S...

...is for Sharon. I'm named after my mom's foster sister, Sharon Marie Clark, who died at age 19 when her apartment building burnt down. I've got several pics of her as well as some things she made - pillows, an afghan she started (and I'd love to learn how to finish), some old school Dr. Pepper cans she saved pennies in (one even has some streamers wrapped around it, maybe from a school dance/party?) - mostly junk to someone else, but I somehow feel connected to the stuff.

...is for Socks, our pet turtle. Jaden named Socks before we even got him in May 2006. Jaden had been asking for a turtle for months and a friend of mine knew a little neighborhood boy that would catch tiny aquatic turtles at the local river. At that time he was slightly smaller than a 50 cent piece. Now, he's about the size of a baseball. He's definitely become part of our family.


...is for Sam Jr. - my brother. Or CJ, as I call him (and have since he was born). CJ is a year and half younger than me and we didn't always get along too well growing up. But as adults (and fellow parents), we've gotten a lot closer and have a pretty good relationship now. He became a father last year and it's so great to see him in action! My kids really have a great time with him and I knew he'd be a fantastic dad. CJ is a really smart guy, a great businessmen and super funny! I adore his wife & would love to steal little Matthew away from them. Luv ya, bro!

R...

...is for reggae. I've already mentioned my hidden desire to have dreadlocks. Part of that longing may stem from my love of reggae music. The hypnotic beats and uplifting lyrics suck you in and just make you feel good. :0) Most everyone has heard of Bob Marley (and his sons, Ziggy, Stephen, Julian, Kymani and Damian - Damian is a fav of mine as well!), Beenie Man, Jimmy Cliff, Gregory Isaacs...but there are so many great reggae artists (new & old) out there. Another of my favorites is a fairly new cat, Matisyahu (the Hebrew equivalent of "Matthew"). He's known for his fusion of Orthodox Judaism and classic reggae music. A very talented young man and his music sends such a positive message.

...is for rent. We rent. I wish we owned. Nuff said.

How to make a pumpkin pie...

I took the kids over to Nana's house (my mom) Saturday to learn how to make pumpkin pie. Gabby had a blue pumpkin that she got from the pumpkin patch - she couldn't wait to cut into that thing and see what it looked like inside. It had very little mush & seed (big honking seeds though) and tons of pumpkin meat! Perfect for pie baking!

Q...

...is for quiet - I love quiet. With 3 spirited little ones, our home certainly has its share of noise. But I have always appreciated quiet. I relish the opportunity to sit quietly for a moment to just take things in. Our lives are so busy and hectic, sometimes we forget to notice and appreciate life's simple things.

ok, I'm obsessed...

I don't know what it is.....but lately, I've been obsessed with the sky! I've always been fascinated by the stars, weather, clouds, etc....but now every time I see a pretty sky, interesting cloud pattern, sun rays shining down, etc....I HAVE to catch a pic of it!

I drove Jaden & I to UVA yesterday for his follow-up appointment and could not stop taking shots!

for those of u that are worried that I'm endangering myself of my children with my snapping while driving.....let me assure u that I'm being completely safe.....I have one hand on the wheel and both eyes on the road....I'm only aiming the camera with the other hand and clicking.....I have no idea how the pics turn out until I get them uploaded

here's a slide of a bunch of recent shots....just for anyone else that might like looking at the sky as much as me

What a man!

last night, i left work with a migrane from being in training all day - it was online training and my headset sux (i have an over the head model - my over the ear model is on order)....i actually had to pull over on the way home to throw up
anyway, curtis had already fed the kids and they were busy playing when i got home, so i slipped in undetected and laid down - taking a nap is the only way to get rid of my migranes once they've gotten that far....so i took a nap for about an hour and when i got up (feeling much better, btw), curtis had already bathed the kids, gotten homework done and gotten them all ready for bed! they were just waiting to tell me good night (oh, and for me to brush/fix the girls' hair)
i'm so lucky to have him!

P...

...is for pumpkin head - an endearing term i use with my kids. It's endearing - I swear! And they like it. :0)


...is for pink. I'm a girly girl at heart - and so are my daughters. We LOVE pink!

...is for popcorn. I'm the only one in my home that isn't totally obsessed with popcorn. Don't get me wrong - I like to have popcorn occasionally with my movie. But my husband and children could literally eat a bag of popcorn every day. Actually, my hubby could eat the entire bag on his own - but he doesn't mind sharing. ;0)

O...

