The Tinkerbell Party

Sunday was Turner's third birthday, so Saturday afternoon we celebrated with a Tinkerbell/Pirate party at our house. It's still funny to me that several month ago, when I asked Turner what type of party she wanted to have, she immediately responded with "A Tinkerbell Party!"  It's only funny because she's never even seen Peter Pan, or any of the Tinkerbell movies.  I have no clue why this is the party theme she wanted.  But she made it clear, despite my best efforts to convince her that an Auburn Party on the day of the Georgia game would be easier for mommy and daddy better.  I finally got over myself and realized (as I have to do almost daily), it's really not about me.  It's about what she wants - so Tinkerbell it was! 

I think the pictures tell the story pretty well, but I'll add some commentary to clarify as needed. Let's just say we think all the kids had a pretty good time!

Turner can't seem to helpherself at parties where there is a "buffet style" eating plan.  This is not the first time we've caught her eating off the table...at least this time she didn't put it back in the bowl!

This is our friend Tristan - I can just eat this boy up!  Check out that earring!!

We didn't expect this...especially since at her first birthday party she asked for a fork!!  You can see the expression on our faces and just know we weren't prepared for that!

Grandpa is such a good sport...and I think he kind of liked the icing!  :)

One of the only requirements for Turner's party (according to Turner) were that we have "those things that go in and out - you know like pblltt-pblltt!"  Kind of like this...

This girl was getting tired by this point...but having SO much fun!

The pinata was quite a hit also - Turner's face cracks me up!  Not sure why she wasn't going for the candy?
I think she was more enthralled that her Daddy was standing in a chair holding it!

And she had lots of "help" opening presents!

After a trip to the garden (now deer-tracked dirt pile), Tristan needed a little help getting back up the hill!

We teased that Hayden might be a RIT - Redneck in Training?

I started searching online for Tinkerbell themed games, decorations, food, etc. back in October.  There were many grand ideas that just didn't happen (i.e. turning the playset into a mock pirate ship), but there were several ideas that did come to fruition and I was totally thrilled with how it all turned out!  I especially loved the costumes - no-sew tutus and wings for each girl and pirate hats/earrings/eyepatches for each boy.  There aren't many pictures on here with the girls still in costume, but it was pretty cute having 6 little fairies and 4 pirates running around the yard.

It was a wonderful day of celebration for Turner's birthday - and I think it was everything she had been hoping for all these weeks.  She has several books that reference birthday parties and she continually pointed out aspects that were interesting enough to include in her party - party hats, pinatas, pin the tail on the donkey, confetti, etc.  She loves the concept of birthday parties (especially for her) and after watching her on Saturday and talking with her that night I think it was just perfect.

Mission accomplished.  :)

The Church Rat

Before you get any ideas, I am not referencing a rodent-induced revival as you'll see hilariously portrayed in this old Ray Stevens video.  If you have never seen this, click play if you need a good laugh.  I used to watch this on CMT at my Granny's house and we'd just laugh and laugh...good times.  


Most of you know us well enough to know that we spend a good amount of time at our church.  Though I have been on the musician team there for about 7 years now, in July of this year I took over as the full-time pianist for 2-3 services every Sunday and a rehearsal on Wednesday evening. We spend a lot of time at church each week, and more minutes than I'd like to admit in the car driving across town to get there and back in a timely manner.

Obviously this means that Turner spends a lot of time at church too.  She's formed a special relationship with several of our senior adult members (many of them charter members of the church).  She is quick to tell you that "Martha Nell is my friend" and has even been known to sit with them on occasion during the early Sunday service.  One of our dear senior friends (a former high school basketball coach) told me one Sunday that Turner is what he would call a "church rat" - you know like a "gym rat"?  I thought it was pretty accurate...but lately Turner has been proving over and over again just how comfortable she is in our church.

For example...several months ago she really started to look forward to and enjoy the "meet and greet" time during the service.  She walks around, shaking hands, and asking people "How are you doing?" and saying, "Nice to meet you."  One particular Sunday, I happened to look up from my music to see Turner walking up on the stage.  Mark is nowhere in sight.  And she starts walking down the front row of the choir, shaking everyone's hand and saying, "How are you doing?  Nice to meet you!"  To everyone on the front row of the choir!  The music minister is looking at me...I keep playing...I am looking for Mark...I'm still playing...finally he sees her up there and runs to get her.

Well, today we had another experience that let us know just how comfortable she is in our church environment.  Our senior pastor woke up sick, so our music minister was feverishly preparing his thoughts and message as we were scheduled to have communion during both morning services today.  He was visibly overwhelmed and unusually stressed (even for a musician - we are always unusually stressed but this was different).  He even asked me to continue to play more songs than normal for the prelude so that he could gather his thoughts just a moment more before we began.  And this is when it happened.

