So Big....continued!

Several of you asked about the end of the day, so I of course took video for you all! She had a great time as you will see in the video, she went on and on! I so wish I could have gotten some of the stuff she said on video, but I was too slow!

Make photo slide shows at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Then...we have this morning. She got to ride the bus to school. Now I CAN & WILL take her to school, but she is determined that she wants to ride the bus. So, I said okay. We'll see if she feels that way tomorrow!





Much Love~ Alicia

So Big!

Of course everyone knows what today is.....the 1st day of school, Kindergarten, REAL school. I can't believe how big my baby is, it just blows my mind. Today was a traumatic event, but only for me. Caroline is a trooper, and marched right in to begin her day! She was a little nervous about going, but when we pulled in the parking lot and she saw her Uncle Ryan's car, she was ready to go! Her best friend Avery, basically her cousin, lives next door with her mom and Ryan, so she felt safe knowing that Avery was there too!

I of course cried the entire way to school, and the whole time we were there! Then I cried all the way to work, and have just recently stopped crying so that I could post about it! I have so many mixed emotions right now, that I can't even describe all of them. I am so excited for her to go and learn, but so sad because I can't just do what I want to with her anymore! No picking her up early for the zoo, or to get ice cream....she has to stay there now.

She had a good morning, Tab, and her dad (Steven) were both there to see her off, and I am picking her up when school gets out. Ok...I will just post the video and slideshow I made so you can see for yourself!

Make photo slide shows at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Make an on-line slide show at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Much Love~
Alicia

1 more day......

I hate this. That's all I can think. I just don't want to believe that my BABY is no longer a baby. She is growing up much faster than I ever imagined. When your little it seems like time goes on forever and by the time your 30, you can't even keep up with what day it is!


I am having a hard time thinking of what my number 1 is going to be today. I already cried this morning on my way to work.....tomorrow is going to be so hard. And yes everyone, I know I always cry...I can't help it!

So I guess today can be 1 thing she did this summer to touch my heart. And this one really made me cry!

1. She told me that my mom kissed her.

.....Now, I have already explained that my mom passed away 7 years ago, and that Caroline thinks that all butterflies are my mom. We went to a butterfly conservatory in Canada and this is the picture I took..... It makes my #1 self explanatory! Talk about touching your heart!

2.....

Oh how I hate this! She is so big and grown up now, I feel almost lost sometimes. I feel like all I have lived for over the last 6 years is her. And now it is up to me to send her off to BIG school and let the teachers do their jobs.

What a scary feeling! There won't be anymore just picking her up early when I want to to take her somewhere, or picking her up after nap time to get ice cream. She has to stay all day. That makes me sad, really sad!

So for 2 days to go you get the 2 things that I love most about Caroline. Of course there are like a million things I love about her, but I'll give you the two things that are a guaranteed smile for me everyday!

1. When she 1st gets up in the morning and her face is still all squished up from sleeping....you know what I mean, how they have wrinkles from their pillows, or the sheets where they are laying....well when she smiles at me like that, it makes me heart melt!

2. After she goes to bed, I always go check on her after about 30 minutes or so, and I give her kisses, and say my own little prayer for her. I have done this since the day she was born! I say the exact same thing every night, and the only nights I have missed are the nights that she has not been with me. If for some reason I forget, I always wake up in the middle of the night and remember, then I go and have my special moment with her.

Now I know that it seems funny that 2 of my favorite times of day with her are basically when she's sleeping, but that's only because that is when she is still so pure and innocent. She does so many things everyday that make me smile, but these 2 are the ones I most look forward to because they are special!

Much Love~
Alicia

3.......

So, three days to go.....So you get 3 of my fears for Caroline starting school!

1. She will hate it!

2. She will not behave for her teacher.

3. She will be bored.

Now, I know these are normal things, and that she WILL do just fine, but give me a break, I'm her mom and I have to worry about these things. I think I'm more worried about me than her!

