Disney--Day 1

Well, a long time ago, I promised a blog about our trip to Disney in April. Since we are now 56 days from our next trip, I guess it's time to follow through.

We spent 2 days at the All-Star Movies Resort. I currently don't have those photos available due to an unfortunate memory card incident. They are in snapfish and I don't know how to get them back on my computer without paying. Anyway, here's a disney photo of the ASMo.


The pool with Sorceror Mickey fountain


The room


When we got checked in, we crashed for a much-needed nap. We left for the airport at 5:15 a.m. that morning! Once we were rested, we headed to Downtown Disney. Katelyn was in awe of the World of Disney store and the giant Lego characters. Again, no pics available. :( Katelyn made her own princess crown and bought souvenirs for Charlotte and Aunt Joanna. Daddy coveted the monorail playset, but decided to hold out for something cheaper!

The next day, we were at Magic Kingdom bright and early for Extra Magic Hour. This is an awesome perk for resort guests to get into certain parks an hour before the general public. We just missed the "rope drop" ceremony, but were excited to see Chip & Dale in the Town Square. After a playful photo shoot and autograph session with those silly chipmunks, we were off to Fantasyland. Katelyn got to ride Cinderella's very own horse on the carousel. (Psst, it's the one with a gold ribbon on its tail.) In her words, it was her "first dream come true"! She got quite freaked out over the volume and "4-D" effects of Mickey's Philharmagic ("Milpharmagic", in Katelyn-ese), so we had to do some damage control. I was pretty irritated with her, but Randy calmed her down and we were off to more rides. We did quite a lot before lunch and rest time, but I won't bore you with the details.

After a rest in the room, we cleaned up and boarded a bus to the Magic Kingdom for dinner in Cinderella Castle! This was Katelyn's big birthday surprise, and she was so excited.

Josh & Daddy waiting to eat


Unfortunately, she got a little shy when she actually came face-to-face with The Princess in Blue herself! This is where we got our first bit of Disney magic. Cinderella and her royal photographer were so patient with her and took their time to draw her out of her shell so she could have a good photo to remember this by. Cinderella even personally escorted her to get her magic wand from the hostess. I thought this was the best picture!


The princesses


After dinner, we rode a few more things, then staked out a spot for the Spectromagic parade. We met a sweet girl from TN and her family. Talking to her helped Katelyn get excited about the parade and be brave when she really wanted to be scared. We thanked Lakeland's parents for sharing her with us, and went to find a good viewing location for the fireworks. At this point, Josh had fallen asleep in the Ergo backpack. We were too close to the castle and the fireworks freaked Katelyn out, so we headed for the exit. As we got farther away, she got more interested. Both kids konked out on the bus back to the resort and pretty much slept through getting pjs on and getting into bed.

Tomorrow, fun with Grammer & Grandaddy for Joshua and Katelyn get Mommy & Daddy to herself.

Just a little perspective

I'll be blogging our trip to Disney World very soon, I promise, but I wanted to share this with you all before I forgot. Just something to mull over this weekend.

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Win a Free Ergo Baby Carrier!

Just wanted to give everyone a chance to win one of my favorite baby carriers. Randy just wore Joshua in this all through Magic Kingdom (pics to come soon, I hope) and it was really comfortable. Anyway, visit Along for the Ride to enter. Good luck, all!

Deep Thoughts #1

I realize that by titling this post "#1" I may be causing you to assume that I will make more posts like this one. Don't. You know you can't count on me to post reliably, let alone predictably. I don't usually post deep stuff on here. I save that for my personal conversations, but David's sermon yesterday bears some reflection, so here goes. Hope it's not too disjointed for you to follow.

For a sermon to touch my heart, it has to get through all the noise and distraction of my kiddos and my inner dialogue. Therefore yesterday's topic was pretty powerful. I won't bore you with a recap of the sermon. If you missed it, go to www.vrcc.net and listen from there.

What was important to me was my reaction. David asked, "What if you only spoke to your spouse or children as often as you speak to God in prayer?" Wow! In my case, that would be pretty silent. Which got me to thinking about my relationship with God.

Lately, it seems that I'm running in circles--take Katelyn to school, get Joshua down for his nap, do the laundry, clean the house, grocery shop, visit with my friends, call my mom, check my email, get Katelyn & Joshua down for a nap, rest, email, watch my Tivo'd shows, fix dinner, feed the kids, bathe the kids...Oh, yeah! Don't forget your new children's ministry job, get your clothes ready to consign, shop for deals to resell at consignment...The list goes on and on. And when I get a chance to sit and relax, what do I do? I channel surf, surf the Net (lots of surfing going on...), take a nap, read a book (no, not the Bible), talk on the phone. Almost anything to avoid being completely still & in communion with God. I go to church every time the doors are open. I write my checks. I teach classes. I greet visitors. I go to Home Teams. I do all the things a good Christian is supposed to do.

