It's not easy being a George

Birthdays

2011-03-14T20:26:00.005-04:00

I just turned 38 years old on March 10th and I will be celebrating my daughter turning 6 on March 15th. In just a few short weeks, my son will turn 8 on April 13th and then my husband will turn 40 on May 1st. A lot of birthdays packed into just a few months (not to mention all the other birthdays in the family).

Birthdays-It really got me thinking. I have never really liked my own birthday. I have never enjoyed the spotlight being on me (unless I am teaching and then, bring on the spotlight-I love to teach), but really, I hate being the center of attention. Growing up, the thought of a room full of people looking at me and singing was pretty terrifying. I really did not want a lot of people looking at me. When I turned 16, my parents threw me a surprise party. They got together with my siblings and all my church youth group/school friends and surprised me. I was mortified. Every picture of me at that event shows my entire face and neck a beautiful blotchy red. STOP LOOKING AT ME! I did get a pretty string of fresh water pearls. I still have them.

When I was in college, I got all my clothes stolen from my locker while I was at swim practice. I had to run back to my dorm from they gym with one of those little, tiny gym-issue towels wrapped (not really) around me in my suit. And, that day in March the weather was more like a lion than a lamb (cold!). I was mad that my clothes got stolen-yes. But, I was more mad that they stole my favorite rugby shirt (It was the 90's we were all wearing rugby shirts) and the t-shirt I bought after hiking from the bottom of the Grand Canyon to the top-all by myself-in one day!

The following year, I had to have my tonsils removed just 2 days before my 21st birthday. No partying took place on my 21st that year.

I never really liked my birthday.

When my son was born in 2003 the entire concept of the birthday changed. BIRTHDAY-it all made sense. What an amazing thing a birthday is. It is the day when you and your mother meet for the first time. It is the day that you receive the most amazing gift you could ever receive from your mother-LIFE. It is the day that your mother probably worked the hardest and will NEVER forget. I got it. The day my son was born (well, the two day period it became) was one of the most amazing days of my entire life. I remember being so amazed that not only had I survived the prior 9 months (If you knew me while I was pregnant, you were probably amazed I survived). But, it was the day I felt the most powerful. I am woman-HEAR ME ROAR. I grew a being inside of me and on that day, I pushed him out and listened to him take his first breath, make his first sound and was the only thing that could sooth him from his crying. I knew immediately upon giving birth that I wanted to do that again. Yeah, the 9 months were crappy. I puked EVERY SINGLE DAY. I had stretch marks, I had hemorrhoids, I had tears in places I won't mention, I had burst blood vessels in my face, my bladder was a wreck. But, holy crap. I had a baby. It was then that I realized that birthdays are the most amazing day-not in the life of the baby, child, kid... They are the most amazing day in the life of the mother.

When my daughter was born 6 years ago, it was a very different kind of experience. First, I knew exactly what I was in for, and I was really not looking forward to the pain. But, I was ready to meet my child-especially since the gender was a surprise to everyone. But, just 9 short months before I gave birth to my second child, I lost my own mother. I won't lie. It was a bittersweet day. It was the day that BIRTHDAY really became unbelievably burned in my head as an amazing day. The day that I was born was the day my mother got to meet me for the first time. It was the day that the two of us shared what was unlike any other day. My birthday, March 10th, 1973, was the day that my mother's life changed. It was the day she felt powerful. It was the day she first heard me cry. It was the day she had imagined for nine months. It was the day that she and I became mother and daughter.

Five days before my own daughter was born, I spent my very first birthday without my mother. It was the saddest day of my life. The day she died, very sad. The funeral day, very sad. What would have been my parent's 38th wedding anniversary, very sad. Thanksgiving, Christmas... all very sad. But, I never felt more alone than the first time I celebrated my own birthday without my mother. What did it feel like? It felt like I could not breathe, I could not see. It felt like something had been torn from me. I felt that something was absolutely, positively wrong. Of course, on the outside, all you could see was a woman who was 9 months pregnant. I was a woman with a loving husband, family and a 23 month old, amazing boy. But, I was a woman-totally and completely lost.

My own birthday was missing the star performer. The person who made it all happen-was gone-Forever. It was the day that I realized that birthdays are the most amazing days of any person's life-it is the day that you and your mother become, well, you and your mother. It is a day that your mother will never forget.

Five days later, I met my baby girl and named her after my own mother. I cried. I was happy-absolutely. But, of course, something was missing.

I get birthdays. I really do. It ain't about the kid. I will tell you that. Have a party but remember the woman who made it all possible.

I think that each year, birthdays should celebrate the mother. Give that woman a party-For God's sake-she deserves it.

April 13, 2003.

March 15, 2005

me and my mom. Not on my birthday. 1995 Columbia SC.

Really?

2010-04-16T13:09:00.001-04:00

IMG_7429
Originally uploaded by ekulibraries

Pants on the Ground

2010-02-06T20:04:00.003-05:00

2009-10-26T18:21:00.000-04:00

Sent from my iPhone

Mini Vacation Day 2-Cincy

2009-08-02T13:03:00.004-04:00

We continued our mini vacation in Cincinnati by heading to the zoo. We got out of our hotel room early, and headed into the rush hour traffic so we could be at the zoo gates when they open at 9am. We really wanted to beat the crowds and see the animals when they would be eating and most active. We pulled into the parking lot and were ready to go when a zoo employee told us the bad news-there had been an electrical fire the night before and the zoo was without power and would probably be offline for a few days. Ok, fine. We really wanted to go to the zoo but we knew we could also go to the Museum Center and headed in that direction. The Museum Center did not open until 10am and we got there about 9:05. There is one perk to getting there almost an hour early-you don't have to pay the $6.50 parking fee because there is no one in the parking booth yet. Yeah for us.
We went into the Museum Center which has 3 museums in it and an Omnimax theater. We decided to buy the tickets that let us go into all 3 museums and the movie. TPG enjoyed the movie about dinosaurs, DCG put up with the movie about dinosaurs.
This picture is a view of the ceiling in the Museum Center located in the Union Terminal-pretty cool.
While in the natural history musuem, TTG got to meet his hero-Sherlock Holmes. Holmes was helping us solve the mystery of glaciers and ice ages.
TPG spotted a wild animal while DCG was scaring it with her claws.
We then went into the children's museum which caused both parents to break into sweat and have heart palpitations. Way too many kids running around like idiots. The kids enjoyed themselves until TPG got a huge bucket of water dumped on his head by a random child. I saw the whole thing and can attest to all of you that he did absolutely nothing to provoke this. The kid came from across the room and just dumped it on him. Oh well. As you can see, DCG is now interested in a job in road construction. I think she is smart cause she chose the sitting down job and driving the truck.
Even thought TTG was on vacation, he could not help but face up the shelves in the pretend grocery store. The kids did not mind helping.
We then traveled back to the great Commonwealth to visit the newest member of the family. Aunt A, Uncle C and cousin A welcomed a new baby girl last week and we were all very excited to visit. TPG sat and held her for at least 30 minutes and did not want to put her down.
DCG was mad because she realized that her cousin A is a big sister and DCG is only a little sister. Nonetheless, she LOVED holding the baby.
Uncle T enjoyed his time with the newest member of the family as well.

Mini Vacation-Cincy

2009-07-30T20:22:00.005-04:00

We decided again to stay close to home for a little vacation. While I really, really, need to get to a beach, and quick, it just did not play into the cards for this summer. If anyone finds themselves at a beach in the next few weeks, please stand at the water's edge, take a really deep breath as the water hits your feet and send me some of that smell, feel, and calm. I need it!
Ok, so we went to Cincinnati and decided to go to King's Island and then either to the zoo or the Children's Museum (the decision is being made by T and the kids as I type this). The first night involved eating at Big Boy and some time in the hotel pool.

After the hotel pool the kids were happy as clams in front of the TV until bedtime. Doesn't take much to make my kids happy. Not sure why I try so hard. We got up early and headed over to King's Island.

While there we road the rides, ate yummy LaRosa's Pizza in the Festhause and got our faces painted.
On a final note, TPG has had a huge last few days. In just a few short days, he has figured out how to ride his bicycle with no training wheels, figured out how to swim the length of a pool without drowning and today he rode on a ton of the real roller coasters with NO fear. His favorite was the Beast. I am in complete shock that he has gotten so big. I am a little afraid of what comes next-armpit hair??? But, you know, he still loves his mom and did not mind holding my hand as we went down the really big hills of the coasters. I think he may just turn out ok after all.

Chicago

2009-07-10T22:03:00.002-04:00

I am in Chicago attending the American Library Association Conference this weekend. I realize that I have not posted anymore pictures from our trip to Akron and I promise to do that soon. But, I am sitting here in the Hard Rock Hotel in Chicago and just spent some time walking through Millennium Park here in Chicago and wanted to post these pics before I called it a night. We had a pretty long drive after driving for an hour and having to turn around and head back to Richmond to get something and then running into terrible rain and stand still construction traffic. Driving into Chicago was a bit crazy. The vehicle traffic was not fun but the pedestrian traffic was the worst. It was almost impossible to make a right turn-ugh. We made it and here are a few pics.
Some tall buildings!

The "bean" or it's real name Cloud Gate with me, TN and JT from EKU Libraries.
Touching the bean
View standing under the bean looking up
Now I am touching the bean

2009-06-26T21:35:00.004-04:00

We made it down to Columbus and got ready for the Special Olympics opening ceremonies. We remembered from last year that Miss Ohio would be in attendance so TPG made sure he was ready with a sign.
While we were waiting for the parade of athletes to begin, we hung out with some of our friends.
TPG was not too happy when he saw what Miss C was doing behind his head.
But, TPG was excited to hang out with the infamous "Spider Man Todd"
DCG liked learning sign language from Miss C
The Masons raised a ton of money for the Special Olympics and they greeted us as we came into the stadium.
There were lots of athletes and lots of fans
TPG found Miss Ohio. She stated "This is my first marriage proposal!"

Just hanging out waiting for the torch to enter the stadium.

Finally, the torch came through and the games were officially open! Tomorrow we swim-ugh.

