came out. And it heated the plains.

We threw on sneakers, grabbed the dog and headed to the Kiesel Park dog pen. Auburn has a great parks and rec department and this is the cream of their crop. In the back of Kiesel Park, there are two large dog runs where dog owners who live in college apartments or small lots with no yards converge with their best friends.

It was so pretty out and there were dogs of every make and model for Emma Kate to pet, hug and chase around. But they were not her favorite. Lucy was.

Lucy, who turned 8 in December, played fast and hard. For fifteen minutes. Then she let us know that she was done.

Man, I love these three.

Then we took Lucy back to Unc's house, where she is temporarily staying, and rested while watching some TV.

It was a good day.

Friday Night Lights

2010-01-19T08:59:00.000-08:00

I am not sure what I would do if I didn't live in a college town. We get antsy around our house and need to GO SOMEWHERE. But, when you are on a strict budget and it is freezing outside, you are limited.

So on Friday nights in the winter, you will more than likely find us here.....

Auburn Gymnastics is cheap and fun and Emma Kate likes to watch the big girls tumble.

Last Friday, it was "Flip for the Cure" night. If you wore this shirt, you got in free.

Since they didn't have tees in Emma Kate and Ella Grace's size, Alicia and I took the youth medium and made it into this. I should have been a responsible blogger and taken step-by-step pictures and detailed a tutorial on how-to, but I am not that good.

Basically, we removed the sleeves, separated the front from the back and cut a a-line top pattern out of the two parts. Line it with some navy and white gingham, and POOF, a Flip for the Cure shirt for the littlest of fans.

Side Bar: Mikey T's team plays his arch enemy's team this evening. I hope for our household's happiness it is a Nugget victory. I promise to take pics.

This and That

2010-01-15T08:02:00.000-08:00

I haven't been taking pictures of the Nuggets games and I am sorry. This week I remembered right as the buzzer sounded. I took these......

They won, so thankfully we are still undefeated. Oh, and Mikey T got a technical. Oops.

Nothing much else going on, except the fact that we have created a monster. Emma Kate's friend Ella Grace takes dance at a local studio. She asked us to come to a class "just to see if Emma Kate likes it."

Well, we went, and she did. She put on her dancing clothes at 3:30. The class started at 6:15. She was so giddy on the drive there she could hardly contain herself. When she gets excited, she talks in this really goofy voice and rambles. The ride sounded like this:

"Haha, this is yike da way to school....but its not da way to school. hahaha. its da way to dance yike da way to school hahhaha, yike when we go to school dis way, but we go de other way when we go to school ha ha ha because we are going to tumble, i mean 'nastics, i mean dance hahaha."

Silly.

When we came home, put on her new tap shoes and made us watch her tap dance in each bathroom for 15 minutes (each).

So, she loved it, both the tap and the ballet. It took me back to the first grade, when I took dance from the most graceful woman I have ever known. Mrs. Trotter was my school teacher and my dance teacher, a dear friend of my mom's and she was the perfect ballerina. Tall, bony, thin and beautiful. She had the patience of Job while trying to teach 14 little first graders how to stand in first position. When I watched Emma Kate in relevé with her arms over her head, I could almost picture myself doing the exact same thing 25 years ago. Wow.

I never got to thank Mrs. Trotter for lighting the spark that made me love dance for the rest of my life. Her beautiful life was cut very short by cancer, but I like to think that she knows and maybe even watched me watch my little girl put on those ballet shoes for the first time.

So, the jury is still out on if we will continue with dance or not, but if Emma Kate gets a vote I have no doubt what it will be.

Here we are again....

2010-01-11T12:55:00.000-08:00

Is it really time yet? It cannot be. It just cannot be. But, alas, it is. Youth basketball has officially started for 2010. Didn't we just stop?

So, Mikey T is again coaching Auburn Rec basketball. He moved up an age group to be with "his boys," however, he only ended up with one "old basketball boy" on his new team. That means eight new "Bassetballboyz" for Emma Kate to fall in love with.

