Fun at the Fair!

We had a great time with Granny Deb at the fair tonight! Even though I'm not a big fan of the fair (the people who run the rides and the games basically scare the bejeezes out of me), I eventually loosened up and had fun watching the girls go crazy. Just watching the fair-goers is more entertaining than riding the rides! How do some of these people afford mega-passes when the clothing on their back hasn't been washed in weeks and they look like they slept on the street corner last night? I observed this fair phenomenon when I taught in Lubbock. There would be children in my classroom with wristbands and mega-passes that couldn't afford basic school supplies, clothing or shoes. It's so sad! Enough of my Fair commentary...bottom line, the girls had a ball! Check out the caricature that Pawpaw Marlon purchased for the girlies...pretty cute! I wish I would have recorded them sitting and posing for the artist! Hilarious!

Soccer Saturday

Sydni was annoyed with my picture taking during the game, but I didn't let it stop me!
She's still unsure of the rules, but she's a fast little fart!
Belle and Mak enjoy a snack after their soccer game was over.

If looks could kill...I would be in a gutter somewhere! Syd-o is a bit peeved at me taking her pic...I'm not sure why! She usually likes pictures, but I guess not under pressure.

Makenzi and Belle...how cute are they?

The first day of soccer games were a whirlwind of sweaty fun! Makenzi played at 10am and scored a goal during her game and Sydni ran her little heart out in her game at 11am. For the next five Saturday mornings, we will be at the soccer field, kicking up some dirt! Check out our videos and pictures:

How huge are these uniforms? They look like munchkins playing soccer!
Drank an entire bottle of water before she even played one minute on the field!

Hi, Mommy!

Makenzi's 1st Soccer Game Video

Mak had a great 1st game! She scored a goal, but in this video you will see that she keeps playing the game long after the whistle blows...it was too cute not to post!

Sydni's 1st Soccer Game Video

Sydni worked so hard during her first soccer game! After Donnie decked her out in her uniform and shin guards, it is so amazingly clear that she has her Daddy's long, athletic legs! She looked like such a big girl in her uniform, but she was a little ticked that it was too "boyish", as she put it! If Sydni had her way, the team would be decked out in hot pink, zebra print socks, and bedazzled jerseys (which would totally be okay with Mommy, too)!

Sometimes, My Kids are Just Wierd...

Makenzi loves little toys...especially toys that have millions of tiny parts that can become clogged in my vacuum cleaner, or stepped on in the middle of the night to invoke cursing and pain. ;) She recently acquired a set of "Baby in My Pocket" babies. They are adorable, tiny babies with tiny rubber diapers that have provided Mak with hours of entertainment thus far. Case in point, I heard her yelling "Weeeeeeee!" over and over when she was in the bath tub. I walked in, and this is what I found:

What, you may ask, is on Makenzi's toes?

Her baby (that she named Lilly, btw) is enjoying a ride in a "swing" that Makenzi created by looping a hair band around the baby and then around her big toe.

Apparently, little "Lilly" enjoyed the swing, and was gleefully yelling, "Weeeee!" at the top of her baby lungs as she swung to and fro. Makenzi...a personality that I will never be able to label or define! (That's what I love about you most, Makenzi Jo!)

Makenzi's 1st Soccer Practice

Makenzi's team "Spain" recently had their first soccer practice. I'm not sure why the girls' teams are countries, but I wish the team names were more kid-friendly. What about the "bears", or the "rockets" or something that they can actually pronounce? There is one team that is "Uruguay". Whaaatttt?? Good luck teaching your kid to say that one! Any-who, I digress...Mak's team had a good practice, considering the fact that when NINE three year olds are together, it is hard to accomplish ANYTHING, let alone a soccer workout! I'm sure that games will be a hoot, if practice is any indication!Sitting on her ball and listening to her coach's words of wisdom.

I think she put her hands in her pockets so she wouldn't touch the ball!

You may have seen the "Sponge Bob" shirt she has on in several of my earlier posts. This is one of her favorite t-shirts and we wear it nearly every other day. However, please note, that I DO WASH it, and Makenzi does have plenty of other t-shirts she vehemently refuses to wear. I think she does this to tick me off, but it might just be that she is a die-hard Sponge Bob Fan....a fan that RARELY watches the actual show! Oy Vey!

Vegas Vacation - No Kids Allowed!