Akron Trip

2009-06-26T10:04:00.002-04:00

I took the kids to Akron to spend some time with Aunt C and Uncle A. On the way, the kids enjoyed eating beef jerky (DCG calls it beef turkey) which stunk up the car terribly, watched ET on the DVD players while wearing TTG's Nascar headphones, and stopping at a rest area (TPG calls them pit stops) for a picnic. Every time we go on a roadtrip, we always pack our meals and have picnics instead of wasting money and eating crap at fast food restaraunts. When we return from whatever trip we have taken I always ask the kids what they liked best about the trip. They have done and seen some pretty neat things like, see the Liberty Bell, Independence Hall, ride a boat out to Fort Sumter, watch dolphins being trained, see manatee, swim on the beach... but the thing they always say is their favorite is the picnics at the rest area. I think next time we are going to save ourselves the trouble and just drive up I-64 to that rest area near Frankfort, have a picnic and head home.

We will be heading down to Columbus this evening to participate in the Ohio Special Olympics. Tonight is the opening ceremony where we get to march in the parade with the athletes and then tomorrow is the big meet. My race is the last race of the meet-around noon-prayers please! I MUST win Gold this year! Pop Pop Silver and Miss Jill will be meeting us in Columbus and we just can't wait for the fun.

I will post pictures soon.

DCG-be afraid

2009-06-12T12:18:00.003-04:00

This is a drawing that one of DCG's teachers at her school drew of her. I think it is the truest depiction of DCG that I have ever seen. Curly hair, wearing a dress and high heel shoes, carrying a purse and looking mean and bossy.

Survived!

2009-06-05T15:27:00.005-04:00

TPG survived kindergarten with only a few minor glitches along the way. The Spanish Immersion Program at Liberty Elementary was not always the easiest choice for TPG. There were definitely tears and frustration but in the end I think that TPG is doing well and ready for another year. One of his teachers, Senora Szwilski, will be teaching first grade and TPG is excited that she will be one of his teachers.

Below is a photo on TPG waiting to get on the bus on the last day of school.
The next day TPG and I spent the day together. We started out going to EKU so I could go to a meeting. After running around the library for a while we ended our time with a visit from a few wonderful men from the EKU locksmith shop. They were so kind to let me back in my office after TPG locked us out and all my stuff in. Oh well. Instead of heading home on the interstate, we decided to take a more scenic route. We drove all the way down to the Kentucky River and rode on the Valley View Ferry to get back to Lexington. We were both nervous about driving onto the ferry but the man operating the boat assured us we would be fine. He even let us get out of the car and walk around. And the best part-it was free. :)
TPG will spend the rest of the summer with his sister at the preschool where he spent the first five years of his life. He will be in a school age program where they spend most of the days outdoors. He can't wait.

Fair and Strawberries

2009-05-30T18:36:00.006-04:00

We spent this weekend at our church's fair. The Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton Country Fair is always tons of fun and this year was the first year that both kids were tall enough to ride rides without us going on them with them. Fair food is always on the menu even after TPG thought he was going to puke after riding on the Pirate Ship.

DCG is worried about TPG on the Pirate ride.
TPG on the pirate ride-sitting on top row with mouth open.
The ride lasted about 30 seconds too long and ended in tears and fears of puking for TPG.
There were many more tame rides that both kids enjoyed.
TPG liked riding in the "army" copter
and on the swirly boat ride
DCG likes to ham it up for pictures

Then it was off to Boyd's Orchard to pick strawberries.
DCG did not like the slide.
TPG did!
We picked a lot of berries

I have no idea how to can items and frankly I am afraid I would preserve some super strong bacteria that would kill all of us so I was just as happy to make a bunch of freezer jam. We ate the first jar on strawberry short cake we made. We even had cream left over in the fridge (see previous post about making butter) and made fresh made whipped cream. Yummy!
Of course the family fun could not last because my children are, well, mine. We ended our Saturday with both kids screaming and crying through their entire shower. I have no idea what they were crying about. DCG kept saying that she did not want to cry forever. When I told her to stop, she said she needed some pills. Should I be afaid??? TPG just begged to go to sleep. My children are weird.

Butter!

2009-05-27T17:59:00.004-04:00

I bought whipping cream at the grocery because, well, I have no idea why, I just did. I put the cream in two containers and made the kids shake until we made butter. They thought it was really cool. We checked our progress as it went from whipping cream, to whipped cream to butter. I even let them taste the butter milk, which really has no taste. We then spread our freshly made butter on corn. They kids kept talking about how yummy it was. I put a teensy-weensy bit of butter on the peas too and they could not get enough of them. Home-made butter + vegetables= kids eat!

Memorial Day Weekend

2009-05-24T19:26:00.006-04:00

We spent most of the weekend in Tollesboro at the Grand Opening (well re-opening really) of Thomas Family Grocery and Cabin Creek Crafts. The grocery is the original grocery that was run by the Thomas family (TTG's family) from 1950's until the 1970's. It sits on the Thomas family farm right in front of Mamaw and Papaw Thomas' house. Gramma B. (TTG's mom) re-opened the store and sells convenience items like milk, bread and ice cream as well as the crafts she and Pop Pop B make. Lots of people stopped by to check out the store but mostly we enjoyed hanging out and spending time together. TPG enjoyed the pond and actually caught some fish and DCG and her cousin A. played together the entire time. Here are some photos.

Thanks Pop Pop and Miss Jill!

2009-04-17T21:13:00.004-04:00

TPG got a pair of "roller blades" for his birthday from Pop Pop and Miss Jill. The weather has been so rainy that he just got a chance to try them out today. It was quite funny. He is not wearing any protective equipment in this video but we went out immediately and purchased elbow, knee and wrist guards. Knock on wood, we have never made a trip to the ER with the kids and I don't want to start now :)

Happy Birthday in Spanish

2009-04-13T12:49:00.003-04:00

TPG celebrated his birthday today and I stopped by his Kindergarten class with ice cream cups. TPG is in a Spanish Immersion program which means that he receives instruction in Spanish for half of the school day. He is not learning Spanish but learning IN Spanish. The students in his class sang to him in Spanish and English. Then his teacher asked him a question in Spanish and he answered it in Spanish. I have absolutely NO idea what they were saying but TPG seemed to understand. Totally amazing.

More Easter Fun

2009-04-12T16:37:00.002-04:00

The kids had fun hanging with family and having an EasterEgg hunt. The last picture is of DCG hanging with her favorite Uncle Tony. Sorry all you other uncles out there. DCG just really loves her Uncle Tony.

Happy Easter

2009-04-12T07:04:00.003-04:00

The Easter Bunny visited our house last night. We did not build it up or really even talk about the Easter Bunny this year. TPG has pretty much figured out that Santa and the Easter Bunny are us and he is really not good at keeping his mouth shut. So, I thought if I did not bring it up, he would not ruin it for DCG. The plan worked pretty well. They discovered their Easter baskets and were pretty excited. Notice DCG is wearing the same dress as on Christmas morning. She insists on wearing it most nights when it is not in the wash. Thank you Aunt Ahren for making this dress! We are heading to Falmouth to attend services at Pop Pop B's Church and then to Tollesboro for some more Easter celebrations. More pictures to come.

Thanks Aunt Casey and Uncle Andrew

2009-04-09T18:31:00.002-04:00

Aunt Casey and Uncle Andrew got the kids scooters. They were super excited and have already scooted around the block a bunch of times. I know, I know, I need to get DCG a helmet. We are working on it. Yay for the good weather today, boo for the rain that is coming.

Coloring Easter Eggs

2009-04-05T11:45:00.002-04:00

Dress Up Day

2009-04-05T11:24:00.004-04:00

We sent the kids to daycare a few days during spring break. I had to go back to work and TTG had a ton of yard work to do. One day at the daycare was costume day. Both kids were excited to get out their Halloween costumes and wear them again. TPG wore his Spiderman outfit which is just a tad bit too small. He did not care and wore it anyway. DCG wore her dragon costume again and growled most of the day.

Spring Break 2009 Day 2

2009-03-31T22:29:00.006-04:00

Day 2 started early with another tour of Mammoth Cave. We went on the Frozen Niagara Tour. We got to ride a bus to get to the tour entrance which the kids loved. Why do we pay money to take our kids on fancy vacations when they enjoy things like eating at a rest area and riding on a bus??? Anyway, the tour took us to a part of the cave that is totally different than any other part of Mammoth Cave. Most of Mammoth Cave is very dry and just has a ton of rocks everywhere. The part of the cave we went in today was wet and had tons of stalactites and stalagmites all over the place. It was really amazing. I took way too many pictures inside the cave but I just could not help myself. The pictures below just don't do it justice. After Mammoth Cave we spent some time at Dinosaur World. It was a little cheesy but the kids thought it was pretty cool. They got to "dig" for bones and "search" for fossils. Afterwards, we headed for home where Dewey the Cat met us with a big, happy, meow-NOT. I have to head back to work but I am sure this is not the end of our Spring Break 2009 adventures.

Spring Break 2009-Day 1 Mammoth Cave

2009-03-30T20:28:00.005-04:00

Ok, it has been entirely too long since I have posted. Lets just pretend that 3 month lapse never happened, ok?

We were originally going to go to Disney World this year but we decided that it would more fiscally responsible to save some money and stay local this year. Don't tell the kids though cause they don't know that we decided agains Disney. I got a lot of advice from people that suggested that we wait till the kids are a little bit older anyway. Disney will be there-we will make it one day. We decided to go to Mammoth Cave and do some hiking in the caves. The kids earned their Junior Park Ranger Badges and then we were ready to head down. We started on day one with the Historic Tour. It was a 2 hour, 2 mile tour with about 400 stairs to navigate. I was pretty nervous that TPG would freak out when they turned out all the lights and I was not sure how DCG would do for the long trek. They were total troopers and did really well. TPG thought the cave was "totally amazing" and DCG thought it was pretty funny that she never had to bend over to get through some of the more narrow sections of the cave. After dinner we went back to the hotel and swam in the pool. Tomorrow we will go on the Frozen Niagra tour and then head to Dinosaur World. Here are some photos of the day.

