Addison, Future Psychotherapist

Being married to a therapist is a riot. When he meets someone new I assume he's always thinking about how they talk, why they say the things they do, and what kind of childhood they must have had. I think it helps that I have a degree in counseling as well. It gives me somewhat of an insight into his everyday life. Too bad I just never really had the knack for doing therapy.
You would not believe how many times I've been sitting there talking to my husband only to get that sneaky feeling that he's thinking about my brain. I'll stop, look at him, and say, "STOP IT! You're my husband! NOT my therapist!" He often uses his skills on me though. Sometimes I like it. I mean, it's pretty awesome to have a husband who really "gets me." Ha! The reality is that he's already had "me" as a client. He knows my issue and how to fix it.
He also uses his skills on the kids. They haven't really picked up on it yet, but I'm telling you he opens their little minds in the blink of an eye. He'll get them thinking about why they feel a certain way or what their feelings might mean. He's able to get them to talk things through and name their emotions in a way that I simply can not do.

Imagine our surprise when, out of the blue, we hear our Addi throwing back therapy talk to her dad. The breakfast conversation went something like this:
KK: So, Bobby and GRAMMY were MARRIED?
Manly: Yup.
Olivia: Yes, Emma Claire. They were married. We've already had this discussion before.
KK: I know, but BOBBY AND GRAMMY were married! That's so funny!
Olivia:*Rolls eyes*
Addison: And you and Aunt Stephanie were their kids?
Manly: Yup(catching on that Manly doesn't actually SAY very much!)
Addison: *Putting her hand on Manly's arm, nodding her head,  and looking really sympathetic* I'm really sorry, dad. That must have been really hard for you. Are you OK?
Manly:*Trying not to laugh* You know, it was hard for me, but I'm OK now. It was a long time ago.
Addison: Oh, good.

Our Story: Whoops!

So, I forgot to mention a really hysterical part of our story. I think it's so important that I'm going to go back and share it just because I know you'll love this part. Ha!

So, after we decided to start seeing each other I dropped another bomb on Manly. It went something like this, "So...Uh...I was thinking today...what would you think...if....we didn't kiss....until we were...married...?" That poor boy(who was actually really only a boy at that time) looked at me with flushed cheeks and replied, "Uh...I'd be up for that...if you want..." See, I had several friends who had done versions of this idea, and I just thought there was something so romantic and pure about it. Ha!
ANYWAY, this idea worked great for us. For about three weeks...
So, there was this one night. We got dessert and took it to the park. There's this strange stage type thing right in the center of it that no one ever uses. I have no idea what it really is, but it's a fun place to sit and people watch because it's right in the middle of the park, which is right in the middle of town. We went over there to eat our dessert. We started talking about all sorts of things, but ended up talking ministry plans, life-long dreams, and more things that were deep in our hearts. We sat there for hours just talking and talking. When it was time to go Manly popped up, and bent over to help me up. I looked up just planted one on that poor sucker! He was so surprised that he stumbled backwards. I said, "WHOOOPS! OH MY GOSH! I'M SOO SORRY!" He started laughing at me, then bent back down and kissed me again. We both laughed, got up, and still to this day cherish those hours where we shared our hearts and our first kiss. Even today he says, "I still say you started it! I would have waited for you."

Disney's in the Air

(Sang to the tune of "Love is in the Air")

Disney's in the air!!

Everywhere I look around!

Disney's in the air!!

Every sight and every sound!

 

Our Disney countdown. Isn't it CUTE!?

 

I just used a white paint pen, stapler, and scrap paper from my birthday party supply tub.

These are the free customizable maps you can get from the Disney website.

My model showing them off for me.

This is the map that shows the entire resort.

See how it's personalized? It has all of our favorite rides and our highlighted.

You can go online and pick all of your favorites, and they will be included in the maps.

There is also a map for each park. This is the guide to Epcot.

Crazy little freckle-faced girl. She said, "Mom. Take my picture like this!"

 

We've been watching attraction videos, singing Disney songs, and making meal lists from menus.

