Punkin Chunkin

We had our annual Pumpkin Carving party! The kids made bloodshot eyeball cookies (decorated sugar cookies), I made peanut butter, toffee chip chocolate cookies and my brother made chicken fajitas for the crowd. Dinner was yummy and munching on cookies while we carved our pumpkins was fun!

LA LA LA!

Check out Spencer and IV in the little boys choir at church-- They sang "Step, Step, Step" and "Jesus Cares for Me" It was so funny watching them-- IV was commander of the stage but Spencer was shy and played with his shirt the entire time!

Bulldogs and Surgery

Spencer reigned as BULLDOG OF THE WEEK this past week in his kindergarten class! We are so proud of him! He was selected because he is a good student, citizen and friend. He got a commemorative cup and little shoelace embellishments to wear to school. I tried to get him to give me the shoelace things for my scrapbook, but he insisted on wearing them-ha!




Toby had surgery on Friday to correct the TMJ they think is causing his migraines. He has a significant amount of damage and infection in his jaw. The first step was an oral surgery to remove his wisdom teeth and help move out some of the inflammation. As you can see, all the pets surround whomever is ill in our house. The pets think they have healing powers or something weird.... Anyway, Toby is resting and healing up this weekend!

Black Mountain

We spent last weekend in Black Mountain, NC for a scrapbooking retreat with www.scrapnthecarolinas.com It was wonderful! NC Mountains in October are beautiful--perfect weather, the trees changing colors, awesome tourist towns. We drove up Friday morning and then shopped in the "downtown area"- chocolatiers, wine shops, gourmet kitchen supply stores, nick nack shops, crafts, silver jewelry, etc. Then Friday - Sunday we scrapbooked our little hearts out. Well except Dee, she worked on her Christmas cards all weekend! Dee, Julie, Melissa (my sister in law), my Mom and I were at a group of tables together and we laughed so hard my sides hurt AND I had to break out the asthma inhaler. Despite all the giggles (and breaks to partake in the gourmet foods and snacks Pam provided us!), we got lots done this weekend! I completed 35 pages (12 x 12)-- and I even won two contests at the crop (Page Challenge and Best Use of Embellishments) How fun is that? I wasn't even going to enter the embellishments contest but Melissa made me submit a page! After the crop, we shopped our way back home and had a nice meal together to top off the perfect girls weekend away!

Dixie Classic Fair

I forgot to update my blog about our trip to the fair last week!! Spencer and I went to the fair with Jimmy, Melissa and IV. We bought the all-you-can ride wrist band this year so we didn't have to keep up with tickets--well worth the $20! The boys rode the big slide about 15 times-- it was definitely their favorite thing this year! They rode every kiddie ride at least once and went back and rode their favorites a couple more times. We snacked on our favorite fair foods (Roasted corn for me, Fried Snickers bar for Melissa, Candy apple for Spencer, etc.) The boys fell in love with the bunnies on exhibit. Spencer threw a fit for a dwarf bunny that looked like the bunny from one of his favorite books-- but oh no!-- I didn't give in! We loved all the agricultural and animal exhibits! I wished we would have had more time to visit more of them!

What's big, blue and toots?

Today was our Day Out with Thomas! Spencer and IV had so much fun. Boppa's sinus infection was bad so he stayed home but the rest of us went to Spencer, NC to the NC Transportation Museum and had a day full of Thomas, Percy, James, Sir Topam Hat and the crew. We had our ride on Thomas, we road on the roundhouse, did arts and crafts, had "fun foods" at the outdoor fair, had pictures made, toured the museum and, of course, went to the gift shop. The ride on Thomas was 17 minutes long and our 7 tickets were $133.00!! Isn't that crazy? (By the way-- thanks to Nana for buying us tickets and planning an awesome family day!) Spencer got 4 new cars for his Thomas sets, two Tshirts and gloves. I asked him what his favorite parts of our day was and he said (1) riding on Thomas (2) getting new toys and (3) his picnic lunch at the roundhouse.

Congratulations Lydia and Bryan!

We went to Virginia last weekend for Lydia and Bryan's wedding and had a fantastic time. It was a beautiful ceremony and an awesome party! Nothing beats getting together with friends, family, good food and an open bar!

Just a side story here.....The ceremony was outside and we sat on stadium style risers. On a couple of rows in front of us, a guy was moving his hands in a rather rythmic fashion and I thought, "Cool! Lydia has someone signing her ceremony!" Then I noticed he was facing the wedding party--and still signing away with great energy. As I was trying to figure out who was deaf and watching the guy sign, I saw the poor guy sit up a little and lean to the side...and continue to fan two yellow jackets away. Geesh! He wasn't signing--but was being bullied by two Brown's Island Bees!!!

We turned the entire weekend into a mini vacation. We did some power shopping at the outlets, we toured the Edgar Allen Poe museum (and Spencer squaked 'Nevermore' for the next three days) and we toured the Science Musuem. Spencer and IV got a big kick out of the Grossology exhibit! Anything about burps, farts and stinky smells just crack up 4 and 5 year old boys. IV loved the tapeworm slide and Spencer enjoyed moving the balls through the cow's stomachs to create methane..and well you know what that means...

We completed the weekend by getting home in time to celebrate Jimmy's 30th birthday with dinner out at his favorite Italian restaurant!

Weird things tag

I was tagged by Oscar from Scrapjazz to update my blog with 5 weird things.
These are the rules:List 5 weird things about yourself or your pets.
Tag 5 friends and list them. Then, those people need to write on their blogs about 5 weird things, and state the rules, and tag 5 more people.
1) I am compulsive about handwipes and brushing my teeth.
2) My cat, Norm, can not meow.
3) I had my tonsils removed. And they grew back.
4) My last 4 new cars have been silver.
5) I can't digest lettuce.
I tag: (I'm not sure who hasn't been tagged?! Leave me a comment if you accept this tag!)

It's official

Well it happened. I am officially old. I have aged out of "lawn seats" at a concert. Last week we had lawn tickets to the Motley Crue/Aerosmith concert. We got there early, got good seats, rented little lawn chairs, had a few drinks and was having fun..... and then the "idiots" showed up. The stupid-drunk, flicking pot ashes on our blanket, trashing our space, no respect for anything, groping idiots that decide lawn section means a free-for-all. I swear this place needed an enema. A few months ago, we went to see Def Leppard at the same venue and it was awesome. It must be the type of people that get seats in the lawn section that act like trash. By the beginning of Aerosmith, Toby and I abanonded our lawn chairs (keeping up with them required a can of mace and a pit bull anyway) and went to the back of the ampitheater and made fun of the drunk people trying to go up and down the steps. Ah! good times indeed.

