The Cullen Clan

Sister Conversations

2009-02-11T18:24:00.002-05:00

Lastnight the girls were in the shower. While cleaning around them I heard Bai and PeyPey talking about an upcoming dance for their school. PeyPey was telling Bai that a boy that she liked had asked her to the dance. WHAATT????!!! Anyways, Bai told her that she wasn't going if a noone asked her to go, but she didn't know who she wanted to ask her. They continued on and all the while their younger sis ReaRea kept trying to join in, "Hey guys!! Hey guys!!"

After what seemed like an hour long shower, I yelled at the girls to get out. While drying off ReaRea started crying. Bai asked what was wrong, to which Rea explained that she never gets to talk with them in the shower. So Bailey responds, "Peyton, do you mind?" and they proceeded to get back in the shower, water running, so that ReaRea could share her story with her sisters.

Nothing beats sisters!

Day off School...Craft Project

2008-11-11T13:41:00.003-05:00

So the girls had today off school. Veteran's Day. I decided to get a head start with Christmas gifts and had the girls do this little craft project. Very simple and easy, although they did need a little help with wrapping the wire tightly. But I love the end result. We are going to make a hot chocolate basket for their teachers, adding a personalized, matching coffee mug, delicious hot chocolate, some chocolate to melt with the hot chocolate and a peppermint stick. These special spoons will be perfect for stirring in the ingredients. The girls are excited to give these to their teachers. All in all the gifts shouldn't cost me more than $3/teacher!

Reagan quotes

2008-11-05T15:14:00.002-05:00

I so suck at this.
Reagan has come up with some real doozies (sp?) lately and I have forgotten most of them b/c I never write them down and forget to post on this dumb blog.

On the way to school today:
Me: "Let's remember to be kind to anyone who says anything about Obama being president."
Reagan: (who voted for McCain b/c he had more children than Obama) Wait! Wait! Wait! You mean Obama is for real???"
Me: "Yes."
Reagan: "But he is on the tv!"
Me: " Yes, but he is still a real person. And he is going to be our president."
Reagan: "Wow! He is famous!"

Reagan playing soccer...

2008-09-18T19:27:00.000-04:00

Cousins...

2008-09-05T10:03:00.006-04:00

During the month of August our cousins came down to visit from Virginia. We all stayed at my aunt and uncle's lake house. It is becoming a yearly tradition and it is one that my kids look forward to every year. They always have a blast together, and fall right back into their friendships regardless of the time away from one another. I enjoy it too. As I mentionned before that my Aunt Jan and Uncle Mike have a special place in my heart. They are so kind in letting us all stay with them and they provide everything for us. They are just the best!!! And I have a renewed friendship with my cousin. Funny, we don't talk to one another apart from our visits, but I just feel a kinship with him. And Shannon, his wife, well she has become a good friend. We are very different in many ways, but we have a lot in common as well and I always enjoy our conversations.

So onto the photos. I have lots, but here are a few... enjoy.

Kids, Sports, and their Parents...

2008-09-04T11:10:00.002-04:00

Its that time of year again. The girls are playing soccer. Bailey and Peyton are on a Pre-Challenge league together and Reagan is making her soccer debut. And as exciting and fun as it is to watch my girls play it can be so frustrating too. John and I are kind of hard on the girls when it comes to sports. I know, I know, I lose my Parent of Year award. We both have a own selfish agendas, John does it because, well, he has played, breathed, eaten, and coached soccer his entire life, what else can you expect from a Soccer Dad? I think his dream is to watch at least one, but in the ultimate fantasy it would be all three of his girls play collegiate soccer. I am sure there is a pride issue, too, that here he is an Englishman, playing and coaching soccer, surely his daughters should be natural soccer players. For me, it is more about what I didn't accomplish in my youth. Sure I played sports in High School and was pretty good. But I never played to my potential, because I was scared. Its warped, I know, but hey, we all have our quirks. So when I watch them play, in a way, I am living through them, hoping they won't do what I did. And I've watched my girls play many times and I know when they are holding back and when they are playing all out. I'm not saying they are going to be stars, but they are all pretty good players when they want to be.

Bailey, is the one with the most natural talent. She strikes a pretty ball, she is smart on the field and doesn't get flustered. But that child is like a mouse (John's word). She is content to just run beside the ball without ever touching the thing. She won't initiate a tackle to save her life. But this child is just like me. It is like watching my life from the outside. So I am constantly hounding her about being more aggressive in soccer and in life. Poor child.

Peyton, on the other hand, isn't the most skillful, but is a worker bee, when she wants to be. There are times she is all over the field, but other times you wouldn't even notice her. So frustrating to be on the sidelines.

I can't say a whole lot about Reagan because this is first year, but she is the most aggressive of the lot. It is almost the opposite situation with her. Everytime she gets the ball she goes to goal. I almost feel like I should tell her to stop, but with all that we've gone through with the other two, I wouldn't dare.

Well, last week after practice, John was so disappointed in their behavior he really let them have it. He told them that he didn't want to watch them play if they didn't play with their heart. I felt sorry for them and thought he was too hard on them. Afterwards I told John that I didn't want them to give up playing sports because of us and that I just wanted to support them.

Yesterday we had practice. John couldn't make it b/c of a college game, but he would have loved it. Bailey and Peyton came out and played like someone had lit a match under the backside. It was like two different girls out there. It was a lot of fun to watch and I was so proud of them. I hope they can keep that fire all season. It was funny, they knew they had done well, they could feel it too and they came off the field smiling from ear to ear.

Can't wait 'til Saturday....

No more...

2008-09-02T10:05:00.003-04:00

Well, my little one is now an official kindergartener. Last week she went one day, with a few others from her class (its called staggering), so that the could experience the class without getting overwhelmed by everything. Reagan asked me everyday from that point when she would go back. Today was the day. I haven't been as emotional about the whole thing as I thought I would be. I guess it helped that Reagan wasn't the least bit scared or nervous, she was definitely ready to go. She was held back last year b/c of the birthday cut-off. So after repeating another year of pre-school she was more than ready!

But today as I dropped her off with her sisters, I suddenly realized that never again, would I have a young one at home to spend the mornings with me. All my baby moments are officially over, and although in some ways I am glad and excited to explore what is ahead of me as a Mom of young girls, there is still a part of me that will forever miss those precious moments with my Reagan. See, she was the only one that I was truly able to enjoy her baby moments. I worked when Bailey and Peyton were babies. After Reagan was born I made the decision to quit work and stay home. I did eventually go back to work, but I continued to work from home. So she has been with me continuously (apart from a couple hours of preschool) throughout each day. I am so thankful for that time together. I'm sure I didn't appreciate it at times, but now I have those memories with me forever.

And then the skies opened up...

2008-08-27T11:24:00.002-04:00

and it rained...and rained...and rained. I have never seen so much rain in one day. And not just a light sprinkle, but a continuous hard rain all day and night. Some places got as much as 8" of rain.
So of course...they close the schools. Are you kidding? I was just beginning to relish in the silence and enjoy the beauty of my clean home and now...they're back, loud and messy!!! Well, one good thing, I can't work today b/c internet is down at the office. So I can be loud and messy right along with them. Enjoy your day.

Back Into The Swing...

2008-08-25T11:39:00.002-04:00

School started today. And I am hoping we can get back into a routine again. Summer has been great, but it is definitely time for some structure. I am going to try once again to keep up with the blog, for any who care, but mostly for me. I have got to figure a way to carve out a little time each day for this blog. Be patient with me.

A quick moment to share. Last week while out to lunch with my girls we were discussing getting ready for school. I was telling them that I wanted them to try really hard in school and do their best. During our discussion I had said that their cousin (whom we had recently seen) did very well in school, and at the end of the school year, if he had made straight A's, his mom would let him get a mohawk haircut. Reagan, who will be starting Kindergarten next week and who has high expectations for herself as a student, looked at me very seriously and said, "Mommy, when we get home will you show me how he made his A's straight?" Too sweet!!!

Yard Sale Success...and a big step for me!

2008-06-09T14:42:00.003-04:00

This past Saturday I had my first yard sale ever. I had been going through all of our junk, I mean stuff, for the past month and pulling out the things we no longer needed or used. I was amazed at the pile as it grew and grew. John and I have never been big on keeping things and we keep it pretty simple in our house, but still I had a fair size pile of clothes, toys, and other goodies in the end. Anyways, we had told the girls that we would buy them a trampoline if we made enough from the sale. Needless to say they were very excited. Well I am happy to report that we did very well, and I ordered the trampoline today. I sold most of the big stuff, left with mostly winter clothes. (It was 95 degrees by 10am and noone was interested in looking at big heavy coats or sweaters!)
What was the big step for me? Well, as you may or may not know, I am a paper fanatic. I love paper. I have a large scrapbooking case full of papers and stickers and such for scrapbooking. In my head I always wanted to make beautiful scrapbooks for my girls. But in realty, I am the worst perfectionist and procrastinator, so I have yet to complete a book. But, I just couldn't stand the thought of getting rid of all my beautiful paper. I kept telling myself that I could use it to make unique cards for people, but yet again, I failed miserably at completing them. So...this past Saturday I sold the entire case of scrapbooking supplies in my yard sale. And as funny as this seems, I have felt a weight lifted off of me. I feel freed from the paper!! I sounds nuts, I know and I can't explain it, but it is true.

