The big day has come and gone. Alyssa looked gorgeous, Maddi called her a princess. Tyler looked dashing, pink and all. The wedding was perfect and the couple seemed to have a good time. Maddi was a hit in her splashes of pink and I believe has really become a part of that family too. Here are a few photos from the day.
Are we crazy or what for adding a fourth pet to the house?!?!? Maddi has been fascinated with Nemo, so we thought it would be a great idea to get a fish. We are starting her with a beta. She and I went "fish" shopping tonight while daddy was working at a football game. The entire time, I was talking to her about buying a fish and she was responding with "then I eat it Momma". I had a difficult time explaining the concept of buying a fish to look at but not to eat :) As you can see from the pictures, she has the hang of it now and is loving her fish!
I have FINALLY finished my master's degree. It is a relief to have it completed and to have more time to spend as I wish (yeah right)! I have laughed more in the last few weeks since finishing my last class . . . my child is down right hilarious! Jason was such a huge support while I worked on the master's degree that I never realized how much I was missing. I hope that I am able to support him in his journey (yes, he is now working on his master's of administration) like he supported me. His journey will be much harder due to the time his current teaching position takes.
I am also HOPING to be able to update the blog much more often :)
So the quest for the halloween costume has begun! I found a "monkey" candy bag that I thought would be adorble if Maddi was a banana for halloween. I found the banana costume at Pottery Barn Kids, but they also had an adorable puppy costume. Then I saw all of these costumes with the cutest tutus! I thought maybe Maddi would be a ballerine. So . . . . I did some research and learned how to make these adorable tutus. I was prepared for going in another direction if they did not turn out, but they are pretty cute and she loves prancing around in them, with Bananas of course!
Day Ten of Vacation:
Packing and vacating the lodge! On the road to St. Augustine Beach! We stopped to eat at McDonalds and probably got the only one without a playground in the state of Florida. Talk about three disappointed kiddos!
We arrived at the hotel around 3:00 and got right into our rooms. All three of us have great views of the ocean. We spent the evening getting settled and a little time on the beach. Maddi was hesitant about the rushing water. I realized how scary it must be from that eye level . . . water rushing to the shore. We all slept well that night and late into the morning.
Day Eleven of Vacation:
BEACH TIME! We spent the entire day on the beach. Monty, Katie, Jason, and I swam out to a sand bar and spent time attempting to body surf . . . it was a pretty funny sight. A good time was had by all!
Day Twelve of Vacation:
Rain, Rain, Go AWAY! Forecast called for a 50% chance of rain and it did rain about 50% of the day. We spent the morning at an outlet mall and then Chic Fi La for lunch. Probably the best service we have had this entire trip. The owner/manager came by the table and told the kids that they looked like they needed free shakes :) Then, as we were leaving, they said goodbye to Papa by name. IMPRESSIVE!
Everyone napped, except me. I had to take a final (100%). I only have my assignment left to finish for this class. After napping, we went to a local joint for dinner. It was pretty tasty. We passed a huge souvenir shop and decided to stop. I got Maddi a couple of shirts and Jason bought his traditional shot glass. We also got Alyssa her magnet :)
Day Thirteen of Vacation:
Day Fourteen of Vacation:
Traveling to Georgia!
Day Fifteen of Vacation:
Beginning the journey home!
Day Sixteen of Vacation:
Last leg before getting home!
The Day Before Day One of Vacation:
Not feeling well, I decide to go get my allergy shot and just see if they can give it to me even though I had a fever. Answer: NO! However, the allergist was able to work me in and found that I had a sinus infection. He gave me steroids and antibiotics with strict instructions to drink a lot of water. He also said to take the pills in the morning because the steroids would keep me from sleeping. BUT, he wanted me to take the first dose that day. Well, by the time I got out of his office and got the prescription filled it was lunch time. Result: I did not sleep at all that night!
Jason took Tylenol PM and was asleep by 7:00. I attempted to sleep, but could not. We were both up for good around 2:30ish. Yes, that would be in the morning.
Day One of Vacation:
Mom and Dad arrived at the house around 3:30 in the morning. We loaded up the car and took off. Before we made it out of Texas, we were all getting a little hungry. We passed a Cracker Barrel and though that sounded good. The plan was to stop at the next one we came across. Just so you know, there is not one between Tyler and Shreveport! We ended up at a Waffle House. Being the only customers in the joint, you would think that we would have had excellent service and food. The breakfast was either cold or burnt! Not a great start to the day.
