Hello from Upstate Mississippi

Yes that is right, I am at my mother's house in Mississippi. We are out of harms way so to say. Hurricane Gustav was getting a little too close for comfort. The kids and I made it here around 6 pm central time. Driving was not bad but every car had a Louisiana plate on it. It is so sad to see them hauling everything they can away from the storm. I will let you all know when I go back down south and if we receive any damage. Keeping our fingers crossed and praying for all my friends and others down on the gulf.

Just in case....

Well we are bracing ourselves for another tropical system around here. I hate September in the South. We play a guessing game around here wondering where the storm is going to go. One news station last night said it was not coming here and now this morning we are still within the cone. It is not the storm that bothers me so much as the aftermath and the preparation before hand. I have some water, some batteries and my beloved scrapbooks are stored in big waterproof containers. I even filled the tank up in the "grocery gettah" car. I did have to go to three gas stations before I found the gas I was looking for. Most of the were out of regular unleaded. I think everyone believes that we will have a gas shortage like after Katrina or that gas prices will soar. People are bringing big barrels to the stations and filling them up. Well I am not that worried about the storm because I am going to head North to my mother's house as soon as we get word that it is coming our way. Emily actually wants to go no matter what. She just wants to see Grandma and not have school. Well for those of you that arent on the gulf coast please pray for all of us. And for those of you that are on the gulf coast, we will get through this just like we have before.

Fay..Fay..Went Away!

What a let down. I was ready for some rain and winds yesterday and we got diddly squat. The news channels get you so worked up that it is going to be this big deal and then nothing happens.
I got to spend the day with my scrappin sistahs cropping away. Chris and the kiddos hung out and visited me during lunch. So we have had a pretty uneventful weekend. In a cleaning mood today so I am getting off here and tackling the laundry. I will write again soon.

Here we go again!

One of the things I hate about living on the Southern US coast is hurricanes. I dread the months of June through November. I never gave hurricanes much thought when I was living elsewhere. When we first moved here we were hit by hurrican Ivan. Experiencing that storm really opened my eyes to how dangerous hurricanes can be. Poor Emily is traumatized by these storms. She saw the devastation and it really scared her. Then came Katrina and we all know what happened with that storm. I continously say, I would much rather have a good Nor'easter with feet of snow that a Hurricane.
So here we are again...Hurricane season 2008. I am watching TS Fay and I cant believe how crazy her track is. I will be much better once December rolls around. LOL!

Can I just say that I am hooked and maybe a little crazy.

Well I have been seeing these books on other people's blogs like Layle Koncar, Vicki B and my friend Lisa Tanner. Then I saw the author on Good Morning America and the amount of people that were just going crazy over her. I had heard what the books were about and the idea of reading about vampires totally didnt appeal to me. So with much reservation, I picked up the first book a week ago. It was fine at first, a good read but nothing fantastic. Then it hit me hard like a brick wall and I couldnt get enough of this amazing Love story of Bella and Edward. I read all 4 books in a week. Each one being about 600+ pages. I am so surprised how much these books have touched me. I just want to read more about these amazing characters. I know some of you are thinking I am crazy to have wasted so much time on these books but believe me they are so worth every minute! I even have Chris reading them (he is on book 2). I told Emily last night that these books are the absolute best books that I have ever read in my life and that no book could touch them. She looked at me like I was crazy. I think she may be a bit worried about her old mom since I have even added wallpaper to my computer with the characters on it. I know that this will certainly pass in time but right now I am in love with the Cullens and the Twilight saga by Stephenie Meyer. Let me know if you have read these if not you really should. You wont be disappointed!

Her New Doo!

As you could see from the first day of school picture on my blog, Emily got her hair cut. It was driving me crazy and I talked to her about trying to cut the back off to match the bangs so it would be easier to grow out. She was against it for a while but I had help, her best friend Abbie. When we went to the salon, Abbie came along and convinced her that she looked cute with shorter hair. Our hairdresser Sharlene did such a good job. It is shorter in the back than the front. Alot of women and girls wear their hair like this down south. We didnt go too short in the back the first time and the sides need to grow longer but for now it is much better than before.

