Little Bit of Devil in her Angel Eyes

There's a little bit of devil in her angel eyes
She's a little bit of heaven with a wild side
Got a rebel heart a country mile wide
There's a little bit of devil in her angel eyes

There's a little bit of devil in those angel eyes
She's a little bit of heaven with a wild side
Got a rebel heart a country mile wide
There's a little bit of devil in her angel eyes
There's a little bit of devil in her
In those angel, in those angel eyes

BY Love and Theft

Every time I hear this song, I can't help but think of my walking contradiction...my sometimes sweet, sometimes demonic daughter.  The most tenderhearted, helpful, hardworking, and strong willed kid in the family can turn on you in an instant becoming your worst nightmare.  She is impossible to predict, but so easy to please.  I am so thankful to have her in this house of boys.  

I realize the hardest years with my daughter are yet to come, as she asserts herself as a young woman.  I am sure we are going to have our battles.  I just hope I have the mental strength to prevail.  She has so much to offer the world.  I pray I can keep this mighty, social butterfly in check. 

The Magical World of Disney

Wow!  What a trip!  We had a wonderfully exhausting time!  It was worth every minute of the preparation and money.  It was like Christmas every day.  The kids were awesome and functioning on too little sleep every day, but they hung in there like little troopers.  Knox got the best traveler award.  He was incredible! He got a terrible cough right as we left town, and struggled with it the entire time, but again, just kept on going.
Carson and Maison loved everything.  Magic Kingdom was their favorite park with Epcot a close second.  Jeremy and I loved them all, except Animal Kingdom.  I think the St. Louis Zoo has spoiled us.  Carson got out of his little nervous box and rode some roller coasters, but avoided the big ones.  Maisy, on the other hand, rode them all.  Usually twice...once with Jeremy and once with me.  Her favorite was Mt. Everest at Animal Kingdom, but she liked Space Mountain too.
As I always say after vacations, it is like family therapy.  Spending quality time together like that is so important.  There were no distractions for any of us.  It was great!  It was so nice to see the kids turning to Jeremy for stuff they normally would insist that I take care of for them.  They also had a great time together.  I got some good quality time in with each of them too.  It was a truly magically trip.  We will be going back some day, I am sure of it.  I feel so much more knowledgeable and capable of planning a good trip the next time around.
Below are a few of the 200 pictures I took while we were there.  Thank goodness for the digital age.  I would be spending a fortune on film. :)

The kids loved watching the planes land and take-off.  It was a great start to the trip.  Note:  Knox is wearing his carefully disguised "backpack/leash".  We tried using it a couple of times, but he kept getting tangled around people.  Not a safer option for him after all. I was hoping it would be a great solution to his wandering problem.  However, he got so tired from all the walking, he truly preferred to be in the stroller most of the time.

Our first look at the castle.  It is truly beautiful!  Even Jeremy was impressed...

Our first character greeting...Knox did not like them at first, but came around by the end of the trip.  Maisy was super shy, and Carson played along.

My little princess was so happy.  She asked so many questions about Cinderella's castle and where she slept at night.  I am glad we went when we did because all of the magic was still there for her.

Great bonding time for these two!

Maisy was forced to ride with Dad on some roller coasters while I waited with the boys.  It was really good for them.  They had fun together.  He adores her.  She tolerates him...but, he is winning her over slowly but surely.  He is a persistent rascal. :)  My money is on him. She'll come around.

We all LOVED Turtle Talk with Crush, the sea turtle from Finding Nemo!  It is an interactive, cartoon animated aquarium at Epcot where the kids talk with Crush.  He calls on them and asks them questions.  They can ask him questions at the end.  SUPER FUNNY!  Maisy was picked to answer a question.   She was cute.  Knox kept yelling at him from the back, which was embarrassing, but so funny.  Carson was trying to figure out how it worked.  We all loved it.

This was Maisy's lunch date at the Castle.   This picture says it all.  She was so enamored by the whole scene she couldn't even eat.  She just sat and stared.  It was well worth the money and so sweet to see her so overwhelmed with it.

Ariel, Maisy's favorite princess

Carson told her Ariel was dead because there was a skeleton of a mermaid in the Pirates of the Caribbean ride.  It was actually a funny joke for him.  He is going through this 3rd grade humor phase where he is constantly trying to be funny.  It is bad...in every way.  That joke was at least decent. 

