The Tooth Fairy is coming to our house!!!

First let me say, I just posted several pictures to the right and they are not in exact order, some from Christmas that I wanted to include and then a couple from tonight.
First ~ Christmas. Vince's sister, Rhonda sent Carson & Emilia these Santa bags for Christmas this year and just so happens, we let them open these gifts on Christmas Eve, so Santa was able to leave their gifts in them on Christmas morning and it was the neatest thing. They had a good time getting in them the night they opened them though.
Then there is the picture of Nannie & Papa's five grandchildren - of course, my two, Carson 5, Emilia 3, then Todd's three, Pressly 12, Mari-Todd 8 (now 9) and Jack 5.
Then our news for the night. Carson really likes corn-on-the-cob and has been asking for me to cook it for a while now. Emilia had gymnastics this afternoon and Carson stayed home with Vince. I had put pork chops in the crock pot earlier and had put sweet potatoes in the oven before I left. After gymnastics I decided to go ahead and go to the grocery store and get groceries then rather than tomorrow when I'd have no help putting them up and have two kids with me. When we passed the corn I got a pack for Carson to have with our supper. I got home, made sausage cheese cornbread, and put the corn in a pot to cook. I then went for a short jog and when I got home it was all ready. So we sat at the table to eat. Carson kept complaining that "his teeth hurt" I kept telling him it was probably due to his sinuses since he has been sneezing a good bit the past few days and has a runny nose. After several attempts he still couldn't eat his corn, so I offered to cut it off and he accepted. After we were finished he and Vince went to watch T.V. and Emilia and I were still in the kitchen when Vince called me to say, "This boy has a loose tooth!!!" I ran to see, it's the bottom left, and oh me, he is NOT excited. I can't say I am either, I know I'm a trauma nurse and see lots of gross things but my goodness, I can't hardly stand the thought of pulling a tooth!! If Vince can't do it and Papa's not available to do it, I guess he'll have to go to the dentist!!! Anyway, he has teared up and is asking a TON of questions, like how did papa pull my teeth, did it hurt, when does the tooth fairy come, what does she bring, how long will it be before it comes out..... I had found tooth pillows when Emilia was just a baby that I thought were so cute, and knowing we'd need them one day, went ahead and bought both of them one. So, to try to make things more exciting I went and got both of their pillows out and that is what you see them holding in the pictures. I'll let you know how the tooth pulling goes!!!

Thankful for My Friends...

This week started out really busy for me, I am fortunate that I am able to make my own work schedule around everything else that goes on in my family, trying not to miss things that are important. I try to work about 24 hours each week and if I get a few extra that's fine too, although it's not always my goal. When Carson started Kindergarten, in order to take him and pick him up each day, I decided that I would try going back to nights. I knew I once could do them, but those were the days I could come home and sleep all day the following day. I hadn't tried it with kids yet. Anyway, I decided that if I didn't schedule two in a row, I thought I'd make it and I have. I normally find something to do to keep me busy, whether it's going to the church to visit with Lisa and work on that coming Sunday's Sunday School stuff or visit with another friend. And normally as long as I'm busy I'm fine until I pick Carson up at 1130 and we come home, eat lunch and take a 2 hour nap and I'm good then until after supper and time for bed. Well, this week, I don't know what I was thinking but I worked 12 hours Monday night and then was scheduled for 8 more on Tuesday night, which wasn't too bad but it was like working two in row. So, Tuesday morning, did my normal routine after working, took a shower, woke up the kids, ate breakfast, and we were off to school. I came back home and did some picking up and then I layed on the couch for about45 minutes, while Emilia played, with a timer set as well as the phone. She is so sweet when I need a nap like this after being up all night. Then I went to get Carson, we did the usual, ate, played a little and actually this day we went for a walk in the neighborhood b/c the weather was so nice, before our most recent cold front. Then we layed down around 2:15, read our books and didn't wake up until 5. Needless to say I was about 15 minutes late for work, but oh well.
Anyway, my friend Angie, called and invited me over on Wednesday morning with a couple of other ladies we go to church with for breakfast. I stopped at McDonalds and got me a latte, with my free coupon I might add, and went right on over. While there, we visited and ate and before I left, Angie said, "I have you something" she had made lasagna the night before and made some extra for my family. Ready to go, just needed heated up, because she knew that I would be so tired and after a nap on Wednesday would be back at church that night.
After saying all this, I realize I have to work some for financial reasons, but I'm so thankful that I don't have to put my children in daycare everyday all year long and that I'm fortunate enough to be able to take my little man to school each day and pick him up. I realize this isn't the best plan for all moms but I wouldn't trade anything for it. Anyway, I made the decision after talking with Vince and praying to work the nights, for several reasons, I'm with my children all day during the day and their waking hours and leave just before supper, baths and bedtime on the nights I work (after I make them supper most of the time). So, I'm really not gone from them but about 6-8 hours a week that they are awake. I also make a little more money working nights and that makes me not have to work as much. So, I feel like I can't really complain or whine and I try not too but it's so nice when someone else notices that I'm so tired and they do something sweet for me and my family to help me out. THANK YOU ANGIE!!! You're a great friend and I love you!!!

