Sorry

Ok, I know, it has been a while. First things first, my beloved Red Sox won the World Series and I couldn't be happier! Ok, now on to other things. Hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving. We did. My mom and dad went to Tampa to be with my sister and her family, so I cooked and we had a nice relaxing day. Made real dressing and a real chocolate pie. Scalded the milk and everything. My granny would have been proud. I kinda hate this week, this last extra week of limbo between thanksgiving and christmas. What to teach at school this week? What else.... Wants and Needs. Hmmm.... Tough one when you are 5, let me tell you. I have finished the top of Lilly's lap quilt, have decided to put chenille on the back instead of binding it, read it on a blog (sewmamasew) if you haven't checked it out, do it. They have a craft a day for the month of november and some of them are great!! So, have to go into town and get the fabric for the back and sew lucy's. I have also decided to make scarves again this year for my little kiddos at school. Yes, I know I have 24 kids and I only had 18 last year. Yes, I know I have started way too late on this project. Yes, I know I am crazy!! I have 7 completed. I really shouldn't be typing at all right now, I should be knitting. I have a birthday coming up, still trying to figure out what I want. Can you wrap up time? I need time. Time to knit, time to sew, time to bake, time to visit with my friends, time to talk to my children. Over the next few weeks I am going to try to slow down and enjoy everthing and everyone that I love.

It's that time of year!!!

It is trout tournament time! This was last Sunday, Ward won 4th place in the Ed Sewell speckled trout tournament. $40.00 check and a $50 savings bond, he was pretty stoked! But then he fished on Saturday in the Friendly City Speckled Trout Tournament and he came in 2nd place!! $100 dollars and a plaque. Pretty exciting stuff. I have enjoyed my day off today, have made lots of cleaning progress. I have thrown away a ton of stuff!! I want to clear out before the holidays so that I can enjoy it. I am back on the knitting scarf deal! I have made 2, 22 to go! Hope I can make it by December 20th. I have made two this weekend, so I am gonna have to step it up! Ok, off to knit! Happy Birthday Lilly! Can't believe you are 3.

Mullet

Ahhhh, Mullet weekend, is there any better day of the year?? I say no! This is Will and his buds the morning of the mullet. Every year since I can remember, at least 20 some odd years we have gathered at Dee Dee's moms house for breakfast before the parade. We would always take a picture of all of us together.come to think of it, we didn't this year, bummer! Anyway, I did get this one of Will and gang. Should become a family classic. We ate our bellies full and then headed off to the parade. Usual parade..... firetrucks (loud), candy thrown off floats (not enough), no Miss North Carolina!!! Don't know what happened to her! Then off to downtown and the vendors selling their wares. I found a couple of things to buy. I bought a couple of tshirts, to really cute hair ties (which I am going to figure out how to make), a red sox stepping stone (I know we are 3 games back, don't mention it!), and an ECU crabpot floaty thing. Ok, that last thing is not easy to describe. It is 3 floats like you put on crabpots and they are painted purple and yellow with the ECU pirate on the biggest one. I have it on my porch and I like it. My sister couldn't make it this year, and it made me sad. It wasn't Mullet without her. Maybe next year she will be here. It was nice and cool in the morning, 54 when I got up to run at 6:30, but warmed up quick and I was looking for shorts by the end of the day. Usually I see somone from my past that I haven't seen in ages, but this year, I don't believe I did. I did see a lot of people that I love and had fun catching up. But no long lost anybody. Maybe next year I need to sit my butt downtown for an hour or two and people watch. Then I am sure to see someone! Oh, almost forgot! Will had a ton of teenage types around the house all weekend. That is what happens when you live in town. Anyway, from 12:30-2:30 while I was work a horde of teenage girls that don't really know me came in my house brandishing a waffle iron and all the stuff to make waffles and MADE WAFFLES IN MY KITCHEN! Don't you find that odd and random? If it was girls that are here a lot that call me Ms. Gregg, then I could have kinda understood and been OK with it, but these girls were randoms. According to sources in the house at the time there were about 15 girls in my kitchen cooking! Hmmmm....... WEIRD. They did clean up and stacked the dishes in the sink, even though the empty dishwasher was sitting right there. But, at least they put everything in the sink, boys would never do that, I would have found waffle dishes all over my house. So, that was my mullet in a nutshell. Went to Diana's during the evening, chatted for a couple of hours, then went home to watch the Red Sox (they lost). Ok, enough rambling for today, and no, I have not finished the quilt!

