Been a while and I need to update

So today you will be getting a video of the girls cheering!! This was their first game! Caroline is so cute. She says she gets really nervous at the games because everyone is looking at her.

Few pictures from Christmas for you

Merry belated Christmas to all of you who venture to read this. Actually I am not really sure who reads this anymore. Leave me a comment if you do so I know who I am talking to.

Anyway, Disney was great again. We always have such a great time there. This year we got a great campsite just feet away from the boat to take you to the Magic Kingdom. We loved it and it was so convenient and cut down tremendously on our travel time to and from places. We didn't need a bus to get us back to our campsite this year. AND we didn't need to rent a golf cart either.

We returned just in time for Christmas and Christmas Eve and day were great. The kids were worn out by the end of it all and didn't complain one bit about going to bed. Santa was good to them and so was Mamaw and Grandpa. They gave them Nintendo DS games!!! All three learned quickly that you can "text" each other if you are close by. So that night I found them all in their beds in their own rooms giggling and texting each other. I think a new rule is coming....

I leave you with a few pictures of the day.

Hanging up the stockings:

Kenneth's Grandmother:

The Bean fashioning a boa fleece scarf made by your's truly!

Gotta love Mom's duck lips!

Thanks Aunt Jenn for the Webkinz! (Can I adopt them now, now,now???)

New sweater from Mom!

I just love gift sets! The man of the hour got a bread dipping set!

Santa time!!!

We went to see Santa today and it was fun but the kids decided that they enjoy seeing Santa but just don't want to go so early in the morning. We got them up at 6:30 and were out of the house by 7:15 to be there by 7:45 so we could see Santa at 8! We bought tickets to see Santa prior to the general public. They only allowed 25 families and it cost us $50, but it was well worth not getting extra family help to stand in line and wait out in the freezing cold for HOURS (yes, hours!!) until they opened the doors. So we went in a side door and by 8:30 we were done seeing Santa and off to breakfast.

The kids were whiney (but not with Santa) but we survived the morning. Caroline didn't want to wear her dress and worse her pantyhose!! Allie was just whiney and Nicholas picked on everyone which just made the girls more whiney! When we got home from breakfast we shuttled the kids into the family room and we took a quick impromptu Christmas family picture. This was a "one take wonder" and we were surprised at how it turned out well on the first take. I think it is a pretty good picture. But check out Nicholas! I think we have a cheeseball on our hands. But then again, we are all pretty 'cheesy'....

My no good horrible very bad day

Well the first part of the day was fine, then the no good horrible very bad part started on the ride home from work. I was asked by my husband to pick the kids up from the bus which meant that I had to leave right at the end of the day, as soon as the kids leave my classroom to be able to get to the bus on time. So I did. I hightail it out to the car and get in and head on home. Driving down the road before I get to the on ramp for the interstate I notice a cop car pass me and then get in front of me a few cars up and then hop on the on ramp for the interstate. I think to myself, "boy, I hope he cruises along because I need to get moving today." I hate passing cop cars because I always feel weird, not that I do anything wrong or drive past the speed limit, because I don't ever, plus my car has a little shimmy in the front end when I even approach 60 miles an hour so I don't usually get up that high. Anyway, we all get on the interstate, the cop car then two cars in front of me and then me and then there is another car behind me that entered from the on ramp too. So we are cruising about 55 down the highway, and I am thinking "wow, I am going to make the bus." I call Kenneth on the phone and tell him that I will make it to the bus and not to worry. His phone is dying he says so the conversation is short.

Cruising along all of the sudden the cop car puts on his lights and pulls over to the side of the road. So the other two cars in front of me pass him and I pass him thinking "that is strange he hasn't pulled anyone over and is sitting with his lights on all by himself, weirdo" and I pass and the car behind me passes him. I glance in the rearview mirror and see that he now is pulling back out on the highway and moves into the middle lane. Stange cop. He passes the car behind me who backs off me and he approaches my car and slides in behind me with his lights on. Oh shit!

