high and low

Day 30: Highs and Lows of June

I have had a ton of highs.  

• Show weeks went awesome!
• Elexis loved camp
• Saw New Kids on the Block, Boys II Men, and 98* last night for free
• My daughter and I have finally began summer 
• Saw some great movies

Lows

• sleep schedule out of whack
• giving myself whiplash

So, yeah; got to see New Kids last night.  I got a text from my friend on Friday night that said "hey, you want to go to the New Kids concert? I may have free tickets"  I am like "heck yeah!!  I never got to see them when I was younger."  She said she would text me in the morning if she could get them.  Yesterday at noon she said we are on for the concert.  Turns out we had awesome seats.  We were in a box suite with our own waitress and a table with extremely comfortable seats.  We had wristbands to get in our section.  The concert was all I ever wanted it to be and more.  Boys II Men were phenomenal.  98* were extremely attractive and New Kids....they still got it!!  Extremely high energy show.  It was awesome and I can't believe I got to go for free.  Tonight we are going to our city's movie in the park.  They are showing Despicable Me!  I cannot wait for the second one to come out on Wednesday.  

Photo Day 30: Handwriting

Messy, but mine

This completes the June Blog Challenge over at Paula's

Join us for July starting tomorrow!!

Tuskegee Airman Camp

At the end of the school year, Elexis was called to the office along with four other students.  She is a good kid and was wondering why she was called to the office.  Once inside there, the kids were given a packet of information about a Tuskegee Airman Aerospace Camp.  She heard Aerospace and she wanted to go.  The best part for me was it was totally free.  The camp lasted 4 days.  The first day she got there, there she received two shirts (on had her name on it), a cool pen, a writing tablet, two bags, and a bunch of other little fun things.  Also on Monday, they learned about the Tuskegee Airmen (to tell the truth I had never heard of them).  She came home telling me all about it and what they were going to be doing the rest of the week.  Also, come to find out they were the only middle schoolers invited and hand picked to be a part of this group.  The rest were high schoolers and most were in ROTC (about 30 other kids...35 total).  

Here is a small back story on the Airman if you are like me and didn't know it.  They were the first all black pilot squadron.  Before then, black men were not allowed to serve in leadership positions.  They flew in WWII.  They got their name because they were based out of Tuskegee Alabama. 

On Tuesday, Elexis was extremely excited because she got to meet and listen to an original member of the squadron.  His name was Ed Woodward and he is 91 years old.  They got to listen to his some of his stories.  Elexis said he was really funny and he told them that his mind sometimes wanders and he has to go catch it and bring it back.  They got to ask questions and she got his autograph.  

Wednesday, the kids had to be there at 7:00 in the morning.  Man, that was early considering I had just spent the 2 weeks prior staying up until 1 or 2 in the morning with costumes.  My sleep schedule still hasn't adjusted.  They were going to go on a field trip to the FAA (where my husband works) and they were going to get to tour planes at Tinker Air Force Base (where my husband worked for 13 years until last October).  They got to eat at the Officer's Club at Tinker.  She was very excited about them creating her order in front of her (I invited her to come into the kitchen anytime she wants to watch me do the same thing).  They got to go into the air traffic control training center and learn how to land the planes at the FAA.  Over at Tinker they got to tour an AWAC plane (it looks like it has a giant satellite dish on it) and a refueling plane.  They got to talk to the guy that rides in the small chamber with the refueling hose.  She said the size was very small and tight and you shouldn't be the person down there if you are claustrophobic.  They also wrote thank you letters to Capt. Woodward.  

