Things I learned in December 2014:

Since December is full of big events at our house- two birthdays and Christmas- this blog post is chock-full of photos.  Enjoy!

1. Pam and I managed to make some really cute Elmo and Cookie Monster cupcakes for Sam’s birthday.  I got the ideas off of Pinterest and was pleased they were not a Pinterest fail.

Elmo cupcakes!

Cookie monster loves cookies….Nom, Nom, Nom!

2. Sammy’s 2nd birthday party was fun and much less stressful than his 1st birthday.  I tried to keep it more low-key and spent way less money.  The best moment of the party was definitely when he opened his big stuffed minion and proceeded to freak the freak out.

Party decorations

Cupcakes

Sammy loves minis!

3. For Mike’s birthday, we continued our tradition of going to see one of the new “Hobbit” movies.  “The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies” was good.  However, it did make me cry and I was not a fan of basically everyone dying.  So…I would say I liked the other two better.  Still, it was a good time and a worthy addition to the trilogy.

4. My folks, Heidi, Sammy, and I journeyed to the Cheekwood Botanical Gardens a few days before Christmas.  We had a great time checking out the beautifully decorated Christmas trees- each representing a different country.  Sammy was excited to meet two reindeer, but was ecstatic to discover that the gardens had their very own Thomas the train.  He would have willingly stayed at the train exhibit all day.  No joke.

Sammy, Baba, and Nana in front of the poinsettia tree

Sammy checking out the England tree

Reindeer!

Thomas!

5. We really shouldn’t have gotten Sammy any Christmas presents this year.  Upon opening his stocking and finding a small Thomas the train and a car driven by Elmo, he was happy and didn’t want to open any more presents.  He did request that we help him put on his new Mickey Mouse socks over his footsie pajamas- these were also from his stocking.

Sammy sporting his Mickey Mouse socks, holding Thomas and the Elmo car. Along with his minion hat, this is quite the look.

6. Santa brought Sammy a potty for Christmas.  He was very excited to sit on it, sometimes for very long periods of time, but so far that is all the progress we’ve made.

Sammy sitting on the potty on Christmas night

7. I was very excited to hang out with my friends Brad and Angela and their four kiddos for a few days the end of December.  Their daughter, Maggie, is my goddaughter, and I hadn’t seen her since she was 6 months old.  She is now 2 and a half.  I also got to meet their newest addition, baby Zach.  After spending some quality time with four kids, I think I’m going to stick with just one for a while.  Honestly, I don’t know how either of them remain sane.  (Love you guys!)

Things I learned in November 2014:

Since these are whole month updates, I am just going to hit the highlights.  Here goes:

1. I got the pleasure of attending Concord Community Church‘s Operation Christmas Child Packing Party for the first time.  This is an annual event organized by my very dedicated Mom (with a lot of help from my Dad).  If you are unfamiliar with Operation Christmas Child (OCC), it is an organization that packs Christmas shoe boxes for children in poverty throughout the world.  The boxes contain hygiene items, school supplies, small toys, and candy.  My family has been packing boxes since I was a little kid.  My folks are now year-round volunteers with OCC and have taken their packing to a whole new level.  At the Packing Party, nearly 600 boxes were packed for boys and girls in the 2-4, 5-9, and 10-14 range.  The whole church participated in packing the boxes- young, old, and in-between.  It was really awesome to see!

Packing Party!

Packing boxes

My cute Mom 🙂

2. We had our Annual Thanksgiving Program at Mother’s Day Out.  This year was special because it was the first time Sammy was old enough to participate.  He did a great job!  He walked in with his class, sat on the stage steps, and clapped his little hands to the song.  Most of the other toddlers had meltdowns.

Sammy chillin’ on stage

3. One of the kids in the three-year-old class spent the program running around the stage, sticking his butt in the air, and generally behaving terribly.  If it was my kid, I would have yanked him off the stage and headed to the car for some punishment.  His mom just sat in the audience and laughed, which probably lets you know why he is the worst-behaved kid in the whole school.

4. We journeyed to Indianapolis to spend Thanksgiving with Mike’s family.  Sammy got to show off his mad walking skills, and we got to see Kristen’s cute preggo belly.  There was delicious food and even some snow!

5. While in Indianapolis, I met up with Miriam and Stuart for a fantabulous lunch at Tom + Chee.  (Tomato soup + grilled cheese)  I had never heard of this restaurant, but it was actually part of an investment deal on “Shark Tank.”  Miriam and I both tried the BLT + Chee, which was uh-mazing.  We were very dubious about their famous Donut Grilled Cheese, but decided to try out the S’more Donut.  Super rich but so good!!

