The Craziness Abounds

It came. It went.

In record time.

We had such FUN!

Even though the husband did not complete his part of the prep and now I have to replace two rugs in my house. Nothing new there.

It was still a really good time!

Then engagement party is over but the planning continues. Until it gets REALLY nuts around here, I thought I'd share some photos---

Deanie set up the table with tea lights, hydrangeas and oranges.

I'm not really sure when we've had a gathering without shrimp. Engagement parties are no different.

My brother made it down! Doodlebug LOVES her Uncle!

My boys (from other mothers...LOL)-- BestSonInLawEVER on the right and IntendedSonInLaw on the left.

That's IntendedSonInLaw's mom and his niece- B. His mother tripped and fell earlier in the day but was still able to make it! What a trooper!

That is Birdie holding Baby L who belongs to one of the bridesmaids and groomsmen.

THAT is Baby L's foot. How stinkin' cute is that?!

Baby L smiled at Deanie---

The happy couple!

The bridesmaids and flower girl! (L-R: IntendedSonInLaw's sister, mother of Baby L, BFF of Birdie since they were 3 years old, Birdie, DoodleBug, Deanie, Breezy and, in front, B)

The silly shot of the girls...with a photo bomb by BestSonInLawEVER.

Y'all know my girls get crazy sometimes...well, apparently, so do their friends. That's a photo bomb by Baby L's mom. LOVE IT!

A few folks milling about in the backyard--

Corn hole anyone?

Just happened to catch this shot of IntendedSonInLaw's dad with B.

The lights are showing up now---

Time for a toast from the sisters--

It was a great toast!

They're off to a great start!

Sorry I've been so slack. Work has me crazy with MAP testing. It's two more weeks long and I'm already sick of it.

Hope to be back in touch soon!

They Did, I Didn't

When I was growing up, I had INFINITE HOURS of unsupervised time. My cousins and I could go anywhere in town and play. We didn't have to tell our parents every single place we were going though they knew where we started.

No one ever bothered us or made us feel unsafe. We went from house to house and yard to yard and store to store---well, just one store really, the drugstore where we could sit at the counter and get cherry cokes which were absolutely delightful!

We played and played and played. Rarely, if ever, would you find us in front of the television during the day light hours.

Some of that was  the same way for the lovelies when they were growing up. Rarely if ever would you find them in front of the television during the day. And they played and played and played. But they were NOT unsupervised.

Times were calling for more caution when the lovelies were coming along.

My parents had no reason to worry about child abductions or various other things that could happen to unsupervised kids. Ours was a small town with relatively little bad stuff going on.

By the time Breezy was in kindergarten, there was a child abductor in our area. His picture was posted on the news and his van was seen in a neighborhood close to ours.

Do y'all know when I first remember hearing about such things as child abductors. About the time Breezy was two years old. I hadn't heard of them or just hadn't paid attention until that time.

Did the lovelies miss out on their childhood because of increased risks of unsupervised play? No. They played a lot of the same games I did when I was growing up. They went just about everywhere they wanted to go. They had friends over ALL THE TIME. They participated in activities. They did it all. It's just that they did it with me along--and, no, I wasn't creepy about it or overprotective. It's not like I hovered.  

Looking back, I think that having me around all the time and involved in everything they did was one thing that made us all so close. It kept me alert and I became an adept learner of each lovely individually.

They may not have the freedom to roam alone as I did--I didn't even let them walk the quarter mile from school to home...though that was mainly because of the teenage drivers in the neighborhood who thought that it was fun to pretend like they were going to hit walkers with their cars...idiots. BUT, they were lacking in play time or participation in any activities AND they got to have their mom right there alongside them cheering them on, giving support and encouragement...

So, while my parents did allow us the freedom to roam independently, I was not able, or willing, to allow it with the lovelies. And I'm pretty sure that their childhood might have been even richer than my own because of it.

Were you more watchful over your kids than your parents were over you?

Sisters

Y'all knew it was coming, didn't you? Sure you did.

It might not have had I not gotten the alphabetic order of 'S' and 'T' mixed up. Sheesh.

