a little theatre with our dinner...

First things first....
This precious baby girl turned 5 months old yesterday.
Happy 5 months Mary Martin!
To celebrate, we took her to her first dinner theatre. (okay, not really, but she did go with us tonight and was a perfect angel. Sat in my lap the entire time and loved the music!) We went to the ACT's mystery dinner theatre tonight at Forrest Lake United Methodist. SO fun. If you have never been to a dinner theatre, I highly reccommend it! Especially one written by Joey Lay. There was lots of audience participation, and even being served the different courses of our meal was written into the script and almost choreographed. (FYI- the link above will take you to the ACT's website where you can find out more about the organization. It's also the company that produced Hairspray that yours truly was in last month.) We took Oliver and MM with us (Eliza would not have been still for even a mili-second) and we all had a fabulous time. Here's the cast on stage after solving the mystery....

Here's MM enjoying the show.

And yes....that IS Oliver licking his plate. He loved watching the show and enjoyed every last bite, or lick, of his banana pudding.

Earlier in the day, his class at school had their Halloween party. Actually, I think they called it "Miss Spider's Tea Party". The decor was pretty impressive. Silver candelabras draped with cobwebs and huge strands of pearls, real glass tea cups with purple and orange punch, three-tiered serving dishes with party food. The girls all got a feather boa and the boys each got a fuzzy purple hat.


half-way through, he decided to put on his spider hat that he'd made earlier that morning.

The principal, Dr. Lamon, even made a visit to the tea party.

SO glad his party started during my lunch break so I could visit too. I think I have a real future in stretch-out-your-arm-and-take-your-own-picture photography, by the way...

look what came in the mail today...

my latest freebie, all because I became a fan of Scrapbook Circle on facebook. I was a randomly chosen fan and received this months scrapbook circle kit for F-R-E-E. I love those vintage school papers and the flash cards. And those papers? Yep. They're double-sided. Oh, the possibilities...

our church's fall festival is tomorrow night and I'm making the decorations. Oliver helped me trace and cut out triangles to make a banner. For this project, you will need paper, a triangle template, pencil/pen, scissors, and a 5 year-old with a vast knowledge of Star Wars.

And last, but definitely not least, I leave you with this picture of MM as a banana.

Couldn't you just eat her up???

(yes. the answer is yes)

what I wore Wednesday and other randomness...

Can you believe I'm actually posting my 'what I wore wednesday' pic on a wednesday?
Nope, me neither.
and let's just point out the gigantor trash can I'm standing next to.
Yep. You guessed it. I'm inside a bathroom at school since we have no full length mirror at the hizzie. Don't I look fab next to all that trash? top- TheLimited
pants- The Limited
fab flippy-floppies that you really can't see- Stamp Your Feet
fab ring that you really can't see- hospital jewelry sale

So we carved pumpkins monday night. It's been a tradition for quite some time for the hubs and I to try and 'outdo' each other. We're just competitive like that, but it's all in love my friends.
All in love. ;-)

I LOVE lifting off the top of them and seeing all the guts...

this was O's reaction-

E helped daddeeeee
(the hubs pumpkin is still a work in progress, so I'll post pics when it's done. It's already looking wicked awesome though. And he's not even using a template. He's got skillz.)

here's my finished pumpkin- Stormtrooper helmet

and....on the front steps

(p.s.- I made the wreath on the front door using a cheap-o grapevine wreath from the hob lob that cost around $2, and one of those large initials letter that they sell, which I of course purchased when they were half price. I just attached the letter to the wreath with some fishing line, and voila.... an initial wreath for around $12 total)

Alright...here's where the randomness comes in.

1. When you stop school, and I mean completely cease any and ALL school activities at 12 noon so that you can watch Taylor Swift LIVE via satellite in NYC because she is helping to promote Scholastics 90th birthday, she better read a book. But she didn't. Not one page. Nada. She DID, however, talk about her album that dropped last week, answered some questions, and even sang a song from her new album. You know....the one that dropped last week?

Is it just me, or did that really not have anything to do with reading??? (just sayin...)