Mmmmmm…….

Things I learned the last week or so- 10/31-11/8/14

1. Our Sammy is the cutest minion ever!!!!!

Sammy the Minion

2. Halloween was cold and windy here in Nashville, so we only visited a few houses.  Sammy did not understand the point of trick-or-treating.  He thought we were going on a “ride” and got very upset whenever we stopped at houses for candy.

3. My Titans didn’t lose this week!  We had a bye.  My fantasy team continues to dominate and is now 8-1.  I also did well in the Pick ‘Ems and have moved up from 7th to 4th place.

4. I met up with some high school pals who were in town on Monday night.  I got to meet my friend Christy’s fiance, who seemed like a really nice, goofy guy.  I also got to meet my friend Tori’s two kiddos.  They are adorable!!  It was good to catch up and meet the faces to go with the Facebook pictures.

5. Lots of facts about Henry Hudson- I am helping the 4th grader I tutor with a Social Studies project.  For example, Henry Hudson’s crew mutinied and left him, his son, and a few crew members adrift in a small boat in winter.  They are thought to have died from exposure, but no one knows for sure.

6. I am super behind on my TV watching, but I did watch the “Project Runway” season finale this week.  Sean won.  I honestly don’t have anything against him, I was just really rooting for Kini.

7. My high school friend Collen and his wife have been getting some press lately.  His wife covered his entire car with drawings/designs made with a Sharpie.  I know that sounds really weird, but it looks incredible!  There are several articles about it, but I liked the pictures in this one.  Here is the finished product:

Yeah, that’s pretty freaking awesome.

8. My parents lent me my sister Heidi’s tablet to try to put some apps on it for her.  I downloaded Farmville to try it out and see if I thought she would like it.  Dude, they should call that game Crackville.  It is seriously addictive.  I can almost understand why people are always asking me to play it so they can get a new cow.

Things I learned in the last week or so- 10/20-10/30/13

1. Jennifer Garner is officially my new favorite celebrity based on this quote while accepting an award at the Elle’s Women in Hollywood Celebration, “Can we just stop pretending that skinny jeans are a good look on anyone?  Can we just band together and go for a nice boot cut, please?  Ladies?  And crop tops while we’re at it.”

2. Yelling “Smile!” at kids when they aren’t smiling for their school pictures is not an effective way to get them to smile.  I may not be a fancy “photographer,” but I’m smart enough to figure that out.  Also, it really shouldn’t take over an hour to take pictures of nine 4-year-olds.

3. My Titans lost again on Sunday to Houston and are now 2-6.  Awesome.  They started rookie Zach Mettenberger, who was lookin’ super groovy at his press interviews.  Too bad it didn’t help us win…

That’s our quarterback on the left. You might recognize the other guy from such movies as “Zoolander” and “Dodgeball.”

4. My fantasy team dominated (Sorry, Angela!), and I came in first place this week in the Pick ‘Em League.  I am still in sixth place overall, but I moved up from seventh place!

5. We took a great field trip to the Walden Farms Pumpkin Patch on Monday.  I did not drive, as I didn’t want to end up in a ditch again.  My kiddos had a good time picking pumpkins, climbing a hay tower, petting animals, and going on a hay ride.  I had a fun time too, but I was pooped by the end of the day!

6. When I picked up Sammy from my Mom’s house after tutoring on Tuesday, he felt really warm.  Little guy had a temperature of 102.3.  He has still been happy and playing like his normal self, but he had to miss his Halloween party. 😦

7. My kids looked so cute for the Halloween Party on Wednesday!  We had a pirate princess, Daisy Duck, General Grievous from Star Wars, Batman, Robin, a ladybug, a dead pirate, an astronaut, and Anna from “Frozen.”  They had fun trick-or-treating, playing a variety of Halloween games, and decorating cookies.

These are just random kids in Halloween costumes. I would get in trouble for posting pictures of my actual kids.

8. Doorjambs are the devil!  In this post, I told about one of my girls busting her lip and nose on one.  Well, on Wednesday one of my boys tripped and busted his head open on the doorjamb.  It was truly horrific.  The cut was so deep, you could see the bone.  Both of his parents were in Dallas, so his Grandma had to rush over to get him and take him to the ER.  We got the bleeding stopped and tried to keep him calm and awake until she got there.  I was still shaking an hour after it happened.  In good news, the CT scan did not show any damage, and he was stitched up and sent home.  In bad news, I am still pretty traumatized.

