Cell phones, it's like having an intercom...

Well, we are off and running in the school area. Kellie has decided 5th grade is do-able and the large number of school supplies weren't an indicator of the difficulty of this year. I've really never seen school supplies upset someone so!
Katie was up the first day of school before me! She was curling her hair. The high dollar straightener wasn't enough for her, she recently discovered the curling iron....next thing I know she'll be asking for Hot Rollers and Auqa Net and it will be my high school days all over again.
Eighth grade seems to be all about looking cute... oh, I remember those days. She is even liking all her classes. Tonight at dinner she asked me about an algebra question... I quickly told her that algebra makes me a little queasy, she needed to wait for dad for that conversation.

A few months ago Mike got a Blackberry from his company and since his phone still had a contract on it, we let Kellie take. This was completely going against my theory that she did not need one...but now that she has one she wanted new one. One her Dad hadn't worn out. It was the only thing she asked for this year for her birthday. We went today and she got a new phone.

She has been quite since we got it... she is trying out all the game demo's, texting the few phone numbers in her phone and playing all the ring tones over and over trying to decide on one.
I just realized that I like the girls having phones. I just called each of them in their room to tell them to finish up homework and get in the shower...

We're ready...well, two of us are

We have spent the last couple of days going through the girls clothes, school shopping, and getting all the last minute things done to start school.

I always order the school supplies from the school. Every year. Without fail. Except for this year. I stood there saying 'what do you mean you don't have her name on your list, I ALWAYS order it... I know I did'... I swear I remember doing it! I can't find the canceled check though, so surely the teacher lost my form... just kidding....

So...$100 later both kids have school supplies.

This however created a problem with Kellie. She is a bit overwhelmed by the amount of 1" binders, spirals and folders that were needed for 5th grade. She has been worried ever since we unloaded the supplies. She is convinced that 5th grade is going to be soooo hard if you need that many notebooks! Today she has complained of a stomach ache all day and spent the whole day laying around... I'm a little worried!

Katie did some babysitting last week and is again tonight and she thinks she is rich! That $3o has changed her life. It seems every week she does something that makes me realize more and more about how old she is getting.

Today she and I did a little shopping and lunch...I love having that one on one time with each girl.

Back to school...

Well, I've been back at work for a few days now. I really love my job and I know how fortunate I am to have a great job that I love and that lets me be off when the girls are off.

I never dread going back to work. I don't mind it at all. Now, I really hate to give up the summer life and all the days off but I still don't mind going back...

I've spent the last few days in meetings and every year it makes me wonder, why? Why do some people have to ask a million questions, some that have already been answered, why do they make unnecessary comments while speakers are presenting? I think they should be limited to a certain number of comments per week. And if it's a personal comment about something someone in your family has or did, it will take away all of your comments for the week. I'm happy to police this at meetings...

Friday, while listening to a speaker talk about high school, I realized that after this year Katie will be in high school and I will only have her for 4 more years. I teared up. I have no idea what she talked about the rest of the time....

4 years, I can't even think about it without feeling sick.

I know I talk about feeling like time is flying and my kids are getting too big but really, I just can't tell you how fast I feel it is going. Then that makes me feel old, then I get sad... it's crazy.

Oh, but just then, as I sit sobbing worrying about my babies leaving me, I hear a fight in the hall where the girls are about to kill each other over a shirt and I think, ok, maybe it won't be bad when they are gone. NO, NO, NO, not really. Then I'm just here with Mike....ahhhh...

Speaking of tearing up, watch the video linked below about the mission trip Jennifer just returned from...It makes me so thankful for what we have, what my children have. It makes me want to go get all of these children.

Really, watch it....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GWUU_1ymhmU

Christmas in August

Jennifer just got back from Guatemala. I'm so proud that she gets to go on this mission trip every year. Not just for the orphans but for the goodness she brings home to us. No. really. I'm very glad she goes and volunteers, gifts are just a nice perk!

She brought me this beautiful cross...

She brought me this cute satchel (Indiana Jones carries one)...It is made out of burlap and I am all about burlap these days...And she brought me coffee...I can't wait to try it in the morning.