The Venetian...awesome shopping and food!
MGM GRAND...before the David Copperfield show that was HORRIBLE. Do not waste your money on that guy! Pathetic and cheesy.

So Coooooollll!!!!

TITANIC! Loved every minute of it!

Donnie, Dallas and Bryan after the draft
Marci, Melissa and I went to a concert so we met the boys AFTER the draft. No way I was going to sit through a football draft!

Marci and I, hanging out with Whoopi!

Marci, Me, and Melissa before our Legends in Concert. Cute show!

Marci and Myself, posing in the MGM hallway.

Everyone knows that Donnie loves sports...okay, Donnie is obsessed with sports! So it shouldn't be surprising that he is an avid Fantasy Football player, and went in with family and friends to buy a team with a Vegas-based Fantasy League. We traveled to Sin City for his draft last week, and knowing that there would be LOTS of football involved, I conned my good friend Marci to tag along with me! The last time I was in Vegas, Donnie and I were getting re-married and didn't really participate in much of the touristy stuff that I wanted to do. Marci and I made up for lost time and visited nearly every casino on the strip! You can quite literally go to Vegas and never gamble a quarter and still have so much fun stuff to see and do.

To illustrate my point that you don't need drinking and gambling to have fun in Vegas, Marci and I bought tickets to the Body exhibition and the Titanic artifacts exhibition at the Luxor. Some may sneer at doing anything educational in Vegas, but let me tell you that both exhibitions were interesting and well worth the $59 bucks we paid for both. I have loved the Titanic since I was a little girl, and seeing the jewelry, clothing, dishes, and furniture with my own eyes was amazing. The reconstructed grand staircase and deck are a must-see...I could go on and on just about the Titanic!

The Body exhibition is hard to put into words without shuddering. REAL human bodies are on display, preserved by a silicon substance that hardens around the organs and tissues to make the body rigid. Many different parts of the body are on display in the different sections according to our major systems, bone, circulatory, muscular, respiratory, and nervous systems. There is even a section devoted to fetuses and embryos that was very hard for me to get through, but interesting just the same. The case with the cancer-plagued lungs was much more riveting that any pictures of blackened lungs I have ever seen, because the evidence is so in-your-face. Cross sections of a brain affected by stroke, and livers damaged by cirrhosis were also amazing and gross. If you are ever in Vegas, take the time to see it! You will appreciate your body and the intricate way God knit us together after viewing. It is a jaw-dropping exhibit!

Exhibits aside, Marci and I did A LOT of shopping, which is another great reason to take a gal pal with you to Vegas. Donnie would barely let me browse the stores in Cesare's Palace and Planet Hollywood the last time we were there, and Marci and I had a marathon day of shopping to make up for that. We literally SHOPPED ALL DAY LONG, and it was everything I dreamed it would be! Sushi for lunch, delicioso Italian food in the Venetian for dinner, and lots of sight-seeing and touring made for a perfect day in Vegas. Oh, yeah, and Donnie drafted his team sometime during all of our adventures! A fun, fun trip...and probably our last for a long while. ;)

***Thank you to Granny Deb and Pop for keeping the girls during our trip. They had so much fun with the both of you...I'm not quite sure they wanted to come home!***

Fudge and Lady - Part of the Family!

"Fudge" - this is SYDNI'S DOG...according to her!

"Lady" - Makenzi claims that our black lab is HER DOG!

It is safe to say that Donnie and I are not dog people. I'm slightly allergic, and Donnie just doesn't love dog hair and slobber or the tendency some dogs have to chew up stuff. Why in the world he brought home TWO lab puppies in March of 2008 will always be a mystery to me because of these facts! However, Fudge (our brown lab) and his sister Lady (our black lab) have grown on both Donnie and I. Even though we do not hug and roll around on the trampoline with the pups like the girls do, we really do love our dogs. Fudge is a big teddy bear, and Lady is a hyper-active sweetheart. I take her on my jogs sometimes and she doesn't seem winded, even after three miles of steady running! They are so sweet to the girls and practically let the girls do whatever they want to them! I looked out the window last week, and both girls were piling sand on top of Fudge's head while he merely laid on the trampoline and happily wagged his tail. The girls love their dogs and will have wonderful memories of their puppies as they grow old with them!

How to Paint a Birdhouse...

Push the play button, those of you who didn't know that some of these posts are videos! Ha! They could have their own craftshow for kids...we are in talks with Nickelodeon and Noggin to make this a possibility. Apparently, our only other competition seems to be twins from Amarillo with great hair...