See, the thing is, I love basketball. I love youth sports,in general. Emma Kate has already declared that she does not want to play ball (I know, there is still time. She is only three.) rather, she wants to tumble (I do not foresee the Olympics in her future, but I can totally see her as a stunt woman.) So, I totally do not mind going to the games; in fact, I enjoy it. And it is a family affair as Unc is the assistant coach. Fun times. The thing is, Mikey T takes Auburn Recreation Youth Basketball very seriously. Don't get me wrong, he is a great coach, and parents clamor around to try and get him as their coach. He is a hot commodity in Auburn Recreation Youth Basketball. Most parents know that he also coaches the travel league basketball team, which is a bigger deal around these parts (try-outs, weekend tournaments, scouts, etc.) But to Mike, a game is a game is a game. He treats Auburn Recreation Youth Basketball just like the Raptors Travel League and the NBA. A games is a game is a game.

The 6th-7th grade Nuggets started their season with a super close game that resulted in a victory, which makes Mikey T 11-0 in Auburn Recreation Youth Basketball (if you carry over his undefeated season from last year). With every win, I can breath for a short minute before I realize that just puts that much more pressure on the next game.

I ask that you please pray for my Husband in the event that he does ever lose an Auburn Recreation Youth basketball game; I am not sure he'd recover.

Game #2 is tomorrow; I will get some pics. I forgot my camera last week. Although between Mikey T almost getting a technical called against him and the poor kid who began throwing up his dinner on the court in the middle of the second quarter, it's probably better I didn't have it with me.

Favorite

2010-01-04T20:09:00.001-08:00

I promise to update more about Christmas, New Year's and Sissy's visit. Mostly, we just enjoyed being a whole family.

Getting Closer

2009-12-14T08:03:00.000-08:00

One of the many things I love most about Emma Kate is that she is not a greedy child. To be "an only child" (since Sissy lives in Florida) she is very good about sharing and not asking for much. Her daily request for candy is really the only thing I get tired of.

When preparing for our many meetings with Santa, she has only requested one thing, The Hungry Hipponapotomamous game. She sees the commercial while watching the only TV that she cares about, Sprout. And that, my friends, is the one thing she has asked for for Christmas.

The other day, I was trying to pry some more things out of her, when she looked at me and said "Mom, I already told you I want the Hippo game. And maybe some new puzzles. That is it, I don't need anything else."

Wow. To be humbled by a three year old is, well, humbling. This child has everything she could possibly need or want. Not because she is spoiled (because she is not) but because she realizes what most adults, including myself, sometimes forget. It is not about wanting more stuff, but being perfectly content with what you already have.

She teaches me something new everyday.

PS....

I hope you were all blessed by a Christmas program as good as the one I went to last night at our church, AUMC. It was amazing.

Cutest. Ever.

2009-12-10T08:47:00.000-08:00

I know I am biased, but this may be the best Santa pic ever.

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas

2009-12-08T11:05:00.000-08:00

We don't do anything easy around here. We like to jam pack our every minute with at least three activities. You know, in case we ever thought we could possibly be bored. For example, Christmastime.

It probably was not necessary for me to go shopping on Black Friday, rush home, and get back to Auburn for the Iron Bowl. It was probably not necessary for me to go back out on Black Saturday to finish what I had started the previous day.

And it was probably not necessary for me to rush home last Monday, change Emma Kate, rush back to campus in the rain for her picture with Santa Claus, only to wait in line for an hour.

Like it wasn't necessary for me to rush home on Wednesday, bundle up Emma Kate, rush back to Auburn to meet up with our BFF's for the Auburn Christmas Parade, then race to the car, head to Auburn High to meet up with Mikey T to watch the high school basketball tournament, you know, just for fun.

Kindof like it was not necessary for me to plan to go to the Friday nigh Fite Christmas party (which rocked by the way!!), then Saturday to get mine and EK's hair cut (super cute) and then to Birmingham, shopping with MeMe, then to Calera where we met our BFF's again for the Polar Express, the nephew's Christmas program on Sunday (at our old church, which I still miss) and then back to Auburn that night so we could make Mike's dentist appointment on Monday and my very important work meeting Monday afternoon.

