The List - Tagging my blogging buddies to do the same!

Instructions:
Copy the list, bold the ones you've done (with explanations if needed), share with friends.

1. Started your own blog - inspired by KPH! Also, much easier than lugging out the scrapbooking equipment!
2. Slept under the stars- many times - I was one of the best Boy Scouts ever!
3. Played in a band - for about 6 years. Some of my BEST friends growing up!
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower - I did watch the comet go over though
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland - yes! On my honeymoon!
8. Climbed a mountain - Well, not with a backpack, but have driven up several.
9. Held a praying mantis - held several!
10. Sang a solo - as a kid. Not happening now.
11. Bungee jumped - Yes, at Gulf Shores. It would not have been so bad if I had not gotten a terrible sunburn that day!
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a thunder and lightning storm -oh yes, all summer long and I love them.
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty-
18. Grown your own vegetables - last summer was my first attempt. It did not go so well.
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill - sick days are for fun!
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb - at the fair
26. Gone skinny dipping - I do not think I will explain this one.
27. Run a Marathon - but I am about to do my first 10k!
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run - several :)
32. Been on a cruise - no, but going on two this year!
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke Fun! I love it
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted - yep - mom had one done of Luke and me as kids
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain - LOVE IT :)
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason - a few times :)
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma - Yep to Blood and Platelets - no to plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone - several bones, several times
78. Been a passenger on a motorcycle once - have ZERO desire to do it again
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Kissed a stranger at midnight on New Year’s Eve
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Got a tattoo
94. Had a baby - 2 great kids!
95. Seen the Alamo in person - several times. Jamey has family in San Antonio
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee - Several times!

I Chop it in half!

One of the best things about my kids spending time with my mom is they get their hands down in good dirt. My mom is a gardener. Not vegetables so much, but flowers. Her yard is always beautiful. Last night as Jamey and I headed to Biloxi for a fun night with friends, my children were on their hands and knees in the dirt planting flowers with my mom. Ansley was delighted to find the dirt was full of worms. Now, my girl is all about ballet and dolls and cooking and fingernail polish, but this girl also loves dirt and worms and all things in the garden.
She was holding up the worms to show my mom when Stephen eyeballed one worm and raised his little spade saying, "I chop it in half!". Ansley was horrified and immediately rescued the worm from certain death. "Why would you want to chop it in half?" my mom asked Stephen. To which he then replies, "then we would have TWO worms."

This afternoon we are soaking up the sun in the backyard. In a fairly large backyard of grass and toys and treehouses, we have small space of red dirt. Guess where my kids usually end up? At this very moment, they are currently digging a rabbit hole. Yep, a rabbit hole to Wonderland. They have only managed about a 2 inch deep hole, but they are determined. I hope they make it.

But that's the part I like!!

I learned several months ago that getting up a few minutes earlier in the morning and making some sort of hot breakfast means my children are much friendlier at 6am. Cold cereal is not their thing usually. I might can slip in cereal once a week but thats about it. Its not like Im cooking pancakes or waffles - usually I just mix up muffins or put cinnamon rolls in the oven. Stephen actually eats breakfast at home about 6am and then eats a complete other breakfast at Ms. Debbie's at 8:00.

Wednesday morning I made mini blueberry muffins and put the tray on the dining room table to cool. Both kids were dressed but still laying on the couch watching cartoons. While I was drying my hair in the other room, Ansley comes to get me. "Come look what Stephen did!"
I walk into the dining room and see a full tray of muffins with EVERY single muffin top bitten off. Yep, he picked up each little mini muffin and ate the top of it and then neatly placed it back into the muffin tray.

Ansley. was. not. pleased.

With my only other offer cold cereal, she was a trooper and ate the bottom half of several muffins with her glass of milk.

Next time, I will cool the muffins OUT of arms reach.

We love Ms. Debbie!

The picture above is from the Exploreum downtown - the Dinosaur exhibit! The picture below is an outdoor project - creating pine cone bird feeders.

Practicing holding pencils correctly and drawing lines.

During the work day, Stephen stays with a WONDERFUL lady who we have all grown to love so much. She has a home daycare with 6 children and it is truly a wonderful place to be a child. It has the best of both worlds - the comfort of a home and the interaction of playmates. She has a fabulous room with organized areas of play and learning. I really could go on and on about how wonderful this lady is and Stephen has just blossomed. He is learning so much everyday and doesn't even know it! Another bonus is the field trips! Ms. Debbie takes the children on outings as much as she can. The park, the exploreum, the library.
Here are a few pictures she has taken over the past few months. She uploads them during the day so the parents can see them while at work. You will see Ansley in a few of the pictures b/c she stays with Ms. Debbie on days her school happens to be closed. She loves going too.

