Happy Birthday Gina!

I was so upset when you were born as I was abruptly "dethroned" after 5 years of having Mom and Dad to myself. As time went on, you grew on me and I realized there was enough room in the fold and more than enough parental love to go around.

You have become a wonderful friend as we've grown up. I am so impressed with the woman you have become and respect so much your attitude. Very little rattles you and even though I am the eldest sister, I realize there are many lessons I can learn from you.

I hope your day was special and that you realize how much you are loved by me and the rest of the family.

Happy Birthday Gina!

The PERFECT Girls' Day

Yesterday my mother (Naunie), Sutton, Reagan and I:

1. Went to the outlet mall.

2. Ate "girl" food (chicken salad, tossed salad) at a bakery complete with chocolate chip cookies that contained a million calories each.

3. Laughed and laughed.

4. Window shopped in 134 stores.

5. Tried on 46 pairs of shoes...EACH!

6. Listened to ALL of Reagan's stories.

7. Touched every baby girl dress within a two-mile radius.

8. Left that mall and went to a shoe warehouse. (I mean literally MILLIONS of shoes under one roof!)

9. Tried on even more shoes.

10. Picked up Keaton from school so she wouldn't miss all our fun.

10. Went to an accessories store and tried on a dozens of sunglasses, touched hundreds of earrings and necklaces, and laughed until we dropped at all the fake hair pieces Sutton was making "come to life."

11. Went to Super Target to get Naunie some pain meds as it had been a looooong day.

12. Came home exhausted.

13. Had a delicious dinner (Popcorn, M&M's, peanuts, apples and peanut butter).

14. Baby fashion show #1 (brought out all baby items to touch and smell).

15. Invited girlfriend and daughter over for a bigger girls' night.

16. Watched a "Chick Flick."

17. Reagan makes brownies (Oh. My. Gosh. Good.)

18. Lisa P. and Courtney come over to join our fun.

19. Baby fashion show #2 (complete with more touching and smelling).

19. Laughed and laughed and laughed some more until I couldn't even talk.

20. Finally walked on my treadmill at 11:00 last night (had to get rid of those cookie calories).

21. Went to bed smiling and perfectly thrilled after a wonderful day with all my girls.

No Testosterone Zone!

Jimmy took Hayden and Landon to visit Granna and Pawpaw for several days. They are planning to do boy activities: fishing, golfing, eating hamburgers, never fixing their hair and only wearing caps. (I did iron all their clothes before I packed them so they won't look like abandoned orphans.)

My mother is on her way here to spend several days. We are planning on playing "Here Comes the Baby" and doing girl activities: eating soup and salad, buying baby supplies, dressing nicely, and taking my sister Gina on a birthday lunch.

My father and his friend Benny are coming to my house long enough to drop my mother off. I explained the "Girls Only" rule and they have made immediate plans to return home. They want nothing to do with soup and salad, and definitely have an aversion to shedding those caps and shopping for pink. They will hurry back home to work on cars with my brother.

For a few days everyone will be happy, being allowed to do just what they are wired to do.

"Spring Broken " is...

...the new name our children have given the first day of Spring Break 2007. How mistreated they feel after last year's Spring Break in Hawaii, Thanksgiving in Colorado, and Christmas/New Years at Disney World. Poor spoiled babies.

My doctor said no vacations for me at this point in the pregnancy so we (umm, they) are here doing some home maintenance instead. Tonight's chore: weeding the front yard. Tomorrow morning's chore: weeding the back yard. Not as much fun as sitting on the beach or dining with Mickey, but a necessary activity nonetheless.

Sutton looked at me through wisps of sweaty hair, clenching filthy, dirt-coated hands and said, "This is all your fault."

Okaaaaaaaay...

Maybe I should hold off on telling her about my plans for us to clean out the frig, the garage and the overflowing downstairs closet. Yikes!

It's Spring Break here. Need I say more?

Ummm, Pot? Meet Kettle

In the car tonight with everyone talking at once...

Landon: You guys are too woud !(loud) You're giving me a heagache! (headache)

The noise level then lowers a bit...