I think Maisy was truly relieved to see Ariel though.  It was the only time we saw her, so I think she was starting to believe Carson.

It was great weather.  Chilly at night, but warm days.  Perfect for miles of walking.

Our "Not so Scary" Halloween-ers

My boys

Knox pulled a classic move the last night at Disney when he was suited up in his bat costume.  I think the gained some courage from the mask. He jumped out from behind me yelling "Boo" at the characters while they talked with Maison.  He scared Snow White and her Prince to death.  Of course, they remained in character the entire time, asking him if he had just flown in from gathering fruit in the forest.  

Birthday Bat

My baby bat is 3.  I cannot believe I am officially beyond babies.  Although I still carry Knox around like one, I do realize he is far beyond that phase of life.  It is so hard to let it go though.  The first day of being three brought with it at least 3 tantrums and a very naughty disposition.  He threw a fit about his clothes to start the day, kicking and screaming about getting dressed.  Then when relatives called to wish him a happy day, he would just say, "hello, good-bye," if anything at all.  He ended the long day with another tantrum about taking a shower.  He was a stinky bat!  I am hoping it is just because of all the hustle and bustle of the day.

At 3 Knox is super funny, inquisitive beyond belief, and continues to prefer to be naked.  He loves pipes and figuring out how things work.  Table  time with writing and drawing is still not a favorite.  Even though he has a short first name, he might go to kindergarten without being able to write it.  That will be embarrassing! The kid won't sit still though.  He knows most of his letters and can sing the ABCs, so we are making a little progress.  Here are some of Knox's favorite things:

Color: Red

Food: tomato pasta

Person: Bubby

Sport: playing baseball at home (Ha!)

Cartoon: Tom and Jerry

Toy: Trash truck

Book:  Sharks, The Little Engine that Could, Lightening (to name a few)

When he grows up he wants to be a trash man.

After fears of storms all week, we couldn't have asked for better weather for an outdoor party.  It was almost 80 degrees, cloudy, but dry.  It had the perfect Halloween feel.  It was a great time!  We played tons of games, decorated pumpkins, and had creepy snacks.  Knox hid from us under the table when we sang Happy Birthday, and then popped back out to blow out his candles.  It was cute.  Then we had to redo it because Jeremy did not have the camera ready. That was torture for the poor kid. As far as I am concerned, the party was Bat-astic!

Suffering through September

What a month...it started off with our decision to stain our cabinets, ourselves.  Wow!  What an undertaking that turned out to be!  About 3 weeks and 40 coats of stain later, our kitchen is still in shambles.  Football, soccer and baseball all started this month too, which is incredibly fun, but terribly time consuming.  We have two practices each Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday nights with multiple games on the weekends.  It is a scheduling and driving nightmare.  Jeremy is travelling twice this month for multiple days, and I am attempting to maintain some level of sanity.  The real kicker occurred Wednesday night when Knox and I found it raining in our spare bedroom downstairs.  The room is a total loss due to faulty plumbing from our recurrent nightmare, Joe.  Leaking water is gross enough, but when it is filled with food particles from the garbage disposal, it is anything but appetizing.  Two days later, after a visit from the plumber and a renovation team, it is clean, drying and bacteria free.  I feel better, and I am ready for October!
 
October brings with it excitement.  Knox turns 3, and I am planning his first real party!  We are going to have a Halloween themed party.  I cannot wait.  While his guest list is short, we added enough family friends to make it fun.  He is SUPER excited.  He is going to be a "mean bat".  I have all sorts of fun food, decorations and games in the works.  It will be a lot of fun!  More to come on that.  At the end of the month, after another work trip for Jeremy, we leave for our Mystery vacation!  I am CRAZY excited for it! I am a terrible surprise keeper, but have managed to keep this one a secret so far.  It is getting really hard though.  I have little gifts/clues hidden from the kids in every nook and cranny.  I just cannot wait to see the look on their faces when we tell them.  YEAH!

It is amazingly difficult being a responsible parent and working mother.  I commend all other women in the same boat.  There is just not enough time in the day or enough of me to go around.  I know there are people with a lot more on their plate and doing it with a much better attitude than I have sometimes, but I try so hard.  I work so hard.  It just never seems to be enough.  Selfishly I want a little cheerleader behind me rooting me on, telling me I am doing everything right and that they are proud of my efforts.  For all those other Moms out there, "Keep up the good work! Hang in there!" If misery loves company, know there is someone else out there feeling your pain.  BUT...We can do it, with or without our husband's help or admiration. We will raise good kids.  Our house will not be destroyed by water, kids or a bad attitude.  We are women...hear us roar!!!! 

