Friday, January 4, 2013
Backtracking
Wow! It's 2013! I can hardly believe I started this blog six years ago. I don't post as frequently as I did in the beginning, or visit other blogs as often as I used to, but I am thankful to have my little space in blogland!
I had little time to blog during the second half of December, so I am hitting the rewind button to document some of our experiences. In mid-December, we had several theatrical outings. Both kids and I visited the Nashville Children's Theatre to see a performance of You're a Good Man Charlie Brown. The show was excellent, and we had a great time. The theatre has added some concessions in the lobby, and the kids see that as being as important as the show.
I had little time to blog during the second half of December, so I am hitting the rewind button to document some of our experiences. In mid-December, we had several theatrical outings. Both kids and I visited the Nashville Children's Theatre to see a performance of You're a Good Man Charlie Brown. The show was excellent, and we had a great time. The theatre has added some concessions in the lobby, and the kids see that as being as important as the show.
On December 16th, Emily and I attended the Nutcracker at the Tennessee Performing Arts Center with her Brownie troop. Before the show, we stopped at a downtown cupcake establishment called The Cupcake Collection. I had heard that they have the best cupcakes in the Nashville area, but Emily was not impressed. She's a Gigi's fan!
We parked at the capitol building and walked over to TPAC. On the way, we spotted the Tennessee Christmas Tree.
The Nashville Ballet did an amazing job with the scenery and special effects. It was a beautiful show, and the girls really enjoyed it!
Coming soon...our trip to Disney World and our cruise on the Disney Dream!
Labels: Family and Friends, My Best Girl, My Favorite Boy
Friday, November 30, 2012
Birthday Party
I've been wanting to post for a while, but I ran into a roadblock! I recently learned that I had maxed out my blog's photo limit. I decided to use photobucket to add photos, but I can't access that site either (I've tried from three different browsers, and it is only showing links on the left side, no HTML at all). I didn't know how to fix the problem until I read that another blogger had encountered the same issue and discovered a solution. (Thanks for the tip, Brittney!) Now I am ready to get back to writing!
Emily's birthday was October 26th, but we didn't have her party until November 6th. The kids were out of school for Election Day, so we used the free time as an opportunity for some fun! Emily chose to have her party at the ice skating rink. She's only skated three times, including the party, but she does pretty well, and she enjoys it! She invited ten of her friends. Some of them could skate better than others, but the blue metal support bars (I don't know what they are called) were helpful to those who were uncomfortable skating on their own.
After a little more than an hour of skating, we headed to the party room for pizza and presents. Emily was surrounded by lots of sweet, smiling faces!
Andrew didn't care too much for the ice skating, so he played laser tag with a friend. He did, however, show up for the pizza and cake. Funny how that works. :)
I can't believe Emily's eight. She's growing so fast. She is my feisty, spunky girl, and she is sometimes my drama queen, but she has such a tender heart. She will be the one to take care of me when I am old and gray! I love my Best Girl!
Emily's birthday was October 26th, but we didn't have her party until November 6th. The kids were out of school for Election Day, so we used the free time as an opportunity for some fun! Emily chose to have her party at the ice skating rink. She's only skated three times, including the party, but she does pretty well, and she enjoys it! She invited ten of her friends. Some of them could skate better than others, but the blue metal support bars (I don't know what they are called) were helpful to those who were uncomfortable skating on their own.
After a little more than an hour of skating, we headed to the party room for pizza and presents. Emily was surrounded by lots of sweet, smiling faces!
Andrew didn't care too much for the ice skating, so he played laser tag with a friend. He did, however, show up for the pizza and cake. Funny how that works. :)
I can't believe Emily's eight. She's growing so fast. She is my feisty, spunky girl, and she is sometimes my drama queen, but she has such a tender heart. She will be the one to take care of me when I am old and gray! I love my Best Girl!
Labels: My Best Girl
Tuesday, November 20, 2012
Season's End
Emily had her first experience with soccer this fall, and despite breaking her wrist the night before her first game, she really enjoyed the season. She is used to softball, so the constant running was an adjustment, but she had fun! As usual, her favorite part of being on the team was goofing around with the other girls. If they hand out trophies for silliness and giggling, Emily will win first place!
