Preschool Is So Cool

Brooke has been so excited waiting for 3K to start. Everyday, she has been asking, "Am I going to Mrs. Rocket's class today?" And then it was finally Tuesday morning the first day, (actually they started on the 18th, but Brooke didn't get to go since we were out of town.) she was so ready.
I packed her lunch...

while she let her nails and toes dry. And then she put on her shoes, packed her back pack, and posed for a picture before we left. What a big girl!
We had breakfast on the go cause we were in a BIG hurry. Pop tarts are great in the car. Today she had strawberry. She thinks pop tarts are really special treats! I drove quickly, and we arrived on 2 wheels to the Evangel parking lot. Mrs. Rocket told me that she likes to begin her lessons at 8:15AM and it was already 8:13AM. Brooke was in no hurry, she said she couldn't go until she applied her pink sparkly lip gloss. I'm gonna be in big trouble when she's a teen!
As we approached the door, she took off without even looking back. Hey, what about my kiss?...Maybe a hug?...not even a wave!!...alrighty then...I guess I'll go now. :-( As I took this picture, I could hear Mrs. Rocket in the background trying to corral the kids. She was ready to start the day and the kids were in their own little world planning to play dress up and kitchen. I wonder how long it will take for everybody to get the routine?
Bailey and I visited with Michelle and Catherine in the nursery office for a while and then we were off to run a few errands. We had a nice Mom and Bailey morning, but we sure missed big sister. We hurried through the rain and arrived just in the nick of time to pick up the big girl from school.

She was so proud that she didn't have to move a spot! (Mrs. Rocket has a system called "Frog on a Log" ~Each student has a frog with 3 spots on it and if the child misbehaves, she has to move a spot. If the child doesn't move any spots, they get to pick from the treasure box.) Brookie chose a pretty pink bracelet for her prize.

On the way home, I pried her for a little info about the day.

She happily told me, "Mom I got a ski-doe today. "

Oh yeah, what in the world is a ski-doe?

"You eat it...Mrs. Rocket gave it to me!"

That's great! So why did she give it to you?

"Oh just because I was a good patient on the rug!"

Wow! I am so proud of you.

(After a little bit of pondering...I finally figured out that she got a skittle for having patience while sitting on the rug. :-)

Thursday came, and daddy was off of work for the day. Of course, he would want to bring her to school, but was really not into posing for pics. Being me, I forced the issue...you know I scrapbook people! Don't they look cute?
He was even more thrilled that I asked him to snap a picture of Mrs. Rocket with our girl at drop off. (Since I was running late on Tues. I felt like it wasn't a good time to ask and I really wanted a pic of them together) So here is Brooke and the famous Mrs. Rocket!
***Bonus...daddy went to pick up Brooke from school at 1:00PM and snapped this darlin' picture. Brooke and Ella both visited the treasure box today again. Each picked an air head for their goodie. Looks like they sure are happy to be in preschool!

Brooke had another great day today...according to her at least! She came home singing the "Morning Meeting" song and taught it to me. I am assuming it is the song they sing when they have circle time on the rug. Too cute!

Later this evening, we were playing with play doh, and she said, "We played with play doh at school today, but there wasn't enough for everyone. We had to take turns and Mrs. Rocket would ring a bell when it was time to stop and let someone else have a turn."

Daddy was upset that they didn't have enough play doh for everyone and thought that it was a real shame. He was all like, "How can they not have enough for everyone!?!" I figured out that Brooke was talking about having centers and had to explain to him about how center time works. (I love center time...I wonder what other centers they have? Sure does make me miss teaching...hmmmm....well, not enough to leave my babies and go back! ;-)

OK, that's pretty much it for the 1st Tuesday and Thursday, but the best part is...she gets to go again next week!

Isn't preschool SO COOL?

Goin' Back to Cali...

