Friday, August 28, 2009

Dance Class...

Kady had her first dance class and she absolutely loved it! She came home and showed us all of her flips, back bends and dances. As soon as we got her tights off she was asking when she was going back again. Hopefully she stay excited about it and do well.

Thursday, August 13, 2009

Toys Kady will never get....

I read this article on Perez Hilton the other day and just had to share. I'm adding this to the list of toys that Kady will never get. (Article copied from Perez Hilton.com)

Hey kids! Are you looking for a toy that is sure to give you false impressions of motherhood and ultimately persuade you into having children at a very young age?
Then you'll want your parents to pick up Bebe Gloton, the world's first breast-feeding doll. That's right! It's a doll that cries to suck on the young nips of children who are still unaware what their nips are for. Well, now they'll know!
A Spanish toymaker invented this ingenious plaything, which cries when it is "hungry" and is only satisfied when it gets a drink from the special halter top "nursing bra" that kids can strap on to simulate breast-feeding. It even makes sucking noises!!! Doesn't this sound fun?
What happened to serving our dolls tea or having Barbie run stark naked through the house because the clothes were too hard to get back on once taken off? Guess, we're way beyond that these days! Some critics say that this is positive plaything, promoting the "norm" in child feeding, rather than artificial means of the bottle. Some, more sane people, recognize that this might "speed up maternal urges" and equate the doll to introducing "sex ed in first grade." We couldn't agree more with the latter! How do U feel about the breast-feeding baby doll?

Wednesday, August 12, 2009

Bowling...

Jamie and I were looking for something to do the other day and decided to take Kady bowling. We went to the lanes in St. Augustine and it was great because there were only two other active lanes at the time. We practically had the place to ourselves.

They had balls that were regulation size but only about 1 - 2 pounds. Jamie showed her how to roll the ball and she got the hang of it quick. Every time the ball came back out of the ball chute it would scare her. Each time she rolled the ball she would put her hands on her hips, jump up and down and turn in circles. After the first game, which she bowled a 70, she was begging to play again. She bowled one more game and in that game actually got a spare and bowled a 68.

Now I'm excited for the bowling alley to open up in town because I know that will be something that she will enjoy doing.


Tuesday, August 11, 2009

Dora Live!

Last week we took Kady to see DORA LIVE at the Times Union Center in Jacksonville. She was so excited. Mom and Nana went with us because Jamie was working and because tickets were buy one get one free. By the way, Gacky was relieved that he got out of going. We wanted to go somewhere different for dinner so we decided on Olive Garden because I had not been there in years. To my surprise it was actually really good. The food was much more flavorful that I remember and I was happy that we chose to go there.
The show was cute and we had really good seats. I think the next time we go there I'll try to get seats in that same area. They are doing "Mama Mia" in March so I'm thinking that will be a good birthday present for Mom.






Wednesday, July 22, 2009

Cake Wrecks...

I stumbled upon what is now my new favorite blog website today. It is a website devoted to cakes that have went wrong. Could be miscommunication or just poor decorating. The cake that was the inspiration for the website is this one to the left. Apparently the decorator didn't get that he wanted "We will miss you" underneath the Best Wishes Suzanne. There are pages and pages of pictures and funny explanations.
http://cakewrecks.blogspot.com/

I'm also posting a few of my favorites so far. The 4 year old - Grand Theft Auto Cake. Not really what your 4 year old should be into. Then the spider cake with spiders that have 12 legs each. Finally the graduation with "I want Sprinkles" instead of actual sprinkles on the cake.

Monday, July 20, 2009

Zoo...

We took Kady to the Zoo last week during Jamie's vacation. The Jacksonville Zoo was nice and a lot of new areas had been added since the last time we went. Kady got to feed a Giraffe and she loved that. She called all of them Melmen which was the giraffe's name in Madagascar.
By the way, I told Jamie to remind me to NEVER do anything outside in Florida June - August. It was so hot outside and after a few hours just miserable. At least Kady got to play in the splash park and have a little retrieve from the heat. I'm not really good company if one of three things happen: 1. Hungry 2. Hot 3. Sleepy. God forbid there be a triple threat and I'm all three at one time.

