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Friday, June 27, 2008

Vacation Bible School

We wrapped up Vacation Bible School last night with a fun praise and worship service where the kiddos performed their songs, Bible verse, and motto. In addition, Taylor got an award for perfect attendance. It was a full-size Hershey chocolate bar so, needless to say, it was very much appreciated. They also got a goodie bag that included lots of food coupons for restaurants around Waco, a 30-day devotional and a New Testament.

Tay really had a blast every single night and was so sad it's all over now. It has been a long, tough week and everyone is exhausted. We didn't get home until 10:30pm Wednesday night because the battery on my car just died--dead as a doornail and couldn't even be charged. Luckily, it was still under warranty so the dealership towed it and fixed it yesterday but, because Dave had to work, Tay and I were up at 5:30am to take him to work. It's tough to only have one car!! Thank the good Lord is was fixed so quickly, though.

Anyway, I tried to take pics last night while they were singing; however, because of all the fast motions, only one turned out. It's blurry but all of the other ones were too blurry to even see anything so we're thankful for the one :-)...

After golf lessons tomorrow, Tay's going to hang out with her Nanna Geri, Aunt Erica and cousin, Aaden. She's VERY EXCITED about that and so am I as a long summer's nap is needed!

Wednesday, June 25, 2008

Long week...


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Don't have a lot to tell today or any pictures to share. Just wanted say we are still alive even though the blog has been quiet. This week is Vacation Bible School. Fortunately, our church has it from 6:30-9:15pm each night so Tay can attend after I get off work. Unfortunately, it makes for a really long day and we're both dragging today. In fact, Tay took a 2-hour nap yesterday at daycare so I KNEW she was EXHAUSTED!

It's most definitely worth it, though, as she's having a blast. She hasn't really made too many friends at this church and has been hesitant to attend activities because she didn't know anyone. In true Taylor fashion, once she dove into the fray she made tons of friends (she really is quite the social butterfly once but doesn't always have a great deal of confidence in those skills) on the first day and has insisted on being there every night since. She's having a blast and, since she's doing the same VBS--Outrigger Island--with Nana in July, she's also gathering decorating ideas!!

Wow, I meant for this to be short but now...not so much, huh? Anyway, I'll take pictures of Island Tay and get them up early next week. One thing is for sure--after golf lessons on Saturday, I'm pretty sure we'll crash!

Monday, June 23, 2008

Fore!

We headed out to Cottonwood Creek for golf lessons on Saturday where it had to have been at least 118 degrees! Ok, so I know that's not possible but it was still so hot that they let class out 15 minutes early. I was really thankful for that as I had sweat dripping down my back and Tay was worn out.

The good news is that she's still hitting the ball really well and doesn't seem to have lost too much after having to lay off due to the broken arm. The not so good news is that she's now bending over on the follow-through (aren't you proud of me for learning this lingo?) and created more than a few divets in the driving range during her class.

So I've given Dave the task of taking her out this week so she can get some additional practice before lesson #3. I kept telling her to bend her knees and stop bending over, then one of the instructors tried, then the other instructor tried...all of us failed in varying degrees, lol. Finally, Tay said to me, 'I don't want you to teach me; you have no patience.' That couldn't have been more true so we're going to try a different approach.

One of her classmates, Callan, is in the class and they kept looking at each other, getting a shy smile on their face and then turning away from each other...seriously, not sure if I'm ready for that yet! Tay's also about a foot taller than he is so it would be interesting prom pictures :-)...

Ok, so I did snap a few shots at the golf course but I'm making no promises because the sun was so stinkin' bright that I couldn't see a thing...here goes, though...



Listening to a quick recap of stance and swing from the first lesson...



Listening intently...



Look at the future Tiger Woods' stance!



Taking a water break...the 'leave me alone' look occurred right after I was told I have no patience :-)...

Friday, June 20, 2008

Tay's Dogs, Take Two

After telling Tay that we didn't have any pictures of Bo after our impromptu photo shoot, she immediately initiated another one. Unfortunately, she decided to be REALLY silly toward the end and, as I was making dinner, heard my phone go SMACK on the wood floor. After initially panicking due to a solid white screen and phone that wouldn't work at all, I'm very happy to report that it came back to life shortly after. I've had this happen to a couple of other phones before and they weren't ever revived so I'm claiming divine intervention!

Anyway, we now have pictures of Bo and a new one of Prissy as I forgot to tell everyone "how she works as a pillow." Tay uses Priss as a pillow several times a week because she is, in Tay's words, "just so cute and cuddly."



Prissy as a pillow!!!

Next up was Bo...



The profile...



The close-up...



Sad Tay when Bo proved more interested in the squirrels outside than a group shot...



He finally cooperated...sort of...



Ready for her own close-up...

