Twinado playdate with the swimsuit princess

Cousin visit is DA BOMB

This visit can be summed up with three words--ICE CREAM BOMB. The post below shows the picture of Amie, in her birthday glory, checking out her slice. So, the bomb--layers of ice cream, chocolate, brownie, magic shell, yummy delicious goodness in the shape of a bullet (because it froze over night in the Kitchen Aid mixer and was then flipped). Bomb was so good we were dreaming about it. We were giddy. The kids went into that sugar coma. You know the one. And then they bounced off the walls.

We have tonight and tomorrow until lunchtime to soak up our cousin time (and maybe sneak in another piece of the Bomb) before we head back home. I have a business trip to Houston first thing Thursday morning, so I want to be home in time for a little rest. Luckily, the cousins will reunite in August for our first family vacation. It's going to be a blast!

Here are some pictures of our visit. Maggie got her very first haircut tonight! Just a trim--more to get off the long top layers and even out her curls. Aunt Amie, our Jack (or should I say Jill) of all Trades, cut it!

Max entertaining Maggie during her haircut. That's what cousins are for.

Izzy, Amie, and Maggie after her first cut.

Proud of her hair. She looks SO much like how Izzy did at this age.

Getting a little loving from the Wild Man Max.

Chilling out tonight for movie watching and popcorn. Today, we went to the library, swam at the pool, played games, and of course, ate the Bomb. It's time to relax.

I always love time with my beautiful niece Izzy.

Bomb layers

Happy in Oklahoma

My reward for helping move

Look at that smile!! Ella and Beck are now four months old. Thanks to
my mom and Mom Mom for watching the twins and Maggoe while we all
worked on the move

Helping "Aunt Bobby" Move

Random Thursday Thoughts

• We're skipping swim lessons today. It's our last class and we're skipping. Why? Because I CAN'T SING IF YOU'RE HAPPY AND YOU KNOW IT ONE MORE TIME. My goodness, I hate that song, especially when the lyrics are changed to "If you're happy and you know it, splash your hands." Instead of the stressful leave early from work, pick up, drive to lessons, splash around with babies (she's the oldest in the class and it's geared to 15 month olds), and rush home game that we've been playing for two weeks now, we're opting to go to our neighborhood pool and swim for a while instead. Without "floaties," I might add.
• My great friend, Dana Eisenberg (you might remember her, you know--Sam and Ethan's mom, cancer survivor, awesome supporter of Allie and HFC, yeah, that one) just launched the website to her new company, Haute Happenings. Check her out and consider her if you need party planning help in Dallas.
• Like Dana's logo? Yeah, that would be the talent of Megan. Check out her blog and her recent designs. Considering that quite a few of them are for me and HFC, I got to tell you, I'm a big fan.
• 5K Registration is officiallly OPEN!! You can register to be a participant and choose to be a fundraiser. We will have incentive prizes for fundraisers (can't announce because they're in the works). I know you'll be there.
• Deb, Brandon and the kiddos are moving into their new big house this weekend. Who needs movers when you have the Scotts? We're ready to pitch in! Plus, I get to hold the cuteness that is Ella and Beck--oh, those little ones melt my heart!
• Maggie and I are cutting out of town for a few days next week for some more fun time with the cousins in Oklahoma. We can't wait. Plus, Aunt Amie, or Aunt "Mamie" as we call her, is a fantastic cook! Good eating for three days!! I get back and then immediately head to Houston for a quick business trip, all day staff meeting on Friday, and then one day of rest before heading out again for the lakehouse. Phew--I'll be tired by the time we hit the lakehouse. Might need a drink. Or two.
• I still haven't seen Sex and the City. I haven't been out for a girls night since early May, and all my friends have seen it. That leaves me with the option of going with my husband to see it or waiting for when it is released to Blockbuster. I choose the couch and DVD.
• Just booked my flight to San Antonio for Camp Discovery. Crap, that means it's really close and I have to finalize my Arts & Crafts order. Like means that if I don't do that soon, we won't have paint supplies. Hmm....wonder what I'll be doing tonight after Maggie goes to bed?
• My brother's dog killed a possum last night. He has been given a booster of antibiotics and has to be monitored for 45 days per the vet. Good thing Bee is going to my mom's house when we go to the lakehouse.
• Speaking of Bee, our Brandy is doing great. She stinks that's for sure. According to Maggie, "like poop."
• Daddy smells like "burps." Lucky Mama, I smell "like a flower!" Yes, that's my girl. And yes, she came up with that all on her own.
• I never did make a Father's Day post. Well, we all know he's awesome. He's the best daddy I could ever ask for my children and he has captured the hearts of his daughters. Any man that tries to get Maggie's heart later will have to work hard. She has standards, and they're high. He's the best daddy I know!
• I just finished the sixth Harry Potter book on audio. Andrew and I have both been listening to all the books in our cars (he downloaded them on our iPods). It's taken me since January to listen to the first six books! Of course, I've already read them at least two to three times each book too. He is going to download the seventh soon for me to listen too, and we're both very excited for the next installment to come to film! Then, I'll have to figure out my next audio book series to listen to. I really like it. For a while there, I was listening to episodes of the Office. Even though you can't see it, listening about Micheal grilling his foot on the George Forman grill is still freaking hilarious.
• Andrew just called to say he has the little one at home. Time to go swimming.