Monday, July 13, 2009

Backyard Photo Shoot...

I love the vines that grow in the back corner of our yard during the summer. It was a nice day to capture some backyard photos.







Wednesday, July 8, 2009

Riverfront Photo Shoot...

I have been wanting to take some pictures of Kady down at the riverfront for a while now. When I drove by the other day I noticed that it was all nicely mowed and cleaned up in anticipation of the fireworks this past weekend. I made a point to go down there and snap a few shots. I think they turned out good. She smiles just like Jamie and normally that is with her eyes squinting. It was such a nice day and I'm going to try to do that more often because the scenery is nice when it's all cleaned up.


Tuesday, July 7, 2009

Skill...

We normally will let Kady play the skill crane at Wal-Mart each time we go. This time there was a small turtle animal that she wanted so I tried to win it for her. With my first quarter I was able to win two animals and we just kept going from there. With a total of $2.50 I won 14 stuffed animals out of the machine. The animals were stacked just right and were falling right into the hole without even trying. We had the most fun and played until we ran out of quarters.

Monday, July 6, 2009

4th of July

We went to see the fireworks this year and we ended up having a good time. Kady enjoyed all the pretty fireworks and she loved holding the sparklers.

We even talked Nana & Gack into coming with us this year. I love that my new camera captures fireworks with neat effects. Hope everyone had a great 4th of July weekend.

Tuesday, June 30, 2009

Kady-isms....

Lately Kady has been saying some pretty clever or funny things that I wanted to share.

* Kady asked me if her Daddy was home and I told her he was at work. She asked me why he had to work and I told her that he had to make money. After a minute she said, "Daddy does not make money he makes toilet paper.

* Going over the bridge the other day Kady pointed over to the smoke stacks at Seminole electric. She told mom to look at the machine making all the clouds.

* One of her fish died the other day and we called Nana to tell her the news. Kady got on the phone and told Nana that her fish ran out of breath.

* We went to my nephews preschool graduation and we kept telling Kady that she would get to do that in a few years. A few weeks later while talking to Kady about Vacation Bible school we mentioned to her that she would get to be on stage and preform her song with her class. Kady then told me that she was excited to wear a square hat and nightgown. It took me a second to put together that she was thinking about the cap and gown that Eli was wearing at his graduation. What a memory!

Monday, June 29, 2009

Happy 30th Birthday to Me!!

Well today is my 30th birthday, I can't believe it. I'm not stressing about the number but it's just crazy to me that I'm that age. When you are little you think 30 year olds are just ancient. Now that I'm there you realize that it's just another step in the journey. I still feel the same way that I felt 10 years ago.

In my 30 years of life so far I've done and seen a lot. I've graduated from school and then went on to receive my AA degree. I've worked my way up at my job to Property Manager at my current job. I've gotten married and been happily married for 9 years in October. Kady was born in October 2005 and she so far is my crowning achievement. I have been involved in church since I was born and was saved and baptized at a young age. I have seen nephews, nieces and second cousins born and family members married and witnessed my grandparents 60th wedding anniversary. I've made good friends and have done a little bit of traveling. There are still places I want to go and things to accomplish but I don't have any regrets on things that I've done so far.

I had a birthday party this weekend and it was great. I was surrounded by my family and that always makes me the happiest. Everyone knows that since my birthday falls at the end of the month I celebrate all month long. I have had a few birthday dinners and I posted some pictures from some of the different parties. I have a great life and I would not trade it for anything.

Friday, June 26, 2009

Michael Jackson...

Such sad news that Michael Jackson passed away yesterday at the age of 50. He has had a sorted history but he still was very entertaining.

Funny enough I have a Michael Jackson story. A long time ago me and friend Danielle got these kits that included one white glove along with glitter and sequins. We spent hours gluing on sequins and applying glitter. Once finished we patiently waited for them to dry. After hours it was finally time to put on our gloves. We picked up our gloves and shoved our chubby hands in only to have glitter and sequins fly all over the place. I guess the force of our hands caused the glue to separate and so our gloves ended up being a few sparkles but we still enjoyed them.

