We hit up Broad Street in Rome this afternoon for some trick-or-treating. We had a great time. The weather was nice, there weren't big crowds, and the kids just had a blast. They got tired toward the end and a little hot, but they really enjoyed it. Katie even got to have her picture made with Snow White. She told her that she missed seeing her at Disney World! ha. (she was on our list of must-sees for our next trip!) Here are some pictures. We are taking a short rest time before our next event, the party at a friend's house tonight!
Friday, October 31, 2008
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Our exciting week continues....
Katie lost her first tooth!!!!! Isn't she adorable? And congrats to me, because I actually pulled it! I never would have thought I had it in me....she was so brave. She almost acted like she wanted to cry because I know it hurt a little, but as soon as she saw the tooth in my hand she was excited. She wanted to wake up Noah, who was a little less enthused than she probably wanted, but he did acknowledge the tooth was out before going immediately back to sleep! After calls to both Meme and Nanna, the news now goes "live."
Here's the photo to prove it:
Double Digit Countdown!
We are now in the double digit countdown for our Disney trip! I updated our vacation blog with more details:
www.thompsonsgotodisney.blogspot.com
www.thompsonsgotodisney.blogspot.com
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Katie is 6 Years Old Today!
Today is Katie's "actual" birthday, as she says. Here is a slideshow of Katie through the years. I don't have as many of her as I did of Noah on his birthday because I was using another computer then that had more of our old pictures on it...haven't put them on this one yet...
We have plans for a special birthday dinner out tonight, and picking up the new Tinkerbell movie that is released today.
Happy Birthday Katie!She was born at 11:28 pm, 8lbs 8 oz, and I am a bad mom because I can't remember her length. Anyway, she now weighs 63 pounds and is 48 1/2 inches tall! That is over 4 feet tall! WOW! (And Happy Birthday Granny today and MawMaw tomorrow! Katie was born on Granny's birthday, but almost MawMaw's birthday...if the time hadn't changed that night!)
Saturday, October 25, 2008
Fun Times!!!
Bethany was getting a little too wild at 2am...showing off skin..scandalous!Our dear friends, Andy and Bethany got to come over last night! We just don't get to hang out with them enough....though Bethany is here fairly regularly, it had been since May that the four of us had gotten together to hang out...actually before then because the last time in May we were working on our floors and they came by to help for a little bit...ON Bethany's birthday-ha!
Anyway, it was so fun to have fun! We played Apples to Apples...for a really long time...and laughed till we cried or almost peed our pants! ha ha!!!! You can always tell you're having fun if you laugh till you cry!
Anyway, it was so fun to have fun! We played Apples to Apples...for a really long time...and laughed till we cried or almost peed our pants! ha ha!!!! You can always tell you're having fun if you laugh till you cry!
Some of the topics for the evening included:
-Octogenarians
-Gregory Peck
-Dumb things they did in high school (they=the guys)
-Some woman who has the worst plastic surgery ever
-Taco Bell
-agressive turkey basting techniques
-our kids (of course!)
-really these don't seem very funny now, but my mind is a little fuzzy still!
So, about 1:45-2am I remembered that I wanted to take some silly pictures of all of us, though we were almost past the point of being cooperative, you can always count on the guys to ham it up.
Bethany's camera died after a few, but here are a couple I took before my camera also died. Our husbands are so ridiculous, but I guess that's partly why we love them!
We love you Andy and Bethany!!!! You are the best to hang out with! I am sorry you were out so late since you have to drive to SC for a wedding today!!!
Bethany's camera died after a few, but here are a couple I took before my camera also died. Our husbands are so ridiculous, but I guess that's partly why we love them!
We love you Andy and Bethany!!!! You are the best to hang out with! I am sorry you were out so late since you have to drive to SC for a wedding today!!!
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Disney On Ice!
Well, it's 11am. I just finished eating breakfast and uploading our pictures! ha ha!
We slept in this morning, and YAY-Noah slept until almost 10 this morning! We all got in the bed about midnight-thirty. But we had a BLAST at Disney on Ice last night!
We stopped at Sweet Tomatoes for an early dinner on the way, then went on to Phillips Arena. We were early, so we hung out at the Food Court for a second and got Katie changed into her Tinkerbell costume, which drew compliments from EVERYONE she saw. I would say about a third of the little girls there were dressed up and Katie was thrilled...she said "everyone looks at me surprised!" So, thank you, grandparents, the costume was a huge hit at the show!
We went up to the "Princess Pre-Show" which featured beautiful displays of Princess dresses. Then it was time for cotton candy and finding our seats. You know you are going to pay a premium for cotton candy at these events, but at least they throw in a foam hat with it! ha ha. Another cool thing....the bags of cotton candy had moist towelettes in them! How cool and smart is that?!
The show was great!!! Katie was absolutely thrilled to see The Little Mermaid and she sung along with the songs...all the parts were great. Noah loved seeing Cars and they both loved The Lion King segment. The Tinkerbell part was really cool...the songs from that movie seem to have an Irish feel to them, as do the characters. We haven't seen it or heard the songs before so that part wasn't "AS" cool as the other parts, but still fun. It had parts where the characters "flew" across the sky on the cable things, so that was fun.
Overall it was a lot of fun and a perfect way to celebrate a birthday.
I also included some pictures of Noah at his first day of "Little Dribblers"...his basketball "class." He really enjoyed it. They learning to dribble using "spider" fingers and worked on passing and catching. It is a great introduction to the sport for his age!
We slept in this morning, and YAY-Noah slept until almost 10 this morning! We all got in the bed about midnight-thirty. But we had a BLAST at Disney on Ice last night!
We stopped at Sweet Tomatoes for an early dinner on the way, then went on to Phillips Arena. We were early, so we hung out at the Food Court for a second and got Katie changed into her Tinkerbell costume, which drew compliments from EVERYONE she saw. I would say about a third of the little girls there were dressed up and Katie was thrilled...she said "everyone looks at me surprised!" So, thank you, grandparents, the costume was a huge hit at the show!