Landon (still not satisfied and covering his ears): "Stop all the sounds!"

Dad opens the windows and siblings stop talking.

Reagan (hearing locusts outside): "What's that noise?"

Landon (quick as a whistle): "That's YOU still talking!"

Answer: Inevitable hormone typhoon

Question: Why shouldn't a very pregnant mother and her teen-aged daughter live in the same house?

Amazing

We had a 4D ultrasound yesterday. Below are the photos of our little baby girl at 32 weeks. I am still in awe...and completely in love.

We need a cow

We were down to a half gallon of milk Saturday night so Jimmy went out and bought four more, hoping to make it through the week. By last night, no more milk.

Four and a half gallons of milk gone in 4 days? Yep, we definitely need to consider a cow.

International Day...

...was a BLAST! The presentations were excellent and the food superb. I had my lunch between Italy and Mexico so I could alternate between taquitos and a wonderful pasta dish. Keaton said her favorites were China and Costa Rica. Actually, Jimmy scanned the "globe" for me pointing all out the delectable highlights. I, in turn, surveyed every country providing chocolate, making my own lip-smacking trips around the world.

Kindergarten class:













Older classes:












"Put the camera away and no one gets hurt."

















"Dude, are you seriously wearing a SKIRT?"

















"My name is Hayden and my country is Australia"(...and yes, I'm wearing a skirt.)

















"My name is Keaton and my country is Fiji."

















The parents mingled and tasted all of the countries' foods.













Dad was able to come before he left for California.

















Keaton answers questions about her country.













Hayden and his "Grecian" friend Adam.

Cross-cultural cooking and costuming

Our apologies to the countries of Fiji and Australia (waving to Natalie!) for any inaccuracies. We referred to as many articles and pictures as we could find to get things "right" but I'm sure we were off in a few areas.

(Grandparents: click on the pictures to make them bigger.)

The Aboriginal warrior:



















Watch out for that vicious stuffed kangaroo!















Fijian beauty:



















Can't forget the little cowboy (in the sun shades?) who insisted on dressing up for International Day as well. He will not be left out:


















Keaton's Fijian dish...Banana Scones (so yummy!)













Hayden's Australian ANZAC Biscuits (I know they look like chicken fingers in the picture but they are delicious!):













Our thanks to Naunie and Granna for their contributions!!

Early morning helpers

Sutton "decorates" our little warrior as little bro looks on.














"Sutton, are you mad at me? 'Cause this kinda hurts."

Good brothers make...

...convenient backstops.

Procrastinators Anonymous

All information necessary to complete International Projects sent home by elementary teachers: December 19, 2006

Due date: Monday, March 5, 2007

Projects begun by our family for both students: Saturday night, March 3rd at 8:00pm and continued through 11:30pm.

Number of trips to the store: 2

Number of bags of popcorn to fend off late-night starvation: 3

Number of videos to keep littlest brother happy while we worked: 2

Number of family members necessary to complete projects: 7

Number of meltdowns by unnamed son with project due: 5

Number of burns by glue gun: 3

Number of times over three months Dad said "We have plenty of time!": 495

Projects completed: Sunday, March 4, 2007, right before bedtime.

Having the whole family work together late into the night to bail siblings out of a homework "pickle": PRICELESS!!

Don't peek!

Daddy came home from his trip bearing gifts. The boys were instructed to close their eyes...













...then the gifts were revealed.













They each got autographed pictures of Captain Jack Sparrow (our friend Baylor from Disney World whom Jimmy saw on this trip.)


























How cool is that?!

Thanks, I feel so much better now

Keaton: "MOM! Your ankles are huge! What is wrong with you?"

Mom: "I'm just swelling some. It happens when you're pregnant."

Hayden (from behind, completely grossed out by what he sees): "Oh my gosh, Mom! Those are humongous! Are they gonna explode?!"

The downside of impending puberty and little sisters

Keaton swiped the one gift Reagan was trying to hide...her new bra













A quick hand-off to Granna.













Pawpaw even got in on the fun...













...and quickly handed it back to Granna.

















A completely mortified birthday girl.