Posted by Michelle on Dec 13, 2008 in Michelle
I went to see old friends Tracy and Sheri who were sorority sisters of mine in college that I hadn’t seen in over 16 years on Wednesday night. We met up at Tracy’s house where the wine and clock hands moved fast and I laughed at memories I hadn’t thought of in a long time.
Sometimes even just a few photos can capture a moment well and looking at these images I’m struck by how much they really remind me of them.
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Tags: friends, photos
Posted by Michelle on Dec 9, 2008 in Hayley, Michelle
We had so much fun making the Halloween wreath we decided to make a Christmas wreath. Joann’s was having a huge sale so we hit them up and grabbed a light up wreath and supplies. Hayley picked all the items, I love wandering through stores with her.
We got out our hot glue gun and got busy. Hayley selected which ones to use and lined up things the way she wanted them and I made sure they didn’t hit the lights too much.
The result was lovely and all for $17!
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Related post:
Making our Halloween wreath
Tags: crafts & cooking, fun, holiday
Posted by Michelle on Dec 5, 2008 in Hayley, Jeff, Michelle, More Family
I didn’t have time to take photos during Thanksgiving because I was cooking (and eating, watching football, sleeping, eating, you get the idea) but I took some the next day at the house and stable before Jeff’s family left.
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Tags: family, holiday, sports
Posted by Michelle on Dec 2, 2008 in Hayley, Jeff, Michelle
I’ve just started this and will be adding more soon.
Back by popular demand, the Xmas list for the family. Please let me know if you get something for Hayley on this list so we can mark it off (which means that things with the strike through them are already taken). Call or email me at michelle@hillison.com.
Hayley:
— Wii Game – Guitar Hero with Guitar
— Wii Music Game
— Slippers, size 2. Something cute and funny.
— Ice Dig
— Mayan Dig
— Rock House Guitar for Girls DVD – she’s getting an electric guitar so this would be great.
— Electric Guitar for kids DVD One: Getting Started – ditto
— Meade Telescope
— Electric guitar and amp
— Webkinz – Chipmunk, Deer, Seahorse, Squirrel, Sea Otter, Orca, Clownfish.
— Gift cards – iTunes – she’s getting a new ipod so these would be great.
— Gift cards – Limited Too and Abercrombie & Fitch kids for clothes
— Gift cards – Target for a new bike she wants.
— Cocoa – she loves Ghirardelli double chocolate cocoa. she’d love a cute cocoa mug I bet too.
— Breyer horse figurines – she likes the ‘traditional’ and ‘classic’ lines. (but not the plush, pony gals, wind dancers or mini-whinnies lines).
— Bendaroos
Please no other stuffed animals if possible than webkinz. We are drowning in stuffed animals.
Also no need to get any DVDs, we get them all as they come out for free. Thanks for understanding!
Michelle:
— Hero Hot Dog Steamer
— UNC hat
— CD: Very Best of The Spinners
— UNC canvas. Etsy rocks, it is all handmade items from sellers. However you have to have a paypal account to buy from there – paypal is simple, it is just a way to pay for items online using your credit card, without having to give your credit card out to smaller vendors. Ask Jeff worst case 🙂
— Letter H typewriter key necklace – More from etsy, in notes add to change it to a 24 inch chain.
— Ice Cream maker
— Ben & Jerry’s Homemade Ice Cream & Dessert Book
Jeff:
— Battlestar Galactica Season One (the new series)
— The Science Fiction Hall of Fame, Volume Two B
— The Complete Peanuts 1967-1968
— Star Wars Force Unleashed for the Xbox 360
Tags: holiday
Posted by Michelle on Nov 14, 2008 in Hayley, Michelle, More Family
Hayley was a ball girl for the UNC women’s basketball team for their first game of the season against NC Central last week. They are over in the Smith Center for the year since Carmichael is being re-done, so it was a new big venue for her third year of being in the regular rotation at ballgirl. My mom came with us so it was extra fun.