Memorial Day

2008-05-27T21:17:00.003-04:00

Yesterday for Memorial Day we decided to go to Dan Nichols Park for the day. It is a great park, with many activities. So we packed a picnic lunch and headed towards the park. But as we got closer to the interstate we noticed the traffic. It was awful. I don't know if everyone was making a day of it or it were the race fans making their way home. Regardless, we decided not to join the mob. John decided he knew a back way... well you can guess where this is going... yes, we got lost. Well not so much lost as just way off track. Somehow we ended up at a State Park, Morrow Mtn. State Park, just outside of Albemarle, NC. We thought, what the heck, maybe it is just where we are meant to be. So we unloaded and found a place to eat. It was a beautiful park. Gorgeous day on the mountain. After lunch we decided to take a hike on one of the trails. It was quite steep and slippery, lots of rock. I wasn't exactly prepared for hiking, wearing my flip flops, and more than one occasion thought I might slip down the mountain. But it was fun. John, being the crazy Daddy he is, made everyone laugh by pretending we were indians hiking through (they were the original settlers on the mountain). There weren't as many things to do at this park as the other one, but we still had fun, just hanging out together.
Afterwards, one the way home we stopped off for some icecream!!! Yum.
It was a good day.

My Trips Today...

2008-05-22T15:13:00.002-04:00

I have been holding off on my bargain trips, because I wanted to do them all in one go (gotta' save gas $$). And here's the run down...

First stop Target: Spent $19.68 before coupons and $4.13 after. I bought 4 bags of Cheetos (the big bags that hold 6 singles), 3 zone bars, 3 small bags of Archer Brand coffee, and Kraft Miracle Whip. I paid with rebate $$ that I cashed earlier so I paid nothing oop.

Second stop Walgreens: Quick stop to return a razor, received $10.66 back.

Third stop CVS: Bought (1)Tums Quick Pack 24ct, (4) Sobe Life waters, and (1)Almay mascara. Before coupons, my total was $23.83. After using my coupons and ecb's ($2.79 + $5.00) my total was $.20, which I paid with a gift card that I received from my friends. So again, nothing oop and I received $11.69 in ecb's, plus I will be sending off for a rebate on the Tum's for $4.69, so I will have come out ahead by $8.59.

Last stop Walmart: This one was a bit disappointing. I was really hoping to get a lot of great deals, but this particular store (not my favorite) had none of the items I wanted! So...
1st transaction: (8) Zyrtec 5ct. Before coupons $43.84, after $14.80, which I paid with my insurance card. 2nd transaction: (1) bottle of Juicy Juice, (1) bag of salad mix, (1) bag of pizza rolls (easy dinner, soccer tonight), (1) Rimmel nailpolish (my bribe for Reagan's patience), and (8) packs of post-it notes (its a money maker). Before total=$18.53, after=$4.53. Hey, $4.53 for dinner for 4 isn't bad at all! Paid with the $10.00 I received back from the razor.

Triple Coupons...Again!

2008-05-16T13:54:00.002-04:00

Okay, don't laugh, but I am tired. Couponing is so much fun, but it can truly wear you out!! I think I am going to take a week off. This week Harris Teeter was tripling their coupons, so I had to work those deals. And though I didn't do as well as I had hoped, I still did pretty good. In the end after three trips (One for Mom), I bought $261.73 worth of groceries and paid 86.63. I might try and go back once more for the free stuff. But I dunno.
Anyways, I was pleased with my over-all savings this week. Got a lot of goodies in the mail, too. I usually get something everyday now, some type of sample of coupon. And I recently got my emergency car kit, that I ordered through iMommies.com, which was completely free. Check out IMOMMIES.COM for some great moneysaving bargains. I have been able to receive an IPod Shuffle, speakers for my IPod, and the Emergency Tool kit absolutely free thanks to her.

Cinco de Mayo

2008-05-09T09:45:00.006-04:00

Monday was Bailey's 9th birthday. It was also Zoo Fieldtrip Day for Peyton's class. So we decided to combine the two and let Bailey skip school and join the fieldtrip. Our entire family was able to go to the zoo for free!! Whoopeee! It was an absolute gorgeous day, perfect weather for the zoo. It was a lot fun, but we were all worn out by the end. Afterwards we went out to dinner to a Mexican Restaurant to celebrate Cinco de Mayo!! So we asked the staff to sing "Happy Birthday", so they brought a huge sombrero along with dessert. After singing they pushed the dessert into her face, she thought it was hilarious! Then, of course we came home to open presents. Lots of fun. The best part is Daddy's gifts. Every year John puts together a special basket of goodies. It is full of kinds of goodies and the girls love it. Very neat, I think. They will remember it forever. All in all it was a great day.

But I just can't believe my little Bailey girl is now 9!! We have truly hit the 'tween' stage. It is amazing how it just kind of kicks in. It is a challenge, and I am really curious how the teen years are going to be. Three girls in the teens together?? God help us.

My quick trips...

2008-05-06T16:06:00.002-04:00

I had decided that I wasn't going to make any CVS runs this week, but after reading about a few really good ones I decided to make a quick trip. So today I ran out quickly while the girls were at a friend's house this afternoon. First off, Walgreens. Now, I am fairly new to the whole Walgreens Register Rewards so I was a little wary. But it worked great!! I bought $60.17 worth of stuff (various make-up and razors), paid $3.95 oop and received $20 RR (register rewards) to use towards my next purchase. I am going to try this deal again and buy some necessary cleaning and paper products. Hoping to be able to use my RR to pay and receive more in the end. Will see.

Next I had to hit CVS. Bought $20.80 worth of stuff and paid $.34 oop (out of pocket) and received $14 ECB's. I did have to use $11 of my ECB's but still, in the end, came out ahead by $3.00.

CVS...

2008-05-01T10:57:00.002-04:00

This morning my neighbor and I hit CVS first thing to grab the May ECB deals before they are gone (yes, they really do go that quickly). I won't bore you with the details, but before coupons my grand total was $153.00, after it was $2.00. I received $28 ECBs (CVS cash) to use in the future, plus I have two rebates from this purchase to mail off which will give me $18.00. So, I will have made $44.00. WooHoo! Now, what am I going to do with my two boxes of Just For Men Touch of Gray?

Target, KMart, & Rite-Aid

2008-04-30T22:26:00.004-04:00

Tonight was Faith Formation night at church for Bailey and Peyton and soccer practice for Reagan so while waiting for them I checked out some posted bargains from the web (http://www.afullcup.com/)
At Kmart I bought 4 General Mills cereals 4/$10. At the register I received an instant $4 rebate, plus I used two $1/2 manufacturer coupons, so in the end I paid $4 + tax for 4 boxes of cereal. These boxes ordinarily would cost approximately $3.49/box at least. I am trying to stock up cereals b/c they are great snacks for the pool during the summer. So whenever I find a bargain I try to snatch it up. Last week I was able to get 4 boxes of Honey Bunches of Oats for free!!
At Target I got three Aveeno lotions (2 small bottles and 1 trial size), two bags of Purina One dog biscuits, a Zone bar, and three Durex products. Before coupons my total was $28 (thereabouts, anyways, I can't find my receipt), but after coupons it was $2.21, plus I received a $5 Target giftcard. So in actuality I made $2.79!! How 'bout them apples?
And at Rite-Aid I bought 3 boxes of Band-Aids and 6 bags of Weight Watchers chocolates for $2.71 after coupons. Not bad, either. Without my coupons I would have paid $21.00.
I took a quick photo of the goodies, but my batteries need charging so I am hoping that I can post it tomorrow.

Oh, and since I'm bragging just wanted to add that yesterday I got four cans of veggies and a fresh box of fudge at Food Lion for $1.25 and four Renuzit Super Odor Neutralizer sprays and two boxes of Jell-o instant gelatin boxes for $.20 at Walgreens. Yeah, baby!

The "Cent"sible Sawyer

2008-04-23T09:13:00.000-04:00

The "Cent"sible Sawyer

Just another of the many great money saving websites that have helped me.

Another Day, Another CVS Trip...

2008-04-15T10:56:00.002-04:00

Actually I hit three stores this morning. First off, Target. Some of the deals I was planning on were not there, but all in all still not bad. My total before coupons was 40.90, after it was $15.49. I got some good stuff too, like sandwich bags, zone bars, chips and cookies (John likes a particular brand of cookies and these were on sale), and Eggo waffles. I also had to throw in a coloring book for Reagan since she was being such a good sport to be dragged from store to store.
Next we hit Food Lion, not usually my store of choice, but the sales this week have been awful and I had some store coupons for Food Lion. I am just trying to get by with a few staples until tomorrow. Then I am hoping for better sales at HT. Didn't do as well there, but still got hamburger meat, and chicken as well as eggs, cheese, and milk. Before Q's total was $58.09, after $34.20.
Last stop, CVS. I had written down several scenarios for buying because you never know if the product you want will actually be there (yes, there are other people who are as crazy as I am about CVSing). Of course that was the case, but I still did okay. I bought 6 gift bags (yes, eventually I will use them), and two bottles of benefiber chewables (hey, we all could use more fiber in our diet). Again before Q total was $24.25. After coupons I paid 3.17, but I also got $20.00 ECB's (basically CVS $$) to use towards my next purchase. So, do you get what I'm doing now? I still have some learning to do, but I want to keep earning the ECB's so that I keep my OOP as low as possible. You should try it. I promise you will get addicted. I got my sis doing last week and she has already saved $$ on her baby supplies. Again check out these sites for some great starter scenarios: www.moneysavingmom.com and http://iheartcvs.com/

Big Mama » Favorite Things

2008-04-13T16:10:00.001-04:00

Big Mama » Favorite Things

A great new blog I accidently found today. Very witty.