As for the concert.... Aerosmith is awesome live. They always have been. As for the Crue.... Vince Neil's voice is rough-- too much screaming and smoking the past 20 years I guess. Tommy Lee barely got any visibility. I was truly disappointed at the lack of on stage camera work (no close ups of my man Nikki Sixx???) Not one of their better concerts..but at least I got to see them one more time....while sitting in the (gag!) lawn section.

Thanks Oscar!

My friend, Oscar, in Alberta sent my little guy Chick Hicks from the movie CARS! We have been looking for Chick Hicks for months! He was SO SO SO excited. I used this surprise to reward him for good behavior at school! Thank you Oscar-- you rock!

The Power of Four

I accepted this blog tag from Paula-- my Aussie friend!

A) Four jobs I have had in my life: In order of importance:
Mother, wife, Instructional Designer, Project Manager
B) Four movies I could watch again:
Steel Magnolias, Dumb and Dumber, League of Their Own, The Replacements
C) Four places I have lived:
Chester, High Point, Chapel Hill, Trinity
D) Four TV shows I like to watch:
The Office, Lost, Earl, Family Guy
E) Four places I have holidayed:
Hilton Head, Myrtle Beach, Las Vegas, Disney World
F) Four regular websites I visit:
Google, Scrapjazz, eBay, CNN
G) Four of my favourite foods:
Potatoes, Bread, Cherries, Greek Salad
H) Four places I would rather be right now:
Claiming my winning Lotto ticket, on vacation, sleeping, reading to Spencer
I) Four friends I think will respond:
Oscar, Nancy, Val, and Donna

Catching up my blog!

Another few busy days. I can't believe my weekend is already over!

Tonight was our Hoedown for Hunger at church. We raised a good bit of money for our Missions fund and we had a great time. Everyone enjoyed the Square Dance and the silent auction raised an impressive amount of money as well. The homemade cakes did better at the auction than anything else. I was disappointed that my scrapbook album only raised $16.00. I put about 9 hours of work and $60 in it. But hopefully the person receiving it will appreciate it.

Louise Mandrell was our special guest at church. She played her "fiddle" and sang beautifully. She is quite a hottie, too. Toby added her to his "Top 10" list--haha!

We bought several things at the auction tonight: handmade cards, a handmade glass bead necklace, a gift certificate for printing of our Christmas cards, Apple crumb cake and a jar of honey from a local bee keeper. That's kind of an odd assortment, eh?

Spencer is enrolling in self-defense and basketball this week. My "free evenings" will be coming to an abrupt halt.

I also agreed to host a Tastefully Simple catalog party. You can check out the new stuff at http://www.tastefullysimple.com or let me know if you want to see a catalog. We are out of several of our favorite "party foods" and the holidays will be here before we know it!

Spencer's hermit crabs are still alive. They are diggin' (pun intended) their little crabitat we built for them. They both look like they have grown so we are hoping they change shells soon!

Well we have another busy week filled with softball games, karate class, church, basketball enrollment, my cousin's wedding, Operation Christmas Child kickoff, -- oh and work! And I guess I need to clean the house sometime since I didn't get to it this weekend. (yikes!)

Books!

Most of you know how much I love books so when I got the notice of Spencer's very first Book Fair at school I was thrilled. Luckily, Spencer loves books, too so I wanted to make it a fun evening for him. I was a little surprised at how many toys are at the Book Fair. I was expecting..well..BOOKS. But no.... there are toys, games, posters, video games, etc. Oh and there are books, too. The toys and goofy junk are merchandised FRONT AND CENTER-- that tells me they (Scholastic) are more interested in profits than literacy. Spencer bought a nice stash of goodies: a school sweatshirt, a Leapter game cartridge, a handheld tornado thingy, a stuffed Jaguar with a little Rain Forest book, he bought 5 books for us to read together, he picked out a book to donate to his classroom and he bought his cousin, IV, a book about a Bad Kitty.

After the Book Fair, we went to his Open House. We had cheese pizza and I met some of his classmates. He showed me some of his artwork and I talked with his teachers. I *really* like his teachers. What a relief!

Toby and I are meeting up with Melissa and Jimmy this afternoon after work to drive to Charlotte for the Motley Crue/Aerosmith concert. Spencer and IV will spend with night and Nana and Boppa's since I'm sure we will be getting in quite late. I bet we will be a real treat tomorrow at work-ha! Funny, late nights to a weeknight concert used to be no big deal when we were younger.... now we have to get a sitter, adjust our morning meeting schedule, hit a triple espresso from starbucks, oh, and whine about it on our blog BEFORE we even go....heehee

The Square Dance for our Missions Fundraiser is this Sunday at church. So if you don't see me around this weekend, I will be quite busy getting things ready for that!

Things that frighten fish

We have been quite busy since we got back from vacation. We have caught up on the shopping, laundry, visited some of Toby's family, and Spencer even went to a Professional Bullriding tournament-- hold the hatemail-- I hate that crap but he wanted to go with my brother. Actually, I think he just wanted to dress up in cowboy boots, hat and old jeans and ride the little mechanical bull. He did look really cute. I hate that bullriding junk but at least I got some really cute pictures for my scrapbook-haha!

Spencer also got to visit with his cousins, Ashley and Kristin this weekend. He missed Aaron but A&K kept him plenty entertained and he fell asleep in the car within 2 minutes of leaving them!

Now we need to get the house cleaned up and build the "crabitat" for the hermit crabs. Toby got this brilliant idea that we can make the crabitat out of our 10 gallon fish tank and we can buy a new 20 gallon fish tank. We found a "sale" but then Toby just had to spend the extra and have the tacky air-opening coffin with skeleton that hooks up to the air hose. He and Spencer thought it was awesome-- must be something in guy DNA that attracts them to it because I thought it was just ugly as hell. Our poor fish will need therapy...

Vacation was Wonderful!

We spent this past week at Myrtle Beach, SC and had a wonderful time! Spencer and IV enjoyed playing on the beach with the 15 million toys they *had* to bring along.

