I "HEART" Gibby's!!

I took the "bad" camera card to Gibby's (local photo shop) to see if they could rescue anything off of it. Sure enough - they could save some!! So, even though I realize it is a little anti-climactic to post Cassidy's first day of school pictures at this point...TOUGH! I paid to have them rescued, so now you must view a couple of them!

In the van before school.

Whitney and "Super-Buddy!"

Me, posing with my posse!

That's all for now! I just had to share my excitement!

School Daze

Here is our attempt at "first day of school" pictures. As per below - they are actually Cassidy's second day.



Here are Kaylee and Whitney this morning, on their first day. Neither one of them were really in the picture mood. It was a pretty big day for both of them. Whitney moved up to the Middle School as a 6th grader, and Kaylee is now a big-time Freshman at the High School. I think they both had a mild case of jitters.


I managed to sneak Cassidy back in for a shot also. Everyone seemed to survive the day just fine. No worse for the wear. Although Kaylee wants me to believe she was traumatized by having to take the bus. She claims that they were the only ones on the bus not wearing black. So, I offered to buy her more black. Problem solved.

I don't understand how I can possibly have a kid in High School. When did that happen? There must be a mistake. I just know these next four years will fly by. Where did the time go? *sigh*

I'M SO UPSET...

...I could cry. Let me explain.

Friday was Cassidy's first day of school. (Why St. Mary's starts on a Friday, I have no idea.) However, city schools don't start until next week, so the buses aren't running. I ended up taking the day off of work because I had about a dozen errands to run, and I figured it would be easier to get her to and from school. We took the traditional "first day of school" pictures in the morning. We ended up taking them on the front porch since it was a pretty morning, and the lighting was nice. She was a sport and hammed it up, posing with her backpack. I sat down Friday evening to write a quick "School Days" post and load the pictures. I popped the memory card in the computer, and it WOULD NOT READ! I pulled it and and put it back in the camera, and sure enough - they were gone! No pictures. There is an "error" with the card. I was sick.

There were a few other pictures from the afternoon. Whitney had found a small piece of foam and tucked it in the dog's collar so it looked like he was wearing a cape. She then put a piece of bubble wrap in her shirt for the same effect, and they ran around the house being super heroes. Buddy was her side-kick. Then Kaylee had gotten ahold of the camera and took several "self portraits." You know - the kind teenagers are so good at. They were really pretty cute, and I was going to put a couple of them on also. Now, I have a photoless post.

Of course, I also had to explain to Jeff that the pictures were gone and the card had a problem. He rarely lets me even touch the camera, so I knew in his mind, I would have done something to "ruin" it. He'll never say it, but I know he is thinking it. We had all looked at the pictures on the camera, so I know there were there earlier! So frustrating.

Other than that, my week was crazy. I was off a total of 2 1/2 days because Whitney and Kaylee both had orientations for school, there were parent meetings, we did some shopping, and ran a multitude of other errands. It probably would have been easier if I'd taken the whole week off, but we somehow got it done. Next week doesn't look much better.

I'll take some pictures on Monday of Cassidy's "second day of school" and that will have to be close enough. But it won't be the same. I know that in the grand scheme of things, it's really not a big deal, but I'm still mad! Then Whitney and Kaylee start on Wednesday, so hopefully more pictures.

In the meantime, I'll try to keep my sanity intact. No promises.

School Shopping

That's right - it's that time of year again! Much to the kids' dismay, we got a start on school shopping for the year. Since Jeff had to work on both Saturday and Sunday, he didn't get the chance to participate; which is probably for the best.

Saturday was just "school supplies" shopping at Wa*l-Mart (yuck!). Sunday was the big day - with a trip to Fort Wayne for the other necessities. Which is funny, because after looking through the kids' closets, I recently concluded that they didn't truly "need" much this year. So how did I manage to spend so much on Sunday? Somehow, I pulled it off!

First, let me just say that Kaylee asked if she could bring a friend. No problem. This actually worked to my benefit since Kaylee is - by far - my biggest shopper! She and her friend went their own way...doing whatever it is that teenage girls do at the mall. So, the damage could have been far worse!

Second, I have to tell you a little bit about Whitney.She is truly the epitome of the "middle child." She is quiet, reserved, soft-spoken, and typically does not whine, complain or pout (stress: typically). When shopping, she does not ask for things. She may see something she likes, but will remain silent unless asked; and even then you may have to pry it from her. (This is so unlike Kaylee.) So, in the past, if we are all out at the mall together, due to the hustle-bustle, she tends to come home with less than everyone else - and I usually don't even realize it until we are home. This has left me racked with guilt on more than one occasion, and I end up over-compensating some how. This trip was no exception.

I did take her to one of the over-priced, name-brand stores that she likes, just to look for a couple of items. Hey - I had a coupon! We ended up finding several items, and even a couple for Cassidy (even though she wears a uniform to school). The sales girl was wonderful and took the time to talk to Whitney and ask about what she liked, and helped her out since she tends to be indecisive. This was great for Whit - to have that extra attention.