Much Love~
Alicia

4.......

Since they are 4 days till school starts, I was thinking that I would give you 4 pictures of Caroline from her summer.

Summer started with her dance recital in June. Can you tell she was tired of taking pictures?

We went fishing with our good friends Robert & Lisa, and their grandson Braydin. Her 1st fish of the day...she was so excited! She had so much fun that day. She played in the mud, and we had to strip her down after she was done!


This is her buddy Gabriel and her. He came down to stay with us over the 4th of July. She was so happy to see her friends. They had such a good weekend, we can't wait to do it again!


This is her first time to "ride" a horse! Of course, she has been on all sorts of ponies at fairs and stuff, but this is the 1st time she actually rode around on a horse. She went riding with her dad and his girlfriend, and she had a really good time. She told me that she kept switching horses!

So these are a few of the things that she got to do this summer, and she had a blast all summer long! I wanted to make sure and emphasize the summer this time because every year it has really just been another time of year for her. And we all know how much you look forward to getting out of school for the summer, so I wanted to make it something she will look forward to in the future!

Much Love~
Alicia

Countdown to School!

This post is in honor of my friend Hollie, who was having a hard time with the thought of 2 of her kiddos being in school. I thought I would take the countdown next since Caroline starts school after her kids! This is a big day for not only me & Caroline, but for my best friend Michelle and her son Gabriel. Gabriel is exactly 12 weeks older than Caroline....almost to the minute (she was born @ 8:29 he was born @ 8:31)! I am completely lost in memories when I think about these 2 starting Kindergarten. For the first 3 1/2 years of their little lives, they were inseparable. When we moved down here, they were so lost without each other! Now we do our best as BFF's and mommies to get them together as often as we can! I look back at pics of them through the years, and I just can't believe the time has gone by so quickly. I know I will be a wreck next Tuesday morning, I am already very sad about it, but I will get over it when I see how much she learns and grows.

So in honor of there being 5 days until school starts and Caroline is 5 years old, I will post 5 things that you may not know about Caroline.

5. Caroline thinks that all butterflies are my mom!
--butterflies mean eternal life, so when I see them they remind me of my mom who passed away 7 years ago, but Caroline thinks that they ARE my mom!--

4. Caroline was walking at 10 months! And she never slowed down!

3. When she was born, her legs were behind her ears, and they were straight, not bent at the knees, so for a whole month, her legs would literally bounce back when you pulled them down.

2. One of my favorite things she has said, "I'm strong like Jesus". This needs no explanation, it fills my heart with joy!

1. She gets worried when I'm sick...how sweet is that? She is a very loving kid, but very strong willed, and you wouldn't think she would worry if I was sick. She will take care of me, and bring me something if I need it, she will rub my back, or my feet. Which is pretty amazing considering that she thinks that I have to do everything for her!

I just love her to pieces!

Much Love~
Alicia

If you can't say anything nice......

Ya know, I try to keep that old saying in the forefront of my mind sometimes, but other times, I just don't care! So, let me begin by saying this will be a venting post. Boog went to spend a week with her dad, and had a blast! Now, I am somewhat of an anal mommy, at least about certain things. Examples: There are only a few SELECT people that are allowed to drive with Caroline in the car, I don't like people to take her to LARGE public places like the mall or the zoo, she MUST ALWAYS ride in her booster seat, and ALWAYS, ALWAYS, ALWAYS wear sunscreen! Let's just say that some people aren't as diligent as I am with these things.

We moms come in all different forms, and some are more crazy than others....I'm not quite sure where I fall, you'll have to decide :) But I am my mom in so many ways! My mom was always ready to deal with any situation, always had a bag in the car with the essentials: wipes, meds, band-aids, napkins, clothes, OFF, sunscreen, towels, you name it, she had it. I follow this same pattern....and its not just that I never clean out my car :)

Okay, to the point right? This is what my precious baby looked like when I picked her up last Sunday afternoon.