Okay now this is where I have to back up. A month ago my stepfather said I had a brake light out in the back. Kenneth said he would fix it. I told him then and I remember the conversation pretty clearly that he needed to fix it right away because I work where a lot of police are coming and going all the time and that I will get pulled for that. He said, "yeah yeah yeah blah blah blah I will fix it." (not in those exact words but you get the idea - in one ear and out the other.) I reminded him again a few weeks later and then again. So now this is three times!!! blah blah blah.

Here is the other little problem. AND I admit, I have had an expired license for some time now. Okay 4 years. I don't remember why I couldn't go get it renewed, yes I know how easy it is to renew, but I didn't and I am sure it is because of Kenneth that I couldn't get it renewed, I am sure it was. So last spring I went to get it renewed and I needed a birth certificate. Well, I don't have one so I had to order one from Maryland. It took some days and when it got here I arranged to go and get it renewed. I walked into DMV and they asked me for proof of residency like a water bill or deed to my house or something with proof on it. I didn't have it so I came home. I never went back, I am pretty sure it was because Kenneth couldn't give me the time to do it or something. So, yes, expired license.

Okay, so the cop is walking up to my car taps on my brake light and asks me for my drivers license and registration. So I lean over and get my registration out of the glove box. (sidebar here, it has been a very long time since I was pulled over and frankly I never look at the registration of the vehicle so I am not sure what it looks like) I pull out of the glove box something that has the DMV heading on it and hand it to him and say "is this my registration?" He takes it and looks at it and says "is this your car?" Uh, yeah, if I were going to steal a car I wouldn't pick one that looks as crappy as this minivan and has a bunch of trash in it and oh look bonus three carseats in the back!

"Yes sir it is".

"Did you know you have a tail light out."

"no sir I didn't. I am on my way to get my kids off the school bus, and am cutting it close right now."

"well your light is out."

"I promise to get it fixed right away. May I go now and get my kids, they are little and have no one waiting for them."

"I need to see your driver's license maam." (oh shit here it comes.)

(crap crap crap) I hand it to him.

"Ma'am did you know this expired."

"WHAT???? Expired???" (knowing full well, but putting on a good act)

"Why, yes it expired, uh in 2004"

"2004!!!! That was a long time ago."

"Do you have another one, a valid one?"

"No that is the only one I have."

"I need to get my kids, can I promise to get that fixed too?" Batting my eyelashes -okay not really but asking sweetly."

He walks away, Shit!

I sit there and I call my neighbor. No one answers, I call her cell phone, no one there. 5 minutes to the bus. I call Kenneth, he is way far away and won't make it. I hang up. I call the neighbor again and leave a message "please get my kids off the bus, I have been held up. Kenneth will pick them up from you."

The cop comes back smirking a bit, oh shit shit shit.

He hands me both tickets, one for the light (damn you Kenneth) and one for the license (bad me but wouldn't have gotten caught if Kenneth had fixed the light).

He then says, "is there anyone who can pick up the kids because I can't allow you to drive."

"WHAT???"

"No ma'am, you can't drive without a license. You need to find someone who can come get you and take you and your car home."

"you are kidding me!"

"No ma'am you can not drive."

"Well, it is going to be at least an hour before my husband can come get me. You are going to stay with me on the side of the road here until he comes right?" (remember we are on the shoulder of a HIGHWAY)

"Oh no, I can't stay with you that long but I will let you drive to the nearest exit and you can stay at the gas station until he comes."

"Okay" and he gets in his car and follows me 1/2 mile to the 7-11 and leaves me there.

Now you are thinking. Why didn't you just call Kenneth and tell him not to get you and you would drive yourself home? The cop is gone right? NO he hangs out in the intersection and starts pulling over cars who are running the red lights and lurking in the area. UGH!

I watched him pull over two cars while I was waiting for Kenneth to come get my ass. He gets our neighbor to drive him and the kids to get me. GREAT!!! Now we have involved others. I don't need the neighbors to hear about this. ACKKK!

This cop was young and what can only make sense to me is that he saw my brake light out way back on the other road and he had to think about it for a long time before deciding to pull me over. Then made such an ordeal out of pulling me over. I have NEVER seen a cop pull over let cars pass then get out in the traffic and then pull me over. please. That is a rookie move.

