When The Cat's Away...

...the co-workers will fill his desk with balloons!



We have 3 Kevins in our office...and we refer to them by number. K1 is old-school, been around for a long time. K2 is our New York transplant, and has been with us for about 2 years now. K3 is our most recent acquisition, coming to us from Florida last year.

K2 hardly ever takes vacation...but when he does, he goes all out! He's been out since last Tuesday, and won't be back until the day after Labor Day! 2 WEEKS! That's a long time to deal with someone else's claims.

The last time K2 took an extended vacation, he came back to a desk covered in aluminum foil. And it was AWESOME. (I'll find some pics and post them later.) You'd think he would have learned his lesson about leaving us alone with his cubicle. But alas, he did not. And so balloons found their way IN.

We blew up 144 balloons to fill his cubicle. It still wasn't enough, but it'll have to do! Even with 3 women in the office now, there's not enough hot air for THAT many balloons!

Another view:



I'll be sure to post a "reaction shot" when K2 returns!

Mwahahaha.....

Back-To-School Spa Night!

Mini Me is SO excited about school starting tomorrow. She is (quite literally) bouncing off the walls...or at least off the couches! We've been planning to have a little spa night for a few weeks, but time has just slipped away from us. So tonight, in honor of my precious angel's big step into the world of second grade tomorrow, we did it! (I had to find something to distract her!)

We tried to find a kids' face mask. You would think SOMEone would carry something catered toward kids. Uhhh no. We were sure that we would find something at Bath & Body Works. (After all, they have the American Girl line...which I highly recommend, by the way!) But no kids' face masks were to be found. The girls at B&BW told me that the all-natural olive face mask I have would be gentle enough for Mini Me, so we decided to give it a try!



I must say, she is quite the little spa diva. First, we cleansed our faces with Olay daily facials. We had a fabulous conversation about how to properly wash our faces without pulling at the skin, and she made sure to remind me to wash behind my ears. Then, it was time for the mask. I didn't want to put too much on her face, not knowing how her skin would react. She took one glance in the mirror and decided that it wasn't NEARLY dark enough for the picture, so we waited a few minutes to make sure she didn't have a nasty reaction, and then added a bit more for the sake of color!

After about five minutes (and a quick photo shoot), we washed the masks off. I taught her how to pat her face dry. She was amazed at how smooth her skin was, which she made sure to point out to her Daddy. He was thoroughly impressed!

I suppose every now and then I need a reminder of the simple joys of childhood. What seemed like a mundane task for me (washing my face? boring!) turned into a great adventure with her! She stops me in my tracks almost daily, and makes me do a quick self-check about what the next five or ten minutes of MY time can mean for US together. The moments I have with her are so precious, and so vital.

After all, this will be the only time we'll ever have a Night-Before-Second-Grade Spa Night!

High School Musical Fever!

I did it! I jumped on the bandwagon of crazy Moms who let their children have a party for the premier of the most-anticipated movie of the summer: High School Musical 2! Mini Me invited some of her closest friends over for food, film, fun, and of course, constant chatter! (What little-girl party would be complete without chatter?!)

We didn't have fancy decorations, but we had a TON of fun! After hot dogs, curly fries, and cupcakes, we settled in for the movie. It wasn't long before popcorn was in high demand. As you can see, the best way to keep a room full of 2nd graders (and 6th and 9th graders, in case you didn't notice them in the background) entertained is with popcorn, and Troy from High School Musical. Don't they look mesmerized???



Here, have a closer look...they're completely tuned in!



After the curtain closed on what turned out to be a consensus of "the best movie EVER," a few friends left and the others stayed for a sleepover. Yes, I am insane. I learned a lot of things about that little bunch of roses. For example, after serving cupcakes and hearing excessive giggling coming from those little angels at the table, I learned that one them has an extreme reaction to sugar. And when I say "extreme," I mean hyper. Extremely hyper. She was "practicing her cartwheels" all night...all across my living room. I also learned that another one is a hugger. But not just a "hug-you-once-and-leave-you-alone" hugger. I mean a full-contact, as-many-times-as-I-think-about-it-in-a-half-hour-span hugger. If nothing else, I felt loved.

But most importantly, I learned this is the most amazing, diverse, beautiful bunch of young ladies, and I couldn't wish for better friends for my precious Mini Me.



OH, I also learned that 2nd graders know "hot." As in, "Troy is hot." Oh boy...

I just can't wait....

...for school to start!! Yes, I realize I am not actually IN school. But around this time every summer, I yearn for the schedule and structure of the school year!! I mean, don't get me wrong. Summer is AWESOME! I love to travel. I love vacations. I love to spend time with my family and friends. I even love the Texas heat! But my OCD self loves the school year.

Yesterday, we received the long-awaited postcard telling Mini-Me who her 2nd grade teacher will be. She will be entering the TARGET program, which is for Gifted and Talented students. They spend four days a week at their regular campus, and then one day a week at another campus studying an advanced subject. She is SO excited!!! Tomorrow is Meet The Teacher. I will be sure to post an update!

Our extra-curricular schedule is packed full of events, too! On Tuesdays, she will be taking dance again...only this time, we're tackling Hip Hop! (Thankfully, it is a Christian dance studio, so it will be focused on sharp movements and timing, and NOT on pelvic thrusts.)

On Wednesdays, she'll have GA's at church. It used to be on Sundays, but they are shuffling things around this year. Hopefully it'll work!

On Thursdays, it's soccer time again! Practices start the week of Labor Day. And this year, I got wrangled into being an Assistant Coach! Go Copperheads!!

So you see, my weeks practically plan themselves. The only thing left to worry about is what's for dinner. I can handle that. Most of the time. :)