Now this may not look that bad to you, but what you can't see, is the tiny little white blisters on her shoulders. She hurt so much the next morning that I had to stay home with her....bless her little heart! So...now everyone understands why I am venting. I keep sunscreen in my car! At ALL times! Now I am not perfect, and yes, she has been sun burned on my watch before, but not like this....EVER! And you may think I am being really mean, but this is not the 1st time she has been sent home like this, or the 2nd, or the 3rd, this is about the 5th time! What goes through some people's head? Now I don't really want to seem like I am bashing her daddy, because we have come a long way in being able to keep an open line of communication and working together, but COME ON! He just doesn't think about the sun.

So for all you moms, please be diligent in putting sunscreen on your kiddos, it can cause so many problems now & in the future. Here's a little statistic for you: Children who have had 7 or more bad sunburns have a 30% greater chance of developing skin cancer in their early 20-30's.

Okay, I'm done!

Much Love~
Alicia

Meet Daisy Mae

Most of you know that Caroline & I are HUGE animal lovers. We have several favorites: Manatees, otters, penguins, just to name a few! BUT, since we have no place to keep one of these amazing animals, we splurged on one of our next favorites.....Bloodhounds! So here are some pics of our new baby...Daisy Mae! Of course we had to have a country name, for a country dog, that in fact, lives in the country!

I just love her!

Look at that face

Loves her chew toys

Caroline gave her a pillow & blankie in the car...so sweet!

How can you not love this face?

And of course, I have a video to show you how cute she is! She was trying to play with one of the Chihuahua puppies....we finally sold all of them!





Much Love~
Alicia

Mom's in Motion

Since I know most of "us" moms are always on the go, I just thought I would take a minute to tell you about 2 of my favorite "mom" things.

1. My Mom Planner

I have been using a Go Mom Inc. planner for years! This thing is awesome! It has so much to offer, schedules for your kids, carpool info, school info, activities sections, you get the idea! Below is the website.

http://www.gomominc.com/wirebound.html

I have also seen a new one that I like and need to check out more closely.

Just thought you "moms" might like this one!

Much Love~
Alicia

Happy Fat......Ughhhh

There is nothing "happy" about so called Happy Fat. You know the stuff....the weight you gain when everything in your world seems great? Well, since I met Tab 2 1/2 years ago, and married him 1 1/2 years ago...I have gained a whopping 20 lbs. Yes, that's right I said 20lbs. Pathetic!

Now I am on a mission to get this weight off. I was so proud after I had Caroline of how much better I looked. For those of you who don't know....I was the lucky pregnant woman who actually LOST weight during my pregnancy. Before I found out I was preggers, I weighed in at (I can't believe I'm telling this) 183lbs. So sad! God blessed me with "thunder thighs" and a "ghetto booty". When I delivered Caroline I weighed 182 lbs. yes, you can hate me, I would hate you!

So I left the hospital weighing 145 lbs. I didn't even weigh that in high school!!!

I kept it all off until Tab...stinking happiness! So now, I want to feel good again. It's really not about being skinny as much as it is about feeling better. If you have any tips or ideas to help me along, that would be great! I have been walking every night after work so that I am getting some kind of exercise, but I know I need to do more! Help Me Please!

Much Love~
Alicia

All of the other things I do.....

This post is for all the other miscellaneous things I create!

Clothes pins, Calendar, and Baby Book for a shower

Picture Frames

Custom Letters to match a little Boys room

Bow Hanger: also comes in a star, cross, name plaque, flower
....you get the idea!

Metal Signs

Wood Signs & Furniture

These are some of the different pieces I have done made out of wood. I have also done toy boxes, other tables with distressed layers, and lots of other signs!

Distressed layers to give it age

Distressed layers to give it age

I can't make this one turn the right direction...sorry!

