A Whole Decade.

I've only owned one pet longer than ten years and I certainly have never had the same car that long. Today, Gen is ten and it makes me realize how much she is changing every year... mostly in height and attitude.

When we asked her what she wanted for her birthday, she quickly replied "A new bike!" We tried to convince her that she didn't need a silly bike. All the cool kids were getting shiny sticks for their birthdays so she should have one too. After Jamie and I stopped laughing, she informed us that we weren't very nice parents. Probably so which is why we couldn't resist leaving this on her bed so it would be the first thing she saw when she woke up.....



Yes that is a stick, wrapped in foil with a card that reads "Happy Birthday Gentry! Here is your shiny stick as promised!" Then we turned on the dining room light so she could see her real presents.

Girls Weekend at the Plaza

Nothing beats good friends, good food, and lots of laughter!

The weather was so nice so we decided to take a break from shopping. We grabbed an orange mango iced tea at the Cheesecake Factory and sat outside by the fountain. It was fun just to sit, relax and watch the people.

Holy crap it's gonna snow for sure.... Rhy Rhy is being nice!
She did threaten us if we told anyone but she didn't say I couldn't take her picture!

Some people really like the fountains at the Plaza.....
I mean REEEALLY like the fountains at the Plaza!

Anyone know what kind of Visa you need to go live in Latte Land
cause I totally want to live there!

Although we contemplated calling in "sick", we eventually left because we had to go bowl in the State tournament in Overland Park. Since this was Rhy Rhy's first time participating in a tournament we felt it was important that she not forget what "Coach Anderson" always tells her....

Also known as "Heaven!"

Tomfooleries is located on the Plaza in Kansas City. If you ever get the chance to experience their Sunday Brunch you will know what I mean when I tell you it is absolute Heaven. First of all, there are 50 items on their brunch buffet including an omelet bar and a bloody mary bar! They had everything from eggs and bacon to Cajun grilled salmon and garlic mashed potatoes.

Rhys discovered that fruit is soooo much better smothered in chocolate and we are pretty sure that the calories from chocolate cancel out when fruit is involved. Our shuttle driver was so jealous that we were going here to eat so we made sure we took him back some cookies... per his request.

This is just the dessert portion of the buffet.
The big silver pot with the ladle full of melted chocolate.....

This is the Bloody Mary buffet. You build your own drink, adding your choice of vodka, mix, seasonings, and garnishments. It was awesome!

"Buuuuubbles!"

Baby Easter Egg Hunt

"On your mark... get set....GO!"

Gentry is visibly exhausted. Her sister, however still has the energy to "cheese" for the camera!

John Adams

My friends know and I fully acknowledge that I am a big nerd. However if there is one thing that I do love, it's history! HBO is showing a seven part miniseries on John Adams and I highly recommend watching. This week they are airing parts 1 and 2 concurrently. I have personally watched it four times now and can not guarantee that number will not increase.
It really is that good!

Superstitious? You bet!

Have you ever had a friend that you like to watch your favorite team with but every time you do they lose? Eventually you have to leave denial and accept the fact that you are bad luck as a combination. Sometimes the only other option is to watch the game together, separately.

Has KSU completely forgotten what their school colors are???

U mean black & white & walker-pee yellow aren't the official school colors?

OMG! I can't stand it. We can't buy a basket unless it's a free throw!!!

Go Aggies!

Hey did you see that? Would you call that "Prick on a stick?"

U know I love you but we just can't watch KU play together.

Personally I like Teahan.

How embarrassing to have a tampon stuffed up your nose on Nat'l TV!

Hang on!!!!

When Sasha blocks u, u are sloooooow!

Aaaaaahhh Yeeeeah! Rock Chalk!

That's what I'm talking about! 2008 Champs!

Okay, that was close. Now I want you to join hands w/whoever u r watching the game with and pray the Cats choke.

Sugar and Spice don't know how to pray.

2008 Big 12 Champions

Rock Chalk Jayhawk Go KU!

This would only happen to me.....

For Christmas, my favorite, wonderful sister gave me March 1st KU/KSU basketball tickets and a parking pass. I know... I'm spoiled. What can I say? Since my hubby was not recovered from his latest surgery, I asked Gen if she wanted to go. The girls and I drove down and Syd hung out with Aunt Bonnie, Uncle Jon, and Blaker while we went to Allen Fieldhouse.

