Wow... just ran across my old blog!  Lots in my life has changed to say the least!!!  I received an email from Erin's old dance studio where I used to do their website for them... the home page was managed through blogspot since it was free & they were having some troubles and needed my help.  When I logged in, I found this old personal blog!  It's crazy reading all of this history of my life. Things are VERY different now... I have been divorced for a year (so no more WD in my life, except when dealing with Erin & Dylan)... fell in love with another man, after trying the dating world a while (which was even crazier than my previous life), took a new job, moved a few times, and have almost settled into "normal" life again.  I'm going to my first scrapbook conference in over a year next weekend!  I'm so excited :)  I'm teaching Jazzercise in Prairieville at 5am on Mondays, but now I also teach at the Jazzercise center nearer my home in Baton Rouge... the Jones Creek center.  I'm also into beach volleyball... which Dylan has also picked up on!  As a matter of fact, he & three other kids won the first kids tournament last night at Laguna Beach Volleyball Complex in Denham Springs!

It's been a heck of a year & 1/2 or so, but I'm landing on my feet again.  I'm thankful for all of life's experiences & know that I am truly blessed!!!

Snapshots of My Life....

I haven't had much to blog about lately because I've posted so frequently on FB (which I'm totally addicted to). It's not that life hasn't been rolling along, but I've just been busy enjoying it (or dealing with it depending on the day)!  Take a peek into my world...


Cupcake Party at Inspire in Thibodeaux



Me & Barb after work in Lafayette



Cool metal lunchboxes outside the bathroom at "The Hangout" in Gulfshores



Zydeco dance lessons with ol' Cajun friend in Lafayette



Morning beverage options at Queen Anne B&B in Natchitoches



Yeah, my frustrating discovery when I came out of Walmart



The "pot" at the LRC game on the Eastside Saturday night... lots of fun!



Pic of tomatoes & price so I could set the register-girl straight this week ;-)



LSU Baseball games added hilarious entertainment in the form of these huge blow-up characters!



I Think I'll Subscribe...

I got an email from my Jazzercise District Manager, Emma, this morning.  She was sharing an article that appeared in "Shape" magazine.  I've seen "Shape" on newsstands before, but I've never really looked into it too much.  After seeing the article where they mentioned Jazzercise, I think I'll subscribe... it's good stuff.  You know I'm addicted to dancing of any kind, but especially my workouts at Jazzercise.  It's always nice to see that something I love is tried and true (been around for 40 years) & is actually GOOD for me!  Check out the picture they included with the article (see left)... yeah, she's hot!  We work up as much (or more) sweat as she's got, but know that we don't dress quite as provocative in class.  I'm LOVING those leg warmers, though!!!

Valentine's Traditions

Giving a little love to Chewee while sporting her new PJs.

I just have to start by saying having Valentine's Day on Monday is just not so much fun!  Kids have school, I have work... just tends to put a damper on festivities.  No fretting though... we celebrated early!  Last night I pulled out the traditional Valentines for my sweetest of sweethearts... heart-shaped boxes of various chocolates.  Erin informed me a couple of years ago to stay away from the Whitman Samplers although those are WD's absolute favorite "Valentines".  So I did, and opted for red foiled covered boxes of Russell Stover's for her & Dylan... only to be informed that when they opened them that there was no "key" to the chocolate layout...wellllll of course not... that's only in the Whitman Sampler...there is a little paper that specifically shows which chocolate is what...you know... caramel filled, coconut cream, toffee, chocolate filled chocolate, etc. Maybe next year Whitman's will be what they get! (BTW - my favorite are the milk chocolates with strawberry or vanilla cream).  So they just had to nibble each piece to discover the "yummy" inside!  Along with chocolates, I always get them each a new set of PJs.  This year was no different!  The only variation from tradition were the heart-shaped "peeps"... you know those sugary-crusted marshmallows shaped like birds at Easter... well they had them in pink heart-shapes.  I gave each of them a packet of peeps, a few Hershey chocolate bars, and a box of graham crackers...they enjoyed the mess of zapping them in the microwave for a tasty Valentine's s'more.  (Got the idea from their Aunt Brooklyn one Easter!)  Of course no Valentine's day would be complete without the perfect card.  I think they were more excited about the iTunes gift cards I slid into them than the message of the Valentine themselves.  Oh well... seeing them enjoy the Valentines and each other's company made my Valentine day complete!