Turner (unbeknownst to me) has made her way about 3/4 of the way down the center aisle of our church.  Bro. Terry is at the pulpit making some notes and it's strangely quiet in the sanctuary as I am transitioning between songs.  Suddenly, I hear this little voice shout, "Bro. Terry!  HOOK EM HORNS!"  Eyes all across the church focused in on my sweet daughter, standing all alone in that church aisle with her little hand forming the longhorn symbol.  She was grinning from ear to ear. And the entire church got totally hysterical.  Thankfully, Terry didn't miss a beat and gave her a big "Hook Em Horns" in the microphone.  It was the perfect way to get Terry's nerves calmed down and to make everyone laugh a little in what can sometimes become an unnecessarily stuffy and ritualistic procedure of "doing church".

It was pretty priceless at the moment. A church rat she is!

The last few weeks....

...have been as crazy as we expected.  This is going to be random!

The last two weeks of October -  in the midst of Fall Festivals, trick-or-treating, Syrup Sopping, etc. - Mark was swamped as he and his staff selected their new CWE/SOS leaders for 2011.  At least four nights he arrived home after midnight (one of those 3am).

Less than a week after that process ended, I left for a three night trip to Baltimore, Maryland to present at the National Middle School Association Annual Conference.  I don't like being away from my family, but I always glean a fresh perspective and wonderful teaching strategies from this conference.  I am immensely blessed that I never, ever worry whether Mark can keep life rocking and rolling at home in my absence. He managed three days of Turner's morning routine (normally a two parent job), one afternoon dance class, and just for kicks, one of the evenings I was away he even babysat Cooper for the Dunns! My special surprise was a fully vacuumed house and welcome home flowers. :) Mark is a treasure and I certainly know it, but I am so grateful that we are equal partners in keeping our home and lives functioning.  We both know it functions a whole lot more easily with two of us!  Now, I missed my family a ton!  But, I do enjoy traveling and experiencing new places and I found that  Baltimore very much lives up to it's nickname of Charm City. Here are a few highlights from my trip:

I came down with some type of virus (or either the airplane pressure caused my equilibrium to mess up) and I pretty much spent the entire flight there hugging the "potty" in the airplane.  Let me say now, it's as bad as you just imagined it when you read that sentence.  I can't even explain...

After we settled in at our hotel (check out this awesome picture Traci snapped from our hotel window), I had some appetite, so as any logically minded human would do, we decided to go eat at Five Guys for dinner.  Grease - you don't scare me!  They had a cork-board by the cash register and this is what I saw.

The Hard Rock Cafe - in the original structure of an old power plant.  Neat architecture in this city!

We stayed in the Inner Harbor so there were lots of boats and piers.

And of course, I couldn't resist sampling delicious seafood from a different set of waters.  I couldn't convince Traci to try any, but I had absolutely no trouble downing these raw oysters as a pre-dinner treat!

On Friday, one of the sessions I wanted to attend was in a ballroom at the Hilton down the street.  As I walked down the street I noticed what appeared to be a ballpark of some kind.  I had hoped to visit Camden Yards while I was there, but I didn't expect to happen upon it in this way.  I was able to walk right up to the stadium, but the better view was from the ballroom lobby of the Hilton.

And finally, the reason we went to the conference was to present on Saturday morning.  This is a pretty self-indulgent picture I guess, but I was pretty proud that our presentation was accepted for a national conference of this magnitude.

I returned home late Saturday evening, had church responsibilities on Sunday and then started the workweek in a whirlwind after being absent for 2.5 days the previous week.  And oh by the way, the Veterans Day Program (of which I am the coordinator) was in two days.  No stress or anything...  Thankfully, I have a wonderfully supportive group of teachers who help me each year and the end result that it was our biggest and best program to date (this is the seventh annual program)!  Shealy posted a wonderful story on her blog here that puts meaning to the importance of recognizing the sacrifices of our veterans and active duty personnel in our nation's armed forces.  Freedom is absolutely, positively NOT FREE.  The debt we owe our servicemen and women and their families is a debt we can't pay - and most amazingly, one they don't expect us to pay.

On the night of the first annual Veterans Day Program, Mark and I went to Cracker Barrel.  Not sure why we picked that particular restaurant, but we decided to make it a tradition.  The warm fireplace on a cold night, the need for comfort food after a stressful event - it's the perfect way to celebrate and has become something we both looked forward to each year.  This year, we continued our tradition and went on Veterans Day night, and Turner apparently hadn't eaten all day.  We gave her the options that she could order and when the waitress came to get our drink order Turner announced, "I'll have meatloaf please!"  When the kind waitress came to get our dinner order, we told Turner she could place her own order and her response was, "I already did that!"  But, then she did place her entire order all on her own!  "I'd like meatloaf, mashed potatoes, carrots, and applesauce please."  And then she proceeded to demolish an adult sized plate of food...plus chicken and dumplings from both of our plates!

