The Life of Riley

Treading Water

2010-08-28T21:30:00.004-05:00

That's what we're all about here in northern MS these days....We're "treading water". Never mind that our precious big girl learned to swim this summer (finally, thank you God)....we're treading water. We did enjoy a fantastic Hilton Head, SC vacation (#5 with the family) the last week of July....but, right now we're "treading water". Never mind that she and her fish-like cousin were water logged each and every day while on vacation, now... we're "treading water".

Once all the relaxation was over, I started what I consider to be a job sent straight from the heavens above! However, I find myself "treading water". I was all set up to be the PTO president at Riley's school for the upcoming school year, but OH MY did God have other plans. He felt I should "tread water". Long story short = out of the blue there was a phone call, interview, job offer, and a 5th grade position was mine at Riley's school. In a down economy with budget cuts and increasing classroom sizes, I was fortunate enough to get a job doing the only thing I know how to do. (Just thankful that I realize this important bit of information). **Funny side note: When I quit teaching after we had Riley, I just knew I would eventually find another career that didn't involve lesson planning, grading, parent conferences, and trips to the "teacher supply store". The last six years at home were full of beautiful experiences, tear-filled days, unending laughs, joys of motherhood and ROUTINE. That's one thing I'm really good at. I thrive on the predictable, the road traveled, the straight and narrow path. I get that from my daddy. I love a routine and the comfort that it brings. Those that know me can attest to my ridiculous need for routine. I've been made fun of for this, fully embraced my anal tendencies, and tried a million times (at least) to "go with the flow". It's just not how I'm made! The unknown scares me and makes me feel like I'm drowning....SO, God decided I should "tread water". Funny how that works out, really funny. Hear me laughing?

School started August 5th, and I think I lost all contact with the outside world at least a full 3 days before that (in-service days). The pressure I put on myself isn't exactly fair (or even reasonable most of the time), but that's me...I'm learning to "tread water". Things are SO new for us as a family. Dinner isn't ready or waiting lots of nights, we run out of milk (perish the thought), there might be a little more dust on my foyer table (if you know me, you know that cuts me to the bone), but God ~~was convinced~~ convinced me that I needed to hang on, trust, and "tread water".

Our move to Mississippi last summer really puzzled me.

I couldn't get over how things fell into place for us. I didn't understand how things could just work out so perfectly, and if I'm being 100 % honest...I still don't get it. BUT, one thing I know for sure is that this is exactly where my precious family of 3 is supposed to be. While we are "treading water" in our new set of circumstances, I find myself thankful each day that I was taught long ago how to swim.

Trust is a hard thing to learn, and an even harder thing to practice.

Busy Bees!

2010-06-17T15:11:00.000-05:00

I wondered what in the world we would do to fill our summer time here in the terribly hot state of Mississippi. After this "ah ha" moment came a couple of weeks ago, I felt much better.

Riley was so surprised and excited about her summer calendar. We're selecting things and going after them! She's recently become infatuated with the idea of "seize the day" after hearing a song on the radio. Really puts things into perspective when you realize you may never be in a blackberry field (are they called fields?) with your 6 year old again in 95+ degree heat (no whining about humidity...I'm counting my blessings, remember). I'm constantly amazed at the zest for life that little people have.

Anyway...we found a recipe online and made fresh blackberry bars once we brought our bounty home. We further researched how to freeze them and have big plans to make homemade ice cream with them for the 4th of July.

Miss Farmer's garden (humble as it is) has officially entered the "picking season", and the first cucumber of the year ~~will be~~ was consumed ~~tonight~~ last night at dinner! Yummy! My sweet, sentimental girl wasn't too sure about eating it, but I think I've talked her into it.

(This is the same baby girl that took a carpet fiber from our old house and still has a styrofoam packing peanut from our move). We joke that she'll be featured on a Lifetime show about hoarding when she's an adult...should prove to be an interesting show...hoarder, pig farmer, evangelist, world traveler.

A couple of other activities she's picked recently from the 2010 Summer o' Fun Calendar, have been a "toenail party" (that homemade exfoliate idea was SUCH a hit! She loved that she was putting Daddy's breakfast on her feet) as well as a paper mache' craft. She calls this her Jesus Box and puts her earrings inside it (never mind the 3 jewelry boxes she has that are actually designed to hold jewelry). Love her!

Boo Hoo!!!

2010-05-21T16:00:00.001-05:00

Someone received her first gymnastics trophy last Friday, and is so proud of it!

Someone sang her little heart out at a Kindergarten program on Monday.

(and her Mama had a less than desirable "picture taking view", so pictures weren't terrific.)

Someone had her very special Aunt, Uncle and cousins with her that morning. We're so lucky they are close by!

That same someone celebrated "Beach Day" at school on Tuesday...

(and her Mama did a better job documenting that event....)

This person has also toted home the remains of her math, reading, and vocabulary workbooks this week. She is super excited about Field Day this coming Monday, and has reminded me repeatedly that she no longer needs to take her daily folder since "all the work" is over.

Someone is learning just how exciting "Summer Vacation" is when you're in school.

Oh my...someone's Mama is a little weepy because someone is growing up way too fast!

Up, Up, and Away!

2010-04-24T13:56:00.000-05:00

It was SUCH a windy day last Sunday. We spent the afternoon at a local soccer field. After a picnic, we didn't play soccer...we flew kites!

Riley was VERY happy to wear "sport sun glasses" as she calls them, Keens, and a hat just like her Daddy! She was cute (even if she looked like a boy)!

Unwinding the string before "take off"

They were 2 peas in a pod!

Queenie decided that kite flying was "a piece of cake". I turned around and found her lounging on the ground holding her kite with one hand! LOVED IT!

SIX

2010-04-06T21:43:00.001-05:00

It's official. As of last Friday at 12:51 p.m. Queenie turned six. The Silly Bandz, Wii remote in hand, and new found love of "flair" has my head spinning.

She opted for a trip to Knoxville to see Grammie, Poppy, Granny and Papa rather than a birthday party this year. It was great timing since it was a long Easter weekend! There were a million eggs dyed, hidden and found, way too much cake, and loads of love.

If you know our girl, you know she loves piggies. She had a pig cake at her 3rd birthday. This year we surprised her with a cake that looked like her favorite pig, Oinky. He used to be so pink and fluffy (like the cake), but she has loved him so much (since she was 2) that he is sorta flat and grey now!

She squealed and flailed about like an excited baby when she laid eyes on that icing covered friend! It was priceless!

She managed to get in a little egg dying with Mike, Poppy, and Grammie...and ruined a new skort in the process, but she had a blast! I think she, Mike and Poppy had colored fingers and nails for a few days! (Grammie was smart enough to keep her fingers out of the dye)!

As this was a different Easter weekend for us (traveling), we couldn't do a local egg hunt, so opted to check out the one put on by the UT gardens. In true Queenie fashion she enjoyed every minute!

Aside from the visit to Knoxville, our little bunny asked for a Wii for her birthday. We had SO much fun watching Grammie, Poppy, Granny and Papa bowl, but I love them all too much to post pictures. :)

Thank you Lord for our healthy, spirited, one-of-a-kind little blessing that fills our hearts and lives!

The honor of your presence is requested.....

2010-03-31T08:48:00.000-05:00

Mr. Q and Mrs. U were married last week in a lovely ceremony. You know that the two are NEVER separated, so Riley's class hosted a wedding to unite them forever! The two letters promised to work together to form words like quick, quiet, and quit. Their vows were exchanged beneath a decorated flip chart stand found at the end of a long roll of pink butcher paper that served as the aisle runner. Hee hee! Tables were draped in pink with green and silver accents, and the girls wore veils displaying the letter "U" while the boys had bowties showcasing the letter "Q'. It was a snazzy affair! Our very own Queenie served as the flower girl and LOVED getting to be in charge of the basket of petals!

They held the wedding and then served refreshments at the reception: white snack cakes stacked to form a wedding cake, chocolate ones stacked for the groom's cake, punch, pillow mints, Quaker oatmeal cookies and Nesquik chocolate drinks.

Campfire Fun!

2010-03-20T08:34:00.002-05:00

Just have to share the fun we started Spring Break off with! We met cousins Broc and Baylor, along with Aunt Liz and Uncle Brian at a FABULOUS place last Saturday night. I've never seen any place like this, it was really amazing. We went to a campfire at My Big Back Yard which is a part of the Memphis Botanical Gardens. Not only was it great to spend time with family, we had roasted hot dogs and smores too!

