Just Hangin' Around

We found Darby hangin' around the kitchen this morning...

Elf on a Box

A group from the Evil Empire have been meeting for dinner at a VERY FANCY restaurant every December for many, many years.  Very few of us actually work together anymore, but this dinner is a tradition and we look forward to it all year.  Sergeant Sexy and I spent the night at a hotel while Cassidy and Campbell entertained Mama and Papa.

In the rush of getting home, putting things away, and getting the girlz, we had to think of a quick spot for Darby.  We set her on top of a box.

Our creativity is inspiring, I know.

The One About The Panties

We found Darby in the Christmas Tree this morning.  She had hung a bunch of Cassidy's panties from the tree!!!

Drama on the School Bus

There was drama on the school bus on the way home from school yesterday afternoon.  And Sergeant Sexy and I are now contemplating something we SWORE we wouldn't do.  We're thinking of getting Cassidy a cell phone.  I know, I know...

Cassidy LOOOOOVED the bus driver she had when school started.  We got a new school bus driver a few weeks ago, and we detected issues from the start.  Mr. LOOOOOVE was like a Grandpa - very kind and gentle.  New bus driver had a more boot camp approach - he required the children to sit silently, facing forward at all  times... kind of like zombies.  The bus started stopping at our house later and later in the afternoon.  I was told Mr. Boot Camp was stopping the bus to yell at the kids multiple times.  Mr. LOOOOOVE never did that.

Mr. Boot Camp spoke harshly to Cassidy one morning and she started to cry.  I took her off the bus and drove her to school.  I'm thankful she got on the bus that afternoon and didn't decide a boycott of the bus was in order.

Well, the kids finally sent Mr. Boot Camp over the edge.  I stood on the sidewalk for 45 minutes waiting for the bus to come, and it never did.  I called the school and was told the children were misbehaving, and the driver was on the way back to the school with them.

I ran inside to grab my bag and checked the caller id... there were 3 calls from a cell phone number I didn't recognize.

The busses were loaded up an hour and a half earlier... it takes 20 minutes to get to the school from our house.  Where were they and what was going on for the other 70 or so minutes?

When I got to the school, Cassidy was being chased down the sidewalk by her friend Kassidy.  Kassidy is in high school, so I use the term "friend" loosely.

I asked what had happened, and apprently Mr. Boot Camp lost his marbles and freaked out on the kids.  He drove them all over the county through places they didn't recognize.  He stopped the bus for 20 minutes at the time and refused to move until the kids were silent.  They weren't supposed to be using their cell phones, but once the older kids started realizing something was wrong they started alerting their parents. Kassidy got so scared she started to cry.

Cassidy called the house multiple times with Kassidy's cell phone.  I didn't hear the phone because I was standing on the sidewalk with my cell phone, waiting for the bus.

At first, I thought Cassidy was oblivious.  I asked her on the way home what had happened, and she said she didn't remember.

This morning, Mr. LOOOOOVE was behind the wheel of the bus.  Cassidy was thrilled and I thought the incident was now a distant memory.

Wrong.

This afternoon, she said "Mommy?  I thought I was going to get KILL-DED on the bus yesterday".  Hoping she was repeating something she'd heard and didn't really understand what she was saying, I asked her what "kill-ded" means.  She said "It means I would be DIED".

And this is why we're thinking of buying the girl a kid-friendly cell phone.

Elf on a Highchair

We found Darby perched on the girlz old highchair this morning.  I think she was hungry... she watched the girlz as they ate breakfast.

Darby Brought Candy Canes!

Darby can be really sweet when she's not being silly.  She brought us candy canes this morning, and even hung them from the light fixtures in the kitchen.  What a sweet elf we have!

Darby Pooped!

We have a CRAZY Elf!!!!!  We found Darby in the downstairs bathroom this morning, and she had pooped in the potty!!!!

I didn't take a picture of it, but just imagine what it might look like if someone (no names mentioned) dropped four Craisins into the potty.  It looked like that - hypothetically, of course.