Menu Planning

2008-04-13T15:15:00.002-04:00

This is my worst subject. I hate cooking. I am not good at it and just don't like doing it. We eat out a lot!! Which, as we all know, can be expensive and fattening. So I am trying to do better at planning our meals ahead of time so that we won't be so tempted to just go out. And I am hoping that by posting it here it will help me to stick to the plan even more. So I will let you know how it goes. I found a site on the web that helps with menu planning, www.carriescooking.com . Anyways, here is my menu for this week.

Monday: Hamburgers, steamed broccoli, and mixed fruit salad
Tuesday: Roast, steamed veggies, and potatoes
Wednesday: Pizza and strawberries(Soccer practice)
Thursday: Fiesta Chicken (a new recipe I wanted to try)
Friday: Free night (soccer practice, we will go out to dinner afterwards)
Saturday: Tacos with rice (we have both chicken and beef)
Sunday: Dinner at Mom's (we are starting a new family tradition of eating Sunday dinner
with my mom)

Blowing bubbles

2008-04-07T12:29:00.003-04:00

Reagan can finally blow a bubble. She is very proud of herself and wants to blow bubbles all of the time now. (Good thing I stocked up on some chewing gum). I just wanted to document it.

Sometimes it is hard with her being the youngest of the girls. They are all fairly close in age(only 3.5 years between Bailey and Reagan), but Bailey and Peyton can still do some things that Reagan is not allowed to do or is just not physically capable of doing yet. In her mind they are all equal, and often doesn't understand when she doesn't get to have sleepovers or go to their parties. It frustrates her to no end that she can't jump rope as fast as her sisters or she never wins a running race with them.

Anyways, she has been practicing for quite a while with blowing the bubbles. I kept telling her she will get it eventually, and well, she did.

Shopping again...

2008-04-07T11:51:00.004-04:00

Hit CVS and Walgreens yesterday afternoon after sorting through the Sunday newspaper's coupons. What you see in the photo I got for $4.80. Plus I earned more ECB's to use for my next CVS run. Before coupons I spent over $100 ($103.58 to be exact). I accidently bought the Sunsilk conditioner instead of the shampoo, so I will go back to get the shampoos. And then I think I might try to sell some of the shampoo and conditioner to John's college girls. Where else would they get this shampoo for a $1??

Anyway, if you think I am bit crazy, you're probably right, but we are on a tight budget as of late and this satisfies my shopping crave with little damage to our banking account. If you haven't tried CVSing yet, you need to. However, be warned, it is very addicting. Thank goodness we have three CVS stores within 4 miles from our house.

Check my earlier posts for some great money saving sites.

My Friday Bargains

2008-04-04T12:17:00.003-04:00

Lastnight while browsing through my growing number of money saving internet sites, I came across some good deals at my local shops. So I pulled out my coupon book, sorted the necessary coupons and headed out to do some shopping. First I hit Walmart. There I got two Speed Stick deoderants, two colgate toothbrushes, two packs of Zantac and two Zone bars. With my coupons the store ended up owing me $2.20. They wouldn't actually give me the overage, so I used it toward a new binder (for my coupons, of course). Next I stopped off at CVS, where I purchased a Precision Xtra Monitor and three gift bags. Again after using my coupons and ECB's I made a $5 profit. What will I do with a Precision Xtra Monitor, you ask? (Which, by the way, was originally $78) I am going to give it, along with two packs of Glucerna bars, to a friend of my Mom's who has diabetes. So I get to do a good deed. Lastly, I ran into Target to get my three Pantene shampoos, two more Zone bars (I am just trying them to see if I like them), and six packs of Goldfish all for a grand total of $3.29, plus I received a $5 gift card. Not bad for a day of shopping. Check out these great sites for more great deals: Moneysavingmom.com; bethriftylikeus.blogspot.com

Spring Break is Over

2008-03-31T12:57:00.004-04:00

and finally some peace and quiet in the house. HAHA
I was so looking forward to having the girls home for their spring break. And we had a lot fun together. It was great not having to wake up at 6:30am, pack lunches, or do homework. Usually we try to get away for a few days, but this year it didn't work out for various reasons. So, instead, I tried to do little things with them each day. One day, we went to a local theater, The Gem, and saw Horton Hears A Who. This theater is great, it only charges $2/person and the snacks are very reasonable, $.75 for a pack of candy. It is a little outdated and the girls, being spoiled by the newer cinemas, weren't so impressed at first. "Where are out cup holders?" "These seats don't recline." But I think they enjoyed the film all the same. Another day, John stayed home and we all went to the park for the day. It is always fun when Daddy comes because he makes up some great games and keeps us busy the entire time. I'm more of a leisurely park goer, but not Daddy. I got my exercise that day. We spent one afternoon at a local plantation and farm, called the Latta Plantation. It was great because there was noone else there so we received extra attention from the volunteers. They let the girls pet the two baby lambs and were able to hold one of the roosters. The farmer told them several stories about the farm and the animals that lived there. I'll post some photos of that day. We had friends come over for play days and sleepovers. So all in all I think it was a good week.
But, like I said, it sure is nice to have some "Me" time again.

My bargain from Yesterday...

2008-03-30T10:26:00.002-04:00

Well I've mentionned before that I am a coupon shopper. As of late I haven't been doing so great, gotten kind of lazy in buying my newspapers and such. It really does take some time and organization to keep up with it. I am still saving with my groceries, but not like I could. Well, this past week it was triple coupons at Harris Teeter. So while searching the internet, I found some great websites that are amazingly helpful in sharing what deals are available. So, anyway, I decided to get myself organized and start taking advantage of all these great deals. Friday evening I made a list of all the places I wanted to go and separated my coupons accordingly. Come Saturday morning I grabbed my list and hit the stores. I hit Target, Walmart, Bath and Body, and finally Harris Teeter. I had planned on going to CVS, but I was pretty tired from running around (I had to attend a birthday party in between all these trips) and my girls, who had to tag along for the "fun", were done, to say the least! I had so much fun, though. I had to take a picture of my bargains. I got all that is pictured for about $18. My total before the coupons was around $92.00. I can't find all my receipts to give specifics. I spent $13 at HT (before savings $61), $.26 at Walmart before savings $2.26), $1 at B&B (before savings $12), and $3 at Target (before savings $18). Anyways, it was fun. I plan on going back out today to pick up my papers (of course) and hit CVS. If you are interested, check out these sites for more savings http://bethriftylikeus.blogspot.com/ ;http://iheartcvs.com/ ; http://www.moneysavingmom.com/ ; http://www.bargainshopperlady.com/

And then there's little me... Bailey

2008-03-29T09:39:00.002-04:00

I am still only allowed to take "x" amount of photos of her, and she is not very comfortable in front of the camera, where the other two are. But I love this smiling one of her.

My Peyton Girl...

2008-03-29T09:27:00.001-04:00

More photos, some recent one of my girls

2008-03-29T09:00:00.003-04:00

A visit from the cousins

2008-03-24T21:09:00.002-04:00

Friday before Easter, Tish and the girls came down to visit for the day. Of course we had to try to snap a few of the munchkins, but it was no easy task. This is the only one I got of the two of them together. Aren't they just the cutest?

Snow Day

2008-03-24T21:07:00.001-04:00

Our one and only snow day. It didn't last long, but long enough for the girls to make a little snowman.

Playing soccer with Grandad

2008-03-24T21:00:00.004-04:00

John's parents came over for Christmas and of course we had to have a soccer game. We all played, even Nana. It was a lot of fun, but I think poor Grandad was the worst for it. The girls absolutely hammered the poor fella everytime he got the ball. He loved it, but was suffering a bit the next day.

From Christmas...

2008-03-24T20:58:00.001-04:00

...

I know it is has been a long time...

2008-03-24T20:52:00.002-04:00

I am finally posting some photos dating back to Halloween!!!! Shameful, I know. But enjoy...

2008-02-27T11:00:00.001-05:00

just checking...

They Call Me Terina the Toolwoman Cullen...Argh, Argh

2007-12-12T11:12:00.000-05:00

Lastnight, when I went in to check my laundry I discovered, that my washing maching was not working properly. The clothes were soaking wet and I couldn't get the washer to drain. GREAT!!!! Why at Christmas do these things happen? Well, I went onto the internet and read that it may be something had gotten clogged in the pump of the machine. So, determined to give it a go, John and I manually scooped all the water out of the tub and set to work draining the water out of the hose. We checked the hose and it was clear, but we weren't exactly sure where the pump was, so we decided to leave it and just call a repairman. I love my husband, he is many wonderful qualities, but a Mr. Fixit he is not.

But this morning I went back on the computer and read some more and was sure I could do this by myself. I called my boss, who IS a Mr. Fixit, just to ask what he thought it might be. He agreed that it was probably a sock in the pump. He said it was quite simple to do. So I decided to give it a go. What harm was it going to do? If that wasn't the problem in the end then I would be no worse off, but if it was only a sock I would hate the thought of paying some repairman (or woman) $100 just for them to pull out a sock!!

And by golly, I did it!!! It was indeed a sock. I just finished giving it a trial run after putting the parts back together and so far so good! Yea me.

My Determined One...

