Lax Life / Laxer for Life

Yay!  Yay!  Yay!!  KJ finally had an official high school lacrosse game!  They lost by 1 but considering our girls have only been on the field two or three times, I'd say it was a success!  The weather has been so horrible and has totally wrecked the fields so they've mostly been in the gym conditioning and working on stick stills.  Some of the new girls were unsure about the hash marks, marking-up, etc.  KJ is definitely one of, if not the most, aggressive player on the team (shocker!) and definitely has great stick skills.  She still has a lot to learn but she really did great yesterday.  She had a couple of shots on goal, didn't score, but still took the shot nevertheless.  She played a little attack, she played a little defense as well.  She likes attack better.

I love the girls' uniforms and naturally my child has to coordinate her cleats and shoelaces.  She said they looked like a bunch of highlighters running around out there.

Unfortunately, Coach Stone couldn't be at the first game due to a family scheduling conflict but she asked Champ to help on the sidelines.  He warmed up the goalie and helped the assistant coach run the lines and was very vocal from the sidelines (shocker!).  I know it was killing him to keep quiet for most of the game and defer to the assistant coach but he did point out (rather loudly) to the ref that he awarded the ball to the wrong team.  Ref acknowledged he made a mistake, gave the ball to us and game on.

Being a little sassy and giving a lot of attitude on the field.  

Get 'Er Done

I fell off the blogging wagon for a few days but now am back.  It's been a busy week in our house!  Cosmo has been travelling a bit this week and is all over the place.  I had a haircut this week and had to exchange a pair of sexy shoes I bought for Cabo, KJ had two volleyball games this week -- one on Monday and one yesterday.  Monday's game was an absolute blowout -- they only had to play two games.  KJ is the starting setter but honestly, she barely touched the ball Monday afternoon.  I don't think she even got to serve in either of Monday's matches.  The other team was so bad, they couldn't return a serve so the two games went pretty fast.  We didn't even have to play defense and Sarah-Sparkley Headband just ran the board.  Yesterday's games were a little different and we only won one of the three matches.  We should have beat them in two but let's just say there were a lot of missed opportunities.  In the first match KJ had an incredible run and put up 11 or 12 points.  I lost track.  One thing is for sure though, KJ is her father's daughter through and through.  She's very, very competitive and very hard on herself.  And has high expectations of her teammates as well.  She has a couple girls on her team who just phone it in and it pisses her off to no end.

When volleyball is over, KJ will be faced with the decision to play travel volleyball again this Spring or to maybe play lacrosse.  She's torn -- she's a little worried that she may be "behind" the Maryland girls since she hasn't played lax in a couple of years (and also because she played in Alabama -- not exactly a traditional hotbed of lacrosse).  To which I said, Pish Posh.  She's very athletic and I think she'll pick it up again very easily.  Plus, The Legend can help her with her stick skills.

T is having an awesome Junior year so far and we're only a couple of weeks into the semester.  She will be a DJ again on Rebel Radio, she has an internship with the Lyric http://www.thelyricoxford.com/ a live music venue on the Square in Oxford) she's writing a few pieces for a Greek-life magazine and she found out she will be the Thursday night anchor for NewsWatch!  We are so incredibly proud of her!

This weekend I'll be in PA for my cousin's wedding, Friday KJ is going to the football game w/ friends, Saturday she has a b-day party and Sunday we have Redskins tickets.  I doubt I will be home in time for the game so it will probably just be Cosmo and KJ at the game (which makes me SO mad!!!  I'm the Skins fan in this house -- those two are Ravens fans!).

So, on to the next batch of Miss America photos!!!

Football and Pageants (story of my life!)

KJ had a GREAT time last night at the Damascus football game!  She said she wasn't sure what to expect coming from Hoover but said the game was great, the atmosphere was great and it was great sitting in the student section.  Overall, she said it was GREAT!  She said the band and the cheerleaders were great, too.  She said it was similar to Hoover and the seniors had "seniority" in the student section.  They got to sit in the front row with all the lower class men behind them and the seniors were the body painters.  Today she went to a pool party and then her friend Britt came over and now the girls are making cookies.

T was on duty last night so she and her friend Tana drove up to Nashville early this morning for the game vs. Vandy.  She didn't have a ticket and the box office was selling seats for almost $80 so she was getting a little frustrated.  Tana told her, "Just smile and walk in."  So she did.  She walked right through the security line and walked right through the gate.  That's my girl!  The Ole Miss game was kind of boring.  I'm happy they won but the game was pretty much a blow-out.  Not an exciting game at all.  Vandy obviously didn't eat their Wheaties this morning.  Cosmo has the Ohio game on and that stadium is positively rockin'!  Not an Ohio fan but I do think that would be a great place to see a game!!!

And now, to counter-act all that football testosterone, here are some more Miss America photos!!!

I luv, luv, luv the clean lines on this gown!   

Go Jasmine!!!  I think she's going to do great next Sunday!

FriDay = FriYay!!!

