Reminder to self...

write about the dream I had about Fulton Bag and Cotton Mill! It actually was a musical dream....but I don't have time to go into it all now, but if I put it here, maybe I'll actually remember to write about it!

Flashmob--Pittsburgh, PA

Check out this video! The purpose was just to brighten the day of those around this square. My niece is dancing in this...she has on a green hoodie if you can catch a glimpse of her! :)

Don't Fret the Sweat!

I've got a tween who is getting smellier all the time! What about you? Check this out and like the facebook page!

On this day 30 years ago....

I follow this neat site called Finding Dulcinea, which sends me an email every day about a historic happening of some sort. Today's 'on this day' took me back to elementary school....second grade to be exact!

I remember being in Music Class out back in a trailer add-on classroom when the intercom crackled to life. We listened for a few minutes before hearing the news that the Pope had been shot! Of course, we didn't truly understand the ramifications of this as eight-year-olds, but we knew it was big. Looking back, it was a volatile time....we had lived through the Iran Hostage Crisis and our President Ronald Reagan also had an attempt on his life less than 2 months earlier.

Later on, my Sunday School class members wrote get well cards and letters to the Pope, and to our amazement, we received a letter from him in return! This was such big news in 1981 that we were interviewed on WKPT tv news!!

Just thought I'd share a memory of mine with you!

Check out Made to Crave

Check out Made to Crave

We lost a family member on Friday

It was my cat of 15 years, Francie. She had been going downhill for some time. She had worn her teeth down to nubs, so she wasn't able to eat dry food anymore. Because her teeth weren't what they used to be, she couldn't clean herself as well as she had in the past, so her fur was matted. She didn't weigh much of anything. One of her eyes stayed dilated at all times. We couldn't let her in the upstairs of the house because she couldn't always wait to relieve herself.

Still, she was part of the family. She stayed either in the den in our basement or on the back deck, and made herself known, especially when she was hungry. She was my loyal companion through my single days into marriage and children and even the acquisition of other pets, and handled each addition to the family happily.

I'll never forget that after mine and Chris' second date, she came at me like she always did when I'd been away from the house by jumping on my lap, placing a front pay on either shoulder, and licking my face. "We're going to marry him," I told her that night...and we did! When Chris would get mad at her for some reason or another and threaten,"I'm gonna kill your cat!" (which he would never do....he loved her, too!) I would quickly remind him that SHE had been a member of my family longer than HE had!

My mother in law loves to tell the story of the first time she took care of my 10 year old, Isaac, by herself in our home. She says that Francie wouldn't let Isaac out of her sight! She was going to make sure that HER baby was okay, even if this strange woman was here! She was always very adaptable and a new baby in the house made her curious, but she never did anything but love us all.

Other stories about Francie I love to tell is about the times she would disappear. When we moved from my parents' house where we first lived when we were married to our current home, we kept Francie inside for several days, much to her dismay. She scratched the inside of the door frame from the basement to shreds! When we decided it would be okay to let her out, my worst fears were confirmed when she was gone for several days. I was frantic! We drove up and down the side of the road between the two houses, and after almost a week, we found her! The houses were only about a quarter mile apart on the same side of a major highway, so she had easily found her way 'home'. She continued to do so for about a year after we moved! One time I was at my parents house and we saw a cat on the front porch through the picture window. "Let Sarah in," my mom instructed, figuring that the cat was her own. Guess who came walking in the front door like she belonged there but Francie?!

Another time, she disappeared and we HADN'T moved! Again, she was gone for the best part of a week, and again, I was frantic and heartbroken. I thought sure she was gone for good. Chris walked down the street looking for her, and found her at our neighbor's house hanging around. Soon after, his wife passed away. She stayed around there the entire time visitors were coming and going, and even tried to run into the house a few times! After the funeral and burial were finished, our neighbor figured that she was there to stay and called the vet to come down and give her shots! Little did he know that she had HAD her shots as our cat! We had a good laugh about that....that her adopting Mr. C for a while only got her an additional dose of her yearly vaccinations! She hung around his house for the best part of that spring. I think she knew that Mr. C needed the company at the time. When she felt he would be able to get along without his wife or with her, she came on back.

