Thursday, October 30, 2008

Halloween


As a child, Halloween is exciting, memorable, and sometimes creepy.

The two occasions I remember as a child was that my Uncle Bob took us to a Halloween Carnival at our elementary school. I was kind of sad and told my Uncle Bob that I was not good at winning games. He took me into a room with a musical game that was called Musical Squares. You followed the squares and when the music stopped you stopped on a colored square. I won a chocolate cake with a witch and a cat on it. I was so happy and excited that I won a big prize.

The most memorable event was when my Mom let me have a Halloween party at my house. I never really felt that I fit in with people my own age but the party was the best. I dressed up as Raggedy Ann. Mom fixed the party like a small catered party. Lots of kids showed up!

As far as for my kids we have lots of memories too. One year we told Jacob to put his shoes on and we would be right out to take him trick or treating. When we got outside Jacob had gone without us. He had grabbed a black oil pan from the garage and ventured out in a neighborhood with 200 houses in it. I was frantic because Jacob was 6 years old. His costume was a Cowboy. It took two hours to find him. Then as a punishment we dumped his candy in the trash!

One year in Etowah, NC we had a dentist that bought candy for $2.00 per LB. I sold most of their candy to the dentist. They were so mad!

One year, Jacob carried on and on about how he was not scarred. Stuart started telling Jacob the story about "Bob nobody". On Halloween, Stuart took a black balloon and a wig and made a Bob with no body. He hung it in Jacob's window and turned a flashlight on underneath it. Well, as the story goes Jacob had a heart attack and was screaming that there was a head in his window. I guess that fixed him about not being afraid.

One year Jacob and a friend dressed up as a farmer. Jacob was leaving our drive way and said " if we only had a hoe at our side it would be perfect. Well, the men started laughing and being slow like I am I did not get why they were laughing and neither did Jacob thank goodness." Hoe sounded like the slang word for whore and that's why they were laughing.

This year John will be a Power Ranger and Ashley a Snow Princesses.

Sunday, October 26, 2008

Picture Video of Cherokee Dam and Extras

Slideshow from the Cherokee Dam Just click on the arrow below.

Cherokee Dam

What a beautiful fall day we had at the Cherokee Dam. Then sun was sparkling over the rocks and water. Leaves were gently blowing around. We took a picnic lunch and enjoyed. We had baked chicken, homemade potato salad with fresh herbs, french bread with olive oil, apples, and ice tea. The kids played on the swings and then we went off on a 3 mile walk. The kids make me nervous the way they carry on chasing each other. I tend to always wait on the next accident it turns my stomach and usually if I turn my back someone always gets hurt. The Dam was so breath taking today that we really had a wonderful day. Stuart also got potatoes from the garden and I said that I am glad God gave us potatoes instead of tomatoes today and Stuart laughed. Today when we walked on a trail John was up on Stuart's shoulders. He looked down at me and said your small mom. Stuart said Mom is real tiny isn't she. John said " no, she is not THAT tiny". Hah!

Monday, October 20, 2008

The Crisp Mountain Air















A beautiful sunset tonight but I am almost too tired to enjoy God's night sky. My clinical rotation, worked an in-service today where we stood on our feet for 7-9 hrs. My feet hurt! Anyway, Ashley had her Cheer Competition and they won 1st in their division last Sunday. Ashley cried when she got home today because she lost her report card.

John is so sunny and cute. He said "Mom why do adults eat food that is so hot?" I told him that our tongues are use to the hot food. Then today he was suppose to be in the kitchen eating yogurt. He came into the office and said "Mom yogurt, cheese, and candy are good for you they make you go poop!". I guess that was his way of saying its OK to eat cheese and candy with his yogurt. Kids are so funny.

I had to pick Ashley John and Jacob up today. Jacob had a cross country meet in Daniel Boone where ever that is. When I got to the school he was the last one there with his coach. He ran his race in 22:30. It was his last one for the year.


The Flowers are wild flowers I picked on a 3 mile walk on Tuesday.