 

WE CAN'T WAIT! Look out, Disney!

 

Our Story: Stinky Summer

It's been a while since I continued Our Story. I like to be able to dedicate enough time to each post, so I've just done a few other posts that are family related lately, but on to the good stuff today, right?!
So, Manly and I started seeing each other so late in the year, that it was finals week before we knew it. With finals under our belt it meant only one thing was ahead, SUMMER!
Because of the nature of our relationship we had gotten really close really fast. We knew we were made for each other, and that some day soon we'd get married, but we hadn't really thought about what we'd do once summer hit.
See, Manly had plans to return to his home town for the summer, and work back at the same job he'd had before he came to school. I had plans to continue working as a nanny here in MY hometown. The only problem is that those two towns are 201.6 miles apart(3 hours). SO, we decided we'd visit each other as much as we could, and we'd talk on IM(Trillian, anyone remember that site WAY back in the day! HA!) We talked occasionally on the phone, but mostly just via email and IM. These were the days before everyone had a cell phone. Manly ACTUALLY had a pager. Ha!!
I kept a daily journal that I gave him at the end of the summer, so I can actually read about almost every moment of that summer now. Ha! We saw each other a few times each month. Every time it was harder to be apart. My mom actually said she thought we'd be married within the next year because she could tell how miserable we were being apart.
For 102 days we were apart for summer, then we both moved into the dorms, and were together again at last. Except for when it was curfew. Ha!
After we made it through that summer I told him I wanted to be with him for many more summers to come, but they'd have to be together, and that's just how we spent them...

Rhea Lana's does Disney and More!

So, two of my favorite things: Rhea Lana's and Disney came together this weekend when I hit the Rhea Lana's Pre-Sale.
With our Disney trip sneaking up on us, my mom and I wanted to try and find some super cute Disney things for the kids at the sale. In true Rhea Lana's fashion, we were not left disappointed.

 

We found Mia this two pack of sequin shirts. Mia thinks they are extra fancy.

We also found this cute outfit made by Disney. This will be perfect!

Are you kidding me?! Cutest Minnie dress EVER! It's extra twirly and Addi LOVES it!

I went nuts over this cute two piece! It's corduroy, and SO adorable on KK. 

A close-up of the top appliqué.

A close-up of the pants.

I actually got this shirt at the half-price sale in the spring, but Olivia was just able to start wearing it.

We also found this cool big girl bag for Olivia to take her special things in to Disney World.

 

Don't need Disney, but have a child that loves Elmo, Dora, Thomas, Justin Bieber, or just about anything else? You're sure to find a great selection of their favorite character wear and SO MUCH MORE! The Conway sale runs through this Saturday, August 30th! If you aren't close, check the main site for a sale near you. Don't have a sale near you? Consider buying a franchise! These sales are a HUGE hit!

 

In other Rhea Lana's news, my sweet Olivia saved all her money over the summer so that she could shop on opening day of the sale. She's the most thrifty shopper EVER. She even mentioned wishing that she would have remembered to bring her notebook along to keep a running tab of what she wanted to buy so that she could come up with the best combination to get the most out of her money. Imagine my surprise though, when she eyed the "perfect thing for KK!" She neared a doll with sparkles in her eyes.

See, Olivia has been blessed to be the owner of TWO American Girl dolls. She loves them so much. In fact, I'd say they are her most prized possessions. She gave her American Girl look-alike to Addi a while back, and since then KK has talked about getting one too. When Livi first saw the doll she immediately said, "MOM! KK has GOT to have this doll! She would love it with her LIFE!" Because she only had $15 to spend I highly doubted that she'd actually buy the doll. She made her way around the plethora of toys, games, books, and DVDs. She even made her way over to the clothes, shoes, hats, and purses. She got several things picked out, pulled her cart over to the side, then stood there for a really long time trying to decide what she wanted the most. After a long time she looked at me and said, "OK. I've decided to buy the doll for KK. After that, I'm going to get myself one thing, then save the rest to spend with my other spending money in Disney. Do you think that sounds alright?" I stood there, tears in my eyes, trying to make words come. I smiled and said, "Liv, I think that would be AMAZING!"

