Maddie's 7th Birthday

It is hard to believe that Maddie is already 7 YEARS OLD!!! In some ways it seems like only yesterday that we were eagerly awaiting her birth - and on the other hand, it was a lifetime ago! This year, we decided to do a scavenger hunt birthday party for her. This was quite the undertaking for the anti-creative soul that I am!!! But, I don't know about everyone else, but it seems like they are charging more and more to host birthday parties "off location" these days. I mean come on - why should it cost $250 - $300 to have a birthday party somewhere.

So, I decided we would do this party at home. I bought little wooden treasure chests that my dad spray painted purple (thank you Dad!), that the kids decorated with stickers, and gem stickers and I had a Bible verse that we pasted inside.

Once the kids were finished with this, we divided them up into 2 teams. Each team had a digital camera and would have to find the clue but also do an activity for a picture. I hired youth from our church to run the hunt (and do the craft) - they would have things like - "I have keys but they don't unlock the door . . ."KEYBOARD. "I made Snow White fall fast asleep" . . .APPLE.

Well, it ended up that they looked for the clues which led them to the final Treasure Chest and then they filled up the mini chests that they had decorated earlier - IT WAS A FABULOUS PARTY!!



Now, let's rewind - Me and Maddie had spent the night in the ER - she started having breathing problems during her soccer game the day before - it later escalated into major abdominal pains. So, after a battery of tests thru the night and the diagnosis of Maddie needing to poop and maybe has exercise induced asthma - we returned home at 4 AM!!!



So, these clues that I came up with were from sleep deprived state in about one hour's time before the party - and it went well - I am so excited!!

Rockstar Maci!!!!

I just have to take a minute to Laugh Out Loud - Maci (2 yrs.) is our "Entertainer". This would be her, standing on her "stage" ~ performing a little number . . .Maddie was and still is a funny child - she can crack you up with some of the things she says - (ahem, me the Sonic girl for starters) - but, she is also this really active child. The moment her eyes pop open, she is on the GO! Creative in a different way, she is more about pretend play, making up her own games, etc.

Maci is a bit more laid back and funny in a different way . . .she will hop on her "stage" with Maddie's Hannah Montana microphone and belt a tune out. Now, typically, one can not make out the words to the songs, but, the tune is a dead give-away. For some reason, my kids speak some strange foreign language until about age 5 . . .I thought Maddie was a slow talker because of her hearing difficulties - nope, don't really think so now - just that foreign language nobody knows! I just had to share these crazy pictures of Maci - these will be saved for her rehearsal dinner one day in the very distant future (I hope)!!

It all started with the Easter Bunny . . .

They look so sweet and innocent, don't they? Well - we survived Easter 2008 . I have been reading other blogs and loving the sweet, peaceful memories made today - am I the only FRANTIC one on this beautiful day??? It all started with the Easter bunny . . . .

Maddie opened her basket first (Maci was still asleep) and loved all of her things - lipsticks, Hannah Montana nightgown, sidewalk chalk and other various things - she then proceeded to look for eggs ~ she is a pro these days, so it didn't take long. The plan was to "re-hide" some of the eggs for Maci so that we could watch her discover them - well, NOOOOOOOOO, that would be too easy. Instead, Maddie woke up Maci, brought her into the living room and gave the basket of the newfound eggs to her (only to rethink that decision later and fight to get them back), and so the chaos began . . .

Then, they did not like their dresses - Maddie did not like the fact that hers was sleeveless and with an "annoying" sweater. "What would people think?" when she went on stage to hear the children's message. What . . . ~ Seriously? Is there that much drama at almost 7 years old? Next, Maci preferred to wear a Christmas dress. She even pulled out 2 to give me a "choice"! Let's just say, it was ugly, but the parents prevailed. Yes! One win to start the day off right . . .

Then it is picture-time - my kids have it so easy - I do not take pictures like the rest of my friends - I wish I did - but, I somehow either don't have a camera, or if I do it is not charged or the disk is full from the most recent holiday, etc . . .some of your kids probably feel like they live with the paparazzi! Mine are going to wonder if there really were cameras back in the day . . .Anyways, to get back to the point of the story - Maddie proceeded to roll in the grass in her Easter finest (to be like Mackie) and Maci began running around like a wild animal - I was sure that she would ruin her nice new outfit. All the while, Mommy is chasing behind in high heels with the camera in hopes of a few shots to document the day.

