Sprinklings Of Fairy Dust

What to do, what to do?

2009-01-18T11:43:00.004-05:00

So one of my New Years Resolutions is already exploding before my eyes. I had every intention of giving this blog the well-deserved and needed care it craves starting on January 1 but life has, again, gotten in the way. I spend a lot of time running through ideas in my head about what I can put on this blog. And occasionally I think of a good idea but don't get around to posting it and then.......I forget what it was that I had thought of. Brilliant, huh?

And then, I often read others' blogs and think, I could have written about that! And should have written about that! But can't write about that now since it's already been written about!
I have always enjoyed creative writing and been good at it (or so I was told) but since I've started my blog, I can't seem to think of anything to write about!

And I should probably have a contest to drum up a following but then, I need to have posts that are worth reading before attempting a contest. sigh. What to do?

Great Giveaway for your little Girly-Girls!

2009-01-12T00:27:00.002-05:00

I just found an awesome giveaway over at Frugal Mommy of 2 Girls. Check it out!

2009-01-10T22:09:00.002-05:00

So we started our new book club last week. The Magic Tree House book club ended in December since we are now officially caught up with Mary Pope-Osborne. And the kids asked that I start a new book club. The Magic Tree House book club was a great book club but it did limit us in regards to age. Our homeschool co-op, at one time, had a teen book club, a Newberry book club (for the tweens) and the MTH book club that I led. Although the MTH club had 15 members at one time, we gradually dwindled to 6 or 7 with 2 of those being mine.

So in starting the new book club, I really wanted one that would appeal to a larger age span and hopefully get the crowd back. The Newberry club has ended as the mom who leads it is moving to NY in a few months when her hubby returns from Iraq. And the teen club ended months ago although I don't know what happened with that.

After much research and a few kids who really begged, we decided to go with the Carole Marsh Mystery series. They are geared for ages 6-14 and really have a great appeal with the kids. The author actually lives within an hour of us in Peachtree City GA and there's a huge possibility we might get her to visit our bookclub one month.

So long, my love.....

2009-01-03T16:53:00.003-05:00

Three days and three of these......

For me, this is ~~a very big deal~~ MONUMENTAL ! Those who know me know of my ~~fondness~~ addiction to habit. Many may believe I actually have an addiction to that can of Diet Coke or Joy Juice as I so fondly refer to it but nothing could be further from the truth. The truth is that I have an addiction to addictions. How about that for an addiction? Seriously, from as young as I can remember until the age of 18, I was a nail biter. And not just your ordinary, every day nail biter. I was the EXTREME nail biter. I was on a mission. I bit my nails until they bled. I did, one time while a little girl, let them grow long enough to be painted by my mom but immediately picked the nail polish off and began nail biting again. I had proved to myself that I could quit therefore I started again. In typing class during high school, I was unable to type properly because my fingertips were so painfully sore that I could not strike the keys. I knew where the keys were but was unable to type quickly due to the nail biting. Not so good for my grade. But guess what Mr. Jacob? I am a typing whiz now. You would be so proud of me.

So I began dating my first long-term relationship at the age of 17 and he was a smoker. So guess what? I started smoking within that first year of our relationship. Both of my parents smoked and I always hated it. I hated that he smoked as well. And I had no intention of ever being a smoker. But I started smoking a Marlboro light here and there and boom! Suddenly, I was a smoker. And not just an every now and then smoker, but a chain smoker. And guess what horrible habit I dropped in the interim? Yep, the nail biting disappeared and I suddenly became the owner of multiple bottles of nail polish. I had to paint them because the nicotine made my fingernails yellow and although I smelled awful, I was NOT about to have yellow nails! Nope, none of that for me, thank you very much. Far too vain for yellow nails. ick.

So my chain smoking lasted longer than my first long-term relationship but along the way, I realized that a dry mouth occurs when one chain smokes. Imagine! In college, my roomie drank caffeine-free diet coke and I picked up that habit. But Caffeine-free Diet Coke wasn't always as easy to find at that time and caffeinated diet coke made it's way into our dorm room mini- refrigerator quite a bit. Although I preferred the "burn" of the caffeine-free variety (it tasted more like Classic Coke to me), I drank what was there due to the cotton mouth of the ciggies. And didja' know that diet coke has a way of making you thirsty? So guess what I did? Each time I finished a can, I would grab another. And hence, my next addiction.