Cheese!!

For the locals

Larissa and I are going to be featured on Channel 8 tomorrow morning during Good Morning Texas for the Cadillac Texas Spirit feature. Cadillac and WFAA selected Heroes for Children has the June Texas Spirit. We had a commercial filmed that will air beginning this week and we're going on LIVE tv in the morning. The segment is between 9-10am (not exactly sure when we're on) and will run for between 4-5 minutes.

Hopefully, I'll figure out what to wear tonight!

Father's Day post to come later.

My Ice Cream Personality

Your Ice Cream Personality:

You like to think of yourself as a fairly modest person. And it's true that you don't talk yourself up... but you're also pretty happy with who you are. You are incredibly cautious. You rather miss out on something than make a mistake. No one would ever call you wild... but they would call you responsible. You are a very open minded, liberal, and flexible person. You love many things. You tend to have tastes that range from down home to cosmopolitan. You tend to have a one track mind. You prefer not to multitask. You can be a big dramatic and over the top sometimes. You are bold in every way

The Ice Cream Personality Test

Summer Lovin'

Even though I no longer get summers off (just one of the things I loved about teaching), summer is still my favorite time of the year. Here are some of the things I love:

• Time in the pool! As a child, I grew up in the pool, constantly in my swimsuit with my blonde hair a continuous green tint. After Maggie's first swim lesson today, I can see that she has my love of the water (though I never was anything more than a swim enthusiast---didn't swim competitively or anything because, let's be honest, I'm not that athletic). Ah, I can smell the chlorine now.
• It's light out late! Being the nightowl that I am, I love this!
• June weddings. I'm a romantic, and I love attending weddings. We have Andrew's best friend, Maggie's "Uncle John," getting married on Saturday. Maggie is the flower girl and Andrew's the best man.
• My anniversary--with my love of weddings comes my own anniversary!
• Summer vacations--planning trips for the summer are such fun. We already had one trip--our quick Sea World trip that we loved so much. Still to come are both our lakehouse trip and trip to Jackson Hole with Andrew's family.
• Adorable sundresses for adorable toddlers. Maggie is living in strappy little numbers like this one that I've been putting her in. She loves them and I think she looks gorgeous. Don't have this one yet, but maybe I should make a run to Old Navy.
• The smell of suncreen. Just reminds me of childhood and fun outside.
• Summer Blockbusters--I'm a movie lover. And after spending the last thirteen years of my life alongside Andrew Scott, I've grown to really enjoy a good summer blockbuster. Several to look forward to this summer.
• Pool parties--always fun, always classic. HFC has one for our board members in a week and I'm looking forward to it!
• Camp Discovery--next month is my annual trip to Camp Discovery, a cancer camp for kids 7-16 years old. I'm in prep mode for camp, finalizing my Arts & Crafts order. Ordering a week's worth of art supplies for 150 campers on a $600 budget--bit of a challenge, but I'm up for it!

Summer does have it's pitfalls, such as....

• Holy hell, it's hot in Texas! I'm not one for the harsh heat, getting a bit bitchy when in the sun too long (sorry, Posse families--watch out for the bitchiness at the lakehouse, it'll probably come out!)
• Shorts--have you ever seen how WHITE my legs are?? I think I might have blinded Jen the other day. No, I don't tan. I burn and freckle. And given that I have my mom and grandmother's skin (both prone to skin cancer), I lather in 45-50 spf suncreen.
• Picking out a swimsuit. Ugh.
• Do you know how freaking hard it is to schedule a meeting with multiple people during the summer months? Schedule juggling is crazy in the summer trying to work around everyone's vacation schedules.
• No longer having summers off!