So I had to take the day off and go get my driver's license renewed today. Of all days today, my birthday! I made Kenneth go with me and sit there for the two hours that it took to take the test and the road test and get my picture taken, I made him pay the bill, and finally leave. THEN I made him get me breakfast! (okay that part was his idea)

I am legal now until 2016! Remind me when I need to get it renewed again.

Oh, when we got home from the ordeal last night, Kenneth put in the lightbulb in the back of the car. Do you know how long it took him? two minutes!

I seem to remember the last ticket I had was Kenneth's fault too. He made me drive his mercedes to work one day and I got pulled over for having expired plates. He had the stickers but hadn't bothered to put them on. He paid for that ticket too!

Christmas is upon us

And I am not ready yet. In years past I have gotten most of my Christmas shopping done the weekend before Thanksgiving. Then I scan the Black Friday ads and end up doing a lot of exchanges and returns and rebuys that weekend because of the sales. So not this year. I decided to wait until Black Friday to BEGIN my shopping. We are on a tighter than tight budget this year so I really have to watch my pennies. But today the Monday before Thanksgiving I am feeling a bit out of sorts. I feel like I am behind the curve for shopping and such.

I have three weeks before we go to disney world again and that isn't much time. December 13th is out due to us seeing Santa in the morning. I can use that afternoon but really want to be done done before then. I had thought of doing some holiday shopping on line this year but just haven't mentally gotten there yet either.

I really need to get my act together. I think I know what is bogging me down and I hope to have that cleared up tonight. It is that the Christmas tree isn't in the family room. We thought of putting it in the living room but it looks so lonely in there and we don't really use that room so it isn't in a place that we can sit and enjoy the tree. It isn't in the room that we live in. So here is the problem. All my scrapbooking and crafting stuff is in the corner where we usually put the Christmas tree. That means that I have to clear out all my stuff and put it somewhere so we can move the tree down there. I considered swapping my scrapbook stuff to the living room which isn't such a bad idea but then that room really is a more formal room and I tend to be messy with my stuff so it isn't quite the right place. So at this point I have to pack it all up. Yup ALL of it. And that is what I am going to do tonight. I started yesterday and I am about a third done. Tonight it just needs to go somewhere.

Just to get you in the mood for decorating your house, here are some links that you might like!

http://bucketideasforchristmas.blogspot.com/ (too many trees for me but I picked up an idea or two anyway) Scroll all the way down to the big pictures. there are soo many trees!!!

http://www.100daystochristmas.com/ cool give aways and lots of ideas on what to do to get ready for Christmas.

Apple Picking, becoming a family tradition

A few years ago, well 5 years, we went apple picking for the first time. The kids were squirts and we actually didn't even pick from the trees. It was super cold on top of the mountain and we got out of the car, well not the kids and Kenneth, and I bought a bunch of apples and some cider and some apple cider donuts. I hopped back in the car quickly and we headed back down the mountain and started back home.

Since then just about every year we have taken the kids apple picking. No, we didn't go 4 years ago, we skipped that year, but we did go 3 years ago and last year and this year. Anyway, we have been going. Sometimes we make a day out of it and pick apples, eat a picnic lunch and have a great time. Last year it was hotter than all get out on top of the mountain but the kids had fun climbing the trees and picking the apples. We bought the requisite donuts and headed down the mountain with about 100 lbs of apples. This year was no different. Well it sort of was. Today we went apple picking. We woke up late this morning and in no real hurry or time table we mosied up the mountain to pick. It was crowded more than I remember in the past. Oh my, the apple paying for line was 20 minutes long and the lines for the donuts were so long I didn't even try. The kids were hot and thirsty and we headed for the car after picking our apples. This year we were lucky because we were there for the Golden Delicious picking. Last year we picked Winesaps which were fine but our favorite is Golden Delish! So with our car laidened down with 125 lbs of apples we headed down the mountain, sans the donuts!