The lunch stop was at a McAlisters Deli. Mom got a sub sandwich. She thought it would be a hot sandwich, it was not. It also had huge amounts of mustard and olives! Needless to say, not a good lunch stop.
We made it to the hotel in Pensacola and got settled in. We passed a Dairy Queen on the way to the hotel and though, Dairy Queen is safe . . . we have them all over Texas. THEY ARE NOT THE SAME IN FLORIDA! No hunger-buster, not nacho cheese, and the sundae had peanut butter sauce on it! We were 0 for 3 on the eating portion of our trip.
Maddi did great in the car and watched a couple of movies, over and over and over and over and . . . well, you get the picture.
Day Two of Vacation:
We got on the road about 7:00 with plans to meet up with the other McCollums in Gainesville, Florida. When we called them, they were about an hour and a half ahead of us. They left earlier than they had planned because everyone was so excited. It worked out because they stopped at a Sam's Club and picked up diapers for Maddi. We lunched at a Cracker Barrel. This became the first of many running jokes on the trip. If you are ever in the car with one of us, be sure to point out EVERY Cracker Barrel that we pass :)
We arrived at the Wilderness Lodge at Disney World around 4:00 in the afternoon. Our rooms were ready, but our request had been mixed up. The original request was for the Rabinowitzs and the younger McCollums to have adjoining rooms with bunk beds and for Mom and Dad to be on the same floor close by. What they handed us was the Rabinowitzs in a 2 queen bed room adjoined to the younger McCollums in a bunk bed room and Mom and Dad in another bunk bed room. After a lot of discussion, we left it this way and the grand-kids stayed overnight with Mom and Dad one night during our stay. It really worked out well.
The entire family went swimming at the lodge. It had a great water slide and was a load of fun!
We ate at a place called Whispering Canyon. It was wonderful. They kids participated in stick pony races and when someone asked for ketchup, we ended up with close to 20 bottles being brought to our table. When another table asked for ketchup, we had to gather all of those bottles and take them over to that table. It was too funny!
We ended the night by going over to the Magic Kingdom and watching the fireworks. Unfortunately for Jason and I, the stroller we brought could not be folded and therefor we could not take it on the small boats. We were forced to wait for the "big" boat to come to the lodge to take us over. We ended up watching the fireworks from the bow of the boat. It was beautiful. When we met up with the rest of the family, we decided to go ahead and take the kids into the park. We rode the carousel. It was a good day!
Day Three of Vacation:
Magic Kingdom here we come! We got up early and headed over for breakfast on a BIG BOAT (as Maddi called it) to the Magic Kingdom. When we tried to take the stroller in, we were told that it was too large and the park traded us for the day. Jason and I began to speculate on what to do for the other parks since we could not take our stroller on the buses or monorail. Upon arrival, we had breakfast at Crystal Palace with Pooh, Tigger, Piglet, and Eyeore. We road Dumbo. Maddison loved riding this almost as much as the carousel. From there, we walked around and got on several other rides. Maddi's favorite rides were those that went around and up/down.
Nona and Papa took the grandkids back to the hotel and are having a sleepover. The Magic Kingdom is having extended magic hours for guests staying on property until 3 a.m. Monty, Katie, Jason, and I stayed until around 2 a.m. We rode Splash Mountain, The Haunted Mansion, and Big Thunder Mountain at least twice before heading back to the hotel. It was fun to hang out with Monty and Katie and ride the things that we can't do with kids. I guess it is true, you really do become 12 years old again when you go to Disney!
Day Four of Vacation:
Before leaving for the day, Jason and I contemplated trying to find a Babies R Us to buy a new stroller. To rent one each day would have cost a fortune. I stopped at the lodge's gift shop to ask if they knew of a place that we could purchase a stroller and they had one. This is one of Maddi's souvenirs! We spent the day at Epcot. We started the day at breakfast with the Disney Princesses (Belle, Snow White, Ariel, Sleeping Beauty). Breakfast was great! Maddi really loved the princesses. After that, I took Maddi to the baby care center for a diaper change while the rest of the family went to "Mexico". How was I supposed to know Maddi would fall asleep?!? We spent about an hour in the nursing room with the lights off so she could rest. Once she was awake, it was an international tour getting our pennies smashed in each country and visiting the Kidcot locations for Maddi to get her passport stamped. We had a great time!
After resting at the lodge, we went back to Epcot that evening with the whole family. We ended up splitting up so that Jason and I could get dinner for Maddi.
