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.

Daddy Daughter Dance - Alice in Wonderland

Tonight is the big night...the Daddy Daughter Dance. This one is for the Girl Scouts so it should be a BLAST! All of Cayman's friends will be there so I'm sure fun will be had by all. The theme this year is "Alice in Wonderland".

I took a few pictures and I think Cayman makes a very pretty Alice!

Spring Break

It's that time of year again...time to start making plans for Spring Break (even though it's only January). Usually we send Cayman to camp or East Texas. But this year I have the urge to do something fun as a family for Spring Break.
Camping maybe? That's what I've been thinking about for a while now. Maybe renting a cabin somewhere where we can just chill out and have fun in nature. Still gotta discuss with the family and see what they want to do. Maybe we could bring another kid along for Cayman to hang with. Or bring the dogs (they would LOOOOVE that!).

Here is where I wish we could go:

A girl can wish!

Olympics, Here We Come!

So tonight is the night that we go to Cayman's new (additional) gymnastics class. She has been doing one class per week since she started, and now wants to add a class to "get better faster". Gymnastics is definately her sport. She's gotten better each week and is getting muscle definition and strength. She finally indicated that she's wants to compete. We just have to get her READY to compete first! :)

That being said, there goes another evening where I get nothing done. I wish I could multi-task during her classes, but if I don't pay attention she gets mad! I visit with the other moms...but ALL of us are required by our daughters to WATCH!

Here are a couple of pictures of the drama queen, gettin' her gymnastics on!:

It's fun watching her have a good time!

New Year, New Ventures

Well, 2012 is here. And I think this year is going to be a year of changes. I usually make a list of  New Years Resolutions. And then I "forget" about them. Or it's just "too hard". Or I'm "too tired". However, I am already doing the one resolution that is the hardest for me. I am now a NON SMOKER!!! I haven't smoked in a month and a half...so that is one resolution that is RESOLVED :)  So I have more energy to focus on other things that I'd like to accomplish:

• More fun, less work. In ALL aspects of my life I need to incorporate more fun. Seems like work has taken over...and that is going to change.
• Spend more time with family and friends  --  doing FUN things (ie, camping, parks, etc)
• Take the initiative to schedule things with friends
• More "ME" time!!!
• Clean out the clutter  -  sell it for $$$
• Pay off ALL credit cards!
• Cook with Cayman 1-2 times per week
• Church
• Spend less. Find free things to do as a family that are fun :)
• Blog daily

I may add to this list as the year goes on. I usually find that resolutions may change (and that's OK!).

And now, a hilarious picture of the drama queen. This just cracks me up:

I think maybe she got into the eggnog...

McGristle

So, the topic of conversation at work today is the re-release of the disgusting McRib. Alverson was eating one and asked if I wanted a bite, to which I replied "I wouldn't take a bite of that disgusting thing even if you paid me $20".Which led us all to wonder  --  How much money would it take for you to eat one bite of something you hate?
Here are the results of our very scientific research:

• Rhonda  --  1 bite of a McRib  =  $500
• Steph  --  1 spoonful of beans  =  $500
• Patty  --  1 oyster  =  $500
• Todd  --  1 spoonful of Jello  =  $5  (his is not a repulsion, just a dislike)

Todd said for $500 he'd probably eat a spoonful of poo. Yep, he's gross.

Tween Room

It's official...my baby is growing up. I have proof in the form of photos:

Cayman inherited the furniture that was in my room at Nonie and Dad's. And I must say...it looks absolutely beautiful in her bedroom! She is no longer a baby, a toddler, a kid, or a little girl. She is now officially a tween. Or as I like to call her...a pre-teen drama queen.

Horse Camp ~ YIPPEE!

Horse Camp started this week. Cayman's going to a beautiful camp called Switch Willow. This place is AMAZING! I was expecting some sort of red-neck barn structure and piles of manure. Not at all! It is beautifully landscaped with tucked away gardens and a swimming pool.

Here is a daily run-down:
Monday: Cayman rode (trotted) a horse the first day. Her horse was named Isis and was "AWESOME!!!",  and Cayman has now decided she wants a horse for her birthday. They swam and  did arts + crafts during the heat of the day.

Tuesday: Me: How was camp today?
                Cayman: Bad.
                Me: Why???
                Cayman: My horse was a cheeseball.       *Sidenote: LOL!!!*

Wednesday: They did relay races on their horses today. The kids are also learning how to take care of the horses. They also swam and did arts + crafts during the hottest part of the day  -  it was 104 degrees today!

Thursday: Today was a day of practicing all the things they learned. Cayman was on a horse named Sonic, and they did trots, relays, and riding. The big show is tomorrow...so they really practiced hard! Later in the day they bathed a horse named Joe, played games, and swam. She is LOVIN' it!!