Finally, off to church we go - but, before we leave I have to meet requests for the snack in the car, juice to drink, can I have a stuffed animal to take, etc., etc, etc. To the point that Maddie told Jim that I am just like the girl at Sonic. Great!

Once we got to the church, things did begin to improve - mostly because there is CHILDCARE of course! Yippee!!!! But, mommy settled down, had a little coffee (wish it was spiked at that point) and settled in for what Easter is really about - kind of makes the insane morning so insignificant, doesn't it?

My first time to get TAGGED . . . .YEEHAW!

Ok - this is fun - never been tagged before . . .I was tagged by my long, lost dear friend Jennifer from high school and here are the rules:

Look up from the computer, look around the room where you're sitting and pick up the closest book. Open the book, turn to page 123, count down to the fifth sentence on that page, and then post the next three sentences.

Well, I am not a huge reader - I think I would like to be but I just don't seem to have the time to devote right now. I probably read 4 books a year - I know that is terrible. But, I am trying to lose some weight - sooooooooo, I have been working out like crazy and using The SOUTH BEACH DIET book as a resource for my food intake . . .

Page 123:

Midmorning Snack
Celery stuffed with 1 wedge Laughing Cow Light Cheese.

Lunch
Chef's salad (at least 1 oz each ham, turkey, and low-fat cheese on mixed greens)
Olive oil and vinegar to taste or 2 Tbsp low-sugar prepared dressing.

Midafternoon Snack
Up to 10 cherry tomatoes stuffed with 1/2 Cup low-fat cottage cheese.

YUUUMMMMMMMMMY! Kind of makes your mouth water doesn't it? :)

I tag: Simri, Aimee, and Vanessa

BLOG Rookie . . .

Well - I am kind of liking this new blog thing . . .I thought it was silly at first - but, you get sucked in and can read others blogs for HOURS!! However, I do sometimes feel like I am intruding on a person's privacy - so, recently I started "outing" myself on my old friend's blogs and now I feel much more legitimate!

I will say that I have learned so much on these blogs - for instance, www.facebook.com. This is a place where you can search for old friends by high school, organization, college, workplace, geographical location, etc. It is SO cool and it has created a monster in me. I have invested hours into this site and have already discovered about 22 friends and am still looking! I LOVE it! Jim thought I had lost my mind and then I showed him what you could do on this site. Well, let's say - not many household chores were done today while I was at work!!!

The Beetle

I don't know if everyone else is as corny as Jim and I - but, we make up some of the craziest songs, sayings, slang . . .I think it all started with our first "baby" - Mackie. Soon after we were married, we were living in Austin and decided it was time to start a family. Soooooo, we got a dog. In fact, one would think that this would not be a difficult decision on what breed to get, big or small, long hair or short hair. . .but, this was one of our first major disagreements. Jim wanted a English Bulldog - you know, the University of GA dog - and, I did not want a short-haired, wrinkled and slobbery dog - I wanted a pretty one. A dog who would curl up with me and watch a movie, sit next to me in my car as I ran errands, you know, more like a Yorshire Terrier. Well, we met in the middle and decided on a Scottish Terrier - a tough dog with pretty hair. What a GREAT disagreement this turned out to be - because she is the BEST dog . . .EVER!!

We have many nicknames for her - getting back to the point of this story. Her full name is Lady Bear MacGregor - we call her Mackie. But she has also been known as: Beetle, Beetle Bear Itis (which is Inflammation of the Little Bear), Beetle Las Vegas (sung to the tune of Viva Las Vegas), then we shortened it to Vegas for the sake of time or if we didn't feel like singing. Other names include The Mackster, Mac Attack, Mackie Bear, Bear, Da Bear . . .the list really goes on.

A lot of people say that Terriers don't make great pets for young children - but, I have to disagree - at least where Mackie is concerned. She never flinches or even tries to snap at the girls - she has been ridden like a horse, pulled on (Maci finally believes that the tail will not come off afterall) and chased through the house. We also get to howl with her (this can be hours of fun) - Maci has been known to howl from her crib in order to get Mackie to start howling. When Maddie was a baby, Mackie would bark to get my attention if she had started crying. She was like a little momma helper.

