@affiliatetip -- don't be a hater of the Central Florida geekery and our gorgeous weather ;-)

@affiliatetip -- I will mark this day in my calendar and flip to it every time my geekness factor feels inadequate to yours.

Chase Does New England

Chase took Beaudon to New England a couple of times this summer. In the photo album below, you'll find pictures of his two trips to New Hampshire and his trip to Affiliate Summit Boston :)




Click the photo for more pictures.

Disney World 2008

Seeing as how the summer seemed to zoom by and we were not going to have the time for a proper family vacation, Beaudon and I decided to pack up the kids and do a long weekend at Disney -- total tourist-style.

We stayed at Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge Resort which was fabulous. The grounds are filled with so many wild animals that we probably could have just stayed there for the entire time and not done the parks!

We took Alex to Epcot on Sunday while Chase stayed with Ms. Nancy. On Sunday, we took both boys to the Magic Kingdom.

Here are the pictures:

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Enjoy.

Blue Man Group

I had the pleasure of taking my son and his friend Lexi and her mom, Denise to see the Blue Man Group at the Sharp® AQUOS® Theatre in UniversalOrlando.

For those of you that have never seen the Blue Man Group peform, they are best known for their incredible shows that combine comedy, music, multi-media theatrics and of course, blue-painted skin to produce what can only be described as its own distinctive form of entertainment — one that is an amazing experience.

Currently, their live stage shows can be seen in New York, Boston, Chicago, Las Vegas, Berlin, Oberhausen, and Orlando.

You're not allowed to take pictures during the show, but you can see what happened to us based on the pictures taken afterwards:

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Alex's Photo Story

Alex was fortunate enough to be accepted into the Gifted Program at Wekiva this year. To say that he's enjoyed it, would be an understatement. It is the only day all week in which he springs out of bed when the alarm clock rings and actually rushes me out the door early.

As if acceptance into the program was not enough, Alex was lucky enough to be placed in the same class with his good friend Brandon who lives across the street from us. They are the only two children in the first grade class that are in the program, which I'm certain, sits very well, with them given their affection for undivided attention.

Alex's teacher, Ms. Altenburg invited us to see what the boys have been up to during the school year. We watched the boys read their self-created books, solve puzzles and show us their creative and computer expertise. Below is a sample of a story that Alex created using Microsoft Photo Story. (Grandma and Grandpa, if you're reading this, don't you think it's time to get a real computer and bail on your WebTV yet? Alex will be happy to show you the PC ropes!)



A big thank you goes out to Mrs. Altenburg for all of her work with Alex. I appreciate the positive force that you are and look forward to you challenging Alex in the years to come.

FeedFront Magazine Launches

My business partner Shawn and I just just launched our new print magazine, FeedFront. It's something that we've talked about for a long time, and to see it come to fruition is nothing less than exciting for me.

FeedFront Magazine, the Official Magazine of Affiliate Summit, is all printed and in the mail now to subscribers.

If you attended Affiliate Summit this past February in Las Vegas or last August in Miami, and live in the U.S. (and your address hasn’t changed), you should be getting the first issue in the coming weeks.

The magazine is dedicated to bringing ideas, resources, and opinions from Internet marketing innovators to you before your next project or venture.

FeedFront is for the futurists; the next-gen marketers; the early adopters in affiliate marketing.

That’s you, right? Get your free subscription.

Hope you enjoy it!

-Missy

What a Wonderful World

Alex was in his first grade play this morning. He’s the one dressed in a red t-shirt with green shorts (… I had nothing to do with that outfit!). I am very proud of him as he rehearsed his signs for days to make sure that he’d get it right for today.

He brought a tear to my eye when I watched him perform, along with his classmates. It's moments like these that just take my breath away --- just long enough to remind me of how fortunate I am to have such amazing children.

The Pledge of Allegiance

Alex received the honor of leading his school in the Pledge of Allegiance this morning.

KNN -- the school television news network is completely run by the school students --- none of which are older than 11 years old.

The news cast is actually 20 minutes long and delivers all of the relevant day's information including what's on the lunch menu, school activities and such. Other material covered incudes a joke of the day, tongue twisters, history and cultural learning.

Enjoy

Happy 2nd Birthday Chase

Chase celebrate his 2nd birthday at Gator's Dockside on May 3rd.

I have lots of photos and videos to upload, but here's a quickie one where we all celebrate Chase's birthday and our good friend Jackie's birthday at the same time:



As promised... here are the pictures:

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My Surprise Vacation

Beaudon, in his infinite wisdom, thought that it would be nice to take a break after the last Affiliate Summit. Things start to get a little crazy right before the show, that we don't get to spend a whole lot of time together. A vacation, sans children, was just what we needed.

Beaudon wanted to keep the destination a suprise and decided to plan the entire trip on his own. My gilfriend Michelle, who works at Global Travel gave him the help that he needed to make it happen.

About a week before the trip, Beaudon accidentally spilled the beans on the island, but we both decided at this point, that he'd keep the resort a suprise. I didn't know until we were in the taxi cab where we were going, which was kind of exciting.

