It was an AWESOME vacation!
;)
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I’ve been reading some Disney message boards for our upcoming trip and frankly started freaking out a little bit about the whole ‘what to do if your kid goes missing’ threads. They suggest things like printing out labels and putting them on your kid’s clothes (underneath it by the tag) with your name and cell number, taking a picture of all your kids at the beginning of the day so you know what they are wearing, kiddie leashes, dog leashes fashioned to be kid’s leashes, etc. One site even advertised custom-made temporary tattoos so you could tattoo your number on your kid. Others took a Sharpie to their kids (seriously).
Anyway, I tried to have a conversation with Carissa about strangers yesterday. It was more difficult to do then I had initially thought. Think about it – how do you explain something like that to a three year old without completely freaking her out?
We started talking about strangers and how some can be good, nice people but there could be others who are not.
“Like bad guys?” my sweetpea asked.
“Kind of. And, if a bad guy tries to pick you up, you kick and scream and call for help.”
“But Momma,” sweetpea responded shaking her head, “There are no bad guys at Disney.”
I couldn’t help but smile at her. So cute. We did end up agreeing that she would just help Daddy be sure that Momma doesn’t get lost by holding my hand.
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Carissa has been taking swim lessons at the local YMCA the past two weeks. The first few days were terrible! You would’ve thought she had never been in a pool, let alone never in a million years guess that she swims every single day at her Pa’s.
But, she (and I) has persevered. She will now do what the teacher asks of her – cumulating yesterday in her actually jumping in the pool to her teacher! She is doing so much better in fact that I am really sad that today is her last class. I think that if she had another week or so, she’d be really swimming! Carissa and Pa have committed to keep working at it though!
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Can you guess where I will be this time next week? Yup, the eagerly anticipated Disney Vacation is within sight! We leave next Wednesday for a full week of Disney magic (not to mention a week of the Blackberry switched in the ‘off’ position)!
I have definitely gone into my Type-A-Extreme-Vacation-Planner mode this week. I have our rough touring plans together for all the parks along with a fairly good idea of what days we will do what parks. I will finish them up over the weekend and – wait for it – will have them all laminated at work on Tuesday before we head out on the first flight out on Wednesday!
Don’t make fun – Travis will do it for you. But, I promise you that he will appreciate the plans once we’re there!
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Can you guess what Carissa’s latest response is to something she doesn’t want to do?
“Weellllll… When I turn four, then I can do that.”
It is driving me crazy so don’t be surprised to get a birthday invitation this summer for Carissa where she will ‘turn’ four.
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My dad’s mother, Joanne Wilkerson, my Granny passed away this past Sunday. She had been sick for awhile so it was not completely unexpected. We had a beautiful funeral service for her yesterday morning followed by a lunch reception put on by my grandparents’ church. There were so many people who made the time to come and pay their respects at the visitation the day before.
I will always personally remember Granny as the one I went to the movies with when I was younger. She would always get us extra butter on the popcorn because “Why would you want it any other way?” She also encouraged my love of reading and introduced me to one of my all-time favorites that I read over and over – Gone with the Wind. I also remember getting to play with all of her jewelry. Granny didn’t have pierced ears so she had a box full of clip-on costume jewelry. For a little girl that didn’t have pierced ears, this box was the best!
Granny’s birthday was on Christmas Eve, and we were not able to celebrate Christmas with her until we celebrated her birthday first. The past few years, the family would all meet up for a big breakfast, have birthday cake, give Granny her birthday presents, and then have a lengthy break before we could get into Christmas! Granny had this ridiculous Santa hat with jingle bells on it and some red Santa booties that she wore year after year for Christmas.
For her birthday, my dad has always gotten her a box of chocolate-covered cherries – the cheap ones in the red box were her favorite. After she was diagnosed with diabetes years ago, he still would give it to her but with the stipulation that she could only have one and then pass the box around.
Granny always had a story to tell. They generally involved the crazy antics that my dad got into when he was younger! I wish I paid better attention so I could remember more of them.
My Granny was also the kind of grandmother that sewed like crazy. She made most of her own clothes, and she loved to make me dresses with layers of petticoats so I could twirl them around. She also made me a Strawberry-Short-Cake doll that I still have, and a pink baby blanket and pillow. I also have a hand-made book that she did. (I think this might actually by Ryan’s – sshhhh – don’t tell him I have it!)
Granny also loved to cook. When I got married, at one of my bridal showers, the guests were requested to bring their favorite recipes on an index card. Granny (with the help of my Aunt Susie) brought over a huge stack of cards with delicious recipes! At our family pot-lucks, we all have our general assigned dishes – Granny’s was deviled eggs. Yum! At the luncheon yesterday, one of the ladies from church remarked how Granny always made the best soups for their church gatherings – especially potato soup.
When growing up, Granny and Pawpaw also made a point to always come to our school activities. Whether my dance recitals when I was six or choir pop shows when I was sixteen or Ryan’s T-ball or soccer games – they were always there, and really wanted to be there too. I know that Granny was very proud of us.
Granny – You will be missed greatly by many people, but I know that we all take comfort in knowing that you are in heaven singing and dancing with the angels!
(Here is a link to the obituary that my Aunt Susie wrote.)
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