Tuesday, April 22, 2008
8:57 PM | Posted by
Team Mitchell & Crew
For the record, my sister - in - law (Vickie) is a scardy cat and my daughter isn't.
Case in point....read about Vickie's snake here at Means Mania.
Notice me and Lainie with the new Monday Night snake right here....Found him just as I stood up with an arm full of weeds from the flower beds. I was eye level to his butt. (I just said snake butt on my blog! :)
We are sooo brave. It was the bee that drove my daughter inside and the bird flying kamikaze style that me me shriek earlier in the day! Such geeks!
Lainie is now taking pictures with my mammoth camera, which is why you can't see the snake here. She did frame the photo nicely, however!! I think I might be creating a monster.
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
Oh to be a four year old. Life can be so sad.
We came home and wrote notes to two girls in the class and invited them to play dates this Sunday afternoon. One little girl is the one that made Lainie sad. She seemed really excited about writing her the play date letter and even talked about all of the things they could do this weekend.
So I wake us this morning at 5 AM to my crying daughter who had a nightmare that someone was trying to break her doll. She didn't know the person, but they wanted her doll and she was sad.
20 min later as I was getting ready for work, Lainie comes in crying that she wants me to stay home. Crying. Clinging to my leg, crying.
At 8:30 today my cell phone rings and it is Scott with Lainie, heaving into the phone at how much she misses me. I tell her I love her and then nearly cry myself.
I pick her up and there is a note in her folder about her having a rough day. It was from Ms. Mary about how Lainie felt sad that she didn't have any girl friends in the class. One girl must have told her she didn't like her today / yesterday. Maybe that's where this sadness is coming from.
We came home and wrote notes to two girls in the class and invited them to play dates this Sunday afternoon. One little girl is the one that made Lainie sad. She seemed really excited about writing her the play date letter and even talked about all of the things they could do this weekend. Life as a 4 year old can be so sad. Hopefully this will help!
Monday, April 14, 2008
OK - today was a first for me. We chopped it off...chopped it all off. I have never done that before to Lainie and really to myself either. Our hair that is. Lainie's is gone. GONE! I wanted easier and flowy and she gave me SHORT easier and flowy. Other than not being able to french braid hers, I absolutely love it. It will grow back, so all is good. It is super cute on her and she loves it!
Mine is actually longer than I want it. I am thinking about going up one more layer to the shortest one that curls by my chin and then stacking it in the back. That and get some funky chunky high and low lights put in to start the summer off right. (I need some paydays to occur before any of that can happen.) Scott will flip when I do something that drastic...but he'll live! Until then, I am getting used to the bobbed look. The long layers were just growing out all over the place and it just looked weird. So I decided to start all over. I really loved the style, so I think I might go back to it, but go a lot shorter. I am excited that I no longer freak out over the length / look of my hair. I know that it always grows back. :) It's hair for heavens sakes.
Sunday, April 13, 2008
Our Dance Recital with LFUCG's Kiddie Kapers was yesterday. Talk about cute. Almost 100 girls, many in tu-tus; spinning and smiling and coated in lip gloss and blush. I love dance recital time!!!
Lainie's piece was a tap dance number to It's My Party and I'll Cry If I Want Too. She knew all the moves and even sang along with the words. Her class as a whole did fantastic! So did all of her friends on the stage with her, including Raylee, Allie and Cassidy. It was fun bring in the class with other teachers from school and their girls. :)
Kiddie Kapers is an excellent program for all of you in the Fayette Co. area. Kids 3 - 18 can dance and compete or just dance for performances with the program being very developmentally friendly and helpful! We drive home to get Lainie every week to bring her back into Lexington for dance on Wednesdays. It can be a bit of a headache, and I am soooo thankful to have Gran, Mom, Dad, Scott and Allison to help me rotate through the weeks of getting her picked up and dropped off at the Tates Creek Center. You all made this year so nice and allowed her to continue something she really enjoys!!!
I have pictures....but apparently Blogger doesn't like me right now. They'll come later!