The most exciting news of the evening, though, was that the Midway ISD newsletter came in the mail. Generally, this isn't a noteworthy event; however, when I opened it up, there was a picture of Tay and some of her classmates from Mrs. Metz's class. They did a biography project toward the end of the school year where they had to create a "biography buddy." Basically, they had to trace themselves on a sheet of white paper and dress the "person" up like the person on whom they were writing a report. Tay's pic was Amelia Earheart and the class was recognized for exceptional work!



Newsletters don't photograph so well...

Wednesday, June 18, 2008

Tay's Dogs...

Last night while I was making dinner, Tay started snapping shots of the puppies with my phone and asked that I put them on her page today. So I'm doing as I was told :-)...

Before the puppy photo shoot (in which Bo did not participate as he's been a cranky boy of late--doesn't like the heat), I snapped these two of Tay just being silly in the kitchen.




I think this may have been a break-dancing move in the '90s!



I'm almost positive this one was...

Then we moved on to many, many pics of Prissy and Perkie. Unfortunately, Perk kept running from the camera so most of hers were just a streak. I managed to salvage a couple of them, though. This is Tay's puppy that we rescued last spring. She is also our Houdini dog as we've tried EVERYTHING--muzzles, harnesses, cages, etc.--to keep her inside the fence. Nothing works and she just climbs it every day...and waits for us on the porch.






Next up was Miss Prissy. This is the boxer/lab mix...apparently, when you combine these two breeds intelligence is compromised. She's not the smartest one we have but she is the sweetest and cuddliest (I know this because Tay informed me this morning she held a Vicious vs. Cuddly contest between Perk and Priss and Priss won, lol)...we love all 101 pounds of her!



Unfortunately, since Bo wouldn't participate, I ended up next on Tay's list. I wouldn't even post this pic except that I was told I would be in trouble if I didn't and she does check often...



Luckily, Dave got home from work right after this one was snapped!

Not sure what she'll have up her sleeve this evening but I'm sure it will be entertaining!

Monday, June 16, 2008

Weekend Wrap-Up

This weekend we were really busy so I'm finding it a bit hard to believe it's already time to be back at work! On Friday evening, we headed to Temple and had Mexican food with Nana and Boppy. It was super yummy and Tay even tried the fried ice cream. Now that's one dessert you never get too old for ;-).

Saturday was full of errands, grocery shopping, golf lessons and swimming. After breakfast at Whataburger (Tay's favorite), we headed to the golf course to begin lessons again. About halfway through the first session of the year, Tay fell at school and broke her arm so we're hoping for a better outcome this time.

Anyway, we were talking to her new instructor and were surprised to find out he plays on Baylor's football team and is one of the guys competing for the starting quarterback position. His name is Ryan Reynolds and he's absolutely one of the nicest college-age guys I've ever met. Needless to say, we're now Reynolds fans!!!

On to the lesson...the instructors are much better this time around and spent one complete lesson on stance and swing. It was a much-needed refresher course and, after a few mini sessions at home this week, I think Tay will have it down pat. She has a little difficulty keeping her left arm straight when pulling back and following all the way through with her swing...definitely not deal breakers, though.

After class, we headed to Wal-Mart for the biweekly dog food shopping spree. Our pups eat 40 pounds of food every two weeks--guess I should quit asking why they weight so much, huh? After Wally World, we headed to HEB and stocked up on goodies. While there, we saw one of my former co-workers, Mark. Our conversation made me even more thankful I'm now at Baylor!

After a marathon pantry stocking, we slipped on our bathing suits and headed to Aunt Diane's pool (Dave's sister). We floated around and just hung out for a couple of hours. Definitely a great way to end the day...

Logan ended up not coming over until yesterday so we headed to pick him up after church. We enjoyed another swim (well, the kids did) and grilled hamburgers and hot dogs for lunch. After jumping up and down and chewing fingernails (literally) while cheering for Dale Jr., we settled down for a late supper of bacon-wrapped filets. Tay had never had these before and just couldn't believe there was actually bacon with her steak...she ate every bite so we're definitely past last week's yuckiness.

This week she has another golf lesson, swimming, skating, kickball, a play and a movie planned...and she wants to do the Parade of Homes next Saturday. I'm beginning to think summer is a marathon :-)...

Friday, June 13, 2008

Spaghetti O's

Tay has been feeling a little better each day but really isn't quite up to par yet. I think a major contributing factor is that she's also just tired due to constantly running and playing at summer camp. We're getting back to normal, though!

One way I've know she has truly felt bad is that she hasn't really eaten anything except for pickles for supper since Monday night. She just keeps saying she's not hungry...so I was really surprised last night when she told me she was hungry and asked me to fix her dinner. She didn't want what we were having and opted for Spaghetti O's with franks instead. Yes, yes, I know that's something younger children generally eat but we always keep a can or two in the pantry just in case...