Update: I talked to his Mom this evening and he ended up getting 20 stitches!  Yeesh.

9. We are a whole family of sickies.  Mike stayed home yesterday and today, and I woke up not feeling so good this morning.  We have used this free time to watch a lot of “Sons of Anarchy” season six. (Only while Sammy is sleeping, of course!)

Things I learned in the last week or so- 10/8-10/19/14

1. Those things on the top of giraffes’ heads are called ossicones.  I kept telling my kids they were horns, but that is incorrect.  Unlike horns, ossicones are made out of cartilage and remain covered in skin or fur.

Whoa dude, check out those ossicones!

2. Sammy held his teacher’s hand and walked across the playground to me last Wednesday.  Yay!  He also busted a move and shook his maraca in Music class.  Sometimes he just cracks me up!

3. Mike, Sammy, and I spent a rainy Saturday watching movies.  We rented “Muppets Most Wanted” and “Captain America: The Winter Soldier” from the  Redbox.  I would recommend them both.  “Muppets Most Wanted” was good muppet fun, even Sammy liked it.  “Captain America: The Winter Soldier” was exciting, entertaining, and a worthy addition to the Marvel superhero franchise.

4. I started my new tutoring job this week.  I think it went pretty well, but the youngest of the two boys is definitely a challenge.  He has a really negative attitude towards schoolwork and cries any time he doesn’t get his way.  We definitely have some things to work on!

5. My mom and I took Sammy to Walden Farms on Saturday for his first trip to the pumpkin patch.  He really liked riding a bike and tossing fake apples in the Toddler Town.  He laughed about getting his hand licked by a calf and seemed interested in the baby pigs, bunnies, and ducklings.  He did not like the pumpkins.  He picked out one tiny pumpkin and would not allow any other pumpkins in his wagon.  We had a great time!

Apple Toss!

Sammy with his tiny pumpkin

6. When leaving the pumpkin patch, it is not a good idea to drive your Chevy Impala into a ditch.  Poor Sylvia got stuck, and after pushing her without success, the very nice Walden Farms workers had to hook her up to a truck and pull her out.  To add insult to injury, the people on the hay ride drove past us frequently, so there were lots of observers of my stupidity.  It was not a fun way to end our trip.

7. Mike and I watched “Transformers: Age of Extinction” on Saturday night.  None of the Transformer movies are paragons of plot, but this one was really confusing.  It just had too much going on, and not much of it was explained.  I did think the Dinobots were super cool, especially the one that breathed fire!

Dinobot!

8. Last week, my Titans barely squeaked out a win against Jacksonville.  Sammie Hill blocked a Jaguars field goal with 12 seconds left in the game, and we won 16-14.  This week, Washington made a field goal with 12 seconds left in the game and beat us 17-19.  We are now 2-5, and I am sad.

9. Last week, my undefeated fantasy team was defeated.  I also dropped out of 1st place in our Pro Pick ‘Em League.  My fantasy team is winning this week, but I made a big move that backfired and have dropped even more places in the Pick ‘Em League.  Doh!

10. Super brief TV recap:

• The four designers going to Fashion Week on “Project Runway” are Kini, Sean, Amanda, and Char.  I am so glad Korina is gone, as she is a heinous person with a bitter, spiteful soul. I am rooting for Kini all the way!
• I was watching “Nashville” the other night, and Amanda from “Project Runway” was on!  She played Juliette Barnes’ stylist.
• I like the format of this season’s “Survivor: Blood vs. Water.”  I haven’t really picked any favorites, but I am glad John Rocker is gone.  He’s a ginormous douche bag.
• On “The Amazing Race,” I love the soul surfer team of Bethany and Adam.  They just seem like a genuinely sweet couple who work hard and really love each other.
• I have added a new show, “How to Get Away with Murder.”  It is seriously addicting!

Things I learned in the last two weeks or so- 9/21-10/7/14

I got behind again, and a lot has happened!!  Here goes:

1. Our hot water heater decided to stop heating water, so we had to get a new one.  Bummer.  Sometimes it is no fun being a home owner.

2. I have a new job!  I am going to be tutoring two boys afterschool each day.  The boys live in my folks’ subdivision, so they will watch Sammy for me.  I think it is going to be good, but Mondays and Wednesdays will be long- I will be going straight from MDO to tutoring.