The kids made a lantern with a bottle of water, glow stick and pipe cleaner. They used these later when we went on a "fairy hunt" through the gardens and heard a story in a tent!

On the "porch" learning about nocturnal creatures.

Mike and Brian missed the lesson on nocturnal animals. SLACKERS!

YUMMY! S'mores!

Riley said it was hard to eat this without any teeth! She managed anyway!

A good time was had by all! In fact, such a good time, that we decided to return during daylight hours with Aunt Liz and the boys! More pics to come!

WaCKy WEdnEsDaY ! ! !

2010-03-12T20:56:00.000-06:00

This past Wednesday was "Wacky Wednesday" at Riley's school, and our girl dressed the part! She was especially excited to wear 2 different earrings (what a rebel)!

Lofty Aspirations

2010-03-09T20:48:00.002-06:00

A Pig Farmer...Our contribution to Career Day 2010.

(no, I'm not kidding).

Others were bounding out of mini-vans and SUVs in vertically altered scrubs and toting empty laptop cases, but last week our girl proclaimed to all that would listen that she will be the best pig farmer ever known.

Unique, one-of-a-kind, and extraordinary don't really capture her "Dharma-isms" (remember that show, Dharma and Greg?)

I'm a little biased, but I believe we're so lucky to be able to share our lives with her. I hope Mike and I always allow her to be herself * and help her become the person God wants her to be... pig farmer or not!

*disclaimer: In fairness I have to divulge (like you don't already know) that Mike will not have a problem with this; it will be her over protective, obsessive compulsive wielding other parent. Remember, admitting your problem is half the battle! :)

Devotion, Dessert, and a Dalmatian

2010-02-17T16:51:00.001-06:00

Grammie and Poppy arrived Saturday for a 3 day visit! We were SO excited that we waited by the dining room window for them! I sure do miss my mama and daddy! We spent the day playing games and hanging out. We went on a ~~freezing cold~~ brisk and refreshing walk/bike ride before the guys helped with dinner (Poppy is becoming quite the chef in 2010) and we enjoyed sun-dried tomato salmon with veggies on a bed of rice. Proved to be pretty good. I was surprised Riley went to sleep willingly that night. I think she had been so excited that they were coming that she just wore her little self out! She had been counting down the days one by one from about 14 days out.

We Riley had planned to take Grammie and Poppy bowling and they were more than happy to do whatever Queenie had planned. Mom and dad bowled "back in the day" and got into the swing of things after just a few frames. Dad and Mike teased mom about her bowling stance and Mike and I thought dad had a little "Fred Flintstone twinkle toes thing" going on.

After 2 games, we decided to move on to Macy's. Amazing how mom and I always manage to get a little shopping in! I miss my shopping buddy SO BAD! Macy's proved fruitful as I walked away (really more like skipped happily) with a new pair of Lucky Jeans (Grammie had a FABULOUS coupon) and a few shirts-all from the clearance rack! WOO HOO! It was almost dinner time and the fellas were a bit hungry, so we went to Red Robin for a Valentine burger. We decided our steaks that had been marinating all day would be even better if they marinated until Monday night!

As I recall the visit, it sure seems like we ate a BUNCH! Our steaks we planned for Valentine's Day dinner were wonderful on Monday night and we followed it up with our traditional Valentine's Day dessert... fondue. SO YUMMY! Notice the rubber ducks and golf tees Riley felt the need to disperse to each place setting. Does anyone else have a child who loves to distribute random things?

Telling anyone goodbye is more difficult now that we've moved, and it's especially hard for our very ~~dramatic~~ loving Riley. We were lucky that Tuesday was "Disney Day" at her school and she had to dress up as a dalmatian. This provided a little distraction (although the morning wasn't totally tear-free). Her school contributed to Make-a-Wish and a student was granted a trip to Disney so they turned the day into a celebration. All of Kindergarten was supposed to dress up so that the dogs from 101 Dalmatians would be represented. Here was our little puppy complete with purple rhinestone collar and bone shaped name tag:

It was hard to "get back to normal" once mom and dad left and I so loved having them here. I'm so glad they are blessed with good health and flexible work schedules so that they can visit. Of course it also helps that they have an enormous love for this little dalmatian!

UNO and Ice Cream

2010-02-08T09:25:00.000-06:00

What better way to celebrate ANOTHER perfect progress report than with an ice cream sundae and a friendly game of UNO?

LOVE this kid!

(and the fact that she'll strike a cheesy pose on demand)

And....later today....Snow, yep, S N O W pics are coming soon! We woke up to 5 + inches this morning and it wasn't even forecasted! FUN!!! Riley has plans to build a "snow pig". Stay tuned!

Blessings: We have Many

2010-01-30T11:13:00.000-06:00

It's burrrr... cold here and we didn't get that big snow we were hoping for. What we did get was lots of ice and wind. Riley was out of school yesterday and Mike attempted to go to work, but turned back because of icy roads. So, we spent the day inside the house (except for our one mid-morning sleet filled trek out into the woods to explore).

We played games, I did my standard list of daily chores (you know the ones you do every day that make you feel like a hampster on a wheel) and we just relaxed. Riley and Mike played vet to a little finch that flew into a window. They scooped it up and put in inside a box until it recovered and flew away. I think Mike was as happy about that as Riley was!

A little after 7 pm we lost power and we had a little adventure. We (I) scurried about gathering flashlights and candles and Mike turned the gas logs in the fireplace on so that we had a way to keep warm. Riley gathered her precious stuffed piggies to keep her company beside the fire, and we spent the next few minutes explaining ALL of the MANY things that just stop working in a house when the power is out. I re-lived those cold winter adventures mom, dad, Jeff and I had in NC circa 1982 or so. Roasting hot dogs for dinner in the fireplace (the real kind of fireplace with real wood) and camping out in the den because that was where the warmth was. Ahhh, good times!

Queenie went to the pantry with flashlight in hand and got herself some raisins. She proceeded to open the fridge and grab a bottled water. On her way back to her "nest" she was making in front of the fire she announced, "at least we have water, that's one of our blessings, we have many"! ****INSERT GREAT BIG SMILE BY MAMA HERE**** What a sweetie! How proud was I that our good girl (who, thankfully, has no idea of hard or struggling times) recognized how blessed our little family is?! So, it's Saturday morning and we aren't going to see temperatures above freezing until sometime on Monday. However, that's ok because I'll be in my warm house with my sweet family enjoying ~~cabin fever~~, I mean enjoying all of our many blessings.

80 Days

2010-01-20T08:49:00.000-06:00

Today is Riley's 100th day of school! She was really excited to "celebrate" with her classmates. Her teacher suggested the students make a t-shirt to wear today and decorate it with 100 items. We started brainstorming last week and after discussing the pros and cons of using 100 real plastic pigs, 100 piggy stamps, 100 piggy erasers, 100 piggy stickers, 100 pictures of the stuffed piggies she has we finally settled on ...(insert drum roll sound effect here).....100 "puffy paint" dots arranged in the shape of a piggy. Her finished product:

She was thrilled with her little piggy and the 100 puffy dots she used to create it! I added the eyeball and curly tail for her while trying to ignore the fact that the dots were not the same size and they are a little crooked here and there. ;) Wink, wink.

She was getting ready for bed last night and said, "Mama, I only have 80 days of Kindergarten left!" OH MY GOODNESS! MY TINY LITTLE 6 LB. 12 OZ. BABY GIRL IS ON HER WAY TO 1ST GRADE!!!!! MAKE IT STOP! I didn't give my permission for her to grow up! Only a total control freak would be miffed that her bright, well adjusted social butterfly was growing up, right?

Perseverance

2010-01-17T21:44:00.006-06:00

Riley's class had their Guidance lesson this week at school and she came home talking to us about what it means to have "perseverance". She had to write a sentence and draw a picture of herself working towards a goal she has for herself. She drew herself with a circle around her waist and wrote, "I want to learn to hoola hoop and I will not give up."
While this little clip from last weekend's bird house building extravaganza has nothing to do with hoola hooping, I thought it was a great example of "Perseverance in Action"!

Celebrating the Letter "B"

2010-01-10T21:24:00.000-06:00

Brought in 2010 with some fun hats, streamers, a case of food poisoning (it will be a long time before Mike eats a chicken wrap from McDonald's again). It was just the two of us since Mike was in bed trying to forget about McDonald's, but we managed to have a good time!