Did you notice that all those sentences start with "I"? Perhaps that's not a coincidence. Maybe I need to slow down and let God do some talking and some working. Here's the problem. Have you ever had someone that you were really close to? You talked all the time. You went out together. You told each other everything. Then somewhere along the way, for whatever reason, you drifted apart. One day, you see their profile on facebook. You want to message them and say, hey, what's up? Only now it's awkward. You haven't spoken in a while and you don't even know if they're married, have kids, have a job, remember you, whatever. That's how I feel with God right now. I know it's foolish, but I feel like if I say, "Dear Lord...", he'll look down and go, "Who's calling me? LaRae? Do I know her? Oh, yeah. Girl, where've you been? Why are you calling me now? Oh, you need something, huh? Feeling like you're at the end of your rope? Well, duh, you can't do it yourself." I know He's overjoyed when 1 of 100 sheep returns, but right now it just feels...embarrassing, somehow, to know that I've lost my way so badly. Is this my perfectionism rearing it's ugly head again? Is it evidence of me still trying to be in control?

Whatever it is, I have to figure out what this "personal relationship with Jesus Christ" looks like for me. I have a hunch it means turning off the noise (including my own mouth) and taking time to listen & remember that God has been faithful to me even when I'm not being particularly faithful to Him.

If you made it this far, thank you for reading. I have 2 requests. 1) Please remember me in your prayers right now. 2) Please don't tell me I'm being too hard on myself. I know I'm a good worker for the Lord. What I want to be is more in tune with The Spirit. I want my kids to know that I have a relationship with Jesus. I want them to know that church is not where we go to work, it's where we go to worship/adore/praise God and that we work because He is good, not because we are good.

Okay, aaaaaand, done.

In the category of is this kid easy or what...

This is Joshua taking his breathing treatments for RSV/Pneumonia

And this is big sister Katelyn hiding from the noisy nebulizerTo all of you whose kids scream, cry and pitch a fit when you break out the breathing machine: I know this is not fair, but I'm sooooo relieved! What a trooper our little guy is!

In other news, I'm becoming a babywearer. Here are pictures of my wrap (named LaRae) and my sling (Jetson). Joshua loves being carried and it's so much easier than a bulky stroller for fairly short jaunts.

Tags

Okay, I've been tagged twice, both times by my sisters, so here goes...

Words that describe me using the letters of my middle name:
(sucks that my middle name is so long)
Eldest (all that birth order stuff really does ring true)
Loving (especially to my dear children)
Insightful (when I'm not completely exhausted)
Zany (not a whole lot of z adjectives out there)
Accomplished (at least I think so)
Bathroom Humor (this may surprise some of you, but I love a good fart joke!)
Eclectic (in my tastes-such range must be sign of genius)
Thoughtful (I do try...)
HSO's (hot sports opinions-I've got 'em!)

12 Random Christmas Facts:
1. Christmas is by far my favorite holiday! I love finding just the right gift and seeing the expression on the person's face when they open it. This is why I hate shipping gifts to people out of town. I would rather be there when they open it, even if they have to wait until July!

2. I usually decorate all out for Christmas, but this year we only have a tree and stockings out. I may get out a little more, but all of our surfaces are covered with kid stuff and I don't relish keeping little fingers off my precious snowmen, so they may be in storage for a couple years. At least they will seem all new when they re-emerge.

3. Our tree is 7 1/2 feet tall and pre-lit. I love it! Especially cause we got it for $75 dollars (originally over $275) after Christmas a couple years ago.

4. I'm the only one here that doesn't have a stocking made by my grandmother. My mom made mine when I was born.

5. This year's Christmas card was the first professional photo we've ever used. I think it turned out really well and may have to keep that as our new tradition.

6. I prefer to be at my own home for Christmas. When we are anywhere else, there tends to be too much hoopla and other people. It makes for cranky kids and, frankly, cranky LaRae.

7. This is Joshua's 1st Christmas and Katelyn's 4th. Don't really have point, but that's pretty random.

8. I love to decorate with snowmen, especially ones with blue hats, mittens, and scarves. BUT, I am thinking of changing to red/white peppermint or gingerbread men or both. Just an fyi if anyone is planning to add to my collection.