5 mile tuneup

Casey was so cute this weekend. Chris always brings the cars outback to change oil, detail them or just plain work on them. So he had all his tools out and Casey decided that he needed to work on his truck too. He drove the truck up on the ramps and proceeded to work on it. He is turning into quite the little man. I think Chris is upset now even more than before because we had to get rid of the truck. Casey is at the age that he would love going "muddin" with daddy. One of these days we will get one back. Maybe once the gas prices have fallen.

4th grade here she comes!!

Today is the first day of school for Emily. Boy did the summer fly. It seems like we were just thinking about what we were going to do all summer and now here we are back in the car pool line for school. What a rotten day around here to start school. It was pouring at about 7:45am this morning. Emily had her umbrella packed because she is in the portables this year. No more little kid in the big school building. She is now outside with the 4th and 5th graders. Which means walking through the mud and getting wet (YUCK!)At least there is a little sidewalk for most of the walk and it is covered for most of it too. She has two teachers this year. She will switch classes twice which is going to be interesting.
Back to the car pool line. Well since it was raining and it was the first day of school, carpool took over 25 minutes this morning. I was told over and over again that we should have left earlier. I am only 2 minutes away from school so I really didnt think it would take more than 10 minutes at the longest. Well I was wrong so I am sure she will have me out the door early tomorrow. It is usually me yelling at her to hurry up. Maybe this year will be different and she will be ready on time.
Casey and I are going to hang around today and wait for our fourth grader to come home on the bus. Cant wait to hear how her day went.

Kimball Look-alike Meter

MyHeritage: Look-alike Meter - Last names - Vintage photos

Potty Training 101

We have been potty training now for a few weeks. Not too intensely but Casey has decided to take a big step forward. He has been going #2 on the potty and now tells me when he has to go #1. Yesterday was our first day in big boy underwear. I believe that the pullups are giving him a false sense of being dry. He is so proud of himself and so am I. Once he is through doing his business he always says "you so proud of me momma?" and I say "yes I am". Then it is off to the sink to wash up and out to the kitchen to put a sticker on his chart that we made. I have to go out today and get more underwear and a treat for going 10 times in the potty. Hopefully by this time next month we will be 100 percent trained.

Life in the "timeout" corner

Whoever said it was the "terrible twos" was terribly wrong. After having two children I believe that three is much worse than two. Casey is really giving me a run for my money lately. He gets very frustrated with me and anyone who tells him what to do that he lashes out. He likes to hit me and bite his sister. I wont stand for that so it has been the time out corner for him today. He cries it out but thinks that once he has stopped crying that he can come out. He says "Momma I stop crying". I explain that he is there for a reason and I will let him come out when I am ready for him to come out.
I remember that when Emily was three it was tough. I think it was the worst age. It seems like when they get four it gets better. Dont mark my word because I bet I am complaining when Casey turns four.
I love my kids but no one said this parent thing was going to be a walk in the park.

Hey good lookin...Whatcha got cookin?

My Nan used to cook the best stuff for me and my family. I can still taste her lasagna and peppermint dessert. My mother has gotten that gene from her mother. She still cooks many of my Nan's recipes and my great aunt Ruth's too. I like to cook and I think I have gotten the gene too. I just dont like to clean up afterwards. So you are wondering where this is going well I will fill you in. Emily has taken a likeing to cooking too.
When we were in Mississippi visiting my parents, she helped my mother just about everynight. Her favorite thing to do is slice up tomatoes. I guess I have just been cooking for my family for so long that I never thought to ask Emily to cut up stuff of help. Well now times have changed. She is coming to me and asking to help. I am glad that she is following in her great-grandmother's footsteps.

Some TLC

Sorry I havent been blogging recently but I have been a busy girl. As you know from previous post that we now have another kitty. She had to go into the vet this week to get fixed and declawed. She made out good. We picked her up Friday morning and realized on the way home that she had "pooped" all in her carrier. I was a gross ride home to say the least. Once we got home and cleaned her off she pretty much zonked out for the day in the laundry room. She has to be seperated from Jo-Jo for a week because she cant use real litter in her litter box. She wants out of the laundry room so we have to go in an visit and give her some TLC. She craves our attention big time! The kids feed her treats and love on her and her purring machine goes into overdrive. Hopefully by this time next week our kitties will be reunited and normalcy will take over the household. That is if we even know what normal is. LOL!