Girls Night Out

Ray has a BFF. She thoroughly loves this BFF and can't get enough of her. For the purposes of this blog, we will call this BFF CG. And CG loves her Ray just as much.


These girls have attended the same daycare and VPK since they were at least 2 years old. They are inseparable, love each other, and, well, are best friends. Their favorite thing to do together is just hang with the girls.


Last Friday, CG's Mom, Ray, CG and I met for dinner and had a girls night. Luckily, CG's mom and I also consider ourselves friends....

Ray and CG at Red Robin for Dinner, pre-Circus

The BFFs SIZZLE

After dinner, we checked out Circus Sarasota. I do love the circus, and this one didn't disappoint. Its not the biggest and shiniest, but its fun and interactive and gets the croud involved. And the girls were impressed with the acrobats and tight rope walkers.

The "Lion" Tamer

The Crazy 7-Layer Tight Rope Walkers

I highly recommend a trip to Circus Sarasota if you get a chance. Ray and CG were impressed. And it is saying something that Ray stayed for the entire show!

Leprechaun Shenanigans

I know, I'm a week late on this post, but I've been busy. And had writers block. And...yeah, I have no excuse. But, the truth is, I've been wanting to tell this story for a week.

Leprechauns have visited Ray and Chay's daycare every year for St. Patrick's Day, and they love it. So we thought we would implement Leprechaun Shenanigans at home!

Unfortunately, it didn't go over so well with Beauty. She was very excited when she first came home. Ray loved following the little green footprints that E drew on the tile with her washable markers. She thought it was funny that the Leprechauns peed green pee in the toilet (and Chay would NOT let us flush the toilet all night!). But she stopped finding it funny when she discovered that they turned our milk green and, GASP!, the Leprechauns turned her macaroni and cheese dinner green, too.

Unfortunately, we didn't have any green grapes to completely torture her.

Clearly, Chay was not worried about Leprechauns turning his food green.

She clearly has a problem with him eating the green food.

Ray lightened up after I told her it wasn't Leprechaun pee that turned the food green. It took awhile but I finally convinced her that I was pretty sure they used green food coloring. Unfortunately, she refused to eat anything but the grapes. Again, unfortunately for Ray, since she didn't eat dinner, she didn't get the special treat the Leprechauns brought - Green Cupcakes. She told me she didn't care because she was pretty sure the Leprechauns peed in them.

I was able to convince her to drink the green milk! Success!

I did manage to get her to go to sleep without fear of any rogue Leprechauns by telling her they all went back to Ireland to celebrate St. Patrick's Day. Ray is totally and thoroughly convinced (with no help from me, mind you!) that Ireland is full of green, four leaf clovers, pots of gold, and naughty Leprechauns!

Looks like Leprechaun Shenanigans will have to be tamed down next year... at least no green water in the toilets, right?

(PS - I know my kitchen is a mess, please excuse us...but I'm just keeping it real!)

The Yellow Team That Has To Wear a Green Jersey

Chay is a stubborn boy. He knows what he wants and he is extremely verbal about what he doesn't. So we have learned that deceiving him into thinking he is getting what he wants works just fine. Bad parenting? Perhaps. Practical? Yes.

For instance...

On our last two trips up to and back from DC, Chay did not want to fly on the plane. Well, back up. He was fine with the idea of the plane...until we were directly outside of it getting ready to walk through the door. At that moment, all four times, he put the brakes on and started yelling, "No! I don't want to fly!!! I don't want to be on an airplane!"

To which we replied, also all four times, "Chay, its not a plane its a bus."

Chay: "Its a bus?"

Us: "Yes."

Shoulder shrug. "OK." And he walks on to his seat and plays his game.

About 20 minutes after take off, we had this conversation (again, on all four airplane rides): "Mommy, this not a bus! This a airplane! Hrrrmph!"

Then he went on and played his game. Can't pull one over on him...

And for our latest example...

For some reason, my children, starting at around age 1 1/2, chose their favorite color and surprisingly, stuck with it. Ray chose her favorite color as purple at 18 months. It still is and she is known as "Purplicious" by her teachers because of the veracity of love for her purple. Chay claims his color is yellow. Well, claims is an understatement. Insists, strongly insists, is more like it.

Chay starts in the Christian Soccer League next week (It actually started last weekend, but we were at Disney, and tomorrow's game was cancelled due to the rain...bummer!). We told him that he is on the Green Team, and that did not go over so well.

He wants to be on the yellow team. I tried to explain to him that he can't be on the yellow team, he is on the green team. Arguments ensued. Screaming and yelling on his part about not being on yellow team went on for a few days. Finally I gave up. I told him that he is now on the Yellow Team but he still has to wear a green jersey.

