3 Birthday Parties, 1 Day. A Facebook 'Live' Journey

Captain's Log:  And so it begins...3 bday parties, 1 day... I'm going to need a red bull.

Ensign's log: first hour has gone well, with the exception of a game stealing her coins. Cake time!

1 down, 2 to go

Ensign log, hour 2 1/2: 2nd party, and all must be well. I only see the occasional streaks bounce past

Captain's report....Ensign had locked herself in the restroom and refuses to come out. We are currently taking resumes for newly opened ensign position.


Ensign's log hour 3 1/2: Captain managed to talk me out of the bathroom with pizza as the persuasion. Sufficiently happy again. Oh! Cake time!

Ensign log, hours 4-6 1/2: rest time. Overslept and now we're scrambling to get out the door and the sleep marks and drool off of our faces. Draining the caffeinated beverages as quickly as we can. 2 parties down, one more to go. We WILL dominate the day!

Ensign log, hour 8: I'm abandoning ship. Best of luck to The Captain and Torpedo. Oh! Cake time!

Ensign's log, hour 8 1/2: I got my bonus!

Ensign's log, hour 9: 3 birthday parties complete, uncountable friends, and even a couple of new ones for me. I'd say today was a success, and we're truly blessed.

And meltdown in 3...2...1...

Geeking Out

Or should I call it, 'The Day I Tricked Dad Into Going To ComicCon With Me'?

Originally, Adam West and Burt Ward of the original Batman series was supposed to make an appearance at the Dallas FanDays ComicCon, and I knew that dad would love to go and 'meet' these two actors since he's a huge fan. But as I looked through the list of guest celebrities, my mouth dropped. 

Ke Huy Quan (I know and loved him as Data in The Goonies)

Karen Allen (Indiana Jones)

A couple of people from Doctor Who

James and Oliver Phelps (the twins that played Fred and George Weasley in the Harry Potter movies)

Elijah Wood...

Ok. I can stop there. The last 3, James, Oliver and Elijah sold me. I HAD to go to this comic con. Elijah is one of my top 3 favorite actors EVER, and James and Oliver played possibly my favorite characters ever.

This was the opportunity of a lifetime.

So after over-talking about it with my dad and our friend, Jeff, we ordered tickets, including photo ops with Adam West, Burt Ward, and the Phelps twins.

Oh...and later, it was announced that Sean Astin would be joining the guest list. Unfortunately, it was only for Saturday, so I missed that golden opportunity (he's another top 3 fave).

I was on cloud nine. 

Now, don't ask me why I chose James and Oliver over Elijah Wood. I really, truly have no idea why. Was I too intimidated to come face to face with an actor I have admired for most of my life? The fact that, at least in my eyes, this actor is legendary, up there with Tom Hanks, and plays flawless roles is quite intimidating. But still. Why would I choose others over him???

Well, on the Saturday before going, I read an email that Adam West and Burt Ward cancelled. My heart fell. I convinced my dad to go because of them. I knew he'd go with me no matter what, but I felt bad still because I felt like it became my thing and not ours. But he was a good sport, and after receiving some sad news, it was up in the air on if Jeff could join us or not.

So the day arrives, and while I still feel guilty for the star cancellations, I'm beyond excited to be 'meeting' the Phelps twins, and hoping that maybe I can catch a glimpse of Elijah. I am very well aware that the photo op is just a quick way to get people in and out, but still give fans a chance to say they saw their favorites. It didn't matter to me, though. I was going to see these guys!

So dad and I arrive at 10 when the doors opened. I tried so hard to stay calm and just act natural as we walked up and down the aisles of booths where they sold interesting, and geeky things. Hey. I admit it. I loved being surrounded by the quirkiness of it all. We finally went upstairs to the photo op place to discuss what happens with the cancelled opportunity, seeking out refund. Well with that question came incredible opportunity:  dad signed us both us to get a photo op with Elijah Wood!!!!!

We go and stand in line, which happens to be behind these two ladies:

Yeah. They were tall. And twins. And I wanted to see the Phelps twins' reaction when they stood next to what was probably the most perfect recreation of them...in female form.

And just like I expected, this was a quick usher-through. No time to make small talk. Just smile, pic, and move along. I asked a volunteer if anyone ever cried leaving the booth. He told me that a lady just got so excited because 'they smell so good!'

So. That was it. I picked up my picture:

And I was on cloud nine. All over again. I mean...how awesome is this!!!!! (Oliver is the one next to me. He played George. And yes, despite the 'no physical contact rule, he put his arm around me. And I happily did the same. Hey...I didn't do any harm!)

