Easter 2009

This one's for you, Riley!

First a little background info: I haven't blogged in a while because my card reader stopped working a few months ago. I had great intentions of buying one but I just never got around to it. So, Lynne the Awesome-est sent me one so I could upload pictures and update my blog for Riley. I am guessing Lynne didn't want to waste a trip to the post office on just a card reader so she filled our flat rate box with goodies for the family. She made the girls the most adorable skirts for Easter and with the extra fabric she made me a cute apron. She also included flower clips to match (see why she is the awesome-est.) We love packages from Utah, especially when they include authentic "Utahian" goods. Lynne did not disappoint this time. She included chocolate covered cinnamon bears and a Down East tee for me. Add to that some FHE kits and a bag of Easter Candy for Bryan and you have the most awesome package we have received in a long time.

Between my new card reader and my guilt, I have been compelled to update the old blog today. So Easter pictures is what you will get. Here is our Easter recap:

Last night Hayden was worried that we didn't have any carrots to put out for the Easter Bunny so we left him the next best thing--celery with peanut butter. Rabbits eat that, right? He must have liked it because he left the girls some goodies. (Even though I told Hayden I thought she was on his bad list. Does the Easter Bunny keep a good list and a bad list?)

Hayden was excited to see that the Easter Bunny didn't eat all of the celery because she wanted some. As she was about to eat it, Taylor and Payton started freaking out at her because they didn't think it was safe to eat after the Easter Bunny. Really?!? Just when I thought they had already thought of everything in the world to argue about, they find something else. I guess they are only concerned about her safety. So I made Hayden her very own celery with PB.

The girls looked especially cute this morning with their new Easter skirts (courtesy of Lynne) and flowers in their hair. So after church, we went over to Mobile Botanical Gardens for pictures. We had only been there once, a very long time ago for a wedding, so we just went there on a whim. It is open everyday from dawn to dusk and is free. It was Beautiful. The still had azaleas blooming and bunch of walking trails with great places to take pictures. I only wish my camera skills matched the setting.

We were even able to get a half way decent picture of Bryan and I. This was the only picture, out of all the ones the girls took, that was in focus and had both of our heads in the frame.

After we got all of the pictures I wanted we went home for the long awaited egg hunt. The girls are getting passed the age when you can just throw the eggs in the grass and call it a day. Bryan and I actually had to hide them this time.

Bryan did hide some just out of their reach for our own amusement. It was fun watching them jump over and over for two little eggs. After Taylor walked off, Payton tried to strike up a deal with me. She said if I got the eggs down for her, she would let me have one of them. I did finally get them down for her because I knew she was willing to risk injury for a plastic egg. She almost face-planted on the driveway while trying fetch this little egg.I really didn't think Hayden would be able to able to reach the eggs in the top of the crape myrtles but she is no dummy. She just shook the heck out of those trees until the eggs fell.The weather was really nice today so the girls sat on the driveway and sorted goodies while Bryan and I sat on the front porch and chilled. It was such relaxing way to spend a Sunday afternoon.

Another long overdue post

(Pretend it is October 1st instead of January 1st)
My little girl is not a baby anymore. I know that she hasn't been a baby for a long time but everytime I look at her she seems older and more grown up. I miss her bald head, big blue eyes, and bright toothless smile. But I love now seeing her beautiful smile and those same blue eyes as she changes from a little girl into a wonderful young lady. Her smile lights up a room and her laugh is infectious. She is a kind, helpful, intelligent, inquisitive, sweet spirited, funny, loving girl. People have told me you can tell how special and wonderful she is just be looking at her smile. I have to agree! Even though she is only turning nine, I feel like she is growing up way to fast. Thankfully, though, she still likes to snuggle, play with her sisters, and act silly. And she hasn't gotten to old to hold my hand our let me give her a kiss in front of her friends at school. She has gotten a little more picky about what she will wear and how she wants her hair fixed. There are some things I lover about her getting older. Taylor really loves to sit down with a good book and would read through the night if I would let her. She is involved in several after school activities that she loves. She is pretty self sufficient with her homework. She is an excellent helper at home. And she now is big enough to need this beauty:

Taylor has asked for a new bike for every birthday and Christmas for the past couple of years. Our neighborhood is not very bike riding friendly so we have held off. This year for her birthday, she once again asked for a bike and that is the only thing she wanted. So in the morning when she left to go on her birthday breakfast date with Daddy, this was waiting on the front porch.

