Summer is like a freight train...

...you feel it coming and you just can't stop it!

Wasn't I just posting pictures of my cuties on their first days of school? I am reeling at the thought that another year has flown by and now it's time for summer...again! The girls have had their camp physicals and are ready for 10 days at Camp Ginger Cascades in North Carolina. Before camp, however, Ryan's taking the middle three...I see you all thinking, "now which are the middle three?"...that would be Erin, Katie and Cassidy up to Virginia to hang out with my dad on their sailboat. Ali will be heading to NY to see some friends. I'll be hanging with my Lily here in Florida until June 15th, then Ali, Lily and I will join the waterlogged boat people in NC for a week of family vaction before camp!!!

I am looking forward to getting the heck out of Florida for the summer. Ya'll come visit, ya hear?

IPods do not like water...

Just in case you were curious, iPods don't like water...and if that left any question, they aren't too fond of washing machines either...even if the iPod is named Bubbles.

Bummer.

Fun, Food, and Flies?

So...

Ryan and I celebrated our 11th anniversary yesterday. I managed to pawn kids off on 3 different families (thank you very much Hartwigs, Honeycutts, and Garcias) and Ryan and I had the better part of 24 hours without kiddos! We didn't speak for a while, I think we were enjoying the silence!

Thanks to our friend, Tom Hartwig (thank you Tommy!), who works at Animal Kingdom, we spent a few hours there. He met us at the front gate and got us into the park (NO CHARGE!!!! YEAH!) Then he took us over to the park's coolest ride: Expedition Everest and got us on the ride skipping the line! It's a great ride...front facing, backwards, in the dark...very neat! We rode it again for good measure, then we decided to go see the Finding Nemo musical show, after which we left the park.

We ate dinner at Charley's Steakhouse. Now, Charley's is a somewhat overrated dining experience IMHO. It was the 3rd time I have eaten at this restaurant. The first was nice, the second was disasterous, and the third (and probably last) I'd have to classify as comical. We had an overexuberant server from Barcelona. When he realized we weren't tourists, I think he started courting us to be regulars...see above...not gonna happen. I was eating my salad when I noticed a fly. No big deal, flies happen. Only when I tried to shoo this one off, he couldn't fly. He was a non-flying fly, a young fly...and pretty soon, he was an on-his-back, dead, non-flying fly. Bummer...I wonder what killed him...it wasn't me...was it my salad? We called "Uncle Lou" over and he whisked the salad away and before I could turn my head, a manager was at my side apologizing. And offering me another salad...uh no? I ordered the beefsteak tomatoes...served with onions and bleu cheese. The tomatoes were great, I left the other stuff. "Uncle Lou" asked if I didn't like his cheese...Ryan told him it was a little moldy. I thought it was funny...Uncle Lou, not so much. I've never had a speedier meal at Charley's.

Anyway, a super big thanks to Christine and Jorge, who took on Katie, Cassidy and Lily for the night, to Shelly and Tom Hartwig for taking Erin and getting us into Disney, and to Wendy and Barry Honeycutt, who had Ali over for the night!!! You guys are the best friends a couple with 5 kids could ever have!!!! Thanks for helping us out!

And to Ryan, my best friend, and the greatest husband a girl could ever want! Thanks to you for 11 wonderful years and for giving me the best daughters a mom could ever ask for! I knew from the moment I spotted you that you were a great guy. Those classroom massages certainly helped your reputation! I'm just glad that you came back into my life when you did and we became the family that I adore! You are truly the best! I love you with all my heart! Wanna play me?

Congratulations, Jamie and Eric!

We are so excited to share the news of the birth of our newest niece to Ryan's sister Jamie and her husband Eric! Abigail Grace was born on Friday, May 23rd at 8pm. She weighed in at 6 lbs. 11.4 oz. and was 18.5 inches long. Mom and baby are doing great! We are happy to have another cousin in the mix!!! Welcome to the world, Abby!

Happy 10th Birthday, Erin Alexandra!

This is what a 10 year old looks like!

Wow, a decade! How fantastic is that? Ryan and I welcomed Erin into our lives 2 days shy of our first anniversary. We were a little anxious about her birth, as we'd been told she might have a severe birth defect early on in the pregnancy. Although additional testing had turned up negative, we still were a bit nervous. She did have a birth mark in the very spot on her lower back where the birth defect would have shown itself. To me, that was God's way of making us aware of his awesome power! We were blessed with a beautiful, healthy daughter!

Erin is an "old soul". If one doesn't believe in reincarnation before meeting Erin, it'd be hard not to after getting to know her. There are times when I feel like my now 10 year old is so much older than I am. She has great insight and such brilliant ideas. She is a fantastic artist who loves rainbows. She's compassionate and empathetic beyond her years. Not to say she doesn't have a mischevious kid inside her, but she is genuinely a wonderful, wise soul!

So, Erin, my love, on your 10th birthday, I tell you that I am so honored to be your momma. You are unlike anyone else, so different from your sisters. You are fun to be around, great to talk to, and such a marvelous friend. We are all lucky to have you in our lives!!!!

We love you, Rynbow!

Happy 3rd Birthday, Cassidy Ryan!

A funny morning story:

Ryan and I woke up and went into Ali's room, where Cassidy spent the night last night. They were awake already but still in bed. We said, "It's somebody's birthday, who's having a birthday?" Cassidy raises her hand and said, "It's me, it's Khaki-dee's birthday!" We sang to her, she ate a cupcake for breakfast, she went off to school in her favorite outfit...a Blue's Clues outfit that was actually given to Erin on her 2nd birthday!

