So long to summer.......

It is hard to believe summer is gone.....I remember not be very excited that summer was about to be here and no it is no more and I am sad. We had a great summer this year but there were still more things I wanted to accomplish. I was to work on Olivia's math facts with her and we didn't pick up those flash cards once! Summer is suppose to be fun anyway.....
And fun....we had plenty of it.....
Tennessee was a blast and started our summer of just right. We had lots of fun hanging with David's family, riding horses, playing in the streams, going to Dollywood, riding go carts and bumper cars and of course playing in the hot tub! What would those kids do without hot tubs. When we got back we had fun picking blueberries and veggies from MawMaw and PawPaws garden. Picking blueberries is very tedious work and I was proud of Olivia going out with Stephen Paul to pick blueberries so they could take them down to sell them. They worked for quite a while in the heat and they were very proud of their 10 dollars they made!
Then is was back home for VBS and time to jump on the Boomerang Express!
Abby's swim lessons started after VBS. Abby is definitely the swimmer in the family. By the end of summer she was diving 10 ft down for torpedo's. She looked like a frog making her way to the bottom of the pool. Emily stayed in her floaty bathing suit all summer and she loved it because she could get around the pool and do her own thing, but of course it kept her from learning how to keep herself a float. Three times this summer she got in without her swimsuit and without us knowing and of course she went right to the bottom! After the first time I thought she won't do that again. It scared her so bad she didn't want in the water for a while. But apparently her memory is very short because she did it two more times. Next summer will be her time to take lessons and learn how to swim.
We loved are quick trip to Galveston....next year I want to go to the beaches in Florida....we will see.
Well it is now March 2010 and I am just now noticing a started to blog a recap of the summer....of course I won't be able to remember the specifics now, so this recap has to end with our trip to Galveston which was at the first of July! I know we celebrated fourth of july somewhere just don't remember where.....after that we went to Princess with a Purpose camp which was a lot of fun for the girls, not so much for momma but this isn't a blog about momma.....Olivia went to Bearkadette camp after that. Somewhere in there we went to Dallas and Austin and had a blast both places. Buc-ee's became our new favorite road trip stop.....the girls LOVE beef jerky! Then we had a annual Roddy Tree trip with my family....another good time.....another great summer!

Planning birthdays

Make a Smilebox invite

We are starting to plan Olivia and Abby's birthday party.....this will be the first year they will have their parties together. Let't hope all goes will. They decided on Pump it Up to host the party. My only concern is the big purple chair you sit in while opening presents....hoping they can bring another one in....sharing on your birthday.....is that possible????? I made these invitations on Smilebox today. It will be a few more weeks until the party so I will be back with the details. Just wanted to post the invitation since I just did it.

Roddy Tree

Day 4 at Roddy Tree and the rain is finally falling here in the dry Hill Country. We had time to hang out and swim this afternoon and now we are relaxing while watching the raindrops fall. So let me take a little time to blog before the memories leave my mind.

Yesterday evening David and Abby went fishing, when they came back I asked her if she and daddy had a good father/daughter bonding time. She looked at me a bit puzzled and said, "I think so." I said , " you don't know what that means, do you?" She said know can you tell me. I told her it is when you get to talk and have special time together, Yes, yes we did that she replied. Later that night David was showering the girls and he put his bathing suit on and got in there with them to make it easier. I walked in just in time to hear Abby ask her daddy if she could see his woohoohoo......we asked what that was and she clarified but I don't think I will blog that but needless to say we were laughing.

Emily has been trying to go poo poo the entire time we have been here, David finally had to go buy some Miralax for the poor child. We had success shortly after and she and her cousin Lauren celebrated big time!

Then there is Olivia who spent the night at my aunt and uncle's house Monday night because Natalie was staying with them. I forgot about her spending the night issue she has started having about two and half months ago.....which come to think of it should have been it's own blog with as crazy has this whole situation has been. Anyway.,,,, 1:30 in the morning she is up crying that she wants to go back to our house. They can not console her and drive her up the hill and bring her back. Meanwhile when they get back to their house they are locked out. Anyway it was a whole big mess and you have to know my uncle to know....this was not a good thing, but thank goodness my uncle really likes me, because he got over it pretty fast. Even though it took them a while to go back to sleep after all that.

So far we have had a great time swimming, canoing

dancing, eating, playing cards, doing puzzles and just laughing. I am sad it is our last night but we will make it a good one.