Thursday was going to be graduation day.  It was also rocket launch day.  They built rockets and got to launch them.  They were also going to watch a movie about the Tuskegee Airmen.  It is called Red Tails (side note: when Elexis found out it had a Pg-13 rating, she called me to ask me if it was okay for her to watch it.  She is 13, but I am glad that she had enough forethought to ask me first).  I was telling my husband, who had been in training all week and working at night (so I hadn't really got to talk to him about the camp) about her graduation if he wanted to go.  He asked what the camp was for and I told him it was for the Tuskegee Airmen.  His reaction was awesome.  He wanted to be an Air Force Pilot his entire life.  He was in ROTC in high school and in college.  Unfortunately he could not qualify because of his eye sight.  He knew exactly who the Tuskegee Airmen were.  I told him that one of the originals was going to speak at the graduation.  He told me he was going to blow off training to go to that.  He wanted to meet him soo bad.  I haven't seen him excited about something like that in a long time.  So, we went to the graduation.  They had a reception time with little sandwiches and yummy goodies.  We got to meet some of the Oklahoma chapter of the Airmen and a few higher up's currently commissioned right now.  We go to meet the deputy commander over Tinker Air Force base (he is the second in command).  He was just there as a parent, his son and Elexis are friends and they go to the same school.  We were suppose to hear a different Airman speak than the one that already spoke to the group, but he didn't make it (Capt Woodward said it was on account of him being an old fart...haha).  Instead, we got to hear Capt. Woodward.  It was so neat to hear a few of his stories.  He was fascinating.  I told his daughter, who he lives with, that any time she wanted me, I would come and listen to his stories.  She was like "give me your number" haha. They were wonderful.  Elexis got a certificate and a really nice coin from the camp.  

This was a really great honor for her to be hand chosen and the youngest person there (even her classmates were older than her).  She got to learn some great history first hand (my kid loves history).  My husband got to meet one of his military idols and he kind of made friends with the Deputy Commander over Tinker.  These were both big deals to him.  

Now some pictures.  

Capt. Ed Woodward

Him and his son

Elexis receiving her certificate and her coin

My husband and Elexis with the Capt.

91 and can still get around. 

Goal!

Day 29: Goals for the next 30 days

Ok, so I tend to take things one day at a time.  Today's goal...laundry.  As for the next 30 days...I have a few.

July 3rd - Go see Lion King in Tulsa - goal: Have fun and relax
July 4th - My 16th wedding anniversary - goal: To find an anniversary present for my husband.
July 12 - Mini family vacation to Great Wolf Lodge - goal: They swim; I go to Ikea and hopefully get my anniversary present (not sure what it will be yet).
July 19 - Shoot my very first wedding - goal: Don't throw up, don't pass out, get as many memorable shot as I can. Weddings tend to intimidate me because these are people's memories and you only get one time to get the shot.  Breathe, Cristy, breathe...

That is what is set in stone for right now.  I have some other goals in mind, I will share those in a couple of days when I start the July Blog Challenge.  Speaking of which, I am hoping to see you guys join me.  I love getting to know you.  I will be hosting an August Challenge that I am putting together now.  I will be asking for a little help from you guys (it's part of the plan).  I am excited.

Photo Day 29: In my bag

I don't carry a purse.  I keep all necessary essentials in my car or in my pocket (hello 2 tubes of chapstick at all times).  Here is a picture of the cute little wristlet I carry.  I just got this one this week.  I paid a whopping $19.50 for it (thank you coach outlet for the awesome sale).  Inside of it, I keep my discount cards, my debit card, my driver's license and a few membership cards.  I love my new one because it's pretty much stain resistant.

This is almost the end of the June Blog Challenge over at Paula's Place.

Join us for the July Challenge as well.  

I miss...

Day 28: Something that you miss

I feel I have talked about how much I miss my grandma a lot (you can find here and here.  I am going to get a little more creative on this on.  Here are a few things I miss.

• Burples - My favorite was the peach. I don't know why these didn't stick around.  They were so much fun
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• I miss my stonewashed jean jacket and matching jean purse.
• My Strawberry Shortcake Lamp with nightlight.  I found one on ebay!!  Sadly I do not think I am going to spend $40 on it.