The resort turned out to be Excellence, Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic. I highly recommend it!

Here are some of the pictures:

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New Year's Eve

Beaudon and I, along with our friends Paul and Jackie indulged in gourmet cuisine at Journey's Restaurant in Longwood, Florida. Unfortunately, it wasn't as terrific as it usually is, but we assume that it was because of the stress on the kitchen. Or, it could just be that Beaudon and I have been completely spoiled by our standing Chef's Table reservation at the restaurant each week.

In any event, we had a terrific time together sharing in each other's company.

Here are the pictures from that evening:

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Christmas in New Hampshire

This Christmas, we rounded up the family and headed to Irene and Buz Spaulding's house in New Hampshire. The kids got to enjoy the beautiful snowy weather which was a wonderful opportunity for them. Lots of presents were opened, and lots of tummy's were filled. We all had an amazing time and look forward to seeing everyone again soon. Below are some pictures from our trip. I'll be uploading some videos soon as well.

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Beaudon's Very Own, Mini-Me

"Mini-Me, you complete me." - Dr. Evil, Spy Who Shagged Me - 1999.

I couldn't help notice how uncanny the resemblance is between Beaudon and Chase in the pictures below. They had just gotten out of the shower and slicked back their hair to keep it out of their faces.

No DNA tests needed here, eh?

This Momma feels like she was merely the host...

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My New Baby Girl

Here is a picture of Bella. My husband Beaudon, bought her for me for Christmas and I got her a little early . She’s been on my wish list for nearly two years and Santa finally listened.

Bella is a Phantom Toy Poodle and is 10 weeks old. She clocks in at a whopping 2.02 pounds and will likely grow to about 4 pounds when she is an adult. Phantom Toy Poodles are the most rare of the breed. They have very distinct facial and markings, similar to a Doberman Pincher. She’s basically black and then has grey eyebrows, mouth and neck as well as grey legs and paws and right below her tail.

Alex (my 7 year old son) absolutely adores her. He even chose to play with Bella over playing with his new computer yesterday. Chase (my 19 month old son) is very curious about her and is definitely showing a little bit of jealousy. He always wants me to pick him up as soon as I pick up Bella. Right now, Kahuna (our 3 year old lab/pit) really has no interest in Bella. In fact, he just runs away when she’s around.

Bella already has a mac-daddy play area built for her and I’ve bought her a beautiful bed and cute carrying case. I have a feeling that she’ll be running our house soon.

I love her to death already!

The Making of the Christmas Card

With all of the craziness with the holiday's and our schedules, it was really tough to go and get our family picture done for the Christmas cards. So, we decided to just get dressed up in a red shirt and jeans and take one in front of our Christmas tree. Chris from across the street was tasked with getting "The Shot". After about 8 poses and trying to get everyone looking in the same direction, we finally got this one. While it's not "professional", I think it came out great. The only thing that stinks is that Sophia wasn't in it. Maybe next year, we'll have the opportunity to have her down here before the holidays to make that happen.

Our holiday cards will be going out this week, so keep an eye on your mailbox!

Alex's First Grade Picture

Alex had his first grade pictures taken a couple of month's back and after a little problem with the delivery, they finally got to me.

Check out how grown up he's getting!

A Christmas Wish from Missy Ward

Santa swung by my house and I shared with him a huge wish list of goodies for the Affiliate Marketing Industry. Check out my “Special Holiday Wish” video above to find out what I asked for.

Since I’ve been a good girl all year, hopefully he’ll pop some of them into my stocking.

Here’s hoping you and yours a very happy Holiday Season and a fantastic 2008.

Guest Entry from Jackie Resman

Here is a picture of the four of us many months ago, at our usual fun-talking, free-spirted dinners out...

Recently I got very sick and slipped into a coma and was in the hospital for 45 days, Missy and Beaudon rushed to the hospital to see me. Of course I was asleep but that's friendship at its best :)

Our times together have been real, genuine fun where anything goes. We can say anything and its all ok. That's friendship in my eyes -- loving for who you are and what ever you say is ok.

Now I am home recovering and we all await our fun dinners out and amazing brunches again. After the New Year I will be physically able to go out once again and have more cherished times with Missy, Beaudon, Chase & Alex. It will be like we saw each other, just yesterday.

Thank you Missy and Beaudon for your care and love while I was in the hospital and as I recover.

Love,
Jackie (and Gary, too).

Aunt Missy Meets her Nephew, Gavin

I was headed up to New York to attend the Ad-tech conference, so I decided to go a day early and take a trip to Long Island to meet my nephew, Gavin for the first time. My Mom and Dad drove down from New Jersey, and my uncle Joe, Aunt Norma and cousin Brian came over to visit as well. Sort of a mini famili reunion, if you will. Gavin and I hit it off really well and I got to babysit for him as Jackie and Chris were going out to a wedding rehearsal dinner.

He is an absolute cutie pie and I already love him to death.

