Footprints In The Sand

Every year for one certain conference I get to attend, the girls and I make it the "Girls' Conference." And Stacy isn't allowed! The first year we went, it was only me and Casey because Anna was working. Now that Anna can work from almost anywhere, she is able to go. We didn't get to go last year -- which disappointed the girls tremendously! And this year we added our newest girl, Kate!



What fun to spend three days with my favorite girls! They get to have fun while I'm in meetings during the day, and then we get to eat some great seafood and shop at the outlets in the evenings. And I sure did feel good when they told me Kate asked for CiCi when she woke up!

Kate loves the sand -- but this time she kept saying, "Ocean get you." We tried to tell her it wouldn't, but it was in her head and we don't know where she got that from!

When we got home Friday, they wanted to visit the Peanut Festival. The only way we could get Stacy to go was to tell him Kate wanted PawPaw to take her! She had to sit on every tractor there -- and of course PawPaw was happy to accommodate her! I told her to tell him she wanted a Gator!

And she loved all the animals. We fed and laughed at the goats and chickens -- ate corn dogs, elephant ears and roasted corn (my fav) -- watched the tiger show -- and waved at the big Peanut! She kept wanting to go back and see the peanut!

We ended the visit with a birthday party for Casey with MawMaw, Nanny and Jessi -- and it tugged at my heart as Kate waved to us when they drove out. At least we'll get to see them all again in a couple of weeks for Thanksgiving!

Kate and the Wonder Horse

Kate, Casey and John were home this weekend for a short visit for Shera's baby shower (due in November) -- and we had a lot of fun with Kate! And Kate spread a lot of fun throughout the house! Casey found the old bouncy "Wonder Horse" in the attic and brought it down for Kate to ride on! And Kate made Casey ride on it too!



The Wonder Horse was my sister's that my mom said they bought when Susan turned two - so that would have been 1959. (Bought it so she wouldn't be jealous of my brother Walker, who was born in March of that year!) Does that make it - and me - an antique? Kate is fearless on it and looked like she was riding in the Kentucky Derby!

At the shower was Shera and soon-to-be-daughter Parker, Jill and daughter Sophie, Brooke and son Brody, Heather and daughter Luci, and Casey with Kate. So fun to see them all with their kids - and other than Kate trying to steal Brody's choo-choo, they all played well together! Sophie was so cute with her lemonade stand (that she charged $60 for her lemonade - no checks!)

Although it was over too soon, we enjoy our time with Kate. She loves to go look at the cows and to play outside -- and she loves any type of ball. We got to have some great "Oak Grove" shrimp (yes, it was really good) and lunch at MawMaw's today with Jessi and Nanny. (And fun with my friends Sat. morning going to the Holiday of Hope in Dothan and the Botanical Gardens Scarecrows exhibit!)

My New Spa

Ok, so our bathroom isn't exactly a spa -- and it is really tiny for a master bath. But to us, our remodel is a spa! Matt Rosser (Cutting Edge Construction) did a great job! Love the tiled shower (Dale Pitts, Pitts Floor Covering). I finally got it cleaned up enough for us to take a shower -- and I think I stayed in there for 30 minutes! We still have to hang the cabinet on the wall, but it's now in operation!

Grandma CiCi's Firsts

I am blessed to be the benefactor of a couple of Kate's "firsts"! The fact that those firsts include "poo" is just a side bar!

The latest of those firsts was this weekend when I lovingly gave up my Auburn ticket to my daughter Casey (wasn't that sweet of me?) to get to babysit for my adorable granddaughter Kate! Ok, so maybe I wasn't so generous because it's a moot point. Kate will always trump Auburn!

So after tailgating with the fam (missed you, Anna and Zach!), Kaye and Mitchell (other grandparents) and I loaded up Kate in the truck and went to Dana and Lance's home (John's sister) and their two boys Lang and Landon. The kids had a blast destroying the house with toys and balls (Kate's favorite) and colors (Kate's second favorite). She also got a chance to color with "markers" (which her mom doesn't let her have)! They all played so good together, and Kate was absolutely worn out by the time the game was over.