Yep - that's toilet paper on Darby's hand.  Crazy Darby!!

TV Freak

We decided a few weeks ago it was time to let our big projection TV live with another family.  I sold it this afternoon, and two really nice girls came to pick it up.  I was truly impressed - they picked it up and carried it right down our front steps like pros!

Cassidy was already home from school when they got here, and was less than thrilled to see strangers carrying our TV away.  I feel certain those girls called us freaks as they drove away... Cassidy actually hugged the TV goodbye and told them how much she was going to miss her TV.

Cute or crazy?  You decide.

Darby Loves Homer Simpson

We have a singing Homer Simpson that Cassidy just discovered this year.  She thinks it's the greatest thing EVER, so what better place for Darby to be perched this morning... yep - right on Homer's shoulder!

Elf In Mama's Christmas Tree

We found Darby snuggled up against the stuffed Christmas Tree Mama made when I was a little girl.  The girlz thought it was great because they could look at Darby while they ate breakfast.

Elf in a Princess Castle

Darby waited patiently at the top of Cassidy's princess slide all day.  And when Cassidy got home this afternoon, she was excited to see Darby sitting on her new bed!  Nana said Cassidy talked about her new bed all the way home.

I videotaped the big reveal.  Cassidy's reaction is a bit subdued... keep in mind Campbell was sleeping in the next room and Cassidy knows to be quiet when her sister's asleep.

The big reveal...

Darby and Cassidy

Cassidy in her princess tower

A Princess Gets Her Castle

Cassidy spent the day with Nana, and will be spending tonight with Nana too.  While she was away, we did some work in her bedroom...

Goodbye boring old bed, hello Princess Castle!!

Darby will be waiting patiently for Cassidy at the top of the slide tomorrow.  We cannot wait for her to get home from her visit with Nana!!!

Elf Watching TV

Cassidy found Darby perched in front of the TV eating marshmallows this morning.  My original plan was to make it look like Darby had pooped the marshmallows but Sergeant Sexy said no.

Whatever.  Every party has a pooper, and unfortunantely this time the pooper wasn't Darby.

Beautiful Princess

Cassidy has outgrown the fancy dress she wore to Teddy Bear Tea with Gramma Kathy last year.  I found a gorgeous one on eBay and bought it for her two weeks ago.

Guess what?  It arrived in the mail today!

Guess what else?  Cassidy looks GORGEOUS in it!!

I wish the picture showed the detail better.  The bodice is fitted, and there's a sash across the waist.  The skirt is very full, and is gathered in little sections all around.  LOVE IT!!!

Cassidy is going to wow the crowd at Teddy Bear Tea this year!

Fancy Dress - Front

Fancy Dress - Back

Black Friday

We went to the mall late this morning.  We really didn't need anything that was on sale there, but we always seem to end up at the mall on Black Friday for some reason.  Sergeant Sexy got his hair cut, and I entertained the girlz for a while.  The haircut took a reeeeeeeeeaaaaaallllllllyyyyyyyy long time, so by the time he was done I had broken the cardinal rule of mall shopping.

I took the girlz to the bounce area.

It's a mini-inflatable paradise for kids.  What's so bad about that, since we take them to other inflatable places all the time?  This one is TERRIBLY overpriced, and once we do something one time we've signed up for a lifetime.

I had no choice.  I had already walked them through a jam packed store (no fun) and let them eat ice cream for lunch (don't you judge me!), but Sergeant Sexy wasn't even in the chair yet.  It was the best alternative, and we really did have a good time.

Let's just hope the girlz forget today's weak moment and don't torture me next time we're at the mall!

Ice cream for lunch!!!

Running wild in inflatable paradise...

Darby's Back!

The day after Thanksgiving means one thing in our house.  Not Black Friday - Darby Day!  Our Elf On The Shelf will live with us from now until Santa comes on Christmas Eve.  She made her 2009 debut sitting on the bookcase next to Mama and Papa's picture.