Jon got home from work around 5:30 and my sister ordered pizza for dinner. Gentry and I wanted to get to campus by 7pm to catch the guys doing the broadcast for ESPN College Game Day. Saturday was sooo nice outside; the nicest it had been in months. Jon and Blake decided to go out on the deck for a bit but they left the door open so Wally, the cat ran outside. My sister started freaking out, (sorry Bon, but you totally did) and ran out after him followed by the girls. Not wanting to be left inside alone on such a beautiful day, I followed pulling the door shut behind me. Why wouldn't I shut the door? Sure it was nice but I didn't want Jon's big ol' Lab, Nicky in the house so I shut the door not knowing that it was going to lock us all out in the yard. Immediately, I turned to try to open it but it was too late. All I could do was stand there in my stocking feet and laugh while mumbling, "Oh shit!" We had no keys, no cell phone, no shoes, and no money for the pizza that was on the way. Plus, Gen and I had an hour before we had to be at Allen Fieldhouse.

Jon went to a neighbors house and called a locksmith. Thirty minutes and $50 later, we were back in the house and beat the pizza guy to boot! It all worked out and brought up the important issue of where to hide a key just in case Connie locks everyone out of the house again!

Flight of the Conchords

"Out of Africa...." KU 88 - KSU 74!

There is no place like Allen Field House during basketball season... especially when the Hawks are giving the Cats a good ol' fashioned ass whoopin'!

I loved the sign that said, "Hey Beasley! Win here and we will pay for your safari!" and of course my other favorite was "Hey Walker, the bathroom is this way!"

"Giggy Jayhawk's" first game..... She loved it!







Half-time show.... "Second-Story Guys." They were featured on the show, Americas Got Talent.

"Hellooooo Tooth Fairy!"

We had a big moment at the Jordan household Monday night. Syd lost her first tooth! Poor little thing is almost 7 and we were beginning to wonder if those baby teeth were ever gonna decide to fall out! Her Daddy informed her that he heard the Tooth Fairy was giving out gold dollar coins these days for a tooth. She was so excited but decided to wait until the next night because she remembered Grandma D. was making her a special tooth pillow.
The next night Grandma babysat the girls while I went to a meeting. When I got home they were in bed but mom said Syd had put her tooth in her little pillow for the Tooth Fairy. Jamie had told her specifically that the Tooth Fairy was giving out gold dollar coins and I had no idea where those were so I decided I would just remember to tell him when he got home and he could take care of it. Well...I fell asleep and didn't wake up until 5:30am when my alarm went off. All of a sudden it hit me. Oh no! We didn't do our Tooth Fairy duties! I woke Jamie up and he trounced upstairs to make the exchange. I swear I could hear every floor board as he walked up the stairs and into her room. Good grief. I don't know how she didn't wake up! But she didn't.

When Syd woke up I asked her what the tooth fairy brought her and she said, "A quarter." What? A quarter? What the heck? It's suppose to be a gold dollar coin! So Jamie thought he grabbed the wrong coin in his sleepy stupor and began rummaging through his stash trying to figure out what happened. Turns out, Syd was the sleepy one and didn't notice that it was indeed a gold dollar coin. (whew.) She told everyone on the way to school about her visit from the Tooth Fairy... even the cross-walk lady. Now we are just having fun making her say "sassafras."

"Gentry looks like a girl!"

This was the comment my friend Connie made when she saw Gentry with her hair curled and wearing make-up! You have to understand, this child lives in t-shirts and shorts all year round. She doesn't wear nail polish or anything frilly so I was shocked when she agreed to let me curl her ponytail for a dance performance. I had just picked her up from basketball practice and we were hurrying home to get changed. She told me her dance teacher just said they should wear ponytails and her hair was already in a ponytail so she didn't see any reason to re-do it. I told her I wanted her to look like a "dancer" not a "ball player" and she didn't give me any grief.

One night last week after several phone calls from one of her little girlfriends the phone rang so Gen yelled she would get it. She was only on the phone for a couple minutes so I asked her who it was. Her response was she didn't know, then it changed to just one of my friends but she was acting very weird about it. I finally got it out of her that it was a boy from school. Man, she did NOT want to tell mom that! But I played it cool and just said, "Oh, okay" and went on. What she doesn't know is I grabbed the phone and ran into the bathroom to secretly call her Dad to tell him that a boy had called the house! The only thing he could say was, "Oh no. Oh no. Oh no..."

Some of the best evenings this winter have been when dinner is over, the kitchen is clean, coffee is made, and we can finally sit down and unwind. We turn the TV off, build a big, roaring fire and I get to enjoy some quiet time with my girls, and the "boys", Frodo and Cosmo. The girls gave me a hard time a few weeks ago about having study nights but now it's no big deal and I think they like having the personal time even though they will never admit it. I just love to see my girls reading. Syd's first grade teacher gave the class a reading level goal that she wanted them to reach by the end of the year. Syd met that goal in January.
Hey guys? Maybe mom had a good idea, huh?

Frodo loves "study night" too as long as he gets his favorite spot in front of the fireplace.

"Oh yeah, well your mama dresses you funny! "

Only little Blaker could pull this look off... and he did (pull it off) shortly after his mama put it on him. But what a cutie!