Disney Reservations Complete!!!

Yeah!!!! I think our Disney Reservations are complete..... For those of you who knew we were planning a trip, I am really a planner, as much as I think I can be. I started planning this trip this past August, as soon as I found out we were going. We are going with another family from New Albany that I grew up with and then when my parents found out, they asked if they could go too. And of course, we'd love to have two more sets of eyes helping to watch the four kids.
Since, I have been on-line, gotten a Disney planning book and kept up with special offers. Not every plan has fallen into place as planned but it's all worked out. I have been to Disney several times in the past but not with children of my own. I think that I can say I'm more excited about this trip than I've ever been and I want them to get as much of Disney as we can in seven days!!!!
We intended to stay in a "cheaper" resort but when I called back in November to make reservations there were only two available that had three different rooms close together and so we ended up at a little nicer place than we had intended. We will be staying at the Wilderness Lodge, which now, I am excited about. I've heard that it's similar to the Old Faithful Lodge at Yellowstone which I have also visited and it's beautiful. Anyway, when we found the deal of buy 4 nights get 3 free, we jumped on that. We were also able to get plane tickets for what I think was a very good deal. We will be flying out of Memphis, stopping in Atlanta and then to Orlando. I know that other people drive with smaller kids and more kids than I have but I am really glad that we aren't doing that. We take several trips a year to visit my grandmother in East TN which takes about 8-9 hours with bathroom breaks and then various other places and goodness, flying on this particular trip will just be a break for me!! and Vince. Anyway, the only reservations that hadn't been made were those for our meals through the meal plan. A couple of months ago I asked them what the FIRST day I could do this was and it was January 22, so I marked it on every calendar so I wouldn't forget. I was able to get a live person pretty quickly and make our dinner/breakfast reservations. I'm really excited and hope that we enjoy each one of them. Our first will be the morning after we arrive at Chef Mickey's YUMMY.
We're all looking forward to this and of course I'll post more after our trip. If anyone has any ideas or suggestions of things we MUST not miss, please send them to me. I also made the two older girls appointments at Bippidy Boppity Boutique. So they can look like a real princess all day one day:)

It's COLD outside....

My goodness, it sure is cold outside!!! It's really interfering with my exercise too. I get up every morning thinking it might be just a little warmer and I can go for a jog but for the past two weeks, I've only gotten out about twice, which makes me sick but oh well, I guess I should enjoy the break.
I did go Monday night/Tuesday morning at 1 am with a girl from work. We both got off and she's on a diet and asked me to go with her. Bless her heart, her legs are slightly shorter than mine and I don't think she realized that I walked so fast. She started out saying we would go 8 laps at the hospital track and I had to BEG her to go five. I did talk her into jogging/walking the last lap. I didn't realize how cold I was until I got home, got a shower, got in bed and thought I'd NEVER warm up.
Hopefully after tomorrow things will begin to warm up a bit and I can get back into my routine.
I guess yesterday was a big day in our world and I'm going to try to make a huge point to keep our new president in my prayers. I guess it's safe to say, he was not my pick and I've been a little nervous about what these years with him in charge may have in store for us but my sweet little boy reminded me yesterday of this... he said, "mama, a lot of people didn't want that man to be our President, but he's still a good person" I asked where he heard such and he said he didn't he just said it. Where does their wisdom come from??? They amaze me.
Something I do try to do for Carson & Emilia is save newspapers from events that happen that I think might be of interest to them when they are older. I have a newspaper for each of them from the day they were born, I actually saved the paper from 9/11 before I even had them, and I have papers from Hurricane Katrina since that was also the weekend that Emilia was born. I will add the paper from today to my cedar chest for them to look at when they are either in History class studying the above or are just older and would appreciate looking at it.