She was always a very social creature. If we went out of town for a few days, she would go over to the neighbor's house to be petted. If we were home, she stuck close by.

Isaac was the one who found her laying in the yard on Friday. Chris thinks that she just had a heart attack or something, because he had seen her walking around earlier that day. She was still warm when he went to move her. Thankfully, she didn't lay long, and I don't believe she suffered. I wasn't at home...I was gone to the Exceptional Women Conference, and didn't get home to see her or pet her one last time before Chris buried her. I think that is good, though, because I will remember her as I last saw her, happily wandering around the back yard, wanting to be fed.

Rest in peace my precious little kitty. Though this is not a picture of you, it is very similar to how you looked when you were well. I will always love you and will miss you!!

I've got a freebie for ya!

Friends, first of all, if you are reading this..thank you. I know I don't blog as much as I'd like, so if you are stickin' with me here, I really do appreciate it more than you know!

Second, as you may know, I'm a reading specialist. I have found a really neat program called Complete Curriculum where I can pick and choose the skills I teach my students from their digital textbooks. I know some of my readers are homeschoolers and/or educators in some aspect, so I thought I'd share this with you!! Check it out! :)

Disclosure: I will get a referral fee if you sign up for this program. However, the opinions I have stated about the usefulness of this product are my own!

Ultimate Blog Party: Welcome!!

Welcome to my little corner of the web! Glad to have you here! I'm Christi! I am the 38 year old wife of Chris (for 12.5 years) and mommy to Isaac, 10; Adam, 7; and Robbie, 1! I am a Reading Specialist by day, and am also a happy Christian and active member of our local church.

Here is a picture of my family taken last summer when Robbie was new to the world! The rest of us look pretty much the same...



and here is a newer picture of Robbie!



Browse around if you would, and I'd love to see ya back sometime! I'll try my best to visit you back during the party, too! I also have another blog that focuses more on reviews and giveaways, so stop by there too sometime!

Thanks again to 5 Minutes for Mom for hosting this bash!!

One year ago....

I was in labor. It is so hard to believe that a year has passed since this little blessing came into the world! Though it hasn't been an easy year, it has been worth it! He has definitely completed our family. God is so good, and I am so glad that He has my life in His hands, and that His plan is perfect!!

Happy birthday, little man!! Mommy loves you sooo so so much!!

3rd child guilt!

I'm feeling guilty. I remember when we had Isaac's first birthday party, I had it totally planned, right down to decorations matching the cake matching pictures I downloaded and enlarged and colored to his outfit that matched the decorations! Now with Adam's birthday, I don't remember it as distinctly, probably cause I had two kids to keep up with! But I do remember that we had decorations! Today we are having Robbie's first birthday party, and we'll be lucky to get there on time and have guests! I feel bad for Robbie, though I know he'll never remember it or probably even care (since he's a boy!) So why am I torturing myself over it? I know I love him as much as I do Isaac, I just have a different life now than I did ten years ago (yes--my oldest turned TEN almost 2 weeks ago! Where does time go?!).

I do however, hate that we won't have as many family members there today. You see, Chris' family has numerous members who were born in March: both his grandparents, two aunts, multiple cousins, and Chris himself. And on my side of the family, my Mom celebrates her birthday on St. Patrick's Day! We always had a March birthday party in the Scott family leading up to Isaac's birthday, and then we hosted the March party for several years ourselves. The tradition seemed to die somewhat after Chris' Papaw died. His Mamaw is still living, but is not in good health and won't be able to come to the party, and I'd be willing to bet all the aunts and uncles and cousins won't either. And again, I know that they mean no harm and that it isn't that they don't love the little fella, but I just hate that this is the case. Both my sisters are out of town this weekend...again, not a problem, I'll just miss them!

I know that the important thing is that we are there to celebrate his birth and first year with him, and I'll concentrate on that! We've had somewhere we had to be (at least Chris or me) this week every night, so we're tired, too!

