Sprinklings Of Fairy Dust

Walk the Dinosaur!

2010-03-02T18:38:00.009-05:00

*Scroll to the bottom to start my playlist before reading for the full effect

I lead a Carole Marsh book club for some of the local homeschool kids. We are in our second year of this book club. Before this bookclub, I led a Magic Tree House book club for over 3 years. When we read the Magic Tree House books, we read them in consecutive order, starting with book 1 and ending with book 40, which was the most current book written at that time by the author, Mary Pope Osborne. When we started the Carole Marsh series, I followed a suggested reading club list for the first year just to make it easier for me. I had not had time to research all of the Carole Marsh Mystery Series books (there are quite a lot!) and needed to get my list together quickly. As we approached year two of this book club, I began researching the books and putting our reading list together for this year. Having a better feel of who our regularly attending kids are to the club helped me in my decision and of course, the Tiaras had their opinions as well. Imagine!

Tiara 2 is a huge fan of our (very) old friend, the dinosaur. Besides dancing on Broadway, she wants to be an archaeologist and a paleontologist when she grows up. (She also wants to live at home and sees no problem with the fact that we live nowhere close to NY. She plans to commute, so she says.) So her choice for our book club this year was The Mystery of the Missing Dinosaurs. She has been looking forward to the meeting for this book since I initially put the reading list together last fall. And finally, this Thursday (day AFTER tomorrow!), we will be meeting to discuss HER book choice!

The kids normally do a journal entry each month which can be a craft, a written paper or even a drawing from the story. Anything they choose. After we discuss the book, they stand in front of the other kids and share their journal. (They also write two questions from assigned chapters which they ask in front of the other kids during discussion. They enjoy this aspect of being in control of the club and they gain public speaking skills as well which is HUGE!). For this month's meeting, I asked them all to make a dinosaur in place of their normal journal work. They were told they could make it out of paper, clay, salt dough, paper mache, etc. But they are all supposed to make a dinosaur for our meeting. Can't wait to see how well they all do!

The Tiaras have been anticipating the day we made our dinosaurs and today was THE day! The Tiaras both chose to make their dinosaurs out of Crayola's Model Magic which is an awesome product! It hardens like a clay but is a foamy texture while being formed which makes it very fun for the Tiaras. And it is not messy which makes it very fun for me!

So Tiara 1 decided on a Brachiosauras (one of the longnecks). She went with a baby Brachi cracking out of her egg and Tiara 1 decided she didn't want the baby dino to look scary at all. She definitely succeeded and her baby turned out quite well!

Tiara 2 decided on a Triceratops since she received a Webkinz Triceratops for her birthday. Her dino turned out very well also!

Tiara 2 finished her dinosaur long before Tiara 1 so she decided to excavate a Triceratops fossil using her Dinosaur Expedition kit she received for Christmas from her Aunt Jess.

Safety glasses were recommended and since we have no safety glasses, we improvised. And since we homeschool, most days the Tiaras do school in their pajamas. Might as well be as comfortable as possible while learning! We didn't complete our "dig" today but I'm sure we will by Thursday!

Dress Rehearsal - Before and After .....

2010-02-23T22:21:00.008-05:00

So this is our first year of Competition Team Dance for Tiara 2. Her first competition is this Saturday in Newnan, GA. Yesterday was her one and only dress rehearsal for the year. She is performing in three numbers this season including a tap number and a jazz number, both with kids from her team and a Production number with all kids from the studio, ranging in age from 6 to 18.

Before

After

Before

After

For the Production number, all the girls are wearing gold sequin dresses, black fishnet tights, low buns and red lipstick. After Tiara 2 was finished and ready to go, I couldn't help but be reminded of something else, from a few (just a few!) years back......

Simply irresistible!

Before

After

Elephants, Tigers and Clowns! Oh My!

2010-02-22T23:19:00.009-05:00

So the circus was in town last week. The Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey circus. (Scroll to my playlist at the bottom for the full effect.) You know, The Greatest Show on Earth circus? Yeah, that one. We've gone every year since the Tiaras were little.