3. Mike and I were sitting at the table with Sammy asking him questions the other day.

M- “Do you want Fruit Loops?”

S- “No.”

H- “Do you want goldfish?”

S- “No.”

M- “Are you pooping?”

S- “No.”

M- “Do you want a million dollars?”

S- “No.”

H- “Do you want a new car?”

S- “No.”

M- “Do you want a cold beer?”

S- “Yes.”

Mike and I laughed so hard!  I almost fell out of my chair.

Please note: This is NOT Sammy. We don’t let our baby drink beer. I got this picture from this website: http://www.babieswbooze.com/

4. My neighbors are home with their adorable adopted baby, Chase.  Sammy and I walked over for a visit and I got to hold her.  She’s so tiny!!!  Sammy didn’t seem to notice her, as he was much more interested in their dog.  He did point to her and say, “Baby!” a few times.

5. I journeyed to Indianapolis last weekend for some fun and football with my bestie.  Here are some things I learned during my time away:

• I swear, all of I-65 North and South in Kentucky is under construction.  It sucked!!!  I have never been a big fan of Kentucky, but I am now full of hatred towards the Bluegrass State.
• I got to “participate” in the ISC Corporate Challenge at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.  Miriam, Stuart, and I were supposed to walk in a 5K, but we got stuck in terrible traffic and missed the start time.  We were super bummed!  (Please sense my sarcasm.)  Instead, we participated by watching the events and cheering people on.
• Miriam and I wandered around Super Target for several hours Saturday night.  I think we saw every single section of the store.  It was fabulous!
• For our 4th Annual Titans vs. Colts game at Lucas Oil Stadium, we finally got a beautiful day and the roof was open!

It’s a beautiful day at Lucas Oil Stadium!

• There was an EXTREMELY drunk Titans fan sitting in the seat behind me.  He was so excited to see a fellow Titans fan; he yelled and scared the crap out of me.  He left about halfway through the game, for which I was very thankful, as he was really loud and liked saying the F word.
• As per usual, my Titans lost the game.  The final score was 17-41.  Bleh…but we still had fun!

Besties!

6. Last Monday was Sammy’s first day in the toddler class at Mother’s Day Out.  He did great!!  The only problem he had was with the playground, which is covered in rubber tire mulch.  He HATES it.  He does not want to walk on it, sit on it, or touch it.  So, that’s something we’re going to have to work on…

7. One of my students tripped over her own feet and landed face-first onto a doorjamb.  She busted her nose and her bottom lip.  There was so much blood!  I am very proud of myself for remaining calm and getting her cleaned up.  I am usually not very good in emergencies.

8. I had a fabulous 32nd birthday last Wednesday!  I ate Mexican food at El Pueblo in Smyrna, had my favorite strawberry cupcakes from The Cupcake Collection, and got tons of great presents.  I ended the day by watching “Pitch Perfect,” which was one of my presents from Mike.  I love that movie!

9. Sunday was a rough one for this Titans fan.  We played the Cleveland Browns, and at one point were winning 28-3.  The Browns ended up coming back and winning the game 28-29.  It was a super big bummer.  In good news, I am still in first place in our Pro Pick ‘Em League and my fantasy team is undefeated!

Things I learned in the last week or so- 9/11-9/20/14

1. Sammy is obsessed with Elmo.  Mike got him an Elmo DVD, and he will literally sit on the couch and watch all 50 minutes of it without moving.  In good news, I have used the DVD to bribe him into wearing his glasses.  No glasses, no Elmo!

2. Sammy is getting his two-year molars.  He has been chewing on his finger, not eating well, and waking up crying in the night.  NOT fun.

3. Mom and I went to our annual live theater performance for Mother’s Day on Friday night.  (It is my present to her for Mother’s Day, but we don’t always find a show we want to go to until many months later.)  We attended “Singin’ in the Rain” at the Springhouse Theater in Smyrna.  It was such a good show!  I didn’t realize I knew so many songs in it.  Everyone did a great job, but the guy playing Don Lockwood was AWESOME!  He is apparently a professional tap dancer.  Mom and I think it is the best show we’ve seen at Springhouse, for sure.

4. Mike and I rented “Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit” from the Redbox on Saturday night.  It was good- exciting, entertaining, and worth $1.20.

5. Mike, Sammy, and I returned to our favorite trail around Couchville Lake on Sunday.  This week, there were no Lost Loonies, as referenced in this post, but we did see a mother deer and her baby very close-up.  People were actually feeding the mother deer tortilla chips by hand.  I took a few pictures of the super cute fawn.