The smoking stopped years ago and was, by far, the hardest thing I've ever quit. Not because of the addiction to nicotine but because I am a very hyper person and always need something in my hand or something to pick at. First my nails, then holding the cigarettes and then holding the diet coke. To this day, I have to keep my nails painted; if I don't, I find myself picking at them and nibbling on the ends. When I was pregnant with Tiara 2, I had such horrible heartburn that I could not eat or drink and was only able to keep down Diet Sprite. Until 3 nights ago, I still had a Diet Sprite or two every night. It was still a cold can in my hand and served the purpose.

So one of my resolutions this year was to put an end to this insanity. I know I drink far more Diet Coke than I should. I know it isn't healthy for me. And I know it has added to my weight. So I cut it out completely with the exception of one each and every morning for the last three. I actually hadn't intended to cut it out this much but had hoped to cut it down to 2 or 3 per day. But after drinking water all day, I haven't felt thirsty enough to want one. And since I don't drink coffee, I do feel justified in having my morning Joy Juice fix. I haven't had my nightly Diet Sprite fix either. Just trying to stick to the H2O and keep the momentum going.

I still have my caffeine headache which bites. I wasn't really worried about all the caffeine in my system; for me it was more of a sodium issue. I do feel like my caffeine headache may be on the way out. And I know I can beat this. I have beaten much worse before.

I just really want to get healthy this year. I want my Tiaras to know the real me. So for now, it's so long, my love..... I'm sure every time I hear a can crack open, I will remember our relationship but for now, I need to move on. It's just what I need to do.

2009-01-01T21:48:00.001-05:00

Fairly regularly scheduled blog posts will resume tomorrow. Or at least that's my intention - it's one of my resolutions.......

Now back to your regularly scheduled programming......

So long, '08

2008-12-31T10:11:00.003-05:00

As I reflect on 2008, there are some wonderful times to be remembered. T-Bone and I took the girls to Disney for their first visit ever. What an experience! The joy on their faces is something that I only wish I could capture in a bottle. I fear getting old and forgetting such precious times.

The other highlight of '08 for our family would be our visit to the ocean. Although T-Bone didn't go with us, the girls and I had a wonderful time with some very good friends and their children. We stayed in a beautiful home (mansion) and visited the Kennedy Space Center, downtown Disney, two different beaches and took a pirate cruise. The girls had a wonderful time and I got some wonderful photos as well.

I managed to rid myself of quite a bit of negativity that surrounded the girls and I in this last year. Resigning as co-leader of my homeschool support group was the smartest move I made last year. Looking back, I'm certain my decision was a good one as not one single member of the nearly 25 families contacted me to find out if I was alright, what happened, etc. The 3 other families that followed when I left were and are my true friends and I feel very lucky to have their families in the lives of myself and my girls. I would have never guessed the amount of drama that surrounds a HOMESCHOOL support group! For those of you (if anyone reads this) who don't know, it's WORSE than high school! It's absolutely horrible. I realize that not all support groups have these issues but the few I've been in (with one exception) have all resulted in the same negative cat fights. And although I tend to keep things to myself, I do take things very personally. And as much as I was hurt by so many of the ridiculously silly situations, I was more upset with myself for allowing my girls to be exposed to such nonsense. So I did remove us from that nastiness and have not regretted it one second.

We also said goodbye to another regular event in '08. Our little Magic Tree House book club finished up in December with book #40. I began running the club at book #3 (after taking over for another mom) and have led it 12 months a year since then. The kids all loved the club so much they never wanted to take a break in the summers so we never did. Mary Pope-Osborne has only written 40 books in the series thus far (book 41 should be out in the spring) so we caught up with her earlier this month. When we started that club, Tiara 1 was only 5 and Tiara 2 was only 2 1/2. I read the book to them each month and they LOVED the stories way back then. As Tiara 1 learned to read, she began reading the stories each month to Tiara 2. I can't believe the club is actually over. It has been a constant throughout our homeschooling journey, thus far.

