365:22 - bball all star

My little basketball all-star!!

I was never much of a dancer or cheerleader growing up. But that seems to be where I have been living my life the last ten years.

When I finally had my little one agree to do basketball I almost did backflips across the living room! A sport with a ball! I could not be more excited! And best of all, she really loves it!

She had a game today, and scored the first points of the game. So proud!!

365:21 - dreamy dean

We went out for drinks with the gang. This is my favorite date, Dean. He is so much like my husband that sometimes I forget and treat him like we are married. But again, he is so much like my husband that he doesn't mind.

He is probably the nicest guy I have ever met. Love him!

365:20 - shady glen

Dinner out with my bestie Steven. If you are from around here, you know exactly where we are from this pic. If not, it is a fabulous little eatery that has an old fashioned feel, with soda made with sweet syrup and delicious milkshakes. (I had mocha.)

They also make their cheeseburgers with the cheese hanging off the bun and fried. And you can get a side of fried cheese as seen here. If you can ignore the calorie count - heavenly!!

365:19 - lunch and an old friend

As suggested by a reader here (Thanks Martha!!) I decided to organize a lunch with the local ladies.  I was pleasantly surprised with the positive reaction to the idea!  We ended up with ten of us at lunch.  It was great to get out of the house and have some good conversation - with adults!  :) 

An old friend of mine that I haven't seen in a long time was able to make it.  It was so great to see her again!  We will definitely be doing this again soon.

365:18 - henry likes to climb

Last summer we somehow got roped into becoming hermit crab owners by the kids. I have to admit though, they are pretty interesting. We have them mostly figured out, and they are fairly low maintenance.

We find this little guy, Henry, hanging around on the temperature and humidity gauges. He can usually be found following Gus, the tanks largest crab, around wherever he goes. This week though, Gus has tunneled under the sand, so Henry must have gotten bored and climbed up there. We are not really sure how he got up there.

365:17 - ladies luncheon

Way back in the day, my mother started having a ladies luncheon on MLK day. It was one of the few holidays she used to get off from work. All the women in my family would come. It was a great time.

My parents have since moved, and ladies luncheon sort of fell off. But this year I got a call from my aunt to come up to her house for ladies luncheon. I was so excited! We made a taco dip and chicken and rice dish to share. It was so much fun and I'm glad we went.

365:16 - bejeweled

This was the best day. Met my girlfriends for lunch at PF Changs, and then wandered around the mall.

I am a little obsessed with cocktail rings and got caught up trying one on every finger. So then of course I had to put on some necklaces to match. Do I look cute?

We ended the day at Starbucks. When they asked my name to write on my cup I said Alexa. I think it suits me.

365:15 - sister slumber party

After an afternoon of shopping, the girls decided to have a slumber party together. Since seperating their rooms, they still like to share once in a while. Here they are watching movies.

365:14 - yawn

***YAAAWWWWWNNNNNN***

I am thoroughly exhausted. I spent all day unrolling all of the toilet paper rolls in the house. They are so much fun to spin off the roll!

Now time for a nap.

365:13 - snow day squared

2nd snow day in a row. Pretty much unheard of around here. Generally, we tough it up and get back to our routines by day two of a storm. Instead, we are on day two of lounging around the house in our pajamas. You can see just how broken up about it they are. :)

365:12 - snow as high as an elephant's eye

It snowed as high as the mailbox. Over two feet of snow has fallen so far. Highest snowfall in a 24 hour period for this area.

Have I mentioned that I hate winter?

Is it spring yet? How bout now? Now?

365:10 - type to learn

Learning how to type by using the software Type to Learn. They use it in Computers class, and she is trying to catch up by working at home. When she is done, she may even be able to type using an actual keyboard, and not just on a cell phone. ;)

365:9 - non-slumber party

It is just adorable how, at 2am, these girls are going through the motions of pretending like they might actually put their heads down and go to sleep. The reality is, there were at least two more hours of charades to go before there was any attempt at slumber at this party.

365:8 - neon

These girls are everything you see in this picture - bright, sassy, fun, colorful, and full of life!  They are a dance team, and watching them grow from little girls together has been a special experience to be a part of.  Love them!

365:7 - no snow day

The kids were released from school early today because of the impending snow storm. See how stormy it is at 5pm? :P

The snow that is on the ground is from the day after Christmas blizzard. The storm that is in the air........ doesn't exist.

The girls spent the afternoon relaxing. I guess it doesn't hurt to have a veg out day once in a while. And at least our school district didn't blow a snow day like many others around. An early release day still counts as a school day.

365:6 - cell phone cheerleaders

I am usually the picture mom. I am known for having the camera up in front of my face at every event.

Over the last year though I have completely been slacking. Case in point - this photo.

Knowing that I wanted my picture today to be of the cheerleaders performing at the basketball game, I brought my big camera to the game. Turns out it takes better pictures when you have a photo card in it. UGH!!!!!

So here is the crappy photo I captured on my cell phone. DOH!!!!!

365:5 - baby it's cold inside

What can I tell you. Heating oil is expensive, and we are broke. Our heat this year looks like this. Blankets, socks, sweatshirts, more blankets, and snuggling. That's your heat. Enjoy!

When Dad was here for Christmas, he offered me $100 to turn up the heat. I had to think about it..... :)

365:4 - tuesday carpool

This is a pretty typical moment with these two. They found some props, and had to model them. They definitely take after their mothers.

365:3 - the hand that feeds you

Since she is the one always asking for a snack, she is the one tasked with feeding the cats. They know it is her job, and beg her to feed them whenever she walks by their food dish. It is a nice relationship actually.

365:2 - treats

Present exchange today with the in-laws. It was nice to see everyone, even if only for a little while.

For BIL and his wife I decorated some jars for their kitchen. First one is dog treats. Second is cat treats. Third is people treats. The people treats were already being dug into seconds after the gift was opening. I hope they enjoy!

And as a side note, it was hard to fill the jars without some unsolicited assistance from my furkids. I had to share some of the treats with them in order to finish uninterrupted! :)