The Roberts in Cola Town

Larry's Big Fat Gay Redneck Wedding

2012-02-03T15:19:00.022-05:00

Randy, Jessica, and I went to the Nickelodeon fundraiser "Larry's Big Fat Gay Redneck Wedding" for the Nickelodeon theater. Larry was the executive director and is now the head of fundraising for the theater. He has done "Larry's Family Reunion" and "Larry's Funeral" in the past and this was another song and dance and over-the-top performance with local actors and musicians. It was so much fun and we had a blast! Of course we had to dress up----everyone did. The costumes and people were spectacular.

Jessica's fabulous jean vest

A little TV dinner Nutty with tutu

Mom---camo overalls with a boa because it is a gay wedding you know?

The Roberts rednecks---can't see Randy's camo pants in this pic but they are there.

Me and Jess capturing ourselves---check out my black eye.

The spread. There was a lot of processed cheese, strange unidentifiable meats, and pork rinds.....

and of course Swiss cake rolls.

Ladonya (a.k.a. Larry) is the short one. Didn't get many pics of the show because I was laughing too hard.

Capturing a little Olive when we got home. We had a girl across the street, Alex, babysit for us that night. Alex is in high school and is adorable. The girls loved her and it was a total success with them going to bed without a problem and actually sleeping in until 7:15 the next morning. Alex was magical!!!

"Durnit. My thumb is in the way of the camera." The redneck dumbness just wouldn't go away that night.

Redneck BFF's.

Some New Videos

2012-02-02T14:28:00.016-05:00

I think Maya watches her mommy and daddy on the phone too much.

Delaney is still loving listening to Yo Gabba Gabba. On this song, "Nice and Easy", she likes to play the role of Foofa and either me or Randy has to be Brobee. It is a nice duet. Delaney takes it very seriously and you can't sing her part and have to really get into your part.

My sweet little one loves to give the doggies hugs. Now her version of a hug is pointing her head at you and pushing it towards you. So sweet. The doggies love Maya's little hugs.

**If you pay attention to this blog, you might have noticed that a video called "Maya in Bath" is not there anymore. Yes---I have been censored. You Tube sent me an e-mail stating that my video was "inappropriate" and they had to remove it from the site and I now have a strike against my name. Are you kidding me??????????? It was a video of my baby in the bath talking. Now I have seen some fairly raunchy stuff on You Tube (mostly by accident) and it truly pisses me off that they would call my video "inappropriate" and send out a standard template letter stating words like "pornography". It is a 16 month old baby in a bathtub who just makes you smile because she is so silly when she is babbling and talking. I know in this world we live in, there are bad people who can turn innocent material into their own twisted versions, but in my world, babies are huggable adorable creatures that are innocent and amazing. Okay. Off my soapbox. I shall just watch from now on what I put on You Tube. God forbid I get banned and labeled as a pornographer. Sheesh.

Russian Dolls, Tutus, and Super Stars

2012-01-28T19:13:00.029-05:00

Maya's favorite activity in the world is to play with these Russian dolls that were mine when I was little. She goes over to the shelves and points at them and then will sit with them for hours, rearranging them over and over again.

One of Maya's favorite activities in the world is to play with the Russian stacking dolls that were mine when I was little. She does them over and over and over....etc......Randy and I have to clean them up at least twice daily. The girls are definitely better at putting them back together than we are.

We go to Sharkey's Cut for Kids for haircuts. While Delaney was having hers done in the Barbie Jeep, Maya sat in Lightning McQueen. Maya's hair is quite long but I am not ready to have hers cut yet because it is so pretty. I waited to gets Delaney's cut until she was 2 1/2. Might have to do Maya's a little sooner but we'll see.

Delaney got two inches cut off of her hair. I was a little nervous before she had it done but I think it looks really cute.

My little tutu baby.

Have banana, will sing with princess dress.

Have tutu, will slide.

Our breakfast room gets really sunny around lunch time. Delaney often requests sunglasses while we are eating and Maya didn't want to be left out in the fun.

Super star

Randy got Delaney to do a sweet pose.....

......and then a silly pose.

Delaney and I went to her friend Daniel's birthday party at Monkey Joe's. Yes....yet another birthday party at Monkey Joe's. The kids love it and it is getting slightly easier to take now that the kids are more independent and we moms don't need to climb in after them on those god awful blow up things anymore. I love that all of the kids ran into the party room and immediately put on their party hats before having their cake. They are so trained....and adorable.

Pimps and Dancing

2012-01-26T14:13:00.000-05:00

Maya's teacher Patti sent me this pic of my little flirt on the playground with little Andrew. Apparently right before this picture was taken she was leaning back on Andrew.

There are quite a few dress up items in Maya's classroom at school and I think she looks quite good in this pimp hat . I hung out in Maya's class for a bit to get some pictures.

Maya strolling around in her pimp hat at school. She loves to dress up.

Lucy. This is Libbie's little sister.

The famous Abby.

Lily. Sarah Beth's little sister.

The world famous Pimp Maya.

Cute little Thomas.

I went to daycare to see Delaney's dance class. The little girls were so cute lining up the hall.

They started doing the class in a circle versus rows and their teacher Miss Lacey said that it has done wonders for the girls' paying attention. Delaney does very well with paying attention and following directions versus some of the other girls. I really need to work with Delaney on turning those poor legs out because she still turns her legs in and needs to work on sitting "butterfly catcher" which is what her teacher calls it to sit criss-cross applesauce. Delaney really could do well if we could get her legs turned out. Doing first position is so hard for her, poor dear. She definitely gets an "A" for effort though and is so adorable to watch.

A little fuzzy but I loved capturing the girls as they were so excited heading to dance class. Delaney is that cute little one with the kitty backpack.

Delaney in her dance class doing "Under the Sea". She is the one in the bright pink tutu.

I love it when they do stuff individually. The hip bump is adorable.

My future ballerina.

Delaney has been practicing this move at home and is getting pretty good at it.

Twister and Bath time

2012-01-24T12:37:00.018-05:00

Randy has been trying to get me to play Twister for quite some time. Right after I found out Delaney played at school, I immediately informed him so he could have a playmate. It was too funny to watch. Delaney doesn't quite get it but loves to play anyway. As you see, of course she plays in a princess dress.

Just trying to get some shots of the belly on my little one. She loves to flaunt it and poke it out.

The little stool in our kitchen serves as a snacking zone for Maya.

Loving bath time.

Maya shows off all of her new language skills while in the bath. Her new word is "Abby" which is her best friend at school. She says that much more than "mama" or "daddy".

Kiss!!!

Delaney and Maya love giving kisses and hugs to each other.

Decked out in random jammies riding a horse.

Goodness I love that face.

