this will be a long-winded one

Here I am again, months later. Bad, Ginny! So much has happened! That'll show me not to wait so dang long!

The girls started gymnastics. Here they are looking so adorable:

Right?

Both girls absolutely love it and get to do it with some of their buddies, Alys and Charlie. So that's been fun!

School is going exceptionally well for everyone (including mom :)). Grace has really picked up on the reading, which was going a little slow this summer. Sydney seems to like school as well. She is still quite the little mommy's girl, and would much rather be with me, but is also meeting some fun new friends and gaining some much needed "socialization". Damn wild animal!

Wade and I got to go to Chicago for a tiny vacation and we had so much fun. I kept thinking to myself, "why did we leave?" There is so much to do! and see! and eat!

And then I remembered:

Wow, traffic is UGLY there. But we had so much fun reminiscing, seeing our good friend Maja, driving by our old apartment and a few of my old job sites. It was a fabulous birthday gift for Wade, who turned 30 (really 38--seriously how is life happening so fast? He was 23 when I met him!) September 10.

The girls also had fun at Annaliese's birthday party~~~ she had real, alive ponies! Which the kiddos loved.

Let's continue this epic post with a little soccer update! When I was having quite a heated debate with my friend Ashli and my brother regarding Grace and her "non-interest" in sports, team or otherwise, she decided to sit on the foam cooler and proceed to break it into a million pieces! Good job, Grace. You make your momma proud. Plus, you made me look right, which everyone knows how much I love to be right!

And last, but most definitely not least, Grace had a little, um, accident.

Yeah, she broke her wrist falling off the monkey bars at school.

So, allll that stuff I just reported on! Yeah, it really doesn't apply anymore.

She can still do choir though?!?!??!?! *gulp*

Thank the heavens for school. Do not get me wrong, it has been an amazing summer, but I'm feeling this whole school thing. Here is the first day pic:

And yes, they are BOTH going to Westminster (feel free to send cash) this year. It is slowly and methodically killing me that Sydney is old enough to do this. But, whatever, everyone says that! And technically, this picture was Grace's 2nd day of school, but WHO CARES, right? It's all about the pic.

In other news, our beloved Lily B was almost a "goner"(the words of our vet). She suffered a back injury and actually couldn't walk for 2 days. It was a miserable time. But, alas, church has paid off, and she is going to be okay. She is on doggie bed rest, which is as impossible as it sounds.

And finally, today is our 9th anniversary, Whew! If you are interested in taking a peek down our memory lane, feel free to do so here. Good times I tell ya.

Peace and Love y'all~

californication

The trip was fantastic, the weather was beautiful (even a little chilly) and it was SO GOOD to see my friend Meredith and her kiddos. We had a phenomenal time. Wade and I only had a handful of fights, KIDDING!! It was very relaxing and low stress. Here are some of the highlights.

Sydney: still a little bratty, but overall pretty good. She actually enjoyed the beach this time, LOVED swimming in the heated pool, thought the animals were rad at the zoo and really liked the penguins and Shamu at Seaworld. Although she wanted us to buy her something at EVERY gift shop there, which there a like a bazilion gifts shops, so she heard a lot of "no" that day. Which is good for her.

that is a panda in between them, so cute!!!!!
She didn't get a single nap the entire trip, except this one and it didn't really count, y'know?

Grace: ever the rockstar she declared (same as last year) that she wants to move to San Diego. The child loves all things California.

Boogie Boarding (which I did with her, thank God there are no pictures to prove that!!)

Feeding the Sea Lions

And it just so happens that she got to spend time with a boy that wants to marry her. The cutest boy ever, might I add.

Can't wait til next year....

sassy new do and such

Well, here I am again for my monthly check-in. Grace has been dyyyyying for bangs, so she got her hair did! And here is the result!!

She looks older, but I think it's pretty cute!! And she lurrrrves it!

Sydney has really started growing up this summer, of course we are still dealing with a lot of yelling and whining, but in general she has matured quite a bit. She started her warm-up preschool at Westminster and absolutely loved it! She never cried and actually skipped her little self right in there. Oh the sadness...

