Two Off Days (and how we kept busy)

Since we surprisingly had 2 days off from school, we didn't really know what to do with ourselves. We were pretty much told to stay at home, though, so that the flu bug wouldn't be spread anymore than it already has been. So this is a little of what we did to keep busy.

Thursday was easy because it was such a beautiful day. We played outside a LOT with sidewalk chalk, bubbles, scooters, and had many, many races.....


Some little girl also perfected climbing over the fence!



Friday was a totally different story! The rain started before we ever got out of bed. Randy and I looked at each other and said, "Oh, no!" We both knew that this meant keeping two active children inside ALL day long!!! Well, we played with ALL of our toys....

...made a yummy batch of brownies...

...and used these a LOT!

Any suggestions for tomorrow?!

Swine Flu Update

Okay...I'm getting a little paranoid about this Swine Flu business. Especially since my next-door neighbor now has a confirmed case of it. But hopefully with a little quarantine, a LOT of handwashing, we will all be fine. Just in case, though, here's a picture I found on another blog of what NOT to do....

Swine Flu Outbreak

Well, due to the possibility of 2 children having Swine Flu we are out of school for 2 days!

Count 'em....2!!!!!

All I can say is....we've got beach plans the week after school gets out so we better not have to make up too many days after Memorial Day!

Future Cheerleader

Caitlin attended for the third year in a row the Liberty Middle School Cheer Clinic on Saturday. She had such a great time learning new cheers, chants, and a fun dance!


Doesn't she look cute out there?

Go team!!!!

Target Trip...ARRRGGHHH!!!

Ever have one of those trips to Target, Wal-Mart, Kroger, etc. that just went WRONG?! Well, yesterday was my day to have it! Harrison and I had to make our weekly Target run while waiting on Caitlin at Dance. Normally this is a pretty routine trip where we just make our way up and down the aisles wasting time. It started out that way...then when I told Harrison we needed to leave the toy section, he melted!! So I just calmly placed him in the cart and went on my way (with him screaming at the top of his lungs). He finally calmed down and was just whimpering a little UNTIL we got to the checkout. I wouldn't let him press the buttons on the credit card machine! I wasn't even paying that way--I had cash!! I kept ignoring him and I thought the checkout girl was going to have to put her hands over her ears. Well...we finally get to the door. WHEW!!! I decided not to take the cart out into the parking lot, so I got my bags out and proceeded to put the cart back in line. Harrison says, "I get out myself." I say to this, "Um...no. It's a long drop from the top of the cart to the floor and you'll crack your head wide open when you fall!" Another round of screaming starts! So I grab him up like a sack of potatoes and out we go. I am sure they were very happy to see me leave the store! So yes, Heather, I have frustrating days too with my children out in public!!

Mommy is Sick!!!

Well, I don't know if I am sick from my children at school, my own personal children, or because I was outside last night in 50 degree weather. Whatever the case...I woke up at 2:30 this morning with one of the worst sore throats I have EVER had! I took some cough syrup, not that I was coughing, but I thought it couldn't hurt. I also took my temperature (100) and went back to bed until being woken up by a boy climbing on top of me (I've told Randy not to do that!). I was still feeling like I had been hit by a Mack truck, so Randy took me to an Urgent Care Clinic as soon as they opened at 8:00. Surprise, surprise--I have strep throat!! So I have been in bed pretty much all day. Kinda spoiled our plans to go to Tuscaloosa to see the Alabama A-Day game! And my wonderful husband knew not to ask if he and Caitlin could go without me--he knows (as you do) how I feel about him going to T-Town without me now!!

Relay for Life

Last night I had the honor and privilege of walking in the American Cancer Society's Relay for Life at Madison Academy with my co-workers. The theme this year was "Bright Lights, Big Cure," so we formed a school team named "The Misfits" after an old Marilyn Monroe movie. We all come from different backgrounds and are all a little bit different from each other, so we felt this title fit our group perfectly! Here are most of the walkers--we took this picture at the end of the school day on Friday, and some teachers had already "walked" right out of the building! Ha-ha, don't you love my clever pun?!


This is one of my 1st grade neighbor teachers, Nakita Adams, and her best friend, LaTasha Webster, who has diagnosed with breast cancer in 2004. She is now in complete remission! YEA!!!!!

One of my best friends, Laura, and me at our 2nd place tent. My students think we are sisters! What do you think?

Some of my fellow teachers. Jennifer, Karen, me, Jamie, and Nakita

Laura and Mary Brown. Mary is a Caregiver to her husband, Dwight, who is now retired from teaching at our school. They were the "Dynamic Duo" when they were both teaching! He has been fighting lung cancer for several years now, and is presently undergoing treatment here in Huntsville. To the left of Laura is Mary and Dwight's daughter, Amber, who is about to graduate from Sparkman High School.

Even though we had lots of fun hanging out and walking around the track, there was an underlying sense of sadness in the air. One of our co-workers, Teisha Elkins, lost her dear husband, Neil, to leukemia on March 1. We started this team in an effort to honor his battle with the dreaded disease, but he was called home to Heaven before he could see what great support he had!

I was present during the Luminary Lighting which was extremely emotional as well. You could purchase a luminary in honor or in memory of a loved one who had been stricken with cancer. When they lit the luminaries, they read a sweet poem written by a cancer survivor and sang "Amazing Grace." I don't think there was a dry eye on that football field!!

I just hope that we can help fund cancer research so that my two beautiful children do not have to suffer the effects of this awful disease! My family has already had its share of cancer: My daddy has fought cancer of the soft palate, his brother lost his battle to pancreatic cancer, his sister battled breast cancer, my Granny survived breast cancer only to be stricken with lymphoma 10 years later and go to Heaven, my mom's brother died of a brain tumor.

I am very grateful every day for mine and my family's health!!!!