Randy and Delaney go to the circus

2012-01-21T19:48:00.028-05:00

I am usually the one that takes Delaney on special mommy/daughter outings, whether it is to Target, Publix, or birthday parties. Randy has really been wanting a Laney Day so he took her to the circus. If you know me, you know I have a small little problem with clowns so this worked out perfectly. The two of them had so much fun and Delaney absolutely loved it. I am going to be a big girl and go next year.
**Sidenote: Bless his heart, Randy tried his best with pictures but they are a little fuzzy.

Trapeeze

Daddy and his little one.

Randy said there was lots of fire.

Tightrope

Fuzzy little Doodle face

Tigers

Shooting someone out of cannon on fire.

Apparently at the circus they shoot some guy out of a cannon and he is on fire. I love Randy and Delaney's conversation during this.

A little popcorn snack at intermission.

The elephants

The elephants doing tricks at the cirus. Randy makes me laugh with his "yuck" during this video.

A bit hit for Delaney at the circus were the elephants.

Randy loves to play video games and Zelda is one of his favorites. Delaney can sit and watch it for hours---not play it---watch it. She actually requests it quite often which makes Randy oh so happy. Apparently there is something about that game because Maya, as you can see, is fascinated by it too.

While Delaney took a long nap after the circus Maya got a little Daddy play time.

Grammy and Nutty stopped by and brought a huge bunch of clothes for the girls. Target was having a sale on not only Disney princess attire but the Harajuku Mini line, which is the clothing line designed by Gwen Stefani that is super cute. Delaney and Maya got hooked up with a lot of adorable new outfits and shoes. Delaney decided to try everything on at one time.

The girls got matching Snow White attire. Delaney, who is usually the tough one to get to smile for the camera was loving it today and Maya, who is usually hamming it up for the camera wouldn't smile a bit. My attempt for a cute sisters pic didn't go so well.

Even though Maya isn't smiling it's still pretty darn cute.

Our Shirley House

2012-01-17T06:19:00.042-05:00

Because we have friends and family all over the world, I decided to post pics of our new house until all of you get to see it in person. Kimmy and Suzianners---this is especially for you because of your special request. :)

Dining room---and please ignore messes as I take these pics. With two children, two dogs, a cat, and two frogs (and now a snail!!!) things can get messy and unorganized.

Front room/piano room

Front room with lots of family pics and mom's first edition book collection

Office----this is where I see the kids that come to my house for therapy. I pull in the little table from the girls' playroom and we are good to go.

Downstairs full bath

Playroom minus the little table and chairs

Kitchen with corner stove.

Breakfast nook

Living room

Living room that shows how the house goes straight back and just flows. I love the kitchen being right off the living room. Makes it so easy while I am cooking. The playroom is right off of the kitchen too which is fantastic.

Back porch

Deck

Back yard

Randy's room/dog room/poker room/exercise room

Best laundry room in the world with tons of counter space, a sink, and a little bathroom off to the side.

BEautiful window in the stairway

Master bedroom with a little Mia thrown in

Showing built-in drawers in the master walk-in closet

Screen porch off of master bedroom

Bathroom with super tub and huge walk-in shower

Trying to show separate make up area. I thought this would help me more with my makeup application. Not so much.

Maya's sweet room

Girls' bathroom with a rubber ducky theme. They have about 4,000 rubber ducks in the bathtub from Mae West duck to Mr. T duck. It provides for hours of entertainment while bathing.

Mia's room/music room/not sure what to do with it room but it has a train set and a balaphone and stores my therapy equipment so that works for me.

Guest room----come for a visit!!!!

Laney Loo's room

I think one of the many reasons I fell in love with this house was all of the built-in bookshelves---we have them in the living room, front room, both girls' bedrooms, and the guest room. I just kept picturing how functional they would be for the girls at any age. When someone overbid us on the house I just kept picturing the bookshelves and how I had already planned for them. Silly....I know.

Just wanted to show you the house. We LOVE LOVE LOVE it and will be here for a very, very, very long time so come visit us!!!!!

MLK Day

2012-01-16T14:05:00.000-05:00

Randy had MLK Day off and I saw a couple of kids that day. Did I mention I love the flexibility of my job? Well let me mention it....I LOVE it. Two kids...money...rest of day with my family. We spent the day together lounging and playing.

We took out the bikes for a spin but both girls decided to walk for a while.

Maya did some bonding with Garlic, the neighborhood kittie.

Big hugs for Garlic.

We did some swing time after nap and obviously Maya wasn't fully awake yet.

Just capturing the girls together. Cutie pies. Delaney is doing her V-Reader here (which she calls her "pee-oo-ter"). Dave got her this for Christmas and she loves it. I was a little against hand-held electronic devices but this one is awesome. You can download books and they can either listen and watch them or go word for word with them which helps with early reading skills. Delaney will sit with it for a while and "read" and then moves on to something else. It really is cool.

Yo Gabba Gabba and Big Phil's Party

2012-01-14T13:24:00.027-05:00

Maya is pretty much obsessed with Yo Gabba. She carries the video around and has never even seen it but just played with the toys and listened to the music. We finally put it on for her and she was awestruck. That's my girl.

The Roberts girls did a little Dancey Dance time along with Yo Gabba Gabba. Delaney is not usually one to dance along with this but since the other two girls were doing it she joined in. Still didn't get Maya dropping it low. Promise will capture it soon.

/The girls got dressed up cute to go to Big Phil's 80th birthday party that night. Thank you Ann for Delaney's beautiful dress you got her for Christmas! We have been "bribing" Delaney lately to take a nap on the weekends. She definitely needs it because she turns into a crankpot if she doesn't take one. The bribe today was to go look at animals in a pet store when she woke up and she did it! We went to Fishy Business and loved looking at all of the beautiful fish. We even came home with a snail (named Crawly) to put in with the frogs to keep their tank clean.

Two cuties having a snack on the counter before going to the party.

Playing a little piano at the party.

One of Phil's fabulous granddaughters, actually named Delaney, was adorable with Maya.

Tried to capture the party. This pic made me realize I need to do better about taking pictures of people other than my children. They are adorable but I promise we do have friends and family that we socialize with and don't spend 24/7 with two little girlies.

A duet?

The fam went to Phil's 80th birthday party that was an amazing affair. His family from all across the country and close friends were all there. There were slideshows, live entertainment, and skits performed by his family. Delaney and Maya had a wonderful time---Maya mostly wandering around and being social and huggy with everyone, and Delaney playing with the "big girls", Phil's granddaughters who were mostly around 10-14. My girls were definitely dancing and they showed off a bit with Delaney having a little tumble but gracefully getting to her feet.

A Chef and a Banana

2012-01-13T20:14:00.007-05:00

Just a little cook in her kitchen.

And a little munchkin with a banana. She likes to eat them whole while walking around and making monkey noises.

