The past couple of weeks have been spent searching for destinations for Taryn and I to spend in the second edition of Mother & Daughter Spring Break Getaways! A blast to the recent past last spring - Indy and I went to St. Simon's. Unfortunately the weather didn't cooperate and it rained a good majority of the time...pretty much if we stepped out of our room. It put a bit of a damper on our trip. But she got her placement on Mercer Service Scholars out of it, so it wasn't a complete bust, just not the fun in the sun trip and tanning on the balcony of our ocean view hotel room we had hoped for!
So in an effort to circumvent Mother Nature's unpredictability, and increase the odds that when we hit the beach chairs it won't rain, I looked farther south. We found a cruise out of Mobile, Alabama but we have to leave a day before Taryn's break officially begins. Oh well, she will smile her cute little smile, ask if she can take any tests a day early, and we will be pushing away from the docks while everyone else is in school regardless of anything pesky like permission!! We already booked it!!! Hey can I help it if they had a snow day the day I needed to know this information?!
April Fools Day and we'll be on our way for a 4 night cruise to Cozumel and back!
Today we sent off for Taryn's passport and booked the trip. An hour in line in an unheated post office couldn't dampen our enthusiasm. Bored us, yes... wipe the smile from our faces?! No!
Tomorrow we'll look through the Cozumel excursions we have to choose from but it's pretty much just a matter which dolphin adventure Taryn wants. We're gonna have a wonderful time!
2023
Friday, January 8, 2010
Monday, January 4, 2010
Brrrrrr!
12 Degrees this morning at 6 am. Wind chill made it feel like 2. So I drove Mariah to her bus stop 100 yards away. We had a nice chat at 6:40 a.m. Well, I should say Mariah talked and I listened. What she really wanted to do was start some drama over her tv viewership allowances but I wasn't buying into that so early in the morning. She was only 4 minutes away from some girlfriends she could get all fired up with over trivial stuff. At that time of day, my conversational gambit runs more along the lines of - got your lunch, taken your pill, got your try out papers for Beauty & The Beast, got all your library books, brushed your teeth, ate breakfast? OK we're good to go...let's stop talking now. Seriously, not a morning person... especially not the first Monday of the new year in Arctic tundra freezing at the bus stop wishing the truck's heater was instantaneous like my electric heater in the office!
Because of the weather, the front door will not be painted this week. Maybe next Monday or Tuesday. Looking ahead at the forecast, Gib anticipates a snow day on Thursday. Amazing after 2 weeks out of school, on the first Monday back, how exciting that sounds. We all have our fingers crossed - snow, snow, snow, snow!!!
Mike was super nice and braved the frozen tundra last night to fill the car up with gas so Taryn wouldn't have to this morning. And he returned our Red Box videos for us. Which turned out to be a pain because it's often full on weekends. I guess people check them out from all over but like to drop them off right down the street...you know, like we're trying to do?! C'mon people!!
We hope to get some mid-term stats from Taryn's high school counselor today so we can send off another scholarship application this week. Taryn and I are trying to plan our Mother-Daughter spring break trip. We are thinking Disney. Orlando isn't too far away, but I would rather fly than drive. On my to do list today is to see if I can find anything in our budget. Advice is welcomed!
Indie is here one more week and then we won't see her again until next May. Yikes. I don't know about that. I might have to finagle something. We are going to try to spend a day this week just the two of us having fun before she leaves. If Mother Nature doesn't give me Thursday off, I will try to get a sub at preschool to spend the day with Indie.
Too bad I have an appointment in an hour, and errands to run to get ready for preschool this week, because the blessed quietness of this house is sooo nice. If only it were clean. Oh well, I will get to it....eventually. It is so cold outside and it is actually gently snowing right now, so curling up with a good book in front of my instantaneous heat space heater would be heavenly.
Because of the weather, the front door will not be painted this week. Maybe next Monday or Tuesday. Looking ahead at the forecast, Gib anticipates a snow day on Thursday. Amazing after 2 weeks out of school, on the first Monday back, how exciting that sounds. We all have our fingers crossed - snow, snow, snow, snow!!!
Mike was super nice and braved the frozen tundra last night to fill the car up with gas so Taryn wouldn't have to this morning. And he returned our Red Box videos for us. Which turned out to be a pain because it's often full on weekends. I guess people check them out from all over but like to drop them off right down the street...you know, like we're trying to do?! C'mon people!!
We hope to get some mid-term stats from Taryn's high school counselor today so we can send off another scholarship application this week. Taryn and I are trying to plan our Mother-Daughter spring break trip. We are thinking Disney. Orlando isn't too far away, but I would rather fly than drive. On my to do list today is to see if I can find anything in our budget. Advice is welcomed!
