How Much is That Doggy in the Window?

Finally!! They're here! 27 Saturday mornings, about 13 of which were met with whining and resistance, $585 for classes and recital costumes, 2 pair of ballet slippers, 2 pair of tights, 2 leotards, and 1 pair of tap shoes!! This is the cost of finally having a Doggy in the Window - so far.



Kelsey has been taking dance this year - and I am convinced she does it so she can be on stage for the huge year end recital in June. She LOVES to get on stage and dance for everyone. We finally received her costumes for the recital. If only she could play and dance around in them until her heart is content before the recital. Bummer!

She is so excited to unveil her costumes she will be wearing for the Disney theme recital. she and her class will perform two dances with a costume change in between. Big deal for little girls. She is happily preparing to show off her talents in the upcoming dances to the songs of "How Much is That Doggy in the Window?" and "I'm Late for a Very Important Date".



We are very excited for her, but keeping her away from the costumes is just one added cost of having the Doggy in the Window! Kelsey, we are so proud of your continued practice and commitment to your dreams! Can't wait for the big Day!

A Texas Princess

This past Sunday, my longtime friend, Sandy, invited our family to join her on a day trip to her grandparent's farm. While Todd and Carter decided to stay at home and do some male bonding, Kelsey was very excited to go see all the farm had to offer. As it turned out, it was only us moms and our kids that went. Woohoo, a girls day trip. What fun!

While both Kelsey and Carter have been to farms in Texas and Nebraska, neither remember much about them. While she was so excited about the farm, I was just excited to go on a day trip with my favorite girl.

Upon arriving, Kelsey and the kids could not get out of the car fast enough. So much to do and see....so little time. Soon they made the difficult decision of which adventure to set out on first. First they would go and explore the "old farm". This farm has 3 generations of homes and farm buildings on the property. So off we went and trekked about half mile to the back of the homestead where the original buildings sat. First was the house that Sandy's grandfather was born. Very small, too rickety to go in. Next was the house that he and his wife built about 50 yds across from his birth house - also very old and rickety, but safe enough for them to go in and explore. Surrounding the old houses were all the original stables, barns, chicken coups, smokehouse(which they still use) outhouses, gasoline pumps and sheds. It like stepping back into history, and a little eerie. There were old rusted tractors, farm trucks and even an old Model-T, still stood among the tall overgrown grasses as if someone just left and forgot about them. The kids ran through the old houses and barns and sat on the rusted tractors. They were off in their own world while they climbed the old narrow and steep stairs in the houses and playing hide and seek in secret rooms and behind sliding doors in the barns.

After much exploration and a big lunch at the main house, Sandy Kelsey and I went to fly kites in one of the many the cow pastures. She was a champ. She flew that kite for 25 minutes before the wind died down and it fell to the ground. On to the next adventure about 3 acres across. Chickens.!

Yuck! That's what I think of when I hear chicken coup. When Kelsey hears it, she thinks ... awwww, how cute are they! So, Kelsey and Kylie got a backstage pass to go inside the chicken coup. She could not have been happier! All those dirty birds running around their own poop, and there was my sweet little girl - all smiles in the middle of it all. Crazy birds

After the chicken coup, instead of riding back to the main house in the Expedition like normal city people, my daughter hops on an all terrain four-wheeler with her friends. Not sure what the right age is to allow them to do this, but she was having so much - fun how could I say no when I knew the person driving - and she was super safe. I felt fine, really. I think. Anyhow, off they went and off we went down and around the long way to meet them on the other side of the property. After greeting them and seeing she was still all in one piece, off they went again. They all shouted for more - over the hills and through the cow patties, to grandmothers farm they went. Lovely.

As a mom of a little girl, I suppose I have the usual fantasies or ideas of what my little girl will like or where her interests will lie. The real interesting thing about Kelsey, is that she really is very girly, but certainly not shy of tackling many of the male dominated endeavors either. A little girl who sings and dances until her heart is content, loves to listen to the music of Andre Bocelli, Sara MacLaughlin, and all the Disney Princess movies, loves to see live musicals and adores dressing up - but can also kick a soccer ball over our house, hit a softball further than most boys her age.....and climb in barns, play with chickens and ride on the four wheelers. It sure is fun seeing her figure out what interests her. She had wanted to wear a dress this day. Of course I said it's not appropriate for the farm, but had I let her, nothing she did would have been different. She just would have been a very happy little girl with a very dirty dress.

From the Mouths of Babes

So, on Facebook (Yes, I do facebook), it has been a trend for friends send various lists of questions to be answered by the recipient and then forward on to others. Its a way to get to learn about your friends and see what others think. At first, it was fun and interesting. I think the first list was "25 Random Things about yourself". Then someone sent a list of different ways to use your name, and then so an and so on. The first list forced me to think alot about myself - which can be a good thing or bad thing depending on how truthful I was going to answer. Then a few more lists came and I would read them - some interesting, some not. I answered and forwarded a couple more that I thought were interesting. Then I received one that did not require me to answer any questions or think about myself. It was a list of twenty something questions to ask my kids. Cool, I can interview them. It's always fun to see what they have to say. Kids views are so much more fun to hear than an adults.

