June Update!

Kelsey played the last tournament for the season over the last weekend, and it was a good one. Playing for the U-19 team, they took the Championship on PKs (Penalty Kicks). As seen, they loved the t-shirts they received, the plaques promptly got handed off to parents. We finished up the day treating our 'kids' to Dairy Queen, they never really do grow up.

Kelsey is middle row, second from left


Next big news for Kelsey - She got her bottom braces off this morning and the remaining top 6 brackets to follow next week. She was so excited, they look great! Will have pics when they are all off.

Alex had cheer camp this past week, those poor girls practiced and learn great new stands, routines and cheers in a sweltering hot gymnasium. We (the parents) got a taste of it Thursday when we got to see all the new stuff the girls had learned. It was nerve wracking and fun to watch Alex be on top (a flyer) and fully extended up (girls arms straight) - she was a little scared, but trusted her bases and all worked out well. She got A+ Flyer award for the 8th grade girls. This camp was followed by doling out $$ for (2) Cheer jackets and personalized sweatshirts - got to have the gear, but why is it so expensive? It just kills me sometimes!

The grass gardens in the back have met thier demise with I expect resounding cheers from my neighbors, though they served as nice protection to the family of bunnies, when the grass got taller than me, well, I thought maybe it was time to chop it down. My new weed-wacker did a great job and I only ended up with 2 nice gouges out of my legs from flying debris, course when you do this in shorts what do you expect....ahh, love my garden war-wounds makes me feel like I put effort into it.

Summer is in full force and the girls are on the go. Kelsey has started her new job at Mikes and I do have to say for an employer they do it right in getting new employees started - she has to wear a 'uniform' that includes a clip-on tie, she has yet to master how to put it on - but so far she has received more working hours than her full 2 months at Krogers, enjoys the work and loves her co-worker (it's Shae - what were they thinking to put those two together).

I am out and about more now that the girls are having more of a social life than me, with Kelsey driving I am now finding more time to do things I haven't been able to before - but on a down-side, going out during the work-week and staying out a wee bit late some mornings doesn't make for a happy camper the next evening - but the girls are dealing with it, as well as me having to listen to Kelsey tell me what time I got in! ;) I have planned my first trip to Vegas July 14th, flying out of Chicago leaving car and dog with mom and dad, know they are so excited about the dog coming to visit - but he is good, I promise! The cats will fend for themselves at home.

Upcoming Events
Girls Gone July 6th-17th Me - Vegas July 14th-16th 3 v 3 Soccer (Alex) July 29th-30th H.S.
Tryouts (Kels) Starts Aug. 1st Alex Chicago Aug 6th-12th School Starts August 14th

Continue to have a Safe Summer All!

Dad's Weekend!

Wishing My Daddy a Happy Father's Day
Love You!

Soccer is Over! Well at least until August! Still have one more tournament for Kelsey this weekend and of course she has training and conditioning all through summer - but no running for me. Now it's time to look forward to a small vacation somewhere for myself - someone put a buzz in my ear to go to Vegas, I'm thinkin' that might be a good thing!

Alex will be playing for St. Francis this coming fall, she is looking forward to working with some new coaches and girls - this will be her last full year in league play before trying out for the HS next fall.

I am finally going to get my butt in gear and get out in the yard. For 'Father's Day' I bought myself a new weed-wacker and have a ton of places to use it with. I will finally get the 'nature areas' of tall grass cut down for which should make my neighbors so happy! The gardens are starting to get full of weeds and I expend more energy trying to get the girls to help me than waiting for a nice afternoon to do it myself.

In addition, I have finally decided the color(s) I will be using in my bedroom, for the un-informed this has been a process of me staring at patches of the colors on painted on the various walls of my bedroom (I have been staring since before Christmas).... To all whom I have solicted opinions, I thank you! (These are shades of blue)Next week Alex has cheer camp for the week, Kelsey will be leaving Kroger's employment and beginning her new job at Mike's Car Wash, for those not in Indiana, Mikes is not your average 'workin' at the carwash' job, several of her friends work there and hey, I am hoping to get a few free washes - I do drive a black car!