Lap Quilt For Lilly

Ok, I am trying to make my first quilt. It isn't very big, but Lilly is small and it will just be a throw around whatever quilt. I am also making one for Lucy, but Lilly's is first. This is what it looked like last week when I layed it out, I have sewn half of the strips together and hope to finish sewing it this week. Then I am going to embroider Lilly's name on the bottom corner and the date. I haven't bought the backing yet, need to make a yarn and fabric run. This pattern came out of the book Bend the Rule Sewing by Amy Karol. It is fab! I highly recommend it. I would link you right on over to amazon so you could buy it, but I am a dud and don't know how to do it!!! The weather is suppose to cool off tomorrow, I sure hope so. I have lots of nice new long sleeve shirts and tights to wear and it has been to darned hot!! Maybe that is why I have been in such a crummy mood! The Mullet Festival is this weekend. I truly love the Mullet. It is one of my favorite days!! Get to see lots of old friends, eat lots of good food. Can't wait! The temp. is suppose to be in the low 70s. Couldn't be better! When I finish the quilt, I will display it for all the world to see! I am going to have to get my friend Darlene to help me with the binding, don't know if I can do it. Ok, off to eat dinner!! Oh and by the way......GO RED SOX!!!!!

Target and Homecoming

First things first, thanks to Peggy for reminding me about my Target teaser! I forgot that I did that! So here it is .........................how cute is that??? I just had to have it! I know it is not October yet, but who cares?? They also had some really cute hand towels, which I bought and some nice Thanksgiving stuff. I bought two hand towels and a turkey bath mat. I was so happy to find some Thanksgiving stuff, that poor holiday is usually forgotten in the rush from Halloween to Christmas. I have got to crawl in my attic today and find the rest of my Halloween stuff. I am missing some light up pumpkins for my mantle. I think they might be in my Thanksgiving box because I left them up til December last year, they weren't jack-o-lanterns, just pumpkins. Ok, now on to homecoming. We lost the game, but is that really the point of going to a homecoming game? No, you go to visit and see old friends and see the court. One of my former Kindergarten students was the Freshman representative she looked very pretty. Courtney won. She looked absolutely beautiful. Will and his date Erica look great. I loved her dress and thought she looked beautiful! Will looked very handsome. I was so proud of him. It was kinda surreal, I can't believe that he is Junior! He will be a Senior before I know it and then off to college. Scary! I wish time could slow down just a little. He is slipping through my fingers and it breaks my heart. Ok, no teaser today, because we know that my brain forgets!

What a Week!