So here's to almost a year of living as a family of five...something I never truly expected to do, but am so happy that I am!

Post-It Note Tuesday

Observations

I was laying down with Robbie earlier today, and he was examining both his hands at the same time, kind of like he had just discovered that he could control them separately. He would bend his fingers and look back and forth from hand to hand, then clap his hands for a few seconds, then would lift his hands up and look at them both again, wiggling fingers and such. It delighted me to watch my little creation...the little being that a year ago was still inside me forming...as he learned new things about himself and his abilities. This is such a fun age, watching him discover new things each day. He is into something all the time, but his brothers are quick to jump in and help me redirect him or move him away from something he doesn't need to get into.

It made me think of how God must enjoy watching us as we grow stronger in our faith and begin trying out our abilities. How he, too, must giggle in pure delight at seeing how we try our our new skills, much like a toddler learning to walk! What a blessing it is to look at my three children and see how they are growing and changing. Though it is bittersweet to know that this is the last 1st birthday I'll celebrate with one of my own children, I am much more content about it than I was when Adam was turning one. Somehow deep down maybe I knew that my little family wasn't complete! Robbie is definitely a reason to say I love surprises...he's the best surprise present I've ever received!!

We Heart Wednesday: The Pomeranian

I found a new meme this morning and since I'm home today with Robbie (ear infection again...this is number 6 or 7 I think?? Appointment with the ENT in 2 weeks!) I thought I'd try it out!

Welcome to the 15th edition of We ♥ Wednesday: The meme celebrating pictures of the things you love, each week! There is one, and only one, rule: you must get your images from weheartit.com! That's the whole point and inspiration behind this meme! Join in, fall in love, and link up your post!

This pic reminds me of a dog we had when I was little. It was actually my foster brother's dog, but when he moved out the dog stayed. His name was Tiny. We called him a cat trapped in a dog's body cause he was so prissy! But he was a definite member of the family. He went on camping trips with us, and when we went out in the boat to fish, we would often have a bucket of live crickets with which to catch fish. If you've never seen a cricket bucket, here is a pic:


It is made with that hole in the top cause crickets can't jump straight up! Anyway, Tiny would knock over the bucket in the boat so he could chase the crickets!

He was a loyal member of our family for about ten years, and was an endless source of affection and pleasure!

Alphabe-Thursday: UN-familied

I'm not even sure that my word for U is actually a word, but guess what? I just coined it! LOL

What exactly is Un-familied?? It is surviving out of town without my family from Sunday-Thursday. Well, at least til Wednesday night...surely I'll make it til Thursday since I've made it this far, right?!

I'm out of town for a study related to work. I am even more honored now than I was before I got here to have been approved to serve on this committee of 16 , for it was a pretty elite group of Reading Specialists...I was the one with the shortest tenure in the field, so I provided a bit of a different take on things. It has been interesting and informative, and I am going back home with some new ideas and perspectives!

I have honestly learned several things about myself on this trip while I am UNfamilied. Wanna hear 'em?!

1. I can survive in a room by myself overnight.
I honestly worried about this one, being as that I haven't done this in over 12 years. I've either had my husband or my kids, or both, in the house with me every night, save for a few. The last time I was in a room overnight alone was when Robbie was still hospitalized after his birth and I stayed there in the hospital but didn't get to see him all night. That was NOT a good experience! However, I was very recently post-partum and was dealing with many hormones at that point. I did have a few seconds a few times of feeling that same type of anxiety come over me, but I was able to successfully squelch them, and get through it.

2. I'm not ready to wean Robbie. My body is most definitely used to feeding him, and I miss him! I pray that he hasn't decided it isn't worth it once I get home to him! Some will say I'm crazy, that I've done this for 11 months and that it would be a good time to stop...but you know what? I don't care. I'm not looking forward to opinions I'm sure I'll get about extended nursing, but it still is MY body and MINE and Robbie's decision. I actually made a pact with him...as well as you can make a pact with an 11-month-old...that if he'd not wean while I was gone, I'd nurse him for another year if he wanted. I plan on sticking to that.

