Mommy's Little Monster

One of her favorite movies lately is Monsters Inc (mine too!) and it has permeated our life.

Now, every time she gets going in a really big belly laugh, she gasps out "Monsters Inc would just love this for all the energy it makes!"

Let's just say the monsters aren't the only ones that appreciates the sound of her laugher. :o)

Au Naturale

The best remedy for those who are afraid, lonely or unhappy is to go outside, somewhere where they can be quiet, alone with the heavens, nature and God. Because only then does one feel that all is as it should be and that God wishes to see people happy, amidst the simple beauty of nature. ~ Anne Frank ~



God writes the gospel not in the Bible alone, but on trees and flowers and clouds and stars. ~ Martin Luther ~



I love to think of nature as an unlimited broadcasting station, through which God speaks to us every hour, if we will only tune in. ~ George Washington Carver ~



Climb the mountains and get their good tidings. Nature's peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees. The winds will blow their own freshness into you, and the storms their energy, while cares will drop off like autumn leaves. ~ John Muir ~

I think it pisses God off if you walk by the color purple in a field somewhere and don't notice it.... People think pleasing God is all God care about. But any fool living in the world can see it always trying to please us back. ~Alice Walker, The Color Purple, 1982 ~



If the sight of the blue skies fills you with joy, if a blade of grass springing up in the fields has power to move you, if the simple things of nature have a message that you understand, rejoice, for your soul is alive. ~Eleonora Duse ~



In wilderness I sense the miracle of life, and behind it our scientific accomplishments fade to trivia. ~Charles A. Lindbergh ~



Earth is crammed with heaven, and every common bush afire with God. ~Elizabeth Barrett Browning~

Homecoming

Yep, more football!

And this time it's a homecoming game.

Homecoming is a big deal in Texas. A really big deal. We're talking, it's perfectly normal to spend $100+ on a homecoming mum. And yet, I never went to a homecoming game as a teenager - ahh, the joys of homeschool!

But there's a first time for everything.

It was the homecoming game for the highschool literally across the street from us, the highschool that my little brother will attend next year (?! how is that possible?!), and Nadia and I went with Oma and Daniel.



Go Bulldawgs! It was so much fun to see all the hoopla. As for the game itself? Well, there's only so much you can say about a team that loses its homecoming game by 42-7. It was truly comical to see how much they suck. We sure did make some noise for the one and only touchdown they did mange to pull off, tho!



Here's the real highlight of the game and what you all really want to see - the cheerleader!



Her Daddy got her some really cool light-up pompoms....but they were, uhm, temporarily misplaced. They were missing for a good couple weeks, and then found just a couple days after the big game.







"Why are they all cheering over there, and we're not?" asked Nadia, and Oma explained that the other team had made a touchdown.

"A touchdown?" she exclaimed. "but that's what we want!"

You got it, kid!





All that hootin' and hollerin' and jumpin' around wore out our littlest fan as the evening turned cold and late. It sure was handy to have an Oma there to snuggle up next to!





She perked right back up for the halftime show, tho - and honestly, so did I. Wow, what a show. I was too entranced by the elaborate dance and athleticism on display to capture more than one image of it.



This last picture is for Nadia, who spent the first half of the game on princess-lookout and was ever so excited to see a real princess and prince (aka, homecoming king and queen) crowned.



It's not often a mother and daughter get to share a first - but this was the first homecoming game for both Nadia and me.

She just has me beat by over 2 decades.

Team Spirit

I can't quite believe I'm saying this, but - I kinda like football.

I have to be honest and admit that for all the years I've been saying that I don't like football, the real truth was more like "I don't know anything about football and don't care to learn."

But in the last couple months I've been to several of my little brother Daniel's 8th Grade football games, and guess what??

I *gasp* have had a blast at them.

Who knew there was a football fan in me, just waiting to come out? I can almost follow the game now and make sense of what's happening. Impressive, huh?!

Of course, it doesn't hurt that I get to sit next to the cutest and most enthusiastic little fan around.

