Friday's Feast!

Appetizer: When was the last time you had your hair cut/trimmed?

I just had my hair trimmed (and highlighted) on Monday to get ready for a new school year and our Instructional Fair (where I will be presenting this year's Teacher of the Year awards).

Soup: Name one thing you miss about being a child.

I have to pick just one - times have changed so much since then even though I'm only 28. I guess the one thing I miss the most is the slow, laid back, (and safe) lifestyle. It didn't seem that we were always so rushed back then, and I surely felt safe playing outside with my brother while my parents were inside cooking dinner. I am trying very hard to let my children experience the things that I was able to experience in the "good ole days". I do not, however, allow my children to play outside without me or my husband outside with them.

Salad:Pick one: butter, margarine, olive oil.

I am not real picky about this, but olive oil is better for me.

Main Course: If you could learn another language, which one would you pick, and why?

I took 2 years of french in high school, and I still remember a little of what I learned - not enough to carry on a conversation though. I love french, but if I had to choose now I would choose to learn Spanish because that would help me in my classroom.

Dessert: Finish this sentence: In 5 years I expect to be…

the mommy of 3.

Give Me Five - It Feels so Good to be Back!

My friend Becca, at BeccA's Buzz has a wonderful meme called Give Me Five. Each week, she challenges us to create a list of five things that go with a topic provided by her. This week Becca asked us to Give Me Five things you haven't done in a long time that you would like to do again.

Here's my Five...

1. Go Bowling - I love to bowl and there was a time (when I was 16) that I bowled every day. We have taken the children bowling before and Craig and I have gone by ourselves, but it has been awhile since either of those has happened. We love bowling on the Wii, but there is something to be said for the sound of pins clattering all around and people high-fiving after bowling a strike. With 2 busy children, bowling is just not on the top of our priority list. We will have to take time to take Drew and Mikayla bowling again soon!

2. Go to Atlanta - It has been about 2 years since our family has been to Atlanta, and I can't wait to go again. There is so much to do there, and it is not far from our house at all - closer than the beach even. I would love to visit Stone Mountain with my kids, go to another Braves game, and visit Cocoa Cola. I also wouldn't mind heading over to Helen, GA and visiting Babyland General Hospital (where the Cabbage Patch Kids are born).

3. Visit Family - Craig's grandparents, Drew and Mikayla's GG Ma and GG Pa live in Lakeland, Florida and it has been about 3 years since we have seen them. We went for Thanksgiving 3 years ago and also went to Disney's Animal Kingdom while there. We had so much fun visiting with GG Ma, GG Pa, Aunt Susie, and Aunt Juanita and we can't wait to go back again. Maybe sometime within the next year...

4. Participating in Memes - well since I'm participating now, I guess you could say I am well on my way to "doing this again"! I have really fallen behind on my memes and it always fun to participate. They always provide neat topics, and I so enjoy reading what others post. I'm hoping this is something I can stick to now that I have finally gotten back...

5. Since most of the previous activities involved spending money of some sort, I tried to come up with something that was free... walking. Walking is my preferred method of exercise, but since it has been so hot, I have gotten little of that done lately. Well, even before it was hot I wasn't getting a lot of that done - no time like the present to start, huh?

Give Me Five...

Give Me Five things you have been busy with in the last 2 weeks since the last GM5!

Click on the picture above to head over to BeccA's Buzz if you'd like to participate. We'd love to read "your five"!

Like Becca, these past two weeks have been very busy for our family (luckily though, we did get our taxes completed and mailed on time)! Here in no particular order are just five of the things we've been busy with - this list could go on and on...

1. Dance - Mikayla had a competition 2 Saturdays ago and one this past Saturday. To prepare, Miss Andrea had scheduled some extra practices, sometimes 2 hours a day 4 or more days a week. Mikayla and mommy are worn out (happy, but worn out)!

2. Baseball - Drew has had 3 games in the past two weeks (he was supposed to have four but one was rained out and will have to be rescheduled). We haven't had any practices because the coach didn't want to wear them down too much. They have had lots of fun and so has Mikayla, mommy, daddy, Poppi, Jonathan, Jennie, and Jessica! I'm surprised my voice has held up through it all!!

3. Teacher of the Year Banquet - This past Friday night, I along with all other SC District Teachers of the Year were honored at a banquet in Columbia. It was an evening I'll never forget, but I spent 2 nights this week shopping to prepare.