Indie is here one more week and then we won't see her again until next May. Yikes. I don't know about that. I might have to finagle something. We are going to try to spend a day this week just the two of us having fun before she leaves. If Mother Nature doesn't give me Thursday off, I will try to get a sub at preschool to spend the day with Indie.
Too bad I have an appointment in an hour, and errands to run to get ready for preschool this week, because the blessed quietness of this house is sooo nice. If only it were clean. Oh well, I will get to it....eventually. It is so cold outside and it is actually gently snowing right now, so curling up with a good book in front of my instantaneous heat space heater would be heavenly.
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
Knock Knock!
The New Door
(which hasn't been painted yet)
The installation of our Christmas present on the coldest day of the year
My mom's present to herself...new windows and no more
cool breezes in the winter and hot air seeping thru in the summer!
The new door from the inside where the weirdos live
The new door was happier when they left to go see Avatar!
Sadly, I am at home nursing a migraine hangover. I was thinking about going and seeing Avatar showing in a different theatre not the Imax 3D running about 45 min behind the one everyone else was going to, but the migraine nixed that idea. 3D doesn't work for me - I see weird images overlayed and superimposed on each other. Not at all what YOU see!! Nothing jumps out at me or floats in the air. I keep shaking my head and squinting and closing one eye and then closing the other...to no avail. So this weirdo stayed home and looked at the new door.
Which also, did nothing in 3D...just so you know.
Monday, December 28, 2009
Christmas Installation
Today we are getting some Christmas presents installed. New windows for my mom - 4 along her living room wall and 2 in her bedroom. And a new front door for the house. I am excited for the new front door because the old one had cracks in it that you could actually see sunshine through. That can't be good. The new door will be basically the same only it's a 4 panel vs. the 6 panel Colonial. The constant in and out of the workers is letting alot of artic chilled air into the house but that offsets their ciggy smell so it's an even trade, and I have my heater cranking on me anyways. My feet are still frozen though.
Our new door will look funky for a week because my painter guy can't come out until the 4th. It'll all be pretty much the exact same color of super dark forest green because I love it. So almost the same door, almost the same color.... nicer door knob though! I'll take pictures!
I caught Chino trying to sneak into their truck so he is now sequestered with me. You'd think the sawing and smell and stuff would scare a cat away, but no.... Last week my neighbor had people working at her house and he did the same thing. I had to go collect him from the back of their equipment truck and lock him in the house. What a dufus. My mom's cat is hiding in my closet underneath Mike's new Dockers he got for Christmas. Typical, huh?! Not the old ones, not Chino's hiding spot I tried to put her in...but, she's been put in my closet before, so I guess she likes that spot and remembers it. Maybe Chino has some secret dibs on His Hiding Spot!
Our new door will look funky for a week because my painter guy can't come out until the 4th. It'll all be pretty much the exact same color of super dark forest green because I love it. So almost the same door, almost the same color.... nicer door knob though! I'll take pictures!
I caught Chino trying to sneak into their truck so he is now sequestered with me. You'd think the sawing and smell and stuff would scare a cat away, but no.... Last week my neighbor had people working at her house and he did the same thing. I had to go collect him from the back of their equipment truck and lock him in the house. What a dufus. My mom's cat is hiding in my closet underneath Mike's new Dockers he got for Christmas. Typical, huh?! Not the old ones, not Chino's hiding spot I tried to put her in...but, she's been put in my closet before, so I guess she likes that spot and remembers it. Maybe Chino has some secret dibs on His Hiding Spot!
Saturday, December 26, 2009
Christmas Photos
Christmas 2009
Dawn is breaking...
actually, the windows are on the east side of the house and
as you can see, dawn broke a few hours ago.
Mariah races everyone downstairs
She's so fast she's really just a blur
Gib sees chocolate and his new iPod and webarely catch him on film as he takes off for his stocking
Everyone discovers the loot in their stocking
Mariah is happy with her new Flip video
I'm thinking Taryn can moonlight as a hand model for Apple
Does it get any better than this?!
Chino doesn't think so!
The traditional Christmas puzzle was started
But Mariah and Gib just wanted to open those presents!"Let's get it started in here!"
The first gifts of Christmas went to Taryn and Indy
We heard it might start getting cold in Macon soon
Too bad the New Year's Eve dance is PJ theme!
Mike opening a classic gift for Dad
The first gifts of Christmas went to Taryn and Indy
We heard it might start getting cold in Macon soon
Too bad the New Year's Eve dance is PJ theme!
Mike opening a classic gift for Dad(yup...it was a tie! a pretty one too!)
Grammy got a gift certificate to her favorite store - Coldwater Creek
Indy just had to put the new ornament at the top of the tree
Chino just had to try out one of the new boxes
Grammy got a gift certificate to her favorite store - Coldwater Creek
Indy just had to put the new ornament at the top of the tree
Chino just had to try out one of the new boxesYup - a perfect fit!