Continued from Shopping & Sea Lions at Sunset
The rest of the trip brought more of the same kind of fun....snoozing, sunshine, swimming, sunbathing, shopping and serenity. What a spectacular week!
But my all time favorite part of the week was the hot date that my husband I had on Thursday evening.
All week, we pretty much had to hang out with other people every night, so when we got the rental car all to ourselves we were more than thrilled.
We planned to dine downtown on our date, so we headed in that direction.
In San Diego, the downtown area is called The Gas Lamp Quarter. It's pretty much like The French Quarter in New Orleans with lots of cool places to see and fun thing to do,~minus the bare chests and the heavy stench of stale urine~so we were all about it!
We arrived downtown, found a garage to park in, and then we started walking. There were tons of restaurants. We were leaning towards Italian and there were so many, it was hard to choose! We looked at about 20 different menus up and down 5th and 6th Ave. and then we agreed on Dakota's.
Actually, I finally put my foot down and said, "This is the place!" ;-) And then we walked in, sat down, looked up, and saw this picture.
It had to be a good place with a Zeke Clements poster hanging up in the place. Hey, I wonder if he is a relative of our Clements?
I was thrilled with our my choice. The atmosphere was nice~loved the live piano music~, the wait staff was very friendly, and the food was extra yummy.
We each had a glass of wine, a salad, and split an entree. We decided not to get the Creme Brulee' for dessert because we had seen a Ghirardelli's chocolate and ice cream parlor down the way and we had big plans to have dessert there.
And wouldn't you know it, we ended up walking around, visiting lots of little shops, and then hubby insisted on going to see the navy ships. We got so far away from the chocolate shop that we couldn't find it again. I guess I didn't really need the extra calories anyway, but I sure was upset about not getting my chocolate fix!
At least, I had stowed away some gourmet cookies in the room and so I got a little bit of a dessert after all.
Click here to see what fun the girls got into on Thursday.

We fell into bed at midnight, exhausted. 4:15AM came REALLY quickly, but we had to make it to the airport in time for our flight home. We sat in the airport so tired, although very happy with the anticipation of seeing our girls. Throughout the day, Daddy kept saying, "Only 8 more hours until we see the girls, only 4 more hours, only 30 minutes!"...I just held my breath the whole time, hoping and praying that nothing bad would happen at the last minute. How did we leave them for a whole week?
It probably helped that our dear and sweet friends kept them and I know they were well cared for. I always tell Christy that she takes better care of my kids than I do!
Christy, who knew 3 1/2 years ago when we met at Nancy's bible study that we would be such great friends...I still remember thinking that it was crazy of you to be nursing that big ole baby!! ;-)
But seriously, I want you to know that we so appreciate you sacrificing a week of your lives to keep our girls. We are just amazed that you think enough of us to do something so special and we want you to know the feeling is totally mutual. We treasure your friendship. Thank you, thank you, thank you, you're the best. We love y'all!
And as far as the whole California trip, I think that it was great. Full of fun times and great memories, but most of all I think it has reminded me to relax and let go. God is in control...yesterday, today, and forever! I just need to be in His will and remember that He is good. After all, the chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy him forever...

"Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead. I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus." Philippians 3:12-14

Yay! We are back, and I am so thankful that we made it to Birmingham all in one piece and that our children are as well.
Click here to learn more about our reunion.

We had a great trip as a couple, but wow is it great to have our family back together again.
This evening, we had a great time getting reacquainted and showering the girls with plenty of hugs and kisses! They enjoyed cookies from the Dallas airport as well as many other souvenirs that we brought back from San Diego.
Well...I guess I have rambled about our trip plenty (4 posts) And it is almost midnight, so I'll wrap it up. I bet our little San Diego Princesses would love to get on a plane to visit that beautiful part of the country with us, not to mention, The San Diego Zoo, Sea World, and Lego land. I better start planning cause we're....

Goin' back to Cali...YES, I think so!