So happy it's the weekend!  Had such a busy day today, it's nice to relax tonight.  KJ is at her first official football game as a Damascus Swarming Hornet.  It's a gorgeous night for a game and she looked so cute in her cute pink camouflage t-shirt!

She had a pediatrician appointment today and afterward we ran a couple of errands before I dropped her back off at the high school for volleyball practice.  Although I think we've transitioned exceptionally well, there are some things that really trip me up sometimes.  For example, I didn't know I had to write a note for KJ to check her out early.  The attendance office told me if she has a note, she can check herself out and wait at the front door for me.  I don't even have to walk in the door.  Very cool.  Especially since my Alabama license doesn't work in the security reader at the front office!

I luv, luv, luv her new pediatrician.  She was super cool, treated KJ like an adult and everyone at the practice seemed very nice.  We then went across the hall in the professional building and made appointments for October with our new dentist.  Kind of weird to have to find all new doctors again.  Our pediatrician in Alabama was the only pediatrician KJ had ever known.  And the OB/GYN I saw for 15 years was the same doctor who delivered KJ.

T is so super excited -- her new gown came in the mail today so . . . on to a few more Miss America photos!

Had to include the following photo of Miss Maryland 2013 -- Miss Christina Denny.  We met her a couple of weeks ago, she was super sweet and this is the custom gown T tried on.  The gown was absolutely gorgeous, a big statement gown, and fit T perfectly!!!  

This is Becoming a Habit

Whoa.  Look at me.  Blogging three times this week!  Weather today is very cloudy and overcast.  KJ is supposed to have a team building event at the rope course today after practice but it may get cancelled due to weather. 


We didn't go to the Freshman Picnic last night because a) it was raining and b) KJ had an "awesome" orientation earlier in the day (her words, not mine) and felt the picnic would have been "redundant" (her words, not mine).  She rode to bus to the high school (her stop gets picked up @ 6:28AM), met all her teachers, walked her schedule and found her locker.  She said she knows kids in each of her classes so she's happy.  She said her science teacher looks exactly like Hoover's football coach.  KJ and Cosmo did run up to the high school anyway to purchase some spirit wear from the booster club.  She got two t-shirts and a nice embroidered hoodie. 


We have no major plans this weekend.  I'm sure Cosmo will want to watch the Hoover game.  Last weekend we met our friend Mike and his family for dinner at the Inner Harbor and had a great time.  This weekend KJ mentioned she'd like to have some friends over for a back-to-school pool party so we'll probably do that Saturday or Sunday.  She's got a scrimmage after school on Monday but I have a feeling they may also have a practice thrown at them tomorrow since they've only had a full practice Thursday and today. 

Our Little Froshie

So our sweet girl made the JV volleyball team!  I couldn't be prouder and I taught her everything I know!  (Yeah, this 5 ft. tall mama taught her girl a lot about volleyball!).  But seriously, she did work very hard and I did practice with her a lot. There were over 40 girls trying out for JV and they only took 14.  She had a little bit of a come apart on the last day of try-outs . . . she accidentally left her bag in Cosmo's car.  We didn't realizxe it until a few minutes before try-outs.  Cosmo was waaaaaay down in DC when she hysterically called him.  He drove like a maniac and was able to get her bag to her just a few minutes after try-outs started.  She did have an extra pair of sneakers and an extra set of knee pads at the house but she was VERY, VERY upset that the coaches would think she was irresponsible.  I had to give her a tough pep talk in the car.  Basically I told her to buck up and kick butt!  Try-outs ended at 5:30 and at 6:30 PM they posted the results on the gym door.  KJ and her friend Maddie both made the team so all four of us girls celebrated at Jimmie Cone!  The girls had their first practice Wednesday, Wednesday night we had a parent meeting, they have practice Thursday and Friday, Friday they're going to a rope course for team building and they have a scrimmage on Monday...the first day of school!  Yikes!  KJ's going to be in for a rude awakening next week . . . her bus comes at 6:28 AM and she'll have volleyball practice until 5:30 PM each day. 

Can't wait for her to get home sin a few minutes o I can hear all about today's Freshman Orientation!  Damascus does things a little differently that what we were used to with Hoover.  There is no "registration day" where we have to write a massive check to cover items such as activity cards, yearbooks, agenda, locker fees, mailing costs, PTO, extra curricular fees (T's Buccanette's just about killed us every year!).  At Hoover T's registration usually cost us a couple hundred dollars.  So far, the only bill I've been hit with at Damascus High School has been a $30 extra curricular activity.  I think Cosmo & I are going to join the booster club so we can get into football games, basketball and, of course, KJ's vball games!  

Freshman Orientation sounds pretty cool.  It's only a half day but the kids are encouraged to get on their bus like they will on Monday and today they'll get their lockers, walk their schedule, etc.  And then tonight, we have a Freshman Parent Picnic.  We'll meet the teachers and also attend a meeting with the Athletic Department.  Concussions and cardiac disease are a hot button this year and KJ had to take a baseline concussion test before she could even try-out.