And they went back to their seats
And they went back to their seats
Taryn's Big Present
One second it was wrapped and the next....
It's a bedroom/dorm room lounge chair!
And now for Gib's big gift!
One second it was wrapped and the next....
It's a bedroom/dorm room lounge chair!Great for studying and laptop work from the comfort of your bed
Perfect for Taryn!
And now for Gib's big gift!(oooh, and you can see the easy puzzle too!)
Another kid ripping into the paper faster than the eye can see
These two are so beyond that
And yet.... they play along too!
The presents have been unwrapped and the puzzle people return
Mariah lends a hand and a little extra sticking power if needed
For Kristin so she isn't left hanging!
The big box was this chair.
And that was the end of the camera battery for Christmas Day 2009!
Another kid ripping into the paper faster than the eye can see
These two are so beyond that
And yet.... they play along too!
The presents have been unwrapped and the puzzle people return
Mariah lends a hand and a little extra sticking power if needed
For Kristin so she isn't left hanging!
The big box was this chair.
And that was the end of the camera battery for Christmas Day 2009!
Friday, December 25, 2009
Christmas Update
Another Christmas Update:
We've had a wonderful day so far! We did finally get to all those presents and had a great time unwrapping and watching each other discover what was under the tree this year. Our tradition is to have each person take a turn choosing 2 presents from under the tree for anyone other than themself and those 2 people open their gifts. Then the next person goes, and so on. It's fun to watch each other open presents especially when the number of gifts are limited. Otherwise, Christmas would be over in a few minutes of paper flying chaos. Chino continued to make himself at home in many places as you'll see from the photos when we upload them! It was his year to give the gift of his presence!
We just got done eating the scrumptious Alaskan King Crab (except poor Mariah who hates shellfish - she got chicken soup instead. awwww!). It was so easy to crack open after the stone crab fiasco and soooo delicious! Gib's face was priceless when he cracked open his first leg and had a 5" hunk of pure crab in his hand to show for it. Yum - I love it when that happens! We are so stuffed! Good thing I didn't make any desserts.
Mike and Taryn have been steadily working on the Christmas puzzle. We've got two puzzles this year - the hard one Mike chose AND one my mom and I saw that we thought we MIGHT get a chance at putting a few pieces in (because it will be sooo easy) before Mike and Taryn finish it! They are both 1000 pieces. It will be funny to see the time difference in getting them done. If I don't pocket a few pieces when they're not looking I won't get to contribute at all. Mike and Taryn are making fast progress on the harder one. They are uncanny puzzle do-ers.
We've had a wonderful day so far! We did finally get to all those presents and had a great time unwrapping and watching each other discover what was under the tree this year. Our tradition is to have each person take a turn choosing 2 presents from under the tree for anyone other than themself and those 2 people open their gifts. Then the next person goes, and so on. It's fun to watch each other open presents especially when the number of gifts are limited. Otherwise, Christmas would be over in a few minutes of paper flying chaos. Chino continued to make himself at home in many places as you'll see from the photos when we upload them! It was his year to give the gift of his presence!
We just got done eating the scrumptious Alaskan King Crab (except poor Mariah who hates shellfish - she got chicken soup instead. awwww!). It was so easy to crack open after the stone crab fiasco and soooo delicious! Gib's face was priceless when he cracked open his first leg and had a 5" hunk of pure crab in his hand to show for it. Yum - I love it when that happens! We are so stuffed! Good thing I didn't make any desserts.
Mike and Taryn have been steadily working on the Christmas puzzle. We've got two puzzles this year - the hard one Mike chose AND one my mom and I saw that we thought we MIGHT get a chance at putting a few pieces in (because it will be sooo easy) before Mike and Taryn finish it! They are both 1000 pieces. It will be funny to see the time difference in getting them done. If I don't pocket a few pieces when they're not looking I won't get to contribute at all. Mike and Taryn are making fast progress on the harder one. They are uncanny puzzle do-ers.
Now the Titans game is about to begin and in a little while we will play another round of Killer Bunnies. And finish a puzzle.
We hope everyone had a very merry Christmas!
We Can't Unwrap Presents!
Christmas morning began as usual... we found our stockings filled and Santa delivered exactly what the kids had wished for! A flip video camera for Mariah, new iPods for Gib and Taryn, and a Mall gift certificate for Indie! Mike served us breakfast and we turned our heads to the pile of gifts and found... CHINO!! We are waiting for him to finish his nap before we get to the good stuff. Somewhere in there is Pixie too - she's a little more hidden. Mischievous elves live here - there are 3 bean bags of catnip in the present pile instead of in the kitty stockings this year! While we are waiting for Chino to come out of his stupor and remove his furry self from the front of the present pile, everyone decided to get beautiful since apparently Mariah will now be filming everything. Hmmm, that probably is a good idea. Merry Christmas!!!
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