Maya is starting to make a couple of animal sounds and her favorite is a monkey. One problem: most animals she makes monkey sounds for but that is okay. We are also getting "moo" for cow and a good roar for a lion. Maya shows off a little of her monkey sound while eating a banana which is one of her favorite pasttimes.

Cam Wow

2012-01-08T09:51:00.028-05:00

Delaney has a friend Abby and her mom Heidi and I traded humorous apps this weekend. I introduced her to "Action Movie" and she informed me about CamWow. Holy moly CamWow is some entertaining stuff. It allows you to take pics and morphs them into 4 different things---the carnival mirror one being the most entertaining. I was laughing so hard I was crying. The Action Movie app I will try to post at some point allows you to blow up things and your loved ones. Delaney was the favorite target and I enjoyed blowing her up and she enjoyed watching it. Heidi sent me a message of Abby saying "Can we blow up Delaney please?" after I sent it to them.

This CamWow one is a wee bit frightening.

Grammy brought over new princess dresses for the girls and Delaney immediately put hers on. I don't think she has taken it off since.

Maya loves her sparkly blue dress. She is following in big sis' shoes and wanting to be a princess all of the time. Poor Randy. A house full of princesses.....because you know I am the original one.

Delaney got in some CamWow fun.

Pouting princess by the pool.

Pebbles Flintsone goes for a ride.

A little ET demonstration on the bike.

It sucks when your hair gets in the way of your jewelry.

Burlesque, boots, and a banana.

The Carolina sunshine allowed us to play outside a lot. Maya is sporting her new jean skirt and eating some chalk while drawing.

These next few shots show Maya going in and out of the door and what used to be a screen on our porch. Tyson and Olive busted through the screen on the first day at our new house and we decided not to do anything until spring time when the bugs come and we will need it. The dogs and Maya like to use the opening as their door.

A little naked baby eating Sunday dinner at Grammys. It was messy so instead of doing extra laundry, it is easier to derobe.

Maya is coming up in the ranks as the dancing queen in the family. She pushes a button on a musical toy and then goes to town, spinning in circles. When the music stops...she immediately pushes it again. I will try to capture soon the spin and then "drop it like it's hot" move she has perfected. She gets LOW.

Happy New Year at the Zoo

2012-01-01T09:37:00.016-05:00

The main reason we live in SC is the weather. It was January 1 and it was gourgeous so what do we do----go to the zoo!!!

Maya gave the lion statue a little pat.

Queen of the world

Maya jumped in on the action to ride the cub.

Is that a teenage face or what?

There's my girl.

The farm is always a big hit. Maya had no fear of the goats and loved feeding them.

So did Laney Loo.

Maya's first time on the carousel. A little nervous....

Both girls loved it.

You can't tell from this face but she really did love it. Promise.

End of the year excitement

2011-12-31T14:16:00.011-05:00

For those of you who don't know, I will be starting a new job at the beginning of the year. This wasn't exactly my choice, but it is what it is. It is actually an extremely disheartening story that involves many moral and intelligent dilemmas. I used to work at The Therapy Place and now I don't. Not exactly sure the real reasons they wanted to get rid of me but perhaps I will never know. All I know is the reasons stated were "financial" and I was offered less money and had to work more hours. Enough said. If you would like to hear more on this story please do not hesitate to ask. There are many other issues involved, along with some honesty issues, and I would be happy to share. Just don't want to say too much here.
All I know is....I am a damn good OT if I do say so myself. I have always received the highest respect from previous employers and the parents of the children I treat have always been impressed. Because I have been doing it so long, I might not know the newest treatment, and I am definitely not anal retentive about my therapy, but I think my laid back style works for a lot of kids! So....personally I think it is their loss.
I am now doing home care for Easter Seals. I used to work for Easter Seals when they had a clinic and when the clinic closed I left. Easter Seals has always been wonderful to me and I am so happy to be a part of the organization again. I have been receiving lots of referrals and love the independent atmosphere and the ability to make my own schedule. I also love love love the flexibility and that I can see my children when I want and leave the house at a good hour and pick them up at a decent hour. Being a mom is the best job in the world and having the time that I need with my two precious children is priceless.
So enough about that. Ready to shed the bitter feelings and move towards my new exciting job. As I am writing this, it is actually my second week into the job and I wouldn't change a thing. The children and families are fantastic and everything is amazingly working out. This is wonderful.

Annual New Years

2011-12-29T14:53:00.003-05:00

We celebrated with the Crosbys again for New Years. This is the first year since Delaney was born that we have done it child free! The girls went to Grammys and Steve and English's kids went to her sisters. They came over to our house for appetizers and drinks and our big plan was to go to the First Annual Famously Hot New Years downtown. The headliner was George Clinton!!!! Well....the plan seemed good. We headed downtown to find LINES of people waiting to get in. We waited in line and then split up and waited about 40 minutes to get a glass of champagne. We couldn't see the stage because we were like a bunch of sardines. The people there were very nice, mostly middle-aged black men in leather jackets, but it was MUCH too crowded. The news the next day said 20,000 attended and it was in a two lock radius!!!! We never saw the music because we got out of there before it turned midnight. We ended up having an awesome time as we always do with Steve and English but wish the festival would have been a bit better. Randy did some fireworks at home which he has been dying to do so that was good. I know we will spend it with them again next year but unless they change the festival to a larger space, we will probably vacation again with children. Either way...we love spending time with Steve and English. HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

** No pics from festival because it wouldn't have been too exciting to see mobs of people and no stage. Guess I probably should have captured that though......

Goodbye to Chanukah with a song

2011-12-27T14:51:00.001-05:00

For years we have forgotten to play the Adam Sandler Chanukah song and we finally remembered this year. Delaney danced a little ballet to it.

Bikes, Basketball, and a little alien

2011-12-26T13:09:00.009-05:00

Maya feels like such a big girl on her new bike.

Delaney was already leaving her daddy in her dust.

Belle loves going for a spin.

The girls show off on their new Christmas bikes. It is so exciting to have a bike where we can push Maya versus putting her on Delaney's old one and leaning over to not only push her but hold her on. And of course Delaney loves her princess bike that can hold a real Disney princess doll. Thank you Disney for making that a necessary item. ;)

For all you safety peeps, we have since gotten Delaney a new helmet. The one pictured earlier was an old one of a friend of moms and it was broken. She now has a matching princess helmet and a bell. She loves her princess helmet. Randy groaned a little at yet another princess item but I knew she would wear it if it had her favorite princesses on it. It's true. Told ya.

Bubba got Delaney a basketball hoop for Christmas. She already is getting nuttin but net.

Mom got Delaney ET for Chanukah and she watched it with her Grammy and her Nana. The hand holding was more for the older two versus the little one. As she kept saying, "He's not scary". As a side note, Delaney is now obsessed with ET. She quotes him all of the time "Elllliiiooottt, ET..ET...ET, Ouch, I'll be right here". It is really cute. And Randy and I are loving watching it. Goodness it makes you cry.