3. I am ready, however, to give up pumping! I don't love it, but I have promised myself I'll do that for another month! Then he can drink whole milk at daycare and I won't have to purchase more formula! Pumping is for the birds. I'm proud of myself for sticking to it all this time, but THAT is something I won't miss!

4. I can get around a big city better than I thought I could. I always made Chris drive when we were in Richmond before. I'd still let him do it if I had a choice, but I have nothing to fear about it anymore. I can do it. I even got myself to the mall earlier, found a shorter way from the hotel to the restaurants, and am planning on taking a different route out of town than I came in...cause Google maps did NOT have the best route for me!

5. I'm still decent company for myself. I can survive without other people to talk to at meals, etc. That's a good thing to know for a wife and mommy, I believe!

6. But I do miss my family terribly and cannot WAIT to see them tomorrow!! I'm gonna smother them all with lots of kisses and lots of hugs, and snuggle the fool out of them over the next few days! They are such a pleasure and part of me that I LOVE! I can survive without them for a few days, but life is much more fun with them!!!

So happy Thursday ya'll!! Think of me as I'm driving down the interstate to my family!!

T is for....

I'm baaaack! I'm so bad about missing letters and weeks around here, so thanks for your patience if I'm not doing every assignment!

Let's see....

For this week's assignment, what does t remind me of??

First thing that comes to mind is that T is for THANKFUL! I am representing this by this lovely thankful tree I found through flikr!


Photo Courtesy Jenosale

I have SO many things to be thankful for, I could be here all day telling you!! :)

The next thing that comes to mind is my favorite college team, Tennessee!! GO BIG ORANGE!



Photo courtesy View From Rocky Top

I love me some Volunteer football!

Another T that comes to mind is how much I love my TWO sisters!! I don't have a picture of them right now...maybe I'll come back and add one later, but they are two of my very best friends. God made us sisters, but I'm thrilled to also call them my friends. I know I can count on them NO MATTER WHAT!

Something else I'm very thankful for it TIME to spend with my loved ones. As I said earlier, I'm so very blessed! I'm glad that I have a job that allows me to spend evenings, weekends, and summers off with my little family. I'm so blessed that my husband and I are both so close to our families, and that they live in the area for the most part. We don't spend nearly as much TIME with them as we'd like, but we're grateful for every opportunity to spend TIME with them!! I love them all!!



Photo courtesy ToniVC

Last but certainly not least, I'm so thankful that I have the ability and the desire to THINK for myself. I have come to realize that I LIKE to learn! If someone had told me that 25 years ago, I would have laughed them out of the room. But now that I am older, I realize what a gift it is to learn new things. I am thankful that we live in a country where free THOUGHT is welcomed and encouraged. I've been very blessed to be able to further my education over the past few years. It hasn't been without its struggles, but it is definitely a reward in itself!



Photo courtesy karola riegler photography


THANKS for reading!! Have a wonderful weekend!

Alphabe-Thursday: R is for Robbie!

Today's is a no-brainer! Pics of my favorite baby boy-child! :) He's growing so quickly! He's got a little cold/ear infection right now, so I was trying to rock him to sleep. Part of me was hoping that I could get a little nap in as well, but I stopped myself and remembered that it wouldn't be much longer that he would tolerate me rocking him, and that I need to cherish every second!



Here he is in 'baby jail', as his Daddy calls it! He's in the hallway between the living room and the kitchen, and we're in the kitchen. He loves to pull himself up on the baby gate and then sit back down, over and over! He's doing really well at pulling up, is a crawling champ, and likes to walk holding fingers, too!



Here he is in his precious little Smokey outfit! Hey, we raise 'em up right here in Tennesseee country (even though we actually live across the border in Virginia!)



This was taken at Dollywood back in the fall...I know I'm a little biased, but don't I have three handsome sons??



And last, I know I've shared this picture before but I LOVE this shot of him! So angelic he is here...til he wakes up!