Liberty Bowl in Memphis

2009-01-02T12:08:00.005-05:00

We left the kids with the grandparents (Thanks PopPop Silver, Miss Jill, Gramma B and PopPop B) and headed to Memphis for the Liberty Bowl. UK is playing ECU.
We left early Thursday morning and got to Memphis just in time for the Liberty Bowl Parade on Beale. ECU had way more fans at the parade but they were all really nice. Whenever we caught purple beads (ECU colors) we traded with the ECU fans for some blue beads. It was a strange parade but fun. There were about 20 high school marching bands and none of them had more than 20 members including the flag twirlers. But, they marched and we cheered.We then went to BB King's Blues Club and listened to two great live bands and had some great food. TTG loved the ribs and I of course had the chicken. The garlic mashed potatoes were to die for and the BBQ sauce was totally yummy. The restaraunt was the home base for the UK Alumni Association so it was packed with UK fans and spontaneous cheers of "What's your favorite color, baby? Blue and White" and "C-A-T-S, Cats, Cats, Cats" broke out all over the place. We sat for about two hours taking in the awesome music and then headed out to Beale Street to take in the sites. The game is this afternoon and I will post more pics later. GO CATS!

Thanks Santa

2008-12-25T06:33:00.005-05:00

The BIG question

2008-12-17T15:12:00.003-05:00

This is an exact transcript of a conversation I just had with TPG. He asked me the first question and I immediately started writing down what he was saying cause I knew it would be good. I am totally fearful of the day my kids start asking me real questions about babies, how they are made, how they get out... you get the picture. Right now they think Jesus puts babies into a mom's belly and then it just "pops" out. I am not about to explain how wrong they are. Just no need to go there. TPG is already appalled when he sees TTG and I show any kind of affection even if it is just a quick kiss. He says that we already had our honeymoon so we should not kiss anymore. Imagine what he will say when he learns where babies come from-ugh. But, I was completely not prepared for this line of questioning I got from him when he got off the bus today. I think I may be excommunicated from the Catholic Church for how I answered his questions. Oh well. Here it is:

TPG:I am curious about dinosaurs and god.
Me: Ok, what?
TPG: Um, were dinosaurs the first people on earth? Really? Or was God first?
Me: God was first
TPG: But everyone says dinosaurs were first on earth. I think dinosaurs were the first to walk on earth
Me: So what’s the problem?
TPG: Were the dinosaurs here first or god?
Me: God made the dinosaurs.
TPG: I thought he made that man and lady who ate the fruit and had no clothes, I thought they were first.
Me: Well, maybe the dinosaurs were on earth first and then those people- Adam and Eve came later.
TPG: Yes, Adam and Eve that was their name. They came after the dinosaurs?
Me: Yes
TPG: OHHH, ok, Can I have a banana?
Me: ok
YIKES-I think I totally confused him and now me. I think I would have done better with the "where do babies really come from" question.

Snow Day

2008-12-16T10:32:00.004-05:00

Locks of Love-finally

2008-12-12T15:49:00.008-05:00

Well, I finally did it. I have been growing my hair out for almost 2 years and it was finally long enough (10 inches) to donate to Locks of Love. They make wigs for children who have permanent or long term hair loss. Here are some before and after pictures. I need to play with the "after" hair style a little because I am never able to do my hair the way they do at the studio. But, if you know me, you know I am a short hair girl so it is a HUGE relief to have all that hair gone.

First Tooth Finally OUT!

2008-11-30T20:24:00.004-05:00

TPG finally lost his first tooth. The funny thing is that the one that came out is not the original first loose tooth. The first tooth that came loose the other week is still hanging on by a thread. So, I guess that means we will lose another tooth in a few days. TPG was pretty excited and could not wait to put it under the pillow for the tooth fairy.

Loose tooth

2008-11-15T15:38:00.002-05:00

TPG has his first loose tooth!! Ahhhhhh. I can't believe it. How could my baby boy be old enough to have a loose tooth? Lets hope we can keep it in until the wedding photos are taken on Saturday.

Communist Librarians

2008-10-20T13:46:00.000-04:00

Even kids could do law school

2008-10-10T20:34:00.001-04:00

These videos are for my sister to show to her students.

Videos for Class

2008-09-23T12:07:00.002-04:00

These are two videos I am showing in my GSD 101 Class on the topic of the value of a liberal arts education.

Funny Video

2008-09-18T09:29:00.003-04:00

See more funny videos and funny pictures at CollegeHumor.

Books for the State

2008-08-28T18:37:00.004-04:00

Visit this site and share the book that first got you hooked on reading. The state with the largest number of responses gets 50,000 free books donated to the state.

First Day of School

2008-08-13T09:41:00.005-04:00

TPG had his first day of school today. The plan was to put him on the bus and then follow the bus to school and walk him to his classroom. Did things go as planned? Of course not! TPG did get on the bus without a hitch and he even met a new friend who is in first grade and lives up the street. But, after he got on the bus, things went down hill...

Liberty Elementary is a new school so there were lots of parents who wanted to walk their kids to the classroom. Because they do not have enough parking at the school for every parent they set up an alternate parking plan. We could park our cars at the church across the street and take a bus over to the school. My plan was to follow TPG's bus and park at the church and take the shuttle over and meet him in his classroom. I felt really guilty when I got there because there were all these parent who were getting on the bus with their kids. Here I was, the bad parent who put their kid on the bus at the bustop by himself. But, once I got on the bus I met other parents who were doing the same thing as me. We rode the bus across the street and walked into the school. I was directed into the gymnasium where there were lots of kids sitting quietly and calmly in rows. I looked for TPG and did not see him. I asked a teacher and was told he could be in his classroom already. Ok, no big deal. I walked to his classroom where there were tons of kids sitting anxiously at their desk with nervous parents all around the room. Still no TPG. (see photo)

Ok, now I am nervous. My biggest fear the night before was that he would get off the bus at school and not know where to go and get lost. It was an irrational fear last night but now it was coming true, crap! The teacher spotted me and noticed my panicked look. She tried to calm me and let me know that the first day of kindergarten is tougher on the parents than the kids. I tried to smile and told her that would be great if I actually knew where my kid was. "Hmmm" she said and then instructed me to wait and he would show up. Ok, no, not going to wait. I was going to look for him myself. There were TV cameras from all 3 tv stations all over the school to document the first day in the new school and I know they were looking for a crying parent to interview. Not me, I was not crying about that, I was pissed. They had lost my child. I tried very hard to keep my calm and not strangle the teachers. I went back in the gym, still no TPG. All the buses had already dropped kids off. No TPG.
At that moment, my stomach did a churn, I was going to puke and then I realized I had not eaten breakfast. Wait, breakfast, I smelled breakfast. They serve breakfast at school that some children eat because they don't, can't, won't eat breakfast at home. It all clicked. I should have known. I walked into the cafeteria and there in his cute green striped shirt that makes his eyes look amazing is TPG eating a healthy breakfast! See below-

I could have killed him. He had a full breakfast at home but when he got off the bus they told the kids "if you want breakfast go in the cafeteria, if not, wait in the gym." Well, TPG would never turn down food. No way! Of course I did not send him with money to buy breakfast. They don't even take money for breakfast or lunch. It is all done with accounts. And TPG now has a negative balance, on his first day, grrrr. I told him to hurry up and eat but he was bound and determined to eat the entire meal. Finally he was done, grape jelly all over his mouth and shirt and milk dribbled down his front. I wanted to walk him to his room. Before he had left in the morning I had put a note in his pocket with this room number on it in case he got lost. As we were walking down the hallway, he got out his note and started looking for his room. He turned to me and said "I can do it by myself" And he did. He got into his classroom, found his spot, sat down and proceeded to ready himself for the day. The teacher showed a little video clip that she put on her blog about the first day of school and then she ushered the parents out. TPG got a little bit clingy as I was leaving but I pointed out that one of his friends from his preschool was crying and he quickly swooped to her rescue, always the gentleman. I guess thats it. I will be waiting for him as he gets off the bus today. I survived and I am sure TPG did as well. To see more pictures from the First Day of School, click here.

Yellow Belt!

2008-08-12T23:39:00.003-04:00

He did it! TPG took a real live, honest to goodness, Taekwondo belt test and passed! He is now officially a yellow belt. It took him almost a year to get this belt and he is pretty proud of himself.
(spell check does not like the word taekwondo and suggested wonderbra instead hmmmm...)

UK Fan Day

2008-08-11T17:01:00.002-04:00

We went to the UK Football Fan Day on Saturday. There were fireworks, free hot dogs and we got to go onto the football field at Commonwealth Stadium. What more could you ask for?

Sunset Day 6

2008-07-31T21:34:00.004-04:00

TTG and DCG
Originally uploaded by Julie George

Another day at the beach. Today the weather was absolutely perfect. The waves were pretty rough and there was a ton of seaweed washing in this morning but it did not deter the kids from getting in the water. TPG discovered that he could "boogie board without the boogie board" when he got caught by a wave and it took him all the way into the shore. He was pretty proud of himself. There were a bunch of older boys (around 11 or 12) out there body surfing and he thought he was pretty hot stuff hangin' with the big kids. DCG and AGW spent much of the time playing in the sand. After the beach we spent the rest of the day in the pool. We made dinner and then headed back out to the beach for some more sunset pictures. I think I was able to take some pretty neat shots so be sure to click on the picture of TTG and DCG holding hands to got to Flickr to see more. One more day at the beach and then we get back in the car for the 894 mile car trip on Saturday. I lay on the beach everyday and try to soak up the relaxing feeling so that I can revisit it during our car trip home. Hopefully I will be able to channel some relaxing feelings because I think it is going to be a pretty rough trip. We split the trip down into two days so the marathon trip home should be interesting. We have the portable DVD player, we have food, we have books, we have toys, but strapping two VERY ACTIVE kids into a car for about 15 hours will be a new adventure.

Cousins having fun

2008-07-30T23:30:00.002-04:00

DCG and AGW hoola girls
Originally uploaded by Julie George

AGW and DCG have had tons of fun this week.

