Uncle Dwight

You know how you have those people in your life (if you are lucky) that you can always count on and I mean always, always?? I have Uncle Dwight. Gosh I love him. He is my go to guy. Yes, I know that I have Mike and in most instances he can handle whatever crisis I might be dealing with at the time but then there are times when you need to call in the big guns and that means Uncle Dwight! I could never begin to count the things that he has done for me over the years or ever begin to repay him....the list is endless and the bill way too high!
We need to move...he moves us.
My van is broken...he fixes it.
Kylie is stuck in Columbia...he goes and gets her.
I'm telling you, he's the best.
Where are these thoughts coming from you ask....well yesterday Mike was out of town and when the girls and I got home from Columbia, we came home to a house with NO heat and my dryer stopped working. My first thought, call Dwight! After some deliberation (it wasn't freezing outside and I didn't have to do laundry), I waited for Mike. It was Sunday afternoon and I hated to bother him. But you know what? I could have made that call and he would have come to the house, lit the pilot light and would be seeing about my dryer today. He wouldn't think a thing about it.
I hope he knows how much I love and appreciate him.

Crash...A.K.A. Kylie

As soon as Kylie was old enough to "pretend" to have a car for whatever reason- house, barbies, etc. her car was always and I mean always a purple VW bug. It was her dream car. So, for her 16th birthday, Mike and I surprised her with a 1969 purple VW bug. I can not describe her excitement when she saw this car. There were tears and everything. I can't even remember what we gave for the car or what we spent fixing it up but realistically the cars value...NOT MUCH (no power steering, no air, no defrost) the only true value to the bug was the special place it held in Kylie's heart. She drove this car for 3 years. In those 3 years she didn't have ONE mishap. No fender benders, no nothing! Once she graduated from high school and was heading to MU, Mike and I wanted her to have a much more dependable and safer car to be driving on I70 with. After some searching, we found her a 2006 purple (again) Cobalt. Cutest car. We got a great deal on the car and after we paid down the bug money, she was driving a very nice car that we owed very little money on (thank you John). 2 weeks into college life we get the dreaded phone call, "mom, I've been in an accident". Most importantly, she was fine! The car however was totaled. She has to have a car to drive, so the search for a new car began. She's so spoiled. She is now driving a 2007 red G6. Not in the great place we were with the Cobalt but Kylie's fine and that is all that matters. The wreck really scared her and she is now an extra cautious driver (so I thought). Last Friday, phone rings, Kylie crying uncontrollably "mom, I just backed into a car at the mall". Just a fender bender. Kylie's car is fine but the other car has a dent in the door. I know it's just a car and Kylie wasn't hurt so it's not the end of the world but I want someone to remind me of that each month when I'm writing my check to the insurance company...OUCH!!!

Come Back QUEEN

Anybody watch Dancing with the Stars last night? Don't you know that Jason is just kicking himself when he sees Melissa shake that "booty" of hers on the dance floor! I'm sure that his precious Molly has forbid him to watch, but you know he is sneaking a peek....that is just the kind of creep he is. I thought she did awesome and I bet she ends up in the finals.
I taped it on the DVR and watched it in spurts because Kassidy and I were making "green" cupcakes for her class today. Just call us Betty Crocker and Betty Jr.. They are green cupcakes with green icing and green sprinkles. We are even serving them with green juice.
By the way, Happy St. Patrick's Day to everyone. Hope you remembered your green!

Nail Salon Fiasco

Mike was doing a tile job last night and so the girls and I decided we would run to Sedalia for a girls night out. Get our nails done and eat out. I needed a fill and Karson has been begging to get a set of nails for forever and I told Kassidy that if she was good, she could get a manicure.
Here is how our "fun" night unfolded:
We arrive at the nail salon around 6:00. We all signed in. They called Karson and I to tables 4 and 5. Karson wanted a French set, so while they started on her, Kass and I went to pick out our colors. I of course picked a beautiful shade of red and Kass picked a sparkly pink. We placed our colors on the table and waited, as we watched little Miss Karson get her first set of nails. Kass was being SO good, just standing and watching. The next thing I know, I hear a crash on the floor. Kassidy had somehow knocked her bottle of nail polish on the floor, it broke into a million pieces and sparkly pink nail polish was EVERY WHERE! The 2 ladies immediately broke into their soft, yet high pitched gibber (I'm pretty sure that we were being cussed out in another language). I felt so bad for Kassidy, she was being so good and it was just an accident but she was so sad. She apologized to the ladies and we spent the next 20 minutes cleaning. Now, back to nails. The other lady moves to me, again gibber amongst one another.
Lady: Did you get your nails done here last time?
Me: No, Marshall.
More gibber
Lady: How long it been, you have new set?
Me: Not sure.
Lady: I think you need new set.
Me: Ok, if that is what you think.
She proceeds to "attempt" to get my nails off. Karson is now done. Both my hands are filled with sweat because she is causing me SO much pain.
Lady: Sorry, that hurt?
Me: YES!
She spends the next hour removing the set that she thought needed to come off. On my left hand she even tore a little hole in my nail that bled. Needless to say, when she finally got around to putting the product on my nails, that particular finger was on fire! We finally walked out of there at 8:00. Everyone had pretty nails but we couldn't enjoy them because we were STARVED to death!!
Check out this You Tube clip, I'm pretty sure that at some point in our 2 hours there, they were saying how pretty we looked as well!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SsWrY77o77o