But I digress! Back to my "first." For some time, Kate's been becoming aware when she needs to "poo." She's 18 months, so this is normal. One night she tried to tell her dad John when he was giving her a bath -- and they ended up with poo in the tub!

So we're enjoying the game and the kids are playing, and Kate comes up to me pulling at her pj's saying "poo." So we rush to the bathroom (with a kid-sized potty) and I strip her down and she sits on the pot for about 1 second, then jumps up and runs into the den only to pee on the floor! Bummer!

I clean that up and we get her dressed again, and she comes back pulling at her pj's in about 10 minutes. I think she's bluffing again and just wants to run around naked, so I put her off! Then she comes back in a minute in desperation pulling at her pj's and saying, "poo, poo!"

So here we go again to the bathroom, disrobe and she sits on the pot. Again, she jumps up, but in the process, out pops the "poo" into the potty! Scared her to pieces!! I tried to tell her it was a "good thing" and made a big deal of telling her how big she was. We wipe, put the poo in the big potty, and I asked her if she wanted to flush it away? Oooooh nooooo. She's scared of the big potty! Hopefully I didn't tramatize her too much . . . and she'll be pooing in the potty for good -- which would please her parents, since neither much like changing poopy diapers!

So, proud grandma CiCi got to experience Kate's first "poo in the potty" experience! I'm so proud! Maybe I'll start calling her "Kater Poo!"

And my other first poo experience? I changed her very first poo diaper when she was in the hospital! As long as I don't get known as the "poo grandma" I'll be okay! Any time I get to spend with Kate is wonderful . . . even if it's sitting on the potty!

(And she looked so cute in her little Auburn cheerleader suit CiCi and PawPaw got her!)

Family Fun at the Beach

We're down at Seacrest Beach (just west of Panama City) for our family vacation. The house at Seacrest Beach villas is beautiful but a little daunting for the great-grandmas with three flights of stairs! It's me and Stacy; Casey, John and Kate; Anna came up yesterday; my mom and Stacy's mom; and Zach will come down Thursday. And Jenna came today to visit! I know by the end of the week we're all going to be ready for some "alone" time!



So right now Kate is watching "Elmo" on TV (like baby-crack) -- the Greatgandmas are talking old times and gossiping -- Anna and Jenna have gone to the beach -- Casey and John are shopping at the Outlet Mall -- and Stacy and I are just chillin! Ahhhhhh!

The beach is beautiful -- no tar balls, no oil. Water's ok -- just some green slime that gets stuck in your swim suit! The sun's hot, and there are really quite a lot of people down here!

Hanging by a wire!

I've been intrigued by the popular mixed media jewelry I've seen in catalogs and on Etsy, so this weekend I finally pulled out my supplies and old collection of beads and tried my hand at it. I don't think I'll become a professional, but they turned out kind of neat. And I found I had several chains that would work with them! So here is my 4th of July jewelry experiment!

This was a shell necklace that I had purchased in Charleston a couple of years ago. I added the moon-shaped charm that was my grandmother's and a few other odd pearl beads. Kind of cool, I thought!This pendant I made from a huge gold earring that was my sister Susan's with a locket that was my grandmother's (Mattie Cook Stockley). I added a little flower and a couple of beads.I've been wanting something in browns and had this gold chain with the brown beads linked in already -- just had to cut down the length. Then I added the ring from somewhere and a cluster of assorted beads.

We've had a facelift!

No, not me -- my home! Our siding (which was supposed to last over 20 years) was beginning to look irridescent when the sun hit it. So we took this chance to change out the rails on the front porch and, finally, get rails going down the steps. I love it.

Matt Rosser did the work, and he's been great to work with! Highly recommend! He's going to paint our patio next!