2. MalMal (my sis) came over tonight to make part of her Halloween costume. Can you guess who she's gonna be?

(those are fabulous S.E.I. iron-on letters from hob lob, by the way, and a solid tank. The whole project took less than 10 minutes and is something I'm sure she'll wear over and over. Or...maybe just the once.)

3. When you feel pressure on your chest and start to wonder if something you ate could be giving you heartburn, and then realize that something is actually POKING the outside of your chest and discover that the underwire from your bra has worked its way out and is headed up towards your neck, it's time to buy a new bra.

4. Wearing a big, fat, costume jewelry ring on your right hand causes a somewhat regal feeling to come across you and makes you want to make lots of gestures with said hand.

5. Carving pumpkins should forevermore take place in the kitchen on TILE and not in the living room on HARDWOOD.

6. Snuggling with your precious baby for 45 minutes in the morning will cause 2 things to happen. 1- it will make you NOT want to go to work so that you can continue to snuggle, and 2- it will cause you to miss your shower time, which means you go to work with crazy hair.

Cute giveaway...

You know I love a good freebie, so.....



this post is to let you know about a great one going on over at Paige's blog.

The Pleated Poppy is giving away a $25 certificate to their store- check it out HERE.

I also follow the shop owner's blog and it's fab. I think she might be the originator of the

"What I wore Wednesday" series. Anywho.....



head on over and enter to win some fab freebies. Just found out I won a free scrapbook kit this morning, and have already won some other freebies and an awesome photo shoot, all from BLOGS. Hoo to the ray.

just in case you wondered....

-the car does, in fact, still smell like vomit.

-Eliza was up at 3 and not asleep again until 6. We watched QVC, and Full House to pass the time. She loved Full House, but I kept telling her the jokes weren't actually relevant or funny anymore and that no ones hair should have ever been that big. Poor DJ.


-I bought not 1, but 2 large cups of coffee on the way to school. Really hoping that I don't pass out at my desk or on top of the piano. That might scare my students.

-And....this pic is just for MawMaw because she complained, no, MENTIONED that she'd never made it on the blog. ;o) This one's for you....

bathtime last night. E is helping....

A weekend of crazy (warning- it's a long one...)

I was expecting to spend this weekend seeing some great theatre, finishing some projects, and getting my house clean. Only one of those things actually came to fruition as it has been one doozy of a weekend...
The hubs and I did manage to have a date on Friday night. We had a giftcard to Chuck's that was burning a hole in my wallet (no joke), and it was opening night of The Secret Garden at Theatre Tuscaloosa. We scored free tickets (Thank you Jameson and Jill!) so our evening out was quite thrifty. Score.

The play was beautiful, although I'd rather have not been sitting next to one of my first grade students during the first act who liked to talk (loudly) to me and his father throughout the entire thing. He also moved around so much in his seat that he kicked me. A lot. I stopped counting at 14. Since when is The Secret Garden something you take 6 year-olds to? hmm??? Right. It's not. The show is full of gorgeous music, period costumes, and nothing whatsoever to hold a child's attention. We moved at intermission. But still, one of my favorite musicals. I had a ton of friends in it- they were superb. If you get a chance (it's playing next weekend too) head on down to the Bean-Brown. (hey...that rhymed) But don't take your kids. Trust me on this.

Saturday morning- I wake up early and pack my things for a crop at Holt Baptist. If you're not down with that lingo- a crop in this context is not an ear of corn or a tomato, but a gathering of people who make scrapbooks. I think the term comes from the fact that photos are 'cropped' and such, but I could just be making that up. Anyways.... I'd planned to take MM with me, as she is still a wee babe and would probably be fine in her stroller and might even sleep through most of it. Hubs however, was starting a new shift at work (5 pm-5 am) and brought E and O to me about half-way through. Let's just say that not much was accomplished after that. Not quite sure what I was thinking when I told him to pack of toys and bring them on over. They seemed to be on hyper-drive while there, so much in fact that I feel like apologizing to all of the other ladies who were trying to work. Ah well.....