4. School Stuff - As we get closer to the end of the year (23 days, but who's counting), our work get a little more hectic (especially for those teachers testing). Each year I look forward to summer vacation, but I also get sad as the group I have moves up in the fall!

5. Cooking/Cleaning/Etc. - This last one is more time consuming than I'd like it to be. If only I could get a system down...I do real well for about 1 week (2 tops) and then it all piles up on me again. It is much too tempting to pick something up for dinner on the way home, but I am trying to be a better mom for my kids. We eat healthier when we eat at home, so that is one of my goals. I can be very stubborn when I have to be!! :)

Those are some of the things I have been busy with these past two weeks. What about you?

Friday Feast!

Well, the chef is taking a week off at Friday's Feast. But, I decided this would be the week I got back to my memes so I decided to go back and pick up one I missed. Enjoy!

Appetizer: What does the color dark green make you think of?

Craig's old bedroom
Soup: How many cousins do you have?

Are we talking first cousins, second cousins, all of them - whoa I might be counting awhile! 38 (I hope I'm not forgetting anybody)
Salad: On a scale of 1 to 10 with 10 being highest, how honest are you?

9 - I'd love to say 10 here, and all in all I am very honest. There are times though when little white lies are necessary.
Main Course: Name something that is truly free.

An afternoon at the park
Dessert: Using the letters in the word SPRING, write a sentence.

See Polly run in new grass.

Give Me Five Monday # 21 (I'm Bacccckkk)

The 'Give Me Five' Monday meme is designed to share fun information with each other in a simple short list! Here's how it works. Each week, BeccA will put out a random topic from her list of topics and you share 5 answers of your choice on the given topic and link back to BeccA's Buzz! You can add photos, links or stories or just a simple list of your own of 5 things that relate to the topic as it pertains to you and your life experiences. It doesn't have to be in any order of importance unless otherwise specified.

Well folks, it has definitely been awhile since I've participated in any of my favorite memes, but I hope to be back starting this week! I've always enjoyed these, but Becca couldn't have picked a better topic for me this week!! This week's topic is Top Five Candies and I'm in!!!

1. Reese's Peanut Butter Cups - My number one matches Becca's!! I have loved these my whole entire life! There is just something about the combination of chocolate and peanut butter.

2. Peanut Butter Eggs, Hearts, Pumpkins, Ect. - This is an extension of my number one really, but at different holidays throughout the year they introduce these, and the peanut butter seems creamier. Makes them all the better to me!!

3. Snickers Candy Bar - Noticing a pattern here are you? Yep, you guessed it - more chocolate with peanuts this time!

4. Peanut M&M's/Peanut Butter M&M's - Keeping with the theme - well at least I'm consistent! My favorite thing with Peanut M&M's is trying to bite off the chocolate covering while keeping the peanut whole. I know I'm strange!

5. Nerds - I don't eat these often, but I do love them. I love how all that fruity, crunchy, flavor is packed into that little "nerd"!

Great topic this week Becca, and boy does it feel good to be back!! Wooohooooo

First Letter of Your Name Meme

My friend Holly at Mama Pajama tagged me for this meme. It seems pretty neat, but may be a little hard for me. You are to use the first letter of your name to answer the questions. They have to be real answers though, nothing made up and you can't use your own name as an answer. Since my name is Alison all my answers have to start with an "A" (the hard part for me).

Famous Singer: Alan Jackson
Four Letter Word: Away
Street: Alamo St.
Color: Auburn
Gifts/Presents: anklet
Vehicles: Accord
Things In A Souvenir Shop: Ashtray (not a great example - I'm not even a smoker nor do I condone it but I couldn't think of anything else for "A".
Boy Name: Aidan
Girl Name: Alyssa
Movie Title: An American Tale
Drink: Ale
Occupation: Artist
Celebrity: Alicia Silverstone
Magazine: Allure
U.S. City: Atlanta
Pro Sports: Astros
Fruit: Apple
Reason For Being Late For Work: Automobile Accident
Something You Throw Away: anything broken
Something You Shout: Alright!

Okay, so that wasn't as hard as I thought it would be.
I'm going to tag Bridget, Nicole, Theresa, Renee and Jennie to participate.