No School Today!!!!

Well, I've been really excited about no school today and thought we'd all sleep late. Carson has really been trying hard to stay in his bed all night long and is so proud of himself when he does, no to mention us. But for some reason last night they both ended up in our bed at some point. The sad part is we never know when they arrive, I guess we're so exhausted. Anyway, Emilia had to have been dreaming or something b/c she was a beast, kicking, squirming, moaning, etc. So at 5 I got up to check the temperature. I had debated back and forth if I would go run or not. Although my outside thermometer said 37 the wind sounded really bad, so after much more back and forth, I decided to go back to bed and enjoy my late sleeping, or what I thought would be, but I never did go back to sleep. Anyway, I stayed there, snuggled up with Carson, while Emilia actually slept and we got up around 8:30, then Emilia around 9. Since, we've been playing, doing laundry, and cleaning house. I was not suppose to work again until Wednesday but someone called at 6 and then again at 7 this morning to see if I might work for them tonight. Since Vince has now quit his job in Memphis, I decided it might not be a bad idea. So, I've started on supper for tonight as well and shortly we will be laying down to read books and take a nap before getting up, finishing supper and getting ready for work.
It sure is nice to be able to stay in and stay warm and I sure enjoy my little boy being home with Emilia and me all day!!!

Christmas ...

I can't believe I haven't mentioned Christmas. I never knew before I was a parent that Christmas day could be so exhausting. I guess when you stay up late getting everything in order for Christmas Day then you get woken up early to see what Santa left, there is a reason for being so tired.
We let Carson & Emilia open one gift on Christmas Eve night and they chose gifts from their Aunt Rhonda that lives in Georgia. She had sent them pottery barn Santa sacks that were monogrammed with their names and it was so cute. We left them out in the living room for Santa to put their things in and he did!!!
I always like to cook a good breakfast that we don't normally have on Christmas morning. Normally it's sausage and egg casserole b/c you can make it up and put in it the oven the next morning. This year I found a recipe from Paula Deen that was french toast casserole, which was similar, you made it the night before and put it in the fridge and then just baked it the next morning. We normally have fruit pizza and monkey bread as well but this year we had sausage balls, bacon and eggs.
My parents always like to come over Christmas morning to see what Santa brought but this year since they had no plans on Christmas Eve they came to over to eat supper with us and some friends that don't' have family here and spent the night. It was neat having us all here together to get up and see what Santa left and then open our gifts from each other.
After all the gifts, eating and playing we finally got dressed that afternoon out of our PJ's and then took a nap. I had looked on line at the movie schedule and saw that The Tale of Despereaux was showing at 5:05 that afternoon and asked Carson & Emilia if they would like to go after a nap. They said yes, so we all went to the movie and it was really cute. Nannie got us all popcorn and cokes and we had a great time. We then came back home to eat supper (tenderloin and some veggies) and then Nannie and Papa went back home to New Albany.
On Christmas Eve night, our friends, Ben & Angie and their children Madelyn and Jackson came over for supper. We had Cornish hens, sweet potato casserole, broccoli Parmesan, strawberry salad and sweet potato biscuits, then Angie brought chocolate chip pound cake, Vince's favorite. We have enjoyed having them the past three years now, since their family is out of town, it's just a fun time to eat, visit and play games. This year the kids made reindeer food to put in the yard that night.
Today is the end of yet another year, and I wish you all a HAPPY 2009 with lots more memories to be made. I'm looking forward to it!!!!

Thanks Sonya...

Yeah, I finally figured it out with short instructions from my friend Sonya!!
I just picked the first one I came upon to see if I could get it to work and it did, so expect to see this one for a while :)
We sure have been enjoying this warm weather and sunshine!!! The kids and I have been able to take walks, ride bikes and wash the car and it was so nice to just be outside and not in rain or freezing. We're going to bed now! Yeah.