ThAnKsGiViNg 2010

We spent Thanksgiving 2010 at my mom and dad's house with them, my maternal grandma (AKA Mamaw) and my dad's sister Beth.  My brother had to work and came later and my sister and her husband had to go up North for a funeral.  We missed them.  :(

The table all set.  I think the sippy cup really adds something to the atmosphere.  ;)

 My pilgrim Cinderella (she made this at school) and my aunt.

 The King of the Crazies and all the mashed potatoes...

 Lil Sweetie.  King of the Crazies got up for a minute and she was fast in his place!

 At the dinner table he unbuttoned his shirt a bit.  It was so funny because Mamaw did a double take!

 Sleeping Beauty was sick a couple weeks ago and got sick AGAIN last Sunday.  She was put on medicines again and seemed to be doing better.  Then yesterday, after we were there for about an hour, she went downhill and she started feeling warm.  She didn't eat at all during the "feast."  (And didn't start really again eating until tonight.)  Poor little pie. We knew she wasn't feeling right when she refused food.  The child is usually all about eating!

Here she is with a thermometer:

 My gorgeous mom (AKA the best cook ever) and me.  :)

If you haven't tasted her cooking I am sorry for you.  Sooooo good!  We all loved it.  Well, those of us that felt like eating.  :o/

Poor lil nugget didn't want to eat so she stayed on the couch with her "Tappy."  She had it because she was feeling so awful.  :(

 Starting at the right is Cinderella, my aunt Beth, Mamaw, King of Crazies, me and my dad:  

 When my mom first took the bird out of the oven we were afraid it may be "Griswold-ish" but it really was the best ever!  And she's never messed up a turkey for as long as I can remember.

You remember the Griswold turkey, right?!

Then after we ate and my brother got off of work and came to eat, some raking, piling and jumping in the leaves took place.  The two girls and my brother dove in!

Lil Pie getting in on the fun!

My dad took this one. 

A new do?!

One of my favorites from the day:

She tried all three pies.  He has never been more proud:

We did get Sleeping Beauty to eat a few bites of pie and "chicken" later that night before we left:

Today she only ate Nerds (candy) and then tonight Cheez-Its, turkey and green beans.  Her fever broke and she was talking a mile a minute tonight.  I pray this mess is over and gone SOON!

Thankful for the drama, the messes and the squabbles in my life

It is amazing how quickly I have forgotten what it is like to have two little divas in the house all day for several days in a row.  It's only been three months since school started.  Since Cinderella is on Thanksgiving break from Kindergarten (AKA  Big Kid School) and I am a stay at home mom, I have been with the girls a lot.  And THAT is an understatement.  They love one another but let's face it; they are sisters and the fights are inevitable.  The good thing is that, as sisters tend to do, they can be having a squabble and be fine a few moments later.  I, in all honesty, find myself popping more Excedrin Migraine and hanging on for the ride.  I have to remind myself sometimes that this is what I prayed to God for - my girls, their messes and all the drama they come with. 


During the recent days here at home, I have heard my daughters say, "I love you" to each other countless times, but I have heard some "I'm mad at you's" from the one to the other.  And it is usually the pint-size Sleeping Beauty turning her Hulk-size rage on her big sister.  They have gotten along famously for the most part though and are inseparable.  I am so thankful for those times, even when they are few and far between.  More often than not the little sister so is happy to have her big sister home.  I am happy in that they have one another to play with and entertain one another.  I am not so thrilled with the constant keep-up-with-the-house-before-it-all-goes-to-pot feeling.  I feel we are one step away from living in a pit some days.  We are working really hard at keeping this house not only livable but clean.  And it is a haaaard job with the two girls and a dog around.


During the days of Thanksgiving Break 2010, there is a lot going on.  As soon as one activity is started for one, the other one bores of it quickly and makes way to making a new, possibly bigger mess, er activity.  I have to remind them countless times to clean up one mess before beginning another.  Cinderella does well with this but only really when she is reminded, so to me it feels like it is battle that is always being fought.  Sleeping Beauty, on the other hand, lives to create chaos, messes and destroy our home.  And she is good at all of those. I am wondering if I can rent her out to demolish old buildings or something similar to make some money to help pay for her food and clothing.  She eats like a teenage boy and dresses like she is ready for a fashion photo shoot and she has expensive taste.


