20 Years Ago... Part VI: The Wrap Up

Part I
Part II
Part III
Part IV
Part V

So it is September 1989 and I have just arrived back in Lake Buena Vista, FL to be a permanent Disney cast member. The phone rings and it's Scott. We chat for a bit and then he asks if I want help bringing my stuff into the apartment. I said, "well that would be nice, but it would be difficult to do all the way from Crawfordsville IN." To which he replied, "actually I am in town so I will be right over."

Ok, what in the world was he doing in Florida?? He was supposed to be at work in Indiana. So, when he arrived at my door, I asked him, "what in the world are you doing here?" And he said, " I came to help you move in."

Sidebar: Scott always professes that he is not a romantic. And he isn't. Not in the giving flowers, jewelry, candle light dinner kind of way. Because his personal love language is "doing things" behind the scenes. Nothing flashy. Rarely verbal in any way.

He shows love and caring with understated gestures. Like driving all the way to Florida to help me move in. Or helping a friend install new computer hardware or software. Or installing motion sensor lights in the bathroom when the Eliza Grace was too short to reach the light switch :)

But I digress....where was I? Oh right...so....

I was floored! Did he really just say he took a week of voluntary temporary layoff and drive 900 miles to help me move a couple of boxes into my apartment? What was going on here?

Well, to say I was clueless is an understatement. But, come on...this was Scott. My buddy. The tall guy. Geesh, I could not see past his sternum, for crying out loud! Was he interested in me as more than a friend? Hmmm...I thought a lot about that over the next couple of days. And this time when he left, I really missed him. In fact, we began talking on the phone at least once a week after that (and that is pretty monumental, let me tell you, because Scott HATES talking on the phone).

So, we planned to get together again.

By now it was April 1990. I flew to Indiana and we drove to Chicago to visit InX buddies, George and Laura, who lived in and near Chicago, respectively. We met and stayed with George's aunt and uncle, toured a small, local brewery (a highlight for Scott!) and went to the top of the Sears tower (first time for me!). It was all very innocent and fun.

But then, the night before we were to drive back to Indiana, I got tired of waiting. Yes, that's right. I was waiting for that first hand hold or first kiss or a first....something! But no, Scott was playing it cool. So I took matters into my own hands.

On April 21st, 1990, right there in Gene and Myrna's third floor playroom, I made my move. Using the excuse that I missed his birthday earlier in the month and had not gotten him a present, I offered him a kiss as my gift. Well, I tell you honey, that is all it took. And since my mother, relatives, friends from church and someday possibly my children might read this, I will not elaborate...except to say it was just some smooching - come on, we were 22 years old!

So we agreed that we certainly had a "thing" for one another.

Now, in an effort to quit dragging this story out for another couple of months, the timeline of the next 18 years went like this:

April 1991 - Jacque cannot take one more tourist asking her "What time is the 3 o'clock parade?," turns in her mouse ears and moves to Crawfordsville, Indiana

February 1993 - Scott finally decides to quit fighting the inevitable and decides marriage will not kill him. Together Scott and Jacque pick out an engagement ring at the Camel City Pawn shop in Winston-Salem, NC (You are surprised? Do you KNOW Scott??)

September 1993 - Scott and Jacque tie the knot with nearly every member of the InX in attendance. Karaoke anyone?

October 1994 - Jacque and Scott adopt 4 month old Lucy puppy from the Crawfordsville animal shelter and thus their first "baby" arrived

October 1996 - Scott and Jacque move to Cary NC (thank you, Lord Jesus!)

January 8, 2001 - Elizabeth Grace Hughes was born - 8 lbs, 8oz and 21 inches long

November 23, 2005 - William Foster Hughes was born - 8 lbs, 8oz and 22 inches long

And that pretty much brings us to today.

20 YEARS later.

But every now and then, when I am driving down the street on a warm summer day, a certain smell or song suddenly flips a switch in my heart and I get that nostalgic, fluttery feeling in my tummy.

And, just for an instant, I am back in Florida, with no cares, no worries, lots of sun and lots of amazing new friends.

The feeling is wistful and fleeting, but it feels really good.....you know what I mean?

And all it started 20 years ago.....with one piece of paper....taped to a dorm wall....by a girl named Holly....who knew a guy named Scott.

20 Years Ago... Part V

Part I

Part II

Part III

Part IV

Well, as you may have guessed by now, the summer of '88 was THE summer for me.

I spent 3 months working in the Mexican Pavilion at EPCOT, being treated as the "gringa favrita." I also had no fewer than three marriage proposals during that time. To be fair, two were blatantly based on a desire for a green card but I think that Pancho was quite sincere in his quest for my hand. Alas, I had to let poor Panchito down gently, explaining that it was just not our destiny. I did not tell him, however, that I really could not deal with the fact that he was an inch shorter than me!

