Happy 13th Birthday Tatum!

So my sweet Tatum has turned 13. Wow, I can't believe I'm the mom of a teenager.. Actually, if you didn't know it, our family has 3 birthdays in one week. Billy's birthday comes first (because he's old of course) on August 20th. Tatum's is the 21st and mine is the 27th so we've had a week of cake around here (that explains the extra weight).

Anyway..here are some of pics of my girl and her birthday cake.

the light looks weird on the top of tatum's head because i had the flash bouncing off the ceiling and the chandalier was in the way.

Anna & her friend Gracie had a plan

and Tatum and Kaeli botched it. For Tatum's birthday this year, she was treated to highlights and she & K got manicures and pedicures. At least their fingernails look pretty over Anna & Gracie's mouths.

These two have been friends since before kindergarten when they were cheerleaders. If I weren't so lazy I would go find the pic of it and scan it, but I am..so sorry.

Hudson has taken quite a liking to cake. I'm afraid he's going to have withdrawals now that I have thrown out the last of it.

All cleaned up

Well...mostly anyway. Hello Anna..what ya got there?

Apparently they feel the need to strip down to eat their cake. Don't ask me where they got this from (totally Billy).

Then photographer Billy used his mad photo taking skills to get a picture with me and my semiretarded (and my semi I mean me and my mom are not retarded.) family.

So my mom, Madelyn & I are putting the beauty pageant smile to work and what the hell is my dad doing? (remember..retarded)

Take 2

Aww...the family looks good. Except for me..where I'm apparently trying to show you that all of my molars are filled. What the freak?

Take 3

I'm pretty sure Madelyn has this look on her face because apparently me & dad are trying to give her a mammogram with our elbows...breast cancer awareness month (October) is coming up you know.

Either that..or I'm trying to wedge her out of the pic because I am the better daughter (just kidding..)

Take 100

well..sort of kidding by the looks of this pic..and dad has went back to looking like he is in pain.

Take 564984321

Pretty good..except the entire first row is sporting double chins and Madelyn's gigantic head (I can say that..we all apparently inherited my dad's huge head.) is covering dad's chin so we can't see if he's sporting a double as well.

Happy Birthday Tatum..may your next year be the best year and we strive to hope for the perfect family picture on your 14th birthday. I can't wait!
So..you may not ever get the perfect family picture..but you can have fun at your daughter's 13th birthday (in front of her friend) trying to get one.

Day 2 of school and oh..the drama.

It's not a secret I hate school. I love summer. I love the laziness, carefree days of summer. School starts and so does schedules, homework, dance class, gymnastics, cheerleading and craziness.

I was not, however, prepared for day 2 of school.

Day 2 started off well. Well..this beauty did have a crisis.

because she wanted to wear this

BUT..she also wanted to run fast in P.E. And everyone knows you can't run as fast in flip flops as you can in tennis shoes. SO, she decided that she would wear her New Balance tennis shoes but she didn't want me to take her picture in the tennis shoes because they SO do not go with her outfit. Drama one for the day..

Drama two..I was not prepared for.

I get a call from my mother at 3:20 that this beauty did not get off the bus at my mother's house:

and honestly..I wasn't that worried. I thought she either a) had cheer practice after school or b) got off the bus at my house.

So I call the school and ask the school secretary if cheer practice was going on today because Tatum didn't get off the bus at my mother's house as planned. { apparently this is where the school goes into "a kid is missing" plan} So the secretary puts me on hold. Comes back to say "No, she's not in the (hot..no air conditioning.ack!) gym." Me, hmm.. ok. Can you call Mrs. C (the saint of a bus driver that picks up my children at my house every morning) and see if she dropped her off at my house? Sure hold on just a sec.

The next thing I hear in the background from the secretary is "Attn all teachers..if you have seen Tatum H.. Please call the office". Next, "Attn bus drivers, if you have seen Tatum H, please call the office".

Me..I'm wanting to die.  and find her because she has a 4:15 orthodontist appt.

Then the secretary says "have you tried to call her cell phone?".
Me: She doesn't have a cell phone.
Secretary: Oh..I thought all eighth graders had a cell phone.
Me: Yes, I am painfully aware that Tatum is the only 8th grader on earth that does not have a cell phone, but no, she does not have a cell phone. And this..right here..this example of her irresponsibility right here, is the reason why.

I eventually tell the office to call me back if they had heard anything. I was going to call my parents and have them head to my house to see if she's there.

I'm also calling my house but I'm not getting any answer.

At this point..I'm starting to get a little worried. (read: mildly panicking)

My phone rings and it's the school. They had gotten in touch with Mrs. C (the bus driver that drives by my house) and she dropped Tatum off at my house.

And I had figured that is what happened as Tatum told me the day before she didn't want to go to grandma's..she wanted to come and stay by herself for a couple of hours. To drink sweet tea, hang out on facebook and talk on the phone without any parental supervision (she didn't tell me this..I went back and invisioned myself as a 13 yr old and figured this is what I would want to do). What she didn't bargain for, was that Billy moved the hide a key. So, there she was. Outside, baking in the sun in her new back to school jeans. Her plan backfired. Papa got to her, in her sweat & tears, and got her to her orthodontist appointment on time.

So we ended the day well..complete with taking pictures, tighened chains from the orthodontist,

and maybe a little alcohol. (for me..not Tatum)

Day 3 went well..we were no where near a amber alert like day 2..so I consider it a success!

I'm so not ready for school.  I vote that we wait til after Labor Day to start..

1st day of school 2010

So..school is back. and I hate it already.

Here is my 2nd grader.

You do realize that she really does think she's a princess..right?

Which makes total sense since I am the queen.

Here is my 8th grader..

Both girls have a great day..I hope its a great year!

I have to go now..it's way past my bedtime. (read post below..re: OLD)

Guess what we did this weekend...

I'll give you a hint..

We wore this out

Forget sunscreen and beach towels. We obviously have the real essentials..Milo's sweet tea and shamu on the roof, we were at the beach!

Hudson was the camera hog this time..

Hold you mommy..so so cute.

This time..we brought the kayak.The kids had a great time kayaking. So did me & Billy

Tatum's face is cracking me up in these pics. She was so afraid she was going to flip.

As you can tell above..Billy & Anna did.

This is on Sunday. Billy & I kayaked around Carrillion Beach and bird watched. Yep..I said it..bird watched. and it was fun. Because I'm old like that. Then we went to Camp Helen..where we were informed that there were gators in the lake. awesome. This was the last pic before Billy's phone went for a swim. : ( The bowl of rice trick worked, but I don't think she's (yes I said she..he loves her too) 100%. and she's only 2 months old.

Good bye summer. I love you. I will anxiously be awaiting you til June. You've been very good to me. This will be remembered as the summer of softball and the beach. and lots and lots of fun. PS..Did I mention I love you summer? If not. I do. See you next year (sniff sniff).