Instead of heading straight home, we decided to take a little ride to UVA and we showed the kids Edgar Alan Poe's dorm room and we crossed the street and I showed them the whispering wall. The kids loved it and thought it was great that you only had to whisper to hear really well on the other side and if you stand at the fountain in the middle you can't hear a thing. I told the kids that this was a very special school for kids who do really really well in their grades and they get to go to college here. They were a bit impressed but they didn't understand why anyone would want to go away from their moms and dads and live somewhere else other than home to go to school. "Oh, don't worry, when you get older you will too, I promise you." Nicholas said never and Allie thought for a minute and said no I don't think I will move away either. Caroline, didn't have any response. I think she will be the one to go far far away, and then I will cry.

So I leave you with a few pictures of the day:

Beautiful Fall Days

I love the fall, the crisp air, no humidity, warm sunshine, and the changing colors of the leaves. There isn't much that I don't like about the fall. While the fall represents an end to the year and the natural growth season, for me it represents a new beginning. The new school year starts, the heat in the house gets turned on, fires in the fireplace. I also love that I get this energized feeling to reorganize the house, declutter, and basically clean out. Maybe it is because the holidays are coming up and I need the house clean and straight for Thankgiving and Christmas. Maybe it is because we tend to spend more time in the house and I am now noticing all my junk laying around me in piles.

Last weekend I cleaned and decluttered my bedroom. Kenneth doesn't seem to pile things like I do and it was nice to go through all the piles of clothes all around the room. Not only did I fill three big green trash bags full but I also filled a white kitchen trash bag and tossed a full bag (at least) of trash. Boy did it feel good.

The girls have reclaimed their own rooms again too and we rearranged their furniture and Caroline set aside three boxes of toys to go in the attic. Allie is enjoying her big bed again and Caroline loves sleeping in the loft that we made from their bunkbeds.

I still have some reorganizing in Nicholas' room and I need to go through the stuff in the living room cabinets and in the utility room. Then my fall cleaning will be done.

It's Talk Like A Pirate Day!

And for all you mateys out there. You may call me:

My pirate name is:

Mad Anne Flint

Every pirate is a little bit crazy. You, though, are more than just a little bit. Like the rock flint, you're hard and sharp. But, also like flint, you're easily chipped, and sparky. Arr!

Get your own pirate name from piratequiz.com.
part of the fidius.org network

Just in case you were wondering

Your DJ Name Is:

DJ Smokin' Nerd

What's Your DJ Name?

Of All THINGS!!!

Guess What?

You Are a Moderate Mama

You're not overly political, and your views fall more with the American mainstream. In fact, it may be difficult for you to decide who to vote for at times! Your approach to politics is reasoned and well though out.

Are You a Liberal Lady or a Conservative Chick?

I think that about sums it up! And look, I am cute too!

Two Kinds of People

One thing that I have learned today in my meeting: There are people who work to live and people who live to work and the two are COMPLETELY different! I have discovered (okay I already knew) I am a live to work person. I don't get knit picky with technicalities, minutes and seconds, and with the small details of life. Oh my, There are people who I work with that are work to live-ers. They have to have everything down to the detail, the minute and second, and spelled out exactly clear as a bell. It is really driving me crazy!

Case and point: for the past 3 years Mr. Brandt and I have worked together HERE, with the same rules. If a child has been here 5 days or more we give them a grade on their report card. So today, Brad says if a child has been here 5 days then give him a grade. Then Mr. Brandt says is that five or more give him a grade or if 5 or fewer no grade? Now the technicality here is the kid who has been here 5 days exactly. To give a grade or not to give a grade that is the real question. On the report card there is a comment that we can choose that says "no grade given, student enrolled 5 or fewer days", which means if he has been here 5 days then you don't have to give a grade. But, oh you see the issue here, I don't have to define it further!

Now, I say,we have always given them a grade at day 5 so if they are here on day 5 give them a grade, day 4 no grade. This is what we have been doing last year and the year before. It hasn't changed. Why argue the point? It just wastes time and makes me frustrated!!! ERRGG!

Ever have a day where you just can't get going?

Well, that is me today. I can't seem to get moving. I got up, had two cups of coffee, surfed the net, made and ate lunch, moved on to cold caffene, and ate a candy bar. All I have is blurry eyes and a tired butt from sitting. So what do I do, work on my chair adjustments so it is more comfortable. Oh yeah, I am at work supposed to be working.

