Free At Last!! Free At Last!!

Thank God Almighty we are free at last!!!
Well we made it. School is out for summer. Although we had to go 2 extra days because of the tornadoes (yes I said tornadoessss) we finally made it to the last week of school.
Bayley was suppose to get out on Tuesday, May 20th. Due to the damage, their last day was Thursday, May 22. Maci's last day was not until Friday, May 23, however she is in 6th grade and their graduation was held Thursday, May 22nd. Does that make sense? I had to put a post it note on my forehead every day to make sure that I was where I needed to be when I needed to be there.
As if my schedule wasn't hectic enough, on the morning that Maci was going to graduate, I went into work a little early to get a jump on some of the end of the year stuff that needed to be done and I came in to glass everywhere. Someone had broken into the kitchen and smashed the window going in and then the window in the door to my office. I guess they were looking for money. They even tried to break the lock that was on our walk in cooler. What in the world is that all about?
Anyway, needless to say I was a little out of kilter the rest of the day. I was able to go to Maci's graduation anyway. They did one of those heart wrenching videos. You know the ones that you have to send one of their baby pictures, and they put them in there to make you realize how time has passed, and you feel as if you missed way too much of their precious lives. Yeah one of those. Then she gets her awards and comes over to me. When she stands next to me, I take note of how tall she has gotten. Then, as if that isn't bad enough, here comes Bayley. She is almost as tall as her sister and she is leaving the 3rd grade. My baby is going into the 4th grade!?!?!?!
I'm going to post some pictures for you to see of Bayley and Maci's last awards and graduation day as a 3rd and 6th grader. Oh my goodness. Maci is going into the 7th grade!!!!! I would say I don't feel any older.... but I do.

Until next time.

Whew, that was too close!!!

Talk about praising Him in the storm. I never thought I would have to be literal in that translation. But at 5:30 Sunday morning, as we were crammed in the hall closet, I had to put that into practice. Don't give me too much credit, I think it was more pleading in the storm than it was praising in the storm. As everyone know, Bayley is petrified of bad weather. I hated to even wake her up, but we had to get to a safe place. I mean really, how do you calmly wake your children up and tell them the sirens are going off, get in the hall closet!
I have two children that couldn't be more different. We woke them up and I think Bayley dove from her bed to the closet, and Maci sauntered from her bed to the close. In fact, I had to raise my voice at Maci to get her to hurry and save her own life. By the time Maci got in the closet, Bayley was already receiving her mail there.
I have to say, that was one of the scariest times in my life. I am trying to keep (I would say the children, but we all know I'm talking about Bayley, because Maci is trying her best to go back to sleep.) calm when I can see a glimmer of fear in Paul's eyes as well. It looked as if there was a disco gong on outside. The lightening was so constant. You could hear this rumbling, moaning sound as well. It lasted for a while and then calmed down. We checked things out and realized that the immediate danger was over and we plucked the girls from there safe haven. We all decided to wait the rest of the storm out in our bed. I was to wired to just lay there, so I got up and came to the living room and watched outside.
The sun was beginning to come up by this time. Then it happened. Even with the sirens still blasting in the background, I heard them. What you ask? BIRDS!! I knew it was officially over because the birds were singing. I believe, next the first cry and the laughter of my children, that was the sweetest sound I have ever heard.
We were very fortunate that nothing was damaged. There are thousands that weren't so fortunate. Paul and some other men from the church grabbed there chain saws and set out to help anywhere they could.
So even though it wasn't the normal Mother's Day, it was a good one all the same because everyone was safe and unharmed. Thank you God for sheltering us from the storm.

I'm just getting to post because our power has been off so Happy Belated Mother's Day!!

Ode to Granda!!!!

I know it has been a long time. I have been cheating on the infamous blogger. Maci came home one day asking if she could get a shoutlife. This is a Christian alternative to My Space. I finally gave in and let her have one under the stipulation that I would check it on a daily basis and I had to approve the friends she accepted. Well, I kept up my end of the bargain and have somehow got sucked into it myself. There are a lot of people here that have shoutlife pages. So, I have been posting blogs on that page almost daily.

But since it is Mother's Day, I thought I would grant my sweet Mother's request and update my blog. So, here goes. I am writing this blog to honor her. I mean after all, as I have been so often reminded, she did suffer death to bring me into this world. Its the least I can do to take a few minutes of my time to reflect on the greatness that is called my MOM. (How was that mom?)

Seriously, I could have never in my wildest dreams have picked a better mother than the one I have. Bayley handed me a note that she had written for me the other day that said "God must have been thinking of me when He made you." I'm more than certain she didn't come up with that on her own. In fact, I think I have seen that somewhere before. But, it still rings true. No other mother would have sat and held this blubbering idiot all day when I started my menstrual cycle. How many mothers would crawl into your room in the middle of the night and bark (you heard me right) bark at you in your friend right in the middle of an intense conversation about boys. How many mothers do you know that would send you congratulation cards when my friend and I made the color guard at school. How many Mom's would paint countless pieces of furniture for their grand kids, plan annual leaf jumping events, marshmallow roasts, and hayrides every single year. I could fill pages upon pages with wonderful things she has done to make my life and the life of my children memorable.

But its not just about the things she has planned and done for our entertainment. It's about the countless times I've seen her praying and reading her Bible. The times that she has reminded me that God is in control and that he will be faithful. The times I have seen Daddy have to carry her down the stairs int he middle of the night. Take her to Atlanta to the hospital, call her the next morning and never hear her complain about her situation. She always showed us that she trusted God to bring her through whatever situation she was in. I never detected bitterness, complacency or contention. Only joy, peace, patience and faithfulness.

