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

Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing - Photo Books


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.

The Quick Trip

I totally forgot to write about our funnnn trip to Vegas! Probably because it lasted all of 36 hours annnnd Abigail died the morning after we returned.

Here's Wade and I looking super cute, no? And he's wearing his HOT PINK sunglasses. Tell me, what man would be comfortable enough with his manliness to wear these?

Once again, Vegas didn't disappoint. God, I freakin' love that place. The flights were eazy breazy, although everyone is in agreement--DO NOT TRAVEL SOUTHWEST VACATIONS-- too many horror stories from the friends. Anywho, the room was great (mirage), the gambling (blackjack and texas hold 'em) was awesome and the food (nobhill, burger bar and Japonais) was killer!!!!!!!

Here is Ashli and myself, she's looking high, as usual. I mean, she's not high usually, just kinda always looks like it in pictures.

I have to admit, going to Vegas with 3 other couples had me worried because it's not exactly a couply-kind-of-place. But it rocked and we laughed our asses off. And, of course, the small sweet victory of NOT having to change diapers and fix sippy cups of juice for a few short minutes.

Back to reality!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2 years

Unbelievably, it has been two years since the passing of my mother. January 23, 2006 was most definitely the day that changed my life forever. It sounds so trite, but you really can never be prepared.

Sadly, I was unable to make it to her grave today. Grace really wants to go and put down some pictures she has drawn for her, and I had to work late. Which was actually a God-send.

My favorite picture of us, taken Christmas Eve, just a month before she died.

Seriously, does she even look sick?

What a blessing.

(P.S. thank you hens, love you.)

R.I.P.

I don't even know how to tell the blogworld this utterly devastating news.

Our sweet, adorable little birdie is dead.

It really is sooo sad and we JUST trained her to stop freaking out when we open her cage and she had definitely taken to Grace, who had recently learned to get her in and out of the cage herself and walk her around on her shoulder.

The way she died is what is so absolutely horrid. She found a way out of her cage (WADE STOP ASKING HOW SHE GOT OUT) and, get ready, one of the dogs killed her. Grace saw the bird in Curly's mouth and started screaming bloody murder. Then I came in the room and started screaming at the dogs at the top of my lungs and then Wade came down the stairs assuming that someone was missing a limb and confirmed the news: she was indeed dead. Most likely a puncture to the lung.

I cannot tell you how sad my daughter was. She cried and cried until her face was melting off. And there was not a God Damn things I could do. Except hug her and tell her I was so sorry. Seriously. This is not okay.

Saddest part of the entire event. Sydney was bawling while we were screaming and she kept repeating the phrase, "sissy, STICKY TAPEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!" For those of you that don't know Dora, sticky tape is what she used to repair a hot air balloon and various other broken gear. So sad. And also really freakin' smart.

R.I.P. Abigail. I'm sorry I couldn't protect you from the big bad wolves.

for the love of money

Oh, it's on!!!!!!!!!!!!!


It's less than 7 hours I will be hitting the tables in crazy L-V.


Awe yeah.


Annnnnnnnd, I'm 8 pounds lighter!! So, bring on the foodddddddd................




Wish me luck, peeps!

So

My husband gets to go on a vacation with his best friend this weekend. Must be nice. Sheesh. Truth be told, I am happy for him, as he never gets to do anything fun. Unless you count working and being with me and our children.

Borrrringggg.

So, being the kind of person I am, I waited until today (he left at 2:30) to give him shit. Hey, I could been being bitchy for weeks. I'm nice.

Him: So what are you going to do this weekend?
Me: Just hangin out with the kids, AGAIN.

Now times that by about 10 and you can get a feeling for how our morning was.

He knows I am loathing, so he sent me these last night:

Duh, not helping.

End of an Era...maybe?!?!?

We are on day 3 without a nap. She is, thankfully, still not complaining about going down for one, but I can hear her kicking and playing for about an hour before summoning me to her room.

Sigh.

Why do they have to grow up and shit.

Does anyone think it may be a phase? Does anyone care?

In other news: HAPPY 2008!!!!!!!!!!!!

I always love the start of the new year. So full of promises, so full of hope, so full of days to screw your kids up more...

Ahhhhhh, the positivity. I, of course, have to point out that 2007 was a pretty decent year for me in the "resolution" department. As most of you know, I quit smoking March 2007, and stayed smoke-free to this very day. Alas, this brings me to the start of my new resolution for 2008. As I type, I can see my belly in my peripheral vision. Thanks to my healthy resolution of no smoking, I have picked up a not so healthy habit of EATING LIKE A FUCKING PIG. So, the time has come to shed some pounds.

Y'all know I can do it.