We all enjoy the circus but Tiara 2 especially enjoys the circus as she is a HUGE fan of elephants. Since she was a baby, she has been a fan of the pachyderm. She collects all things elephant! So the circus is always exciting for her because she gets to watch them paint pictures.

And dance.

And stand on very small stools.

And roll over.

There were also acrobats, trapeze artists, dogs, tigers and of course, the clowns. But the elephants.... well, they stole the show.

Love Bugs Annual Visit on Valentine's Day !

2010-02-16T17:24:00.006-05:00

So a few years back, the Tiaras read about Love Bugs in a book. The story mentioned that if you built a home for the Love Bugs, they would visit and possibly even take up permanent residence. You know the old adage, Build it and they will come? Immediately, the Tiaras set about building their Love Bug abode. They started with a shoebox and with the assistance of Daddy, they built two Love Bug beds out of scrap wood. They hand-stitched bed spreads using scrap cloth and stuffed the bedding with cotton balls. The Love Bugs landed last February 1st of 2009 and stayed with us through that Valentine's Day.

For Christmas of 2008, Tiara 2 wanted mailboxes for all four of our family members. She enjoys leaving notes for all of us and the mailboxes were very high on her list. Daddy set about making mailboxes and each of the Tiaras have one outside of their bedroom doors while ours sits just inside our bedroom door.

So the Love Bugs must have discovered our mailboxes because last February they began leaving small pieces of candy, one a day, in the Tiaras mailboxes. They always left the flag up, signaling the Tiaras that they had a treat each morning. And on Valentines Day, the Love Bugs left a larger sweet treat and a small gift. The Tiaras were SO excited that they decided to leave the Love Bugs home permanently out on our hutch, and continued to add on. Over the next year, the Tiaras added a chimney, a shingled roof, wallpaper, two tables and a mailbox, all made of recycled materials.

When the Jonas Brothers released their song, Lovebug, there was even discussion in our home that the JoBros must have their own Love Bug visitors. (Scroll to the bottom and wait on my playlist to load to hear the JoBros singing Lovebug.)

Well, the Love Bugs returned this year and the girls again had SO much fun receiving their treats every morning. On Valentines Day, they awoke to find rice krispie treats dipped in red chocolate with sprinkles on lollipop sticks and felt flower hair accessory craft kits.

The girls had a fabulous Valentines Day...

Made me giggle

2010-02-09T18:54:00.004-05:00

The Tiaras cover many different subjects in their homeschool studies. Some we do on a daily basis, some three days a week, some two days a week and some we only touch on one day a week. Tiara 2 does a 'Symbols of America' book which she uses on a daily basis. The exercises are short and sometimes involve coloring. Tiara 2 just turned 7 so she enjoys that sort of thing. Actually, Tiara 1 enjoys it as well. Anyway, a few weeks ago, Tiara 2 had to color the President's Seal. She likes to be very independent and is a great speller so she didn't bother to ask how to spell the President's name. Tiara 1 looked at the page when Tiara 2 was finished and said "Oh my goodness, that looks like BROKE-OBAMA!

Tiara 2's 7th Birthday : The UN-sleepover party....

2010-02-05T15:26:00.019-05:00

So Tiara 2 is now 7. Sigh. I'm amazed by her everyday and I cannot believe she has been with us for 7 years now. She has grown into such a kind, sweet, compassionate and genuinely lovely person and her soul is just as beautiful.

All of Tiara 2's little friends LOVE the idea of sleeping over yet none are quite to that point of making it through the night without wanting to be in their own bed. As much as they WANT to stay all night. It just isn't going to happen. Yet. So when Tiara 2 told me she wanted a sleepover party for her birthday, I immediately began stressing! I knew the little girls would want to come but wondered if any would make it through the night or worse yet, back out at the last minute and not make the party at all? Tiara 2 and I talked and decided to put a twist on the sleepover party theme.

