(Near) Throw Down at Kindergarten Graduation

Oh yes, seriously people. If I had not been in a church sanctuary last night for Kyla's Kindergarten graduation, it would have gotten ugly.

I'll set the scene:

Graduation start time 6:30. We arrive at 5:40 to find a seat and get Kyla in the dressing room. I walk up to the front and rows and rows and ROWS of seats are saved. Like someone emptied out the contents of their purse and put an item on each seat to indicate that those seats were saved. So, exasperated with this, I spotted an section at the end of row six or seven that was not reserved. So, we made a beeline over there, set our purses down (on two seats, one for me and one for Elisan) and brought Kyla to her room.

I make it back to the seats and I notice another purse is sitting on the same seat as my purse. I think, okay, someone must be saving the seats next to mine for someone else. But remember, the entire end of this row is empty, except for our purses. Moments later, a woman comes and sits right next to me and says,

"I'm sorry, these seats are saved."
With a puzzled look on my face, I say, "Um... since when?"
She says, "I've been here since 5:30 saving these seats. The entire row is saved."
I say (still puzzled), "You've got to be kidding me."
She says, "No. I'm going to have to ask you to move."
I say, "Seriously? Okay then. C'mon Elisan. Let's move."
Elisan says, "Why mommy?"
I say, "Because some people are rude and feel like they need to save an ENTIRE row so no one can have a good seat." (Oh, she heard me too...)

And then we move back to row 13-15 and now Elisan can't see a thing.

Okay, I'm almost certain that had we not been where we were last night, I would have said, "I'm sorry. Your stuff wasn't on these two seats indicating that they were saved, so I'm sorry, we're not moving."

Randy said regardless of Christian school or not, he would not have moved. He said he would have looked at her like she was crazy (which she was) and not have said a word to her. Too bad he was out of town on a business trip... I would have loved to have seen his passive aggressiveness at work!

So, aside from that potential throw down, once I settled down and stopped grumbling to myself, I was able to enjoy Kindergarten Graduation. They kicked off the night with a production that they worked on for months. The kids were to dress up like puppy dogs. Kyla was a bird dog (or a black lab.)

I happened to attend the dress rehearsal yesterday morning and I was able to get a front row seat (imagine that!) so I took some pretty cute pictures of her on stage! (Thank goodness for a little preparation on my part... by attending the dress rehearsal, I was at least able to see my child perform!)

Kindergarten Rodeo

This is what I did today... Love Kindergarten Rodeo!

Same ole'- Same ole'

At my gym, I see the same people every day. You kind of get to know them... or at least, you become familiar with them.

Today, while I was lifting weights, an older man (50ish) who I've seen around the gym for years said to me, "Girl, you're still at! You've got patience. I would have given up by now."

Two things popped in my head since I haven't given up by now is:

a.) I'm still doing the same 'ole-same 'ole with little result; or
b.) I'm still doing the same 'ole-same 'ole with no results...

Hmmm, now I'm wondering if I'm spinning my wheels. I'm not "training" for anything in particular. I'm not trying to lose weight anymore. I'm really just lifting weights now for kicks... because I enjoy it. I won't ever be a competition figure model for various reasons... 1.) I've had kids; 2.) I've nursed said kids; 3.) Surgery would be required... so, that's out.

So, while I may have tremendous patience where my weight lifting is concerned, I wonder what I'm getting out of it. I mean, really getting out of it. Because, why do something if you aren't producing results, right?

In conclusion, I may be redirecting my goals a bit. Not sure what that means yet. When I figure it out, I'll let you know.

Weird, True and Freaky

There's this show on Animal Planet called "Weird, True and Freaky" that my girls love to watch... that is, if they can keep their eyes open long enough to watch an entire segment.

This show focuses on the top ten "Weird, True and Freaky" animal related events, like 10 Ten Animal Rescues, Top Ten Animal Oddities, etc., etc.

(This is a family blog, but this show's initial's are true to form... use your imagination on this one...)