Yeah, it probably isn't necessary for me to live like this..........................

but it sure is fun.

My belated Thanksgiving Post

2009-12-02T08:21:00.000-08:00

Since Thanksgiving was squeezed between a basketball game and a football game, we headed over to our annual Benton Thanksgiving at the Rhyne Compound. There is always good wine, then turkey, then champagne, then games, then naps. The kids always commandeer the golf cart, feed the catfish and this year even Jr. stayed awake (No, really. Rory, I promise, he was awake) to take them "arrowhead hunting."

It was a great, but short, visit.

Before Thanksgiving, MeMe and Hoppy passed through Auburn/Opelika on their way down to see Uncle Toddy and Aunt Margie in Ocala, Florida. We met them at Chic-Fil-A for lunch and a little play time.

Emma Kate had to wear her Auburn attire to show Hoppy how it is done around here.

It has been a hard year for us, to say the least. But, I know that I have so many blessings and Thanksgiving was a great time to focus on those, especially family. Oh, and by the way, did you know it was December!!!! Woohooo.

Blog Slacker

2009-12-01T07:28:00.000-08:00

I apologize. I have been a slacker. But I have a lot to post in the next few days, so get ready. First, let's backtrack.

The pneumonia is gone. Finally.

We are still working on potty training.

Emma Kate still sings 95% of the day.

We still miss MaMa everyday, but it gets a little easier everyday, too.

Now that we have gotten caught up. Here is what we have been doing:

I was off the entire week last week, pretty much because I have the best job in the world.

So we did what people in Auburn do. We went to Auburn University events.

This is the final season of Basketball for the Beard Eaves Coliseum. So, we are going as much as possible.

Basketball Season has started and is in full swing. Mikey T is an Alabama High School Athletic Association Basketball Ref and is still coaching his boyz, so we go to a lot of basketball. You know, for research. Well, he goes for research. I go because I love it and Emma Kate goes to spend quality time with her boyfriend.

And, although it was painful Iron Bowl outcome, it was one of the best Iron Bowls I have attended. Auburn fans love their Tigers and we can be proud that we did not perform like all of the sports media thought we would. The atmosphere in that stadium was so great, especially after the first quarter. Even if I knew the outcome beforehand, I still would have gone to that game, cheered as loud as I did and stayed to sing "It's Great to Be an Auburn Tiger" to the team after the last whistle blew. Here are some pics from the day:

Emma Kate did not like it when Alabama fans somehow managed to get into the Auburn Alumni Tent. She and Mike went home to watch the game, because although Emma Kate LOVES to watch football, we knew the game would be super-crowded and she would not have much freedom to move around. They were both asleep by half-time. Unbelievable.

So, that catches us up on life in Auburn....next post, Thanksgiving!!

Goodbye November!!!

2009-11-20T08:03:00.000-08:00

Ok, this month has really stunk. November has a way of doing that in our family for some reason. Between the pneumonia and MaMa and a whole bunch of other stuff, it just plain stunk. But, in all that, there were celebrations.

Emma Kate turned three. Mom had a birthday. One of my favorite peeps in the world, Matthew has a birthday TODAY! He is five. How in the world five years have gone by since he was born, I have no idea. Then again, I cannot remember a world without Matthew in it. Life is funny that way.

So, amongst all that sickness and pain, we have had laughter. Mostly, from this stinker.

Three has brought about a lot of personality, not that she was lacking at all.

She sings. ALL. THE. TIME. Any words can be turned into songs. Melodies are also popular; one long rendition of War Eagle, Carryin' a Bumble Bee, Head and Shoulders and the theme song to her favorite tv shows are not rare.

And, she is loud. Very loud! She yells all the time. We are trying to teach her the difference between her outside voice and her inside voice. To this point, we are unsuccessful.

But, she does keep us laughing. It is so funny to hear a three year old vocabulary grow. I will try to remember to post the funny EmmaKateisms.

She is also into "I can do it." Like any three year old, she has had a sudden burst of independence and that has caused much laughter in our house. Her favorite is dressing herself.....

Yep, that is going well.

