Random Photos

This odd little guy was at the Dallas Aquarium on the way home from our camping trip. He was sort of neat and really creepy, all at the same time.
The kids really loved the horseback riding on our trip. Jack cried when we had to leave because he loved this horse so much...as you can tell by the laying on of hands. He looks like he is praying.

This pictures shows Sam being Sam.

I love this photo of Sophy. There is something old-timey and idealic about it.

This is the view we see when the kids swim. This photo is actually of Sam and Sophy having an underwater wrestling match.

Last but not least, here is the latest pic of Wallace. We see Wallace every day, and this photo was taken about 3 steps away from him.

Infectious Disease Report

Jack has been grounded with a nasty, nasty virus. He is so upset because he is having to miss most, if not all, of his swim practices this week....as well as team pictures. He is very sad, and I am just hoping that he is well before Saturday. I haven't had the heart to tell him that there is a chance he can't participate in the next meet if he isn't better. Oy.
Sophy is having another round of nasties in her throat. We visited the ENT Doc today with a referral from our pediatrician, and we're slated for tonsil removal this coming Monday morning. Yeah. Hello! We figured it was inevitable, but we didn't really think it would be days away. It will be day surgery. So, there you have it!

Shameless Product Endorsement with photo

First and foremost, obviously, this is NOT an endorsement of my photo taking abilities. Having said that, let us begin in random order:

• Pantene spray detangler - (Not pictured) We would buy this by the gallon if possible. Sophy and I are like Chia Pets, and I am constantly amazed at the products for sale that claim to detangle, but also leave your hair looking like you slept with mayonaisse on it. For several days. This spray is light and truly does not weigh your hair down. I find that it works nicely at shining up the old mane as well.
• Listerine PocketMist - A must-have for anyone concerned with halitosis on the go. I basically just like how it makes my eyes water and my nose feel like I've been snorting Tobasco.
• Cover Girl AquaSmooth Foundation (compact) - I am a life-long, die-hard Estee Lauder foundation wearer. My face is extremely prone to break outage if I'm not careful what I use, so I am hesitant to try many new things. I recently took a gamble and tried this foundation in lieu of a trip to the mall (i.e. gas, cash, time, etc.) Long story made short, I have had no more break out than normal, maybe less, it covers very well, lasts throughout the day, and as long as you cover it with a good quality loose powder, it seems to be equal (mostly) to a more expensive foundation. Very surprising. I've been using it solely since about March. A huge plus is that I have found the color selections to be very nice as compared to some of the cheaper foundations back in the day that turned orange or too dark-brown.
• Cetaphil - This is one of those things that is a no brainer. Yeah, I know it's dermatologist recommended, but I'm a creature of habit. I've always used Dove on my face. On the recommendation of a co-worker/friend, I started using this and saw a tremendous improvement in the feel of my facial skin. It cleanses super gently and leaves your face soft. I use the bottle titled, Daily Facial Cleanser for Normal to Oily Skin.
• Max Factor Vivid Impact Eyeshadow Duo - This is a double-sided wand thingy that has 2 separate colors with a neato tip applicator. I'm not sure what the colors are that I have, but one is like a sparkley, light pink and the other side is a sparkley chocolate. I rarely wear eyeshadow, but I use these as eyeliners. Love it.
• Cover Girl Lash Blast masacara - I LOVE THIS STUFF. As long as they are making it, I will not use any other type of masacara. It delivers what most masacaras promise. If you like fat, dark, plump, long eyelashes then this is the goop for you. BRIGHT ORANGE tube, don't forget it.
• the COLOSSAL VOLUM EXPRESS masacara - Maybelline's attempt to de-throne the BRIGHT ORANGE tube. Don't bother. It's not even in the same ballpark. Besides that, it smells like a not-fresh-baby-diaper.
• L'Oreal infallible 6 hr. lip gloss - I really like this lip gloss a lot, but I think it is the color I like more than anything. The color I have is called Barely Nude...and well, who doesn't like being Barely Nude? The color is awesome, but the gloss does NOT stay on remotely close to 6 hours. More like 2, but hey, I'm not so big for my britches that I can't reapply lip gloss.
• Scrubbing Bubbles Action Scrubber - I bought this because I have loved the scrubbing bubble cartooney bubbles since I was a wee lass. It's an infatuation that can not be explained, sort of like my raving mad crush, to this day, on Don Rickles. I know. I know. Where was I? Oh yes, shameless endorsement...I fully endorse this little product. I would love to send in some improvement ideas to SC Johnson, but I don't think they are interested. Definitely worth the purchase if you have one (or three) dirty children that leave rings around your tub that make Saturn green with envy.
• Eggo BakeShop MiniMUFFIN TOPS - Muffins for the toaster. CHOCOLATE CHIP muffins for the toaster. Need I say more? We are in love. They are super quick and more than yummy. Buy some soon. Do not delay.
• KRAFT Bagel-fuls ORIGINAL - A warm, chewy bagel filled with Philly Cream Cheese. 5g's of fat (if you're counting, which I am most assuredly not) and 200 calories. Fast and oh-my-word. If your mama isn't the type that hits back, go ahead and slap her silly. And then eat another one. If I'm not careful, I may have to start skipping my usual breakfast of Cheezits and a Cherry Coke.
• Cherry Coke - It needs no endorsement really. There it is.
  

Sunday News

After church we went to my folk's house for lunch. My mom had made pork dumplings, garden green beans, salad, rolls, etc....and a coconut cream pie for a belated PDaddy birthday sweet. PDaddy had a meeting with a potential bride (not his, that would be me...), and I made the kids rest in their rooms while I sat and did nothing. It was such a bizarre thing that I even managed getting them to do it that I had no idea what to do once they were all in their rooms and resting. They never did sleep...man, do I miss those napping years. Still, they did read and listen to music, so I guess that is all I can ask. PDaddy's client left, and we all swam for about 3 hours. We had floatey mattress races and a water volleyball game. The kids asked for breakfast for supper, and PDaddy volunteered to run and get Subway for us. YAY!! One thing I love about having a pool is that the kids are 100% occupied while swimming, and then they are near exhaustion for the remainder of the day. Aaahhhh, nothing like kids who are too exhausted to move. Does my heart good!! Hehe.
Tomorrow I have to run to school for a bit, and the kids will have to go to my mom's, I guess. After that, I think we're having some friends over for lunch and a swim. Jack will get his ribbons at swim practice tomorrow night from Saturday's meet. I really need to come up with some idea of displaying these in his room as he gets them over the years. Any ideas?
I've been meaning to do a new installment of my old Shameless Product Endorsements. I've run across some interesting finds lately in the cosmetic, hair, and kitchen/bath cleaning departments that I'd like to pass along. Maybe I'll compile that list and share them tomorrow. Also, I finally got around to watching 27 Dresses. It's actually a cute show. I watched it alone last night while PDaddy shot a VERY long wedding and reception (open bar...yeah, those take a while to shoot). Anywho, I watched the movie, and I must say that while the actress (can't recall her name) isn't my fav, I did like her in this role.
Off I go. Clothes in wash need to hit the dryer before Subway arrives.

