SO Busy

It has been a busy few days but I took a few minutes the past couple of days to sit on the patio and watch the hummers. I just love watching them. I have one I call the guardian because he always runs the others off when they come and then one (the one shown) that I call the showoff because she will literally fly inches from my lens but my camera never focuses fast enough to catch her. I am still working my way around the Sweets Challenge photos so if I leave a delayed comment that is why LOL

Alexis ready for school yesterday in her requested Raggedy Ann jeans. I am working on a raggedy Ann tote for Ms. Sally and I think that made her want some LOL. Back about a month ago or so we had a little outbreak of what the Doc says is pink eye ( I blogged about it LOL) well Alexis woke up yesterday and looked as if she was having a relapse but it looked better when I picked her up)

Beans at her Nanaw's house over the weekend. She can't fool me with that so innocent look.

SWEETS~photo challenge

eeeekkkkk I for some reason thought that the posting was for the 29th so I had to dig through old pics because I didn't have anything ready LOL

Beans digging into her birthday cake last year! It was a sweet moment and a sweet cake

last winter I made some gooey brownies and set them on the counter to cool and went to the bathroom, when I got back to the kitchen Beans had helped herself to the warm sticky SWEET treats!

This one was just a few months ago...I walked into the bedroom and Jillian hid something behind her back ...when I pressed her for what it was she popped out this DOG BISCUIT! I don't know that it was sweet...I've never tried one but she sure was enjoying it!

Teen needs advice

My poor Dallas (my niece) posted this bog on her myspace and I stole it. It broke my heart when I read it but I can think back to that time in my life and I know how she feels. Poor baby..she will be 18 next month but she is still my baby and I hate for her to feel this way but what can I do? I can even handle the stressed about class thing but wanting to stay with her brother at high school broke my heart.

It is only the 4TH DAY of College and I already feel like a failure!! Algebra is so hard and Im in a BIG KID class so I dont want to look stupid but i keep tellin myself that there is older people in there that know just as much as I do but honestly its not helping at all. Psychology seems like its going to be fun but.. I dont remember very much from the Psychology class that I took last semester in High School!! I grew up to fast!! I wish I could be starting kindergarten with Alexis or going to dance class with Jillian!! I do not like being a big kid!! The other day when I took Kyle to his first day of school I started crying because I wanted to stay there with him and watch after him thats what I'm here for.. and you know what he didnt even want me to tell him bye he doesnt even need me any more but i need him and im older than him he just doesnt see it.. But my Mom let me tell you what she is the only reason I know I can get through college. She encourages me everyday she ALWAYS asks how she can help. I feel to dependent on her though. I dont want her to think I take advantage of her AWESOME writing ability lol or all the big words. And I feel like Im causing her alot more stress in her life than she already has. But my mom, she is my hero, the one I can always count on. And my dad he says he is proud of me for going to college but when he says it i just dont feel the enthusiasm that I want to feel. Oh well I guess thats just the way dads are. I keep telling myself that I can succeed and I will succeed but it really doesnt seem to be working.. Mom I know you will read this but I want you to talk to me about it in a comment I dont want to talk about it in person NOW you know what has been bothering me lol!

The New Dress

As you know Alexis requested a long dress for the pageant this year and I am not so sure LOL It came in the mail today and even without her hair fixed she looks so dang grown in it. I think it looks great on her though. While we were taking pics all the neighborhood kids (about 15) gathered around and was saying how beautiful she was and she was eating it up to LOL The dress fits PERFECT YAY!

PRIDE NIGHT

The school had a Pride Night this afternoon at 6:30 and Alexis was really excited to go so after picking her up from school, then taking her to dance we came home and changed to head back out to the school. Before we left I painted bear paws and PRIDE on their faces and arms for them.

Alexis showing off her PRIDE

Beans and Alexis sitting in the stands watching the cheerleaders

Beans sporting the red boots! She picked them out and kept them on the whole time!

Alexis being silly with her noise makers

I took this from the very top of the bleachers but they called everyone out to the field to dance with the football players and cheerleaders and Jillian literally drug Alexis down the stands to go. Alexis is generally the go getter! Beans was absolutely HILARIOUS dancing! I wish I had videoed it!