Last night's show ended with a whopper of an animal rescue. This stray dog chased a rabbit into this pipe and as you can see, his head got stuck. The dog remarkably lived through the entire ordeal, but died two weeks later due to complications from heart worms. It was sad. Afterward, Kyla busted out crying, feeling so sympathetic for the dog. She didn't understand that the dog died because it was sick. She thought it died because it was stuck in the pipe.


And, she cried. And cried. And cried. I could hardly console the child. She kept saying, "I love dogs. I want to help them. That's why I want to be a vet. I don't want them to get hurt. That's why I want a dog."

Once I finally calmed her down and put her to bed, I was sharing with Randy what Kyla had said. I mentioned how cool it would be for Kyla to discover her life's passion at six years old!

Don't get me wrong, I know that 95% of six year old kids want to be a veterinarian and the other 5% want to be a firefighter. I know, I know... But, it could happen. Who am I to suppress her dream?

So... we're getting a dog!

Ha. That's a joke. Seriously. It is.

It's that time again....

It's time for random. I love random. If I could rename my blog something that conveys random, I would... Oh, wait, it already is. (Whew!)

6.5 more days until school is out. And let me go on the record as stating... I'm so glad! I'm ready for some down time with my girls. Since I worked last summer, it seems like they spent the bulk of their summer fun time with the babysitter. Trust me... knowing they were spending their summer vacation with a sitter and not with their mama was not fun. So, this summer, I plan to relish every single day with them.

Speaking of school finishing up, the next few days will be busy with parties, awards and a Kindergarten graduation! I just love Kindergarten graduation. What could be more fun and precious than to see your 6 year old don a cap and gown, walk the aisle of the auditorium and accept her diploma of graduation. It's just... special.

This weekend we'll be at the soccer fields for an invitational soccer tournament. Elisan was invited to play on an all girls' team for this one-day tourney and we're really excited for her. She's super excited too! It's so fun to see their hard work pay off.

In a couple of weeks, Randy is heading to Austria for a one day business trip. Yes... can you believe it? ONE DAY! I'm so bummed. I was so totally gonna beg to accompany him on this trip, but since it turned out to only be one day, what's the point?! What company send a person to Europe for one day? I'd at least ask to stay one additional day (on my dime) just to site see.

So, "LOST". Anyone out there watching "LOST"? I have my theory as to how it will end... add yours if you want, but I think that the last two standing will be Desmond and Jack, who will assume the roles of brothers Jacob and "Man in Black" and that once again, all will be right in the (crazy mixed up "Lost") world. I think Desmond's use of the word "brother" all of these years, has actually been foreshadowing of such. Take it for what you want... that's my theory and I'm sticking to it... at least until Sunday.

And is anyone watching "24"? How's that going to go down? Will Chloe end up killing Jack? We can pretty much assume that Jack is toast... but how?

Finally, I'm pretty excited about Friday night! The girls are going to church party and that means DATE NIGHT for us! We only have a two hour window to drive there, dine and drive back to pick them up, which means staying somewhere local, but I'm still pretty excited about it!

I leave you with this gem from Kyla. They dictated their favorite food recipe to their teacher and she compiled the recipes into a booklet for the class! And yes, that's pretty much how it's done around here.

Ain't nuthin' like a bug bite...

There ain't nuthin' like a bug bite that will light a fire under you!

Let me set the scene...

Sunday, the girls are playing outside and I was trying to convince Elisan to try on her inline skates and skate around the driveway.

(Sidenote: Elisan skated for the FIRST time several weeks ago and let me just say... it was fun as she clung to me and dared me to let go of her hand while she inched her way around the skating rink. In her defense, skating is hard... However, I don't remember learning how to skate, nor am I a teacher in any form or fashion, so me trying to show her how to skate was frankly, lost on both of us. But, I digress...)

So, Kyla jumped up and said, "I want to skate mommy!" So I pulled the skates off the highest shelf in the garage where they have been stored for at least two years - if not longer. I did a cursory check for any varmints that might have taken up residence in the skates and then helped Kyla put them on. She skated for exactly 2 minutes when Elisan began begging to skate as well! (Which, I knew would happen. She's sooo predictable!) So after Kyla's turn, Elisan put the skates on.