Day Five of Vacation:
We went to Hollywood Studios today. It was so hot! We saw the India Jones Stunt Show and then walked around a bit. We left the park and went back to the hotel to rest. After the heat of the day had passed, we all went back to Hollywood Studios and ate dinner at the Prime Time Cafe. The decor is all 50's kitchen and each waiter acts as mom or dad. Katie got her nose put into the corner and the entire place had to say "Shame, shame Katie . . . You are a spoiled brat". The dessert menu had to be looked at through a toy view finder. The pot roast was heavenly! Maddi had to be escorted from the joint for hitting and have a time out with her Daddy outside on a step. Have I mentioned that I love the age of 2? We saw Fantasmic . . . Jason loved it. It is a water/laser/fireworks show at Hollywood Studios and is only shown twice a week. It was good, but crowded. We didn't do the things that I thought Maddi would enjoy but with multiple days left of our vacation, I knew we would be going back.
Day Six of Vacation:
Mom and Dad hung out at the lodge for the day and rested. Monty, Katie, and the kids took off to Magic Kingdom. Jason and I took Maddi back to the Magic Kingdom and just took the morning really slow. We rode the Winnie the Pooh ride. Big honey pots make great transportation. Her favorite was It's a Small World. She danced through the entire thing.
I think Jason took Maddi with Katie and the kids to Typhoon Lagoon. I think this is when I worked on my week 4 assignment and did the laundry.
We went over to the Contemporary Hotel and ate at Chef Mickey's. It was a really fun buffet. Katie ate her dessert first! I really like the pasta in basil sauce. Maddi loved seeing the characters!
We all went back to the Magic Kingdom and walked around for a little bit.
Day Seven of Vacation:
We thought we would venture to Blizzard Beach for the day. The extra magic hours had the park opening at 8 a.m. When we arrived, we checked out Tikes Peak and then headed to the ski lift. I was so nervous having Maddi on it. She had to sit beside me on the outside, I could not hold her. I was terrified of her trying to climb out. She did okay. The ride we went on was not her favorite. We road Team Boat, a large family style tube water slide. Jason and I loved it. Katie took Maddi and Mitch back to Tikes Peak so that Monty, Jason, Kenzie, and I could go back for another ride. However, the boys ended up on one side and Kenzie and I got the ride of our lives! Once we hit the bottom, the boat filled with water! It was hilarious.
Maddi got a small cut on her foot and we decided to head back to the hotel. We met Nona and Papa on our way out. When we got on the bus, we were told we had to go to Animal Kingdom to get a bus back to the lodge. We ended up waiting for a bus for over an hour! I was pretty hot! The fire was fueled when we had to circle by Blizzard Beach and guess who was getting on our bus to head back to the lodge??? Nona and Papa! By the time we got back to the lodge, I was having a very unmagical day and I did inform a transportation manager about it.
That night, we went back to Epcot and road Test Track! Jason really liked it.
Day Eight of Vacation:
Animal Kingdom, watch out, I am bringing three crazy animals to the park! We got to see the Tree of Life and watch A Bug's Life right off the bat. Maddi and Jason hung out while we watched the show because we thought that Maddi might be afraid during the 3-D film about bugs! I think this was a good decision. Jason did not mind because he saw this film last summer when he was here with the band. We then headed for DinoLand. Maddi rode another ride that goes around and up/down! We headed off for breakfast at the Tusker house with Mickey, Donald, Daisy, Minnie, and Goofy! It was a great breakfast and the first that also included gravy! We were all missing some of the comforts of the south . . . specific to Texas! From breakfast, the kids and grandparents went to a bird show. Monty, Katie, Jason, and I rode Mt. Everest. It was so cool! Lots of speed, darkness, and going backwards! We then saw another Nemo Musical. Maddi and I then went to the Affection Section while the rest of the family went to ride the rapids. They all got SOAKED! At the Affection Section, Maddi chased the goats around with brushes. I could not get the girl out of the petting area. Then, she of course, noticed when everyone of the goats pooped. I must have heard the phrase "Momma, poop" along with pointing at the poop at least ten times while in the Affection Section.
After meeting back up with Jason, we headed back to the lodge and I nursed a migraine. Jason took Maddi to the Magic Kingdom to meet up with the rest of the family. While they were gone, I ate and took a soaky bath. I ventured over just in time for the 9:00 light parade, which means that I got land locked at the front of the park! When I found Jason and Maddi, they were waiting on the bridge for the rest of the family to ride Splash Mountain. They got SOAKED! Afterwards, we went to Toon Town and wandered through Mickey and Minnie's houses again. We just hung out and drank slushy lemonades. 
