Clemson/ Tiger Dancer for a Day!

One of our favorite things to do with KB is take her to Tiger Dancer for a Day! We think this was her fourth year getting to dance at Death Valley. This picture to the left is head coach Dabo Swinney... We like him! We named our dog for him!





We drop her off...and two hours later she is ready for a parade, a pre-game, and the experience of a lifetime!





We had a great seats! We could spit on her if we needed to! This was the first year she didn't have a friend with her, but she had a great time anyway.

Getting ready to perform to "Eye of the Tiger"... now that is a little hard for a Lincolnton girl to get excited about...but she did it!

This is Danny Ford (on the left). Clemson recognized the 1981 National Championship team and brought back players and coaches. They got to run down the hill and of course everyone wanted pictures of this legendary coach!

She was done performing and enjoying the game!

For many... halftime of the Clemson game is when people leave and stay at their cars to tailgate for the rest of the game. For the first time in 15 years, I stayed for halftime and we couldn't believe the number of people who were still there for 4th quarter! The only other time I stayed was the first time I went with Mark to the Clemson/ GA. Tech game and Clemson won in the last seconds.
KB had a great day! We even took Cole in hopes of converting him to a Clemson Tiger!

My Daddy!

I thank God just about everyday that my daddy is still here with me. That sounds horrible..doesn't it? "Just about everyday"... I forget sometimes... not all the time! I never really thought about losing my daddy until about 10 years ago. That was when I got scared and thought "Wow... he isn't going to be here forever."
Growing up, Daddy didn't really pay me much attention... he played golf every weekend and I sure didn't want to do that... so I didn't "hang out" with him and do fun things like they show you in the movies with a "Daddy Daughter Day". Thinking back~ I sure am glad we didn't hang out like that... that would have been totally out of character for both of us!
Memories of Daddy from growing up all deal with "He was with me through the Special Times"~
I can remember the first time I ever went to the Masters... he was there. He took me, made me feel special, and chose me over Jim and Guille to get to go that day.
I can remember as a little girl kissing him good night while he sat in his recliner and telling him I love him. Many nights I would yell into the den and say, "Daddy, quick... hurry... I need you!!!!" He would come running everytime. I had gotten into bed and not turned the light out... he would roll his eyes and do it for me!
I can remember when I was 17 and had to give the crown away for Miss Lincoln County Green and when I came in the house...he told me, "You could have won again tonight! You were beautiful!" My daddy doesn't compliment people...that was a wonderful thing to say to me.
I can remember the many football games that I cheered at for four years and him coming by on the field and speaking to us and letting me know we were going to win...or a few times that I might need to be worried.
I can remember going to Myrtle Beach my freshman year of college with all my girlfriends and we had a flat tire. He drove all the way to Aiken, SC, to bring me another car. He somehow overlooked the cooler full of beverages that we didn't need to have! He asked me if we needed any extra money, and he told me to be careful and call if we needed him.
I can remember the day I told him I hated him because he told me I couldn't go to the Georgia Southern / Auburn game because "you squat to pee". That was day that I was put on restriction (at 20) for the first time and I had to sit with him all day and night long. During that time is when I met Mark... had it not been for all that...I may not be where I am right now.
I can remember the first time I went to Clemson to see Mark. It was the Georgia Tech/ Clemson game. Daddy told me my skirt was "awfully short" and I changed.
I can remember the day that I got married. I never expected him to say anything sweet or poetic to me. He didn't. He said, "Don't bend over in that dress or you will show everything you got!" He is from South Carolina~ you know maybe I get my mouth that doesn't have a filter on it from him.
I can remember the day I thought I was having a miscarriage when I was pregnant with Katie Britt. I was sitting in my principal's office on the phone with him and he said, "The big man upstairs is going to take care of you!" He did!
That same summer we went to the beach and I had morning sickness all day long. He stayed outside with me at the restaurant while I threw up and everyone else enjoyed their meal!
I can remember watching the video of the day Katie Britt finally came and he missed it by just a few minutes. The look of disappointment on his face was there, but when he saw her...he smiled the biggest smile! His first granddaughter~
I can remember the day he was rushed to the Emergency Room in Athens and I was in Greenville. I was scared to death! I am like him in that I don't really know what to say in certain situations. So... I called him in the ER and told the nurse to please tell him, "Daddy, I don't have time right now for you to die!"... I meant it. I didn't!
I can remember the day that Ben was born. Ben was taken to the NICU and everyone went to see him. Daddy stayed with me.
When we moved back to Lincolnton, I was so excited to be able to go visit during the week. It was fun to sit around, laugh, gossip, and ride around chasing the ambulance. I drove him and Mama to Destin, FL. I had an Alan Jackson CD in the car of gospel music. It was past midnight and I was so sleepy driving so the music was loud. He and I sang every word to every hymn on the CD. Who knew Daddy knew all that gospel music? I never hear one of those songs that I don't think about that night.
In the past two years, I have had many scares. I have taken him to the Emergency Room many times, to have surgeries, to doctors' appointments~ I wouldn't give a million dollars for not being here to do that for him.
Our family isn't very big on birthdays~ We don't even give each other a card! Tonight~ we called Daddy and told him to meet us at the Huddle House for his birthday. As we were sitting there, he said, "I sure am glad I'm here. This time last year I thought it was it for me." I admittingly agreed with him.
Thank you God for this last year with Daddy. Thank you that he has made it to 68 years old! Thank you that he comes to watch ballgames with us every weekend. Thank you that he takes my children to school for me when Mark is out of town. Thank you that he comes when I call for a cup a sugar, a little bit of milk, or even when I need him to drive me around in the Guppie to chase ambulances. I am blessed! I know I am a lucky girl to have a daddy that is still with me! You won't read about our story in a book, or even see a daddy like mine on a television show... but if you want to know about a good daddy who makes me laugh...I can tell you!
Happy Birthday Butchie! You are loved!

