TODDLERS AND TIARAS...ON TLC

Last night Chad and I stumbled on Toddlers and Tiaras and could not believe our eyes. Of course, the episode we watched had participants in Austin, TX (thanks a lot!)...I didn't even know such a thing existed so close to home.

• So, there was a Mom who put her two sons in the pageant...one being only 2 weeks old!

• Another mom who literally confessed to spending around $60-70,000 on pageants and her daughter is only 4. The dresses she buys are $2-3,000 a piece and the cash prize for first place (which she won) is $1,000! That is just stupid!

• The worst part was a mother who has 4 daughters, including a pair of twin 6 year old girls (Cami's age), who compete against one another. The mother totally favors the twin that has a bad attitude...and the other little girl is so sweet and feels completely inadequate in comparison. It hurt Chad and I so bad!!! That little forgotten girl won the honored prize of director's choice because of her sweetness and good attitude, and the mother didn't even give her the credit she deserved. There is so much damage being done to that sweet girl and the mother cannot even see it!
  
  
  This show literally was like a train wreck that we couldn't look away from. Chad said he wanted to adopt the sweet twin and rescue her from the crazy mom. That was our first and last time watching it!!! It makes you want to dry heave and cry at the same time!!!
  
  
  I am so thankful that my girls know that their beauty comes from within. They don't have to compete with others because they can take pleasure in other's beauty as well. What that mom saw as a weakness in her sweet daughter was really a refreshing strength. Girls don't need to feel their worth in how expensive their dress is, how high their hair is, how fake their nails are, how much make-up they reapply over and over, how big a trophy they win or loose....but that everyone is special and has beauty inside and out!
  
  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jCjQnuVMRNs
  
  Have you seen the show? If so, what do you think?

The show we watch after was about a precious little girl named Hayley who was born with a very rare disease called progeria. This disease causes her to age very quickly. She was by far the most beautiful girl we had seen all night! Her outlook on life was inspiring!

My babies are wanting their own rooms!

My girls are growing up so fast! Just yesterday, they told me that they wanted their own rooms and my stomach immediately began to hurt! Right now they share a room and then have a playroom. They never wanted their own room until now, and I wasn't ready for them to come at me with that statement at the ages of 6 and almost 4. It makes me a little nervous just thinking about it, and I'm not sure why. I want them to grow up close, and it makes me sad to think of them wanting to be in separate rooms. I had imagined that later down the road they would be older and want their own space, and then we could buy them both new furniture and would repaint their rooms to give them a more grown up room. Now I don't know what to think!

Does anyone have any advise on the subject?

Kyle Reading Program

The girls have been involved in a couple of reading programs this summer. Camille reads on her own, and Carigan gets read to by either me or Camille. They have each read over 100 books this summer. I am very proud of them both!

For the library reading program, every book they read they get to fill out a ticket with their name and phone number. Needless to say, I have filled out my fair share of tickets! After the tickets are filled out, they put them into different boxes that have pictures of prizes on them. At the end of the program, they do a big party and drawing.

The drawing was done Thursday morning, and here they are in the shade waiting to see if they win any prizes.

Camille won a free pass to the Kyle pool!

She also won a case of games...many of her tickets went into this box.

Carigan won a summer pack...she really wanted this prize as well.

This event was fun for the kids! They had food and rides set up, and everyone went home with a prize. I love things like this that continue to encourage children to read!

CrEaTiVe

We got the girls their own desks over the weekend. They both were really wanting them, and we found a great deal at Ikea. When they got back from Mimi and Papa-doo's, they were surprised with their new work stations. First thing in the morning, they are at their desks. It has really brought out their creative sides, especially Camille. She had asked for some tape earlier in the day, and later one she showed me what she made with it.

Earrings!

She also customized her sister a pair.

They are at such a fun age now! They remind me all the time how much fun it was being a kid. I am so thankful that they have each other!

Here they are sporting their styles!

Turning 30...SURPRISE!

For over a month now I had been planning a special surprise party for Chad since he was turning the big 30. It is very difficult for me to keep secrets from him. I nearly told him several times, but in the end we all surprised him, and it was worth the sneaking around. Because of the high anxiety and my soon-to-be 30-year-old heart, I don't think I could pull off another one! The cake was made at The Sweet Stuff (http://www.thesweetstuff.com/) here in Kyle. She did an awesome job. Chad's favorite cake is German chocolate so she did that inside.

In all the excitement, I forgot to take a group picture of everyone, so I want to send a special thank you to all of you that came...Kim, Allen, Patrick, Courtney, Rachel, Allen, Pastor Brandon, Nathan, Ryanna, all of our children, and a special thank you to Tim and Erin for letting us use their house and making all of this possible! We love everyone of you, and you all are what made this so memorable for Chad. He couldn't believe everyone took the time to come and celebrate his birthday like that! Thanks again!

We all scream for ice cream!

I was forwarded this picture... I think it is just hot enough to actually happen. If it does, I hope it melts the ice cream van that come into our neighborhood and circles around and around and around looking at us like we wanted to buy something even though we are really looking at how strange they look and how we would love for them to leave with their annoying music.

FUN HOUSE!

Kids have a way of finding fun in the most unusual ways...



Cari went through all the trouble of gathering up every kind of pillow, blanket, and stuffed animal she could find to build her glorious helicopter. You can't tell by the picture, but the fan is on and the blades are moving quickly around. She steers her helicopter and imagines flying up in the sky!

Camille enjoys sliding down our banister every once in a while. It looks a bit uncomfortable, but she thinks that it is a blast and continues to climb up on the banister like a monkey and then precedes to slide down over and over at the speed of a rocket!