We decided to do an UN-sleepover party. So we made our trip to the craft store to buy our birthday invitation supplies. I started making the Tiaras invitations when they were babies and the invitations have become as much fun as the party for the Tiaras. This year, we went with the PINK and PURPLE theme since only girls were on the invite list. So we purchased cotton candy pink and light grape purple felt, lavender puffy teddy bear ribbon and some yummy pale pink paper with girly-girl pink swirls. We made sleeping bag invitations for the little girls. (There is an invitation for Tiara 1 and Tiara 2 as well. I usually mail one to each of them for the Tiaras' birthday parties. By doing that, the Tiara who's having the party will have an invitation years from now as a memory of her party and the Tiara who is the sister of the birthday girl will receive an invitation just as all other invited guests.)

We rolled the sleeping bags up, added their names to the outside and tied them with a strand of princess pearls. We then hand delivered our invitations to each of the five little girls on our invite list since these could not be mailed.

The day before the party, I made our chocolate "fried" eggs. They turned out very well and were a HUGE hit at the party! For the party, I sat them in a hot pink skillet which I borrowed from the Tiaras kitchen.

The day of the party, I made our cupcakes. We had fudge chocolate cupcakes with pink icing and golden vanilla cupcakes with lavender icing. I arranged them on our party table along with our fried eggs. Tiara 2 had her own pedestal for her cupcake.

We were serving breakfast at the party which included Belgian waffles so we had milk chocolate chips and white chocolate chips as well as whipped cream to garnish the Belgian waffles. Hot chocolate was also on the menu and the puffy pink heart marshmallows were available too.

We decorated with more girly princess pearl strands, purple streamers, hot pink and lavender curly ribbon, and balloons in cotton candy pink, grape purple and pearly white.

The girls were all dropped off at 5pm, wearing their pajamas and fuzzy slippers and toting their sleeping bags. They painted pillow cases.

Then they ate their breakfast of Belgian waffles and hot chocolate, both with lots of chocolate chips and whipped cream. After breakfast, they laid their sleeping bags out on the floor, the lights were dimmed and they watched Bedtime Stories with Adam Sandler (which I HIGHLY recommend!).

They ate 3 bowls of popcorn during the movie and drank Capri Sun SUNRISE juice boxes.

After the movie was over, they had dance contests and burned all the sugar off.

We then had cupcakes and ice cream.

And as Tiara 2 was opening her gifts, the parents arrived to take their party girls home. The party seemed to be a HUGE hit and was a great alternative to driving little girls home at 2am when they couldn't sleep and missed their own beds.

Happy 7th birthday, Tiara 2......

Quietness, we are ready for you......

2010-01-17T23:54:00.003-05:00

"If you've been up all night and cried till you have no more tears left in you- you will know that there comes in the end a sort of quietness." One of my favorite lines of one of my favorite books by one of my favorite authors ever. The book? The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. The author? C.S. Lewis. This book quickly became a favorite of mine at a very young age and I'm thrilled to say that it has also captured the hearts of both Tiaras. But this post isn't as much about the book as about the quote from the book...

"If you've been up all night and cried till you have no more tears left in you- you will know that there comes in the end a sort of quietness." All night for me would be 2009. Cried until you have no more tears left? Check. That was accomplished in 2009. The quietness in the end? 2010 for my family. 2010 is our quietness in the end. It has to be.

2010-01-09T21:23:00.003-05:00

So, it's finally happened. Our FIRST First Lego League season has come to an end. Sigh. And my, oh my, how much we have learned this season!

Tiara 1 has been yearning to be a part of the FLL madness since she first saw a team practicing at the ripe old age of 5. FLL states that children as young as 6 can participate although they recommend FLL for ages 9 - 14. For those 15 and older, there are other Lego clubs requiring bigger robots and bigger wallets. So for the next few years, we are true FLL age.

I got a phone call in August from a friend who had joined a new FLL team that was forming. The new team was being coordinated by someone who coached a team last year but she was unwilling to coach this year due to time constraints. She was willing, however, to coordinate. By that, she was willing to ask someone to coach, ask someone to open their home and allow the use of her robot for the season (and the bot is quite costly). So, my friend had agreed to open her home but no one had agreed to volunteer as coach. The coordinator let my friend know that unless my friend would coach, there would be no team. So my friend called me..... and that's where it all began.