Oh Deer!

6. My Titans lost to Dallas on Sunday, 10-26.  We looked about as pathetic as we made the Chiefs look last week.  Super sad face.

7.  I was rather unhappy to see one of the kids in my class sporting a Dallas jersey Sunday night.  His mom, who is my class helper, told me they had just been to the game.  The kid says, “My uncle plays for the Cowboys.”  I asked him who his uncle was, expecting him to say some name I’d never heard of.  He said, “Jason Witten.”  I about fell out of my chair!  “Jason Witten, seven-time Pro Bowl tight end is your uncle?!!”  That is crazy sauce.

8. In happier football news, my fantasy team won this week and is now 2-0, and I am still in first place in the Pro Pick ‘Em League.  Go me!

9. Mike did some research and discovered that the tiny dancing Groot I requested for my birthday is not available until January 2015.  Bummer!

10. Sammy’s new favorite word is funny.  He says it about everything.  “Dada, fun-nee.  Mama, fun-nee.  Dog, fun-nee.”  He’s so funny. 🙂

Silly Sammy!

Things I learned in the last week or so- 9/2-9/10/14

1. You can buy a tiny dancing Groot!  I would like one for my birthday please. 🙂

So cute!

2. My friend Katie came over on Thursday to eat tacos and watch “The Lego Movie.”  We both loved “The Lego Movie.”  It’s hilarious!  I have also added it to my birthday list.  (Have I mentioned it’s my birthday soon?!) Warning: If you choose to rent and watch “The Lego Movie,” the song “Everything is Awesome” will get stuck in your head for the unforeseeable future.

3. Sammy loves Cracker Barrel mac ‘n’ cheese.  He scarfed down an adult-sized portion and made the sign for more.

4. Mom and I spent some time shopping in Nolensville on Saturday morning.  We checked out the Tots 2 Teens Consignment sale and snagged some cute clothes and shoes for Sammy.  Then, we wandered around a store we have wanted to check out for some time- Polka Dots and Happy Thoughts.  It is full of fun gifts, baby stuff, and jewelry.  I will definitely be back!

5. It was a beautiful day on Sunday, so Mike, Sammy, and I headed to one of our favorite trails to take a walk.  We arrived to discover our normally quiet Couchville Lake trail teeming with people.  We also saw lots of signs declaring “Lost Loon This Way” and “Be True to Your Loony Self.”  It turns out, we had wandered into the Annual Lost Loon Triathlon- a biking, canoeing, and running/walking event open to adults and children of all ages.  We still went on our walk and got to do some fun people watching.

We saw this rather masculine Snow White and his crew of dwarfs.

6. My Tennessee Titans beat the Kansas City Chiefs 26-10 on Sunday and are starting the season 1-0!  I love starting the season with a win.

7. My fantasy team won and I am in first place in our Pro Pick ‘Em League.  I’m super pumped about this first week of football!

8. Ricky won “So You Think You Can Dance.”  He and Valerie have been my favorites since the first week, and they were the Final Two.  Maybe my favoritism curse is broken?  I really loved everyone in the Final Four, but Ricky is amazingly talented.  Congrats Ricky!

Things I learned lately- 8/26-9/1/14

1. Rodman won “Last Comic Standing.”  I was rooting for Nikki Carr, but I thought that all of the finalists were really funny, so I am okay with it.

2. I just started watching this season of “Project Runway,” because my DVR refuses to record it.  (Stupid DVR, why don’t you do what I say?!)  I am really confused by the judges’ taste this season.  I don’t think I’ve agreed with a single winner they have chosen.  I mean, Sandhya has won twice, and while I like her as a person; her designs are hideous.  Amanda has also won twice, and I hated both of her winning looks as well.  I usually agree with who the judges send home, but their winning picks are wackadoo!!

This was Sandhya’s winning look in the first challenge. It’s just…I can’t….I don’t understand!

3. I participated in my first live Fantasy Football draft on Thursday night.  I got the first pick, which was great, but then I got a little stressed.  I ended up picking too many running backs and not enough wide receivers.  I also picked two quarterbacks who have byes the same week.  Doh.  I think I might have done better if I just let the computer pick.

4. Sammy took seven steps by himself during Physical Therapy on Friday.  We have been practicing his “walkies,” and he is getting so much steadier and sure of himself! He has also learned a few new words and phrases: fly (butterfly), pay! (play!), sit (he says this while patting the floor next to him), and I did it! (He usually says that last one after accomplishing something, like throwing a ball and hitting you in the head.)   He has also learned my sister Heidi’s name, which he pronounces “Hi-DEE,” and is now calling my dad “Baba.”

