Happy 9th Birthday Floyd- (birthday party pics included)

My sweet baby boy is turning 9 years old tomorrow and with that deserves a post just for him. He is such a typical third grade boy who loves any and all sports, tolerates his studies and just is a joy to be around. He doesn't meet a stranger and Floyd is just a sweet sweet boy who makes his Mama proud each day! It's the little things that make you realize they are growing up so fast. For instance...he is now wearing deodorant and taking showers in the morning as well as before bed. Gotta be sure the hair is looking right, right??? I'm about to have to totally revamp his closet because I'm embarrassed to admit that yes, I still use the small plastic baby hangers in their closets but most of his clothes are falling completely off. That should have been a sure sign months ago. Yes, I guess I am lazy but I rather call it denial. OK, I digress...back to topic...Here are his responses to the yearly questions I ask.

I AM....Floyd IV
I WAS....picked by Chinese acrobats to volunteer as a stunt person at my school
I HAVE....a key to my house
I PLAY....soccer, tennis and baseball
I WORRY....about making good grades
I KNOW....sports
I WATCH....ESPN
I WANT....to go to Chicago and New York
I CRAVE....Mexican food
I USUALLY....play outside
I REMEMBER....going to a Memphis Redbirds game when I was 4
I DISLIKE....losing at the buzzer
I GO....to Pillow Academy
I WENT....to Cowboy Stadium in Dallas, Texas
I CAN.... run really fast
I DON'T....like brocolli
I FEEL....good when I win my sports games
I DANCE....to Disco music
I READ....Magic Tree House books
I WRITE....kinda neat
I BELIEVE....in Santa
I AM SCARED.... of strangers
I LISTEN....to Tim McGraw
I WISH....I could take a trip to the North Pole
I LOVE....heat
I AM HAPPY....when I make good grades
I AM THANKFUL....for my Mom and Dad

We celebrated Floyd's birthday the entire month of February just about. His "official" party took place on Saturday February 6, 2010 which was Superbowl weekend! So...how appropriate to have a pre Superbowl bash (IX) in conjunction with several of his buddies who celebrated birthdays in January, February and March! The boys were asked to wear their favorite team's football jersey and be ready to play some football while the cheerleaders would be ready to cheer. With the Saints taking on the Colts the next day everyone was fired up. The honorees included: John Hollis Tackett, Eddie Roberts, Harris Long, Nored Hardin and Floyd. We were able to have the party at the ROC of North Greenwood Baptist Church which is a HUGE gymnasium bldg that was perfect accomodations for such an event. Several members of the current Pillow Academy football team and cheerleading squad came to help us out to pull off such an event. The kids look up to them like Rock Stars so it was great fun and they were quite the hit! The players that came to teach them plays and drills were Reed Cook, Tyler Fondren, Will Andrews, Gaston Lyon and Ellis Rustom. The cheerleaders that came to help were Holland Falls, Katherine Flautt, Maggie Hall and Molly Henderson made the run through for us. We were so appreciative. The girls helped lead cheers and helped the girls paint mini megaphones and face painting. Here are just a few of the party pics! I thought I had more....oh well...
Birthday Boys (Harris, Floyd, John Hollis and Nored...where's Eddie??)

The Run Through

The Birthday Cake

"Let's dig in this thing!" .....wait is that Eli Manning back there? Well, he's "our Eli"... Tyler Fondren..PA superstar!

The whole crew! Complete with High School Football Players and Cheerleaders

Pinewood Derby 2010

Early in February The Boy Scouts of Greenwood combined to put on the Annual Pinewood Derby. This is always a very exciting event in Scouting. About 100 boys participated in the event. Floyd did really well this year with his "green machine" and made it to the final round. He came in 8th overall which really was only about
.03 of a second off of first place! He was very pleased.
Line em up!

Floyd and his "green machine"

Let's give her a test run how about it.

Final race....not to bad

Steele, Cole, Floyd and Ahren

Manners 101

Floyd and a group of 7 other boys and girls participated in an Etiquette Class that consisted of 8 classes followed by a formal dinner at Giardina's as the finale. Michelle Coppage was their instructor and they really had a great time while learning formal manners and some "how to" table skills. Here are just a few snaps from the Giardina's meal. We are optimistic at best that these new skills are put to everyday use! But hey...it's worth a shot and they had a great experience. Thanks Michelle!

Look how fancy everyone looks about to dine at Giardinas!

In the Alluvian Lobby


Are we having fun AND being formal?? But of course!

So Long.....Farewell... Hunting Season 2009-2010

The hunting wife/mother that I am I'd be lying if I didn't admit I was glad to see THE season come to a close. I get tired of the early morning wake ups (because I'm a super light sleeper and I hear every little creek and crackle even when Floyd tries to be super quiet), tired of the muddy boots, tired of the wet clothes, tired of the nasty caked on mudbuster truck interior/exterior, tired of the wet dog smell...tired the smells in general....just plain tired....relate????