Lainie's piece was a tap dance number to It's My Party and I'll Cry If I Want Too. She knew all the moves and even sang along with the words. Her class as a whole did fantastic! So did all of her friends on the stage with her, including Raylee, Allie and Cassidy. It was fun bring in the class with other teachers from school and their girls. :)
Kiddie Kapers is an excellent program for all of you in the Fayette Co. area. Kids 3 - 18 can dance and compete or just dance for performances with the program being very developmentally friendly and helpful! We drive home to get Lainie every week to bring her back into Lexington for dance on Wednesdays. It can be a bit of a headache, and I am soooo thankful to have Gran, Mom, Dad, Scott and Allison to help me rotate through the weeks of getting her picked up and dropped off at the Tates Creek Center. You all made this year so nice and allowed her to continue something she really enjoys!!!
I have pictures....but apparently Blogger doesn't like me right now. They'll come later!
Tuesday, April 8, 2008
On a better note....my 32nd birthday was Sunday. To celebrate, Scott took me and Lainie out to eat and then to see the Lexington Horsemen Indoor Football team game.
While we were there.....I was showcased on the BABE CAM!!!
The Bam Cam!
I wasn't dancing, wasn't acting silly, nothing! (At UK football games I make EVERY attempt to get on the dance cam. It's never worked.) This time, I was just sitting and cheering and some cameraman picked me out of the crowd. ME! WOW!
32 years old and still a babe!
Best birthday present - ever!
While we were there.....I was showcased on the BABE CAM!!!
The Bam Cam!
I wasn't dancing, wasn't acting silly, nothing! (At UK football games I make EVERY attempt to get on the dance cam. It's never worked.) This time, I was just sitting and cheering and some cameraman picked me out of the crowd. ME! WOW!
32 years old and still a babe!
Best birthday present - ever!
See if you see a problem here!
Lainie, Brewtus and I went for a walk tonight. She rode in her car and I walked up ahead of her. At full throttle her car goes 5 miles an hour - that a pretty decent power walk speed. All was good until I realized:
It's starting to get dark and you're far away from home
The dog is getting tired and you're far away from home
Your chub is really sweaty and you're far away from home
Thy face is turning red and you're far a way from home
My breath is coming faster and you're far away from home
Only rolling hills are left and you're far away from home
You need to go to the bathroom and you're far away from home
I didn't bring a cell phone and you're far away from home
The pains are getting sharper and you're far away from home
Oh my gosh, please hurry up and you're far away from home
Newby exerciser is now running and you're far away from home
Panting, sweating, screaming, sprinting and you're far away from home
All the neighbors turn and gawk and you're far away from home
Scrunch your muscles while you waddle and you're far away from home
Yell at child to drive faster and you're far away from home
Child keeps asking "what's the matter?" and you're far away from home
Take a shortcut through the yards and you finally see your home
Leave car behind, make young child run - you are closer to your home
Large creek seperates you between - you and your home
Make said child run through creek and you dash toward your home
Leave crying child in the backyard of your bea-uu-ti-ful home
Burst into basement beg husband for help - thank you heaven, I am home
Get fussed at by husband that someone might steal "expensive" car - WHAT?! this is home?
Sprint upstairs - because no plumbing in basement - dumb and stupid home
Should have read a book - and JUST STAYED AT HOME!
Lainie, Brewtus and I went for a walk tonight. She rode in her car and I walked up ahead of her. At full throttle her car goes 5 miles an hour - that a pretty decent power walk speed. All was good until I realized:
It's starting to get dark and you're far away from home
The dog is getting tired and you're far away from home
Your chub is really sweaty and you're far away from home
Thy face is turning red and you're far a way from home
My breath is coming faster and you're far away from home
Only rolling hills are left and you're far away from home
You need to go to the bathroom and you're far away from home
I didn't bring a cell phone and you're far away from home
The pains are getting sharper and you're far away from home
Oh my gosh, please hurry up and you're far away from home
Newby exerciser is now running and you're far away from home
Panting, sweating, screaming, sprinting and you're far away from home
All the neighbors turn and gawk and you're far away from home
Scrunch your muscles while you waddle and you're far away from home
Yell at child to drive faster and you're far away from home
Child keeps asking "what's the matter?" and you're far away from home
Take a shortcut through the yards and you finally see your home
Leave car behind, make young child run - you are closer to your home
Large creek seperates you between - you and your home
Make said child run through creek and you dash toward your home
Leave crying child in the backyard of your bea-uu-ti-ful home
Burst into basement beg husband for help - thank you heaven, I am home
Get fussed at by husband that someone might steal "expensive" car - WHAT?! this is home?