9. My mom used to always make cinnamon rolls for us to eat for breakfast on Christmas morning. We have done it a couple times since I've been grown, and it is fabulous. I would consider making this a tradition for my family, but it is a lot of work to do by yourself. And face it, I would be doing it by myself...

10. Running out of random Christmas facts. How about places I've spent Christmas morning: my childhood home in Woodstock, GA; my Grandma & Grandpa Brown's house in Farwell, MI; my Nana & Daddy Ray's farm in Lake Butler, FL; my Uncle Ralph's mountain house in Waynesville, NC; Randy's parents home in Monroe, LA; our first apartment in Irving, TX; an our home in Carrollton, TX.

11. How about a funny Christmas story? When I was 1 1/2, Santa came to see all us cousins at my Nana's farm in FL on Christmas Eve. While he was talking with us, my uncles realized that the utility shed out back (where all our Christmas presents were hidden) had caught on fire. So, they were outside frantically putting out a fire and trying to "save Christmas" while Santa distracted us inside. My cousin, Susan's, presents bore the brunt of the punishment, so in the true spirit of Christmas, we all (of course, unwittingly) contributed to Susan's "Santa pile" from our own stashes and were never the wiser until about 3 years ago, when Joanna finally stopped believing so they could tell the story! ;)

12. Here's a final memory. One time, when I my other sister, Shelly, was very sick, she was home from the hospital when Santa and his elves came to visit. For some reason, Santa decided to come to our house for a personal visit. I was so excited even though Shelly was too little to really get it anyway. I also remember the elf made us wait in my room until Santa left because she said the reindeer were shy and didn't want to be seen.

Okay, Joanna don't tag me again. I don't tag anyone because I don't want too. If there was an S in my middle name I would have put Strong-willed!

Thank You For Your Support!

Okay, you guys surprised me! I never expected the first 2 comments on my breastfeeding HSO's to be men, and I really thought you would all just ignore that part and focus on the other things. Shows how well I know my friends, huh? I even got Linda to come out of lurkdom to comment!



Anyway, not too much going on in our neck of the woods. Right now, we are dealing with a lot of crazy sleep stuff. We're trying to teach Katelyn to go to sleep on her own and stay asleep later than 5:30 a.m. No, this problem did not just start with the time change. Anyway, we have a book by "The Sleep Lady" that is very practical, so we are working our way through things. The real downer is that she is getting in trouble at school because she is so tired in the afternoons. Having some serious doubts about whether she should be at the this school at this time, but I had my first parent-teacher conference earlier this week and her teacher seems to think she'll snap out of it with more rest and more time.

Success! I wrote the above yesterday and saved it, and this morning Katelyn accomplished all the goals on her sleep chart! She was so proud to get stickers in every box and is so much happier and less whiney this morning. Keep your fingers crossed for school...

Long Time, No Post

I know it's been a long time, but I'm a little busy with 2 kids over here, so give me a break!

There has been so much on my mind that was blog-worthy, but not much time to sit down and organize my thoughts coherently. So, I'm going to give you the bullet points of what's on my mind lately:

1. New Church Home: I am soooo excited that VRCC is moving forward with the purchase of the building at Edmonds & Corporate! Room for children's classes, adult classes, youth classes, nursery, fellowship, worship, and more! I can't wait to get in there and start cleaning, painting, and decorating. I haven't felt like nesting this much since I was pregnant (okay, I know that was only 6 months ago, but, you know what I mean)!
2. Joshua: He's six months old now! Yikes! He's sitting up, rolling, grinning, babbling like crazy, and beginning baby foods. He absolutely loves his big sister. I am head over heels for this little guy myself. He's so laid back and happy all the time. What did we do before he was here? I know I'm super busier, but it all works out most days.
3. Katelyn: She's 3 1/2 now! Thankfully, we just got her in a preschool 2 days a week, so her social needs are being met a little better now. Every morning she would get up and say, "Where are we going today, Mommy?" That was my first clue that she needed more stimulation than I could give her with Joshua here. She's at Saturn Road COC Preschool, which is a looooong drive, but actually not much farther than Butterfly School was last year.
4. Halloween: While this is nowhere close to my favorite holiday, I recognize it for what it is--free candy and precious photo-ops for the kiddos. Katelyn has 2 Fall Festivals & Trick-or-Treating at the mall coming up. Can we say "sugar high"?
5. Breastfeeding/Lactivism: Okay, Paul, you can skip this section. I've been reading some interesting blogs lately on the topics of breastfeeding-specifically, nursing in public. We are now at the 6 month mark with Joshua, and I really feel like I can do this all the way to a year now. I weaned Katelyn to formula at 8 months and felt so guilty, but also like I couldn't do it anymore. Now I think I was just too uptight and didn't have enough support to do it anymore. This time around, I still feel somewhat unsupported (except for Randy-he's such a good daddy & husband), but a lot more relaxed. The main difference is that I pretty much refuse to be shoved in a back closet every time he needs to eat. I know my readers (all 4 of you) have a variety of different opinions on this, but I think the main reason women give up on bfing is because they are made to feel like it is shameful, dirty, gross, and so on, so they must hide themselves away to do it, but if you give a bottle, you can do that anywhere, so you begin to feel that the only way to get out and resume a "normal" life is to give a bottle. This time around, the only place I haven't nursed is in the auditorium at church. I have learned to nurse very discreetly and most people don't even realize what I'm doing, and no one has ever said anything negative to me about nursing in public. I'm just not willing to risk an uproar at church over something so silly. However, I'll be darned if I'm going behind that curtain anymore. I'm not doing anything gross or perverted, so I'm not going to hide back there. Okay, off the soapbox. If you want to read more, try here or here. Keep in mind that I don't agree with all the positions on these sites, but they will definitely give you something to think about.
6. Healthier Lifestyle: I don't like to talk about this too much, but I recently joined Weight Watchers and have lost 7.6 pounds so far. I'm eating healthier and trying to get more exercise and both of those are good things for our whole family. 'Nuff said.
7. Blogging: Even though I rarely comment and even more rarely post, please know that I keep up with all of you through your blogs and enjoy them very much. Wade makes me laugh out loud almost daily!

Well, that's all for now. Have a great day, folks!

I'm a Copycat and I'm Okay!

Many of you have expressed your opinion of what a (how did that go?) "HORRIBLE" blogger I am. So, I'm going to copy Kelly and give you little peek into my life. BTW, Kelly is my blogging hero. I don't know how she manages to update her blog so regularly. If, by some chance, both my kiddos are asleep at the same time, I'm in one of 2 places--bed or with a book for some peaceful reading. Anyway, here goes...

First and Last

First Memory: I very vaguely remember going to the hospital to see my sister, Shelly, when she was born (I was about 3). I got a baby doll bed from her (hence the tradition that Joshua carried on with Katelyn).

First Real Kiss: John (the little red-headed boy) on the Monster Plantation ride at 6 Flags over GA, the summer between 8th grade and high school. Talk about a boring ride turned fun! Hee, hee!

First Concert: Would you believe I've never been to a real "concert" concert. I guess my first faux-concert was Acapella at HU Uplift Camp. I know, I'm a lame-o!

First Love: Randy, of course! Everything else was just practice...

First crush: I was totally in love with Michael Jackson, back when he was still black and male and had all of his original parts. I remember my friend, Sonua, laughing hysterically when I said I wanted to marry him.

First thing you think in the morning: Already?!?

First book you remember loving: Are You My Mother?

First pet: Goldie, the hamster that I was afraid to hold. I ended up giving him away to a guy from school who had lots of hamsters and was all too happy to have one more.

First question you'll ask in Heaven: Where's Eve? I've got a bone to pick with that girl! :)

First thing you think of when you hear the word vacation: What's that?

First best friend: Emily Moore-my neighbor when I was little

Last time you dressed up: Gentry's wedding

Last thing you ate: Chocolate Teddy Grahams

Last CD you bought: Not sure, probably a Laurie Berkner or Wiggles CD.

Last book you read: Angry Housewives Eating BonBons

Last time you cried: When both of my kids recently decided to start their day at about 5:30 a.m. for the 3rd day in a row

Last movie you saw: Pirates of the Caribbean: The Mystery of the Black Pearl (during late night feedings); Madagascar (at the Kids Club matinee at Studio Movie Grill)

Last time you told someone you loved them: just a minute ago when Katelyn dog-piled me while I type this.

Last really funny thing you did: I have no idea. I'm sure some of you could tell me...

Last thing you watched on TV: Chain Reaction

Last Halloween costume: I dressed up as Morgan Whatley at VRCC's Fall Festival a few years ago. I miss hasseling him! :)

Last Concert attended: The Wiggles

Okay, Joanna and Paul. Your turns!

Joshua Ray has arrived!