Linger Lodge-Day 5

2008-07-30T21:25:00.003-04:00

We spent the morning on the beach (no photos cause I am tired of dragging stuff to the beach and then back again) The water was kind of rough but TPG and his friend were still out there trying to boogie board it. They got more tossed around then anything else but they had tons of fun. Then, they went to the pool and used snorkels and masks. It is so funny to see how outgoing TPG is when he is around other kids. I know I should not be surprised but believe it or not, sometimes he can be shy around adults and in strange situations. But, put a 5 year old boy in front of him and they are instant best friends. Makes me feel pretty good about the impending kindergarten first day. DCG and AGW played in the sand most of the time. They have really enjoyed spending the week together. Monkey see, Monkey do would be the theme of their relationship. Can you take a guess at who the ringleader is?

After the beach all 14 of us drove to Bradenton to the Linger Lodge for a late lunch. According to the Food Network, the Linger Lodge is "One Of The Top Five Weirdest Restaurants In The Country" I would have to agree with them. The kids both ate alligator and loved it-see pictures below. The picture below of the sign is actually made from dead, stuffed snakes and the place is decorated with many dead and stuffed animals-very appetizing. Needless to say, I did not eat much of my plain cheese pizza. I just could not stomach much else. The location of the lodge is absolutely beautiful. You can either drive to the place or take a boat, tie up at the dock and walk up from the back. We all went out to the Braden River in the back and actually saw an alligator swimming. Very cool.

Beach again tomorrw-if the weather holds up. If not, we will head to the G-Wiz children's science museum for an indoor day. Enjoy the pictures below. Also click on this Flickr link for some other pictures.

Aquarium-Day 4

2008-07-29T22:35:00.002-04:00

Touching sting rays
Originally uploaded by Julie George

We visited the Mote Marine Laboratory and Aquarium in Sarasota today. The weather was a little yucky so it was a good day to spend it away from the beach. The kids got to touch stingrays (they were slimy) pretend to be a shark, see a gigantic squid (ick, ick, ick), see tons of sharks, watch manatees eat and play, and watch a dolphin training session. We all went back to the condo and took naps and then it was back out to the beach because the weather had cleared. TPG met another kid his age on Sunday and they were able to reunite for some boogy boarding this afternoon. I am so glad that TPG had swim lessons this summer. I felt pretty comfortable letting him go out there without me making him wear a Coast Guard approved PFD (lifejacket) and me holding him to me at all times. He is definitely not a great swimmer but he knows how to get himself out of the water and keep himself afloat. Now to work on DCG. Later that evening we all went our separate ways for dinner. Our part of the George clan stayed in and grilled hotdogs on the community grill out at the beach. We plan on heading back out to the beach tomorrow and then Grandpa is treating us to lunch at the Linger Lodge. Once again, I have uploaded more pictures to Flickr and you can get to them by clicking on the picture.

Some more pictures of the trip

2008-07-29T21:58:00.002-04:00

Take me out to the ballgame-Day 3

2008-07-28T22:44:00.000-04:00

We went to see the Cincinnati Reds Single A minor league team The Sarasota Reds tonight. Lots of fun.

Longboat Key Day 2

2008-07-27T20:56:00.000-04:00

Sunset on Longboat Key on the second day. Lots of time at the beach, time on the playground, and time at the pool. All of us are worn out but it was a good day.

Longboat Key

2008-07-27T15:48:00.001-04:00

Sunset on the first night TPG and DCG
Originally uploaded by Julie George

We made the 14 hour drive to Longboat Key Florida without a hitch. We drove about 7 hours on the first night and spent the night in Macon GA. We got up and were on the road by 7am and made it to Longboat Key by 2pm. TPG asked about 1000 times if we were almost there and DCG kept asking to get up. Other than that it was a pretty good trip. The weather is beautiful. We went out to the beach on the first night to see the sunset. It was so beautiful. We spent the next day on the beach. TPG and DCG spent the whole time in the water. They had a blast. I made a promise to myself to not get burned on the first day. I usually get fried on the first day and then I am miserable for the rest of the trip. I held to my promise and did not get burned today! We shall see how I do tomorrow. Click on the photo for more pictures. I will post more soon.

Soccer Camp

2008-07-21T14:23:00.002-04:00

Soccer Camp TPG
Originally uploaded by Julie George

TPG is attending soccer camp at EKU this week. He comes to work with me in the morning. I drop him off at the camp, come back to work and then pick him up and bring him back to my office for lunch. After he eats lunch, I set him up in the classroom next to my office. Today he is watching movies. I may bring something for him to do the rest of the week. Anyway, today TPG won the award "camper of the day" for being a good listener and trying really hard. He was awarded a an EKU soccer ball for his hard work. He came running to me after the camp and said "look mommy, I won a UK ball" I had to correct him and say "EKU, not UK" He is having a great time. Click on the photo to see more pictures of TPG in action.

Our garden

2008-07-21T12:43:00.002-04:00

Our garden
Originally uploaded by Julie George

We doubled the size of our garden this year and it is growing like crazy. We are eating cucumbers just about every day. The kids pick the grape tomatoes off the vine and eat them right from the garden. I don't think that any of them have actually made it into the house. The corn is getting close and we have had green beans and yellow squash a few times each week since they have started producing. Click on the picture on the right for some other shots of the garden.

Ready for the Beach

2008-07-11T18:27:00.004-04:00

We are heading to the Longboat Key in Florida in a few weeks. We tried out our new goggles today at dinner. They work!

Independence Day

2008-07-04T13:42:00.001-04:00

IMG_0694
Originally uploaded by Julie George

Click on the picture for more photos of our Independence Day celebrations. More info on what we did later!

Visiting with a friend in Akron

2008-07-03T17:24:00.003-04:00

The kids and I went to see a friend of mine from Berea College. She has two small children so we basically spent about 3 hours making sure my kids were not killing her kids (DCG and TPG) are both older. It was so nice to spend some time talking with my friend. We met our freshman year in college when our dorm rooms were next door to each other. We shared some wonderful times in college and even though we have not seen each other in a really long time, we still have so much in common. Life is funny that way.

I am going to try really hard to keep in better touch. I promise.

Week in Akron

2008-07-01T19:42:00.003-04:00

Akron Zoo
Originally uploaded by Julie George

TPG, DCG and I are spending the week in Akron, Ohio with Aunt C. and Uncle A. and of course Sammie. We participated in the Ohio Special Olympics where JSG won a silver medal, visited the Akron Zoo, visited the Summit County Courthouse to see bad people dressed in orange, and of course spent a lot of time at the pool. TPG has been taking a few private swim lessons which have gone well. He even jumped off the diving board by himself today. Tomorrow we are going to the pool in the morning and then the kids are going to the movies with a friend while I relax in the afternoon. On Thursday we will visit with a friend of mine from college and visit with her two children. Thursday evening TTG, PopPop and Miss J will arrive and on Friday we will be in a neighborhood Independence Day Parade. The kids are having a good time. They miss their daddy and Dewey the cat. Click on the picture to see more photos.

My Husband

2008-06-26T20:26:00.001-04:00

TTG and TLG with Johnny Bench
Originally uploaded by Julie George

TTG is a huge Cincinnati Reds fan. He tells a story about when he was little he used to sneak and listen to Reds games on a tiny little radio in his bedroom. He says his parents did not know but I think they probably did. How else could he explain having to replace the batteries every couple of days? If TTG could sell his soul for any one thing, it would be the gift of being able to play baseball. He is a huge UK basketball and football fan and many people would guess his ultimate dream would be to play for UK. But, if you really know him, you know what I am talking about. When he was about 12 years old, he got the chance to meet Johnny Bench when the Reds catcher was visiting Maysville. He and his twin brother had this picture taken. I love this photo.

2008-05-29T10:01:00.002-04:00

This is a video I took in July of 2006. DCG was a little over a year old. Each kid has their own piggy bank and we put loose change in it from time to time. DCG and her little fat baby hands could not manage to get the money in her piggy bank but she insisted on doing it herself. When she finally got her money in-PURE JOY! I love this video. I can't believe how much she has grown since then.

Day of awards

2008-05-24T08:10:00.004-04:00

Thursday was a day of awards. In the morning we awarded the first annual Dorothy Preston Silver Scholarship in memory of my mom. The family read through a few applications and voted on a winner. The goal was to award the scholarship to someone who had overcome a lot. It was really nice to hand out the award at Madison Central. The student who received the scholarship had definitely been through a lot and I believe she will go on to bigger and better things.
Later in the day TPG "graduated" from preschool. I think preschool, kindergarten, middle school, graduations are a little strange and I am not a huge fan of them. I mean, should we really celebrate something that is really an expectation? Anyway, it was a fairly low key event which was good. The students got up and sang two songs. Then they each got to go to the podium and say their name, age, the name of the school they would be attending in the fall and what they liked to learn about. TPG
has a tendency to be a little shy (I am not making that up, I swear, he can be shy) but he was the first kid to go and he stood up there and did great. We all got to eat lunch with the kids. The plan was not NOT make contact with DCG because we were going to bring TPG home with us and leave DCG at school until later in the day. But, to no avail. She spotted us and was pretty much inconsolable until I told her I was not going to leave her there.

We all went home and TTG and his dad (grandpa G.) begin working on a project in the yard. We have great neighbors beside us but they only way we can visit eachother is to walk all the way around the block. So, we decided to put in a gate between our yards. It turned out GREAT! We have already used it many times.

Last award, I promise. TPG then had to go to TaeKwonDo. Last time I mentioned TKD TPG had just earned his blue belt. Well, since then he earned a red belt and on Thursday he had the opportunity to earn a black belt (not really a black belt but a white belt with a black stripe) which would give him the title of Senior Captain of the Little Dragons. He has been working really hard for this and it finally happened. He was very proud.