Shopping & Sea Lions at Sunset

Continued from....Sunny San Diego
Another early morning...More conference stuff for the man and big shopping plans for me, but I have to admit we were really tired from all the festivities from the night before.
After a refreshing shower, he was off to another day at the "office" and I was on my own.
My new friend was supposed to hook us up with a ride today, but she called and informed me that the food from the night before didn't agree with her and so she didn't want to get out and not be close to a bathroom.
WHATEVER...I wasn't about to sit around and waste a day of my vacation, so I called the concierge and he booked me a cab.
Off to the nearest shopping mall I went!
The first stop was Fashion Valley Mall. Think Summit stores, but about a 100 times better. The layout was arranged like a regular indoor mall, but without a roof in the common areas. In California, it never rains and the temperature is always the same, so I guess a mall without a roof seems very appropriate.
It was nice to be in the sunshine while shopping with the stores in a close mall proximity, but each time I walked out of a store , I would have to put on my shades. After about the third store and as I was passing by a little sunglass shop, I dropped and broke my only sunglasses. I totally HAD to buy a new pair while I was there. How convenient!
Can I just say that I really enjoyed shopping alone! I am usually not the loner type, but it was SO nice to go at my own pace and look at whatever I pleased without having to worry about a single~solitary~sole. I didn't even have to talk to anyone, or feed anyone, or take anyone to the bathroom. Woo Hoo...It was so awesome!
I even had a leisurely Italian lunch in an open bistro situated near the food court. I just sat all by my lonesome under an umbrella and did a little people watching while I ate. Surprisingly, the people in San Diego were very regular looking. Not L.A.ish at all. And EVERYONE spoke Spanish. That kinda got on my nerves. I would look at a blonde haired, blue eyed person and then they would open their mouths and start speaking Spanish. I just couldn't figure out why such an American looking kid was speaking Spanish as their language of choice.
Anyway, after hitting all the shops at Fashion Valley, I hailed another cab and headed over to another mall a couple of miles away.
Now don't get me wrong, I totally loved Fashion Valley, but this other mall, Mission Valley was more suited to my budget. My first stop was Target.
Let me just tell you girls, I had the best time EVER!
Y'all, it was H-U-G-E ~ 2 stories ~ I could have stayed there for days, but I spent all my money in about 2 hours. If you are ever in an area that has a double decker Target, you must go. They even have a separate escalator for your shopping cart!
I hit a few more stores and then got a cab. I had been shopping since 10:00AM and it was now 4:30PM, so I rushed back to the hotel just in time to meet Hubs.
We had big plans to go down to the beach to watch the sun set and get some dinner. There are several different beaches in San Diego and it was hard to choose just one.
After pondering the list...We went ahead and drove over to Pacific beach to check it out.

How awesome would that be to look out of your window to this scenery every day?(not the guys, just the backdrop;-) No wonder California real estate is so expensive! We explored the beach for a while. Walking along the concrete boardwalk, we checked out a few little souvenir vendors, but didn't see anything we had to have. It was more fun walking down on the sand, close to the water. We even saw a bunch of sea lions frolicking in the ocean...too cool! The beach was very rocky, but the water and the mountains were breathtaking. Much different than the beaches along the Gulf Coast where I grew up visiting.After watching the sunset, we found a cute little bar and grill right down the beach with rooftop seating. The guys wanted to sit outside, but I forgot my sweater and it was starting to get a little chilly. We decided to sit inside where it was warm and we could watch the Olympics on the many big screen televisions. The Pacific Beach Ale House had its own brewery, so we tried several beers. Some were quite interesting!One even tasted like chicken broth...maybe it is a good beer to drink when you are trying to cure a cold, but on a regular day it was just not very appealing...chicken broth beer...Yuck! Hubs and I both agreed that we liked the Good Times Gold best. It was just a regular ole tasting pale ale type of beer.
For dinner, we split some spin dip, fish and chips, and bread pudding. A few hours later, we left out of that place totally stuffed. All that food made us sleepy too, but we mustered up enough energy to get a few souvenirs around town and then we went back to the room.
We lounged for a while and then drifted into dreamland where visions of the next outing danced in our head. :-)

To be continued...