Wishing everyone a great weekend - it is supposed to be a hot one here!
Happy Father's Day All!

Summer begins

And soccer is in full force with tournaments, practice, tryouts and more. Since Memorial day I have been at a full run trying to keep with has left me tired and um...sick, so now trying to recover.

The Indy 500 was awesome, my brother's team had some difficulty with the driver and slick track which left him a little frustrated, but I managed to win some money on one of the driver's our team had from the auction. It was of course, an alcohol soaked weekend that left me hung-over and suffering from a nice sunburn - well I guess I did want to get some sun. I fell sick the following week and have been trying to catch up ever since.

Work still has me slammed and work lots of overtime trying to keep up, the girls have been patient and I have taken some time to get out to my regular poker games Wednesday night. Started this week playing some after games of 'Euchre' as they call it 'cause you know no gambling can happen - yeah right. Enjoyed a night downtown having ridden in a limo with some friends to the dance club, though the later evening had some drama that had my friend and myself wishing we had stuck with our original plans, but oh well, what's life with out a little drama.

I haven't seen Kelsey hardly at all between work, practice and her social activities, she is seeking another position after working limited hours one week and recieving a big whopping $0.00 for a paycheck after union fees were taken out - she was hot. Alex has been hangin with friends and at home, she goes to cheer camp in another week and they are both off for vacation at the beginning of July.

I will be back out to the soccer fields, with a game at 8am this morning, another at 2:30 and 7:30 today - it would be fine if it was a beautiful June sunny day, it's not, it's cold, rainy and windy - I froze at the early game. Another couple of games tommorrow and the week will begin again.

I would like to take a moment to send a hearty congratulations to Niki and Sean Lang for thier respective graduations, thier momma and I have known each other since High School, and she is now entering another phase of her life now that the kids are all grown up, as always I wish them all well.

If interested, there are some awesome pictures online here of Kelsey, there will be some posted at the same website next week of Alex's game. Updated - Added a few of Alex from last tournament.

1st Set Kelsey - (that starts - go through next 5-6, they are all her) and
2nd Set Kelsey -(the next thirteen are all her)

1 Picture - Alex
2 Picture - Alex (the next one is her too)

On this Memorial Day.......

Lady and Gentlemen.....

Start your Engines......and the Indy 500 race (drinking) weekend begins with Carb Day. A busy weekend ahead with no soccer games and all fun for mom (finally). Saturday I head to the annual Calcutta race party to 'buy' our drivers for the race and win some of the great prizes the guys always manage to have, which then leads directly into Sunday - RACE DAY! Race day starts early with arriving at our prime parking spot which includes a great 'peeing' tree and basketball net to start our morning off with a little competition and of course, beer. The timing will be different with Indiana moving to daylight savings, the race will now begin a 1pm, weather is predicted to be a hot one - and for me - great tanning opportunity!


It's been a tough week with me having some health 'issues' on Wednesday, seriously thought I was having some type of heart/lung-attack on Wed morning and being the ummm, stubborn person that I can be, I waited and went to my doctor who after taking some tests decided to send me over to the ER, 5.5 hours later and several tests it was deduce that I had pluerisy (inflamation of the lung covering) which can hurt worse than a heart attack, nothing you can really treat it with except pain medication. But I got to see an ultrasound of my heart and it was lookin' good.

The girls have no games this weekend, we are helping friends move on Friday, Kelsey is going to a Reds game with her boyfriend and back home to stay the night in the friends new house with a gang of the girls - they are brave people. Alex hasn't told me her plans yet but I am assuming it will be getting together with her friends.

I wish everyone a happy, safe memorial day weekend!

It's Friday.....