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• My paper dolls.  I would spend hours and hours playing with these things.
  

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• Saturday Morning Cartoons and weekday after school Cartoons: Flintstones, Jetsons, ShirtTails, Get Along Gang, Muppet Babies, Thunder Cats, Wuzzles, Pound Puppies, Smurfs, Alvin and the Chipmunks, Duck Tails, Tail Spin.... ahhh, the good old days (at least for this 80's/90's generation kid).  Cartoons weren't on all day on specific channels like they are now days.  

Of course I miss important people that have passed on, but I know I will see them again someday.  

Photo Day 28: Red

Round Barn in Arcadia, OK.  It's red.

This is part of Paula's June Blog Challenge.

Join us in July for the July Blog Challenge.

I like the prompts every day.  It gives me inspiration and keeps me blogging on a regular basis.  I cannot believe that it is already almost July.

I got 99 problems....not really

Day 27: A problem that you have had.

I have lots of tiny problems, but nothing really big lately.  I guess I could write about how I have way too many dreams and ambitions and not enough moolah to make them happen.  I think we all have that problem.  There are so many things I want and places I want to go; yet a very limited cash flow.

Today Elexis and I are going to beat the heat and go tour the capitol building.  I love that it is free.  We are also going to go tour a place called Overholser Mansion.  I am very excited about that because I love architecture.  I plan on taking a trip up to Tulsa during the summer and visiting Frank Lloyd Wright's only completed skyscraper.

Edit:  We had a great time today.  We played tourist in our own state.  The Overholser Mansion excited Elexis so much, that we have decided to volunteer there.  I can't wait until we do that.  The capitol building was awesome.  I haven't really been on a tour in about 20 years.  It was great to go back.  Especially since now the dome has been added.  Our original capital was suppose to have a dome, but they ran out of funding.  The builders made the ceiling to illusion that there was a dome.  In 2002, we finally got enough money from donors and stuff to get our dome.  I have so many pictures to edit and blog about...guess I better get busy.  :)

Also, funny story:  On Monday night, I gave myself whiplash by tripping on a step in my house.  I was carrying two plates of food and I fell forward hitting my head on the door frame.  I managed to not drop any of the food except a few chips.  I do have a love cluster of bruises on my forehead and one on my knee.  My forehead was swollen until yesterday.  My neck feels a whole lot better though.  My husband and daughter were quite impressed that I didn't drop the food.  Now if I could just work on my gracefulness....

Photo Day 27: Into the sun

This is part of Paula's June Blog Challenge.

Paula will also be hosting a July Blog Challenge in July.  More information can be found here.

My first attempt at a blog button.  

Attractiveness

Day 26: What kind of person attracts you.

Who I find attractive and what attracts me are two different things.  I find chiseled men very attractive, but that doesn't attract me.  Here are a few qualities that attract me:

• Integrity - hugely important
• Character 
• A great sense of humor and someone who gets sarcasm (my humor of choice)
• Friendly
• I prefer dark headed people (even though my husband is very blond)
• I prefer a guy taller than me (though not a requirement, my ex-boyfriend was my height)
• A man holding a baby and talking gibberish to it - so hot!!
• A man playing with a dog - like really interacting with it!
• A good heart - someone who is not afraid to cry
• A man who isn't afraid to eat - I like men who are a little bit squishy in the middle (I like to cook and bake and I need a man who will eat it)  My husband is a bit of a picky eater, but he loves baked stuff.

There are a few.  I am not hugely important on looks.  My husband was born with a double cleft lip and palate.  During our first date, he rarely looked me in the eye, because he thought I would find him unattractive.  What he doesn't know is I started falling for him because of the way he interacted with his nephew who was 2 at the time.  Also the way he interacted with his brother and the way he treated me. I could care less how he was born.  He is a great man who has integrity, character, and definitely a good heart.  Now if he were only dark haired....hmmm...maybe hair dye??? haha

Photo Day 26:
I have posted this before, but it's definitely empty

The hallway after strike.  For two weeks it was complete chaos back there.  