Sweet sticky goodness!

Cramming it in... yeah he ended up with pink smudges on his new PJs!

Weekend with Hubby...

After working out of town most of this past week, I set aside the entire weekend to be with WD.  It's unusual for us to be off 4 days in a row together! We started the weekend off Friday by dropping Dylan off with the scouts for an adventure trip to Pensacola, FL... one kid gone... one teen to go... Erin typically runs with her second set of siblings... the Butlers, but this weekend she stayed with Alexis so that they could go to a surprise party for another girlfried.  So the kids were occupied in someone else's care so on to the fun for me & WD.  Friday night... drinks at Perkins Rowe Wine Loft while waiting for a table at Kona Grill.  Absolutely yummy meal at Kona Grill... I don't typically like sushi, but with more and more places using cucumber on the outside instead of rice, I'm becoming a fan! We also shared an entree of beef medallions with grilled brocollitini (sp?) & Kona's mashed potatoes from heaven. Then it was over to the theater for a movie. I was looking forward to a crazy comedy (with the help of a pre-show martini), but "The Dilemma" was far from a comedy.  At least my date was interesting!

Saturday morning I taught Jazzercise, plus WD & I ran a few miles and biked quite a few miles in preparation for some real "blowing it out" with the neighbors.  We were celebrating quite a few things... Nora's b-day, David's divorce, David's brother & sister-in-law's anniversary, and my pre-birthday! Coyote Blues (of course I got the corn, crab, & poblano soup which is creamy, delicious, sin along with a sangriarita) got the evening started for our group of about 14. Next was a comedy show at the Funny Bone featuring Jen Kober... she was out-of-the-box hysterically funny!  Thanks to Nora for being such a great topic for Jen to pick on :-)  She was a great sport about being a "Skinny B----"! We danced off some of the calories at the comedy club, but it wasn't enough for this group... so we headed to the Station... I'd never been & never even heard of it, but apparently it's been around for years.  It was great with a live band which appealed to the wide variety of partiers that were there.  It was a great time with great friends!

Next weekend WD works, so I'm off to enjoy scrapbooking with girlfriends in Lake Charles.  I just LOVE the weekends!!!

Being Off...

Working 9 hour days at the office is hard sometimes, but I soooooo love the every other Friday I get to be off of work.  It's really neat to be off of work when most others are working because I can get so much done, plus Thursday nights can be so much more fun, too.  Today for example, I slept till 8a.m., and then got up & attended a Jazzercise class (so much fun to be a participant from time-to-time rather than the instructor who has to worry about executing all the moves with precision, cueing, & safety).  After class, I put the top down on the car (yes, it was sunny & warmer, thank God) and stopped in at Sonic for a Diet Dr Pepper while I enjoyed the sunshine.  I sat for the first time all week without being in a rush and played a few plays with Words with Friends and Chess with Friends on my iPhone.  Next up was to get my car cleaned... it's been raining on and off all week, so it really was in bad shape.  It's all spic and span now.  I was able to run home for a relaxing shower & leisurely get dressed.  Lunched on sandwich while catching up on some DVR'd shows.  Now I have all of the rest of today to do with as I wish.  Kids are still in school :-)  Think I'm heading to the mall & to complete a few errands.  Of course I don't work tomorrow so there's no rush in getting home & to bed; plus the Tigers are playing tonight!  It's a great schedule although I only get to enjoy it every other Friday!

Closest Thing to a Journal for Me...

Just like every New Year's there's always talk of self-improvement everywhere you look. Most resolutions I've noted have to do with self-discipline & motivation.  Some "experts" believe that journaling will help you keep track of life, your goals & aspirations, as well as staying disciplined & motivated. I have to admit, that the idea of taking pen-to-paper seems too much like an assignment or chore, so I reflect in other ways.  Isn't that the purpose of journaling?!?  Most of you know my love for technology, so of course this blog is an excellent way to "reflect" and is much more enjoyable in terms of journaling.  After all, I can type twice as quickly as I can hand-write!  I also keep another "journal" of sorts on the web... that's my food/exercise diary (as most of you already know, I've used it for two years now & can't imagine life without it).  Accessing my "journals" through the computer and/or my iPhone makes them very convenient & much easier to stay committed to than a paper diary/journal.  Some experts even believe that journaling reduces stress... well I don't want to bore my readers with the "stressful" things in my life, so I'll stick to my work-outs for stress-relieving benefits!