We went up to the "Princess Pre-Show" which featured beautiful displays of Princess dresses. Then it was time for cotton candy and finding our seats. You know you are going to pay a premium for cotton candy at these events, but at least they throw in a foam hat with it! ha ha. Another cool thing....the bags of cotton candy had moist towelettes in them! How cool and smart is that?!
The show was great!!! Katie was absolutely thrilled to see The Little Mermaid and she sung along with the songs...all the parts were great. Noah loved seeing Cars and they both loved The Lion King segment. The Tinkerbell part was really cool...the songs from that movie seem to have an Irish feel to them, as do the characters. We haven't seen it or heard the songs before so that part wasn't "AS" cool as the other parts, but still fun. It had parts where the characters "flew" across the sky on the cable things, so that was fun.
Overall it was a lot of fun and a perfect way to celebrate a birthday.
I also included some pictures of Noah at his first day of "Little Dribblers"...his basketball "class." He really enjoyed it. They learning to dribble using "spider" fingers and worked on passing and catching. It is a great introduction to the sport for his age!
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Katie's Tinkerbell Birthday
We had a fantastic birthday party tonight. It was our first party with "friends" (well, not counting any random ones throughout the years that the Freemans have happened to be in town for :) We of course wanted to invite Kaitlyn, our classmate and great friend, and Bethany did happen to be in town, so she was able to bring Canaan and Zion. They had a blast, but boy what great birth control when you are feeling sentimental about your babies growing up...is this the secret reason people have big parties and invite lots of kids?! ha ha.
Anyway, we had so much fun. Publix made a beautiful Tinkerbell cake, the decorations were all up and Katie was READY!
We started with some pizza, then opened gifts. She loved each and every single one! She was also able to read all of her cards out loud (which I think everyone probably decided by the time THAT was over that a blank card would be good for next year! ha ha!)
We got her Disney on Ice tickets for tomorrow night, which is the whole reason we had a birthday party on a Tuesday night. Next Tuesday is her actual birthday. We were able to get the tickets half price for opening night which is tomorrow, and this past Saturday was Noah's last soccer game and party and Poppa and Ben were out of town. So, we decided having the party on a Tuesday wouldn't kill us!
We had a fashion show, since Katie's big gift from the grandparents was a complete head to toe Tinkerbell costume (to wear tomorrow night of course and for Halloween). They all dressed up and came out one at a time while we clapped. We had Katie as Tinkerbell, Kaitlyn as Minnie Mouse, Noah as Captain Noah the pirate, Brendan as Sir Brendan the knight, Zion as the pteradactyl, and Canaan as Captain Canaan Freeman, USAF. (aka, airport guy by Katie).
They had a lot of fun and I picked a few of the pictures from the night for a slideshow. I am too lazy right now to put them in any kind of order so they are completely random, taken from three different cameras. If you want to see a better view of the pictures, just click on the slideshow and it will take you to a larger view.
Happy Birthday Katie!
Anyway, we had so much fun. Publix made a beautiful Tinkerbell cake, the decorations were all up and Katie was READY!
We started with some pizza, then opened gifts. She loved each and every single one! She was also able to read all of her cards out loud (which I think everyone probably decided by the time THAT was over that a blank card would be good for next year! ha ha!)
We got her Disney on Ice tickets for tomorrow night, which is the whole reason we had a birthday party on a Tuesday night. Next Tuesday is her actual birthday. We were able to get the tickets half price for opening night which is tomorrow, and this past Saturday was Noah's last soccer game and party and Poppa and Ben were out of town. So, we decided having the party on a Tuesday wouldn't kill us!
We had a fashion show, since Katie's big gift from the grandparents was a complete head to toe Tinkerbell costume (to wear tomorrow night of course and for Halloween). They all dressed up and came out one at a time while we clapped. We had Katie as Tinkerbell, Kaitlyn as Minnie Mouse, Noah as Captain Noah the pirate, Brendan as Sir Brendan the knight, Zion as the pteradactyl, and Canaan as Captain Canaan Freeman, USAF. (aka, airport guy by Katie).
They had a lot of fun and I picked a few of the pictures from the night for a slideshow. I am too lazy right now to put them in any kind of order so they are completely random, taken from three different cameras. If you want to see a better view of the pictures, just click on the slideshow and it will take you to a larger view.
Happy Birthday Katie!
So Excited!
We are so excited at our house today! We are having Katie's SIXTH Birthday party tonight! Corey and I were up till 12:30 cleaning and decorating since we won't have time today with school and ballet this afternoon and picking up the cake.
She is having a Tinkerbell birthday party. Her actual birthday is next Tuesday, the 28th, so I will save the slideshow until then, but I will probably get pictures of the party up tonight or tomorrow.
She is SO excited! Her daddy picked up a giant birthday balloon that is Tinkerbell and it talks when you tap it. A total splurge (I skipped buying it at the grocery store yesterday, but of course Daddy had to go get it!). So...the house is ready, the balloons are ready to go on the mailbox and we have a very excited birthday girl (and mommy!) I can't believe Katie Grace is turning 6!
She is having a Tinkerbell birthday party. Her actual birthday is next Tuesday, the 28th, so I will save the slideshow until then, but I will probably get pictures of the party up tonight or tomorrow.
She is SO excited! Her daddy picked up a giant birthday balloon that is Tinkerbell and it talks when you tap it. A total splurge (I skipped buying it at the grocery store yesterday, but of course Daddy had to go get it!). So...the house is ready, the balloons are ready to go on the mailbox and we have a very excited birthday girl (and mommy!) I can't believe Katie Grace is turning 6!
Sunday, October 19, 2008
Cabins for Me! (Or you!)