Me and Panchito in front of Disney U. I was slouching and he was pushing up on his heels

Me, Alejandro, Alejandra and Maria in the Mexican Pavillion breakroom. Alejandro..another suitor :)

During that same 3 months, when I wasn't working, I spent my time playing with my new and dear friends. Spontaneous road trips to Cocoa Beach (yeah, that's right, where Major Nelson and Genie lived!), enjoying quarter beer night at CJ's (and yeah, that's right, way back when they had 25 cent BEER nights), 3am dinners at Denny's on I-Drive (and there are about 100 Denny's on I-drive), going to the Giraffe for free shrimp and wings....ah, those really were the good 'ol days.

But, alas, August inevitably arrived. Time for us all to return to the real world. Back to my final year at Carolina. We said tearful farewells with determined plans to reunite during the school year. It was HARD to leave. Everything felt too good, too fun and too right for that 3 months. Sigh. But, we had to move on...plus, I had spent every penny I made on Mickey Mouse ear hats for like 30 people.

So it was now Autumn in Chapel Hill and I start getting these strange calls on my answering machine. Quuuuuuuuuu...I miss youuuuuuuuuuuu" (for those of you who do not know, my nickname is "Q") And then a click. No name, no nothing. The next time my mystery caller thankfully ended his message with "this is Scott."

Now, as you are likely aware, Scott is a fairly common name. And I actually had a couple of really good friends at Chapel Hill named Scott. So to be honest, I was not sure which Scott this was. Finally, I was actually in my room the next time the phone rang. And lo and behold, it was Scott Hughes....the tall guy....from my summer in Florida. Turns out he was planning a road trip to come visit his buddies in NC (Holly, Heather (Holly's sister, whom he met in Florida in '87) Dara, Suzy T and little 'ol me. He drove down for the weekend and we all got together and had a fun time as friends.

Scott enjoying a lot of female attention, Fall 1988 (Suzy T, Dara,Holly, Q & Scott)

Sidebar: About a year later, when Scott and I were "officially" dating, he recalled exactly what I was wearing and how my hair "was swinging behind my head in a pony tail" when he first saw me walking across the street in downtown Chapel Hill during that fall visit.

Dreamy sigh....

I, on the other hand, had no memory what-so-ever as to what he had been wearing....which is why I take pictures!

The following February 1989, the entire InX gang gathered in Nashville for a winter weekend of fun. Quite the road trip for Dara, Holly and me. It was snowing as we slugged our way through the NC mountains when suddenly Dara's driver side windshield wiper flew off! Dara was concerned about visibility - naturally - but I reasoned that "I could still see" from the passenger side. Yes, I know, what a completely dufus thing to say and rest assured I got razzed about that for many years to come.

After a stop at a gas station where a really nice man put the new wiper on for us, we were ready to get to Nash-vegas. That weekend, I got to meet more folks that hailed from Crawfordsville, IN (Elizabeth T, Karen Marie A) and we made lots more great memories. Like when we took over the "house" band in the hotel bar - dang we had some cajones! Monte on drums, Karen Marie on keyboards, others grabbing available instruments and then we belted out a really bad rendition of "Margaritaville.

Ah, good times. Good times.

Being silly in downtown Nashville (Elizabeth, Monte, Dara, Suzy, Holly, Scott & Laura)

Then Spring came and so did college graduation. What in the world was I going to do now? I had a degree in Speech Communications, which I also referred to as "fluff!" My big plan was to wait tables all summer, save money, and move back to Orlando to recapture some of the summer of '88.

(By the way, you can never go back and recapture it....sorry to say but it is true. So just do like me - revel in the memories and move on!)

Jill already had an apartment ready for us with a couple of other roomies, so I was focused on getting back to Florida. So early September I hopped in to my brand new car (Honda Civic, interest rate a whopping 14% and a monthly payment of $218.31 - it was going to be a long 5 years to pay that baby off!)

Well, I walk into the new apartment and I immediately had a phone call. Strange, but true. It was Scott Hughes. Hmmm. He and I chatted for a while and then I said I needed to unpack my car, to which he replied....
(Welll, you knew I was going to drag it out further, didn't you?! Part VI soon, I promise!)

That's one small step for (a) girl...

...one giant leap for girl-kind!

Eliza Grace thoroughly enjoyed Cary Space Camp last week. They spoke to a real NASA technician (a woman, mind you), built their own telescope, robot and rocket and spent an entire day at the Morehead Planetarium in Chapel Hill. She officially knows more about the solar system and the Mars Rover than Scott or I do!