7 Random Things Meme

My friend BeccA has tagged me for a '7 Random Things about Me' meme. Here are the rules:

1. Link to the person that tagged you and posts the rules on your blog.

2. Share 7 random and or weird things about yourself.

3. Tag 7 random people at the end of your post and include links to their blogs.

4. Let each person know that they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

So here are my '7 Random Things about Me

1. I have a collection of rocks that I started when I was in eighth grade. This has come in handy now that I teach kindergarten and we do a unit on rocks in the spring. My children even get in on the act by picking up rocks for me all the time.

2. I have set a goal for myself to walk on our treadmill 15 minutes a day to eventually build up to an hour a day.

3. I love the itty bitty pieces of ice that some restaurants serve in their drinks. It's not crushed ice, it's more like tiny balls of ice. Sonic, Pizza Inn, Zaxby's are just a few of the restaurants that use this ice in our community.

4. I like to be an organized, but it is hard for me to be. Many times when I start organizing, I see other things that need to be done so I'm bouncing from task to task.

5. I am not a "clothes person" when it comes to me (in other words my kids have more clothes than I do). I have the same outfits I wear over and over. It's a good thing my sister is my fashion patrol - she can help me with my fashion!

6. I have 2 alarms set to wake me each morning. My alarm on my clock is set to wake me to country music, and then I have the alarm on my cell phone set.

7. I would love to have a playroom for my kids. They each have their own bedroom, but it would be nice to have a playroom for their big toys (kitchen, Thomas Table, baby doll strollers, race car tracks, etc.). Who know, maybe we will one day.

Okay, now to pass on the tag:

Renee at 2 Peas in a Pod

Bridget at And Miles to Go...

Jennie at Brown Eyed Girl

Theresa at Theresa's Life

Nicole at Musings of a Manic Mom

Holly at Mama Pajama

The Gal Herself at One Gal's Musings

Give Me Five!

My friend BeccA at BeccA's Buzz has started the Give Me Five meme. Each Monday she gives us a topic where we list 5 things/thoughts about that topic. Please click on the link above if you'd like to join in on the fun! This weeks' topic: Give Me Five things you like and/or dislike about your birthday.

1. I like that my birthday is in the summer! I've had many outdoor birthday parties as well as swim parties as a child! I think outside parties are the best

2. I dislike that my birthday is in the summer! Now, some of you are saying "what?", but let me explain. As a child, when your birthday is in the summer it is hard to invite friends from school to your party because of summer break. Both of my children will have this as well as both of their birthdays are in the summer.

3. I like cake - more importantly whatever kind of cake I choose. Sometimes it's a cake from a local bakery, other times it's a cake my mom has made for me! Wonderful!

4. I like to hear my children sing "Happy Birthday" to me! So sweet to hear their sweet little voices sing - all for me!

5. I like that I get to choose what to have for my birthday dinner - a family tradition. Sometimes I choose one of my favorite restaurants, sometimes I choose one of my favorites from my mom's kitchen. My choice is what I like most!

There ya have it - most things about my birthday I love!

Give Me Five #1

My friend Becca at BeccA's Buzz designed the 'Give Me Five' Monday meme to share fun information with each other in a simple short list! Each week, she will put out a random topic from her list of topics and you share 5 answers of your choice on the given topic and link back to her! You can add photos, links or stories or just a simple list of your own of 5 things that relate to the topic as it pertains to you and your life experiences. It doesn't have to be in any order of importance unless otherwise specified. Head on over to BeccA's Buzz to join us...

This weeks' topic is 5 Favorite Amusement Park Rides. I'm not much of a rider at Amusement Parks as I am usually more interested in taking pictures of the rides my children are riding than riding myself, and I am what some would call a "chicken" when it comes to these things. I do have a few favorites so I hope I can get 5...this would have been easier for me if it were my 5 least favorite amusement park rides (I can think of several of those).

1. Merry-Go-Round - This is a "classic". A ride I think everyone enjoys at some point in their lives - as a kid themselves, with their children, or even as an adult.

2. Pirate Ships (not the upside down kind) - I wasn't brave enough to ride any of the "big" rides until I was in my late teens. The moment I rode this ride for the first time (at Mile High Ghost Town in the Sky) I was hooked. I could ride (and have) this ride over and over again. I try to talk Craig into riding this ride with me, but he won't. His mom tells me stories of when he was little - he used to cry when they had to walk under this ride. From that information, I'm thinking he'll never ride it.

3. E.T. Ride at Universal Studios - one of the neatest rides I've ever ridden. I love the very end of the ride where it looks like you are flying over the city.