A friend of mine from church came across my blog just a bit too late!
Apparently, they have a cabin rental company that rents in the Smoky Mountains area. AND, she said their cabins are NICE and CLEAN!
So, you can bet who we will be calling the next time we want a cabin in the moutains! Our good friends at Cabins For You! Oh, how we wish we had known!!!
Take a second to look at their website and book mark it so you have a good place to start the next time you want to head out for a nice mountain retreat! I saw that they actually have giveaways for their rentals as well. Visitors write-up about their stay...and the stories are so great! You have to read the winning entry from the last contest...SO sweet!
Click here: Cabins for You
Apparently, they have a cabin rental company that rents in the Smoky Mountains area. AND, she said their cabins are NICE and CLEAN!
So, you can bet who we will be calling the next time we want a cabin in the moutains! Our good friends at Cabins For You! Oh, how we wish we had known!!!
Take a second to look at their website and book mark it so you have a good place to start the next time you want to head out for a nice mountain retreat! I saw that they actually have giveaways for their rentals as well. Visitors write-up about their stay...and the stories are so great! You have to read the winning entry from the last contest...SO sweet!
Click here: Cabins for You
Friday, October 17, 2008
Challenge: Be a Good Samaritan
We got our Samaritan's Purse Christmas Gift Catalog in the mail yesterday. It reminded me what we have thought about doing for the past few years....giving a donation to a charity instead of buying a gift for our family members.
We tried to last year, and even started by helping with providing Christmas gifts for a needy family, but at the last minute everyone changed their minds and starting buying gifts. We have decided to absolutely do the charitable giving this year, and not give in, even if others do.
There are so many ways to give to others...people who could REALLY use a Christmas gift...unlike so many of us who are blessed with the things we need: clean water, shelter, food, clothes, medicines, doctors, hospitals, the list could go on and on.
If you are a regular gift receiver from the Thompson family.....be prepared. The children will be making their usual homemade ornaments and I will do my holiday baking for gifts. And above and beyong that, there will be a card with your name on it stating the gift that was given in your name....the gift that would provide a child with some clothing, or a family with clean water, or a nursing mother with nourishment. It is what we feel led to do, and what we will obediently follow through with for Christmas.
We will be still doing gifts with our children, that is a tradition that we enjoy with the three gifts (if you read about our Christmas last year you remember what I am talking about), and who would want to give up the joy of celebrating in their own homes? The big difference here is all those other gifts...we will still be giving with our homemade items, but the "extra" buying can be transferred to those who really are in need. None of us are in need...only in "want."
I know there are a variety of charities, local and abroad, who need help. Pick one. Start a trend. Be different.
We tried to last year, and even started by helping with providing Christmas gifts for a needy family, but at the last minute everyone changed their minds and starting buying gifts. We have decided to absolutely do the charitable giving this year, and not give in, even if others do.
There are so many ways to give to others...people who could REALLY use a Christmas gift...unlike so many of us who are blessed with the things we need: clean water, shelter, food, clothes, medicines, doctors, hospitals, the list could go on and on.
If you are a regular gift receiver from the Thompson family.....be prepared. The children will be making their usual homemade ornaments and I will do my holiday baking for gifts. And above and beyong that, there will be a card with your name on it stating the gift that was given in your name....the gift that would provide a child with some clothing, or a family with clean water, or a nursing mother with nourishment. It is what we feel led to do, and what we will obediently follow through with for Christmas.
We will be still doing gifts with our children, that is a tradition that we enjoy with the three gifts (if you read about our Christmas last year you remember what I am talking about), and who would want to give up the joy of celebrating in their own homes? The big difference here is all those other gifts...we will still be giving with our homemade items, but the "extra" buying can be transferred to those who really are in need. None of us are in need...only in "want."
I know there are a variety of charities, local and abroad, who need help. Pick one. Start a trend. Be different.
Thursday, October 16, 2008
Booking Through Thursday.....
I read a very fun book this week and wanted to share it with you all. I love to read and so do several of my friends, and Corey, so I thought it might be fun to try and do a weekly meme based on book reviews. So, here goes. If you want to do a "Booking Through Thursday" book review, just leave a link to your post in the comments and then link back here in your post and we can all read each other's latest book finds!
The book for today's "Booking Through Thursday" is A Proper Pursuit by Lynn Austin.
This was the choice for our book club for our November meeting, and I happened to find it at the awesome used book store we visited this past weekend.
I have to say, that this book actually inspired me to create a post and weekly theme about it, because I just enjoyed it so much!
It isn't a deep, thought-provoking, life changing kind of read. On the contrary, it is pretty light reading, silly, and just fun. The main character is a sort of mix between an Anne of Green Gables, and Jo, from Little Women. She has just graduated from a "finishing school" for young ladies. She goes to visit her aunts in turn of the century Chicago, who each have their own agenda for finding her a husband (or not at all in the case of one rebellious suffragette aunt). Violet is the main character's name and I just loved her from the first page! She has the habit of remembering people she meets by creating a nick-name for them that reflects their personality, and I found myself laughing at how "frankly" she thinks, but at the same time she is trying to appear to be nice and "acceptable" like so many people do! She ends up trying to find her mother, 4 different "beaus" propse to her, and to tell you the truth for a lot of the novel you don't really know which way she is going to go. I knew there was going to be some kind of interesting twist to how it all came together but it wasn't boringly obvious.
If you like Christian Fiction, and historical novels, I think you will love this book. I read it in 3 sittings over 2 days, because it was just fun and fast paced and easy to read and enjoy. A main setting of the book is the 1893 World's Fair, which she happens to visit with 3 of her potential suitors...showing a different side of the Fair with each visit. The description of the Fair is fascinating...especially the point of view of Violet experiencing "Mr. Ferris' Wheel" for the first time.