Christmas!!!!!!

2011-12-25T14:03:00.061-05:00

Our annual video to see what the girls' reaction was on Christmas morning. Delaney was sooo excited about her bike (not sure how she pronounced it) and her "green" Barbie from Santa.

This post is a little backwards. I attempted to fix it a million times but the end comes before the beginning. Just ignore. It was too troublesome to fix and I just wanted to get Christmas posted already.

Trying on the new Kermit beanie.

Grammy brought her now annual Christmas breakfast of breakfast casserole and other yummy treats including Mimosas.

A little karaoke mike action.

Delaney resumed her position to open Christmas presents.

Maya's new remote control car.

The Dora ball pit for Maya which would soon become a favorite for both girls.

We had started A Christmas Story on Christmas Eve but didn't get to finish it so Delaney finished it with Grammy.

Mia got a little treat in her stocking from Santa.

Wow. That's a face.

Delaney got a Belle doll to ride with her on her bike. She loved her. I had agonized over which Disney princess doll to get her and decided on Belle. Don't even ask how I came to this decision. It was obsessive and strange about color schemes, etc....Anyhoo...Delaney told me about 3 weeks before Christmas that she didn't like Belle. I freaked out and then started obsessing that I needed to get Ariel. Thank goodness Randy put me in my place and said that was ridiculous. Of course Delaney LOVED Belle. I need to relax sometimes. At least I am aware.

Ball pit action.

Dave brought the kids over on Christmas and Morgan and Delaney, and sometimes Maya, spent the entire night in it. Bubba and Nonna came over for Christmas dinner and we had such a good time with them.

Maya loves Bubba. She immediately went to him and it was so sweet. Big D said "Her big sister wouldn't do that". Yes---true. My little pumpkin definitely is the huggy one in the family.

Some dot dot between cousins.

Kermit and a book.

The monster, a.k.a. Davis, tries to invade the ball pit.

Delaney and Morgan are the cutest together. And loud. Did I mention they are loud?

Tried to capture a cute big of the girls together in their matching outfits. Tried being the optimal word.

Delaney was like a pro already on her bike. She even loved the helmet.

Maya also climbed on her bike immediately.

After the bikes, we headed into see what Santa put in our stockings. We had some fruit too, Maya deciding to eat hers with her mouth versus her fingers. Notice the girls matching tutu outfits. Love em.

I enjoy getting my new Pat Benatar CD on Christmas morning (please ignore the attire and voice and words of the song) while Delaney jams out on her new recorder that was in her stocking.

Randy is not really sure about the Squinkies that Delaney got.

Maya likes her baby sock monkey.

After opening the doggies' stockings, Maya decided to take Tyson's new toy for a little walk.

Christmas Eve

2011-12-24T13:22:00.015-05:00

The day was spent doing a little relaxing. Delaney's shirt says "I'm on the NICE list" so she was prepared.

We went to Chik-fil-A for lunch and Maya tore up her nuggets. She actually put a whole one in her mouth when I wasn't looking and I got a little nervous but she handled it.

Maya loved the cow watch that came in her kid's meal.

Maya's first time in a fast food play thing was hysterical. You don't see this, but Delaney placed her shoes in the little cubby where they are supposed to go and then Maya promptly placed her meal prize in a cubby. She was loving it. The cars going by in the drive-thru lane were loving it too.

After a long day of playing, my baby was exhausted.

Randy and I had a little wine while playing Santa. If you don't have wine, the process can be tiring. If you do have wine, it can be a lot of fun.

We are ready for Christmas!!!!!

Christmas Eve Eve

2011-12-23T12:37:00.020-05:00

Delaney tries out Maya's new unicorn. With her trusty alligator by her side.

Delaney has a little unicorn envy while riding on her horse.

Fuzzy but very happy face.

Just trying to show off Delaney's cute outfit here. My mom goes Zulily crazy and finds the most adorable clothes. And if it has a tutu---it is a winner.

Because it was a gourgeous day Delaney and I went for a walk/wagon ride. Delaney decided to try out some model poses by a tree. Check out the boots. These were given to Maya for a dress up toy by her teacher Camille and Delaney immediately snatched them up because they were her size. She has a bit of a boot thing going on. When a friend in her class has boots on she gets really excited. The child loves some boots.

Maya had dinner before the rest of us and then opened her Chanukah present for the night. Nay-Nay and Pap were here for the night along with Dave, Davis, and Morgan. Nay-Nay helped Maya with her present.

Gangsta D

Not quite in her chair at the dinner table. Same room though. Points for that.

Now that Maya walks she likes to do laps around things....even the dining room table during Christmas Eve Eve dinner.

Maya does a little Delaney and pulls out all of the movies to look at the covers. These two sisters are a lot alike.

Chanukah with the Fam

2011-12-22T13:36:00.029-05:00

On the second night of Chanukah, Delaney got the movie Beauty and the Beast Enchanted Christmas. I know this is a bit of an oxymoron but she was quite excited. And Belle celebrates all holidays....I know it.

On the third day of Chanukah Maya dressed in her new Nicole Miller outfit for the occasion.

Chanukah fell right at the same weekend as Christmas this year so the only night we could get together as a fam was Thursday. Because almost everyone was working...we couldn't cook a big dinner so we got pizza from Labrascas. Yum.

Delaney did great with singing the Chamukah prayer while lighting the candles. By the eighth night she knew almost every word.

Maya's big present from Nutty was a ride-on unicorn that made sounds. Delaney of course hopped on it immediately.

Stan and Matt sat and had their pizza before the presents really began. The calm before the storm.

Again....Nana and Matt. The calm before the storm.

Delaney sat in her chair like a princess and allowed presents to be brought to her. She was very gracious though with big thank yous for all and lots of hugs. She did keep saying, "I want another present please!!!"

Maya loved her new doll baby from Nana.

Maya also sat in her chair to open her presents. She is covered by dolls and toys and was as happy as she could be.

Delaney got two enormous stuffed dinosaurs from her Grammy and an enormous stuffed alligator with big teeth that is a little scary. Of course they are all in her room and she sleeps with the alligator. My strange little child.

By the end of the night Maya had curled up with her Raggedy Ann and Andy and just wanted to go to sleep. After a million presents we all wanted to do the same.

Mom decided to try on Delaney's new Gamecock hat.

It was a wonderful Chanukah and we are all very grateful for the wonderful presents. The girls really seemed to enjoy it and it was so nice to see Delaney watching the candles being lit and singing the song.

1st night of Chanukah

2011-12-20T11:31:00.008-05:00

Maya and her tutu friends.

Maya is the huggingest baby in the world. You see that both Elmo and Cocky have tutus on thanks to my older daughter. Love it. Maya is so cute hugging and then trying to get them to stand up after they fall. This game could have gone on for hours.

