The ole apple doesn't fall far...

I am a little behind on my blogging, but I couldn't let this one go by without capturing the memory. In April, we celebrated my friend Lucia's daughter's birthday at Chuck E. Cheese.

I love that birthday girl!

As some of you may remember, Lu and I worked at Chuck E. Cheese in high school. It was our first job. Yes, we took a lot of ribbing for it, but to date, it is by far the most fun job either of us have ever had!! Ironically, we both ended up being teachers and now stay at home moms. Apparently, our first job trained us well for our future careers.

Anyway, back then Chuck E. Cheese was, well... obnoxious. It was extremely loud, sectioned off and very dark. There was NO "security" at the door to keep your child from ending up in the parking lot or being abducted by a stranger, unless of course you count me and Lu (working behind the ticket/toy counter) which together hardly weighed 100 pounds. We were quite an intimidating duo, with our scrawny selves, big hair and Chuck E. Cheese visors. ha!

Our job description was to host birthday parties. We would greet the kids/parents, set up the tables, take orders, serve the pizza, drinks, and cake, hand out tokens and deal with the money. However, back then, part of the "birthday show" was a spirited singing number done by the entire staff in front of the stage. I can still remember the song...

"You're a birthday star with Chuck E. Cheese, something, something, something, we all aim to please"

I know... that's sad.

And of course, there was the occasional time when the hired "rat" called in sick and one of us had to don the dreaded outfit. It was suffocatingly hot, it smelled, you had to do a ridiculous dance and were attacked by hoards of small children... doesn't it just sound like a dream job?

I remember one specific time when I was in it and I had tucked my waist length ponytail up in the head. It fell as I was making the rounds and from behind me I could hear this kid charging at me yelling... "It's a GGIIIIIRRRRLLLLL!" I've never run so fast back into a closet wearing a 50 pound mouse costume in my life.

So... 20 years later, here we are with our own children, thankful they turned down the music, turned up the lights, stopped selling beer (can you believe it?) and added a stamp/security rope at the front door.

(Trace would SO be the child standing in the middle of the parking lot if it weren't for that rope.)

As Kate's 4th birthday party got underway, it came time for the birthday song. As Chuck E. made his grand entrance, I fully anticipated Trace to jump into my lap and cower until he was safely back in the closet, but instead...





I guess it's just in his blood!

Why'd we even bother?

So... after the hundreds of dollars (not to mention dozen or so man hours) we spent on Trace's big boy bed, the week before we left for vacation this is where he took his naps...

Day 1

It's like he was busy, busy, busy working his puzzles and then he got veeerrrry, veeerrrry sleepy and just couldn't make it to his bed 2 feet away.

Day 2

He thinks to himself, hummm I think I need to go to the potty before my nap... he opens the door, steps out of his room, and BAM is overcome with exhaustion, falling straight to the ground sound asleep in the hall.

Day 3

I remember this spot, the carpet fibers felt so nice against the side of my face...

A good mother would have probably picked him up and carried him to his cozy, pillow topped bed, but at least I covered him up!

How does the old saying go?

Never wake a (38 pound) sleeping baby...

Extreme Home Makeover... Nanny Edition

OK, maybe "extreme" is a slight overstatement. We didn't tear down any walls, or build a house from scratch in 7 days... BUT, this little home makeover was 50 years in the making. My precious Nanny has lived in the same house since my mom was 6, and well, since we all know she just celebrated her 39th birthday, I guess 50 years isn't quite accurate, but close. ha!

After having 3 kids and 6 grandchildren trampling through her house for decades needless to say it was a little worn and frayed. I can't remember her and my Papaw ever taking the time or money to do anything for themselves, they just gave, gave, gave.

So... when the mere mention came of "sprucing up" the ole home place, I jumped all over it! I was dubbed the "Ty Pennington" of the project (you know my obsession for before and after photos.)

I doubt, however, that Ty ever fell off a ladder while holding a full cup of paint, spilled it all over the furniture or forgot to measure the oversized chair to see if it actually fits in the room... but that's why I work for free. ha!

Our whole family came together one weekend in March for a painting party. That was the first time we had all been back in the house together since my Papaw died 15 years ago. It was truly a reunion long overdue.

When he was alive, he cooked Sunday dinner there nearly ever week. (Somehow, his cooking gene skipped me) After he died, it was just too hard to go back. We moved Sunday dinners to my mom's, and although we have continued the tradition he loved so much we haven't all had a meal at Nanny's since. It was great to be finally doing something for her, in the home they shared.
Did I mention, I accidentally scheduled this weekend "painting party" during March Madness? Something else I'm sure Ty would never do. Oops, sorry guys...at least I made sure they got to paint the rooms with TV's in them. My brother nearly disowned me.

