Loving this helmet

I am in LOVE with my new riding helmet. It rocks out y'all!!! It looks even better in real life than it did online.

Riding is going great - I am enjoying the Shadow so much. Hooked baby, that's me!

Here's a pic of me modeling the helmet. Hot right? :)

Couldn't be better....

These pictures my babies took at the fair pretty much sum up their personalities. I smile every time I look at them.

Red Fox football.....

Always a Red Fox........

 

It's been a crazy time in our little community......on Friday night, a HS player for our team collapsed twice on the field and was rushed to the hospital.  He died later that night before the game was even over.  The cause was due to an enlarged heart he wasn't aware of.  I can't imagine the fear and feeling of hopelessness as people watched the events on the field.  It was homecoming too so attendance was high.  So, so sad.

 

We had almost taken the kids to the game.  I'm thankful now that we got busy doing some things at my parents house and lost track of time.  I don't know that I could have handled it, much less my two babies. 

 

Now I'm thinking - my baby plays football.  I know it's nothing like HS or college football, but there's always that chance of something happening.  Small, small chance, but to a mother, any chance is a big chance.  He's so small and it worries me that he might get hurt.  After Friday, I want to run out on the field every time he goes out there.  I know I can't live my life or let the kids live their lives scared to do *anything* but it's hard.   I don't want to imagine the pain the parents of our lost player is feeling. 

 

I love my town - I love how Hartsville has pulled together and is supporting the team and students.  Today, they wore red in honor of Ronald Rouse.  He was 18 years old.  Just a baby. 

 

Say a prayer for the Rouse family today and in the days ahead.  They have a tough, tough road ahead of them and definitely need God's love and healing to help them through this difficult time.  And if you have kids that play any type of sport - keep a prayer handy to keep them safe.  Life is short and too precious.  

I passed!!!

You read that right!  I passed my motorcycle test!  Woo Hoo!!!  I took a three day beginner motorcycle training class offered at FDTC.  At first I wasn't sure if I really needed to take it since Al and my Dad have been helping me practice, but wow - I am sssooo glad I did.  We practiced all kinds of moves and turns and curves, etc....you name it.  Some of it was a lot harder than others....some of it (almost all really) was really fun.  I recommend to anyone that if you are just learning to ride or haven't ridden in a long time - this is the class for you.  Trust me.  This is probably one of the few times I am 100% right on something. 

 

I can honestly say, taking that class was the BEST decision I've made.  I can't even begin to tell you all that I learned while we were out there.  I definitely feel way more comfortable on my bike now than I did before.  You learn a lot of "survival skills" - and as a motorcycle rider, you can never know too many of those. 

 

I aced the written test (it was multiple choice and pretty easy) but the skills test was honest to goodness HARD.  I mean HARD.  The DMV skills test is NOTHING compared to the skills test you take at the end of the course.  The fact that I passed is the biggest victory in the world.  I was very nervous that I had not!  I won't lie - I still have a lot to learn and a lot of practicing to do.....I passed that test but one or two mistakes and it could have been a different story.  

 

Our first section was staggered cones.  Not the regular cones in a line and you just weave in and out......but cones in different positions and widths from each other.  VERY HARD.  You basically have to use your clutch control to move the bike, no throttle really.  When we practiced this, it kicked my butt. BIG TIME.  I did a little better on the skills test, but I didn't do it perfectly.  Then we had to do a figure eight within a box.  HARD.  I came out the box a little - but I didn't do horribly.  The rest of the test wasn't that bad.....we ended up doing 5 exercises and that was it.  I just hated that the first two were the main two I had the most problems with.  There's no way the DMV test is any harder than that one.  No way. 

 

I'm happy though - I can't wait to get out on the road and work on the skills I learned and improve my riding.  It's going to be a fun ride ya'll!  

Godspeed Sue!

My family lost a dear, dear friend yesterday. Sue was one of the most wonderful people I knew. I honestly can't think of a single person who didn't like Sue.

Life won't be the same without you Sue - but I'll see you again one day.

Not being THAT parent

You know the boy is playing football. Honest to God tackle football.

The first game of the season was last night. Mad Dogs lost 21-6. But, I will say this - those boys are making plays and playing real ball. The other team just has a couple of fast boys we couldn't catch. They had no idea what they were doing.   I know the score doesn't reflect the best, but I think our boys have coaches that really want to teach them the fundamentals of the game and you can really see it when they are on the field. 