Day Nine of Vacation:
We got up early to eat breakfast and then head to Hollywood Studios. I really wanted Maddi to see the Playhouse Disney Live Show. Katie and Kenzie went with us. The girls had a great time! Poor Jason had to sit on the floor and his legs fell asleep. We met up with Nona and Papa at Beauty and the Beast Musical. It was beautiful and the music was wonderful! We lunched at the Honey, I Shrunk the Kids playground and then ended our day with Lights, Motor, Action ( a car stunt show). It was awesome, but the noises scared Maddi-Moo.
That night we headed to Downtown Disney to eat at Planet Hollywood and walk the boardwalk. Everything was so crowded! We did buy some Mickey Pasta and Princess Pasta to bring home with us. 
Day Ten of Vacation:
Packing and vacating the lodge! On the road to St. Augustine Beach! We stopped to eat at McDonalds and probably got the only one without a playground in the state of Florida. Talk about three disappointed kiddos!
We arrived at the hotel around 3:00 and got right into our rooms. All three of us have great views of the ocean. We spent the evening getting settled and a little time on the beach. Maddi was hesitant about the rushing water. I realized how scary it must be from that eye level . . . water rushing to the shore. We all slept well that night and late into the morning.
Maddi's hair is finally long enough for her to sport pig tails! She will actually leave them in for most of the day.
We made plans to go to College Station for a baby shower. The week we were schedule to go, Jason found out about a colleague that had passed away. The funeral had us leaving for College Station about 8 hours earlier than planned. Jason still wanted to teach his first period band class, so Maddi and I joined him for class. She had a great time in the percussion section (bass drum, gong, snare drum, etc). When class started, she was quick to have Jason hold her while he conducted the class. She was intrigued with everything going on around her..JPG)
We took Maddi out to Linda's house to take her picture in the bluebonnets. We took hundreds of pictures. Some dressed and others in just our bloomers. Halfway through, Maddi was done with her dress and threw a fit trying to get it off. This picture is of her meltdown before we allowed her to disrobe.
Jason's professional fraternity, Sinfonia, had a picnic at Sandy Lake. Maddi got to experience amusement rides for the first time. She went on the boats first. I did not include pictures of this because they were just terrible. She was so afraid and did not have a good time. We then went to the carousel and this quickly became her favorite ride. We rode it no less then 4 times. After the carousel, Maddi saw these race cars. Jason and I had thought about letting her ride these, but after watching them, we didn't think she would enjoy it. However, she pointed the cars out and we headed that way. She picked out the pink race car and laughed the entire time she was on this ride. We also road the train and the ponies! Daddy had to walk with her while she was on the pony. It stunk! We had a good time and enjoyed seeing everyone!
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Spring Break '09 has taken a turn . . . we started the break with me finishing up cheer tryouts. I survived and can only imagine the number of emails and phone calls that I will be getting when I return to school about those girls that did not make the squad. Maddi slept in her bed by herself that night. We were only up a couple of times to sooth her. I made cupcakes for the family and Maddi enjoyed the sprinkles, but not the icing or the cake. Monday, we took Maddi to school so that Jason and I could go for our yearly allergy testing. No surprises, I am still off the charts allergic to grass. We will start our weekly shots next week. Monday night, Chad and Dawn joined us for dinner. A good time was had by all! Tuesday, we went to the zoo for our first visit as members. Maddi lasted a good two hours, Jason holding her that entire time, before we had to leave because of a meltdown. While there, we rode the carousel and I let a calf suck on my finger while Maddi giggled. She was especially fond of the "cats" and meowed at each of them. We plan to make many return trips. Wednesday was to be date day for Jason and I. Maddi had other plans that included coming down with a double ear infection. She is currently on medicine and seems to be doing well.
Momma and Maddi on the carousel at the zoo!
The family getting ready to go outside and play.
Maddi playing on her swing set in the backyard despite a double ear infection..JPG)
Maddi's newest game . . . dirty laundry. She has been climbing into the basket and Jason or I will swing her around.
The first of the spring break fun . . . cupcakes!
We were finally able to put Maddi's hair into a "Pebbles" type pony tail. She only left it in for 30 minutes, but it sure was cute.
The new couch was delivered on Saturday! Jason and I could not be happier about how it looks and fits in the living room. We moved the other couches into the formal and into our room.
50 years ago, one of the best gifts given to me made her debut in this world. My mother has been a mom longer than she hasn't been one. She has sacrificed, loved fiercely, rejoiced with us, cried at our hurts, defended ferociously, . . . the list is endless.
It is on this day that I give thanks and praise that Jesus chose my mom for me. For all the love that is my mom, THANKS!
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