But the kids started requesting another book club way back last summer when they knew MTH was ending. So starting next month, we will begin the Carole Marsh Mystery series club. Carole Marsh is an incredibly talented writer who happens to be local to our area so I'm hoping to arrange a visit from her to one of our club meetings.

I could go on and on about '08 but honestly, I'm ready and excited for 2009 to begin. I always feel a sense of freshness and rejuvination with the passing of the old year. Am I looking forward to turning 40 in '09? Not hardly. But I AM looking forward to NOT feeling 40 which is a priority for me personally this year. The extra weight I have put on since my girls has got to go this year. And hell or high water, it will go. So wish me luck.

2008-12-15T00:49:00.002-05:00

BE THANKFUL

Be thankful that you don't already have everything you desire.
If you did, what would there be to look forward to?

Be thankful when you don't know something,
for it gives you the opportunity to learn.

Be thankful for the difficult times,
During those times you grow.

Be thankful for your limitations,
because they give you the opportunities for improvement.

Be thankful for each new challenge,
because it will build your strength and character.

Be thankful for your mistakes,
They will teach you valuable lessons.

Be thankful when you are tired and weary,
because it means you've made a difference.

It's easy to be thankful for the good things.
A life of rich fulfillment comes to those who
are also thankful for the setbacks.

Gratitude can turn a negative into a positive.

I WILL .......... be back

2008-12-09T18:23:00.002-05:00

I have not been in bloggyville for quite some time now. Circumstances in my life led me down a path which I have still not quite recovered from.

It seems that every year around my birthday I feel the shift of energy overcoming my life. I realize the need to "clean house" within and normally it isn't as complex a process as it has seemed this year. The actual birthday came and went without much (if any) hoopla but the life-changing events started pre-birthday and still haven't ended.

I feel the weight of this on my soul. I feel the ache of this on my heart. I understand the need to move forward and wish to do so. But there seem to be so many loose ends which are still fraying beyond my control. I've always been a very *in-control* person- everything has it's place, every idea needs a plan of attack and with those, I'm able to rest easier. I've never been one of the belief that everything will work itself out with no help. I've never believed that regardless of what I do, I will have what I need when I need it. I was raised to be a realist. It may not have been the intent of my parents to raise me as such but living the childhood I lived, I am a realist. I don't have pipedreams. I don't tend to see the silver lining of the cloud. I don't believe in la-la land. I do find myself worrying much more at times than I probably should but this is a characteristic of being a realist.

I'm not saying I don't have dreams. I definitely have dreams. Do I hope my dreams are someday realized? Of course I do. Do I believe my dreams will be realized at some point? Maybe. Do I feel it necessary to pursue those dreams in order to be whole? Hell no. Yes, my dreams are numerous. But I'm a realist. My needs are few. And those needs are centered around my children. If not for my children, my needs would be even less. And my wants? I honestly don't have those any more. With the exception being that I WANT my needs for my family realized. And fulfilled.

So while I am swimming in this sea of multiple changes, I have failed to blog. At all. About anything. I am a writer. A poet. An inward thinker. A blogger at heart. But I, too, am a loner. An only child. Not an introvert. But a very private person. So for those of you who might have occasionally stumbled upon my blog, I will return. Hopefully more "whole" than I am at this point. Hopefully after Christmas, I can focus more on my checklist of personal items that will help me heal....

Are You A Saucy SITS-Tah?

2008-10-13T19:41:00.007-04:00

The Secret Is In The Sauce. How many of us have heard that phrase at certain times throughout our lives? It normally refers to a recipe. Yes? Didn't Mickey D's have a secret sauce on their Big Macs? Or was that a special sauce?

