New Hair Do

If you know us you know that our middle son, Russell, LOVES the Marine Corp. Both sides of our family have Retired Marines and my side has a current Marine learning to fly helicopters in Pensacola, Florida. We are VERY proud of our Military background...so we are good with his love for the Marines.

Russell's Godfather, Will, came over to pick up Penelope and decided to get his head shaved/cleaned up...so Russell thought, why not me?

His Godfather had fun with the clippers...

This was the first do...but he knew it was against Dress Code

This is the finished look...

(Sidenote:  Is that the daddy's with daughters in Russell's class...ALL know who Russell is)

Friday the 13th??

We all look forward to Mystic Stripers Night every year, as it is our Pop's and Jason's parade and ball night. Usually it is a very stressfull day of trying to get things and people together to head downtown to the Malaga Inn. We have a room at the Malaga Inn every year, same rooms each year, and we decorate them and all are welcome to come by, grab a snack, drink, and/or just visit.

This time was different in that not everone would be here to celebrate the day with us and we are living here so it just did not seem rushed. But it was by NO MEANS less heck-tick. The kids all went to school in the morning and I started the day out with a test in my Intro. to Computers course at Bishop State. It took me 10 minutes to take the test and then I was on my way home (made a 100, by the way). Once there I was informed that the sewer had backed up in the house, Penelope was with us and need to eat, and Chris and Kathy's battery had died and needed a jump. That was only the beginning.

Just as we get back on track and thinking we could start getting the car loaded to head downtown, I get a call that Russell was not feeling well and wanted to come home. He was not sick, just wanted to see what was going on at home. So he went with me to run a few errands before I had to pick the other kids up from school. But this was not the end of the Craziness either...

I had all of the stuff loaded up in my Suburban ready to head out and was getting the kids ready, after school, to leave when my brother came in from taking some last minute things out to tell me something happened to my car. What?!

I cannot even tell you what happened...I went numb after that...my first thought was that someone tried to break in because there was no one around my car and no one had drivin it since I got back from running all the errands...it could have also been that someone bumped the door accidentally which folded in the bottom lower right corner on the driver-side and completely screwed up the hinges so that the door would no longer shut. 

Needless to say, we had to take everything out of the suburban and load up "Grandma's Bus" so we could get to the Malaga and get settled before the parade...Sigh.

The rest of the night was sooo much better...



Aaron and Sam waiting for the parade to start.



Pop and Jason's float...Sharp Dressed Men...

Float title was actually "Musicians"

My niece's first parade...with her daddy.

Jason...

Jump Rope for Heart 2011

Today was the Jump Rope for Heart Fundraiser at SDS...

It was not like I remember it when I did it in Cali back in the 80's but the kids had fun just the same. There were different centers with different fun activities...mostly involving a jump rope. It was a lot of fun to follow the kids around...it was loud and chaotic but so glad I got to see my boys participate. I really like their PE Coach, he is a retired Marine and when he wants to make sure the kids understand he gets them to say, "Ooo Rah!"  :)

Russell Finally Gets A Trophy...

Russell was very sad he did not get anything from his Pinewood Derby Race...they did not give the "Anything goes" group any trophies so when he found out he was getting a trophy after his last game he was VERY excited.

He carried it around with him all day Sunday and he gets a tissue and "shines" it too. He is just so proud.

Mardi Gras started!!

Their daddy got them these hats.

This is the Mobile Mardi Gras Flag. You did know Mardi Gras in the US started in Mobile?



Coolest Thing EVER!!

Aaron got this during a visit from Circus of the Kids that visits every 2 years to all the area Catholic Schools. Each student can buy tickets to be used for food or trinkets.

Is it a Vase?

A top to a very large acorn?

Or Safari Hat?

Russell's Big Game...

 Russell was so excited because Sunday was his first Basketball game. SDS has a "Superstar" program that is about 2 months long. They practice and introduce Basketball skills to Kindergarten and 1st graders the first month and then they have three Sundays of games. Russell was just a ball of energy running up and down the court...forgetting everything he learned the Sundays before. I laughed so hard, not because he was funny looking but it was just so darn cute!

The kids on both teams wore wrist bands so that they would know who they were supposed to guard or mark. Russell, having missed the last practice where they explained that, really thought that the other team's matching wristband player was to pass the ball to him. He just could not understand why these boys, who were his friends, were not sharing and passing the ball to him. Jason and I tried to explain to Russell after the game but he just did not get why one friend would pass the ball and not the other. We decided to let the coach tell him next Sunday.