On the road again.......

As I type we are in Hunt, Texas hanging out at Roddy Tree Ranch......the Loveless Family hangout for the past three years......but I have yet to tell the stories of our trip to Dallas and our first visit to the American Girl Store. Of course we had to stop at Bucee's on they way there and pick up beef jerky since we all love the stuff! ( And lots of candy of course) We visited one of my old college roommates on Monday and that night visited with more friends. When we were driving back to the hotel that night everyone started crying and whining they wanted to go home not back to the hotel. I am guessing they were too tired because we hadn't been to the American Girl Store yet and they were all looking forward to that. Tuesday morning we woke up and got our selves ready to eat lunch at the the American Girl Bistro and pick out some special things at the store. I was going it alone and wasn't quite sure how that was going to go....so I had a "little chat" with the girls before we left and it worked! They were very good.....no running around like crazy kids. We had fun at lunch with their dolls and fun food, though with two courses of food they weren't hunger when the main course came.....so there were lots of leftovers. Olivia asked the waitress if their dolls would get food.....and the waitress said you can share you food with her. Olivia didn't understand why they wouldn't give the dolls fake food like they sale. I told her I agreed that would be fun, but I reminded her it would be hard for them to keep up with the food.....but now that I think about it for the price you pay to eat there I think they could spare a little fake American Girl food for the girls to take home! They have little tear sheets all throughout the store by each item you might want to buy. Abby was busy tearing off sheets of all the things she wanted. I reminded her to save those and take them home to Daddy....which she did. It was hard to see a recession in that store. The store and restaurant were FULL of people!
After that I braved going into The Galleria. It was a nice uneventful trip into the mall!
We got to spend time with our old friends the McCoys and the girls had fun seeing Lilyand Claire their two daughters. It was nice to catch up with them and remember fun times in the past.
We headed home one day later than we had planned ......because Dallas was just that much fun!

Princess with a Purpose Prep School

Well, a little late blogging about our prep school adventure since that was two weeks ago and we have had many more adventures since then....so I better get to blogging because we are leaving for Roddy Tree tomorrow and am I sure there will be lots to blog about when we return.

So on to our adventures in Princess land and Prince land for that matter. I signed Olivia and Abby up for Princess Prep School a while back ( Go check out their website http://www.princesswithapupose.com/ ) and a couple of days before the camp started they sent out an email requesting volunteers. And if you volunteered one child went for free and the other half price! Well that was money I couldn't pass up, especially since we were planning a trip to Dallas the next week and I wanted to take the girls to the American Girl Store. So I needed some extra cash. Well had I know I would get assigned to work with the Prince Warriors and not the Princesses with a purpose I would have past on that extra cash! 17 3 and 4 year old boys for me and two other moms and one teenager to wrangle for 3 hours everyday....let's just say it wasn't one of my best weeks....until Friday when I saw my precious girls graduate! They have a program at the end that is just so sweet, it made the whole week worth while. I was a little too focused on myself and the miserable time I was having, that I didn't' see exactly how much fun my girls were having and the seeds that were being planted in their hearts everyday. We bought the CD with the music the first day and that has been a favorite of all three of the girls. We love listening to the music and dancing to it. Great music with a great message of what is is all about to be a daughter of the King!

Say Bye Bye to Paci!

Well tomorrow will mark ONE WEEK.....Emily is finally breaking away from paci....or should we say her parent's are finally breaking away from paci. All because David couldn't find it one night and then the next night she spent the night at her Nana's house, where she isn't allowed to have paci! I thought hey we have made it through two nights let's see how far we can go with this. She would ask for it a few times during the day, so then I made a deal with her if she went 5 days without paci I would buy her a toy....well she has gone 6 days and isn't begging for a toy. That is what is great about three year old....they don't really keep track of these things! A couple of days ago she spotted a paci that hadn't been well hidden. She pointed to it and said mommy, my blue paci.....I need it. I reminded her about her deal with me and the toy she could get. She looked at me and said, it's okay mom, I don't need my paci. She still asks about it everyday but she doesn't have to have it.....so it looks like at 3 1/2 Emily Simpson has finally broken the paci habit! Way to go Emme. You probably could have done this a long time ago but your parent's were holding you back.

