First Date....Oh my!

Well, I guess I should have predicted it....she turns 16 years old (the age where dating officially begins) and it took Amanda exactly 1 month to have her first "official" date. Last night was the 1 month anniversary, yes I dad say 1 month, that Amanda and Bailey have been "going out". They went to dinner at a nice Italian place here in town, just to text me frantically wondering how much of a tip to leave.

Awww....to be young and in love! I have to admit it was super cute and the two were so excited to be celebrating such a milestone! I'm sure there will be many more first dates in the upcoming years, but I couldn't resist snapping this picture of the very first, first date!

Lesson in Fender Benders

I didn't realize how relaxed I have become with just one teenage driver. With Josh almost being 19, It's taken me 3 years for me to not freak out every time he calls. Well, now that Amanda is driving, I have to admit that I am back to square one. Every time she calls I can't help but wonder if something is wrong.

Yesterday, was the day that I had been dreading and knew eventually would happen. You know it's not going to be good when before you say hello, you hear your daughter yelling "OH MY GOD!" Apparently while leaving school, she was stopped in the long line of cars going slow over the speed bumps when the guy in front of her rolled backwards and hit her. It was very minor and only dented the license plate frame and license plate, but still enough to scare the bejesus out of both of us.

I know it could have been a lot worse so I'm just thankful that her first lesson in fender benders was a small one. She was scared to drive to school this morning, but hopefully that fear will translate to her being more careful and cautious of her surroundings. All of this however, will not ease the stress on my heart!

Volleyball Rocks!

The regular season of volleyball is finally over and although our JV team won some and lost some, the Varsity team made it to playoffs. Normally, I wouldn't be posting about this, however, Amanda a few other JV players were moved up to varsity as alternates. It's not likely that she will get any playing time, but it is exciting none-the-less.

Last night was game #1 and it was a dozy of a game. Lampassas put up a good fight but our girls were able to pull out a win in 3 straight match wins! I am so impressed with the playing ability of these young girls....nothing compared to the ability of my team or I when I played varsity volleyball light years ago.

On an unrelated subject....Amanda is the proud owner of a new car. Yes, this will make #3 for her at only 16 years old. Before you think how spoiled she may be, let me explain. Car #1 was a standard and she just couldn't learn to drive it...safely that is. Car #2 spent more time in the shop than she did driving it. Everyday, she was stranded somewhere in it and with me working 45 minutes away, I was a nervous wreck to say the least. So that brings us to car #3....last week we bit the bullet and got a newer, better car for her. We surprised her with a 2007 Jeep Liberty. Its perfect for her and did I mention that I really like it too? Hmmm, may have to think of an excuse to borrow it sometime. It is a huge relief to me and especially since Amanda helps out so much getting the boys from point A to point B. No more frantic calls that she is stranded. And better yet, the payment is small enough that she can afford to pay it with a part time job. The best part is, no more driving to the high school late at night to pick her up from an away volleyball game! Another reason why volleyball rocks!

New Birthday Haircut...Compliments of Himself!

I am a bit late in posting about Samuel's 6th birthday. Our entire household had the swine flu that particular day and for several days thereafter.

Anyway, I can't believe that this was the 4th birthday that we have gotten to spend with him. Seems like only yesterday we endured the long flight back from Russia with him. As you can see, it hasn't taken him long to really rack up those gifts.

Oh, yea and the crooked haircut....ya, that was complements of himself the day before his birthday. Which also happened to be the day before picture day at school. Thank God that we were all sick....maybe it will grow out before retakes. I honestly thought that when he did this around age 3, that we had seen the last of it. Obviously I was wrong. Seriously, it doesn't look half as bad when you comb it over, but hey....he is 6 and hair doesn't stay put that long.

His favorite gifts were his new bike and football jersey. Okay, so we really aren't Cowboy fans, however even though this is Texas, the Houston Texas don't seem to be very popular. I was just looking out for his best interest in knowing he would fit in at school with a Cowboys jersey rather than say a Bronco's jersey! Actually, he didn't seem to care at all. It was football and that is all that mattered!

The bowling party was a hit with Sam and his friends. Probably safe to say that we won't be expecting him to become a pro-bowler anytime in the future, but at least he didn't confuse the sport of baseball with bowling much like Carter did!

P-A-R-T-Y....San Antonio Sytle

The party went exactly as planned! (with the exception that one friend couldn't make it at the last minute) The girls all had a great time and my friend, Karri and I enjoyed sharing in their fun. We stayed at the Courtyard Marriott, which is a new hotel right on the Riverwalk. It was very nice...well, until the morning after that is. Their room was a mess and I am just waiting to see if there are any extra charges on my credit card. So far, so good! There was confetti EVERYWHERE! When I say everywhere, I mean everywhere....in the beds, bathtub, sink, floor, balcony, desk, just about anywhere you can possibly think of. We also wrote with lipstick on the mirrors of the bathroom "16 Reasons Why We Love Amanda". The balloons added a cute touch, however really irriated the girls when they found them hovering around their face the next morning.

I made a sash for Amanda to wear with the 16 tasks that she and her friends must find on the Riverwalk. I was afraid that she may resist the fun....but she was a good sport and really started getting into in once the night began. Here are the 16 things she had to do/find:

1. Ask a stranger to kiss your hand


2. A Starbucks cup signed by an employee


3. The Harley Davidson logo


4. A take out menu


5. Ask a stranger to write you a birthday message on a napkin


6. Buy something for exactly $1 including tax


7. Ask a stranger for a quarter until you get a Texas quarter


8. Find a cute boy and take a picture with him


9. Get someone to give you a birthday spanking


10. Take a picture of bathroom graffiti


11. Find a police officer, security guard or bouncer and take a picture with him


12. Take a picture with a man over the age of 50


13. Take a picture of a guy with a mullet


14. Buy a postcard


15. Get a book of matches with a hotel logo


16. Ask of group of people to sing you "Happy Birthday"

I think finding a cute boy to take a picture with was the task that took the longest. She was just to embarrassed! It was a lot of fun and I think the other girls got a kick out of watching Amanda squirm! Needless to say, the weekend was full of laughter.

We enjoyed a nice dinner at the Rainforest Cafe! What a cool place! Other than the long wait...the food was great and the atmosphere was really enjoyable.

I hope that it created as many memories for Amanda as it did for me! She really is an awesome daughter and deserved every minute of it!