(Click here to see what the girls were up on Wednesday.)

Sunny San Diego

Continued from...What was I thinking?
On Tuesday, Hubs woke up at 7 (9AM Birmingham time) and called to check on the girls. They were having a great time and Miss Brooke was so busy that she didn't even have time to talk to us, so we decided to not worry about her anymore.
Hubby headed off to his conference.
I wanted to sleep late, but my eyes just kept popping open. I guess I was too excited about all the possibilities of the day.
I got up, made some coffee in the cute little coffee maker, and just hung around the room for a while. Hmmmm...what's a girl with no job, no kids, no responsibilities, and NO CAR gonna do on a beautiful day in sunny San Diego?
I spent some time on the balcony, with my laptop, sipping my cup of Joe, and overlooking the view.
Not bad, huh?
After my coffee, the sun was really starting to shine and the pool was calling me. I put on my bathing suit, gathered some reading materials, and walked out to the pool. So many chairs...so little people...which one should I choose? Can you believe, I had the ENTIRE pool to myself! And get this, I laid out on a lounge chair, sunning my buns, and reading my bible for a WHOLE hour without interruption. How amazing to spend time with my Heavenly Father while enjoying this beautiful part of the country that He created. It was good, good indeed!
The sun was very bright~much brighter than the Birmingham sun, and although the rays were really beaming down, it was only about 78 degrees outside....very nice. As I lay there developing skin cancer soaking up the sun, I started getting a little sleepy.
Just as I put my Bible down to close my eyes for a quick nap, I heard a visitor arrive at the pool. I found it hard to ignore her, so we began chatting. We figured out that our husbands were at the same conference together and became fast friends.
After a while, we ended up taking a walk to get a late lunch and then we parted ways. We decided that we'd better go and get freshened up for a little rendezvous with the men of our dreams.
Back in the room, I discovered that I had gotten a little too much sun!!! It was totally worth it though. :-)
I showered, got dressed, and then hubs arrived.
He had to give a presentation at the conference and now that he had successfully delivered his message, he was ready for some fun. We went straight to the bar and had a frosty tall margarita poolside while we visited with some of the other conference folks.
After a drink or two, a bunch of us headed over to Old Town. It is the oldest part of San Diego and looks kinda like the streets of Mexico.
Old Town is evidently the place to go on a Tuesday night because it was very busy. The streets were packed with shoppers and restaurant goers. We even watched the "Tortilla Ladies of Old Town" work their magic. They prepare more than 7,000 corn and flour tortillas from scratch each day. That's 7,000 more than I'll ever make in an entire lifetime!
After waiting a really long time, we finally got a table at the Old Town Mexican Cafe. Hubby and I ordered a pitcher of frozen strawberry margaritas to share. Cheers! And we each devoured an entree, complete with the~from scratch~tortillas and all. Yummy!
After dinner, we headed back to the hotel for another poolside get together.
I had more margaritas and a couple of cervezas too. Yes I know, I am a party girl! I could have stayed out there all night, but everybody started pooping out and so we went back to the room around midnight.
It was a really great and relaxing day. How blessed am I to be in California spending some alone time with my man? I closed my eyes and thought, "Thank you...thank you...looking forward to whatever tomorrow holds!"

To be continued...

(The kids are great too. Read all about the fun they are having with the Clements here and here.)

What was I thinking?

Why did I ask my husband to bring me along? This is what went through my head as I drove away...waving to my kids. I am leaving my children for a week.....flying across the country...to California...where I have some of the worst memories ever!

You see, it was back in 99'...I decided that I needed to do a few things before the new millennium...including flying for the 1st time.

I had always had a fear and I decided at 25 years old I needed to GET OVER IT and go somewhere ON A PLANE.

So, my friend Kerri and I planned a trip to L.A. to visit her brother for couple of days.

We decided on August, a last HURRAH before heading back to teaching for the new 99-00 school year.

