The Collins Clan

Come On Irene!

2011-08-26T13:06:00.001-04:00

The latest track (as of 12:53 p.m 8/26/11). We're the red dot...

Okay, I know the song is actually "Come on Eileen," but I just couldn't resist! Irene is making her way to our shores...the rain just started a few minutes ago. Winds are predicted to reach 50+ mph this evening, then increase to 90+ mph tomorrow around noon. We'll get plenty of rain, but I'm hoping the flooding won't be too bad and that the power holds.

Just to take my mind off the seriousness of the situation, I came up with a Hurricane Irene Playlist:

"Under Pressure" - David Bowie & Queen
"Before the Storm" - Queensryche
"Panic Switch" - Silversun Pickups
"Only Happy When it Rains" - Garbage
"Ocean Breathes Salty" - Modest Mouse
"Please Don't Go" - Double You
"Invisible Sun" - The Police
"Ghost Town" - Shiny Toy Guns
"Hurricane" - Panic! At the Disco
"Rock You Like a Hurricane" - Scorpions
"Wave of Mutilation" - Pixies
"Flood" - Jars of Clay
"Float On" - Modest Mouse
"Destroy Everything You Touch" - Ladytron
"Weather With You" - Crowded House
"The Iron Sea" - Keane
"Daylight" - The Judybats
"Beautiful Day" - U2
"Walking on Sunshine" - Katrina & The Waves

Like it? I think it's a pretty good mix. I just might have to put this together on iTunes as a way to remember this weekend.

Charles came home at lunch and says traffic is already miserable heading out of town. Grocery store parking lots are full and the line at the little ice stores that dot Highway 70 toward the beaches have long lines of folks waiting to fill coolers. Everyone seems to be waiting until the last minute to prepare. Thankfully, we did most of our preparations Wednesday night into Thursday, so we're ready to ride her out.

My big worry is the beautiful beaches that we've come to love. The weathermen here are saying that extensive beach damage/erosion will occur along Emerald Isle Beach/Atlantic Beach/Salter Path/etc. and that it make take quite a while to get things back to normal. I also worry about all the wild horses out on Shackleford Banks, but I've been told they've made it through similar storms just fine.

Wish us luck! We'll keep you posted...

Pirates on the Brain & Art Worth Framing

2011-07-16T10:43:00.001-04:00

All I can think about right now is pirates! The Beaufort Pirate Invasion is less than a month away and we're working on the ultimate costume for Riley. I've already ordered her a new, handmade captains coat and muslin shirt on Etsy and I even found a good baldric to hold her sword. All that's left is finding a good pair of boots and pants to complete the look.

I got the idea to make Riley her very own pirate flag. I don't know what possessed me, but I've started the design, pinning all the pieces in place, but now I have to sew it. Problem is, I don't own a sewing machine--I'll have to do all the stitching by hand!

I think it looks pretty good so far, but I just hope I can pull this off! I'm really excited to see everything coming together.

Riley's been busy the past few weeks attending weekly art camps offered by her art teacher at school. She's loving every moment there and has brought home great work! Our favorite is below...we actually framed it and have started a "gallery" of her artwork.

Drowning in a Sea of Stress

2011-05-09T16:43:00.000-04:00

Can you die from stress? I know the answer is a solid "yes," but I'd really like to avoid that outcome. The pressures of work, combined with keeping the house clean, the laundry washed, the dishes done, cooking meals, carting Riley to Taekwondo three times a week, swimming lessons once a week and life in general--it's all becoming too much to bear. At 37, I feel like an 80-year-old woman.

On top of the stressers mentioned above, I'm in the middle of dealing with some weird, doctor-stumping skin issue. I've had two biopsies with no real answers and I'm now in the process of finding a doctor at The School of Medicine in nearby Greenville, NC. I'm also still dealing with problems related to my septoplasty surgery two years ago. I've been going to an ENT doc whose tried to solve my issues, but, following a CT scan and having an endoscope shoved up my nose, has decided to take a biopsy of the lining of my nose. I'm thinking it's not going to be a very plesant experience, as he's prescribed Valium for me to take before I leave the house on Thursday, again when I get to his office and again after the proceedure. Sounds like it's going to be fun, huh?

I'm just hoping I'm back to normal by the next day because we're driving to Concord, NC (just outside Charlotte) to take Riley to her next Taekwondo tournament. We're staying at my step-sisters house and my parents will be driving over from Tennessee to spend the weekend with us. I haven't seen them since Christmas so I'm super excited.

At her last tournament two weeks ago, she took third place in forms and first place in sparring. We were so proud!

Master Cann gives Riley last-minute instructions.

Giving it her all!

Excited to get her first-place trophy.

The over-celebration.

Presenting her form.

Showing off her third-place trophy for forms.

So, this week and weekend will be busy: Lots of time in the car and not enough time visiting with family. The tournament will be an all-day thing, but at least my Mom is going with us--I can chat with her the entire day!

Oh, we visited D.C. for Spring Break. Click here to see some of the photos posted on Charles' Facebook page.

The Holidays are Over...Finally!

2011-01-02T00:31:00.001-05:00

Ahhh, the holidays are over...well, kind of. Charles' dad leaves tomorrow and then we'll take down the Christmas trees, lights and other decorations. I can't wait for it all to be over--the holidays this year were a bit too stressful for my liking.

Mom and Doug arrived on the 24th, Riley's birthday, and we had a blast opening presents and eating one of the coolest birthday cakes EVER...

The birthday table is all set.

The presents are waiting...

Seriously, how cool is this cake?

Eight yummy layers inside!

Cool! A Darth Vader Lego alarm clock!

Play-Doh and Lego games!

The birthday celebration was fun, but we made sure to get in bed at a decent time for Santa. Riley left him a special red and green donut with sprinkles from Dunkin' Donuts with a glass of milk. She also sprinkled special "food" she made at school out on the lawn for the reindeer.

Santa left lots of presents...and an AT-AT!!

Opening presents Christmas morning with Daddy.

Riley and Papa testing out the new toys.

Late Christmas night, it began to snow. And it kept snowing. And snowing. Mom and Doug (mostly Doug) insisted on leaving in the middle of the storm to head back to Charlotte and, then, on to Morristown. We tried to get them to stay, but no dice. They said it was the worst trip ever and that, at one point, it took them over an hour to drive 5 miles. I doubt they'll ever make the drive to our house for Christmas again. Bummer.

The snow was beautiful here though--the weatherman said it's the most snow the area's gotten since 1989. We got just a bit over 4 inches--it doesn't hold a candle to a New England storm by any means, but we'll take it. It was really cool to see palm trees covered in snow!

Preparing the snowman.

Riley and Charles discussing strategy...

The finished product.

The neighborhood covered in snow. We got about 4 inches.

I'll finish with a picture of one of Charles' gifts which, ironically, I'll most likely be the one to use.

New toys for Mommy and Daddy for the New Year.

Okay, now for some random items:

Riley can kick some serious a$$--here she is breaking a board at her Taekwondo Christmas party.
From my uncle Butch, two amazing holiday videos: Santa Went Down to Georgia and The North Point iBand, too cool!
Here's a great instructional video for all you zombie fans, A Very Zombie Holiday.
Allie does it again--makes me laugh until tears are dropping on to my keyboard: The Year Kenny Loggins Ruined Christmas.
You gotta love A Christmas Message from Bill Maher.

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year?

2010-12-21T08:33:00.000-05:00

I've decided that I have a love/hate relationship with this time of year. I love the "feeling" that the holidays bring, but I hate all the school functions, work functions, parties, gift buying/wrapping, decorating, planning, cooking, cleaning and increased stress that come with Christmas. Thankfully, we're not travelling at all this year--everyone is coming to us. I think if I had to add 16 to 18 hours in a car to this season, I might just go crazy!

We attended the town Christmas parade a couple of weeks ago. We had a great time, but it was frigid!

I snuck away before the parade to look around in a few of the shops downtown and came accross an empty alley and a great view of Christ Church...

After the parade we had planned to watch the Christmas flotilla, but it began to rain (eventually turning into our first snow of the season!) and we decided to go back to a warm house. But, before we did, Charles made a trip to the local nursery to pick up his very own crab pot Christmas tree!

Today is Riley's last day of school until January 3, so we'll get a bit of a break there--I'll get to sleep in!

We've ordered her birthday cake as well and should be picking that up this Thursday. I found a woman locally to bake it and who thinks she can tackle Riley's request: Boba Fett with a Santa hat. I'm confident she can pull it off--what sold me was a Seymour (from Little Shop of Horrors) cake she did. Amazing! Don't believe me? Take a look...

One issue did come up with the cake though--to make it look correct, the baker needs to make the cake a certain size, big enough to feed 35 people! I think we'll be eating cake for a full week after Riley's celebration.

Our house will be full for the next several days: My parents are coming in on Riley's birthday, the 24th, and staying through the 26th; Charles' mom Nancy is coming the 26th through the 30th; and Charles' dad is coming the 30th through January 2nd. Whew! It's going to be a busy holiday!

Tournaments, Teeth and Turkey

2010-12-01T23:30:00.003-05:00

So, I haven't posted in quite a while--I get so busy that I don't take the time to log our lives like I would like to. Work has been all-consuming lately, but I'm hoping that additional help will arrive along with 2011.

First, let me catch you up on Halloween. I didn't take a lot of pictures--I was too busy having fun! Charles' mom Nancy was here with us, along with our wonderful friend and neighbor, Jessica. We had tons of wonderful food and a great time trick or treating. Here's a couple from the night...

We went 80s old-school Pac-Man for our pumpkin!

Here's Riley as Harry Potter.

After yet another drama-filled few weeks, Riley lost her other front tooth. She would not let us touch it or even talk about it. One morning, as I was brushing her teeth, the tooth went completely sideways. She began freaking out and running through the house. Charles got her in the bathroom and asked to take a look--she let him breifly touch it, but then started crying loudly. She said she knew it would hurt to pull it out and didn't want us to touch it. She went on for 10 minutes.

When she finally calmed down, Charles said, "Take a look." He opened his hand and there sat her tooth. It had literally fallen out of her mouth when he first touched it! All that drama AFTER the tooth had come out without her even realizing it!!

All she wants for Christmas is her two front teeth!

Last month, Riley competed in her first Taekwondo tournament. She was so excited and did an amazing job. She did her forms, broke a board and showed off her fighting skills...

Showing off her forms.

She easily broke the board with one kick!

Ready to fight.

Great punch!

On the medal stand--second place out of eight!!

We are so very proud of her! There will definitely be more tournaments to come and she even has a "Taekwondo Camp" December 17-19. She's so excited she can barely wait!