Oh my, Nadia is quite the little cheerleader. Yowza, the moves on that girl! Words can't express how adorable it is to watch her imitate the cheerleaders' every move and shout "lounder, louder, louder! hold that line!"...I'm gonna have to get it in video.

What I just don't understand tho, is how, even with Nadia rooting for them, Daniel's team has yet to win a single game this season.

Yep, that's right. they are UN-undefeated. *sigh*

hey, it's about more then the score, right?!



#65 - that's Daniel!



The absolute hightlight of the game for Nadia is seeing the mascot. Someone dressed up in a giant tiger costume is super exciting to me kid....but if that tiger waves at or otherwise acknowledges her, the ecstasy goes thru the roof! The moment captured in this picture was followed by a whole evening of "I really did get to 'high five' that tiger! Really, with my own hand! Really, it's true!"

The Treasure Hunter

If you knew my niece, you'd so be giggling at this picture.



It's really not a very good capture of it, but still - I positively love her secret little smile when she's excited about something but trying to hide it. Cutest. thing. ever!

And there was lots of smiling going on for her big birthday party on Sunday. She's six now. As in, all the fingers on one hand plus one on the other hand too. Wow.

She had a treasure hunt party, complete with clues to find presents hidden all around the house and a treasure map with an "x" marking the spot where the goody bags were "buried" in the backyard and a treasure map cake with hidden treasure inside. Jen, you sure did put together a great party for her - the clues were SO cute!

It brought back memories for me too, of the birthday when I turned...oh, maybe 7 or 8? My parents surprised me with clues to lead me on a treasure hunt all through the house to finally find my brand new big-girl bike hidden in Dad's office. Since my birthday is in December and we lived in Missouri, it was cold and icy out...and yet that didn't stop Mom from running back and forth for half and hour, helping me stay upright on the bike. Good memories. :o)

But this post isn't about my birthday, it's about A's. So, here are some more pictures!

One of the clues included a secret code that had to be cracked in order to find the next hiding spot. Here she is hard at work, with her many eager helpers.







Once all the gifts were found, it was time to open them. You don't mind if I brag on my girl for a minute, do you? Good, because I was going to anyway! About a month ago, I got Nadia a little princess doll that I'd found at a thrift store. She liked it well enough, but A. LOVED it! Every time she came over, that doll was her constant companion. So I casually suggested to Nadia that she maybe she could give it to her cousin for her birthday...and Nadia was totally overtaken with enthusiastic agreement. It makes me proud to see what a generous and loving heart my daughter has - especially since she didn't claim the doll back when Anna pulled it out of the gift bag!



Here's Uncle D. reading one of the new books to all the girls - and Nadia with A's new yellow kitty cat tucked under her arm. Goodness, that girl and her love of cats!



Finally it was time for cake...



....and then some inky fun with her new stamps.





As the oldest of four little girls, we often think of A. as the "big sister" and "the big one"....but she really is still just a little girl. Happy Birthday to one my favorite big little girls!



Nadia's review of the birthday party: It was great and it was fun. I would like to go to her next party too. I think A. will probably invite me, right Mama?

Let's Hear it for the Bun

Pigtails and braids are classic little girl hairstyles, but there's just something about a bun that makes me smile - especially when it's my little girl.

Yesterday was the first time I'd ever put Nadia's hair up in a bun, and oh. my. gosh!!! I thought I was going to pass out from the cuteness.

(even if it does make her look a bit too grown up...who is that poised, elegant little lady?!)

Another good thing about buns: even I can create a pretty darn good looking one. This is significant for someone like me who is all thumbs when it comes to hair. AND, Nadia's hair stayed up and neat all day. Three cheers for the bun!

Oh, and the reason she wanted a bun in the first place? It had to do with being a princess, of course. She usually selects either Aurora or Snow White as the princess of the day, but yesterday she chose Mulan and asked that her hair be UP like hers. Mulan - that's the first thing you think when you see a bun, right???