OK, I guess I admit I have some deep seeded issues to deal with if all that bothers me and yes, I am dealing with them b/c I don't see my hunters giving it up anytime soon. I have to remember the advice of my dear sweet Gamba. She always said to me, "Well, at least they are out hunting wild game in the great outdoors enjoying the beauty of our landscape and not chasing women, gambling, or sitting in bars". I guess she is right. There could be much worse extra curricular passions that I would detest. Which brings me to the title of this post...So Long...Farewell...at least for the next 7 months! HOWEVER, I can't deny that the boys did have a good hunting season and with it a lot of fun too.

Along with this season came Floyd IV bagging not only a few doe (Doe...a deer...a female deer....sorry...I can't seem to shake this Sound of Music theme I have going on) but his first racked buck! A 9 point!!
He was so proud and it now hangs on his bedroom wall in a tasteful skull mount setting that really looks nice amidst the others his dad has bagged! The American flag through the eye socket was Floyd IV's touch. Nice.


Another treat this season was having the Pedigos come up for a hunting extravaganza weekend complete with a hunt at Buford Break in Glendora with the Connells. Scott and Lulu came up on a Friday and the 4 of us met Kelly and Ted at their hunting cabin in Glendora. Here is a pic of all the hunters after the morning duck hunt.
(Left to Right) Buck Dunavant, Buchanan Dunavant, Floyd, Scott and Ted


On Saturday we drove back to Greenwood and Scott met his Dad and got Walker and Elizabeth so they could come to Greenwood for the rest of the weekend and join in the hunting fun. Walker shot a doe that afternoon! (yes...another female deer..rayyyyyy a drop of golden sunnnnnn....ok ok enough already...sorry)


So until next year...keep it real hunters and enjoy the upcoming Spring and Summer months.

Sweet Baby Stephen

The Greenwood Melton Family has a precious new nephew and cousin. Stephen Chamberlain Trotter was born Friday February 5 in Fairhope, AL, to Lisa and McLean Trotter, my brother and sister in law. He's all home now after a scare of Persistent Pulmonary Hypertenion of the Newborn when he was born but he's doing great and getting big! We can't wait to meet him in a few weeks! What a beautiful addition to the family. Here are a few pics of sweet little man! You can keep up with McLean and Lisa and their family at their blogsite. Their blog address is http://www.trotterfamilyblog.blogspot.com/ I know Lisa D. will have some new details about their journey with Stephen's ordeal real soon. Check them out! Here are some recent pics. Isn't he precious???
McLean and Stephen when they were still in the NICU

Welcome home Brother!

Big Sis May May

Precious!

We can't wait to meet you!!!

We Have A Stalker....And It's Our Own Tom Stacy

That's right....our beloved cat has been the confirmed stalker of our goldfish. We have had several belly up gold fish in the pond of late or better yet....belly flop out of the pond entirely. Stacy may be a cat that it seems would dislike water on her furry body but she has a mean swipe of the paw and can grab up a fish or two. Anne Craig has buried a few in the pine straw of late and has said a few words of remembrance for each one. Thank goodness the gold fish population is known to multiply pretty rapidly so I think our numbers look ok for keeping the pond stocked and ready. Stacy is the funniest cat and we really enjoy her quirky, standoffish at times, yet lovable demeaner. She is a true huntress and I hope she's around for a long time..(if she can continue to allude the cars on President Street)

Here she is very confident on the frozen pond as she hovers above her future prey....

WHO DAT??? DAT'S RIGHT!

The kids were able to wear their Saints getup to school on Friday in preparation for the big game Superbowl on Sunday! Well apparantly it brought on good luck. Somehow most Mississippians feel a bit "kindred" to the good ole' New Orleans Saints team. Guess it's because they are the closest we will ever come to having a professional team.
Way to go Saints!!! Enough said!

Yep, the Griswold's are back! Just in time for Superbowl Sunday

The Griswolds 1983- Russ, Clark, Ellen and Audrey

Ellen and Clark Griswold 2010...haven't they aged gracefully!!! (no sign of Russ and Audrey...yet)


Here's the screenshot from HomeAway's Super Bowl ad, bringing back the protagonists of the 1983 movie 'National Lampoon's Vacation'

We all could relate to Rusty and Audrey at some point in our childhood lives whose parents embarrassed them somewhere along the way on an outlandish vacation of some kind. Am I wrong??

But it looks like this online service is going to get a big boost in publicity: Not only will it be running a TV commercial during the Super Bowl, but the commercial will feature actors Chevy Chase and Beverly D'Angelo in their roles as Clark and Ellen Griswold from "National Lampoon's Vacation," the 1983 comedy about a holiday gone horribly awry.

A press release explains that the commercial is an intro to a whole Griswold-themed "microsite," complete with a "short film" as a promotion, and ensuing ad campaigns both on TV and online--which basically means that this whole thing cost a lot. Oh yeah, there's also a Clark Griswold Twitter account.

Is this awesome marketing or what??

Whether Clark Griswold can fill those shoes has yet to be seen.

Will you tune in??? You betcha I will! Oh and Go Saints...!!! I'm just saying...