Look, two posts in a month's time! Baby Joshua surprised us and arrived 4 days early on Monday, April 16th, at 9:11 a.m. He weighed a whopping 10 lbs., 0.6 ounces and was 22 inches long! My water broke during the 1st quarter of the Stars game Sunday night (don't worry, we were checked into the hospital in time to watch the end of the game) and he was born Monday morning. It wasn't "easy", but could have been much worse, and that's all I'll say about that for those of you who are squeamish about such things. I will say Joanna may never have children after going through this pregnancy and birth with me and learning all the fun ways God is still punishing us women for Eve's indiscretion in the Garden. That woman owes a lot of us a lot of apologies! I want to say thank you to all of you those who visited us in hospital and who have signed up to bring us food. We love you all and are always humbled to see just how much you love us, too. A special shout out to David for putting together what was quite possibly the girliest baby bed known to man for Joshua to give to Katelyn. Now that's a heart of service. Anyway, without further ado, here are the pictures I know you want to see...

Tired Mom & Joshua resting peacefully.

Katelyn with her David-assembled baby bed from Joshua. She's such a proud big sister.

Update--Just for you Wade

Alright, my blogging friends have been kicking my butt on updating. I would blame it on being verrrrry pregnant, but Kelly blows that out of the water! I'll just say that you guys have much more interesting things to blog about than I do, so I love to read and comment on your blogs. I have some church-y stuff I've been mulling over, but am hesitant to post, because I don't want to start any arguments, and I by no means have any answers to the issues floating in my head. Anyway, maybe later. For now, I'll say....

It's Great To Be a Florida Gator! AGAIN!

What are the odds of winning a football and a 2nd basketball championship right in a row both against Ohio St.! I'm thinking that they don't like us much up there right now, but that's okay. As I've always said, "If you're not a GATOR, you're GATOR BAIT!" Or as Katelyn so wisely puts it, "Gator CHOMP!" Cute story--during the football season, FL was playing LSU (the Price family favorite) and Randy said, "Katelyn, can you say 'Geaux Tigers?'" Katelyn vehemently declared, "No, Daddy! Gator CHOMP!" I wasn't even there to coach her! How's that for a kid who has her priorities straight? It's also fun to see FL get all this glory, since I've been a Gator fan since I was born. I don't mind bandwagonners too badly, but it is more fun if you've always been a fan, thorough all the ups and downs and quaterback sharing and Spurrier leaving, and so on. I'll admit I don't watch NCAA basketball until the Final Four and only if FL is playing, but with the Mavs and Stars, there's just too many games to try and watch!

Alright, my Florida statement has been made until next football season.

Joshua Update: Not much to say. If you want to know about centimeters and other stuff, you can call or email me (in deference to my childless friends who get creeped out by that gunk). Suffice to say, he will be here on or before April 20th. My doctor tells me this as if it's a great revelation. I vote sooner than later because he's getting awfully big, but would like to make it through Easter Sunday now that I'm this far.

That brings me to Easter--by far my favorite "religious" holiday of the year. I love Christmas, but really can't buy too much into the Baby Jesus angle. It's fun to talk about the nativity with a child, but isn't really a Biblical holiday to me. Easter, on the other hand, is all about resurrection, reconciliation, and renewal. Coincidence that this whole event happened in the Spring? I don't think so. Everything around us (especially our irises) is growing and awakening from a winter slumber. I feel as if I am, too. Looking forward to Sunday.

He is Risen! He is Risen, indeed!

Even Bigger News!

Yes, it has been a long time since I posted. No, the news is not that I updated. I'm not going to pretend to be more busy than other people who blog, but mothering a 2 year old and being pregnant sure do a number on the old brain! Most days I find it hard to string together 2 or more coherent thoughts. Anyway, enough excuses. On with the news...

IT'S A BOY!!!!

Joshua Ray finally decided to quit being stubborn and overly modest! Of course we are thrilled to death. I really thought I had my heart set on another girly girl, but find myself anxiously anticipating the prospect of being a boy mom.

Please don't tell me to rush out and get a copy of James Dobson's "Bringing Up Boys". I'm sure it's great, but he and Gary Ezzo are on my list of so-called "experts" to ignore the most. I prefer experts like Lori Haynes, Lori Dossey, Cheryl Wallace and the many others who have been there, done that in the trenches. Experts whose credentials are clearly on display every playgroup, Sunday School event, and worship service. Experts who freely admit that they are not experts, have made many mistakes, will make more mistakes in the future, and continue to do the best they can with God's guidance.