While this doll isn't an actual American Girl doll, it does look like KK aside from the darker hair, complete with her pretty green eyes. When we got home Olivia sat her in her beauty chair, fixed her up, then got ready to bless her sister. She took her down and presented her to KK. Needless to say, KK was delighted.

This is her a few HOURS later still plastered with a true KK glow. She named her doll Emmalee.

I'm telling you, there are times when I wonder if I'm doing ANYTHING right, then something like this happens to remind me that we are training up our kids in the way they should go. As they grow, and are able to make more decisions like this one, I pray that they will chose to bless others just like Livi did.

Here's Livi with her other GREAT purchase. Three hats for $6. They were all new with tags.

 

 

AND, just in case you didn't get enough KK!!

 

Here she is with her favorite thing we bought her on pre-sale day. She literally has only taken it off to change her under clothes. She even slept in it.

She said, "This is my superhero face!" Pretty good, I'd say!

I Love You Better

I love my Mia.
She's possibly the most charming of all the kids.
Maybe it's those big eyes and shameless grin, but she's captured my heart.
I thought she may never speak, but it's finally come. She's a talking girl now.
She speaks much different than the other kids ever did. It's really quite hard to understand her.
She says things like, "yetdide"(outside), "Bur"(butter), "Eeeyah" (Olivia).
Nothing has brought me as much pleasure as those three little words every mom longs to hear.
She said to me, "I Loaf You." as she wrapped her tiny arms around my neck and gave it a squeeze.
I knew what she meant and it warmed my heart.
I said to her, "I love you too, my sweet sweet girl."
To that she responded, "I loaf you bedder, Momma."

Oh to have the sweet simple mind of a child.
I want to love better...

In The Year of 1492, Columbus Sailed the Ocean Blue

Is it just me, or do others of you who were teens in the 90s sing this song in your head ANY time you hear anything about 1492 and Columbus. In the past four days I have quite literally sang this song a thousand times. I remember being little and singing it each year at the Chili Supper at school. Ha! I also used to make up dances to it in my bedroom. I asked Manly if he wanted me to show him my routine, but he was strategically busy with replying to a very important email at the time and gave me no response. I think I'm going to have to share it with the kids. I mean, what is childhood without this song burned deep in your brain, and the dance routine only adds to it's charm. Maybe I'll pull out "Like a Prayer" by Madonna too. Then again, maybe not...

'Twas the Night Before Pre-Sale

'Twas the night before Pre-Sale and all through the site

not an item was out of place and everything looked just right.

The onesies were hung by consigners with care

In hopes that the shoppers would soon find them there.

The volunteers were nestled all snug in their beds

while visions of SORT now danced in their heads.

I loaded my phone with the Rhea Lana's app

 then settled down for a quick pre-sale nap.

When the alarm sounded I made such a clatter

I woke my sleeping husband who wondered what was the matter.

Away to the sale, I drove the suburban.

No make-up and hat, I was going for chic-urban.

With passes and double-checked list in hand, 

I jumped in the line and got ready to stand.

I chatter with shoppers about what we might find.

I remember that pre-sale friends are always so kind.

When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,

but Rhea Lana herself bringing Rhea Lana's cheer!

She gives us the rules and then sets us free

on a shopping adventure with quick feet as the key.

I find lots of goodies for my sweet little crew

At a fraction of the cost of buying them new.

Before I head out, I glance back at the crowd.

So thankful for my bargains that I say quite out loud,

"Some may like Christmas. Some may like Fall.

But my favorite time of year is RHEA LANA'S SEASON, YA'LL!" 