Her mom brought us to the airport in New Orleans and we were off!

Surprisingly enough, I loved it! Flying was so much fun...how did I go this long without experiencing something so awesome....I was on cloud 9! (literally)

We arrive and all is well for a while until I get a call from my mom. She said my dad was really sick and confused and that she thinks that he had a stroke. She said that he was at my house (I owned my own home with 2 roommates~1 male and 1 female~about 2 miles away from my parents home) and was wondering where I was.(he knew that I was in L.A.) Mom was headed over there and wanted me to call and talk to him in the meantime.

I envisioned my father bleeding from the head and I was so scared. I thought he was going to die while I was over 2,000 miles away from home. I talked to him and he was really out of it. I wanted him to be fine, but I knew he wasn't. Something bad was happening to him. I couldn't figure out why he was at my house? Why would he go there, especially when he knew I was out of town??

I tried to not worry that night and kept in touch with my family. The next day he was stable, but still in the hospital. They couldn't figure out the problem.

In the meantime, I went on with my sightseeing and then I got my 1st migraine with aura ever. I thought I was going blind! I had to go to bed with it for a day or so and it totally sucked.

I finished the trip and had an OK time...went to Disneyland, Hollywood, Universal, etc.... and my dad seemed to be getting better.

I returned home to find out that my dad didn't have a stroke or a TIA after all. It was something they call TGA. (Click here to read the causes) A little time went by and my mom and I figured out that the day my father had the TGA was the day that my roommate (a 17 year old girl that worked for my parents' business) became his girlfriend.

Yes I know, CRAZY, that was officially the end to my storybook, white picket fence childhood and I was now on to figuring out how to live with out my daddy because MY daddy would never do that to our family. The daddy that I knew was now officially GONE!

So you see how the thought of visiting California brings up the worst memories and triggers migraines, but something was inside me. It was pulling me...I just had to go!

I HAD to leave my kiddos and just go.

I got on the plane and I was starting to get a little excited. I love traveling! We took off and the anticipation of the whole experience was overwhelming.
I was pumped.. ready to have some fun. We were in the air. No turning back...just do it...have some grown up fun....without the girls!

I was super excited now. Am I the only one who loves the entire airline experience? The safety demonstration, the cozy laboratory with blue toilet water, the Sky Mall magazine. The snacks!!! Oh yes...its time for a snack. I love watching the flight attendants with their cart. I lower my tray with anticipation...what will I get to drink? Hubby says no alcohol until we land, so I finally decide on a Diet Sierra Mist. And the sweet attendant agrees to give me extra snacks. Yes we're definitely having fun now.

The airplane ride is pretty long, but good. We arrive to the hotel without a hitch. Wow, the room is nice. Comfy bed, WIFI, and even the cutest little coffee maker.

Kids....what kids....I'm in California with my hubs....ALONE!

Later, we meet friends to go out for some dinner. The trip is REALLY going well. I am excited about the rest of the week.

And then my cookie calls. She is tired and sad....she wants her momma and dadda.

Maybe I should go home?

Nah!

To be continued....

Sips N' Strokes with Grand Ole Folks

This weekend, Andrea, Aaron, and Aiden, some good friends came by for a little visit. Birmingham is always a rest spot for them to stop and visit while traveling from Virginia to Louisiana to visit family, but this time they were actually moving for a new three year assignment in Biloxi, Mississippi.
Hey Andrea, I just remembered that the last time Aaron (your seaman) was stationed in Biloxi and you were living with me in Baton Rouge. Remember the day I decided I wanted a dog? You helped me pick out Teddy and raise him from just a wee little pup...You were such a good auntie to our little Theodore Maxwell.
Andrea and Aaron have been living in Virginia Beach for about 7 years and it was always hard for me to go there, but now the girls and I can make a Biloxi trip with just a hop, skip, and a jump. We are so excited that our houses will only be about four hours away from one another!!
When we get together, we always have so much fun. The months just melt away and it seems as though we were never apart. The kids always have fun together too. This weekend was no different.
First, we made a trip to the swimming pool. There, Daddy, Aaron, Brooke and Aiden had a splashing contest off the diving board. Aaron won the best splasher hands down. He’s a great diver too. My husband can’t seem to make a big splash to save his life, but he sure has fun trying. The show they put on was quite amusing. The lifeguard was even entertained and couldn't help but laugh.
Later, we ate out for dinner. Once again, we stuffed ourselves! Eating out is always sooo much fun.
But mostly, the good times are just hanging around doing nothing.

