A First Day of Many Sorts

What an emotional roller coaster the "first day of school" is for a mommy. Some of my firsts on Monday were:

1. Relinquishing my "mommy control" to total strangers.
2. Watching Alyssa's daddy pack her school lunch and include a special love note for her eyes only.
3. Rushing to put on mascara and lipstick on in the morning so that a little someone could get somewhere on time. (Usually I am running late all on my own)
4. Crying first thing in the morning at the precious thought of Alyssa beginning a life journey.
5. Having a 5 year old tell me "enough pictures".
5. Having butterflies in my own stomach. (No Alyssa was not nervous, she is soooo like her dad)
6. Chasing a school bus (without my child on it) just to be nosy and see what route it takes at 7am in the morning. (By the way, I lost it somewhere ...... long story)
7. Signing a kazillion papers from school as a "parent/guardian" of a student.

I can't help to wonder how many other firsts I will have this school year.

Lame...I know

I know it is very lame that almost 2 weeks have passed and I have not posted to some of my favorite blogs, including my own. Although, it has been kinda interesting because friends and some family have called/emailed asking why have I not posted, so at least I know someone is reading our "stuff".

Well, out of the classroom has afforded me very busy summers of training science teachers around the state. Summer is no longer a down time for me, so these past 2 weeks have been a whirlwind. Let's see, I have been to a town of strawberries (Poteet, TX), a town with nothing but Dairy Queen (Dilley, TX), and a town of Pinatas (Eagle Pass, TX). Gotta love the Lone Star State! Oh yeah, and in most of these places there is no Internet connection so no 5 minute blogging breaks for me. So, I feel like I have a million things to say, but today I will only focus on a "Choked Up Last Night".

Yep, it was open house at Lissy's new "Big-Kid School". Luckily I had my point and shoot to share some of our night. My sweet little 5 year old newborn will be going to kindergarten. She calls her teacher "Miss Honey" from the Matilda movie, but her real name is Ms. Gonzales. Lissy can't wait for Monday morning, she even wants to ride the school bus! What the heck! We joined the PTA, put money on her lunch account, she found her classroom and seat, bought some spirit stuff, and filled out a ton of papers. On her information sheet we had to put the name she likes to be called, I asked her if we could put "Lissy-Lou-Lou", "Love Bunny", "Love Button", etc. You can imagine what her response was: a roll of the eyes and "Mommy, I want people to call me Alyssa". I want to be selfish, and wanna know a SECRET? I don't want her to grow up. I want her to always snuggle and have tiny fingers, tiny toes, play dress up, and make beautiful macaroni jewelry.

Best Shot Macro Monday

It's A Macro Monday for me! Have a look at some great Best Shot Monday pics that other mommy's have posted! Share yours, we would love to see!

Today I sent Lissy out on a scavenger hunt with me trying to find something "green" for the theme of today's Macro Monday. She found this beautiful Coneflower growing in our flower bed. I did not plant it there though. Hummm...... really weird. I think maybe it was growing the the same container as something else I had planted, because it was a close neighbor to a Canna. Anyhooooo.... it is a real beauty. It looks like it has about 3 more blossoms on it, I can't wait to see them all. I know, it isn't really green, but has some green, does that count? I am a sucker for this macro lens, let's me get up close and personal with some of my favorite things.

Theme Thursday: "KEY"

Thursday's Theme: "Key"

The KEY to loving life is having fun and sharing it with special people. Of course one of my favorite "people" is my princess Lissy-Lou. Now that I am a mommy sometimes I think, gosh....what was my life like without her. How boring it and I must have been. She is my joy, my inspiration, my funny, my everything. Life is so much more colorful and rich with my little princess.

So many times I have fun just through the window she provides me. My Thursday picture is into her window of having fun at Fiesta Texas this past week. She loves the Wave Pool. She is still so little that those waves keep knocking her down and she thinks that is just the coolest thing. She does not see drowning as an option, so we have to keep a close eye on her. Even though she is a great swimmer, I wonder when she could possibly catch her breath with those waves sucking her down. She thinks she is ready to master the ocean and start surfing North Shore. Oh Alyssa honey, keep giving mommy some more windows so that I can have some fun with and through you.

Wordless Wednesday

A wordless Wednesday for me.

Surprise: I am a Square!! :)

Today at work I had to classify myself as a shape. The shapes we had to choose from were:

1. Square (organized, everything has its place)

2. Triangle (some structure, sometimes in a leadership role)

3. Squiggly (very flexible, easy-going)

I am a square. But my friends and colleagues said I needed to clarify that I am a square with work and home, but my friends say my personality is a squiggly. I am still trying to figure out how that is. What are you?