Here is one cute little excerpt from the book...Violet is trying to figure out a way to keep her father from remarry-ing a dislikable widow and bringing her two obnoxious children into the family. She speculates that the widow actually murdered her first husband and is fishing for information to incriminate her. Violet, throughout the book, gives nicknames to the other characters based on what she thinks about them....
"It's so tragic that she was widowed at such a young age, isn't it? I was away at school when her husband died, so I'm not sure I ever heard the cause of his demise."
"It was most unfortunate, I'm sorry to say. He tumbled down the cellar stairs and struck his head."
Ah ha! Just as I thought! Murderous Maude had pushed him! Homely and Horrid had probably strewn objects in his path to aggravate his fall, and greased the handrail for good measure. I masked my glee with what I hoped was a look of horror."
-excerpt from A Proper Pursuit, by Lynn Austin
Happy Reading!
The book for today's "Booking Through Thursday" is A Proper Pursuit by Lynn Austin.
This was the choice for our book club for our November meeting, and I happened to find it at the awesome used book store we visited this past weekend.
I have to say, that this book actually inspired me to create a post and weekly theme about it, because I just enjoyed it so much!
It isn't a deep, thought-provoking, life changing kind of read. On the contrary, it is pretty light reading, silly, and just fun. The main character is a sort of mix between an Anne of Green Gables, and Jo, from Little Women. She has just graduated from a "finishing school" for young ladies. She goes to visit her aunts in turn of the century Chicago, who each have their own agenda for finding her a husband (or not at all in the case of one rebellious suffragette aunt). Violet is the main character's name and I just loved her from the first page! She has the habit of remembering people she meets by creating a nick-name for them that reflects their personality, and I found myself laughing at how "frankly" she thinks, but at the same time she is trying to appear to be nice and "acceptable" like so many people do! She ends up trying to find her mother, 4 different "beaus" propse to her, and to tell you the truth for a lot of the novel you don't really know which way she is going to go. I knew there was going to be some kind of interesting twist to how it all came together but it wasn't boringly obvious.
If you like Christian Fiction, and historical novels, I think you will love this book. I read it in 3 sittings over 2 days, because it was just fun and fast paced and easy to read and enjoy. A main setting of the book is the 1893 World's Fair, which she happens to visit with 3 of her potential suitors...showing a different side of the Fair with each visit. The description of the Fair is fascinating...especially the point of view of Violet experiencing "Mr. Ferris' Wheel" for the first time.
Here is one cute little excerpt from the book...Violet is trying to figure out a way to keep her father from remarry-ing a dislikable widow and bringing her two obnoxious children into the family. She speculates that the widow actually murdered her first husband and is fishing for information to incriminate her. Violet, throughout the book, gives nicknames to the other characters based on what she thinks about them....
"It's so tragic that she was widowed at such a young age, isn't it? I was away at school when her husband died, so I'm not sure I ever heard the cause of his demise."
"It was most unfortunate, I'm sorry to say. He tumbled down the cellar stairs and struck his head."
Ah ha! Just as I thought! Murderous Maude had pushed him! Homely and Horrid had probably strewn objects in his path to aggravate his fall, and greased the handrail for good measure. I masked my glee with what I hoped was a look of horror."
-excerpt from A Proper Pursuit, by Lynn Austin
Happy Reading!
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Weblink Wednesday
I have decided to start participating in Weblink Wednesday, through my online friend, Socalval. She is the creator/moderator of a fantastic yahoo group for homeschooling moms and her blog hosts Weblink Wednesday. I don't know how to get the cute graphic that all the other participants have on their sites, but I expect I may get a helpful little tip about that after I link! Anyway, on to the topic. I hope it is okay to post any kind of link, not just for homeschooling, because unfortunately I get all my good links for her and the group and rarely have something new to share, but I will if I do ever happen to have one.
www.wishlist.com
For an example, click HERE for my family's wishlists.
My link for today is just for fun! It is a really fun way to create a wishlist to share with family and friends. I find it especially useful for my children. We usually plan their gifts for birthdays and Christmas carefully and thoughtfully, so it is helpful to be able to share things that will "go along with" or that "can be used with" what we plan for them. And, just a great way to share with family who want to know what they can get you for your birthday or holiday.
This wishlist site is unique in that you can add a link to your favorites that will easily allow you to add any item from any website you happen to browse. I have items on my wishlist from amazon, target, walmart, and mytwinn.com. You can create individual wishlists for each member of your family and add to whoever you like from that link in your favorites. There is also a place to put any additional info like colors/sizes, etc.
Anyway, I had a lot of fun creating our wishlists on this site and wanted to share. Have fun!
By the way...if you can find it on the web, you can put it on your list! ha ha...our family list includes a Chrysler Pacifica!
You can view other postings for Weblink Wednesday by clicking HERE or on the link in the post above.
www.wishlist.com
For an example, click HERE for my family's wishlists.
My link for today is just for fun! It is a really fun way to create a wishlist to share with family and friends. I find it especially useful for my children. We usually plan their gifts for birthdays and Christmas carefully and thoughtfully, so it is helpful to be able to share things that will "go along with" or that "can be used with" what we plan for them. And, just a great way to share with family who want to know what they can get you for your birthday or holiday.
This wishlist site is unique in that you can add a link to your favorites that will easily allow you to add any item from any website you happen to browse. I have items on my wishlist from amazon, target, walmart, and mytwinn.com. You can create individual wishlists for each member of your family and add to whoever you like from that link in your favorites. There is also a place to put any additional info like colors/sizes, etc.
Anyway, I had a lot of fun creating our wishlists on this site and wanted to share. Have fun!
By the way...if you can find it on the web, you can put it on your list! ha ha...our family list includes a Chrysler Pacifica!
You can view other postings for Weblink Wednesday by clicking HERE or on the link in the post above.
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Monday, October 13, 2008
Mountain Adventure...Part One
We usually end up having an adventure when we take a trip... but they aren't usually as gross as our recent one.