According to Merriam-Webster, the definition of secret is:

Etymology:: Middle English, from Anglo-French secré, secret, from Latin secretus, from past participle of secernere to separate, distinguish, from se- apart + cernere to sift — more at secede, certain

1 a: kept from knowledge or view ; marked by the habit of discretion ; working with hidden aims or methods ; not acknowledged; conducted in secret; remote from human frequentation or notice; revealed only to the initiated; containing information whose unauthorized disclosure could endanger national security — compare confidential, top secret

synonyms — se·cret·ly adverb secret , covert , stealthy , furtive, clandestine, surreptitious, underhanded, mean, done without attracting observation. Secret implies concealment on any grounds for any motive secret location. Covert stresses the fact of not being open or declared; covert intelligence operations. Stealthy suggests taking pains to avoid being seen or heard especially in some misdoing stealthy step of a burglar. Furtive implies a sly or cautious stealthiness furtive glances. Clandestine implies secrecy usually for an evil, illicit, or unauthorized purpose and often emphasizes the fear of being discovered clandestine meeting of conspirators. Surreptitious applies to action or behavior done secretly often with skillful avoidance of detection and in violation of custom, law, or authority; the surreptitious stockpiling of weapons. Underhanded stresses fraud or deception; an underhanded trick.

And sauce can be defined as:

Etymology:: Middle English from Anglo-French, from Latin Salsa, feminine of salsus salted, from past participle of sallere to salt, from sal salt — more at salt

1: a condiment or relish for food ; especially : a fluid dressing or topping 2: something that adds zest or piquancy 3: stewed fruit eaten with other food or as a dessert 4: pert or impudent language or actions 5slang : liquor—used with the

So does The Secret Is In The Sauce mean covert condiment? Confidential stewed fruit? Underhanded Zest? Or Surreptitious Liquor? Would that be mOonShIne, by chance? hee hee

The SITS-tah-hood is an amazing group of bloggers who rally around one another, offering support through comment love. You pick up some of their sidebar button bling and add it to your blog's sidebar to join. Then you comment on each and every other blog that has the SITS bling on their sidebar. The more comment love you give, the more you will receive. Make sense? Give=Receive. Love one another. Peace. Love. Happiness. Simon & Garfunkel. (Or October Cherries IF Playlist doesn't have Simon & Garfunkel's version.)

And SITS has Featured Bloggers as well. I've found some awesome blogs through the Featured Bloggers including:

Rhea - Her words are as BIG as the state of Texas and you can easily get tangled up in her hilarious blog!

Kat - This delightful blog makes sunshine out of rainclouds and lemonade out of lemons.

Tiffany - (My younger twin?) We R Family. I've got all my SITS-tahs and me. Read her daily diaries for daily entertainment!

Angie - Her antics are great every day but her Monday morning specialty is what keeps me coming back!

Little Momma - I adore her company! Little Momma is so stinkin' creative AND she's a SAUCY CHEF too! Check out the SITS recipe blog for the latest recipe Little Momma is dishin' out.

If you are lucky enough to be deemed SAUCY, you will be a Featured Blogger. And man, you should see all the comment love those saucy blogs get! Talk about a traffic jam! Wow. The hits are HUGE for the featured bloggers!

I've not (YET) been lucky enough to be initiated into the Saucy Blog SITS-tah-hood club (YET) but I've got fingers, toes and various other body parts crissed AND crossed! Because a girl can always hope.

To join the SITS-tah hood, click on this bling:

Come out, come out, whoever you are

2008-10-09T21:23:00.002-04:00

Okay, So I've been trying desperately to draw more traffic and get more comment love from the exhaustingly enormous bloggy-blogville. And I actually received 20 comments on my post about our classroom earlier this week which had me elated and shocked, all at the same time.

Today, my visitor map is showing 55 views from 42 different locations. I only account for one of them and I don't think T-Bone has looked at the blog yet today (not that I would ever know if he looked since he doesn't seem to find it worthy of comment love). So, what I want to know is this. Who are you? Do you have a blog? I would LOVE to check your blog out! I will even leave you kind words before departing. And I won't overstay my welcome. And I will eat before I arrive. And I will bring my own diet coke with me. But I must know who you are first. So please, please, please leave a comment or 20 for me. :)

The Games People Play

2008-10-09T01:00:00.003-04:00

Our family LOVES games! We create many games for our studies as well as using games that we find at the homeschool expos, online or in our local stores. We especially love educational games. We discovered these last year at the homeschool expo.

