Books, crafts, and the store-room reveal

Reading this has given me new eyes with which to look upon all the pink/princess/Barbie little girl marketing.  The author's point about the sexualization of little girls with Bratz dolls, et al, was not exactly a new discovery, nor was her concentration on the learned "meanness" of the elementary set that plays out through kids programming and products.  It could have gotten really preachy really easily.   However, I enjoyed reading this and it has made me more aware of marketing ploys that target my daughter, our dollars...and our attitudes and values.  We've had some deep conversations already in the toy aisle of Walmart. 

Then we went to see the McKinney cousins at Molly and Papa's...Aunt Toni had given Keala a makeup kit for her belated birthday...and these two cuties couldn't wait to get into it!

I'm not sure the author would have authorized this, but there was some serious southern girl fun going on.  They kept asking each other "how much make up do we have to wear?"  I started to chime in that they needed none because they are already such beautiful girls, but they got their punchline in before I could by answering themselves with "there's never enough!"  Oh, lordy.

Then it was time for a fashion show... 

 Their American Girl dolls got some visiting time together.

Lolo spent a lot of time looking through toy catalogs.

How could you refuse that face anything?

 Next, we were off to a baby shower for Mimi Debbie's granddaughter, Blake.  I've decided I'm doing only handmades for baby showers from here on out, so these were my gifts:  onesies that I hand embroidered from patterns I randomly chose from various websites.  My needle was flying--I finished all four in two evenings!

Casita Kelley finally got to begin her tough-love-possession-purging business with us this weekend.  We finally got into the storage room that my parents have had for the last, oh...25 years!!  Room B-17, here we come!

Oh, my.  That's my brother's college apartment loveseat...a cabinet stereo/turntable...my mother's cedar chest...school papers dating from 1978-1981...a couple of boxes of stuffed animals...a whole lot of kitchen stuff for next weeks' garage sale!

And thank goodness we found some folding chairs!

Casita Kelley didn't bring her Casita this trip.  Instead, she got to inaugurate the Molly Folly.  I did have to take a picture of this man on a motocycle pulling a "camper" even smaller than the casita.  It is possible to down size even more apparently.

  

Perhaps that traveling fellow lives here?

And somewhere in there, it was homecoming.

Little Miss charmed our pirate mascot out of gold coins, as well as achieving her goal of catching a spirit t-shirt tossed into the crowd after a touchdown.  Yes, we had actual touchdowns!  We even won.  Note the mini-mum she's wearing.  How cute is that?  It even has a tiny cowbell.  The FCCLA was selling them at school.  And I have no idea what FCCLA stands for...

Frolicking Nockinbirds

Now that the weather is suitable for humans, the Nockinbirds have moved outside!

Eventually, the inevitable occurred--frisbee in the tree.  Loverboy (and the broom) to the rescue!

Everyone seems happier in the Nockinbird nest now that fall's officially approaching.  Blackberry jam is responsible for this big smile, though.

I don't know if it's due to drought, extreme heat, or disease, but we're getting some fall color on/from the trees.

There was a busy bee buzzing about the basil, which has made a serious comeback now that it's not a bazillion degrees hot every day.

We took in a Crusaders 6-man football game this weekend.  Little Miss is updating Molly on the score here.  The game was called at the half since there was a more than 45 point gulf between the teams.  We won, 72-8.  If you're looking for excitement and lots of cheering, 6-man football is the show to see...as long as your team is winning, of course.

We got our yum on in Godley after cheering the Crusaders on to victory.

Little Miss liked the queso, Loverboy enjoyed his pork tacos, but I won with the brisket taco.

She wears the pink boots EVERYWHERE with EVERYTHING.  But I would too if they had them in my size (and for $10).

Monday evening, Emily and I anxiously awaited the return of Little Miss and Loverboy from cheer practice (Little Miss's, not Loverboy's cheer practice).  He really took one for the team on his birthday, too!

Of course, he threw his birthday self on that granade so I could get home and cook his birthday dinner.  The request was a simple one--boiled shrimp, lots of boiled shrimp.  I managed to whip up some chocolate chip cookies, as well.  Molly and Papa surprised us both by dropping off a birthday cake--complete with candles!  Thank goodness someone thinks ahead around here.

Sort of a cobbled together birthday celebration, but I think Loverboy enjoyed it.

This is what Little Miss is currently enjoying--Beiber fever, baby.  She even added her own artistic rendering the Beib in the lower right.  I think there's been a lot of smooching on wall decals this week.  I like how she kept them all clustered together, shrine-like and all.  Since we moved all the time, I never got to paint my bedroom.  And I doubt my mother would have gone in for all the decals/mirror stickers/dream catcher randomness the we've substituted for any coherent theme in Little Miss's room.  I hope she remembers this artistic freedom she enjoyed when I want to paint my room in the old folks' home.  Lucky for her, all my teen heart-throb posters have already long since turned to dust. 

Wait! Come back!

It's been a looooong hot summer.  I don't have any other excuse.  Sitting in front of the computer and blogging just hasn't had much appeal for some reason...but as a temperate fall keeps flirting with this parched, overheated corner of the world, I'm feeling bloggy again.  Maybe I'll even get caught up with our beach vacation pictures!

