Our Elf on the Shelf Craziness

For the first time ever, my family joined in on the Elf on the Shelf tradition.  We started out by heading to Target, where my daughter insisted on me digging through box after box until I found a girl.  And this is our month.  Sometimes, she didn't move because the kids were good and there was nothing to report to Santa.

December 1, 2012

Secret Santa Gift Swap

I joined in the Secret Santa Swap for Bloggers over at Messy.Dirty.Hair.  I was given Michelle's Pixie Dust. You can see what I got her HERE.  This is what I got from my Secret Santa.

Isn't it awesome?!  Yes, the hand sanitizers  were stolen just as quick after I took this picture as possible.  My daughter loves them and carries them everywhere, so of course she would love smell good ones from Bath and Body Works.  Turns out my Secret Santa was Rachel from Swell and Stylish.  Thanks so much Rachel!

iCaught Santa Review and Giveaway

Imagine the look of wonder and surprise when a child receives a photo of Santa and Rudolph caught in the act in his or her very own home. iCaughtSanta.com is a unique website that helps visitors create those memorable keepsake photos.

This is my photo from my living room.

Wordless Wednesday - Coloring Siblings {w/Linky}

Our Children's Teachers

Would you go into debt to have a career that paid what teachers are paid?  Would you then, on that salary, pay out of pocket for school supplies?  When your child is being "a handful" could you even begin to imagine that your child's teacher had him and twenty-five others all at the same time for seven hours that day?  What about when the girl that was calling your house last night fighting with your son because he's now dating someone else?  Did you know that girl started a fight in the classroom the next day and it was a teacher that had to break it up?

These are our children's teachers.  These are SPECIAL people with SPECIAL hearts.  Some of these teachers put their life on the line and gave their lives for their students, your children, on Friday, December 14, 2012 in Newtown, Connecticut.  Even after this tragic event, Teachers went back to work this Monday morning, with heavy hearts.  Teachers have been going back to work since April 20, 1999, after the Columbine shootings. 

I just want to say, Thank You.  Thank you for going to work and going back to work after these tragic events.  Thank you for having patience with our children when they don't quite understand something the first time they hear it and you take time to show them.  Thank you for following your heart and becoming a teacher when the pay just isn't there.  Thank you for being there for our children and us, as parents, when we have questions.  THANK YOU!

It's often times in life we don't stop and say thank you, when we should, and sometimes it's even too late when we realize we should.  I could never give my daughter the education that the teachers in my daughter's school system can.  As hard as it was to know she was going back to school this morning, as a mom, I knew she was going to school to be with THESE teachers.  The ones who would give their lives for their students. So, I let go, I let her go and I smiled knowing for seven hours she will be as protected as that teacher can protect her, and well, that's good for me.

We Saw Santa and My Daughter's Take on Walmart Santa

We finally got to see Walmart Santa.  It's something I do every year.  I know most people go to see the mall Santa, but let's face it, my kids don't know that Santa and I'm not paying $12 per picture.  Walmart does free pictures and my kids know the Santas there since my husband works there.  Before this year it has always been a good friend that is dating my husband's cousin.  So, my daughter always said she knew  he would tell Santa what she wanted.

My Babies with Wal-Mart Santa

Wordless Wednesday - Meet Jilly {w/ Linky}

I gave in and jumped on the bandwagon and got an Elf on the Shelf.
Of course my daughter had me dig through lots of boxes to find a girl.

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Candle Swap 2012

I recently signed up for a Bloggers Candle Swap hosted by Dawn's Disaster.  My swapping buddy was Tabitha at The {Not So} Fascinating Life of Tabitha.  The day I got my candle in the mail couldn't have been any better, nor could my candle have been any better.

As my husband and I were leaving the house, he yells, "blow that candle out!"  I always, I mean always have candles burning.  I turned around and went and put the candle out.  I walked outside and he said, "one day you're going to burn the house down leaving a candle burning." 

I normally grab the mail before heading to school to pick up our daughter so that I can read it in the car.  This day was no different, I went to the mail box and there was a package.  I opened it to find a note that read, "I got this candle thinking it would be safe for AJ."  It was Tabitha, from the Candle Swap.  She sent me a flame-less candle!  How awesome is that?

my candle un-lit

11. Wait. What? 11!

How old is my daughter? 11 as of 7:34 am November 20th. Wow, 11, where has the time gone???

