October 31, 2014

Happy Halloween

Happy Halloween Everyone!

Bri is so excited about trick or treating tonight.

The cousins are coming over and we are also walking with a neighborhood friend.

My girl was dressed for Halloween as she headed to school today...

Today is also her Boosterthon Fun Run at school.

Hope everyone has a wonderfully spooktacular day/evening!!!

October 30, 2014

Draculaura 1600


Here is my little Draculaura 1600 (from Monster High)!

I always take photos of B before Halloween in her costume because Halloween night (when the cousins come to walk) is waaaaay to exciting to actually concentrate and pose for fancy pictures. And I like to do a dress rehearsal so I actually know what I am doing on Halloween night.

I honestly can't believe how stinkin' cute this costume tuned out. I ordered it for Briana a while back when she saw it online. I was so excited because the whole outfit came together including the wig. Jackpot! When the costume came, I pulled the dress and accessories out of the bag and they were adorable. The dress was actually very well made.

But then I pulled out the wig. Oh good gracious. It was a hot mess. The way the company had it pulled up in rubber bands was a nightmare. (The wig is honestly a piece of junk.) And it was so messed up when I first saw it, I didn't think Bri could even wear it. 

I cut all the rubber bands out of it and started to comb it out. It feels like straw. The pink strands in the front had been pulled up into the rubber bands, but I decided to let them hang down ~ I think it really helped the wig out. And of course, a vampire princess isn't supposed to have perfect hair, so that bit of a disheveled look actually works in B's favor. ;)

(Honestly, she could wear a paper sack and look cute though.)

When all was said and done, including white powder, some eyeliner and lipstick, she looked simply adorable. And she is SOOOO happy with it - and that is what really matters.

Here are some of my favorite shots from the photo shoot...































Catching Up (Including A Soccer Update)

Wow - I am so behind on blogging. I feel like I lost a week of my life when I got sick. I guess that is because I did. 

Two Saturdays ago (the day of Maisie's party), Briana played two amazing soccer games in the afternoon. She just rocked it. Her footwork was amazing, she made a couple of goals and she was just zigging all around people. She was really on her game. She also played goalie position for a little while...


After the game, she wanted to try and find her friend "I" at our neighborhood fall festival. We stopped by for a short while because we had to get to the party.

She ran into her soccer friend Z there...

And also her friend A from school...

Unfortunately, we never found "I" - such a bummer!

Bri did decide to roll around in the inflatable ball with her friend Z...



The girls were rolling all over each other. It was pretty funny.

They are just so sweet together...

The day after the festival and party, Doug and I took Bri to see the movie "Book of Life"...

And that evening, B lost tooth #10...

Monday rolled around and I felt fine all day. I even went to watch soccer practice that Monday evening. But that night, my throat started feeling a bit funny. I hoped it wouldn't turn into anything - but it did. I got so sick with a nasty cold. The kind of cold where you can hardly climb out of bed. Whenever Bri was at school, I was in bed. I didn't want it to turn into pneumonia and/or bronchitis like my last two experiences with sickness. This one stayed in my head thank goodness.

My friend Laura invited Bri come over to play on Thursday afternoon with her daughter Ella so I could rest a bit more. It was much appreciated!! 

 And I had promised Bri she could have a play date with her friend "I" (since we didn't run into her at the festival). I was feeling a bit better by Friday evening, so I brought Bri to the neighborhood playground to play with her friend "I" (and her siblings) and I met "I's" mom. The kids (and moms) had a such nice time...

Saturday rolled around again and though I wasn't 100%, I wanted to see Bri's two last regular games of the season.

The weather was beautiful. Unfortunately, Bri wasn't her best for some reason. She got accidentally bonked in the head by the ball early on the first game and just didn't get her mojo back after that. She wasn't terrible, but she just wasn't her awesome self...



She actually did pretty well on goalie that day...

The girls won the first game and tied the second. They have only lost one game this whole season.

We have an awesome team this season. The sweetest girls around...

This upcoming Saturday is the tournament. I really hope the girls do well because they have done so well this whole season. Anything can happen though and I hope they don't get all up in their heads. I know they can do well ~ I just know they can.

Now this week has been all about Halloween for us. I've been feeling better and we are really in the Halloween spirit.

Sunday, I did a costume dress rehearsal and photo shoot with Miss B. She looked so adorable as Draculaura 1600 (from Monster High)...

I will put up a million several pictures of the photo shoot in my next post. ;)

October 28, 2014

A Sleepover Party

The weekend before last, Bri's friend Maisie turned 9 years old. 9!!!! How in the world did that happen? Time is flying by too quickly.

That Saturday night, Maisie had a sleepover party with her close friends.

(A number of the photos are compliments of Lisa S. :D )

The girls played outside for a while...

Then they roasted hotdogs on the fire pit and played some more.

Then it was cupcake time...


Time for Maisie to open her gifts...

(April was whispering to Bri what she had gotten Maisie)

Happy Birthday Maisie!!


Marshmallow roasting time...


Time to get in jammies and watch a movie...


Doug and I went out to dinner for a couple of hours during the party and then went back to Maisie's house to check on the party girls (who were having a blast) and hang out with the birthday girl's parents for a while.

Bri had been on the fence about staying the whole night, so Doug and I hung around to see if she wanted to stay or go. It was about 11PM and Briana said she was ready to go home. She just wasn't ready for a big time sleepover just yet. :)

She got to do all the important fun stuff - she just didn't do the sleeping part. Maybe next time. :)

Super great party - Bri had an awesome time!

October 24, 2014

Blah

I haven't blogged in a week.