It was the perfect week-- no schedules, great weather, just whatever. The only bad part was when that little freak Lukas won Rockstar SuperNova--UGH!!! Oh well.

We stayed on the beach every day. We had a huge tent--big enough for all 8 of us so no sun burn! Casual week all the way. Dinners were whatever and whenever: pizza, subs, Japanese, seafood, Fiesta del Burro Loco (our favorite Mexican) and the boys wanted to go to Medieval Times one night. Spencer and IV *loved* the fighting and jousting at Medieval Times. We thought the food was lousy and we spent and insane amount of money on crappy souvenirs for Spencer-but he is a typical 5 year old boy and these things really impress him.


Speaking of typical souvenirs at the beach, Spencer and IV got hermit crabs.... and freaking $40 worth of cages, shells, food, etc. etc. etc. They really rope you in with that whole "free hermit crab" sign don't they? Spencer named his crabs Amy and Chooka Boy.

Spencer and IV also played miniature golf at their favorite place, shopped at the "beach junk" stores, and got new body boards to ride the waves!

We also celebrated Grandparents Day last weekend when we first got to the beach. Spencer was excited to give Nana and Boppa their presents and card! As usual, Nana and Boppa had gifts for them as well. Nana gave them new Power Rangers pajamas and Boppa gave them new flashlights and batteries perfect for their nightly walks on the beach!

Toby Rocks

Yay! the weekend is here and I am on vacation! I went to stamp class last night. I really liked the three cards we made and learned a couple new things as well! We laughed pretty much the entire time and dished about Rockstar SuperNova. I like Toby but I think Magni will win-- he seems to have the "fit" for the band. Throughout the show I liked: Dilana, Storm, Magni, and Toby. In fact I joking say I want a T-shirt that says "Toby ROCKS" hahaha! I have had Toby's song (Throw It Away) stuck in my head for days! I hope that little freak show Lukas is next to go....

I love my new car! But..... the black carpet shows EVERY grain of dirt--I think I will go out and get some clear mats today.

Spencer got his first week behavioral report from K. He got all green happy faces-- which means he was good all week at school (his 1st week) so he was rewarded with a Power Ranger car. He had "manly man" night with Boppa last night while Toby was at work and I went to stamp class. They went to Arby's for dinner, piddled around the lawn and garden department of K-Mart, played outside, then watched Meerkat Manor on the Animal Planet and fell asleep. Spencer couldn't wait for Friday night so he could have his Boppa time!

PTSA

Trying to be good, active parents of our Kindergartner, Mom and I went to the first PTSA meeting tonight at the school. (Toby is sick)
There were 8 people there.
Yep Eight.
As in 6 other people beside me and Mom!!!!
Where were the other parents?? Where were the Teachers?
All the new kindergartners at this school and *I* was the ONLY parent of the entire Kindergarten class to show up!!! I am so upset. This is supposed to be a Superior school with triple excellence this and that with Active Board classrooms and yadda yadda yadda-- I thought for sure we would have a huge turnout! We even showed up 20 minutes early to make sure we would get a seat! (that's funny, huh?)
The Principal was there (I really like her by the way) -- but none of the teachers came back and many of them live locally. Students are invited to attend so that no one feels the need to find daycare.
I am so dissappointed!
Anyway... the school's first fundraiser starts tomorrow--cookie dough. And it's the good kind-- already mixed, pre-portioned and flash frozen! Just pop them in the oven and bake when you are ready! So..if you are reading this and live near me, let me know if you would like to see the yummy brochure! All orders come with a hug and kiss from Spencer!

Toby didn't make it to his game tonight or to the PTA meeting. He has a bad sinus infection/head and chest cold thing going on. He went to the doctor today and got a shot in his patootie and then they loaded him up with prescriptions and a consult with a specialist to see about getting his tonsils and adenoids removed. Of course he has laid in bed all day and whined... men are such babies when they are sick.

Spencer and IV rode their motorcycles all evening. They are so glad that the evenings are finally getting cooler so they can put on their riding gear without having a heat stroke!

Okay! I'm off to watch Rockstar Supernova.....

Happy Labor Day!

Today is Labor Day. And I am doing anything EXCEPT laboring... Today is going to be a nice, relaxing day! Well...for me anyway. Toby has to work today--and then he has school stuff to do tonight. We had a cookout/pool party last night and we still have lots of leftovers so dinner is taken care of--yay!

Spencer is running around in his Power Rangers costume fighting imaginary bad guys. If he is still doing that when he is 17 I promise I will put him in therapy.

Well, we decided to go with a new Honda CR-V in Alabaster Silver Metallic. The CR-V gets better gas mileage and it is very comfortable, plus it has superior safety features for Spencer in the back seat. It will be about a week before we get it. It is in the detail shop having black leather put in right now. I named her Yolanda. (Yolanda the Honda- or Yo the Ho) The I-Pod (MusicLink) hook up will be installed in two weeks.

My friend Deann made me an awesome necklace and earring set last night! Thanks Dee!

1st day of Kindergarten!

Today was Spencer's first day of Kindergarten! I think we ALL learned something today....

• Mommy and Daddy BOTH cried after they dropped Spencer off!
• Traffic in front of an elementary school is as bad as a rock concert! We need to adjust our leave time 15 minutes sooner!
• Getting up an hour earlier than you are used to is rough!
• It's really cool to have a new CARS backpack and lunchbox!
• Teachers aren't even phased when they have 5 children that don't speak English!
• Teachers are VERY grateful when you bring lots of extra supplies.
• Even though you spend hundreds of dollars on nice, new school clothes, your child will insist on wearing the $3 clearance Dino T-shirt on the first day.
• When they teach your son a new song about a dog named RAGS, he will sing it over and over all evening.
• Spencer's biggest thrill was buying chocolate milk at snack, going to PE class and giving Nana and Boppa a tour of his classroom after school today.

Peer to Peer rocks!

My brother is the king of mp3 files. Okay maybe not the king-- maybe the court jester. We stayed up half the night last night sharing mp3 files, loading up the Ipods for upcoming vacation! It was fun reminiscing through 80s tunes, making fun of songs and finding new favorites!

Car Shopping

Mom and Dad got a new Honda Pilot yesterday. Jimmy and Melissa got a new Honda Odyssey Friday. Now we have the new car bug..... Toby wants a hybrid but I'm worried about the "newness" of this technology. But the bonus and tax credits are quite an incentive....