Anyway, sisters (aka, the lovelies), in random photos---

I'm linking this post to the nineteenth post of the April, A-Z Challenge!

Just click the badge below to visit other participants. 

Ok, let's see what y'all came up with for the letter 'S'!

Spring Listies

It's Monday and time to join Stasha over at The Good Life for Monday Listicles! Each week Stasha gives us a theme for our lists. This week, our topic is 10 THINGS SPRING. 


Spring. The season of allergies. The season of ...wait, let's save it for the list! 

Next week's list will be 10 Places You Kissed. Oh my...LOL

All you have to do to join in with this week's list is click on the button!

TEN GOOD THINGS ABOUT SPRING:  

1. SPRING BREAK! Yes indeedy do! We are a mere 4 days away from one of my most favorite things about spring (well, it is now that I'm with elementary students five days/week).  Bring. It. ON. 
2. Deanie's birthday! WooHoo! Deanie will be 26 on April 1. Oh, and BestSonInLawEVER will NOT be 26 on May 30. AND my brother will be far, far away from 26 on the same day! Birthday season!!!
3. DoodleBug's college graduation! Another WooHoo! And, it's on Mother's Day weekend. What better time for a college graduation?! This Mother's Day will be a milestone for our family- all four of the lovelies will be out of college! Until grad school starts up.
4. Spring is NOT summer! The temps are not as bad hot as they are in summer. During the springtime, our low-country temps are tolerable. During the summer? They are not. 
5. Spring brings us Memorial Day which means A DAY OFF! WooHoo!
6. SPRING BREAK! Oh, sorry. I already mentioned it. 
7. We have a spring wedding to attend! My bestie's daughter is getting hitched next month and all of the lovelies will be home! 
8. Cropped pants and capris.I thought we were all ready for that last week so I shaved my legs. Then winter showed up. Go figure.
9. Toe exposure. I am not a fan of shoes which makes low-country living a good thing because the number of days we have to enclose our toes are few. In the spring, we expose them and keep them exposed! 
10. Garden time. It's time to get the garden going. This should be interesting since I have WAY less time to devote to the garden this spring. Even so, I'm looking forward to it! 

It's y'alls turn! Get those lists up and share your spring list!

School Valentines

Valentine's Day is coming up soon. At school, the hallways and classrooms are blossoming with hearts and cupids and all things Valentines-y. Did you take those little Valentine's cards to school when you were growing up? Like these--

 My favorites were the teacher cards. Like this one:

And I have no idea why. Other than I was a suck-up. Or a geek. Probably a little of both. 

Did you make those big envelopes to put your Valentines in out of the long construction paper, decorate and tape it to the front of your desk? You just folded a long sheet of white construction paper to within 2 or 3 inches from the top, staple up the sides and write your name on the space at the top.

And then you hoped you would get Valentine's cards.

Because students were not required to give them to everyone in the class. Well, most students weren't. I was required to give one to everyone in my class because my mother said so. And I didn't mind. Until I realized that there was a kid or two who didn't give me one. That sucked.

As the lovelies were growing up, class lists were sent home with the message that your child must either send a Valentine for each of his/her classmates or not send in any at all.

Their receptacles depended on the teacher they had. Some made the envelopes some decorated shoe boxes some covered and decorated cereal boxes and so on.

The Valentine's themselves changed. You could still get those little ones that you stuffed inside those little envelopes that always ripped because they were made of such cheap thin paper. But now, we were sticking a lolly or a heart shaped chocolate to them. OR buying the little candy boxes or the Fun Dip.

And then there were the parties at the end of the school day because, let's face it, they weren't getting enough sugar from the Valentines their friends gave them. We didn't have those parties when I was in school. I guess they didn't want us to have sugar at all. Maybe teachers were smarter back then. Students on a sugar high are a challenge.

I give out Valentine's cards to my intervention groups, my morning monitors and my 5th grade helpers. If I gave one to every student I have, well, that would be close to 600 Valentines. NOT going to happen. I give out 24. That's enough. I don't give them out in front of everyone. They get them only when they are in the lab.

This year, they're getting these:

I give the candy out before sending the students back to their classrooms. Because I'm smart too. 
 
What do you remember about school Valentines?