our collective digital self
Posted by Michelle on May 27, 2009 in Hayley, More Family
Some silly photos of my mom Joanne and Hayley from a few weeks ago
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Posted by Michelle on May 24, 2009 in Michelle, More Family
Hayley’s half-sisters came with her first grandmother and grandfather to visit during this Memorial Day weekend. My folks and Aunt Cathie came over to go to lunch together as well. Hayley was happy to see everyone and it was a nice visit.
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Posted by Michelle on Jan 2, 2009 in Hayley, Jeff, Michelle, More Family
We had a great Christmas day. Hayley was so excited about her big gifts of the iPod Nano and the electric guitar and amp. She got lots of other wonderful gifts too and was spoiled as always.
Then we had a big ole Christmas lunch with my family, Jeff’s family and our friends Mike, Sara and Landon. I love a full table – full of good food and laughter.
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Posted by Michelle on Jan 1, 2009 in Hayley, Jeff, Michelle, More Family
For the fourth year, we charged up the remote cars and carefully carried out the lovely gingerbread creations to the bottom of our steep driveway in the cul de sac.
We summoned our friends next door and then the GINGERBREAD DEMOLITION DERBY commenced.
Four-time competitor Purple car was joined by three-time participant Silver and a surprise entry of a jeep driving by a stuffed Elephant joined the attack force. The gingerbread houses put up a good fight but the cars again prevail and the kids finished the job by stomping on the remains.
Yes we are strange people but we love making gingerbread, we just don’t like eating it so why not have some fun with it!
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Posted by Michelle on Jan 1, 2009 in Hayley, Jeff, Michelle, More Family
We continued our family tradition of making gingerbread houses on Christmas Eve. Obviously you can’t destroy them if you don’t make them but of course that’s for Xmas day. We started about 10pm after being next door for the annual Christmas Eve celebration at the Renfroes. Good times was had by all and I love that we have these traditions with friends and family each year.
As usual we made a huge mess of it but that definitely is part of the fun. We didn’t try the 2nd floor like last year but did two side by side ones – of course one wouldn’t stay together until we made some super sticky paste royal icing.
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Hooray for messy hands!
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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Posted by Michelle on Nov 17, 2008 in Hayley, More Family
On Sunday we met Hayley’s first/bmom Gloria in Greensboro with her husband Scottie and Hayley’s half-sister Faith. We had lunch, looked at some old photos and then took the kids to play at Celebration Station. It was a really pleasant visit. The bumper boats were a highlight for Hayley, she and Faith squirted all of us various times to their ongoing hilarity. I had my cell phone camera on and taped all four adults getting sporadically drenched.
Unfortunately some of my photos didn’t come out – the light is odd in those neon flooded places and a very strange woman who took a photo of the group and cut half of us out (i can get not being able to focus but aim??) So hopefully Gloria will give me a copy of that one and some other to add to this pile.
Videos on flickr have that little play icon in the lower right corner so you can tell they are video. They will play in the slideshow but it will be pretty crappy because it isn’t met to be looked at in that big size of screen. So if you go the page that is easiest to see them all, you can see it there.
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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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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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Posted by Michelle on Oct 21, 2008 in Jeff, More Family
Jeff’s folks were selected to be on the stands right behind Barack Obama at a rally in Roanoke, VA on Oct. 17th. I collected some photos and videos of them.
Sharen is in light blue with a blue hat, John is in maroon shirt with a maroon hat.
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