1st Day of 3rd Grade....

Yep, it was that time again. Time for school to begin! Shannon was EXTREMELY grateful! This year Ry's school had meet the teacher night again (didn't have it last year for some strange reason) so we were able to drop off all of her supplies and meet Mrs. Paul. Ry's class is directly across the hall from her 2nd grade classroom.

Some of you may remember last years first day of school.....lovingly referred to as the day from h.e.doublehockeysticks. This year was much more peaceful!



She was going to be all big and walk in by herself.....but changed her mind at the last minute. It was a nice day - I went hand had lunch with her (Subway) and picked her up. She was so excited about her homework she started it in the car before I could get out of the school pick up line. That lasted all of 2 days.......come Wednesday she was moaning/groaning/crying in true drama queen fashion dragging out the torture of homework.

My how a year changes you....last year she wanted HSM lunchbox & bag.....this year we were suckered into the Justice lunchbox, messenger bag, and water bottle......she's lucky she is the only one after the money shelled out for those 3 items!

Cheer Mania 2009

Sachel and Madie headed up the ROHS cheer camp this year since they are both captains again. RyRy had a blast!

Pineapple Upside Down Cake Martini...

In all of my free time....you know....time I didn't spend sitting at the cheer gym during yet another practice, I came across this lovely new adult beverage. It was super yummy! I don't think that I have ever actually eaten Pineapple Upside Down Cake, so I wasn't really sure how this one was going to turn out.

Here is what you will need:

2/3 cup pineapple juice, chilled
1/3 cup vanilla flavored vodka
1 dash grenadine syrup

Combine all ingredients into martini shaker with ice and shake well. Garnish with a pineapple or cherry.

To Be The Oldest....

To be the oldest is sometimes wonderful............when your dad is obsessed with Corvettes....and you talk him into buying you one. To quote one of Grady's best friends.....'he's a spoiled little b*tch'. I love ya anyway! At least he let me sit in it, and he took me for a 'ride'. He drove me up and then down his street...that was my ride in his new car.

I Hate Bake Sales.....

Hate is a strong word......I don't hate them completely. I like coming up with new items to bake that are fun to make and taste really good. I really enjoy baking them with Mere's help cause she has skills. I wanted to make Rice Krispie treats and Mere took the idea to the next level. She suggested Rice Krispie treat on a stick - like a lollipop. Fabulous. When I was at the store purchasing my $48 in supplies I brought home some neon food coloring with the intention of coloring the marshmallows for the Rice Krispie treats. As you will see below we ended up creating a new color - Bake Sale Teal - and it was gorgeous! In case you are curious - according to RyRy they taste wonderful no matter what color they are. I also made some homemade Peach Cobbler - it looked wonderful! The best seller of all besides the Rice Krispie Pops was what Mere called 'Brownie Surprise'. EVERYONE loved it - all the folks from the cheer gym wanted to know how to make it!

So why do I hate bake sales? Because I had an accident was injured during this lovely process. I wooden lid fell from my top kitchen shelf and hit me square across my lip.......which almost immediately began to GUSH blood. It was awful....awful I tell you. It was a good thing that I didn't 'bleed out' before my help arrived! LOL! It was one of the most miserable weekends of my life - my lip swole up so big it made Angelina Jolie's lips look tiny.....then it bruised while it scabbed over. The scab was good though cause then I could actually move my lip. The best thing about the bake sale.....I made $36.60 towards my booster club account....bake sales suck! LOL! At least I have really hott hair!

Lessons my mother taught me....

Yes, much to my teenage dismay, my mother did actually know somethings she was talking about. As I get older, I have discovered that you do actually TURN INTO YOUR MOTHER. It's true....it happens. And it is scary!


I remember when I was 4, maybe 5, and I begged my poor mother relentlessly to get my ears pierced. She finally consented...and off we went to get them pierced. I don't remember the actual piercing, but I do remember that evening. My ears were on FIRE, or so I thought. It was horrible.....and I begged my poor mother relentlessly to take those earrings out. I must have been really good at the relentless begging because she finally consented. But there was a catch. She would take them out, but she was not piercing them again. Whatever...I didn't care - get them out. So she took them out and I went to bed. The next day my lovely 4 year old self wanted pierced ears again. My poor mother was like 'Hell no.......we are not doing that again'. It was many many years later when I was much older that she relented and pierced my ears again. That time it stuck.


So when I had my lovely daughter I though about the whole ear piercing debacle of my youth. I decided then and there that I had learned a lesson and would not repeat my mother's mistake. RyRy was not getting anything pierced until she could take care of it herself. She has begged my poor self relentlessly over the years to get her ears pierced. Shannon and I got together and pulled a number out of our glutes (LOL Mere) and decided we would tell her she could get them pierced at 8. I have discovered over the years that my child can really beg relentlessly and make me crazy.


So finally it came....she turned 8 this year. So we waited for her to be ready, and come to us about going to get the ears pierced. Finally she really seemed ready to get it done. We took her to get them pierced......

All I am saying is .....thanks mom! I may have driven you crazy....but at least I learned my lesson!

The Graduate...2009

I think that the only truly happen person on graduation date is the graduate. Everyone else is just sad that person has grown up in front of their eyes, and really depressed about how old they are now. LOL! We took the normal family photos before we headed to the venue....

In case you didn't notice...how HOTT is Maddie in that yellow dress? I picked it out, was with her when she purchased it, and then had to talk her into wearing it. She was stunning! Oh...and Shannon is missing because our AC had gone out for the 2nd time and he was at home waiting for the repair man....nice hu? Then we took this lovely photo.....I should let you know that Maddie is obsessed with 'bubbies' (as the RHNJ say it) and especially mine. This dress apparently really accentuated them - and well......it led to this silly picture. Then we went to graduation. I don't really have in pics from graduation because......well there is a good reason. I was sitting next to Chewie, who was sitting next to family friend Josh. I at the very beginning of the ceremony Becca was yelling at Chewie to take pictures, and he was kind of standing there - frozen. Next thing I hear is Josh say 'Man are you crying? Do I need to take that camera and shoot some pics so you can cry?' Then I started to tear up.....but I wasn't about to let Josh see me cry.....so I spent most of the time trying not to tear up and blubber like an idiot because Grady was graduating. Maddie however was not sitting next to us and was not afraid of Josh's scrutiny...and well she cried all of her make up off - she was still crying afterwards when we were outside hunting through the sea of people looking for our graduate. I need to briefly mention that Jimmy (who is in the photo w/Grady below) and Grady were beach ball smugglers...meaning that they smuggled in deflated beach balls under their caps....and Jimmy blew them up during the cermony under his gown....and the class bounced them around a few times before they were confiscated...and a totally innocent girl was blamed for it......shame on you boys!

Congratulations Grady! Now we all get to take you to college! LOL!