4. Haunted Mansion at Disney World, Florida - another neat ride. I never will forget the first time I rode this ride - I was 12. I stood in the long line bravely with my family (about 10 of us), then decided when we got to the door I didn't want to go in. Well I didn't really have a choice because the whole group was going in and I sure didn't want to stay outside that place by myself. I was so scared at the beginning when the walls started closing in on us, and then when we (my dad, brother, and I) got into our "seat" the person "manning" the ride scared me even more. Once we got going though I thought it was the coolest thing - I wasn't scared at all. I can't wait to take Drew and Mikayla to Disney World one day and let them experience this ride for themselves.

5. 3D Experiences/Simulators - to some these probably don't even count as rides, but I love these. A couple of my favorites have been Days of Thunder at Carowinds and Honey I Shrunk the Audience at Disney's Epcot Center. Fun, fun, fun...

So there is my first ever Give Me Five list!! That was fun!

Heads or Tails # 10

This week is a Tails week with Heads or Tails. Barb over at Skittles Place has asked us to post a list of 10 things. So here are my 10:

10 of my favorite things about fall:

1. colors - leaves, decorations, clothes

2. weather - cooler, not so humid

3. football - I love going to high school and college (hopefully this year) football games

4. Festivals - fair, community festivals, and church festivals

5. Halloween - the excitement of children (and adults) as they done their costumes and anticipate the treats that are to come

6. shopping - we like to finish up our Christmas shopping for the kids in October, only leaving a few things to pick up at the "day after Thanksgiving sales"

7. pumpkins - the children each pick out one they think is perfect, they choose what to carve, and we help both of them carve (SO MUCH FUN!!)

8. food - candy apples, roasted pumpkin seeds, pumpkin pie, etc. which leads me right into my next one...

9.Thanksgiving - spending time with family and friends, the feast, and giving thanks for what I am so blessed to have

10. Anticipation of Christmas...

So there it is - my "10"! To see others who have participated you can click on the blogroll or visit Skittles.

Crazy 8's!

8 things I'm passionate about: My Family, My Faith, My Family's Health, Music, Food, Being a Good Wife and Mom, Being a Good Teacher, Helping my children and my students be the best they can be
8 things I want to do before I die: See My Children Grow up To Be Happy and Healthy, Lose weight, Go on a cruise, Swim with dolphins,
Have another child, Grow Old With My Husband, Learn Irish Step (type of dancing), Write a book
8 things I say often:
I love you, Where's my boy/girl?, Baby?, Who's boy/girl are you?, Gimme Sugar (when I want kisses from my babies), Come here, Please don't do that, You wanna read
8 books I've recently read:
I'm gonna come back to this one - all that comes to mind right now are children's books. :)

8 songs I could listen to over and over
"More Than a Memory" - Garth Brooks (okay anything by Garth really, I just love him!), "I Need You" - Tim McGraw/Faith Hill, "Never Wanted Nothing More" - Kenny Chesney, "God's Will" - Martina McBride, "I Can Only Imagine" - Mercy Me, "Stand" - Rascal Flatts (I could listen to any of their songs over and over too!), "I Hope You Dance" - Leann Womack, "I've Been Watching You" - Rodney Atkins
8 things that attract me to my best friends:
loyal
trustworthy
honest
forgiving
funny (good sense of humor)
similar interests
8 things I've learned this past year: Drew has a lot of energy (as if I didn't already know this), Mikayla loves to read, We shouldn't take our health for granted, I love naps, How to make jewelry, My new students, What's involved with being teacher of the year, How to give a newspaper interview
8 people I think should do Crazy 8's

Jennie

Becca

Nicole

Melanie

Trish

Theresa

Renee

Shelby

Heads or Tails # 8 - Stacks

Has it already been 8 weeks? Boy time flies when you are having fun. This week Barb over at Skittles' Place has chosen "stacks" for the theme. We can post on/interpret this any way we would like.

The first thing that came to mind when I think of stacks are the stacks of papers/such on my desk at work. I have recently begun reorganizing my books into cloth bins (themes, favorites, etc.). The process has not taken me as long as I thought it would and my bookshelves are looking very nice. The problem is I have several books that I'm just not sure about (which bin do I put them in). I also have that same problem with some "papers" - you know the thing you have "one" of and it doesn't seem to have a place. Those are just some of the things in "stacks" on my desk. My student teacher will be back tomorrow so I hope to have more of this taken care of then!

