First Things First!!

I know, I owe you Fall Break pictures and Halloween pictures but first..........

OUR RED SOX WON!!!!!!

I asked Delaney if she wants to go to Boston next Spring to watch the Red Sox play and she said "yes, I will wear red socks".....

This little girl has 3 birthday parties this weekend and play practice!

Life with an 8 year old is busy.

Where has October gone???

We don't know which to be more excited over here at Camp Crazy!!!

Our beloved Red Sox are winning 

And the Hallmark Christmas movies start TOMORROW!

We had a great Fall Break (more on that later) and are back in the swing of things....we are soaking up all things Fall and "one" of us is getting excited for a fun tropical vacation while the "other" one of us is not so excited :-)

GO SOX!!!!

GO HALLMARK!!!

Living our best October

Dance is in full swing and Delaney is loving it. And just like with gymnastics, she has implemented her "no reading rule". 

We have a few more days of school and then we are off for Fall Break!

Second grade is going great! Delaney has all A's except one B (religion). Her teacher text me and told me not to even bother signing up for a parent/teacher conference because Delaney is doing so well. #donthavetotellmetwice 

Is it just me or once it's October are all of your weekends booked through Christmas? 

We're hoping to enjoy all things October....including some of these!

My Star Student

Happy October!!!

a/k/a the BEST month of the year.

(sidenote: I wanted to get married in October but "someone" waited until June to propose)......

I woke up almost giddy that it was October (well that, and the fact I was headed to Target after drop off). And then I was headed to the car dealership because of some pesky little light that kept coming on about low oil, shut off engine. I am religious about oil changes so I was pretty sure it was just a sensor or even worse, major engine trouble because you know, my car is just shy of 100,000 miles when everything goes wrong! My mechanic (another sidenote: he is the husband of the girl who fixed Dave and I up) came out and said "you need an oil change AND NEW TIRES". I told him those tires are only 4 years old and I don't go anywhere! Dave's friend reminded me of all my Target Trips :-)

Play practice is in full swing and started this weekend. Delaney had a play date on Saturday for 7 hours and it was glorious I tell you. I picked her up and the mom said "Delaney told me she wants a Chrysler Pacifica". My daughter is obsessed with getting one. It's ALL she talks about. So much that we had a conversation (which was really me yelling at her) that I didn't want to hear one more word about a Chrysler Pacifica because it was never going to happen. So now when we see one Dave's daughter points and says "there's the car I'm not allowed to talk about".........

Delaney is the student of the week so she and grandma got busy on her poster. I dropped her off this morning and told my student of the week to have a great day and she asked me if I could just call her my daughter, Delaney. 

Her poster says she wants to be a doctor or a teacher. I told her after consuming my life with so many play practices she better change that to an actress!

Well, I am off now to do all things pumpkin!!! Just kidding, I am going to pick up a new gas grill because I am too lazy to clean ours across town!

Happy Fall!

Fall la la la la la la la la

Fallelujah

NATIONAL DAUGHTERS DAY (is that a real thing)???

It's no secret this girl right here is my life....(in fact, we even have a little saying) 

ME: My love

DELANEY: My life...

and this one....

ME: Whole Heart

DELANEY: Whole life....

Get the picture??

It's so hard to wrap my mind around not having a girl.

Nine years ago I was pretty sure I was pregnant with a boy. For 20 weeks, I thought boy. But on November 10, 2009 that ultrasound tech said 

IT'S A GIRL!!!!

Now, I'm sure if there's a National Daughters Day, there's a National Sons Day but today (like every other day), I am just eternally grateful that this girl right here calls me "mom"...I mean we have the best life! I just never know what the day will hold living with this little girl. The first thing she wanted to know this morning (after confirming if it was a school day) was if her daddy wore a neck tie or a bow tie at our wedding! She's nothing if not random! (P.S. it was a neck tie).

(I'm also eternally grateful that we are having fall like temperatures today because this picture was taken at an outdoor wedding in the dead heat of summer :-)

2nd Grade School Picture

No picture retakes for us this year! 

How did this little girl become a 2nd grader?

On top of that, this week she learned how to ride her bike without training wheels and bought a "hot lunch" (walking tacos) at school. 

I don't know which one of those I was more excited about :-)

"YOU BELONG WITH ME".....

After a long 9 months of waiting it was time!!