All and all we are ready to move on past Thanksgiving and into Christmas time. We already have a lot of fun things planned for December and hopefully it will be all smiles all month!

Ella Grace and Emma Kate at school

Thank you...

2009-11-16T10:52:00.001-08:00

I would like to tell everyone thank you for your thoughts, calls, emails and prayers. It was a hard week, but we got through it.

On Tuesday, November 10 my sweet MaMa passed away with my two uncles, my mom and I by her side. It was a very touching moment that I will blog about some day, just not today.

Ann Kennedy Gallagher was an amazing mother to five, grandmother to 16 and great-grandmother to eight (I think that is correct?). She was a wife for 58 years. Her first born was born TODAY (Happy Birthday Mom!, but I won't say what year).

I have blogged about her before, but I cannot stress how giving, kind and humble she was. She is already greatly missed, yet I am comforted in knowing that her sweet spirit can now be with me every minute of every day.

Emma Kate knows that her GiGi is in Heaven. She said she wants to go there, too and asked if PaPa went with her. I explained that PaPa stayed here to watch Emma Kate grow, but that eventually we will all live in Heaven together. Friday night she was taking a bubble bath and I told her that her bubbles looked like a cloud. She told me "It does wook wike a cwoud. Yike the one that GiGi lives on in Heaven with God and Jesus."

Prayers are still welcome for my family, especially my PaPa who spent his first week without his wife since 1951.

Singing Happy Birthday with a Lump in My Throat.

2009-11-09T08:15:00.001-08:00

Three. That is how old my baby girl turned yesterday. At 6:19pm to be exact. I, like any mother, will never forget every detail of the day she was born. Since I was running a fever and my blood pressure suddenly shot up, she came into this world at 35 weeks. I ended up with bronchitis and she ended up with reflux and lots of allergies. It was the beginning of the hardest and most daunting 18 months of my life. It was also the day that my heart started beating outside of my chest. Now, Emma Kate is a healthy and happy three year old. She is kind and loving, funny and loud, and always doing one of the following three things: "reading" her books, singing very loud-not just songs but thoughts, random words and a historical accounting of her day up to that point, or talking. She is never quiet unless she is sleeping. She is very intuitive and HATES when anyone is sad. And there was a lot of sadness this weekend.

Emma Kate Sunday (her actual bday) having a breakfast cupcake

I wasn't sure how much of this to put in blogland, as it is painful and sad, but I want those who love and care for me and my family to know that we are okay.

Late last week, my mother called me at work to tell me that my sweet Ma-Ma was back in the hospital. Over the last three years, she had been in and out of the hospital--usually brief stays--for fluid on her brain that caused her to act oddly and sometimes even non-responsive. She was having another one of those episodes and my mother left her school and headed for the hospital in Selma. On her drive there, she was told that it was much more serious than her previous "episodes" and they were airlifting my MaMa to Birmingham.
I wanted to drop everything, hop in a car and head North. But I still have pneumonia and I wouldn't be able to see her. And, it is EK's birthday weekend, with things planned for Friday, Saturday and Monday. So I stayed. Since we are a LARGE family, there were text messages and phone calls and IM's and facebooks. Constant receiving and giving of updates on MaMa's situation.
I will not go into much detail, but my MaMa suffered and aneurysm and chances of full recovery are very slim.

We stayed in Auburn and tried to proceed like normal. Danny, Melinda and the kids came Saturday for the Auburn game/birthday party. Our friends Paige and Graham came, too. We cheered for Auburn and opened presents and ate cupcakes and blew out candles. All the time, our thoughts were on MaMa and PaPa and Mom.

Matthew, Emma Kate, Sean, Jospeh and Sweet Laura

On top of that, it is November. Nearing the anniversary of Mike's wreck and the thought of a loved one in an Neuro-ICU this time of year puts a lump in my throat. Saturday, as I watched Alabama v. LSU, I thought of my in-laws and I watching the same game, 6 years ago in the UAB waiting room while we waited for the next 15 minute visit we got with Mike every 4 hours. Then I thought of my mom, in a waiting room with the Alabama v. LSU game playing on some TV in the background as she waited for the next 15 minute visitation with her mother. Makes me nauseous just to think of it.