Tagged!

I have been tagged by my friends Theresa at Theresa's Life and Renee at Renee's Ramblings for this meme. It looks like fun, so I'd love to play along! Thanks for thinking of me!!
1) What I was doing ten years ago:
I had just graduated high school, and was beginning my first year of college. That doesn't seem possible...
2.) Five years ago:
Celebrating my son's first birthday. Mourning the loss of a close family friend who died in a car accident - he was only 20 years old.
3) One year ago:
Celebrating my son's fifth birthday and my daughter's third. Beginning my 6th year of teaching.
4.) Yesterday:
Church, then spending time with my family. You can also read about Drew's accident below.
5.) 5 snacks I enjoy:
chips, popcorn, strawberries, snack mix, oatmeal cream pies
6.) 5 Things I would do if I suddenly had $100 million:
a. Give my parents 20 million dollars because they deserve this for putting up with me. No, not really, they deserve this for all of the things they've done for me, my sister, and my brother (not to mention my children) over the years. This would enable my dad to buy that Mercedes (he always asked how I would buy him one on a teacher's salary), and my mom to buy whatever her heart desires.
b. Put 20 million dollars up for my children. This could pay for their education and then some.

c. Donate 20 million dollars to my church and other organizations

d. Keep 20 million for myself and Craig - I think it would be neat to open my own daycare with a private kindergarten. This would enable me to do that without the worry of money.
e. The rest to Uncle Sam.
7.) 5 locations I would like to run away to:
a. my parents house b. mountains c. beach d. Bahamas (cruise) e. Spa
8.) 5 bad habits I have:
a. biting my fingernails b. procrastinating c. overly protective with my children (although I'm not so sure that's bad in the world we live in today.) I'll have to come back for the other two - I'm sure there are lots of others, but none that my tired brain can think of at this moment.
9.) 5 things I like doing:
playing with my children, reading, scrapbooking, swimming, blogging
10.) 5 TV shows I like:
Big Brother, Survivor, Everybody Loves Raymond (reruns), Two and a Half Men, Amazing Race (haven't heard anything about that this year)
11.) 5 things I hate doing:
laundry, washing dishes, mopping, do you see a pattern here...
12.) 5 Biggest joys of the moment:
Craig, Drew, Mikayla, other family and friends, and teaching!
...and I tag my sister Jennie, Mama Pajama, and Bridget

Appetizer: How are you today?
I am fantastic! I always love Fridays - but our weekends tend to get a little busy with activities. This weekend we have a soccer game and Mikayla is dancing so...
Soup: Name 3 television shows you watch on a regular basis.
This is a hard one because I don't watch much TV. I very seldom miss an episode of Big Brother when it is on. I like Survivor also, and I also watch CSI Miami pretty regularly.
Salad: What’s the scariest weather situation you’ve experienced?
A bad thunderstorm where a tornado warning was issued. We didn't see a tornado (thank goodness), but usually just a warning is enough to get me anxious! My family (mom, dad, sister, brother) lived in Myrtle Beach when Hurricane Hugo hit, but we didn't stay through it.
Main Course: If you could wake up tomorrow morning in another country, where would you want to be?
France
Dessert: What do you usually wear to sleep?
My pajamas

Heads or Tails

This week Barb over at Skittles' Place has challenged us to write about pets (heads) or pet peeves (tails). Since you don't really want me to get started on my pet peeves (not really) I'll stick with heads this week! Plus, it gives me the opportunity to think back during my life and see just how many of my pets I can remember (I have a feeling I will be forgetting some). I will try to do this chronologically.

1. Bunky - sheep dog that my parents had gotten as a puppy before I was born. He lived until I was 12 years old, and at times in my life he was taller than I.

2. Hamsters - we had four (2 one time and 2 another time). The problem with our hamsters was they kept finding a way out of their cage. My brother and I thought all of our hamsters ran away and never came back. My daddy didn't tell us until we were adults that one time he found them in the mouse traps. (We lived in the country and my parents kept traps around the house all the time - out of our sight/reach of course.) He didn't have the heart to tell us at the time.

3. Sam - the cat we had the longest when I was very young. We had other cats, but they were mostly strays that we started feeding and they all stayed outside.