Delaney got a Tiana doll for the first night of Chanukah. She was soooooo happy. Her princess collection is now almost complete. Rapunzel---we will get you someday. We promise.

Maya got a little tin tea set for her present. I promise she liked it. She just doesn't look that happy in this pic.

Random December

2011-12-16T14:19:00.020-05:00

Delaney head bangs for a minute while listening to music in the car.

Maya gets into it while listening to music in the car.

Delaney made a Polar Express train out of Little Debbie cakes at daycare. God I love that place.

All dressed up for our cold weather.

Delaney is now putting tutus on
Maya and the little pumpkin doesn't mind it a bit. This is such a cute pic of the little one and her daddy.

Our beautiful new house decorated for
Christmas. Check out the palm tree on the side.

We took the girls in their tutus to the park to play.

A new app on my I phone lets me do cool editing with my pictures. I am loving it.

Maya decided to get rid of her shirt and let her belly hang out.

Just the cutest belly and baby in the world.

Zombie Girls

2011-12-11T11:23:00.004-05:00

Apparently I have two children who become zombified in front of the TV.

Maya walks and walks and loves going over thresholds. She also gets a little tired.....

Pagenats and Pop Tarts

2011-12-10T14:19:00.011-05:00

My sweet angelic Delaney, dressing in a pillowcase to be a shepherd, heads up the aisle of the church to do her Christmas pageant. She is the cute little blonde with the pony tail. She looks so sweet holding Daniel's hand. Tried to fix the sideways part. Darn You Tube.

Delaney in the 3's class singing "Baby Jesus" and "The Jesus in the Manger". Both of these songs might sound familiar (Are you Sleeping and The Wheels on the Bus) but the words have been changed to make them relevant to Christmas. Delaney did really good even though you can't see her great. She is the fourth one from the left on the back row. I love her being tall but that means she is always in the back.

Delaney was so happy after her big performance.

It's so fun to look at yourself in the camera. With a Pop Tart.

Maya looks like a little elf baby here.

Please buy this house!!!!

2011-12-06T12:14:00.002-05:00

http://www.coldwellbanker.com/property?propertyId=237804614&action=detail&brandType=CB&mode=detail

Dress Up and Sweetness

2011-12-05T20:19:00.013-05:00

Delaney's princess dress up time has expanded to include wigs. I believe this wig was from my Paris Hilton Halloween costume from a million years ago. Delaney thinks it looks like Rapunzel.

Maya uses the Little People bus driver as her phone.

The two girls together are really getting sweeter and sweeter. They are playing together a lot now and if you ask Delaney who her best friend is she says "Maya".

My little walking machine.

Dancing and WALKING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2011-12-04T20:01:00.004-05:00

Another kitchen---still dancing.

This video was actually taken on November 28. My baby decided to walk. She has been really nervous and hesitant about it and then all of a sudden......she did it. I am so proud and happy, but a little sad inside because this is my baby now becoming a toddler.

Now we need her to say "mommy and daddy". She says what sounds like "thank you" and imitates some sounds. She will point to anything you ask but those words aren't coming yet. Lots of silly happy noises and the best laugh ever. Maya is doing wonderfully with her signs and will sign "more, please, thank you, and all done." She also has patted her bottom and when Randy went to check she had a dirty diaper. My smart little one.

A dog party

2011-12-03T20:43:00.009-05:00

We saved the "safe" ornaments for Delaney to hang on the tree. I mean Sleeping Beauty.

We went to my friend English's daughter Eliza's birthday party. It was a dog party where they had puppies from Pets Inc. come to hang out. They also had a bounce castle that Maya loved.

Maya loved seeing all of the puppies.

Delaney really loved the puppies licking her to death.

Maya found a tunnel to play in.

Giving the puppies treats.

It was hard to not adopt one of the puppies to take home.

The Lights Before Christmas

2011-12-02T20:17:00.015-05:00

We did our annual trip to the zoo to see the Lights Before Christmas. Delaney was super excited about seeing Santa. She was so cute and sat on his lap and told him what she wanted for Christmas: " a green Barbie". Now this Barbie is the holiday Barbie that was on the cover of the Target holiday catalog. She got kind of stuck on it. A $35 Barbie! Yikes!!! Santa will provide though. Delaney got kind of confused after seeing Santa though because she said when we walked away, "Why didn't he give me my present?" I guess we didn't explain well enough that the present doesn't come right when you see Santa.

The fake snow falling is always a treat.

Delaney and her favorite animal at the zoo.

My little bugaboo with her warm hat walking it up.

Randy and I put up the tree and decorated it that night after the girls went to sleep. It is our most perfect tree yet I must say.

A beautiful day at the park

2011-11-27T17:50:00.004-05:00

Just a beautiful day at the park with my hubby, my girls, and my doggies. Bliss.

Maya is truly hysterical

2011-11-26T20:40:00.014-05:00

We had to take both girls to the Midas place with us one cold morning. They were very cute and dressed for the cold.

We put Maya in the middle of the floor at the Midas place and she stood there without moving for 10 minutes....no exaggeration. People in their seats next to us were just amazed that she didn't move.

Well--we say didn't move. That tongue was moving.

Maya with her Tink pajamas

The little Gamecock enjoys her a good dum-dum lollipop.

Playing with my phone. Maya loves being able to look at herself while we take pictures.

Lollipop goes for a cruise.

Maya enjoys a little lollipop while zooming and peek-a-booing on her car.

Tailgating at the Clemson game with Julie, Mandy, and Connie. There were so many old friends there---Randy and I had a blast.

Sweet Tyson.

Thanksgiving 2011

2011-11-24T13:41:00.026-05:00

Thanksgiving started out with my annual tradition of running a 5K. It was a little chilly that morning but a gourgeous day. I hadn't run in about a month because of plantar fascitis and a heel spur in my left foot but was determined to run. I have been going to the gym regularly but stayed away from running because of the huge amount of pain I have been in. Even without running for a while, I think I did pretty good. Here are my stats:

142 44/357 415 JULIET ROBERTS 35 F COLUMBIA SC 24:58 8:02
142 out of 645 total.
44 out of 357 girls.

My foot felt great while running but about an hour after the race I was in some serious pain. I have been sleeping in a boot that my mom's friend lent me but I really need to do something else. I don't want to go the rest of my life without running so if anyone has any suggestions please let me know. It is pretty much agony to run now but because I am hard-headed I am sure I will continue. We runners be stubborn.

Dave brought the kids over for a little while to hang out.

The four cousins are super adorable together.

Little fuzzy pic but Delaney's face is priceless.

The cousins have a dance off while watching the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade.

A little turkey hat while carving the turkey.

Dave with the wine before the dinner.

My mom cooked up some fantastic food like smashed taters, creamed onions and peas, stuffing with pecans, etc....

Nana loves playing with her little Maya.