Washington DC 2008

2008-05-19T19:49:00.001-04:00

On the road
Originally uploaded by Julie George

I finally got all the pictures from our trip to DC uploaded, named, tagged... If you click on this picture, it will take you to the entire collection of pictures on Flickr. We had a great time. The weather was not so good but we managed a few sunny days for outside stuff and stayed indoors on the rainy days. L and A's life was turned completely upside down while we were with them but I like to think of our trips as free birth control for them. I am actually thinking of offering this service for anyone interested. Here is how it would go: So, you think you might want some kids? Invite the George family to stay at your house. Magically, the dream of kids just doesn't look that attractive anymore. We would offer this service free to family and only a nominal fee for others. What do you think?

Seriously, thank you L and A for allowing us to completely take over your house. We really appreciate it.

Enjoy the pictures.

Curly Girl

2008-05-19T11:48:00.001-04:00

curly girl2
Originally uploaded by Julie George

Is she a curly girl? Can she be a member of the club. As a straight haired person, I don't think I have the authority to make her a member of the group. Ok, curly girls, what do you think?
Click on the picture for more photos on my Flickr page

Happy Belated Birthday TTG

2008-05-19T11:47:00.001-04:00

MVI_0438
Originally uploaded by Julie George

We celebrated TTG's 37th birthday a few weeks ago and I am just getting around to posting this video. Not sure why TPG is not wearing a shirt. One can only guess.

Funny Facebook Video

2008-05-02T21:53:00.002-04:00

I saw this video on another blog and thought it was absolutely hysterical. TTG does not use Facebook so he did not think it was funny or even understand it.

KLA-Academic at Cumberland Falls

2008-04-25T19:20:00.008-04:00

I just got back from a short vacation trip to DC with the family and I will post pictures of that later. I also attended a Kentucky Library Association Conference at Cumberland Falls. I wanted to post some pictures from the conference. Cumberland Falls State Resort Park was just absolutely beautiful! The weather was delightful, the scenery was beautiful, the conference was interesting and the company was wonderful. Here are some photos from the conference. I will post more about the conference later.

Trip to Our Nations's Capital

2008-04-16T18:57:00.004-04:00

We will be heading to Washington DC this weekend to visit family and see the sights. Uncle L, TTG's brother, and Aunt A live in DC. We see them usually when they come to KY and we visited with them two years ago. Their house is in a great location and makes it really easy to hop on the Metro and visit all the museums and other attractions.
While there we have a few things we definitely want to see. They are:
The Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History
The National Air and Space Museum
The Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center
The National Zoological Park
Maybe Arlington National Cemetery to leave some flowers at my Aunt Viola's grave.

We also want to spend time visiting with family. We don't get to see Uncle L and Aunt A as often as we like so this will be a nice visit.
Also, my very first friend in the whole world lives in the DC area and I can't wait to see her and her husband. We met on the very first day of kindergarten and were friends from that moment on. Even after I moved to KY from PA we still managed to keep in touch and see each other through the years.
We will be leaving on Friday afternoon and will return to KY on Wednesday.
I have about a million things to do before we leave and I don't even know where to start.
I am starting a list of stuff I need to pack, just to help me remember

clothes for both kids-spring and winter

pants
shorts
shirts-long and short
socks
underwear
t-shirts

pj's for both kids
sleeping bags for both kids
tooth brushes for both kids
plastic cups with lids
bath soap for kids
sunscreen (I am hopeful, although the weather prediction is rain)
raincoats for all
umbrellas
books for kids to read before bed
portable dvd player
dvds
snacks for car ride (have to buy)
camera
battery charger
clothes for the adults
all of our pillows
booster seats for kitchen chairs
umbrella stroller
hats for kids
activities for car ride
gum

I will add more as I think of things.

I know I am forgetting tons of things.
Help me out, what am I forgetting?
What am I leaving off the list of things to see in DC? Remember, I have a 5 year old and a 3 year old who would not behave/enjoy a portrait gallery or anything like that.

Spring

2008-04-08T20:52:00.003-04:00

too cute-so unlike them
Originally uploaded by Julie George

The weather has been so nice lately that we have been able to spend every evening outside. This evening we had a great time playing tag and just goofing around. TPG and TTG got into a mean game of Rock/Paper/Scissors. TPG is such a cheat that we had to make him turn around backwards, throw his choice and then show his hand. He hates losing so he was getting a little frustrated. He wants to win all the time. But, TTG would not fold trying to teach him that you can't always win. It reminds me of when I was really little, maybe 5 years old and my father decided to teach me, my 7 year old brother and my 9 year old sister how to play RISK. If you don't know anything about this game, just know that it is NOT meant for children, really. But, Dad wanted to play and so we did. He took absolutely no pity on us and did not care that we were REALLY LITTLE. By the end, of course, Dad had taken over the world and we learned that, well, I don't know what I learned. Maybe that I can't let my kids win. I guess we learned "Life is not Fair" Just so you know, I have not played RISK since that time. Anyway, I took some cute pictures of the fun we had this evening. Click on the picture to get to my Flickr page to see more.

The Electric Company - Library

2008-04-07T12:05:00.003-04:00

I saw this on a library blog and thought it was funny. It is a clip about libraries from Electric Company Not sure if it actually imparts anything about libraries to the viewer but I thought it was cool in a retro sort of way. Does anyone remember Electric Company???

Easter Vigil SEAS

2008-04-01T08:40:00.001-04:00

Baptism-SEAS Easter 2008
Originally uploaded by Julie George

I wanted to post a picture from the Easter Vigil service at my church, St Elizabeth Ann Seton (SEAS) in Lexington. The Easter Vigil is such an awesome service for many reasons. One special event is when we welcome the newest members into full communion with the Church. I spend a good part of a year leading up to Easter getting to know these newest members of the Church by attending classes with them. So, it always a very special evening. This is a photo of Tina right after she was baptized. The smile on her face is just awesome. The lighting in the church was very dark so I had to play with the colors on the photo. It looks a little strange but you can't mistake the look of pure joy on Tina's face.

Happy Birthday DCG part 2

2008-03-18T09:39:00.003-04:00

Happy Birthday DCG
Originally uploaded by Julie George

Click on the picture and you can see some more pictures from DCG's 3rd birthday party. She enjoyed the day and squealed at each and every gift she opened. You can see some other pictures from the day at my sister-in-law's blog Bits of Silver

Happy Birthday DCG

2008-03-14T16:15:00.005-04:00

DCG celebrated her birthday at her school today. Her brother got to come in from his class to help celebrate. DCG has been talking about her birthday for about the last eight months. Each time I tell her to do something that she is not happy about (bed time, nap time, clean up time...)she has uninvited me to her birthday. So, this morning, I checked with DCG and she said I was invited to her party. I cut out of work early and got to be with DCG and her class for about an hour. Lots of fun!!!

UK Game

2008-03-09T16:19:00.002-04:00

Old Rupp floor
Originally uploaded by Julie George

I got to go to two UK games this season. I really like to go to the senior game each year and this year we were playing Florida. The last Florida game I attended was in February 2003. What an awesome game that was. I was about 7 months pregnant with TPG and Florida had just been ranked number 1 in the polls the morning of the game. UK ended up destroying Florida by 25 points. The entire crowd of 24,000 was on their feet and yelling the whole game. I remember rubbing my pregnant belly saying "remember this little baby, this is UK basketball"

The following seasons we did not do so well against Florida so I was eager to see them with this one. We won, but like most games this season, we almost gave it away. Click on the picture to see more photos from the game on my Flickr page.

Crazy dress day

2008-03-09T15:44:00.001-04:00

crazy dress day
Originally uploaded by Julie George

The kids had crazy dress day at their daycare this past week. It took me quite a bit of time to convince them to wear their clothes this way. DCG was totally against wearing polka dot tights and a plaid skirt. Her sense of fashion was just telling her it was very wrong. (Thank goodness she did not get her sense of fashion from TTG or myself-thank goodness for all of her Aunts)

TPG was really distressed when I put his pants on him backwards. For the last few years I have been saying each and every morning "the tag goes in the back" Then, I tell him to put them on backwards. He was vey confused by this.

I finally convinced them to have fun with it, as you can see in the picture and I dropped them off and went to work. When I picked them back up in the afternoon, TPG had put his undershirt back under his shirt, taken off the shorts, unrolled his pants and put them on with the tag in the back. DCG had taken out her three pony tails and taken off her tights. The teachers said that most of the kids really did not enjoy "crazy dress day" as much as they thought. I think they were just really confused. Oh well. I guess they really do listen to us

TPG and Tae Kwon Do

2008-03-04T19:56:00.004-05:00

new belt
Originally uploaded by Julie George

TPG has been participating in Tae Kwon Do for about 7 months. It has been a pretty long road for him but he is finally beginning to make some progress. When he first started back in the late summer, he probably sat in time out almost every day for the first few weeks. To reward the students, the teacher, Mr. Nelson, gives the students black stripes (black tape) on their belts to mark their progress. Each student has to get 4 stripes before they can take a belt test to advance to the next level. TPG held onto his white belt for a really long time. He would earn a stripe one day and lose it either immediately or during the next class session. It was really hard to sit back and watch this happen. But, Mr. Nelson is really gifted at working with young people and I trusted him completely. He is a really soft spoken man but yet he can command the attention of 10-15 4 and 5 year olds without ever raising his voice. Finally TPG earned a yellow belt (it is actually a white belt with a yellow stripe running through it, they don't get real yellow belts until they move up to the next age level) The yellow belt was hard earned. Then it was on to earning the green belt. Another couple of months. Getting stripes, losing stripes, gettings stripes. In just the last few weeks TPG has really started to understand. He earned a green belt and then saw many of his classmates who were ahead of him move up to the next age and skill level. That meant TPG was the most advanced kid in the class. Pretty scary. There were tons of other kids who were acting as TPG did just a few short months ago. Well, today TPG was able to earn his blue belt. He knew it was coming and had been working on it for a few weeks. He was ready and did an amazing job today in his class. All the other kids were looking up to him. I think TPG really enjoyed that and it really helped him stay focused. He knew they were looking at him as an example and he did beautifully. Sitting in the audience watching I was just so proud. This was the first day that I had actually remembered my camera and I am so glad I did. But, the pictures just don't capture the feeling in the room. TPG was just so proud of himself and Mr. Nelson was really proud too. All the other parents were looking at me like "gee, my kid will never be that good to get a blue belt" What they don't know is that I was them must a couple of months ago. I don't know if TPG will stick with Tae Kwon Do forever but for right now, we are sticking with it. It is really nice to see that TPG CAN focus and CAN pay attention when he wants to. I am just one proud mommy. Click on the picture to go to my Flickr page for more pictures.