I read the list and soon realized ALL the questions had to do with Mommy. Super.I thought, now is my chance to show off how wonderful my kids really think I am. Yeah! Well, some answers were nice and others....well just don't forget the age of the people being interviewed. Here's what my darlings had to say...

Kelsey (5 years) and Carter (3 years)

1. What is something Mommy always says to you?
K: "Go back to bed, it's not time to get up...heheheh"
C: "Don't get in your bathtub...hahaha"

2. What makes Mommy happy?
K: "seeing me and Carter giggle"
C: "I don't want to talk to you"

3. What makes Mommy sad?
K: "When I say I don't love you anymore."
C: "nothing"

4. What does Mommy do to make you laugh?
K: "When you turn in to tickle monster and chase me."
C: "You tickle me"

5. Who are Mommy's best friends?
K: "Sandy, Daddy, and all my friends Mommies"
C: "Me"

6. How old is Mommy?
K: "50.. 80.. 25 pounds"
C: "not 3"

7. How tall is Mommy?
K: "40 pounds"
C: "little"

8. What is Mommy's favorite thing to do?
K: "get dressed for bed"
C: "not play"

9. What does Mommy do when you are not around?
K: "Cleans everything and do my laundry"
C: "leaves me at school"

10. What is Mommy really good at?
K: "taking care of us"
C: "nothing"

11. What is Mommy NOT good at?
K: "Hmmmmm......laughing, "hahaha""
C: "nothing"

12. If Mommy becomes famous, what would it be for?
K: "Painting a really good picture"
C: "nothing"

13. What does Mommy do for her job?
K: "cleans"
C: "nothing....building towers"

14. What is Mommy's favorite food?
K: "Ranch dressing and lettuce"
C: "poop..hahahahahaha" (gee! I'm surprised that one did not come out before)

15. What makes you proud of Mommy?
K: "When you take care of us"
C: "nothing"

16. If Mommy was a cartoon, who would she be?
K: "Angelina Ballerina's Mommy"
C: "Dora"

17. How are you and Mommy the same"
K: "we have brown eyes, and same lips and we both like Wizard of Oz"
C" "brown hair .....nothing"

18. How are you and Mommy different?
K: "Different clothes, nose, hair and eyelashes ....you have to draw yours on."
C: " I'm a boy"

19. How do you know Mommy loves you?
K: "you have a sweet heart and you do everything for me, Carter and Daddy"
C: "Poop.....hahahha" (okay, that's only 2 times so far)

20. Where is Mommy's favorite place to go?
K: "Bookstore"
C" "M&M carwash" (the carwash at HEB has letters that look like M&Ms)

21:What do you and Mommy do together?
K: "snuggle, color, get dinner ready, eat dinner together with family"
C: "play cars"

22. What do you and Mommy do before bed?
K: "dry my hair and read books and scratch my back"
C: "read books...and blow kisses"

23. What does Mommy do that you don't like?
K: "not listen to my way"
C" "time out"

So there you have it. I'm not completely glorified, but I'm not complaining. At least my best friends are not "poop".

On Top of Spaghetti

Growing up, we ate a lot of spaghetti. A lot of chicken too, but for some reason, spaghetti never was my favorite. To this day, I do not eat spaghetti. I married a man who LOVES spaghetti. I know, call me a mean wife, but since I do all, and I mean All the cooking in this house, I do not cook spaghetti. I will cook many things I don't like, just because my dear husband likes it or the kids want it.

Tonight, I cooked spaghetti! O MY! When I called Todd and asked him to run by the grocery store to pick up some Italian Bread from the bakery, he could not believe his ears. He was soooo happy when he got home. I know, what kind of a wife am I to have never cooked spaghetti for my dear and loving and providing husband?

Anyhow, as a result of this decision to cook spaghetti, Kelsey and Carter both ask, "what is spaghetti?". I know what you all are thinking. I really am not that bad of a mother - what's the big deal? It's only boiling water and pasta. in addition to my view of spaghetti, I had heard so many horror stories of incredible messes by children trying to eat it. I really did not know if I was ready for this adventure at the end of a Monday. Nevertheless, I cooked it anyway.


Both kids ate surprisingly well. Not one noodle hit the floor and no one ended up with sauce in any place I could not wipe up. And not on the walls either! They really had a fun time slurping though - that of which I could do without. But hey, even I remember slurping the noodles (that was the only thing I liked about spaghetti).

I was impressed! Todd asked if we have to wait another 12 years before he eats it again. HA HA! I do love my family, so I guess it's my turn to suck it up - and add it to the menu more often. Maybe I'll even be extra generous and add meatballs!!