Mad SKILLZ

We are teaching Dallin how to cook. Well... Trying to. I don't want any of my kids to marry before 28 yrs of age. Too many mormon people getting married at 19 and can I just say you are an idiot at 19. I am one of these people and!! I want my life back!!! I wish I had been single well into my late 20s. If he follows my rule then that means he will be a bachelor for a really long time. So he should know how to cook right? I present exhibit A: Dallin's sausage creations. Instead of just making round sausages he made a skull for Derek, a heart for Olivia, and number 1 for Addie, and a square for Andrew. I will let you figure out what is what. Just know there is never a dull breakfast at Casa Del Camille!

Halloween 2013

Derek's 6th Birthday

We had a combined party with Peyton the week before Halloween. We rented the same slide from two years prior. It was so much fun (again). At one point the men were grabbing kids and throwing them down the slide and they would just bounce off the bottom like rag dolls. And then later we got the hose out and turned it into a water slide. We had the slide for a total of 9 hours so it was a blast! Usually if you go to a local event you pay and wait in line forever just to slide down once. This way we could go as many times as we wanted. He got a bike and drum set this year. And his cake was and Pinata were minions. Peyton had little mermaid stuff but the common color was blue so it all blended really well. I love him and hate that he is growing up. He is so happy ALL THE TIME. I wish I could bottle up his positive way of looking at life. He really is such a joy and so sweet we love that he came into our family.

Sisterly Love

Saw these notes that the girls shared back and forth. Addie inviting Olivia for a sleep over (they share the same room so it cracks me up that there was a need for a formal invitation), and then Olivia responds with some self esteem boosters for Addie. I thought they would love to read this and get a good chuckle out of it one day when they are all grown up. I love my sisters. They are my best friends. Even though Addie and Olivia fight all the time I have proof that there is some love there.

Stomach Bug

They say a picture is worth a thousand words yada yada yada.... Any ways I found drawings Addie made of her recent bout with the stomach bug. She had to stay home from school and just lay down on the couch getting up to throw up when she felt the need. Its adorable cause she drew it up like a comic strip. You can basically tell what's going on from the drawings (at least I could anyways).

Grandma's latest project

Grandma sewed the girls a dress and they have these patterns now where you can make their doll a matching dress. The girls loved the idea and I am happy for them. They get to do fun things like this with my mom cause I have no interest in sewing. But the girls love sewing projects. Thank you Grandma!!!!

First time getting in trouble at school

Picked the kids up form school and Derek got in the car with the saddest face I have ever seen. When I asked what was wrong he just hung his head and cried on his sisters shoulder. Poor guy got in trouble for the first time. The ironic part is this sensitive little guy was in trouble cause he punched some one in the face. Sooo... he must not have been tender hearted when said kid pissed him off. It just makes me laugh cause it NEVER and I truly mean EVER upset me to get in trouble and I was in trouble ever half hour. I guess they were fighting over a game at recess and the kid was saying really really mean things so Derek stood up for himself (note my proud tone there). He felt bitterly betrayed cause his close friend went up and told the teacher on him when they got back inside. I told him the kid that told is not a real friend. ha ha ha. You can see how much I have grown up since my rebel days.

Worst idea EVER!

Got really bored with the kids in school. I am looking into a second job but it has to be just right for my life so I can still be a mom. In the meantime I have been pretty bored. I found a piece of furniture on craigslist and thought refinishing it would be the perfect project. NOT!! I have painted furniture before but this was a whole new ballgame because I had to scrape off three layers of paint in order to paint it this time. I tried stripper but that made everything sticky and goopy so after that failed I decided to just scratch the paint off with a metal spatula. The tiny grooves and corners took sooo much time and it was hot in the garage so it was just awful. I hate the piece so much I was thinking about paying some one to come get it. But I knew Andrew would be pissed that I spent so much money on it and I had to follow through. I finally finished it and am happy with the result but I will never ever ever do a project like that again. I have no patience. I thought I had very little but this project exposed my complete lack of patience. Hopefully soon I can find a second job. Until then I will just keep going to lunch with my friends. Which is more about spending money than making it :/

Addie turns 9

Basic birthday. As they get older we stop throwing big parties and just keep it easy. Cupcakes for her class. Pizza dinner and presents. Her favorite present was from her aunt. She spent a couple of weeks with Annette this summer. And she got to do and buy everything she wanted. It was a nice fun summer for her cause I am usually burned out and don't pull off very many fun activities. Any way she got a Lego set that is a horse farm. Complete with many lego horses a stable and a cute farm house. She couldn't wait to build it and she keeps it all set up in her room. She gets snippy if any one tries to touch it and she goes in and plays with it every day. My guess is its just as much about her love for horses as it is her love for her aunt. She is still doing amazingly well in school. I never help her with her homework or piano and yet she is above average in everything she does. The other day Andrew was out of town and she woke me up to tell me she had made the lunches for every one and put her little brothers shoes on. I rolled over and went back to sleep. Honestly not sure what to do with a daughter like her. Just keep loving her I guess? Happy 9th Birthday Addie!

