In the history of all hamsters, I don't know if one has ever lived longer than "Cupcake".  When we got him, the man at the pet store said he would only live for around two years...which was about a hundred years ago.  
​    Cupcake was our daughter's birthday gift when she was little - and we naively assumed he would be a cute and cuddly pet. 

    We couldn't have been more wrong.  He was the meanest, angriest, rabid little thing that would bite your finger off when given the chance.  He spent his nights spinning in his maniacal little wheel, planning and plotting his very next move.
​     Our daughter would put gloves on to try and pet him, but he'd still bite right through, being that he was from Satan himself.
​     We lost Cupcake once, like, literally lost him for over a week and I knew the furry little thing would bite our faces off while we slept.  
​      Our daughter lovingly put pieces of fruit and hamster food out each night, hoping he would find his way back, while my husband and I knew he would never survive. 
​      Sure enough...he did.
​      That was years ago and for whatever reason, she loved him still.  She adored and cared for him even when we secretly hoped after family vacations he would be "taking a nap" by the time we came home.   
​     He was too mean to die and I honestly began to think we'd one day send him off to college with her, chewing his way through her textbooks.
​    Then, it happened.  Yesterday morning, I went to check on his food and water, but he wasn't glaring at me.  He looked, peaceful. 
​    Thinking something was wrong, I cautiously opened his cage to see what he'd do, but he didn't move to attack.  No biting, no jumping...he just sat.  His eyes were open and he looked at me, but he barely moved. 
​     Calling my husband, we gathered the kids and told them to spend some time with him because something seemed to be off.  They each did, but we all kept the sense everything would be okay.
     When school was over though, there he was.  Motionless and still.
​      The level of disdain I'd held for this ball of anger melted into pain.  He was so small and delicate and I couldn't believe he was gone.
​     Our daughter wept.  She cried so hard she almost made herself sick as my mind raced with what to do.  She'd never lost a pet and kept wanting to hold him, wishing he were alive. 
​     We had a funeral, said our good byes and wondered how she would be from then on.  

     It's hard to believe he's gone.  No squeaks of the hamster wheel spinning constantly throughout the night, no crunches of food while he eats his snacks at 3:00 in the morning.
​     We know our daughter will get better in time, but it's a learning process that'll never be easy.  
​      I never thought I'd miss that little fuzzball, but I actually do. One thing's for sure though, I feel better knowing he had a very long, looooong hamster life.
​      Rest in Peace, Cupcake.  We Love You. 

   Waking up with our noses pressed to the windows, resulted in another hollow blow with not a snowflake in sight.  Growing up in Ohio, I often find myself wishing for snowy days for my kids like the ones I grew up with, but raising them in North Carolina typically doesn't lend itself to such luck.
​   School was called off last night with the potential of snow, (a huge perk of living in the south) but when we all rushed to see how much had fallen this morning, there. was. nothing.  Not even a speck.  
​   "At least we didn't have to go to school", one of the kids mumbled - but then - a few hours later, grumbles were replaced with an eight year old scream heard 'round the world.
​     "IT'S SNOWING!!!"
​    Rushing back to the windows, sure enough it was.  Little by little...then a lot by a lot...snow began to fall.  It's still coming down as I write and I don't know if we've ever seen this much since we've lived here.
​     I'm sure there are people in the south that hate the very thought of this day, but for an Ohio girl and everyone else in the house, it couldn't be better...even if it only lasts for a minute.
​                *+*HAPPY SNOW DAY!!!*+* 

    I work with a student who's obsessed with dinosaurs.  Obsessed.  He tells me about one of his favorites being the Velociraptor with the fascination of a young mind in how he thinks a Velociraptor worked.  "He targets something, while another Velociraptor swings in to take care of business."
   It made me think - sometimes parents approach child rearing in a "good cop - bad cop" kind of way with one being passive while the other, more the authoritarian.  In our family however, my husband, well, my husband is my Velociraptor.  He swoops in from the side of things when I'm having the worst kind of day, then handles the situation quickly and effectively, before things get out of control.
​    Take last week.  It was his birthday and our eight and ten year olds were arguing over who would get to hold and carry his cake.  Fussing to light the candles, I informed them how neither would be carrying the sheet cake of flames and they could walk in with me while we all sang instead. My parents and the other kids were waiting in the dining room with Adam, while we three bickered over the bearer of the sugary torch.  
​    Upon carefully balancing the cake with one hand and trying to record with my phone in the other, I quickly realized it might actually be safer for one of the kids to hold the cake, rather than attempting to text and sing.
​     Our son was already in the dining room, so I apprehensively handed the now flaming ball of icing to our eight year old and hurried her along.  
​     She couldn't be happier.  Beaming from ear to ear, she was beyond excited to have the honor of carrying her first cake to her Daddy.  
​      Cue the singing, cue the angered ten year old brother who now sees his little sister rounding the corner with the cake...and cue the family dog our daughter didn't realize was lying across the floor while she ventured in from the kitchen.  
​     "Happy birthday to you" suddenly became a tumbling eight year old releasing a flying, flaming blaze of forty some years followed by a gasp from everyone in the room.  My mom yells about the dog, our son yells, "I KNEW IT!" furious after he'd already announced his little sister would drop the cake if she carried it by herself.  Before I could scream at the entire situation altogether, enter, my Velociraptor of a husband - swooping in from the side.  
​      Grabbing the cake (that somehow landed upright), he quickly high fived our daughter telling her "nice save", gave a smile as we confusingly began singing again - while the family dog remained undaunted and unmoved.
​       How were there no injuries to child or dog, no explosions of trajectory cake and icing for days, not to mention zero instantaneous combustions of flaming curtains?  One may never know.  
​       What I do know is, my husband is my Velociraptor.  The one I can count on to unexpectedly come in and attack the everyday crazy situations in this jungle we call life.  Every single cake flying, fire flaming, dog tripping impossible adventure.
​      We Love You, Adam.  Happy Birthday!  XO           