The future face of the US Space Program

Stud muffin?

Ah, this is definitely the kind picture that Will will want to destroy when he is a teen. As we were getting ready to leave the pool today, I realized that I only had a pair of underwear for Will to put on.

So he strutted his way across the entire pool deck in a hat, crocs and his Mickey Mouse skivvies, complete with little gut hanging over. Needless-to-say, several giggles were heard from neighbors as he obliviously made his way out to the car.

The ladies man?

20 Years Ago... Part IV

Part I
Part II
Part III

Finally, after Suzy and I became exhausted from our frenzy of conversation, some of the other gang from Indiana began to arrive home. Next, I met another life-long dear friend, future post-collegiate roommate, and hospital recovery driver (more on that another time, I assure you), Miss Jill W.

First of all, Jill encompasses so much that is good and light. And I mean that. Jill, who is known for her "Jan Brady style" long hair, her love of rainbows and all things Precious Moments, seems at first too "nice" to be real. Is she perfectly nice and happy all the time? Well, are any of us?
But to me, Jill has always been much closer to continuous joy than I can ever be. Meeting Jill that first time was like meeting a ray of sunshine. Seriously. An elbow pinching, adding the syllable "-ba" to the end of your name, ray of sunshine. She was fun and goofy and we became fast friends, especially when we realized that we had so much in common.

We are both 3rd daughters out of 5 children, with the youngest being the only boy. We understood our role in the birth order. We were the family cheerleaders. We wanted to keep the peace and get the attention we so desired. And given that, Jill and I were able to understand, more than most, how important it was to be able to have a "down" day.

You see, when you are the upbeat one, the happy one, the glass half full one all the time, it can get exhausting. I think Jill and I felt safe to let our lower emotions show with each other more so than we did with others. When we wanted to be in a bad mood, we would just let each other be in a bad mood. Man, that is something that is nice to have. And, typical to our personalities, it did not last long. So Jill and I basically had a really fun summer being happy and "rarely" grumpy together!

Jill-ba!

So then I met Monte T. (aka Mr. Suave) , George D. (aka: golden boy), and Jason S. (aka: flaming liberal - yeah, Jason and I got along great...NOT!) all from Indiana as well. Of course, there was no sign of this Scott guy, but I guess I did not need to find him after all, since the rest of the gang had already given me the ok!

Fast forward a few days, Holly and Dara, my Carolina cohorts that I had also just met, arrived from NC and it was move in day for me. There were 2 apartments side-by-side, thus they shared a common wall. I walked into the girls apartment and began to find places to stash my meager belongings. Recall that I did not have a bedroom, just a non-fold out couch on which to sleep. There was a bathroom in each of the bedrooms, however, so I picked one to use for the remainder of the summer and went to put my toiletries away.

My humble abode on Villa de Costa Drive
(yes, that is my stuffed whale)

As I entered the bedroom, I came upon an strange site. There, sprawled on the floor between the two single beds was a very long pair of skinny, hairy legs. I could see the owner of the legs was digging a hole into the wall, the same wall that attached to the boys apartment. I sort of cleared my throat and said, "Just what are you doing? You know we will have to pay for any damage to this apartment." But he just keep doing what he was doing, not really bothering to reply. When he was finished with his task, he stood up and kind of smiled, but just then Holly walked in to explain that he was putting a hole between the apartments to run an extra long phone line so we could share one phone line between the apartments, instead of paying for two. 

I was sort of impressed.
(Note for the younger generations: this was pre-cell phones, so way back in the dark ages your phone had to be connected to the wall with all kinds of telephone company fees and regulations!)

And who was our handy man whom I just encountered on the floor? 

This was the elusive Mr. Scott Hughes. I think we said a quick hello and then he asked if anyone want to go out for a beer. When no one took him up on it, he said, "Ok, I'll go by myself."

My first thought? Honestly? Odd. He seemed a little odd. But not in bad kind of way, just, I don't know, different.

So, being that I am over 40 and have gone through 2 pregnancies, my memory is not the sharpest, but as I recall we all spent the next couple of hours just getting to know one another and generally settling in. My buddy John came over to meet the gang as well and we all got along famously.

Scott reappeared a while later for a group dinner and then as we all sat around chatting, I found myself sitting next to Scott. He looked at me and said his first real sentence, which I remember quite clearly. He said, "You 21 yet?"

Well, in fact I was. Apparently, he was still in need of a drinking buddy. I thought, "well, they all know him, he seems pretty harmless, so what the heck." Despite the fact that he was 6'4" I very likely outweighed him, so I figured I was safe enough.