She was just as happy and excited as I had expected and I love watching her ride it. Of course, I won't let her out of my sight and I freak out everytime I hear a car.

The other half of her birthday excitement had to wait a few weeks. We went to see High School Musical 3 and she got to bring Hannah along. We had to wait until the movie came out, which was several weeks after her birthday. The wait was worth it. She loved it and has already asked if we can buy it when it comes out on DVD. I am sure we will.

Let's start at the very beginning...

...A very good place to start.

When you read, you begin with A-B-C.

When you blog you begin with Halloween.

OK, I know those aren't the words to the song. But, it applies here. While I have lots of Christmas and Disney vacation pictures and stories to share, I am a little bit behind on the posts. So for the enjoyment of my #1 blog fan, Riley, I am going to start back at Halloween and work forward.

Taylor went as a 50's girl. You may remember that her and Bryan attended a Daddy/Daughter Sock Hop together back in August. Taylor wore her poodle skirt from that for Halloween. She looked especially cute with the new hair accessory she picked out. Payton was a Vampire Princess - not to be confused with just a vampire (like she was last year.) Ever since the summer when Riley let us borrow her beautiful boots, Hayden has wanted to be a cowgirl. Don't be confused by the Sheriff's badge she is wearing. It came in the package with the toys guns so she wanted to put it on. But she said she was still a cowgirl.

The girls posed for some pictures before we left for our Ward Trunk or Treat.

They had this little scenrio all made up for this picture. Hayden, the brave cowgirl, is protecting Taylor, the scared little sock-hopper, from Payton, the evil vampire.

We love the Trunk or Treat activity at church every year. It is usually held the Wednesday before Halloween which I really like. It gives the girls two chances to wear their costumes and gives a chance to hang with all of our church friends without forgoing regular trick or treat time on Halloween. It is really fun to see how creative everyone gets with their trunks. We don't go all out, but we do have our little set of light up ghosts we have used the past couple of years. But, I think it messed up the AV lighters in the van because now I can't even charge my cellphone in them anymore. We also have a Halloween music CD that we play. Our favorite song is Monster Mash, which we kept playing over and over. This was the first year that we let the girls roam around the parking lot by themselves. I passed out candy, took pictures, and roamed around while Bryan harrassed the Parkes boys and threw candy at the older kids.
Hayden was very happy with how her costume turned out. She was so excited that I was finally going to let her wear the beloved cowgirl boots out of the house.

She came up with this little pose and was cracking us up with her deep southern drawl and fake spitting.

Hayden and Grant are great friends and were happy to pose for a picture when I asked. I think they look so cute with their missing teeth.

Payton's makeup job shows my most advanced makeup skills. Makeup and hair are not my thing at all but she was happy with the results.

She got less candy than the other girls because she spent alot of time at the Fusiotti car. They are a great ER Dickson family that Lisanka invited to Trunk or Treat. Traci brought a Smores maker instead of passing out candy. That was definately the hit of the night. Next year I think I might just have to bring a cotton candy machine and snowcone maker.

Taylor enjoyed running around and acting silly with her sisters and Hannah. She has never been my child that enjoys being totally dressed up or wearing makeup. So, this was as far as she wanted to go. No extra scarf or make up or elaborate hair do. Totally my kind of girl. I think she looks beautiful.

As usual we had a great time at the activity and as usual my chili didn't win. That is OK though because I have never tried to win. I don't have chili skills. I just bring a pot of my chili every year because I know my kids will eat it. It isn't too spicy. It doesn't have a bunch of beans. It isn't made with deer meat. It is just plain old chili.

Wow... I am really boring!