This is part of Paula's June Blog Challenge.

Who fascinates me

Day 25: Someone who fascinates you and why

I don't just have a single person who fascinates me, but a whole bunch of people.  Pretty much people in general fascinate me, but in particular: the older generation.  And by older generation, I mean people in their 80's and 90's and beyond.  These people have seen so much of our world change.  This past week, I have had the pleasure of meeting two people in their 90's.  The stories they told from WWII blew my mind.  One was the original Tuskegee Airman (the first all black fighter pilot squadron).  He was so lucid and hilarious.  The other was my friend's great grandpa.  She asked me to be a witness for him to sign over his power of attorney to his daughter (my friend's grandma).  He also was hilarious.  I told my friend's great grandpa that I would come hang out with him again and he asked if I was married.  He was adorable.  I love the older generation (as long as they are not behind the wheel of a car).  I go to the senior citizen center on Monday's to play dominos with my husband's Granny.  She still hasn't made any progress of making friends.  She has a couple, but not nearly as many as I do up there.  When I walk in, they call me granddaughter and they ask about Elexis.  They ask about the musicals and I know about their children and grandchildren.  I love to hear history.  They witnessed things that I have only read about and that fascinates me.

On a side note: at the Assisted Living Center (where I went to be a witness), they had the front entrance blocked off.  Apparently the day before a resident of the facility drove her car under the awning and it was on fire.  They were cleaning up all of the soot and ash from the car being on fire.  They are lucky the car didn't explode or she didn't kill anyone.  They need to revoke her driver's license.  Also, the elderly lady that drove her car under there, her dad was celebrating his 99th birthday in the same facility.  99...wow!!

Photo Day 25: Sharp  I am sure this guy has some sharp teeth and claws.

This is part of Paula's June Blog Challenge.

My favorite movie

Day 24: Your favorite movie and what it is about

My favorite movie is about a townsperson who loves to read.  Her dad is the town crazy inventor.  She has this man who will do anything to get this woman to marry him, even though he has his pick of women who want to be his wife.  All this girl really wants is adventure in the great wide somewhere.  Her dad sets off to a fair to show his latest invention.  On the way there, he gets lost and takes refuge in a castle.  What he doesn't know is this castle is enchanted.  Inside lives a beast that must fall in love before his 21st birthday.  When the father's horse returns to the cottage, the daughter sets out to find her dad.  She too comes across the enchanted castle.  When confronted with the beast, she offers to stay there as his prisoner if he lets the dad go.  The beast obliges.

The ridiculously good looking man devises a plan to get the girl to marry him, by having her dad committed.  The girl is starting to get settled in the castle.  She is befriended by a candlestick, a clock, a teapot, and her son a cup.  She teaches the beast to be more gentle and less temperamental.  When she finds out that her father is ill, she goes back to town to help him.  When the townspeople call them crazy, she brings out an enchanted mirror and shows that the beast is real.  Then the ridiculously good looking man feels he must kill the beast.  There is a fight and the beautiful girl thinks that the beast is dying.  She tells the beast that she loves him just as the last petal falls from an enchanted rose.  I will not spoil the ending.  

If you haven't guessed yet, my favorite movie (and has been since I was 13) is Beauty and the Beast.  Yes, I love other movies, but this movie is my go-to comfort movie.  It is also my favorite musical as well.  My favorite series of movies are the Fast and the Furious.  

Photo Day 24: Negative Space - Last night's super moon.  It was beautiful, though it didn't seem any larger than it does on any other night.  

This is part of Paula's June Blog Challenge.

Man Candy

Day 23: 5 famous guys you find attractive

YAYYYYYYYY!!  I have been looking forward to this day since the challenge started!!  It is no secret that I am boy crazy.  I love me a good piece of man candy!!

