A summer update of sorts and memories

The girls survived their first ever out of country camping trip extravaganza.

They did things like scour the tiny town for a store that had marshmallows only to get back to camp and be too scared to venture off in the dark in search of sticks to use to roast them over the fire.
So they improvised, taking forks and sports tape and extra tent pegs to make their own.

It makes me smile thinking about her someday looking back on that weekend.

memories.


This weekend is my the girls'  last swim meet of the summer.
Well, there is one more, but we are choosing to skip it and spend the week with my family back on the coast. My parents and my sister and step-brother's families and maybe even some more extended family I have not seen in a few years, since moving.

Some memories are just more important than others sometimes.


My oldest daughter took the written part of the driving test today. She also took it 3 days ago and didn't pass but we are not mentioning that part. She passed! and is chomping at the bit to take the driving test.
I am not.
I still have memories of her riding in the car next to me ( before the whole stay in the back seat until your age 12 law) using a frisbee to pretend she was driving too.

Some memories make you cry.

It is still February ya know.

This morning she broke out the flip flops and the self tanner.

Found a skirt in the back of her closet.

Dug through the dryer to find the one perfect tank top, even though her drawer is full of other ones.

Painted her toe nails instead of eating breakfast.

Clipped a little bow in her perfectly curled, sprayed hair.

Got in the car, late as usual.

Tried to quickly pull out of the garage as the garage door took it's time to open.

And drove to the bus stop in SNOW!

"Will you bring my jeans and shoes when you come to town later?" she quietly asked.



The spring like weather we have been having gave her a little too much hope!

It's healthy to live vicariously through your children...... right?

Friday we went up to the highschool to watch the basketball games.

My oldest is the basketball manager so she was busy filming the game. She has to go way up to the top of the stands and sit in a booth with the game announcer and the guy on the radio.
She was so cute up there looking all official and I kept taking pictures of her from across the gym.

Until she finally looked at me and mouthed "knock it off!"

Later I kept talking to her about her filming career. I told her she needed to get into the photography classes that the school offered and then I told her that the paper was having a contest for best local video or photograph and that she should enter.

I guess I was going on and on (her words) about it, because she finally looked at me and said that maybe I was the one who wanted to do all this.

hmmm. Interesting.

Shopping

My daughter, the teenager who goes to public Hgh School, has been wanting to go shopping since Christmas.
She did get money for Christmas that was to be spent on a shopping trip for her, and we she has just been too busy to go.

She sent me an email yesterday reminding me she wanted to go. In the email was an Ad from a store that had a 20% off coupon in it.
I thought, oh she is so sweet and responsible.

Then I clicked on the ad.

This is what I saw....

http://www2.victoriassecret.com/commerce/onlineProductDisplay.vs?namespace=productDisplay&origin=onlineProductDisplay.jsp&event=display&prnbr=GJ-254786&page=1&cgname=OSCLOSHTZZZ&rfnbr=3400

I'm sorry, but this just isn't what I had in mind.

Friday night nerves

It's Friday night again.

I don't remember when Friday nights started making me so nervous. I used to love them. The idea of being able to stay up late, no rushed bedtime rituals, knowing I'd be able to sleep in the next morning, and then make pancakes and bacon for breakfast............

But I have a teenage daughter, remember.

And she LOVES Friday nights.

A couple months ago, she somehow talked me into letting her be the Basketball Manager. When she first asked, I was like Yeah right! I know exactly why you want to "manage" the BOYS basketball team!

and yes I used air quotes as I said it to her.

I have her all figured out.

But then she said, "Not the boys team, the girls team!"

And I was like oh, ok, maybe that's harmless. She really does just want to MANAGE the team.

Well it has been harmless. Pretty much. Except she did leave out the fact that the boys' and girls' teams do all ride together on the buses to the away games and the boys play right after the girls on the Friday night games.
 So my visions of her being crammed together with a bunch of sweaty boys has still happened, somewhat.

So back to Friday nights. There is always a game, and being a manager she is required to be there. She is in charge of the filming, which she has loved and taken very seriously, so I am so proud of her being so responsible.

I like the word so.

Last Friday was a home game and she had the usual plans to be there and manage her girls. She had asked to stay for the boys game after, and somehow we compromised and I said I would pick her up at halftime.

I came into town.......

remember we live a half hour out of town, so planning is key for me.

I came into town early so me and the girls could visit with our friends and the new baby. They happen to live like 3 blocks from the high school. Right as I was getting ready to leave to go get her from the game, the phone rang. Yes it was her.
"Ohhh PLEASE can I stay for the rest of the game. It's tied and I want to watch them win..............."
I am a whimp so I said yes. Plus I was holding the baby!

Finally it was time to get her. My friend came with me for the short drive because........well she has 7 CHILDREN!    nuff said.

As we pull up to the school, I see my daughter coming out of the doors. She is not alone. There is a tall, hat wearing boy walking with her.