Tutus are strewn about the room.  Poor Princess Furry Pants is covered in princess gowns with a semi-pleased look on her face.  But to the girls she looks downright hilarious and thus begins a new makeover/dress-up game.  Giggles fill the air as the three girls play and run circles around one another.  Princess Furry Pants tires first because, let's face it, she thinks she is a cat and needs exactly twenty-three good hours of sleep to function.  And by function I mean that she has to be able to make it to the backyard to do her "doggy business," make it to her food and water bowls and police the two girls at all times.  Times like these make me realize how truly blessed I am.


During the course of the day countless activities take place.  Several what feels like countless outfits are worn, some for dress up play and some out of necessity.  They are princesses, but they are messy princesses.  The laundry piles stay high now matter what I do and how hard I work.  It is a good day when the clean, unfolded pile is higher than the dirty clothes pile.  I really think the clothes multiply and I really could write a whole other post on my theories about laundry...


Arts and crafts must take place and that can mean anything from drawing to taping numerous things to a wall to actually drawing or cutting something for Cinderella.  Cinderella loves tape and would probably be happy to get tape for Christmas.  To Sleeping Beauty, arts and crafts means "seek and destroy" her sister's hard work.  It usually ends with one in tears and the other laughing. Can you guess which one is laughing?!


We have numerous baby dolls to be swaddled, fed, burped, patted and stepped on.  :)  The last courtesy of Sleeping Beauty.  The girls ask one another to babysit their respective babies.  I feel bad for Cinderella's babies because Sleeping Beauty has yet to learn to be gentle.


We have fights over how to fix one's hair and who gets to go first and who gets which bow.  It is never dull here and if it is, it won't be for long because that is when they are up to something and yet another mess will ensue.


As one can see, it is certainly not boring here.  There are always messes, squabbles, drama, pretty clothes and accessories strewn about the house.   But there are always a lot of hugs, kisses and "I love you's." 


I am truly thankful.  

Savannah, GA in October 2010
Cinderella has her eyes closed.  :o)

Happy Thanksgiving from our pit to yours!  ;)

HaRRy PoTTer FaNaTiCS

A couple of weekends ago the King of the Crazies and I got away from our crazy kids for an anniversary weekend.  It was his year to decide what we do and where we go and he picked Universal's Islands of Adventure.   This post will be about the Harry Potter crazies fans, the Harry Potter village area and Hogwarts.

I read online that if you wanted to ride the Harry Potter ride, you should go there first.  Because it was new we of course wanted to go on it.  We got there before the park opened and were held back once inside the park until the clock struck 9:30 AM.   After that, for some, it was the race of all time.  We took our time.  Some people broke into a full on sprint.  There was also frantic walking, people jumping up to see ahead of where they couldn't wait to get.  It was all quite comical.

Anyway...

Disclaimer:  Know that I did not read the books but a saw a few movies.  The husband has read all the books and seen most of the movies.  So I may be wrong in some of my labeling. 

The Harry Potter village area:

 Hogwarts.  This is where the "Forbidden Journey" ride was.  This ride was not the old "Dueling Dragons" but it is in that area as a Harry Potter ride.  This ride used a movie screen and jerked you around a lot.  I think I got hurt. ;o)  It did move and I think it blew hot air on us at one point.

 I thought it was funny that black birds were flying around and landing on the point.

Some statue inside the castle where we waited for the ride.

 There were faces on these!

 The architecture was amazing.

 :)

 My feet while on the ride!  Buhahaha

 Me with the car.  My husband thought it would be funny to cut me in half.

 Hogwarts students and singing toads?

 Hagrid's home

We also found out that there are three rides in this area that are H.P. themed.  This one, the old Dueling Dragons coaster (which is actually two roller coasters) and what appeared to be a kiddie roller coaster.  (We did not ride that one.) 

These gals were in front of us in the line for the ride.  We later found out you had to wait in a line to get into the store to spend money!

The boy in the dress/cape again.

Nimbus 2000?!  We heard someone that had been in the store saying how one of the brooms (or was it a wand?) was $250.  Um, nothankyouverymuch.  Oh, if only I were as cool as this man.  ;)

A Flashback to Eight Years Ago

I married my best friend...

Me and my girls: My sister Amy, my long time friend Leslie, college roommate Leah, cousin Lisa and my sister in law Charlotte.

My groom with his dad and nephew Grant, Steve, brother in law Greg, future (at the time) brother in law Jon, and my brother Jason

During the vows

"True Love's Kiss"  :o)

The Mr. and Mrs.

Our wedding party

The cake

The groom's cake

Our rings in our flowers

Here's to many more years!