We are always on the lookout for games at yard sales and thrift stores. We seem to collect games. But we love games! In fact, we have an entire closet in our classroom which is devoted to games.

We play games as often as we can and my dream is to have one family night per week that is devoted to nothing but games. For now, that game seems to be soccer as we are at the fields 3 nights a week but a girl (or a mom) can dream.

Our classroom...

2008-10-08T00:02:00.004-04:00

Since I have never posted photos of our classroom, I thought now would be the perfect time to do so. Our classroom is very important to both the girls and myself. We enjoy spending a lot of time in our classroom and accomplish a great deal when we can escape to that particular area of the house. There are times when we do work at the dining room table as well but we prefer the classroom which is located in our basement. We have more room to spread out and the distractions are definitely fewer.

This is our chalkboard wall (and our youngest dog, Lola). Tiara 1 is learning her times tables and made this chart last week.

Here are some of our bookshelves...

And some more of our bookshelves...

And another photo of The Wall of Bookshelves...

Did I mention that we ~~like~~ LOVE books?

A Little of This, A Little of That

2008-10-07T00:22:00.004-04:00

So we were originally planning to go to our Kaya club meeting this afternoon at another homeschool family's home. We are alternating the monthly meetings between the homes of three different families this year. The club is focusing on Kaya (American Girl) of the Nez Perce tribe in 1764. The Tiaras and I will be going quite in depth this year with our Native American studies. I have many stories, autobiographies, History Pockets and other crafts / activities planned for our year.

In preparation for the meeting, the Tiaras both painted a picture of their favorite part of the Kaya story.

Tiara 2 painted Kaya , Kaya's tepee and fire and the skewer that held the salmon while it was cooked over the fire.

Tiara 1 painted the river, 2 salmon jumping out of the river, two tepees and Kaya. And a bright green heart. (Tiara 1 ~~likes~~ loves hearts.)

Each month, the Tiaras will be painting a scene related to that month's story. And those paintings will be stored in these.

Tiara 2's journal:

Tiara 1's journal: (Notice the heart?)

As it turned out, our club meeting was postponed until tomorrow due to one of the kiddos having dental issues. So after school work today, the girls spent the remainder of the day doing more of what they love best...

Weekend Review...

2008-10-06T01:03:00.002-04:00

So the weekend is over and I'm finally off to bed. We had three soccer clinics on Friday evening (Tiara 1 had 2, Tiara 2 had 1) after guitar lessons. Tiara 1 had two soccer games on Saturday morning at 9a and 10:30a in Dacula which is 1 1/2 hours away from us. Tiara 2 had soccer photos at 8a followed by a 9a game. So T-Bone took Tiara 2 while I took Tiara 1 for the first half of the day. We all met back up here later in the day and spent the remainder just being together. Today, the girls and I worked on their Kaya journals for American Girl club which is meeting for the first time tomorrow. They are really looking forward to it.

We have a very busy week. More later.

I'm up for the challenge !

2008-09-28T21:13:00.004-04:00

So Darcy (aka the Fairy Blogmother) over at LWM3B has posted a challenge for those who ~~may be in the market for~~ are desperately seeking additional comments. For those of us who ~~may need~~ crave more cyber traffic on our blogs. For those of us who aren't the popular girls in blogville. Sigh.

She suggested that weI remove the word verification on my blog therefore making the peeps more likely to leave some comment love. Okay, I can do that. So, I did it and I'm waiting to see if anyone of the bajillions of you who read my blog will now leave a comment. Because I'm absolutely certain that there are just lots of you who stalk my blog every day, waiting on the next entry - right? I know I'm that interesting and my life is that interesting too. I'm really certain of it. I really am.

Let the Swappin' Begin!

2008-09-26T01:02:00.001-04:00

So Kat's Favorite Things swap is officially under way. I have received my partner's name and her list of favorites and I was surprised to see how many similarities there are. This might not actually be as hard as I first imagined. I was fearing that my partner would have multiple dislikes and/or allergies which included my favorites. But as it turns out, my favorites might actually be welcomed by my partner.