Also, my mother got a call (after being there for only about 30 minutes) that my father had cut his hand with a table saw and needed to go to the hospital. That's right folks. The crazy just keeps on coming. He's fine now after 8 stitches and a handy-dandy bandage, although he is right-handed and wouldn't you know it- that's the hand he can't use. It was a bit amusing today at lunch to watch him work a fork left-handed. (love you Dad ;o)

Back to the crop.... after my children had run amuck, screamed, rolled around on the floor, and made their presence known to everyone within a 10-mile radius, I packed up my things, and them, and headed home. Wouldn't you know it that 2, yes TWO minutes into the drive home, E pukes her guts up. Yep, that's right. The entire contents of her body came out all over her precious kitty dress and her fab houndstooth carseat. It was a first for me. I've never had a child throw up in the car before. Heck, I'd never had a child VOMIT until O was 5. I know, I know..... that's pretty darn lucky. However, vomit in the car is not. It stinks. The entire car, not to mention the carseat. It makes me want to vomit, and I'm not kidding about that. I gagged. So....I scrubbed it again today (for the second time) and febreezed (for the second time). Here's hoping it's better in the morning so O and I don't have to smell vomit all the way to school tomorrow. And E never acted sick....she'd been rolling around, literally, with her brother on the floor and had a wicked case of the hiccups, so I just assumed that had something to do with it. However, she hasn't eaten much all day and was running a slight fever after lunch. (sorry to you mommies who might be reading this who have a child in E's class at church). I have no idea what's going on with her. I gave her some meds for the fever when we got home today and after her nap, the fever was gone. Just another reason I'm so thankful the girls are not in preschool anymore. Ma'am and MawMaw will take care of her and I won't have to worry about finding a sub.

Our afternoon plans came to a grinding halt, however, since I took E's temp about 3 minutes before O and I were planning to leave to see Stuart Little. It closed today, so we'll have to settle for seeing the video, which I KNOW can't compare to seeing it live. So many of my past voice students were in it and I was so looking forward to seeing them.

Planning to carve pumpkins tomorrow night and this excites me to no end. Each year the hubs and I have a competition to see who can carve the best pumpkin. We even had my voice students vote on them in the past. I guess this year I can post pics on here and on facebook and see what kind of feedback we get. And by the way, while we're on the subject.....I know the hubs new schedule is a bit more lucrative, but I don't like the fact that when he's home, he's sleeping. He made it to Sunday School with us, but came home after that to go back to sleep. At least he's on board for pumpkin carving 2010 tomorrow night since he can sleep all day. I'm glad he loves his job. I just miss him.

Before I sign off, I'd like to thank my mother for coming to my house and throwing Eliza in the bathtub after the great vomit incident so that I could try to clean the car. I'd also like to thank my MIL for coming over tonight to help get the kids bathed and in bed since hubs is at work. Grandmothers rock. (and I'd like to now apologize to them for not posting any pictures of the kids in this post and also for rambling on and on and on...........)

what I wore Wednesday and other randomness...

Can we just discuss for a moment how badly we need a full-length mirror? The lighting in the bathroom is almost nonexistent as well......

So- here's my "what I wore Wedensday" yet again, on a Thursday. Shirt- The Limited
Skirt- Merona from Target (recently rediscovered during the closet-clean-out-a-palooza)
bracelet/earrings- QVC (the set also included a necklace, and all 3 pieces were only $10. score)
shoes- (not pictured, but really cute flippy-floppies from Target)

Random thing #1- I'm really wanting to make these, or at least just eat them.

#2- Going to see The Secret Garden this week and you should too. Get tix here.

#3- Also, going to see Stuart Little. Get your tix here.

4#- Really need to decided what the girls are going to be for Halloween. Only 10 days left!Wowza

5#- I need new boots for this Fall/Winter. I like these, these, and these. These are also cool in a funky-boot sort of way. (yes....I have expensive taste. I won't be buying any of these unless I find them 75% off.)

6#- I'm ready for the weekend. Seriously.

7#- Excited about seeing Young House Love (John and Sherry) on the Nate Berkus Show on Monday.

8#- just had to post this pic of O and some of his classmates in music today. Percussion stations. They're the BEST!


Happy Thursday!

going, going, gone....

I have a 5 year-old who is now minus 1 tooth. How cute is that smile? I mean, it was already cute, but oh.that.gap.
Pure cuteness.