I'm not prejudice of hats, it just seems important here.

They walk up to car and my sweet precious daughter asks my friend to roll down the window.

"Oh hi Mrs.....     he knows my friend
we have a question to ask you."

My daughter asks if she can stay for the dance. I have no idea why she thought bringing a boy to ask with her was a good idea.

Here's the funny part. My friend who is so funny, tells them just a sec....and rolls up the window so we can discuss this!
My daughter looks horrified and we are in the car laughing so hard.

We (I think all major decisions should be made with your friend) decide she can stay for half the dance and my friend will pick her up for me and she can stay the night there. But first we (ok she) gave a huge speech to this tall, hat wearing boy that if he was not nice and respectful and if she was one second late he was going to turn into a pumpkin.

So that was last Friday.

As of this minute we have the same plans that we had last Friday at this time.
So, instead of dreaming about sleeping in tomorrow and bacon, I'm getting ready for the Friday night nerves.........

I have a teenage daughter, remember.

So, How are you planning to spend your Friday night?
Big plans, small plans?
Did I make you want bacon?

Regrets

My daughter is regretting going to High School.

For one reason and one reason only.



BIOLOGY!


I don't even remember having biology in High School. We had like life and earth science or something........
But then I also took a type writing class. Yes, with a type writer! Not a computer. A type writer.


In the last month she has had to dissect:

A worm
A clam
A squid

I can't even go on. This is just disgusting.

Shouldn't she be learning how to:

Save money
Pay a mortgage
Feed a family with healthy food
File taxes
Compare insurances
Manage time between work and family
Compromise with husband
Serve God


ohhh wait this is what I'm still learning.

Should I be worried?

We have a few different DVD series we have bought over the years.

Some really good ones like;

The Muppets
Full House
Home Improvement
Wonder Woman (This was for me, I totally wanted to be her when I was little)

But my 9 year old and my 6 year old, have a favorite.......

Dukes of Hazard
(This was bought for my husband, who totally wants wanted to be one of the Duke boys)

So last night I told the girls they could pick one show out to watch, and here they came with the Dukes of Hazard box.

me: Why this?

9 year old: It's my favorite

me: Why?

9 year old: acting a little embarrased, They're really funny and they have a cool car!
6 year old: Yeah Mom they're so cute and they drive really fast!

Again, should I be worried?
:)

Boy toys can be fun!

I am a girly girl.

I love the fact that I have 3 daughters.

I can not imagine my life if I had 3 boys.

When I walk through the boys' section of clothes or toys, I get completely bored.
seriously bored, within seconds.

I am so sorry if that sounds so rude to all you Mother's of boys.

I just love girly stuff.

My whole house would be pink if I didn't have a husband.
seriously pink.

We were at Mcdonalds the other day.
Yes, my kids eat there.

I ordered 2 happy meals. They usually ask if I need a girl or a boy toy to go with that.
They didn't ask this time.

As the girls ate on the way home.
Yes, my kids eat in the car.


One of them asked what the toy was. I casually looked over at the bag and said,
" Oh I don't know some ugly gray and black thing!"

"ewwe." one of them replied.
"Yeah, ewe." I agreed.

When we got home daughter #3 took the toys out of the bag and went and found her sister to open it up and see what it was.

Next thing I knew I heard laughing and running and jumping coming from their room.
As I went up to investigate, I was attacked!

Turns out the ugly gray and black thing was a nerf gun of some sort.

Turns out it was the best toy Mcdonalds has ever given!

It has been 6 days and this thing has been played with non stop.

Either boy toys can be fun or my daughters are having a little too much fun trying to kill eachother!

She danced the night away......and went bowling?

My daughters are amazing.
My daughters are alot like me. ha ha.

They also, are nothing like me.

We spent a good 2 hours getting my oldest daughter ready for the dance last Friday. I say we, but it was all me. We started with her hair. I got out my trusty hair rollers from the top shelf of the closet and she about freaked when she saw them.

her: "What the heck are those?"
me: "they look old but they'll give your hair great curls."
her: "OMGness Mom this isn't the 80's!"

After about 3 more freakouts about my ability to do her hair we finally finished and she loved it.

If my husband wasn't convinced someone was going to see a picture on here and want to come attack us, I'd have some great pictures to show.

I know.

Her makeup didn't take as long, but somewhere around eye shadow, I asked what the final plan for the evening was.
She said they were all meeting at 5 and then going bowling.

Bowling?

How had I missed that plan?

This was Homecoming. Pictures, a nice dinner somewhere fancy, and off to the dance........

Apparently I'm from the 80"s.

She was so excited. Fancy dresses and bowling shoes. What could be more fun?

This is something I would have never done. It just doesn't make sense. We I had just spent 2 hours doing her hair!

After I stopped freaking out, I started laughing.
This was so my daughter.
And her pictures she captured from the whole night?
Priceless!
Who knew, fancy dresses and bowling shoes went so well together.