Sunday, October 12, 2008

The Circus

At the bottom of this blog entry click on my video of Cannon Ball Smith at the Circus. Yesterday, I got a great mother gift. I got a bug or the flu from the boys. Two nights before Jacob was really sick and two days before that John was sick. I felt like I had an acid stomach so I took something for it. I think taking the antacid probably made my flu worse by holding everything in for a while. The flu settled down in my muscles and I was so sore from head to toe. I moaned all night, had a fever of 100.5, vomiting, and many other unpleasant things.

Stuart took Ashley to her football game and we won 44-0. Ashley loves cheering and yelling. Sometimes it cute but if you have the flu the yelling is brutal. Stuart then took the kids to the Cherokee Dam to check it out for the future. He said it was really neat with a great walking trail right over the dam.


Today, we had tickets to Circus. I was so sick but yet I wanted to go to see the look on their faces when they saw all the animals. Going to the Circus when your sick IS NOT A GOOD IDEA. I put on my smile face and burped all the way there. Stuart threatened to take everyone home because they were fighting so bad in the car. I really do not think it is possible for anyone to act out the way Jacob does. He slaps and pinches Ashley and John. We got to the Circus at 11:00am and at first you could walk out on the floor. They had pony rides for $6.00 and Baby Elephant rides for $10.00. There were so many people. John was really excited. I sat down from 11:00-12:30 just thinking how sore I was and trying just to clear my mind. Finally, the Circus started with tigers, elephants, dancing, and clowns. During the half time show I climbed 100 stairs and vomited in a very nasty bathroom. When I got back to my seat the show started again with 6 motorcycles in a metal cage going around in circles at the same time. John was in love. The Circus had about 12,000 people there today. We did not eat lunch so Stuart bought the kids so popcorn. Well, I don't let the kids have salt and this popcorn was salty. John stuck his bottom lip out and it was white and dry. I told Stuart that John OD'd on salt. Jacob went off to get a drink for everyone to share, which he tortured John when he got back with it. When we left the Circus we had to go get something to eat and we were back in the car with fighting kids. Stuart did a u-turn and scratch my car! Maybe I should have stayed home!






Video of Cannonball Smith

Saturday, October 11, 2008

John the Happycrow


Yesterday's Sky


Practice makes perfect







Cheer Practice







Ashley had to wear her uniform to practice on Monday night..... they were having a picture retake. John ran around like a crazy man. I told him if he would run to the fence twice I would buy him a piece of candy. So , of course he did (almost 1/2 mile) and he came back saying he wanted laughy taffy. I agreed until I realized how big of a piece I purchased. I tore it in half and John screamed and cried. Everyone was looking our way because I think the crowd thought I had slapped him. Finally, I talked him into eating half a piece and he dropped it on the ground accidentally. The candy was covered in grass. Then the crying started all over again!

John Playing

Ashley and John played outside yesterday riding their bikes and chasing each other. Ashley had a field trip to see a play in Knoxville. They got to see Junie B Jones Play. Then her class went to Burger King. She made a 104 on her Spelling test. I am so proud of my sweet little girl! I am loading a picture of an airplane that flew right over us when I was taking pictures of John.

Clouds


Yesterday, we had a beautiful fall day. The leaves are changing with the season to red, orange, brown and yellow. We had an outdoor fire and listen to music last night. We had beautiful clouds that drifted away fast and covering the moon creating shadows.

Friday, October 3, 2008

Weekend Events Homecoming









We are going to have a very busy weekend. Ashley has her first dance tonight at the Fire Department. She is so excited and then tomorrow she is going to Homecoming. When I was a girl Homecoming did not start until High School. But I am excited for her and she has a beautiful dress. Grandmommy is coming to see Ashley's big event on Saturday. Her escort was Barrett a 6year old. John Richard told Ashley she was beautiful. How sweet..... but a few weeks ago when we got Ashley's dress in the mail John wanted to know if it was her Halloween Costume.