Back at the house, the kids played video games.

Splashed in the bath together…probably the last time since Aiden is 41/2.

Chased each other around and danced.

And the grown ups watched Micheal Phelps win a few more Olympic metals and sipped some wine.

While the kids worked on some artwork in the kitchen. Who knew that paper, markers, and scissors could keep them quiet and content for so long?

Now sips and strokes may not be for all you folks, but we sure did have a grand ole time!

Poison Control is Your Friend~10 Months Today

Ok, so I confess, I had to call poison control twice this week! My busy girl is into EVERYTHING and of course, each time she finds a "treasure", she inserts it directly into her mouth and sucks it like a paci. My baby girly sucked down a mouth full of hand sanitizer and soap within days of one another. The grape sanitizer was on Monday. She didn't seem to mind the taste as much as the Cotton Blossom hand soap she dug out of the trash on Thursday. She really had a time with the soap~choking and gagging with watering eyes. Poor little baby!
The first time I called, I was really nervous. They took my full name, child's name, and our phone number~so I was thinking, "Oh great! I am going to get investigated or something." However, by the 2nd time I called a few days later~I felt like a pro~lovely, I'm a pro at calling poison control~the operator assured me that I could call 10 times a day and it was completely confidential. I certainly hope I would not call that much, but good to know I won't be turned in for child neglect. So anyway, don't hesitate to call if you need to. (1-800-222-1222) The Birmingham operator, Vivian is sure to be really helpful!
Other than ingesting a variety of poisons, Bailey has really been such a joy this last month. She has been super sweet. She has a couple of teeth that are finally starting to poke through. Oddly enough, the first one is in the upper left...my baby is a snaggle tooth! Another one is also busting through on the bottom right. I love it when they just have the 2 bottom ones, but I guess she is going to get a mouth full all at once!
She is learning so many things. One is her new favorite things is pushing chairs all around the house. Her cruising abilities are amazing! She could walk at any minute. I told Christy that if she tries to walk, while I'm gone next week to push her down. ;-)
She loves to play with other kids and wants to be a part of the action~ whatever may be going on. She can wave bye-bye and give you five. Her kisses are great! Full open mouth with lots of drool.
Another favorite past time is playing in the Tupperware cabinet. Something her daddy lets her do often.
She can almost clap, but still has a little trouble getting those hands to meet up every time.
She says momma and dadda, but not really at any specific person. She also says nannaaanna when she is tired.
One of my favorite things lately is watching her sleep! It is one of the only times she is still and I can just look at her and drink in all that sweetness. I am truly in awe of her each day and I look forward to the plan that God has for her and our family. I can't believe she is in double digit months already. Ten months is not even a "real" baby anymore.
Before I know it she'll be ten years old and I'll have a tween and a teen on my hands. I just hope that my curious little girls don't continue on the same path or they'll be into goodness only knows what. One thing is for sure, I will be spending lots of time on my knees!

I Heart Homeschooling!

If you know me at all, you know my love for teaching, but you know my even bigger love of the stuff that goes along with teaching. The SUPPLIES!!!
SO when the 1st of the month rolled around and we had the tax free days, I HAD to go out and buy some school supplies. Brooke came along and picked out some great stuff and we decided since she doesn't need any of it for MDO, that we would do a little homeschooling.
We have had so much fun (preschool is way easier than 4th grade ;-) and Brooke practically begs me to have school every day. We are on day 10 and we even have school on Saturday and Sunday. I know, crazy, huh?
She knows all of her letters and can count to 20, but she ALWAYS skips 16. So, we have been working on counting, number recognition, phonics, and writing. And of course, I throw in a few extra fun things each day to mix it up a bit!