Sunflower power

While I'm here, I'd like to share a pic of my latest crop of sunflowers. They're called "Strawberry Blonde," and they are so pretty!

This, that, and the swim meet

Jack and Coach #1. Getting ready for the individual freestyle. Jack placed first in this heat and man-oh-man was he excited when he came up at the wall and no one else was there! He was in the zOnE!
Jack had a great swim meet today! Here are the results:

Back stroke: 2nd place
Freestyle: 2nd place (sooo close to 1st)
Breast stroke: results not posted yet..we're thinking 3rd
Medley Relay: 3rd place
Freestyle Relay: 1st place

He had a blast, and we were home by 1 o'clock. SCORE! Whoohoo. The PinkieMimi and the PinkiePop came to watch, so he was really happy to have a home crowd to perform for. PinkiePop came to the last meet also, so he got to get in on the fun two weekends in a row. I'm pretty sure he'll come next weekend, which will make Jack really happy. The facility for today's meet was really crowded, and I was dreading from the memories of last year. Luckily, next week we're at a nice, large venue, so we'll be on like a chicken bone. A friend of Jack's went to SMU swim camp last week, and he was able to see several past swim Olympians and Olympic coaches. Also, SMU has several coaches who are going to Bejiing this summer to coach for the Olympics. There is a strong likelihood that we'll find a camp like that next summer. Sounds like something right up Jack's alley. PDaddy talked with someone today about a similar camp at Texas A&M, so we'll see what we can come up with next year.

GAME TIME

After the swim meet, we came home and hit the Pinkiepool for a short swim/splash. PDaddy left a bit ago for a wedding, so he won't be home until late, I'm sure. The kids are exhausted, so we had a hot supper, and they are all now laid up somewhere at the late, late hour of 6:35 p.m. I have a feeling bedtime will come early tonight. Jack is one pooped pup, and Sam is too although I can't figure out why. He has been the biggest crab this afternoon/eve.

Next week I have to go to school (blech) a couple of days to get some things done, and we'll be doing the usual gymnastics/swim practices. I'm looking forward to a date night with PDaddy. We're planning on going to see Get Smart and out to dinner.

In other news, it is (I think) 23 days until we head to Florida with the PDaddy's side of the clan. We are beside ourselves with excitement....we being PDaddy and I. Haha. The kids, of course, are over the moon with excitement also. Speaking of the PDaddy kin, the GrandPinkieMac is enroute home from Russia today, so we're hopeful to hear if she made is safely home. The kids have especially missed her.

Next Saturday is Jackson's 10th birthday. That is a post of it's own, so I'll save that for another day! We'll be having a pool party here next Sunday afternoon. Whoooweee!

The kids are either up to no good or sleeping, so I better go see which!

~*Happy Birthday PDaddy*~

The Great PDaddy turned 34 35 36 today! Check out the blaze on that cake! Speaking of cake, we had a yummalicious ice cream cake from Wallyworld, of all places. If you ever need a quickie cake, they are very tasty. We spent the evening at home. PDaddy grilled some awfully good chicken, and we had artichokes and baked potatoes with grilled veggies while the kids attacked each other in the pool. The kids are all, hopefully, getting to sleep because we have another early swim meet morning tomorrow. This one is a bit closer to home, and Jack is crazy excited.
Our Pinkiecousin, E., went home today, and Sophy is beside herself with grief. For once, the gender odds were even around here, and Sophy actually had a very willing play partner for all things girlie. Cousin E. will be greatly missed in Pinkieville. After a week of pretend fairies, fingernail painting, mermaids, and late night giggling, our sadness may never end.
PDaddy just informed me that our movie, Fool's Gold (Matthew McCaughney and Kate Hudson) is on. Gotta jet. Pics tomorrow of the swim meet...stay tuned.

The Show

I was invited to be the guest of honor, along with about 74 stuffed animals of various species and one YorkiePoo named Pongo, at a presentation of a show called, The Fairy and the Dragon. Here you have the audience.
The basic plot was one of a fairy (played by PinkieCousin E.) guarding her house from a dragon (played by Sam) and an attacking skunk (played by Sophy). Notice Rudolph and Clarice looking on? They were enthralled....or so they seemed.

Taking a bow!

Sometime after this photo was taken they all pretended like they were bunnies who layed eggs.

Things I learned while camping with my family...

If you'd like to revisit last year's list, feel free. For now, here is the 2008 list.

• If we go on vacation, I will start my period, period.
• Strep throat + Diarrhea = Streptacaca
• Chiggers are the scurge of humanity. I currently have a host of them in the bend of my knees.
• There is no deodorant that is a match for Texas.
• The woods are creepy. That's all there is to it.
• Head lice is an interesting creature.
• A seesaw that only seats two is a sure-fire way to make 3 children fight like a pack of rabid dogs.
• Mileage in a car with 3 children ages 6, 7, and 9 should be calculated like dog years. 1 mile should = 7.
• Cherry Coke Zero should not be marketed to resemble it's non-zero'd counterpart. Cherry Coke withdrawal is a very real condition.
• Woodland creatures do not care if you shave your pits or your legs, but your family might.
• Not all sheep have 2 ears.

~We're back~

Jack was fence hopping in order to find more wind for his kite.
Cliff diving starts at an early age.
Sophy goes for the country girl look.


We had a blast with mi familia and the cousins, and I think we packed as much into the 4 days as you can imagine (and then some.....some of you know what I'm talking about. HA!) Anyway, we hiked, we fished, flew kites, rode bikes, explored an ancient river bed, made s'mores, caught fireflies, climbed trees, played on a tire swing, went horseback riding, fed some animals, and visited the Dallas World Aquarium. Whew! We made it home yesterday afternoon, and Jack, my dad, and I hit the road this a.m. at 5:30 to go to swim trials in Nacogdoches. Jack did super again, and he is fired up for his first real meet next week. I'll post a few more pics here and there as things settle.

Random Ramblings

WALLACE:

Meet Wallace. Wallace lives in our back yard with his rabbit family. Wallace is very, very not afraid of us. Wallace sometimes comes to our patio door and the door of our master bedroom and stares in at us. Wallace is very curious. Wouldn't it be cool if we could feed him from our hands? Yeah, we're working on that.

TODAY:

After church this a.m., we went to Shreveport and had lunch at Jason's deli. Sam asked to get ice cream after he finished his lunch, and we sent him with our blessings to the ice cream machine. I know, I know. You'd think since it isn't our first day on the parenting scene with this one that we would've known better. He reappeared some time later with a GIANT coffee cup exceedingly full and sporting a stacked and curled blob of ice cream that would've made any Dairy Queen employee proud. When he sat down I said SAM, THAT IS A COFFEE CUP! LOOK AROUND, DO YOU SEE ANYONE ELSE WITH ICE CREAM IN A CUP THAT SIZE? He said to me, I can't help it if they ain't as smart as me. Again, we're in trouble with this one.