But, I test drove the CR-V yesterday and loved it! Maybe I will go out and try something else tonight just to compare...

End of Summer challenge

I received this blog challenge from my friend, Oscar:

Challenge: Since summer is coming to a close soon..Answer this list of questions about your 2006 summer.

1. What was your favorite summer event? This summer has flown by! We have done lots of fun things (trips, visits, games, outings and goofing off) but I think the best moments have been surrounding ourselves with good friends around the pool and cooking out and mixing drinks-- just total relaxation!

2. Favorite picture of the summer? I love my summer pics of my little guy playing ball and the pool pictures!

3. Favorite movie of the summer?Probably Cars-- it doesn't take much to amuse us!

4. Best song of the summer? Buckcherry's Crazy Bitch

5. Did you go on vacation, where? We went to DisneyWorld this spring, we went to Virginia several times to visit Family, we are going to Myrtle Beach in a couple of weeks, I did several scrapbooking events (crops, conventions, retreats), We had a great trip to Atlanta to see Wicked, The Braves and shopping. Oh! and my birthday Romanza package at the Oh Henry was pretty sweet!

Mystic Force

Legend says that when Darkness arises, the chosen will embark on magical adventures, befriend mystical dragons, encounter evil and transform into the Power Rangers Mystic Force.

My little, red Power Ranger's journey began tonight with an inspiring Halloween costume choice at the Disney store. He has two months to wait....but he will be ready to Trick or Treat and fight the bad guys!

Random Blog

It has been a few days since I blogged--so this will probably be a pretty random entry.

First of all, my Uncle Jim passed away. I went to his memorial on Monday. I'm glad he is no longer in pain and battling cancer. But I hate that my aunt lost her soulmate and my cousins lost a fantastic Dad. I hate that he worked hard all his life and then died so soon after he retired.
Despite the reason for the trip, I really enjoyed seeing the family. It's a shame that we only see everyone at funerals. My cousin is getting married next month and I'm looking forward to the family coming together during a happy occassion.

Toby is in Las Vegas on a business trip. Before his flight out, he was all "I wish you could come with me, I'm gonna hate this trip, blah blah blah" Then once his big, stinkin' feet hit the Vegas strip his phone calls have been all "WooHoo! Having a blast--gotta go honey!" Hmmmpf!
As a funny side note... When I took him to the airport, I was giving him my cash since he had forgotten to stop at an ATM and I made a point to dig out extra singles for him -- I was thinking for tipping at the hotel and quick purchases in the airport, etc. He sat there and grinned like a bandit and said, "Do you realize that I'm going to Vegas and you're making sure I have plenty of singles???? What a wife!!!" Ugh!!! Hoochie Coochie capital of the US and I load my man up with ones--where was my brain? (in my defense, I drove him to the airport at 4am and I had gone to bed at 2:30 am!!!)

I went back to the doctor today. I will not need the second surgery for the kidney stones--Yay!! (but I have 4 other appointments to follow up on a minor complication...but that's typical for me. never a dull medical moment in my world.) Anyway... when I was in the waiting room, a little old lady was yelling at a little old man--obviously her husband of many years. It was such a lively little spat that I couldn't help over hearing. It seems that the little old man started the dishwasher and they didn't have any detergent so he used.......shampoo!!! Now their floor is covered in suds and they had to leave for his doctor's appointment and they were arguing over who should clean up the mess when they get home. He blames her for not having dish detergent for him to use. She thinks that anyone with half a brain would just wait and run the dishwasher AFTER she went to the store and picked more up. He was determined that it wasn't his fault. It was hilarious! When I left she was still yelling at him and he told her to pick up paper plates and plastic forks and it wouldn't be an issue. Pffhhhhht!

I loaded an additional 97 songs to my Ipod tonight. I got on an 80's kick tonight-- gotta love some Hair Metal! Speaking of Hair Metal-- we got crappy seats to the Motley Crue/Aerosmith concert. But I'm sure we will make the best of it.

By the way-- if you're reading this and you know Donna A. --her parents were hit head-on by a drunk driver this weekend. They are still in ICU and could use some prayers!

I went to a scrapbooking retreat this past weekend with my Mom and Melissa at www.scrapnthecarolinas.com. It was awesome! I finished my Disney Album!!! Pam had a company there to emboss our albums. I had my wedding album, Disney album and Spencer's baby album embossed. Mel and Vera (our CM reps) came and did make and takes and had fantastic deals for everyone, too! We had a blast, as usual and I can't wait for our next retreat in October!

Wibbly Wobbly Gone!

9 days after Spencer lost his 1st tooth, he lost his second tooth! And when I say "lost" I don't mean it *just* came out... I mean IT IS GONE! We were out to eat with The Halls (Happy 40th B-day Mike!) and Spencer was eating salad and bread and the next thing we know, the tooth is GONE! I think he swallowed it but Spencer is ADAMANT that he did not. He won't even entertain the idea that he *might* have swallowed it! I think this is because my brother has told Spencer that if he swallows his loose tooth that it will bite his hiney on the way out.... ugh!!!!!

We looked everywhere but couldn't find it. The waitress wrote a note to the Tooth Fairy explaining that the lost tooth might be somewhere at the restaurant. That way the Tooth Fairy can get the tooth from there and still leave Spencer some $$ under his pillow!

The Tooth Fairy was very understanding. She left $3.50, an encouraging note and a funny Missing/Reward poster.

This is SOOOO not right....

Don't laugh. You will go to hell if you laugh.

Hangman

Today at church, I saw two kids playing hangman. I haven't played hangman in years but I nearly giggled out loud remembering all the games my brother and I played. Hangman was not only a game of vocabulary skill-- it was the ultimate in mockery! Oh yeah...when we would draw our hangman, the bodies were fat and bloated, the eyes were crossed, the nose had boogers, the mouth had pumpkin teeth, etc. Yep, it was funny to draw each other-- no simple stickman for us!

OOOOH! and Dots! Did you ever play dots? You know, the page of dots and you take turns connecting them and claim squares. III and I played a mean game of dots growing up!

We played normal board games, too. And UNO!!! But my brother always cheated....That Draw 4 card would appear from beneath his leg and he would SWEAR he had just drawn it-- what a goober.

Now that we are older, we play Rook. Toby and III against me and Melissa. And by the way, III still cheats--haha!

The Tooth Fairy is coming to our house!