Somebody's birthday is tomorrow...

I never had a sister. I wanted one, but that didn't quite work out for me. I think that God knew I would need some special women in my life to fulfill that gap...and he provided me with cousins. I have two first cousins on my mama's side that may as well have been my sisters. There is nothing better than for us to sit down and have a great big argument and talk about how stupid one of the others are! Just teasing... we would never do that! Ha!

Tomorrow is one of those special cousin's birthday. It really isn't a special birthday because she doesn't have one of those Os at the end of her age. But...she is special.

This cousin is the one who was two years younger than me. I was extremely jealous of her growing up! She was/is way smarter than me. I envied the color of her hair, her ability to make adults laugh, and her creative writing skills. She also learned how to spell Guillebeau before me...her last name... and she knew how to spell my last name before I did. You get the picture?

She was what I strived to be! She didn't care what she said...or to whom she said it. She tried out for things that I knew I would never be able to accomplish. She set goals that were totally out of my reach. She decided early on that she wanted to go to Georgia Tech... are you kidding me?... they would never have even looked at my application. She decided to try-out for the newspaper while there. Yep, she was selected. She decided it would be a good idea for her to co-op.... who ever heard of that? while going to school. It worked out grand for her. I tell ya... she is one smart cookie! She graduated from Georgia Tech and even went back for a Masters in Civil Engineering. Did I say how smart she was?

Years later she bought a condo in downtown Atlanta... living the city life. She went on trips that I would have been scared to death to go on...not her. She isn't afraid of anything. After the condo, she bought a precious house and even had a housewarming that was given the theme of the Confederacy since she lived on a street named after it.

She stood beside me on my wedding day. I remember her even being so nice to go pick up Mark from the airport in Atlanta one night when he was stranded. I can't say enough about her!

Her greatness didn't end there... she fell in love. She gave up the city life, the business world, and her Fortune 500 lifestyle and moved to a small town... got married... had a baby.... and changed her career. I couldn't be more proud of her! She knows.... money isn't everything, but family is. I am so glad she is part of my family.

Happy Birthday! Love you!

Melancholy~ I got it now!