The outfit is totally her own creation too. She's such a little fashion stylist.

Penguins & the Not-So-Itsy-Bisty Spider

just a few more pictures from our zoo adventures earlier this week. :o)

The penguins were the last stop of the day, and on the opposite end of the zoo - but they were worth the walk. Who can resist birds in tuxedo?! Nadia repeatedly trailed a finger along the glass, in hopes of getting the penguin to follow her. Out of twenty attempts, it finally worked once. Apparently, this means "the penguin really, really likes me a LOT!"









And then we had the giant spider web. I can't say I care much for spiders, but there are exceptions to every rule...and the giant spider shown here is the cutest one I've ever seen.

Wild Animals

Turns out a damp, cool day is the very best day to visit the zoo. We met friends at the Dallas Zoo yesterday, and due to the weather we practically had the place to ourselves! It wasn't too cold or wet to make us miserable - just enough to scare everyone else off. Wusses. ;o)

It had actually been several years since I'd been to the Dallas zoo, and I hadn't been too impressed with it back then. I remembered concrete enclosures with steel bars and bored, pathetic looking animals. But it's undergone a tremendous face lift recently and it's now quite a nice zoo. The kids area is great! I'm thinking about getting a membership - considering it cost me $16 to get in yesterday, $60 for a full year of unlimited visits isn't a bad deal!



One of the (many!) things I love about Nadia is how she talks herself through things. She is not the bravest child these days, and she was quite wary of all the reptile and amphibians exhibits. At each one, she'd stand a few feet back clutching my hand and say "that really is a real (snake/spider/other), but it really is behind glass and we really are just safe." And then she would slowly go closer. She ended up loving all the lizards and frogs. So I guess she really IS the bravest child - bravery doesn't mean not being scared, it means confronting your fears and working through them and she did that admirably.

And? she even touched a snake. When the zookeeper first got the snake out for the kids to touch, she hung back with eyes as big as saucers. But then I asked her "do you think it would feel wet or dry?" and when answered "wet" I asked if she wanted to touch it and see. So she nodded, and once we made it to the front of the line her bravery held out long enough for her to test that hypothesis. So now she knows that snakes feel dry, not wet, even tho they look wet and slippery. :o) She also tells everyone that it was a "very, very, very nice snake!"



A few random animal shots, including the funny looking muskrat (I think?! can't remember for sure, hope I'm not making a fool of myself!)...



...and the adorable and friendly but stinky sea otter.



Feeding time for all the wild animals.



Notice how she's clutching the apple so that "the giraffe won't think it looks good and take it!"



And my very favorite series of photos from the day:









Unsurprisingly, Nadia fell asleep on the way home - but as I carried her in she awoke and struggled to get down. "I'm not tired," she insisted as I balanced her on wobbly feet - and then she walked straight to the couch, laid down, and didn't move until I woke her up 2 hours later. :o)

Here's to you, Ben!

The first time I met Ben, he was just a cute little eight year old.

Now, well, he's no longer eight and he sure as heck isn't little!

But he pretty much is the kind of young man you hope your little boy will grow up to be.

My brother-in-law Ben is a senior in highschool this year, just a few months away from entering the world of college. He has been accepted at Texas A&M, where he plans to join the Corps of Cadets and study business & political science. Politics just might be a good route for him too, given his success in debate- in fact, there's a picture of him right now on his highschool's homepage for his victory at a recent debate tournament. He's also an award-winning swimmer, and a dedicated student and employee....and just an all around great kid. We're all proud of you Ben!

A few days ago, I got to take some senior pictures of him proudly sporting his letterman jacket and Aggie t-shirt. Lookin' good!

Sand Between the Toes

The nearest beach is hundreds of miles away...but that didn't stop us from finding our own way to sink our toes into the sand on a sunny day. The volleyball court at the local park works just fine for "sand angels" - and making Mommy's car sandy for days! Oh, and the sailor dress is "vintage" from my own childhood, and although it was totally unplanned I think it's perfect for these "beachy" pictures.

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