Spencer lost his first baby tooth tonight!!! We were at Creekside Park at Toby's softball game and the little tooth was hanging down by the end of the game. It has been wibbly-wobbly for the past couple of weeks and tonight it was literally hanging from one little, tiny shred. He barely had to tug it and it cleanly came out. He couldn't wait to go to Nana and Boppa's and show them his tooth!!!

He has his tooth in a little Carolina Blue (of course) pouch and is waiting for the Tooth Fairy to bring him some "pocket dollars." I asked him what he is going to do with the money the Tooth Fairy brings and he is going to save it for when we go to the beach in a few weeks. Such a practical little guy!

What a weekend!

What a weekend! Mom and I went to the Creating Keepsakes Convention in Charlotte on Friday and Saturday. We really enjoyed our classes and had a great time shopping at the vendor faire. Unfortunately, I had "kidney stone" issues on Saturday and came home a little early on Saturday-- but overall, we had fun! I met my first ScrapJazzer this weekend-- Faith! She is so much fun- I wish we would have had to more time to chat!

Toby played in a softball tournament this weekend. His team didn't do that well and he has slide burns up and down his legs but he said he had fun. He also got into a nest of yellow jackets while mowing the yard and was stung 7 times so I guess in comparison playing softball in the heat was fun, huh?

Sunday, we had a few friends over for a cookout/pool party. The kids had a blast and of course, cookout food and cold drinks by the pool are always nice!!!

Today, I went back to the doctor. I still have a few kidney stones to pass. He gave me more pain pills, told me to drink tons of water and gave me two more weeks to pass them. If not, I have to have another surgery(lithotripsy) to break them up. UGH!

Casual date night

We could not think of anything we wanted to do for our anniversary. We did the luxury hotel night out thing a few weeks ago at my birthday; we are going to the beach in a few weeks, we couldn't think of any restaurants we wanted to try...so we decided to have a quiet, relaxing evening at home. I made us some of our favorite goodies, we rented a funny movie and we just enjoyed a stress-free evening! Spencer stayed the night with my parents--- but before he left he put a big dent in the fruit/cheese/goodie tray I was making!!!!

Fun Weekend!

Other than heading up to Virginia, we also spent Friday night at the water park at the Kernersville YMCA for Maddie's Bday party. Maddie and Jenna are too stinkin' cute (no pics on my blog because I didn't ask their mommy if it was okay) but Spencer sure had a fun time at the party!

Sunday night, we went to the American Idols tour at the coliseum. The show was great and we had awesome seats (7th row center!) We went with a group of friends and had a blast! Chris is awesome live and I can't wait for him to put out an album! Bucky's family sat to our right and it was cool to watch how proud they were of him. Bucky's twin got *TONS* of attention from silly girls, but his wife was pretty cool about it. Chris's band was there to support him, too.

Congrats Lydia!

We went to Virginia this weekend for a bridal shower for my cousin, Lydia. Mom and I went to the shower while Spencer and Dad stayed with Aunt Jean and Uncle Jim. Toby had to work and didn't get to go with us. Lydia's shower was very nice and she looked beautiful! The wedding is September 30th and I am looking forward to coming back up then and seeing her on her special day!
Sadly, Uncle Jim is struggling with his battle against cancer. He could use some extra thoughts and prayers.

Dinosoles!

I *finally* found Dinosoles for my dinosaur obsessed son! He was SO EXCITED to get his blue suede stegosaurus shoes! The outside has the 3-D molded dino, the instep has the piercing eye and the sole makes dino tracks--are these the coolest or what?!?!

It doesn't matter to Spencer

It didn't matter to Spencer that he didn't have a smooth, concrete playing surface.

It didn't matter to Spencer that he couldn't find his tennis shoes and had to play in his baseball cleats.

It didn't matter that Daddy was 3 feet taller.

It didn't matter that the goal was WAY higher than it should have been for his size.

He was shooting some hoops and having fun!!!

Spencer has developed a keen interest in basketball recently-- and has firmly announced that he is not playing on Auntie's soccer team with IV but wants to play basketball this fall. Is this his first non-influenced social decision????

Liar!

My urologist said that my kidney stone would need about 45-60 minutes of shockwave lithotripsy to bust it up and then it would be blasted into tiny little granules of sand that would come out painlessly with my urine. He said the procedure was mild and felt like a slight tapping on my back. He said I might be a little tender or bruised in my back but I would be okay in a day..... OH MY!!! He knows he shouldn't lie like that!

The lithotripsy lasted an hour and 15 minutes. It was painful. It felt like I was being snapped with a big-ass rubber band in the same spot over and over and over. They administered pain meds and "twilight" sedation but it was still MUCH more than what I was expecting! The stone was resistant and didn't want to break up. The first day, I passed lots of that sand he bragged about. The second day the stones started. I guess that's why they gave me a huge bottle of Percocet--that should have been my first clue. They don't dole out stashes of narcotics for "mild discomfort"-- it hurt like hell. It felt like a bad bladder infection and crippling contractions at once. THEN they tell you to walk it out!!!!

So now it has been a week since the surgery. I am still passing stones. They are getting smaller and not as painful but I still feel rough. I only took Monday and Tuesday off from work last week. I had to work, while on the drugs, and in pain, and I had a project due. Not good for me or my team. I wish I would have known and I would have asked for more time off.

I go back to the doctor August 7. Until then, I stay on meds and keep passing what I can. They will re-do my x-rays then to see if I got all of the stone out. I sure as hell hope so!!!

He's not happy unless he is dirty

Do you know how when you bathe the dog and he runs outside and wallers in the mud because he hates to be clean????? Well... Spencer has that same problem. Everyday, that child gets SO DIRTY that I am tempted to hose him down in bleach. He turns on the water hose and makes mud puddles, catches frogs, builds forts, plays in the mud, helps Boppa in the garden, plays in the dirt piles down behind the house and plays in Boppa's garage to finish off with a nice coating of grease. If he isn't filthy, then he thinks the day is totally boring.

Green Machine

Back in 1977, I was the coolest in my Green Machine-- whipping down Gary Ave. in Chester, VA. It was awesome. In 1976, Toby was looking pretty cool in his BatMan Green Machine in Greensboro, NC. Now, in 2006, Spencer discovered the Green Machine at Toys R Us! The Steering Sticks had the WOW factor and sold Spencer right away! We think our Green Machines were about $35ish-- Spencer's was $99.99 plus tax--yikes! But I think his is much better made than our old plastic contraptions. He and Boppa put it together as soon as they got home and he has been riding it non-stop since then!

