A Day with Nanny

Thanksgiving Day

Family Planning

I went to the grocery store today with Isabelle and Joseph. Joseph is in 1st grade and just loves to read! He especially loves to read signs as we go down the road. (By the way, I am so glad those signs on 85 N on the way to Hartwell are gone!) Today he was reading all the signs in the grocery store, and as we passed the pharmacy he read "pain relievers, hair products and family planning". He liked the way the words family planning sounded so he started repeating it and then singing it over and over! I just let him keep saying it because I figured if I said something that he would then want to know what it was. I'm not sure he quite graps the concept of conception yet, so I felt it was better to carry on as we were. We received a couple of humorous looks from other people!

On Friday the kids could dress up as a favorite book character. Isabelle dressed as Laura Ingalls and Joseph went as Flat Stanley! I can tell you that after school I was wiping down kitchen counters and there was orange hairspray everywhere! I couldn't see it, but it definetly came up on the cloth. Let's don't talk about what happened when I blew my nose!!!

Those are my old boots! It's a little secret, but I used to go line dancing

WAY WAY back when! Like before I ever went traveling and met Brendon!

Cotton eyed Joe anyone!!!??

Oh yeah, Joseph!

Our Joseph lost his first tooth. He woke up in the middle of the night, and it was very loose and fell out. He then woke up Isabelle and she told him to put it under his pillow (no one bothered to wake up the parents). However, the tooth fairy had already come so we put it back under the pillow the next night!

Halloween

Isabelle and Joseph woke up, jumped out of bed and ran downstairs Friday morning. This NEVER happens, but they were so excited about trick or treating this year! Isabelle was a cheeta and Joseph was a skeleton ninja. They also wanted Mom and Dad to carve out interesting pumpkins this year. It took quite some time and I like my regular old jack o lantern better. Next year! Olivia and Edison came over and went trick or treating with us and got lots of goodies! Everyone had a good time! Ok, so the parents were all a little exhausted this year, but we made it!

Mommabelle is

actually really sick today!
Drinking my nice coffee and looking at a million blogs!
Blogs are fun!

Guess who...

has a loose tooth????

Last night at bedtime Joseph said, "When I brush my teeth if feels like one of my teeth are loose."

So, I said "Which one"? and he showed me and I examined it and sure enough IT WAS LOOSE!

The four of us were excited and joyful for Joseph's 1st loose tooth!

Be sure to ask him about it!

You Are a Cinnamon Latte

Deep down, you are a sensitive soul. You just want to be loved and appreciated. You may have a spicy attitude, but you're all sweetness on the inside. You are dependable and loyal. You have you life together, and you're able to be there for other people. You like nothing more than a warm, cozy house filled with friends and loved ones.

What Flavor Latte Are You?

How Sweet!

I would love to skip work tomorrow. I get 10 days off, and I plan to not be sick! Therefore,
I need to use them or lose them. I mentioned to the kids that I would like to skip work tomorrow, and they were so sad at the thought of not seeing me for the 5 minuets that they usually do, that I'll probably go in!

What do you think about

when you don't have anything to think about?

I have ample opportunity these days to just let my mind wander where it will at my current job. It doesn't take too much thinking ability! As long as I take care about getting burned or cut I'm fine.

I think I could start writing novels or short dramas. I sometimes come home and write down my ideas and put them away for the future when life is not so hectic. Maybe the summer time!

Sometimes I pray while I'm working. Yes, occasionally I say LORD, please help me clean this floor! Mostly I just pray for direction, or purpose or whatever is needed, and for all the people I love and others who need prayers.

Morning Routine

I'm interested in the morning routines of people and families who are not morning people.
It's definetly no secret that I'm so seriously in that category of people! It simply doesn't matter what time I fall asleep, be it 8PM or 11PM, I am still barely able to function come wake up time.

I would just love to bounce out of bed, but what I really need is an IV line with coffee directly poured through my veins! I will say that once I've had coffee things take a slight turn in a better direction. Naturally, I always sound cheerful and wide awake when I tell the kids it's time to get up and come down for breakfast. They will soon be on to the fact that my chirpy attitude is somewhat of an effort and maybe not ..umm totally genuine for that hour of the day!

Here's my current "routine". I get up and stumble bleary eyed to the bathroom. Hoping on the way that I don't fall and hit my head on the bathtub. I usually stumble into the wall on the way. After that I go into the closet to find some clothes. Lately I've been so tired that I lay on the closet floor (similar to childs pose position in yoga) for awhile and stare at the clothes! It really doesn't matter too much what I wear to work, so I just find something clean and hope for the best. Then I go snuggle the kids a few minutes, and act cheerful and get them out of bed and down the stairs. (By the way they do not pretend.. andDO NOT act cheerful!) Finally, I get coffee and have 5 minuets just sitting and drinking it while the kids eat. (All the while Brendon has been dressed and cooking...he's a morning person!) Thankfully, I do make lunches and lay out kids clothes the night before so it's all easy after we are downstairs. We leave at 7:15. Should I just head straight to the coffee after I get up? I'm sure y'all would love to see pictures of this whole scenario!

