happy 8th birthday, SuperGirl!

Today is SuperGirl’s birthday.  She’s 8, going on 22.  It’s hard to believe my BABY is eight years old.  We celebrated this morning, very early this morning, by going to Shipley Donuts before school.  This tradition was really fun when we didn’t have to go at the crack of dawn.  This year there were no sprinkle donuts for anyone, just sausage kolaches and a few donut holes.  As per tradition, we opened presents at the shop.  SuperGirl said she’d like to open one small gift today and save the “big ones” for her family party later this week.  I guess we probably need to go buy some “big” presents… or find some bigger boxes to wrap the ones we got in!!

SuperGirl has had her eyes on these Skechers Twinkle Toes shoes since we went school shopping.  They weren’t exactly practical or in our price range for school shoes, but I thought they would make a perfect birthday present.  They have glitter, lights, graffiti… all the things an 8-year-old thinks a pair of shoes should have.  She was THRILLED to see that those shoes were in that gift bag.

Of course, we had to change shoes in Shipley’s so she could wear them to school today.  Good thing Mom picked out her clothes this morning so they’d kind of match… with all those colors, they are bound to match just about anything, don’t you think?  I’m hoping she keeps her feet under her desk today… and that she doesn’t bounce down the halls of school, trying to light them up.  We’re new to this public school thing… are these things even “school legal” these days?  I don’t know…

Later today we’ll be taking lunch to SuperGirl at her school.  She is really, REALLY excited about that.  So am I! 

things SuperGirl talked about the first week of {school} and a few other thoughts…

The first day of school she wore leggings and a cute little shirt.  When we picked her up that afternoon she asked if she could wear short pants the following day because it was really hot waiting outside to be picked up at the end of the day.  And then she turned around and asked if she was allowed to bring a sweater to school.  Apparently it is freezing in the cafeteria! 

When putting her to bed Monday night she asked, “Momma, will you walk me in again tomorrow?”  She has had a hard time missing me during the day.  Breaks my ever-loving heart…  Mrs. J has noticed her looking sad and when asked she says, “I just miss my Mom.” 

SuperGirl made two friends this week, Raven and Skyler.  They noticed she was trembling in class (nerves) and asked if she was okay.  I think they’ll look out for her.

Tuesday morning she came out wearing lipstick… so she’d look pretty for school.

That night when putting her to bed she told me, “I really missed you today.  I feel like I’m crying on the inside.” 

By Thursday the class was into their routines and she told me she was going to tutoring the following day.  We knew she would need some extra help getting acclimated to how they do things and writing faster, reading faster/better, and just figuring out the new setting in general.  It was at this time that she told me there was a girl making fun of her for writing and doing everything slow.  I wanted to go wring that little girl’s neck but assured SuperGirl that she would speed up as time went on and to not worry about other people. 

Friday morning I was thrilled to see her smile as she got out of the car.  She spotted a friend and they walked in to the school together.

I cried almost every morning this week.  Summer was with me every morning as I dropped off SuperGirl so I would keep it together until I left the high school.  Both of these girls have made me so proud this week.  They are smart, beautiful, brave, strong girls… I hope they realize that!  It’s just so obvious that they are growing up so fast and time is so fleeting… it’s really been in my face this week.  I’ve been on my knees praying for them… for so many things… emotionally I’m drained.  But I’m also at peace knowing we’ve made the right decision for them and they are right where they need to be.

thoughts on being 40…

 