I vividly remember the first time I saw this word. It was one of the 100s of words teachers made me define during my school career. I always thought it had something to do with a melody... the words looked alike to me. I play that word association game to remember definitions and so for some reason I thought it was a happy, cheerful, comforting feeling... I know now.
Today, I have had one of those days that my good friend, Hightower, told me about.
When I was pregnant with Ben eight years ago, I had the dreaded ride to Kentucky for my best friend's Daddy's funeral. It wasn't a dread ride like I didn't want to go...it was a dread ride that I didn't know what to say, what to do, or how to make her heart feel better. Little did I know that the funeral would leave me with a sense of hope for my life and also feeling better about Kathryn and the hard days of grief that were to follow. After hearing the eulogy at the funeral, I knew this man more than I could have ever imagined. All three people had wonderful things to say, and they each made me regret not knowing him more closely than I did. There were tears of laughter and tears of pain at the funeral, but I knew when I left there that this man was in Heaven, he loved his family, and he lived a great life. I was full of hope and joy for Kathryn. If the funeral had made me feel this way then I knew she had to feel great too!
As we were getting into the car to leave the funeral, I commented on how great Kathryn must feel with all the kind comments from the people at the funeral. Hightower quickly said to me, "It won't hit her now. It will hit her when she least expects it." I looked at him like he was crazy. Having lost his father a few years earlier, he told me, "It didn't hit me until the Friday that I came home for the weekend and my dad wasn't at the house to greet me." Still not fully understanding what he meant, I did remember what he said and tried my best to think of that as the next years passed.
Hightower's words became so true to me years later with the death of some very close people in my life. I don't think I got the full impact of his words until it happened to me.
That same year in my classroom, I read the story Because of Winn Dixie to my class. I love the book, but one of my favorite parts is when they pass out the candy and it gives a sense of "melancholy" as it dissolves in the mouth. The little girl doesn't know where her mother is and is being raised by her father. The dog she finds in the Winn Dixie grocery store helps her, comforts her, and gives her reason to go on in life. I now understood the word!
Back to October 12, 2011~ Maybe it is the weather of gloomy, cold, dreary, sprinkling... but today I know exactly what the word means. I know exactly how it feels. I know exactly how to describe it according to me.
Today, those who are no longer with me have been with me in spirit. I opened my bathroom drawer this morning to get out my jewelry and saw the ring that my aunt gave me for graduation. I was standing in the middle of my grandmother's kitchen when Kakee gave it to me and I don't know who was more excited...me or Granny. She was grinning from ear to ear because she knew how much I loved playing with the ring when I was a little girl. Whenever I wear it, I think about my grandmother. My hands look just like hers and with this ring on...I know she is living forever inside my heart.
I am doing a book study on Patricia Pollaco in my classroom. She writes wonderful stories, and today's story was Betty Doll. The story of Patricia's mother who has a doll she carries from her early childhood until her death. Patricia unwraps a box with the doll in it after her mother's death and it has a note attached saying how the doll has been through thick and thin with her... she thought she might need to keep it with her during this time as well. I thought about the things that are around my own house that are special to me... that comfort me. I have dishes, furniture, a quilt... many things that remind me of my grandmothers everyday. It makes my heart swell with pride knowing how special these items are to me that no one else would even care about... little do they know.
When Ben got off the bus today, he came to my room as usual and played on my Smartboard. As I watched him, I couldn't help but think of Mark's daddy. He was left-handed and Ben can already write just like him. I would be willing to bet he could forge his signature if he had to do so.
I also noticed that Mr. Wallace has posted pictures of the prom that my daddy and Mark's mama and daddy went to in high school. I wish that Granny was here so I could ask her who all those people were. She would have loved facebook!
I take KB to dance on Wednesday nights. My grandparents, great-grandparents, and great-great grandparents are buried in downtown McCormick. I always ride through and speak... yeah that may seem odd to some... but I like dead people. I grew up with my backyard being a cemetery and those are the best neighbors to have... they don't bother you. Some may call me crazy because I ride through like their bodies are still there... I know they aren't, but I can't help it. I think Bernice Legg rubbed off on me as I was growing up. I remember sitting on the screened porch of Mama and Daddy's house and watching her circle the cemetery everyday TWICE. We always guessed she rode through once for her mama and once for her daddy. I am sure if anyone is watching at the McCormick City Cemetery they think the same thing about me.
I ran into the grocery store to pick up a few items and as I was checking out I decided to get some gum. Right when I looked up I saw Freedent. That was Granny's kind of gum. She always had some in her purse. I bought two packs.
On my way back to get KB, I noticed a car pulled over in a field with a big no trespassing sign that had been taken down. I immediately thought of Lee Sturkey and how he didn't let signs like that bother him. He just moved them and went right on to where he wasn't supposed to be and then would put the sign back. I was sad because it is approaching a year for both Lee's death and Granny's death. Wow... who knew it would get me upset a year later? And then I thought of how selfish it was for me to wish them back, to wish for Jefferson just one more hug from his daddy, and for Kakee to have one more lesson on making a pound cake like Granny.
Gosh... I miss Boo-Ma, Granny, and Bobby Carol. I would give anything to see them, talk to them, hug them, tell them I love them just one more time. If they only knew what an impact they made on my life.
Melancholy~ I got it... the definition, the feeling, and the true meaning. I fully understand what a "gloomy state of mind" means now. I hope this passes soon... I love the memories, but they make me so sad.