Craft Time!

Thanks to Aunt Layci posting pictures of her girls painting birdhouses, guess what the girls begged me to do on Saturday? Paint birdhouses! It was actually cheap entertainment, so thanks for not posting an expensive craft, Layc! Each wood house was only 2.99 at Hobby Lobby and I already had the paint, so it was worth the six bucks! They worked on the houses for most of the afternoon, which was awesome! Mak left me a ton of glitter to sweep up, but overall, a very fun craft for the girls.

If Liberace was a bird, he would live here!
Sydni's Seed Shack..clever, huh?!

Mak's birdhouse

Another glittery palace for some lucky bird!

Makenzi's Mockingbird Motel...I know, cheesy!

Sydni's Apple Artwork

Sydni is studying "Apples" in Kindergarten and drew this picture of ME "shakin' the apple tree to get some apples down." I thought it was so cute! Apparently, she thinks I'm strong and do not need to pick apples, just shake the entire tree!

Sydni's First Soccer Practice

Doesn't she look like a professional?
Cutie-pie!
Sydni's team "Sweden" had their first practice this week. She looked so cute making the passes and practicing her kicks! We will have games every Saturday for the next six weeks at 11am, pretty much in our backyard! Makenzi's practice starts on Tuesday, and her games will be on Saturdays as well. We will have action-packed Saturdays in our near future!

Dancing Queens? Not Sure About This One...

Makenzi as Velma (Scooby Doo)

Mak's Velma costume came in yesterday, and she has been begging me to let her wear it! Here she is in the glasses and wig...the rest of the ensemble is so adorable, I wanted to wait until Halloween to unveil the rest of it! I can't believe she picked THIS costume out, with all of the princesses and fairies she could've chosen. She did have her eye on the Bat Girl costume, so I'm guess she was feeling geeky or heroic for Halloween!

Sydni Loves Taylor Swift!

Sydni loves Taylor Swift. Below is a video of her attempting to sing the song "You Belong With Me"...enjoy! ;)

First Week of School Work

Makenzi's first day of school art project. I love the "I can put my clothes on all by myself" line because she is so proud that she can do that, and Sydni still needs my help. Syd-o is a bit on the lazy side when it comes to anything that happends in the morning!

I made Sydni write her name several times the other night because it has been so sloppy lately. She also wanted to learn how to write her teacher's name, Mrs. Rich, because she loves her already!

Belle and Makenzi, Concerned About Soccer

Belle and Makenzi were very bored with the whole waiting thing we had going on at soccer tryouts, so they found other things of more importance to do. For example, they found imaginary snakes outside of the chain link fence to view. They both have excellent imaginations!

Soccer, Soccer, Soccer!

Soccer tryouts were a bust...well, for the most part. We had to wait in line for awhile in the heat, and to top it off, Makenzi didn't want to do ANYTHING for the coaches when it was her turn. You can see in Syd's video that she wasn't sure what she was supposed to be doing, but she did try to kick the ball into the goal! I'm not sure what "score" they received for their performances, but most of the kids who went before us were beginner soccer players. I feel really stupid for getting upset with Makenzi for not performing, and it was Donnie who had to remind me that she is only THREE and I need to ease up on my expectations of her soccer performance! Like everything else she attempts that is new, she will come around and warm up to participating. We will soon see if soccer is their thing, and I guess if it is not we will try something else in a few months to fill our time!

Working on her kick before tryouts!
We brought the wagon, but I didn't know that Makenzi brought herself a snack until she whipped out a bag of cookies. I had only brought water bottles, but I guess soccer tryouts make you hungry! She shared the wealth with Belle and Syd. My baby has a sweet tooth!

Cute Weston and his pretty Mommy, Heather!

Sydni, seemed to know EXACTLY the pose she should strike for soccer tryouts. Sheesh.

Pink cleats, pink shin guards, cute girls!

Sydni...Confused at Soccer Tryouts ;)

The tryouts involved kicking three balls into the goal. Sydni didn't seem to understand that you were to attempt to do these tasks QUICKLY. Her nerves got the better of her, and she told me afterwards that she was "so scared" during tryouts. Who knew five year olds could feel such pressure?!

Belle, Kicking Butt at Soccer Tryouts!

Our cute friend, Belle Bennett, was NOT confused at soccer tryouts and knew EXACTLY what to do! Watch little Belle dominate the net! She's a quick little fart!