So yes, this blog is an Ode to Granda. She is truly a legacy. I would love to be 1/3 of who she is.

Thank you Mom.
I love you,
Shelley

Caged Chaos

Since it is that we are constantly (well seldom) chronicling chaos, I feel it is necessary that we chronicle today's purchase. Although this isn't a life changing purchase or even an a life altering purchase it deserves to be logged in the annals of Whittondom. (a little over the top huh?)

Because our little angel has decided that it is his life's purpose to chew on anything and everything, I decided that he needs to be contained during the day while we are gone. I'm sure your saying, "He hasn't been?" Well, when we got him he only weighed 2 pounds. There wasn't a lot that he could get in his mouth, much less tear up. He has since grown leaps and bounds. He now weighs a whopping 4.5 pounds. I am worried that he will chew on an electrical chord and give himself a home perm, and we all now perms went out of style a long time ago.

I stopped on the way home and bought a medium size crate so that he would have plenty of room to move about and he could also see out and not feel so closed in. See how I'm reasoning this all out? We brought it home and put it together, we put him in it and he turned and looked at us as if to say "Really?" So we put his little blanket and a few of his favorite toys in it and put it in his new resting place. The next thing I know I come around the corner and you'll never guess what I found. You'll have to see it to believe it. Enjoy!

It almost looks like Manasseh is locking the door in this picture, and keeping watch in the other one. Well, I've got to go, I just measured Maci and I'm on my way to get one her size.

Enjoy your evening.

Project Build a House

The long awaited day has come. Bayley had to turn in her Reach Project today. As I said previously, Bayley is studying various types of architectural structures. So because for no other reason than to ensure that we, her parents, have enough to keep us busy, they assigned her a "project". She did her usual.... "Mom we have to build a house. Here is the paper, let's get started." After I recover from a small heart attack, I look at the paper and realize that the project isn't due for another month. As far as Bayley is concerned, she has just relieved herself of any obligation to remind us until the night before its due.

This time was no different. She declared her need to get started on her project two months ago and then filed it away where only her therapist will be able to resurface it. You know, right behind all the things that I did to cause her to fail in life. Luckily, one of the Ladies that I work with called and asked me a question about said project right as we were walking out the door to visit Granda and G Daddy during Spring Break. Thank you Misty.

At that time I took the opportunity to remind her about the project as well as brought to her attention that the best person for the job was in fact G DADDY. This would absolve me of any type of stress during my week off. You see, when you get G Daddy involved in something, it takes on a life of its own. After a drive to Michaels for supplies and a lesson on the way, they came home and got started.

Today was the day. She turned it in and got and "E". I left my camera at home this morning, but Bayley did take a picture of it herself. Thank you Granda and G Daddy for being who you are. My children are the luckiest kids in the world to have Grandparents like the two of you.

I love you!!!

Funny looking house isn't it? Let me explain. I got a new camera a couple of weeks ago. Bayley and Maci have staked their claim on my old one. When I was looking at the pictures she had taken this afternoon, I saw a picture of her project. I thought, yeah, I have a picture after all. I noticed she was taking pictures of her friend and the dogs, and thought, she is going to be my little photographer. Well, after writing this nail biting blog entry, I hooked the camera up to download the picture and guess what? She deleted THAT picture. The one shown above must have taken its place. I don't know why I even try.

Oh well, he is just adorable isn't he? I'll try to remember to post a picture on the next blog for all those interested.

Until next time...

Yea Me!!!!!!

I don't know if I have shared this little tid bit of information, but I have been taking a course at the college during the winter quarter. I am required by the new health regulations to be certified in a culinary class called ServSafe. It is something the anyone that is in management in a kitchen has to take. Whether it be a school nutrition dept. or a restaurant.
I wasn't looking forward to it because it was going to take my Monday nights away from me. I was also a little intimidated because the School Nutrition Director, (my big boss) was the instructor. No pressure there. Anyway, I buckled me seat belt and prepared myself for the long ride. I will say that as the quarter progressed, I did find the information to be very beneficial.
As most of my friends and family know, I am a bit neurotic about food poisoning or anything like that. I was bad before, but after Sara Kate's episode, my neurosis hit an all time high. Let me just tell you, this class did nothing to make it any better. If anything, it made me never want to eat out again. I can't look at a baked potato without thinking about Botulism, or enjoy my alfalfa sprouts on my salad anymore, for fear of consuming some kind of foreign bacteria. We won't even talk about the fish toxins.
Anyway, every week we had a test. I did well on each test each week so I was fairly confident that my pea brain was actually absorbing some of this stuff, or at least I haven't contracted Amnesic Shellfish Poisoning. (I'm just saying.) The only thing about this is She told us that we could pass or do well in her class but still not pass the Certified test. This test is what the Restaurant Assoc. uses. It kind of made me think about the good ole SAT test. You know the kind that you had to bubble everything in, even your name and address.
To make a long story short, if we don't pass the test with at least a 75% we have to take the course over again. I did not want to go through that again. So, the day came and I took the test. I have been waiting on the results for the test for about a week. Well, I found out the results Monday.

Drum roll please ........ I made a 95!!!!!!!!!

Again, this may not be exciting to you, but I felt I had to share. If for no other reason than it will explain why when I go out to eat and they bring my food out to our table I whip out my trusty thermometer and verify that the food has in fact been cooked to the proper bacteria killing temperature. Thank you for sharing in my victory over this course and remember to keep your food out of the temperature danger zone. (41 degrees to 135 degrees in case you were curious.)

Mom you are, however, NOT off the hook.

Shelley