We left Jason's and went to the sporting goods store that I refuse to name because it's name is vile and dirty to me. Who would name a place something so....tacky? Where was I? Well, we went there to pick up fishing equipment, a few flashlights for the kids to play Scarey Tag, as they call it, and few things for Jack's time trials that are next Saturday. While PDaddy paid the bill, the kids and I walked to Kohls next door to the sporting goods place. My children were in rare...rare form, especially the older one. They kept hiding from me and laughing at me. One of them had the bright idea to pretend like HIS head was super glued to my hip, and so of course the other two thought it was hilarious and joined in. I couldn't get them to stop because it was making me giggle and so if mama is laughing you're safe, right? At some point PDaddy wandered in to Kohls, and we spied him from a distance so I called him on his cell phone and started giving him bogus directions to where we were while the kids and I slinked and sneaked around racks of clothing and potted plants. Oh my goodness, it was hilarious. In case you're wondering, they did not call security on us. We left on our own.

I finished putting out all of my seeds when we got home, and PDaddy rigged up some outdoor accent lighting around the pool area while the kids played in the pool. I whipped up supper for the kids and fed them on the patio. PDaddy and Jack have been waiting for the series When We Left Earth on the Discovery Channel. They watched most of it this evening until it got too late, so we're Tivo'ing the rest of it. Jack begged to not have to go to bed. Poor thing loves him some space.

Honey:

I've been meaning to take an updated photo of sweet Honey to show you guys her cuteness. Oh, she is just so sweet. She is learning how to fetch! After the kids went to bed last night, we took her to our room while we watched TV. She left us to run into the living room, and in several trips, she had found all of her chew toys and had horded them in one spot....and then she laid beside them and went to sleep. I guess she was afraid Pongo would get them. They are fight like children. It's hilarious.

Oh, I smell bad. I'm going to bathe.

No shame in our game.

We went to a birthday party this eve for one of Sam's classmates/friends, and I did the usual "if you don't mind we'll go home faster than you can say Cheetos" spill at which time I reminded them to be polite, wait their turn even if it killed them, and to please not tell people when their bathing suits weren't exactly figure flattering. They very intently told me that yes m'am they would be polite and angelic. For the most part, they were. Until we were thanking the party mom and Sophy announced in a sugary sweet and matter of fact tone, "Please excuse me. I just farted." She wasn't grand standing. She wasn't trying to be funny. She was apologizing for polluting the air. Next time when I do the "if you don't mind we'll go home" speech, I need to add in there something about not detailing the specifics when we excuse ourselves.

The Weekend

Today at school we had a faculty vs. student basketball game, and I operated the time clock and scoreboard, and I commentated the game. After a few unsuccessful attempts to take the microphone away from me, it went pretty smoothly. Nothing like a captive audience. PDaddy had a HS graduation to shoot this evening, and I stayed home with the crew and thought of all the things I had to do while I sat on the couch. It was pretty nice. The kids asked for breakfast for supper, so I made eggs, bacon, toast, cereal, muffins, fruit, etc., and then we had movie night. Pretty laid back.

PDaddy has a bike ride in the a.m. with a group of biking menfolk. I'm not sure how far they're going, but they're leaving earlier than I think any sane person ought to even consider using wheels and expending energy. I think I'm going to put out a bunch of seeds and let the kids help. Well, I can count on help from Sophy....the boys not so much. PDaddy has a wedding tomorrow afternoon/eve, so I guess I'll just chill here and get the house/laundry/fridge, etc. ready for our week long absence. Sunday after church we're going to go buy all of our camping supplies, food, etc. I may go to town tomorrow while PDaddy is busy and pick up the kites the kids want and grab some rubber boots for all 3. They have big plans that involve mud at the place we're going, so I think rubber boots are necessary. One thing I can't wait to do is go horseback riding with the kids. I think they are really going to enjoy that. It's been so long since I've been near a horse, so it should be interesting. Ha.

The eyes are wanting to close, so I think it would be wise to turn down the beddy-bye and go nighty-night.

Happy End of Kindergarten!

Class of 2020!

It looks like she is advocating for peace, but she was actually communicating with her cousin that was in the audience.

It is with mixed emotions that I declare the Pinkie family to be henceforth and forevermore a KINDERGARTEN FREE zone!! Sophy Claire graduated today with a face full of grins and a swing and a skip in her step. The ceremony was really cute, and she got an reading award certificate along with 6 or so other kiddos. Hooray!!

Kindergarten is such a monumental year. As a parent, you dream about and dread your baby's first day of school. It's bittersweet to know that we'll never have the kindergarten warm fuzzies again, but it's also nice to know that we have our feet planted firmly in the halls of education. I really have enjoyed each grade (knock on wood) as we go along. Next year we'll hit first, second, and fourth. EEK! Heaven help the mama.

Leaping Lizards...er, Red Heads.

Paper Walls, Gynecological Visits, and Frolicking Bunnies

My red head has dreamed of building grand fetes of architecture since he was 3 years old. His greatest, and longest standing, dream is to build churches and Walmarts. At some point his dream stretched to include building me a home for when I "get really old and babysit his children for him." He told me today that this house was going to have paper walls so that his children, my grandchildren, could color on my walls without having to worry about making me angry. I immediately did a wall check throughout the house to see if there was a reason behind such a statement. There didn't seem to be any wall art, but he is quite familiar with the use of the Mr. Clean Magic Eraser so maybe he erased the evidence.

Today I had to leave school early to make an impromptu gynecological visit. Yeah. You really wanted to know about that. Not.

In other news, we have a bunch, family, warren(?) of rabbits living under one of our outside storage buildings. PDaddy peered under to see what he could see, and he swears the WeirRabbit is living under there. Every night at dusk, one of the bunnies or two will come out to munch before dark. We're thinking we're going to attempt to tame them, since they seem to be fairly comfortable with our comings and goings. Not that we plan to disturb them, but it would be neat if we were able to hand feed them occassionally and let the kids see them up close.

Oh! Wonder Pets is on. Gotta go!

Strep, Bathing Suit, Giant Balls, Bubbles, and Fighting Dogs

Sophy has strep. Again. For the 3rd time in 6 weeks. Sam had a similar situation when he was 4, and we had the tonsils out. Since that time, he has been heatlhy (knock on something QUICK) as a horse. Doc started counting throat episodes, so it's likely we're on the same path. Luckily our pediatrician group (they are amazing) is open 7 days a week...well, they are open from 10-11 on Sunday morning. Can you imagine the waiting room on Sunday? Anyway, Soph and I went there this morning to see why she had yet another fever and then to Target to pick up her prescription for Omnicef. Her little throat looked like swollen, raw hamburger meat. Disgusting! We'll be on the Rx for 10 days, so at least we should be remotely healthy for our camping trip. If she gets another throat infection after this one, we'll have to go an ENT doc to see about the tonsils coming out.

Oh, while at Target I found the cutest bathing suit ever. I love it! The photo doesn't show it, but the bottoms have the same ties on the sides at the top does in the center. It's really cute. I usually get a suit from Lands End or Eddie Bauer to last me the whole season, but I've really had a hard time finding one that I liked either the style or the fabric print. I love, love this one. I just hope it durable. Nothing worse than losing your drawers in the ocean! I ordered Sophy 2 new suits on Ebay, and they should be here soon. I've several suits from last year to sell...not to mention her entire Fall wardrobe. I'm really behind on my ebay selling, but I should make a killing off of her Fall clothes this year since I had several whole outfit sets that are still selling good on ebay. Thank goodness for ebay! If you have a daughter, this is the only way to go! I gave up trying to find clothes in stores that I could a.) afford and b.)didn't look like a street walker. I man, booty pants in size 5T were not what I had in mind. I digress!