Man I tell you it has been a week from "h e double hockey sticks!" My mom and sister and the two wee ones left Wednesday for Tampa. I will miss my sis so much and probably won't see her til after the baby is born (February). Hopefully they will opt to buy a new car over Christmas and will drive up to buy one from Johnny Stevenson in Wilmington. Other than that I fear the only way I will see her is if I fly to Tampa. Maybe I will take a long weekend and call in sick to Kindergarten! Hee Hee!! So, back to my week. I have a cold. Don't know how I caught it or from which 5 yr old, but I have the green snot flowing! Lovely! So, this cold hit me on Thursday afternoon and I felt absolutely terrible on Friday. Should have stayed home and slept, but no, went to school to be punished and have medicine head! I had the worst night on Wednesday. I woke up at 1;30 and tossed and turned. Finally sat up and read from 2-3 then tried to go back to sleep. My mind was racing with all the things that I have to do at work in the next two weeks. Tons of meetings and paperwork to fill out, observation to complete, grant to fill out, Individual growth plan to fill out, oh, and teach. Don't forget that! The good news of the week was that Will was asked to escort Erica for Homecoming court. She is a sweet girl, cheerleader, pretty. Her mom works with me. Now, I have to figure out what Will needs to wear. He says her dress is black and tan. Hmmmm..... I would like to buy him a new shirt and tie, but I wonder if we should just borrow a black suit for him. But, would that be too much, a suit? I don't want him looking like a dork! Black dress pants? I hate black pants, I am really more of a khaki kinda girl. Then you have to wear black shoes, cuz top siders would look stupid with black pants. Sheesh!! All this has to be figured out like today! I guess we will have to go shopping maybe Monday. I really don't want to be at the mall on Thursday night trying to figure this out!
I have decided that when clothes are washed/dried, they need to be folded right away. My husband however feels different about that! We have a laundry basket in our laundry room and about 2 weeks ago I sat down with it, folded everything and it was all clean. That is when I decided I was sick of it being piled high with clothes. I figured if you don't have time to wash, dry and fold, don't wash! I have mentioned this to my husband, but apparently he is deaf. I told him that is like in baseball when the pitcher is taken out of the game, all the runners on base are his responsibility, just like the laundry in the basket. So, this morning I folded laundry that he washed that was in the dryer, and put the new clothes in the dryer. He has assured me that when he gets up, he will take care of it. Hmmm.... we will see. I hate to leave all those runners on base, but if that laundry basket is overflowing when I get home from work that is where it is staying. Ok, this is a long post..... I will tell you what I bought at Target later. I love it!!

Ward is 13!!

I know this is a little late, but my sweet little wardy is a TEENAGER! ACK! When did that happen. I swear, you blink and they are grown. I can't believe it. My boys are slipping through my fingers and it is tough on this ol girl! Ward was such a wonderful baby and toddler. He was so sweet. Loved his momma. I have been able to let Will go a little, but it is going to be hard to let my "baby" date, go off in a car with another teenager, etc. I can't imagine my life without you Ward, we are two peas in a pod. I like the fact that you remember all the lines from my favorite movies and quote them back to me at random times. Your Billy Madison is dead-on. I love the fact that you love the Red Sox, the Red Hot Chili Peppers and Zepplin. You were born decades too late, you should have been a child of the 80's, you have such a wealth of knowledge of that decade. I feel that I have raised you well. Not many 13 yr olds list The Breakfast Club, The Princess Bride and Ferris Buellar as their favorite movies. You are lucky and blessed and I love you more than I can ever tell you!

I Love You,

Momma

My Daddy

This is my Daddy, W.T. He is 66 years old, almost 67. He works so hard. My parentes own a Dry Stack Marina and my dad is actively involved in the daily workings of his business. If there is concrete to be poured, he is raking, shoveling, spreading. If someone's boat needs to be worked on, he is right there in it on his hands and knees trying to fix it. He has spent so much time on his knees over the years that they are flat. I love him, but he works way too hard! I wish my parents could retire and just travel and be together. I don't think my dad could stop coming to work everyday and being in charge. I guess you chose how you want to live and if he didn't want to do it, he wouldn't. But, all the same, I wish he would relax!! I love you daddy.

Faye

Rick's mother died on Tuesday. It has been a very emotional week for us. Faye was a wonderful, warm, funny person. She fiercely loved her family. She thought her boys were just about the best things around. When we had Will, she was so excited. You would have thought there had never been a baby born ever before he came along. Ward was just the icing on the cake. She was so very proud of everything they did! During the 20 years that I have known her, we mostly ate Thanksgiving at her house. She was a wonderful cook. Her kitchen was teeny tiny, but the meals she prepared there were not. She was famous for her squash casserole, even as hard as I try, I can not duplicate it. Faye went head-on into life, no matter what! She wasn't afraid of anything or anybody, definately someone you would want on your side! She was kind hearted and generous with her time, money, talents. I hate that she was has left us at the early age of 63. My boys , Rick and I will miss her terribly. Call your momma, tell her you love her.

