We are Alive!

So its been over a year since I posted ...
We are alive and well.  I am working a new job (since March 2012) as a preschool speech pathologist with Jefferson County Schools.  I travel around the county providing speech services to students who qualified for therapy services, but were already enrolled and successful in a community daycare. 

Sarah attends school with me.  She is in a Pre-K class and is doing super.  Her classroom is half typical children (no delays) and half special needs children.  She loves getting to be a friend and partner with her special friends.  She also loves to play in centers, on the classroom computer and iPad and the Promethian board.

Michael continues to work as an exceptional education paraprofessional at Vestavia High School.  He is now dually certified to teach (History and Social Science) secondary education.  We strongly believe that he will be in a classroom teaching in the Fall. 

Sarah takes gymnastics and dance each week.  She continues to grow and flourish in all areas of development.  I love her more than life!!!  Her made up stories and her sweet laughter bring such happiness to my days! 

Enough of an update to keep you going for another year!  :)

Pumpkin Painting

This year, I think we ended up with a total of 9-10 real pumpkins at our house.  This was crazy!!!  We got 5 of them from the Pumpkin Patch (1 per person and my parents were with us!).  We bought two and she painted two at different places.

Sarah has a Pinkalicious book about pumpkins and at the end, Pinkalicious' parents had made her a pink pumpkin.  Also, I saw this picture on Pinterest and wanted to recreate it ...

So here are pictures of the process and the results of our Pinkalicious and Gabba attempts ...

We also took advantage of Chick-Fil-A's Family Night to paint another pumpkin.  Of course, Sarah chose the biggest one available.  It was all fun and games until Mommy had to carry the pumpkin, Mommy's drink, Sarah's milkshake and hold Sarah's hand while walking to the car.  Mommy ended up with paint on her shirt and it wouldn't come out.  Oh well, what's a shirt ruined in the name of Girl Night with my best girl? :)

Star Wars

If you read this blog, you are probably aware of Michael's love of everything Star Wars.  Well, he loved actually getting Sarah and me into the pictures with him ...

Notice the gun is pointed at me ... weird creepy things!!!

Pappy Bear goes on a trip ...

This weekend, we were supposed to be going to Secret Church at BrookHills.  However, Michael has a hernia and is going to have to have some tests run on Friday afternoon.  We didn't think that we'd be able to make it all the way to Brook Hills in time, so now we are going to play instead! :)

However, Sarah was already scheduled to go to my parent's house for the weekend.  My parents needed their "fix" so we planned for her to go ahead and go over there.  I packed her suitcase, but then the next morning, look at what I found waiting on me ....

Pappy Bear decided he wanted to go for a vacation at Nana and Papa's too!!!

Halloween Fun

Well, this year was a Halloween first -- Sarah actually wore her costume!!!  Each year, we have bought Sarah a costume and she hasn't worn it.  First year was a strawberry; she sort of wore it only because she was too little to know better.  Second year was a ladybug; she wasn't having any part of it.  She wore her Alabama outfit instead.  This year ... meet Pinkalicious!!!  Pinkalicious is a little girl who eats too many cupcakes and turns pink.  This is one of Sarah's favorite books that we read.

Sarah wore this sweet little Halloween dress to school on Halloween Day. 
She wanted to be dressed up for her school party.

I'm ready ... let's go get some chocolate!

Okay I know, I look pretty ... where's my chocolate?

Now can we go??

Here's my pumpkins ...
I helped to make a scary face.  Daddy did Boba Fett (or something like that). 
His was really scary to me.  Mommy helped me to make a Pirate and Elmo Vampire.

At my neighborhood, we all sit in chairs in our driveways and wait on kids to
trick-or-treat.  I didn't really want to sit.  I was ready to go and get my candy!

After we got back home, I helped Mommy and Daddy pass out candy.  Only one piece per person.

Random Fall Fun

We've been really busy lately, so I just wanted to share with you a few of our adventures!

Sarah poses with anything, anywhere ... here she is at Hobby Lobby in a sea of pumpkins.

 Sarah got to go to a birthday party recently at a jumping place ... she has a love of jumping!

Sarah and Coco

Sarah is practicing for Pinkalicious by eating lots of cupcakes.

 

Sarah and Steven Riley

My Little Turkey

Look at my new hat ... I'm pinkalicious!

Mommy take my picture ... sarah cute!!!

Little Ballerina

Isn't this little ballerina the cutest thing ever!!??  She has started taking dance from TeriDona School of Dance.  They come to her school once a week to teach ballet and dance.  The first few sessions weren't a success, but she is starting to like it now.  Parents aren't allowed in the class to watch, but I did at least get to see her in her outfit recently.  I'm so proud of her!

Boo at The Zoo

Every year, our wonderful zoo transforms itself into a Halloween Wonderland!  We had been in previous years, but Sarah didn't really enjoy it.  That certainly wasn't the case this year.  That may have been because we went with a few special people ...

Frankenstine (John Colton), Mario (Steven Riley) and Pinkalicious (Sarah)


We all know how much she loves these two.  Well, we were super impressed that they all wore their costumes the whole time and everyone got along.  Sarah was such a big girl and played all the games and wasn't scared of any of the ghosts or goblins.  She has also discovered a new love for 3 Muskateers candy bars and Hershey chocolate bars.  Enjoy the rest of the pictures ...

Pinkalicious is dressed and ready to go.

Little Frank wasn't so sure as to what was happening.

Sarah and Daddy on the backwards carousel.

Mommy and Sarah on the carousel ... of course, we rode on a giraffe. 
Is there any other animal on the carousel???

We didn't know these kids, but they are the Gabba characters that we almost dressed
up our three kids like.  Sarah and Coco loved seeing these characters.

Sarah dancing to the music!

The Griffin Family

The Crawley Family

All of us together in the Alice in Wonderland scene.

We were also able to meet up with one of Sarah's friends from school.
This is Dawson and his mom.

 Of course, Sarah couldn't understand why we couldn't see the animals.  She knows where they are supposed to be and she wanted to go find them.  Finally, we were able to convince her that they were asleep, but then she wanted to know where the beds were.  Of course she did ...

Fall Festival Fun

We have had a very busy fall season.  We recently attended Sarah's Fall Festival at her school.  I'm so glad that she has made some friends at school and she really enjoys going.  I was so excited because she is actually wearing her Halloween costume this year -- first time ever!!!

Sarah (Pinkalicious), Hailey (Tangled Princess), and Eli (crab)

Sarah and Hailey are such sweet friends.

My sweet little princess gets tired of posing for mommy and the  camera!

This is Dawson participating in the St. Jude Trike-a-thon.  Way to go Dawson!!

Sarah has decided she loves Bouncy Houses.

Mommy, look at me ... I'm jumping!!

Sarah and her "frenemy" Presley