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Halloween, 2007

Halloween was fun at our house again. Beaudon decorated the house with lots of mummies, tombstones, pumpkins and more. Chase and Alex had a great time trick-or-treating in their costumes. Below are some pictures from that day:

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Chase Tastes: Pizza Hut

Today was one of those dreary and rainy days here in Orlando. We didn't feel much like making dinner, so I decided to just pick up some Pizza.

We've only given Chase pizza one time before and it was when he was really young. He almost choked, so we've avoided it since then.

Now that he's almost 18 months, we decided it was time to give it another try.

Below is a quick video of the Pizza Hut taste-testing:

Alex Joins the Cub Scouts

After a couple of weeks of trying to find out where the closest "Den" was, Alex finally had the opportunity to join up with a Cub Scout Troop. He's had a good time at the couple of meetings that he's been to already and is looking forward to his first camping trip.

He's been practicing his Cub Scout Promise...

I, Alex, promise
to DO MY BEST
To do my DUTY to G-D
And my Country
To HELP other people, and
To OBEY the LAW of the Pack

The whole "G-d" part has me a bit weirded out, but I'm going to just take it meeting by meeting right now.

Here are some pictures of him in his uniform. My litte boy is growing up.

Alex Turns 7!

I can't believe it, but it's true. Alex has officially turned 7 today. He woke up at the crack of dawn to remind us all that it was his birthday. I let him open up the iPod that I bought him and a couple of other presents and then we head off to synagogue for morning services. Poor li'l guy had to have his birthday interrupted by a little thing called Yom Kippur.

After morning services, we went to Monkey Joe's where Alex had his birthday party. All the kids had fun, and so did the parents.

Alex got a spcial suprise with Grandpa coming down from New Jersey to spend the weekend with him. He loved the guitar that Grandpa bought him and they both rocked out later on in the evening.

Below are some pictures from Alex's special day.

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Chase's First Hair Cut

We took Chase to get his first haircut today after we realized that he was starting to get that "dirty baby" look that we can't stand. I thought that he was going to be a monster considering it was close to his nap time, but he did great.

Here's the video:

Mom & Son Day @ Seaworld

Today, Alex and I decided to take a Mom & Son Day. With it being such a beautiful day, we knew we wanted to be outside, so Alex opted for Seaworld. We had such a blast. Here are some pictures and videos. Hope you enjoy them.

Labor Day Weekend

So we loaded up the whole fam damily and headed east towards the Space Coast to spend some fun in the sun at the Crowne Plaza on Melbourne Beach.

The hotel is fantastic and in a great location. Beaudon and I actually stayed there one weekend when we were first dating and had a blast.

This time, it was definitely much more interesting. With one child wanting to be on the beach, and one wanting to be at the pool it made for a much different experience than we had on our own.

Nonetheless, it was fun and we captured some great shots of the family enjoying some well-deserved beach time.

Enjoy the slideshow!

Top 5 Fundraiser for the Breast Cancer 3-day is.....

That's right -- It's me!

This has to be one of the most proudest moments in my life which is filled with so many rewarding and uplifting occasions.

To not only finish the 60-mile walk, but to be one of the top fund-raisers has me floating on air (which is a good thing because my feet hurt so much when I touch the ground).

Please visit http://www.affiliatesagainstcancer.com to check out my experience. The website starts at the end of my walk and continues back to the beginning. If you have any words that you would like to share, please come back to this website and post your comments.

To all those that contributed to the walk financially and emotionally, I thank you from the bottom of my heart.

-Missy

Go Mama Go!

This morning I got up at 4:00am to catch my flight to Minneapolis. The other half of Team Affiliate Marketing and Ms. Flamingo herself, Connie Berg picked me up and we were off to Maplewood, to check into our luxury accomodations at the Day's Inn this evening.

While the hotel is in major need of renovation (like tear it down and start from scratch), at least we don't have to sleep in a tent for the next 3 nights and as an added bonus, I have a pretty decent wireless connection.

We ran to the mall to pick up some last minute wicking clothing and carb loaded at a Country Buffet. Now, for those of you that know me well, buffet's freak me out. They're a total germ-fest and a bad case of botulism just waiting to happen. But I have to say, after I got past the initial shock of being in there, the food wasn't so bad. So, Score 1 for the Lakewood Country Buffet for now -- although it's just been an hour since I've eaten...

I'm back at the hotel weeding through emails and got the above picture sent to me by my Aunt Carol. That is my 15-month old Chase playing in the tub. I've uploaded him onto my iPhone as my wallpaper, so that when my feet are killing me tomorrow, I can get a little pick-me-up.

I'm headed down to the gym for a little and then going to pop on some Icy Hot wraps onto the old knees that have been giving me trouble lately from all the training.

It's off to bed super early for us walkers tonight. We'll be up again at 4:00am tomorrow to head over to Anoka - Ramsey Community College in Coon Rapids for Opening Ceremonies.

I'll be Twittering my Timbers tomorrow and taking lots of pictures and video for this and he AffiliateMarketersCare.com site, so stay tuned.

See y'all tomorrow!

Welcome to the world, little nephew!

My sister Jackie and my brother-in-law Chris, had their first child yesterday. Gavin Dane clocked in at 8lbs.

