Another One Bites the Dust

The kids made this a fantastic birthday as they celebrated and yelled all day long: "Happy Birthday!!!  You forgot it was your birthday, didn't you, mom?"  They started the celebrations by making breakfast.  Mike and I enjoyed our yogurt, strawberries, and toast (after we scraped off the inch of butter they'd put on it).

We all had fun as I opened my gifts:  a new painted coffee cup, origami hearts, homemade cards, and footed pajamas of my very own.  No, I will definitely NOT be posting a picture of those!  Despite their similarity to the often-mocked Forever Lazy, they came in handy when I had to share the bed with my blanket-hog daughter last night.  They are quite warm.  We then watched K's basketball game and quickly sped to the Ringling Brothers Circus in Nashville.  It was the first time K, C, or Mike had ever been.

 Dinner and dessert at Menchie's made the day complete.  Looking forward to seeing what the next year brings....and preparing to be more cautious with random comments like, "Oh, those footed pajamas look so warm."

Go Wildcats!

 Lookin' good in the blue uniform!

 Sorry, Granddad, but we've had to root against the Vols once this season.

 Not afraid to try against behemoth opponents
 (we might need to see that kid's birth certificate).

A beautiful form (kinda' like his Uncle Allen's).

Growing Trees, Growing Children

 The smile was a constant when she saw her art on the wall at City Hall.

 The mayor announced her name and she marched to receive her award and smiled for the cameras.

 

Second place in K-3 division for all of Rutherford County Schools.

"Growing Trees, Growing Children" was the title of her piece for the 2011-12 contest theme:  Past, Present, Future.

Sad Dad

Sigh.  We said goodbye to our motorcycle today.
The kids are worried that their friends will no longer think their dad is cool.
We'll see how long it takes him to start looking for another one.
In the meantime, we'll enjoy a little extra space in the garage.