Scary sneak

Natalie just turned 7. She is responsible, strong willed, sweet, and knows what is up. I don't worry about her. She rides her bike home from school every so often  and she likes to walk home as well. I always walk up to the door and if she wants to walk home, then she takes off from there and I meet her back at home. 

So...story time

Tuesday boots was home sick and we were waiting on the dishwasher repairman. Our dishwasher has been broken for over a week and it needed to be fixed. They gave me a time frame that of course was right during school pick up. I called and said to pass the message along to have natalie walk home. I know she knew the way cause she has done it many time before. 

At dismissal the teacher called and said she didn't know how to walk home. I spoke with Natalie and she said yes, she wants to walk home. So that was at 2:50.

3:10, I check outside, no Natalie.  

3:15, no Natalie

3:20 no Natalie... So now I am concerned. School has been out for 30 min and it takes 12 to walk home. 

I jump in the car with the kids to see where she might have got side tracked. After driving all the way back to school without a sight of her, I run in to see if she maybe stayed there. They said they sent her home walking, just like I Had requested. Panic is now setting in. I call a friend and ask if she had gone there. No. I drive down the few roads close to ours that she maybe went on, then I checked back where I park for pickup. I kept stopping at home to make sure she wasnt there. She never was. 

So now I am bawling. I am out of control. The school calls to see if they can help. Then the principal calls and says he is going to call the non emergency line police. 

I call Libby. Panic. Scared. Bawling. "Libby! What do I do? Natalie didn't come home from school and I can't find her anywhere." So here drove over to the school to check bathrooms etc. she comes fast and is at the school helping to call the police. 

I am still driving a round and decided to stop at home again then check the park. When I pull up I see 3 people; the dishwasher repairman, a punk... And 2 police. One is inh is car, the other on a motorcycle. When I pulled up crying, I said "I'm the mom!" I didn't know what else to say! After I toldt her repairman to go away, the police told me that she is inside. 

They explained to me that they had gotten some phone calls saying that a little girl was walking really close to the highway (423 for those local) but it's a busy road, with no shoulder just grass. They drove by and picked her up. She didn't know her address or phone number but she could Point out where home was.  So after I hug her and love on her a little, I realize that she is kinda clueless as to why I am crying and why she drove home with the police. 

They left, after being kinda jerks to me, and the repairman comes in. The first thing he says is "well I got a ticket from those police while I was waiting or you." I wanted to smack him. 

Anyway, she was returned safe and sound, turns out she just got turned a round and came out a different door than we normally leave from. Poor sweet thing. I felt awful. Her teacher also had called in the midst of all of this and we cried together. All is well, even though it wasn't for a while. Talk about the scariest moment of a mothers life. I was scared I would never see her again, and it is crazy how fast those thoughts can come. 

So today I was putting her lunch away and I see these two rocks, shown below. So I asked her about them and she explained that on her long  walk home along the big road, she found some rocks that boots and Courtney would like and picked them up. What a sweety. 

Here is the sneak peek to our family pictures that happened a few weeks ago. I love my little family! 

Sick of sick

Boots was home  2 days in a row. Throwing up and fever and just chilling around the house. Last night after the party Courtney decided to get it and throw up from 7-3am non Stop. I am so extremely tired right now!! 

When I told boots it's ok to be sick, he just caught a bug- he was super concerned about catching a turanchula. That is a concept that is hard to explain! 

Last week I took boots to the pumpkin patch with his kindergarten class. That boy is just so sweet. He was very particular about his pumpkin and what kind he brought home. We ended up with 6 mini pumpkins instead of one big one. He knew what he wanted! I didn't fill out my background check fast enough so I didn't get to have any other kids in my group so it was just me and him! 

After we left, he was asleep within 5 min- he was exhausted! 

Fall festival

Tonight was Brian's fall festival for work... I have been working hard on our family costume since I knew Brian wanted to make a good impression... He also chose the blt sandwhich for the costume. 

I made everything and it was not hard but it was super time consuming. I would say a good 6 hours was spent on the completed set of 5 costumes. Good news, they can all be reused! 

Dilemma

Tomorrow is my orientation at my new brokers office.

If you missed that memo, I am officially a real estate agent. Anyway tomorrow is the orientation and Halloween party. There will be a costume contest. Please keep in mind that I have never met anybody that will be at this meeting. 

Here is the dilemma, I do not know if I should dress up or not. If I do dress-up I need to go all out. There is no putting on a pair of kitty years and going to a meeting, that is weak sauce. So I'm thinking of going as an Oompa Loompa. I was an Oompa Loompa about six years ago and I still have my costume. It was amazing.

So what would you do? You are going to make a first impression on your new boss and all of your coworkers, you have never met any of these people before. Do you not dress up and go professional? Or do you go all in and dress up?? I'm talking Orange skin and green hair... Puffy white overalls and all.

Help friends!! What do I do? I am thinking that I need to dress up and go all out, but I am so afraid.