What do you love/hate about summer?

When all else fails, eat ice cream!

Maggie has been so excited for her swim class to start today. Girlfriend is an absolute fish! She loves being in the water and looks forward to any chance to swim she gets. All day, she's been telling her teacher and friends at school about going to swim lessons. There she was waiting and ready in her swimsuit when I pulled up early to pick her up and head to the Y. As we drove through Plano, it was drizzling just a bit. By the time we pulled in, there was a slight monsoon going on in the parking lot. Umbrella? Me? Nope, didn't have one. So out we ran getting SOAKING wet into the building, giggling the whole way. Soaked to the bone, we ran into the bathroom to get dressed for our very!first!swim!class!!!! Maggie couldn't contain her excitement--jumping all over the bathroom and hysterically giggling.

So, it was a real bummer when some pimply teenager told us that the pool was closed due to the thunder and lightning outside (this of course after we were all ready in our swimsuits). Because, you know, they have to close an indoor pool for inclement weather. Explain THAT to a two year old.

So out we ran back in the rain with Maggie playing "Ick-a-boo" under the towel to attempt to stay dry. She didn't cry--my little trooper. She was giddy as could be. I decided to pull into the closest Chick Fil-A for Maggie's favorite dinner. Since it was still pouring, we just went through the drive through (with her exclaiming "Chicka Flay!! Chicka Flay!!") and let her eat in the car.

As we were getting closer to home, I got the idea to head to Braum's for a little treat. Maggie and I were still in our swimsuits and wet (though NOT from swimming, of course), so we weren't going in. So, we parked. I let her out of her carseat up to the front seat with me. For thirty minutes, we ate our ice cream, sang silly songs, laughed until it hurt. My little girl was so silly!

When I look back on my life and the happy moments I've had, those thirty minutes will most definitely come to mind. I love my daughter and enjoy her thoroughly each and every day. But there was something different about tonight's ice cream adventure. I've never had so much fun with her. It was perfect. She hugged me incessantly and I showered her with kisses. Oh, my darling girl.

The rest of the night could not have been more perfect. We came home and played Wiggles games on the computer, built houses out of Leggos, and hide under the covers to hide from Daddy. It ended with nighttime stories and snuggles before she went to bed like a perfect little lady.

It was an ordinary Monday that turned into an extraordinary evening for me. With a perfect little two year old.

Night time comfort

This is Munchie tonight asleep in her bed. Yes thats a swimsuit pulled
halfway up her body and diapers next to her. Just in case. You know.
The shimmery purple number is the top of her Ariel costume lovingly
put on her pink French poodle, Frenchie.

Bed was clear when I put her down!

I Will

I Will

by The Beatles

Who knows how long I've loved you

You know I love you still

Will I wait a lonely lifetime

If you want me to I will

For if I ever saw you

I didn't catch your name

But it never really mattered

I will always feel the same

Love you forever, and for ever

Love you with all my heart

Love you whenever we're together

Love you when we'r e apart

And when at last I find you

Your song will fill the air

Sing it loud so I can hear you

Make it easy to be near you

For the things you do endear you

To me ah, you know I will

I will

Nine years ago today, I eargerly answered the minister with a resounding "I Will" when asked to join Andrew Scott in marriage. I couldn't have been happier. Later that evening, he took my hand and we danced to this song above. Two reasons--I love the song as it remains my favorite Beatles tune and because its the shortest song possible (Andrew was dreading dancing in front of others). The perfect combination for us.

Happy anniversary, my love. I look forward to many, many more years with you!

"Look, my Mama on TV!!"

Last night, Maggie was shocked to see her Mama on the TV. Saturday night was our big Quinceanera for Jocelyn, a beautiful young teen so deserving of a beautiful evening. We were excited to have Channel 5 News join us for the party.

Here's the feature! http://video.nbc5i.com/player/?id=257945

The Never Ending Q&A, Part Six

From Mum's the Word...

What happened to that movie that was being filmed? The one that might have been shown on Lifetime? I know they filmed a few parts of your life like your baby shower with Maggie. Just curious!

I think this question has been asked by a few, but I'll answer it just from this one. We were recorded during my pregnancy for a potential documentary. There was a couple out of LA, John and Suzanne, who were both in the film industry that approached us. Both of them were there for different filming days. We filmed my baby shower at Dana Eisenberg's and during our big family party that evening in honor of Allie's anniversary. They also filmed the day before Maggie's birth, during Maggie's birth, and a few days afterwards, including our homecoming.