Campbell was excited, but not because she really understood what was going on.  She was excited because Cassidy was excited.

This is it!  The Christmas season has started!

Being Thankful

Cassidy had a rough evening last night.  She wasn't being a good listener, so I told her I wasn't going to reward her with a book before bed.  She cried and cried and cried some more.  After she apologized and promised to work harder on her listening skills, I read her a few pages of her new ballerina chapter book.  After that, she went right to sleep and we didn't have any other issues.

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving.  Sergeant Sexy has been working late almost every night, which leaves everything to me.  I've been rushed and frazzled and exhausted for weeks, and really didn't feel like dealing with a meltdown last night.

So where am I going with this?  Be patient.  You'll see!

I found the video below when I was pregnant with Campbell.  At the time, we had weathered two back-to-back miscarriages followed by the premature birth of Cassidy.  I had been diagnosed with a hereditary blood clotting disorder and was taking an enormous amount of medication to sustain the pregnancy, including an injection of blood thinners into my belly every morning.  We knew I had carried one pregnancy to term, and were hopeful to do it a second time.  I listened to both girl's heartbeats with a doppler a minimum of once a day.

This song put the perfect words to my feelings.

And even now, years later, this song takes me back to the days when Head Nerd and Sergeant Sexy desperately prayed for tiny little Nerds of their own.  And that feeling is all it takes to remind me to be THANKFUL for the meltdowns and tantrums instead of irritated by them.



Thank you, Sweet Baby Jesus. Thank you for blessing us with two perfect princesses. Thank you for the spots on our carpet, fingerprints on our windows, snot, giggles, tantrums, and smiles.

A Pilgrim Diva

Today was the Thanksgiving Program at Big Girl School.  It was a rite of passage for me, because this was the first real school program our kids have done.

Cassidy was a pilgrim.  And I know I'm stating the obvious when I say Cassidy was the best dressed and most gorgeous pilgrim on the stage.  Thank you, Captain Obvious!

I recorded her class's portion of the program.  I was kind of far away from the stage for my little mini-camcorder to get a good shot, but you can hear pretty much the whole thing (except when the chatterbox sitting next to us gets going).  Cassidy is the second child in from the right.

Pilgrim Diva standing between two Indians

Pilgrim Diva

Cassidy and Papa

Bass Pro Shops

After church this morning, we took a trip to Bass Pro Shops.  Sergeant Sexy is on a turkey frying kick... he fried his first turkey last weekend and it was DELISH.  He wants to do it again, and decided to get a new flavor for his Flavor Injector.

We spent a long time at the fish tank looking at the fish.

As we were finding our way to the turkey fryers, we found the perfect toy for Cassidy...

Cassidy wanted some popcorn, so we got her a small box.  Luckily, Santa wasn't there yet so we escaped without traumatizing Campbell.  Cassidy got her popcorn, Sergeant Sexy got his Flavor Injector, everyone was happy.

We had a great time... no meltdowns, no issues.  Success!!!

She Passed The Test. Should I Feel Happy?

We decided to give Little C a test at lunch today.  Instead of sitting in the high chair, we set up Cassidy's old toddler chair at the kitchen table.  As soon as she got up from her nap, we put her at the table for lunch.

She sat in the chair and ate her entire lunch without any moaning or groaning at all.

Is it time to retire the highchair?  Not quite yet.  But she's defintiely growing up, and I'm not sure if we're supposed to be happy or sad.

Baby Nerd

When our old computer broke, we replaced it and never had a chance to get the old hard drive out of it.  I had a few minutes today, and decided to start working on it.

I'm excited to report Campbell was EXTREMELY interested in the guts of the computer.  She's going to follow in my nerdy footsteps.  I just know it!

Do you like my mouse phone?

Fixing the computer

Santa's In The Building

This post is a week late.  With Sergeant Sexy working late almost every night now, there's just not enough hours in the day to do it all!