Mom and Dad are doing well and can't wait to get him home.

Our family just received new first-time titles:

Missy is now an Aunt.
Beaudon is now an Uncle.
Alex is now a cousin.
Chase is now a cousin.

Sweet Gavin, see all the changes you've made already!

Can't wait to meet you in person.

Love,
Aunt Missy

Thanks Scooter and Lisa

Thank you Scott Hazard of CooperativeAffiliates.com for sponsoring my sneakers for the Breast Cancer 3-day/60-mile walk. Thank you Lisa Picarille for sending me some fun stuff to take along with me!

Please Support Me in the Breast Cancer 60-Mile Walk

Team Affiliate Marketing, led by captain, Missy Ward of Affiliate Summit, Inc (www.affiliatesummit.com) and co-captain, Connie Berg of Flamingo World (www.flamingoworld.com) will be hitting the streets of the Twin Cities for the Cure 3-Day walk (www.the3day.org).

If you can, please pledge your support at www.60-milewalk.com.

A Star is Born

Look out Billy Joel. Move over Elton John. Stick a fork in it, you're done, Leonard Bernstein.

Here comes Chase Ward Spaulding -- master pianist at 14 months.

Although he can't really get the lyrics perfect yet, he's got the instrumentals nailed down!

Hangin' at Missy's House

What are weekends for, if not sunshine, pool-time and grillin'? Here's the gang at my house for a little of all of the above.

Chase Ward Spaulding's 1st Birthday

Today we celebrated Chase's 1st birthday with some friends at Season's 52 in Altamonte Springs. In the tradition of all 1-year olds before him, Chase had absolutely no idea what was going on. He did however, have his first piece of cake, which we promptly discovered, he absolutely loved.

Check out the pictures below:

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Guest Entry: Happy Birthday Chase by Jackie Resman

Well, a great time was had by all at Chase's 1st Birthday Party -- Good People, Good Food and Good Kids.

May name is Jackie and I'm a good friend of Missy's and I always have my camera handy. I'm a Kindergarten teacher, but I guess I always wanted to be a photographer :)

Knowing that Mother's Day was right around the corner and understanding that Alex is the nicest kid anyone could ask for (Missy sure is doing everything right because this kid is amazing), I said, "Alex, Mommy's day is Sunday and I want to send your mom a frame with a home-run picture. Would you take Chase close to you and get him to smile with you?" Alex said, "Sure Jackie, EASY!".

So Alex took Chase in his arms and I could see the love between two bothers immediately.

SNAP!

Here's the finished product and I think it's ready for Parent Magazine!

Gary and I had a wonderful time at the party. Everyone was so nice and the cake was yummy!

Happy Mother's Day Missy!

With love,

Jackie Resman

PS - Alex, thank you for all of your help with this picture! I couldn't have gotten this shot without you!

Passover 2007

We celebrated the first night Seder at Congregation Beth Am this year.

Rabbi Rick (our host for the evening) did a phenomenal job keeping everyone on track so that we could all get home in time to watch the Gators beat the Buckeyes 84-75 to win the NCAA Championship for the 2nd time in a row.

Aside from the cold Matzah Ball Soup and the semi-cooked chicken, we all had a terrific time there. Here are some of the pictures from that night.

Wekiva Elementary Pirate Party

People ask me all the time why we choose to live in Wekiva, even though the homes are smaller and older. The answer is quite simple -- the neighbors and the school system.

Our public school system is the best in Central Florida and Wekiva Elementary and all of their teachers do an amazing job with the children.

I am one of the Class Mothers (yes, I know..weird, right?) and I get to see first-hand all of the amazing things that get planned year-round by the teachers, students and parents of Wekiva Elementary. Our kids really have an opportunity to flourish in this school and that -- I just love.

Today was their annual Pirate Party where all the kids (and parents) got to dress up like their favorite pirate, play some fun games and enjoy a little dinner -- courtesy of Chik-fil-A. The kids had a blast and so did the parents. Here are some pictures of the fun:

ABW Luncheon 3/22

The New Math:

13 Affiliate Marketers + Uno = 4-Hours of Entertaining Banter

The O-town gang all got together again at Pizzeria Uno today to bask in the glory that is Affiliate Marketing. Uncle Scooter was in town visiting with his lovely girlfriend as well Alan and his super-nice wife. Andy, Emilio and Annie even made the trek all the way from Miami.

A great time was had by all -- Not unusual though :)

PS - Connie/Anne: If you're reading this -- I got NINE Scooter Hugs :)

Central Florida Affiliate Marketing Lunch

Affiliate Marketing Dinner in Miami

I had to drive down to Miami for a site inspection at the Intercontinental today, so I figured I'd try to put together a few affiliate marketing friends for a little dinner.

We met up for drinks at Tobacco Road at 4:00 and had dinner at Perricone's (home of rhe world's best lobster ravioli).

A great time was had by all.