Please tell me it's level now...
There were 4 different carpets in Nanny's house (none which were very attractive.) The other was a dark gray but I couldn't fit it in the picture. She got brand new neutral carpet throughout the whole house... wow, what a difference!


We were also celebrating my mom and Emily's birthdays and Luke's new job at Volkswagen.

Tim, my Nanny's cousin and neighbor came over to "inspect" our work...we kept handing him a paint brush. He kept handing it back.
One of many loads to the Goodwill.
The second work weekend was Easter, by then the walls were painted and new carpet was in.

The house was torn to pieces, we hardly had room to put out the food, we sat in the floor on blankets or at TV trays and ate off paper plates... but it didn't matter.

Is your side straight? Cause my sides straight...
We surprised Nanny with a big screen TV for her den. She had been watching that little hand-me-down console for as long as I can remember. That was just one of the many times throughout this makeover I saw her bring her hands to her mouth and gasp "oh, my word!" with tears in her eyes. That made it all worth it!

My cousin Laura helped entertain the troops...
But finally... tonight I hung the last curtain (it's been a slow process) and was finally able to take my cherished "after" pictures.

The den before...
(some of my "befores" were taken after we had started patching holes and filling boxes)
And after...
~removing a/c unit
~ painting paneling and trim
~ new carpet
~ new window treatments
~ new TV
(We still need to recover the couch and recliner, but all of her old furniture stayed)


I took a lot of her pictures and made big collages to hang on the wall... gotta love Kirklands!
The kitchen before... (again, I ripped most of the wallpaper down before I took the before pictures, but you can still see some over the sink)

And after...
~new paint
~new floor
~ new kitchen table
~ new curtains
~ new cabinet pulls
~and thanks to Appliance Epoxy, no more harvest gold dishwasher


The middle bedroom before... (which you walk through to get to the den from the kitchen)

And after...
~new paint
~new bedding
~new carpet

And finally...the living room beforeAnd after...
~removing old a/c unit
~new paint
~new carpet
~new couch and chair
~new light
~new curtains




I can't decide which room is my favorite. But I do know this. What started out as a fun project in turning something old and outdated into something "pretty" became a lot more than that to me. It is one of those things were you begin doing something for someone else and in the end you receive the biggest blessing. The time I got to spend with my grandmother during this remodel is something I will cherish forever. I looked so forward to picking her up and going shopping with her, or going over in the evenings and doing little projects.

She has said repeatedly how much she appreciates all I did... but this was a drop in the bucket compared to all she's done for me in the last 35 years. I hope that when she sits in her "new" house, she feels how truly loved and adored she is by her family.

To teach is to touch a life forever...

37 years...

37 first days of school
37 Christmas vacations
37 much needed Spring breaks
37 last days of school
37 summers

countless...
dried tears
tied shoelaces
bear hugs
buttoned pants
bandaged knees
teacher stares
wiped noses
books read
report cards written
... lives changed

Last night, colleagues, friends, neighbors, and family gathered to celebrate and honor my dear friend Lynda, who next week will retire after 37 years of teaching... and loving children!

She is the teacher every mother prays for and every child deserves. When I think of all the children's lives she has touched over the years, it amazes me.

She taught at only 2 schools her entire career, and has been at Woodmore for the last 26 years. There is no doubt, there will be a huge void in that building and community next Wednesday when she leaves it.

Surprise!

Lynda and Penny (in the green and white shirt) have been best friend and taught together for 25 years.

I was incredibly blessed to get to teach on the same team with Lynda and Penny for 4 years before I left when Trace was born. They took a rookie under their wing, and I will always be grateful for all they taught me! Not only the "how-to", but what the true spirit of a teacher should be. They will forever be my friends and mentors.

My Woody girls... don't know what I'd do without them!
Her beautiful family...


Lynda and Lindsey
Her best surprise... her first grandson Xander was there to celebrate with her.

Jared was once one of her first graders... now look. I actually taught with her when he was in first grade, that makes us both feel old.
Mrs. Paris (center) is Jared's granny and was our first grade assistant for years. There were MANY days we wouldn't have survived without her!!

She now gets to move on to another love and a job I'm sure she will cherish everyday... taking care of baby Xander.

I put this quote on the picture board, and it sums her up perfectly...

"A hundred years from now it will not matter what my bank account was, the sort of house I lived in, or the kind of car I drove... but the world may be different because I was important in the life of a child."
~Author Unknown

So, so, true... love you Lynda!!