We always knew there was a possibility that nothing would come of the video. Though we all believed it was of interest, we had no way of knowing if others would find it worthy of putting on TV. Once they returned with HOURS of footage in LA, they worked on editing it to create a few minutes spot to show to potential TV channels and producers. We thought for a while that there was an interest by Lifetime. There wasn't.

So, at this time, nothing will happen with that filming. But I'm ok with that. At least I have great footage of Maggie's birth!

What is your favorite junk food?

I'm a junk food queen!! But it's ice cream. Always ice cream. YUM!!

Where do you hope HFC will be in the future (as far as how large, how many families it will serve, etc.)?

I have so many plans for Heroes for Children! I honestly can't see us outside of the state of Texas any time in the future. Our biggest goal is to serve ALL children diagnosed with cancer in the state at the level they need. There are so many possibilities for our future, and it's very exciting to be involved.

What is your favorite game to play with Maggie and Andrew? How do you keep Maggie occupied without placing her in front of the tv all day?!

Wait, I'm not supposed to do that? Darn! It doesn't help that Maggie loves movies, or "moonies" as she calls them. Her current favorites are the "Pig Moonie" (Babe) and the "Mousie Moonie" (Ratatouille).

We love to play chase around the house and to tickle. Once her belly laughs starts, it's contagious. All of us get to giggling. My personal favorite is snuggling. But I can't get Andrew or Maggie to snuggle as long as I would like. Neither of them like to sit still long enough!

From Mum1228...

I always wondered how it felt to so many people peering into your life. People that you don't know

It doesn't bother me, really. It was a choice I made with continuing this blog after Allie's death. It doesnt surprise me that people think they know me. They know my family members and even my dog. But I often have to remember that this blog only shows a portion of my life. A fraction. And while I have the choice to continue it, I have the choice as to what all I reveal and share.

From MommaSpaz...

McSteamy or McDreamy?

Great question! McDreamy. So, McDreamy. Of course, I was one of the dorks that liked him back when it was the Can't Buy Me Love days! I'm a good girl. Been called a goodie--goodie a few times in my life. A guy like Derek Sheperd, in my eyes, is pretty close to perfection.

From Candeloop....

How long have you been friends with all the members of the posse, and how did you meet each of them? I think I know about Debbie and Jen, but not any of the others.

It surprises me each time I realize that we as a group have only been together a year. Our friendship is so incredibly strong that you would think we've all known each other a lifetime.

Debbie I met in high school my junior year. She was a senior, I was a junior. In her bright yellow car, she exuded an energy that you just wanted to be around. We've been best friends ever since and I couldn't imagine a life for me that didn't include her in it. When I go longer than a few days without talking (such as this weekend since she's out of town visiting family), I have withdrawal. I call her at least once or twice a day! Debbie is funny, smart, kind, and compassionate. She can have me go from tears to giggles in a matter of minutes. And, as I've said before, I still think she is one of the coolest chicks I've ever met.

Jen luckily found me. When I was pregnant, I got an email from a local photographer offering her skills to photograph my newborn. Umm...stranger coming to my house to photograph my newborn? Not so sure. I didn't respond. The day Maggie was born, I had an emailed titled, "My offer still stands." This time, I followed the link to Sugar Photography's website and fell in love with the quality of work and the way the families' love was captured. I knew this girl had to be our photographer. Ten days after Maggie was born, Jen entered our home. Our first session was tough. It was visibly painful to notice the missing little girl not in the photos. Through the next year, the sessions got easier. I looked forward to every time I got together with Jen for our sessions, knowing that this girl was someone I could really be friends with. We had lunch a few times too. It wasn't until last March that I think we finally crossed the threshhold of just being client/photographer to actually being friends. Jen is wickedly funny. She has a heart of gold too.