      We live in a zoo with our four kids, dog, rabbit, hamster (that was only supposed to live two years but has somehow managed to surpass the Guinness Book of World Records for hamster life) so it only seemed natural to add, yes, a kitten.
​      "You've lost your mind" were my husband's words, sprinkled in with a few more colorful thoughts, as he tends to live his life primarily with reason.  I on the other hand, am the emotional one.  The thought of our oldest son being in the eighth grade reminds me he only has four more years until he'll miss knowing the comfort of a ball of fur curled around his shoulders while he studies on the couch. Our middle boys play with our dog constantly, but don't know the snuggly wake up call from a pounce on their chest. 
​     Then there's our daughter.  Our eight year old little girl has begged - no - pleaded for a cat for years, much to my husband's dismay.  He's stiff-armed the feline frenzy for as long as I can remember, but the time has finally come.
​     This morning, when the presents were opened with toys and electronics in full swing, there was one more box yet to be found.  Shaking his head, my husband gave me the look with a half smile, then held the box for the kids to peek inside.  Squeals were abundant as each of them held the little one, making it impossible to determine who was in more disbelief.
​     The kitten is tiny, soft and beyond adorable.  He's playful and fuzzy with the cutest little nose.  His tiny paws haven't touched the ground as the kids take turns holding him - and yes - even my husband has warmed up just a little.
​     It's a Christmas to remember with a new addition to the wildness of our home, but well worth the years of waiting.              We hope your Christmas wishes came true today, and pray you'll have the Happiest New Year of all.                

     In this day and age it can take quite a lot to find the time to get into the Christmas spirit.  Work, relentless schedules and the madness of everyday life can make it nearly impossible to stop and enjoy the holidays altogether.
​    One may wonder if the same held true hundreds of years ago. 
​    We love going to Williamsburg, Virginia for the opportunity to question just that...while gaining the cherished time to slow down long enough to enjoy this holiday season (even if it means locking up the kids to make it happen). 

    After a cool night of history, Busch Gardens was beautifully decorated for Christmas as well.  

    The simplicity of fun and togetherness without chaos and demands brings the kid out in all of us, no matter what the year or even century. 
​     May your days slow to enjoy this time, if only for a minute...and may your Christmas and holidays hold endless laughter and love.    

   It's a Christmas Miracle.  The house is quiet, no electronics are on and our 10 year old son is
   reading.
   a.
   book.
​    Not because we made him or because of school, but because he wants to.  Did you feel the earth shake a little bit on that last sentence?  Yes, he wants to read two books he discovered written by a brother and sister team, Ben and Joy.  The brother, Ben even has his own Awesome YouTube channel with thousands of followers.  
​    What's it all about you might ask?  If you've ever heard of a game called, Roblox, that's what Ben works/plays with, having tons of fun along the way.  You can catch his channel:
           https://www.youtube.com/user/NubNeb
​  and read Ben's book: http://amzn.to/2yNLRws 
  and Joy's book: http://amzn.to/2x4BFCv 

   I'm beyond impressed that a brother and sister team so young, are able to accomplish so much, while doing it in a clean, fun level I can feel comfortable allowing my kids to watch and read.
​   The books make an excellent Christmas gift and you can get them for your son or daughter who "love" to read as much as ours. 
​   Trust me, it's Amazing.  (Thank You, Ben and Joy!) :)   

    When it comes to the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City, there are usually one of two different points of view:
​    1. "I've wanted to go see that my whole life"...and
​    2. "What are you, crazy?  Who would go through such madness?"
​    For whatever reason, I've always been in the first category.  My entire life I've watched in my pajamas, the smell of turkey throughout the house, dreaming of the chance to one day witness it all in person. 
​    The chance finally arrived and we bundled our North Carolina selves up for the cold New York weather with the hopes of an experience of a lifetime. 
​    We couldn't have known how far it would've exceeded our expectations.  If you're in the first group, the ones who want to go...do it.  In our wildest dreams, we couldn't believe how much fun it was.  To be there, to be really there with the colors, music from your home - Ohio University Band, laughter, people around you and parade right in front of you feels almost surreal as though you're watching a Miracle on 34th Street, but you're actually there.  It was impossible not to pinch yourself at the sight of the floats, balloons and memories you've held close your entire life as they pass by.  Then to be lucky enough to stand with some of the nicest New Yorkers on earth and amazed as others from the parade approach throughout the route, high fiving, covering you with confetti, cheering and celebrating the day of thanks.  
​    It was a dream come true. 
    So, if you're like us and have any part of you that one day hopes to see it, I promise you, go.  It'll be a day you'll never forget. 
​    Happy Thanksgiving to You and Yours and God Bless You during this Holiday Season.    

    Never before have the Justice League and Marvel Superheroes ridden harmoniously in a minivan together, but for one night...one glorious night...Superman, Spider-Man, Iron Man, Batman, Wonder Woman and her mother Hippolyta, were as one - brimming with candy and sugar overload while keeping watch over the Halloween moonlit night.

    Venturing the streets of their friends Julie and Bob, every step was taken in search of justice. (and chocolate)

     After a long night of fighting crime, the streets were safe as tired superheroes reluctantly went off to bed with dreams of their all powerful dentist's worst nightmare.
​     They would also dream of next year, with wonder of what adventure might await, but until that day may come, they hope you too, had a Deliciously Happy Halloween!  

​    We're excited for the night to arrive and hope you and yours have a very HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!