1. 40 isn’t old.
2. At least it’s not as old as I once thought it was.
3. But having to check the age range box that starts with 40 kind of stinks.
4. So is having to scroll through the 2000’s and down to 1970. 
5. There are only a few gray hairs on my head.
6. That I can see.
7. I’m not wearing readers.
8. Yet.
9. My body still works and is on it’s way to working better since I’m taking better care of it. 
10. I am married to a wonderful, godly man and after spending almost half my life with him we have a great marriage.
11. It’s not perfect, but we are always growing and changing and striving to make it what God wants it to be.
12. I have three beautiful, sweet, smart, daughters who make being a mom a pure joy and blessing.
13. And maybe they are the source of a few of those gray hairs…
14. Much of who I am today I owe to my parents.
15. I have a mom who protected me and nurtured me and taught me how to love… and a dad who has loved me selflessly and sacrificially. 
16. My mother knows I’m really 39… because she knows if she admits I’m 40, then she has to admit she has a kid who is… 4-OH.
17. I married into a loving, supportive family.
18. And I have the title of “favorite daughter-in-law.” 
19. Okay, I’m the ONLY daughter-in-law.  But still.  My title is my title and you can’t take that away from me.
20. Being 40 means that my sister and I are not BOTH still in our 30’s.
21. But today we are closer than ever and I count that as a giant, 40-sized blessing.
22. Friends.  How did I get so lucky? 
23. You know who you are… some of you are near some of you are far.
24. Some I have known more than half my life… and some for a few years. 
25. Many of you are like sisters… we are connected at the heart.  And that is a blessing I don’t take for granted.
26. I’m changing and gaining perspective on many things…
27. Like how to treat my husband and how to love my kids better.
28. And what is really important.
29. I’m not as hard on myself as I used to be.
30. But I still don’t like change.
31. Or conflict.
32. Or pickle relish.
33. Fear is not something I live under any more.  Do I struggle?  Yes.  Does it control me?  No.
34. Living my faith for so long has taught me to trust… so worry is not as big a part of my life as it once was either.
35. I’m still struggling to be content. 
36. But finding joy in the little things, a smile, a hug, a clean sink, lunch with a friend, a good movie, all remind me to be content.
37. My life is good.
38. I wouldn’t trade it for anything.
39. Nothing.
40. Except maybe to stay 39.

first day of {high school}

This girl went off to school like she’s done it her whole life.  I guess spending the previous summer practicing with the drill team and hanging out at the school helped her feel much more comfortable about going to school.  I felt much better about sending this one off… she’s a tough cookie, no nonsense, good sense of right and wrong.  And I couldn’t wait to see how she tackled high school. 

first day of {school}

So the big day arrived.  Everyone got up early and excited.  The first thing SuperGirl said to me was, "Mom, my alarm went off and it's still dark outside. Should we wait to get up?"  Cute kid.  She has no idea.  I assured her that waiting was not in the cards for us and getting up before the sun was our new reality.  I think that hurt me way more than it did her!  Hubby made pancakes for breakfast.  And we all loaded up in the car to take SuperGirl to school.  She was all dressed up in her new outfit and carrying her new backpack and lunchbox.  Of course we stopped on the front walk to take a picture!

Once we got to the school she got pretty quiet.  She slowly grabbed my hand, which is a sure indicator that she is unsure and nervous.  We walked a little slower, all the way to the back of the school where her class is located.  Mrs. J met us at the door and I tried my hardest to give my girl a big smile and hug before sending her in.  She made it in and I had to hide.  The tears and the ugly cry were all too close to the surface.  Hubby took the camera and walked in to take her picture at her desk.  Mrs. J assured me she would take care of my sweet baby as I told her I really thought I wouldn’t cry like that!!  Summer and Pickles left the hallway.  I guess I was too embarrassing for them. 

We left the school and drove Summer to the high school.  She walked right in, hardly looking back.  All I knew was, I couldn’t wait to get to the end of the day and get my babes back home!  Hubby came home and we went to pick up SuperGirl… waiting in the car riders line was a new experience but we had a few minutes together which was nice.  When we got home, I made SuperGirl chocolate chip cookies.  She asked if I would do it again tomorrow… I assured her I would bake cookies every afternoon if that’s what she wanted!  It didn’t take long for her to get sleepy so she took a little rest before heading out to play with the neighbor.  Later that afternoon she came in and asked if she could make a card for her teacher. It says, "I love you, Mrs. Jordan." I guess today was a-ok in her book...

meet the TEACHER

Wow.  Tonight was harder than I thought it would be.  And then again, it wasn’t that bad.  I really like SuperGirl’s homeroom teacher.  She’ll have three teachers this year and from what I hear they are all wonderful ladies.  But I am really glad SuperGirl landed in Mrs. J’s class.  I am hoping she will really help SuperGirl along with her transition from schooling at home to public school.  I’m hoping she helps me a little, too.

When we got to the school, I was fine.  (I’d driven by a little earlier and wasn’t fine!)  I think having Hubby there with me helped.  But as soon as I walked in the door, I felt a rush of emotions… then I saw my neighbor who was so surprised to see me… and she hugged me and asked how I was… and I nearly lost it.  I kept thinking that if it was this bad tonight, what would Monday look like? 

SuperGirl met her teacher and picked out a place to sit in the classroom.  She was very, very quiet which is very unusual for her.  She even kept her head down and her little cheeks were red.  It was really cute.  We took her around to meet the other third grade teachers and she was very quiet with them, too.  She didn’t miss a thing, though.  She carried her folder around and took note of where the bathrooms and library were. 

