The Magic of Pajama Pants

Today was a less than stellar day at work so the first thing I did when I got home was change into jammie pants. The fact that it was raining just cemented the necessity of such clothing. There is something magical about them. It's sorta like making a statement that you are done with the outside world. From that point on you will only be surrounded by those you love.

Which brings me to an equally important part. Jammie pants should not be worn outside your home. Granted you may wear them while going to the mailbox or watering your flowers. And in a special exception, we have been known to wear them over to some very close friends house when we know we will be there til the wee hours of the morning. Beyond that- wear real clothes. A good rule of thumb- if you are wondering whether or not it is appropriate to wear jammie pants --don't. I love them as much as the next guy but I sure don't want to see that next guy wearing his at WalMart.

So go on out and get you some cutesy jammie pants! Enjoy the magic. But do stay indoors.

No Words

There are no words that cover the loss Steven Curtis Chapman and his family have experienced in the death of their 5 year old daughter. Read the story here and please be praying for this sweet family- not just today and tomorrow but for the days, weeks, and months to come. Express condolences and meet Maria through a family video blog here.

Overdue

I'd be ashamed to admit how long it had been since Brad and I had gone away for a weekend. Let's just say that last time we left behind 2 kids instead of 3. But last weekend we got the heck outta dodge and headed south. It was long overdue. Our destination- Sunset Beach. Where else is there? We had a fabulous time. Yes, fabulous. We spent a good little amount of time on the beach--but not in the water. Purple lips was not the fashion statement I was aiming for. Apparently air temperature heats up way faster than water temperature. Another apparent thing, Harleys aren't just for the youngins. This happened to be Biker weekend in Myrtle so when we ventured down there to shop we were quickly introduced to Biker culture. While they very well may all be tattooed, they are not all young. Or thin. Enough said.

Back at home the kids were wined and dined by "Osborn." Osborn is our favorite education professional. She is also one of our favorite people in general. She just rocks. They swam, skipped rocks, took walks, ate out, slumbered in the living room, and probably did some other way cool stuff that I shouldn't know about. I hope Osborn has recovered because we'd like to pencil in some more dates. Is it too soon to bring that up???

Game Time

My second annual authors tea has come and gone. As I was trying to explain the magnitude of the event, I told Brad this is the superbowl of Kindergarten. And the kindercubs scored. Knowing a little more what to expect this year, I was able to concentrate more on cutesy things like cup pyramids, color coordinated table decor, and an adorable slide show presentation of the year in review. That one was a last minute idea taken from another teacher. I didn't even know we had the capabilities but when she showed me how to project it on the big screen- I was in. After a few (many) hours it was done and adorable. I have a photogenic group of kiddos!

Ashley surprised me by working from home so she could come in and help with set up. That was awesome. I need someone to keep me grounded on events like this. Otherwise I could (and would) obsess over napkin placement for a solid 20 minutes. Thank you again Ashley. You rock!

See her making that punch?! I drank it even with those ice cream floaty things in there. ;)

So...what's in store for next years tea? Maybe a superbowl halftime worthy presentation? Some song and dance number- wait we did that this year!

Kindergarten. Gotta love it...especially where summer is only three weeks away.

My mom loves this commercial. Yes. MY mother. Stop the music below before playing.

Friendly Competition

My husband is extremely competitive. If you did not know this about him then you have never played a game- board, video, card, or other with him. When he works out at the gym he will watch others speed and time on the treadmill so he knows how much faster and longer he needs to work. Seriously. I'm ashamed to admit that a little of this seems to have rubbed off onto me.

I get on the arc trainer tonight and choose to be next to the girl that appeared to be struggling. She was moving pretty slow and had 25 minutes left. So I set my timer for 30 minutes and got started- faster than her. However, at closer glance (spy) I saw she had her resistance set to 60. 60! Who does that? Mine was at 20. 20 is respectable. 60 is insane. OK, now I understood the slow factor. I can't beat the 60 but I can stay on there longer than she does. At the end of her time she hopped off and walked away. She didn't even stay to read her data. Again, who does that? Who does not stay to read exactly how far, how long, how many calories yada yada? So I did the friendly thing and read it for her. (not to her- just for her.)

Holy crap! She didn't do 30 minutes- she did 40! So you know what that means....I did 45. Brad was proud.

Big Day

Happy birthday Gentry. We are thinking about you tonight and wish we were there to celebrate with you. Miss you and love you bunches Lulu!

Count Me In

So you all hear me talk about Pastor George and COTM. Many of you listen to the CDs but have never been able to go in person. Well Hallelujah- they are now posting videos on their website. CHECK THEM OUT I believe this was the series around Easter? Save the link. Keep watching. And if you live in the area (Kendra) get over there this weekend and every weekend. Plug in. Plug the kids in.

You'll Be Jealous Too

Two posts in one night but this picture just couldn't wait. Andy loves his new spiky hair. He has told me that he is lucky and he knows I am jealous. Where did he learn the word jealous?

I Was Wrong

I was wrong about my "Syewho?" comment. Syesha has rocked the stage the last couple weeks. I can hardly wait for tonights show....it's gotta be time for Jason to go home and wash that mess of a head. Of course David Cook is still my fav but I had to add Proud Mary to the blog in Syesha's honor. This idol thing is kinda fun...not sure why I never watched before.

Come on Summer

We are definitely in countdown mode. The days are longer, the temperature is warmer, and the trees are in prime climbing condition. As I type right now I can look out the window and see 2 out of 3 of my kids in a tree- "reading." Brad is diligently working on the front yard. We have never moved into a house with a good yard but it's also never taken us this long to turn a bad one into a good one. Brad is determined that this year is the year. He has been seeding and fertilizing and watering (can we water? if not, please don't turn us in). We did see a worm in the flowerbed this weekend- awesome sign. Two years and this is our first worm. That gives you a clue to what we are dealing with...

So come on summer. We are ready to stay up a little later and sleep in a little later. Ready to start our summer schedule which will include two new segments- walking Spicy time and playing school with Andy time. We've gotta get that child to remember #9 when he is counting!!!

Come on summer.

Home Is Where They Love You

I recently purchased a cutesy sign that says, "home is where they love you." I love that. It offered a little justification to me that I can call Oklahoma home and North Carolina home because I am blessed to have people that love me in both places. I had some deep thoughts while traveling last weekend that I will spare the blog reader of for the most part but one thing I just keep tossing around is the hometown aspect that this move has had on our kids.

For example, even if I live in North Carolina for the next 60 years, my hometown will always be Claremore, Oklahoma- home of the red and white zebras. However, to my kids red and white zebras will sound insane. They will think that winding roads that change names 3 times are normal. They will also think every kid grows up in a neighborhood that is actually its own little town with a Chinese restaurant, doctors office, and frequent festivals. I love that. I love that they will not know what real wind is. However, they will know about high and low tide, a wide variety of trees, sea turtles, and a healthy dose of civil war history.

While I worry that because of the constant growth and change here they won't have such strong sentimental ties to a school mascot, they will have an ability to adapt and meet new people. Within 30 minutes of their "hometown" they can watch a pro football game, pan for gold, see a Nascar race, visit many museums and performing arts venues, attend a huge variety of concerts, eat and shop until their little hearts are content, and see the best display of spring and fall foliage anywhere in the US.

We live in a fantastic place to raise a family. This is a great hometown. Not that we wouldn't have been happy somewhere else- but clearly this is home.