Sprint upstairs - because no plumbing in basement - dumb and stupid home
Should have read a book - and JUST STAYED AT HOME!
Friday, April 4, 2008
So it's now 11 o'clock and I am STILL sitting! According to Scott, I should get and do something..HA what does he know? Blogging and pictures are something!
I promised the link and a few chubby wedding pictures. SO here you go TA DA! Eight years and a good dose of Weight Watchers can change the world! Lainie keeps asking me where she is...that is such a funny conversation to try and have with a 4 year old!
The link is http://www.shutterfly.com/
Click on projects and look for Photobooks. It is really easy and requires no new software. Good luck!
Look how little the kids were!
Kelsey was a Jr Bridesmaid and is now 17 (she was nine at the time.)
Zach is a sophomore in high school now abut was 8 when he was the ring bearer in 2000 (he cried when he couldn't wear his tux to second grade the next day.)
Kolbi was Lainie's age and is now 12 and a 6th grader at Clark Middle. They were so cute!
They're cute now...but in a teenage way! So I guess they are more cool than cute now. I am such the old aunt!
First Christian Church, Maysville, KY
All the girls with silly faces. From this photo there are now 6 little girls and two baby boys. Everyone is happily married and live all over the place! There are Ashley M and Ann are in No. KY, Ashley W. Dutrow is in Louisville, Angie, Christie and Erika are in Lexington and Adele lives in Ohio. Me, Kelsey and Kolbi are all still in Winchester!
Hope you enjoy! I can't wait to show everybody my new album!
So here lately, money has been tight. I mean, life is going fine and all bills are paid for, but with the change in jobs (I mean from regular paychecks every two weeks to whenever the home owner thinks is a good time to give out money) it has changed the rhythm and routine Scott and I have gotten used to.
One thing we have really tried to do is to cut back on eating out. This one is good for all of us for a number of reasons aside from saving money. It has helped us keep homemade dinner time important. We are cutting back on processed foods. We are able to be at home to complete tasks and projects here and it's letting all of us try new recipes and foods and maybe loose a little weight along the way. So it's one way we are trying to help the team. Scott has even been eating lunches at home, which is completely foreign to him. All week long he has been eating the Vegetable Soup he made on Sunday. I am so proud of him for A. making and thus eating VEGETABLE soup and 2. coming home for lunch. So much better than the chili dogs at Wanda's Grocery that he loves!
Anyway, being limited on money now is no where near what it was like eight years ago when we got married. I remember planning our wedding and weighing so many options because we couldn't afford what we really wished we could get. Our wedding was amazing and gorgeous in every way. Not too bad for the budget we worked from...but the one regret I had was in regard to my pictures and the fact that we did not order an album. We ordered loose photos and they ended up just sending us the proofs (this was all before digital swept the nation.) So they jipped us and sent us our tiny little proofs that I them slipped into a little album from the engraving place.
Well last night......that all changed!!!
I discovered Shutterfly's Photobook section. I have now catapulted myself into the 21st digital century and made us a Wedding album. I scanned all of our photos (and they look amazing) and created a memory book for only $60! I am so pumped. (Good thing Scott is eating at home.....I'll use that money for my new book! HA! No....really, I'm asking for it for my birthday, silly!)
I'll post some links and wedding pics (ignore my chubby arms, that was 70 lbs. ago) in just a little bit!
One thing we have really tried to do is to cut back on eating out. This one is good for all of us for a number of reasons aside from saving money. It has helped us keep homemade dinner time important. We are cutting back on processed foods. We are able to be at home to complete tasks and projects here and it's letting all of us try new recipes and foods and maybe loose a little weight along the way. So it's one way we are trying to help the team. Scott has even been eating lunches at home, which is completely foreign to him. All week long he has been eating the Vegetable Soup he made on Sunday. I am so proud of him for A. making and thus eating VEGETABLE soup and 2. coming home for lunch. So much better than the chili dogs at Wanda's Grocery that he loves!
Anyway, being limited on money now is no where near what it was like eight years ago when we got married. I remember planning our wedding and weighing so many options because we couldn't afford what we really wished we could get. Our wedding was amazing and gorgeous in every way. Not too bad for the budget we worked from...but the one regret I had was in regard to my pictures and the fact that we did not order an album. We ordered loose photos and they ended up just sending us the proofs (this was all before digital swept the nation.) So they jipped us and sent us our tiny little proofs that I them slipped into a little album from the engraving place.