So, it is our Cassidy's 3rd birthday. We can remember the moment you entered our lives...Erin was on a field trip to EPCOT, Ali and Katie were at school. Dr. Littell said, "Welcome to the club" (he had 4 girls too). Grammy and Daddy and I all said you looked like Erin, and you did. You are so funny and so smart and so determined to be your own person! We marvel at your ability to do whatever you set your mind to. You are our swimmer girl, our fish! You make us laugh more than anyone with your antics, your smiles and your silliness! We love you so much!

Happy Birthday Cassie-Doodle...we love you very much!!!

Cassidy's birthday party!

Thanks to all who attended Cassidy's birthday party at Tot to Trot. It was a fun time and she had a blast (even after puking up her cupcake). She's at a cute age where it's really all about having fun and she's not focused on being the center of attention. She was just happy to see her friends! When asked who came to her party, she really could only answer "Jophes, Joe, Joey came to 'Chotchuchrot' for Khaki-dee's birfday". There were other kids from her class at the party, as well her sisters, but I think she only mentioned Joe because the other kids are always around...Joe was the only one who came from outside of school. It was funny.

Her birthday is Monday, she'll be 3. What a wonderful age...I can't wait to share it with her!!!

Nostalgia gone wrong...

Ok, so I admit it: I was a big New Kids on the Block fan when I was in my early teens. Ok, I was a really big fan...and it really stretched until my mid teens. I'm not going to go into the number of posters I had on my wall(s), or the number of concerts I attended, or the fact the I did own a "HOMEBOY" shirt, wore a black vest and a wide brimmed black hat. I'm just not going there. I will tell you that I did not have any sort of bedding with the group on it...that just seemed wrong.

By the time the band disappeared into obscurity, it had lost my fan-ship. Actually, I think it was about the time Joey McIntyre went through puberty and wanted to be called Joe that I lost interest. And so that time in my life appeared to be over...thank goodness.

When the Today Show announced their summer concert series lineup with a "Secret" Reunion of a band, I honestly had thoughts of the Police, Van Halen, Kiss...but NKOTB never entered my mind. I think I'd simply forgotten (or blocked out) that they'd existed. Word got out and it was announced that New Kids were indeed BACK! Yippee!

SO, somebody, somewhere thought it would be a great idea if New Kids on the Block had a reunion. I must admit, I was silently intrigued. It was clear what Donnie Wahlberg and "Joe" McIntyre had been up to, as they've made pretty respectable names for themselves in the acting business. But, what had front-kid heartthrob Jordan Knight, brother Jonathan and odd looking Danny Wood been up to in the last 15 years. Jordan and Danny were both still recording apparently (what, I'm not sure of) and Jonathan picked real estate (he was the quiet one anyway).

I missed the Today show yesterday. I think it was intentional. I might have forgotten it was on. OR, I probably knew that it'd be on the internet later on and I wouldn't have to watch all the segments and commercials and teasers for my 15 minutes of curiousity.

Thanks to YouTube, I was able to look up the three 5 minute segments. I was hoping it'd be decent, I was hoping I would find they've matured well, I was hoping I'd find them appealing. Maybe, just maybe, I could share this band with my daughters. Yeah, NO. It was painful. It was absurd. It just didn't work. First problem: you can't be 40 and in a band called "NEW KIDS on the Block". Second problem: time passed, voices changed, the old songs just don't work. Third problem: the dancing that was adorable in the late 80's was meant to be fast paced, not near geriatric. There are oodles of other problems, but the more I write the more you might actually think that I watched the segments more than once...I assure you, I DID NOT!

So, nostalgic curiousity turned to a morbid observation (sort of like when you can't not look at an accident as you pass it on the highway). I honestly can say at this point, I'm ok with not attending their reunion tour dates. Some things just need to be left alone. Remember in Poltergeist when they built the house over the old burial ground? They really shouldn't have done that. Bringing back New Kids on the Block is kind of like that.

ISR...I can swim...Just watch me!

Well, I know one thing. My kids won't be a drowning statistic. Here in Florida, the leading cause of accidental death in children is drowning. Thanks to a wonderful organization, ISR, Cassidy and Lily won't be among the thousands of kids every year that slip unnoticed into the water never to come up again. All of the girls went through the program, but it's wonderful knowing that my littlest one is now safe and sound around the pool. Please know that I am adamant about water safety and I always supervise my kids around the water, but accidents happen and ISR can prevent drowning accidents.

The "final" that they have to pass is a simulation of what would happen if they fell in the pool fully clothed. Lily doesn't even wear shoes yet, but she did for the test. They are put in the water at different angles, even upside down and backwards to simulate a backward tumble into the water. Without missing a beat, in less than 2 seconds, both girls were in a stable back float, breathing, slightly ticked off and making noise to be picked up!

Lily actually got in by herself after lessons today. I'm comfortable knowing that if she loses her balance (which she will do) and falls in the water, she'll roll on to her back, float, breathe and "bleet" (for lack of a better word) until someone picks her up.

Cassidy has been floating since about 6 weeks of age and now she's doing the backstroke. She's a fish. At our May party, she was in the pool splashin' with the big kids and keeping up with them!

So, once again, my unending thanks to Jane Simmons, our wonderful instructor, who has saved my daughters' lives without them having been endangered! We love you Jane!!!

http://www.infantswim.com/

The May Party

Well, for those of you who were there...thank you!!! For those of you who weren't, you missed a heck of a party! We literally had folks flying in from around the country for this party (no kidding, we had TX, MT and CT represented). We had a great time, lots of food, friends and fun! And let us not forget, the best bartender (and brother) imported directly from Montana!!! The pool was certainly the biggest attraction...did anyone even notice the bounce house???? An extra special thanks to Shelly for helping me set up, to Jeff and his on the go mobile bar, Rich for your running around (I've never had so much fun stealing ice before), and my dear husband who put up with my nagging...the room does look lovely honey! We had a great time...see you next time!

*Pictures coming soon!*