2007-12-12T10:30:00.000-05:00

A couple of weeks ago, while in the car, Bailey told me that she was having a hard time in school and felt that she wasn't as smart as the other kids in her class. I told her she was smart, but I didn't think she was focusing in school. When Bailey sets her head to do something she does it and excels, but if it doesn't hold her attention she has a great tendency to let herself wander. She didn't like my answer, but we continued to talk about it. She wanted to blame me for not telling her everything she needed to know in first grade, however, I explained to her that I do not know everthing ( I know, I let her know our secret), and I don't always know what is going on in her classroom. I explained that if she felt she was having problems, it was her responsibility to talk with her teacher and ask for help. I know that it is my responsibility as well and I have set up a conference with her teacher in the new year as well as having her tested for learning disabilities, but I am very big on teaching my children to be responsible for themselves and be independent. I am not always going to be there to help them out. I was always afraid to speak up as a child and I do not want my children to be like me in that way.
Anyways, in the end I told her that I was proud of her, because she is doing well in school, she always makes A's and B's on her tests. But she stubbornly told me that she didn't want B's, she wanted A's and she didn't just want A's, but A+'s. And to that I replied then you have to set your head to do it. This conversation was on Wednesday two weeks ago. Last week, I think on Thursday, I got a note from Bailey's teacher, telling me that Bailey had had an excellent (underlined several times) week both academically and behaviorally! This was before I spoke with her to set up a conference. Talk about determination!! All of her school work had "100" or A+. It was really quite amazing. Of course I made a big deal. I mean to set your head to do something and do it so well, I was impressed. Now I don't know how long this determination thing will last, I guess time will tell, but it was a pretty cool parent moment.

Merry Christmas!

2007-12-11T13:25:00.000-05:00

Kids say the best things ...

2007-11-07T10:44:00.000-05:00

Whenever we need to pass time while waiting we often play a game where one person thinks of a place and the rest of us have to name things that we would find in that place. So yesterday Reagan started the game with things you'd find in a store. Everyone is guessing and John started throwing out ridiculous answers such as mountains, oceans, etc., all to which Reagan said 'okay' without even questioning it. Then Bailey shouts out 'frenchfries' and Reagan stops, looks at her like she's crazy and says, "Frenchfries?? in a store?" I guess you had to be there, but it was great!!

A quick update...

2007-11-05T13:04:00.000-05:00

All is well with the Cullen Family. I hope to have the Halloween photos up soon, but I can't promise. We enjoyed a good fun Halloween week, have been eating way too much candy and yet I can't tell that we've made a dent in the candy basket. I'll give it one more week and then it is going in the trash. Too much temptation for me. Bailey dressed up as a pirate, Peyton was a Diva Soldier (it was a camoflauge outfit with sparkles all over it??) and Reagan, being the drama queen that she is, had three different costumes on Halloween. For school she dressed up as a cowgirl, later in the afternoon she dressed as Snow White and later that evening she was Ariel, The Little Mermaid. I am no good at making my own costumes and too much of a procrastinator to put something creative together so I had to pay WAAAAY too much money for these outfits that will now be a part of our ever growing dress up collection. Ridiculous.

This past weekend, we had our Saturday Soccer game and then, a treat, Dad was home for the afternoon, so we went to see the Bee Movie. And believe it or not, afterwards we came back home and I cooked dinner. We are big on going out for dinner, but we are trying to stop eating out so much, so I actually cooked a nice dinner and ... surprise surprise ... everyone ate it, without complaining. Miracles never cease.

Yesterday, John's team were in the finals of their Conference Tournament so the girls and I decided to go and support the team. They were playing a team that they had lost to 6-2 earlier in the season. It was a fantastic game between the two teams. Neither team scored after two overtime periods and it came down to penalties. Unfortunately our girls lost, by missing two PK's. But what a game they played. They played with such heart, it was very exciting to watch, even my three, who usually are not that into the game, were yelling and cheering for the girls. Today John will find out if the team will get a bid into the NCAA Tournament. A little side note ... John was selected as the Coach of Year for his conference. Yeah Baby!!!

Happy Birthday Dad

2007-10-19T12:28:00.000-04:00

Today, October 19th, would have been my Dad's 60th birthday. He died yesterday, the day before his birthday, four years ago. I can not believe he has been away from us for four years. There are times when I still forget he is dead. I have something exciting to share or a question to ask and just for a split second I think about calling him. Those moments don't happen quite as much as they used to and I feel bad, because I feel like I have forgotten him. And to be perfectly honest, I don't think of him as often as I used to. Am I a bad person for that? Or am I going on with this crazy thing we call life? But then there are those times when the hurt and pain of losing him is so raw that if feels like it just happened. I can't watch a movie with death or suffering without totally losing myself in the pain of Dad's death.

As of late, Mom has told me more and more that I remind her of Dad in my ways, personality and actions. I don't know if she means it as a compliment, but I like knowing that. I like knowing that in some weird way, my children will experience a little bit of my Dad through me. I like knowing that I will always have a piece of my Dad with me, that is part of me, what I am because of him. Stupid? Yeah, I guess, especially if you've never experienced loss. Poor John, he doesn't know what to do when I just start crying, out the blue, because some tiny little thing, that only I see or know, made me miss my Dad. He's learning though; all I need is a great big hug and a few minutes to collect myself.

So a big Happy Birthday to my Dad!!!! I love you and miss you more than ever.

Can I take A Moment

2007-10-19T11:49:00.000-04:00

to brag on my hubby? He is a soccer coach (football if your from Europe). A damn good one. I don't think I have ever seen anyone so in love with a sport as this man is. We all eat, sleep, dream, and live by football (literally), whether we like it or not. But because of his passion, he gives of himself 100% when he is coaching, and it shines through in his teams.

Before I met John, I didn't know much about soccer, but I sure have learned a lot in the past 18 years of knowing him. I was there to watch him as he played for UNCC. I was there to watch him coach his first club team and move through the ranks of Director of Coaching of Club team and finally as Head Coach of Catawba College.

I have grown to hate the game at times. The game takes him away from his family a lot. And there have been a few rough patches. It has taken a lot of adjusting, but I think we (girls included) understand now, that this crazy game is a vital part of John's life. I don't understand it, but I know that he would not be the same person if I were to ever ask him to leave this game. And believe me, there have been many times I would have loved to ask that very question.

John is having a great season. He wasn't sure how it would turn out, his team is very young, but I didn't worry much. He just has an uncanny way of pulling out the best in his players. Maybe they see his passion and love for what he does and makes them want to be better, I don't know, but it is really fun to watch. I admire him, because it must be so much fun to do what you love and be really good at it.

So Hon, if you read this, please know, that even though I may complain and grump a lot about your job, I still am so proud of you and will always be your #1 supporter and fan. Go Indians!!

Gabbi

2007-10-17T10:32:00.000-04:00

We had a short visit with Latisha and her little munchkins this past Saturday. She stopped by while down here on a camping trip. They have both grown so much since Easter. My girls had a great time catching up with their cousins. Unfortunately I only have a picture of the little one. Sharing a couple of Gabbi.

Parent/Teacher Conferences

2007-10-17T10:03:00.000-04:00

Yesterday I met with Bailey and Peyton's teacher for their Parent/Teacher Conferences. And I was relieved to find that both are doing well thus far. I felt that things were going okay, no notes from the teacher and they have been doing their homework without struggle. But I was concerned with their reading. As you well know, I have worried about their reading abilities since Kindergarten. That is why we kept them back last year. But I am pleased to report that they are both above the average on their reading levels, which is a great relief to me. Their teachers said that both were good students. Yea!

The One and Only...

2007-10-12T10:28:00.001-04:00

My Reagan Girl. She has many nicknames for herself, Penny (because she always finds pennies on the ground), the Talker (because she talks nonstop!), just a couple for ya. But to me she is Squirt. I tell her daily she is my favorite Reagan and she kindly replies "And you are my favorite Mommy." She is growing up daily, not my little baby anymore. Her personality is really beginning to shine through. I think she is going to be my most outgoing of the three. She is very confident in herself and has a style all her own. She loves singing and dancing and is very good at it, she has stage presence. I watch her in her room imitating Hannah Montana and I laugh until I cry. She loves clothes and changes her outfits at least three times a day. The girl is only four (well almost five), what am I going to do when she is 14?? Here are some photos I took of her today before pre-school. It is finally cooling off down here and I am able to pull out some fall clothes. She looked so cute I just had to snap a few. The other is a Reagan outfit, the hat is her signature. Even as crazy as she looks, she could pull it off. Gotta love it.

Triple Coupons!!!

2007-10-10T15:41:00.000-04:00

Yes, I admit it. I have gotten into couponing and have become a bit obsessive about it. But it has made my used to be dreaded grocery shopping trips much more fun.

It all started this past summer when my neighbor invited me to go to a couponing class with her. I thought it a bit funny, but went out of curiosity. I was so overwhelmed by the class, but excited to give it a try. I came home, bought a notebook binder, some baseball card holders, and come Sunday, I bought four papers, cut and sorted my coupons. My husband laughed at me and didn't believe that 1) I'd ever really save as much as the Coupon Lady claimed (she said we should cut our groceries at least in half) and 2) I would ever commit to doing this.

The next week it happen to be triple coupon week at Lowes Foods, so my neighbor and the Coupon Lady (the lady who taught the class) went shopping with our coupons in tow. That night I bought almost $80.00 worth of groceries and paid a whopping $20.00! I was hooked.

I have been doing this now since the end of July and have most definitely cut my grocery shopping bills in half, if not more. Today was triple coupons again at Lowes and I did my best yet at saving. I bought $178.00 worth of groceries and paid a whopping $26.00! I bought only what was on sale and used coupons for everything. Needless to say I am pretty damn proud of myself.

I had to laugh at a recent post that my cousin-in-law (???) made on her blog about a woman who complained about a $.20 discrepency on her receipt. I am that woman. No, I don't think I would complain about $.20, but I have over $2.00. Hey, it all adds up. The more money I can save from my grocery shopping, the more money I can spend on my clothes shopping! :)

Happy Savings.