Nothing is getting done.

On another note about midnight last night Caroline posed this question to me. "Mommy, did you know that sharks wiggle when they sleep? Why do you think they do that?"

Anyone know the answer? I told her in my tired state of half sleep I was in that it was because they didn't want any other sharks or other animals who might eat sharks to think that they were asleep so when they wiggle it makes them look like they are awake so no one will eat them.

But not that I think about it, what other animals eat sharks? Now I am getting a headache.

The Olympics in Legos

Even though I want to update my blog with more puppy pictures I thought you all would enjoy this site more.

http://www.anewmorning.com/2008/08/13/beiging-olympics-lego-style/

It is pretty impressive!!! But check out the shot where you can see the swimmers and look for the guy with the machine gun.

Wonder where this is. I would love to see it up close.

Welcome Annabelle!

Say hello to our newest member of the family.

This is Annabelle! She is 7 weeks old and a Golden Retriever.

Isn't she cute???

Update on work

Well, I can forgive but I can't forget. That is the motto of the month. I am so not a collector of memories of wrongs committed against me. I move on quickly from events that are hurtful or that anger me. So with that I find myself going back to the same friendly conversation and such with these horrible people who I have to call co-workers. Jennifer Warren, remember her??? Well she has been trying to befriend me again and making fun chit chat and such. Mrs. Bomba, the one who had to consult others if she could go out with us for lunch last year and they said she couldn't go with us has decided to grow up a bit and is now making her own decisions and is trying to hang out with me more and wants to include me more in the lunches, etc. I keep her at arms' length but have obliged her and accepted her invitation to eat with her.

I had a conversation earlier this week with Brad our principal and he was talking about having a conversation with the staff about negative talk about each other and to each other as well as gossiping. So with that conversation I wanted to keep a bit of distance with the others before this talk we will get either next week or the week after. I just don't want to be associated with those who actively do this on a regular basis. So I have been eating in my room and not really talking much to others, which is fine with me anyway. When I eat with the group I usually end up with a belly ache or head ache from having to hear Mr. Levy, know everything about everything and complain and exagerate about everything too. Oh my, just gives me a headache thinking about it.

So that is my work update. I do have to say, Joel Hughes the PE teacher has been particularly nice to me recently which is a bit odd because he was the one who yelled at me last year because I was saying good morning to him every day last year. I am cordial but again, arm's length!!!

I am so sad....

I only have four more days left of my summer vacation. I return to work on Friday, August 1. We have a teacher work day on Friday and then start up with kids on Monday. I am so sad. I am more sad because I still hate everyone that I work with and I so don't want to go back to work.

Kenneth and I were talking and mused about taking the kids out of school and traveling around homeschooling the kids in our camper for the next year and selling my hairbows in craft shows to make money (and on line of course!) Do you know how many hairbows I would have to sell to make any money??? We would have to form a good ole "sears sweatshop" kicking out hairbows by the hundreds!!! It is fun to muse though.....

Okay, so back to reality. I want to really work on my Disney album and finish that up before I go back to school and I know the kids will want to spend a bunch of time at the pool so we will be spending the next four days here at the house and down at the pool with that clock ticking ever so much faster now....

I do have to say that I have really enjoyed having our camper down at Grey's Point Campground. The kids love it and we really like getting away every weekend again. It has been a long three years since we piled in the car on Fridays and headed down to the river for the weekend. We will continue to go through the fall and I am looking forward to the quiet fall weekends down there. I hope that Nicholas will want to do some fishing in the fall and that the girls will enjoy swimming in the warm river water once the jellyfish move out of there.

They have asked me (Grey's Point) to do some crafts with the kids. Last weekend I did notecards with them and will do that again this coming weekend and then in two weeks I will be painting with the kids.

What's in a name???

