The Moo Moo

  Wow! Today is Marley's birthday. And she is 16 years old! It doesn't seem possible that I've had that little old stinky furball for 16 years...but I have!
  She was only 8 weeks old when Todd and I were coming back to Austin after spending Thanksgiving at Nonie and Dad's. On the way home a  lady pulled out in front of us and we hit her going 75 mph. Marley ended up on the floorboard by the gas peddle. The truck was totaled. Amazingly none of us were seriously hurt, not even Marley.
  She has always been a comical dog. She would run away any time the door was open. I've had to chase her many times, usually for several blocks. To her it was a game of catch! And she has always been a food thief. You could never leave a sandwich (Todd) or a donut (Blake) or ANYTHING where she could reach it. She just assumed if she could reach it, it was HERS!
  In her golden years she has slowed down quite a bit. She never runs away. She can barely walk two houses down the sidewalk before her legs quit working. And she doesn't steal food anymore. I think she would if she could, but it's just too hard nowadays. She can't see or hear very well. She smells like a dead thing. She spends the majority of her time sleeping. She wakes up to poop (on the deck or the floor or on the couch or my bed), she wakes up to eat, and she will sometimes wake up to watch TV.
  She has always been a true friend and a joy to me.She is more than a dog. She is my fur baby! And I love her! Happy Birthday, Marley Moo Moo!!

Cross Country

  My drama queen  ~  is there anything this kid won't try?
  I love the fact that she is willing to try new things, get involved in new activities, and meet new people. I always tell her that while there is usually a little (or a lot) of nervousness in new situations, those feelings are normal and will pass as confidence is gained.
  This year her confidence has soared with her newfound skills in cheerleading. Now she is trying something new  -  Cross Country Running. Cross Country is two times a week. Monday and Wednesday. They have to be at the school ready to run at 7:00 and they run until 7:45 or so. I love the fact that Cayman can do it, but I do worry that she will lose weight. I told her that if she drops below 60 lbs that she would have to drop out. She is at 61 lbs now, and in my opinion is too thin.
  So today was Day 2. And apparently it is super fun! The first day was fun, too...but it was also a little scary because Cayman was the only 6th grade girl there. And afterwards, she was too nervous to go into the locker room and change into her regular school clothes because there were 7th and 8th grade girls in there. Today she was able to do it though, and discovered it wasn't so bad after all.
  We decided yesterday that it might help if she had the proper gear. So off to Academy we went. We got running shorts, a couple of Nike t-shirts, and some pink Nike Flex running shoes. Apparently you run better if you wear Nike gear? That's what I was told, anyway :)  Maybe I should buy some for myself...see if it works for fat middle-aged moms!
  I'll try to add a picture of my speed demon drama queen next week when she goes again. I forgot to take any this week :(
 

ATC Cheer

  Yay! Tonight Cayman gets to go back to cheer. We had to miss on Tuesday because she was so sick, so I know she's super excited to get back. Because I was so lazy over the summer, I never blogged about her starting cheer, so I will now.
  Since Cayman has a strong background in gymnastics, cheerleading is an easy and fun transition. She started going to All That Cheer (ATC) in May. And it is is DEFINITELY her thing! She and her friend Britton started at the same time, so they are on the same team. Their team competed this summer in South Padre for the Summer Nationals and they won 1st Place in their division! It was a super fun trip and it was very exciting for them to win. And since it was in South Padre, we just stayed for a few days and had some fun on the beach!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I can't wait to see what the year has in store for her at ATC. I know they start competing in October and go to competitions nearly every month! It's an exciting thing!!

 

 

Lord Help Me

  Lord help me...it is happening. The time when my Pre-Teen Drama Queen is becoming more "teen" than "little girl". I knew it would happen. It's inevitable. But it breaks my heart (just a little) to see that my baby is no longer a baby.
  The start of middle school has brought some changes as well. She is more aware of her clothes, and how they look. She wants to look nice. Her hair has to be perfect. Her nails must be kept short and her toes must be polished, with no chips in the polish. I have allowed light mascara and lip gloss this year, and she loves to put it on.
  She is definately a beautiful young girl. But I stress this to her every day: It doesn't matter how beautiful a person is, if they ACT ugly they ARE ugly...inside and out. So while she strives to find her place in middle school I hope she remembers to be nice to people. So she can be truly beautiful, inside and out.

  Here is a photo of the Drama Queen...doing her own toes:)

 

 

 

Under the Weather

  Today's post will be short because my Drama Queen is sick. So sick that I kept her home from school. And she will unfortunately have to miss Cheer tonight as well. I don't know if it's the beginning of a cold, or just horrible allergies...but whatever it is, it's kicking her butt! She's had about 24 hours of it now. And the poor thing is just beat.
  We have stayed inside all day, napping and playing on the computer and coloring. Earlier she said, "Hey Mama, thanks for making my day better. I've had fun with you even though I feel bad". And THAT is what makes this the best job I ever had :)
  And here is a photo:

My Drama Queen is more of a couch potato (or bean bag potato in this case) than the barefoot screaming ninja I'm used to. Hopefully she feels better soon.

Selfies

WARNING: This post may piss some people off. If you are offended, it is probably because this post pertains to you. If you get pissed off, just go take a selfie and post it to facebook. And make sure to make your lips super-pouty.


Selfies. You know, the picture one takes of themselves in the mirror. Or posing with super pouty duck lips. There are people (mostly on facebook, and mostly girls) who post pictures of nothing else but themselves. And I have to wonder...WHY? Do they not have any friends? Do they not participate in activities with other people? Do they not have any children or pets or family or hobbies other than taking pictures of themselves? Are they just skanky? Are they trying to be the next Amanda Bynes? I'm sorry, but it just smacks of low self esteem. Or an inflated sense of self importance. And I feel sorry for them.
Are they trying to get people to tell them how beautiful they are? Because you know what would make them more attractive? Getting their camaras off of their own faces and focusing on others. Take a picture of a child. Or one of an abandoned barn. Or your pet. Or pose in a photo with your mom or dad or grandparents. Take pictures of yourself WITH OTHER PEOPLE. THAT would be attractive. THAT would be real.
I will tell all of this to Cayman when she's old enough for social media. And if I see selfies on her page I'll have her take them down. Because it's just not cute. Even Santa agrees.