As always Hayley was great. The staff on the floor asked her for more help than any of the other kids, all of which who were older. She cleaned up messed, asked refs if they needed water or towels, ran errands for the staff on the floor.
Right after halftime she ran over to hug one of the assistant coaches, Coach Tracy Williams Johnston who is a friend of ours, as they were leaving and I happened to catch it with the camera. There is something so nice about seeing someone genuinely happy to see your child and hug them.
That leads into the hysterical post-game story. Hayley has new basketball shoes my mom got her and she gets them signed each year by various combinations players from the men’s and women’s teams at UNC. So after the game, she sees Coach Hatchell still on the court talking to people and wants to get her to sign the shoes. She takes off with my approval and I see her over there, now with Coach Tracy our friend. And then they are gone into the tunnel area that connects the Smith Center court to the rest of the building.
I’m not too worried. She’s around people who know her and knows her way around the court. So my mom and I pack up our stuff and wander over to get her so we can leave. However, she’s not in the tunnel and I have a feeling now she’s gone back to the locker room with Tracy, which normally I just talk my way into but these are Smith Center security guards – not the easier going Carmichael guards. They acknowledge that Hayley is back with Tracy in the locker room but won’t let me back and won’t go get her.
I ask them if I could have Cat Greene go back and get her. Security says who – I tell them she was the head manager for the women’s team forever and is now helping on the floor. But the guy looks at me like he’s clueless. Again, you drop Cat’s name at Carmichael and the sea parts.
So we are just stuck waiting until a guard finally takes pity and hollers back to another coach out in the hallway. Tracy comes out with Hayley, laughingly telling us she kidnapped Hayley and might not give her back.
Of course all this time, Hayley has been wandering shoes in hand around the UNC women’s locker room having them sign her shoes. I’m not mad and I wasn’t really worried, it was just hysterical to me that my kid can get places that I no longer can and that she goes back into their locker room as if it was just the local gym, not a basketball powerhouse program.
We are leaving as Rashanda McCants gives her five and thanks her for helping. Hayley smiles probably not grasping she is an All-American, a future WNBA player with a NBA player for a brother. And in a way, I’m glad that she likes these girls and this program for who and what they really are. I love the influence these girls have on her.
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Tags: family, fun, sports, unc
Posted by Michelle on Nov 14, 2008 in Hayley, Michelle, More Family
I have always loved Halloween. When I was young, I read a Ray Bradbury book called the Halloween Tree. I read it once, twice and then again, repeating that every fall. I loved that book.
The book starts on Halloween and takes a group of children on a scary journey through cultural history and version of Halloween, as they attempt to catch up with and save a dying friend. One of the key elements is the Mexican celebration Dia De Los Muertos (The Day of the Dead) which seemed fascinating to me.
Celebrated on on Nov. 1st and/or 2nd, The Day of the Dead is where gatherings of family and friends to pray and remember loved ones who have died. Some other cultures celebrate similar holidays as well and the Day of the Dead has its roots in Aztec culture. The idea is to honor the dead but also that people who have passed away are supposed to be able to hear your prayers better at this time than any other time. November 1st is traditionally to celebrate children who have died and November 2nd for adults.
Dia De Los Muertos isn’t as sad as it sounds, it is rather upbeat. Good candy, good food and good memories. The celebration can be at the graveyard or an altar/shrine in your home. You decorate with photos, food flowers, candles and items of those of who have passed away or things they’d like. You are supposed to tell funny and warm stories about those people and talk to them.
I was printing of some weekly reading assignments I thought would interest Hayley and found a great one of the Day of the Dead but it was written for 5th to 7th graders. Of course, she read it perfectly and loved it too. So we decided to make our own shrine at home to celebrate.
Interestingly last night Hayley was over at my folks and they went to the family graves this morning to tidy up. How perfect for our Day of the Dead event!