I decided to post two pictures from what I consider his best times musically.

R.I.P. Michael Jackson.

Thursday, June 25, 2009

A Poem...

Read this poem as a reminder that our babies are only little once so make time to do the things with them while they are little becuase it passes fast.

Mother, O Mother, come shake out your cloth,
Empty the dustpan, poison the moth,
Hang out the washing, make up the bed,
Sew on a button and butter the bread.

Where is the mother whose house is so shocking?
She's up in the nursery, blissfully rocking.
Oh, I've grown as shiftless as Little Boy Blue,
Lullabye, rockabye, lullabye loo.

Dishes are waiting and bills are past due
Pat-a-cake, darling, and peek, peekaboo
The shopping's not done and there's nothing for stew
And out in the yard there's a hullabaloo
But I'm playing Kanga and this is my Roo
Look! Aren't his eyes the most wonderful hue?
Lullabye, rockaby lullabye loo.

The cleaning and scrubbing can wait till tomorrow
But children grow up as I've learned to my sorrow.
So quiet down cobwebs; Dust go to sleep!
I'm rocking my baby and babies don't keep.

- Ruth Hulbert Hamilton

Wednesday, June 24, 2009

Kate + 8 - Jon

I'm sure that most of you tuned in Monday night to see the train wreck that is Jon & Kate plus 8. I have loved watching these shows since they first came out when the kids were just babies. Even back then we all witnessed Kate belittling Jon and him taking it. I'm sure your opinions matched mine in wondering why he lets her be so bossy all the time.


I'm positive that in raising 8 kids there has to be a lot of organization. Kate was great at this almost to a fault. She allowed no room for wiggle and very seldom let anything interrupt their plans. Jon on the other hand was much more laid back and sometimes just wanted to allow their kids to "go with the flow" which by Kate's standards was not allowed. I always use to think why does he put up with her attitude and that she should be grateful he is so helpful. I could sometimes agree with her when you think about cleaning up 8 messes but on the other hand you have to let kids have kid experiences. You can never get those days back when they are little and are experiencing things for the first time.


Now that the kids have gotten older and more independent I have seen Kate relax a lot. Well as much as I think she can relax. She does not seem to have to have things her way quite as much and she is more apt to let them discover things for themselves. However, Jon seems to have grown quite restless and seems that nothing can make him happy.


It appears that now that Jon and Kate could sit back and enjoy the kids without all the stress he has chosen to find other things to occupy his time. This could be the best and most fun time in their life right now but it's taken a drastic turn in the wrong direction.


I hate to see that they have made the decision to get a divorce. I think just because they get a divorce it's not going to help their communication problems. To be honest I don't think Jon cheated on Kate or Kate on Jon. I think that Kate is doing her job and that Jon is hanging out with friends that happen to be girls. Maybe I'm naive.

I always thought that if they separated that it would be because Jon just had enough and I don't think anyone would have been surprised. I was always on Jon's side. Now I'm feeling like Jon is the one that is ultimately causing the breakdown based on what we are seeing as TV viewers. Of course we probably don't know the truth and there are two sides to every story.

Tuesday, June 23, 2009

Awkward Family Photos...

I like to let everyone know when I find something that I enjoy. My new recent vice is visiting this website everyday. http://awkwardfamilyphotos.com/ This website shows awkward family photos and it is very funny.

Monday, June 22, 2009

Happy Fathers Day...

Just wanted to give a little recognition to my baby's daddy. haha. Jamie is the best daddy ever. He does everything Kady wants him to do and is always at her beck and call. Kady is his little buddy and they do everything from grocery shopping to mowing the lawn together. They look just alike and have the same facial expressions. I love watching them together. I could not ask for a better person to be my husband and father to my child.

Friday, June 19, 2009

60th Anniversary...

Nana & Gack celebrated their 60th anniversary on Wednesday night. We all went to dinner at Corky Bells and then over to their house. Mom made them a cake with a "Diamond Anniversary" theme. On top of the cake was their original cake topper from 60 years ago.

Mom and I also put together a video of their 60 years together. It was fun to see all the old pictures and brought back alot of memories for them.

