Our first February weekend started off with a Cheer Competition at the Cobb Galleria Royale...as many of you know, cheerleading is something that I go to because it makes my daughter happy and I support her in the sport...but (yes of course there is a but..) I loath cheerleading competitions as a general rule... why? you may ask...well ...it is loud..it is crowded...it is full of carpeted concrete outside where millions of girls pile up on the floor and there is a sea of trash left from their eating...and that is all before you actually pay your money to get into the actual arena..yes, this is outside the arena where you can, yes, "relax" from what is going on on the inside...
When a cheer team lines up for warm-ups, like this team, they scream and holler and chant cheers...and they are all "number 1!!!!" Every few minutes ...here comes a new group...."yep, here is another number one team right here...."
Adam and I do alot of sitting and waiting for 0ur daughter's 3 minutes of fame...here we are sitting at a table...Adam plays with his phone (he loves his new phone..he is checking on Becca's grades right now and facebooking) and I use the time to clean out my purse (hence the free chic fil a coupon in the picture) and grade a ton of papers...what the picture doesn't say is that there is a very very very loud stage just behind us that is non-stop cheerleading teams ...the music is loud and has lots of dings and other crazy noises throughout the music...and then there are the dads with the air horns...just love that part....
I know it is dark, but these are the girls posing with their 2nd place trophy!! I was very happy that they came in second and they did look great!! My thing is I always am glad when Jessi doesn't fall!! She has only fallen once in a competition and gladly was not hurt! It is amazing how far they hold her up with her leg stretched behind her...crazy....
Okay....funny story.... I had my 6 month check up to the dentist and I had two cavities...yes I know... I should floss and brush more..yada yada yada... Well, I thought I would be smart and make my appointment for the fillings during my planning time which was first thing in the morning. So after a week, I go into have these two small fillings put in. Well, I don't know why they had to go and tell me that they were "just two small fillings" when they drilled until smoke came out of my mouth!! As I sat there with them drilling and using that terrible sucking device so that I didn't swallow tooth, I worried about the time. So finally they finished and I was luckily going to make it back before my 10:05 am class. Then I realized though, that my mouth was really really numb. And the cavities were in two different spots. One on the top right and one on the lower left. As I drooled and tried to get my senses about me, I asked the doctor how long before the numbness would be gone because I had to go and teach... The doctor started to laugh. Not just a little giggle...she actually Laughed out Loud. So there I was ...driving back to work drinking my coffee through a straw and it dribbled all down the front of my shirt and wondering how I could teach 9th graders any kind of math with my mouth looking like I was in the midst of a terrible stroke or something... luckily, I did the smart thing and made great jokes at myself to start the class off...then I asked them to make some up..we laughed really good...and before you knew it..we were doing math ...and my numbness wore off and I lived!!
February was the last month of Pep Squad. I was very proud of Jessi because she was picked to be one of the co-captains. She is so independent that I only went to a few of the basketball games to see her cheer. It has been very nice having Becca driving now and she did most of the pick ups on basketball nights - which were a couple of evenings a week...the girls did such a great job!!
This is the "Victory" Cheer where they "roll that C-T-O-R-Y" (all in the hips and booty)- it wasn't as popular with the pep squad parents as it was everyone else...go figure...
Rebecca is now taking West Central Tech nursing classes for half the day at CEC. She was picked by her professors to help with Northgate's Electives Fair. Here she is in her new scrubs that she went out and bought all by herself...we are so proud of her!!
I took my 9th grade class to the elective fair and couldn't resist getting a few of her in action. It is nice to work at the school Becca goes to, huh? She did such a great job. My students all said how nice and sweet she was. It was also neat to see my freshman look up to her because she is a junior. They also went on and on about how much we look alike...it was sweet...
I got to meet her professors and they all bragged on how well she was doing in their classes. I was a proud momma...you know it!! 
That's my Pooh Bear!!
Valentine's Day at school was very touching because I had a student bring me a gift bag full of chocolates, a student bring me the sweetest Hallmark card, and another bring in heart shaped cookies that were delicious!! And lastly, one of my students was given a piece of cake in the hall by a friend...he brought it into class...and instead of keeping it...when he saw the two students bring up the chocolates and the other with the cookies, he came up and gave me his piece of cake. I told him that it was his, but he insisted that I have it. It was quite touching. To be honest, I am not much of a sweet eater and I normally don't eat cakes that have moved about through the halls with the students if you know what I mean...but that day, I smiled and ate cookies, chocolates, and cake...and they smiled back..
I have so many pictures of my children in this similar pose...hiding their faces.."momma, don't take my picture!!" I should get help...there must be a support group...."Hello, my name is Amy and I am a blog-aholic" Today I tried to take a picture of my daughter when God forbid, her hair was not brushed...