We go to church with several teachers at the school so we stopped in their rooms to say hello and let them know our SuperGirl was there, too.  After making our way through the school, we headed off to the cafeteria to pick up her school shirt, join the PTO, volunteer for stuff, pay for lunches, and order a school hoodie.  I think we’re all set. 

SuperGirl was most excited about the menu calendar she received.  She read it the whole way home, thinking about which days she would buy her lunch instead of bringing it from home.  She is going to have so much fun…  I can’t wait to see where this year takes her!

The real question is, how will I survive Monday?

meet the Rangers night

This high school thing is really getting fun… and school hasn’t even started yet!  Last night was Meet the Rangers Night.  We were all introduced to the drill team, the cheerleaders, and the football teams.  Each and every kid was introduced.  Several coaches commented how many more kids there were this year than the last two years.  Our school is growing and it’s fun to be a part of that. What’s even more fun is seeing my girl and several kids we’ve known since they were born wearing the green and blue, too.  The RangeRettes performed a pom routine, the cheerleaders led a cheer, and the football team looked tough.  It was fun to see how many kids are involved and I can’t wait for the first football game!!!  We have our season tickets and t-shirts… all we need now is our RangeRette parent shirt and stadium seats and we’ll be ready to go! Go Rangers!!!

thursday 13 - changes

Since I’m not a fan of change, I thought it would be fun to sit down and write about some changes that are going on in our family and how change = good.

1. We are homeowners again. (That’s not really new news, but it’s a change.)  It feels good. My mind is going crazy with things to change around here now that the house is “ours.” I started by buying two trees and a storm door.  Next on the list is paint and new flooring.

2. Summer is starting high school in five days. Wow. Feels a little weird saying that but we all know it’s where she should be and we are all excited about it.

3. SuperGirl is going to school in five days, too. Three words: I.CAN’T.WAIT.  I know that sounds bad. I’m just ready to be her momma and leave the teaching to someone else. This does not mean that I am without anxiety about the change, but I am excited for her. And me, too.

4. I joined a Bible study. It’s only been five years since I’ve been in one. 

5. We changed from watching only TV we get with an antenna to Dish Network.  I love this change.

6. I made a choice to finally do something about my eating habits and the change has been good.  Losing 10 lbs. makes that change even better!

7. I changed from using the fancy, fattening creamers to sugar free syrup and half and half.  It took a while to get used to but it sure helped with #6.  And, I’m not drinking as much coffee.

8. I changed my family organizing calendar from Microsoft Outlook to Cozi.  When I made the switch, it ate some of my appointments in Outlook, so I’m thinking this change may be permanent.  (Of course, if I’d followed the instructions that said to back up my Outlook file first, this wouldn’t have happened… Some things never change.)  What I like about Cozi is that we can all log on to the calendar and view the whole family’s activities or just one person.  It also has a Google sidebar gadget and an app for the iPhone.  So far, so good.

9. In changing from Outlook, I changed the way I view and check my e-mail.  I haven’t quite worked out all the kinks on the system of checking it on the Verizon site, but I’ll figure it out eventually in a way that makes sense for me.  I hope.  In the meantime, if you e-mail me and I don’t answer, it’s just because the message went into a folder somewhere and, well, the change and I haven’t made friends yet. 

10. My bedtime.  The kids aren’t exactly cooperating with going to bed on time and getting up early so come Monday morning, their little systems are in for a shock.  I, on the other hand, will be ready.  Maybe. At least I am trying by going to bed earlier and getting up earlier.  If you know me at all, you know this change is tough!

11. Our Sunday school class is currently studying Ephesians 5… we have a wonderful couple leading the series.  This isn’t the first time we’ve studied these verses, but it is a great reminder that sometimes I need to change the way I go about loving my husband. 

12. And some things I need to work on changing are being more outgoing and meeting new people and thinking too much about what teachers think of this home school mom who has put two children in public school.