The Smittle Family Top 10 Walt Disney World Eateries and Other Dining Tips

As we prepare for our upcoming Disney trip I've had nothing but Disney on the brain lately. I've been helping several friends begin to plan their own trips in the last few weeks, and one of the things they always ask about is dining. Right now there is a great deal for free dining when booking a trip most weeks throughout the rest of the year. Free dining is a GREAT deal because it's the one thing you can spend the MOST money on in Disney World. I'm not including any links to WDW because they aren't paying me for what I'm saying, but if you have any trouble finding any information on their site let me know and I'll direct you to the right place.
There are two types of dining experiences in WDW. Quick Service and Table Service. I'll explain each below, then give you a list of our favorite places. Know that these are not the BEST places to get a meal, but are OUR favorites. If you're looking for fine dining you may want to stop reading now. Ha! With 6 kids(or any kids really) in tow, we have never been to any "fine" dining inside Disney. It DOES exist, though, so maybe try looking around here for some ideas. Basically, I'm listing our family favorites so that you can have somewhere to start if you are planning an upcoming vacation.
The first type of dining experience is quick service. With quick services restaurants or food carts you make no reservation, and the average price per person is around $14.99 or less. These restaurants are made so that you go up to the counter to order/pick-up your food. These restaurants generally have fun themes, and are pretty easy to get in to and find seats for everyone in the family. The pros are that they do not require dining reservations, they are much less expensive, require no tip(because you are your own waitress), and they are(as it says in the name) quick. The cons are that they are sometimes very crowded, and you'll have to cart your food around(not a big deal if your talking a family of 4, but with my family it's kind of a big deal to carry 7 entrées.).
The second type of dining at WDW is called Table Service. Table Service ranges anywhere from $15.00 up to well over $60 per person. Most table service restaurants except reservations, and some highly recommend them. There are several types of table service meals including: buffet, family style(where the food is served on large platters in the middle of the table), dinner shows, fine dining(which Disney calls Signature Dining), and the ever popular Character dining. Most of these places offer a unique theme, authentic cuisine, and fabulous memories.
A note about table service meals: Our first time in Disney we could only afford to go to one table service meal as we were cutting corners where we could. Our one meal was so magical that the next time we went we saved a little extra money so that we could get a meal plan that included table service meals. If your budget won't allow you to dine at several table service places, pick your favorite and splurge one day while you are there. It will be sure to be worth the extra money. Remember though, that cutting this corner is better than cutting out an additional day in Disney as far as littles go.

OK, so here is our list in no particular order:

Pizza Planet
This  quick service restaurant is inside of Disney's Hollywood Studios. We love it for it's amazing thematic qualities. There are AMAZING decorations, and it is like looking into the Toy Story movies! This is a MUST visit for our family each time. It's always first on the kids list of places to go. They serve mostly pizza and salads.

Akershus Royal Banquet Hall-Princess Storybook Dining
We've visited this restaurant each time we've been to Disney and it's never disappointed us. Located inside of EPCOT, Akershus serves a delicious Norwegian buffet breakfast, but also serve yummy lunches and dinners. The greatest part is that this is a character meal! You'll get to visit with several princesses. It changes up daily, but you're sure to see at least 4-5 princesses. You'll also get a photo package included in the price of your family with Belle in a cute little photo folder. I recommend the Mushroom Stuffed Pasta. Save room for dessert! You'll get a PLATTER of them!! I do not lie.

Cinderella's Royal Table-Fairytale Dining 
You'll need early reservations for this meal for sure, but it's a really nice meal inside of Cinderella's castle in Magic Kingdom! It's a great way to finish up your little princesses makeover at the Bippity Boppity Boutique. You'll get a photo package with Cinderella included in the price. Kids will also receive a cool magic wand or sword. This is a very magical character meal, but my kids really like Akershus better. This meal is one of the more expensive meals inside the parks. If you are using a dining plan it will take 2 table service meals, so be advised. It really is a nice thing to do at least once though. The last time we were there we actually sat next to Matthew West and his family. Ha! It's an absolutely gorgeous place to be. So magical.

Tony's Town Square Restaurant
I just love this sweet little place right inside Magic Kingdom. It's known as the place where Lady and the Tramp had their first kiss. They serve Italian food, and their Chef's Signature Cheesecake is RE-DONK-YOU-LOUS!! Do not eat there unless you have it! Seriously. There's a sweet feeling in this place. That's what got it on the list. That and the CHEESE CAKE. No, I mean, SERIOUSLY.