We went to see Santa last Saturday evening, and the girls were so excited!  Well, Cassidy was excited.  Campbell looked apprehensive while we were standing in line, and it only went downhill from there.  Turns out, she's a "Santa Hater" just like Cassidy was.  Cassidy took Santa a small bag of Skittles (from her) and a small bag of M&Ms (from Campbell).  Santa seemed to really appreciate the candy.  I just hope Santa doesn't have diabetes.  I'd hate to think we put him into diabetic shock.

I'm not going to post the picture of the girlz with Santa because I've put it on our Christmas card.  I don't want to spoil the surprise!

After our visit with Santa, Cassidy decided she really NEEDED to ride the tiny carousel next to Santa's hangout.  Campbell hated that too, and didn't even make one full rotation before Sergeant Sexy pulled her off.

We walked around the mall after the carousel ride.  There was a hydrolic jumper set-up outside Sears and Cassidy decided she wanted to try it.  Sergeant Sexy gave me a dubious look, but I forked over the cash while Cassidy was harnessed in.

We were all holding our breath... is she going to love it?  Hate it?  Did we just waste $5?  Did we just sign up for a lifetime of spending $5 everytime we go to the mall?

10 seconds into the ride, Sergeant Sexy and I let out a collective sigh.  She thought it was OUTSTANDING.  She even pointed her toes after every launch off the trampoline!

In line to see Santa!

Daddy helping Campbell not get killed on the carousel

Cassidy LOVED the carousel...

... AND the hydrolic jumper!!!

Here We Go Again

I took Campbell to see Dr. CanBabySeeMeNow this morning.  The doctor dilated her eyes, and her pupils were as big as quarters.  She couldn't see, and spent at least 10 minutes entertaining the waiting room with her Drunk Baby act.  She'd trip and stumble, and everyone would chuckle... even me.  

Then she ate a goldfish cracker and promptly forgot she was eating the goldfish cracker.  It's all fun and games until my baby starts to choke.  She was fine, and swallowed the goldfish once I reminded her that she was eating it.

Since she hasn't had trouble with ear infections, I was CERTAIN she would spared the surgical trauma her sister endured.  I was wrong.  She needs a procedure to open her left tear duct, and it has to be done at the hospital under anethesia.  Cassidy was 16 months old when she had her surgery, and Campbell will be 18 months old when she has hers.  Ugh... here we go again.

Aye Aye, Matey!

Cassidy decided she needed to dress up as a pirate tonight, eye patch and all.  She thought she was hot stuff.

My Dodge Is An Awesome Dodge

A friend posted this to her Facebook page this morning, and included this note: "If you don't laugh at this, there's something wrong with you".

I should have taken that comment more seriously. I had Coke in my nose, on the kitchen floor, and all over my sweatshirt by the time he got to the Dodge bit. Having any type of food or drink in your mouth while watching this video could be hazardous to your health.

Enjoy!!

PALS Score

Cassidy's class at school was given the PALS Assessment [Phonological Awareness Literacy Screening]. This was the baseline test, and the children will be re-tested in the Spring.

Cassidy did GREAT. In fact, she didn't just do great, she kicked the PALS Assessment's ass. Check this out...


Name Writing
The teacher asks the child to draw a self-portrait and to write his/her name. Name writing is scored on a developmental continuum, ranging from scribbles to the use of mixed symbols to writing the entire name correctly.
Cassidy's score: 6 out out 7 [the test was given during the period where she was writing 'Cassiby' instead of 'Cassidy'.]