OUCH!

Well-- I had the lithrotripsy done. The stone was as stubborn as my momma and didn't want to crush until after an hour of pounding. Today, I am sore and thanking God for Vicodin and Percocet. I am having spasms and pain with every "particle" that passes. Some of the fragments didn't get crushed as small as the others and they are VERY difficult to pass-- check that-- they are excruciating, screaming, painful to pass!!! But, at least the surgery part is over with and hopefully all the big "particles" were expelled today because I only have 3 more days of Percocet!

With everything that has been going on with me, yesterday was the *PERFECT* day for Spencer to get a fun pack from my friend Lois from ScrapJazz. He received a beautiful handmade card and poem, Kool-aid, stickers, and balloons. Hey Lois-- those dinosaur stickers rocked his world!!!! Thanks so much for thinking of my little guy!

We rocked!

Toby and I went to Charlotte last night for the Journey / Def Leppard concert. We met up with my friend, Deann, and the three of us had a blast! The concert was a sell-out and most of the people there were our age-ha! Journey was solid--the new lead singer was energetic and sounded great. Def Leppard can still rock hard and loud-- their set design was loaded with cool graphics and their playlist was a good mix of all the songs we know and love. They played a couple of new songs from their new cover album, Yeah!, and I'm pretty sure I will be buying that CD today! I was a little disappointed that they didn't play my favorite song, Slang. But I guess they have TONS of hits to choose from and can't play them all in one set. Traffic getting out of the concert sucked--but that's normal, right?

Oops--stale blog

Okay-- so I haven't updated my blog in a week or so. Time flies when you're...lazy. So what's new with me? Well for starters all I have done this week is whine!!! My freakin back hurts so bad that I'm actually looking forward to surgery on Monday. Hopefully once they get rid of the kidney stone I will feel better!

Did I ever tell you about the little survey club that I do? I have been in it for about 4 years. It is totally legit-- no spam, no weird stuff. I take surveys, I sample products and I get points. The points are turned in for cash. Right now I am using two different antibacterial wipes for two weeks and then comparing the two. The yellow canister is BY FAR the best. I wish I knew which brand it was-- THEY ROCK!!! Toby is using a new bar soap-- it stinks. I can't wait for his "survey time" to be over so he can go back to his usual soap smell!!! I just looked at my account/points and I have $30.00 in my survey awards. It adds up fast!!!!

A friend of mine challenged me to do an "About Me: A to Z" list on my blog - here goes...

A: Alderin
B: Bing Bing (what I call Spencer)
C: Cassandra.
D: Disney - I am working on my Disney album
E: Earrings-- I love to wear silver hoops.
F: Food Network (I Tivo Paula and Alton)
G: Global Corporate and Investment Banking (my job/division)
H: Hiccups-- I always have those loud, obnoxious ones!
I: Instructional Design and Development (my job title)
J: Jazz! (as in ScrapJazz)
K: Kidney Stone--UGH!!!!
L: Liberty - the restaurant where we had dinner tonight
M: Mobile Meals -- I have been a Mobile Meals volunteer for 7 years
N:Nancyroo - who gave me this A to Z challenge
O:The Office (my fav TV Show)
P:Pins- I collect pins.
Q: QTips (I'm addicted to eargasms)
R: RAK- I have 5 RAKs sitting here to mail out....
S: Spencer-- my little guy!
T: Toby-- my big guy!
U: Umbrella-- I always have an umbrella in my car, office or briefcase.
V: Vacation: my next vacation is not until September!
W: Wicked: The book I am currently reading
X: X-Ray: I had X-rays done today as part of my pre-surgical work-up.
Y: yard-- I despise yard work.
Z: Zoo-- Toby proposed to me at the zoo!

Congrats Steven!

Last night, Toby, Tom, Spencer and I drove out to Sumner Civitan Park to watch Steven, Jr. play in the all-star games! Spencer really enjoyed seeing Destiny and Steven. Steven is quite the ball player!! It was fun to watch the kids play at that age because they have such passion. We enjoyed watching the game and chatting with Gena and Rodney while attempting to censor Tom's comments about the athletic abilities of all the children. I guess Tom just doesn't understand how his editorial comments about the kids (in front of all the parents!) can be taken as rude. I tried to explain it to him but he just doesn't get it. Inlaws---geez! Whatcha gonna do with 'em?

Disney Magic?

My brother and I took Spencer and IV to see Disney Magic last night. First of all, III had a flat tire and we were 10 minutes late. But those things never start on time so no big deal right???? Pfhht! This one was on time and we missed the beginning. Since we were late, we didn't get a chance to feed the kids before we got there. No big deal-- we will have "concession" food and make dinner of hot dogs and nachos. Wrong again! The show was in the auditorium-- no food and drinks. The first part of the show was okay, cute little humor, lame magic tricks, pretty decent stage design. Intermission came-- I was suckered into buying a $15 sword with Goofy on it. $15 for a little piece of plastic that will probably break before I finish updating this blog!!! During the entire second half of the show, my poor kid wiggled and whispered every 2 minutes that he was STARVING!!! When the show finally ended, we raced to the car and went straight to the nearest restaurant, Ghasson's, which happens to be my son's favorite place to chow down! He ordered up his favorite plate and ate like a starved refugee. So our "Magical Disney" outing with the kids was filled with not so magical memories-- but at least we did something together!

Warning: Whiney Post!

Yesterday was not fun. Let's just say if you ever go to the Urologist and they tell you that they need to stretch your urethra-- there is pain and blood and more pain involved. JUST SAY NO!! Just piss out your ear or something for the rest of your life-- UGH! I can't move without whimpering. I can't cross my legs. I can't pee without screaming!!!

I also have a kidney stone. It is too big to pass so I will have surgery on July 17. I don't know much about Lithotripsy so I guess I need to read up, eh?

Rainy Sunday

We picked Spencer up from VBS last night (at a local church not our regular church) and asked him what he learned. Spencer cheerfully said "Say No to God!" Toby and I looked at each other and again asked Spencer, "WHAT??!!!" and he again said "SAY NO TO GOD!"" What were they teaching our child???" Then I noticed a little medallion he had colored and was wearing around his neck that said, "Say your prayers so you can KNOW GOD." Whew! a slight misunderstanding... after we figured it out, it was kind of funny.