Emma Kate and her GiGi (my MaMa) August 09

I had ups and downs all weekend. I was so excited to see the pure joy in EK's eyes when she got to hang out with her cousins, or how proud she was to tell you that her "birfday is Nowember eigths and she is free (three). "

Emma Kate at her school Bday "Party" on Friday

I do not think I would have smiled the entire weekend without my little Emma Kate. Even though my heart is so very heavy today, it is also full because of my little "free" year old who prays for her GiGi (my ma-ma) every night.

The Good, The Bad and the Pneumonia

2009-11-02T08:28:00.000-08:00

Let's start this post out with the cutest lil' Alice in Wonderland you have ever seen. I wasn't sold on the Alice costume, but Allyson talked me into it last minute since Mary McKinnon was going to be Cinderella and Ella Grace was going to be Dorothy. Suddenly, my bumble-bee didn't quite fit in. And since Emma Kate doesn't have the hair to pull off Snow White, we went with the Alice costume. When I got it in and slipped it on her, she was instantly Alice. Then Monday, our dear friends Alicia, Trae and Ella Grace had a sudden, tragic loss which took them out of our Thursday night-Halloween plans. Auburn moved Halloween to Thursday since it was a home game on Saturday and it would just be too dangerous and crowded for kids to be walking the streets.

Then Tuesday, I started coughing. And running a low fever. I ignored it. Wednesday, the coughing was worse. The fever was higher. MikeyT and Mom begged me to go to the doctor, but I just wanted to go to bed. As the night went on, the breathing got harder. I agreed to be the first one at the doctor on Thursday morning. After a miserable night, I was at the doctor's office at 7:00 am. First one to see the doctor. After checking my blood, giving me a flu test (have you had that? My sinus cavity has been violated), two breathing treatments, a chest X ray, a steroid shot and FIVE prescriptions, I was sent home with a diagnosis of PNEUMONIA.

I refused to let a lil' pneumonia keep me from being with my family and friends that night for Auburn's Halloween, so I 'roided up and sucked it in. We spent maybe an hour downtown and had a blast.

The girls were precious, though a little overwhelmed. Their outfits were a hit and people kept asking if Emma Kate's hair was real? Then we headed to our annual-Halloween-dinner-pizza-spot and had a nice relaxing dinner.

And. Then. I. Was. Done.

Pneumonia let me have that night, but that was it. It kicked me in the buttocks and didn't let me back up until today, which is still questionable.

I cried--hard--as I sent my baby girl, her Alice costume, and my husband to Alabaster. I was going to miss her birthday surprise Friday night at MeMe and Hoppy's. I was going to miss my nephews and baby niece trick-or-treating with my little Alice. I was sad. I was sick. I was miserable.

But, it was best. She needed to celebrate and have fun with her MeMe and Hoppy and cousins. She needed to visit with our Beck and Vic who were visiting MeMe and Hoppy. She needed to have fun. And she needed to be as far away from my germs as possible.

Emma Kate did indeed have a big birthday surprise, a big-girl-bike from MeMe and Hoppy and a Barbie cake with the barbie inside! Then she went trick or treating with Joseph, Matthew, Sean and Baby Laura. I hear they had a blast and I cannot wait to see the pics!!

My mom took excellent care of me. I rested, slept, and drank fluids all weekend. I ached and fevered and whined. And my family had lots of fun eating birthday cake and trick-or-treating.

I thank my in-laws, my brother and sister in law, my niece and nephews and Beck and Vick for taking care of my hubs and lil' Alice and I thank my mom for taking care of me.

Now, I am ready for EK's real BIRTHDAY weekend and I WILL BE HEALTHY for this one!!

The Auburn Blues

2009-10-27T07:38:00.000-07:00

It has been a hard three weeks to be an Auburn Faithful. As I was watching Auburn fail miserably to LSU on Saturday night, there was at least one Auburn fan among us whose spirit did not die. Not even after the "delay of game--on the defense---sideline interference--huh?" call. She was a true fan to the end. If you know Auburn, you know every word of the following Auburn medley. If you are not, I apologize, as you will have no earthy clue what this child is saying....War Eagle.

