I am not a morning person, I never have been. I really do not like getting up early in the morning. Why is everyone so chipper in the morning? Me, not so much. I like to get up, have a cup of juice, make some coffee and log on to the computer . . . and not be bothered.

No little ones jumping up and down for attention, no husband firing off six questions one right after the other (oh, this is hilarious . . . when we were on vacation I woke up, went out to the deck with a cup of juice and hubbie fired off like four questions and I told him 'dude I just woke up' and walked away--my MIL then said to hubbie 'I can't believe how disrespectful your wife is to you, I have never spoken to your father like that in 50 years' -- I was laughing my head off on that one) Anyway, that still makes me giggle for some reason.

I think perhaps I am a grouch in the morning because of the manner in which my father used to wake me up in the morning (just to solidify, my brothers are just as grouchy as me in the morning and one of my brothers will get up an hour earlier before his family to not subject them to his grouchiness). My father would simply walk into my bedroom, turn the light on and grab my covers and rip them off of me. HELLO MORNING! If you attempted to get up and turn the light off and get back in bed he would stand there holding your covers hostage. I can laugh about it now, but let me tell you as a teenager it really sucked!

I would never wake my children up in that manner . . . never in a million years. Each morning, my alarm clock beeps and I slowly sneak out of bed so as not ti wake my little one (yes, I co-sleep) and tiptoe down to my son's room and slip into bed with him for a morning snuggle. After he is awake I turn his fish tank light on and tiptoe down to my daughter's room and slip into her bed for a morning snuggle.

This is how I wake my children in the morning before they get up for school. I don't want them to be a big grouch like their mother!



I was a cheerleader for six years in jr high and high school . . . it seems like a life time ago. Frankly, I can't believe I was a cheerleader. But, I clearly remember how I felt about cheerleading . . . it was my life during that time period. I actually cried when I didn't make captain as a junior. (And I mean sobbed my heart out) I did make captain my senior year  . . . and then amazingly enough, I quit after football season was over. Just up and quit . . . I think I shocked everyone, but I was just so over, well, being a cheerleader.

My daughter . . . my six year old daughter decided that she wanted to be a cheerleader this season . . . but she didn't have to go through the grueling try-outs. The association just takes everyone who pays the {ridiculously high} fees. I was not sure about her cheering at such a young age, but she was insistent this is an activity she wanted to participate in.

From the beginning I have struggled with the attitude of the jr coaches (basically freshman girls who used to cheer in the association) . . . these girls are rude, have little patience and are not the least bit enthusiastic to be at practice. My daughter has been forced to run numerous laps for other squad members giggling . . . she has been forced to do push ups for other squad members non-participation. I drew the line at duck walks . . . I tolerated it once . .  I was appalled, but let it slide. The next time I walked to my daughter and pulled her from the 'duck walk' line and simply said, "I do not agree with this punishment for my 6 year old daughter". I pretty much dared the jr coach to say one word to me with my stern stare. (she did not and I calmed down)

At the game last week, my daughter attempted to come to me and get a drink of water . . . the asst coach (a volunteer mom who also has a child on the squad) grabbed my daughter's arm and attempted to 'push' her back in line. I told her she was thirsty and she told me that it was not time for a water break. I then replied that she was my daughter and I would decide if she could have a drink of water or not. (a side note here to show I'm not a raving bitch: my daughter had been practicing for the previous hour before the game even started, the girls had just lined up to cheer and I was at the port-a-potty with my other children, thus my daughter never had the opportunity to get a drink of water because I had her water bottle in my bag).

Ack! I was livid! I was frustrated! That exchange is something I never wanted my daughter to witness. I don't even grab my daughter's arm in that manner and another mom did! I was appalled!

I want my daughter to have fun cheering! I want my daughter to be in a positive environment! I want my daughter to learn to participate on a team. I have such fond memories of being a cheerleader . . .  I remember the bond that I shared with my fellow cheerleaders.

