Parker's First Meal

I just found this little gem. Where has time gone?

And poor Avery...I'm pretty sure her first solid food tasting was indeed NOT documented!

Parkerisms

Some funny things overheard in our house today from Mr. Personality himself:

• I don't like talking to you when you cry wiff your face all dirty.
• So mom, how's your day?
• Gosh Dangit!
• We say go away to Avery nice. Right mom?
• "Go away sandwich!" Is that how we talk to the sandwich?
• What you talking about, guys?
• I need to be naughty to Avery.
• What am I being quiet for?
• What am I getting a new diaper for?
• It's not night-night time yet. Five more minutes.
• Can I sleep wiff the candy? I'll not touch it. I promise.
• Is that how we talk to Heab'nly Fadder?
• I love you, mommy!

American Idol Wannabees

"Hello?" I sleepily answered the phone to the voice of my breathless sister.

"Did you hear? American Idol auditions aren't being held in San Diego anymore."

"Oh....oh well then."

Exasperated, Kimberly exclaimed, "Robyn. I really think we should still audition. Devon's sister lives in Denver. We could go there. What do you think?"

Waking up now, I felt a familiar nervous flutter in my stomach. "I guess we could...I just get so nervous thinking about it. What the heck am I going to sing?" My mind raced with questions of how it would work out. Kimberly's kids. My job. Singing in front of all those people. Aaack!

I hurried and got ready for my day job. The day couldn't go by fast enough. I considered calling my clients to tell them I had to cancel our personal training appointments for the night. I was dying to get home, get on the computer, and look at flights, and songs. Ohhhhh, songs. Did I really want to do this? WHAT would I sing? Kimberly's song was a given. She'd performed it dozens of times. Had a Dream, by the Judd's. But me? The one song I'd performed as a solo in High School, When You Say Nothin' At All, by Alison Krause was, as my sometimes-brutally-honest brother said, "not my best performance." Should I sing Shania? Something bluesy? Old? New?

I arrived home, and booked our flights. We were really going to Denver. I couldn't help but get my hopes up. My sister and I had dreamed of singing professionally for as long as I could remember. My problem? I loved being the back-up singer and harmonizer. Deep down, I knew it probably wouldn't work out, but it was an experience I couldn't pass up!

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The auditions were over. We'd sung our hearts out for our 10 seconds of glory, Kimberly with Had a Dream, me with my finally-decided-on Mr. Melody by Natalie Cole. A few of the thousands made it through to round two.

We sat in the hotel lobby, exhausted after two days of waiting in long lines and waking up at 4 am to get ready for our big moment. We waved good-bye to our new friend, Chris Daughtry who'd traveled with us on the shuttle from the Red Lion hotel to downtown Denver for some sight-seeing.

"Did you guys make it?" he yelled.

"No! Did you?" We shouted in unison.

"Yeah!" he exclaimed.

"Good luck!"

We should've snapped a picture of this humble family-loving-guy with a southern accent. We thought he was all country. Who knew he'd end up the successful rocker?

The morning after returning home, I took the test I'd purposely waited two extra weeks to take...just to be sure. It was positive. Parker was on his way!

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Now, 3 1/2 years later, Kimberly still called me to excitedly remind me that American Idol's season premiere is tonight. It's our show! I read her blog today and laughed as I remembered:

• our scary hotel room the first night
• the nasty Mexican food Denver had to offer
• booking a room in a new hotel for night #2
• singing over and over for each other the night before the actual audition
• our "friends" in line
• visiting my sister's sister-in-law after the audition and almost missing our flight home when her daughter choked on a screw
• yelling at each other at the height of the stress
• Kimberly missing her kids
• wearing our shirts on the way home and being asked if we would sing in the airport "Didn't you hear us? We DIDN'T make it. We are NOT the next American Idol."

Christmas 2008!

We had a fabulous pre-getting-sick Christmas! Christmas Eve was spent with my wonderful in-law's, then we welcomed my entire family into our home...7 adults, 5 kids, 1 shower! Good thing we like each other.

Parker was so cute this year. Anytime we asked what Santa was going to bring him for Christmas, he'd say "a red present." Or, "a red car." Silly Santa forgot that little detail, but Parker didn't seem to notice!

Avery was so fun! Her favorite present...from Grandpa and Nanu...Minnie Mouse!

See? I told you she smiles! And maybe I shouldn't have been so ambitious with the big-sized jammies.

The family band on our after-Christmas Christmas with Kimberly and fam.
Christmas wouldn't be complete without matching PJ's, pictures of 4 generations of girls, sexy heels, and long-into-the-night games. This year's pick (thanks to Michael): Ticket To Ride!

After Christmas, we went for a girl's breakfast out (along with my dad who couldn't bear missing out) with some of our childhood friends...Aly and LaDean!

Not pictured: The Discovery Museum at the Gateway...possibly more fun than Disneyland.

Thanks for such a fun Christmas, everyone. Maybe I shouldn't admit this, but this was probably the first year I really was more excited about what I was giving than what I was getting. I couldn't wait for Parker to see his presents on Christmas morning. I must be getting old!

Beauty Tips I Learned on New Year's Eve...

This year marked the second year of our now annual sleep-over tradition on New Year's Eve: our good friends come over, we have dinner together, we all put our kids to bed, we play games to ring in the New Year, sleep for a few hours before the kids wake up, have breakfast together, then go about our New Year's Day. I was UGLIER than ever this year as we bid farewell to our friends. Here's what I learned...

How to avoid unbecoming smelliness:
How to avoid red, puffy, swollen eyes (and a minor heart attack):
How to avoid full-blown, fatigue-induced ugliness:
How to avoid weight gain as the New Year begins:

My mom always told me sleepovers made me ornery. She never told me they made me ugly, too! Find out why I'm so ugly today at Fit Me Pink!

P.S. My Christmas post will be up soon!