Alphabet Knowledge
The teacher asks the child to name the 26 upper-case letters of the alphabet presented in random order. Children who know 16 or more upper-case letters also take the lower case alphabet recognition task. Children who know 9 or more lower-case letters are also asked to produce the sounds associated with 23 letters and 3 consonant digraphs (ch, sh, and th).
Cassidy's score: 73 out of 78 [She got all of the upper-case and lower-case letters correct. She produced all the sounds except Ch, Sh, Th, W, and O]


Beginning Sound Awareness
The teacher says the name of a picture and asks the child to produce the beginning sounds for words that start with /s/, /m/, and /b/.
Cassidy's Score: 10 out of 10


Print and Word Awareness
The teacher reads a familiar nursery rhyme printed in a book format and asks the child to point to various text components. In this natural book-reading context children demonstrate their awareness of print concepts such as directionality and the difference between pictures, letters, and words.
Cassidy's Score: 9 out of 10 [She lost one point for not pointing to the white space between The and End].


Rhyme Awareness
The teacher shows the child pictures and names the object depicted in each one. The teacher asks the child to point to the picture that rhymes with the first one presented.
Cassidy's Score: 10 out of 10


Nursery Rhyme Awareness
The teacher recites familiar nursery rhymes, stopping before the end so the child can supply the final rhyming word.
Cassidy's Score: 10 out of 10


CASSIDY'S TOTAL SCORE: 118 out of 125

The Still Frame...

... makes them look so sweet. I finally got a good picture of them together, their beautiful smiling faces frozen in time.

Pictures like this make it so easy to forget the mind-numbing stream of chatter, the temper tantrums powerful enough to shake pictures off the walls, snotty noses, drool, eye boogers, and dirty diapers. In the quiet of the evening, I can gaze at this picture and smile.

I love my pictures.

Improper Use Of The Past Tense

Cassidy hasn't quite gotten the hang of the past tense yet. She tries so hard, but rarely gets it right. I try not to laugh, but it gets harder every day. One of these days, I'm going to bust out with a giant belly laugh and hurt the poor girl's self-esteem. It's bound to happen... when she says stuff like this multiple times per hour, it's only a matter of time:

1. I didn't want to wear the Ariel socks, so I choice-ded these.
Translation: I chose these.

2. The remote got lost-ded.
Translation: The remote is lost.

3. I already close-ded the door!
Translation: I already closed the door!

Our Last Name Should Be 'Fun'

Another gorgeous day! After church and a quick stop at the grocery store, we headed home for lunch. Once we had eaten and gotten Campbell down for a nap, I walked with Cassidy as she rode her bike up the street to Mary Grace's house. We played at Mary Grace's house all afternoon... all the way up until it was time to go to church for Christmas Play Practice! Cassidy and Mary Grace had a blast all afternoon, and then sat right next to each other during practice. I guess they didn't get enough of each other this afternoon!

Another truly fun weekend. I'm starting to think our last name should be Fun.

Cassidy and Mary Grace on the tire swing

Cassidy and Mary Grace cruisin' the hood

Steven (another neighbor) let the girls enjoy his Lightening McQueen car

Swinging! And guess what?!? Cassidy has learned how to swing BY HERSELF!!!

Add Another Hectic Saturday To The Books

It was another hectic Saturday for the Censored-Last-Name Family. The weather here was GORGEOUS today, and we took full advantage of it. Dance Class for Cassidy, Gymboree Play Class for Campbell, Craft Show at Mama and Papa's new church, afternoon of buck-wild craziness with Meredith/Lindsey/KatieBug, and a quick stop at Target to do the Wii game deal while the sale was still going.

Yes!! A Wii!! Santa (in the form of the UPS Man) is bringing us a Wii. Don't ask how I know this... all I can say is that I'm well-connected and have access to the big guy.

Mama and her Girlz

Mama feeding Campbell a Cheeto

Lindsey pulling KatieBug and Campbell in the wagon.

Forever Friends

Family Gymnastics = Nice Theory

Sergeant Sexy ended up working late again tonight. At gymnastics last week, Campbell became ANGRY when Cassidy got to play in the gym and she had to stay in the waiting room. She let the entire building know exactly what she thought of THAT decision.