We didn't tell Delaney about going to see Taylor Swift until a couple of weeks before the concert. #becauseiamasmartmom #shewouldhavedrivenmecrazy 

Delaney and Aubree ready to "Shake It Off" 

She loved it so much and was dancing like no one was watching.

It was quite the production....

And these girls loved it!

I think her bracelet is still lighting up... 

It was a blast going with these girls. Delaney was so well behaved #exceptforwalkingbacktoourhotelinhercowgirlboots and Taylor Swift did not disappoint!

When Words Fail You Because You Feel So Much More Than What You Can Say

Maybe she'll grow up to be a ballerina......

Or maybe a football player :-)

Or a comedian (because she's the funniest person I know)

I don't know what she'll be but mercy me do I love this girl!!

Happy Birthday Daddy!

Back to School Update

School may be back in session but we're still doing a lot of this! Our pool will be open for two more months so we're trying to soak up every bit we can. We just got some new landscaping out back so here's to hoping we can keep it alive :-)

This girl and her babies....

"Pool hair, don't care".......

(those are mosquito bites on her arm, not bruises)

I mean there's really just nothing sweeter than this girl, there just isn't. I can't even tell her how much she means to me because there just aren't words.....

 Not real sure why she looks so big here! 

She swims, I do this..........(it's sooooo good--the tea and the book)!

So when we go to Target, I always stop to look at the ads. 

I need to see the "big picture". 

Apparently so does Delaney. 

We went to Delaney's cousin, Braxon's birthday party and his mom is THE BEST at parties. It was an airplane theme and I kid you not she even had her daughter walking around with a tray of peanuts to pass around to the "passengers" #nowwhothinksofthat

 And it's back to tailgating....

She really should have been home studying #oooops

 And apparently coloring....

I love that she added the lady bug

 #theymakmethinkofherdaddy #howdoesheknowtodothat

Oh, and have I mentioned this is happening (again).....

#pleaseprayforme #iamnotadancemom #onlyiam

"We" are settling into 2nd grade really well. "We" haven't hit the snooze button once, I've only done the jammy drop off once, and I hate to even jinx myself but Delaney hasn't caught any "back to school bugs/germs" that have kept her home. She normally misses a day the first week of school.

She got the teacher she wanted and we're off to an awesome start (well, other than she missed one on her social studies test and forgot to study for her religion test!). There is a drastic increase in homework in 2nd grade friends......

Speaking of tests, she had her first spelling test last week and didn't miss one. This girl is an awesome speller. Last year, she only missed one spelling word the entire year. She "we" were devastated and pretty sure the teacher made a mistake (ha ha) but now, we just "goke" about it :-)

First Friday!!

We decided we needed to celebrate the First Friday of Second Grade!

So we met some friends for dinner

For pizza (Apparently Delaney didn't get the "casual memo")

And Ice Cream 

And then home for a swim!

Oh this girl.....

Oh.....Hey!!!! Remember Us? The Newsom Girls???

We really didn't mean to ignore you all summer! We found ourselves on vacation the whole summer. I thought five vacations sounded fun but it turns out, doing laundry, packing, unpacking, doing the same laundry isn't all that fun! So next year, it's one big trip for us! We didn't take any week long vacations but we sure did have fun! 

I'm not real sure how Delaney has swimmer's ear since we've been gone but she does. We are literally using the hair dryer on her ear after it gets wet.

Someone started 2nd grade today!

I turned the alarm back on last night and hoped for the best.

We got right up and when Delaney saw me getting dressed she said "oh, I forgot, you have to get dressed today to walk me in".....#sheknowsmewell #ipreferthejammydropoff #firstdaytrumpsjammies #tomorrowitsbacktojammies #sheisgettingdroppedoff

I was super impressed that that crooked bow of her's stayed in all day. 

She hardly ate any of her lunch because admittedly, she talked too much at lunch. I guess these kids had lots to catch up on.

 In true form, I think we were the last ones there!

And I quickly remembered how fast a school day goes by. 

I felt like I turned right around and picked her back up! 

Then it was off to McAlister's where Delaney ordered Sunny Side up chips but what she really meant to ask for was "Sun" chips. I HEART this kid BIG!

It's going to be a great year!

Come along for the ride.......................

And that's a Wrap!!!