For the final game, Coach Stacy painted the girls' hair black and white (difficult to see in the photo) and painted their faces. The war paint and hair color were motivating, and the girls played a great game. Afterwards, they wrapped up the season with trophies and cupcakes.
I think Emily will be back on the softball field in the spring, but perhaps there will be more soccer in her future!
For the final game, Coach Stacy painted the girls' hair black and white (difficult to see in the photo) and painted their faces. The war paint and hair color were motivating, and the girls played a great game. Afterwards, they wrapped up the season with trophies and cupcakes.
Labels: My Best Girl
Thursday, November 8, 2012
Trick-or-Treat!
Halloween has come and gone, but since I am always a wee bit behind on this blog, I will take the time to recap.
With Halloween being on a Wednesday (church night), we had to budget our time wisely. We decided to trick-or-treat with some of our church friends from 6:00-6:30 before heading to Bible class. The houses in our friends' neighborhood are close together, so the kids were able to cover a good bit of ground in a short time.
Before leaving home, we snapped some pictures. Oreo loves to trick-or-treat (in other words, she loves to walk around the neighborhood and interact with all the people), but since we were not coming back home, she had to stay behind. That didn't stop us from dressing her up for photos! Last year she and Emily were both cowgirls, so we coordinated her outfit with Andrew this year. How cute is this rufferee?
Emily was Cleopatra. She loved this costume!
We took a group photo before the trick-or-treating began. Our friends were Jordyn Wieber and a Cardinals player that I can't remember, but who obviously has a very thick beard. :)
After church, we donned costumes once again and gathered the kids in the parking lot for an unofficial trunk-or-treat (those of us with kids just got together and gave out candy). I loved seeing the little babies with the puffy, cute costumes. I don't miss having a baby, but they sure are adorable on these special occasions!
Despite the fact that the kids didn't have as much time to enjoy the usual Halloween festivities, it was a wonderful evening. I always enjoy being with members of my Christian family, and this added to the fun for all of us!
Before leaving home, we snapped some pictures. Oreo loves to trick-or-treat (in other words, she loves to walk around the neighborhood and interact with all the people), but since we were not coming back home, she had to stay behind. That didn't stop us from dressing her up for photos! Last year she and Emily were both cowgirls, so we coordinated her outfit with Andrew this year. How cute is this rufferee?
Andrew was LeBron James for the second year in a row. He had another basketball jersey to wear, but his glasses and sweat bands coordinated so much better with his Heat jersey that he decided to do a repeat.
I think he has an unfair advantage with the rufferee.
Emily was Cleopatra. She loved this costume!
We took a group photo before the trick-or-treating began. Our friends were Jordyn Wieber and a Cardinals player that I can't remember, but who obviously has a very thick beard. :)
After church, we donned costumes once again and gathered the kids in the parking lot for an unofficial trunk-or-treat (those of us with kids just got together and gave out candy). I loved seeing the little babies with the puffy, cute costumes. I don't miss having a baby, but they sure are adorable on these special occasions!
Despite the fact that the kids didn't have as much time to enjoy the usual Halloween festivities, it was a wonderful evening. I always enjoy being with members of my Christian family, and this added to the fun for all of us!
Labels: Family and Friends, Fun, My Best Girl, My Favorite Boy
Monday, November 5, 2012
Piano Recital
On the weekend we celebrated Em's birthday with grandparents, she also had her first piano recital (she started piano in January). A year ago, she would have refused to participate; but with experience in school performances and a musical last spring, she has gotten much braver and is starting to enjoy the limelight!
We got to the studio in time for her to warm up on the keyboard with her amazing teacher, Mrs. Jaclyn.
Then, we took our seats and waited for show time. It's always fun to see your own name on the program!
Emily had a cheering section!
She introduced herself and performed two selections beautifully! We were very proud of our girl!
We got to the studio in time for her to warm up on the keyboard with her amazing teacher, Mrs. Jaclyn.
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Emily had a cheering section!
She introduced herself and performed two selections beautifully! We were very proud of our girl!
Labels: My Best Girl
Friday, November 2, 2012
Happy Birthday, Emily!
On October 26th, Emily turned 8! Eight seems so big to me!
We let her open one gift a day early--she can be very persuasive. My budding artist was thrilled to open a new set of supplies and a real sketch book.