The fancy table. It really looked beautiful. I love our new house with a dining room where everyone fits. People keep saying---is that a new dining room table? No---you just couldn't see it in our old house. Loved our old house---but really squishy dining room.

Love moms face here----those two kids just crack her up.

My absolutely sweet daughters

Happy Turkey Day everyone!!!!!

Stroll through Saluda Shoals

2011-11-23T14:07:00.014-05:00

For the past three years we have done the walk through Saluda Shoals Park when they decorate it for Christmas. It was the first year where it wasn't freezing and raining so it was very exciting. Delaney loved looking at the lights and Maya loved riding in her stroller and dancing to the Christmas music.

Some self-portraits of me and my princess.

Some fuzzy ones of Maya because it was so dark but just wanted to represent.

Riding on her daddy's head through the lights.

We always have to capture the whole fam at the end of the walk.

Maya walking with one tiny little finger to help her.

Delaney looks miniscule at the bottom of the cannon.

Maya loves her turtle that she got for her birthday from Keely.

Tiaras, birthday parties, and funny baths

2011-11-20T20:01:00.019-05:00

Have tiara---attack cat.

Have tiara--chill with cat.

Back to attack the cat.

Maya attacks Mia---thank goodness not vice versa.

Maya and Mia--same attacker. Same victim.

Mia is very tolerant of Maya. Not as tolerant of Delaney. I think she finally learned to love on the smaller child who can't hurt her as much---or at least not put toothpaste on her. Not yet....

I took the girls to Keely's first birthday party. Keely is my friend Jennifer's little girl and Jennifer is one of my oldest and dearest friends. Maya and Keely are only two months apart and both enjoyed a Goldfish snack together.

Delaney joined in the snacking fun. The party was at Jennifer's moms house and it brought back so many memories of hanging out with Jennifer there. It was a great party and I am so glad I got to go with my girls.

Delaney loved the cupcakes.

Maya did too---and went in headfirst.

Delaney dons her McDonalds headset to do a little Bibbidi Bobbidi Boo karaoke style.

Maya gets a big kick out of me making shadow puppets. She was laughing so hard at me doing a dog.

Holiday Pictures

2011-11-19T20:28:00.030-05:00

We got the girls all dressed up to take pictures for our annual Holiday card.

A little phone call before the shoot.

Even though blurry--I liked this little action shot.

The sisters with a snuggle in Maya's crib.

The girls' adorable outfits came from a mom of a little girl I treat. She is making the cutest clothes for kids and she started a little company called Lillybeanz. These next pics are somewhat redundant but each one has a different smile or facial expression that I just love and couldn't resist posting.

Delaney loves jumping and actually can jump really far.

Little Maya still gets nervous when she stands by herself. She is getting better but it freaks her out a little bit. Delaney is good with her and tries to help her. This sometimes ends in disaster with Maya getting knocked over but it starts out sweet and harmless.

I love our beautiful new street where we can play on the sidewalks. Even though we have lots of leaves to rake up, it is so pretty on the streets. Leaves definitely beat pine straw which is what we used to have at our old house.

Silly Laney

I Phone---Where Have You Been All My Life?

2011-11-17T20:28:00.026-05:00

So if you read an earlier birthday post of mine, you know that my purse was stolen that had my camera and phone in it. Because I need both of these items, I had to figure out the smartest and most economical way to do it. Hello I Phone 4 S. It had the best reviews of any phone camera and after playing with it for 5 minutes---I must agree. I am very happy. These pictures on this post are a bit blurry but I have gotten used to it now. Delaney had a lot of fun with the feature that allows you to see yourself while taking a picture of yourself. Fun for hours.

We obviously already love the new feature on I Phone 4-S where we can look at ourselves and take pictures and movies.

One of my favorite models when taking pictures.

One of my favorite models stuffing her face. A regular pasttime.

Delaney is still taking dance at school every Thursday and she loves to dress up in her leotard and tutu. Maya looks pretty cute in her little tutu onesie---pretending that she is a "grownup" ballerina like Delaney. The two girls were so cute going through the kitchen together.

Maya doing some of her independent standing. It is brief but good.

She gets kind of freaked out when she stands by herself.

Delaney tries to comfort her....but usually ends up pissing her off.

I told Delaney to make a pouty face. She did a pretty good job.

My beautiful little girl.

Delaney sings the alphabet song while Maya nods and then blows kisses. You notice that Delaney says "next time won't you wash with me" during the song. She has learned at school to sing the alphabet song while washing her hands to ensure that she is doing a good job washing. I love her daycare. They are so creative and they make Delaney do things that typically aren't fun and make them fun.

Lollipops and Love

2011-11-13T21:38:00.008-05:00

Maya's first experience with a lollipop. I have never seen eyes get so big with delight.

The sisters share a sticky treat.

Super super sticky sweet.

Delaney loves helping Maya get dressed. Delaney is very good at what we OT's call "self care skills". She does really well with dressing herself and is getting really good at buttoning and zipping. That's my girl.

Dressing up, standing, and walking

2011-11-12T21:26:00.022-05:00

I wore some tall black boots one day and Delaney immediately had to put them on.

Maya has been doing so good with standing by herself. She only does it for a couple of seconds and then gets scared but she is doing good. She took four steps by herself on November 12 and we were so excited!!!

We are loving our new neighborhood where Delaney can ride her bike on the sidewalk or actually on the street. If you are thinking that Delaney's bike is looking a little small for her you are right. Santa will be bringing her a new one this year.

Randy and his girls having some fun before bed time.

Sweet little M. She is so good at playing by herself.

Maya loves her music box.

Play time with the girls.

Going through the tunnel.

Maya is loving walking with someone holding one of her hands. It was a gourgeous day and Randy took Delaney for some errands so Maya and I took a stroll outside.

Pointing out nature.

Such a pretty little baby.

November random stuff

2011-11-10T20:55:00.020-05:00

Maya thinks she is really sneaky when she goes up the stairs.

Delaney loves her new coat from Nutty. She calls it her "riding hood" but kept insisting the dogs on it were actually cats. There is only so much you can argue with a three year old.

We put the girls in our big bathtub in our bathroom at home. Maya was a little unsure about the jets when we put them on. Poor little thing probably thought the bath was going to eat her.

Delaney had a blast and loved that we put her bath colors in it.

Little miss queen of dress up has been loving wearing hats lately. Please ignore the banana on the floor.

Delaney dons her cowgirl hat and does a little dance to The Muppet Show. Makes you a little dizzy....

Maya loves to eat her bananas whole. Please know this is not the same banana as pictured on the floor above. That would be grody.

Maya could sit and play with these little light-up disco balls for hours.

I love how her hair flips up at the sides.

Maya now has her top two and bottom two teeth. She looks like a cute little beaver.