Fights ended. And he's happy to be on the Yellow Team That Has To Wear a Green Jersey, as he calls it.

And that is the official name of his team now, as far as we are concerned.

Disney Princesses, the Lucky Ones

The above flower represents the love and support of my family. You see, I ran in the Disney Princess Half Marathon this past weekend. Six months ago I couldn't run more than a 5K. Sunday, I ran 13.1 miles. And, I couldn't have done it without the support of my husband, children and parents.

Without my family, I wouldn't have had the hours that I needed to train for this run. E watched and fed the kids while I ran. And on my long runs, he piled the kids into the van and met me half way with a bottle of water so that I wouldn't get dehydrated. Most importantly, he provided inspiration and listened to me babble incessantly about times and fuel and mileage and shoes and gear and...well, everything else that has to do with running. And he hates running. That would be like me listening to him babble on about selling insurance. Which he does.

My parents, E and the kids all trekked up to Disney with me on Saturday. They ate what I wanted to eat (gotta fuel the body, remember?) and walked and played around Magic Kingdom. Ray and Chay slept in Nana and Papa's room so that I could get a good night's sleep, which was only up until wake up time at 3 am.

At the end of the race, Ray and Chay presented me with pink roses. How sweet! And then, Ray immediately asked for one back. Which I was all the more happy to give her, just because it made her happy.

So, yes, I ran 13.1 miles. I am proud of myself. I worked hard to make, and then beat, my goal, which was originally just to finish. My time was beyond what I thought I could do. But without my family's support I couldn't have done any of it. And for that, I am a true winner.

Me and My Beautiful Princess

Tough Guy

Ever since The Bull was a tiny little dude, I swore his first hair cut was going to be a mohawk. I could imagine the cute little one year old Bull with a tough dude haircut, and my heart melted. But when we took him for his first haircut, the barber refused. Said it was "too difficult". Whatever. So my dreams of a mohawk were quashed forever. (Am I being a little dramatic? Uhm, yeah, maybe, but I really was disappointed!)

But E took Chay to a decent barber yesterday and I am proud to announce....

my little Bull has a mohawk! It should be spikier, but this is after an evening's worth of head rubs...so its a little flat. But it is so cool! Finally, a hair cut to live up to his native American name.

He had to show off his tattoo from the Lee County Fair... along with the attitude:

And, apparentally, he was bragging to the barber and the barber's pops that he also was a biker dude "cuz I like motorcycles." He's one tough dude.

Unfortunately, I think the tough dude hair cut went to his head, literally AND figuratively. He was rotten at school today. Every single part of his report for the day was filled with "Needed
Guidance" and "Did Not Follow Directions". Ooohhhhh......he was in trouble.

His response when E disciplined him tonight? "Dad, I'm a tough guy!"

Our response? "We're growing your hair long and going to start curling it."

How you like that, tough guy?

I Live with Oscar and Felix

Ray and Chay are complete opposites when it comes to cleanliness. Chay doesn't let me touch him after a run until I take shower because he doesn't want me to make him "stinky." Ray doesn't care and will hug me to her hearts content no matter how sweaty I am.

Chay can't stand to be "sticky" after eating a breakfast of waffles and syrup with his hands and immediately runs off to the bathroom to wash up. Ray, who uses a fork to eat waffles and syrup, is fine without washing up, so we have to remind her after every meal to wash her hands.

And, then, there are their rooms.

We have to force Ray to clean her room every day. Exhibit A:

No. I am not proud. Please note how the bottom of her baby crib next to her bed is on the floor, instead of, well, acting as the bottom of the baby crib. And, why is there a random hanger on the floor? Surprisingly, her princess dresses are hanging up on the hooks Dad installed. She must have decided not to play with those this particular day.

Exhibit B:

The rest of the room. I am embarassed to post this picture, but I'm all about honesty. She is a slob. But we're working on it.

And then there is Chay, who (attempts) to clean his room on his own, because every single item has its own place. Granted, it might not be where I think it should be, but I do not argue with him. Because, I know, he puts a special effort into making his room organized.

Exhibit A:

His dresser, which I will accept as clean for a three year old. Come on. Tell me your dresser looks this nice.

Exhibit B:

Please note how he tries to make his bed with his tiny blanket (He refuses to sleep with a comforter, its rather frustrating, but its not worth the fight.). He also makes sure his toys are in the bin next to his bed. His drum set is placed against the wall with his sticks within reach on the dresser. Yes, his shoes are laying there on the floor, but that is where his favorite pair goes. Ask him why, I don't know. The rest go up on the dresser. He has a place for everything, in his three year old way.

My girl and boy are complete opposites, in almost every single way. Does anyone else have a clean obsessed kid and a slob another?