And a start to another busy weekend. Truly, I should be down in Columbus watching Alex play in the a state cup game, but timing just wasn't with us today. Kelsey is working and it allows me just a little bit of 'me' time before I have to start to run again. Course, I do stupid stuff like grocery shopping, cleaning, laundry, etc....I just haven't learned to sit yet, my day will come.

Pictures from Kelsey's tournament in Kentucky

School is coming to a close with only 5 days left. Alex had her band concert last night, we noticed in the program a poem Alex and one of her classmates wrote, they recorded them reciting it and played the recording just before the band started to play the song .

Monsters Under the Bed
by Alex Smith and Shae Rodriquez-Kinney

Monsters under my bed Monsters in my head They scare me all the time They're always on my mind I wish I could find, the monsters under my bed I see them when I sleep They really are a creep Oh why are those monsters under my bed?

We learned Kelsey will be getting her braces off at the end of June, she is so excited. I saw pictures they took when she first went in, she looked so young and that was just 2.5 years ago - she is growing up quickly.

Still keeping ahead at work but barely, it is stressing me a bit, deadlines seem to be approaching quickly - the latest done: LifeKnowledge
Now back to programming and the other many sites coming active within the next couple of months - i am getting there, but it is pushing me to limits somedays! ;)

Off to another weekend of soccer games on Saturday. The girls and I are hoping to catch the DaVinci code, read the book and enjoyed it. My parents are in town, with all the rain the Qualifications and Bump Day for Indy 500 have been condensed into this weekend. I sadly (tears, tears) do not get to go for I have to many games to be running to and the timing just isn't there to get it all in. But! If you have the opportunity, tune in, it will be a Very interesting qualification day - hopefully the weather will hold!

Happy Mother's Day!

To all my friends and fellow mothers!

I hope you all had a lovely day.

My weekend began playing poker in the Friday night games, was doing well and then began to slide, I still swear it was due to the guy who got sat down next to me when they were combining tables, sucked the luck right out of me!

The weather did not cooperate at all, our intended weekend with my parents to watch Quals was rained out. All weekend, gray, drizzly and cold. Couldn't even play in the gardens (my flowers are blooming). So what better to do than - Sleep! - yep, did almost nothing all day, ahhhh. Well, I did manage to clean out all the old clothes from my closet, then I slept, cool air, rain drops and quiet - Alex was asleep too.


Kelsey was in Kentucky playing in a tournament. I originally couldn't go due to mom/dad coming down, so I decided to drive down on Sunday to watch the game, now that is a mother's love for 'ya. 45 degrees, windy and rainy - and I am driving 2.5 hours to stand in it! On our trip down I stopped in McDonalds to grab some breakfast. They were giving out carnations to all mothers, I didn't get one, Alex was in the car, guess she didn't think I was a mom? - huh!

The game was rough, the refs liked the other team and we lost 3-2, the girls played well and we only had 1 cut/bruised nose and 2 cuts - not bad. But with them losing it meant we didn't have to stay for the 3pm game - a slight yeah! We stopped for dinner at O'Charley's and headed home. It was a good day with the girls and they finished it sweetly by presenting me with a gift certificate for a massage, ahhhh - I love my girls.

Happy mother's day ............

Upcoming Events

• Art Show this Friday, Saturday and Sunday. 9am - 9m, High School Hall of Achievement
  .Alex has 3 pieces included in the exhibit
• Kentucky Tournament - Kelsey will be in Kentucky playing a tournament.
  

Online Coverage

• Indy 500 Qualifiers - the day I join my parents for what has become a family tradition. Mother's Day at the track - is there anything better?
• Alex's Spring Band Concert, Thursday May 18th, 7pm Middle School
  

Derby!!!

It was a beautiful early Saturday morning, a light chill in the air but the sun promised warmth to come. We boarded a singles bus with our hats in hand. Promptly as the bus left for the hour ride down, our fellow riders began to commence drinking. Jaegar bombs, mismosas, bloody marys, jello shots and beer all being passed around, and we weren't even 10 miles down the road - it set a fun pace for the ride.