Spirit of Aloha Dinner Show
If I were making this list based on my likes alone this one would not make the list, however, my very carnivorous Manly loved that they served us platters of meat at this dinner show staged in a covered pavilion outside the Disney Polynesian Resort. I wasn't crazy about the food, but they have a pretty cool line-up as far as the menu is concerned. I also thought the story of the show was cheesy, but there are also cool acts like hula and fire dancing, a drum show, and a fire-knife performer. We liked that the food was "all-you-care-to-enjoy," and our waitress danced when she brought us our dessert. I mean what else could you ask for? A stuffed pig. Oh yeah, they've got that too.

Tusker House-Donald's Safari
I don't have a single bad thing to say about this BEAUTIFUL restaurant located in the heart of Disney's Animal Kingdom. It's got an amazing African theme, and is the most authentically beautiful place on my list. If I could have anything I wanted I'd make my celling look like the one here. This is also a character dining experience(except for dinner). You'll meet several classic characters all dressed in safari garb. They also have a fantastic safari parade around the restaurant led by characters that includes guests. You'll also get to pose with Donald, but unlike some of the other places, this photo package is not included in the price. The food is buffet style and SO good! KK says if you go for breakfast get a giant cinnamon roll!

Main Street Confectionery
There are several places right on Main Street including Storybook Treats and Main Street Bakery that have GREAT things to eat, but I just love the feeling inside this sweet little candy shop. They have all sorts of sweet little treats and nostalgic desserts. This is also the best place, in my opinion, to get souvenir sweets like those giant suckers and Mickey Mouse cookies. I also love that they have a hat store connected to them, so while you wait for your Mickey ears hat you can sample fudge, get a fresh rice krispy treat, or taste their peanut brittle. A WONDERFUL place to be right inside of Magic Kingdom. You'll smell the sugar from the front gate! Ha!

1900 Parke Fare-Supercalifragilistic Breakfast and Cinderella’s Happily Ever After Dinner
In our opinion this is the single best classic character dining experience. Not only is this a beautiful place set in the heart of Disney's Grand Floridian Resort and Spa, but the characters are the best! First, enjoy breakfast with Mary Poppins, The Mad Hatter, Alice, Winnie the Pooh, and Tigger. The food is buffet style and SO good! The Mad Hatter is hysterical, and the kids loved Mary Poppins too. For dinner you'll enjoy rare characters that are found here: The Step-Mother, Step-Sisters, Prince Charming, and Cinderella! You might even get picked(like my KK) to dance with the prince! The dinner menu is also buffet style. It's DELIOUS! Be sure to try their beef strip loin. Yum!

Mickey's Backyard BBQ Dinner Show
This is, by far, our family favorite. We went for the first time last year although it received mixed reviews by many. We loved it! It's the best place for actual character interaction. You won't get autographs, but you'll get to line dance with Mickey, do the polka with goofy, and maybe even cha-cha with Minnie. This dinner show takes up two table service meals on your dining plan, but we think it is so worth it! It's set back in the woods of Disney's Fort Wilderness Resort in an open air covered pavilion. Manly's favorite part(aside from the fact that Minnie grabbed his waist to dance around the pavilion) was the "all-you-care-to-enjoy" BBQ. I loved the picnic table dining, and that we got to meet new friends with the people sitting next to us at the table. There are also several acts at this show including a really cool rope trick guy. The crowd is a little much at times, but in our experience it's a great overall way to spend the evening. You'll even get out in time to watch the firework show!

