NASCAR! NASCAR!

It's been a long few days, and so much has happened!


Sergeant Sexy and I took a few days away for our annual NASCAR adventure.  Every trip is different - sometimes we have friends with us and sometimes we don't, sometimes we run into famous people and sometimes we don't.  But every trip is fun, and that's why we love it so much.


We were by ourselves this year, and this time around there were several notable moments.


1. We were surprised and excited when we realized we had chosen the same dinner spot as Miss Sprint Cup and a bunch of other NASCAR employees Saturday night.  I was standing in front of him in the salad bar line when I heard Sergeant Sexy whisper... "Hey.  Hey!  TURN. AROUND. AND. LOOK. AT. ME.  That girl is Miss Sprint Cup."  And I'm all "Who?  Which girl?!?".


Sergeant Sexy is trained to always be watching his surroundings, and I appreciate his diligence.  The President could walk by me and I'd never notice.


I'm happy to report Miss Sprint Cup is gorgeous and super-nice.  That was definitely a moment to remember.


2. We were walking the front stretch of the track Sunday morning when Sergeant Sexy spotted a lug nut sitting next to the wall (once again - thank you, Sergeant Sexy!).  I picked up it and attached it to my ticket holder.  That lug nut is cooler than any souvenir we could have bought.


3.  We watched two people get carried out of the track on stretchers this year.  In the nine years we've been going to that race, I don't recall ever seeing anyone leaving the track area horizonally.  But this time there were two - one from the garage/pit area, and one from the stands above us.  Scary.


The girlz watched Mama and Papa while we were away.  They went to one of our favorite restaurants Sunday afternoon, and then stopped at the girlz most favorite store.


Mama and Papa are regulars at this restaurant, and something hilarious happened Sunday.  As they stepped inside the front entrance, inside of hearing "Hello, Mr. and Mrs. Mama/Papa", the hostess said "Hi Cassidy!  Hi Campbell!"


It's all about the girlz.


Here are some pictures from the weekend:

I took this picture about an hour after we got to the track Sunday morning.  We had already parked, walked through the official merchandise haulers and the unofficial merchandise area.  We were on our way back to the car, and the sun was just coming up.

There was to be no writing on the walls this year.  Reminders were posted EVERYWHERE.

NASCAR!  NASCAR!

The curbs were painted pink in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month!

Go #11 and #4!

The sun sets over a sea of red tail lights after another great Race Day.  

A Strange Occurrence

I went into the office yesterday morning, and was greeted by protesters.  We've been occupied.

Photo courtesy of Google

In my many visits to other cities, I had heard stories of their protesters.  Some activists have thrown pies, which I find disappointing.  I firmly believe a message can be communicated without wasting perfectly good pies.


I'm embarrassed to admit I never considered the idea that we may have protesters here.  I haven't been to my local downtown office in months, so I have no idea how long they've been out there.  It was a bizarre feeling to be greeted at work by such a spectacle, and not something I ever thought I would experience.


Well... now I have.


In other news, Cassidy's behavior has finally returned to green.  Her seat has been moved to the front of the classroom, and we're hoping the change in scenery will inspire her to churn out more consistent work.


Baby steps are far better than no progress at all.  I'll take it!

Growing Pains

Cassidy is in a weird in-between phase right now, and I really don't think I love it too much.


We knew the transition from Kindergarten to First Grade would be significant, but we weren't prepared for it to be such a dramatic departure from our happy norm.


The amount of daily work has increased exponentially.  The number of weekly tests has tripled.  Tolerance has dropped drastically.  And our girl is having a tough time adjusting.


It's not anything to be overly concerned about, but her grades and behavior are inconsistent, at best.


It came at a bad time, really.  Change and new expectations at school aren't well-timed when a student has just realized an entire world extends beyond our little village.  She's been testing her boundaries.


Luckily, Sergeant Sexy and I know how to get her attention.  I took her TV out of her room and hid it yesterday afternoon.  I also locked the doors to the Toys Room, effectively cutting off accessing to most of their toys.  To top it off, I hid the remotes to the TV in the family room.


She noticed the changes as soon as she got home, so we had a long talk about expectations.  She promised she would try harder.  I told her if she didn't get back to her normal - great grades and outstanding behavior - I would clean out her room and leave her with just a bed and clothes.


She knows I would do it.  I'm mean like that.

The Corn Maze

After church this morning, we changed clothes and headed out for a big surprise.  We rarely ever tell the girlz what we have planned... not only does it avoid disappointment if the original plan falls through, but it also keeps them from asking every thirty seconds if it's time to (fill in the blank) yet.


That kind of foolishness puts you in an Express Lane to Timeout around here.


Anyway, Sergeant Sexy and I had batted around a few ideas for the day and had settled on the Corn Maze at a nearby farm.


We knew the girlz would love it.  We were right!

Ready for church in her police car smocked dress... I LOVE this dress!

And Cassidy in her snowflake smocked dress.