On Sunday, we shifted gears and went to the Auburn Women's Basketball scrimmage. I went to get out of the house. Mike went to watch basketball. Emma Kate went to see her boyfriend.

A Whoa Kindof Weekend

2009-10-20T13:33:00.000-07:00

It started on Thursday. We (Mom, Mike, EK and I) packed in mom's car and headed to Birmigham. In the rain. Mike had a very important and very anticipated doctor's appointment at UAB. It was emotionally draining for weeks as we waited for this appointment. We got to Mike's parents house were we dropped off Mom and EK and added Hoppy. Three hours later we were leaving UAB with answers and relief and a plan. I think it was the first time we had breathed in months.

Back to Alabster to drop of Mike and Hoppy for the weekend and Mom and I headed out at 6:00 pm (in the rain) and headed northeast.

Sweet cousin Kelly was getting married in Virginia, Williamsburg to be exact. After driving through horrendous weather through Atlanta, we finally called it a night near Clemson, South Carolina. We got some quick shut eye and we were back in the car at 8 am. (Only after I got a WAR EAGLE from a stranger in Clemson!!)

After 7 and a half hours of driving, we arrived at our Williamsburg hotel. We were quickly greeted by other family there and after a short rest, we headed out to a lovely rehearsal dinner.

The next day was filled with shopping and hanging with family that had scattered in from Texas and Alabama.

The wedding was that evening. Usually, the weather in Virigina in mid-October is a warmish low 70/high 60s and clear blue skies. Which made my Aunt Katie's estate the perfect place for a beautiful outdoor fall wedding. Until there was that whole double nor'easter thing.

It was cold. Low 40s, windy and drizzly grey rain covered everything.

BUT- there was still a wedding, outside, with a beautiful bride, good food and a fun band! And although it was chilly, the laughter from being with fun family kept us warm enough through the night. Well, that and the heaters.

We were unfortunate enough to catch the last half (the worst part) of the Auburn-Kentucky game. That was not fun.

We went to be late, but we were up early on Sunday and drove the entire way back to Alabama!! Then a quick trip on Monday to pick up my Mikey T and EK, a short visit with my favorite nephews and niece and back to Opelika by dinner. Whoa, whatta weekend.

Pumpkin' Patch

2009-10-13T16:37:00.001-07:00

The three stooges and us moms headed to the pumpkin patch this past weekend. It was hot, but the girls were troopers. There were bouncy things, which were good, since Emma Kate has come to expect a bouncy house every weekend.

NieNie & Cora

2009-10-08T13:45:00.000-07:00

I am a blog stalker. I am. And I can admit it. I have a google reader account that follows, oh, about a hundred blogs a day. Some days, when I have some down time at work, I try to clean out my google reader. Some, I follow more closely than others. I read my dear friends' blogs every day. Some crafters' blogs, I check every week to get craft inspiration. I read some mom blogs and even some fashion blogs, which is hilarious in itself.

Then, there are the blogs that I am addicted to. Women I have never met, who have gone through more than I can imagine. Pain and struggle that is almost too hard to read about. When both these women were in the midst of their greatest pain, I could hardly stand to read their blogs. But, I did. There were even days I was hiding behind my desk at work crying.

Like, the Macs. The day that baby Cora passed away I cried like I personally knew the family. I followed her blog before Cora was sick, during her brief illness and since her death. I followed the amazing thing that happened when other bloggers, strangers like me, took it upon themselves to sell crafts on Etsy to raise money for Cora's playground. Amazing. Inspiring.

Then, there is NieNie. If you are not reading this blog, you should be. I read this blog before it was about healing. I read it when it was about motherhood and family and crafting. Nie Nie blogged everyday, if not more than once. Then, there were a few days of silence. Then her sister blogged to tell us about the horrid accident which NieNie barely survived. Her sister gave updates on the blog for months while NieNie was in a medically induced coma and then Nie Nie was well enough to blog herself. Now, the blog is still about motherhood and family-- and healing.