This week was what you probably know as "Field Day" for Delaney at school. Can you guess what the big hit was for the kids? Can you also guess which mom let Delaney go to the funeral home with this huge butterfly on her face?? I worked the cake walk and I"m sure it won't surprise you that by the end of my 3 hour shift, there was no more music and I was just handing out the cake a/k/a Oreo cookies by the dozens! Next year, I'm going for the face painting, it's in the shade :-)

This little girl woke up this morning to her last day of First Grade! 

And yes, I know, he would have never allowed the cold shoulder dress :-) 

(Actually, I don't think her Principal does either)

But a special day called for a new special dress (and shoes, of course)!

 (Besides, I didn't feel like doing the laundry)

 You see, this little girl didn't know it, but she was about to get a BIG award!  

I mean.....Big 

"And the female recipient of the Christian Attitude Award goes to................"

DELANEY NEWSOM

One boy and one girl from each class is chosen by their teacher. This is Delaney's buddy and of course, I didn't get his mom's permission to post his face but trust me, he deserves it!!

I stood there and took this picture thinking someday it's going to be her diploma and then her college degree and I just can't imagine I'll ever be more proud of her than I am standing right here, as she holds this award. Getting good grades is great but doing the right thing even when no one is looking, well, that's more than I can ever ask for. Since March 25, 2010 at 1:39 am. (or was it 1:49 a.m.?? I can never remember) I have never been more proud of Delaney!

We've had a rough week and I usually do something fun for her last day like decorate her bedroom but this was the extent of what she got today.....

 So, a far cry from the mom who decorated her car with a TON of balloons in their school colors!

#aintnobodygottimeforthat

And just like that, I have a 2nd grader!!!

I immediately came home and sent Delaney's teacher an email. Only this one wasn't giving her a head's up that she was going to be getting a letter from Delaney asking her to repeat First Grade so she can have her again :-)

No, this one thanked her for such a great school year. Don't forget to go the extra mile with your teachers! Send in just because notes, emails, texts, gift cards. Ask them what supplies they are low on in class, what's an extra roll of paper towels, pencils, band-aids??? We all know teachers don't teach for the money and that holds especially true for private schools. 

As soon as I pulled out of school, I was thinking my heart was going to burst with joy I was so honored to be Delaney's mom and proud doesn't even begin to cover it. And 30 seconds later, I got an email from the Principal about the school shooting about 45 minutes north of where we live. My bursts of joy were short lived to say the least. Look up the safest school in America!! You'll be shocked where it is.

Dear Delaney,

You kicked First Grade's butt!

I will never forget watching you receive your Christian Attitude Award. I may not ever remember what time you were born but I WILL remember that! I'm also never going to forget all of the parents who congratulated not just you, but me. The texts messages are still coming........

I blinked and 180 (I just had to stop typing and ask Delaney how many actual school days they have---who knew!) days went by. I saw you mature at record speed this year. You have your daddy's loving heart (I also just had to stop typing to confirm ask her who she gets her loving heart from and she said "daddy") and his easy going spirit. It's no surprise to me at all that your teacher also gave you an award for "being a sweet friend". You really are the sweetest thing I have ever laid eyes on. I can't believe I have to get used to saying I have a 2nd grader! 

Always remember to do the right thing Delaney, even when no one is looking..........

Now let's do Summer 2018!

I would also like to say that Delaney just asked me if we can go to a hotel to swim........

8 Years......

I can get over his death, but I'll never get over his life

Or the one he gave me........

You're Invited to a Potty Party!!!

I sent these pictures to aunt Catherine last night so I thought I would share them on the blog. 

And, while the bathroom is clean :-)

Our basement bathroom is done and "open for business". I won't bore you with why I didn't put the shower back in but we are so happy to at least have a half bath downstairs.

When Delaney got home on Sunday she asked me if anyone had to use the bathroom at the Derby party (um....duh) and if I told them she designed it (um...no).

We are on a roll at our house and I have a two page list of "stuff that needs done". You would think we are about to list our house (we aren't).

Actually, I won't have to list it, our next door neighbors want to buy it, now how weird is that?? Who moves next door???

Introducing your "mismatched" tour guide.........................

Our contractor is really good with design/color so for some crazy reason I let him pick out the paint color "Revere Pewter" from Benjamin Moore (my favorite paint). He got it completely painted and then I decided it was "too beige" for the grey tile and then he had to repaint it :-)

Repose grey from Sherwin Williams for the win!!