First game of 2013 season

Derek's in Kindergarten

My last one is in REAL school. I did have moments where I was sad or upset he wouldn't be with me any more. But trust me I never cry or tell my kids about those feelings. Progress is important. Growing up can't be halted. So why waste time hating something you can't change? Or making it into drama so you kids feel bad? I hate crying moms! Truthfully I was so damn busy with the school nurse trying to argue with her about his shot records that it kind of helped distract me a little. He is one happy little fella. I do worry he will tell fart jokes. He is my one child that thinks farting is hysterical. I absolutely detest farting... so naturally I got a son that has a physical disorder where he farts often and then laughs for 20 min after. He got this from his fathers side of the family. I kept lecturing him about this little personality flaw over the summer. All I can do now is hope and pray he takes my advice. Other than that he will make a great student. He also told me (about a week before school) that he wanted to dye his hair brown. He hates his "orange" hair and wants to fit in. Honestly it broke my heart to hear that. After talking to my red headed siblings it was confirmed that most red heads hate their hair. I took him to pick out some "cool" back to school clothes and then we got some ice cream. It seemed to make him feel better for the time being. Poor little nugget. Fitting in is hard. But I wish him the best this year as a kindergartener. Now all I need is a new lunch partner to go with me to Chuys. And a second job...sigh

First Day of school 2013

Dallins Birthday

Turning 11 wasn't that fun this year. He woke up and had to go to a full day of football. Two games in the miserable heat. We asked him what he wanted and he didn't know and we didn't know so we settled on just giving him cash. But I am waiting till pay day to officially hand it over. Which sucks. I bought cupcakes for his football team. I drove home to pick them up cause (I was worried about them melting in the heat), but I got back too late and half his team had already left. We drove to Grandma and Grandpa Bassett's house and lucky for me my mom had bought a cake and ice cream. We sang to him and that was the only moment it really felt like a birthday. Next morning he went fishing and he loves doing that. Hopefully this week sometime I can help him go buy something with his money or take him out for ice cream. Its an odd age. Too old for toys and too old for a birthday party. Whats a mom to do? I really think if I give him an additional $50 he would be willing wipe away all bad memories. My boy loves money! It doesn't mean that I don't adore him and feel honored that he is my son.

South Padre Island 2013

Hawaiian Falls

I heard a commercial about it over the radio one day and was surprised cause I didn't know we had a waterpark that close. It was pretty cool and oddly enough my sister and I were able to find coupons on the internet the night before and saved about $60. The little ones (Olivia and Derek) loved the wave pool. We had to beg them to get out and try the water slides. All my kids are at a good age for this sort of thing. It always is rough when one kid isn't tall enough to go on a waterslide but this time they ALL got to take part in the fun. Def something we will do again!

4th of JULY 2013

I did not take pictures. I couldn't find my phone all day. But it was a really really fun day. Thanks to Annette of course. We drove up to the parade site the night before so the next morning would run smoothly. I woke up at 5 am and drove my dads truck to the lake then ran home so we would get a good spot for the Pflugerville fireworks that night. It turns out I didn't really need to do that but that's how you learn right? You try it and whatever doesn't work, do not do it next year. That's my philosophy at least. We had red white and blue waffles for breakfast and then headed to the parade. It was mainly cars and motorcycles, no floats, with a few church groups riding on a trailer throwing out candy. But my little nephew Cole was on cloud nine. He thought it was the best thing since sliced bread. If the kids are happy I'm Happy. We went back to the house and the kids played on the tramp with the hose and then came inside and played some more. While they were doing that me and Annette were dropping off coolers full of food at the lake for later that night. By far the BEST part was Annette bought a canopy with a shade wall. At 4 pm we rode buses to our already parked cars and then set up camp with that bad boy and everyone was in heaven. The shade it provided was so so nice. Plus we bought those cool towels and that really helped cool people down. The kids swam in the lake. Annette and I went canoeing. We bought funnel cakes and corn on the cob from local vendors. Then at 9 pm- FIREWORKS! I have to say the fireworks show was really awesome. I am very impressed with what the small town of Pflugerville pulled off. Derek said he has day dreams about the fireworks display. Very fun -exhausting day. We did really well planning it out, with very few adjustments to make next year.

Aunt Net and Rella running the show

That's right folks. My little sister let Peyton come up to my house for a sleep over for two whole nights in a row! She really didn't want it to happen. But Becka knew me and Annette would talk shit about her all year long if she bailed out on us (talking behind each others backs is how my family handles our beefs with each other. We met half way to pick Peyton up in San Antonio. My brother and his family met us at Chuky Cheese to have fun before we got back in the car to head home. She didn't cry for her mom once. She had tons of fun. She loves her cousins and couldn't get enough playing time in with them. Meanwhile back in Corpus Becka was a nervous wreak but... O WELL!. I am not sure if she will ever get to come back for a sleepover again. That's why I am putting this post up for the record books. There were a few late night runs to Mcdonalds or Chick Fil-A and maybe a little scare of pinworm from the gym childcare. But any one that deals with children knows this is all normal stuff. There is nothing these two aunts can't handle!