I also bought 5 of the giant bouncy balls while at Target, a giant bubble bucket with 4 giant wands and 2 cases of sidewalk chalk to take for Sophy's class to use next week. She will be finished on Wednesday, so I'm sure they'll spend Monday/Tuesday wrapping up and playing outside. All of the grades had Play Day on Friday, and the kids had a really good time. I think they do this in lieu of the "Field Day" from back in the gap. The PTO (PTA?) does the jumpy castles, clowns, popsicles, bicycle raffles, face painting. The kids really liked it. Of course, they'll like being out of school better. Ha.

Pongo and Honey have fought like spoiled children all afternoon. Pongo intentionally will get Honey's chewy toys and go somewhere in plain view of her, so she can watch him chew on it. Of course this makes Honey go bananas. Then Pongo will take off with the chewy toy, and the fight/chase that ensues is both aggrivating and hysterical. They are like having 2 year olds. Speaking of two year olds...there is nothing like waiting in a doctor's office waiting room to make me thank the Dear Lord that my children are past that stage. Oy! I know I did my time with 3 kids under the age of 3 in the doc office waiting room spewing vomit and other things all in unison, but dang it if it's not so much easier to take a 6 year old who can sit and wait her turn while she reads a Junie B. Jones chapter book. I witnessed some poor, frazzled mom with a newborn and a 2 year old as she attempted to comfort the sick baby and keep the insane 2 year old from sticking sucked on cheerios to the vinyl chair backs, and I remembered. And I was thankful. On so many different levels! Ha.

The kids are begging to swim, so I guess we'll go suit up.

Pioneer Woman...dang her hide.

I had to take a break from this dastardly woman due to the large amount of cream cheese she was causing me to cook with, but my rumbling tummy naviagated my computer to her site...and darn it, would you look at this? I will be making this. Just so ya know.

One week to go!

Only one more week of school! Can we do it? YES WE CAN! We threw a swimming party last night for our schoolie pals to celebrate the end of kindergarten, first and third grade! HOOHOO! Wait. I have to do first grade again next year with Soph. Oh well! The kids had a super time, and let me tell you...there were quite a few kiddos in the pool. Whoa. I was concerned there for a bit that we'd have to swim in shifts. PFffftt. It was so much fun, Sam wants to do it when we go back to school. I'm not ready to talk about "Back to School" yet, so we'll save that decision for another day.
GrandPinkieMa spent the night after the swim party, and she stayed around and made the kids sugar cookies for lunch while I went to my hair appointment. It's almost 1, and lunch hasn't even been mentioned yet. Sugar high! I think we'll spend all day inside doing nothing but playing...well, maybe I'll organize a closet. Or not.
Next week we'll be busy with swim practice and gymnastics, and then Saturday we're going to pick up what we need for camping! We're getting really excited about our trip! I'm pretty excited about the food we'll eat on our trip. We always eat so good when we're camping, and why is it that the food tastes so much better when you've been outdoors?
Well, I'm off to do nothing! Happy weekend.

It was God's grace what killed the dinosaurs.....

My oldest 2 bravely watched Jurassic Park this evening. Jack suffered only minor angst at the suspense and drama; however, Sam watched it through his fingers and kept a death grip on my arm throughout most of the dinosaur scenes. As he brushed his teeth, he said, "I guess it was God's grace what killed the dinosaurs so they wouldn't eat us. That's pretty nice of God, I think."

Sophy spent her first evening back at the gym tonight. She hasn't been since December, and she was able to get back in with the same group of girls but with a different coach. Her previous coach was a young college girl studying to be a kindergarten teacher, and she coached like a kindergarten teacher. Her new coach coaches like...well, a coach. She was still pretty much on the same level as the rest of the girls even though they are 9-10 year olds and even though we've missed 5 or 6 months. She is certainly in her element, and I do not intend to pull her out again. She really has a gift in this area.

PDaddy is checking Jack out of school early tomorrow for a doc visit to get a physical for swim team. It's not a requirement for the team, but due to the strenuous swimming they are doing and the fact that he has complained of shortness of breath/chest tightness and pain after their workouts, we're just going to look into it before we get too far along to make sure everything is okay. We were told Jack had mild asthma as a 4 year old, but he really has only had probs with it when he has been sick. Anyway, we'll see what they say. Jack is just excited because PDaddy plans to take him to lunch.

Sam is so ready for school to be out. I really feel for the kid. I never knew a 7 year old that hates school so much. So very much. Only one more week after this one, if it ever ends. I'm hoping to find someone to get Sam started in piano lessons. It's something that he genuinely wants to do, and he's very excited about learning. The kid is multi-faceted, let me tell you. He doesn't know whether to roll in mud or learn something civilized.

Well, I'm off to do something constructive. Ha. Right.

I saw this in another gal's blog and thought I'd kill some time with it. Actually, it's rather juvenile....which is probably why it appealed to me. Still, I've never really understood who comes up with these things? And yet. YET they intrigue me.
A - Attached or Single: Is it just me or is "attached" sort of a creepy reference for marriage?
B - Best Friend(s): What if a person doesn't have any friends. This could be awkward.
C - Cake or Pie: Well that's easy. Cake, of course. Pie has meringue which is gross and spelled funny.
D - Day of Choice: Day of choice? Do you get a choice? Like you'd wake up and go, "Crap, it's Tuesday? No, I thought I specifically requested today to be Saturday!"
E - Essential Item: Essential like toilet paper? Or like a Cherry Coke and Cheezits?
F - Favorite Color(s): Not beige.
G - Gummy Bears or Worms: Gee. Uhm. Neither? I'm going with Pepperoni pizza with mushrooms.
H - Hometown: As in birthplace? Albuquerque? Or the place I call home? Not Albuquerque.
I - Indulgence(s): Ooooh. Now this...THIS is a good question...but honestly, is it any of your business? I think not.
J - January or July: July, actually, but what about the other months? I hope they aren't seeking legal representation for month discrimination.
K - Kids: Is this a yes or no question?
L - Life is incomplete without: Well the obvious answer would be....life.
M - Marriage Date: Finally, something I can get behind. January 11, 1997
N - Number of Siblings: 2 brothers. Not that they care.
O - Oranges or Apples: I haven't eaten fruit since 1989. I'm a recovering fruiter.
P- Phobias or Fears: Yes. The list is long and sordid, and I'm a hypochondriac too while we're listing all of my shortcomings.
Q - Quote: I'd love to put something pithy here, but I can never remember quotes. Frankly, I don't believe anyone ever remembers them...I just think some people have better reference materials than others. The closest thing I could reference at this point is the Brookshire Brothers Sunday coupon flyer, and it says "A Celebration of Family and Community!" Which is supposed to have something to do with grocery shopping, I think.
R- Ring size: Who came up with these?
S - Season: What? Right now? It's like Sprummer, but I think summer officially kicks off in June. If you need the other seasonal date markers, you can look on any calendar.
T- Tag 3 Friends: We don't play tag anymore. We got old and slow.
U - Unknown fact about me: Most unknown facts are unknown for a reason. Der.
V - Very favorite stores: Very favorite? That's cute.
W - Worst Habit: I have no bad habits. I'm perfect.
X-ray or Ultrasound: No thanks. I haven't met my deductable.
Y - Your Favorite Food(s): Sugar, Flour, Starch
Z - Zodiac: Why didn't Zylophone get picked for this one? As in, do you play the zylophone? No, by the way, I do not. Oh wait, Zylophone starts with an X. So, yeah. That's why. In that case, Leo.