She is strong and inspirational. So much so that this gal noticed and had her on the show. I don't get local channels (darn you Direct TV!!) so I had to watch clips in the website. You should, too.

Gosh, it makes me just sit back and realize that when I huff and puff about the chore of giving Emma Kate a bath or playing puzzles with her I am being an idiot. So, now I cannot wait to get home, hug my little girl really tight, give her a bath and play puzzles. Because I, unlike NieNie, can.

My little herpatologist.

2009-10-05T08:01:00.000-07:00

Do you know what a herpatologist is? Emma Kate thinks she is one. It is someone who studies creepy-crawly things. Saturday the Auburn University Forest Ecology Preserve had their annual Creepy, Wonderful Critters program and we were there. Emma Kate loved it. She always loves these things.

How old was I the first time I held a snake? Oh yeah, I still haven't. This is EK's third time.

And her fourth time.....

She has no fear. Luckily, the real herpatologist giving the program, said snakes as pets for kids is not a great idea, because they generally live to be 40. FORTY years with a snake. Don't think so. But then, he said that a gecko is a great pet for kids. Yeah, thanks for that. Now, I have to really talk up the kiddo digital camera before birthday time so that EK forgets the word GECKO.

So much for Wordless Wednesday....

2009-09-30T12:40:00.000-07:00

Like I said, I have been sewing more and more. Good news, it hasn't been for other people. With a few exceptions, I have been sewing my little fingers away to make Emma Kate's fall wardrobe. Man, I cannot wait to show you some of what I have done! I just have to pick up some notions (buttons, elastic, etc) to finish everything off. This is my favorite time to sew, because there are so many cute things to sew for Halloween, Fall, Football, TurkeyDay, Birthday and, of course, Christmas.

So, that got me to thinking about Christmas. Yes, I know that it is NOT EVEN October yet, but for someone that makes a lot of the Christmas gifts I give, I gotta start early.

I started making my list and it made me wonder, "could I hand-make 100% of Christmas this year??"

I am really thinking that is it possible. I LOVE giving handmade gifts. There is NO better reaction that when some opens something that you have made them, that they love, and that is personal. Like Bean and MeMe's picture quilts last year (yes, Mom, I promise yours is coming)? Or Hoppy's calendar of the girls? Or pottery with the girls' handprints from my all-time favorite pottery studio in Homewood?

I am thinking I will try. I know that Santa will have to provide some Barbies and Leapster games, but I am thinking that I can get by with some of this......

and a new one of these....
And this.....

And these.....
And one of these sets...

It's still just a thought, but I am liking it so far....

Wordless Wednesday-I am finally sewing again.

2009-09-30T08:52:00.001-07:00

Not a thing

2009-09-28T10:58:00.000-07:00

That is what we did this weekend. In fact, I did not take one picture. That may be a first. We did not go to the game, because it was going to be another wet one. MikeyT went to Alabaster to visit his parents and play some golf with Hoppy. So, we didn't do a thing.

And since I hate a post without pictures, I will post some overdue pics of the Fall Festival at church two sundays ago......

Notice, EK with her BFF, Mary McKinnon...

I also have some pics from Emma Kate's "school" pep rally. Aubie, some cheerleaders and some football boyz came to have a mini-pep rally at the daycare .....It was cute!

I enjoy the last week in September and the first week in October. It is always the calm before the storm. Then, mid-October hits and before I know it, we are saying "Happy New Year!" In October and November we have a wedding in Virginia, some important doctor visits, a trip to the pumpkin patch, Auburn Halloween, Alabaster Halloween, Alabster Birthday party for EK, Auburn birthday party for EK, some more AU football, Thanksgiving and Auburn/Alabama weekend. Yikes, I better catch my breath now.

Have you ever seen the rain?

2009-09-23T06:59:00.000-07:00

Saturday started like a typical Saturday here. We headed to campus. Emma Kate spent some quality time with her boyfriend.

