Panda Pride and Golden Wave

On Friday, we celebrated Panda Pride at Parkway. Mary Conlee was chosen by her teacher to receive this award for the month of September. She was actually picked in August, until Mrs. Farned realized that Panda Pride didn't start until the end of September. So MC had to wait an entire month for her big day! She said it was definitely worth the wait.

That night, we went to the Tupelo High School football game. The kids love going, as does their mom! I actually love visiting and talking more than watching football. That was evident to my friend, Tina, who had to tell me which team we were playing- and that was near the end of the first half. I enjoy watching the bands perform the half-time show. It brought back many memories from my days as Drum Major at Homewood High School! MC loved seeing her best buddy, Katelyn. MC wanted to sit with her and told me to go back to my own seat!

Panda Pride Celebration




Catching a THS game!


MC and Katelyn- the cutest cheerleaders around!

See You At The Pole

As a second grader, I heard a Bible story every morning. And it was read to me by my favorite teacher, Jean Reed. This was not private school. This was at Edgewood Elementary School in Homewood, Alabama. Miss Reed read from a children's book of Bible stories. It was a part of our daily routine, as was reading, writing, and arithmetic. I don't recall all of my teachers doing this, so this must have been her choice. However, she was given that choice and she was an instrumental part in teaching her students about God. These stories were the same ones my parents read to me at home- the same stories taught in my Sunday school classes at Homewood Church of Christ. I didn't think it was any more strange to hear them at school than it would have been at church. However, that Bible story may have been the only glimpse of God that some kids ever saw...so thank you, Miss Reed!

Today, my second grader doesn't have the privelege of hearing his teacher read him stories from the Bible. Things are different now with the separation of church and state. I'm not turning this blog into a debate, just observing how times have changed since I was a second grader in 1980. I am grateful that Cole's teacher, Laine Godwin is such a wonderful Christian example! She might not be able to read him a story about Joseph and his coat of many colors, but she teaches her students the difference between right and wrong, and she shows her love for Christ to them through her actions. She may not have permission to talk about God at school, but she does show His love to them everyday, and that's what matters. Thank you, Mrs. Godwin. I'm doubly lucky to have Mrs. Farned as Mary Conlee's teacher, too. She is a shining example in her students' lives as well!

We participated in SYATP this morning at Parkway. It is a great way for students, parents, and teachers to proclaim their love for Christ at their school. It took place out front by the flag pole. Several students read and recited Bible verses. Coach Newsome played the guitar and led our praise songs. We had a teacher and a parent pray for our kids, our school, and our nation. What a great way to start the day. No matter where we are in school or what year it might be, it's great to see that God is still in our schools. He will never leave them!

New Tricks

Can you teach an old dog new tricks? Maybe not, but you sure can teach them to a kitten! I have tried NOT to turn my blog into a crazy cat blog. However, if you ask Cole and Mary Conlee who their favorite member of the family is, they would definitely say "Brody"...in unison! And seeing as the whole idea for this blog was to keep grandparents updated as well as turn it into a scrapbook for the kids, this story about Brody is "blog worthy" in my opinion.

We have several new kitten stories to report. First and foremost, Brody lost a tooth. I had no idea that cats lose their baby teeth. It makes perfect sense that they would and it probably should have occured to me since I have two children who are losing theirs right and left. However, all my cats I had while growing up lived outside and I hever found any of their teeth. I don't recall any of mine having a missing front tooth, but hey...we live in Mississippi now, so it's different! This past Saturday morning, Mary Conlee woke us up screaming, "Brody lost a tooth and I found it!" And she was right. This little "pearl" was laying right next to Brody's "time out box" or kennel that we use when he wakes us up too early. I've checked around and found out that cats do lose their baby teeth, but I'm not so sure they do it at 6 months of age. Does anyone out there know? I was afraid Brody lost it while trying to bite the cage in desperation. Let's hope not. Judd has done a rather thorough examination of the cat's mouth and feels that it might be a baby tooth somewhere near the back. Works for me! The kids wanted to know if the Tooth Fairy would be coming. "Of course, she will," I responded. So I had to make an extra trip to Walmart to take care of that, if you know what I mean. C and MC woke up early on Sunday morning and found a note from the Tooth Fairy and two kitten toys for Brody. They have worn him out with the new mouse-shaped laser toy and the crinkly fish hanging from the fishing pole. Hours of fun for the kids and the cat!

Brody is a little finicky with his drinking habits. He prefers water in a cup over a bowl. At first we started out with a big Bama cup on the side of our bathtub. That is where he drank all of his water. Then, Judd decided we were creating a monster because Brody would cry at all hours of the day and night for us to let him in the bathroom for a drink. Judd remained firm (for a few days) and made him drink out of a cat bowl. Then, he gave in and now Brody has TWO big plastic cups with water, but he has to drink them in his "room," not the bathroom. Brody is all about some water, whether he is drinking it or just playing in it. As soon as he hears us turn on the bath water, he comes running. He has started putting his paws in the water to check it out. After the bath is drained, he jumps in and starts licking water out of the whirlpool jets. (I know it's gross, Mom...but no one has to take a bath in there but me and sometimes the kids!) MC has been worried that Brody isn't getting enough fluids, so she decided to teach Brody how to drink water from the spout. I just had to include video on this one.

We are teaching the cat new tricks. Like chasing after a laser beam and grabbing at a dangling fish. But I'm starting to wonder if he is "tricking" us, too! He has us trained to turn on the water when he is thirsty because we all think it is cute to see him drinking from the bathtub. Judd said that Brody might learn how to turn the water on by himself, which could lead to a big mess if we are out of town. We might need to stop the new tricks for awhile and just stick to chasing catnip toys!