Well last night......that all changed!!!
I discovered Shutterfly's Photobook section. I have now catapulted myself into the 21st digital century and made us a Wedding album. I scanned all of our photos (and they look amazing) and created a memory book for only $60! I am so pumped. (Good thing Scott is eating at home.....I'll use that money for my new book! HA! No....really, I'm asking for it for my birthday, silly!)
I'll post some links and wedding pics (ignore my chubby arms, that was 70 lbs. ago) in just a little bit!
Thursday, April 3, 2008
HAPPY BIRTHDAY DADDY!
Yesterday was a neat day. With the weather having been so nice, Scott actually came home early! (Shocking, I know!) We celebrated his birthday in the sunshine!
I made him his favorite meal - Filet Mignon, Green beans, Jumbo Baked Potatos and Fried Apples. When I went to the store on Sunday to gather the goods, I could not find Filets nor Beef Tenderloin anywhere in the meat section. So I asked the meat man about it. He said that many stores have stopped carrying the high end meats because so many people shoplift them. WHAT? How cold would that be? Yuk! Anyway, with one tenderloin costing upwards of $70, then they have taken them off the shelves. Apparently Winchester's other grocery (at first I was at Walmart and then at Kroger) agreed. I was able to find several teeny filets wrapped in bacon for $3.00 a piece, so I got four. They aren't the caliber of Scott's fav restaurant - the 19th hole, both looked like they'd do the trick.
As I cooked and Scott grilled (Normally, I am the 95% grillmaster, but I wasn't about to destroy these tiny things by multi-tasking so I asked Scott to keep guard. He's really better at it then I am, but typically I just go ahead and do it myself.) That gave me time to pour and enjoy a glass of wine outside while talking to Scott and watching Lainie on the swings. A glass of wine...ah man...on a Wednesday? Gosh, I'm cool! Scott even smoked a cigar. We are such "wanna be" rich people!
We then had Italian Creme Cake (homemade by moi') and ice cream. Lainie sang to Daddy and passed out presents. We even took a walk up to the next subdivision to share some with Scott's mom. Scott said it was a super birthday!
So let's recap: played in the yard, had a glass of wine, smoked cigar, took a walk, had help cooking, husband home early, ate cake? Wow!! Happy birthday Scott!
Yesterday was a neat day. With the weather having been so nice, Scott actually came home early! (Shocking, I know!) We celebrated his birthday in the sunshine!
I made him his favorite meal - Filet Mignon, Green beans, Jumbo Baked Potatos and Fried Apples. When I went to the store on Sunday to gather the goods, I could not find Filets nor Beef Tenderloin anywhere in the meat section. So I asked the meat man about it. He said that many stores have stopped carrying the high end meats because so many people shoplift them. WHAT? How cold would that be? Yuk! Anyway, with one tenderloin costing upwards of $70, then they have taken them off the shelves. Apparently Winchester's other grocery (at first I was at Walmart and then at Kroger) agreed. I was able to find several teeny filets wrapped in bacon for $3.00 a piece, so I got four. They aren't the caliber of Scott's fav restaurant - the 19th hole, both looked like they'd do the trick.
As I cooked and Scott grilled (Normally, I am the 95% grillmaster, but I wasn't about to destroy these tiny things by multi-tasking so I asked Scott to keep guard. He's really better at it then I am, but typically I just go ahead and do it myself.) That gave me time to pour and enjoy a glass of wine outside while talking to Scott and watching Lainie on the swings. A glass of wine...ah man...on a Wednesday? Gosh, I'm cool! Scott even smoked a cigar. We are such "wanna be" rich people!
We then had Italian Creme Cake (homemade by moi') and ice cream. Lainie sang to Daddy and passed out presents. We even took a walk up to the next subdivision to share some with Scott's mom. Scott said it was a super birthday!
So let's recap: played in the yard, had a glass of wine, smoked cigar, took a walk, had help cooking, husband home early, ate cake? Wow!! Happy birthday Scott!
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
I absolutely love photography. I thought this might be an interesting time to share some of my recent favorites with you. This past Saturday, I took pictures at a wedding of a lady I work with. 
This is Vivian's and Gene's wedding from March 29th, 2008. It was a small wedding with only closest family and friends. I was only 6 or so feet from them at any one time. The set up made the photography very easy. 