Gratuitous pic of Sammy being adorable

5. Mike and I rented “The Amazing Spider-Man 2” from the Redbox on Saturday night.  I really like Andrew Garfield as Spider-Man.  He is just the right combination of sarcastic and snarky, but also kind and compassionate.  This is an entertaining movie that I really enjoyed until, *MAJOR SPOILER ALERT* Gwen Stacy/Emma Stone dies.  I hate when the superhero’s girlfriend dies!  It is a big reason why I dislike “The Dark Knight.”  Well, that, and Heath Ledger’s “Joker” is terrifying.  Anyways, I do not recommend this movie because of the death of Gwen Stacy.  Superhero movies are supposed to be fun, not sad and horribly tragic.  Also, Emma Stone is awesome and doesn’t deserve to die, even fictionally.

6. My folks kept Sammo Sunday night so Mike and I could have a Date Night- woo woo!  We ate dinner at Panera Bread and went to see “Guardians of the Galaxy.”  This is the first time we have gone to the movies since “The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug” last December.  I LOVED “Guardians of the Galaxy!!”  It was hilarious, exciting, heart-warming, and had an amazing soundtrack (Awesome Mix, Vol. 1).  My favorite character was Groot, a walking tree/plant thing voiced by Vin Diesel, who made me laugh, cry, and busts out some sweet dance moves in the last scene.  I highly recommend “Guardians of the Galaxy.”  In fact, stop what you are doing, and go see it now!!  You will thank me, I promise.

Tiny dancing Groot

7.  There were all kinds of little kids in the movie theater for “Guardians of the Galaxy.”  Yes, it does have a talking raccoon and tree, but it is NOT a kids movie.  The little girl a few seats down from me couldn’t have been older than 3.  Poor thing is going to have nightmares for sure.  Plus, the movie started at 7:30 and didn’t get out till after 9:30.  Do we not believe in bedtime anymore?  I swear, there is a serious lack of common sense in this world.

Things I learned in the last week or so- 8/15-8/25/14

1. I saw two movies last weekend I hadn’t seen before.  My friend Amanda came over Friday night for pizza and Divergent.  As someone who has read the series, I thought they did a good job of staying true to the book.  I don’t think I was as emotionally invested in the movie as I was in The Hunger Games and Catching Fire, but I still think it was a good movie.  Mike and I watched Man of Steel on Sunday night.  I thought it was a little confusing, but I did enjoy Henry Cavill as Superman and Amy Adams as Lois Lane.  Henry Cavill looks exactly how I think Superman should look- HOT! 🙂

Helloooo, Superman!

2. I only had six kids in my class at Mother’s Day Out both days last week.  It was actually kind of boring…

3. There is yellow watermelon!  One of my kids brought it for lunch last week, and we argued about whether it was watermelon or cantaloupe.  Turns out, he was right.  Who knew?

4. Sammy’s Indianapolis Grandma came to visit on Tuesday and we had Christmas in August!  She brought two garbage bags full of clothes, a bag of shoes, and about a billion toys.  My favorite of Sammy’s new toys is his “Let’s Rock Singin’ Cookie Monster.”  After first, he was frightened whenever Cookie Monster began singing, but now he’s obsessed with it.

Hello Everybody! Let’s get ready to rock!

5. I taught my class how to play Duck Duck Goose on Wednesday.  Honestly, I had no idea there were so many ways to mess up Duck Duck Goose.  My assistant Ryan and I spent most of the game laughing hysterically.

6. Sammy took four steps during Physical Therapy on Friday.  He is officially a walker!  Doggies beware!

7. It’s Fall Sermon Series time at WOC!  Last weekend, Julia’s Bakery truck was in the courtyard with some delicious cupcakes.  This weekend, we got to check out a baby camel, kangaroo, and a wallaby!  There has been special music both weekends and awesome sermons by Pastor Allen Jackson.  If you live near Murfreesboro, TN, come check us out!

Sammy LOVES these balloons in the lobby. He points to them and says, “ball! ball! ball!”

8. Sammy was invited to our neighbors for a sprinkler play date yesterday.  It turns out that both Sammy and our neighbor’s 3-year-old daughter are TERRIFIED of sprinklers.  You would think the sprinkler was shooting out lava instead of water.  We ended up letting them play in the baby pool instead.  #sprinklerfail