So to kill time until Elijah Wood, we walked around the booths some more, trying to find a Power Ranger shirt for B, which I was successful to find. Let's just hope that she likes Power Rangers several years from now when she is really able to fit into it...) Dad receives a call from Jeff, who decides he can come meet us. Yay!

We meet up with him. Walk around, then go to the 4th floor, where there is apparently the autograph session. We look inside to see the booths set up and Jeff notices that Elijah Wood is at the end of the room. So, he being the outgoing person he is, walks closer where we learn that you can get autographs, for a price. Well, $60 is a bit steep for our pockets by now, but the lovely volunteer tells us we can go up and talk to him. WHAT?!?!?!

Jeff's not shy. He's met Elijah before, back when he was much younger. So that's how he starts the conversation. Elijah holds a little conversation with him, and then shakes his hand. He then turns to me to shake my hand and I become a babbling fool. IT'S REALLY ELIJAH WOOD!!!! (Breathe deep...)

Really. It's probably not a good idea to let me meet celebrities. I could spend all day trying to think of stuff to say to them, but in the end, I'm just plain...something. Not cool. Weird. Something.

A few minutes later, dad decides to go say hello to Karen Allen, so I decide to tag along. It's easier talking to her considering she's not in my top 3 list of actors. She was very nice and she hinted that there may be another Indiana Jones, so I can't wait to check that out.

All the while, I am vaguely aware that the Phelps are in the room next door doing a Q&A. I can't resist breaking free of dad and Jeff and sneaking into the room to listen for a few minutes. Admittance: I also wanted to make sure I knew which twin was which so that I could sound like I knew them. Like we were tight...

In that Q&A, I heard great questions.

"How did they decide which twin you would play?"

"What other things have you been in?"

And my favorite: "What cologne do you use?" (remember earlier when someone mentioned that they smelled good?!)

And I also learned that this story is true:

And this one wasn't:

(unless they were too embarrassed to admit it...). But really, they said that people tried to romanticize the moment, and it sounds so much better than 'James fell asleep while we did our parts'...

And then finally I broke away to head downstairs for our photo op with Elijah Wood, where we stood behind these ladies:

Someday I'm going to dress up, too.

And more shuffling through, 5 minutes after we got into the room, this is what we left with:

THAT'S REALLY ELIJAH WOOD!!!!!  I need to go watch his films again.

After the photo, we were all exhausted, so we parted ways with Jeff and headed home. As tired as I was, I was, and still am, completely on cloud nine. This was in absolutely no way a disappointment for me. You know how sometimes, after 'meeting' someone you truly admire in some way or form, you feel a little let down? This was not one of those times. James, Oliver, and Elijah all were incredibly nice for the brief encounters I had with them, and despite my lack of ability to make any decent form of communication, it was an incredible moment for me.

The highlight of my day, oddly enough, was still the picture with James and Oliver, as well as listening to just a few minutes of their Q&A.

Such an incredible time.

McFadden Fall Dallas Vacation: Part 7 Game Night

Saturday was another fun-filled and busy day...

Starting with breakfast at IHOP--where our little child acted like a 2 year-old...and I left the restaurant a very flustered momma...thank goodness for grandparents that still see her as a good kid!

Next, she got a haircut!!!

And that evening?  The must-have game nights!  Oh how these things make me so happy!  I love being surrounded by family and friends, playing games, spilling beverages, and just getting to talk to everyone!

Even though Cary was not there, he was most certainly there in spirit--especially when Amy opened a 2-liter bottle of DP and it sprayed all over her!  I told Cary about that, and he said that we can blame that one on him.  :o)

No crazy incidents happened this time like Granny's tire last time, but there were storms building up and coming for us...and I fell asleep with lightening and rain that night!

Randoms Again

Brylee piddled in her little potty!!!! Just before her bath, and I had the water running to fill up the tub. I know water helps me have the urge to go, and it did the same job for her! Though I don't think she is all-out ready for potty training, I think it is time to introduce her to the concept. We purchased a potty-training seat (a duck!) a couple of months ago and have let her play on it. And she just recently started going to her diaper-changing spot on her own when I ask her if she needs to be changed. So there are signs. Signs that are encouraging me to work with her more and more. :o)

(And major props to me for not taking pictures and posting on the net!)