Before bed, we sorted through and washed the Black Eyed peas for lunch the next day (a thrill a minute I tell ya)!

Thankfully Mike was feeling better on New Year's Day, so we did a little Bowling:

On Wednesday, we celebrated mike's 39th Birthday with a cookie (decorated by Riley). We got him a new travel mug for his coffee and some sort of saw that he didn't have. He got a homemade meatloaf for dinner (his choice; Riley and I had a burger)!

Riley was scheduled to attend the Lowe's Kids Workshop with Mike on Saturday, but she has had a little cold for a few days, so Mike went to Lowe's and got the workshop kit so that she could build her Bank at home.

Somehow during his journey to get the free "build a bank kit" he managed to find Riley her own hammer,

safety glasses, and a sturdy stool to stand on while working at the workbench! They decided to keep the building momentum going by fashioning two finch and robin Birdhouses for the woods behind the house.

Busy, Busy, Busy!!!!

Our Bright, Big-eyed Beauty, whom we love a Bunch, always has a Blast just Being herself!

Remember Flat Stanley???

2010-01-07T14:56:00.001-06:00

Well, meet Flat Frosty...

The original Flat Stanley had his picture taken in all sorts of cool and unusual places (and the teacher in me is thrilled to know that he is enjoying a resurgence)! "Flat Frosty" was captured on our front walkway in northern Mississippi this morning enjoying the 12 degree temperatures!

Our girl was thrilled at the idea of a "snow day", and wasn't letting the fact that her "first official snow day" only involved about 4 flakes of snow get her down. It seemed the perfect day to jump on the "snowpoline" as she renamed it!

I can't tell you how many times I heard, "Mama, look at this ice! Mama, look this is frozen!" It made me remember to see things through her eyes. Why do people have to grow up and get so...old? She had more fun exploring the ice and frozen stuff during those freezing 35 minutes than you could imagine. I was too cold to cry (although my nose was running off of my face), but I had myself a little winter epiphany standing out there. Her wide eyed innocence, her ability to see ONLY the good, her ability to accept the face value of ANY situation is such an inspiration to me! (Of course, I am her mama, and a bit biased). At what age does that go away? Why are adults such prudes? The everyday responsibilities of life shouldn't hinder our ability to enjoy the life we've been given! NOT an easy sentence to type and BELIEVE when you lean toward the Obsessive Compulsive side of the pendulum. Housework, jobs, labeling my Rubbermaid storage bins (I'm such a geek), are tasks that will be around forever, but my girl will only be 5 once and snow days don't come along that often in the great state of Mississippi!

I'm so glad I'm a mama! Thank you ~~baby~~ big girl for reminding your mama to stop and smell the roses!

Weeklong Celebration Part II

2009-12-29T22:36:00.002-06:00

Ho Ho Ho! We took Santa her list and asked him if he was a Tennessee VOL fan!

Riley has a friend named....Riley in our neighborhood. Her friend's grandparents were in town for Christmas and her grandmother (a.k.a. MeMaw) invited our Riley over to make Christmas cookies. Little did we know that she had also made the girls coordinating Christmas aprons to wear for the event! They were SO cute in those things! I had briefly met "Memaw" before, but she had NO IDEA just how "up my alley" those sweet little aprons were! Adorable!

We spent Christmas Eve sharing a few snacks and games with our neighborhood friends before Riley had to get busy with her "evening events". Boy was she a busy girl!

She had to leave milk and cookies for Santa and a carrot for Rudolph.

She scattered the "Reindeer Food" (oatmeal, green and red glitter) she made all over the front yard.

She came inside and read "The Night Before Christmas"

Then took one last look at NORAD (online Santa tracking) with Daddy

Followed by a little Luke Chapter 2. (We saved the best for last)! :)

She was in bed, quiet for about 10 minutes and called out, "Mama, is it morning yet"?

She woke us up around 6:30 Christmas morning and was honestly a little subdued (for her). She did manage a squeal when she spotted the PURPLE DSi Santa left for her. She was THRILLED beyond words with the Pass the Pigs game he left too!

Santa is a sneaky guy! He left me a BRAND NEW, robin's egg blue, ULTRA girly bicycle on the back patio! I was SO surprised! I think he finally felt a little guilty b/c I have ridden a BOY'S mountain bike since 1998....YEP, I said 1998

I haven't named her yet, any suggestions?

It was certainly a week filled with lots of love and fun! It was REALLY different not being a stone's throw from family and old friends; but as I told someone tonight on the phone, one of the BIGGEST things I've learned from our move this summer is that FAMILY IS EVERYTHING! I'm just such a lucky duck because the one God gave me is awesome!

Although I LOVE my new bike, Starbucks travel mug, and electronic label maker (my Rubbermaid storage tubs have NEVER looked better)....these two are what made my first Christmas in Mississippi special!

Our weeklong celebration! Part I

2009-12-27T21:57:00.000-06:00

We started Friday, the 18th after I had the pleasure of attending Riley's classroom Christmas party. We are so thrilled that she is in a school that still allows Christmas trees to be decorated (we contributed a pig ornament), ANY type of Christmas book to be read aloud, and the very same carols we sing at church are belted out there too!

We hit the road around 1:00 and this is what the back of my car looked like:

About 45 minutes into our trip the back seat had a little different look:

God watched over our journey and we had several "fun stops" (you wouldn't believe the fun these two can have at a rest area)!

We had plans to have breakfast with Granny and Papa Saturday morning. Riley loved her new jacket and her Legos were a HUGE hit! A good time was had by all!

After way too many waffles, we headed back to Grammie and Poppy's house to play with Elley, Owen, Uncle Jeff and Aunt Briana while they were in town!

So, our actual celebrating with family wasn't on the 25th of December, but there was enough love in my little heart during those 3 days to carry me through the rest of the year! I know the song says, "big girls don't cry", but being a "big girl" is HARD WORK sometimes! Sniff, Sniff!
Stay tuned for Part II of our weeklong celebration!

Dance of the Sugarplum Fairies

2009-12-06T21:05:00.001-06:00

It's not everyday you get to have afternoon tea at the famous Peabody Hotel!

Today was our lucky day!

The Memphis Ballet held a Children's Nutcracker Tea at Chez Philippe in the Peabody Hotel in downtown Memphis and guess who was in attendance??? Our pig loving, bike riding, farmer-wanna-be ASKED for a puffy dress like Cinderella wears. Those that know me at all know that while I've always welcomed the individuality and ~~weird quirks~~ unique mannerisms our little farm girl exhibits, I have secretly longed for the "frilly" stage to take hold of her! I found the puffiest thing I could and brought it home for her. She loved it and has twirled so much I'm surprised she hasn't gotten sick!

So, while there, we enjoyed the finger sandwiches (her fave was honey roasted peanut butter and raspberry jelly) and fru-fru desserts (tuxedo strawberry and gingerbread cookie topped this list). She couldn't keep herself from adding sugar cubes to her tea! We marveled at the many choices of silverware and the fact that the menu was printed and placed at each place setting. MY favorite part was when the waiter whipped her napkin in the air and placed in into her lap for her. She looked at him with HUGE eyes and said, "well, thank you very much."

She did a cakewalk, made a card, and reindeer food, and posed endlessly for me in front of beautiful decorations!

A little more posing with the Nutcracker cast members and her friend and neighbor Riley Elise.

Oh, yeah, I went too. Here's a shot from the "pre-tea photo shoot"

Not "Nancy", but Just as "Fancy"

2009-11-21T22:06:00.001-06:00

Oh how I miss my mama! What a wonderful visit we had last week! The parental unit arrived Wednesday afternoon just in time to go with me to pick Riley up from school. She let out a squeal when she saw them waiting with me in the car! I'm not sure who smiled more! Mom and Dad went to eat lunch with her at school on Thursday and then checked her out early. She felt so important because of her early dismissal! The girls went to the Old Town Collierville Square and did a little browsing (a really neat place) while sweet Poppy mowed the yard! (I'm as spoiled as Riley is...I know).