Twas the Night Before School

I can remember being so excited every year when it was time for school to start. I would open my notebooks, rub the clean white paper, and rest assured write the neatest I would write all year on that one sheet of paper. I loved the smell of my new school supplies, the smell of the new clothes I had on, and the smell of the classroom. I was five when I decided I wanted to do that for the rest of my life.
Many moons and years later, I sit here as my children are all nestled and snug in their sleeping spots waiting on the first day of school. I am just as excited today as I was 35 years ago.
Sis has been preparing for school for weeks. We have been shopping, gotten the latest fad "feather" put in her hair, a fresh haircut and enough school supplies to last all year! On the surface...she is good... has everything she needs...and looks put together.
She is my child who is a pleaser. She wants to make me happy and anyone else around her happy. My prayer for her this year is she doesn't turn into one of those "mean" girls. I will admit that I was accused of being stuck-up and mean, but I will say that was due to my insecurities with all my freckles, fat legs, and ski-jump nose. I was terrified walking down the walkways during class changes for fear that someone would point out one of my many flaws. I hope she will become self-confident, caring, and compassionate as she grows into her middle school body this year. I know what is coming... those tears over the silliest of silliest things...those tears over not being invited somewhere....and those tears over having the meanest mother in the world who won't let her do the things she wants to do. I KNOW IT...they are coming... I hope I can be sensitive (which isn't in me), and I hope that she knows I love her and I won't let her grow up too fast! I hope she wakes up tomorrow with no fear of going into the middle school and being the best she can be.
Boo, my baby boy, who 7... wow, didn't I just give birth to him??? He is going to first grade. Tonight at open house he received his first folder with a small tree inside of it... I will be sending a tree home to my students next week. In the mounds of paperwork, he was asked to sign three sheets of paper. It only took him 15 minutes to sign them~whew... what am I going to do? I have been accused of giving him a hard time. I do, but he can take it. He is tough, rough, and I know he has my back in all situations. It brings tears to my eyes to think that while I was pregnant I wondered if I would ever love him like I loved Sis. I do... he is so special. He has his moments...we all do, but he has a heart of gold for me.
I have to be honest that I am SCARED TO DEATH of this year coming up for him. I never worried about Sis like I am worrying about him. He is mean as a snake, but he does have a tender heart. I worry that he will be picked on because he is so little, I worry he can't perform well in the classroom because he doesn't care like Sis does about school, I worry he won't be the sponge he should be at this age and learn all those academics...and I worry that he is going to school and repeat the two words he learned from his grandparents this summer. I know I shouldn't... but he is my baby. I have no choice but to bottle all that worry up and throw it over to HIS hands... take care of him, God... let him be to someone else the precious little boy he is to his mama in those moments before he closes his eyes to go to sleep at night.
I also pray for all the anxiety that is felt by so many other parents tonight about school beginning tomorrow...whether it be your baby's first day of pre-school, first day of middle school, or first day of senior year... we all worry...it is natural.

This post didn't go as I had planned...I was going to go with the title~ theme... but my heart got in the way. May my babies look back one day and realize how much their mama loves them, how proud she is of them, and how much she bathes them in prayer in hopes that they will become successful in life.

Here's to the first day!