We arrived at the track around 10:30, first post was at 11am. Being the princess that I sometimes like to be, we rode the shuttle to the grandstands as our companions choose to walk to the infield. Getting off the bus filled our senses with smells, sounds and wow - the sights - awesome hats everywhere, people were dressed for the occasion. We got to our seats and found 2 seat mates already there, or were they, nope, they were two ladies who had come down to catch some sun, we told them to stay until the other occupants arrived, they had already posted bets on the first race - and they are off, we watched the first race and found they had won some $ - good for them, I hoped their luck rubbed on me.

Photo by Wales Hunter

Interesting Sights

• A Louisville Fire sergeant loosing in the box seats behind us.
  

• A Beer Fairy who walked around, tapped you on the head and announced you were drunk!
• Hats, Hats & More Hats - Check some of the pictures
  
• Some 'kept' ladies with lots of collagen and implants and outfits so tight they can barely navigate the stairs!
• Lots of drunks in fine clothes
• Horses
• Bourbon, mint and beer
  

Getting our racing forms we quickly started to bet the ponies and proceeded with the same throughout the day. Figure out who and what we were betting, get in line and bet, have a smoke, drink(s), potty break, back to our seats, watch the race - cheer or cry and start all over again. By the 9th race, my feet were hurting, the mint juleps dulled the pain, but thankfully I had brought along some flops and quickly changed - ahhhhh. Leeann picked the winner for the derby, I had him boxed in an exact, but managed to pull a few $$ out with Bluegrass Cat.

Back to the bus, we are now running about an hour late from waiting on cash outs and the shuttle. Our trip coordinator is calling every few minutes tracking our movement. It seems our fellow infielders had a long day and many had came back to the bus after the 6th race - we arrived with a mix of cheers and boos - opps! It was a quiet ride home for almost the entire bus was asleep - we stopped off at a Holiday Inn in Columbus to let some passengers off and lost one of our riders. After a 20 minutes search he was located in the bar passed out under the table. We got home about 10:30, we then met up with some friends and finally called it a day at 2:30am. It was all good!

Make it Stop....

I hit Monday running, with tons of projects at work all due within the next couple of weeks, the kids schedules getting busier with end of school stuff, soccer, track and meetings for next years season it has been a dead run all week.

I managed to get out Monday for Poker after the soccer game and high school soccer meeting, a friend of mine joined me and now will be teaching her the game of holdem, it will be fun having her there. Alex finally got her haircut, no longer do I have to hear about that - there has just been no time and as it was, the hairdressor wanted to reschedule - I ended up flying like the wind to pick her up from her track meet and get her there early, Kelsey caught up with us and we all had a nice Italian dinner, and of course a glass of wine for me.

Finished out the week with Kelsey getting sick, getting a quote for a fence (yeah), Alex playing a friendly game against 14 yo, for which they proceeded to lose 4-0 and bringing home work each evening to complete and keep up.

Current game results

Kelsey April 22 Win 8-2
Kelsey April 23 Win 1-0
Alex April 23 Win 5-2

Off to finish the week, hope I survive - work is going to kill me right now!

Cleaning the Garage!

Okay I admit it, during the year as I clean, sort, toss and otherwise go through crap that accumulates in the house, it gets moved to the garage. By Spring - we have one path to get to the car and even it is a little treacherous.

Soooo, I took the entire weekend to go through and clean, treating myself to some of the new rubbermaid cabinets and getting rid of old stuff. A burst of energy hit me Friday night, I went to Menards and picked up the cabinets - taught a teenager the fine art of squeezing 3 big boxes into a vechile not meant to carry them! While moving all the stuff away from the wall - evidence of the mice was ALL over the place, time to clean and while I was at it - paint the un-finished wallboard at the front of the garage, off to Meijer to get cheap paint and additional supplies to complete the job - I cleaned, swept, painted, constructed, moved, tossed and swept again all through the weekend between 3 soccer games. The garage was 1/2 way there in getting rid of stuff, my youngest still has all her stuff to go through - but it is CLEAN and crap reduced in 1/2. Now working with Kelsey to bring things to resale shops, she can keep the money - pretty good deal so far for her - she made 13. for a bag of books and for me, they are GONE!