Toby and Spencer joined up with Melissa, IV and Gail to watch Ashley and Kristin compete (in the pouring down rain!) in the State Soccer Games on Sunday. The girls were dissappointed to come in 4th but we are very proud of how well they play!

Getting older wasn't so bad this year

Toby really "WOW'd" me this year!! My birthday was wonderful! A nice, easy day at work included Toby and Spencer surpising me at lunch with flowers and a singing balloon and then they took me out for a quick lunch! The afternoon flew by and before I knew it, it was time to meet the family at PF Chang's for an early dinner! Dinner was great and I opened lots of wonderful presents while we shared awesome desserts!

My last present from Toby was the WOW gift. He had packed my overnight bag and booked us a relaxing evening at the O Henry Hotel! http://http://www.o.henryhotel.com/index.html
Our Romance package included a beautiful and luxurious suite, Romanza playing upon entry, chilled champagne, Godiva, cheeses, nuts and fruit tray for late night snacking, bubble bath for the whirlpool, gift baskets and goodies galore!

You know what really impressed me? Toby PACKED FOR ME and didn't forget anything!!! He paid attention to even the smallest details (hair, make up, medicine, etc.) this was hard for him and I'm sure my Mom gave him some reminders-ha! Taking care of the house, Spencer, the packing, the pets, the planning, etc. meant much more to me than any of the gifts and fancy stuff!

When we got there, he started with champagne, bubble bath and Andrea Bocelli! I'm not sharing any more details after that....

Who are you calling nerd?

My Friend Oscar challenged me to a nerd test. I think there is a flaw in the assessment! I demand a recount!

It said:

8% scored higher (more nerdy), and 92% scored lower (less nerdy).
What does this mean? Your nerdiness is: Supreme Nerd. Apply for a professorship at MIT now!!!

We're all Caniacs!

North Carolina made history tonight! What an awesome season--we are so proud of our Hurricanes! Thanks Oscar and Jen Sizemore for sending good vibes!! Hey Oscar-- when Cam Ward brings the Cup to Red Deer, make sure you get a picture!

Bat Man and Big Daddy!

Saturday was Spencer's last game for the spring season. He is going to miss Baseball. Of all the sports he plays, I would have to say that Golf and Baseball are his top two as far as organic talent. He had a great last game and made some fantastic little catches. He is still talking about one of them! III and Melissa gave him a new batting helmet for preschool graduation. Boy does he loves that thing!

Father's Day was a blast! We taught Spencer to play the card game WAR-- he loved it! We played in the pool, had a huge cook out with the family, played in the pool some more and then made banana splits!

Random Thursday

I am establishing Random Thursday. Every blog should have at least one day of random thoughts with no clear direction or purpose. Today is that day for me.

First of all, the Canes lost last night on purpose. Nothing else can explain that lazy-ass passing in sudden death overtime!! They lost on purpose to extend out the series to create more income for the franchise, network and local economies in the two host cities. That's my story and I'm sticking to it-ha!

There is a kid at little league that eats boogers constantly. Now anyone who knows me knows what a weak stomach I have. The parents will tell the kid to "look alive" and "pay attention" so they have to see him gobbling goobers but they never tell they little kid to STOP EATING BOOGERS!!! What is with that??? So gross!!!!

I am going to Memoranza this weekend at my Creative Memories rep's house. I am working on my Disney album. I have a gazillion pictures from that vacation. Geez! I tried to narrow it down to "just the good pictures" and that left me with only a billion. Whew--for a while there I was almost overwhelmed!

I sprained my ankle Tuesday. I have no idea how I did it. I felt my foot get tight and I looked down and the purple streaks were already up the side and the big swollen knots were on the other. Toby has been helping me with the ice, compression, elevation rotations and it is better today. Now my other ankle hurts from me hobbling on it for two days!

Sending safe travel wishes to Val-- have a great trip to Alabama!

Cool for a monday

Today was pretty cool for a Monday. Let's see.... I was actually on time for work (Is that a record?) I met my friend Lesley for lunch. Remind me to kick her arse for choosing Mexican. I bellyached all afternoon! She is doing the SAHM thing now and can go for Mexican and have Margaritas at noon --what a show off. I had salsa-itis all afternoon and NO margarita with my lunch!!!! Then I had to return to corporate world and host conference calls and muffle the heaves-- but at least I got out of the office and met a friend for lunch right? After work, I hit Hobby Lobby on the way home and picked up some cool stuff for a scrapbooking crop I am going to this weekend. Then Toby, Spencer and I met Mom and Dad for dinner-- Spencer of course, went home with Nana and Boppa. I tried really hard to bribe him with the new Walter the Farting Dog: Trouble at the Yard Sale book but even that wouldn't convince Spencer to stay at home tonight!!!! and last but not least....the best part of the evening was watching the Hurricanes spank the Oilers!!

It snot funny

Toby had quite the softball game last night! He was a batting, catching, throwing machine! A three run triple was his most impressive trick of the night--but he was pretty sore later on. I was rubbing Icy Hot on his elbow (cuz I'm such a sweet wife--ha!) and then I accidently scratched my nose/upper lip-- YIKES!!!!!!! my lip/nose/even up into my tear ducts were ablaze for 20 minutes!!! And no-- I was NOT picking my nose despite what Toby might tell ya....

For those of you that do not know about ScrapJazz-- just skip this part--- but for my Jazz friends: I MADE DIVA YESTERDAY!!!! I would have updated this blog yesterday--but blogger was down all day!!!! Yay!! Finally a DIVA!!! I passed my crown to Karen (Kacomi)--what an awesome day! My ScrapJazz buddies are so cool!!!

Spencer still thinks he lives with Nana and Boppa. We beg and bribe him to come home. He actually slept at home last night--and whined all the way home. He doesn't understand why we punish him by making him come to his own house! I guess we will have just settle for limited hugs and quick visits and be thankful that he is so in love with spending time with Nana and Boppa. Studies show that kids with a multi-generational influence are more intelligent. If that is true, my kid should be a freakin' genius!!! HAHA

Go Canes!

It's all about HOCKEY right now!!! Go Canes!!!! and I have to post a big BITE ME to DISH network for not carrying OLN, and therefore, the most of the Hockey season. We keep having to go to Wild Wings to watch the games--which means Toby runs up a huge Wings and Beer tab through 3 periods (and the occassional OT) !!! The final games will be on NBC so we will be able to watch them at home--yay!!