We left Friday around 1:30...decided to take a slow leisurely drive as to avoid some of the Friday afternoon in October mountain traffic. Our first stop was....eight miles down the road to Calhoun for some lunch! ha ha. Our service was extremely slow though, and we didnt leave there until 3:00pm!!! Oh well...
Our next stop...McKay Used Books in Chattanooga, TN. If you love books you MUST visit this store. We gave each of the kids $20 to spend (this is their souvenir from the weekend) and they each got a TON of books. I was in charge of helping Katie and she got about 30 books with her money. LOVE this book store. We left with a HUGE box of books, so plenty to keep them busy for the rest of our drive.
By this time it was 5:00....and combined with some more traffic and a stop at the pharmacy in Sevierville, we arrived to check in at our "condo-cabin" at 8:30pm. It was a little difficult to find the unit we had rented in the dark. We had to walk past a big construction area with a big drop off and that was a little nerve racking with the kids, but we got in, put our stuff down and investigated. At first the place seemed so nice...gas fireplace, kitchenette, nice big beds, etc. I noticed that it looked like the floor in the bedroom had not been vacuumed. Well, okay...whatever...someone got in a hurry.
We ran back out to pick up some McDonald's for dinner. While the kids were eating and watching tv, I investigated in more detail.
The jacuzzi tub had hair and dirt in it. *ew!*
The toilet had not been cleaned. I could tell! Now, think about that...how can you TELL a toilet hasn't been cleaned?! *double ew!*
I am feeling quite appalled by now...and we investigate what is available in the kitchen.
When we opened one of the cabinets...there was a cinnamon bun sitting on the shelf...open with a bite taken out of it!!!!!
I said to Corey, "This place has NOT been cleaned at ALL!"
So we decide right then, at about 10pm, that we are not going to stay here. I cannot even give my kids a bath. This isn't like we are staying at a friend's house and we are just using their stuff....this is a vacation rental! It should be pristine! We don't know whose hair that is in the bathtub....or who took a bite out of that cinnamon roll....and even if you ARE our friend, I hope you don't have a half eaten roll just sitting in your cabinet! (unless you have a 1-2 year old, then anything goes!)
Well, while we are looking around the place for a phonebook to see if we can find a place to stay...I found a tooth flossing pick in one of the drawers!!! USED! TRIPLE YUCK! This place is just getting worse by the minute.
We knew that we had to get a refund and didn't want any arguments, so I took pictures of every single offense. I wrote a list on the back of the satisfaction survey and sent a detailed email when we finally got to another hotel.
After we left, we remembered that this rental also charged us a $70 CLEANING FEE on top of the rental price. FORGET IT PEOPLE! That is insane!
We were driving out, thinking we might be crazy for leaving a place at 10:30 on a Friday night in Ocotber to find another place to stay, but we did. We actually, in fun, stopped in at the Inn at Christmas Place. I thought for sure they would be booked or insanely expensive. When I walked in, it was like a magical place. It *smelled* like Christmas. It was so cozy, decorated with Christmas trees, a huge log fire burning in an oversized rock fireplace...oh just beautiful. AND they had a room available. AND...it was a little bit expensive...$159. BUT, she said they include a FULL breakfast buffet and have a 24 hour indoor heated swimming pool.
"My husband will be right in!" I said.
I got back in the car and said, "They have a room!"
"How much?"
"$159, but it includes a full breakfast buffet and they have a 24 hour pool."I replied.
"It is nice?" he asked.
I replied in a very kid-excited voice: "It smells like CHRISTMAS!"
"I'll be right back" he said.
What a great husband. We REALLY enjoyed our evening at the Christmas hotel. For one, Katie and Noah LOVED it when we walked in. Katie said,"It's CHRISTMAS!" and started singing "It's Christmas, It's Christmas!"
In about 40 minutes we had unloaded the car, changed into our swimsuits and were taking advantage of the 24 hour pool and hot tub. We were swimming at midnight and the kids were LOVING IT! We were too. We needed the nice relaxing welcome after having such a miserable check-in at the other place.
The room was decorated with Christmas design comforters and pillows, the lobby was just GORGEOUS, and there really was a "smell" of pine, or something like that all through the hallways and in the rooms. We also had a mini-fridge and a kitchenette type area with a sink. The beds were DIVINELY comfortable and the breakfast the next day was great and filling. Biscuits, gravy, eggs, sausage, bacon, all sorts of toast, bagels, pastries, doughnuts, waffles, cereal, juice, fruits, etc. Katie even saw Santa as she got out of the elevator that morning. Santa makes regular appearances here to sing in the evening some days or just visits in the mornings sometimes.
So, the first night started out awful, but ended VERY well, and since this has been so long, I will save the next days for another post. There wasn't a room available for the second night at the Christmas Inn, so we had to move on....
Stay tuned for Mountain Adventure...part two. Highlights of this post will include a pigeon on the balcony and a Classic Carrie spazz attack! Sound fun?!
(BTW, Corey took the camera with him to work today, so I can't upload the pictures yet!)
We left Friday around 1:30...decided to take a slow leisurely drive as to avoid some of the Friday afternoon in October mountain traffic. Our first stop was....eight miles down the road to Calhoun for some lunch! ha ha. Our service was extremely slow though, and we didnt leave there until 3:00pm!!! Oh well...
Our next stop...McKay Used Books in Chattanooga, TN. If you love books you MUST visit this store. We gave each of the kids $20 to spend (this is their souvenir from the weekend) and they each got a TON of books. I was in charge of helping Katie and she got about 30 books with her money. LOVE this book store. We left with a HUGE box of books, so plenty to keep them busy for the rest of our drive.