Gee, now I'm wondering who received MY name???

Face Swapping?

2008-09-16T23:50:00.006-04:00

So one of my fav bloggers and not-too-far-from-home neighbors, Kat, is hosting a swap. I love swaps yet I hesitated before signing up for Kat's swap. Her swap is not of the normal variety, you see. No, it's not wife swapping or even face swapping. Face swapping, you ask? See for yourself...

No, Kat's swap is a little Oprah-ish, if you will. You know how Oprah gives her audience members her favorite things twice a year? Well, Kat is hosting her annual

So, I signed up and have spent a great part of the day wondering what my favorite things are. Of course, NO ONE should know better than me, right? I can't think of one SINGLE thing that is a favorite of mine. So I am ~~slightly nervous~~ very freaked out that I signed up. I feel like I'm in the midst of a self-study now. I'm analyzing my every move. I walked around smelling my soaps, perfume and wallflowers in an attempt to discover my favorite scent. I looked through my books, searching for my favorite reads. I thumbed through my music,attempting to narrow down my huge selection of favorites. The only thing I have discovered is that I have no idea what my favorites are.

Anyone else want to join the swap? Who knows, you might be lucky enough to get me as your partner!

What year do you belong in?

2008-09-14T20:37:00.004-04:00

So we just got back from Florida yesterday. I've spent the weekend doing laundry, doing laundry and doing laundry. I'm almost done doing laundry. How 'bout that? Anyway, I ran across this on another blog and thought I'd give it a shot. I'm not surprised by the result. I'm a child of the 70's and all that it was.

You Belong in 1977

Bold and brash, you take life by the horns. Whether you're partying or protesting, you give it your all!

What Year Do You Belong In?

a week of R & R

2008-09-05T01:25:00.002-04:00

The Tiaras and I are going to Florida for a week. Four moms and 8 kids are staying in a 5 bedroom house with a pool. We are going on a field trip to the Space Center. We are going on a Pirate Cruise. We are going to spend a day shopping and playing at downtown Disney. And we are going to the beach. Ahhhh, the beach. Growing up in Indiana, I never experienced the beach as a child. I was 18 before I ever saw the ocean in all it's glory. T-Bone and I have dreamed of taking the Tiaras to the beach forever. And the Tiaras, now 8 and 5 1/2, have not been to the beach yet as T-Bone's work schedule has always been so hectic. When my friend first invited us to go with them, I was hesitant as I really want T-Bone to be a part of the Tiaras' first beach experience. But T-Bone insisted that we go, telling me that the girls are getting older and they NEED to feel the sand between their toes, they NEED to be knocked over by a wave, they NEED to build a sand castle. So, in less than 48 hours we are leaving to experience all that and more.

We will miss you very much and we will take lots of pictures! We WILL call you the moment we get there. And I'm sure there will be many other calls to you as well. You WILL be missed. But we want to thank you also. Thank you for making us go.

Trying to move forward...

2008-09-03T23:59:00.006-04:00

September 24, 1995 - August 20, 2008

Exactly two weeks ago today, our family experienced a tragedy that will remain with my Tiaras forever. We had to put our 13 year old kitty cat, Weenie, to rest. She was in acute renal failure and I helped her until I could help her no more. She was not in pain and continued to purr until her heart beat for the last time.

This cat, accused by many as being an attack cat, was the purest source of unconditional love that you could ever hope for. I bought her (and her sister) from a pet store in 1995 when they were a mere 3 weeks old. I bottle fed them both but Itsy Bitsy (her sister) did not survive beyond a week at home while (Teeny) Weenie continued to thrive until she was a healthy 21 pounds. I had her longer than I've had T-Bone. In fact, I had to warn him about her the first time he came to my apartment as she was known to attack.