She also finally got to participate in Grace's beloved theatre camp last week. She really liked it as well. All week she was telling me that she was going to sing and dance for us. It was sooooo cute and I nearly died. She really got into it and was actually the loudest camper. She and her friend Alys were the youngest ones and they did awesome. More sadness...

Here she is, in all her glory. It's a little long, but you get the general idea. Grace would have NEVER been this vocal. So cute.

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And finally, we are off for our annual San Diego trip tomorrow. WOOHOO!!!!

Wish me luck!!!

numero 3

Happy Birthday to the orneriest, bossiest and most delightful girl I know.

Here's hoping the third year is filled with less whining!

4th 'o July

This year our block partook in the annual July 4th float contest. We did some funny olympic things.

Here is Sydney as an olympic gymnast:

and Grace was an olympic soccer player:

they looked sooooo cute! And it really was very fun and not quite as hot as some years past. Just a mere 90 degrees. Hey, that's good people.

After the parade we had a dog contest at our park. Lily B got the prize for cutest smile! I'm pretty sure she got that last year as well.

And as for fireworks, we had an amazing time watching them at the Sportsman's. The show started at 9:45 and only lasted about 20 minutes. Perfect...

...and priceless!

mid-summerish checkin

It's a summer of highs and lows so far...

Highlight #1: summer is here and Grace continues to want to be entertained at theater camp ALL DAY LONG, just like last year. And I have to say, she was unbelievable in her first performance. Sorry, I don't have any picture or video, which leads me into the...

Lowlight #1:
my purse and all its contents were stolen from my car. Yes, the window was shattered and my precious coach bag, coach wallet, brand spankin new camera, car keys, checkbook,$100 and other important things were ripped from my life forever. And yes, you heard that correctly, the car keys, the ones that could have been inserted into said car and driven off. And yes, the checkbook, with the home address typed on the front. but....

Highlight#2: the next morning an amazing human that is going straight to heaven, found my keys, checkbook, drivers license! and miscellaneous items. The man actually called my bank to report that he had found these things dumped in a trash can. Good people.

Highlight #3:
Sydney is officially pee-pee potty trained. I was always going to try the week of Memorial Day, but she decided to do it on her own the week before. Words cannot describe how exciting this time is. She has only had 1 accident since the last week in May. Seriously amazing. We are working on the poop thing now.

Lowlight #3:
Sydney's anesthesiologist took his own life a couple weeks ago. Apparently he was pretty deep into drugs and alcohol. Good to know.

Highlight #4:
My social/lazy life abruptly ended the first week of June when I was 2nd in charge of the vacation bible school at my church. WOW. It was the busiest I've been in a very long time. When I left around 12:30 everyday, I could have gone home and slept for the rest of the evening. But my kids weren't allowing that. Thank you to all the amazing volunteers--KJ I'm talking to you! I'll be in charge of it next year. Lord, help me. No, really, Lord, I need helppppppp!!!!!!!!!!!

Lowlight #4:
Sydney is still scared of all bugs living on this planet. Upon seeing them they are met with blood curdling screams. Good God child it's a flippin beetle.



Highlight #5:
We were at the park the other day for a fourth of July float meeting, which included some chips,lemonade and random neighborhood children when Sydney shouted at me from across the park, "Mom, is this my birthday party???" Funniest thing I've heard since Grace's wedding observations.



Lowlight:
We decided last minute not to go to the Death Cab for Cutie show in Dallas. Me=Sad.



I believe that wraps it up thus far. So, until the next installment...

Questions and Conversations by Grace

Last night we went to a big wedding for a family friend and we allowed Grace to go. I am so happy we did.

1). "Are they all getting married?????" (In reference to the 8 bridesmaids and groomsmen.)

2). "When are they gonna kiss??? That guy is such a blabber mouth!!!!!" (In reference to the priest.)

3). "I just walked up to the lady that got married and asked her when they are gonna cut the cake." (In reference to the bride and the late hour.)