I'm so blessed to have been chosen to be her mom.  I know people say things like that all the time, but I really feel that way.  She's a bright light in my life and has been for eleven years now.  She's so amazing to me and in fact she baffles me.  She joins more things than I can count and wants to join even more.  She just finished up her seventh year, yes SEVENTH year as a cheerleader and is about to begin her sixth year as a basketball player.  After that she will begin her sixth year as a softball player, but I'm trying not to think that far ahead.  She is also a member of H.O.P., it's a club called Helping Other People.  They do good things for the community.  She was also elected to the Student Council this yer and shortly afterward was made an Ambassador to the Student Council.  Outgoing doesn't even begin to describe this beautiful daughter of mine.

Ok, so some may call it a parenting fail or whatever, but we just don't do birthdays in my family, we never have and I don't know if we ever will.  We do a cake and a few presents with the family and it's how I like it.

This is the cake and cupcakes she chose to have made at Sam's

Santa Paws 2 Review and Giveaway

I was recently contacted to review a copy of Santa Paws 2: The Santa Pups and I don't think I could have been any more excited.  My daughter and I love everything Disney and my two year old LOVES dogs, so what better movie, right?

My almost 11-year-old, my two-year-old, and my husband watching the movie

Wordless Wednesday - Straw Fight {w/ Linky}

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Mawmaw turns 60!

I feel SO blessed to have my mom and dad only three miles away from me.  I'm not sure that they feel AS blessed.  Only kidding, they love their grandchildren to pieces!  It has really made our bond incredible   I've thought many many times about leaving the area, but I just can't leave them.  I love spending time with them and celebrating birthdays too.

My mom has always been lucky to get an "off day" at work on her birthday.  Sunday was Veteran's Day and Monday was the observed holiday, which means my mom is off work on her birthday and getting paid.  She turned 60 this year and she's proud to be a "Senior Citizen."  I'm not so sure I will ever been proud of that day when I get there, but her reason is "classic mom."  My mom is VERY frugal and we are finally getting a Publix, so her reason to be happy?  On Wednesdays she will get a discount on her groceries.  I love that woman.

After school, Lyssa and I ran to Sam's to order Lyssa's cake and to pick up one for my mom.  And it was either Angry Birds or Hello Kitty.  Since Angry Birds was chocolate, we went for the Hello Kitty.

We Voted, Did You?

Election, election, who's going to win the election?  Well, I was raised that you "can't complain unless you vote."  Therefor, I vote each and every time.  This year, we took our daughter.  Luckily, my mom was able to come over and watch our son.  He wasn't going to be kept out of the poling place or anything, but I wanted to teach my daughter, not just let her go.  She had some idea of voting since they held a mock election at her school in 2008 and again only a few days ago.  But I wanted her to actually experience it.


I waited patiently for my husband to get off work so we could go with him asking if I was sure we voted at the same place.  Of course we do, we haven't moved.  We get to the small church that was very crowded last election to see only a few cars there.  We walk up to a short line and here them telling the gentleman in front of us that they changed where he voted.  Hmmm... He says he didn't receive anything and is told where to report to...  Next up my husband, and guess what?  His name isn't listed... They put him in the computer and we find out we have been changed too, without a notice in the mail.  Of course this makes my husband right and me wrong incorrect :).  However, we didn't have a City Hall four years ago and now we do.  I know I know, a city without a City Hall, totally thought that too when I moved here.


We reported to City Hall and stood in line and got our ballots.  We moved away from everyone so I could whisper to our daughter and show her the ballot and do some explaining.  I'm so glad I did because the confusion on her face when she saw it wasn't just Obama and Romney we priceless.  I went over the Independent Party and then Write-Ins.  We went line by line and then over the 11 Amendments.  I also explained to her that it's important for her to develop her own views, opinions  and beliefs and it's equally important to be informed and educated about where the candidates stand with her beliefs.  No candidate will stand 100% in agreement with what she believes and that's just life.

If I Won the Lottery - Tuesday 10 {Co-Host}

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I am SO excited to be co-hosting The Tuesday 10 with Lena B, Actually, although some may know her as Mom to Memphis and Ruby.  But you know, sometimes we want to be ourselves, not just "so-in-so's mom."  Anyway, back to the topic at hand, the Tuesday 10.  This week's topic is; The 10 things you would do or buy FIRST if you won the lottery.

Here's my list:

How Busy Can a Ten-year-old Be?