I love reading the Pioneer Woman's blog... she's one witty lady! In case one of your resolutions is to start blogging/journaling, here are her entertainingly put tips...

1. Be Yourself
2. Blog Often
3. Be Varied
4. Exercise More
5. Allow Your Boundaries to Set Themselves Naturally
6. Bring Back Retro Phrases like "Hanky Panky"
7. Don't Be Afraid to Embarrass Yourself
8. Try Your Best to Spell Words Correctly & Use Proper Grammar
9. If You Have Writer's Block, Push Through & Blog Anyway
10. Value Every Person Who Takes Time Out of Their Day to Stop By Your Blog

To read them all in their entirety with her witty commentary, go to her blog here:  http://thepioneerwoman.com/blog/2010/09/ten-important-things-ive-learned-about-blogging/

It's a Double-Diet-DP Kind of Day...

Y'all know my obsession with Sonic's Diet Dr. Peppers!  I don't drink coffee (wish I did, but I just can't "acquire" that taste), so my caffeine of choice is DDP. Sonic's is the best of course because of the crunchy, perfectly engineered ice, the styro-foam cup (so sorry to my eco-loving friends/fam), and the perfectly sized red straw (which serves to get the refreshing goodness to my lips in just the right amount as well as a chew stick in meetings where I know I could say something, but with better judgement I keep my mouth/teeth busy on the straw).  Today was no different... I stopped by Sonic for my morning fix... the difference was that I didn't go by the Sonic nearest my house (where they know my name), but by another location since I was going to work from a different direction.  I ordered the "Route 44" instead of the "Large" and I requested extra ice since the day before a long holiday weekend is typically a looooong day at the office.  When the car hop delivered my order, there was so much ice that the top was bulging and after only 4 sips, the DDP was gone! I hadn't packed an extra can of DDP in my lunch bag, so what was I to do?!? Well, I made a second stop on my way to work (I'm glad I left for work early)... by Chick-fil-A... another one of my "loves". They sell the best chicken biscuits (which I've blogged about when I was totally addicted to them a couple of years ago) and of course DDP.  So I ordered a large DDP-no ice.  While sitting in the parking garage at work, I carefully emptied some of the Sonic ice from my cup, and poured in the DDP from Chick-fil-A... now I'm ready for my day!

Gingerbread House Recall?!?

Ok... so most of you who are friends of mine on FB know about the Davis Gingerbread Village that Erin & Dylan constructed on Christmas Eve... cute, very cute actually, until Chewee gobbled up one of the houses.  It frustrated me that our dog had the nerve to sneak up onto one of the dining room chairs where he can grab whatever he wishes off the table.  He would never, ever do this with one of us watching him, but if no one is looking... well whatever treat is on the tabletop is history! He's just too sneaky for a dog!  So he nabs the little cottage closest to the table's edge... keep in mind I didn't actually witness this action, but by the looks of the crumbs that were left back behind my wingback chair in the living room, we know he's guilty (that's where he always runs to eat any treat or even his monthly heartworm pill... somewhat of a "closet eater" I suppose).  He didn't even get sick or an upset stomach which I wished upon him.  Crazy dog!!!

Anyway, fast forward about 4 days... I'm sitting at work & I get a news alert from WAFB (if you don't have the GoWAFB app on your phone, you need to get it... it's the best way to get the latest news).  The news flash that popped up on my phone reads, "Gingerbread house recall affects Louisiana".

My first thought... how the hell does a gingerbread house recall make newsworthy news alert status?!? And my second thought... what causes a gingerbread house to be recalled (who actually eats them anyway)?!?  Then of course my third thought (keep in mind these thoughts flashed quickly through my brain)... OMG, Chewee ate the gingerbread cottage!!! The news alert stated that some of the gingerbread houses sold in Louisiana had possible staph poisoning. Good news though, it's only for gingerbread houses sold by Whole Foods... we bought our kit at Wal-mart.  I suppose revenge will not be played out on little Chewee after all... guess I'll just have to more closely watch his sneaky canine-self!!!

