Putting on the Glitz

Taylor was invited to participate in a style show for one of our local formals shop, The Glitz.  Her friend Lexie Jones also participated.  They had their hair and make-up done at Salon Pink.  Actually, Taylor had her make-up done twice!  She didn't like the first go round and had Lexie's mom, Debi (a Mary Kay consultant) re-do it.  The event was held at The Reserve - a rental place for weddings and such.  Taylor modeled one dress, although she was supposed to do two.  Can you believe another girl took her second dress and modeled it instead??  Ugh - I have said it before, girls can be so mean.  But overall, it was a good experience!

Lexie

Lexie and Taylor after the show.  They had a photo booth for everyone to try out.  And you can rent it for your next party!  Only $675.00!!

Sisters!

B's Birthday

Happy Birthday to our Brooklyn Carrol!  Can't believe my baby is 12!  Technically as of right now, 12 years and 5 days.  I won't go into the hours and seconds.  But I do remember growing up and making sure everyone knew I was such and such age and 1/4 or 1/2 and so on!  Well now I'm counting down to having two teenagers in the house.  Girls at that.  CAN NOT WAIT (said sarcastically!)

It was Little Caesar's for supper - a cheese, pepperoni, 3 meat and 2 packages of bread sticks to be exact (do you remember when you always got two pizzas from Little Caesar's and it came on a long piece of cardboard with a paper covering??)  Water bottles and one Dr. Pepper (that would belong to B.)  And a cookie cake to make us angry when it's all gone!  Donuts for breakfast and manicures for brunch!

Brooklyn, Sophie Steelman, Alexa Sanchez, Justice Renner

Looks like someone stole some chocolate!

At Hollywood Nails

Dance Competition

We made it through our first competition!  It was held at Keller High School in Keller.  Not having a clue what it was really all about, I think we managed pretty well.  I was terrified of the false eyelashes!  This task was assigned to Taylor, but she couldn't do it!  She did go to Target and buy them for me tho! We sat in the parking lot, put on the makeup and glued the spidery looking things in place!  I didn't see a DRAMATIC difference, but I guess just enough. 

So, if you've ever seen the show "Dance Moms" it was kind of like that but on a smaller scale - I think?!  For one thing we were at a school and I've never seen them perform on a gym floor.  But there were definitely moms there with the matching or semi-matching shirts supporting their dance school.  Moms with garment bags for each individual costume and rolling clothes racks.  And LOTS of bling and furry eyelashes! And there were Dance Dads too.  Now our dance instructor, Sommer McBee, is nothing like Abby Lee from the show - whew!  I would be out of there and could not/would not put my daughter through anything like that.  And of course it's television and I'm sure is scripted quite a bit. 

It was a pretty long day.  We had to sit on bleacher seats (should have brought a seat cushion!)  Luckily, it was very fast moving.  Each routine had to be no more than 2 minutes :30 seconds.  Lots of solos too.  Brooklyn is on the Youth Team and they performed a hip-hop, novelty and pom routine.  I loved them all!

Waiting to do their pom routine (they won Super Sweepstakes on this and the novelty routine - not sure what that means!):

They remind of the dancers in the Robert Palmer video, Addicted to Love!

Pictures from the novelty dance:

With Erin Jackson

The girls also took Super Sweepstakes in the Hip Hop and first place!  And wouldn't you know I don't have pictures of that dance!  I was trying to video it without success.  Luckily, we have two more competitions at the end of the month.

On our way home:

Until next time...

Hey Daddy!

I am 40 years old, but still love it when my daddy comes around and I can walk in the room and say, "hey daddy!"  Taylor just has to look at him and she starts laughing!  Before he leaves a visit, he has told us the same story at least two times! 

He retired a few years ago and I had been meaning to get his lunch box all this time.  I knew he was coming over yesterday so I called and asked him to bring it.  This thing is around 50 years old and I love it!  Mother used to always put a piece of pan friend round steak or a hamburger patty, two pieces of bread, a honey bun, a banana and a Snicker bar (you wouldn't believe how health conscious he is now!)  Inside, he always had a folded up paper towel, a little plastic container that held his tooth picks and I'm pretty sure Anacin (which he chewed - sick!)

One day, mother got our "bread" mixed up for lunch.  I got two pieces of plain bread and he got a peanut butter sandwich!

Its new home for now!

