Her Hillbilly Highness

This one's for the girls
Who've ever had a broken heart
Who've wished upon a shooting star
You're beautiful the way you are
This one's for the girls
Who love without holding back
Who dream with everything they have
All around the world
This one's for the girls

I forgot how much I loved this song! I listened to it on the way back from seeing all my girlfriends for a night out the other night. We all met Erica at Benihana for a wonderful dinner, conversation and so much laughter. Also, I met her sweet friend, Lisa.

It seems that each girl sitting at that table brings something different and I love that about each girl. It also seems that Erica brings us all together. I am so thankful for all of my friends, whether they are encouragers, realists, empathizers, or just plain comedic. I have never known such a group that I can call in a pinch and they will help me out on the spot! I love each one for who they are and how much they give with all their hearts!

Who is the scratchy monster outside of my daughter's window and how can I get rid of him so we can get some sleep????

Kylie has been screaming at me every day about getting to have a friend over to play. Yesterday she broke down in the car after VBS because no one was coming over to play with her. Well, today she got her wish and her sweet friend, Trinity came over after VBS and is going to spend the night with her.

Those two have had a wonderful time dressing up and giggling with each other. It makes me smile when Kylie is happy and right now she is in hog heaven!



Here they are riding Riley's stick horse. I couldn't run to find the camera fast enough! I just hope that they get enough sleep tonight and aren't up all night giggling and playing.

Tomorrow is the last day of crafts at VBS and I gotta say.....YEAH!!! We have had such a wonderful time this week and I am really proud of how VBS turned out. When I go to the auditorium at the end and everyone is singing, I get emotional because it is so moving to me. Kylie has had a great time and Riley has had an okay time as long as he has balloons in his classroom. He has two of the most understanding teachers who have really been wonderful to him. When it's over, I am going to relax and then I will start getting the family ready for a vacation with my parents to San Antonio. This summer is really starting to fly by.

On another note, I took Kylie swimming yesterday and she has a new obsession in the water. She wanted to turn flips like a mermaid. So, I taught her how to do a front flip under the water and she started doing them all by herself! It was funny how she would jump into the water off of the side and instead of coming up for air, she would do a flip under the water and then come up and start swimming! I guess that was her way of doing a flip off of the diving board or something. I sure wish we knew someone with a diving board at their pool..........

Friday was the last day of two long and busy weeks of swim lessons. They had a short program where the kids showed their parents just how far they could swim and what independent swimmers they had become. I am so proud of Kylie! She learned to use her arms and legs and come up for a breath every now and then. Of course, Mrs. Linda would have to knock on her head to get her to take a breath at first. Linda commented that Kylie can hold her breath for longer than she lets on. By the end of the program, the kids were jumping off of the diving board and swimming to the shallow end. Everyone did such a great job and I am proud of all five little fishies!

While Kylie was swimming, almost everyone I know was up at the church buiding decorating or keeping kids for VBS which started today. (I will get into that later!) I have had such a great time working with such creative genuises! Of course we have had our ups and downs, but I am so glad to be a part of such an awesome adventure which Kylie loves and Riley tolerates. There is no place that I would rather be than up there with such sweet and caring friends. I have a new respect for all the people that work around the clock making this the best VBS ever! Especially my partner in crime, my long lost sister, Angela. How she puts up with me, I'll never know! It only took her about two days to figure out that I don't finish conversations and I am constantly going from one project to the next without finishing the first one. I'm really confused right now. I hope I wrote that right.

Of course, while I was up at church slaving away, Alan was keeping the kids (ALL day on Father's Day!!) so I really owe him big next weekend. Not to mention that he has had some kind of bug or stomach ulcer for 3-4 days! He actually just came home from the doctor and he has some kind of infection! Poor baby! We had to miss our 5K, DadFest, which I am kind of upset about because Mary Lou Retton was supposed to be there!

Keith and Nancy also came down to take care of Riley on Friday while Kylie went to a swim party and program and my house was amazingly clean when I got back home! They are so good to us! I know it probably wasn't the most fun weekend for them but they got to see the kids which is always fun and Riley adored them both which we are most happy about!

