Fun summer night!

I know it's not officially summer but trust me in Texas it is! Cookouts, honeysuckle, fireflys and sleepovers with Taryn...last Saturday Taryn spent the night with us. It was just one of those nights when it felt like our weekend wouldn't be complete without her! As you know, Sydney and Taryn have been besties since they were three or four years old...I don't think they really remember not knowing each other...they will both be 10 this summer. They are very creative with their play time.  This time they acted out The Lion King story complete with make-up...sort of.  It was sweet and hilarious all at the same time.  They put on makeup for their characters and both had some weeds coming our of their waistbands for tails but they didn't stay in very well. I sat there watching the girls with the firefly show in the background and the smell of honeysuckle...it doesn't get much better than this!

Starring Sydney as Scar...pretty scary

....and Taryn as Mufasa

Fight scene (disregard the pumpkin in the background...a doggy toy)

Scar pushes Mufasa off the mountain

The end of Mufasa

aren't they cute?

Encourage your kids to be creative and act things out...it's good for the soul! I know the sad day will come when they will think this type of activity is so lame..I dread that day.  I'm happy Sydney has a friend she can be so transparent with. I am hoping that they will always be sweet, innocent, silly little girls when they are together.

Enjoy your Memorial Day and don't forget to stop and think about those who have given so much to our great country over the years.

Couldn't have said it better myself!

Here is a link to a blog post from Clover Lane that just sums it all up...especially this time of year!  Enjoy!

Anatomy of a Crack Down!

Rainbow Cake and the BEST Buttercream frosting ever!

Last summer Coco and I made this gigantic rainbow cake for Sydney's 9th birthday which we spent at Coco's house. That was when we went to the very hot Sea World San Antonio...pure misery.  We went again in October and it was amazing.  Here is a picture of the too tall rainbow cake that we got from Whatever  actually her post today reminded me of this day. The green layer didn't make it and as you can see, we needed more frosting and we didn't take the time to look up the exact cake directions which you can find here. I have promised friends that I would post this recipe for a while so here goes.

Here is the buttercream recipe...it's awesome!

1C Crisco (yes Crisco)
2 sticks butter
2 tsp. clear vanilla
4 T whole milk (Coco and I didn't have whole milk so we mixed half and half with her low fat milk and it worked out fine) You can't get too legalistic when you are with Coco anyway.
 2lb bag powdered sugar

Mix Crisco, butter and vanilla add powdered sugar and milk...prepare to be amazed!

A change of venue....where does the time go?

Once upon a time my daughter and I homeschooled in her playroom. It was nice, we had everything at our fingertips and a nice big white board. She has her cute desk handpainted by my friend Tracey's mom Val who has since moved back to England.

This picture was taken sometime early in 2009...I can tell because that's when Sydney gave herself a haircut. It took Debbie about a year to get them straightened out...it was to the scalp in some areas. See everything fairly organized.

After the new year, Sydney suggested that we have school in the breakfast room because it wasn't as distracting for her.  This is what school looks like now! Everyday we drag out supplies and put them up.  Next year hopefully there will be a new table and no paneling...will document that process too.

She was right, she has done better in school this semester and not been as distracted...maybe she was right.  She is maturing so much this year.  Third grade is nearly over and we will be on to 4th Grade...where in the world did the time go.  I miss my baby but I can honestly say I have enjoyed every stage of her life. Last week I got out of the shower and found this......

Honestly, it was hard not to scold her for playing with the iron...she's nearly 10 and she wasn't playing...she was getting herself ready for the day and taking initiative. I loved to iron when I was a kid...I think I was older than her but I enjoyed it...not so much these days.

I want to enjoy every minute because I know how fast time flies...Annie and Courtnay are grown women now and it just seems like yesterday...

How Not to Hang Plantation Shutters!

My husband is not Bob Vila. About 10 years ago he was tired of hanging all of the plantation shutters in our house and he hung the ones in the bedroom (above our bed) with velcro...yes velcro! They held until 1:30 a.m...Wednesday morning!

Anyone who knows my husband will get it...imagine...he gets mad at me for always shooting down his ideas!  He is the love of my life and my best friend...sometimes my chief source of entertainment as well.

Happy Birthday Rick!

Mayfest 2010! "Orange Crush"?

It's that time of year...May...when dance rules our lives!  For the past several years May is the month of dance. Nobody cares that hubby has a birthday or we have our 25th anniversary...it's ALL about dance. Costumes, pictures, Mayfest performance, dress rehearsals and finally the recital which is the biggest beating of the year!  I love it but I'm thankful it is only once a year. 

We always get our costumes the week before Mayfest and hope that they fit and it doesn't hail!  For those of you not from Fort Worth, in 1995 Mayfest was attacked by baseball to softball size hail.  People were hurt and it was crazy scary! . I wasn't there but I was on my way there to find our then 16 year old Courtnay. We pulled under the cover of an old Firestone in Downtown Fort Worth seconds before nature unleased this fury. Within minutes there was literally over a foot of huge hail stacked up in the street. My cute red Eclipse was spared hail damage but others weren't so lucky. Enough history.

Here she is waiting her big number

This years dance was "Crush" way cute...hence the orange costumes!

It's just a little crush....may not ever get that song out of my head! The performance was flawless!

Top off the evening with a little bungy jump!

Thankfully she didn't have to perform her hip hop number because they were still tweaking the dance.  It's also very cute to the Witch Doctor song from Alvin and the Chipmunks!

To top things off Sydney was sick with a wicked sinus infection so I let her dance with the understanding that she could have a funnel cake and 2 rides then we are out of there! It was fun! Glad it's over!

Indtroducing Romeo!

Here is the sweet new addition to our family. Romeo!  We got him yesterday from my niece and her fiance and it has been quite an adventure.  Luckily our other two animals Belle, the 4 year old Shih-Tsu and Noel our 3 year old black cat have taken to him just fine...no real upsets.  Oh, except that I had to send Belle to my mom's house for a few days because she wouldn't share the new kitten.  I forgot to tell her he was for Sydney not her.  She LOVES him so much.  Belle gave him a bath and trapped him in a corner wagging her tail and whining at him.  Now that he has had a chance to explore, he's having a ball.  Of course he slept with Sydney until he woke up around 3:30 wanting to play.  She brought him into my room and said "he wants you Mama"! Nice. See, he has made himself right at home! He loves Sydney...he was just crying for her while she was in the shower.

Remember this little guy?

He's ready to leave his mom Stella and will be at our house in a few hours. Details to follow. Sydney has already given him a name.  He is bigger and cuter now....

More details later!