We stayed here for Thanksgiving. I really missed being with my family in Tennessee, but spending the holiday here wasn't too bad. Nancy (with dog Snowy in tow) rented a house for the week at Emerald Isle Beach and we had dinner there with our neighbors Jessica, Marc and Bruschi.

View from the front porch.

Riley and Snowy.

Our view from the living room.

Thanksgiving morning.

Ready for Halloween, Excited About Zombies and Finding a Black Widow in Your Breakfast Treat

2010-10-23T21:31:00.002-04:00

Happy Halloween!!! Okay, I'm a bit early, but it's my favorite holiday and our decorations have been up since the end of September. Last night we enjoyed the Fall Festival at the YMCA--Riley played in a few bouncy-houses, painted a pumpkin and we all went on a hayride. Very cute.

Today we drove downtown and went to the pumpkin patch at Christ Episcopal Church. I'm in love with this church (it's the oldest in town) and we had a great time finding the perfect pumpkins.

Decisions, decisions...

Well, that's one way to display pumpkins!

A playground right next to 300-year-old graves.

The grounds of the church.

The front door of Christ Episcopal.

During a recent trip to our one-and-only bookstore, I found myself in heaven--a huge Halloween display with so many wonderful reads...

See what I mean?

Ahh, "The Walking Dead" series...
can't wait to watch this next Sunday!

And...in other news: A couple of weeks ago we went to Emerald Isle to enjoy a day at the beach and walked down to the pier. Too many fishermen, but it was worth walking through them all for the amazing view at the end...

View from the end of the pier back to the beach.

There had to be about 30 surfers enjoying the
waves kicked up by the tropical storm.

If you have really great eyesight, you should be able to
see about 15 dolphins swimming just past the pier.

Just a couple of weeks ago, Riley was up early, as usual, before school and eating breakfast. She really wanted some grapes so Charles pulled the bag out of the refrigerator, pulled out the grapes, washed them off in the sink and put them in a small bowl for her. Maybe 10 minutes later she comes running to Charles: "Dad!! There's a spider in my grapes!"

What the ...?!?

In case you can't tell from the photo, that's a Black Widow. Yes. In. Her. Grapes. What if she'd eaten it? The lesson here, kids? Even washing your fruit does not guarantee that a spider won't end up hanging out with you at breakfast. Be careful!

Several days ago we made the decision that the van had to go. She's old and falling apart--plus, we really don't need something that big anymore. We traded her in for a Hyundai Santa Fe and came out with lower monthly payments and cut our interest rate in half!

The new car.

Things to note and other fun facts:

Don't forget that what could be one of the best TV shows ever is premiering Halloween night on AMC--"The Walking Dead." Added bonus: It's directed and created by Frank Darabont! I will be glued to the screen!! Oh, and here's a fan-made intro for the series--so cool!
Baba Ghanouj is very good...and my six-year-old child loved it! Great recipe here.
Did you know that Michael J. Fox wasn't the original Marty McFly? I had no idea! See orginial footage with Eric Stoltz here.
Are you a die-hard Democrat like me? Do you need a good laugh? Watch "I'm Voting Republican."
I want Charles do make breakfasts like this for me. The Angry Birds one is my favorite.
These vintage ads are hilarious! What were they thinking?

Oh, I Almost Forgot...

2010-09-03T00:17:00.002-04:00

I've learned that one of my favorite authors, Joe Hill (son of the master, Stephen King), is coming to my television. His comic series "Locke & Key" is being turned into a series that will air on FOX. The kicker? Steven Spielberg will be a producer.

So. Freakin'. Excited.

By the way, Hill's latest novel "Horns" was a super-fun read.

Here Comes Earl

2010-09-02T21:58:00.001-04:00

Riley's school dismissed at 1:00 p.m. today ahead of Earl and is on a three-hour delay for Friday. It's been overcast here all day--increasing clouds and wind as the afternoon progressed. Late this evening, I was amazed to stand outside and watch the clouds above swirl and move almost like I was watching someone hit the "fast-forward" button in the sky.

Here's a radar image I just captured--the red dot marks our spot--and we're right in the middle of the action right now.

One of our usual beach spots, Atlantic Beach, is getting hit with the wind and 12- to 14-foot waves. They are also starting to see the pier deteriorate. A couple of the pylons are coming loose and the whole thing may be gone by morning.

As of now (9:45 p.m.) the wind is really roaring and the rain has started in earnest. Thankfully, Earl has now been downgraded to a Category 2 with winds at 110 mph. The experts say that the worst will start to hit us around 2:00 a.m., but the worst will be over Friday morning.

We've "battened down the hatches" and prepared the best we can. I think we'll be just fine!

His Name is Earl and Missing My "Zzzz"

2010-08-31T22:23:00.002-04:00

Okay, I've found the first disadvantage of living so close to the coast--his name is Earl and he's projected to possibly hit very close to us. We are currently under a hurricane watch and they've issued a mandatory evacuation for Okracoke. Yikes!

I'll be watching the weather very closely during the next 36 to 48 hours. At the moment, the weather folks are saying things could start to get rough late Thursday into Friday morning.

In other (boring) news, I discovered today the possible reason for my failing memory, fatigue, general confusion and terrible headaches. My doctor thinks I may be suffering from sleep apnea. He's sending me to a pulmonologist and I will more than likely have to take part in a sleep study. Wonderful.

Oh, and I've completed my UT pedicure--it's officially the start of college football season! I can't wait!!

Williamsburg, Random Turtle, Bruschi Visits and School Starts

2010-08-24T23:46:00.001-04:00

Well, it's been a busy month here...we ended July and began August celebrating Charles' birthday in Williamsburg, VA. Neither Charles nor I had been in years and we were excited for Riley to explore the town. Overall, she loved it and we had a good time re-acquainting ourselves with the spots we remembered from earlier visits.

This guy was an amazing story-teller!

The Governor's Mansion.

Tree-covered walkway in the gardens.

While there, we enjoyed a ghost tour. Riley was super-excited and we had a great time listening to the more "modern-day" ghost stories as related by our tour guide. Quite a few of her stories really made you think...

Riley listens intently to a ghost story about a young boy and a man said to "reside" in this house.

I took a picture of this particular window because this is where people have seen a face staring back at them...I guess he was camera-shy.

Another stop on the tour...

The last stop on the ghost tour...and the creepiest story of all!

Riley acted up a bit during our trip, but we took care of that...

We were tempted to leave her there, but realized we'd really miss her...

It's been unbelievably hot here with the heat index reaching as much as 109 a couple of weeks ago...even the creatures around us must be searching for a shady place to rest. This guy showed up out of the blue...

He was right at our doorstep, but had trouble reaching the doorbell.

We also visited Beaufort a couple of weeks ago for their annual Pirate Invasion. Riley got all dressed up and revelled in the excitement!

The perfect pirate pose.

Taking part in the costume contest...

Meeting up with a couple of her old friends...

Highlight of the day: Lunch with Blackbeard!!!

As I've mentioned before, our neighbors' dog Bruschi is Riley's best friend. Last week, Mark dropped by and asked if we could babysit for the afternoon--of course, I (mostly Riley) said yes. He was very well behaved, but really wanted to play with Bailey. Bailey just wanted to hiss, growl and smack Bruschi on the nose. You'd think Bailey would find a nice, quiet spot during Bruschi's three-hour visit, but no one has ever accused Bailey of being the smartest of cats. He'd stroll right by the dog and the whole "let's play/no, let's hiss and smack" scene would start up all over again...

Look deep into my puppy-dog eyes...you know you can't resist...

Last weekend we made the short drive to Emerald Isle--it's one of the nearby beaches we had not yet visited. I think it's now our new favorite beach...very quiet, great sand, good shells and not very crowded!

Where is everybody? Wait, who cares!?!!!

Unobstructed view of the ocean!

Riley digging holes.

Oh, and kids, don't trust that your SPF 30 lotion and sitting in the shade will prevent a sunburn. It won't--especially for those of us so incredibly pale that we actually glow in the dark. Here's the proof...

One word: Ouch!

We stopped at a few shops on our way home from Emerald Isle and while at one very cheesy surf shop I spied this:

I want this so badly--I can't even put it into words.

If you didn't know, I have this thing for VW buses. This was obviously made with me in mind. Hello! UT colors!
Tonight we went to an open house at Riley's new school. We located her classroom and brought in all her supplies to place in her desk. We met her teacher, Mrs. Cook, and got a chance to scope out the room before the big day tomorrow. She's sooooo excited, but I'm a tad nervous. She's going from a Montessori school with a total of 80 students to a public elementary school with nearly 500 students!

I think she's found her favorite classroom feature...

Riley checking out her new desk.

She's already picked out her outfit for the first day of school--a Yoda t-shirt, shorts and her new tennis shoes. That's my "girl!"

Earlier this week Riley enlightened us with deep thoughts: 1) "Dad, I don't dream, I just see my thoughts." and 2) "Why can't you feel air?"

Okay, I end with recent random items:

A stunning photograph--the shadow of the Milky Way!
I so need one of these tees, but I'm afraid to wear them in this "red" state.
What do you do with your old pencils? Can you turn them into incredible "micro-art?"
Who would survive the zombie apocalypse? Not her, of course!

We're Alive, Damn Those Cookies, 14 Years and Random Links

2010-07-13T22:08:00.013-04:00

Okay, I know I've been slacking when it comes to this blog, but I'm not even sure anyone ever reads this thing anyway! Yes, we're all still alive and happy. In fact, Charles and I just celebrated our 14th anniversary last week. I guess Father Smokey was right about us! Anyhoo...

We've finally settled into the new house. Things are going well, but with the open design of this house, we're finding it hard to find the perfect spot for a few large pieces of furniture. Not to worry, though--my Mom is coming in a couple of weeks and she can work her magic on organizing the entire house.

We really have no yard to speak of, but we're getting used to that--Riley can at least still ride her four-wheeler around the back yard, she just can't go very far!

I'm still working from home and I got a bit of a promotion recently--our company acquired a competing magazine and I'm now the editor for that Web site as well. I'm extremely busy, which means that Riley must find ways to entertain herself...

We also get some cool catalogs and magazine thanks to the Marine pilot and his wife who used to live here. Charles ordered a few new goodies and here's the result.

Let me tell you, those cookies were a b!tch to decorate...they looked nothing like the picture on the box of cookie presses. The folks at Willliams & Sonoma must have some major artists working there--that, or they are really great at Photoshop!

We also found a massive moth in the garage a few weeks ago...

Doug told me that it's a Green Sphinx moth--way cool.

We've also been visiting the beach quite a bit--easy to do when Atlantic Beach is only a 30-minute drive from our house. If you get there early enough in the day, you can practically park at the ocean...

We always have a good time and find tons of great shells. Riley enjoys it when Charles buries her in the sand.

