A Visit Down South

8/01/2009 11:58:00 AM Edit This 3 Comments »
Lexie and I went to visit the family down south for two weeks. First to my sister Angie's house outside of Houston (boy is it hot down there in July) and then for a weekend of horse back riding at my other sister Lynn's house about an hour outside of New Orleans (boy it's even HOTTER down there in July!!)


We were blessed to get to see everyone on July 4th weekend except my oldest nephew Casey and my oldest brother Kyle both who couldn't get away from work. This was our attempt to get a pictures of all the kids sitting together and smiling. We got close anyway. For some reason we didn't get one with all the adults too. I think it was the heat....did I mention it was hot?



Here are the kids (minus little baby Blake who was already fast asleep) helping me read a bed time story to Lexie. Of course we ended up reading 5 to her so everyone could have a turn.



Did I mention that my sister-in-law Irma and the kids Dylyn and Damian made it up from Mexico? Now you can see why she doesn't visit often....sorry Irma. I couldn't resist!
Here's what Irma looks like when she's not thinking of reindeer at Christmas.




My brother Todd & his wife Lori (Yo-Yo to the kids) made it for the weekend as well.



They had to fit us in between horse races - which they came in first place on 3 races (click here to read about one of his wins) while they where there - yeah whoo GoldMark!! Todd trains race horse for GoldMark Farms and they are entering their third year of racing and now are seeing some amazing horses. It was great to catch up and hear more about their latest "babies."

Lynn & Brooke also made it in for the 4th and of course Mom now lives just a few blocks from Angie, Jim & the kids. It's so wonderful to have all the kids together. Casey you know we missed you but I don't know if you miss being "the monster" now that you are a big college man.



It was a great family weekend packed with lots of fun for the kids and adults alike. The fireworks show we went to was lots of fun and of course Lexie knows that Mommy ordered them special just for her 2 year freedom day celebration.




Here's Angie & Jim the hosts of the gathering. Aren't they cute?



Can you tell it was a hot late night for the kids?



The next day I did a craft project with the kids. I love to do one with them whenever we get together...partly because I enjoy the time with them and partly because the mess drives Angie crazy!! As you can see this project was in honor of my Princess Lexie Lou's fairy crown she got at the parade and has worn everyday since. So here are my beautiful fairy princesses and one prince. Cody decided he's to old and manly to participate.




Fairy Princess Lexie (I hope she stops doing this pose from her dance soon!)













Lovely Fairy Princess Mackenzie












Precious Princess Dylyn


Wild & Crazy Prince Damian

Darling Princess Brooke

And I want to say how proud I am of Princess Brooke. This was taken soon after Aunt Angie cut off 10 inches of her hair so that she could donate it to Locks of Love. What a wonderful gift to give Brooke!

Of course once Cody and Blake saw home much fun we were having they just had to join in the picture taking session. Note they still wouldn't wear the crowns we made for them.


Here are some other fun moments with the kids.


Do you think Blake wants to go out and play?


Dylyn & Brooke reading in the GIRLS ONLY TENT


Don't they look so sweet & innocent?


Now that's more like them!


Yin-Yin and Blakie enjoying a quite moment.


These two where fast buddies the whole time. Damian is a year younger than Mackenzie's mature 8 3/4.


And these two did very well together overall.


Pajama party!


Goofy girls!

And no, that is not alcoholic - it's just a shake!


They are covered in sunscreen and ready to swim.


Can you tell I'm a kid magnet? They know their U-U (that would be me) LOVES them!

This is the start of a HUGE jumping/diving contest. They were all winners to me!


Aunt Irma wanted to get in on the contest.


Scores: 8.7 Damian 8.3 Cody 9.8 Irma - for keeping up with them!

Brooke & Lexie navigating the sea of toys in the pool.


Now here comes trouble!

Sadly we had to say good-by to Uncle Todd & Yo-Yo and then Yin-Yin (aka Lynn) and Brooke had to head back to Louisiana too.



Group Hugs all around!



The left-overs waving good-bye!!