The Corn Maze!!

The girlz picked up several stray ears of corn along the way.  

Once we had finished the maze, we decided to pick a few more pumpkins.  This farm has tons of different kinds of pumpkins, and Sergeant Sexy had his eye on the Moonshine Pumpkin - a small white pumpkin.  The best part? You drive back to the pumpkin field yourself and cut whatever you want right from the vine.

Teeny tiny baby pumpkins!

The Moonshine Pumpkin!

Sergeant Sexy and the girlz cutting our pumpkin off the vine... what a cool learning experience for them!!

After all that hard work, we needed ice cream.  Cassidy chose vanilla ice cream...

... and Campbell got pumpkin ice cream!

It was such a fun day.  The weather was terrific and the girlz got a healthy dose of exercise with some learning sprinkled in.  I'm hoping all that walking will bring an early bedtime tonight!

Happy Fall, Y'all!

Fall is finally here!  We've usually had our pumpkins proudly on display for weeks by this point in the month, but this year has been the exception to just about every rule.  I've been gone a lot lately, so we just got to the Pumpkin Patch today.  There were still plenty of great pumpkins to choose from, and we had no problem finding the perfect ones.


The weather couldn't have been better, and the girlz wore their special Halloween shirts.


It was adorable.

At the farm

Playing on the dirt hill slides

We went on a Hayride to find our pumpkins!

Looking for the perfect ones... I know which two I would pick!

After our Pumpkin Patch adventure, we ate lunch at the mall.  The Christmas Ornament vendor was already setup, so we got our round of personalized ornaments for the year.  Knowing I'll probably have to travel one more time before Christmas, we decided it was better to play it safe and bought the ornaments.  Cassidy got a princess, Campbell got a ballerina, and we also got a family ornament.  I'm so glad we started that tradition so many years ago.

We stopped by the toy store on the way home so the girlz could compile their Christmas lists.  I took good notes, and I feel like we have a good handle on the things they're hoping Santa will bring.

Funny... today was supposed to be quiet, but we somehow filled it up anyway.  Tomorrow is supposed to be quiet, too... but I've already got a few things in mind we can do to pass the time.

Happy Fall, Y'all!

Funding Requests

Cassidy was recently chosen from her class to be a Harvest Festival Queen Candidate.  Contrary to what it may sound like, the job she was given was to tap into her network and raise funds for Big Girl School.  The girl and boy who raise the most money are crowned King and Queen of the Harvest Festival.


Cassidy knows right where to send her Funding Requests.  And her network came through in a big way.


All of the proceeds go straight back to the kids in the form of art tables, window blinds, computers, books, PE Equipment, and any other kind of supply or instrument the teachers and children could need.


The school got a nice infusion of funding and Cassidy got a trophy and crown.  It was a win-win.  

And this makes her benefactors VERY happy.

I'm Glad That's Over

Whew...  I'm glad that's over.  Evil Conference Room Marathon - Round Two is over.  As ridiculous and awful as it sounds, I'm tired of eating fancy food.  I'm tired of sitting down.  I'm tired of talking.  I'm looking forward to eating normal things, standing up, and taking as many pictures of the Pretty Princesses as my memory card allows.


I flew home yesterday afternoon and was so tired I couldn't feel my skin.  I'm still exhausted, but not in that Falling-Asleep-Mid-Sentence kind of way.  This was the longest business trip I've ever been on, and it proved to be just as brutal as I feared.


I'm so glad that's over!!

Do you know what this is?  It's grilled octopus.  I ate it, suction cups and all.

Campbell before school this morning, making her scary face.  I love that face!

Sergeant Sexy did an exceptional job while I was gone.  Mama and Papa did WAY more than their share, and everybody got where they needed to be.


I so love my people.  There's truly no place like home!

The View From Here

You can barely see it, but the tippy top of the Evil Empire is visible from my room.

I'm tired.  Irritated.  And reminding myself every moment that I'm blessed to be here.

It's kind of hard to remember at the moment.

This Is What Stress Looks Like

When I got the girlz to dance last night, Pink-o's Mom took one look at me and said "Oh no!  You're stressed!!  What's wrong?!?".


The old eyeball gave me away again.

This is what stress looks like, even after a good dose of Visine.

It won't be long before I head back to the Evil Empire.  I'm expecting a Princess Meltdown of epic proportions when I leave.  I'll be missing things this weekend a Mommy shouldn't miss.  I haven't had a break since Evil Conference Room Marathon - Round One, and now I'm heading back for Evil Conference Room Marathon - Round Two.  I'll be spending 7 days with a co-worker that makes ugly comments, takes credit for my work, joins my meetings uninvited, and makes me want to punch a bunny.


I can think of a long list of ways I'd rather spend my weekend.