I'll leave you with some pictures of one of the most beautiful churches I've ever seen--and it's even one of the town's Episcopal churches!! This place is all kinds of cool...

Isn't it beautiful? The entire town is full of buildings, churches and historic spots just like this. It seems as though there's a historical marker every 200 feet in this town--Charles is in heaven.

Plus, we're just 15 miles from the Marine Corps Air Station at Cherry Point so he gets to see tons of awesome helicopters and jets. In fact, our next-door neighbors are flight surgeons at Cherry Point--they are very cool people with a nine-month-old lab, Bruschi (named after Tedy Bruschi). He and Riley have become fast friends--even though he barks like mad at her four-wheeler. He must think it's some kind of monster!

Okay, I really need to wrap this up, but I end with the following random issues:

Now that I have my new iPhone4, I might need to apply duct tape? Are you kidding me?
I want a baby sea otter. In fact, I want this one.
One of my favorite SNL skits was nominated for an Emmy. Speak up!
In honor of my designer friends, I give you: Clueless Secretary Prompts Hilarious Office E-Mail Thread.
For the Star Wars fans: At-At Day Afternoon. Priceless!
Forget "Thug Life." We're livin' the "Dad Life."

Three Words: Sold, Packing, Excitement

2010-05-04T23:55:00.005-04:00

Okay, where to begin? It's been quite a while, but I have plenty of news to share.

Charles has been gone now for two months and that time has been very hard for all of us. We've gone to New Bern to visit (a whole week in April) and he's flown down here to visit us a couple of times, which makes all this a bit easier to handle. The good news is that the "count-down" is on and things are going to change completely near the end of May!

The house is sold! I thought it would take months, but we only had it on the market for a little over three weeks before someone put a contract on it. We closed on April 29th and are now "renting" the house back from the buyer for the remainder of May so that Riley can finish up the school year.

School ends on May 21st and we are making our big move on May 23rd. We cannot wait! A PODS unit will arive on the 20th and we'll frantically pack all weekend and make the final drive to New Bern that Sunday. We'll then stay in Charles in his apartment for a week (unfortunately, the cats will have to be in a kennel those days) until we can move into our rental house on June 1st.

The rental is very nice and in the subdivision we'd like to buy a house in. The owners are military (of course) and he's a pilot being temporarily transferred to Washington state for the next two or three years. They've done amazing work on the house and we've promised to take good care of it for them while we are there. Best of all? The house is maybe three miles from Riley's new school--one of the best in the area. I so won't miss the 45 minute drive (twice a day) to her school now.

We still have plenty of packing to do, but I don't mind--all the extra activity just means we're that much closer to being together as a family again!!

Molly & McGee (and, now, Max!)

2010-03-21T15:18:00.004-04:00

Want to see something really cool? Riley's school has been carefully monitoring The Owl Box--a Webcam set up by a family in California. The camera is inside an owl box and I just watched the first little owl come out of it's shell just a few moments ago! It's not too late to check in though--Molly the owl still has four eggs left to hatch.

Moving On

2010-02-18T12:35:00.005-05:00

Exciting news this week: We're moving to New Bern, North Carolina! Charles just accepted a job offer at a law firm there and starts his new position on March 8. Riley and I will hang out here until the school year is finished and join him as soon as we can.

Unfortunately, we desperately need to sell our house--not an easy feat during these iffy economic times. We've found plenty of good options in New Bern, but we really need to sell the house we're in now! We need all the luck we can get.

We spent Sunday through Wednesday in New Bern, touring the area and looking at houses. It's a great area and only a 30-minute drive from the beach--a big plus for Riley. The downtown area is so neat--buildings, churches, etc. are 100 to 200 years old...amazing.

We're excited overall, but I'm a bit terrified of how much needs to be done in such a short amount of time--send positive thoughts my way!

Not a Good Day...

2010-01-31T01:09:00.005-05:00

I'm feeling really depressed. Had a terrible afternoon which ended with my one-and-only aunt calling me "trash" and telling me to "go gain 20 more pounds, leave Riley motherless" because, as she texted, "its all about food and you." She then told me to "call your Mom and cry." All because I wouldn't jump in my car, drive an hour south and check on some friend of hers she hasn't heard from in two weeks.

Things have got to get better soon. Hopefully, good news is just around the corner and we, as a family, can make a fresh start! Keep me in your thoughts and prayers, please.

Happy Birthday to Me...

2010-01-08T12:15:00.006-05:00

I woke up to this lovely decorating job from Charles and Riley this morning! They decided to decorate the space where I spend most of my days--my "home office" in the corner of the living room.

It's also a snow day here in Atlanta. Riley's out of school and the roads are incredibly icy. Our temperature is currently 16 degrees with a wind chill of 2 degrees...brrrr!

This is CNN

2009-12-24T22:55:00.007-05:00

I feel so cool. I got a shout-out on CNN this week from the man himself, Tony Harris. Now, if I could only win a Beat 360 t-shirt, I'd be in heaven!

An Early Birthday

2009-12-05T21:18:00.004-05:00

We had an early birthday party for Riley today at Jump 4 Joey so that would not interfere with the holidays--many of her friends from school were able to come. They had a blast!!

She had pizza, lemonade, an ice cream cake from Cold Stone Creamery (devil's food cake with chocolate ice cream mixed with Kit Kats) and I made "magic wands" (pretzel rods dipped in white chocolate and sprinkled with colored sugar) to go with her Harry Potter cake.

Our friend George took a couple of videos:

Alex, Riley and Paul in the birthday chair.

Riley really focusing on blowing out the candles...

Charles took quite a few pictures and I'll upload them later.

The Excitement is Killing Me!

2009-11-05T00:29:00.002-05:00

I'm very excited--only five more days until the release of Under the Dome, the latest from Stephen King!! I feel like Christmas is coming early...

Check Ya Later, Halloween!

2009-11-01T21:28:00.011-05:00

Well, another Halloween has come and gone. Riley had a full day on Saturday: Karate, a birthday party and then Trick-or-Treating with her cousin Ann.

The birthday party was for her school-friend, Abby, and featured a fun carnival theme. Unfortunately, the weather was quite cool and misty the entire time, but the kids didn't mind a bit. Most of the parents huddled by a fire pit to keep ourselves nice and warm.

Riley and Paul on the swings.

Paul, Riley and Alex wating on cupcakes.

Riley's cousin, Ann.

Riley and Ann help Grandma prepare their supper.

Grandma & Papa's dog, Snowy.

One very cute skeleton and an
adorable Minnie Mouse!

Halloween was a long, full day, but we all had a wonderful time. Riley's already planning next year's costume. Right now, it's a werewolf, but last night it was a zombie. I'm sure she'll change her mind hundreds of times between now and next October--that's the beauty of being a kid!

I'm Having Flashbacks to "It"

2009-10-26T22:50:00.012-04:00

So, we finally got our pumpkin and decided to carve it on Sunday. I pulled out all my pattern books so we could choose a design. I recently bought "decades"-themed book and was hoping to carve a Pac-Man design (from the "Dig Those Decades" book) this year.

Unfortunately, with a five-year-old, plans mean nothing! Riley looked through the books and found a design we just had to use. Of course, she picks one that the book calls "challenging." I tear it out and soon realize that the design is way too small for our rather large pumpkin. No problem! I just walk over to the printer/copier and re-size the design. I hit print and nothing happens. No ink. Great.

Riley really wants to carve the pumpkin so I have to improvise. I pull out some tracing paper and tape two sheets together so I'll have enough room to increase the size of the design. I had to draw the design myself! I just looked at what I had and tried to double the size just by sight.

I must say, things turned out pretty well. We transferred the design and began disecting our poor specimen. Riley and I dug out the guts and she and Charles pulled out all the seeds. We roasted them in the oven later--yummy!

When I was drawing and carving, I thought the design was just a weird scary face, but--after finshing and lighting it up--I noticed it reminded me of someone else. Pennywise. You know Pennywise, right? The "thing" that dressed up as a demonic clown and terrorized a 1960s town in Maine?

Pennywise is the main dude in Stephen King's "It" and pretty much ruined clowns for me--forever. I hate clowns. They creep me out. Now, I have a morbid looking one staring at me each and every time I enter or exit the house!

Thanks Mr. King...and thanks to Riley.

Think I'm reaching? I don't think so...

Happy Halloween!

Maybe We Should Buy a Boat...

2009-09-24T11:14:00.012-04:00

As most of you know, the Atlanta area received rain of biblical proportions this week. Riley was out of school for two days and Charles was unable to get to work during the same period due to hundreds of road closures--including major interstates I-20 and I-285. I read on a local news site that Powder Springs (our little town) got 20.1 inches of rain in just over 24 hours. Incredible!

Downtown Powder Springs, Austell and Hiram were the hardest hit. I found a great video that shows just some of the flooding in the area. We were big news, I saw reporters on The Weather Channel, CNN, Fox, The Today Show and Good Morning America all reporting from our area. I also found a great photo gallery on the AJC's Web site.

Here are some pics Charles took on Monday while trying to get Riley to school (she didn't stay long--they got out early due to flooding and the ever-worsening road conditions).

She's Ready!

2009-09-09T00:12:00.007-04:00

Riley is definitely ready for Halloween. She already decided her costume and we bought it a few days ago...

I think she'll make one cute skel-til-on (Riley speak for "skeleton")!

Who Dresses This Kid? and More Evidence

2009-08-25T22:52:00.005-04:00

Sunday morning was a bit cool for yardwork, but Riley and Charles headed out to mow the lawn and play anyway. Not long after, Riley comes back inside and tells me she's cold and could I please find her "skeleton" mittens. Odd request, but I get out the basket in the closet filled with all our winter goodies and go on about my business.

Minutes later, I check to see what Riley is up to and this is what she looked like:

Okay, this is a nice look for her...

She cracks me up! Hopefully this phase of wearing only boy clothes will pass--I actually heard a little girl behind us in line at Kohl's the same day tell her Mommy to "look at that little boy's shirt." God help us.

Remember Riley's little Houdini act with the candy wrappers a few weeks ago? Well, yesterday we found even more hidden wrappers behind the big screen in her play room downstairs. When I say a "few" more, I actually mean a lot more:

How did we not notice all this missing candy???

I thought it was humourous the first time--this time, not so much. I think I'm going to have to start hiding the candy in really obscure places--or just ask Dad to quit sending so much of it.

Time to Move

2009-08-24T22:55:00.004-04:00

Well, today has been a hell of a day. Busy day at work concluded by a threat from a neighbor and a visit with the Cobb County police. Let me explain...

We've lived in our subdivision for 10 years now and never had a problem with any of our neighbors. Heck, some of our best friends we met two years ago when they moved in across the street! But, in the last few years, some not-so-nice folks have moved in around us--especially next door.