Here are some pictures of the evening:

MiamiDinner

Forty is the New Thirty

“At the age of 20, we don't care what the world thinks of us; at 30, we worry about what it is thinking of us; at 40, we discover that it wasn't thinking of us at all.”

“Forty isn't old, if you're a tree”

“The best years of a woman's life - the ten years between 39 and 40”

“Forty is the old age of youth; fifty is the youth of old age.”

And, my favorite by Christian Dior, "“Women are most fascinating between the ages of 35 and 40 after they have won a few races and know how to pace themselves. Since few women ever pass 40, maximum fascination can continue indefinitely.”

Yes, I heard them all that day. Know what? I may be 40, but I don't feel it. Some folks say, I don't even look it -- although those are the ones that don't see the grey hairs that my colorist sees!

To me, the best thing about turning 40 is witnessing the jaw drop effect displayed in the human species when they find out that I am 40 :)

The second greatest thing about turning 40 this year was that I spent my morning at Wekiva Elementary watching Alex being filmed for his school because he was named the "Star Student" of the Kindergarten Class. I was a very proud 40-year old!

The third greatest thing about turning 40 was the kick-ass party that my husband threw for me (invite below):

A bunch of my friends came dressed in their best 70's and 80's costumes and I went dressed as Cher. You know, they say that blondes have more fun, but I gotta tell ya -- Beaudon really was digging the black wig :)



















More pictures of the festivities are available here:

http://www.kodakgallery.com/I.jsp?c=10wy3pz5.8rl0ht3p&x=0&y=p3nx0q

Today also gave me a moment to reflect on my life and I’ve come up with a list of things that make me the happiest 40-year old woman alive today. So as to not rate one higher than the other, the list is in alphabetical order:


Affiliate Summit and my business partner Shawn
Boca Burgers with grilled onions
Blackberrys
Butterfish from Roy's
Cherry Coke Zero
Dangly earrings
Family: My guys (Beaudon, Alex & Chase), Mom & Dad, my sisters, Irene & Buzzy, Tiffany, Carol & Larry
Flip Flops
Friends – especially friends that can make me laugh
Greek salads
Hair Colorists
Instant Messenger
Keurig Coffee Makers
Pinot Grigio
Pedicures
Splenda
Youtube
Venti Skinny Sugar-Free Carmel Macchiato’s from Starbucks
Weather in Florida

Thank you for sharing my 40th birthday with me. And for the folks who couldn’t make the birthday party this time around, my 50th will be on January 14th, 2017. Jot in down on your calendars now, so that you don’t miss it!

Jackie & Chris' Wedding

My sister Jackie and her now husband, Chris got married on New Year's Eve in Long Island. The wedding was phenomenal and we had a blast.

Alex wound up picking up two chicks that night to dance with (courtesy of his new tuxedo he believes). Unfortunately, he wound up passing out at 10:00pm and never got to usher in New Year's officially. However, 7-month old Chase partied on until 12:30am. We truly hope that is not a sign of things to come.

Here are some of the pictures of that night. Unfortunately, since both Alex and I were in the wedding party, I didn't get to take that many pictures. Lucky for us, their photographer was all over the place so I'm sure there will be more to come.

The Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree Rip-Off

I can remember growing up as a child, the annual trek with my Dad and sister into the city to see "The Tree". It was sometimes accompanied by a Horse and Buggy ride through Central Park and of course, an elaborate lunch. Those were some good times.

I thought that since we were going into New York for my sister's wedding on New Year's eve, that it would be a great idea to let my Dad take not only his daughter, but his two grandsons into New York to re-live those wonderful memories.

After a long commute on the LIRR with two kids in tow, the annoying 2-taxi ride to Rockefeller Center to see the dried up and thinning "Tree", the 1-mile walk to find a Horse & Buggy (only to find out that we were 1-too-many to ride) and the $200 lunch that left us hungry -- well, let's just say that some memories should just not be recreated.

The only cool part about our trip to New York (other than the super-cool sparkly retro-70's shoes that I found in Roosevelt Field and my sister's wedding) was the fact that I got to see my friend Lisa Gallub (now Berger).

Here are some pictures of that day, but I think Alex's comments in the video say it all...








The Stunning Tell-All! (Turn your head to the left to view better) :)

What would Christmas be without a Duel?

Alex is really into the whole pirate thing this year. It stems from his fascination with Pirates of the Caribbean and Jack Sparrow (although he has never seen the movie because it will give him bad dreams).

So clad in his Jack Sparrow bandanna with attached dread locks purchased by Mom, with his motion-activated swish-sound making sword provided by Grandma Irene and Grandpa Buzzy, he challenged Beaudon to a duel on Christmas Day.

Here are a few of the pictures and some entertaining video:

Christmas at Aunt Carol's and Uncle Larry's

Christmas can be a crazy time of year for everyone. Last year, being prego with Chase and not really too thrilled about the idea of travelling, we held Christmas at our house.

This year, the Spaulding Clan all convened in Spring Hill at Aunt Carol & Uncle Larry's House. And, in typical Aunt Carol fashion, everything was perfect. Thomas Kinkade could not have painted a better holiday extravaganza then what we were all treated to.