Tell me your stories!

Fall Soccer

This is our second season of fall soccer.

It's such a fun and nice group of kids.

The coaches are great too.

They both have practice on the same night, which is good, but

Mom get's to sit through 2 hours of fun!

Joseph at practice

Joseph at practice
Isabelle at practice
Isabelle at practice

Old and New

This was Isabelle's nursery when she was a baby.

She never slept in here!

See the painted chest of drawers?

We found it at an antique or second hand shop and

Mimi painted it for her!

Isabelle is now 8 years old and needed a new look for her room.

So, Brendon, her sweet and loving father, sanded and stripped it

back to it's original look. Isabelle picked out new

knobs and voila! A brand new look!

We made the difficult decision to place our home for sale.We never sold our previous home and then renters have made no comments about wanting to purchase it. Their lease is up in February andwe don't want to face having two houses again. We thought we had found THE house for our family when we bought this one.However, it seems other plans are in store for us, but we don't yet know them!

These two sweet children of ours are understandably upset that

we will be selling this home. Please keep them (and our whole family) in your thoughts

and prayers. Especially that they will have peace and assurance in these

unstable and troubling times.

Nothing New!

Opening a package from the cousins in Perth! It was Flat Stanley!!!!

Thank you!!!

I feel like there is nothing new to share, but I needed to post something on here! We are sort of in one of those Nothing New phases as it is. You know, where you feel like there is nothing new ever and it's the same old same old?

The kids are enjoying school!
I'm working at the school and you would think I would know what is going on, but I'm so busy there that I actually have to make a special effort to keep up with everything.

Isabelle and Joseph are both taking a tap class, and a tumble class, and are playing fall soccer.

Right now I think they really enjoy the tumble class the best of all!

I think the wind from the hurricane is blowing up here today, and I'm totally enjoying it!

Hopefully it will blow in some cool air, because yesterday was extremly muggy.

Hopefully, I may soon find more time and life will begin with a new feeling and that same old feeling will blow away!

I've been tagged!

Share 7 facts about yourself on your blog, some random, some weird. *Tag 7 people at the end of your post by leaving their names as well as links to their blogs.* Let them know they are tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

I'm afraid this could be very funny! I might have a hard time tagging 7 people, but I"ll try!

1. I have to sleep with the covers over my head with only my nose/face showing.

2. I love to workout!

3. I'm still scared of the dark and say a prayer after I turn out all the downstairs lights and walk upstairs at night!

4. I love to sit and talk with my friends on weekend evenings. I could talk all night!

5. I really love people and would love to have a people oriented job.

6. I have to make lists and sticky notes to remind me about everything.

7. Faith and Family are number 1 for me and everything else pales in comparison.

I tag MimiSusan, Aunt Becky, Lauren, Alison.

First Day of School 2008-09!

We had a fabulous first day of school. The children have really awesome teachers and we are all very pleased!

We had a very early start, but everyone handled in stride.

In all it was a very good first day!

New Things!

I started to work at the school this past Monday. The first day I had to be there very early. It was a strange experience for my alarm to go off before Brendon's! Another wierd feeling was leaving the house before him while the kids were still sleeping! Another morning this week my alarm went off and I started punching Brendon and telling him to turn off his alarm. He said "it's yours!" Oh yeah, sorry forgot about that! HA!

The kids are going back to the school that Isabelle was in for Kindergarten. One of my cousins children will be there too, so that is fun! Isabelle has two really good friends from Kindergarten in her class too and we are so happy about that!

Sports and dance are starting up too. Actually, soccer began this past Tuesday. It was so hot and I really dreaded the practice. We were so fortunate that a cloud came by and stayed put for both of their practices that day!

I've been running regularly and was convinced by two running friends to sign up for a half-marathon on Thanksgiving day! I have to keep going now! Somedays I do honestly wonder how it's going to happen, but I'm sticking to the plan and trying to have large amounts of running faith that it is possible! LOL It's fun to have something to do and look forward too, especially right now with being back at work and all the new stress!

We finally found a solution to keeping the dogs in the fence. We put an electric wire around the bottom of the fence like they use on farms. It gives a little jolt. I'm sure most of you have run into one as a child and felt it! The dogs have been out in the yard for a week and have not escaped once! It's great to not worry about crazy neighbors calling the police, or fear that my dogs will get run over.

I will post some pictures next week!

Backyard camping

Isabelle, Joseph and little bit of me

Brendon

The tent

I found this hosta growing in my backyard near some weeds!

I will be transplanting that somewhere!