Distressed layers to give it age

Custom table & chairs for a little girl

view of edge detailing

wooden flower for a front yard

my stools

butterfly stool

And this ugly thing is my latest...this is a before shot
It will be a chess board when I am done!

Canvas Art

A few different selections of Canvas painting.

For a Kitchen

For a Living Room

For my Desk

Just for fun!

A little girls room

A little girls room

A little boys room

Seasonal Art

Here are some pictures of my more "seasonal" things.

Carolina Sunshine Designs

So, some of you know that I have my own business, some don't, so I am going to post about it...little plug there!

I have been painting since I was little and never really did much with it, until I found out I had a bun in the oven. I would go look for things to buy for her nursery, and then I would see something I really liked, and think.....no way, I can make that better! Thus, my painting & creating was rekindled!

I make invitations, baby shower books, wedding books, furniture, frames, and canvas wall art.....among other things!

I am going to post some pics of a variety of my stuff....let me know your feedback....and I'm always open to orders ;)


Much Love~
Alicia

The woes of Motherhood

mSo I haven't posted....I have no excuse other than I have nothing to post about! My little one is gone for a week to see her dad, and her grandparents in Dallas. I am very mopey....now, I know all you moms are thinking, "time to myself!!!!!", but after the 1st couple of days, I just flat out miss her! She is my joy every morning when I wake her up, and every day when I laugh at all the funny things she has to say. And, even though I have the most wonderful husband ever, I miss my Boog. I have been so lonely the last few mornings getting ready for work. No fighting about what she wants for breakfast, or what dress she just "has" to wear that day, and it makes me sad.

She is about to start school in 2 weeks, and I feel like I'm losing precious time with her before she is "a big girl".

I'm crazy huh? I know.....I know, I should enjoy the time to get things done that I can't get done when she's following me everywhere.

And, I'm trying to be the mommy that isn't crazy. I'm trying not to call her 5 times a day to tell her I love her, and let her call me when she wants to. It paid off yesterday morning. She called me and told me that she misses me and loves me, I so wanted to get in my car and go get her!

But for now I will have to wait until Sunday when my life will seem normal again, when she complains all the way home about wanting to play with her friends, and stay up late! I don't care though, I can't wait until Sunday!

Much Love~
Alicia

Canada: Last days

The last couple of days, we didn't really have much planned, but just tootin' around. We went to see where my step-mom grew up, and took Caroline to the park to play, and we went to Sir Adam Beck, which is the Hydro Power Plant in Niagara Falls.

The Power Plant tour was really interesting! It doesn't necessarily sound like it would be to most people, but Tab and I are kind of History & Discovery Channel junkies, so we really enjoyed it! We learned a whole lot about Niagara Falls that I never would have even guessed! Did you know that they can literally "turn down" the flow of the Falls? Yep, they can, and they do it every night! Amazing!

Our last night in Canada, my cousin Shera, her husband Dan, and their son Nathan, invited us all over for dinner. We had a really good time with our family! I have inherited a whole family, after spending almost all of my life with none! I have no aunts or uncles, no cousins, and sadly I only had 1 grandparent when I was very young, so it was always just mom, dad, my sister & me. Now I have this huge family with Aunts, Uncles, and cousins galore, along with my step-siblings and their families! Wow! Anyhow...we had a great time eating and laughing, the kids swam and played all night! Here are the last of the pictures of our trip....enjoy!

Tab, Caroline & Me at the Floral Clock

Me & Boog

She is Fearless!

So now she hangs even higher!

Then sticks her tongue out at me!

Do you notice she is on TOP of the playground equipment...notice the roof behind her!!!

Tab & I at Shera's

Uncle Richard (Shera's dad)

Shera & me

Nathan

me & my daddy

Cousins

Shera, Nathan & Dan

Daddy, Shera, Dan, Me, Caroline, Tab & Uncle Richard

Crossing back into the States

Much Love~
Alicia