How does my garden grow?

This is a very strange angle for some reason, but it's a teensy corner of one bed and path. It was taken about 2 weeks ago, so there are tons of things that have sprouted, grown, and bloomed since then. You pretty much can't even see the ground anymore in this bed. Right now, my bloomers are my gladiolas, freesias, lantana, day lilies, and zinnias. The sunflowers are about as tall as I am, but they haven't bloomed yet.
This is a PARTIAL photo of Jack's 40-pound cabbage that was a planting assignment from his science class. The plants were donated by http://www.bonnieplants.com/. Bonnie’s 3rd Grade Cabbage Program distributes free cabbage plants to third-grade classrooms whose teachers sign up to participate. This year 1,200,000 third-graders will be planting and taking care of their own cabbage plants. You can learn more about the program, which also awards a $1,000 scholarship to one student in each state, by visiting the Third Grade Cabbage Program page of this web site (so says the website). I'd say it lives up to it's name. Again, this photo was taken about a month ago. The cabbage is HUGE now, and we basically put it in the dirt and that was it. I don't think we'll be entering the scholarship contest, still...we've had fun watching it grow and looking at the cabbages that were submitted on line. If the teensy cabbage we started with is any indicator of the type of produce Bonnie sales, then I highly recommend their product. As you can see, it's quite a substantial vegetable.

The dollhouse we built a few months back sits beside the giant gardenia bush that is now covered in sweet smelling blooms. That one bush makes our entire yard smell divine. Since this photo was taken, the zinnias and marigolds that I planted from seed have grown to about waist heighth and bloomed along the sides of the house.

As a prince sings...

Prince Charming (not PDaddy...the REAL Prince Charming) is crooning with Cinderella to the tune of SO THIS IS LOVE from the CD player in Sophy's room, the boys are making armpit farts that I can hear through their closed door, and Pongo and Honey are playing tug-of-war with a dog chewie on the floor. Yep, it's just another bedtime at the Pinkie house.

We had an uber relaxing weekend. PDaddy had a 3 day weekend for the first time since October. He actually had a family shoot on Saturday afternoon, but it wrapped up quickly and that was that. We had some friends over, and we grilled and laughed until we were in pain while the kids acted like maniacs in the pool. Sunday a.m. we went to church and then to see Indiana Jones. Sigh.....I love Harry. Was the movie good? I don't know. I just am in such love with Harry that he could have, regrets to Randy Jackson, "read the phone book", and I would've been happy. I enjoyed the movie. No, it's not realistic. There. I said it. BUT WHO CARES? Not. Me. So. There.
After the movie, we headed to the book store where I was accosted, not once but twice, by weird crazies....the strangest of which approached me with a written (I do not lie) message on a strip of toilet paper and tried to get me to take it from his hand and read it. All without him saying a word to me. Instead of words, he kept wagging his eyebrows at me while jerking his head towards the toilet paper note that was scribbled with jibberish and pictures. Not to mention (ok, I'll mention) the fact that he had a crazy wall-eye and was wearing a beret. I have never had a good experience with people in berets. I shall not elaborate. Just trust me on that fact.
Where was I? Bookstore. Wall-eyed crazies. Oh yes. We got take out munchies from McAllister's since it was past supper time, but we were full from the oversized load of buttered popcorn that we had with Indiana, came home and put the kids to bed. I went for a swim (I'm attempting to be diligent with some water aerobics). After that, PDaddy and I watched Girl Interrupted, which I have never watched but have often used the title to call sketchy females who I encounter, during which we ate our Grilled Chicken Ceasar Wraps from McAllister's. Might I say at this time that Angelina Jolie has, apparently, always had the inflated lipage that she sports today. She was collagen when collagen wasn't cool. I think I liked the movie, except where disturbed girl #3 hung herself. Yeah. Downer.
Even though it was late, we watched Disturbia with Shia LeBouf (how does that guy spell his name?) It's totally not my type of movie, but I must say that I enjoyed it rather much. It was just the right mix of suspense, funny, etc. By the time the movie was over, it was like midnight, so I read for a bit then we hit the hay.
PDaddy spent the morning doing yard work, and the kids spent most of the day in the pool. We ordered pizza this evening and watched the new season of American Gladiator with Jack which made him so incredibly happy. He loves that show. I cranked out the Blue Bell Moo Bars during the show, and we all sat and moo'd while we ate them. Good times, guys. Good times.

And now, here I sit. The CD has moved on to Sleeping Beauty, who is also singing with HER Prince Charming. I can no longer hear anything from the boy's room which isn't nearly as comforting as you'd think it would be. I better go check it out.

The weekend....and just in time, too.

Speed Racer. Don't bother! We saw it this evening, after a long wait fraught with anticipation and angst, only to discover that it's a candy-colored let down. It is, quite honestly, the worst movie I've ever seen. And I've seen a lot of movies. Jack loved it, of course, but I was very disappointed in the gun-toting and shooting, booty shots, and general violence. I can safely say we will not be buying the DVD, no matter how much it disappoints my #1 son.

After The Great Let Down movie, we met the GrandPinkies for sup at OutBack. We also went to the Splash pool store to pick up some lounge floaties and such. PDaddy and I soaked our feet in the pool for a few minutes after putting the kids to bed. The water temp is 84 degrees. Something tells me that we'll be swimming a good bit this weekend.

PDaddy has a free morning/early afternoon tomorrow for the first time in ages, so we plan to snag some donut-age....then, we'll be dropping of PDaddy's jeep at the shop to have a bit of tire rotating. After that, I wanna pick up some plantey things for the back patio at the nursery. Tomorrow eve we're having friends over for a grill and a swim. ((As I type, Honey is beside me chasing her tail in circles trying to bite it.))

Things I've said this week:

* Get your tongue out of the butter.

* Where are you going with that hammer?

* What possessed you to carve your name into my classroom door?

* I'm not sure what keeps water from soaking into a ditch.

* What ever you do, do NOT repeat that when you get to school.

* Sure you can run for student council president when you get to 8th grade, so you can make the morning announcements over the intercom in your mean, robot voice.

* Well, hurry up and catch him and punch him back.

* Get your teeth off of your brother's elbow right this minute.

* For the 5th and final time, put Uranus back where you found it.

* Please stop trying to give birth to a wolf.

* I can promise you that is not where baby wolves get their milk from. Please stop.

* People do not get awards for peeing no matter what your daddy told you.

* You really shouldn't ask someone to take their teeth out so you can see them.

He's got the whole solar system in His hands.

Sorry to make this so short and sweet, but this is our only night this week with no swim team practice--and we'll be busy constructing, or should I say RE-constructing, the solar system.
Be back soon!