Firsts (and a little second)

My pics got all outta wack so you will have to see the captions to know what happened when LOL Alexis loved her first day of school. The only had two complaints! First they didn't have enough time to all of her lunch, that makes me angry because I have always been told to et slower and let your food settle and you will eat less because you feel fuller faster! But yet the government/schools complain of obese kids! Anyway her second complaint is that they had to learn the number zero and color and apple red and she already knew that! They even told them how to was their hands LOL **GASP** Alexis is a little OCD about clean hands though so that was not a problem for her either.

Jillian was super excited about her first ever ballet/tap class. I thought she may cling a little but she didn't and she jabbered on and on when I picked her up!

Alexis walking Beans to dance. She actually wanted me to stay in the truck and let her do it all together but I thought I better be there just in case. Alexis thinks she is an expert LOL she has been in dance since she was 2.5 yrs old.

This is what my little diva chose to wear her second day of school (today) she really wanted to wear her hot pink cowgirl boots but the seam was uncomfortable so she didn't.

SO 80's! She will look back at this style and wonder what I was thinking for letting her wear that LOL She really likes fashion though and I do for the most part let her pick her own clothes/shoes.

Beans getting ready to leave for dance class!

This was Alexis and Beans yesterday morning before the first day of school.

I just love this pic! She looks so grown though. I instantly thought that she sun fading into shadow across her face was perfect for a scrapbook page....she is transitioning to a whole new phase of childhood just as the sun is transitioning to a whole new day! Okay maybe it is corny but I did think that LOL

I cry today....you ask why

The first two girls in my life are starting new chapters in their lives today. Dallas is my 17 yr old niece that I consider MINE LOL I was only 15 when she was born and I must say quite jealous of her because she stole my spotlight as the baby of the family. I was forced to keep her one evening while my sis and mom went to play Bingo. Dallas was a few weeks old at this point. I put her on my bed, turned on the tv, grabbed my school books and the phone as most teens do. She started fussing and I had to pick her up...geez I couldn't let her just lay there and cry could I. Oh my, it was all over with then! She was so warm and soft and the smell of baby lotion poured from the blanket. I was hooked! We were like two peas in a pod from that day on. She could have the spotlight...she earned it! Heck I don't if anyone could put her higher on a throne than I did! She is a big girl now and we have our disagreements to say the least LOL We butt heads about silly trivial things but we have always been more like friends and she really does have my attitude and I can only blame myself for that one. I have dried her tears, calmed her fears, played with her, seen her grow, take her first steps, drive her first car and the list goes on. Today, although I am not there to see it she will be doing another first...she starts college today! I am so proud of her and I hope she does as well with this chapter as she has done with all the other chapters of her life.

Alexis only briefly went to a babysitter before the offices closed where I worked and I have had her with me at home since then. I never returned to work. It is with a heavy heavy heart that I will get to watch her take her first walk into the next chapter of her life. She starts Kindergarten today. She will have so many new experiences that I will not be there for but I guess that is something all children have to do at some point in their lives. Having Alexis and Beans home with me all day and night really gets to me sometimes. I feel I can not get anything done because one of them is always hanging on me. My mom always says "hold em while you can because tomorrow they may not want to sit in your lap"! Those words passed through my mind yesterday evening as I fixed her first school lunch and snack. She picked out her first school outfit and had to put on all the smell good in the bathroom...I called my mom to say "I changed my mind" I DO want her hanging off of my leg! But I know this part of her life will be filled with stories to laugh about. You know I will be posting first day of school pics later LOL

When I was a senior in high school I needed a few points to boost my English grade to graduate. I just didn't grasp the whole Macbeth thing LOL Every year my school put out a poetry book and it was published by low and behold my English teacher. She said if you write something and it is chosen by the committee to be published you will earn 100 extra points....just what I needed. I know how to rhyme if nothing else LOL so I grabbed a pen and thought of Dallas, she was I think 3 at the time and jotted down the following poem about her...YAY I sit here today as the proud owner of a high school diploma LOL my poem was in the 1993 edition of Ephemera the school poetry book.

A Day With DAllas

Open the door
and out she runs
Under the sun
She'll have her fun.