I really stressed about the right situation for Stephen. And thanks to my friends Shannan and Karen I ended up with a spot here and I have been 100% pleased.



At ChuckECheese, then Valentines Party - and then a few pictures from a few trips to the park.

car buggies and other annoyances

Ok - whoever invented those awful buggies in WinnDixie that look like a 2 seater race car needs a swift kick to the rear. My kids are typically really good in the gorcery store but I still try not to take them much b/c it just asks for trouble. Ansley will hold coupons and mark things off the list, but Stephen is pretty much over it as soon as we walk through the door.
Of course, even though he can not read a word, he knows when we are in WinnDixie. He knows those "race car buggies" exist. And he wants one.
Ansley had dance this afternoon, so Stephen and I made a quick trip to the store for supper. As we were walking in the doors, Stephen was praying for an available "race car buggy" and I was praying they were all taken. Somehow, my prayer won out. They are hard to push and the volume of Stephen's voice seems to go off the charts when he rides in one so I was glad to see they were apparently all taken.
And then the questions start in: "Why are they gone Mama? Why can't we look for one? Can't we go outside and see if there is one there? Why did they not buy enough race car buggies for me?" You get the picture.
I managed to convince him that the regular buggy was just as cool. Or I attempted to anyway. Distraction is the best method for us, so we were off in search of asparagus (my kids LOVE it) and he was happy for the moment.
We are more than halfway done in the store, when I see a lady pushing a race car buggy. Stephen sees it too. But what neither of us see, is a KID IN THE STINKING BUGGY. Nope, no kid. She is just using it as her shopping cart. The fact she is childless does not escape Stephen and he lets her know it: "Hey! Her doesn't have any kids. Not even 1 kid. And her has that race car buggy!" And since I was in complete shock that he was right and did not answer him, he says the same phrase again, only much louder!
This lady, who we then passed several more times in the store as you do when you are trying to avoid someone, continued her leisurely shopping trip using that blasted race car buggy.
Oh. My. Lord.
We then exit Winn Dixie as quickly as possible with a Rice Krispy Treat in hand for a bribe for Stephen and a nerve soother for me.

Ahhhhhhhhhh

It is Sunday late afternoon. The Olympics are on tv, Jamey is sleeping on the couch and the kids are watching a new Chipmunks movie in the other room - a Valentine's Day present from my mom and dad. We had a great lunch with Luke and Sara at Sara's parents' house. After a weekend of craziness and rushing here and there (ok, well, my 5 hours at the spa on Friday were not so rushed and crazy - in fact, it was wonderful) This upcoming week is exactly what I need. 3 days of work before the next weekend. Now THAT is a schedule I can handle. I am almost brain dead from the last few weeks. Mardi Gras is over for the Duke family although parades will be rolling for several more days in Mobile. After a night at the piano bar downtown, 3 balls and many more parades, I am worn out!

We enjoyed having Luke and Sara visit. Luke will be disappearing for 3 months so we were sad to give him good bye hugs this afternoon. We are planning a week at the beach in July so we will all be counting the days until then.

Healthy and Happy

My little man had a rough week last week. My kids almost never get sick (knock on wood) The picture above is from last Saturday at the parade of Dauphin Island. If you look at the picture now, you can tell he is going downhill. I thought it was just from lots of outdoor fun and no nap, but he is pale in the picture. 24 hours later he started running fever and it literally did not stop until 6 days later. 2 separate trips to the doctor said it was viral. And of course, I knew it was probably viral. We have been so blessed with healthy kids. Sunday night, I knew he had fever, but did we even own a working thermometer? Nope.
He missed a full week of "school" at Ms. Debbie's house. BUT, he is now back to his usual sweetness. He does have a very nasty cough (the dr thinks he developed a secondary infection and finally gave us some meds) so I will be glad when that cough is gone.

Ansley has been healthy so far and is such a helper. I swear if baby Duke #3 does ever appear, that baby will have 2 mamas. She can run a bath, dress Stephen, load the dishwasher and make herself popcorn in the microwave. She can also completely work my Iphone including the copy and paste feature.

I'm proud of my girl. She likes to help. I'm crossing my fingers that she will somehow be immune to the teenage cloud of drama and moodiness when those days arrive. I can always hope, can't I?