I'm very blessed at the opportunity that God has given me to parent all three of my sons, but I feel especially blessed to be mommy to Robbie, since he was our surprise baby!

Have a GREAT Thursday!

Review: Power Rangers Samurai

They're baaacck...the Power Rangers, that is! I've been following Power Rangers for many many years now, back since they first started and my nephews were obsessed with the Mighty Morphin variety back in the mid-90s. Isaac, my oldest, went through a Power Rangers phase, and now my 7 year old, Adam, is having his turn.

The latest incarnation of the Power Rangers is Power Rangers Samurai, and they have also changed to a new channel: the shows used to shown on Disney stations, but now they are being shown on Nickelodeon. Either way, this show gets my thumbs up for several reasons!

One: since my boys are very active in a Tae Kwon Do school, I like having them watch a show related to martial arts. Contrary to what some people thought years ago when the series started, watching this show doesn't promote general violence. The only time that the Power Rangers start fighting is against the bad guys in order to 'save' the planet! Who can argue against fighting evil??! Not me!

Two: This show promotes healthy living. By healthy living, I don't just mean exercise and eating nutritional foods. This show does not have bad language, the characters are not disrespectful to their elders, and it promotes friendship and teamwork. I find these to be values that I want my children to embody, and not all the shows they like to watch encourage these. Power Rangers Samurai is one that I know that will continue to show them ways to act that I would support.

As a parent, I am concerned about my children getting enough exercise, and I'll be the first to admit that they probably see me sitting on the couch too much. I like showing them others getting exercise, and am hopeful that this is something they will continue to want to do throughout their lives. To be honest, THEY inspire ME to get more active!!

If your child hasn't checked out Power Rangers Samurai yet, encourage it!!

Natural disasters

Hi, ya'll! Yeah, yeah....I fell off the planet there for a while again! I'm sorry about that! I guess maybe if I felt like anyone actually noticed that I didn't write, I would be less likely to neglect ye olde blog, but sometimes I feel like no one does. But then I get to thinking: who do I really write this for anyway? And deep down, I know it is for my own personal satisfaction that I write.

So here I am! I found a neat site that has a blog prompt each day, so I thought I'd put that to use today. Today's question was this:

Have you ever experienced an earthquake, flood, or other natural disaster?

And yes, I actually have experienced some small floods here in the area. Thankfully our own house has only flooded with minor damage twice: once when I was pregnant with Adam, and one other time when Isaac and Adam were little.

We've had some flooding in the area: a big flood in '77 that actually wiped a small town off the map here in the county, and another similar flood in '02, I believe. Neither were here in town, but the one in '02 got close enough for me! One side of the closest bridge to us over the Holston River was closed, and that made me nervous, especially as the mama of a small child at the time!

So there you go: writer's slump cleared! :)

Wordless Wednesday: Christmas Picture

Give Back this Christmas season!

You can easily, by starting your foundation with giveback.org!


Now you're going,"Say what?!"

Yes! You can give money directly to the organizations YOU wish to support! How cool is that?1

And it gets even better!

You can give money to the organizations you wish to support by doing something you may already do on a regular basis, by shopping online!

Something else I really appreciate is that 100% of your donation goes to support the charities you have chosen! There is none taken out for such mysterious things as administrative costs.

Here is a page that tells you all about how it works, including a video you can watch about it!

It is definitely a 'win-win' situation!

You know, we are all so blessed. As I sit here and write this post, I'm sitting in my warm, dry house, fully clothed and warm, well-fed, and am surrounded by all the THINGS I could ever need, most of which have been paid for by me and my family by working at our jobs we were well-educated enough to obtain. I am holding one of my three healthy children, while my husband has taken my other two children to participate in an extra-curricular activity we can afford to take part in. He arrived there in our reliable car.

How many people in the world can say those same things?? So it is the least I can do to spend some of my time and energy to devote this Christmas to give back to those who are not as wealthy and able as I am. That is what Jesus would have me to do!

Won't you do the same?

Visit giveback.org right now! You'll be glad you did!