Best Shot Monday

Thanks to Tracey at Best Shot Monday, for encouraging me to get my camera and take some random shots. It is a Macro Monday for me!

Living in the country has afforded us sightings of many hairy, icky, loud, slimy, pokey critters. We have porcupines, coyotes, opossums, scorpions, snakes, geckos, racoons, tons of birds, etc....etc..... Last month as soon as sunset would hit, there was a loud ruckus going on in the trees. Me, being the insect lover I am (yes..I know I'm weird) I found the culprit...it was katydids! Being fairly new to Texas, this was an awesome surprise. Last month there were thousands, this month, I had to hunt to take a picture one! Where did they all go? Summer is not over, how dare they, we still have a couple of weeks!

Live Extravagant

Today at church I realized something as the pastor spoke about Mark 14: 1-9. It was about a lady who all she had to give to Jesus in gratitude and worship, before he was to be crucified, was an expensive perfume (perfume she could have sold). Instead, she broke the vase and annointed him with the scent. Before his death, everyone that came in contact with him would smell the scent and wherever the Good News is preached throughout the world, this woman's deed will be talked about in her memory.

Our pastor encouraged us, to every once in a while live extravagant and break our own vases (whatever those vases may be...maybe even our own spirit...let it pour out and touch someone else) rather than tiptoeing around those guarded specialities or saving something for a rainy day. Why? .... because we can, because "it" or "we" may not always be around, and because it means something.

So today after lunch, we came home and I lit a beautiful expensive candle that Chad bought me years ago. It is a special bird of paradise candle (helps me remember details of our wedding day in Hawaii) that I would only light on special events or if we were expecting company. Today my company was my family. The candle burned for about 5 minutes when all of a sudden, Lissy comes down from upstairs, with an excited look on her face, and says, "Mommy, what is that smell, I just love it".

Now its your turn, Break a "vase"!

I Wanna Play!

One of my favorite blogs to read is Maile at "Relish". I have never met her, but she seems like such fun. Plus she is such an inspiration to photography. So I caught her blog today and she invited us to play.

8 Random Facts About Me:

1. I buy cute shoes first, then the outfit.

2. I give my Yorkie (Abbie Gayle) kisses and then tell her "Thank You".

3. Have set my alarm clock for ebay items (more times than I wanna admit).

4. Invest in a new craft and then never find time to do it.

5. I'm afraid of the dark.

6. I have a favorite blankie that is several years old (no Monica, you can't have it).

7. Love to walk on the Hawaiian beaches with octopus' at my feet (long story... ask Chad).

8. I wish I could wear red high heels every day and be comfortable.

I invite you to play.... and share!

Does anyone know what a Snow Cone is anymore?

Last night Lissy and I were at HEB, buying the usual necessities...milk, Lucky Charms, toilet tissue, sweettarts, etc. Now that the rain has finally succumed, it is getting really hot, even at 8:00 at night. So we were walking out of HEB (our local supermarket here in TX) and there is this tiny little snow cone stand. So I asked Lissy, "Honey, do you want a snow cone?" her answer was, "What is that?". I think she saw the shock on my face (she's only had about a million since her birth) then raised her hand and said wait mommy, I know what that is.....do you mean shaved ice? raspa? (that is what they call it in TX) ice with kool-aid? What ever happened to good ole fashioned snowcone? It still looks like a snow cone to me. Oh, how that brings back the memories of chasing down the snow-cone lady in her big white truck as she rang the little bell for $0.25 snowcones...you could even get pickle juice! Yes I know, I am dating my age.

Trippin' Thursday

One of our favorite places to take a "trip" to is Target, they have such cute stuff there! We just got a new one around the corner from our house. Although I hate seeing all of the trees cut down and land flattened, it is kinda exciting to see a Target, Chico's, TJ Maxx, etc. Since my princess will be starting kinder this year we set out on a trip to Target to get her "supplies". I always loved the start of school when I was little. It was so fun to organize things, label, and pack all of the new crayons and pencils. I was surprised that in the past 30 years, schools have certainly surpassed just crayons and pencils. Her supply list for kindergarten included construction paper, clip boards, wet wipes, it is crazy! And...nothing can be labeled with her name! Hummmm...... I am a teacher too, but I guess at HS we are just lucky if they bring their bodies to class :) Happy Back to School Shopping to you, and don't forget the checkbook (you will need it...maybe even the savings acct)!

Wordless Wednesday

A Wordless Wednesday for us!