Halloween at TRUMPS 2011

2011-10-31T07:44:00.038-04:00

Grant (dog) and Will (Tigger) in Maya's Infant 2 Room

Wyatt (pumpkin) and Neal (lion) with Miss Camika

Maya in a serious moment having a Treasure Troll thought.

Abby (cat?)---this is Maya's best friend. They are best buds and fight all day. Lovingly though.

Maya's BFF--Miss Camille

Delaney resting before the big parade.

Delaney's cute classmates

Libbie (Princess Leia)

Anna Leah (fairy)

It was a cold day for a parade at school but Delaney loved it. Her costume was a huge hit.

Maya and her friends got to ride in the wagon.

Look at that face....

Little cranky from the cold.

Miss Kim, Delaney's teacher, with some friends

Maya was kept occupied by chewing on candy wrappers.

Delaney pays her sis a visit.

Good vs. evil. Abby vs. Delaney. Princess vs. Ursula. Both super cute.

Jacob (ghost)

Lots of pics of trying to get the whole 3's class

After chewing on wrappers, Maya went for a real snack. She ate almost the entire Puffs container during the parade.

Maya's class with Miss Kristen and Miss Camille

The original Halloween 4---Delaney, Libbie, Sarah Beth, and Will. We get this same pic every year. These 4 have been together since they were 3 months old.

Olive (hot dog)

We went trick or treating Halloween night in our new neighborhood. It was worth the move for this one night alone. The streets were so festive and people were everywhere and having such a good time. It was priceless to see Delaney that night. She loved knocking on doors and was so social and polite. She would say "THANK YOU!" and then yell out---"Let's go to that candy house next!!!" I wish I could have stopped time that night with Delaney. She was so happy and thought trick or treating was the best thing ever. This house pictured above went all out with their decorations. Apparently every year there is a different theme. This year was Egyptian with mummies. They must have spend thousands of dollars. The picture doesn't do the yard justice. We did a whole yard tour and Delaney loved it.

Not quite sure but Delaney looks cute wrapped up in her towel.

Melrose Heights Halloween Carnival

2011-10-30T21:20:00.014-04:00

Our new neighborhood, Melrose Heights, is so fantastic. They have a fabulous neighborhood association that has lots of events throughout the year. Our first event was the Halloween Carnival that too place at the park. There were tons of activities for kids and lots of baked goods. Delaney definitely tried out the bouncy castle.

Posing as a princess...

Maya enjoyed being outside and wearing her bat sweatshirt in honor of the holiday.

Delaney making a witch's broom.

D getting her face painted with a skull. She picked the creepiest thing they had to offer.

Maya sliding with her daddy.

Just trying to show the bat sweatshirt had a cape. Thank you Grammy for this fabulous one.

Random

2011-10-29T20:58:00.003-04:00

Maya likes to entertain herself with Tupperware.

My beautiful baby at the park.

The girls like to climb all over their daddy.

Play Time

2011-10-28T15:11:00.021-04:00

My little fashionista. Dressed for dance at school with cowboy boots on and a snake.

Maya loves her chair.

And yes...Delaney still loves her chair.

When Maya wants to cuddle with something she smushes her head up against it. I guess she wanted to love on her chair for a minute.

Olive came by to hang out with Maya.

And Maya got herself a lick in the process.

If there is a chair in a room, Maya wants to get in it.

Also, if there is a book in a room, Maya wants to read it. Here she combines her two favorite activities.

Maya loves to read...even if it is upside down.

Check out the attitude on the big sis. She is halfway excited that Maya can do more things with her now but halfway pissed that Maya can do more things with her now. Like play with her toys.

"Hello??"

Maya likes to open and close the door to the little playhouse. Over and over and over and over......

Yo Gabba Gabba 2011

2011-10-26T20:36:00.025-04:00

My mom bought Delaney and me tickets to see the Yo Gabba Gabba Live show. I couldn't afford them and she was soooo nice to get them for us. Delaney and I went last year and had a blast and I couldn't wait to go again. This year I didn't tell Delaney and surprised her.

Usually Delaney would show a little more excitement but of course this was a day she didn't nap at school and wasn't allowed to pick out a pumpkin at the pumpkin patch because she was behaving badly. Oh well. I can tell she was excited but I was hoping for a little more initially.

In the lobby of the Township posing with a fake Muno.

Self portrait---getting ready for the show to start.

We had fifth row seats----thank you Grammy!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Here is how it starts and it just keeps getting better.

This was the face the entire time the show was on. Delaney is not a child to dance during shows---she is transfixed and barely moves. She doesn't want to miss a thing on the stage.

Delaney sings along with her favorite Yo Gabba Gabba song at the live show.

During intermission we posed with the Kia poster.

My favorite part of the live show is Biz.

Just another of the four million reasons to see Yo Gabba Gabba Live.

While trying to get Delaney to dance with me at the Yo Gabba Gabba Live show I got a little eye rolling action. I learned the girl only dances on her own time. Which is usually all of the time.

At the end of Biz's portion of the show, he mixed it up to a little MJ and "It Takes Two". My little bootie was seriously dancing.

Soccer and Scarecrows

2011-10-23T15:32:00.027-04:00

A cold morning playing soccer but the doodle bug was on the field and ready to play.

Delaney plays soccer at the beginning of the game. Look at my little speedy running around trying to get the ball. I think she's finally getting the hang of this sport. Thank goodness.

These next few pics are actually from the first soccer game but they are ones that mom took and I just got them so thought I would share them. (hello runon sentence)

I had to help Laney on the field a little bit that day.

The girls playing together---or Delaney dragging Maya around in a "wagon". I don't think this toy is supposed to hold a child but Maya thinks it is supposed to.

Grammy, Nutty, and Jackie took Delaney to the Italian Festival along with Addy and Emmi. Delaney returned happy as could be with a full belly of gnocchi and a Dora facepaint.

Randy and I have been sad lately that our baby is growing up. We have been waking her up for the past 13 months at 9:30 for a bottle and the time has come when that bottle has ended. Maya is now down to 2 bottles a day and we are stopping the nighttime one. Maya has been drinking that night bottle in almost a comatose state and sleeps for a minute in Randy's arms when she is done. We both are going to miss this time with her when she snuggles and is our baby in our arms. I think Maya will appreciate not being woken up at 9:30 though---even though she did suck that entire bottle down. My baby is growing up.

We went to the Mills house downtown to checkout their annual scarecrow exhibit where different businesses around town decorate scarecrows in various themes for Halloween. Here I am with the Harry Potter scarecrow.

Delaney gives a hug to and Randy fist pumps with the Jersey Shore scarecrow.

Maya and a scarecrow. We were being hurried out of the exhibit so didn't catch this scarecrow's name. The huge sign on the wall of the exhibit said it closed at 5 but they were trying to tell us at 4:30 that it closed at 4. Whatev.

Maya loves to jam on the little drumset in the playroom.