A few days ago, after looking at a ridiculous yard next door for years, Charles filed a code complaint against our next door neighbor. She never mows her grass! Well, she does, she just does it every couple of months or so. Right now, her grass comes up well past my knee and looks horrible. We've seen an unusual amount of snakes and that prompted Charles to file a complaint online. I do not want a snake to bite Riley! We actually turned in her and a house across the street which looks just as bad. We take pride in our house and yard and it just makes things look tacky when all the people around us don't give a rat's ass!

(Charles took some pics, but I don't have them to post. Trust me, the grass is crazy tall!)

Anyway, this particular neighbor must have gotten her warning letter in the mail today, because this evening, as I was preparing supper, she marches up on our front porch and asks to speak with me and Charles. (FYI--I didn't even realize she was our neighbor at first. I don't think I've actually seen her before!) She starts her tirade saying that she couldn't believe none of us (any of the neighbors) brought her a pie or a casserole when she moved in--that no one has ever once offered to assist her in any way. Hmmm, I didn't know that was a responsibility of mine, but, anyhoo...

She starts complaining about the warning she received--she goes on and on about how her yard looking the way it does is a one-time thing. What? Her yard has been like that since she moved in! I swear, she has some guy come and mow it every 6 to 9 weeks--it's crazy. She tells us she works 24/7 and is never home. Charles says he works too. She laughs and says he only works 9 to 5. Charles tells her not to assume--that he works evenings and some weekends, but sill he finds time to mow our yard and take pride in what we've worked so hard for. Charles tells her to hire a service. She says she has a service, but they don't come regularly. He says to find a service that will come regularly. She says she doesn't know of another service. Charles asks her, "Have you ever heard of the Yellow Pages?"

The kicker here is that Charles actually saw a man in her garage yesterday, just after he finished mowing, and went over and offered to mow their lawn each time we mow ours--all for just the price of the gas to fill the mower!

This woman keeps going--accusing us of being racists, of picking on her because of who she is. All this craziness for just a warning! It wasn't even a fine! All she has to do to solve the problem is mow her damn yard!

Unfortunately, I didn't hear the entire conversation--I was in the middle of supper and had water boiling, etc. I heard raised voices on the porch, but when I came back, I heard the woman say these EXACT words to Charles: "I know your wife is home all day alone, sometimes with your little girl. There's been a lot of home invasions in this area recently--I sure would hate for something to happen to them."

Charles just said, "Was that a threat? Are you threatening my family? Okay, I'm calling the police." And we did just that. Two officers came--one to her house and one to ours. We told our side of the story and she hers. I did hear the officer on her porch say to her at one point, "Ma'am, they are not harassing you." Us harassing her? What? All this over a stupid county warning about her lawn? Crazy.

Of course, the police could do nothing but file a report. If we'd gotten her comment on tape (curse Charles for not having his iPhone!), she would have been charged with making a terroristic threat, according to the officer. She was told not to set foot on our property and to have no further contact with us. The officers seemed to be sympathetic to our concerns. What monster threatens a five-year-old girl?

Now I'm scared about being here alone all the time. I'm sure this is the end of it--it should be if this woman has any sense at all. I would hope she's not crazy enough to slash my tires or damage our property in any other way.

I've hated Atlanta for a long time now. This is just the "icing on the cake." If the economy/housing market wasn't in the crapper, we'd put our house on the market and get the hell out. But, for now, we're stuck--stuck with a crazy neighbor who saw fit to threaten me and my child. Charles was really taken aback--he's always been nervous about us being here alone so much...now he's on a war-path.

What is it with me and all the drama? So. Over. It.

Back to School and Too Short

2009-08-20T22:43:00.006-04:00

Riley has been back in school for a couple of weeks now and she's doing well. I think she's really excited to be back with her friends and away from her boring Mommy. This week, a teacher took photos of the progress she's making in class--we were very impressed.

Working with the "movable alphabet."

What an awesome job!

Riley is also going to try being a Girl Scout this year. Her school has a group there, but she'll be the youngest. Right now, the girls range from 7 to 11. She should really be a Daisy Scout, but Carole, the group leader, says we should give it a try. Her first meeting is Friday.

Riley's school is also having a picnic tomorrow evening. I made a yummy lemon nectar cake to take. It should be fun evening, but it would be even better if they served beer and wine!

I also took Riley to get her hair cut today--she really needed it. I asked the lady to cut 3 inches, but she took more than 4! It was a shock for me (I almost cried), but it didn't seem to phase Riley one bit. School pictures are Monday, so she'll look extrememly different in her class photos this year.

Having fun with the mirror.

Ummm, that looks like a lot more than 3 inches...

All clean and ready for bed.

Death's Acre: The Legend of Dr. Bass

2009-08-02T23:18:00.009-04:00

On Saturday, Charles and I were fortunate enough to get tickets to the UT Alumni/ Atlanta Chapter event, "Beer and Bones," held at the Atlanta Brewing Company. I, normally, am not too interested in these things, but when the newsletter mentioned that Dr. Bill Bass would be the featured speaker, I yelled for Charles and we bought tickets almost immediately!

We showed up to the brewery, signed in, got our swag and a beer glass (ours to keep) and found a spot to sit. We mingled a bit, got some not-so-great munchies, filled our beer glasses (note: my favorite is ABC's new brew: #'s) and I waited for my chance to meet Dr. Bass. During a slight lull in the foot-traffic and got up and handed my book to his assistant. She wrote my name on a Post-It note so he would have the correct spelling. I got to him and he was the nicest man! We spoke for just a couple of minutes--I told him my brief story of how I came to have an English major and an anthropology minor (thanks to a man he actually hired, Jan Simek) and we even talked briefly of the "death" of print.

Signing his life away...

The highlight of my evening--one-on-one time with Dr. Bass.

I should have this framed!

Dr. Bass said he wasn't all that familiar with the Internet. He told me that an assistant once informed him how many millions of times he'd been "Googled." Dr. Bass laughed and told me, "I didn't even feel it!" Ha! What an amazing sense of humor the man has!

His talk had us all completely enthralled. He spoke of three cases: 1) a missing teenager in the early 80's that he identified using only a single tooth; 2) a woman who was discovered two weeks after her passing--and after her three dogs decided they were hungry enough to eat her; and 3) an X-ray autopsy he did of The Big Bopper in 2007 after his coffin was exhumed to be moved to a new location. I won't go into too many details, but I could have listened to the man talk all night. What a fascinating life he has led!

One of the X-rays taken of The Big Bopper in 2007.

Charles says that the two words he will never forget from that night are "skin slippage." If you don't know what that is, and you don't have a weak stomach, look it up.

Dr. Bass discussing "skin slippage."

We ended our evening with a great supper at, appropriately enough, Six Feet Under. The fried green tomatoes were sooooo good!

Creative Language and Covert Operations

2009-07-20T20:24:00.009-04:00

Well, today I have two excellent examples of the wonderful child Charles and I are raising.

First, a few minutes ago, while she was playing with Charles downstairs, she told him, "Don't make me angry, Dad, or I'll kick your ass!" While stifling laughter, Charles calmly told her not to use that word again. I, on the other hand, was crying with laughter upstairs! I would say that I don't know where she comes up with this stuff, but that's not true. I know exactly where she gets it!

Then, only a few minutes later, Charles had to retrieve a ball from behind the big green chair in her playroom. When the ball was removed, he notice a pile of trash behind the chair. He gathered up the mess and brought it to my desk--placing it neatly on my desktop. The pile was nothing but candy wrappers. Riley has been sneaking candy--Starburst, Tootsie Rolls, Smarties, etc.--from the top of the rack in the kitchen!

Instead of just throwing away the wrappers in the trash (where we probably wouldn't even notice them), she's been throwing them all in a pile behind the chair! I mean, did she really think they would never be found?? Unfortunately, Riley stayed downstairs, terrified that I would be angry. Instead, when I took a look at the pile on my desk, I just started laughing. How could I not?

At least she was honest about the whole thing...she immediately fessed-up to Charles about what she had done. In the end, this is one of those stories we'll bring up when she's older and have a good laugh about the whole episode!

Look at All the Pretty Colors!

2009-07-16T22:32:00.004-04:00

Well, I'm on Day Four of this and the knee still doesn't look so good...

Wow...such pretty colors!

I swear, this thing is still three times its normal size!

Hopefully, as the days go by, the swelling will finally go down and the pain will subside.

Don't Drink and Bike

2009-07-13T23:19:00.008-04:00

We had a great vacation last week on Hilton Head and Tybee Island--Riley did not want to leave. I think she'd be happy as a clam playing in the ocean all day, every day! I'll be sure to post a few pictures after we've had a chance to go through them all, I promise.

I've decided that I am a total klutz. I hurt myself more than any other person I know: I have burn marks on my hands and arms from cooking; a dent in my shin from a 6th grade chair incident; scars from stitches in high school after I sliced my knuckle open on a metal piece on my locker; crooked toes from countless "stubbing" because I can never seem to watch where I'm walking; and, well, I could go on and on, but you get the picture here, right?

Saturday night on Tybee, the Fulkerson's and other friends all decided we should ride our bikes out for a night on the town (minus the kids). Bikes are a great idea--no worrying about parking or getting pulled over later and risking the consequences. Ten of us hopped on our bikes (Charles and I had to borrow) and we headed out to Marlin Monroe's right on the beach.

We commenced with the drinking and eating and had a fun time--so fun that a woman, as she was leaving with her husband and grandchildren, stopped by our table and chided us for being loud and obnoxious. She said we were appalling and should be ashamed of ourselves for our behaviour. Fine, she could have said something to the waiter, but no--she had to try and make us feel bad. Hey, lady: You're the one who brought your grandchildren to a patio bar at 10:00 on a Saturday night. What did you expect????

Anyway, three banana daiquiris later, I hoped back on the bike to ride to another island establishment. Charles took off with another group and we were separated. I was following Mark--who had a light on the front of his bike--but the rest of the group was well behind us. Mark got a bit ahead of me and it was dark--very dark. I managed to drop off a curb that didn't have a nice little decline onto a cross street and BOOM--I dropped and I think I went over the handlebars. I'm not really sure what happened, but I sure know what it did to my body.

Ouch! My scraped-up and bruised toes...

My knee--three times its normal size.

I pulled myself off the pavement and looked down--one of my toes was pointing in a direction I didn't know it could go and blood was running down my leg from the scrape on my knee. I could actually see my knee through the gaping hole left in my pants leg.

I was mortified!! Mark circled back to check on me, but I dismissed his concerns--not wanting to make a big deal of it. I got back on the bike and pedaled to the next stop and, thankfully, it was next door to a convenience store. While everyone went into the bar, I called Charles and told him to get his butt to me. When he got to me, I grabbed his credit card and went into the store to get peroxide and bandages. I cleaned my knee and toes off the best I could and stayed at the bar for about an hour before I could sneak away. I rode my bike back to the Fulkerson's house and crawled in bed.

