Congratulations Carissa!

Carissa recently won the Reader of the Year award for her school, grades 3-5. We went to the county recognition last week. She wrote an essay that describes what reading means to her. We are so proud of her.
Here is that essay...

What Reading Means to Me
Reading is an energy boost. It keeps me from losing my imagination. When I need an idea of what to play with friends or family, I remember books I’ve read. I can be a hypnotizer like Molly Moon. I can be a talking lion like Shel Silverstein’s characters. I also learn about other people’s imagination and I learn if it’s strong or weak. It also helps me with my free time. I’m not just sitting, staring into space.
I have always loved reading. It’s something to look forward to. Most kids love playing their Nintendo’s when they get home, I read. When I am sad, I read of happy moments and I am happy once more. Reading is something to look up to, like an older sibling, and I’m the oldest, so I am glad I can just sit and rest from the hard times of brothers and sisters.
I know when to stop reading, sometimes. I am always reading, my mom says. My mom also says she can’t believe she didn’t know I was going to love reading because when I was little, I would take out a flashlight and book and look at the pictures, all night sometimes. I am glad I like to read, because otherwise I would only sit in front of the TV, X-box, Wii, or my Nintendo D.S. I sometimes like to read outside for fresh air. Reading outside makes me refreshed, because it’s a combination of my favorite things, fresh air and BOOKS of course. It is nice to know about imaginary things as well as real ones. I love to pretend I’m in the story. I pretend to be characters or even myself in the story. I also love the adventurousness of it all. It makes me feel…free.
The way my books make me feel free is by the way authors spin the sentences into webs. I become a fly, and PLOP! I’m STUCK! I realize that it is so sticky and I’m so close but I cannot take my eyes off those sticky, dangerously beautiful words. That is why they make me free, because I am not able to keep myself, I COME LOOSE AND FLY AWAY! I love flying, but doesn’t everyone love being a flying person?
I read all the time. I love it so much and when I’m not allowed to read there is a big gaping hole that the joy of reading fills.

Carissa Marie Clanton
Mrs. Thomas - 3rd Grade - Sycamore Elementary

Our House has grown by 2 Fins!

Last weekend we went down to Orlando to celebrate my aunt's 50th birthday. The theme of the party was bon voyage, they are going on a cruise. The center pieces were live fish and at the end of the party all the families with kids were offered a fish. I reluctantly said "yes" and the next thing I knew one had turned into two!
Carsten was excited to find out the fish were both boys. Caitlin decided to name the purplish one, Bubbles. Okay I can live with that. Carsten on the other hand had been hearing a word all evening that he thought would be a good name for a fish. COCKTAIL! And he also decided the nick name would be Cock!
After we were home, he was telling a mom of one of his friends about his new fish and the name and she came up with maybe calling him CT. Lets hope we can convince him to go with that instead of Cock.

One of my duh moments

I always love when I do something rather stupid, especially when a random stranger is there to point it out.
The other day, while it was raining rather hard, I needed to run to Publix to pick up a couple things. I love Publix for the mere fact that they help you to your car and load the groceries. It would be even better if they would come home with me and bring them up the stairs. Unfortunately they never take me up on that offer. When it rains our Publix is awesome. They have a drive through that they will wait on you to pull your car up under and then let you load children and groceries there.
On this day a nice woman waited with Caitlin and the groceries while I got the car. After Caitlin and the groceries were loaded, I proceeded to get in on the passenger side of the car. I hadn't quite closed the door when I realized I had to drive. I quickly got out and proceeded around the car to the driver's side but not before the woman who loaded the groceries said "You often have someone else driving, Don't ya?"
How wonderful of that woman to point out my absentmindedness. Thanks!

25 Random Things About Me

I got tagged a few times on facebook to do this, since it took me a while to actually think of 25 things I had to post it here.