No need to get into that whole experience of inline skating on the driveway... because, that's really not the point of the story. The point is, the next morning, Elisan showed us a very suspicious bug bite on her foot.

Aside from the fact that she is in desperate need of a toenail polish touch up, notice the red, puffy skin around the apparent puncture wound of said bug bite.

If you aren't familiar with Central Texas spiders, let me just say two words... BROWN RECLUSE.

Randy and I decided that we needed to get her into the doctor pronto! So, yesterday morning, we visited the pediatrician regarding the bite and she pretty much laughed it off saying it was most certainly NOT a spider bite and in fact, was more in line with a flea or mosquito bite.

Pardon me for being an over-reactive parent, but um... flea bite? Mosquito bite? Really?

How embarrassed do you think I was at the very moment? Um... very.

So, while I'm thankful the bite is nothing to be concerned with, I'm glad we didn't take any chances with it. I'm sure an undisturbed inline skate on the top shelf of the garage is a perfect hideaway for various bugs and spiders alike. I think next time, I'll look around a bit more before we stick our feet in random stuff.

Popular... to be or not to be

I have struggled with a popularity issue all of my life. (Haha, I just re-read this line and it reads like I've struggled with being too popular all of my life! If only... but seriously...)

Realistically, it's only within the last year that I've "come into myself" and finally realized that I'm happy in my own skin. It was a virtual slap in the face the way it all came about, but nonetheless, I got there. But the reality is, don't we all try to fit in... to be likable and fun... to please everyone around us?

There is so much pressure involved in trying to please everyone all the time. It's not possible. Not everyone is going to like you. You cannot be everything to everyone. It took me 36 years to figure that out. So now, having freed myself of the pitfalls of popularity and trying to be everything to everyone, how do I transfer my new found awareness to my girls? How do I convey to them to be comfortable in their own skin, when I have just figured things out myself?

Any insight is appreciated.

Dear Lord, help me to convey to my girls that they are precious, made wholly by You, to be the girls You set them apart to be, before they were knit together in my womb. Give me wisdom and insight into their emotional and physical needs so that they will look to You for approval, not to the world. You gave these girls to me for a reason, help me Lord to do right by them.

And finally, thank you for healing me of the pressures of popularity. We are to be set apart from the world, not conformed to it. Please Lord, continue to renew my mind every day, so as not to fall prey to the lie of popularity again. Amen.

A new claim to fame

Most of y'all know I'm from the piney woods of Southeast Texas right on the Texas/Louisiana border smack dab on the Gulf Coast. But, more importantly, it's the Cajun Redneck Capital of the World.

I made that part up... sort've. I mean, it's not officially the Cajun Redneck Capital of the World, but if there were such a title, Southeast Texas would be neck and neck with other Cajun Redneck locations such as, Southwest Louisiana.

But, I'm proud to say that Beaumont, has a new claim to fame. But, for those of you not familiar with Beaumont (or the Golden Triangle, which encompasses Beaumont, Port Arthur and Orange - my hometown) let me give you a brief "claim to fame" history of my (red) neck of the woods.

A few notable famous people from the Golden Triangle:
Tracy Byrd (Country Music singer)
Mark Chesnutt (Country Music singer)
George Jones (Country Music singer)
Will Wynn (former Austin Mayor)
Janis Joplin (Singer)
Jimmy Johnson (former Dallas Cowboys football coach)

A few notable businesses that began in the Golden Triangle:
Jason's Deli
Sweet Leaf Tea
Conn's Appliances

So, imagine my surprise when while flipping through the TV guide Randy spied a program that piqued his interest... "Gator 911"

"Gator 911" is on CMT and it's basically a show where a former law enforcement officer turned gator conversationalist is called out to rescue alligators that have lost their way into neighborhoods, ponds and drainage ditches. It's Cajun Redneckin' at it's best, people.