When Mark and Charles got back, they put ice on my leg and Ellen gave me some ibuprophen.

The next morning, after a great breakfast, we took off for our drive home. My leg was in bad shape and I was in a lot of pain. I guess the four hour drive to Charles' parents house didn't help the situation--when we stopped there, my leg was so swollen I couldn't even bend it and my toes and the skin around my knee was completely numb. Charles' parents insisted on keeping Riley while Charles took me to a local ER.

The good news: Nothing is broken. The bad news: I have what the doctor calls "severe tissue damage." A nurse wrapped up my leg, gave me anti-inflamatory and pain meds and put me on crutches (or "crunches," as Riley calls them) for the next few days.

The take-away here? Don't drink and bike, kids.

P.S.--This is all after I had another bike incident on Hilton Head! I was riding my bike to the beach and was passing a guy pulling a beach cart. I yelled, "On your left!" What does he do? Pulls his cart to the left right in front of me! I tried to squeeze past him, but ran along a wooden fence--my left arm still has scrapes and bruises from that...wow, just call me "Grace!"

Pure Joy

2009-06-18T00:43:00.002-04:00

This picture is only worth two words: "Pure joy."

Double the Trouble / Swimming Lessons

2009-06-10T23:18:00.010-04:00

Having two computers in the house is causing issues. I've discovered that trying to keep track of photos, e-mails, documents and other such madness is becoming a real hassle. My computer is a "company" device, but I still have plenty of pictures on it--most downloaded from my iPhone.

I'll often sit down at our "home" computer and realize what I'm looking for is actually on the other laptop. Bother. I then trudge upstairs, find what I need and e-mail the files to my device. I don't know why, but I feel more comfortable using my laptop--probably because I'm on it 8 to 10 hours a day!

Another reason I prefer my own computer could be that Charles has set the resolution on our home computer to a size that only a hawk could properly read. Jeez, my vision must be really bad because I can't read a damn thing on the screen! If I change the resolution to a size that an actual human being can read, Charles becomes frustrated. Ugh!

In more positive news, Riley began swimming lessons this week. Most of the other kids are much more advanced, but she's coming along--slowly. First class, first request by the teacher was to go underwater so she could see how long they could stay under. Riley just sits there, looking at her like she's completely nuts. She never did put her face in the water, but practiced kicking and strokes.

Riley's class at the pool.

Riley working with her teacher.

The second day of class was better--after about 30 minutes of stalling--Riley finally put her face in the water for about half a second. She inhaled water and was choking and coughing...I think she panicked a bit. Later, she told Charles she "drowned" during her class. So dramatic.

"Look, Mom, I got my face wet!"

If Only...

2009-05-26T12:17:00.001-04:00

How cool would it be to have the money to purchase this beauty? That and if I had the money to put that red Porche in the famous garage. Hey, maybe it's still in the woods--right where Cameron left it?

Say Cheese!

2009-05-21T21:22:00.003-04:00

It doesn't take much to entertain me. Today I discovered the Awkward Family Photos blog. My absolute favorites are the pics of the "Bon" family...you gotta love the 80s!

Those Came Out of Where?

2009-05-05T22:05:00.007-04:00

Okay...I think I truly had a panic attack today before the splints were removed. I took a Percocet about 45 minutes before the procedure, but I was still a mess. The doc came in and took a look, sprayed two types of medicine up my nose and noticed that I was not good.

He told me I would more than likely pass out--I know, what great bedside-manner, huh?--and told me to lean back while he cut the stitches. Just cutting those hurt. At this point, I really lost it. I was terrified, but embarrassed--I was acting like a small child and I could not control myself.

He pulled those things out and, honestly, it was pretty bad. I did not pass out, but came close. Here's what he took out of my nose.

I'd guess these things were about 4.5 inches long and 0.5 inches wide on the flat side. Waaaayyy too big to be in my nose. Trust me, I felt every bit of them as they slid out of my nostrils.

My eye still looks rough. The doc swears it has nothing to do with the surgery and told me to see an optomologist if it doesn't get better in the next week or so.

Light at the End of the Tunnel...

2009-05-05T00:33:00.004-04:00

Well, things have not been so great the last few days. I'm writing this now on a break from my pain meds--once I take them, I become exhausted and drunk-sounding...pretty much useless!

The pain has been horrible and my medication wasn't really doing the trick. On Sunday morning I called my doc because I had several burst blood vessels in my right eye, my vision was blurry and I was also quite dizzy. He told me to go directly to the ER to get checked out because those symptoms aren't normal in the post-op recovery period.

I was at the hospital for over five hours and got a CT scan--the scan showed just severe swelling which was, most likely, causing my pain. I got new pain medication that works much better--it's not 100%, but it's much better than what I was on before. My eyes are still blurry and look horrible, but I'm hoping that won't last much longer.

Tomorrow I'm scheduled to have the splints taken out and my doc (and the doc at the ER) says that I will see tremendous improvement once those are out and the doc suctions all the gunk out of my nose. Unfortunately, someone online equated the splint removal to childbirth. Not good. I'm so, so scared.

Fun times.

The Final Countdown

2009-04-29T11:40:00.007-04:00

Okay, so I'm having surgery tomorrow morning and I'm an absolute wreck. I've never had surgery (unless you count my C-section) and the thought of the recovery period and the pain has just got me all wound-up.

I'm having a septoplasty and turbinate reduction--the doc is also correcting a collapsed nostril on my right side. Sounds fun, huh?

The doc says my nose looks pretty much just like the one in the photo above. Out of a possible 10 for "messed up," he says my nose is a 9+.

I'll be out-of-it for a few days--probably close to a week. If splints are inserted during the surgery, I'll be back in the doc's office in three to five days to have those removed--big ouch! The swelling and general pain should last about three weeks. At six weeks, I should be able to tell how well the surgery worked. Total recovery time, according to my doc, will be four months.

I sure hope all this will be worth it!!

Tellus Museum

2009-03-25T19:41:00.018-04:00

Last Sunday, we had planned to take Riley to see Race to Witch Mountain, but found something to do that would be way more fun...the Tellus Museum in Cartersville, GA. All we had to say was "dinosaur bones" and she was halfway out the door!

The museum has only been open since January--in fact, many exhibits were still under construction. We saw lots of cool skeletal casts and tons of gems, stones and geodes.

Riley standing in front of dino poop!

We also had the chance to pan for gems and dig for fossils in another part of the museum.

We left the museum and took a short drive to visit an old covered bridge.

St. Pat's 2009

2009-03-20T11:49:00.040-04:00

We spent this year's St. Patrick's Day in our usual spot--Tybee Island and Savannah with the Fulkerson's. We drove down last Saturday and got on the island in time to enjoy Tybee's St. Patty parade. Riley had a blast and I was lucky enough to make friends with a beautiful girl, Stella, the Italian greyhound. She and I kept each other warm during the chilly parade.

Fun times at the Tybee St. Patrick's Day Parade.

After the parade, we were invited to Pat's house for food, drinks and fun. If you're lucky, you've seen some of the crazy pics posted on Facebook. Things got a bit out of hand, but the boys were quite entertaining!

On Sunday, we headed down to Fannie's for lunch on the deck with a great view of the ocean. Afterwords, we took a stroll, spent some time on the beach and then went for ice cream with the girls.

Monday, the Fulkerson's had work and school, so I worked during the morning and then Charles, Riley and I ventured out to lunch at Sting Ray's. After lunch, we did some shopping on the island.

Tybee Lighthouse

Riley inside the lighthouse.

Goofball.

View from the top.

Tuesday was the big parade in Savannah and we left Tybee early to get to Pat's house on Habersham. We had a great spot to watch the parade (and the nutty people) and had a wonderful day.

The first of many strange sights...

Jim gets a smootch from Ellen.

Cara, Charles, Emma & Zoe.

Charles & Jim.

The Bud Clydesdales.

Total playa...

Wednesday we left for home, but made a stop in Savannah for more shopping and lunch at Belford's. We sat on the patio and had an amazing lunch--fried green tomatos, salad, pasta and sandwiches. Amazing!

The Magic of Disney

2009-03-05T23:12:00.003-05:00

We spent the week of February 16th touring the four parks at Disney World. It was Riley's first visit and she was so excited she could hardly contain herself!

She was so fearless when it came to the rides--she's truly our child. She loved the roller-coasters and rides with lots of excitement. Thunder Mountain Railroad and Splash Mountain were her favorites at the Magic Kingdom, where we spent our first day. We got off It's a Small World and she said, "Is that all?"

She also loved the Dinosaur ride at Animal Kingdom, but she told us we need to go back so she "can ride it again with her eyes open."

We took a bunch of photos--way too many to post here, so I'm gonna cheat and link you to all the photos on my Facebook site!

Here's a link to photos from Day 1 in the Magic Kingdom:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=16500&id=1134474214&l=3fea2

Here's links to Day 2 at Animal Kingdom:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=16502&id=1134474214&l=50605

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=16526&id=1134474214&l=bc91e

Now, on to Day 3 at Epcot:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=16529&id=1134474214&l=2edff

Finally, Day 4 at Hollywood Studios:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=16531&id=1134474214&l=55ba7

I think we got some great pictures--hopefully, they'll help her remember (in detail) her very first trip to one of the greatest places on the planet!

Riley Collins: Cover Girl

2009-02-06T11:37:00.004-05:00

Charles and I got a nice surprise yesterday when we read the weekly newsletter for Riley's new school. The teachers in her class wrote a nice "article" introducing Riley to everyone in the RMA family!

Here's a scan of the page from the newsletter.

It was so neat to be flipping through the pages and see a picture of Riley out of the blue. I love reading these newsletters--they give us great insight as to what she's doing in class each week and help us understand the teaching methods and tools used in the Montessori program.

Here's a closer look at the
photo (sorry for the poor scan quality).
The caption reads: "Riley doing her
first Broadstair by herself!"

The story about Riley reads as follows:

Welcome, Welcome, Welcome!

Has your child come home talking about Riley lately? Well, Riley is the "new" friend in our class. She is full of great stories and boundless enthusiasm. Recently, when asked what great things she wanted to share about herself; here is what she had to say:

"At school I like to do the boom box, read books and I like baking too. My favorite animals are my stuffed pet leopard, my two stuffed horses and my big and little bear. When I grow up, I want to be a lot of things like a basketball player and a boxer. My favorite food is corn dogs on a stick."

These are just a few things she had to share about herself. If you would like to learn more about our new friend Riley, stop on by, say hello and ask her to tell you a story or two.