Monkey See...


Monkey Do!

Ballet Slippers and Soccer Cleats

What do our ballet slippers and soccer cleats have in common? They're both PINK! On Thursdays, Mary Conlee goes from school to ballet to soccer. Thank goodness there isn't much homework involved in Kindergarten or we couldn't fit it all in! MC loves being a ballerina. One of her favorite things is being in there with her good friends, Kate and Caroline. They are "old friends" from Mother's Day Out and Calvary Preschool. All three girls go to Parkway and are in the same ballet class. I love the sweet friendship they have as well as the special memories they are creating! That same night, MC's team played their team. You can see the transformation from ballerinas to soccer stars- all in one afternoon!

Our very first day of ballet, 2 years ago!


Ballerina Girls


Sweet Friends


A Kick in the Grass!


Mary Conlee and Kate


Go Stars!


Cole and Grace

Soccer is in the Air

Tonight was Mary Conlee's first soccer game of the season. You can tell it's turning fall when the lights go on at the Sportplex and half of Tupelo arrives dressed to play! This is MC's second year to play soccer. Cole was there to cheer her on (actually he just rolled down the hill and did his karate combinations on the sidelines!) We are so excited to have our same coach from last year, Chad Ramsey. 3 of our teammates are from last year's Team England. And, MC is thrilled that Katelyn- her neighbor and best friend in school, is on her team, too! This year, we are on the Stars team. Our colors are purple and black. I must say that the pink cleats go much better with purple than they did with the red socks from last year. It's all about the big bow and the pink cleats! We look forward to a great season.

More from Tuscaloosa

Judd tried so hard yesterday to take pictures with his Blackberry. He would send them to me so I could be a part of the activities, too! However, when he got into the stadium, the massive amounts of cell phones blocked his signal and he couldn't send the remainder of the Tuscaloosa pics. He has tried to send them all day today, and no luck. Mary Conlee enjoyed the Elephant Walk (pregame parade) and seeing her second cousin, Chelsea, who is a Bama majorette. Then, they tailgated in style. Judd propped her on a bench near the quad and gave her a Happy Meal. She's not hard to please!

Wolves and Elephants

Today has been a big day for Judd and the kids. This morning, Judd took Cole to Veteran's Park for a Boy Scouts outing. Cole and his buddy, Woody, had fun climbing in a firetruck, walking thru an ambulance, and sitting in a Humvee. Cole loved operating the lights, siren, and speaker on the police car. They also got to sit in an Apache helicopter. Judd sent me photos showing Cole in handcuffs and said it was because he tried to fly the helicopter without a license. Really cute, Dad! As much fun as Cole and his fellow Wolf Cubs had, his favorite outing of the day was going to Gardner-Watson Ice House with Woody and his dad. They got to watch how ice was made and how they bagged it. I think he has decided that would be the "coolest" job in the world! This afternoon, Judd and Mary Conlee left for Tuscaloosa and the Bama game. Surprisingly, she enjoys the games more than Cole does. He says he gets bored watching football. MC loves watching the cheerleaders, the fans, and doing "the wave." But most importantly, Mary Conlee LOVES to watch Big Al, the mascot. He is an adorable elephant who does funny tricks, rides around in a little car, and terrorizes the other team! I remember the days of going with my Daddy to the football games and while a huge play was taking place on the field, I was looking through my binoculars searching for Big Al. I used to wonder if I were a waste of a good ticket, but now after watching MC enjoying the very same things I did as a little girl, I realize it's so worthwhile! Before they left, Judd asked if I was going to blog about him taking care of these kids all day! Considering he only had one kid at a time while I entertained the other one, I will still give him a little credit! Thanks for a fun day, Dad...and Roll Tide!

Grandparents' Day

Pop at Parkway

Bubbe on the Big Mable

Another Uncle Remus story from the briar patch

Mama Charlie is the best cook!

My Granny


On Friday, the kids celebrated Grandparents' Day at Parkway. Pop drove over from Birmingham to join in the festivities. The kids loved having him at their school. The Grandparents were the guests of honor at lunch and were serenaded by the students. We also visited each of their classrooms to see the special crafts they had made for and about their grands!

We want to thank our parents, Bubbe, Pop, Bob Bob, and Mama Charlie, for their wonderful love and support in our lives. They were the best parents we could have, but we realize that they are serving an even more important role as grandparents. Thanks for loving our kids and being such positive influences in their lives. The memories from Birmingham, the lake, Pensacola, the beach, and the farm will be carried with them throughout their lives. Bubbe digs in the yard with them and lets them use her clippers! Pop patiently teaches them how to play checkers and lets them win, all of the time! Mama Charlie loves to show them how to cook. At least they are learning that from somebody! And Bob Bob is famous for his renditions of Brer Fox and Brer Rabbit. I have realized that the gift of time is the most important thing you can give them and the thing they will remember the most.

One last person I would love to remember on Grandparents' Day is my sweet Granny. She has been gone for almost 8 years, and although we miss her very much, heaven is a much better place because she is there! Not a day goes by that I don't think of her, laugh at something she said, or smile at the thought of her presence in my life. Although she passed away before my children were born, there are pictures all around our house of Granny. Cole and Mary Conlee know lots of stories about her. This is the way we keep the memories of Granny alive. Whenever we have birthday balloons, my kids love to let them go in the sky. They always tell me that they are sending them to Granny. My greatest achievement in life would be to become the woman that she once was...yet I have so far to go! I love you and miss you so much, Granny!