To see if we can make a post that is not completely Brylee heavy, I'll add this: Cary and I have been very fortunate to be able to continue our date nights together since we've been here. It has given us the ability to go exploring in new places, such as North Conway, NH, Lewiston, Portland, and even enjoy nights at the movies (theater and drive-in)!

We haven't done a lot of geo-caching lately because, well, Maine doesn't have as many caches as Lewisville has (and yes, I am comparing state to city). But the last couple of Fridays, Cary and I have started to pick up on more caching, and it is nice to get out there a little more, though I am still nervous with muggles. And, we have a travel bug race going on with dad: his trying to get to Portland before ours gets to Lewisville. A fun little competition I think.


I have started taking treats to our Friday after-library gatherings, because it helps me with my baking desire, as well helps me 'buy' my new friends... So far I have brought chocolate chip cookies, cake balls, and last week, I had lemon whippersnaps, even though we didn't get together due to rain. This week? These babies....in the cake form. Let's hope they taste as good as they look!

Wow. Whenever I try to write randoms about anything but Brylee, it just doesn't seem as interesting... But I guess that's our life! :o)

Brylee's Bouncy Day

Another first for Brylee in her 19 month life today: she got to play in a bounce house!!!

Playgroup was held at the ice rink again today, an indoor facility that has open 'windows' that let air flow through a little. It has been a good experience there so far, the whole 2 times we have been there!

But today was a special treat: one of the moms brought their bounce house from home!

Brylee LOVED it, and she squealed so much during her jumping fun. It was just as much fun to watch her and all of the other little ones as well!

















































This picture will get me a Mother Of The Year award:









Apparently she went up the slide, bounced across, and then out the door...Journey and I found her just hanging like this for a couple of seconds, where I snapped the picture. (I promise, she had a handle on things and as soon as this picture was snapped, she was off and running back up the bounce house again!) You can't really see it, but in her hand is a paper cup with snacks in it. Even in the moment of dangling, she refused to let go of the snacks!













She was exhausted after playing, and we even left early with the intentions to go meet another friend and help her have a happier summer day, but she slept nearly 3 hours, which just didn't give us the chance to go play. :o(

Next time!

And thanks again, Megan and Journey, for sharing such an awesome toy!

Brylee's Happily Ever After Story Time

Friday was a very special storytime for all the kids at the Small Town Library: it was the last story time for their regular storyteller, Ms. Lizabeth. It was bittersweet to me because Brylee loves her stories and especially songs, and if Brylee was old enough to understand, she would be very sad to see this sweet storyteller leave.

Brylee came out of her little shy shell from Ms. Lizabeth's songs "If You're Happy And You Know It", "Itsy Bitsy Spider", and "The Wheels On The Bus", and "Old McDonald".

Ms. Lizabeth really knows how to go out legendary, though! 2 weeks ago, it was a Teddy Bear Picnic themed storytime, and this week it was Fairy Tales. So, many moms got involved and dressed up their kid for the event, and a really sweet mom did a lot of planning to have a surprise going away party for Ms. Lizabeth as well!

























Notice how Snow White has little fairy Brylee's full attention!






























And after the story and song time, there was craft time, as the usual!










We had to get a group picture to add to Ms. Lizabeth's scrapbook that was put together by one of the moms. Where I stood, I had a hard time getting everyone one in the picture, but this looks like it was the majority.










The mom who made the scrapbook also made some super cute cupcakes, which Brylee gladly devoured! And of course I forgot to get a picture of them...someday I may be able to decorate that nicely!










And after storytime, I have started joining several moms out by the lake for lunch and a little playtime. It is such a good time, and Brylee gets to play a little longer with her friends, and find puddles as seen below. She was too distracted by this wonderful puddle to socialize and just kept going and jumping in it. Her T-ma has now seen these pictures and has a swimsuit heading her way so that way she can play more than she did that day.

And someday I'll learn how to relax a little with Brylee being around all of the water and chat more with the other moms. They are all so sweet, and I want to get to know all of them more!



















Thanks again, Ms. Lizabeth, for all of the fun songs and stories for the children, and we do hope to see you around town!!

The Maine Routine

I like how adding the word 'Maine' to certain posts makes it a play on words...

Cary pointed out to me that I should make a post about what our week is like here in Maine, mainly to be able to look back and see how we adjusted within our first 3 months. So...here we go!

Monday is a day that I consider a 'resting' day. It is a day that Brylee and I can play together, and if we have to go anywhere, it is usually the grocery store. If the weather is pretty, I like to go out on the patio with her and Chester and blow bubbles, draw with sidewalk chalk, etc...The outside time doesn't last long usually, mostly because she still likes to hunt down the puddles of water and splash around...and I think that sitting water can't be healthy to get all over her, even here in little-pollution Small Town...