And she brought me my second annual hand carved Nativity scene. Last years was bigger. This years is a petite nativity. There is a person in the nativity that looks like a girl with a back pack. I'm not sure who she is or what her roll in the birth of Jesus was, but she showed up this year...guess I'll let her stay...So, after all the wonderful goodies it almost seemed like Christmas in August. Well, except for the 95 degree day. And the bored kids. If it was Christmas they would be entertained for a little bit longer than they were today.
Today, when they didn't get to go anywhere and we had already played 10 games of Yahtzee, they found a pack of construction paper and had a contest to see who could make the longest paper chain.
It was officially a tie. Really it was. One child wanted to challenge my ruling. If only we had a Christmas tree up to decorate with all the colorful paper.I guess even the dogs are bored. They spent some quality time playing in the piles of paper.

Guess I better get them some more construction paper for the days I'm working. I think it's time for them to go back to school. Not me. Just the kids. I wasn't so bored I was making paper chains. If I was that bored I could finish the laundry. Or clean the car out. Or bath the dogs.... Wonder why other people in our house would ignore all of those things and see paper chains as a productive project...

Tomorrow I'm going to finish all those chores while I pout and fuss. I start school on Wed.

Ten years, it went so fast...

Ten years ago at this time I was at the hospital getting ready for a c-secton. I was a mother to a 3 year old who still wanted to be rocked to sleep and I couldn't imagine how I could love another child as much as that 3 year old.

Ten years ago Kellie was born. I was thrilled it was another girl. She had the biggest cheeks I had ever seen. Katie was thrilled and ready to teach her to play with barbies. Mike was just as smitten over this little girl as the last one.

Ten years ago as I held that sweet little girl I couldn't imagine the things the next ten years would show me about her. I couldn't imagine how funny she would be. I couldn't imagine what a tender heart she would have. I couldn't imagine all the wonderful things we would do together.

Thank you God for letting me be her mother.

Happy Birthday my baby!

A quick get away!

Yesterday we drove a couple of hours north to meet our friends who where driving through Amarillo. There is nothing like spending time with old friends! We had the best time doing the tourist things there... We went to Cadillac Ranch on route 66 and painted cars

We went to the Big Texan Steak house... our kids were very afraid their dad's were going to try to eat the 72 ounce steak that is free if you can eat it...

We were glad they didn't try it... They did however, make us try Calf fries...Under great pressure I gave in and tried one bite... it didn't taste bad but I couldn't get past the idea of it!!!! Mike also got the kids to try them and didn't tell them what they were till today... that was pretty funny.

We spent a lot of time at the hotel pool.

Today when they had to continue on their trip, we headed home but went through Palo Duro canyon on the way. It was a great trip to have only been about 24 hours and our last little outing of the summer!

We keep trying but it's not meant to be...

You know how I've said that we just aren't boat people...well, I think that still stands...

A couple of weeks ago we took the boat out with no problems at all... all went well.

Yesterday, we went again... and at some point on the boat I was thinking, maybe we are boat people... we had a great day, lots of fun, had no boat issues... but I spoiled it...maybe it's just me that isn't boat people...

I was driving, we were pulling up to the dock to let Mike out to get the trailer... I told him he needed to drive us into the slip, I'm not good at that part. He wouldn't come do it and as I was afraid of, I went in to fast and the trolling motor hit the pier.

This isn't the first time I've hit the pier too hard. The last time Mike was standing on the front of the boat and it knocked him out onto the pier. It was awful and I really thought he was going to kill me.

So, you would think he would believe me when I told him I can't drive the boat in, but no, he didn't listen. So, this time he wasn't injured but the end of the trolling motor was hanging by some wires.... He didn't act near as mad as the time I threw him out. I'm thankful for that but I could only see $$$ as the thing was hanging there by some wires...

It's always something!

We found a new part of the lake where there were cliffs to jump off of. Katie climbed up and then had took quite awhile to decide to jump. Mike did it once and decided the climb up was not worth the jump. I think the skinned knees might have convinced him.

So, in the end, one trolling motor, four sunburs and a lot of fun...