She traveled with me in the car from Indiana to Las Vegas (staying at the Mirage), on to California to live, back to Indiana to live, on to New York to live, back to Indiana to live and then finally to Georgia to live. She LOVED riding in the car and she LOVED drive-thru's! She would get right up to my driver's side window and stretch her neck out, hoping that the worker at the fast food window would give her something to eat. She was truly a mess!

She greeted us at the door every time we came home. She didn't like laps but loved to give kisses. She loved getting baths every morning with a sopping wet washcloth. She was an avid tuna lover and would wake me each and every morning as she only had tuna for breakfast. When T-Bone and I went away for short trips, I had friends who would come over every morning to feed Weenie her tuna. And Weenie, being the sweet and gracious kitty that she was, managed to trap one of our friends in the bathroom. Our friend, Alison, could not get Weenie to move from the threshold of the bathroom. Weenie had this horrible hiss and scream that she would let out when she was upset (which was usually any time someone was in our home other than us). Alison, not knowing what to do, grabbed the hand towel from the towel rack and began swatting it at Weenie. As you can guess, that was not effective and Weenie only became more mad. Now Weenie didn't have front claws but she honestly did appear vicious when she was upset. So Alison used her cell phone to call another friend to our apartment. He arrived, distracted Weenie when he opened the front door and Alison was able to escape.

When I was pregnant with Tiara 1, everyone kept telling me that we needed to get rid of Weenie. They were certain she would be mean to the baby. But I knew she would love and accept the baby just as she did. When I was pregnant with both Tiaras, Weenie would lay against my huge belly and wait on the babies to kick. When the babies kicked, Weenie would paw at my belly playfully. She truly loved the Tiaras.

As the girls have grown, Weenie spent more time with them in their rooms. She would take turns sleeping on their beds during the night. She would wait on Tiara 2's pillow every night for the bedtime story. She really loved them. And they loved her.

Weenie loved to get into paper bags or the smallest boxes she could find. Remember, she was 20+ pounds so she really had to work to get her many rolls into small spaces. But she always managed. She gave us so many good laughs.

And two weeks ago today, we had to say goodbye. I'm still grieving but holding it inside as much as possible for the girls. Tiara 1 was rather matter of fact about the situation after the first day but in the last few days, she has really finally faced the reality that Weenie won't be back. She has cried so much in the past few days that her eyes are swollen. Tiara 2 grieved heavily for the first week. Then I found a stuffed animal cat in her closet that looks nothing like Weenie BUT Tiara 2 has named it Weenie anyway and it goes EVERYWHERE with her now. Tiara 1 tonight, between the tears, asked if she too could have a stuffed animal cat for her room. So if any of you know where I can purchase a stuffed animal cat that is a dark gray tabby color, please let me know. Tiara 1 would really appreciate it. And if it's overstuffed and comes in a box too small for it, that's even better.

And Weenie, thanks for the unconditional love and the wonderful memories. We'll always miss you, Beans.....

Camp Rock - 24/7

2008-09-01T23:36:00.008-04:00

The Tiaras are both totally crazy about anything related to Camp Rock at this time. We saw the movie when Disney first ran it, we DVR'd it and watched it at least another 5 times in that first week after it was originally aired. When the soundtrack appeared in stores, we snatched it up immediately and the few songs that were not previously memorized were then added to the Tiaras' repertoire of memorized songs from Camp Rock. We then bought the DVD as SOON as it was released. The Tiaras both insisted that we purchase it because one of our DVRs burned up and we lost all recorded shows a few months ago. Sooooo, we absolutely HAD to purchase the DVD in case this DVR melted as the last did. Point made, DVD purchased.

Where am I going with this? Well, the Jonas Brothers came to town a few weeks ago (yes, I'm a few weeks behind) and as much as we would have liked to take the Tiaras to the concert, they are probably not yet old enough to appreciate how loud it would be. Or how small the Jonas Brothers would look from way, far away where our seats would have more than likely been located. Again, my point? Well, Demi Lovato (Mitchie from Camp Rock) was opening for the Jonas Brothers and she did an autograph signing session at one of the local Verizon stores that just happened to be minutes from our house. So, I took the girls there, we stood in the (really long) line in the parking lot in the 90+ degree sun (with NO shade) for 2+ hours to see Demi and get her autograph.