13. I want to change my living room.  But I need help.  Professional help.

the aftermath

Where are the kitchen cleaning fairies when you need them?  And what you can’t see are the sprinkles, sugar, and flour on the counters and floor!  Isn’t there a saying about the bigger the mess, the bigger the fun?  We definitely had fun!

the auction

Well, Pickles didn’t win any ribbons, but as she said, “We had a lot of fun making the cake!”  Yes, we did.  We also made a big mess.  But that’s a post for tomorrow.  Hubby signed in as a buyer so we could bid on and hopefully bring home a cake of our own.  It smelled so good in the auditorium!  And everything from carrot cake to chocolate pie to buttermilk pound cake was paraded before us.  Two hours of cake, pies, and sugary desserts was almost too much!  Poor Hubby hadn’t eaten beforehand and by the end of the night, he had won one cake and was bidding on a pie!

The kids got to present their own cakes before the bidders and watch first hand, the auction process.  Pickles smiled the whole time.  Well, when she wasn’t making surprised faces that her mother was bidding with a family friend for that cake!  The auctioneer talked fast but she could hear $50, $60, $70 for sure!

In the end, Mom let the bid go at $100.  It was fun.  And Pickles was so cute when she went over to thank her buyer. What good things she learned through this!

Summer didn’t bake anything this time around… she had Rette practice.  When she finished, she came over to visit her friends and ended up getting to hold a pie for auction, too.  She was thrilled (insert sarcasm).  Three hours of drill team practice leaves one sweaty, not ready to stand in front of a group of people, teenager.  Sorry Summer!  You were a good sport…

Here they are asking her how to pronounce her last name.  And she’s telling them, “It’s not my pie!”

In the end, it was a really fun night.  Pickles is already talking about what to make next time!  Thank you Mr. and Mrs. D!!!

“they’re so flufffffyyyyyyy!”

Martha Stewart I am not.  But when Pickles was asked to participate in the 4H Cake Auction, she pulled out the Martha Stewart Cupcake Cookbook and got to designing.  She thought these little sheep cupcakes would be perfect!

And of course they needed a pasture to graze in…

Getting the lamb cake to the sale was interesting.  I kept telling her that her Grandmom transports cakes all over the place with no trouble and ours was just a little thing… but she sat in the back seat and kept her eye on the cake and the driver.  I promised to go slow, take the turns easy, and avoid potholes.  And we made it to the show just in time to beat a very windy rainstorm!  Crisis averted…

home tweet home

Earlier this summer we planted a tree.  (When I say “we” I mean Hubby and a very big post hole digger.) 

And a cute little helper.

 

And a family promptly moved in…  Now that there are “children” in the family there is a lot of chattering going on in our front yard. 

The momma bird is never far away.  She either sits on a different branch of the tree (far right of the picture, top branch) or on the electrical wires above the tree.  She keeps a very close eye on our Twix!

christmas in august?

While getting ready for our garage sale SuperGirl found this gingerbread house kit in our pantry.  It had been there… for quite some time.  Like maybe a couple of years.

She had the sense to not ask about putting it together until Sunday.  But she asked, and asked, and asked, and asked… until it was too late to do it.

Monday morning she woke up, did her chores, and came to me about 8:00 asking to put it together.  I figured it would be a good little project that she could do to keep her out of my hair while I got some work done.  Besides, it cleared out a nice little spot on the top shelf of my pantry.  So we unloaded the box, gathered supplies, and prepared the foundation for construction. 

Oh, but little did I know… my job was to do the concrete mixing and mortaring.  It was messy… and sticky… and hard to do!  (Of course Hubby came home in the middle of construction and a wall fell.  I tried to pass the buck but that contractor would have nothing to do with our mistakes.)

Once we got the walls up, SuperGirl started the “real work” of placing the roofing “tiles”, doors, and windows. 

I was all too happy to pass the mortaring job on to my apprentice once the foundational pieces were placed.  She was messier than I was but her methods proved effective.

Construction complete!  She even made a snowman for the “scene.”

I guess I can’t ever be accused of not being spontaneous… I mean, how many people do you know who make gingerbread houses in the summertime?

SuperGirl at camp showoffs…

The past week or so has found SuperGirl to be extra talkative, extra needy, and extra on my nerves.  Don’t get me wrong… I love how she talks to me about every little thing that runs through her mind.  And I do mean every little thing.  The trip to Houston to see the RangeRettes dance at the end of camp wasn’t too bad.  She read her new library book to us.  She took a nap.  And she sang Taylor Swift.  LOTS of Taylor Swift.  But when we got to the gym, we had to wait a bit.  We were early and they were running late.   SuperGirl doesn’t wait well.  AT ALL.  She followed me around like a shadow.  The stream of questions and comments was constant and yet entertaining…

How much longer?

When will they start?

What time does it start?

What time is it now?

Why are they late?