Still, it was frustrating to watch. I kept cheering Cooper and his team on though. I had decided before games started, I would not yell and criticize how he played. He's only 7 years old!  And he's never played before - like most of his team!  :)

There's plenty of parents out there that are "that" parent though. I couldn't believe some of the stuff I heard. Give your kid pointers but don't be harsh.  One mom is so loud, I don't even want to sit near her.  She yells at her two boys, at the coaches, at the umpires.....she'd probably yell at me if she caught me yawking at her with my mouth wide open.  I don't like seeing the team lose either, but come on!  Coop said he had fun - no doubt he did. I could tell he was nervous lined up against a bigger boy. I could even tell he was hesitant to tackle him period. He'll learn how to handle the big boys on his own and with his coaches help. For now, I'm sticking to just cheering him on.

 

 

He looks lost doesn't he?

 

 

But in all seriousness, we make sports too easy for kids sometimes.  If you sign up for a sport, you're in.  And that's fine - but now we have leagues where no one keeps score and the rules are modified to help all the kids "succeed" - but there's times where I think that causes more damage than good.  If you sign up and play, then PLAY.  You're kidding yourself if you think the kids don't keep score.  They do.  And stop making some rules easier so Bubba can score a goal, or Sally can score a few points.  It's called practice.  You have a coach, you practice, and if you win, you win. 

 

It wasn't easy watching the Mad Dogs lose.  And seeing the score up on the score board wasn't a pleasant sight - AT ALL.  But it's real.  And now the boys and coaches have something to work on in practice.  Like how to run down a deer dressed in a football jersey. 

 

My baby is having fun.  He's learning a lot and is having some great Daddy/Son time.  I know it's my nature to be THAT parent, but for now, I'm resolved to try my best to hold her back and just ride the wave.  I'm not sure I'll succeed, but I'm trying.  :)

10 years

Celebrating ten years with my hubby!

 

I love you Alton Griggs!  I can't wait to grow old(er) with you.  

Yesterday

I remember every detail of the morning of 9/11/01. 

 

Do you? 

 

I still can't believe it's been eleven years since the terrorist attacks on our country.  So much in my life has changed in those 11 years.  But that morning when those planes hit the World Trade Centers and Pentagon and the last plane went down thanks to the bravery of those on board......I can recall vividly.  I'll never forget the feeling I had as I listened to the radio and heard the DJ say a plane had hit one the towers. 

 

And then another.  And the Pentagon.  I know it wasn't happening in my town; it wasn't happening to the people I loved the most in the world, but I was scared.  Scared that the country I love, scared that someone, SOMETHING had found our Achilles heel.  I remember watching the live footage on TV of  people trapped in the towers and crying.  I felt helpless.  And guilty - guilty because I was thankful I was in little ole SC, and not somewhere like NY.  I felt those people's pain.  I prayed - more than I've ever prayed in my life. 

 

11 years.  Even after 11 years, I still have those same emotions.  Only now I'm a mother and a wife.  When I think about the events of that day, my emotions are magnified 100x because "what if that were my child on that plane?" or "what if that were my husband in that tower?"  I can.not.even.think. about how I would handle a "last phone call to say I love you." I can barely type these words out without almost crying.  I applaud the bravery of the loved ones on the other ends of those lines and I hope I never live a day where I am tested to see if I'm that brave. 

 

It's hard to teach the kids about 9/11 without tearing up or crying.  I can see the images of people jumping out of windows and falling to their deaths.  I can see the images of the explosions as the planes hit.  I can see the images of terrified people running and not knowing where to go.  It's something that I'll never get out of my head.  Some days I'm glad - some days I wish I had never seen the horrors of that day.  My kids don't understand my feelings - can't understand why I feel so strongly about something that didn't happen to me.  But it did.  I wasn't directly affected that day, but it changed me.  It made me realize that I live in a country that is venerable just like every other country.  September 11th, 2001 made me realize that the United States was not untouchable. 

 

  I hope my kids never live through an event like the 9/11 terror attacks.  But I hope they grow up understanding the importance of remembering the day. 

 

As a country, we must NEVER forget the tragedies of that day.  NEVER forget how unprepared we were for such horrors and NEVER forget how we came together as a country and helped heal each other.  Healing that is still taking place 11 years later.  The US may never fully recover, and that may be a good thing.  We must never put ourselves in a position where something to this magnitude can happen again. 

 

Do you remember where you were on 9/11/01?  

Football days

My baby boy is playing football this year. I mean real TACKLE football.

I do not like this at all.