I must add to the story......when I told David I blogged about Emme and her 1 week anniversary of no paci.....he says, "the last signs of having a baby are gone now.....and that is very sad." If I didn't know better I would say that man wants another baby, if he could find a woman to have one for him.....and if I weren't 44 I would love to be that woman.

Bearkadette Camp......

Olivia finished her Bearkadette camp tonight and had her "show-off". It was quite cute and long, but that is okay. The Klein High School drill team has a camp for young girls and this year I signed Olivia up. She went with her friend Abby and they had a great time. Olivia loves to dance and be "on stage". The performance tonight was right up her alley. The faces that girl makes is something else. She was excited to win the Outstanding Smile award for the 3rd grade class. She also can't wait for October 10th when they will get to preform their dance at the Klein HS half time show!

Olivia can't understand why she can't be a Bearkadette one day. I explained to her she will go to a different high school. I told her, the school she will go to has a drill team as well, they are called the Tiger Belles. She quickly informs me she doesn't want to be a Tiger she wants to be a BearKat! Well who knows maybe they will re-zone by the time she is in high school.

The curious wanderings of a 7 year old mind.....

Olivia and I were having another one of our random conversations in the car the other day. She asked, "when will Jaci get her permanent?" I had her repeat it because I had no clue what she was talking about. I finally figured out she was asking when she would get her driver's permit. I said I don't know when she is 16? No, Olivia said, you get your driver's license when you are 16. Oh okay, good to know....since I appear to have already forgotten these minor details of teenager life. For some strange reason I was in no hurry to get my driver's license, so I guess the age thing just skipped my mind. Moving on with Olivia's randomness...she then asks why my picture on my license has me as an adult? I told her when your license expires you go and did a new picture taken so you won't always look like a 16 year old!

Will you ever send us to daycare momma.....?

The other day we were in the car driving and happen to drive by a daycare. Olivia asked, "Momma will you ever send us to a daycare." I told her no I didn't plan on it...she wanted to know why. I told her that was my job to take care of her and her sisters. She paused for a moment and said yea and sometimes you get days off.....I replied.... I do?.....she replied....well not in the summer.

Summer is flying byyyyyyyyyyyyyy.......

Summer is half over and I haven't even gotten back to blog about our Tennessee trip in detail......now the details have left my mind.....so I will move on to our other adventures before they leave my mind. Last week we took a spontaneous trip to Galveston before July 4th. We thought we would go during the week and beat the crowds which I think we did. Last minute trips are always fun. This was really the first time for the girls to actually get to swim in gulf water. We have been to many beaches but they were either babies or it was the wrong time of the year to be in a bathing suit. Well the brown water didn't deter anyone....it was the salty water they weren't real crazy about. I had already prepped the girls to keep their mouths closed because this water wasn't going to taste like swimming pool water! But little kids can't scream and have fun with their mouths closed! So it took them a while to get used to keeping their mouths closed. Emily and Abby said the water was spicy! The wave thing was a little freaky for them at first but once they got used to it, they loved playing with their body boards and riding the waves. And of course just being with Daddy was the best. I got in the water but I didn't stay for long. The first beach we went to wasn't the best we soon learned and Olivia and I meet with some nasty rocks below the surface. We tripped over the rocks and I cut my toes and poor Olivia really got cut up....her feet, her hands and her knees....blood was flowing when we finally made it out of the water. As you can imagine open skin and salt water are a terrible combination! There was lots of drama and we were ready to call it a day. We were going to Rain Forest Cafe that night for dinner and daddy told Olivia she could order anything on the menu......I think he was counting on her ordering the Volcano for dessert! Cha Cha the frog was there and Abby and Emily wanted to follow that frog all over the restaurant!

The second day at the beach was much better! Once Olivia was certain there were no rocks she was all in! The girls saw the big bikes cruising along the seawall and of course wanted to do that as well. So we came in from the beach, took showers and headed out for a bike ride at 1:00 pm......what were thinking. David and I were drenched 10 minutes into the bike ride. We informed the girls they should be glad they had two parents that were halfway in shape or there would have been no bike ride. We had a great time. We hope to make it back one more time before school starts!

This week we took a spontaneous trip to Austin with David, as he had to go for work. We had fun there as well. Swimming in Barton Springs....burrr eating outside at ShadyGrove :) going to The Children's Museum(Houston has them beat) and the LBJ library....not that the kids wanted to go there! Olivia pulled out her Brain Age game for her DS and David, Olivia and I started testing our brains everyday. We all started out at 80years old! More Simpson family summer fun!

