Swimming @ Joey's, 2009

Joey is in the process of purchasing a home (without a swimming pool), so we are trying to get in our swim time as quickly as possible. I think Joey would agree that it just won't be the same without going over to Joey's to go swimming. We're definitely going to have to find an alternative. We are some swimmin' Corleys, and summers are not the same without it.

Today was also the very first time that Emmy had gone swimming. She seemed to enjoy it, but was still a little "worried". At least her facial expressions said that. She did wonderfully in her frog float, and Sam had a pretty good time playing with the frog. Rachel hung out on Sam's tube quite a bit.

For a late afternoon swim, it couldn't have been better!

Summer is Here!!!

I am so happy that summer is finally here! I am going to Virginia on the 4th of July. We are going to see Aunt Corny and Uncle Sam. We are going to swim in Smith Mountain Lake. I like swimming in Virginia but, I am going to miss my BFFFL a.k.a. Best Female Friends For Life. But, now, I know that once a friend - always a friend.

By

Rachel Corley

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'Mini' Conversations

---on the way home from church---

Sam: There a moto-cycle!

Daddy: That's my motorcycle!

Sam: No! That's Mommy's moto-cycle!

Daddy: Mommies don't ride motorcycles!

Rachel: Mommies ride in limos...

...and they bring their daughters with them!

I Am

I am pretty and well dressed.

I wonder will I get earrings when I'm 13.

I hear ants.

I see food.

I am pretty and well dressed.

I pretend I'm a rock star.

I feel happy.

I touch earrings.

I worry about schoolless kids.

I cry when I see animals die.

I am pretty and well dressed.

I understand that I can't get everything.

I say I love my family.

I dream happy dreams.

I try to do good in school.

I hope to get an Apple I-Pod.

I am pretty and well dressed.

By

Rachel Corley

I See a Squwill in de Fwidge!!!

There's a long history in my family where squirrels are a menace to our society. It goes back to my Grandmother, Nonee, and may even go back further than that! One can only imagine the run-ins that the Shacklefords have had with squirrels over the years.

The Broom

I've heard the story over the years, but I don't even think that I was a speckle in my Mother's eye when Nonee chased a squirrel all throughout her house with her broom. From what I understand, Nonee nearly tore the entire house apart trying to kill the silly thing. Nonee is a wonderful woman...not only for her laugh, her heart, and her example, but for her dedication. She wasn't gonna let that squirrel win if it was the last thing that she did!

Shacklefords = 1 / Squirrels = 0

The Store

Same scenario here. Uncle Sam ran a Christian Bookstore at one time. A squirrel got loose in the store, and after many, many attempts...you guessed it...

Shacklefords = 2 / Squirrels = 0

The Doubt

I travelled with friends to visit another friend in the military. While visiting, I spotted an albino squirrel. I mentioned this to my friends, and not a single one of them believed me. They all thought that I was losing it.

Shacklefords = 2 / Squirrels = 1

The Car

Rusty and I tried everything we could to keep the squirrels from eating all of the birdseed. We even went so far as to put an oil pan around the pole to keep the squirrels from climbing up the pole. I sat in the window overlooking my unsuccessful bird feeding venture with a pellet gun. Stupid squirrels still found a way. As I was backing our of the driveway one afternoon, I noticed that the little boogers were diving out of the trees onto the top of the birdhouse 10 feet below. As I silently cursed the wretched creatures, I ran right over Rusty's car. A nice black line of paint was not present down the entire left side of Rusty's once yellow car. I'm not liking the way this is working out here.

Shacklefords = 2 / Squirrels = 2

The Toilet

Mom woke up in the middle of the night to hear something sloshing around in her bathroom toilet. She didn't quite know what to think about it. She figured a frog or something had come in through the pipes, so she flushed the toilet and headed back to bed. A few minutes later, the sloshing started up again except this time, it was a little more urgent than the last. Again, she went into the bathroom and flushed the toilet. Whatever was in that toilet was not coming out as far as she was concerned, so she kept flushing and flushing and flushing until the noise subsided. She headed back to bed until she woke up the next morning. As she went back into the bathroom, this time to use the facilities, she opened up the toilet lid. As quickly as possible, she closed the lid and called Rusty. There were no survivors! Mom had drowned the squirrel that had gotten stuck in the pipes from the roof. The squirrel's only way out was through the toilet bowl. Could you have imagined the story I would have just written if Mom's toilet lid was opened when Mr. Squirrel decided to come in to play?! Rusty gathered the squirrel up and took him to the dumpster. Things are looking up for the Shacklefords.