He, of course loves it. Even as small as he is, he loves to tackle. He's pretty good at it too. :)

O and I cheer him on at practice until the bigger boys get thrown into the mix. Then we leave. I don't think either of us can stand to see him hit the ground. So Al stays. He comes home talking football with his Daddy and sweaty. "Whole body" sweaty is what he calls it.

I love football. I just wish he was a kicker.

Birthday Celebration

Cooper wanted his birthday dinner at Rancho Grande this year. Here's some pics:

Seven Years

Today my Lil Man, Cooper Thomas, is SEVEN years old.

 

Wow.

 

Has it really been seven years now?  It seems like yesterday he came into this world unexpectedly and with a bang.  I've adored every.single.second. of the last seven years. 

 

How could you not love this kid?  You can see the love and sweetness in his eyes!

 

 

Cooper is our loving child.  He loves to snuggle, he loves to hug and he doesn't shy away from telling you he loves you.  He is honestly the polar opposite of his sister.  I've always said Cooper was our "kid kid" - meaning he is the only one of the two that actually acts like a child 100% of the time.  Olivia is our child who thinks she's an adult.  He isn't scared to call me "Mommy."  He LOVES, I mean LOVES to tell jokes and make people laugh.  He's my little clown like that.  He wins everyone over with his sweet smile and baby blue eyes.  And who can forget the cowlick?  Something about the cowlick along with the smile and blue eyes just makes all the women love my boy!  He's probably going to be a heart breaker and not even realize it when he gets older. 

 

He wears his emotions on his sleeve.  You can hurt Cooper more by simply raising your voice or telling him you are disappointed in him than giving him a spanking.  He forgives so easily too.  Coop's heart is one of the sweetest and kindest I've ever known.  He's like his Daddy that way.  :)  The only "flaw" I can say that Cooper possess is his temper.  When he gets mad, he gets MAD.  (He gets that from Mommy I'm afraid.) And when he gets mad, he doesn't back down from the fight. 

 

At 7 years old Cooper loves:

football (he loves anything Clemson)

baseball

soccer

basketball

golf

wrestling (I'll be so glad when he outgrows this!)

pizza

chocolate

chocolate milk

Coke

riding his bike

sitting on the motorcycles

Molly and George

swimming

dancing

telling jokes

 

He doesn't love hermit crabs though!

 

Happy birthday sweet Cooper!  Mommy, Daddy, and Olivia love you so very, very much!  I hope to celebrate 100 more birthdays with you.  

Happy 40 minus 2 birthday!

Happy 38th birthday to my wonderful husband, Al! 

 

If you don't know Al - you're missing out.  He's one of the best people that has walked this Earth EVER.  I mean that.  He's an awesome husband, father, friend.....everything.  I can't imagine my life without him and because of him, I'm a better person.  He grounds me and is always my supporter. 

 

I love you Boo!  I hope we celebrate 50 more of your birthdays together.

 

My two August birthday boys. 

 

Al's birthday is often overlooked because Cooper's is two days later on the 30th.  I did manage to bake Al a chocolate cake last night though.  :)  Plus, the kids suck all the enjoyment of his birthday away because they keep saying he's 40 and old.  Poor Al.  :)

Adjusting

The kids are adjusting to their new schools.  It hasn't been as smooth as I had hoped.  Olivia hates, I mean, HATES the fact she has to wear a uniform.  I can't say I blame her - I think it's silly that a public school requires a uniform.  And FYI, no, it doesn't save you money because you end up buying new clothes for them to wear outside of school *on top* of the uniforms you have to buy.  I think she's a bit overwhelmed and just not admitting it.  Her class size is bigger than before, she doesn't know but a few people in her classes, and she doesn't have Cooper to fall back on.  She's being a trooper though and I love her for it.  I really do think it'll get better for her - she just needs to give it some time.

 

Cooper, on the other hand is LOVING his new school.  Well, for the most part anyways.  He's not happy that he has to tuck his shirt in and it seems to really bother him when he sees someone without their shirt tucked in.  He told me yesterday that he told a little boy in his class that he needed to tuck in his shirt and the little boy told him to stop "annoying him" so Cooper walked away.  I think it hurt his feelings a little - in his mind, he was just trying to help and keep the little boy from getting in trouble.  My boy has "Hall Monitor" written all over him folks.  :) 

 

All in all, it's only been three days - and this is a big move for both the kids and I know it's going to take a few weeks for them to get comfortable where they are.  I just hope those few weeks go by quickly!  :) 

 

How's school going for your little ones?