I agreed to co-coach the team. Tiara 1 was SO excited. Our team had some ups and downs about 6 weeks later and we lost 3 members (only had 6 to start with). We gained one new member and had a new team of 4. Began working on our robot and our project. Took a few very cool field trips. Learned a lot about programming a robot. Learned a WHOLE lot about team work and working through issues.

In Georgia, the season started with 277 FLL teams. After the first qualifier, 96 teams were left standing. And we were one of those teams. Little ole us. All first year kids. Three 9 year olds and one 11 year old. Little ole us. Still standing and standing very proudly, I might add. And standing proudly with our first place trophy that we won for TEAMWORK! Woo Hoo!

Today, we had 32 teams at our Super-Qualifier. 15 moved on to State which will be held at GA Tech in two weeks. The winner of state will represent the GA FLL'ers at World in April. World will be held at the GA dome for the last year before moving to St. Louis (I believe it's St. Louis). World is a HUGE event and we will be there to bask in all the energy and excitement. But only as spectators.

Today was bittersweet for us. We have been attending Lego meetings since August and they became our daily school work for about 6 weeks leading up to our first qualifer. After all, they included research, life skills and of course, science. Much of our other school work has been set aside for months now, waiting patiently to be dusted off and loved upon by Tiara 1 and Tiara 2. Although we didn't advance to State today, the Tiaras are quite excited to get back to their "regular" school work on Monday. Tiara 1 said she really misses her geography. And her math. Tiara 2 said she misses "all of it." We began discussing all that we needed to cover and all that we want to cover in the coming weeks. And Tiara 1, in a way that only Tiara 1 can do, broke that train of thought. She derailed that train of thought. Tiara 1 asked if she could volunteer as an assistant at GA tech for the FLL state meet. So our FLL season may not be quite over after all.

I'm back..........

2010-01-01T22:26:00.002-05:00

So after a one year hiatus from blogging, I have a craving to resume this outlet of my wacky mind. I am torn at times as to how much I should actually blog and what I should actually keep to myself; after all, it's always possible that someone might actually read this. And then, if someone were to read this, they might have an insight into my deeper self that I prefer to keep hidden most of the time. I'm one of those people watchers. I sit back, take it all in and try to read a person well before I ever let them see any part of who I truly am. So spilling my guts on this keyboard is heavy on my mind.... just in case, someone might actually read this. Just sayin.

So it's been one hell of a year. The economy took it's toll on my family in more ways than any of my friends even know or realize. I have kept it all bottled up and hidden away (see what I mean). Too personal. But 2009 is h-i-s-t-o-r-y. It's definitely a year that I'm sure will appear in the US history books for many reasons in years to come as well as making it's appearance on the newest version of Trivial Pursuit. It's definitely not a year that I will ever forget although I would most gladly prefer to remove many parts of it from my already-full-to-capacity brain. It's now 2010 and I want this year to be a TEN! I have every intention of making it a TEN.

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.....

Out of the mouths of babes...

2008-08-11T10:56:00.003-04:00

So Tiara 2 (5 years old) informed me last night that she loves me MORE than ICE CREAM AND TELEVISION! I am lucky or what???? ;)

Where did our week go?

2008-08-10T00:44:00.004-04:00

This past week has flown by. We managed a few days at home, continuing with the organization of the upcoming school year. I haven't set a definite date yet for starting although we do school to an extent year-round so it won't be much of a change. We are planning a week in Florida in the middle of September so I am seriously considering starting back after we return from Florida. I just know that once we get into the daily routine, it will be time to go to Florida and then upon return, it will be much harder to return to the routine. If I wait until we return to start, the girls will be excited about all their new books. Not to say that the girls don't like school because they do; in fact, they LOVE school work. They love learning which makes my life so much easier and makes our days so much more fun.

This last week, we toured Turner Field where the Atlanta Braves play. We also got together with some friends for a "slip n slide party". We had guitar lessons as well. Tomorrow we are planning a trip to a local petting farm so I'm sure I will have lots of photos to post.