Kylie has been really worried about Alan, too. She asked if he was going to die and when I told her that he had a bug or something, she thought about it long and hard before asking, "Why does Daddy have insects?"

At the urging of some friends, I FINALLY watched The Sound of Music. I know, who hasn't seen this? ME!! I can't tell you how many times that my mother encouraged me to watch it. I even roller skated to the 8 track in our garage growing up. But, I always thought that it looked too corny and I didn't see the attraction to Julie Andrews at all. Also, I grew up in a house full of boys where sports seemed to dominate the television! Having said all that, I can now tell you what I thought about it.

I LOVED IT!!! I watched it all weekend and even tried to get Kylie to watch it with me when she got back from Nana and Poppy's. She was way too tired from swimming and playing and having a blast, but she did manage to see "My Favorite Things" and wanted me to get her the music. I downloaded the whole CD for a great price and she has been in her room dancing and playing to it. I am guessing that she will be in her 30's before she actually sits down and watches it, too.

My next goal is to see all those musicals that I have never been interested in. I went to a high school production of South Pacific with my parents but we sat so far back that I couldn't really see it. That one will be next. And then there is the time that some guy took me to see My Fair Lady but I could only wear one contact because of an eye infection. So I guess that I will want to see that one again. There are lots on the list and I feel like I have a whole lot of catching up. But I am enjoying it and I am elated that I have finally found something new. Plus, I LOVE Julie Andrews! Now, I see what all the fuss is about.

Well, summer is officially here and we are so excited about swim lessons!! I'm not because it means that Riley and I have to sit out in the hot sun for about an hour but Kylie is the most excited that she has even been about an activity so far. She loves to swim and is having a blast when we all go as a family. We went to the BIG pool at Lifetime Fitness Saturday afternoon and she ventured out of her small comfort zone and went down a slide a couple of times. She was so scared at first, but once she got the hang of it, she wanted to slide over and over. That is, until she slid down on the head of the little girl that went before her! I got to her before the lifeguard could scare her and I gently told her to make sure and look and wait before you go down again. Kylie doesn't take constructive criticism that well. She must get that from me. Her heart was broken and it took her a while to muster up the courage to try it again. After that, all she wanted to do was jump off the side of the pool and swim over to me. Over, and Over, and Over!

Meanwhile, Riley let Daddy carry him in the pool over his waist. We were so proud that he was content enough to trust Alan and want to be in the pool with us. Everything was great until we had to leave. Then the two kids were very sad and hungry so we came home to eat. While we were eating, I was thinking about how much Kylie has grown and how she choked on a chip at my parents house one time and that she is so much older and ..............she starts to choke. On the same thing, a chip. Well, she must have finally thrown up about seven times when she starts crying so bad! The whole thing scared her and I didn't make it any better by telling her how serious it was and that she could have died. More unconrollable crying and she's saying jibberish until I finally understand her. She said, "If I die, I will have to leave my family!" That broke my heart so I gave her the famous you will go to heaven speech and thought of Chelsea's examples to Kendyll. She definately didn't want to get on the next bus to heaven but I think that she understood a little bit.

Next morning- Promotion Sunday. Am I the only one crying in the halls at church on these days? Why? Kylie stayed in a 4 year old class with other kids that are not going to Kindergarten next year and Riley had to move up to a BIG 2's class! Well, after he screamed for so long and pushed the teacher away, I had to take him out of that situation. Thankfully, some sweet girls that I know at church comforted me and one agreed to take him into the other 2 year old class where her son is. Apparently, they weren't all sitting down and ready to take their SAT's the way the other class was and he did okay. Thank you so much Tracey and Tara!!

Now we have to focus on Vacation Bible School and getting everything ready for the next three weeks! I am having fun being on the committee and all of the girls are really awesome and so fun to be with. Plus it gives me a break from being at home! I look forward to being up at the church and working on something that Kylie loves so much! She learned so much last year and had a blast being with all of her friends at church. Plus, if I have to hear, "I want a friend to play with!" again, I'm gonna scream!

Last thing, Holly really inspired me to put the old car DVD to use in Kylie's room and the kids have been in there all afternoon watching it! SO, maybe I can get dinner ready without two little moppets on my skirt!