...is for ocean. I swear that in a different life, I'd be a beach bunny. I feel so 'at home' at the beach and I look forward to our annual summer trip all year round! Curtis & the kids have fallen in love as well. Curtis used to say that he wouldn't get in any water where he couldn't see the bottom (and living creatures that might be lurking). ~lol~ Now, he's such a natural! :0)

This pic was taken on our last night at Atlantic Beach (Crystal Coasts), NC this past June. I had already taken over 300 pics by the end of our trip, so I left my camera in the villa that night. I ended up having to catch this gorgeous dusk sky with my cell phone camera (also the pic of the kids that is currently my blog banner). I still think they are great pics. :0)

My lil geniuses...

i had my parent/teacher conferences today and all went great!
jaden is doing really well in 1st grade! that's the best news - especially since on thursday, i'm going back to UVA for his follow-up after his asperger's diagnosis....they wanted to give him a chance to start 1st grade and settle in....since it's so different from kindergarten, they thought that the beginning of the year would be when he had issues - if any....thankfully, he's doing awesome! besides his normal stuff - being easily distracted, not always being able to follow along in group learning, etc.....he's actually ahead of where he should b in the 1st grade.....especially in math - the kid is a math whiz!

now, onto the other genius gabby got a GLOWING report from her pre-K teacher! she's not only where she should be at this point in the year, but she's actually already far, far exceeded where she should be by the end of the year! the ONLY thing that she's having trouble with listening the first time she's told (don't i know it?!) and she seems to be living up to her nickname - GABBY but the teacher has recently changed the seating arrangement to move the talkative girls in the class away from each other.....otherwise, her teacher says she's the only kid in her class doing some of the stuff she's doing.....and she usually finishes first and then helps some of the other kids....that's my girl!

fun fall weekend...

we were loving the crisp, cool fall weather this weekend! since my cake load was pretty light....we (me & the kids - curtis of course had to work) got to spend some quality time with each other and at nana & grandpa's house....we had some movie time, board game time, easy bake oven fun, ATV riding, dinner & play doah at nana's house, fun in the fall leaves in our backyard, scooter riding.....tons of fun stuff! hope u guys had a great weekend too! here's the slide...

Happy day after Halloween...

Yesterday was so fun....if you remember, I LOVE Halloween! Between the costume contest & party at work, parties at school/daycare and trick or treating with the kids last night....it was a hectic, but great day!

Mom & I came in 3rd in the costume contest.....My friend Cindy (the one who helps me with cakes) won with her cheater costume that she bought on ebay! ~lol~

The kids had a great time trick or treating! I really love the downtown Broadway business thing. They close down the street and all the businesses give out candy. Some really go all out on decorations - one was even pretty scary. But it's nice to not have to worry about cars going by and the kids get so see a lot of their friends all dressed up.

Jaden was dressed like the grim reaper - but he called it "The Wizard of West". One of the pics in the slide below is him standing under a yard decoration at one of the houses we went trick or treating at. As soon as he saw it, he said "Hey, it's me!".

Gabrielle wore her poppy costume from her ballet recital last season - we added some wings, a wand & crown. Viola, you have a fairy princess! :0)

And Corinn was a cute little lady bug - with a sparkly touch. :0)

Curtis & I just wore masks that made us look like we were about to rob a bank. ~lol~

I'm sorry...

I've really been slacking on blogging this week. :0( But I have a good excuse....it's Halloween week! :0) Also, I'm on the social committee at work....and I've been heading up a lot of our Halloween events. I promise to do better starting tomorrow!

Until then, here's a pic of my mom and I dressed up for the costume contest at work today. Till Death Do Us Part...

N...

...is for naps. My kids have always been great nappers. I'm talking a good 2 hours here! :0) It's not until they enter school that naps start to go away for my crew. So far, Jaden is the only one that doesn't actually nap any more - for him, nap time is quiet time in his room. Gabby is still taking naps on the weekend and snoozing during those short 20 minute 'rest times' at pre-K. Nap time is always a great time for me - it's time to usually catch up/finish up some cake decorating projects. Or time to do any other task that's easier done without little ones at my feet. :0)

Here's a pic of Corinn napping at 18months old - many of my favorite pics of the kids are ones of them sleeping!

...is for Nana. My mom is known as Nana to my kids. And according to them (and me), she's the best Nana that ever was! :0)

M...

...is for ma/mommy/mama. The best job in the world! To Jaden, I'm ma. To Gabrielle, I'm mom or mommy. And to Corinn, I'm still mama. :0) As a child, a mommy was what I wanted to be when I grew up. There were times when I aspired to be a teacher, a vet, and even a doctor. But being a mommy is something I always knew I'd become - regardless of what profession I chose to go in to.

...is for mom. I love and appreciate my mom more than she'll ever know! She's always there for me - a walking buddy, a shoulder to cry on, a baby sitter regardless of the notice given, a source of wisdom and advise, a friend to share a good laugh with, a listener & a calming voice of reason when I need it (& she always knows just when I need it!). I only hope that when my children are adults, I have as close of a relationship with them as I do with my mom. :0)


...is for Matthew. Matthew is my brother's son (Sam & his wife Katie) and he just turned one this past September. He is definitely a mama's boy and has taken a while to come out of his shell - but boy, now that he's started walking - he's all over the place! Such a character already and so eager to hang with his older cousins. We just had a cook-out at my parent's house and he sat up at the kiddie picnic table with the rest of the crew and ate all by himself - such a big boy! He actually reminds me a lot of Jaden as a baby. He's mellow and easy to entertain - and just so big and chunky for his age - oh, and can eat like it's nobody's business! ~lol~


...is for Misty. Misty is my BFF, but is more like a sister to me! We've even been asked many times if we are sisters. :0) I talked about Misty in my post a few weeks ago about our recent visit. Misty, her hubby Shane & their 8 month old daughter Willow, live in North Carolina (about a 4 hour drive) and I miss them dearly! I don't know what I'd do without Misty in my life - she's the first person I call when I'm excited, anxious, sad, lonely, anything! I love and miss you Misty! :0)

L...