With many thanks,
Ms. Janie, Ms. Carmita and Ms. Connie

What? A basketball player and a boxer?? I can understand the boxer thing--she likes to box on the Wii, but basketball? She's never even played basketball and it's not something we ever watch on TV. Go figure.

Look What I Can Do!

2009-01-31T23:58:00.006-05:00

Friday was "Look What I Can Do" day at Riley's new school. All parents were invited to check out the activities the children perform regularly in class. It was really cute to see all the kids in their element...they were each so proud to show off!

Riley's friend Anna teamed up with us because neither of her parents were able to attend. She and Riley took turns picking out things/activities to show us.

Anna and Riley complete a puzzle map of
North America and Mexico.

Riley was so proud of her work!

Anna and Riley place numbers on their mat.

Making great progress...

What teamwork!

Anna tries cursive first...

Then Riley gives it a try...

Success!

Trying a "t."

Tightening screws.

Rolling up her activity mat--she posed
for this and insisted we take her picture.

At the end of the hour, Riley was upset to see us go--I think she thought we would be staying with her all day. She was quite upset, but one of the teachers helped to calm her down so we could leave. She and the teacher made muffins especially for us that she gave us when I picked her up later that afternoon. So sweet!

Bodies in Atlanta and a Tattoo

2009-01-05T22:50:00.012-05:00

Last Friday, Charles, Riley, George and I went to "Bodies...The Exhibition" at Atlantic Station in downtown Atlanta. The exhibit is one of the most amazing things I have ever seen!! Riley loved every minute of it, too. I'm glad she liked it because I was a bit worried that she might find it too graphic for her five-year-old brain.

Unfortunately, we were not allowed to take photos of the exhibit. If you've not been, or if you aren't sure what the exhibit is like, here's a video that shows much of what is on display (be sure your speakers are on)...

We had a great lunch afterward in Atlantic Station and then George took us to a great little shop, Liberty Tattoo, so I could get a tattoo I've been thinking about for several months now.

Rye and Charles watching me get settled in the chair.

Riley can't believe her crazy mommy.

Just after Bill finished the tattoo.

After the bandage came off.

All cleaned up.
This is the druid symbol for the holly tree.

I'll end with some random photos Charles took of Riley while he was playing with his camera settings. He's taking classes from the New York Institute of Photography.

What a nice pose.

Well, that didn't last long...

Now she's just plain goofy...

Crazy Christmas

2009-01-04T22:09:00.024-05:00

Wow, the holidays went by in a blur! It was a very busy time for us, but we had fun. On Riley's birthday, the 24th, Jack and Nancy came up to celebrate her big day and to celebrate Christmas with us.

Pirates of the Caribbean Cake.

Blowing out the candles.

Opening the "big" present.

It's the Bat Cave!

She's so happy!

Gotta have all the accessories!

I think this was her favorite birthday present.

She played with it all night...

Ben 10 watch from Uncle Mike, Aunt Pam and Ann.

Our Christmas tree.

More birthday presents from Papa and Grandma.

An Easy-Bake oven!!

She also got a Smart Globe.

Riley had to play with it right away.

Jack and Nancy opening Christmas presents.

We stayed at home on Christmas Eve and enjoyed Christmas morning together--just the three of us.

Riley tearing into the pile of Christmas presents
for her from Mommy and Daddy.

She looks so fierce!

Christmas day we loaded up the car and drove to Tennessee. Soon after we arrived, we celebrated Riley's birthday with Gami and Papa Doug.

Gami got a Pirates of the Caribbean Cupcake Cake...

Ready to do the deed...

Blowing out the candles.

Playing with stuff off the cake.

A total pirate.

She looks ready to pillage...

Opening a box of Legos.

Doug gives Riley a "hook."

Papa Doug gets into the spirit of the day!

Gee, do you think she was excited?

We took a break and had Christmas dinner followed by celebrating Christmas and opening presents and stockings.

Surrounded by presents...

A Batman ornament!

Indiana Jones!

This was the big present...the one she'd been waiting for...

So, so happy!

Thanks, Gami and Papa Doug!!

Riley helping Gami.

Doug really liked his new Cap-Lite.

Charlie keeping watch at the cabin.

Charlie at the cabin.

Charlie and Doug at the cabin.

Sunset at my parents' house.

View from my parents' gazebo.

After Christmas with Gami and Papa Doug, we drove over to Papa Burn's house to celebrate Riley's birthday and Christmas with him and Cathy.

Riley in her silly Santa hat.

She loves her new horse!

Papa Burn helps open the Santa sack.

Riley digging in...

Look at all this loot!

Cool new Spiderman hat.

Not so sure about the remote-controlled tarantula...

Riley's a Black Belt!

2008-12-24T01:17:00.007-05:00

It's official, Riley is now a Black Belt in karate!! Okay, actually, she now has a white belt with a black stripe, but somehow that just doesn't sound as cool as "Black Belt." Her new belt is a big accomplishment though--she's as high as she can go in class and is now the highest ranked student! She's very impressive and can perform some cool moves. She enjoys "throwing" other students and tumbling around on the mat.

The pictures below were taken during her test for her black belt last Saturday. Charles said she did so well!

The kid as her moves down-pat!

Ready to kick.

Showing her teacher she can punch.

Throwing Tray as part of her test.

Now she's pinning Tray.

She passed! Getting her new belt...

One proud girl!

A photo of the group.

Patiently waiting for a sticker at the end of class.

Lake Lights

2008-12-15T20:44:00.012-05:00

On Saturday, we bought tickets to see the Lake Lanier Islands light show online (on a whim) and drove up to Northeast Georgia to check things out. We went to Callaway Gardens last year to see their lights, but we wanted to try something different this year.

Charles took tons of pictures and I've posted a few of them here. Riley was completely enthralled and loved every minute of our hour-long drive through the park. She particularly liked one section of lights with a distinct "under water" theme--I'm sure you'll know it when you see it!

Nine ladies dancing.

Twelve drummers drumming.

Mmmm...huge candy canes!

Toy soldiers.

Flying fish!

Really pretty lines of trees.

Cool castle.

Huge archway.

More candles--this looked like a giant table center piece...

Here they are: Patrick, Squidward and SpongeBob!

SpongeBob Santa!

Live nativity scene. Riley watched for a moment and
then asked us, "Where the heck did they find a camel in Georgia?"

"Why don't you come with me, little girl, on
a magic carpet ride."

Very pretty snowflake arch.

We're not in Kansas anymore...

After all the lights, we stopped at the Christmas shop and looked at all the amazing ornaments and decorations they had for sale. The trees in this place were amazing! Riley also saw Santa, but did not want to go sit on his lap to discuss Christmas presents.

Inside the Christmas Shop.

One of the beautifully decorated trees.

On the way out of the shop, we met the man below--all decked out in an impressive suit. He spoke with Riley for a moment and then sprinkled some magic "Christmas Dust" on her and told her to close her eyes and make a Christmas wish.

Riley getting "sprinkled."

On the drive home, she asked, "Do you know what my Christmas wish was? I wished for a puppy!" Charles and I just looked at each other and sighed. This kid will not give up on the idea of a dog of her own!!

Better Late Than Never

2008-12-07T01:02:00.014-05:00

I've been neglecting this blog lately, so here are a few photos from Thanksgiving Day and our recent trip to the Atlanta History Center. We spent Thanksgiving with Charles' family in Jonesboro and Riley had a blast getting to play with her cousin, Ann.

The whole gang gathers for a group shot.

Riley showing off Papa's trains.

Riley and Papa with the train set.

Riley shows Ann how to work the trains.

Riley loves her Papa and his Christmas trains.

Papa and his girls.

A couple of weeks ago, we drove to the Atlanta History Center to see the Jim Henson exhibit, "Fantastic World." It was absolutely amazing and brought back so many great memories. Unfortunately, they don't allow you to take photos of the cool stuff on display, so here are some images I found online of what we saw...

These guys were my absolute favorites when I was a kid!
Ma-num-a-na...Do-do-do-do-do...Ma-num-a-na...

Character's from one of his earlier projects.

It's Kermie!

These dudes were so cute!

Down in Fraggle Rock!

We also took a look through the 1996 Olympic Games display at the History Center. Riley had fun with the interactive exhibits and had tons of questions once she found out that Charles and I were actually at the '96 Olympics in Atlanta.

Riley on the medals podium.

Riley with her winning pose.

Tybee Time!

2008-10-29T01:10:00.018-04:00

Last Friday, we all drove down to Tybee Island to visit the Fulkerson's for the weekend. Riley woke up Friday morning and before she was even out from under the covers she yelled, "Whooohoooo!" Gee, think she was excited?

Friday night we all walked over to the YMCA to decorate pumpkins, eat snacks and watch "It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown!" We all had so much fun.

Riley the Pirate.

Riley decorating her pumpkin.

Zoe as a goth girl and Emma as a mime.

Ellen found an interesting pumpkin...

Saturday morning, we all watched the girls play in their soccer games while Riley and her friend James played on the playground at the soccer fields.

Zoe during her game.

Emma taking on the big boys.

Marissa and Riley during a break in the game.

Saturday afternoon, we all drove to downtown Savannah for Wag-O-Ween: people were encouraged to dress up their dogs in costumes and stroll the streets of the city--stopping to pick up "treats" for the dogs at participating businesses. All the dogs were adorable!

Saturday night I took some time for myself on the beach--it was so peaceful! I know some of the pics are dark, but I was trying to capture the light as I was seeing it on the water--it looked almost pink in the fading light of the sun...

Sunday we all went down to the beach to hunt for shells and we came home with quite a haul! When it was time to leave on Sunday, Riley was not happy at all. She started crying and on the way home she made a wish on the first star she saw. I kid you not, she said, "Star light, star bright, the first star I see tonight, I wish I had a house on the beach!"

Hmmmm, I think I would have made the same wish!!

Mystery Illness = Very Sad Girl

2008-10-22T01:07:00.006-04:00

It's been a rough few days for Riley. The first signs of a problem happened Saturday when she was running a fever and complaining of neck pain. We gave her OTC medicine and thought nothing more of it. This past Sunday she seemed fine and even went with Charles to visit his parents in Jonesboro. They had a busy day, but, again, she seemed fine. That night she actually came to us just before 8:00 p.m. and told us she was ready for bed (very unusual). She was running a slight fever, so we sent her off to bed.

Monday she woke up in bad shape--she still had the fever, but now she was refusing to eat and could not even keep liquids down. Two to three minutes after taking a sip, she was vomiting all over the floor. This happened about three times before I called the doctor. Her temperature read 103.7 on my digital thermometer!

