Cha-ching.

Saturday morning grocery shopping...including meat (organic/cage free kind too!), veggies, milk and a few personal products that you can buy on sale but don't usually have coupons for.

Spent = $72.35
Saved = $92.75

Spring Craziness.

Okay yes its only February and not *actually* spring but the sun is shining, I have a tank top on and baseball/softball season has begun. In my world - it's spring!

Exciting things as of recent: We had a fantastic low key Valentine's Day with homemade tacos and "fried" ice cream. Tori lost another tooth (only one more before the ortho thinks its time for braces). We started this couponing thing and while it takes a little while and you have to be picky - I have cut our grocery bills in 1/2. I got 8...yes 8...bags of dog treats for FREE last week. And I just found out I am going to Germany next month - woohoo! I have been to the islands/Mexico but never to Europe and I am through the roof excited. Lots and lots of pictures will be taken! And I will be owing my husband for quite some time for allowing me to take this fabulous trip while he does kid duty 24/7 for a few days!

That's about it. Weekend pics to come - opening game for Tori's softball team, the Screaming Eagles and some other stuff with friends and family!

We're going on a lion hunt...we're not afraid!

Okat so maybe not a lion hunt...

Last year we decided to purchase FL resident week day passes to Disney. Between the flexibility of my schedule and my mother's we decided it would make for some fantastic "Pro-Ed Day" memories. And it did. But all good things must come to an end and so with a final trip we closed out our year of Disney. This was my first, and probably last, trip to Disney's Animal Kingdom. While it was well done (hello it's Disney!), it was essentially a ginormous zoo. And we have a zoo nearby that is a fraction of the cost. But it was good to go once. And we did have fun.

The dinosaurs were a favorite - both big and small. Which can I just say Disney has gotten their mileage out of this ride - that little dinosaur remind you of anything...like say an elephant named Dumbo? Or a magic carpet ride? Or maybe a sky orbiter?

The 3d "It's Tough to be a Bug" was also cute. And you got fantastic eyewear. Please excuse my mother, this was take 3 and she has this thing we call quirky eye - the camera flashes and her eye quirks!

The Kilimanjaro safari is their most promoted ride...and yeah we saw some animals up close and personal...but its really just okay in my opinion. But the kids thought this giraffe just steps away from our vehicle was cool.

And with the final trip comes a final tradition - trying on our favorite ridiculous hats. Thankfully I have the camera and there is no evidence of me participating in this craziness. But I do have Jamaican Tristan, Yachting mom, and Diva Tori documented for all time.

An early Valentines...

Today I had a day off and decided I should catch up after being a slacker mom. With Tori I had a lot of free time to help with parties and field trips and time to go have lunch with her. But it's been harder to do those things for Tristan because of my increasing work schedule. So today I had a scheduled day off and played catch up. Picked up lunch and joined Tori who is "too old" for Valentine's parties...her words not mine. Then helped in Tristan's classroom where they made the worlds most sugared cookies, did a few Vday experiments and played freeze dance. Hilarious. Then I got in the car for this conversation....

Tori: You know what happened today at school?
Me: What?
Tori: The. Dumbest. Thing. Ev. Er.
Me: Well that was dramatic, what happened?
Tori: Well, this one girl went home "sick" because this other girl asked this guy out. And the guy was her boyfriend. And she was sick about it. And you know whats really stupid? The guy probably has no idea he's either of their boyfriends. Really...this stuff should wait for at least 7th grade.

Me: Speechless.

Good news though. I guess I am not worrying about boys until she hits 7th grade.

North Carolina 2011

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Update

I am like a month behind in posting which sucks but is what it is. I have a ton of pictures from North Carolina which most of you have seen on facebook, but will eventually post here as this is my record of our life as well. So here's a quick update on what is happening here.

- Tristan had his first day of gifted class and loved it. Now to figure out a QUICK service project for him...prior to that was his IEP or EIP or something plan conference in which his teacher said Tristan is a natural leader, creative thinker and has an excellent vocabulary.

- Tori made All County chorus. She is one of two representing her school at the concert on March 3rd.

- Baseball/softball season has begun. Games don't start for another few weeks but the kids are practicing, and practicing, and practicing. Which means Tues, Thurs, Fri and Saturdays are spent all the ball fields.

- We had lovely vacation - a lot of driving - but really enjoyed having the kids see snow for the first time and all of us enjoyed tubing one morning and hiking to a waterfall another. We enjoyed the time with my family AND got to see Bryan, Laurie, Ian, Chase and Gavin all in one trip!

- Middle school sign up is just around the corner for Tori, Discovery nights at the middle school start next week!