Happy Birthday to Me!

Xander eating my free birthday sundae!

I love my birthday. I don't care that I am getting old - I have always loved my birthday, and probably always will!

This year the kids gave me the sweetest cards (I'm still working on teaching Tommy that we don't pay for cards, we make them......).

In the past few years, one of my favorite things about my birthday is to see how many free meals/gifts/treats I can find! Let's face it - I have two children and live on a teacher's salary - there aren't any other presents coming my way!

This year I got:

Red Robin – (at the Avenue) – free burger – our waiter said I could order whatever I wanted! – Burgers come with unlimited fries – if you don’t order a drink – cost is tip only! And the waiter brought me a cool birthday sundae at the end of my meal (singing is optional!) – email came week before my bday good until one week from my bday

Doc Greens – free entrée – email came day before bday, good until 2 days after bday - Xander and I went and for $1.48 total we got a buffalo chicken finger pananini sandwich, chips and an iced tea.

Coldstone Creamery – free “like it with mix in” - $3.55 value – be prepared to show ID

Ruby Tuesday – free hand crafted burger – our waiter said I could have $7.99 credit essentially – and they brought me a cool ice cream sundae at the end of the meal (no singing) – with “happy birthday” written in chocolate - I used my credit for queso dip and chips appetizer - was plenty for a full meal (and I got a coke!)

Baskin Robbins – free small ice cream cone/cup – email expires one week from the day I got it

Sweet Tomato’s – BOGO adult meal (must purchase two drinks) - I LOVE this place - I had salad, soup, baked potato and frozen yogurt for dessert......YUMMY

Wendy’s - $1 off combo meal coupon - used this for a quick dinner after tutoring

I got several others that I haven't used yet - and some I won't get to use. But the game of finding the deals and enjoying them is part of the pleasure!

Go Muckdogs!

T-ball season has been the most entertaining sports season I have ever been fortunate enough to be a part of.

You won't believe the things that happen at a tball game.

In this last game for example, Xander got a great hit! So great, that a kid on our own team couldn't resist getting off of 2nd base (where he was supposed to be leaving and running to 3rd) to get the ball for the other team. "I've got it Coach Bobby!" Xander's hit would have gone to the fence (as the other team believe it or not was worse in the field than we are) - but was quickly stopped by one of our runners.

We are so proud of Xander. Never was a four year old more ready on the field - always crouched down, waiting for the ball to come his way. Never was a first baseman cuter. NEVER. Never was a hit more thought about, more practiced for (God bless daddy and all that tball time in the front yard!), and more celebrated.

3rd Lost Tooth

I will confess - I am all about the magic. I love Santa Claus, the Easter bunny and even our chick - the tooth fairy.

Kids grow up so fast - I love letting the fantasy linger, enjoying the pure joy of believing in something that you can not see.

And so, I get just as excited as Mikaela each time she looses a tooth.

You may remember that the dear daddy pulled the first two when they were loose.

Not this time - Ms. Independence baby decided that SHE was going to be the one to pull this one. It hung on by a thread for two days - waiting.

Finally, Tuesday (5/12) she came home from ballet, and pulled it out - all by HERSELF!

The tooth fairy arrived that evening and brought a fairy pin (her favorite fairy......whose name does now escape me) and $2.

Uncle Brian's Wedding

Uncle Brian was married at Acuity Lighting in Conyers, GA. The ceremony was outside on the deck - very pretty. Our favorite part of the ceremony was the blending of the families:

http://www.celebrateintimateweddings.com/ceremonysand.html

Xander loved the cameras on the table - and took lots of pictures.

Mikaela loved all the dancing!

We learned to do the Cha Cha Slide (I know I'm old because I don't even know how to do the popular dances at weddings these days -where did the electric slide go to?)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0nbMLOr0tHU


Favorite wedding qoute: X: "Aren't Aunt Beth and Uncle Brian already married? Are they just doing it again so we can watch? Guess now we have Uncle Beth and Uncle Brian!"

He's still working on that whole change your name when you get married idea!

Playdough

BibleMan

Xander has named Lifeway Christian store as "The Bibleman Store."

I know when I take him with me, that inevitably I will be talked into something bibleman.

"Mommy - bibleman fights the mean people who take kids away from God."

How could I argue with him wanting to be bibleman?

Conversations in a Mini Van

We do a lot of carpool - we take Mikaela to school, then either come home or go to the park, then we take the little kids crew to preschool, ....insert Mommy working or running errands or volunteering.....

then, I pick up the little kids crew (Xander, and the two children I keep) and bring them home.

then, we go back out to pick up Mikaela, drop off our two extra babies.........

So, many of my most interesting conversations take place in a mini van.

X: When will Daddy be home today?

Me: About 4:00 - he has detention duty today.

X: Is detention inciting?

Me: Do you mean exciting?

X: yes...inciting...is detention INCITING?

Me: No.

X: Why would you want to stay for detention then? What is it?

Me: Well, detention is where kids who don't listen to their teacher and do all their work have to stay after school. They don't get to home when everyone else does. They stay at school and sit quietly.

X: Why doesn't daddy just be a good listener?

Me: Xander, daddy doesn't have detention - he is the teacher for the detention students.

X: Maybe all those kids just like daddy a lot like us, and want to spend more time with him.

Me: .....I don't think so - but I love how you are always thinking!