Warning: Fresh Krispy Kreme Doughnuts Ahead - Proceed With Caution!

2008-07-31T21:54:00.009-04:00

A few weeks ago, we went by the local Krispy Kreme for a mid-afternoon sugar high while out shopping with some friends. While the kiddos were eating their glazed treats, we noticed that the donut holes were being made right before our very eyes. At this particular Krispy Kreme, you are able to view the entire process behind a glass wall. In this photo, the dough is moving up and down multiple racks while the dough is (literally) rising.

In this photo, the doughnut holes have moved off the racks and are on their way into the grease.

While in the grease, they are flipped so that each side gets equal fry-time.

Out of the grease and into the wall of glaze.....

Out of the glaze ........

cooling off for a moment or two... then into

this handy, dandy box for transporting or

this lovely case for displaying!

This is an example of the sugar high that follows the enjoyable Krispy Kreme doughnut...

Aren't they all so cute?

iPod Nano Giveaway

2008-07-31T12:01:00.005-04:00

An awesome giveaway is happening over at The Secret Is In The Sauce!

The giveaway is for an Apple 4G iPod Nano in Silver! This iPod plays up to 1,000 songs, 4 hours of video or 3,500 pictures! Go check it out!

Still waiting for lunch to arrive.... next trick ?

2008-07-31T01:06:00.003-04:00

Lunch really did take quite a while to arrive. And Mrs. World Traveler received her lunch even later than the other 5 of us. Still trying to figure out how that happened. But the kiddos had no problem preoccupying all of us with their tricks.

Tiara 1, stretching and preparing for her trick....

A1, unable to get his foot behind his head, is getting assistance from Tiara 1

A2 is now attempting what his brother, A1, hasn't quite mastered....

Tiara 1, proving that 6 years of gymnastics is paying off......

A2, proving that he will not give up, regardless of how it looks......

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhh!

On Patrol, On Patrol...

2008-07-30T00:45:00.008-04:00

So we took our best friends to the airport on Monday. They were on their way to
Orlando as one of the boys is playing in the Disney World Cup of Soccer for the second time this year. This isn't the first time we've taken them to the airport as they are quite the world travelers. Mrs. World Traveler is from Wales (although she does not speak to the whales as some would believe). Past Christmas cards include photos of the boys in front of the Eiffel Tower and Stonehenge so the Tiaras are quite proficient at chipping in to assist in these airport trips.

And once at the world's busiest airport, what do you do to pass the time while waiting on your lunch to arrive? Hmmmm...... I know! Let's see who can touch their nose with their tongue!

A2 has definitely got it mastered!

Poor older brother A1 isn't quite as successful.

So now Tiara 1 tries. Yikes! Not even close, Tiara 1!

And Tiara 2 has no intentions of attempting! She has her own trick to show off! Can any of you do this?

Oh Where, Oh Where did all our money go???

2008-07-27T11:49:00.007-04:00

Well, the obvious answer to that question would be the $outhea$t Home$chool Expo. We arrived early and stayed all day. I did sit through one presentation by Susan Wise Bauer of The Well-Trained Mind, The Story of the World Series, etc. about getting your kids to write and write well. It was very informative and of course, she was very knowledgeable. I did manage to purchase both Tiaras literature curricula for the year. I also purchased Tiara 1's spelling curriculum and some additional phonics workbooks for Tiara 2. I found a few games and books which I couldn't do without. All in all though, I was quite disappointed at the selections yesterday. There were quite a few vendors that are there every year and, for one reason or another, opted not to attend this year. The crowds seemed much smaller too. I did hear from the HWOT rep that the expo was very busy the day before. I still have to order our math curriculum online as well as some additional Usborne books needed for our science but other than that, we are almost ready to start our school year.