B's New Clubs

I think it's pretty cool that Brooklyn likes golf.  Let me rephrase that.....loves golf!  She really, really, really wanted new clubs for Christmas.  After searching on line, calling pawn shops, shopping trips out of town, we decided we would just get her a new set.  And we were in luck - one of our local golf shops here had a 2011 set for a $100 off!!  They are the Adams brand (okay....?!) and red.  She really wanted pink, but hey.....be happy!  She hit some balls in the yard with the protective plastic still on the clubs!  Luckily, just before we left to go play with her friend Alexa Sanchez, she reluctantly took the plastic off!

At Alpine Target Golf Center, Divine Nine Golf Course - really cute course....if they can be called "cute!"

We were freezing!

B was sweet to share her clubs.

Even with her daddy!



Illegal drivers!

I was the score keeper but was too involved in my Words With Friends on my phone.  They were all winners!



B and the Eye Doctor

Brooklyn has had headaches her whole life.  She had a couple of bad falls when she was a toddler and I have always been convinced the headaches are caused by that.  We have had an MRI and EEG, which were both negative.  The last week of school before Christmas break, she had one so bad she started throwing up.  Maybe it's her eyes?!  After her appointment this past week, she is okay!  It was funny watching her though - especially at that horrible glaucoma machine.  You never know when that puff of air is going to knock you out of the chair - oh the suspense!  And I couldn't help laugh!  The dilation of her eyes was kind of funny too - the after part with her lovely glasses and her one eye still huge!  I hate having drops put in my eyes, so I felt a lot of sympathy for her going through that part.  When the doctor was finished he asked her if she had any sunglasses.  Of course she didn't and he said, "Okay.  I'll give you some."  Not what B expected!  Old lady!

Since the eyes are okay, we headed back to the pediatrician.  And since our beloved Dr. Brown moved to Galveston, we saw Dr. Whitney (love her!)  She gave her a nose spray for migraines and in the meantime is working on a referral to a neurologist in Dallas.  We will see where that takes us!

Again, I'm thankful for my insurance!

Gus' Manicure

These girls are always primping with Gus - poor guy!  It's so funny though!  Especially when Carey comes to his rescue.  This time it was painting his nails.  The girls got some OPI (my favorite), nail polish for Christmas.  At least it was the gray glitter and not the red right?!  Crazy thing is Gus just sits there and lets them do it!

Christmas 2011

You mean I only took one picture of the girls on Christmas morning?!  What am I becoming??  Maybe it was because I had to speak in church at 10:00 and I was kind of nervous?  We have a very small ward and this year all three wards in Longview were meeting together for Christmas.  Got really anxious when they opened the overflow - yikes!  It was a beautiful day - had my whole family with me at church!

Can't leave Gus out!

Ready for Church

We had our usual ribeyes and baked potatoes for our Christmas dinner.  And those gosh awful Rolo cookies that my friend Sarah Harwood introduced me to.  Everyone must be making them because Wal-Mart hasn't had Rolo's this entire Christmas season!

On December 28, the cousins came to Longview (BB guns and all!)  Here are some pictures of our fun day!  Disclaimer:  I did not dress any of these kids :)

Keelie, Brooklyn & Mallory

One of the cousins got a tattoo kit.  I do not in any way encourage tattoos, so of course all of the girls were covered in them!

It was Mallory's idea to play in the leaves.  She told Brooklyn they didn't have leaves in Dallas (Rockwall)!

Taylor & Kelci making cake pops!

Kaden, Tristen & Kamden

I promised the boys I would only take one picture and this was right before they headed home!

Speaking of the boys, we hardly saw them this visit.  They were outside with their BB gun and the sling shot around Kamden's neck!  I even warned the uncle's that we had put the broken glass that was on top of my dining room table, behind the shop and to let the boys know to be careful.  I was worried that one of them would cut themselves on it.  No one was injured, but we did find a bullet hole through a piece of the glass.  Yikes!

This brought on the conversation of how as when we were kids, we would be outside all day playing - doing crazy stuff that I would never let my kids do - riding dirt bikes (no helmet), jumping off the roof, climbing all sorts of trees and just going deep into the woods where anything could happen.  What if we had been bitten by a snake or fell out of a tree and was seriously injured?!!  Not to mention the many trips to Lake o' the Pines riding in the back of my aunt and uncles truck hanging onto our floats for dear life!  But we survived!

Good times!