Good God, this girl is a veritable hoot! And an embarrassment! But so flippin cute!

chore charts

Yep, it's that time of year again. My kids have decided to junk up/clutter my home. Oh wait, that was me. Whoops. None the less, they don't help matters. About a year ago, I started a chore chart for Grace and she actually did really well, collecting stars and selecting her treat. And because she has my knack for tidiness, or lack of knack, we've started it up again. I can generally handle the usual pair of shoes here and there, but when I see her deliberately drop her belongings at the doorstep with NO afterthought, my blood boils!!! Hence, the chore chart.

So, Grace being the ever competitive soul, says, "well, what about Sydney, she's the messiest thing on the planet." Hmmmmm, good point. And while I didn't think she would give two shits about a star, I thought, what the hell, if it makes Grace feel the fairness, why not?

And would you believe, she actually gives a shit!! Well, not a big one, but big enough for this:

and this:

Cute, no??

And by 'brush hair' I mean without screaming bloody murder...and she actually did it. Grace was less than thrilled, seeing that she has already lost several stars. But, hey, it was her idea. Maybe she'll keep her mouth closed next time!! Of course, she had to tell Sydney "good job" and she said it with as much enthusiasm as the teens from Pump It Up. Hahahahahaha! Oh how I love the irony that is called life.




Oh yeah, baby.

me - fat = yay!!

Okay, quite obviously my 10 readers have completely abandoned me because I am a shitty poster!! I only have myself to blame. That being said, this will be a good time to show before and after pictures of my weight loss-- 20lbs since January 1!! Woo-Hoo for moi!

Here is Before:

And after:

Sigh. One day my children will care. Or perhaps not. It was a mixture of healthy eating (thank you weight watchers cookbooks!!), tons of water and pilates. Go me!

dooce is my hero

and this is why I worship the ground this woman walks on...

and just to add the exploitative-ness...

the cuteness...

OMG she looks so grown up...

It's still alive...

3 sisters...

SCORE!!!!

I swear I'm not a soccer mom, but, really, my child scored her first goal!!!! This is no small feat. This is the same child that scored a goal FOR THE OTHER TEAM a mere 6 months ago. Can you say D-e-v-a-s-t-a-t-i-n-g???

So, let me tell you all about this earthshattering moment. Okay, she stole the ball from the tallest girl at midfield....

Okay, fine, I didn't actually see it. BUT I walked up one minute after it happened. Does that count? Let's see who I can blame this on. Daddy, of course! He's my scapegoat for all things that go wrong.

Although I was really sad that I missed it, I was very excited for her. No, they didn't win and are still 0-4541354, but all is now right with the world.

The pictures are deceiving...

Okay, so it wasn't all bad...although you won't see the Starr family as a whole in Las Vegas ever again. The girls can go with their friends when they are 21. Until then, it's malls and pools and local zoos for us!!!
I had to take a picture of the girls in the "O" of "Revolution" at the Mirage. Moments after this picture was taken, they were assaulted by mirage staff to MOVE!!!! There is no dawdling in Vegas, which doesn't fare well for my girls, who are the queens of taking their time. So that didn't help.


The dolphins were a huge hit with us. So much so, that when Wade was stuck in bed with his vomit and diarrhea, we went TWICE! Such fun! You know you're in trouble when you have to go to the same place two times in 4 days. But, they are amazing creatures, that I happen to know A LOT about now.
The white tigers were also within the dolphin area and were also a humongous hit with us. This included me (and Wade who went the first time ). They were absolutely gorgeous and frightening all at the same time.
Here is Sydney talking to a "dolphin". She actually thought it was real and gave him hugs and kisses. You can see the seriousness in their discussion.
The shark reef at Mandalay Bay, also fun (but really big). Grace got to touch sting rays and they are standing in front a jellyfish tank. It was stunning.
Grace and I standing in front of Cirque De Soleil at the Bellagio. Again, a lot of variables were off in this one as well. Our seats were way to high making it almost impossible to see and the show itself was way too dramatic and slow for g-dawg. Hence, she fell asleep around 9pm. It was the poop icing on the shit cake. In case anyone ever goes with their kids (which they won't), definitely see the CDS Beatles' show. I kicked myself for not booking that one.