At the doctor's office, they did a CBC test and tested for strep throat. The strep test was negative, but her white blood count was extremely high (over 21,000). The doctor was worried it could be her appendix, so he told us to go directly to Scottish Rite emergency room. Once we got there, things got crazy. Riley got an IV in her arm (soooo not a fun process); they drew blood; did x-rays, gave her saline solution to re-hydrate her; and even gave her a CT scan. Finally, after discovering she had a blockage in her bowels, they gave her an enema (another horrible procedure for her to endure). The enema worked, which is a good thing. The x-rays and CT proved that the problem was not her kidneys or appendix.

Here she is--closer to the end of our ordeal.

Doesn't she just look pitiful?

Basically, we spent 9 hours in the ER to find out that they really aren't sure what the problem is. It's some sort of viral or bacterial infection. They sent us home since Riley was finally able to take in fluid and keep it down and told us to just watch her and call our doctor for a follow-up appointment.

Today was a bit better--no vomiting--but Riley still had a fever of 101.8. She got up and crawled in the recliner and did not move for hours. She actually slept in the chair for a couple of those hours. All she had eaten was a piece of toast and a granola bar. I called the doctor and told them the situation and they called the hospital to get her records sent over. They called me back and told me to bring her in this afternoon.

More tests today--flu (even though she had a flu shot weeks ago), strep, CBC--and things were all negative. By the time the doctor took her temp, it was up to 102.6. Her white blood cell count had dropped (just over 17,000). Again, they sent us home with no real explanation of what could be causing this.

I guess tomorrow will be another "wait and see" day. At least she started to perk up this evening and seems to have returned to normal in the temperature department. I just hope this is all over soon and she returns to her old self.

An Overnight to Callaway Gardens

2008-10-12T23:10:00.018-04:00

Yesterday the three of us took off to Callaway Gardens for an overnight trip. I think this is the third time we've been there, but each time we find new things to do and always have a wonderful time. We went mainly for the Fall Festival they have every year--Riley loves the arts and crafts for children (and kids at heart) and her favorite activity of all is pumpkin painting.

Our little artist.

Not bad!

It's the Great Pumpkin Tree!

A smile on a windy day.

She also got to make images on muslin with flowers picked fresh from the gardens all around us. She thought this was fun because you get to pound the muslin and flowers with a hammer...

This was just too fun!

She needed just a little help.

Callaway also hosted an antique tractor show this weekend--usually not my "thing," but it was neat to see them...

I preferred this rusty old tractor over the
freshly painted and restored models on display.

A cool photo by Charles.

I love this shot...

Okay, we took like 150 photos this weekend so I don't really need to say anything else. I just want to share some of the amazing photos we got during our trip...

An inside view of the corn maze...

Sweetwater (The Park, Not the Beer)

2008-10-05T00:27:00.014-04:00

After Riley's karate class this morning (and a little retail therapy at Kohl's) we all decided to take a trip out to Sweetwater State Park. It's just a few miles down the road and is a really fun place to spend the afternoon.

Here's a bit of the history:

Today the park houses the remnants of the New Manchester Manufacturing Company, which was destroyed by George Stoneman's cavalry on July 9, 1864. Although there was no fighting at Sweetwater a brief skirmish occurred at Alexander's Mill, also in the park. A third mill, just outside the park boundary, was also destroyed. The New Manchester Mill and Roswell Mill were major targets of William Tecumseh Sherman's forces because the products from these mills were used to outfit and house the Confederate Army. While Sweetwater Mill produced cloth for tents and sheets, Roswell Mill produced the famous "Roswell Gray" used in the uniforms. Other mills in the area handled grist.

Now for a few photos of the park and the mill ruins. I was very disappointed when we reached the ruins today--the last time I hiked here, you could walk through the old mill and explore every inch. Now there's a fence around it to keep hikers and visitors out. When will people learn to quit ruining things for the rest of us? Enough of my whining; back to the pictures...

Part of the frame-work of the old mill.

Another shot of a portion of the ruins.

We hiked the trail that took us by the river.

Riley taking a break on the rocks.

Part of "The Falls" area.

This was quite a random site...

Riley posing at a river overlook.

A peaceful spot.

Now I'm off to take massive doses of Aleve for my aching feet, ankles and legs!!

No Gas = No Patience

2008-09-29T00:34:00.008-04:00

All the cars you see in this photo are waiting in
line for gas! (Sad part is, this is only a fraction
of the total number of cars in line.)

Someone has got to solve this gas shortage issue--quick! Things are getting pretty crazy here in the Atlanta area; I have proof!

Friday night, I got in Charles' car just before 9:00 p.m., tuned the radio to NPR (so I could listen to the debate) and started my search for gas. His car was nearing empty and we had plans to drive to Japan Fest just north of Atlanta on Saturday morning. For more than an hour, I drove past station after station with no luck--in all a total of 17 stations--not one of them had gas for sale. My patience was running thin. I finally decided to head home and tell Charles and Riley that we would not be going anywhere this weekend when I spied a station with a small line.

All the lights were out, no prices were posted on their sign, but a couple of dozen cars were lined up at the pumps. I did a U-turn and pulled in to the end of one of the lines. A station attendant told me they did have a few hundred gallons left and thought I'd be able to fill up. Not long after I arrived, two police officers showed up, lights flashing, to park at both entrances to the station. They had been called to keep others from getting in line so the station could close up for the night. Apparently, I had gotten there just in time.

After a 30 minute wait, I was able to fill the Versa and $42.80 later ($4.09 per gallon) I was on my way home. I felt so proud of myself!

Today, we went out in search of gas for the van. It showed only 15 gallons of available fuel left, so we put a gas can in the trunk and headed out. After a short search, we saw that our local Sam's Club had fuel, but also had a ridiculous line! We pulled around the line that reached into the street--deciding we didn't want to wait--and as we pulled into a parking spot, realized that there were several lines that had formed for the 12 pumps the station had. The middle line had only 20 or so cars in it, so we jumped in line (at approximately 2:45). I was thinking the wait wouldn't be that bad--boy was I wrong!

I took Riley into Sam's so we could shop for a few essentials thinking I had to be pretty quick--wrong!! Charles called and told me the line really hadn't moved all that much--in the 45 minutes I was in Sam's, he had only moved up 3 spots. While in the store, I decided it would be wise to buy another gas can for us to fill up once we got to the pump. Riley and I got back to the car at about 3:30 and joined Charles for the wait.

The view from near the back of the line.

A shot of the middle of the line.

The very end of the line--all the way out into the street.

The light at the end of the tunnel--we are getting near the pump!

When we got to the pump, it took about 20 minutes to fill a 5-gallon and a 6-gallon gas can. The pumps were running extremely slow, but we were glad to get what gas we could after a 3+ hour wait.

We finally got home around 6:00 p.m. and used the gas cans to fill up my van. I'm hoping the 11 gallons we added will hold me for a while--thank goodness I work from home and only drive Riley to and from school three times a week!

If you're reading this outside Atlanta, be thankful that you are not suffering in the same manner we are...

Antibiotics: The True Sign Fall is Here

2008-09-23T00:09:00.006-04:00

This past Friday Riley woke up with a really raspy voice and coughed a bit so we figured she had caught a little bug at school. On Saturday, she still sounded like an 80 year old, but felt fine--with no fever--so we headed out to the circus and all was well. Saturday night, she woke up a couple of times during the night with severe coughing and congestion, but went back to sleep just fine. Sunday was more of the same, but Sunday night was a whole different story.

That night, she woke up several times--maybe every 45 minutes to an hour--with terrible coughing, I mean, coughing so badly that, at times, she really couldn't draw air into her lungs. It was so scary to hear her struggle to breathe! She then began coughing up clear fluid and mucus (I know, waaaaay too much information) which seemed to help her breathe a little better. This went on until about 4:30 a.m. until she finally slept.

I got her an appointment with the doctor this morning and, after a quick examination, found out that she has pneumonia! Not so bad in the left lung, but her right lung is in bad shape. We are now on antibiotics, steroids and cough medicine to try to get things back to normal. I just hope tonight we all get some sleep!

On a completely different note, I forgot to add to my last post a photo we took of a random guy walking around the mall this weekend. I so wish I had been able to get the picture from the front, but I think you can get a good idea of the incredible fashion sense on display...

This guy was in head-to-toe camo: note the cool tank top, "capri" pants and black socks pulled up to his knees--the hat just completes the look. Funny thing is, his wife and kids didn't mind being seen in public with him...

"Ladies and Gentlemen; Children of all Ages..."

2008-09-20T22:48:00.022-04:00

Today Charles, "Uncle" George and I took Riley to a "smaller" version of the Ringling Brothers & Barnum & Bailey Circus at the Gwinnett Arena north of Atlanta. We got there a bit early so we could go down on the floor and meet some of the performers and play around with props. Riley had so much fun!

Riley did pretty well with the hula hoop.

Riley & George got the hang of it very quickly!

George & Riley playing with the costumes.

An acrobat shows off before the show.

Riley & George posing for a photo before the show.

I often worry about the animals in the circus (treatment-wise),
but they were still wonderful performers.

Now, that takes talent...

Riley's absolutely favorite act of the entire show--miniature dachshunds.

Big Guy/Little Bitty Bike.

Little Bike versus Fire.

Six beautiful white tigers standing in a row.

Riley & me taking a break during intermission.

Riley mauling the $10
(justified by the inclusion of a silly hat) cotton candy.

George rocks the hat.

The whole family...

After the circus we drove across I-85 and went to Discover Mills mall--not the greatest place, but we were hungry and got a bite to eat and looked around a bit. One of our first stops (thanks to Riley's relentless begging) was the carousel.

George & Riley on the carousel.

We then headed over to the Lego store--I'm not sure who was more excited, Charles or Riley. Riley was like a, well...I guess like a kid in a Lego store! She would see one thing and pause a second or two before she spied something even cooler--running all over the store, torn between wanting to show us what she'd just found and moving on to the next thrilling display. Even cooler was the display that caught the eye of the Star Wars geek in the family...

Charles with the one-and-only Darth Vader.

I leave you with what happens when you put George and Riley in a photo booth...

Our Latest Project

2008-09-04T20:54:00.014-04:00

The last time we visited my grandmother's house, we loaded up quite a bit of furniture to bring home. One thing I took was an old Magnavox radio--my Dad couldn't understand why in the world I even wanted it. I just thought it was cool and knew we could find a use for it.

We decided to turn it into a little bar. Charles worked really hard on taking all the "guts" out and building and staining new shelves and backings for the piece. I think he did a great job!

Here's what it looked like after we brought it home and Charles started working his magic in our garage...

Not too bad on the outside...

A pic of the radio side.

The back-side of the piece--the "guts" of the radio.

The turn-table.

Now for some photos of the finished product...

It almost looks brand-new!

He installed a wine rack on one side.

And installed a rack to hold wine glasses on the other side.

Smaller glasses and bottles fit inside the top.