Her birthday happened to fall on the same day as the fall party at school, so she enjoyed fun, games, and treats on her birthday. She also got to wear the special birthday hat while her classmates sang "Happy Birthday" to her.
The day after her birthday, both sets of grandparents came to help her celebrate.
The afternoon was filled with family fun and lots of smiles! Emily will be having a party with her friends this week (we scheduled it on Election Day because they are out of school), but celebrating with the ones she loves most is always special!
Her birthday happened to fall on the same day as the fall party at school, so she enjoyed fun, games, and treats on her birthday. She also got to wear the special birthday hat while her classmates sang "Happy Birthday" to her.
The day after her birthday, both sets of grandparents came to help her celebrate.
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| Emily and Grandma |
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| Emily and Papa Don |
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| Emily and Grammy |
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| Emily and Papa |
Labels: Family and Friends, My Best Girl
Thursday, November 1, 2012
Goin' Buggy
Several weeks ago, Emily participated in the second grade program. Goin' Buggy is a tradition at our school, and it is my favorite of all the programs. The kids' costumes are adorable!
Here is Emily as a beautiful butterfly:
It's so exciting to be lined up and ready before a performance. She was thrilled to get her cast off the day before the show--she was ready to shine!
Emily loved the songs from the show. We have heard them at home quite a few times!
Finally, it was time for her speaking part. Two years ago, she would have been hiding behind the curtains. Now, she's ready for the spotlight!
After the show, the bugs from her class posed for pictures. So cute!
Emily loved the songs from the show. We have heard them at home quite a few times!
Finally, it was time for her speaking part. Two years ago, she would have been hiding behind the curtains. Now, she's ready for the spotlight!
After the show, the bugs from her class posed for pictures. So cute!
Labels: My Best Girl
Thursday, October 18, 2012
Spirit Week
Once again, I have neglected my blogging! Facebook is so much easier, but because I tend to record more details here, I don't want to lose touch with blogging completely. Also, I know some of you aren't on Facebook (Rachel!), so I'm trying to keep everyone happy. :)
During the first week of October, the kids' school had spirit week. This week leads up to our big fundraising carnival, and it is always fun. This is Andrew's last spirit week in elementary school, so I was more diligent about taking daily photos this year. Here they are in all their glory!
Considering my straight-laced son didn't even want to participate his kindergarten year, I'd say he's definitely loosened up and gotten more spirited! Coming Next...The Hoot, Scoot & Boogie Carnival!
During the first week of October, the kids' school had spirit week. This week leads up to our big fundraising carnival, and it is always fun. This is Andrew's last spirit week in elementary school, so I was more diligent about taking daily photos this year. Here they are in all their glory!
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| Hat Day |
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| Pajama Day |
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| Crazy Hair and Clothes Day |
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| Sports Day |
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| Hoot Scoot T-Shirt Day |
Labels: Family and Friends, Fun, My Best Girl, My Favorite Boy
Sunday, September 16, 2012
Fun for Emily
Despite the broken wrist, Emily has managed to fit in quite a bit of fun this week! Although we were supposed to go to the orthopedist on Monday, we postponed the visit for one day so she wouldn't miss her first-ever Brownie meeting (she had already missed her first-ever soccer game, so I was trying to limit the disappointments). Emily is excited to join a great group of girls at her school. She was hoping they would start fires and camp out at their first meeting, but I think her expectations were a little high. Despite the slight disappointment, she had a great time.
On Wednesday, Emily was able to get autographs on her cast (she had to wait 24 hours for it to dry completely). As we all know, one of the main benefits to a broken bone is having other people wait in line for their turn to use the Sharpie on your cast. Not only did she get to enjoy the attention last week, but she will get to do it all over again when she gets a new cast this Tuesday! I know she will be glad to have the cast off for good, but it's nice to have some positives in a negative situation!
Finally, Emily spent Saturday morning with her Brownie troop selling baked goods to raise money for a local charity. It's been a wonderful week for her, and I know she is thankful to have some enjoyable experiences after a week of sickness and injury!
On Tuesday, we did visit the doctor who removed the temporary cast and fitted her with a smaller hard cast. She will wear this cast for one week, and then it will be removed and replaced so they can x-ray again. If she is healing, she can play soccer (with her cast wrapped in bubble wrap to protect other players). She did have to sit out a second game on Tuesday night, but she went and cheered on her teammates. She's been wanting to play soccer for a while, so I know she is ready to participate in the action!