Not busy enough, apparently.  Over the years my daughter has been a cheerleader, played basketball, and softball, all while being a Girl Scout and in the 4H.  The one thing she has longed for she finally got this year.  She was elected to the Student Council.  And then a week later she was made an Ambassador to the Student Council.  She couldn't be happier.  A week after that, she made it on to a "floor dance team" for an upcoming pep rally to take place at the high school to support the Muscle Shoals Trojans as the begin the playoffs.

This made one excited 5th grader, but a very exhausted 5th grader.  After staying out late on Halloween night, she had to be at school the next morning by 7 am to greet the Grandparents that were going to the school book fair.  This was her first responsibility as an Ambassador.  Then once school got out at 2:45, she reported to the gym for dance practice, until 3:30.  Needless to say, my tired baby girl went to bed early.

my proud Ambassador to the Student Council 

Happy Halloween and A Proud Wifey Moment

It was finally Halloween night and finally time to trick or treat.  We went with Lyssa's friends, Jessica and Lexie.  Jessica has a younger sister, Jenna, and Jessica brought a friend, Madison.  Lexie has a younger sister, Brinley.  And we had AJ.  So, we had seven kids with us total.  We had AJ in a wagon and his daddy took him out to go to each door.  Jessica's mom, Kristie, and Lexie's Mom, Amy came, so my husband was the only male, other than baby Alex of course.  I apologize for the pictures, but I only had my phone.

these are my babies ready to leave.  My little dinosaur didn't have his shoes on because he kicks them off in the car so we don't put them on until it's time to get out of the car.

he wouldn't look at me, but he's still adorable

My beautiful vampire.

Wordless Wednesday - Halloween Costumes {W/ Linky}

My Beautiful Vampire and Handsome Dinosaur (trial run of costumes headed to a Trunk or Treat) 

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Social Stack Up Blog Hop {Co-Host}

Welcome to the first ever Social Stack Up Blog Hop! I'm happy to be co-hosting the very first one!

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Social Stack Up Rules:

1. Please follow me and the amazing co-hosts.

2. Grab a Social Stack Up button to display somewhere on your page

3. Share this hop with your friends! The more people who know about the hop, the more friends we can all make.

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Host: 

Michelle from Michelle's Pixie Dust

Co-Hosts:

Stacey from Glued to My Crafts

Tricia from Today with the Tennerys

Myranda from Pretty Living

Stephanie from How Many Frogs

Sarah from Life in A Break Down

Brandi from Cupcakes and Curves

Terri from Rambling Momma

Ruth from Not So Super Scottish Mummy

Alabama Renaissance Faire

Sunday, my daughter and I decided to venture out of the house that has kept us so confined and sick lately.  What is there to do?  Well, this weekend was the Renaissance Faire in none other than Florence, Alabama.  Which is about five minutes away...  I had only been a few times and that was way back, probably when I was in high school.  My daughter had never been and was super excited to go.  Her friend, Jessica, also had never been, so we set out to have fun at the Faire.


Once we got there we saw a gentleman play an entire song with water glasses, and I don't mean the ones you may have seen that have about eight glasses, this guy had about thirty different glasses.  It was amazing at that.  What did I realize?  I didn't bring my camera!  I know, shocking, the photographer with no camera.  I really have to stop doing that.  The outfits where amazing and at every turn there were people "acting" out parts.  One lady was covered in dirt and was crawling on her knees with a bowl asking for "oms for the poor."  The girls were a little freaked out and I had to explain to them, that's how things were in the Renaissance time.  These people were committed to playing the roles.


As we got closer and closer to the King's Tent, we saw where they were having "trials" and punishments.  I realized I knew the gentleman who was performing and the next time he was looking for the next "rule breaker" I pointed to my daughter, Lyssa, and he quickly took to getting her up in front of everyone to put her head in the "Stocks"  Now my daughter is quite strong so it did take two grown men to get her up there, but they got her.   I snapped a few pictures with my camera.

Threatening our friend Josh

Excitement with Ellyssa - First Report Card of 5th Grade

Her FIRST report card in the 5th Grade!  We are on the right track!

Wordless Wednesday - Slumber Party {W/ Linky}

My children passed out on the couch

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I Was PUNKED! And You Can Do It Too!

Ok, so yeah, I may be under gullible in the dictionary, but oh well.  Some things in my life I question, some things I just don't.  Maybe it DOES matter who it comes from.  I received a text last night from a good friend that I totally trust!