Mom and I enjoyed a little girl time on Friday when she treated us to manicures before a little shopping! I'm not complaining (too much), but it has been ~~an eternity~~ a while since a day has been "about me". I won't lie, I relished every moment! Thanks mama! ;)

Mike had been asked months ago by a vendor he deals with to be guests at the Tennessee/Ole Miss game. We were thrilled because we had heard that tailgating at "The Grove" was truly an event. Since Miss Riley was in good hands with Grammie and Poppy we headed down to Oxford for the day on Saturday. WOW! I thought people in Knoxville knew how to tailgate before we were exposed to sophisticated little Oxford! YIKES! Seas of tents and canopies covered the beautiful campus and those people were a serious class act. Buffet tables with silver serving dishes, centerpieces, lighted chandeliers (no, I'm not kidding), plasma televisions with satellite hookups and huge smokers cooking tons of bar-b-que. Our host had the food for the game catered by one of the Memphis in May BBQ judges. Before moving here that wouldn't have meant much to me, but believe me when I say, "it's a big deal." The pictures don't do it justice. It's an experience!

I only thought I knew what "Fancy" was while I was in Oxford. True "Fancy" was right back at home in Olive Branch. Riley and Grammie held a Fancy Nancy Tea Party complete with ensembles (that's fancy for outfits) and a tablecloth, candles, cookies, etc. I'm all for imagination and a little grandparental indulging, but c'mon...I draw the line at this...

ESPECIALLY when "this" is allowed (I'd go as far as to say she was encouraged) to go INSIDE Wal-Mart to pick up a few needed crafting supplies! The top and sweater are actually "good clothes" provided by sweet Aunt Liz. Although you can't see it here, the shrug has beads sewn onto it and our girl loves her bling! Notice the TWO skirts, AND the dress-up shoes. Yep, those are plastic dress up shoes! It's as if my parents don't know me at all!

Not hard to see who was "running the show" while Mike and I were cheering on the VOLS! The same little 44 inch person who runs the show here everyday!

A Decorating Tip

2009-11-18T08:49:00.002-06:00

I became overwhelmed with some sort of nameless emotion tonight as I reached for my refrigerator door. Upon further thought, I realized that this emotion isn’t nameless…In fact, to put it into words, I’m downright lucky, fortunate, loved, privileged, and blessed beyond comprehension. What is it about the month of November that makes people (myself included) FINALLY realize every month should be lived with a thankful spirit?

Every “masterpiece” Riley has proudly toted home from school, sweet notes I’ve received in the mail from my fabulous mama, pictures of those that Mike, Riley and I hold dear, as well as school calendars with dates for those priceless Kindergarten events that will only occur once all pepper our Kenmore side-by-side with love. All that "stuff" is so important to me! I'm a lucky girl indeed!

I remember when Mike and I were putting our first house on the market and a realtor suggested we clear our fridge of its “clutter”. Sheesh...I suggest the exact opposite. I say cover that sucker up! Stainless, black, white, avocado green (more incentive to cover it up) - whatever yours might be, just cover that thing up! C’mon, I dare you! Make yourself smile…mine makes me utterly giddy.

Orange and Black

2009-10-31T22:28:00.009-05:00

Go VOLS Go!!!!!
Little did we know that those VICTORIOUS VOLUNTEERS would sport some orange and black for their Halloween game!!! Riley waffled between being an Ole Miss cheerleader or a UT cheerleader, and decided with her mama's alma mater! YIPPIE! We're thinking the orange and black vibe we sent from Mississippi helped spur us on to victory!

Mike really wanted to be neighbors with this guy...he had the game showing in his front yard on what we estimate to be an 8 foot screen while he handed out candy! So good to see the "Volunteer Spirit" alive and well in the great state of MISSISSIPPI! We aren't the only VOL fans around these parts!!

Riley and her friend Riley (yep, Riley x 2) from one road over hit the streets (newly blacktopped I might add) to collect their bounty...

It was a T-riffic night...get it??? T-riffic? Vols, power T???

A Boo-tiful time with Friends!

2009-10-26T21:06:00.003-05:00

We were lucky enough to enjoy a visit from sweet friends this weekend. We went to the soccer field, corn maze, pumpkin patch, singing chicken show, petting zoo and pig races (yes, Riley LOVED this).

I took WAY too many pictures (is that even possible)!? Dumped them into a slide show to the right. Click on it to enlarge them in a new window.

E I E I O ! ! !

2009-10-08T13:55:00.004-05:00

Much to my delight, Riley's first field trip was today! It couldn't have been scripted any better. You see, my little pig lover's VERY FIRST field trip ever was to a FARM! Needless to say she has been estatic for weeks and has asked me numerous times if she had "turned in her money yet". I wish I could pull her aside and let her know that I actually collected field trip money for 6 years prior to being blessed with her, therefore it was second nature for me to promptly send in her money and permission slip (sealed and labeled envelope of course) only hours after receiving the permission slip and information. One day she'll become fully aware of just how deep my obsessive compulsive issues are! I put together a little slide show to the right and below is a little video of her at Sonic afterwards recapping her day (actually she's just rambling on and on, but she's happy)! Enjoy!

Frogs and an Empty Lot

2009-09-25T22:16:00.006-05:00

Here in the great state of Mississippi (most humid, rainy place EVER for the past 12 days or so) we have a variety of frogs. Riley even has a toad house and regularly encourages visitors to enter (ok, sometimes it's by force, but she's only 5 years old). We usually "check on them" each night (you know, turn down service, mints on pillows, mini bar, tiny shaped soaps wrapped in thin paper). This week we encountered a new species ON the front door! Yep, those little suckers (pun intended) were STUCK on the front door. They just hung out there and filled their little froggy bellies with little bugs that were helplessly attracted to the lamp I had turned on in the foyer. Go away from the light..... YIKES! Bugs and Kendra DO NOT mix. Riley has happily (yes, deep down I'm glad) adopted her Daddy's love for all things crawly, and this love of critters great and small has magnified since our move to the wilderness...I mean great state of Mississippi. About that vacant lot...
While we were brushing Riley's teeth one evening this week, she proudly pointed out that her 6 year molar on one side had almost entirely broken through the gum. I was wowed (b/c she hasn't complained and b/c I usually know when she has so much as a cuticle out of place). Once we enjoyed "viewing the molar" for a bit, she smiled at her reflection in the mirror and asked "how long do you think I'll have my empty lot". I asked her if her Daddy called her "space" an empty lot, and she said, "no, it's just what that empty space makes me think of." We've patiently waited on that little tooth to come in since July, and have been assured it will in its own time, but we've never referred to the "space" as an empty lot. If I didn't know better, I'd think she was channeling Junie B. Jones.

SUPER KID

2009-09-24T16:00:00.006-05:00

My sweet mama had a pair of pajamas sent to me for Mother's Day this year. Check this place out! Well, little queenie had been envious of my jammies since their arrival. SO...when pajama day rolled around today at good 'ole Lewisburg Elementary she was prepared! Mine say, "SUPER MOM" (it goes to my head sometimes, really). Riley was thrilled to sport her new attire! What do you think?

There's No Place Like Home!

2009-09-21T08:40:00.006-05:00

In honor of our weekend trek across the GREAT STATE OF TENNESSEE, I'll be blogging in orange! We had a fabulous visit at home with mom, dad, Jeff, and that sneaky Nannie and Grandaddy showed up too! We left Thursday evening after Mike got off of work and stopped on the other side of Nashville for the night. Riley loves hotels and quickly set about collecting the free soaps and shampoos once we were checked in. She got ready for bed and put a little cup of water on the nightstand and loved that "they give you a note pad and pen right here just in case you need to draw or write something". She was truly blown away when she realized the second notepad and pen on the "executive desk". Mike had a similar reaction to the complimentary breakfast bar, so a good time was had by all!

I miss this guy!

I've gotten used to missing this guy over the years. My "first" best friend.

This girl loves her Grammie and Poppy!

It was Grammie's birthday, so it was a great reason (not that we need one) to go home. I hadn't laid eyes on my sweet little mama in 7 weeks! That was a lifetime! We spent the afternoon and evening at home and even got in a little shopping Saturday morning before mom's birthday lunch. Mike took Riley to visit with Granny and Papa and she even got a bonus visit since Broc, Baylor, and Uncle Brian were there. It was so nice to spend a little time with mom! Dad, Mike and Riley met us for lunch at Puleo's. Yummy! We got back in time to cheer on the VOLS and Nannie and Grandaddy came in from NC to see us! We were so happy that they could visit! Riley kept everyone "entertained". I thought Grandaddy was going to never stop laughing at her. Mom, Dad and I shed many a tear when it was time for us to leave, but I was proud of myself for "drying it up" before we were out of west Knoxville. I couldn't think about them too much on the way home or my eyes got all watery. Mike and I had lots of "I can't believe we live in Mississippi" conversations on the way home. We're still in limbo with regard to the "why we've ended up here" question, but are also still confident that moving was the right thing to do for our little family. We don't know the future, but we do know that it will become clear in God's time, not ours. GULP...that's a tough pill to swallow while cryin' it out, saying goodbye, red eyed with your mom and dad in their driveway.