Here is a our typical (well today anyway) school day...

We woke up this morning had breakfast and then started with some ABC's and 123's core curriculum. You know, one thing we love most about homeschooling is that you get to wear your jammies!
First, we had phonics and letter writing where we worked on the letter I. Brooke says that I's are easy to say and make. It is just a straight line down with a hat at the top and shoes at the bottom. She insist that she needs NO help and you should hear how she pronounces, Iguana~ so cute!
Next, Brooke "wrote" a story about daddy and "drawed a pitcher", cut it, and glued it in her heart journal.

After finishing our daily core curriculum, it was time for a little field trip. Yay! We are all about field trips...Brooke and Mommy headed over to the nail salon and had our toes painted. A real must for preschoolers! Hey, it totally reinforces positive foreign relations and learning a 2nd language. Today it was~Vietnamese (I think). Along with the foreign stuff, this field trip actually improved her social skills~Brooke mustered up the courage to ask the nail man to do her toes today. She is usually scared of all nail people and says, "You do mine at home for me Mommy!" This time she agreed to let them do hers, but she did request, "to please NOT put any water on her feet!" Little does she know, that's the best part. She got to "pick a color" and in turn practiced her color recognition skills. And finally, patience~because they only put about 6 coats on her and it took FOR-EV-ER to dry. The final result was quite satisfactory...she was beyond trilled. Brooke even told the lady several times, "Boy do my toes surely look pretty!"
Our next stop was the Red Geranium in Pelham. Yes ma'am! We met our sweet friends, Rachel, Carly and Gigi (Carly's grandmother) there for a very important lunch date. You see it was special because we never get to see Rachel and Carly very much because they moved all the way to Texas. :-( We miss y'all! We are glad we got to hang out with you a couple of time this trip and we look forward to seeing you really soon in Dallas. Y'all just tell us when and we'll be on the next plane, K!
After lunch, we had to run a few errands. It was just some of our weekly stops like the monogram shop and Walmart. We got to visit with Janice and picked up this cute outfit. Hope you like it Kerri!
We finally arrived back home and the girls had a VERY SHORT nap and then I woke them up for music time! My two girls really have a passion for the keyboard and glockenspiel.

After music, we ate a quick dinner and then went over to meet Brooke's new ballet teacher, Miss Joy. Yes I know, you could say that we are really into the fine arts!

Back at home, we had bath time and then Brooke finished up her day with some computer literacy~you should see that girl with a keyboard and mouse.

Finally...the best part of the day...story time! I read Little Red Riding Hood and Make Way for Ducklings to her. And you know that little stinker went upstairs and told her Daddy that I didn't read to her and he read The Cat and the Hat Comes Back and Are you my Mother? to her.

Oh yes, I am pretty sure she has already mastered~Manipulation 101!!!!

Homeschooling is so much fun...Unfortunately, I do not think that I am disciplined enough to do this on a serious and regular yearly basis. Thankfully Brooke will start 3K in a couple of weeks at Evangel. She keeps asking if she is big enough to wear a "unicorn" and matching shoes yet!!! I told her we'll have to wait on that a couple more years. We are going to meet her "real" teacher, Mrs. Rockett on Thursday and she can't wait!
Hats off to the dedicated homeschooling mommies out there! What a sacrifice you make to teach your children...such a BLESSING too!