By this time it was 5:00....and combined with some more traffic and a stop at the pharmacy in Sevierville, we arrived to check in at our "condo-cabin" at 8:30pm. It was a little difficult to find the unit we had rented in the dark. We had to walk past a big construction area with a big drop off and that was a little nerve racking with the kids, but we got in, put our stuff down and investigated. At first the place seemed so nice...gas fireplace, kitchenette, nice big beds, etc. I noticed that it looked like the floor in the bedroom had not been vacuumed. Well, okay...whatever...someone got in a hurry.
We ran back out to pick up some McDonald's for dinner. While the kids were eating and watching tv, I investigated in more detail.
The jacuzzi tub had hair and dirt in it. *ew!*
The toilet had not been cleaned. I could tell! Now, think about that...how can you TELL a toilet hasn't been cleaned?! *double ew!*
I am feeling quite appalled by now...and we investigate what is available in the kitchen.
When we opened one of the cabinets...there was a cinnamon bun sitting on the shelf...open with a bite taken out of it!!!!!
I said to Corey, "This place has NOT been cleaned at ALL!"
So we decide right then, at about 10pm, that we are not going to stay here. I cannot even give my kids a bath. This isn't like we are staying at a friend's house and we are just using their stuff....this is a vacation rental! It should be pristine! We don't know whose hair that is in the bathtub....or who took a bite out of that cinnamon roll....and even if you ARE our friend, I hope you don't have a half eaten roll just sitting in your cabinet! (unless you have a 1-2 year old, then anything goes!)
Well, while we are looking around the place for a phonebook to see if we can find a place to stay...I found a tooth flossing pick in one of the drawers!!! USED! TRIPLE YUCK! This place is just getting worse by the minute.
We knew that we had to get a refund and didn't want any arguments, so I took pictures of every single offense. I wrote a list on the back of the satisfaction survey and sent a detailed email when we finally got to another hotel.
After we left, we remembered that this rental also charged us a $70 CLEANING FEE on top of the rental price. FORGET IT PEOPLE! That is insane!
We were driving out, thinking we might be crazy for leaving a place at 10:30 on a Friday night in Ocotber to find another place to stay, but we did. We actually, in fun, stopped in at the Inn at Christmas Place. I thought for sure they would be booked or insanely expensive. When I walked in, it was like a magical place. It *smelled* like Christmas. It was so cozy, decorated with Christmas trees, a huge log fire burning in an oversized rock fireplace...oh just beautiful. AND they had a room available. AND...it was a little bit expensive...$159. BUT, she said they include a FULL breakfast buffet and have a 24 hour indoor heated swimming pool.
"My husband will be right in!" I said.
I got back in the car and said, "They have a room!"
"How much?"
"$159, but it includes a full breakfast buffet and they have a 24 hour pool."I replied.
"It is nice?" he asked.
I replied in a very kid-excited voice: "It smells like CHRISTMAS!"
"I'll be right back" he said.
What a great husband. We REALLY enjoyed our evening at the Christmas hotel. For one, Katie and Noah LOVED it when we walked in. Katie said,"It's CHRISTMAS!" and started singing "It's Christmas, It's Christmas!"
In about 40 minutes we had unloaded the car, changed into our swimsuits and were taking advantage of the 24 hour pool and hot tub. We were swimming at midnight and the kids were LOVING IT! We were too. We needed the nice relaxing welcome after having such a miserable check-in at the other place.
The room was decorated with Christmas design comforters and pillows, the lobby was just GORGEOUS, and there really was a "smell" of pine, or something like that all through the hallways and in the rooms. We also had a mini-fridge and a kitchenette type area with a sink. The beds were DIVINELY comfortable and the breakfast the next day was great and filling. Biscuits, gravy, eggs, sausage, bacon, all sorts of toast, bagels, pastries, doughnuts, waffles, cereal, juice, fruits, etc. Katie even saw Santa as she got out of the elevator that morning. Santa makes regular appearances here to sing in the evening some days or just visits in the mornings sometimes.
So, the first night started out awful, but ended VERY well, and since this has been so long, I will save the next days for another post. There wasn't a room available for the second night at the Christmas Inn, so we had to move on....
Stay tuned for Mountain Adventure...part two. Highlights of this post will include a pigeon on the balcony and a Classic Carrie spazz attack! Sound fun?!
(BTW, Corey took the camera with him to work today, so I can't upload the pictures yet!)
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
Honor Roll!
We gave out report cards today and I am proud to say that all three of my students are on Honor Roll this nine weeks!
Did anyone laugh? Shame on you!
Of course my children are on honor roll, you might say, I'm their teacher AND their mom. Well, I am two of the students' mom anyway.
Is it fair that I am their mom and I get to give them an "honor roll" certificate?
That I get to fill in their report card?
Well, if I am honestly trying to do the best thing for my children, then yes it is totally fair.
Why would I give them an "A" when they didn't deserve it? I mean, who is going to see the report card anyway? Who would benefit from their getting an A if they didn't deserve it?
THEY are going to see the report card. That is why it matters to me to record it. They can look at and be proud of their efforts as displayed on the report and on their honor roll certificate.
Why should they NOT receive something signifying that they did their very best and achieved greatly on their work for nine weeks.
Another point..... Won't they just get all "As" all the time since their mom is the teacher?
Who knows? I anticipate that they will learn everything they are supposed to learn this year...and when and if they don't....then we stop and wait until they do, so it is very likely that this year they WILL receive all As on their report card. This is just one huge advantage to homeschooling....we don't go on until they get it. That means success.
Is that unfair to children in a public school classroom where the teacher has to move on even if everyone doesn't get it?
I don't think so. That's why I chose to do it myself. One on one tutoring equals very high chances of Honor Roll.
I don't expect that they will always get everything all the time. They are at an age now where they don't really "do" tests in the traditional way...where they study then do a test for a grade. So, right now we are enjoying the luxury of my being involved with all lessons therefore we keep on until they "get it".