Safari Time

Natalie had a very fun 7th Birthday party this year! We did a safari theme. She has been really into animals and was very excited about it! We played games, did a pinata, and then ate and did cake.. then watched Lion King. I was excited for the kids to go watch the movie... but I didn't think it through obviously. They weren't into it at all. They just wanted to play and be crazy. popcorn candy cake and ice cream made them all CRAZY kids. 10, 7 year olds was a blast though!

Happy Birthday Natalie.

 

guest list:

Taylor, Shelby, Sophia, Emma, Avree, Claire, Jake, Maka, Austin, and Natalie. (Boots and Courtney were there of course as well)

Cant believe I have a 7 year old!! I am so old! Also, side note... she lost her 7th tooth the week after her 7th birthday! She was so excited and brought it to school for show and tell the next day! GROSS.

This is Halloween

The ward trunk or treat was fun. Everyone was scared of me... Mainly Courtney who cried for a good hour, wouldn't look touch or talk to me, had to drive in Libby's car, and finally snuggled with me later that night after my shower and my dripping blood was gone. Poor girl. I felt like a bad mom for a second till I realized I'm awesome for dressing up! 

I love Halloween. I made Natalie her costume this year and had fun with their makeup. Courtney did have a green face since she wanted to be alfeba from wicked. With one itch she wanted it all off. 

Next project is for Brian's work party next week... It's a surprise what we will be together as a family costume!!

Lets just continue

Since I posted about the big trip... I will also post about the big Surprise. I had been working since the summer on something that was top secret. I spent EVERY single night while I was in Calgary this summer snooping and digging though boxes and picture albums to find all the pictures of my mom I could find. I scanned them in and then emailed them to myself... then deleted them so she would see no sign of them! I ended up doing this after she went to bed at night and since I got well over 200 pictures, it seriously took me HOURS!

I also gathered email addresses of all of the people she loves and that love her and had them each write a memory or what they love about my mom. I then compiled it all together in a big book for her birthday. It was so fun and beautiful to do, but I am so anxious to give it to her! I wanted to wreck the surprise for weeks and months, but didn't!

So then step 3... have a surprise party. Where else do we make it a big surprise but to make it 3 months later in Dallas!! She was so surprised and didn't really understand it was all for her and her birthday till she actually looked at the pictures. That 60 is all in pictures of her. it took forever to do, but it was so worth it! It was the day she flew in and I told her we were having dinner at my place. We did have dinner, but she wasn't expecting anyone else. Christina's to eat, with cake, macaroons, chocolate covered strawberries, and candy. She also got a new bike, a beach cruiser and I am totally obsessed!

Mama Turns 60!

We have been on several girls trips together on my side of the family. We have done Vegas, where we tried to see Celine Dion but she was sick and cancelled the show.. so we went and got Tiffany's bracelets with the ticket money! We have done others that have been awesome. Every single time we go, we laugh... A LOT. We have so much fun together and this last trip was NO EXCEPTION!

We surprised MOM this summer, in July on her birthday with a girls trip to San Antonio. We went last weekend and it was insane. Although, We missed having Robyn there with us.

The drive down seemed long, but we stopped in Austin for some food trucks for lunch. I didn't know this, but they have over 2000 food trucks there. They are everywhere! We couldn't decide what we wanted so I picked something I knew. Torchy's Tacos. It was great, obviously, but I am bummed I didn't branch out and try something new.

We made it to the Hotel, where we stayed in a CASITA. We basically were just away from the hotel with a semi-private pool and a golf cart to our car and the hotel. We walked around and checked it all out and low and behold, it was everything we imagined! San Antonio is beautiful!

Dinner at PF Changs night 1 was so delish. We were stuffed, but it was so good!! And so worth the food babies we had! Before dinner we had spent HOURS and HOURS shopping around the largest mall I have ever seen EVER.

Day 2, we did pedicures and some more shopping, followed by more food and more laughing. almost falling off of the golf carts, taking a nature walk up to the hotel, Dirty feet post pedi, and visiting the Alamo and the River walk. We ate at a Mexican place with a Mariachi band that played and serenaded us... for 15$.

The last day there, we shopped some more, ate some more and celebrated some more before we headed on our way. I wanted to stop at this BBQ place that we have seen on TV many many times. I was taking us there via GPS and everyone doubted me because we were truly in the middle of nowhere. Suddenly there it was... The Salt Lick. It was amazing. This is the BEST BBQ I have ever eaten, ever. It is right outside of Austin and it would take us about 3.5 hours to get there. I will be going back. It was so so so good.

Mom, we love you so much and had such a great trip. Many inside jokes... Pinkies up! Good food and fun memories as always. Lets not wait too much longer to have our next trip. You know our 10 year Vegas reunion would be next year... We should plan something big!

I am the luckiest one around to have these ladies and my best friends to be my family too. How did I get so lucky?! Happy Birthday Momma Bear!