Swimming

Charlie is on the swim team again this year. She's doing great this year and has really improved her times. (It probably helped that she grew almost 5 inches in the last year or so). Shawn and I love that Charlie is on the swim team for a a few great reasons. First, the whole team cheers each other on. They are just excited when you beat your personal best time as they are when you win your race. Second, all the girls are so nice, and third, Charlie enjoys competing against herself and so swimming is a great sport for her.

Her are some pics from her 1st home meet- which actually occured before school had even started. (Swimming started back up mid August- 3 weeks before school started).

Teenagers

On Labor Day we started our first of 17 years of teenage girls in our home. What better way to start this great occasion than with a cook out in the back yard? We invited friends to come and share the day with us while we feasted on great food, (The chicken was good enough that Claire gave Shawn uncle status) and excellent company. Thank you to everyone who came- especially to Vanessa who baked the cake and taught me to make the frosting. So that I could decorate Charlie's cake myself. (Okay I only did the pink parts, but watchout, at the next birthday I'll do the whole thing!!!!)

Footballl

Football is back on again. We started the week before Labor Day and have been having a really great time. Shawn had several great plays at yesterdays game including an intercepted pass that he turned into a touch down. The girls all love to go and jump on the tramp, hang out in the barn, and meet other kids. At our first game, Charlie was able to meet a special little friend. A baby girl named Charlee. We;ll be playing most weekends, so they'll be plenty of updates.

What kind of blogger are you?

Do you ever wonder what kind of blogger you are? Take this quiz and find out!

1) Your dog eats your daughter's birthday cake an hour before her party. Your post shows:

A) a picture of the dog, the cake and the solution (a new cake from Walmart or the grocery store)

B) Your blog talks all about the huge amount of time you spent making your daughter's dream cake- how the dog ate it- and how you quickly whipped up a beautiful substitute- and shows pics of your well groomed dog, the beautiful new cake, and your sweet princess in her birthday tiara.

C) You get a couple of pics up from her party and call it good.

D) What idiot leaves a cake where a dog can get it?

2) Your son smears a whole jar of peanut butter all over the walls and himself. Your blog shows

A) A picture of your son, the wall, the jar of peanut butter and tells of your horrow when you found it- especially since you were on your way out the door.

B) Talks about how boys will be boys. Shows a picture of your boy dressed looking so cute and a jar of your favorite organic peanut butter.

C) You post a picture of your son and the wall and the caption reads "Peanut Butter Days"

D) After the dog who would be stupid enough to leave a kid with a jar of peanut butter?

3) Your family takes a short trip to see your family. You blog:

A) About all the fun you had- especially the stuff that made you cry at the time but are now laughing about AND how you almost peed your pants laughing when your kid puked on his childless uncle and all other sorts of funny now things. You also post a picture of the uncle...and the puke.

B) You have lots of beautiful pics on your blog. Your favorites include the one of all the cousins in matching polos and the grown ups night out at that great fish place.

C) You steal a couple of pics off your sisters blog and just type "Thanks for the great memories and fun" underneath

D) Why would I go see my family?

4) You blog about the 1st day of school. You :

A) Show pics of all your kids in front of your house and talk about how excited you are for the peace and quiet...and wonder how long it will last

B) You have pictures of the kids in the exact same spot as last year in the exact same order and talk about how you cried a little bit leaving your baby for the 1st time and how she didn't cry at all and already has made tons of friends.

C) People blog about the first day of school?

D) After the peanut butter and the dog- why would I EVER have kids?

5) How many embellishments are on your blog?

A) I added music but I had to disable it when my kids thought it was funny to change my play list. My MIL didn't find it funny when she started reading and was hearing Five Finger Death Punch.

B) I have music, wall paper, a marriage ticker, site meter, and so really cute buttons!

C) I have the basic blogger stuff- no embellishments

D) What's a freaking embellishment?!?!


Results:
If you had mostly A's you are : The Cheaper by the Dozen blogger. You tell it how it is and in the end, it's usually pretty funny. Your blog keeps your friends laughing and you too- once the pain of the post is over.

If you had mostly B's you are : A Christmas Newsletter blogger. your blog is full of your. wonderfully perfect family. You're not above SSSSssssstttttrrrrreeeetttccchhhhhiiinnnngggg the truth or even out right lieing (if only to yourself) to make sure others see how much better off you are. You think your kids are brilliant, your spouse superb and see yourself as a great (and oh so modest) blogger. Your blog also keeps your friends (or frenemies) laughing as well- mostly because they're aware of how much stretching is really going on.

If you had mostly C's you are : The Reluctant blogger. someone convinced you that you had to blog. you're blogging so that your mother (or mil) can keep up on your kids, your kids won't feel unloved, or because everyone else you know does it, but you just don't like it. To you I say it's okay to stop blogging.

If you had mostly D's you are : so not a blogger. You read blogs and maybe even follow one or two, but there's no way that you'd ever waste the time that everyone else is blogging. That's for all those crazy people with too much time on their hands.