I saw this on someone else's blog and thought I would post it here. You are supposed to copy the list and bold any of them that you have done. I have also added a little commentary where needed. So here it goes:

1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band ....at school (I took band in high school but I wasn't actually in the band. It was just a class for me to skip)
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland /world
8. Climbed a mountain - (I have hiked in the mountains but I don't think that counts)
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea - (If I had done this I would have died of a heart attack and wouldn't be here to tell about it.)
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child (Does the Angel Tree count?)
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables (I tried but no vegetables ever grew. Just a really long vine)
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train (Bus-yes. Train-No)
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you're not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run (With Bryan, yeah baby! Ha, Ha)
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community (on TV)
36. Taught yourself a new language (I can translate Whinese)
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelos David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud (back on my soccer glory days)
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie (only a home movie)
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business (how do you spell successful...10+ years as an independent contractor throwing newspapers. Jealous?)
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies - nope, but bought and eaten enough to own the Girl Scouts
62. Gone whale watching - I'm resisting a really mean joke right now
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone's life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous (high-fived Richard Simmons in the Macy's Parade. Jealous?)
92. Joined a book club (no but I have joined a CD club and got a good deal on some sweet music. Something like 12 CDs for $0.01. Jealous?)
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby - (Actually, mine were more like toddlers)
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee
100. Read an entire book in one day


I guess I have experienced a few cool things in life, they just aren't on this list. I think I will make my own list and post that. Anyway, I think this is supposed to be a tag, so TAG!

They must really love each other...

No matter what they are doing, I always find the girls crammed into the same 2 square feet of space. They like to share this same space in:

• A closet floor
• Eating breakfast
• Doing homework
• Under the comforter on my bed
• On the swingset
• In front of the TV
• The couch where I am already sitting
• In the bathroom to brush teeth
• In their beds
• In front of the computer

This is not a staged photo. This really is how they play. They have plenty of room to play in their bedrooms or in the TV room. Yet, they usually all cram into a closet to play. When they sit down to do homework, they will all gather around one corner of the dining room table. But their favorite place to share space is their beds. The other night I went back upstairs to check on the girls after I had tucked them in. Hayden wasn't in her bed or in her room. So I start calling for her. She comes running out of Taylor's room to tell me that she was sleeping in Taylor's bed. I go to check out the situation. Taylor was in Payton's bed with her and tells me that she had been sleeping there for the past couple of nights. More recently Taylor is sleeping back in her own bed but Hayden hasn't left it. So if you need some extra space to play of sleep, come on over. We have some space we aren't using.

I have field trip fatigue

It is only November and between the three girls, there have already been six field trips. Fire Station, Little Schoolhouse, Bellingrath Gardens, the Farm, the Battleship, and Christmas Jubilee. Taylor has another next week, too. Since I am in school, I haven't been able to go on all of them. Bryan and Aiti (Bryan's mom) have filled in. However, I am already growing a little tired of them. I know that sounds horrible. Bryan tells me that the kids don't need one of us as a chaperone on every single one. But, I feel like it is one of the reasons I am a stay-at-home-sometimes-when-I-am-not-in-school-myself-or-volunteering-at-their-school-or-running-errands-or-doing-something-church-related-mom. However, I know how much the kids like having one of us along so, I will continue to go. Even though the buses usually stink, I usually have to ride on the bus with the mean driver that won't let anyone talk, and bathroom facilities aren't always the cleanest, I will still go. I have learned a few tricks of the field trip chaperoning trade. Always bring a bottle of water and some Excedrin. Stash a few books in the bag for the really long bus rides. Keep hand sanitizer handy. Pack a yummy lunch. Don't stress if you forget the camera. Kiss your child alot in front of their friends. Sing silly songs together. I forgot my camera on Hayden's field trip to the Battleship last week. Here are a few pictures of her Fire Station and Farm fieldtrips:

Bryan took the day off to go on the Fire Station field trip and just smiled when I handed him the camera. He knew what to do.

This little farm is in Bay Minette and is about 1 hr from the school. The long bus ride is worth it. It is one of the "Kindergarten" field trips, so I have been there 3 times. I still acted very excited about the emus, pigs, pony rides, etc. all for Hayden.