Coupon Update: I heard through the grapevine that some of the other shoppers were upset that we took a lot of the store items and that Lowes Food wanted to kick us out of the store yesterday because we were buying everything. For the record, we didn't buy everything. There was plenty of items left, but we got our behinds out of bed at 5am so that we could be at the store when it opened at 6am. So could have the others. Although there were a few other people shopping, the store was basically empty even when we left at 9am. Just like any other sale, if you want the good stuff you have to get there early. And as far as Lowe's is concerned why have triple coupon sales if you don't want people to use their coupons? Me just venting.

Just for you Shannon....

2007-10-10T15:26:00.000-04:00

Ah, finally, I am posting the pics of my little cousin. Sorry it took so long, Shannon. Now to just burn them onto a cd and mail it to you.....

Just a Check-up

2007-09-13T11:03:00.000-04:00

This past Monday, I had to take Reagan to the doctor for her Pre-School checkup. Before going I tried and relieved any fears that she had, by telling her they were only going to check her weight, height, hearing and vision. I assured her she wasn't going to get any shots. BIG MISTAKE!
The visit starts traumatically when we discover that Reagan needs to pee in a cup. She is totally freaked by this and to top it off, she is so tiny that the automatic toilet keeps flushing, which sounds as if it might suck her down the bowl. She absolutely refuses to cooperate. Next as enter the examining room, we are told that she needs to strip down to her undies and put on the paper gown. At first, she is on the verge of tears, but Daddy and I make a big joke about it being her beautiful dress up gown that she starts laughing and puts it on.
Finally the Doc shows up and announces that she is going to go ahead and do a Kindergarten physical and that meant that Reagan would be getting shots. SHOTS, not A SHOT. Reagan looked at me immediately and I thought I would cry for her. All went well with the check-up and the doctor said she would send in the nurse for her hearing and vision exam. I calmly explained to Reagan that she would have to get a couple of shots, but that it would be okay.

After, completing the vision test the nurse nonchalantly said "It will be four in the arm." Reagan, knowing exactly what she is talking about, looked at me and said "Four shots??!!" Oh geez, this tiny little child is going to get four shots in her arms?? So again, I calmly tell her that yes, she is getting four shots, and yes, they will hurt a little, but it will go so fast and she will probably get to go to the treasure box. That brought a brief smile.

In comes the nurse, asks me to hold Reagan in my lap, wrap my legs around her waist, hold her arms down, pinning them in place. Talk about freaking a child out. But I stayed calm, telling her I would cover her eyes and she would not have to see. The nurse, on the other hand, was loudly pronouncing that it was going to hurt and she could cry as loud as she wanted, and that Mommy would buy her a treat when we were done. What??? Oh well, there goes the little treasure box trinket.
In goes the first needle, Reagan laughs. Second, third, and fourth...."That one hurt Mommy." That was it. No tears, not even welled up. Wow!! Poor John, was in the corner, not able to even watch. Reagan looks at me, "Can I get a Barbie?" Yes, baby, you certainly can. What a brave little girl.

Oh and by the way, she is now 41~1/2 inches and 33~3/4 lbs. Doctor said she is always going to be petite. There goes my super model....

Hero in Training of The Year Winner

2007-09-13T10:17:00.000-04:00

You may remember from a previous post that earlier in the year Peyton was nominated as a Hero in Training for starting her Little Hands, Big Heart Fundraising Project. Well, last Saturday she was invited to attend a Luncheon at Concord Mills in honor of all the Heroes for the past school year, where she won the huge title of "Hero of the Year"!! What a great surprise! She received a certificate, a plaque with her name as well as a $250 gift card to Concord Mills. She said later that when the speaker was describing what the winner would receive, she thought to herself 'Wow, I wonder who will win that money.' So needless to say, we are so very proud of our littl PeyPey.
And call me a bad parent, but I let her spend her money. She was very thoughtful in her purchases. She bought some too cute outfits and shoes. She even bought Reagan an outfit (with Peyton's help in choosing the perfect one) and Bailey a pair of earrings she had been wanting. The photo is of Peyton with her teacher, Ms. Smith, who nominated Peyton as a Hero. Thanks Ms. Smith.!!

Back To School

2007-08-29T11:12:00.000-04:00

This past Monday, Bailey and Peyton started back to school. I can't believe the summer is over already. I am torn between being glad to have some peace and quiet and missing the constant chatter of little girls in the house. It has been a great summer. Although we didn't get to go away very much, we truly enjoyed our neighborhood pool. And with all the new friends we met, we had plenty to do.

This year we made the decision to put the girls in our neighborhood school instead of CIS. It was a tough decision, the girls loved their old school and I felt we were so lucky to get into the school when it first opened. However, after much discussion we decided to make the switch. So now instead of driving nearly 2 hours everyday to drop off and pick up the girls, we are now walking 10 minutes to school!!! And instead of getting home at 4:30, we now are home by 2:15.
At first the girls were none to pleased to be leaving their friends behind, but after the first couple of days of seeing the same friends that they saw at the pool in their classrooms, they think its pretty cool! Already, Peyton has a playdate with one of her new friends who lives just down the road. In their words "It's sweet!" Another bonus, no more uniforms! I will probably be missing those uniforms shortly, but I love shopping and I have to admit it was fun shopping for cool school clothes instead of boring navy blue and white.

So now the home is quiet, well not completely, I still have Reagan for one more week and then she will be off to pre-school. And then, an empty home (for the morning hours anyway). I've forgotten what that sounds like.

...

2007-08-27T10:39:00.001-04:00

Photos from the Lake House

2007-08-27T10:28:00.000-04:00

Last weekend we visited our Aunt and Uncle's lake house. My cousin and his family came down from Virginia. We had a lot of fun. It is amazing how quickly children become friends. My girls hadn't seen their children since Easter, but within five minutes of us being there they were fast friends, ready to play. As always, it was great fun. Relaxing on the boat, or at the pool, or just sitting at the house playing cards. It was the perfect little getaway before the girls go back to school. Sharing the photos....

Happy Birthday To You...

2007-08-14T10:00:00.000-04:00

Today is Peyton's birthday. She is turning 7. How can this be? Where does the time go? I can remember getting everything ready for her arrival. She was scheduled c-section, so we knew exactly when she was coming. It was kind of strange, because there was no labor at all. But what a cutie. Before having Peyton, I couldn't imagine loving another child as much as I did Bailey. But as soon as I saw her, my heart grew with a love I never knew was there. Peyton Michelle Cullen. The child her Nana called an angel. At times she is the most difficult of my three, but this child has a heart of gold. She takes everyone into her heart. She has the uncanny ability to know when you are hurting and need one of her special hugs or kisses. When I look at her, my heart swells so much it hurts. As we all do, I often get caught up in the days and forget how lucky I am to have her in my life. Thank you God, for bringing this special child into my life. She brightens my day just seeing her sweet angel face. Happy birthday sweet Peyton Girl. I love you so very much.

Butterfly

2007-08-09T12:38:00.001-04:00

Walked outside yesterday morning and found this beauty feasting on my flowers.

My beauties...

2007-08-09T12:09:00.001-04:00

Aly & AJ Concert

2007-08-07T12:38:00.000-04:00

Photos from our beach trip

2007-07-18T12:31:00.000-04:00

Every summer we go to the beach. Just Cherry Grove (North Myrtle Beach), but we always have fun and as the girls get older we get to enjoy more and more things together. Mostly we hang out at the beach or the pool, but in the evening we usually try to enjoy some of the activities. We play putt-putt, ride the rides, go shopping, see a show, ride bikes. Its just great being together without the daily distractions.

Some recent ones of the girls

2007-07-13T11:43:00.000-04:00

I have not really picked up my camera since we've moved. Just don't feel the inspiration. I don't know what is wrong. But a few days ago I did pull it out and snapped a few of the girls. I think they are so beautiful and am so thankful God has brought them into my life. I just realized that the only photo of Bailey was the one under "Pillow Talk".

Photos from the 4th...

2007-07-13T11:14:00.000-04:00

We had a great July 4th day. As usual it takes me a bit to get my photos up, but better late than never. We spent the day with Aunt Jan and Uncle Mike, at their lake house. The girls had so much fun. We enjoyed boat rides, where each of the girls took a turn driving. They loved that. We swam in the lake, hoping that no fishies would nibble on us. We went fishing, a first for Peyton and Reagan. Bailey had gone once with her Papa, but she only remembers the photos taken. And we had great luck, with each girl catching a fish. Bailey really liked it and took it quite seriously. Papa would be so proud. In the late afternoon we cooked out, the traditional 4th meal, hot dogs and hamburgers. Played some croquet (is that how it's spelled), had a bonfire with s'mores or course. What else? I think that about covers it. We had such a fun time. We missed the fireworks on the lake, because we needed to head back home, but I don't think the girls cared one bit. They were too tired to care. Thanks Aunt Jan and Uncle Mike, you're the best!!!

Pillow Talk

2007-07-11T11:59:00.000-04:00

I have never been big on letting my children sleep in the bed with me. Maybe that seems mean, but it is my only haven away from them and I feel I deserve some privacy. But this week, with John away, I have been letting each one of the girls sleep with me. So last night was Bailey's turn. I snuggled her into the bed and I jumped in ready to begin the new book I had just bought. But Bailey wanted to talk, and talk she did. It was so great. As much as I think that I talk with my kids and listen to them I realized last night that I do, but with Mommy ears (yes, I have mommy goggles and Mommy ears). I don't usually just sit and listen to them as an individual, letting them say what they want without fear of getting in trouble. But last night, Bailey shared her feelings about being a big sister and I listened, just listened. She said that earlier in the day she had read a note that she had written to me. In the note it said that she would try harder to be a better listener. She said when she read the letter she felt bad because she didn't always do what she should. She shared that it was hard sometimes to be the big sister, because she is expected to be the leader. And her little sisters make her so mad that she just really wants to hit them, even when she knows she is going to get in trouble. And I just put on my listening ears and really listened. It was the best and I could tell she enjoyed that special time with just me. I haven't done that in a while. I feel like such a bad Mommy sometimes, because I feel so stretched, and I don't give my girls the special attention they deserve. But I am only human and as I told Bailey lastnight (I can't keep my mommy mouth turned off forever!!), all we can do is ask God's forgiveness for the mistakes that we make today and help us to do better tomorrow. A good lesson for my girls and myself. Tonight is Reagan's turn. Wonder what I will learn tonight...