First week of school

Ok, it is sunday and the busy last weekend of summer is upon us. I had an excellent first week of school. My class seems quite lovely and I really am enjoying them. Of course it would be better if there weren't so many of them. ( I have 23). Do you know how long it takes to move 23 5yr. olds around?? Well, let me tell you, a long time. My line is soooo long!! My only fear is that they are going to be beastly next week. You know how a newborn is always so good when it comes home from the hospital, all they do is sleep, then they rise up and start screaming! Well, that is my fear! Hopefully it won't come to pass. Had a lovely surprise this week, one of our drystack customers went to Fenway Park a couple of weeks ago and brought me back a surprise. He sat in Theo Epstein's box and got some free prizes, a red sox messenger bag, a hat, and a cool red windbreaker, and a cool green st. paddy's hat! Needless to say, I was/am thrilled!!! Made my day!! Hope you all have a blast on the last official weekend of summer!!

Good Friends and Kids

We had a reunion of sorts a couple of weeks ago. Anna was here with Arabella from Texas, Susan was here with Kennedy and Tanner from Missouri and we just had to take a group photo! Let's see: Front row Anna, Arabella, Drew, Kennedy, Kristy, Parker, and Tanner. Middle: Stephanie, Nick, Will, Ward, Diana, Tyler. Back row: DeeDee, Susan and me. Susan was here for 2 weeks and we had a blast! All the girls have so much fun together laughing, talking, eating. It is great being with people that know you and know all about you. It is like the conversation never ends. I am so thankful for the friends in my life. I am a better person because of them. I love you all!

Will Completed LIT program

Will returned home about a week ago from 4 weeks at camp. This camp (Camp Don Lee) which is about an hour and a half away on the neuse river is a Methodist Church Camp. He has been attending 9 years. My sister and I also attended this camp when we were kids and our both graduates of the LIT program. What is LIT you ask? Well it stands for Leaders In Training, and it is a month long intensive camp. He is certified in sailing, first aid, CPR, and Lifesaving. The lifesaving alone was 64 hours in the pool. I can't tell you how very proud I am of him. It is a very hard program with a full curriculum. Way more than he may have bargained for. Part of the program included a "Day Apart." We wrote letters to our child asked friends and family to do the same and gave them to the counselor when we dropped them off. The letters offered words of encouragement and talks of leardership and making the right choices. We were told that it is usually a very emotional time for them and that a lot of them cry. Will told me he cried when he read mine, not sure if he did or if he just told me that hmmmm. The day we picked him up the director led us in a communion with our children out on the pier. It was very powerful. There is such a special place in my heart for camp don lee. I am so glad that I have Will to share that with. It is something that is hard to explain to anyone that hasn't been there. I have uploaded all the pictures that his counselor took to winkflash. I am going to make him a big collage wall of pictures with his "diploma plaque"on the wall as well. I am still washing the clothes! How is it possible that he wore so much stuff?? I am glad he is home, I missed him. Turned 16 while he was there. How can it be possible that I have a 16 year old?? Strange. Ok all for today. Peace.

Parrotheads in Love

This is my cute dishtowel that I made for my brother-in-law and my brand new sis-in-law. I designed, drew and embroidered it myself! Looks pretty cute. Their wedding was May 19th and the colors were yellow and pink. I haven't downloaded the pic of Lilly's dress yet, but I will. It turned out really good. I want to go buy lots of skorts, skirts and shorts from wal mart or somewhere inexpensive and decorate them. Working on the denim jumper was easy peasy, didn't even need the hoop some of the time. Ok, off to work! Ya'll have a great day!