4. Bosco (Bobo) - we got him from my aunt when her dog had puppies.

5. Brandi - cocker spaniel we got when I was 9 (at the time he was 6 months old). This has been my favorite pet of all the pets I've had. He followed me around everywhere. He slept in my bed, and he was such a comfort when I was having a bad day (teenage years there are quite a few of those - or there were for me anyways). He ended up getting sick and my dad found him at the bottom of our stairs the day he was scheduled to be put to sleep. I never knew they had made an appointment for this, and I found comfort in the fact that he didn't have to be. He was like my baby before I had my babies!

6. Snake - my brother's and I don't even remember the name of the thing.

7. Charlotte, Wilbur, and Flopsy - My brother, sister, and I all had rabbits. We enjoyed playing with them, but they were so big we didn't get to hold them much.

8. Buddy - lab mix that we got when my grandparents' dog had puppies. He was an outside dog, and my brother claimed him. My parents still had Buddy once I was married and moved out. He died just a few years ago from cancer. Drew still remembers and misses Buddy.

9. Romeo - cocker spaniel that Craig bought for me because he knew how much I loved Brandi. Romeo was older when we got him, and he ended up biting Craig while I was pregnant with Drew. We decided we could not risk our son being bitten, so we found Romeo a family with a home in the country.

10. Turtles - I'm not sure how many we had or what their names were - we didn't keep these very long.

11. Hermit Crabs - we get these almost every year at the beach, but we can never keep them alive.

12. Rabbits - Craig and I decided we would get Drew and Mikayla rabbits (daddy gave us the cage we had kept Charlotte, Wilbur, and Flopsy in).

13. Birds - We have had 4 birds total, and Drew mentioned just this morning that he would like to have another parrot (he meant parakeet). The first two we got after Drew fell in love with GG Ma and GG Pa's bird the first time we went to Florida with him (he was 9 months old). After awhile, he lost interest in the two we had here (we were also afraid he would turn the cage over on top of him - he was learning to walk), so we gave those two to my cousin.

14. Red - a hamster that Drew picked out and named all by himself.

15. AJ - black lab we got about two years ago from a teacher at Drew and Mikayla's daycare. Ms. Amy said AJ was about 2 years old, and he was another favorite pet of mine (not to mention Drew and Mikayla's). One morning we woke up and AJ was gone - we think someone picked him up.

16. Brandi - yellow lab (already named) that we got from one of my cousin's customers. We had to give her back because she kept jumping over our fence and we were afraid she would get hit by a car.

17. Fish - this is one that could have run through the whole post.

I have had several different pets in my life - can you tell we love animals?? Every time I get ready to hit publish I think of something else. Maybe I could update this sometime with pictures of some of these pets. Right now we are without pets. I would LOVE to have an English bulldog one day. I keep saying this will have to be when my children get older because I hear you have to "baby" them. Plus they are a little expensive so I'll have to save up...

Friday's Feast!

Appetizer: What is your favorite type of art?

I'm not sure if you would consider this art, but I love pretty much any type of craft (looking at, and making).

Soup: When was the last time you got a free lunch (or breakfast or dinner)? Who paid for it?

Last night. My dad fed Craig, Drew, Mikayla, and I Kentucky Fried Chicken for dinner.

Salad: On a scale of 1-10 with 10 being highest, how emotional are you?

Oh, that's a BIG 10. Sometimes Craig will say "why are you crying?" to which I start laughing. I know sometimes people think I'm crazy, but I have always worn my heart on my sleeve.

Main Course: Approximately how long do you spend each day responding to emails?

That's hard to say because some days I have many to respond to, others I have very few. On a busy day, probably close to an hour if you add up the time I spend responding to emails from parents at school, and my personal emails at home.

Dessert: To what temperature do you usually set your home’s thermostat?

I love it set on 72. My husband, though, is ALWAYS hot so he is always pulling the thermostat down. We fight (not really) over the thermostat constantly! :)

Heads or Tails

I've been posting my "Heads or Tails" posts on Tuesday nights after the children go to bed...so I know some of you may not be able to read them until Wednesday. I'm sorry about that, and my goal is to do better... *smile* With that said, the topic that Skittles chose this week is Keys. Since it is a "heads" week we can interpret this any way we want. This has been the most difficult topic for me so far...

I loved Mama Pajamas post about keys, and I almost took her idea! After much thought, I decided I would post the "keys to my heart" just in case hubby reads (he better)!