Okay, off the soapbox, LaRae. I think the most exciting thing to me right now is the chance to do a cowboy room for Joshua when he gets older. I'm enjoying putting together Katelyn's big girl Fairy Princess room and can already see Joshua's big boy Cowboy room in my head! I really just can't wait for 3 more months to pass and for the little guy to be in our arms!

Alright, time to go finish getting ready for Bunco. Gotta finish the cake, make the salad and set the tables!

Love to you all and thank you for your prayers!

BIG News!

If there is anyone out there who hasn't heard, Katelyn has some news to share with everyone. See below. Yes, it's very exciting, isn't it? We finally got brave enough to add another one to the Price clan. Funnily enough, this baby will be due 6 days after Katelyn's 3rd birthday. Big sister may be having an early birthday party to accomodate Mommy's growing belly and fatigue! Anyway, Katelyn is soooo thrilled (even though I don't think she really knows how much this is going to rock her world). Since watching "Meet Blue's Baby Brother" she can't decide if she wants a brother or a sister, but she does know that we should name it "Sprinkles" (Blue's brother's name) no matter what! That's going in the baby book for sure!

So, there you go. New blog. Exciting news. What more could you ask for?

VBS Reflections

This feels like a school assignment, but several people have suggested I write my reflections about VBS while it's fresh so I can remember next year what worked and what didn't. I thought if I put it here, other people could add their remarks, too. Hopefully, you'll be nice! :) So, here goes...

What Worked:

• Wade as Emcee. Once again, Wade brought his unique brand of good-natured leadership to the VBS assembly. He gets the kids excited and does a good job of reminding them why they are there-to learn about Jesus. I love the science experiments, too, if only to see him sweat whether it will really work or not.
• The costumed mascot. This year Linda did a great job as Cammi. The costume was great, thanks to Glenna and her little band of sewing elves! I'll get to the drawbacks down below.
• The Music. Anyone with a kid who was at VBS can attest that this music got in their kids' head and hearts. I would rather hear Katelyn sing, "I will be real like Jesus," than "Fruit Salad, Yummy, Yummy" any day! What a powerful tool.
• Decorations. This was a hard theme to decorate for-especially the assembly area. Anne and Kelli and their helpers did a great job transforming the stage each night, and I was really impressed at how much they were able to use things we alread owned. Jennifer's registration booth area was truly impressive. Joanna, Jen K, and Tracy did a great job of transforming the hallway, and Beri came through with her own awesome travel posters when none were forthcoming from travel agents. It's always gratifying to hear the kids breathe, "Whoooaaaaa!" when they walk in the door!
• Toddler Class. I know there were some glitches to work out, but overall I was excited to have something to offer our younger members. Most of them truly enjoyed VBS (most of the time) and not traveling from place to place seemed to help keep them settled.
• The Volunteers. A big thank you to EVERYONE who helped. Even people who don't get as excited about VBS as I do came to worknights and made a big contribution of time, energy and creativity. Hats off to the people who really made VBS work!
• Adult Bible Study. Finally, all those people milling around were able to get some study time for themselves! I think this was a great addition.
• Mission Project. Making the blankets was not as easy as we thought it might be, but I think it's important to teach our children to do things for others around the world that might not be as fortunate as we are.

Room for Improvement:

• Communication. I learned the hard way that timely, informative communication is really important, but not really easy. I don't know why it was so hard for me to send an email to Kelly for a bulletin announcement, but it was. I also need to learn how to communicate my point concisely but accurately. Apparently, some of my announcements were confusing to those who had not been at the original planning meetings. I need to get the "vision" across early to all my volunteers.
• The Costume. There has to be a way to get a fabulous costume without breaking the bank or Glenna! I'm thinking of partnering with my parents' (much bigger budgeted) church next year to share some expenses/workload.
• The Storyteller Room. For some reason, people in Bible Times costumes with a spotlight shining on them are terrifying to toddlers and preschoolers. I also got frustrated with the fact that there was more focus on the travel theme than the Bible Story theme. Crafts and Snacks centers did a great job of trying to review/preview the bible story and make a connection there, but I felt that the kids remembered more about the skits/puppet shows than the bible story. Someone suggested having the Bible Story skit during the assembly so that person only has to do it once and maybe it won't be so "up-close-and-personal" to the little ones. Then we could have a center that reviews and applies the bible story for each age group. The skits from opening assembly could also be done here, since they are not terribly long. This bears some further thought.
• The Music. I want to have a music center next time, perhaps in conjunction with the game center. Dancing/choreography could burn off energy and still give them a chance to learn even more songs.
• The Skits. Anne and Jon did a fabulous job and the kids totally loved "Emma and Nathan". However, why does the girl always have to be the ditzy one? And why can't they talk about the bible story? I tink there's room to revise the skits given and make them truly awesome!
• The Toddler Class. As mentioned, there are some glitches. Too many kids in a small room, for one. The crafts should have been modified or even changed completely for that class. Next year, it's entirely possible that we may have enough kids for a 2's class and a 3's class. I think that would help a lot. The fact of the matter is, though, that's a tough time of day for that age kids, especially if they've been away from mom and dad most of the day already. The other fact is, their little souls are important and impressionable, too. Not to mention that their parents are very involved in VBS. I think they are an important age group to reach with the message of Christ. They are never to young to brainwash, er, teach. ;)
• Planning. I think we wasted a lot of valuable planning time this year by making a committee decision on what curriculum to buy. Next year, I think Co-Directors should pick and have a first meeting to show off the theme and start planning right away. I also think this meeting should be in February or March at the latest.
• Job Descriptions. Apparently, some people didn't know exactly what they were getting in to when they signed up for their jobs. Last year we printed an insert for the bulletin outlining what all the jobs were. I think we should definitely do that again.