And just like that, we became friends. That's it. Just friends. I had an instant appreciation for his very dry humor and his seemingly inability to let things upset him. Like the time he asked a girl out and they met us all for drinks after work. And then she ended up continuing the date with someone else from our gang. I was completely indignant on his behalf but he appeared completely unfazed. I asked him why he was not upset. He just smiled and said, "it happens sometimes."

I loved that about him. He was the most even keel person I think I had ever met. Truly my opposite in so many ways. Which is why I guess I never thought about him in any real romantic way that summer.

But, then again, perhaps in the back of my mind, I did. Because, as cliche as it sounds, we actually made the "if neither one of us is married by 30, we will marry each other" pact that summer. I am not kidding. It is really weird. And we both thought it quite the little joke.

Until later that fall...

Scottie regaling a canoe load of Japanese tourists with corny Disney jokes

(Yeah, that's right...there is a part V!)

A Star Is Born...

Well, of course, Eliza Grace's ability to capture an audience has been known by family and close friends for quite some time (remember Christmas at our house when she was two? I finally had to cut her off after the 3rd song....and she still continued to bow for her applause!)

Last Friday night she performed in the Cary Ballet Conservatory's yearly recital. Given them name of the dance school, one would expect quite a production and we were not disappointed. It was looooooooooong! Over 2 and a half hours, with a 15 minute intermission.

Amazingly, Will sat on my lap for over an hour waiting to see his sissy perform - and it only took all 5 of the Dum-Dum lollipops that I had in my backpack! When she appeared on stage, you can hear him shout (in the video) "go sissy go, go sissy go!" He is such a good little brother!

Eliza Grace and the rest of the "camels" in her Broadway Kids tap/jazz class did an exceptional job. The 5 & 6 year olds were the youngest to perform in the big production and it was a lot of fun but stressful for them.

I was a little concerned at the dress rehearsal, 5 days prior, because all the little girls looked fairly shell-shocked up there on the big stage with all the lights and the people and the set and the noise. Eliza Grace told me afterward that she was not nervous but, "mommy, I forgot all the steps I was supposed to do." But, as I well know, a bad dress rehearsal is supposed to mean a great opening night, and it was !

Here are a few more pictures of before and after the performance. I hope to be able to post a snippet of video once I figure out how to use the video capture software.

Riding in the car on the way to the recital

Waiting her turn to go back stage. Some days she seems so big but pictures like this remind me that she is still such a little girl!

After the performance, with her flowers and new silver charm (on her wrist) to commemorate the "Treasures of the Pyramid"

Tweetsie Railroad fun

Thomas the Tank at Tweetsie Railroad

We took a 3 day trip to the North Carolina mountains last week and went to Tweetsie Railroad. For those of you unfamiliar, Tweestie is a family owned amusement park that has been around since the 1950's and the headlining attractions are the historic #12 and #190 steam locomotives.

I have very clear memories as a kid of riding the #12 around the park, and then the "Indians" would "attack" the train and the cowboys would fight them and save the day. Those whooping and hollering Indians scared the tinkle out of me back then! Of course, that is not the most politically correct scenario today so now they do a kinder, gentler version of the Indians and the cowboys having a little scuffle at the old Fort, but they shake hands and all is forgiven in the end. Ah, history re-writes itself again :)

Highlights from the trip:

• Miss Kim (aka Mimi), our former nanny, drove over, spent the night with us and played with us at Tweetsie. Will and Eliza Grace were both so excited! We love and miss you, Mimi!
• Eliza Grace rode her first tilt-a-whirl and her first Ferris Wheel.
• We practically had the entire park to ourselves on Monday and Tuesday
• Will road his first tilt-a-whirl...for 6 seconds...then we had to ask the man to stop the ride, and since we were the only ones on the ride, he thankfully did
• Will steered his first "old-fashioned" car and we only got stuck on the metal side once
• It was over 100 degrees back in Cary but it was only a mere 97 in Blowing Rock
• Best conversation of the trip, which took place during the middle of the tilt-a-whirl ride:

Eliza Grace: "Whoa, I am having sooo much fun!"(said in a slightly forced and shaky voice)

Me: "Are you really having fun or are you just trying to convince yourself?"

Eliza Grace: "Just trying to convince myself!"

Anyhoo, this was Will's first visit to Tweetsie and we had a great time, as you can see from the following:

Our little cowgirl

On the Mouse Mine train (not sure what drugs were taken during the creation of that psychedelic ride but the kids liked it!)

Riding the stage coach
Whoa horsey! Willby and Mimi

Will and Jacque on the tilt-a-whirl just before it started. He seemed pretty happy about it then

I know I sat on those same horses when I was 7 years old!