The ironic thing is that Randy and I are waiting to spot people we know on this show. Seriously. And it could one day be my parents on that show because a couple of years ago, a gator was spotted in their neighborhood lake behind their house. Wouldn't that be a hoot if the Gator 911 man was called out to my folks house to rescue a 10 ft gator? I can see it now... they'd be famous.

So, anyway... want to know a little bit about the place and people I call home? Watch Gator 911. And, then let's talk.

Disney 2010

This is the abridged version. If you desire to read the unabridged version (with more pictures), click here.

We had such a great time at Disney World! It was truly a once in a lifetime vacation for us, especially since the girls were at the perfect age to go. I'm so glad we had the opportunity to go when we did.

Here are the main highlights:

1.) First night there, Elisan threw up at the resort restuarant. Oh yes. She did.

First thought? 'Oh no... our vacation is ruined!' No joke people... I'm that kind of mom. (It's all about being transparent people...) Seriously, though... while I WAS worried about my poor sick baby, I have to admit, I was equally worried that our first full day in Disney would be spent in the hotel with a sick child. But, with a lot a prayers, a lot of rest and some cereal the next day, she was 100% the next day. We attributed the sickness to excitement, lack of food and a culmination of motion sickness (plane, train and bus).

2.) Going to Disney World during the school year is totally worth the pain of doing a week's worth of homework when you get home.

The crowds were very low and the longest we waited for a ride was 30-40 minutes, and that was for the Toy Story Mania ride (which is a 3-D arcade style game/ride.) Otherwise, we waited less than 15-20 minutes for the head-liner rides like Rock'n'Roller Coaster, Test Track, Mission: Space, Tower of Terror, Space Mountain, etc.

3.) The Wilderness Lodge resort was fabulous! If you can, stay in a WDW resort. The bus transportation to and from the parks alone made staying at a WDW resort worthwhile. Seriously.

4.) I was totally disappointed in the Royal Table Breakfast with Cinderella (and friends). You can read about it here.

5.) I absolutely loved the 50's Prime Time Cafe! It was a lot of fun and a must-do, for sure! I also really enjoyed Chef Mickey's character dining.

6.) No offense to people with strollers, because it wasn't that long ago that I was pushing a stroller myself... But, my goodness... they need an HOV lane or something for strollers. The massive amount of strollers was mind-boggling. Especially at Magic Kindgom. I was also astonished at the number of mothers with teeny-tiny babies - like newborns. I can't imagine taking a two year old to Disney World, much less an infant. I say... more power to ya.

7.) Meal plan is a must, especially if you have any intention of eating at the parks.

8.) Elisan was totally not interested in standing in line to take a picture with a character. Kyla was interested only if the line was not too long. I guess Elisan was a bit too old for that. Fine by me, because the lines for some of those character signatures and photos was longer than the line for a ride. And, then you'd see each child in the family take a picture with the character, then a group picture, then the adult would jump in for a picture too. It was nauseating.... and time consuming, so I'm glad my kids weren't all about the characters.

9.) On our first day there, Kyla got scared on the second ride of the day. Yep... no bueno for her. So, she avoided any rides that were dark, loud or had 'fright factor' written all over it.

10.) Epcot has updated all of their "futuristic" rides. No longer are the people of "tomorrow" wearing silver jumpsuits and driving flying cars. That's kind of nice.

11.) Like most kids, the girls quickly grew tired of the shows and attractions that didn't require a seatbelt and warning instruction for people with heart conditions, etc. Oh, I take that back... Elisan reminded me that if there were real people acting out parts - like the Lion King or Nemo musical, then that was okay. The animatronic stuff was not that fascinating to them.

12.) The girls loved the "Jedi Training" at Hollywood Studios! A definite must-see for any kid!

All in all, we had such a great time. We truly had a Disney experience! Everything about Disney World was first class and high quality. We really felt as if we got our money’s worth in every aspect from the hotel, parks and meals. It definitely is a vacation that we will remember for a lifetime.

Home again!

We're home and exhausted. More later...