That is Hayden's teacher, Ms. Ryall. According to Hayden, she is the best teacher in the whole world. I totally agree. I think Lynne would, too. Trent and Riley both had her for Kindergarten.

Time to celebrate

I have to brag about my girls again. They all got straight A's for the first quarter. Hayden and Payton didn't act like it was any big deal. Taylor is pretty happy about it, though. She said third grade is the hardest ever. She spends about 45 min on homework and there have been a few tears shed (from her and me.) She struggled a little bit in math but once I realized she was missing the instruction 3 days a week for speech and PACE, I got that straightened out. I love her teacher so much. Once she and I discussed the problem, she made sure Taylor was there for math most days. It has made all the difference.

Once the report cards came out, we had to celebrate! The girls all agreed that Marble Slab was the best place to do this.

Hey now, they are Allstars!

It is only October and all have my girls have already been selected as an Allstar. I am one proud mom! For anyone that doesn't know, each teacher picks one student from her class each month as the Allstar. This is a student who has shown good character. I guess it is like a student of the month. They have a little breakfast with donuts and juice each month for the allstars. They are given a certificate and a prize. This year, instead of getting a little goodie bag, the kids get all star t-shirts. The best part about it, is that they can wear them every Friday instead of their uniform shirt.

Payton was selected for the month of September. On the certificate, the teacher writes the reason for selecting that student. Payton was chosen for always being kind to others.
Hayden and Taylor were the Allstars from their classes for October. Hayden was chosen for "showing she cares for her friends and teachers."

Taylor was chosen for "always being willing to lend a helping hand."

This picture is for you, Riley. Blakely was also chosen from her class for October. So, I took a picture of her and my girls just for you.

Saturdays are so unpredictable...

...except for one thing--ALABAMA FOOTBALL! ROLL TIDE!

Our Saturdays always seem busy. They may involve cleaning the garage, helping spruce up the family cemetery, family picnics, church activities, working on the car, etc. However, we ALWAYS make time to watch the game. Around here, when you say "the game" everyone knows what you are talking about. We have been Alabama fans forever. We have rooted for them through the good times and bad (losses, sanctions, injuries, numerous coaching changes, etc.) This season has made it all worth it. Since Bryan and I both went to U of A we can rightfully call the Crimson Tide "our team." The girls love to watch the games too, especially when I make fun snacks.

The third Saturday in October is always a big game. The Alabama/ Tennesse rivalry is second only to the Alabama/Auburn rivalry. To paraphrase an Alabama player: We hate Auburn because we have to. We hate Tennesse because we want to. Lynne told me about this clip on youtube. After watching it, I had to share. I can not figure out how to post the actual video, but here is the link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s7G7loR2VVw

Anyway, I made a few fun treats for the Tennessee game this year. We had apples with caramel dip, halloweeen cupcakes, sausage dip, and Chicago style pizza. After seeing a food network special about it, Bryan decided we should try to make some. It actually turned out pretty good, but looked to gross too take pictures of.

This is the best sausage dip and is so easy to make. I got the recipe from one of my scrapping friends, Debby. She brought this to a crop one time and it was love at first bite. Just cook up your sausage (I wouldn't use anything other than Jimmy Dean.) Drain off the fat then add a can of rotel and block of cream cheese. Mix it all up and serve. So delicious.

Before the game, the girls were out drawing with sidewalk chalk on the driveway and they heard the ice cream man. So, they all run in to get their allowance and run back out to sit and wait. They sat at the bottom of the driveway and waited for almost an hour. They kept hearing the faint song of the ice cream truck, but it never came down our street. Taylor told me they prayed six times and it still didn't come. I tried to make it all better. I went outside with a box of popsicles and offered to sell those to them. Taylor and Hayden were ready to buy but, Payton was all upset because she didn't think she should have to buy popsicles from me. So being the nice mom that I am, I gave them away for free.

This is Taylor's masterpiece on the driveway. In case you can't read it, the title is "Family Stages." The order of the stages is love, marriage, baby, grow up, live, and die. I guess, since Bryan and I love each other, got married, then had a few babies, we are now growing up. Don't you just love it. I really can't wait until I get to start living.