Our Greek Goddess

This is how our beauty looked before school this morning. It is her Greek day in her reading class.

Turn Back Time Part II

Remember this post? It seems this thought is occurring to me more and more...and she's not even a teenager yet!!

Last night we had to go find her some "greek" sandals for her reading project due on Thursday (to be blogged about then). Well, we ended up in the dressing room at Justice for more than just shoes! While I was out getting her another thing to try on, she took thisof herself with my cell phone. I knew I had seen this pose before, and it felt like it was from my girl. Then it dawned on me! It was my girl, just not the girl that was with me. It was this girl.(I totally stole some of these from Courtney's Facebook for this post. Sorry, Court, and thanks! ;-)) So I sent this.

Courtney is graduating from high school in June, and totally grown up. But, you see, it was just yesterday that I took this pictureby the pool at our apartment in Austin when she and her mom lived with me. Evidentally Kylee is not my only girl growing up way too fast and who I would totally turn back time for.

I digress. Back to Kylee.

When we finally did get around to buying shoes, I wanted to take a picture for Mom Mom. Even modeling only her feet, thisis what I get. Not a little girl modeling her feet, for sure!!

Blaine also found him some shoes that he fell in love with!His Daddy told him they were "goofy." Kylee said, "Blaine, he is a 41-year old man. What does he know about 7-year old boy shoes? Enjoy your youngness when you can still get away with buying shoes with cartoon characters on them. Because when you are almost 13 (she JUST turned 12 last month!!), you cannot get away with that!"

Then this morning as we were walking into the dance studio, I just was looking at her and suddenly thought, when did my baby become thisyoung lady?!

Don't get me wrong, though. She still has a LITTLE bit of little girl left. This morning when she got up, I was laying on the couch watching the boys play Wii, and she crawled in the blanket beside me, wrapped her legs around mine, and sucked her arm. Now I must live for little moments like this. Oh, and dancing with Dad Dad, too!


If I could turn back time, I would not let my baby grow up to be a cowboy!!

Happy Birthday, DD!

In honor of DD's birthday, a little look back at fun times with her...

Happy birthday, DD!!!

He REALLY IS ALL Boy...

...he's just goofy, too!

Blaine's Desert With Cucca

Blaine had to create a desert habitat for school this weekend. He explained it had to have desert animals, desert flowers, and a cucca. A cucca? He tried explaining to both Mom Mom and I that it is the plant that has to pointy green leaves at the top. Neither one of us could figure it out. He was so frustrated with our stupidity. We finally looked at the sheet the teacher sent home. It's a yucca! Duh!

He and his dad worked hard this weekend to create a suitable desert habitatfor Blaine to show his friends. You know, because it's about the friends being impressed, not the teacher.

He also learned another lesson this week. Do not jump in the neighbor's backyard to get your baseball, even if you have played with their dogs before and they know you.

Some lessons are easier than others.

Matthew's Confirmation

We are so proud of Matty! He's such a good boy, and we love him! We've been so excited to get to go celebrate with him for weeks! Though Blaine was a little crabby on the way therebecause his new Diablos pitcher friend that helped him with practice had invited him to his game, we knew once we got there, he would get over it. And we were right.

Both kids were so happy to see the Hayes,Mat even made a comment that Blaine didn't even say hello to him. I think Mat loves Blaine as much as Blaine loves Mat. And he really does love him so much. Mat was busy was his family and friends,and Jack had his DS. Once Mat wasn't so busy, of course Blaine was right by his side. Kylee even asked when the girls were going to get their picture made with Mat.When I mentioned it to Mat, though, of course both girls denied and made excuses about why their picture was necessary.

It was a great night, with great friends, great food, and a great reason to celebrate. We are so blessed to love and be loved by the Estradas!