After the expo, we went to dinner at The Golden Buddha. And of course, you cannot go to dinner at The Golden Buddha without rubbing the buddha's belly for good luck as you leave

After the filling of our bellies with The Golden Buddha goodies, T-Bone and both Tiaras watched the new Hannah Montana 3D movie before turning in for well-needed rest. Don't they all look entertained? hee hee

Tiara 1 starts soccer camp tonight. Normally the soccer camps run M-F but we have camp tonight since there will be no camp on Thursday due to the public schools having orientation that evening. The heat here is still unbearable so I will be packing a rather large supply of liquids and preparing for a very exhausted Tiara 1 later tonight.

Another week gone by ?

2008-07-25T23:14:00.006-04:00

Wow, I cannot believe it has been an entire week since I last posted. Tiara 1's tie-dye 8th birthday party went off without a hitch. The kids' shirts all turned out very well and there were only a few kids that dyed clothing not intended to be dyed (including my own Tiara 2). We also had a frozen tee shirt contest which was definitely worth a few laughs. And it helped to cool the kids off since it was well beyond miserable with the heat and humidity. Good ol' Georgia humidity; there's nothing like it! Tiara 1's birthday cake was fabulous once again this year. A friend of mine who homeschools creates cakes on the side. She amazes me each time she creates a new cake for us. The VW bug on the top is chocolate pound cake. The bottom round layer is vanilla pound cake. This cake was more than enough to feed 50.

Tomorrow is the Southeast Homeschool Expo in Atlanta and I am soooooo looking forward to it! It's literally Christmas in July each year when we go! T-Bone enjoys going as much as I do and the Tiaras love helping to choose our annual purchases.

I'm also excited about my visit from the Fairy Blog Mother, aka Darcy, over at www.graphicallydesigning.com. I have been waiting in queue and it's finally my turn! Woo Hoo! I am so stoked about my makeover! I cannot wait to see the finished product!

So Little Time and So Much to Do...

2008-07-18T10:38:00.002-04:00

Tomorrow is Tiara 1's 8th birthday party. We are having a tie-dye party so it will be outside in the mid-July Georgia heat. I have so much left to do in preparation for the party tomorrow. I have lots of photos to post and I'm sure there will be many more after tomorrow.
Next week is dance camp and then soccer camp the following week. Hopefully, I will be able to get a few things caught up while the tiaras are at camp. More later...

Thrift Stores.... Here We Come!

2008-07-08T21:16:00.002-04:00

Tomorrow the girls and I are going "thrifting" with another homeschool family that we like to hang out with. I'm hoping to find lots of great things. The other family sells high-end clothing items that she finds at thrift stores on ebay and does quite well. I've got quite a few ideas running through my head of crafts that I would like to attempt so I'm hoping to find a little inspiration along the way tomorrow.

Mojo....Where are you???

2008-07-06T22:31:00.001-04:00

So I am so trying to get my crafting mojo back. It seems that I haven't been very crafty in quite some time. The girls are at the age where they will craft right along with me but I would love to find my mojo again and possibly even be able to sell some crafty items on etsy, maybe? Oh mojo........ where art thou?

Ice Cream Social Frock Giveaway!!!!

2008-07-06T19:51:00.002-04:00

I have been wandering through different blogs today and have come across some wonderful ones! One that I found is having the fabulous giveaway listed below.....

Ice Cream Social Frock Giveaway!!!!

Celebrating birthdays

2008-07-06T02:27:00.002-04:00

This afternoon, we headed to Stone Mountain to celebrate T-Bone's sister and father's birthdays. There was swimming, food and fireworks along with some much needed adult conversation. The girls were completely worn out but did manage to get out to the barn before we left to visit Aunt J's new geese and *Bacon*, the de-tusked wild boar that has been living in J's barn since he was a piglet (or boarlet?). The girls and T-Bone all fell asleep on the way home and I am still wide awake, wondering if I will be tiring anytime soon....

Happy 4th of July!