"So Blake..., do you think the Wildcats stand a chance against the Jayhawks tomorrow night?"

"I didn't think so. Rock Chalk!"

Study night gone bad

Now that the spring semester has started for me, I decided to make a few changes in our evening routine. I made the big announcement while cleaning up the kitchen the other night. Here's how that played out.

Me: After you guys finish your dinner I was thinking we would have a study night.

Syd: 'waaaah, waaaah....'
Gen: No mama no. No mama no....

Me: (back turned, still washing dishes) We'll turn off the TV, I will build a big fire, we will all get in our jammies and then camp out in front of the fireplace and read. It will be fun!

Syd: 'waaaah, waaaah...'
Gen: Aghhhh.......! Aghhhh.......!

Me: (back still turned) Ahhh, I'm so glad to hear you guys like the idea! We will have so much fun and we won't have that silly TV bothering us.

It was at that point that Gen excused herself to go upstairs to "get something" while Syd was yelling "Get the net! Get the net!" She returned a few minutes later with a jump rope, a belt, and a fish net! Those little turds were going to throw the fish net over me and tie me up with the jump rope just so they wouldn't have to have study night!! It's just a good thing I'm bigger and can still out run them!

My mother's hope for me is realized.

I can't tell you how many times growing up I heard my exasperated mother say, "I hope someday you have a daughter that acts just like you!" Well guess what mom... I do.

I will admit I was a bit of a pickle growing up. I know that seems hard to believe but it is true. I remember when I was about five I wanted to go swimming, so much so that I cried and screamed to go swimming. The problem was it was December and there was snow on the ground. So in order to shut me up and prove a point my mother let me put on my swim suit and go outside. There is a picture in our family album of a very chilly 5yr old in a swimsuit, standing in the middle of an empty plastic swimming pool surrounded by snow. I have always been a tad stubborn. I want what I want and don't tell me I can't have it! (At this point you may be feeling sympathy for my husband.) Well last night I realized the apple doesn't fall far from the tree.

My youngest is one of the funniest, sweetest little girls you will ever encounter. However, she agonizes over things being perfect. This includes her wardrobe and last night we had a knock down drag out over her wearing a pink shirt to school today. It's a new pink turtleneck she received for Christmas from one of the grandparents along with a matching pair of denim blue jeans. The jeans have pink accents and she has worn them several times. The shirt, however still has the tag attached. Last night we were laying out clothes for the morning and I pulled out this outfit and said, "Oh! You haven't even worn this yet. Let's wear it tomorrow." Instantly, the nose wrinkled and she cocked her head to the side and said, "I don't wear pink." I was dumbfounded because this child's entire existence has revolved around this color! Her room is even painted pink per her request! But none of that matters now. She informed me she liked pink when she was four but not anymore. Hello, she's six now and she was not going to wear the shirt!

At this point I was in a quandary. I remember being forced to wear stuff I didn't like and how that made me feel. So do I do the same to her? But I think this child is even more picky that I was especially at her young age. She flat refuses to wear any shirt that has buttons on it! What is that about? I have no idea what buttons ever did to her, but we know not to buy her anything that has them. I even begged the grandparents not to buy her clothes for Christmas because I knew this would happen. To make a short story, long I put my foot down, played the "mom" card and informed her she would be wearing the shirt. Grandma paid good money for it and she was going to wear it! She went to bed crying and I went to bed feeling like a tyrant. It was obvious this morning that she had not changed her mind. Every morning I call upstairs, "good morning monkeys!" This morning I was greeted with a cold, "good morning, mother." Ouch. I was able to smooth the waters a little bit with a compromise. She did wear the shirt, (which was adorable) but I suggested she wear her new baby blue Old Navy vest with it. She loved the idea and my title of tyrant was lifted. More importantly, she went off to school with a smile on her face.

I know this is just a sign of things to come and being my child, I know there will many more instances where we do not agree. Part of me hopes this is a phase and she will grow out of it but who am I kidding?

It's good to dream...

Every January my sister makes fun of me because I obsess about winning the HGTV Dream House Sweepstakes. This year the house is in Key West Florida which would be heaven on earth as far as I am concerned. To be honest, I don't think the decor is as nice as in past years, but I certainly would not turn it down if I won!

Living in Florida is a dream that my husband and I share and talk about on a regular basis. The plan has always been to get Syd into college and head south. I'm going to bartend down by the beach where the dress code involves flip-flops and I can spend all day talking to the locals. Jamie wants to either bartend or be the guy who air-brushes bikinis on tourists. (That's a man for ya.) We would eat oysters Rockefeller at Billy's Oyster Bar whenever we want and stroll down the beach at sunset.... Ah, just twelve more years.