1. A home-cooked meal - cooked by anyone other than me.

2. Kitchen cleaned after above said home-cooked meal.
3. Laundry that is washed, folded, and put away (again by someone other than me)!!!!!
4. Cleaned, swept, and mopped bathroom - could be either one, you choose (again...get the picture?)
5. A night out at one of my favorite restaurants.
This list could go on and on really, although funny how it has changed over the years. 8 years ago this list would have read 1. roses/flowers, 2. jewelry, 3. chocolates, etc.

I give Craig a hard time about helping around the house and such, but I really don't have much to complain about. He is a terrific husband, and wonderful father, and I'm quite lucky to have him!

Friday's Feast

Appetizer: When was the last time you visited a hospital?

June 2004 when Mikayla was admitted. I had dropped her off at daycare that morning, no problems. The daycare called me at school at 10:30 to tell me her temperature was 104. I didn't even tell my principal I was leaving. I told my assistant and our secretary, got my things and left. I called our pediatrician as I drove to pick her up to tell them we were on our way. She had gotten a Urinary Tract infection that had developed into a kidney infection. They determined that she had Renal Reflux (not harmful unless you get a urinary tract infection - then it could develop into a kidney infection and cause kidney damage). She's fine now, thank goodness. She not even on medicine every night (we were for two years) to keep her from getting an infection anymore. Our prayer is that this is behind us.

Soup: On a scale of 1 to 10 with 10 being highest, how ambitious are you?

8 - I tend to set lots of goals for myself, and I feel that I'm a hard worker...

Salad: Make a sentence using the letters of a body part. (Example: (mouth) My other ukelele tings healthily.)

Let's Eat Good Stuff - you can see where my mind is... lol

Main Course: If you were to start a club, what would the subject matter be, and what would you name it?

The club would definitely be a scrapbooking club. As far as the name, that's tough. Creative Croppers??

Dessert: What color is the carpet/flooring in your home?

Beige

Heads or Tails

This week Skittles called Tails. We are to post about where we were/what we were doing when we received news that our nation was under attack six years ago today.

I was in my classroom teaching my first group of students. In the middle of one of my sentences I hear a knock at our door. This is not unusual, and my thoughts were another teacher must have a question (I mean what did I know, it was my first year!!) When I opened the door to our classroom, I was surprised to find one of my parents (still remember this vividly and could call the child's and parent's name). She says "I need to get ****** we are being attacked". (Thank goodness she was in the hall and none of my students heard her!!) I had been in my classroom since our bell rang (at 7:40 Eastern time) so I had no idea what she was talking about. I responded with "WHAT, who is??" She replied "the United States". I immediately thought about my own child, Drew, (only 8 weeks old at the time). We didn't have time to talk as I had to get back to the rest of my students and my assistant. Our students headed to their activity a short time after this and my assistant and I were able to talk with staff in our front office (they had been watching the television). We were also able to watch a TV that had been moved into our workroom (kids aren't allowed in there). I remember staring at that TV in a blank stare like "this can't be happening". The same look was on every teachers' face that was in there while I was.

Still thinking about how horrific this all was, and not being real sure where the attacks would end I called my mom. She was off on Tuesdays at the time, so I asked if she would pick up Drew from daycare. We very rarely ask anyone else to pick up our children, but I wanted to know that my son was with family. I thought if I can't be there to hold him close, I wanted him with my mom. She went and picked him up. After school I picked Drew up from my mom and dad's house. I don't really remember anything else that happened that day. I know we watched the continuous television coverage and prayed a lot - prayed for the victims and their families, hoped that rescuers would find more survivors, and prayed for the families who didn't know about their loved ones!

This was a day in our history that we will NEVER forget! I am so thankful for our service men and women - those who were courageous on 9/11/01 and went into the towers (risking their own lives) to save others, and those who are fighting overseas presently.

Friday's Feast!

Appetizer: Using only one word, how does grocery shopping make you feel?

tired

Soup: What is your favorite part about the season of Autumn?

The leaves changing color, and the cooler weather. Oh yea, can't forget football - attending games.

Salad: Have you ever had any bad experiences online?

None come to mind, but I'm sure I've had them. Maybe I'm just blocking them out...

Main Course: Name three things that make you happy daily.

Craig

Drew

Mikayla

Dessert: What one household cleansing or organizing item would you not want to be without?
Clorox Clean-up