This was a bit scary for me but Will laughed the entire time around the course. These cars are not on rails so you do have about a 4 foot wide span you have to steer through and he fought me every time I tried to turn the wheel!

Mimi and sissy on the train

20 Years Ago... Part III

Part I
Part II

So Holly could not be in Florida when I got there (something about wisdom teeth, yadda, yadda) so she said I needed to go to the apartments and ask for a guy named Scott Hughes. However, upon my arrival I encountered a whirlwind of enthusiasm and big hair, the likes of which I had never seen before.

Yes, the person who answered my knock was Suzy M of Crawfordsville Indiana. Talk about a kindred spirit. I was not even over the threshold when we excitedly began a fast-talking friendship that endures to this day. The initial conversation went something like this (note: to get the full effect of the conversation you need to read this very quickly with no real pauses except for quick breaths):

Me: "Hi, my name is Jacque and I go to Carolina with Holly and she told me all about working for Disney and that you all had 2 apartments one for the girls and one for the guys and she said that I should come here and ask for Scott Hughes and meet the other girls from Indiana so I could ask if it is ok with ya'll that I sleep in the girls apartment on the couch and we could all save on the rent and I thought it would be so much fun and I am so excited to meet you all and cannot wait to play in the parks.... "

Suzy: "Hiiiiiiiiii! I am Suzy and it is so great to meet you. I am not sure about everyone else but I think it would be great if you wanted to stay here to because it is just going to be so much fun and we just got here today and I cannot wait to start and did you already have your interview? do you know where you are going to work? Monte's sister used to be the Ambassador for Walt Disney World and she helped us all get jobs and... "

Me: " That is soooooooooooo cool and I'm so excited and wow she must have really loved that awesome job here at Disney and so ya'll got some really cool jobs? and..."

Suzy: "Please come on in and you can move in whenever I think we are going to have so much fun this summer and everyone is so nice and I cannot wait.....

Me: " I know! Can you believe we get to do this, oh man, this is so exciting and did you see we are right next to the hot tub and there is a volley ball court and this is so much like what my sister Heidi and I talked about doing when we grew up except we talked about moving to California and living in an apartment right on the beach and.... "

Suzy: " I know, I say we use the hot tub tonight and then go to the pool and maybe do a day trip to Cocoa Beach tomorrow...wait, OH MY GOSH! I love this song...Pour some sugar on me...yeah in the name of love..."

Well, you get the point.

Suzy and I got along like peas and carrots as they say. She was the beauty and brains and I was, well, I was the comic relief. We complimented each other very well. It was about 45 minutes into this ultimate gab-fest, when it dawned on me to ask the following question..."oh, I forgot, Holly said I should talk to Scott...is he here too?"

"No, Suzy, Jason is not moving to Canada to work.

He meant the Canadian Pavillion at EPCOT!"

Part IV soon...I promise!

20 years ago... (Part II)

(Part I is here)

So what was I to do? I wanted to move to Florida for the summer and work at Walt Disney World, but I could not figure out how to make the finances work.

Remember how I said Holly was really smart? Well, she came up with a plan. There were going to be 4 girls in one 2 bedroom apartment and 4 guys next door in another 2 bedroom apartment. I was offered the opportunity to be the 5th roomie in the girl's pad and I could sleep on the couch (for a reduced rent, of course). Not a fold out couch, mind you, just the couch. I was in! The only other problem, however, was that Holly was going to arrive in Florida after I did, so she gave me directions to the apartment complex and spoke those fateful words, "When you get to the apartment, ask for a guy named Scott Hughes."

So, I packed my meager belongings and headed off on my adventure. I stayed with a cousin north of Orlando for a week or so until the rest of my future roomies arrived. Apparently this guy named Scott Hughes was to show up with others from the far off land of Indiana and then I would move into the apartment.

In the meantime, I drove to the main entrance of Walt Disney World and when asked to pay for parking, I informed the attendant that I really was there to get a job. He directed me to the trailer that was used as the "casting" office at the time, so off I went. Within 45 minutes I had filled out an application, taken a math test that would have insulted a 10 year old's intelligence, had an interview in which I most vehemently rejected any position that involved food service and was hired as a casual temporary for the summer! It was official, I worked for The Mouse.

My first day of work was spent in a class called Disney Traditions. This was a new hire class that taught you everything from what make-up, shoes and jewelry you could wear "on stage" to how to easily remember the names of all 7 Dwarfs. They even dispelled myths. That's right, Walt is not buried in some room in Cinderella's castle but is in fact in the ground somewhere in Anaheim.

Want to hear a funny aside to all this? Sure you do!