Randy and his little D have a special bond. They like to sit on the couch together and eat chips and watch. Randy has talked Delaney into watching Star Wars and she LOVES it. She was mesmerized and kept asking a million questions during it. They have since watched Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi. Randy says he is going to start on the Lord of the Rings series next. Oy.

Boo at the Zoo 2011

2011-10-21T14:37:00.027-04:00

A Halloween tradition is going to the Boo at the Zoo. Drum roll please for this year's Halloween costumes: Delaney is Ursula---the mean octopus witch from The Little Mermaid. Even though Delaney dresses like a princess daily she is mesmerized by the Disney villains. Of course you can't buy an Ursula costume so I had to get a little crafty with this one. My little Maya is a Treasure Troll. This one was easy. The sweet thing just looks like one already---we just had to dye the hair.

Not really sure what Grammy is. Nice hat though.

My little Ursula. Loved hearing her say "tentacles".

My little Treasure Troll.

Dinner was important to have before the big event.

Maya looks kind of punk rock doesn't she?

Now this is definitely a Treasure Troll.

Riding the animal statues at the zoo is always fun.

Maya is doing much better with walking with one hand. She doesn't make it very far but loves to try.

Maya talks it up in her stroller while Delaney gets really excited about a lollipop.

Delaney is the cutest little Ursula trick or treat I have ever seen. She was so polite when asking for candy. She just strolled right up to the booths and basically winked at them and said "trick or treat" and then had a big thank you. Cute.

A nice family shot.

Me and Laney and a monkey.

We definitely have two children who love to dance. Maya hears even elevator music and starts to dance. I love it.

Delaney shows off some serious moves while dancing to Thriller at Boo at the Zoo. She threw in a little Moonwalking for old time sake.

This was Frankenstein's foam zone which was a huge bubble maker that the kids got to run in. Delaney LOVED it.

Princesses and Painters

2011-10-20T21:45:00.009-04:00

I love how my little princess dresses up to watch TV. Basically Delaney dresses up all of the time. All day at home---all day at school. She wears a pink princess dress at home, or her Snow White dress as pictured here, and a purple princess dress at school. That's my little princess.

In our new house the only place the Johnny Jump Up will fit is over the closet doorway. Delaney, dressed as Snow White, loves swinging Maya really fast. And Maya loves it too.

Maya loves to draw. Her teacher at school is very impressed that she never places the writing utensil into her mouth as most kids would but knows exactly what to do with it. My little Monet.

Still loving the Johnny Jump Up.

Finally a pic of the two girls looking at the camera. Maya now has four teeth. Her top two and bottom two. She is like a cute little beaver.

Pumpkins and the Fair

2011-10-18T20:36:00.000-04:00

Delaney in the pumpkin patch at the church where the girls go to daycare.

One little note here---I am now using my mom's camera because as I mentioned before--mine was STOLEN!! I don't know if it is photographer error or crappy camera error but a lot of these pictures are fuzzy and I hate it! I love you mom and am grateful for the camera but it is definitely a piece.

Once again trying to capture both girls in a pic is rather difficult.

My little pumpkin in the pumpkin patch.

Delaney's class went on a field trip to the fair and parents were invited. Doodles did not look excited here but she loved riding on the bus.

D and her friends watching the chicks go down the slide.

Petting the bunny

Feeding the goats

Watching the cow exhibit. On their field trip they didn't get to do rides or food so we spent a lot of time with the animals which the kids loved.

Delaney, Sally, and Sarah Beth at the foot massage stations

Class pic at the fair

Woe is Me

2011-10-15T13:52:00.027-04:00

Today I turned 35. It started out as an awesome birthday weekend and then turned a little sour. Recap of birthday weekend:

1) Friday night went to fair with Randy and the girls. Ate french fries and funnel cake and Delaney rode lots of rides. She showed no fear and on the mini rollercoaster that I rode with her she was screaming "Woo hooooooo!!!". We had an awesome pic of us that I took on the rollercoaster with Delaney and the biggest smile on her face. Reason pic is not posted will come later.......Maya loved the fair too. Give the girl some food---she is truly happy. Life has been easier taking Maya places because she is down to only two bottles a day---her 2:30 and 9:30 PM bottles. We will be weaning her off of those soon. The girl loves her some bottles though but she is doing great with sippie cups of milk.

2) Saturday Randy, Christy, and Dave and I did the Marine Corps Mud Run which is a 5.2 mile obstacle course of 32 obstacles that marine corps recruits actually do in basic training. There was a 15 foot wall, mud trenches, huge mud pits to wade through, etc....I only skipped two obstacles for time penalties---the parallel bars that Christy and I got on the first bar and then said no way, and the jumping into the water one and swimming to the other side. If you know me well enough you know I have the worst eyes in the world and I wasn't risky muddy contacts and being blind the rest of the course for a lousy two minute penalty. On one obstacle that I had to duck in the mud for one second underwater my eyes were already a mess for a while so I said no thank you to jumping in the water. It was truly an experience and I did things I never thought I would do in my life. I overcame some fears and I don't think I can call myself a pansy anymore. Randy was really proud of me. We were so disgusting at the end of the course and you can "shower" in these slightly barbaric outside showers but they really didn't take off the mud. Four showers later I was still pulling mud out of wrong places.

3) Randy had to let me in on my surprise my birthday morning because he knew I would fight it. He was surprising me for dinner with a bunch of my friends and Nutty and Stan and a real babysitter---Mrs. Vickie, Delaney's old teacher. We went to Blue for dinner and then...the ultimate mistake....went to Wet Willies for drinks afterwards. It was somewhat my choice because it was a gourgeous night and we could walk there and then sit outside. Here is where the birthday weekend turned crappy. I had my purse sitting in a chair and I walked away from the chair and my purse was stolen. Luckily the only things I had in it were my license, camera and phone, not my credit cards, but still it was devastating. Randy looked for it all night while Dave and I were at the house and the next day we GPS'd my phone to an apartment complex on the wrong side of the tracks. Randy filed a police report and he and an investigator looked at the videos from Wet Willies to find a suspect. Luckily there was a camera pointed at our table all night so they were able to gain a positive ID on the suspect. The investigator went to the apartment complex and spoke with the manager there to see where the suspect lived. That is it so far....I am writing this post on October 29 and still no answer. Damn Columbia cops certainly don't move too fast on things. I now don't think I will get my things back but I am holding on to some hope. I just want that "B" to be punished for her actions. Seriously.

Sooooo....there are no pics of fair or Mud Run because my stinkin' camera was stolen. It is not the actual camera I am upset about, or the phone, but the pics that were on my camera and my phone. I love me some pictures so I am upset but it is not the worst thing in the world. If I don't get my things back, I can't afford both a new camera and phone so I will have to consolidate. I Phone 4S anyone?

Happy Birthday to me. Sheesh.