We have a snake!!

Sooo.. Austin wanted a reptile for his birthday this year.. He wanted a chameleon, gecko, or an iguana.. After reading a few articles, and talking to different pet stores.. I quickly learned I didn't want to be beaten up by an iguana. The option of a bearded dragon sounded pretty cool, but of course they didn't have any in the store at the time.. Mind you, they were expecting 3 within the next 2 hours, but my patience is that of my kids.. When I get it in my mind to do something.. I want to do it right then. 

One of my friends is deathly afraid of snakes, and started calling it Rover in hopes that it would sound less snake like.. And the name stuck. So Rover has taken up residence in Austin and Nic's room. Sebastian loves him.. And if we get with in three feet of Xander with him.. The neighbors are disturbed by the sound of high pitched screams, and we all pray that the snake and us make it through the onslaught of kicks and screams!

The aquarium is set up right next to Austin's bed, and at night I can hear him talking to Rover as if it was a little kid. "Good night Rover, sweet dreams, please don't die tonight!" And then when he gets home from school, "Did you miss me Rover? I'm so sorry you spent the day all alone!" It's really rather pathetic! haha Thankfully this momma likes snakes.. Cause now every boy, minus Xander, wants a snake!!

Homecoming Fun!

So today is the big day.. The day of my daughter's very first high school homecoming.. Her first official dance with a date. I was not ready for this! But handled it much better than I thought I would.. But I also decided, I don't think I am going to handle getting her ready for her wedding! So our afternoon started at 1, when we headed off to pick up his boutonniere. She doesn't look very impressed or excited in this picture, but I learned throughout the day, that she was not enthused at me wanting to document the day with photos!

Next stop, was some Taco Bell, (Her new favorite food) before heading to get her hair done.. The beautician mentioned more than once that she has A LOT of hair.. Sometimes she would look at a strand of hair trying to figure out where to tie it in!

I was super excited that I'm still cool enough to do her make up. Even though there was a temporary moment of panic and near breakdown when she realized her favorite make upwas in her locker at school.. Right next to her homecoming dance ticket.. (I didn't get a phone call saying she was ejected at the door, so I am assuming they let her in)

I didn't want the long dangly earrings.. I didn't want the wide sparkly blingy bracelet.. I felt it made her look even that much older!!! :( Why does my baby girl have to grow up?!!?

This was my first time meeting Jazzie's date. His name is Hans, and he is a Sophomore at her school. He was super sweet and well mannered.. It was raining when we arrived at the school, (The girls all wanted to meet there to take pictures before heading out for dinner before the dance.) and he was polite enough to walk out to the car to meet her. Jazz wasn't sure how to pin his boutonniere, and at first I sat back with the other parents saying "Is this a moment a mommy is allowed to help, or I have to stay back because that wouldn't be cool?" When I walked up to take her picture, the other girls quickly stated "Let your mom do it, she knows." So I did one.. she did the second.

He bought her a very pretty corsage, and since they went through all the hassle of figuring out how to pin on his, they were trying to figure out where the pin for hers was supposed to go. Too cute!

These are all the girls and the two guys that met up to take pics before dinner. These were the few shots before the sky fell open and the wind blew the rain up under the small safe haven we had.. Mommy took one for the team and ran out to the car to grab the umbrella to help protect the girls hair. (The same umbrella that I was forced to leave in the car because Jazzie was too embarrassed to walk up to the school with me holding it over her head.)

The next thing I knew, we were "breaking in" to the school to protect the girls dresses and their hair.. It was the parents idea, and took much coercion of the kids to convince them it would be okay to come inside for a few pictures. We had to insure them that all the parents would take the fall if we got in trouble!

Sweet girl and Hans!!

Beautiful corsage.

I was amused that after several photos taken by the parents, all the girls were complaining about the pictures.. When we stopped.. We waited another 15 minutes while all the kids took a bunch of selfies, and pictures of each other!!

I came home to take peel off my soaked jeans and take a hot shower.. I thought I would sit down and relax with a drink, but quickly remembered my daughter will be out late, since she is going to the after party after the dance. She asked me one time what time would her curfew be when she got older.. I always told her 9:01. She once told me pastor didn't have a curfew, that he was a good kid, and until he proved otherwise, he didn't have a curfew. I quickly told her over my dead body.. Tonight I found someone asking me what time was she coming home.. When I responded with whatever time she calls me, they asked, "Well, what time is her curfew?" My response? She doesn't have one until she proves otherwise.. She's that good of a kid.. That I totally trust her.. But will I be the evil mother when I don't extend the same grace to my son's?!?! Hopefully they will grow and mature more over the next couple years where I can extend it to them as well. (It's okay, call me crazy, I would call any other parent crazy for saying the same thing!!)