Take me out to the ball game...

2007-06-28T10:52:00.000-04:00

Yesterday we decided to take the girls out to see our local baseball team, the Kannapolis Intimidators, play a game. We had never been to a game before, and figured it would be a fun family experience. After the game they were going to show "Shrek" on the field. So we loaded up and headed to the stadium for loads of family fun. Got our tickets, food (all the good stuff ~ hotdogs, fries, sodas) and sat down for the game. Not five minutes after sitting down, we noticed storm clouds rolling in. We were told they would not delay the game until it actually starting raining so we sat it out and watched the game. Next came the lightening, striking in the distance, but all around us. Then came the thunder, which totally freaked Reagan. But still we thought 'Noone else seems concerned, so we'll just keep an eye on it.' Then came the storm, I saw a huge flash of lightening and told John we needed to find shelter. The skies opened up, the wind started blowing and the rain came, no poured down. The rain, wasn't really the problem at first, it was the lightening striking all around the stadium and it was close now, crackling over the speaker system followed by a huge roar of thunder. Reagan was now sure we were going to die and latched onto me with her head buried deep. We all huddled under the main shelter, but soon were forced out of there because the wind was blowing the rain so hard in our direction that we were all getting soaked. So the crowd moved to the front of the building, trying to shield ourselves from the rain and wind. But it did not stop. It rained so hard that the water rose above our feet. We watched as people made a break for their cars and hoped it would let up soon so that Daddy could do the same for us. There was no convincing him to go out in the middle of the storm. While waiting, an older gentleman who worked at the stadium told us that we could keep out ticket stubs and come back for Saturday's game and they would let us in. There were even going to be fireworks afterwards. We asked the girls what they thought and they all answered in unison with an emphatic "No!!"
Finally after about 45 minutes, it did finally subside enough for John to get the car for us. While loading everyone up John said at least the rain would be good for the yard, which has suffered from the heat and little rain. But when we arrived home we noticed that it looked like it had rained very little. The storm had bypassed our house completely, a mere 15 minutes away from the stadium.
I don't know if we will try again on Saturday, we will have to watch the weather, but we will never forget our first baseball game.

We've Moved!!!

2007-05-25T10:31:00.000-04:00

Finally, we are in our new home!!!! We still have boxes everywhere and I can't find anything, but I am so happy to be here. The girls love it too. Already they have met several "girl" friends, all within 1 block of our house. We have a fantastic pool, and they meet someone new each time we go. I think the dogs are having the biggest adjustment, since we don't have a fence yet. They can't just go out and roam around like they used to do, but they are getting some great walks, and I am getting some great exercise!!

Peyton scores a hat trick!!!

2007-05-25T10:15:00.000-04:00

Soccer season in now over, but Peyton went out with a bang!!! In her last game of the season, she played her best game yet!! She was full of fire, running after every ball, going for the goal. And she was successful, scoring three goals!!! It was great to watch and I was so proud of her. I know I had my Mommy goggles on, but she did a great job. Before playing soccer, Peyton showed no interest in sports and I wondered if she would be an athlete. But she shows a lot of athletic ability. I hope she continues to play soccer, I had such a fun time watching her.

Looks like We have a Runner...

2007-05-05T10:30:00.000-04:00

As you can tell I recently uploaded my photos and can finally add some to the blog. Last Saturday Bailey ran her second 5K race, this time with Daddy beside her. She improved her time by nearly three minutes, running it in just over 30 minutes. This was due mostly to her Dad not letting her walk more than 10 seconds at a time. He really pushed her and she did great. She won another medal for being first in her age group. She was the youngest runner with the next age being a 13 year old girl, who actually won the entire race for the women. Bailey has decided she wants to run more, so I better get my act together and start training a little better this time. Now even Peyton wants to run, but only the 1 mile for now. It is so great to see my children involved in athletics. I am a real proud Momma bear!

My Little Hero in Training

2007-05-05T10:06:00.000-04:00

Playing some Candyland with my girl.

2007-04-26T12:48:00.000-04:00

It seems like lately that I have been so caught up in my own stuff, that I have been putting my girls on the sideburner. I am ashamed to say it, but I haven't been spending any quality time with them. So, I am trying to stop, take a breather and spend a little one on one time with each of them. I know they will be gone in a second and I've got to stop and enjoy this moment now. So today Reagan and I played a game of Candyland. She beat me everytime, even when I thought I was sure to win. We had a blast, laughing and teasing. Man oh man, do I love her. She is so cute and witty. She can drive me crazy with her constant chatter, but she makes me smile and laugh on a daily basis too. She has such a zest for life, and can create a fairytale world with a few basics and whole of lot of wonderful imagination. I am so thankful that I have her for one more year before she heads off to kindergarten. She is my favorite Reagan.

I Did It!!!

2007-04-21T17:11:00.000-04:00

I ran/walked my first 5k run. It was hard, mostly b/c I did a half**s job of training, but I made myself complete it. I am always preaching to the girls that you can't quit, well, aren't we supposed to lead by example??
It was one of my new year's resolutions and probably the only one I actually kept. It inspired me watching the other runners, most of them at least 15 years older than me. So I am going to try to train a little better and run (hopefully all of it next time) again.
But even better, Bailey, being all of eight years old (well actually seven and 3/4) ran the race as well and won a first place trophy for her age division. There were no other children under the age of 12 running, which says a lot for her in and of itself. Just before the 5k they had a fun run for the younger children, which was only a mile, and I tried to get Bailey to run, but she was determined to run the 'big one'. You gotta love that. I told her that we could run/walk together, but she wanted to run and ended up running with my friend, staying with her most of the run, falling behind only in the last mile, when she got tired, and slowed down. Since I was way behind those two ( yes, I pulled up the caboose), my friend told me that Bailey inspired her to keep running (my friend won as well) because Bailey would see the other runners ahead of her and wanted to catch up with them. Man am I proud of her. She has come such a long way in the past year with her confidence and I am just so excited to see her growth.
She was so pumped after the race she signed up for another 5k for next weekend. We'll see how it goes...

Ireland

2007-04-17T13:46:00.000-04:00

Shannon and Michael you have beautiful children. My girls enjoyed playing with your gang tremenously. I hope we will see you more often now that the grandparents are down this way.

Easter

2007-04-17T12:56:00.000-04:00

I have an Aunt and Uncle who were always my favorite growing up. We all have them. Mine were Aunt Jan and Uncle Mike, my dad's brother and wife. As a small child I remember spending many weekends either at their house or ours. We had a great time together. Eventually, they moved to another state and I missed them terribly, but we still saw them at least once a year on holidays. I have many fond memories of my childhood with them. Even with seeing them only once a year or so, I still considered them my favorite aunt and uncle. I just love them so much. Well, recently they moved back down to the Carolinas and are only a hop, skip and jump away now, and I am so very excited. After my Dad died, not only did I lose him,I felt like I lost his family, he was my lifeline to everyone. And as stupid as this may sound, now with Aunt Jan and Uncle Mike being closer, I feel like I get back a little piece of my Dad. When I see my Uncle Mike I see my Dad, and it makes me smile and cry at the same time.
Anyways, this Easter, they invited us to their house. My mom, my sister and her family came for a day, my cousin and his family were down and another aunt and uncle were also there. It was really nice visiting with everyone. And it was really great to see all our children playing together the way we used to when we were little. I have lots of photos to share from the weekend. I'll start with my sister's cute little munchkins.

Mommy's girls...

2007-03-21T10:30:00.000-04:00

I love them so much.

We gotta pull that tooth!!

2007-03-21T10:22:00.001-04:00

Well, yesterday Peyton went in for her check-up. All is good except that one of her permanent teeth has pushed through behind the baby tooth. Because the baby tooth hasn't come out it is causing the permanent tooth to become crooked. So the dentist told Peyton, that if she hadn't pulled the tooth by next week he was going to pull it! And do you know how much that costs?? $100. So I had a little sit down with Peyton and explained to her that we were going to pull that tooth out even if it meant me pulling it with a string. The tooth is loose and with some jiggling could come out quite easily, but unlike Bailey who will try to make her tooth loose, just to pull them out, Peyton will not touch the tooth. She has a low tolerance for pain and blood. She almost goes in to hysterics when she brushes her teeth and sees a little red in her spit! How am I going to get her to pull it out? Everyday for lunch I am giving her pears and apples to eat and I have to tell her to bite down with the front teeth. Poor thing! Let's just hope it comes out before next week rolls around.