Below are a few pictures of the holiday. For those reading this blog that know Aunt Carol personally, I have purposefully not posted any pictures of her until she has cleared them. For those of you who don't know Aunt Carol, she's absolutely beautiful but doesn't like her picture taken.

In any event, we all had a terrific time and it was great to have the family together.

Thanks again Aunt Carol & Uncle Larry!

This Spot Reserved

For Aunt Carol &

Uncle Larry!

Chase Goes Bananas for Hanukkah

Guest Entry by Jackie and Gary Resman

Holiday time is so much fun!!!!! Giving the gifts of friendship is really what its all about.

BUT......Gary and I were told our l'il pal Chase LOVES to eat baby food bananas so while I was shopping in the supermarket I just had to get him some to accompany his other toy gifts we were giving him for Hanukkah. Here he is opening the present from us...



Apparently he likes Bananas so much that he decided to eat the box :)

Holiday time at Missy and Beaudon's was so much fun. Missy made a Noodle Kugel(yummy!)and Alex loved the way Gary put his race track together.

Chase, when you are all grown up we hope you will see how much you loved bananas and how happy you make everyone!

Happy Holidays!
Love,
Jackie & Gary

Shawn's Christmas Present

Santa in the Park

Today was the annual Santa in the Park event at Wekiva Park. So, after Hebrew School (and providing a semi-coherent reason why Santa doesn't celebrate Hanukkah to Alex), we met up with his best friend Lexi and her Mom, Denise and walked up to the park.

The kids got their faces painted, enjoyed some Cotton Candy and Sno-Cones (gotta love Florida in December) and met up with Santa. Apparently they both have "desktop PC's" on their Holiday List.

What ever happened to LiteBrights, Easy Bake Ovens and Matchbox Cars?????

Thanksgiving in New Hampshire

The whole fam damily packed up and took on Orlando Airport and the cattle corrals of Southwest Airlines to make the trip to visit Grandma Irene & Grandpa Buzzy in New Hampshire. And it was worth it! We had a blast.

Unfortunately, Chase and Beaudon came down with some sort of virus which made the trip back a whole lot less pleasurable. It knocked them out of commission for a few days, but nothing a little antibiotic couldn't cure.

Here are a few pictures taken at Bruce & Louise's house before we went back to conquer the bird.

Chase Ward Spaulding at 5 Months Old

We got Chase's School Photos back today. He's got Warren Buffett written all over him :)

Velcro -- The New Duct Tape

I always wondered what would happen if you velcro'd children together back-to-back and ask them to perform a task in unison -- could they accomplish it?

Well, I didn't get to see that, but I did get to see what happens when you put a velcro suit on a kid and throw them up against a velcro wall.

Alex's dear friend Lexi celebrated her 6th birthday at one of those "Blow-Up Action Parks". The Velcro Wall looks so much fun that I even had to give it a whirl.

Guess I'm just a big kid at heart :)

Halloween at the Spaulding's

The kids are lucky here in Orlando -- today it's going to be sunny with a high of 83F. I remember being a child back in New York and freezing our butts off as we went from house to house because we didn't want to wear our winter coats over our costumes.

Anyway, I took a few shots of the Alex and Chase before they went off to their respective schools' and dayscare's this morning.

This is a picture of Chase after his bowl of Oatmeal w/Bananas. The big that he is wearing was actually Alex's "First Halloween" bib which I held on to. Alex thinks it's cool that he was able to pass it on to his little brother. My goal is to save it so one of the boys can pass it down to their kids.

Getting both of them to look at the camera wasn't easy, but I finally did it. Later on today, Alex will become a Pirate and Chase will morph into a baby Bumble Bee (more pictures to follow).

Before Alex and I hopped on our bicycle-built-for-two to ride to school, Alex wanted to take his picture in front of our little house of horrors that both him and Beaudon built. It's really kind of creepy to me, but the neighborhood kids seem to be enjoying it....

Update: Here's a picture of Chase in his Baby Bumble Bee Costume that he greeted the Trick-or-treaters with.

And here is a picture of my neighbor Chris and his son Brandon (Alex's best buddy). I apparently was the only person left in the free world who did not know who Dog was until a couple of weeks ago. I finally watched the show... all I have to say is "wow".

Crazy Old Man Spaulding Went Overboard...

Not sure what has gotten into Beaudon this Halloween Season but for whatever reason, he's decided to turn our humble abode into a haunted house this year.

Alex and him had a grand old time making "guts" for the mummies last night out of pumkin innards and red food coloring. Apparently the secret to making it look more "gutty" (according to Alex) is to add corn flakes to the mix.

Take a look at the Cottesmore Haunted House here: http://www.kodakgallery.com/I.jsp?c=zmvh1ve.3oln2no6&x=0&y=-28o0i7

Missy Gets a Tattoo --- Finally...

OK, so I've been wanting to get a tattoo now for about 10 years. I've always been afraid of how much it was going to hurt after listening to the horror stories from my friends who just "couldn't explain exactly what it feels like".