Christmas from the Shiftworker's Wife's Perspective

It changes from year to year, so being flexible is a must! With WD's work schedule, some Christmases he wakes with us while others he's working.  Tradition isn't necessary in the Davis house... we make our own depending on what life's schedule throws our way.  Last year & this year WD works/worked days (4am-4pm) on Christmas day.  It's actually pretty great because Santa makes a stop by our house Christmas eve (afternoon-ish) while I make Christmas supper in pj's (matching my girl, Erin, of course).  When Daddy WD walks through the door, we all sit down for yummy Christmas supper... and that's not traditional either... this year we had Cheesy-Shrimp soup with Focaccia bread. After dinner, we slip into the living room around the tree for gifts.  Starting with the stockings, we all dump them out to discover the neat little treats and the creamy chocolates and other candies (and my favorite the gum!). I try to snap pics while we open gifts and share the stories behind the purchases for each other... sometimes the stories are better than the gifts themselves. This year it was an iPhone for Erin, a laptop for Dylan, Kinect & iPad for WD, and a bike & Coach bag for me.  Another Davis Christmas "tradition" are the electronics!  We are technology junkies to say the least... this year was no different :-) Although I'll wake in the morning to an empty bed, I'll get to sleep late & enjoy the kids' company when we do leisurely crawl out of bed.  WD will join us again tomorrow after he gets off of work... hey, somebody has to earn the money to pay for our "Santa" visit!

Christmas Cheer

Yeah, yeah, yeah... I know it's been over 6 months since I've blogged!  I was so committed when life was a bit slower, but I'm living in 5th gear right now... and loving it :-)  The only real way to keep up with me is through FB... which I can quickly update via my iPhone, but I do miss blogging.  My friend, Heather, is the blogging queen right now!  She has motivated me to try this blogging thing more regularly even though life is busy.  Well it's not much, but here are a couple of fun things I enjoy about Christmas:

• The movie, "Elf" (I've watched it four times this season already... by "watch it" I mean I multi-task while it's playing in the background.  Me & the kids just love it... I even bought the soundtrack from iTunes the other night!  Fave song of the movie is of course, "Baby It's Cold Outside!", which I also used to make my ringtone for the season :-)
• Finding the PERFECT gift for those I love!  I'm so excited about having Christmas with my inlaws Saturday because I feel like I found the perfect thing for them!  Can't tell you now, but I'll share after Christmas.  Of course buying for Wayne is expensive, but I think he'll give Santa a great big kiss on the mouth this year!!!  I can't wait.
• Cutting myself a little slack & enjoying a few of the rich, decadent, holiday foods/drinks... yeah, when I teach two Jazzercise classes a day or one class & run for 4 miles, I go ahead and enjoy those foods/drinks on the "naughty" list!  I had 1/2 cinnamon sugar funnel cake & cup of hot chocolate the other night while walking along the river in Natchitoches looking at the lights.  YUMMY!!!
• Christmas lights... I love the way they twinkle and add such a warm feeling to a dark winter season.  I hate winter and I hate cold weather (I think I suffer with a bit of seasonal depression or I'm totally addicted to the sun/heat), so the lights make me "happy". 

Well these are a few of my favorite "Christmas" things!  I'll think of something more
important to blog about next time, but for now, this is all I've got :-)

What's Up?

Lots of things, that's what! I haven't had time to blog cuz I've been living life.  WD & I just got back from fabulous LasVegas.  It was so nice only having to plan for time in the gym, by the pool, dinner, & shows!  Now we are back to reality... running crazy getting kids where they need to be, working of course, & trying to run our household. 

Other news... I bought a new car! As all my FB friends are aware I wrecked the cruiser & now I am enjoying a 2010 Lexus convertible. It's so much fun... I pray everyday for NO rain so I can cruise with the top down :-)

I just heard that the new iPhone is coming out later this month... I won't be getting the upgrade, but I'm going to make WD happy for Father's day (although it'll be a few days afterwards since it's not released until the 24th).  I love my iPhone & really don't want to upgrade yet.  As a matter of fact I just downloaded a few new apps... Ms. PacMan & a really cool one that stores all of my frequent buyer cards in it.  I haven't tried it out yet, but I'm suppose to be able to use my phone to get discounts at places I frequently shop.  You know those places where they give you a membership card thingy to put on your keyring (like AutoZone, Winn Dixie, the health club, ect).  No more bulky keyring.  The app is called CardStar & it lets you easily store, manage and quickly retrieve your reward, club, and loyalty cards on your phone, where they can be scanned directly from your screen at most merchants. Way cool if it really works!

