The Incredible Growing Foot

Seemingly overnight, all of T's shoes are too small. Her sandals are all OK, but the real shoes? too small. I first realized the problem at Easter, when all her dress up shoes (size 11) wouldn't go on her foot. We finally shoved on a pair that I had purchased in Dillards 3 years ago in Tampa. They fit, but just barely.

Today, T went to work with me in the morning. Again, we searched her closet for shoes and even her school shoes (size 11.5) were small on her. 8 days off of school, and suddenly her shoes don't fit. We went rushing out to the outlet mall this afternoon, only to discover...

The frickin striderite outlet doesn't have ANY patent black schoolshoes for girls. None. Zip. Nada. I can't tell you how annoyed I am. Lesson for the future: buy two pairs at teh beginning of the school year, one 1/2 size too big. Luckily, zappos has free shipping and free return shipping, so I'll probably get them from there...if I can find her size. So far, most are sold out.

I wonder if she's about to grow?

Easter Fun by the Bay

Pool Fun and Another Hunt

The Hunt Continues

Every year I get a picture of and I at the hunt. Here's this year's version. I'm surprised she's smiling as she did not like that we were taking time away from her precious hunt. She only deigned to pose since there were not more eggs in the little kid section. So, we moved out with the bigger kids.
Yep, T was much happier chasing eggs in the big kid lot. The kid was in her element!
She was running around the place like a rocket out of control. No egg was safe.
After the hunt we headed of to Sophia and Nicks house for more Easter fun

The Hunt

As soon as mass was over, we headed over to the egg hunt which was at the school. The hunt for the little kids was in the inside courtyard, and the bigger kids' hunt was in a different area.
Gee, ya think these kids were excited to get there? They couldn't contain themselves.
Before entering we had to pose with their alway hokey, bizarre looking easter bunny. Nick just downright refused.

Easter Morning

We started out the morning getting all gussied up, and posing for pics. We then left around 9:30 for the 9:00 a.m. mass at St. Rose. If I do say so myself, T looked adorable in her Easter dress. She insisted on wearing the cute little gloves I picked up in the dollar section of a certain store that begins with a T.


The inside of the church was literally standing room only, and there was barely any of that. So, we hung out outside waiting for the mass to end.

T, of course, insisted on posing for pictures. Here she is in a super hero pose.
Here she is pretending to be holy. Awww, how angelic is that!
We both enjoyed our traditional Easter breakfast of juice/coffee and St. Rose donuts.

As soon as church was over, we met up with our friends and headed over to the Egg hunt.

Easter Saturday

We spent our Easter Saturday at my parents' house this morning. We brought over a lasagna for lunch. Everyone was doing well. Had to do it today, b/c we had to do their grocery shopping and Publix is closed tomorrow. Plus, tomorrow we have plans to make a short appearance in church, easter egg hunt, and hang with Sophia and Nick in their pool. What with Dot and T being away and just coming home yesterday afternoon pooped from their trip, we weren't in the mood to do a traditional easter dinner.

Meanwhile, T came home with all KINDS of loot from Tampa. Ceci gave her a bunch of hair doodads. You can see two of the really cute clips here: a butterfly and a kitty cat. She couldn't wait to wear them.

Now, she's busy putting photos of her last girl scout meeting into her new scrap book. It is an absolutely BEAUTIFUL scrapbook, with pics of Ceci's kids inside. I treasure it. T likes it too, and I've taught her how to scrap...that's why she's so busy. She's also incorporating some Easter stickers onto her scrap pages in honor of the holiday.

Hope you all are having a great weekend so far!

What a Motley Crew!

Here are the crazy kids. Boy oh boy how they have grown!


The girls got home from Tampa this afternoon safe and sound. Gosh did I miss my girl. The house was just too quiet.
Last night, I went out for happy hour and then dinner at a hip restaurant. I don't think I've done that in years. Had a fab time.

Where's the fire?

Looks like the girls at are a children's museum in Tampa. It appears as if my girl is a little firefighter in training!

Stock Tip

Hi all,

I wanted to warn anyone who owns stock in Coca cola fair warning: i suspect the stock will plummet in the coming days, due to lack of sales. How do I know this, you ask?

You heard it hear first: I am attempting to give up diet soda. Specifically diet coke and cherry coke zero.

Good thing I don't own any, or I'd be selling now! I admit that I'm a coke addict...a diet coke addict. I'm doing it with T away so that she won't contribute to or exaserbate any ill effects like headaches.

Meanwhile, news from Tampa is that the girls went to the zoo today. Spent a whopping 47 bucks...and left after an hour or so. They claim it was too hot. So, off they went to an old favorite: the mall for lunch at nordstroms and a movie. No word yet on what they saw.