I "met" Tracey back in 2005 online with the fundraising group, Friends of Allie. Tracey was in Rhode Island and at that time the person who wrote the FOA newsletter. She was also going to help with that book Dana and I were tossing around with writing. We had a conference call during her lunch hour, I think, when she was a counselor at a RI high school. Over the next year or so, Tracey and I corresponded a few times on email and talked on the phone once or twice about issues with Friends of Allie. We clicked really well. But hey, this chick lived in Rhode Island, so it wasn't like I was going to get to know her THAT well, right? When they moved to Texas, I was on her email list as one of her Texas experts of where to live. I read her blog from time to time, though never associating her with the "More than a Minivan Mom" title. It wasn't until Jen told me over lunch once that they were going to have dinner with "Minivan Mom" when she came to town, that I linked Tracey with that title. So, naturally, I invited myself to the dinner! I wanted to meet Tracey in person! We made a plan for a dinner in March o7. Tracey ended up with a schedule conflict, but we decided to keep the dinner and set another for the following month with Tracey when she drove up to Dallas. That dinner introduced me to the ever coolness that is Jenn M, Amy, Stacy, and got me even more time hanging out with Jen! Tracey and I officially met in front of Uncle Julio's the next month with Debbie. I remember my first reaction was my surprise at her height--she's taller than I expected! I had invited Deb to join me, telling her that this group of ladies is the kind we would hang out with. Anyone who meets Debbie likes her, so she is great to go with me to things like this. That was a great dinner! We could have been together laughing and talking for hours. A few months later was our trip to Austin to invade the Robinson house. That did it, the friendship was solid from then on. It is impossible to fully describe Tracey. She's a bit of an enigma. She's bold, passionate, funny, and the smartest damn person I think I've ever met. She's immensely loyal and a bit protective too. And I don't want to piss her off, because frankly, I'm still a bit scared!

At that first dinner, I sat across from sweet Amy. I didn't know her, but she "knew" me. She and Jen were friends, and she was a Minivan Mom fan. I really liked Amy that night. At the next dinner with Tracey, I found myself seated next to Amy. Debbie was on my other side chatting it up with Tracey. Throughout the evening, I was deep in conversation with Amy. We talked about a range of topics, including discovering the fact that neither of our husbands eat fruits or veggies. After that night, I knew we were friends. I knew that though I barely knew her, I would be willing to get in her car and drive to Austin. Of course, that was before I was locked in the car to realize that she wouldn't take the main highway to Austin under any conditions and risked both mine and Jen's life with the almost touchdown tornado that dipped down "like a finger." It is always a joy to be with Amy. She makes you feel good. Amy has the best wit of any of us. I love to call Amy just for no reason. What can start with as a quick five minute conversation can turn into more than an hour. I like nothing more than a long conversation with Amy covering of course a wide range of topics just as we did that night at dinner. I've never met a kinder woman, and I hope to call her my friend for the rest of my lifetime.

Megan got involved through Heroes for Children thanks to Jen. Jen had a link to HFC on her Sugar Photography blog, and thankfully, Megan clicked the link. For her son Hopper's birthday, she chose to raise funds for Heroes for Children. To let us know, she emailed both me and Larissa with a copy of the invitation she designed for his birthday. We corresponded by email a few times, and then finally met in person last April at the HFC Friends Spring Picnic. Megan started volunteering for Heroes for Children on a regular project, mainly doing design work. At the same time, she was working with Sugar Photography to assist with their card designs, and now helps with creating their coffee table books. Thankfully, Megan joined our circle and we love her so much! Megan's heart is huge. I am lucky to have her both as a friend and as a volunteer for our organization. Heroes is better because of her. Last night, she designed 20 beautiful centerpieces for a young girl's Quinceanera. Because, you know, not only does she have mad design skills, she's also quite the floral design wiz. Megan is so funny. She will bust out with a "fo shizzle" randomly placed in a sentence just in time to make me burst out laughing. She's the kind of girl who secretly buys a margarita machine for a backyard pool party at her house and emails us a picture of her next to the machine. She's the beautiful girl that you always wish you could be friends with but think would be way too cool to ever talk to you. But turns out that not only is she beautiful on the outside, she's even more beautiful on the inside.

So, that's us. It's only been a little over a year. And yet, we're now planning a trip to Disney World in December 2010. For Amy's birthday, we had lunch at a swanky spot in Dallas. Behind us was a group of six older ladies meeting for what looked like a frequent lunch dates with girlfriends. Sure hope that's us years from now. Besides Andrew, they are the ones I immediately think of when I need to share something. It might be an exciting announcement for HFC or something that is bothering me. Whatever it is, I know I can get what I need from these girls. And I certainly hope they know they can get that from me too.

Love you ladies!

From Pattywhak1....

From someone who has lived in Lubbock my entire life, I want to know....ARE YOU A TECH FAN??

I'm not one to have team spirit. I didn't in high school, didn't in college. I think I went to ONE football game in college. And I wanted to leave as soon as I arrived, especially after getting hit in the head with a stupid tortilla. But Tech itself? Love it. I loved my time there and I am one of the crazy ones that loved Lubbock and all of West Texas.

Oh, Maggie just woke up--better log off for now!

The current state of my bed