Super Daddy

I was looking back through my camera to see what pictures I could or should delete and I ran across something that I forgot to share with you guys. Most of you know that Mike is super, duper handy. What you might not know is how crafty he is (he would crap his pants if he knew I was sharing that with the world).

While I was with grandma, tending to grandpa, Mike was in complete control at home. He was doing it all with the girls...dinner, homework, baths, reading...you name it, he did it. For those couple of weeks, he served as mom and dad both. And somehow amongst all the chaos he managed to help the girls pull off 2 of the cutest Valentine boxes ever.

I bet you are wishing you had a Mike! Sorry he's all mine.

Bumps and Bruises

Bumps and bruises. This is what is all over my body after the annual mother/daughter basketball game. It's tradition that at the end of each basketball season we host a mother/daughter----father/son basketball game. Every year I pray with all my heart and I mean every single fiber of it, that they forget about it and NOT have it. Why can't someone say...oops, it slipped our minds. However, my girls would die if that happened, they love it.
You see, basketball has been and continues to be a HUGE part of all 3 of the girls lives. They love playing the game and are good at it. I of course am the perfect basketball mom. I never miss a game, I have team sweatshirts in every style and color and very happily wear them on game day. I sit in the crowd and hoop and holler for my girls like a crazy woman....."go after that ball! REBOUND!! Shoot the ball! Don't foul!" All looks so easy when I'm sitting in the stands.
Well, let me just say, the game of basketball is down right scary and hard too!!! I'm terrified when I'm under the basket trying to rebound. There are nine other people wanting that ball and I'm like "you can have it". It's hard to dribble that ball constantly and get yourself in perfect position to shoot. I need to walk (without dribbling) to my perfect spot. Trouble is, by the time I do get there (after I have just walked) there is a girl on me, jumping up and down in my face. Do you realize how far up that hoop is? A LONG ways. And finally, I can't run up and down the gym floor one time, let alone do it for 8 minutes without wearing my Depends!!
One thing for sure, the girls didn't get their basketball talent from me. Keep up the great work girls. You all 3 are my All-Stars!

Can you say JERK????

Watch the Bachelor last night? Oh my gosh, I'm so annoyed with Jason! He is just an all around JERK in my opinion. I was so anxious to watch the finale last night. My plan was to get home, walk on my treadmill, get dinner, baths, homework, everything out of the way so that come 7:00, I was ready to plop myself on the couch and watch the conclusion of the "Jason and Melissa love story". She was my pick from the very beginning. So cute!
I can't tell you how excited I was when I saw Molly's shoes step out of that first Limo. Yes, I was right, he picked the best girl...Melissa. She looked so pretty as she walked down to him and she was so happy to hear him say how he felt about her. Poor thing, if she had only known what lie ahead.
Here is why I'm annoyed:
1). He ended up breaking Melissa's heart in front of the world...said he had to because it was in the contract that he signed. Well, man up and do what's right. This is something that should have happened in private.
2). You don't call an engagement off one minute and then "suck face" with your second choice the next, PLEASE, how rude!!!
I can't believe that Molly would give him the time of day. Doesn't say much about her, if you ask me.
Anyway, I pray that Melissa goes on to find the most amazing man and ends up happier then she ever knew possible.
Remind me to never watch this show again!

Kylie

19 years ago today was probably one of the scariest and most exciting days of my life....Kylie was born at 4:13pm, weighing in at 6 pounds 15 ounces! Exciting because I was finally going to meet this precious baby that Mike and I had created and scariest because they were sending her home with us with NO instructions. We were kids ourselves. Did we know how to take care of a baby? We made our fair share of mistakes but somehow she turned out great! I would have her a million times over. She has been a joy and blessing to our lives. I can't even begin to think of a word or saying that describes this kind of love.

Happy Birthday Kylie.