New Orleans Day Three

We left the hotel in drizzling rain to walk to the "Natchez" for a riverboat cruise lunch. I have seen many of these "tourist" catcher options, but we have never done one. The children chose to do this and they loved it!

Butch, Jane, and the grandbabies. Three of them are as tall as Mama, and the other three are as spitfire as here.

We boarded the ship and waited for the ride to begin.

I wanted to take Chrisite's picture so we could log how big her hair got throughout the day. We separated later and I never got another picture.

Ben posing beside the paddleboat wheels.

She no longer enjoys me taking pictures of her, so this is what I get... Cheese.

I taught them how to play "Old Maid". I also showed them how to cheat!

James may have gotten suckered several times by these two.

After lunch, some of us decided to head to the WWII Museum (by choice and force), while others headed to the aquarium. My children had been to the aquarium in New Jersey already so I opted for them to go with me. This is the preshow to the 4D movie about the beginnings of WWII to the end.

The chairs felt great after a long day of walking. We experienced riding in tanks and airplanes. It snowed and had fog too!

Guille clickety, clicking.

After we got back, we decided to hit the video games again... We went to dinner at the attached Riverwalk Mall. Christie and I closed down The Gap and headed back to the hotel to go check out the action at the Huddle House Awards Banquet. The children got tatoos and caricatures done on motorcycles.

Cole Baby play driving since his daddy won't let him drive a real car just yet. I might let him drive me home though. I am so tired!

Day Two New Orleans

We began our first day of touring with breakfast in the executive lounge. While this breakfast did not suit Guille and Jim, everyone else loved making bagels, eating yogurt and cereal, and watching ships go by on the Mississippi!

Daddy demonstrating how to use binoculars.

Breakfast was so good they needed a rest before heading out for the day.

As sson as we walked out the door, a sunglass vendor attracted everyone's attention. I believe the lady could have closed up shop when we left her!

We loaded the tour bus for a 2 and half hour bus ride showing us the city and the 9th Ward...which is the most damage occurred from Hurricane Katrina.

Daddy was a little hot from walking along the riverfront to get to the bus!

One of the stops on the tour was the City Cemetery. Everyone is buried above ground in this town! Once the bodies decompose enough...they slide the remains to the back of the tomb and put some more bodies in there. Hmph...not so sure about that!

Boo was not impressed by all this~

We decided to go eat lunch after the tour...and Gail, you would have loved it! Delicious food~ crab cake po boy for me, shrimp po boys for lots of the others, and Daddy got fried shrimp....THE BEST!

This picture is taken outside the restaurant... notice the signs say "do not touch".... guess who loves to break the rules.

Christie LOVED her crab cake sandwich too!

After lunch we debated about what everyone wanted to do. Jim, Cole, and Daddy wanted to take a nap. I wanted to let the children experience Bourbon Street (only in the daytime though). The children wanted to Bungee jump....so everyone got their wishes.

Jim's belly was so full he almost fell asleep standing up.

I had only been to Bourbon Street one other time in my life. Needless to say, I don't think this is where I want to be when Jesus comes back... it was awful. We were tempted to put blinders on the children to get off the street. It is all out there ~ literally and figuratively.

Bungee jumping...He loved it... even though I don't think this is really "bungee" jumping!

She loved it too!

This is what I get when I say look at me for a picture...Can you see the thrill~ tough people to work with for photos...

Posing!

When we got back to the hotel, Daddy had registered for the conference and there were "do rags" with Huddle House on the them. Of course Cole had to fix Ben one!

Cool huh? And take note of the background... Guille claims he didn't have a nap yesterday, but I have proof~ Looks like he is sleeping to me!

Daddy looks like Howard Cunningham on "Happy Days" at one of his meetings... or Andy Griffith and Howard~ The Grand Mattison Daddy!

To end our night... we decided to go for a swim... of course they end up in the hot tub!

JuJu was having a spell ~ they decided to throw her in the pool to make her happy!

I didn't take pictures, but at 8:00 they decided they were hungry again. We "busted" up in the welcome reception with wet heads and cleaned them out on the appetizers they were serving. I feel sure there will be new rules next year about how many people Mama and Daddy get to take with them to the parties!