Tuesday is a day I think she looks forward toif she comprehended days of the week (does that even make sense?). We attend a play group at the Community Center, a great place to get together and watch the kids interact while the moms can sit and talk. It is always interesting to see how Brylee will play with other kids, and so far, I'm pretty proud. She gets a little territorial when it comes to the balls at the place, but we are working on sharing. And she can hold her own, too. This last week, a 2 year old boy tried to persuade her to let him have the tricycle she was playing on...but she held steady! All of the kids are adorable at the group. All are well behaved as well, except when they start getting hungry or tired. Just like Brylee and her momma!

On Wednesday, the morning is slow, which is nice considering the 2 previous days start off fast and early. But we have lunch with Cary, Brenda, and Gary at the office, and afterwards, Brylee typically goes with her Opa for their play date. At that time, I go and run errands and go to the house to do a big cleaning. Apparently I don't feel I get as much done with Brylee around, and it really helps me focus on what needs to be done and get it done...and see it stay done until the next day! Lately, we have been having dinner at Brenda and Gary's, just as some time with them, but an easier way to 'exchange' Brylee, and a small way to say 'Thank You' to Gary for playing with her so I can get things done.

Thursday is our other 'down day'. Brylee, Chester, and I lounge around the house, relaxing, and playing. I need to take her to the park to run free for a little bit, but I also feel bad for Chester because he needs (and wants) to get out of the house, too. But I have a little more difficult time managing both of them...especially on Chester's leash, which he likes to try to trip Brylee with...This last Thursday (last night), changed up a bit because our church is getting decorations ready for VBS coming at the end of July, so I left Brylee and Cary for some father/daughter time and went to the church to help paint. I wasn't sure how helpful I would be, but once they mentioned painting, I was all over that! It was a very nice change of pace, and I also met and talked with some very nice ladies!

Friday is my favorite day of the busy week. It is Library day, and, like this morning, we rest for a little bit and then at 10:00 rush around to get everything done to get out the door. Even when there was snow on the ground, I was usually in a sweat from my poor timing. But I love the library time, and Brylee really does, too. We also usually see at least one of the little ones from the play group earlier in the week. After the library time, we used to head home, but today we will be meeting another little one from the library time and go to the park afterwards. Brylee will not have a nap beforehand, so hopefully having food in her little belly will keep her satisfied and playful. Friday nights are usually reserved for Oma and Opa to have Brylee overnight, and Cary and I go on a date for ourselves.

Saturday morning is a little calm, since Cary and I get to sleep in. And after we wake up, if there are any outstanding errands we need to run, we do that. And then it is off to have lunch with his family and spend a little time with them. So far every weekend we've been here and the weather is nice, we've driven around looking at 'new' towns and potential houses. Close to dinner time, we head home for dinner and our own family time.

Sunday, we wake up early to go to a local restaurant for their delicious breakfast buffet, and then on to church. Brylee has finally joined us at this church, and they love her, and I think she feels the same! After church, we figure out lunch and what to do for the afternoon. Last Sunday, we drove to New Hampshire to attend a craft fair and then visited the Children's Museum for Brylee. Sunday evening is spent with the usual eating dinner and preparing ourselves again for another week.

So, now, I have this put down for future reference to look back and say, "Wow! We were so busy!", or "Wow! We were so lazy!"

Happy Friday everyone!

Joplin, MO

(image found here)

My head has been swarming and full of prayers these last few days for those in Joplin, MO. Such a tragedy that has come upon them, and unfortunately the news continues to show more heading their direction. Currently, St. Louis is under a tornado warning.

Last night, while Joplin faced more tornado warnings amid all of this pain, my hometown of Dallas, TX was also being affected by heavy rains, hail, and tornadoes. Pictures from my friends on Facebook showed tornadoes just a block away from their homes, and even one forming over another friend's house. My aunt even stated that a tornado passed her house by going on the next street.

Today I am so grateful to our Father for placing His beautiful hand over my friends and family and keeping them safe. And I continue to pray for His love to wrap around the city of Joplin and the entire state of Missouri during this difficult time.

It's no secret that I'm terrified of storms, and while I was grateful to have been 2,000 miles up north, I still felt so helpless because I just wanted to be there for everyone who was going through all of this.

My heart goes out to all affected!