What this week has taught me...

As a parent, I have learned that I really must love EVERY SINGLE MOMENT of raising my children. Even the most overwhelming & frustrating moments when...

• she throws herself to the floor to commit with a full heart to an Oscar winning performance of "Small Child Big Fit."
• she throws her dinner on the floor, wall, ceiling and me because she's finished with her meal and can think of no other way to communicate that.
• she pours her milk on the carpet to see how it will "smell."
• she spits carrots/spinach/green beans/anything that stains all of the front of her shirt and mine.

All of this because, in the blink of an eye, my...


Turned into...


And, before I know it, she will only come home on weekends to do her laundry and connect with her old friends from high school.

She is growing up so fast, and I love her so much!

Just another day in the first week of school trying not to cry and Being Billingsley...

Well, it was a huge success!

Abbie had a great time her first day of school. She learned a lot of useful things...

1. "When you draw a person, you should make sure he has a neck."
2. "It is probably better if I don't get married in Kindergarten and wait 'til college."
3. "My teacher has a baby boy. He should meet my little sister."
4. "If you eat a cupcake at school for a friends birthday, you shouldn't come home and eat one." (A lesson I don't understand at all, and who is teaching her this crap! I plan to write a strongly worded letter.)
5. "The playground is STUPID hot, and I really mean STUPID. It's not smart!"

She had a great time, and it was fun to listen to her little pearls of wisdom all night long.

She's still having trouble understanding she cannot maintain her sorority house schedule now that she's a school girl. At Chez Billingsley, our kids have always had relatively late bedtimes (9:00-10:00P) because we liked our kiddos to sleep in late (8:30-9:00A...sometimes later).

So, she thinks we can keep that up, but she's learning 6:00 comes very early each morning. Other than that, she's doing great!

Thank you to all of my wonderful friend who called and checked in with me all day. I am so proud to call you all my friends! I'm gonna make it through this!

Just another day Being Billingsley...

Well, today is the big day!

We took Abs to school bright and early, and as you can see, Abbie just did not want to go. Doesn't she look sad here?

She walked right in despite the fact that the weight of her backpack nearly caused her to fall backwards...

She sat right down and got to work on her morning project. James and I giggled because she is at a table FULL of boys. I can't wait to hear the stories that were told at that table today!


I cannot believe my baby is now big enough to go to school. I remember taking her to her first day of Mother's Day Out like it was yesterday...

First Day of the 2's Class!

First Day of 3's Class!

First Day of pre-K!

AND, OUR FIRST DAY OF KINDERGARTEN!

I am so proud of you Abbie, and I know you will do great today! I hope you will always know that it's your Dad's fault you are at school. I just wanted to keep you here with me always. There's no need for book learnin' as far as I'm concerned.

Just another day rulin' the school and Being Billingsley...

Wonderland a.k.a. Dallas!

Abbie and I took a trip this weekend to visit very good friends and to celebrate her last weekend as a preschooler! We had a phenomenal time with Cheryl and little M!

We journeyed to the Alice in Wonderland Adventure at a resort in the big D. This place was ridiculous! There were stations all over the atrium that illustrated a section of the story with a piece of artwork created by artists from all over the world.

My favorite was the Gryphon. It was made of balloons! Can you see how big this thing is? Look at the people in the upper left corner to get an idea.

Also very cool, was the caterpillar perched on the mushrooms. The artist created this with "chainsaw and styrofoam." Also huge! Look how convincingly wasted the little insect looks!


Check out this stack of tea cups and tea pots along with the little girl who was doing her best impression of an unimpressed model.

In addition to the crazy displays, many of the characters were wondering around the premises. We met...

The Queen of Hearts who made the girls curtsy for this picture. They were also required to say "Your Majesty."


The hookah smoking Caterpillar.


The Mad Hatter. I feel pretty sure this guy really was nuts! And, notice the Cheshire Cat is in the background!


And then, there's this GIANT flower. He was on stilts and seemed to be about 10 feet tall. He was my favorite, and probably because he made the kids very nervous.

M did not go near him, and Abs was very cautious. I, on the other hand, was very brave. I shook his hand and everything. He was a creepy thing. Check out that close-up!


What a wonderful weekend we had! Thanks Cheryl and M for being such perfect hostesses. Go ahead and pencil us in for the 2 million pounds of sculpted ice adventure in the winter! I can't wait!

Just another day in Wonderland and Being Billingsley...

Abbie and Pops going to meet the Kindergarten teacher at Open House...

Just another incredibly cute day Being Billingsley...

The Tooth Fairy Visits Again

Abbie lost another tooth this week. She was so brave.

I, on the other hand, had to hide behind a closed door in the other room while it was pulled from her mouth. This is what I saw when I got the courage to come and see for myself...

I love her sweet new smile!

And while we are on the subject of how cute my daughter is, I need some help from you Mom's who have some experience with back-to-school...

This gorgeous kid starts kindergarten next week, and I am a nervous wreck. I have just a couple questions for you:

1. Is it frowned upon to hide in the bushes and peer into her classroom window all day just to make sure she is having a good day?

2. Is it embarrassing for a five-year-old to have Mom come to lunch EVERYDAY for the first year?

3. Is it considered a threat if I tell her teacher that I will always have my eye on her?

I sure do hope I survive Monday, and don't be surprised if you get a phone call from me filled with sobbing!

Just another day Being Billingsley...

She's a Year!

She's officially 1! What a wonderful year it has been. A few things I've learned...

• You can do a whole lot of work to get a baby to come out of you, but it doesn't mean that she will like you even close to as much as she loves her Daddy. Extremely unfair.... especially since I'm the one who will have to rock stretchmarks and a swimsuit with a skirt the rest of my life.
• Babies actually CAN be born mean. She's a feisty one and always has been!
• We will be investing in pre-paid legal services. Lila thinks the word "No" is simply a suggestion.
• Thinking it's hilarious when other people fall down/get hurt must be hereditary because Lila enjoys it almost as much as I do.
• Some one-year-olds will eat their weight in pulled pork. I have a feeling we have a future competitive eater on our hands.

Lila, in the last month, you have amazed us with lots of cool new developments...

• Tooth #6 has emerged! You've got quite the toothy grin!
• You attended your first 4th of July parade. You were generally irritated and HOT. Check out the sweet hair... I intend to use this picture in your high school yearbook.
  

• The fireworks show later that night was a huge hit. Something about explosives really held your attention.
• On July 13th, you had your first frosty sippy of milk. You were a fan!
• You've got a ridiculous vocabulary for your age. Your Dad and I calculated 12 words that you are using regularly. Your pediatrician didn't believe us until you told him "Thank You" and pointed out the "lights" in his office. (I can only imagine the words that will come out of your mouth in the future when someone doesn't believe you...)
  
• You wave when you say "Hiiiiiii" and "Byyyyyye."
• And, you have officially started walking. When you fall down. You laugh. You're a strange child, but I'm glad you are laughing with me.
• You had your first birthday party. Your favorite part was the frosting!

• You weigh in at a healthy 19 lbs 6 oz, and are 28 1/2" long.

Lila, you are a joy! I can't wait for you to wake up in the morning because you make it a beautiful day. I'm so thankful for the honor of being your Mommy.

Now, let's go see what kind of trouble we can get into...

Just another day Being Billingsley...