We set out to do it for my Grandpa Jim, Grandma Jeannette and Uncle Mike (my mom’s parents and her brother) but then Hayley decided we should add in our dog Sam who passed away, which was awesome. We made sugar skulls ourselves and decorated them in the style. Hayley talked to my mom and made lists of food and hobbies of our family members who passed. I got out photos, my grandmother’s engagement and wedding rings, my granddad’s prayer books and golf hat and ton of articles on my uncle’s golf championships plus Sam’s dog collar. My mom made a family recipe book that was a great addition. We added all sorts of food and snacks – doggie biscuits too. (I’m going to post a photo on flickr with all the items labeled.)
After some time talking to them, we ate the candy and food and blew out the candles. It was a great way to share about family history, learn about another culture’s history and traditions, not to mention be creative and silly! (It is so much fun it is to have a child with an inquisitive spirit.)
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Tags: crafts & cooking, family, halloween, holiday, photos
Posted by Michelle on Nov 13, 2008 in Hayley, Michelle
We went this super fun kids/tween beauty salon called Sweet & Sassy. Hayley had her hair done, a manicure and pedicure. It was just adorable – and a totally glitter filled experience, lol. It was a really fun time and we totally recommend this place.
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Posted by Michelle on Nov 2, 2008 in Hayley, Jeff, Michelle
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We had a GREAT Halloween! Hayley decided to go as something different this year and we put together her costume ourselves. She went as Danica Patrick, the first woman to win a Formula One race. I’m not really a racing fan but Formula One is more interesting to me than NASCAR and Patrick certainly made an impact culturally. We went through about 20 ideas and Danica Patrick was the only one Hayley loved – I’m sure because she is gorgeous that helped Hayley with the decision.
Turns out they sell replica jersey versions of her racing suit (just the top part). That with a hat we got from there, black soccer pants, black underarmor soccer shirt and riding gloves made for one adorable but mean race car driver.
Our friends up the street had a party beforehand so we all went up there for dinner. They did a great job with their garage! I made a green jello Frankenstein hand and encircled it with looser red jello – it was GROSS looking but tasty.
Jeff and Hayley took off to trick or treat with our next door neighbor Wes and their kids Ethan and Mason. We figured Ethan would tucker out sooner so Wes ended up taking him home and Jeff continued on with the girls. Jen and I hung out on her front porch and handed out candy. Of course if you know me, you know I love Halloween. For the 4th year, we handed out glow sticks with our candy – and this year I got Pop Rocks and Pixie Stix. Oh yeah, I rule and you know it! ha!
The kids came back with insanely filled bags, we weeded through them, traded and tossed some out over at Wes and Jen’s. We let the girls play until about 10:30 and finally took the 10 steps to our house and crashed.
**updated note –> Hello to the people who came here from the Danica Patrick fan site that link here!
Tags: friends, fun, halloween, holiday, photos
Posted by Michelle on Oct 31, 2008 in Hayley, Jeff, Michelle, pups & other pets
We decided to pull out all our dog Halloween costumes and dress up the dogs for a few moments the evening before Halloween. I knew they wouldn’t stay in them long so we did it just to be silly for awhile.
We dressed them up in matching polo shirts from Old Navy and then went to the more daring selections of Pirate, Zorro, grass skirt and others.
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Tags: fun, halloween, holiday, photos, pups & other pets
Posted by Michelle on Oct 28, 2008 in Hayley, Michelle
We tried a new pancake recipe tonight and everyone gave it a thumbs up. Jeff declared them ‘moister than normal’ and Hayley just ate them with her hands without butter or syrup she loved them so much.
We had a good time making them too. She flipped some herself tonight and was in heaven doing it. When I flipped them up in the air and caught them on a plate, she cheered loudly.
Sometimes we give things funny names, for example Jeff always gets water with ice in a real glass and after a few minutes it is just amazingly ice cold. We end up drinking all his water and driving him nuts. So we started calling it Daddy’s Famous Water. So now we have dubbed these Hayley’s Flapjacks.
So I don’t forget it, I’m posting the recipe here:
2 cups of pancake mix
2 eggs
1 cup of skim milk
1 tsp of vanilla
2 tbsp of sugar
2 tsp of baking powder
(Yes I’m aware this is just a few tweaks of some bisquick recipes but it works for us)
Tags: fun, recipe