After the leave taking and in between swimming,


going to the park


shopping

and a slumber party at grandma's for the bigger kids (poor Lexie & Blake)


(the feast Grandma made for them for dinner)


(the morning after)

we decided that Dylyn & Damian, who live in PV Mexico and have never been to the states (except when Dylyn was about 10 months old) should experiences some of the finer kid entertainment greater Houston has to offer. So we took them all to see Ice Age 3 at one of those movie theaters that serve meals and snacks and drinks during the movie. That part was fun and the older kids liked the movie but the dinosurs where toooo scary for Lexie so we had fun dancing around in the lobby.


The next day it was off to ITZ - kind of a Chuck E Cheese for older kids.


I guess Lexie didn't know how much fun she was going to have.


She knows GaGa will always take care of her.


Of course they have all you can eat bars....I think they lost money on our kids!


Damian strikes ticket GOLD!!


Blake would just throw himself down the blow-up slides. Wild boy!




Lexie got to drive the train choo choo!


Then she and Mackenzie where driving a Big Rig (makes a mamma proud!)


Next she and Cody rode the tail of the Roller Coaster - she's so brave.


Needless to say - fun was had by all!!!

Okay, that is more than enough for now. I'll have to do the trip to Lynn's horse ranch another time. Lots more to come....horse riding lessons, dress up and a big storm with a big time stunt move by Daddy Jim!! I'm sure the suspense is killing you.

Parades & Ponys

7/18/2009 12:03:00 AM Edit This 4 Comments »

Just a quick post to share a couple of events we attended during Lexie's days as an elephant performer or was she a performer as an elephant? I wanted to make sure everyone knows that I wasn't a stage mom forcing Lexie to dance and not giving her any rewards for her amazing performances as the second to last elephant on parade! After her first fantastic performance (watch for her name during Oscar nomination time) we celebrated by going down to the local festival and riding a pony - see the happy cowgirl above, going in the bouncy thing and listening to a local band while Lexie played at her favorite ocean side playground.


Then the next day after her second performance we made it to the "Fathoms of Fun" parade. I discovered that Lexie LOOOOOOVES parades. In the picture above you'll see us waiting for the parade. A nice man and his granddaughter where selling these "princess crowns" as my royalty expert called them so of course Princess Lexie Lou had to have one. Once it was on her head my shy, reserved, introverted daughter decide she should practice her dancing with her princess crown on for the crowd.










Here she is finally finished preforming for her fans and sitting down to enjoy the parade like the star she is. Oh life is good for my little dancing Princess Lexie Lou!



*No child was forced to dance during the taking of these pictures & video*

Two Years And Counting

7/06/2009 10:33:00 PM Edit This 5 Comments »
Just a quick post to say Happy 2nd Freedom Day my sweet Lexie Lou! Two years ago on July 4th at 4:04pm I carried Alexis Falen Quast out of the baby house for the first and the last time. What a wonderful feeling to know that I was her mother and no one could change that.


And here she is today getting ready to go see the fireworks on July 4th with her cousins (accept Casey whom we missed a lot) Aunts, Uncles (except Uncle Kyle whom we also missed,) Grandma & Mommy.....who ordered those fireworks just for her you know (hey - that's my story and I'm sticking to it!)



Happy to be goofing around with them...


And here she is earlier as princess for the day. My wonderful family didn't forget in all the celebration of the nations freedom that it was Lexie's Freedom Day too! We are so blessed with an amazing family that loves us!!!


Thanks so much everyone - we love you too!!!

Finally - Lexie's Recital Video

6/28/2009 12:39:00 PM Edit This 0 Comments »


So here it is - the much awaited video of Lexie's recital on THE BIG STAGE as she calls it. I think they are all pretty darn cute. Thanks Sara for getting it to me. All the girls are between 3 & 4 except the leader of the pack, Amber, who is 8 and was brought in by the teacher to help the girls during the performance. She was wonderful with them even when they had trouble with the circle. They were certainly not perfect but I was surprised they remember the dance at all. Lexie and I didn't practice at home or anything. I think they did great and I'm so very proud of my baby elephant Lexie Lou!!