Kylee's UTEP Band Competition

Today Kylee performed at the UTEP Fox Fine Arts Center with her 6th Grade band.
Joey and Blaine already had plans to practice with the pitcher from the Diablos, so I went on my own. It was the shortest performance of the kids' I've ever been to. First I got lost. She performed at 11:20, so I left the house at 20 til 11, thinking that would give me plenty of time to get there. My navigator took me to the complete wrong place, but I knew where UTEP was, so I headed that direction to start looking. After driving around, not realizing I was 50 feet from the Fine Arts Center, I asked a student walking if he could direct me. He sent me completely out of the way...again. When I was driving back around, I spotted the school buses, so I stopped and asked them where I should be. They directed me to the right place. I pulled into my parking space at 11:19. I was so afraid I was going to miss it! When I walked in, they were already on the stage.
They played two songs...
Song 1
Song 2
...and it was over. They walked off the stage.I went outside to talk to Kylee a minute. She wouldn't let me take her picture, but then another girl's mom came up and took hers, so then it was allowed.She got on the bus to head to Peter Piper with her band friends, and I left. That was it. Ten minutes later, I was back in my car. The shortest kids' activity ever. It took me longer to find where she was than I was there. But it was totally worth it, and I'm so glad I went.
Great job, Clarke Band!

Happy Birthday, Dad Dad!!

This is my 393rd blog post. I only tell you that because yesterday, on one of the few days it's important to get the post done that day, Blogger was down for the first time in my 393 posts. I tried all day yesterday to get on for his birthday post, and it was down. It just came back up in the last ten minutes. How do I know? Because I've tried every ten minutes today (when I wasn't in court) to get on to post. I just got on. That's how I know. So, here it is, a day late posting, but I was on time in my mind!

Happy Birthday, Dan!!!!

We took him to dinner atwhere the kids gave him his annual coffe cupand had their usual big browniedesert. At Texas Roadhouse, they put you on a saddle for your birthday and sing. Dad Dad wasn't up for getting on the saddle, so Kylee did it for him.
As we were leaving, I wanted my picture with this man who literally made my life a better one.
We love you, Dad Dad!! Happy Birthday!!

Because I Love It

Mother's Day 13

(Finally, I know!)

I woke up (late..yay!) to hugs, kisses, cards, special treats made at school, and a "hurry up and come downstairs for your present!" Blaine made me a catch-all. He knows his Mommy so well. Can NEVER have too many catch-alls!!
Then I went outside to get exactly what I wanted,even though when I told Blaine it's what I wanted, he told me he was not buying it for me. I love it!

Then we went to MY Mom'sfor lunch. It was so so so good! (I know. So wrong that MY mom cooked ME lunch on HER Mother's Day, but that's how it happened!) When we got there, I had another present waiting for me. Kylee, Cake Boss Jr., had made me thisIsn't it great!?! The picture just doesn't do it justice. It's a purse cake with money in the purse. I'm told the money was added last minute because during the night, the purse kinda cracked. I think it's amazing and a perfect touch!!

Don't worry. Even though my mom made ME lunch, I did get her something. Well, Kyle and I did. Since both of us love our Keurig, we decided she would, too.I think we scored. Now she's just gotta find the coffee she loves. No doubt she will. I also gave her these guyswhich I'm pretty sure scores me huge points! I may have scored a few with this, too.

Happy Mother's Day to my mom, my step-mom, my grandmothers, and my mommy friends. And thank you to my Kylee and Blaine for making me a mommy. I love love love being your Mommy!!

Best Gift EVER!

Kylee drew this for me today for Mother's Day but said she just couldn't wait to give it to me. I'm so glad she couldn't. I'm beside myself, like I won the lottery. I love it...almost as much as I love her!!

Houston, We Have a Problem

Blaine comes in from the backyard with a problem. This is how it went.
B: Umm, Mom, I have a problem.
M: What is it?
B: Well, I hit my ball in the tree.
M: Ok. I'll come get it.
B: Umm, I don't think you can reach it.
M: I'll bring the broom.
B: Okay, but I don't think that's enough.

He's right. The broom won't reach it. We get Joey. The broom won't reach it even with a ladder!Joey had to get the extention thing-a-ma-bobber for painting.He gets it. The boy is happy.Problem solved.