First day of school

Today is the first day of school. It's been the hardest first day of school EVER. Both kids are at new schools - separate schools - for the first time. Needless to say, I was as nervous as they were!

I'm hoping for a good report from both of them. I know O is nervous she won't make new friends, even if she won't admit it. I know she will but she doesn't think I know what I'm talking about. :)

Coop went into school like a champ. I am so thankful he doesn't shy away from new things. He's like his Daddy that way. Here's some pics:

Drawing Near

That time is coming up on us fast folks!  It's back to school time! 

O and I are heading out today to meet her teachers and drop off her school supplies.  I think she's a little nervous.  Both kids are heading into new schools but I have no doubt my little social butterfly will make tons of friends.  Cooper goes Friday to meet his teacher and he's beyond excited. 

Let's hope this excitement keeps up.  :)  Can you believe I have a fourth grader and a first grader now?  Seriously, how did they grow up so fast?  

My "Not a Harley" of my own!

I have motorcycle fever. 

I didn't see it coming, Al didn't see it coming - NO ONE saw it coming.  But I got it.  Riding passenger on Al's Fatboy is SO.MUCH.FUN. Seriously, I can't tell you if I enjoy it more or if Al does! 

So I decided to get one of my own and learn to ride.  :)  We looked at about 6 different bikes.  I was sold on the Honda Rebel for awhile because it was light, great for beginners, and *cheap.* Al wasn't convinced I would be happy with it though, so we looked at a 883 Sportster (which scared me to death just sitting on) and a couple different Honda Shadows. 

Al found the perfect fit Honda Shadow for me. He knew it was perfect, and when I sat on it and felt how comfortable I was on it, I knew he was right. So I got it.  I had my first lesson yesterday afternoon and I did pretty good.  I stalled a few times but finally got the hang of what to do to prevent that.  Once I got use to it, it wasn't scary or anything.  Of course, I was going straight up and down a road.  I haven't practiced turns yet.  :)  Wish me luck!  I had a ball yesterday riding.  I will be going to get my permit in a week or so and I plan on taking my time getting comfy with the bike before I try for the test. 

It screams "Mandy!"



Registration!

Yikes!  Registration is TOMORROW!!!!! 

School starts on the 20th. 

*doing happy Mandy dance*  

My View

My view on the whole Chic-Fil-A issue?

Love is LOVE.  Every human being deserves the same rights.  There are no grey areas here.  Equality is for all or it's not equality at all. 

I believe in freedom of speech.  I do not believe in hiding behind freedom of speech in order to diminish a person's value as a citizen or to treat someone differently just because of who they love. Or who they are.  Do you know that some of the best people I know are gay?  People that I can honestly say are BETTER people than I am.  I don't spend a lot of time in church, so I can't quote verses like some of my friends.  But I know enough to realize my God loves all sinners; and forgives them too. 

I also know enough to realize that when someone says "Tolerance is a two way street" - well no it's not.  Because the person supporting CFA walks away as a model citizen whereas people I love walk away still being treated as a 2nd class citizen.  You, CFA supporter, walk away with all your rights whereas the gay cashier taking your order does not.  He/She walks away feeling like they are less worthy than everyone else.

This isn't an issue of freedom of speech - and we all know it. 

I support equal rights.  Because when I look at someone, I see a human being.  Not a straight person or a gay person.  Our world would be a better place if everyone could do the same.  

Sleep Walker

We have a sleepwalker.  And it's not fun at all.

Cooper had night terrors when he was smaller - those were KILLER.  He'd wake us up crying, looking at us all wild eyed but if you tried to touch him or talk to him, he'd crank up louder.  After about 10 to 30 minutes of *that* sweet noise, he'd simply lay down and go back to sleep.  I never got use to it. It was completely unnerving.   I was so relieved when he finally outgrew them.

But now he sleepwalks.  Sometimes he'll sleepwalk to the bathroom, use it, then go back to bed.  Last night though, he tried to open the back door that leads into the garage.  Poor O woke up and saw him first messing with the door and saying "Why won't this open?" over and over.  Al had to lead him back to bed and sleep with him to make sure he stayed put.  He doesn't remember a thing from last night and the poor fella is super tired this morning.  I can't imagine why?  He probably didn't sleep any better than we did. 

I can't wait for him to outgrow this too.  Thank goodness O is a hard sleeper.  

Snaffle Tooth

Cooper's new nickname is "Snaggle Tooth" or as he says it with three missing teeth "Snaffle Tooth."

He's still the cutest ever.