Where is the tooth? How did he lose it? Is he excited to put it under his pillow? Well, the answers are, "No idea", "No idea", and "nah....not really". That's right. It seems that I am WAY more excited about this whole, "I lost a tooth thing" than my child. He comes to my classroom after school today and very casually announces that his tooth is gone. "Wow!" I think to myself. "How exciting!" I quickly look around his neck to check for the big tooth container that the nurse gives out to all the kids at school who lose a tooth. You know the ones? They actually hold the tooth inside. (so cool) Anyways....it's not there. (Hmm, I thinks to myself. Could it be in his pocket?)

Me: Well where is it? Let me see!

Oliver: I don't have it.

Me: What do you mean, you don't have it? Is it in your pocket?

Oliver: No

Me: Well where did you lose it?

Oliver: I don't really know

Me: How can you not know when your tooth came out??

Oliver: I just felt in my mouth and it wasn't there

Me: were you eating lunch when you noticed it gone

Oliver: nah

Me: were you on the playground?

Oliver: yes! I think it came out on the playground!

Me: (devastated because I now know there's no hope of finding it. None. Okay, maybe a teeny tiny hope. No wait, .....nope. There's none. ) okay....well, can you show me where you were when you noticed it gone?

Oliver: okay-

We walk to the playground where he tells me that he was either on the United States or America (either one) on the blacktop OR that he was on the actual playground part which is covered in pea gravel. (pea gravel, little rock things, .......whatever)

If you need to get in touch with me, I'll be sifting through the gravel out there looking for a tooth.

had to include a pic of this cutie who happens to be hanging out with me at the moment.

Hope you all are having a fab monday.
Guess we might write a letter to the tooth fairy tonight.
maybe.

weekend recap

What a crazy-busy weekend for our town. There was SO much going on Saturday that I wanted to take the kids to, but we chose the UA Homecoming parade. What a gorgeous day for it too- absolutely beautiful. Here's mom with Mary Martin- And here's me with my kiddos. Eliza wanted to be sure her boot made it in the picture...

watching the parade...

Tyrone Prothro-

The beautiful Meeks sisters-cheerleaders. (as if you couldn't tell)

the band. (again, I'm sure you knew that...)

Oliver's profile with a really big elephant-

a sparkly float-

Bentley supporters-

a cool truck-

Clay and I actually got to go to the game Saturday night. Here's a fab pic of us taken with my freakishly long arm. See that haze at the top of the pic? Those are clouds. That's how high up we were.
(I would like to thank my sis for the tix though. It was a nice workout for the both of us ;o)

I got started on the closet-clean-out-a-palooza Sunday afternoon. I didn't take a true 'before' shot of this one, but good gravy does it look better now.

The chaos and mess during the process...

Filled up 5 of these large bags with 'too small' or 'haven't worn this since college' clothes, PLUS about 75+ pieces on hangers.

Tried to upload the video I took of this, but alas....It wouldn't work. After eating her dinner Sunday night, Eliza crawled under the table and immediately pooped. Now, I know this is not an unusual talent, however, her complete and total denial of it was hilarious. She is definitely in her 'NO' phase and very politely responded with a 'no no' each time we asked her is she had, in fact, pooped her pants. There's just nothing like eating your dinner, then being overwhelmed with the stink of defication.

Just had to share some pics of my Kindergarten classes today. We started learning about Percussion instruments and they were rockin it!

Even though I hate having to wake up early, I really do have an awesome job. So thankful that O is now at school with me and when my day is done, I get to head home to my kiddies.

God is good.

it's 12:01 am, but....

I had to post some pics of this cutie before I go to sleep because she is now officially 17 months old. notice the nametag? She sold a few houses today.

E, MawMaw, and Pop were outside when O and I pulled up from school which is why he didn't even bother to take his backpack inside before he started playing. Sweet brother.

I took a pic just like this last year of these two in the same spot. Can't wait to put them side by side.

Roll Tide.

Little Mommy.

Watching HGTV before bed.

My sweet MM.

Looking forward to a fun weekend. UA's homecoming parade/game tomorrow and a date with the hubs. Oh yeah...and I've got to tackle those closets.....