I have already talked about my love for the twins who do Property Brothers.  Since they are twins I am going to count them as 1.
Andrew (my fav) and Jonathan Scott

I really started finding this guy attractive in 13 going on 30.  I did not see Hulk though.  

Mark Ruffalo

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He is way young for me, but he is over 21 so he is fair game:

Josh Hutcherson - yummy!!

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Yummy Yummy Ryan Reynolds:

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My favorite is last.  All of the guys from this movie, but The Rock is going to be my next husband (haha...I tell my husband this all the time).  I pretty much own all Dewayne Johnson movies.  I do own all of the Fast and Furious movies and I have seen the 6th one 3 times already.

I have many many more that I find attractive, but here is my top 5 (or 8...whatever!)

Photo Day 23:  last

This was the last picture I took at the zoo yesterday.  What a cute little meerkat.  

This is part of Paula's June blog challenge.

Ch Ch Ch Changes....

Day 22: How have you changed in the past two years

What a tricky question.  I don't feel like I have changed in the past two years, but I know I have.  I definitely know I have become busier since my kid entered middle school.  Two years ago I quit working at Sbucks and became an infant hearing screener.  I did that for a year and then I went to photography school.  I guess that would be a huge change.  I became a backstage mom (not a neurotic kind though, just merely location).  I made some really awesome friends who are almost like family.  I am definitely more active now.  I think I have it narrowed down what I want to do when I grow up.

I don't feel like a different person, but I know I have evolved.  I do things now that I have never done in the past.  I laugh more.  I let go of things more (for the the most part).  I dream  more.  I think overall I am happier.

Photo Day 22: Enjoying Life - We went to the zoo today with my husband's brother, his nephew, his mom and his Granny (and of course me and Elexis).  I love the zoo.  Here is are a couple of pictures of enjoying life.

Elexis with her favorite cousin.  They are 17 days apart in age.

My mother-in-law, her mom (Granny), hubby in the Yankee's hat, and brother-in-law.  

This is part of Paula's June Blog Challenge.

TV

Day 21: One of your favorite TV shows

Ok, as if you didn't know me by now... I can't limit this to one.  I will, of course, be breaking this up into a few categories.  So, here goes:

My favorite TV channel: HGTV - my favorite show/people on that channel - Jonathan and Drew Scott AKA - The Property Brothers.  They are twins and they are 6'4" and they are yummy to watch.  Watching Drew pop off a counter top with his bare hands....be still my heart.

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My favorite current comedies: (yes there are two...I am such a rebel)

There are several that I watch.  I watch everything on the DVR because fast forwarding through commercials is awesome and I am not always home when the shows are on (in fact, I am never home when they are on).  I have narrowed it down to: 

The Big Bang Theory:  I love this show.  I will watch all reruns.  

I love Johnny Galeki.  I have since Roseanne.

Mike and Molly:   Love, love, love this show.  I love that the characters aren't stick thin.  Melissa McCarthy is golden comedy.  She is hilarious!!

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My favorite comedies of all time:  Golden Girls and Boy Meets World

Both of these shows give me the warm and fuzzies every time I watch them.  Golden Girls is a show I used to watch with my grandma.  I wanted to be one of them white haired ladies.  

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Boy Meets World - I have seen every episode probably at least 10 times.  Elexis and I would watch it every afternoon (again, thank you DVR...it came on at 5 in the morning).  I wanted Topanga's hair.  

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My favorite reality show:  The Voice - two reasons - Blake Shelton and Adam Levine!  They are hilarious, plus Blake is from Oklahoma and Adam Levine is the front man for Maroon 5!!  I was happy Team Blake won again this season.

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My favorite hour long show currently: Hart of Dixie.  I love that show.  It always reminds me of Sweet Home Alabama, a movie I will never grow tired of watching.  

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My favorite hour long show that I own all the DVD's of (the only show I have ever bought the DVD's of):  Dawson's Creek.  Judge all you want, I absolutely love this show!!  I will watch through all the seasons again and again.  I still laugh and I still cry.