Other news... our beach vacation is cancelled this year... that oil spill messed up those plans.  I'm sad that the kiddos won't get to hang out with their cousins for the week & we won't get to lay in the sand with brothers/sisters/mom/dad :-(  Mom Barbara said she's planning something fun for next year though!  Knowing her, it'll be fantastic & even better than GulfShores or Destin!

Lots of other things going on, but I'll have to blog a little more later! Tata for now!

Day in the Life of a Jazzercise Instructor

One of my latest passions is Jazzercise.  I recently became certified to instruct classes.  Cardio, stretches, strength training... it's a great workout.  Being strong & being able to dance really helps, but there is oh so much more that you have to do! Like being friendly, confident & aware of class participants' needs.  On top of that you have to know all of the dance moves from memory, be able to cue the class before the moves, remember to stay hydrated, don't overuse/abuse your vocal chords, all the safety tips, plus work a sound system with a wireless mic & iPod! It's a lot, but quite fun & engaging.  Today I taught the 6:05 class at the Prairieville center.  I got the class warmed up & working up the heartrate... then silence! All of a sudden, there was absolute silence! The iPod shut down... leaving me hanging with no music!  I kept the class moving, jumped off stage, & ran to get my iPhone out of my basket, only to find that I had left my iPhone in my car!  I grabbed my keys & had the class owner run out to my car praying that my iPhone wasn't in the bottom of my purse while still having the class dance to nothing other than my cues & classmates singing the song.  She came running back in with it! I was so relieved to find that my routine set of music was on my iPhone... I clicked to it & led the class into the next routine.  I held it together & the class participants were absolutely excellent! Lesson learned... make sure iPod is fully charged every single day & always have the iPhone in the building as back up :-)

"Latest News" as Bulleted List

I've been quite busy lately; what else is new!  I noticed that I haven't blogged in over a month! So here it is as a list & in no particular order:

• One of our best friend's got a job after being unemployed for quite some time! It's really exciting for them and for us.  Congratulations Daven!
• Dylan crossed over into "Boy Scouts" from "Cub Scouts".  We love his troop in Prairieville, Troop 769... they have lots planned for the boys & they hold the boys themselves responsible for activities. Downside, they have hit us up for money nearly every meeting.  We actually participated in a fundraise, which I so desparately despise, but Dylan did pretty well selling coke products.  Hopefully the money-collecting is done with for this year.
• Erin is done with competition dance at Jete'.  She and her team did really well, receiving a number of platinum & high gold awards this year.  I'm so impressed with her perseverance & love of dancing! Now to prepare for Griffin Girls (high school dance team) try-outs.  I'm sure she'll do well, although I can't believe she'll be going to high school next year!
• Wayne is in good spirits now that he has gotten his back to quit hurting.  He suffered with back pain, like an old man, for months now.  It has prevented him from giving his all to running/working out.  He went to chiropractor to be told that his wallet is his problem! Yes, his wallet (which is funny to me since he never has money in it).  When he sits at the computers at work for hours on end with his wallet in his back pocket, it causes his pelvis to tilt which has put strain on his back.  Solution... a few back adjustments & take the wallet out of his back pocket. Now to shop for a money clip (there again, for what since me & the kids smell it when he has cash).
• As for me I just finished the process of becoming a certified Jazzercise instructor! It's so much fun & I go almost everyday anyway, so instructing made sense.  It has set me back quite a bit of money for start up costs (clothes, franchise fee, liability insurance, microphone, etc), but it's well worth it.  I now get to "teach" without all the crap of being a classroom teacher, plus it keeps me working out with great intensity & fervor! I love it!  If you like to have a good time, listen to great music (my favorite Jazzercise routine right now is done to Jennifer Lopez's "Louboutins"), dance, & get fit, you should give it a try.  I'm at the Ascension Jazzercise Centers (Prairieville & Gonzales), but you can find a center close to you by checking out Jazzercise's website.

Well I guess I should wrap it up here... my bulleted list turned into bulleted paragraphs!  I'll try to blog more often :-)

My New Snack

I love discovering "new" snacks.  Thanks to one of my scrappin' friends, Beverly, I was introduced to the world of wasabi.  Beverly brought a small bag of wasabi peas to our latest scrappin' event.  Their appearance peaked my interest... small green peas, covered in white coating!  I was thinking white chocolate or yogurt covering, but couldn't get my head around the idea of putting either on a green pea!  Once I popped one in my mouth, it took me completely by surprise... can you say, "Fire!" It was hot, but best of all, it had a nice little crunch.  It gave this burning sensation on the roof of my mouth that was actually pleasant in a weird sort of way!   I headed to Albertson's & picked up a bag of wasabi peas, wasabi "trail mix", and then at World Market I found wasabi cracker mix!  1/2 cup serving runs me about 127 calories.  To make them even more appealable... I read that spicy foods can actually raise your metabolism.  Rev it up & Bring on the wasabi peas!