Spunky Tay came out for a while (before retiring early for bed again) and wanted me to take some pictures of her...so here we go...




"Feed me, feed me, feed me!!" Note the paper napkin hanging from her neck...it was really funny...




Getting ready to try this gourmet food!! Sorry for the glare--the numerous windows in the office made it difficult since the sun was coming through them directly at this time...




Silly girl!!

We're heading to Temple for Father's Day with Boppy this evening. Then we'll celebrate with Davey on Sunday and mail goodies to Daddy on Monday. Golf lessons also start tomorrow and then we're planning to spend the rest of the day by the pool!!!

Wednesday, June 11, 2008

And the saga continues...

So I'm beginning to think Tay didn't have heat exhaustion but was, instead, suffering from a touch of the stomach virus Dave had all day Sunday. She seems to have skipped over the yucky part (thank you, Jesus) and just had a tummy ache along with extreme fatigue...kind of felt wiped out.

I'm leaning toward this diagnosis because she felt the exact same way when I picked her up yesterday afternoon (I was feeling the same way by this time as well) as she did on Monday. Asking to take a nap, tummy ache, etc. So we headed home and I fixed her dinner. She ate a little bit and then just wanted to lounge around. Then she asked if she could go to bed...it was 6:30pm!!!! I took the cue and was asleep by 7pm myself :-)...

So she headed off to bed with her water bottle (looks like we got it through loud and clear that she needs to drink because she kept waking up in the middle of the night to have a drink...said she finally just put it in bed with her at 4am, lol) and didn't wake up again until 10:30pm. The only reason she got up that time was to take a bathroom break and then she went right back to bed and slept through the night. Wow!

The fantastic news is that she woke up in a great mood this morning and was bouncing off of the walls with excitement about going to the water park. She said she felt much better and "I guess all I needed was some sleep." Guess we all need that sometimes, huh?

Tuesday, June 10, 2008

The Perils of Summer...

When I picked Tay up from summer camp yesterday, she just didn't seem herself. She was trying to take a nap in the car on the way home, she said her tummy hurt and she was obviously super hot. Once we got home, she went to her room immediately and laid down asking if she could take a nap. At this point, I DEFINITELY knew something was wrong!

After talking to her, it seems she had played outside about 2 1/2 hours after having only fruit and corn for lunch (said she just wasn't hungry). Couple that with the fact that the "water in the fountain at the park was hot and yucky," and you've got a mild case of heat exhaustion. So we loaded her up with water throughout the evening, got a hearty meal in her tummy (green beans and new potatoes from the farmer's market--a new Tay favorite--cornbread and hamburger helper), and had some major cuddle time in the big bed. She was feeling much better, though still not 100%, by the time she went to sleep.

This morning, she was about 98% so I sent her with her own personal water bottle (filled to the rim with ice cold water) and had a chat with one of the teachers who promised to make sure Tay drinks a lot today. Luckily, today is movie day so she'll be inside for the majority of the time and should be back to normal in time to go to the water park tomorrow.

It was kind of scary to see her so lethargic but I'm thanking the good Lord it was something we could remedy fairly easily...

Monday, June 9, 2008

Music, Missions and More...

Waco has a series of summer concerts each year called Brazos Nights. They are free and are held downtown by the Suspension Bridge. We didn't realize they began in April so we missed two of the four offerings but did make it out on Friday to see Kimberly Kelly (a cute girl from Lorena who's got a fabulous voice), Tommy Alverson (who I hear is big when it comes to Texas country music but I hadn't heard of him before), and Billy Jo Shaver (most recently known for a scuffle after one of his shows).

We packed our cooler and chairs and headed down to Indian Spring Park about 6 o'clock Friday evening. Tay was first in line to purchase her 'jump all night' bracelet. One of the area inflatable dealers brought out two really big bounce houses so it was a definite bargain--only $5 for all night entertainment! Then she headed over to have her face painted (also first in line--can you tell we were a bit early?)...I didn't go with her as we were sitting only a few feet away. After she came back with a large black bat--with glitter, no less--painted on her cheek, I think that may have been an error in judgment...but she was really happy with it.

Next, we had to check out all the different types of food...it was dinner time!! We enjoyed burgers and hot dogs before Miss Tay bounded off to jump again. Then came the most difficult decision of the evening--dessert!! Should we share a funnel cake or a caramel apple from Rocky Mountain Candy Company. Since it was 97 degrees outside, we opted for the funnel cake thinking the apple may melt. We were the first customers of the evening so Tay got to watch them make the funnel cake and she thought it was really fascinating. It was yummy, that's for sure.