Seems large

2008-02-23T19:59:00.002-05:00

Seems large
Originally uploaded by Julie George

I was working on our taxes this evening. We use a tax software to help us prepare our taxes. I could probably do it without the software but it makes it so much easier and it allows us to file electronically. Last year when I was using the same software I got a message after putting in the amount of money we spent on daycare. It basically said the amount I had entered seemed large, was I sure. I told people about it and most laughed but I don't think they believed me. Well, folks, here it is again. This year I entered the amount and BAM-got the same message. "12475.44 seems large. Are you sure?"

How dare it even ask me this. I have two kids in daycare full time. I write a check for more than $200 each week. I am totally and painfully aware of how much I spend. Then, to be insulted by the tax software. It is like pouring salt in my wounds.

But, I guess it will be a little better next year. We just enrolled Thomas in kindergarten for next year in the public school system. More on that in another post.

Seems large? Seems large? Tell me about it. Click on the picture to see the message more clearly.

New Haircut

2008-02-20T20:00:00.003-05:00

New Haircut
Originally uploaded by Julie George

Sorry it has taken me so long to write a new blog post. I really have just not been inspired. First the holidays and then our computer broke. So I am finally trying to get back into the blogging routine. Here is a picture of DCG with a new haircut. It is really the first time she actually has a style. We will see if she lets me fix it in the morning. Click on the picture and it will take you to my Flickr page where you can see more photos.

Happy Holidays

2007-12-19T15:29:00.000-05:00

Happy Holidays!

Learning 2.0 mashup editors #20

2007-12-04T10:16:00.000-05:00

Ok, so with this lesson I was to explore mashup editors and try to create a mashup. I visited Google's mashup editor but it is still in beta testing phase and not everyone can use it. Bummer, usually Google's stuff if pretty easy. So, then I visited Yahoo Pipes to try to create mashup. My brain is just too mushy this time of year to comprehend exactly how to create a mashup. The concept is cool and I really want to do this but... I gave it a good try but I just could not make it happen. I promise that I will try to do it later.

Learning 2.0 Mashups #20

2007-12-04T09:21:00.000-05:00

I am learning about Mashups today. The term itself is a little weird but mashups are basically when you take two things on the web and mash them together. So, take Google maps and mash it up with a list of wealthy people and you have a map of where rich people live. Got it? Pretty neat idea. I went to a mashups directory and found some pretty interesting mashups. My favorite was a map of secret fishing holes. Now I do wonder if they are really secret when you map them on the web for all the world to see. Oh well. Not all mashups use maps. Another one I like lets you view items on clearance at Target. YIPPEE! Next I will be trying to make my own mashup. Wish me luck. To all of you out there who really just want to read about the craziness of my life and my kids, I promise, this Learning 2.0 stuff is almost over. One more post after this one. I promise.

Learning 2.0 Podcasts # 19

2007-12-03T09:36:00.000-05:00

We are learning about podcasts in this lesson and at first I did not think I would find anything interesting. Searching in iTunes (I am in love with iTunes and have not purchased a music CD in about 2 years. Why would I when I can buy just the one or two songs I like from the CD for .99 a song.) I found a podcast called Grammar Girl. It is a weekly podcasts where listeners can write in with grammar questions and Grammar Girl answers your questions. I think it is pretty interesting. Another related podcast I like is called Money Girl. This podcast gives you tips on managing money, budgeting and investing. If you visit the main web page of Quick and Dirty Tips you will find other really neat podcasts that may interest you. Check them out. You can subscribe to them in iTunes or you can add them to your RSS feed reader. If you don't want to listen to them, you can read the transcripts of the podcasts on their web page. Enjoy.

Learning 2.0 Web based applications #16 and #17

2007-11-30T14:28:00.000-05:00

For this lesson we are learning about Web based applications. I have basically fallen in love with web based applications like Google Docs. You can create a spreadsheet, presentation (Google's version of PowerPoint) or word processing document and access it anywhere, share it with anyone and make edits. I have used it to write a conference presentation proposal with a group of people and we even used it to create our slide presentation. It allowed us to work on the documents independently at our own pace and still get the final product finished. It allowed us to NOT have another meeting. I think that our students at EKU would benefit greatly from a tool like this. So many of our students have to do group projects and students today are just so busy. Most of them have jobs, and lives that make it difficult for them to all get together and work as a group. If they had a group project they could all work at their own pace and get the work done without having to get together all the time to make the edits. If you have not used Google Docs, I highly recommend giving it a try!

Learning 2.0 Wikis 14 and 15

2007-11-30T13:53:00.000-05:00

The next lesson is all about wikis. What is a wiki? Have you heard of Wikipedia? Then you know what a wiki is. It is a website that can be edited by anyone. So, you post something and then put it out there for the world and anyone can edit it. There are so many applications that I can think of just for work. Instead of writing a document and then emailing it to someone and then having them edit it and send it back to you, you could put that document on a wiki and let people edit it as you go. This could also be really useful for my personal life too. I might have to drag some of my family members kicking and screaming into this Web 2.0 world with me.

Learning 2.0 Lessons 12 and 13-tagging

2007-11-30T13:19:00.000-05:00

The Learning 2.0 program here at the library is winding down. All the lessons are due in the next few weeks. I was really good about keeping up and then I went on vacation and I just never got back into the swing of things. So, now I have about two weeks to finish 10 lessons. EEK! It is somewhat sad that 10 years after I finished grad school, my procrastinating tendencies have not changed. Ok, so here goes:

We are learning about tagging. The idea of tagging is a new concept on the Web world but for us librarians, we have been doing some form of tagging for years. We call them subject headings but they are tagging none the less. If I go to Google and type in "kentucky football" I get 2,720,000 hits with the official UK Athletics website being the first hit. It is pretty amazing how Google usually gets it right. Anyway, when I go to the EKU Libraries online catalog eQuest and type in the same search I get a totally different set of results. I only found 5 books in the library that have something to do with UK football when I do a keyword search. Now, if I go back to the library catalog and search by subject heading (the librarians way of tagging) I find nothing. HMMM, interesting. No wonder our students are often frustrated when they can't find anything in our library.

Another neat tool that uses tagging is called Del.icio.us It is a social bookmarking site that allows you to bookmark sites and they are portable. That means once you log into your account, your bookmarks will be there no matter what computer you are using. Another neat feature is that you can share your bookmarks and see other people's bookmarks. This is the kind of tool that I could definitely spend a lot more time playing with.

How did it know that??

2007-11-09T08:43:00.000-05:00

Ok, one of my friends had this quiz on their blog and I thought it would be fun to take it. Ok, how weird is it that it pegged me as having a Philadelphia accent? I mean, yes, I am from Philadelphia but don't think I sound like I am, not that there is anything wrong with that. Anyway, here are my results. What kind of accent do you have?

What American accent do you have? Your Result: Philadelphia Your accent is as Philadelphian as a cheesesteak! If you're not from Philadelphia, then you're from someplace near there like south Jersey, Baltimore, or Wilmington. if you've ever journeyed to some far off place where people don't know that Philly has an accent, someone may have thought you talked a little weird even though they didn't have a clue what accent it was they heard.
The Northeast
The Midland
The South
The Inland North
Boston
The West
North Central
What American accent do you have? Quiz Created on GoToQuiz

Your body is a temple

2007-11-06T08:25:00.000-05:00

Today would have been my mother's 65th birthday. As most of you who read this blog know, my mother, Dorothy Claire Preston Silver passed away after a very long battle with Ovarian Cancer in June of 2004. My mother did everything right when it came to taking care of her body. She never smoked (well, there was that one time in Miami when she smoked a cigar), rarely drank (well, we did hear some stories involving a boat, beer and nights spent on Lake Pontchartrain), ate well most of the time (the whole family suffered through the time when we thought our brother was allergic to wheat and she experimented with many interesting gluten free products back in the 70's when it was not hip to eat gluten free, ick), exercised (she walked around the big parking lot at work every morning before heading into work) always had regular checkups and just generally took great care of herself. Her diagnosis of stage IV Ovarian Cancer in 1983 came as a shock to all of us. But, in 1983 we did not know what we know today and there are so many things we can all do to make sure we don't have to suffer as she did.

So, in memory of my mom. Here are the facts:

Ovarian cancer kills more women than all other gynecologic malignancies combined.
Ovarian cancer very often is not accompanied by symptoms until the disease is advanced.
Because early stage ovarian cancer is very often curable and advanced stage ovarian cancer carries a poor prognosis for survival, beating ovarian cancer is dependent upon early detection.
Women with an elevated risk profile for ovarian cancer (usually due to family history) are most likely to be monitored or screened for ovarian cancer. However the vast majority of ovarian cancers do not arise from women at high risk because this group is small.
Most ovarian cancers occur in women who are over the age of 50 and do not have any symptoms.
Ovarian cancer screening of women over age 50 is not being recommended as a part of the standard of care.
The costs to treat one woman with advanced stage ovarian cancer (surgery, chemotherapy, palliative care) is $200,000 or more, with outcomes unlikely to be successful.

Here is what you can do:

If you are over 50 years old or are over 30 and have a family history of Ovarian Cancer you can receive a FREE yearly trans vaginal ultrasound at the University of Kentucky. For more information visit here.

Make and keep yearly checkups with an OB/GYN.

Listen to your body. Ovarian Cancer used to be called the "silent killer" but now experts in the field say there are symptoms but you must pay attention to them. They are:

bloating
pelvic or abdominal pain
trouble eating or feeling full quickly
urinary symptoms, such as urgent or frequent feelings of needing to go
you can visit the American Cancer Society for more info on symptoms

For more information on Ovarian Cancer you can visit these sites:

National Ovarian Cancer Coalition
National Cancer Institute
Gilda Radner Familial Ovarian Cancer Registry

My mother always said "Your body is a temple" So, in memory of my mom, be good to your temple, listen to it and take care of it.