I had a pretty busy schedule last weekend and then late Monday I felt the scratchy throat coming. I tried to Zicam it, but it didn't work.

I've been so sick all week.

Just a nasty, icky cold, but it has kicked my tush.

I'll be blogging again soon - as soon as I can breathe.

(I'm just so glad I didn't get it on Halloween.)

October 17, 2014

Parent-Teacher Conference Week

This week at school was parent-teacher conference week and that meant that I had to pick Briana up an hour early each day (there was no running club practice this week).

Briana's conference was at 2PM on Monday. She was the very first conference of the week for her class. I don't know why I always get nervous about conferences, but I just can't help it. I always get a good report, but there's just something about getting updates about your kid when you are not around.

Doug and I sat down and Bri's teacher immediately said, "This will be an easy one." Whew. That made me feel great. We went over what Bri had been doing in class and the teacher showed us some of her work. She's doing awesome! The teacher and student teacher both say she is doing wonderfully. She is exceeding expectations in a lot of areas. Bri's teacher Mrs. D said she likes getting hugs from Bri (Bri hugs all off her teachers past and present). B told Mrs. D, "I'm a hugger." Heh. It's true. ;)

 After our great conference, we stopped by the book fair to buy a couple books for Bri. All the castles that were submitted for the contest were displayed in the library and we were told the winners had been chosen. Sadly, Bri and T didn't win in their grade. To be honest, the castles that were picked as winners were the ones that looked like the kids completed them with no parental help at all. Which is actually the way it should be I guess. As for Bri and T, their hopes and expectations for their castle were way above anything they could actually accomplish all on their own in the time frame they had, so I had to help them with some execution. But the girls really worked their tushes off on it and I'm sad they didn't win for the amount of effort put into it. Oh well - you win some, you lose some.

Here is a pic of the library (these aren't the winning castles)...

Oh - remember this picture from our visit to the bbq place on the way to Blue Ridge? And remember that Briana wanted a pig so badly on the hill? And also remember that I said that I didn't think it would actually happen???

Well it did!!!!! And here it is (LOL!)...

I found an e-mail address for the restaurant and hounded the owner for several weeks until he actually did it. He was nice about it, but he just kept getting busy and putting it off. I was getting a bit irritated because I paid money for something that wasn't being delivered. It was the principle of the thing dang it! LOL! And I had a kid that wanted her name on that hill. Finally, the owner sent me a picture - Briana got her pig! Heh.

Thank goodness...

We did have some nasty, rainy weather on Tuesday morning - a cool front came through. Of course that was the day that Doug had to fly to DC (just for the day). He managed to fly out just fine thank goodness. The weather has been just beautiful the last few days since then. Fall is really settling in Georgia now.

This afternoon (Friday) was really pretty outside, I had to make Bri go out and play for a while. I brought her to our neighborhood playground. She friended a couple of little girls right away and they played for a little while...

I brought Bri's bike with us and let her ride around the parking lot after the little girls left (and no one was around but us). The parking lot is so much bigger and nicer to ride around than our driveway.

She liked riding around on her new bike...

Doug surprised us by showing up at the playground with a soccer ball (he got done with work a bit early) and he kicked it around with Bri for a while. B has a game tomorrow, so extra practice is always good...

Speaking of soccer, Team Argentina did great on Saturday! Briana was amazing. Her passing and control of the ball was fantastic that day - she made several assists and one beautiful goal. She is probably the best passer on the team right now...

Team Argentina won both of their games that day.

I unfortunately got bit on the ankle by a yellow jacket before the first game even started. It was so painful. Luckily I was able to get some ice from the concession stand, but that bite stung for at least 7 or 8 hours. Not fun.

So that was our week. Not super eventful, but I don't mind. Sometimes we just need a week here and there that is just kind of quiet.

October 14, 2014

Disney On Ice - Frozen

Being front row for the Disney On Ice show allowed me to get some amazing pictures and video!

***If you have tickets to the show for a later date, you may not want to view my post. These pictures will give a lot away. I won't be mad if you stop reading right now!***

Ok - here I go...

This was the first time we went to an ice show that was entirely devoted to one particular movie (except for the opening number which included Mickey and some other familiar Disney faces).

The show was absolutely amazing.

When the song "Let It Go" came on, every kid in the arena was singing along. I've never in my life heard anything like it. Doug said it best...it was "hair-raising."

Bri and Daddy...

Bri and Mom...

 The opening number had some familiar faces...








Here is a clip from the number...



Then it was right on to Frozen.

Young Kristoff and Sven...

The Head Troll...

The Duke Of Weselton came out and looked directly at Briana. He made the "I'm watching you" gesture to her. She got the biggest kick out of that...


(Just like this...)


Grown up Anna came out...




Briana was mesmerized the entire time...

Prince Hans...


Elsa (at last!)...





The "Let It Go" number was amazing...

You can hear all the kids singing...



There was an intermission after the "Let It Go" number. 

Second act ~

Olaf! A crowd fave...



The Olaf number was one of my favorites...



The trolls...

Loved this number too...



Happy ending...


Finale...


The show was amazing. Wouldn't have missed it for the world.

And Doug brought Bri and I to an amazing restaurant for dinner after the show ~ Gio's Chicken Amalfitano...

Some of the best chicken that I have ever had in my life...

And what is better than gelato for dessert? Not much...

This is my excited little Elsa before we headed out for the show...


We had a quick lunch at the CNN center (which is attached to the arena) and Bri posed in front of The Mystery Machine...

If you can still get tickets to see the show, get them! It was so amazing!!!
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