The bouncing curls
Of my little girl
Ring around the Rosie
and watch her twirl

The smile on her face
When she's playing race
Her little legs can't keep the pace
But Dallas knows she's my true Ace

Her big blue eyes
She can disguise
But with them
Your heart she buys

Her button nose
With it's wrinkled pose
Give it blow
And off she goes

A hump
A bump
Her toe she stumped
And little Dallas hit her rump.

A jump, a hop
A lollipop
This little girl
Just doesn't stop!

In pawpaw's chair she takes her seat
There she watches Sesame Street
Smiling, laughing and keeping the beat
That's my angels greatest feat.

A yawn, a stretch
Her blanket I fetch
Her weary body
The couch does catch

Off to dreamland
Without a peep
Now my sanity
I can keep!

Got a dress~honest opinions please

Okay I just got a dress..it is a perfect angels dress for $75 they usually go for $150 + so i snagged it up less than 2 hours after it was listed LOL I hope the colors work for Alexis. She has such a dark complexion that I am sure it will.

Pageant dresses

I have been searching high and low for a long green pageant dress for Alexis.....we need this sucker in 2 weeks LOL these are the 3 that I have found that are sort of in my price range. I am doing some bargaining with the sellers. I TOTALLY love the first one and it is the one that is out of my price range but I have made an offer to the seller. WISH US LUCK!

So Busy

We have been at James' house since Wednesday and not much has happened but I wanted to post and say HOWDY to the readers that I do have LOL

Green Eggs and Ham highchair

I have not finished the seat obviously and I still have touch ups to do but I really like how it is turning out (see previous post for details LOL)

Dr. Seuss and Silly Jilly

I hope to have a pic to share with you guys tomorrow of my painted high chair. I bought an old wooden high chair many months ago for $2...it was hideous...the top part was still wooden, the seat was covered in polyester liberty bell fabric and the bottom was painted baby blue....I so wish I would have taken a before pic. I have been putting off painting it and recovering it until I thought of a good theme for it. Well I finally decided and I am painting it in Dr. Suess Green Eggs and Ham theme. I am Dr. Seuss crazy (I posted some pics of previous Seuss things I've painted) Alexis has requested a Green Eggs and Ham dress for her first day of school! I have made it so fun and whimsical the legs and support bars are done in the classic red/blue/green Suess colors and the tray (when I finish it) has SAM I AM holding his plate and some of the other fella with I DO NOT LIKE GREEN EGGS AND HAM and then the cross bars also have some of the sayings....like would you eat them with a mouse, would eat them in a house etc......I am so proud of it...I have had lots of fun. I just might not ever paint clothes again LOL

Now for my Silly Jilly sayings of the day!

Jillian Paige (beans) has been a funny funny child today. I have been cleaning some stuff up around these parts. My mom is a super yard sale junkie and brings the girls lots of goodies. which we love, HOWEVER we did not need 6 yes SIX little tyke slides so I eliminated those and I still have bassinets, walkers and all that baby stuff and I have 3 folks that have been asking me about these things so I am selling some of it. Anyway...Beans was sliding on one of them and had no undies on under her dress so her little butt stuck to it. She stood up with a goofy look on her face and said "moma my moma mmmy moma dat slide bit my butt"

She wanted some "baby weenies" (Vienna Sausages) so I popped open the can and was draining the liquid off into the sink..she said "I wanna taste the water" as she stuck her finger under it..no sooner than she popped her finger out of her mouth she said "ummm ummm ummm it taste just like juicy weenie water" I had to contain my laughter on that really hard!

The Virtual yard Sale

I have been cleaning closets and drawers for the past few days so that I can have a yard sale and there were several things I didn't want to let go for .50 so I created a virtual yard sale for some of my better things. Check it out. All little girls things sizes 2T-4T and shoes toddler size 5-12.
yard sale blog

I am also taking orders for the holidays for my creative can totes, they are great for trick or treat totes, toy totes, holiday wrapping and adults even like them as purses!

Photo Challenge~PLAY

This was too much fun as PLAY is our middle names.....I love to play with the kids or at least encourage them to play. I am a firm believer that imagination can take you anywhere you want to go. If my kids are bored...they better be sick because with stimulated minds they should be able to take a trip anywhere to find a less boring place! I think I have done a pretty good job at carrying on the tradition of this act because my girls certainly do some funny things. I did have a hard time picking which photos to post though LOL

Beans dancing to the beat of her own drum...LITERALLY..she was playing us a little beach tune with her sand pail and shovel.