C-A-T-S CATS, CATS, CATS!

2007-10-13T21:37:00.000-04:00

OH MY GOD! I can't believe that UK just beat the #1 ranked (not for long) team, LSU. Of course, I did not get to go to the game but I watched it at home and was so glad that TTG was able to be there to watch it. I did not have to be sitting near him to feel his excitement. My husband has been a UK fan since he was a little boy. One year when he was in about 3rd or 4th grade, he won the local science fair and everyone was so excited for him and told him he would get to go compete at the regionals at Morehead State University (the state regional comprehensive school about an hour from his hometown). He got really upset and started to cry and said "I don't want to go to Morehead, I want to go to UK"
That is how long he has been a fan. He has sat through the worst of the worst. Gone to all the games, stayed until the bitter end. When all the other fans leave at the end of 3rd quarter, he is still sitting in the stands thinking the CATS could still win. So, he deserves this. I am just so excited for him. YEAH!!!!!!!!

My children are strange

2007-10-05T19:15:00.000-04:00

This is a video (the quality is awful because my camera batteries were running low) to demonstrate how strange my children are. For absolutely no reason at all they both came into the living room in their underwear wearing backwards baseball hats and singing into cups while marching around. This was totally unprovoked by us. Where did they come from?

Fortune Cookie Question?

2007-10-05T08:38:00.000-04:00

Two of my colleagues and I are working on a project with school librarians in Bell County (Middlesboro and Pineville) through a Professional Education Fellows Program sponsored by EKU's College of Education. We will be spending 3 years traveling to Bell County and helping school librarians with various projects and initiatives. It is a pretty exciting project. For the first part of our project we traveled to each of the seven schools in the county to survey the school library and talk with the librarians. It was an eye opening adventure. Bell County is a beautiful part of Kentucky and we have enjoyed traveling the roads and seeing the mountains. (ok, well, two of us enjoyed the views while the other person did not take their eyes off the curvy roads).

We have since traveled to Bell County twice and each time we have chosen to each lunch in a local eatery. We can eat at Subway anywhere. On our second trip we were in Middlesboro and stopped to eat at a Chinese restaurant. The food was pretty good and you could not beat the price. Of course at the end of our meal we each received a fortune cookie and I always look forward to reading the fortune. I prefer to get fortunes that actually fortell something like: "you will come into a large sum of money" or "your life will be filled with happiness" you know a fortune. But, sometimes you get stuff like "be kind to your pets" or "money is the root of all evil" and I just don't think those are fortunes. Anyway, on this day I eagerly broke my cookie open, pulled out the little slip of paper and this is what it said:

Here we go: "Moo Shu Cereal" for breakfast with duck sauce.

Ok, What the heck does that mean??? Anyone??

Apparently I am not the only one who has received this fortune and has chosen to blog about it.
Here are some other perplexed people wondering what I am wondering.

http://www.sportingnews.com
http://www.jestertunes.com
http://bjonas0725.wordpress.com

Little bit of a car accident

2007-10-03T16:54:00.000-04:00

I have been driving up and down the same stretch of I-75 for the past 7 years to get to and from work at EKU. I am only on the interstate for about 14 miles but it is a crazy stretch of interstate. There are always so many trucks and people just go so fast. The speed limit in KY recently went up to 70 mph and people think that this means they have license to go 85 mph. I usually just lock my cruise on 68, get in the right lane, and go about my business.

Well, last Tuesday morning I dropped the kids off a little early because we had a function at work that began at 8am. I wanted to get to work a little early. I got on the interstate and started my journey. About a mile or two from Richmond and my exit the traffic always slows down in the right lane in a phenomenon I like to call "The Richmond Slowdown" Many people attempt to get off at this exit and people all try to get over in the right lane to exit. So, most of the time people like myself in the right lane are only going about 60 mph. I don't know why this happens but it happens every morning and has for the last 18 years that I have lived near or around Richmond.

So, when I was about .3 miles from my exit I noticed that a huge dump/gravel truck was right beside me trying to come over into my lane. Now I drive a little Honda civic and I am sure this guy never knew I was there. I looked over and all I could see were large tires coming at me. I proceeded to honk my horn (in my opinion, the Honda civic has the wimpiest horn in the world) and he finally noticed me, I think. Since we were nearing the exit, I assumed he wanted to get off too and I noticed that he was trying to get in behind me. There was a car in front of me and now the truck was trying to get in behind me. I looked in my rear view mirror and all I could see was the truck's headlights and they were REALLY close. The next thing I know, I feel a huge bump from behind, then spinning. I proceeded to spin 360 degrees across 3 lanes of the interstate and came to rest just inches from a concrete barrier.

During the spin I actually had time to think a bunch of things. I thought, "am i supposed to turn into the spin or is that only on ice?" "Wow, this is kind of like NASCAR, but without the safety equipment." "Oh God, please don't let anyone hit me." You know that kind of stuff. It was like slow motion. My garage door opener, my sunglasses, and my cell phone were all stored in little compartments in the dashboard and they went flying. When I came to a stop I proceeded to dry heave (you know I am a puker, I just can't help it) and then started looking for my phone. I needed my phone. I wanted to call my husband. I just could not find it. I got out of the car and just stood on the side of the road. Oh, by the way, the dump truck just kept right on going and never stopped. I looked ahead and noticed that one of my colleagues from the library had pulled over and was standing on the other side of the road. I motioned to her that I needed a phone and she got hers and tried to cross the interstate to me. The traffic was so bad that she could not find a slow spot to run across. So, how did I spin out across the interstate and not hit anyone or anything? Well, I think we all know the answer to that. Finally when she got to me I was so shaken up I just fell apart in her arms. I had the help of many people that day and this person was definitely a guardian angel to me. I got a hold of my husband who was in Richmond for work. He called the police for me and headed to me to see what I needed. A Kentucky State Trooper showed up. This state trooper was so nice. He realized I was completely shaken up and could tell I was thinking about all the bad stuff that could have happened. He took my story and just kept reassuring me that I was ok and that everything was going to be fine. TTG finally showed up and I was just so happy to see him. You know all the bad things that could have happened just start going through your head and you just need to be with the people that you love the most. I was definitely in shock because after the trooper got all the info he needed, Trevor followed me to work to make sure my car was ok and then I went in to work. I actually went to the library function that was already in progress and proceeded to meet with faculty and do my job.

After about 2 hours, the impact of it all sunk in and I felt horrible. I went home and slept for about 3 hours. I went and got my kids and just loved and hugged on them for the rest of the evening.

I know that God was with me during all of this and I know he shielded me from harm. It does make me wonder if I am supposed to go and do something amazing with my life because I was spared to live another day. What is that thing? Am I doing it now?

Loss of a Colleague

2007-09-29T08:04:00.000-04:00

It has been a few weeks since EKU Libraries lost a staff member. Sylvia Genest worked as the Team Leader for Catalog Maintenance. Not only was she good at her job but she was an outstanding person. I have never worked in a place where someone has passed away and so this was a totally new experience for me. Sylvia's passing was completely unexpected and shocking. I think that most of just did not know what to say or do for quite a while. I do want to share a story about Sylvia that I thought speaks directly to Sylvia's kindness and thoughtfulness.

I had my daughter DC in March of 2005. I returned to work at EKU in June and was having a difficult time making the transition back into the work world after being on maternity leave for 3 months. I had not had such a hard time after having TPG so it was a shock to me that I was having such a hard time. I just could not seem to get back in the game. Just a few days after returning to work, Sylvia brought me a little plastic bag and it contained a cute little pair children's sneakers. She said she had seen them at a yard sale over the weekend and just knew DC had to have them. Sylvia and I did not work in the same department and did not really work that closely together. Sylvia's personal life was a full and rich one filled with many family members. The fact that she thought of me and my daughter was so touching. This simple little gift was exactly what I needed to help me through whatever moment I was having.

I went home immediately and put the little shoes on DC. Of course, they were WAY TOO BIG but I had to take a picture of them for Sylvia. This picture hung in Sylvia's cubicle for quite some time. Sometimes I would find myself walking out of my way past Sylvia's desk just so I could spot a picture of my daughter.

Thank you Sylvia for your kind gift. You will be missed.

Scared of Clowns?

2007-09-07T20:55:00.000-04:00

I need your help to win an argument with my husband. In the Lexington Herald Leader today (9/7/2007) there is a photo and short piece about a clown convention in town this weekend. I made the comment to TTG that a clown convention was probably many people's worst nightmare. He said that I was the only person he know who was freaked by clowns. I just don't believe that is true. I think there a tons of people that are freaked by clowns. I mean, come on, clowns are about as creepy as they get. So, back me up here. Ask your friends and family and then comment back to me about clown fears. I know there are more of you out there. I need your support. If you are not freaked by clowns, click on this link and tell me that you are not scared. Good Lord, the picture will give you nightmares for weeks.

Confession

2007-08-30T08:31:00.000-04:00

I have a confession to make. I have been thinking about doing this for a while now and after talking it over with my sister, CSK, I believe I now have the courage to share my addiction with the world (well, really with the 3 people that read my blog).

Ok, here goes....

I LOVE...

High School Musical!

I am not going to apologize for it either. I love it, I watch it whenever I come across it while channel surfing, i DVR'd High School Musical 2 and have since watched it twice.

Now, I could place the blame of watching and liking the movie on the fact that I have two children. But, my kids are 2 and 4 and frankly don't really like any TV that contains real people. They are strictly in the cartoon phase of their TV watching lives. No, I watch HSM on my own, by myself because I want to and because I like it.

I love the singing. I love the happy ending. I love the dancing. I LOVE Sharpay.

I am a grown adult, mother, librarian, professional... and I LOVE HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL. I love HSM 2 and I can't wait for 3 to come out (I have heard it will be a theatrical release!)

I don't care what you think and I won't care if you talk about my addiction because frankly I will be too busy humming the catchy tunes to care.