That's my $0.02! Please feel free to share your thoughts, too.

By Popular Demand

Okay, sports fans, here it is...the moment you've all been waiting for...I'm updating!

Not much going on in the world of LaRae that isn't related to Little Bear or Vacation Bible School. I did get enjoy a premiere of Rachel's new venture-Heritage Makers-and booked a party for August 1st at 7 pm. Check out the website and consider yourself invited if you read this. I also got a chance to hang with some of my old homies from FBE. Even though only one person is still there, we still have a connection through all the blood, sweat, and tears we expended together on those kiddos over in The Branch. Can you believe my first class of 3rd graders will be sophomores next year? I'm not that old, am I?

Anyhoo, I have been really enjoying the season finales these past few weeks. Unlike Paul, I don't get excited about what the fall lineup will be until it starts showing up on my Tivo a couple weeks ahead of time. Why torture yourself with all the potential greatness during the long, dry summer of Sex In The City and Seinfeld reruns? I do find myself wondering if Summerland will make another summer appearance. I know it's a stupid show, but I always loved Aunt Becky, and I guess I always will. LOST was awesome, but I'm really getting into the whole LOST Experience online. If you haven't been, you should definitely check out The Hanso Foundation website. You may want to go here to help you find all the easter eggs and secret passwords, though. I find it creepy and eerie, even though I know it's just an ABC attempt to get you online and keep you hooked during the summer. So far I've seen shameless plugs from Sprite, Jeep, and monster.com. I know I'm a geek, but I love it.

At any rate, I spend way too much time online reading other peoples' blogs and not nearly enough time posting to my own. Next time, some more cute Katelyn stories. There are about a million!

Love ya'! Mean it!

edited to correct a terrible misspelling!

A to Z Me

Okay, I'm going to copy Jo, copying someone else and do this, too. Come on, everybody, jump on the bandwagon with us! :)

Accent: Southern (especially when I'm mad!)
Booze: Chocolate Milk Shake with Bailey's
Chore I Hate: Sweeping and Mopping (which is probably why I have ants)
Dog or Cat: Neither, as my husband is a prude!
Essential Electronics: Digital Camera, DVD player in the minivan, laptop, TiVO
Favorite Cologne(s): Eternity
Gold or Silver: Gold
Hometown: Woodstock, GA
Insomnia: What part of "I have a 2 year old" don't you understand? I'm always ready to fall asleep!
Job Title: Chauffer, Event Planner, Personal Assistant, Housekeeper, Cook, Nanny, Mommy
Kids: Katelyn, 2 years
Living arrangements: 3 bedroom home
Most admirable trait: Loyalty
Number of sexual partners: mind your business
Overnight hospital stays: one-when I had Katelyn
Phobias: home invasions, spiders, heights
Quote: "The secret to getting ahead is getting started." "T-I-double Guh-errrrr. That spells Tigger."
Religion: Christian; Church of Christ
Siblings: one sister
Time I wake up: when Katelyn demands my attention
Unusual talent or skill: Able to pick up a quarter with my toes, can make gunshot noises with my booty
Vegetable I refuse to eat: sweet potatoes
Worst habit: biting my nails/cuticles, potty humor
X-rays: huh?
Yummy foods I make: Mexican Chicken Casserole, Eclair cake
Zodiac sign: God said "No!"