Here the girls were playing Little Miss Muffet! Alexis dressed Beans in the spider costume which she said "wouldn't quite scare her away" so she added the witch costume too and a little tiara so that Beans "could be pretty scary" ROFLMBO!

And my last two children Frankie and Belle having fun Thursday evening after a little storm passed through and the temps dropped down below 90!

The EYES have it

My dad was in town today and I took this photo of him and the girls.............would ya say that blue eyes run in the family?!?! All of my life I have gotten remarks on my eyes and always heard your eyes are just like your dads...well between James' blue eyes and the strong line in my family my girls were bound to get em.

New Blog for my painted cans

check out the link..I have a few examples there and below that is all the good things these can be used for.......check em out and drop me msg. if you might want one...GREAT FOR HALLOWEEN TRICK OR TREAT BUCKETS ...We have to go to James' house for a few days and I will post more examples when I return...he has no internet service there ***SIGH***

http://creativecans.blogspot.com/

I think I will build an ark

I have always been told that bad things come in 3's...well I think the things that have happened to me are more than enough for one gal! Mostly involving water so I will begin building a makeshift ark today!

Wednesday before leaving to go to James' house a storm brewed and the roofer was out of town PANIC because the water was literally POURING in the frame of the patio door (see photos, ignor the dirty window I never open the blinds that far back LOL)

Then Friday I came home from a trip to James' house and the pool filter was stopped up and the water was turning green..easy fix with a little chlorine & algicide BUT the AC was out as well.....yep I know a guy that works on AC's so my mom called him (I was out of town at the zoo by this time) he came he fixed and said he wasn't going to charge me and arm and leg ...just a leg LOL he is crazy! So the AC is working by the time I get home.

The girls came in to take a bath yesterday, I started a load of clothes, the roofers grandson was here helping him and turned the water hose on and Jillian flushed the toilet...more than an old sewer line can handle???????????? I THINK SO because the toilet and tub pics are what happened AND the washer pumped all the water into my kitchen floor (it has never been so sparkling and clean by the way)! There was some seriously scary things in the toilet! Alexis and I identified bird feathers, the GIANT roach (we do not have roaches LOL), dragonfly wings, beetles, grass, cricket remains and some unidentified slime! I went by to talk to a plumbing friend of mine yesterday and he said I obviously have a break in my line for the "critters" to be there so he is going to come do a "side job" for me after work this evening. The children that despise going to their dads house were both saying "let's just go to daddy's house moma"

Doggies are a Girls best friend

Frankie and Alexis...I am sure he will bring us as much joy as Bugs. He loves us and we love him as well. Alexis was rolling in the floor like bored kids do and Frankie joined her.

My sweet angel BUGS just a few months before she passed away. I miss her so much. She was my baby, my best friend and a great companion!

My terrier Bugs passed away a few months ago from cancer. She was my first born, I had her for nearly 15 years and got her when she was only 6 weeks old. I miss her everyday. James' wanted us to have a dog here with us and the girls wanted one as well so I had to push my heartache aside and give in. I am partial to Labs but that just was not possible since we travel to James' house several times per week so I started searching shelters etc. I decided that even one that was not a purebred could still be a great companion and pet and certainly needed a home more than one that had papers that would almost certainly be able to get a home. About 2 months ago we were on our way to the ballpark and as we passed walmart there were 3 teens standing under a shade tree at walmart, each had a pup under their arm and poster reading "free puppies". I told the girls we could stop and look but if they seemed to be favoring on the side of a large breed we couldn't get one. Of course we fell in love instantly! One of the girls was the assistant in Alexis' dance class. She proceeded to tell me that someone dropped a box off in their driveway and when they looked these 3 pups were in it and they took them in nurtured them and even took them to the vet for their first shots & worming. I thought well now that is a deal. At the shelter the adoption fees are $100 + so I can get a pup with shots and all already for free and give him a home. The girls all pointed to Frankie at the same time. I was partial to one of his brothers but this was for them so we took Frankie.