10 Things in Jack, Sam, and Sophy's Room

Boys Room:

• Solar system and planes flying from ceiling



• Hot Wheels cars



• Marbles EVERYWHERE!



• 18 wheelers



• Punching bag



• Tons and tons of books



• Computer desk and computer



• Paper airplanes



• Globe


• Legos, Legos, and more Legos

Sophy's Room:

• Butterflies and sparkley ornaments hanging from ceiling



• Fairy net over her bed



• Snowglobes and matroyshkas



• Barbie fairies



• Pink roller skates



• Fairy wands and costumes



• Butterfly mobile hangs in her window



• Birdhouses on the walls



• Giant stuffed elephant on the bed



• Glass elephants and Josef birthday angels

Eye to the sky, er...calendar

Now that dance is over, I can finally catch my breath and....wait. Scratch that. Swim team starts tomorrow for Jack. It's not as bad as all that actually. Swim team is way less mommy involved and far more enjoyable, at least in my opinion, to be involved with. Not that I didn't enjoy Sophy's dance year, I really did. It was just so involving and dramatic. I mean, the production yesterday involved about 150 girls. Yeah. Dramatic is a good word. Anywho, we're rolling right along, and we'll be working out with the swim team for the next couple of weeks getting ready for time trials which will be held in Nacogdoches. All of our meets this year are in Lufkin and Nacogdoches.
We have a few field trips coming up for the Pinkie kids, a play day at school (field day), and kindergarten graduation for the Sophster. The kids want to have a swim party here for some kiddos, so I guess we'll do that before school winds down.
The day after school gets out, we leave for our camping trip with my side of the family. The kids are excited about fishing in the river again with their cousins. We're going to a new location this year. Last year, we were deep in the hill country and visited caves, waterfalls, caverns, and tubed on the San Gabriel River. This year, we'll be north of the hill country. We have reservations for the entire week at this place. The lady who runs the place says that you can see dinosaur footprints in the riverbed! We also have planned a picnic, fishing, tubing, horseback riding (I believe this is the place), and the kids are extremely excited about the kite flying. There is a pasture that the owner says is great for kite flying, so all of the cousins are picking out their own kites to try out. Of course, we'll also do the usual hiking, marshmallow roasting, etc. I'm pretty sure we'll also visit a nearby state park dedicated to dinosaurs and fossils, Dinosaur Valley State Park, and there is a good possibility that the Pinkie family will hit Six Flags on the way home and spend one night in the Big D area. I haven't been to Six Flags since I was in middle school, but I'd love to take the kids to ride the Mini Mine Train. WWwwwhheeeeeee.
Also in June, we'll be doing a week of swimming lessons. Jack is in level 4 or 5 of the Red Cross certification, Sam is somewhere floating (no pun intended) between level 1 and level 2. Sophy should test out of level 2 this year. Her teacher kept her in L2 last year because of her age/size because she feels like level 3 is a bit more involved, and we aren't trying to rush her. To get out of level 2, I think she'll have to tread water for 2 minutes (?) and survival float for a certain length of time. I need to look up the requirements, so I'll know for sure. I think our Pinkiecousin, E, will spend some time with us this summer...and for that I can not tell you how excited Sophy is!
Last but not least, we'll celebrate two birthdays in June. Jack will be 10, EEK! And PDaddy will be....21 again! Hoohoo!!!
Ter, I hope you are recovering! R sent me his pic, and he's beautiful! Once you're better tell me what's going on! Have the sisters stopped fighting over him yet? :-)

Ladies and Gentlemen, Sophy has left the building.

The photo says it all. The Big Day finally arrived with one heckuva long recital complete with costume changes, more body glitter than I ever recall seeing under one roof, and lots of hip shaking and toe tapping. Sophy had a good time, and we had a lovely meal at IHOP afterwards to celebrate the dance year being over! Hoohoo! Our Tuesday nights are free now!! YEEHAWWW!!

Funnies

My friend Ter, who is probably in labor as I type with child #4, recently posted some funnies heard around her house lately with three daughters running amuck. It dawned on me as I read them that I hadn't posted Pinkie musings in a while, so here goes! 10 funnies.

• If I promise to train him, can we get a pet alligator to keep in the pool?
• Mom, hurry outside! I made you a Mother's Day present out of mud!
• Can we go to Michigan on June 20th?
• When you asked me to make up my bed, you really, REALLY hurt my feelings.
• Dad, if you know what is good for you, you'll do what mom says.
• If everyone on Earth died, would it be dark? Who would turn on the lights then?
• One day mom, you're gonna be really old. Then, you're gonna die.
• Do people eat rats?
• Can you call a peacock a poopcock?
• Mom, when are you going to learn how to bake a cake?

My favorite classroom view....the kind with no students!

We wrote fractured fairy tales recently. If you'd like to be greatly disturbed, read a middle schoolers version of a fractured fairy tale. Whoa. Very enlightening. Very enlightening.

Ahhh, I love an empty classroom. HA! I'm mostly kidding. This is a glimpse into a portion of my day, sans students. Of course, you can't see my orange and purple sparkly borders, and my orange, blue, purple, and pink plaid borders. Or my fushcia, turquoise, and orange flowers hanging from the ceiling. Still, you get the idea. Or not. HA! I actually was tortured sat through high school algebra in this very classroom. I'd like to think my room has a little more pizzaz than the room did back in the gap...or maybe it's just more distracting? Pfft.

Monet?

Well, I'm no Monet...but I snappd this photo in an attempt to show you what my gladiolas looked like as they open up. It didn't quite work out, but it looks so cool!

The garden is on fire!

Well, not on fire at the moment...it's POURING down rain right now along with thunder and an insane amount of lightening! I'm preparing a slideshow of before, during and after of my gardens. This is my birdbath as of yesterday afternoon. All of the blooms you see here came from seeds. I'm most proud of the marigolds which I have NEVER even dreamed of growing from seed before this year. In my largest garden, the zinnias and lantana are crazy, crazy. I think this weekend I'm going to put out a few more roses and maybe a hydrangea or two in my kitchen window bed. Billy Graham is growing so nicely that I might have to get him a friend to grow with. For those of you who remember my jasmine, Aretha, she made the move with us in November, and she is also growing nicely...although not anywhere a vicinity next to Billy. That would just be weird, right?

My mother's day giftie!

Can you tell what it is?

I hope that I actually get to use it now and again...ha!

Wolves, Moose, and a Baby is Born!

(Here are the kids posing in front of the clocktower early this morning before breakfast. They were DRAGGING! Sam and Soph are watching an interactive roller coaster ride at the arcade last night. It was a rough ride!)

I should mention the baby first...because everything else pales in comparison to such a blessed event! A sweet babe was born this weekend, you can visit her here! Happy Birthday to her! Regrets to Stevie, but isn't she lovely? As far as I know all other pregnant folks are still gestating...right?

