MY KATRINA STORY IN A NUT SHELL:

three years ago tomorrow katrina hit the gulf coast. if some of you are not aware of this i am from pascagoula and still had my mother/father and grandmother mamie there along with tons of friends. so of course i worried, oh did i say that i had a 2 year old and new born here to worry about as well. anyway, my father wasn't going to leave, just like everyone else on the coast. finally my mother got him to agree to go up in the country, where my grandparents home is. they left with just a few things thinking they would return to their home in a couple of days. well as many of you know that didn't happen for alot of people. we lost power here and went to some friends house and by the time we got there and settled in our neighbor called and said we had power. so we left because our friends were having family come up from hattiesburg to ride out the storm. o.k. so the next day when everyone woke up(if they ever went to sleep) in different places to see the damage from the storm, people returned to find mud in houses, houses gone and much, much more. i didn't hear from mom and dad for about three days. it was very nerve racking. when they finally got through they told me that our house was under water the entire storm. it was about 5 to 6 feet deep. thank goodness my parents got out.......... so being the wonderful husband that kyle is, he loaded up his truck with food, ice, water and his dirt bike and took off to check on his family in wiggins and help my parents in pascagoula. why the dirt bike i asked and he said just in case the national guard would not let him through with his truck, he would have gotten on his bike and went anyway he could find to go. i had no contact with anyone down there. it was like everyone had fallen of the face of the earth. the only time kyle or my parents could call is when they got to the highest point on the moss point bridge. again all the while i was here just returning to work, taking care of a new born and a two year old. i felt helpless and after all this time i still think back and say i wish i could have been there to help. but kyle assures me that i did help, i kept it together for our young children.. so while my parents, husband, sister and brother-in-law help start to clean up, my precious, precious grandmother passed away. it wasn't due to the storm she was in the hospital and didn't even really know what was going on, from what i hear she passed away very peacefully with a sweet nurse holding her hand. we finally got to put her to rest in october. my grandmother wouldn't have wanted a big fuss about her so we just had mom/dad/me and my two older sisters. as tears start to swell in my eyes like they do every time this time of year with thoughts of the storm, the horrors everyone went through and the passing of grandmother mamie. i try very hard not to think about what my parents saw walking hand in hand in total silence to find 1206 westwood destroyed by katrina. they have sold the house that i grew up in and live in the country in a farm house as they like to call it. you ask if they have left for this storm. well, yes they have, they went to oxford yesterday for a fun couple of days with my sister, nephew and of course THOSE MIGHT REBELS.................

LOOK WHAT MAMIE WANTED TO DO THIS MORNING

BEFORE...................................

AFTER......................................

conversation with nolan

today when kyle and i picked up nolan he was talking about how some little boy did something. this is how the conversation went.

nolan: know what john wallace did today?

kyle: what did he do?

nolan: he brake the new kitten sh--.

kyle: what???

nolan: he brake the new kitten sh-- daddy. brake it all up.

he said it one more time and we figured it out. john wallace broke the new KITCHEN SET.......

mamie loves to play the game last one to touch or last one through the door or last one to do anything is a rotten egg. this is how a conversation with nolan went a second ago.

mamie: last one to touch daddy's shoe is a rotten egg.

nolan: i no rockin egg mamie.

i am still laughing at the kitchen set.

Movin on up.............

Well, Nolan has moved up to an older three class. I had to get him a back pack to put all his stuff in and he requested a Spider Man one. Of course I wanted to get a cute on with his name one it and he just wouldn't have that. I started pricing a good one (just for daycare) I found a Spider Man one and the price was right $9.99 compared to $29.99 and up. I will just have to wait until kindergarten for the cute one with his name on it. O.K. enough of the rambling about a back pack. Kyle and I took Nolan into big boy school and he went strait in, saw his class walking down the hall got all excited and tried to put his back pack on the first hook because his fins (friends) were leaving and he wanted to go. Well, we found his hook, he hung up the back pack and off he went. I ran into Mamie's old teacher Ms. Monica and she looked up and said "boy we have lots of surprises today". Well tears started to come, so I just looked away from her. Knowing in a year he will be with Ms. Monica in the pre-4 class. When I turned around to tell Nolan bye he was off and running never looking back. Here I was worried about him and it was nothing to worry about. He got in line with his class and just waved, again never looking back. Here is a picture I took this morning before leaving. Yes, I know he looks just like a big boy and he is only 3 for goodness sakes.

Changes in our house this week and next.........

Well, today Mamie started first grade. We took her to meet her teacher the other night and she started getting really exctied. Found out that there are a couple of friends from last year and a friend that she has known her entire little life in her class, so she was ready to start school. She says "she thinks her teachers are cute". This morning I walked into her room and said "good morning my little first grader". She said "I have been waiting for you to come get me out of bed." (good to know i am still needed for something) She got right up brushed her teeth, washed her face, put on her clothes and said "you aren't ready yet, hurry up and get ready". Anyway, I started getting dressed and went to wake up Nolan and he just didn't want to wake up. I feel this is going to be a big deal in the near future. Kyle finally got up and ready and we all headed to school. I asked Mamie if she wanted me to walk her in and she said "no I know where my class is, just a strait shot down the hall". As we drove up to the school I saw tons of mothers and fathers walking little ones up for the first day of k-5 or just the first day of school in general. We got up to the car pool lane and they opened the door for Mamie and out she jumps. She gets hugs from some of the ladies that remember her and off she went. I couldn't look back because I knew if I did tears would flow. Well, tears fell anyway. I guess thinking Mamie is getting more and more independent and doesn't need me as much for somethings or just because I am an emotional person anyway. O.K. tears are falling again. So we get back home to get Nolan's shoes on and brush his teeth for him to get off to school. He looks at me and says "I want go wif you momma". I said "O.K. lets go". Everything was fine until we get to school. I take him out of the car seat and he wants me to hold him. Which is just fine with me. So we get into school and Nolan loses it. Don't leave me Momma is what I heard walking out the door. Talking about tearing your heart out................ I am sure he was fine after I walked out, but I didn't need to hear that today. So today is a day of change for Mamie. Sunday is a change for both the children because they will be moving up in Sunday School classes and Monday will be a change for Nolan. He will be moving up to an older three year old room. I know Mamie will be fine, I just worry about Nolan. He doesn't like change too much. I almost forgot another person in our family that will have a big change as well this weekend. It is Kyle he turns the "BIG 40" Saturday.
HAPPY CHANGE OF A NEW DAY AND A NEW YEAR!!!