I wound up finally building up enough guts on Saturday night to get it done and let me tell you --- I wish I would have done it earlier. It ranks about a "3" out of 10 on the Painometer and it only took about a half an hour.

Below is a picture of the done deal, 3 days after getting it done. The reason why I chose this tattoo is that in various cultures the Dragonfly is connected with water, Springtime, fertility, renewal and is oftened considered a messenger. The Dragonfly symbolizes going past self-created illusions that limit our growing and changing and represents the "sense of self" that comes with maturity. Here are some of the views of Dragonflies from different societies:

• The Japanese have delcared the Dragonfly as their national emblem and Japan is often referred to as the Dragonfly Island. In ancient times, Japanese farmers believed the Dragonfly was the spirit of the rice plant and if they were seen flying around it was believed that it was the sign of a good rice harvest. Dragonflies were also believed to bring good luck in battle. Later the symbol of the Dragonfly became one of the emblems of the emperor's robe. An old name for Japan - Akitsu-shimu - means Dragonfly Island.
• According to Zuni legend, the Dragonfly is a shamanistic creature with supernatural powers. The story goes that a magic Dragonfly made from corn and straw came to life in a time of drought and famine, became a messenger to the gods, and helped save the people.
• The Navajo word for Dragonfly is tanil'ai, which means "Which is spread out on Water" and the they saw them as a sign of hope -- that water would be nearby.
• To other Native Americans, Dragonflies are the souls of the dead.
• In Tlingit mythology, dragonflies are thought to be transports of the human soul for shamans, symbols of transformation

In reality, Dragonflies are the world's fastest insects, capable of reaching speeds of up to 60mph. Interestingly enough, they have the ability to use an optical illusion called "motion camouflage" which makes it look like they are still to other insects while they are actually in the process of attacking them. Dragonflies do not normally bite or sting humans unless they believe they are being attacked -- like by some little monster catching one to try to pull off it's wings.

I always felt that Muhammed Ali should have used the Dragonfly as a symbol instead of his classic Butterfly/Bee saying. The Dragonfly would have been more appropriate....

In any event, when you see me in person, ask me to show you where I put this little baby... I'll be more than happy to display it :)

-Missy

Future Rock Star

Chase loves Rock-n-Roll. So much so that when we're not looking he busts out his Air Guitar and jams to to his favorite AC/DC tunes.

He's pretty disappointed that Dilana didn't win on Rockstar SuperNova and that the season is over. It was his favorite show.

Here's a picture of him watching MTV Headbanger's Ball the other night. Beaudon and I are guessing that he's going to be right-handed since he prefers to play his air guitar that way.

We're such proud parents that he's so musically inclined and he's only 5 months. He plays air guitar almost as good as his mom already ;-)

Exersaucered Out

What does a 5-month old do when he's had too much fun partying in his exersaucer? Yep, call it quits and take a nap. Chase slept standing up for nearly one hour. It was too funny to pass up taking a few snapshots

OK -- it's final. After months of construction, waiting for furniture and the custom window treatments, our money-pit is finally finished. Below are some pictures to the new 800-sq foot sunroom that Beaudon and I undertook when I was 4 months pregnant with Chase. It was supposed to be completely done by the time I gave birth to him. Well, in 3 days Chase will be 5 months old. But -- it's done.

Up next -- the Master Bath....

How We Met the Spauldings....

Hi to family, friends and all who visit the site.
We are Jackie and Gary (See picture to the left)

We met Missy and Beaudon a year ago this coming April (boy how time flies). Sometimes in life people just "click" -- they're able to talk about the good and bad in their lives and form a special friendship. That's what we have with Missy & Beaudon.

We collided with them at during a Passover Dinner at Congregation Beth Am when Missy was pregnant with Chase.
It was the middle of dessert and Missy was searching the room for a cookie, but unfortuantely, they were already devoured up. All that remained was 1 lonely macaroon. I remember feeling so bad that I wanted to go out and bye her a huge box of cookies (because ya know being pregnant ya gotta fulfill those cravings when you crave 'em)

Well............. Chase came along and not only did the entire family get a new baby, but we got a new little friend too! Chase took to Gary from Day 1 and watching Gary feeding Chase was so special for me!

Gary and I love to spoil both Alex and Chase. Sometimes Missy says we do too much but we LOVE to (so just let us!!!). We love those boys so can you blame us!

A friendship is not how much time is spent together or how long you know someone, but a FEELING inside your heart and a comfort when your together. This, I must say, is what we have together.

We all have pasts -- we all have issues -- but that doens't matter because we are very blessed to have love within our homes.

So Happy New Year to our good friends, the Spauldings.

Love,
Jackie & Gary

Alex Opens Up Some Birthday Gifts

Alex's Birthday Party was so much fun and seemed to be over so quickly that we never had the opportunity to open up Birthday Gifts. So on Monday night, after dinner, homework and bath, we had Alex open up some goodies from the family. The rest of the gifts we'll save for his real birthday on Friday.