So now you know what went down in Vegas. It was not pretty, people. Thankfully, we have made it past this horrendous week--with marriage pretty much intact--and children no worse for the wear. The end.

seven

I know it seems trite, but. my God. My child is getting so freakin old. Gone is the baby face, the small teeth and the silky smooth skin. She is developing into such a sweet child. It breaks my heart a little bit. I am so proud to say she's mine.

Easter 2008

Here we are last Sunday at a friend of the family's. Wade's probably going to get his feelings hurt that he didn't make it into this family picture, but OH WELL, our livlihood is based largely on the restaurant and the holidays, so we deal with it. We did miss you though Daddy.

Stay tuned for LV pictures, they are sure not to disappoint.

Let this be a reminder

to all you people out there that are considering going on a trip to Las Vegas with your children that it is NOT A GOOD IDEA. Oh, wait, you would never do that, would you. Only crazy people would think that would be a good idea.

Yeah.

Where to begin.

Let's just say there were a variety of variables that went wrong. I lost my new camera. Sydney acted like we were torturing her with nails and a hammer, straight with lying down in the middle of the casino tantruming. Several different times. Our "nanny" talked on her phone the entire time and all Grace asked was "WHEN ARE WE GOING TO GO SWIMMING."

And the clincher. The stomach bug. In the form of vomit and diarrhea. Which happened during our only scheduled outing by ourselves at an amazing restaurant that I made reservations for a month ago. Yep. Wade was in bed by 8:00 pm on Wednesday night and vomiting by 10:00.

So I did what any wife would do. Gamble. I kept thinking, "I have got to make something about this trip salvageable." And if you think that was heartless of me, don't worry, I paid for it. Although he gave me permission to leave, I paid for it with subtle jabs the next day.

Spring Break 2009 is already decided. Someplace close with a pool. Period.

When Robitussin Attacks

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I'm just so happy to get to share with you what a complete and total nutcase my child turns into when presented with cough syrup. This video is a little over one minute, but you must watch it in its entirety because the face she makes after taking the syrupy nastiness is priceless!

To keep or not to keep...

If you've had the pleasure to speak with me lately...well, it may have been an unpleasurable experience. I've been a bit of a grump lately. So I'm apologizing for that right now. But! there is a good reason for my unpleasant mood. You see, my brother and I have had the shitasheous job of basically ransacking my parents house in order to get out anything we want/deserve before the gigantic estate sale in a couple of weeks.



All I have to say is thank goodness they had moved out of the house I grew up in already! Now, that would have been a really shitasheous job!! But, alas, this has been pretty miserable in itself. I just don't know what to keep vs what to get rid of. Some of you may already know that I'm not exactly a "keeper" of things. I like to throw away everything. My mother was the opposite. She was a shopper/keeper of shit. So, I'm okay with getting rid of most things, but there is this small part of me that knows she is dying? inside. I really just do not want or have room for it. Sorry mom.



And then there is the fact that my dad seems to think they he has to get rid of every.last.picture. Including all pictures of my mom, me, Grace etc. What's that about? He seems to be eradicating this family from himself. I guess I'll have to live with that. He left a folder with my name on it that had HIS WEDDING PICTURE of he and my mom, among other sentimental pictures. It makes me sad, but maybe he's wanting me to keep them safe. Who knows. It just feels...awkward and strangely disloyal.



I am trying to keep my chin up, as I say to my kids, but this extracurricular work seems to be kicking my ass! Crawling in a hole sounds kinda comforting...although I did find a diary from 1984 that made me laugh so hard I cried, which was almost worth it. But not quite.

couch tater

Obviously, she was born the wrong gender.

I JEST!!

She just loves her Diego and her Oreo's.

Pretty much like my evenings, except I watch LA Ink and nibble on Jenny Craig cheesecake.

Like mother, like daughter.