Through the years they have been such a great example of how a marriage should work and how couples should get along. I can only hope that when Jamie and I reach our 60 year Anniversary that we have had as happy a life as they have had.

Thursday, June 18, 2009

The Boomarang Express...

This year Kady went to Vacation Bible School at Tabernacle Baptist Church and she had so much fun. The theme this week was the Boomerang Express and it was based in Australia. Each night she brought home her crafts and was excited to show me the things that she had made. She was able to learn several songs and dances and she did really good during the program. We were all wore out by the end of week with our regular schedule being so out of whack.

This was the first time she had been involved in something away from us and really any family members except for my sister-in-law Amy. I feel like she did really well being away and mingling with the other kids and adults. I can remember loving Vacation Bible School and looking forward to it every year and i'm glad that she had the opportunity to experience it. I'm already looking forward to her being involved next year.

Tuesday, June 9, 2009

Princess Tiana...

(This article was copied from "The Mommy Files"
If you have a little girl, you probably know about the newest Disney princess: Tiana. Even though she's starring in a film, The Princess and the Frog, that doesn't arrive in theaters until December, everyone is talking about her. Why? For the first time ever the one wearing the tiara is black.

Since Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs in 1937, all of Disney's princesses have predominantly been white. Pocahontas featured a Native American princess, and Jasmine in Aladdin had a Middle Eastern appearance.

"Finally, here is something that all little girls, especially young black girls, can embrace, and that is huge," Cori Murray, an entertainment director at Essence magazine, recently told CNN. "This sends a message that no matter what you look like you can be beautiful, that you can be a princess, that you can be first lady."

Set in 1920s New Orleans against a background of jazz and voodoo, the movie is an adaptation of the classic tale The Frog Prince. Tiana is a waitress and budding chef who dreams of owning a restaurant and is persuaded to kiss a frog who is really a prince. The spell backfires and Tiana also becomes a frog and together they go on an adventure to find a cure.

Tony award-winning actress Anika Noni Rose will give voice to Princess Tiana. Talk show host and business mogul Oprah Winfrey and Oscar-nominated actor Terrence Howard also voice characters in the movie.

While many believe Princess Tiana sends a positive message, Internet chat rooms and blogs are abuzz with complaints. Some think her skin is too light and her name too ethnic while others are disturbed by the New Orleans location.


"Disney should be ashamed," William Blackburn, a former columnist at The Charlotte Observer, told London's Daily Telegraph. "Despite all its resources and experience, it has failed to create a black princess to rival its predecessors. This princess story is set in New Orleans, the setting of one of the most devastating tragedies to beset a black community. And then they throw in the voodoo theme and an alligator sidekick. When you put New Orleans, alligators and voodoo together, there's no beauty there."

The most controversial aspect of the movie is the skin tone of Princess Tiana's lover. Although he is called Prince Naveen and voiced by a Brazilian actor, he looks white. Some bloggers have said that Tiana and Naveen make a great interracial couple, while some say Disney ducked the opportunity to create a fairytale black couple. This definitely would have been timely, considering that the current president and first lady are black. Many are also saying that Disney is reenforcing the age-old message that a hero has to be a white man.

A reader writes on Essence.com on April 22, 2009: I LOVE that Disney is finally putting a black princess on the big screen. This is awesome. However, I disagree that the prince being bi-racial or whatever is not of importance. What is the problem with a strong black male image? Why does the media not believe that a black male can hold down a leading role, even in a cartoon? Hello, anyone ever heard of Will Smith, Denzel Washington, Samuel L. Jackson, Sidney Poitier? What's the deal?

The film has been dogged by racial controversy since Disney first announced their plans for the first black princess. Its heroine was originally to be a chambermaid called Maddy working for a spoiled white debutante. The storyline sparked a backlash from critics who claimed it reinforced prejudice and demeaned black people.

Disney says they're working hard to create a film that will please the African American community. "Our first goal is to make a great motion picture," says John Lasseter, chief creative officer at Pixar and Walt Disney Animation Studios, told the Washington Post. "But we have also worked very closely with a lot of leaders in the African American community, all across the nation, to make sure we're doing something African American families will be proud of. It's very important for us to do it right. We've been very careful and cognizant about what we're doing."
Does anyone else find this article irritating? It irks me that no matter what is done it always turns into an issue of color. Anybody have any comments??