After all this - I was left with a huge pile of trash - ugh! Dealing with trash companies anymore has become a headache. No longer can I slide my industrial cans full of trash to the curb, it all has to be bagged and of course, we are limited to 10 bags. So back I was moving all the trash from the cans to bags and came up with 14 bags and 3 heavy items - 12. extra next trash bill, okay I can deal with that - but geezzz -I figure, if I can lift it -so can they- next we will have to have them specifically weighed at 22.5 pounds and in deoderized bags.

It's so nice now to drive into my garage, have a clean doorway with old pictures of mine I hung...it's funny how a little effort to just get things straighten up can go along way in improving your outlook coming home - ahhhh, it's nice to be home.

Quick Update..

Congrats Alex!
Making the Track team
Making the 8th Grade Cheer Squad

Kelsey is Working!
She began the ranks of employed with her first day at Krogers today, she had to watch training videos. Her first check is mine!

Soccer going well, team stats

• April 8: A Soccer, 4pm/Zionsville - win
  
• April 9: A Soccer, 4pm/Franklin - win
  
• April 15: K Soccer U16 12pm/Westfield - tie
  
• April 15: K Soccer U19 4pm/Home - win
  
• April 15: A Soccer 430pm/Home - win
  

Work has me slamming the keyboard -
Here are the first of many new sites & programming coming active within the next month.

• National FFA Convention
• Move to Indy 2006 (updated)

The city of Indianapolis just doesn't know what is coming to town..........

WebGurl Finds....
As I work with the web I always come across useful, silly or just plain stupid websites - I will start to add these little gems from the web as I come across them.

Here are a couple of standards:

When you find yourself the receipient of a forwarded email that exclaims some company is involved or has been bad (name any company, Starbucks, Sears, etc.) or a horrible virus is going to attack at any minute, you know the urban legends....Before you forward this on, check it out here:

Snopes.com (Urban Legends & Myths) This is fun reading with a 'What's Hot' that identifies the current 'urgent' emails you receive as fakes.

Another fun site, especially when you find humor in people's stupidity - The Smoking Gun can provide a wealth of entertainment. A site highlight, the mug shot mania is fun to browse.

Easter Weekend

I returned home late Friday evening after chasing all the tornado laced storms to Indianapolis, missing all of them along the way! Whew! The National Weather Service came on the radio saying, if your in this area and driving I-65, pull over and lay in a ditch - um, no, not right now I am not - I snuck through!

Saturday was soccer games all day starting at 10am and ending at 5:30pm, so there went that day, planning on making Easter eggs with the girls, they abandoned me for a birthday party and movie with friends, I was okay with it - I was so exhausted I layed down and passed out until they came home.

Easter arrived with a baskets full of candy and clothes for the girls. I had to work a bit to catch up on some impending deadlines and the backyard desperately needing mowing, it was covering the dogs belly (that's high). I managed to get a lot done, cook a ham and a side and make it to dinner with my brother, sister in law and her dad. A glass of nice wine, rich filling food and it with my accomplishments for the day - I am sated.

Happy Easter All! I am off to eat the 'leftover' bag of Robin Eggs........

Riding the Trains in Chicago..........

After starting the week getting the kids back in gear for school, I embarked on a 2-day training session in Chicago. For the quick trip I choose to stay with my parents and take the train downtown to the Loop. I have ridden the 'L' before, but these were actual trains.

Parking was a $1, once you figured out that the number above your slot was needed to pay for the spot - it took me a trip back to the car to figure out my slot number. I entered the train station, clean, few people, ticket booth and YEAH! a coffee shop. Purchased my roundtrip ticket for the day (8.60) and off to get a coffee.