There I was at my WDW new hire class, and this good looking guy from the class walks up to me during a break and says "Don't I know you from Carolina?" Now I did not know this guy at all so my response was typical, tactless Jacque. I said, "I am 700 miles from home, there are 12,000 students at Chapel Hill, there are 25,000 employees at Disney, there are hundred of "Traditions" classes at Disney....and you know me??" Thankfully, John just laughed and we forged a friendship.

We spent hours over the next couple of weeks trying to figure out how in the world he recognized me from Carolina. I lived on campus, he lived off campus. We did not have any of the same classes or outside activities together and we could not find one single friend that we had in common. In the end, we figured out that he and I had walked past each other every day on the way to class the previous semester. All I can say is that God was looking out for me for sure because in those first few days on my own, He helped me find a friend to hang out with.

Although John did not live with the gang that eventually came together that summer, he was officially part of the "InX" (as we referred to ourselves - the In stood for cool and the X stood for the fact that we never knew how many of us would be in the apartments at any given time. Yes, we were dorks. Probably still are.)

Our buddy John...never get him started on his days as a surgical assistant!

But, what about that guy I was supposed to ask for? Some tall guy named Scott? Well...
(stay tuned for Part III)

20 years ago....(Part I)

20 years ago this week I began an adventure that would shape the course of my adult years.

A soul searching trip across the United States in a VW bus?
A missions trip to a third world country?
A summer in Alaska researching wildlife?

Nope.

20 years ago this week, I hopped into my 1978 Carolina Blue BMW, drove out of Chapel Hill, North Carolina and took a 700 mile drive to Lake Buena Vista, Florida. And lest you be too impressed with the car, it was mechanically a piece of crap, but oh my, I looked good driving it. 

So, why did I drive to Florida, you ask? Well, I went there in search of a guy named Scott Hughes.

Okay, so I realize I need to provide a little back story.

Mid-May, 1988: I was completing my junior year at UNC-Chapel Hill. Up to that point I had spent every summer before and during college taking a class at Winston-Salem State University and waiting tables at the Dead Lob (that's Red Lobster for those of you who never worked there - to this day I still get a bit stressed out when I see the Lobsterfest commercials).

I was determined to have "the best summer of my life," since it was in effect my last summer before I had to enter the real world all on my own (of course, this was back in the late 1980's, a time when it was not a forgone conclusion that college graduates would move back home and leech off live with their parents for another 10 years.)

So, one day in May I was walking through the dorm when a sign caught my eye. "Live with me at Walt Disney World this summer!" Well, can you image any greater enticement in the world??

I called the number listed on the flyer and asked for Holly M. The person who answered the phone promptly banged on a wall and yelled to her next door neighbor that the phone was for her. This was really funny.  Why? Well, you see, my soon to be dear friend Holly is incredibly smart. I mean really smart. Honor student, blah, blah, blah. And I think when one is really smart like that sometimes the little things in life are a wee bit challenging...like putting your own phone number on the flyer instead of your next door neighbors by mistake! Ah, I still laugh at that one. I quickly learned that it was a not an a-typical Holly M. move :)

Anyhoo, Holly and I met and she brought with her all of the Disney propaganda and lots of fun and exciting stories of her previous summer at Disney, which had me ready to sign up....except...there was one a small problem. Apparently Disney would pay me about $670.00 a month for a 40 hour work week and my living expenses would likely run around $700 a month. Even I could do the math on that one.

But I was not to be discouraged and Holly had an idea....(stay tuned for Part II)

Sweet Holly the summer of '88

Working it out....

Last week I learned that a childhood friend had been killed in a murder-suicide. Although I had not spoken to Amy in nearly 10 years, the shock and subsequent pain from the situation was intense. This selfish and evil act robbed 2 parents of their child, 3 children of their mother, a husband of his wife, a brother of his sister and an untold amount of friends of a beautiful, dear friend.

Because of my beliefs, my mind has been working very hard to focus on God's greater plan in all of this. I know, to the core of my being, that while God did not cause this to happen, he will find a way to use it to pour out blessings some how, some time, some place. But right now my heart disdains that image. How pathetic and empty it sounds to my own ears. I cannot even begin to imagine the pain of not being able to say that last "I love you." To have a part of one's life ripped away so senselessly. It is so sad...and to say that is so inadequate.

As a parent, I rarely allow myself to go to that very dark place where my mind wanders about horrible things that could happen to my children. But when I do, I have to physically shake my head and shudder to force the thoughts from my head. It is overwhelming.

I know our time on earth is fleeting. So I am working my way out of the sadness. I know the road will be much longer and much more painful for Amy's family and close friends. I pray that God's plan for the blessings from Amy's death begin to show up now.