Friday: Today was the big show....it was everything I expected and more! I was so proud to see my little drama queen  on her horse (Isis), trotting and doing relays. She looked so happy and I hope to be able to continue horse riding lessons when summer is over. She won "Best Rider" for the entire camp week!

End of Times

Since the world is going to end tomorrow at 6:00 (The Rapture) I thought I would do one last blog. I don't really have anything to blog about...but if the world ends tomorrow I hope that I get to spend eternity looking at this cute little face:

Found Photos

Before he passed away last month, my grandfather (Old Dad) came across a camera that had film in it that had never been developed. Grans took it and had it developed and all I could say was "Wow...this is incredible." There are pictures of Nonie and Grandpa Tiny (who have both since passed away) with Cayman, as well as pictures of the only Christmas Cayman had with Nonie.

These found pictures made me cry...


Cayman and Old Dad:

Me and Nonie:

Cayman and Granpa Tiny:

Getting a bath in the sink:

Christmas Eve:
Leaving cookies (and a Dr. Pepper) for Santa

Christmas morning!

Oh, how I love looking through these pictures! Especially since I had no idea they even existed!

Photo Shoot

Cayman and I recently had a mini photo shoot at the house. We needed some new pictures of her being seriously pretty (rather than ridiculously silly).
Here are my favorites:

And since little girls can't resist being silly, here is a silly one:

Still cute, though!
I love you, little drama queen!

Talking with Nurse Brandy

This morning Cayman had an orthodontist appointment at 10:30 (I'll blog about this later). After the appointment I signed her back into school and stopped by the nurse's office to let Brandy know that Cayman's mouth may start hurting and she may need some Advil. We started talking about various things that Cayman has been to see Nurse Brandy for from Kinder through 3rd grade. Here are the main things:

• Kinder: Had surgury to remove tonsils and adnoids. Had tubes put in ears at the same time.
• First Grade: Broke ankle AT SCHOOL! Nurse Brandy called me to tell me that Cayman had hurt her ankle celebrating a win in a math game. Together we decided that Cayman was probably being overly dramatic, so I sent her back to class. When I picked her up at YMCA at 5:30 the ankle was HUGE and severely bruised. Yep...it was broken. I got Mom of the Year for that one.
• Second Grade: Nothing!!!
• Third Grade: Braces and appliance

So, the school nurse definately knows my child! But she did talk about how Cayman would come see her in kinder for medicine and how she was so small and short and blond and cute. Now she's a big 3rd grader with braces and glasses. She's still cute, though!

Drama Queens Say the Darndest Things

I believe I gave birth to one of the most comical people I have ever met. She's not only comical...she's witty and charming, too. I recently came to the conclusion that I should document some of the things she says now so that when she's a teenager I can look back at this particular blog entry and remember how much she used to amuse me.

• 3/19/11  Cayman - "Animals are cute and I don't want to eat them anymore. I'm going to be a vegetarian.".  Me - "OK...you just have to eat more vegetables."  Cayman - "GROSS! Why???" Me - "Because that's what vegetarians do. They eat VEGETABLES!" Cayman - "Well, I didn't know that."

• 3/20/11   We had been to Cirque du Soleil earlier in the day. After her bath she ran in the living room screaming "Watch me be an acrobat. I'm going to be in Circus Ole'!" LOL! 

• 3/23/11   As Cayman was getting ready for her bath she put her hands on her chest and said "Mama, does it look like I am getting my boobies yet?", to which I replied, "No, not yet"....

• 6/5/11   "Mama, I'm probably gonna be kinda stupid in a couple of years. It won't be my fault, though. Because I'll be a teenager. And ALL teenagers are stupid...they can't help it."  LOL! SO true!

Ex-Smoker

• Day One  -  as of today I am officially an ex-smoker. It hasn't been too hard and I haven't cussed anyone out (yet!).  I think the time when I will have the most difficulty is at home. Todd is going to smoke and Cayman is going to drive me crazy (probably)...but I have faith that I can stick it out. I have literally nibbled all day long...sunflower seeds mostly. I also managed to chip a corner of my tooth off on a sunflower seed. So now I have to go to the dentist :(   Hopefully tomorrow will be just as easy as today...minus the broken tooth.

Update...

Update...

So I haven't blogged every day. I haven't exercised every day.

However  --  I HAVE been taking Chantix every day. And it makes me feel like poo-poo. Seriously.

Here is a list of my complaints (in no particular order, because they all suck):

• Nausea. This one really sucks. Because it NEVER GOES AWAY!
• Sleepiness. I could literally take a nap every 15 minutes.
• Sore neck/shoulder muscles. I really need a person to stand behind me and massage my shoulders all day. He can take a break when I have my naps. Oh, and his name should be Fernando and he should be shirtless.

Complaints aside, Monday will be my quit date. Wish me luck!