Emma Kate, as she normally does, thinks that all Auburn fans are her "friends." She has NEVER met a stranger in orange and blue. For example, we do not know these people. We were sitting across from them at the Auburn Alumni tent, and Emma Kate asked if she could go see them. She crawled in their laps and made instant best friends. They are obviously very good grandparents because they buttered right up to Emma Kate. She liked their Auburn attire. They liked hers. She liked their hair. They liked hers. She told them that Aubie was her boyfriend. They liked that, too.

We headed into the game early since it had been raining, there were no bouncy houses. Emma Kate grabbed a towel and started cleaning off everyone's seats.

She watched the "footbaw payers" warm up.

She patiently waited for the band to come out and, of course, her boyfriend. But then, we saw this....

I tore my bag open and threw a raincoat on Emma Kate. Luckily she already had on her rain boots. I realized that maybe the raincoat wasn't going to be enough, so I threw a poncho on over her coat. Then, as I was putting my poncho on, THE. SKY. FELL.

Emma Kate looked at me with a worried look on her face. I told her it was okay that we were wet. Then she smiled really big, looked up into the falling rain and said "War Eagle!" It was good.

We decided to stay, as we were already as wet as we were going to be, but then it started lightening and they attempted to evacuate the stadium. We stayed for a bit, but eventually we went home and watched the rest of the game from the warmth of mom's living room.

The Tigers pulled out a victory. We could step outside and hear the roar of the stadium, the drums from that band, the stadium announcer and we could see the blimp. It was a good night.

Friday night fun...

2009-09-22T11:35:00.001-07:00

What a weekend. Friday night started with a Toomer's Milkshake, a City of Auburn Block Party and an Auburn University Tiger Nights which included a Kellie Pickler concert, caricature drawings, swing dancing, a man on stilts, a mechanical bull, cotton candy, face painting and more!! Man I love a college town and free entertainment!! Lots of pics tell the story better than words!!

It was a fun family night!

Contest Entry

2009-09-17T12:24:00.000-07:00

This is contest entry for those crazy folks at TodaysMama and Cricut. Be sure to check out Cricut's cool new cartridges and the chance at $30,000 in travel for you and your friends at the Great Gypsy Escape site!

1. If you could escape to anywhere in the world where would it be? Somewhere in the Carribean....
2. What song do you play when you are by yourself in the car? Totally depends on mood. It can range from 80's one hit wonders, to DMB, to Indigo Girls, to Hip Hop or Pop.
3. If you had a night to yourself, and money was no object, what would you do? Me and Mikey T would jet up to NYC, eat at a fabulous restaraunt, and catch a play.
4. What is your guilty pleasure? Gossip Magazines, Reality Shows and the E! Channel.
5. What is the farthest place you have traveled away from your home? Paris, France.
6. Last book that you couldn't put down? The entire Twilight Series.
7. When you want to escape into another time, what movie do you watch? Any movies I watched a gazillion times in college-- Dirty Dancing, My Best Friend's Wedding, Jerry McGuire, Father of the Bride, etc.
8. What is your favorite local escape? Auburn Sporting Event.
9. How do you escape on a budget? Escape??? I haven't escaped in years.
10.Best food you've ever had while on vacation. Seafood at Capt. Anderson's in Panama City Beach, Florida.

Sunday School

2009-09-16T13:46:00.000-07:00

Emma Kate is now old enough to be considered "Sunday School" as opposed to "Nursery." So every Sunday, we get up late (because we have been at Aubie's party the night before) and we head to church. Emma Kate gets really excited because her BFF is there and at that point it has been a whopping 24 hours since they have last seen eachother.

We put on a cute church dress, do our hair and take our time getting ready. We head out the door singing Jesus Loves Me and God the Father all the way to church. We get to her classroom and she runs in to see her Sunday School friends and then I head over to the santuary.

Right?

Nope, I walk right in. My friend Allyson and I thought it would be a great thing to teach 2 year old Sunday School every Sunday. Thus, we have our daughters and 4-8 friends all under three. God is truly teaching me patience. Oh yeah, and HE is reminding me that I did NOT miss my calling as a preschool teacher.

Really, it has been fun and I look forward to watching these little ones grow and teaching them about God's love. Oh yeah, and Allyson-- don't plan on any trips out of town for the entire year.