This week MawMaw , Aunt Paula and the boys are here. The girls are excited to have them here. It should be a fun week!

Back from Tennessee

Boy do I have a lot to blog about! Our vacation to Tennessee was fantastic and of course I have lots of stories to tell but no time to tell them. We got back Sunday and VBS started on Monday so we have been a little busy. So for now I will post a few pictures and note that our trip was one to remember, from the looooonnnnnnnnggggggggg drive to the Smokey Mountains, to the crazy driveway at the house that you had to back into(very scary, I hate mountain driveways), fun times at Dollywood, jumping the metal rails(in a skirt no less) to rescue Emily from a horrible bumper car ride that she should not have been on, David and I celebrating 9 years of wedded bliss, horsebacking riding, the storm that blew in and knocked the lights out in our house from 8:30 until 3:30 am. Of course we had a few scardy cats who didn't like being in the dark. There are lots of stories to tell, so I will be back, just as soon as VBS is over and I get all our clothes washed and put away not to mention the bugs scrapped off the front of my car!

Summer is almost upon us!

My 44th birthday...David and the girls made my favorite Red Velvet Cake!

Emily's last day of school.....our favorite MDO teacher Mrs. Mindy

Abby's Splash Day at school.

Those cute Lemur's

Field Day 2009 Kuehnle Elementary

The last month has flown by......too busy to blog....how sad. Many funny things said that I didn't get blogged....now gone forever from our memory but the big things we still remember.....Mother's Day....the girls made great cards and gifts.....David took video of my in my rollers and no make up eating my breakfast the girls brought to me....I was suppose to be in bed. But hey Sundays are not leisure mornings....we got to get ready for church.

There was the fishing tourney at the Lanier's. Who could forget Abby getting hooked in the head( it wasn't very bad) and moments later as I am returning from doctoring Abby, David is carrying Olivia off to the first aid station, as she has just fallen on some rocks and skinned her knees up good. Blood and everything. It was hot and there were too many mosquitoes, but on the bright side we got to see kangaroo, lemurs (my favorite) pigs, goats, llamas and many more interesting animals. Oh and we didn't catch one single fish!

Abby & Emliyhad their end of the year school programs, they both sang their songs so well and didn't mind the large crowd. Abby and Olivia had their choir production at church. Let's Rock. Emily could have been in it as well. That girl knew everyone of their songs and they still sing them.......Let's rock...let's give our lives away....give it all to Jesus....Let's rock or I won't let a rock be louder than my voice....I'LL SHOUT FOR JESUS! Or Emily's favorite....The Audition......she loved Charlie's part in the song. Singing with a cracking voice.....my voice is the voice for the world to hear the woooooooooorld tooooooooooo heaaaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrrrr! 5 Different people had to talk Abby into getting up there on stage and singing with her class. She wasn't listening to anyone until one of the choir teachers (Jennifer) said we are having a party next Wed. You have to sing to come to the party! That was the magic words! She was all in for the party. David was out of town so he missed their performance....

Then there was Olivia's 2nd grade school program. Two shows and a very detailed costume to make....at least for me it was. It required sewing and cutting out many felt feathers to hot glue on to the shirt and hood. She wouldn't let me take a picture of her in her costume..so I have nothing to post. She had two lines......we miss the days of Spring Baptist when there is only 10 kids in your class and you get a little more action in the school productions. She didn't seem bothered which was good. It was just her mother who was bothered. I suppose Mrs. Farmer doesn't recognize talent when she sees it! LOL

Oh yes, I forgot we had the swine flu episode......first of May where we thought we would be out of school for 2 weeks.....which turned into two days.....PTL! So Field Day came right in the middle of that mess and I was in charge at Olivia's school. That seemed to take up at lot of my time, finding volunteers for every class. The whole family came out for Field Day. Daddy took off work for the morning and brought the girls. It was a fun day. Being in charge I had to be there for 3rd and 4th grade field day. I farmed Abby out to a friend but Emily had to come with me. I was a bit nervous but that child was an angel. I got their early and David dropped her off at 9 and we were there until 11:30. Little doodles stayed by my side and followed me from event to event and rarely complained. The teacher for the class I was helping even said she sure is a good little girl. I chuckled in my head thinking, "thank you Lord that she behaved today. I don't want the teacher making a mental note.....Emily Simpson don't won't her in my class when she makes it to 4th grade."