On Friday night Brendon set up our tent in the backyard for a night of camping!
We had hot dogs and then we made a camp fire and roasted marshmellows (which no one really likes, but it is fun to do)!
We then settled down on those nice comfy air mattresses! Joseph wasn't too comfortable so we found the crib mattress that is in storage in the basement and he slept on that. Around 10:30 I decided to head to my real bed. We need another solution for sleeping beside air mattresses. Brendon is way taller and weighs about 60lbs more than I do so sharing an air mattress is not a great idea!
The three of them all ended up in bed together in the middle of the night, because they got a little cold. I think it was 64F out there, so it was a perfect night for being outside.
We watched the lightenin bugs. It reminded of when Brendon first moved here and saw his first firefly. He yelled out, because he thought he was seeing things. It was hilarious!
That reminds me of another story I have to share. When Joseph was around two he would wash his hands in the toilet and I could not for the life of me figure out why he was doing it. One day I heard Brendon tell him "go wash your hands in the toilet" and I had an a-ha moment! For Aussies the "toilet" is the "bathroom" and here it is just the "throne". So, anyway, that was why Joseph was totally confused! He was just doing what was asked! It was pretty funny! Or, maybe you had to be there?! LOL

Babies with Daddies

Just looking through my photos. The first one is of Brendon and Isabelle, and the second of Brendon and Joseph. Just putting them out there for fun! Have nothing else to blog about!

Hi!

I just have not been in a blogging frame of mind lately.

Brendon just spent a week in Tasmania visiting his family and attending a suprise birthday party for his parents who both turn 60 this month! He had a great time, but we are all exhausted now because he can't sleep and so neither can I.

My dogs are now confined to the screen porch unless I sit out in the yard and watch them. I just couldn't risk them escaping anymore.

The kids and I have been biking on a local greenway a few times a week here lately. It is really a very pretty place and we totally enjoy it.

This weekend we are resting up and staying close to home with no big plans. What about y'all?



River in Launceston





Brendon with his Mom, Dad, Brother, Sister and niece Liana

Sarah is feeling better!

Sarah has been taking her meds for the last 5 days and boy is she feeling better. Those anti-inflammotories work wonders! She has had the energy to chew through another fence picket and escape. One of our sweet neighbors rang at 11:30 last night to let us know she had our dogs in her basement! Thankfully her dogs also escape all the time!
Between neighborhood kids leaving the fence gate open and Sarah chewing through a picket it is very nerve wracking in regards to the dogs.
I can't wait to get a new fence!

Sarah is a senior!

Our sweet dog Sarah has been limping for the last few days and I finally felt guilty enough to cough up the $$$ to take her to the vet. The dear girl is just feeling her age! Well, thank goodness it's not Lyme disease or a broken bone, but yeah it's fun to pay for vet visit to hear that she's old!!! She's now on some anti-inflammatories and Omega's!

Home for sale!!!

Check out this awesome house for sale in Buford, GA! Click on the blog title!

If you're looking for a place to live on the northside of Atlanta, this is it!!!!!

If you are happily settled in your dream home, please pass this information on to anyone who may be searching for their dream home!

Thank you Nanny!

For this lovingly and beautifully handmade dress! It is absolutely gorgeous!

Skateboard Boy

Joseph thinks he's a skateboarder! This day he was in too much of a hurry to find his shoes, so he put one Sis's Mary Janes! How Cool is that!!!

Isabelle's last day of school

Isabelle and Ms. Murphy
Abi-Claire, Isabelle and Bianca
Class picture

Tap Dancing Recital

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

Isabelle had a Tap Recital on Friday Night.

She did a great job. This particular lay out required a lot

of pictures, so we used the ones we had several times!

Click on the picture and then you can zoom in and out on each page.

Press the arrows to go to the next page. She did a fabulous job!

Joseph's Kindergarten Graduation

Make a Smilebox free ecard

These are pictures from Joseph's Kindergarten completion ceremony.

Just click on the slide show and it will enlarge. Enjoy!

Room Mom Gift

I was the room mom in Joseph's class this year. His teacher got me a little thank you gift of chocolate and wine.

Here's the story:

Mrs. Leonard: Joseph does your Mommy like chocolate?

Joseph: No, she likes wine!

So I got both! LOL

Well I don't drink too often, but I do like it. That crazy boy!

Still in Love!

Eleven Years ago!

The Bike Rider

We took Joseph's training wheels off months ago, and that

sort of worried him so he hasn't ridden his bike in forever.

One day a few weeks ago he came into the kitchen with his helmet

and asked me to help him put it one. He then said "I'm going to ride my bike!"

And, He did!

Had a few falls making turns at first, but he was totally riding in about 30 minutes!

Wierd!

Charleston

Brendon and I headed to Charleston for our anniversary a few weeks ago.
There are some pictures below. It's always beautiful there! There were tons of weddings taking place at every church in town that weekend. It was so sweet and romantic! We ate at Fig on Friday and it was yummy! We took a walking tour one day and went to Middleton plantation another. The house you see is not the plantation, that was destroyed mostly by fire in the war and finally an earthquake took it totally out. The house is the gentlemens place. Poor things, I really have no idea how they managed in such tight quarters. We toured the house and gardens and also took a carriage ride around the estate and Sir Ian McKellen was on our carriage (Gandolf in Lord of the Rings!) I will confess I had no idea who he was, but when we got off the carriage Brendon told me! Of course I had to call and check on the rascals when I got the chance! It was a nice weekend!