In other, not-so-significant news, we are home from Great Wolf Lodge. Yes. Yes. We took another trip that didn't involve puke! Sometimes I wonder when I'll be able to stop rating trips as puking and non. Well, whenever it is, it isn't yet. So....wonder of wonders, no one vomited, and the kids had such a good time they all (at one time) began to sob and whimper that they "never wanted to leave," and we weren't really even leaving at that point. Of course, after two days of constant moving, swimming, jumping, sliding, splashing, etc. the tears may have been from exhaustion.

Great Wolf Lodge is quite the place, let me tell you. It reminded me of a cruise ship. There are like 4 restaurants, constant kid's activities, an arcade, an interactive magic quest game that takes you all over the massive complex, an indoor water park that is insanely wet (don't even think of going in and staying dry...nope), a Pizza Hut, a Starbucks, and lots more that I can't recall. We checked in yesterday afternoon and headed straight to the waterpark. Somehow we managed to get the kids up to the room around 8pm or so. Then we headed to the lobby to watch the clocktower that sings/moves with characters and then to the arcade for a late night flashy-light fix. After hitting the breakfast buffet and more swimming, we left with 3 really tired and somewhat sad children. PDaddy and the kids put together my MDay gift when we made it home, so I'll post a pic of it soon. Oh, it's very, very sweetttt.

Billy Graham is blooming.

I planted a rose way back in December that was named Billy Graham. Now, I do name my plants if they earn the right. However, I did not name Billy. He came with that name. The good news is that the Reverend is blooming, and he smells so sweet.

The kids are so excited about our road trip this weekend to this happenin' place. Our Louisiana cousins are coming too and will be here tomorrow evening, and for that reason, the kids' excitement level is off the charts. They are as excited for their cousins coming to visit as they are about the indoor water park. We'll all leave together Saturday morning for some indoor, chlorinated fun.

Sophy's class is having a Fairy Tale parade tomorrow, so she is going in her Tinkerbell costume and wings. Oh yes, she refuses to leave the wings at home. I'm sure her teacher will be pleased.

Next week is the final week before Sophy's dance recital. We have dance rehearsals every night next week. I'm sad the dance year will end, but I'm excited that she'll be able to get back into gymnastics. I'm not sure if we'll do dance next year, but I'm hoping to just stick with tumbling if at all possible.

Jack has his first swim team practice the week following Sophy's recital. I'm thinking time trials will be the weekend following that. Once all of this is over, school will be so close to being finished. So close. So, so very close.

Gee, it's pretty late. I think I'll go soak and read. I'll update w/pics when we get home if I do not update again before we leave.

It takes a village....to keep the coyotes under control.

Sam created a village this evening, complete with a municipal water supply, roads and bridges, and a resident pack of coyotes (don't worry, they were corraled in a pit.) Have I ever mentioned that the molecules of Sam's DNA are welded together with dirt? Yes, indeedy.

Weekend Summary

Maybe with the TAKS test coming up I have "summarizing" on the brain? PFfft. I'd like to expound upon the TAKS test, but alas, this is a happy place for me, and I will not sully the purity of my blog with such a topic. So there.

Where was I? Oh yes, I intended to summarize, ahem, our weekend. Well, my mom volunteered to watch the kids on Friday night. PDaddy had to shoot Senior Night for a local high school baseball team, and we went out to dinner at our favorite B&B after that where our friends who run the joint treated us to a dinner on the house that we weren't expecting. The food, by the way, was delicious, but we'll get to that later.
I never know quite what to do with myself without the kids, but it was nice to have the week wrapped up and the house all to myself. That rarely, if ever, happens. While I waited for PDaddy to get home I watched Emma (Jane Austen) which I thoroughly enjoyed but not as much as the book, of course. I had already watched most of it earlier, so when that was over, I went out and worked in the gardens a bit and looked over the trees and crepe myrtles the guys had planted earlier that afternoon. PDaddy made it home on time, so we headed out to eat. We had grilled Tilapia topped with diced fresh tomatoes, onions and peppers, and it was seasoned to perfection. I can't explain to you how this was prepared. Just take my word for it that it was very good. There was a vegetable dish with squash, zuccini, potatoes, and green beans. Again, if I'm eating vegetables...willingly...and enjoying it...you should just believe me when I say it was tasty. There were the ever-wonderful tomato pies that are to-die-for, as well as creamed, fresh corn and a strawberry and tomato salad with a yummy vinegar/poppy dressing. For dessert, oh yeah-oh yeah, we had chocolate-praline layer cake with hot tea for me and coffee for Pman. Wait, I'm drooling on myself. Must find a tissue.

Ok, I'm back. On Saturday, PDaddy was finishing up his second Saturday of portraits at the dance studio. I took the kids to the Pottery Tent to pick up some things for the patio and pool bathroom. My bank account took a hit, but I got some good deals on several things and some not-so-good deals on some other things. Oh well, you win some, ya lose some.
We had lunch in town, and then we headed to Super Target to pick up some things. By Saturday evening, PDaddy was shooting a wedding, so the kids and I just chilled at home and made sugar cookies and finger painted. PDaddy brought home Mexican food when he came home, and we watched a movie we had Tivo'd when the kids went to bed.

This morning, we went to Sunday School and church in the rain, and my folks came over for lunch. I made spaghetti, salad and bread and served a scrumtious dessert of Blue Belle fudgesicles. Uh-huh, nothing but the best for my family. After lunch, my dad set up a computer and desk that he had for the boys. I had promised Jack he can have his own blog, YIKES, so we'll get that up and running in the coming days...(edited to say...NEVERMIND, we already have it up!) I'm positive that it will be an invitation only blog, so if you want to be invited readers of a 9 year old NASCAR loving, history fanatical, snack obsessed boy, just let me know! Hehe.

My sis-in-law had music practice for the musical she is performing with this afternoon, so my two nieces stayed with us after lunch. I put them to work helping me clean Sophy's room and sorting/throwing away old toys. How does one child accumulate so many junkie toys? Anyway, I promise it wasn't punishment. They had the best time sorting and digging through Sophy's belongings. My sis in law just picked them up, and now Sam and Soph are playing Kerplunk in her bedroom, and Jack is watching the end of the NASCAR race while Honey and Pongo sleep together on the couch. Where is my camera when I need it?

I promised the kids we'd make chocolate chip muffins this afternoon, so I better get on that. Not to mention there is that pile of clean clothes multiplying like rabbits in the guest bedroom. Then again, we'll just stick with the muffins, I think. Yeah. Good plan.

Jack

Jack is my rock. He's my firstborn. This kid is Mr. Reliable. Mr. Dependable. You can count on Jack to do what you tell him, when you tell him, the first time you tell him. I love that about him! I am happy to say that the older he gets, the more dependable he gets. It's so bizarre to watch him mature. His tastes are changing, his looks are changing....he's wearing cologne for corn's sake.
He'll be doing swim team in a few weeks, and he is mightily fired up about that. Last year, he was a bit intimidated at the onset of swim season. This year, he is ready for it. I can't wait for the season to start. The boy will still sit with a book and read and read and read some more. He gets carried away with expository text, factual books, historical books, etc. Little braniac.
His favorites:
Color: Blue-Green
Food: Cheese Pizza
Movie: Back to the Future Trilogy (and Speed Racer if it will ever hurry up and come to the theatre....May 9th! May 9th!)