And yesterday, we enjoyed the last football weekend in Auburn for this season with a fun afternoon at Jordan Hare Stadium with my parents and about 87,412 members of our Auburn family.  Mark went to Tuscaloosa for the MSU vs. Alabama game, so I took Turner with me to the AU vs. UGA game.  She had a blast cheering on the Tigers and it was a special treat for me to be able to sit with my parents for a game, in section 12, just like it was when I was growing up. 

And finally, you may have noticed that these pictures are of a slightly different quality than normal...I took these with my new Droid!  A fun toy that my sweet husband got me before I left for Baltimore.  You must understand, my previous phone would only text and call.  That's it.  So being in the smart phone world is a whole new experience! 

So...there has been quite a bit going on around here in the past few weeks! We are finally seeing the light at the end of the tunnel and after Turner's birthday party is over this weekend, I will be due for some major R&R - just in time for Thanksgiving break!

Carvin' and Soppin' and Trick or Treatin' - Fun in the Fall!

There are so many wonderful Fall activities in our area, it's hard not to want to attend them all!  This year, we were able to make it to the annual Pumpkin Carve at the AU School of Architecture - this was my first time to attend this longstanding event.  The pumpkins designs didn't disappoint, as they were all carved by creative and artistically gifted architecture students...some of my favorite designs are below.  (My Mom and I arrived late, so kudos to Mark for taking pictures of the best ones before they were purchased for $5 each!)

An insanely popular Auburn quarterback showing off his abs?

And of course a nod to the main topic of thought in this town at this time of year...

This one was Turner's favorite.  Yes, we do believe it's vomiting pumpkin seeds.  Oh excuse me, it's "spitting" pumpkin seeds in Turner speak. 

Turner was obviously enthralled with this unique event!

This pic is for my future brother-in-law, Matt.  We so wanted to buy you this pumpkin!

My family has been looking forward to this past Saturday morning for many months now - the annual Loachapoka Syrup Soppin!  For those of you who may be challenged in interpreting Southern-speak...Definition of Sop: verb (used with object) to take up (liquid) by absorption (usually followed by the word up): He used the bread to sop up the gravy. In this case it refers to the act of "soppin'" up homemade syrup with a delicious Hardees sausage biscuit. 

This event is only partially focused on the enjoyment of the yummy syrup.  You'll also see various arts and crafts vendors from the area, lively bluegrass music, a live chicken show, mule rides, and more!  It's truly one of our favorite Saturdays of the year!

Checking out the syrup making process with Pop.  Pop actually remembers watching this process as a child, in his grandfather's backyard!

You can also ride on the mule that's turning the mechanism that squishes the sugar cane (which, by the way, my child referred to as bamboo?). 

This event takes place on the main railroad that runs through the small town of Loachapoka, AL.  Always a neat place for snapping a few unique pictures, and this year it was a special treat to have the train come through twice while we were there.  It came very slowly, allowing fascinated youngsters an awesome up-close train experience!

 
I was so happy Turner could experience the sights, sounds, and feeling of a train passing through so very close to her.  She's sensitive to loud noises, so most of the time this is how she watched the train.  Occasionally, she'd take a risk and take one hand off her ears to attempt to wave at the conductor of the train.  But, not often!

Turner did get this awesome marshmallow shooting gun and she can actually make it shoot!  We had a blast playing with this in the yard on Saturday afternoon!

And what festival of this nature would be complete with out a porta-potty bathroom visit? Thanks Mark for the picture. I still maintain, these are the cleanest public restrooms at an event of this type on the planet Earth.  Lee County Fairgrounds - take a lesson from the good people of Loachapoka!

And my favorite series of pictures - Turner being her typical silly and entertaining self!  She sat down on the tracks and I just started snapping.  She started leaning back, and then ended up flat of her back on the tracks!

And finally,we did take Turner trick-or-treating on Sunday night around our neighborhood.  Since she's really only done Fall Festival type things before, this was definitely a new experience for her.  And as one who enjoys candy, it was an experience that she wanted to last several days!  (As evidenced by her asking me on Monday night if we could go trick-or-treating!)  She was much less shy than we expected and quickly after the door on one house shut she'd say, "Let's go to some MORE houses!"  She couldn't imagine the thrill of someone just opening the door and randomly handing you candy!  What could be better!?

This pumpkin was on the front porch of our music minister's house - you may remember that they have taught Turner all about saying "Hook Em Horns".

Though these are dark, I couldn't help but snap a few with Turner all by herself trick-or-treating like a big girl!

The "happy pumpkin" as he's called at our house - Turner's most favorite Halloween decoration!

After we got home from making our rounds in the neighborhood, Turner took off her M&M costume and was patiently waiting for dinner to finish cooking.  We noticed she was quiet, and this is how we found her.  Upside-down witch wings?  Witch hat.  Sitting on her art stool, coloring. 

And for a random picture...this was Turner at 6:15am on Monday morning (not sure why she got up almost an hour early after a late night?).  She has her own makeup stash - to keep her out of mine - and she really went to town with it while I was getting ready!  I mean, I had to scrub to get this eyeshadow off!

Such a fun, fun weekend!