Monday, June 8, 2009

Crazy 8's...

Crazy 8's

8 Things I am looking forward to:

1. My 30th Birthday
2. Grandparents 60th Anniversary Dinner
3. Kady starting dance class
4. Disney World in October
5. Going to the beach this summer
6. Being moved into my new office
7. Going to the Zoo in July
8. Kady starting Vacation Bible School

8 Things I did yesterday:

1. Went to church
2. Ate lunch with the family
3. Folded clothes
4. Cooked dinner
5. Played with Kady
6. Scrapbooked
7. Watched TV
8. Hung out with Jamie

8 Things I WISH I could do:

1. Play an instrument
2. Quit Work
3. Win the lottery
4. Be more patient
5. Not have any bills
6. Lose weight overnight =)
7. Be good at everything I attempt
8. Did I already say win the lottery....

8 Shows I watch:

1. The Young and the Restless
2. The Office
3. Jon & Kate plus 8
4. How I Met Your Mother
5. 18 Kids and Counting
6. Project Runway
7. Bachelor/Bachelorette
8. Bridezillas

Friday, June 5, 2009

Frog...

I had to share this picture that I took of a little green rain frog. He was sitting on Kady's slide last Saturday afternoon and she freaked out but I thought he was cute.

Thursday, June 4, 2009

UP

This past weekend we decided to take Kady to see the new Disney Pixar movie UP. We wanted to go see it at the new theater in St. Augustine.

First we went to TGI Friday's and it was surprisingly good. After that we headed over to the theater and John, Amy, Eli & Luke met us over there. The movie was in 3-D so we all got to wear the 3-D glasses and it was really neat. It was nice to see the movie the way it was intended to be seen.
I really didn't know what to expect from the movie based on the trailers. It ended up being a very good movie for kids and adults. I think we were all laughing as much as the kids. I recommend that you go and see the movie. In case you have not seen previews for the movie I'd put a link to the trailer at the bottom of this post.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kyyrYPTjPJg

Wednesday, June 3, 2009

Eli's Preschool Graduation...

My nephew Eli graduated from preschool at First Baptist Church a few weeks ago. The ceremony was really cute and well done. The kids sang several songs and recited their poems and pledges. In speaking with my sister-in-law throughout the year they have really done alot of cute crafts and learned all the basics. It's hard to believe that Eli is going to start Kindergarden in a few month.
Becuase of Kady's birthday she won't start preschool until next school year and that's fine with me.







Tuesday, June 2, 2009

New Moon Trailer...

The trailer for New Moon premiered at the MTV Movie Awards Sunday Night. It looks great. I love that they showed a transformation sceen for Jacob in the last few seconds. In case you missed it here it is.



Just think only 170 days till you get to see the rest!

Monday, June 1, 2009

Chuck E. Cheese

Kady finally got close enough to Chuck E. Cheese for me to get a picture. For the past 6 months she has been so good about standing with characters and getting pictures but there was always something about Mr. Cheese that still scared her. This past visit she sat on the ledge where the animatronic Chuck was doing the show. She still was not completely sold on the idea. I think that maybe that Chuck E. that jerks around is a little more scary than if he was just walking around.

Anyway, I'm happy that we finally got a picture. This was actually the best visit we had to Chuck E. Cheese. We went to the one in Jacksonville and got there around 1:30pm. There was probably only around 20 people in the whole place so it was great.

Monday, May 25, 2009

Cute As Can Bee....

My friend Melissa DeRossett is now making super cute dresses and I had to share her website with everyone. Go to http://cuteascanbeeclothes.blogspot.com/ to see some of her dresses.
The zebra dress is one of the ones that I ordered for Kady, only I got pink bows instead of blue. ALSO, Melissa gave me the number to two other girls in town who make the hair bows and flip flops to match the designs.
Of course I'll post pictures when I get the dress and accessories but if you have a little girl or know a little girl who loves cute clothes check out her website.