Sam

Conflict and peace negotiations. Sam is learning a lot in first grade. Some days, he is the peace maker. Other days, he is like the Great Equalizer. Other days, the Great Instigator. He has the driest wit and the sharpest tongue of any first grader I've ever seen. He longs to be a man and is constantly planning his future occupations. The only catch is he plans according to which career choice requires a college education. Is this normal for a 7 year old? Seriously, a normal conversation may go like this, "Mom. Does a man have to go to college to be a farmer?" When I tell him yes, he replies, "WHAT? Are you serious? Shoot." After some soul searching, "What about a man that builds Wal-Marts?.......WHAT?!!! UG, I hate school!" All a parent can hope for is that his opinion of higher education changes in the coming years!
Color: Fire Orange
Food: Baked Potatoes
Movie: Alvin and the Chipmunks
Activity: Dirt

Sophy

Sophy has a collection of glass and ceramic elephants. She has a growing seashell collection, as well as a snow globe collection. This is her collection Josef Original birthday dolls along with several Josef Orig. girls from the Around the World collection. I think we'll have to invest in a china cabinet for these before too many more birthdays. The poor girl has had a fever all week and missed school. I think she is on the mend, since she will not sit still for anything this evening.
In a few weeks we'll have her big dance recital, so we've spent a lot of time getting ready for that. Last Saturday we had dance portraits made at the dance studio, and I can't wait to see how they come out! As much as she loves dance class, I think we'll get back in tumbling when the final recital is over in a few weeks. She used to be enrolled in both, but I was literally chasing my tail to keep up with all of the practices. Her dance teachers (mother and daughter team) are super sweet, but her first love seems to be gymnastics. After only a few months in her class, they bumped her up to the next level and we saw her learning so much so fast. She has quite a knack for flipping and jumping. She was within spitting distance of doing a back handspring when we let gymnastics drop in February, so I guess we'll start that back up in a few weeks.
Most days, Sophy can be found outside weeding the garden (seriously) or in her room "decorating." It's all I can do to keep her from getting the buds and flowers out of my garden to put in vases around her room. Not much has changed for the Sophster. She's still my flower child. We just found a child's field guide of flowers on ebay that is from the 50's, and she has been checking the mailbox everyday to see if it has arrived.
Favorites:
Color: Pink...duh.
Food: Green Beans
Sport: Roller skating
Show: Pocohontas

Top 10 Things Heard Around Our House This Week

10. Dustin says he is going to beat me up because I called him a liar. Is it okay if I beat him up first?

9. Mom, we need more milk (have I ever mentioned we buy 6 gallons a week?)

8. If you try REALLY hard, you can give me a baby sister!

7. Is it okay if I pee outside if I promise to hide behind a tree?

6. Who invented Beanie Weinies?

5. I REALLY, REALLY hate school.

4. Guess what? Today...I saw a lady...and she was smoking a cigarette...IN A CAR!

3. When I get older and have a kid and he wants a sno-cone, I'm gonna stop the car and buy him a sno-cone.

2. WOW! My poop almost looks like mud. Hey guys, come look!

1. These allergy boogers in my throat are making me PSYCHOTIC!!

A mini update

((throwing confetti and tooting a horn!))

Kids: We are in a frenzy of summer anticipation, and I do not know how we'll manage the next seven...yes, SEVEN weeks of school without causing bodily harm to each other. In a weak moment on Sunday, we allowed to kids to jump off of the diving board into the 70 degree pool for a fast, 5 minute splash. Now, 70 degrees is refreshing when it's 100 degrees outside. However, when it's just 75 degrees outside, a 70 degree pool can (and did) turn a child's lips (and extremeties) a very bright shade of blue. Still, it was a bittersweet event, and we're righteously ready for school to set us free from it's bondage and for summer to welcome us in. Amen.
American Idol: I am running away with Jason Castro. Sorry, PDaddy. (I am mostly kidding.)
Teeth: We've lost 6 this year. It's April. I predict we will absolutely obliterate our previous tooth record of '07.
Honey: She is awesome. Pongo and Thomas have accepted her warmly. It's like she has been here for years instead of a week or so. Having said that, it wouldn't hurt to end with a photo of the little furry gal.

Day #30

If I'm honest, I have to admit that I'm rather glad to be at Day #30 of this picture posting theme. I'm ready to write again and yammer on and on about nothingness. This isn't a recent photo, but it's one of the views of the outside of my house taken around the time we started looking at the house in the fall. The front has a circle drive which you can barely see in this pic, and there is a back drive behind the house with tons of driveway space where I frequently wear my roller skates with pink wheels to astound my children with my mad roller skating skillz.

Day #29

The pool bath is coming along. The curtains aren't up, but rest assured, they also have a lovely FLAMINGO toile print. As I finish, I'll be sure to post alternate angles, so you can feel the entire experience.

Day #28

Day #27

(Sam and Sophy taught Honey how to spell her name. She doesn't appear very interested, does she?)

Our Honey is here! We left Friday after Sophy's field trip to go to the GrandPinkie's in Louisiana for a sleepover. We had a lovely meal, made a nice fire in the chimenea to enjoy the latest cold snap, and PDaddy left bright and early the next morning for the hour or so drive to get Honey. Sam and Sophy and I stayed at the G-Pinkie's to play while he and Jack made the trip.

We've had a nice weekend getting to know her, and she is, is of course, the cutest thing I have ever seen, has THE softest fur on the planet, and is a hilarious mixture of puppy confidence and shakey-curiousity. We're pretty sure she was the alpha dog of her litter, since she wasted no time in putting Pongo on notice. She will not let Pongo near the kids, which is hysterical because Pongo just looks so confused. I wish the pictures would do her justice, but you'll have to see her with your own eyes. Once we had her bathed, dried, fluffed, we realized she is BRIGHT orange with black highlights and a white face and chest...not to mention she totally smells like an angel. I'm telling you., she's precious! Oh, I could just eat her with a spoon. The beauty of this situation is the kids totally want to be in charge of caring for her. SWEET! Sophy kept her locked away in her bedroom all day and watched movies with her, showed her the Barbie collection, read her stories and made her fluffy princess beds.

Oh, wait. Correction. The real beauty of the situation is that we opted to kennel train her like we did when Pongo was a pup, and it would seem that at 10 weeks of age, she is pro! We've had no accidents this weekend, and she made it through the night last night with a clean/dry kennel this morning. Hooray!

Sweet, sweet baby.

Day #26

Another angle of sweetness. The kids pondered and pondered and finally came up with a name for this little girl.

Allow me to introduce

HONEY!

Day #25

She doesn't have a name yet, but she will be coming to live with us on Saturday! I am in love with her!! I just want to fold her up and put her in my pocket! That face! That nose! Those feet! The fluff!

Sigh.

Day #24

I kid you not.Within a span of 5 minutes, all 3 lost a tooth today. It was a dental rivalry like we've never experiencd before! If I'm not mistaken, that makes #'s 5, 6, and 7 for our 2008 tooth count.

Day #23

Day #22

See the tooth dangling on the top? It refuses..REFUSES to budge. We're thinking it's removal is going to require dental assistance. I'm thinking the tooth fairy may have to fork out some change for this one in more ways than just under the pillow.