Fathers Day Printables: October 2008

Kid's Halloween Party

On Wednesday we had a little Halloween bash at our house for all the kids around here -- well, maybe not little... we ended up inviting about 90 children!! And then, thanks to my friend, Beth Smith, we had about 10 teenagers who came to help too. She was an amazing help through this whole party -- THANKS BETH!!! It was great to see all the kids around here playing together having fun, from the very young ones to the those getting a little to cool for all this Halloween stuff.

We had lots of different stations set up for them to play games like a football toss, a witch hat ring toss, bowling, cookie decorating, etc. And then we had a musical monsters game (similar to musical chairs), a gross out table where the kids were blind folded and had to stick their hand in bat guts (spaghetti & Jello), zombie brains (mashed bananas) and goblin eyeballs (peeled grapes & Jello), and we had a sack race. But according to Lauren DeWeese, the Making a Witch's Brew table was the best. The kids poured alien blood (green kool-aid), then added some zombie snot (ice cream), some goblin spit (Sprite), and a dash of ants (chocolate sprinkles) to make their ghoulish concoction. I think I have to differ with her a bit though -- I love the mummy wrap. There's nothing like going through 36 rolls of toilet paper in 3 minutes flat! I love that my children are growing up in this great neighborhood full of kids, and I especially love when we all get together to celebrate these fun holidays! Thanks everyone for making this year's party a hit! And another thanks to Julee for helping me out! It takes a village to throw a party!

Wishing you all the best, Travis & Elizabeth!

Julee, Elizabeth, Barclay and I decided to have a little baby shower for our friend Elizabeth White. You may all know her as the reporter and former weekend anchor on WTVM news. Well, she's great... funny... full of fire & spunk... and anxiously awaiting the arrival of her first baby in December. His name is Mason, and thanks to 4D ultrasound technology... we already know he's a handsome little thing! Here he is...

Look at that sweet face!

Here are a few of us at the shower

Here's Elizabeth... see... isn't she a cutey? She's just one of those people you love to be around! Best of luck to you and Travis, Elizabeth! We are all looking so forward to having another little baby around to hold and love on. And thanks to everyone who came to help her celebrate this special time in her life!

Girl's Weekend

My friend, Julee, and her childhood friend, Molly, decided to get tickets to Wicked at the Fox in Atlanta. They asked Holly and me along for a little getaway girl's weekend. I thought... hmmmm .... 24 hours with no kids!!! That sounds great! And it was. We had a really good time staying in our mini-hotel with our mini-beds and eating at our mini-restaurant. In case you're wondering.... everything in our hotel was small.... very small.... I guess they're running out of space in downtown Atlanta! But it was very nice, however tiny, and I would highly recommend the play. It's supposed to be the story behind the Wizard of Oz... how the Wicked Witch of the West came to be what she was in the story we all know.... well, that is, all of us but Holly. I love being around Holly. She always makes me laugh... during the play when the Wicked Witch of the West dies, they put up a big curtain and you see the silouette of Dorothy with the water bucket and then you see the silouette of Dorothy throwing the water on the witch and the witch melts. A few seconds later, Holly leans over to me and says, "Now who was that that killed the witch?" I cracked up... "Holly... that was Dorothy," I said. She was like, "Where was Dorothy... she hasn't been in the play."

There were quite a few "Holly-isms" that weekend.... being with two blonds, Molly and Julee, the subject came up about who has more fun... blonds or brunettes. Holly says, "Well, we all know brunettes have more funner." Another time Holly & I were getting on the elevator and there were a few other people on the elevator with us. A couple starts speaking to each other with a wonderful, melodic accent, and Holly says in her best Southern-fried, central-Alabama drawl, "Where are ya'll from?" We all starting laughing... it turns out they were from England. I guess they'll have a story to tell their friends when they get home about the hicks they met in Atlanta on the elevator. I love her... she always keeps me laughing. And the thing is... she really is very smart... she has an accounting degree! She just has a sweet, innocence about her -- Holly, thanks for letting us all poke a little fun at you.

Here she is, funny Holly, in her fantastic new boots.

Me & Julee eating at our tiny restaurant

Here we are outside of the Fox after the show

Oh, I almost forgot to tell you about our adventure on the way back to the hotel. We thought surely we could get a cab outside of the Fox, but there were none to be found. We kept walking.... and walking... and walking... in our 4" heels... in the freezing cold air... searching the streets for a ride home. We were starting to get a little worried about our predicament... the hotel was 2 miles away... and then we saw a cop. I asked him how we could get a cab and he laughed at us, got on his radio and started trying to help us out. A few minutes goes by, and he says, "Come with me." We walk a block or so and see another cop in his car. The first guy tells him to take us to our hotel, so we all start laughing and hop in the car... everyone calling their husbands to tell them where we were. We were very grateful, especially when we went another 1/2 mile or so down the road and saw about 100 young guys hanging out in a dark parking lot... one that we would have had to walk right by had we not gotten our ride home with the fuzz.