I think perhaps six years old is just simply to young for these expectations.

But, oh, she is so adorable in her uniform!

Last week was the last week of summer vacation . . . I was determined to do something special with my children every single day (besides our normal routine of running from one activity to the other).

{riding lessons, not at our neighboring horse farm}

I took the children to the park almost every single day. We went on bike rides. We walked to the bridge to throw rocks and we all took the dog for a walk which is not an easy task because she is pretty much a nut-so canine.

{note the mouth on trainer & child}

{we live next to a horse farm, lovely grazers}

I took the children to the museum and forgot my camera.

I took the children to the zoo and it was 96 degrees that day. Very bad, no good, stinking hot day to visit the zoo let me tell you. But, the zoo is so big that we never have the opportunity to 'see' everything. That particular day our goal was to see animals we had never seen before on our numerous other visits. It was a fun visit on a very hot day. Why is it so hot every time we visit the zoo. I mean, really?  

I wanted the children to return to school with an exciting week behind them. I knew they would have an exciting week ahead of them . . . this week . . . full of desks and strict rules and fluorescent lighting and renewed friendships and new friendships and structure and alarms clocks and socks with shoes.

Summer break is over and I am sad to see it go . . . I love summer . . . I love my children home with me . . . I love the endless supply of hugs and kisses and giggles I get to give and receive. But my children love school . . . not as much as me, but they enjoy their days away from me . . . and for that I am grateful  (really, I am even more grateful that I still have the little one home with me, at least for one more week)

Hosted at I ♥ Faces  Week 34 ~ Beach Fun

Since we just spent our vacation in North Carolina about a month ago, I have plenty of Beach Fun photos to sift through . . . hard to pick just one . . . running along the ocean . . . looking for sand crabs at dusk . . . cart wheels down the shore line . . . sand castles . . . so hard to decide . . . this one seems to speak to me tonight . . . little one, digging her toes in the sand . . . no better feeling.

Okay, I was really bad at taking photos at blogher. . . I had decided to leave my good camera at home because I didn't want to carry it around all day long and possibly break the lenses ('cause I sort of roll like that). I brought my old camera which I really do not like, so I didn't take photos. I either forgot or didn't ask. Terrible of me! Thursday night I did not get a photo of me in my fab dress. It was really cute. I bought it from H&M for $20!

This photo is for my son - who loves this scary dude. My shirt is from Anthropologie (totally on sale), whit etank underneath and my fav Holister jeans, my LV bag that was really heavy carrying around all day long!

This dress I love! It was bright and beautiful! (sorry for the craptastic photo) My kids picked it out - seriously! I took all three of my little ones to a couple of stores on a quest for dresses (since I don't own any nice ones). They picked this, it fit perfectly! I love it! I even told someone that I liked my bright dress better then theirs and they got their feathers all ruffled up and tweeted about how nice I was NOT! Too funny! This dress is from Carson's, believe it - 50% off! I wore these really cute lime green sandals from Target!

woot woot - just found this one ~that is totally not me - I am off on the side, half of me is showing - but this is what i was wearing (swiped from The Product Review Place swag line).

No photo of Saturday day outfit . . . I wore a white t-shirt with a pink ruffled tank (from Kohl's), super cute and fun with skinny jeans and Gap flats. This dress,a gain, my kids helped me pick (people they are always with me). I love this dress, I felt pretty sexy in it too! I actually even wore high heels throughout the entire night which was a fricking miracle because my feet were killing me by Saturday night! Dress from Carson's (not on sale)! Handbag ~ beloved Chloe! Pearls(real) on my neck!

This was Sunday morning . . . I was wiped out! My eyes were killing me . . . I was waiting in the lobby and snagged Jill (LOVELY LOVELY JILL) for a photo. Top from Forever21, Holister jeans again(I own like 6 pairs), my Tiffany necklace and the Gap flats!