The key for me is to take a lot of pictures. Move, realign, compose the frame again and just shoot. The most intriguing pictures are often the ones you get by accident. Anticipation is also key, so generally I watch the event through the lens of the camera with the shutter already focused. That way when you "feel" something, you capture it. No missing the shots. 
I've often been told (by my husband mostly) that I miss the rest of the room because I'm concentrated on the subject(s) in my viewfinder, but I retort with...yeah, but I saw his eyes bubble with tears when she entered the room. Did you see that? His answer is usually no. I watch for the small stuff and then turn quickly back to the main event.
This is Vivian's and Gene's wedding from March 29th, 2008. It was a small wedding with only closest family and friends. I was only 6 or so feet from them at any one time. The set up made the photography very easy. It was a nice event where I captured almost 700 shots of their event. I am a big believer in photojournalism that tells a story when shared later. By far it is the easiest style to capture and allows the photographer and the client the utmost freedom in movement and emotion. Posed pictures remove a significant portion of the emotion if not done correctly, so I only pose if it can't be avoided.
The key for me is to take a lot of pictures. Move, realign, compose the frame again and just shoot. The most intriguing pictures are often the ones you get by accident. Anticipation is also key, so generally I watch the event through the lens of the camera with the shutter already focused. That way when you "feel" something, you capture it. No missing the shots. 
I've often been told (by my husband mostly) that I miss the rest of the room because I'm concentrated on the subject(s) in my viewfinder, but I retort with...yeah, but I saw his eyes bubble with tears when she entered the room. Did you see that? His answer is usually no. I watch for the small stuff and then turn quickly back to the main event.I hope you enjoy these few pictures. Vivian hasn't even seen them yet, since she is still on her honeymoon. I'll share more events in the future.
Tuesday, April 1, 2008
One of the best things I have started doing lately for myself is reading. I am surprised by how much i find myself getting lost in some of the books I have and also at how proud of myself I am for slowing down long enough to read a little. It has helped me relax, learn a little bit more and try something different.With that, I also went out on a limb and joined a book club at school. There are about 13 people that I work with that are all lovers of reading and started a group after school once a month just after the holidays ended. Now, the first month...I didn't finish the book in time (apparently I didn't read the rules, so my homework wasn't done.) But I have kept up every other month. In fact, I've even gotten ahead when I can get a hold of the ext title that we are going into next. We rotate the hosting / food responsibilities throughout the group, so there is really no cost involved and it has let me get to know even more people that I teach beside everyday. Reading really is the age / gender neutralizer since several of these ladies are older than I am and I am the only one with a young child still in the house. Several girls are right out of school and some others are grandmothers.
My latest book is John Grisham's The Appeal. I've heard the ending is iffy...but it's it really well written when it comes to teaching you about the dirt and corruption of politics. Books that intrigue my curiosities about things I am apparently super naive in are the books I like the best. (i.e. Latest topics read: dirty politics, sex scandals, Coming of age in the Amish Community, Fundamentalist Mormon Brainwashing (Escape by C. Jessup...super! super! book), Lobotomies, Immigration pre-Depression era, Geishas, Life in Poverty) I'm telling you...I am WAY more naive than I thought, so non-fiction about stuff that is "surreal" to me, keeps me locked and focused.
I'm passing this love to Lainie, which is good too! Recently, she received the book Pinkalicious as a gift. In the book, the little girl turns pink from eating to many pink frosted cupcakes. Here's what my first day of Spring Break held.....baking and frosting pink cupcakes and dressing up in pink clothes to take photos. Lainie wants to send it to the author of the book and I think that is a super idea! Enjoy the photo!! We had a blast!!PS - Brewtus licked several of the cupcakes clean as I turned around, so apparently he liked them too!
The Trophy..The TROPHY! It has been all the buzz these past few days. Lainie recieved her first trophy. Typically, I have always been a bit cynical when it comes to every kid on the team getting a trophy. We grew up in the days whenonly the top and best kids got ribbons and medals, now they give em out everywhere....but now that I'm a Mom and I saw the sheer excitement on my child's face...I have been pulled to the other side!
We have had the trophy in the car, to our grandmother's, on the counter, in the mud, on the shelf, in our lap and almost within the bath water (Scott and I both nixed that one.)
She is pretty proud of her little girl "trophy with hair." (as she calls it)
T-ball is now over and was totally worth it!
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