...is for Leo - my astrological sign. A lion I am! :0) Actually, I'm not big into horoscopes or reading the stars. But most of what I've read about the Leo seems to fall right in line with my personality. So I guess there must be something to it?

...is for late. I am always late! Well, maybe not always - if it's just me and me alone, I can get there on time. But if you factor in Curtis & the kids - forget about it! They just don't seem to be as concerned about punctuality as me. Well, you know what they say... up to 15 minutes, you're not late - you're just 'running behind'. That's me - always running behind. And I'm worth the wait! ;0)

K...

...is for Kelly. My sister and best friend. Kelly & I are 4 years apart in age, and have been close our whole lives. Of course, we've definitely had our fair share of fall outs - we're sisters! But all in all, I've cherished our friendship and appreciate always having her there to lean on. Love ya Kelly!

Pumpkin Patch Trip - 10/21/07

Gabrielle was the only one that got to take a field trip to the pumpkin patch this year, so we went on a family trip yesterday. We waited for Curtis to get home from work and then headed to the Hess Greenhouse pumpkin patch and corn maze on rt. 42. That place rocks!

We spent over 2 hours there and I'm sure we would have been able to spend many more, but it was starting to get dark and we needed to go have dinner.

They have soooo much to do there! The kids' favorite part (and mine too) was the 60 foot hay chute....it's a huge tunnel slide and goes super fast!

They also have a cow train which is a 4-wheeler pulling these little cars that are made from barrels. This ride was surprisingly fast and fun! Almost like a little roller coaster. We also enjoyed the rubber ducky races, slinging softballs in these huge sling shots, petting/feeding animals, mazes, cow putt putt, bowling and soooo many more fun little activities! You have to go check this place out!

Afterwards, we went to have dinner at the kids favorite spot....McDonald's! They were super excited about getting go eat inside and play on the playground (we usually just go through the drive-thru when we go there). We also had certificates for ice cream from Jaden & Gabby having perfect attendance at school.

Below is a slideshow of the pics from our time at the pumpkin patch. And click here to view a video of the kids coming down that super fun hay chute. You have to check both things out!

Needless to say, all 3 were wiped out by the time we got home! I can't wait to go back there next year!

a day at home with my baby girl...

Our daycare provider took a personal day yesterday, so I got to spend the day with my baby girl. I had a few things that I needed to do with my free day, but most of it was spent just hanging out with Corinn. While helping mommy take out the trash first thing yesterday morning, she spotted something that held her interest for literally 20+ minutes (while I finished the trash duties and tidied up the yard). Aren't snails the coolest? She was also amazed that a squirrel (or some other critter) had nibbled on some indian corn that Gabrielle had set out for whatever animal cared to try it.

We then had coffee/breakfast on the front porch - complete with scooter riding, filled the bird feeder, had a tea party, made some crafts, enjoyed some dancing/singing, and took a trip into town for some quick grocery shopping (which Corinn LOVES). We made it back just in time to pick up the other 2 rugrats from school and head over to Nana's house for dinner (daddy had to work late) and some Grandpa Park play time (that's what my dad calls the playground that he built for the grandkids)! :0)

Fun day!

Gabrielle's pumpkin patch trip...

Gabrielle's pre-K class had their pumpkin patch field trip today. I didn't go because I was originally planning on going on Jaden's field trip this Friday. I asked my mom to go with Gabby today & then I found out that I couldn't get off work on Friday for Jaden's trip. Gabby was already psyched about Nana going with her today, so here I am left with no field trip plans at all! :0(

Anyway, my mom took plenty of pics and it looks/sounds like they had a blast! They got to stuff a scarecrow, feed a calf a bottle, milk a fake cow, hold a bunny, pet other animals, take a hay ride, go on a hay bail slide and of course pick a pumpkin.

Mom let Gabrielle call me on their bus ride home and she was so excited about the blue pumpkin she got! Mom said they're a lot like the white pumpkins, but have a light blue color. Too cool!

I got pooped on!

I mentioned (sarcastically) how great my morning has been so far in my J blog. Well, besides the fact that I was up until very late last night, working on this week's cake projects and then in turn, took my good ole time getting out of bed this morning.....just generally running late all around.....then remembered as I'm dropping Jaden & Gabby off at school, that today they're having pork BBQ for lunch and I forgot to pack Jaden's lunch (which means my son will walk around starving for most of the day rather than eat something with such a horrid texture - he's all about texture).....I finally got Corinn dropped off and then....I get pooped on!

Yep...I was walking under a tree when a warm, purple mess appeared on my arm! Then, I realized the bird has also hit my pants leg. I know he did that on purpose - he better be glad that I've got bad aim because I almost picked up a walnut! ~lol~