It's Peyton's Turn

2007-03-20T11:26:00.000-04:00

to show her stuff. After a year of stating that she wasn't going to play any sports, Peyton, came to me one day and said she wanted to play soccer. I explained to her that as happy as we were to hear that, we only wanted her to play if that was what she really wanted to do. John, of course, really wants at least one of his girls to play soccer, but they have to make that decision on their own. She said she really wanted to play. I was very happy to hear this, because with Peyton being the middle child I often worry about her getting lost in the crowd. Bailey often gets the attention before the others because she is the oldest, and we often, without thinking, put her out there to experience it. She is also the most competitive out of the three so she makes herself known. Reagan, being the baby, demands attention. She is truly our drama queen and is constantly talking or singing, or talking..... and Peyton is very giving to the other two. She bends for them. It is very hard and I hate to think that I might accomodate that, but that is a different post. So here is Peyton's chance to shine. I want to give her all the support I possibly can and even though it is a great experience to be playing, I secretly hopes she does really well. She deserves to shine, and she would eat up the praise from her Dad. Here are a few photos from practice. She does seem to be quite good, but then, I might be just a little bit biased. But just look at that strike.

Its all in the attitude...

2007-02-19T13:59:00.000-05:00

A Proud Mommy Moment...

2007-02-17T18:10:00.000-05:00

Bailey finally scored in her basketball game, the last game of the season!!!!! I must first share a little background story here. Since our girls were little John has had hopes that at least ONE of his girls would play soccer. Well, since Bailey is the oldest of the three she was the one who was pushed the most. She is our natural athlete, and very competitive. But try as we might, she was not interested in the sport. Last year, Bailey announced that she wanted to play basketball. Now, I am a former b-ball player so I was thrilled!!!! Dad, poor fella, couldn't help to be a little disappointed, but I reminded him that she was at least interested in a sport. So we signed her up on our local Y-league.
Well, first day of practice rolls around and .... she is the only girl on the team. This was not good. Bailey has never been an assertive person and to be the only girl on the team, well, she was not pleased. But I told her she wasn't going to quit. I told her it would be good for her, you know, it would make her tougher and stronger. All good and well in theory, except they have to acknowledge that you exist in order to participate. The boys wanted nothing to do with her. We're talking 7 and 8 year old 'superstar players', who would fight to not have to stand next to her. I must admit, as a sideline Mom, it was hard watching my little girl being ignored by every teammate.
First game rolled around, and of course every kid gets playing time, so Bailey is on the court with little knowledge of what to do in a game. It was heartbreaking. No one threw the ball to her, sometimes she didn't even know where to run. I just knew after the game she was going to cry that she hated the game and wanted to quit. Boy was I wrong. She came running off with a big grin on her face, why???? In her words, "We won!!! And we got a snack!!" Well, talk about the simple pleasures.
Each practice got a little better and she thoroughly enjoyed herself. Her team was winning and she was getting her snacks. She improved so much from the beginning of the season. But she had yet to get a basket. The boys, although tolerant of her, still didn't pass the ball very often, only when the coach told them to.
So today, was the last game. At practice this past week they spent the entire time handing the ball of to Bailey and one other little boy who hadn't scored so that they could be ready for the game. On the way to the game, I kept telling her to shoot the ball everytime she got, even if people were guarding her because maybe she would get fouled and be able to shoot freethrows. Big ups to the coach and the boys who tried many times to get the ball to Bailey, and she made several attempts at a basket, but with no luck. Finally, with a couple of minutes left in the game, Bailey got the ball and shot it, and yes!, she got fouled!!! Two freethrows. I couldn't restrain my tears. I was a bundle of nerves. First shot, missed it. 'Oh please God, let her make this one.' Second shot, nothing but net, baby! Yes! The whole gym cheered for her. Other moms hugged me with tears in their eyes, because they were almost as happy as I was. Well, the game ended and she had made the last basket of the season. It was all good. I was so proud of my baby girl. I could never have imagined such emotion from one little basket. Today was a good Mom day. One of the best yet.

Some recent photos of my girls...

2007-02-08T11:14:00.000-05:00

Just sharing some photos that I have taken lately. I don't thank God nearly enough for my precious daughters. I love them so very much.

"Pray for us centers"

2007-02-08T11:10:00.001-05:00

Through weekly Faith Formation at church Bailey and Peyton have been learning their prayers. The other night I was going over the prayers and asked Peyton to say the Hail Mary. I held my laughter (she is so sensitive), when instead of "pray for us sinners" she said "pray for us centers". So cute.

My nieces...

2007-02-02T13:14:00.000-05:00

Just sharing some photos of my two sweet nieces from their last visit. Love 'em so much.

"Jack Frost~ Please Let The Snow Fall Down"

2007-02-02T13:03:00.000-05:00

This is what my girls said Wednesday evening by their windows, before going to sleep. They wanted it to snow so badly. Well, it snowed. Only for a few hours and with little over an inch accumulation, but they stilled enjoyed it. They couldn't wait to get dressed and go outside. It hasn't snowed in Concord in three years! And they don't remember the last time it did. We had to really make do with the clothing choices. I'm sure any northerner would laugh at us, with our clothes. But...they didn't care. They could only play for a while b/c their little hands were freezing and shoes were soaked. Just sharing a few photos.

A Christmas Tradition

2007-01-30T15:26:00.000-05:00

We have a small town nearby, known as Christmas Town, where all the houses, Churches, and businesses along Main Street decorate their houses and buildings for the Christmas Holiday. It is actually known world wide and many people come from all over to see this little wonder. Well, a few years ago, while my dear husband's family were over from England, he decided to take all of us to see the lights. Well, we crammed my hubby, his mother and father, our three young girls (one a mere baby), my mother and myself into the minivan and headed to McAdenville. We were warned that there would be a wait, but we had no idea what were in for. Well, it was an experience, for sure and one never to be forgotten. We waited well over an hour, all the while the children went from excited to see the lights to tears of having to sit in a too crowded car not being able to move!!!!! And after all the waiting it couldn't taken us more than 15 minutes to drive through the town! I mean it was pretty, but worth an 1 1/2 hours of waiting....umm...NO!
So next year rolled around and John asked if we wanted to go see the lights at McAdenville? Not really. But we decided to make it a yearly tradition, a fun memory for the girls. This time we got smarter, we headed down to Belmont, a small college town nearby, in the early afternoon. We found a small coffee shop and sat and played games, drank coffee and hot chocolate, and enjoyed spending time with each other. When it was almost dark, we climbed in the car and set off, once again, for Christmas Town. We were one of the first cars in line to see the lights. Thus a new Cullen Christmas tradition was born.
Every year now we schedule an afternoon to go to McAdenville. We go to the same coffee shop and enjoy some exotic coffee (something John and I rarely drink) and then head for the lights. Every time we remember something from the last year and we never forget the first trip to Christmas Town!!
Next year we might even park the car and walk the street so we can really stop and enjoy each decoration.
I've tried for the past two years to get photos of the decorations, but haven't successfully done it yet.

Grandma will give it to us!!!

2007-01-26T12:47:00.000-05:00

Lately, my three little munchkins have been sneaking candy and chips without asking. A few days ago I caught them again and had had enough! So I told them I was very upset and would have to think about their punishment. Later we decided to go out for dinner and although I wasn't really angry anymore, I told the girls that after dinner John and I were going to have a dessert and they could not have any, b/c they had already eaten candy. They were all upset, but Reagan, putting her hands on her hips, explained to me "That is okay, because when we go to Grandma's house, we will ask her to give us dessert and she will!!!"

Another kid quote...

2006-12-31T19:52:00.000-05:00

Today while out shopping, my six year old Peyton, made the comment that we should get rid of some of our old clothes and toys. "Mommy, we could give them to Old Will so that the poor people could use them." She has such a sweet heart and soul, but I couldn't help laugh at her say 'Old Will' instead of 'Good Will'. You gotta love them.

Christmas Card Photos...

2006-12-18T11:50:00.000-05:00

aaahh yes, those sweet photos of our children we send to our friends and family every year at Christmas. Dont' they look like the sweetest kids ever?! But what you don't see are the threats we yell at them for not cooperating and then the bribes we offer for sitting still for one good shot. I love photography, it is a new passion of mine. And of course every photographer needs models. Which my children have been forced to be. Sometimes they will run when I pull my camera out "for practice". So when I pulled them away from playing one Saturday morning to take Christmas photos, I was not a popular Mom. But I was not to be deterred. I was going to get a great photo. Well, after lots of yelling and bribing (a piece of candy for every photo taken) I got a decent one. Merry Christmas!!!!!

Beach Trip with my Sis

2006-12-18T11:29:00.000-05:00

This fall, my sister and I took our first trip together with our girls. Yes, we have all girls, and my mother couldn't be happier. So we drove down to Myrtle Beach, SC for a long weekend away. The weather was fantastic, it was October and the girls went swimming in both the ocean and the pool. It was a lot of fun. I also brought along a friend of mine and we just had the best time gossiping and just hanging out. In the past my sister and I haven't been very close, but I don't want it to be that way. She is my only sister and now that we have our own families I don't want them to lose out on knowing eachother because of our stubborness or differences. So this trip was a good start for us. Love ya, Sis.

Students of the Month

2006-12-18T11:14:00.000-05:00

In October Bailey was chosen as Student of the Month at her school. This honor was given based on following the school's core values and was voted by the the staff of the school. We were very proud of her. Well, then, can you believe it, the following month Peyton was voted Student of the Month. Wow!!!! Talk about beaming with pride. John and I are so proud of our girls and they are doing so well in school. Unfortunately, I only have a photo of Peyton. We didn't know about Bailey's award until she came home, but Peyton's teacher gave us a head's up and we were able to come to school and watch. Just sharing a proud parent moment.

Halloween Photos

2006-12-18T11:02:00.000-05:00

I am the worst blogger ever, I admit it. What, its now one week before Christmas and I am just now getting around to sharing some Halloween photos. Oh well, sorry guys. I will catch up, I promise.