1. I got married at 18, 1st kid at 19, 3rd and last kid at 24.
2. I love to organize; I enjoyed cleaning out my filing cabinet last night and stayed up way too late.
3. I am obsessive (my family says anal) about my house being clean. I can’t sleep if there is a mess.
4. Thursdays are my day for cleaning. I will reschedule but only if it is important because cleaning is already scheduled in my blackberry.
5. I have always had a really bad temper, trust me you don’t want to see it.
6. I was in Girls Scouts for around 7 years, still love the cookies!
7. I was born in Vicksburg, Mississippi.
8. I have lived in Mississippi, Texas, Florida and Georgia.
9. I have had 9 piercings including my tongue.
10. I will only be 43 when my youngest turns 18. Still don’t know what am I going to be when I grow up?
11. I have never broken a bone, although I am prone to frequent cuts, sometimes major.
12. My favorite color has been blue since I can remember.
13. I get really bad hiccups that literally hurt and have them as I type this. And we are out of peanut butter! Grrrrr.
14. I love Florida thunderstorms, especially on the beach.
15. I will listen to my current favorite song over and over! Currently it is The man Who Can’t Be moved by The Script.
16. I really want to skydive, but Eli doesn’t.
17. My favorite number is 7 or any number with a 7.
18. I was accepted to BYU but didn’t go. Even got a letter from a future roommate, I bet she wondered why she never met me.
19. I am a night owl but also need a lot of sleep.
20. I tear up at sappy commercials, tv shows, songs and movies. So cheesey!
21. I have a huge desire to travel, anywhere and everywhere. Hopefully when the kids are grown I can actually go somewhere.
22. I don’t make friends easily and have always been really shy, but once you are my friend I will do ANYTHING for you.
23. Eli is my best friend. He is also the one that can drive me the craziest.
24. If I had the money I would be a plastic surgery junkie!
25. I love getting together with people but am the worst at actually making plans. An Eli always leaves it up to me…

Funny Clip

Check this out, Eli and I had a good laugh after watching this...

Caitlin's First Crush

Caitlin loves going to Sunday School and Primary. The first Sunday this year Caitlin came home super excited about her new teachers and her new class. After telling us all about it she informed us they meet in a box! We were baffled, a box? She then said "The room is a box." We then realized they meet in a rather small room since our church has a large congregation and uses every space available. I guess Caitlin overheard the teachers discussing the size of the room and with 2 men and 7-8 four year olds any room might feel small.

After a bagger at Publix loaded our groceries into the car and wished us a good day, Caitlin commented "That guy was tall like Brother Prince" (her Sunday School teacher). She then added "Brother Prince is beautiful."

Thank you Bro. Prince for being such a good sport and letting me take a picture!

The Incident that started it...

Carsten's class learned about the Chinese New Year today. Since my hubby, Eli, has made a couple trips to China recently, Carsten wanted to bring in some of the items Eli had brought home for us. He wanted to bring his dragon statue, his dragon shirt, his Chinese hat, a Chinese doll of Caitlin's, chopsticks and of course some Chinese money. We had everything gathered from around the house.
I said "Is there anything else?"
After thinking for a few moments Carsten said "I know of something else, there is a box I have seen with Chinese on it."
So Carsten goes over to the night stand next to our bed and proudly pulls out a box of Chinese condoms my husband brought home from a hotel as a joke and says "I can take this."
I could not contain myself and busted out laughing. Carsten stood there completely oblivious and I just told him to go show Dad.
Needless to say I don't think the teacher would appreciate him bringing that to school.

My First Blog

So I swore I would never be a blogger, but I have found myself loving to read other peoples blogs and have succumbed to the temptation after something funny that happened tonight! Will tell that story in my next post. I read one blog almost religiously (http://www.themeanestmom.blogspot.com) because I know I will almost always leave the computer laughing and reminding myself to always have a sense of humor while raising kids. I have not scrapbooked in years and hope blogging will help me to remember the little things that keep me laughing.

Now the name... We can blame Brandy for that one. I could not come up with a name I really loved so I got her brainstorming. Her trusty thesaurus gave her the idea. I love it! Anyone who knows me knows it is perfect.