Since I was on my own tonight, I decided to let Campbell try the Parent/Tot gymnastics class and spare the parents in the waiting room a show of her favorite tricks. Last week, the waiting room was treated to the She's Not Looking, Run For It! trick multiple times. Love that.

Family gymnastics didn't work out as perfectly as I'd planned. When I enrolled Cassidy last summer, I deliberately chose her class because there was a Parent/Tot class at the exact same time. Always thinking ahead (like any good Head Nerd In Charge would), I had planned for them both to eventually be taking gymnastics on the same day at the same time... thereby reducing the amount of time we spend driving people around. That'swhat I call strategery.

It was a noble effort, but it's just not going to work.

1) The timeframe is a bit too late for Campbell.
2) Campbell was more interested in seeing what Cassidy's class was doing.
3) Cassidy was too distracted by the sight of me and Campbell in the gym.
4) Campbell isn't quite coordinated enough to really enjoy it. She much prefers exploring at her own pace.

Back to the drawing board!

But Mommy, I Don't Have A Red Nose

Cassidy and I were going through our nightly routine tonight, and we got to the part where we pick out the next day's outfit. I usually pick two or three outfits in the evening, and she chooses one the next morning. The first outfit I chose tonight was a cute tunic shirt with leggings that Papa bought her a few months ago.

Cassidy decided she wanted to wear the hot pink shirt, but would rather wear her maroon and grey argyle tights instead of the cute matching leggings that came with the shirt.

I nipped that one in the bud, and said "Cassidy, that doesn't match at all. I'm not sending you to school looking like a clown". I quickly picked two more choices from the closet and got her into bed.

As I was tucking her in a few minutes later, Cassidy looked at me and said "But Mommy, my nose isn't red. How can I look like a clown if my nose isn't red?"

A Terror-ble Morning

Cassidy woke up on the wrong side of her royal bed this morning. Seriously. She was fine for the first 20 or 30 seconds, but it was all downhill from there.

The first issue was that I fetched the wrong outfit from her room. Instead of putting it back and getting the other one as she was asked, she chose to throw her clothes across our bedroom. Not cool.

She screamed and cried and kicked and cried and screamed and cried and kicked and screamed for at least 30 minutes. She wouldn't do anything we asked her to do. I took away her TV privileges for the morning AND the afternoon, and threatened to keep going. After wrestling with Daddy to get her tights on, she calmed herself down just in time to eat some breakfast and get on the bus.

Thankfully, I got them off to school and didn't have to kill anybody.

We're closing in on her 5th birthday. Please tell me Wild Ass Fits don't come with being 5. I can't do this every morning!

Trick or Treat!

Sergeant Sexy and I decided to make Trick Or Treating fun for everyone this year. So when we loaded the wagon, we made sure to pack glow sticks, a flashlight, cell phones, kids, AND a small cooler of adult Beverlies for us. The Beverlies were so refreshing on such a hot night. Whoo hoo!!

Before we really got started, Mary Grace showed up at the door looking for candy. Cassidy immediately took off with her and left the rest of us behind. Campbell really didn't understand the whole concept, so she spent most of her time in the wagon playing with the cooler.

Nana Jill and Poppie Bill walked with us, and we had a GREAT time. By 7:30PM, Campbell was over it, so we carried her home while Cassidy/Mary Grace/Daddy finished off the neighborhood.

Halloween 2009 was a smashing success!

Two pretty TinkerbellsCampbell guarded the Beverlies

Trick or Treat!

Spooky Gingerbread House

Nana Jill and Poppie Bill got the girlz a Spooky Gingerbread House kit, so we spent some time building it this afternoon. So fun and so yummy!!!

Thanks, Nana Jill and Poppie Bill!

Building the house
Almost done...
The Final Spooky Masterpiece!

Visiting Auntie

Auntie asked if I could bring Campbell to the Fall Festival at her old school. I said yes (of course!), and Campbell and I headed over there after Cassidy got on the bus this morning.