This is the text and my response

I never even questioned it, or why it had a North Carolina number for that matter.  My heart began to race.  What could I do?  So, I called the number...  To hear the Justice Department tell me I failed to appear for Jury Duty.  NO WAY!  I could have sworn I got out of that.  I had my son's speech therapist fill out all the paper work and they faxed it and they told me I was clear.  My blood pressure was rising every second.  Option 1: $500 Fine  Option 2: 30 days in jail.  At this point I was almost crying and I had it on speaker for my husband to hear and he started talking, so I couldn't hear anymore and had to call back.

Let's just say I sent this text on to a few select people.  And only ONE questioned that the number was not from Alabama.  Go ahead, have some fun and call the number.  I'd advise calling it from a cell phone or somewhere that won't charge long distance fees.  It was cute :)

I Love My Online Friends 'GFC' Hop- {Co-Host}

This week I am pleased to be co-hosting the I Love My Online Friends 'GFC' Hop.  Let's get this party started...

Welcome to another week of the I Love My Online Friends 'GFC' Hop. 

Last week we had 157 link ups. Thank you to everyone who joined in and hopped along with us. For more info on the hop and guest hosting, please read HERE.

Well, are you ready? Let's go hopping! 

RULES FOR THE HOP 

1. Please follow your host and the fab five on Google Friend Connect (GFC). 

Tami @ The Things We Find Inside 

Camille @ Crazy Mama 

Asilia @ Reasons to Procrastinate 

Tricia @ Today with the Tennerys 

Jessica @ Dream Catcher Baby 

Liz @ The Blue Eyed Owl 

2. Link up your homepage and start hopping around. Remember, this is a blog hop, you've gotta do some hopping in order for it to truly be worth your time. When you get a new follower it's always nice to return the favour. Visit their blogs, leave them a comment and/or return the follow. 

3. You are not required to, but it would be great if you could tweet/like/pin/share this post and/or grab the button and share it on your blog. The more people that see this hop, the more blogs for us to visit and the more followers we gain.

Thanks and Happy Hopping! 

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"You Eat Fish at a Fish Fry"

Trying to figure out what we were going to do today, other than take family pictures, our friends invited us to a church fish fry.  Well, I'm very picky and as odd as it sounds, I only eat fish from Captain D's.  I know I know, I live right by the river, but it tastes icky.  My husband, on the other hand, only eats it from Long John Silver.  So, as for us going to a fish fry, well it was a bit unlikely.  Well, our friends wanted us to go and we were thinking about it.  I decided that we would go and my husband looked at me with a serious face and asked, "Are you going to eat fish?"  I looked at him and he says, "You know it is a fish fry, that's what they do at those things, is eat fish."  Apparently thinking maybe I thought we were going fishing or going to throw fish at each other  I mean what on Earth did he think I thought a fish fry was?  The seriousness on his face was so serious that I just burst out laughing.  I just had to share one of our little conversations, I mean the things hat come out of my families mouths are unreal.  We ended up not going, but the conversation was great.

Anti-Bullying Month, Rachel's Challenge, and Autism Awareness on my Heart

As most of you know, October is anti-bullying month is America.  Bullying has become a BIG problem in our schools and on our playgrounds.  Sure, bullying has been around forever, but with TV, magazines, and social media these day, things have gotten out of hand.  Things were said to me while I was growing up but at the time I had "thick skin."  I didn't let it bother me, never came home crying or hid in my room.  Things that were said seem to bother me more now as an adult than they ever did then.  Others aren't so lucky.  It's more severe in a lot of cases.  And in some of those cases, the children don't tell anyone.  Don't go to someone for help or just to talk.  Some children resort to taking their own lives, or taking other's lives, and in most cases, not the life of the bully, as in Rachel's case.

Rachel Scott wasn't a bully, in fact was just the opposite, but it didn't stop her death in the Columbine Shootings.  Yesterday, my daughter and the rest of the 5th grade at McBride Elementary walked to the high school for a program about Rachel's Challenge.  "Momma I cried." she said when she got in the car yesterday afternoon.  "It was so sad, kids can be so mean."  I said, "I know baby, I'm sorry," in a low voice kind of holding my head down, as to not let her know that things can be bad.  All the way home she told me everything about the Challenge and every video they watched and even about Rachel's brother, the one that heard the shots that took his sister's life.  The school had a program for the parents at 7 o'clock last night, but I just couldn't bring myself to go.  Why?  You may ask.  Well, I have been holding on to something that happened at our last football game on Thursday night.