Overall, Charles did an amazing job on this and it looks so good in the dining room! I'm glad that we found a great way to re-purpose this and have it in the house.

See Dad? This is why I wanted it!

Construction, Preschool, Bowling & Football--You Gotta Love Fall!

2008-08-25T22:21:00.008-04:00

I haven't posted in a while--I guess I've just been a little lazy. Charles and I re-painted the kitchen a couple of weeks ago and then, the very next weekend, ripped up the old flooring. We replaced the ugly floor with great wood laminate flooring that will be so easy to take care of. The entire kitchen looks almost new! I don't have any "before" or "after" pictures--it didn't even occur to me to take any! I now have a "red" kitchen too--new cookware, plates, dishtowels, canisters, etc. I love it!

Riley started back at preschool last Tuesday and already has a head-cold. Yuck! Welcome to the new school year! She has a new teacher this year and, so far, is enjoying her and getting along well with her classmates.

A proud Riley on her first day at school last week.

We went bowling this weekend at a new "Stars & Strikes" that opened near our house and I quickly realized that "real" bowling is not as easy as Wii bowling! I was absolutely terrible, Charles was pretty good and Riley couldn't even lift the ball! I much prefer bowling in my own living room--Riley agrees with me.

As for this weekend, all I can say is, "Thank God for football!" Finally, the season starts and I'm practically giddy! Remember, real women watch football.

To the Moon...and Back

2008-08-02T23:17:00.025-04:00

We just got back from a trip to Huntsville, AL--we had no plans to go anywhere as of Friday morning, but Charles came home with this crazy idea to just up and drive to the Space Museum there. We left at 3:00 p.m. on Friday, got to Huntsville around 7:00 p.m. (thankfully we gained an hour with the changing time zone) and we checked in to our hotel not far from the museum.

We had a wonderful supper at Landry's Seafood House--the salad we got before the main course was amazing, so simple, but so good. Charles had an incredible seafood platter and he was in heaven. We finished off the meal with Bananas Foster and Riley chose cheese cake. We were surprised as she'd never even tried cheese cake before. We soon found out that she only ordered it because when she saw it on the dessert tray it had whipped cream and strawberries. Guess what? She just wanted the whipped cream and strawberries--typical Riley.

Today, Saturday, we got up, got dressed and headed downstairs for our complimentary breakfast--we ate like kings! Riley had a huge plate of pancakes and strawberries and Charles and I enjoyed scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, fruit, coffee, biscuits and gravy and so much more.

We were at the museum not long after it opened and we spent much of the day touring the grounds and soaking up all the cool things on display there. This is also ground zero for Space Camp--one of the coolest places ever. I always wanted to go as a kid, but never got the chance to. In college, I was actually offered a job there one summer (in 1995 or 1996, I can't remember), but I turned it down when I realized my not being able to swim might be a big issue during camp. I so wish I would have just taken some swimming lessons and accepted the job--it would have been a blast!

I think Charles and I took close to 100 pictures today...don't worry, I've only posted a select few. Enjoy!

The Saturn V rocket it all it's glory.

Stage 1 of the rocket assembly.

These boosters were huge!!

Suit with a model of the lunar rover.

The last stage of the rocket--the capsule.

Riley & Charles inside a model of the space station.

A small portion of a 4.2 pound moon rock
returned to Earth from one of the lunar missions.

The actual lunar rover--so cool!

Riley in front of a lunar lander display.

Riley was fascinated with all the space suits on display.

This one ring holds the entire "brain" of the rocket.

Charles & Riley in front of some military unmanned vehicles.

The shuttle simulator used during Space Camp. To the
left we saw kids in "mission control" watching
other kids inside the "shuttle" on CCTV during the mission.

Riley got to ride a smaller version of the Moon Shot ride.

She absolutely loved it!

Riley "riding" the shuttle.

The Pathfinder shuttle.

We picked up some nifty items in the gift shop. Funny story: We were all browsing through the gift shop and Riley poked her head in a separate room to check it out. Charles asked her what was in there and she replied, "Oh, just some more space novelties." No lie--those were her exact words. Where does she come up with this stuff?

Our Little Cowgirl

2008-07-30T23:11:00.027-04:00

Not too much to report, but I have tons of photos from this past weekend. We traveled up to Tennessee to visit and to bring some furniture back from Alma's house. We worked all day Saturday loading a U-Haul to drive back to Atlanta.

We had a great trip--especially Riley. She got to saddle up at Papa Burn's house and loved every minute of it!

Papa Burn (my dad) helps Riley saddle up.

I just love this picture--she's so happy!

She was a natural!

Here's the total cowgirl pose.

Riley poses with Papa Burn.

She was really hamming it up!

Cactus Jack (the donkey) and his best girl.

My absolute favorite photo of Riley!

For a while now, a group of donkeys have been living in the field directly across from my grandmother Alma's house. We often walk across the road to check them out, give them a bit of attention and feed them some treats.

A few of the donkey's in the field
across from Alma's house...

Riley loves to go and feed them treats.

They love to eat them!
(Pretty aggressive about it, actually.)

This red donkey was my favorite--such
a great personality and so pretty!

This little Jack is only two weeks old!

Riley was so proud of her new Crocs and all

the Jibbitz she has collected. She just had to show them off.

Riley also got to play with a new
friend--Shawn (Dennis' grandson.)

Now for just a few random shots from the weekend--Charles did a great job taking pictures with the new digital SLR camera:

The view from my parent's front yard.

The view from the back yard.

Mom's garden (looking through the gazebo).

Another view from the gazebo.

Doug's newest cabin--it even has an "upstairs!"

View from the cabin's window.

I Want That!

2008-07-22T23:31:00.003-04:00

For the past several months (way too many for me to count), we've noticed that Riley, while watching cartoons and such on TV, will randomly shout out, "I want that!" or "I want to go there!" It can be extremely annoying--especially while I'm trying to work. Picture it: It's super quiet and I'm upstairs editing news stories and posting them online or, worse, I'm on a conference call with six people from all over the country and all of a sudden, a mighty shout rises up the hallway..."I WANT THAT!"

Lately, this phenomenon has been occurring during practically every commercial break--there's always some new and exciting toy or food product that she must have. I know, you're thinking, "Just turn off the TV." I would, but she's addicted and her watching Chowder or Johnny Test allows me the time to get some work done. (Judge me all you want--no one has accused me of being the perfect mother.)

Anyway, we've been asking her to try and refrain from making such loud exclamations all day, every day, but she continues this bizarre ritual. Charles gave me the reason after dinner this evening: He says he talked to her about this and asked her why she keeps yelling out, "I want that!" every time she sees something interesting on TV. Her answer was priceless...

Riley said, "I have to yell out like that, Daddy. If I don't, how will Santa know what I want for Christmas?"

Her logic makes perfect sense. I will no longer complain!

We Miss the Beach & Old Gap-Tooth is Back

2008-07-12T01:02:00.022-04:00

Well, we've been back in Hotlanta for a week now, but we're still missing the beach. Overall, we had such a good time and were so glad to be able to see Mark, Ellen, Emma, Zoe and the whole gang on Tybee Island. As we were leaving Tybee, Riley asked, "Why can't we just live with Mark and Ellen?" We'd love to make a move down there, but Charles hasn't been able to find a job in the area. Maybe one day...

Not much to report, but I did have the first half of a dental proceedure done today--my dentist removed all the old bonding from my top front teeth and cut my gums a bit to make way for some shiney new veneers! It was a two-hour process and was far from fun, but the results will be well worth it. Unfortunately, my teeth now look like they did when I was in sixth grade--I have a ginormous space between my two front teeth. I would post a picture, but it's way embarrasing. Charles says they don't look that bad (isn't he sweet?), but when I showed Riley, she simply said, "Wow." I bet Charles that two quarters would fit in the space and he said, "No way." He was wrong--they fit quite nicely.

Anyway, back to what I came here to do--post some pictures. Here's a look at what we did all week...

Riley & Charles pose on the dock at Hudson's Restaurant.

Riley lets the clown at Hudson's put a little "art" on her hand.

After dinner, Riley skips shells on the water.

The boats docked at Hudson's.

Riley creates her own "pool" on the beach.

She's such a ham when it comes to pictures.

Riley loved playing miniature golf with a pirate
theme (she's so into pirates right now).

She was so focused on her shots--she
took it very seriously.

Random bird we spotted while we were
riding our bikes around the island.

This picture just cracks me up--this

was taken at Hilton Head Ice Cream.

Riley playing with her cousin, Ann.
Ann looooved Riley's Croc's!

We stopped at Uncle Bubba's to eat on our
way to Tybee Island. Saw Uncle Bubba, but no Paula Dean...

View from our "private" table at Uncle Bubba's.

The spread on Tybee Beach for the Fourth of
July--lots of fun people and "adult" beverages!

Shrimp boat right off the beach--it was
swarming with seagulls and dolphins.

Low tide was super messy--here's Riley
with her friends playing in the muck.

She got a little muddy...

The Three Stooges--Mark, Jim (he's with the Coast Guard) and Charles.

I guess it's back to the real world now...

Hilton Head Vacation

2008-07-02T23:51:00.015-04:00

We arrived on Hilton Head Island on Saturday and we've already had a busy week. Riley is enjoying the beach--especially the ocean. She has no fear! She wades out into the water until it's up past her waist before she becomes the least bit cautious. Seeing her so confident makes me wish she had just a bit of fear of the water. We have to keep a very close eye on her!

She and Charles have also enjoyed the pool. She likes to get in and practice her kicking--I think we'll need to sign her up for swimming lessons soon.

Riley and Charles try to warm up after an early evening dip.

Riley with a clown outside Hudson's on the water.

Riley with Grandma and Papa on the back porch.

We have a new "mascot" here at the house this year. In years past, we always see the usual turtles and in the past couple of years we've been visited by a rather large alligator or two. This year, we have a much smaller visitor...

Our new "mascot" for this season.

He's coming right for us!

Riley has named our guest Spiderman--right now she names everything Spiderman and it can be a tad annoying. She likes waking up in the morning and checking to see if he's out in the pond or sunning himself on the bank. Yesterday, he came right out of the water no more than 15 feet away from the steps of the back deck. It's wicked cool!

That's it for now, but I'll be sure and post more photos when we get home. We hope everyone has a great 4th of July weekend. We'll be visiting the Fulkerson's on Tybee Island then to enjoy the fireworks on the island.

My Current Fix

2008-06-20T22:23:00.006-04:00

Call me obsessed, but I've listened to this song (and watched the video) a hundred times since it came out--Ladytron's new album, "Velocifero." There's just something about this band--check out their other albums "The Witching Hour," "Light and Magic," etc. and you just might get hooked as well.

Click here to listen to, and watch the video for, "Ghosts."