Reading Junie B. Jones to Nannie before bed.

Being silly with Poppy. She wore an Ole Miss shirt to "make him mad".

She set up a shoe store with a few pair she borrowed from Grammie.

Friday Night Lights

2009-09-13T16:30:00.003-05:00

Give me a L....Give me a H....Give me a S.....LHS, LHS, LHS! GO LEWISBURG!

(Posing with "Pat" the Patriot)

Ok, more like, Give me a BREAK! Talk about a sure fire way to feel old. Have you been to a high school football game lately? So young, so much energy, so carefree! We experienced it firsthand this past Friday evening as we took in our first Lewisburg High School game. Riley was really excited, as this was her first official, not on TV game, and Mike and I were anxious to do a little PR out in the community. We found out that this is only their 2nd season with a football team b/c the Lewisburg "compound" is relatively new. It was homecoming and there were lots to see with regard to "high school culture". It was really surreal. Lots of things have changed, but lots of things have stayed the same! Riley enjoyed the game, cheerleaders, homecoming stuff at halftime, rolling down the bleachers (yep, took a nosedive down about 3 of them while chasing a PowerAde she got at the "confession stand"). Still can't believe she didn't even get a bruise. Just scared the life out of us (and tons of strangers). Nothing says, "hello new community" like your 5 year old flailing down the bleachers. I swear it was in slow motion and all you could see were arms, legs, and feet. After all a very valuable PowerAde was at stake...certainly couldn't be replaced with $2. GOOD GRIEF! So, not only did we age in that all those young, energetic high schoolers made us feel like our AARP cards were one stamp away; BUT our sweet daughter took 10 years off our lives with her stunt. Counting our blessings, we left at halftime and she was asleep before we arrived home (4 miles total).

If she yelled, "Go Lewisburg" once, she yelled it 100 times. Honestly! Ask the poor deaf guy that sat in front of us.

Kissin' Cousins

2009-09-13T15:55:00.008-05:00

We were so lucky to be able to visit with Broc and Baylor while Granny and Papa were in town. We had a nice day and Riley and Broc bonded (if you call taking a tinkle outside bonding). Yep, my girl isn't gonna be "shown up" by a boy (least of all her younger cousin) and his ability to potty outside. Within 2 minutes of Broc utilizing the great outdoors as a potty, my girl had shucked her shorts and was ready to water God's vegetation. If you know me AT ALL, you know I had A FIT! It was too late to "stop the process" (you know once you start it's hard to stop), but that didn't keep me from freaking out. We had a serious talk once we were alone about what was and was not appropriate, and it has taken me a week to laugh about it (through gritted teeth) but the bottom line (pun intended) is that we're close to family and she'll get to do a little growing up with her cousins and for that blessing we are grateful! Our precious nephews are so adorable and really fun. They are so different from one another that hanging out with them is always eventful. Broc is always ready to play and makes everyone laugh and Baylor is more serious, but still generally wants to do whatever his big brother is doing. Riley likes to pull rank when she's with them and inforce the fact that she is older. That's a girl for ya!

There are a few pics of their time together over on the right! (Click on the box and they will enlarge in a new screen).

Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery...

2009-09-13T15:19:00.007-05:00

Oh, the fun she (Riley) had. She forgot what it was like to be able to monopolize our friend Patty's time with her crazy requests that Patty is always more than willing to accommodate. This visit was all about whatever "Miss Patty" was doing. If Patty wore tennis shoes on our walk, Riley wore tennis shoes. If Patty was drinking water, Riley was drinking water. We had a great visit and it made us sad (Riley cried and I felt like crying) when Patty had to leave. But, we managed to enjoy the time we had together. Riley got to play soccer for Patty, took her to eat at Red Robin and forced her to spend way too much time in the playroom with her! Patty and I went out around Memphis after the soccer game and left Riley and Mike watching UT's game. We found Kyle's future school and stopped by Sun Studios where Elvis cut his first record. We even drove by Graceland (my first drive by and Patty's second visit there). I showed her the Peabody Hotel and we went to Mud Island to see the row houses and scouted out apartments for Kyle. I've got a plan. He'll eat a "home cooked meal" with us once a week and Riley can tell her school friends about her adopted big brother Kyle. Once he is enrolled in dental school his mama will be out to visit lots (she's devoted that way). She will need some company on the ride out and Barbara will be too happy to ride shotgun! Right mama? See there are positives related to this move, they just keep showing up!

Showing Patty her soccer skills!

Isn't there some sad country song that goes, "I miss my friend..."? I'm singin' it while I'm blogging about our visit...great time, great laughs. I'm extending a "formal" invitation to all other friends...come out and see us, we love company!

A Star is Born!

2009-09-08T20:43:00.004-05:00

Guess who was chosen as "Star Student" for the week?

She was really proud of her poster and couldn't wait to "explain" it to her class. Besides her pictures and stickers, her written information included her favorite color, sport, book, food, thing to do at home, thing to do at school and her "stats". She was so proud to write them herself (even though I made her do it twice...once a teacher, always a teacher). She insisted on putting a football on her poster b/c she has her yearly case of UT fever with the beginning of the season hype (due to her Daddy). I gave in since it technically is her assignment. We've got to fill the "Sharing Sack" later this week with things she holds dear so that she can share them with her classmates and I'm going to read to them on Friday. Is it weird that I'm SO into this? We love our little shining star!

A pic-filled post to come tomorrow. We spent a little time (not enough) with Patty this weekend and some with our sweet nephews as well!

Life Partners

2009-08-30T11:28:00.001-05:00

Far be it for me to judge anyone on the lifestyle they choose to live. We just try to do what we believe is right for us...and I realize what is "right" is completely in the eye of the beholder. Bearing that in mind, here's a funny story from our weekend. We were in the yard with Granny and Papa (pics to come) and playing a friendly game of "washer toss" (a.k.a. beanbag toss). We were all talking while playing and I mentioned Mike's company had new health insurance effective September 1st and they were recognizing "life partners". Little Miss Big Ears says, "mama, what is a life partner". As my eyes grew big and I looked at Mike for a little help I responded, "it is when 2 people live together but they aren't married like Daddy and I are". Without breaking stride Riley looks up and says, "oh, like Curious George and the Man with the Yellow Hat".
:) After I composed myself I said, "yes, exactly like that."
One more day letting her live in the little bubble we've made for her...because we can.
Life is good!

Eat your heart out Grammie...

2009-08-27T20:55:00.008-05:00

We have been so fortunate that dad has been able to visit with us twice in the past week. While his company has never had business in this area, a recent turn of events sent him this way to do some prospecting. We couldn't be happier! It's such a long week for him, but really works out great for us! However, Grammie is a little jealous of his "new territory" and is getting more and more bitter that she wasn't a part of the trip. Dad even made Riley get on the phone with mom and tell her "not to be mad at Poppy, he was just doing his job." I'm sure mom is working on her letter of resignation as she won't stand for this too much longer (truth be told, my fingers are crossed)!
Poppy went with us to soccer practice tonight (expect pics from big girl's game this weekend) and we just really enjoyed hanging out together. Riley was too excited to see him and just couldn't wait to "play"...she is convinced that kindergarten interferes with her playing schedule (I know...don't you wish you had her problems). I added a slide show to the right with a few pictures of the two of them playing. Click on them and the pictures will enlarge.
I suppose I will have to add more since Granny and Papa are visiting with us this weekend! A devoted blogger's work is never done!

Oinky Cookies

2009-08-21T09:51:00.004-05:00

Riley loves to get mail. She always has, but now it's even more special because it is from all her "public" that she had to leave in Knoxville. Her Grammie and Granny are great about sending her notes and/or packages weekly and she has been communicating with our old neighbor some via "snail mail". But, she recently received a card from "Mrs. Patty", another old neighbor and our dear friend (who I miss daily, sniff, sniff) with a recipe that we just had to try! They turned out great and are so very "Riley"! While we made them, we talked about Patty, Spanky (Patty's dog I love to hate), and her boys. Riley finds the fact that the twins are in college fascinating b/c they don't live at home anymore (she says she will never leave home). I wonder if I could have her put that in writing?
Check out the cookies:

Unicorn hat optional...