On Wednesday, Emily was able to get autographs on her cast (she had to wait 24 hours for it to dry completely). As we all know, one of the main benefits to a broken bone is having other people wait in line for their turn to use the Sharpie on your cast. Not only did she get to enjoy the attention last week, but she will get to do it all over again when she gets a new cast this Tuesday! I know she will be glad to have the cast off for good, but it's nice to have some positives in a negative situation!
Finally, Emily spent Saturday morning with her Brownie troop selling baked goods to raise money for a local charity. It's been a wonderful week for her, and I know she is thankful to have some enjoyable experiences after a week of sickness and injury!
Labels: Fun, My Best Girl
Sunday, September 9, 2012
Break
Emily missed school last Tuesday-Thursday with a croupy virus (Monday was Labor Day, so she missed most of the week). She finally made it back on Friday, and I was looking forward to returning to some sense of normalcy. That wasn't meant to be! On Friday afternoon, Emily fell off a "kiddie" chair in the bonus room and caught herself with her hands. She was hurt, and her wrist was swollen. She wasn't overly upset, but I knew it was serious business when I mentioned that I would need to call her friend's mom and have her friend go home. Emily didn't argue and say, "No, I am fine!", so I knew she was really hurting. I decided to take her to a nearby urgent care facility to get it checked out. I didn't really think it was broken, but I thought it would be better to be safe than sorry. It was a good thing we went!
We were escorted into an exam room immediately upon arrival at the urgent care clinic. This was our first visit to this clinic, and I will definitely return when we need it. Instead of a table with paper to sit on, we waited for the doctor in two leather lounge chairs. They also had a flat screen television on the wall, so Emily watched the Disney Channel while we waited. This was especially wonderful because she was scared. Having a comfortable environment lessened her fears, and by the time the doctor came in, she was fine.
Guess what the x-rays showed? Yes, I am sure you have guessed that she has a broken wrist! The nurse wrapped it in a very large temporary cast, and we were given pics to take to the orthopedist on Monday. I will call them first thing Monday morning; I would like to get her in as quickly as possible because I think her real cast will be smaller, and because I will be glad to know how long we should expect the healing process to take. Emily was supposed to play in her first-ever soccer game on Saturday, and we are hoping the doctor will allow her to play so she won't miss more games (our soccer league allows kids to play if their hard casts are bubble-wrapped). We can't wait to get all the details!
Of course, not all aspects of broken wrists are bad! Adam and Andrew treated her with a cupcake when she returned from the doctor on Friday night. Also, Emily just came in and said, "Mom! Guess what! When you have a broken wrist, people will do things for you, even if you don't really need them to!" Yep, it took less than 48 hours for her to figure out how to use this situation to her advantage!
We were escorted into an exam room immediately upon arrival at the urgent care clinic. This was our first visit to this clinic, and I will definitely return when we need it. Instead of a table with paper to sit on, we waited for the doctor in two leather lounge chairs. They also had a flat screen television on the wall, so Emily watched the Disney Channel while we waited. This was especially wonderful because she was scared. Having a comfortable environment lessened her fears, and by the time the doctor came in, she was fine.
Guess what the x-rays showed? Yes, I am sure you have guessed that she has a broken wrist! The nurse wrapped it in a very large temporary cast, and we were given pics to take to the orthopedist on Monday. I will call them first thing Monday morning; I would like to get her in as quickly as possible because I think her real cast will be smaller, and because I will be glad to know how long we should expect the healing process to take. Emily was supposed to play in her first-ever soccer game on Saturday, and we are hoping the doctor will allow her to play so she won't miss more games (our soccer league allows kids to play if their hard casts are bubble-wrapped). We can't wait to get all the details!
Of course, not all aspects of broken wrists are bad! Adam and Andrew treated her with a cupcake when she returned from the doctor on Friday night. Also, Emily just came in and said, "Mom! Guess what! When you have a broken wrist, people will do things for you, even if you don't really need them to!" Yep, it took less than 48 hours for her to figure out how to use this situation to her advantage!
Labels: My Best Girl