The train came and the ride was nice, little slow, but nice. I passed by small communities I ran around in and noted they all had made pretty walks and parks around the train station. I wouldn't mind this too much. I was dropped off at Union Station and walked out with masses into the glaring sunlight, beautiful large buildings and the canal. It was a pleasant walk to my class.

On the way back to catch my train home I was sorta confused as to just which track I needed to be on when behind me came a voice, 'may I help?' - yes, I am looking for the train to Schaumburg....after a couple seconds she pointed it out, then proceeded to ask for money....I got handled, gave her a dollar. I was asked again the next day, but having been up on the scam, I politely declined.

The ride home was an 'express' and the first stop was mine - bonus! It took about 25 minutes off the trip. As people departed, their seatmates wished them a good evening, it was all very pleasant a trip. If I lived in Chicago again and worked downtown I would take serious consideration to take the train downtown, I really enjoyed the time to sit and read.

But, when I thought about my walk to the building and doing this in the rain, snow, wind or whatever Chicago throws your way weather wise - ummmm, not so much.....it was fun to play for a couple of days, but not everyday. If your in Chicago, try the trains.

Happy 40th Anniversary

To my

Mom & Dad


Congratulations!

Love You Both!

Spring Break Begins

It's neen a busy March with tournaments, out of town trips, birthdays and the alike. Time has run short for shopping, packing, checking and making sure everything is ready - the girls are now on thier way to Disney World with their father in the RV. I will miss them but this is also a time for me to get a nice break from being responsible for anyone but me! (well except the cats & dog - they don't leave me alone!)

Tornado season has begun and while driving home late this evening after locked up working heavy on developing a program all day I encountered the most beautiful lightening display all around me, it was nice - my good feelings continued on my way in the door to the house as I was greeted by the big dog, shaking with every ounce of his body not to jump, but wants me to pet him - this always puts a smile on my face. Walking on into the house the first thing I noticed was the silence, ahhh it was peaceful and quiet - no stereo, 2-3 tvs, phone ringin, etc -

Enjoying this moment and tending to the big puppy who is now needing to be let out, I then realize the second nice thing - the house is clean.....looking around, it's been really cleaned! Wow, do I have great kids or what....thank you girls - it was nice to come home to!

The night is still early and I am a free woman, got to get ready, next game starts at 11pm!

I Call...................

I recently had the opportunity to visit some of the bars near my home and participate in their Texas Hold-Em tournaments (3 nights in a row). Well, I thoroughly enjoyed the play, meeting some of the regulars, cheap beer and FREE Hold-Em. Last night, I joined the group again for what will probably be a regular late Wednesday night game (2nd game starts @10pm).

Got my chips, beer in hand I settled at the table. Still a complete novice to etiquette I wonder whom is the 'hard-core' player that will always be quick to let me know when I have fallen out of etiquette - they come out fast! Well, much to my delight, this was a varied and wonderful group of people. Play began, a little slowly because the first dealer mis-dealt 2x times - patience. I got some cards but was slow to begin play, and then the cards came - I was able to knock out 4 of 9 people with calling their 'all-ins', the most fun was the player to my left,

I was working on a nice straight, he kept calling - finally just before the last card played - he goes all in, not having my straight, but thinking he is bluffing - I called........ - the last card comes out, I had gotten my pretty straight, he looked at me, mucked his cards, shook my hand and walked away, my pot 6,000......sometimes playing can be sweet! I continued to play moving to consolidated tables as players dropped out , finally loosing on my own all-in. It was all good.

Now if I can only one day get up the courage to play for some real dollars..........

Dinner is in the Microwave........

Most days I don't get home until 7pm or later leaving me with the evening chores, various items to sign/check and of course....our evening dinner. Now, I don't have an aversion to cooking, but needing to have something cranked out in 30-45 minutes and not a good pre-planner - add to the fact the youngest is a really picky eater, well....I would sometimes just ignore it and hope it goes away.