FOUND - One Happy Little Elephant!

6/25/2009 10:36:00 PM Edit This 5 Comments »

It's been a long couple of weeks to get a smile out of her while she is wearing that costume but it finally happened tonight. As you will recall a few weeks ago when Lexie was coaxed into first putting on the costume the results were not the best. But tonight she had her final dress rehearsal for her dance recital that is this weekend. I will be glad when it's over but am happy to report I have a very happy elephant on my hands - finally! For the last two weeks of practices Lexie was her usual happy little dancer self. Until they invited the moms into the room to watch them dance. Lexie would run to sit on my lap and refuse to dance with the other girls. She has been very clingy lately and I think that was a big part of it.

Here she is with her practice tail in class happy as can be.


Then we had a dance class with them wearing the costumes minus tights just so they could get used to wearing them (especially since Lexie was not the only child in the class not happy about them.) As you can see she wasn't happy about wearing it at first but once we got outside she decided to do a little dance in the drive way and off we went.





At the class she had fun with the girls and it was finally decided to cut off the skirts on the costumes since they didn't look right on their own but looked really fun with the tutus under them. Then the hair debate went on for a while but everything was finally decided. By the way, we have a wonderful group of moms and girls so no non-sense like last year went on. Everyone is there for the kids to have fun not a beauty contest or power trip. MUCH better than last years attitudes!

Then this Monday were the professional pictures at the studio and all the dancers came fully dressed. Well she had a ball running around with the girls (after I had to bribe her with M&Ms to get into her costume) but as soon as they called our group in to have pictures taken she wanted me to hold her and wouldn't let go. One little girl did her individual picture first and then it was Lexie's turn. She would have nothing to do with it. My little photo princess would not let go of me. Lots of tears later I just said forget it with the individual pictures with the hopes that she would take the group picture at least and maybe go for the individual one after. Nope. Even when the dance teacher, Ms Tanya, came in and took her from me to try to get her to join the group she started sobbing. On my goodness you would have thought we were torturing her. Poor baby. I finally said enough and sorry to the other moms. But if it's not going to be fun for her then I'm just not going to do it. Here are the pictures I took of some of the girls practicing their poses and playing around before they went in to the torture chamber as Lexie clearly saw it.





COULD THEY BE ANY CUTER?
Then on Tue we had their first practice on the "Big Stage" at the high school where the recital was going to be. Needless to say I didn't expect much but of course she shocked me. She got right up there, had so much fun with the girls and did the dance 3 times. But of course she wasn't wearing the costume.



So tonight was their final dress rehearsal with lights, music, costumes - the works. She was excited to get ready with the whole hair curling event and she was thrilled to put on make-up! She even practiced some of the poses in the dance.




I really didn't know which way she'd go once we got to "The Big Stage" as Lexie called it. I keep telling her she was like Angelina Ballerina her new favorite book that she got for her birthday from one of the girls in her class. But she was amazing. As soon as she marched on stage with the other girls she looked out at the audience and waved. So cute and then she did the whole dance with a huge grin on her face and got in a couple of more waves. She was just adorable! Yeah Lexie. I had decided if she was upset or wouldn't go on then that was going to be it. Needless to say I was so pleased to see her having so much fun. The only time she cried tonight was when I went to get her backstage and told her she was done. She cried saying "do it again - I want to do it again!!" as she wailed. I have a little star on my hands. What a funny little girl!



Waiting to go on backstage.


Such a BIG stage for such little girls.


She was ALWAYS out front.



Taking their bows!!



She was so darn proud of herself (and Mommy was too!!)

WANTED....A Happy Baby Elephant!!

6/11/2009 11:49:00 PM Edit This 3 Comments »

Just a quick note to say I've been so busy with work, work, work, that I haven't had time to breath let alone post. But I have to share this picture. Lexie's big dance recital is in 3 weeks and I picked up her costume on Saturday. Here is her response to it......


It's going to be a long 3 weeks!!!
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