Shacklefords = 3 / Squirrels = 2

This past Christmas, Aunt Corny got me a stuffed squirrel as a joke. She is very aware of the Shacklefords vs. Squirrels situation. This silly squirrel travels throughout the house - hiding in the strangest of places. Rusty tries to scare me with him. The squirrel (whom deserves NO name) has been spotted in the dryer, the pantry, the bathroom, the cabinet with the plates, under my pillow, the microwave, and many, many more places.

Now, Rusty and I are messing with the kids. Rusty hid the squirrel in the refrigerator this past weekend. Sam keeps his drink on the bottom shelf so he can reach it when he gets thirsty. Sam opened up the fridge and started cackling! He said, "I see a squwill in de fwidge"! I don't think that I've ever seen him laugh so hard. He truly thought that it was the most hilarious thing that he has ever encountered. He said, "Squwill is Silwy"!

All I could do was hug him. The squirrels may come up from behind and take over this never ending battle, but one thing is for sure! The Shacklefords and Corleys will never stop laughing!

Zoinks!!!

Memorial Day weekend was spent mainly indoors because of the weather, but we wanted the kids to get out and spend some energy. We were supposed to go over to Angelyn's today, but Katie got sick, and surely we didn't need some sick Corleys around here! What a better way to get their energy out than to take them to Zoinks...again They sure did spend some energy, and we had a great time watching them!

Last Week of School

I can't believe it! School has come to an end so fast! I am so so surprised that I made it through 3rd grade.

I am hoping that I got good grades on the FCAT. My Mommy said that if I did good on the FCAT, she will think about getting me some clothes because I need me some clothes. I also want to go to 4th grade.

By

Rachel Corley

Memorial Day

Today is a very special day to the Corley Clan. Two years ago today was an AWESOME day! Memorial Day Weekend will always mean SO very much more to us than anyone could ever imagine.

We've been blessed in so many ways.

Pink

Pink is perfect.

Pink is awesome.

Pink is great.
Pink is pretty.
Pink tastes like bubblegum.
Pink smells like cotton candy.
Pink sounds like Smarties.
Pink feels like feathers.
Pink looks like a flamingo.
Pink makes me smile.
Pink is cool.


By
Rachel Corley

The Mommy Mule

'Tis I. The Mommy Mule. HEEEEEEE-HAAAAAA!

I've got it down, folks. It's official. I am no longer just a Mommy, but am now, a Mommy and a mule all at the same time. This is what I carried out of the van today. All of these items are an essential part to a Corley's day. After I got upstairs (2 flights of staris, mind you) today, I immediately ran to the scale to weigh everything.


Subway: 2.4 pounds
Laptop: 13.4 pounds
Swim Bag: 6.6 pounds
Diaper Bag: 1.4 pounds
Medula Bag: 7.0 pounds
Emmy + Car Seat: 16.2 pounds


To lug all of this up two flights of stairs takes skills. First, I put on the Medula backpack. Then, I strap the laptop and the diaper bag over each shoulder so that they criss-cross behind me. Next, I grab the swim bag, and throw it over my right arm where it meets my elbow. Finally, I grab Emmy + car seat out of the car, put my hand through the subway bag, and grab my drink. As I shut the mini's door, I chuckle to myself and say, "HEEEEE HAAAAA". Sometimes, but not today, I also have my purse, but I opted to keep it in the van this time. My purse probably weighs 13 or 14 pounds.

Yeah, I rock.

But, don't all Moms!!!

I Used to Be's

I used to be a teacher, but now, I'm a lawyer.

I used to be an egg, but now, I'm breakfast.

I used to be an apple, but now, I'm applesauce.

I used to be a grape, but now, I'm grape jelly.

I used to be a tree, but now, I'm paper.

I used to be a caterpillar, but now, I'm a butterfly.

By

Rachel Corley

Leaving the Windows Down

When I was somewhere around the age of 5 or 6, my Mom owned a car so big that I eventually named it, "Road Barge". It was a huge blue car that the air conditioning rarely worked in. At least once, that I can remember, the windows stopped working at the same time that the air conditioner stopped working. That was a miserable 105 degree summer day in Florida.

We rarely had air conditioning, so it was normal for us to have the windows rolled down more often than not. It was also normal for my Mom to forget that she had them rolled down after we got home. I can remember my Dad constantly reminding her to roll the windows up. It was just one of those things that she could never remember for whatever reason.

My Great Grandmother, Nannie, Grandmother, Memaw, Dad, Mom, and I loaded up into the car one afternoon to go to dinner in Daytona. Daytona was about 45 minutes away from where I grew up, but you have to drive through the woods to get there. Again, as we all loaded up into the "Road Barge", my Dad noticed that Mom had, yet again, left the windows down. He rolled up the window, and cranked up the air conditioning. I'm sure that he didn't want to heat out the older folks.