Happy Memorial Day!

Gotta love a three day weekend! I had a wonderfully relaxing weekend. Poor Toby worked all weekend, but Spencer and I had fun! We shopped, played in the pool, scrapbooked and grilled out with friends and family. I finished my scrapbook from my Atlanta vacation (YAY!) and I organized my pictures.

On a sad note, my best friend's husband (Joey) was in an accident at work this past week and broke his hip, pelvic, and shoulder. He is still in ICU, has had hours and hours of surgery and is facing more surgery. He is on a ventilator and could use some extra thoughts and prayers. If you are reading this, please say a prayer for Joey Reynolds in Richmond, VA.

Well, Toby and I have been talking non-stop about the finale of LOST. Spencer is TOTALLY psyched about the CARS movie coming out. We saw Over The Hedge with him this past weekend. He really enjoyed it, but all he keeps talking about is CARS!!!!

Congratulations Spencer!

Spencer graduated from preschool today! With a cute little ceremony and an adorable cap and gown, my little guy went from preschooler to a young man getting ready for Kindergarten!

After graduation, we had some friends over at Nana and Boppa's for a Luau themed party/cookout/pool party to continue celebrating! Spencer received many nice gifts and really enjoyed all the attention. We combined Spencer's graduation party and Mom's birthday party--what a blast!

Thanks to all of our friends and family for making this day special!

Atlant-Ahhh!

Toby and I just got back from vacation! It was wonderful -- despite a nasty little stomach virus that decided to show up!!! The drive was easy, with very little traffic. We stopped at a few of the outlets and shopped some- which was very nice! We spent the night in Greenville, SC and ate at our favorite restaurant (California Dreaming) and then we drove into Atlanta. We spent too much, ate too much and had a blast-- but isn't that what vacations are all about? Our first full day was all about Toby. Sports shopping, Sports clubs and the Braves game. We found an awesome Sports Collectibles store where Toby found the perfect Michael Jordan UNC Last Shot framed picture--Cha-Ching! Instant Father's Day Gift! Then we went to another sports store and loaded up on souvenirs for the family and even some bigger ticket items for Christmas gifts. (Yep! I'm starting my shopping early this year!) After shopping we went to Jocks and Jills for fattening sports themed chow (wings, tater skins, chicken fingers, buffalo chicken sandwiches, rich desserts, etc!) Then we were off to Turner Field for the Braves game! This was our first time to Turner Field and we were really impressed. There were restaurants, shopping, museums, activities and play areas for the kids on site. We found our seats--which were awesome by the way-- and got settled in just in time for the game. The seats had a great view but were under the overhang just in case it started to rain we would be protected--awesome! Toby LOVES (and I do mean LOVES) ballpark food but we were so full from dinner (plus that nasty stomach virus was coming on) that Toby didn't eat one thing at the stadium. A big disappointment for him. BUT-- he used all that $$$ he saved towards an auction that night and bought an autographed Chipper Jones hat. The $$ went to a Children's Charity but I still nagged him all night about spending $75 on a stupid hat.......until ol' Chipper hit a 3 run homer in extra innings to win the ball game. What a finish!
Okay-- I'll fast forward through the next twelve hours of sickness--let's just say we didn't do anything we planned to tour and we were sick sick sick. But that's okay--the rest of the vacation was awesome. We went to our matinee performance of Wicked at the fabulous Fox Theatre. The Fox is BEAUTIFUL by the way!!! Wicked was awesome! It is one of those productions that is well written, with awesome effects, awesome stage design, EVERYTHING was PERFECT!!! We were mesmerized! I would love to see it again! After the production, we drove to midtown, had a light snack at Borders and then we went on to Spa Sydell for our Couples Massage--which was the most relaxing hour of our entire vacation. After the massage we went to a local beer garden for hors d'oevres and drinks and then back to the Wyndham. The next day we shopped our way back home and arrived home in time to bring in dinner (big salads from California Dreaming, of course) for everyone and give Spencer big hugs and kisses!

Happy Mother's Day

What a nice Mother's Day! Spencer gave me beautiful flowers and a pin he made at preschool. It says #1 Mom --see it in the picture? Toby gave me a book, my favorite wine and a corsage. The entire family met for dinner at Macaroni Grill and then we went back to Jimmy's and watched the hockey game. What a nice, relaxing day!

Did you miss me?

I haven't been in cyber world in a few days. I have been slaving away at work and the motherboard fried in my home pc. After my business trip and a quick purchase at Circuit City (nope--I didn't get a new computer at RadioShack!!!) I am back online!

Arthur Itis plays 3rd base for the Y?

Oh snap! I laughed my rump off tonight! Toby and Jimmy are playing softball for a YMCA league. It is made up of 25-49 year olds-- most of which are in their early 30's. You should see these guys get ready to go on the field!!! I have NEVER seen so much icy hot, ibuprofen, wraps, braces, packs, splints, supports and bandages in one place in my life! I bet the special olympics and Jerry's Kids combined have less medical equipment than these "athletes." The team that played after our team showed up an hour early *just* to start putting on all their supports and braces! We watched a poor guy wiggle, squirm and eventually pour himself into a hamstring support-- which by the way looks like my granny's old thigh girdle!

Everything about this entire evening was silly. I think I laughed the hardest when one guy walks up to another guy and says "Hey man! I guess you have big party plans for tomorrow with it being cinco de mayo and all!?" and the other guy looks right at him and says, "FOR THE LAST TIME! I'M CUBAN-NOT MEXICAN!!!!"

An update from Toby

An update from Toby: Tom and I took Spencer to the driving range tonight. Spencer hit two large buckets of balls without even flinching while Daddy could only hit only 1/2 a bucket before his back gave out. Spencer would line up the balls and hit them back to back. Spencer enjoyed placing the balls in the divots and trying to hit out of the holes. Uncle Tommy hit 1/2 bucket before Spencer took over and nailed the rest! Afterwards, Spencer wanted to go home and hit some more-ha! Daddy was tired!

Can I brag a little?

Spencer aced his Kindergarten assessment! He got a perfect score! Toby and I are so proud. His awesome score validates that he is ready for Kindergarten but I am still so scared for him to face all the big boy decisions that going to school will bring. (Or am I just scared because my "baby" is growing up?)