Abby had her splash day at school and loved playing in the shaving cream. Then Emily and Abby had their last days of school last week. Olivia is in her last week right now. Of course all that is on their minds is when are we leaving for Tennessee, well that and swimming. That is all they want to do....everyday they ask is the pool open yet?

We also celebrated my 44th birthday durning this month. Of course Olivia and I got on the topic of age. She said she didn't think 44 was old but at school when her friends ask her how old her parent's are and she tells them they always say.....that is old. I told her to tell them we are not old just experienced! We will see how that goes over!

Oh yes there is one more thing that marked May.....they Obedient Bee chart.....but we will save that for it's own blogging session. Last week was the first week and it was a bit rough!

Enough blogging for now. Have to finish the laundry and get packing.....Thursday will be here before we know it!

Abby's Eye Surgery

Before surgery

after surgery

Abby had her eye surgery today. So glad it is all over. We never really told her what was actually going to happen. Never mentioned the word hospital or surgery. Just that we were going to the doctor and he was going to put some medicine on her eye. She has had this bump on her eye (chalazion) since January. After Easter it turned into a big ugly red bump under her eye so we went back to the pediatrician again and this time she said you need to go to and Ophthalmologist . We did and of course he says she need to have it removed and we do that in a hospital. Now I wasn't expecting that. My eye doctor friend told me they would do it in the office, but he is used to treating adults not children, so that got me a little rattled.

The actually doctor visit was quite fun for Abby, she liked the chair and all the gadgets. Emily did too for that matter. But when they started putting drops in Abby's eye to dilate them they layed the chair all the way back which freaked her out a bit. She jumped when they put the first drops in. Emily when hurried over to the chair and put her hand on Abby and said, "it's going to be okay Abby." That just melted my heart. They fight all the time but when it comes right down to it they want to take care of each other.

Back to Abby's surgery...( this is way I should blog everyday, because everyday stuff happens, but who has time) We were all prayed up by the time we arrived at the hospital. Abby didn't seem anxious or nervous at all. There were lots of different people coming in and out of the room asking her and me all kinds of questions. We got her all dressed in her gown and hat and socks. She looked so cute, wish I had a camera. But you really don't think about bringing a camera to the hospital unless you are having baby. Anyway, once she was all dressed they brought in her kiddie cocktail. She asked to have water with it as she always has a chaser of water with her medicine. But not this time...no food or water before surgery!

Which reminds me of something she said in the car on the way to the hospital. She knew she was suppose to have food or water and when I told her it was time to brush her teeth her daddy said but she can't have water. I said she won't drink the water she will spit it out. That registered something in her brain because on the way to the hospital she said," oh no momma I just drank my spit." Too cute.

Back to the surgery once again.....they had her all wrapped in blanket and put her in the wheelchair. It didn't seem to me that this kiddie cocktail had done anything to her but she waved and said by mom as they wheeled her to the operating room. No tears from either one of us and I knew right then Jesus was walking down the hall with her and we both had peace!

The surgery was fast 30 minutes or less, so that felt great. But when she woke up the old Abby was back. She was crying and an absolute mess for 15 minutes. She kept trying to take the patch off her eye and she wouldn't talk only cry. The doctor and the nurse kept saying this is normal all kids are like this when they are coming out of the anaesthesia. But David and I are thinking...no this child is like this all the time! She finally calmed down, drank some water and had a popsicle and life was good. After an hour they let us go home. When the nurse asked do you want your daddy to carry you out or do want to be wheeled out. She picked being wheeled out. So out she went in a wheelchair very excited oddly enough!

We had promised her we would take her to Luby's after the surgery if she felt like it. She had been asking to go to Luby's for two weeks. We had to wait a bit for Luby's to open but Luby's for lunch it was. We came home and of course the first think she wants is the patch off her eye since we told her it could come off when she got home. Now David and I knew the patch coming off was probably going to be more painful than the surgery but she wanted it off. And yes, there was lots of hollering when the patch got ripped off! She immediately wanted to look in the mirror and when she did she started crying. I guess it looked pretty scary to her. She wanted to know when it was going to go away.

She laid down to watch a movie and of course she didn't even take a nap. She was excited to go pick up Emily from school and show off her eye.

Glad it is all over with. Thank you Lord for once again giving us peace like a river and thank you Dr. Miller for making the process fast and painless. You are a great doctor!