I feel better!  Time to make some sense of the 6 piles of clean laundry on the sun room couch. Back to reality!

QB1...1-0

Broken tackles...completed passes...two touchdowns...Elated boy!

Tears come to my eyes when I think about the look on Carson's face as he ran through the "Mom Tunnel".  While I didn't have my camera to capture the look of pure joy that beamed from beneath his helmet, it is forever imprinted in my mind.  It is a look I have never seen on a sports field before.  He enjoys basketball and golf.  Baseball is still a battle. But, football is in his heart, at least until his first big hit, which I pray is a long time in coming.  I love what this sport has done for my boy.

Instead of a very biased play-by-play, I attached some clips and photos.  Turn the volume down, as my voice screams my enthusiasm through your speakers at a ridiculously shrill tone.   

Men among Boys...mine is on the left

TD!!!

TD!!!! He is off to the right.

Over

Another fun-filled summer is over.  This one was the fastest ever!  We were so busy!  It was so hot.  I am almost happy for the routine and structure of the school year.  Carson and Maisy were so involved with sports and Jeremy/I with coaching that it seemed we spent more time doing that than anything else.  We squeezed 3 KC weddings, one trip to Nevada, an All Star Game, birthdays, some visitors and lots of swimming.  The kids made a list of things they wanted to do this summer our first day of summer break.  We might have waited until the end, but we got it all done.  6 Flags was a hit this year for everyone.  Monkey Joe's is an all time favorite, but won't be for much longer.  Magic House was good.  We took Knox on a train ride.  Carson played lots of golf and Maisy got to go the American Girl store for the first time.  My list was partially accomplished too.  Carson got new bedroom furniture.  I played our October mystery trip.  I stained the kitchen cabinets and created a weekly meal plan for the school year.  Most importantly, I slept.  Waking up before 5 am is KILLER!

Sadly, we do not have any good pictures of the first day of school, but not for lack of trying.  Jeremy took the kids to their first day breakfast and took his ordered photos.  A friend had used our camera on manual focus and he didn't know to shift it back.  So...no cute kids. :(  They were cute though.  Each of them seem happy enough about their teachers and are settling in really quick, thankfully.

Mr. Blue Eyes!

 QB #1 after his first scrimmage...he was demolished a few times, but he always got up and came back for more.  So proud...It is going to be hard to watch.  Gut check for Carson and me.

Mother/Son boding weekend...Loved it!

He is delightful company without this siblings bringing out his bad side.

Best looking bunch at the Club

So CUTE!  Here come the "Squirrel Teeth"!

Lori and Joe

My sister is married!  It was a beautiful wedding, happy bride/groom, and fun party.  The kids could be wedding planners themselves at this point.  They have the whole process down and are pretty good at it.  I might start renting them out for weddings that need cute, well behaved little ones. :)
Maisy was thrilled to hang out with my mom, sister and I on Friday night.  She was helpful and super excited for all the girly preparations and appointments.  I am so happy that her first experiences with love and marriage have been so positive for her.  It sets her standards high, which will hopefully lead her to the right man some day...a long time from now.
Lori was nervous about everything coming together, which it did, perfectly.  She was so happy to marry Joe, that it was contagious.  I found myself remembering my wedding day, which put Jeremy in good graces for the weekend.  My grandma was able to make it up for the ceremony.  She had a great time.  My parents danced several songs and seemed really happy too. Knox fell in love at the wedding with the Sophie, the other little flower girl and Tiger Lane descendant.  It was so funny to watch him chase her.  I actually felt sorry for her by the end of the night.  He would not leave her alone.  Sadly, Carson kept up his no dancing antics, and fell asleep at the reception.  He was a good sport though.  Fun times.


These are some of my favorite pictures.  

Throwin' out gang signs with his Aunt...

 I love this of Joe and Lori with all the kids.  I can't wait until they are blessed with their own. 

Auntie will LOVE that baby!

 I am raising such a gentleman!

Another Tiger Lane ladies' man...Jackson Wayne Markham.  He likes the older ladies. 

Maisy didn't know what to do.  She danced the night away with anyone that wanted to.