Our Baylen is 10!

October 30th, 2010

Baylen's 10th Birthday Party

 For 9 years we have dressed up at her party because it is so close to Halloween,  and she always thought we were just dressing up for her. I had to force Baylen to have a party "theme" this year. Things they are a changing! She finally gave in and told me no dressing up, but I want a zebra print cake with purple and lime green.  I however didn't give in and we all dressed "wildly", but she did get her cake wish.  I thought I would have more time with my little girl.  Boys are invading our house already!  I am not prepared for this teenager in training living in our house!

Fall Bash

October 23, 2010

Fall Bash

Sayer as Alice in Wonderland

Baylen as a Bollywood Dancer

Dravyn as a Scarecrow

Me as a totally Awesome Mom!

The Fall Bash this year was a great success. There was a DJ and lots of fun dancing. Baylen kicked me off the dance floor a couple of times, said I was embarrassing or some such nonsense. But Sayer let me dance to the Cupid Shuffle with her. Baylen won 2nd place in the dance contest.  I guess all those years of dance lessons are good for something! Tracy kept Dravyn occupied with the inflatable jumpers. A good time was had by all!

Pretty Little Alice in Wonderland

October 23, 2010

Fall Bash

Sayer dancing in the talent show to Neil Sedaka's "Alice in Wonderland."

She may not have officially won, but she won over many hearts in the room.

Sorry for the low quality of the video. I used my Sony handycam and this is the first time I have tried to post using it. It wouldn't load unless I used this one with the tiny low resolution

Try the grey stuff, it's delicious!

October 16, 2010

San Antonio

For Baylen's upcoming 10th birthday, we took her and Sayer to see "Beauty and the Beast".  Although Tracy and I saw it almost 10 years ago in Lubbock when Baylen was only a few weeks old, it was like I was seeing it for the first time with them.  I forced my love of all things Princess on Baylen, but when sweet little Sayer came along, Baylen had already moved on to more grown up things.  Sayer totally missed out so she really was seeing it for the first time. It was wonderful and beautiful and I cried and Baylen made fun of me, and Sayer was cold, and Tracy missed a horrible Texas Tech game.

Baylen picked Joe's Crab Shack on the river walk for her pre-theater meal.  Luckily it was just a hop, skip and a jump, from the Majestic Theater. Why "luckily" you ask?  Baylen has a new dental appliance much like a retainer.  See where I'm going with this?  Tracy made it back with plenty of time minus a healthy tip for the observant waitress!

Dravyn's Day Out

Duck Pond

August 25th, 2010

These ducks were very funny, every time I took their picture, they got completely still like they were posing.  Dravyn still is very wary of the geese and ducks, and will not turn his back to them.  He is also slowly adjusting to the girls being back at school, although he does attack them with "play with me!, play with me!" when they get home.

First Day of School!

4th Grader!

2nd Grader!

One week down, so far so good.  Next week the girls start dance and Baylen start G.E.M. (Awesome Gifted and Talented program) so things are about to get crazy.  Between them both, I think they are signed up for 8 dance classes.  Baylen will have to be at her school at 7:00 to catch a bus to go to the center two days a week, plus she gets back to her school later, so I have to go back to get her after I pick up Sayer.   I will really be putting some miles on the minivan!

Dance Recital

Art & Soul

Dress Rehearsal

May 1st, 2010

Hip Hop Dance

"I Wanna Be"

Dance Recital

Art & Soul

Dress Rehearsal

May 1st, 2010

"Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy"

Dance Recital

Art & Soul

Dress Rehearsal

May 1st, 2010

"Fireflies"

Dance Recital

Art & Soul

Dress Rehearsal

May 1st, 2010

"Putting On the Ritz"

This rehearsal was just what they needed, they were soooo good at the actual recital. Sayer knew all her moves and really strutted her stuff.

Dance Recital

Art & Soul

Dance Rehearsal Footage

May 1, 2010

Baylen's Jazz Dance "Naturally"

More dances to come... these are taking forever to load!!!

Butterfly Release

April 24th, 2010

Sayer's first grade class raised "Painted Lady" butterflies for our local home hospice butterfly release. Sayer was very proud to be the only one from her school to be there to let her "babies" free. The paper took their pictures and we thought it would be on the front page of the local section the next day. The girls were crushed that some little boys made it instead!

Another Beautiful Day!

Blond Beauties

April 21st, 2010

Dravyn actually asked me to take his picture with his lawn mower, then proceeded to run away and mow, every time I tried to take it!

Maybe I shouldn't let her watch America's Next Top Model!

Sayer strutting her stuff!

Another Beautiful Day!

Watermelon!

April 18th, 2010

Messy, messy watermelon sure is sweet!

Another Beautiful Day!

Egg Hunt Number Two

April 4th, 2010

Easter Sunday

Tracy got these awesome shots while I was still getting ready. Guess who's doing the Christmas card from now on!

Dravyn's checking out to see if Nyxi got some good candy or yucky dollar bills! Lots of Easter pictures are of bent over backsides, but who cares if they are as cute as this one!

Egg Hunt Number One

April 3rd, 2010

After Dravyn's Party

Bon and Granddad John came for the eggcellent weekend.

So did Uncle Caleb, Aunt Kristi, Baize and Lainey, but somehow I missed getting them in my pictures!!!!

Did He Dig It? YES! He Did!

April 3rd, 2010

Dravyn's "struction chines" 3rd Birthday

This was the easiest cake to decorate to date! Simply, Grannie Renner's Juicy Cake, dumped on a platter and then I put the "chines" to work!

Suffering Succotash!!

Friday

February 26, 2010

Sayer has waited (not so patiently mind you) for 6 3/4 years for a tooth to get loose. Friday, it finally fell out. Well, actually it was pulled out by her teacher Mrs. Peña. I had pulled on that tooth for at least a month with barely a budge. Baylen even lost a tooth during the time that Sayer's was loose. That sure made Sayer mad! If you can imagine a lisp with a lisp, that is what Sayer now sounds like. If her other one falls out soon, I don't know if she will be able to say a single sentence!

Snowy Tuesday!

February 23rd, 2010

4-6 Inches of Snow

NO SCHOOL!!

And Tracy played a little hookey too!

By the end of the day, Tracy's fort was about 4 feet tall. He even went out and sprayed it down with water to really ice it over.

Rub-a-Dub-Dub

Three Crites in the Tub

Warming Up After the Freeze

A Sayer, A Baylen, and a Red Cheeked Dravyn

Trying to Thaw Their Heinies!!!

Another Beautiful Day!