Here's a video of Alex opening up Aunt Carol & Uncle Larry's Gifts:



And here's one of Alex opening up Grandma Irene & Grandpa Mike's Gifts:



And lastly, here is a video of Alex opening up some of Grandma Irene, Grandpa Buzzy and Aunt Tiffany's gifts:



More footage to come....

-Missy

Alex's 6th Birthday Party

Alex had his 6th Birthday party at Brown's Gymnastics today. It was a lot of fun. The kids ran around the gym with the instructors for an hour while the parents took a break in the observation room.

The theme was "Cars", which is Alex's favorite movie (at this moment anyway). The Birthday Cake was yummy and the kids had a blast.

Gary, our friend, shares his birthday with Alex, so we got him his own little cake and sung Happy Birthday to him as well.

Below are some pictures and videos of the party. Stay tuned for more to come over the next week as we open up presents and celebrate Alex's real birthday on Friday, September 22nd (which coincidentally is Erev Rosh Hashanah -- Jewish New Year's Eve).

Happy Birthday Alex!

To view all of the pictures click here: http://www.kodakgallery.com/I.jsp?c=10wy3pz5.b9n73zhp&x=0&y=-f4u8x4

A Star is Born

This is Chase's First Week at Star Child Academy. He's learning 5 different languages plus English and Sign Language there. Apparently, he should be able to "Sign" that he wants his Bottle or that he's got something cooking in his diaper, by the time he's 5 months.

The place is amazing and the teachers are fabulous. It even passes the "clean test" for an anal-retentive Mom like me.

Here are few pictures of Chase enjoying his new surroundings:

Blowin' Horn For Bumbo

There's this new product out there for babies which is the new "replacement" for those bulky bouncy seats or infant seats -- whatever you want to call them these days. The Bumbo Seat, is the best thing since Infant Gas Relief Drops! It lets any baby who can hold their head up (usually starting around 3 months or so) to sit comfortably and safely in an upright position.

It takes up a lot less space then the Bouncy Seat and also allows the baby to interact with the family a whole lot more.

Here are a few pictures of Chase enjoying his... He likes having his own spot at the kitchen table now to eat our super-fast family dinners :)

A Day at The Park

Today was Little Joey's, 1st Birthday. (Little Joey is my friend Michelle's nephew). The festivities were held at Little Lake Bryan, which is owned my the mouse. The park is terrific -- you can swim, run around the playground, fish, bar-b-que, etc. The whole family had a blast.

I also got to test out my new Olympus7.1 mega pixel camera which is supposedly shockproof from 5-feet (not that I want to test it) and waterproof to 10 feet. I got some terrific shots both over and under water :) Below are a few of them and if you'd like to see the rest, please click here: http://www.kodakgallery.com/I.jsp?c=10wy3pz5.bpwe1tcl&x=0&y=-yp5pns

Enjoy!

Chase's Face :)

The Whole Fam Damily

Michelle's Step-son Danny posing underwater

Alex getting into the act, too!

Beaudon and Chase going for a swim

One lucky Mom and her two boys!

Alex getting chased by Timmy (Michelle's other Step-son)

Michelle giving Alex a hug

Jeff catching baby koodies.... ewwww

Grandparent's Day Ice Cream Social

Today was the Grandparent's Day Ice Cream Social at Wekiva Elementary. I was one of the lucky "Room-Moms" who was chosen to volunteer for this event in Alex's classroom. My job --- to sling the Vanilla.

None of Alex's Granparents were able to make it, but he didn't seem to care. Getting to put the toppings on his icecream by himself, seemed to make up for it.

Below are some of pictures of Alex's classroom and some of the other lucky Room Moms.

You Don't See This Everyday....

Today, Beau, Alex, Chase and I went to synagogue to celebrate the 35th anniversary of our friend Gary's Bar Mitzvah. That's Gary in the middle and his wife Jackie is to his right.

We met them at Beth-Am last year and immediately hit it off. It's amazing the similarities that we have in common. Jackie is my age and hails from Long Island and Gary shares the same Birthday as Alex. How bizarre is that?

Some of you might remember the man standing all the way to the right, if you were at Chase's Brit Milah. Yes, it's Dr. Neal --- Chase and Alex's Weenie Whacker and Peditatrician ;-)

Gary did terrific and I'm sure that his Hebrew School Teacher who got him through is first Bar Mitzvah would be very proud.

We hit up Seasons 52 for the reception and indulged in their fabulous wines and viennese table --- the perfect way to end a Bar Mitzvah.

Congratulations Gary!

Picture Day at Kindercare

I can't believe that in two days that Chase is going to be 4-months old. Time is going by so quickly. This morning Beau and I got him ready in his dress clothes as today is "Picture Day". Here are a couple of shots of him before he went to school. Hopefully, the photographer at Kindercare will get some really good shots of him.

Shower Time

Since the day that I realized that I could walk and chew gum at the same time, I've been multi-tasking -- and it's rubbing off on Beaudon.

Below are some pictures of Chase and Dad in the shower together. Chase absolutely loves it -- much better than baths.

The last picture is proof that Chase is actually a clone of Beaudon. They're identical right down to the buttocks :)

Enjoy