This dog is hilarious - she makes this "arrrrrrooooooo" sound when she gets so excited that she can't contain herself. Also, there is nothing in this world that she hates more than a motorcyle - it doesn't even have to be running and she will want to attack it. We met another Scottie while in Austin and his thing was the UPS truck -weird, I know! She believes she is a human - she has no idea that she is not "entitled" to a spot on the couch or on the bed - blissfully unaware of the other dogs in igloos out there. She is allergic to grass - I mean, really, what are the chances that we would end up with a dog allergic to grass - so, at night, I take Benadryl, and so does Mackie and we all sleep peacefully knowing that we have the sweetest, most energetic, most loyal companion ever! And, Mackie is content that she finally has her family trained.

The Invisible Mom -

A friend of mine from my Moms for Christ group sent this out - I had not seen this one before - really neat read . . .d

It all began to make sense, the blank stares, the lack of response, the way one of the kids will walk into the room while I'm on the phone and ask to be taken to the store.
Inside I'm thinking, 'Can't you see I'm on the phone?' Obviously not; no one can see if I'm on the phone, or cooking, or sweeping the floor, or even standing on my head in the corner, because no one can see me at all. I'm invisible. Some days only my hands appear, nothing more: Can you fix this? Can you tie this? Can you open this? Some days I'm not a pair of hands; I'm not even a human being. I'm a clock to ask, 'What time is it?' I'm a satellite guide to answer, 'What number is the Disney Channel?' I'm a car to order, 'Right around 5:30, please.' I was certain that these were the hands that once held books and the eyes that studied history and the mind that graduated summa cum laude - but now they had disappeared into the peanut butter, never to be seen again. She's going, she's going, and she's gone! One night, a group of us were having dinner, celebrating the return of a friend from England. Janice had just gotten back from a fabulous trip, and she was going on and on about the hotel she stayed in. I was sitting there, looking around at the others all put together so well. It was hard not to compare and feel sorry for myself as I looked down at my out-of-style dress; it was the only thing I could find that was clean. My unwashed hair was pulled up in a hair clip and I was afraid I could actually smell peanut butter in it. I was feeling pretty pathetic, when Janice turned to me with a beautifully wrapped package, and said, 'I brought you this.' It was a book on the great cathedrals of Europe. I wasn't exactly sure why she'd given it to me until I read her inscription: 'To Charlotte, with admiration for the greatness of what you are building when no one sees.' In the days ahead I would read - no, devour - the book. And I would discover what would become for me, four life-changing truths, after which I could pattern my work: No one can say who built the great cathedrals - we have no record of their names. These builders gave their whole lives for a work they would never see finished. They made great sacrifices and expected no credit. The passion of their building was fueled by their faith that the eyes of God saw everything. A legendary story in the book told of a rich man who came to visit the cathedral while it was being built, and he saw a workman carving a tiny bird on the inside of a beam. He was puzzled and asked the man, 'Why are you spending so much time carving that bird into a beam that will be covered by the roof? No one will ever see it.' And the workman replied, 'Because God sees.' I closed the book, feeling the missing piece fall into place. It was almost as if I heard God whispering to me, 'I see you, Charlotte. I see the sacrifices you make every day, even when no one around you does. No act of kindness you've done, no sequin you've sewn on, no cupcake you've baked, is too small for me to notice and smile over. You are building a great cathedral, but you can't see right now what it will become.' At times, my invisibility feels like an affliction. But it is not a disease that is erasing my life. It is the cure for the disease of my own self-centeredness. It is the antidote to my strong, stubborn pride. I keep the right perspective when I see my self as a great builder. As one of the people who show up at a job that they will never see finished, to work on something that their name will never be on. The writer of the book went so far as to say that no cathedrals could ever be built in our lifetime because there are so few people willing to sacrifice to that degree. When I really think about it, I don't want my son to tell the friend he's bringing home from college for Thanksgiving, 'My Mom gets up at 4 in the morning and bakes homemade pies, and then she hand bastes a turkey for three hours and presses all the linens for the table.' That would mean I'd built a shrine or a monument to myself. I just want him to want to come home. And then, if there is anything more to say to his friend, to add, ‘you’re gonna love it there.' As mothers, we are building great cathedrals. We cannot be seen if we're doing it right. And one day, it is very possible that the world will marvel, not only at what we have built, but at the beauty that has been added to the world by the sacrifices of invisible women.

Author Unknown