Check out the "pack o piggies" watching the icing process from the bar

Finished product! Yummy!

Go West Young Man...er, Woman...

2009-08-19T13:09:00.011-05:00

I was trying to absorb myself into whatever topics of conversation Riley deemed important this morning on the way to school because our mornings have been a little sad of late. It seems she has finally realized that this kindergarten thing takes away from her time at home with her "stuff" as well as her time with her mama. She assures me she loves class, her school and her teacher, but she "wishes she had more "home hours" as she called them. So, we're talking on the way to school and out of the blue she says, "is that field over there like the Wild West"? Hummm....I'm seeing corn, lots of corn, some farm houses, straight road ahead, nope, no Wild West here, but I entertained the topic and said, "maybe that's what it looked like". Then she asked what part of the United States the Wild West was in and I started naming some western states when she blurted out, "people went to California a long time ago mama, that was the first Wild West". So I'm doing my part to keep the way odd conversation going and the focus off of the fact that she was leaving her "stuff" and her mama for a while to go to school and answered with, "that's right baby, lots of people went all the way to California and dug into the ground and tried to find gold". From the back seat, just as serious as she could; my dear, sweet, smart girl simply replied, "California must have a lot of holes..."

Witty, that girl. I think she gets it from me.

Flippin' Out!

2009-08-17T15:59:00.006-05:00

Well, here's a little more video footage of our relaxing weekend. My 2 kids are so much fun! Hee Hee! Lucky for me they usually play well with each other.

Seriously, if I receive any comments on the redneck "wooo" I let out (after EACH flip, you would think I would refrain from letting the second one go) I'll get deeply offended. YIKES! Does ANYONE like their voice recorded? Maybe the hammering next door (building a house for our stellar neighbors God is gonna send us) will drown out my "wooo". Then again, maybe not!
Mike has been taking lots of pics of the building process b/c the house is being build by our builders so it's sorta like we're getting to watch how our house was built. That sort of thing is just what "butters his bread"! They framed the entire thing in 3 days! CRAZY!

2009-08-15T17:16:00.009-05:00

We hadn't planned anything for the weekend since Riley showed a few signs of fatigue (i.e. little meltdowns over tiny things, lights out as soon as her head hit the pillow, verbally admitting "I'm tired") this week with her new
BIG KID SCHOOL SCHEDULE. The not planning turned into a restful day for us here at home. We found time to bounce on the trampoline, take in a book (she's getting hooked on Junie B. Jones and I can't hide my excitement), took an early morning bike ride around the neighborhood hoping to scope out some new neighbors a street away. Rumor has it that they have a 5 year old little girl, but we haven't seen her yet. Pretty hum drum day, but good to relax. I told Mike that I had been so busy in the weeks prior to the move and of course the unpacking when we arrived that I really had to learn how to "relax" again! He admitted to feeling sort of the same way. (Yes, he admitted to feeling something...I suspected he had feelings all along, but it's taken me 5 years of dating and 10 years of marriage to conclude that they do exist). ;) A few grilled hot dogs to get our nitrate fix and some homemade ice cream...cookies and cream at the request of our resident princess. She explained the early process just after she and her daddy watched Tom and Jerry (it's tooooooo hot here to do much outside), which explains why she is referring to herself as Jerry (she's always Jerry mouse, Mike is Tom and somehow I'm the big overprotective bulldog Butch).

We sought out a church (ya gotta love the internet) and visited this morning. We'll be doing some further searching...however, Riley was interested in
knowing whether it was a "sprinkle church or a dunking church". She's got some underlying issues regarding baptism and the whole "underwater" part of the process.

It was a relaxing weekend!

B I N G O!!!

2009-08-14T21:20:00.000-05:00

We've finished the "school week" on a high note. My sweet girl jumped into the car this afternoon and announced that she won a game of "color and shape bingo" today at school and won a fabulous bracelet of her choice from the treat jar! She was so proud of it because it matched the polka dot theme of her backpack and lunchbox! I of course was pleased that she picked it (since it matched and all)! I asked her about the BINGO game and she proceeds to tell me that she won the first game (I'm so proud) and another classmate won the second one. Then she goes on to say that they used...and I quote, "unifix cubes to mark our spaces". Now you're asking yourself, "she said what", what the heck is a unifix cube? Well...go ahead and click on it so you'll know just what she marked those winning bingo spaces with! As a former teacher I gotta admit, I couldn't be more proud. I mean, she could have told me that they used these little colored boxes on their BINGO cards, but OUR GIRL used the term UNIFIX CUBE! Wow, she really knows how to make a mama proud! So, a couple of hours later I'm relaying the story to Mike and he's got this look, you know the one that says, "I can see that Kendra is really excited about this story and wants me to be equally excited about this tidbit from Riley's day, but I ABSOLUTELY DO NOT GET IT". I then explained what exactly a unifix cube was and he gave me that winning, "I GET IT NOW" smile and we moved on to discuss his day. (Incidentally it was ok, he had lots of people out today, so he was busy, but good).
Riley acknowledged a few other friends from today (new names, so I was excited as details this week have been sparse) and expressed a desire to play with her friend from the neighborhood tonight after dinner. She decided to "dress up" so that when her friend came over she wouldn't know she was at the correct house and well...this is her disguise:

Get a load of that outfit! My girl has style!

Who says a cowgirl can't wear a boa?

Not Half Full...Running Over

2009-08-10T21:36:00.000-05:00

I know it might be a bit too early to make this judgement call, but I'm going out on a limb and saying I think she may have her mama's love of learning. She has been on "cloud 9" as my Nannie would say ever since I saw all 43 inches of her standing on the curb waiting on me to move up in the enormous car rider pick up line. Our girl's glass is truly running over right now. She jumped into the car and said she couldn't wait to go back tomorrow. She wasn't as forthcoming with the details of her day as I would have liked (DEFINITELY gets that from her daddy) but I managed to pull a few things out of her by the time she went to bed tonight. She requested a spaghetti dinner for her special day and I of course complied. We had "Happy First Day of Kindergarten" cookie cake for dessert...overall her first day seems to have been a roaring success! Mike and I are so lucky to have her!

I think they were yelling, "GO KINDERGARTEN!"

She is soooooo rotten!

She Never Even Looked Back!

2009-08-10T08:45:00.001-05:00

5 YEARS! They all just flew by and left me standing in a quiet and empty house this morning! I really held it all together until I got back home and saw her little pajamas in a pile on her bedroom floor. Another cup of coffee and a little Matt Lauer (wink wink) and I'm in better spirits now! Here's how our last 14 hours or so went:

It's official! Someone we all know went to sleep last night as a mere babe and awoke a fully grown KINDERGARTEN STUDENT! She talked LOTS about it last night after "lights out" and even convinced herself that she would probably miss her mama and daddy while she was at school.

She woke up with a HUGE SMILE and came into the kitchen to find a little celebration breakfast waiting on her...she grinned and said, "Mama, what did you do?" I told Mike that just made my day! She sat down to muffins, strawberries and bananas but couldn't finish her plate (I think she was just too excited)!

She got dressed after breakfast and took a little time to model her new backpack and lunchbox for me. Notice the polka-dot theme (so very me...ahem, I mean Riley, don't you think)?

We loaded up the car and headed out at 7:10. Oinky and Rarity the Unicorn joined us on the trip...

Once we parked, Mike and I walked her inside. I had to swallow hard and look up at the sky at this point that huge lump formed in my throat (it's still there and it's 9:12 am here). She sang all the way to school and I would venture to say that her feet didn't hit the pavement between the car and the classroom door. She was over the top excited! She remembered the red hallway was her hallway and walked right to her door. She dropped her lunchbox in the floor, hugged and kissed her daddy and myself and she was off! Never looked back (sniff, sniff). I'm so thankful God gave her an adventurous spirit and the personality to go with it!

Finding the "red Hallway"

Never even looked back!

Riley & her teacher, Mrs. Dana.
Results of today's adventure will be posted soon! I'm praying it lives up to her expectations!

Hello Lewisburg Elementary!!!

2009-08-06T20:39:00.000-05:00

She was doing a little dance in the driveway before we left singing a made up song about being in kindergarten! Sooooo excited!!!

Helping Daddy carry in her mat and other supplies...