Mine is Whitney:

What Whitney Means

You are very charming... dangerously so. You have the potential to break a lot of hearts. You know how what you want, how to get it, and that you will get it. You have the power to rule the world. Let's hope you're a benevolent dictator! You are truly an original person. You have amazing ideas, and the power to carry them out. Success comes rather easily for you... especially in business and academia. Some people find you to be selfish and a bit overbearing. You're a strong person. You tend to be pretty tightly wound. It's easy to get you excited... which can be a good or bad thing. You have a lot of enthusiasm, but it fades rather quickly. You don't stick with any one thing for very long. You have the drive to accomplish a lot in a short amount of time. Your biggest problem is making sure you finish the projects you start. You are a seeker. You often find yourself restless - and you have a lot of questions about life. You tend to travel often, to fairly random locations. You're most comfortable when you're far away from home. You are quite passionate and easily tempted. Your impulses sometimes get you into trouble. You are very intuitive and wise. You understand the world better than most people. You also have a very active imagination. You often get carried away with your thoughts. You are prone to a little paranoia and jealousy. You sometimes go overboard in interpreting signals. You are friendly, charming, and warm. You get along with almost everyone. You work hard not to rock the boat. Your easy going attitude brings people together. At times, you can be a little flaky and irresponsible. But for the important things, you pull it together. You are a free spirit, and you resent anyone who tries to fence you in. You are unpredictable, adventurous, and always a little surprising. You may miss out by not settling down, but you're too busy having fun to care.

What's" Your Name's Hidden Meaning?

The Zucchini is gone!!!

The other night we stayed up until 2pm making bread and butter pickles. It was a process but they taste pretty good and you can't even tell it is zucchini and not cucumbers.

So the zucchini is officially gone. Every single last bit of it.

I made some chocolate zucchini bread last week and it was wonderful. We are still eating on the second loaf this week. The kids love it, mainly because they have no clue it has zucchini in it. Well, Caroline knows but she is keeping the secret. Everytime we cut a piece she gives me this eye saying, "I know what is in it, mom" without saying it outloud. I am really surprised that she is keeping the secret! But so far so good.

We are off to the river for the rest of the week. It is in our attempt to cure the kids of their lice that they acquired when we went to see Wall-e in the movie theater. Their heads were full of it and I didn't notice until a full two weeks after the movies that they had it. This has been a nightmare here and I don't think I will ever recover from the amount of laundry I am doing daily to keep up with disinfecting the sheets, blankets, towels, etc. I hope we never get it again. So apparently they don't live more than 24 hours off the host so in our attempt to rid the kids of it we are moving from house to trailer in 48 hour increments. We were in the house here first for 48 hours, then the trailer at the river for 2 days and then back here for 2 days and now we are heading back to the river and will just stay there until Sunday.

Jenn, I don't think you know but mom does. The kids when they get to the river, run to the camp store and get the schedule of events. They have something going on almost every hour all day long. From the biggest splash contest at the pool, to waterslide races, to watermelon seed spitting contests (which Kenneth is now the reining champion for the year in the adult category), to paddleboat fun, to kids arts and crafts to movie night to hayrides, to train rides, oh the list goes on.....and on.....and on. So they get the schedule of the events for the week or weekend and sit down and pour over it and schedule their weekend. Last weekend they didn't have time to go see George or have lunch at Mom's or take a boatride with Bob. Nope they had too much to do. Which is fine because I don't hear, "I'm bored mom" and now that we moved campsites we are closer to the pavillion where this all takes place!

Okay, off to finish laundry and get out of here!!!

New Etsy Shop

The craft show went well. I made $100 and I have a bunch of cards that I haven't sold yet. I opened an Etsy shop to sell the cards and my hair bows. Go check it out!!! I will give a family and friends discount!! It is Whitney's Cards & Gifts.

The zucchini is still overwhelming but I can only stink up the house for a little while making relish before I can't stand the smell anymore. I would never be able to work in a pickle factory. I am also making copious amounts of zucchini bread and I just found out about a zucchini cake that takes 4 cups of zucchini. We are having zucchini for dinner every night too. Too bad it doesn't freeze well.

Oh boy was it a GOOD dinner!!!

Yeah we had dinner...

and drinks... Well... you figure out the rest. Look at that margarita!

It was HUGE!!!! And this was our second round and we had no business having a second round cause our food didn't come with the first round and well...it was huge!!! We all drank from it and.........