It doesn't!

I hear about it from my oldest whom gets tired of thrown together meals from the freezer and refrig. Which brings us to last night.

Having received a call from my neighbor who leaves the message 'nice you calling me the last month' - and the joke of not having spoken to her since last fall, I grabbed a beer and headed down the block. (It's now 6:30pm) - we chatted a bit and decided to come back down to my house - well two women whom haven't seen each other in a few months have a few things to catch up on....
Besides, Alex was still full from her birthday challenge.

Pictured here with 10 gummy worms in her mouth, her strategy, all in, then chew......it didn't work to well.

At 7:30pm, Kelsey pops in the room and says she want to make the chicken for dinner on the grill - go ahead, we continue to chat. Kelsey pops back in to say dinner is now ready (fully expecting me to jump up and come down to dinner - not), we continue to chat. She leaves and another friend calls, now on the phone gabbing away and in pops Kelsey with a very curt, short Your dinner is in the Microwave. Hmmmm, I wonder if she is a little upset I didn't come and enjoy her dinner she took the time and effort to prepare - where have I felt that one before?

Later that evening (10pm) I finally get down to the kitchen to get my dinner, in the microwave is a beautifully laid out plate of chicken (cut up), green beans and corn with a garnish of pineapple.

It was delicious............I could get used to this but next time I will make sure I am at the table on time!

Spring Soccer has begun!

Awaken by a parent at the door wanting to pick up thier precious daughter from the birthday party, I began the day! Pickups continue throughout the morning with the last going out the door at 1:30pm - whew! But now, it's onto the road to get Kelsey up to her U19 soccer game (she will be playing U16 & U19 this season).

Overcast, about 46 and that dang Indiana wind blowing across the fields, it was Coldddd! The girls warming up, many of them meeting each other for the first time. Our opponents are dressed in complete matching warmups, it's Noblesville - known for thier chicken arms and lackless refs. They didn't disappoint! Elbows flying into backs, breasts and bellys - called, heck no! Our girls just getting comfortable with each other took it for the 1st half.


2nd 1/2, colder now and the wind has picked up - brrrrr!

The girls are just about tired with all this pushing and begin to fight back and stand their ground. I knew Kelsey was a tad angry after being elbowed twice and tripped - when she went to do a throw in, - Kelsey threw that ball as hard as she could at the player, it hit, but not as nearly as hard as Kelsey had wanted - she was mad. I watching all this turned to the other parents and said, I think she meant to hit her......kinda astonished - they chuckled. Kelsey walks by and simply says 'I missed'.........spring soccer league has begun. They lost 2-0

OMG!! George Mason beat UConn - now my bracket is completely shot! Nova loosing, it has not been a good bracket season, but some excellent b-ball!!!

Alex Turns 13!

It is almost midnight as I began this new spot for the Smith family adventures.

8 girls are downstairs hopped up on gummy worms, cake and soda playing an very LOUD game of hide and seek in the dark, do they truly grow up that quickly?

Alex's theme was Survivor, we decorated the house with tropical and tiki decorations, tiki torches lined the front walk welcoming each guest with lei's and a promise of fun. Individual buffs were chosen by each member before beginning the challenges.

Challenge 1 - a race to see how many pennies could be dropped into numbered dishes from your nose.

Challenge 2 - traditional limbo which was enjoyed so much we had to do it numerous times.

Challenge 3 - gummy worms, blindfolded and hands behind their back the girls to be the first to finish thier worms, they had no clue what was on the plate before they began eating - this was quite enjoyable to watch.
Challenge 4 - Twister, a classic

This post has been interuppted by pounding on the door, dog going nuts and girls louder than I thought they could be!!!! They locked outside a few girls who decided to 'hide' out there - it's cold and they are in shorts....it's going to be a long night.

Happy 13th Birthday Alexandra!






PS.. Did I mention this was a slumber party?