Yep... that's what Drugs do for you...

So sad, but it was well known that some of our favorite 1980's & early 90's heartthrobs were living rough lives.  Drugs were prevalent and destructive.  Today I see in the news that another one of the boys who I just thought was soooo cute (had his poster from Teen magazine pinned on my wall) has died at only 38 years old.  Of course the press won't definitively say Corey Haim died from drug use or overdose, at least not until an autoposy is done, but when I saw a recent picture of him, it is written all over his face & body.  He looks terrible & it is quite obvious that his lifestyle took a serious toll on his body & looks.  I'm sad for his friends & family, and I hope that others will see that you reap what you sow & to make a choice to live drug free.

Smells Nice

WD likes to buy me perfume and jewelry, but I am fickle and unpredictable when it comes to both.  Today I love one kind and tomorrow it's "just ok".  I guess I let my mood direct my preferences & it has kept WD from buying me such frivolities.  Well this Christmas he found the perfect "fragrant" gift for me.  It is a sampler from Sephora.  It came in this terrific little hat-box with about 12 different perfume samples.  Along with the samples, there is a guide describing each frangrance & its designer.  I try a different scent everyday, and then I record my initial opinion of it, my opinion the next day, and if WD noticed or not.  After I sample all the scents, I can take the enclosed gift coupon back to Sephora for a full bottle of which ever scent I liked best.  So far I really am liking "Stella" and "Cashmere Mist". WD gets a gold star for picking this gift out for me!

Catching Up & Enjoying Life

Well life has been full of fun & festivities... thus the reason I haven't blogged in a while. I am a huge advocate for recording memories, but living 'em has to come first!  If it weren't for Facebook, I don't know if anyone would know what anyone else was doing.  Gotta love it!

Our most recent "excitement" was a couple of nights before Christmas... WD came down with a terrible stomach virus.  He was geared up to go to work (he had to work days Christmas Eve & Christmas Day... it was the trade off for getting off for our 11 day NYC, Cruise, Bahama vacay in November).  Kids were in bed, and he was really sick (I won't go into too many details, but you know symptoms of stomach virus).  He tried to stay hydrated, but couldn't stay ahead of it.  I went out looking for somewhere to buy medicine... apparently the only place to get "drugs" in P'ville is on the streets, cuz there were no pharmacies or Walmart open at that time of night.  I ended up buying ImodiumAD at the Shell station, but he couldn't keep those down for them to work.  We finally resorted to St Elizabeth's ER where they gave him a heavy duty shot in the butt.  All said, he was weak for a day or so, but he's great now.

Finally Christmas... we opted for Santa to make his stop at our house early Christmas Eve since WD was working during the day.  When WD got off of work, I had Christmas PJs laid out for him (believe me... that wasn't his idea), potato soup cooked, & kids so wound up with excitement they couldn't stand it.  The only kink in our Christmas Eve plan was that Santa's helpers left the stocking stuffers upstairs in gift bags so that me & WD could move them to the stockings when it was time. I  panicked when I went upstairs & found Erin's giftbag of stocking goodies was missing! Dylan suggested I look under the bed (he thinks like a mischievous puppy) & sure enough, our crazy pup had drug the bag under the bed & attacked it!  Well I suppose that's not as bad as some of the other things he's drug out before!

Of course, as most of you heard via FB, I graduated!  I'm so excited to have my "free-time" back now.  It's so nice not to worry about assignment deadlines & in-field experience logs & research papers that make my head hurt & on & on & on.  I'm done with school (at least until I get Erin & Dylan out of high school)!  I have to thank my kids & hubby for their support.  There were many nights & weekends that I had to pick schoolwork over family time & it was tough!