Was it worth it????

It was worth every second!!!!

We went to the animal fair...

2008-08-22T09:25:00.013-04:00

The birds and the bees (and the deer, goats, porcupine, geese, peafowl, donkeys, sheep, pigs, bears, chickens, rabbits, squirrels, raccoons, foxes, bison, turkeys) were there. The big baboon (or potbelly pig, rather), by the light of the moon, was combing his auburn (ish) hair (and snorting peanuts)......

Actually, we went to the Yellow River Game Ranch which is down the road from T-Bone's old growin' up and stompin' around grounds. He loved visiting the game ranch as a child (and still does) and the girls LOVE going there now too! Actually we all do!

The sheep always look so sweet and gentle...

The deer run freely throughout the woods and the walking paths...

And some are extremely tame.....

This guy was really happy when we made it to the barn to feed him....

You know, goats always seem to be hungry and they eat absolutely anything .....

This guy NEVER moved from his spot. You literally had to throw the peanut into his mouth. Many peanuts bounced off his head and he didn't care; he merely waited for the next one to be thrown. You can see the peanuts at his feet. He would not even bend his head down to pick them up!

T.Bone ~~(the squirrel whisperer)~~ even made a new friend...

Yellow River is the home of Beauregard E. Lee, Georgia's official weather prognosticator and internationally recognized furry groundhog.

He has his own groundhog-sized antebellum home on the ranch. Tiara 2 celebrates her birthday on Groundhog Day so she really enjoys visiting Beau.

It was a wonderful time spent by all!

Taco Loco? Tiara 1 Loco!

2008-08-17T22:40:00.006-04:00

So today, after sleeping in (much needed, I might add), we ran some errands and decided on Mexican fare for dinner. Tiara 1 has been venturing from the children's menu at times, slowly wading into the adult menu, cautiously but excitedly at the same time. For dinner tonight, she opted for a choice from the "non-kids" menu, ordering the Taco Loco. I don't think she realized what she had gotten herself into until it's arrival.

She gave it a go.....

but in the end, Taco Loco won.

Woo Hoo!

2008-08-15T09:58:00.004-04:00

For those of us who homeschool, Discovery United Streaming can be (and is, in our household) an invaluable tool. I'm not certain of other states but here in Georgia, we, as homeschoolers, have free access to the site (thanks to Georgia Public Broadcasting). There are certain criteria that must be met to renew your "subscription" every year including the sending of your Declaration of Intent but other than that, the process is extremely simple. On August 1, every homeschooling family that I knew lost their access to the United Streaming website and the poor admin assistant who is in charge of memberships for all homeschoolers in the state of Georgia (we are plentiful, let me tell ya) got bombarded with requests to rejoin. I have been waiting (and waiting and waiting) to regain access. It's an incredible site with anything and everything under the sun available for viewing. I FINALLY got my password this morning! WOO HOO! The Tiaras will be so stoked! Especially Tiara 1 who, like her mother, is a visual learner. Off to check it out now... Have a wonderful weekend!

Lovin' the Olympics !

2008-08-12T00:25:00.005-04:00

Our family is thoroughly lovin' the Olympics! The Tiaras have watched until they can't keep their eyes opened. The favorites in our house (besides the opening ceremonies) have been the synchronized diving, all swimming events and of course, the gymnastics. Regardless of which team it is, the gymnastics is incredible to watch. Both girls literally had mouths hanging open this afternoon while watching the girls gymnastics prelim competition that I recorded last night.

Mrs. World Traveler suggested joining her family in England in 2012 for the next Summer Olympics. Hmmm, it's a thought. Definitely something to dream about. What an awesome field trip that would be!

Living here in Atlanta, there are remnants everywhere of the 1996 Summer Olympics. Of course, during those Olympics, I lived in the (great) mid.west so unfortunately, I wasn't here to experience the buzz of that era. While touring Turner Field last week (which was originally built for the Olympics), I was able to capture a great photo of the Atlanta Olympics history.

Yes, our family is definitely lovin' the Olympics.....