Other Places that have caught our eye this time that we are going to visit:

• Be Our Guest. This one is new since our last trip. They have a split restaurant. It's quick service for lunch, table service for dinner. It's themed to be straight out of the Beauty and the Beast movie. We are planning to have lunch here as we weren't able to get advanced dinner reservations. If you are wanting to go for dinner you should know that you'll need to make your reservations 180 days out.
• Coral Reef. This one is inside of EPCOT's HUGE aquarium. It allows visitors to eat while enjoying ocean life in the aquarium. It also has a great looking menu.
• Snack around the world. We've had friends who have been part of "drink around the world," but that's totally not our style. Snacking around the world, HOWEVER, is! So, we have plans to visit some of the great snack shops around the World Showcase in EPCOT. Should be FUN!
• Sci-fi Dine-in Café. This looks like such fun. We've never been before because I was worried the kids might be afraid of the movies playing, but I've been assured that they are not frightening. You actually sit in cars under the stars at this one while you enjoy a "drive-in movie!" SO fun!
• Liberty Tree Tavern. This historic restaurant serves up food buffet/family style. It looks like they specialize in "Thanksgiving Meal" type food. I think my kids will like it's rustic feel.
• Gaston's Tavern. We plan to get a snack at Gaston's Tavern while we are in Magic Kingdom. This little nook is new to MK since the last time we were there and is known for it's special "brew" of frozen apple juice topped with roasted marshmallow.

My Tips on Dining:

• Make reservations as soon as possible. That's 180 days in advance. You can make them online here or by calling the dining reservation number. I highly recommend using the online feature because it's very accurate and MUCH easier than waiting for 40 minutes on hold only to find out that the reservation you want is unavailable.
• Take tip money. All parties over 6 will have an automatic 18% gratuity added to their meals. This is NOT included in the cost of your meal plan, so you'll have to pay it out of pocket if your party is 6 or more people.
• Give yourself breathing room. Making too many reservations in one day can pin you down. You'll feel like you have to stop what you're doing just to travel around and eat. I suggest making reservations for two meals a day, but if you're going to do three, space them out so that you have time to see the parks.
• Make reservations for before or after peak meal times. For instance, if you are making a lunch reservation try getting it for 11 instead of noon. This will allow you to beat out the rush, and you'll be able to enjoy rides with a much shorter wait time while everyone else is eating.
• Check out the menus before you place a reservation. You can actually go ahead and make out a plan for what everyone in your family wants to order, then when you are there and the kids and going NUTS at Pizza Planet you'll already know what they wanted to order and it'll make things MUCH easier.
• Know what kind of reservation you are making. Is it a buffet? Family style(food served on large platters in the middle of the table)? Casual? Dress Code? All of these things are important to know before you go!
• Give yourself travel time!! If you have a reservation give yourself at least 40 minutes to travel around Disney. There are some routes that are much quicker(using the monorail or water taxi), but 40 minutes is a good minimum. Some places may take longer...
• If you are confused or having a hard time with reservations online CALL AN AGENT! They are really quite helpful and can book multiple reservations at once. That can, in the end, save you time. Even if you have to be on hold for a while.
• Character meals are the EASIEST way to see characters without having to wait in line! Going to one character meal will get you time with at least 2 characters and in most cases 4-5 characters. You'll get time to take photos, get autographs, and interact with characters. Also, the food is SO good.
• Make sure each place you eat knows if you are celebrating a special occasion! They have FREE desserts for those things! Each table service place we went gave our birthday child a HUGE free dessert on top of the one they already got from the menu plan. Can you say SUGAR OVERLOAD?! I think I need to go do some Pilates...

Happy Dining!

FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL!!

Is it just me, or do some of you also say "FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL!!!" using your best Nemo voice(even if it's just in your head) this time of year?!

 

 

 I love how excited Nemo is about starting school. I was greeted with that same excitement this morning, as my five "big" kids came rumbling down the stairs ready for the day. Manly made a batch of homemade fresh blueberry muffins for us, and we were ready for our first day of school.

KK insisted there must be an apple at my seat because that's what you give teachers.

KK also gave me a note. It says, "U R a grate(great) teathar(teacher). I love you."

 

As is tradition in our house, the girls got to pick out a new first day of school outfit. It was particularly fun to watch Addi pick her outfit. I think she tried on about 25 dresses and outfits before she finally decided on the winning outfit. She actually told me in her sweet little voice, "It doesn't really matter if you don't like it, because you don't have to wear it. I do!" Well, it's a good thing, because even though I wasn't crazy about their outfits they looked adorable and felt great in the outfits they chose.