As I sit here and assess the situation, I'm challenging myself to ignore the noise, maintain the poker face, and focus on the positive:


1) I bought a cute new sweater for my trip.
2) I'm beyond blessed to have this career.
3) I have a terrific family that gets along just fine without me... once I actually get out the door.
4) I genuinely love my life.
5) I'm a Longwood Girl, sweet as pie and tough as nails.  And best of all?
6) The Evil Empire is on my home turf... fried chicken and sweet tea, y'all.


The poker face is ready.  If only my eyeball would stop showing my hand...

Another New Chapter

Every time I travel for work, Sergeant Sexy has to change-up his work schedule to accommodate the craziness.  I'm leaving again very soon and because this trip is coming right on the heels of the last one, we decided to have the girlz start riding the bus to and from school.  Making that one change will help him get to work somewhat close to on time instead of almost 2 hours late.


Cassidy was excited to be riding the bus in the morning again.  Campbell wasn't thrilled, but played along.


Yesterday went very well.  Today, not so great.  Campbell cried, and I got the sadz.

She wants to be a Big Girl so badly, but she's still a baby in so many ways.


Hopefully she'll have adjusted to the new routine after a week of getting on the bus for Daddy.  It would be really nice to be able to get back to Elliptical Torture sessions again, but I have a feeling if she cries again I just might cave.


I don't want to cave.

Busch Gardens!

Because I've been driving somebody to school in the morning every day since 2005, I made a habit of doing our grocery shopping right after drop-off.  The grocery store is typically empty and quiet, and it's the only time of the day that I have a quiet moment to think about what we're going to eat for dinner.


One day I'd like to think we'll have a weekly menu so we can make just one trip to the grocery store a week.  It's a great goal, but the honest truth is that we have a very long way to go before we get there.


One of the great perks about being in the store nearly every morning is that you get to know the people who work there.  About two weeks ago, the Pepsi Distributor pointed out a sign that advertised free Busch Gardens tickets if you bought a certain number of Pepsi products.  It turned out to be a GREAT deal - not only were the products marked down, but you also got Gas Rewards, an ABC Receipt for Big Girl School, a $5 off your next purchase Catalina, AND a free ticket to Busch Gardens.


All of that for $12 out of pocket.  SCORE!


Sergeant Sexy and I checked the calender to be sure we would be able to get to Busch Gardens within the allotted time.  When we knew it was a go, I did the deal 4 times so we could all go for free.


Today was the chosen day, so we loaded up the Silver Bullet this morning and got on the road.  The Busch Gardens cast member working the ticket window congratulated me on my Coupon Prowess.


The weather was perfect, the girlz had a blast, and we were all completely worn out by the time we got home.


It was a GREAT day, and I will definitely be thanking the Pepsi Distributor the next time I see her.

The Girlz, dressed in their Thing 1 and Thing 2 t-shirts... ready to get started!

Playing in Sesame Land

 Cassidy waiting her turn on the Grover rollercoaster.  She insisted on going by herself.

While we were waiting for Cassidy to ride Grover's roller coaster, Campbell spotted an old friend.  She was too shy to say hello... do you see who I see?

Cassidy was in Car 1, and the sharp turns made her feel like she was falling out of the car.  She decided she doesn't want to go by herself anymore.

At the Festhaus, scared of the scary music and ghosts they were shining on the walls.

Cookie Monster and Elmo cupcakes!!

Me and Campbell on the egg ride in Dragon Land.

The Count's Water Park!

Tomorrow morning, the girlz will ride the bus to school and home for the first time this school year.  Now I can finally get back to the Y in the mornings like I used to... another new chapter!

Soccer Has A Limited Shelf Life

Cassidy had another soccer game this morning, and it was also Team Picture Day.  We only have two games left before the end of the season, so this morning Cassidy and I had a talk about playing in the spring soccer season.  She's obviously going to cheer in the winter, that's a given.  But soccer sign-ups will start about halfway through the cheer season... we'll need to have thought the soccer situation through by then so we're prepared when that time comes.


I told her it was completely up to her... if she wants to play, then we'll do it.  If doesn't want to play, we won't do it.  No harm, no foul.


She told me she'd think about it and let me know.

Ready for soccer pictures!

Cassidy, her coach, and the photographer

Kick it, Cassidy!

This is Cassidy's soccer typical soccer stance - duck and cover.

After the soccer game, we went to another local festival.  As we were walking around, Cassidy told me she'd already made up her mind about soccer.  "Mommy?" she said.  "After these last two games, I think that will be it for soccer."

Consider it done, Pretty Princess.  You gave it a fair try, did your very best, and we got some great pictures - a huge success!

Soccer Practice

Cassidy had soccer practice tonight.  Campbell and I explored the church grounds while Sergeant Sexy watched Cassidy play.


She got to play goalie for a while tonight and took that opportunity to practice her dance moves.  It's a good thing this is all about the fun.

Once Campbell grew tired of exploring, I decided to see if I could get a few cute pictures of her.  I'm not sure where, but somewhere in the black hole of non-stop whining and complaining there were some smiles and I got them.  Miracles do happen!