Well, we've been there, done that and bought the T-shirt to prove it...She walked into the place like she was a seasoned veteran just stopping by for a visit with old friends! Here she is outside her classroom door. She found her name right away and wanted to know if there were any other "Rileys" in her class.
Once we entered the classroom we were presented with several papers to fill out. Mike and I tried to point things out to her and show her what we thought was "important" but once she entered the classroom we didn't really see too much of her until it was time to leave. She introduced herself to her teacher and then proceeded to introduce Mike and I to some little girl she met...she's so shy and backward, I don't know where she gets it! :) We put all her supplies into her "cubby" and she kept going back to it telling people that was her "locker" and all of her school supplies were there whenever she needed anything! We joined the PTO on our way out, bought her a Lewisburg Elementary T-shirt and then went to eat dinner. Her classroom was very neat and eye appealing which the teacher in me liked very much! The school itself is fantastic from what we could tell and we're optimistic about our year! I asked her to describe her new classroom and she said, "It looks like an A+ classroom". Well, can't ask for a better impression than that!
She found the foam blocks and was "comfortable" enough to bring the entire bin of them to the carpet to build with them. She had several new friends building stuff with her!

I'm pretty sure she thinks everyone is listening to what she's saying!

The No Cavity Club!

2009-08-04T18:43:00.000-05:00

We couldn't be more proud! Part of moving means finding new doctors, dentists, hair salons, grocery stores, post offices, libraries, you get the picture....we went to meet Riley's dentist today his name is Dr. B and she and I both enjoyed ourselves! The staff was so great with her and she was so proud of her "No Cavity Club" sticker she received! They liked her as much as she liked them...they asked me if they could keep her and she was disappointed that she didn't get to go back for 6 months! She came home and brushed her teeth with her new brush and toothpaste and even wet a q-tip to brush Oinky's teeth. I overheard her in her bathroom saying, "ok Oinky, which flavor of toothpaste do you want? mint or bubblegum? Couldn't resist sneaking a picture! We found a new hair salon today too. We're all ready for our "Meet the Teacher" meeting Thursday night at school! Pictures to follow!

Rainbow Brite is back!!!

2009-07-26T19:06:00.000-05:00

Do you remember her? 1980 something? That doll? All those colors??? Well, Mike and I spent the day with her! Riley announced this afternoon that she had "the perfect outfit" for our first bike ride at Shelby Farms.

I've realized a positive about the move is that we know NO ONE and it's a little liberating at times (she wouldn't have gone to the mailbox in this ensemble in Powell). Her very essential foam visor was glittery, she donned not one, but two Mickey Mouse rings and a Mickey bracelet. She also took her cell phone (even offered to let me use it if I needed to make a call) and carried it in a purple beaded holder. She hears her own drum for sure!

We had heard about this Shelby Farms place, but hadn't had a chance to check it out until now. WOW! It's 4500 acres (yep, a 4500 acre park exists in Memphis)! It has bike trails, playgrounds, picnic areas, lakes with boats you can rent, and bison...I'll type it again so you'll believe it...
b i s o n...Very large creatures, sorta buffalo like, but exciting to see one up close (and in a park for goodness sake)! That's not the only odd animal I encountered this weekend. Making my way to the grocery store yesterday and saw a blob of sorts in the middle of a 4 lane road. I glance over and there is an armadillo, yep, I'll type it again too
a r m a d i l l o....dead in the middle of the road. I swear I had to look at the GPS to make sure I wasn't in New Mexico. Brian assures me
that they do exist here (great, yet another critter...I'm not a buggy, critter loving type of gal). YIKES! We (Rainbow Brite, Mike and I) rode about 5 miles on 2 different trails and stopped for a picnic lunch. It was a terrific place and we plan to utilize the "kite flying field" later this fall. They have horses and stables too, but we didn't get over that way.

She caught a cat nap on the way home...wish I could have, but being crammed into the "extra cab" of the truck isn't really conducive to napping!

Salty Dog for Poppy!

2009-07-22T16:59:00.000-05:00

Step 1: Lay you left ear on your left shoulder (b/c I'm a
dumb butt and can't rotate my video)
Step 2: Click the arrow in the middle of the frame and you may have to click the arrow in the bottom left.
Step 3: See our girl sing "Salty Dog" just like Charlene Darlin on the Andy Griffith Show. Her Poppy has been singing that to her since our first trip to the Salty Dog on HHI when she was 2 years old. She's waiting in line to get her face painted right outside the Salty Dog!
Step 4: Call my dad and ask him how many times he's watched it! :) Love you Poppy!

This little piggy went to school!!!!!

2009-07-22T16:33:00.001-05:00

It will be brief, but I'll catch up with vacation details later (you know for the 2 of you that actually look at the blog that weren't on vacation with us)! Big girl took her registration papers down to Lewisburg Elementary School (home of the Patriots) ...sparked some thoughtful questions about patriots and patriotism, etc. that 5 years of college couldn't help me form an answer to satisfy little miss inquisitive. After dropping off her paperwork and listening her tell her principal (she had no idea who this woman was) that "we just moved from Knoxville, Powell actually because my daddy got this great new job and I was going to Copper Ridge Elementary with my friend Riley Marie, she was my neighbor at my old house, I'm really excited about Kindergarten, my whole name is Riley McKennaLittleton..." I think it was about here that I kindly cut her off and ushered her out the door to spare the poor woman any more details. Should have let her keep talking, maybe she could have mentioned her mommy used to teach elementary school and is currently wondering what she'll do with her "days off" while Riley is at school.

We went to Target with her first official "school supply list" in hand and she was super excited. You know I wasn't afraid to bust out the camera right there:
The list had 10 glue sticks on it and they were on sale if you bought the packages of 2 each. She thought she was so grown up counting by 2's and throwing them into the buggy. Hee Hee!

Once my, I mean her, excitement had worn off we were off for lunch with Mike. We ate at Newk's (great place, come see me and I'll take you there) and went on home. We had TONS of rain yesterday and last night (the creek is rolling, we like it!) so my little piggy donned her rubber boots and found her some mud on the vacant lot next door. She was having too much fun!

Friends and Fun on the Fourth!

2009-07-05T22:04:00.000-05:00

Ignore Kate's hand in the corner of this VERY BLURY picture.

Mike, Riley and I were lucky enough to have our best friends in for the 4th of July! Kate, Jim, Carson and Campbell arrived midday on Friday and the kiddies played to their hearts content! Aunt Liz brought Broc and Baylor down for a while and the kids jumped on the trampoline and Mike cooked Beer Brats for he and Jim. They both said they were yummy and taking into account that they cooked 6 servings and they were all gone (can't count the 1/2 of one that was left) I would deduce that they were in fact tasty! Kate,the kids and I opted for an old fashion all beef weenie.

Saturday morning we all hung out a while and loaded up to go see the famous Marching Ducks at the Peabody Hotel in downtown Memphis. The guys dropped us at the door (thank goodness) and we ran into the lobby. We sorta missed the "official grand entrance" but the kids didn't really realize that and were very content to see the ducks. Once the crowd cleared out, (yep, you wouldn't believe the crowd of crazy people like us who apparently needed to fill a void by watching ducks walk a red carpet) we got to spend lots of time with the ducks and fountain and even met the "duck master".

After saying goodbye to the ducks, we walked down to Beale Street. We didn't stay long, but rather decided it would be best to visit a more "family friendly establishment" for lunch. Once we left downtown, we grabbed a little ice cream and and went home to get ready for our evening. We grilled BBQ ribs (Riley was offended that her daddy and uncle Jim ate piggies, but since we had a designated "kids table" she didn't have to look at them) and I fixed homemade potato salad and cole slaw. The kids had a blast "building their own desserts"
...and then we were off to the Olive Branch Fourth of July Celebration. There were a few inflatables there and the kids did those and the guys got them an icee while we waited on the fireworks. Carson, Campbell and Riley loved them! It was quite an elaborate display and we thought it was lengthy for a small town celebration.
We got back LATE and got in bed EVEN LATER before I was awakened by our first storm in our new house. Mike made fun of me b/c I turned on our weather radio at3am (you know, the guy with the funny computerized voice that says, "The National Weather Service has issued a severe thunderstorm warning for the following counties...").

We "played at home" most of the day and went to see Riley's school and had some ice cream before our sweet friends had to leave. We're still dreaming up a plan to live and work in the same town. At least with our move we didn't get any further away from each other, just a different direction. The kids spent the morning blowing bubbles and riding bikes. Soon I'll sit down and figure out how to add a slide show of pics, I have tons to share from the weekend and move as well.