Anyways, we had a very busy Halloween this year. It seemed like pary after party, and we still have some left over candy hidden somewhere. Bailey dressed up like a Geisha and even used her costume later for a World Celebration Parade at her school. Peyton was a Diva, but in the photo John says she looks more like the Queen of England with her big hat!!! Reagan on course, our princess. Ooops, I stand corrected, not just a princess, but Rapunzel (is that how you spell it?). Where is her hair??, well, maybe this was after the witch had chopped it all off.

A Day At Patterson's Farm

2006-10-14T07:08:00.000-04:00

Today I went with Reagan and her preschool class to Patterson's Farm. We had a great time, it was a perfect fall day. We got to pet and feed some goats, bunnies, and horses. We even fed an Emu!!! Then we all made a scarecrow for the class. And afterwards we all went for the hay ride. At the end of the ride we were dropped off at the pumpkin patch and we searched for the perfect pumpkin, which Reagan took very seriously. She picked a great one. Mommy got one for herself, too. Next week Bailey and Peyton will be going to the Pumpkin Patch with their class and hopefully Dad and I will be able to join them as well. I know there won't be too many more Pumpkin Patch trips with our children so I want to cherish these times while I can.

Thinking of my Dad today...

2006-10-01T19:41:00.000-04:00

and missing him so much. There is never a day that I don't think and miss him, but there are some when it just seems like he is every where I look. I miss him most in the fall. I'm not sure why, I'm guess partly because these are the days before he died. I step outside and the sun is shining brightly, skies crystal clear blue, with a slight breeze blowing and I think of the day that Tish and I had come to visit him in the hospital. He wanted to go outside and I was so glad to see him looking okay. It was such a beautiful day and it was almost half normal sitting outside with him in the warm sun, forgetting just for a second that a terrible disease was killing my Daddy. We talked and laughed and it was nice. But that isn't the only memory of my Dad in the fall. I remember going to his house on the lake on days like today. Lazy Sundays, taking the girls down for a ride on the pontoon boat. The lake was gorgeous in autumn, the sun reflecting in the water, everyone out enjoying the last few warm days on the lake. Watching Dad as he let the girls take turns driving the boat. Priceless. But go back further in my book of memories and fall still stands out with my Dad. We grew up in the mountains and many a fall day we would just pack a picnic (sub sandwiches of course), load up in the van and drive up the Blue Ridge parkway and hike the trails until we found a place to lunch. We would just sit and talk and enjoy the beauty around us. Nothing extraodinary, but those were great days just being together. The thing is, I probably took all those days for granted back then. Never realizing what meaning they would hold for me today. Yeah, I always miss my Dad, but on days like today, the pain of him being gone tears at my heart and soul and I would give anything to have one more day like today to share with him. I love you, Dad.

A few more to share...

2006-09-27T11:10:00.000-04:00

Some photos to share...

2006-09-27T10:46:00.000-04:00

Just posting some photos to share with all of you who haven't seen the girls for awhile. Enjoy....

Another tooth gone....

2006-09-24T20:08:00.000-04:00

Yes, Bailey has managed to pull another of her front teeth within days of losing the other. She came home Friday afternoon announcing proudly that her tooth was bleeding because she had been pushing it all day. When I had a look I could see that it was just hanging. I told her to try pulling instead of pushing, and when she did it fell right out. She was, of course, thrilled. That night, she neatly placed her small tooth in a ziploc baggie, so that it wouldn't get lost. Under the pillow it went. But, disaster, the next morning when Bailey awoke, there was her tooth, still under her pillow. THE TOOTH FAIRY HAD FORGOTTEN TO COME!!!!!! Ahem... well just as I was preparing a story as to why the toothfairy didn't come, I was saved by Bailey's own explanation. She had decided that it was because she couldn't sleep very well the night before and the tooth fairy would not come while she was awake. Phewwww!!!!! SAVED!!!! The next night the Toothfairy came shortly after Bailey fell asleep,leaving a small note explaining the very reason for not coming the night before as well as a small token for the tooth.

Catawba College Soccer Reunion

2006-09-24T19:49:00.000-04:00

Well, we certainly got a fill of soccer this past weekend!!! Catawba held a Soccer Reunion in which all players past and present were invited to attend a luncheon and cheer on the teams as they played in front of a home crowd. It was fun, the girls were great troopers considering they had to spend most of their Saturday on a soccer field. But really, they had a lot of fun, because there were loads of other kids to play with and they just wore themselves out running around. Both the men's and women's teams got wins. Later in the evening John and I had a chance to join some of the alumni players for dinner and drinks. I think John really enjoyed himself, getting to catch up with his girls. I'm sure he's pretty exhausted from two early mornings in a row (poor fella), but I think it was a success. I,on the other hand, have had enough soccer talk to last me for quite awhile.

"Are they going to learn about Jejus?"

2006-09-22T10:56:00.000-04:00

A kid quote from my three year old. This past Wednesday, Bailey and Peyton began faith formation classes in our church. After dropping them off, Reagan, my sweet baby girl, looked up at me and asked me "Are they going to learn about Jejus?". Of course, living in the south, my children have picked up that wonderful southern accent, so 'Jejus' sounded more like 'Jeaaajus'. Oh, too cute. Sometimes you just want to stop time and keep them at that sweet innocent age forever. Now, ask me tomorrow, and I will be asking when will they be 18 and ready to leave this house?!!

She's Beautiful

2006-09-21T21:48:00.000-04:00

What the fffff.....?

2006-09-21T12:57:00.000-04:00

This is the new saying with my two youngest children. The "fffff" is the sound they make when saying the colorful statement. And where did they learn this....that would be their Daddy. Yes, Daddy, who stops himself just before pronouncing the full out f-bomb, has tainted our precious children. Reagan has recently added her own "What the heck?" instead of the 'f' sound at the end. We have always been careful not to swear in front of the children, "stupid" and "shut-up" have gotten the "ooooohh, she said a bad word!!!!" But my husband being the great man that he is always lets a few good ones slip out, especially when talking with his freinds. When he actually heard little Reagan say it this morning, what do you think he did? After holding back his laughter, he stated proudly "That's my daughter!!!!" MEN!!!

The Tooth Fairy better watch out!!!

2006-09-19T21:23:00.000-04:00

This child is on a mission...to pull out all of her baby teeth. Bailey has always been about the money. She searches for $$$ on the streets everytime we are out. And she finds it!! So when her two front teeth became loose, she was determined to pull those babies out because they were worth some dough. Well, finally Sunday while at Grandma's house one finally fell out. She had messed with it so much it was literally hanging by a root. Grandma actually pulled it with a string!!! Bailey couldn't wait to go to bed that night, with high hopes of waking up to a small fortune under her pillow. That didn't happen, but she was happy enough with her earnings. Now onto the next victim, I mean tooth.....

Celebrating 9 years together

2006-09-18T10:02:00.000-04:00

This Wednesday my hubby and I will have been together as Husband and wife for 9 years. We've actually been a couple far longer, going on 16 years. Whoa!!!! Where does the time go??? We aren't going to be able to celebrate on the 20th because, of course, DH has a soccer game. So we made a day of it today. Bailey was with Grandma and Jess, our very favorite babysitter, came down to stay with Peyton and Reagan. It was so nice to spend some time together w/o the munchkins. As much as I love them, I miss my individual time with my love. We didn't do anything super special, but it was still great to be together. We ate lunch, and then did some damage at the mall. Well, we actually walked a lot and spent a little, thinking more about Christmas shopping for the little 'uns. My, how things have changed. We enjoyed a nice dinner at our favorite Indian Restaurant before picking up Bailey and going home. Back to the mad house. But I'm so thankful I've got it.

Let's Go To The Fair...

2006-09-16T19:01:00.000-04:00

Bailey is spending the weekend with Grandma soJohn and I decided to take Peyton and Reagan to the Cabarrus County Fair. It was your typical County Fair, complete with Pig Races, Horse Rides, Ferris Wheel, and all sorts of people!!! I tell you what, they all come out to the fair. We had fun, though. The girls got to ride some rides (none too daring because Mom wasn't in the mood to ride), play some games and win small prizes, and of course, eat cotton candy. How come food we wouldn't dream of eating on a day-to-day basis looks and smells soooo darn good at the fair??

2006-09-16T12:36:00.000-04:00

"The Good Work Award"
Thursday, my oldest, Bailey, came home with this award from school. Two emotions came to me...excitement because I am so proud of my daughter for working hard in school and doubt. The second feeling requires a little background. We decided last year to keep Bailey in the 1st grade again. She did okay, but struggled with some key issues last year. I had many tearful nights last year with coming to terms that both my daughters (I have one who is repeating kindergarten as well) were failing kindergarten and first grade. I thought this was the easy part of school. But finally I came to terms with it and my hubby and I both agreed it to be the best decision. So when school began this year I have high hopes and a knotted stomach. Will they do ok? Is there something wrong with them? What did I do? So Bailey's award is great, but did her teacher just give her that to boost her confidence? We both want a great year for her, so did she truly deserve it? Terrible I know, but I so want her to do well this year. My doubts were even more when I received a note from the teacher saying that she wanted to personally tutor Bailey every week. I should be thrilled of the personal attention she is receiving and I am. I am all for the tutoring, but the pride in me is questioning, "Is she already struggling again?" Her teacher hasn't shown any concerns and maybe just wants to make sure that Bailey's year is successful. I just want perfection for my girls, its wrong, I know, it is impossible, but I don't want them to struggle with anything. I love them more than anything. Enough of my rambling...

2006-09-14T13:01:00.000-04:00

My first post, my first blog. I haven't a clue what I'm doing, but hopefully I will figure it out as I go. I wanted to do this because I'm terrible at keeping in touch with family. So hopefully this will be a better way to do so. We shall see.