About 30 minutes into the drive, my Dad stopped talking to the other adults very suddenly. He was the type of man that commanded attention when he talked, so for him to suddenly stop talking peaked everyone's curiosity. I looked up from my book or puzzle or whatever it was that I had to entertain me, and noticed that Dad was looking towards the floorboard of the car at his left leg.

All of a sudden, my dad started freaking out. I had never seen him react this way to anything in my life. I felt like something was bad wrong in this car for my Dad to be acting this way, but I was only 5 or 6. What did I know?

Well, apparently, I knew enough. Next thing I know, my Dad is shaking his leg unlike anything I had ever seen! He was pulling on his pant leg and shaking like a mad man. I became worried and somewhat amused at the same time. Nannie and Memaw were chuckling, so I took their lead and chuckled myself. I still had no idea what was going on, but it couldn't be bad. My grands were laughing at him. I thought he was being silly, but the next few minutes would be burned into my memory for the rest of my life.

This incident may very well be the foundation of my sense of humor.

Dad pulled the car over to a screeching stop. He was not smiling or laughing like everyone else in the car. I still had no idea what was going on, so there was a slight chance that I was in trouble here. I'm sure you all have heard the phrase, "Don't make me pull this car over!"

I stopped laughing...just in case.

The other adults were cackling at this point! Laughter is contagious, so once I realized that I was in the clear, I started laughing again. I still had NO idea what was going on, but that would be revealed in due time.

Dad was running around in circles all while shaking his pants. I heard Memaw say that he had said something about something being in his pants, but I didn't understand how anything could get into his pants unless he put it there.

Here we are, on the side of the road, with a crazed man running around the car shaking his pants all while the women of his life laughed themselves into hysterics. Dad gained his composure after a few more minutes. He stopped having what seemed to be convulsions on the side of the road, and climbed back into the car to continue our journey. He apologized to the women, and put the car in drive. Everyone was still laughing at him. Dad was such a good sport. He started to laugh at the situation too. Just as he started to enjoy the mess that had just occurred on the side of the road, the twinkle in his eye vanished. I looked into his eyes, and saw the look of sheer panic in those baby blues.

The car screeched to a halt. I don't even know if he made it off the road completely, but Dad didn't really care at this point. He jumped straight out of the car, and ran to the other side.

Off came the belt. "Oh no", I thought. "What did I do?" I certainly didn't deserve a spanking! Everyone else was laughing too. He was even laughing!

Next thing you know, my Dad had dropped his pants and threw them into the woods! The women of his life (myself included) did absolutely nothing to help him. We all were crying from laughter. There's no sense of decency when it comes to two things: having children and getting some critter out of your pants.

Belt: $17.95

Pants: $ 22.95

Getting a lizard out of your pants: Priceless

Mom was a little better at rolling the windows up.

What's Your Motto?

Rachel and Sam go to Awana every Wednesday night. Rachel is in the "TNT" Class, and Sam is in the "Cubbies" Class.

Both of the kids truly enjoy going to Awana. I can remember wanting to go to an Awana Group when I was a kid, but there weren't many venues in the town that I grew up in. Not many people know what "Awana" is about, so here's a link so that you can go see what two of the Corley Kids are up to on Wednesday nights. Awana Information

Eileen, a friend of mine, has put this Awana Group together at her church, and when she invited the kids to come along, I couldn't pass it up. Eileen is Rachel's leader, and Mrs. Connie is Sam's leader.

Sam's Cubbie Class has a motto. When they ask the kids where their "motto" is, they all respond,
"Jesus Loves Me! That's my Motto!"

It's so cool to know that the Corley Kids are getting this additional influence in their spiritual lives. The people that put on these programs do this solely for the kids, and to me, that speaks the world about them.

Because of these people, these volunteers, my kids know that there is so much more out there to learn about the Bible, Jesus, and themselves that I may have never thought to have taught them. That alone makes the 45 minute drive to Awanas every Wednesday WORTH IT!

St. Augustine Beach

We loaded up in the mini this morning and headed for the East Coast! I can't believe how long it has been since I swam in the Atlantic, but I can tell you now, it will never be that long again. I can remember going to the beach nearly every weekend when I was younger, and now that we live in Tally, it's so far away! The Gulf just doesn't do it for me.

Rachel and Sam loved every bit about the beach. They played in the sand, ran from the waves, and had the time of their lives. I'm so glad that we decided to go at the last minute! There were some GREAT memories made today. Memories to last a lifetime!