Jessi had Kayla come to the school with us today because I was having over friends for dinner and she was one the attendees... I like this picture because it shows off my Jessi's unique sense of style...I love that about her because she is such a trend setter...not a follower...can you believe that Kayla is a year younger that Jessi? And Jessi ain't no short girl either...I think Jessi is 5' 7"
Some of my friends came over for dinner. I was such a dork and missed counted which day Adam was at the fire station and invited everyone over on the wrong Friday...but they were understanding... I hated Adam couldn't be there....we kicked off another weekend of cheer...
Jeff and Tammy ...dating...for a good while now... fun couple.... I met Tammy through cheerleading and even though her daughter Sydney has moved on to volleyball and doesn't cheer, we have remained friends...and I am so glad...good friends are hard to come by...I am very blessed to have such good friend like these two....hearts of gold...
These are family...well,they are Westbrooks..so that makes them family to me...Bonnie and Tony had just closed on their house after moving back from Germany so there was another reason to get together and celebrate... these two are really like family to me...we say that Tony is Adam's brother from another mother...that is my favorite thing about these two...they get our humor because they have the same humor...I like to surround myself with people who like to laugh and don't take themselves too seriously...so anytime spent with Bonnie and Tony is time well spent..always...
How could you not love these two?!? Really.....
The girls all chill in Jessi's room...
Becca hangs out with the grown ups and Jessi swoops in for a sister kiss..they really do love each other when they aren't yelling "i hate you!!" to each other....something like that....
So you wouldn't let me take a picture of you eating a cookie...but then I had 12 of these lovely pictures to choose from when I downloaded my pics to the computer...lovely Becca....Smile, you are on my blog.... "hello, my name is Amy and I am a Blog-aholic" "Today I posted a picture of my daughter just to get some cheap laughs from the 4 people who read my blog.... "
Colleen, Jeff's daughter cheers on one of the special needs teams and she not only graced us by showing us her routine...she can really dance...she is also showing us one of her cheer stunts in this picture....Bryce, sorry...you didn't make it in this picture.... Hey Sydney!!
Cheer Competition number two in February....this one is the motherload of cheerleading competitions...it is held at the world congress center and brought in more revenue than the super bowl!! This is my cheer family - I couldn't do cheerleading without this group right here!!
We had a whole Jessi cheering section for her at this competition!! The girls looked really good..the best they looked all year..Jessi looked strong in her stunts as a flyer (or is flier) and in her tumbling...we were proud!!
Adam is so good to come to the competitions... there are many more dads that don't come than come....He makes the effort because of that smile right there on Jessi's face...
We were able to drag Tony to this competition too.... He is a hit with the three amigos... a big 'ol Teddy Bear....
This is one of Jessi's coaches...he is so good with the girls...he is always positive and is really motivating!!!
Okay...the place was crazy...I mean ...some of the escalators would have to be turned off because of the amount of people having nowhere to go when they got to the top...it was a hazard..
yep, you got it....cheerleaders camped out everywhere!!
crazy I tell you, crazy...people napping...and sitting around on the floor in the midst of all of the crowds...crazy....
We made sure to watch Colleen and her team perform along with all of the other special needs teams...they really do something I can't describe to my heart..and I always end up crying ..but out of shear joy..it is a little bitter sweet, I must say...they are precious and do such a great job with their cheer teams and the crowds come out and really cheer them on and are supportive...it is very good to be a part of something like that!!
My bedroom television is the only tv in the house that has TiVo. My king size bed has become the new hangout in the house...we don't sit around the table much anymore..but you can rest assured that between the hours of 9:00-10:30, one of our girls, if not both....have crawled up to sit between me and Adam to hang out and watch tv...tonight, it was American Idol night...I had recorded it from earlier that evening...
I am nine times out of ten, grading a butt load of papers.....Becca(mostly Becca) and Jessi ...keep us entertained and help us remember to fast forward through the commercials...
Bryce, Bryce, Bryce...Becca's top number one line...."Can Bryce come over?" But, my thing is that I would rather them be hanging out here in the middle of our living room with us than anyplace else..when I am ready for Bryce to go home...I just say, "Thank you, Bryce for coming over...it was so good to see you, Bryce" and then he gets my subtle hint and says, "Yes, thanks, Ms. Amy for letting me come over" and then he is on his way...just that easy...
As soon as Bryce leaves, here comes Becca.... Goodbye, peace and quiet evening....
Becca is really funny....she is hysterical...she keeps us laughing!! Becca and her dad...look out when they get together...