And, I'm outtie!

As Promised...

here are the pictures of Katelyn from a few weeks ago. She asked me to take her picture. Then she throws herself down and screams when I try to do so.



So I decide to take a picture to show her how she looks when she does that. At the flash, she stops screaming and sits up like, "Huh?" Then she sort of smiles, so I take another picture.



Finally, she decides to stand up, pose, and say, "1, 2, 3...cheeeeese!" What a ham!



Anyway, that's life with a 2 year old! BTW, yes, her shirt does say, "My mommy is the prettiest." And don't you forget it!

Spring Sing, Workouts, and a Certain 2 Year Old

Went to Spring Sing at Harding this weekend. Didn't really see many people we knew (or least, not many we cared about seeing-not you, Eric). Unfortunately, today's college students are apparently unable to put on a show of much quality, at least in my old fogey eyes. The first half was strictly a yawn, except for the Jazz Band, always a crowd favorite. Allen had a hot trombone solo and even got a closeup on the big screen. This made Katelyn grab my chin, point my face towards the screen and proclaim, "A-yen!" Quite possibly the cutest moment of the weekend. Overall, the trip was good. I love to get nostalgic, so walking across campus was kind of nice. I find myself already wondering if Katelyn will go there or opt for the closer to home ACU. Of course, she may decide to go a completely different route, which could be fine, too, depending. Back to HU, they are facelifting a lot of the old, decrepit buildings. This is fine, as most of them were of the pre-fab-looking variety of the 60's and 70's. However, I heard they will be "doing" Pattie Cobb dorm next. This frightens and potentially aggravates me. Pattie Cobb is the last historic building left on campus-from when HU was Galloway Women's College. If they mess up the beautiful brick facade, the wide balconies on either end, or the awesome "Hercules" columns at the entrance, I will be quite peeved. That said, I have to believe that administration has more sense than that and the improvements will be interior only.
Anyhoo, I'm sure anyone who's not from Harding could care less, so....what's next?

After 2 weeks off, I finally got back to the gym today. Between visiting family, a stomach bug, and going out of town, I was afraid I would never get back. Don't misunderstand. Anyone who knows me IRL, knows that I am far from a buff fitness freak. However, since the new year, I have been making an effort to workout 3-4 times a week for my overall well-being. Time for Mom to do something for herself, ya' know? I haven't really lost weight, but my shape is changing and I am slowly able to build up to a faster, longer treadmill walk. My favorite thing is the water aerobics, though. I discovered a new class called Hydrocycle which is exactly what it sounds like: a special stationary bike designed to sit on the pool bottom. Fun workout! I've found that I can push myself a lot harder and do a lot more than I thought I could when the choice is to keep going or wimp out in front of a whole class of other people. So, for once, my neurotic worrying about what others might think of me actually benefits me! Today was grueling, though. I have a feeling I may hobble into church tomorrow night...

Katelyn is full in the throes of being a 2 year old. When I'm on the other computer, I'll publish my pics of her tantrum to charming in 15 seconds act. It's really quite hilarious, if I do say so myself. Honestly, if I keep my perspective and just laugh at her, I do pretty well. And, no, I don't laugh in her face while she's pitching a fit (usually). Would you laugh at a ranting woman in the throes of PMS? It feels as if that's what this is, really. A preview of what life with a PMSing adolescent girl will be like. Ew, not thinking that far ahead anymore. Scary.

I think I've rambled enough. For my 2 or 3 readers, I hope you're not expecting any great philosophizing from my site. It's mostly a place to get out my thoughts and record what's up with us here in Carrollton. I have discovered a fairly large contingent of VRCC bloggers out there recently. So here's a quick shout out to all of ya'll. If I was a little better, I could link to all your blogs, but I'm doing good to bookmark them in my own Favorites folder on IE, so...sorry. Have good and get give. LaRae out.

Ah, well...

I'm not savvy or patient enough to figure out how to change my "look" without a template. So, anyway,
GO GATORS !!!!!

It's Great...To Be...A Florida Gator!

Well, sports fans, they said it wouldn't happen, but here it is! My Florida Gators won the 2006 NCAA Basketball National Championship last night. I know we're supposed to be a "football school", and in this case that worked to our advantage. It's like no one even saw them coming, least of all UC"we've got such a great legacy"LA! Anyway, I'm going to try and change my layout in honor of the Gators. Have a great week everyone. Oh, yeah. A big shoutout and congratulations to my good buddies, Kent & Jill, on their exciting news! Can't wait to see ya'll.