Auntie was so excited to see Campbell that she met us at the car. Campbell was so exicted to see Auntie, she smiled her huge grin and gave Auntie a BIG hug. SO SWEET!!

It's been a month since Campbell has been to her old school. You'd never know, though. She remembered exactly where everything was, and ran straight to her old class to see her friends. And just like old times, she gave Sean a HUGE hug as soon as she saw him. SO SWEET!!

Auntie gave Campbell the cutest little black yoga pants and a red hoodie. And just like old times, she let Campbell eat and drink whatever she wanted... including french toast sticks drowning in syrup. It's no surprise Campbell loves her Auntie so much... whenever Campbell is around, everything is all about Cam.

Once we were done visiting, we headed to school. Campbell fell asleep in the car, and we got there just in time for her to Trunk or Treat in the parking lot with her class. She had a GREAT day!

Auntie has excellent taste in clothes!!

Auntie decided Campbell needed this hat more than the witch it belonged to, but Campbell wasn't as excited about it.

Campbell LOOOOOOVES Auntie Shauna!!

The Many Faces of Baby Cam-Cam

The Squishy Face

The Cheesy Face

The Thinking Face

The I'm Going To Cry If You Don't Stop Taking Pictures Of Me Face

The Eating Face

And finally... the happy face!

Learning To Stick The Landing

Cassidy was "ice skating" across the kitchen floor in her tights last night and fell. I may be wrong, but I don't think she got quite enough rotation on her Triple Toe Loop... and then she just couldn't hold onto the landing. It happens to the best of us.

She hit the ceramic tile floor HARD. And which of her 2000 parts took the brunt of the fall? Her big pumpkin head, of course.

She cried and cried and cried and cried some more. She cried so hard that she made Campbell cry.

She did a good job using the Boo Boo Cat ice pack (thank you, Aunt Amy!), so it didn't look bad at all this morning. I didn't have the heart to take a picture of the goose egg last night, but I got one this morning and mocked it up for you.

Dramatic Reenactment Of Last Night's Injury

Actual picture from this morning

Not too bad at all, really - especially considering how it looked last night!

We Got Our NASCAR On

This past weekend, we made our annual trip to Martinsville Speedway to get our NASCAR on.

The weekend was FANTASTIC, and the People Watching was just as fascinating as ever.

There were pre-race track passes available this year, so we got to walk around on the track before the race started. The literature we were sent said we'd be able to sign the wall, so I bought us a fresh marker before we left home. Did I get us a sissy fine tip Crayola marker? Nooooooo, of course not! I got the fattest, blackest, chisel-point Sharpie I could find. Nuthin' but the best for Sergeant Sexy.

I made a new friend in line for the Port-A-Potty after the race. She slurred to me told me she'd come to the race with her brother. Her brother had way too much to drink and couldn't quite work the Port-A-Potty latch. She tried to help, but the pesky ground wouldn't stay still and she had a hard time keeping herself upright. I thought they were going to have to take the potty apart to get him out.

Don't fret! He figured out that tricky latch, and the siblings stumbled happily into the sunset. I could tell she took her job as Designated Driver very seriously. Safety first, you know.

NASCAR Time!!!

Sergeant Sexy writing our names on the exterior wall of the front stretch!

After Matt finished writing our names all over the wall (in multiple places) and on the start/finish line, I decided to make a special inscription in honor of my friend AmyA's birthday. AmyA has a soft spot for bathroom humor.

Sergeant Sexy and his Smokin' Hot Wife!

I Love Martinsville Speedway

Let's Not Do This Again Anytime Soon. Seriously.

I've avoided this day for a full year, but was finally forced into doing the unthinkable. I've been in non-stop meetings for the last two days and Sergeant Sexy has been working very late all week. I've had no time to get to the grocery store, and we've completely run out of milk. I did something today that I haven't done since Campbell was confined to the infant carrier... I took The Chatterbox and The Ticking Timebomb to the grocery store ALL.BY.MYSELF.