Mama, Brooke, and Dora's Big Alabama Adventure

Today Daddy took off of work to keep Bailey, so that Brooke and I could get together for some much needed big girl time.
We have been itching to go to Alabama Adventure all summer, so that is exactly where we headed.
Brooke was so excited about the anticipation of our big adventure she arose from the bed at 6:45AM (She usually sleeps til at least 8) and she was chomping at the bit.
We packed up all our gear and got on the road and were there when the gates opened! We met up with a few sweet friends and then we were ready to have some fun. After purchasing our BOGO free combo ticket with our empty coke can and successfully smuggling in our picnic lunch (shhhh), we were were off.
Our first stop was Splash Beach Water Park. Brooke was a little anxious to get there QUICKLY and fell down and scraped her knee right off the bat, but she tried to pretend it didn't hurt as she wasn't going to let ANYTHING ruin her long awaited day at the "musmick park"!
We played at Salamander Bay, floated down the Warrior River, and had a blast at Quarry Bay under the big orange bucket. Mommy and Mrs. Sarah even went down Neptune's Plunge and squealed the whole way down!!
We had such a fun time that we soon worked up an appetite.
We paused for a lunch break and then decided to go over to the Alabama Adventure side.
At Alabama Adventure, we rode the Carousel, Marvel City Speedway, Adventure Express, Motorcross, Fender Bender, Convoy, Marvel Mania,(I held Brooke VERY tight, so she wouldn't get a black eye this year) and finally the Hurricane. The Hurricane was mommy's favorite! Is goes around and around, up and down, and backwards, at speeds up to 75 miles per hour. It even has an outspoken DJ operator and loud music playing to add to all the fun! Thankfully, that little front moved in yesterday and the temperature outside was just perfect. There was a nice breeze and we didn't even break a sweat!
After the Hurricane, we headed for some "Polka Dot" ice cream! It is a tradition you know.
On the way to get ice cream, we came upon Celebration Street where all the carnival games are located and the kids wanted to "go fishing." After bending the rules a little bit and using her southern charm, Brooke won a dancing Dora doll! She was too excited. Dora spent the rest of the day with us on our big adventure!
We finally got the dippin dots ice cream. And the yummy, sticky, melted, banana split-flavored, mess all over the place proved that it was all good!
All of our friend's pooped out on us and decided to head home, but Brooke and I were ready for more...
We went back to the water park and repeated all the activities from the morning and then went back to Alabama Adventure for a few rides that we had missed earlier.
We were on a mission to ride the Pirate Ship. We rode it and boy was that thing scary, but it didn't seem to phase my girl! Next, we rode the Wild River Gorge. Brooke really loved it. Especially, the dark cave with a surprise~spraying water. And finally the Giant Ferris Wheel was our last ride of the day! The Ferris Wheel was her favorite. Evidently, she hasn't quite developed a fear of heights just yet! Me on the other hand, am NOT a big fan especially since there are not even seat belts on that thing!
Anyway, by this time it was after 5:30PM and Daddy and Bailey were at home waiting for us to go out to dinner with them, so we decided to call it a day and headed over to Pizza Pro to meet them. There Brooke told Daddy ALL about her day and we had a yummy dinner complete with way too much chocolate chip pizza...Amusement park hopping makes you really hungry!
After pizza, we headed home to play outside for a few minutes.

Later we took baths, and all the girls fell fast into dreamland, even DORA! (This is what Penn found when he went to get into bed tonight. Evidently, Brooke tucked Dora in right on Penn's pillow!)
On a side note...Daddy was called in to work for a very important conference call, so he and Bailey headed downtown for a while today. Bailey played with one of the secretaries while Daddy did his work. Bailey was very sweet and made a great impression.
Actually, Bailey and Daddy had an awesome day together. She didn't even cry once~ALL DAY!
I just love when things work out so well. Oh and yesterday Daddy received a $59 check in the mail from NC, so he gave it to us for our day! (Thanks Nana and Grandpa)

Alabama Adventure Parking: $10

2 BOGO Combo Tickets: $33.99 plus tax

1 Carnival Game: $3

1 Small Dippin Dots Ice Cream: $4.50

7 Hours of Nonstop Big Girl Fun: PRICELESS
(and we even have 3 dollars left;-)