Why can’t we sit on the bleachers?

There’s Summer!

Summer!  Summer!  Summer!!!!!

Mom, Summer’s not in this one. 

Mom, Summer’s in this one.

Mom, KM is in this one.

Mom, KM and Summer aren’t in this one. 

There’s Summer!

How much longer?

Mom, I’m hungry.

Do you have any candy?

Gum?

Mints?

Can I do the video? 

I’m really good at the video. 

I really want to do the video.

Summer’s not in this dance.

KM is in this one.

Mom, Summer and KM are BOTH in this one!

{and at the final part, where they chose a camp top dancer}

MOM! There are 12 girls in the top 12!!!

crazy day…

I guess it’s been a long time coming…  Our dog, Pebbles, has a tendency to play with fire.  Or in traffic.  Most of the time she minds and comes when called.  But when she sees this…

 

and this…

Well… one look at the horses and donkeys and she can’t control herself. All restraint goes out the window.  It’s the only time she bolts across the “big road” like that.  And you know what I learned today?  The neighbor’s dog, a Yorkie, does the same thing.  What is it about little dogs wanting to take on horses and donkeys???

Here’s how it went down…  today was the day I knew was bound to come but the outcome was much, much better than I expected.  We were setting up for our garage sale this morning, about 7:00am.  Pebbles was out among all of the stuff, doing her best to keep us safe from strangers (i.e. barking, chasing, sniffing).  I’d lost track of her when all of a sudden I heard screeching tires, people yelling, “Pebbles!” and hearing yelps from the road. 

I looked up to see two trucks in the road and Pebbles limping/running across the ditch and into the yard.  I called her to come to me but she just kept running.  I figured that was a good sign and got her to follow me into the house.  She would not drink water but did lay down on the floor.  I rubbed her whole body, feeling her legs and ribs, looking at her belly, and trying to see where she was hurt. 

The only injuries we could find were a bloody lip and some scrapes on her back.  After talking to our friends who witnessed the whole thing, we figured out that she hit the truck with her face and managed to roll under the truck and escape.  I don’t know how the two trucks in the road didn’t hit each other.  I’m just so thankful no one was hurt! 

Pebbles spent the day outside with us.  She was a little calmer than normal, especially with people coming in and out of our driveway.  This evening, Pebbles seems fine.  She’s tired.  I think the whole thing scared her, too! 

I wonder if she learned her lesson…

Rettes at Camp Show Offs

 

It’s been a busy summer for Summer.  She had one camp/trip after another for the whole summer.  This week’s camp, RangeRette Jazz Camp was the last camp.  Whew!  I’m glad to have her home even though life most certainly won’t be slowing down any time soon.

At camp they took all kinds of classes like jazz, contemporary, hip hop, and even salsa!  We showed up on the last day to see the dances and cheer our dancers on.  What a fun, energetic  performance it was!  Summer really seemed to enjoy her dances and smiled and bounced on and off the court.  It was nice to see.  She deepened some of her friendships with the Rettes girls during this time, too.  Her roommates couldn’t have been better if I’d handpicked them for her.  When they weren’t dancing or eating they were dancing some more. 

Camp really brought the team together.  I can’t wait to see them dance this football season. 

The camp gave out ribbons to girls who showed a great attitude and those who worked really hard in their classes.  It was called the Star Dancer award… My sweet Summer girl got one… and she said they tried to give her two!  I’m proud of this girl.  And it’s a joy to see her so excited about this new adventure we call drill team!

Confucius have sense of humor…

This is what was going on in my house today…

Getting ready for a garage sale…

Yes, in the middle of August…

With temps in the 100’s…

There are clothes, books, teacher supplies, games, movies, and household items…

There was even a fortune!  Gotta love it…

when i use the word d.r.a.m.a. you can pretty much picture this…

While this picture was taken last summer, it pretty much sums up D.R.A.M.A. around here.  It is also very short-lived, but very intense while it lasts…

she’s a girl… so when will she learn to speak her 20,000 words a day?

     

Okay, here’s where you all find out that deep down I really am a numbers nerd. 

I typed approximately 500 characters. 

Summer typed approximately 200 (and that’s only because I counted her bootie-texting 5000000000000005623(53$1). 

Yes, I counted.  Sort of.  It’s not an exact number, but it’s close.

I typed 250% MORE than she did.  It’s like pulling teeth, getting information out of her.

Well, at least I’m getting my money’s worth with unlimited texting, right?