2008-07-04T00:27:00.001-04:00

Well, it won't be much different during the day tomorrow for us EXCEPT that T-Bone will be home with us! The girls are ecstatic (they have not seen him since Sunday) except for the few minutes we stopped by the office on our way home from dance class. Tomorrow the girls have school work to do (and Tiara1 has to do school work on Saturday as well as she opted to take today *off*) and guitar lessons. Hopefully tomorrow night, we will be able to go somewhere close by to watch fireworks. The girls have sparklers and would honestly be perfectly content staying home playing with those sparklers but it would be nice to go somewhere and watch the beautiful night sky. On Saturday, we are heading to the family compound at Stone Mtn. to celebrate a few family birthdays. More fireworks will be viewed there as well. And I'm sure we will hear fireworks for many nights to come just as the girls are going to sleep. It always seems to work that way.

Our American Girl storage closet....

2008-06-28T11:25:00.002-04:00

It's definitely been a week here at our house. Nothing in particular has happened but we have been so busy. I did manage to get a hallway linen closet converted to our American Girls storage area. I removed a few of the lower wire shelves so that the doll clothes would hang properly. I labeled and printed photos of all the doll accessory items that belong in their accessory boxes so that both girls could easily help to maintain some semblance of organization. I kept all of the original doll and clothing boxes so those are stored on the upper shelves and out of the way. The girls collection currently consists of four dolls. We studied Felicity in our American Girl club last year so she was our first purchase. Tiara 1 purchased Nellie with her birthday money last year. For Christmas, they asked for American Girl clothes for their dolls. And when we went to the Kit Kittredge sneak preview last week, we stopped at the American Girl bistro first to purchase Kaya who we are studying this coming year in our American Girl club. And Tiara 1 picked out Kit who she purchased with her saved allowances. So we now have four dolls and the girls have played with them non-stop since I got the AG closet arranged. They now have easy access to all the dolls clothing and accessories and they change those dolls outfits at least one time each day. Here are a few photos of the girls in post-movie bliss....

Kit Kittredge - Here we come!

2008-06-20T00:01:00.001-04:00

Well,

The new Kit Kittredge movie is having it's first sneak preview tomorrow and I bought tickets for us to go. The girls knew about it weeks ago when I bought the tickets but they have NO idea that tomorrow is the day. They are aware of July 2nd, the day the movie premieres in the theater but they are unaware that tomorrow is our day to view the movie!

Before the movie, we are going to the AG Bistro to buy a few things. :) We are planning to study Kaya this coming school year so Kaya is on our list of purchases for tomorrow. And Tiara 1 has been wavering between Mia and Kit (since she has the movie coming out). My guess is that Tiara 1 will choose Kit although she might surprise me like she did last time. She intended to purchase Elizabeth (Felicity's best friend) at our last visit to the AG Bistro but instead chose Nellie. And Nellie looks a lot like Kit so she might opt for some doll other than Kit. Who knows? On the other hand, I AM certain that Tiara 2 will choose Kaya. She is determined to have the doll we are studying BEFORE we begin studying her. She chose Felicity last year for that very reason.

So, we will be making a rather large contribution to Mattel tomorrow. But considering how much educational value as well as timeless, classic fun the girls gain, the contribution is well worth it.

Hi Ho, Hi Ho, It's off to...

2008-06-15T00:19:00.001-04:00

Six Flags, we go! The girls want to take Daddy to Six Flags for Father's Day so we have a full day planned tomorrow. Our last trip there was summer before last. Tiara 1 wasn't tall enough to ride any of the larger coasters and Tiara 2 wouldn't consider riding anything. But after Disney World in January, they are stoked about riding any ride that will give their tummies butterflies.

the end of one long.....

2008-06-14T00:34:00.000-04:00

week! We are exhausted from our busy week. Will update this weekend....

Sorting out...

2008-06-10T20:45:00.001-04:00

all of the curriculum info for next year. I'm trying so hard to get ahead of the game (for once) as I know that eventually, we will get overwhelmed with the hectic schedules of soccer, dance and the occasional co-op class and I will struggle to maintain our schedule. The girls enjoy going full-speed but they sure do wear me out!

One down, four to go...

2008-06-09T23:50:00.002-04:00

Day one of VBS was enjoyed by both girls. They learned new songs, memorized a new verse, painted, had cake (eeks!) at 10am and made new friends. I ran errands and watched a little friend of theirs at our house while her mom went on an appointment.

