IT Is...

The IT is a CAR!!!
Well, a Honda Odyssey. It was hands down the BEST surprise ever.

A few weeks ago Tyler called me from work and asked me to meet him for lunch in Greenville at 12:30. I got his message asking me to meet him about an hour before I was to meet him.

I was a little irritated because of the short notice. I had just gotten in from taking the kids for a jog. This meant there would be no time for a shower so I'd have and that I would have to ask Tyler's mom at the last minute to keep Annley .

An hour later I met Tyler for lunch. He seemed excited and more animated than usual. We hadn't even ordered yet when Tyler announced that he had bought me a van.

I was very excited, especially when he told me it was the one I picked out.
He and my brother had taken it for a test drive the previous weekend.

I love finally having a car again. It's so nice to be able to do the normal mundane things like grocery shopping whenever I want and without having to ask to borrow someone else's car.

We named our van Phoebe. She is loved by the whole family.



- Posted from my iPad

The It

There is something I have been lacking for the last three years.
This is something I have greatly missed.
It is something most people in America have at least one of.
It is something that makes life much easier than it was 200 years ago.

It is something Tyler surprised me with.

Do you know what the IT is?



- Posted from my iPad

Some Things Are Better Left Unsaid

Yesterday, I talked to Annley about Halloween.

I asked her if she would like to be Tinker Bell for Halloween. She was very excited and immediately began asking me about Tinker Bell's green dress.

I explained that I would have to make Tinker Bell 's dress before she could wear it. Annley then said "Mommy, you need to make Tinker Bell's green dress so I can wear it."

She talked about it for awhile and then moved on to other things.

Then at eleven o'clock last night Parker woke Annley up. It took Tyler and I thirty minutes to get her and Parker back to bed.

Tyler and I weren't in bed 10 minutes when Annley opened our bedroom door and then crawled into bed with us, an activity she usually saves for 4:00am.

I was frustrated. Wasn't she just asleep? Why was she up again?

I wondered out loud to Tyler. Tyler whispered "I think she's excited about Tinker Bell's dress."

What? Surely not.

So I asked.

"Annley, Why are you awake? What are you so excited about?"

"Mommy, I want to wear Tinker Bell's green dress."

Oh, for heaven's sake, I should have kept my mouth shut!

She has been talking about the dress that doesn't yet exist almost since the moment I let the words slip out of my mouth.




- Posted from my iPad

Twinkle Toes

Annley started a Creative Movements dance class. She loves it!
Her teacher, Mrs. Melanie, is very patient with her class of 2 year olds and she loves all of them.

Bippity Boppity Boo

The last few months Tyler has pretty much been MIA. Why? Well he has been involved with the local theater, and by involved I mean he got one of the lead roles in Roger's and Hammerstein's "Cinderella".

My Prince Charming actually got to be Prince Charming.

He had rehearsals six nights a week. Needless to say he was very missed, especially by his Little Princess who on one or two occasions was a little jealous that he was off playing with Cinderella instead of at home with her.




Tyler was nice enough to let me help him with his lines. I was glad to be involved somehow.

The girl playing Cinderella was more than a little bothered about the fact that Prince Charming was a married man that she had to kiss not just once but three times a show three nights a week.

Opening night came and I did not go. Instead I went the following night. Unfortunately, my seat was right next to the play's director. I wasn't nervous about the fact my husband was going to kiss another woman but nervous about how my reaction would come across to the director. The whole play I was so self conscience about how my body language and facial expressions looked to the director. Especially the scene with the kiss.

I was fortunate enough to go to another show on closing weekend with my parents and my brother. Needless to say I enjoyed that show much more, partially because I was NOT sitting next to the director and partially because it was obvious that the cast was more comfortable with what they were doing and they were having more fun.

Tyler did an amazing job playing the role as Prince Charming during and after the show. He and Cinderella were very patient signing autographs for all the little girls. Tyler, from what I heard, actually had several admirers.

The stepsisters stole the show. They were very talented and came across hateful and hilarious at the same time. It was a very good show.





Annley did not actually get to see the play because she is no where close to being considered a quiet child, especially when pretty dresses and princesses are involved.

She did, however, get to meet Cinderella and Prince Charming after one of the plays. She was very quiet and did not recognize Prince Charming at first. Once she realized Prince Charming was her Daddy she was her usual animated self. That is, until she met Cinderella.

Cinderella was very kind to Annley. Annley was kind right back and even curtsied for her.








I'm grateful that Tyler was able to participate in the play but I am even more grateful that the play is over and that we'll have Tyler back home in the evenings for a few months until his next play.





And we are currently living happily ever after!