It took a mere 3 days for him to warm up to us and realize that we loved him dearly. He takes every step I take literally so he is more of my dog than the girls LOL Alexis was mad about it at first but she said "you need your heart full from Bugs don'tcha moma" ahhh such a wise child she is. Frankie is very protective of us. He even bit James' one morning. I layed in the girls bed with them and fell asleep and James come in to tell me bye before work and it was dark...Frankie ate him for breakfast! If we go through a drive-thru I have to put my arm up because he doesn't like the window worker sticking their hand near me LOL I am so glad that we made the decision to get a "mutt" as James' refers to him. He is the best Mutt ever!

School registration AGAIN

I fumble through my mommy world and gather all things needed, get to the school and Alexis has to be there too! She went with my mom to make my trip easier! I go get her so she can do her placement testing....find out I didn't have to have any of that other crap just her birth certificate and a letter from the prison stating that James must live on the compound for his job!
The lady and Alexis were both laughing when they came from the testing room....Alexis was able to do everything she asked...ABC's, shapes, colors, write her name, she knew all the other things like parents names, phone numbers blah blah blah...

THEN she asked her to count as high as she can...I know Alexis can count to 100 easily but as she counted the lady was obviously marking some things and she made an X to show Alexis did such and such correctly instead of a check mark and Alexis was at 40, stopped counting looked at the lady and said "I guess I ain't doing so good HUH"?! The lady told her she was doing great and Alexis said "41, 42, 43" and stopped again and said "well now I lost count" LOL My kid is just too silly!

This school really doesn't know what is coming to them in two weeks because Alexis is a seriously funny child without even trying to be!

School Registration

I am such a procrastinator! I think that was my mommy guard kicking in and not really wanting to send Alexis to school. She has been with me for 4 out of her 5 years and I will so miss her even though it will be a great break to only have Beans here during the day. I have everything together except her birth certificate..I packed it away when we moved and I failed to get her physical. Her docs were all on vacation last week and so they have 100 kids for physicals this morning so I am not the only procrastinator in the county LOL I called the school and they told me to bring everything else I have and get her in and just bring the physical form before school starts. I have to go to DHS because they have a copy of her birth certificate YAY! So by this afternoon my sweet baby will be a kindergartener *SIGH* *SNIFF*

Busy~Fun Week

We have had such a busy but fun week. We discovered through blog chat that a Miss Shelby was here visiting her memaw so I commented to her mom Sybil (blog buddy) that the library here has a free weekly program. Ms. Debbie brought Shelby and we have been going going going ever since. Later Tuesday afternoon after the library program we went to Ms. Debbie's to let the girls play and do some crafts. That was about 4 pm we stayed until 10 pm...way past the girls bedtime but they were having so much fun and Ms. Debbie whipped them up some chicken strips and fries for dinner. Wednesday morning around 11ish they joined us at the local lake and the girls swam and played in the sand until nearly 4pm.

Friday James, myself and the girls came into town after staying at his house to celebrate his moms birthday with some fine grilled goodies. We stopped by my house and discovered during the 2 days I was gone the pool filter stopped up, the pool was turning green and my AC had gone out. Spent $50 at walmart for pool stuff...got the pool clean. My mom arranged for the AC man to come fix the AC. Got back to Brenda's and Alexis was stung twice by red wasps. Once on the hand and once under her arm.

THEN...yes there is more LOL Saturday I invited them to go to the zoo in Memphis. I told Ms. Debbie that she should invite Veronica and her 2 kids Little Jack and Jay since they live in Southhaven...we would be going right through there and she would be able to see her other grandkids. So, she did! And Jack (Debbies son) decided to go too. He is a friend of my husbands from High School. So here we are 4 adults and 5 kids and Sybil, Ricky and Ryder joined us too! We had a great time even though it was sooooooooooooo hot. It was great meeting Sybil in person after chatting with her online.

The zoo has a pool and fountain that you can get in. Poor Veronica fell in the water trying to keep Beans from getting her dress wet. Jack had to jump in the water because 3 year old Jay got in too deep and he can't swim. Jillian got stung by a yellow jacket. We had a very eventful time for sure. This morning when Beans got up I asked to check her arm & she said "all better, Mr. Jack's Dip Spit made it better" LOL Jack got a dip and put on her sting because it is supposed to make it stop stinging...guess it worked.