Geez a Loo!

Man, it has been a while! I have been so busy with school ending and baseball and just life! Ward's confirmation at church! Exciting day for our family. However, I have been reading and keeping up with all the blogs I read and all the crafting going on out there in blogland! I have been sewing, embroidering, and knitting. I have cut out my first dress, but not sewn a stitch yet! Lately I have been embroidering kitchen towels and just giving them away. This week I bought a real nice jean jumper (GAP) at our local 2nd hand store for $2.00! Then I have embroidered a cute frog sitting on a lilypad on it. I have put a pink running stitch around the bottom of the dress and embroidered my neices name next to the frog. It is really cute if I do say so myself!! I know Toot, Toot!! Way to toot my own horn. I am also knitting a throw for my 12 year old. Patchwork, no clue what I am doing, just winging it! My favorite thing! I will post a picture of the dress when it is finished, well, actually both dresses. The frog one is almost finished, actually it may be finished, haven't decided! OK I am off!

Me and Anna

This is my life long friend Anna. She is getting ready to have her first child and is thrilled, as am I. Can't wait, just 2 months to go.

I got a sewing machine for Christmas and I have been enjoying the heck out of it! I made Lilly a snoopy purse and made myself a St. Patrick's Day purse. I think I am turning into Martha Stewart!

I have taken over the small room just off the boys room upstairs. It is now officially my craft/sewing room! It looks great.

My plan is to start on the log cabin blanket this week. It is a huge undertaking, but I will post pictures as I go along to save for posterity. Who knows, if I like it then I will make more, but if it gives me a total headache, then that will be the one and only. Kay and Ann swear by them, so I will see.

Almost opening day for baseball ! Can't wait, I tell ya! Really looking forward to some Red Sox baseball! Ok, til I get started on the log cabin........ TTFN (Ta Ta For Now, thank you Tigger!)

It has been a while!

Can't believe it has been so long since my last post. We had a wonderful Christmas with my sister and her two girls. Nothing like Christmas with little children. They are the best. We (or should I say, I) bought a new car right after Thanksgiving. A mini van. I know can't believe it myself! It is a Nissan Quest and I love it! Tons of room and two drop down screens, which Ward loves! Will, the newly permitted driver, is not as thrilled. Way too uncool for him. I have been busy putting the yearbook together for school, so not much knitting going on in my house. I have started a shawl. I might keep it, don't know. I made scarves for all my little kindergarten children for Christmas. That took a while! We got a new computer for christmas, as soon as I can find my cable for my camera, I will add some pictures. I am afraid it is in the storage unit in some random box!

For now you will just have to be satified of a picture of Ward from Christmas morning since that is the only one I have on this computer. Man he looks like me with brown hair! weird!

GOOD NEWS!!!

Well, I hope I have good news. We are under contract with our house. That is selling the old house. Someone wants to buy it, "as is". Which is good news for me, b/c I am lazy and don't want to paint and clean, or at least not clean real hard! We are suppose to close in two weeks. Which means that I have tons to do. Unload a house, complete, save and print report cards, spend as much time with my sister and her two sweet babies before they leave, go to soccer game, and get ready for halloween!! Biut I think it is do-able, maybe! I might need to go on a vacation afterwards! I am also trying to knit all my little kiddos in kindergarten a scarf for christmas. I have 19 kids, and I have completed three, and about halfway through number four. So, well on my way. I didn't tell them, so then if I don't finish, they won't know. But, I am really gonna try to finish. We have 5 days at Thanksgiving, so I should be able to crank some out then. Had a wonderful time last weekend with friends and family at our annual Mullet Festival (52nd). It is a fish , not just a haircut. We celebate the fish. The parade was fun, and I got to see old friends. The weather was great! This is my sweet Lilly at the pumpkin patch!! What could be better??