Here are all the yearly pics we try to always get before we start school.

Mia and Isaiah are ready for Preschool!!

Addi(K5), who has a new fondness for all of her hair being pulled to one side "like a teenager."

 KK(1st grade) who is most definitely wearing an Ed Hardy air freshener she found on the ground and turned into a necklace.

 

This kid is awesome on so many levels. Ha!

 

My sweet Lulu. who I found out was scared to start 4th grade because I had mentioned at some time that it was my least favorite school year. I had to clarify to her that it was because I had a scary teacher. She was OK after that. Ha!

My sweet crew 2013-2014.

The reality pic. Ha Ha!!

 

 I had prepared all I could prepare. Now it was time to see how the day was going to work. Everyone found their seat in the school room for Manly to lead Bible time. After he was finished he fed Eli Jones and  went out to mow the grass while we dug in. I put Eli in his exersaucer, and gave the other four an activity while I started Language with Olivia. I quickly learned that the two littlest middles(Isaiah and Mia) are going to cause mw fits! It's really nothing a few lessons in self control can't fix, but those two are a MESS! A wild noisy mess...

Ready for Bible time. Look at Mia taking notes!! Ha!

Olivia working on finishing up her independent work.

So what did Eli do while we did school, you ask? Well, he wore his "Too cool for school" shirt, laughed, and slept. The entire time. What a blessing.

 

 

 

The rest of the day went OK. Not GREAT, but definitely not terrible. It takes a little time to get in the grove again. Especially since every year is totally different. I'll be glad once we're really into the subjects, and everyone has stuff to work on. We were finished by noon. The kids had pb&j, and now they are all resting while I defrag and regroup for tomorrow.

 

Olivia would DIE if she knew her socks were showing in this picture. DIE!

 

This picture cracks me up. Olivia was saying, "We have the BEST teacher/mother!"

 

First day is in the bag. Yay! Happy School Year! Do you have any fun first day of school traditions?

 

Our Story: Wanna Do It?

After I picked my jaw up off the floor I blubbered around for a minute or two until real words would come out. "I like it!" was all I could muster. Ha! I'm telling you, I was SPEECHLESS! He smiled his huge smile and said, "Good. I was hoping you would."
We had a nice long talk. Somewhere in there he asked me yet again to get ice cream. Ha! I should have known then that the way to his heart is through his stomach. I got really serious and told him about what had happened with my last relationship. I told him I had become really interested in him, but that I couldn't waste time in a dead end relationship. I said, "If you can't imagine still being with me in 50 years swinging on our front porch swing while we watch our grandkids play then you need to know that I'm NOT interested in a relationship with you." I went on to say that I totally understood how crazy that sounded, but that I wouldn't budge on the issue. With WIDE freshman eyes(did I mention he was a freshman! Oh yes, robbing the cradle.) he said, "I...think...I need...to think about it...just for a minute."
He left and went to his dorm, and I went on to my next class. By that evening he came walking up looking a bit nervous, but mostly cute and said something like, "So, I was thinking. I've always liked porch swings, and I like you, so...yeah. I think you are amazing, and I can picture us happy together 50 years from now."
By Thursday I wrote him this email:
"Ahhhh! This is so fun! The only thing is my face hurts from smiling so much!"
His response:
"I'm glad you're enjoying it or I would feel stupid, cuz my face hurts all the time now too."
That night, April 4, 2002, almost exactly a year since my heart had been broken, I went on my first date with the love of my life. Where, you ask? TCBY, of course! Ha! We rode in his car, listened to SuperChick, and talked about anything and everything.
The thing both of us remember the most about the date was when we were pulling out of TCBY. Scotty looked over and said, "Wanna do it?" I think my eyes nearly popped out of  my darn head!! I said, "WHAAAT?!?" He got SO red and pointed across the street at a carwash and says, "THE CARWASH THE CARWASH! Do you want to do the CARWASH!" HA! Still a classic Scotty Smittle line...