Posted by Michelle on Nov 19, 2008 in Hayley
We woke up this morning to a distinctly colder temperature. The kids even got some flurries at school. I was messing with my camera phone and took some cute photos of Hayley in her adorable hat and scarf. (And yes, she picked out that completely unmatching shirt and pants – and then insisted on sleeping in it. That’s 10 for you.)
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Tags: school
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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Tags: adoption, family, fun
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 12, 2008 in Hayley
Just a few shots from two games. The season is actually over now – a ton of rainouts made it a short season. They did however
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Posted by Michelle on Nov 6, 2008 in Hayley
The National PTA Reflections Program is an arts recognition and achievement program for students. The Reflections Program provides opportunities for students to express themselves creatively and to receive positive recognition for original works of art inspired by a pre-selected theme, while increasing community awareness on the importance of the arts in education.
(she’s not smiling because this is her serious artist look, haha)
Hayley is entering two of her photographs from the beach for a school based art competition. Recognition is great but this was more about creating something. We had a great time doing it and you know when your ten year old thanks you repeatedly for doing it, you know you are on the right track.
Getting some good photos for the competition was something we worked on at the beach. The theme for this year’s competition is ‘WOW’ so we figured we’d have some good wow things down there. She’s got a great eye and is completely comfortable using my big Nikon.
This was a great process for her to go through – setting up shots, looking at light and perspective, picking the good shots (25 down to 12 down to 2), editing them (cropping and brightening/contrast) all her decisions on how to do it. The moment she picked them up at the print shop was really neat, she was beaming.
We mounted them on canvas, put them in protective sleeves. Then I had to fill out 4 pages of stuff and she had to work on her part – titles and she had to make an ‘artist statement’ for each on how the work connect to the theme. I put the photos and her ‘statements’ below.
Cape Hatteras Lighthouse
My photo called Cape Hatteras Lighthouse shows how tall the lighthouse is when you take a photo looking up at it. It has 268 steps up it and I climbed them. It is the tallest lighthouse in the United States. It is 208 feet high and weighs 4800 tons.
It was built right after the Civil War in 1870. In 1999, it was moved because the ocean was going to move up around it. It looks like it could crush you to move anything that tall and big.
The lighthouse says WOW to me because it is big, tall, historic and beautiful.
Wild Foal
My photo called Wild Foal is of a young horse eating grass in the Outer Banks of North Carolina.
I went in an open top Jeep through the beach and sand dunes to see the wild horses that live near Corolla. This horse is one of the wild horses that are descendants from the Spanish mustangs brought by explorers almost 500 years ago. The herd roams free and there only about 100 wild horses in the herd.
I saw this one particular foal by itself eating in a beautiful open area and I thought it was WOW because it lives in the open and can roam anywhere it wants to. It has its all the dunes and beach for its home. By law you can’t get more than 50 feet close to them so my picture is as close as you can get to this amazing beautiful animal.
Tags: crafts & cooking, fun, school
Posted by Michelle on Nov 6, 2008 in Hayley
I had the camera with me one day in August while we were at the stable and the light was just gorgeous. I forgot to post these photos until now…
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Tags: photos, sports
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