Shreddin and Fishin

The summer is over and my children are still boating! That is Ward on the left and his right hand man, Jake. They both caught a 26 inch red drum! So proud. How nice it is to live in a town right on the water and have access to boats. My children are blessed. We are almost finished moving out of the house. The garage is still a mess and the attic, well, can I just say "yuck!" The painting will have to start next weekend, or at least that is what I am declaring. But of course, I won't be doing a ton of it, poor Rick, he will be doing most of it. Can't wait to sell that house. There will be a party!! School is going fine for now. We are getting a new Kindergarten teacher on Tues. Woo Hoo!! I look forward to having 18 kids. 21 is just too many. You should see us when we walk down the hall, the line goes on forever!! My sister and sweet babies are coming in a couple of weeks. They will be here for Halloween. We are dressing as Ladybugs. Can't wait. It will be fun to trick or treat with little kids again. My kids are too old, I guess I am going to have to rent kids to take trick or treating. New topic: Found some really cute stuff on this site http://averymarydesign.blogspot.com/ check out her store from her blog. Very cool one of a kind items. Of course I ordered some stuff. Couldn't resist.

New sweet smelling baby!

Well, it has been forever since I posted last. But a lot has happened. My sister had a new lovely, beautiful little girl. I was in Alabama for a week with her and her family. Had a wonderful time cooking for her and playing with her daughter Lilly. Took naps, ran, went to the movie, it was nice. We are in the process of moving to our new house. It is a bear! We lived in the same place for 10 years and I don't know how we accumulated so much crap, but we have. I have been throwing away stuff right and left. It is hard because this is the house that my children have grown up in. We moved there when my youngest was 2. So, there are a lot of memories and a lot of drawings and scrap paper and stuff that I have saved. It is hard knowing what to keep and what to throw away. I sometimes wish that my mom would have kept some of my toys, but really what for? We still have quite a lot of stuff in the house and haven't even attempted the attic, which is frightening! We are moving into a smaller house, no real giant attic to speak of, but that is ok. I have decided that it is time to have a grown-up house, and the view is wonderful. Right on the ICW in swansboro. I have eaten my breakfast on the porch two mornings in a row. I just wish I was Samantha from Bewitch and I could wiggle my nose and the house would be unpacked and the other house would be cleaned out and sold! The bad part is the timing, I have to go back to school tomorrow, so I will be having to do all this and get ready to welcome some wonderful Kindergarten children! YIKES!!! The Tylenol PM is calling my name! I am including a picture of sis and girls! So, thrilled to have a new baby!!

Reading instead of knitting

My son, Will had a birthday get together, I guess you can't call them parties when you turn 15. I still can't believe that he is 15. Too strange! Anyway, I survived having hordes of teenagers in my newly cleaned house on Thursday. I can't tell you how happy I was for 10:00 to arrive. I have knitted zero this week. Can't believe it! I have spent a little time cutting out squares for my quilt. But no sewing this week. What I have been spending a lot of time on is reading. I am reading the Kite Runner and it is good. I was afraid that I wasn't going to like it because it didn't grab me right at the beginning. I will admit, I look a good hook at the beginning of a story. But, I have stuck with it and I love it. I bought The Glass Castle to read next. I haven't read anything in such a long time, I guess because I have been busy knitting and I really don't know how to do both. Someone should invent something that could hold a book and turn the pages while I knit. Maybe a small child could hold my book. No, it would have to be something that would squirm. So, if there is anyone out there reading this that likes to invent, get busy. That's what I need. I am going to Alabama in 2 weeks to meet my new neice. I can't wait. She hasn't been born yet, but it should be soon. The picture is of my first neice, Lilly and me. She is a doll and I love her. Her sister will be named Lucy. Don't worry I will post a picture of her as soon as I get one. It is really neat to have neices when I have boys at my house, especially since mine are getting to big to cuddle.