The Beach!!

The beach!!! A great time had by all I think. Can I go back?????

Don, Patty, Christy, and Joe. So nice to have them all here.

Scott and Will on the boardwalk. Love the relationship these two have.

Grammy and Bella.

Something is funny.

My sisters and I.

Scott and I at putt-putt.

My Bella. Always so happy.

Getting ready for the wave!

My two little characters. ready for the beach!

Our view. God's goodness is new every morning.

Leavin'...........

in a packed truck. We are going to the beach, beach, beach. In a packed truck cause my van has no a/c and that just wouldn't be pretty. There is SO much I should be doing now. And I have zero motivation. I think I may make myself a cup of tea.

Here is to the sun, waves, and sand in my toes!

closer.....

4 more sleeps until the beach. I am not a good "under pressure." Ever. I like extra time. I like plans and lists. And I am behind. I also find myself becoming a tad bit cranky when I am stressed...for example...things that have irritated me the last couple of days...

1. Why do we not have cell phone service everywhere?? Seriously. I pay the phone company and insane amount of money and I should have service everywhere. In the middle of the woods, in my living room, on the moon!

2. Why are there so many "fees" on the phone bill, the com*cast bill....on many bills. You can charge anyone anything and say "fee!"

3. painting. We are painting the kitchen. I hate to paint.

4. losing things. All...the...time. My kindergartners used to love this one. OK, I lost my stapler guys. Who has seen it? Then we would all look until one yelled found it! But I lost my beach camping trip. The had everything on it. In specific lists. And broken down into what I needed to pack and buy. And I lost it....

5. junk- everywhere.

The list could go on and on. And I know I am complaining about silly stuff when I am on my way to the BEACH. But still. Some mornings are like that. And Rachel just came to tell me that Luke covered the table in jelly.

6. Jelly or children who paint in jelly

Goin' fishin'

We can only be said to be alive in those moments when our hearts are conscious of our treasures. ~Thornton Wilderon

Reality...

After that sweet little tribute yesterday, I really proved my point...in real life.

I am not a people person. I like people and all but I am...awkward socially. I don't "make friends easily." I think I am a good friend once I have met you and we talked and I feel comfortable around you. But thinking about walking into a room full of strangers about makes me pass out. One of the problems I have with dance. Lots of beautiful women that seem to all know what is going on. And I stand there with baby puke on my shoulder and paint (white house paint not THAT paint) grinded into my cuticles.

And this recital thing drives my stress through the roof. For example, yesterday I washed my hair. This is not a big deal for most people. Except did you read my last blog post? With my new hair cut, I have to wash, apply "sleek" junk, blow dry, and then straighten (sometimes apply more "sleek" stuff). With my towel on my head and checking my e mail- I remembered. I was given a paper balloon to decorate at the last rehearsal. Actually the conversation went something like this.

Beautiful woman I don't know- "What is your daughters name?"
Me- "Rachel"
BW- "I meant last name"
Me- "Oh sorry, Demi"
BW- hand me pink paper ballon with Rachel written on it "Just get it back to me next time." walking away....
Me- "um excuse me, what do I do with it?"
BW- "decorate it" walking away
Me- "how?"
BW- "with her picture, with anything. However you want it to look." walks away

Did I mention I am craft challenged too? Back to the towel. So with towel on head it hits me that I am to have this balloon done TONIGHT. Commence flip out mode. Get on Internet and send a picture to one hour walmart. Get all 4 kids dressed and ready and in the van to go to walmart. Thankfully mom and sister offer to come along. Go to walmart and pick up picture. Go to craft section for "dance" stickers. Find out walmart is getting rid of scrapbooking section. Have Rachel pick out some girl stickers. Even on clearance these stickers were crazy priced.

Go home and Rachel decorates balloon. I will have to take a picture of it and post it. Too cute. Good thing I have her. ;) So now my hair has dried and looks horrible. I clip it up (although not all of it cooperates). Add to stress. I grab all of Rachel's stuff and we take off. After dropping kids off at mom's I realize that I forgot the BALLOON at home. Now, we go home to find ballon ( and camera).

We are late. I go running in. They are getting people in the auditorium and I am trying to fix Rachel's hair. Hair tie broke. Later in the day, dance director reminds parents to "bobby pin" hair pieces in. bobby pins??? have to buy some of those. What section are they in?? So we run in the auditorium and I realize I did not scrub off her two tattoos on her arm. Big black ugly monster truck tattoos. I try to get them off with...tada...spit. Didn't work. We snuck out to the bathroom. It didn't work. I promised her I would get them off for the performance.

The night continued with me finding out tons of other stuff I didn't know. Like were were running the act TWICE. Rachel was bored out of her mind and rolling on the dirty floor.

When I finally hit the pillow last night, I thought, soccer would be so much easier.....
Tonight is the real deal....pray for me...for her....OY!

My Girl

I always knew I was going to have all boys. Could be because I was never a "girl" myself. I never teased my hair or tight rolled my jeans (Hey it was the 80's!). The one time I tried to dye my hair it went orange and I hid it under my baseball cap all summer. I was the girl who hung with the boys and felt more at home in a baseball diamond than the mall. I clipped my nails short as to get out the dirt. I knew I was never going to be the beauty queen and that was ok with me.

So when the ultrasound person told me that William was a boy, I was not shocked to say the least. And when I was pregnant with #2 I laughed when Scott said this one was a girl. I told him "I can't have a girl." Which medically speaking is crazy but to me it made sense. I would be a better mom to a boy. What did I know about bows and clips? When ultrasound person said "we have a little girl." I sat up and said "What? Are you sure? How sure?" She laughed and said about 99 percent. But things can hide." I left stunned but to be honest I was still thinking the baby was a boy. She could be wrong. When my church had a "pink" baby shower for me, I thought what am I going to do with all this when he is a boy. I actually looked at something purple and thought,"maybe he could wear that."

On December 14, 2005 the nurse handed me a perfectly pink little girl. And I just stared. Then I cried. And I said "Scott. She is a girl." What a girl she is. She is one of the reasons I know that God has a sense of humor. Because not only did he bless me with a girl, but he dropped the girliest of all girls in my lap. She believes her middle name is princess. Before she was 2 she painted her fingernails with markers. Right after she turned two, she got into a huge argument with me over which coat she would wear. She has told me "mom, that doesn't match." When we put on her lipstick for her dance recital I just hand her the tube. She took my mascara and applied it when she was 2 and didn't get a spot on her face.

On her first birthday, I took her to get her pictures taken. When my mom was looking at the pictures she said "Theresa, why didn't you put her in a dress?" I looked and said "it never even occurred to me." I did have a pink shirt on her!

This weekend is my baby girl's first dance recital. I say first because I am sure it will not be her last. I look at her in all her pink and lace. Her curls and her bright red lipstick and think about how she has blessed my life. My little girl who offers hugs and kisses with the occasional fashion advice. Sometimes in life God surprises you with just the thing you need. Something perfect.

This picture was taken this past mother's day. She picked out her own hair things and the necklace. She was not happy that I wasn't wearing pink. I tried to expain that black is slimming but she wouldn't buy it.....