Oh - and the poor middle child did get new school shoes also. She has worn the same pair of tennis shoes for two whole school years. This year, she asked for a pair of "Shox." Yes, I realize that is outrageous for a kid, but did I mention that she doesn't ask for much? Plus, she is fairly athletic, and is joining an after-school running program next year, so I was feeling generous. Well, she has barely grown in the past two years, and is still in the "little kids" sizes. They do have kids Shox, but they are not quite as impressive looking as the big version, and have a much smaller variety. She managed to find a pair she liked, but was a little humiliated by the whole ordeal. I'm not complaining - they cost 1/2 of what the adult sizes do!

Here is the result:

This next one is Cassidy's new shoes. She spotted these while Whitney was picking hers out, and asked me about them. They were on clearance, and are SO Cassidy, that I couldn't say no. They crack me up every time I look at them. Can you picture these with a Catholic school uniform? She definitely has her own sense of style!

Whitney Turns 12!

That's right - on July 28, Whitney turned 12! I know, I'm a horrible mom for waiting a week to blog about this. It is weird - when your kids get older, their birthdays tend to be a little different. Not that they aren't just as important, or just as big of a milestone; but at least for us, the celebrations have toned down a bit. When they were little, we'd have the whole, blow-out celebrations with friends and family. Jeff would make a pinata, we'd have cake and ice cream, gifts, games, etc. Now, they tend to want (more expensive) bigger gifts.

Whitney actually asked for a digital camera. However, she asked for it over a month ago, before we went on vacation. She was very specific that she would like to have it early, so she could take pictures while we were gone. So, we got her a nice, little Sony, and surprised her with it while we were driving down. Of course, we tell her, "Now, this is part of your birthday." Then, when we get back, we get her pictures printed, and she spotted a little photo album at CVS to put them in. We purchase it and say, "Now, this is part of your birthday." So, when her actual birthday rolled around, we felt like it was kind of a non-event. We tried to make it a special day. However, it fell on a Monday. Jeff and I worked all day. Then, after work, I help out in the office at her gymnastics club. About the time I was getting home, Jeff had to go to a softball game. So, we weren't all home together until after 9:00 p.m. She waited patiently all day to open her card and a couple of other small gifts - then we went to bed! I tried to make it up to her the next day. I took off of work early and I took the kids and a couple of Whitney's friends to the Delphos pool. They had a good time, and it was extremely HOT that day, which made it extra nice.

Grandma takes each of the kids shopping for their birthday to let them pick out what they want. They LOVE this! Whitney went with Grandma the weekend prior to her actual birthday. We keep meaning to at least have everyone over for cake, but it just hasn't worked out. We invited Jeff's brother from Toledo, but he hasn't been able to make it yet. So - I decided to give up and go ahead and post about her big day.

Here are a couple of pictures. The first is from Whitney's party five years ago! I thought it would be fun to glance back to see how she has changed. The second is about a month ago at the beach.

I'll update more about our weekend tomorrow. HAPPY BELATED BIRTHDAY WHITTER-BIT!

Look What I Can Do!

Okay, I know you are tired of hearing about Georiga, but give me a break - we only take vacations like once every four years. Plus, just look at how COOL this is!! SWEEEEEEEEEEET! (Thanks for the tip, Chantal!!)

Georgia On Our Minds

We returned from vacation last Sunday, July 6. Actually, I had to attend a conference in Savannah for work, so we combined it with a little get-away. Tybee Island is considered "Savannah's Beach" and I found it when researching Savannah. It is only about 15 min. from Savannah and it was wonderful! Nice and secluded - we saw lots of shells, starfish, crabs, a couple of small sharks, and dolphins....right outside of our condo! The kids loved it. Here are a few photos:

However, I neglected to mention that when we left Savannah and headed to Tybee, I wasn't feeling all that well. I thought I just needed to eat breakfast. So, we found a nearby grocery as soon as we got there, and bought groceries for our stay. Back at the condo, I ate, and we hit the beach. Still not feeling great, but sucking it up because, hey - I'm at the beach. We didn't even put suits or sunscreen on since we were so anxious. After about an hour of cruising the beach, we decided to head back and suit up. At that point, I realized that there was no way I could return to the beach. My family forged ahead without me - and I had to stay very close to the bathroom! (TMI?) As it turns out, over 60 people from my conference got sick! The hotel is maintaining that it was a "virus!" Okaaaaaaaaaayyyyyyyyyyy..... Once I bounced back, sometime Thursday afternoon, it was wonderful!

On a completely different note, please keep this family in your prayers:

http://www.tylerpriest8.blogspot.com/

Their 13-year old son was involved in a farming accident last Sunday. Their older daughter is in Kaylee's class. The father is our football coach - this has really hit the community hard, as you can imagine.