Today. I will do my part by working hard to ensure my friends and family know how much I love them, cherish them and want so much to live with them forever in paradise.

The knowledge that Jesus has taken Amy's heart and soul in his loving arms helps. But I still cannot stop wondering why....

And so it begins....

So I admit that we were extremely "blessed" with the whole potty training thing with Eliza Grace. Around her second birthday we introduced her to one of the most powerful motivating forces on the entire planet: the M-n-M.

That's right. Never underestimate the power of that tiny morsel of candy-coated chocolate goodness. Our policy was "one for tinks, 2 for poops." And in 3 days, we were done. Well, with the "training" part, but not the M-n-M's. I believe it was well past her 4th birthday when I finally declared that she was too old to expect a "pooping treat" any longer.

Well, here we are with little man Will. From his second birthday (last November) up until last night, asking if he wanted to sit on the big potty was met with a resounding "No!" Actually, some times he would say, "uh, no tanks" with a smile.

But last night just before bath time, in an effort to avoid his peeing in the tub ritual, I undressed him, walked him into the bathroom, sat him on the potty and made him an offer he couldn't refuse.

Me: "Will, do you want an M-n-M?"

Will: "Yes!

Me: "Well, go tinkle on the potty now and you may have an M-n-M"

Will: "ok"

And lo and behold, he tinkled away! Of course, not owning the equipment myself, I was a little befuddled as to what the rules are on the whole shake, wiggle or whatever they do when done. But since he was sitting, we used a wee bit of tp. And then the high fives, big hugs and lots of praise ensued. Of course, Will was thrilled with all of that but really he just wanted his M-n-M.

So we will see if this is a one shot deal or a trend in the making. Suppose I need to get some Lightning McQueen undies to have on hand.

Wish us luck because we need to use the diaper money to buy gas!

The Lovie Returns!

There were squeals of delight and a few tears shed (by me, of course) as Billy, the lovie, returned from his extended vacation in Myrtle Beach.
[If you have no idea what I am talking about, check out an earlier post here that will bring you up to speed.]

Billy arrived Monday via snail mail from the Landmark Resort.
And it only took 9 phone calls, 4 voice mail messages, 2 un-returned calls from the general manager and 15 days to happen.

But of course, it was not the hotel's fault we left him there in the first place and we are VERY grateful that they returned Billy intact, unscathed...and not COD :)

He was, however, a wee bit stinky. I have a feeling that he found his way to the bottom of a laundry pile of dirty sheets and towels from an entire floor of the hotel - eeewww!

Thus, immediately after his arrival, he was thrown into the washer and was dry in time for Will to arrive home from school for the big reunion. As you can see, Will is very happy to have Billy back in his arms safe and sound.



Some other time I will tell the story of how Betty (Billy's sister) once had a camp out in a field all by herself. Hmm...sensing a pattern of "lovie neglect" here :)

Sing hallelujah, the spring sandal search is over!

Ok, a little background first.

Last spring, I began in earnest a search for the perfect fitting, perfect looking, perfectly comfortable sandal to last me through all three seasons of sandal wearing that we enjoy here in North Carolina.

I wanted something that could go from day time to night time, from the home office to the corporate office, something that would work with jeans, shorts, or dress slacks. I realize this is a lot to expect from one style of shoe, but I was determined.

Of course, I was searching with an economic eye, thus I began my search at Payless - nothing remotely hitting 2 of the 3 requirements I placed on a sandal. However, I grabbed these plastic flops to use at the pool from the $4 bin - score!
Onward to Target (my home away from home). The adult sandals? Well, they ranged from "4 inch heel, kill your feet" to "dime store hooker" to "crunchy granola." The sad thing is that some of the children's sandals were adorable and if they made them in a women's size 8, I would have bought more than one pair.

Sports shoe stores? Nothing dressy enough but I did end up with these crocs:
I tried to buy the traditional crocs but they made my feet look ridiculous so I settled for the irritating "between-the-toe" version. They work for home and beach, but not so much for the office. Sigh.

Then it was onto the Web. I spent weeks searching on and off and finally thought I had found something that would work. They were more than I wanted to spend but I figured, if I can really wear them every way I need and they last a few years, then perhaps it was worth it.
And so 9 days later, I received my Agnes designer sandals:
See those scratches in the leather all over the front of the shoe? Yeah, that happened in the first 5 minutes I wore them outside.
And see that back strap that is supposed to help the sandal stay on? Yeah, that was too loose to actually stay on my heel so it lived along the bottom of the shoe.
And see the really great arch support? No? Me neither, so really not such a comfortable shoe. A complete waste of $50+.