This afternoon we ran to the dance studio, picked up the recital photos and came back home. The girls' photos are incredible this year!

Tiara 1 sat down when we returned home and completed all of her schoolwork in record time. She did very well on all of it as well. I'm seriously going to have to re-think a lot of my curriculum choices for her. She may need to be bumped ahead in a few of the subjects.

Tiara 2 and I didn't do any school work today but she made me promise that we would do some tomorrow. After VBS tomorrow, the girls both have art class so hopefully we will have time in the evening to do some school work.....

The beginning of a long week.....

2008-06-08T23:58:00.000-04:00

So tomorrow is the first day of VBS. The girls are planning to attend at the church of a family friend. The theme is the Amazon and the girls are very excited. They LOVE anything to do with rain forests and they KNOW they will be singing, crafting and having a LOT of fun.

I, on the other hand, am not quite sure what I will be doing with myself! It's 3 1/2 hours each morning. It will take me approximately 30 to 45 minutes to return home so I'm not left with a lot of time to do anything. I may get errands taken care of although the girls have already asked that I forgo errands at their favorite stores until they can go with me.

After VBS, they will have school work to do but don't blame me. They both asked to continue school throughout the summer so we are doing just that. Tiara 1 is very excited to be starting her 3rd grade books already and has already figured out in 2 of them that if she does a lesson each day (M-F) instead of 3 lessons a week (M,W,F), she can finish the books by January and start on the 4th grade books. And as excited as they both are about learning, there's no way I'm going to ask them to slow down. Eventually, they will want a break and we can take one as we will be ahead of the game at that point. Besides, the HOT weather has already arrived here in Atlanta and unless you are in the pool, you cannot be outside in the heat. So school work it is!

We went to Michael's today. It's one of our weak spots. Michael's is having a sale this week and we loaded up on the FIMO, Sculpey and Primo clays. Tiara 1 is wanting to make some jewelry beads at some point this week. They also had a lot of ribbon on sale so the girls picked out some rolls to make hair bows with. That's on the agenda for this week as well.

They are both growing up so very fast. I'm absolutely amazed each and every day.

Phew! It's over......

2008-06-07T23:31:00.000-04:00

Well, the girls danced their hearts out today in front of all the grandparents and their daddy. I was backstage in my usual place, helping all the kids get where they needed to be. After the recital, the girls were both awarded with trophies and certificates. Tiara 1 received a certificate for 6 years with TnD (1 in the Mom & Tot class) and 5 in dance class. Tiara 2 received a certificate for 4 years (1 in Mom & Tot) and 3 in dance class.

So, we are done for another year........ or at least for a few weeks. Tiara 1 has been invited to join the Petite Challenge Competition dance team next year which means she will be taking summer classes as well as attending dance camp later this summer. And Tiara 2 will also be attending dance camp since she would find it completely unacceptable if Tiara 1 were allowed to attend and she were not. And her point would be a valid one.

But for now, the girls can rest their weary feet. The makeup has been washed off their pretty little faces, the costumes all hung on the dress-up rack and they are snuggled in their bed for the night. Sleep tight, my little princesses.

Dance Recital

2008-06-07T00:45:00.000-04:00

So the girls will be dancing in their Spring Recital tomorrow. Tiara 1 has 5 dances (gym, tap, ballet, jazz and hip.hop) while Tiara 2 has 3 dances (gym, tap and ballet). This is the third year of classes for Tiara 2 and the fifth year of classes for Tiara 1. Tiara 1 has been invited to join the Challenge Competition team next year and Tiara 2 will be relocating to the Locust Grove studio since it is only 5 minutes from our house. Tiara 2 will add jazz to her class schedule for the fall. Tiara 1's classes will be held in Stockbridge so dance will now consume two nights of our week instead of one.

Soccer schedules and teams have not yet been announced although I am quite certain that soccer will consume the rest of our nights and of course, all Saturdays, starting in August. But the girls wouldn't have it any other way therefore we will do everything in our power to see that they are able to live their dreams as they so choose.