They did great, and it helped that we were able to snag one of the uber cool space ship shopping carts. It also helped that I was focused on locating only those items on my very short and specific list. Luckily, the store wasn't too terribly crowded and I didn't have to run over any old people or push anyone out of the way. We were in and out within 15 minutes without drama.

.

Whew... I'm glad that's over. Hopefully we can avoid that ugliness for another year!

They look angelic, don't they?

A Rainy Visit To The Farm

We took a road trip to visit family today. It was rainy and gray, but we still had a great time. We think it's important for the girls to keep connections to our roots. Plus, it's fun to ride through the country and see what we can see!

Cassidy and Campbell looking for pictures of Jesus in Pop's old church

Campbell and Aunt Carolyn

An outside view of Pop's old church

Pop!

My Baby Can Talk!

15 Month Well Baby Check-Up

Campbell had her 15 month well baby check-up this morning. She's actually 16 months old, but I spaced and forgot about the 15 month well baby check-up. For some reason, I thought the next one was at 18 months.

Once again, no Mommy Of The Year for me. It's a lost cause.

Anyway, they checked out Little C and gave her 3 shots. The doctor said she's perfect (I knew this 16 months ago, thanks)... but there is a small concern about her eye. We're going to have to take her to children's hospital to have it checked out. Bummer.

Princess Stats @ Months Old:
Your child is 23 pounds, and that is at the 42th percentile for weight.
Your child is 31 inches, and that is at the 49th percentile for height.

Thanks, Christopher Columbus!

Thanks to Christopher Columbus, The Evil Empire is closed today. Although I'm certain some in The Nerdery are working today, I am exercising my option to rest. I appreciate you, Mr. Columbus. I really do.

Campbell's school and Sergeant Sexy's work are open, but Cassidy's Big Girl School is closed. That means it's time for another Mommy and Cassidy Day!

Our goal today was to have as much fun as possible. We started the day by visiting Mama and Papa after we dropped off Campbell. I had a doctor's appointment, and after that we went to a local inflatable play area. The logo is "Censored Name Bounce House - Inflatable Kids Playground". I don't know about anybody else, but I'd like to know where I can trade-in my crazy kids for the inflatable kids. Wouldn't an on/off switch be convenient? I could just turn them off and deflate them when they start having tantrums or get too hyper. I didn't see any inflatable kids there today, but I'd sure like to know where I can get me one.

Once Cassidy was all played out, we went to lunch at Old MacDonald's. I chose one with an indoor play area, but it was closed for cleaning. Cassidy insisted on sitting next to the play area window so we could watch the guys clean. How sad.

After lunch we went to the ice cream shop. She got cherry ice cream and I got cotton candy ice cream. Yum!

On the way home, we stopped by Wal-Greens to take advantage of this week's Huggies deal. Hooray for great sales combined with my coupon obsession!

Having fun at the inflatable kids playground

Cassidy LOVED this inflatable baseball game!

The "Good Clean Fun" crew was cleaning the Old MacDonalds play area... boooo......

Ice Cream!!

Sunday, Funday

After church, we came home and ate a quick lunch. Campbell fell asleep on the way home and Matt wanted to watch football and Nascar, so I took Cassidy for a bike ride.

We went by Mary Grace's house, but they weren't out. Cassidy decided we'd walk down to the rose garden and then to the park. She looked for the little girl statue, and she was still safe in her spot. We were having a great time.

It's all fun and games until you get scratched by a thorny rose.

Cassidy got too close to one of the rose bushes while trying to get back on her bike. There were no marks or blood, but 3 minutes of frantic screaming and 10 crocodile tears later, she was ready to head home.

Evil roses

Luckily, I got this picture BEFORE the rose bush incident!

Late this afternoon, we happened to find an inflatable slide and bounce house set-up in the mall's parking lot. It was totally random, and they charged us $5 to play on their inflatables. $5 well spent... Cassidy had a ball!!