Here are the girls in the back of the car... calling their husbands. I was, by the way, in the front sitting on top of the remains of our chauffeur's dinner.

And here are the friends we made in the hotel bar after the show who bought us all a round of shots... the BET awards were that night, so they were all dressed up and I guess ready to party after the show.

Here's to mommies' getaways... wonderful plays... nice policemen... and great times with friends! Julee, start working on tickets for the next one!

Pumpkin Patch

Wednesday, Jodi, Holly & I went on the field trip with our little ones to a pumpkin patch in Lafayette. It was a lot of fun... there was a hayride to the pumpkin patch where the boys got to pick their own pumpkin out and take it home, lots of jumping blow ups and a slide, and they got to see rabbits, chickens and horses. They even had a 200 lb pumpkin growing! The farmer told us it grows 5lbs a day and gets 1 inch larger in diameter ever day! That's amazing. Here are a few pictures...

The boys running to the train as soon as they got out of the car!

Reese & Jacob on the hayride

Ooooh, I like that one!

Walton picks one just his size

Cool, mom, look at this one!

The farmer telling Jacob about the really BIG pumpkin

"Told ja"... as my kids would say.... it's REALLY big!

Reese turning the corn grinder

Look, mama, I did it too!!!

Yes, I know, I had a little accident, but holding this bunny makes it all better

Jacob brushing the little goat

Time for the train ride!

Walton with no fear going down the big slide

Baylor, a little more apprehensive... that's OK, sweet boy, you'll get down somehow

Reese in action!

Running on Empty

Why is it so hard for a mom to work? HAH! Because we are DO IT ALL kinds of people, that's why! For the most part, our husbands are so lucky! Guys get to go to work and just work. They get to talk on the phone without being interrupted... they can complete a conversation and actually stay on one train of thought.

We moms however, are quite a different story. I'll give you an example. This is me in a typical 5-10 minute period while I'm working.

Amanda: OK, I need to check my blog emails and finish up that job for Lisa.

Amanda's brain: Gosh, I have at least 8 loads of laundry to do, and that stack of ironing is ridiculous! We may just have to sleep on that until I get some sheets back on the bed. Oooooh, I have to get 3 birthday presents for the party's this weekend. Ooooh, and all the Halloween costumes... why are my kid's wanting such difficult things this year....

Phone rings: (It's Julee)

Amanda: (answering phone while still doing design work) "Hey Girl! What's up?.... Just working.... yeah, I'm looking forward to it too. OK, I'll definitely get that for the baby shower... I don't have any idea what I'm wearing in Atlanta, what about you? .... No, Jacob, mama's on the phone right now. I'll get you some in a minute. Sorry, Julee, he's crawling all over me wanting some juice. Yes, I think I've got some ribbon...

Simultaneously... Amanda's Brain: YiKeS!!! I forgot to make a hair appointment -- I have 2 inch roots!! I can't go to Atlanta -- they might kick me out with my Jerry Springer wanna-be hair!! I look like a redneck! And my fingers & toes look awful! Ohhh, I hope I don't forget to make those apple muffins for Macy's class tomorrow -- gosh, that trash stinks -- those diapers -- YUCK! I need to blog.... those plants are dying, too....

Phone call: "Oh, Joe's in the driveway -- Ok, I'll let you go... I know how he LOVES us talking on the phone. I need to get back to work anyway... I'll call you later.

Amanda: Ok, I'll work on my new website now.... photoshop.... open file....

Amanda's Brain: I don't think the floors have been swept in days... do we have any milk -- yikes, and we're out of bananas and bread -- how will Jacob survive??? Ooooh, I'm on empty, too. I can't forget to get gas..... and I really need to work on those games for the Halloween party... what AM I wearing in Atlanta??? I think it's going to be cold....

Amanda: That part of the website's coming together... now I need to design 40 more cards.... open file...

Amanda's Brain: Oooooh, I forgot to get ink for my printer... how am I going to test out these cards without ink..... what in the world am I cooking for dinner... maybe we'll just have eggs and bacon again -- it IS the only thing the kids like to eat.... oh no, I just remembered .... we're completely out of diapers... we only have those 3 diapers in the glove compartment of the car... oh, my car is so dirty and I'm driving to Atlanta.... it's gonna gross everybody out... I need to start working on the yard sale....