Santa brought a few fun surprises for us this year!  I got a Sony Reader & didn't even know I wanted one.  It is really cool.  I can carry as many books as I want with me anywhere (I guarantee none of my books will be textbooks...nothing but fictional fun now).  I can download them from the public library for no charge or buy books online.  It's a great little gadget!  WD got a blue-ray player, Erin got a new phone, & Dyl got the PS3.  Yeah, we are electronic junkies!  Now we are ready for 2010... Happy Holidays, everyone!

Vacation to NYC, Universal Studios, & the Bahamas

It hasn't quite been a week since returning from our fabulous vacation.  It was an exciting time for me, WD, & the kids.  There are far to many stories to fit in one blog, but here are some highlights:

• NYC was huge. It was so exciting.  WD got to experience his hotdog stand "dream".  He ordered a hot dog with all the toppings plus a knish (fried bread pocket with some type of hardened potato... very dry).  Setting the hot dog on the knish, it slipped and landed on the sidewalk.  No matter, remember the 5 second rule... yep, WD quickly snatched it up & took a bite.  Yummy!  I passed on the hot dog/knish expedition, but enjoyed pizza!
• "Wicked" on Broadway was remarkable.  The kids sat wide-eyed while we all enjoyed the music, story, costumes, & the whole experience.
• Skipping was a "theme" for us while on this trip.  You see, I just learned to skip recently (thanks to Jazzercise).  So while attempting to embarass Erin (you know how 13 year olds are so easily embarrassed by their parents), I decided to skip from time to time.  I told the kids it made me happy, so Erin joined in (when no one was looking), and Dylan adapted it to a "backwards" skip.  Fun, fun... WD caught us on camera at Universal Studios (see below).
• Boarding the Carnival "Dream" was rather simple.  Later that evening, all of our bags had been delivered to our stateroom except WD's.  All I could think was, "Uh-oh another cruise going commando!" Those hysterical thoughts were short lived as WD found his bag downstairs at the purser's office... the tag fell off.
• My nightly indulgence on the cruise ship was a slice of pizza at or near midnight and frozen yogurt on a cone while sitting on the lido deck.  Hopefully all the dancing & time in the ship's gym kept me "balanced".  I haven't looked at the scale yet.
• Universal Studios was fun, but I think I would prefer Disney next time.  We chose to take the day in port in Florida to do something we hadn't done yet.  We've been to Disney twice with the kids already, so we did get to experience something new.  It's not nearly as grand, but the rides were exciting, especially the crazy rollercoaster where we got to pick our own music to rock out to while squealing through the ups, downs, & twists & turns.
• The first day in the Bahamas was a bit windy & chilly, but it was a lovely place.  We ended up eating dinner at Senor Frogs, which was a silly little place that served Mexican cuisine.  The kids got a kick out of the table decor... it was mapped out where to place your hands, elbows, feet, head, etc.  Very cute!
• WD wore a "Speedo"! Not the kind you typically think of, although that is a thought that can make one laugh.  He found a cute pair of swim trunks (full coverage & nearly knee length) that were the "Speedo" brand.  He sported those on the beach, so I can say with complete truth that my husband looks good in Speedo!
• The second day in the Bahamas was perfect.  The sun came out so Dyl & I laid on the beach (well Dyl swam out & hopped on a water trampoline while I laid out & read), and WD & Erin went out to snorkle. One of my treats was a pina colada served in a real coconut made by locals & sold out of their ice chests on the beach.  They peeled the top of the coconut so that you could eat the little piece off the top... refreshing/delicious! No, I didn't get sick although it did cross my mind, "I would never buy a drink out of someone's ice chest on the beach in the states!"
• Back on the ship, we enjoyed elegant dining nightly.  The kids even enjoyed it.  While at supper one night, I noted how handsome Dylan looked dressed up.  I also commented how he's going to knock the girls dead with those long eyelashes.  He batted his eyes at me, and I told him that's how he can get what he wants (along with good manners & a smile), really not thinking too much about my side comment.  A couple of hours after dinner we stopped in the ship's atrium to get drinks at the bar.  Erin & Dylan used their "coke cards" to purchase Shirley Temples.  Dylan climbed up on the bar stool to place his order and when the female bar tender handed him his drink, he said, "Thank you", smiled and batted his eyes.  The bar tender was taken aback while WD & I nearly fell out laughing.  It was too cute, and his timing was impeccable!

It's impossible to recount all of the good times we had while on this 11-day marathon vacation, but I've posted a few pics below.  I'll try to scan & post the formal pictures soon.

Now on to Christmas preparations!