Sweet Caroline and her best friend

Maddy lives down the road from us and has become Caroline's best friend. Maddy's mom and I were looking for pictures to put in the yearbook and I had to post some of them.

My Ace of Cakes

One weekend, C and I watched a bunch of cooking shows, including Ace of Cakes. C thought that was pretty cool (and asked if I would be on the show with her birthday cake). So, mommy got her the cake decorating kit for Christmas.Superbowl weekend, Caroline got out her stuff and made a cake while watching Duff make his. Very funny. These pictures were taken by Caroline.

The ice skating dresses

While we were home for Thanksgiving, Auntie Jill graciously allowed Caroline to borrow her skating dresses. These were Jill's first two competition dresses. I remember Jill wearing these in Omaha.

Anyway, C attended a birthday party at the ice rink a few weekends ago and she chose to wear the blue one. The moms went nuts! It was so super cute and then to find out that it was Jill's was a bonus. C wanted skates of her own for Christmas, but at the rate her feet grow (and the outrageous "south of the Mason Dixon line tax" that is placed on skate prices down here) we decided against that. Instead, I found skate covers. So for $10 you can't tell she is wearing rental skates. That solved the problem and then some. Especially since they come in colors to match her dresses.

"I like my skate covers a lot. They are good." says C

The third tooth

Caroline lost her first tooth at the beach and her second at Mimi's house. So, mommy has sort of been wondering if that trend was going to continue or if we would have a good old fashioned tooth pull at our house.

C had this loose tooth last week.

She tried for over a week to pull it (and convince me to tie it to a door). She would walk around with it hanging out of her mouth or over her top lip in snaggletooth style. Finally, Daddy walked over with a napkin, grabbed the tooth and handed it to her. She didn't even realize it had come out.

Of course the tooth fairy continued her tradition of bringing a "two bill" even though C chose to put the tooth in her new tooth bear rather than mommy's vintage tooth pillow.

Mardi Gras 2010

If you have not read about last year's Mardi Gras parade you may want to refresh yourself before reading too much further. New pictures will go up as I receive them from friends so check back later.

This year the service unit (a group of troop leaders that work together for the good of all troops on the island) decided that all Girl Scouts must have a float. There would be no walkers this year. So, we struck a deal with the Krewe of Munchkins (after all they are a non profit as well) and signed up 8 floats from 7 troops.

My troop has changed a bit this year. Daisy scouts are K and 1st grade. Brownies are 2nd and 3rd. Since my girls cover a range of ages, I have both Daisies and Brownies.

We had a sponsor this year for the parade. a parent from my troop rented two floats for us (one for Daisies and one for Brownies). She also provided beads and snacks. Other parents who are in other krewes provided beads from their parades. So this year we started the parade with 800 dozen beads, 200 dublooms and 120 boxes of Girl Scout cookies. Yep, if that is what the crowd wants, that is what we are going to throw!

The day turned out beautiful, with no rain and temps in the 60's. This in itself was a miracle since we have had so many days of rain and freezing temps (so much for global warming). We had to slather the kids in sunscreen (it is good to have a nurse parent in the troop) and worry about dehydration. This also meant that the crowds turned out for the parade as well.

The girls spent an hour hanging the beads on hooks inside the float and tearing off the paper bands holding together the dozens (this solved the throwing of the giant piles). And then off we went. It was not as stressful this year because I knew my girls were safe from the crowds , but it was still more stressful than I had hoped. Was it that stressful for our danceline "coach"?

Caroline and I were on the Daisy float. Pulled by the greatest do-Dad ever... Hunter. The crowds were much larger this year and extended the whole two miles several families deep.

It was neat to see people we knew along the parade route and do some directed throwing. My dad and Mary even came out for the festivities. A new addition this year was random screaming of "Mrs. Neblett," from my students. They get extra credit on Monday if they can name my float (the SS Thin Mint) or tell me about my hat (a gaint brown sun hat with a mardi gras tiarra on top of it).

So, what you are all waiting for. The bead versus street count and a Caroline quote. We used up all our beads, dublooms, and cookies five blocks before the end. The girls and parents had a great time and yes, their crazy leader will do it again next year.

"The parade was funner this year than last year. We got to be on a float this year and last year we had to walk. I even got to see some of my good friends"

six degrees of separation

For all of you Oprah watchers out there, I have a famous student.



On Monday, Rosie O'Donnell was on Oprah. She talked about her new girlfriend and their plans to move to New York and get married. She also talked about the children of her new girlfriend. And one of those is my student!



When I taught in Pearland, I had the daughter of a famous basketball player. I admit that I "lost" her safety agreement and had her parents sign another one. I think I gave one to my brother and I found the other in my attic when we moved from BV to Tiki. I am not sure what I planned on doing with it, but at the time I am sure I had big plans.



Back to now. Rosie was in Galveston over Thanksgiving and my student came back talking about the big secret and hinting as to what was going on. Then she and her family went to Miami for Christmas break and it was reported in People. This made her a minor celebrity in my fifth period class. But then her picture is on Oprah, this gets reported on the news and somehow all my kids hear about it. Tuesday in class there was no way the kids were going to listen to me and learn about boring old Isaac Newton. They wanted to know what it was like to be rich! I wonder who will come to the next parent teacher conference?

A bike and a hymnal all in one weekend.

The cold weather is over! We had a wonderful weekend of outside activities. We washed the cars. We did outside chores. But most importantly, C got to practice her bike riding.

Christmas 2008 brought Caroline a new bike. She rode with training wheels until June and then decided that 6 year olds do not have training wheels, so we took them off. Then she really could not get the hang of it and she put her bike away in the back of the garage and ignored it for 6 months. In January 2010 she decided to try again (perhaps because her friend Maddy had learned how a few weeks earlier). Now she was ready. We ran along with her for DAYS! She was riding by herself for maybe one or two houses and then would fall.

Sunday, she got on, got a little starter push from mom and rode all the way down the block and back! We rode for hours! At one point we rode down to Maddy's house and Maddy showed Caroline how to line her foot up on the top pedal and push off the ground to get started. No more starter pushes needed.

In the midst of the riding we went to church. Caroline attends Sunday school during the beginning of the service and then joins us before communion. After communion there is a hymn. She was a bit wiggly so I gave her my hymnal to hold. She pulled out her "following finger" and started singing along. Who knew? During the recessional hymn we turn and face the back of the church (this is what Caroline calls the parade). C couldn't hold her hymnal, but her Sunday school teacher was sitting behind us and she followed along on her hymnal.

So, It was a big baby book worthy accomplishment weekend at our house.

I promise to take pictures and video this week and post them.