The Nockinbirds are in full swing with the school year.  Little Miss has added gymnastics to her weekly routine, on top of cheerleading.  Three hours a week sitting on the folding chairs in the amazing acoustics of the gym.  Joy.  There's been talk of piano lessons, for which she is VERY excited.  Loverboy has a hot lead on a piano, but how to get it here is the question.  After talking with a school buddy who is also in her Sunday school class, Little Miss is making noise to go to Kidz Choir and Awanas on Wednesday night.  And I forgot to add that we signed up for the Daisies (Girl Scouts) this past weekend but haven't heard when/where meetings will be.  I think we're out of days of the week.

Today was picture day for Little Miss (and at Mama's school, but Mama was not feeling particularly cute today, so I've got to get my hair colored before retake day!).  She decided she wanted a braid for the occassion.  A braid.  She never wears a braid.  My braid-fu is not strong.  But eight tries later, good enough.  We even left the house on time!

Homework is something we're having to adjust to this year.  And having to remember to do. 

Don't give up on me.  There are so many crazy Nockinbird antics to catch up on!

Boots and bubbles...

So, what started out as a marathon-just-get-it-over-with-in-one-fell-swoop school uniform shopping trip, ended up a typical Molly/Little Miss shoptravaganza.  We did get the required white sneakers...and a pink pair of Bella Ballerina sneakers...AND a pair of pink cowgirl boots which were on clearance for $9.88.  A bargain and a dashing fashion statement!  She's worn them everywhere we've gone for the last three days, including to church this morning.

Since Loverboy was otherwise engaged Saturday morning, the Nockinbird Gals hit the Home Depot Kids' Workshop together.  Note the boots.  A year of these has really expressed itself in some serious hammer skills for Little Miss.  Aside from getting a little carried away with the wood glue, she didn't need help with this project--a pencil box with a sliding lid.  Home Depot even provided paint (pink and purple were selected by the builder).  I generally prefer the Lowe's Build and Grow projects...but providing paint...big points for Home Depot in the free kid craft department.

After the Texas BubbleLady's performance last weekend, Little Miss has been inspired to her own bubble greatness.  We've lost the BubbleLady endorsed bubble juice recipe, but they abound on the internet.  She did advise that any ingredients beyond soap and water were not neccessary.  The one we used was 8T. liquid soap to one quart of water.  I don't think our concoction was terribly great, but it worked well enough to keep us busy outside for a couple of hours (in the shade of course!).

Part of the fun was finding stuff to use as "blowers."  Two straws and some yarn made for some nice big bubbles.

A plastic mini-slinky did pretty well. 

But the very best blowers, and the very messiest of course, were her hands.

Some seriously slimy fun. 

The Nockinbirds hit the lanes...

Well, often we hit the lanes...equally often (maybe a little more) we hit the gutter.  But fun was had by all.  Loverboy and Little Miss wore their tie-dye tees purchased just a week ago on our fantabulous beach vacation.  It has been the Summer of Awesome!

Note how they even blend well with the bowling alley decor.  I, alas, did not purchase a piece of this lovely wearable art.  I actually, very unexpectedly, regret that now...

We all had a lot of fun, and because we are very polite and patient Nockinbirds, all got a free game voucher to boot!  We'll be back, seven-twelve split, we'll be back.

Half way to a teenager...

Six-and-a-half today.  She wants to get her ears pierced and an iPad.  She won't go to sleep unless I'm in bed with her.  Half way to a teenager, ya'll.

Time flies...but sometimes we can still catch her!

(HOT) Summer Happenings...

Helllooooo!  The Nockinbirds have been so busy this summer it's been hard to find blog time.  The work on Papa and Molly's Folly has been moving right along.  We even got to help Papa hang the porch swing.

Little Miss has been enjoying her new (pink!) camera and is always on the lookout for photo opportunities (my mini-me!).  Here's the little Nockinbird taking a picture of a baby mockingbird.

I'm not sure how this adventure turned out for the baby mockingbird...probably don't want to know...

I'm not sure Loverboy's so in love with our fabulously big yard anymore.  His latest observations are that pecan trees are a messy pain, sandy soil makes for a lot of watering, voles are creatures of the devil, and it's hard to keep grass green when you've had two weeks of triple digit heat.  Such a philosopher, my man.

We've had a lot of sand art fun going on, as well.  The grumpy older lady who usually runs the sand art booth at all the local festivities was not at this one.  I didn't want to ask...she probably has enough sense to stay out of the 100 degree heat.

This weeks' library program was about the ocean, so we had even more sand art!

Little Miss also won the stamps and monkey notebook playing "ocean bingo."  Have I mentioned how much I love our library?

I was glad to see the Democratic Party represented at our painfully Republican loaded 4th of July parade.

Little Miss' cheer gym had a float again this year.  There she is in her pink crocs handing out postcard ads to the crowd. 

Loverboy said she passed out what had to be at least 500.

And he would know since he was watching her the whole time...while riding on the float.

She's been interested in testing the endurance limits of sunflower seeds planted in the blazing hot of July.  I'll keep you posted.

Snowcones have continued to make summer bearable, just.

We (all three of us) celebrated our anniversary at Joe T. Garcias this year.  Serious yum.  But, again, so  hot I didn't even want to sit on the patio.  I propose all July holidays/celebrations be moved to October. 

Yesterday we finally got around to getting some things hung on the walls of our house.  Little Miss kept busy hammering nails into a block of wood..on the living room floor...

And today is the fuzzy Nockinbird's birthday.  Emily Elizabeth is now two.