I am VERY proud of them...they are working hard and learning a lot this year! You can see their names posted on our school website (PEACE Academy) to the right. Feel free to leave a comment to congratulate them for their success!
Did anyone laugh? Shame on you!
Of course my children are on honor roll, you might say, I'm their teacher AND their mom. Well, I am two of the students' mom anyway.
Is it fair that I am their mom and I get to give them an "honor roll" certificate?
That I get to fill in their report card?
Well, if I am honestly trying to do the best thing for my children, then yes it is totally fair.
Why would I give them an "A" when they didn't deserve it? I mean, who is going to see the report card anyway? Who would benefit from their getting an A if they didn't deserve it?
THEY are going to see the report card. That is why it matters to me to record it. They can look at and be proud of their efforts as displayed on the report and on their honor roll certificate.
Why should they NOT receive something signifying that they did their very best and achieved greatly on their work for nine weeks.
Another point..... Won't they just get all "As" all the time since their mom is the teacher?
Who knows? I anticipate that they will learn everything they are supposed to learn this year...and when and if they don't....then we stop and wait until they do, so it is very likely that this year they WILL receive all As on their report card. This is just one huge advantage to homeschooling....we don't go on until they get it. That means success.
Is that unfair to children in a public school classroom where the teacher has to move on even if everyone doesn't get it?
I don't think so. That's why I chose to do it myself. One on one tutoring equals very high chances of Honor Roll.
I don't expect that they will always get everything all the time. They are at an age now where they don't really "do" tests in the traditional way...where they study then do a test for a grade. So, right now we are enjoying the luxury of my being involved with all lessons therefore we keep on until they "get it".
I am VERY proud of them...they are working hard and learning a lot this year! You can see their names posted on our school website (PEACE Academy) to the right. Feel free to leave a comment to congratulate them for their success!
Weather Alert: Frizz Warning!!!!
I was checking out the weather this morning on accuweather.com. I like their website because it gives a 15 day outlook instead of a 10 day like weather.com. I was looking through the forecast and LOOK at one of the indicators they have listed! This is hilarious...Bethany you will ESPECIALLY love this!
http://www.accuweather.com/indices-details.asp?partner=accuweather&traveler=1&zipcode=30103&metric=0&idx=frz
http://www.accuweather.com/indices-details.asp?partner=accuweather&traveler=1&zipcode=30103&metric=0&idx=frz
Monday, October 6, 2008
Update and Tag!
Update: Katie apparently has a virus, not an allergy problem. Her fever persisted all day today and when I noticed little white spots on her tonsils I took her on to the doctor. A strep test came back negative (though she has all the symptoms: no snottiness, but bad headache, fever, sore throat) but they sent a culture to see if something turns up in the next couple of days. We stocked up at Walgreen's on the way home...Zicam for me, sore throat lozenges, more ibuprofen and tylenol, ani-viral tissues, and some new coloring pencils to console the sick babes on the way home.
*sigh* So, I guess it is just the waiting game now. One of two things will happen according to the dr: Either it is a virus and will run its course over 48-72 hours, or it will turn out to be strep and we will find out and get something going. The good news is either way we should be well by the weekend!
Now, on to something more fun: A tag!
I can't remember if I have ever been tagged for a meme before, maybe I have, but I did actually try to find some sort of explanation for the word in itself. Apparently there is some historic/sociological definition as it being a word used for things that are passed down from generation to generation but may be mutated or changed...not genetic things, but things like habits, traditions, etc. Another definition I found, pertaining to the world of blogs was this:
meme: an idea, project, statement or even a question that is posted by one blog and responded to by other blogs. ...
I was tagged by Marcy to complete the "one word" meme. I have to answer each question with only one word. Then I get to "tag" 5 more people to do the meme on their blogs. I find it very difficult to even think about having to confine my answers to ONE WORD! AGH! Here goes:
1. Where is your cell phone? bedroom
2. Where is your significant other? asleep
3. Your hair color? brown
4. Your mother? scrapbooker
5. Your father? thinker
6. Your favorite thing? family
7. Your dream last night? unknown
8. Your dream/goal? peace
9. The room you're in? living
10. Your hobby? reading
11. Your fear? all (ha)
12. Where do you want to be in 6 years? asleep
13. Where were you last night? home
14. What you're not? daring
15. One of your wish-list items? Quelf
16. Where you grew up? Georgia
17. The last thing you did? typed
18. What are you wearing? pjs
19. Your TV? off
20. Your pet? scaly
21. Your computer? laptop
22. Your mood? stressed
23. Missing someone? yes
24. Your car? Chrysler
25. Something you're not wearing? ballgown
26. Favorite store? Target
27. Your summer? indoors!
28. Love someone? yes
29. Your favorite color? brown
30. When is the last time you laughed? Ha.
31. Last time you cried? Sunday
I'll tag 5 people to continue the game! Good luck!
Amy
PJ
Corey
Emilee
Learning at Home
*sigh* So, I guess it is just the waiting game now. One of two things will happen according to the dr: Either it is a virus and will run its course over 48-72 hours, or it will turn out to be strep and we will find out and get something going. The good news is either way we should be well by the weekend!
Now, on to something more fun: A tag!
I can't remember if I have ever been tagged for a meme before, maybe I have, but I did actually try to find some sort of explanation for the word in itself. Apparently there is some historic/sociological definition as it being a word used for things that are passed down from generation to generation but may be mutated or changed...not genetic things, but things like habits, traditions, etc. Another definition I found, pertaining to the world of blogs was this:
meme: an idea, project, statement or even a question that is posted by one blog and responded to by other blogs. ...