But, oh my sisters, I have hit the JACKPOT this year! Thanks to my wonderful, really cheap thrifty bargain hunting husband, I finally have my cake and get to eat it too.
Ahhhh (envision a Vanna White like sweeping of the hand and an angelic chorus sweetly singing in the background)...behold, the Ariat Reyes sandal in Brown:


They are everything I could ever ask for in a sandal. Soft, buttery leather, Ariat's "exclusive ATS technology that cushions and supports my midsole," enough of a heel to push me over 5'3", and best of all $52.03 + free shipping. Squee! I love you Sierra Trading Post.

I. am. so. happy.
So much so that I did what any smart woman would do:
I bought the exact same pair in black :)

(And yes, I have already scheduled an appointment for a much needed pedicure - but not soon enough - yikes!)


So tell me, have you made your spring sandal purchase this year? I am still open for other great looking deals out there!

Happy Birthday, dear Scottie!

Yes, that's right. Scott has finally caught up with me. For 4 months and 2 days each year I am subjected to taunting from my "younger" man. But alas, I am free now until December, when once again my age and therefore my wisdom (heehee) surpasses that of my hubby.

And now, Stefan Scott Hughes through the ages:

Such a cute, not-so-wee little man, circa 1969

Summer of '88 and, little did I know, my first look at my future husband.

Ah, wedded bliss - 1993!

I think this was Scott's first time on horse back - Utah, 2000

Exploring Ireland a few days after learning we were expecting Eliza Grace, 2001

Daddy for the first time! 2002

Daddy for the second time! 2005

Pretty popular guy around here, 2008

Happy birthday, Scott. We love you and hope you have a wonderful day.

Never

Never, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, EVER, expect a two year old to actually go into a photography studio and sit and have his photo taken with his sister.

Apologies to family, but there will not be any decently taken pictures of the children within the next year. Perhaps when Will is 30 3 I will consider the torture once again :)

A quick trip to the beach

Last week we spent a few days at Myrtle Beach.

(Future football player:

hut one, hut two, hike, hike, hike)

I had not been there in decades.
Yikes - am I really old enough to claim I have not been somewhere in decades??
But I digress.

(Fun in the sun and sand)

It was nice to get away.
I was surprised that it was a relatively short car ride ~ 3.5 hours
We did not even bother stopping the entire trip home...except for the time we had to return to the hotel when I realized 15 minutes into the drive that I could not find my cell phone.
But I digress again.

(Flying a 'copter at Broadway at the Beach)

Nice things from the trip:
- Will did not wake up calling for me during the night any of the 3 nights AND he did not fall out of the bed he shared with daddy.
-The last night we all fell asleep around 9:15pm and we all simultaneously awoke at 7am.
We are talking (with the exception of the middle of the night potty run) 10 hours of sleep here people!! I do not remember the last YEAR I slept 10 hours in a row - so nice!
So sad how the "nice" items all revolved around sleep.

But once again, I digress.

(EG at Broadway on the Beach)

Not so nice things from the trip:
- it was really cold and windy 50% of the time
-the indoor pools were really not warm enough on the coldest days. In fact, Will, who normally has to be dragged kicking and screaming from a pool, asked through purple chattering lips to "goa backa upastaiws, peas"
-Worst of all, we cannot locate Billy. For those of you who do not know, Billy is Will's favorite lovey.

I am SO sad.

Much more so than Will is. In fact, he is fairly unaware of the situation.

Lately, as long as the lovey has a tag on the bottom, he is good to go. (He has a tag/thumb sucking addiction thing that is really weird.)

And yet, another digression.

I have called the hotel and spoken with security and housekeeping 4 times in the past 2 days and no one has seen him/turned him in.
I had big plans to add Billy to Will's "keepsake" box.

And since I am the mom and thus responsible for remembering every single item that my family needs, has, wants or drags from place to place, the guilt is weighing very heavily.
Sigh.

Sorry, last digression I swear.

There were a couple of funnies:

--at one point during our trip, when Scott "expressed" his exasperation with Will's continually uncooperative behavior I had to laughingly quip, "have you been in this family long??" I mean really, when has Will be cooperative since the day he turned 2?

--We have all agreed on Will's newest nickname: "Guido" from the movie Cars ( he is my FAVORITE!)

Why Guido, you ask? Well, Will has this little habit of saying "a" (pronounced "uh") at the end of every word he says. So hea sort ofa soundsa likea he hasa fakea Italian accenta.

It. is. so. cute.He even responds to you if you call him Guido.Totally cracks us all up.

So, all in all it was nice a trip away from the daily grind. Now back to it :)