After picking up frisbees, stress balls in the shape of a turkey, pencils, erasers and fans from the vendors who were out, Tay decided it was time for a snow cone. Can you tell she wasn't that into the music? Again, only a few feet away so I let her choose the flavor. Again, an error in judgment...she came back with a watermelon snow cone, took two bites and left me with the melting concoction while she colored fish under a tent.

By this time, Billy Jo was on his way to the stage and Miss Tay was tired with a capital T...she had played outside at the park most of the day with daycare (and kicked two homeruns in the kickball game!!!) so she was ready for bed. We caught two songs from Mr. Shaver--who, surprisingly enough, was really electric on stage--before heading for the truck. Tay later said she was surprised she didn't fall asleep on the way home. That surprised me as well but she did go straight to bed when we got home.

On Saturday, we had a wedding to attend so Tay headed to Nana and Boppy's house for some fun. She went with them to the mission church and had "lemonade Nana made, corn Boppy made, Dr. Pepper made by the Dr. Pepper Company and chicken from Bush's." She had a great time and enjoyed playing with their dog and cat in addition to attending regular church on Sunday.

We had a nice time at the wedding but came home early so we could get up in time for church on Sunday (we are definitely getting old--I didn't even stay for a piece of cake). Church was really nice except that Dave had some type of stomach flu all day...he's recovering today. While watching the race I asked him to breathe the other way and got out the Lysol :-)...

We met up late afternoon in Lorena so Tay could come home and finish cleaning her room (that's another story...and not really a fun one). She was super excited about daycare this morning as they have lots planned this week--kickball, skating, a play, the water park and a movie.

Stay tuned for pictures...

Friday, June 6, 2008

Mom, it's bigger than you think it is...

As most know, I returned to Baylor University last month--this time as an employee. Apparently Miss Tay has been chatting with her friends at school and daycare about Mom's new workplace...unbeknownst to me. Last night, we headed into Hewitt to have fajitas for dinner and Taylor sat me down to get a few things straight. First, she asked both Dave and me what we had for lunch and told us what she'd enjoyed (this is a new daily ritual--not sure where it came from).

Well, yesterday I invited Dave to come and have lunch with me on campus at one of the residential dining halls. The only one open during the summer is Penland, which is just across the way from the dorm where I lived as a freshman...needless to say, I'm pretty familiar with this particular eating establishment :-). It's the largest one on campus so there are more choices for lunch than most people can imagine, complete with pizza station, deli, rotisserie, etc. My favorite area, though, is the massive dessert station. It has all kinds of cakes, pies and parfaits in addition to soft serve ice cream and any type of Blue Bell ice cream bar you want.

So when Dave picked Tay up from summer camp, he told her all about it...I didn't know this until after the fact but that conversation apparently lead Tay to remember some other conversations she'd had with classmates (some of whose parents also work at Baylor) and it all culminated in one of the most amusing statements I've heard from her in a while...are you ready for it?

"Mom, I know you went school at Baylor and think you know all about it but I think you should know it's really much bigger and complex than you realize."

Is that not one of the funniest things you've ever heard? Needless to say, we'll be heading to Penland for breakfast next Saturday morning (this weekend is out due to a wedding)...no telling how I'll get straightened out once she actually visits campus!

Monday, June 2, 2008

And we're off...

School has officially ended, Taylor is now officially 'going into the third grade,' and summer camp activities at daycare have officially begun...it must be summer!

Even though Tay spends the summer at the same facility where she's an after-schooler, there was a packet of paperwork that had to be complete and turned in this morning so she could participate in all of the activities (they do something fun each and every day...bless their hearts and may God give them strength!). So Tay asked me repeatedly--and, by repeatedly, I mean at least four times each day--last week and over the weekend if I had the papers ready for her to take this morning. Lo and behold, guess who forgot to get them out of our bedroom this morning? Tay...good thing I had grabbed them...she was very please with Mommy this morning!!

This week she has two kickball games, Peter Piper Pizza, a movie and a picnic at a local park on the schedule...next week starts the more exciting field trips as not all of the school districts have finished up. Everyone will be there next week, though, so there's no telling what Little Miss will get into...

Another funny thing was that she was so excited about summer she woke up extra early this morning. Even thought my alarm clock had not yet gone off, our precious puppies had woken me up a few minutes early so I heard her get up...she gathered all of the puppies--all cumulative 200 pounds of them--into her bed for "cuddle time." It was hysterical but the really exciting part was that they all cooperated!!

I should have great pics of second grade to share soon...her teacher provided each of the kids with a CD of pictures on the last day of school. We dearly love Mrs. Metz and I thought it was a most appropriate gift. I only hope we are as lucky next year with teachers as we were this year...Tay generally needs a more 'seasoned' teacher who is pretty strict...she likes, I mean needs, structure :-)...