Hurricane Katrina

2007-08-28T10:13:00.001-04:00

As the two year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina is upon us I thought I would post a video that I found. New Orleans holds a special place in my heart because it is the place where my mother was born and grew up. No matter how long my mother had been away from New Orleans, it was always home to her. I remember sitting on my sofa over Labor Day weekend in 2005 watching the hurricane coverage. My daughter was about 6 months old at the time and it just tore me up to see tiny little babies who were the same age as my daughter who were starving and burning up in the heat as they waited for someone to rescue them. And there I was in my nice air-conditioned house able to jut make a bottle for my daughter without even thinking about it. I still think about those babies today and wonder about them. Visiting there just a few months ago was a very sobering experience. I was so surprised to still see so much devastation after two years.

Learning 2.0 Lesson 10 and 11

2007-08-23T20:07:00.000-04:00

I created a Library Thing account and added some books. I see how this could be useful to keep track of books that one has read or wants to read. I also can see the benefits of the social aspect of this service. Knowing how many other people have the books listed on their "shelves" can be an interesting thing to see. At this point in my life I really don't have the time to keep up with this kind of tool. So, I have the account I am just not sure how often I will use it.

I also visited Web2list and searched around. I did not really find much that seemed useful but it could be that the search tool is really not that great. I may revisit this site when I have a little more time to spend searching.

I also visited Rollyo and enjoyed playing with the site. I did not create an account but can see how this could be a very interesting tool.

Learning 2.0 Lessons 8 and 9

2007-08-23T19:56:00.001-04:00

I have been using a feed reader for a few months and find it really useful. It is so much easier to keep up with the web content that I would like to read. I have even been able to add a few more blogs to my list of places I like to visit. I try to make it a point to visit my bloglines account first thing in the morning (I usually get to work about 20 minutes before everyone else in my department) and spend about 15-20 minutes going through my account. I scan quickly through the new information. I also mark the ones I would like to revisit at a later date. I subscribe to about 25 different feeds so I really don't want to add any more feeds to my already full list. I do however like the new feature in Academic Search Premier that allows me to add a search statement to my feeds and lets me know when new articles appear in the database. This is really cool.

Everything on a stick

2007-08-20T22:30:00.000-04:00

I played hookie from the first day of school and we all went to the Kentucky State Fair. It was so much fun. I had never been to the fair before so I really had no idea what to expect. TTG had been a long time ago. I also learned that the last time he was there, he actually won a chicken judging competition (or something like that). Apparently there is a trophy with a chicken on it somewhere at his mother's house. I have to get my hands on that. We spent a lot of time in the animal judging area. The place was filled with so many dairy cows. I never knew there were so many different kinds of dairy cows. The kids loved it and wanted to touch every one of them.

We also ate some great food. There was your typical fair food but we went to the tent of food all from Kentucky. According to TTG, the country ham sandwich and the rib eye sandwich were outstanding. It was nice to know the food we were eating was from KY and the money we had spent was going to stay in KY.

We also spent time in the exhibit hall looking at the artwork, photographs, quilts, food, beer... all the stuff people had entered into various contests. There were really some amazing things to be seen. Some of the quilts that people had made were just absolutely amazing and beautiful. What talent we have here in KY. Well, great fun was had by all and we will definitely try and visit the state fair again next year.

Whirlwind weeks

2007-08-18T10:52:00.000-04:00

Wow, it has been a crazy last couple of weeks. We spent a week on a family trip (remember, it was NOT a vacation) and had a good time. There were 13 people in a house really made for about 10. There were 4 separate families trying to figure out how to all live together. We had to compromise and figure out what we were going to eat and when, who was going to sleep where and when and then there was the constant shuffle of 5 different cars in the driveway. It did not help matters that 2 cars were company cars that could only be driven by certain people. There were car seats to worry about as well. Throw in a few rainy days spent inside and one lost pair of glasses in the ocean. We all survived, managed to have some fun and we are planning on doing it again, just maybe not next year.

We returned from the trip (after about 10 hours of driving) only to find out a few hours later that our Grandmother, Zelda, had passed away. So, it was back in the car for the four Silver siblings and Dad to head up to Philadelphia for the services. Zelda was 88 years old when she died. Since as long as I can remember I always thought that I had the coolest Grandmom around. While other kids I knew were getting sweaters with pictures of puppies on them from their grandparents, Grandmom Zelda was taking me shopping at the Gap. Her collection of Coach purses was awesome and her jewelry was absolutely amazing. She was not the typical grandmother but she was mine and I will miss her terribly. A saying that described her was "Whatever Zelda wants, Zelda gets" Sounds kind of selfish but it was just her. I learned at her memorial service that her name Zelda means "rare" I can't tell you how perfectly that describes my Grandmom Zelda. We also learned from the Cantor (kind of like a rabbi but not) that her Hebrew name was Shana which means "beautiful" So, Zelda, Rare Beauty has left us. I miss her already and think about her all the time.

So, back in the car we all went after the services and drove back home. In those 4 days (96 hours) I spent 34 of them in a car. YUCK! We will all be getting back together over Labor Day Weekend for my cousin's wedding. I look forward to spending time celebrating something happy with my family. I know Zelda would have a lot to say about the wedding (what people were wearing, who looked good, who did not etc.) I will be thinking of her and smiling for sure.

One thing that the Cantor shared with us at the memorial service is that we should not be counting our days but rather making our days count. I like that and I will try to do that.

No Cookies in the Library - Classic Sesame Street

2007-08-17T09:11:00.001-04:00

I love this. Poor Cookie Monster. You may need to turn up the volume to hear this.

Vacation pictures

2007-08-04T21:21:00.000-04:00

Just a sampling of the vacation photos. More to come soon!

Vacation 2007

2007-08-04T14:31:00.000-04:00

Well, we are back from vacation at last. I am trying to do laundry, put clothes away, entertain the children, upload photos, check and answer email while being totally exhausted. We had fun but we are all glad to be home. I will post more about it later and will upload photos soon.

Wow, that is a big Tomato

2007-07-26T09:10:00.000-04:00

TPG came home from PREP (Parish Religious Education Program AKA Sunday School) one Sunday in February with a little paper cup with dirt in it. I was about to pitch it in the garbage when he yelled "No, I am growing a tomato" Apparently they had learned about spring and growth in class that day and they had planted some kind of seed. We set the cup in the window sill and forgot about it. A few weeks later we noticed that there was actually something growing in the cup. We nurtured the plants along with some water for a few more weeks and realized that we really did have a tomato plants on our hands. We had to re-pot them several times over the course of the next few months and when May finally rolled around we planted them in our garden. Not knowing what kind of tomatoes we were going to get we just hoped they would be edible. Well, as spring turned into summer, the two plants we managed to get in the ground just kept growing and growing. Soon there were blooms on them and tiny little green tomatoes. They got bigger and bigger and bigger with no sign of turning orange. We all got a little inpatient and TTG started picking the green ones and making fried green tomatoes. Wow, those were awesome!!! But, we left a few on the vine out of curiosity to see what would become of them. Well, they finally turned orange and they are about the biggest tomatoes I have ever seen. Not sure what we are going to do with them butTPG sure is proud!

Learning 2.0 RSS Feeds

2007-07-25T11:18:00.000-04:00

I have had a bloglines account for a few months and it has really revolutionized the way I read web content. It is really nice to just go to one place to read stuff instead of having a list of a million favorites to check each day. Before using Bloglines I was not a huge reader of library related blogs. Now that bloglines lets me know when the blogs I like have new content. It has really helped me stay connected to the library community and read about the neat things that are going on outside of EKU Libraries. I have even gotten a few of my family members turned on to RSS feeds.

I am not feeling very Sassy

2007-07-25T10:06:00.000-04:00

On Tuesday evening TPG was at VBS and Mommy and Daddy went to meet with their financial advisor. DC was feeling a little left out. She was not happy that Goose was babysitting. Goose caught this pouty face with her phone. Her shirt says she is a "sassy chick" but she doesn't look very "sassy" now does she?

Poor, poor DC!

"We got same shoes"

2007-07-22T18:13:00.001-04:00

"We got same shoes"
Originally uploaded by Julie George

DC had been eyeing our neighbor's crocs and even was bold enough to try and wear them home one day. So, I finally went out and got her these. The other day I was looking for some shoes to wear at the beach. You know, if you are going to wear plastic shoes, you may as well make them bright pink. So, when I wore them home and DC saw them she exclaimed "We got same shoes"

There is no such thing as a vacation

2007-07-22T13:28:00.001-04:00

Ok, lets face it. When you have kids, there is really no such thing as a vacation. It is just same stuff, different place. The kids will still get up at the crack of dawn (sometimes before that), they will still need to eat three regular meals, still need to take naps (and fight me about them), still need to be watched ALL the time. The hardest part is that we won't be in our familiar surroundings. I can't just tell them to go and play in the backyard or in their rooms and know they will be safe.

But, saying all of that, I really can't wait for our trip. We will be heading to Isle of Palm SC next week and we are renting a house near the beach with my three siblings and their families and TTG's youngest sister. There will be 13 of us in all. Some combination of my family has been going to IOP for the last 12 or 13 years. It is a great little island off the coast of Charleston. It is about 98% residential property which really makes it an ideal place for families. There are really no forms of entertainment (Well except of course, the beach). There are a few playgrounds for the kids, a marina, a very small grocery store and one or two restaurants. When we have gone in the past we spend most of our time on the beach, and generally hanging around the house playing cards or reading. We don't go out to eat much and just cook meals at the house and eat as a family. One or two nights we go out to eat at the same places every year. We usually make a trip into Charleston to eat at Hymans Seafood. Our family really enjoys eating there because the place originated as a dry goods business owned by a Jewish family. If you know my family, you may understand the similarity/significance. They eventually turned the dry goods business into a great place to eat. Hmm, Silver Dry Goods: the restaurant, it could happen!

We also like to eat at place called Sticky Fingers which serves great bar-b-cue.

So, knowing my family, we will probably do the same things that we always do and have a pretty good time doing it. Of course we will probably be sick of each other by the end of the week but, hey, its family, you understand!

If you know me, you know how important my family is to me. So no matter how crazy the kids get, how smelly the bathrooms get, how sick we are of each other by the end of the week, I just can't wait to be with my family.