Wordless Wednesday - Extreme Bed Head {w/ linky}

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The Tennerys Go to the Pumpkin Patch - Isbell's Pumpkin Farm

Year after year, my daughter went to "the pumpkin patch" on school field trips.  She seemed to always have fun.  When our son was born we decided to go as a family.  This would be extra special because our daughter was now in 3rd grade and that would be the first year that she didn't go with the school.  I looked up directions and thought of how much fun it would be to go as a family.  After driving all the way out to the country, this Momma was one unimpressed person.  Now, I'm not going to name the Pumpkin Patch because I don't want to put them down in any way.  It was cute, in a very young child type of way.  When I mentioned it to my daughter and asked if she really had fun there each year, she replied, "no, the school stopped going here, we go to a big one in Athens."  Wow, so at that moment I thought of two things.  1. I'm a bad mom because I obviously don't read permission slips before I sign and send money.  2. What a waste that I didn't read it and brought us here.  Oh well, we live and learn and still had some family time.

Flash forward two years later and there is a new pumpkin patch in town and it's Isbell's Pumpkin Patch.  Our friends' church (the church Lyssa has been attending) was headed to the new pumpkin patch Saturday with the youth.  Of course I had to check it out and take my Lil Man.

Wordless Wednesday - My arm is stuck

yes this is the elephant toy that you put a ball in and air blows the ball out the nose, well the batteries are dead, so the ball didn't pop back out, so he stuck his arm in the get the ball...

Wordless Wednesday Link-Up #3

Welcome to Wordless Wednesday hosted by Today with the Tennerys. 

Please follow your host:

 Link 1.

(if you are a new follower, please leave a comment so I can follow you back.)

One Lovely Blog Award

Wow!  People like me, they really like me!  Can it be that I now enjoy writing?  Something I really grew up disliking...  Well, yes and no.  I LOVE writing about my family and LOVE reading blogs about other people's families, but as for writing for school.  No, I will never like it.  I mean the whole "tell them what you are going to tell them, then tell them, then tell them what you told them,"  is NOT real life.  Even when you get into the business world and read the most eloquently written e-mail or business proposals, that's just not the way it is, but it is the way it is until after college.  With my blog, I am carefree and can write the way I want to, in any sporadic way that it comes out.  People either like it or they don't and by judging from all my blog followers, they seem to like it.

This brings me to the reason for this post; I got a blog award.  This one was bestowed on me by That Suburban Momma.com.  Check her out sometime.  She has only been blogging a little over a month and has the knack for writing.  I'm actually going to try to sit down and schedule some blogging time into my day.  My children amaze me daily, AJ with his sign language and now with words, and Lyssa, with her determination to achieve everything that she sets her mind to.  I mean, there is SO much in my life that I can really be down about; ie. my dad's health, our finances, my son's autism diagnosis, just everyday struggles, but instead I look to Him and say, "Thank you for allowing me more time with my dad, thank you for blessing me with the most amazing children, thank you for waking each any every one of my friends and family this morning."  I have learned in the last few months that life really is what YOU make it.  When we stop looking at the negative, we really can see ALL the positives that we are blessed with.

On to my award :)

Homecoming 2012

It's Homecoming week and all that entails...  Unfortunately, I didn't get a picture of everyday :(  Each day was different, with a different theme.  Monday was "crazy sock day," Tuesday was Tuesday was "Pajama day,"  Wednesday was "inside out day," Thursday was "tie day,"  and Friday was "Trojan day," or "red and black."  Lyssa of course dressed up for each and every day, and the "picture taking mom" didn't take pictures.  I guess I would call that a blogger fail to not have taken pictures.

Our Homecoming was actually Thursday night because she is a cheerleader for the Pee Wee Football team.  I snapped a few pictures Thursday night, but I was sitting directly in front of them, which made zooming out an impossibility.  I also videoed their "half-time dance."  Although, half-time didn't go nearly as smooth as it normally did.  They are use to two dances and having their names called out and some time between each name.  But not everything is perfect every time, that's life.  I must commend our boys, we are now 3-0 and our defense has given up NO points!

Wordless Wednesday #3

My Cheerleader

Wordless Wednesday Link-Up #3

Welcome to Wordless Wednesday hosted by Today with the Tennerys and Dawn's Disaster. 

Please follow your hosts:

 Link 1 and 2.

(if you are a new follower, please leave a comment so I can follow you back.)