I was tagged by Marcy to complete the "one word" meme. I have to answer each question with only one word. Then I get to "tag" 5 more people to do the meme on their blogs. I find it very difficult to even think about having to confine my answers to ONE WORD! AGH! Here goes:
1. Where is your cell phone? bedroom
2. Where is your significant other? asleep
3. Your hair color? brown
4. Your mother? scrapbooker
5. Your father? thinker
6. Your favorite thing? family
7. Your dream last night? unknown
8. Your dream/goal? peace
9. The room you're in? living
10. Your hobby? reading
11. Your fear? all (ha)
12. Where do you want to be in 6 years? asleep
13. Where were you last night? home
14. What you're not? daring
15. One of your wish-list items? Quelf
16. Where you grew up? Georgia
17. The last thing you did? typed
18. What are you wearing? pjs
19. Your TV? off
20. Your pet? scaly
21. Your computer? laptop
22. Your mood? stressed
23. Missing someone? yes
24. Your car? Chrysler
25. Something you're not wearing? ballgown
26. Favorite store? Target
27. Your summer? indoors!
28. Love someone? yes
29. Your favorite color? brown
30. When is the last time you laughed? Ha.
31. Last time you cried? Sunday
I'll tag 5 people to continue the game! Good luck!
Amy
PJ
Corey
Emilee
Learning at Home
Sunday, October 5, 2008
Just thoughts...
It is allergy season for our house! I have concluded that we must suffer from ragweed allergies because that is what is posted on the weather.com pollen alert for this time of year. Noah is coughing, and Katie started running a fever today.(and didn't EAT lunch!!!)..which is very odd odd. She isn't having coughing or sneezing, so it could be totally unrelated, but who knows? I have a little lump in my throat as well.
I have decided that this bout with allergies has about 2 days to clear out because we have a trip planned (notice the counter over there) and we are going to be well by then.
How will we accomplish this?
Well, currently all our bedding is being washed to rid it of any pollen/allergens that have rubbed off from hair after being outside. We have the kettle out to quickly brew hot green tea and we are stocked up on local honey to add to our tea for a little boost of immunity (not scientifically proven, but has worked for us!). We have a freshly replaced air filter on the air conditioner unit. The front door is closed and will only be opened when necessary.(ha ha) We are not having soccer practice this week (thus avoiding the always freshly cut field of GRASS we practice on). We are drinking lots of water and will get lots of sleep.
Not sure if all of those things are related to avoiding allergy problems, but I am trying to think of everything that I can that MIGHT even help. I very much dislike dealing with a scratchy throat and stuffy nose, but that is nothing compared to dealing with a child with those symptoms...and that is nothing to compared to dealing with a child with those symptoms...AT NIGHT!
I am wondering if we might should invest in an air purifier for our basement classroom for the fall/winter/spring months. any thoughts?
Also, here's another story about Katie. This morning when she woke up she told me: "I had the most pleasant dream."
And I said, "really, about what?"
And she said, "I dreamed my name was Annie."
?!?! It took me a while, but I finally thought of an Annie...the one from an audio book we got from Chick-fil-a..."Dolphins at Daybreak" from the Magic Treehouse Stories.
She also had another interesting dream while camping apparently...she told her Nana that she had a good dream about "talking quietly."
She is unique!
I have decided that this bout with allergies has about 2 days to clear out because we have a trip planned (notice the counter over there) and we are going to be well by then.
How will we accomplish this?
Well, currently all our bedding is being washed to rid it of any pollen/allergens that have rubbed off from hair after being outside. We have the kettle out to quickly brew hot green tea and we are stocked up on local honey to add to our tea for a little boost of immunity (not scientifically proven, but has worked for us!). We have a freshly replaced air filter on the air conditioner unit. The front door is closed and will only be opened when necessary.(ha ha) We are not having soccer practice this week (thus avoiding the always freshly cut field of GRASS we practice on). We are drinking lots of water and will get lots of sleep.
Not sure if all of those things are related to avoiding allergy problems, but I am trying to think of everything that I can that MIGHT even help. I very much dislike dealing with a scratchy throat and stuffy nose, but that is nothing compared to dealing with a child with those symptoms...and that is nothing to compared to dealing with a child with those symptoms...AT NIGHT!
I am wondering if we might should invest in an air purifier for our basement classroom for the fall/winter/spring months. any thoughts?
Also, here's another story about Katie. This morning when she woke up she told me: "I had the most pleasant dream."
And I said, "really, about what?"
And she said, "I dreamed my name was Annie."
?!?! It took me a while, but I finally thought of an Annie...the one from an audio book we got from Chick-fil-a..."Dolphins at Daybreak" from the Magic Treehouse Stories.
She also had another interesting dream while camping apparently...she told her Nana that she had a good dream about "talking quietly."
She is unique!
Friday, October 3, 2008
When the world of make-believe fails...
So, I was listening to the kids play with the kitchen playset. They were "cooking" food for each other, typical stuff, etc.
Apparently Katie had made a "jelly-roll" for Noah (first of all, where would she have heard of, experienced a jelly-roll anyway, but that is not the point), and Noah, in typical Noah style, would not give the jelly-roll a single thought and would NOT try it.
Katie was trying to convince him to try the jelly roll, she said, "It is the most wonderful tasty treat in the world!"
Noah just looked at her and replied, "Katie, that is a mabnet." He has trouble saying "magnet" for some reason...and he has a cold.
So matter of fact. She had used a magnet letter as the "jelly roll." I guess he really didn't want to try a jelly roll.
Apparently Katie had made a "jelly-roll" for Noah (first of all, where would she have heard of, experienced a jelly-roll anyway, but that is not the point), and Noah, in typical Noah style, would not give the jelly-roll a single thought and would NOT try it.
Katie was trying to convince him to try the jelly roll, she said, "It is the most wonderful tasty treat in the world!"
Noah just looked at her and replied, "Katie, that is a mabnet." He has trouble saying "magnet" for some reason...and he has a cold.
So matter of fact. She had used a magnet letter as the "jelly roll." I guess he really didn't want to try a jelly roll.
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