Amanda: I'll just change that to red.... oh, I like that much better... and how about a Christmas tree here.... on the left side...."Yes, Jacob, we'll go get Sissy's at the bus stop in just a few minutes... no baby, you can't have another piece of cake... yes, you can sit right here in mama's lap and draw your Ninja Turtles..."

And this little scenario is pretty much repeated over and over throughout the day....

If I sound like I'm complaining... well, I guess I am. But only about how difficult it is to do it all... moms just really never catch a break.... but I really do love working, and I'm so excited about my new Christmas cards. The website is almost finished if you want to take a look.... www.kissmyblogcards.blogspot.com. I'll still be designing new cards for the next few weeks until I have a show at my house on November 5th, but you are welcome to go take a look at what I've got already.

Hope you all are doing well... I feel like I live in a cave now... miss you guys!

Jacob's New Pictures

Madison & Macy went to the movies the other night with Kate & Wheeler and I had a little time alone with Jacob. It's been a few months since I've taken some cute pictures of him so I took him out in the yard and snapped a few. He's actually a pretty good subject.... although it's hard to get him to laugh for pictures. I wish he would because he's always so silly & goofy & funny, and even though his pictures are cute... they don't always reflect his true personality. But I did get a few good ones...

Macy & Wheeler's Concert

Hi there. Long time, no see. My poor blog... so neglected. And the guilt -- am I crazy that I actually feel guilty for not blogging?? Well, I do. I love my blog... it's been such a great thing for me... but lately, I've just been too busy and too tired.

I'm working on blog designs, getting clients and all the rest that goes along with starting a new business and then I get this great idea to start a Christmas card business as well. So that's what I'm spending most of my time on now -- designing Christmas cards.

I'll let you know when I've finished that part of my website and then you can go take a look. I'd love to make that whole stress of Christmas cards easier on everyone. You'll just pick out a design, give me your pictures, and I'll have them printed and sent to you. It's as easy as that.

So, on to the concert. Macy and Wheeler decided a couple of days ago to invite everyone to an impromptu concert at our house. Within 30 minutes they had made invitations, charging admission, of course, and taken them around the neighborhood.

Soon all the kids who were at home came by to see them in action. Macy had her guitar and her amp, Wheeler was going to do some background vocals and dancing. They did a great job -- Macy even included a couple of her own songs and everyone was pretty impressed with her song writing talents. Jacob even joined the show, singing one of Macy's new songs. Even at three years old, he knew every word!! All the kids gave him a standing ovation!

After the concert they cranked up the radio and all of them danced, or maybe I should say they all came up with their silliest, funkiest ways of getting down!! It was fun and Macy was so glad to be performing for her friends again.

Macy's Three Little Pigs Play

Whew, what a week! As you can tell I haven't been blogging, but I have been doing lots of other stuff. Mainly working, but alot of it is just marketing... designing business cards, flyers, etc. And I've also been trying to start a Christmas card business to go along with the blog design, but I've having LOTS of trouble finding a printer. IT IS SO EXPENSIVE TO PRINT CARDS! I finally found a site on the internet and I was so hopeful, but now it looks like they need a different file format than what Photoshop allows me to do.... Boring Stuff... I know, but needless to say, it's back to the drawing board for me on that front and I'm running out of time!! It's already October 4th! How does that happen? Wasn't it New Year's a few weeks ago???

So Macy's been busy, too, this week. A few days ago her "Shine Time" group at school put on a musical play of "The Three Little Pigs." Macy has turned out to be my more shy child, and I was surprised when Mr. Wilson gave her the part of the 3rd little pig (if you remember, the 3rd pig doesn't get eaten by the wolf, so there are a few more lines for that pig). She was excited, but I was a little nervous because she's always saying she is shy, she doesn't know how to talk to new people, etc. Well, guess what??? SHE WAS FANTASTIC!!

We've been practicing for a few weeks now at home. She always just reads her lines to me, so when she starting singing those lines at the actual performance I was shocked! And she sounded great! She projected her voice and wasn't shy at all. In fact, she was sort of the comic relief in the play. I am so proud of her, and now I hoping that she will get involved in more theater groups in Auburn.

I took some video but for some reason it was like a brilliant light from heaven was shining in the room. You could barely see anyone -- I have no idea what button I must have accidentally hit -- so here are a few photos instead. Keep in mind, it was a small production... just in Mr. Wilson's classroom... so there are no real backdrops or costumes. Mr. Wilson did, however, somehow talk Macy into wearing a pink shirt -- that's something I haven't seen her do in 3 years!!! You go Mr. Wilson!!