The only thing missing from our all American weekend was the watermelon in the fridge that we forgot to cut! I'm loading it up for HHI next week though! It will be taken care of!

JUMPing for joy!

2009-07-03T12:23:00.000-05:00

Well, I didn't need any furniture as our new house is less square feet than our old one. So, we decided to start decorating the outdoors. She loves it! (I think Mike bought it for himself, but he denies that)!

Adaptation...

2009-07-01T21:40:00.000-05:00

...(noun) a slow, usually unconscious modification of individual and social activity in adjustment to cultural surroundings....
So that's what Webster says is happening, this is what I say: (WARNING: the following post has been building for over 10 days and HAS BEEN EDITED to protect the innocent. Translation = the process associated with moving stinks!
GOOD GRIEF! Who knew it takes a minimum of 10 solid days to EVEN COME CLOSE to living "normally" once someone relocates to the HOTTEST, MOST HUMID place God created? I'm sure you thought the rain forests we all hope to save were humid and hot, but clearly you've never set foot in northern Mississippi (or M, I, crooked letter, crooked letter, I, crooked letter, crooked letter, I, hump back, hump back, I as Riley has so eagerly learned).
While you never fully appreciate the people close in your life, I would like to think that I did in fact appreciate the close friends and my beloved parents and in laws I used to live within 15 minutes driving time of. This has all changed! Case in point: ALL ERRANDS (no matter how big or small) are preformed with the help of my loyal sidekick.
Have you ever taken a very inquisitive 5 year old to apply for a new driver's license? If so, then you know that she really needed to have her picture taken just like her mother so that we could fashion her very own driver's license once our computer was up and running. She received that this past week, her very own Olive Branch, MS library card, has been exposed to the power company, water company, sewer company, phone/internet company, trash service, health department, vehicle registration/car tag office (MS state tag DEB 865 now adorns the CR-V in case anyone is looking for me), post office, First Tennessee Bank of Olive Branch MS...don't you think that's weird??? First TENNESSEE of Olive Branch, MISSISSIPPI??? Ya with me here??? Don't ever take for granted the utilities that Knox County TN combines...it's a luxury I never appreciated! We've found our new grocery store, Wal-Mart, Target, Lowe's, Bed, Bath and Beyond, the park, and the YMCA. In fact, Queenie was so adamant about us visiting the YMCA (and Mike and I have been so overwhelmed with guilt about unpacking boxes rather than attending to her every whim) that we utilized 1 day of a 2 day pass and checked the Y out this past Sunday afternoon. Here she is eating a snow cone, doing the "Y" part of the "YMCA song" she and her Daddy sang (have you heard Mike sing?)
And, here the two are checking out one of the indoor pools. This was the "heated, therapeutic one", don't they just look like they need therapy??? Hee Hee!
I just can't stop...too much time has passed for me to cut this post short (you know, b/c I have tons of followers). However, you know my little princess/hog farmer rises early, and I gotta get my sleep! I'll take some pictures tomorrow morning and post them sometime tomorrow to catch you up on the progress we've made. The yard is looking great and things are slowly, but surely finding a place (sort of like us). It really seems like a great little town and it's extremely close to tons of stuff w/o feeling like you're in the "big city". We're optimistic that we'll like it here. I've got tons of other pics from moving day (incidentally the hottest day of the year thus far in Olive Branch) and will post them too. We had THE BEST free labor (and most loved) we could have asked for. Pics to come soon!
I still miss "home" (only now it's just on an hourly basis that I think about it instead of several times an hour).
One last pic, you haven't seen this since the sod, spires, and porch columns were added.

Don't be jealous of my temporary, paper blinds!!! :)

Rite of Passage

2009-06-18T20:15:00.000-05:00

IT FINALLY HAPPENED!!!!

My little queenie has been wiggling that tooth for 3 weeks today! She told me she felt like such a big girl tonight. We were brushing her teeth before bed and she just held her hand up to her mouth and there it was! She wrote the tooth fairy a note that says, "Tooth Fairy, Please do not take it. Love, Riley" She told me she wanted to keep that first tooth in her treasure box (along with the carpet fiber she added this morning from our house) so that she could always remember this special time. Not a bit nostalgic, not my girl!

Shots and Salsarita's

2009-06-10T07:53:00.000-05:00

Tuesday was Riley's 5 year well visit ... and yes, I do know that her birthday was over 2 months ago! She was such a big girl and talked to Miss Molly about moving to Mississippi, kindergarten, riding her bike w/o training wheels, her loose tooth, and whatever else would keep her mind off of the shots she knew were hiding somewhere in that visit. She did her vision screening and hearing test and abruptly corrected her nurse when her height was measured at 41 1/2 inches. She told her she had been riding 42" Dollywood rides since last fall and that their numbers must be wrong. She got over it when I told her that she was barefoot and we are never barefoot at Dollywood. She was so proud of herself (after screaming 4 separate times for the 4 separate shots she received) and proudly selected a unicorn finger puppet from the treasure chest as a reward for her bravery. We went to Salsarita's for lunch (her day, her choice) and then to Basket Robbins (it's always been Basket, never Baskin like you're thinking) for dessert! She's soooo rotten!

Quack Quack!

2009-06-07T21:04:00.000-05:00

Riley and I spent the weekend in NC at Nannie and Grandaddy's house. What a nice getaway, following a nasty little virus that visited her in the early part of the week, and a break from the reality that is our HOUSE OF BOXES! Good grief, you just don't realize how all those "things that make a home" matter until they are all boxed up and not collecting dust everyday! I told Mike I felt like an airplane in a holding pattern because I'm unable to really "do" much of anything. Our little world is on pause right now and I'm such a routine kind of person (I get that from Daddy). YIKES! So, we ate well (as always) in NC and relaxed, played in the yard and managed to feed the ducks at Lake Tomahawk, which Riley refers to as "Nannie's Duck Pond". She had a blast and it was so nice to spend a little time there before our relocation. Their house will always feel like home!

Soccer Stars

2009-06-03T21:20:00.000-05:00

Well, the pink cheetahs just wrapped up an impressive (subjective opinion) season of AYSO soccer complete with matching pink soccer socks, and yes they were an ALL GIRLS team. Talk about fierce, don't let the cute faces fool you. There were lots of games where they took on completely different personalities, like horses, birds, and unicorns to name just a few! What we lacked in skill and ability, we sure made up for with cuteness and imagination! I know Coach Todd is the most patient soccer coach EVER! They celebrated with a pizza party at Mr. Gatti's and received their trophies for a job well done!

Where the Heart Is!

2009-06-02T18:23:00.001-05:00

Here's home. It's "where we'll hang our hats" and there's "no place like it". I'm super nervous about the relocation, but really excited about our new house. Mike is going by after work every evening and checking on the progress of things. He's like a kid in a candy store when it comes to things like that. He tells me that today the cedar posts on the porch were installed so I'll have to update the picture when I have one. This is what it looked like when I left 2 weeks ago. There is sod now too (never thought that would register on my enthusiasm scale, but WOO HOO!)

Moooooving...

2009-05-27T13:02:00.000-05:00

Besides chronicling Riley's every move (those that know me can attest to my "control freak factor" I thought a blog regarding our little corner of the world would keep those that care in touch with us after our move. my loving, providing, fabulous husband of almost 10 YEARS landed a great job in Memphis TN about a month ago. So...we're off to see the wizard...the wonderful wizard of Oz (in this case Oz is in Olive Branch, MS not too close to Kansas, but anyway...back on task. After a weekend of parading through EVERY home in our price range in the Arlington, Collierville, Germantown, Bartlett, and Lakeland TN areas...we found nothing... Within that same weekend we visited EVERY home in our price range in the Olive Branch, MS area and B I N G O, there it was! On June 16th (fingers crossed) we will be the proud owners of a new home in Creekside Estates subdivision on Turkey Creek Drive located in the metropolis (that's a stretch) of Olive Branch. We were a little disappointed that there were no other farm animal names for streets, but we think our "little turkey" will love it there! A big yard with a great tree line in the back and a creek that runs along the backside of the property. I'm already thinking about how to landscape..ahem...have Mike landscape a path down to the creek for our girl! Pictures to come soon! I promise!

The reason behind the blog...

2009-05-26T23:40:00.000-05:00

Riley's "goons" as we lovingly refer to her grandparents will have to be kept up to speed on her every move once she moves to northern Mississippi. Mike has accepted a wonderful opportunity at a company in Memphis so we're westward bound later this summer.