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Ok, so again, I turn this what is supposed to be a short blog post, into a novel.  I can't help it, I have a lot of words to get out...haha.  

I only watch really a couple of hours of TV a day, sometimes not even that...but a few times, I will have marathon days (like when I am doing laundry or sewing).  I like to fold and watch.  My DVR has a lot of shows on it.  My husband and kid don't really watch TV so the DVR is all mine.  

Photo Day 21: Lunch time - Qdoba kids meal.  Chicken taco and applesauce - yum!

This is part of Paula's June Blog Challenge.

My week...post musical

After I got home at 1:00am last Saturday night (Sunday morning).  I got up at 7:00 and started all of the costume laundry.  I did 8 loads of whites, 1 load of off whites, and 3 loads of colors.  I also did Dryel (cheap dry cleaning) on a few loads.  That is ALL I did on Sunday.  My husband and daughter spent the day together swimming.  It was great.  On Monday, I got all the costumes packed back up into my car and took them down to the studio.  When I got to the studio, there was a roofing truck parked across the parking lot and I couldn't get past it.  I had to park at the business next door and carry those tubs across two parking lots to our studio.  Once I got all of those in,  I began the process of packing all of the other tubs of stuff we didn't use back into their containers.  It took me about an hour and fifteen minutes.  When all was said and done the tubs were stacked three or four wide and three deep.  And some miscellaneous stuff thrown in.  But, it is all done until January.  Elexis will not be doing the next musical.  It conflicts with her orchestra schedule and she chose orchestra.  The musical is going to be Footloose and I realllly want to help out on that one, so I am just going to do it without my daughter.  :(

The shows themselves went very well.  We only had a couple of costume mishaps, but that is to be expected with 60 kids ranging in age from 4 to 18.  I have to depend on other people for actual pictures of the show.  I have a bunch of backstage pictures; thats what happens when your the costume person.  I did get to catch my daughter on stage a few times.

So, back to this week.  Last week it was not getting home until 11pm, this week it was get up at 6am to take Elexis to camp.  I was so looking forward to sleeping in.  My poor sleep schedule is completely out of whack!  So, I covered Monday.  Tuesday I decided I wasn't busy enough.  I decided that it would be a good idea to start stripping my grandma's table and staining it.  My idea sucked!!  I thought I could get it stripped in a few hours and stain the next day.  I am now on day 3 and I got 1/3 of the table top done and two of the 8 spindles done.  It is very slow painful work.  Because of the heat, I can only do it for a few hours in the morning, before it gets too hot.  So in the afternoons, I have been catching up on my laundry, doing the dishes, buying a new microwave (I was soo sad when my old one finally quit), voice and piano lessons for the kiddo, mowing the lawn (I would rather mow the lawn than do the dishes), hanging out at the senior citizen's center with hubby's granny, did I mention the laundry?? I have been trying to get my pictures edited from the musical.  I will post as I get them done.  I do want to talk about the camp Elexis went to this week.  It was kind of a big deal (especially to my husband).  I will do a separate post (with pictures) on that.  Phew.  I am ready to go watch Monster's University.  Hubby and I did go and watch a movie last night.  We saw "Now You See Me".  It was really good.  I liked it.  Ok, now to go do my blog challenge entry and camp entry.  Now for some pictures.

This is what I see from backstage.

After everything was moved out...it's always sad.  

Just a few tubs of laundry waiting to be done.

The back of my car Saturday night. - Stinky ride home!

The truck blocking the parking lot.

All clean and folded pretty. Good smelling ride.

At the studio, all packed up and ready to go to storage.

Yep, that's more.  I packed them all myself.

My pretty shiny new microwave!

We took the motorcycle to the movies.  It was so windy.  We are totally smiling in the picture, you just can't tell.

Another picture of the strawberry lemonade cake balls. Yum!