Every evening .... a child piled up watching tv with us...they both have a tv in their rooms, there is a huge tv in the living room and a tv in the kitchen...but nope, they would rather watch tv with us. The way me and Adam look at it is like this: how many parents have two teenage daughters who would rather watch tv with their parents than in their own rooms? We know that our time is limited...before you know it, they will be grown and gone...so me and Adam thankfully give up a few hours of peace and quiet tv watching anyday for two giggly squirming talkative...jumping on the bed, crazy teenage girls any day of the week!!
You see where Rebecca gets her smarts from....
Bryce is hardly out the door good and he is already calling her........this is when I have to conjure up my inner teenage girl...I call to my 'teenage self' far back ..yes...there 'she' is ...my self as an 80's teenager...there 'I' am with the blue eyeshadow and big hair...and look to 'her' for guidance..I ask 'her', "help me remember what it was like to be a teenager and want to talk to my boyfriend 24/7?!?!?" but all she(my inner teenage self) does is roll her eyes at me and tell me I am old....go figure...
Brown Chicken, Brown Cow.... if you don't get it, sorry... well anyways....look out..I have a "new do"...you don't know how bad your haircut used to be until you get a "new do" and then go to school with a bunch of 14 and 15 year olds...I got lots of compliments...so I am thinking it must have really looked bad before hand...thanks, Denise...I love my new haircut and color!
Over winter break, Adam and I decide to paint our kitchen and spruce it up a bit...I pick out a new olive green for above the wallpaper (that Adam has asked that we keep and since the poor boy has little say in the decor of the house, I throw him a bone).....
I told Adam that the green would be a great color to paint over the yellow in the den....immediately, Adam was grabbing a roller and stopped working on the kitchen and began painting over the yellow... he abandoned me in the kitchen and before I could change my mind began as he put "taking care of the yellow". I knew that he really didn't like the yellow paint that I had picked out for our den on our last paiting project, but I dind't know that he really just plain hated it... while he was painting, he made up songs about the yellow...and he would ramdomly say, "Welcome to Blimpie!!"...well, I personally liked the yellow, but the green was a nice soothing change....and I was glad that Mr. W was happy with the choice....
Goodbye, vibrant yellow, you have been so good...you are such a cheery color......
Adam is a really fast painter and he also painted the light fixtures that were blue, a black...much more sophisticated...I like it....
So I was left to the kitchen.... the paint I used was a high gloss oil based enamel paint...serious fumes and took forever to dry... I decided to paint the doors without taking them off the hinges...I am a darn good painter if I do say so myself..and it was not a problem to paint around the silver knobs and such....to me it is very much a stress relief to paint...they looked so good when I was done...goodbye stains and fingerprints...hello shiney new cabinets!!
At the end of February, we had a surprise birthday party for Avril. Adam was working, but was able to come home for an hour or so to be a part of the festivities... wherever daddy is, Jessi or Becca are not far....
It was also the first time that we have gotten to see Beth since her great news...she (and Scott) is expecting her first baby...we are all very excited because right now the youngest Westbrook is now in the 3rd grade...so it has been a little while since we have a baby to play with...Scott is not much to enjoy posing for a picture...I didn't have the heart to tell him that he blinked in this picture...he seems to get annoyed with a retake shot...so I just smiled and said,,"good one"...I don't like cheer competitions, Scott doesn't like to have his picture taken...it is what makes the world go 'round...
Mike and Sandy, some of Avril and Terry's very best friends are able to make it to the party...they tell stories before Avril and Terry arrive about "the good ol days" they are really good and funny as all get out...I enjoyed Adam getting tickled..'cause I like his laugh.....the more Adam got to laughing, the better Mike would tell the story...just feeding off the laugh...you know what I mean.....good times...
Marjie was in charge of the decorations...and did a jam up job....we are going to sky dive in April and I can't wait!!!
The theme of the evening...."60 and Spectacular"
Becca and Kaitlyn ...friends since Kindergarten....
Until Beth's baby arrives, here is our baby, Ben...ain't he cool... The oldest grandchild and the youngest...they are tight....
The presents are ready to go...just waiting on the birthday girl....
and Amanda and I slaved over spaghetti, salad, and bread in the kitchen....
This was the night before it snowed...and here we are hanging out on the porch...it was in the mid-60's at 7:00 at night...crazy weather... Lori and Phil ...chilling on the porch...
Here She is...... SURPRISE!!!
Avril opening her presents....
Jessi made a box of 60 things that she loves about her Grandma...by the end of Grandma taking the time to read each one out loud to everyone...I was crying, Grandma was crying, Amanda and Marjie were crying...it was really sweet....
Sometimes homemade gifts are just the best....Becca's gift was also a hit...she made her a card with Grandma and Becca hugging...Becca is definately a Grandma's girl...
Avril has quit smoking for months now and she made a comment about how much easier to blow out her candles this year...that was really cool...and I was glad she shared that...it made me really smile :)!!
oops.... didn't see this picture ....she is never too big for my lap...
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