So, let me voice my gripe here: They go to Tampa, and all I get is this lousy picture today. Um, could SOMEBODY take a picture of all the kids together? Especially since I haven't seen them in about 3 years?? Also one of T with Ceci and one with the whole gang including Ceci and Peter? Hint...Hint....

Tampa Aquarium

Breaking News from Tampa

As many of you may know, Dot and T took off to Tampa on Monday, to visit Aunt Ceci and the kids. T is on Easter vacation. I'm stuck at home in an eerily quiet house. So, I've been getting period reports from them.

Ceci mentioned that the highlight of Taylor and Baisler's late afternoon swim, was the lizard that ran into Aunt Dot's mouth. Huh????

I asked Dot what in the world happened, and she emailed me the following first-hand account:

We were around the pool. Me and Cec sitting in chairs, B&T swimming. They get
out and B picks up a net and starts to chase a lizard. It runs under my chair,
I keep talking. Next thing you know it's on my cheek. I open my mouth to scream
and it went into my mouth. I was holding a big glass of water and totally
drenched myself B&T thought that was the funniest thing.

This morning we went to the Aquarium. It's very nice, all indoors. Then went
to lunch, picked up B and then the 2 of them swam. They all just left for Tai
Kwon Do. T just took a shower and we're waiting to go meet the Manville's at
Carrabbas in about an hour.

All I can say to that is....HOLY MOTHER OF GOD!!! This story just so creeps me out. She could have choked to death. What it the lizard continued to run down her throat and choked her? Oy.

Who knew all this fun and excitement went on in Tampa?

Meanwhile, I think that Jordan girls are being plagued by lizards. On the drive home, and big green lizard jumped from my rearview mirror onto my driver's door window....that was luckily UP. I almost wrecked. For the next 20 blocks I proceeded to knock on the window like a maniac with anything I could get my hands on. I suspect other drivers thought I was nuts. Anyway, it finally jumped off my car when I almost emptied my window washing fluid on it.

I wonder if my defendant and her curses have anything to do with this?

Chinatown Miami

Today we went to Chinatown Miami, in Miami Shores. It was a small street festival organized to publicize a new play at the Miami Shores Children's theater. The old movie theater where Dot and I saw every disney movie known to man. We explained to T that we used to go there b/c there were rarely childrens movies on TV, and there were no DVDs. She just looked puzzled. T refused to pose with any of the chinese dragons that we passed. Instead, she would only deign to pose with Spongebob. Sigh. On an upnote, we ran into lots of friends and acquaintances. didn't know it at the time I was snapping the bounce house picture, but the other little asian girl in it we know from the FCC group we used to belong to. Boy, are the girls growing up! We also ran into Jackie and her son, the hula instructor from T's bday party. The whole thing culminated in a parade, with the girls scouts bringing up the rear. Rain rolled in so we rolled out. Fun times! We're now back home. T is off from school next week, so she and Dot are driving to Tampa to visit with Aunt Ceci and the kids. I will remain home on parent duty. Hope you all had a great weekend.

Egg-stravaganza 2011

I'm happy to report that the 2011 Egg-stravaganza was a raging success! 24 eggs were boiled up and decorated as much as Nertz's bicycle. We added a few new artistic mediums to our bag of tricks. Egg-toos (similar to tatoos but for eggs) worked well. We also got a stamping kit that worked with limited success. Only Jodie, the only egg decorator with any talent, had any success. The stamps were a flop in Taylor and my artistically inexperienced hands. We also got the roller set, similar to a tiny paint roller. T and I had better success with that device. I admit that I did more observing than decorating. Jodie and Taylor were doing a fine job. Dot did some grilling on the barbeque as we were distracted with our art. I posted this pic to show off my beautiful sod. Isn't it beautiful? I'm shocked that we have been able to keep it alive and thriving. Its coming along nicely. What a difference it makes in the look of one's property. Thinking your house looks a bit shoddy? Add some new sod for instant gratification. So ends our egg-stravaganza 2011. I see lots of egg salad in our future!

Girl Scout Service Project

Today was our big Daisy service project meeting. We were joined by a few older girls, and picked up refuse and trash from around the school. We also learned all about recycling and how to check a container for the secret recycling sign. Each and every minute piece of trash picked up, including a cigarette butt, was inspected for this secret sign. FYI, it sort of looks like a triangle figure. Go check your milk jug, and you'll see it. Anyway, each girl also planted a seed in a cup, and will be nursing it along. Its supposed to grow into a tree and I was assured that we couldn't kill it...despite the fact that the only things we can grow are succulents and weeds. We ended the night with a pizza party, at a Daisy house two doors away from the school. Now we're home chilling out. We shall be going to bed quite soon, so we can get up, go to target, and buy some egg dying supplies. Happy Weekend Everybody!